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Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year Through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices
A challenge that many earth-based spiritual practitioners face is how to integrate sustainable living with our everyday lives. This book responds to the challenge by offering a vision of “sacred actions”, or the integration of sustainable living with earth-based spirituality. Foregrounded by three ethics: people care, earth care, and fair share, Sacred Actions offers a comprehensive introduction to sustainable living through the lens of paganism. Within you will find a wide variety of accessible sustainable living activities, rituals, stories, and tools framed through the Neopagan eight-fold wheel of the year. Each chapter, tied to one of the eight holidays, offers a specific theme that deepens sustainable living practices. Topics include the home and hearth, lawns and gardens, food and nourishment, sustainable ritual items and offerings, reducing waste and addressing materialism, and much more. Consider this your manual of personal empowerment through sustainability as a spiritual practice.
Sacred Actions is the winner of the 2021 Ben Franklin Silver Medal in the Mind, Body, Spirit Category from the Independent Book Publishers Association.
Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices is available through Red Feather Publishing.
Sacred Actions is the winner of the 2021 Ben Franklin Silver Medal in the Mind, Body, Spirit Category from the Independent Book Publishers Association.
Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices is available through Red Feather Publishing.
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 29, 2021
37 people are currently reading
353 people want to read
About the author
Dana O'Driscoll
9 books19 followersDana O’Driscoll spent most of her childhood in the wooded hills of the Laurel Highlands region of Pennsylvania, making mud pies, building brush cabins, and eating berries. Thankfully, little has changed, and she can still be found searching out tasty mushrooms, gathering herbs, and playing her panflute for the trees. Dana enjoys various kinds of wildcrafting, earth skills, and natural arts and is often covered with paint, dirt, or both. She is a certified permaculture designer and is working towards a more resilient, self-sufficient lifestyle through beekeeping, perennial agriculture, animal husbandry, food preservation, herbalism, and natural building. She also serves as a community organizer to promote ethical wild food foraging, food security, and community empowerment using permaculture methods.
Dana has published Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices with Red Feather 2021, as well as the Tarot of Trees and Plant Spirit Oracle. She is an Ollave Adept and currently serves as the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. Through AODA, she edits Trilithon: The Journal of the Ancient Order of Druids in America and the Druid’s Book of Songs, Ceremonies, and Prayers. She blogs at www.thedruidsgarden.com.
Dana has published Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices with Red Feather 2021, as well as the Tarot of Trees and Plant Spirit Oracle. She is an Ollave Adept and currently serves as the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. Through AODA, she edits Trilithon: The Journal of the Ancient Order of Druids in America and the Druid’s Book of Songs, Ceremonies, and Prayers. She blogs at www.thedruidsgarden.com.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 24, 2023
I feel very complicatedly about this book, and have lots of thoughts about it. For me, it is rather inconsistent – some chapters I absolutely loved and got a lot of great ideas from, while others I found less helpful, underwhelming, and/or occasionally problematic. Many (most, really) of my criticisms have been outlined clearly by other reviewers, but I’m going to aim to articulate them as well. I want to start, though, with what I liked.
As someone always looking to live more environmentally consciously, I picked up this book to get some ideas to implement in my own life as well as for information on putting ideas I already have into action. I found both. For instance, we’re currently planning replacing most of our front lawn with raised garden beds, and chapter 6 contained lots of helpful tips for doing this effectively (as well as a range of ideas for homes of all sizes – including apartments – for gardening). The author’s passion for gardening and growing really shone in this chapter, and for me it stood out as the best chapter in the book. I also liked Chapter 2’s discussion of reskilling and learning and Chapter 4’s discussion of household actions like conserving water and reducing electricity usage. Lots of good tips in all of these sections. I love the overall framing of the book around people care, earth care, and fair share as well. I am grateful to this book for prompting some good discussions in my household of ways to live more environmentally. It can be hard sometimes to find the feasible actions that go beyond the basics – ex. if we’ve cut out plastic shopping bags and toxic cleaning products, what’s next? – and this book gave us lots of ideas.
While I really enjoyed reading about the author’s own experiences with finding ways to live more ecologically consciously, I struggled with this emphasis: while I completely understand focusing on things one has actually done in one’s own life, the result is that not all chapters have much to offer for those who live in different circumstances. Many, many examples in this book are only relevant for those who own significant amounts of property. While the author several times notes a desire to aim to account for a wide range of living circumstances, the book is inconsistent in actually doing this effectively. Some chapters (such as chapter 4 on household actions) do this very well and offer something for everyone. However, in some other instances, comments are made that suggest a lack of awareness here: for instance, the idea that people are increasingly “choosing to avoid conventional mortgages and instead build their own homes with sustainable materials—and this is doable for anyone with the time, patience, and enthusiasm” [121] speaks to a lack of acknowledgment of class differences and accessibility, as such an option really isn’t doable without land and other kinds of resources.
Relatedly, far too much in this book is conceived of using ‘choice’ language: for instance, the author writes that “transportation does come down to a matter of choice” [202] and outlines the challenge of deciding between a more walkable life in town and a more private life outside the city which would require a vehicle to get to work. In actuality, transportation comes down to a mix of a lot of factors – physical ability / accessibility, economic accessibility, job-related needs, family size and composition, etc. – not all of which are “chosen.” The author uses ‘stuck’ in quotation marks – “even if you are ‘stuck’ using a particular transportation mode...” [205] – in reference to her own choice to sometimes air travel (a mode of transportation she describes many as shifting away from for ecological reasons) which seems strange given how many people go their entire lives without ever taking a plane (it really seems like the least likely form of transportation to be ‘stuck with’ given how expensive it is). Certainly, we can all find ways to lessen our negative impact on the earth – and, ideally, to impact the earth positively – but very real structural/systemic constraints exist to making these kinds of choices. I am all for acknowledging each and every person’s ability to make a difference, and I appreciate the invitation to challenge myself to do more than I’m doing, but at the same time we need to avoid implying that anything and everything comes down to choice (which plays into a neoliberal logic).
The chapter on food contained some strange assumptions. For example, there seems to be the assumption that anyone who is vegan is vegan solely for ‘animal welfare’ reasons and not for sustainability/environmental ones, or that there are no environmentalist rationales for not eating meat or other animal products – I don’t point this out to suggest the author should’ve advocated veganism, only to say that it is a weird assumption not at all borne out by evidence and not aligned with how many vegans talk about their decision-making processes. While challenges of affordability and availability of healthy foods are mentioned, the ideas offered don’t really address these concerns in any systemic or collective way, and stating that “scarcity gives us a sense of appreciation for what we do have” [130] right after many around the world live daily with food scarcity rubbed me the wrong way: the idea that those with privilege can learn to be more thankful from the experiences of those with nothing doesn’t exactly advance food sovereignty or security, which are vital areas of concern from a social justice oriented perspective.
Other reviewers have mentioned issues of cultural appropriation. The book reads as quite US-centric (which isn’ta criticism, just an observation: the examples presented are from US context), but doesn’t grapple with the complexities of building and maintaining relationships with the land, plants, and animals given the colonial context. Thanksgiving is presented uncomplicatedly as “honoring our history and seeking to be thankful” [151] (albeit in a way being apparently lost amidst Black Friday consumerism) with zero mention of colonialism, centering a presumed settler readership, and the language of “smudging” is used repeatedly rather than smoke cleansing which is a more appropriate term that is only mentioned once. I would’ve loved to see more consideration here of how coming to a healthier, less exploitative, and more healing relationship with land is inextricably linked to decolonization.
As someone always looking to live more environmentally consciously, I picked up this book to get some ideas to implement in my own life as well as for information on putting ideas I already have into action. I found both. For instance, we’re currently planning replacing most of our front lawn with raised garden beds, and chapter 6 contained lots of helpful tips for doing this effectively (as well as a range of ideas for homes of all sizes – including apartments – for gardening). The author’s passion for gardening and growing really shone in this chapter, and for me it stood out as the best chapter in the book. I also liked Chapter 2’s discussion of reskilling and learning and Chapter 4’s discussion of household actions like conserving water and reducing electricity usage. Lots of good tips in all of these sections. I love the overall framing of the book around people care, earth care, and fair share as well. I am grateful to this book for prompting some good discussions in my household of ways to live more environmentally. It can be hard sometimes to find the feasible actions that go beyond the basics – ex. if we’ve cut out plastic shopping bags and toxic cleaning products, what’s next? – and this book gave us lots of ideas.
While I really enjoyed reading about the author’s own experiences with finding ways to live more ecologically consciously, I struggled with this emphasis: while I completely understand focusing on things one has actually done in one’s own life, the result is that not all chapters have much to offer for those who live in different circumstances. Many, many examples in this book are only relevant for those who own significant amounts of property. While the author several times notes a desire to aim to account for a wide range of living circumstances, the book is inconsistent in actually doing this effectively. Some chapters (such as chapter 4 on household actions) do this very well and offer something for everyone. However, in some other instances, comments are made that suggest a lack of awareness here: for instance, the idea that people are increasingly “choosing to avoid conventional mortgages and instead build their own homes with sustainable materials—and this is doable for anyone with the time, patience, and enthusiasm” [121] speaks to a lack of acknowledgment of class differences and accessibility, as such an option really isn’t doable without land and other kinds of resources.
Relatedly, far too much in this book is conceived of using ‘choice’ language: for instance, the author writes that “transportation does come down to a matter of choice” [202] and outlines the challenge of deciding between a more walkable life in town and a more private life outside the city which would require a vehicle to get to work. In actuality, transportation comes down to a mix of a lot of factors – physical ability / accessibility, economic accessibility, job-related needs, family size and composition, etc. – not all of which are “chosen.” The author uses ‘stuck’ in quotation marks – “even if you are ‘stuck’ using a particular transportation mode...” [205] – in reference to her own choice to sometimes air travel (a mode of transportation she describes many as shifting away from for ecological reasons) which seems strange given how many people go their entire lives without ever taking a plane (it really seems like the least likely form of transportation to be ‘stuck with’ given how expensive it is). Certainly, we can all find ways to lessen our negative impact on the earth – and, ideally, to impact the earth positively – but very real structural/systemic constraints exist to making these kinds of choices. I am all for acknowledging each and every person’s ability to make a difference, and I appreciate the invitation to challenge myself to do more than I’m doing, but at the same time we need to avoid implying that anything and everything comes down to choice (which plays into a neoliberal logic).
The chapter on food contained some strange assumptions. For example, there seems to be the assumption that anyone who is vegan is vegan solely for ‘animal welfare’ reasons and not for sustainability/environmental ones, or that there are no environmentalist rationales for not eating meat or other animal products – I don’t point this out to suggest the author should’ve advocated veganism, only to say that it is a weird assumption not at all borne out by evidence and not aligned with how many vegans talk about their decision-making processes. While challenges of affordability and availability of healthy foods are mentioned, the ideas offered don’t really address these concerns in any systemic or collective way, and stating that “scarcity gives us a sense of appreciation for what we do have” [130] right after many around the world live daily with food scarcity rubbed me the wrong way: the idea that those with privilege can learn to be more thankful from the experiences of those with nothing doesn’t exactly advance food sovereignty or security, which are vital areas of concern from a social justice oriented perspective.
Other reviewers have mentioned issues of cultural appropriation. The book reads as quite US-centric (which isn’ta criticism, just an observation: the examples presented are from US context), but doesn’t grapple with the complexities of building and maintaining relationships with the land, plants, and animals given the colonial context. Thanksgiving is presented uncomplicatedly as “honoring our history and seeking to be thankful” [151] (albeit in a way being apparently lost amidst Black Friday consumerism) with zero mention of colonialism, centering a presumed settler readership, and the language of “smudging” is used repeatedly rather than smoke cleansing which is a more appropriate term that is only mentioned once. I would’ve loved to see more consideration here of how coming to a healthier, less exploitative, and more healing relationship with land is inextricably linked to decolonization.
April 5, 2022
she talks about being aware of appropriation within plant medicine… and then ends the book with a list of “homemade smudge sticks” for the reader to try. lol yikes.
July 17, 2021
Here is a guide to daily living in an environmentally sustainable way. Dana O’Driscoll leads the reader gently through the seasons with practical suggestions on how to care for oneself, the earth, and the greater community. That community may be local farmers, or indigenous peoples in areas affected by mining or over-harvesting of natural resources.
Care of yourself can start with a simple window box of medicinal and culinary herbs, or making your own laundry soap. There are many ideas here to get you thinking in creative new ways. An appendix lists helpful books if you would like a deeper knowledge of the subjects covered. Small changes in individual behaviour can have an effect in influencing others and can make a big difference.
This guide is one you can return to time and time again as you begin to make these changes, one step at a time.
Care of yourself can start with a simple window box of medicinal and culinary herbs, or making your own laundry soap. There are many ideas here to get you thinking in creative new ways. An appendix lists helpful books if you would like a deeper knowledge of the subjects covered. Small changes in individual behaviour can have an effect in influencing others and can make a big difference.
This guide is one you can return to time and time again as you begin to make these changes, one step at a time.
August 11, 2021
This is a guide for anyone and everyone that cares about the Earth. O'Driscoll describes how to make daily life choices that connect us with the Earth and choices that show us how to protect and provide for our sweet Earth. I currently am living in an apartment and no longer have garden space or my own land. I felt like a part of my land connection was severed. O'Driscoll's book reminds me that I can still make meaningful changes that deepen my Earth-based spirituality while living in an apartment. I learned how to make my small living area a sacred space. I continued my Oak Knowledge and learned exactly what it means to be an Earth Ambassador.
Dana O'Driscoll's book is a must read for anyone who finds peace in nature.
Dana O'Driscoll's book is a must read for anyone who finds peace in nature.
January 4, 2023
I am currently reading this and feel the need to track each of my thoughts because I feel this nearly became a "DNF" at multiple points spoilers are present in this review.
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Forward Being thrown immediately into the intro and finding out that this book's author became quickly and deeply involved with Druidism was a) not what I was expecting b) WTF is with this modern druid practice? I need to research what the heck this is about and 3) Oh, so this is going to be a very "white perspective" realization.
Introduction - More of the above with a sinking feeling that the 5 years of work going into this book feels very much like a student writing a thesis about everything they learned expecting it to be a revelation just like it was for them in the process. RED FLAG WORD: "Overpopulation" as a crisis confirms this is a white writer who absolutely has done very little work or acknowledgment around how "overpopulation" as a sustainability discussion frequently is used against black/brown people and their family systems. Secondarily, the tone happening leaves no hope for the fact that science is frequently helping to find solutions to the crises the author seems to be concerned about.
Positive takeaway: applying the model of permaculture zones to our spiritual and home lives.
Chapter 1 Winter Solstice
I was underwhelmed by this opening chapter.
RED FLAG: Maslow's hierarchy of needs. A model stolen from indigenous people and repackaged for the white masses who continue to prop this up as if it's revolutionary. The author likely doesn't even know of this history.
Major positive takeaway is the triad of: Earth care, people care, fair share. I think this was a lovely way to present caring more deeply in daily practice.
But the rituals themselves felt hollow. Calculating your carbon footprint . . . sigh. This feels very "sustainability" from a decade ago thinking. The author bemoans their air travel. Yes, this generates lots of carbon, no that isn't good. But also in 2022 we are actively looking at ways to power air travel through more renewable energy sources. A lot of people by this measure don't even have the resources for things like air travel. I'm not sure what the point here is other than bemoaning privilege. A carbon calculator isn't bad, I've done this calculators years ago multiple times, but they're somewhat difficult to fill out and don't do much to change habits. I thought this was a miss.
Then we get to the more druid-based ritual. Okay in concept but the tone of ritual is also so antithetical to what I was hoping to get from this resource. What there is more of is fear-based language, "We fear the passage of time. We fear for the lives of so many of Earth's inhabitants. We fear for the future." Like damn, anxiety much? I'm really getting a sense of where this author is coming from and it doesn't leave much room for positive associations and beneficial ritual building. So far this book feels like a meditation on the author trying to allay their climate anxieties.
Chapter 2 Imbolc
Review is upgraded to 2 stars after this chapter.
Finally! A chapter that I felt was really useful. Using our time between Solstice and Imbolc as a time to reflect and learn. The concept of reskilling is very useful and while I'm usually doing some type of this throughout the year, having a dedicated period of time set aside to intentionally seek out a new skill is perfect for the cold months when I usually want to hole up with a stack of library book.
Like another reviewer noted, the line about this lifestyle being important to the author so they choose to travel and seek out reskilling classes rather than go lie on a beach was pretty offputting. I get what they intended, but I don't think it plays out well on the page. At least I had forewarning of this so it didn't detract too badly from my enjoyment of this chapter. It was also only a single sentence out of the entire chapter on Imbolc. I won't hold it against the author too badly even if it is insensitive and exclusive to their particular interests and socioeconomic situation.
But also can't a person go to a beach (or other body of water) and just be fascinated by the sand, rocks, plants, and sea creatures? Reskilling doesn't need to be an antithesis to your relaxing vacation time. I highly recommend nature journaling as a skill to see and document the natural world and that can certainly be done on a relaxing beach holiday ;)
My only other content criticism of this chapter is that the Rituals section is very light to practically non-existent. If you're looking for contained rituals to mark each occasion, you'll have to look elsewhere for Imbolc.
Chapter 3: Spring Equinox
Reducing waste and materialism was a great theme choice for this season. I greatly enjoyed the content of this chapter and started looking into new ways to reduce waste. I had never heard of ecobricks and while this sounds like a very cool idea, in application I don't find this practical for my apartment lifestyle. I can't think of any project I would like to make with my bricks, storage seems a bit of a pain, and the idea that you're trying to collect your extra plastic in the same type of container would create a worse plastic-creating habit for me than help me reduce plastic. Z
The line between trash and treasure seems precarious to me. Having grown up in a hoader household, I am a bit loathe to hold on to anything that would be classified as trash or recycle. Taking things out of the waste-stream that you have use for, great! Going through people's trash piles . . . gets a bit too borderline hoarder behavior for me personally.
I also found this chapter a bit light on any recognition of neural and physical differences. Disposable items may be a necessity for many in order to keep hygienic and/or accessible homes.
One thing I think I may try out of this chapter is the "liquid gold" -- seems very weird to me but the science makes sense. I have a hydroponic tower at home and nobody would have to know and I would get the dilution necessary while not needing to rely on purchased chemical fertilizers.
Also this author throws around "chemical" like all chemicals are toxic. Life is chemistry. Chemicals are often neutral or necessary for life. The language was a bit annoying across the book in this regard.
Okay now my BIG GIANT RED FLAG: "Smudging"
Why is everything else in this book "elemental cleansing" but the author has to continually use the word "smudging" instead? We have "candle cleansing","sonic cleansing", a description of how to add water and salt (for Earth) cleansing. But lighting some sticks and herbs on fire is purposefully called smudging and not smoke cleansing. Every contemporary Indigenous author and voice I have heard on this subject has asked that white people STOP calling smoke cleansing "smudging." A smudge practice is based in sacred Indigenous practices and is not universal across tribes in meaning or ritual. I am Indigenous and do not have a smudging practice - I am not privy to those sacred closed-practice rituals. I do engage with smoke cleansing and call it as such. I'll harp more on this in the Samhain section later.
Chapter 4: Beltane
Sacred Actions in our Homes.
Most of these homes seem to be farmhouses with land but I did find it interesting to learn about these principles like solar cooking which could honestly be kinda rad for when the temps here are scorching and I want a hot meal without having to turn on my oven.
While reading this book I was also reading Fresh Banana Leaves and found out more about the history of permaculture. This is the only part that started turning me off. Again, how something like "permaculture" has been stolen and de-Indigenized and now is being fed back to the (mostly white) masses for consumption as a sustainability practice. Sigh. Shouldn't be surprised.
Things I will probably try from this chapter: A solar cooker, trying to conserve more water and collecting shower water.
My only issue with the water piece of this is that for an apartment dweller like myself in a very rainy environment, there's really only so much water I need for my uses. I'll likely do more water-collecting practices in the drier months and focus more on using less during the wet winter months.
Chapter 5: Summer Solstice
This might have been my favorite chapter of the book. I thought it was pretty well balanced between those who have larger homes or land for things like a root cellar and for those like me who have apartment-based living. Many of the ideas were great for smaller space living such as eating seasonally, going to farmer's markets, or declaring "independence" on a single ingredient were all very accessible ideas to try to incorporate more.
The prayer/thanks rituals I saved because I liked the words in them and I really enjoyed learning about what a wassail is.
Chapter 6: Lughnasadh
Landscapes, Gardens, and Lawn Liberation.
Well I think I'm doing pretty good on this front. I don't have a lawn to speak of. But I do want to do more container gardening. This was light on that topic but many other books exist on it and I need to engage with it more. The wild temperatures this past year killed off almost all my previous gardening attempts outdoors.
But I do have and want to continue working on my indoor hydroponic/aquaponic setups in my small space. Living in a "liberal" place, seeing people replace their traditional lawns with alternative landscapes doesn't feel at all out of place. It's quite normal here.
Chapter 7: Fall Equinox
Earth Ambassadorship. I found this chapter a bit wandering between big ideas (Earth ambassadorship) and very small (like having some container plants at work). The idea of community though shone through and I realized I am not super connected to other people on the same path although I do inform my friends of my (in their view) pretty wild attempts at reducing my footprint so I guess I'm being an ambassador? idk. Maybe they just think I'm extra weird and kooky and wonder how I exist in life.
Red Flag in this Chapter: Carbon Offsets.
Like you're joking right? These are proven to basically only be a way to assuage your climate guilt through capitalism. It doesn't make the carbon magically go away. John Oliver's Last Week Tonight has an amazing segment on this that sums up every feeling I have about these programs and why I have never participated in them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p8zA...
Chapter 8: Samhain
hooobooooy here we go where O'Driscoll completely draws me in with her talk of making sure we are better about sourcing our plant materials (also CRYSTALS TOO for all you who collect crystals or put crystals in every single metaphysical product ever!!!! I wish the author had gone deeper on this particular topic as it is barely addressed).
I thought the lists provided of plant medicines to source sustainably (or avoid entirely) was fantastic and was happy it was included. I saved the "recipes" that the author presented for creating my own smoke bundles.
But here's where I wanted to throw this book down again because the author FINALLY mentions that this practice could be called "smoke cleansing" (nay Dana O'Driscoll... SHOULD be called!). But then double, triples, quintuples down on calling it smudging. After having JUST presented information on how overuse of plant materials impacts Indigenous communities. Clearly you can bring a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
Was I so pissed by this I took a pencil to the library book and crossed out all references to smudging and replaced it with "smoke cleansing" or "smoke bundle"? I'll let you hazard a guess on that. I'm sure your inclination is accurate.
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Forward Being thrown immediately into the intro and finding out that this book's author became quickly and deeply involved with Druidism was a) not what I was expecting b) WTF is with this modern druid practice? I need to research what the heck this is about and 3) Oh, so this is going to be a very "white perspective" realization.
Introduction - More of the above with a sinking feeling that the 5 years of work going into this book feels very much like a student writing a thesis about everything they learned expecting it to be a revelation just like it was for them in the process. RED FLAG WORD: "Overpopulation" as a crisis confirms this is a white writer who absolutely has done very little work or acknowledgment around how "overpopulation" as a sustainability discussion frequently is used against black/brown people and their family systems. Secondarily, the tone happening leaves no hope for the fact that science is frequently helping to find solutions to the crises the author seems to be concerned about.
Positive takeaway: applying the model of permaculture zones to our spiritual and home lives.
Chapter 1 Winter Solstice
I was underwhelmed by this opening chapter.
RED FLAG: Maslow's hierarchy of needs. A model stolen from indigenous people and repackaged for the white masses who continue to prop this up as if it's revolutionary. The author likely doesn't even know of this history.
Major positive takeaway is the triad of: Earth care, people care, fair share. I think this was a lovely way to present caring more deeply in daily practice.
But the rituals themselves felt hollow. Calculating your carbon footprint . . . sigh. This feels very "sustainability" from a decade ago thinking. The author bemoans their air travel. Yes, this generates lots of carbon, no that isn't good. But also in 2022 we are actively looking at ways to power air travel through more renewable energy sources. A lot of people by this measure don't even have the resources for things like air travel. I'm not sure what the point here is other than bemoaning privilege. A carbon calculator isn't bad, I've done this calculators years ago multiple times, but they're somewhat difficult to fill out and don't do much to change habits. I thought this was a miss.
Then we get to the more druid-based ritual. Okay in concept but the tone of ritual is also so antithetical to what I was hoping to get from this resource. What there is more of is fear-based language, "We fear the passage of time. We fear for the lives of so many of Earth's inhabitants. We fear for the future." Like damn, anxiety much? I'm really getting a sense of where this author is coming from and it doesn't leave much room for positive associations and beneficial ritual building. So far this book feels like a meditation on the author trying to allay their climate anxieties.
Chapter 2 Imbolc
Review is upgraded to 2 stars after this chapter.
Finally! A chapter that I felt was really useful. Using our time between Solstice and Imbolc as a time to reflect and learn. The concept of reskilling is very useful and while I'm usually doing some type of this throughout the year, having a dedicated period of time set aside to intentionally seek out a new skill is perfect for the cold months when I usually want to hole up with a stack of library book.
Like another reviewer noted, the line about this lifestyle being important to the author so they choose to travel and seek out reskilling classes rather than go lie on a beach was pretty offputting. I get what they intended, but I don't think it plays out well on the page. At least I had forewarning of this so it didn't detract too badly from my enjoyment of this chapter. It was also only a single sentence out of the entire chapter on Imbolc. I won't hold it against the author too badly even if it is insensitive and exclusive to their particular interests and socioeconomic situation.
But also can't a person go to a beach (or other body of water) and just be fascinated by the sand, rocks, plants, and sea creatures? Reskilling doesn't need to be an antithesis to your relaxing vacation time. I highly recommend nature journaling as a skill to see and document the natural world and that can certainly be done on a relaxing beach holiday ;)
My only other content criticism of this chapter is that the Rituals section is very light to practically non-existent. If you're looking for contained rituals to mark each occasion, you'll have to look elsewhere for Imbolc.
Chapter 3: Spring Equinox
Reducing waste and materialism was a great theme choice for this season. I greatly enjoyed the content of this chapter and started looking into new ways to reduce waste. I had never heard of ecobricks and while this sounds like a very cool idea, in application I don't find this practical for my apartment lifestyle. I can't think of any project I would like to make with my bricks, storage seems a bit of a pain, and the idea that you're trying to collect your extra plastic in the same type of container would create a worse plastic-creating habit for me than help me reduce plastic. Z
The line between trash and treasure seems precarious to me. Having grown up in a hoader household, I am a bit loathe to hold on to anything that would be classified as trash or recycle. Taking things out of the waste-stream that you have use for, great! Going through people's trash piles . . . gets a bit too borderline hoarder behavior for me personally.
I also found this chapter a bit light on any recognition of neural and physical differences. Disposable items may be a necessity for many in order to keep hygienic and/or accessible homes.
One thing I think I may try out of this chapter is the "liquid gold" -- seems very weird to me but the science makes sense. I have a hydroponic tower at home and nobody would have to know and I would get the dilution necessary while not needing to rely on purchased chemical fertilizers.
Also this author throws around "chemical" like all chemicals are toxic. Life is chemistry. Chemicals are often neutral or necessary for life. The language was a bit annoying across the book in this regard.
Okay now my BIG GIANT RED FLAG: "Smudging"
Why is everything else in this book "elemental cleansing" but the author has to continually use the word "smudging" instead? We have "candle cleansing","sonic cleansing", a description of how to add water and salt (for Earth) cleansing. But lighting some sticks and herbs on fire is purposefully called smudging and not smoke cleansing. Every contemporary Indigenous author and voice I have heard on this subject has asked that white people STOP calling smoke cleansing "smudging." A smudge practice is based in sacred Indigenous practices and is not universal across tribes in meaning or ritual. I am Indigenous and do not have a smudging practice - I am not privy to those sacred closed-practice rituals. I do engage with smoke cleansing and call it as such. I'll harp more on this in the Samhain section later.
Chapter 4: Beltane
Sacred Actions in our Homes.
Most of these homes seem to be farmhouses with land but I did find it interesting to learn about these principles like solar cooking which could honestly be kinda rad for when the temps here are scorching and I want a hot meal without having to turn on my oven.
While reading this book I was also reading Fresh Banana Leaves and found out more about the history of permaculture. This is the only part that started turning me off. Again, how something like "permaculture" has been stolen and de-Indigenized and now is being fed back to the (mostly white) masses for consumption as a sustainability practice. Sigh. Shouldn't be surprised.
Things I will probably try from this chapter: A solar cooker, trying to conserve more water and collecting shower water.
My only issue with the water piece of this is that for an apartment dweller like myself in a very rainy environment, there's really only so much water I need for my uses. I'll likely do more water-collecting practices in the drier months and focus more on using less during the wet winter months.
Chapter 5: Summer Solstice
This might have been my favorite chapter of the book. I thought it was pretty well balanced between those who have larger homes or land for things like a root cellar and for those like me who have apartment-based living. Many of the ideas were great for smaller space living such as eating seasonally, going to farmer's markets, or declaring "independence" on a single ingredient were all very accessible ideas to try to incorporate more.
The prayer/thanks rituals I saved because I liked the words in them and I really enjoyed learning about what a wassail is.
Chapter 6: Lughnasadh
Landscapes, Gardens, and Lawn Liberation.
Well I think I'm doing pretty good on this front. I don't have a lawn to speak of. But I do want to do more container gardening. This was light on that topic but many other books exist on it and I need to engage with it more. The wild temperatures this past year killed off almost all my previous gardening attempts outdoors.
But I do have and want to continue working on my indoor hydroponic/aquaponic setups in my small space. Living in a "liberal" place, seeing people replace their traditional lawns with alternative landscapes doesn't feel at all out of place. It's quite normal here.
Chapter 7: Fall Equinox
Earth Ambassadorship. I found this chapter a bit wandering between big ideas (Earth ambassadorship) and very small (like having some container plants at work). The idea of community though shone through and I realized I am not super connected to other people on the same path although I do inform my friends of my (in their view) pretty wild attempts at reducing my footprint so I guess I'm being an ambassador? idk. Maybe they just think I'm extra weird and kooky and wonder how I exist in life.
Red Flag in this Chapter: Carbon Offsets.
Like you're joking right? These are proven to basically only be a way to assuage your climate guilt through capitalism. It doesn't make the carbon magically go away. John Oliver's Last Week Tonight has an amazing segment on this that sums up every feeling I have about these programs and why I have never participated in them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p8zA...
Chapter 8: Samhain
hooobooooy here we go where O'Driscoll completely draws me in with her talk of making sure we are better about sourcing our plant materials (also CRYSTALS TOO for all you who collect crystals or put crystals in every single metaphysical product ever!!!! I wish the author had gone deeper on this particular topic as it is barely addressed).
I thought the lists provided of plant medicines to source sustainably (or avoid entirely) was fantastic and was happy it was included. I saved the "recipes" that the author presented for creating my own smoke bundles.
But here's where I wanted to throw this book down again because the author FINALLY mentions that this practice could be called "smoke cleansing" (nay Dana O'Driscoll... SHOULD be called!). But then double, triples, quintuples down on calling it smudging. After having JUST presented information on how overuse of plant materials impacts Indigenous communities. Clearly you can bring a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
Was I so pissed by this I took a pencil to the library book and crossed out all references to smudging and replaced it with "smoke cleansing" or "smoke bundle"? I'll let you hazard a guess on that. I'm sure your inclination is accurate.
November 21, 2022
Read this book. Let it bring you along its path into a closer and healthier relationship with our world. Essential.
March 20, 2022
There is great information in this book. A holistic approach to a more ecological and spiritual way of living is provided in an educated manner. I would recommend this book to others.
However, there are numerous occasions where sentence structure is confusing. There were several instances where a word was either omitted or repeated. This caused difficulty in reading and, at times, forced you to stop and ponder what meaning was intended.
However, there are numerous occasions where sentence structure is confusing. There were several instances where a word was either omitted or repeated. This caused difficulty in reading and, at times, forced you to stop and ponder what meaning was intended.
January 17, 2022
I started "Sacred Actions" excited to read the fascinating topics O'Driscoll shared on Damh the Bard's "Druidcast - The Druid Podcast (Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids)" podcast. But the more I read, I couldn't help but see a lot of cracks in between the lines.
If you are expecting a literary pie chart equally sliced with tangible, specific action against climate change and how to incorporate this in the Pre-Abrahamic Wheel of the Year, it's there but not there. VERY Druidic, VERY Bardic! If you are familiar with the Druidic path or have already adapted the path to what works for you, don't take this book as absolute black and white. (Again, VERY Druidic and Bardic!) If you are versed in the path and language, please read this with a critical and comprehensive eye, and if you're anything like me, write ideas down that work with your relationship to the earth because O'Driscoll will not nail your living situation.
But the more I read more than two chapters at a time, it got a little more difficult to read because of O'Driscoll's very clear bias towards her experience. And I won't disagree with another reviewer that she has clear and obvious blinders around her narrative when it comes to CONSISTENT sensitivity and/or empathetic rhetoric for urban by choice, lower-paid (not by choice) Druids/practitioners.
However, she does state that not everyone will have an easy time finding this or that, or have the opportunity to do this or that with their urban properties, whether they are rental or residential. She then loops back around to emphasize her experience based on the activity; the reading experience coming across as inflexible and rather indifferent.
She also uses broad, generic anti-establishment (which, yes, most of America has the right to do so) language in order to make her specific, biased experience more legitimate. I'm not saying this to hurt, but when you write such broad, journalistic generalizations, it buries other specific moments in history that have fought for the same cause.
But once I had all my thoughts altogether 24 hours after finishing, I couldn't help but wonder if "Sacred Actions" would have benefited from a bardic eye. And I understand it was O'Driscoll's passion project. But the more a writer gets lost in their biases and how the words flow together just right, the more their message and intent suffers. And "Sacred Actions" suffers from a much more serious issue that becomes even more obvious the deeper you, or rather I, delve into the Wheel of the Year. An issue that is very relevant to American readers...
O'Driscoll had written a very impressive article "Cultural Appropriation, Plant Relationships, and Nature Connection" on her blog, druidgarden.wordpress, in March 2019. Some of her words about plant relationships have been cleverly utilized in the Samhain chapter, which, I confess, read a bit rushed and thrown together. I wish I had read the amount of paradoxical indigenous sensitivity she wrote in that article in "Sacred Actions" and through the whole book! In fact, I was twitching through all of the "Samhain" chapter thinking to myself "It's a mea culpa, it's a mea culpa..."
And like in her article (which I realized halfway through the book was the same writer), O'Driscoll tries to de-politicize American soil, which, OK, is an understandable and valiant effort on her part. But we cannot deny to de-politicize American land and just see it as land means to unconsciously cut her human extensions, the First Nations, down with our unconscious Christian-biased, absolutist rhetoric and all that is alluded to between the lines. Unfortunately, we are all victims of this depending on cognizance, but I would have hoped that O'Driscoll had the awareness to, I don't know, write footnotes or make "Sacred Actions" an extended book series that combines sacred land action with indigenous respect per "sabbat" or a collaborative podcast.
In short, I don't hate the book. In fact, I have a list of things I can do that came from my own earthbound intuition while reading it! But "Sacred Actions" sheds more light on what it means to be a white "American" Druid/practitioner having a better relationship with a land that, yes, we should honor those who came before before doing anything sacred with First Nation land in the first place, and unconscious, O'Driscoll's coined, "people care"/"people care" rhetoric is at the root of all of this!
If she can step outside of herself, I hope she will write an extension book to her "Cultural Appropriation, Plant Relationships, and Nature Connection" article and address the trickier, paradoxical issues. Maybe even a podcast? "Sacred Actions" should have been a podcast...
If you are expecting a literary pie chart equally sliced with tangible, specific action against climate change and how to incorporate this in the Pre-Abrahamic Wheel of the Year, it's there but not there. VERY Druidic, VERY Bardic! If you are familiar with the Druidic path or have already adapted the path to what works for you, don't take this book as absolute black and white. (Again, VERY Druidic and Bardic!) If you are versed in the path and language, please read this with a critical and comprehensive eye, and if you're anything like me, write ideas down that work with your relationship to the earth because O'Driscoll will not nail your living situation.
But the more I read more than two chapters at a time, it got a little more difficult to read because of O'Driscoll's very clear bias towards her experience. And I won't disagree with another reviewer that she has clear and obvious blinders around her narrative when it comes to CONSISTENT sensitivity and/or empathetic rhetoric for urban by choice, lower-paid (not by choice) Druids/practitioners.
However, she does state that not everyone will have an easy time finding this or that, or have the opportunity to do this or that with their urban properties, whether they are rental or residential. She then loops back around to emphasize her experience based on the activity; the reading experience coming across as inflexible and rather indifferent.
She also uses broad, generic anti-establishment (which, yes, most of America has the right to do so) language in order to make her specific, biased experience more legitimate. I'm not saying this to hurt, but when you write such broad, journalistic generalizations, it buries other specific moments in history that have fought for the same cause.
But once I had all my thoughts altogether 24 hours after finishing, I couldn't help but wonder if "Sacred Actions" would have benefited from a bardic eye. And I understand it was O'Driscoll's passion project. But the more a writer gets lost in their biases and how the words flow together just right, the more their message and intent suffers. And "Sacred Actions" suffers from a much more serious issue that becomes even more obvious the deeper you, or rather I, delve into the Wheel of the Year. An issue that is very relevant to American readers...
O'Driscoll had written a very impressive article "Cultural Appropriation, Plant Relationships, and Nature Connection" on her blog, druidgarden.wordpress, in March 2019. Some of her words about plant relationships have been cleverly utilized in the Samhain chapter, which, I confess, read a bit rushed and thrown together. I wish I had read the amount of paradoxical indigenous sensitivity she wrote in that article in "Sacred Actions" and through the whole book! In fact, I was twitching through all of the "Samhain" chapter thinking to myself "It's a mea culpa, it's a mea culpa..."
And like in her article (which I realized halfway through the book was the same writer), O'Driscoll tries to de-politicize American soil, which, OK, is an understandable and valiant effort on her part. But we cannot deny to de-politicize American land and just see it as land means to unconsciously cut her human extensions, the First Nations, down with our unconscious Christian-biased, absolutist rhetoric and all that is alluded to between the lines. Unfortunately, we are all victims of this depending on cognizance, but I would have hoped that O'Driscoll had the awareness to, I don't know, write footnotes or make "Sacred Actions" an extended book series that combines sacred land action with indigenous respect per "sabbat" or a collaborative podcast.
In short, I don't hate the book. In fact, I have a list of things I can do that came from my own earthbound intuition while reading it! But "Sacred Actions" sheds more light on what it means to be a white "American" Druid/practitioner having a better relationship with a land that, yes, we should honor those who came before before doing anything sacred with First Nation land in the first place, and unconscious, O'Driscoll's coined, "people care"/"people care" rhetoric is at the root of all of this!
If she can step outside of herself, I hope she will write an extension book to her "Cultural Appropriation, Plant Relationships, and Nature Connection" article and address the trickier, paradoxical issues. Maybe even a podcast? "Sacred Actions" should have been a podcast...
February 8, 2025
I grew up on a homestead where we raised and processed our own meat and vegetables. I was also about to post a self indulgent 7 paragraph review stating exactly why this book wasn’t for me but then I misswiped and Goodreads deleted it. This is fine, since seeing it all leave made me realize that the author stating we should all bathe once a week with a sponge out of a 5 gallon bucket better sums up my feelings about elitism and virtue signaling from zero waste movement disciples toward newcomers better than anything else.
If you have OCD commonly triggered by food, contamination, or health concerns do not read this book. Eating supermarket strawberries will not poison you. Your family won’t think the Thanksgiving dinner you cooked from scratch tastes bad or reeks of negative energy bc the turkey wasn’t raised from an egg by a homesteading commune.
Im glad other people got something out of this, but it was not for me.
If you have OCD commonly triggered by food, contamination, or health concerns do not read this book. Eating supermarket strawberries will not poison you. Your family won’t think the Thanksgiving dinner you cooked from scratch tastes bad or reeks of negative energy bc the turkey wasn’t raised from an egg by a homesteading commune.
Im glad other people got something out of this, but it was not for me.
July 4, 2023
I think this is a great book. I love the concept, I love the ideas but... it was not a book for me. Living in a basement apartment that I don't own barely above the poverty line, with limited "spoons" due to chronic mental health struggles, there is very little in this book I am actually able to do. This saddens me, though it does not surprise me. It assumes that you the reader have a relatively privileged situation (owning a place, having land, having time to can food, having energy to do this, having a job you are able to go to by bike, not having disabilities...), which may or may not be the case.
So... great book and philosophy, but be aware that some resources (or privileges) are required to be able to implement the solutions suggested. Part of that is acknowledged by the author... part of it is not, which, again, saddens me.
So... great book and philosophy, but be aware that some resources (or privileges) are required to be able to implement the solutions suggested. Part of that is acknowledged by the author... part of it is not, which, again, saddens me.
July 3, 2022
I give this book a 4.5. I really enjoyed this book. For Earth lovers and spiritual practices alike. The only reason I don't give it a 5 is there are many grammatical and spelling errors. Which I know seems petty but if there was one or two, no biggie, but throughout the whole book there are errors. Despite this, I still highly recommend it to anyone who wants to do their part to sustainably live on this planet.
March 15, 2022
4.5 stars!
I read this one slow, getting side-tracked by some of the other books referenced (very interesting stuff). For me, without a doubt, it's an enjoyable journey.
There are some grammatical errors that got missed in the editing (just saying for those that have a pet peeve), but it didn't detract from my enjoyment or the ton of earth friendly stuff in this book.
I read this one slow, getting side-tracked by some of the other books referenced (very interesting stuff). For me, without a doubt, it's an enjoyable journey.
There are some grammatical errors that got missed in the editing (just saying for those that have a pet peeve), but it didn't detract from my enjoyment or the ton of earth friendly stuff in this book.
October 15, 2021
This book is phenomenal! So many great tips and tricks. I will definitely be keeping this on my shelf to reference throughout my life as I work to become more eco-conscious and make my secular life a little more sacred. 10/10 highly recommend!
June 28, 2022
Enjoyable read! There was a nice balance for me of things I’m interested in and able to do, plus things that aren’t really relevant to my situation but are still interesting to read about. Looking forward to re-reading as the seasons change.
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