Helping From Afar
by Starcat

When a huge natural disaster strikes, such at the recent events in Japan, it’s our natural instinct to want to reach out and help. It can be a challenge to do so, especially when you live far away. Most of us have jobs or other responsibilities that keep us from traveling there to offer our physical assistance. It’s helpful to give money to aid organizations, if you have some to give, but even that can often seem like it’s just not enough.

One resource available to all of us is our spiritual energy, backed with our positive intent. No matter your particular spiritual tradition or path, you can use that energy to help. Say prayers for those affected by the disaster. Attend a special worship service or participate in a worldwide ceremony for healing – these types of events are often organized and publicized soon after the news about the disaster spreads. Or create one yourself. We participated in one such ceremony last night. Here’s a link to the ritual, which was written by a well-known Pagan priestess, if you’d like to use it for inspiration.

Another useful thing you can do is to stay positive. Compassion is important, of course, but if you dive into overwhelming feelings of worry, fear, or depression, then those are the energies you’re adding to the event’s initial impact. If instead you re-focus your thoughts on sending well-wishes, or raising money, or doing distance Reiki, or whatever you have to offer, it will add to the energy being mobilized for rescue, recovery, and rebuilding.

Even better, put your energies toward activism for renewable energy sources, conservation, sustainable living, and other efforts to heal the environment. Then you’ll become part of the force for positive global change. Of course, there will always be natural disasters. Yet by working to reduce the negative effects we humans have on the Earth’s climate, we will know that we’re part of a new movement toward living in harmony with our planet. And our numbers are growing all the time.