Ukraine

Invasion – ND #79

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Weird clouds this morning – Photo: L. Weikel

Invasion

I’m having a hard time thinking about much of anything besides Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. I realize this is in all of our faces (and rightly so), and it’s probably the last thing you want to think about when you wake up in the morning. But I’m having a hard time separating Ukrainians’ experiences from how I imagine we might respond in similar circumstances.

Of course, it’s hard to imagine precisely similar circumstances, since our geography protects us in many ways and renders our shared borders quite dissimilar from Ukraine’s. It would be much harder to surround us with troops the way Putin has surrounded Ukraine.

Nevertheless, what I find myself resonating in solidarity with are the everyday people who are willing to stand up and fight for their country. They are willing to literally defend their democracy with their lives.

On a visceral level, this feels eerily akin to how we’re told the first Americans reacted and behaved when the British arrived on our shores in order to dissuade us from following through on our Declaration of Independence. There’s a fascinating coincidence playing out in this regard, having to do with the United States’ ‘Pluto return.’ Perhaps I’ll write about that soon.

Mal-intentions

In the meantime, Putin’s mal-intentions are pretty clearly evident to anyone who cares to see through and beyond the fog of disinformation his propaganda machines belch out non-stop.

Luckily, it looks like many (hopefully most) Russians are not fooled by Putin’s efforts to gin up a war for his own self-aggrandizing purposes. They are resisting his oppressive threats (and actual efforts) to squelch the truth of their disapproval by arresting protesters gathering by the thousands in something like 54 Russian cities. It’s probably too early to tell, but it feels like more people remain cognizant of how World War II played out than Putin thought.

As a coda to the malevolent intentions of the head of Russia is this clip. It shows what purport to be cremation machines following behind the lines of Russian troops. It is suggested that this is to substantially reduce the number of body bags coming home Mother Russia, thereby circumventing the wrath of Russian mothers when they discover their children are dying for Putin’s ego-aggrandizement. Talk about a cynical propaganda effort.

Underestimation

I have a feeling Putin is underestimating the will of his people (and their willingness to have war declared and perpetrated in their name). But even worse for Putin is his underestimation of the will of the Ukrainian people. They know democracy. They’ve lived it. They’re not going back, and they’re sure as hell not going to roll over and allow Putin to snatch it from them, their children, and their future. Zelensky gave a rallying cry for defense of their nation to Ukrainians shortly before the invasion began.

He then turned his attention to the Russian people themselves.

Indeed, if you didn’t get a chance to listen to the speech Zelensky gave to the Russian people – in Russian – here is a link to the transcript of it. In my opinion, it was a brilliant and powerful move  to attempt to reach the Russian people directly. (It’s unknown how many Russians managed to hear it, given their propagandized state-run television). Sadly, a mere three hours after giving this speech, Putin’s* attack began.

If you want to provide tangible help to the Ukrainians, here’s an article by Timothy Snyder (the professor and author of On Tyranny**, among other extremely salient books) outlining specific places where your donations can make the biggest difference.

 

* If you’re wondering why I keep using Putin’s name as the aggressor instead of ‘Russia,’ it’s because I do not believe he is acting on the will of the Russian people. This is an invasion and war being waged for himself, and Russian families are not inclined to willingly sacrifice their loved ones for Putin’s ego.
**Affiliate link

(T+79)

Upsetting – ND #78

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Photo: L. Weikel

Upsetting

It is incredibly upsetting to sit here tonight watching Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine. I’ll admit I’m distracted. I’m finding it impossible, really, to write about anything but this brazen aggression.

I’m disgusted to see clips of the former president in front of a dining room full of people at Mar-a-lago praising Putin for invading a sovereign country. (I hesitate to include a link.)

Ugh – as I’m writing this, air raid sirens are going off in Kyiv indicating that the capital is under attack. What a chilling, horrifying sound. It’s surreal, to be honest.

The intimations that Putin may have much larger designs – including potentially invading other countries beyond Ukraine – is incredibly disturbing.

As Above…

I managed to get a good walk in this afternoon. I simply could not allow the beauty and warmth of the day to pass by without taking full advantage of it.

During part of my walk I listened to an astrological podcast discussing the specific significance of the transits occurring this week. It was recorded on the 20th, which was last Sunday (three days ago).

The podcast is by Anne Ortelee and is only half an hour long – but wow, is it ever powerful. It’s astonishing to hear about all the various planetary interactions that are lining up to play out in a potentially disturbing and devastating manner. Indeed, it’s eerie to hear it now, with the perspective we have presently.

Photo: L. Weikel

Veiled Threats

The Ukrainians are out-gunned and out-manned. But making it even worse, Putin actually made a veiled threat that he might use nuclear weapons. The insanity we’re witnessing both in this country and around the world is indeed troubling.

We must hold the line within our own selves, striving to remain calm and balanced. Keeping our own internal peace is probably the greatest aid we can give to the people of Ukraine. It may seem like a paltry gesture but energetically it is the greatest power we wield at this moment. Keeping peace within ourselves: it’s what we can do on a personal level to support peace in the outside world.

(T+78)

Conflicted – ND #76

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Solitary Bluebird Scoping Out the Feeders – Photo: L. Weikel

Conflicted

As I sit here pondering what I might write about tonight, I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I’m keeping abreast of the developments in Ukraine and can see the writing on the wall. Even more troubling than simply observing a map and noting how troops have been massing all along the border between Ukraine and Russia (and Belarus) is the commentary on how unhinged Putin sounded in his bellicose rant earlier today. I didn’t listen to it directly, but I did pay attention to the assessment made of his speech by our former Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul.

So, yes; I am paying attention. On the other hand, I would much prefer to focus upon the everyday delights that come from living in the country and witnessing the first furtive attempts of springtime to take hold.

I wonder if I’m feeling the way my parents may have felt when they read about or listened to accounts of the first invasions by Hitler. As much as our world has shrunk since those times, it is still true that bombs or artillery fire or the rumbling of tanks trampling everything in their path ‘over there’ is far too easy for us (as Americans) to ignore.

A Distraction

So here I am. I know there’s nothing direct or tangible I can do to have an impact on how the current crisis plays out. But I also know that doing my best not to get swept up in anxiety and fear, while maintaining awareness of what’s going on elsewhere in the world, can have a ripple effect as well.

There is a difference between affirmatively maintaining inner balance and tranquility in the face of dire circumstances and deliberately ignoring what’s going on beyond one’s own neighborhood. I’m reminded of the word that came up for us last week: Reverence.

Turkey Vultures – Photo: L. Weikel

Some Encounters

So it is with reverence for the cycle of life that I share the three photos I’m including in this post tonight.

The first is a not-so-great angle of a bluebird that came and sat on a branch just above my birdfeeders this morning. I’d just finished filling all the feeders and was luxuriating in the opportunity to sit on my porch and turn my face to the sun.

It’s odd for bluebirds to come to our feeders. They tend to flock and flitter through the open fields surrounding our home rather than hang out near the house. And this bluebird was all by his lonesome. He was literally the only bird anywhere near me at that moment – in spite of the abundance of seed available to all.

Above are some turkey vultures hanging out at an abandoned house about a mile from our home. It almost felt like they were picking the flesh off the carcass of the dwelling itself.

And finally, below, is a sweet photo I took of Pacha lounging on her daddy’s legs this evening.

I know I take these moments for granted – in spite of my efforts to appreciate and celebrate them. The thought of having to even entertain the idea of gathering up my precious four-legged family and a few family treasures, and then ‘evacuating’ to Canada is nearly impossible to fathom.

So I observe and attend to these parts of my life with reverence, in honor of those unable to do so at the moment. It’s the least I can do; but it is something.

Pacha just looking cute – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+76)