A Symbiotic Relationship: Cleansing at Pillar Point

A bald eagle majestically opens its wings, scanning the dark waters below for a fish to catch. Blue herons stand nearby on exposed, barnacle-covered rocks keeping watch. The tide recedes. The wind roars. Looming overhead in the distance evergreen trees reach for the sky, casting shadows on jagged rocks. The Coast Salish, S’Klallam, and other local people mindfully harvest shellfish. All of nature sings. This is Pillar Point—a beach on the Olympic Peninsula along the Strait of Juan de Fuca coastline. 

Pillar Point invites us to slow down, do less, and open to the splendor of its energy. With the frenzied pace and information overload of modern living, we need the gifts Pillar Point has to offer us. The demands of life can get stuck in our system, building up debris that impacts us physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, nature’s healing forces have the power to cleanse us. 

While there is much inspiration and healing to receive from the creatures, elements, and energies that inhabit Pillar Point, we also have much to give. Just as nature washes away our burdens, nature is renewed by us as well. 

In 2019, the Olympic Mountain Earthwisdom Circle (OMEC) adopted Pillar Point. To become an official steward of this land and its coastal waters, we worked closely with Clallam County and CoastSavers.org. Over the past three years, we have organized seven clean-up events. As we walk along the water’s edge gathering garbage that has washed up on shore, we breathe in the life around us. We receive its blessings. We are purified. After cleaning up debris, we gather together for a land and water blessing, expressing gratitude for all the Earth does for us—for its healing, nourishment, and inspiration.

This year, we have organized three clean-up events. We invite anyone who can attend in person to follow the current Washington State Covid-19 health and safety regulations and join us. If you do not live near Pillar Point, you can still participate virtually in the clean-up activities along with the land and water blessing. We will respectfully record the beauty and enchantment of nature all around us. The dates for this year’s clean-up events are: 

• April 22, 2021 (Honoring Earth Day Coastal Clean-up)
• July 10, 2021 (OMEC Coastal Clean-up)
• Sept 18, 2021 (OMEC & International Coastal Clean-up)

  
Contact me directly at [email protected] to receive a video link approximately three days prior to the event or to learn more about attending in-person. Please visit our website for more information about the Pillar Point Project. I hope you will join us in honoring the symbiotic relationship we share with this very special place.  

From my heart to yours, 
Lori Ferry 
Director of OMEC’s Pillar Point Project