Aria belongs to Средно градище in the country of Bulgaria. This old village is made out of many stoned houses, some of them abandoned by their human owners and left to nature to overtake. The streets are of all sizes and the roads are not all smooth to drive on; not even for a cart. What makes the village worth living is its people and the abundance of food. A few steps in the village and here you find elderberries, apples, pears, figs, grapes, plums of all colours, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, blackberries… Fruits to fill many bellies. Some flowers and plants are growing for tasty herbal teas and medicine.
The village is connected to a forest where pine trees, among oaks, beeches, hornbeams and more, are growing and spreading their perfume to their neighbours.
In this village, Aria is living.
When the night falls, she whispers to her inhabitants her secrets, her wishes, her hopes, her dreams, her desires and fears about what she wants to become.
She bears stoned walls that have collapsed here and there. Badgers make holes in her ground among the overgrown bushes and trees. The branches of the plum trees are heavy with juicy and fleshy fruits. The soil gets nourished by their sweetness and the rain of the latest storms. Dogs wander, chasing chickens, scaring the jackals away. Her territory is marked by walls, fences, piles of cut wood and roads. She’s vast enough to get lost.
A couple has settled here. They created a garden with potatoes, tomatoes, chard, onions, herbs of all kinds, flowers and more. They’ve built outdoor kitchen, living ‘room’ and shower. A little child is with them. She likes inventing stories, drawing and playing on the rambles. She’s good friend with the cat; even if he disagrees.
They welcome other humans. At the moment, two women have set their tents. A mother is coming with her two children. These humans gather, eat together, speak, laugh, ponder, think and dream. They eventually listen to Aria’s whispers and change the place for the better. They work well. They have enthusiasm and a good heart, as well as a lot of willingness to make Aria their home.
Aria doesn’t always speak with words and often uses images to share what she wants.
She wants her energy to run freely and would love to have less chaotic human shits around. Aria is definitely wild and ancient. And deep inside of her, she wants a fresh start. She’s hoping for this family to stay longer and use her potential. She’s craving for some care and transformation. She wants an awakening. She wants her beauty to shine, her force to thrive and her power to grow. She needs the humans around to achieve her goal. She needs them to keep her alive. Without them, she would fall asleep, go back to the womb of Gaia to never wake up again.
If only they were listening to her more often. And when they do, hear her message, that they actually put it into action. What is the use of spreading many ideas if they don’t actually materialize them? That’s their role, their purpose. Human beings are creators, materializors. Hopefully one day, they will all understand that they, as all other creatures, are of service to the land.
They will take their rightful place as guardians and caretakers of the Earth.
