Dementors' Kiss? Expect an Advocate in Nature's Embrace

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They feed on every good feeling, every happy memory until a person is left with nothing but his worst experiences." (Professor Lupin, to Harry, in J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, 2004)

Dementors can come in many forms, and they can haunt us with fear, anger, regret, rejection, and despair - e.g., relationships gone awry, failure, disappointment, betrayal, health decline, financial loss, geopolitical collapse, extinguished hopes, and the detritus of unfulfilled dreams. Dementors touch all of us if we experience the shadow side of love, or if the darkness of fear, ignorance, or hatred consume us. A dementor's kiss is said to suck out the soul.

Walking with dementors daily is what many might describe as an overwhelming experience of depression, anxiety, loneliness, or profound sadness. When the dementors are around, we feel like all the happiness has left our soul, that the forecast for our future is bleak, and that hope itself has gone on holiday. We feel alone with our worst experiences.

If I encounter dementors swimming in my head, heart, or soul, I remember the protective invocation made famous in the Potter corpus: "Expecto Patronum!" >L. "I expect/

await/anticipate an Advocate/Guardian/Protector!" In the Potter mythology, the Patronus takes the form of an animal. Harry's is a stag, like his father's. When he summons his Patronus, he is able to shield himself and the ones he loves from the torment of the dementors. It's like a protective guardian that keeps the soul-suckers at bay.

In our childhood, we probably had a sense of an Advocate or Protector besides our parents or primary care-givers. Mine was my patrona, Mother Mary. Think of a guardian angel, a fairy godmother or benevolent godfather, a patron saint, an older sibling, a best friend, the family canine, a significant other. The Advocate is a Spirit of Love that comes to our aid in a time of distress or sorrow. "Help!" we cry. Then we might sit, waiting, silently and alone, while no one seems to be listening. And then suddenly one appears, reminding us, "You are loved. You are loved. You are loved."

It's not exactly magic; it's more like synergy. It has this feel of authentic compassion which can lead to healing and genuine joy. I work with people and teams going through intense times of transition, loss, trial, or significant change. Facing dementors is usually part of the journey. The "What ifs?" and the "How comes?" or "I'm afraid that..." often erupt once the dementors appear. When we face our dementors in the context of upheaval or change, an Advocate frequently appears if we step outside for a Breath of fresh air, a change of perspective, or a paradigm shift. We find our Advocate has always been there, waiting for us.

Nature is a Guardian/Advocate unlike any other. Our very Breath (>Gk. pneuma=breath, spirit) our "in-spiration" (breathing in) depends on our natural guardians, our arbor-elders, the trees, whose oxygen-rich exhalation means the difference between life and death. In many mythological spiritual stories, trees play a significant role because they are the very breath-conduits of creation, and they connect us all beneath the surface. Think of the Tree of Life. The Bodhi Tree. Trees give life, and provide the context - the font - of sustenance, wisdom and enlightenment. Trees can provide shelter, shade, and comfort for the weary. "I would almost say that they save me, and daily," says the poetess. (Mary Oliver, "When I am Among the Trees")

And there's Water. Many of our stories begin with Water, the abyss, the great Sea, the endless Mystery, the dome of Water above and below. The womb-Water. Our sister, Water, not only refreshes and consoles us, but comprises most of who we are, most of what our biosphere consists of and requires to sustain all life in the planet. We are Water-babies. Without Water, we die. Water is Life. Water is the Elixir that makes all life in the biosphere possible.

Then there's the Earth herself, Gaia, the mucky-muck of "Ha-Dama," Adam/Earth creature, the very soil from which we all are born - gathered to grow into seed and stalk, fruit and flower, nectar and elixir. We imbibe, and Earth becomes human. We die, and humans become Earth. When we consume our plant- and creature-kin, they take human form in our bodies. As they nourish blood and bone, muscle and skin, organ and limb, they too are released into the loving acts we commence as Earth's guardians. We are the Advocate for all that is living, Earth guardians, all. Eves and Adams, at home in the Garden, caring tenderly for creation. We humans are the Advocate Earth is awaiting to come and offer aid and comfort to ward off the dementors of exploitation, toxification, excess, waste, and extinction.

Today, if you feel the dementors' kiss, go outside. Nature needs our love and care. If you feel all the life being extracted from your soul, delight in Nature with your full sensorium. Take in all the goodness. Breathe. Bathe in Nature's embrace. Ask for forgiveness. Ask for wisdom. Celebrate and give thanks! Plunge your hands into the garden furrows, and sink your feet deep into Earth's crust. Wade in the Water. Float. Feel the refrain of pulsating Energy and Hope that Nature embodies. Your Advocate appears as a strong oak, a flitting butterfly, and a gentle trickle of rain, pooling in the garden. Your Advocate comes as a barred owl and a meadowlark, a bullfrog and a chipmunk. Your Advocate beckons with color, fragrance, and sweet nectar. "Expecto Patronum!" "Awaiting an Advocate!"

You called? Yes. We heard.

Remember, "You are loved. You are loved. You are loved."