There are all sorts of beautiful tarot and oracle decks with Earth-related themes. One of my favorites is the Green Oracle. It’s my go-to when I make appearances as Queen Florabella at local land conservation events, because there are always lots of kids at these events and this oracle deck is particularly kid-friendly.

For those not ready for Pagan symbolism while working with children, this oracle deck’s artwork and messages are completely mainstream. This deck could be used anywhere, with anyone, of any spiritual belief system, or none at all. For those whose spirituality is Earth-based, as is mine, this deck is a gem.

Each card offers a way that we can do our part to support the Earth and help maintain Her health. Each card inspires a conversation you can have with kids, and help them to discover ways that they can do things to help the Earth. Children are often overwhelmed with a feeling of powerlessness because adults make all the decisions in their lives, from what they eat to when they go to bed, to how they spend their day. The Green Oracle gives them a little power, and inspires them to participate in the health of our planet. It helps raise awareness about how human activity can harm the environment. Aren’t all these things what the spirit of Earth Day is really about? Finding out what each of us can do to support our planet and be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem?

Now, given, our individual conservation efforts may seem minuscule in the face of global corporate pollution and mass, indescriminate destruction of the air, land, and water, as well as inarguable climate change. The cumulative devastation is soul-crushing. In the short term lust for profit, corporate executives forget that in the long term, the destruction of the planet means no more profit at all. No life, actually. If the planet dies, so do we. Surely this isn’t news to CEOs and their billionaire buddies, and I can only conclude that they just don’t care. As long as they’re making piles of money, who cares how badly they rape and assault the planet. They’ve got theirs, and that’s all that matters. But maybe that’s why it’s crucial to do whatever little things you can to protect and heal our planet, because it puts your heart and spirit in the right place. It aligns you with Gaia’s energy. It puts you in her spiritual stream. Moreover, it separates you from those who would trade our planet for a fat bank account. Those billionaires are morally and spiritually bankrupt. Turns out, they aren’t wealthy at all in any way that matters.

Align your heart, spirit, and choices with what our plant needs. Every little bit helps. Every person you encourage to do likewise adds up. After all, what is a rain storm but many, many drops of rain?

Ultimately, will our conservation efforts matter? Will we have an impact at all? Yes. The answer is yes. Because every time you make a choice for the planet’s benefit, you’ll feel it in your heart. You will be soothed, encouraged, and inspired to keep finding ways to be on Team Gaia. And, wouldn’t that be a nice thing to share with children, given the stress and fear they experience every day. The Green Oracle is a great place to start. Each card asks children to think of ways they could participate in its message, such as recycling, planting trees, or picking up litter.

Amongst my favorite memories of using this deck with kids was a little boy who drew a card that showed a woman with her arms encircling the earth, which was depicted full of plant and animal life. As part of our conversation, I invited him to use the colored pens and paper I provide to draw how he might do the same. Children often find it easier to express themselves in pictures rather than words. He drew the earth, and then a boy with his hands folded over the top, and his head resting on her hands, eyes closed. He explained that he would always love our planet, and would always protect her. Perfect!

Besides getting to know the Green Oracle, here are some other earth-friendly little things you can do and choices you can make that will bolster and reinforce your love for our Earth in your own heart and spirit, and cumulatively make a difference:

1. First and foremost, weed plastic out of your life. View plastic as an evil. Sure, some of it is unavoidable, but some is not. You can use water-dissolving laundry detergent instead of detergent that comes in huge plastic jugs, and dryer balls instead of bottled fabric softener. Choose powdered dish detergent or melting pacs rather than liquid. Don’t purchase produce that is packaged in plastic.
2. Turn off the gas. Choose solar-powered or rechargeable garden tools, power tools, and small appliances.
3. Consolidate errands into one car trip instead of many. Plan your errands for a particular day, and the most fuel-efficient route.
4. Dispose of hazardous waste, such as latex paint, pesticides, batteries, and caustic chemicals at a landfill or where these items are responsibly collected, rather than dumping them down the drain or into the gutter.
5. Find pesticide/herbicide alternatives. Don’t let pesticides be your go-to for controlling unwanted critters in your home or garden. The internet is rich with ideas for discouraging them, such as introducing helpful predators, using herbs or oils to fend them off, or making your own blends with things like vinegar, cayenne, or vegetable oil. Same with herbicides. If that unwanted plant is truly a weed that must go, besides simply pulling it up and putting it in the green waste pile, an easy answer is to pour boiling water over it. Just as with pesticides, you can google all sorts of earth-friendly ways to get rid of weeds. (Side note on the weeds: Some of them are hugely beneficial, such as dandelions. They are free food — yes, you can eat the leaves in salads or put them in smoothies — and they’re also a favorite food source for bees. If it’s good for the bees, it’s good for us.)
6. Ditch phosphates. You’ll discover them in soap, detergent, and hair products, and not only are they toxic, they facilitate algae blooms when you wash them down the drain, and that depletes oxygen for fish.
7. Buy local, and in season. When you purchase produce from local farmers, you are getting food that didn’t have to be trucked cross-country or flown halfway around the world to get to your grocery store. Local produce will be fresher, often organic, and supports small farms rather than corporate giants. Buying meat locally may cost more, but it unhitches you from the corporate meat industry, which is a major source of greenhouse gases and pollution to nearby streams and rivers. Moreover, the corporate meat industry is a hellscape of torture and abuse. Do you really want to put that energy in your body?
8. Lobby like a beast. Tell companies you won’t support their earth-polluting products with your wallet. Tell representatives with your vote that you will not support them unless they take a pro-environment stance, and call them and tell them so, just for good measure. And follow up! Walk the talk! Don’t buy that crap, or vote for it!
9. Reuse, recycle, repurpose. These are the Three R’s of sustainability. Ask yourself if that thing you’re about to throw in the trash could have another life or purpose. Challenge your creativity and innovation! The Three R’s are a first step toward making your own carbon footprint smaller.
10. Lend your support to conservation and environmental awareness/protection groups. Find a cause that speaks to your heart, and get involved by volunteering, or sending financial support. If everyone chips in five bucks to a cause, it really adds up.

If you’d like a special little way to celebrate Earth Day, plant something: A seed, a sprout, a cutting, a repotting… take a moment to recognize that all the elements are present in that plant: Earth for growing, Air in the form of oxygen transformed from carbon dioxide, Fire from the sun’s energy, Water to sustain it, and Spirit in its life force. Tend that little plant with love, as a reminder that our planet needs our love too. Better yet — do this with your kids! Let them experience the joy of helping a green living thing to sprout and thrive. It’s green magic!