Submission Call: Why Do We Feed the Holy?

What does FEED THE HOLY signify for this journal?

The name of this literary journal stems from the indigenous teachings of Martin Prechtel, who wrote, “By trying to feed the holy in Nature the fruit of beauty from the tree of memory of our Indigenous Souls, grown in the composted failures of our past need to conquer, watered by the tears of cultural grief, we might become ancestors worth descending from and possibly grow a place of hope for a time beyond our own.”  (A Goodreads quote from The Unlikely Peace at Cuchumaquic: The Parallel Lives of People as Plants: Keeping the Seeds Alive). 

Prechtel’s website: https://floweringmountain.com/product/the-unlikely-peace-at-cuchumaquic/.

I can relate to Prechtel's teachings about cultural grief and the need to feed the holy in nature. Our very existence depends on honoring and celebrating our natural world, which offers us balance and bounty. But there is more to the meaning of "holy". It has to do with what it is like to be human today-

our sacred path.

From what I observe, we cope with so much in our lives. Pain has no boundaries. We grieve the loss, suffer an illness, grapple with decisions, fight for causes, and lose battles. We cannot control all the events that affect our lives. We feel small on this blue marble we call home. We feel unsafe. Powerless, we despair. We fear our fate. We are angry with the outcomes. We have lost our center, our connections to nature, and thus our spiritual livelihood. Can you relate?

These emotional states can rob us of our joy and hope. A few years ago, stressors created despair, and my feelings of despair spiraled out of control, causing moderate depression. Crazy beliefs danced in my head. The thoughts were random and contradictory. They tortured me with criticism and threats. Because I could not control my thoughts, they took control of me. They turned off my light, my joy. It was a bleak period in my life, and rediscovering myself was a lengthy process.

Having experienced this dark period, I am now more sensitive to current events. I think current social and political thinking is wonky, like my thoughts were when I was depressed. I feel like I’m observing a mental collapse in our society. I am reliving my case of depression. 

I want to manage my reactions to political and social stressors. It’s crucial to stay centered. If I control my thinking and raging emotions, perhaps I can spread peace rather than rage. It’s vital to love and love fiercely. Build community. Be a beacon. Anger and disappointment are signs of grief. I need to be gentle with myself and others as I move through the grief. Burying the concerns isn’t healthy. I can’t turn my head or reframe someone’s faulty thinking. I can only monitor my own thinking.

What it comes down to is " feeding the holy.” In addition to what Martin Prechtel teaches, feeding the holy includes doing what brings joy. I found an excellent blog post by Jamie Wheal, “Are You Feeding the Holy?” (The Flow Genome Project, January 25, 2020), on how to stay sane when the world seems to be falling apart. 

Many of us may be more familiar with the Cherokee parable of the two wolves. Do we feed the wolf of anger or the wolf of joy? The one we feed will prevail.

To nourish the soul, we can reconnect with the healing power of nature. We are a part of nature, not apart from her. Deepening this relationship and celebrating the life force that brought us into being is joyful. Prechtel’s teachings are profound, but he asserts that this connection is not only healing and restorative but also capable of alleviating depression. 

How can we celebrate nature? 

Joy can be found in the routine things we do. Whatever brings us happiness and joy is holy.

Survival is holy. How can we prevail in these uncertain times?

Community is holy. How can we hold hands instead of guns?

If we feed the holy, we increase our radiance, which will have a positive effect on others. Smiling has a better impact on people than frowning does. 

Just as we celebrate nature, we love ourselves. It isn’t selfish for us to nurture ourselves and to do self-care. If we replenish our spirits, we can spread that joy to others. A dry well cannot quench thirst. Self-care is essential, especially now.

In this journal, "HOLY" is more about our sacred human journey and not identified with a religion. 

Please submit to FEED THE HOLY.  What you submit can cover a range of topics related to what you consider sacred. These are fraught times. Share positive energy and help people achieve peace of mind and heart. What brings you joy? How do you nurture the sacred in your life or community? How do you cultivate love and kindness? What is it like to be human in this world? How and why do we suffer? How and why do we grieve? How do we heal? How do we honor nature? Others? Ourselves? The topic is broad and nuanced.

I apologize for directing you to another post for the submission guidelines. This post is too long.

The Submission Guidelines are HERE. 

Editor Barbara Harris Leonhard

Barbara Harris Leonhard is the author of Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir (2022) and The Lost Book of Zeroth (2025). She is co-author of Too Much Fun to Be Legal (2024) and Bro Ken Rengay: Unruly Poetry (2025). She’s a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. Trending Poets named her Poet of the Year in 2023 and 2024. Her poetry has been translated into Italian, Albanian, and Chinese. She is the Editor for MasticadoresUSA and FEED THE HOLY. And Co-Bookshelf Editor on LatinosUSA. Her blog: Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver. 

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