This past weekend, Katy and I celebrated our one-year anniversary in a way that felt perfect for us: by attending the Mother Earth Day Celebration at Butterfly Mountain in Topanga. Somehow, the timing aligned exactly with this beautiful local event—a day to celebrate love, community, and the earth itself.
Butterfly Mountain is a retreat center tucked away in the Topanga hills, hosting events, sound baths, and retreats in some of the most unique spaces you can imagine—domes, yurts, and tiny home-style cabins scattered across the land. The center draws people from diverse cultures and traditions to share music, ceremonies, and gifts rooted in nature and spirit.
A Rainy Start, A Perfect Day
The morning of the festival, rain poured down across the canyon, and we wondered if the event would be rained out. But by midday, the skies cleared and the sun broke through, turning the day into one of the most beautiful we’ve seen this season.
We caught a shuttle up the winding Topanga hills, amazed that the packed van could navigate the steep, twisting roads. When we arrived, we were greeted by a lot of mud—evidence of the morning’s downpour—but also by the stunning landscape of Butterfly Mountain. The heart of the land features a distinctive mountain slope where rock slabs and waterfalls naturally form the shape of a butterfly. It felt like nature itself was welcoming us.
Community, Ceremony, and Song
We began the day by joining a large circle gathering. Families, children, elders—everyone came together to sing songs, offer prayers, and make offerings to Mother Earth.
It was powerful to reflect on the importance of teaching reverence for the earth from a young age—celebrating the feminine, life-giving nature of the planet, and honoring the role of community in nurturing that spirit. Watching the children dance and sing, surrounded by parents and elders, felt like witnessing a living prayer.
The land itself was alive with beauty: lavender lining the trails, fountains bubbling along walkways, and intricate mandalas made from seeds, beans, and flowers laid out in colorful spirals across the ground. Every corner seemed to echo gratitude.
Music, Wind, and Natural Magic
Later in the day, we flowed into the geodesic dome for a dance session, and then up to a wooden patio strung with arches and beams made from old tree limbs, where live music carried through the canyon air. We sat on a jute thatched rug, listening to performances that blended drumbeats, flutes, gongs, and whistles—some familiar, some unlike anything I’d heard before.
There was something almost mystical about the timing. As musicians spoke or sang about nature, the wind would suddenly rise, threading itself into the music.
It felt as if the land itself was part of the performance, weaving sound and spirit together.
Inspiration for the Journey
The day was a glimpse into the heart of Topanga’s culture. Katy and I couldn't help but point out how so many of the people we saw could easily become characters in the Journey Through Meditation tarot deck I’m building. Artists, dancers, drummers, earth keepers—all elements were present, embodied by the people and the land around us.
We left feeling full—of gratitude, inspiration, and the quiet certainty that the earth had received our celebration with joy. It felt good to be part of something so simple, so essential: honoring the earth, honoring each other, and remembering that all of it—love, art, breath, community—is intertwined.