Mana From Lands

I follow the U.S. Department of the Interior on Facebook despite not having any clue what that department is or does. I don't work for the department of the interior, and I don't think I know anyone who does. I follow the U.S. Department of the Interior not because I have any connection to the department, but because of the photos they share. I follow them because they grace my Facebook feed with pictures of land.

In Magic: the Gathering, the energy that players use to cast spells comes from lands, and there are some real-world reasons why that makes sense. Most, if not all, of our food comes from the ground, directly or indirectly, and the very air we breath is kept breathable by ground-based plants. In a literal way, we could not live without the energy that comes from the ground.

I think that principle extends to our spirits as well. I'm not sure what it is about nature, but spending even just a few minutes out enjoying it can be deeply refreshing to the soul. When I take my lunch breaks at work, I always take them outside, not just so I don't get crumbs on the floor or because that's where the good drinking fountain is, but so I can get some fresh air and sunshine to break up the hours I typically spend inside.

The refreshing effects of nature seem to work, even through pictures. One of the best reasons to play Magic is for the lands. I greatly enjoy looking at the pictures on Magic's land cards, most of which are stunningly beautiful. It's part of the reason I play Magic, and it's all of the reason I follow the U.S. Department of the Interior.

I follow the U.S. Department of the Interior because the photos they share give me energy. They remind me of how wonderful and glorious this planet, and especially this continent, really is. I draw strength from seeing these images on my Facebook feed, just as I draw strength from seeing similar images on one of my favorite cards games and on my lunch breaks. Nature is so wonderful, even mere pictures of it can give us the energy we need to keep going.