Those Lucky Black Cats

Did you know that black cats are lucky? They get a bad rap in this country, but the truth is that black cats have been viewed as luck bringers and guardians over many centuries and in many cultures. The black cat has an amazing history and their story is closely intertwined with ours. Their treatment has varied, depending on how we humans view them. (1) Let's begin with an old charm, and a modern problem, and move on from there to the myths, stories and science surrounding these dark beauties.
Black c

Black cat, cross my path
Good fortune bring to home and hearth
When I am away from home
Bring me luck wherever I roam

- Old English Charm

Sleeping in a crate at the Montgomery County Humane Society with three other orphaned cats, 3-month-old Lark would seem to be the model of an adoptable cat. She is fuzzy, friendly toward people, and the domestic shorthair kitten has her life in front of her. There’s just one small problem with Lark: she’s black. In the numbers game that is animal adoption, that detail moves Lark and other cats like her to the proverbial back of the adoption line.

It is a sad but true fact that overcrowded animal shelters
will euthanize black cats first because it is so hard for them to find homes.

Top 10 Reasons To Adopt A Black Cat

10. You'll save $$ on their Halloween costumes.
9. You can always find them in the snow.
8. Holding a black cat is very slimming.
7. Black cats will match any decor.
6. A lint brush isn't required for a black-tie affair.
5. When you love a black cat, Luck is on your side.
4. Black cats are like onyx, a beautiful gem.
3. Hey, they don't care what color you are!
2. Love knows no color.

And the number one reason to adopt a black cat...

1. They are the least likely to be adopted.

The Lucky Black Cat

Throughout history, and in many cultures, black cats were seen as lucky, sacred and protective beings. For example:

* Freya, the Norse Goddess of Love & Fertility drives a chariot pulled by two black cats.

* To dream of a black cat is thought by many people to be a lucky omen.

* Many theater folk love cats, perhaps because they, too, were once ostracized and shunned. It is blieved that a black cat in the audience on opening night portends a successful play.

* In the south of France, black cats are referred to as "matagots" or "magician cats." According to local superstition, they bring good luck to owners who feed them well and treat them with the respect they deserve.

* Fisherman's wives kept black cats while their husbands went away to sea believing that the black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands. These black cats were treated like royalty and were considered so valuable that they were often stolen. At one point, they became so expense that few fisher folk could afford them.

Whenever the cat of the house is black,
The lasses of lovers will have no lack.

~ English Proverb

* In Australia and Britain and other parts of the world where black is a protective color, black cats are though to be lucky. It was believed that their color gave them the power to ward off negative forces.

* In Ancient Egypt, cats were sacred and protected by the Goddesses Sekmet and Bast. A home that kept a cat was blessed. Egyptians believed that cats captured the glow of the setting sun in their eyes and kept it safe until morning. Killing or harming a cat was a horrible crime in their culture, and was punished by death.

* In the English Midlands, a black cat as a wedding present is thought to bring good luck to the bride.

* Many cultures believe that cats with gold or green eyes bring prosperity. Because of their eye and coat colors, black cats are thought to have ability to attract abundance and the power to protect it.

* Many cultures consider cats to be mystical creatures which were really fairies or in disguise.

* Some say that the ancient Celts believed that black cats were reincarnated beings who could foretell the future.

* Cats have always been associated with motherhood, protection, love and fertility, and it many cultures, black is the color of protection.

* Advocates of Feng Shui remind us that cats are drawn to harmony. Therefore a happy cat is the sign of a happy, harmonious home. A figurine of a black cat is often placed in the home, facing north, to ward off evil.

* In some cultures, brides were given black cats as good luck on their wedding day.

* In Finland black cats were thought to gently carry the souls of the dead to the other world.

* In Scotland it was believed that if a black cat crosses your path it will mean good things to come. A black cat on your porch will bring prosperity.

The smallest feline is a masterpiece
- Leonardo da Vinci

* For those who loved The Da Vinci Code, Leonardo da Vinci loved cats, and included many in his sketches, including one in the British Museum which show a Madonna with child and cat.

* King Charles I of England owned a black cat, whom he valued very much. He treasured the cat so much that he had his guards watch over it 24 hours a day. As luck would have it, the day after the cat died from an illness, the king was arrested.

Mysterious * Alluring * Beautiful * Playful * Elegant * Gorgeous.

All these words and more describe the unique glamour and mystique of the black cat. Mary Ann Miller, writing for The CatSite.com, tells us how such beautiful animals got such a bad rap here in the U.S.

Science & Black Cats

Black Cats and the Cure for Cancer:

Some researchers believe that studying the ancient mutation of color in black cats may lead to a better understanding of and treatments for aids and various types of cancer.

Hope for the Homeless - A Feral Cat Contraceptive Vaccine:

Action Cat notes that "Michelle Meister-Weisbarth, a student at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, has developed a genetically engineered bacterium that can be used as an oral contraceptive to control the unwanted cat population.

Meister-Weisbarth has been working with faculty mentor and molecular biologist Dr. Stephen Boyle, using genetic engineering technology to modify an approved vaccine, a strain of the bacterium Salmonella, which could then be delivered to feral cats in the wild via a vaccine-laden bait." An FAQ follows at the website.

Lastly, because They Inspire and Delight Us

Many writers have written poems and stories about their cats. Anyone who owns a black cat will testify to their ability to amaze, delight and inspire us with their beauty and grace. They are panthers, in little. Anyone lucky enough to live with a black cat can tell you that they are very fortunate indeed. I will leave you today with the cat poem titled Rescued Cat

Rescued Cat

Once I was a lonely cat,
just looking for a home.
I had no place to go,
no one to call my own.
I wandered up and down the streets,
in rain in heat and snow.
I ate what ever I could find,
I was always on the go.
My skin would itch, my feet were sore,
my body ached with pain.
And no one stopped to give a pat,
or gently say my name.
I never saw a loving glance,
I was always on the run.
For people thought that hurting me
was really lots of fun.
Then one day I heard a voice
so gentle, kind and sweet,
And arms so soft reached down to me
and took me off my feet.
"No one again will hurt you,"
was whispered in my ear.
"You'll have a home to call your own
where you will know no fear."
"You will be dry, you will be warm,
you'll have enough to eat,"
"and rest assured that when you sleep,
your dreams will all be sweet."
I was afraid I must admit,
I've lived so long in fear.
I can't remember when I let
a human come so near.
And as she tended to my wounds,
and bathed and brushed my fur.
She told me about the rescue group
and what it meant to her.
She said, "We are a circle,
a line that never ends."
"And in the center there is you
protected by new friends."

"And all around you are
the ones that check the pounds,
and those that share their home
after you've been found."
"And all the other folk
are searching near and far."
"To find the perfect home for you,
where you can be a star."
She said, "There is a family,
that's waiting patiently,
and pretty soon we'll find them,
just you wait and see."
"And then they'll join our circle
they'll help to make it grow,
so there'll be room for more like you,
who have no place to go."
I waited very patiently,
the days they came and went.
Today's the day I thought,
my family will be sent.
Then just when I began to think
it wasn't meant to be,
there were people standing there
just gazing down at me.
I knew them in a heart beat,
I could tell they felt it too.
They said, "We have been waiting
for a special cat like you."
Now every night I say a prayer
to all the gods that be.
"Thank you for the life I live
and all you've given me.
But most of all protect the cats
in the pound and on the street.
And send a Rescue Person
to lift them off their feet."

by Arlene Pace

Sia


Links:

Cat Poems

The Lucky Black Cats Group. Their motto is "Black is beautiful, especially in fur"

Feng Shui for Cats (humor)

Cat Persecuted as Familiars (Not for sensitive readers)

Pagan Shopping:

The Lucky Black Cat Spice Company
Hand crafted, no fillers, no MSG, gluten free, non-irradirated

Cat Faeries: Special Gifts for Cats

Feng Shui Cat figurines


Please note: FCE has no affliliation with these groups or stores. We have not received any gifts or funds for their mention here.

Poster Art: Le Chat Noir

Endnotes: (updated 8/30)

(1) Best Cat Art notes that Pope Gregory IX declared the cat to be a "Diabolical Creature". Persons that kept cats were suspected of being witches, and were put to death along with their feline pet. Cats were beaten, killed and driven away from towns and villages. In fact the domestic cat population of Europe came close to being wiped out. Some of the superstitions from those times surrounding cats, have survived history, such as believing it bad luck to let a black cat cross your path. Eventually the witch hunts ceased, and cats once again became highly prized and loved, household pets. By the late 1800s distinctive breeds were being established and cat shows held, with the long-haired breeds especially popular.

Sia's note: Ironically, the Black Plague, which was spread throughout medieaval Europe by rats and killed many millions of people, was made a thousand times worse by the killing of so many cats, their natural predator. The Irish have a saying that to kill a cat brings 17 years of back luck - seems right to me.

Links:

The Black Cat - Female Heriones

Cat Superstitions
My thanks to this website for some of the notes on luck and black cats.

The Palo Alto Humane Society says this about black cats:

What is it about black cats and kittens, that they're always the last to get adopted? It's not many a cat that can successfully pretend to be a black panther in miniature! This is the one color of cat that you can bet will be a 'character' cat. Quirky, usually with exceptional temperaments.....black cats are, without doubt, the 'dark horse' at the personality stakes. It's as if they've been purpose-designed to appeal only to the non-superficial amongst us. Give one a chance. You won't be disappointed.

And if you're feeling very avant garde...try two together. You too could have your friends and neighbours treating you with added respect, when they see your two black cats walking towards them purposefully!

Gimme That Old Time Religion

Today we have three threads intertwined in one story. The first involves a "Christian" bigot who's argument appalls my Christian friends, one of whom sent this article to me with a note attached that merely said ???...!!!!...#$%!

The second story involves an interfaith sunset ritual, and the third, a song and the lovely man who sings it.

We will start out with our bigot. He wrote a long article recently, which is getting a lot of attention. It starts out well. In fact, in sounds rather like an invocation. (I wonder if he knows what he's done here? One should never invite these energies into the home with disrespect).

Here is where we begin:

Their names are Legion, for they are many; the Romans knew them as Juno, or Diana, or Ops. Freyr, Gerd, Idun, and Jord ruled the Norse, Dziewona and Mokosh were their names to the Slavs. The Hawaiians had Papa, the Aztecs Coatlicue, the Egyptians had Geb and Nut. The Celts had many: Cerunno, Cyhiraet, Druantia, Maeva. The ancient Canaanites had their Baal, who would cause so much trouble for the Israelites.

They are all gods and goddesses of the earth, of nature, the old rulers of the ancient world. Far older than Christianity, older even than Hinduism, worship of nature gods is a cultural element shared by every race and tribe of Man since before recorded history. They are the gods of the worldly, the gods of the Fall. (Emphasis mine)

Their demands have differed, their gifts have traditionally been good fortune, magic and fertility. Often earth gods have doubled as fertility gods, and sex has often been an integral part of Gaia worship. Their rule over the world of Man lasted a long, long time, stretching back into the mists of prehistory.

He comes to his real point here:

"Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live. Any woman using unnatural powers or secret arts is to be put to death." (Exodus 22:18)

It gets stranger. You have to read it to believe it. (Some of my favorite bits are cited in the endnotes below). The article is a heated romp through His-story (and what a long, strange trip it is). He gets a lot of it wrong, of course, but he does it with real authority, and he doesn't let little things like facts stand in the way of his world view. (Stephen Colbert could have a lot of fun skewering this guy on The Word). It's amusing on some levels. Still, one can't help reading this guy without thinking that he'd put an awful lot of us (progressive Christians, Pagans, non-Christians, feminists, lesbians and gays) in camps. For those who lack the time (or the stomach) to read it all, a light hearted summation along with quotes from some of the odder passages, is below:

Folks, don't just get mad about Sillies like this - Get out there and vote.

We will turn to the second part of our story. It serves as both inspiration and antidote:

The August Soulful Sundown Service, held Sunday evening at First Church Unitarian of Littleton presented hymns, chants, songs and teachings from many faiths and belief systems, all with the Golden Rule as their common thread.

The participants included Claudia A. Fox Tree, an Arawak Native American, who performed a call and response drum song, Cerridwen of First Church Unitarian, who taught the congregation a pagan song ritual, the monks of Temple Wat Buddhabhavana of Westford, who chanted a blessing entitled “Radiation of Loving Kindness” and Nancy Laws, cantor of Saint Anne’s Roman Catholic Church of Littleton, who chanted the prayer, “Our Father” in Latin, the “Pater Noster.”

Now the third thread appears:

As for me, I'm going to have a nice long walk in the woo-ids. I will take my Ipod along with me and listen to our third thread in this story, a dear old song by Mr. Pete Seeger, activist, musician, songwriter and humanist:

Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It's good enough for me.

We will pray with Aphrodite,
We will pray with Aphrodite,
She wears that see-through nightie,
And it's good enough for me.

We will pray with Zarathustra,
We'll pray just like we use ta,
I'm a Zarathustra booster,
And it's good enough for me.

We will pray with those Egyptians,
Build pyramids to put our crypts in,
Cover subways with inscriptions,
And it's good enough for me.

We will pray with those old druids,
They drink fermented fluids,
Waltzing naked though the woo-ids,
And it's good enough for me.

I'll arise at early morning,
When my Lady gives me warning,
That the solar age is dawning,
And it's good enough for me.

Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It's good enough for me.

We love you, Pete

Regards to all here,

Sia

Endnotes:

Summation:

* Pagans Bad (they have too much sex)

* Uppity Women Bad (Implied throughout, and pretty much on general principle. It's because we're tricksy and won't say in our place.)

* Moderism Bad (what with that pesky Enlightenment and the emphasis on humanism, as well as civil and women's rights that followed in it's wake). He also blames Wicca, nature lovers (read environmentalists), Primitivism, Wicca, all that unnecessary sex, and Wicca for the ills of the world

* Fundamentalism (AKA Authoritarianism) is Good because a White, Male, Patriarchal, God is in charge. If you want more information on this view of the divine, I recommend reading Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by the Rev. Jonathen Edwards, written in 1741.

* Hitler, Stalin and all the terrors of the Modern Era are the fault of Pagans, liberals and feminists. (You may remember that Jerry Falwell blamed us for 9/11 - apparently he did not go far enough. )

* The Green Movement is Bad and Anti-Christian (They obviously want to have sex with all those Wiccans)

* Global Warming doesn't exist and Al Gore is probably a Wiccan. (I must say, my Wiccan friends would do the Happy Dance at the very idea).

* Any Environmental Disaster (don't call it Global Warming!) is God's punishment for sin. (By sin we mean....never mind, you get it)

* Green Evangelicals are really Wiccans in disguise. (They are probably out there having sex at interfaith conferences and hugging trees when they should be engaging in conservative politics and and giving their money to mega-churches)

That about sums it up. Go here to read the rest of it. Take some chocolate and some aspirin in there with you - you're going to need it.

Excerpts:

Environmentalist Christians are in a state of error in that they have placed their trust in the powers of Man rather than the absolute control of God. They rightly believe that we should not despoil nature, but this comes out of an arrogant belief in the divine powers of Man, while ignoring the fact that God is in control of things. The salvation of souls is the purpose of life, not the preservation of the lesser parts of creation, (emphasis mine) and environmentalist Christians have confused the issue, believing they are doing the Will of God when they are ultimately feeding their own egos.

He says this about the Enlightenment:

What the anti-Christian Enlightenment thinkers did was sever human moral restraints from human passions, opening the door to the Beast of the primitive mind -- the fruits of Original Sin. Primitivism led to butchery in France, in Russia, in Germany. It caused the slaughter of millions by Hitler (who, along with Rudolf Hess and other Nazis was a member of the occultic Thule Society), by Stalin, by Pol Pot. This butchery was the blood sacrifice demanded by the nature gods that Western secularism had called forth.

There is so much wrong with the paragraph above, that I can't address it in this small a space. No doubt you've noticed that total lack of logic and reasoning. (See? That Enlightment thinking can come in handy sometimes). Clearly, this author is hoping that we won't remember the atrocities wrought by so called Christians (upon each other and everyone else) that occurred during those long centuries when the Church (both Greek and Roman) had their stranglehold on the western culture. When will we realize that violence and war and the drive for power at any cost are human things and have nothing to do with anyone's faith or lack thereof?

As for those of his own evangelical tradition who would attempt to save the planet, he says this:

.....This Green Evangelical attempt at "relevancy," this tossing of the ecumenical religious salad with a heavy dollop of green goddess dressing is more in line with the old-line liberal churches that long ago shook hands with the devil of Modernism. This is a turning away from the very principles on which Evangelicalism was founded. This is serving the creature over the Creator.

The Books of Daniel and Revelations both make it quite plain that environmental disasters come from the Almighty as punishment for Sin, and Christians are to have faith that God is in control.

Think Again: Modest Dress and the Michael Vick Case

Today, several sources ask us to think again about issues of interest to Pagans: women's equality and animal cruelty.

Modesty or Control?

Ann K. Ream writes about "a fashion trend that pushes anti-feminist values (and) sends a dangerous message to young women" in an article in the L.A. Times titled The False Modesty Movement.

What is it about the growing "modesty movement" that makes me so nervous? On the face of it, there's a lot to like about a girl-driven "revolution" that offers an alternative to the in-your-face fashion popularized by the Britneys and Bratz of the world. When a statement T-shirt can turn a girl from a subject to an object -- "I'm blond. I don't need to be good at math" -- in no time flat, who could argue that a return to sartorial decency is in order?

......One of the most vocal advocates for a return to female modesty is, perhaps not surprisingly, a man. In his book, "Manliness," Harvard University professor Harvey Mansfield argues that women, in demanding equality inside and outside the home, have created a crisis for men.

Her article reminded me of this quip; a tart summation of the advice some men like to give to women:

Be plain in dress, and sober in your diet;
In short, my deary, kiss me and be quiet.
- Lady Montagu

Links - Modesty Movement

Pro & Con: Is the Modesty Movement Necessary?

Girls Gone Mild (MSNBC)

Dog Fighting In the U.S. - The Michael Vick case

Jemele Hill of ESPN writes about the Michael Vick case in her letter to young black men titled Bottom Line: Vick Did This To Himself

As the Vick case shows, millions of dollars are little protection if a certain mentality remains. Until now, Vick was considered one of the lucky ones. He rose out of poverty to become one of the most mesmerizing athletes of our time. He went from nothing to millions. He wasn't the American dream, but the American reality. He had the support of a city, of a people and he struck a chord with many young, black men because they saw themselves in him -- rebellious, strong and heroic.

But Vick let you down. He betrayed you. He heightened the stereotypes of black men instead of eroding them. Racists certainly will feast on Vick, but he was the one who made himself an entrée.

Greg Couch of the Chicago Sun Times wonders How Many More Vicks Are There?

The thing that's starting to bother me is this: Exactly how many athletes are into dogfighting?

It's starting to smell like this is not just a Vick thing, but something much bigger. How can anyone possibly be trying to defend this guy, to equate what he did with something in the mainstream?

And why would they?

At one point in this whole Vick mess, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis said: ''It's his property, it's his dog. If that's what he wants to do, do it. People should mind their own business.''

Portis also suggested dogfighting can be found almost anywhere.

Just a hunch, but maybe we're going to start hearing about other dogfighting rings involving NFL players.

Take Action

PETA is again calling on the NFL to add cruelty to animals—in all its forms—to its personal conduct policy. This case has clearly shown that NFL fans are just as outraged by cruelty to animals as they are by any of the other antisocial behaviors outlined in the policy.

As these recent examples show, the high incidence of animal abuse cases in the NFL indicates a disturbing trend that needs to be addressed immediately:

• Earlier this year, Vick's teammate Jonathan Babineaux was accused of inflicting blunt force trauma on his girlfriend's dog, Kilo, following an argument. Kilo died after reaching the emergency vet clinic.
• In 2004, NFL running back LeShon Johnson was found guilty for his involvement in a massive dogfighting ring.
• In 2001, former Eagles running back Thomas Hamner was twice charged with beating his dog and has been convicted of animal cruelty

See Also

Click here to watch boxing champ Lamon Brewster's PSA Against Dogfighting.

PETA is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in dogfighting. Click here to learn more.

Furthermore, an informant from inside the dogfighting world who spoke on ESPN's Outside the Lines told reporters about "a whole roster of names of professional athletes that we know are involved in dogfighting... I bet not even 10 percent have come to light." Given these disturbing allegations and the numerous recent cases of animal abuse involving NFL players, the NFL needs to act vigorously and with authority to stamp this out immediately.

Click Here and use this form to ask the NFL to take cases of animal abuse seriously in the future by updating its personal conduct policy

Update: 8/23 The BBC News has just posted an article on the brutal culture of dog fighting in the U.S. - Warning: This article is not for sensitive readers.

Evidence gathered by animal welfare groups suggests that, despite the fact dog fighting is illegal in all 50 US states, it is both widespread and growing.

An estimated 40,000 people in the US are thought to be involved in "professional" dog fighting, using some 250,000 dogs.....there is evidence to suggest that its growth nationally is related to its adoption as a part of violent street culture.

John Goodwin, an expert on animal fighting for the Humane Society, says one way to track the prevalence of dog fighting is to monitor the number of pit bulls coming into animal rescue shelters.

Whereas 15 years ago 2-3% of the dogs brought in were pit bulls, the breed now makes up 30% of the total nationally and 50% in some areas, he said. One shelter in Mississippi reported taking in 300 pit bulls, of which 60% had scars indicating they had fought.

"Urban areas are where a lot of the growth has been and the shelters get inundated with the castaways from dog fighting," Mr Goodwin ads. "Dog fighting has become popular in gang culture."

Support your local animal groups and help get dog fighting out of your neighborhood. Report any suspicions you may have to your local animal control, the Humane Society or the ASPCA.

Update 8/29/07: Chewed up Michael Vick cards sell for $7,400 online, proceeds to go to Humane Society

Links:

Pit Bills

A page about Pit Bulls from the Partnership for Animal Welfare

Pit Bull Saves Girl From Assult


Sia

Off the Shelf

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

Amazon review:

In 1993, Mortenson was sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe; in return, he promised to build the impoverished town's first school, a project that grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson and Relin argue that the United States must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls.

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert: Honorary Pagans

Because they tell truth to power. Because they care about the little things, like civil rights, religious freedom, the U.S. Constitution and free speech. Because they help us laugh along the way. Because they are proud to be citizens in a democracy, and they use their rights as citizens to question everyone and everything, right, left or center. Because, while they willing to clown around and act dumb, they never assume that we're dumb. This makes them our National Jesters. Because they actually believe we can learn from history. Because they are both ethical family men who have their priorities in the right order. Because they love good writing, and, finally, because they will grieve with us, but they will not despair.

Well done, lads. Well done.

Pay no attention to the flap-mouthed footlickers out there. Just keep on doing what you're doing.

Kelly Rae Kramer notes this about Stewart in her article titled Jon Stewart's Gandhian Struggle (and it is also true about Colbert). It sums up how we feel about both men.

Jon Stewart wages a daily satyagraha, an on-going nonviolent struggle in which he clings to the truth, Gandhi-style, making us laugh as he gets us to think. As a result, Stewart, on his fake news show, often does a better job revealing what's going on in the world than the real news media.

Yea verily.

Blessings, gentlemen, to you and yours, and thank you.

Sia

Update 8/18/07:
Daily Show to air from Iraq

Links:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert

What the Mainstream Media Can Learn From Jon Stewart

YouTube Videos
Update 8/18/07 - I had one clip from the Daily Show posted, which I have removed for these reasons. I have kept clips from shows which have not objected to posts on Youtube and elsewhere, along with the montages. (As far as I know a montage does not violate copyright law).

John Stewart on Crossfire

The Smartest Men in America

Stephen Colbert on Charlie Rose

Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert at the Emmy Awards (very funny)

Jon Stewart interviewed by Bill Moyers (PBS)

Off the Shelf:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book) Teacher's Edition: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction

Words and Pictures

Photo by wetribe.

I've got two new obsessions.

LibraryThing
Which lets me catalog my books and meet other people with like-minded libraries. Sometimes I'll post an obscure subject in the search function (medieval soap carving, say) and see what other people have in their collections. I've found many a treasure that way. Or, I'll post a favorite author and see what people who like that author also read. This site makes my Inner Librarian so very happy. Those of you who live in L-space will understand.

Ooook!

The next obsession is Flickr.

Because images excite me.

Photo by wetribe

I love human faces. I love to draw faces, and I love to see the photographs of people that others make. I like the stories behind the images.

What is she laughing at, I wonder?

Sometimes I'll got to Flickr, hit the "Explore" button and just travel the world in other people's photographs.

My favorite photos are of places that are sacred to others. Someone loves these small haunts - you can feel that in the photos.

If you are a writer, I recommend Flickr for writer's block. Spend some time there, and you'll be making up stories about these photos before you know it.

Photo by Eldad75

Sometimes the stories about the photographers are just as good as the pictures. The man who took this tiger photo also has a photo set on dogs he has rescued from shelters. He works with a rescue group out in L.A. called Ace of Hearts. He has rescued over 400 dogs from shelters, and fostered 100 of them at his own home. What a guy.

I love nature photographs. I've been drawn to these since I was a kid (and thank you Mom and Dad for making sure we had National Geographic and Time Life books around the house when we were young). Some of the animal encounters posted at Flickr take my breath away.

If I had it to do over again, I would become a wildlife photographer; the kind who spends months in the wild, and then makes up for it by sleeping in four star hotels once they get back to the city. An experienced, well traveled woman can live both with and without hair dryer.

But coffee is always a must.

Sia

Photo Credit:
Woman with Shell Necklace and Woman Laughing by Kyle Hally at wetribe.
Tiger Swimming by Eldad75
Used with permission

Three Sisters

Somewhere in Suburbia....

A tall set of pine trees graced our southeastern fence line for many years. They were a stately trio, planted as a group forty years ago, around the time our home was built. Since they had grown up together we called them The Three Sisters.

The Sisters gave us dappled shade in summer and offered a home to small birds and squirrels all year round. At night we'd sit around a backyard fire drumming with friends and watch the moon arch up and up and up, over our redwood fence till it seemed to dance in their branches. After a long day, we'd relax within their gentle shadows, sip tea, watch the birds at the feeders, and enjoy the breeze. If there is music more beautiful than wind song in pine trees, I have yet to hear it.

I planted a shade garden under the pines, using native wildflowers, herbs, and woodland plants. Over the years this little plot became a source of varied riches for our family. It offered soothing scents for us, pollen for the bees, food for the birds, digging spots for the squirrels and jays, a cool resting space for the dog, day long entertainment for the cats, and some glorious color; all of this in a small, magical place watched over by The Sisters.

One day my neighbor decided that she did not like these "messy old trees". Since they grew on her side of the fence she had the right to cut them down, which she has just done. Now I know how the Ents felt when they saw the destruction wrought by Saruman.

Our shade garden won't last the summer. The birds and the squirrels will have to find new places to live. It is nesting season now, and there is less and less habitat for wildlife in Silicon Valley, so they'll have a hard time of it. People here just don't seem to understand what it takes to have a healthy local ecosystem, and how that, in turn, affects the whole. In fact, few people ever stop to consider how the environment they create, protect, neglect, or destroy directly affects the quality of their lives. Some of us are working to change that, but it’s a slow process.

I performed a simple ritual to bless and thank the trees. Then I pulled out my gardening catalogs to see what life giving plants and herbs I can grow under these new, much harsher conditions. Gardeners know that we can make only so many changes to the land and the soil around us. We love to create an abundant paradise of peace, but we have to work with what we have. Which is why I love whoever said that a garden is "A thing of beauty and a job forever".

Sia

Northern California, 2005

Endnotes: I wrote that post two years ago, just before we moved to a mountain in Oregon. I now have a multitude of trees on our property, and I am involved in efforts to save wild lands and old growth forests where we live now, but I will never forget the Three Sisters and the magic they brought us.

Pagan and other friends of mine who live California continue their attempts to educate the public on the importance of using of native plants and trees, providing habitat for birds and animals, and waterwise gardening. California is going to need this wisdom in the years to come, as water becomes an issue around the globe.

Check out the native plant nurseries in your area or visit the websites for the various Native Plant societies.

Master Gardeners also offers a free phone line for questions. These folks will be happy to give you information about the right plants and trees for your garden.

If you outside of the U.S. or Canada, use the Internet and keywords like (your area) + native plants.

Some Links of Interest:

National Native Plant Nursery Directory (U.S.)

Native Plant Societies of the United States and Canada

Master Gardeners (U.S.)

8 Steps to a Water-Wise Garden

The Sierra Club

National Audubon Society

ENTS: Eastern Native Tree Society
The Eastern Native Tree Society (ENTS) is a cyberspace interest group devoted to the celebration of trees of the eastern North America through art, poetry, music, mythology, science, medicine, and wood crafts.

Western Native Tree Society

Articles:

Admiring a Great Pine in Oregon

The Facts About Clearcut Logging

The Ecology Fund: Help Save Land Around the World (it's free)

John Muir on the Need for National Forests:

The outcries we hear against forest reservations come mostly from thieves who are wealthy and steal timber by wholesale. They have so long been allowed to steal and destroy in peace that any impediment to forest robbery is denounced as cruel and irreligious interference with 'vested rights,' likely to endanger the repose of all ungodly welfare. Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would be hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be got out of their bark hides, branching horns, or magnificent bole backbones. Few that fell trees plant them; nor would planting avail much towards getting back anything like the noble primeval forests. During a man's life only saplings can be grown, in the place of old trees" tens of centuries old" that have been destroyed. It took more than three thousand years to make some of the trees that are still standing in perfect strength and beauty, waving and singing in the mighty forests of the Sierras. Through all the wonderful, eventful centuries since Christ's time and long before that God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining tempests and floods; but He cannot save them from fools, only Uncle Sam can do that.