Romantic Thoughts at Beltane

Beltane is such a romantic time of year. I fall in love again with all the world and with my partner most of all.

In all the ritual, activism and celebration, I like to put aside a time for thoughts of love, and for great love stories, as well.

Mal and Inara are one of my favorite couples. I love their strength, and I empathize with their flaws. (And let's be honest, I want her clothes).

I feel so lucky to be part of a path the celebrates love and the body as something beautiful and good.

If, like me, you crave unusual kinds of romance (where the women are strong, the men are good looking and the children are above average) then I recommend reading Lords & Ladies by Terry Pratchett. It's a Beltane story with a great many surprises. (For one thing, the Witches save the day....mostly). It also contains the little known secrets of The Other Morris Dance.

Blessings of the season to you and yours,

Sia

Related Articles:

Beltane Old & New Style

Joss Whedon: Honorary Pagan

Zoe, Inara, and Kaylee, We Miss You

For those of you using a reader, the video is here.

Happy Birthday, Terry Pratchett

Thank you for all the books, Terry. And the laugher. And the wisdom.

Happy 60th birthday.

Go well, stay well.

Sia

Not Here

There's courage involved if you want

to become truth. There is a broken-

open place in a lover. Where are

those qualities of bravery and sharp

compassion in this group? What's the

use of old and frozen thought? I want

a howling hurt. This is not a treasury

where gold is stored; this is for copper.

We alchemists look for talent that

can heat up and change. Lukewarm

won't do. Halfhearted holding back,

well-enough getting by? Not here.

Rumi

Ecotheraphy: Healing the Human/Nature Relationship

Today, I would like to share this video about ecotherapy and permaculture, along with some links that relate to it.

Mind you, I don't think that simply going outside holds all the answers to our modern problems. That said, it does help to restore balance, and her ideas about cherishing our time and really thinking about how we live our days are, I think, useful. Pagans and indigenous peoples have taught this form of balance for centuries and now the culture is beginning to see that we're on to something.

Personally, I think it's nice to see the the folks who support ecotheraphy and the folks who support permaculture talking and working together. I got a kick out of the fact that one of them is male and the other one is female, but then I tend to think archetypically.....

All good things,

Sia

Links:

HopeDance magazine

The End of Surburbia

Ecotheraphy

A little history of Ecotheraphy

Ecopsychology

A video tour of White Sage Gardens, an experiment of permaculture
What does it look like to live in holy balance with the planet?

Backyard Permaculture - a video showcases another Can Do Gardener

Peak Moment Television

Latest Terry Pratchett & Discworld News

Today I would like to share a video of an interview with Terry Pratchett in which he talks about his latest book, Making Money. Funny enough, it's about a banking scandal (1). How does he know these things are coming? For example, he wrote Jingo well before the Iraq war...go read both books, you won't believe how relevant they are.

Paul Kidby's website reports that the BBC is currently filming a documentary on Alzheimer's, featuring Terry. He reports that they are:

....working exclusively with Terry Pratchett to produce a documentary series based on Terry’s recent diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s.

In this, the 25th year since the first publication of Terry’s hugely successful Discworld series, the documentary team will follow Terry as he finds out about his condition, looks towards new horizons and follows numerous lines of enquiries that may offer some hope, conventional or otherwise.

Terry writes this to his fans:

Nation (his latest book) has now been line-edited, and in theory I was going to have a month or so off, although a large part of that will now be spent reassembling what passes as our post room. In reality there are now more calls on my time than there have ever been, to the point where we are simply having to ignore approaches...I never intended that I would be some kind of AD spokesman, but the world seems to be deciding otherwise.

On a brighter note, I am now firmly ensconced with a specialist, testing last week showed that nothing much had moved since the end of November, except that in situations where I must parallel process I find that serial processing is about as much as I can achieve :o)

There are a number of things planned for the rest of the year, and they include cracking on with Unseen Academicals and also, with any luck, playing a rather larger role in the making of Going Postal.

The site also has some recent pictures of Terry at work.

Terry recently gave an interview to a morning show, where he talked very frankly about his health.

Meanwhile, work at the U.S. Seamstress Guild ("Where the customer always comes first") goes well. Members of the ConCom recently toured the hotel again to review the ballroom and the various spaces and they have sent these photos to the decorators at the Guild. As many of you know, The Guild is planning a large costume ball in honor of Terry for the North American Discworld Convention, which will take place on the Friday night of the convention.

Seamstress Guild members are having a great time deciding which of Paul Kidby's oficial Seamstress Guild t-shirts they will wear while decorating the hall before the big event. I have my eye on one or two of those. I also love the t-shirt that features Death with Kitten. (2)

In other news, Jason the Editor, of the Discworld Monthy, serves as co-Moderator with Anna M. at the Message Board for Terry Pratchett Books. If you love discussing the books, and all things Discworld, you might enjoy this site and that newsletter. (Anna is also the moderator at the Seamstress Guild board - how do they find the time?)

Those who care about Terry Pratchett might wish to keep a good thought for him on his upcoming birthday, which is April 28th. Many of us will wear the lilac both on that day, and on May 25th (3).

In Nightwatch, the men who fought and died (and in one case, fought, died and kept on fighting) in the Revolution are remembered by the wearing of sprigs of lilac every May 25th. The online Pratchett communities have adopted May 25th as Wear The Lilac day, an unofficial holiday celebrating Pratchett's work.

I recently planted a lilac bush in his honor (along with sending some money to the Alzheimer's Research Trust) and I will wear that color on both days. (3)

Let's end with a bit of Discworld trivia. In The Art of Discworld, Terry Pratchett writes:

I've always suspected the Nanny Ogg is, deep down, the most powerful of the witches and part of her charm lies in the way she prevents people from finding this out.

Lord High this and Lady Twinkle that, take note.

Regards to all here,

Sia

Update 4/27: Match It For Pratchett Is Not Approved By Terry Pratchett

It should be noted the the Match It For Pratchett campaign has not been sanctioned by Terry Pratchett. Fans are asked to send donations directly to the Alzheimer's Fund, instead.

He posted this note at the Cunning Artificer's forum:

As far as we are concerned this is not official, and if we don’t think its official, it aint. I hate to appear to be in any way negative about what appears to be very good intentions, but I could wish that the gentleman concerned had got in touch with us first before going ahead.

I have to say there are certain things that worry me about this project, not because they are in any way fraudulent, but raising and distributing money for charity can involve rather more problems than seem apparent at the start – especially in the loveable volatile world we know as fandom.

Most of the £13,000 raised since last Thursday has been sent to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust (https://www.committedgiving.uk.net/art/public/donor.aspx?id=cc) directly, which at least has the benefit of being straight forward.

All the best.

Terry Pratchett

The NA Discworld Convention site says this about Match It For Pratchett:

First off, although of course Terry is glad to see donations going to the Alzheimer's Research Trust, he doesn't wish his characters to be used in any type of advertising, including the fan-based Match It For Pratchett movement's badges. So please respect his wishes if you are advertising the MIFP initiative anywhere.

Related Articles:

Pratchett and the Pagans

Why I'm No Lady

Links:

Official Discworld Stamps

Official Discworld T-shirts & other items by Paul Kidby

Jeremy Irons playing the Patrician in the Color of Magic

Terry Pratchett on Alzheimers, Video - Part I

Terry Pratchett on Alzheimers, Video - Part II

Endnotes:

(1) The British bank he refers to is Northern Rock, which like many banks here and around the world is facing a crisis that will cost jobs and hurt their customers.

(2) For those of you who are new to the Discworld, the character of Death is very fond of both curry and kittens. And "Seamstress" is a codeword for an entirely different sort of profession, one in which the ladies are also known to be very skilled with their hands. The head of the Guild is Mrs. Palm. That's a very old joke. Since this is a family friendly site, I can't explain it here. Look it up.

(3) For those of you who care about such things, I've changed the color of my links on this page, to lilac (or as close to lilac as I could get). I hesitated about doing that, because any form of purple can be something of a Pagan cliche, but those who get it about honoring Terry will get it, and those who don't won't. I've also updated the blog to reflect more blue, for hope, truth and intellect (go scientists!) and yellow, for joy, creativity and strength. Brown and green are colors I use to honor Gaia and her creatures as well as the lifeforce that connects us all. For me they are also colors that reflect groundedness and common sense.
It's spring, and I'm hungry for color just now. I reserve to the right to change it all again as the need arises.

I find colored backgounds hard to read, so I stick with white for my reader's sake, as well as my own. I use verdana as a font, becuase it's easy to read (and not too pompus) and I make the font a bit larger then is usual because (ahem) some of us are getting a bit older, and we find tiny print too hard to read - SV

Love Is The Answer: How Neglect Hurts Our Kids

Science Daily recently posted an recent study on their website which claimed that:

Children who are neglected before their second birthday display higher levels of aggressive behavior between ages 4 and 8, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, published in the journal Pediatrics.

....More than 1,300 children from four cities and one Southern state are participating in the longitudinal study, which is coordinated by the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC). All were known to have been maltreated or were at risk of maltreatment. They were monitored from birth through age 8. A child was considered neglected if his parents or caregivers did not provide adequate supervision or failed to meet the child's minimum physical needs for food, clothing and shelter. Abuse was defined as either sexual or physical.

Aggression -- arguing, cruelty to others, destruction of property, disobedience, threatening people and fighting or physically attacking others -- was based on perceptions of the child's primary caregiver, who was interviewed when the child was aged 4, 6 and 8.

This is not the whole picture. For example, the study does not seem to take into account the child's relationship to the parent and, most importantly, the child's perception of their worth and abilities in the eyes of their caregivers. In other words, what a child (or teenager) thinks and believes about what their caregiver believes about them, is what they believe about themselves. (1) If our parents see us as worthy, capable, lovable, intelligent and unique then we will see ourselves that way. If not, we will struggle through life to find our authentic and best selves. We may spend years looking for approval from without, rather then finding it within. Good parenting gives us a center we can work from. The center helps us make healthy choices throughout our lives. Poor parenting leaves us ungrounded, insecure, vulnerable and anxious.

Any parent can tell us that children see, hear and know a great deal, even at a very young age. If a child is neglected under this definition (by, for example, an parent could could barely take care of themselves or ones who had to work two jobs) but still felt loved and cherished, overall, the response could be quite different then this study suggests. I have seen children raised in extreme poverty and in violent neighborhoods who still had a light inside because they felt love and approval from their parents, even if that parent could not be with them as much as they wanted. I have seen other children raised with every possible advantage except the unconditional love and conscious attention of their parents. These children had low self esteem and were often aimless, bitter, suicidal, depressive, codependent, violent and prone to compulsive/addictive behavior.

Studies of children who endured the terrible bombings in London with their families during WWII offer us another example. They proved that human beings can be in horrific situations but as long as we feel loved, we can come through it in much better emotional shape than someone who is physically safe, but bereft of both comfort and love.

Furthermore, not all those who suffer from neglect in early life become aggressive, although I would agree that many do. Human beings are complex and capable of a whole range of responses. In my experience as a teacher, some people never become aggressive at all. Some become hypervigilent, some are fearful and depressive. Some become passive/aggressive, codependent, perfectionistic or super responsible. Others become addicted to adrenalin and stress. Some children build a world of their own and retreat into that. Even if you are not a parent or a teacher, you may still have seen this; many of the same reactions can often be observed in cats, dogs, birds and horses that have been neglected or mistreated. They, too, can often be saved if we offer them enough patience, insight and love.

Some people are lucky enough to find other sources of connection besides their parents and caregivers. This is one reason why I think that early, well supervised Day Care facilities, good schools, and positive interactions with other family members and/or friends can be so important. Bonds established in a blended family can also play a role, as do the influence of grandparents and teachers. Sometimes all it takes is for one person to see us as special, unique and worthy for us to make it through the gods awful minefield that childhood can be.

Television and the arts play a vital role for many because they offer young people a creative window into other ways of being. In my experience, just knowing that there are possibilities besides the life they find themselves in has helped many young people survive and even thrive in harsh conditions. I've lost count of the number of Pagans I know who say they were saved by their love of books and I have seen many of my students find their heart's path through reading as well as music, drawing, and performing. Others find this in their connection with animals and nature and some find it through sports. Women's basketball and soccer wasn't widely offered, let alone televised, in my day, and I'm delighted to see a younger generation finding their strength through healthy competition in a team setting, as well as, martial arts, hiking, dance, yoga and other physical activities. If I had a young girl growing up in my household, I would encourage her to explore the full range of her physical powers, as well as her creative and intellectual gifts.

Neglect is not the only issue. Sometimes parents can pay a great deal of attention to their kids, but it's entirely the wrong kind. Sociologists and Scientists have long known that abusive child rearing produces agression in children. That "spare the rod and spoil that child" stuff has a lot to answer for. As John Bradshaw notes, parents need to be disciplined, disciplinarians. In other words, the doormat and the control freak both do an equal amount of damage.

I agree with the authors that neglect should be studied more, especially as it is so widespread. As one author of this recent study notes:

"This isn't the first time we've seen evidence suggesting that in some circumstances, neglect can be as harmful to children as abuse," said Hussey, who published a study in Pediatrics in 2006, linking neglect to teenage violence, depression and drug use. "Understanding the consequences of early childhood neglect will help us plan programs and other interventions to benefit these children throughout their lives."

How long have we been saying "No justice, no peace"? That includes justice for our kids, who need far more attention, support, health care, protection, education and social services then we as a nation are willing to provide. It includes justice for their parents, who may need more education, not to mention intervention, employment, counseling and social support. It is any wonder, then, that we live in a violent society? Dysfunctional systems produce dysfunctional - and often violent - results.

Sia

Dysfunctional Family Systems - at Wikipedia

(1) This insight come from the work of H. Stephen Glenn, among others.

Note: My thanks to the Hug The Monkey blog for pointing me to this study.

Annie Leonard & The Story of Stuff

Less Stuff, More Fun!

Today, I would like to share the Green Challenge from Slate Magazine, and a fascinating article on Annie Leonard, a committed woman (one among many) who's making a difference. According to the Green Life section of the Star blog,

She’s an environmental activist who spent 18 years digging through dumps and factories in places like Bangladesh and Haiti researching the international dumping of garbage for environmental groups like GreenPeace and Health Care Without Harm.

After three years of lecturing on the destructive nature of the disposable consumer culture, she condensed her talk into a 20-minute free on-line video called “The Story of Stuff” which is has become an underground hit – averaging 15,000 new views every day.

In it, Leonard shows how most stuff we buy is made to break or seem run-down and old fairly quickly, in order to keep us buying more. She calls it planned and perceived obsolescence – terms coined first by U.S. industrial designer Brooks Stevens in 1954 — and she reveals how it’s been enshrined not only in North American culture, but economic policy since the 1950s.

“It was a combination of the government and industry groups that decided to push excessive consumerism as the defining force in American culture, which includes where people gets their self-fulfillment,” Leonard says in an interview from her office in Berkeley, California.

But instead of fulfillment, North Americans are decidedly more miserable than they were 60 years ago, she says – trapped in a culture of trying to buy shiny new versions of happiness predestined to break. (1)

Want to lighten your load? Try the Freecycle website or consider donating some things to a worthy cause in your area. JustGive.org can help you find a charity that can use your old cell phone, car, clothes, computers, and even hair. (2)

Animal shelters can always use extra leashes, beds, crates, food, unused animal medicines and water bowls. They also need paper towels, blankets, and towels.

Sia

Links:

The Story of Stuff website

Photo: Siberian King Owl by Dani Hernaz at Flickr. Click on his page to see the larger version. It's stunning. He has a wonderful eye for wildlife.

Endnotes:

(1) I also loved this bit:

“The motto was `less stuff, more fun,’” says McMahon, a mother of two known affectionately as the “eco-witch” of her Danforth-Woodbine neighbourhood. “Consumption is terrible for the planet. All this stuff uses a lot of energy — creating it makes pollution, selling it, then using it and disposing of it. Do we really need it? Does it make us happy?”

The neighbourhood posse of mothers is part of a growing movement around the world that’s unplugging from the consumer grid. Instead of buying green, or buying recycled, they’re just not buying.

(2) I knew a woman acing chemo and radiation treatments who cut off all her hair and gave it to this charity. I was there when she did it, a part of a circle of women who were toasting her and laughing with her and admiring her new short hair cut. Locks of Love is a great organization. For the record, this lady is going on 10 years cancer free.

Full Moons & Golden Eyed Cats: Concerning The Great Mother Cybele

Tonight is full moon. The weather changed suddenly, and the plum blossoms that so joyfully greeted the sun last weekend are now covered in snow. Tonight, there will be drumming and singing and hot apple cider.

This morning I refilled all the bird feeders and I can hear the Douglas squirrels arguing with the jays over peanuts. These squirrels are new to me. They are so small and so fond of the second breakfast we provide that we've dubbed them Hobbit Squirrels. One bold, cheery fellow is my favorite, and I've named him Pippin.

This week I was finally able to trap a scared, wounded stray cat we've been feeding for the month and a half. He had open, infected bite wounds on his leg and neck. He was covered in fleas and had a tick under one arm.

A long haired, golden eyed ginger cat, he's obviously a family pet, and could not even hunt for himself the way the feral cats who roam these woods can. He's got scratches on his pretty face, mostly likely from run-ins with these same butch ferals. At least he avoided the coyotes and raccoons. We found had motor oil in his lovely fur no doubt from huddling under cars to get out of the rain, and we had to shave him in places. He'll get his looks back - he's a beautiful boy, and I've named him Beau. Someone must have dumped him on or near our property. When you live in the country you see this a lot.

Bea is a real sweetheart. He wasn't going to last much longer in the wild, weak and sick and unskilled as he was. I'm glad I got him in before this last snow hit. He's young, only a year and a half old and will heal quickly. We've had him fixed, he is on antibiotics, and his blood tests were clean, so he is otherwise in excellent health. Soon, he'll have all his shots. Right now, he's sleeping warm, with a full tummy. He likes the attention he gets from my wonderful Vet and her staff, and blinks at us in trust and contentment. Next week, he'll go to a no kill cat shelter where some lucky family will give little Beau his happy ending.

Let's see, what else? I've walked the dog and played with our cats. (You guys are so lucky - do you know that?). The housework is done (or as done as it's going to be) and my article for PanGaia is finished, as well. (Whoever said that "Writers don't write, they rewrite" truly understood the process). The rest of this day is mine and I've filled my cup with the promise of some quiet time, books and, later, good company. On days like these my best prayer is simply to go outside and say "Thank you".

In honor of this moon and one golden-eyed cat, I would like to share a post from a mythology blog called Between Old and New Moons on the Great Mother Goddess Cybele. Helping stay cats find their way into humane traps is not, strictly speaking, on her classic list of attributes. Still, Cybele (like Bast and Freya) loves lions and cats and, like most women I know, she does any job that needs doing, so who knows?

May the blessings of the Mother go with you,

Sia

Photo: Photo courtesy of Unusual Lions

Knowing and Believing

Today I would like to share an article titled On Skepticism, Religion and Metaphysics by mystery novelist Barbara Klaser. The section on dreams is worth your time, and she has lots of lovely links at her blog, Spirit Blooms.

I liked this comment:

I’m happy to have no religion, and no particular label for my spirituality. I’ve been happy with that for many years. I’m a seeker, but I’m not looking for a religion. I choose to seek everywhere, not just in one grouping of writings or beliefs. And while I am seeking, I’m also always finding, so I don’t feel lost at all.

Indeed. For me, whenever I find spiritual truth that speaks to me, it's like coming home.

I also enjoyed another article by hers titled Specialist or Generalist

Sia

Threshold Choir: Healing, Heart & Service

There seems to be a music theme this week. I'd heard about this group when I lived in the Northern California, but I never got to meet them. My loss.

I found this video about The Threshold Choir to be very moving. I think you will, too.

Sia

Gunga la-gunga

Today I would like to share what Beweaver said about an interfaith conference on her campus. Here is an excerpt:

I’m probably no more enlightened than I was when I awoke this morning but I feel very much lighter. Walking back from the small university arena, I was struck by the falling cherry blossoms and told myself, you must remember this day, these blossoms, this song. The Ode to Joy is sounding in my head and I keep humming it. Walking through thick snow banks of cherry blossoms I felt at peace.

I was on my way back to my office after seeing and hearing His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and a large panel of spiritual leaders discuss compassion. How do we get rid of the anger in our hearts? How do we deal with those who practice violence in the name of religion?

Enjoy her post (1). If you like her writing, she also has a lovely follow-up post on compassion.

Gunga la-gunga to all here.

Sia

Video from Caddyshack. That, and Lost in Translation, are two of my favorite Bill Murray movies. He also did a remake of The Razor's Edge, adapted from the book by Sumerset Maugham; something Murray wanted to do for years. He did a fine job, but the film was ruined by the poor performances from other actors. I recommend the 1946 version with Tyrone Power. Most people have seen another of his films, Groundhog Day. It's the best movie I've ever seen on personal redemption....and it's funny.

I love Murray, he's very Zen.

Endnotes:

(1) I wonder if they invited any Pagans?

Now Touring the U.S - The Singing Revolution

I finally caught a showing of The Singing Revolution. It's a wonderful film, and the story of these courageous people will stay with me for a very long time.

I went with friends of mine, and we saw it last Saturday in Portland. It was a deeply moving experience for all four of us. We went out to dinner together afterwards, and we just couldn't stop talking about it. One friend, a gal who had been very active in the Civil Rights Movement, said that the scenes at the Song Festival grounds brought to mind the powerful, peaceful marches she attended at the National Mall in the 1960's. As a young woman she heard Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous speech during the Great March. She told us that this film reminded her of those gatherings; times when hope and optimism for the future were something thousands of people shared.

As for me, I walked out of the movie theatre feeling inspired and humble at everything these people had endured and especially at what they had accomplished by peaceful means. I even felt a little hopeful - I haven't felt that way in a very long time. What a wonderful film.

Go see it. Go see it. Go see it.

My original post about the film and the movie trailer can be found in the article linked to below.

Visit their website for a list of screenings to find a showing in your city or sign up to request a screening of the film in your town.

Sia

Related Articles:

The Singing Revolution

Horton, Get a Clue

Today, I would like to share a post from a feminist book lover and blogger named Marie. Marie is a mom, and she is none too pleased with the movie version of Horton Hears A Who. She writes:

As the feminist mother of sons, I'm often torn between wanting my children to have characters they can relate to and wanting them to see strong female characters who don't follow the virgin-whore stereotypes (known in children's lit and media as princess wimps or evil stepmothers). Nearly all of the characters in Winnie the Pooh, Sesame Street, and other childhood teams are male. Thank goodness for Dora the Explorer, Peanuts (love that Peppermint Patty!), and the androgynous teletubbies. Last weekend I took Chris to see "The Water Horse," and even though the main character, Angus, was a boy longing for his father, his older sister was pretty cool too.

So imagine my chagrin when I just read this article posted on a wonderful blog called Feministing, with a link to an article on the NPR web site by the wonderful Peter Sagal (host of one of my fave radio shows, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" He took his daughters to the Horton movie and discovered that the movie playwright had added a new subplot--the mayor of Whoville has 96 daughters and one son, and guess who saved the day? Wait, wait, don't tell me! What a surprise.

You can read the rest of her article titled Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! Sexism in Another Children's Movie? at her blog, Every Day is a Miracle. I would also recommend her post on Trying to Raise Nonviolent Boys

You might also wish to check out her wonderful recipe for Spicy Mulligatawny. If you are looking for something to read, then click on her Top Reads for 2007.

Out here, we've got the first warm, sunny, dry day of the year. Or, as I like to say, 70 degrees and gardening. So please excuse me, the dog wants a walk, and the plants are calling.

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row
Please bless these seeds I sow
Please warm them from below
'Til the rain comes tumbling down

Pulling weeds and pickin' stones
We are made from dreams and bones
Feel the need to grow my own
'Cause the time is close at hand
Grain for grain, sun and rain
Find my way in nature's chain
To my body and my brain
To the music from the land

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row
Please bless these seeds I sow
Please warm them from below
'Til the rain comes tumbling down

Plant your rows straight and long
Thicker than with pray'r and song
Mother Earth will make you strong
If you give her love and care
Old crow watchin' hungrily
From his perch in yonder tree
In my garden I'm as free
As that feathered thief up there

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row
Please bless the seeds I sow
Please warm them from below
'Til the rain comes tumbling down

'Til the rain comes tumbling down

Sia

Related Articles:

The Princess and the Medusa: Musings on Women's Power

Gender Inequity in Whoville

Stop Making Movies About My Books! (the Onion)

Poem/Song: The Garden Song. My favorite version of this is sung by Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and their entire audience on the album Precious Friend. You can see a video of Guthrie doing the song, here.

Stephen Colbert and the Pagans

I posted this last year, but I am re-posting it to say:

Stephen, congrats on winning the Peabody Award.

11/07/08

Someone asked me the other day why I admire Stephen Colbert. Here is a good description of the man:

... an aversion to tyranny; advocacy of an unbridled free press; wry, homespun humor; humility, or at least the appearance of it, in dealing with others; idealism as well as realism in foreign policy; willingness to compromise; and tolerance of contrary views, particularly in religion. Such traits enhance social capital and should "distinguish America...in the messy struggles that confront a new century."
- Walter Issacson writing about Ben Franklin

Oh, and he's Pagan friendly:

When Colbert was a student in Chicago, he studied improvisation with the legendary Del Close. Close was a personality so unpredictable that he has been called “the Ted Kaczynski of modern comedy”; before he died, in 1999, he bequeathed his skull to the Goodman Theatre, in Chicago. His hope was that he could play Yorick into eternity. As the artistic director of the ImprovOlympic, he had a legacy at least as memorable. “One of the great things about Del was that he was a pagan,” Colbert said. “When he was teaching, he would take out this pentagram necklace that he wore and flash it at you,” he continued. “I’ve been to my share of new-moon celebrations.

- New Yorker article on Stephen Colbert

Give the writers what they want:

(sigh) I hate this writer's strike. I want my Daily Show. I want my Colbert Report. Oh, and I'd like my civil rights, back, as well.

Set some rules. Don't worry if the rule makes sense, the important thing is that it's a rule. Arbitrary rules teach kids discipline, if every rule made sense they wouldn't be learning respect for authority, they'd be learning logic.

- Stephen Colbert (from his book titled I Am America And So Can You)

Come on, folks! Pay the writers fairly for their work, and let's all get back to making fun of things, lest our eyes fill with so many tears that we can't see our way clear to make change.

Yours,

Sia

(1) .

Links:

Interview with Stephen Colbert

The Colbert Report

Related Articles:

Daily Show's Eviscerating "Documentary" on Fox News

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert: Honorary Pagans

The Daily Show Writers Explain the Strike To Us

Art:

Stephen's World of Warcraft card.
I don't happen to play, but I'm told it's well done.

Stephen with Lady Liberty found at the DaveandThomas blog

Finding Spiritual Teachers

Inanna has written a great post at her blog on Spiritual Teachers. It starts out like this:

I consider myself lucky to have had many spiritual teachers in my life so far. I joke that if it weren't for the Jews and the lesbians, I'd be nowhere, spiritually speaking.

It just gets more interesting from there. Go read it.

Among other things she asked us to say who we admired from our own faith. (1)

Good question.

I wrote about choosing spiritual teachers some years ago. Here is an excerpt from that article:

What To Look For (And Avoid) In Groups and Teachers:

I am often asked to give advice about choosing a teacher or joining a circle. I'm a very practical Pagan so I tell newcomers that any Priest/ess worth the name will have their life more or less in balance.

As Pagans we understand "cause and effect" and we know that these laws operate on a holistic level. We pay attention to our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health because we know that imbalance in one area affects the entire system. As we are, so is our practice. Or as the TechnoWitches say: 'Garbage in, garbage out".

If you are looking for a teacher, you'll want to find someone who enjoys balance, and has the kind of life you someday wish to have. Look at their entire life, not just the bit you see presented at the full moon. If you are looking for a circle, you'll want to consider what sort of energy they project and attract. Ask yourself if you really wish to mix with that energy.

Here are some other things to consider when choosing a group or a teacher:

• Is their life harmonious or do they live from crisis to crisis? If their life is in constant chaos, just how good do you think their magick is?
  
  
• Can they sustain healthy relationships? If their emotional life is burdened by resentments, betrayal, abuse, anger or codependency, then what will their relations with others in the group (or their chosen deities) be like?
  
  
• Can they handle money responsibly? If not, what can they teach you about abundance and prosperity? If the group works out of a perpetual "sense of lack" or if they fear the responsibility that abundance brings, what sort of energy will they attract? The issue here is not how much money a person makes, but how well they manage their resources.
  
  
• Are they secure in themselves or insecure? Can they share power appropriately or do they have too many control issues? Or, are they the helpless type? If so, they'll want someone to come to their rescue. If they refuse to address the issue of power honestly, the circle will remain unbalanced and out of tune.
  
  
• Are they responsible? Are they someone you can count on? If not, they could let everyone down at the worst possible moment. If they are the classic "flaky Pagan" they will be good at avoiding responsibility or they will get others to do the work for them. If you play this game, you are limiting their growth, and hurting yourself.
  
  
• Do they know how to nurture themselves? If not, they will eventually burn out from the Three Pagan Demons: Stress, Mess, and Excess. Since misery loves company, they might resent (or even sabotage) any attempts you make to become happier, healthier, and more balanced.
  
  
• Are they a source of negative or positive energy? If they whine, rage, play the victim/martyr, spread gossip, or complain all the time, you have your answer.
  
  
• Can they communicate well with others? Can they resolve conflicts with fairness and civility? If not, the circle could be rife with unspoken resentments, passive aggressive behavior, and negative energy.
  
  
• Do they have healthy personal boundaries and respect the boundaries of others? If not, the circle is at risk for sexual abuse, codependent enmeshment, and a host of other problems.
  
  
• Do they influence others for better or for worse? Look at their former students and circle members to see if they are actually better for knowing them. Have these people been challenged to change and grow? Are they more insightful, empowered, and happier as a result of their work together or are they stuck in place? Has their spiritual practice deepened and matured over time? If not, why not?
  
  
• Do they treat their practice with the respect it deserves? Check to see if their rituals are chronically late or ill prepared. If so, it is a sign of disrespect towards the circle members and the deities they serve. If your group puts up with this, they might need to do a little less magick, and lot more work on their self-esteem.
  
  
• Are they trustworthy? Don't rely solely on their claims; ask around. Pay less attention to what these people say and a lot more to what they actually do. Remember that trust is not given blindly. Trust must be earned.
  
  
• Are they conscious of their own emotional issues, and working to become healthier, overall? The truth is that we all have emotional burdens to bear. All we can ask of other human beings is that they become aware of their issues and do the necessary work to heal. However, it is not acceptable for circle mates or teachers to inflict their problems on other people. Offering mutual support to each other is a good thing. Asking you to carry their burdens for them is quite another. If they try to engage you in their drama and trauma, walk away.
  
  
• Are they Learners or Posers? Healthy Pagans are willing to learn from others and from their own mistakes. They know the crucial difference between making a mistake and being a mistake. They don't let their ego get in the way of learning. If they "miss the mark", they make amends, and move forward bearing new wisdom. Posers only care about looking good, and they love to blame others for their problems. Which sort of person will your God/ess respect?
  
  
• Are they creative? Can they help you to be more creative, as well? Or do they confuse being an artist with being immature? If so, they'll want to be the Artiste with "the vision" and have someone else do all the work.
  
  
• Do they know the difference between "deep play" and acting out? If not, your rituals will be a lot less about personal expression and divine inspiration, and a lot more like bad theatre.
  
  
• Are they compassionate and kind? If a Priest or Priestess isn't good to their kids or if they neglect any animals in their care, leave that circle immediately. (If you witness actual abuse contact the authorities on your way out the door. Ethically speaking, you may not leave another being in harm's way without trying to do something about it. Take spiritual and legal counsel, if necessary, and proceed with caution, but do the right thing. Who knows? You may have been sent there for just that reason.)
  
  
• Do they honor their word, their partner(s), and their friends? If not, they are asking for a karmic kick in the butt. Get out before that happens.

Trust your gut, and don't do things you aren't comfortable doing. Above all, use good judgment when you seek to learn.

It's important to remember that some people come to Paganism wanting power; power they aren't ready to use, either fairly or well. If they achieve authority among us without having the wisdom to temper their use of power they will then go on to abuse others. If we allow this, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Wishing you strength, love and laughter,

Sia

Endnotes:

(1) This was my answer:

Who do I admire from my own Pagan practice? Very few, I'm afraid. So many of us are Lost Children. Modern Paganism is, in many ways, still very much a teenager emotionally: Good hearted, rebellious, angry, impulsive, creative, energetic and prone to making poor decisions, trusting the wrong people and often getting hurt. But that's changing, I think, and it's for the better, too.

I admire Anne Hill tremendously. I've known her for over a decade now, and I've never known her to do a mean or petty thing. She is wise, patient, kind and open to learning every day. She is also a great mom and a good friend. And, she is a grown-up, which is to say that she handles her life in a competent manner, and still finds time to play, sing, dance and walk her dog.

I also admire my friend and colleague, Snakemoon, and for the very same reasons.

Both women are great writers and both are great readers, too, and this gives them a wider range of experience then the Pagans who simply read in a narrow and specialized realm of thought.

I also admire two Pagans you'll never hear about. Both are Green Witches and great Moms, and they quietly do good work in their home towns.

Like you, I come from a very eclectic background. There is wisdom in every corner of the world and I don't want to miss any of it because of labels. I've trained in a number of different traditions in order to get the skills and insights you can only get from a certain sort of dedication given over time, but I remain open to the wisdom I find everywhere, including the wisdom I find among my progressive Christan friends.

Art: The Mirror.

I choose this image to make a point. Sometimes we have to be our own best teacher, advocate and support. Spiritual people learn from our mistakes. We trust ourselves. We are willing to look honestly in the mirror to see what we love about ourselves, and what we can improve upon. We also trust the connection we have with the sacred (however we define that) and take time to nurture and cherish our spiritual life. Also, we have fun.

Sia