Animals and Earthquakes

Today I would like to share an article from Tree Hugger titled, Can Animals Foresee Natural Disasters? Excerpt:

When officials from Haicheng, China, observed wildlife and livestock acting strangely in 1975, they decided to evacuate the city's 90 thousand residents. Only 10 percent of the city remained after an earthquake occurred a short while later.

In February 2001, a large number of cats are reported to have gone missing in western Washington, twelve hours before a quake shook Seattle.

I also recommend reading this article on animal behavior Shri Lanka, Sumatra and India just before the great tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004 titled Did Animals Sense Tsunami Was Coming? at the National Geographic website.

My thoughts today are with the people and animals in Chile and the US teams on their way to the quake zone. I still follow news of the people of Haiti, even though most of the media show has moved on. Today I read a moving story about a young man who lost his leg in saving his sister's life.

For those of you still stuck in snow, hang in there. I hope you have food, light and heat. Check in your neighbors, especially the older ones. Remember, please, to thank the folks who are out repairing power and phone lines, clearing roads and keeping everyone safe in bad weather.

Sia

On a lighter note, and file this under, Only In Japan, I present Earthquake Gear for Pets

Photo found here.

Because sometimes we need to see puppies

Charles Schultz was right; happiness is a warm puppy.

This is Sherman the Airedale babysitting some Scottie puppy friends. Enjoy.

Rex the Blind Airedale:

Meet Rex, another great dog. He is blind. Rex was left in the woods to die but was rescued by kind people. We met him at Doggie Palooza in Portland. His owner, Sean, is a great guy.


You can read about his rescue at Rex's blog:

Northwest Airedale Rescue is the group that saved found a home for Rex. If you are looking to adopt an Airedale, these folks can help.

Dogs Change Lives - Service Dogs

The website, Dogs Change Lives, has some great stories about service dogs and how they change lives. If the news has got you down and you need to feel uplifted, check it out.

Looking for a Pet? Try PetFinder.

Are you ready to adopt? Then heck out Petfinder.com. Put in your zip code and you can search for rescued/adoptable pets by species, breed, sex, size, gender and age.
The groups and shelters listed here can tell you about each pet's temperament and help you find one that best fits your home and lifestyle.

It's a dog, not an Ipod:

Remember folks: This is an adoption, not a purchase. The animal has to like you as much as you like them and your home has to be the right environment for their needs. If, for example, you are gone all day long and don't like activity, then a Australian Cattle Dog or an Airedale, two working breeds which need a great deal of activity and thrive best when they have mental stimulus, may not be the right choice. Ask questions and do your homework before you choose a breed.

Happy hunting,

Sia

P.S. Congrats to Sadie the Scottie at winning at Westminster Dog Show. Old breeds rule!

If you choose to buy a pet from a Breeder (and I do encourage you to adopt an animal, instead) then please make sure he/she comes from a responsible breeder.

Related Articles:

How Responsible Breeders Differ From Backyard Breeders and Pet Shops

Video: Sherman the Airedale babysitting 5 Scottie puppies via Youtube.

Found at LA Unleashed: Your Morning Adorable

Photo of Rex by HereatWitsEnd - used with permission.

Appearance vs Reality in Canada's Care of the Wild

Over the course of my life I have seen too many places called "Deer Hollow" where developers have chased out all the deer by destroying their habitat. Don't get me started on places called "Green Meadows", "Mountain View" or worse yet, "Happy Acres".

Today the Vancouver Sun notes in an article titled Dazzling Images, With Irony To Match, that the same sort of delusion has beset Canadians when it comes to the difference between the ways in which they have depicted their relationship to wildlife during the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics (which, as my readers know, I quite enjoyed) and the reality of the relationship between Canada and it's wild places. I quote several excerpts from that article below but I recommend that earthwise folks read the whole thing.

That mesmerizing Olympic opening ceremony last Friday presented to the world the icons that mark British Columbia as a special place.

Bears:

There was the illuminated spirit bear, evocative of a magical benevolent wilderness presence, important to first nations from the coast to the Interior.

But despite repeated public opinion polls showing citizens want the practice stopped, B.C. continues to slaughter grizzly bears for fun and profit.

An Ipsos Reid poll in 2009 reported 78 per cent of British Columbians oppose the trophy hunting of grizzlies. Bear biologists denounce it because B.C.'s grizzly population is listed as being "of special concern." First nations chiefs from Haida Gwaii to the Great Bear Rainforest of the mid-coast object to the trophy hunt as sacrilegious.

Whales:

Killer whales symbolically swam through the ceremony.

B.C.'s killer whales are an endangered species -- endangered by us. What's more, environmental non-government organizations had to launch a lawsuit before Ottawa would act on its statutory duty to protect the whales' habitat.

Salmon:

The ceremony depicted vast swimming schools of red salmon as a narrator's voice told of their importance to the fabric of West Coast life and first nations' culture.

But the once-abundant Fraser River sockeye run is in tatters, the once-huge Rivers Inlet run is a ruin, Thompson River coho and steelhead are vanishing and Cowichan River spring salmon are in deep trouble.

Trees:

There was a symbolic depiction of old-growth forest, majestic trees soaring above puny, awestruck humans.

A voiceover pronounced sentimental platitudes about the near-mystical importance of these mighty trees to the soul and sustenance of B.C.

Not so long ago, the folks trying to protect these forests were declared "enemies of B.C." by our government and some were jailed.

Olympic Ceremonies are meant to tell the world about our Best Selves. We know this. As a U.S. citizen, I also know that I live in a glass house when it comes to environmental issues. Let us agree, then, that both countries have a long way to go. Let us also speak out and take action, so that the people of Canada, and the people in my country can rise up to the level of those moving stories we tell about ourselves before the wild things we claim to love are gone.

Sia

Related Articles

Oh, Canada! Myth and Magic at the Winter Olympics

Thorn Coyle on What Makes A Serious Seeker

Well said, Thorn

Excerpt

What makes a “serious seeker” and at what point does someone cross that invisible threshold from casual to intense? As a person who is drawn to those with diligent practice who dedicate time and energy to their personal and spiritual quests, I comprehend wanting to celebrate with the like-minded. Personally, I’d rather be in a room full of people having what I consider to be smart and considered conversations – whether funny or sublime – than with people getting loudly drunk. My friends are all smart along with knowing how to have a good time. I value both qualities and want range and depth in my cohort.

But I’m not so sure that those “other” people at Pantheacon only want to party. I’m not so sure that those “other” people at Pantheacon are not seriously seeking. Perhaps they are seriously seeking. My sense is that their hearts and minds and souls are looking hard for something. Whether they’ve found the something that clicks with them on a more permanent level, I don’t know. But damn it, they are willing to try. They are showing up and opening to the energies at hand and saying, “yes, I may not yet be at a place where I’m practicing daily, and I may not yet have found a stable home in a tradition, but I am open to the power of the Gods and to the search of my own soul.” Their feet are on a path, whether I see the path or not.

- From the essay But Seriously by Thorn Coyle.

Read the whole thing.

Photo: From the National Theatre's production of Terry Pratchett's Nation

A Question of Action

Here in Oregon we are doing the Happy Dance at news of a new 43,000 acre national forest near Bend that will help protect against urban sprawl and give wildlife room to roam. With that in mind, I would like to share this essay by author Barbara Kingsolver titled Understanding the Value of Wild Places. Excerpt:

It's a privilege to live any part of one's life in proximity of nature. It is a privilege, apparently, even to know nature is out there at all. In the summer of 1996, human life on Earth made a subtle, uncelebrated passage from mostly rural to mostly urban. More that half of all humans now live in cities....I find this exodus from the land makes me unspeakably sad. I think of the children who will never know intuitively, that a flower is a plant's way of making love, or what silence sounds like or that trees breathe out what we breathe in..I wonder what it will mean for us to forget that food, like rain, is not a product but a process. I wonder how we will imagine the infinite when we have never seen how the stars fill a dark night sky.

According to the Wild Hunt, Orion Foxwood made this statement at PantheaCon 2010 and the quote is making it's way around the earthwise net:

The Earth isn’t running a democracy. She is calling us all into action whether we like it or not.

Yes, yes and again yes. As always, I come back to loving the questions we ask ourselves. As a Green Witch I ask this question on a daily basis: "What is right action in this place and time?" The answers may differ for each person but the fundamental need for action does not, even as the question itself becomes ever more urgent for us all.

Sia

Celtic Tree of Life by the talented Kevin Dyer at Compost.com. You can buy copies of his creations at that gallery link.

Oh, Canada! Myth and Magic at the Winter Olympics

I loved, just loved, the Spirit Bear rising up from the dark, illuminated against the stars, and each star was a different human being. Together they formed a great constellation of light, joined in peace.

...and did you see the Pacific Northwest totem art displayed on the floor? Glorious.

I loved the wild fiddle playing (that boat! the moon!) and the exuberant Celtic tap dancing (where did they find that guy?) and the blessing from the First Peoples (or as much as I could hear. Hey, announcer guys, would you talk over a prayer?)

I would like a week, at least, to examine those ritual dancing outfits. I adored the slam poetry and reveled in the color and light from those amazing screens. We saw giant whales swimming across that stadium floor and mountain peaks rising up to the top of the dome. (How on earth did they do that? it looked 3-D, like something out of Avatar.)

Best of all, they gave all the people in the stadium drums, the whole stadium, drumming. Can you imagine that? Don't you wish you'd been there?

Let us also admire the gentle courtesy of our Canadian hosts who invited the athletes to march in and sit down early so that they, too, could enjoy the show and the wise decision to honor and mourn the young man who lost his life that day.

The opening ceremonies in China, while impressive (thousands of drummers and dancers all performing in unison, 40 million dollars spent on that one night alone) were awesome in the original sense of that word and were also pretty much along the lines of "I have a great big tonker!" In contrast, the Canadian ceremonies were about the love these folks have for their land, their people, their history and their culture. They were offered to us on a much more human scale. It's been noted that the Canadian ceremonies were about the individual more than the group. I would add that many of these images were about the individual's relationship with the water, the sky, the creatures and landscape of this amazing country. The director got his wish; he made me realize how little I actually know about Canada (even though I've been there many times) and how much more there is to know about this wonderful place.

Thank you, Canada. We love you.

...we're gonna kick your a%#

Sia

Related Articles:

Totem Moon: Encounters with Native Art of the Pacific Northwest

Inukshuk: Native American Emblem of the Canadian Winter Olympics

Rythm Animals: Spirit Drumming and Sacred Beats

I Learn By Going (spirt bear)

PantheaCon 2010

Going to PantheaCon? Here are some notes that might help:

To Newcomers:

Not every person you meet there will be true tribe for you. Use good personal boundaries and some common sense and you will find the empowered, ethical, creative, fun loving, balanced Pagans you knew were out there but had so much trouble finding before now. That's the great gift of PantheaCon and it's one reason why so many of us support it.

The organizers and many dedicated volunteers work hundreds of hours of their free time so that you can have this event. Please wear your best manners along with your jewelry and give them your support.

Don't just seek out the authors and the "Big Name Pagans". Attend workshops by folks you may never have heard of - these can be some of the best events you'll find at the con.

Twitter, Facebook & Pagan News

If you are on Twitter: Use #Pcon to let others find your posts. (a # denotes a subject)

The Facebook page is here

Jason from The Wild Hunt will be reporting from the con this year and presenting, as well. Nice.

Articles You Might Find Useful:


Ask Me About My Feminist Rage: Anne Hill Sums Up PantheaCon

The Bard and the Poser

Teachers Good and Bad - Rev. Wren Walker

Dogma Is Not Particularly Important Compared To Ritual and Experience
- by Hecate

21st Century Pagans

To The Old Timers:

Like many of you, I've been going to this Con since it started and I've supported it in good times and bad. The con in turn has given me some great experiences, support and networking opportunities for my own work and some wonderful friends.

Please note: The con can seem overwhelming (and rather "cliquish") to newcomers, especially if they come alone. Please take a moment to welcome new folks who might not know anyone else there. If you see someone standing alone, say "Hi". Remember, you were new once, too.

No One Else Will Say It, So I Will

I've known this community for over 15 years, and I know how Pagans think, talk and act around the issue of money. If you are there, you can afford it, so no bloody whining, especially not to the Pagan Vendors who work hard the whole con and who have a living to make. They paid a lot to have a table there, money which helps to fund this convention, and they are paying for hotel and travel, as well, and working the entire con while you folks play. We've all seen the Pagan shopper who grumbles to a hardworking witch at the idea of paying $4.00 for her homemade incense and then goes on to the next table and drops $60.00 on a crystal without batting an eye. Don't be that person.

Remember to adequately tip the hotel staff and all your food servers. It's very bad karma to buy that crystal but stint your waitress, very bad karma, indeed. Mark my words, it will come back and bite you on your assets.

To The Organizers:

Congrats on getting the schedule up on the website this year. I hope that someday you can add in descriptions, as well so others can link to it and so that the search engines can find your wonderful list of classes, traditions and teachers by teacher/group/tradition names and keywords and thus help get the word out.

Doing the Con Healthy, Clean & Sober:

I can confirm that many Pagans in Recovery will be gathering together at this event. Ask around and you'll find them.

The Con can be overwhelming, especially if you are trying to do it clean and sober. Here is a group that can help online. They deal with any and all issues, not just alcohol or drugs, and all who respect earthwise ethcs are welcome.

The Spiral Steps Support Groups - online group
Anonymous, non-cross talk, non-denominational meetings based on Earthwise Ethics. All are welcome

I will not be attending this year but I wish you all the best.

Happy Lunar New Year! This is the year of the Golden Tiger.

Wishing the blessings of Quan Yin for you and yours. I'll be home, watching the Olympics and feasting on Chinese food.

Go safe,

Sia

P.S.


To: Rowan F., Kitchen Diva, AH, The Luck family, Thalassa, Token, Chaos, the good folks at FLARE, and all my other friends who support and attend this convention year after year: You will be in my thoughts. Safe travels.

He Can Be My Green Man Any Time

Best commercial *ever* (1)

I laughed so hard you could hear me three blocks away. When I showed this to our 83 year old elder she laughed so hard she 'bout fell out of her chair. (2)

It almost makes up for all those Victoria Secret ads....but not quite. For an antidote to those, I recommend a pointed, witty blog called The Illusionists. Here is one of her latest posts: Australia bans images of small breasted women. You are going to gasp at their reasoning. Will someone please send the Australian government a clue for Valentine's Day?

May all your loves come with laughter,

Sia

Endnotes:

(1) I love whoever wrote that. If I was single again, and, oh, 20 years younger, I'd be very tempted to introduce that young man to the Goddess. (Unless, of course, he'd prefer Her consort, in which case, I wish him joy).

Which reminds me: Have fun at PantheaCon, folks!

(2) This Old Spice "Manmercials" campaign was created by folks here in Oregon. I am just so proud. The gentleman on the screen is African American actor, Isaiah Mustafa.

Somebody give him some Shakespeare to do - I want to hear that velvety voice do the Bard. Or better yet, cast him as Captain Jack Harkness in the American version of Torchwood.

Related Articles:

In Praise of Pagan Men

Commercial:

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

Welcome To The Social Media Revoution

Youth social networking researcher Dana Boyd has observed that many people presume the way they use social networks is the way everyone uses them ... Now picture our perspective leaving our own experiences, zooming out and up until we can see how all the different groups are interacting on a worldwide social network. That bird's-eye view could be both beautiful and horrible if the resolution was clear enough. That's what a Ramen-eating, ex-Apple engineer named Pete Warden is about to release to the public this week.

This Wednesday, Warden will make friend, fan page and name data from hundreds of millions of Facebook users available to the academic research community.

- to read more, go to Read, Write, Web and click on The Man Who Looked Into Facebook's Soul

****

I'm still of two minds about this new social revolution of ours. Let us consider Facebook, which so many Pagans are using. On the positive side of the Facebook equation is the fact that I am connecting with some wonderful folks. Usually though, these are people I already know in some way, if only via email or phone calls or through their books, music or work/interests we have in common. The negative side is this: Too many people (even those who can be fascinating in person) somehow don't feel the need to post in ways that are interesting, witty, useful or insightful (1) which means that a social media site can easily become the most boring party you've ever been to. Let me put it another way: Remember High School? Want to go back? I thought so.

Now this, this I did like: Facebook Comes of Age After Disaster In Haiti

Are you on Facebook? Please keep in mind that the privacy thing is still a huge issue. Facebook is not some cute little college start up. This company is not your friend. They are watching what you do and selling any information you post online to whoever wants it.

Are you planning to use the new Google Buzz? That has privacy and safety concerns, as well, because it can upload your location as well as your status.

So...be careful out there.

Sia

Twitter - @birdgarden
Sia on Facebook

Related Articles

What Facebook Quizes Know About You from the ACLU

Pagans & Privacy: Email and Networking Sites

Overall, I have to say that I prefer Twitter.

Unique Uses for Twitter: Fundraising & Support

Does Twitter Make You A Nicer Person?

Video:

Youtube: The Social Media Revolution

Endnotes:

(1) And please, save me from all these quizzes, games and "gifts" (which are just another way for Facebook to do more data mining).

North American Discworld Con 2011 - NADWCon Updates

NADWCon 2011

At the end of NADWCon 2009, during a wonderful lunch with some exhausted and very happy people, Terry Pratchett asked certain members of the core staff to offer their expertise to the next group wishing to host the North American Discworld Convention. To quote Mrs Palm, "When the guy in the black hat asks, you say 'Yes'", which is how a number of us who worked on the first NADWCon have again signed up for various roles. For example, 5 of the original NADWCon organizers will be on the newly formed Steering Committee. Yours Truly will again play her part with friends and colleagues from the Seamstress Guild. For those interested, here is the latest news on NADWCon 2011. As we speak, the Steering Committee is currently looking for bids from cities hoping to host the next convention.

Greetings, all Discworld fans and convention-goers As most of you are probably already aware, the first ever North American Discworld Convention took place in Tempe, Arizona from September 4 - 7, 2009, and was deemed a big success by guests and attendees alike Once again, I and the entire 2009 committee would like to thank all of our amazing guests, participants, committee, staff, volunteers, and attendees for helping to make the con the wonderful experience that it was. Thank you! I have linked many photos, videos, and accounts of the convention on the convention website, so if you haven’t yet seen that, please feel free to head over there and take a look: http://www.nadwcon.org.

The 2009 committee was delighted to hear that everyone had such a great time, and honored to learn that, due to the convention’s success, many are clamoring for another one! Our Guest of Honor, Sir Terry Pratchett himself, has said that he is definitely willing to appear again as Guest of Honor (health and circumstances permitting) should there be another NADWCon.

The committee has been approached by representatives of several cities interested in hosting the next North American Discworld Convention, and thus, after consulting with Sir Terry Pratchett, a North American Discworld Convention Steering Committee (to be known hereafter as The Guild of Chelonavigators) has been formed from among several folks intimately involved in the successful organization and presentation of NADWCon 2009. The purpose of this oversight committee is to:

1) determine the next convention location and organizing group;
2) offer guidance and information to the next convention committee as it prepares for NADWCon 2011;
3) maintain a consistent archive of information and data related to past NADWCons; and
4) manage any con-related funds or properties during transition periods between cons. The members of The Guild are as follows:

Voting Officers:

- Emily S. Whitten, Esq. (Chair)
- Denise Connell
- Margaret Grady
- Patrick Harkin Sr.
- Jean Tillson

Chelonavigational Consultant:

- Anna M. Caggiano

Regarding the decision as to where NADWCon 2011 will be held, it has been decided to ask for bid proposals from any fan organization interested in hosting the next con. These will be carefully considered by The Guild before a decision is made and a group chosen, after which The Guild and the 2009 committee will pass the torch of our responsibility and experience as the organizers of this unique Discworldian event to the chosen group, but will remain available for consultation as a source of information, guidance, and resources.

If you love the idea of having an NADWCon in your city, and are considering proposing your local group and city as the best host for the next NADWCon, please first carefully consider both the goals and responsibilities of this convention, some of the main ones being:

- To provide a well planned, smooth and well organized, exciting and uniquely fun Discworld experience for new and old Discworld fans of all ages, as well as for our guests;
- To make the convention easily accessible and reasonably affordable for fans to attend;
- To meet or exceed the level of programming and fun experiences provided by the first NADWCon, including such staples as a charity auction, gala banquet, and Discworld Maskerade;
- To retain the Discworld flavor and culture of a Pratchett-centric convention;
- To keep proper records and responsible accountings of the planning and management of the NADWCon, and to preserve these for future archiving with The Guild of Chelonavigators.

Please also be aware that planning a convention of this magnitude requires the dedication, determination, and cooperation of a number of experienced organizers with excellent planning, teamwork, organizational and communication skills. Planning and running a convention can be an amazing experience, but please remember that it requires a lot of time and hard work, as well as a willingness to put the good of the convention first. Any group that bids for the next NADWCon should have a number of willing and experienced volunteers local to the convention location to form the backbone of their potential convention committee.

And now, for those who are interested, onward to the bid proposal process!

Bid Proposal Process

Please include all information requested below on your bid submission, which should be emailed to nadwconbids2011@nadwcon.org. Please be as detailed as possible when appropriate, and feel free to include any additional information that might help in the decision as to why your city and organization would be the best host for NADWCon2011.

Bid submissions should consist of:


1) Name and contact information (address, email, and phone) of submitting person or organization;

2) Location (i.e. city) and range of proposed possible dates for the 2011 con;

3) Possible hotel(s) to host the con, with as much detail as possible regarding what arrangements could be agreed upon with the hotel; a Letter of Intent from the proposed hotel is recommended. Please also include information on methods, costs, and ease of travel to and from the hotel(s) proposed;

4) Names and contact information for proposed key committee members, with summaries of their past experiences in fandom and convention organizing.

a. Please list potential committee members for as many of these committee positions as possible, and any others which you expect to fill:

i. Chair; Vice Chair; Treasurer; Hotel Liaison; Guest Liaison; Programming Director; Volunteer Coordinator; Convention Operations; Logistics Coordinator; Technology Coordinator; Security Coordinator; Dealers Room Coordinator; Information and Publicity Coordinator (including maintenance of website, email listserv, and news updates); Registration Coordinator; Maskerade Director; Banquet Director; Charity Auction Director; Program Book Director; Art Show Director; Ambience Director; Hospitality Coordinator.

b. Please include one or more references who can speak to the individual’s relevant experience and qualifications; a personal statement from the individual is also welcome.

5) Estimated convention budget with breakdown of expected expenses, along with information on any start-up funds that may be available to the committee;

6) Any other information you feel would be pertinent or helpful.


The deadline for bid proposals is midnight, March 15, 2010. Once the deadline has closed, proposals will be carefully reviewed by The Guild, and a decision will be made and announced to bid applicants by approximately April 15, 2010.

Once a decision has been made, a representative of The Guild will contact the prevailing 2011 organization in order to facilitate the sharing of useful information and resources. AFTER such contact, The Guild will publicly announce the winning bid, and the 2011 committee may then move forward in planning the 2011 NADWCon.

Please let me know via the email address provided above if you have any questions on the bid proposal process. Good luck, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Emily S. Whitten

Vice Chair and Webmaster, NADWCon2009
Chair, The Guild of Chelonavigators

Additional Note:

NADWCon2009 had approximately 1,000 attendees.

- NADWCon is an event specifically focused on the works of Terry Pratchett (primarily the Discworld series, but any of his other writings as well).

...

Image: Head Librarian, Discworld

Letting Go at Imbolc

Today is Old Imbolc, the actual cross quarter day in the Wheel of the Year. Today in honor of Imbolc, I am cleaning house, both inside and out. Today I am mediating and letting go of some old hurts and some disruptive/negative attachments. I am also working on my gratitude list and writing letters to people I cherish (and who cherish me) or catching up with these loved ones by phone.

Today I am thinking and writing and talking to others about what it means to let go of old hurts and to forgive someone as a Pagan. Today, in my rituals, I put some of those hurts on the bonfire or let them flow into ground for earth to break down and renew as only Gaia can. Today I bless and release some pain I've been carrying around for a while because it no longer belongs to me. In fact, it never did.

This brings me back full circle to what I learned when I first entered ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) meetings over 25 years ago. It's this: letting go of hurts and forgiving someone who hurt me is not something I do for them. It is something I do for myself. I do it so I can move forward without the burden of pain, resentment and anger that I've been carrying. It is about my freedom, my healing and my survival. For me, it is a critical component in my recovery. Dislodging that harmful, pain-filled energy inside my chest allows light and air into my life and supports my joy, my creativity, and my physical health (for this burden adds to my stress which weakens me, and keeps the weight on, as well). Letting go, as we call, it also enhances my capacity to love and be loved.

I've been doing this work for over 25 years, and it has always been worth the struggle it takes to let go. To quote my old sponsor, a woman who had crawled through the emotional equivalent of ground glass to get to a place of peace and compassion and who, all gods bless her, had a wicked sense of humor, "Why should those $#*@ers get to live rent-free my head?".

Today, I also forgive myself for those times I missed the mark; when I failed myself or my loved ones in word or deed (or simply by not paying enough conscious attention) or when my lack of wise judgment or compassion caused pain. I cannot move forward without this blessing and release. I accept that fact without any need for further shame or guilt, without wallowing in received shame or guilt from any religion, culture or family and without needing anyone, a priest or a god, to do it for me. I am all the priestess I need and my connection to the sacred well is for me to tend, and me alone. I accept that gift and the responsibility that comes with it.

So it is that my Imboc rituals this week are done to restore balance, whether it be balance between me and another person, former me and me today or me and that which is greater than me of which I am a part. In in all these cases, I now know that I can make a mistake without being a mistake, a lesson that took me years to learn, and my rituals are loving and warm hearted as a result. Yes, they can be bittersweet, but their focus makes them more sweet than bitter, and there, right there, we come to the very soul and center of my practice.

Life gives us the test first and the lesson afterwards

I accept the lessons (even when they are brought to me by difficult people, even when I bring them on myself). I accept the understanding each lesson brings because I don't wish to repeat dysfunctional behavior or let others engage in behavior that brings pain to me. That is what it means to me to forgive and let go, to bless and release, as a Pagan. I do not forget, forgetting simply means I haven't learned, but I don't obsess or dwell on it any more, either. I do learn the greater lesson which is how this event fits into my life story, and what tools it brings me that I can use today, and how my understanding can help and support others on the path. In other words, because I am a practicing Pagan, I know how to let go and learn in ways that are useful, creative, healing and full of meaning.

With all that in mind, I would like to share this quote today. Take what you need and leave the rest:

"The purity of the Imbolc symbolism is very much part of the newness of the year. Life is refreshed by cleansing, by letting go. This is a time to release attachment to past pain, to let go of whatever out-dated stories about yourself and your life you are hanging onto, to allow the healing of forgiveness and acceptance to soothe old injuries of heart and soul.

It is an excellent time to review what has and has not already been achieved, and to assess which of your dreams you still want to pursue and which ones you might as well let go of.

It's a potent time to clear away past disappointments, to let go of old ideas about yourself, and step fully into the present. And on the mundane and physical level, it's a great time to clear out and give away all that stuff you no longer need."

- Elsa P

Go well stay well,

Sia

Related Links:

Spiral Steps On-line Support Group - All Are Welcome
anonymous, non-cross talk, meeting

JK Rowling on the Fringe Benefits of Failure

I have another offering to make for Imbolc. This is JK Rowling giving the Harvard Commencement speech. She choose to talk that day on the power of failure. This heartfelt talk is something every artist, writer, speaker, activist and organizer will appreciate:

Text & Video: J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Found at TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

The 5th Annual Brigid Poetry Festival

As Hecate has noted, it's time for the 5th Anuual Brigid Poerty Festival, a tradition begun by Anne Hill. Hecate has written (her usual) inspiring and insightful posts on Imbolc and poetry. Take the time to read those and then check out the original poem written by Anne Hill at her blog.

Would you like to contribute? Then post a poem (or poems) on your own blog and post a link in the comments section at Anne's Blog O Gnosis.

Blessed Imbolc to you and yours. Here is my offering.

Ode To A Chesnut On The Ground by Pablo Neruda

From bristly foliage
you fell
complete, polished wood, gleaming mahogany,
as perfect
as a violin newly
born of the treetops,
that falling
offers its sealed-in gifts,
the hidden sweetness
that grew in secret
amid birds and leaves,
a model of form,
kin to wood and flour,
an oval instrument
that holds within it
intact delight, an edible rose.
In the heights you abandoned
the sea-urchin burr
that parted its spines
in the light of the chestnut tree;
through that slit
you glimpsed the world,
birds
bursting with syllables,
starry
dew
below,
the heads of boys
and girls,
grasses stirring restlessly,
smoke rising, rising.
You made your decision,
chestnut, and leaped to earth,
burnished and ready,
firm and smooth
as the small breasts
of the islands of America.
You fell,
you struck
the ground,
but
nothing happened,
the grass
still stirred, the old
chestnut sighed with the mouths
of a forest of trees,
a red leaf of autumn fell,
resolutely, the hours marched on
across the earth.
Because you are
only
a seed,
chestnut tree, autumn, earth,
water, heights, silence
prepared the germ,
the floury density,
the maternal eyelids
that buried will again
open toward the heights
the simple majesty of foliage,
the dark damp plan
of new roots,
the ancient but new dimensions
of another chestnut tree in the earth.

Update from Anne - Collection of Poems at Delicious.com
Yvonne has set up a system: if you post a poem this weekend, go to delicious.com and enter your post url with the tag brighid2010. (Or get a geeky friend to do it for you; it’s not super intuitive.) If you just want to read all the poetry, search for the brighid2010 tag at delicious and all our posts will show up together. Magic!

Photo used w/ permission

Related Articles:

Reclaiming Brigid: Celtic Goddess, Saint, Soul Smith, Creatrix & Leader

Old Imbolc: What Sacred Well Are You Tending?

Festival of Trees - A Poem for Imbolc 2009

Welcome Brigid - Poems for Imbolc (2008)

A Collection of Poems from the Silent Poetry Reading at Imbolc

Because Brigid Loves to Laugh (video)

Seeds for the Birds: Old Imbolc

Can You Feel It? Imbolc!

Connecting With Folks in Recovery at PantheaCon and Other Events

Folks at that Spiral Steps online support group are discussing how to hook up with others who want to stay clean & sober, keep on their food plan, handle the energy or just otherwise deal with some things (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual) that might come up at PantheaCon this year. Similar discussions are also going on at the PantheaCon communities at Facebook and Live Journal

Update 1/31/01 I am now told that there will be meetings among a group called Pagans In Sobriety but that these are not on the schedule (and why not?) I will post contact info when available.

Meanwhile, over at Spiral Steps, This announcement was made at the Spiral Steps online board (and I post it here with permission).

Hi folks

I'd like to address the issue of finding support at conventions and other events. All sorts of issues can come up in such places, including eating issues and encounters with our shadow sides (and the shadow sides of other people). Many of us will also run into Exs (or ex circle members or former friends) and this can be tough.

Some backstory: Over the years, I've offered workshops on starting Spiral Steps meetings at PantheaCon, and often met with our group members and other attendees trying to stay clean, sober and sane at such high energy events. (1) Please Note: I will not be attending PCon this year but others from our group will be there.

As always, I encourage people to be self empowered in these cases. In other words, if we want something done, then we have to be the ones who step up and make it happen. I am delighted to see some folks doing that and I'm happy to give support and advice to others who want to do that same thing at other events.

So, if someone cares to arrange a Spiral Steps meet at any event, regardless of focus, tradition or path then I will give them any help and advice I can. All are welcome. I can be reached at info@spiralsteps.org

Dj
Spiral Steps

(1) ..I recently did this kind of networking at the North American Discworld convention and met a lot of great folks that way.

Related Articles:

Making a Sea Change: The Spiral Steps Support Groups

Everything Has A Song: Staying Present & Sober in Recovery

Pagans in Recovery - Wikipedia

Art: Butterfly Woman by Lisa Hunt
To view more of her work, click on the link above.

Remarkable story of Temple Grandin on HBO

HBO has made a film about the early life of activist, scientist and writer Temple Grandin. It airs Feb. 6th. Catch it if you can



The NPR Blog notes

Her improbable life story is the subject of a new movie starring Claire Danes as the woman who overcame the odds to earn a Ph.D., write half a dozen books, advocate for autism education, and work as a professor of animal science at Colorado State University.

Dr. Grandon recently did a fasinating interview with Talk of the Nation on NPR and she also answered her readers questions at the NPR Blog.

I have all her books, and I recommend these titles, in particular: Animals Make Us Human, Animals in Translation and Thinking in Pictures.

Whenever I meet someone who works with animals I recommend starting with Animals in Translation. If I knew someone with a child diagnosed with Autism or Asberger Syndrome or, as often happened when I worked in Silicon Valley, I had a colleague with Asperberger Syndrome who was interested in knowing more about the ways their different, and often brilliant, minds work, I recommended they read Thinking In Pictures. (1)

Sia

(1) Go to any Scifi, tech or Pagan convention and you'll meet a lot of folks with Asberger Syndrome, compulsive/addictive disorders and/or ADHD. I could wish more people in spiritual communities would take the time to learn about these issues and the ways in which these challenges effect behavior in group settings so that they can offer support and boundaries where needed.

Additional Links

Update 1/29: Oregon Leads Nation in use of therapy dogs for children with autism.

Temple Grandin (Wikipedia)

Oasis: A resource for individuals and families with Autism or Asberger Syndrome

Related Articles:

Bad Kitty

Wolf Wisdom for President Obama

Still Here

Hello, Dear Hearts, how are you? I've missed you.

Like most folks I've been following the news from Haiti, especially the on-going rescue efforts and heroic medical care for both people and animals. What I could usefully glean these last few weeks, I've posted here @birdgarden:

http://twitter.com/birdgarden

(If you are looking at the blog you'll see my twitter posts appearing in the right hand column, just under the image of Gaia Holding The World)

I posted three links last night about the work being done to help farm and companion animals in Haiti by many groups working as one large, effective unit (work that, understandably, has to take a backseat to human needs.) You will also see link to news on animal rescue efforts during the floods in California and all through the harsh winter in Europe and here in the U.S. I'll post more when I can. (I will also write more on my new found respect for the networking & charitable powers of Twitter and my on-going distrust of and dislike for Facebook's privacy policies, another time).

I would like to thank those of you who wrote such kind remarks after my Yule post. I wasn't "back", per se, but I did want you to know that I was thinking about you and wishing you a happy time. We had a peaceful holiday at our home and took delight in small things. I hope you had a lovely time, as well.

The approach of Imbolc finds my family still at a crossroads but well, even so. My aunt has finally passed on after a series of strokes and a slow descent into isolation and confusion as her dementia increased. This passing was a blessing for her and those who love her. I should note here that the responsibility for her care fell to my cousins and their spouses who rose to the occasion with compassion, patience and respect for her needs. I merely cheered them on from the sidelines and did what little I could.

A while back, I called friends in N. California to see how they had come through the 6.5 quake near their home only to be told about the unexpected loss of one friend's elder brother. His death (and the death of my older sister) were both due to cancer. I hope some day to see this cruel disease cured in my lifetime. At this point, I'll remind you all to go to your doctors and get those moles checked (our friend's brother died from carcenogelic melanoma which started out as a small, cancerous mole three years ago and traveled to his brain) and, yes, my sisters, please, get those yearly mammograms no matter what those fools say. Do not, do not, do not wait until you are 50. The people who want you to do that, are thinking about their bottom line, not your health. Be proactive and take care of yourselves.

Meanwhile, my own dear elder is healing from the effects of her car accident (which occurred right after we got back from NADWCon), while suffering more and more from COPD and heart trouble. We have now moved from medicine A to B and are now at C for her breathing troubles which is, just now, effective. I continue to care for her (while she continues to be her strong minded, independent self, bless her ) as does my husband. This continues to involve travel and time away from home. I don't know how many men would take weeks off from work to care for a wife's relative, no matter how beloved that elder might be, but this one did. I married well in the best sense of that word and I have the good sense to know it.

The state of things leaves me with little time (and less brain) to do any thoughtful blogging. Please know that I read your own blogs with interest. Your insights, art, humor and wisdom continue to sustain me and I thank you.

The current situation in both California and Haiti reminds me to
a) do what good I can in the world
(to be honest, my volunteer work has kept me sane) and
b) count my own blessings.

As I said, what I do now makes me a bear of little brain so Tweeting updates on earthwise news and the odd posting of links to my Facebook account is all I'm really good for. My beloved has just installed wifi in our elder's home which is yet another blessing on my gratitude list. So if I can write, I will. But if I can't, know that you are in my thoughts.

May the sun shine on your journey in this new year. May we all find ways to help those who cannot help themselves. As an old friend says, "Witches deal with things". No doubt you are dealing with your own challenges, while at the same time offering a helping hand to people in need you've never met. You make me proud, you really do.

With love and respect,

Sia

Photo: Egress Sign at NADWCon (artwork by Magaret Grady). Photo from NADWCon Flickr pool, courtesy of Hereatwitsend