Earth Day or What would the World Mother say?

A living planet is a much more complex metaphor for deity than just a bigger father with a bigger fist. If an omniscient, all-powerful Dad ignores your prayers, it's taken personally. Hear only silence long enough, and you start wondering about his power. His fairness. His very existence. But if a World Mother doesn't reply, Her excuse is simple. She never claimed conceited omnipotence. She has countless others clinging to her apron strings, including myriad species unable to speak for themselves. To Her elder offspring She says - go raid the fridge. Go play outside. Go get a job. Or, better yet, lend me a hand. I have no time for idle whining.

~David Brin

I like this quote because it reminds me to see Gaia as I think she truly is; a vital, creative paradox of life and death, feast and famine, dark and light, heat and cold, endings and beginnings and all the variations in between.

Her laws are those of cause and effect; the loss of one is a loss to all, a threat to one is a threat to all. When we save, restore and conserve we do not do it for Her alone, we do it for ourselves. The dance of life on this planet will go on with human beings or without us. I, for one, would like to stay here dancing as long as I can.

The most basic element of my practice is this:

It's not about command and control.
It's about connection and communion.

If we understand this, if we live it, then the music will play on and we'll be here to hear it.

Happy Earth Day

Sia

Photo by AtWitsEnd - Used with permission

Gaia's Guardians OR Walking Our Earthwise Talk

"So", she asked, "what does an earthwise person do, exactly, if they really want to walk their talk?" Well, as it happens, I have a list. My friends and I are engaged in a wide variety of projects and volunteer work (1) Here are some examples:

* Companion Animals: Working with, companion animal rescue groups by fostering, helping with adoptions, doing shelter work, etc.

* Wildlife Rescue & Rehab: Working with and supporting groups that do wildlife rescue, rehabilitation & release of orphaned and/or injured wildlife.

* Habitat: Serving groups work to restore habitat & supporting native plant education in our community.

* Art: Creating art, websites, blogs and/or writings on natural themes in order to awaken others to the beauty and power of nature. Please note: We also get out there and put our back into it - it isn't enough to inspire and inform, we also have to do the work, like helping to clean up a local waterway or park.

* Eco-education: Working to teach children about nature and the web of life and supporting groups that get them outside and in contact with nature.

* Mentoring: Volunteering in our local schools & groups to help the next generation learn, grow and thrive.

* Conservation: Working to support the preservation of open space, forests, wild lands and vanishing species.

* Guiding Others: Offering educational workshops, hikes, birding walks, and other events related to these issues.

* Water Use & Clean Up: Getting involved with water issues such as river clean up, coastal protection, water wise gardening, etc.

* Community Organizing: Doing grass roots organizing, fund raising & networking for various earthwise & ecological causes.

* Gardening with joy and purpose: Learning about and creating urban gardens either to grow food or sustain wildlife.

* Food Issues: Educating ourselves about organic & sustainable farming and supporting ethical, local growers by shopping at farmer's markets and grocery stores that list where our food comes from and how it was grown and/or raised.

* Improving and protecting our neighborhoods: Working to establish and support green spaces, parks and hiking trails.

* Taking on city hall: Actively encouraging our local governments to use native plants and trees in neighborhoods & public spaces.

* Recycling & Waste: Raising awareness about recycling and wise use issues.

* Animal Heroes: Working with groups that train service animals and rescue & rescue groups.

* First Responders: Working with groups that aid abused animals and/or people all those caught in disasters

* Working for the future: Helping to create communities which are economically and environmentally sustainable and socially just, both here and overseas.

* New Media: Using social networks and other forms of new media to make people aware of our work and connect with like-minded others. Again: it is not enough to tell someone about an event or cause, we need to be the people who show up and do the work.

Finding a Group

Interested? Then contact Volunteer Match and see how you can become involved, ask your friends where and how they volunteer or just look around your neighborhood and see what needs doing.

Somewhere, somebody needs your skills.

Unemployed?

If you are unemployed right now you may be feeling scared, isolated, angry and depressed. I've been there. Trust me, this is a good way to keep busy and make connections while you look for work or retrain. You never know what could come out of this work. We often find jobs because of who we know, not what we know, so get out there and meet some folks and do some good at the same time.

Feeling Blue?

Leave your room, please. It won't cure everything but it will you avoid the depression, feelings of helplessness and lethargy that comes to so many people this time of year. Get out there and see what you can do.

Parents

It only takes a few hours a week and most places let you set your own schedule. Also, many groups will encourage you to volunteer along with your kids. Why not take the chance to show them how useful and powerful they can really be?

Note for Parents: You can deduct the cost of the sitter.

Fees paid to a sitter to enable a mother (sic!) to get out of the house and do volunteer work for a charity are deductible as charitable contributions, even though the money didn't go directly to the charity, according to the Tax Court. The Court expressly rejected a contrary IRS revenue ruling.

Sia

Related Articles:

Earthwise Ethics

Is Environmentalism Our New Religion?

Pagan & Earthwise Groups Doing Charity Work

Endnotes:

(1) If we can't work directly with a group, we can often be found donating and/or gather supplies or helping to raise funds for same.

Are you engaged in such work? Write to me and let me know what it is and I'll add it to the list.

Art: Dancing the Bear Dream by Susan Seddon-Bouleet

The Witches Ball: When A Party Stands for Pagan Values

Among the values I hold dear as a Pagan is the idea that it's important to do good and work within the larger community in order to show other people what Pagans are really like. Which is why I throw great parties.

I will explain: It is not enough for me to simply organize a May Pole dance in a park (much as I adore dancing with a bevy of Green Men in spring). I believe in organizing earthwise projects that support local charities and grass root causes. This is why I developed and produced our Full Circle Witches' Balls while I lived in California.

The Witches' Ball

These parties, which occurred every year before Samhain, drew Pagans and others from all Northern California and the western states to participate in a gala costume ball and charity event for our local Humane Society. During the ball we presented the Gaia's Guardian Award which came with a $250 check for someone (not necessarily Pagan) who had done good work that "benefited Mamma Gaia and her creatures". As we said every year, "what counts are good deeds and a noble heart". (1) We also raised thousands of dollars every year for companion animals that had been abused as well as for those that needed extra medical care and/or had special needs. (2)

Our Witches' Ball was purely a social event. It was family-friendly as well as being drug and alcohol free. It took a full year to plan and organize and the people on our various committees came from a variety of faiths and traditions. It worked so well that some years later we added a Beltane Ball, as well.

Making It So

My council members and I believed in this work so much that we put our own money on the line to make it happen. If you think that's easy, then throw your families' credit card across a table and book a huge hall for $8,000 before some bride gets there before you. Then spend the next year hoping desperately that enough people and vendors will come to make it all worthwhile.

The Bohemian Ball

Every year we would pick a costume theme that would inspire our attendees. As a former educator, I took advantage of this teachable moment to pick themes that would say something about the roots of Pagan culture, as with our Bohemian Ball. (3)

Here is what one newspaper writer saw that night:

Over 700 attendees from as far away as Oregon and Arizona came to the Witches Ball dressed in a ruffled menagerie of costumes. Corsets abounded. Biter spotted people dressed up like sailors, gypsies, 19th-century aristocrats, snake charmers, broke poets, writers, street performers, magicians, mediums and prostitutes. A few folks even showed up in limos.

Despite the "Witches" moniker, this was not an event restricted to pagans. Biter found Christians, Buddhists, and even agnostics among the organizers and attendees. Senior citizens and kids dressed up as well. And the whole thing, oddly, was a benefit for the Humane Society of Santa Clara Valley. "You've got people with tattoos and piercings and then you've got grandmothers and children," said our lovely tour guide. "Everyone can be here, and no one is considered odd. It's a family event for the humane society and it's a good way to show people [on the outside] who we are."

The Silk Road Ball

One year, at the beginning of the Iraq war, I choose a theme designed to remind people of a period in history when vastly different cultures and faiths mingled peacefully, sharing scientific and religious ideas, along with trade goods, spices and art. This was our Silk Road ball. The Silk Road period was also a time when women had a great deal more freedom, power and autonomy within these cultures. Again, we had a teachable moment... (4)

The Fairy Ball

Sometimes we focused on play, on the life force and on color, joy and light, as with our now famous Fairy Ball. Some muse must have guided us that year because that's the one that came three weeks after 9/11. I thought we'd loose our shirts. But people needed something life affirming just then. They didn't want to be alone. They were finally ready to step away from the news box, and they wanted connection and support. Above all, they wanted to help, they wanted to do something, anything they could, in order to tip the scales away from the horrors they had witnessed. We were tripping over volunteers that night and the attendees! My gosh, I've never seen so many beautiful costumes. And if you don't count the last Inauguration, I've not seen so many people being kind and having fun in one place. It turned out to be the largest and most successful ball we ever held.

When A Party Stands for Pagan Values:

So, here is my Pagan values post for today: I believe in putting my money where my mouth is. I believe in giving back and doing what I can to help children, animals and others in need. As Terry Pratchett says, "A witch stands for those who cannot stand for themselves." I believe in working with people who are smarter and far more creative than I am because they raise my game. I believe in throwing great parties that bring people together for a good cause. I believe in the awesome power of belly dancers to raise energy, heat and hearts, and that a DJ who knows how to spin the right mix is a rock'n Shaman. I believe that working for a good cause is as important to me spiritually, personally and emotionally, as those times when my friends and I gather under the moon, and I love that moon thing a lot. And I believe in reaching out to those of like minds because when you gather us together with the many Great Hearts from other faiths and traditions you can no longer say that Pagans are a small, disorganized, fringe group of crazies who yak on uselessly about silly things like climate change and civil rights but who do nothing to make the world a better place. Finally, I believe in standing on a roof top (or in this case, a stage) and saying "This is who we are. This is what we stand for. These are the actions that prove it." Our annual Witches' Ball did all that during the Bush Administration.

Are you throwing a Pagan event this year? If so, what does it say about your core values and beliefs?

Sia

Related Articles:

Review of the Mounlin Rouge Ball -Absent of Absinthe by Gary Singh

Gaia's Guardians

Thanks (yet again) to all our Council Members, Directors, Chairs, volunteers, web builders, decorators, vendors, entertainers and friends who made these events possible. It took a village, believe me; a village of funny, smart, talented, dedicated people, all of whom worked long hours without pay. I will always be grateful for the things you taught me and for the pleasure of your company.

Pagans and Earthwise Groups Doing Charity Work

Endnotes:


(1) Gaia's Guardian Award:

Some Previous Winners:

The California Bat Conservation Fund

The Wildlife Center of Silcon Valley

Deborah Noel: Service Dog Trainer & Spokesperson for People with Disabilities

Officer Christine Franco, Investigator (Animal Cruelty & Neglect) Silicon Valley Humane Society

In previous years, the Gaia's Guardian Award was given out at the Witche's Ball, a costume ball, charity event and fundraiser hosted annually by Full Circle. At that time, it was given to heros and heroines in California. The award is now given out nationally. The 2005 recipient was United Animal Nations for their work benefiting animals left abandoned, starving, and hurt after Hurricane Katrina. In 2006 The Gaia's Guardian Award was given posthumously to Carol Chapman, tireless advocate and Cat Rescue Mamma extraordinaire.

(2) The Humane Society of Santa Clara, which is one of the largest animal shelters in the U.S. has just moved from a set of sad, delapated buildings built in the 1950's to a state-of-the-art facility with a medical unit: Check it out.

My respect and thanks go to all the good people in Silicon Valley who made this new shelter possible and to the staff at that shelter who give so much to the animals in their care.

(3) The Bohemians in Paris: As we noted on our event site, "The term Bohemian was used then to describe free living, free thinking people. Bohemians questioned the social conventions of their day and they were independent, artistic, witty, and colorful. They believed that one could make one's life into art and that art should reflect real life. They were enthralled with the mystery and wonder of existence." Add to this, that many were sad, aimless middle class kids who were only playing at art and who killed themselves by drinking and drugging too much or dying of STD's.

The Bohemian counterculture, for both good and ill, influenced the Beat Generation, which in turn influenced the Hippies, New Age thinkers and feminist communities in the U.S. especially in San Francisco. These movements had (and still have) a large influence on modern Pagan culture and I wanted people to see beyond the fabulous clothes to the issues of freedom vs responsibility, prosperity vs materialism and healthy sexuality vs exploitation that the Bohemians were dealing in their day and which mirror issues we deal in ours. To be honest, I'm not sure how well I succeeded in that goal, but we sure had a great time.

(4) The Silk Road: For more information on this period I recommend reading Life Along the Silk Road by Susan Whitfield

Posted in honor of Pagan Values Month

Investing Like a Girl

Hah! ... thought so: successful businessman Warren Buffet invests like a girl.

The article, written for The Motley Fool by LouAnn DiCosmo, notes that

Women tend to look at more than just numbers when deciding whether to invest in a company. They invest in companies they feel good about ethically and personally. And companies with good products, good services, and ethics tend to have better long-term prospects -- and face fewer lawsuits.

It's a good article on prosperity-minded people and their path to abundance - enjoy.

The time to be fearful is when others are being greedy.

The time to be greedy is when others are being fearful
- Warren Buffet

Doing Well by Doing Good OR
Making The Green From Green:

What is Buffett doing now? When he's not investing billions into Goldman Sachs, he's putting millions into as yet, unproven green technologies....in China.

But what about investments this country? A study commissioned by the nation's mayors states that 4.2 million new green jobs will be created in this country within the next three decades.

... it assumes by 2038 alternative energy will account for 40 percent of electricity production with half of that coming from wind and solar; widespread retrofitting of buildings to achieve a 35 percent reduction in electricity use; and 30 percent of motor fuels coming from ethanol or biodiesel.

Alternative energy such as wind, geothermal, biomass and solar, currently accounts for less than 3 percent of electricity generation and nonfossil sources such as ethanol and biodiesel about 5 percent of all motor fuels, the report notes.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, the conference's president, said the report makes "a very compelling economic argument for investing in the green economy and that we're going to get a huge return for it."

Looking ahead, planning for the future, taking people and the planet into account. Now that's investing like a girl; something to keep in mind when happy times are here again.

Here's to better times ahead.

Sia

Image: Crystal Ball Girl found at Gastro Girl
Does anyone know the artist? I've been seeing this image around the net and have yet to trace it - Sia

Earthwise Ethics

Earthwise Ethics

We all have ethics and guidelines we live by. They form the foundation for each person’s belief system, spirituality, philosophy, ideology, faith, practice, moral values, tradition, or religion. Those of us on an earthwise path support these basic principles. (1)

* We recognize that all beings are connected.

* We have a reverence for earth and all creatures and we believe it is important to protect and heal the environment. We try to step lightly on the earth and to live in harmony with nature.

* We support free inquiry and we honor learning, knowledge, skills and ideas, both ancient and modern. We value discovery and understanding, rather than unquestioning obedience and we believe in equal access to education for all people.

* We cherish, support and protect artistic expression and we celebrate creativity in all it's forms.

* We believe in the four basic human freedoms (2):

Freedom of Speech & Expression,
Freedom of Worship,
Freedom from Want,
Freedom from Fear

* We believe in equal opportunity and equal treatment under the law for all people, regardless of their religion, nationality, political affiliation, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, physical challenges, or social status.

* We oppose cruelty, abuse, and the exploitation of others.

* We have a desire to help those in need and to be a force for good. We work to prevent and correct the mistreatment of children and animals both around the globe and close to home. We also seek to help those men and women who are less fortunate than ourselves.

* We believe that every human being is ultimately responsible for his or her own actions. Therefore, as individuals and as citizens, we endeavor to make choices that are wise, healthy, informed and responsible. We acknowledge that our choices matter greatly to others, both in the present time and in future, and we act accordingly.

* We respect the beliefs of other people as long as these beliefs do not violate basic rights and freedoms.

* We oppose fanaticism and hatred and we speak truth to power.

* We honor our own cultural heritage and respect what is positive and life affirming in every society.

* We support economic and civil justice for all.

* We value integrity and honor wisdom in all it's forms.

* We treat ourselves and other people with respect.

* We claim the right to be joyful, creative, fulfilled human beings and we support the right of others to do the same.

* We accept the global and personal challenges before us. We seek out the solutions that work best, both for us and for the planet as a whole.

* We honor the past but avoid repeating the mistakes of history. We celebrate the present with a sense of perspective and gratitude. We take action today to create a better future for us all.

For many of us there are spiritual components to these principals:

* We believe in the spiritual equality of women and men.

* We honor our connection to the sacred, as we understand it.

* We celebrate the changing of the seasons, our holidays, and the important moments in our lives according to our chosen path, tradition, faith, or philosophy.

* Our personal practice is a source of joy, comfort, empowerment, and growth. It includes self-acceptance, respect, honor, courage, understanding, and compassion.

* We accept that each person will find the path that is right for him or her. We do not claim that our way is the only one, true or right way. We offer information on our traditions and beliefs to those who are interested but we do not proselytize.

* We speak out against spiritual abuse, intolerance and fraud, including that which we find in our own groups, and circles.

* We treat people of other faiths and traditions as we wish to be treated.

-------------------------------

- Copyright 1999, 2005, 2008, 2009 Sia Vogel

Questions? Comments? Additions? Write to me at via the email link (the one that says Contact Sia) at the top, right hand side of this blog.

You can also take the Poll I've placed at the top of the blog.

Endnotes:

(1) I've been tinkering with this mosaic of earthwise principals since the mid-90's As you can see, very little here is original; these ideas come from a number of different sources, including the U.N. statements on human rights, feminism, the ecology movement and the recovery movement, not to mention a myriad of writers, thinkers and philosophers. Hecate's recent post reminds me that it is again time for us to clearly state what we believe. But none of this means anything if we do not put these principals into action in our daily lives.

(2) The Four Freedoms were outlined in a speech by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1941.

Thanks to:

Artemesia, Chaos, Fritz Jung, Kitchen Diva, Lynn W., Rowan Fairgrove, Snakemoon, Terry P. & Wren Walker for their thoughts and suggestions as these notes grew and changed over time.

It's Personal: One Pagan's Views On the Environment

This post is part of Blog Action Day.

We Pagans do not have a formal concept of sin, as such, and we certainly do not have a Hell, but if we did, despoiling the environment would be a mortal sin, and there would be a separate and very special Circle of Hell for irresponsible developers and the politicians they keep in their back pockets. How would I construct that hell? It's simple. I would simply make them live forever in the places they have ruined.

They Paved Paradise

I am a Westerner. Wide, open spaces are in my blood. I grew up in Southern California in a valley just outside of Los Angeles, in the 60's and lived there for 35 years. In my time there, the farms and open fields disappeared to be replaced by shopping malls, concrete and urban sprawl. It is now just called The Valley and the area became famous in the 80's for Valley Speak and Valley Girls, but when I knew it, the valley was a green and pleasant place. The deer and the cougar are gone from the hills, many of the hiking places I knew as a kid are gone, as well. One of my favorite parks, which was once a oak dotted haven for rock climbers, is now covered in graffiti and broken glass. As children we went with our parents to the coast. We danced on white sand and played in the gentle surf at some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. As teenagers, my friends and I built bonfires on those same beaches and gazed up at the moon. We did this in perfect safety. The sea water off the California coast is now toxic and filled with sewage, as are the river systems where my Dad taught me to fish. The public beaches that are left are overcrowded and unsafe. Beach access and beach views become more and more a privilege of the very rich, except, of course, when the million dollar homes they build in mudslide areas slide into the sea.

In the early 90's I moved with my husband to the Bay Area Northern California. During our 15 years there, we watched as what was once known as the Valley of Heart's Delight change into the overcrowded Silicon Valley we know today. Skies that were blue for much of the year are now more and more polluted. Unlike Southern California, much that was beautiful about the Bay was saved by devoted environmentalists. They preserved wild lands and some open space, even the development mad 1960's, a time when plans were made to pave even the wetlands near Palo Alto and turn them into shopping malls. As I said, much was saved by those who loved this area, and fought for it, but far too much was lost.

I saw great changes in my brief time there. During the dot.com boom, farms and open space were paved over to make way for huge high tech campuses. No thought was given to making green space or parks or wildlife sanctuaries in the 1990's. Housing was in high demand. The population soared, and tech growth and high paying jobs meant that money was no object. Thousands of new houses were built to handle the "sudden" population surge (a surge that had been predicted for this area for decades). Homes were built without any thought to issues like traffic, infrastructure, water or power or even flood plains (so look for more areas to slide down the Fremont Hills in the coming years). Areas, like Morgan Hill, a pleasant green place outside of San Jose, that tried to slow development was pressured by the state and disparaged by then Governor Gray Davis (Dem) for impeding natural progress. And then the cosmic chickens came home to roost. The Bay Area started to suffered their infamous rolling blackouts thanks to the good folks at Enron and the short-sightedness of our own civil servants. During that time, the dot.coms went bust, and those multi-storied high tech buildings that had been built with such hubristic intentions were never used. They lay empty for years. I hear that they have finally been pulled down to make way for chock-a-block condos and multi-storied homes. When I still lived there, such places cost the moon. The housing market has now tanked. Meanwhile, the developers who built such places are living in gated communities, where the wild lands and the unspoiled views have been preserved. It is only the public who must live in overcrowded, unlovely conditions and who fight the gods awful traffic every day. The rich are different from you and me. Steve Jobs still has a lovely view, while he continues to produce products the mount up in landfills. Increasingly, open space is a privilege, not a right. For example, if you want to visit one of the nicer wild areas in upscale Palo Alto (the place that brought us Google, and where all those Venture Capitalists live and work) you must show proof of residence. Otherwise you will be turned away.

Two years ago, work and family obligations took us to Western Oregon. We have a little place in the mountains, close to the Willamette Valley. It may be one of the most beautiful places still left in the West. Which is why the developers are eying it now.

Some years ago, Oregonians passed Proposition 37, which essentially overturned the land use protection laws that had been in place for so many years and which had saved Portland, and much of Oregon from the hellish urban sprawl that infects the other western states. 37 was deceptively worded and complex. Oregon voters had no idea what they had gotten themselves into until the timber, housing, and mining wolves moved in from out of state, and bought up family farms. They turned charming, livable areas like Medford, which lies in Southern Oregon, into a mirror image of the San Fernando Valley, the place where I grew up and rode horses and which is now a by-word for urban blight, pollution, crime and over crowding. Throughout the Medford area small wineries, open acreage, and family farms disappeared. Deer can no long roam the mountain sides, which were now covered in homes. More and more areas of open space disappeared to be replaced by enormous housing tracks, strip malls, shopping centers and traffic congestion. No new parks were built. No green spaces were set aside. No wise use plan was ever brought before the public, in fact, no real public discussion was ever had, at all. furthermore, No thought has been given in the last 6 years (and yes, that is all it took to make this natural heaven into a modern hell) to consider the needs of their wild ecosystem in one of the most beautiful areas in this state. As we took habitat away from wild creatures, we also ruined it for ourselves. No one gave a thought to what such crowding would again do to people when power and water began to be be scarce. "Wise use" is not a term developers use. They think in terms of how much and how fast, and the only green they know or care about is on color of the currency they wave in front of politicians who sell off our sacred environmental birthright when we're not looking.

Faced with the dilemma of Medford and other areas, Cascadians are now looking to overturn Proposition 37, and amend it this November with Proposition 49. All across the western states, voters are faced with the same sorts of issues.

But perhaps you don't live in the west, or perhaps you live happily in an urban area and don't feel you need to care. So let me tell you why you might care:

* The Water Wars.

Water is a finite resource. As cities and towns grow, so does their need for water. Water will grow more scare, and become much more expensive in our lifetimes. And yes, wars will be fought over this, as they are in the middle east, wars that will involve all of us in one way or another.

* Food Security

As farm land disappears under the developer's heel, so too, does our ability to feed ourselves. We are faced now with two, linked issues that will become urgent in the coming years. First, we must be able to feed our own population in healthy, socially just ways, or face the issues we now have with oil: global blackmail from other nations, increasingly high prices and pollution on a massive and enduring scale.

Secondly, we are looking at increasing factory farms and loosing small family farms, not to mention viable farm land, across the nation.

We are choosing to have huge farms run by corporations that pollute the environment. They produce hormone laced meat under the cruelest possible conditions, and offer us pesticide laced produce. Such products add to the health crisis and the cancer rates in this country. Factory farms also pollute the groundwater, ruin the landscape for miles around and produce manure that threatens our health.

The readiness is all

- Hamlet

Former Vice President Al Gore was just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the environment. Let us consider what that means. He did not win a science prize, he won the peace prize. That is because issues like food security, water rights, overpopulation, pollution, climate change and the resulting famine and floods it brings with it are issues of global war and peace.

As Mr. Gore said on receiving his prize,

We face a true planetary emergency.
The climate crisis is not a political issue,
it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity

Gore's portion of the prize money will benefit a non-profit organization he founded, The Alliance for Climate Protection. It is no surprise to me that this group would be based in the west, because we westerners have seen so much dramatic environmental change in our lifetime. For us, it's personal.

As a Pagan, I don't believe in the Judeo/Christian ideas of sin and hell, but I do believe in things like balance, right action and our connection to the earth. I believe that we are all children of Gaia and that what we do as individuals affects the whole. Decisions about the environment, development and wise use must be made with both current and future generations in mind. We cannot pave paradise and still expect to live there. It's just not possible.

Sia

Links:

Alliance for Climate Protection

Gaia's Guardians

Pagans and the Environment (The Wild Hunt blog)

Sierra Club

National Audubon Society

Related Articles:

Training as a Green Witch

Our Environment Harvest: Ecology, Climate Change and Religion

Beauty and Meaning: Gardening Like a Green Witch

Caring for Each Other, We Care for the Earth by NineRavens

Beauty & Meaning: Gardening Like a Green Witch

Off The Shelf:

Natural Landscaping: Gardening with Nature to Create a Backyard Paradise by Sally Roth

Welcoming Wildlife to the Garden: Creating Backyard and Balcony Habitates for Wildlife by Catherine Johnson.

The Secrets of Wildflowers: A Delightful Feast of Little-Known Facts, Folklore and History by Jack Sanders.


The best part of being on a Pagan path is that once you begin, you find that your life is filled with beauty and meaning. Nothing exemplifies that for me so much as my garden.

We have four acres now, some of it wild, some of it planted with the decorative plants and shrubs. The decorative plants are pretty, but useless. They give nothing back. And there you have it. Pretty is easy. But Beauty has depth and breadth, and a sense of Her own self. She connects with others and works for the common good. She fits, Beauty does, whereas Pretty preens and stalks and talks of nothing worth hearing. She goes from place to place, causing all kinds of havoc, wanting only to be noticed. Beauty gives. Pretty takes.

I was reminded of the uses of beauty when I toured a native plant garden here in Oregon. As we walked the ground with Lori, the owner, we talked to her about the dreams for our land. We live on a mountain now. We haven't been here very long and we want to do right by our local wildlife. With her good advice we choose some wildflowers that were right for our lower field. They will provide food and habitat for the creatures here, as well as color and scent for us; just the balance I was looking for.

Who Invited Them?

I could have just ordered a packet of seeds on line, but I know what I would get: a mix of some of the right seeds and many of the wrong ones. These would clutter my field, and my neighbors' fields, as well, with intrusive, useless non-natives. Such plants push out the natives and they would not feed the birds and animals here. They would, in fact, be harmful for our whole mountain. In a way, putting in the wrong plants is it's rather like choosing the wrong kinds of friends; they may look good at first, but the fallout later is huge, not just for you, but for everyone around you. You can spend years cleaning up the mess.

Good Fences

Mind you, I'm not a purist. I can have my decorative plants and my beloved herbs, as well. These have to be kept in their place, in pots and small fenced plots, so that they don't do any harm to these wild lands. They can add beauty, strength, and meaning to my life, as long as I am careful as to when, where, and how I use them. Using any kind of power is like that, be it natural or otherwise; you need boundaries, some knowledge and a bit of common sense.

I Can See It Now

Lori lives in a lovely old house near her nursery, and she invited us to see her bit of land to see what she had done over the years. I was gabberflasted. She has the most wonderful ponds and steams, rose scented corners, flowering meadows, and stately trees, as well as some charming alcoves for reading (jealous,jealous, jealous). Oh! for a duck pond, now that spring is here.

The kind of wild habitat I wish to make will take between 5 - 10 years to complete. (When I asked Lori how long it took her to build her own garden, she told me that it took 20 years.) When I am done, this place will be a sanctuary for the creatures here, and one for us as well. But I have a lot to learn. I'm working with new plants, new weather conditions, new soil and new wildlife, and I'm trusting that my hard work will make something wonderful. Once again, this experience reminds me of my spiritual practice. When we moved to Oregon I felt many of the same feelings of uncertainty and ignorance I experienced as someone new to Paganism. Some days you just has to "act as if" and trust that it will come to you. Most days, it does. I try and keep the greater good in mind, while living in the process, and I don't take the easy way out. OK, you caught me, some days I do choose the easier way, and then I pay the price for that, and start again.

A writer named Kari King calls this a "blesson", it is a combination of a blessing and a lesson. My garden is my blesson or, to paraphrase the poet it is A thing of beauty and a job forever. I welcome the work, and the quiet time, too, and I will remember to enjoy the view, when the day is over. My partner and I spent 13 years in the salt mines of Silicon Valley. We worked at demanding jobs by day, and did non-profit work for Full Circle and various animal rescue groups on our nights and weekends. Learning to stop and smell the very tea roses I had planted was my blesson from that hectic, fruitful time. I've brought that hard won wisdom with me to the Pacific Northwest. Woe to me if I forget it.

Change Happens:

Like any Green Witch, I am closely tied to the land, and there are many days when I miss hiking in the California foothills or birding at the San Francisco bay. It's a palpable ache. Anyone who has lived in and loved two places will understand.

Among the things I miss is my little suburban garden in Northern California. It took me six years to build a bird and butterfly garden out of clay soil that hadn't been worked in decades. By the time I left it was a lovely, sweet smelling haven with a thriving population of birds, butterflies and bees. As Pratchett once said about Nanny Ogg, I was happy in a little place. Pick a time of the year, any time, and I can tell you what would be blooming there, and what my former neighbor's garden's are like, as well. For some reason, the universe has decided that I need to expand my horizons while becoming less involved with certain people, places, and things. Is making a new, wild garden from scratch a part of my spiritual path? For me, the answer is "Yes".

Little Altars Everywhere

The trick to any practice is to use what you have. One can be just as Pagan in an urban setting as they can roaming the glen. One can also create a small garden on a balcony and grow herbs in window pots. I know, because I've done that. It's all in how you use your space. That includes the space inside your head and heart, as well as the space you call your home.

So here's to beauty and meaning, where ever you may find it. But if I may make a suggestion, you might wish to take a walk in a garden. Better yet, build one yourself.

Sia

Art: This sculpture is titled The Goddess of Spring. It was a gift from Full Circle to Gaia's Oasis for hosting our wonderful Spring Staff Retreat in 2004. Gaia's Oasis is a beautiful retreat in the Sierra Foothills of California, not far from Yosemite. The Owners of Gaia's Oasis are careful to keep the wild lands they hold in trust healthy and thriving. If you ever have a chance to visit this wonderful place, by all means, do so.

The Secret World of Butterflies

Off the Shelf:

Butterflies in the Garden by Carol Lerner

Stokes Butterfly Book : The Complete Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior by Donald Stokes

Children’s Books:

Sam's Secret World by Cara Dennis.

A little girl discovers the secret world of butterflies. For ages 7 – 9

From Egg to Butterfly (Start to Finish) by Shannon Semlick. This is an excellent book for home schooling and/or the family nature library.

One Butterfly (Board Book) by Golden Books. Ages 4 – 8

Good Night, Sweet Butterflies: A Color Dreamland by Dawn Bently. Ages 4 - 8

Sia's Post:

Taiwan recently announced that they would close one lane of a major highway to protect more than a million purple milkweed butterflies, which cross the road on their seasonal migration. Protective nets and ultra-violet lights will also be used.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we built our cities around migration patterns, rather than in front of them? What if we placed our local parks and open space preserves in those places where animals have traveled for thousands of years, and put the our disturbing lights and buildings somewhere else? Of course, people don’t think that way. At least not now. Maybe someday they will. In any case, my hat’s off to Taiwan, for doing what they can to save nature’s most beautiful pollinators, and keep their own country healthy as a result.

More Than Just A Pretty Face:

Many of the foods we eat could not be produced without pollinators like butterflies, bees, birds, and bats. What threatens them, threatens us.

Butterflies may look fragile but they are incredibly strong for their size and they have their very own bundle of super powers. For example, every year Monarchs and other butterflies travel thousands of miles without getting lost. Researchers now believe that they use ultraviolet navigation to find their way. They also possess a complex biological clock, which signals when it’s time to leave.

Wild About Color

Did you know that plants have evolved their flowers to make it easy for butterflies, and other pollinators to feed on their nectar? Check out this website exhibit on the Causes of Color.

While butterflies like color, they also give off some pretty special effects of their own. Check out Why Butterflies Shimmer from The Science Show.

Fun with UV

Parents and teachers might enjoy this page from Educational Innovations. They offered products such as beads, t-shirts and nail polish, all of which interact with UV light.

I want that spy pen.

Gardening for Butterflies

Many butterflies, such as the Finder’s Blue and the Monarch are endangered through loss of habitate. You can help the butterflies in your area by gardening with native and butterfly plants. Kate Staron offers a helpful article on creating endangered butterfly gardens. Also check out the book list below for gardening tips and ideas. Parents might wish to share the Butterfly Project page with their school age children.

Got Seeds?

Create a butterfly habitate for Monarch’s and other butterflies with Milkweed Seeds from Butterfly Encounters. The Milkweed Database and the Butterfly Atlas will help you find which species in your area likes which kind of seed. The Butterfly Website also offers a photo gallery with beautiful pictures of each kind.

Gardening Books:

Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard: Watch Your Garden Come Alive With Beauty on the Wing (A Rodale Organic Gardening Book) (A Rodale Organic Gardening Book) by Sally Roth

Creating a Butterfly Garden by Marcus Schnek

National Wildlife Federation Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Backyard Wildlife (National Wildlife Federation)by David Mizejewski

Better Homes and Gardens Nature's Gardens: Create a Haven for Birds, Butterflies-And Yourself! by Better Homes and Gardens - How to create a haven for birds, butterflies and yourself.

Conservation

There is hope on the butterfly horizon. Conservation efforts are underway in the UK and other countries. Many of these efforts involved restoration of habitate and captive rearing and reintroduction of endangered butterflies. I was lucky enough to see one such endeavor. My husband and I stayed at an eco-resort in the Mayan Mountains of Belize called Chaa Creek. While there we visited the Chaa Creek Butterfly Farm, which works to reintroduce the Blue Morpho Butterfly (AKA The “Belizean Blue”) back into the wild. I will never forget the thrill I felt as these delicate iridescent blue creatures settled lightly on my head and hands. I have tremendous respect for the work done at Chaa Cheek. The native butterfly wranglers (many of whom have Mayan ancestry) told us that they felt a deep sense of satisfaction at reintroducing these wondrous little beings into their homeland.

Gaia’s Guardians: How a Little Butterfly and a Texas Biologist Prove Climate Change

I would like to close with a respectful nod to one of Gaia’s Guardian’s (tm) biologist Camille Parmesan. Her groundbreaking studies on butterflies and global climate change offer “the strongest statistical evidence that global warming—influenced by trapped greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide from cars and factories—is having an impact on a wide scope of species and regions.” An article on Dr. Parmesan by Ted Green for the University of Austin notes that:

While the studies have been influential, it’s not the kind of work Parmesan became a biologist to do.

“We had to slog through paper after paper,” she said about the study she and Yohe conducted, “sometimes with obscurely written data sets. Very rarely were the data nice and clean.”

Parmesan would rather be in the field chasing butterflies.

“My work is very dirty. I’m out in the mountains, camping out in a tent for months at a time,” she says. “And it’s wonderful. I don’t think I could ever go back to working in a sterile lab environment after working in the field because you get to know the pulse of the species you’re working with, you get an intuition for them. You get to know what makes them happy, what they like, what they don’t like.”

As she works on the international stage, Parmesan also is working to increase awareness about climate change in Texas. She says she faces uninformed, if not skeptical, audiences and she comes prepared with charts and graphs showing 70 million years of the planet’s climate history.

Parmesan has already won over two stalwart climate change skeptics: her mother and sister. “I’ve had so many arguments with them about climate change,” she said. “By now they’re finally converted.”

She plans to return to the field, which means the Alps and tundra of Scandinavia to track butterflies.

The Gaia’s Guardian Project: This is a Full Circle project. It has five key elements.

* It brings Pagan and other volunteers together with Earthwise non-profit groups in order to help rescue animals and birds and protect wild lands.

* It supports local, grassroots organizations that protect both animals, and nature.

* It supports those who teach about the natural world via education, interaction and art.

* It helps raise awareness of ecological issues.

* It brings Earthwise Ethics and values into the wider world.

The Gaia's Guardian Award:

This award is presented by Full Circle to a person or group for "Outstanding work benefiting Mama Gaia and her creatures". These people inspire the rest of us by their courage, caring and compassionate action. You do not have to be Pagan to win this award - what counts are good deeds and a noble heart.

ART: This lovely piece is by artist Linda Ravenscroft. Visit her site to see greeting cards, books and gifts, as well new works and original paintings. Ms. Ravenscroft was kind enough to allow us to use her some of her art work for our Beltane Ball website. The Beltane Ball is a charity costume ball offered by Full Circle which helped raise money for our local Humane Society.