.JPG "Earthen Spirituality")
Living within a living, loving planet
Earthenspirituality
Films that can Inspire Change
Sep 4th
“For the continued survival of life on Earth it is our mission to improve wildlife conservation and environmental protection through the education of the public and those with political power. We are in a period of man-made mass extinction, with rates already many thousands of times the base-extinction-rate, and greenhouse gas emissions continuing to increase despite decades of warnings about climate change. Film-making whether it be for cinema, television or the web is a powerful tool for education and can inspire change. The Wildeye Conservation Film Festival aims to seek ways to utilise this inspirational tool for maximum power in effectively educating and motivating audiences.
The vision for the annual Wildeye Conservation Film Festival is to not only provide an empowering forum for film-makers, web/broadcasters and conservation organisations to discuss better practices for conservation-related productions, but also to celebrate, and bring larger audiences to, those films which make a difference.”
The Festival Directors are Piers Warren, founder of Wildeye and Wildlife-film.com & Jason Peters, editor of this newsletter! We really hope that past students, members and subscribers/followers etc will get behind us and the festival aims. It’s Time To Focus!!
This lovely Being
Aug 2nd
“The life of a warrior cannot possibly be cold and lonely and without feelings, because it is based on his affection, his devotion, his dedication to his beloved… The Earth knows that he loves it, and it bestows on him its care. That’s why his life is filled to the brim and his state, wherever he’ll be, will be plentiful. He roams on the paths of his love… This Earth… Only if one loves this Earth with unbending passion, can one release one’s sadness. A warrior is always joyful, because his love is unalterable and his beloved, the Earth, embraces him and bestows upon him inconceivable gifts. The sadness belongs only to those who hate the very thing that gives shelter to their beings. This lovely Being, which is alive to its last recesses and understands every feeling, soothed me, it cured me of my pains, and finally when I had fully understood my love for it, it taught me freedom. Only the love for this splendorous Being can give freedom to a warrior’s spirit; and freedom is joy, efficiency, and abandon in the face of any odds.”
Tales of Power Carlos Castenada
This is the fourth book in the series and was published in 1974. Carlos Castaneda was a mystic and the content and style of his descriptions of Don Juan’s teachings in no way detract from the value of his ideas. We tend to like those ideas that fall in line with our present beliefs. His stories about Don Juan and the experiences he describes hold great value to me. After all, who decides what truth
I also think it is safe to say that Carlos was not influenced by Lovelock and Margulis. At the time of Castaneda’s 4th book preparation, the Gaia Hypothesis had not been published. Even if it had, Lovelock and Margulis did not describe Gaia as “a living Being” They spoke of the Earth as, I paraphrase, acting as if it was a living organism. I suspect they were not game to venture that far from mainstream science. I do respect their desire to publish within the confines of what would be interpreted as “sound science”.
Earth Flag
Jul 1st
The International Flag of the Planet Earth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Earth
Oskar Pernefeldt’s proposal
In May 2015 a Swedish artist, Oskar Pernefeldt,[12] formally proposed the International Flag of the Planet Earth.[13] It was conceived to be used in space expeditions and it has two main purposes:
- To be used while representing planet Earth.
- To remind the people of Earth that we share this planet, no matter of national boundaries. That we should take care of each other and the planet we live on.
The creators predict that it will be eventually used in Mars landing in 2025 or in a future colony on that planet. The design of the flag consists of seven rings intersecting each other and a deep-blue-sea in the background. The rings are centered on the flag forming a flower in the middle, representing life on Earth. The intersection of the rings represent that all things on Earth are linked directly or indirectly. The rings are organized in a Borromean rings–like fashion,[citation needed] representing how no part of Earth can be removed without the whole structure collapsing. Finally, the deep-blue represents the ocean and the importance of water for life on Earth.
Internatiional flag of the Earth
Earth Matters
Nov 21st
Excerpt from Greenspirit Chair’s Report 2014
In the midst of so much activity it is useful to remind ourselves of what we are which gives us our special identity. As Ian’s report points out our primary attraction is our spirituality. We come from many traditions and none but what unites us is that we find spiritual nourishment in our connection with creation, which is as Berry says ‘our primary revelation’. He word ‘God’ has been too often hijacked by narrow religion which has restricted and diminished the divine presence that surrounds us and gives everything life. In Greenspirit our vision encompasses all that is, from the tiniest particle to the greatest galaxy and we glimpse the truth that even the least blade of grass is a presence of inexpressible love. And these glimpses are enough to make us fall in love with creation.
This beautifully expressed in an extract from the book, ‘Epiphany in the Beans’ in our last magazine. As she felt the happiness that made her ‘ ‘laugh out loud’ working in her garden, Robin Kimmerer writes, ‘I knew with a certainty as warm and clear as the September sunshine, the land loves us back’.
In Greenspirit, we have moved on from trying to save the Earth just by campaigning and action, though of course these matter. Our greatest strength is in our spiritual journey, finding the awareness that ‘the land loves us back’. Every time we make this loving connection with creation, we bless it, healing begins and what is more we raise this connection with everyone, [on the hundredth monkey principle]. As long as our green convictions remain ideas in our heads they alone will not change the world. But when enough of us reclaim our identity with and immersion in creation, it becomes our sacred community. Then it is impossible to harm it and profound healing happens.
June Raymond
November, 2014
My Latest Quote
Nov 2nd
“Man is the most insane species.
He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible Nature.
Unaware that this Nature he’s destroying is this God he’s worshiping.
Why?” Hubert Reeves
Loving Connection with Earth
Aug 15th
Loving connection with Earth
“Even elements of the environmental movement approach the earth as an object to be preserved, rather than as a spiritual reality to be respected. This misconception may prove to be fateful, for, as Tony Gonnela Frichner of the Onondoga Nation has pointed out, ‘How can you “save the Earth” if you have no spiritual relationship with the Earth? There is an intellectual abstraction about the environment but no visceral participation with the Earth. Non-Indians can’t change the current course of destruction without this connection.’ ”
—Joseph Epes Brown, “Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American Religious Traditions,” (Oxford University Press, New York, 2001).
We won’t sacrifice for what we don’t love. Why do so few love the Earth? Because they are not taught that the earth is alive, loving and lovable.
For Love of the Earth
May 11th
“The insistence that it’s not too late, that there must still be time to keep industrial civilization from crashing into ruin if only we all come together to make one great effort, and that there’s any reason to think that we can and will all come together, is another example. The narrative behind that claim has a profound appeal to people nowadays, which is why stories that feature it—again, Tolkien’s trilogy comes to mind—are as popular as they are. It’s deeply consoling to be told that there’s still one last chance to escape the harsh future that’s already taking shape around us. It seems almost cruel to point out that whether a belief appeals to our emotions has no bearing on whether or not it’s true.” John Michael Greer, The Archdruid Report, 30 April, 2014
So much of what is happening here circles endlessly around the “head in the sand” denial of the facts and behaviours observed around us. Rather than taking a small loss of pleasure now in order to avoid a huge loss that will be borne by our grandchildren, we delay hoping that somehow “they”, they being a mythical government or benign group of industrialists, will “fix” the problem. How foolish would it be to cut back, suffer, only to find that it was unnecessary? Personally, I grieve that I can’t allow myself the air-miles it would take to maintain an emotional presence in the lives of my grandchildren. I face the question: What is more important, the health of the planet or the satisfaction of my desire to be a presence in their lives? My thinking function sees this as a “no-brainer.” Of course, loving care for the planet is necessary for the well- being of my grandchildren. However, I agonize over my knowing that a once a year visit will leave me forever as that “drop-in” bearing presents. They will never love me as I love my grandparents.
Beautiful weeds
May 9th
Beautiful weeds
It was in the summer and autumn of 1989 that we visited Assisi. We stopped off at Santa Maria degli Angeli and visited the basilica there which is built around where Saint Francis died. From there we walked up to the walled city of Assisi looming above us.
It seemed to be a place totally given over to tourists where the main street was filled with shops and hardly a person we saw looked local. My story starts with our visit to the small church of Saint John. I was captivated by the peacefulness and looked lovingly at the beautiful plain wooden beams and ceiling joists. We walked out and entered a walled garden where I noticed a couple off to my right. We turned left and then right along a wall toward the hillside. Of a sudden, I noticed a large vase of plants. They were not flowers nor were there any blossoms or any especially beautiful distinguishing features. Yet, I was overcome with love for these plants. I focused on them as we approached and I touched them lovingly. My feelings were so strong and I was amazed and somewhat shocked by the strength of my emotion for such an ordinary, neglected pot of what I would have called weeds. How could weeds draw me and evoke such loving feelings?
As I looked up and over to the right, It came to me that I would build a church and my church would be a garden. This garden has not yet been manifest but I have plans for it.
Over the last 25 years, I have often remembered the sights and feelings around that afternoon at Assisi.
Are we Guardians of the Planet?
May 9th
Are we Guardians of the Planet?
guardian
n
- one who looks after, protects, or defends: the guardian of public morals.
Darkening of the Light
Witnessing the End of an Era
by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
In the Introduction to Darkening of the Light by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, we find:
“But this gift of light was also a test for humanity…and has forgotten our ancient purpose as guardians of the planet.”
Not only do I have no idea who or what religion, spirituality or movement decided that we have this ancient purpose. It certainly was not Jewish or Christian. According to Genesis, God has given us the planet to have dominion over. I am aware of my ignorance and will try to find out.
We just cannot have it both ways. Either we see the oneness, the non-dual in our beingness as the Earth, or we see the duality as we, creatures of the Earth protecting the other that we choose to call Earth. The bark is the tree, there is not the bark and the tree as a duality. Yes, our language allows us to split and divide, carve up things so that we can speak of the tree roots, the tree bark, tree limbs, tree leaves, but still without these what we call parts, what we observe wouldn’t be a tree. It is our thinking function that gets hung up on dichotomys. Our science rips living things apart and then pronounces on what “it is.”
Guardianship may have ancient beginnings, but our science supports a non-dual understanding of how we are in the world. Even to see ourselves as IN a world out there is to err.
There is no duality, no “out there” and “in here.” As Vadim Zeland has said, the world is a mirror of your attitude towards it. The Gnostic text The Gospel of St. Thomas that didn’t make the cut by the early “holy” fathers of the church, remarks something like: When the inner becomes as the outer, there is the Kingdom of God. Another biblical source says that the Kingdom of God is within you. [Luke 17:21] So, we may see that actually, the world is also within you, not “out there.” So, if there is no “out there” and “out there” is really within us and we are “within” the planet both physically and spirituality, then what we have is oneness, true oneness. From the perspective of planets, stars and galaxies, they are not “out there” either, so they are a oneness. From here it is not too far out for those who speak of oneness with the Universe.
Now this is my thinking function rattling on. How do I feel? Can I sense oneness in my everyday interaction with what I think of as out there? Well, since I cannot and do not want to part with my mate and buddy, the thinking function, I’ll just call it a both/and and leave it for now as I set forth for my daily bread walking among the birds, insects, grass, trees, bushes, clouds and feeling joyful knowing that I know and I am known.
Are We Guardians of the Planet?
Jan 18th
Are we Guardians of the Planet?
guardian
n
1. one who looks after, protects, or defends: the guardian of public morals.
Darkening of the Light
Witnessing the End of an Era
by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
In the Introduction to Darkening of the Light by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, we find:
“But this gift of light was also a test for humanity…and has forgotten our ancient purpose as guardians of the planet.”
Not only do I have no idea who or what religion, spirituality or movement decided that we have this ancient purpose. It certainly was not Jewish or Christian. According to Genesis, God has given us the planet to have dominion over. I am aware of my ignorance and will try to find out.
We just cannot have it both ways. Either we see the oneness, the non-dual in our beingness as the Earth, or we see the duality as we, creatures of the Earth protecting the other that we choose to call Earth. The bark is the tree, there is not the bark and the tree as a duality. Yes, our language allows us to split and divide, carve up things so that we can speak of the tree roots, the tree bark, tree limbs, tree leaves, but still without these what we call parts, what we observe wouldn’t be a tree. It is our thinking function that gets hung up on dichotomys. Our science rips living things apart and then pronounces on what “it is.”
Guardianship may have ancient beginnings, but our science supports a non-dual understanding of how we are in the world. Even to see ourselves as IN a world out there is to err.
There is no duality, no “out there” and “in here.” As Vadim Zeland has said, the world is a mirror of your attitude towards it. The Gnostic text The Gospel of St. Thomas that didn’t make the cut by the early “holy” fathers of the church, remarks something like: When the inner becomes as the outer, there is the Kingdom of God. Another biblical source says that the Kingdom of God is within you. [Luke 17:21] So, we may see that actually, the world is also within you, not “out there.” So, if there is no “out there” and “out there” is really within us and we are “within” the planet both physically and spirituality, then what we have is oneness, true oneness. From the perspective of planets, stars and galaxies, they are not “out there” either, so they are a oneness. From here it is not too far out for those who speak of oneness with the Universe.
Now this is my thinking function rattling on. How do I feel? Can I sense oneness in my everyday interaction with what I think of as out there? Well, since I cannot and do not want to part with my mate and buddy, the thinking function, I’ll just call it a both/and and leave it for now as I set forth for my daily bread walking among the birds, insects, grass, trees, bushes, clouds and feeling joyful knowing that I know and I am known.