Posted by littlellighteningbolt on
January 26, 2008
As an animist I feel an overwhelming obligation to the
practice of animism. The practice of animism is to me the maintenance, establishment and honoring of relationships with life, my fellow humans, and all of the other-than-human-persons that compose that which we come to know as the totality of existence. The practice of animism renews and deepens the sense of obligation to practice animism within the practice itself! The sense of obligation naturally emerges, we find through the practice the necessity of the practice for the over all sense of wellness for the entire ecology of existence. We find that we must relate with respect and honor to life in order for life to continue in a state of wellness, our wellness and our obligation to be well is then perceived through our practice to be interwoven with the wellness of those we have relationships with.
The more one practices as an animist the more one finds there is not one aspect of the totality we do not have an obligation to serve for the benefit of mutual wellness. Through the fulfillment of this obligation we find our selves blessed and blessing all that is around us.
bless and be blessed
LLB
Posted by little lightening bolt on
January 26, 2008
As an animist I feel an overwhelming obligation to the
practice of animism. The practice of animism is to me the maintenance, establishment and honoring of relationships with life, my fellow humans, and all of the other-than-human-persons that compose that which we come to know as the totality of existence. The practice of animism renews and deepens the sense of obligation to practice animism within the practice itself! The sense of obligation naturally emerges, we find through the practice the necessity of the practice for the over all sense of wellness for the entire ecology of existence. We find that we must relate with respect and honor to life in order for life to continue in a state of wellness, our wellness and our obligation to be well is then perceived through our practice to be interwoven with the wellness of those we have relationships with.
The more one practices as an animist the more one finds there is not one aspect of the totality we do not have an obligation to serve for the benefit of mutual wellness. Through the fulfillment of this obligation we find our selves blessed and blessing all that is around us.
bless and be blessed
LLB
Posted by littlellighteningbolt on
January 26, 2008
Iwigara
“Indigenous people view both themselves and nature as part of an extended ecological family that shares ancestry and origins. It is an awareness that life in any environment is viable only when humans view the life surrounding them as kin. The kin, or relatives, include all the natural elements of an ecosystem. Indigenous people are affected by and, in turn, affect the life around them. The interactions that result from this ‘‘kincentric ecology’’ enhance and preserve the ecosystem. Interactions are the commerce of ecosystem functioning. Without human recognition of their role in the complexities of life in a place, the life suffers and loses its sustainability. Indigenous cultural models of nature include humans as one aspect of the complexity of life. A Rarámuri example of iwıg will serve to enhance understanding of the human–nature relationship that is necessary in order to fully comprehend the distinct intricacies of kincentric ecology.”
Kincentric ecology is a word coined by Dr. Enrique Salmo’n a member of the Rara’muri people of Northern Mexico. “Life in any environment is viable only when humans view their surroundings as kin; that their mutual roles are essential for survival.” Salmo’n points out quoting Leslie Silko This perspective is a natural sense which emerges out of relating to the world from an animist perspective. The sense of oneness with family members, with kin expands not to just all of humanity but all other-than-human-persons the life-place itself. Whether this relationship is understood from a more metaphysical context or from a souly social context the feeling of kinship with the ecological world with the life-place one lives within is summed up quite nicely by chief Richard Atleo of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people…
The Creator made all things one.
All things are related and interconnected.
All things are sacred.
All things are therefore to be respected
In this above statement we can see how the animist way of relating brings about a sense of kinship, that which we relate to is thus a relative… there is not one thing that we cannot relate to or have a relationship with, we are thus relatives, those who relate with one another, we are related, we exist because of relationship, we are one big family, made of the same stuff, the same blood, the same body, soul, spirit, we are made of star dust, we share the same breath will all that is, we are one family, we are one.
This sense of oneness is rare and often debated or sought after by mystics and philosophers in other non-animist traditions. Mystics spend life times dedicated to this “one taste” that 
transpersonal philosopher Ken Wilber speaks of. Within animist traditions this “one taste” quite often is a given, the foundation that all other experience is built upon, a humble awareness and a simple point of view not held on high as the ultimate transcendent experience but the basis of all experience. Stories, rituals and ceremonial practices maintain this experience in the daily lives of animists, initiatory, and polyphasic transrational methods maintain and develop differing levels and degrees of this awareness according the the individual needs of members of animist society’s, to further, or deepen this awareness of kinship and oneness, for the benefit of the entire ecosystem. Examples being the Amazonian traditions of initiatory experiences and education with the entheogenic plant teacher ayahuasca or solitary fasting practices in many animist traditions world wide.
If animism is a kincentric practice then bioregional animism is a kincentric as well as region or place-centric relational ontology. Bioregional animists there for focus on immediate and local kinfolk. They interact with their relations daily and intimately, of coarse they are one with the larger whole, the totality of existence even, but choose to focus quite pragmatically with the ground under their feet and the sky above their heads, the other-than-human-persons that are their immediate relatives living just next door so to speak. Why? Why not focus on say the Amazon when your living in New Jersey your one with the Amazon you can work with the spirits of the amazon your distant kinfolk, why not? The simplest most heart felt answer I can come up with to that and the main motivation for being place centric in our kincentric world view and daily practice as an animist is that we are needed where we stand. Our family needs us where we are and by focusing our efforts and our putting attention into our local relationships with our relatives we establish the right conditions for life to be good where we ARE… “Life in any environment is viable only when humans view their surroundings as kin; that their mutual roles are essential for survival.” by this she means our current surroundings, look around at what surrounds you. What are your relationships with the kin surrounding you? Who are they do you know their names… their individual names not species names… what they call themselves. Do you know how to speak their language? Do you treat them with respect and honor? Is there love in your relationship with your larger family? Do you communicate with them? As an animist or some one interested in or practicing shamanry what is your relationship to the land you live within, with the your kin next door? These are the questions bioregional animists ask themselves.
Posted by little lightening bolt on
January 26, 2008
Iwigara
"Indigenous people view both themselves and nature as part of an extended ecological family that shares ancestry and origins. It is an awareness that life in any environment is viable only when humans view the life surrounding them as kin. The kin, or relatives, include all the natural elements of an ecosystem. Indigenous people are affected by and, in turn, affect the life around them. The interactions that result from this ‘‘kincentric ecology’’ enhance and preserve the ecosystem. Interactions are the commerce of ecosystem functioning. Without human recognition of their role in the complexities of life in a place, the life suffers and loses its sustainability. Indigenous cultural models of nature include humans as one aspect of the complexity of life. A Rarámuri example of iwıg will serve to enhance understanding of the human–nature relationship that is necessary in order to fully comprehend the distinct intricacies of kincentric ecology."
Kincentric ecology is a word coined by Dr. Enrique Salmo'n a member of the Rara'muri people of Northern Mexico. "Life in any environment is viable only when humans view their surroundings as kin; that their mutual roles are essential for survival." Salmo'n points out quoting Leslie Silko This perspective is a natural sense which emerges out of relating to the world from an animist perspective. The sense of oneness with family members, with kin expands not to just all of humanity but all other-than-human-persons the life-place itself. Whether this relationship is understood from a more metaphysical context or from a souly social context the feeling of kinship with the ecological world with the life-place one lives within is summed up quite nicely by chief Richard Atleo of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people...
The Creator made all things one.
All things are related and interconnected.
All things are sacred.
All things are therefore to be respected
In this above statement we can see how the animist way of relating brings about a sense of kinship, that which we relate to is thus a relative... there is not one thing that we cannot relate to or have a relationship with, we are thus relatives, those who relate with one another, we are related, we exist because of relationship, we are one big family, made of the same stuff, the same blood, the same body, soul, spirit, we are made of star dust, we share the same breath will all that is, we are one family, we are one.
This sense of oneness is rare and often debated or sought after by mystics and philosophers in other non-animist traditions. Mystics spend life times dedicated to this "one taste" that
transpersonal philosopher Ken
Wilber speaks of. Within animist traditions this "one taste" quite often is a given, the foundation that all other experience is built upon, a humble awareness and a simple point of view not held on high as the ultimate
transcendent experience but the basis of all experience. Stories, rituals and ceremonial practices
maintain this experience in the daily lives of animists, initiatory, and
polyphasic transrational methods
maintain and
develop differing levels and degrees of this awareness according the the individual needs of members of animist
society's, to further, or deepen this awareness of kinship and oneness, for the
benefit of the entire ecosystem. Examples being the Amazonian traditions of initiatory
experiences and education with the
entheogenic plant teacher
ayahuasca or
solitary fasting practices in many animist traditions world wide.
If animism is a
kincentric practice then
bioregional animism is a
kincentric as well as region or place-centric
relational ontology. Bioregional animists there for focus on
immediate and local kinfolk. They interact with their relations daily and intimately, of coarse they are one with the larger whole, the totality of
existence even, but choose to focus quite
pragmatically with the ground under
their feet and the sky above their heads, the other-than-human-persons that are their immediate relatives living just next door so to speak. Why? Why not focus on say the Amazon when your living in New
Jersey your one with the Amazon you can work with the spirits of the amazon your distant kinfolk, why not? The
simplest most heart felt answer I can come up with
to that and the main motivation for being place centric in our
kincentric world view and daily practice as an animist is that we are needed where we stand. Our family needs us where we are and by focusing our efforts and our putting attention into our local relationships with our relatives we establish the right conditions for life to be good where we ARE... "Life in any
environment is viable only when humans view their surroundings as kin; that their mutual roles are essential for survival." by this she means our current surroundings, look around at what surrounds you. What are your relationships with the kin
surrounding you? Who are they do you know their names... their individual names not species names... what they call themselves. Do you know how to speak their
language? Do you treat them with respect and honor? Is there love in your relationship with your larger family? Do you communicate with them? As an animist or some one interested in or practicing
shamanry what is your relationship to the land you live within, with the your kin next door? These are the questions
bioregional animists ask themselves.
Posted by littlellighteningbolt on
January 26, 2008
I like to eat from my bioregion, as much as I can. I feel renewed when I can get fresh vegetables and things from the local merchants here. I like to eat baby spinach on sandwiches in place of lettuce. ham and swiss on whole wheat with sprouts apples I love wildflower honey from Uppingill farm and their wicked good strawberries when in season. the birds singing at the feeders in themorning being with the land, its sounds, its smells watching the eagles fly up over the ridge stone people walking in the forest and leaving prayer stones as I go lazing in the summer heat at Barton’s Cove overlooking the river..watching the world go by fishin the quiet of a fresh fallen snow the beautiful birches and ironwood that hang over my back yard creating a calm shade to relax in red geraniums picking fiddleheads in the spring and making fiddlehead soup…YUM children laughing the sound of native drums Jim Boyd & Ulali The good people here in Bioregional animism … lots more…but what nourishes YOU?
Nanci~Little Shield
Massachusetts
Currently living in Los Angeles, I am nourished by thoughts and memories of lush, gorgeous places I’ve traveled in the past — waterfalls, mountaintops, pristine rivers, fertile valleys….
And I’m nourished by the vision of the future of urban living — with rooftop gardens, water catchment, sustainable energy, bicycle culture, 95% reduction in cars/trucks, plenty of fast public transport, dancing and music in the streets! Etc!
I’m also nourished by oranges and lemons in season down here in So Cal right now.
I’m nourished by the color of sunsets.
Living in the city, I am nourished by the beautiful architecture and the way the light hits their facades at different times of day, and the design and craftsmanship that went into their making. I’m nourished by strolling along the boulevards and watching all the other people who share the street with me — vendors, people walking their dogs, bicyclists, parents with children, crazy pigeons, performers who play beautiful music for pocket change. I’m nourished by the parks and greenways, and the people who work to keep them alive and keep them safe to be in. I’m nourished by the tiny sun porch in our apartment, and our houseplants, and by watching Anna, a resident in my building who cares for the landscaping outside as a labor of love. I’m nourished by the silence when my Quaker group meets for worship, and then by strolling to the farmer’s market afterward to buy produce from farmers in the region.
What nourishes me:
the farmer’s market
watching the veritable baby parade at the farmer’s market
making tea
water
seeing the hills turn green
learning about the plants and herbs
hiking through the hills
checking in at the ancestors’ altar
warm baths on cold nights
this tribe
labyrinths
stone people
bird calls
my fiance
my family
my dreams
Posted by little lightening bolt on
January 25, 2008
I like to eat from my bioregion, as much as I can. I feel renewed when I can get fresh vegetables and things from the local merchants here. I like to eat baby spinach on sandwiches in place of lettuce. ham and swiss on whole wheat with sprouts apples I love wildflower honey from Uppingill farm and their wicked good strawberries when in season. the birds singing at the feeders in themorning being with the land, its sounds, its smells watching the eagles fly up over the ridge stone people walking in the forest and leaving prayer stones as I go lazing in the summer heat at Barton's Cove overlooking the river..watching the world go by fishin the quiet of a fresh fallen snow the beautiful birches and ironwood that hang over my back yard creating a calm shade to relax in red geraniums picking fiddleheads in the spring and making fiddlehead soup...YUM children laughing the sound of native drums Jim Boyd & Ulali The good people here in Bioregional animism ... lots more...but what nourishes YOU?
Nanci~Little ShieldMassachusetts
Currently living in Los Angeles, I am nourished by thoughts and memories of lush, gorgeous places I've traveled in the past -- waterfalls, mountaintops, pristine rivers, fertile valleys....
And I'm nourished by the vision of the future of urban living -- with rooftop gardens, water catchment, sustainable energy, bicycle culture, 95% reduction in cars/trucks, plenty of fast public transport, dancing and music in the streets! Etc!
I'm also nourished by oranges and lemons in season down here in So Cal right now.
I'm nourished by the color of sunsets.
Living in the city, I am nourished by the beautiful architecture and the way the light hits their facades at different times of day, and the design and craftsmanship that went into their making. I'm nourished by strolling along the boulevards and watching all the other people who share the street with me -- vendors, people walking their dogs, bicyclists, parents with children, crazy pigeons, performers who play beautiful music for pocket change. I'm nourished by the parks and greenways, and the people who work to keep them alive and keep them safe to be in. I'm nourished by the tiny sun porch in our apartment, and our houseplants, and by watching Anna, a resident in my building who cares for the landscaping outside as a labor of love. I'm nourished by the silence when my Quaker group meets for worship, and then by strolling to the farmer's market afterward to buy produce from farmers in the region.
What nourishes me:
the farmer's market
watching the veritable baby parade at the farmer's market
making tea
water
seeing the hills turn green
learning about the plants and herbs
hiking through the hills
checking in at the ancestors' altar
warm baths on cold nights
this tribe
labyrinths
stone people
bird calls
my fiance
my family
my dreams
