Archive for May, 2008
Posted by fishbowl on
May 30, 2008
Animist discipline is central to the broader community of the life-place. This discipline does not require grandiose ceremonial observances, but is practice with little actions, such as recycling what you consume, or finding reuse for it, and being mindful of what and how much your consume. To eat out less and live within one’s means is a good reminder of how much we consume and how it effects everything else. Being organic on a limited budget is not always practice, but purchasing what you can as local as you can is a big step in the right direction. Also thrift stores, and discount places that sell items that are still usable but have been rejected by the large chains is a great way to not only live within your means but salvage what would otherwise be discarded and participate in local economy. When buying things ask your self how much you need it. In short live a simple life.
Ceremony can be another aspect of an animist discipline, and this does not have to be the complex observances of neo-paganism. There is no need for casting circles in the right direction or calling the directions, in fact during my participation with modern paganism I found this distracting. I was always bothered by the buying and selling of special tools, like athema and swords, and candles, if these things find you without exchange of money it is god, but I believe sacred tools should never be bought, and are not necessary for animist disciplines. Bioregional animist ceremony would take many forms and is a fluid things based on the unique personality of ones life-place. They should be focused on respectful relations with your life-place and all the persons your share it with. Leaving offerings at the base of trees, singing songs with the birds, making dances to honor the seasons are all that is needed. Ceremony should be fluid, improvisational, and simple expressions of life. They can be done privet or shared with others. The importance is the intent of respect to the living world.
One practice I used to have, and I am planing on reviving is that of a shrine. I prefer the concept of a shrine over an alter. In neo-paganism alters are the central focus of elaborate ceremonies and often involve the practice of magic, which I no longer practice. A shrine is a place designated for reflection; it is a place to sit and listen and contemplate. In the past my shrine was a simple small table built by my grandfather which I would place items I’ve collected while out in the woods. Much of the items have since been lost due to unfortunate circumstances, but that just tells me a new start Is needed. Now I have a small flat smooth peace of black basalt I found near the river and a small green piece of basalt I carry in my pocket. I could place a single candle on it, some incense, offerings of different kinds. And the best part is how portable it is. Overtime I will collect other shrines and items to be placed with a shrine. I have determined to select a time of the day to sit and listen and contemplate before my shrine. By doing so I hope to tune myself to the land and be inspired to work with the land in mutual benefit.
Simple acts o joy, sorrow, respect, and expressions of your relationships should become daily parts of my life to help me strengthen my connection to the land and the community I live. By intentionally taking time out of my day to go for walk in the park, sit near the river, watch the squirrels, and generally take care of my own needs in as minimalistic and simple way I remind myself of what I plan on coming closer to living a life of animist ethics.
Posted by littlellighteningbolt on
May 29, 2008
During a ceremony a few weeks ago, I sat and watched new animist traditions form. I watched as the woman I’m to marry and a mutual friend interacted with other than human persons in spirit and discussed their relationships with these persons. I could see them as the matrons of a newly forming tradition within this region. As these two women established relationships with these other than human persons they would introduce these other than human persons to others
and work with them to find co-creative ways to solve problems and live harmoniously in this bioregion. I watched forces of nature people and animal people and tree people and insect people come through these women and move around the ceremonial space, I witness these women share wisdom from spirit and communion with these other than human persons. I saw other than human persons and human persons create new relationships and work together.
I saw raven come in and heal wounds caused by the selfishness of others and, ancestors come and heal wounds caused by generations of accumulated pain. I saw Spider woman come in as an old crone and speak through my friend, teaching us that the ego is not a thing but a process of relationships, I saw an old lizard woman come through the woman I love and teach her the wisdom of lizard. I saw my fiance speak with a father tree which gave her much wisdom to share with us. I saw my friend and my fiance talk about the female forest spirit they have come to know as Flora. I saw that their relationship with this other than human person was the beginning of many future womens relationship with the forest spirit of this region. I saw these things happening so that relationships can be formed for future generations, I saw a birth.
Posted by little lightening bolt on
May 29, 2008
During a ceremony a few weeks ago, I sat and watched new animist traditions form. I watched as the woman I'm to marry and a mutual friend interacted with other than human persons in spirit and discussed their relationships with these persons. I could see them as the matrons of a newly forming tradition within this region. As these two women established relationships with these other than human persons they would introduce these other than human persons to others
and work with them to find co-creative ways to solve problems and live harmoniously in this bioregion. I watched forces of nature people and animal people and tree people and insect people come through these women and move around the ceremonial space, I witness these women share wisdom from spirit and communion with these other than human persons. I saw other than human persons and human persons create new relationships and work together.
I saw raven come in and heal wounds caused by the selfishness of others and, ancestors come and heal wounds caused by generations of accumulated pain. I saw Spider woman come in as an old crone and speak through my friend, teaching us that the ego is not a thing but a process of relationships, I saw an old lizard woman come through the woman I love and teach her the wisdom of lizard. I saw my fiance speak with a father tree which gave her much wisdom to share with us. I saw my friend and my fiance talk about the female forest spirit they have come to know as Flora. I saw that their relationship with this other than human person was the beginning of many future womens relationship with the forest spirit of this region. I saw these things happening so that relationships can be formed for future generations, I saw a birth.
Posted by renee on
May 24, 2008
Saw this video on TED talks today….about the cultural adaptations of crows to human environments…interesting although I’m not a huge fan of this presenter’s criteria of intelligence. And the notion that in order for the negative attitude surrounding crows to change, they must become useful to humans. Well…boo to that for obvious reasons.
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The utilitarian undertones actually irritate me more than anything else here. At the end when he talks about mutually beneficial systems between crows and humans, I really struggle with what he means by “mutually beneficial”. He uses the example of training crows to pick up garbage after a stadium event. How is that beneficial for crows?
Another example of how humans assign value to other lives…in often perverted ways.
Posted by fishbowl on
May 19, 2008
The end of this month I will have lived at the confluence of the Snake River and Clearwater Rivers for a year. I have now witnessed the regions seasonal cycle in full. It has been a good deep winter, where snow has capped the high Palouse grasslands and mountains and been nice and rainy and cool in the warmth of the valley. The springThe end of this month I will have lived at the confluence of the Snake River and Clearwater Rivers for a year. I have now witnessed the regions seasonal cycle in full. It has been a good deep winter, where snow has capped the high Palouse grasslands and mountains and been nice and rainy and cool in the warmth of the valley. The spring comes early to the valley and the trees come alive with pink and white flowers. Summer was a quick blazes of heat, and autumn was nice and rambeling with golden and red Rocky mountain Maple leaves coating the surface. comes early to the valley and the trees come alive with pink and white flowers. Summer was a quick blazes of heat, and autumn was nice and rambeling with golden and red Rocky mountain Maple leaves coating the surface.
Here is something I have learned from this.
Summer is gold and the time of Morning Doves
Autumn is brown and the time of Ravens
Winter is white and the time of Kestrels
Spring is green and the time of the Herons
Morning Dove taught me contentment and stillness.
Raven taught me how to grow from pain.
Kestrels taught me the beauty of aloneness.
I have yet to see what Heron has to teach me.
Writing this, I see that I have to remember these lessons, something I’ve not been good at this year. I should incorporate these seasonal lessons and their teachers into my ritual observances and learn new narratives for the season. I shall make an offering to Heron this weekend and open myself to the lessons to come.
I’ve come to these conclusions through praying with and communing with the land and would not be applicable to all of Inland Cascades have been shown to be relevant to my practice and the Southeastern edge of the Inland Northwest.
Posted by fishbowl on
May 19, 2008
Hello everyone and welcome to the blog about Bioregional Animism in Inland Cascadia (A.K.A The Inland Northwest USA). It is the region of the Columbia River Drainage that spans from the east of the Cascades to the Continental Devide and takes in Eastern Washington, Northeastern Oregon, Northern Idaho and Western Montana. It is the traditional homeland of Salish and Sahaptin indigenous languages families. It has a semi-arid environment due to the Rainshadow of the Cascades, where the moister accumulated on the Pacific Coast pushes warm air over the top of the Cascades. It is a land of rolling hills of golden wheat that meets the rugged northern rockies and basalt created by ancient seismic activity of what was once a giant lake.
