When Spirit and Nature Are Known As One, The Healing Has Begun

Verde River Budding Spring '13
Credit of Pic goes to Verde River FB

It's not yet Spring, according to the Gregorian Calendar, that won't come for another couple of days. But, last week, according to the singing birds and look closely and you can see the green crowns that adorn the tops of the Cottonwood Trees along the Verde River in the high desert of AZ, It is spring! ( I know this looks like a creek to most of you, but here in the dessert the river runs from one side of the mountain range, down the mountain, and through the entire valley. In places it gets very small on the surface, however it is very full many miles under the layers of rock.)

            Most of us are aware of seasonal changes and if we are lucky, we get all four seasons. I live here in the Southwest, in the high desert near Sedona, AZ and we get all four seasons. I am grateful for that! I love this time of the year. My birthday fall within the 3 days of the Spring Equinox, and I am alive with wonder each and every year around that time as the air warms, the birds come back, and there are baby buds on plants and trees. Today, I would like to share the work of Starhawk, aka Miriam Simos. She was a well known writer and activist and is a founding Mother of ecofeminism. In 1979 she published Spiral Dance and inspired many in the Neopagan movement. Spiral Dance wove the reader through the resurgence of the Goddess and focused on ritual and rites of Witches. In the late 70s and early 80s she joined with others like her Z. Budapest, Carol Christ, and Victor Anderson to lay a foundation for many others to awaken to the feminine energies of the Goddess. Her work over the years in the peace movement, environmental movement, women's movement, and anti-globalization movement. She has taught at JFK University and California Institute of Integral Studies in the Bay Area, and other schools. She has participated in United Peace for Justice, Earth Activist Training, and many other training programs. 
       I have chosen to share her newest book with you today because I believe it is one of the best guides available to us today that offers an easy to understand and participate in system of participating in the creation of a more sustainable and healthy way of living during these times of what seems to be turmoil and destruction. 
      The Earth Path: Grounding your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature, is one of the most revolutionary books out today. In Starhawk's own words: "The work of this book is to root us so firmly in the earth that we can be walking emissaries of a new whole."(38)
     For the presentation of the book I would like to do it in a way that holds true to the integrity of the teachings. Starhawk teaches with ritual and meditations, so I would like you to all participate by following this 1.5 minute meditation. The purpose of beginning with this video to help you get connected to the living breathing place we reside, we call Earth and some, including Starhawk calls Gaia. I will follow the video with a more in depth explaination of why it's important to connect to our Mother Earth. 

 Please click here and enlarge to full screen:  (look on the bottom right of the screen and click on the little "box") 

Earth Breathing

How did that feel? Are you breathing deeply? Did it help you connect to the sacred elements a  little more than before? You can do this kind of meditation each and every day, just sit outside, whether you live in the city or countryside. On your balcony, there is air, the sun-fire or a candle, the ground, a pot with dirt in it or even the concrete is made up of ground- Earth, water- particles in the air if you are not by a stream of water, or go get a bowl of water and place it in front of you if you like. We are the four sacred elements as is everything else. It is part of the circle of Life, Birth, growth, death and rebirth. Starhawk offers over 114 pages (70-185) of intimate, personal experiences and  experiential activities with the reader about the necessity of connecting with the sacred elements as a crucial life change for those of us who want to bring more balance, peace and sustainability into the world.
   After many years as a practicing  pagan, Starhawk found as she aged she her connection was not yet complete. She admits, "I managed to slide through something like nineteen years of formal education learning remarkably little science." (41). She goes onto to say, " The Goddess is embodied in the natural world, and science in its truest sense is about knowing nature. Thus our thealogy (women's spirituality) needs to be empirical as well as mystical." (41).  Starhawk began to study the tenants of physical evolution as explained by science to deepen her understanding of the energies and web of life. In this book she walks the reader through evolution in a very understandable and visceral way in the chapters titled "Creation: What every Pagan Should Know about Evolution" (41). and  "Observation"(50). 
        The one activity that Starhawk points out as to be the most important thing we can do to change patterns that are not working is the art of observation. She devotes an entire chapter to that. Nature is available to talk to us and teach us at any moment. If we lived as if Life Mattered we would  have the time, each and every moment to observe and receive the messages we are being sent from Nature. The Spirit of Nature, which is the Spirit of Ourselves, which is the Spirit of Gaia and God/dess. I invite you to receive the gift of Nature from the pictures I will post below at the end of the blog!
          The following is an excerpt from her book that pretty much sums up Starhawk's new presentation of knowledge that she has been living for the past decade, she points out that all living things, including Mother Earth, the God/dess are woven together by an energy force:
       "And yet we do have great forces working with us, those same creative powers that arranged the chlorophyll mandala and learned to use sunlight to make food, that have traded genes and information for billions of years, that grew the Redwood and the Cedar from instructions encoded in the microscopic double-spiral DNA crystal, that move the great currents of air and the tides of the ocean.” (228)

  Please click and enlarge to full screen  to experience:

Heaven is Here on Earth

         In the last part of the book Starhawk shares solutions about changing the pattern of life we have have been experiencing during patriarchy and offers new ways to create  new patterns of life supportive activities as humanity that is coming of age with the Great Goddess Mother- the creator of all living things.  Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia commends Starhawk's new work as: " combines spiritual inspiration with ecological clarity-a practical guide to living in harmony with Gaia." (back cover)

My take away from this book was Hope for our future and the future of the next seven generations. In her own words:

The earth is alive, and I don’t believe that she is suicidal. She took a great gamble with this big-brain experiment, but I do believe that the consciousness we need to temper our destructive potential is arising, now, and is ultimately far, far stronger than greed. Moreover, I believe that the earth wants us to play the role we have evolved to play, a role as important as that of any worm or soil bacterium: to be her consciousness, her mirror, her great admirer and appreciator, to cheer her on and to use our specifically human abilities to help restore and sustain her balance.(229)

Questions for you:  Do you have hope for the future of humanity? How do you visualize the world to be in 2025? Will there still be open spaces for all to enjoy? Will clean air and water be readily available to the world's population? What are some of the innovative organizations regarding environmental and human sustainability in your areas and how are they reaching the public? This could be for all ages. 

What are three things you can fit into your routine daily that will have the ripple effect (like chaos theory- a butterfly flaps its wings and it can be felt around the world)  to make a positive change towards balance for Gaia and all living things? 

TO HEAR STARHAWK HERSELF SPEAKING AT HARVARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH CLICK HERE: 
STARHAWK SPEAKS TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY

 NATURE'S GIFT:

        I developed two decks of Oracle cards with the assistance of Nature. One is a set of 44 cards of photographs I took with Nature as my guide. I have not photoshopped any of them. The other is a system using the Lunar cycle of 31 days. The decks can be used in many ways, either draw one card a day, do a lay out, use them together or separate. 

        For this posting I will settle in, breathe, and draw 4 cards from each deck for you readers. It is up to you to interpret what Nature and Grandmother Moon are communicating to you.  Use one or more in any way you would like.  If there is no connection, no worries. It means that either you need some more practice on how to listen to Nature or you already know what it is for you to know for this moment. All is in Divine Order! I would love to hear your experiences, please share!

        If you would like a personal reading using all of the cards, I can do it by Skype, phone, or email. Please contact me @ ecopsychguide@yahoo.com   for more info. 

From GAIA'S SONG ORACLE CARDS (Copyright Shayna DeArmon 2012) :

FROM LUNA REFLECTION CARDS  Copyright ( Shayna DeArmon 1999):

All Sentient Beings

Two Grandmother friends and I were enjoying a crisp, almost Fall, day at the Lagoon today while feeling joy feels as their two small dark gray wiry haired dogs were making new friends with each other. We were on a mission. Grandmother L.B. was to take pictures of me for publication. Where else but out in Nature to capture my true Spirit!



A man called out from around the bend of the Lagoon pathway. At first we did not respond, then each of us became alert to his call, "Hey Ladies, Hey Ladies".

We stopped our conversation, turned our heads and looked towards a gentleman dressed in loose fitting kaki pants and a greenish/gray tee shirt holding up a large silver colored fish. The man was grinning from ear to ear. The two other Grandmothers and I looked at each other and telepathically agreed to walk over to him to see his 'prize'.

Like a 10 year old boy, the man was elated that we came to see his glorious catch of the morning. He proudly displayed the silver fish, that Grandmother S.J. described immediately as a "catfish, because of his long whiskers" and a smile on her face, happy that she was able to identify the fish. Consequently, she was reminded of a time when she was a little girl in Florida and "they fried the catfish and it tasted really good." The man had a strong hold with his right hand on the fish at the neck and tail end forcing the fish's mouth to be open. The fish's gills were flapping open and shut very quickly.

Grandmothers S.J. and L.B. engaged the gentleman with ravenous reviews of his morning success and even that he 'had the right tools to cut the hook out of the fishes mouth" as the man cut the wire off the hook and grabbed the sharp hook with a tool and slide it out of the fish's opened mouth.  "Are you going to eat him?" asked Grandmother S.J. The man answered, "Naw, not today, its a cat fish, they are stocking the Lagoon with trout tomorrow." I cringed as the hook slid through the jaw line of the silver fish's mouth; simultaneously thinking about the enormous pain I incurred as I received a shot in the roof of my mouth just before getting a tooth extracted.

I stood by, quietly observing. And; grinding my teeth. Empathizing with Fish and his fear and the lack of air. Fish was so desperately quietly screaming out to all of us. After about 3 to 4 minutes Grandmother L.B. gently stated, "It looks like he is needing some air." I was ready to scream! The man looked at the fish. He looked at us. He stood there. The man said, "How big do you think he is, 18 inches?" I couldn't control myself any longer, "Let's throw a hook into your mouth, pull it out, and keep you from breathing." They all looked over at me. The energy changed from joy feels to a mix of anger, sadness, and confusion from all. I back peddled and said, "Are you going to eat him? " The man looked at the fish, mumbled something, and then with his right arm pulled all the way back and, with the fish dangling by his neck from the grip of the man's right hand, the man took a long shot and threw the fish into the water.

Everyone... except me,  seemed relieved the fish was back in the water and swimming away. Each chimed in"Where is he? Aww, look at him swimming back in the water." I was stunned by the image of the fish flying through the air and plopping back in the water. I said, "Does a fish fly? Don't you think that was traumatic for him?" The other two Grandmothers now stopped to think. Are they sentient beings? Do they feel anything? Does this whole act really hurt the fish?"

I take a breath now. I felt anger then, and I feel anger and sadness now. They are not mean people, non of them. They, like many humans on the Earth now, are a product of the insensitivity to all life on Earth. At different levels, however,  even a simple thing as "fishing" has lost the continuity of the wisdom of the Elders, passed down from generation to generation.

With respect and dignity we can wait for our food to present its self. With respect and dignity we can return another part of life back to where it belongs, in a gentle way.

With respect and dignity we can become one with Mother Earth and all living, animate and inanimate beings.

EARLY MORNING DEW

     It's August in the high desert. As I glance outside at 6am and I notice the shimmering of light reflecting off of the blades of green in my back yard. This year I have decided to let Nature be in control of the 1/2 acre of land I dwell on. 

My neighbors weed whack, lay down rock and spray herbicides, and carefully choose (control)  the plants they want to see when they awake with the 

morning dew.

On the other hand, my little piece of heaven is home to, well, seriously, I have no clue to the names of most of what is growing there. There are Cottonwood tree saplings and a few  young Mesquite trees. 

There are green thin plants that are 5 feet tall that have fuzzy tops and sway in the wind. There are very short yellow flowered communities who appear to be a haven for bees and flying insects looking for a succulent place for nourishment. Small winged things, moths maybe, butterflies (not monarchs) flitting through other green standing plants of different heights and widths. There are green standings with many leaves and seed pods ready to burst.

I call this a garden of Love. 

Others call it a stand of ugly Weeds.

   

WEEDS- Kind of like using the "N" word for plants. Others call them invasive species and they don't want them around their houses.

What is a weed? A weed is a plant someone doesn't want there. 

The Dictionary describes weeds as:

1) A valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop. (Who determines Value? Most Weeds are medicine or food.

 2) Any undesirable or troublesome plant.

 

Makes me stop and think. Aren't we the invasive species? These plants lived here before humans came through with big bull dozers and clear cut it all down, trees and plants, to put in houses and streets. I would call that 'invasive'. 

 My preference is to leave a Green Planet for my

 great-grandchildren. 

My preference is to Love whatever grows there! 

Meet the Culture of Nature

Rock says, "I beckon you to go out and stand alone, yet not alone.
Even if you feel like you might fall.
I will be here for you stronger than ever, to support you!
Let the World see you!"

When was the last time you went outside, with nothing in mind and  found a plant, a tree, or a blade of grass and asked the Being, who are you? What do you need to live? What is missing in your life? What is good in your life? How do you communicate? Are there others who depend on you? 

When was the last time you stayed around long enough to hear her answer? All of Nature whispers to us all the time. Are we paying attention? If you went to another country would you listen and observe the people to know more about their culture? Of course you would! That is why you went there in the first place! You were curious about how others live, about who they and are very  interested in building a relationship with your new friends and discovering how you are connected. 

Do the same with parts of Nature. It's easy to do with an animate part of Nature such as a winged one or a four legged. They respond with voice and movement. Now, do it with inanimate parts of Nature. You will be amazed at what you will learn about yourself and your connection to all things on and in Earth! 

Blessings on your journey to discovering the Culture of Nature!  Discover Your Self! 

Grace or Discord- Your choice

It's Spring! We smile, we rejoice, and Nature is dancing. New life is here again, the cycle began at the Winter Solstice and day by day the seed began it's journey of transformation. In Spring we see the first signs of the new cycle, transformation, and hope for the future.
Otter teaches us to play and be joyful! As we begin our walk around the wheel of life joy and playfulness helps us get through some of the rougher challenges of growth. Re-member the process. We can reach our goals in Grace or discord. It is all-ways our choice.
The time now is to bud and joyfully await the blossoming of the newness of this cycle. Grow, Learn and then BE the result of the process. This is our journey.

Winter Whispers

Winter is in full force, even here in the Desert! You folks who think the Desert is a place of sand and unbearable heat are in for a surprise when you come to the Northern Desert. She speaks to us with her winds, her snow, her gray skies and intermittent warm rays of sun. The nights and days can very by 30 degrees or more!

The smell of wood burning from our fireplaces in our homes speaks to our hearts and the taste of hot chocolate and warm winter soup enlivens our bodies.

Winter is whispering to us and to all living things. We can hear stories of the Ancestors, learn the wisdom of the freeze. Winter is whispering to us of how we are on the wheel of life and beckons us to align ourselves with the part of the cycle we are now in. In December we, in the Northern Hemisphere, reached the point in the circle that signaled an end to the cycle. We now, in February, are a few steps around the circle signifying a walk towards Spring time, a new beginning. Now is the time for the preparation for this, to begin cultivating of our foundation to seed. Within the seed is all possibilities.

Winter is whispering to us that we have access to all possibilities and now is the time to acknowledge that and actively participate in the cultivation of our foundations for future projects, loves, and creations!

Life's Little Miracle in Turbulent Times

As the season is changing so am I. I feel the soft cool breeze across my skin and cuddle up under the covers at night with the bedroom windows wide open. This is a favorite time of the year for me. The days are still warm here in the high desert. The nights are chilly, and the skies are clear. The grass is growing and the chickens are laying eggs again.

Life is all-ways changing. I am learning to 'live like the raven' these days. Learning that when I 'plan' I find myself up against a brick wall. When I follow my higher guidance, which sometimes means I find myself 'doing' no-thing at all, I am amazed to find that all is taken care of. This action of Being is one of life's miracles, one that is most of the time overlooked by most of us first world humans.

These are turbulent times. Most people are feeling like the floor is giving way under them. But what is really happening? Could it be that life is just balancing? We have been a Nation of more of this and more of that and not taking time to give life anything back, and/or for that matter, not even noticing what life is.

Most are now being forced to make choices about what they really can LIVE with and what they really don't need to LIVE.

It will all work out in the end. It all-ways does. Raven does not worry about where her next meal will come from. She doesn't have to. It's provided by Nature. All-ways has been. The materials for her nest have been available as needed. Shelter from the storm has been there too. She just does what Ravens do, she flys in the sky and finds her place within the current of the wind. She may sit on a branch and call to another as she watches the never-ending cycle of Being. And so was with humans. And can be again.

Breath deeply, feel the Love of Being, and Know that as the cycles of the seasons turn, so does our lives. I feel renewed again, wind is stirring and so am I. Movement going somewhere, I do not know. But it doesn't matter.. so I learn to let it go.