Manifesting the Dream: On Religious Orgs, Pagan Abbeys and our Order in particular

Pentagram - Church of Santa María d'Azougue,Betanzos, A Coruña, Galicia, Gallaecia

In previous posts, we have already covered: how to join or create pagan communities; and historic and modern cloistered communities. Next up in our Abbey series; more of the benefits of establishing modern religious organizations and how we envision our Order creating those spaces.

Advantages of our non-denominational (and not just different varieties of Wicca) pagan organization, and religious institutions in general, are many.

Incorporation and Societies

A legally religious corporation or society in Canada has the ability to:

- Own property. i.e. creating and maintaining safe space. Not just renting. Including ministry work such as permanent churches, inner city safe spaces, etc.

- Ordain, a perform legal ceremonies, such as marriage. Currently, the only forms of Paganism that have organized to this degree in Canada are Wiccan. I'm not Wiccan, and like Spiritual Humanism and other forms of Humanism, the evaluation of one's channelling of the divine should NOT be a requirement for clergy. We can all do that. Or not, depending on your personal belief system and your skill level. Heh. All I need to know is, say, can you MC a good wedding or funeral, or counsel well, and does your community support you? That is mostly enough to satisfy the need.

- Support Native Elders and other professional religious who are having difficulty obtaining legal status or are being otherwise hassled by institutions. It's friggin' hard even to do smudges working with prisoners and guards or in hospitals or schools sometimes, for example. Legal docs can help solve some of those problems by lending legitimacy to fellow professional religious that request it.

- Projects get easier to do, like co-ops, or microloan programs, publishing houses, or abbeys. Also encourages full time clergy, such as nuns, monks, and other priests.

Our problem in paganism in particular has always been organization and communication, and everyone has to re-invent the wheel in every new location. A seriously inefficient, as well as illogical, situation. A national supporting body, providing information and other resources, would save oodles of time, money, and effort. There is also the problem of where those who have different influences from many traditions, like Christian witches or Jewitches or eclectics, go to worship and get together, to organize, and to be validated and do work in the world. Pagan Humanism is ideally suited to provide that space. Paganism have always been tolerant of other traditions, as well as pantheist, and can provide an emotionally and spiritually satisfying experience for those who might otherwise not feel welcome in most other communities, without insisting on following any set of traditions or deities, or even, and this is the kicker, any deity at all. It's always better to be MORE inclusive than less, wouldn't you say?

Structure

Our choice, being who we are, is:

- Collective environment, with overseeing bodies to ordinate, provide continuity and support, and solve disputes. Like the entire Green Party of Canada, it's not actually difficult to achieve, especially with modern tech. Groups or individuals can propose projects, expenditures, visions, etc. The entire body can vote on providing funds, support, or other resources. Projects are all volunteer, no assignments. That way everyone brings their entire energy, and they can leave a project or the organization when they wish. A gestalt entity.

- Board of Directors - Emergency and day to day decision making, with ratifications by members where required. And to point directly at someone for holding the bag on certain issues, as it were... Also, required for a non-for-profit corporation in Canada, it turns out...

- Council of Elders - As a body of second thought, for those decisions that need some further consideration, if the Board may have got it wrong, if there is a dispute that the Board can't solve, and for moral and ethical drive.

- Up to three Leaders, largely as Spokepersons. Because you need someone the press can talk to... Movements have a tendency to fizzle out when the Leader(s) leaves or dies, unless they are deified, which is rare. Although it is actually easier to encourage members to join with a created Cult of Personality, and group loyalty is higher, it is far more vulnerable to corruption and ultimately more fragile if the Leader dies, leaves, or is discredited. Though harder to get going and generate group identity, I have no intention of having everything we've all worked for dissipate because we lose the face on the stamp. However, it can be handy to have a face as a known symbol and to rally around, so spokesperson Leaders are still a darn good idea. Used correctly, of course...

Funding

Donations vs. grants vs. fundraising vs. products and services:

Donations are always lovely, but never to be relied upon. We can't ever count on donations or grants. They are the gravy, not the meal. WAYYY too many pagan groups, for example, have hoped that the community will simply 'help them out'. It doesn't happen. The old abbeys used to support themselves by being as self-sufficient as possible, taking students, making products of use to the community, like medicine. It has to be funded with the same eco-capitalism in mind. The ends definitely does not justify the means in this case. Or most cases, really. 

In a University, there are oodles of disciplines working side by side, and each is finding fulfilment and increasing their own knowledge, but they are all working together. Modern abbeys must, as all abbeys have in the past, support themselves. We can produce items that are in keeping with the spiritual pursuits of our members, such as sacred crafts, but we can also consider services such as a publishing company, group home, health food co-op, holistic healing and retreat business, money lending co-op, pagan and women's insurance org., and an arts group. When we can, of course. Methods to support ourselves and our families in Right Lifestyle: with safety, purity, determination, and honour, should be a huge draw. (Hel, I was fired twice in one year for my religious beliefs alone; rather than my safety and ethics code, which were also too high, apparently. Darn integrity...) I also want more pagans or alternative lifestyle folk to be able to count on financial assistance for insurance, mortgages, etc. (without some idiot passing judgement), financial instructions like co-ops, microloan programs, and eventual credit union and insurance mutuals. It only took the women's mircroloan program in India ten years to go from a few hundred dollars to ten million. This isn't India, of course, but that kind of growth is still possible here. Don't let anybody tell you it's gotten better for women in the financial world, either. I've run and started my own businesses, and had a life insurance licence. It has been hell trying to get anyone to deal with me fairly. (And I'm smarter and more attractive than the average bear. Heh.) Apprenticeships will also help attract and train people, if we already got Masters teaching certain skills... We are open to the ideas, passions, and expertise of our members.

Currently, we generate income and promote with:

1) Retail and wholesale herbal and stillroom product business - online and itinerant.
2) Training and apprenticeship
3) Lectures and speaking engagements
4) Food and whole foods co-ops

With capital, those can easily expand into:

1) Microloan programs
2) Physical retail locations
3) Training centres
4) Hospitality ventures
5) Healing and retreats
6) Cloistered communities

The Order is a facilitator for projects and expressions of spirituality. We can back members and non-members, providing space, funding, networking, or guidance.

Membership Criteria

Different levels of involvement will be available for different levels of commitment.

- Cloistered community: nuns, monks, hermits, etc.

- Professional in-the-world members: priestess and priests, Celebrants

- Lay members: beguines, outreach workers
- Volunteers

Different levels of privileges, e.g. voting, and differing resource support for different levels. For the most casual, they must only agree to accept and facilitate everyone's else's path, or be in agreement with our principles and goals, etc. Again, alot like the Greens. Heh. I'm not re-inventing the wheel or anything. I'm lazy. More like a combination of a full church, like Unitarians, plus the broadened focus of a Pagan United Way. For the most devoted, such as nuns, we will offer even more than other Orders of dedicants: room and board for as long as they stay with us, training, sponsorship in formal education and other bonuses for them and their families, and if they chose to leave us, a repayment of their sweat equity and any investment monies with interest, depending on how long they were with us. That way, no one feels they are taking too much of a personal risk, even when dedicating their lives to spiritual pursuits.

- No one can be ousted, except by conviction of criminal act that is in the moral realm. (Parking tickets don't count.) But no one has to work with you either, and if everyone wants to have you transferred 'cause you're acting like a dictator or miss the point of the project or any number of serious personality conflicts, that's final. You can decide where else you want to go or to be solitary, and still supported at your level of commitment. Thus, hermitage can be encouraged, and power plays or groups cliques discorporated.

- One of our goals will be to ordain locals, regardless of their affiliation. Humanist priests are usually called Celebrants. One of the primary questions an applicant for ordination have to prove to us is that you can professionally MC ceremonies. Local signatures and maybe a video would easily show that. Nobody can certify you as a Divine conduit, really. I CAN tell if you can give a satisfying performance for a wedding, though... 

Pagan Humanism solves the issue of the different pagan paths very nicely. This is really a boon for those who are having difficulty finding their place in major religions or philosophies, like Christian witches or atheists, or being recognized by government as legitimate.

Abbey of the Green Flame

Imagine: an actual place where one can dedicate one's life to voluntary simplicity, learning and using one's knowledge for humankind's benefit, providing a retreat to those who are ill and helping those who are ill to achieve full health, practising one's art, all without worrying about how to make one's daily bread... Interest has already been expressed for this kind of co-ordination and professionalism several years ago. I would join one if I could find it. If you can't find it, make it, is my motto... 

My abbey will be a modern one, designed to meet the needs of modern nuns and monks, not a re-creation. Collective structure, wholistic design, green tech... The entire abbey will be pagan humanist, with many diverse beliefs and practices able to be accommodated. Rather like the inclusiveness of Unitarians, but more active and In the World, if you will. Different Paths, like Facilities, will allow everyone to study, perfect, and perform the lifestyle of their Calling. The Path of the Spoon, for example, teaches cookery and food as an act of worship, providing Masters and a place to practice in that space, without requiring dedication to Deity. My own speciality is the stillroom, and I train in the traditional manner...

However, I personally need a Celtic reClaimist subset for those of us of that persuasion, so my own sect will be a female Brigantine order in the style of the original kelles, with a focus on the Flame of Kildare as Her manifestation. Music, bardic arts, poetry, healing, the warrior arts and scholarship will be the main focii.  A full religion, not just a congregation and some ceremonies. A Circle, but much bigger. I'm focusing on women because they usually get the circle concept faster, but men and other genders are free to join, of course.

One of the projects I'm embarking on if I move to Newfoundland is a co-ordination with local universities to complete a scholarly work that translates their research of the local folk trads into a practical Celtic magic manual. In Canada, European pagan heritage and beliefs have up until now only be recently recognized as a rich tradition of 'folklore', but it now has whole University departments dedicated to it. Like their music, some of it remains uncorrupted from the 16th century. My partner comes from the Codroy Valley, which is nearly all Scottish, many of whom came from Cape Breton. They still speak with a Scottish accent. There are also those of French decent, English that is linguistically nearly identical to Shakespeare's, and Irish. All remain relatively uncorrupted, as they left before the Removals, or Potato Famine, or Corn Laws decimated their relative folk cultures. Currently, there are in flux of scholars from the UK and other European countries who come to study the more primitive, more culturally complete music, tales, dance, and other folk traditions in Canada. For the Celtic nations, many of these traditions are accumulated in the halls of academia, but not yet reClaimed by Celtic trad witches of the world. A lifetime's worth of work, and many books, await the dedicated cult leader, I mean, spiritual guide. Heh, heh.


Each of our Founders and Affiliates has their own vision for doing sacred work in the modern world, with more inclusion of diverse spiritualities and encouragement of fulfilling lifestyles. One of our affiliates, The Copper Horse Abbey, for example, focuses on wholistic wellness for animals; horse medicine and natural training in particular. Pagan Humanism is a rich, accommodating environment and we very much welcome other viewpoints, input, energy, and spirit. Make suggestions or join us as a member, volunteer or group affiliate! We are here to support you!

Traditional Apprenticeships: Training in the modern Pagan Abbey

Kylemore Abbey in Ireland

My recent activities[i] have unexpectedly netted alot of inquiries from those wishing to study under me. Explaining different levels of involvement so frequently has helped refine the details better in my own mind, which is the major reward for the teacher, isn't it? In this case, we are specifically referring to the training in healing and other technology, often associated with women, primarily from the European Aboriginal traditions[ii], that is taught at our pagan Abbeys[iii]. However, traditional apprenticeships have many common elements, including the relationship between teacher and student, which we will also explore.

Lessons or sessions and apprenticeships are two different streams. For the first, they are in-depth teaching opportunities to learn the intricacies of stillroom work for a more hobby use, perhaps as an introduction, or for personal healing. I do them usually for groups, with a full lecture and demo[iv], and in my home on an individual basis. They require alot of prep and materials on my part, so I often have to charge for them. Depending on materials and tech, as well as what kind of detailed help the student requires, fees can range from $25-100/hour: the higher level being full health consultations. 'Course, I also trade for doing dishes, for example, since my dishwasher broke down... This is also traditional, since most people don’t have chickens to trade anymore...

Apprenticeship on the other hand is for those who believe this might be their Calling. It involves a far more intense and thorough program, with the expectation that apprentices repay their teaching in sweat equity rather than cash, and often continuing on to practice professionally. It is longer, too, and harder, usually involving an eventual restructuring of one's life to take on this goal.[v]

I take applicants for both methods, and people can switch streams whenever they like, if they are able to. I don't take on apprentices who are healing themselves of a severe condition, for example. There is far too much going on in someone's life when they are healing to add the intensity of a full time apprenticeship, too. They stay Students until they are more fully recovered.

With both methods, the dropout rate is still pretty high. Similar to the attrition rate for mental health programs, if applicants give up, it's almost always in the first six weeks. Most people are not prepared for the revelations that occur when immersed into traditional healing, and what that means for themselves, their lives, their families, and how they fit in the world, or the world fits around them. It's a profound shift, and many people are simply not equipped to deal with it at that time. It's my job to help them with that, of course, but it's still too big a leap for many. 

It is especially intense for those who seek the apprenticeship stream. 

I take on very few apprentices. Since I also require the spiritual component, potential apprentices are accepted in similar ways to novitiates in other paths.[vi] Sometimes, they simply need to apply, and I am satisfied that they are ready to dedicate themselves and meet the challenge. Occationally, I allow them to commit to the apprenticeship stream only after a trial period, especially if they seem adamant on the surface but some underlying issues are holding them back or making progress difficult. In certain cases, an Initiation or personal trial is required, for those who require a more visceral acknowledgement of the contract and to prove they won't fail out when the hard work begins.

No matter how they arrive to the path, however, all apprentices are chosen for their dedication not just to healing others, but to their own personal growth, character, and empowerment. No one can heal anyone else, of course. Only patients heal themselves, no matter what you cut out of them or dose them with. Someone who feels they are done with suffering will die no matter how successful the treatment is, and others will rise from their deathbeds with remarkable courage if they have the will.[vii] The healing arts are to facilitate that recovery as much as possible. So I dislike the term Healer, since healing is entirely done by the patient (except laying on of hands, which I have yet to have proven to me), but since I can't really come up with a better term, it will have to suffice. 

Because of this, however, one of the best methods to increase chances in patient outcome, in traditional or conventional healing, is having a fully actualized Healer. This is self-evident, but not included at all in conventional training, though very much a part of traditional healing in many parts of the world.[viii] [ix] Someone who has actively worked to eradicate their flaws, like racial or sexist prejudices, is a better patient advocate, for example, and can hear the vulnerable in a more meaningful way.[x]  A healer who has cultivated humility will be more available to assist in vital procedures or discussions that other professionals might find beneath their dignity. A healer who practices Detached Compassion[xi] will be strong and kind to those who invoke great pity in others, and the “Wounded Healer” such as a shaman can devote far more energy and time to palliative care than those who are struggling with their own mortality. Modern conventional healers are trained largely as technicians, under the Body is a Machine model, which is totally different from nearly all forms of traditional healing, and while they have achieved certain miracles, it is a very new form of medicine. Like any youth, it seeks to make it own way without listening to its Elders, and only with maturity can we hope to integrate successful traditional wisdom with current practices.

Let's pick just one example to illustrate. PTSD[xii], often induced in the Western world by childhood or adult sexual or physical abuse, is a far more common condition than it should be. In those drawn to paganism, which is my worldview, there is a much higher incidence of seekers who have been wounded in this way – closer to 85%. As many grew up in other traditions, this often represents a failure of their previous systems to satisfactorily contextualize their experiences. So it is with distressing frequency that I encounter this deeply rooted issue in my students and apprentices. For those who have not yet dealt with this in their lives, it can be a terrible blind spot that can influence how they treat others coming to them for help. Unable to deal with the darkness in themselves, they often miss the same symptoms in others, or the reason for them. As their Mistress, it is part of my duty to guide them come to terms with their pain in whatever manner they best respond to: from medicine and therapy to intense spiritual journeys.

So, when I take on apprentices, I train them as traditional professional pagan healing nonnes. (I currently don't train men as apprentices, for various reasons.[xiii]) This means not only studying for months or years to learn the traditional tech, but they also dedicate themselves to spiritual self-improvement. They examine their own lives for fatal flaws and empower themselves. Because of this, there is far less to cloud their judgements in their examinations of others, and they are more able to give of themselves with sincerity and reverence, and not simply as a drain on their resources. To that end, we emphasize knowledge, honour, duty, integrity, courage, discipline, deep personal self-examination in all the dark places, and ultimately, vows, if the dedicant choses to make this her life's work.

For method and technique, we have to adapt to the modern era we live in, but there is a plethora of material to build upon from the past [xiv] [xv] [xvi], as well as some current best practices. We use whatever resources are necessary, including other acknowledged professionals and accredited institutions. For example, our nuns learn how to 'read' a client, such as body clues, intuiting and micro-expressions[xvii], to better understand a client's actual issues, especially those they might not be willing to divulge, and investigate many other possibilities that most healers never know to look for. They also learn how to make the remedies themselves, like salves, decoctions, alcohols, poultices, candies, and healing foods, as well as put forward recommendations and train clients in their use. Some finish university degrees in our specialities, such as counselling and folklore. We also teach how to work within the laws and health requirements of each country, partner up with other members of the healing team, and not step on the toes of conventional med, the pharmaceutical industry, and food and drug administrations, which have a tendency to bite.

However, one of the most important reasons for me for the rigorous selection process and the choice of taking only a few apprentices is the personal trial they represent. By agreeing to be someone's Mistress, or mentor, or sifu, or yogini[xviii], you commit to a lifelong relationship. You must not only train them in your particular art, but also move them along in their spiritual and personal journey. As you help them discover themselves, you volunteer to be their Dark Mirror, which requires a great deal of trust and honesty on both sides. As the training continues, it becomes impossible not to have a close and ultimately vulnerable relationship. I still sit down with my first Mistress, who is now nearly 70, and we discuss everything from our sex lives to our fears, our dreams, and our successes. We give each other insights in as open and often blunt way as we can, because no one else knows us better, and almost no one is prepared to be as honest and genuinely helpful. To this day, it still helps both of us in our lives and continually assists us to become more developed and whole persons.

Fantasy novels are full of students who have betrayed their masters' trust and try to destroy them. However, the reality is not far from that myth. In this kind of intimate relationship, as such tend to become, the wrong selection of student can be a devastating blow. Whether it's your business secrets or proprietary formulations, or your personal life lessons that you have imparted as examples for training, an apprentice that proves him or herself unworthy of carrying such secrets can make a huge mess of your life or career. Like most close relationships, really... I have some experience in this kind of heartbreak, and it guides my reluctance, my selection and my occasional trials or character proofs for applicants. Sadly…

Student or apprentice, I take my role as a sacred trust, and do my very best to give that person what I feel they most need: whether it be simple healing knowledge, physical health, spiritual self-examination, business and social training, or character building and empowerment. Even if the healing must be done when they aren't aware of it, which is much harder… It can take a great personal toll, but the rewards of watching other people’s lives unfold beautifully are worth it, and can bring so much joy. I am always honoured to be asked to serve my clients and students, and with hard work, personal sacrifice and dedication, to train others go out into the world committed to serve, heal, and fight for justice.

---

[i] http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/30/for-some-wiccans-halloween-is-a-real-witch/

[ii] http://gifts-of-nature.blogspot.com/2013/03/witch-heritage-101-european-aborignals.html

[iii] http://gifts-of-nature.blogspot.ca/2013/07/pagan-abbeys-practical-heritage-for.html

[iv] https://www.facebook.com/GiftsofNature

[v] http://gifts-of-nature.blogspot.ca/2011/01/my-transformation-guest-blog-from-my.html

[vi] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novitiate

[vii] http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/05/health/positive-thinking-deepak-chopra/

[viii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamanism

[ix] http://www.tibetanlanguage.org/bookstore/Tibetan_Medicine.html

[x] http://gifts-of-nature.blogspot.ca/2013/10/starved-for-content.html

[xi] http://wisdomquarterly.blogspot.ca/2012/11/detachment-and-compassion-in-buddhism.html

[xii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_stress_disorder

[xiii] http://bestpractices.diversityinc.com/platform/1934/docs/mentoring12.pdf

[xiv] http://www.amazon.com/Hildegard-von-Bingens-Physica-Translation/dp/0892816619

[xv] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_cream

[xvi]  "More than anything else, however, Brigid is renowned for her hospitality. The poor and the infirm come in their multitudes. She makes provision for the sick, tending to them with her knowledge of contemporary medicine. Kildare becomes a place of holy pilgrimage for all, from the prominent and powerful to the lowly and forgotten."

 http://www.allsaintsbrookline.org/celtic_saints/brigid.html

[xvii] http://www.paulekman.com/micro-expressions/

[xviii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru-shishya_tradition

Ginger Beer / Ale Recipe: Traditional Yule Recipe - Flashbrewing

Medieval woodcut of brewhouse

We didn't have quite enough handmade goodies this year for Yule, so I felt it was necessary to whip something up.  I had a bunch of fresh, organic ginger from EGS that I couldn't use all up before it dried out, which inspired me to toss together a quick batch of ginger beer for the season.  I'm familiar with the theory, but I never gave a it a try before.

Ginger slices, lemon juice, and sugar in a jug,
with enough water to fill it up mostly to the top.

In the time my journeywoman took to finish one of her tasks, I had completed the entire initial setup. I cleaned and sanitized the one gallon jug for my experiment, cut up about 1/4 cup of ginger in slices that can fit easily into the jug's mouth, and I added the lemon juice, sugar and water. I know it's common to boil the water and sugar to help reduce wild yeast, but all I had available was bread yeast anyway, so it didn't really matter if I got a few weirdo flavours in, too. By leaving out the step of boiling and cooling the syrup, it completely reduces the prep time and makes this a snap!



Bung in the top. If you don't have one,
cloth with a rubber band around it will do.
It's largely to help it bubble without
getting foreign material in the mixture.

Four days later, I filtered out the ginger and left the grouts on the bottom.  There were surprisingly fewer than usual with beer, but the result is still really cloudy.  It stands to reason, because bread yeast doesn't flocculate as much as beer or ale yeast, so there are fewer byproducts that fall out, and more then stay in suspension.



A funnel with cheesecloth in the spout
recovers the most liquid, but takes longer.

Or you can use the cheesecloth filter over a sieve, which is much quicker, if a bit messier...

I used a pop bottle since it can handle pressure. I only did one, and left the rest in the jug, just in case this part didn't work out as well as I hoped. I wanted it quickly, so the bottle can be the secondary fermenter almost immediately.  I should have waited, though.  It was carbonated almost the next day, and I had to keep releasing the pressure to keep it from exploding. (Fortunately, the pop bottles have alot of give.)

By the time Solstice and my guests arrived, we were able to drink fresh ginger beer 8 days after it was first brewed.  It has slightly too many sugary notes and not quite enough ginger zing, but that has of course improved with age.  It is now 11 days since I first threw the batch together, and all the sugar notes are gone, with a fine zip of ginger.  There is a slight yeast note, but only in the nose, which my husband, Tuckamoredew, prefers in a beer anyway. The colour continues to be lovely, and very homemade, but it hasn't clarified any further.

All in all, it was a glorious experiment, rated highly successful by all who imbibed.  It was largely gone by Solstice, but I saved enough of it to continue to ferment and carbonize in the bottle.  For my next batch, I won't actually bottle until a day or two before serving.  In the first week or so, that seems more than long enough for a good fizzle. I served it without chilling.  Maybe I'll try it next time ice cold and frosty!

Here's the recipe I used:

1/4 cup fresh organic ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon organic lemon concentrate (juice of one lemon will do)
2 cups organic sugar
1 tablespoon quick rising bread yeast
enough filtered water to mostly fill to top

Let sit between 1-7 days. Filter. Serve in 1-2 weeks. Bottle a day or two before serving if carbonation is desired.



Flashbrewed carbonated ginger beer, in a Kölsch glass.

The lemon is partly for flavour, and partly for nutrient for the yeast.  Though there was almost no bubbling over, like there is in beer and ale making, I still left some air in the top for it when I poured in the water.  I'll leave less next time.  When everything is in, put on the cap of the jug and shake by inversion a few times, just to get the sugar all dissolved.  I did that a few times every day or so for the first few days, just to be on the safe side, but then I left it alone so it could grout up. Bung it or cheesecloth the top, and let it sit. I put it by the register to keep it warm, but not too toasty. I filtered it after 4 days, but I could have left it a bit longer.  It seems to be perfect by 2 weeks, and I had no desire to add more sugar to ferment after it had used up all the yeast, since I let it do so in pop bottle instead. No extra sugar!

Enjoy!

Sixth / Seventh Major Mass Extinction: why I'm a Green.

An edited version of this post is featured on Witchvox in May, 2011:

I wrote this post in response so many of the articles appearing now that undeniably prove our ecosystem is swiftly tiling into something our species has never experienced and has little chance of surviving. It also serves to explain my motives for why I have always been a Green witch, even before I joined the Green Party, and why I fight so hard to make the Green Party policies around the world a reality.

When I was training as a petroleum engineer in University in the late 80's, we were already referring to the present era as the "Seventh (or Sixth) Major Mass Extinction".  (There is some debate in the Earth Sciences whether there have been five or six mass extinctions in the fossil record. There are hundreds of minor mass extinctions in the past, of course, and it is a case of scale, or percentage, to call some periods major mass extinction events or just hiccups. I've always been of the Six Major Mass Extinction School myself... )  However, the evidence has been in for decades about the species loss rate, and geologists have known about it for all that time. Why the data is finally making it out now instead of earlier is the same reason that that 'climate change' or peak oil didn't hit the public radar until a few years ago: because laypersons, especially government, simply won't believe it. So when I was in Earth Sciences, I learned back then what would most likely happen around the world when peak oil, climate change and mass extinction met, and I took particular interest in the extrapolations for Canada.  We studied the current climate change and peak oil as simply a reality in the 80's. The current models that prominent scientists are now announcing are the scaled down versions, by the way. It's much worse than that, and will happen far faster. That's why mass extinctions are called 'events.' Because they happen so fast.

Climate change and peak oil are theories the way evolution and gravity are called theories: so that it can be changed or thrown out in the unlikely event that data shows up to contradict it, but we need to act as though it is a proven fact. We know about how climate change works because paleoclimatologists have spent over a century, using better and more sophisticated techniques, studying how our climates have altered in the past, and correlating them with carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere, temperature, and compared wind speed, storm frequency and strengths, and other factors. The earth's climate is always altering, only never before due to intelligent intervention as far as we know, and the fossil record shows clearly what will happen when dramatic shifts occur in atmospheric carbon and other factors.

From such data, we also know that, once started, major mass extinctions, like climate change, are extremely hard to stop. When key species are destroyed, or even extremely reduced - they don't have to all die off to have a catastrophic effect - then the Domino Effect devastates whole areas. When it affects a large part of the planet and many, varied species, it's a major mass extinction event.

What most scientists haven't pointed out is that major mass extinctions leave usually less than 20% of the general population alive, mostly small animals. No large creatures survive a major mass extinction, since everything at the top of the food chain is destroyed. Now. I want you to imagine what this place will look like with nearly 80% of species gone, and no large or medium animals at all. Everything around you. All those plants, oh, except for that type of bush. And that bug. There are lots of those left. Oh, there is one type of river critter left, but humans can't eat it. That's why it's still around. 1 ,

Now, humans are at the top of the food chain (well, usually, but you get the idea) of a very species rich and diverse ecosystem, and as such, have very specific and complex nutritional needs. We are not a 'robust' species compared to, say, rats, for example, which can survive and thrive on just about anything. If you change our salt, humans get goiter and die. If we go even a few months without fresh plant material, and the correct ones, we get scurvy and die. You get the idea... So. With less than 20% of species remaining, how you will meet your nutritional needs? With no bees to pollinate our crops? Or hunt with no large or even medium sized animals left? We haven't physically adapted since discovering fire, except maybe in places like the far North where humans became carnivores to meet their needs, but that was after 30,000 years of everyone who couldn't survive on just meat dying slow, painful deaths, and unable to have children that could survive. *That's* what physically adapting means.

And don't think we can breed and adapt quickly enough if the environment changes as fast as we know it can. Speaking as someone who gave birth twice, it isn't easy, and it takes years before a child can fend for itself. Even with full time sexuality, we breed far more like whales or elephants or bears than rabbits or cats and dogs, and look how fast whales and elephants and bears become endangered, how vulnerable they are, and how long it takes to recover their numbers when devastated... Oh, yes, much of their population reduction has not only been due to habitat destruction; human hunting has played a large role. But that factor will affect our numbers as well. Wars? Those petty little skirmishes over boarders and territory and resources? That was nothing. Think about what will happen when resources aren't just scarce-they are going extinct. And increasing our defence budget won't help. In the end, those resources will still disappear, and the climate change will still wipe out nearly every species alive.

Arguably, there has never been an animal as smart as humans before, as far as we know, so that may alter the odds a bit. However, humans do not adapt to their environment. In fact, humans actually adapt other species and environment to best fit our own needs. Usually. In this case however, our tech is fighting a losing battle with the greatest force in the world: the world itself. And the odds are very much against us. For science and tech to win out, we'd have to place every bit of our non-essential resources and effort into finding a way to halt or even slow down our own destruction. Paleoclimatologists have been searching the fossil records frantically for decades to find a answer, since not all extinctions were major, and sometimes climate change was limited to certain areas or reversed itself. Perhaps our salvation lies in the planet's past, which will certainly become our future. But very few fund that work or any other that might help us. *That's* why Dr. Suzuki said that governments that ignore this impending doom should be put in jail for crimes against humanity. Not that it will help any, but it will indicate a change of mentality that could actually aid us in our fight to put a slowdown on our own species extinction.

All creatures die. I will die. My son, whom I just gave birth to, will die. Even all species eventually die out. It's only a matter of time, the average for an individual species being about one million years. But our species will flare in the blink of an eye, in geologic time, and then burn out, far faster than most do. And the best part is that it will be all our fault, unlike other mass extinctions... Just think about how many cultures have been destroyed since the 1600's. Now imagine no more human culture at all. Anywhere. No more art. No more history. Nothing. That is what extinction means, and it's completely different from our own individual deaths. And though it seems inevitable, I will do my damnest to push the odds just slightly more in our favour. That's one of the reasons I put my energy into the Greens...

Some people call me extreme, but I *know*, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that every mile you drive pushes us that much closer to extinction. That every burger you eat from Mickey De's, that every purchase of a cheap doo-dad made in China and imported for Wal-Mart, every bottled water you consume, is one more nail in our coffin that we can't recover from. That every pill swallowed unnecessarily, and that's most of them, is just a bit more of our precious oil permanently taken out of the cycle for our use. Every purchase I make, I seriously question whether I need it, REALLY need it, and I mean every single one, down to the most banal. And I look at the packaging. I have never owned or driven a car, and I live in a century-old house that is about 900 sq. ft for all four of us. I live like a retreater in my city, trying to be as close to the earth and use as much appropriate technology as I can, since we will need them in the very near future, and they use up far less resources than our current culture. You think that we will be wasting oil manufacturing pharmaceuticals in 20 years? I study herbalism, because we are going to need that knowledge again. I grow my own food and herbs and bake and cook with simple, local ingredients. And I memorize where I can, and make music, which is one of our most important unique features as a species. I don't have to work hard to remember how important all this is. I live it because I know it, and I am never swayed or distracted by trivialities or the promise of creature comforts. I am relentless, and I never compromise.

I'm an environmentalist and an activist, and yes, a Goddess Earth Worshipper, because I have to be. And we all need to be, in a very real sense, or we are all dead. We personally will all die, of course, but our children are all dead. And their children. And then there will be no more. Ever.

Make no mistake. We are not fighting for the survival of the polar bears or the whales or the rainforest. We are fighting for our own survival.  I comfort myself knowing that, of the 20% of species that will survive, life will continue on the earth, in some form. It simply will not be anything we can imagine, and it probably won't have consciousness and culture the way we do. And no one, nothing, will ever know that we came this way. I, for one, do not believe is for the best...

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How to Brew your Medicinal Tea: A Quick Refresher!

I include these instructions with every herb purchase from my shop.  It's the quick version to get the most benefit out of herbs for those who are just starting out.

Suggested dosage: Begin with one teaspoon of herb per cup of water, then adjust for taste and effect desired. As some herbs do not fall to the bottom, we recommend using a tea baller or cheesecloth.

To get the most out of your medicinal tea, use fresh and cold, spring or distilled water.

To change the flavor, herbs may be blended with other herbal teas, such as peppermint, fennel, lemon balm, etc. without loss of potency. Any unprocessed sweetener can also be used in your tea, such as honey, maple sugar, stevia, etc. For maximum benefit, we do not recommend white or brown sugar.

Herbs, Leaves, and Flowers (Infusion or Tisane)

Measure out herb into cup or pot. Heat water in kettle. Pour into teapot or cup as soon as it begins to boil. Place saucer or lid over tea for 5 to 10 minutes for proper infusion. Drink immediately.

Hard Barks, Roots, and Berries (Decoction)

We recommend dedicating a small saucepan as your herb pot. It must be non-metallic, as metal will react with your brewing herb. A glass or enamel pan is best. Bring water to a boil, then drop in your herb. Turn down heat. Let simmer for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the herb. Drink immediately. For the quicker version, add herbs to pot, bring to boil, then immediately turn off burner and let cool.  Works best if you are brewing a bigger batch and are going to finish the rest of the concoction over a day or two and can therefore afford to let it sit.

To make enough for several days:

Use the same amount of water as for a single serving but double or triple the amount of herb and brew as usual. Place in glass or ceramic container, never metal or plastic, and refrigerate. It will keep for about 3 days. To use, do not reheat but add several teaspoons as desired to juice, herbal teas, and other natural beverages.
 
One can be very creative with herbs, and many forms of ingestion exist. I know many who eat both fresh and dried herbs for the medicinal benefits, sometimes as food, infused in oils, make into candies and treats, brewed into alcohol, or just straight out of a bag! Sometimes it's easier to incorporate herbs in your lifestyle by making only a very few changes. For example, putting the fresh, dried, or ground herbs in your espresso maker or your French press coffee machine gets a significant amount of the herbs' water-soluble components in your ordinary daily brew! (I currently have Horsetail and Ginseng in my special blend. If you come to my house for coffee, ask for regular grind.) It doesn't work so well in the drip kinds, of course.

Herbs have been our primary form of medicine for thousands of years, and humans have gotten very creative with them. They can be so easy to use, and can provide such great benefits! It requires so very little effort; you simply have no excuse not to discover how easily herb use can integrate into your lifestyle!

Alcohol free Herbal Toner, Splash, & Spritzer - How to Make & Use Traditional Herbal Vinegars

Our Handmade Herbal Vinegar, with some of the herbs...

One of the most oft used remedies in the ancient and medieval still room books is the herbal vinegar. Considered vital for all forms of beauty and health regimes, this humble concoction has fallen out of favour today, but it is the answer to so many of the pharmaceutical and chemical varieties that have replaced it. Women in the Western world have largely abandoned this traditional part of their regime entirely, thanks in large part to the modern burning alcohol based versions. But our grandmothers swore by it, and there was good reason. I have spent many years researching and experimenting with this marvellous product and with hair down to my knees and the clear, tone skin of a woman half my age, I can attest to it's healing and anti-aging properties!

The cosmetic type of vinegar of the past would be imbued with herbs that were more closely associated with beauty and skin conditions. This would then be diluted, usually with rosewater, then a splash of the final mixture would be added to rinse water after washing the face, hair, or body. It can help cure everything from dandruff to acne, and makes an excellent mild alcohol free toner. Used full strength in the final washing rinse, it was the original fabric softener.  It removes static and freshens clothes better than any commercial perfumed conditioner.  Try pouring it on a rag or new paper coffee filter and pop it in the dryer.  Instant dryer sheets, with no chemicals!

Another kind of vinegar I'm experimenting with is medicinal and culinary herb and fruit vinegars. Almost the same as herb wine, the mixture is further encouraged to vinegar, and it's taken a tablespoon in water for a refreshing medicinal beverage, or used in the cosmetic applications. For example, a calcium tonic with eggshells steeped in vinegar or wine is much cheaper and more bio-available than most pharmaceutical brands on the market. A traditional assistance for bone loss and nerves, you get far more useful calcium and other minerals than you could with most expensive mineral supplements! 1

If anyone's interested in using these but doesn't want to make their own at the moment, I'm currently selling these in our on-line stores. Let me do all the work!

For those that want to try these at home, here is an all-purpose cosmetic vinegar recipe based on traditional methods. (If you don't have all of these, try the common skin herbs you may already have around, like rose petals, lavender, rosemary, or chamomile.) We're supposed to have a slightly acid mantle on the skin. It helps retain moisture, is a better environment for our healing surface bacteria while preventing infections like acne and excema, and helps with tone. Harsh soaps in particular remove this mantle, and it can take hours to rebuild. Traditional toners after cleansing restore the pH acid mantle to the skin, leaving it softer and more youthful, the hair bouncer with less residue, and can help virtually eliminate dandruff.

Body vinegar:
one tablespoon each of dried or fresh:

lady's mantle
nettle
chamomile
white willow
fennel
elderflower
lavender flowers
red clover
calendula
rose petals
yarrow
comfrey root
horsetail
heart's ease
rosemary

Add enough apple cider or white wine vinegar to fill jar, stir or shake to remove bubbles, add lid, and set in the sun. Always make sure the herbs are covered to the top, to prevent rancidity, and invert every day or so to shake it up.

Filter out in a week. I put a funnel in a jar with a bit of cheesecloth and just let the herbs filter out by gravity without pressing or squeezing. You'll already see and smell in the difference in your vinegar! Now add equal amount of filtered water or hydrosol of your choice. I use rose, lavender, orange blossom, lime blossom or chamomile hydrosols. (Each one has different healing properties. Please see my links above for more information on the healing properties of some of the hydrosols.) Always dilute for use on person. Use few dashes in cool water to rinse skin, hair, or scalp after cleansing. Restores pH and acid mantle of skin, tones and helps cures eruptions. Helps with skin conditions of all kinds. Keep some in the fridge as a refreshing face and body spritzer on hot days. Safe for babies and children.

Don't forget to purchase real, brewed vinegar. Ordinary white vinegar now is just lab-created Acetic Acid diluted to 5%. It is certainly not nearly as beneficial to the environment to buy chemically made vinegar than simply white wine that's gone off, and it doesn't have the same richness of composition or balance of acids. Apple cider vinegar contains Malic acid, and has very different healing properties. Try different kinds of natural brewed vinegars, like rice and mead, and see if you can feel a difference!

And remember: If you are making healing teas, baths, soaps, or other projects, always get the finest quality, and protect the Earth, our Mother, by using organically grown where possible.

Please visit my shop for more traditional handmade cosmetics, tips, and still room products! http://misticalacscents.etsy.com/