I seem to be settling in on a spiritual path of sorts. I want to continue to explore my Quaker roots but I’m being pulled towards what we understand of Druid tradition with a split between bard and healer. There’s a good website, The Henge of Keltria. Celtic tradition; what we know of it. The ancient Irish didn’t believe in writing things down. They valued ancestral memory and the ability hold that knowledge in their minds. The downside is that when bearer dies without passing his/her treasures to another generation the knowledge is lost. Perhaps forever.
So, while I’m trying to figure out just who inhabits the Celtic pantheon, my reading seems to be focused on number four of the Henge’s basic beliefs. “We believe that all life is sacred and should neither be harmed nor taken without deliberation or regard.” Just reread Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. There’s a lot of good material in this one. Especially in the little sidenotes from her husband and older daughter.
Anything by Wendell Berry that I can get my hands on. His essays are a treasure trove. Place matters. Knowledge of place matters and needs to be valued. I need to double check his assertion that Iowa will be out of topsoil by 2050. It wouldn’t surprise me though.
I have a couple of Vendana Shiva’s essay collections. I need to revisit those. She and those who support her have been in the frontlines opposing the likes of Monsanto and Dow. Two prime examples of the idea that life not only isn’t sacred, it exists to be exploited as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.
Along with Hope’s Edge that should keep me busy for awhile. And provide a wealth of blogging material.
Oh, and All Our Relations by Winona LaDuke.
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