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Author Topic: Environmentalism as a spiritual duty  (Read 1087 times)

softlight

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Environmentalism as a spiritual duty
« on: October 17, 2015, 02:11:02 pm »
This is largely a question for animists or people who believe that the earth and the waters and sky have spirits within them, whether that they ARE innately spirits or that there are spirits that can live within them...

What if a lot of things we do are harming sensing beings, and seeking justice and protection for these beings is hindered by people who believe they don't exists? My spirit friends have said they would appear in the skies and let me take pictures if it will help, but the problem is that can be explained with pariedolia. I think if they could make them very clear that might change things, but maybe not. I have also asked if they could write words in the sky it might help as well, if we are to respect each other we need clear means of communication, otherwise people are just making things up in their heads and saying the gods say so. I want spirits to be able to speak for themselves. They have said they will practice on me and I have agreed to be a guinea pig knowing.. well.. that doesn't always go well. They have said it hasn't been going very well and that with me I still am lacking in discernment and ability to determine what is my thoughts and what is there's. (I am just assuming everyone here knows to keep their own skepticism and that I have my own skepticism and agnosticism in place but it's exhausting to write that all out before every UPG discussion so sometimes I go with that.)

So, agreeing to try to protect earth spirits form human harms, a lot of production, manufacturing, fracking, drilling, mining practices can leave a great deal of harm for the earth. I tell them though, how can humans know what does or does not harm if they don't see any signs the earth herself is living or hear what the needs are? I completely understand why people would remain skeptical and continue to do things that serve their interests when they are without evidence it's hurting sensing beings. However when it comes to plants and animals, we at least know these beings are alive, and advocacy for their treatment seems a basic of any ethical system to me personally.

So, while I think many work together to serve animals and plants, and the environment for the sake of humans-- I am curious if there are forms of environmentalism that are rooted in also having respect for land wrights and nature spirits and attempts as best we can to understand and respect their needs (given our limitation at understanding if they are even there or what they might want or need)- and that would seek to grow our ability to help individuals and systems grow symbiotic rather than predatory relationships with one and other for the good of the whole, with respect to the reasons predatory relations might form or be circumstantially beneficial for some things.

softlight

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Re: Environmentalism as a spiritual duty
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2015, 03:17:20 pm »
Quote from: softlight;181125
This is largely a question for animists or people who believe that the earth and the waters and sky have spirits within them, whether that they ARE innately spirits or that there are spirits that can live within them...

In line with this article about "being the change" I feel called to a very active form of community building with a focus on relearning how to live with nature and building support structures that enable individuals to have more sustainable living options in their lives. Making friends with plants and animals, learning forest gardening and sustainable growing of food that is kind to plants and animals. Respecting the wild nature and way plants and animals form deep relationships including things like plants providing food for caterpillars and the butterflies helping the plants reproduce. Accepting that predatory relations are interwoven with nature at present and unravelling that will need to be a delicate slow process that sustains predator species along with others and respects the good being done in these processes as well as seeks if new ways are possible to sustain the same good with less harm. Today I could hardly believe it, I walked out my door a beautiful hawk was sitting in short tree before me, instead of flying away it flew to the hummingbird feeder and sat and looked at me just a few feet away. I wanted to express the honor and offering of friendship, so I sat down thinking this is the least threatening thing I can do. The hawk flew down and sat in the grass. It began to be interesting in the bushes before me and was making soft sweet sounds that I had no idea a hawk could make. I feel they have been nudging me to talk more with others about these experiences, to support humans in their spiritual growth and making these leaps in compassion and unity and understanding and wisdom with other beings and this world but I haven't know how to talk to people about it. I think we will need each other to do this. Remember that activity light as a feather stiff as a board? We can't as individuals just live off the earth, we are forced to pay for our land and to sell things, we can't just be hermits and very few of us are capable of sustaining ourselves all alone. We need t build communities to do this. We need each other.
« Last Edit: October 24, 2015, 05:43:23 pm by SunflowerP »

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