Climate Change

When I was about 10 years old I started reading about the Earth. It was around this time in my life that I learnt about “global warming” (or what I now refer to as “Climate Change”) and that the Sun had an expiry date. I’ll be honest, learning that the Sun would at some point explode and engulf our solar system really scared me. Thankfully, I realised that it probably wouldn’t happen in my lifetime or even in the lifetime of my great grandchildren.

I wish I could say the same thing about Climate Change.

I understand that when I start conversations about the problems we face as a species some people just don’t want to dwell on something that sounds so big and completely out of our control because that’s exactly how I felt when I was 10 and first started putting 2 and 2 together.

As each year goes by, more and more evidence that supports this ‘theory’ of climate change is being released:

• The World Meteorlogical Organization released a 10 year Climate Report (2001-2010) indicating that, even though the study was quite short, “…[climate scientists] increasingly conclude that many recent events would have occurred in a different way – or would not have occurred at all – in the absence of climate change”
• This study, undertaken by the University of Queensland in conjunction with Skeptical Science analysed data from the year I was born up until 2 years ago! It is seen as the most comprehensive survey on global warming ever done.
• I’ve also seen many videos where scientists from the 70’s talk of approximately 30 years of noticeably erratic weather (unfortunately I can’t find the resources – but feel free to do your own digging).

When will the evidence be enough to convince the masses of this urgent problem? No matter what I do to fix this problem, as long as there are people out there mining for coal and oil, burning massive amounts of fossil fuels and creating tonnes of waste that end up in land fills every day – there will still be this threat of global warming. Waiting another 20 years for more research to more or less prove this phenomena even more is illogical.

I’m not saying that we should all just change our lives overnight… I still use fossil fuels on a day-to-day basis because I know no different, but you know what? At least I’m conscious of it and take care with how much I use. Any little thing makes a difference, because the more people who do something instead of doing nothing will put pressure on the powers that be to also do something.

Here are some links to get you started:

• https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/ “A campaign of daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers – Committed to protecting our climate, our communities and our future, leading change for the better. Our goal is to inspire 1 million Australian women to take practical action on climate change by cutting 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the main greenhouse pollutant causing global warming.”
• http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/edible_city_grow_the_revolution_2012/ A feel good movie about what other people are doing to reduce their carbon footprint while also supplying jobs and food for low socio-economic groups.
• http://www.nativebox.com.au/getthebox.aspx A fun way to get a taste for eco-friendly products. Sign up for a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription and receive a box with samples of great Australian eco-friendly products.
• http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/climate/ This website helps people deal with the overwhelming feelings that may surface after learning of these issues. It also has some helpful tips to get people started on reducing their carbon footprint.
• http://sustainability.georgetown.edu/getinvolved/thingsyoucando/ Some easy things that you can do today to reduce your carbon footprint.

I feel like a broken record on this issue but I won’t be quiet until we make some real progress. In closing, I’d like to leave a video of this young girl, who is probably the same age as me when I learnt of global warming in the first place but more well spoken – she probably says it better in 5 minutes that I have for the last 11 years.

 

26/08/13 – Anxiety

I’ve suffered from what I call ‘anxiety’ for a good portion of my life. It’s always been there and I don’t think I can remember a time when I was free from it . Even now as I sit here writing this, I can feel my anxiety rising and my self talk responding most unkindly.

It is when this happens that I like to write. For years I thought that my anxiety defined me, that it was a part of my personality. On my bad days I thought there was something wrong with me. I tended to worry so much about things that no one else worried about; I used to get so frustrated. It was only when I graduated that I found a name for it and writing in my journals has really helped me find a cure.

After graduating I did a major spring clean of my life. I basically isolated myself for a month; I stayed in a country town with my family without much contact from my friends or family. I cleaned up my diet and started exercising regularly. I wrote everyday. I wrote about my thoughts, my dreams, what I thought they all meant. I documented conversations I had with people. I talked myself through a lot of my own issues, I saw the people in my life that were doing me more harm than good and I made the changes necessary so that I could live a full and happy life. When I look back on that time, I wonder how I found the strength to do what I did.

It’s times like this when I can feel my heart racing for no reason, when my breathing is shallow and my mind is telling me that I’m doing everything wrong that I’m grateful to journal writing. At one point I didn’t even know the triggers and I actually believed what my anxiety was saying to me. At this point in my life I can safely say that I have control over it and I’m doing all I can to hopefully be rid of it for good.

Pagan Blog Project #6 – The ‘F’ Word

In Western society there’s this weird taboo around words. Some words can’t be said in polite company because they’re offensive. Why is Feminism such a dirty word in our culture? If I claim to be a feminist at a party I know that at least one person will have an issue with that and try to convince me that being a feminist is about hating men and if I really wanted equality for women I shouldn’t be fighting for us to have more rights.

So, let’s set the record straight: Feminism is about equality for men, women and all those who identify as both, neither or somewhere in the middle. It’s about getting paid the same amount of money for doing the same job, it’s about turning up for work or college and not getting harassed, it’s about being able to choose who get’s to stay at home with the children instead of that role expected of the woman (even if she earns more than her partner), it’s about feeling comfortable enough to claim that I’m a feminist without the backlash. It’s about speaking up for those women in other countries who don’t have voices. I can’t understand why it’s seen as a controversial subject, even those closest to me stop listening when I say the ‘F’ word. Why wouldn’t you want 100% equality for your mothers, daughters, sisters and friends?

I could rant about the patriarchy – but I feel like that’s another one of those taboo words.  So, let’s move away from these words and talk about the concept instead because feminism is for men too.

We have these stereotypes and labels that are harmful for both men and women. Our leaders are usually ‘manly’ men; they are intellectual and value materialistic things but when a woman displays these characteristics and finally becomes the leader of our country she is shut down again and again, not only by the opposition leader but also by radio hosts and the like. Valuing masculine characteristics like individuality, competitiveness, etc then hating women when they start displaying these characteristics is just as hypocritical and wrong as telling young boys to stop crying and ‘be a man’, for example. You are effectively telling young boys that emotions don’t matter. This perpetuates this idea that feminine characteristics and values such as emotions and ‘crying’ are bad things. Does that mean women are bad? It sure as hell makes me feel like it sometimes.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely don’t think everyone should stop being masculine and start becoming feminine. The human species is probably the most successful on Earth at this point in time and we have the masculine qualities such as competitiveness, independence, more logically focused and rebellious behaviours to thank for that.

However, we have devalued and tormented the Feminine qualities in the process. Qualities such as creativity, intuition, empathy, compassion, etc have been mocked for being ‘illogical’ or ‘not real/proven’. It is because of this that I believe we have lost the respect for our home (Earth) and that has caused complete devastation of rainforests, oceans, rivers, etc. We’re seeing major problems with food all around the world including the unsustainable practice of Big Agriculture, poverty, eating disorders, massive food wastage, etc. Our medical systems have become so advanced that we are seeing a decline in our own innate immune systems – the rise of anti-biotic resistance and food sensitivities are evidence of this. We’ve also turned pregnancy and labour into hyper-medical events, in the process dis-empowering the feminine even further. Our lives are usually filled with work that a majority of us could say we dislike or even hate – why?

There have been archeological evidence of women led societies in the past, but as a majority men have always been in a place of power within human society. This makes sense from a biological point of view; we are mammals and a wide majority of mammals have a social hierarchy centered around the males of the species.

So I guess you could say that I’m encouraging a type of evolution within our species. We should stop mocking feminine qualities as ‘weak’ ‘unnecessary’ or ‘illogical’. We should accept that in every person there is both feminine and masculine qualities (regardless of sex or gender) and I truly believe that if we balance them we’ll see our species furthering even more and at the very least avoiding a societal collapse.

 

Weather Observations – 19/8/13

It’s been a wet spring – it hasn’t necessarily been raining but there’s been a lot of moisture in the air. The plants have been loving it. Majority of days have been sunny and quite warm late morning to early afternoon. Nights have been cold with fog and frost sometimes making an appearance.

About 2 weeks ago I saw a big group of Jellyfish in the river that I regularly cross to get into Sydney. I kept my eye out for them again last week and I couldn’t see any of them – was that their seasonal breeding time? Brian says he’s observed a similar group quite a few years back when he went for a holiday on the river during the summer months.

The birds have been pretty loud and fussy for the last 3 weeks as well. I’ve seen nests appearing in the tops of trees.

The wind has also picked up a bit on a few days – it’s a warm wind that seems to circle around (instead of coming from one location). This reminds me of a spring about 3 years ago when it was so windy that all the wattle trees had their yellow flowers blown off – they all sat in little yellow fluffy piles on the road.

The wattle is still out now though and hasn’t been effected by the wind much. Although it did only hang around for a day or two.

Our Wedding – 23/7/13

Last week I got married.
Where do I even go from there? Nothing I say here will even come close to explaining just how magical the ceremony was nor how amazing my now husband and I felt on that day. But alas, I promised a post about the ceremony so here it is!

What is Marriage?

To me and my husband, marriage is a stepping stone to raising a family (that doesn’t mean we believe it’s necessary for others but for us it’s important) and having a family has been one of my lifetime goals since I was a little girl. In fact, Brian and I have very similar life time goals, including raising a family, and this was the reason we decided to get married. Sure, we love each other and that’s a lot of the reason why we’re still together but it’s not the reason why we got married.

Marriage is how you say to the world “we’re a team and we will deal with everything together”. It’s a guarantee to our future children that there will always be someone there who will love and take care of them because we are bound not only by law to each other but also by our souls; in both inner and outer worlds so to speak.

We chose to hold the ceremony on the full moon as this is when I believe my power is at it’s greatest (plus it’s pretty).

The Spiral Aisle

Our aisle was created by our guests into the shape of a spiral. To me, walking into the center of the spiral signified entering into the inner world. Before we walked down the aisle we stood at the entry accompanied by our wedding party, while our celebrant explained the extent of the commitment Brian and I were about to make to us and our guests. He then asked us both separately if we were here of our own free will and accord. Our bridal party then walked down the aisle, alternating boys/girls, followed by me and Brian walking together hand-in-hand. We then conducted the spiritual ceremony in the center of the spiral.

Blessings, Cleansing and Drawing Down of the God and Goddess

The inner circle of the spiral aisle consists of the Bridal Party, our family and then our friends around the outside. Once we have settled into the center of the aisle our celebrant asks our guests if we have their blessings. There’s a number of ways to do this but we chose to get our guests to yell it out all at once. It took about 3 goes to get a good loud response from everyone but it made everyone relax – with such an out of the ordinary wedding I feel this really loosened up the atmosphere a bit (and stopped me from shaking with nerves haha).

We were then cleansed and told to leave our worldly worries behind us so as we may focus on our wedding ceremony. We chose to use salt water but you could use anything really as long as you feel new and free afterwards. After the cleansing we called down the God and Goddess into Brian and I respectively. Our celebrant placed a crystal wand on one of our shoulders then starting with Brian said:

“Brian, I ask you to call upon all that is divine within you, let it come forth and shine. In you lives the essence of the Gods, the active force that has sparked and powered all life.You are he who has been worshiped and adored throughout the ages. You are husband, father, lover, protector, visionary, friend and confidant. In you is everything that anyone could ever aspire to be and more. In you is strength and wisdom, perfection and peace. Shine mighty one and show to all the God within.”

“Amanda, I ask you to call upon all that is divine within you, let it come forth and shine. In you dwells the essence of the Great Mother and the divine feminine principle of the Universe. You are she who has been worshiped and adored throughout the ages. You are wife, mother, healer, friend, prophet, and confidant. In you is everything that any one could ever aspire to be and more. In you is strength and wisdom, perfection and peace. Shine dear one and show your true nature as Goddess.”

This felt right for us as Brian and I identify with the qualities of the God and Goddess however it could be the other way around. It doesn’t have to be God=the man and Goddess=the woman. Nor does it even have to be a God/Goddess at all, it could be anything as long as it makes you feel strong and like your true, inner self.

Exchanging Rings, Handfasting Ritual and the Vows

We then cleansed our wedding rings in water from the place we got engaged, again this can be done in any way. Wedding rings are still an important wedding tradition in modern times (if I could do it again though I would try harder to find Brian an engagement ring and plan a proposal for him). Our rings are in the shape of a circle which has no beginning and no end, a circle symbolises a continuing bond and the equality of the wearers. We chose rings that had a similar theme (mine is in the shape of leaves and his is inlaid with wood) which we believe links us and our common goals. Once they were cleansed we handed them to our parents to ‘warm’ – they infused good thoughts, feelings, advice, etc into them.

We were then given our rings to hand to the other if we chose to be wed. First Brian, then me. We put the rings on each other then said some standard vows.

Our celebrant then called upon our mothers who were minding each of our handfasting cords (which we made ourselves). Our celebrant twisted them together and then tied them around our clasped hands.

Whilst our hands were clasped we stated our personal vows. As a general thing I said what I believe our marriage will be about and promises that I intend to keep. I also spoke about what I wish for our future.

Removal of Handfasting and Blessing of the Hands

At this point we let our hands go, leaving the handfasting cord tied. A red sash was then draped over our holding hands again and a blessing was said over them.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today tomorrow and for the rest of your lives.These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow and tears of joy.These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these ARE the hands that, even in the twilight of your years, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

After the blessing of the hands, we sealed our vows with a kiss then exited the spiral and went to do all the legal stuff. At this point we then walked back down the aisle to be presented as Mr. and Mrs. where our friends and family congratulated us on our way back out and rained rose petals over us.

Conclusion

I think if I could do it over again, there would be a few things I would change. In saying that though I’m extremely happy with how things went on the day and it’s only in hindsight I have those thoughts.

Brian and I wanted to create a ceremony which reflects us as people and clearly represents the people who we aim to become. We want future generations to not be restrained to having traditional beliefs, ceremonies, rituals, etc just because that’s what’s expected. It was a hard journey as most of our family were very skeptical of what we had planned, but in the end it turned out beautiful and everyone was pleased and moved by how emotional it was.

Rituals are important to me, you just have to look back through my posts to see that. This one was one of the most important ones that I will ever have to attend and I’m glad we chose to personalise it as much as we did.

Note: Please don’t steal any of these photos. They are images of a very important and vulnerable time for Brian and I. We would appreciate your respect and understanding in making sure that if you want to share them, to keep the corresponding information with them. Thank you.