Rethinking modernity, Nature and the sacred in an animistic manifesto for change, reflecting on the words of Diné anarchist activist Klee Benally and our spiritual war.
I was not aware of Klee Benally until now. Or you! I am grateful to have met you both. Your writing is life-affirming and reminding me we are not alone in our efforts to keep alive the seeds of cultural alignment with natural law. I look forward to reading more, from both of you! And, as one born in Turtle Island, how I wish I could vote for Lyla June this coming November. What a blessing she is. Onward...
Thank you so much, Gregory, and welcome to my little space. This gave me a smile after a rather challenging day.
We're most definitely not alone! The further I go on my journey, the more like-minded people I meet online, including those who turned out to live nearby. This is a tool of connection we must utilise to pool our ideas and knowledge and build communities, locally and worldwide.
I couldn't recommend Klee Benally enough. Reading "Hospicing Modernity" after Benally was deeply poignant. I see you mentioned Rupa Marya as well, that's another book that helped me process so much. And yes, how different would this world be if people like Lyla June were in charge...
I'm happy we've connected and I look forward to reading more from you.
This is an essay that addresses many of the real issues regarding people and planet, yet paradoxically continues political and social perspectives that will divide, polarize, and prevent any healing.
If we are going to continue in any quest in developing a re-engagement with planet, then simply put, there must be a re-establishment, a voluntary one, where those of such a bent of character can participate in real rural living.
This must be an approved condition in society, which currently is NOT the case.
Secondly, you have to demote abrahamic religion to at best a minor player in order to get a glimpse through nature of something else besides the machine god.
All the conquest, all the colonialism, all the extermination of competing spheres of knowledge are directly, intimately supported by the murderous abrahamic invader religions.
Thirdly, we have to stop the sick complex of worshipping victims, and deifying certain groups of people. If one has to have second helpings of guilt with every meal the resulting condition is simply to reinforce ideas, behaviors, and beliefs that lead to an exceptionalism we see at the root of so much dysfunction today.
Why all this?
If we really, truly want an open, newly defined relationship on all levels with planet, we have to face that planet as openly, innocently, and honestly as possible.
Hi Mike, many thanks for your comment! It certainly gives a lot of food for thought.
I'm not entirely sure where's the "yet paradoxically continues political and social perspectives that will divide, polarize, and prevent any healing" part coming from as that's the one thing I don't think I did. But of course, the moment you publish something it's inevitable the readers will have their own interpretations, and it's a good thing that opens conversations. I'm never writing to be right, but to open questions and prompts for new ways of thinking. I guess a lot of this comes down to how does one personally define "division" and "polarisation," though I'm also well aware that as an autistic person I naturally have a very blunt manner of delivering my thoughts and maybe it shows here.
From my position, I can't disagree with anything you said, I feel I addressed the very same thing in the essay and presented a case for creating "an open, newly defined relationship on all levels with planet" and "facing that planet as openly, innocently, and honestly as possible." I think you phrased this wonderfully.
Regarding abrahamic religions, I'm completely on board with what you're saying. I deliberately didn't delve into history of religion here as I was already in the 30+ minutes of reading territory and discussing religion from an anthropological perspective and delving into its prehistory would take this essay into 1+ hour territory, which is excessive for Substack. I had to settle for a swift remark on humankind creating gods in our image. Religion will get its own post(s), and I already touched on it in my previous essays (particularly the one published back in February, on goddess Brigid in the context of social changes and colonialism in Ireland).
I personally found your essay to be worthwhile, dealing with many of the issues that have personally surrounded me since I was very young.
What I find in regards to divisiveness has to do directly with ethnicity, mythology, and memory.
Frankly, I"m a little reticent to delve into a deeper explanation regarding specifics of division and polarization, because of the current volatile climate of hotbutton issues that are way too easily misinterpreted and misunderstood.
However, I think some questions can be asked, and must be asked. For example, an essential question revolves around access to land. Currently, land is increasingly being locked away, placed in a very few hands. When this is done by the dominant society it is cursed, but when it is done by tribal entities, its praised. I think access is a major issue, one that affected me deeply and personally.
So yeah, questions of access.
Hand in hand with this comes responsibility. All cutures seem to view the natural world as a bank to take unlimited withdraws from, and I mean all. Who then holds the responsibility for restitution for this taking, and how should this be managed?
I'll wrap it up by saying a great example of misdeeds is the current weaponization of wildfire, an extremely unbalanced and punishing approach, where fire is now actively killing wildlife and people, with the result that officialdom just wants more.
I don't know that any such conversations actually matter in the face of a corporate government structure determined to empower itself, and its foot soldiers who seem pathologically driven to ignore any interest other than their own. One can only hope that such thought could perhaps seed the future with potential to realize better the central importance of it all.
This seems like a lot to process but it really isn't. It all boils down to cooperation with the natural world rather than attempting to conquer it for personal gain. Something our ancient ancestors understood with the Druids and indigenous peoples around the world.
I wish there was a better way to transition back to that era but humans have gone too far now for them to go back without taking everything with them, like a bunch of very spoiled children.
My parents did teach me how to be self-sustaining as a child growing up. We were very poor so growing our own everything was the difference between hunger and surviving. We ate well for the most part because we took only from the land what we needed every year. We grew extra vegetables and harvested fruits and berries to sell for a little money to buy the little things our land couldn't provide.
But, we were looked down upon by the community for living so 'poorly'. That is what the human community is like in this age. You can't be a part of the community unless you are ambitious and wealthy. In order to be accepted, you must prove to them that you are successful and more competitive with other humans for the resources available. That is the measure of acceptance now.
I agree wholeheartedly that the human race needs a major reset back to the time of cooperation with the natural world. Stop all of of this competition for supremacy of the land. I fear that the planet will force that upon them someday and the big reset will happen whether they like it or not. Probably not and lots of them will die out. Maybe that isn't such a bad thing. Maybe I will get to watch it from under the Tree of life in the Summer lands when it finally happens.
I read the complete essay and while there is much that we humans are doing wrong, chiefly a result of our Belief Systems that say we must dominate the Earth and bring it under our Control, many of us are talking about a cooperative framework.
How this will be is hard to know, but I will take any movement away from the Competitive Model as a victory for Nature, which means for us.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing, Perry. You're a quick reader!
There is definitely more cooperation and openness to different modes of thinking evident than even before in my life. Of course, it has always been present, but something feels different this time, the scale and the depth of people's thoughts are different. Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but this is what I sense. For all the bad things our technology has brought, it enabled us to connect and exchange ideas across the globe like never before. We should harness that for the good of our communities.
I remain hopeful and determined, always. A respectful existence is possible.
I was not aware of Klee Benally until now. Or you! I am grateful to have met you both. Your writing is life-affirming and reminding me we are not alone in our efforts to keep alive the seeds of cultural alignment with natural law. I look forward to reading more, from both of you! And, as one born in Turtle Island, how I wish I could vote for Lyla June this coming November. What a blessing she is. Onward...
Thank you so much, Gregory, and welcome to my little space. This gave me a smile after a rather challenging day.
We're most definitely not alone! The further I go on my journey, the more like-minded people I meet online, including those who turned out to live nearby. This is a tool of connection we must utilise to pool our ideas and knowledge and build communities, locally and worldwide.
I couldn't recommend Klee Benally enough. Reading "Hospicing Modernity" after Benally was deeply poignant. I see you mentioned Rupa Marya as well, that's another book that helped me process so much. And yes, how different would this world be if people like Lyla June were in charge...
I'm happy we've connected and I look forward to reading more from you.
This is an essay that addresses many of the real issues regarding people and planet, yet paradoxically continues political and social perspectives that will divide, polarize, and prevent any healing.
If we are going to continue in any quest in developing a re-engagement with planet, then simply put, there must be a re-establishment, a voluntary one, where those of such a bent of character can participate in real rural living.
This must be an approved condition in society, which currently is NOT the case.
Secondly, you have to demote abrahamic religion to at best a minor player in order to get a glimpse through nature of something else besides the machine god.
All the conquest, all the colonialism, all the extermination of competing spheres of knowledge are directly, intimately supported by the murderous abrahamic invader religions.
Thirdly, we have to stop the sick complex of worshipping victims, and deifying certain groups of people. If one has to have second helpings of guilt with every meal the resulting condition is simply to reinforce ideas, behaviors, and beliefs that lead to an exceptionalism we see at the root of so much dysfunction today.
Why all this?
If we really, truly want an open, newly defined relationship on all levels with planet, we have to face that planet as openly, innocently, and honestly as possible.
Hi Mike, many thanks for your comment! It certainly gives a lot of food for thought.
I'm not entirely sure where's the "yet paradoxically continues political and social perspectives that will divide, polarize, and prevent any healing" part coming from as that's the one thing I don't think I did. But of course, the moment you publish something it's inevitable the readers will have their own interpretations, and it's a good thing that opens conversations. I'm never writing to be right, but to open questions and prompts for new ways of thinking. I guess a lot of this comes down to how does one personally define "division" and "polarisation," though I'm also well aware that as an autistic person I naturally have a very blunt manner of delivering my thoughts and maybe it shows here.
From my position, I can't disagree with anything you said, I feel I addressed the very same thing in the essay and presented a case for creating "an open, newly defined relationship on all levels with planet" and "facing that planet as openly, innocently, and honestly as possible." I think you phrased this wonderfully.
Regarding abrahamic religions, I'm completely on board with what you're saying. I deliberately didn't delve into history of religion here as I was already in the 30+ minutes of reading territory and discussing religion from an anthropological perspective and delving into its prehistory would take this essay into 1+ hour territory, which is excessive for Substack. I had to settle for a swift remark on humankind creating gods in our image. Religion will get its own post(s), and I already touched on it in my previous essays (particularly the one published back in February, on goddess Brigid in the context of social changes and colonialism in Ireland).
Thanks again for reading and commenting.
I personally found your essay to be worthwhile, dealing with many of the issues that have personally surrounded me since I was very young.
What I find in regards to divisiveness has to do directly with ethnicity, mythology, and memory.
Frankly, I"m a little reticent to delve into a deeper explanation regarding specifics of division and polarization, because of the current volatile climate of hotbutton issues that are way too easily misinterpreted and misunderstood.
However, I think some questions can be asked, and must be asked. For example, an essential question revolves around access to land. Currently, land is increasingly being locked away, placed in a very few hands. When this is done by the dominant society it is cursed, but when it is done by tribal entities, its praised. I think access is a major issue, one that affected me deeply and personally.
So yeah, questions of access.
Hand in hand with this comes responsibility. All cutures seem to view the natural world as a bank to take unlimited withdraws from, and I mean all. Who then holds the responsibility for restitution for this taking, and how should this be managed?
I'll wrap it up by saying a great example of misdeeds is the current weaponization of wildfire, an extremely unbalanced and punishing approach, where fire is now actively killing wildlife and people, with the result that officialdom just wants more.
I don't know that any such conversations actually matter in the face of a corporate government structure determined to empower itself, and its foot soldiers who seem pathologically driven to ignore any interest other than their own. One can only hope that such thought could perhaps seed the future with potential to realize better the central importance of it all.
This seems like a lot to process but it really isn't. It all boils down to cooperation with the natural world rather than attempting to conquer it for personal gain. Something our ancient ancestors understood with the Druids and indigenous peoples around the world.
I wish there was a better way to transition back to that era but humans have gone too far now for them to go back without taking everything with them, like a bunch of very spoiled children.
My parents did teach me how to be self-sustaining as a child growing up. We were very poor so growing our own everything was the difference between hunger and surviving. We ate well for the most part because we took only from the land what we needed every year. We grew extra vegetables and harvested fruits and berries to sell for a little money to buy the little things our land couldn't provide.
But, we were looked down upon by the community for living so 'poorly'. That is what the human community is like in this age. You can't be a part of the community unless you are ambitious and wealthy. In order to be accepted, you must prove to them that you are successful and more competitive with other humans for the resources available. That is the measure of acceptance now.
I agree wholeheartedly that the human race needs a major reset back to the time of cooperation with the natural world. Stop all of of this competition for supremacy of the land. I fear that the planet will force that upon them someday and the big reset will happen whether they like it or not. Probably not and lots of them will die out. Maybe that isn't such a bad thing. Maybe I will get to watch it from under the Tree of life in the Summer lands when it finally happens.
I read the complete essay and while there is much that we humans are doing wrong, chiefly a result of our Belief Systems that say we must dominate the Earth and bring it under our Control, many of us are talking about a cooperative framework.
How this will be is hard to know, but I will take any movement away from the Competitive Model as a victory for Nature, which means for us.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing, Perry. You're a quick reader!
There is definitely more cooperation and openness to different modes of thinking evident than even before in my life. Of course, it has always been present, but something feels different this time, the scale and the depth of people's thoughts are different. Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but this is what I sense. For all the bad things our technology has brought, it enabled us to connect and exchange ideas across the globe like never before. We should harness that for the good of our communities.
I remain hopeful and determined, always. A respectful existence is possible.