Revolution in Spirit

Today I took one of the dogs and went snowshoeing out in the Audubon/Portland Trails preserve off outer Congress. There is a waterfall down in there where I like to leave offerings for the land spirits. The sun was beautiful and bright like you only really get in the winter. Summer sun is nice no doubt, but it can be a bit heavy handed. Winter sun dazzles and shines with promise.

At any rate I think it was about 50 degrees, but it was breezy and kept me cooled off. As I was coming down the ridge towards the waterfall, I heard a hawk calling and stopped and watched a big mature redtail circle close in over the marsh. The shoes were making a lot of noise on the snow, so I think I put him up. I find it hard to identify different hawk species, but when the redtail shows it tail in all its glory, its unmistakable, and this particular one today was putting on a show.

I tossed a coin into the waterfall (hard to know its a waterfall when its all iced up) and headed back towards the railroad tracks. When I reached the top of the ridge on the west side of the tracks I stood to rest a bit (snowshoeing is great exercise btw) and saw a big bird flying west to east. It circled and when the light hit it there was no doubt it was a big mature bald eagle. Simply magnificent. My heart soared with the eagle.

When I got home I read an article in the Nation by Benjamin Barber. It's called "Revolution in Spirit" and you can read it here: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090209/barber

I figure I was out for an hour and a half on this brilliant warm winter day within the City limits and I saw only one other person out in the preserve. In a way its nice to have these places to oneself, but in another its kind of sad. Where was everyone? At the mall? Watching TV? Surfing the Net? who know. (It was too late for folks to be at Christian church).

I think paganism pushes me toward a revolution in spirit. It cost nothing to shoe through the park (I did pay 80 bucks for the snowshoes, I guess, and I left a quarter for the spirits) and I was spiritually refreshed. There is so much to see and experience just by going out and paying attention. The sea, the sky, the woods, and all thats in them, cannot be manufactured or marketed. Love it, respect it, or lose it I'm afraid.

Earth based spirituality prods me to get out and breathe in the air and really to become a part of the Mother Earth and all her progeny. It makes me feel whole and it helps me to work on the Revolution in Spirit.

Wassail!

Half Way Through

Winter is half over. Some folks are celebrating Imbolc now, others the Charming of the Plow, and some are watching the Superbowl.

With two feet of snow on the ground, its not the time to bring out the garden implements and bless them, nor is it the time to welcome the new green shoots of spring. That will come later. Nevertheless, its a spoke in the wheel of the year that's worth acknowledging. Here is an old English prayer (no doubt of heathen origin) that seems fitting for this time of year.

Erce, Erce, Erce, Mother of Earth,

Hail to thee, Earth, mother of men,

Be fruitful in God's embrace,

Filled with food for the use of men.