Bald Eagle Decapitated in Louisiana.

By Mark Morgenstein, CNN

(CNN) -- A brutal, fatal case of suspected cruelty to animals is under investigation in Louisiana, the state's wildlife department said in a press release Tuesday. Agents from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries found a beheaded bald eagle Sunday in a drainage ditch in Franklin Parish, in the northeastern part of the state, according to the release.

Green Man: Every time an animal dies in such a senseless and cruel manner, my heart literally aches. But, to see our national animal and the symbol of freedom, so disrespected is nearly more than I can bear. Especially since raptors are some of my favorite animals. The Red-Tail Hawk is my main animal guide and I'm lucky to see them quite frequently here in Colorado. I often find I see them when I need a message of hope or strength.

They also have been known to visit me in times of trouble. Once, my wife, some friends and I were going to Las Vegas to party and otherwise debauch ourselves when the plane we were about to leave on was delayed. It turns out that a Red Tail hawk had been sucked into one of the plane engines on the plane's previous flight. I had a sinking feeling that was a bad sign for things to come. As it turns out, I ended up taking way to much ecstasy in Vegas and nearly blacked-out. When I came to, the next day, I found myself in the midst of a mental breakdown.

The over-dose of drugs flared up my mental illness and I literally said less than a dozen words for the next three days as I followed my wife and friends around Vegas like a lost puppy dog. I was so out of it that at one point I asked my wife if I had lost my sanity. I was terrified because I couldn't hold a train of thought for longer than about 2 minutes before forgetting. I couldn't activate my brain to analyze my emotions or the situation I was in to return to a sense of normalcy. The flight home was surreal where I thought everyone on-board was talking about me and every time I'd hear people laugh I assumed they were laughing at me. I didn't get things back under control until I got back to the house and could take my medications.

Upon contemplating at home about the trip, I saw the death of that hawk as a warning to me of things to come if I kept on that course. I saw it too as a sign to stop the heavy drug use, which I did. Now, I just stick to the natural stuff--marijuana, which actually helps my mental illness. That was also a time when I wasn't fully diagnosed yet and wasn't taking adequate amounts of medication in the first place. I was finally and accurately diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder not long after the Vegas incident, and have since improved though I am unable to work because of the disorder. Mental illness runs in my family; well, it practically gallops in the family, so I knew I was probably going to have some issues at some point.

Ecstasy is a drug that unlocks a lot of spirituality and understanding of the deeper realities of life. However, it should be used sparingly, and not multiple times through-out the night with alcohol, as I did. I believe that most people (adults) should try it at least once but from an attitude of spiritual awakening, respect and with a guide to help you stay safe. It's good to have someone to remind you to drink water through-out the high because it's easy to get dehydrated and over-heated, which was my other problem. The alcohol didn't help that aspect either. But, don't drink too much water either because that can be problematic, as well. I found the sweet spot to be a tall glass about every hour. I'd have someone set their watch to go off every hour to keep everyone aware.

But, I digress. Animals can be such amazing blessings to our lives if we let them be but all too often we see them as objects to use any way we see fit. So, to see an animal not only senselessly killed but tortured on top of that just makes me want to vomit. It makes me very disappointed in my fellow humans.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Sarah Palin: The Caribou Predator.

Caribou Barbie (otherwise known as Sarah Palin) was seen again recently traipsing through the mighty, Alaskan wild. Critters, campers and remote, cabin dwellers, beware because she's always packing a thunder stick!! News reports out of the Alaskan frontier seem grim to be sure. As it turns out, Palin gunned down a caribou for her "realty t.v." show. It has been asserted that it was hunted using, "fair chase" rules that are supposed to be an ethical way to hunt. One of the criteria is that you do not bring dishonor to the prey, which is great, but Palin did no such thing.

She killed an innocent animal in the name of: entertainment, financial benefit and political pandering. According to this environmentalist, that's not bringing honor to the animal. She callously and needlessly snuffed out the energy of that noble, sacred being. How can it not be dishonorable to kill a child of Mother Nature, which is the foundation for native, Inuit culture; in the name of entertainment? That would be like a Christian killing an angel. It is said that, "Every caribou has a bit of the human heart in him; and every human has a bit of caribou heart." So, how honorable is it to destroy a bit of the human heart? It's deplorable. With the exception of the bear, none are given higher recognition than the caribou within the native peoples of northeast Alaska and northwest Canada.

She also dishonored that caribou when one realizes that the caribou was traditionally hunted for survival. I am not against hunting (except for sport) but It's hard to say that the ridiculously wealthy, Palin family would have starved had she not murdered that animal. She said a very short, "thank-you" in a vain attempt at the bare minimum toward honoring the spirit of the animal. Sarah Palin is no friend of the environment, which she claims to cherish and love so much. She is a usurping, manipulator of nature, and a woman who could churn up nature faster than a tornado churns up a shit storm. If my animal friends up in Alaska around Sarah Palin's hunting range could hear me, I'd be screaming, run!!

PHOTO CREDIT: George River Caribou by Robert Bateman

~The Green Man has Spoken~

The Cheshire Cat Walks Beside Me.

Like a ghost shepherding a lost soul the feline has oft appeared and walked within my shadow throughout my tumultuous and bizarre life. Often from afar they peer deep into the recesses of my well traveled mind and communicate with the cat woven into my essense. The left-over energy from a past life lived as a mysterious yet intelligent feline. It's the delicate way in which I walk and tread lightly around squeaky spots in the floor, or the heightened-sensitivity to noise; still yet, perhaps it's how at night I come alive. Of course my intuition is also quite cat-like; a gift that I will always admire my mother for passing onto me. Anyway, the list of traits I share with the cat are uncanny and reassuring. Regardless, who wouldn't want to be watched over by one of the most mysterious, ancient and intelligent creatures ever to walk the skin of Earth?

Ironically I have had a rather aloof experience with the feline community over the years. That said, if you know anything about cats then you are aware that cats are often independent, solitary creatures, so it isn't uncommon for cats to avoid one another. In my case, I would frame my relationship with other feline energies to one of mutual respect and tolerance. You might be saying, "Green man, aren't cat lovers supposed to smother their cats?" Actually, from my experience cats prefer limited interaction and that is why having a feline friend would be good for me. Both the cat and I like our space and independence yet like to have a friend around for rainy days. But I digress a bit from the original thesis of this essay. I was speaking about cats walking along side my path like old, trusted allies letting me know that I'm still in the secret society from my past life living amongst their silent kind.

Every place we've moved (my wife and I), cats have always found us. Around the marking of the millennium, my wife and I were newly weds living in Boulder, Colorado. I was following my high-school theatre dream of getting my university degree in acting but as the schizoaffective disorder mercilessly took over my mind I was failing a lot of other class like math and science. I was on a bad streak of downward slips into the deep bowels of depression when one day I came home from classes and saw a beautiful tiger stripe house cat sitting on the deck fence. I stood still and remained quiet because like me, cats have a tendency to spook. I also didn't look at her directly in the eyes but she didn't leave.

So I softly walked over to the stairs just to her right and below and sat on one of the steps; squishing my body against the hand railing to give her plenty of room to feel comfortable. Then, we just sat there in perfect, rejuvenating silence. Her soft presence and quiet, limited movements were like guidance from a Zen master on how to slow down and concentrate upon the immediate moment. Together we enjoyed that moment, which included a nice warm gentle breeze blowing through the pines trees just in front of the deck. One of the best smells to help me relax is the fresh scent of pine in the air. It's a fresh scent that does have this seemingly inexplicable power of giving you a feeling of being cleansed of heavy, stagnant energy.

My feline friend watched over me for about 15 minutes before taking one last look at me and slipping off into the bushes. My heart was in bliss from that intimate, one-on-one bonding with that cat as she helped me stop and just enjoy the moment. It was a wonderful gift and that is how most of my cat encounters go--intimate but respectful of the others space. Cats and I seem to have this unspoken understanding and ability to communicate with the mind. It must be the shared intuition because I don't feel that with any other animal. Then there are the stray cats that always seem to know to come to our house for some food, shelter and help. We've lived in our current place for about 10 years and in those 10 years we've had at least 4 strays end up at our house. It's like they can sense the familiar energy and know this is a safe place for them to come. Besides me, my wife is also a big animal person so between us we send out the right signal I guess.

We're vegetarian in part because we love animals so much but the funny thing is that we keep some cans of tuna fish around for our feline family to eat when they show up on our doorstep tired, scared and hungry. I share with you one last story about my connection to cats because I see I'm going on long with this post. My wife use to work with this woman who had tons of dogs but only one cat, so he was often overlooked. One late afternoon my wife and I were visiting their house. The people who live there were being their usual clueless, unaware selves and after a short while I began to feel that someone was watching me, and it was increasing with intensity the longer I didn't look. It felt like the side of my face was slowly but surely warming up. So I turn my gaze over and notice their cool, laid-back cat staring right at me. I felt immediately that he wanted something, so I asked in my head, "What do you need friend?" And I know this sounds kooky but after I said that in my mind the cat looked up at this empty food dish on the counter and then back at me again!! Immediately I asked the woman who lived there that I thought the cat was hungry. So she went to grabbed the kitty food and this cat was already on the counter waiting for his meal.

I have a strong feeling that I was a priest in a past life too in ancient Egypt where I had a lot of connection with cats because of vivid dreams and visions I've had, which is also partly why I have been attracted to Crowley for some time, but from afar. Anyway, this was before I had an amazing vision while on LSD of this black cat wandering through a dimly lit pyramid or underground temple. A lot of native peoples in Latin and South America use hallucinogenic drugs to uncover their power animal or totem animal. I took my visit from this black cat in ancient Egypt to have been one of those mystical moments of bonding because he appeared into my vision throughout that LSD trip whenever I felt anxious or edgy. His face would just appear in front of me and fracture into a honeycomb of many reflections of his face, which was accompanied by waves of peace emanating from his eyes. I know, a lot of this sounds kooky and that's fine if you feel that way but while I don't believe that all of this kind of stuff is real and meaningful; there is a part of these experiences, which seen the right way can be great guides as you navigate through life. So, the next time you see a stray cat--it might just be me. ;)

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Rainbow of Death.

I know it's hard to watch but PLEASE watch this video. Don't push this disaster into the back of your mind. We need to face what we are doing to our Earth--NOW. If you are Christian and naively believe we can do anything to Earth and God will save us--think again. What do you think your God would think of what we've done to his green garden of Eden? Do you think he'd like coming back and seeing all the garbage we've dumped into his creation? He might come back--who knows, but I doubt he'd be happy about our actions toward the home he supposed created for us.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Still Affecting Alaska Communities.

(Green Man's commentary follows the news article below):

From Dan Simon and Augie Martin, CNN

Cordova, Alaska (CNN) -- For third-generation fisherman John Platt, the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill is a financial and psychological nightmare that won't end. Three years after the 11 million-gallon spill in Prince William Sound blackened 1,500 miles of Alaska coastline, the herring on which he and other Cordova fishermen heavily relied disappeared from the area. Platt and some others stuck around, fishing for salmon and hoping things would improve. The herring never returned to Cordova. Platt's income plummeted, severely straining his marriage and psyche. He dipped into his sons' college funds to support his family.

"I wasted 20 years of my life," he said. Platt and other people in the Alaskan village of about 2,500 people say they still are suffering economically and emotionally 21 years after the oil disaster. The herring loss alone has cost the region about $400 million over the past 21 years, according to R.J. Kopchak, a former fisherman who is now developmental director at Cordova's Prince William Sound Science Center. The average fisherman suffered a 30 percent loss in income after the spill, but those who specialized in just herring lost everything, Kopchak said.

The surface oil from the spill had largely disappeared within three years of the spill, according to studies conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Response and Restoration. But oil residue still can be found on the shore. "It is a lingering problem, as they say, with no easy solution," Kopchak said.

Money from Exxon hasn't made the fishermen's problems disappear. Besides the $2.5 billion that Exxon is estimated to have paid for the cleanup, it reportedly paid $300 million soon after the disaster to 11,000 fishermen, fish processors and others affected. In 1994, a federal jury ordered Exxon to pay $5 billion in punitive damages, but appeals reduced that award to $507.5 million. Last year, a federal court ordered Exxon to also pay $470 million in interest on the punitive damages. Platt says he has received about $600,000 from Exxon. But most of it was used to clear liens on his fishing permits and boats, he said.

Green Man: This makes me think about all this talk about "cleaning up" these oil spills. We need to be careful when talking about "cleaning this up" because it will never be fully cleaned up, and after the cameras and journalists go away the people who live there can't as easily leave. Their whole lives are there in that region (families, friends, churches, schooling, etc) and their way of life, (whether it be fishing or farming) is all they know how to do.

It's good, honest work but even their strong traditions can't over-come a disaster like this. They're stuck in this oily nightmare for decades at least. Perhaps what's worse though is that the oil guys will have to go back to doing that dangerous and dirty job again because that's what they are trained in. Yet B.P. will recover and be back to making billions every time their CEO takes a breath that they'll be fine. They won't be the one's to feel the brunt of this disaster that they caused.

In a related note, as you know I adore animals and seeing all these sea turtles, birds and fish sick or dying because of this disaster makes me wonder if we can nail these oil bastards with animal cruelty laws. I bet we could. We should be hitting them with every charge we can think of but even then it wouldn't make up for this nightmare. The tooth paste (or oil in this instance) can't be put back into the tube.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Should We Genetically Engineer Farm Animals to Feel Less Pain?

The New York Times had a very interesting Op-Ed Friday, which took an unusual approach to the concern that factory farms are inhumane. Adam Shriver, a doctoral student in the philosophy-neuroscience-psychology program at Washington University, makes the argument that the key to raising more humane meat isn't changing the methods by which they are raised, but to genetically engineer them so they feel less pain from their conditions.

James: Are you kidding me? This sounds like some bizarre Nazi eugenics experiment. Why don't we just genetically engineer these animals to have no legs, no eyes and no brains so that they're just a pile of meat? I think, (as a reader on Huffington Post said) it's the humans who should be genetically engineered to learn how to care for other living beings other than themselves. Better yet, maybe we should genetically engineer the homeless so that we can eat them!! Isn't it funny that we'll eat fist fulls of meat and think nothing of it but find cannibalism to be revolting? Maybe people would care more about the treatment of these animals if their meat came to them like it did when people lived on the farm--bloody, hairy and with the hooves still on it.

As it is people don't even have to think about where that meat comes from and what it looked like when that animal was slaughtered, drained of blood and skinned. People just go buy the plastic covered sanitized version, which helps them not think about where it came from. In addition, maybe people would think twice about eating if they had to kill, skin and gut their own meat. But there are other reasons to be against eating meat, "Meat production is also responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all modes of transportation." For these and other reasons I went vegetarian four years ago.

PHOTO: Animal rights activist Harmony Qura lays spattered with fake blood in a giant meat tray during a protest on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 2, 2007. Oct. 4-10 is World Farm Animals week and activists around the world are demonstrating to put an end to animal suffering at factory farms and slaughterhouses. Reuters photo: Jason Reed

I Went to the Woods.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

~Henry David Thoreau

Green Man: We have tamed our earthy ancestral roots with the rope of a neck tie and the apron ties of a house wife. Our inner connection with nature has been buried by layer after layer of materialistic pursuits. We have traded the protective, giving and sacred labyrinth of nature for the cold, gray, polluted concrete jungle, which are our cities. We have destroyed much of nature including the recent guardians of them -- the First Nation Americans. Still, there are some of us who heed the call of the wild, pick up the tradition from the First Nation people and seek out the untamed pockets of the natural world so that we might always remember our true source of life. I was lucky to have been born and raised not a few miles from the great, untamed Rocky Mountains and spent just as much time wandering through the great pine forests as I did the barren concrete side walks of "progress." I know the sounds, smells and instincts of the wilderness like I know my own neighborhood.



I am a child of the woods and thus guardian of these sacred spaces. Especially a spot so remote into the high mountains and dense pine stands that in 14 years of backpacking to it I can count on one hand the amount of other people I've seen up there. It is a hallowed place, which has become a place that our family cherishes deeply. It is an oasis of untamed land where moose and large herds of elk and deer roam freely. They have been under protective status in this area for so long they seem right at home sharing the land with us. I have had the humbling honor of moose walking by our camp within 10 yards or so. We come to an understanding especially with the moose who are the animals that most frequent our divine alpine lake. When they look at me I avert my eyes slightly so as not to be confrontational but in that shared moment an understanding is reached to respect each other's space and right to enjoy the land. For all are but guests when visiting the wilderness.



It saddens me that many people including children have not even seen a cow let alone some of the most raw, natural wonders of this divine planet we share with all expressions of existence be it animal, plant or rock. It is with that knowledge that I recognize my fortuitous circumstances to be able to live in such an area like Colorado, which is one of the last truly untamed places left in America. As I've said the woods have been my companion and guide since I was a child and even still after all these years of visiting I learn knew lessons each time I enter their inner sanctuaries.



There is an immediate change that occurs when you take that first step to engulf yourself in a forest. Things get instantly much quieter as if in reverence to the natural temple that is a forest. So that when something does sound like a bird call it becomes much more than a simple bird call that we might not even be aware of down in the city. Yet in the holy places of nature these sounds might as well be trumpets from the descent onto Earth of an almighty god. It is because of this palpable feeling of reverance that inspires me to ask permission every time we enter these places and upon leaving offer up gratitude for the gifts, lessons and protection granted us.



So indeed Thoreau touched on something powerful about nature, which gives meaning and a sense of being alive. Thus, a person who has not fully experienced nature in all it's glory has not truly lived. It is therefore my hope that all men and women can respond to the call from Mother Nature to return home again and be healed. Embrace her with open arms and feel whole once more. If I had money I would set up a program to enable kids and young adults from inner cities to come and experience the awesomeness of pure nature. I want them to see that there is a world that is ten times more amazing than any video game.

PHOTO CREDIT: Stunning, mysterious and beautiful picture by D L Ennis. I highly recommend looking at the rest of his pictures because he is an amazing photographer. Click here to view this picture and many others.

-Not All Who Wander Are Lost-

Independent Pagan.

I have noticed a trend in American religious thought that many are leaving the cold, rigid religious boundaries of the past as we emerge from the cocoon of a puritanical society. The trend seems to be one of reclaiming one's independence and freedom to tailor one's philosophy/religion/belief system to what feels right for them. It is in that light from which I write out this declaration of what Paganism means to me. It's long but I hope you find it interesting.

It is but one branch, however, to my overall tree of beliefs, which also include Buddhism, Taoism, Hindu Mysticism, a bit of the Occult and Secular Humanism. I am writing this out mostly for my benefit as I explore what I believe as far as my Pagan side expresses. If anyone finds it useful or interesting then I'm happy to have aided you in some way:

I am of Scottish and Norwegian descent. My last name is an old Scottish one, which is also the name of a small fishing village not far off the northern, Scottish, Shetland islands on the far eastern coast of Norway. As my parents are Mormon they are very into family genealogy and figure that my Scottish ancestors were originally Norse Vikings who migrated to northern Scotland. Thus the fiery orange red beard I wear. I say all of this to say that the foundation of my Pagan philosophy is a mix of ancient Celtic, Gaelic and Norse pagan practices/beliefs. I'm also very atheistic so I am not one of those Pagans who believe in spells, praying to gods or worshiping other mythical beings. I enjoy them as aspects within myself represented in a very easy to understand and absorb fashion in visual images. That is why I connect so well to altars and images of gods as visual information is my best way of processing things. They are symbols to me of what I seek to embody, strive for and avoid.

I collect objects important to me, which I place upon my altar not because I believe they have any magical power but because they mean something meaningful to me. So to see all these personally sacred objects collected and positioned altogether, with care, is inspirational and visually very pleasing and thus calming to me. My therapist speaks of balancing my scales as I am a very pessimistic and cynical being. It's a weakness of mine I struggle with daily. So basically my scales are totally lopsided with negative stuff weighing the scale down to one side. One reason for my constant low level of depression and feelings of hopelessness come from not having enough positive things that bring my scale into more balance. So since I have realized that seeing all these images, (such as the ones on this blog, in my house and on my altar) bring me happiness, empowerment and peace I am embracing it.

Animism is another important facet to my independent Pagan philosophy as I spent two life changing years in Cote D'Ivoire, West Africa where I came into contact with the belief system. It is one that believes all things have a "life force" or "energy" within it that connects all things together in an interdependent web of existence. Rocks, plants, waterfalls, rivers, mountains, springs, trees, dirt, rain, etc. This blends nicely into my Buddhist, Taoist and general pagan beliefs. Traditional Animism believes these things such as objects or wooden statues represent spirits, which if given the right things will bless or curse you or others. However, again being atheistic I use my objects and locations as symbols of people and places that I cherish deeply.

These memories are more easily and more powerfully activated for me by visual representations, which I place on my Animist altar. The objects also represent my hopes and aspirations, which when contemplated upon bring about a feeling of peace and contentment. Some things I place upon either of my three altars without really knowing why -- just that they catch my attention and fascinate me. My altars are like moving art -- they are alive and a moving, ever evolving sacred space. I change things around based on the seasons, my mood, my intentions or just for a change. I often don't ask why I should put something where I place it but rather follow my intuition that it is meant to be there. If it's pleasing to the eye that is often enough for me to find it meaningful. Sometimes we ask too many questions and seek too much for reasons for doing things. This life is often about letting go and just following the flow of energy and see where it takes us.

The final aspect of my Pagan philosophy right now is that of Shamanism, which involves a Shaman acting as intermediary between the spirit world and the human realm. I don't believe in spirits much but I do believe that all things have an energy that could involve electromagnetic waves, which pulse throughout all objects and beings. Those waves would seem to affect and connect with the electrical behavior of our brain. It isn't the same as traditional electricity but in both cases they involved pules of energy radiating through a network of circuits. Plus, Earth has it's own magnetic field that is pulsing throughout everything that resides upon it. This would all explain why some places and people have a stronger pull to them than others such as the north and south poles, etc. However, I am severely digressing from discussing my interpretation and practice of Shamanism.

One of the other important aspects to Shamanism is connecting with, watching, learning from being guided by the animal kingdom. Animals have always been attracted to me, especially cats. Where ever we move there are always cats that seek us out. We have saved so many strays over the years. At this one place we lived there was this cat that would come and hang out with me on our porch. He would sit on the post of the railing and I would sit on the stairs and we'd just sit and absorbs the sights, sound and smells of nature together. I am very cat like with excellent reflexes, acute senses, strong spirit of independence and a creature of the night. So cat like animals are especially totem guides to me as well as hawks/eagles/owls but I find inspiration in all critters. I see them in part as omens. For example, I was about to head off to a weekend in Las Vegas (we all know what THAT means) but while we were waiting on the airplane they told us the previous flight that this plane had just landed from was being cleaned because it sucked a red-tail hawk into the engine!! I was horrorfied as the red-tail in particular is a favorite animal totem of mine as we both have red spots (it feathers and me my beard). So, well, the rest of that weekend in Vegas turned out of be one of the worst three days of my life. I should have known.

The other part of Shamanism that I have adopted is the role of healer. Since I was a young adult I've always taken an interest in plants and use to chew on mint leaves from my neighbors garden. Then one of my first and longest jobs was working at a vitamin and herb company selling it too people who would call in to place orders. I got to know what vitamins and herbs did what for a person's health. I have committed many of the herb books to heart and am that guy who is always suggesting herbs and natural remedies for common illnesses like colds, stomach ailments and the like. This includes psychoactive substances such as cannabis and magic mushrooms to explore the depths of consciousness. Well, I think that's enough for now.

~Be well~