Of Christians and Pagans: Yule Tide, Not Christmas.

After breaking the Christan shackles of my youth, I gorged myself on the spiritual feast that was forbidden in my brainwashed youth. They took advantage of a naive and sensitive child to program with their narrow-minded views. When someone wakes up from that kind of delusional reality, it tends to cause some anger and resentment. It's baggage that I'm still sorting out. 

So, I strongly protest making children adopt a spiritual belief system that they are too young yet to understand. I feel that way with any belief system -- including Buddhism and Paganism, which are my two shared belief systems. But, I've rudely drawn us off course from the core of what I wished to share with you good people.

So, it's Yule!! Otherwise known as Winter Solstice, but I call it Yule being of Scandinavian heritage. Like so much of Pagan spirituality, it was forcibly assimilated into the Christian celebrations of Christmas. Typical of Christianity, they stole a lot from the Pagans (the tree and Santa Claus to name a few of the big ones). Yeah, you heard that right. Did you honestly buy that story that Santa Claus was a Christian "Saint?" Uh, no.

Again, typical of Christians, they replaced the Pagan Odin with one of the their Saints, Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas. The character and mythology of Sinterklaass was a major influence for the development of Saint Nicholas. Santa is an old man with a long, white, beard? Odin, was an old man with a long, white, beard. Santa Claus wears a cloak? Odin wore a cloak, too. Santa Claus flies through the sky with his 8 reindeer. Oden, flies through the sky on a horse with 8 legs. Santa delivers gifts through the chimney to the children. Children in the some Pagan regions would leave their boots (Christmas stockings) by the chimney filled with sugar or carrots to feed Odin's horse. Then came the "Christmas" tradition of hanging the stocking by the chimney hoping for gifts from Santa. Along with the "Christmas" tradition of leaving cookies for Santa and his reindeer. Santa Claus is said to mysteriously know whether you're been bad or good. Odin, the supreme god of Norse Pagan mythology had this same magical ability.

As for the tree, in Pagan times, evergreen trees and plants were brought into homes during Winter Solstice (Yule). They helped remind them that some life (evergreens) continues to live, even in the dark of winter, and that spring's life will soon arrive!! Yule was unceremoniously changed to Christmas and some bullshit about the star being the star the shepherds saw when Jesus was born. Yeah, well, that may be their story but originally it represented the stars in the universe, along with the candles attached to the tree. The star on top of the tree was originally a pentagram representing the five seasons with spirit being the fifth element. I wanted to write this all out so you know where I am coming from when I saw I made a star for our tree!! The star I made is the star in this post's picture at the top!!

I collected the twigs from one of my favorite nature areas here in the Colorado mountains. As I chose them carefully, I thanked Mother Earth for her bounty. When I came home, I glued the pentagram together and wrapped it in raffia twine. Thus, our Yule Tree is complete!! To combine it with my Buddhist tradition of celebrating Buddha's enlightenment under the Pipal tree on December 8th, a Buddha statue sits under the tree, at the base. May you all have a very find holiday season whether that be Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah or Bodhi Day!!

~The Green Man Has Spoken~

Frolicking in the Woods.

I do sincerely apologize for neglecting the grove of late. Green man has been frolicking in the woods, high in the Rocky Mountains for the waning days of Autumn. We have some friends who live up there in a secluded cabin on a chunk of land that is hidden and guarded by a phalanx of strong, noble, pine trees.

They are a couple of good ole hippies who we have somewhat adopted (my wife and I) as part of their family. It's very meaningful to us because our own families are conservative, Mormons who we just can't relate too very well (my parents are awesome -- it's my siblings where the tension rises).

They are conservative, and we are liberals (Social Democrats of the European style, actually). They are Mormons and we are Zen Buddhist Pagan free spirits. They wouldn't touch coffee let alone pot and we're neo-hippies who praise the heavens when we are blessed with sacred marijuana. So, to have an adopted family where we can be ourselves is worth, so much to these two, young, recovering, ex-Mormon outcasts. They let us come up to their land all the time and camp out to wash the "conservative crazy" off our skin from living in such a conservative town down in the valley. There's nothing like the whisper magic of the pines to cleanse you of that chaos.

So, we were honored to watch their cabin for them while they went down to Arizona to visit family. It's a cozy, warm, inviting cabin that feels like a mountain cottage. Green man enjoyed getting back to his pagan roots by unleashing the fire breather within. You see, I am mesmerized by fire being a fire sign (Sagittarius). I must admit (a bit sheepishly) that when there's a forest fire here, my first concern is for everyone's safety but another part of me stands in awe at the awesome show of power from the twisting, roaring flames. It's a beautiful show from Mother Nature, and while I mourn the charred trees, I must say that I find the beauty in the process of destruction. And, it is also a process of rebirth because the soil left behind by forest fires is very rich and fertile ground for new life to grow and thrive.

I believe that when we are fully, awakened (in the enlightened sense) that we learn to see the beauty in everything--even shit. Yes, shit. My Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh sees the beauty in shit because without it he wouldn't be blessed with his lovely rose bushes. The first time I heard that, it changed my whole view on things. However, I digress.

Our friend's cabin is totally "off-the-grid" meaning they haven't paid a utility bill is years. They get their energy from two wind turbines on the property and a stand of next-generation solar panels from Abound. So, they look at wind a whole different way; when everyone grumbles about the anxious wind--they celebrate all the free energy they're saving away in their battery banks. So, it was cool to know that the internet we were surfing up there was wind and sun powered. Thank-you Mother Nature!! See, how nice life would be if we lived with Mother Nature instead of against her like a naughty neighbor? No, that will never do!! Bad form to treat a lady of her experience and sophistication in such a manner.

So, we cozied up in that hippie haven for four days and even got to enjoy a mystical rain shower that saw the etheral, ghost-like clouds sink over the mountains and hang around like the smoke trailing off a wizard's wand. It was so nice to stoke up the wood burning furnace, throw on a blanket and read away the day. After we went to bed we woke up around 2a.m. to the sound of a mournful coyote crying at the full moon, and he/she wasn't very far away. I've grown up around wild animals from living in the Rockies my entire life, but it's always a gift to hear their calls. A few minutes later the coyote cried out again and this time it was much closer. I was sure it was on the property itself. We just curled down deeper under the blankets and dozed off again knowing we were safe and cozy inside that toasty cabin.

It was a very spiritual experience, and being a Pagan nature worshiper I saw that coyote as one of nature's shamans coming to us and announcing his presence. It was a reminder that we are just along for the ride when entering the sanctuary of nature. Despite living around wilderness for decades it never ceases to give me a sense of awe and spiritual reverence upon entering its sacred spaces. I often feel much deeper spiritual energy in nature's temples than in one's made by man. I am so blessed and honored to live so close to the spirituality of the wilds.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Ilanaaq the Inunnguaq,

The 2010 Vancouver Olympics and some of the athletes have embraced Pagan cultures' symbols and designs. For a more in-depth read on that--please visit my good friend, Riverwolf. In this post I'd like to write about the logo for this Olympics named, Ilanaaq the Inunnguaq. The Inunnguaq are statues made from rocks stacked together to create the form of a man by the Inuit native peoples who live in the vast Canadian, Arctic lands. The word, "Inunnguaq" means, "Immitation of a person."

To these nature based/Pagan peoples these statues served as steadfast guides posts of direction when walking the vast white horizon. It would seem easy to get lost in such an all-white, monochromatic landscape and these large, contrasting gray stone guardians seem like Arctic lighthouses and landmarks for navigation as the Inuit follow the herds. Over time the Inunnguaqs' welcoming arms standing straight out from the body gave the impression of a being forever ready to offer a hug. Thus, they came to symbolize friendship and hope that even the harsh Arctic weather would not hinder the Inuit people.

The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games emblem called Ilanaaq is a contemporary interpretation of the Inunnguaq. I like these "stone huggers" and might have to make my own small version for my altar. These stone men are some of the oldest objects placed by humans throughout the Arctic and are sometimes used to designate the memorial of a deceased loved one. If I wasn't going to be cremated, I'd want a small Inunnguaq as a memorial stone on my grave. It would sure beat the same-old boring headstones used by most people.These stone guides remind me of Stonehenge in England, which might be why I'm so attracted to them because I am enthralled by the giant stone circle at Stonehenge. Rocks in general are sacred objects for me as they symbolize the durability of Mother Earth--mountains for example are her backbone. Their hard, strong and tough properties make it a powerful sign of endurance, safety and protection.

-Stay green-

Methane in Permafrost Escaping at Dangerous Levels from Global Warming.

Scientists have recorded a massive spike in the amount of a powerful greenhouse gas seeping from Arctic permafrost, in a discovery that highlights the risks of a dangerous climate tipping point. Experts say methane emissions from the Arctic have risen by almost one-third in just five years, and that sharply rising temperatures are to blame.

Such Arctic soils currently lock away billions of tonnes of methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, leading some scientists to describe melting permafrost as a ticking time bomb that could overwhelm efforts to tackle climate change. They fear the warming caused by increased methane emissions will itself release yet more methane and lock the region into a destructive cycle that forces temperatures to rise faster than predicted.

Green Man: It seems as though the permafrost is like Pandora's box, which is a mythological jar belonging to Pandora (she was the child of the Greek Gods/Goddesses). When she opened her jar it unleashed a process of total destruction -- sickness, disease, suffering and many hardships upon the world. The permafrost is indeed a Pandora's box, which while covered in layers of ice is harmless but when unlocked by rising temperatures, it triggers a mass release of toxic gases.

It's tragically ironic that we are so worried about a chemical weapon of mass destruction being set-off by a terrorists group when in all probability such a disaster seems more likely to occur from global warming. And we aren't doing much to prepare for that threat. Mother Earth is pissed off, and rightly so. She is unleashing her last defenses to fight back against the human species, which is using her beyond what she can provide. Thus, we have become parasites upon her and such a relationship is untenable and puts all species at risk.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

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-

Cave Temples.

Since the dawn of man we have been fascinated, mesmerized and drawn to caves. Initially they were used for shelter and that feeling of refuge surely was partly why ancient Pagans saw them connected with the feminine. They were wombs of protection and these ancestors quite literally believed them to be the womb of Mother Earth herself. The sacredness was surely reinforced by their other worldly in appearances. They were the first "buildings" man inhabited and were surely, in part, the inspiration for future sacred spaces such as delicately decorated cathedrals, temples and mosques.Take a look at the small spires of a cathedral such as the ornate ones in the foreground of the picture above. Their design often is quite similar to the stalactites and stalagmites of caves and caverns. "It can be pointed out that the cella or naos of a classical temple was not provided with windows, so that the interior space was dark and cave-like (cf. the Athenian Acropolis). One set of doors provided the only access and the only source of natural light. The doors would have been opened on religious occasions, and perhaps at times when the location and angle of the sun (and because the temple was so oriented in the first place) permitted sunlight to penetrate directly into the otherwise dark interior space (such as occurs at Abu Simbel and Newgrange)."

Green Man: Being that my body runs hot I really like the coolness of caves and the damp, musty smell helps remind me that I'm in a place like nowhere else above ground. As I penetrate these caves it feels as if I literally am transported to another world. It's as though these caves are portals to exploring places not just inside the Earth but inside our spirit, mind and body. Other than that I can't really explain my affinity and pull toward caves. The first time I entered a cave as a kid I felt instantly at home in them, however, I must say that I don't like squeezing through tight spaces like those found in some caves.

In the Buddhist tradition caves have been the refuges of monks who seek out their isolation and quiet to meditate and practice enlightenment. That appeals me to immensely being that Buddhism is my main belief system. The life of a hermit cave dweller sounds wonderful given how crazy the world has become. In nature our ancestors found refuge in the woods, caves and mountains -- It is time that we rediscover that past and seek their safety and wisdom yet again.

-Be Well-