The Rites of Spring in the High Rocky Mountains.

The sunny birds have stirred me from my winter hibernation to embrace the fertility of Spring. Immediately my eyes lift heavenward to the Rocky Mountains towering above. My heart is like a magnet, as it yearns to be reunited with the wilds of my youth. As soon as I could walk on my own, I was introduced to the near-by mountains and have gone back again and again for the rest of my life. I feel such a strong and peaceful bond with all of nature. It ignited a life-long passion for nature that burns brighter with each passing year. Soon, it will be time to perform my "Consecration of Spring" ritual.

It involves finding a secluded woods far away from camp sites to strip naked. Nudity is our natural form--it is what Mother Nature intended us to wear in our natural habitat. But, since we can't walk around naked all the time, I like to incorporate it into many of my Neo-Pagan rituals. In those hidden woods, I dig a small hole with my hands. I don't use a man-made object because it lacks the personal connection to the fertile dirt that feeds us and gives us resources for shelter and fuel.

I like to raise a scoop of dirt in my hands to my nose and smell of its richness. It is a gesture of respect to the soil's power. At the same time, it's soft yet rich scent relaxes my body and mind, allowing the chaotic stress of modernity to melt away quicker. It's a ritual that shakes the grime of city life off my mind so I can get into spiritual state worthy of Mother Nature's beauty. It's a ritual that reminds me I don't have to carry the baggage of my daily life out in nature. It disintegrates the knots of stress, so that I can fully embrace the experience of nature. I don't believe in rituals without preparing your spirit first because otherwise you rush through it and miss the messages Mother Nature has for you because you weren't in the right frame of mind.

This is where I will be adding some new rituals to my "Consecration of Spring" ceremony. I like to bath in mountain streams when I go backpacking far away from human contact. So, I was thinking that before I strip naked in a secluded grove, and dig the hole that I'll bath in a mountain stream to ritualistically cleanse the grime of materialism from my body. Then when I'm naked I am pure for the rituals to come. Finally, upon completion of the bathing and digging, I drop some wildflower seeds in the hole. Then, I begin to masturbate.

I really loose myself in it, without drawing too much attention. I thank Mother Nature for giving me such a beautiful tool, as my aroused phallus to spread fertility. I thank her for making me a man and with it the enjoyment a sexually horny male can enjoy. I dedicate myself to supporting all ideas that further the birth of revolutionary changes that improve life for humans and animals. Then, when I've extended my masturbating for as long as I can, I unload my streaming man seed (cum) into the hole (womb) as a symbolic ritual of rebirth.

A dedication to a Springtime of renewal and stewardship of nature. It is a ritual where I symbolically impregnate nature and thus feel a deeper bond to the land--and to protect it like I would my own family. It represents a renewed hope and dedication to give birth to new and positive changes in my life. It helps me feel like I am re-connecting with my "natural man" instincts, too. Then I fill in the hole with the soil dug out and cover the sacrificial area with leaves, in a nod to the environmentalists creed, "Leave nature as pristine as you found it." Leave no trace of human activity behind. Feel free to adopt anything that calls to from my "Consecration of Spring" ritual...I believe in communal co-operation and sharing of spiritual expression. That's all for now...

~The Green Man Has Spoken~

John Muir: Attached to the Rest of the World.

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." -naturalist, John Muir

John Muir was a tireless defender of Mother Nature, Mystic of the Woods, and Advocate for the preservation of our Sacred Temples of Earth. As with a shaman, Muir survived a brush with bodily harm, which beckoned him to a higher calling of the spirit. After a sawmill accident nearly left him blind, John received a revelation, "he saw the world—and his purpose—in a new light," wrote author, Amy Marquis in her book, "A Mountain Calling."



John Muir recalled, "This affliction has driven me to the sweet fields. God has to nearly kill us sometimes, to teach us lessons." According to biographer Donald Worster's book, "Passion of Nature," he saw that purpose to be, "saving the American soul from total surrender to materialism." Thus, disillusioned by the addiction to materialism that belched forth during the Industrial Revolution, Muir disappeared into the woods to be embrace Mother Nature's spirituality. To many in that era, the idea that nature was spiritually on par with "God" was heresy. At the time, unlike past eras, much of Christianity saw nature as something to be tamed and exploited. It was a careless attitude that stemmed in large part from a ego-distorted view of the Biblical verse granting humanity dominion over the Earth.



As he wandered the land, John Muir stood at the feet of the cathedrals of nature and proclaimed that no temple made by the hand of man could compare to those within the environment. As he explored further, Mother Nature opened up and revealed a realm of such complexity, grandeur and interaction that Muir was understandably humbled. It was dramatically clear to him that humanity was but one spoke in a giant wheel of environmental interdependence and not its master. Mother Nature spoke to him through the whispering pines and the singing rivers that these natural sanctuaries could heal the wounds of the world. It was a world that was poisoning itself with urban pollution, dehumanized by rampant greed and spiritually lost.



Yet, the magic of these natural worlds were quickly disappearing within the so-called jaws of "industrial progress" and John Muir understood what was to be done. He hoisted the banner of Mother Nature and beckoned a war-weary country to be healed by her powers; and the people came. He extolled the virtues of the land and guests to those temples left converted protectors of those rediscovered treasures of Earth. I guess you could say that John Muir was the Savior of the American Wilderness. May we honor the gift he has given us by passing on his wisdom to future generations.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

The Sacred Chamber of Ruby Falls.

Deep in the bowels of Lookout Mountain, in Tennessee, hides an ancient cave system named, Ruby Falls caverns. The dank, and musty air within its serpentine passages whisper secrets of eons gone by that remind you that you are a guest in this otherworldly realm. You are at the mercy of nature, sitting deep below a mountain such as this one. The low ceilings require you to humbly bow your head, in respect, for the spirit of the cave. Upon showing this submission, the seeker may enter the inner sanctum of the cave; a vaulted chamber carved out of solid rock by the spirit of the cave--the goddess waterfall.

The roaring of the falls humble you with the overwhelming power of her archaic magic, while the delicate and lacy dance of the water rejuvenates you with her sensual femininity. As I stood at her feet, I raised my arms and head into the spray of her aquatic magic, to honor her energy and be cleansed by it. I left that cave deeply grateful to exist on a planet with natural temples such as the one safe-guarded 1,120 feet below, Lookout mountain.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Nuclear Energy: Is it Worth the Risks to the Environment?

The on-going nuclear crisis at Fukashima nuclear plant in Japan has raised concerns about nuclear energy, yet again. Humans have a consumption problem and have become a parasitic species. We are greedy to the point of risking the death of countless people, and even more injuries, just for cheap power, so that we can continue our life of unchecked desire. And, yet, we take a risk with nuclear energy on something we still don't fully understand or know how to contain upon meltdown because we don't want to have to live a life with less luxury and greed. Well, I don't like saying this, but this is what happens when we gamble with Mother Nature.

The time is now to commit, as a world, to putting the nuclear genie, back into the bottle, as much as possible. We owe it not just to our children, and their children, but the billions of innocent sentient beings, who are living within their means, in balance and harmony with nature's limits and abilities. We must learn the lessons of interdependence, because if we human's mess up and ruin Earth, making it uninhabitable, then we have the karmic weight of the death of all those beings to bear into the next life. I know that I don't want that on my conscience, so let's work together to make this world a little safer and peaceful.

And, yet, if we totally ban nuclear energy then we're even more reliant upon dirty coal and oil. It's a difficult spot to be in as a modern civilization. One alternative that some say is the best alternative is thorium energy. Here is the cheat sheet on Thorium, which is a radioactive element but much safer, less radioactive and cleaner than the old nuclear sources, Uranium and Plutonium:

After it has been used as fuel for power plants, the element leaves behind minuscule amounts of waste. And that waste needs to be stored for only a few hundred years, not a few hundred thousand like other nuclear byproducts. Because it’s so plentiful in nature, it’s virtually inexhaustible. It’s also one of only a few substances that acts as a thermal breeder, in theory creating enough new fuel as it breaks down to sustain a high-temperature chain reaction indefinitely. And it would be virtually impossible for the byproducts of a thorium reactor to be used by terrorists or anyone else to make nuclear weapons. Named for the Norse god of thunder, thorium is a lustrous silvery-white metal. It’s only slightly radioactive; you could carry a lump of it in your pocket without harm.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Speaking the Language of Plants and Trees.

The swaying trees, rustle a language that can not help but be palpable to my consciousness. For as long as I remember, I have felt a deep relationship and connection with everything green; and have been able to tap into a low, but perceptible energy field emanating out like a cloud of mist from my emerald friends. I have always regarded plants and trees to be wise and honored friends.

My childhood was quite lonely, being the last kid in the family; and after being labeled a "weird loner" from other kids at school--up until my last year of high school. Being the last in line at home meant there just wasn't enough time often for my parents to be able to give me the one-on-one time that a child needs. So, there was often little supervision or guidance left-over for me.

So, I was alone a lot, and learned to grow up fast. One way that I adapted to that solitary life was through falling in love with nature. So, plants (and trees, especially) are like old friends and trusted confidants to me. I use to crawl up high in the tall cottonwood trees in my childhood backyard; and escape the fighting going on between my parents into the strong, stable limbs of the trees. There, (I'm not ashamed to admit) I would often talk to them, confide in them and share with them my biggest fears and dreams. So, I try to bring their energy to life through this blog and share their energy with others.

I feel their presence as one would a kitty sitting off on the periphery, taking you in your energy. My senses often pick up on a subtle but steady sound of hushed mumbling, whispering or humming from certain plants when I'm in a particularly balanced palace after a deep meditation. And, I have been known to play music for them. So, I have a deep and very real bond with all living green vegetation, and it gives me much strength and inspiration in my life. It is my hope that humans can rediscover our natural roots and embrace Mother Nature's healing, green energy. Let us heal her, so she can heal us all again. We need to protect our environment--it's the only one we have.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

The Horny God Cernnunos; Sex in Nature.

(The Horned God Cernunnos)

I'm not normally the nudist type but when we go backpacking, some 30 miles away from humanity in all directions, I immensely enjoy walking around the woods skyclad. It is a thrilling experience to feel leaves upon the skin (making sure to avoid the poisonous ones) of my naked body; to feel the natural breeze off a lake (the breath of the goddess) caress my naked bits is breath-taking and something very humanizing. It's like a long-lost memory of the kind of freedom that my species hasn't known since early man and womankind. Allowing ourselves to be naked in our natural habitat is natural--our natural state; worth celebrating and honoring in ceremonies.

Once, while I was all alone in a forest, a few years back, during a backpacking trip I masturbated amidst a grove of pine trees after a rainfall. The earthly smell of wet dirt and pine filled the air. That musty scent really brought out my primal, sensual animal. It was highly arousing to be naked in the forest like my ancestors--Cernnunos, the horned one. I think the sensuality came as I brought the sounds, smells and sights of nature into my sexual experience.

Including walking through leafy, forest paths with an erection to find my sacred spot. My hardness parted the soft leaves like a royal scepter, which was thrilling and sacred for me. The sacredness is taking back the noble erection from the shame men have had to endure from society; telling them the penis is something to hide--and laugh at from discomfort with the imposing protrusion of it's proud, natural form. The double-standard we've had to endure of movies celebrating boobs and the naked female form but hiding the man in the background; as well as not showing his penis. Why is the penis something to hide?!! Are we ashamed of it?!! That is so sad.

The scents of the flowers, emitting the intoxicating sensuality of the goddess aroused inside me a celebration of all things feminine in my head. In that moment, I wanted to make sacred love with all of Earth's blessed women. I was at love, with both the natural world in that moment and the female energy; not just the beautiful form but from the nurturing, caring and warmness of our Queens. As I lay back upon the reclining, smooth logs, I was at the height of sexual, sensual and spiritual arousal; the orgasm that ensued was basking in the power of those three givers of love. It was an experience that blew my mind, warmed my heart and rejuvenating my self-esteem; as well as rejuvenating my relationship with nature.

I want to do this again sometime but with a ceremony planned around self-pleasure communing. In it I plan to take on the form of the Horned God Cernunnos, who is the Celtic god of nature and male fertility (thus, the name of my post calling him the, "horny god" instead of horned god). I want to bathe in a near-by creak to cleanse myself, before laying a blanket down in a secluded forest clearing and performing a sage cleansing. Inhaling lavender flowers brought with me for the ceremony to relax and connect my sexual energy with Mother Nature's sensuality.

I will dig a small hole in the Earth to symbolize the womb of nature. Next, comes laying red rose petals throughout the hole to symbolism the feminine, the goddess and female fertility. Upon completion I would settle into a meditative trance of self-stimulation. Upon the climax of the ceremony I would spread my male seed into the symbolic womb (Earthen hole) as an offering. After draining my seed, I would sprinkle some distilled (distilled for purity) water over the mixture; as a symbolic gesture of watering the seed to unlock it's rejuvenating energy. Finally, I'd fill the hole (Earthen womb) with the dirt that use to fill it, to seal the offering to the goddess.

Afterward, I will kneel before the Earthen womb and say a few words of hope to the winds of the high mountains, whipping down from above; that nature might be rejuvenated through humanity's re-awakening to the importance of Mother Nature. Celebration and honor be forever to our blessed Mother Earth. I plan, as well, to have a sexual ceremony in this setting with my wife. In addition to an offering of my seed to the male sexual energy; being that I'm bisexual.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sandra San Tara

~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~

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~

Last Decade Was Warmest on Record

Deke Arndt, chief of the Climate Monitoring Branch at the National Climatic Data Center, noted that the 1980s was the warmest decade up to that point, but each year in the 1990s was warmer than the '80s average. That makes the '90s the warmest decade, he said. But each year in the 2000s has been warmer than the '90s average, so the first 10 years of the 2000s is now the warmest decade on record.

Green Man: The trend is clear and the problem obvious but as usual in America we don't fix problems until the it's too late. The problem is that with nature you can't just ignore it for decades and then be able to turn it around to a healthy balance in one day or one election cycle. I don't even know why protecting the environment is a political issue at all -- It's a human issue that all political sides should be able to support.

Who can be against protecting the air we breath?!! Because without it, ironically, there would be no humans to deny the importance of protecting the air we breath!! Being against protecting the very environment that keeps you alive is like being against the medical field that keeps us alive. It scares me that this is a subject that's even being debated!! Our Earth is in a crisis and humans have come to naively believe that they've mastered nature to the point where they think we don't have to worry about its balance. Oh, foolish, little, man!!

~The Green Man has Spoken~

The Sacred Pines.

Having been raised in the alpine region of Colorado, USA and spending countless hours camping or backpacking within the vast pine forests here, I have grown very fond of those trees. In European nature based spirituality, the pine trees are symbols of immortality. This makes sense given they survive year round. They never experience the mass loss of leaves like deciduous tree leaves that shrivel up and blow away, which is otherwise quite the visual portrayal of death.

Years of backpacking have taught me how to live as close to nature as possible living my the principle of "Leave the land how you found it." The sacred pine tree offers the initiate an infinite number of useful tools in the wilderness. The most essential thing to accomplish when first backpacking in the deep wilderness is to get your shelter up. You might be hungry but the weather can turn from 78 degrees to 45 degrees really quick at high altitude. Or you can easily be enjoying the blissful rays of the sun god before minutes later the rain gods empty the sky as though someone tore a gash in the sky. Besides, most tent shelters these days come with a small vestibule to cook under with a backpacking stove when Mother Nature decides to storm about in unpredictable turmoil. The last thing you want up in the alpine is to caught out in a chilling storm without shelter.

In preparing my shelter I often sweep the ground area to be used with a pine branch--the bunches of needles splitting off from the branch are great for using as a broom. Then I discover in my researching of old, dusty, websites online that pine was often used to sanctify outdoor ritual areas by sweeping the ground clean. Interesting. Yeah, I always had a feeling when I swept the ground clear for a camp site that I was making a grounding, spiritual gesture with the Earth. Especially with the strong, fresh, cold, cleansing smell it emits, like an incense offering wafting through a contemplative spiritual gathering. I'm going to remember this the next time I go backpacking. It will mean even more after learning additional information about the sacred connections.Whole, dense, forest of pine trees sway in patterns at times like waves. An ocean of eternal green. At other times the vast stands of trees seem like a city of green skyscrapers. Yet always, a stoic and often silent army of the animal and plant communities of the labyrinth style forest floor. Haunted by the grey ghost that is the mysterious and elusive lynx--my favorite species of cat with whom I feel a strong connection to. If I could morph into cat form it would be the lynx. The pine forest is a netherworld of secrets, wisdom and mystery--and the lynx is the recluse of that world.May the scared pines remain dense and strong, so that they will reveal their secrets of life to the next generation, and further still down the rabbit hole of the future. Hail the great pines!! Respect.

Thanks, but I'm Just Passing Through.

Though I walk amongst them I am a visitor to this world of the humans--at least that's how I often feel. I can't relate much to the people around me because they're not on my level and it's frustrating to have to live amongst beings who seem to do everything in their power to destroy this world. I feel like I'm a visitor from a further evolved world that is stuck having to live with peoples' ideologies that were long-ago abandoned by the evolved civilizations in the vast, mysterious Universe. It often feels like I was kidnapped in another dimension, brainwashed, cursed and shipped off to be stuck on this world of backwater humans. Forced to spend the rest of this existence as an adult living amongst kindergarten or primary school level beings. I don't mean to sound condescending, it's just that I feel so completely different than where most of humanity is on the the deeper things in life.

I didn't plan it this way but in nearly every aspect of my life I don't fit in with the greater society. I live in America, which is a country that is traditionally conservative--I'm as liberal as they come. I live in a country that is predominately Christian--I'm not. I live in a part of the world that rejects the arts, which is where my talents lie. I honor nature and understand the importance of protecting it, yet I live amongst environmental cannibals. They are like parasites that shed anything green, swallow it into the belly of materialism and shit out black, acrid smoke. I have a rare, severe mental illness called schizoaffective disorder in a society that shuns, hides and ignores people like myself. I'm a sensitive male who isn't afraid of expressing emotions and celebrating my feminine side in a society that finds that kind of male behavior to be defective and something to be mocked.

I feel like a stranger in my own species, and people wonder why I like being alone and spending so much time amongst nature. Nature isn't difficult to understand--nature doesn't reject anyone. Nature doesn't ask questions nor condemn you. As long as you can live in harmony with her, she will care for you. And while nature can through you some real difficulties at least she does so without making it personal. I can't think of a more natural death then having it occur out in the wild. Let the animals live off my carcass--It would be my last gift to the cycle of life.

PHOTO: Painting from one of my favorite artists, surrealist Salvador Dali. Titled, "Geopolitical Child Watching the Birth of the new man, 1943.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

BP-Halliburton-Transocean Oil Gusher Video.

No wonder they can't cap this pipe!! This thing looks like one of those natural "smokers" down at the bottom of the ocean. Emphasis (of course) on natural:

Now the REAL "Black Smokers" (below):

~The Green Man has Spoken~

The BP Gulf Oil Disaster: An American Chernobyl.

I heard someone refer to the BP Gulf oil spill today as an "American Chernobyl" which I think is an apt comparison given the scope. I sure hope this injects some steroids to finally getting off oil. Our oil addiction is like a combination of doing heroin while playing Russian roulette. Let's use natural gas as the transition fuel to totally green, clean, alternative energy as it is the cleanest fossil fuel. No more dirty energy!! Our Earth and thus, WE, can't take it any longer. It's killing us all.We need to get back to our roots and return to the ways of our Pagan ancestors who were reliant upon nature to a greater degree than now. They knew that to damage Mother Earth was to damage themselves and risk their own destruction but because of technology we've been lulled into believing that somehow we don't need to worry about nature any longer. We sure like to label our ancestors as ignorantly superstitious but their way of living served us well up until the industrial revolution when we began destroying nature in the pursuit of materialism.We sometimes think that our ancestors lived during a bleak time but their lack of possessions seemed to serve them better than all of our toys do. We have all kinds of gadgets, money and status but without a planet to live on it's all just literally shiny trash. They knew that not all that glitters is gold and they were on to something because when you really absorb nature you begin to see it as pretty damn cool.It's offers better visuals than any computer game as well as having just as good precious art as the best museums. The neighbors (animals) are more exciting and unique than those at the best cocktail party. And the best part is that if we protect it--all that beauty, wonder, heritage, art and richness is free. As a final note, check out this ironic BP commercial about how much they care about the environment:LAST PHOTO: Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. Picture taken by Green Man.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Two Mile Long Scar on Great Barrier Reef After Ship Grounding.

"Even if severe toxic contamination is not found at the site, initial assessments by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority indicate it could take 20 years for the world's largest coral reef to recover, said scientist David Wachenfeld. In some areas, "all marine life has been completely flattened and the structure of the shoal has been pulverized by the weight of the vessel," Wachenfeld said."

Green Man: I don't know much about international law but I hope that Australia sues this Chinese shipping company for all they're worth to help pay for the clean up and loss. If we take protecting our natural treasures then there needs to be stiff penalties for damaging such world heritage sites like the Great Barrier Reef. The other aspect of preventing this again is to end our use on fossil fuels--our oceans are a life-line for millions of people and trashing them is like slowly taking poison. The reef has been in existence since possibly twenty million years ago and so it's shocking how fast this massive yet fragile reef can be destroyed.

For centuries man has seen nature as oppressive, tenacious and something to be tamed but we have finally remembered what our ancestors knew--that as nature goes, so goes our species and every other one. We mocked Pagans and other nature based believers because they worshiped rocks and trees but they lived in harmony with the environment and not only survived but thrived. So, now that we're nearly at the point of no return from environmental degradation we need to remember that our ancestors gave us these precious treasures and the wisdom to live amongst them and yet still thrive.

Yet we forgot and/or discarded these gifts in favor of the Christian belief that nature is given to man to do with it what we please. And that since we bought the idea that "God" gave it all to us we assumed that nature was inexhaustible. Thus we arrogantly felt we no longer needed to live in harmony with it because "God" would somehow take care of any complications along the way. Well, oh how wrong we were and still are!! There are still some that believe it doesn't matter how we treat our environment because Jesus will sweep in on a white horse and save us regardless. Yet with each passing year no one comes--just like in the play, "Waiting for Godot" and our world gets increasingly uninhabitable. I can almost hear the ancestors speaking through the whispering trees saying, "We told you so" but that it's still not too late to return to the ancient ways.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA

The Great Barrier Reef Crashed into by Oil Tanker.

A salvage team could take weeks to remove a grounded coal-carrying ship from Australia's Great Barrier Reef, where it is leaking oil in a pristine marine environment, a state leader said on Monday. The Chinese Shen Neng 1 ran aground late Saturday on Douglas Shoals, a favorite pristine haunt for recreational fishing east of the Great Keppel Island tourist resort. The shoals — off the coast of Queensland state in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park — are in a protected part of the reef where shipping is restricted by environmental law.

Authorities fear an oil spill will damage the world's largest coral reef, which is off northeast Australia and listed as a World Heritage site for its environmental value. "One of the most worrying aspects is that the ship is still moving on the reef to the action of the seas, which is doing further damage" to the coral and hull, the government agency's general manager Patrick Quirk said.

The Green Man: This is why I am so opposed to offshore drilling along the pristine, tropical, marine life refuges off Florida. Our marine system is already under serious attack from rising global temperatures, which are bleaching coral networks that harbor some of the world's most diverse eco-systems. As well as from over-fishing but this recent destruction of the Great Barrier Reef is a real blow as it is the world's largest, and can be seen from outer space. The ship was carrying tons of coal as well, which is leeching into the water. Experts fear further break-up could release larger amounts of that coal into the water around the reef.

They can talk about clean-up all they want but the oil spill by the Exxon-Valdez up in Alaska is still affecting the eco-system negatively. Until the world finally breaks its addiction to oil we'll continue seeing these terrible accidents. The Chinese haven't had the best track record on the environment and while the U.S. has pollution issues too, the Chinese seem to literally have NO standards when it comes to protecting nature. They say that they'll be fined $1 million for this accident but that can't make up for the long-term destruction that this spill has caused for this pristine eco-system. I'm tired of seeing our Earth raped, our oceans treated as toilets and our air polluted with toxins while at the same time to warn people about the dangerous of inhaling cigarette smoke!!

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Mountain Biking Through Lush Forest

Living in the high country I use to mountain bike but I'm not in as good a shape as I use to be. Still, I can't resist the call to follow a mountain trail as it snakes through the dense forest. Trees towering over like silent sentinels guiding you deeper into nature's heart. You can't see where the trail goes ahead of you, nor behind you.

It forces you to focus on the trail directly under your feet and nature in your immediate proximity. The mystical nature of forest trails is that they keep you cemented in the present moment, so that you can focus on your surroundings and settle into the relaxing rhythm of life in its purest expression. Yet the forest also offers excitement and thrills--take a look:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Lee/Flickr

The Weeping Willow Shelters Those in Need.

An ancient shelter taking in weary travelers hiding from the rain, sleepy lovers resting after a picnic and a passionate bonding. Children playing games by hiding from one another and those looking for somewhere quiet and private to contemplate. The Willow tree has had many guests under neath her welcoming arms. Including your humble author. As an unpopular, serious minded kid I found the willow as a great hiding place from the torment of the popular crowd--you know, "The Chosen Ones." She never asked questions and just gave me a serene sanctuary to read within.

Surrounded by living walls I always felt (and still do) a stable yet comforting energy that gives her space a feeling of a rest stop for pilgrims along the journey of life. She is a good listener as she is always to some degree mourning for the loss of all dying green, growing life as evidenced by her sagging limbs. When tears rain down upon red, angry cheeks she sways her arms and emits a hushing noise as if to console the distraught looking for a place to let it all out in private.

All secrets are safe within her core for she is understands the pain of betrayal from double talking humans killing tree groves they previously honored. She would never hurt others as was done to her. She just doesn't have that within her nature -- she welcomes all without question. She is the mother of all that grows and I honor her this day. May she and her offspring grow forever upon this green planet.

-++The Green Man has Spoken++-

Howl at the Moon.

Tonight is the first full moon of 2010 and it was the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. The full moon tonight will be 2010's biggest and brightest since the moon is closer in orbit than usual at this time of year. How much bigger and brighter? Spaceweather.com reports it will be 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than normal.

Green Man: The moon is nature's light bulb. I am one of the millions of people who feel drawn by the moon. I am also one of those who believes that human actions are influenced by the moon's waxing and waning. I have heard, for example, that there are more births during full moons than not:

The theory is that the moon's gravitational pull effects the amniotic fluid in much the same way as it effects the water in the sea, rivers and even the water that's otherwise found in our bodies. As a woman's body prepares for natural childbirth, the amniotic sac becomes distended so the point where it will easily burst if put under pressure. Under normal circumstances, the pressure of labor contractions bursts the sac. During a full moon, the pressure caused by the moon's effect on the water inside the sac can cause the same things to happen, but without the accompanying contractions.

Green Man: It doesn't end there though. One study published in The Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Service in the year 2000 showed an increase in deterioration of Schizophrenics during full-moon phases. Now, it is a small and isolated study. So it's not overwhelming evidence by any means but could this be in part where the idea that people go crazy during full-moons stems from? The term lunacy actually comes from the name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna. Imagine an untreated Schizophrenic living in an ancient village who seemed a bit unhinged but was otherwise semi-functional.

This person would probably go from semi-functional to psychotic in a matter of minutes like switching on a light bulb. Such a transformation would be perplexing and scary to those living with that person. So, surely they would look for something that caused such a rapid change and being nature based societies they would have obviously looked toward nature. Then comes the full-moon. And if it does affect the body via increased pressure perhaps to the brain, then it seems somewhat logical that it would only take a small shift to send a person already on the edge of sanity into psychosis. And even if a person only went into psychosis by chance during a full moon, or just once associated with the full moon; it would have been easy for the ancients to connect the two.

I live with a form of schizophrenia called schizo-affective disorder, and despite all the medications I take I still can be thrown into a manic whirlwind by the slightest changes such as season changes and time changes. So, I suppose if all the conditions were right a person could be tipped over the edge by the pressure induced pull from the moon. Thus, it would make sense that a Pagan society might blame the moon for schizophrenics going "berzerk" and behaving like a possessed animal. Thus, the werewolf myth. It's an obviously just a theory on my part and very unscientific but still, I bet there is some truth to it. By the way, I don't remember having any major episodes on any full-moon nights but I will pay closer attention now--just as an experiment. I'll keep a log and follow the lunar patterns and see if I have more symptoms during full moons or not and I'll let you know!!

Also, I somewhat resisted posting this because there is a stigma about mental illness that we're all stark raving mad. And while sometimes we do have "freak outs" it isn't constantly, and for the most part you wouldn't even know we have a mental illness by just walking by us or engaging in a conversation. Please don't compare the mentally ill to Were Wolfs -- that's not my theory. My theory is only that those who didn't understand medical science might have come up with the werewolf myth to explain why a fellow villager might behave bizarrely during a full moon. I do not think the mentally ill are people to shun or be afraid of at all. I know from first hand how damaging such myths and stigmas are. Unfortunately I live with them daily. So, if the full moon has any affect on the brain I believe it to be small but in an unmedicated brain a small change is all it takes to send one off into psychosis. Speaking of Were Wolfs, have you seen the new movie with Benicio Del Torro, "The Wolf Man?"If not, check out the preview--It's pretty cool looking:
Wolfman Trailer - Watch more Big Game Bonanza

Fall of the Giants.

The year that I was born my parents planted two cottonwood trees in our backyard. They grew as I grew and they played a major roles in all our lives. I was a quiet kid who didn't have many friends because I was a sensitive boy and loved books. So, I grew to prefer playing alone. I would often put a book or two into a canvas bag with draw-strings to cinch it up and hang it around my shoulders before climbing high into one of the giant cottonwoods to read. There was a perfect spot where big and densely packed branches made a natural recliner to read in. I would spend hours upon hours reading high in my natural wizards tower reading about dragons, knights and magic users.

After reading a bit, I would often gaze up and out into the cobalt, summer, blue skies to be entranced with the white puffy clouds as they morphed into new shapes every few seconds while passing by. Also from my perch I could spy upon other kids playing in the park across the street and see everything that went on around our end of the neighborhood. Sometimes I'd just sit back and enjoy the breeze that would often blow through, making the tree gently sway. I had such a secure spot I even took little napes up there!! Some of my fondest memories are from reading up in those trees as well as hanging off their branches to swing around like a monkey.

Well, I'm 34 now and those trees are rotting from the inside out. They're sick and it pained my heart deeply to hear my parents say that the city told them to cut them down because they were becoming a danger to nearby houses. I dreaded the day and my parents did too. Well, that day came yesterday when I got a tearful call from my mother who needed sympathy as the tree cutters were tearing into the flesh of our trees with their weapons of destruction -- chainsaws. My mother hardly ever breaks down emotionally and so being a bit of a "Momma's boy" I crashed out the front door with my camera in hand to make the 15 minute drive to their house. When I arrived I saw trucks lining the sidewalk in front of their house with branches scattered about the front yard like bones about to be ground up in the wood chipper situated on our front lawn.

It sounded like a monster as it ate up the bones of our trees, roaring like a ravenous, half-crazed beast. Chain saws echoed like a swarm of angry wasps descending upon my childhood home and beloved trees. I bounded into the house and found my mother in a heap on the couch, sobbing like a child. She has always have a very sensitive heart, which I inherited. She taught me to respect all living things, which obviously included trees and plant life. My father did the same and being a bird enthusiast he taught me about all the different birds that would flock to the safety of the trees and the food we left out hanging from their massive limbs. My Dad mourned the birds that would no longer come to visit -- at least not in the numbers they use to. My Mom and I saw the tree trimmer workers as violators to our yard who were murdering our great trees while we stood by helpless. We knew they had to come down but it was like losing two family members. I can't tell you how many picnics we enjoyed in the shade of the big arms those trees provided.

As the chainsaws chewed up our green friends there were great clouds of falling saw dust, which I interpreted as being tears from the trees. As the big chunks of branches fell from the sky they hit the Earth with a bone shattering thud that shook the house and our hearts. It was heart wrenching to watch our friends be methodically dismembered. We cried and held each other as the workers bragged at how quickly they were taking the trees down. I thought how cruel it is that these trees would fall in a matter of two days when it took them 30 years to grow to their towering heights. It didn't seem right yet I was reminded of how impermanent life is on this planet and we reminded each other that this tree will live on in wood pulp that will enable other greenery and trees to grow.

Finally, I couldn't take all the noise and crashing of tree parts so I dragged my parents out of the house to get a break from the commotion and the scene of the crime. We went to lunch and that defininately helped us regroup and find some solace and insight into remembering that this was all the circle of life. We thought, perhaps the trees were tired and being sick that they wanted to be released from their rotting bodies. It helps us let them go. My Mom even gave them hugs the night before their demise and I patted their trunks softly. One day they will plant new trees but it will never be the same and they will never again grow another cottonwood in honor of our two fallen sentinels. Rest in peace friends.

Sacred Groves.

Trees are the great repositories of time, guardians of animals and walls to house sacred spaces. They are natural sanctuaries, which block out much of the wind and cold of the open lands. Trees reach into the heavens as if to remind us of the greater universe that we are apart of. They are wonderful examples of patience and going with the flow of nature and life rather than against it--They bend but rarely break. The quietude that they provide obviously makes them ideal for spiritual and secular contemplation. They speak in hushed, rustling of leaves to scatter their secrets to the four corners of Earth. It is the sound of air being cleansed for the trees are the lungs of this miraculous, blue, planet. And seeing how our first ancestors lived in trees, Is it any wonder that we like to climb trees as children?I climbed a lot of trees as a kid and found them to be the closest things to floating in air as I sat amongst the blue skies and swayed about in the wind. I would put my books in a small canvas ball, hang it around my neck and ascend into the leafy heights of our giant cottonwoods that were anchored in our backyard. The trees branches always held me strong and tight as I lost myself in the pages of my books. They cradled me and inspired lofty day dreams, which were carried into the heaves with the breeze.Now those big cottonwoods are dying -- they are rotting from the inside out. They have to be cut down or my parents risk them falling on the house. Yet even in death those trees gives one last gift -- wood to carry warmth through out the long, cold, Colorado winters. Nature can be rough and the falling of a great tree is a thing to mourn yet it teaches us that even the big, giants of this world must die. However, even with the most violent crash to the ground of a forest god, new life will be given a chance to reach for the sun to fill the hole left behind. Just like the picture above with the new growth growing on the fallen tree. It's the beautiful, cruel yet fair and eternal cycle of life.

TOP PHOTO CREDIT: Druids in a sacred grove by Nocturntable

MIDDLE PHOTO CREDIT: Reading up in a tree

BOTTOM PHOTO CREDIT: Fallen giant