My thoughts are a little scattered, and who knows what will come out here. Let's begin with the fact that I am a Pagan. My beliefs are earth-based, much in line with the Plains Indians. I believe everything is alive, even things we don't usually think of as alive. Stones, animals, the stars, trees all have a great wisdom to teach us if we respect them and give them time and attention.
This belief has been hard to define or describe before I began to research belief systems. Then I knew the name of what I believed, and could pursue further descriptions. This has been liberating. First, I found that there were many others who believed as I do, and though I don't belong to a group, I find blogs and websites helpful.
I have been reading John Muir - next to Thoreau, he is joyous and so appreciative of nature that he speaks to me across time. I also love Barry Lopez, who is a brilliant writer as well as nature lover. I often cannot express the joy, wonder and humility I experience when I take the time to experience the natural world. I don't always have to leave the city, we have two Hawks who return every spring to our neighborhood and raise their young before they retblend of urn to the mountains to avoid the heat. We also have parrots in our neighborhood. They are a breed specific to our area and are believed to be descendents of hardy domestic birds that were let go or got out of cages. I see and hear them every evening as they come home to roost. Most of these things are not noticed by others. I draw my children's attention to them, and pass on this awareness that I got from my father, and he from his.
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