Earth House Hold

[H2O Man]

"I remember sitting down to Christmas dinner eighteen years ago in a communal house in Portland, Oregon, with about twelve others my own age, all of whom had no place they wished to go home to. That house was my first discovery of harmony and community with fellow beings. This has been the experience of hundreds and thousands of men and women all over America since the end of World War II. Hence, the talk about the growth of a 'new society.' But more: these gatherings have been people spending time with each other -- talking, delving, making love. Because of the sheer amount of time 'wasted' together (without TV) they know each other better than most Americans know their own family. .... it becomes possible to predict the emergence of groups who live by mutual illumination -- have seen themselves as of one mind and one flesh -- the 'single eye' of the heretical English Ranters; the meaning of sahajiya, 'born together' -- the name of the Tantric community tradition in Bengal.

"Industrial society indeed appears to be finished. Many of us are, again, hunters and gatherers. Poets, musicians, nomadic engineers and scholars; fact-diggers, searchers and re-searchers scoring in rich foundation territory. Horse-traders in lore and magic. ....

"The memories of a Golden Age -- the Garden of Eden -- the Age of the Yellow Ancestor -- were genuine expressions of civilization and its discontents. Harking back to societies where women and men were more free with each other; where there was more singing and dancing; where there were no serfs and priests and kings.

"Projected into the future time in Christian culture, this dream of the Millennium became the soil of many heresies. It is a dream handed down right to our own time -- of ecological balance, classless society, social and economic freedom. It is actually one of the possible futures open to us. To those who stubbornly argue 'it's against human nature,' we can only patiently reply that you must know your own nature before you can say this. Those who have gone into their own nature deeply have, for several thousand years now, been reporting that we have nothing to fear if we are willing to train ourselves, to open up, explore and grow."
--Earth House Hold; Gary Snyder; New Directions; 1968.

Happy holiday seasons!
H2O Man

[bobbolink]

1. In that time, we thought we were building something new, which was something old.

We thought we were bringing in the Age of Aquarius, and we were the peacemakers.

We thought we were learning anew how to live together and bring respect to all endeavors.

Classless society. Ecological balance. Social and economic freedom.

Yes, it was highly possible.

Maybe our grandchildren can realize our dream.

[H2O Man]

6. Oh, yes ....

the Flower Children of the 1960s were all of those things. Think of all the hatred and violence that was in the atmosphere then. It's an amazing thing that America survived. The progressive forces, ranging from those involved in the civil rights and anti-war movements to those who were aware of the need to re-define family structure, to those who became invested in the educational institutions of this land, were miracle workers.

We still have a lot of work to do, but all of our options are available to us right now.

[knowbody0]

2. and to you!

[babylonsister]

3. If it were only thus right this very minute, for us all!

The Season of Greetings to you!

[H2O Man]

7. It is our choice.

"We must seek out the spiritual people because only that is going to help us survive. We have a great force -- a great brotherhood. This brotherhood involves all living things. And that, of course, includes us all. We are talking about the natural world, the natural force, all the rees, everything that grows, the water. That is part of our force.

"But when you gather spiritual force in one place, you also gather the negative force. We begin to perceive the enemy now, the power and presence of the negative force.

"There is a great battle coming."

-- Onondaga Chief Oren Lyons

[Jcrowley]

4. Excellent quotes

"Four Changes" 1970


<snip>

II. POLLUTION

Pollution is of two types. One sort results from an excess of some fairly ordinary substance -- smoke, or solid waste -- which cannot be absorbed or transmuted rapidly enough to offset its introduction into the environment, thus causing changes the great cycle is not prepared for. (All organisms have wastes and by-products, and these are indeed part of the total biosphere: energy is passed along the line and refracted in various ways. This is cycling, not pollution.) The other sort is powerful modern chemicals and poisons, products of recent technology, which the biosphere is totally unprepared for. Such is DDT and similar chlorinated hydrocarbons -- nuclear testing fallout and nuclear waste -- poison gas, germ and virus storage and leakage by the military; and chemicals which are put into food, whose long-range effects on human beings have not been properly tested.

The human race in the last century has allowed its production and scattering of wastes, by-products, and various chemicals to become excessive. Pollution is directly harming life on the planet: which is to say, ruining the environment for humanity itself. We are fouling our air and water, and living in noise and filth that no "animal" would tolerate, while advertising and politicians try to tell us "we've never had it so good."

<snip>

III. CONSUMPTION

<snip>

Humanity's careless use of "resources" and our total dependence on certain substances such as fossil fuels (which are being exhausted, slowly but certainly), are having harmful effects on all the other members of the life-network. The complexity of modern technology renders whole populations vulnerable to the deadly consequences of the loss of any one key resource. Instead of independence we have over-dependence on life-giving substances such as water, which we squander. Many species of animals and birds have become extinct in the service of fashion fads -- or fertilizer, or industrial oil. The soil is being used up; in fact humankind has become a locust-like blight on the planet that will leave a bare cupboard for its own children -- all the while in a kind of Addict's Dream of affluence, comfort, eternal progress -- using the great achievements of science to produce software and swill.

<snip>

ACTION:

Since it doesn't seem practical or even desirable to think that direct bloody force will achieve much, it would be best to consider this a continuing "revolution of consciousness" which will be won not by guns but by seizing the key images, myths, archetypes, eschatologies, and ecstasies so that life won't seem worth living unless one is on the transforming energy's side.

New schools, new classes, walking in the woods and cleaning up the streets. Create an awareness of "self" which includes the social and natural environment. Consider what specific language forms, symbolic systems, and social institutions constitute obstacles to ecological awareness. Let no one be ignorant of the facts of biology and related disciplines; bring up our children as part of the wild-life. Some communities can establish themselves in backwater rural areas and flourish -- others maintain themselves in urban centers -- and the two types work together, a two-way flow of experience, people, money, and home-grown vegetables.


http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/s_z/snyder/snyderessays.htm

Just returned from an excellent eve with music and storytellers from the old, ancient, tradition of storytelling.

[H2O Man]

8. "the old, ancient traition of storytelling"

We are approaching the Mid-Winter Festival time. It will be worth taking the time to examine some of those old lessons on DU.

[pocoloco]

5. So far, the Age of Aquarius sucks big time!

Still a lot of time left though.

[xchrom]

9. ding, ding, ding, -- christmas bells are ringing!

i've spent evenings exactly like those at the holiday season.

what beautiful memories they bring back -- pagans, {liberal/progressive}christians, buddhists, atheists -- all gathered for solstice cheer -- some of us lived together in commune{ity} and others were guest -- but it was all what you would imagine a beautiful celebration could be.

[H2O Man]

10. Yep.

I think that DU serves as an updated version of those times.

[xchrom]

12. in many, many ways -- indeed.

[annabanana]

11. The energy is there..

I lived in it for awhile... lost it for awhile... see glimpses of it now, not concentrated as it was for me then, but bright still, and vibrant.

Peace.

[Jcrowley]

13. KICK for this post

[Annces]

14. Journey to the Center of the Earth

Will we make it?

Thanks for the holiday cheer.

I just saw James Mason in a movie last night, he was quite an actor.

[Me.]

15. Mutual Illumination!

Thanks for a full measure this past year H20Man.

[H2O Man]

16. Thank you.

[rosesaylavee]

17. Many thanks!

DU does approach the community described here much in large part to efforts of yours and others. Blessed holiday to you and yours!

Too late to recommend - kick.

[H2O Man]

18. Thank you.

Wishing you and yours a great holiday season.

2007 will be a historic year!