Saturday, April 4, 2009

Big Carnivores, a Witches pov.



Defenders of Wildlife

It is one thing to weep for the wolves of the Rockies, and the polar bears who are starving, and quite another thing to have to live with them. I'm not sure many people would be calm and cool, and merciful, if there were wolves in their forest. I am not sorry T-rex is only a bad memory, and bones in the sandstone. The only good I see in sharks is Orca food, and the only good I see in Orcas is their intelligence, and that I think some of them have human souls. Still... if Francis of Assisi (Giovanni Francesco Bernardone) could find peace with even the carnivores, then it must be something possible for us all. Perhaps there will always be animal attacks as long as there are people who are terrified by these creatures. Perhaps it is the fear that goads them to attack. I have been assured that the things we fear most are the things we draw to our selves - so that we can make them known, and thus they are not fear inspiring anymore. There are times too, when I yearn for the world to be "Bigger" again, and I am reminded of Capt. Jack Sparrow's line: "The world's still the same. There's just less in it."
Collectively all of nature equates to "Life", because it is the platform which allows life to continue on our world. Yet around the world there has arisen a hostility between mankind, and "Life". It has come to all out war. Who will win? Life will. I want to be on that side. The side of the wild stallion, the wolf, and the spotted owl. So I recycle, turn off my lights, live close to the earth (garden and goats...), and everyday in my email I get notices from my favorite activist groups - NRDC, Greenpeace, NOW, NARAL, True Majority, Save Alaska's Wolves, and Millions Against Monsanto. On line activism is easy, and the groups keep me abreast of current issues. I think my representatives may get tired of hearing from me, but that's their job. The best part though is I can see it making a difference. Have we finally reached that hundredth monkey? I hope you all have or will jump on the Train with me. It's a gasgasgas.

5 comments:

She Who Works Her Will said...

I lost a friend when I sent him the notice from the Wildlife Federation that contained the video of the wolf kill ordered by Sarah Palin. It wasn't the video that offended him, but the fact that I wasn't supporting her as vice president.

Then a friend who hunts went into a whole explanation of the danger of wolf overpopulation. Wolf overpopulation? Not so much. We infringe on their habitats and they do what they need to do to survive. They are not overpopulating...we are!

Beautifully written, Suzanne!

Lily Wyte said...

Sad that it seems to be the religious fundamentalist groups who have scads of children, and the more evolved people who look at overpopulation and have few or none. Still I think nature has a way of dealing with that sort of thing. I have read, and believe, that the black plague in historic Europe hit when it did because of the intolerance for, and persecution of "heretics". And that those who died were the intolerant, so that the Renaissance was born after. Born of the more evolved survivors. It would be a terrible thing to see come again, but spirit is eternal afterall. Thanks for your post.

wylde otse said...

This is a tough issue for me. In nature wolves cull caribou to keep the herd 'healthy' (I was up north country, I could get within 10 paces of the individual animals).

Maybe 10 or 20 million buffalo were killed in a short time by men with with 'long guns'; "carcasses" left to rot.

This is the main theme of the latest story/script I am working on. A Metis medicine-man escapes prison (1928) to search for the missing buffalo. (and his own soul/tribe).
He has a vision of bison thundering the plains once more, believing that then he too, would be restored. (one word for buffalo: otipanihowin = livelihood)

My own vision, would set aside large wild nature-tracts - restricted to humans.

( I was 16 when I shot a moose, fed the family that winter - I haven't hunted in a long time )

Bitsa Lit said...

YES!! You used Jack Sparrow!!
In all seriousnes, I have been hunting and have survived on a wild animal and I still eat meat(not much though) but I dont like how domestic animals are treated and I wont eat (meaning kill) any animal from the wild unless I have no alternative. To torture animals and hunt for sport is so wrong in so many ways. As humans, I believe we have a responsibility to the world, including animals, and to keeping the balance of nature as best we can. And killing the earths meat eaters, whoes populations are already in danger, is not keeping the balence.
Sorry for my little rant, but I get a bit agressive with the whole topic lol.
Great post! Thanks for writing it!

White Wolf said...

For me all life is sacred and part of the web of life.
The Goddess dwels within us and all around us.
Even hunting for survival is sacred.
See this video to get my point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wI-9RJi0Qo

Last year we had a 4 day witchy workshop at a permaculture farm, with earth houses and chickens. The chikens where free running around and fertilizing the earth, where they where growing organic food. But this farm's neighbours where growing the chickens in overpopulated chicken houses with the lights on all night. One night a truck came to take the chickens to the slaughter house. We had no sleep that night. It was a terrible scenario. Two different worlds that can never meet.

Yes we have a responsibility to the earth.

As Mahatma Gandhi said BE THE CHANGE.

Arie