((I can't believe I forgot to get this written ahead of time! My apologies to all, a bit belated but here it is))
Green has been a hot topic in the community for a long while,
especially with so many people having a very earth conscious (if not
earth centered) practice. And green products and practices have been
gaining a lot of popularity in the greater world as well, it is quite
common now to see things in the grocery store being advertized for
their green qualities.
My practice is not entirely earth centered, however it definitely is
earth conscious. I don't feel the entirety of my practice is nature
oriented. I don't shun modern things, technology or man made stuff,
and I don't feel like I should have to in order to honor the earth
and the natural way. I definitely feel that we, as people, are part
of nature, and the things we create can be as well. I don't think
that we, as a species, make the smartest of choices, and in the long
run, I believe we will be our own greatest 'predator' (in the sense
that we will either find a way to regulate our population and effect
on the planet or we will end up destroying ourselves).
I believe that being mindful of the earth and our footprint on it is
a good thing, and that being respectful is also a good thing. I grew
up recycling and reusing and not being wasteful, and I still believe
in these things. But I also acknowledge that it isn't always
feasible to do the things I would like to do.
We live in a society that prizes cheap, disposable things. Finding
things that are good quality and that will last is much harder today
than it was when I was little....and much more expensive. There are
a lot of things that I would love to be able to do or have that are
just outside of my means.
I have seen quite a few people in the community get very preachy
about green living. There is a sort of mythical ideal that anyone
who is Pagan should be living on a farm somewhere 'off the grid',
growing their own crops (with no pesticides or other modern aids),
raising their own livestock (though often not eating them....because
vegetarianism is often touted as being the desired way of life as
well), making our own everything from scratch and living a life that
is entirely centered around making every moment some kind of sacred
connection with nature.
If this is your thing, I am happy for you. I think it is wonderful
that you might be able to go and do this and have the kind of life
you want to have. It is not the ideal life for me, and it always
tickles me to see people preaching for this kind of reversion
life...on the internet! I do not feel I am any less of a good
person, or a good Pagan, because I eat meat and use disposable
plates. And I definitely don't think that my personal practice
requires anything so extreme as moving off the grid.
One thing that is a factor in my own personal life is that I have a
family. My husband and son are (of course!) important to me. Our
house runs on a mutual respect and care for each other's wants and
needs. Though they don't share my beliefs, I definitely feel support
from my family over the things I believe. And I don't think it is is
fair of me to force any of my beliefs on them. I would never try to
make them go all green (if I felt it was something I needed to do),
and for a stranger to come in and try to tell me I should be doing
this with no regards toward the people I care about is ridiculous to
me.
I also think this kind of judgment is bad for the community. People
tend to be stubborn. If you open a conversation about earth
consciousness with an attack on their personal life, their faith and
their worth, they are much less likely to listen to any arguments or
suggestions you might have. If instead, we try to open discussion
about ways a busy, modern family (or single person) might be able to
start working green living into their life, I think that will work
out much better.
I love finding new ways to re-purpose old things. To me, this very
much fits into my practice and life. If I can take something I am
already using or that a product I use came in and find a way to use
it after it's original purpose is finished, I am very happy. And it
is definitely helpful for the budget if you can find a way to use
something you already have in a new way instead of having to go out
and buy new things!
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