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conservation
March 2009 
Showering over a bucket, and other acts of reverence
willowinthewind
We are all one child spinning through Mother Sky ( Shawnee saying)
California is in a drought. After two consecutive dry winters, they've declared a water shortage emergency. Water use restrictions are in place; we need to reduce our use of water by 20%. Sharp terrible memories of the firestorms, the destruction of wildlife and forests, dry as tinder, only weeks ago....
I've always been careful with water, in any event. California is a naturally semi-arid land. The garden is mulched, indigenous drought-resistant plants in place for many years.
But now I catch the first flow of warm-up water in a watering can, and then shower over a bucket. It feels good, and respectful, to do this. To catch every drop of water that I might. I wonder why I haven't always done so. Just one of those simple and profound moments in life, often brief moments, when one is graced with a truth, an insight, a deeper view of the essence of our world.
Some recent discussions in the Bay Area, about the High Cost of Everything, have bewildered me rather. The complaints about the costs of stuff are becoming deafening. I think that because of our stunning abundance people here have forgotten that lean times happen. Actually, we do live in stunning abundance. The breath-taking beauties of nature can be seen from every window. For the rest: save seeds and grow a garden. Drive less. Drive an environmentally friendly automobile. Better: walk more. Read more. Make your own oil lamps (it's an easy project to do with small children, and like biodiesel, uses up old vegetable oil).
Let us walk gently on the earth. Our concern for the earth is a spiritual one. Hope, and profound respect for the immense beauty of this earth and all of creation can be nurtured by simple actions integrated into daily routines. We can acknowledge those actions in ourselves and others, and support each other by example and encouragement, to see each other succeeding where we would like to succeed.
With all things and in all things, we are relatives. (Lakota)
They talk to us, the plants, and if we listen, we can hear them. (Arapaho)
Let us tread lightly upon this earth.
In ancient Greek mythology, Gaia, the deep-breasted, primordial Earth Mother was the first being to emerge from Chaos. She was regarded as the creator of the universe, humankind, and all other creatures of the natural world. The entire range of living matter on Earth: from viruses to whales, from algae to oaks, plus the air, oceans, and the land surface-all appear to be part of a giant system able to regulate the temperature and composition of the whole so as to ensure the survival of life. For many ancient traditions, the earth was to be venerated. Never do to the environment what you would not do to your own mother....
The more we focus on and appreciate the wonders and beauties of the universe about us, the more easily acts of reverence occur. We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do. And acts of reverence might just be one of the sweetest things possible, to show respect, a smile a deep bow, to each other each piece of the amazing interconnected universal Oneness in which we live and breathe and have our being.
The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives. (Lakota)
When we move away from nature our hearts becomes hard. (Lakota)
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This is wonderful…and so true. We need to simplify and appreciate the lean times, as when things are better, we really have gratitude.
Deep bows of grattude to you dear sister for posting this important blog.
Hugs, Aley
If you use green bath products, you can go to an aquarium store and get one of those cheap plastic aquarium vaccuums (you could make one with some tubing also) – you use it by putting the large end in standing water and sucking the air through until the water gets close to your end. Then you pinch it shut and put it into a bucket and when you let go gravity pulls the water through and it runs into your container. It's very simple. This way you can put a stopper in the drain during your shower and capture all of the water you use. It's great for watering plants, sort of a mini grey water system.
I also drain our wash water out into the yard with a hose - most hardware stores will have a hose size that will fit a washer outlet - rather than dump it back into the drain system, but that's only possible if you have a house with a yard and a conducive setup with your washer (mine is in a basement with an exterior door).
I think we've been comfortable in an illusion of abundance and now we're uncomfortable in an illusion of lean times. Neither of those takes into consideration that that abundance was at the expense of human beings living on a large part of our planet, and that those same human beings would look at our perspective of leanness now and think we were completely mad. But those people are far away and not real to us. We're obsessed with first world problems like how pricey it's become to commute from the burbs in the SUV while a lot of the world is hoping there will be enough food for today and tomorrow. Personally, I hope that if the lean times end, we'll be used to simplifying and maybe be a little more conscious and a little less myopic.
beautiful Jeannie your commitment is real and inspiring! love and light and hugs
What else can I do but send a clip with an Indian Raindance hoping that the heaven opens up for a life-giving , heavy shower !! What we consumers in the modern world are doing to the nature are unforgivable. We certainly have a lot to learn from, among others, the native americans who are able to live in harmony with the earths resources.
MUZYKA iNDIAN - “RAINDANCE”
OH, my precious sisters, I love you so much! Simplicity, appreciation: yes Aley!! And Jeannie WOW I love your ideas…I'm off to the hardware store. Nicole, Ane Lis, all my precious sisters, you all get it – the good times the bad times just an illusion – what's real is never-changing enduring LOVE (though I think I think it's expanding?) and we so do not need so many things. (Oh Oh, break out in song?? All we need is looooooove.) We could sing and dance with the Muzykas?
Sorry, bit gooney, long day at work (sorry 'plerk') but something's hammering on my head: this..is..just..the..beginning… Why why why do I think it is going to get better and better and better. The apparently difficult times have much to teach us. remind us. help us remember.
Peace and Oceans of Love
Dear Jeannie
I commend you for your precious and ever giving heart overflowing with love and devotion to our beautiful Mother Earth..Yes we shall all revere and give thanks for the abundance that is ever flowing, ever gifted and ever loving.
I love what you share on conscious appreciation and respect for our home..
You teach us so much, inspire and guide us into the wonder that is '' one'' all united to bring forth a wondrous, beautiful awareness of all of natures plenty.
We are now recognizing that having is not enough, wanting, collecting, owning…It is now that we feel within our being our appreciation, honor and love for all of Earths creations..
Even now as I help the little moths who get trapped in my home, I gently catch them in my little safe ( I call moth rescue) then I release them out into the air, up to the sky they fly free..
As I watch them go out back into nature I feel so good, so joyful and thankful that I am able to do this even little thing…
They are as important as any other creature, their lightness and beauty is divine and indeed precious..
I know in my heart, my very being that my loving intention and sense of joy is flying out there with my little friend, out into the field of energy which travels to you and to us all, therefore all we do is for all…
Small gestures, small kindnesses, all serve to bring balance, peace, joy and indeed an abundance of love to us all…
Thank you my most wonderful and beautiful friend,
you have inspired me…
Thank you Ane Lis for the '' Rain dance'' video awesome my friend..
Love
Ange
Oh, dearest Ange!
Then you will not laugh, you will understand. I have a special long-necked glass to catch moths or bees or those very delicate gentle long-legged wingy things (we call them 'mosquito hawks'). And yes, can you not sense their joy and relief when they are set free outside?? But it gets better :)…I capture all the spiders too, and find a safe spot for them outdoors. And isn't it WONDROUS when a little bird flies in through the usually-open door to the garden, or a squirrel !! by accident. I just stay very very quiet, and let them find their own way out. (Though I really wish they'd stay awhile. We could have tea….)
Bless you my friend…
You are love to all……: )
I so loved this blog…mind you I so love all that the lovely and fair Willow in the wind penned. Treading quietly on the earth, with respect and reverence…. that sounds like a good plan to me. I have always been mindful of my impact… so We have a compost bin and a worm farm, don't buy what we don't need etc.
I believe we are here to share this world… not lord over it!
Bless you…. you are a gentle breeze bringing a message of kindness and love.
Great post. Thankfully I live where there is an abundance of water - but everywhere, water is misused - it's such a global issue. My bill for gray water and storm drainage is three times as much as the price of tap water. I still can't understand just what that means. Chlorine, fluoride, water rights - all big issues.
I love the Rain Dance vid - thanks Ane Lis! - though it occurs to me that though we may pray for more water to fall from the skies, and be ever so grateful when it does(!), what is the quality of that water when the whole ecosystem is compromised??
Some great suggestions here… Please, please tag the blog environment so that it will show up in the 'green' posts (in the Explore => Green tab at the top of every page!) - so that others can see these ideas!!
This is an awesomely beautiful post Jeannie, just like its author … and its Creator. Love you totally, totally, totally!
We have a heatwave going on recently; I've taken to sleeping on the porch and dash the fan! No A/c; feels like a sin in a house to me.
And I won't get started on prices lol No I'll just leave this beautiful space in love.
Thanks for this and you.
Sherri
Being in Australia, with a similar climate to California… water is always an issue.
I keep thinking of this blog … won't go away. I think perhaps it's the thought of the water blessing last month, by Dr Emoto. Being that we are largely water and the planet is known as the water planet…………blessing the water and sending it love, does seem to be a good idea…
a good place to start, anyway.
Dr. Emoto?! Karin! Getouttamymind. :):) (You're always in there, aren't you?). I had a whole section on water crystals and his experiments with intention – and then deleted it, too long, thought WOW that's a whole post all in itself. I want to have a tee-shirt, ok ok first the Gaia tee, but then another one with a HUGE water crystal that's been exposed to thoughts of LOVE or Appreciation or Peace…. Imagine the impact of such intentions on all the water within us. On this planet. I know you do….
Sherri Sherri I love you so much. I must come over and write all over your grapevine. Immediately!
Tsuya! You'd better duck. I'm headin' your way too.
Peace and OCEANS OF LOVE,
Jeannie
Karin, it unnerves me a bit that water conservation and frankly its care and honour is also somewhere down the list of priorities for humans, particularly since we are mostly made up of water!
Water even being on the verge of 'running out' is equivalent to man 'going back to dust'! What a grim, grim image and thought…
What do we care about? I'm asking this question rhetorically but to the world as I write this.
Love you all. Sherri
Flying by on a shower of raindroplet memories … and just having to stop long enough to say How Beautiful this post is Willow. Yes, yes and more yeses!
Off to buy some hosing, a pump and an extra bucket … the clouds are beginning to form here but my guess is it will be a month or more before the raindrops start falling.
Let me know if you make that Water Crystal T .. I'd LOVE to wear that :-)
Dear Sweet Sister,
I give thanks for having such a precious, loving friend in you. My heart is singing now!!
Thank you for your gentle reminder of our connection and responsibility to this giving Earth. We often take from her without giving back or showing our respect for all she has shared with us.
When I lived on top of the mountain and the power would go off, I would catch the rain water or melt the snow to bathe in. I can remember how special and appreciative I felt for that simple pleasure, and how blessed I felt to have fresh water when so many in the world had none. Then the power would come back on, and for awhile I continued to catch the fresh water, but slowly I returned to my comfortable shower.
I bought a Prius to help with gas and the environment, now I'll buy a rain barrel and prepare a new spot in my unused yard for another garden.
Again, my deepest appreciation for your loving reminder for us to ”walk gently on the earth” !!!!
It's simply wondrous, isn't it, how native traditions and the mystics have always encouraged us to “walk gently upon Mother Earth, for her bounty is blessings and gifts.” How important — even for the sake of keeping our own hearts open and compassionate and strong — to treat all of creation with gentleness, kindness, respect, and love.
Look at this icon mother earth/Gaia. Maybe I'll start a collection! I could cover my walls and ceilings with them. Wait. Maybe I'll just move outdoors…you know, that shed in a field?…that's where I'd really feel at home!
That is a fantastic picture! And you know, I honestly think I could join you in that outdoor scenario! I just wouldn't want to be woken up by a shower or downpour lol Time to apply the technology to our fantasy somehow!
Lovely! Sherri
Such a beautiful pod to read and so caring, loving and sharing.
We have water restrictions here in Queensland too,
and I know what you mean.
We are now trained/reformed and we all wonder, just HOW we
wasteful we could have been in the past.
It has taught us all to love and respect our Planet even more and
not just wash away our resources.
Even if the restrictions are ever lifted -I think there would be very few people
who would go back to over-using and depleting our precious water supply.
Late coming to this beautiful blog, have had to rest my eye, hugs to you all, you are all pretty special, mother earth needs all the love and respect we can give her