The Samhain Celebration for 2022

 First, we started on Oct. 30, Sunday, with a great service at the UU church in Black Mountain, all about the holy day as celebrated by ancient Celts. This was the introduction to our event, with Peggy Moore facilitating and giving great information.

"Samhain is one of the Celtic Holy Days, the end of the ancient calendar year and the day to Honor the Ancestors. Long ago, when our ancestors experienced their lives intricately woven with Earth's cycles, they saw certain times of the year as gateways or magical thresholds between the visible and invisible worlds. For those who acknowledge Celtic Spirituality, the lighting of the Samhain Fire ushers in the Dark Time of the Wheel of the Year and a time of introspection. 
 
We celebrated Samhain by calling in the guardians of the elements of Fire, Earth, Air and Water. We gave thanks to our ancestors who created the way for us and join our footsteps with all those who hold the Earth as sacred and all life as holy. 
 
We created an Ancestor Altar, of small items and/or pictures of your ancestors.

We were also honored to be visited by the first mother, Grandmother Cailleach, this giant puppet, She gave wonderful hand gestures as we listened to Annelinde Metzner's poem, "The Appalachian Cailleach Speaks," read by Nels Arnold from out of the past. Hearing from the ancestors!

She stands over 7 feet tall.

The Cailleagh with a lei of fresh marigolds

Our altar with photos of ancestors

Some of the participants in Innana's Daughters on Oct. 30. (I held the camera!)

Today's quote:

“Either war is obsolete or men are.”

- R. Buckminister Fuller

Remembering Ancestors

  Morning once a week I take the trash out. We only have pick-up once a week, and with bears loving our garbage, this system means I keep most of my trash in the apartment till Thurs. early. I also can only send out recyclables every other week. It sure makes me think of how much trash I bring home!

At the bottom of the hill, someone put lots of interesting things to be hauled away. With a phone appointment the trash people will take "household" trash like furniture. Not sure what the red and gold fabric was, but I got a kick out of this selection.

So this morning I bundled up for 40 degrees, and took my one bag out. I'm taking out some of the "wet garbage" during the week for the bear-proof bins. And as I came back down the walk, the sun was just hitting the tree tops above me. Their brilliant orange, yellow and even browns and dark reds just made me so  grateful to be alive at this day, on this wonderful turning earth of ours.

My thoughts immediately went to thinking of the original indigenous settlers to this region. I thought how a woman clothed in skins of animals would be bringing a fire to light in order to fix something to feed her family, or at least to warm her hands. And then I thought of how  that car which drove by showed that I'm totally dependent on fossil fuels. And I'm so grateful for the electricity which the ancient plants and animals have brought to my life...my coffee pot was perking as I came in my door. I took off my coat and hat because my home was heated by electricity also.

But I won't forget that glimpse of sunshine on those wonderful leaves of fall, which linked me to an ancestor who I imagined was looking at the same view while blowing on her wood fire.

Oct 27, Midland Ave yard Black Mountain, NC. Lots of acorns this year! Mast.

But seriously, this time of year has been known as one of the times the veil between the worlds is thin, so spirits of loved ones may visit us, especially in our dreams.

I'm a smart pagan (not really a wiccan) by knowing I can set wards against those who might wish me harm. No way I want to have nightmares more than I already do.

But in the last week, I've certainly had lots of visits from family members...mostly humorous, some just strange. In one I could find no other bed in the house to sleep in, just the one my father was in. I barely touched it on the far side. I really don't think I ever had any incestuous leanings toward my father. Other relations maybe not so much.

Lots of can't find my way out of some dilemma, or needing to work on something without the right materials. Ha, those do get pretty weird! Try weaving spaghetti noodles (cooked of course.)

OK, I know it is all in fun, and fortunately I had pretty good relationships with all my family (there wasn't really much of it.) A sister, mother and father, 2 grandmothers, and 1 grandfather, all of whom are gone. A few cousins and aunts who I saw very rarely. Come to think of it, they might visit out of their feeling bypassed.

I don't do an ancestor's altar...I've got pics all over the place and live among them. And our apartments have a fire regulation against candles...so I never light the ones I have.

But I'll take a photo or two to church on Sunday, when there will be an altar in honor of the ancestors. I hope that pleases them.

Incidentally I did have an ancestor who was a Spiritualist as his religion. William Lewis Booth lived a long life, and had many relations who died before him. Fortunately a few had children first. I don't know if he ever was contacted by any of them...the dearly departed, I mean.

Robertson Work

Have you noticed lately how many avenues I've been posting about this man's ideas? 

I'm in the middle of reading this.

It's a library copy, and once again I'm pretty sure I'll want to buy my own copy. The only other time that's happened was with Braiding Sweetgrass. I want to mark it up with my reactions!

They do have a lot in common.

So today I took a photo of a page that I want to be sure to remember, and have it to look back upon (actually 1-1/2 pages, 57-58).

Oh, yes, I voted yesterday! If you live in the USA, please tell me you have or will vote by Nov 8!! Our democratic governance depends on it, (vs. autocratic.)

 I'll quote this entire article from TreeHugger newsletter, published Oct. 21, 2022

Why Don't People Care About Climate Change?

They have other things on their mind, like being hit by a car.

By

Lloyd Alter

Published October 21, 2022 10:00AM EDT

Treehugger was founded by Graham Hill as "a green lifestyle website dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream." Sustainability is often defined as "meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," and doesn't seem to be much more mainstream now than it was then. Here we are, 18 years later, and key sustainability issues like climate change are not top of mind for most people, and Treehugger is not the world's biggest website.

One reason might be because of people's perception of risk. The Lloyd's Register Foundation is a charity that "helps to protect life and property at sea, on land, and in the air." It hired Gallup to do a World Risk Poll in 2020, using 2019 data, and just published its latest 2022 poll with 2021 data, after polling 125,911 people in 121 countries, mostly by telephone. One poll was pre-pandemic, and the other during it.1 Chief executive Dr. Ruth Boumphrey compares the two:

"Looking at this first report of the 2021 World Risk Poll, what strikes me most about the findings is what hasn’t changed, as much as what has. People globally still worry about perennial threats such as road crashes, crime, and violence more than any other risks, including Covid-19, and this has important implications for how policymakers work with communities to manage emerging public health challenges in the context of their everyday lives."

Perhaps the most surprising statistic is that North Americans believe that their greatest daily source of risk is from road-related accidents and injuries at 29%, followed by crime and violence at 11%. Australia and New Zealand put road risk at 33%, weirdly followed by cooking and household accidents at 11%.1

At first, I thought this is terrible; we have been writing about road safety for years, and nothing gets fixed, and yet it is North Americans' biggest worry! And what's wrong with Australian kitchens? But when you look at the numbers, you realize that this is a result of rich countries not suffering as much from many of the things other countries worry about, such as Latin America with crime and violence at 43%, Africa worrying about not having money, and North Africa worried about disease.1

Covid-19 was considered a major risk in some parts of the world, but "its impact was moderate overall, and day-to-day risks such as road-related injuries, crime and violence, and economic concerns remained top-of-mind for most people."

This has been the perennial sustainability story; day-to-day issues and worries have higher priority. Climate change gets its own special section of the risk report and it comes to much the same conclusion. The authors start by noting that "the global risk posed by climate change is widely recognised, and warnings about its effects are increasingly dire. A recent joint statement by more than 200 medical journals called the rapidly warming climate the 'greatest threat to global public health.'"

But then they dig into the data and find that, while 67% of respondents consider climate change a threat, only 41% deem it serious.1 It varies by education:

"The likelihood of people viewing climate change as a very serious threat to their country was much lower among those with primary education or less (32%) than among those with secondary (47%) or post-secondary (50%) education. More than a quarter of people in the lowest education group (28%) said they ‘don’t know,’ compared to 13% among those with secondary education and 7% with at least some post-secondary education."

Logically, people who had experienced severe weather events were more likely to consider climate change to be a serious threat, although even then, there is a correlation with education. So university grads in Fort Myers are probably pretty convinced that climate change is a problem right now. The conclusion:

"As in 2019, the 2021 World Risk Poll findings demonstrate the powerful influence of education on global perceptions of climate change. The data highlight the challenge of reaching people who may be vulnerable to risk from extreme weather but have low average education levels, such as agricultural communities in low- and middle-income countries and territories... Spreading awareness of how climate change may directly impact people’s lives may be crucial in broadening local efforts to reduce carbon emissions and build resilience to the effects of rising temperatures."

Education has always been a problem because, as climate journalist Amy Westervelt noted after the latest IPCC report, there are powerful forces interested in downplaying the importance of climate change. She wrote, "The report made one thing abundantly clear: the technologies and policies necessary to adequately address climate change exist, and the only real obstacles are politics and fossil fuel interests." Education would have a lot to do with how susceptible people are to their stories.

In many ways, we have seen this movie before, in the Great Recession of 2008. When people are worrying about whether they can heat or they can eat, or apparently whether they will survive crossing the street, then climate change is something they can worry about later.

Source: "2021 Report: A Changed World? Perceptions and Experiences of Risk in the Covid Age." Lloyd's Register Foundation, 2022.

Friday Power Lunch in VA

 Neat new podcast I just found, thanks to another blogger!

Friday Power Lunch

It talks about misogyny and patriarchy and the forces plotting against powerful women!

If you're a male and a feminist, you will understand this. If you're a male and among those who support a patriarchal view of the world, I'm sorry. This may hurt your feelings a bit.

Robertson Work more on audio

 Second half of Audio on Decentralized Community Building

Only in Texas

 Sharing and quoting from FB friend Traces of Texas...

Traces of Texas reader Mariann Jones graciously sent in this wowser of a circa 1910 photo and included this wowser of a caption. Says Mariann:

"I wanted to share some information and a photo about a very interesting relative of mine, William H. “Billie” McMillan.

Billie lived from 1859-1926 mostly in Leon County, Texas. He was a traveling show/carnival/circus performer around Texas, and he was a one-man-band as well as a ventriloquist. It's said that he could play up to 7 instruments simultaneously! His parents were Neil McMillan Jr. (son of Neill McMillan Sr. and Agatha Ford McMillan) and Mary J. Finlay McMillan. Billie is my 1st cousin 3x removed.

An interesting fact about Billie: He was an albino! Note his long blond hair, mustache and eyebrows. It's hard to tell the color of his eyes, but typically albinos have light eyes as well.

Regarding this photo, taken circa 1910, it came with this caption: "Elderly American musician “Professor” W. H. McMillan, a one-man band, sits with his bow and fiddle at the ready next to his drum and cymbal kit in front of a circus tent in Oakwood, Texas, circa 1910." The term “Professor” is apparently a common term in the circus world and refers to someone who has been with the circus for some time and is now passing his experience on to others.

Billie had at least two children. One daughter was named Belva A. McMillan Mayor, and she settled in Oregon when she married. They had 3 children: Belva June, Edwin O. Jr. and Ela Belle Mayor, but I know little about them so far. Another daughter apparently traveled with him in the carnivals, but we don't know her first name. It appears that his wife died in childbirth while giving birth to their second daughter. He may have married someone named Lucy Horn a few years later. We have no contact at this time with anyone living who is a direct descendant and would love it if someone sees this and knows something about his family."

Sharing with Sepia Saturday: another unsmiling person seated.

Audio on Decentralized Governance

 Robertson Work and Nathan B. Phillips discuss Decentralized Governance, Part One.

A 22 minute intro to the work that these innovators are offering.

A good intro to the direction they would like to see in our area.

Robinson Work on YouTube

 

Since 1970 Wildlife Populations have dropped 69%.

Living Planet Report 2022 details the issues with climate change and biodiversity.

By

Mary Jo DiLonardo

 Published October 13, 2022 11:14AM ED Treehugger Newsletter (quoted in its entirety here.)

 “Today we face the double, interlinked emergencies of human-induced climate change and the loss of biodiversity, threatening the well-being of current and future generations.”

So begins the executive summary of the Living Planet Report 2022. Released every two years by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the study examines global biodiversity and the health of the planet. The latest report reveals an average 69% drop in world vertebrate species in less than 50 years.

The report considers nearly 32,000 populations of 5,230 species from the Living Planet Index (LPI). Provided by the Zoological Society of London, the index tracks trends in species abundance around the world. This year’s report includes data on more than 838 new species and 11,000 new populations since the last report was released in 2020.

In addition to putting numbers to species declines, the report shows the threats behind those drops, how these statistics relate to planetary health, and offers possible solutions.

The report details the connection between climate change and biodiversity loss and focuses on some species that have plummeted, as well as some that have rebounded.

For example:

There was an estimated 80% plunge in the population of eastern lowland gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1994 and 2019. The main threat to the species, also known as Grauer’s gorilla, is hunting.

Hunting was one of the main causes of the 64% decline in Australian sea lion pups in South and Western Australia between 1977 and 2019. The pups are also often caught in fishing gear and die from diseases.

But there have been some promising discoveries with species that have been recovering.

The population of loggerhead turtle nests grew by 500% on the coast of Chrysochou Bay in Cyprus from 1999 to 2015. Credit conservation efforts that include relocating nests and using cages to protect others from predators. 

Conservation measures have also helped mountain gorillas. In the Virunga Mountains along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, populations of mountain gorillas increased to 604 animals, up from 480 gorillas in 2010.

Rebecca Shaw, WWF's chief scientist, spoke to Treehugger about the highlights and lowlight of the report.

Treehugger: What are your overall impressions of the Living Planet Report findings?

Rebecca Shaw: The Living Planet Report 2022 presents a dire picture of the health of our planet. It reveals that monitored populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have decreased by 69% on average since 1970. This figure is based on measurements of over 32,000 populations of vertebrates from terrestrial, marine, and freshwater habitats. Scientists now believe we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction; a period of time when a high percentage of Earth’s biodiversity dies out. This rapid rate of biodiversity loss is closely linked with climate change; both problems exacerbate one another and they must be addressed together. 

What are the most worrisome statistics? 

Latin America, including the Amazon rainforest, has a staggering rate of biodiversity loss: a 94% decrease in average vertebrate population sizes. This region is suffering from an unprecedented amount of deforestation and forest degradation, which, if not halted, may trigger an irreversible climate tipping point. The Amazon has historically served as a massive carbon sink, but burning and logging have the potential to turn the rainforest into a carbon source, accelerating climate change. 

But do you also focus on the bright spots like loggerhead turtles and mountain gorillas?

Absolutely! The recovery of specific populations is a testament to the power of conservation work. We must celebrate the wins and learn how to replicate these results at scale. On the coast of Cyprus, targeted conservation efforts increased the number of loggerhead turtle nests by 500% between 1999 and 2015. Workers relocated nests away from tourist areas and even used cages to protect the eggs from foxes. The mountain gorilla’s habitat extends into Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. Collaborative conservation efforts in these countries have increased the population size by over 125% within 10 years. 

What are the main causes of these population declines? 

Land-use change is the greatest current threat to nature, but a failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could make climate change the primary cause of biodiversity loss in the future. Land-use change is the process of converting wilderness ecosystems into residential, commercial, or agricultural land. This process destroys habitats and causes climate change, both of which threaten wildlife. Around 30% of all land that sustains biodiversity has been converted for food production, and agriculture is also responsible for 80% of deforestation and 70% of freshwater use globally. 

Why is this report important? 

This report is an indicator of overall ecosystem health from the lens of biodiversity, the web of life that supplies the clean air, water, and soil we all rely on. These findings are a red flag that warns of a larger systems failure on the horizon. Even one species population decline can affect other species, eventually impacting an ecosystem’s ability to function. While some fluctuation in population sizes is natural, the current trends are severe enough to threaten many life-sustaining systems. Humans depend on a stable climate, predictable precipitation patterns, and productive farmland and fisheries to thrive. Our planet needs us to take action now so that it can continue to support future generations.

What action do you hope it will spur?

We must rapidly transform our food systems and cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Protecting, conserving, and restoring ecosystems is one effective way to do this, but we also need to invest in renewable energy sources, like wind and solar power. Individuals can shift corporate behavior through their purchasing decisions and their civic participation, demanding accountability from politicians and business leaders.

More on Climate Change

 I know, I said I was giving up this blog. But here I am.

I just watched a good film on YouTube 

"Living the Change, Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future."

THen I got to thinking about my interest in Doughnut Economics...particularly how I can use a circular model for my own life goals...interests, etc. I haven't figured that out yet.

But I did find a new DEAL page of "Launching 'Doughnut Unrolled' A new set of tools for your place."

I first talked about this model of economics on Sept. 18...Here.

I finally got some clarity about how this model is applied to environmental questions. Your Place, meaning wherever I live...and then The Doughnut Unrolled. Very interesting. 

If you want to know more about it, try my first post first.