Witchvox Article

Author: Panisch Lockelear
Posted: April 19th. 2009
Times Viewed: 1,590

We all have gotten pretty grounded in our routines. We get up in the morning to an alarm clock's warning, electrically made cup of coffee, and the latest news on TV. We come home from our day in our cars, with dinner on the range top, a cool, air conditioned home and all the latest entertainment and movies on our big screened flashy boxes.

Day in and day out, the routine goes on and on. No fresh sunshine on our bodies. No fresh unconditioned air in our lungs and we shun our mother's special form of entertainment. The entertainment of a birds song, a squirrel's playful romp in the trees, or the greatest thunderstorm, complete with light show. We ignore this for Sex In The City, Monster Garage, and Mad Men. Perhaps, it may be World of Warcraft or our X box games that steal all of our time away.

So what are we teaching our children by this? The children's obesity rates in this country are at an all time high and getting even worse. They have lost the ability to actually run and unless the ability to play comes in the form of an electronic computerized box, they have almost no concept of it. Day in and day out, even we as pagans, have found ourselves caught up in the modern electronic age. We are starting to refuse the sacred ways that connect us to our mother.

Lastly, in an all out last ditch effort to immerse ourselves in our sheltered, electric ion filled habitats, we shun the outdoors even more by throwing our living plants out of our homes and bring in silk, plastic fake flowers and Fica trees.

So what of our mother Earth? What does she have to say about all this? Have the scales of balance swung to the far end and now refuses to come back? Nope... It comes back with a vengeance. Like an angry mom at her disobedient children, our mother comes to set us straight. Our harsh and cruel departure from our natural state, our spiteful back talking, and our refusal to take a healthy part in the circle has made her angry. So she allows the scales to swing back upon us and nature seeks to wake us up from our day in and day out existence.

Clouds gather, the skies darken and the awakening is upon us. The skies flash with a light show that will make any flashy box, big screen or not, look meager. Mother has allowed the release of a titan and his name was hurricane IKE. Hurricane Ike came ashore on the Texas gulf coast and he meant business. Homes were leveled and electricity was downed. Trees were snapped off and laid at our doorsteps or actually in our homes as a reminder of what we have ignored.

The sludge and trash we dump everyday came washing in over us polluting our drinking water, as if to say, 'now you all get to drink what my animals have to drink everyday'. Gasoline is all but gone in most of the gulf coast area, making our ability to run from our whoopin' that much harder. Our pride is dealt a grand blow when our flushable toilets back up and we now understand all the gifts we have been given.

The food we have piled high in our electric freezers spoil and we are left with just the basics. ' You may go to bed hungry tonight' rings in my ears, like an angry mother scolding her child for their lack of respect. We are left to huddle in our unnatural, electrical homes and brave the storm. Our neighbors, whom we have refused to get to know, do the same in their homes.

However, our mother thinks we need to get to know our neighbors, so she allows the titan to blow down our fences and gates. Now, we must communicate with each other. No electricity, no gasoline, long lines for Ice, water, and little food. Our homes damaged or gone, Luxury items useless, our lives turned upside down with a long road of clean up to follow. And a long time to think about what we have become.

Out of the ashes we walk out into a new world. Our neighbors walk out too, glances and names exchanged, we partner up to help each other prop up our blown fences. We share meals and whatever we have with our neighbors and newfound friends. Our children learn what it means to use their imagination and to play games with all the other children in the area. They learn how to volunteer and to help our community.

Our children experience sunshine and fresh air for the first time in a long while. We actually get to see something on our kids we have not seen in a long time, a smile. No X box, computers or instant entertainment. We watched as the squirrels gather pecans blown out of our pecan tree in efforts to get ready for winter. Something I am sure my sixteen-year-old son has never seen before.

I watch the sun go down with my wife and son. With no electricity, the lanterns are lit. My son comes to me and asks me, " Dad what kinda books do you have to read?"

My face hot with joy, I give him a copy of "Sacred Ways". I mean Oh MY goddess! He read a book!

The days go on teaching us lesson after lesson. Sleeping with the widows open at night, we can hear the sounds of the night. Cool night air blows in and cools us as we are graced with some cool fronts, just in time for our fall equinox. Sharing and caring become the words of the day and a long clean up effort is underway.

Hard work and understanding replace our selfish thoughts and ways. The days move into weeks and now almost a month has gone by. The piles of debris, wreckage, and trash are still piled high as a silent reminder of all we have had to overcome and come to terms with. Many have lost everything, but have their lives. Some have even lost loved ones in one of the worst storms to hit the Texas Gulf coast in 25 years.

Our electricity has come back on and we now have stores that have restocked food and other luxury items. Our water is flowing and toilets flush again. They even say our water is safe to drink. Well, as safe as it ever was anyway. The news is on and showing all the images of damage and destruction brought on by Hurricane Ike. A titan...Our mother released a titan. Makes me kinda proud to know that I love and respect such an awesome mother. Fierce yes, but loving too.

I can hear the television on in my son's room and I think to myself, have we learned anything at all? Have we indeed realized what we miss by hiding in our electronic habitats day in and day out? Things will get better and better here on the gulf coast, and worst too I am afraid.

To live as a ' wise one ', I feel it is our job is to remind others of the lessons we have had to endure and learn. However, I worry about our hardheaded tendencies to look away.

My son just interrupted my typing of this to ask me, " Dad do you have any other books I can read?"

ABOUT...

Panisch Lockelear

Location: houston, Texas

Author's Profile: To learn more about Panisch Lockelear - Click HERE

Other Articles: Panisch Lockelear has posted 4 additional articles- View them?

Other Listings: To view ALL of my listings: Click HERE

Email Panisch Lockelear... (Yes! I have opted to receive invites to Pagan events, groups, and commercial sales)

Home - TWV Logos - Email US - Privacy

News and Information

Chapters: Pagan/Heathen Basics - Pagan BOOKS - Traditions, Paths & Religions - Popular Pagan Holidays - TV & Movies - Cats of the Craft - Festival Reviews - Festival Tips - White Pages (Resources) - Issues/Concerns - West Memphis 3 - Witch Hunts - Pagan Protection Tips - Healing Planet Earth

Your Voices: Adult Essays - Young Pagan Essays - Pagan Perspectives (On Hold) - WitchWars: Fire in the Craft - Gay Pagan - Pagan Parenting - Military - Pagan Passages

Pagan Music: Pagan Musicians - Bardic Circle at WitchVox - Free Music from TWV

Vox Central: About TWV - Wren: Words, Wrants and Wramblings - Guest Rants - Past Surveys - A Quest for Unity

Weekly Updates: Click HERE for an index of our weekly updates for the past 6 years

W.O.T.W. - World-Wide Networking

Your Town: A Link to YOUR Area Page (The largest listing of Witches, Pagans, Heathens and Wiccans on the Planet)

VoxLinks: The Pagan Web: 8,000 Listings

Your Witchvox Account: Log in Now - Create New Account - Request New Password - Log in Problems

Personal Listings: Pagan Clergy in Your Town - Adult Pagans - Young Pagans - Military Pagans

Events: Circles, Gatherings, Workshops & Festivals

Covens/Groups/Orgs: Local Groups Main Page

Other LOCAL Resources: Local Shops - Regional Sites - Local Notices - Global/National Notices - Local Skills & Services - Local Egroups - Political Freedom Fighters

Pagan Shopping: Online Shops Index - Original Crafters Sites - Auction Sites - Pagan Wholesalers - Pagan Local Shops

Web Site Content (including: text - graphics - html - look & feel)
Copyright 1997-2013 The Witches' Voice Inc. All rights reserved
Note: Authors & Artists retain the copyright for their work(s) on this website.
Unauthorized reproduction without prior permission is a violation of copyright laws.

Website structure, evolution and php coding by Fritz Jung on a Macintosh G5.

Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wren’s Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witches’ Voice, Inc. TWV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization.

Sponsorship: Visit the Witches' Voice Sponsor Page for info on how you
can help support this Community Resource. Donations ARE Tax Deductible.
The Witches' Voice carries a 501(c)(3) certificate and a Federal Tax ID.

Mail Us: The Witches' Voice Inc., P.O. Box 341018, Tampa, Florida 33694-1018 U.S.A.

Witches, Pagans
of The World

Current Topic
Editorial Guide

NOTE: The essay on this page contains the writings and opinions of the listed author(s) and is not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Witches' Voice inc.

The Witches' Voice does not verify or attest to the historical accuracy contained in the content of this essay.

All WitchVox essays contain a valid email address, feel free to send your comments, thoughts or concerns directly to the listed author(s).