The Sacred Glen
Volume #1 Issue #5
August 2007
The Sacred Glen is a publication of Daughters of the Greening online school. All articles within this ezine are written by students of the school and are their own personal property, unless otherwise credited. Daughters of the Greening is dedicated to teaching about the sacredness of all life and offers classes in Sacred Ecology, Holistic Healing, Discovering Past Lives, Faery Magic and Women's Spirituality. The school is open to anyone who is 18 years of age or older.
The Sacred Glen Council
Morgana Ravenwings
Dryw
Stephanie Mayfield
Anarane
Belou
Susan Allen
In this issue:
Sacred Days of the Ancestors
The Goddess Speaks
Gaia's Resources for Health
Call of the Wild: Modern Men and Paganism
Garden of Eatin'
Harvests from the Printing Press
Spider Woman's Web
Green Living
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Sacred Days of the Ancestors
August 2007
7/14 eve to 8/19 eve (7/28 peak): Delta Aquarid Meteor Showers.
7/20 to 8/2 (A 8/30 to 9/12): Old Egyptian festival.
7/29 eve to 8/17 eve (8/12 peak): Perseid Meteor Showers.
7/31 eve to 8/2 eve: Lughnasadh-- Old Celtic/Irish Feast of Goddess Tailtiu and God Lugh (Deities of Sustenance and Light).
7/31 eve to 8/2 eve: Feast of the Grain Harvest--honoring Goddess as Demeter & Kore (Old Greek); and God as Dumuzi (Old Sumerian), Osiris (Old Egyptian) & Oko (Yoruba/Santeria) .
7/31 eve to 8/7 eve: Mid-Summer/First Harvest/Lammas- -Festival of thanksgiving for the first of the grain harvest; celebrated by offering the first fruits of the grain harvest and prayers for sustenance for all.
8/2: Feast of the Black Madonna.
8/3 (A 9/13): Old Egyptian festival of Neteru Amen (God of transcendent powers) and Hapi (God of the Nile River); offerings were made to ensure the needed flooding of the Nile River.
8/4: Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary
8/4 to 8/7: Zuni Corn Dance--in thanksgiving to Mother Earth, the Kokos (Nature Spirits), and the Corn Maidens for the maize harvest. Following the harvest, the Zuni bid farewell to the Kokos and the Corn Maidens.
8/6: Feast of Thoth
8/6 eve to 8/12 eve: Panathenaea- -Old Greek festival of Goddess Athena - as daughter of Wisdom (Goddess Metis) and font of reason.
8/7: Breaking of the Nile
8/7: Gaia Consciousness Day--Day to meditate on Mother Earth as a living planet.
8/11: Christian feast of St. Clare of Assisi (d. 1253), guide of environmentalists.
8/12 (7:03 p.m. EDT): New Moon, “Light of Isis”
8/13: Hecate's Day
8/14 eve to 9/12 eve: Elul--Jewish month of self-reflection, peace-making, and renewal.
8/15 (OC 8/28): Assumption Day--Christian feast commemorating Blessed Mother Mary rising into Heaven, being crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth, and being transformed into Our Lady, the Paraclete (the Holy Spirit) who appears everywhere.
8/16: Ramadan, beginning of the Muslim month of fasting.
8/17: Festival of Diana
8/18 eve to 8/19 eve: Feast of Old Greek Goddess Artemis (Roman Diana/Slavic Diwitsa) - as defender of rights and liberties, and punisher of rapists and oppressors.
8/19: Vinalia--Old Roman festival of thanksgiving for the first of the grape harvest; celebrated by offering the first fruits of the grape harvest and prayers for sustenance for all.
8/20: Birth of the White Buffalo (1994), signaling the return of White Buffalo Woman (manifestation of Star Goddess Wohpe) who gave the sacred peace pipe to the Lakota people, Hopi Flute Ceremony
8/22: Christian feast of Our Lady, Queen of Angels.
8/23: Beginning of Virgo (the Grain Maiden/Man).
8/23: Feast of the Furies--honoring Nemesis and the Erinyes, Old Greek Goddesses who punish murderers, abusers, and exploiters of others.
8/24 eve to 8/25 eve: Old Greek festival honoring Athena Polias and Zeus Polios as protectors of city and state.
8/25: Old Roman festival of Goddess Ops, Lady of the Cornucopia, Bounty of the Harvest, and Sustainer of Life.
8/27: Birthday of Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) (1910), Catholic nun who served the poorest of the poor and saw Deity in each person, Festival of Bast Krishna
8/27 eve to 8/29 eve: Feast of Mother Earth--honoring Goddess as Odudua (Yoruba/Santeria) , Gaia (Old Greek), Mati-Syra-Zemlya (Old Slavic), Jord (Old Norse), Danu (Old Celtic), Prithivi (Hindu), Ki (Old Sumerian) & Elath-Terah (Old Canaanite-Hebrew) .
8/28 (6:35 a.m. EDT): Full Moon (Harvest Moon), Harvest Festival
8/28 (3:52 a.m. to 9:22 a.m. EDT; peak 6:37 am EDT): Total Lunar Eclipse (visible in most of North America).
8/28: Day of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s peaceful march on Washington, D.C., for recognition of the rights of African Americans (1963).
8/29: Gelede Festival Feast of Ogun, a Yoruban festival honoring the orishas
8/30: Day to honor Saint Rose of Lima, first Catholic saint born in the Americas.
8/31: Eyo Masquerade, a masked play in honor of Nigerian King Ado
Parts Excerpted from:
THE MYSTIC'S WHEEL OF THE YEAR 2007
A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality
© 2006 Page Two, Inc.
info@WheeloftheYear.com
www.WheeloftheYear.com
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The Goddess Speaks
Eve
By Morgana
Today, many do not think of Eve as a Goddess. Instead she is seen as the first woman, and as the one who caused the fall of man. However, Eve actually has all of the symbolism and qualities of a Creator Goddess, and I submit that she originally held that position, before she was belittled by patriarchy into the almost pitiful character she now represents.
In the Old Testament, the creation of Eve by Yahweh was for the intention of creating a helper for Adam....at least according to the English version of the Old Testament. However, in the Hebrew version, the word translated as “helper” is 'ezer', and it comes from two roots:
-z-r Meaning “to rescue, to save”
and
g-z-r Meaning “to be strong”
Along these lines, in the Old Testament, the only time this word is translated as helper is in relation to Eve. In all other instances, the word is translated as “strength, saviour, rescuer”. In particular, Yahweh himself is called an 'ezer' to human beings.
It is most important to understand that the story of Adam and Eve and the snake is a very, very old story. There are Sumerian seals depicting the story dating back to 3500 BC, showing the serpent, the tree, and the Goddess. In these seals the Goddess is giving a fruit from the tree to a male. The story as we know it from the Old Testament heralds from
Titian, Adam and Eve, c. 1550. Madrid, Prado
a time when there was extreme conflict between the prophets of Yahweh, and the indigenous people who worshipped Baal/Asherah in Canaan. Baal, who is believed to have arrived in Canaan from the Phoenicians, was the son and consort of Asherah, the Mother Goddess. He was primarily a fertility god who appears not only in the form of a man and a bull, but also in the form of a snake, like his father El. These forms stress his virility and fertility, and enhance the life giving properties associated with Asherah.
This religion was primarily a woman's religion, and it persisted for many, many years after the story of Adam and Eve. Maacah, the mother of King Asa of Judah, and Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, were both followers of Asherah, with the latter, Jezebel, possibly being a priestess judging by her name (bel being a form of Baal). Thus, the war that waged between the followers of Yahweh and those of Baal/Asherah was not simply a conflict between two religious groups, but was also a fight of masculine against feminine, signified as good (masculine) against evil (feminine).
Even the name “Eve”, shows this. In the first millennium BC, Asherah was also known by the name of “Chawat”, which translates as “Hawah” in Hebrew...... . and “Eve” in English. Her full name/title was “Rabat Chawat Elat”, or “Great Lady Eve the Goddess”. Interesting, isnt it? History is retold by the conquerors, and in this retelling, the Great Lady Eve the Goddess, has become Eve, the weak-willed and easily deceived woman who caused the fall of man....And THIS, not the latter, is the story that has come down to us in the West, and the story which has shaped the culture, ideas and attitudes that we know today.
The Baal/Asherah religion was demonized because its main followers were women. And this demoralizing can be seen in the Old Testament in Genesis 3. In the scene, the snake (Baal) approaches Eve (the Goddess) and gets her to eat the fruit in order to gain wisdom. He did not approach Adam, because at this time there was already an established link between the snake and woman, not between the snake and man. The author knew this, and wanted his readers to know it also. However, the point that the writer of Genesis desires to make is that Eve was deceived by the snake, thus that women are deceived by the religion of Baal/Asherah. He makes this point by having Eve exclaim “The serpent deceived me and I ate!” Then the punishments by Yahweh are meted out. The snake is punished by Yahweh putting enmity between his children and Eve's children, thus driving a wedge between woman and her long time ally, the snake. Eve is punished by Yahweh greatly increasing her pain in childbirth. This in itself is a very interesting curse. In religions that focus on a Goddess, the needs of women were clearly addressed. Among these needs are things like fertility, pregnancy, menstruation, childbirth and infant care. Asherah was often invoked to help women in childbirth. By cursing Eve in this manner, Yahweh and his male followers are thus saying that women will no longer be able to call on Asherah for help with women's issues.
In the Gnostic religion, a branch of ancient Christianity, Eve had a much different role. Instead of being depicted as the weak-willed, easily deceived, 'helper of man', She was instead seen as the embodiment of the divine feminine principle and was equated with Sophia, or Wisdom, who was the Creator of the Word of God. As a result of this, women amongst the Gnostics were considered equal to men and were revered as prophets, teachers, faith healers, priestesses and even bishops.
Indeed, Eve carries with her all of the symbolism of a Goddess. She is the mother of humankind. Her symbols include the snake, the Tree, and the apple in the modern retelling of the story. In Jewish legend, we also find Eve traveling to the otherworld to Yahweh's throne to plead for Adam's life as he lies near death. Thus, like other Mother Goddesses, Eve travels to the great beyond seeking special favors for humans....After Adam died, She mourned for many days and nights, similar to Demeter and other Goddesses. She is then credited with teaching funerary rites to humans. Being the first mother, and a friend of snake, she is able to see into the otherworld and knows what awaits us there. Thus, the first woman also becomes our teacher..... which by the way, is another interpretation of the word 'ezer'.
It is interesting how cultures and societies are founded on myths. The story that has come down to us here in the West, of Eve as the easily deceived, second-class, helper of man (who actually caused his downfall and thus is evil) is the story which has shaped the culture that we know today. Indeed, I wonder what life would be like for us today if Eve had instead come down to us in her true form as Great Lady Eve the Goddess
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Gaia's Resources for Health
Affirmations of the Month
Submitted by Belou
Practice one or all of the following affirmations 30 times a day for 30 days. These affirmations help to build up the energy around you and within the Universe to manifest these desired changes in your life.
I am highly favored and blessed.
I love myself, I trust myself, and I make wise decisions everyday.
I am wisdom and a power unto myself.
I walk in good health and abundance daily.
I am living in the fullness of the Goddess.
Candle colors and their properties:
submitted by Belou
Light Blue - Healing, happiness, and tranquility.
Dark Blue - Healing, change, and intuitive abilities.
Black - Protection, healing severe diseases, banishing, absorbing and destroying negativity.
Pink - Compassion, love, friendship, honor, and mortality.
Purple - Power, meditation, spirituality, and healing severe diseases.
Gray - Neutrality.
Brown - Home, working magic for animals.
Green - Money, fertility, growth, and prosperity.
Orange - Legal matters, attraction, stimulation, and adaptability.
Yellow - Intellect, attraction, confidence, divination, and study.
White - Truth, protection, peace, purification, and connection to spirit.
Red - Protection, strength, courage, exorcism, health, and passion.
The Heart Chakra:
Submitted by Belou
The Sanskrit word for the heart chakra is "Anahatha". Located at the center of the chest this is also the midway point of the chakra system with 3 chakras above and 3 chakras below. This chakra is balance, equilibrium, community and love. Associated with the heart, lungs, diaphragm, arms and hands, respiration, growth, the ability to change and adapt, caring, sharing, relationships with others, this chakra gives structure to our existence, routine and discipline, and all aspects of personal growth and the ability to discern and travel our own personal road. When this chakra is balanced, there is a sense of calm, clear-sightedness, friendliness and tolerance of others. It is possible to understand the needs of others without feeling that our own needs have to be ignored or suppressed. We know where we want to go and we can hold our own ground well.
Signs of malfunctioning:
Heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, lung disease, colds, emotionless, and power-seeking. Anything that intrudes into or restricts personal boundaries and equilibrium such as: Invasive illness, abnormal growths, lack of control at any level, sense of claustrophobia, being trapped, unfulfilled, restricted, dominated, a
need to be in control or be controlled, becoming possessive or obsessive, constantly seeking reassurance, a lack of self worth and isolation are also signs of a malfunctioning heart chakra.
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Call of the Wild: Modern Men and Paganism
Adam
By Susan Allen
Adam was the first man to ever be tempted by a woman. This temptation led to the downfall of mankind in the form of banishment from paradise. Or so we’ve been taught. What is the truth about Adam? Sadly, the man behind the myth will probably never be discovered. The story is too ancient and original documents, scrolls, and murals have long sense disappeared. Instead, we have only the Biblical telling and a few ancient legends about the first man that predate biblical stories. While each story contains many similarities, there are also differences. If we had heard the story of Adam in one of these other ways, perhaps our vision of Adam and Eve would be less about fear and sin, and more about loyalty, knowledge, and love.
Perhaps the first deception given to mankind about Adam occurred simply in the translation. The original biblical documents were primarily written in ancient Greek. The first translations were from Greek to Latin and then to Hebrew. Most English bibles are translated from the Hebrew texts. However there are a few newer versions where the translation attempt has been to go straight from Greek to English. The Hebrew language is full of words with multiple meanings and words that are also numbers (there are no numbers in the ancient Hebrew language). These two factors made translation very difficult. The source of Adam’s name is one fantastic example of the difficulty involved.
The name “Adam” comes from the Hebrew word “adamah” which means ground. Adam was used to indicate that he was formed “from the ground (or earth)”. “Adam” is also used throughout the Bible to describe the color red, and the color of the soil. “Adam” was also used to indicate all people in several locations throughout the Bible. The English word used depended on the context in which the word “adam” and sometimes “adamah” were used. For example, if the word occurred in a sentence referring to many people, then “adam” was translated as “mankind”. Sometimes it was translated as “red”, sometimes as “dirt”, and only when it appeared that the text was referring to the first man, was the name “Adam” used. This has led many scholars to a belief that the name “Adam” may have represented the primitive conception of human life: all of nature is alive, men come from and return to the Earth, and while we are here, the Earth sustains us[1]. In an attempt to explain the existence of mankind, a story about a man being made from the Earth is a perfectly plausible idea given to primitive peoples.
Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo. Ceiling of Sistine Chapel, Pauline Chapel
To understand the true concept of Adam, one must seek to discover how different religions view him. Was he the first man, a prophet, or a god? The traditional Jewish/Christian view of the Adam and Eve story is the most common, but even it has its discrepancies. In the first part of Genesis (Genesis 1), Adam and Eve were created “in Our image, after Our likeness” and they were created at the exact same moment. They were then given authority over all “creeping things . . . on Earth” (Gen. 1:26-27 KJV). In Genesis 2, Adam is created from the dust of the Earth and Eve is created from Adam’s rib. In Genesis 3: 4-5 KJV, the Tree of Life is referred to as making Adam and Eve “as gods, knowing good and evil”. Adam eats from the tree after believing Eve’s argument that they should have access to the same knowledge the gods had. According to Genesis 3:23, the punishment for eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge was banishment from paradise. Adam’s specific punishment was working the land for his food, and the curse of mortality (he will no longer live forever).
Islam views Adam as the first prophet of Allah (Muslim name for God). In their version of the fall of mankind, Adam and Eve were equally to blame for eating from the tree of knowledge. Both of them were present for the serpent’s argument and both agreed that they should no longer be denied access to the knowledge Allah had over them. They decided together to eat from the tree, so their punishment was equally distributed. According to the Qu’ran, Allah forgave Adam because Allah is merciful and loves all of His creatures (Qu’ran 2:37). A branch of Islam referred to as the Baha’i faith believes that religious history is an evolving process for mankind. This process is guided over time through God’s messengers. Adam was the first messenger of God. [2]
While each of the “sister” religions has their own interpretations of the fall of mankind, there are still other tales that seem to precede the written texts. One such tale exists in Saudi Arabia. It is a love story that time and distance had no control over. It begins with the idea that Adam and Eve were equally to blame for the fall and the consumption of the fruit of knowledge. However, part of the punishment was that Adam and Eve were to fall from Paradise to different locations on Earth. It is said that Adam fell near Mecca and Eve near Jeddah. Their love for each other was so great that they searched for each other. It took them 200 years to find each other. At that moment, God recognized their penitence and forgave them their sin of eating the forbidden fruit. Adam prayed on Mt. Arafat that a shrine be built like the one in Paradise, and God granted Adam’s request as a sign of His forgiveness. When Adam and Eve finally perished, Adam was buried in Mecca, and Eve was buried near the sea of Jiddah which bears her name: Maternal Ancestor (Arabic). [3] This particular tale of loyalty and love is not in the Muslim Qu’ran, but instead was passed on from generation to generation until it was finally recorded.
In the same area, the story of Adam’s creation is also different. Adam was formed from dust taken by God from the Holy Rock of Sakhrah in Bet el Maddas. He was left without life for 40 days (some stories say 40 years) while God told the angels and the Jinn that he was to be worshipped as soon as breath was in him. In this story, Adam was half male and half female. Eventually the female half separated completely from the male half and became her own person. Although there still was love between them, she refused to submit to him because she and Adam were made of the same materials. For her refusal she was turned out of paradise and supposedly became the mother of devils (she became known as El Karineh by Arabs and Lilith by Jews). God then created Eve from Adam’s rib, so that she would know she owed her life to Adam. She would be “less” than him, and therefore must submit to him. Another part of the tale says that after the fall and during their 200 years of separation, Adam paired with many Jinn and populated the world with them, while Eve paired with Lilith’s devils and populated the world with them.
All myths and legends have a basis in fact, or motives for their invention, and the story of Adam is no exception. There are several possibilities for why these stories exist, yet the interpretations, while leaving more questions than answers, intrigue the critical mind. These myths and stories fuel our spiritual journey, urging us to seek our own answers in our search for our own Spiritual Truths.
[1] http://www.bibletexts.com
[2] http://www.wikipedia.org
[3] http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/saudi_arabia/mecca.html
Osiris (Usire)
By Belou
Osiris is the Egyptian god of the underworld. Also known as the God of vegetation, Osiris is the son of Nut and Geb. His birthplace was said to be Rosetau in the necropolis west of Memphis.
He is brother to Nephthys and Seth, and the brother and husband of Isis. Isis gave birth to Horus, son of Osiris, after Osiris's death, having impregnated herself with semen from his corpse. Osiris was depicted in human form wrapped up as a mummy, holding the crook and flail. He was often depicted with green skin, alluding to his role as a god of vegetation. He wore a crown known as the 'atef', composed of the tall conical white crown of Upper Egypt with red plumes on each side.
Osiris had many cult centers, but the most important were at Abydos (Ibdju) in Upper Egypt, where the god's legend was reenacted in an annual festival, and at Busiris (Djedu) in the Nile delta. One of the so-called "dying gods", he was the focus of a famous legend in which he was killed by the rival god Seth. The legend tells us that at a
banquet of the gods, Seth fooled Osiris into stepping into a coffin, which he promptly slammed shut and cast into the Nile. The coffin was born by the Nile to the delta town of Byblos, where it became enclosed in a tamarisk tree. Isis, the wife of Osiris, discovered the coffin and brought it back. (The story to this point is attested only by the Greek writer Plutarch, although Seth was identified as his murderer as early as the Pyramid era of the Old Kingdom.) Seth took advantage of Isis's temporary absence on one occasion, cut the body to pieces, and cast them into the Nile. In the Egyptian texts this incident alone accounts for the murder of Osiris. Isis searched the land for the body parts of Osiris, and was eventually able to piece together his body, whole save for the penis, which had been swallowed by a crocodile (according to Plutarch) or a fish (according to Egyptian texts). In some Egyptian texts, the penis is buried at Memphis. Isis replaced the penis with a reasonable facsimile, and she was often portrayed in the form of a kite being impregnated by the ithyphallic corpse of Osiris. In some Egyptian texts, the scattering of the body parts is likened to the
scattering of grain in the fields, a reference to Osiris's role as a vegetation god. 'Osiris gardens' - wood-framed barley seedbeds in the shape of the god, were sometimes placed in tombs - and the plants which sprouted from these beds symbolized the resurrection of life after death. It was this legend that accounted for Osiris's role as a god of the dead and ruler of the Egyptian underworld. He was associated with funerary rituals, at first only with those of the Egyptian monarch, and later with those of the populace in general. The pharaoh was believed to become Osiris after his death.
Although he was regarded as a guarantor of continued existence in the afterlife, Osiris also had a darker, demonic aspect associated with the physiological processes of death and decay, and reflected the fear Egyptians had of death in spite of their belief in an afterlife. Osiris was also a judge of the dead, referred to as the 'lord of Maat' (i.e. of divine law). Legendary ruler of predynastic Egypt and god of the underworld, Osiris also symbolized the creative forces of nature and the imperishability of life. Called the great benefactor of humanity, he brought to the people knowledge of agriculture and civilization. The worship of Osiris, one of the great cults of ancient Egypt, gradually spread throughout the Mediterranean world and, with that of Isis and Horus, was especially vital during the Roman Empire.
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Garden of Eatin’
Mushroom Risotto
1 pound mixed mushrooms (common, shitake, oyster, etc.) sliced
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloved garlic, minced
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 cup diced sweet potato, squash or other vegie of choice
3/4 Cup arborio or other risotto rice
6 Cups either hot chicken broth or vegetable stock (for vegetarians)
3/4 Cup grated cheese
1Tbs. minced tarragon
ground mace
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Saute mushrooms just a minute or so in the 2 tbs olive oil, adding the minced garlic and parsley once the juices begin to run. Remove from heat, cover and set to one side.
Soften the onion (and vegie if you choose to at this time) in the rest of the oil over a gentle heat, covered with the lid for six to seven minutes. Then add the rice and stir until it is well coated with the oil. About a half cup at a time, add the chicken or vegie stock and simmer, stirring, until all stock has been absorbed, a half cup at a time. Make sure it's absorbed completely before adding more.
When all stock has been added and the rice is fully cooked, stir in the cheese and the tarragon. Season with the mace, salt and pepper. Fold in the mushrooms, their juices, and serve.
Adding cooked shrimp, chicken or crab near the end of cooking time is fine also.
From Linda's Kitchen with modifications by Dryw
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Harvests from the Printing Press
Book Review by Dryw
Circle of Stones by Judith Deurk
" Women's Journey to Herself"
This beautiful book is as relevant today as it was in 1989, when first written. The authoress of other books on Womens' Spirituality, Ms. Deurk writes to help bring readers into a circle that has existed on the earth beginning with our ancestors, and exists today within if only we allow it. She strives to help the reader reach our sacred connections in a busy and modern day that leaves little time for such.
There are meditations and writings that stir the heart as we read "how would it have been for you if". Those "ifs" include:
"How might your life have been different if there had been a place for you...a place of women where you were received and affirmed? A place where other women, perhaps somewhat older, had been affirmed before you, each in her time, affirmed, as she struggled to become more truly herself"..." and if, during the hush, the other women ...had helped you to trust your own becoming.... to trust it and quietly and prayerfully to nurture it..."
She leads us to the Great and Wise Mother within, to help us learn how to heal, how to recognize our innate wisdom and reconnect, 'through our own lives' to the Eternal Mother.
If you ever want to learn to re-fill the missing pieces we as women were denied by the lost contact to the Sacred Mother in our youth, this is a wonderful, experiential book to help nurture and draw us through the Rites of Passage we lost knowledge of over time. A place that teaches us to touch our center
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Spider Woman's Web
Here are some links we love!!
A Witches Mall
For All of Your Metaphysical Needs, from herbs, to books, and altar
supplies
http://a-witches-mall.vstore.ca/
A beautiful gallery:
http://www.effusion.bz/
Links to Daughters of the Greening:
Information on Courses
Tarot Readings
Prayer Requests
Email: school@daughtersofthegreening.com
Subscribe to this newsletter at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_sacred_glen
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Green Living
A Gardeners Guide to Preventing Climate Change
By Susan Allen
We have a tendency to believe that we can have little or no effect on climate change. What’s going to happen will happen no matter what we do. According to an article in the June/July 2007 issue of “Organic Gardening” magazine, there are a few things a gardener can do to help slow down global warming. Some of the tips are as easy as cutting back on mowing your lawn, while others involve an entire life change (unless you are already a vegetarian). In the United States, approximately 600 million gallons of gasoline are used just to mow lawns. Each gallon of gas contains more than 5 pounds of carbon, which we release into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide after it’s burned in our lawnmowers. This adds up to a whopping THREE BILLION pounds of carbon released each year! “Organic Gardening” recommends decreasing the size of your lawn: less area to mow equals less fuel consumption. Another easy fix is to compost. Use of compost “glues” about 1000 pounds of carbon that is recycled in the earth per acre, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.
For a real challenge, “Organic Gardening” suggests a Vegetarian lifestyle. According to the article, eating only vegetables lowers the amount of CO2 you release into the atmosphere by the amount equal to a car that has driven 4000 miles! Go Vegetarians! If you were looking for a good excuse to become a vegetarian, now you have one.
For the rest of us, perhaps we should just plant some trees. Planting trees by the home reduces energy usage (and thus CO2 emissions). Trees block sunlight from entering the home, keeping you from jacking up the AC. They also block the wind in the winter, which prevents you from turning up the heat. I think I’ll plant a few trees!
Williams, Greg and Pat, “Global Climate Change and Your Garden”. pp. 40-41, Organic Gardening, June/July 2007, http://www.OrganicGardening.com