“Natural environment sustains the life of all beings universally. Trees are referred to in accounts of the principle events of Buddha's life. His mother leaned against a tree for support as she gave birth to him. He attained enlightenment seated beneath a tree, and finally passed away as trees stood witness overhead.” by H. H. Dalai Lama
I keep on seeing stories about white animals, and thought I should look up the recent sightings. Like many people I assumed these white or albino animals are pretty rare, and that they have different meanings in various belief systems. Little did I know. There are people positing new significance to these animals. And it turns out that I shared some misconceptions about the rarity of white animals. So down a path- from online videos, science of albinos, white buffaloes, white squirrel colonies, to pagan beliefs- I went. Continue reading →
In ancient times (Greece and Egypt come to mind) ritual slaughter and animal sacrifice was one and the same. And while many religions have changed practice and now have different offerings to diety there still are traditions that perform ritual animal sacrifice. A series of recent news articles about animal sacrifice in the US (about Theodists, Orthodox Jews, Santeria) led me to look into this issue, with some interesting tangents along the way (Tongans in Texas, kashrut and halal dietary laws, and Supreme Court cases). Continue reading →
For me and others the answer is- nature is sacred! We've found that a reverence for nature and respect for this world is vital, whether expressed simply as ‘Nature is good’, in a solo spiritual practice, or as part of a formal religious tradition. So spirit, science, and our interactions with nature are delved into on this site. Enjoy your time here, and may green blessings be yours!
