mythic - Depth Psychology Alliance2024-03-28T16:40:36Zhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/group/new-global-mythology/forum/topics/feed/tag/mythicExploring the Western vs. Indigenous Intersection in Costa Rican Mythology. Conversation with Douglas Williamson, Earth Charter International and Willi Paul, Mythologist. Presented by NewMythologist.chttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/group/new-global-mythology/forum/topics/exploring-the-western-vs-indigenous-intersection-in-costa-rican2015-02-16T21:12:17.000Z2015-02-16T21:12:17.000ZWilli Paulhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/members/WilliPaul<div><p></p>
<p><img src="http://www.planetshifter.com/uploads/imagecache/standard/centerspace_96.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-standard align-center" style="font-size: 12pt;" width="421" height="341"/></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Exploring the Western vs. Indigenous Intersection in Costa Rican Mythology. Conversation with Douglas Williamson, Earth Charter International and Willi Paul, Mythologist. Presented by <a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2244" target="blank">NewMythologist.com</a></strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://thecostaricanews.com/fire-mountains-and-earth-shakers-costa-rica-legends-and-myths" target="”blank”">Legend of the Irazú Volcano</a></strong> (Costa Rica)</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Near the city of Cartago, Costa Rica, mighty Irazú stands watch over her domain. As the ancients tell, Irazú was the favorite daughter of a local leader, Aquitaba. The village where they lived was at war with a rival leader, Guarco, who wanted to control the entire valley. Desperate and fearing he would lose, Quitaba took Irazú to the highest peak and offered her in sacrifice to the gods to help him win the battle. As Guarco’s forces close in, Aquitaba called on the spirit of his daughter to help their people. Immediately the mountain where she had died exploded in fire and ash and rained destruction down on Guarco’s warriors. That day, the volcano became known as Irazú - making her unique among her male volcanic counterparts.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Conversation with Douglas and Willi -</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>ONE</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Do you see any creative tension (mixing) between the Indigenous and western cultural myths and rituals in Costa Rica?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: I think its creative tension, definitely tension, as those who are experimenting are trying to compromise different traditions and ways. Sometimes it comes off as authentic, and sometimes as contrived. Don't you find? I think it's good that people are experimenting though. I am skeptical usually, but open to experience always.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Are there festivals or products that, as you say, create a compromise in the traditions there?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: I sense that there may be some but my feeling is that most of the impetus is coming from outside Costa Rica. It seems to be a kind of tourism. People come here with the desire for a mixing of indigenous and other traditions, but it doesn't seem to be a Costa Rican impulse for the most part. Costa Rica has a very small and poor indigenous population and the average "Western" Costa Rican is much more interested in a typical North American materialist value system and standard of success than with a traditional indigenous value system. There are some pockets where the indigenous worldview crosses over that I've seen, but it's quite rare.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>TWO</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: What are the fundamental mythological concepts of the sustainability movement? Are these shared by all there?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: I'm not sure I am ready or qualified to answer this question. I don't even know if I have a good working definition of what a "mythological concept" is. I can say that there are a lot of mythological bits and pieces within the sustainability movement, many pertaining to Earthrise, Gaia, nature gods, justice, vengeance, cleansing/destruction, and more.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: I like where you are going with this. It seems that you went with symbols of sustainability. If we insert permaculture for sustainability, what do you see? How about the Transition Movement? But, yes, there is a ton of experimenting going down in Gaia!</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: So, I'm still not sure what you mean by "mythological concept". I guess I touched on some concepts before like cleansing/destruction and renewal above. I think these play a strong role in the sustainability movement. I think the concept of paradise, heaven on Earth, Eden, play a role in the movement too. There seems to be an unagreed-upon concept of the ideal that underlies some of the movement. Sadly, much of the sustainability movement is an opposition political position, and so a lot of the concepts that drive the movement are negative reactions to current unacceptable situations. Personally, I prefer to focus on a proactive utopic visioning, rather than a reactive negative motivating.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>THREE</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Does the <a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2229" target="”blank”">hero</a> work at the community level?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: I think this is a great question and would be a lot of fun to map through. Once again, I have to claim insufficient knowledge of the hero archetype and narrative to really answer this question adequately. It seems to me that certainly there are aspects of the hero story that could be transposed onto a community narrative. I do wonder though if there are sufficient individuals who have such a strong community identity to be able to identify themselves as strongly with their community as individuals do with individual heroes. This question arose in the webinar that I attended and I think its well worth exploring more deeply and fits in neatly with a lot of the thinking I am doing about utopic societies.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I would also like to note that while I think the hero archetype and narrative is something that we all know and appreciate, perhaps it is more useful for us in visioning the future to step away from that narrative in order to increase our collective appreciation of alternative narratives. The hero narrative seems to be the one we always look to for guidance, perhaps because it is the most developed, the most known, the most popular. But, what if we were to change the priority of our narrative desires to creating narratives that viewed "community" as the central character or actor without attaching the narrative structure of the hero to it?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I think this utopic visioning needs to see community as having its own narrative, detached from the hero story. I think this is what the Earth Charter tries to envision, as do stories and philosophies expounded in enlightenment political philosophy like The Social Contract, and stories including Utopia, Erewhon, and Ecotopia. Granted, these narratives, as well as all of the dystopias, are in some ways criticisms of present (or contemporary) communal rules and mores. These kinds of narratives are emerging all over the place, although they are presented in small bits and as criticism of certain aspects of contemporary society. I have been seeing a lot of the tiny house stories of late, and these seem to be one example of the emerging or reemerging narrative that speaks to lifestyle and community. The off-grid energy narrative is another. Any you are attracted to?</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>FOUR</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: How is Nature viewed in Costa Rica? By tourists? Locals? Business?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: Interestingly nature in Costa Rica is viewed by many as recreational and commercial (tourism). There is a decent segment of society here that reveres the natural world on a spiritual level, myself included, but those are less numerous. The Costa Rican identity is in flux at the moment and the nature aspect of it is pretty strong, although superficial too.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Can you name some of the "flux forces?"</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: The flux forces here are the economy and materialism. Costa Rica is a country in transition. It is a middle class country with aspirations to be materially rich like the USA. The economic transition here is driving many towards materialistic values, although politically, the country understands better than most the value of nature and preservation. Still, there is, in my view, a perspective dichotomy among Costa Ricans between material aspirations and appreciation of nature. The material aspirations are favored over nature connection and as the economy creates greater differences between wealthy and poor, and the middle class is reduced, the value system will be ever more favorable towards the material and against the spiritual and natural.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>FIVE</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Is <a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/1367" target="”blank”">localization</a> a viable strategy there? Has this influenced the stories?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: This concept is mostly carried out by foreigners here. It has not influenced the narrative here as far as I can tell.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Please describe what the foreigners are localizing!? How?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: Ok, I think you mean localization in the sense of an opposite to globalization. In this case, there are plenty of foreigners who are here creating small intentional communities, some with values similar to transition towns, a lot of permaculture, organic farming, etc. It's slightly colonial, but Costa Rica has always been heavily influenced by the USA, so the North Americans and Europeans who are here, some are very much into using superior economic wealth to create communities and retreats, many with values of localization, although their presence here is a result of globalization.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>SIX</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Is <a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2230" target="”blank”">creation mythology</a> a strong presence now?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: Not that I can tell. I like creation stories a lot. I just spent a week at the beach and I experience a lot of creation feelings when looking at the horizon, the vastness of the sea, sky, stars, sunset light. I enjoy listening to the physics folks discuss theories, enjoy the cosmology of Swimme and Berry, and appreciate the myths I know about the creation of the world.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: If you were to write and produce a play with creation as the dominant theme, what elements / plots / mythic sources would you use?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: I don't know. I'm less interested in creating foundational myths as I am about visioning narratives for the future. The only thing that comes to mind in answer to the question is water, an element (compound) I have an affinity for and find is fundamental as a starting point for creation.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>SEVEN</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi</strong>: What is the role of initiation for the people? Are these coupled with resilience?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: I don't know what you mean by "role of initiation". Which people? Are you referring to rites of passage? Again, you'll have to define what definition of "resilience" you are using. I am familiar with more than one.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: For resilience, see <a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2228" target="”blank”">this work</a>. Initiation is an active community & personal alchemy, a change; growth. It is a key principle in J. Campbell's work.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: Ok, I'll try and answer as best as I can, although I'm not entirely sure I'm on the same page as you regarding "initiation", which "people" you are referring to, and your understanding of "resilience". It seems to me that most people are reluctant to take the hero's journey and as such, avoid initiation entirely. In Costa Rica, most people, I find, are not very adventurous and most seek paths of less resistance. This seems to be normal most places I've lived. As for resilience, I'm not sure where that comes into the equation. Costa Rica seems average regarding resilience, although there is perhaps slightly more awareness on a political level of the dangers of global environmental change and economic instability, hence more resilience.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>EIGHT:</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Given that the Earth Charter's ethical vision proposes that environmental protection, human rights, equitable human development, and peace are interdependent and indivisible, what are some of the <a href="http://openmythsource.com/myth-lab/" target="”blank”">mythic artifacts</a> that support this movement?</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: Again, I am going to have to ask for a definition of "mythic artifacts". Perhaps, there is some of the answer above in the answer to your second question. I think the myths that speak to interdependence and interconnection include Indra's Net and the present mythology of the quantum theory. Does that answer help?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi: Artifacts as I find and develop them are key to the <a href="http://openmythsource.com/myth-lab/" target="”blank”">Myth Lab</a>. Please dig in on this a bit....</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Douglas: First of all, the Myth Lab looks fantastic. I will have to dig in when I have some time. Great work! I don't think I have an answer to your question really. There are perhaps elements of the different aspects of the Earth Charter in artifacts like green buildings, multi-use food spaces such as greenhouses that also serve as residences, organic community gardens, nature trails in preservation areas that support the flourishing of local communities, etc. I don't know how small an artifact can be that represents all of the facets of the Earth Charter.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Ok I think that's all for now. Thanks for all the back and forth. Very interesting and enlightening for me. I don't think I have the knowledge yet to adequately respond to you on many points, but I'm hopefully moving in a direction that will get me there eventually. Any tips on reading would be helpful. Believe me, Campbell is high on my list. I'm reading the Red Book at the moment and also a lot of theory on improvisation, which is my method of choice for exploration with groups.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">* * * * * * *</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><em>Today, while <a href="http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20costarica.htm" target="”blank”">deforestation rates of natural forest</a> have dropped considerably, Costa Rica's remaining forests still face threats from illegal timber harvesting in protected areas and conversion for agriculture and cattle pasture in unprotected zones. The popularity of Costa Rica as an eco-tourist destination makes parks a source of income rather than an expense, and past governments have been known to use park funds for making up budget shortfalls instead of maintaining protected areas. Corruption remains a problem in Costa Rica, though not as much as in nearby countries.</em></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Contact Info -</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Douglas F. Williamson</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Communications, Earth Charter International</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Climate Change and Environmental Communicator</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Award Winning Environmental Filmmaker</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">IUCN Commission on Education and Communication Member</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Editor, Writer</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Translator (French, German, Spanish)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Voice-over artist</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/Douglaslasfwilliamson" target="”blank”">LinkedIn</a></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Twitter: DFWilliamson</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Willi Paul</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">New Mythologist & Transition Entrepreneur</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">newmythologist.com | PlanetShifter.com Magazine | openmythsource.com</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">@planetshifter @openmythsource @PermacultureXch</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">415-407-4688 | pscompub at gmail.com</span></p>
<p></p></div>“The Signal Tree” – New Children's Myth by Willi Paulhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/group/new-global-mythology/forum/topics/the-signal-tree-new-children-s-myth-by-willi-paul2015-02-07T17:58:39.000Z2015-02-07T17:58:39.000ZWilli Paulhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/members/WilliPaul<div><div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201403"><div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201402"><div class="yiv6249078331"><font class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201398" size="5">“The Signal Tree”</font><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201485"> – New Children's Myth by Willi Paul, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2242" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201892" name="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201892">Planetshifter.com Magazine</a></font></div>
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<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201319"><span class="yiv6249078331"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201321"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201320">Jeramie looks up and visions that the branches of the Signal Tree are like arms and hands and fingers. She knows that she invented “how to hug a tree.” But her role in re-rooting the universal anima is about to get much grander than a view and a hug.</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201321"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201323"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201322">Yesterday the soil around the old tree began sprouting saplings, something that Jeramie had never witnessed before. First there were 25 or so 1, inch dark green shoots peering around the base of their Mother like <span class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201575">miniature periscopes</span>. She walked around the tree amazed. “Are these babies? A moat?” she pondered.</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201323"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201325"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201324">That night she had a dream. A light being came to her with instructions. She is to collect the young trees and plant the saplings in a great circle throughout her immediate neighborhood, and include some of the leaves and top soil from around the old tree in each hole.</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201325"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201326"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201327">“The leaves and top soil is my <span class="yiv6249078331">mythic DNA</span>, young lady,” the light said. This is the next instruction set for your Planet. “The old tree will be soon passing away having completed its eco-mission.”</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201326"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201328"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201480">Jeramie returned to the tree for a jig and to collect her offspring, now about 12 inches tall and fifty in number.</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201328"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201498"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331">* * * * * * *</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201330"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201329">“Where are the best places for my cosmic trees,” she cried! Then her <span class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201499">permaculture training</span> showed her the path and she found good soils, water sources and sun light for each of the skinny beings.</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201330"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201332"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201331">21 days later, an unbelievable moment multiplied by 50 green heads across her county side home. Each tree grew to 13 feet in height and bore fruit the likes of which had never ever been seen or tasted.</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201332"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331"></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201334"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201333">All of trees have the same symbol midway up their trunks: two triangles overlapping each other, vertically; one upside down, one right side up. A love tattoo on a skin tight cellulose uniform, sent from far, far way.</font></div>
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<div class="yiv6249078331"><a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2242" target="_blank"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2868853764?profile=original" width="368" height="387" class="align-center"/></font></a></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201334"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201336"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201335">The beautiful Mother Tree finally fell softly back to Earth as her last breathe rippled through the Gilded air. Children and elders prayed for her with a <span class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201337">short round in a bitter sweet celebration</span>:</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201336"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331"></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201340"><span class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201339"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201338">“Wood - Leaves - Bark - Roots - Harvest - Fruit - Shoots - Sharing - Water - Sun - Moon”</font></span></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201340"><span class="yiv6249078331"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></span></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201341"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331">* * * * * * *</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201397"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201408">The fruit from the second generation tree has the skin of an avocado, the size of a planting fist and the juice like a pear. Many, many seeds swim locked deep into the fleshy fruit like those in a spaghetti squash.</font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201397"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331"> </font></div>
<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201343"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201342">The jam from Jeramie’s trees spread just as fast as the hybrid trees themselves. In five years the “double diamond” miracle tree was shoulder to shoulder in most of the permaculture food forests and transition gardens across the planet. The “people’s tree” soon came to be known as a drought tolerant, fast propagation and high shade variety.</font></div>
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<div class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201345"><font size="4" class="yiv6249078331" id="yiv6249078331yui_3_16_0_1_1423067585156_201344">The hillside near Rocky Mount, North Carolina that Mother Tree grew through her many seasons and spawned the original marked saplings is a now a <span class="yiv6249078331">sacred place</span> for Jeramie and visitors alike. Her love and seeds for humankind pumps through our hearts in places like the Sudan, South Detroit and Richmond, California.</font></div></div>“Nature Points a Gun at Our Heads” – Drought Archetypes and Symbols by Mythologist Willi Paul, Planetshifter.com Designhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/group/new-global-mythology/forum/topics/nature-points-a-gun-at-our-heads-drought-archetypes-and-symbols2015-05-12T18:53:44.000Z2015-05-12T18:53:44.000ZWilli Paulhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/members/WilliPaul<div><p></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-3"><strong>“Nature Points a Gun at Our Heads” – Drought Archetypes and Symbols by Mythologist Willi Paul, <a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2268" target="”blank”">Planetshifter.com Design</a></strong></span></p>
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<p>The drought in California and other places is cooking powerful , Nature-based archetypes with symbols of spiritual desiccation as well as an eminent environmental disaster. Drought conditions are spreading like hot lava with a growing cadre of farmer fights, corporate grey water and half-baked, poorly enforced rationing programs. Sustainability, and many other recent eco-community gains, and benefits to rising human consciousness, could be lost in the sand as profits - and the wealthy - dig in to save “their plots.”</p>
<p>Drought archetypes and symbols are value portals, tools and building blocks for folk tales, rock songs and new global myths. Symbols can be the stitches between our bubbling conscious and unconscious, for new water rituals and potential changes in consumption.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2194" target="”blank”">four archetypes</a> that follow are taken from “Permaculture, Carl Jung and the New Archetypes” (+ PDF) by Willi Paul, New Global Mythology Group @ <a href="http://www.depthpsychologyalliance.com/" target="”blank”">Depth Psychology Alliance</a></p>
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<p><strong>Drought Archetypes and Symbols</strong> (see graphic for selected symbols)</p>
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<p><strong>Transition & Nature Archetype I</strong>: A love to preserve unique landscapes for future generations. Mistrust of greedy, land and energy developers</p>
<p>-- <strong>Symbols:</strong> <br/> Salmon – indicator species<br/> Bad water smell and taste in East Bay MUD<br/> Government’s mandatory 25% reduction</p>
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<p><strong>Transition & Nature Archetype II:</strong> Our hope is to build sustainable systems in our local neighborhoods and towns. Fear of food and fuel shortages; fights for resources between neighbors and governments</p>
<p>-- <strong>Symbols:</strong> <br/> Looking for water on Mars<br/> The Sun<br/> Empty reservoirs<br/> Water is ask for only in restaurants</p>
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<p><strong>Transition & Nature Archetype III:</strong> Fear that global warming will destroy all life on Earth. Mistrust of business and<br/> goal of short-term profits</p>
<p>-- <strong>Symbols:</strong> <br/> Bottled water - Private water<br/> No rain</p>
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<p><strong>Transition & Nature Archetype IV:</strong> Mistrust of energy privatization and corrupt safety practices. Love of the system and blind faith in corporate responsibility</p>
<p>-- <strong>Symbols:</strong> <br/> Tumble Weeds and Blowing Soil in the Dust Bowl<br/> Ground Water Wars</p>
<p></p></div>"Integrating Permaculture, Transition, and Mythology in the Chaos Age" - eBook #21. Conversations with Willi Paul and Authors Gregory Gronbacher, Peter Ruddock, Douglas Williamson, Arthur George, Garyhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/group/new-global-mythology/forum/topics/integrating-permaculture-transition-and-mythology-in-the-chaos2015-05-20T13:03:57.000Z2015-05-20T13:03:57.000ZWilli Paulhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/members/WilliPaul<div><div class="field field-type-image field-field-image"><div class="field-label"> </div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-3"><strong>"Integrating Permaculture, Transition, and Mythology in the Chaos Age" -</strong> <a href="http://communityalchemy.com/eBook21/eBook21.pdf" target="blank">eBook #21</a>. Conversations with Willi Paul and Authors Gregory Gronbacher, Peter Ruddock, Douglas Williamson, Arthur George, Gary Z McGee, Margo Meck, Stephen Gerringer and Ray Grigg. <a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2270" target="blank">Planetshifter.com Magazine.</a></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-2"><em>“Our future depends on our willingness to abandon worn-out methodologies and outdated ways of reading the Judeo-Christian myths. These grand narratives must be read again with fresh eyes, the advantages of science, and our better modern sensibilities. To continue to read them in literalist fashion is to harm the original intent of the ancient authors, the underlying truth of the texts, and to ruin any opportunity for our culture to once again embrace their underlying sanity.”<br/></em> - <a href="http://planetshifter.com/node/2263" target="blank">Gregory Gronbacher</a></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-3"><a href="http://communityalchemy.com/eBook21/eBook21.pdf" target="blank">eBook #21 Download</a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2270" target="blank"> </a></span></p>
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<p></p></div>“Permaculture Transition & Sacrifice” : Willi Paul, PlanetShifter.com Magazinehttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/group/new-global-mythology/forum/topics/permaculture-transition-sacrifice-willi-paul-planetshifter-com2013-08-21T21:18:46.000Z2013-08-21T21:18:46.000ZWilli Paulhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/members/WilliPaul<div><p><br/><b><a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2135"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3447 alignnone align-center" alt="centerspace" src="http://openmythsource.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/centerspace2.jpg?w=300&h=246" width="326" height="267"/></a></b></p>
<h4><b>Sacrifice – An Introduction</b></h4>
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<h4><b><a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/515665/sacrifice/66300/Nature-and-origins">Many religious ceremonies</a></b> have included sacrifice, the act of giving up something of value and offering it to a deity. Worshipers may make a sacrifice to win the favor of the deity, to give thanks, or to maintain a good relationship with the higher authority. Myths from around the world contain many examples of sacrifices in which animals, humans, and even gods shed blood or die. Sometimes the sacrifice is linked with creation or with the continuation of life on earth. People also make offerings of fruit or grain collected during a harvest.</h4>
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<h4>In modern times, sacrifice has acquired a popular and frequently secular use to describe some sort of renunciation or giving up of something valuable in order that something more valuable might be obtained; e.g., parents make sacrifices for their children or sacrifices a limb for one’s country.</h4>
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<h4><b>Sacrifice Today</b></h4>
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<h4>The practice of sacrifice is changing, we can now see this act as giving more, without reward, and enjoying a good feeling in return. Ultimately many see sacrifice as safety and security for all – not for a few – that increases participation in the community. Consider <b><a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2119">Kindista.org</a></b> – a gratitude-powered community with a spiritual engine as part of a new paradigm of giving, sharing and sacrifice.</h4>
<h4><b>Sacrifice in Permaculture & Transition</b></h4>
<h4>Permaculture Ethics teach Care for the Earth; Care for People; and <b>Return the Surplus</b>– an enlightened form of sacrifice that acknowledges the needs of others and challenges the entrenched inequities in our systems.</h4>
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<h4>In my view, permaculture and Transition support giving up short-term gains as an individual’s for the benefit of preserving Nature and the local community. Are we going backwards in time in any respect with the A-Frame and scythe? To design by hand with simple tools in weeks what it takes bulldozers and monster trucks to do in days. Do we see this approach or life style as a new ethic?</h4>
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<h4><b>But is food forest construction by hand “sacrifice”?</b></h4>
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<h4>Sacrificing can also be seen as a pro-active, militant act that mandates that we now fight to “leave the oil in the ground.” We can choose to sacrifice our lifestyles, water consumption and energy habits for our children’s children’s benefit.</h4>
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<h4>In localism, sacrifice can enlarge Zone 0 to include our entire neighborhood and community on a spiritual level, sacrificing our home-bound comfort zone for the street fair, community market or protest.</h4>
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<h4><b>Two values that underpin the <a href="http://www.transitionnelson.org/the-movement/our-philosophy-values/">Transition model</a> and the new sacrifice include:</b></h4>
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<h4><b>Inclusion </b>– <strong>“Everyone must be included in the transition process. It will take the collective genius of us all to build our future community.” It is the collective not the individual that needs to sacrifice for and build our new green future.</strong></h4>
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<p><b>Resilience</b> – <strong>“The building of community resilience is central to the Transition movement. With added resilience, the community can weather the problems that arise as we move quickly along the path to lower energy use.” As more individuals sacrifice for their children and community, resilience is strengthened and a more sustainable model is possible</strong>.</p>
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<h4><b>Sacrifice & New Mythology</b></h4>
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<h4>Sacrifice is a mythic act with spiritual rewards that builds community resilience. This does not however warrant the <b>Hero label</b> or a protracted journey back to Self. <b>The community as a whole can now be the Hero </b>with multiple gardens, <b><a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/2001">re-organizations</a></b> and community rituals emerging.</h4>
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<h4>Clearly <b><a href="http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Pr-Sa/Sacrifice.html">offerings</a></b> are not sacrifices nor are daily reflections or prayers or TV rituals. The new sacrifice is entwined with new symbols and myths. Sacrifice is a component in the <b><a href="http://www.planetshifter.com/node/1855">new myth generation</a></b>.</h4>
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<h4><b>Sacrifice in Capitalism</b></h4>
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<h4>Sacrifice in war – driven by Capitalism – is not true sacrifice, but self-delusion; sponsored a higher authority. One’s “sacrifice” on the battle field is much more about corporate greed and murder to gain foreign resources and political gain. True sacrifice is transparent as when you agree to fight and die for your land, exercising a choice; capitalism pits a real choice vs. conscription (no choice).</h4>
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<h4><i>“In the name of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst. In the name of the values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of man be distorted by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless in those who have never achieved his title. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, … Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, and it is yours. </i></h4>
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<h4><strong>- </strong><strong><b><a href="http://thinkexist.com/quotes/ayn_rand/">Ayn Rand</a></b></strong></h4>
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