Be Good 2 Mother Earth's Space

I went with my son’s class to the zoo today. We were in a small group: Me, my husband, my son, my son’s aide and another little boy from the class. First, it was a humid day, overcast, scattered sprinkles of rain. I didn’t realize that it was like an “open house” day for all the schools in the area. So, there were many children running about. It was chaotic to begin with. The child that was with us had never been to the zoo, so I was very excited about showing him the animals and sharing with him a little bit of information, maybe get him interested.

We decided to avoid the otters until the way back through since my son had a major melt down last time we took him to the zoo and we weren’t able to get past the otters he loved them so much! We started at the elephants. The elephants were hiding in the corner… and swaying or ”rocking” motion… which is a behaviour that has not been noted in free elephants. Studies done on elephants in captivity seem to think that the rocking is a precursor to aggressive behaviour. This disturbs me because I always see it. People had their children and they were yelling at the elephants and I would try to tell the children that if they were quiet, the elephants might come closer. Screaming continued.

The spectacle bears, depressed, wanting to climb trees that they couldn’t get to. The pacing back and forth, back and forth… a sign of sheer stress.

Elk were in a small number, with little to no vegetation to graze (due to the small size of their habitat), and growing their antlers with velvet on them. The trees that were in their habitat were wrapped with protective wire, so the elk have no where to rub their antlers when the velvet starts falling off. During mating season, elk will rub their antlers to make them look sharper and more menacing.

The gorilla habitat was just as bad… little to no vegetation for these mighty apes to make their nests for sleeping, they had just some hay strewn in there. Gorillas require leaves, vines, to make their crude beds. Each night a gorilla will sleep in their bed, then move on. Their beds can be either in trees or on the floor. But these gorillas are behind glass. There isn’t much for them to climb on or play with. Gorillas are foraging animals that like to roam. In this zoo they have barely enough room to move around let alone forage for things. Their eyes connected with mine and I just felt so much sadness. I was disgusted with the behaviour of the visiting people. There was actually a man who stood on the end of the rail, leaned in and was pounding his fists against the glass. I said “Please don’t bang on the glass” even his wife told him the same. He waited til I rounded the corner, looked right at me and with a resounding BOOM started whacking the glass again. I tried to find a handler or security and I couldn’t see anyone to help out. Luckily not long after that the man came out with his family. His aura was so dark, I shielded myself.

The little boy that was with our group was not interested in anything except going away from our small group. He’d glance and then run off. He seemed bored.  He was definitely disassociated with the animals. 

The point I’m trying to make is a good portion of the general public sees animals as lesser. They look at them as objects, zoo are in cages way too small for their territory, habitats are not up to par, they’re under lights, with constant screaming children tossing things at them, calling from the ignorant parents… lack or proper funding.

Needless to say I spent most of my day sending Reiki energy to all these beautiful, but unhappy animals. I will add a prayer here now.

May the Divine Energy surround each and every precious animal that has been brought to, bred or raised in captivity. Although man’s intentions are meant to be to help these often endangered species, they have yet to realize the importance of keeping these animals habitats as realistic and as natural as possible so that they may thrive. Not only that they thrive physically, but emotionally. Most animals are social creatures craving community, solidarity… opportunities to hunt, forage, swim, play as they do in their natural homes.

I pray that the human race remembers that how we treat the animals is a reflection on ourselves and how we treat fellow humans. I pray that people realize the desperation of the state our world is in, that we must all come together to save not only the environment, but the animals which inhabit it. I pray that people realize the connection we all have to the animals which is also a connection to the Great Mother. We are all her children, whether we are two legged, four legged, winged or scaled.

Aho.

Fake rocks, no foliage…

Whenever I perform a ceremony, whether it be alone or for someone, I think back to the ancestors and what ceremony meant to them.

A ceremony is an activity infused with ritual significance, performed on a special occasion.

A tribe for example might have a ceremony to celebrate new lives, unions, a fruitful harvest, a successful hunt, a boy stepping into manhood and etcetera.

These traditions still exist today. Think about: Baby showers, Weddings, Baptisms, Quincinettas, Inaugurations, Bris… the list goes ever on.

Having a ceremony helps us to mark something that is out of the ordinary. We celebrate with friends and family. Some ceremonies are solemn like funerals and others are joyous like a birthday. People like to keep with customs set forth by their ancestors. It gives us as individuals a sense of community, connection, recognition on some level or another. “This is my daughter, she is getting married.” “This is my son, he’s entering adulthood.” “This is our new home.” “My father has passed on.” I feel that it makes an idea (something intangible) tangible for that brief moment in time. Support from our friends and families helps the transitions flow more easily. These are the people that will be there for us when we are happy and everything is going so well, but also be there for us in the times of sadness.

I find that people question the need for something such as an “Empty Nest Ceremony”. Think about it… say for example Tim and Sally got married at 19. They had their first child at 20, second child at 22 and their last child came around age of 25. Youngest one goes to college at age of 18. Time and Sally are now 43. They have been parents for 23 years! They’ve spent 23 years nurturing their children, giving them everything to grow up, and now…their last child is going away to college. Suddenly, the house is empty. There is a period of adjustment that happens at this point. Many people go through stages such as one who has lost a loved one. Tim and Sally have been in “parent mode” for so long, a time of reintroduction may be also needed. They go from being a family of five to being a couple again. Not everyone deals with this dramatic change the same way. Some embrace it and are happy to rekindle the love of being two again. Others feel a sense of loss; incomplete, sometimes fearful of being alone with their spouse again. They look to friends and family for support. A ceremony is a great way to help the transition go a little more smoothly. It can be fun, and noteworthy where the couple can look back and say “ahh now that truly helped us adapt.”

The same can be said about a Menarche Ceremony. Celebrating a girl’s step into womanhood can be a beautiful thing. Instead of them having fears from horror stories others may tell them, or lack of knowledge from the elders around them, they can embrace this change in a positive and beautiful way.  During a ceremony such as this a mother-daughter relationship can strengthen, self-esteem can grow, and women can come together vibrant and strong and show this young woman that she too is vibrant and strong, and not something to be scared of.

Ceremonies are not only a time-honoured tradition, but a necessary part of marking life. From old ceremonies to new ones.