Bioregional Palero

By Travis
originally posted on the bioregional animism tribe... in regards to a post on emerging new bioregionalist cosmologies... found here...
where there is an on going discussion on the subject...

Well, this is some of what has been going thru my head and life lately. I have been pondering why a spiritual practice seems like work, or something done at special times, or under certain circumstances. And what I have been coming to (and this is just my perspective) is that the reason for this, this disconnect, is that a large amount of our communities base their spiritual practice on something from elsewhere- their sacred and holy place is some other place- the Vatican, Jerusalem, Tibet, Africa, China, India, etc. What this does, is make you interact with an idea- someone Else's, modified by yourself to some extent. This requires calling to attention your idea or devotion. So this is something separate from your real, physical life, and thus you have a chore, or a practice. I am as guilty of this as anyone else. I have an African faith, and practice that comes from the Caribbean, I worship the sacred sticks of the forests of our religion. For years, I have had a vague, underlying nag, that there was an essential connection problem between this, my religion, and the fact that I live nowhere near the places that produce the natural medicines I worship. every year that the rain of blood happens, it becomes stronger that there needs to be some meeting of the ground. This seasonal tension leaves me needing that meeting, more each year.
So as my depression from previous circumstances is lifting, I have been getting back to consulting the original teachers again, our elders, the plant persons. Recently, spirit determined it was time for me to talk to world tree by dancing with Jaguar medicine. I am grateful to Jaguar for coming from his land to me to set my sight right again. After he cleansed me, he and my God of Leaves took turns speaking to me, addressing this issue, this issue of disconnect. What I came to see, that I was doing the right thing, but absolutely ass backwards (a common character trait of two leggeds). I have to make a connection with my sacred medicine sticks- but that connection and understanding will flow- OUTWARD- from my connection with the sacred tree persons and mountains that i actually live in, walk in, look at every day. This is the reason people have a 'practice' or a 'path'- they are connecting to an idea of what the good way is- when the good way starts with the sun rising on your face, as you stand upon your own beautiful part of the mothers body. When the recognition, and daily communing with, your very real dirt under your feet happens- it quits being a practice- it becomes the way you live your daily life- like brushing your teeth is not a chore you avoid- its part of your daily life. When you can love- deeply- the very air you breath from the very sky you behold, as you stand upon the earth, you will see the beauty that is yours to participate in. When this is part of your daily life- 'practice' and 'path' are simply the joyful way you live your life. THAT is not a chore, nor is it difficult. If you make that first and essential connection with that which is where you are, most things will be effortless.
So medicine taught me which sacred tree to begin with- here on the hill I live around. Gave me a song to intend this connection begins here. As the trees speak and have dialog with me here, the path to understanding my beloved African forest sticks, has now become one of ease. Medicine instructed me in how to begin my work here, and how it will eventually flow back to the door from which I began my journey. As I was reflecting on this, Crow, (he and i have an approach communication system) literally jumped from the sky, landed on the ground in front of me, crowed (pay attention now, you can see!) gave a jaunty flip, and hopped back into the sky. The plants in my yard have started doing strange and wonderful leaps in growth in just the last few days. Animals have been mobbing me for affection. The air has a flavor i haven't tasted since i was a boy. Reality has an odor again. These are all signs for me, of reconnecting to my essential world. So part of my way is reconnecting peoples to consulting the plant elders, and making the connection between themselves and the type of 'practice' we have, and tying here, to where we live, our own Bio-Region. Our God of Leaves speaks from all leaves of the world, so we need to listen to him here, and learn from him the lessons of relating to the sticks and leaves of this, our land now. My spirits i worship are welcome here, but for them to be practical, it is connecting and relating here, that will anchor them. after all, our religions developed out of lessons taught to ancient ancestors by our plant elders.

Note from LLB:
This is an amazing example of how bioregonal animism can be worked with... and shows that bioregional animism is not an idea, a concept or a philosophy so much as it is a way that comes from opening one self to the land and