What is bioregional animism?

Bioregional animism is by definition relating to the land/bioregion as the source of ones religion and culture. It is a form of Personalism where other then human persons including the whole bioregion itself is related to and communicated with as a person, not as if it was a person but as a person. Animism does not personify other then human persons, animals forces of nature, plants, the land and sky, it gives up human dominion over the designation of who and what a person is. Bioregional Animism does not treat animals, plants, forces of nature, or the land and sky as tools, or symbols, for humans to use but instead views these other then human persons as just that… persons who can be communicated with, who relationships and partnerships and allegiances can be formed with for living in mutually beneficial and reciprocal ways; In both the physical and spiritual world. Bioregional Animism sees that ones larger self is the eco-region one lives within and that animist spiritual practice, cosmology, ontology, culture, and life practices are all expression of that larger ecological and transpersonal self. In a way Bioregional animism is a response to the need for the rediscovery and rebirth or earth embracing traditions, and attempts to embody the ideal slogan of thinking globally but acting locally. Many people are drawn to shamanism in an attempt to find this way of relating to self and earth just to find that there is no shamanism in reality, shamans are healers and spiritual leaders designated by an animist tradition or culture, in other words all shamans of the world are animists not shamanists. Bioregional animism attempts to assist others in discovering the spiritual tradition which is an expression of the land under their feet and the sky over their head which fills their lungs and moves through ones heart. Bioregional animism attempts to show us that the spirit of the shaman as well as the animist is derived from and is an expression of the bioregion, of the land itself and forms from deeply intimate relationships with the life and spirit of those around us. Bioregional animism works with a base inspiration from the work of Graham Harvey’s New Animism www.animism.org.uk/. As well as with modern concepts of bioregionalism by such authors on the subject as Kirkpatrick Sales, www.schumachersociety.org/publi...3.htmlPlease read His book Dwellers in the Land: A Bioregional Vision. As well as Harvey’s revolutionary work on new animism titled, Animism: Respecting the Living World. For more information on bioregional animism please read our blog. bioregionalanimism.blogspot.com/ If you would like to meet other bioregional animists as well as discuss bioregional animism with Little lightening bolt and other bioregional animist our online forum can be found at tribes… tribes.tribe.net/bioregionalanimism Bioregional animism is the Life vision of Little Lightening Bolt of the Cascadia bioregion and the Tumwawa eco-region. It is not an idea or concept or philosophy it’s a vision that he carries and offers as a gift to all who may need to carry such a vision themselves. Little Lightening Bolt can be contacted via the tribe’s bioregional animism forum. He is currently writing a book entitled Bioregional Animism: Finding the spirit of the shaman in your back yard... with out haveing to culturaly appropriate....

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Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Happy DOR day!


Happy DOR DAY!!!



Well today is our very first annual bioregional animist holiday! DOR day! Or DAY OF RESPECT!
the purpose of DOR day is to encourage people to shed their dominion over who gets to be a person. As animists we know that humans are not the only people. If animism is new to you, you may wish to go through your day interacting with all of the Other-than-human-persons around you. Take a break and go to a natural place and begin to interact with all of the Other-than-human-persons you meets. You may find your self having a hard time seeing Other-than-humans as persons and others as not persons... my hope is that this will force you to ask some deep questions and look within.

DOR DAY is not just a day of respect, It is a DAY OF RELATING or DAY OF RELATIONSHIPS. Cultivate relationships with all of the Other-than-human-persons you meet. Ask your self why you don't normally relate to this person as a person... or show respect to this person. Maybe this will deepen the relationships you have. Maybe you will create new relationships.
Give gifts, offerings gratitude for your relationships with life and all of the Other-than-human-persons in your bioregion.
Celebrate your relationships with Other-than-human-persons, honor your relationships...
and above all show respect today.
Send a prayer of gratitude to Alfred Irving Hallowell and the Ojibwa tribe for pointing out this way of relating... to us so we can repair our wounded relationships with where we live and the Other-than-human-persons that compose where we live...
bless and be blessed!
HAPPY DOR DAY!
LLB

Also take some time today to read the animist manifesto by Graham Harvey, who we have to thank for this day as well. His work has been instrumental to our understanding of new animism today. Thanks Graham!
Posted by little lightening bolt at 1:23 PM

3 comments:

Stace said...

lovely photograph. what are those delicious looking foods?

7:53 AM
dungan said...

thanks for the reminder... it's easy to forget that the people in my life are the people in my life. they show up, every day.

6:30 PM
Plant Girl said...

The new site looks great!
-Brandy

1:10 PM

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