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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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Watching new animist tradition form


During a ceremony a few weeks ago, I sat and watched new animist traditions form. I watched as the woman I'm to marry and a mutual friend interacted with other than human persons in spirit and discussed their relationships with these persons. I could see them as the matrons of a newly forming tradition within this region. As these two women established relationships with these other than human persons they would introduce these other than human persons to others
and work with them to find co-creative ways to solve problems and live harmoniously in this bioregion. I watched forces of nature people and animal people and tree people and insect people come through these women and move around the ceremonial space, I witness these women share wisdom from spirit and communion with these other than human persons. I saw other than human persons and human persons create new relationships and work together.

I saw raven come in and heal wounds caused by the selfishness of others and, ancestors come and heal wounds caused by generations of accumulated pain. I saw Spider woman come in as an old crone and speak through my friend, teaching us that the ego is not a thing but a process of relationships, I saw an old lizard woman come through the woman I love and teach her the wisdom of lizard. I saw my fiance speak with a father tree which gave her much wisdom to share with us. I saw my friend and my fiance talk about the female forest spirit they have come to know as Flora. I saw that their relationship with this other than human person was the beginning of many future womens relationship with the forest spirit of this region. I saw these things happening so that relationships can be formed for future generations, I saw a birth.


Posted by little lightening bolt at 1:24 PM

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