The Earth Path - Chapter 1 - Toward the Isle of Birds

I recently formed/joined an online bookclub with two other frinds of mine. Our first book we are reading is called The Earth Path by Starhawk. We have chosen to write about each chapter on each of our blogs, do the activities we want to do in the book and come together at the end to discuss what we have read. The following is my writeup for the first chapter:

Impressions and Thoughts

This first chapter served as a very good starting point for the rest of this book. It outlined key terms and introduced the reader to concepts that will be discussed in further detail in later chapters. It also created interest for the reader. I especially enjoyed the detailed description of the fire ritual that was written about at the beginning of the chapter.

The chapter speaks about balance between our lives and the life of the land we live on and our relationship with the Earth. Our magic is linked to the land and having a positive relationship with nature is essential to maintaining a connection to the spiritual world. Once, when discussing nutrition and diet with a fellow Pagan, I was told, “You are what you eat.” What we put into us, the more local and fresh, the greater our connection to the land it comes from. The chapter reemphasizes this notion with the idea that our connection to the land also reaffirms our connection to our ancestors who worshiped this land. (Although my ancestors weren’t even from this country, they came here for a reason. The land spoke to them in some way and they did work it, growing fruits and vegetables all the same.) Understanding the cycles of the land is similar to understanding the cycles of the moon, and seasons. Often times, Pagans focus so much time looking at the metaphysical, that they sometimes can ignore or be unaware of what is happening on their physical plane. Often times I have fallen into this category of being unappreciative of the land I live on. I’ve never felt a true connection to nature that is greater than the average person. I may not like bugs and other creepy crawlies, but I understand their place in the ecosystem. That being said, I have revered nature in a way that separates me from it. Starhawk talks about the importance of humans in natural ecosystems and their roles in working together with the land to create balance. My want to become more connected to the land and work more closely with nature is my reason for reading this book. As Starhawk says, society has psychologically enforced a paradigm that puts us above nature. Our magic is what breaks down those walls and reconnects us. To use magic more effectively, we must see our interconnectedness with nature and the world around us. The chapter also goes on to say that this is a slow process. Reading this book is not going to make me connected to the earth right away. Like any growing thing, the result is worth the wait. We need to take small steps, observe the outcomes and then proceed from there.

Questions

In this area, (Southern Ontario) what are some rituals that the land may dictate?

What is my current relationship to the land?

How do I feel about becoming more connected with the land and where are my limits if I have any?

Activities

None for this chapter