en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/606233 Comments by Teo Bishop http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment182627420 Thank, Alyss. I'm glad to see you reading back into the archives! I haven't read that book before, but it sounds fascinating. I'll see if I can find a copy in my local bookstore. I can relate to the way you feel about the seasons; that's how I feel about the Moon. For years I've felt connected to the cycles of the Moon, mostly on an emotional level but physically as well. I think it might be useful for me to make a more deliberate practice out of ritualizing the Moon cycles. My body and spirit seem to move in that direction already. Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:17:30 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment182627420 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment182625461 No need to apologize -- I'm grateful that you took the time to comment! This is great! I think you're doing something very valuable by attuning yourself to the seasons, and by doing whatever you can to live in balance and harmony with your surroundings. There may come a time where you have the opportunity to live in a state of even greater connectedness to the land -- their through you own choosing or through a major shift in the society you live in -- and the awareness work you're doing now may well prepare you for that time. Blessings to you in this time of August reflection! Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:11:11 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment182625461 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-christo-pagan-conflict/#IDComment182595936 Thank you for your comment, Alyss. I appreciate your perspective, the steadiness in your tone, and your willingness to hold the tension between these different ideas. I don't know much about Quakerism, but you describe an atmosphere that I think I might feel very comfortable in. I'll keep that query in mind. It is resonant for me as well. Bright blessings to you. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:36:42 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-christo-pagan-conflict/#IDComment182595936 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-christo-pagan-conflict/#IDComment182595579 Thanks for the comment! This is an interesting take, Themon. Could you expand on what you mean when you say that these "schizophrenic tensions" are "built into the structure of their Holy Book..."? Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:34:45 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-christo-pagan-conflict/#IDComment182595579 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-christo-pagan-conflict/#IDComment182595104 Thanks, Michael. I appreciate that. I'll let you know if I sign up for membership! :) Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:32:10 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-christo-pagan-conflict/#IDComment182595104 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181903726 I may not have been totally clear. I'm not really advocating survivalism, although that is how I framed the post on Google+. I'm also not saying that Paganism is connected to survivalism. Survivalism is an extreme response, I think, to what I think of as a slow, steady decline in industrial society. I am saying that there is a benefit in preparing for the future, and that Pagans have a leg up, in a way, because of our tradition's emphasis on aligning one's self with the land. Does that make sense? Perhaps I should explore the idea of homesteading, especially as it is connected to Paganism. I'd be interested in your view on how the two relate to one another. Thanks for the comment, Kevin. Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:07:52 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181903726 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181902507 Thanks for the comment, Mrs. BC. I agree -- being aware of what you consume and how you conserve is valuable for everyone, regardless of your faith tradition. I'm interested in "layer gardening" -- I'll have to look that up! Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:03:44 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181902507 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181748056 Thanks for the kind words, Gill. Your practice of gathering sounds wonderful. It's making me hungry! Perhaps you can reach out to some other gardeners in your neighborhood to help learn better gardening techniques. Or, maybe there's a community garden that you could be a part of. Improving your gardening skills may end up helping you build community around this earth work. Blessings to you! Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:27:35 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181748056 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181747124 Thanks for the comment, Gypsie! I think the messages that you're teaching your children are wonderful. That will go along way to keeping them connected to what is really important in the world. You're right -- we live and learn, and those lessongs come often especially for city dwellers who are trying to reconnect to the land. The good thing is that you're giving it a go. Perhaps next year you'll have a better go with the vegetable garden! I appreciate you sharing your story here. Thanks for being a part of the conversation. Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:25:00 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181747124 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181652110 I love it! Thanks for the comment, and for sharing your experience. I think it's great that you've found a way to make the most of your circumstances. You've got some skills that I'm sure your neighbors would do well to learn! Tue, 9 Aug 2011 19:52:30 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181652110 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181643719 Preach. Right on. I appreciate what you wrote, Pink, and I think you're exactly right. Thank you for sharing a little about how you arrived at Paganism here on the blog. I think there's a real importance to being rooted in spiritual practices that are in direct contact with the land, the celestial bodies, and real, flesh and blood people. Theory is good, and ideas are fun to parse and build on, but there's something irreplaceable about getting dirty. Tue, 9 Aug 2011 19:17:40 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181643719 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181643211 That's wonderful, Michael, and congratulations to you and your partner. Those skills, I believe, will help you weather the coming changes in our culture. I hope you write about the process -- I'd love to read about that! Tue, 9 Aug 2011 19:15:19 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/stock-the-pantry-and-tend-the-dirt/#IDComment181643211 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/pagans-have-values-too-say-bloggers/#IDComment178708734 Thanks for your comment, Frank. I'm interested to know more about how you see our society dictating the "formation of the said values." What does that mean to you, exactly? Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:35:12 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/pagans-have-values-too-say-bloggers/#IDComment178708734 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-day-the-witches-took-over-church/#IDComment178708625 Thanks for the comment. You bring up good points here. There is change afoot, and it's important to make not of the positive movements we see in our culture. "...no one group owns the rules anymore." --- That's an interesting idea to me; the idea of "owning" rules. Rules are administered, and we're subject to them, but I've never thought of them as things which could owned. I'll have to think about that for a bit. I'm glad that you're a part of these conversations, Emily. Thank you again for being here. Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:34:30 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-day-the-witches-took-over-church/#IDComment178708625 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-fire-of-a-solitary-druid/#IDComment178708104 Thank you, Emilly. I appreciate that comment. I'm not sure I equate fire -- or, at least, the fire I'm speaking of here -- to a belief. It's more of a state of being; a condition of full engagement. Belief can fuel a fire, but I'm imagining this fire to be, itself, a kind of fuel. I'm glad the post spoke to you, though, however the words resonated. I do hope you come back. Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:31:56 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-fire-of-a-solitary-druid/#IDComment178708104 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-fire-of-a-solitary-druid/#IDComment178073437 You're quite welcome, Carol. I'm glad that it spoke to you. And thank you for sharing with me what Druidry means to you. I love the way you describe your path. It's inspiring. May the fire always burn brightly inside you of, and may that fire catch in the hearts of all those you touch. Blessings. Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:03:45 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-fire-of-a-solitary-druid/#IDComment178073437 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-fire-of-a-solitary-druid/#IDComment175573268 I couldn't agree with you more. No one tradition owns any of these things - ministry, prayer, worship. These are human experiences, performed differently by different people, and essentially valid. I think we'd be good to examine how these taboo words, ideas, and techniques can belong to us -- DO belong to us -- and how we might grow into them through out own traditions. Thank you for sharing this perspective. I truly appreciate it. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:49:50 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-fire-of-a-solitary-druid/#IDComment175573268 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-fire-of-a-solitary-druid/#IDComment175572290 Thank you for this comment, Holly. I agree - reconnection is key. Getting grounded in the earth is a message worth spreading. I'm interested to know what "the woods" are, to you. Do those words represent something literal, like a grove of trees, or are they a symbol for something -- like the creativity and empowerment you speak of? Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:45:48 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/the-fire-of-a-solitary-druid/#IDComment175572290 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/know-me-by-my-pagan-name/#IDComment175543741 I think there's validity to the name-acquiring process you describe, and the Gods can be at work in that in subtle ways. I feel there's a way in which I, too, was led or came to my name. I like the wording "glimpse of our deeper soul". In your case, I think that offers quite a fiery image! Here's to selective sharing! A safe, and probably healthy approach! Thank you for your comment, and for engaging in this discussion, Nicole. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:50:02 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/know-me-by-my-pagan-name/#IDComment175543741 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/know-me-by-my-pagan-name/#IDComment175328623 This is becoming a theme here -- using names in order to create certain mental states. I like that way you describe it leading you to "word things a bit differently". That hasn't been said here yet. Names bring out different aspects of our character, perhaps. Thanks for the comment! I always value your voice in the conversation! Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:06:12 +0000 http://www.teobishop.com/archives/know-me-by-my-pagan-name/#IDComment175328623