What Does It Mean to Love the Earth?

One answer: cultivate reverence for animals and plants

Not until the 19th century did humans begin to take organized actions to protect animals from cruelty. Even those were sparse.

The latter part of the 20th century brought more concerted efforts to promote animal welfare, but the rise of factory farms, toxic slaughterhouses, zoos, circuses, and cosmetic testing has shunted us into a Dark Age of animal abuse. I suspect our descendants will look back with horror at our barbarism.

This problem incurs psychological wounds in us all in ways that aren't totally conscious.

I beg you, for your own sake as well as for the animals', to upgrade your practical love and compassion for animals. I bet you'll find it inspires you to treat your own body with more reverence.

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PRESERVING OUR TREASURES

How many art museums and art galleries are there in the world? Tens of thousands. How many paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual artworks reside in those sanctuaries? Hundreds of thousands.

Some of the esthetically pleasing artifacts are centuries' old. The British Museum in London alone holds 100,000 pieces, some of which date back to 10,000 BCE.

The vast majority of all those oevres are treated like fragile treasures. They're kept in temperature-controlled environments with minimal exposure to light so as to preserve they will endure without deteriorating. They're well-insured and are often worth a lot of money. If they're moved, specialists do the work.

In contrast to these human-made riches, nature's glorious creations typically receive far less reverence and care. Most experts estimate our planet is losing hundreds of animal and plant species to extinction every year.

Among the recent works of art that have disappeared forever are the splendid poison frog, Jalpa false brook salamander, Simeulue Hill myna, smooth handfish, Chiriqui harlequin frog, and 15 fish in the genus Barbodes in the Philippines' Lake Lanao.

I'm urging you to resist a comparable discrepancy in your own life. Please meditate on how crucial it is to love and care for natural beauty as much as the civilized kind.

Cherish your body and your garden and your favorite animals with the same attentive nurturing you would provide for a ten-million-dollar Jackson Pollack painting hanging on your wall.

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—Photo by Rob MacInnis. Words by Anatole France

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TO DWELL AMONG THE BEAUTIES AND MYSTERIES OF THE EARTH

Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe, the less taste we shall have for destruction.

—author Rachel Carson

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ACTS OF SALVATION!

Below are eight endangered animal species and eight endangered plant species you could fall in love with, adopt, and find out what work you could do to further their preservation, including but not limited to making cash donations.

       Animals

       • Smoky flying squirrel
       • Striped hyena
       • Golden-winged laughingthrush
       • Tiger chameleon
       • Mountain zebra
       • Appalachian snaketail dragonfly
       • Riverside fairy shrimp
       • Lion-tailed macaque

       Plants

       • Shimmering purple paphiopedilum
       • Serbian spruce
       • Canary Islands juniper
       • Sintensis' globe thistle
       • Aerial crocus
       • White Molokai hibiscus
       • Megrelian birch
       • Double flowered paphiopedilum

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MASS EXTINCTION EVENT

A majority of biologists believe we are in the throes of a Mass Extinction Event. They estimate that 25 species are vanishing every day.

The last such event occurred 66 million years ago, when the dinosaurs and many other species died off.

And that’s just one dimension of the debacle. Even among species that are not yet near extinction, humans are killing critters on an unprecedented scale. There are one-third as many wild animals alive on the planet now as there were 50 years ago.

As for domesticated creatures, over 70 billion are slaughtered every year, many having lived their lives overdosed with antibiotics in crowded, dark hellholes.

As for creatures of the sea: The massacres of fish and other marine life are so legion, they are calculated in billions of tons.

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TO FEEL THE BREATH OF A MIST MOVING OVER A SALT MARSH

To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of years, to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea . . .

. . . is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.

—author Rachel Carson

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SACRED ADVERTISEMENT

This perfect moment in the evolution of your relationship with pollution is brought to you by the fact that when the air is pure and clean, a bee can smell a flower from 3,281 feet. But in the presence of pollution, the bee's awareness is reduced to a range to 650 feet.

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THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF RIVERS

The Whanganui Māori are Māori people who inhabit the region around the Whanganui River In New Zealand. Because the river is precious to them, they lobbied the New Zealand government to grant it the legal rights that all humans have.

In 2017, they were successful. A new law granted the river full personhood, requiring it be regarded as a living entity.

In this spirit, I encourage you to treat the natural resources you love and rely on as having the same status as you. Give them the respect and reverence you would to any creature who is part of your extended family.

In my view, this will be one of the revolutionary teachings in the decades and centuries to come: that all of the natural world is our kin.

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Teach the legal rights of trees, the nobility of hills; respect the beauty of singularity, the value of solitude.

—author Josephine Winslow Johnson

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UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM ORACLES

I regard all rivers as lucky and sacred. Some sticklers don’t like that. Don’t I know, they complain, that millions of people down through the centuries have given special reverence to the Ganges as a lucky and sacred river? And other millions have done the same with the Jordan, Osun, Whanganui, Bagmati, Columbia, and Urubamba Rivers?

The purists say my attempts to democratize the luckiness and holiness of rivers amount to blasphemies against venerable spiritual traditions. They excoriate me for trivializing the concepts of luckiness and holiness.

But I remain committed to my vision. I proclaim the cathartic and epiphanic sanctity of every single one of the world’s rivers. I worship their numinous souls and intimate stories.

Though they may be partially defiled by the vulgar demands of commerce and warfare, though they be sullied by human wastes and toxins, I focus on their incorruptible beauty. I thank them for providing water to drink and grow crops; for serving as a place to cleanse and heal; for hosting our initiatory rituals and inspiring our enchantment.

I am a sorcerous healer devoted to their replenishment, a disciple of their rebirth, a champion of their indomitable spirit.

I splash out flourishing prayers to Boann, Irish Goddess of the River Boyne . . . to Anuket, Egyptian Goddess of the River Nile . . . to Tethys, Greek Mother Goddess of all rivers . . .. . . to Tapati, Hindu Goddess of the River Tapati . . . to Oshun, Yoruban Goddess of rivers.

I spill forth lush and vibrant praise and celebration to Enki, Mesopotamian Goddess of the River Tigris . . . to Idemili, Igbo Godess of rivers . . . to Chalchiuitlicue, Aztec Goddess of serpents and rivers and prickly pear cactus blooming with fruit, symbol of  the human heart . . . . . . to Birrahgnooloo, Indigenous Gamilaraay fertility spirit who sends floods when asked nicely.

I pour out streams of adoration and exultation to Julunggul, the Indigenous Yolngu Rainbow Snake Goddess who created all the rivers . .  to Clermeil, Vodou loa who makes rivers flood their banks . . . to Sequanna, Celtic Goddess of the River Seine . . . to Ḫabūrītum, Syrian Goddess of the River Khabur . .  to the Xiangshuishen, Chinese Goddesses of the Xiang River . . . to Ba Thu Bpn, Vietnamese Goddess of the Thu Bon River.

I also conjure, invoke, and propitiate River Goddesses, Sentient Water Serpent Spirits, and Magick Flow Guardians to work in behalf of every river on earth that lacks such blessings. In return, I ask only that these rivers act as muses who send us inspirations that help us serve them better.

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POLITICAL ACTION ON BEHALF OF BEAUTY

Politics is pointless if it does nothing to enhance the beauty of our lives.

—author and activist Howard Zinn

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PRECIOUS BIODIVERSITY

Biologist, naturalist, and author E. O Wilson has been called "The Darwin of the 21st century." His advocacy for environmentalism and contributions to ecological theory are legendary. He has garnered 40 honorary doctoral degrees and 150 prestigious rewards.

What worries him most about the state of the natural world? The precipitous loss of biodiversity and the probability that we are in the midst of a Mass Extinction event unmatched since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

"The worst thing that is already well underway," Wilson wrote, "is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments.

“As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.

“We are tearing down the biosphere. Without abatement, the current rate of human activity will result in as many as half the species of plants and animals being extinct or on the brink of extinction by the end of the century."

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Destroying a tropical rainforest for profit is like burning all the paintings of the Louvre to cook dinner.

—author, biologist, and naturalist E. O. Wilson

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DREAM ANIMALS

In the nature and condition of our dream animals, we see the state of our own vital energy. But this goes beyond personal psychology. Dream animals come to claim us as powers of the deeper world, revered and inhabited by our ancestors and still vitally alive in the deep cave of ancestral knowing.

Forming a strong connection with a dream animal is already soul recovery, restoring vital energy and clarifying the natural path of that energy. The dream animal may prove to be a power animal, and a guide and protector for other forms of soul recovery for ourselves or others.

—Robert Moss

Art by Agata Kawa

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of August 24

© Copyright 2023  Rob Brezsny

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "I don’t believe that in order to be interesting or meaningful, a relationship has to work out—in fiction or in real life." So says Virgo novelist Elizabeth Curtis Sittenfeld, and I agree. Just because a romantic bond didn't last forever doesn't mean it was a waste of energy. An intimate connection you once enjoyed but then broke off might have taught you lessons that are crucial to your destiny. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to acknowledge and celebrate these past experiences of togetherness. Interpret them not as failures but as gifts.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The amount of rubbish produced by the modern world is staggering: over 2 billion tons per year. To get a sense of how much that is, imagine a convoy of fully loaded garbage trucks circling the earth 24 times. You and I can diminish our contributions to this mess, though we must overcome the temptation to think our personal efforts will be futile. Can we really help save the world by buying secondhand goods, shopping at farmer’s markets, and curbing our use of paper? Maybe a little. And here’s the bonus: We enhance our mental health by reducing the waste we engender. Doing so gives us a more graceful and congenial relationship with life. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to meditate and act on this beautiful truth.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I hope that in the coming weeks, you will wash more dishes, do more laundry, and scrub more floors than you ever have before. Clean the bathrooms with extra fervor, too. Scour the oven and refrigerator. Make your bed with extreme precision. Got all that, Scorpio? JUST KIDDING! Everything I just said was a lie. Now here’s my authentic message: Avoid grunt work. Be as loose and playful and spontaneous as you have ever been. Seek record-breaking levels of fun and amusement. Experiment with the high arts of brilliant joy and profound pleasure.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Dear Sagittarius the Archer: To be successful in the coming weeks, you don’t have to hit the exact center of the bull’s-eye every time—or even anytime. Merely shooting your arrows so they land somewhere inside the fourth or third concentric rings will be a very positive development. Same is true if you are engaged in a situation with metaphorical resemblances to a game of horseshoes. Even if you don’t throw any ringers at all, just getting close could be enough to win the match. This is one time in your life when perfection isn’t necessary to win.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I suspect you are about to escape the stuffy labyrinth. There may be a short adjustment period, but soon you will be running half-wild in a liberated zone where you won't have to dilute and censor yourself. I am not implying that your exile in the enclosed space was purely oppressive. Not at all. You learned some cool magic in there, and it will serve you well in your expansive new setting. Here's your homework assignment: Identify three ways you will take advantage of your additional freedom.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Though my mother is a practical, sensible person with few mystical propensities, she sometimes talks about a supernatural vision she had. Her mother, my grandmother, had been disabled by a massive stroke. It left her barely able to do more than laugh and move her left arm. But months later, on the morning after grandma died, her spirit showed up in a pink ballerina dress doing ecstatic pirouettes next to my mother's bed. My mom saw it as a communication about how joyful she was to be free of her wounded body. I mention this gift of grace because I suspect you will have at least one comparable experience in the coming weeks. Be alert for messages from your departed ancestors.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it," said the ancient Chinese sage Confucius. Amen! Seeking to understand reality with cold, unfeeling rationality is at best boring and at worst destructive. I go so far as to say that it's impossible to deeply comprehend anything or anyone unless we love them. Really! I'm not exaggerating or being poetical. In my philosophy, our quest to be awake and see truly requires us to summon an abundance of affectionate attention. I nominate you to be the champion practitioner of this approach to intelligence, Pisces. It's your birthright! And I hope you turn it up full blast in the coming weeks.

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YOU'RE A GORGEOUS GENIUS, a miracle unlike any other ever created in the history of the world.

And yet you also have a lot to learn. There are many mysteries to solve about how to become the best version of yourself.

For inspiration in carrying out your sometimes challenging, sometimes glorious work, tune in to my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.

To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to https://RealAstrology.com

Register and/or log in through the main page.

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The cost is $7 per sign online. (Discounts are available for bulk purchases.)

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): None of the books I’ve written has appeared on the New York Times best-seller list. Even if my future books do well, I will never catch up with Aries writer James Patterson, who has had 260 books on the prestigious list. My sales will never rival his, either. He has earned over $800 million from the 425 million copies his readers have bought. While I don’t expect you Rams to ever boost your income to Patterson’s level, either, I suspect the next nine months will bring you unprecedented opportunities to improve your financial situation. For best results, edge your way toward doing more of what you love to do.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Addressing a lover, D. H. Lawrence said that "having you near me" meant that he would "never cease to be filled with newness." That is a sensational compliment! I wish all of us could have such an influence in our lives: a prod that helps arouse endless novelty. Here’s the good news, Taurus: I suspect you may soon be blessed with a lively source of such stimulation, at least temporarily. Are you ready and eager to welcome an influx of freshness?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Humans have been drinking beer for at least 13,000 years and eating bread for 14,500. We’ve enjoyed cheese for 7,500 years and popcorn for 6,500. Chances are good that at least some of these four are comfort foods for you. In the coming weeks, I suggest you get an ample share of them or any other delicious nourishments that make you feel well-grounded and deep-rooted. You need to give extra care to stabilizing your foundations. You have a mandate to cultivate security, stability, and constancy. Here’s your homework: Identify three things you can do to make you feel utterly at home in the world.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): On Instagram, I posted a favorite quote from poet Muriel Rukeyser: "The world is made of stories, not atoms." I added my own thought: "You are made of stories, too." A reader didn't like this meme. He said it was "a nightmare for us anti-social people." I asked him why. He said, "Because stories only happen in a social setting. To tell or hear a story is to be in a social interaction. If you're not inclined towards such activities, it's oppressive." Here's how I replied: "That's not true for me. Many of my stories happen while I’m alone with my inner world. My nightly dreams are some of my favorite stories." Anyway, Cancerian, I'm offering this exchange to you now because you are in a story-rich phase of your life. The tales coming your way, whether they occur in social settings or in the privacy of your own fantasies, will be extra interesting, educational, and motivational. Gather them in with gusto! Celebrate them!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author A. Conan Doyle said, "It has long been my axiom that the little things are infinitely the most important." Spiritual teacher John Kabat-Zinn muses, "The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little." Here's author Robert Brault's advice: "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." Ancient Chinese sage Lao-Tzu provides a further nuance: "To know you have enough is to be rich." Let's add one more clue, from author Alice Walker: "I try to teach my heart to want nothing it can’t have."