It ain't easy being Green

...but it will be. The chief problem in our societal disconnect from the planet is not the crass materialism we see everywhere but rather our 'lost soul' status in regard to our evolutionary roots. The props of buildings, electricity and all the gadgets, financial markets and the like are coming down. They're going away. What will be left in the luckiest of scenarios is you and a rusty pitchfork. Now, I'm not talking about the end of the world necessarily, just the end of the world as you know it. Furthermore, we will be forced to join our neighbors in a collective struggle for survival or perish alone. Not too rosy a picture, but one steadfastly coming to the reality that is yours.

It must be nice to be able to dismiss things or situations as 'ridiculous' simply because they seem impossible. One's worldview gets shaped, and then reinforced with all the millions of others with a similar outlook, and voila! personal peace. If 20 people call you a horse you must be a horse, of course. This blog is not intended to convince you that what I see is the real truth, but rather to just have you entertain the idea that it's all possible and how a warped perspective gets from point A to B. Mine, in this case.

The Rise and Fall of it All

The American government, through its ill-advised and Constitutionally illegal Federal Reserve is simply printing money. There is no commodity backing our currency unless you consider an Uncle Sam I.O.U. to be worthy of anything. At one time the rest of the world flocked to American markets because of their stability, growth, and reliability. That landscape is changing today as inflation has gripped the once mighty dollar making it roughly worth .14 cents what is was worth at the Fed's inception in the beginning of the 20th century. As one's money sits in the bank, under the mattress, or in some CD its value slides continually. For all intents and purposes it's robbery. As of 2007 many nations are switching where their investments are due to the devalued and less stable dollar and finding better value in both the Yuan and the Euro. Just last week some two-bit actress refused payment in American dollars though this may be more of a political statement than economic observation. Oil producing nations are looking to form organizations that are not dollar-backed and China alone owns over a trillion dollars of our National notes. Couple this with the current lending collapse culminating in record-breaking home foreclosures and one can see the financial goose is already cooked, just not served. When's dinner you ask? My best guess is not one minute after December, 2012, providing we can stave off disaster for that long.

Bigger Issues

What some might call 'regression' is a return to pre-technoligical living and most importantly a harmonization with the planet and its creatures. The continued depletion of resources and ecological abuse is simply at its end while no manner of obfuscation can cloud what many individuals are seeing. Especially for those readers with children the very idea of an end point is anathema to their mental health. It matters not though that a majority of the society pose as ostrich because what's been forecast is already here, pounding on our doors and coming to fruition despite the psychological barriers we erect. What then is there to do? Well, this part gets a bit hairy but must be heeded if we're to emerge in tact both personally and as a civilization.

In order to continue we need a complete alteration in thinking (paradigm shift) and guidance from those who have lived in harmony with the planet for eons. Namely South American Shamans. Their home in and around the Amazon is home to the highest intensity biodiversity on the planet. There are plants, animals, and insects barely known to the outside world and some yet to be discovered. These are natures keys and answers to the human condition in readily understandable and speaking form. Hmm..do you mean to say that plants can speak? And that they can tell us what direction is needed for survival?

When this question is posed to Shaman (medicine men) living harmoniously in the jungle the answer is a resounding yes. They have chronicled and handed down information for physical and spiritual healing derived from otherworldly trips via entheogenic compounds such as Ayahuasca, peyote, mushrooms, and other plant messengers. During the ceremonies questions are posed to the physical manifestation of spirits right before your eyes with the utmost respect and personal sacrifice. The answers come directly from these messengers in visions, images and reportedly even voice commands with a forceful and all-knowing attitude. The Shamans say that they're informed as to which plant to grow or find in order to cure the many physical afflictions the tribe may encounter. They're led to see future challenges from incongruous practices and how to rectify behavior. Indeed, many skeptical scientists have participated in such ceremonies and come away not just simple believers, but new ardent promoters in the vast mystery of spiritual communication. While I know this sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel the evidence and support for this understanding is growing at exponential rates in the Western psyche.

South American tribal members have a cultural respect for the planet and will pour out a sip of their drink or a bit of their meal directly back to the ground in a gesture of gratitude. Always aware their sustenance is provided for them they're humble, thankful, for the gifts of Gaia (Mother Earth). They giggle with amusement at the reports of outsiders seeing a double-headed snake during their Ayahuasca voyage as if no one else has seen such a thing. Not only is the 2 headed speaking snake a known presence but is so much so that he has different names depending on which tribe you ask. I often wonder how different people, at different times and locations participating in an entheogenic ceremony can all report seeing the same 'spirit'. The snake is not just any spirit but rather the conscience of the jungle, planet, and typically somewhat disturbing to encounter. He is reputed to forcefully inform the voyager that while we think we own the planet, we know little and are of little consequence in the grand scheme of nature. Also note how prominent the snake is in history--from the Bible to the Pyramids to Viracocha and South American ruins. Indeed, the snake-serpent is ubiquitous throughout the ancient world and it seems plausible that it's a real entity, well known by our ancestors and denied existence in 'modern' scientific understanding.

It is my contention that these plant elixirs engender a connection and appreciation for our planet on a spiritual level by providing access to realms unavailable in any other way. Furthermore, I believe the entheogens have been provided as a gift from the Gods, or a gift from God, for spiritual communion and answers. Certainly the Shamans have employed these tools and survived for thousands of years from their tutelage. Compare this to the effects of the Industrial and Technological Revolution and where we sit today, on the brink of collapse in many areas having diverged from the path of inclusion in a mere 200 years. The price is being paid daily by rates of depression brought on by a plethora of reasons not the least of which are the numerous stressors of fruitless work in modern society. Productivity needs a new definition and we all, as a society, need a new outlook. The use of entheogenic compounds under guidance to reconnect our civilization and change our thinking (thus behavior) is the only salvation I can see, or would want.

And that is how deranged thinking gets from A to B, right?