Green Shoots
The light is returning, and after torrential rains, I am enjoying a day of sparkling sun here in Northern California. The hills are emerald green this winter—a dramatic shift from the sickly yellow of the drought years. What a relief.
A week from this evening, I and friends will be leading a ritual at Pantheacon, the largest gathering of Pagans in North America. I’m nervous, and wildly focusing on memorizing the outline and my parts, but I’m also really excited. It’ll be great to see friends I don’t usually get to see, and to hang out with some of my most loved people.
Despite the national horror show, I feel spring’s optimism kindling within me. I have no idea why, though the added light may be a big part of it.
I hope that you, too, are finding reasons for hope this spring. Even as we fight the appalling regime that has taken over the U.S., we must find those moments of joy, the opportunities for sweetness. It is a world filled not only with horror, but with beauty. Never forget.
Mark Green
Author of ATHEOPAGANISM: An Earth-Honoring Path Rooted in Science, Mark Green is the initiator of the Atheopagan path and editor at the Atheopaganism blog. With co-host Yucca, he records the weekly podcast The Wonder: Science-Based Paganism, makes YouTube videos, and creates materials and resources for practicing Atheopagans. He volunteers as a staffer to the Atheopagan Council to support the growth of Atheopaganism throughout the world. In his home of Sonoma County, California, in the occupied ancestral lands of the Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok peoples, he is best known as an activist and founder of Sonoma County Conservation Action, the largest environmental activism group by membership on the North Coast of California.
6 Comments
johnbrownson
Yeah, it’s funny, isn’t it, how we, almost instinctively, feel stirrings that translate to optimism at this time of year. Since our early ancestors migrated North, into what we call Europe, this has been the time when it begins to seem possible that, just maybe, we will live to see true Spring. In the Midwest, where I grew up, February (and March, for that matter) was known for it’s unpredictability; you could get days that were Spring-like, and then the next killer blizzard would come whooping down out of the Dakotas, and woe betide the poor fool who had taken off his snow tires, led astray by a sunny afternoon.
For many of us who live in the United States, this optimism is translated into something like “only a month until Spring Training, and then…Baseball”. In fact, Spring Training is starting now, with pitchers and catchers showing up in the warmer states. The actual, regular season starts on April 2nd, this year, and with it comes Spring. More than laggard Beltane, a month later, this is the sign for me that the “Dark Months” (ie: the months when there is no Baseball), have been survived, and hope is justified.
I’m taking bets, by the way: will That Despicable Man dare to throw out the first ball, on Opening Day, or will he choke, fearing that his little arm will lack the strength to get the ball onto the field, much less to the pitcher? Since, to his fearful mind, he must excel at everything he does, will he dare to take such a chance, or will he have one of his evil henchmen stand in? I’m betting he won’t show. After all, that’s what he has people for. For that matter, will he even show up, fearing that the “boos” will be louder than the cheers?
Whatever. Once that’s out of the way, Baseball, and Spring, can begin, but, the budding plum tree in our back yard says “believe”- and I do.
Atheopagan
Especially here in California, this time of year really is the beginning of Spring–the bulbs are coming up and we start having occasional sparkling days. SUMMER starts at May Day. 🙂
ADaughtersHero
This is my honor to you with no strings attached. Please read and don’t feel obligated to do anything. I just want to recognize you for your words and what they have done for me! Thank you! ~Anne https://adaughtershero.wordpress.com/2017/02/15/versatile-blogger-award-brutally-honest-or-lighthearted/
Atheopagan
Wow! Thank you so much–it really means a lot to me!
ADaughtersHero
You’re very welcome!
Lisa Karpinski
Thank you for this lovely post. I wrote your email down at Patheacon today but didn’t send anything, so it is lost. Could you drop me a line at lisakarpinski@gmail.com? I’d like to stay in touch.