#and the ones on campus look really rooted in spirituality & meditation which is not what i’m looking for

[girlwwx]

desperately desperately desperately need to buy a yoga mat

[standbyphoenix]

‘River on the Rise’ by Debra Blake for Vegetarian Times, March 1988 (Part II, final)

How the family took their vision to Hollywood dates back 10 years ago, to their final days in Venezuela. The family had little money when they left the religious community and River, along with his sister Rainbow, often took to the streets, restaurants, and even airport waiting areas to sing to people, entertaining them while trying to earn a dollar. River had been playing guitar since before he was 5 years old, and his talent became increasingly apparent to Arlyn and John. Back in the States, the family headed straight for Los Angeles, where Arlyn took a job at a broadcasting company to get the family's collective foot in Hollywood's door.

"We weren't going for the glamour or the fame of it all," Arlyn says. "We were going to take the kids' talent-which was so obvious-to us-and turn it into something and help make change at the same time. That's why we went."

Weren't they afraid that the kids wouldn't share their vision, or perhaps lose sight of it as the endless glittery parties began to welcome them, threatening to turn them into Hollywood brats?

"No," says Arlyn. "I knew they wouldn't get into the Hollywood scene. We had our own business to attend to, and it wasn't Hollywood. It was making change in the world."

River's business is making change, too. He's clear on that score. "If I didn't think I could be a part of a movement that could influence," he says, "and be a part of helping and change, if I couldn't help that through what I'm doing, I wouldn't do this. But I'm seeing that through this position-in this career, and where I have these magazine interviews- I can be an example, and I think that's important. In all the interviews I do, I say something about my being vegan. I don't want to come off as if I'm a savior. I'm only a very small part of anything, but I think it's important to be involved. I'm interested in meditation and finding spiritual fulfillment. But for me to just go off and devote my life to monkhood in the jungle would be ultimately abandoning the world, and the consciousness would be on a selfish level. I think I can do a lot more good for this planet if I am out there."

River is still young. Does he share his mother's confidence that he'll be able to withstand the pressures that Hollywood places on young people-pressures that make them grow up quickly, losing their dreams and ideals in the process?

"Being out there," River says slowly, looking around at the giant oak trees on the lawn, "you can go astray, and everything can be destroyed. I'm aware of that, but I don't think I'll get into that. Maybe I'm lucky; I'm not really attracted to all of that now. I think I'll be strong enough, but I do see there's that chance.

"You can't really make any plans about things like this, though. You go with the flow but still against the grain, not for the ego of it but for the belief of it. The only thing I have to show is how I live. The vegan thing is one of the main things. I'm a peaceful person; I think that's manifested through how I live. I don't start trouble. But time will tell."

River has moved around a lot over the years. He was born in Oregon, went with the family to South America as a young child, and has lived in countless California towns. He's traveled-sometimes with only part of the family-to different countries to film on location. Just before last Thanksgiving the whole family moved to Florida, where they now reside. They wanted to leave the Hollywood scene and revive ideals about living in the country.

Florida winter afternoons are warm, and River spends hours in the garage, hunched over his new 12-string guitar. His hands are square and strong, and after so many years they're used to playing the chords that sound good to him. He has the guitar plugged into an amplifier, and the rock rhythms echo out in the yard. He's not in school (he was privately tutored for most of his life), and he says he's not interested in working until the summer. These days he's mostly hanging around, traveling a bit, hoping a bass guitarist will read the signs he placed around the University of Florida campus. "Needed," the signs read. "Bass guitarist with young blood who's into progressive rock and roll, jazz. For demo recordings." River is looking for a buddy to jam with.

If he didn't have his acting career, River thinks he could be a musician. He's driven to it. "I love music," he says. "It's so much a part of me." The roster of his favorite musicians is long and eclectic; he's especially into early Squeeze and U2. But the rest of his list reads like the playlist of an early '70s FM station. "I like jazz, folk music, Bob Dylan. Older Bowie and old Roxy Music to fall asleep to. I like old Steely Dan music and some Pink Floyd. Old Led Zeppelin, too. The Beatles are my Bible; that goes without saying. And I like classical music."

Modern music disappoints River, and he doesn't like much of what's commercially produced. His tastes in books and movies also show that River has one foot in a different age. He sounds a little frustrated by that, and says things like "movies nowadays. ..books nowadays. .. music nowadays."

He doesn't see too many new movies, preferring witty, intelligent classic comedies, and he likes the great slapsticks. But his idealism comes through even here. "I haven't seen Cry Freedom [about Steven Biko, a martyred black South African], but it's top on my list for a real conscious movie. And I liked Brazil. I like intense movies. Did you ever see Brother Sun, Sister Moon? It's about St. Francis. I felt a rebirth after I saw that."

He doesn't find much time for reading, though he'd like to, but somehow he's picked up a lot of information on health and political issues. The novels he's read, or would like to read, are those that kids grew up on 15 and 20 years ago: Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger, Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha, Richard Bach's Illusions, Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

As for his own movies, he's hot enough to be selective about the scripts he accepts, and he's been pretty happy with the results. "I feel no need to invest in a movie unless I have an incredible passion for it," he says. "And one that will not only be good for me but one I can be proud of-one that's a benefit to society. I always hope the movie will, if nothing else, be a part of good art and influence people in a good way."

Up to now, there's been no compromising in River's work, and he's not planning on changing his record. Even as a child, no commercials he ever made endorsed white bread, and when he was in Seven Brides, the family made sure he wouldn't have to go fishing or wear a coonskin cap.

River still chooses carefully, hoping the ideals he lives by will be reflected in the characters he plays. He liked his character of Chris Chambers in Stand by Me, directed by Rob Reiner. "Chris came off as a victim of the mentality of his town, but he was a good person. He was a great friend, he was loyal and he wasn't an idiot-not just a big dumb l2-year-old. He was a real sweet guy, smart and intelligent. A good character."

The last movie he worked on was Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty. (Lumet directed Dustin Hoffman in the Academy Award-winner Tootsie.) River plays the son of parents whose antimilitary activities have kept them on the run for years. River likes the character but sees him as a victim, too.

"In dramas, kids usually are victims, either to their parents or to society:' River explains. "I want to get away from that. It would be wonderful to see someone already in a clear-minded reality take it from there and maybe go beyond that, show what can happen."

He can't say precisely what kinds of films he'd like to do or what kind of work will draw him next. Theater would be interesting, perhaps, and possibly directing at some point. Unlike many actors, he's not even thinking about who he'd like to work with. "I would like to work with Rob Reiner again," he says, "Maybe just a cameo role in one of his movies. But for the most part I don't think like that. I figure that time will tell, and if it's right, I'll meet the right people and work with them at some point." Outwardly, River has few doubts about himself, as an individual and as a Phoenix family member. "I'm definitely an individual," he said. "I feel very secure as an individual. And I'm proud of my family and what we've done together. I'm a product of my family, just like everybody else. These are my roots.

"I just want to live my life. Acting is what I love to do, and it's worked out this way. I don't know if it's God's perfect plan or whatever, but for me, not only do I love it and get great satisfaction out of it, but also I can work my beliefs in. I'm free to believe in what I do, and I can share those beliefs with others. Not in a preaching way, not telling others, but just by what I do. I find that very fulfilling."

After lunch-tabouli, nori, blue corn chips, tofu omelet, tahini dressing-River and Rainbow, like older brother and sister in any family, take the family jeep to pick up the other kids from school. Back home, River runs into the yard to swing on the rope hung from one of the oaks. "Hey, look at this!" he yells. While Rainbow watches, River laughs, jumps high and grabs hold. 

A Phoenix on the rise.

[thepatchworkcrow]

I had been hoping to film part of my eighth YT Pagan Challenge video outdoors in one of my on-campus sacred spaces, but it seems the weather is just not willing to agree with me. So, so I can give you all a bit of a visual, this post will be jam-packed full of pictures of the places I was talking about in the video.

First thing’s first: my on-campus sacred spaces. I am blessed to be going to a university that is filled with small garden spaces and has a sprawling expanse of wooded ravines hugging along the side of campus. In my five years here, I’ve been able to find a number of places to relax, be one with nature, and perform a few rituals and magical workings in. Three of the major places where I tend to hang out and do my workings are the arboretum, the garden behind the religious center on campus, and a grove back in the ravines behind the art building.

In each of these spaces, I’ve found little places to leave offerings, quiet spots to sit and meditate, and have even done a few rituals there.

The arboretum is full of places to explore, and I admittedly spend a lot more time there than anywhere else. There’s a stump I’ve found a short distance off of the path that I use frequently for spell work, and have left offerings at over the past few years. It happens also to overlook a ravine in a pretty straight shot to the grove I’d found in the woods as well.

In the little garden behind the religious building on campus, there’s a statue of St. Francis that seems to have a presence and an energy all its own. I’ve made a habit of leaving little offerings in the hands of the statue whenever I go there to write, drum, meditate, etc.

And then, of course, there is the grove in the ravines. It’s just off the path, and was shown to me by a good friend who graduated a couple of years ago. It’s often where I go if I’m looking to communicate with the Wylde Hunt while on campus, and has been the site for a couple of rituals. There’s a large three-trunked oak that sits in its center, and there are a few places to sit in little nooks between its roots. I like this place because it is a little further away from the main part of campus, and therefore quieter. You can’t hear the bells from the clock tower and are a lot less likely to see people wandering by. There’s also a fantastic view of the stars on clear nights.

Aside from these natural spaces, I do tend to do much of my ritual / meditation / etc. within the safety (and warmth!!!) of my dormitory bedroom, as well. My room is almost always decorated with pictures that are sacred, beautiful, inspiring, etc. to me and I try to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for myself to live/study/rest/etc. in and for my friends to visit.

My altar space is situated by the window, which overlooks a little courtyard and the woods beyond.While I’m at school, this is the most sacred space to me, and I work really hard to keep it that way while I’m here.

Of course, when I’m home for winter / spring / summer break, I have places where I go to practice as well. Due to the nature of the space situation in my parents’ home, most of those places are outdoors.

In my own backyard, I am again blessed to have a great expanse of land full of trees and a big ol’ forest beyond. In particular, there’s a small grove hidden among a bunch of pine and cedar trees where I do some more private rituals, and then there’s Treebeard, a cottonwood tree where I leave offerings, prayer ribbons, etc. and spend time enjoying the space on the shady hill just beneath him.

I’m also blessed to have other little places of beauty within my hometown such as the local state park, my local witchy shop, and my aunt’s gorgeous and wild garden. These are places that really make me feel attuned to the energies of the universe and the natural world, and where I like to perform tarot readings, have debates about different witchy/spiritual topics, etc. with my friends.

And of course, there are a number of places in Michigan that have spiritual significance to me. The biggest one is the Boyne/East Jordan/Charlevoix area up in the northern part of our lower peninsula. Over the years, it has been a place full of childhood memory as well as shared memories and explorations with one of my best friends, Mark.

Being a pagan who follows a primarily Celtic path and lives within the United States makes it a little difficult to visit holy sites associated with my practice. There are, no surprise, remarkably few here in the states. There are Native American sacred sites, but because that runs along the slippery slope of what is culturally appropriative and what is respect for the culture and traditions associated with those sites, you’ll note that none of the places I’ve shared above are tied to those places. I was fortunate enough, four years ago, to visit the United Kingdom and places like Stonehenge, Avebury, and Glastonbury. These are memories that I hold really dear to my heart, and feel very privileged to have experienced in my lifetime.

Two of my very favorite memories from my trip to the UK came from my experiences on the weekend we went visiting various sacred sites. While in Chalice Well Gardens, I’d sat down by the well head to meditate and get away from the rest of the crowd of students I was with for a while, and man and his young daughter sat down alongside of me. The little girl had to have been about 4 or 5 years old at most, and as most 4-5 year-olds are, she was a little rambunctious and was bouncing around a bit. Rather than be upset with her, or harsh, I heard her father very calmly explain this was a special place, and saw (much to my amazement and admiration really) her nod in understanding, and sit down to meditate with him.

The second vivid memory I hold dear from that trip (as far as sacred space and that goes) occurred while we were in Avebury. It was rather late, the sun was setting, and we really didn’t have much time to spend there, but I remember it being a much more tangible feeling of presence there. Perhaps it was because we could actually approach the stones; maybe it was just the liminal time of day we were there or the place itself. I couldn’t quite say.

As we wandered about the stones, we saw an older gentleman with rather wild grey curls sitting at the base of one of the smaller stones. He had candles, incense, etc. and was using dowsing rods. The rest of our group gave him sort of a wide berth, and I (as the sort of unofficial pagan authority of the crew) stood a respectable and out-of-earshot ways off, explaining to my roommate that he was probably using the dowsing rods to look for ley lines in the area. He then turned to look at us and asked: “Have you two got good imaginations on you?” We were a little surprised, but answered that yes, we supposed we did. “Do you know where the word imagination comes from?” We honestly weren’t sure. “I. Magi. Nation. A nation of magicians. Merlin is one of my guides, you know.�� He then proceeded to tell us this tale about Merlin performing his first magic trick in the stone circle in which we stood: he’d turned a friend invisible and was unable to turn him back again. He also told us about how the Druids had used that place as a place for their initiations. I wasn’t at all sure on the historical accuracy of those things, but in the moment, you sort of wanted to suspend your disbelief. Awen was flowing, and you could almost see what he was describing in your mind’s eye. He then looked at us again and said: “I get Druid from both of you.” I was a little shocked because, of course, I was. I told him so, and he simply turned, and went back to his business of dowsing as though it had never happened. And for the life of me, I swear no one else seems to have seen or heard him say these things but my roommate and I. That is no doubt a mystery and a feeling I will remember for quite some time.

And finally, the last part for this prompt: circle casting. I’ll be honest, I don’t perform circle casting in my own work. For one, I’ve been studying off-and-on with a Druid organization for some time that doesn’t utilize them in their ritual formats. But, more importantly I find them to be distracting and a waste of energy and time. Circles, to my understanding, function for a few general purposes:

To contain and thereby magnify energy raised during a working until it comes time to release it at the end of the ritual.

To protect the individuals within and the magical working from the influence of any nasty / negative energy.

To create a sort of liminal and marked out place in which a ritual can occur and entities (spirits, gods, whatever) may be more easily contacted.

However, as I’ve mentioned above, I don’t generally feel a need to do this. For starters, I always cleanse a place before I use it, and if appropriate might make small offerings to any outside spirits that might be poking about to say “Hey, please let me use this space for a bit.” I don’t perform rituals in places where negative energy is hanging about, and I certainly am confident enough in my own ability to raise and manipulate my own energy to not feel a need for the circle of protection, or the circle that focuses energy in an external space. I also work with many liminal deities. I think it’s very safe to assume I don’t need liminal space for them to get messages across. When I do a particular magical working, my own personal energy field acts in the way a circle might: raising, containing, and releasing energy for my working. It eliminates the need for a physical circle- which means less time/resources marking it out, and I don’t need to cut a door in it should I forget something (which I often do!). It also helps hone in my focus on the working at hand. I often find that by the time I draw and cast a circle, call the quarters, etc. I’m quite distracted from what I was originally intending to accomplish.

Please note, I’m not bashing on anyone who uses circles. They can be quite useful to one’s practice especially when you’re just beginning! I just don’t feel a need to use them.

And, thus concludes a very long blog post. Thank you for hanging in there and reading if you’ve made it this far.

Love and blessings to you all -Rachel

YT Pagan Challenge: Sacred Spaces, Holy Sites, and Circle Casting I had been hoping to film part of my eighth YT Pagan Challenge video outdoors in one of my on-campus sacred spaces, but it seems the weather is just not willing to agree with me.

[cwebberphotography]

Everywhere around here people are either wearing what looks like pyjamas or funny t-shirts. Today on read: Life’s a one time deal Make the most of it.

Sometimes I feel like I’m wearing a piss stained blind fold with cotton in my ears being hit in the back of my legs as I try to find my way around. Not really knowing what I’m looking at, not knowing the way. Unable to understand anything I hear, not knowing the language, all the words around me are jumbled like the Peanuts comic strip.  And so many people walking in all directions stepping on heals and heals being stepped on, slipping in puddles of god knows what. And everywhere, smells of the dump and hot garbage mixed with faeces of man and beast.

When did I arrive in Kolkata? I forget, the days have run together again.

I just came back to my hotel room from lunch.  I had a chickpea dish with fried bread and a sweet side for 20 rupees then walked 10 feet and got an amazing chai in a clay cup for 15.  There are few differences between here and Mumbai. One is the clay cups. You can’t find tea in glass or tin cups here. Some places have paper alternatives for tourists but clay seems fine with me. I managed to eat lunch with my hands, and keep my kurta clean. I did get a splash of chai on it though so its been washed in the sink and is hanging by the open window. I have the fan on spinning lazily as the traditional music plays outside somewhere.  On my way home from the Ramakrishna temple I stopped and meditated at a Brahma Kumaris place which I’ll be returning to since its right across the street. The main guy talked to me for a while about the philosophy of yoga and meditation as well as religion and spirituality. We agreed on just about everything, his conviction was a little out of my league though, I’m still asking questions and he seems to think he knows everything already.  I didn’t bother asking him what happens to our eternal souls after the earth disappears in millions of years of expanding space.  I don’t think that’s in any scriptures. I stayed there and liked the vibes, everyone was dressed just like me, in all white.  And most o them said Om Shanti to me as they passed by. I had been looking for a barber since I arrived and found one right on the corner by my place. So I got a 30 rupee hair cut. They were able to cut it short like you would with a buzzer but using only scissors and a straight razor. While they were at it I could tell people were talking about me, usually I can pick up cues like America, and kurta. So I said to no one that I’m not American I’m from Canada and that made them all laugh and lighten up a little. Probably surprised I knew what they were talking about. Then the pictures started. Afterwords one guy took a couple photos with me and asked if he could put them on Facebook.

The whole time my hair was being cut the barber kept wrenching my head around like he was changing gears in a stick shift. After my long train ride and the hella bumpy ride to my first location my neck has been too stiff to look down, or side to side. It was getting better, and each day I can move a little more.

This morning I was out the door by 6:30 and went to a 24 hour Punjabi restaurant and ordered something they were out of so I took the first thing on the menu. Also a jalebi (deep-fried batter soaked in sugar) and a chai tea. On the way there rush hour had started, or not stopped, which was surprising for a sunday.  I stopped and waited for the traffic signal and looked around because I heard chickens clucking. I saw where it was coming from, a man with a bicycle and about 50 chickens, some of which I’m sure were alive, hanging by their feet. Behind him a hand rickshaw and then a Mercedes then a cow.

Breakfast was some sort of pancake with stuffing?  Not really sure.  It’s still super early when my Uber arrives to drive me to Balur Math. It’s on the Hooghly river, and boasts that it is a part of the Ganges. I looked at the map and it looks like the Ganges ends and this is an off shoot of it. So Swami Vivekananda built this temple for his guru Sri Ramakrishna. RK was a teacher who preached how all religions who worshipped God were correct and there should be peace among them. So after about 30 mins clinging to the back seat of the taxi I walk down the long driveway to the temple.  There is a booth to hand over your shoes, and a ghat, which is steps leading down into the water. After sitting there for a while, watching men wash themselves as random stuff floats past I move on to the main attraction. RK is there in a marble statue, sitting in his usual posture, wearing all sorts of garlands as a man in orange robes bows to him and does his rituals. Those two are behind glass and the rest looks like an empty church, marble floors and pillars with a rug by the veiwing window. There are people doing full prostrations and people mumbling prayers and bells ringing. I find a spot on the rug and sit there with my eyes closed for about 30 minutes until I hear them close the doors on RK’s window. After that I tour the campus and look into the preserved room where Vivekananda stayed. There are a few more places to check out here, and then another ghat around the corner so I walk there barefoot and come back to the gift shop. After buying a book I get my sandals and pay 1 rupee to use the urinal. Then my Uber arrives and he doesn’t know how to get to my hotel or speak english so he pulls over every 10 mins to ask people. Eventually when I know where we are I tell him how to get there, and eventually I give up and walk the rest of the way.

Today was the first time a young woman beggar with her baby and little kid harassed me for some time. they followed me down the street as she tugged on my shirt putting hand to mouth and pointing to the kid.

The last couple of days I’ve done a lot of touristy stuff. Visiting the Victoria Memorial was probably the most impressive. Lots of paintings from the 1700’s and 1800’s by Thomas Daniell. And a second story that circles the whole place, all made of marble. No photographs allowed just like the RK temple. (I snuck one at each) There were photographs of Kolkata from the 1800’s and it really looks like India hasn’t changed much since. Any old part of this city has decaying buildings and ancient doorways. Most of which have tree roots growing all over them. Without any maintenance nature is swallowing this old city whole, even if they continue to battle back with burning coals.

On almost every street here there is a well where you can wash your feet, brush your teeth, fill up jugs or even take a bath. That didn’t happen in Mumbai. Also I’ve noticed some crafty ways of lighting cigarettes. In Mumbai there was either a lighter on a string  or even a coil with a light switch next to the guy that sells single smokes. You turn it on and put your face to it.  Here I saw a burning rope like a fuse that people light their cigarettes from!

At this point I’m pretty tired of walking. I get some tasty street food and sit on a bench among 50 other guys and girls.  Then check out some sunglasses for sale. The guy at the stall couldn’t communicate so someone helped us out. Then invited me to see his shop. I’d heard horror stories about this kind of offer but I went anyway.  We walked a while along the same street and talked about Kolkata and Canada.  After we went down a narrow ally full of shops he opened the door of his place. His name is Shak and he collects antiques. Some beautiful compasses and carved ivory elephants and all the usual stuff you’d imagine to find in India. We went up stairs to look at kurtas and had a nice conversation.  I asked where to find white underwear since they seem to be unavailable. And my dark blue undies stick out under my white clothes. He took the liberty of showing me his own white underwear very carefully undoing his belt and asking me if that kind is what I was looking for…Strange but true.  After that I paid the foreigner fee for the Indian Museum of 500 rupees. Indians pay 20 I think. It has a courtyard in the middle and all sorts of exhibits. A big Buddhist exhibit and an Egypt one stood out to me, they had two real mummies. On to Gallery 88 where I saw an Indian photographers work. And two visits to the post office. The second time I went to send post cards I told them I had put the first batch in a bin outside and they said I shouldn’t have done that and the postcards may or may not arrive…

Oh Kolkata Everywhere around here people are either wearing what looks like pyjamas or funny t-shirts. Today on read: Life’s a one time deal Make the most of it.