The Earth Doesn't Need Saving

It's been a long time since I've posted anything here. There have been a lot of changes in my life; both good and bad. That isn't what I want to talk about right now though.

The other day I was having one of those rare conversations with actual depth. We were talking about modern paganism, and the need to bring understanding of the sacred, back into daily life. We talked about these things, and also talked about some of the problems in modern paganism, and how this relates to the earth.

This brought up some interesting thoughts of my own to chew on, and some of them will definitely be controversial or outright a slap in the face for some people in the pagan community. This is your trigger warning. Abandon hope all ye who enter here........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... We good? Ok.

To dive into this, we have to consider what "paganism" is to people, including other pagans themselves.

To most people, paganism is some mismash of goddess worship, and earth centered religion. Most pagans do probably fall into that category, to the point that eco-consciousness, and saving the planet are often a core focus of their practice as pagans.

As an Egypto-Pagan, I realize that I really don't fall into this category. That's where things get a little weird. People expect paganism to be earth-centered. My practice is not, at least not in the way that it would be perceived as such. It honestly bothers me a little, that my fellows seem to think that being a pagan is about protecting and saving mother earth. It equally bothers me, that so many of them profess to be feminists, and to worship the goddess, and don't consider, or even see the hypocrisy inherent in this.

I'm going to ask you this: Why does the world need saving?

This isn't some question borne of depression or despair. This is being asked because I look to history, and I see a strong, incredible planet, that is not on the verge of destruction, regardless of people talking about "climate change" and how it will be the end.

Extinctions happen. Mass extinction happens. Climates have shifted in the past, and this is a drop in the bucket. When any large scale change happens on earth, lots of things, people die. Death is sad, but the cycle of life and death is at the core of existence... of life itself. If we are living in tune with the earth, why is this not accepted? If a species rises, it is inevitable it will also fall. The hundreds of thousands of extinct lifeforms that have been discovered (fossils) can be testament to this. Life has thrived and is thriving on earth in more forms than we can begin to imagine, in shapes and places that we would have never have dreamed of.

These cycles shift in terms of millions of years, so maybe you wouldn't remember... but the earth does remember. The earth remembers the Triassic period, when the air was thick with carbon dioxide, giant predatory dragonflies flew the skies, and the first dinosaurs shook the earth with each footstep.

The earth remembers when it was little more than a recently cooled, ball of dirt and plasma. It remembers when it lost a piece of itself that became our moon. It remembers when life first appeared in its deepest oceans, rife with underwater volcanoes that spewed toxic gases into the sea. Life thrived.

So lets go back to our original question: "Why does the world need saving?" and I'll give you some more.

This is the big question: "When did everyone decide that mother earth was some powerless damsel in distress?"

Why is the spiritual movement that claims to know the earth, to live in nature's cycles, and to be a champion of female power, acting like they have to "save" the earth mother? How do you actually think about the natural forces you claim to be in tune with, speak for, and worship?

The answer is that at least for many of you, you aren't actually worried about the earth you say you need to save. You're worried about YOUR PLACE, and YOUR FUTURE in it. You are transient, and if reincarnation is to be believed, you will continue to have a place in this world, regardless of whether humanity continues or not. If you think the change in climate that is coming will cause the demise of much life, you are correct. Change causes death in some form, and vice versa. From these changes can also come life! evolution, growth! This is the way of things!

There is a reason why the Death card in the Tarot is typically read as a harbinger of change, and can be read positively in some readings. Change is not a negative thing, or a positive thing. It is something that is. So to it is with death, even if it makes us sad.

This isn't intended to be some kind of depiction of apathy. We should still respect and hold sacred the lives we have been given, and the earth that bore us. It's just that's a very different thing than trying to paint yourself as a hero saving the planet. It's no different than than treating the earth like a woman that needs saving. If that made you cringe, it should have. Use that discomfort, find the disconnect between your words, and your actions, and fix it.

I know that my thoughts won't be popular. I don't really care at this point. I've always been more interested in Truth, even if it makes us uncomfortable. I'm mostly just thankful that I was able to put my thoughts on this into writing, and share it with those who may have been feeling a mental unease regarding this topic, but had been unable to put it into words.

I may write here more off and on, but don't get used to it. This was just one of those rare moments where I felt like I actually had something worth saying.