The latest post on The Wild Hunt inspired me. Today I did a formal ritual to honor, well, the spirit of America*. Most people who know me realize I'm not the most patriotic person in the world. I'm proud of my country, but not blind to its offenses. I also don't fly a million little flags around my yard like some of my neighbors **. That said, I'm not afraid to say that I feel lucky to live where I live. I read a lot of environmental and human rights news and, frankly, so many people have it way worse than us. We have our faults, that's for sure, but at least most of us are relatively comfortable and, well, safe! It's a shame that we have corporations who exploit developing nations and our own environment, and it's a shame that some of our ancestors did unspeakable things to the indigenous people who lived here first, but there's also a lot of good in America and I can think of that and celebrate it today.
Just as in my ritual, let me post it to my blog:
Hail to the spirits of America!
Hail to its Nature Spirits! Hail to the high-flying, majestic bald eagle! Hail to the forest turkey! Hail to the river otters, moose, white tailed deer, squirrels, chipmunks, black bears, mountain lions, wolves, and bobcats! Hail to the kangaroo rats, the coyotes, the scorpions, and roadrunners. Hail to the great blue herons, the salmon, the monarch butterflies, the black widow spiders, and the alligators. Hail to the sea turtles, the dolphins, the tuna, and the pelicans. Hail to the ants, the bees, and the bats! Hail to the unseen spirits who were here first and who came over with our ancestors! Hail to you all and may we live in better harmony with you!
Hail to America's ancestors! Hail to the Native American ancestors! May we grow in friendship. Hail to our immigrant ancestors! May we remember where we came from. Hail to the friends and family we knew in America, and hail to those who fought for our country - especially those whose intentions and actions were honorable. May we learn from your triumphs and mistakes.
Hail to the Gods of America! Hail to the Gods of the Native Americans, and hail to the Gods of our ancestors! Hail to Lady Liberty! May we bring honor to you in all we say and do.
May we admit to our faults and work to improve them. May we help the less fortunate, and welcome them to our country. May we celebrate our diversity and learn to live together in peace. May we develop better technologies so that we can live in harmony with nature.
So be it!
* As you may recall, I've been doing one formal ADF ritual a week. I was cutting it close by leaving it until today, but I made it!
** Ahh...military towns...
( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )
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