RETURN TO THE WILD ©
by Tira Brandon-Evans

In the last few years I have become more and more concerned by the number of people–people in their 40's–who find hiking or even strolling in the woods and wild places of our valley threatening and who prefer to spend their time indoors and in malls. Of course they feel safe in malls, this is where they have spent much of their leisure time away from their homes. Teens gather at malls, meet their friends at the mall–instead of the park–and spend hours socializing in malls.

These young women and men will, in turn, raise their children to occupy malls and indoor spaces and avoid the outdoors. It is really no wonder children suffer from hyperactive and attention deficit disorders. They experience little or no natural stimuli from day to day.

The thing about the natural world is it may surprise you. A bird suddenly bursts into song. A cloud covers the sun, a rain shower follows, then clears and a rainbow appears. A twig snaps and you turn quickly but see nothing. What moved? A rabbit, a deer, a squirrel, a coyote? There is no way to tell. You are left wondering and wondering exercises the imagination.

There is no regularly scheduled programming in a natural setting. The birds, insects, and animals do not appear on cue. You don't know what is going to happen next. Nature is not predictable; TV is and so are computer games and music videos. We may command entertainment at the touch of a button but we cannot command nature.

Even when we do go out of our way to connect with nature we often interpose some form of technology between ourselves and the experience. Recently I visited the Vancouver Aquarium and was surprised to observe how few of the visitors actually looked at the fish and aqua-life they had paid to see. Everyone was taking pictures.

It was very strange. No one was actually looking at the fish or examining the reefs for the little, less easily seen, life forms. I do understand the urge to take pictures on vacations and excursions. But this was really odd. No one was just looking or reading the little signs telling them about the fish and aqua life.

I know they were taking the pictures so later they could show their friends but when they show their friends what can they actually say, "Here is a picture I took of a sea anemone." That is a very different thing then saying, "I saw the most beautiful green sea anemone. It had long fronds on it. And there were these clown fish swimming in and out of it. And ... ."

I know people post their pictures to the Internet and place them in albums at home so they will always remember the day. But what do they actually remember? They look at the picture and remember taking the picture. They do not remember their encounter with the green sea anemone because there was no encounter. They just glanced, snapped a picture, and then rushed off to take a picture of something in the next tank.

They learned nothing about sea anemones and felt no connection to the sea anemone. They could have had exactly the same experience by taking a picture of an anemone shown on the television or by looking up sea anemone pictures on the Internet.

I have also observed this phenomenon among tourists visiting our local lakes and mountains. They speed to the view as quickly as possible, jump out of their cars–or lean out the windows without stopping–snap a couple of shots and on to the next view. Very few leave their cars and walk around. Very few stand on the earth and feel the earth upon which they stand.

Discovering our world of beauty, relating to our fellow creatures, and learning where we fit into this amazing biosphere is not something that can be indoors at arms length.

We are all impoverished when we remove our selves and our children from the natural world.

Here are some interesting articles on why we all need to be connected to nature. I would also like to stress that it is very important we take our kids and grand kids outdoors and teach them about the natural world in which they live.

http://www.batemanideas.com/Lastchild.html

The average child of ten today can identify over 3000 corporate logos but no local birds. Recently the Junior Oxford English Dictionary removed the words:

Blackberry (the fruit), Beaver, Dandelion, Heron, Magpie, Otter, Acorn, Clover, Ivy, Willow

and replaced them with:

BlackBerry (the phone), Blog, MP3 player, Voice mail, Broadband

Of course, living in a world of malls and manicured lawns it is no wonder children have no idea what clover and dandelion are. You can drive for miles and miles and miles -- perhaps hundreds of miles and never see a dandelion or a clover -- and perish the thought there could be a bramble patch of blackberries anywhere in suburbia.

What you don't know you can't share and teach. Learn the names of and how to recognize the trees, plants, animals, insects, and birds you share the world with

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/240/

There is also the fact that, as a shaman or druid, you work with these beings in a very special way. You have to know them, they are your neighbors and your friends.

If you do not know enough about the local trees, birds, and plants in your area to share this knowledge with your kids and grand kids you should get hold of some field guides. It is a good idea to start with trees rather then birds -- trees stay still while you seek to identify them and birds are liable to fly away before you can find the right page.

Certainly you will not be able to identify every bird in your area overnight -- but everyone should be able to identify common birds -- robins, jays, sparrows, starlings, crows, and finches are everywhere and pretty easy to spot.

Teach your children well and they will teach theirs. Give them the legacy of a natural education.


Tira Brandon-Evans is a Chartered Herbalist, the Founder and Moderator of the Society of Celtic Shamans, editor of Earthsongs: Journal of the Society of Celtic Shamans, and a Faery Shaman. Her books, The Green and Burning Tree: A Faery Shaman's Handbook, Portals of the Seasons: A Celtic Wheel of the Year, Through the Unremembered Gate: Journeys of Initiation, The Labyrinthine Way: Walking Ancient Paths in a Modern World, and Healing Waters, are all published by Elder Grove Press. She is presently writing a book about the Ogham. You may contact Tira by email at info@faeryshaman.org.



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