radical bioregionalism is where it's at

I used the word "bioregion" in a facebook post, and a friend took the bait.

What is bioregionalism?

I'm glad you asked. As opposed to arbitrarily defined political boundaries, a bioregion is an intact, ecologically-defined region, of varying scales, that takes into account watershed areas, predominant ecosystsms, and other practical considerations that truly define place. If we examine our relationship to the land, we can decolonize our mind and reconnect to sustainable and sane ways of being. Radical bioregionalism is where its at.

How a bioregion is defined depends on how the people defining it interact with the land. Where does the water come from? Where does the waste go? Where is there fertile soil? Where are the ecological buffer zones? How do humans interact with the land? What is the history of interaction? What is the culture of the people on the land? It's these types of questions that we've stopped asking ourselves, and that we should start asking again.

For more in depth examination of bioregionalism, I found what looks to be a decent thesis from Warren Wilson hippy training ground: http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~library/Bioregionalism%20-%20Kalinowski.pdf

Within contemporary environmental politics and environmental philosophy, the discourse known as “bioregionalism” provides both an alternative vision to the ecologically destructive path of mass consumerism and globalization, and a realistic means of transitioning to that alternative society.

The Third Flame: The Worldwide Mystical Renaissance

I feel compelled to share some excerpts from Andrew Harvey's book, "The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism." If you resonate with these words, I would strongly suggest you check out the book. It has helped me immensely with processing the gravity of our collective crises, and has helped me find a greater peace and purpose.

I also found a recent teleseminar podcast that you can download for free. It's a 90 minute recording of a dialogue that sums up the theory and practice of Sacred Activism. You can access this and a whole series of free podcasts about emerging manifestations of spirituality. http://beyondawakeningseries.com/blog/archive/

The Third Flame: The Worldwide Mystical Renaissance

Excerpts from "The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism"

It is no coincidence that as our desire to exploit and dominate Nature at all costs reaches a climax of destructiveness, a complete, transfiguring mystical awareness explodes from within the human psyche. Anyone who is coming to understand the universe as a incessant dance of opposites will come to see the interconectedness of these seemingly "opposed" phenomena with a smile of hope.

At a time when we are ruining the wold and devastating all forms of life including our own, the Mother that creates, evolves, and lives in all things is returning to us to illumine our minds with her knowledge of interconnection, to inflame our hearts with her passion of compassion, and to awaken our bodies by the revelation of her living ecstatic presence. This causes the birth of a humble, exalted, and practical being, a Sacred Activist whose action inspired by the Mother can potentially transform all realms of earth life.

Through this potent return of the Divine Feminine and all of its aspects, the Sacred Marriage of Mother and Father, Immanent Godhead and Transcendent Absolute, can now take place within the human race. It is a return to nothing less than the evolutionary power of Divine Love and Wisdom, at work in constant transformation on all the levels of the universe.

As the crisis deepens, the drive to experience this empowering marriage of opposites within us will become more and more insistent and more and more vital to our survival. We are being compelled, through the logic of our own secret destiny, to take a quantum evolutionary leap. This leap could transfigure us and transform all existing social, economic, and political systems so that they honor equality, harmony with nature, justice for all sentient beings, and a sacred way of life that will bring peace to our earth. This is the Hope I have dedicated my life and work to, the Hope that illumines my vision of Sacred Activism.