Pagan Power

Is global warming real? Or is it a fallacy? I’m no scientist so I can’t go into detail either for or against. However the weather sure has been strange lately. Recently the world has seen changing weather patterns that have caused major problems for the human race. Here in Australia we have had record-breaking heat waves over a continuous unprecedented timeframe. We have had drought, water shortages and huge unheard of dust storms.

Last week we had massively hot temperatures and then a phenomenal electrical storm. Personally, I love electrical storms. The pagan in me is in awe of the awesome power such a storm wields. The magic of it, the intensity, it really gives you pause. The storm also caused a blackout and we had no power for about 14 hours. Its not really a long time, not in the scheme of things. But it did get me thinking.

In todays age we take electricity for granted and the huge number of things in our world that run off electricity. I loved the quietness of the blackout. A candlelit bath, reading a good book by candle light all through the night. I felt like I got back to nature that night.

What I didn’t like was the little conveniences such as making myself a hot cuppa, the fridge working, checking my emails. The world runs on electricity. Just imagine what would happen if major electrical grids went out for an extended period of time. You couldn’t fill up your car with petrol, banking systems would be down, ATMs, Internet, communication lines. It would be catastrophic.

We did once live without electricity, it would have been a simpler time, but I can’t say it would have been better for us socially or economically. But would it have been better for the earth? To make electricity fossil fuels are still the main contender in what is a huge debate over where our electricity for the future will come from. We all know what fossil fuel does to the land and our Mother Earth. We also have a pretty good idea what the alternatives such as nuclear power does to the world.

So we are in a conundrum, we need electricity, but how do we fuel it without ruining the world? It is the question the world is pondering as we head toward an unknown future. Here in Australia there is much debate over carbon emissions schemes and what we can do individually to lesson our carbon foot print. Some say that we are such a relatively small country that any scheme we endorse will be insignificant and cost us too much money. But if everyone makes a small contribution then surely it must add up. And what will the cost be to us if we dont start taking this seriously.

There are some that question the existence of global warming, and yes it is good to have a debate. But what is the cost if they are wrong? Surely it is better to consider differing possibilities to our energy crisis. Yes environmentally friendly gestures such as solar power, wind power ect are a step in the right direction. I dont know the answers, but I do know that I now dont take electricity for granted.

I also know that as pagans, spiritual people and people who care about the environment, this is a topic close to our hearts. Nature surely has a spirit and you can reconnect with it by turning off the electrical appliances that tend to bombard our daily lives. Turn off the computer, tv, games, even the lights. Light a candle and go out into the fresh air and breathe it in. Reconnect with nature and say thank you, for ultimately it is nature that gives us the electricity. But nature also gives us power simply by accepting it into our hearts and re-energize ourselves. And nature and the weather is changing, so lets give back to nature and harness that pagan power

Cheers

Connie