Five Years (That’s All We’ve Got): Packing for Civil Unrest Revisited

“Pushing through the market square, so many mothers sighing
News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in
News guy wept and told us, earth was really dying
Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying”

– David Bowie

It’s been almost five years since I wrote a blog post encouraging people to reconnect with and serve their communities.  In it I discussed my calling and decision to serve my local community by attending demonstrations and protests and providing medical aid to the demonstrators and then described the contents of my medical bag that I take with me out into the streets.  I re-read that post recently and was really struck by how much has changed since I wrote it.  Fascism and violence against marginalized people has always been part of the makeup of the American People.  Let’s take a step away from the “Greatest Nation on Earth” and “Land of the Free” nonsense for a moment and look at our history from a realistic perspective.  The United States is at its core a colonial power.  Our place in the world rose on the bloody backs of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, was stolen from the Native People of this continent, and was solidified by economic and political manipulation of foreign nations and Indigenous Peoples.    We have a real issue with racism and xenophobia in the US and even with all of the progress that we have made in civil rights and equal justice,  we have always had a core of rot that was just under the surface.

Now we have made a drastic shift in how we want to see ourselves.  We have watched a demagogue take the highest seat of power in the country by  appealing to the worst natures of the American People.  As a result of that, every vile impulse and disgusting attitude has risen to the surface like the scum on a polluted pond.  We now have open racists, fascists, and misogynists coming out of the woodwork, attacking and murdering people  in the street, and even running for political offices.  Monstrous attitudes that would normally have been hidden from any decent society have now become a path to power.  As a result, things have gotten infinitely worse in most people’s day to day life and actions in the streets have gone from protecting demonstrators from an overzealous, militarized  police force to defending communities from gangs of armed fascist thugs that are protected and emboldened by an overzealous and militarized police force.

Throughout this deterioration of the ideals that America once payed lip service to, I have continued to go out into the streets and provide medical aid to people in need, and from my perspective things have gotten immeasurably worse and considerably more dangerous for everyone out there.  As the situations on the ground changed, my training, tactics, and equipment have changed.  I now have a more extensive training,  an expanded network of collaborators, and more comprehensive and complete medical kit.  When I first started this work,  it was in response to accidentally coming across a peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration that was brutally kettled (cornered) and attacked by Bay Area law enforcement then illegally tear gassed, pepper sprayed and indiscriminately beaten.  I immediately want back to my house, grabbed whatever supplies I had on hand and headed out into to street to help whoever I could.  Over the next week, what is now known as the “Week of Hell”, I went out every night to help the demonstrators and confront the police.  I learned quite a lot in a very short period of time and my tactics and equipment changed over that week, constantly addressing new information and learning and adjusting to changing police tactics.  A short time after that week, I wrote my blog post “Packing for Civil Unrest”

As it did over that week, much has changed over the past few years.  Demonstrations have become more violent and dangerous and people are being murdered on the streets and on public transportation by members of the far right.  Basic first aid and medical training has become essential for anyone who wants to be an asset to their community in a crisis.  My medical bag has gotten much bigger and now contains items that I hope I never have to use but I would feel unprepared if I didn’t have them.  My skill set has expanded from basic first aid to tactics, treating knife and gunshot wounds and disaster psychology, and I’ve gone from treating cuts and scrapes and washing tear gas and pepper spray out of peoples eyes to dealing with serious wounds while dodging projectiles and explosives.  Things are not getting better and it looks like they wont be for a while.

To that end, I’ve decided to revisit some of earlier posts and expand on them.  I’m planning on breaking this up into a few different posts, each one going deeper into one topic and set of guidelines.  For this post I’m going to go over the medical kit that I presently use and go over some of the items in detail.  In future posts I will go into tactics, philosophical considerations, and situational awareness.

Having a decent medical kit and learning how to use it is one of those skills that even if you never go to a protest or demonstration, you are likely to use.  We live in uncertain times and the possibility of civil unrest, random violence, or natural disaster is higher than its ever been.  Having the skills you need to be effective and able to help others in dangerous situations is essential for a community’s survival.  By acquiring this equipment and the training to use it properly creates a situation where you not only become someone who can be helpful in a dangerous situation, but it also means that you are less likely to be one of the people who will need aid and therefore require other people’s time and resources.  Knowing these skills means that you, your family, and your community are going to be safer when there is danger.

First Aid:

Medical Bag:  You are looking for a bag that is not only big enough to carry all of your supplies, but one that is also clearly identifiable as medical bag.  You also have to take into account your role in the field and the amount of gear you will be carrying. If you are just carrying medical gear, you can usually keep everything that you need in a basic shoulder carried medical bag.  If you are in a more dangerous environment and are carrying tactical gear, then I suggest a larger backpack style bag that can carry all of your gear to avoid having to carry two bags. Mark your bag with a clearly visible red cross.  People that are in need of a medic will be searching for that.

Nitrile gloves:  You should be wearing fresh gloves during every contact that you make in the field.    You will go through a lot of gloves in a typical action. Have a couple of dozen in a sealable plastic bag that you can get to quickly.  

Alcohol or povidone iodine wipes:  perfect item for sanitation, cleaning and sterilizing an area during a first aid event. These wipes can be used on hands, skin as well as injection sites to sanitize the area.

Butterfly Sutures:  used to close small wounds. They are applied across the laceration in a manner which pulls the skin on either side of the wound together

Bandage Shears:  Safe shears for cutting bandages, clothes, or anything else.  Keep these in a easily accessible location.

Bandaids: While it’s not explicitly necessary to carry any band-aids at all (as injuries which can be treated with a band-aid are not really necessary to treat in the first place), it can be helpful to have a couple on hand in case a child suffers from a small scrape or cut.

Self Adhering Bandages:  Works better than tape to keep gauze on or protect wounds in a dangerous situation.

Gauze:  Gauze tend to take up a lot of space in your bag, but its better to have too much than it is to run out when you need it.  I like to but all of my different types of gauze together into a gallon sized ziplock bag to prevent it from overwhelming your bag . Some useful sizes to carry include 2″x2″, 3″x3″, 4″x4″, rolled gauze, and if possible, a sealed compression dressing or two for extreme cases.

Israeli Pressure Bandages:  While the technical name is The Emergency Bandage, it’s a bit of a misnomer, as the Israeli is really a pressure dressing. It combines a sterile dressing, elastic bandage and pressure applicator capable of exerting up to 30 lbs. of pressure on a wound. The closure bar, which secures the bandage at the end of wrapping, can also be used to exert additional pressure. The Israeli is truly a multi-purpose bandage and can be used as a makeshift tourniquet, ACE Wrap, or even a sling to immobilize an appendage. It’s truly a versatile item to include in your trauma kit or first aid kit. It can also be self-applied, even one-handed.

Quick Clot Packs:   Quickclot is a gauze impregnated with a hemostatic clotting agent like Kaolin.Use QuikClot in a flash if blood is pouring, and direct pressure or pressure on pulse points wasn’t going to stop the bleeding, and using QuikClot was the only thing I knew to do to save a life—like if a femoral artery were cut so close to the groin a tourniquet wasn’t feasible. Or if I were facing a gusher on the neck and pressure wasn’t helping. I’d try it on a badly bleeding chest or abdominal wound if I couldn’t do anything else, even though I know if the QuikClot doesn’t come in contact with the bleeding blood vessel, it’s not going to help.

Instant Cold Packs: Cold packs can be useful for treating everything from heat stroke/exhaustion to sprains, fractures,,  dislocations and bruises .

Burn Dressings: Somewhat expensive, but worth carrying a few of these in case someone comes into contact with something very hot (like a projectile fired by police, or fire).

Ace Bandages  Very helpful for immobilizing injured joints and can also be used with a SAM splint.

SAM Splint:  Lightweight flexible splint that can be stiffened by folding it and used to splint broken bones and sprains.

Triangular Bandage:  A triangular bandage can be folded in the shape of a rectangle. It can be placed over a large wound to absorb blood and stop bleeding, functioning as a trauma pad.  Two triangular bandages can be used together to treat a wound. One can be used like a trauma pad to control bleeding, and another can be used to wrap the wound. It can hold the trauma pad in place if first aid tape is not available. A triangular bandage can also be used to treat a wound on the forehead or the top of the head. It should not cover the eyes, nose, or mouth.

Portable Gurney:  Lightweight foldable gurney used for moving patients out of dangerous areas quickly.

Tweezers:  Helpful for removing small objects and pieces of glass from wounds

Small Flashlight or Headlamp:  Essential if you are working at night

Comfort Aid:

Water:  Bring enough for yourself and others.

Sunscreen:  Sunburn can be a serious concern during many action.  Having sunscreen for yourself and others can help.

Protein bars:  Like water, a quick source of protein can be helpful for both yourself and others who might be suffering from hunger.

Honey Packets or Lollipops:  Honey is a quick, natural sugar source for diabetics.  Lollipops are great for providing a quick sugar rush in the event that someone is hypoglycemic and in need of a blood sugar boost.They also work to help calm children who may be feeling panicked for any number of reasons.

Mole Skin:  Most actions require extensive walking and blisters are inevitable.  Mole skin help people deal with the discomfort of blisters and raw spots on their feet.

Herbal Remedies:

Mullein Leaf Tincture:  Useful aftercare for exposure to tear gas, as it helps heal the respiratory system. Mullein leaf has no known interactions, and should be safe for nearly anyone to use.

Plantain Salve:  Useful for treating burns and scrapes, can be applied liberally to the affected area, and then covered with gauze.

Relaxation Tinctures:  Herbal medicine is medicine, and should never be taken or administered without a solid understanding of effects and interactions. One of the best options is Borage tincture, which is mild, safe to use, and is meant to make people feel support and courage of heart. Alternatives such as Passionflower, Lemon Balm, Catnip, Lavender (infusion, not essential oil), and California Poppy may also be useful in helping treat panic attacks and anxiety attacks. These should all be used very carefully, as all may affect different people in different ways. Some of the milder options above, such as Passionflower, Lemon Balm, and Catnip, may be the best options for wide use. Rescue Remedy, which is homeopathic and therefore contains nearly zero actual plant matter, may be a safe alternative to any of the above, but is likely to be less effective. The fact is, calmly and confidently telling someone you’re going to give them something which will help them feel more relaxed is frequently the most important part of helping people feel calm and safe in a protest setting.

Tactical Gear:

Liquid Antacid + Water:  A mixture of liquid antacid and water is useful for saturating bandannas in case of exposure to tear gas, as well as washing tear gas out of people’s eyes, and can help soothe the burn associated with exposure to pepper spray as well. A roughly 50/50 solution of milk of magnesia and water does the trick, but other antacids are also fine as long as they are alcohol-free and ideally unflavored.

Sharpies:  Not only is it important to write important phone numbers on your own body, so you have access to them in case of arrest, but it may also be important to write information on a patient if they are unconscious and you have to pass them off to Emergency Medical Services. Knowledge of what has already been done to help a patient, and knowledge of any vital information you may have been given before the patient passed out (such as blood type and/or allergies) can help save lives.

2 way Radio:  Generally you will be using your cellphone for most communication, but there are times when cell reception will disappear and having dedicated radios will help you stay in contact with your team when that happens

Gas Mask or Respirator:  If you’re the type of person who is likely to want to stick around when tear gas and/or pepper spray is being deployed in large quantities, it may be worth it to invest in and carry a gas mask or respirator. While useful to carry, it is worth noting that gas masks are both bulky and fairly heavy. Respirators tend to be slightly less so, but still take up quite a bit of space.

Goggles:  Lightweight to protect against exposure to pepper spray.

Helmet:  Given that a blow to the head with a less-lethal projectile can be deadly, it may be worthwhile to invest in a bicycle helmet for wearing to protests. As with gas masks and respirators, helmets are very bulky, and they can also make putting on and taking off a gas mask more difficult, but a helmet may still very well be a worthwhile inconvenience if you’re in an environment where things are being shot into a crowd.

Ballistic Vest:  This is an expensive investment, but worth it if you plan to put yourself in danger.

Approximate Costs:

Item	Cost	URL
Medical Gear
Medical Bag	12.95	Trauma Bag
Nitrile Gloves	9.95	Nitrile Gloves
Alcohol Wipes	4.48	Alcohol Wipes
Butterfly Sutures	5.20	Butterfly Sutures
Bandage Shears	11.95	Bandage Shears
Bandaids	6.47	Bandaids
Self Adhering Bandages	12.99	Self Adhering Bandages
Gauze	7.59	Gauze
Pressure Bandages X2	11.78	Pressure Bandages
Quick Clot Pack	15.19	Quick Clot Pack
Instant Cold Pack X6	4.75	Instant Cold Pack
Burn Dressing X3	14.95	Burn Dressing
Ace Bandage X2	6.48	Ace Bandage X2
SAM Splint	9.70	SAM Splint
Triangular Bandage X2	1.61	Triangular Bandage
Portable Gurney	27.00	Portable Gurney
Tweezers	2.17	Tweezers
Total Cost:	165.21

Item	Cost	URL
Tactical Gear
Liquid Antacid + Water	6.97	LAW
Sharpies	1.00	Sharpies
2 Way Radio X2	25.99	2 Way Radio
Gas Mask or Respirator	34.39	Gas Mask or Respirator
Goggles	12.99	Goggles
Helmet	24.99	Helmet
Total Cost	106.33

Special Thanks to Oakland Elle for some of the ideas for equipment and for always being there in the middle of it when the shit starts going down

An Era of Failed Leadership

I was reminded the other day that it has been a year since I’ve written a blog post.  When I started writing this blog I had planned on at least writing a post once a month. I saw a great value in engaging with the community and with the larger world around me through this medium, a place to exchange ideas and information with a broad audience, and a modern community meeting hall.  And then 2016 happened.

By 2016 I had seen a trend in the pagan blogging community that I was having a difficult time accepting.  To those of us paying attention to the larger world, there was a shift occurring in the general global rhetoric and politics towards a true ugliness, a type of fear and hate mongering that inevitably leads to violence and bloodshed.  We saw the consolidation of power of far-right  hate groups and watched in horror as their armies of trolls and goons started to rekindle the fear and loathing and aim their barbs at marginalized communities, creating the targets for the scapegoating necessary for  authoritarian and xenophobic regimes to take hold of global politics again.

Any student of history has seen this before.  These people are trying nothing new.  Divide and conquer, fan the flames of fear and prejudice, control the message of the media or try to discredit those you can’t control. This is straight out of the fascist playbook, so clear that if you look hard enough you can see the margin notes of a host of dictators and would be dictators scribbled across their words and deeds.

During this moment of the rise of hate speech and violence in the world, I  watched as our community continued to tear and rend at each other over what amounted to differences of opinions over spiritual practices and how different people viewed the Gods.  I watched the great pagan Internet “wars” between atheists and polytheists, or wiccans and traditional witches, or sneeches that have stars on their bellies and those that don’t, finally ending with the “battle” between Marxists and fascists, the latter finally starting to get closer to the heart of the terrible maelstrom at our gates but unable to remove personal vendettas and attacks from their rhetoric and by failing to do that, divided our community at a time when we desperately needed unity and dialogue.

It was during 2016 that I also stepped into the role of Chief of the Coru Cathubodua and started to reflect of the role of leadership in our communities and more importantly what constitutes failed leadership and what constitutes successful leadership. Because our community needs leaders, but not the type of leaders that are commonly modeled right now.

Leadership is a word with a broad spectrum of meaning attached to it. To some, the word leadership is synonymous with authority, and authority, no matter what the form, is something to fight against.  To others, leadership signifies a person or group that will make all the decisions for you, to them a leader is someone to rule you, a parental figure that they hope has their best interests in mind.  This type of vision of leadership can be dangerous in a political climate where “strong men” and tinpot dictators claw for real world power.

This breed of top down leadership will ultimately fail us, preying on our fears and insecurities while binding us in lies and controversies.  Leaders that sit apart from the people pointing fingers and making demands from them always show their true natures eventually.  Leaders that demand authority and power over others but have no skill or talent for leadership fill our world today, and when the illusion of power fades and the reality and sacrifice of leadership becomes clear, they fail and flee and attempt to destroy the institutions they wanted to control.  But thankfully, there’s something else that happens in times like these, something hopeful.

2016 was an excruciating year for most of us.  We watched as tragedy after tragedy unfolded while our attention was demanded by an election that twisted the level of discourse to mudslinging and vitriol and more importantly emboldened and inspired the worst aspects of humanity and turned hatred into a virtue and a path to power.  By the end of the year our community could clearly see what many of us had been aware of for years, the true danger at our gates.  The specters of fascism and authoritarianism were no longer just philosophical differences that needed to be weeded out from within our small community, but real live monsters, stomping around our streets attacking the most vulnerable among us.  People who tried to lay claim to the pagan blogosphere quickly found that real world terrors were demanding their attention and those in our community that thought it wise to cozy up to the far right to make a public show of how much they disliked the left, discovered that no matter what they did, they would never be far right enough for their new friends and were attacked and abandoned by them.

As 2017 dawned on us we found that things were worse than we could have possibly imagined.  Gone was the pretense of an inclusive and just nation.  Hatred and targeted violence have become commonplace.  The failure of our elected officials and our crippled republic is abundantly clear now and the monsters are running the show.

But as our new reality sunk in, I saw a change in the leadership of our community.  I witnessed the leaders that had always relied on a top down style of leadership fall silent, either too frightened or too stunned to take the actions needed to protect or inspire those that looked to them for direction.  I watched many of the people the community looked at as leaders or elders because of some level of fame or popularity that they were attached to, fall into a state of “I can’t even….” and become paralyzed with their own fears and insecurities.  But most importantly I watched members of our community, some recognized leaders, some not, step up and start to help others in whatever way they were able to.

During times of great crisis one would expect the social order to fall to pieces and devolve into chaos.  But one of the beautiful things about humanity is that in most cases this is not true.  Studies show that during times of extreme societal trauma, wars , economic and natural disasters, that instead of societies falling apart, that communities almost always come together, forgetting previous divisions and prejudices and working together for the safety and benefit for all.   Contrary to what the apocalyptic films tell us, that when circumstances are at their worst, humanity is at its best.

In our community I witnessed an outpouring of action and support from great numbers of people.  Safety networks were created, individuals gave their time and energy to holding close those that needed it, people reached out and built connections and alliances designed to create a stronger and more resilient community and started creating safety nets to catch those of us that might fall through society’s cracks.

This is the type of leadership that is going to carry us through this troubled time.  Leaders that stand alongside the rest of us, shouldering as much work as the person next to them.  Leaders that inspire by their actions alongside their words, pulling people together to address tasks that are too great to handle alone.  Leaders that lead from the frontline not the safety of the back of the crowd.

These leaders are here now, doing the work, taking their share of the burden, and helping those that are struggling with theirs.  These leaders are often young , sometimes unlikely, they come from generations of powerful people, raised on stories of rebellion and resistance, their earliest memories rich with strength of character and the toppling of unjust empires and they have a message for the monsters.

Their message is, We are the children of the Rebel Alliance, the Fellowship of the Ring, and the Browncoats.  We are the inheritors of the Civil Rights Movement, the Indigenous Solidarity Movement, and of Stonewall   Our sense of justice comes from these modern myths and current struggles and encompasses rooting for the underdog, fighting the good fight, and doing the right damn thing.  As things get worse in the world around us we will come together despite our differences to fight to protect our communities.  We will stand side by side and do the work that must be done to create and maintain a safe and just world for everyone.

And in that is where I lay my hope.

An Open Letter to the Rainbow Family

I write this letter out of love and respect and not to scold and reprimand you.  I have watched with horror the development of the debate about having the national gathering in South Dakota and I feel that, although it seems at this point that most people will not be attending a gathering on that sacred land, some of the ugliness still needs to be addressed.  To be a force for peace in the world, we must first learn to see past our own desires, wants, and privilege.  Peace is not the absence of war, it is the presence of justice.  Because peace without justice is oppression.

I understand your culture and how it works, the pros and cons of your system.  I have attended a number of national gatherings and dozens of regionals. I have been part of scouting groups, seed camps, and many clean up crews.  I have sat through seemingly endless councils struggling to find consensus.   Rainbow was once an important part of my life and it is because of that that I choose to speak now.

I also understand that these words are unnecessary for most of you.  Most of the people that I know that are involved with Rainbow would never want to disrespect the tribes that have had stewardship of this land since mankind stepped foot on this continent.  The ideals of peace and harmony stand in harsh opposition to the type of cultural privilege that I have seen stated in Facebook feeds by people proclaiming themselves as Rainbow.  True peace and harmony is rooted in respect and integrity and healing the wounds of colonialism involves self examination and honesty.

My message is to all of those people that are still planning on gathering in the Black Hills, who feel that it is their “right” to gather wherever they please, who don’t feel that the Lakota have the right to tell you not to gather on their land.  This message is important for everyone though, because it is up to those of us that know that gathering on Native American land against the wishes of the tribe is wrong and by doing it you are furthering the spread of a colonial mindset that is the most detrimental mindset on the planet, an attitude that is responsible for innumerable atrocities throughout history.  Because it is important for those of us that stand with the Native tribes to speak out now.  To speak out because sometimes people in white culture will only listen to those that share the same culture as them, and to speak out so that the Lakota people and all other Native tribes know that they are not alone in their struggle, that we are their allies and will stand with them in defending their land and their sovereignty against the dominant culture, whether they come in suits, hardhats, or with dreadlocks and beads.

This is an important moment for the Rainbow Family, a moment where there is a choice between talking about your ideals and actually living them.  It’s a moment to choose sides in the centuries old war between Native Tribal Cultures and the White capitalist forces that seek domination over nature.  It’s a moment to choose to heal some of the damage that the United States has done to the Native Tribes by making the choice to honor their sovereignty and human rights, rather than siding with the US Government and Forest Service, which are not your allies and would like nothing more than to see both the Rainbow Family and the Lakota buried and gone, or siding with the federal government imposed and supported Tribal Government that does not speak with the voice of the people but works for the interests of the rich.  With all the myriad of new age spiritual philosophies, this is where the rubber meets the road.  Peace and love in action looks like justice and respect.

We are not the saviors of the Indian people, nor are we their reincarnated warriors.  Native peoples have their own destinies, their own ancestors and their own warriors.  What we can be for them is their allies.  We can stand with them against western colonialism and speak out in defense of their rights.  This is where our voices matter.  Being an ally to someone is not to tell them how you are going to help them, its asking THEM how you can help and then doing what they ask, even if that request is to leave them alone.  Right now the Lakota do not want to “learn our ways” nor do they want to “share their ways” with us.  Great damage between the Lakota Nation and the Rainbow Family has already occurred.  What the Lakota want from the Rainbow Family is for the Rainbow Family to leave Lakota land and leave them alone so that they can focus their efforts on the other battles that they are involved in, against the U.S. government, against the Keystone pipeline, against the racist system that keeps them in poverty.

So please, listen to the spiritual stewards of the Black Hills and Do Not Go to South Dakota for the Gathering, Do not even go there to see if it might happen.  Go to Michigan or wherever else alternatives to the South Dakota gathering pop up.  Be a voice of reason in these debates and speak out against disrespecting Native communities and voices.  Show the world that the voices that strive for peace and harmony outweigh the voices mired in privilege and entitlement within the Rainbow Family.

In Love and Service,

Brennos Agrocunos

Coru Cathubodua

http://www.corupriesthood.com

Restoring Sovereignty and the Path Forward

Lia Fail – Hill of Tara photo by Ken Williams http://www.shadowandstone.com

The world we have inherited is one where the Sovereignty of the Land has been broken.  It’s not a single person’s fault.  It’s not a specific generation’s fault.  Throughout history, humanity has made a series of choices that have separated us from the spirit of the land, from the Otherworld, from nature itself.  Our broken Sovereignty reveals itself in our poisoned rivers and oceans that are becoming barren, in the extinction of species and our dwindling biodiversity, in our melting icecaps and rising seas.  Our unhealthy relationship to the Sovereignty of the Land is perpetuated when we vilify the poor instead of aiding them,  when we  foolishly act as if we have dominion over the Earth rather than acting as stewards of it,  and when we turn our backs on justice in this land and do not stand in opposition to these false judgements of old men.  As we withdraw ourselves from and choose to ignore the power of the land and the gifts of the Otherworld, the land sickens around us, our place on our planet becomes tenuous, and our societal priorities become selfish and obscene.  As a species, we stand today at a crossroads, at a place in our collective Wyrd where the threads of our fates diverge, some leading to our continued survival, and some cut prematurely leading to our extinction among the multitudes of other species extinctions.  Our path forward will not be an easy one no matter what choices we make, but there is a path ahead for us that will allow us a future, a path on which we encourage the return of the Sovereignty of the Land.

Before we can discuss restoring Sovereignty to the Land, we better take some time to define what I mean by the term.  I will be referring to the primary three types of sovereignty that are used in most discussions on the topic and attempt to define them and untangle their meanings. The types of sovereignty that I’ll be referencing I’ll refer to as either political sovereignty, or the authority of a state to govern themselves or others, personal sovereignty also known as personal autonomy, and Sovereignty of the Land, the numinous power of the Otherworld channeled through the Sovereignty Goddess to the ruler of the land.  These concepts are related, and each one has some influence with the others, but at their heart they all have different and nuanced meanings.

In a modern context, when the term sovereignty is used it is usually referring to political sovereignty,    This is often the type of sovereignty that causes much of the confusion.  It’s easy for us to look at the concept of Sovereignty of the Land in regards to Celtic lore and history and superimpose our modern concepts of political sovereignty over it.  This can muddy the meaning of both types of sovereignty.  The concept of political sovereignty, while crucially important to people’s lives, has become a corrupted by those with power.  A militarily or economically powerful nation’s sovereignty is determined by their ability through war or trade to prevent others from imposing their will on them.  In most cases, this type of political power is held through violence or the threat of violence.  A good case study of how this dynamic works is the state of Native or First Nations Peoples on this continent.  Technically, Native Peoples have been granted “sovereignty” for their tribal governments to rule themselves.  Although they had no real right to do so, the US and Canadian governments granted Native Tribes limited rights to self-rule and government.  In reality, they took this step not out of the goodness of their hearts or some sort of concern for the dignity of the people, but to appease the Tribes after destroying their livelihood, culture, and lives.  This continent was founded by people who, through murder, rape, disease, lies, and genocide, systematically wiped out vast populations of people.  The European people who colonized this continent have absolutely no legitimate claim to it.  They arrived and through a fluke of technological achievement, specific biological resilience, and an arrogant spiritual philosophy of dominion over all of creation, they took it.  Their claim of sovereign rights to the land they occupy rests on the childish and dangerous tenant of “I took it so it’s mine”.  With this in mind, the idea of these illegitimate foreign governments bestowing the right of political sovereignty to the peoples that had been living here for thousands of years is tragic and delusional and we must always look at this connection to violence when we consider political sovereignty.

Personal sovereignty on the other hand is rooted in the cultural values of personal autonomy and self determination.  It is based on the concept of a fundamental human right to self-determination.  Retaining our personal sovereignty has been one of the great struggles of our time and this struggle takes countless forms today.  The right for women to make decisions about their own bodies, right to express your free will, and our freedom of speech, all fall under the category of personal sovereignty.  Personal sovereignty does not come without responsibility and cost though.  To be able to have the type of autonomy and freedom that we desire and still live in a world populated with other sovereign individuals, we must be operating from a place of high moral accountability.  Accessing your personal sovereignty is reliant on an understanding and acknowledgment of other people’s sovereignty and rights.  We must understand and accept that we are part of a greater whole, that our actions affect others and affect the heath of the planet around them.  Our own honor, integrity, and sense of justice must guide our decisions, coupled by connections to our community and understanding of the ecological world around us.  In this way, personal sovereignty is much more closely tied to the Sovereignty of the Land.

When we speak of the Sovereignty of the Land, we are speaking of a concept that has been obscured by the mists of time.  We see this classical and historical concept of sovereignty throughout the lore of ancient peoples.  At the heart of this type of sovereignty is a contract and partnership with the Otherworld, the unseen spiritual world.  In the traditional sovereignty tale, a King is granted his right to rule though the Otherworld.  This power flows from the land through the form of the Sovereignty Goddess.  This power is usually transferred in the form of a mead cup or the act of sexual union with the Goddess.  The Sovereignty granted to the King is not unlimited power over his subjects, but a fluid force, the magical power of the land itself.  A power that must used for the benefit of both the land and the people lest it be withdrawn.  The Sovereignty of the Land flows from the Otherworld, is mediated by the King and from him flows back to the people to sustain them.  This contract, like most agreements with the Otherworld, is conditional and strictly regulated through a combination of ritualized behaviors (Geasa) and mutual obligations between the ruler and his people.  The failure of a King to meet their obligations either by breaking their agreements with the Otherworld or their people, resulted in withdrawal of Sovereignty which had disastrous effects such as crop failures and famine, the death of livestock, disease and hardship.  In a situation like this, the failed King would step down, die in battle, or be sacrificed to allow a more suitable King to take their place.

Sovereignty of the Land was never truly about power over the tribe or the land.  It was responsibility to both.  A good King was not selfish but selfless, willing to cede power and sometimes his life for the benefit of his people.  The health of the people and land reflected directly on the ruler.  A single person starving from lack of food was abhorrent to Celtic society and to have someone starve on your doorstep brought great dishonor to you.  In this system of Sovereignty, there was a strict social contract between the leader and the people.  Bound in layers of obligation, hospitality, and geasa, the King had a sacred responsibility to care for and provide for his people.  Our ancestors knew that community is essential to our survival, and also knew that connection and relationship with the Otherworld was necessary for our continued survival.  Those in positions of power in our world today have forgotten both of these things.  Our culture has cut all relevant ties to the Otherworld, and we have fetishized selfishness and self interest.  We stumble forward, stepping on the backs of others with little care for their well being as we strive for personal gain.  We are not appalled by our hungry neighbors, and we chose to create a land that is as dead as we perceive it to be.  The Sovereignty of the Land has withdrawn from us and we have been left with a poisoned land and a broken society.  Our leaders have failed us and we all suffer from their failings.  We no longer live in culture where the leaders work for the benefit of the people and the land.  Our leaders will not step down when they fail us and regrettably we can’t sacrifice them.  We no longer have Kings ruling us and that is a good thing, because we live in an age where we can be more and more responsible for ourselves.  Sovereignty has never left the land, we, as a society have chosen to ignore it and not to access it.   In an age defined by self determination, it is up to us to restore the Sovereignty of the Land, to maintain relations and contracts with the Otherworld, to establish a mode of existing with the world and with each other that is sustainable and life affirming.

But how do we return Sovereignty to the land and how will that change our course?  How will our connection with the Otherworld help create a better world for everyone?  How will this provide for us a viable path ahead?

At the heart of this type of Sovereignty of the Land is interconnectedness.  It is the acknowledgement that as a society our future survival is dependent on working with each other, not fighting against each other.  It is understanding that on a greater level, our society’s survival and our ecosystem’s survival are intertwined.  When the health of our planet fails, our health fails with it.  When we cut ourselves off from our environment, from our communities, and from the Otherworld, we wither like a plant cut from its roots.  And we are withering.  Our bellies are full and we are starving to death.

We can take these basic steps and reestablish the flow of Sovereignty in our lives and in our land.

– Establish and maintain relationships with the Otherworld.  Honor your Gods, honor the spirits of the land, honor your ancestors and make your choices for those that will come after us, not for ourselves.

– Establish and maintain relationships with your communities.  Get to know your community and take part in it, both locally and globally.  Don’t ask what you are getting from your community, ask how you are helping it.

– Give more than you take, in all things.  Wealth and power are a flow, not something to hoard and hold onto.

– Stand for Sovereignty.  Speak out where you see sovereignty being compromised.  Defend others’ rights and their sovereignty, not just your own.

Taking steps to restore Sovereignty will not save us, but it’s the start of the mindset that we need to thrive again.  Like a spring that has been buried, the flow of Sovereignty awaits us.  As we dig into the soil with our bare hands we can restart the flow again: many trickles make a stream, many streams a river and many rivers fill an ocean.  We no longer need Kings to mediate the Otherworld for us, we can take our fate into our own hands and restore Sovereignty to our Land.

Our Lady of Perpetual Agitation vs. Social Media

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, San Francisco, CA     Some think it looks like a Maytag washing machine

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of the Catholic church, but if I am going to be fair I am forced to admit that the Catholic church usually makes a moderate to good effort in giving aid to the houseless.  In most cities, Catholic social services are some of the most accessible to marginalized populations with in a community.  Sometimes this aid is given asking nothing in return and sometimes it requires sitting through a church service or sermon, but most of the time at least some sort of aid can be had if the proper hoops are jumped through.  That’s one of the reasons that I was so surprised to see a headline reading “SF cathedral dousing homeless with water to keep them from sleeping in doorways” on Patheos this morning.

To summarize, for the past two years the Cathedral has been using a system of hoses from the roof of the building to spray water on members of the houseless community in order to deter them from seeking shelter in the doorways of the Cathedral.  The hoses were timed to go off every 30 to 60 minutes for about 75 seconds, from sunset to sunrise, effectively soaking whoever had made the mistake of trying to sleep there and all of their belongings.  The Archdiocese’s reasoning for this is that they wanted to prevent people from urinating and defecating in the doorways, and keep the area clean and safe for everyone, and I completely understand the need for that.  I also am aware that the Archdiocese of San Francisco does make an effort to aid people in distress, and that the houseless problem is extreme in San Francisco for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with the houseless themselves.  What I find interesting about this case is both the strange and misguided choices that a Christian institution has taken to arrive at a solution as inhumane and cruel as this one, and how quickly the media, aided by social media, forced the Archdiocese to make amends for this and change their policy.

I first read about this story on Facebook this morning.  I immediately reposted it and started researching the history behind it.  After learning a little about it and the history of the Archdiocese and the Archbishop’s shaky relationship with the people of San Francisco, it quickly became clear that I was not dealing with a particularly progressive branch of Peter’s church.  Ten days ago, hundreds of people stood outside the cathedral protesting a morality clause in their teacher’s contract.  The clause, pushed by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone,  includes language against homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion and contraception.  On top of this, Archbishop Cordileone recently helped push the drive for the canonization of Junipero Serra, a Spanish missionary that founded the first mission in California, helped establish the mission system, tortured and murdered the native population, and helped create the conditions that decimated the native population in California.

So after reading all of that,  I decided that I was going to head down there today and try to talk to someone about their choice to drive the houseless away from their cathedral with hoses.  I grabbed my things, hopped on the train, and headed to San Francisco with another Coru priest.  As we hiked up the hill to the cathedral, I thought about what I wanted to say to a representative of the church.  I was hoping to get a chance to talk to the Archbishop, but as a pagan priest I realized that it was unlikely to be an option, but I wanted to express to them the danger in and cruelty of soaking peoples belongings and clothes in an environment like San Francisco, where it is almost always cold and damp.  I wanted to ask them find another way to prevent people from sleeping in these alcoves that doesn’t put them at risk of pneumonia or destroys what little bit of property that they own.  To point out to them that as religious leaders in this community, people look to them for moral guidance and by taking an action as callous and heartless as this one, they are being a bad examples for others.  By the time we got to the cathedral, there were already 3 news vans there and reporters.  Because of the pressure that was put on them by the media and social media, the Archdiocese was forced to face this and take action.  When we arrived, the church had issued a statement apologizing for the action and were already removing the hoses.

Now I could easily go through their statement and point out some pretty messed up aspects of the whole incident, like the fact that the Archdiocese made the decision to do this system “was installed approximately two years ago, after learning from city resources that this kind of system was being commonly used in the Financial District” meaning that the Catholic church was getting advice on how to deal with the homeless and poor by looking to the Financial District, or that they had violated permitting requirements to install this, or that California is in the middle of a serious drought and this is a huge waste of water.  But I will also give them credit for helping the homeless in many other ways and for taking actions to address this issue as soon as they were confronted with it.

What I really want to point out here is that there is an immense power in social media and social media activism.  Because regardless of  complaints about hashtag activism and the criticisms of the “cause du jour” phenomena, social media is one of the most powerful tools that activists have to make change.  In this case, within 6 hours after hitting the internet,  this deplorable practice that has been going on for two years was ended.  Since the mainstream media does such a poor job of giving us an unbiased version of the news, it’s up to us to learn to filter the lies from the facts and that’s not always an easy job.  The benefit of having sites like Twitter and Facebook, as well as a seemingly infinite number of independent news sources, is that the amount of unfiltered, but completely biased information we receive is much greater than ever before in history.  With a little work, one can get enough perspectives of an event to have a better idea of what actually happened, and with critical thinking, and taking into account one’s own biases, we are able to understand events better and make better decisions for our lives and the world around us.  Social media also allows us to bring an issue to the public eye almost instantly, bringing public scrutiny to misdeeds and misconduct and forcing rapid change when needed.  Without social media, this issue would have taken months to resolve, with social media, 6 hours.

So don’t criticize activist’s use of social media to bring awareness to issues, and stop complaining about the “cause du jour”.  Social media is proving itself to be one of our most effective tools and one person’s “cause du jour” is another person’s lifetime struggle.  Instead of turning away from an issue because it’s too “popular”,  “trendy”,  or you don’t want to “jump on a bandwagon”, take the time to use the tools that we have in social media and the internet and learn what the issues are.  Learn the facts and listen to other people’s opinions about it, especially people’s opinions that have been involved with, or are directly affected by the issue.  Take the time to share information with people who you know and help educate them about the issues.  Take the time, educate yourself, and then make an informed decision about what you want to do about something, if anything at all.  Become involved, and either help or get out-of-the-way of the people who are helping.  Because changes are possible if we try,  and fixing some problems just require people to know what is happening for the problems to improve.

Can You Really Keep Your Religion Out of Your Politics?

Doing any sort of activism work will inevitably lead to some criticism by members of your community, at least it will if you are doing it right.  Demanding relevant change in the world makes people who are complacently comfortable in their lives, positions, and viewpoints profoundly uncomfortable.  This comfortable complacency is often one of the most persistent barriers to making lasting changes to equity and justice within our society.  One quickly finds that being perceived as a threat to that comfort will incur criticism, attacks, and vitriol from the most invested.  This can be tiring, but it’s to be expected.  It’s part of the process, and while responses of personal attacks and malevolence tend to harm everyone involved, respectful and civil disagreements and debate furthers the dialogue and can lead to solutions to problems.  So a big part of remaining effective in your activism is to learn when to ignore criticism and when to engage in dialogue with your critic.

One of the most common criticisms that an activist that comes from a spiritual background will receive is to tell us that we shouldn’t mix our religion or spirituality with our politics.  The people who level this complaint at activists and take a stance on not mixing their religion and politics tend to be people who can afford to separate these two aspects of their lives, people whose human rights aren’t being threatened and whose lives and finances are well protected by a system that tends to favor white male rights over all others.  But what does this look like, this separation of spirituality and politics?  How does one untangle these ideas in our minds and make choices without one influencing the other?

The root of the separation of church and state in the United States comes from a combination of sources.  The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion and impeding the free exercise of religion.  On a side note, it also prohibits abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. These are all aspects of the protest movement that the same people who advocate keeping spirituality out of  politics often have issues with as well.  This leads people to cherry pick the constitution for statements that support their agenda the same way  that an evangelist will cherry pick the bible to support their agenda.  Further, Article Six of the Constitution establishes that no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States, ensuring that the US Government remains secular and not directly influenced by the Church.  Later, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut written in 1802, Thomas Jefferson wrote on the subject that the United States should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”

So what we have in regards to the separation of Church and State is a strict commitment, written into the Constitution and echoed by Jefferson and the Supreme Court, to not allow the government to be controlled in any way by the Church,  to not allow the state to establish a state religion, and to not require membership in a particular church in order to qualify for public office.  There are many reasons why this is a good policy.  There’s the fact that most Abrahamic faiths strongly encourage people to unquestionably follow an autocratic elite, an idea that clearly stands in opposition to the spirit of a truly democratic society, there’s the idea that we do not want another person’s religious beliefs impinging on our rights and freedoms, and there’s the fact that religion and government have different roles in society and should remain separate because mixing those role have historically been disastrous.  But while I strongly believe that the strict separation of the Church and State is necessary to maintain a just society, this is not the same issue as keeping one’s spirituality or religion out of their personal politics.

But how does one keep their personal politics and their spirituality separate?  For me, I can’t do it.  As a matter of fact I can’t even imagine how someone who critically thinks about the issues can keep spirituality and politics compartmentalized in their minds.  Because in my experience, most people’s spirituality and politics are influenced by their morals and ethics, not the other way around.  For example, I believe that everyone should have basic human rights.  I would not practice a religion that advocated denying others their human rights, and when I vote for a candidate their moral character and stance on human rights is a major factor on whether or not they will get my vote.  To separate your spirituality from your politics is to separate your morals from your politics and that is a dangerous thing.  For without consideration of morals, what are we using to make our political choices?  Our wallets?  Our party affiliation?  Our self-interest?  These motivations do not lead to a just and equitable society, they lead to inequality, power imbalance, and ultimately the decline of that society.

As a society, we must learn to be guided by our own morality and our own codes of ethics and not have them dictated to us by churches and politicians.  We need to have an active ongoing relationship with our moral codes and sets of values, a dialogue with ourselves and others to continually refine and update our opinions as we learn new information and hear other people’s viewpoints.  Morality cannot be written in stone, it should always be a work in progress.  There is danger in the inverse of this approach.  To allow your government or your church to define your moral and ethical code without critical reflection can be one of the most destructive impulses that a society can have,  Governments can tell you that they have to militarize and restrict your freedoms in order to keep you free, they can try to convince you that poisoning your water and land is necessary in order to maintain prosperity.  Churches can tell you who is righteous and who is pure and try to justify dehumanizing others for having differing faiths and they can try to convince you that your natural healthy impulses are impure and sinful and pit you against your self in a never-ending cycle of shame.  Spirituality and politics should never be top down institutions, they should be guided and led by the people in a continual process of refinement and education, striving for better understanding and a more equable and just society.

So to the demand that I keep my religion out of my politics, I will have to politely decline.  For both my religion and my politics come from the same place, my heart, guided by a moral code that I am in constant refinement of.  My religion and my politics can’t be separate because at the root of both of them is an uncontrollable impulse to stand for every person’s basic human rights, to help my community to grow and be prosperous and fair for everyone, to defend the most vulnerable and abused in our society, to create a culture of equity and a clean and healthy planet for the coming generations.   Our morality is not handed down to us from our churches and it’s not prescribed to us by our governments, it is ours,  a precious part of our humanity that must continually be nurtured and grown, educated and socialized, and refined and enlightened if we are to create a lasting society worthy of our vast potential.

Pantheacon Fallout and the Seeds of Community

Witchcraft is a tool against oppressors. It sides with the oppressors at its own peril, for power is ever fickle, and our gifts ever mistrusted by the bullies and abusers who would make our power their own.

Practitioners of a racist Witchcraft, or a homophobic Witchcraft, or a transphobic Witchcraft, or an ableist Witchcraft, do not understand Witchcraft. Witchcraft is a gift to the oppressed, not the comfortable.  – Jason Thomas Pitzl “Witchcraft Today, Witchcraft Tomorrow A Manifesto”

Mural in Oakland, CA

I watched a battle goddess shake the foundations of my community and expose our weak points.  For the sake of honesty I have to say, I did more than watch.  I aided, I assisted, I called Her name,  honored Her, gave Her offerings.  I asked Her to open our eyes to the battlefield that we are all standing on today, the battlefield that we tell ourselves doesn’t exist.  The battle that won’t be won by generals, or scholars, advanced weapons or technologies.  The battle that if we are to survive, we will survive by raising each other up and building strong and open communities together.  For we rise not by political structures or by wise governance, we rise by reaching out and grabbing the hand of our neighbor,  We all rise together.

The dust is starting to settle from Pantheacon and people are assessing the stress fractures in their hearts, minds and belief systems.  In some ways, Pantheacon is a gathering of individuals each searching for their own taste of the sacred, in other ways it is a gathering of tribes, a place for diverse traditions of spirituality to meet as a community.  A place for us to meet face to face rather than on blogs and Facebook posts.  A place to learn and share with each other, common ground on which to build our future….for 5 days a year.

For some, the event is a place to escape their day-to-day lives and immerse themselves in magic, and costumes, and parties.  And there is nothing wrong with this, provided you remember that there are predators as well as fairies in the night, and keep your wits about you, especially during the hours when the hungry ghosts walk the halls.  But there is more to our shared community than parties and costumes, and hopefully more to our spirituality than that too.  Community is not something that happens because people have similar ideas, it is working and living relationships that we have with each other, with the spirits, and with the gods.  Community is work, and it is processing, and it is uncomfortable self-reflection, and it is compromise.  It is an ongoing dialectical process between many different individuals, and many different philosophies, and many different cultures.  And that is a good thing.

Mural in Oakland,CA

The weak spots in our community are a reflection of the weak spots in our larger society.  As our country struggles with the demons of racism, homophobia, and transphobia, among a multitude of others, we Pagans, as a microcosm of the larger society, struggle with those same demons…   and its frustrating for us.   Just like some people come to Pantheacon wanting to get away from the drudgery of their mundane lives, some people come to Pantheacon wanting to get away from these demons as well,  to distance themselves from the debates on racism, or to be in a place where they wont have racist behaviors thrown in their face,  a space where they wont be challenged about their privilege, or a space where they can be safe to be themselves without fear of rejection, or violence against them.  But we can’t get away from these issues, because Pantheacon does not exist in a vacuum, and they exist in our community as well, and it is our duty, as members of the community, and as human beings, and as a collection of religious communities, to face these issues and to confront them and to work together to create a stronger, more just and welcoming community.

People must rule themselves; there’s no other way.  We cannot hope for benevolent dictators or kind benefactors to end our suffering and fractiousness and abuse.  No great ruler will make racism go away, no brilliant queen will re-grow the forests.

We beg the government to give us recognition, to restrain the police they hire to kill us, to protect our sexual preferences and drinking water and children from the very same abusers who bankroll their political campaigns.  The answer isn’t the coin, it’s the fucking soul, the reclaiming of our sovereignty not just as will-to-power but responsibility-to-love.   – Rhyd Wildermuth “Perceval”

When I see that battlefield that we are all on and apprise the situation, I see a path to victory, a path to a better place.  A place of justice and healing of wounds.  A place of abundance, with healthy seas, nature restored, food, shelter and dignity for all.   A world of people in rightful relationship with the land, with the gods and most importantly with each other.  A future of wealth for children, of children well learned, of tales told in poetry, a future of honor.  And I see this path because I see the strength in our community, the people who won’t sit idle and accept things the way they are, the people who tirelessly and ceaselessly hold us accountable for our mistakes, who sometimes gently and sometimes fiercely confront attitudes in our community and in themselves that mindlessly harm others.   Because the first step towards this rewoven future is facing these toxic attitudes within ourselves and learning how to address and overcome them and a large part of that process involves actually listening to marginalized communities.  Straight, white people are not the saviors of marginalized people and we will not be rescuing anyone.  We are all partners in this community and we must allow everyone their voice and listen to their experiences.  Unexamined ego and privilege has no place in the creation of a better society and those who refuse to see past their own, will find themselves rapidly losing credibility and relevance as the community steps past them, seeking a more just and egalitarian future.

Bread and Roses: The Rising of the Women

An offering to the Crows: Photo courtesy of the Illustrious Katie Rose

“What the woman who labors wants is the right to live, not simply exist — the right to life as the rich woman has the right to life, and the sun and music and art. You have nothing that the humblest worker has not a right to have also. The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too. Help, you women of privilege, give her the ballot to fight with.”

—Rose Schneiderman, 1912

As we stood circled and gave final thanks to the Gods, spirits, and allies that inspirited the temple, the crows called outside and the sacred space shifted, changing it’s role like a breath held at length finally released.  Where a moment ago stood the Temple of the Morrigan and Her Tribe, was a simple bare hotel room stacked with sacred items and offerings.   We went outside onto the deck with an armful of roses and a loaf of bread and spread them out as an offering to our corvid kin and the Queen we have in common.

I have taken an unusually long time decompressing all of my experiences at Pantheacon this year.  I have started a number of posts only to stop after a few paragraphs and question if what I was writing was contributing to the discussion or just rehashing things that others have written more adeptly about than I.  I have read and reread other peoples experiences there, tried to piece together complex events that although I knew happened, didn’t personally witness, and I have sat with my experiences and tried to tease a narrative out of deeply personal moments and feelings, moments of fierce camaraderie, moments of joy and laughter, moments of sorrow and anger, times when I was surrounded by my kin and we laughed so hard that our faces hurt and times when I was alone, in the temple, broken open and weeping.  I grappled and struggled with my muse and came up empty handed, dry mouthed and unsatisfied.  This morning I saw a picture of our offering to the crows and our Lady and thought of the slogan “Bread and Roses” and what it means.

The slogan “Bread and Roses” comes from a speech given by labor union leader, socialist, and feminist Rose Schneiderman during the turn of the century labor and suffragette movements.  The line in her speech (“The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.”) inspired the poem “Bread and Roses” by James Oppenheim and songs that inspired demonstrators and young girls carried signs that read “We Want Bread, and Roses Too” out into the streets to face company controlled police armed with rifles with bayonets attached and ready. The slogan means that not only should women be paid fairly and treated well in their work, but they should be treated fairly in society and allowed to experience the beauty of life as well.  It means that workers should be given enough money and leisure time for them to have a fulfilling life and be treated like human beings not machines to enrich the wealthy only to be discarded when used up.

As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing: “Bread and roses! Bread and roses!”

As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they are women’s children, and we mother them again.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses!

As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for—but we fight for roses, too!

As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days.
The rising of the women means the rising of the race.
No more the drudge and idler—ten that toil where one reposes,
But a sharing of life’s glories: Bread and roses! Bread and roses!

As I read the words of the poem, certain lines stood out.  “As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead, Go crying through our singing, their ancient cry for bread”  and the voices of those dead echoed in my ears.  Because we are still fighting the same battles that those women fought, and we are still going through the same struggles that those women did, and the voices of our ancestors cry out for justice and they cry out for equality, and they cry out for bread, and they weep for the scarcity of the roses.  They shed their blood and they gave up their freedom and they risked their lives, all the while working their fingers bloody and raising their families and feeding their children, so that their descendants could live better lives than they did.  And they watch us for across the veil, and they scream in anger and they weep as their children, and grandchildren and their great grandchildren fight the same battles that they fought…..and they reach forward to us and they give us the strength to carry on the struggle.

“The rising of the women means the rising of the race”

Out in the streets now are women, women carrying on the legacy of these heroic ancestors of ours, our mighty dead..  Women are most often the leaders in the social justice movement.  They are in meetings and out in the street, organizing and inspiring this next generation of activists.  Channeling the love and power of our ancestors, they shine a light and show us a path forward.  They ignite the flame of justice in our hearts and drive us forward into a better future.  Throughout our history, women have played the dominate role in creating a world worth living in and once again we find them leading us to confront injustice and bigotry, lift up our human family, and tear apart the structures that have been designed to marginalize and exploit us.

So I speak of the women who inspire me today, the activists, freedom fighters, and warriors who are tireless in their efforts to guide and protect our communities.  The women who have taken the torch of justice from the hands of their mothers and grandmothers and use it to set the world aflame.  A flame to bring to light the horror and brutality and ignite the passion of the next generations and inspire them to continue the fight.  For the fight never ends, each generation’s work builds on the last’s

And I can only name a few here, and point you in the direction of their writings.  I encourage you to explore the work of these powerful women and share it with those that you feel might also be inspired by them.  I encourage you to learn about the suffragette movement, and the Black Lives Matter movement, and every social justice movement in between.  I urge you,  if you are a man, to speak up for women’s rights, and listen to women and learn to truly be their allies.  Because, The rising of the women means the rising of the race.

………and here is a woefully brief and incomplete list of strong women activist writers that inspire me.

Crystal Blanton – Daughters of Eve

T. Thorn Coyle – Know Thyself

Morpheus Ravenna – The Shieldmaiden Blog

Alley Valkyrie – blogging on the Wild Hunt

Courtney Weber – Real Magic…for Real People

Mia McKenzie – Black Girl Dangerous

There are more, so many more.  Please seek them out.

On a final note, I would like to leave you with something that gives me hope for our future.  Meet the Radical Brownies

Hospitality, Ally Support, and Pantheacon Looming

In two days we head down to San Jose for Pantheacon.  For the Coru, this is one of the biggest and most involved events that we participate in and has been pivotal in the founding of our Priesthood.  Because of its imminence, this weeks post will be brief and focus on what we are going to be offering at the event and some thoughts around it.

First of all, the Coru just released our Hospitality and Safety Statement that applies not only to this convention, but to all events the Coru are part of.  At Patheacon, we will be having a hospitality suite for people to be able to come and meet us and ask us any questions that they might have, and we will also be maintaining a Temple space for the Morrigan and related deities for the public to have access to.  We feel that our Hospitality and Safety statement is necessary to ensure that both the hospitality suite and the Temple remain a safe and welcoming space for all.  As regrettable as the necessity of a statement like this is, after reading the final draft, I am filled with an overwhelming feeling of pride for the members of my priesthood for creating a document such as this and for always taking a stand for justice.

“Everyone should feel and be safe. Creating a welcoming, safe, supportive, inclusive, consent-based space for all peoples is just one of the necessary ways hospitality must manifest in today’s society so that all people everywhere may thrive in safety. It’s our responsibility to leave this world better than we inherited it through mindful, thoughtful, and heart-filled care and stewardship. This is one more way we honor our ancestors while amending and healing the consequences of mistakes in the shared history of our collective pasts. These are the gifts we seek to leave to our descendants – so that they may thrive in love and safety.

The Coru Cathubodua Priesthood respects and welcomes all persons regardless of color, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, size, class, perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

We have an individual and shared responsibility to guard against behaviors that demean or otherwise harm individuals. Because these actions not only harm individuals, they impact and harm our community as a whole. We will not tolerate prejudice and discrimination’s legacy of hate. Unsafe behaviors and words, including but not limited to racism, sexism, ageism, classism, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, ethnicism, sizeism, ableism and other prejudicial and discriminatory behaviors will not be tolerated. We insist on consent before touching anyone’s person or property in order that our suite and Temple remain safe spaces for all attendees. Violations of this policy will be considered an infringement against our hospitality, and offenders may be asked to leave.

In solidarity.

Coru Cathubodua Priesthood”

Our two biggest undertakings at the Con are going to be the Temple of the Morrigan, which will have open hours every day from Friday night to Sunday night for the public to visit, and our main ritual,  The Morrigan Speaks: Arise to the Battle, is slated for Saturday night at 7 pm in the Oak ballroom.

Last year was the first year that we had the temple at the event and it turned out to be an amazing facet to the whole experience of Pantheacon.  To have a dedicated sacred space in the midst of the chaos of the convention was like finding shelter during a raging storm.  It provided a quiet, contemplative refuge in the energetic whirlwinds that make up the rest of the hotel that weekend.  Others have written about their experiences last year and I’d like to provide links to their impressions of the temple.  First from Morpheus on her blog “The Foundations of the Temple” and next from the Illustrious John Beckett  “Temple of the Morrigan”

We will also be having a Coru Meet and Greet party in our hospitality suite on Sunday night at 7 pm with a premiere of the Poems of the Morrigan recording project in the Temple room at 9 pm.  The recording project came about during the funding campaign for Morpheus’s upcoming book on the Morrigan, The Book of the Great Queen.  It consists of the Morrigan’s poetry, in the original Irish and in English, as well as a few chants and a song.  I’ve had the pleasure of hearing these recordings and they are moving and powerful.

Other events that are being put on by Coru members are Poetess and Prophetess: The Morrigan and Poetry, put on by Morpheus and Rynn Fox, and a Woman’s Self Defense class, taught by Scott Rowe and Amelia Hogan Sunday at 9 am in Pine room.  As well as the third year of the Blood Drive that we helped to create.

So it’s gearing up to be a great year at Pantheacon, I hope to get the chance to meet some of you there.

Packing for Civil Unrest

OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 13: Protesters congregate at the Alameda County Court House during a ‘Millions March’ demonstration protesting the killing of unarmed black men by police on December 13, 2014 in Oakland, California. The march was one of many held nationwide. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

Humans are social creatures.  Personal connection with our community is important for our mental health and social development.  One of the most harmful aspects of our modern consumer culture is the trend towards selfishness  and isolation from ones neighbors.  This disconnection from our local communities and it’s replacement by impersonal electronic social networks creates a world of misunderstanding and insular and isolated social groups. This is not a healthy way for social primates like us to live.  There are a myriad of ways in with one can reconnect with and serve their communities.  One of the ways that I have been called to help has been to attend demonstrations and protests to support the local social justice movement by providing medical aid to the demonstrators.  This is obviously not the only way to help your community, but one method in a variety of methods and just one of the many causes that need to be supported in order to create a healthy and safe world. While it is true that the amount of work that we must do as a society in order to create a better world is seemingly endless, just the act of becoming involved has wide-ranging benefits to your community and you personally. With that in mind I would like to encourage you all to become involved with your community in whatever way you are able to.

To that end I would like to share a few blog posts over the next few months about ways of serving and assisting your local communities.  This first one with be a break down of the equipment that I take out into the street with me.  The photo below is my present street medic kit that I take out into the demonstrations.  It has been evolving as I’ve been getting more time on the ground.  The first night I went out the kit was bare bones and pretty incomplete but it’s been growing and filling out over time.  .Each piece of equipment has a bit of a story that goes along with it.  As I was packing it the other night I realized that some of them needed to be told.

A basic street medic kit

The jacket on the left is one of the newest pieces of protective equipment that I’ve added to the kit.  We decided it was necessary for a few different reasons.  The most obvious reason for the jacket is for warmth and visibility.  Demonstrations and actions can happen at any given time, day or night, and medical assistance might be needed at any time, and the bright and clearly marked jackets along with our medical bags and marked red cross armbands makes it easy for someone who needs aid to find us.  Generally speaking though, the worst brutality and violence from the police comes at night.  This is when there aren’t as many eyes on police actions and not as many people on the street to witness or get caught in the crossfire.  The jackets not only make it clear to demonstrators where we are, but it also is very visible to the police.  Much of our job as street medics is to put ourselves in the line of fire in order to aid people who have already been injured by the police.  I am hopeful that being marked as a medic and as clergy will make it clear to the law enforcement officers that we are not a threat to them and we are there to assist with public safety.  Maybe this will prevent them from targeting us as we do our jobs or maybe not, I have seen and heard mixed reports on that.  I look at it this way, either it will prevent them from taking a shot at us, or there will be hopefully be video footage of them shooting a clearly marked member of the clergy.

The gas mask is a new piece of equipment as well, a gift from a friend and ally.  It’s use is self-evident.  Tear gas, although prohibited by various international agreements, is commonly used by law enforcement on US citizens.  I honestly never thought that I would feel the need to own a gas mask marked with a red cross and clergy, but here we are.  Before I had the gas mask I used a pair of ski goggles and carried a zip lock bag with bandanas that had been soaked in a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water.  I still carry those on me in order to give out to people when they need them.  The most important reason to have at least some sort of defense against tear gas and pepper spray is that if you are going to be able to be effective in an environment where tear gas is deployed, you often need to get to injured people who are in the middle of it.

The next thing in the picture is my helmet.  This one is a ski helmet, light weight and able to take at least one good shot from a rubber bullet or tear gas canister.    Some of the worst injuries that you are going to deal with are a the result of a head shot or neck shot with a “non lethal” projectile or tear gas canister, or getting struck in the head with a baton., so it’s essential that you don’t end up on the receiving end of one of these injuries while you are tending another.  This is why it is crucially important that you wear some sort of helmet if you are heading into a zone where projectiles are being fired or the police line is aggressively assaulting the demonstrators.  Protecting your head can be the difference between coming home bruised and spending the night in the ER.

inside the medic bag

The items inside my medical bag are pretty standard with a couple of items specific to working demonstrations.  The basic supplies are; various sized gauze pads and rolls of gauze, medical tape, pain reliever, band aids, alcohol wipes, neosporin ointment,  non latex gloves, tweezers, scissors, flashlight and fresh water.  The non standard supplies are Yunnan Baiyao capsules (a Chinese herbal powder that stops bleeding), the previously mentioned vinegar and water-soaked bandanas (for tear gas), a small spray bottle filled with a 50/50 mix of Maloxx and water (for neutralizing the effects of both tear gas and pepper spray), and ear plugs (to negate the effects of LRAD’s (long-range acoustic devices, basically weaponized sound)).  This is all held in a WW2 era Belgian paratroopers medic bag which I got at an army surplus store.  In truth my medical bag is a little small for what I’m using it for and I received a much newer and larger bag when I received the donation of the gas mask, but I find my little bag charming and comfortable so I am setting up the new bag with supplies and keeping it on hand for others that inevitably end up going out in the streets with us.

The final piece of equipment that I bring along with me is in some ways the most important one.  This is the stuffed fox that my youngest daughter made for me about 3 years ago.  During the time since it was made and given to me, the fox has had a prominent place on my ancestors altar in my home.   I say it’s one of most important things that I carry on me for a couple of reasons.  First of all, it’s a piece of magic and love made by my daughter, so not only does it have her love and energy imbued into it, but it serves as a reminder of why I am out there, to create a better world for our descendants.   Also, it is a component of my ancestor’s altar, and there is great value in keeping close the connection between our ancestors, those that paved the path we walk upon today with their blood and our descendents, whom we spend our lives and blood to create a safe and viable path ahead for.  These struggles for freedom from oppression, social and environmental justice and a better world for everyone did not start with us and will not end with us.  Those that came before us fought these same battles and those that follow us will fight them too.  There is no finish line here and it is our obligation to continue holding back the tide of authoritarianism and injustice lest we allow it to drown us all.

I would like to end this with one more thought that I feel is crucial for activist pagans like myself to keep in mind.  Some of the main advantages that we have as pagans is the use of magic and our connections to the gods.  We need to not be afraid to use these tools to our advantage.  I will not go out into a dangerous environment without making offerings to my gods, ancestors and spirit allies and when I do head out there, I am using every protective magic I have available to me.  Our spiritual allies want to aid us, they are as invested in us and the world we are creating as we are.  Acknowledging this fact, asking for aid, and thanking them when we receive it is part of the relationship between worlds that we are part of.  We are witches, druids, priests and spirit workers.  We have a host of allies and methods of subtly shifting the world around us, we must take advantage of this and use it to make ourselves more effective and keep us safe in our battles.  The actions that we take right now matter, let’s make them count for something and join our communities in the struggle that surrounds us all.

[ Author’s Note:  Presently, my fox remains unnamed.  I just spoke to my daughter about naming it and she suggested asking you, my readers, to come up with suggestions for his (or her) name.  So, please let me know if you have a name that you think would be fitting.  Thanks 🙂 ]