Symbolic Themes - from Malayna Dawn

Economy and Environment Conspire to Change us for the Better

It seems to me that the environment and the economy are conspiring to force us to change...for the better.

An ethnography professor studying the effects of You Tube on society says that people are reaching out for connection and community, but because we’ve all become such individualists, it is increasingly difficult to find.

The environment has been encouraging us to grow our own vegetables, ride our bicycles, use solar power, and recycle. And the economy may be forcing us to do this by sharing expenses and resources by moving in with family members or friends.

AlternaWeddings Go Global

I have had the honor of marrying people to each other—close friends and friends of friends—in a handful of weddings that have taken place in various settings, states and countries*. But I think everyone deserves a chance to be the center of attention and the object of adoration for a day, even if they’re not getting married.

Reuters picked up a story from China about a woman who decided to throw herself a wedding. She didn’t have a groom, but she had the money to get herself a wedding dress, rent a venue, hire a wedding planner and photographer, and invite 30 friends. She even had enough for a honeymoon in Australia! Chen Wei-yih, I salute you!

 

Photo credit: Zimbio.com

Plus I love this quote: "I was just hoping that more people would love themselves."

Geography of a Woman

My friend Nancy e-mailed this to me, and I thought it was interesting and lovely, so I'm sharing. It almost makes me eager to grow old!

Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa : half discovered,  half wild, fertile and naturally beautiful.
 
Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe : well developed and open to trade, especially for someone of real value.
 
Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain : very hot, relaxed, and convinced of her own beauty.
 
Between 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece : gently aging but still a warm and desirable place to visit.
 
Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain : with a glorious and all conquering past.
 
Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Israel : has been through war, doesn't make the same mistakes twice, takes care of business.
 
Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada : self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.
 
After 70, she becomes Tibet : wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages, an adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge.

EcoPsychology - Nature on my Mind

 

I’ve just taken a course in EcoPsychology!  This particular course was called Psychological Elements of Global Citizenship. 

 

I was trying to describe the combination of Ecology and Psychology to a friend at the beginning of the course. He said it sounded like it would be really interesting, if he understood any of what I had said. I told him maybe I’d be better at describing it by the end of the term, so let’s see.

 

I described the course in my final paper this way:

 

… a valuable tool in re-adjusting our worldview to one that is eco-centric. Most of us are well aware of the environmental, social and economic challenges of our day, but many of us do not see the ways in which they are connected. By using our own personal experiences, this course helps re-orient our thinking to see the connections between ourselves, all living things and nature itself. It offers a model for our society based on natural systems that have been successfully sustainable for eons. The term “natural resources” takes on a whole new meaning when we begin to understand how much nature can teach us about surviving and thriving on personal, professional, social and global levels.

 

Did that make any sense to you? 

 

For more info visit www.ecopsych.com .

An Ecological, Spiritual, Fabulous Book - A Year in Green Tea & Tuk Tuks

This book was given to me as a gift by a friend who knows me very well.  (Thanks, Meghana!) It’s the personal and true story of a British guy who decides that Sri Lanka is the place to build his ecological dream. 

I related to this book on so many levels—from the part of me who is an expat and understands the culture clashes to the part of me who sees Sri Lanka as a paradise that must be preserved, to the part of me that loves the connection between spirituality and ecology.  It’s all here!

With chapters like “Lanka or La-La-Land?” about his decision about whether to live in Sri Lanka or Los Angeles (to which I would answer “both!”) and passages like, “I found myself on a spiritual quest. I began to believe that the world was engaged in a transition, shifting our values from competition and greed to cooperation and synthesis, giving birth to a new vision, the ‘divine marriage’ of inner and outer, male and female, reason and intuition, Matter and Spirit,” Rory Spowers continued to strike very personal chords.

The beauty is, he’s done it. He has taken 60 acres in the South of Sri Lanka and dedicated it to organic produce, green tea, natural ecosystems, sustainable living, and marrying the best of nature and innovation.  I can’t wait to visit!  And I love the book, so I’ll be sharing more soon.

Written by Malayna Dawn for Symbolic Themes.com

Soon Comedians will Rule the World... (if they don't already)

  

Already, I have trouble taking Britain's Prime Minister seriously because he looks so much like a member of Monty Python. Luckily, I'm not British, but if *I* notice it, surely they do too!

And aside from all the comedy that Sarah Palin provides on her own, she carries the last name of another fine Monty Python member, Michael Palin.  So I think we should just elect the entire cast of Monty Python to rule the world. And maybe Tina Fey can marry Michael Palin and we'd have all that Sarah brings to the table and much more! 

  

 

 

 

Photo pseudo-credits:

Gordon Brown:  http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/06/28/gordonbrown_narrowweb__300x425,0.jpg,

Terry Jones:  http://www.cinema24.ch/images/casts/jones_terry.jpg,

Michael Palin: http://www.londontown.com/lycos/assets/Michael_Palin.jpg,

Tina Fey and Sarah Palin: http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/38319/thumbs/s-TINA-FEY-SARAH-PALIN-large.jpg

 

 

 

Time for Global Unity

My church, Unity church, has joined with an organization called "We, The World" to promote 11 Days of Global Unity. 

It started on a day the world really needs prayers,  September 11th, which is also Unity's World Day of Prayer and goes unti September 21st, The UN's International Day of Peace.

Unity's site is 11daysofUnity.org, or you can visit We The World's site explaining the history of the event. But here are the basics:

Creating a Culture of Peace

Celebrating a Sustainable Future

 

11 Days of Global Unity Sept. 11-21 is an annual promotion of peace, justice and environmental stewardship that communities and organizations take part in around the world. It culminates on September 21st, the U.N. International Day of Peace.

 

Did you know that September 11th is also the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's first nonviolent peace action? Me neither!

The organization's launch in 2004 included the signing of The Declaration of Interdependence, which includes the following pledge that you can sign too!

 

We, the people of planet Earth,

In recognition of the interconnectedness of all life and the importance of the balance of nature,

Hereby acknowledge our interdependence

And affirm our dedication to

~life-serving environmental stewardship,

~the fulfillment of universal human needs worldwide,

~economic and social well-being,

~and a culture of peace and nonviolence,

To insure a sustainable and harmonious world

For present and future generations.

 

You can join Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Deepak Chopra, Jane Goodall & ME by

signing the declaration. Just send an e-mail to [email protected] and include your city & country and a message. It'll be posted on their guestbook.