The world is on the verge of an energy crisis. Humans have depended on petroleum as a key resource and source of energy for over a century but now that resource is becoming limited. The United States is the biggest contributor to the use of petroleum and so is the most at risk from this crisis. The United States is also one of the leading countries in alternative and renewable energy research. Physicist John Holdren, director of the US Office of Science and Technology Policy, stated in an interview that “industrialised nations have an obligation to lead – or we’re all going to be cooked” (Holdren, 2009). Many alternatives to petroleum are already in use, including: solar power, wind power, and nuclear power. These alternatives are used by power companies to power the grid, but there is very little use of these alternatives in the private sector. It is very difficult to convince people that there actually is an energy shortage and this will be one of the main hurdles. In the United States, consumers use nearly fifty percent of the overall energy consumed by powering their homes and driving their vehicles. This means that the average American has a huge impact on the overall amount of energy used. Transportation is the main contributor to the consumption of petroleum and there have been very few improvements in this area.
According to the Bureau for Transportation Statistics there were over 254 million registered vehicles on the roads in the United States in 2007 (Bts.gov,2009). This number went up by three to four million units each year, so it would be safe to say that there are currently at least 260 million vehicles on the roads. The vast majority of these vehicles use gasoline or diesel, both petroleum products. There have been improvements in the efficiency of American vehicles, but not enough to have a large impact. Automobiles have better fuel consumption than ever in history and hybrid vehicles are becoming somewhat popular to a niche group. Neither of these improvements eliminates the consumption of petroleum and only has a small impact on the amount used. Electric vehicles are another good alternative as they mean the vehicle consumes no petroleum. Power companies use petroleum as their main source of power for the grid, so plugging electric vehicles into the grid does mean an increase in petroleum use. Mass transit is another good alternative, but again only lowers the problem a small bit. All mass transit runs off either petroleum or electricity. As of yet, there has been no permanent solution to this problem.
Until a permanent solution has been found, Americans should be encouraged to use the alternatives available. The use of mass transit and carpooling is probably the best option currently available. Mass transit is not available in all areas though and often not convenient for people where it is available. People should encourage their local governments to build and provide more forms of mass transit. They should also encourage their employers to offer telecommuting when they could perform their duties from home. Hybrid vehicles are more expensive than their normally aspirated alternatives, but this expense could be offset by tax incentives or rebates. There are also companies that will install solar panels on the roofs of residential housing. Solar power is a good source of energy because it is considered a renewable energy source. Consumers would save money on their power bills each month, but the initial expense is costly and not feasible for most Americans. This again could be offset by tax incentives or rebates. Any alternative that lowers the amount of petroleum consumed is a good alternative, although not perfect.
Sustainability Plan
Solar and wind energy are the best alternative we currently have to petroleum energy. Both are completely renewable energy sources as they are only limited by the amount of sunlight and wind available. They are also both clean energy sources because neither produces any pollutants as a byproduct. We currently have the resources and technology to install solar panels on residential and commercial buildings. We are also in the process of developing wind power generation for residential use.
Resources
Holdren, J., & Lawton, G. (2009). America turns red, white and green. New Scientist Archive, 203(2719), 26-27. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com
ASHRAE. (2009). GE to Offer Zero Energy Homes. ASHRAE Journal, 51(8), 9. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com
BTS.gov Bureau of Transportation Statistics (2009)
http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_11.html
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Growing up White in Arizona
Growing Up White
in Arizona
John Morris
Ethics 125
Professor L. Conner
December 13, 2009
I have been labeled a Caucasian American male. My mother is German and my father is a combination of several Western European nationalities. This would be much too complicated to explain in a small box on a form though, so I am merely considered Caucasian. I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1979. At the time, the community in this city was made up predominantly of American Indians and Mexican Americans. As it happens, I was the only Caucasian baby born in that particular hospital that particular day. I know this well because I was told this many times when I was a child and believed that I had to have been swapped at birth. Regardless of where I was born, I was born at a great advantage over a person of any other ethnicity or gender. Is this true? Probably not, but that is the general consensus. I do have some advantages because of my race. As long as I do not attire myself in urban fashion, it is more than likely that I would not be assumed to be a drug dealer. It is also very likely that I would not be assumed to be a terrorist or an undocumented immigrant no matter what I happened to be wearing, unless of course it were some type of Islamic garb. There are also a few disadvantages of being born a Caucasian male, but these are often overlooked. I am not American Indian, I am not a member of any minority group, I am not a woman, and I have never served in the military, so I do not get any points given to me on any type of Civil Servant examination. As far as I know there is not any type of college scholarship created specifically for my ethnic group or gender. These disadvantages would hardly be considered disadvantages when compared to that of many other people. The disadvantages I am thinking of are not as easily classified by race or gender though. There are children of every race with parents that cannot afford to feed them. There are children of every race and gender that are abused by family members or sexually assaulted by those they trust. These are just a few of the people that I feel deserve our compassion and generosity.
For the last twenty-seven years, I have lived in various suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. The largest minority group in Arizona is Hispanic American. I have virtually nothing in common in appearance with any Hispanic American. I have blondish hair, pale skin, and freckles. I do speak some Spanish, and I have several Hispanic American friends, but there is no one that would confuse me for being a member of this ethnic group. There is a big push for the current Presidential administration to do something about the illegal immigration problem. Some people want tighter restrictions and laws on keeping immigrants out of this country altogether, and some people would like to see them make it easier for immigrants to become citizens. Whether they are against immigration or for it, just about everyone would like to see some type of immigration reform. Arizona is one of the States where this issue is very important because of its proximity to Mexico. Hispanic Americans face racism every day in this State due to this issue. It is not uncommon for an American born Hispanic American citizen to have to prove that he or she is a documented citizen on a routine traffic stop. I have been pulled over for speeding after having left the house without my wallet. I was asked if I knew my driver’s license number, which I did, and given a ticket for speeding and driving without a license. I had to go to court and show them my license and the latter charge was dropped. If I were Hispanic in this same situation, there is a good chance that I would have been detained till proof of citizenship could have been produced. Recently, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has been facing a lawsuit for this very behavior. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing the MCSO on behalf of an American citizen and a legal resident that were allegedly illegally detained or arrested by the MCSO. (aclu.org, 2009) The MCSO has consistently denied any claims of racial profiling, mistreatment of non-criminal U.S. citizens, or illegal practices of any kind. In a letter written to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives regarding a request he made for a federal investigation of the MCSO, Sheriff Joe Arpaio wrote “We do not racially profile people nor do we scour Latino neighborhoods looking for undocumented immigrants, as you suggest in your letter”. (Arpaio, 2009) In this same letter, Arpaio makes a reference to “newspaper reports replete with inaccuracies”. (Arpaio, 2009) Although he does not mention them by name in this letter, it would be fairly safe to assume that the newspaper he is talking about here is the Phoenix New Times, owned by Village Voice Media. Until recently, Phoenix New Times was one of the only media outlets questioning the MCSO’s treatment of the Phoenix area Hispanic community. Now that the Federal Government has taken away the MCSO’s 287(g) status outside of the Maricopa County jails, some of the other media outlets are now reporting on and questioning the MCSO’s practices. It has been theorized by some that the MCSO had been scaring the media outlets against this move. The two co-owners of Village Voice Media were arrested at one point by the MCSO, shortly after a rash of articles about the MCSO, for charges that were ultimately dismissed.
The 287(g) status mentioned in the above paragraph comes from section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (ice.gov, 2007) This section, added in 1996, of this Act “authorizes the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions, pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), provided that the local law enforcement officers receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers” (ice.gov, 2007). “Formed in 2003 as part of the federal government's response to the 9/11 attacks, ICE's mission is to protect the security of the American people and homeland by vigilantly enforcing the nation's immigration and customs laws” (ice.gov, 2009). That statement leads me to believe that the major focus of ICE is to prevent the immigration of terrorists into the United States. Terrorists would be what I would consider violent criminals. Undocumented immigrants would be what I would consider criminals. Yes, there are some undocumented immigrants that are violent criminals, just like there are some American Citizens that are violent criminals. Are all undocumented immigrants violent criminals? Very unlikely. They have all become criminals by entering or staying in this country illegally. They have committed a criminal act, whether caught or not, thereby classifying them as criminals. This same definition would also be appropriate of anyone who has ever driven their vehicle above the posted speed limit. The difference here being that a person who has broke the speed limit has willfully put the public in danger, while a person who has entered the country or stayed in the country illegally has not. The speed limit is the reasonably safe traveling speed of that section of road deemed by whoever is in charge of deciding these sorts of things. By exceeding this speed limit, a driver is being potentially unsafe to themselves and other motorists on the road. Unless an immigrant is coming into this country with the intent of harming those that live here, they are not putting the public in danger. Most immigrants, whether legally or illegally, come to the United States simply for a better quality of life for themselves or their families, and have no intention of harming anyone. The reason many Hispanic Americans or Hispanic legal residents are being treated unfairly is because of the word “criminal”. Hate groups and those that are opposed to any form of immigration from Mexico like to sensationalize this word. They would like everyone to think that all undocumented immigrants are violent criminals. They promote all the stories of human smuggling, drug trafficking, and any other type of serious crime by anyone of Latino decent. Basically, they live in a state of fear and they try to pass this fear onto others. This fear leads to hate, and this hate leads to racially motivated mistreatment of good people.
I am a White male, who lives in Arizona, and am registered as a Republican. By this statement, a person could assume that I voted for McCain for President. They could also assume that I support closing our borders and deporting anyone who was not a registered citizen. None of this would be true, but it would be a valid assumption based on my peers. I voted for Obama, I voted against Arpaio, and I have a great appreciation for the Hispanic Americans in my community. I do not agree with people entering our country illegally, but I can sympathize with them. If I lived in Mexico, I would most likely want to move here as well, by any means available. When I am late for an appointment or work, I speed. I know that I have broken many laws in my short life for the simple reasons of convenience, for fun, or possibly even out of necessity. I know that if I felt that by breaking a law I didn’t agree with, I could have a better life for myself or my family, I would be all for it. We purchased Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Utah, and part of Wyoming in two deals totaling about twenty-five million dollars. This would be equivalent to about 520 million dollars today. To put this in perspective, the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona cost approximately 450 million dollars to build. I would say we got Arizona for a steal.
References
Aclu.org. (2009). ACLU Sues Maricopa County Sheriff's Office For Illegal Arrest And Detention Of U.S. Citizen And Legal Resident. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from www.aclu.org: http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/aclu-sues-maricopa-county-sheriffs-office-illegal-arrest-and-detention-us-citizen-
Arpaio, J. (2009). http://www.mcso.org/include/pr_pdf/Chairman John Conyers.pdf. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from www.mcso.org: http://www.mcso.org/include/pr_pdf/Chairman%20John%20Conyers.pdf
Ice.gov. (2009). About U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from www.ice.gov: http://www.ice.gov/about/index.htm
Ice.gov. (2007). Delegation of Immigration Authority: Section 287(g), Immigration and Nationality Act. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from www.ice.gov: http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/factsheets/070622factsheet287gprogover.htm
in Arizona
John Morris
Ethics 125
Professor L. Conner
December 13, 2009
I have been labeled a Caucasian American male. My mother is German and my father is a combination of several Western European nationalities. This would be much too complicated to explain in a small box on a form though, so I am merely considered Caucasian. I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1979. At the time, the community in this city was made up predominantly of American Indians and Mexican Americans. As it happens, I was the only Caucasian baby born in that particular hospital that particular day. I know this well because I was told this many times when I was a child and believed that I had to have been swapped at birth. Regardless of where I was born, I was born at a great advantage over a person of any other ethnicity or gender. Is this true? Probably not, but that is the general consensus. I do have some advantages because of my race. As long as I do not attire myself in urban fashion, it is more than likely that I would not be assumed to be a drug dealer. It is also very likely that I would not be assumed to be a terrorist or an undocumented immigrant no matter what I happened to be wearing, unless of course it were some type of Islamic garb. There are also a few disadvantages of being born a Caucasian male, but these are often overlooked. I am not American Indian, I am not a member of any minority group, I am not a woman, and I have never served in the military, so I do not get any points given to me on any type of Civil Servant examination. As far as I know there is not any type of college scholarship created specifically for my ethnic group or gender. These disadvantages would hardly be considered disadvantages when compared to that of many other people. The disadvantages I am thinking of are not as easily classified by race or gender though. There are children of every race with parents that cannot afford to feed them. There are children of every race and gender that are abused by family members or sexually assaulted by those they trust. These are just a few of the people that I feel deserve our compassion and generosity.
For the last twenty-seven years, I have lived in various suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. The largest minority group in Arizona is Hispanic American. I have virtually nothing in common in appearance with any Hispanic American. I have blondish hair, pale skin, and freckles. I do speak some Spanish, and I have several Hispanic American friends, but there is no one that would confuse me for being a member of this ethnic group. There is a big push for the current Presidential administration to do something about the illegal immigration problem. Some people want tighter restrictions and laws on keeping immigrants out of this country altogether, and some people would like to see them make it easier for immigrants to become citizens. Whether they are against immigration or for it, just about everyone would like to see some type of immigration reform. Arizona is one of the States where this issue is very important because of its proximity to Mexico. Hispanic Americans face racism every day in this State due to this issue. It is not uncommon for an American born Hispanic American citizen to have to prove that he or she is a documented citizen on a routine traffic stop. I have been pulled over for speeding after having left the house without my wallet. I was asked if I knew my driver’s license number, which I did, and given a ticket for speeding and driving without a license. I had to go to court and show them my license and the latter charge was dropped. If I were Hispanic in this same situation, there is a good chance that I would have been detained till proof of citizenship could have been produced. Recently, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has been facing a lawsuit for this very behavior. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing the MCSO on behalf of an American citizen and a legal resident that were allegedly illegally detained or arrested by the MCSO. (aclu.org, 2009) The MCSO has consistently denied any claims of racial profiling, mistreatment of non-criminal U.S. citizens, or illegal practices of any kind. In a letter written to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives regarding a request he made for a federal investigation of the MCSO, Sheriff Joe Arpaio wrote “We do not racially profile people nor do we scour Latino neighborhoods looking for undocumented immigrants, as you suggest in your letter”. (Arpaio, 2009) In this same letter, Arpaio makes a reference to “newspaper reports replete with inaccuracies”. (Arpaio, 2009) Although he does not mention them by name in this letter, it would be fairly safe to assume that the newspaper he is talking about here is the Phoenix New Times, owned by Village Voice Media. Until recently, Phoenix New Times was one of the only media outlets questioning the MCSO’s treatment of the Phoenix area Hispanic community. Now that the Federal Government has taken away the MCSO’s 287(g) status outside of the Maricopa County jails, some of the other media outlets are now reporting on and questioning the MCSO’s practices. It has been theorized by some that the MCSO had been scaring the media outlets against this move. The two co-owners of Village Voice Media were arrested at one point by the MCSO, shortly after a rash of articles about the MCSO, for charges that were ultimately dismissed.
The 287(g) status mentioned in the above paragraph comes from section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (ice.gov, 2007) This section, added in 1996, of this Act “authorizes the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions, pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), provided that the local law enforcement officers receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers” (ice.gov, 2007). “Formed in 2003 as part of the federal government's response to the 9/11 attacks, ICE's mission is to protect the security of the American people and homeland by vigilantly enforcing the nation's immigration and customs laws” (ice.gov, 2009). That statement leads me to believe that the major focus of ICE is to prevent the immigration of terrorists into the United States. Terrorists would be what I would consider violent criminals. Undocumented immigrants would be what I would consider criminals. Yes, there are some undocumented immigrants that are violent criminals, just like there are some American Citizens that are violent criminals. Are all undocumented immigrants violent criminals? Very unlikely. They have all become criminals by entering or staying in this country illegally. They have committed a criminal act, whether caught or not, thereby classifying them as criminals. This same definition would also be appropriate of anyone who has ever driven their vehicle above the posted speed limit. The difference here being that a person who has broke the speed limit has willfully put the public in danger, while a person who has entered the country or stayed in the country illegally has not. The speed limit is the reasonably safe traveling speed of that section of road deemed by whoever is in charge of deciding these sorts of things. By exceeding this speed limit, a driver is being potentially unsafe to themselves and other motorists on the road. Unless an immigrant is coming into this country with the intent of harming those that live here, they are not putting the public in danger. Most immigrants, whether legally or illegally, come to the United States simply for a better quality of life for themselves or their families, and have no intention of harming anyone. The reason many Hispanic Americans or Hispanic legal residents are being treated unfairly is because of the word “criminal”. Hate groups and those that are opposed to any form of immigration from Mexico like to sensationalize this word. They would like everyone to think that all undocumented immigrants are violent criminals. They promote all the stories of human smuggling, drug trafficking, and any other type of serious crime by anyone of Latino decent. Basically, they live in a state of fear and they try to pass this fear onto others. This fear leads to hate, and this hate leads to racially motivated mistreatment of good people.
I am a White male, who lives in Arizona, and am registered as a Republican. By this statement, a person could assume that I voted for McCain for President. They could also assume that I support closing our borders and deporting anyone who was not a registered citizen. None of this would be true, but it would be a valid assumption based on my peers. I voted for Obama, I voted against Arpaio, and I have a great appreciation for the Hispanic Americans in my community. I do not agree with people entering our country illegally, but I can sympathize with them. If I lived in Mexico, I would most likely want to move here as well, by any means available. When I am late for an appointment or work, I speed. I know that I have broken many laws in my short life for the simple reasons of convenience, for fun, or possibly even out of necessity. I know that if I felt that by breaking a law I didn’t agree with, I could have a better life for myself or my family, I would be all for it. We purchased Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Utah, and part of Wyoming in two deals totaling about twenty-five million dollars. This would be equivalent to about 520 million dollars today. To put this in perspective, the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona cost approximately 450 million dollars to build. I would say we got Arizona for a steal.
References
Aclu.org. (2009). ACLU Sues Maricopa County Sheriff's Office For Illegal Arrest And Detention Of U.S. Citizen And Legal Resident. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from www.aclu.org: http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/aclu-sues-maricopa-county-sheriffs-office-illegal-arrest-and-detention-us-citizen-
Arpaio, J. (2009). http://www.mcso.org/include/pr_pdf/Chairman John Conyers.pdf. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from www.mcso.org: http://www.mcso.org/include/pr_pdf/Chairman%20John%20Conyers.pdf
Ice.gov. (2009). About U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from www.ice.gov: http://www.ice.gov/about/index.htm
Ice.gov. (2007). Delegation of Immigration Authority: Section 287(g), Immigration and Nationality Act. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from www.ice.gov: http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/factsheets/070622factsheet287gprogover.htm
Here is my paper I wrote for my world religions class.
Humanities 130
Professor Bliss
March 29, 2009
Feminist Wicca:
Including a Comparison to Catholicism
The religion that I have chosen for this world religions project is paganism, and specifically feminist Wicca. Wicca is a term that is used for modern witchcraft. Wicca is a religion that has developed fairly recently but that is based in ancient beliefs and traditions. Wicca has truly only been around since about the mid-twentieth century but has grown rapidly in Europe and the United States since then. Wiccans hold a deep respect for nature, believe in the Goddess or multiple goddesses, and practice magic. Wiccans belong to groups called covens. Each coven may have its own rules and practices, but most stick to a certain set of rules. The most important of these rules is what is known as the Wiccan Rede, which says “If it harm none, do what you will.” (Joan Robinson-Blumit, personal communication, March 5, 2009) This means that no Wiccan is permitted to bring harm upon another person.
The person I interviewed is Joan Robinson-Blumit, who is the founder and head priestess of The Spiral Coven of Phoenix, Arizona. While most feminist Wicca covens are Dianic, meaning they follow only the goddesses, Joan’s coven believes that the God is the Goddess’s consort, and they hold him in high esteem. They follow green witchcraft, which means that nature is very important to their beliefs and traditions. Nature also plays a large part in the spells they perform. She informed me that her coven is a teaching coven and is open to new witches but they must complete a year and a day study before full initiation into the coven. Some covens are only open to experienced witches. The traditions of this coven are based on those of Celtic beliefs prior to the Christianity movement. For the interview, we met at a Wildflower restaurant in Phoenix, due to the fact that this coven does not have a building that they do their meetings in. They prefer to celebrate holidays and practice their rituals in nature, including parks and priestesses’ backyards. This particular restaurant is a location Joan has used to interview women who have been interested in joining her coven, so she said this would be an appropriate interview locale. The restaurant did actually make a nice location to do the interview. We were able to sit on opposite sides of the booth so we were facing each other and spaced a good distance apart, with the table giving a good source for writing on. We were also able to get drinks and the atmosphere was nice. I don’t know how well doing the interview in a park would have worked out.
The following is a summary of the questions I asked Joan during the interview and how she answered them. I did not take a tape recorder with me, and just took notes on her answers, so rather than provide direct quotes of her answers, I have paraphrased them.
Were you raised into this religion or was this something you own? If you found it, what led you to it and how did you find this particular faith?
Joan was not raised as a Wiccan; it is something that she found on her own over a long period. She has been a Catholic, a Methodist, and other Christian denominations. She has also studied Buddhism and Judaism. She raised her daughter as a Presbyterian. Through all these religions, she always felt that something was missing. What was missing was a feminine part of the divine being. Joan was raised during the sixties during the heyday of the feminist movement, and so has always been somewhat of a feminist. She told me the story of seeking out where she fit in by looking through books in a library and having a book fall off of a shelf in front of her. The book was titled God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone. After reading this book she finally realized that she had always been searching for the Goddess.
What sorts of holidays do you celebrate and are there certain rituals involved?
Joan’s coven follows the Celtic wheel of the year. This is the calendar that their holidays are based off of. They celebrate eight sabbats or days of power, and they also have a celebration for every full moon. The first sabbat is Yule, celebrated on the winter solstice and occurs when the God is born of the Goddess. The second sabbat is Imbolc, celebrated on February 2nd and occurs when the Goddess awakes from her recovery and God is a young boy. The third sabbat is Ostara, the spring equinox and this is where God has grown to maturity. The fourth sabbat is Beltane, April 30th, where God has grown into a man and impregnates the Goddess. This is a celebration of fertility. The fifth sabbat is Midsummer, the summer solstice, which is celebrated on the longest day of the year and is an exceptional time of magic. The sixth sabbat is Lughnasadh, August 1st and is the first harvest. During Lughnasadh, the God is growing old and is starting to become weak. The seventh sabbat is Mabon, celebrated on September 21st, the autumn equinox. The God is now an old man and is dying and preparing for the cycle to begin again. The eighth and final sabbat is Samhain, celebrated on October 31st, also known as Halloween to most people. This occurs when the God dies but is also a time for looking over the previous year and considering the Wiccan’s own mortality. There no set rituals for the sabbats, and they are celebrated in various ways. Joan’s coven plants seeds, has feasts, gives thanks to the Goddesses, and performs magic.
Do you weekly meetings like a contemporary church or just meet periodically?
Like most other Wiccan covens, Joan’s group does not have weekly meetings. They gather for the holidays and for every full moon. They try to meet on the evening of the full moon, but if it happens to fall on a night where most of the women have to work the next day, they meet on the closest night that is most convenient. They do this within three days of the full moon though while the moon is still nearly full.
Does this religion have a large impact on your life? How so?
This religion has a very large impact on Joan’s life because she must consider all actions before doing them. She believes that each action she commits will come back to her threefold. For any negative action that she might do, she risks her spiritual growth. Because of this, she believes she suffers less guilt than those of a traditional religion. She told me about the Wiccan Rede at this point, which states “Do what thou will, but harm thee none.” To her this means that Wiccans must take full responsibility for their actions.
Do you find practicing witchcraft to be challenging? How so?
Joan stated that she is very comfortable with her beliefs. Even though some people find it hard to accept Wiccans and believe that Paganism is evil or against God, she does not hide who she is. She often dresses up as a witch for fun on Halloween. She believes practicing witchcraft gives her a strong sense of personal integrity.
If someone was interested in following this faith, how would this person go about it? Is there an initiation ritual like baptism?
Joan’s coven only accepts female initiates, so a male would need to find a coven that is open to both men and women or is a male coven. Each new witch has to go through a year and a day study before being fully initiated into the coven. She also recommends reading the books she has listed as recommended reading on her website. There are women who participate in some of the celebrations with her coven who are not Wicca. They like the communing with nature and the fellowship between the women and the Goddesses, but prefer to follow their own religions. She is encouraging of these women and does not exclude them because of their beliefs.
Do you have a house of worship or do you just meet in nature?
Joan’s coven does not have a house of worship, although their most common meeting spots are in either her backyard or one of the other priestesses’ backyards. They also meet in public parks when it is feasible. For them, nature carries a very important role in their rituals, so meeting in a building would limit their ability to practice their beliefs.
How has this religion changed your life and do you think it has been an improvement for you?
Joan stated that becoming a Wiccan was a definite improvement on her life. She said that is much happier and comfortable with her self. She said that she has received emails from various people criticizing her beliefs but that she ignores them because she is confident and secure in what she believes.
What other important information could you give me that we haven’t already mentioned?
She would like for all women to be open to the idea that God is not only masculine but that there is a feminine aspect also. Her coven is open to any woman, even those who do not consider themselves Pagan or are even interested in Paganism but are seeking balance through equality and feminine divinity.
We also discussed a bit of information that I was just curious about. I asked her what she thought of how witches are portrayed in modern media and used the Harry Potter novels and movies as an example. She said that she thought the Harry Potter stuff was very whimsical but enjoyable. She also told me that she pays attention to when wiccans are mistreated by the media and does not hesitate to write letters when necessary. We also discussed that she is a published writer and does speeches at ASU and other venues. I mentioned to her that I was in the process of working on a youth novel. She ended up giving me some ideas for it that I had not considered. Overall, I thought the interview went very well, and I walked away from it believing I was much better informed about Wicca and modern Paganism. (Joan Robinson-Blumit, personal communication, April 11, 2009)
Wicca is a very modern religion while Catholicism is a very old religion. There are not many comparisons that can be made between these two, but there are many differences. Catholicism is a monotheistic religion that believes in God as the creator of all things. Many people would consider Wicca to be a polytheistic religion. They “acknowledge a supreme divine power, unknowable, ultimate, from which the entire universe sprang”, but to them, “the supreme power was personified into two basic beings: the Goddess and the God.” (Cunningham, 2004, p. 9) According to Kerr Cuhulain, “Modern Wicca is ditheistic—we recognize both male and female aspects of divinity.” (Cuhulain, 1954, p. 7) Kerr Cuhulain also states that “Wicca is a religion of monism. Wiccans believe that the divine and the mundane are inseparably linked.” (Cuhulain, 1954, p. 47) Catholics believe that Jesus was the Son of God and was born of Immaculate Conception. They also believe that God and Jesus are separate manifestations of the same entity. This could be interpreted as Jesus was really his own father. Catholics do believe that God is in everything at all times, but there is not as much focus on this as with Wicca. Wiccans believe in the cycle of the life of the God. Within this cycle, “He has no father; He is his own father.” (Starhawk, 1979, p. 123) “As he (the God) grows and passes through his changes on the Wheel, He remains in relationship to the prime nurturing force. His power is drawn directly from the Goddess.” (Starhawk, 1979, p. 123) Wiccans believe the God is born of the Goddess, and the God also impregnates the Goddess. Catholics believe that Mary was the mother of Jesus but she is not characterized as a Goddess. Catholicism and Wicca have holidays or celebrations that coincide with each other by date but are very different types of celebrations. December 21st is the winter solstice and the date that Wiccans celebrate Yule. Yule occurs when the Goddess gives birth to the God (Cunningham, 2004). Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25th, which is very close to this date. Christmas, for Christians is also a time of celebrating the birth of God in the form of Jesus. Catholics celebrate this holiday with special masses and common rituals of gift giving and pageants. Wiccans light candles or fires just before sunrise and wait for the sun to come up as a celebration of the returning of the sun (Cunningham, 2004). Since there is no historical date for the actual birth of Jesus, it is believed that Christians chose this date in December to coincide with the Pagan holiday. October 31st is known to Wiccans as Samhain and is their celebration of the death of the God. He must die, so that he can be reborn on winter Solstice. They celebrate this day of power by reflecting on their lives and honoring their past ancestors. On November 1st, Catholics celebrate All Saints’ Day. This is a day used to celebrate the lives of all the saints. November 2nd is All Soul’s Day, where they pray for all those that have not yet reached heaven. These two holidays could be said to be holidays for honoring their past ancestors. The teaching of the Catholic Church is that all those who are deceased go to one of three places: Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. Heaven would be for those who are completely free from sin, Hell would be for those who have been condemned, and Purgatory is a cleansing area for those who will eventually make it into Heaven. Wiccans believe in reincarnation. They believe that all life is made up of energy, and energy cannot be destroyed, but it can change forms. In this manner, our lives cannot be destroyed, but can be transformed into a new type of life. One thing about reincarnation within the Wiccan beliefs that is not common to other religions that believe in reincarnation is that they believe we do not come back as any other life form than human. They believe that the type of soul humans possess is unique and suited only for humans (Cunningham, 2004). Wiccans belong to covens which typically number between ten to fifteen people (Wicca, 2009), while Catholics are registered with and meet at their local or favorite church which could have thousands of members.
Feminist Wicca is a religion unlike most western religions. As we have seen, there are some comparisons that can be made to other religions, and other religions have borrowed aspects of paganism over time. People have looked at paganism as an evil religion or one worships Satan and false gods. I think that I have shown that Wicca is a religion that believes in a divine creator just as any Christian religion does, they just believe that this creator has both male and female aspects. Wiccans do not believe in Satan and they attempt to not bring harm to any form of life. I do not think that this is a religion that anyone would have reason to be afraid of. After doing the interview and all of the research for this essay, I have found a new respect for Wicca and am even considering practicing it after more exhaustive research into the rituals of the religion.
References
Cuhulain, K (1954). Full Contact Magick: A Book of Shadows for the Wiccan Warrior. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications
Cunningham, S (2004). Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Starhawk, (1979). The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Wicca . (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 21, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/eb/article-214730
Professor Bliss
March 29, 2009
Feminist Wicca:
Including a Comparison to Catholicism
The religion that I have chosen for this world religions project is paganism, and specifically feminist Wicca. Wicca is a term that is used for modern witchcraft. Wicca is a religion that has developed fairly recently but that is based in ancient beliefs and traditions. Wicca has truly only been around since about the mid-twentieth century but has grown rapidly in Europe and the United States since then. Wiccans hold a deep respect for nature, believe in the Goddess or multiple goddesses, and practice magic. Wiccans belong to groups called covens. Each coven may have its own rules and practices, but most stick to a certain set of rules. The most important of these rules is what is known as the Wiccan Rede, which says “If it harm none, do what you will.” (Joan Robinson-Blumit, personal communication, March 5, 2009) This means that no Wiccan is permitted to bring harm upon another person.
The person I interviewed is Joan Robinson-Blumit, who is the founder and head priestess of The Spiral Coven of Phoenix, Arizona. While most feminist Wicca covens are Dianic, meaning they follow only the goddesses, Joan’s coven believes that the God is the Goddess’s consort, and they hold him in high esteem. They follow green witchcraft, which means that nature is very important to their beliefs and traditions. Nature also plays a large part in the spells they perform. She informed me that her coven is a teaching coven and is open to new witches but they must complete a year and a day study before full initiation into the coven. Some covens are only open to experienced witches. The traditions of this coven are based on those of Celtic beliefs prior to the Christianity movement. For the interview, we met at a Wildflower restaurant in Phoenix, due to the fact that this coven does not have a building that they do their meetings in. They prefer to celebrate holidays and practice their rituals in nature, including parks and priestesses’ backyards. This particular restaurant is a location Joan has used to interview women who have been interested in joining her coven, so she said this would be an appropriate interview locale. The restaurant did actually make a nice location to do the interview. We were able to sit on opposite sides of the booth so we were facing each other and spaced a good distance apart, with the table giving a good source for writing on. We were also able to get drinks and the atmosphere was nice. I don’t know how well doing the interview in a park would have worked out.
The following is a summary of the questions I asked Joan during the interview and how she answered them. I did not take a tape recorder with me, and just took notes on her answers, so rather than provide direct quotes of her answers, I have paraphrased them.
Were you raised into this religion or was this something you own? If you found it, what led you to it and how did you find this particular faith?
Joan was not raised as a Wiccan; it is something that she found on her own over a long period. She has been a Catholic, a Methodist, and other Christian denominations. She has also studied Buddhism and Judaism. She raised her daughter as a Presbyterian. Through all these religions, she always felt that something was missing. What was missing was a feminine part of the divine being. Joan was raised during the sixties during the heyday of the feminist movement, and so has always been somewhat of a feminist. She told me the story of seeking out where she fit in by looking through books in a library and having a book fall off of a shelf in front of her. The book was titled God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone. After reading this book she finally realized that she had always been searching for the Goddess.
What sorts of holidays do you celebrate and are there certain rituals involved?
Joan’s coven follows the Celtic wheel of the year. This is the calendar that their holidays are based off of. They celebrate eight sabbats or days of power, and they also have a celebration for every full moon. The first sabbat is Yule, celebrated on the winter solstice and occurs when the God is born of the Goddess. The second sabbat is Imbolc, celebrated on February 2nd and occurs when the Goddess awakes from her recovery and God is a young boy. The third sabbat is Ostara, the spring equinox and this is where God has grown to maturity. The fourth sabbat is Beltane, April 30th, where God has grown into a man and impregnates the Goddess. This is a celebration of fertility. The fifth sabbat is Midsummer, the summer solstice, which is celebrated on the longest day of the year and is an exceptional time of magic. The sixth sabbat is Lughnasadh, August 1st and is the first harvest. During Lughnasadh, the God is growing old and is starting to become weak. The seventh sabbat is Mabon, celebrated on September 21st, the autumn equinox. The God is now an old man and is dying and preparing for the cycle to begin again. The eighth and final sabbat is Samhain, celebrated on October 31st, also known as Halloween to most people. This occurs when the God dies but is also a time for looking over the previous year and considering the Wiccan’s own mortality. There no set rituals for the sabbats, and they are celebrated in various ways. Joan’s coven plants seeds, has feasts, gives thanks to the Goddesses, and performs magic.
Do you weekly meetings like a contemporary church or just meet periodically?
Like most other Wiccan covens, Joan’s group does not have weekly meetings. They gather for the holidays and for every full moon. They try to meet on the evening of the full moon, but if it happens to fall on a night where most of the women have to work the next day, they meet on the closest night that is most convenient. They do this within three days of the full moon though while the moon is still nearly full.
Does this religion have a large impact on your life? How so?
This religion has a very large impact on Joan’s life because she must consider all actions before doing them. She believes that each action she commits will come back to her threefold. For any negative action that she might do, she risks her spiritual growth. Because of this, she believes she suffers less guilt than those of a traditional religion. She told me about the Wiccan Rede at this point, which states “Do what thou will, but harm thee none.” To her this means that Wiccans must take full responsibility for their actions.
Do you find practicing witchcraft to be challenging? How so?
Joan stated that she is very comfortable with her beliefs. Even though some people find it hard to accept Wiccans and believe that Paganism is evil or against God, she does not hide who she is. She often dresses up as a witch for fun on Halloween. She believes practicing witchcraft gives her a strong sense of personal integrity.
If someone was interested in following this faith, how would this person go about it? Is there an initiation ritual like baptism?
Joan’s coven only accepts female initiates, so a male would need to find a coven that is open to both men and women or is a male coven. Each new witch has to go through a year and a day study before being fully initiated into the coven. She also recommends reading the books she has listed as recommended reading on her website. There are women who participate in some of the celebrations with her coven who are not Wicca. They like the communing with nature and the fellowship between the women and the Goddesses, but prefer to follow their own religions. She is encouraging of these women and does not exclude them because of their beliefs.
Do you have a house of worship or do you just meet in nature?
Joan’s coven does not have a house of worship, although their most common meeting spots are in either her backyard or one of the other priestesses’ backyards. They also meet in public parks when it is feasible. For them, nature carries a very important role in their rituals, so meeting in a building would limit their ability to practice their beliefs.
How has this religion changed your life and do you think it has been an improvement for you?
Joan stated that becoming a Wiccan was a definite improvement on her life. She said that is much happier and comfortable with her self. She said that she has received emails from various people criticizing her beliefs but that she ignores them because she is confident and secure in what she believes.
What other important information could you give me that we haven’t already mentioned?
She would like for all women to be open to the idea that God is not only masculine but that there is a feminine aspect also. Her coven is open to any woman, even those who do not consider themselves Pagan or are even interested in Paganism but are seeking balance through equality and feminine divinity.
We also discussed a bit of information that I was just curious about. I asked her what she thought of how witches are portrayed in modern media and used the Harry Potter novels and movies as an example. She said that she thought the Harry Potter stuff was very whimsical but enjoyable. She also told me that she pays attention to when wiccans are mistreated by the media and does not hesitate to write letters when necessary. We also discussed that she is a published writer and does speeches at ASU and other venues. I mentioned to her that I was in the process of working on a youth novel. She ended up giving me some ideas for it that I had not considered. Overall, I thought the interview went very well, and I walked away from it believing I was much better informed about Wicca and modern Paganism. (Joan Robinson-Blumit, personal communication, April 11, 2009)
Wicca is a very modern religion while Catholicism is a very old religion. There are not many comparisons that can be made between these two, but there are many differences. Catholicism is a monotheistic religion that believes in God as the creator of all things. Many people would consider Wicca to be a polytheistic religion. They “acknowledge a supreme divine power, unknowable, ultimate, from which the entire universe sprang”, but to them, “the supreme power was personified into two basic beings: the Goddess and the God.” (Cunningham, 2004, p. 9) According to Kerr Cuhulain, “Modern Wicca is ditheistic—we recognize both male and female aspects of divinity.” (Cuhulain, 1954, p. 7) Kerr Cuhulain also states that “Wicca is a religion of monism. Wiccans believe that the divine and the mundane are inseparably linked.” (Cuhulain, 1954, p. 47) Catholics believe that Jesus was the Son of God and was born of Immaculate Conception. They also believe that God and Jesus are separate manifestations of the same entity. This could be interpreted as Jesus was really his own father. Catholics do believe that God is in everything at all times, but there is not as much focus on this as with Wicca. Wiccans believe in the cycle of the life of the God. Within this cycle, “He has no father; He is his own father.” (Starhawk, 1979, p. 123) “As he (the God) grows and passes through his changes on the Wheel, He remains in relationship to the prime nurturing force. His power is drawn directly from the Goddess.” (Starhawk, 1979, p. 123) Wiccans believe the God is born of the Goddess, and the God also impregnates the Goddess. Catholics believe that Mary was the mother of Jesus but she is not characterized as a Goddess. Catholicism and Wicca have holidays or celebrations that coincide with each other by date but are very different types of celebrations. December 21st is the winter solstice and the date that Wiccans celebrate Yule. Yule occurs when the Goddess gives birth to the God (Cunningham, 2004). Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25th, which is very close to this date. Christmas, for Christians is also a time of celebrating the birth of God in the form of Jesus. Catholics celebrate this holiday with special masses and common rituals of gift giving and pageants. Wiccans light candles or fires just before sunrise and wait for the sun to come up as a celebration of the returning of the sun (Cunningham, 2004). Since there is no historical date for the actual birth of Jesus, it is believed that Christians chose this date in December to coincide with the Pagan holiday. October 31st is known to Wiccans as Samhain and is their celebration of the death of the God. He must die, so that he can be reborn on winter Solstice. They celebrate this day of power by reflecting on their lives and honoring their past ancestors. On November 1st, Catholics celebrate All Saints’ Day. This is a day used to celebrate the lives of all the saints. November 2nd is All Soul’s Day, where they pray for all those that have not yet reached heaven. These two holidays could be said to be holidays for honoring their past ancestors. The teaching of the Catholic Church is that all those who are deceased go to one of three places: Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. Heaven would be for those who are completely free from sin, Hell would be for those who have been condemned, and Purgatory is a cleansing area for those who will eventually make it into Heaven. Wiccans believe in reincarnation. They believe that all life is made up of energy, and energy cannot be destroyed, but it can change forms. In this manner, our lives cannot be destroyed, but can be transformed into a new type of life. One thing about reincarnation within the Wiccan beliefs that is not common to other religions that believe in reincarnation is that they believe we do not come back as any other life form than human. They believe that the type of soul humans possess is unique and suited only for humans (Cunningham, 2004). Wiccans belong to covens which typically number between ten to fifteen people (Wicca, 2009), while Catholics are registered with and meet at their local or favorite church which could have thousands of members.
Feminist Wicca is a religion unlike most western religions. As we have seen, there are some comparisons that can be made to other religions, and other religions have borrowed aspects of paganism over time. People have looked at paganism as an evil religion or one worships Satan and false gods. I think that I have shown that Wicca is a religion that believes in a divine creator just as any Christian religion does, they just believe that this creator has both male and female aspects. Wiccans do not believe in Satan and they attempt to not bring harm to any form of life. I do not think that this is a religion that anyone would have reason to be afraid of. After doing the interview and all of the research for this essay, I have found a new respect for Wicca and am even considering practicing it after more exhaustive research into the rituals of the religion.
References
Cuhulain, K (1954). Full Contact Magick: A Book of Shadows for the Wiccan Warrior. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications
Cunningham, S (2004). Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Starhawk, (1979). The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Wicca . (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 21, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/eb/article-214730
Fun Ideas
The online community college I attended a while back will not release my transcripts to me because they claim I still owe them money. So, I've decided to post a bunch of my final project papers on here for whoever cares to read them. More to follow.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Where's my Digital Copy?
Everyone knows about the digital copies that come with some DVD's and Blu-rays right? They're a copy of the movie that you can download for a limited time from the distribution company and install on whatever device you would like to be able to view the movie on. You get a physical copy of the movie to watch on your DVD or Blu-ray player and a digital copy to watch on your Ipod, smartphone, or whatever. Pretty neat right?
So.. why haven't we been given this option with books yet?
Publisher's Weekly ran an article last month about how E-books are pretty much outselling print forms of books. Earlier this year we also saw many of the Borders stores close their doors. As an avid reader and lover of paper books, this frightens me slightly. I recently bought a Nookcolor. I had been debating with myself for months about whether or not I should buy an eReader. Recently though, some authors and many new writers have been releasing their books or short stories in digital only. Sorta limits the options. It also takes the brick and mortar booksellers out of the equation, right? Maybe not. Some booksellers are starting to sell ebooks in their stores.
Seeing that publishers are allowing bookstores to sell ebooks makes me wonder why they couldn't allow them to bundle paper copies of books with a digital version. I would love to walk into my local bookstore with my ereader, buy my favorite new hardcover, and download a digital copy of it to my ereader, all at the same time. If they could give them to us for free with the purchase of the physical book, this would be ideal. Even if they had to charge a dollar or two, I'd still be happy. I am just not willing to pay $15-$20 for a new book and then have to pay another $10 for the option to read it on my Nook. This would also hopefully give people a good excuse to actually buy the print copy of the books and to buy them from their local bookstore, not Amazon.
This might just be a pipedream, but I really hope not.
So.. why haven't we been given this option with books yet?
Publisher's Weekly ran an article last month about how E-books are pretty much outselling print forms of books. Earlier this year we also saw many of the Borders stores close their doors. As an avid reader and lover of paper books, this frightens me slightly. I recently bought a Nookcolor. I had been debating with myself for months about whether or not I should buy an eReader. Recently though, some authors and many new writers have been releasing their books or short stories in digital only. Sorta limits the options. It also takes the brick and mortar booksellers out of the equation, right? Maybe not. Some booksellers are starting to sell ebooks in their stores.
Seeing that publishers are allowing bookstores to sell ebooks makes me wonder why they couldn't allow them to bundle paper copies of books with a digital version. I would love to walk into my local bookstore with my ereader, buy my favorite new hardcover, and download a digital copy of it to my ereader, all at the same time. If they could give them to us for free with the purchase of the physical book, this would be ideal. Even if they had to charge a dollar or two, I'd still be happy. I am just not willing to pay $15-$20 for a new book and then have to pay another $10 for the option to read it on my Nook. This would also hopefully give people a good excuse to actually buy the print copy of the books and to buy them from their local bookstore, not Amazon.
This might just be a pipedream, but I really hope not.
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