What it means to live in Harmony with Nature

So many people constantly get the wrong idea when they hear or read the phrase "living harmoniously with nature" or "live in harmony with nature". They think that in order to do such things you HAVE to be vegetarian or vegan, that everything you HAVE to use is vegan and isn't of any animal product or byproduct.

For some reason, people have this idea that Nature is some happy fairytale place where everything lives in happy harmony. Or that, we must put ourselves above our natural instincts in order to better live in harmony with nature. Its this thought about putting ourselves above our instincts and the natural world that has lead us to the issues we have now.

Nature is anything but happy harmony. It is harmonious, but in a chaotic sense. Nature yes is loving, but also very cruel and harsh. Animals kill other animals, mostly for food, but sometimes sport or to just teach their offspring how to kill. Predators are NEEDED for the survival and health of an environment, of an ecosystem. Sometimes they fight, either to take charge and become the leader, or to gain new territories to better serve their pack/family.

If there were no predators, the animals that only eat vegetation would grow in numbers, eating more and more of the grass and other plants. It would become a world barren, with no vegetation what so ever. The earth would wash away due to there not being any roots to hold the soil in place, or be blown away when it hasn't rained and the soil is dry. The planet would become a wasteland with maybe only sea life surviving, and even then there would be issues.

Predators keep the plant eating population low, letting grass and other vegetation to grow back. Predators pick off the sick, which could be carrying an illness that could affect other animals, and the weak, which would allow the strong to pass on their genetics and make the species even stronger. Its like pruning a bush or a tree; you aren't doing it because you want control over it, you are doing it because it is healthy for the plant and makes it stronger.

As I stated in my blog To Be An Earth Warrior, I said that eating meat is a very natural thing to do. As humans, we are omnivores, like some bear species, we eat both vegetation and meat. If someone choose to be vegetarian or vegan that is their decision.

To live in harmony with nature means you have to be a part of nature. This means you also follow the laws of Nature. And the laws of nature are chaotic but necessary. Never take more than you can give, never take more than what is needed, never allow the negative impact on the ecosystem be greater than the positive impact.

If there are predators hunting too well, their numbers increase and the number prey shrink, which then would lead to the predators starving and shrink until the number of prey increases. If there are too many prey or predators, it could lead to the extinction of a or of many species. There is a delicate balance needed in order to keep species alive.

In order for nature to be as beautiful and as wondrous as it is, it must have these chaotic laws. So, if you wish to claim to live in harmony with nature, to be a part of nature, you cannot put yourself above nature and you must follow its laws. Otherwise, you are simply just living in nature.

What is in a Name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet" - Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.

It is true, if we took a rose and gave it a new name it would smell all the same, but names have power, there is a reason we feel we must name things and give our newborn children names. It is so we may protect ourselves and our children for there is a name that holds such power it is dangerous to reveal to anyone else. For every one of us, we typically will have three names (maybe more) in our life times (I am specifically speaking about people who follow some sort of Spiritual path). There are reasons as to why this is the case, it is to protect us, to protect our very essence of being, to protect our souls/spirit. The three names we have in a life are as follows, Our Birth Name, Our Given Name, and Our True Name.

Everyone has the first and the third, we really don't have a choice in the matter, the second one sometimes we don't have a choice and sometimes we do.

Our birth name is obvious, its the one given to us typically at the time of our birth, it is the name we grow up with, it is the name we recognize the moment it is called out, it is a name close to our hearts and spirit. It is a name that both protects us and makes us vulnerable all in one fell swoop. The reason for this is because whether we like it or not we have attachment to the name, so when used in spell work, it is somewhat easy to be targeted when dealing with those who have a tendency to use more negative magicks. But it is also the first shield that is put up to hide our true selves, so in a way, its the barrier given to us with love so we still have our free will.

The second name is our Given Name, usually magick practitioners will choose a name to use in rituals, or sometimes it is given to us by spirit/gods/goddesses. This name can change from time to time depending on how our life changes or sometimes it will stay the same for the entire life. It is a name we identify with and holds power of pure protection, it allows us to work and stay shielded from outside influences. Sometimes when doing a ritual for taking a name, some may weave a spell around the name so no one can use it for harm against the name holder. It is our shield, our mask, our cloaks, it hides and protects us, and envelopes our being so our true name is truly hidden to the outside.

And lastly, there is our third name, our True Name (also known as a Soul Name or a Spirit Name or a Divine Name). This name is everything we were, are, and will become, it is our very essence of being, it is the heart of our souls/spirits. It is a very potent but also very dangerous tool, while it aids in empowering us, if ever heard by another, be it spirit or mortal, it could be used against us. To know your true name is usually found through feeling, it may take time or sometimes you might hear it at random, but what you will feel will tell you that it is you, it is your true name. If said by accident by another typically won't have effects aside from making us feel weird, due to them not focusing any intent on the name. But if someone where to use it against us, they could pretty much do what they want with us and bypass all barriers and shields, because they are attacking straight at the heart of our very being.

The true name never really changes from life to life, if something drastically changes us to such a depth then yes its possible, but otherwise that name will stick with your being till the end of time. If ever found you must guard it with everything you have, never tell it to another even if you think you can trust them, because people are unpredictable and we never know their true intentions or if they can truly keep a secret. If you ever find your life mate/soul mate, one may feel compelled to tell them, but even then use caution, and truly think about it. In the end it is your name and you will choose who you share it with, but you must always be careful. And if you do decide to share it, do it in a way no ears may eavesdrop and no eyes can pry, if you write it down burn it immediately after sharing, leave no physical record of the name.

So in the end, be careful with the names you pick, because if it feels a little too right, it may very well be a name not meant for the ears of others.