NMR ISSUE 1

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Beltane
Closer Look at the Tarot: Aces
Earth's Coronation
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Editorial
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Guardians of the Four Gateways
How to Eat Meat
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Stone Banishing Ritual
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How to Eat Meat

Scot Rhoads

Vegetarianism is a well-known aspect of the many paths to spirituality. On a physical level, it reduces the toxins that build up as one goes higher in the food chain. It also avoids many problem parasites and diseases. On a spiritual level the effect is similar. As a vegetarian, one is removed from killing higher forms of life. In extreme cases, one may eat only plants that `die of natural causes.' But only the dead can completely avoid killing. On a microscopic scale, the carnage wrought by any human life is tremendous. The spiritual goal of vegetarianism is to distance oneself from the spiritually `dirty' act of kill by minimizing it and restricting it to "lower" forms of life. Despite the claims of rabid vegetarians, this path is not for everyone. Some people are unwilling, or even incapable of living without meat. Perhaps this is an inherent barrier to spirituality, but even if so, it is not insurmountable. To find a way past it, consider the approach of aboriginal cultures. Here there is a strong bond between man and nature. This bond changes the meaning of killing and eating.

Eating, in a pantheistic universe, is a communion, a sharing of essence. Not only does the consumer benefit, but the consumed does as well. Both are enriched on the spiritual level as both gain the powers of the other. This places a great deal of responsibility on the consumer. To act honorably, he should strive to bring gifts to the consumed as great as that he receives. This he does by living a spiritual life. Then the consumed benefits by sharing some of the spiritual life he has created. This is what happens whether you are aware or not. But to maximize the exchange, you can enhance your awareness.

When you eat, you can bring more to the experience and get more out of it by making the act a ritual of communion. Be aware of all the life that went into your meal. If you are eating a hamburger, remember the bull or cow. Also remember the wheat plants, the tomatoes in the ketchup, the cucumbers in the pickles, the sesame plants and Mother Earth who is in all. (She can be even more directly in the strange chemicals that one reads of on arcane ingredient lists.) `Remembering' does not mean merely running through a list in your head, but remembering what it was like to be these things. Taste the grasses, feel the sun and wind, remember what it is like to love the Earth as a cow. You've probably had a past life as some of these animals or plants. In any case, on a higher level you are united. Feel that unity and you will gain the most from their gifts, and you will give the most of yourself.

Strengthening and celebrating this unity of life will help to bring you in tune with the Earth and your Self. On a larger scale, it will bring a greater awareness of the importance of treating the Earth and its inhabitants with respect and love. To be in tune with the experiences of a veal can hardly be pleasant. To respect the animal in death demands that you respect it in life for you bring its experiences to you when you eat it.

Respect can include killing. Aboriginal cultures pay their respects to archetypal animals, for the individual animals do not have individual souls. Each species has a group soul. If you honor the archetype, it will be happy to share with you. You must show the same respect as for the individuated soul of a person. Remember that you have a very intimate relationship with this archetype, far closer that with any but a few people you will know. You are getting your life from this archetype and sharing your life with it. Become aware of this bond and your connection will grow. Through this connection, you will know when the archetype gifts you with the life you need. There is no reason to feel guilty about accepting a gift. Killing and eating meat become spiritually clean because the painful aspects of the act are on a superficial level. The animal's pain and fear are the unavoidable experiences of the transition to death. You cannot spare the animal, or even most humans, of this experience. Nature is not likely to spare you, when your time comes. What you do is make it more meaningful on a higher level. If you raise the animal, the respect you show makes its life better on every level. You are giving in return for the animal's gift. This can easily apply to vivisection. Animal rights activists characterize such relationships as slavery and with good cause. But it need not be so. Sometimes children are "slaves," but the solution is not to end parenthood. Just as with a child or a ruler, the ideal human-animal relationship is a custodianship. "Dominion" over nature's creatures is not a gift, but a responsibility. Respect benefits all.

However, few people raise or kill the animals that they eat, so it is difficult to show respect on a physical level. It is difficult to avoid meat `tainted' by being raised `disrespectfully.' It is impossible for most people follow the spirit of aboriginal cultures. But, if you choose to eat meat, it is helpful to try to bring as much of the aboriginal attitude to the act. By strengthening our bond with Mother Earth and Her creatures that give their lives for us, we become more in tune and empowered. On a planetary scale, we help to bring about healing of the insensitive attitudes towards Her that cause so much pain in the world.

An easy mistake, however, is to show an animal "false respect." To love and respect a human, you must accept them as they are. It is the same with anything. When you love a false image, that does not show genuine respect. Similarly, when Walt Disney has inspired your feelings toward a species, that is not in anyone's best interest. Cartoons, teddy bears and storybooks are not inherently harmful. The problem arises when one lacks any other information. The bears at Yellowstone often harm visitors who expect cute, friendly animals like the one's they grew up with on TV. It is difficult to resist this anthropomorphication. It is responsible for hunting `ugly' animals to extinction and allowing `pretty' animals to thrive until they have a disastrous population crash. When the Spanish left one of the first horses in America in a Maya city, the Indians treated it like a god. They took care of it as well as they possibly could. They fed it treats and delicacies. The horse died. Although they could not have tried harder, the Maya starved the horse because they did not treat it as a horse. It is just as anthropocentric to insist upon human qualities as it is to deny an animal's worthy qualities.

It is challenging to overcome the cultural bias, to respect animals and nature for what they are. But it is worth the effort. These biases have brought about our environmental crisis. They are also a part of our society's spiritual poverty. To overcome these blocks, make your meals into communions, remember all the creatures that Give Away themselves. Thank them and use your life to make their sacrifices beneficial to the Earth. This will bring you more in tune with the Earth and your Self, bettering both.

Communion Ritual:

This would be a special occasion. You can adopt parts of it for everyday use.

Start as near to the beginning of preparing a meal as you can. For most, that is leaving for the supermarket. Before you leave the house, prepare as for a ritual. Ritually wash your hands or bathe. Pay attention to your clothes and actions. Know what will buy. Do not do anything else on your buying trip. Keep your purpose in mind throughout the trip.

Once at the supermarket, buy only what you came for. Choose your items not by price or quality but by "feel" alone. When you pay for them, remember the spiritual significance of your money—it represents a part of your life that you are giving up.

When you return, immediately begin preparing the meal while you are still focused. If you refer to a recipe, make sure you are at least familiar with it. Carefully wash and prepare the work area and utensils. Set out all the spices and other ingredients you will need. Prepare your meal exactly according to plan. Each act should carry ritual significance. When you wash the food or utensil or your hands, that is purification. What does it mean to you when you add salt? Grounding? Purification? Or perhaps reunion with the Earth Mother. Find what works best for you. You may want to refer to a book like Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs to determine the significance of your various ingredients.

Once the meal is ready, prepare the eating area with equal care. You will not do anything other than eat, no TV, no conversation, no reading. As you eat, focus on the Give Away that the Earth and Her creatures have made for you. If you are eating Beef, for instance, think about the bull that has given its life. How did it experience the world? Feel the elements, taste the grass. Know what it is like to be another of the Earth's creatures. Perhaps you will get uncomfortable impressions of feed lots and malnourished baby veals. If so, remember the archetype rather than the specific animal. After all, it is the archetype of an undifferentiated soul, which you can most effectively address.

When you have finished your meal and your thanks, consider what you will do to make this Give Away as powerful as possible. What will you do with this fresh gift of life? What will you Give Away in return? This needn't be an obvious act like getting involved in Greenpeace. You need only recognize the part that you play in the world and see its value. If you see your part as harmful, perhaps you should change it. That is how to better yourself and your world. When you do so, you certainly deserve the gifts that the animal archetypes offer.