goddessing
cosmology, consciousness, contrarinessgoddess religion: pagan blog
www.goddessmystic.com
goddess religion: pagan blog
www.goddessmystic.com
Intention is Everything (isn't it?)
For New Age and Pagan folks alike, "intention is everything." We say it to each other; we read it in our "about" books.
So it must be true: Intention is everything.
Or maybe not.
As a Pagan, I look to nature (seen and unseen) for wisdom, for Truth. If I have a theory about how magic works, I look for phenomena in the natural world to inform my cosmology. While watching the resident song birds crowd each other out for a space on my bird-feeder the other day, I had an aha about the relationship of intention to magical acts, and realized this:
Intention isn't everything.
Putting up a bird feeder might feel like a good piece of sympathetic magic: I'll care for my world and my world will care for me; as I nurture, so am I nurtured; may all beings never hunger, never thirst. As I replenish the seeds in this feeder, so are the necessities of my life replenished.
But consider this:
In the case of feeding winter birds, it's pretty clear that intention isn't everything. Living here on the lake with seasonal neighbors, I see this all around me. Bird feeders are out and full as long as the humans are in residence, but when they leave, those feeders deplete quickly and then what? I hope the birds move over a yard or two, or down a street or two, or across the lake perhaps, until they find another feeder. That's what I hope.
What I know, though, is that intention isn't everything when it comes to a bird's survival. They choose their winter homes based on availability of food (at least in part), so the birds that decided to hang out in the woods or thickets around my house staked their survival on my consistency and my follow-through.
Intending to keep those feeders full throughout the winter isn't enough. Only one thing suffices, and it's possibly a much better truth and catch-phrase about magic:
Follow-through is everything.
Best Solstice Blessings!
So it must be true: Intention is everything.
Or maybe not.
As a Pagan, I look to nature (seen and unseen) for wisdom, for Truth. If I have a theory about how magic works, I look for phenomena in the natural world to inform my cosmology. While watching the resident song birds crowd each other out for a space on my bird-feeder the other day, I had an aha about the relationship of intention to magical acts, and realized this:
Intention isn't everything.
Putting up a bird feeder might feel like a good piece of sympathetic magic: I'll care for my world and my world will care for me; as I nurture, so am I nurtured; may all beings never hunger, never thirst. As I replenish the seeds in this feeder, so are the necessities of my life replenished.
But consider this:
...putting up feeders is like signing a contract because the birds become dependent on this food source for survival. The commitment is a long one, extending from the moment the feeders are in place until the warm spring breezes nudge dormant insect prey back to life. Seed and/or suet must be available at all times during daylight hours throughout the winter months. If I leave the feeders empty for just a day--or even a half day--many birds could starve to death. Their small bodies and fast metabolisms require replenishment almost hourly. They also need to build up fat stores in each in order to keep warm through long winter nights and still have enough energy to fuel their early morning search for food. In fact, availability of seed at first morning light is vital for birds to quickly replace their depleted energy stores. Never should my feeders be empty at this or any time of the day.
So, if making food available helps with bird survival, what's the dilemma? Well, if I escape for a weekend to the city (which happens often during the winter), I must find a willing neighbor to fill feeders and hang new suet in my absence. Without a commitment from a neighbor at the start of the season, my feeders will remain on a shelf in the garage. I will trust that birds will find food in nearby wetlands and will visit feeders in other folks' yards rather than take the risk that empty feeders will lead to their demise. Winter Birds, To Feed or Not To Feed
So, if making food available helps with bird survival, what's the dilemma? Well, if I escape for a weekend to the city (which happens often during the winter), I must find a willing neighbor to fill feeders and hang new suet in my absence. Without a commitment from a neighbor at the start of the season, my feeders will remain on a shelf in the garage. I will trust that birds will find food in nearby wetlands and will visit feeders in other folks' yards rather than take the risk that empty feeders will lead to their demise. Winter Birds, To Feed or Not To Feed
In the case of feeding winter birds, it's pretty clear that intention isn't everything. Living here on the lake with seasonal neighbors, I see this all around me. Bird feeders are out and full as long as the humans are in residence, but when they leave, those feeders deplete quickly and then what? I hope the birds move over a yard or two, or down a street or two, or across the lake perhaps, until they find another feeder. That's what I hope.
What I know, though, is that intention isn't everything when it comes to a bird's survival. They choose their winter homes based on availability of food (at least in part), so the birds that decided to hang out in the woods or thickets around my house staked their survival on my consistency and my follow-through.
Intending to keep those feeders full throughout the winter isn't enough. Only one thing suffices, and it's possibly a much better truth and catch-phrase about magic:
Follow-through is everything.
Best Solstice Blessings!
Comments:
Wow, that's a fact that people need to be more aware of! I see bird feeders out and empty all the time. It should be a warning on the bird feeder box.
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posted by 
: 11:49 PM
: 11:49 PM Om
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