Joanna van der Hoeven

Like the rest of the Pagan Portals series, it’s pretty brief, but I did learn about Zen Buddhism, Druidry, and how they can reinforce each other by staying in the moment/the real, and staying in nature/magic. I would say that both paths are pretty philosophical, so I think it’s a good fit. Again, it’s a discount price because of the length, but I think it’s a good thesis, and also, unlike with a long story like in some myth or tale, sometimes with philosophy more length/details isn’t as necessary as a suggestive hint for you to chew on, really.

…. Aversion to change causes suffering.

The classic Buddhist example of this is chasing youth, and it is true, all that stuff about clinging. It’s great when it’s here, but it doesn’t last. But also, I really feel like it’s just as good an explanation of money: aversion to change causes suffering…. You’d think there’d be an attachment to change if you wanted something, but in practice I don’t think this is the usual thing. The poor guy is worried that his benefits will be jiggled around and he’ll be pinched; he doesn’t usually spend a lot of time attached to positive financial change. Attachment in the literal sense of clinging can be bad—it’s bound up in aversion. But really I think the problem is aversion, and the most fundamental aversion is maybe to change, you know. And that’s what money is, that’s what all the psycho-physical energies of the Universe are: change. There’s never actually like a guarantee that ~you are now rich, and will always be rich (at least $X!) forever, you know. Money does require you to let go of things. It’s just not for the purposes of diminishment, you know—diminishment for the sake of diminishment. I’ve heard the Christian saying that Jesus must increase and I must decrease quoted in a style of diminishment for the sake of diminishment, you know. In one sense, that demands pretty much nothing of you; it can be comfortable, and gives a sense of false spiritual satisfaction, of course. But it also demands everything of you—everything. I’m not talking about that.

But nobody’s equally rich every day, no matter how they manage their money. I think a lot of what keeps people in survival mode, which is basically what poverty often is, is wanting that—equally rich (poor) every day. Can’t risk my entry-level job. Can’t risk my government benefits. Can’t risk leaving the mental hospital. Can’t risk change. Can’t diminish—can’t increase.

I think it’s clear that you can read both Druidry/cycles of nature and Buddhism/impermanence into this money thing.

…. It’s not that money is (inherently) against nature—the people trying to protect nature need money to do it, and green choices very often (although not always) cost something more—but somehow we have let it become counter-intuitive, in this age where we have wonderful things that we never had before, that the ~most, wonderful things are what we always had…. And yet…. And yet I wonder how well we ever appreciated it, you know, the wonder of life…. A few see the wonder all around them, and the rest, well….

…. It’s not that dreaming is wrong; what’s “wrong” is not knowing it’s a dream. What’s unhelpful is reacting blindly either because we think we are stuck in a dangerous dream, or angry that a dream is taking place. It is really a matter of simply observing or giving attention to, these strange children within us, our thoughts and dreams.

But that doesn’t mean regretting that we’re not living on a plane of consciousness where only buddhas live, you know—some Great Void.

Things happen; that’s what they do. When you just let them happen and start to give them clear attention, you can actually start to enjoy it.

…. She’s right that magic and ritual clearly involve a certain amount of awareness, intent, not being not present. Obviously the Buddhists’ practice involves this same element, in their own way.

…. Incidentally, I’ve never understood the kind of bibliography where you don’t give the author’s first name, you know. “Bob doesn’t have a first name. He just writes books. (beat) It’s been years since he had a first name…. Come on. Let’s go.” 😷… (más)

[ETA: Upping to 3.5 stars because I had an epiphany about being present in the moment not in small part due to this book.]

2.5 stars. Much of the book sounded overly idealistic. The writing was pretty bad and often repetitive, if not outright confusing to follow. I don't think I'll ever be able to wrap my head around "ancestors of the future."

I did appreciate the way the author talked throughout the book about mindfulness and being present in the moment. I really liked the discussion of seasons, festivals, and different activities that could be done to connect to nature accordingly.… (más)

The book does connect Zen and Druidry at the very basic level, so I guess it fulfilled its mission. I agree with the author's foundational argument about living in the moment and not letting emotions rule you.

However, the writing is very repetitive, weak, and surface level. Zen's tenants, as portrayed, can be contradictory, which the author addresses with the written equivalent of a shrug and says that we should just accept it. The author's continual assertion that everyone should be kind and compassionate to others, no matter what, is to varying degrees condescending, judgmental, and detached from societal reality. Attempts to recognize that people have to deal with injustice in the world are overly simplistic in order to maintain the author's argument about kindness.

The meditation section, while nothing other books don't have, was fairly decent.… (más)