Earth Day

It's Earth Day here again to remind you to take good care of our planet. Today is as good a day as any to Honor Mother Earth!

That means Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

The first Earth Day celebration was held in 1970, and sponsored by the Earth Day Network. This annual celebration is a time when people worldwide honor our planet and (hopefully) take a few minutes to try to make a difference in the world.

Although Earth Day isn't an Official Pagan Holiday, many of us in the Pagan community choose to celebrate it as a way of marking our commitment to stewardship of our planet. After all, when I began walking a Pagan path, I realized fairly quickly that if you adhere to the concept of nature being sacred, it's pretty darn important not to treat our planet as your own personal garbage dump. 

“The spirit of Earth Day 1970 did not just happen; its roots could include the gradual stirring of environmental consciousness that accelerated in the 1960s, but that stirring itself had deeper roots in an American consciousness of a special relationship with the land, even if that relationship was often abusive. Still, if there was a year when Wicca (in the broad sense) became “nature religion,” as opposed to the “mystery religion” or “metaphorical fertility religion” labels that it had brought from England, that year was 1970.” - Chas Clifton, Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America

Everyone must do their part, Regardless of Religious background. We all Share the Planet, and we all have to deal with what happens when we do not take care of the Planet.
Even if it's small, every little effort counts. So please:

• Shut off lights you aren't using
• Use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic
• Plant a Vegetable Garden
• Bring your lunch in a reusable container
• Walk or Ride a Bike instead of Driving
• Don't buy prepackaged snacks and other goods that have a lot of waste (packing your own portion sizes of crackers and snacks using reusable containers instead of plastic baggies)
• Unplug Electronics when they are not in use
• Start a Compost Bin
• Stop Eating Fast Food
• Shower with your Partner
• Eat Less Meat
• Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth
• Buy Locally when Possible
• Volunteer 
• Use Natural Products
• Try alternative energy sources (Solar, Water, Wind, etc)
• Etc.

Here is a list of 50 Ways to Help The Planet

And if you don't the Goddess with get fed up with how badly we treat Mother Nature, and she will swallow us whole!