Returning our bodily resourses to Nature

Three weeks ago yesterday, a good friend of mine died while we where horse camping up in Elk County PA. He was a happy camper, saw all sorts of elk , deer, and bear. Our rides where wonderful. And that is he how he wanted to die. It was nice.

He also wished to be cremated, which he was. For some reason, when I was driving to the doctors this morning, I was thinking of my friend when I passed a cemetery which got me thinking.

While I have been sorting out my beliefs, I have the ashes to ashes mind set. Going past the cemetery, I found there is a bit of a conundrum within my beliefs with burying embalmed people in air tight caskets, especially with a cement sarcophagus. These bodies, caskets and sarcophagi particles are not being readily released back into nature. Its feels like there is a debit of energy being made from not returning it back to nature, by locking it up.

I always thought it was a bad idea just because of the resources it uses up since the mortuary science has improved. Now I kinda feel like Nature has been cheated and what She has given freely is not being freely returned.

I am glad, though, that more people are choosing cremation and scattering the ashes. Its so much more natural. Now I just have to find out the carbon foot print of cremation, although it will be alot less, I think, then the way some other cultures perform it.

Simply Pantheism

Today I went to numerous sites where pantheism seems to be over thought and analyzed to death. To me, each pantheist should have his own personal take on the definition of pantheism and then believe what feels right to him. For instance, physics and science in general feels right to me. also my Celtic spirituality melds nicely with my beliefs.   death life rebirth (as in the Celtic spiral) says it all.  In the bible is says, "ashes to ashes, dust to dust"; not sure what a physicist would say, atoms to atoms, photons to photons?

We must remember that we are made of particles from dying stars, and our mass is pure energy. What could be more sacred than that. It means we are one and the same as everything else.

We belong to no cult.
We are not Nature Lovers.
We don't love nature any more
than we love breathing.
Nature is simply something indispensable,
like air and light and water,
that we accept as necessary to living,
and the nearer we can get to
it the happier we are.

- Louise Dickenson Rich

Geology

I love geology and I have found a nice set of geology youtube videos. So I thought it would be helpful get some rock kits for igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock. I was stunned at the prices. I mean they are rocks and of course there are differentiations pointed out. But there is no way I can afford $60-$100 for a box of rocks. I am so disappointed. I really need the hands on approach to learning.

There is a gem show near me this weekend, but I don't recall any collections on igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Will try to stop on my way home from trail riding. Even a couple rocks would help. I have two jewelers loupes to look at rocks.

The process of defining my Spirituality and Pantheism

I am in the process of working on an outline of how I feel about Nature, Science and how this works in relation to my spirituality.

My spirituality has always meant alot to me, but I was lost. Judeo/Christian was out since i was 8 years old. I didn't mention Islam because I only really came to know of it about 20 years ago. I am hoping to get a copy of the Quran to read. But to continue on, between 8 and 59, I am only now figuring it out. I am at the point where I feel Science is the 4th great book religion!

Any comments are welcome no matter your religion or feelings on the subject of pantheism.