 Instantaneous He Won't Commit We Don't Own the Land Too Much Sex  Ask the Shaman Yourself |
We Don't Own the Land Dear Shaman: My father recently passed away, leaving a rather sizable estate to be divided between my mother and five children. One of the assets was an almost 1000 acre farm located in Iowa that has been in the family for 97 years. The farm has never been a money making operation, losing several thousand dollars per year mostly from taxes. It has, since I was a small boy, always been the meeting place for all the aunts, uncles, cousins etc. in our family. Summers were always spent working the land, hunting or fishing with my dad. It was, in truth, the family homestead. Now, two of my brothers want to sell it because of the cost of operation and because of the money their portion would yield. I'm totally opposed to selling part of our heritage. Is there anything I can do? Angry heir Dear Angry: One of the tragedies of the West is their lack of respect for the energy of the land. The West is fixated on "things". To your brothers the land is a "thing" worth so many other "things" (dollars). Earth based cultures always understood we never could "own" the land… we could only use it. It's interesting to note that the native American Indians always referred to the land in relation to its purpose. A section might be known as "Buffalo run here" or "pond with reeds" or "grove of berries." It was never: "Forty acres" or a series of boundary stakes. In that sense the land was "where your family met and loved." Your brothers selling it will never change that. What it will do is emphasize their lack of genuine feeling and understanding for the sacred space it became to your family. If you can't change their minds, or buy it yourself, don't let your anger erase the reverence and appreciation for the energy you shared in the land the earth let your family use for almost a century. Tips for Staying in Touch Urban culture with its pollution, perfumes, and just plain fumes has overwhelmed our sense of smell. The subtle beauty, power and energy of the fresh flower, the grass after a rain, the pine cones in the forest, the freshly cut grass have all but been lost. Make a list of the kinds of natural things you want to smell and experience… and then do them one by one! |
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