Gipsy Kings cover Hotel California
Theosophists Assemble!
The conclave was afoot. I did not know the word "conclave" a year ago, but it is much like other impressive words, words like oubliette, catacomb, and autodidact. These words sound wholly serious, though I would be hard pressed to understand the meaning just by sounding it out.
A conclave is a meeting. Traditionally one where hard decisions need to be made, to the point where everyone is locked in until a common decision is made. Luckily for the Paracelsian Order, we are all enlightened people and therefore agree on everything, because we can see every eventuality spanning out in front of us like a map across space and time.
Wouldn't that be something? Actually, the annual Paracelsian Order conclave met at Madre Grande Monastery on June 29th, and there were many ideas and much altruistic passion. It was great to meet new people, all of us inspired by esoteric teachings and by living according to Theosophical principles.
What's more, is that Amber and I got to walk there through the mountain path leading from our place to the monastery. We were wandering up just as they were blowing the conch shell to start the conclave.
I was especially happy to meet Allison and Karina this visit, as well as Ken's husband Trin. Ken and Trin run the Live Oak Monastery in San Luis Obisbo. And of course, I was happy to see Ken, Sally, Monica, Marty, and Jonathan again. Sunny the dog was also in attendance, but from just outside the glass door to the patio.
What was also nice is that we all knew John Drais, and it is amazing to me that one man can inspire such a forward momentum of dedicated people. That was kind of the point of this conclave. How can all of us pick up the slack so we move forward successfully? Even though Amber and I just got here, we are just as willing as everyone else, but talking to everyone and getting their perspective on things helps us all work better as a team and as a family. It's a nice feeling. Also, I am confident Sally will lead things well, especially with Monica to help her.
There Will Be Blood!
Meanwhile, back at the farm, preparations were being made for a July 4th party. What this meant is that there was going to be a smoked pig. And where do pigs come from? The farm! And where are they bled out and butchered? About 20 feet from where we are temporarily residing! Yaaaay!
To begin with, our landlords, Don and Renee are extremely kind and generous people. I like them. I think they like us, but they are of course wary of vegetarians since they raise and slaughter their own animals. I made them feel a little easier after telling them I used to be a cook and learned to do some butchery myself. Then Don asked me if I could help him bring the pig down to the slaughter area so he could shoot it in the head.
My first thought was something along the lines of that elevator scene in The Shining. I wanted nothing to do with the whole idea. Then I wondered how I got to be so pretentious. It was an inner dialogue thing going on.
A part of the reason Amber and I became vegetarians in the first place was because of the way meat is mass manufactured which leads to prolific animal abuse. These good people treat their animals very well. They are happy animals, cruelty free. So in the spirit of learning new things I helped Don bring the pig down, but nothing after that. Amber and I would take Brutus on a park adventure so he didn't have to hear gunshots and smell buckets of blood all day. I can only imagine what our landlords think of the way we treat our rabbit like a child.
Long story short, moving the pig messed with me a little bit. It screamed! We put it in a mobile cage and it pressed its face against the bars and screamed bloody murder. If I was the type of person to tell myself "This is the way it is. Humans eat pigs, and they scream. Get used to it." Well, then I would desensitize myself to it, wouldn't I? Several years ago I was often wrist deep in animal blood just to make a meal and it wouldn't phase me. Now I don't eat meat, and I know there's another way to live. And this screaming pig, banging himself against the mobile fence as we walked it down to the gallows was a little disturbing to me.
I guess I'll leave it at that. I'm not a preachy vegetarian, just a guy with an occasional story to tell.
To update on a happy note. Even though Brutus and all of us are adjusting to the heat, it does get cool in the evening. This means every sunset we let him out to run around and he has a whole field to frolic and play in, only under our supervision though, obviously. There are other wild bunnies in the field too, but they haven't socialized yet. Brutus enjoys his free time thoroughly, and he's shedding more and more every day. He may acclimate to the mountains sooner than we do.
Bonus song: Gorillaz - Mountain Called Monkey
My first thought was something along the lines of that elevator scene in The Shining. I wanted nothing to do with the whole idea. Then I wondered how I got to be so pretentious. It was an inner dialogue thing going on.
A part of the reason Amber and I became vegetarians in the first place was because of the way meat is mass manufactured which leads to prolific animal abuse. These good people treat their animals very well. They are happy animals, cruelty free. So in the spirit of learning new things I helped Don bring the pig down, but nothing after that. Amber and I would take Brutus on a park adventure so he didn't have to hear gunshots and smell buckets of blood all day. I can only imagine what our landlords think of the way we treat our rabbit like a child.
Long story short, moving the pig messed with me a little bit. It screamed! We put it in a mobile cage and it pressed its face against the bars and screamed bloody murder. If I was the type of person to tell myself "This is the way it is. Humans eat pigs, and they scream. Get used to it." Well, then I would desensitize myself to it, wouldn't I? Several years ago I was often wrist deep in animal blood just to make a meal and it wouldn't phase me. Now I don't eat meat, and I know there's another way to live. And this screaming pig, banging himself against the mobile fence as we walked it down to the gallows was a little disturbing to me.
I guess I'll leave it at that. I'm not a preachy vegetarian, just a guy with an occasional story to tell.
To update on a happy note. Even though Brutus and all of us are adjusting to the heat, it does get cool in the evening. This means every sunset we let him out to run around and he has a whole field to frolic and play in, only under our supervision though, obviously. There are other wild bunnies in the field too, but they haven't socialized yet. Brutus enjoys his free time thoroughly, and he's shedding more and more every day. He may acclimate to the mountains sooner than we do.
Bonus song: Gorillaz - Mountain Called Monkey
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