Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to ….

Some recent water stories for your consideration:

“Collecting rainwater now illegal in many states as Big Government claims ownership over our water.” That headline actually ran in July 2010 on Natural News in an article that details how diverting rainwater from your roof is severely restricted in many Western States. What I found most interesting, especially in light of the video I posted yesterday was this little tidbit about Utah:

“After constructing a large rainwater collection system at his new dealership to use for washing new cars, Miller found out that the project was actually an ‘unlawful diversion of rainwater.’ Even though it makes logical conservation sense to collect rainwater for this type of use since rain is scarce in Utah, it’s still considered a violation of water rights which apparently belong exclusively to Utah’s various government bodies.

“‘Utah’s the second driest state in the nation. Our laws probably ought to catch up with that,’ explained Miller in response to the state’s ridiculous rainwater collection ban.

“Salt Lake City officials worked out a compromise with Miller and are now permitting him to use ‘their’ rainwater, but the fact that individuals like Miller don’t actually own the rainwater that falls on their property is a true indicator of what little freedom we actually have here in the U.S. (Access to the rainwater that falls on your own property seems to be a basic right, wouldn’t you agree?)”

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/029286_rainwater_collection_water.html#ixzz2ne0EJQNz

For those who didn’t watch the entire video yesterday, the Corbett Report reveals how the NSA data collection facility in Utah will require 1.7 million gallons of water per day in order to run. The city of Bluffdale, Utah supplies that water, so there’s now a movement to demand that Bluffdale stop providing material support to violators of the Fourth Amendment. Water — one of the four sacred elements — has become a point of power. In the “second driest state in the nation” does it make any sense to divert 1.7 million gallons per day for a spying program that no one but a bunch of paranoid control freaks and bought off politicians want to run? (Pro-NSA Congressional voters got twice the defense industry campaign contributions.)

Spying is one thing, and could (and does) have its own posts, but water, ah, water, we would do well to remember and reclaim your value. I posted a couple weeks ago about ho’oponopono as a spiritual offering to heal the waters. That’s one level of healing, but we would be wise to honor water, by purifying, protecting, preserving and conserving it. With the Gulf Oil “Spill,” Corexit “clean-up” nightmare, Fukushima, fracking and God/dess knows what else, I’ve had this issue of poisoned and controlled water on my radar for awhile. I’ve also watched with growing concern Nestle CEO’s comments and actions supporting the idea that “Water is not a human right; [it] should be privatized.” Reading “The Fifth Sacred Thing,” by Starhawk, has amplified my awareness of the control mechanism working behind the scenes. In that book — a realistic vision of what could easily happen when water wars become more overt than they already are — water becomes the key to totalitarian control.

I just ran across this under the radar news in the Midwest, an area that has suffered droughts, but which seems to have lots of available water in the Great Lakes:

“A little more than a year ago, The Center for Western Journalism ran a story on Obama’s war on America’s fresh water supply. People scoffed and called the outlet doomsdayers and Obama naysayers, but now, it appears their warnings may have been accurate, as record low levels for the American Great Lakes have been reported.

“The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers reported earlier this year that Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have achieved their lowest water levels since records for such information began being kept back in 1918. In spite of the record low levels, the Obama administration has still given the go-ahead to export water from the lakes to China for commercial sale, to the tune of between half a million and nearly two million dollars a day in profits. Nestle corporation, a Swiss company, is also sold water from the Great Lakes.

“Little known to many, is the fact that the Great Lakes hold roughly 20% of the world’s fresh water supply, and much of that water is being exported to other countries due to a loop hole being exploited by the Obama administration. Knowing how precious fresh water is, and how rare it is in much of the rest of the world, former U.S. President George W. Bush set aside the water in the Great Lakes to be protected. However, the Obama administration has relabeled the water in the lakes a ‘commodity’ which allows them to sell it, which is what they are doing.

“In the past, only third world countries struggled with fresh water supplies. This was a harsh reality in rough parts of the world that Americans had always been sheltered from. But now that the Obama administration has allowed for the privatization of America’s water sources, Americans too may someday soon understand the struggles of simply obtaining fresh water.” (source)

I could spend all morning linking to articles to prove my point, but I’d rather use this information to pivot back towards what I do want. In a world where collecting rain water from our own roofs is (or likely will eventually become) illegal, what can we do? First, we can collect water while we still can. We can also align ourselves with the sacred element of water. We can learn to work with Nature like natives have done for millennia — rain dancing, speaking with the Undines — the water elementals and asking for their support. In exchange, we can do our part to demand an end to fracking, to demand implementation of solutions to Fukushima and to stop thinking of the ocean as our personal dumping grounds. We can stop using toxic cleaning products, and we can convert our water hogging lawns into native landscaping, or –better yet — edible yards.

We can learn permaculture principles that help to make the most natural use of water, through digging swales, enriching our soil so it can hold more water, and using loads of mulch, especially wood mulch, which can absorb massive amounts of water and then release it like a sponge as needed. Organic mulch like wood, leaves or straw also enriches soil and keeps it cooler, a double whammy for water conservation. We can plant more trees and create microclimates that foster water retention. (The book, “Gaia’s Garden” is a good place to turn for inspiration and instructions.)

We can press for more mainstream options to our outmoded and incredibly wasteful sewage system. Things like humanure and composting toilets, or even something as simple as collecting your urine in a bottle and dumping it onto your compost pile or diluting it to fertilize your plants — all of these things reduce the amount of water we waste every single day. Low flow washing machines and shower heads, fixing any obvious drips or leaks, adding a stone to the tanks of higher flow toilets to displace some of the gallons used to flush — conserving water in our homes allows more for gardening and drinking.

I will leave you with a message from the Hopi and a water Rune. This last part is repeated from an earlier post on water, but their petition has still not received quite enough signatures:

Here’s the Hopi message to our world:

“The Hopi call on all people from around the world to protect the element of water, life itself, for all people, for all life on this planet.

“We, the Traditional Hopi people as Caretakers of the land are asking you to now come forward in your communities to protect the waters in your area as well as help us stop the United States Senate from passing Senate Bill 2109.

“For the first time in history the True Hopi Leaders of the Mother Village of Shungopavi are speaking to the public. They share a warning for the world that the Prophecies of the their Ancestors is now taking place.

“Each year we plant our Sacred Corn in the dry sand fields of the Arizona desert. Calling for the rain clouds to come and bless our people, our crops and all the world in our Ceremonies. We follow in the footsteps of our Ancestors we have followed for thousands of years.

“We the True Traditional Hopi Indians of Arizona request respectfully an immediate and complete stop to Senate Bill 2109 from being passed. This Bill and its companion Bill will give private corporations the rights to our water with immunity to pollute, waste and sell the element of life itself, water.

“Your support is needed to stop the prophecies of our Ancestors from unfolding and protect all life on the planet. This is a warning to the world, if the waters are taken from our people, the world will dry up.

“WE THE HOPI PEOPLE ARE OPPOSED TO THIS BILL

“Join us in Protecting Life, Protecting the Future and Protecting the Life of Water.”

For more information: www.traditionalhopi.org

email: HopiPetition@traditionalhopi.org

email: elders@traditionalhopi.org

Here’s a link to the petition itself.

Remembering to recognize and honor the sacred element of water brings balance and flow to life. It can also make you more aware of the beauty and interconnectedness of all things. You can click here to read a magickal story that happened during the 2011 drought, and here’s some information on the Rune I mention in that post:

Leguu, also called LAF, Lagu, or Laguz, is the oldest Rune, symbolizing water, flow and laughter. When you feel dry inside or outside, brittle, unable to laugh or connect with the Source of all abundance, you can draw upon this Rune to shift your energy. Motion it over a drink or scratch it onto the land; form sticks into this shape. Runes are not just for divination! They are building blocks of the Universe. LAF will calm your emotions, allowing more positive manifestations in your life. Create and flow:

Leguu/LAF/Lagu

Yes, we face challenges from those who do recognize the power of water, as well as from our own negligence in caring for this precious element. Fortunately, we can transform this situation through multiple levels of awareness, intention, healing, and action. May we each do our part.

“All know that the drop merges into the ocean, but few know that the ocean merges into the drop.” ~Kabir