Feminists From The United States

"We don't ideologically believe in the separation of spirit and matter, but in practice, we still tend to think that things that are too material, too real-life, are somehow not as spiritual. So a trance to Faery is perceived as "spiritual," whereas a trance to a Brazilian favela slum is not. We can argue about the reality of Faery, but the favela is undeniably real. If we truly believe that our spirituality is about deep interconnectedness, maybe it's more important for us to grapple internally with the reality of the favela than to dance with the faeries."

"Spirituality and ritual are not something removed from the world, but are deeply embedded in it. Reclaiming is founded on Earth-based spirituality, which rejects the split between spirit and matter, and claims nature and the physical, material world as equally sacred with the spirit."

"When we founded Reclaiming two decades ago, our intention was to bring together the spiritual and the political. Or more accurately, some of us for whom the spiritual and the political were inseparable wanted to create a practice and community that reflected this integration. Now, with the Bush forces pushing into an aggressive war, with horrific environmental and social problems left unaddressed, the need for activism is stronger than ever. The stakes have never been higher, and the sense of urgency is palpable."

"No sane person with a life really wants to be a political activist. When activism is exciting, it tends to involve the risk of bodily harm or incarceration, and when it's safe, it is often tedious, dry, and boring. Activism tends to put one into contact with extremely unpleasant people, whether they are media interviewers, riot cops, or at times, your fellow activists. Not only that, it generates enormous feelings of frustration and rage, makes your throat sore from shouting, and hurts your feet. Nonetheless, at this moment in history, we are called to act as if we truly believe that the Earth is a living, conscious being that we're part of, that human beings are interconnected and precious, and that liberty and justice for all is a desirable thing."

"In a culture where profit has become the true God, self-sacrifice can seem incomprehensible rather than noble. (p215)"

"This is how it works: Someone has a vision that arises from a fierce and passionate love. To make it real, we must love every moment of what we do. Impermanent spirals embed themselves in asphalt, concrete, dust. Slowly, slowly, they eat into the foundations of the structures of power. Deep transformations take time. Regeneration arises from decay. Si, se puede! It can be done. (p26)"

""Another world is possible!" is the slogan created at the World Social Forum in Brazil in 2001. Another world is also necessary, for this one is unjust, unsustainable, and unsafe. It's up to us to envision, fight for, and create that world, a world of freedom, real justice, balance, and shared abundance, a world woven in a new design. (p8)"

"We join together to earth the power of the season and to slip between the worlds, the voices saying to every one of us, "Wake up, you are it, you are a part of the circle of the wise. There is no mystery that has not already been revealed to you. There is no power you do not already have. You share in all the love there is. The goddess awakens in infinite forms and a thousand disguises. She is found where she is least expected, appears out of nowhere and everywhere to illumine the open heart. She is singing, crying, moaning, wailing, shrieking, crooning to us, to be awake, to commit ourselves to life, to be a lover in the world and of the world, to join our voices in the single song of constant change and creation. For her law is to love all beings, and she is the cup of the drink of life. The circle is ever open, ever unbroken."

"London Bridge is safe and sound No matter what you keep repeating Nothing's gonna drag me down To a death that's not worth cheating"

"Elliott: "Do you want to hear a happy or a sad song?" Crowd: "Happy!" Elliott: "Old or new?" Crowd: "Old!" Elliott: "Happy and old, that's a strange choice.""

"The clock moved a quarter of a turn, the time it took a cigarette to burn"

"Wearing clothes that clash Wondering 'is this treasure, is this trash?' Still trying to decide"

"I'm sorry you seem so stung, and I'm sorry you feel you have to hold your tongue when you're so pretty and smart"

"Here come your pride and joy The comic little drunk you call your boy, Making everybody smile"

"Your arsenal of excuses you never told her when you walked out on the savannah shoulder with your veins all full of beer thinking 'well at least now everything is clear'"

"Don't you know that I love you? sometimes I feel like only a cold still life only a frozen still life that fell down here to lay beside you."

"I'd say you make the perfect angel in the snow all crushed out on the way you are, I'd better stop before it goes too far."

"Next door, the TV's flashing blue frames on the wall. It's a comedy from the seventies with a lead no one recalls. He vanished into oblivion it's easy to do and I cried a sea when you talked to me the day you said we were through. But it's all right, some enchanted night I'll be with you"

"And though you'd rather see me gone then to see there come the day, I'll be waiting for you anyway"

"Shine on me, baby cause it's raining in my heart."

"You disappoint me, all you people raking in on the world. The devil's script sells you the heart of a blackbird."

"My mama told me 'baby stay clean there's no in between.' but all you ladies and you gentlemen, between is all you've ever seen or been."

"You don't deserve to be lonely, but those drugs you got won't make you feel better. Pretty soon you'll find it's the only little part of your life you're keeping together."

"Haven't laughed this hard in a long time I better stop now before I start crying Go off to sleep in the sunshine I don't want to see the day when its dying."

"Because your candle burns too bright well, I almost forgot it was twilight. Even if I think that you are right, well, I'm tired of being down, I got no fight. You're wonderful, and it's beautiful, but I'm already somebody's baby. And if i went with you, I'd disappoint you, too."

"Gimme one good reason not to do it (because we love you), so do it."

"This is the place where time reverses. Dead men talk to all the pretty nurses. Instruments shine on a silver tray Don't let me get carried away."

"The scraping subjects, ruled by fear, they told me whiskey works better than beer."

"Veins full of disappearing ink Vomitting in the kitchen sink."

"I see you're leaving me and taking up with the enemy the cold comfort of the in between a little less than a human being a little less than a happy high a little less than a suicide the only things that you really tried."

"I met a girl, snowball in hell she was hard and as cracked as the liberty bell."

"So I wait for confirmation That you're never gonna use your starting gun."

"I'm comfortable apart, it's all written on my chart And I take what's given me, most cooperatively I do what people say and lie in bed all day Absolutely horrified, I hope you're satisfied"

"This is the place you end up when you lose the chase, Where you're dragged against your will from a basement on a hill, And all anybody knows, is you're not like them, So they kick you in the head...and send you back to bed."

"The first true love that folded at the slightest touch, brought down like an old hotel, people digging through the rubble for things they can resell."

"What I used to be will pass away, and then you'll see That all I want now is happiness for you and me."

"Everything here is free Everything but you and me This painting never dries Stupidity tries"

"Bored in a role, but he can't stop Standing up to sit back down, and lose the one thing found. Spinning the world like a toy top 'till there's a ghost in every town."

"I waited for a bus To separate the both of us And take me off far away from you 'Cause my feelings never change a bit I always feel like shit I don't know why; I guess that I "just do""

"The first time I saw you I knew it would never last I'm not half what I wish I was I'm so angry I don't think it'll ever pass And I was bad news for you just because I never meant to hurt you"

"She appears composed So she is, I suppose Who can really tell? She shows no emotion at all Stares into space like a dead china doll"

"They took your life apart And called your failures art They were wrong, though They won't know 'Til tomorrow"

"It's a picture perfect evening And I'm staring down the sun Fully loaded, deaf, and dumb And done waiting for sedation to disconnect my head Or any situation where I'm better off than dead"

"I'm in love with the world, Through the eyes of a girl, Who's still around the morning after."

"Crooked spin can't come to rest, I'm damaged bad at best."

"I'm going out now like a baby A naïve unsatisfiable baby Grabbing onto whatever's around For the soaring high or the crushing down With hidden cracks that don't show, but that constantly just grow."

"I could make you satisfied in everything you do, All your secret wishes could right now be coming true And be forever with my poisoned arms Around you. No one's gonna fool around with us."

"Drink up, baby, look at the stars I'll kiss you again Between the bars Where I'm seeing you there With your hands in the air Waiting to finally be caught Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine..."

"I'm looking at a hand full of broken plans And I'm tired of playing it down You just want her to do anything to you There ain't nothing you won't allow You wake up in the middle of the night From a dream you won't remember flashing on like a cop's light You say she's waiting and I know what for The white lady loves you more"

"I'm a junkyard full of false starts And I don't need your permission To bury my love under this bare light bulb. The moon is a sickle cell It'll kill you in time."