A Critique of Octavia Butler’s “Destiny”

"The Destiny of Earthseed is to take root among the stars." — Parable of the Sower (1993) by Octavia Butler Cover art for Parable of the Sower by John Jude Palencar Editor's Note: This is a shortened version of a longer essay titled "The Most Dangerous Story Ever Told: Ecological Collapse, Progress, and Human Destiny",Continue reading "A Critique of Octavia Butler’s “Destiny”"

The Most Dangerous Story Ever Told: Environmental Collapse, Progress, and Human Destiny

As time goes on, more and more of my daily news feed consists of reports of ecological collapse: fires, hurricanes, floods, droughts. It's increasingly easy to believe the earth is telling us to leave.

We won’t be the first civilization to collapse — but we may well be the last

"Our civilization's collapse will be unique in size, magnified by the destructive force of our fossil fuel-driven industrial society. But it will replicate the familiar patterns of collapse that toppled civilizations of the past."

Is Paganism Really an Earth-Centered Religion

Many Pagans and scholars of Paganism presume that Paganism is and always has been an earth-centered religion. But this claim needs to be interrogated closely by academics and participants alike to determine whether and to what extent Pagan beliefs and practices are actually earth-centered.