grope towards, that kind of society. . . . I see ecodefense and bioregionalism as being two sides of the path towards whatever society will become in the future, once we're through this catastrophic event that's coming up. (Foreman 1990, p. 65) Apocalypticism explains why Earth First'ers give priority to ecological resistance over lifestyle activism. Despite differing general priorities, many bioregionalists have taken these criticisms to heart, participating in direct action environmentalism. Meanwhile most Earth First'ers strive to live low impact lifestyles and to support bioregional initiatives. There is a significant and increasing overlap and collaboration among activists in these movements.
Perception, Invention and Expression in Earth-Based Spirituality
Earth-based spiritualities are based on personal experiences that foster a bonding with nature. These experiences are diverse, take place in different venues and are expressed in plural ways that are sometimes contested. These feelings may be intentionally precipitated through a variety of practices that are themselves a creative bricolage assembled from older religious traditions, especially Eastern and indigenous religions, combined with new inventions, such as neo-paganism, all stirred into an eclectic spiritual stew.
Road Shows and Ecovangelism
Like evangelistic circuit riders, environmental pagans travel from town to town trying to inspire greater activism in defence of the earth. Some, like Howie Wolke, eschew overtly religious language, speaking at length about the ecological characteristics of the specific areas for which they are campaigning, and speaking more obliquely of the 'intrinsic value' and 'magic' of the natural world, and of the need for greater 'passion' and 'wildness' in her defence.
Others have expressed more openly their earthen spirituality. In a song called 'Magic' the folksinger Dana Lyons speaks of 'feeling love' from the forest. Lyons recalls receiving another song from a tree that is expressing its sadness about its impending doom as loggers approach. Another Earth First! musician, Jesse 'Lone Wolf Circles' Hardin, has expressed both pantheistic and animistic perceptions in his pulsing ballads, urging listeners to dig down deep to connect with their own wild animal selves, which are capable of defending the earth. Joanne Rand's songs, like Lone Wolf's, express the animistic and spiritual perception that our ancestors inhabit this world with us. Her songs proclaim that we are 'never alone' and that 'the ancient ones' surround us and are 'in our bones'.
Still others, including the late Judy Bari and her protΓ©gΓ© Alisha Little Tree, wove their critique of patriarchy into overtly pagan songs. They especially liked the Charley Murphy song, 'Burning Times', which equates the burning of witches with the desecration of nature and expresses the ecofeminist conviction that the close, cultural (or 'natural') association between women and nature links them together, whether in destruction or in liberation. Along with diatribes against the timber corporations and corrupt pro-industry governments, their program included a number of deeply reverent songs. One, for example, exhorted listeners to humble themselves before the forest, the rivers and the oceans, so that all could be healed. A more playful ditty celebrated three important pathways to spiritual insight-marijuana, magic mushrooms and trees-and referred to them as the Holy Trinity.
What unites these diverse road show performers is their belief that the arts-especially music, poetry and photography-can transport persons imaginatively into the