Here, one of EcoSanta's Favourite EcoSongs combines with stunning Hebridean coastal scenery to create a person/planet healing experience. To the tune of Robbie Burns' famous song 'My love is like a red red rose', 'ONLY NOW is an example of eco-lyrics set to famous, out-of-copyright, beautiful old tunes. Eco-lyrics are by me, Gaia Dance.
I've been writing ecological lyrics to famous out-of-copyright tunes for seven years and have composed lyrics to 88, 47 of which have been recorded by various artists, from children's choirs to professional musician/singers, both sides of the Atlantic. All my EcoSongs consist of positive, empowering, celebratory, uplifting eco-lyrics set to famous out-of-copyright songs, anthems, carols and hymns.
This document sets out, briefly, 21 developmental lines, using the EcoSanta concept. It gives an idea of the potential of the EcoSanta concept if adopted by Western culture. These 21 points build on each other, cross-reference where appropriate. Taken together, they form an integrative whole, an opportunity to press the Green Button on EcoSanta as a prime mover in cultural change for the next generation.
1 Traditional. Santa, as presently conceived, holds the place of the magic and miraculous in the young child's mind. It's put there by Western culture. It is the elements of the magical and miraculous the child may, as an adult, birth into his/her life. Wonderful!
2 Present culture. Western secular culture fully endorses and supports this annual winter coming-together celebration, with Santa at its heart for children. There has been no attempt to do away with Santa, as there has with gods. He's been fully appropriated by the commercial world. In an eco-conscious western culture, EcoSanta is ripe for development.
3 EcoSanta's genesis. Brainchild of Ecologisers, the Young People's International Anti-litter and Environmental Charity, the EcoSanta concept can serve the whole spectrum of environmental causes and pro-Earth movements. There is no copyright on ideas. Everything environmental can sail on EcoSanta's flagship. I have written 80 EcoSongs – positive, celebratory, uplifting, empowering eco-lyrics – using famous old songs 'branded' as 'EcoSanta's Favourite EcoSongs'.
4 Effect of the Santa-mythology. The current persona of Santa as the children's greatest gift-giver sits well with seeding a cultural attitude of 'gie-me, gie-me'. On a finite planet, this puts a big fly in pleasure's ointment. Basically, EcoSanta represents pay-back time. EcoSanta is asking children for their help, environmentally. (Not for a mince-pie and drink.) 'Once his sack is empty, EcoSanta is asking children, worldwide, to help him fill it with rubbish the rest of the year as a Gift to the Earth.' The big 'thank-you' for the mammoth gift-donation he's invested in with the children's parents and grandparents.
5 Deep pattern. EcoSanta is evolving as a mythological character. Simultaneously, he is going back to his roots. This a Virtuous Spiral. A pattern for real growth and progress.
6 Positioning 1. We live in a global culture that does not have one source of spirituality, earth-oriented, as did First Peoples. Spirituality today is sub-divided into formalised religions, often, but not always, nationalistically based. Santa, Father Christmas, or even EcoSanta does not extend beyond Western culture. Nevertheless, potentially EcoSanta does stand as a mythological, ecological hero of unparalleled influence. The best available to us in our fragmented global culture with its diversity of belief systems.
7 Positioning 2. Mind-body-spirit ethos. Both the humanist and the scientific approach will easily accommodate a secular, mythological, ecological hero into an existing worldview paradigm. Indeed, for anyone, the EcoSanta concept is not a quantum leap, more a question of seeing and maximising on his potential to serve a very necessary cultural change.
8 EcoSanta's power potential. The core of EcoSanta's power is found through a close acquaintance with the child-brain, pre 6 years old. This young human brain is wholistic, osmotic, readily programmed by the culture-of-birth. The pre-6 year old brain is where the commercial world currently targets Santa Claus. The substitution of EcoSanta means what is seeded is an automatic ecological awareness from an integrated congruent worldview, rather than a fragmented one.
9 Integrated Thinking. Integrated Thinking is based on patterns, interconnections, interdependence. It's a close match for the working of the ecosystem on Planet Earth. To seed an integrated worldview in a child's mind is surely the greatest of EcoSanta's gifts. The quick route to programming the next generation into the reality of the real world as given by the Earth. This puts any culture into its correct framework: as an expression of diversity, human style.
10 Earth first, subliminally. This way of seeing comes when we put Earth rather than the human species, first. Yet, EcoSanta will still perform his traditional role on Christmas Eve, so children are in no way disadvantaged.
11 EcoSanta as character-developer. The seeding, in a child's mind of helping, of taking responsibility, is a character-developer. This is another pluspoint.
12 The time is right. Before he takes up his new job, EcoSanta is in tune with the culture; children's environmental awareness.
13 Hero-model. The ecological evolution to EcoSanta imparts a 'working with' idea in young minds. Co-operation with a great hero is something used by many sports, to stratospherically uprate the ambition of youngsters. It works, too!
14 Natural development. Mythologically, Santa Claus is the greatest gift-giver. For him to head up a giving, helping attitude is formative as a way-to-be in the world.
15 Artistic cultural expression. EcoSanta and any art-form. Any EcoSanta development is multi-interpretive. Unique to each Santa who chooses to embrace the identity-change towards a public image more relevant, robust, real and long lasting. From pantomime to pix and pictures for social media.
16 The human heart is open. The Santa-experience happens at a time of year when people's hearts are open, so is more likely to take fire.
17 Substantive uprate. Santa should not be confined to the 'Christmas bubble'. But given a year-long background identity as a hero-figure instrumental in helping young people and the planet.
18 Loving EcoSanta. The human heart naturally warms to anyone who steps 'outside role' in the cause of greater good and intrinsic worth.
19 Transformative. EcoSanta offers a huge uprate in the identity of Santa Claus. A contemporary modernisation giving EcoSanta a significant role in re-shaping the culture.
20 EcoSanta's character-development. This innovative Santa Claus is 'in-character'. There's a whole history of Santa's identity changing and evolving.
21 Fun! Fun may be the last thing adults expect when debating serious ecological and survival issues. It's the equivalent of lighting a beautiful candle in the darkness. Yet EcoSanta can claim a status as a hero with a thousand faces (Joseph Campbell refers.) Einstein said: 'Imagination is greater than knowledge'. EcoSanta offers the full richness associated with rebirth, revaluing, re-seeing and renaissance. Website: https://www.ecosanta.co.uk
Anne Palmer
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