{"id":32256,"date":"2025-09-25T01:04:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T05:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=32256"},"modified":"2025-12-29T18:58:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T22:58:31","slug":"codys-column-for-the-love-of-wisdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2025\/09\/25\/codys-column-for-the-love-of-wisdom\/","title":{"rendered":"Cody\u2019s Column: For the Love of Wisdom"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
My friend Jay Bowen, an Upper Skagit Elder created this wonderful work of art within his community.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

What wisdom does your land hold?\u00a0 How about the people who live there?\u00a0 These are two essential questions that have guided me on a quest to become more connected and explore a realm beyond my own, uncomfortable at times, but filled with adventure.\u00a0 It all started when I began working at the local library a little over a year ago.\u00a0 I had just finished a stint on an organic apple orchard, picking apples, juicing them, and bottling the juice on site.\u00a0 Before that, I had worked on my own farm, during which I experienced a manic episode that nearly separated me from reality and all that I love.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The library had been a welcome refuge for us when we first arrived in our tiny upriver community.\u00a0 Despite being small, they were a safe space for us to explore and get acquainted with our new surroundings.\u00a0 We checked out books on homesteading, local history, books for pleasure and books for purpose.\u00a0 My kids attended events there and grew connected to the staff, the first friendly faces of our new community.\u00a0 I felt at home for the first time in a long time in this mountain town along a magic river with so much forest to explore.\u00a0 I never thought that I would be working this close to the heart of my community.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Our group meets once a month in our local Library. Photo courtesy of Erica Brown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I started at the library, I began thinking about being connected to my community more.\u00a0 A local patron who often came in and I had pleasant conversations with mentioned being interested in a philosophy group.\u00a0 Another patron said the same thing, then another.\u00a0 My friend and the landowner whose farm we share mentioned that there used to be a group that met and discussed philosophy in the local community.\u00a0 They disbanded before Covid, becoming a bit divided politically.\u00a0 I wanted to be part of a group that could move beyond politics and division, a collective that could explore the depths of wisdom.\u00a0 For the Love of Wisdom was born in the cool rainy month of October, nearly a year ago now.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Wisdom weathers our local sandstone into wonderful and beautiful shapes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We started by asking what is wisdom?\u00a0 How does wisdom apply to you in everyday life? How do you see wisdom playing a role in your local community?\u00a0 I gathered all the books I could find in the library on wisdom topics from as many different sources as possible.\u00a0 We shared our thoughts and vision for where the group was headed, and I got to work organizing speakers to cover the topics the group was interested in.\u00a0 Several members in the group were confident enough to present on topics they were interested in.\u00a0 Aveda Vedanta philosophy, Blackfoot community raising, Taoism, Runes, Ancient Goddess Religions, and Grief.\u00a0 We reached out to our larger community and brought in speakers to share about the philosophy of Max Stiner, a message about connection from the Matrix movies, the wisdom of being prepared in case of natural disaster, and the wisdom of the Upper Skagit Tribe.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This once frequently used bridge support now stands along the Baker River as a reminder of the lifeways of our community and stands on the location of an Upper Skagit village.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We acknowledge the indigenous land we meet on, pass around a talking stick, agree to a social contract that binds us to listening with empathy and understanding, ask questions, and usually stay after to mingle and share our connections.\u00a0 Now that we are coming up on one year meeting together, we are considering having meals together and inviting the larger community to join to have conversations about what makes each of us human.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A beautiful dahlia opens in our field surrounded by an ancient forest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a time where ideologies seem to divide, For the Love of Wisdom is a group that brings back listening.\u00a0 We are a diverse group of people, and if anyone should come to us for advice, they would receive a diverse group of answers, but they would always feel like they have been listened to.\u00a0 That is the edge that this group brings to our community.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As a Pagan, being involved in my community involves a commitment to listening.\u00a0 The voices I have heard have profoundly changed my path, and the connections I have formed help me to continue this work of bringing people together to listen.\u00a0 It may be small, but it is beautiful in my eyes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My encouragement to you is to reach out to your local library and ask them if such a group already exists.\u00a0 If not, I highly recommend that you seek other community members that could help you form the foundation of a group of people who can come together and listen, share their wisdom, and seek out the voices of others in your community.\u00a0 We have a social contract that I share with all those who attend, agreeing that we will listen with empathy and understanding to each other, monitor our air time, and respect the space we occupy.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The beauty of where I live reminds me that my eyes are not the first to see.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your local Indigenous People deserve to share their history to a group of people who will listen and seek to form equitable relationships.\u00a0 We have learned so much as a group from our Upper Skagit friends, about life ways, resilience, difficult history, and the importance of telling our story.\u00a0 Start here, with the wisdom of the people who lived with the land for millennia. They have something to offer that will take a lifetime to understand but will reveal in a heartbeat that we are all connected.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Support your local libraries and find out what programs they offer.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be shy about requesting books that connect with your story.\u00a0 Frequent this space and be willing to connect with your community in one of the few remaining sacred spaces we can gather together from all walks of life and just listen.\u00a0 Then, walk into the forest and see how the trees have been teaching us how to connect all along.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As we move into a new season and begin to observe the beauty of letting go, I will reflect on my experiences with Cernunnos and the Druid Craft Tarot Deck to bring you a timely message next month.\u00a0 Until then, breathe in the cooler air and find what brings you deep calm.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I am a husband, father, farmer, and friend. I live on the banks of the Magic Skagit River, ancestral lands of the Sauk-Suiattle people. I practice rune reading, tarot, land magic, and work with many spirit guides. My life began Pagan but I veered off into the Christian church in college. I found my way back to my Pagan and ancestral roots in 2005 and have journeyed along this path since then.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What wisdom does your land hold?\u00a0 How about the people who live there?\u00a0 These are two essential questions that have guided me on a quest to become more connected and explore a realm beyond my own, uncomfortable at times, but filled with adventure.\u00a0 It all started when I began working at the local library a little over a year ago.\u00a0 I had just finished a stint on an organic apple orchard, picking apples, juicing them, and bottling the juice on site.\u00a0 Before that, I had worked on my own farm, during which I experienced a manic episode that nearly separated me from reality and all that I love.   The library had been a welcome refuge for us when we first arrived in our tiny upriver community.\u00a0 Despite being small, they were a safe space for us to explore and get acquainted with our new surroundings.\u00a0 We checked out books on homesteading, local history, books for pleasure and books for purpose.\u00a0 My kids attended events there and grew connected to the staff, the first friendly faces of our new community.\u00a0 I felt at home for the first time in a long time in this mountain town along a magic river with so much forest to explore.\u00a0 I never thought that I would be working this close to the heart of my community. When I started at the library, I began thinking about being connected to my community more.\u00a0 A local patron who often came in and I had pleasant conversations with mentioned being interested in a philosophy group.\u00a0 Another patron said the same thing, then another.\u00a0 My friend and the landowner whose farm we share mentioned that there used to be a group that met and discussed philosophy in the local community.\u00a0 They disbanded before Covid, becoming a bit divided politically.\u00a0 I wanted to be part of a group that could move beyond politics and division, a collective that could explore the depths of wisdom.\u00a0 For the Love of Wisdom was born in the cool rainy month of October, nearly a year ago now. We started by asking what is wisdom?\u00a0 How does wisdom apply to you in everyday life? How do you see wisdom playing a role in your local community?\u00a0 I gathered all the books I could find in the library on wisdom topics from as many different sources as possible.\u00a0 We shared our thoughts and vision for where the group was headed, and I got to work organizing speakers to cover the topics the group was interested in.\u00a0 Several members in the group were confident enough to present on topics they were interested in.\u00a0 Aveda Vedanta philosophy, Blackfoot community raising, Taoism, Runes, Ancient Goddess Religions, and Grief.\u00a0 We reached out to our larger community and brought in speakers to share about the philosophy of Max Stiner, a message about connection from the Matrix movies, the wisdom of being prepared in case of natural disaster, and the wisdom of the Upper Skagit Tribe. We acknowledge the indigenous land we meet on, pass around a talking stick, agree to a social contract that binds us to listening with empathy and understanding, ask questions, and usually stay after to mingle and share our connections.\u00a0 Now that we are coming up on one year meeting together, we are considering having meals together and inviting the larger community to join to have conversations about what makes each of us human. In a time where ideologies seem to divide, For the Love of Wisdom is a group that brings back listening.\u00a0 We are a diverse group of people, and if anyone should come to us for advice, they would receive a diverse group of answers, but they would always feel like they have been listened to.\u00a0 That is the edge that this group brings to our community.   As a Pagan, being involved in my community involves a commitment to listening.\u00a0 The voices I have heard have profoundly changed my path, and the connections I have formed help me to continue this work of bringing people together to listen.\u00a0 It may be small, but it is beautiful in my eyes.   My encouragement to you is to reach out to your local library and ask them if such a group already exists.\u00a0 If not, I highly recommend that you seek other community members that could help you form the foundation of a group of people who can come together and listen, share their wisdom, and seek out the voices of others in your community.\u00a0 We have a social contract that I share with all those who attend, agreeing that we will listen with empathy and understanding to each other, monitor our air time, and respect the space we occupy. Your local Indigenous People deserve to share their history to a group of people who will listen and seek to form equitable relationships.\u00a0 We have learned so much as a group from our Upper Skagit friends, about life ways, resilience, difficult history, and the importance of telling our story.\u00a0 Start here, with the wisdom of the people who lived with the land for millennia. They have something to offer that will take a lifetime to understand but will reveal in a heartbeat that we are all connected.   Support your local libraries and find out what programs they offer.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be shy about requesting books that connect with your story.\u00a0 Frequent this space and be willing to connect with your community in one of the few remaining sacred spaces we can gather together from all walks of life and just listen.\u00a0 Then, walk into the forest and see how the trees have been teaching us how to connect all along.   As we move into a new season and begin to observe the beauty of letting go, I will reflect on my experiences with Cernunnos and the Druid Craft Tarot Deck to bring you a timely message next month.\u00a0 Until then, breathe in the cooler air and find what brings you deep calm. I am a husband, father, farmer, and friend. I live on the banks of the Magic Skagit River, ancestral lands of the Sauk-Suiattle people. I practice rune reading, tarot, land magic, and work with many spirit guides. My life began Pagan but I veered off into the Christian church in college. I found my way back to my Pagan and ancestral roots in 2005 and have journeyed along this path since then.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":295,"featured_media":32260,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10004],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-monthly-columns"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32256"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32267,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32256\/revisions\/32267"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}