The Philosophy of the Monarch Bear Film Projects

1. The film is to be a process film with interaction between the different aspects of the Celtic knot:
   • The filmed participants
   • The film makers
   • Nature, creatures, trees, etc…
   • Spirits, ancestors, deity, faery beings, humans, etc…
   • Past present and future
   • The Druid tradition - its rituals, mythology, poetry and music
   • The audience needs to be brought in as participants and have their imaginations activated by it so that they are full participants in their unique experience of the film process.
2. The film as an interactive process- A living being is meant to have a life of its own and will organically unfold and affect its own creative process. We shall observe and listen to the Tao (spirit, anima) of the film and co-create with it.
3. The film is meant to be a non-linear, circular spiral and perennial as nature is. It is meant to be ambiguous and fluid (not static) so that a new audience- even in the distant future can participate in co-creating an experience and relationship with it, one that is relevant to them.
4. The film is in harmony with the ancient story telling traditions. In the ancient Druid traditions, Druids could write Greek, etc… but purposely chose not to write their spiritual traditions down because the concrete linear nature of writing limits consciousness. Rather, art, poetry, music and mythic archetypal stories were told, performed and acted out-so that the tradition and the teaching story remained alive and vibrant and ever-changing for the participants. This is an attempt to translate the ancient spiritual processes, which were greatly diluted by the limitations of writing into a more inclusive, artistic and interactive medium (film).
5. The film as a community co-creative process and event, a collective artistic experience and experiment. In ancient times there was not the modern separation, hierarchy, stratification and creation of separate boxes (as there is now). The community-tribe-clan-family created all art, and spiritual events. Art and spirituality were totally interwoven with everyday life and everyone had a role in art/spirituality.
   
   In modern culture, art has been separated into separate arts (writing, poetry, music, dance, visual arts, theater, etc.) In addition the "arts" have become the purview of the professional artists (musicians, poets, actors, etc.) Ordinary people who are not seen as talented enough, gifted enough, special or good enough or well trained enough are discouraged from being artists. Rather, they are relegated to being passive observers to the professional performances of the "stars". This has destroyed the ancient place of the arts as functioning to connect us in community and encouraging all people to express their spirit given talents.
   
   The "Arts" have become the purview of a talented elite.
   
   This film is meant to heal this old destructive wound. It will include an interweaving of the talented professional artists with the ordinary members of a community of which they are a part and need to be a part.
6. In a similar way, as the professionalization and separation of "Art" from ordinary people and mundane everyday life, artists vs. non-artists, Religions have also developed a separation of a professional/elite/priesthood, priestess-hood from the community of women/men. This process has denied the spiritual development and power of all individuals and all communities. It has placed most of the spiritual power in the hands of a few, and denied and in fact forbidden the spiritual development of the majority of human beings. This has resulted in a good deal of soul loss and spiritual atrophy in the masses. This has been equally destructive as the relegation of the "Arts" to an elite few.
   The result of both has now flowered into a monstrous situation of materialism of harmonious for the majority of people, void of spirit and of art and harmony interconnection between each other, humanity, nature and spirit. A majority of people have become trained to be passive sheep and couch potatoes.
   The result has also been that a majority of passive observers disconnected from self without a clue of how to make a commitment to life, art and spirit. This passive majority is being entertained by professionals and saved by priests and ministers-and thereby entering a state of major soul loss and a collective soul loss. All this has resulted in the current massive lack of connection to Nature.
7. The film is an attempt to re-involve all members of a community through artistic creative processes and co-creative spiritual processes and rituals and in turn presenting this model of connectedness to the audience. The film shall then through interaction directly with the audience, connect them to community, nature and spirit as well.
8. We are therefore working with the concept of the sacred circle in which everyone fully participates according to their full capacities. In addition, we do not judge performance but rather appreciate everyone's gifts. This does not mean we exclude or do not appreciate "the gifted ones" rather they are included in the Celtic knot of the creation. This is a very Celtic cultural tradition. We wish to blur separations between participants, as well as the audience. All are participants and there are no detached observers.

Other intentions:

• To tell the old stories
• To tell Rodney's story and his tree's story
• To tell the Monarch Bear's story and the Monarch Grove's story
• To tell the story of the monastery stones
• To tell the Raven's story
• To tell the story of the National AIDS Memorial Grove

Film Intentions
An honorable burial for the Monarch Bear? A one hour film documentary focusing upon the Monarch Bear Grove in Golden Gate Park and the many rich stories which interweave over time and space at that location.

William Randolph Hearst captured the Monarch Bear, the last wild Golden California Grizzly Bear in 1889. The Bear lived in a bear pit (iron cage) at the site of Monarch Bear Hill Grove between 1889 and 1917 when he died. He was then stuffed and placed upon display in a glass cube across the street from the Grove in the Academy of Science. He was then drawn by an artist, who was designing the state flag of California and is the model for the bear upon the state flag. It is our contention therefore that he is the state totem animal.

To tell the story of the sacred monastery stones from the 12th century Spanish Abby and Chapter House, Santa Maria de Ovila, which was located 80 miles north of Madrid. It was the original chapter house of the Cistercian Order, and the Chapter House stones were blessed in the 13th century by St. Martin of Clairvone.

William Randolph Hurst purchased the monastery in the 1920's and brought them to California to build a structure upon one of his estates to house his incredible collection of medieval and spiritual art. The Great Depression occurred and Hearst could no longer afford to build his private dream museum. He therefore gave the monastery stones to the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, with the understanding that the museum would use them to build a museum structure. This occurred in 1931, and the stones were stored in two sites in the park; 1. near the De Young and Japanese Tea Garden. 2. upon Monarch Bear Hill where the Bear pit had been. The stones are featured in the famous film about Randolph Hurst "Citizen Cane".

The story will be told how the stones were taken from Monarch Bear Grove about 1995 by Father Thomas, Abbot of the Abby of New Clearveau in Vina California.

He negotiated with the city of San Francisco and the De Young Museum for the stones to be given to the Abby, with the purpose of rebuilding the Chapter House. This was after nearly 70 years of storage in Golden Gate Park. We hope to visit Father Thomas and see how his project has progressed.

Focus upon Randolph Hearst and his connection to the stones, the Monarch Bear and California History.

To tell Rodney's story. His "inspired madness experience" in 1992 when his home at 280 Divisadero was foreclosed upon as part of his economic, emotional and spiritual collapse, resulting in the new owners cutting down his sacred Monterey Cyprus tree in the yard. (which he came upon in June being hauled away by a laughing group of workers). He had a kind of breakdown in which he wandered in Golden Gate Park for several weeks, contemplating suicide.

He found Monarch Bear Grove at that time, which saved him. He became interested in Druid Celtic Spirituality and began caring for the Monarch Bear Grove. There was a stone circle, a Goddess alter area and a stone triangle present at the Grove. He was told by regular visitors to the Grove that pagans had been worshiping there since the stones were brought ther in the 1920's.

In October of 1995 or so he came upon the stones being moved. He contacted Father Thomas and was able to negotiate that some of the stones would remain in the Grove.

Father Thomas came and met with Rodney and blessed the stones that remained. Rodney blessed the stones that were taken away.

Subsequently Rodney with the help of volunteers, unearthed many stones which had been buried. With these stones and the other ones he built various walls, two stone circles, a Goddess Altar, etc.

Later, in about 1999, Joan the gardener was able to requisition more of the monastery stones from Golden Gate Park, and brought them to Monarch Bear Grove. Additional walls were built with them.

Rodney, with volunteers, was able to build 3 more altars - One to the East (the element of Air) and the sun, one to the west (the element of water) and one to the south (the element of Fire and the masculine principle).

There are now 7 altars at Monarch Bear Grove and to each of the sacred 7 directions N, S, E, W, above (stars), below (underworld), and within (Oneness).