Our Universal Pantheist Society s operated purely by volunteers. Over the years, we have had several members volunteer as proofreaders, which has really helped keep typos out of our publications. But we currently do not have a proofreader, and belatedly we have discovered some sorrowful mistakes. The main job would be to review on a quarterly basis our flagship publication Pantheist Vision before each issue is published. Would someone like to volunteer to be a proofreader for our newsletter Pantheist Vision and our other productions? If so, please contact us!
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This year, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the Universal Pantheist Society's founding. We were officially incorporated in October 1975. Harold Wood and Derham Giuliani founded the Society. Derham, a quintessential “desert rat,” rejected “indoor philosophy” and spent most of his time in the great outdoors. He served as the president until his death in 2010. Harold was the editor of our original newsletter and continues in that role today for Pantheist Vision. He is also our current treasurer. Our founders chose the name “Universal Pantheist Society" to emphasize that we are a "universal" organization for Pantheists. We are not limited to any single viewpoint of Pantheism but acknowledge its diverse perspectives. This inclusive approach to Pantheism sets us apart from virtually all other Pantheist organizations that have formed since our founding 50 years ago. What unites us is not simply “belief”— which should evolve as we grow and learn through our experiences — but something far more powerful: a burning desire to cultivate a renewed reverence for the Earth and to view Nature as the ultimate context for human existence. We remain dedicated to our mission of nurturing this reverence and envisioning Nature as the ultimate framework for human existence.   Photo: Female Argonaut Octopus with damaged shell (egg case) and with eggs. -- Bernd Hofmann (Wiki common license)
Following on from our last blog post on Octopuses is this amazing creature, the Argonaut. Argonauts, or Paper Nautilus, are a type of pelagic or open ocean Octopus that are found in tropical and sub-tropical waters. Unlike most other Octopuses they live close to the surface rather than on the seabed. The Argonaut has a shell that looks like a Nautilus even though they are only distantly related. What looks like a shell is actually a paper thin egg case made by the female to protect her eggs. The females are far larger than the males being 8 times larger and about 600 times heavier than the males. The Argonaut has a lifespan of around a year and live on mollusks, crustaceans and Jellyfish. For more information on these incredible creatures please check out the following links: blog.nature.org/2021/05/24/meet-the-argonaut-the-worlds-weirdest-octopus/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEGpg3DTDZw By Brendon Crook  Photo: Renaud.marbet -- Wikipedia common use license.
The Dumbo Octopus are a deep sea cephalopod that have short bodies with ear like fins above their large eyes. They are semi-translucent and grow to an average length of 20-30cm (up to a foot) and live anywhere from 1000 - 7000m (3200 - 23000ft). There are 17 known Dumbo Octopuses. They are believed to eat small crustaceans, oysters and small snails. Their breeding cycle is different from their shallower water relatives in that the females have eggs that are constantly at different stages of development, which means they can mate and lay eggs whenever they get the opportunity. As they have relatively few predators they lack some of the defenses of other Octopuses, such as the ability to jet propel them selves away from danger and lack the ink sac used to squirt potential predators. Deep sea mining affects creatures that live close to the seabed like the Dumbo Octopus. Also microplastics have been found in some of the deepest parts of the ocean potentially affecting them. For more information on these mysterious and little known creatures of the deep please see the links below: oceana.org/marine-life/dumbo-octopus/ www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-a-dumbo-octopus.html www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX7w5EcDX9o&t=37s By Brendon Crook  Photo: Peter Rejcek/National Science Foundation (Wikipedia common use license)
Blood Falls is located in the eastern Antarctica and flows from Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney. It flows along horizontally for 300ft then flows into a waterfall of around 60-80ft. The falls were first discovered in 1911 by Thomas Taylor, an Australian who was part of the British Antarctica Expedition. The cause of the red water was unknown until 2003 when samples of water were analyzed and it was found the water contained iron oxide which formed when ancient seawater was trapped under the glacier and came into contact with the air. The seawater is home to bacteria that has adapted to the conditions of having no light, oxygen and limited nutrients. They survive by breaking down the sulfate and iron in the water. For more information on this amazing but little known natural feature please click on the links below: www.sciencealert.com/the-eerie-mystery-of-blood-falls-in-antarctica-is-finally-solved www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl0Fuzns_o8 By Brendon Crook In this short 16 minute video, the life and philosophy of Pantheism espoused by Spinoza is explored very well. Baruch (Benedict) Spinoza as a 17th century philosopher whose ideas promoted a form of Pantheism founded on strict logic and dedication to Reason. His ideas were so revolutionary that centuries later, even Albert Einstein was inspired to say, “I believe in Spinoza’s God, who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists.” Spinoza remains an inspiration for Pantheists who reject many common religious and philosophical traditions, and found their "faith" on being "faithful' to the only God that really exists: the glorious Universe itself, which is understood not by myth and stories but by scientific investigation, and celebrated in art, literature, music, and the way we treat the natural world and its creatures, if we would only treat it right.   Photo: Dragus - Wikipedia common use license.
The Giant Malaysian Leaf insect is the largest of it's genus (pulchriphyllium) reaching over 100mm in length and are found mostly in the western regions of Malaysia. They blend in superbly with their environment but don't start their lives looking like fresh green leaves. Their appearance adapts over time to match their surroundings so their camouflage is ever changing to suit their natural habitat. All females can reproduce and lay eggs asexually, hiding in trees and dropping their eggs to the forest floor. The eggs resemble small brown seeds that blend in with the leaf litter. They hatch after around 6 months and the babies are wingless and brown resembling brown tropical ants, developing their greenness after eating leaves. Eggs of the Giant Malaysian Leaf insect. (Wikipedia) For more information on these amazing earthlings see the links below: www.lifeandscience.org/blog/lets-hear-it-for-the-boy-a-male-malaysian-giant-leaf-insect-is-born/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsr1T-bbKpE By Brendon Crook  Photo: Bernard Picton - Wikipedia Commons license
Sea Spiders are marine arthropods. There are approximately 1300 species of Sea Spider, ranging in size from a grain of sand to the size of a domestic cat. They feed on sponges, molluscs, jellies and anemones. Sea Spiders share a common ancestor with Crabs and land Spiders but have been evolving on their own for hundreds of millions of years. Little is known about their past diversity as only 11 fossils have been discovered. A Sea Spider's legs contain its vital organs. For example it's intestines extend all the way to the ends of it's legs. They also use their legs to breathe, absorbing oxygen through their exoskeleton. Sea Spiders live globally in both tropical and polar regions with the largest of them living in the colder waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. For more information please see the links below: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/sea-spiders.html www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5dls9xtNlk By Brendon Crook  Photo: Via Wikipedia commons.
The Greater Bulldog Bat is a large species of fishing bat that is native to Latin America and can be found from Mexico to northern Argentina and most Caribbean islands. They are found near streams, coastal habitats and river basins and roost in caves, rock crevices and hollow trees. They feed at dusk flying out over bodies of water just above the surface using echolocation to locate fish by zig-zagging. When they detect a disturbance in the water the bat will descend to the surface and rake the water with their large talons. They are also known to rake large areas without detecting surface water disturbance in a previously productive area. The bats can warn each other of their whereabouts by dropping the frequency sweep of its echolocation call by an octave and thus avoid collision. They are also good swimmers and can use their wings to paddle. The Greater Bulldog Bat can grow up to 13cm or 5 inches in body length and have a wingspan of up to 1 meter or 3 feet. For more information on these unique and interesting creatures please visit the links below: animaldiversity.org/accounts/Noctilio_leporinus/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UJDrKY3EDw By Brendon Crook  Photo: Peter Southwood, Aorangaia Island, New Zealand A Salp, as explained by the Australian Museum, is a gelatinous zooplankton creature that is found throughout the world's oceans.
Although they closely resemble a Jellyfish and are often mistaken for one when they are washed up on the beach, they are in fact more closely related to human beings than they are to Jellyfish. Salps have a nervous system, brain, heart, intestines, digestive and a circulatory system. Salps use a form of jet propulsion to move through their habitat using muscles within their semi transparent bodies. Salps are between 1-10 cm and reproduce asexually initially and can produce long chains of identical Salps which can disconnect from each other to produce more Salps. These chains can be longer than the human body. They have a lifespan of a few days to a few months. They are a really interesting creature that few people know about, being yet another wonderful earthling in the rich tapestry of our amazing planet. Below are some links for more information on these wondrous creatures. |
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