Happy Imbolc!
I have made a habit of keeping my religious and political beliefs private. Its how i was raised and what i tend to think is polite. I believe strongly that you are entitled to your opinion and im entitled to mine. It is one of the philosophical foundations of America. Whats been happening lately all over Facebook and the internet is folks have been bashing other folks with their opinions. Folks have been allowing their fears and narrow-mindedness to escape in my opinion. So today in Bright Brigid's light and truth and honesty im going to share a few things i believe.
I believe our purpose in life is to be truly honest with ourselves and others and to learn as much as we can. You cannot fill a closed mind with new information. The vessel must be empty to have room for new.I believe an Open Heart and an open mind and guts and personal integrity are the tools you need to live a valid and meaningful life.
I love full out. It is that love that has brought me brothers and sisters of the heart and an extended family of choice. I think about everything and try to learn something new every day. Its that open mind that allows me to keep putting in new info and learn things i hadn't thought about before. I face the things i fear. I don't like it. No one does. But i face them, because i have learned that without the courage to face your fears and make choices about them you are swept away and drowned in fear and that is a helplessness I'm unwilling to tolerate.
That being said leads me to this. Today is an anniversary for me. Eight years ago today i decided to dedicate myself to an active Pagan path. I am a hedge witch or kitchen witch for lack of a better label. I am a solitary by choice. I have private conversations daily with God and the Goddesses as i feel the need. I came to believe as i hit my midlife that conventional religions did not include enough of the Divine feminine, and i needed some feminine divine guidance as i went through what is for a woman a very radical life change. The transition from mother to crone is an emotional one for any woman to go through but both came right on top of each other for me as i gave birth to my daughter when i was nearly forty. Take my advice if you can. Try to plan to have your kids early enough that you are not going through the change of life when t hey are going into adolescence! Its not easy to have emotionally charged people battling in your home. :))That is the only part of having her when i did that i regret. I was in all other ways more ready to be a mom at forty than i had been at twenty.
I follow Bright Brigid's path of light and inspiration, particularly when im writing.She has a very practical aspect to her that i find soothing. I have come to embrace Hecate and her path more and m ore as i have aged. She is the shadow at the crossroads. Hecate combines light and dark and directs us to make choices and be comforted that our intuition will steer us to the right ones. I like the fact that she combines light and dark. Most of us are not all one or the other. I have had both through most of my life in spite of the fact that folks tend to think of me as light and positive. I have come to respect Selene's dedicated love, her love of her partner and her children. I embrace Hestia and Freya and their hearths and homes. Hestia is the flame at the center of every kitchen or true home. Freya is the mother who is brave and fierce in protection of those she loves. She recognizes heros when she sees them and sends the Valkyries to bring them home to Vallhalla. Every time i have needed and archetypical story to help me grapple with changes i have found the myth of a Goddess that suits. Even Mother Mary and Mary Magdelene and Sophia of the bible, Rachel and Ruth, all have stories that teach how to cope with a woman's journey. For me its not that i reject God or Christ but that in an older way i accept and need to hear more.
That is MY belief.
Hear me when i say i am not preaching that that is what you should believe. I believe that y ou have a right to worship the God of your understanding in the way you see fit. Also believe me when i s ay you are wasting your breath when you preach your religion to me. I have been there. I have seen your churches. I have read your books. Im okay with the fact that it works for you. I dont believe in hell. I believe we create our own hells out of our fears. I take responsibility for mine. I am willing to discuss your philosophy with you but id much rather share a cookie and a cup of tea. I am more impressed by folks who walk their talk than folks who only preach at me.
I am what is in this country increasingly rare. I am a moderate. I am disenfranchised by the Republican party because i am female, pagan, moderate,and believe in equal rights for all people in this country to live, love, marry, and have children as they choose. I am in favor of the first and second ammendments. In fact i believe in the philosophies and papers around which this country was founded, and i have actually READ them! I k now my history. I know that genocide and bigotry and fear are unfortunately a part of the human condition. I have hope and faith that that will not always be so. I teach my child what i believe is right but more importantly i teach her to read, and think, and question everything. I will admit i have voted more democratically these last several years than republican. But i cant honestly say that i swallow the democrats package whole either. So when you insist that the country is going to hell in a handbasket, my answer is it has been for a l ong time, and we put her there. Vote. Do your part. Volunteer. Be the change you want to see in the world. As for me and mine, we will be for tolerance and hope and responsibility, and fairness, and we will keep praying for balance because that is what is needed most.
Thank you Elric Morningstar for the n udge and the many nudges since. I have been grateful for your presence in my life and your inspiration. I dont think you had to die to get the last word, but i can see how you might have believed so. Thank you my Vikings and Pagans for being family. Thank you my loves. Thank you my daughter. Today is a better day than all the yesterdays that came before. I will continue down my path till i choose another.
I believe our purpose in life is to be truly honest with ourselves and others and to learn as much as we can. You cannot fill a closed mind with new information. The vessel must be empty to have room for new.I believe an Open Heart and an open mind and guts and personal integrity are the tools you need to live a valid and meaningful life.
I love full out. It is that love that has brought me brothers and sisters of the heart and an extended family of choice. I think about everything and try to learn something new every day. Its that open mind that allows me to keep putting in new info and learn things i hadn't thought about before. I face the things i fear. I don't like it. No one does. But i face them, because i have learned that without the courage to face your fears and make choices about them you are swept away and drowned in fear and that is a helplessness I'm unwilling to tolerate.
That being said leads me to this. Today is an anniversary for me. Eight years ago today i decided to dedicate myself to an active Pagan path. I am a hedge witch or kitchen witch for lack of a better label. I am a solitary by choice. I have private conversations daily with God and the Goddesses as i feel the need. I came to believe as i hit my midlife that conventional religions did not include enough of the Divine feminine, and i needed some feminine divine guidance as i went through what is for a woman a very radical life change. The transition from mother to crone is an emotional one for any woman to go through but both came right on top of each other for me as i gave birth to my daughter when i was nearly forty. Take my advice if you can. Try to plan to have your kids early enough that you are not going through the change of life when t hey are going into adolescence! Its not easy to have emotionally charged people battling in your home. :))That is the only part of having her when i did that i regret. I was in all other ways more ready to be a mom at forty than i had been at twenty.
I follow Bright Brigid's path of light and inspiration, particularly when im writing.She has a very practical aspect to her that i find soothing. I have come to embrace Hecate and her path more and m ore as i have aged. She is the shadow at the crossroads. Hecate combines light and dark and directs us to make choices and be comforted that our intuition will steer us to the right ones. I like the fact that she combines light and dark. Most of us are not all one or the other. I have had both through most of my life in spite of the fact that folks tend to think of me as light and positive. I have come to respect Selene's dedicated love, her love of her partner and her children. I embrace Hestia and Freya and their hearths and homes. Hestia is the flame at the center of every kitchen or true home. Freya is the mother who is brave and fierce in protection of those she loves. She recognizes heros when she sees them and sends the Valkyries to bring them home to Vallhalla. Every time i have needed and archetypical story to help me grapple with changes i have found the myth of a Goddess that suits. Even Mother Mary and Mary Magdelene and Sophia of the bible, Rachel and Ruth, all have stories that teach how to cope with a woman's journey. For me its not that i reject God or Christ but that in an older way i accept and need to hear more.
That is MY belief.
Hear me when i say i am not preaching that that is what you should believe. I believe that y ou have a right to worship the God of your understanding in the way you see fit. Also believe me when i s ay you are wasting your breath when you preach your religion to me. I have been there. I have seen your churches. I have read your books. Im okay with the fact that it works for you. I dont believe in hell. I believe we create our own hells out of our fears. I take responsibility for mine. I am willing to discuss your philosophy with you but id much rather share a cookie and a cup of tea. I am more impressed by folks who walk their talk than folks who only preach at me.
I am what is in this country increasingly rare. I am a moderate. I am disenfranchised by the Republican party because i am female, pagan, moderate,and believe in equal rights for all people in this country to live, love, marry, and have children as they choose. I am in favor of the first and second ammendments. In fact i believe in the philosophies and papers around which this country was founded, and i have actually READ them! I k now my history. I know that genocide and bigotry and fear are unfortunately a part of the human condition. I have hope and faith that that will not always be so. I teach my child what i believe is right but more importantly i teach her to read, and think, and question everything. I will admit i have voted more democratically these last several years than republican. But i cant honestly say that i swallow the democrats package whole either. So when you insist that the country is going to hell in a handbasket, my answer is it has been for a l ong time, and we put her there. Vote. Do your part. Volunteer. Be the change you want to see in the world. As for me and mine, we will be for tolerance and hope and responsibility, and fairness, and we will keep praying for balance because that is what is needed most.
Thank you Elric Morningstar for the n udge and the many nudges since. I have been grateful for your presence in my life and your inspiration. I dont think you had to die to get the last word, but i can see how you might have believed so. Thank you my Vikings and Pagans for being family. Thank you my loves. Thank you my daughter. Today is a better day than all the yesterdays that came before. I will continue down my path till i choose another.