"However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?" -Buddha
In my free time I like to study religions. I plan to one day be clergy and be able to guide people spiritually. I'm a strong believer that if you understand their faith, you understand the person. I have come across so many flaky people in my past that I wonder if there are many of us left who actually follow our faiths, and exercise them.
I once went to a nondenominational-Protestant Christian church.The pastor, who was one of the sweetest ones I've known, always mentioned how he did not want a church full of cereal. I thought this was funny as he went to explain that he did not want any fruits, nuts or flakes condemning the testimony of the church, the works of Christ; how he prayed that one day, the community of cereal would stop being so and become true followers of Christ, exercising their faith in Him and following His example.
I've noticed a lot of my own faith be that way, too. I am mostly Wiccan. I have no tradition, and am very eclectic since all of my training was on my own time with my own resources, or borrowing resources from libraries and friends. I studied, HARD, and had to work to not become a member of the Wiccan cereal, dubbed "fluffybunny."
Faith is not smoke and mirrors, or just a few pretty words that you memorized. Faith is waking up in the morning, seeing a new day, watching the sunset, planting a garden, playing with your children, making a meal, and seeing the beauty and the magic and the blessing in everything. "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An it harm none do what ye will." -Doreen Valiente, 1964. Following the creed, the rede, and putting it into practice, daily, in everything you do. Questioning everything, including your morals.
My value is to exercise my faith, my beliefs, my love for my gods, my love for the human race, each and every single day.
Showing posts with label Rede. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rede. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tuesday, December 12, 2000
More Changes
Oh, hi there! Remember me? I know I don't write as much as I would like, but to be honest, I don't really write much. I've lost contact with most of my friends back in Hawaii. I still talk to Anthony and Angela, but I don't know how long that will last.
Well, summer sucked. I spent most of my time hopping from one friend's house to another until my brother found us a place to rent for a while sometime in August. Which reminds me, I don't think I've mentioned him in any of my previous entries. I don't think I've mentioned anyone, really. Well, as you can see, I have an older brother. He's six-and-a-half years older than I am. I also have an older sister who is 12 years older than me, but is married with kids and doesn't live with us so that's irrelevant. Anyway, we are currently moving again, into our new house, which by new I mean it was just finished being built last week. My mom and brother pitched in together and bought a house for us so we wouldn't have to rent a crappy one in the ghetto. Yeah, I said it. We are poor and lived in the ghetto. People kept getting shot or raped in my neighborhood and well, seeing that I was a tiny little girl coming to age physically, my mom was scared I was going to be the next victim if I stayed out past 8 pm. So, we packed up and left and are now living in our new house in a new development where there are not enough people here to have crime in. I'll give it a couple of years before it all goes to shit.
High school sucks. I'm too smart for my classes, but when put in the advanced placement program, the teachers don't actually teach you anything and expect you to know everything just because you are in the program. They called my mom trying to put me in it and I told them they could shove it (nicely, of course) and to not call my house again. My mom was confused, but I let her know that it's a bunch of crap that I don't want to be a part of. I can take my classes, fly by them, not really work, and still get a passing grade. I don't even care for A's or anything. Minimal effort to get a C. It's a win for me.
I found a few people at school who were or are interested in learning more about witchcraft. I'm not just looking into Wicca anymore. There is apparently several different kinds. A lot like Christianity having different sects, you know, like Catholicism, and Protestant, and then Protestant channeling off into Lutheran, Methodist or Baptist, etc. Well, Wicca is the same. Witchcraft is just an aspect of the whole Pagan umbrella. Apparently paganism was the term used back during the reign of King Constantine. The pagans of that time were actually country dwellers who believed in their own family gods, or harvest gods, or other spirits and entities. When trying to convert the people of his kingdom, Constantine separated them by pagans and Christians. A lot of the holidays we celebrate today are based on old Pagan celebrations. King Constantine only created them to fit with the pagans for easier conversion. It's actually pretty clever in my opinion, but it makes you wonder. If the Christians of today knew where the roots of their celebrations came from, would they be so adamant about forcing their religion on others or worried about keeping Christ in Christmas?
Anyway, I digress. My friends at my school were only interested in cursing people or hurting people with magick. Now, before you look at the spelling funny, I'm only using the K to differentiate from illusionist's magic and the magic that witches and Pagans use. That way, when I say magick, you know I'm talking about the practice, and when I say magic, you know that I’m talking about sleight of hand. I wasn't down on cursing people or hurting anyone, so they became disinterested. I was kind of bummed to have to move on by myself, but some sacrifices need to be made on a quest for knowledge. The Wiccan Rede states "and it harm none, do what you will." Basically, that means to choose your practice carefully, trying not to intentional cause malice on anyone. Not to hurt anyone on purpose. Granted, I think it's inevitable to hurt someone when working magick. For example, if I were doing a spell to get a job, or project, or something, the other person going for it would be at a loss if I got it and not them. In essence, I just hurt that person from doing something only because I wanted it. So sometimes, it happens. I think the main message here is to be mindful of what you do, and not to do anything irrational for both you and whomever else is involved. The harming part also includes self. That's debatable, but I think it makes sense. Self is a living, breathing soul. Why harm yourself?
I'm hoping the new school I go to has a lot more information than I was able to find at the school I'm currently at. I know they're not going to keep a bunch of things on practicing witchcraft easily accessible to the youth of America, seeing as, even though this country was founded on trying to get away from religious persecution, Christians feel more entitled than anything else, but maybe there is something else I can use or find at this new school. Maybe I'll even make friends with people who are actually serious about practicing witchcraft. Hell, who knows, maybe I'll even find someone who already knows more than I do and can help a sister out! All in all, I have a lot of expectations for this school. I'll be stuck in it for three more years.
Well, summer sucked. I spent most of my time hopping from one friend's house to another until my brother found us a place to rent for a while sometime in August. Which reminds me, I don't think I've mentioned him in any of my previous entries. I don't think I've mentioned anyone, really. Well, as you can see, I have an older brother. He's six-and-a-half years older than I am. I also have an older sister who is 12 years older than me, but is married with kids and doesn't live with us so that's irrelevant. Anyway, we are currently moving again, into our new house, which by new I mean it was just finished being built last week. My mom and brother pitched in together and bought a house for us so we wouldn't have to rent a crappy one in the ghetto. Yeah, I said it. We are poor and lived in the ghetto. People kept getting shot or raped in my neighborhood and well, seeing that I was a tiny little girl coming to age physically, my mom was scared I was going to be the next victim if I stayed out past 8 pm. So, we packed up and left and are now living in our new house in a new development where there are not enough people here to have crime in. I'll give it a couple of years before it all goes to shit.
High school sucks. I'm too smart for my classes, but when put in the advanced placement program, the teachers don't actually teach you anything and expect you to know everything just because you are in the program. They called my mom trying to put me in it and I told them they could shove it (nicely, of course) and to not call my house again. My mom was confused, but I let her know that it's a bunch of crap that I don't want to be a part of. I can take my classes, fly by them, not really work, and still get a passing grade. I don't even care for A's or anything. Minimal effort to get a C. It's a win for me.
I found a few people at school who were or are interested in learning more about witchcraft. I'm not just looking into Wicca anymore. There is apparently several different kinds. A lot like Christianity having different sects, you know, like Catholicism, and Protestant, and then Protestant channeling off into Lutheran, Methodist or Baptist, etc. Well, Wicca is the same. Witchcraft is just an aspect of the whole Pagan umbrella. Apparently paganism was the term used back during the reign of King Constantine. The pagans of that time were actually country dwellers who believed in their own family gods, or harvest gods, or other spirits and entities. When trying to convert the people of his kingdom, Constantine separated them by pagans and Christians. A lot of the holidays we celebrate today are based on old Pagan celebrations. King Constantine only created them to fit with the pagans for easier conversion. It's actually pretty clever in my opinion, but it makes you wonder. If the Christians of today knew where the roots of their celebrations came from, would they be so adamant about forcing their religion on others or worried about keeping Christ in Christmas?
Anyway, I digress. My friends at my school were only interested in cursing people or hurting people with magick. Now, before you look at the spelling funny, I'm only using the K to differentiate from illusionist's magic and the magic that witches and Pagans use. That way, when I say magick, you know I'm talking about the practice, and when I say magic, you know that I’m talking about sleight of hand. I wasn't down on cursing people or hurting anyone, so they became disinterested. I was kind of bummed to have to move on by myself, but some sacrifices need to be made on a quest for knowledge. The Wiccan Rede states "and it harm none, do what you will." Basically, that means to choose your practice carefully, trying not to intentional cause malice on anyone. Not to hurt anyone on purpose. Granted, I think it's inevitable to hurt someone when working magick. For example, if I were doing a spell to get a job, or project, or something, the other person going for it would be at a loss if I got it and not them. In essence, I just hurt that person from doing something only because I wanted it. So sometimes, it happens. I think the main message here is to be mindful of what you do, and not to do anything irrational for both you and whomever else is involved. The harming part also includes self. That's debatable, but I think it makes sense. Self is a living, breathing soul. Why harm yourself?
I'm hoping the new school I go to has a lot more information than I was able to find at the school I'm currently at. I know they're not going to keep a bunch of things on practicing witchcraft easily accessible to the youth of America, seeing as, even though this country was founded on trying to get away from religious persecution, Christians feel more entitled than anything else, but maybe there is something else I can use or find at this new school. Maybe I'll even make friends with people who are actually serious about practicing witchcraft. Hell, who knows, maybe I'll even find someone who already knows more than I do and can help a sister out! All in all, I have a lot of expectations for this school. I'll be stuck in it for three more years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)