Tag: Thought for Today

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – January 1

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – January 1

“…because if you believe in something, and believe in it long enough, it will come into being.”

–Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

We are created by the Great One to accomplish His will through our mental pictures or visions. Our thoughts are three dimensional: words, pictures and feelings. We create the vision by thinking the words and we create feeling for the vision by feeling enthusiasm, desire, commitment and other strong beliefs. Once we create the vision, we move toward and become like that which we think about. All visions are tested by our self talk; for example, “This isn’t going to happen, where is the money coming from anyway?” When this happens, we need to let go of the test and focus on belief in the vision. Why? Because God said if we believe it long enough, He will guarantee it!!!

Great One, let my beliefs be strong today. Help me to have faith in my visions.

Daily Motivator for December 20th – Something good in it

Something good in it

What appears to be a problem is not just a problem. It is an invitation to  explore new positive possibilities.

What seems impossible is not entirely impossible. It is challenging you to  look at the situation from a different perspective.

The obstacles that block you are also doing you a favor. They are guiding you  to become more creative, more innovative, more determined and purposeful.

Each negative thing has a positive element. That’s because you have the  amazing ability to learn, to adapt, to create and to transform life according to  your unique, positive vision.

There’s really no need to worry about what might or might not come. For no  matter what may come, there’s a way for you to create more goodness and richness  from it.

Enthusiastically embrace each moment with open arms. There’s something good  in it, waiting for you to bring it to life.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Daily Motivator for December 18th – Offer encouragement

Offer encouragement

You cannot force other people to do the right thing. What you can do, and  what is extremely effective, is to encourage them.

If you offer threats, intimidation and low expectations, you’ll get  resentment and poor performance.  When you assume and expect the worst of  others, you’re very likely to get it.

A better choice is to expect the best, and to offer opportunities for those  expectations to be met. Though it’s true that people won’t always live up to  your positive expectations, it’s also true that most people would prefer to do  what’s best for everyone concerned.

Just about everyone responds positively to positive, genuine encouragement.  Let others know, clearly, precisely and in positive terms, what you expect, and  let them know you have faith that they’ll meet those expectations.

Instead of looking for ways to control, look for opportunities to support and  encourage. Instead of conducting detached transactions, seek to build ongoing  relationships.

Offer the encouragement to do what is right, what is good, what is valuable  and positive. Expect the best, in a supportive way, and it is much more likely  to happen.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – December 16

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – December 16

“If you have one hundred people who live together, and if each one cares for the rest, there is One Mind.”

–Shining Arrows, CROW

One of the principles of Community is Unity. The alignment of thoughts in groups of people will cause One Mind to form. One Mind is Unity. Each individual in the community must align their thoughts with what other members are thinking. If all the people think of helping one another, then the community will be service oriented and powerful results will be enjoyed. Having our thoughts aligned within a group will cause our children to experience a positive environment. When they have children, the grandchildren will automatically experience these results also.

My Creator, help me to contribute to positive group thought.

Daily Cosmic Calendar for December 16th

The anxiety factor in humanity’s sociological state is being raised to high levels during the 24-hour time-span before tomorrow’s Full Moon and Uranus shift from reverse to direct. Even though nerves may be frayed more than usual, keep preparing for the illuminating energy-field about to descend into the physical realm from divine sources.  Helping your financial bottom line is an inspirational, 72-degree link from the Sun to Vesta (1:29AM). Learn more about better ways to invest your monetary resources. Travel plans and communication strategies could go awry while Mercury forms an off-kilter, 150-degree contact with Jupiter (11:03AM). Adjust your thought process with the goal of being more open-minded and flexible in your attitudes. Trying too hard to make things happen your way can backfire with nasty results. Tensions are also rising in the realm of emotional expression due to Juno forming a frictional, 45-degree aspect to Uranus (6:10PM).  You may want to meditate or focus on spiritual studies as the Full Moon occurs early tomorrow morning at 1:29AM.  [Note to readers: All times are calculated for Pacific Standard Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]

Daily Motivator for December 11th – Think highly of yourself

Think highly of yourself

Very often, your biggest limitations are the limitations you put on yourself.  What you expect has a profound effect on what you actually get.

If you think of yourself as too old, too inexperienced, uninformed, dull or  ordinary, those negative expectations influence the way you live. When you think  of yourself as creative, passionate, interesting, valuable, unique and genuine,  those positive expectations will be expressed in your life.

Thinking highly of yourself doesn’t mean you have to be arrogant or elitist.  When you truly think highly of yourself, you’ll end up living your life so as to  genuinely prove those thoughts accurate.

You can be held back by your expectations, or encouraged forward by your  expectations. Make the choice to be encouraged, inspired, motivated and  compelled by the positive things you expect of yourself.

Sure, there are many difficult challenges you’ll face in living a fulfilled,  successful life. Don’t add your own negative expectations to those  challenges.

Instead, expect the best of yourself in every moment and in every situation.  And ride those expectations forward to a life of true fulfillment.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for December 9th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

In this jet age when almost “instant there” is commonly accepted, the world has become very small. The days of remaining in one’s own birthplace are near an end, and those who never dreamed of traveling have adjusted themselves to it quite well.

And with shorter distances between us and our neighbors it seems our worlds should find more opportunities for mutual understanding. But we must realize that even though our material worlds may be easily crossed, our thoughts are worlds apart. Until we can bring together a thinking people with the desire to create living conditions that are peaceful and full of kindness, fast travel can waver between good and bad.

A British novelist and poet, George Moore, said, “It is thought, and thought only, that divides right from wrong; it is thought, and thought only, that elevates or degrades human deeds and desires.”

________________________________

Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

The Daily Motivator for December 9th – Start the ball rolling

Start the ball rolling

Motivation leads to action, and action leads to more motivation. If you’re  not motivated to do anything, do a little something anyway and start the ball  rolling.

Even the smallest positive step can begin to create positive momentum. Take  that small step, feel the tiny wisp of motivation and momentum, and let it carry  you to the next modest step.

Even if it doesn’t seem to accomplish anything, a small, initial positive  action does in fact achieve something of great consequence. It gets you  going.

Once you’re in motion, you’re much more likely to stay in motion. The longer  you stay in motion, the more likely you are to keep going.

The best thing to do when you don’t feel like doing anything, is to do  something. Remind yourself that although you may be severely unmotivated, you  can take a small action anyway.

No matter what your situation or level of motivation may be, there’s some  little something you can do. Do it now, get the ball rolling, and let the power  of positive momentum push you forward.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Your Daily Horoscopes for Monday, December 9th

The boundaries which separate us seem less real today. Although mystics throughout the ages have taught that our personal distinctions are illusory, the spiritual Pisces Moon reminds us of what happens when we confuse reality with fantasy. We must pay attention to our limits as the surreal Pisces Moon squares the indulgent Sagittarius Sun, encouraging us to reach for the stars. It’s easier to find our way home if we haven’t traveled too far.

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

You may be more concerned about everyone else today than you are about yourself. Obviously, wanting to help those you love is wonderful, but trying to fix everything is not healthy. Learning to respect other people’s boundaries is a huge lesson for you now because you might unconsciously ride roughshod over someone’s feelings, without even realizing it. Remember, you can be of assistance by actively listening and kindly sharing your emotions; just don’t try to run the show.

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

Thinking about cosmic questions that don’t have easy answers might occupy a lot of your spare time today. Searching for the meaning of life isn’t on your everyday agenda, but now it can deepen your spiritual connection. Even if you are oftentimes satisfied with simple explanations, take this opportunity to explore a more complex set of issues that go beyond finding emotional security and personal pleasure. Look within to find the solutions you seek.

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

An unusual turn of events might shake up your schedule, but there’s no reason not to go along for the ride. Fortunately, you are able to make good use of your toolkit of clever ideas and smooth moves, which can ease the complexity. Remember, if anything goes awry now, it’s most likely a sign of a deeper problem. Do whatever you must to extinguish any brush fires that smolder while continuing to work on cleaning up the underlying issues. The more effort you put in, the more you will receive in return.

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

Knowing exactly what’s appropriate today is tricky, since your emotional boundaries may still be a bit fuzzy. You could even waste time and energy lost in feelings that actually belong to someone else. Visualizing a barrier of impenetrable white light around you can be enough to reestablish a strong perimeter that keeps out the negativity and allows you to reconnect with your center.

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

You may be quite hopeful now about the possibilities of a new romance, yet caution is advised so you don’t overlook an important piece of the puzzle. Although no one is purposefully trying to mislead you, everything is not exactly as it seems. It’s your willingness to give others the benefit of the doubt that can create problems. A healthy dose of realism today saves you from disappointment tomorrow.

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

A challenging relationship issue may give you a headache today, but if you face the situation with a realistic attitude, you’ll be thankful in the long run. You could learn something crucial that helps you to see things more clearly in the days ahead. However, burying your head in the sand is not a viable strategy. Dealing with the truth that is right in front of you creates a foundation strong enough to endure the current circumstances without having to retreat. Handle the situation the best you can and don’t look back.

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Maintaining a steady work pace while taking care of business is difficult today, but pushing yourself harder won’t necessarily be an efficient strategy. Try cutting yourself some slack and let your energy ebb and flow throughout the day without attempting to control it. In between short bursts of concentrated effort, make time to revel in your creative side, even if you aren’t productive for a while. Think of yourself as a metaphysical surfer; ride the waves while the surf’s up and regroup when it’s calm.

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

Making enough time to commune with nature or with your inner guides can turn today into a sweet memory. Even if you have responsibilities to fulfill, don’t cheat yourself out of the magic you might find by creating a bit of solitude. Thankfully, your imagination reveals unconventional solutions to mundane problems if you successfully quiet your thoughts. Giving yourself permission to be spontaneous now empowers you to move through a current roadblock. Listening to your intuition is a good place to start.

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Your sound judgment pours from you so smoothly today, you may not realize how much you help someone else. You have a great deal of philosophical and spiritual wisdom to share, and this is your chance to return the generosity that others have shown you in the past. There’s no need to seek recognition or approval now; giving back to those who require assistance is its own sweet reward.

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Making intelligent decisions could be tricky business today because your mind isn’t on your regular mundane concerns. You may be drifting around in your own private fantasy, instead of carefully calculating how to reach your next set of goals. Don’t try to suppress your dreams even if they seem unreachable; there are treasures waiting for your discovery within the realms of your imagination. Open the door and let them in.

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

You may have to deal with complicated money issues today, yet you can avert a messy problem if you face them head on as soon as they surface. Although the current situation might not seem like a significant concern in the big picture, it’s still a smart idea to consider what you could learn from exploring all your options before making an important decision. However, if your intuition tells you one thing and logic points elsewhere, go with the facts for now.

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

You are happily splashing around in your own watery element today and are able to dive deeper into your dreams if you so choose. This can be a most luxurious time if you are in a positive state of mind. But if you are even mildly depressed, you could find yourself drowning in your own tears. Don’t be afraid to talk about your fears with a trusted friend. The first step to getting help is asking for it. Remember, Fish are most content when they are swimming in a school of like-minded souls.

Your Daily Horoscopes for Thursday, December 5th

We are more attracted to ideas and philosophies than to the practical applications of language now. This is mental Mercury’s first full day in adventurous Sagittarius on a visit that lasts until December 24, activating our tendency to think expansively. Our inclination toward learning increases, but we must be careful that we don’t become too self-righteous in our beliefs. Meanwhile, the controlling Capricorn Moon helps us focus on what’s real.

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Even if your feet are planted firmly on the ground today, your mind is beginning to drift out toward the distant edges of the universe. You have relentlessly paid attention to your thoughts in order to get to the source of your current feelings. Now it’s time to simplify your thinking and free yourself from previous emotional burdens. Fortunately, making the shift might actually be easier than it sounds once you truly let go.

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

Your obstinate behavior could overpower your good intentions now that the evocative Moon is in traditional Capricorn. Practicing mental flexibility is a smart strategy today, but it may be easier said than done. Nevertheless, keep reminding yourself that a stagnant mind can dam up the waters of creativity. Thankfully, an open mind allows your fertile imagination to flow with lush motivational ideas.

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

You are taking a more philosophical approach to relationships now that your key planet Mercury is visiting your 7th House of Partners. But you won’t likely be satisfied with emotionally detached discussions unless they have a direct impact on your life. You want to see real progress, so move your conversations out of the theoretical realm and into the present moment. Choosing your words carefully improves the chances of deepening a connection between you and someone special.

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

Colleagues at work may be a source of tension now as they pressure you to modify your plans and take a different course of action than you initially intended. You probably can rationalize your strategy to yourself, but it’s more challenging to convince others that they should cooperate with you. It might be better to bite the bullet and do what is expected today, even if only to buy some temporary peace and quiet. Return to your original ideas later when there’s less resistance all around.

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

You’re on the edge of something amazing and you can feel it right to the bottom of your feet — even if you don’t yet know what it is. You may be a bit frightened at the magnitude of the changes ahead, but holding on to your past never seems to make you happy for long. Keep wiggling your toes in anticipation of what’s next because your agility will suddenly become very handy when it’s time to make your move. But don’t rush the start; you will know when to act if you trust your instincts.

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You’re turning into quite the philosopher these days, which may be somewhat out of character for you. Normally, you like to focus on the most practical applications of your analytical thinking, but now you don’t have to be so concerned with the mechanics of the real world. This strategy isn’t an excuse for sloppy thinking. Stay sharp and let your thoughts roam free without taking any action yet.

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Your emotions are intensifying and it’s crucial to stick with the inner process, even if it makes you feel vulnerable with those closest to you. Sometimes you take the easy way out of an emotional dilemma, for you often see both sides of an issue. However, your basic values could be at stake now, so don’t be afraid to speak with integrity. You can learn something special about yourself if you stand up for what’s important.

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

Even if you experienced an emotional crisis with a friend or lover recently, it’s time to move past the drama today and consider what’s next. You still might be attached to your unresolved feelings, but these just may have to heal on their own. There’s really no reason to involve others in this process. Instead, visualize a path toward a happier and healthier future. What you create in your imagination now can become reality later on.

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You may be experiencing a refreshing wave of joyful energy. Your mind carries you to great heights now as you explore new areas of interest when cerebral Mercury is visiting your sign until December 24. Although it could feel like a breath of fresh air, be careful that your enthusiasm doesn’t distract you from the real work in front of you. Adventures can be fun, but don’t use them to escape your commitments.

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Your heart is softening, yet it’s still challenging to risk telling others how you feel today. Paradoxically, your caution can actually make life more difficult because someone may notice that you’re keeping something secret. Even with the best of intentions, hidden agendas have more impact than you realize. If you have something to say, get it out into the open where it won’t do as much harm. Speak your mind and then focus on reclaiming the joy of the present moment.

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Your social life is on the upswing now because you are more drawn to the energy of group dynamics with interactive Mercury visiting your 11th House of Friends. Be bold and pencil in activities for the rest of the month even if you don’t have any concrete plans yet. There’s no need to wait until the holidays are here to put things on your calendar. But don’t just talk about it; get busy and start making the magic happen.

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

A shift in your workplace is underway and you may have to collaborate with your coworkers more than ever before. You might even have to step up to the plate to assume a managerial role. In any case, the hierarchy of your office or community is becoming more apparent. Find your place within the social structures and play out your part the best you can. Keep in mind that a positive attitude will take you even further on your path to success.

Daily Motivator for December 3rd – Choose a positive response

Choose a positive response

No matter what happens, you can respond in whatever way you choose. So make  your response the most positive one for every person it affects.

There’s nothing to be gained by adding more negativity on top of negativity.  You have the opportunity to break the pattern.

Instead of responding to anger with more anger, challenge yourself to respond  with understanding and compassion. When you’re tempted to respond with  frustration, make the more positive choice to respond with patience.

For your world to be a more positive place, you must take responsibility for  putting more positive energy into it. Though a positive response may be the more  difficult one, it is also the more valuable choice in the long run.

Rather than choosing a response based on what has happened, choose your  response based on the direction you wish to go. Even when life has let you down,  your best choice is a positive response that creates a more positive future.

Each response to life is an opportunity to make progress. Choose a positive  response, again and again, and create a much more positive world.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for Nov. 26th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Remember all those times when you made three trips to the other room to get something, and before you got there you had already forgotten what it was? Didn’t the thought of age dimming your memory enter your mind at those times?

There’s really no need to waste time thinking that way. It is not the case of a scattered memory, but a skittery mind, jumping from one subject to another with only circumstances to remind you.

And haven’t you awakened sharply in the middle of the night because suddenly you remembered something you should have done, or something you must do? Age gain? No, it was the only time your subconscious mind ever found you quiet enough to remind you of something you wanted to remember.

Life would be so much more orderly if we took several minutes night and morning to sit completely away from outside sights and sounds to recall the important things. As long as we are able to see and hear the activity about it we have difficulty thinking soundly. The conscious mind is capable of carrying just so much, and then the debris must be cleared away before the “filed away” things in the subconscious can be remembered.

“Be still and know…..”

____________________________

Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

Our True ‘Magical Tools’

Our True ‘Magical Tools’

Author:   Solonius  

Our ‘magical items’ are only mundane objects without inherent power! After much deliberation, I’ve decided that I must toss that match into the gasoline can. I feel that there is an undue amount of romanticism attached to what are only supposed to be the tools of the witch’s trade. We are supposed to be wise enough to know that it is our minds, through our focused thoughts, that perform our spells and ceremonies, not our tools.

Wren composed a very thorough and thoughtful essay on the types and uses of Magical Tools, posted here in Witchvox back on 16 July 2000. I highly recommend reading it for the knowledge that you can gain. I’m re-posting what I personally feel is the most insightful part of that essay:

— THE WITCH:
You are the most magickal tool of all. It is your intentions and energies that determine the results of any magickal work. Many Witches never use any other tool but their own personal energies! And some of the most powerful workings can be done without ever leaving your armchair. It is the focus, concentration, intentions and desires that reside within YOU that are the real ‘tools’ of the Witch! —

Here is what happens: We read a book that says we need these various tools to perform a spell, rite, or ceremony. So we head out to the local magic shop to find said tools, and we all know they absolutely must be cool looking! We decide that this implement would make a great magical tool. We ‘cleanse’ the object of any negative energies (Please explain that? Energy is energy; it only has potential directed by the user, right?) We name our tools. We keep them special by not using them for any other purpose. We hold them as sacred objects due to the use we place upon them. We have special clothes that we put on when we wish to do our ceremonies or cast our spells.

The question I ask is: WHY? Is it only to get us “in the mood?” Is it pretentious vanity?

It is the tip of the sword that makes the groove as we begin to cast our magical circle. What is our mind doing? Our mind is visualizing the cutting of the veil. Our mind is that which creates a magical space. It is our mind that makes that space a place where all things are possible. We know what a circle looks like, yet we use this romanticized object to perform a simple task a finger could do. Are we thinking that the tool is imparting some magical power instead of our minds? Do the Realms above the Physical Plane require the use of our physical objects to breach a veil… or is it our focused minds that do the breaching?

Our tools take on the aspect of talismans by investing energy into the belief that they contain power. A talisman has no power other than the power of suggestion. It is our minds that place the belief in the power of a talisman, not the other way around. Is it a certain pair of shoes, tied a certain way, that allow us to toss a basketball into a hoop time and time again? Or is it the amount of attention we pay to what we are doing that hones our skills? The shoes might help us with our traction, but it is our minds that grasp the laws of physics. It is our minds that understand that we should apply this much force to move the mass of the basketball the distance to the basket. Why do we invest our energy into such a belief that it is all because of our shoes?

I feel the answers are simply these: Laziness and self-doubt. If we can get a tool that has power invested in it, we personally won’t have to work as hard. Those tools are on isle 5: Black and Decker or DeWalt. By placing more focus on the tool, and not on how to focus our thoughts, we seed doubt in our own mental ability to accomplish the task without our really cool looking magical item. It is our thoughts and desired intent that require our concentrated efforts. It is our minds that require the effort of learning, and developing our focus to such an extent that we have confidence in our own abilities. That confidence leads to more success.

We can’t be very confident in our own abilities if we are still riding around with training wheels after years of practice. Are our minds so weak that we need these really cool looking tools, consecrated on the first full moon of spring by a 4th generation Grand Poobah of the 1st Circle of the Wolf’s Shrine, using real dragon’s tears? (My apologies if you think I’m talking about you.) Will we think that such a tool will assist us in gathering energy? For that to happen we have to invest energy into the belief that it will. A magical tool does not gather, storehouse or bestow energy; WE are the conduits!

It is our imaginations that gather the energy and it is our intended desires that direct that energy to our desired outcome. We perform that ceremony, spell or rite for a purpose. We gather energy through our mind to enact that purpose. The actuality of spell-craft is this; we must gather energy, and then direct that energy. By assigning esoteric importance to mere tools, we yield energy that we are gathering for the spell in order to maintain a belief that the tool has infused power for our use. Better that gathered energy be used to enact our purpose! When we gather energy for a spell, and we cast out that energy to enable our desire, what is left to inhabit the magical tool? Are we confusing ourselves into thinking we are focusing physical energy (bound to this plane type of energy) or spiritual / mental energy? Although it might be convenient to think of these two types of energy as similar, they are, in fact, NOT. (If you think that I am mistaken, pick up your magical wand and, through you, focus its magical energy that a paperclip might float up in the air. If you accomplish this feat, you truly are a POWER in the Universe.)

Let me back up a little. Are tools necessary? YES! The focus we achieve from them is their true purpose. That, and that only, is their true use. Did we need a special pencil to help us add 2+2 a long time ago? Did the pencil give us the self-confidence that we would come to the answer? We eventually learned that we didn’t need any other tool than our own mind to perform the equation. It doesn’t make sense to think that a pencil will provide the answer for us; it was only used to keep us on track and help us progress. Are tools useful? YES! The more complex the spell, rite or ceremony, the more we can use tools to help us stay on track and stay in focus. And in that respect, almost any tool will do, (first and foremost being our minds) as long as we are focused on what we want to accomplish.

By practicing on focusing our minds, eventually we see that everything else we involve in the process is distracting, energy-wasting fluff. I highly doubt that the Spiritual Realm requires our theatrical production, with or without the props or an audience’s participation, to receive the energy and intent of our focused desire. We have fooled ourselves into believing it does because of our own desire for some romantic pageantry. But remember this: A tool is only what it is (this includes the spell) … it is a means to an end.

My intended purpose here is to urge you to think about these things! I am not requesting that you accept my opinion as your own.

Be Well,
Solonius

Thoughts on the Threefold Law/Law of Return

Thoughts on the Threefold Law/Law of Return

Author:   Vervain   

I realized I was a Wiccan sometime late in middle school, and overall I’ve been very happy with my decision to walk down that path. However, over the nine or ten years I’ve been stewing in the religion, I’ve come to realize that there are parts of what I started with that don’t make sense to me anymore. It’s natural for this to happen — and it’s certainly not something that worries me — I don’t call myself Wiccan because I need to fit my beliefs in a box (I am a mostly solitary practitioner, after all) , so it doesn’t bother me when something doesn’t quite fit into the box Gerald Gardner started building in the 1940’s. However, it does give me something to think about.

The thing that has come to bother me is the threefold law. If you’re not familiar with it, it goes something like this:

Ever Mind The Rule Of Three
Three Times Your Acts Return To Thee
This Lesson Well, Thou Must Learn
Thou Only Gets What Thee Dost Earn

I like the idea that whatever you put out into the universe comes back to you, and that is indeed the heart of this concept. What I don’t like is the idea that it happens in threes–it bothers me mathematically because if everything really happens in threes, you can just factor out the three and that’s the same as everything happening in ones, which makes more sense to me and sounds a lot less like something someone just made up one day. I also don’t like that it sounds like a reward/punishment system (“Thou only gets what thee dost earn”) with some sort of immediacy. Furthermore, I don’t like that it sounds like it was written by someone who wanted to write in Renaissance English but actually lived in the 20th century and didn’t know how.

On the number three: I think it makes sense in a lot of contexts. A disproportionate number of ideas (especially occult concepts) come in threes or are triplets–beginning, middle, ending; maiden, mother, crone; father, son, holy spirit; body, mind, spirit; thought, word, deed… the list goes on. The number three is indeed magickally powerful; but so is every other number in its own way, and in this case, having a number at all is completely unnecessary. The chosen number is consequently completely arbitrary. That is to say, when every bit of energy put into the universe gets multiplied by the same number before it comes back to you, it doesn’t matter what that number is (furthermore multiplying it at all would mean that the energy of the universe is constantly expanding exponentially, and I’m no expert, but it doesn’t seem to me like that’s the case) .

If you need a mathematical refresher, here’s what the threefold law essentially is saying: grant that I put out 4 units of good energy into the universe and 1 unit of bad energy (assuming, which I don’t, that energy can be simply “good” or “bad”) . The threefold law says that I should get back 12 units of good energy (4×3) and 3 units of bad energy (1×3) . But if we look at this as a ratio of good energy to bad energy, then input:output is 4/1:12/3. If you divide the output by 3/3 (which is just a fancy 1) , you get 4/1:4/1.

So, the threefold law is just a fancy way of saying that the amount of each type of energy the universe throws at you is directly proportionate to the amount of that type of energy you put out into the universe. Essentially, the problem I have with the threefold law is mathematical, not philosophical. I understand, if they were going to choose an arbitrary number, WHY they would choose 3–I just don’t understand why a number had to be chosen if it was going to be completely arbitrary anyway.

There is another version of the threefold law called the Law of Return, and this is something I like much better. Below is a rather lengthy quote from Catherine Noble Beyer (just another everyday practitioner who posts some of her thoughts on the interwebs) , whose thoughts I find line up very closely with mine:

“The world does not work as simply as [the threefold law] make it sound. If it did we’d all be donating to charity like mad and reaping the rewards by the handful. The idea of things returning threefold is unnatural. According to the Law of Ecology (from biology class – as Wiccans we should be taking lessons from nature) :

“Everything is connected to everything else
Everything must go somewhere
Nature knows best
There is no such thing as a free lunch

“But it is true that harm tends to beget harm, and it is true that one good turns deserves another: people remember a person’s charity and are more likely to aid them in return. Hence, why I prefer to use the term “Law of Return” over “Threefold Law”.

“Let’s also remember one of Newton’s laws as another lesson from nature: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. “Opposite” does not mean that you receive bad for every good. It means what gets put out comes back. For instance, if you push upon a wall, the wall is actually pushing back with an equal amount of force – if it did not, it would fall over. That’s straight from physics class.”

If you’re very interested in this topic, I suggest you check out her whole article on the subject at http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/three.shtml

The only thing I require, which the Threefold Law has and the somewhat simpler and more sensical Law of Return lacks, is the benefit of being written in a short, rhyming ditty. The reason you hear rhyming spells from, say, the witches in Macbeth, is that in this sort of practice there IS the belief that rhyme better connects a person to the universe–it forces rhythm and brings out the inner child, who is less sophisticated (here I make use of the original c. 1600 definition of sophisticated: “mixed with a foreign substance, impure; no longer simple or natural, ” etymonline.com) and therefore better able to participate in creative acts.

The simple solution to this problem is to write out the Law of Return in a short, rhyming ditty, so I did:

Of your actions ever wary be,
for all that derives is drawn to thee:
Water will wet, fire will burn,
and all you beget alike will return.

That’s all.

_______________________________

Footnotes:
http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/three.shtml

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for November 10th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

It has been written that an optimist is someone who can fall ten stories and call out to each floor in passing that everything is okay so far. It has also been said that an optimist is someone who refuses to see things as they really are.

It is far better, the pessimist believes, to look for the worst so as to be pleasantly surprised when things are better than expected. Then, if they are as bad as imagined, the disappointment won’t be quite so great.

But this is somewhat like backing into a room so to avoid seeing the beauty of it, only to find it is an elevator shaft.

There can be no advancement where we expect the worst and believe that going outside the limits of ordinary thinking is only day dreaming. Thinkers, capable of forecasting and predicting answers before the questions arise, are in great demand.

Only the optimist can fill the bill. Only the optimist can dare to believe there are things waiting for discovery and further development.

An optimist questions life the same as a pessimist – the difference is that the optimist knows there is an answer and that the answer can be found. Optimists are aware that the cherries of life have pits, but they are prepared to remove them. Their minds do not dwell on pits, but on the sweetness of the cherries.

There will be situations that will make us afraid. Fear is a common sense emotion that keeps us from walking in front of a moving car or from jumping off the deep end of anything. And there are periods of natural anxiety when we want too much to perform well, and the butterflies begin to flutter.

Then, there is another kind of fear that is unnatural. It has the ability to possess us and rule over our very lives. It is that “what if” fear that builds nests in our minds and hatches dire images that scare the daylights out of us. It can keep the lights off, the doors bolted, and the windows of our souls firmly locked against the most beautiful things in life.

It is no disgrace in this day to ask for professional help in understanding our fears. Only the very foolish would consider this help a crutch. It is a brave person who admits the need for help and has the courage to go and find it.

They are the pioneers in recognizing our existence as threefold: Spirit, mind and body.

____________________

Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

The Power of Spirit

The Power of Spirit
Author: Crick

As a witch I firmly believe in the rebirth of the spirit that we call reincarnation. Having said that I have had moments where I have wondered about the development of spirit, as it goes through such stages.

For instance I have mused on whether all of our spirits have started from the same level of experience and need as far as our individual growth. Or are some spirits inherently wiser from the get go and thus advance more rapidly then others?

If one is to believe that the final goal of the spirit is to become as one with one’s chosen Deity. Then another thought would be as these spirits reach their goal, are they in turn replaced by new spirits?

Or are new spirits added according to a divine plan of which we have no knowledge of while in earthly form?

What is the source for the terms “Old souls” in relation to certain folks? Could this be those spirits who have gone through a number of lifetimes?

Or is it the spirits who have gone through a number of lifetimes who have actually obtained knowledge of the lessons that are assigned to each life?

Once a spirit has completed a life are the lessons connected with that life now behind spirit or do they keep shifting from one life to another until spirit finally “gets it”?

Or are these lessons lost and spirit simply moves on to the next set of challenges?

For living a life is no guarantee that such life lessons have been learned at all. It is no secret that some folks wile away their lives through the use of alcohol, drugs, extended moods of anger which only results in negative energy, arrogance which is where one is simply spinning their wheels rather then learning and so forth.

It seems that as far as the human psyche goes, it is easier to engage in negative behavior then it is to actually take hold of ones life and to draw closer to deity.

Taking this thought a step further, once spirit reaches its final goal, are all spirits equal in knowledge and experience or are there various levels of accomplishment that spirit can attain at the end of its journey?

I personally use the analogy of spirit being the flower encased within the human body or seed if you will. As we go through this life we make the conscious or in some cases unconscious choice of either nurturing this flower or not.

When the seed/human body falls away then the flower/spirit is allowed to sprout. It is how we have nurtured this flower/spirit, which will determine whether it becomes a beautiful flower or a weed if you will. This further determines whether spirit needs to repeat the process or whether it can then be free to evolve even further along the spiritual path.

I may be a cynic, but as I look around this world I see more weeds then beautiful flowers.

It seems as if so many folks these days are becoming more and more near-sighted. Being far more concerned about their immediate human desires which are mistakenly perceived as needs rather then the broader picture which is the nourishment of our spiritual needs.

If spirit can feel emotional pain, it must be writhing with anxiety.

As pagans we are aware of the many subtle intricacies of our spirit.
For instance our spirit consists of a soul, which serves as our inner voice. We are aware that there are orbs of energy called chakras that in turn are associated with our major organs.

There is the aura which ebbs and flows in accordance with our emotional and physical states. And some will say that there is an etheric layer of energy that resides as a buffer between the energy of the aura and the actual soul.

At any rate these are the things that we know about the spirit as humans. Could there be so much more that we don’t know about the spirit?

Could the Great Mysteries of life be the discovery of knowledge that we lack in regards to our spirit?

Sometimes I wonder if the spirit sheds the soul when the physical body dies, much like a tree that sheds its leaves when going into a dormant state.

I personally believe that each soul is unique to each physical body. And that spirit chooses which soul to inhabit in order to garner the experiences that are inherent to that particular soul.

I also wonder what we actually mean by the expression, “free spirit”.

Could this be an archaic reference to a spirit that is unfettered? Can a spirit be enslaved or contained in some way by another spirit or perhaps an entity that we are unaware of. Can a lack of knowledge through lessons ignored or not learned lead to such a state of enslavement?

Could it be that all of the horrendous acts of violence, emotional, physical and mental that human’s do to each other be a result of such spirits who have become so enslaved?

These thoughts are not that far fetched really.

In ancient times the Egyptians believed that when a body had reached its final days the spirit would come before an intermediary for judgment. The soul of that spirit which was represented by the heart of the deceased was weighed on the scales of Fate against a feather.

If the soul turned out to be lighter then the feather then the spirit/soul was allowed to pass into an idyllic environment, a resting home for spirits if you will. But if the heart/soul outweighed the feather then the soul/spirit was immediately destroyed by a waiting demon.

I am not sure if this meant that the Egyptians believed that a spirit could be terminated or if this was an analogy for the death of that persons experience up to that point. In which case, the spirit would have to begin all over again. Which leads me to my final thought, is there a set agenda or curriculum if you will that the spirit has to attain to reach the end of one’s goal?

I realize of course that any answers one may have to these musings are pure speculation. But in all reality, isn’t life but a series of speculations?

 

Footnotes:
From the thoughts of an old man…

Daily Motivator for November 1st – Get life going your way

Get life going your way

Don’t wait for life to go your way. Get your own thoughts and actions going  your way and the other things in life will reliably follow along.

Step forward and take a positive, active role in creating your own future.  Instead of worrying about what might or might not happen, work to make what does  happen the best you can imagine.

With every moment and every choice, you have an influence on the way your  life unfolds. Instead of being a victim of circumstance, find ways to utilize  each circumstance for meaningful, positive purposes.

Though you cannot control every influence in your life, you absolutely can  control what you make of those various influences. Make the choice, again and  again, to make the best of them.

Take what comes, whatever it may be, with gratitude and positive  expectations. Do what you must to make something good out of it.

There is always a way forward, so take it. There is always something useful,  valuable and positive you can do, so do it, and get life going your way.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Daily Motivator for October 30th – Focus on the good things

Focus on the good things

Your mind is astonishingly powerful. Focus that power on the good things.

Your thoughts create the landscape in which you experience life. Make that  landscape empowering in a positive and fulfilling way.

Even if something is very small, you can make it enormous in your life by  choosing to intensely focus your thoughts upon it. So focus on what you wish to  make bigger, and not on what you want to avoid.

Let your thoughts center around all that you love, respect, admire and  treasure. Give positive power to each of your moments by giving positive focus  to your thoughts.

Sure, there are plenty of negative things that can quickly capture your  attention. That’s why it is important to be able to just as quickly put yourself  back into a positive perspective.

By all means deal with the bad things as necessary, while keeping your  primary focus on the good things. Make the best use of the mental power that is  yours by keeping it pointed in a positive direction.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

So What’s the Deal With Divination?

So What’s the Deal With Divination?

Author:   Brunhilde  

That everything occurring in our physical world must first have manifested in the astral plane is the traditional theory behind the art or act of ‘divination’. It is in this astral plane that the patterns of our lives and the events affecting our physical world first take shape. So, if you want to know the future on our physical plane, you can look into the astral plane and see what development is occurring there now. It is knowledge from this astral plane that you are accessing when you perform divination.

How Old Is It?

It is believed that some form of divination existed during the Stone Age. This period spans the time when the races of mankind made the transition from nomadic life to life in stationary farming communities. This transition made the individual villages and tribes more reliant on assistance from the local nature spirits. These communities were no longer able to migrate to other areas if their local food supplies ran out. By establishing farming communities, they tied their continued existence to the local food supply. Therefore, people were well motivated to contact the local nature spirits and establish a rapport with them. One clear way to communicate with the spirits was through the practice of divination. We know that the people of the ancient world relied on divination to make many of their important decisions. Each culture had its own methods for seeking advice from the spirit world. Every leader, from the heads of state to tribal councils to family elders, would utilize some form of divination on a regular basis. It was considered wise and prudent to do so.

How Do You See Into the Astral Plane?

Well, you can’t use the eyes in your face. Instead, you will be looking for signs in the astral plane by using your inner eye. You will be using your psychic sense, your spiritual essence, to open a pathway into the astral plane. You can do this by training your mind. For best results in any type of divination, you should practice placing your mind into a meditative state. It is in that altered state of awareness that you can perceive the subtle energies you are seeking.

What Is a Positive Aspect of Performing Divination?

In addition to helping you to make better decisions, another dividend of practicing divination is that it helps you to develop your psychic abilities—even if you think you don’t have any. All forms of divination require the practitioner to use their psychic sense. We all possess this sense, although it is usually not as strongly developed as our other five physical senses. After all, we have used our other five since birth! Your sixth sense may be understandably weak. But by practicing divination, you can develop and strengthen it. So if you want to be more psychic, learn a skill like divination.

Are There Negative Aspects to Performing Divination?

Of course. You can develop an unhealthy need for constant divination. You can become too dependent upon the process for help. You will feel that you are unable to make even a simple decision without consulting the spirits. You certainly don’t want to become insecure in your own decision-making process. Remember that divination can only suggest a certain course of action to you. In the end, it is you who must make the final decision. So use divination wisely.

Can We Really See Into the Future?

No, divination doesn’t do that. It can only show you a probable result, if nothing changes. Of what value is it then? Well, divination allows us to access more information regarding the question we are posing; information that is not readily apparent to us. Taking all of this additional information into account, we can now make a better decision in the here and now.

You Talkin’ To Me?!

When you perform a divination, you are usually posing a question. Some psychic practitioners, especially those who perform divinations professionally, use the aid of a spiritual third party to facilitate their divination. They may call upon this psychic helper to aid them in accessing the astral plane or assist them in interpreting the answer they receive. This third party can be the practitioner’s own personal spirit guide, a guardian angel, or a teacher spirit. You, too, can choose to perform divinations this way. If you choose to use a facilitator, then you can specifically ask them to help you see the answer to your question. And you can ask them to assist you in interpreting the answer you receive.

Talking To Yourself

To what or to whom are you asking your question? You should decide that issue before you practice divination, because your choice of facilitator may have some bearing on the type of answer you receive.

Perhaps you feel you are not accessing the astral plane when you perform divination. Some people believe that they are simply speaking to their own subconscious mind. They believe that they are communicating with their internal psyche and allowing their personal intuition to take control over their practical, pragmatic conscious mind. You may feel more comfortable with this explanation of divination.

When you think about it, all of our senses are constantly recording information that cannot be brought to the immediate attention of our conscious mind. There is simply too much information for our conscious mind to handle at any given moment. As the saying goes, T.M.I! So, our senses wisely store this glut of information in our subconscious mind. Think of your subconscious mind as a vast repository for all the information gathered by your senses. When you perform divination, you are allowing your subconscious mind to access all of that information. You can then use that data to make a better informed decision. That decision will appear as the answer to your divination.

It’s All in the Past

This idea of communicating with your subconscious mind is valid on more than one level. Many people believe in the idea of past lives and reincarnation. Some folks who believe in reincarnation propose that all the knowledge of our past lives is stored in our subconscious mind. Which makes for a huge personal database! If you believe in this idea, then for you divination is a way to access past-life information.

For example, perhaps you are seeking to answer a question concerning a problem you are having in this life. Maybe you had the same problem in a past life. Or many past lives. Wouldn’t it be great to draw upon all that previous experience dealing with the same problem? Your divination question could be worded to partake of that previous experience in your past lifetimes. For you, divination may be the simple act of viewing your personal storehouse of knowledge. You are scanning your database to help you to make a wise decision in this life.

It’s Already IN There

Some folks believe that all the knowledge you need to succeed in this lifetime is already stored in your brain. When you were on the Other Side, you decided what tasks you would accomplish in this current lifetime. You formulated your goals and decided how best to achieve them. You gathered and stored the information you would need to meet those goals. You arrived here, in this physical plane; with your life-plan and your necessary data already stored in your subconscious. You just need a way to access it and divination is one way to accomplish that task.

Info In Your Aura

There is some evidence that your thoughts and memories are not stored in your mind, conscious or otherwise. You may store information in your light body or aura body, that part of you that transits to the afterlife when your physical body dies. As noted by Debbora Wiles of Psychic Schoolhouse, there are numerous accounts of patients who have been declared clinically dead, but were resuscitated and survived. These patients later described a scenario in which they lifted up out of their physical bodies and hovered in the air above the scene of their death. They heard and saw everything that took place while they were dead. Then their physical body was revived and they floated down back into it. After being revived, they were able to recall in vivid detail all of the activity taking place around them while they were dead.

They have memories and thoughts of the event, even though their brain at the time was no longer functioning, no longer receiving data. These accounts would seem to indicate that our thoughts and memories are not stored in our brains. They are stored in our light body. When we die, our light body detaches from our physical body. Our light body takes our thoughts and memories with it into the afterlife. If we are revived and must transition back into our physical body, our light body reattaches, bringing our thoughts and memories back in with it. So it may be that we are all accessing information stored in our light bodies when we perform divination. That explanation is just one of many ideas on this topic.

What Are Good Times to Perform Divination?

Personally, I like to follow lunar cycles. Through experience, I have found that my divinations performed on the dark of the moon, when the moon and the sun occupy the same zodiac sign, are always more profound for me. The dark of the moon is the lunar phase associated with the Crone, and I have always been drawn to the Crone aspect of the goddess. But you should try performing your divinations in all the lunar phases and see which one works better for you. Start with the lunar phase that appeals to you the most.

Perhaps you are more influenced by solar energy. You may feel that sunlight energizes you psychically. Then changes in sunlight may affect your divination. You may choose to perform divination during certain times of the day, or in the first half of the year (northern hemisphere) when the sunlight is growing stronger every day.

You may be more influenced by seasonal energies. Perhaps there is a certain season of the year that holds more attraction for you than the others. During that season, you may feel more emotionally energized and attuned to psychic energies. For you then, that season may be the time when your divinations are most accurate.

Why Should I Care?

Another element that influences the success of your divination is the importance of your question. How vital is your need for an answer? The more crucial the question, the more heightened are your emotions and the more psychic energy you will pour into the divination process. That surplus of psychic energy will strongly empower your ability to receive the answer you seek.

How Do I Begin?

Examine some of the divination methods currently available. There are many. Tarot, scrying, runes, pendulums, they all require you to use your psychic ability. Explore all the methods you can find. Over time, one method will intrigue you more than the others. Begin your journey with that one. You may add other methods down the line.

Divination is a skill. And like all skills, it must be practiced in order to achieve familiarity and success. Some people have a special innate talent for it, a knack, as it were and they will achieve success at divination sooner than others. But most people will improve their abilities with practice. So don’t give up too soon and cheat yourself out of this wonderful experience.

How Long Does It Take?

It is an unfortunate hallmark of modern society that we are all conditioned to receive instant gratification. We become impatient with standing in lines or waiting our turn. Our ancient ancestors were more conditioned to waiting for results. They knew that some things were worth waiting for, especially esoteric knowledge. They learned vast amounts of information, committing that knowledge to memory over long years of study. In our modern technologically based society, we have forgotten our recent past. We expect to acquire a skill immediately. Sorry, but that is not the case with divination. So try to curb your impatience and give divination, and yourself, a chance to succeed.

My first attempts at divination involved scrying. However, I did not experience success the first time I tried it. But I kept practicing and after a few months I began to receive and interpret messages on a regular basis. And those messages became more and more accurate as I improved my ability to understand and interpret them.

If you can’t decide which method of divination to try, investigate several forms. Over a period of time, you will be attracted to one process and prefer it to all the others. Learn and practice that one process; really work at it. The results will be worth it!

Blessed Be.

________________________________________

Footnotes:
Atwater, P.M.H. The Magical Language of Runes. Bear and Company Publishing, 1990.

McCoy, Edain. Magick and Rituals of the Moon. Llewellyn Publications, 2001.

Thorsson, Edred. Runecaster’s Handbook: the Well of Wyrd. Weiser Books, 1999.

The Nature of Good and Evil?

The Nature of Good and Evil?

Author:   Crowshadower   

Good and Evil are concepts that are used by certain established religions to enforce their way of thinking. Remember that, according to some of those religions, we are Evil simply by virtue of not being part of their faith. How, then, can any Pagan hold on to these concepts while seeking to explore his or her own faith?

Let me just say that what I seek to discuss here is Good and Evil, not good and evil. The difference is quite great, as a perfectly ordinary human being can commit an evil act or a good act without necessarily recognizing any fault. Evil and good are a matter of perspective. But Evil and Good, with the capital letters, are grandiose abstracts.

One of the first things that I learned when I became a pagan was that Good and Evil do not exist as the great abstract powers that I was always taught about in church, nature (in paganism) being a matter of balance rather than opposition. Recently, however, I have heard individuals of the Pagan persuasion talking about Evil entities in exactly the same way Christians would describe devils and demons. It has made me wonder, not whether Good and Evil truly exist, but whether any of us can really escape the heavy-handed religious teachings of our childhood.

There is a reason why I say that Good and Evil do not exist. It’s quite simple, really: Have you ever seen an Evil animal? An Evil stone or tree? No, because in nature there is only motivation and action. Balance is maintained because it is the way things work. Humans have been led to believe that because we are cognizant, we are better than animals. This is the source of the idea of Good and Evil; our ability to think about our actions beyond the instinctive level is taken to mean we have greater control over ourselves, which is true to a certain extent.

Being capable of thinking about our actions should mean that we are able to accept the consequences of our actions and not blame an abstract concept of Evil or Good. It is easier to excuse an ill thought or downright malicious action by saying ‘The Devil made me do it’ than to admit that you are at fault. It is easier to say ‘He’s just plain Evil’ than to realize that society is failing a lot of people and allowing psychologically disturbed individuals to go unnoticed (In these cases, perhaps the nature of Evil is apathy and complacency, of which we may all be guilty.)

When I hear intelligent Pagans talking about Evil or Good entities, I have to ask myself if there is not some misunderstanding. All the spirits and energy entities with which we work have their own motivations (which they are very unlikely to disclose). There are malign beings who will use the unwary to suit their own goals, but that makes them no more Evil then any human being seeking to use another to meet their ambitions. People do morally abhorrent, stupid, ignorant and pointless things every day, but they are not necessarily labeled as Evil: just human. Why should spirits be any different simply because they are incorporeal?

I don’t claim that spirits are the same as living humans, but they exist when we are not calling upon them, and so must have their own reasons for doing things. Perhaps if we understood their drives and aims a little better, we would be more selective as to how, when and who we called upon to aid us in our workings or we might find that we could allow ourselves more freedom in our communications with Otherworld inhabitants.

So, what of the nature of Good and Evil? As Pagans we should not use these terms, but rather acknowledge that intent, motive and action are all part of free will and that by choosing to act in a particular fashion, we also choose to accept the consequences for what we do, be that physical or metaphysical.

By proclaiming ourselves to be Pagans, we have rejected the established religions that preach of Good and Evil, telling their followers of what glory or damnation await in the next life and that the absolution of all acts in this life that can be achieved through their chosen devotions. There are reasons for these established faiths to maintain their belief in Good and Evil, but I cannot think of one that is positive. These concepts are used as a ruler with which to rap the knuckles of unruly followers, rather then expecting the faithful to learn through discussion and explanation. Good and Evil are the religious equivalent of ‘It just is’ giving no further reasoning and offering the believer no leeway in which to make up his or her own mind.

I know as I write this there will be a number of you who are thinking about Hitler/Stalin/Mussolini, etc. Even theyweren’t Evil and by thinking that they were, we give more power and importance to such individuals than they deserve. Most of history’s monsters are misrepresented by the documentation, or they were so mentally disturbed that it is a wonder that they could function on a day-to-day basis at all. Yes, their actions were evil, but in most cases they had delusions that it was for the greater good of their people or nation. Only later were they consumed by their own addiction to power.

Paganism is meant to be as much about thinking for ourselves in all aspects of life as it is about worshipping the Gods of our ancestors. When a Pagan uses Good and Evil, he or she brings into his/her thinking something that belongs to book religions that seek followers who do as they are told, rather than thinking believers willing to argue and change what they think. When you are researching and studying, remember that when a writer uses the words Good or Evil, you need to look beyond and find more information from different sources and perspectives because that source is not providing you with enough information.