The Secrets In Plain Sight!

Tempest Kayne Smith died on February 20, 2001.  She died by her own hand as a direct result of the relentless bullying she endured in school.  More than any issue, she was bullied about her religious faith - the one she chose for herself.

If someone shoots another person, I am not going to criticize the person who was shot.  How much bullying is a 12-yearold girl supposed to take, especially if, as some surmise, the people who could take action wouldn't, even if the knew or even saw it happening.  I surmise that it might because it happened to me at that age!

But, let's examine the issue.  Interesting, to look at some facts.  If, as most say, The Divine is infinite, there are some conclusions to be drawn.  And they are even confirmed in the Christians' own Gospels!

Blessed Be!

You've heard me say before that I've noticed that people who are comfortable with who they are can be depended upon to be accepting and tolerant of people who are different from what they are.  There are many examples, and the list is growing, no matter what the difference is that you might want to name.

And do you notice the people who can't tolerate those who are different from them, and what they're about?  I'll never forget the reaction of an ant-gay "activist" when I remarked "scratch a homophobe and find a faggot!"  I might be as "straight" as can be, but I'm also comfortable enough with that to respect those who are not.  And that's to say nothing of the Bible-thumper who found that I knew his Bible better than he did!

So, since there are so many of those narrow-minded intolerant people, let's look at what motivates them!

Blessed Be!

It's Imbolc!  Not only is this a sabbat worth celebrating, it's an opportunity to make good use of some remarkable power that's offered right now!

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, it's Imbolc and you can tell it by looking out the window.  And that can be especially true of you have some snow on the ground, but the snow isn't necessary for this observation - it just makes it more obvious.  What do you see?  The first shoots of the heartiest plants are poking their heads through the snow to greet the world! 

And what is the Divine Child doing - the one born at Yule?  With that, we can see what it's time for us to do.  And it's also a good tiem to catch-up if need be!

Blessed Be!

Can there be anything as wasteful as hate?  I've mentioned the subject before, but it seemed to me that I needed to have an episode devoted to this spiritual, psychological and even physical poison.

Hate takes at least as much energy as love, and motivates us to action.  Each and every one of us has at least felt hate's temptation at times, some of us more often than others.  And the results of hate are never good.  Perhaps a short-term gain, but always a long-term loss. 

There is a secret about hate, and once you grasp it, you'll know its real nature - and see alternatives.

Blessed Be!

We are human, and humans make mistakes.  And sometimes, those mistakes hurt others.  It can, and will, happen to all of us, even though you and I know a few people who seem to think they are above it all. 

The standard advice you got from folks like your Sunday school teacher was to not make those mistakes, and avoid the people ansd situations which would cause you to do that. That might be valid for those who live in isolatiojn under a rock, but the rest of us need something more.

And there is a way tio deal with it, whether your guilt is genuine or if it's the kind of guilt imposed by other people on an agenda.

Let's explore this, because we all find ourselves here at times!

Blessed Be!

Right now, I'm upset about how some of our best frieds are being treated.  I'm talking about our best friends who usually have four feet and fur coats.  Between breed-specific legislation and the mistreatment some animals receive, there is enought to be angry about.  And then, decides to market a product based on such prejudices.

Those of you who are Wiccan and Pagan, thank you - you know what I mean and you know where I'm at.  But some others might want to know that there's ample warning in Judaeo-Christian scripture that we will be sharing this world and the world to come with them!

And there's more!  What's even more, there are some special blessings which can be yours.  Let's look and see!

Blessed Be!

I've spoken quite a bit about getting things to work, and here I get into the core of it.  Let's talk about having a vision and getting it to work.  People do it all the time, and most of it is a matter of knowing how to make it happen.  It's a basic part of any spiritual path you want to mention - even the most radical Evangelical Protestant knows that there is more to baptism than getting wet, for instance!

And so, let's see how to make it happen.  More importantly, when we get it to happen for the first time, how do we keep it happening?

Blessed Be!

The mundane New Year, just like Samhain, is a time for making resolutions.  And I also know that this time of year, I am likely to discuss the subject of resolutions.  But this year, I noticed a connection between resolutions and religion in general. 

In both cases, you'll find the people who do it to please others, the people who take the lazy course, those who refuse to do anything, and the folks who actually make it work!  OK, so what do those people have?

Blessed Be!

It's becoming more and more common to celebrate mroe than one holiday at the same time.  And why not?  In our modern times, we meet and get to appreciate people we would have barely even heard of a generation ago!  Different people have differnt spiritual paths, and the paths have different celebrations, although often at the same time as each other.  I recall hearing of a couple who had a Christmas tree topped with a Star of David.  It is not uncommon for a family to have both a Christmas tree and a menorah.  And that is to say nothing of the other possible combinations of paths.  Thanks to Lady Stormy, our god-daughter has celebrated yule plus Christmas, and Ostara plus Easter sine she was a young child.

As we know people, there can be closer friendship and even permanent commitments.  We need to learn to honor more than one way.  Some of us might find a need to do so even without someone coming into our lives.  So, how can it be made to happen?

A couple of basic principles, and you can be all set.  And, it can be a most rewarding exploration!

Blessed Be!

Did you ever notice how many spiritual paths have a most special holiday at the time of the Winter Solstice?  Did you ever wonder why?  It could begin with primitive people fighting to survive and, in order to survive, struggling to find order in the chaotic world they were put into!  Imagine the joy of discovering the day when you knew that spring and summer would return, and that that winter would not last forever!  Imagine learning that it was possible to plan!

Imagine also, the lore that would grow, including some which might not quite fit in, but others which did - and well. 

And so, you can see the roots of some major blessings The Divine has for us!

Blessed Be!