Ugly Ducklings

Hans Christian Andersen is fondly remembered worldwide for his fairy tales and one of my favorites has always been "The Ugly Duckling." We are told the moral of this story is that the duckling (who is is persecuted by all in the duck yard)... escapes, perseveres and eventually realizes that he is not ugly at all but a beautiful swan. The tale concludes with the marvellous knowledge that it hardly matters where you are born if you have the right talents.

We are all born into relatively ordinary families....we go to school like all the other children...take family vacations...and do things that everyone does but how many of us fail to be recogized or appreciated by a parent or teacher or even society that we have special qualities that make us creative and free thinking? We grow up, get normal jobs, raise families of our own but somewhere inside we feel like we are somehow apart from the rest of the world.

We continue down this path until one day we meet someone... a witch or pagan or pick up a book about metaphysics or mythology that suddenly opens our eyes to the fact that we were never not ducklings to begin with...we were swans the whole time! We discover our " spiritual home" our niche so to speak and it transforms our lives. We now are where we belong and wonder why it took us so long to get here.

Just Another Pet Peeve

I usually don't have much trouble with people giving me a bad time about my spiritual beliefs but I have this neighbor who seems to delight in scoffing at what I have experienced to be real. Usually I just let it roll of my back and pay no attention to folks like this but this one seems to have crawled under my skin, I'm not really sure as to why.... it's not like I even care what he disagrees with.

I sat on my porch this afternoon and pondered this question in the glorious afternoon sun and tried to brainstorm to myself as to why this bothers me so much. My first few answers such as "Maybe it threatens him." and "This just goes to prove that ignorance is not bliss...." or "Could he possibly be giving me a bad time to get my attention?" didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense so I found myself continuing to mull this over while cooking dinner and cleaning up the dishes afterward. Then the thought occurred to me that I was giving this entirely too much thought and that was probably just what his intention was. I really think that it bothers me because somehow I feel threatened...like my beliefs can be taken from me, which I know is utterly ridiculous. Then the question that really needed to be answered was "Why would I feel that way in the first place?!"

Not too many years ago, I was wandering aimlessly, looking for something to believe in and had nearly reached the point that it was all just hogwash, smoke and mirrors like this neighbor has...then one day wicca found me...I can't really explain how that works but for the first time in my life I realized that this new concept made absolute perfect sense...it felt so right, like it had always been there...waiting for me to notice. I realize that no one can take my spirituality but I also know that to me it is worth more than any treasure of silver or gold or precious jewels and I feel protective of it. There are many out there that put the few of us in a very bad light whether it be out of ignorance or fad and it makes me angry. Please don't lump me in with those that wear it like a charade...something to use to draw attention to themselves, be true to yourself and the god and goddess...the universal spirit. It goes far beyond a spirituality...it is a way of life...a reverence for nature and creation...respect for all that is natural around you.

I hold my beliefs dear to me and somehow writing this blog just seems to reaffirm the path I have chosen to be the correct one for me. I resolve to not let those who like to dismiss me bother me...I will continue on believing and ask the universe that perhaps someday this neighbor might know the peace and wholeness that I have been blessed with.

Something To Believe In

I listened to Ariel's podcast last night and wow...what a great podcast! (of course they're all terrific as well as powerful.) Anyhow, one exercise he spoke of in his podcast on "Building your power base- the Water Body" was to take note of where we are placing our faith, in other words, what do we believe in? What a powerful question..."What do I believe in?" I'm not sure that I've ever paid attention to what I actually do believe in until confronted with a situation that is contrary or challenging to those beliefs. Just where does my faith lie... what are the places that I put my faith in daily, without even realizing it...where does that foundation of faith stem from? My head is spinning just trying to think of my beliefs...so, here it goes...

What I believe in:

~ The sun will rise every day and set each evening

~ There is always an answer, always a solution and always a choice to be made in every struggle

~No matter how dark life can get, there is hope...light at the end of the tunnel

~ The Universal Intelligence ( God, higher power, goddess, god) is around me all the time, present in all living things

~ No matter how long it seems to take....truth has no other option but to surface

~ Children are a privilege not a right

~ All living things deserve respect and compassion...yes, even people too

~ There is wisdom to gain from our elders

~ Most animals make better people than some people do

~ Say "I love you" to your loved ones as often as you can

These are just a few of the things that I believe in...what does that say about my faith? I think it simply reassures me that the path I walk... this journey I take, is the correct one for me. What are some things that you believe in...what foundation does your faith spring from?

P.S.- You can find Ariel's podcasts "The Witches Primer" on iTunes podcasts, I encourage you to listen.

TAG...You're It!

I was sitting on the couch ruminating this morning amid the sounds of the bathroom being remodeled and found myself wandering down memory lane. I can remember as a child going to the catholic church with my grandparents and staring in awe at the brightly colored stained glass windows depicting a variety of religious scenes. The church itself, although in a small community and not large by any standards, was very ornate and rich with decoration but somewhere deep inside I just couldn't shake that nagging little feeling that something was strangely missing. That feeling followed me through the next few years and as I traveled along in my twenties, I searched many different churches and many different viewpoints looking for one that clicked, one that would give me that wonderful feeling that I saw reflected in the other church members' faces. Finally there came a time when I realized that I could not fit in nor fake the feelings that I so desperately sought and for a several years after that resigned myself to the fact that it just wasn't going to happen for me and I quit searching altogether. It wasn't until I was nearly 35 that I met a woman that lived in the same apartment complex as I and she introduced to me to wicca. All of a sudden it was like a light bulb going off in my head and then it hit me...this is it... this is what I've been searching for all my life! It was so right, so liberating...as if a great weight had been removed from my shoulders. I cannot tell you how free I felt then and have continued to feel every day since. As I continued to sit and think, it occurred to me that this path, this journey I am on... had found me! I had not gone looking or even given any thought as to my spirituality for many years but here I am, knee deep in the craft and it seems so right, so natural...like this is what life is supposed to be about. I am not claiming to know all the answers, life is a classroom and everyday is a new lesson but the insight and perspective I have gained is far more beautiful, more brilliant to me than any stained glass created.