Message to New and Elder Pagans

[JBRaven]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I'm writing this letter to you because my heart cant take this anymore. It has become far too commonplace in our lives to be so dismissive of one another, especially to those of us who are new. We have gotten so wrapped up in our own egos and have become what most of us never wanted to be, Pompous Self Righteous JERKS! I myself am guilty of this at times and I am sure if you really ask your heart you will agree you are too.

We have come to a place where we have lost sight of the original beauty and love we found in our religion and in doing so have negated the responsibilities set before us from the Gods, not only as pagans individually but as a FAMILY collectively. It is the will of the Gods that we be kind,helpful,and willing to teach the young, and for the young and old alike to be respectful and eager to listen to the advice of the Old.

To my fellow elders of the faith:

We have a duty that is not only to the Gods. We have a duty to ourselves and to the next generation of our family that is coming. Our actions speak volumes to the young and our words resonate within the halls of their mind. We must lead by example not by word. It is our duty to take the time to listen to all that they have to say. We must tend to their needs, no matter how "petty" we may see them. It is our job to guard them and to guide them into a brighter tomorrow.

Let us be mindful of what it was like to be where they are now, as we all once were.

Let us remember what it was like for US when we were that young and everything held a mystery and we were filled with an inexplicable feeling of knowing. A knowing that all lifes msyteries were just a breath away yet we couldnt seem to catch it fully.

This was a time for us when we truly saw the magick in everything in the world and the possibilities of life knew no bounds.

Let us cherish this part of ourselves and honnour it in the next generation.

We shouldn't make them feel like a burden but instead we should make them feel welcome as we would a newborn child in our family. That is exactly what they are; another miraculous birth in our family. Lets us protect them, guide them, and teach them the sacred ways.

To my new brothers and sisters:

You have responsibility too!

It is necessary for you to take responsibility for yourself and your actions. You cannot always blame others for life's misfortunes. It is your responsibility to take the time and step back from a situation and to examine it from all different perspectives not just your own.

Your words and deeds effect others in ways that can be more complex than they first appear.

You need to be eager to learn and listen to your elders with attentive ears. It is okay to challenge their thoughts and opinions, as you are entitled to yours, but heed our warnings when we give them. We DO understand things at levels that you dont YET comprehend.

There is a great lesson that is learned by us when we are young in the faith and that is that things arent always as they appear. Remember this always, and apply it to your magickal and everyday life. You should try to envision the "bigger picture" of things. What may seem like a huge problem to you may be minor in the grand scheme of things.

You need to be diligent in your own efforts. Do not just sit and wait to be spoon-fed information. We are only human and can do so much. It is your job to research things for yourself and come to us for a more specific answer.

Question everything! Question yourself! Question others! Don't do this in a negative way where it becomes debilitating to you and your growth. Do it in a positive way, make yourself think and wonder why things are the way they are what will be if this happens.

Find your own personal truths!

It is truly a beautiful thing when one is called back into the loving embrace of the Goddess. Remeber the way you feel now. Remember the peace that you have when you speak and learn of the Old Ways. For many of us, we have gotten older and have journeyed further on this path and started to lose this feeling that you have now. Fight for it! As we all must!

You are all my brothers and sisters, I love you. Let us remember who we really are! We are a family! Let us put away our egos and become one. One with Each Other and One with the Goddess!

Lovingly,
Your Sister

[)O( Krystal Raven )O(]

My heart is so glad to read this, and rejoices that there are true Priestesses drawing down the moon for the old and young alike, even this 21st century. The children are closer to the Source, the Elders are closer to the Truth.... both are so precious, so important, so sacred! Blessed Be!!! )O( R )O(

[MeallaAoi]

^^^ Hear hear!!! ^^^

[Sage50]

I eyes are full of tears,

my heart warm and cheerful,

my ears open and listening,

my mouth saying many thanks.

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

I agree wholeheartedly with this post. Far too often there is a lack of sympathy and an excess of judgement.

Please remember that tolerance and acceptance is by necessity a two way door. Each person's spiritual journey is an expression of their soul, and should be treated with love and respect. Too often there are those willing to denigrate the "fluffy bunnies", and denounce wiccans or newbies for being too light. This is wrong, but it is equally wrong in any direction. Wiccans should exercise love and acceptance towards those who do not share their views, do not follow the rede or worship the Lord and Lady. Show love and acceptance to the People of the Book (Christian, Muslim, or Jewish), for their path speaks of their sould and their connection to the divine and is no less sacred than ours. Wiccans, show love and acceptance to pagans and heathens alike, for their path is a sister to yours and seeks likewise a deep and meaningful relationship with nature and the old gods.

Racism is an ugly thing, and in the United States we are taught from an early age the pain and humiliation suffered during the years of slavery, during reconstruction, into the 60s civil rights march and sadly even to the current day. It is equally harmful for the children whose ancestors suffered these hurts to turn around at their brothers and sisters and say "YOUR ancestors caused this pain, YOU will suffer reparations". Love and acceptance cannot be one sided, and it cannot coexist with hate, blame or mistrust. Do not judge a whole group of people by the bad behavior of a few individuals, and recognize all paths to the divine as valid and good.

Many Blessings to all.

[MeallaAoi]

...Victoria, can I copy a few bits of that into my own personal stash of quotes? I love the way you said it all...

[SKYLER SIXX]

I'M TRULY HAPPY TO GAZE UPON THE WORDS YOU HAVE SPOKEN,WHEN I FIRST DECIDED TO STUDY AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS WAY OF LIFE AND LIVING I HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS BUT WAS PUSHED ASIDE,IGNORED AND LOOKED OVER FOR MY IGNORANCE AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS FAITH AND COULD FIND NO WHERE AND NO ONE TO TURN TO FOR QUESTIONS AND HELP.BUT WITH THE HELP OF SOME AMAZING PEOPLE ( YOU RAVEN,BEING ONE OF THE FEW) WHO TOOK TIME TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND FOR THAT,I AM THANKFUL AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS WAY OF LIFE. THANK YOU,BLESS THE ONES WHO CHOOSE TO HELP AND BRINGFOURTH AND UNMASK THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO DECEIVE SO WE SHALL SEE THEM FOR WHO THE TRULY ARE.

[Firebird]

Indeed we knew it all when we were young, and if we think we are wise just because we are older, ha!
we will never know it all. Tolerance begins with the self at all levels. The young to tolerate their elders words of experience and the old to tolerate the impatience of the young. If one ever ceases to learn then one ceases to live.
BB Firebird

[Fayneixx]

I didn't feel the need to reply, but I'm feeling exceptionally "type-y" today, so I will. I'm amazed that this much insight and wisdom could come from one person. If we could all open our minds to a level at or near Lady Symandinome's, then the world would be a better place...not just for Witches and Pagans, but for Jews, Muslims, Christians, etc. Maybe I'm wrong, and this wasn't cold, hard logic that made Sym write this, but a fit of passion. Even so, we should be grateful that we have among us a person who can excrete knowledge as she does, and hope that it rubs off on us. Love and be Loved, as I read from a certain Moderator-gone-Admin.

Rise from the Ashes,

Fayneixx

P.S. I applaud Sym, for the letter-writing is a lost form of art!

[Symandinome]

Thank you.. I appreciate everyone taking the time to read this letter. I hope that it touches everyones hearts and causes them to stop and think and strive to be a better person not only for themselves but for each other.

Bright Blessinsg
Symandinome/Ashlie

[Fayneixx]

Yes, it really did touch my heart....I was in pain the rest of the day Now if I could only get a letter for all of these idiots in High School...JB knows which ones they are. Either way, This is an amazing thing.

[advice plz]

when ever i walked into my lady's embrace just less then a year ago my heart swelled and i felt complete. when i cant see the moon at night i feel worried, when i do i feel safe and loved.my path is unclear but im so happy to have my brothers and sisters with me, you make me proud of my choice. this love and this peace is all i ever wanted

[Tiene]

My heart was longing for a further push into paganism and after I read this my soul was set fire once again to grasp the warm embrace of the goddess. I thank you from the bottom of my heart you have given me good reason to continue loving my brothers, sister, and mother

[Symandinome]

I'm so glad that my words were able to touch you. This was a very sincere letter that came from my heart.

[Ravenwalker]

Beautiful words, and they certainly ring true.

As a Celt and a Druid, with friends and acquaintances drawn from countless other devotions, this makes me quite happy to see. I've gone to great lengths in exploration of my own thoughts regarding a unified world mythology where all beliefs can coexist and various paradigm clashes can function without conflict. It doesn't matter if you're a Celt, a Norseman, a Kabbalist, a vampire, or anything else. What matters is an open-mind and a willingness to consider the possibilities.

I've also taken steps to aid many of my younger friends in their endeavors, and allowed their actions to decide my continued involvement. I openly discuss my faith when on campus, and readily take questions from those interested in experimentation with pagan concepts. For the most part, this has been a positive experience for myself and others. We've encountered a small handful of real wankers who just want to play wizard in their spare time, but you can run into that extreme in any subculture -- everyone has their detractors. What matters is keeping that door open for the next generation in order to keep the freedom of thought that pagans around the world -- of all people -- should seek to embody, rather than try to oppress. Oppression is what nearly wiped pagans out, after all; the last thing that we need is to be responsible for second round.