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| Author | Topic: An' it harm none |
| Rowan Rosewood |
posted 6/27/09 1:43 PM
On the beach one day, my mum came across a girl, about 17 years old, looking out to sea and singing her heart out. 'Another weirdo!' she thought, which was ironic, as she herself was on the beach doing her Tai Chi. The girl came to watch her and finally they got talking. The girl (I will call her gabby) was from the middle east and as a toddler had been looked after by her grandmother who, would leave her to her own devices. If gabby soiled herself or did anything that her grandmother thought was naughty, she would get beaten with a stick and was often locked in a stone kitchen for hours. Because of this she had developed a severe stutter. She was attending meetings to overcome her stutter and through the people she met, she found a divine love of life. She was fascinated in everything natural and creative, and when she came into my house, she was like a child who had just walked into a wonderland. The art that was all around her in my house made tears come to her eyes and she said it was almost too overwhelming for her. I really enjoyed talking to her, her energy sparked something in me that I was actually a bit afraid of. This was years before I knew anything of witchcraft, but coincidentally, she showed me and my mum how to read tea leaves and gave predictions that my mother is still discovering! Here is the part that I have to add to the story, almost against my will! A year later, she was visiting the town where I lived and she saw me at a festival. She came to say hello and was overjoyed to see me. For some reason, I was cold and aloof, I have no, no, NO idea why and it brings tears to my eyes that I was like it. I could see the hurt in her face and I didn't care, I felt the hurt in my heart that she was feeling and it only made me more bitter! She sadly said goodbye and I never saw her again. As I was tidying up the house today, I thought of her and all of those memories came back to me, it happened nearly 10 years ago. My thoughts were that we come into this world, like perfect vases or ceramic bowls, then as we experience life, we are cracked, smashed and pieces are broken off of us by other broken vase spirited people. The parts of them that are broken or lost, they break in others or steal bits in the hope that it will fill the crack in their own souls. THAT'S where we do the harm! The Wiccan Rede 'An' it harm none' I think I understand. Find what your soul needs to fix what is broken, without taking from another soul. Support and encourage rather than find fault in another's approach to life. I will carry on making the same mistakes, I am sure, but today, I felt I understood something to help me to stay on the right path, I just wanted to share it with you all. It is the modern pagan way that has taught me this, the worship of nature, in mind, body and soul. I believe that as a Christian, I would have remained aloof and lost. Blessings Rowan. http://www.wiccaboxofglory.co.uk Supplies to support modern Celtic/Pagan lifestyles, traditions and religion. |
| Hedge-friend |
posted 7/2/09 10:36 PM
Nice remembrance Rowan - thanks! Most people are hobbled in some way by the past. I certainly have cast many chains that still fetter me. But I think I have grown wiser in recognizing them, and the impacts they may have on others. (Isn't it funny that making silver chains has become a hobby for me now? lol at that irony!). I think that's a big reason I moved beyond Catholic dogma. Anyone growing up that way knows how it can be. Traditional religions often create barriers through cultivating exclusive belief systems. People show their true colors in how they interact with others who are very different from themselves. |
| Rowan Rosewood |
posted 7/4/09 11:40 PM
Hello Hedge-amis, I'd like to know what chains you think you have, but I don't think you will tell. Thank you for your comment, I am glad you still have your hobby. By the gods I am tired and bored! Done anything wild lately? I have thought recently that if my brooms really could fly, I would be up in those clouds and that beautiful blue sky quite often at the moment. Oh well, I will have to dream harder! Hope Florrie was nice. http://www.wiccaboxofglory.co.uk Supplies to support modern Celtic/Pagan lifestyles, traditions and religion. |
| Ivy Silversky |
posted 7/5/09 11:17 AM
Rowan, thank you for posting your story - I was musing along these lines a few weeks ago and I think you have explained the concept beautifully. Hedge-friend, I know (and still suffer) the barriers enforced by Catholicism only too well. I'm still waiting for the best oppertunity to help my family break down these barriers and accept me as I am now, with causing the minimal harm. I fear this may take longer than I'm willing to wait. Bright Blessings to you and yours x |
| Rowan Rosewood |
posted 7/6/09 6:10 AM
Thank you Ivy Silversky, you've got some hard issues to face! I can only guess what it must be like for you. My family is quite open minded and I can't believe a family would turn on someone just because of what they believe, especially if their way of life is such a good one. I send you all my best wishes that you manage to bridge that gap and are allowed to live freely and in the right way for you. Bright Blessings, Rowan. http://www.wiccaboxofglory.co.uk Supplies to support modern Celtic/Pagan lifestyles, traditions and religion. |
| roseredpixie |
posted 8/12/09 10:37 AM
Ivy, I can fully sympathize with your fears regarding your family. I was raised baptist, which among those in the protestant realm is one of the more fanatical (fundamental) denominations. I've only managed to tell my mom about my path and she is denial. I just have to trust that in time they will come to see the beauty in my path and respect my choice to follow it. |
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