Live and Let Live

Here we  go: final chapter.  Can you believe it? 

This chapter isn’t even 2 full pages, but it is important.  On page 196 SC makes some extremely keen statements about what living Wicca is.  Of course, he believes that “harm none” is an “excellent first step in Wiccan living.”  I concur.  Of course, the question then becomes, can’t you follow harm none without the religion?  Sure.  Harm none is an excellent philosophy for a moral code.  It goes in depth with the whole Golden Rule and 10 commandments.  However, when those times come up when you are grappling with whether or not something is causing harm, sometimes taking some time out to meditate, pray or seek guidance from the teachings and beliefs of your religion can help you reason through the predicament.  Sometimes it is in those quiet moments of contemplation when the voice of the divine is clearest.  Sometimes it is in moments like brushing your teeth or scrubbing your toilet as well, but those little ah-ha moments are what make the big ideas make sense. 

Making sense of our world is why we have religions in my opinion.  When I think about previous cultures and their myths and stories, I see so many commonalities from one religion to another.  This world is amazing and religions have allowed countless humans the chance to order their lives and figure out their roles in the world.  We all want to be happy and free from suffering and religions strive to bring that peace to us.  Unfortunately, sometimes we muck it up.  We are human and therefore prone to such mucking about.   I suppose why I have come to Wicca—being solitary means it is on my shoulders.  No one is going to tell me what I must do and what I must not.  I choose how go about this.  I reason it out for myself with a little prayer now and then.  I’m sure a coven could provide the same, but I’m not so into the idea.  Remember, one of my rules is be aware of anyone who seeks power or dominion over me.  Unlike other religions I have tried, being a solitary has never given me the sense that someone other than me was driving this car.  No one has tried to sway my vote in politics, community concerns, or personal ethics.  This is completely me trying to live the best life I can in this world.  Thankfully, Wicca is very forgiving.

I’m not always the best at harming none.  I have made decisions and done things that have harmed people I love.  SC states that “mistakes are a apart of human life” and that “there’s nothing that we can do that, mythologically speaking, the deities haven’t done.”  Very true—Zeus did some questionable things in his day.  Let’s be honest—mythological deities are completely fallible and prone to sketchy judgment.  They possess all of humanity’s gifts, blessings, as well as faults.  Because of this, there’s no need of confession or forgiveness from them.  We have to forgive ourselves and move on.  Learn from those errors in judgment right?  This is a far more comforting notion than some wrathful being condemning my soul for all eternity.  Forgiving myself or asking other’s forgiveness is way more important and never as easy as confession.  There’s something very humble about this religion and I like that.  No huge cathedral, no vast network of sites all clamoring for my money before I can join, no claims of poverty while eating lobster on Friday nights, and no weird requirements like special underwear or dietary limitations.  Just me listening to the voice of the Goddess and the God through nature, prayer, and ritual.  I don’t know that my path is “perfect” yet, but it’s a lot less crowded, overgrown and muddy than it was ten years ago.