Who’s job is it?

As my children get older, I am faced with the challenge of educating my children about my beliefs as well as explain those of the majority of their friends. And you thought changing those stinky diapers was hard? Try explaining to a kid why Billy believes there is only one god and we believe in many. Trying to explain the holidays is another issue unto itself. Or can be anyway.

It has come to my attention however, that some people feel it is best to let their children find their own spiritual path at the ripe old age of 6. Now, I am all for allowing my kids to make their own choices when they are older, but during these young formative years we should not be so naive as to think that a child can make an informed decision about their spiritual path when they can barely decide between the blue sweater or the red shirt to wear to school. It is my belief that we should provide some basis for our children to work off of as they mature and begin to explore other belief systems.

Does every child receive a spiritual upbringing? No. And for many of those that received no direction, everything turned out just fine. They still found their way to the path they were meant to be on. I guess my thing is we should take a stance one way or the other. If you are not going to teach your children your belief system, then do not allow others to exert their influence in that area.

Now I know there are those that do not feel they are ready to teach their children because they are just beginning to learn themselves. My question here is….So what? Once you learn the basics and you feel comfortable that this is the path for you share that knowledge with your kids. Teach them the basics as well and as you learn so will they. Read the stories from the pantheons of the Gods and Goddesses you are interested in working with to them. Who knows, they might just teach you a few things along the way.

So what do I plan to do? Well, I have started collecting some books that have stories in them that I can share with my kids. These stories will help to get across to them the basics of what I feel Paganism is all about. As the holidays roll around, I will find crafts to do with them that can help teach them what each holiday is about and the symbology that goes with it. I will gradually teach them how to meditate and do spells and then we will see what happens.

Being a parent means providing more than food and shelter for our children. It means providing the spiritual guidance and groundwork that they will need as they get older. No one said being a parent was easy….but it sure is interesting!

Mommy….who is God?

We all know what a huge responsibility it is to have children. This is a lifelong commitment both financially and emotionally. Yes, they are cute and adorable when they are little but then they grow, and grow, and grow. And they eat, and eat, and eat. And then they grow some more and eat some more and the next thing you know you are going broke every year just trying to keep clothes on them and shoes that aren’t too tight. And don’t even look at what you are currently paying for groceries every month compared to what it was just a few years ago…it’s too depressing. This is the reality that so many of us face when it comes to having children and no, we wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Recently however, it has come to my attention that there is an area that some of us may be ignoring. The spiritual well being of our children. I know there are many Pagan parents out there who are doing their best to teach their children what they believe and giving them the choice to choose when they grow up. To me, this is a very reasonable stance to take, however, there are some Pagan parents out there who are not teaching their children anything or are letting them go to church with friends and are not explaining to their kids what they believe.

I have nothing against letting kids go to church with friends or family members. However, it is still our responsibility to guide our children and provide them with the information they need so they can make an informed choice when they are older. Now, perhaps I should clarify here. My issue is with young children under the age of say 10 or 12, who are being allowed to go to church and are recieving no additional instruction or guidance at home. Young children are very impressionable and are not able to discern for themselves what they believe to be true or not. At this age they are too young to make that type of choice, yet I have seen Pagan parents are doing just that. If your child can barely make up his/her mind about what they want to wear to school or eat for dinner, what makes you think they can decide on a spiritual path?

We have become a society that feels we do not have to take responsibility for our actions, nor do we have any responsibility for teaching our children beyond making sure they get to school on time. Unfortunately, this attitude has spilled over into spiritual teaching as well. Many Pagans understand that we must take responsibility for our actions and accept the consequences. This also applies to how we guide and teach our children. You cannot send your child to church while you stay at home and perform ritual before your altar and expect your child to understand what it is that you believe if you have not taught them.

Now, if you are just beginning on your path you may not feel as though you are qualified to teach your children anything because you are still learning yourself. So what? Teach them what you know and learn together. It may take years for you to acquire enough knowledge that you feel you are finally ready to share what you know with them, and by then it may be too late. Children love to learn and they love to do things with you. Take the time to share this experience with them and you may be surprised at how richly you are both rewarded.

So, have I mastered this ability with my own children? Nope. As a matter of fact, we are dealing with our own issues. What got me started thinking about all of this was my 8 year old. He came home one day and asked me if cats go to heaven when they die. Then he proceeded to tell me that he wants to go to heaven one day to. And by the way, did we know who Jesus Christ was? Oy! I realized then that we have been severely negligent in our own parental duties and it is time we step up to the plate. So I am currently trying to figure out how to teach my own kids so that they have a clear understanding of where we are coming from.

Kids are like sponges, they will absorb any and all information that comes their way. It is your job to help determine which information that will be.

Change is in the air

We all grow up learning about the events of the past that have shaped the world that we live in. Often we look at these events as being remote from our lives today and we have difficulty seeing how any of it has anything to do with us. Well, yesterday we not only witnessed history but many of us were able to participate by casting our vote for our chosen candidate. It is a wonderful thing to be able to oberserve events unfold and have a story that one day we can share with our grandchildren.

This is the time of year when seasons are changing and we are preparing for the darkness of winter. We know we still have dark times ahead of us, but many of us hope that Obama will be the season of change to bring us out of this dark time. Seeing how far we have come as a country, that we are finally able to look past color to elect our first African American President, I hope that we will begin to see a new level of understanding in this country.

I know, it’s a lot to ask but hey, it has to start somewhere. If we as Pagans ever hope to be able to openly practice our spiritual paths, we have to achieve a level of tolerance and acceptance in this country that we currently do not have. I think many of us dream of being able to openly practice what we believe without having to worry about retaliation. At one point in our history, not to long ago, if a black man tried to run for public office he would have been run out of town if not worse. I often feel that Pagans must endure this same type of discrimination. Granted, it is not exactly the same, but there are some Pagans who must fear for their jobs, their children, and their homes. It is not right that anyone should have to deal with that type of fear in this country.

So it is my hope that this momentous event in history will be the catalyst for people to achieve a greater understanding of each other, our spiritual beliefs, and tolerance for everyone who may be different from us. It is a bold dream I know, but I feel it is one worth hanging on to.

A Pagan knight in shining armor

Let’s recap shall we? Although gas prices are coming back down from a national average of $4.11 a gallon, how long do we honestly think that will last? Yes, Americans are cutting back on how much they drive but it is a pretty well established fact that we will never see cheap gas prices again. Due to the high oil and gas prices, now everything else is going up too. Just the other day I was doing my grocery shopping and saw where the cheap flavored water that my kids like has gone up from $.50 a bottle to $.58 a bottle. This is only one of many things that continue to go up in price. And of course, let’s not forget those electric bills. Electricity, natural gas, food, everything is going up except our incomes.

So, where do Pagans fit into all of this? I’m sure you’re thinking that you can’t do anything about all of these problems. You’re having a hard enough time just trying to get by, much less worry about how the politicians are going to try and fix all the problems that seem unfixable. These are problems for someone else, not Pagan leadership. Well that dear friend, is where you are wrong.

All of these issues go back to the larger problem of global warming. There is also the theory of peak oil but that is a discussion for another day. The fact of the matter is, oil companies are finally beginning to admit that they will not be able to keep up with world oil demands in a few more years. This will only mean increased higher prices and problems not only for us but for other countries as well. The affects of global warming are being seen at an alarming rate and more and more people are beginning to realize that we have to find alternatives for energy and fuel needs not only for our pocketbooks but for our environment as well.

So far, our government has been a dismal failure at trying to address these issues. Much of this failure I blame on the current administration but fortunately his term is almost over so that is neither here nor there. There are many politicians who understand the problems we are facing and sense the urgency that something needs to be done. Unfortunately, there has often been more opposition than support which has blocked their ability to get anything useful done. Given the environmental crisis that we are dealing with, I feel it is past time that we as individuals begin to step up and work for change in our communities.

Now, this is where Pagan leadership comes in. We have many good leaders that have helped to show the way for others in finding their spiritual path. We also have those Pagans who have been very active in environmentalism. This is great but it is not enough. Why do we call ourselves Pagan if we are not going to listen and act on the cries of the planet that we claim to hold so dear? Drastic changes have to be made in not only where we get our power but in how we live. This is where I feel that Pagans can have a profound and positive affect on not only on our local communities but nationally as well.

Who better understands the cycle of the Wheel of the Year? Outside of tribal cultures, who else understands the importance of living in harmony with nature? We have an understanding that can be shared and taught to others no matter what their spiritual path may be. Are we going to sit idly by and watch as what we revere is destroyed or are we going to strap on the armor of knowledge and leadership and take up the call of the environmental warrior? If we are ever going to come together as a community for one cause, should this not be it? This is a time when the differences in theology really don’t matter. Gaia is waiting for her knight in shining armor to come to the rescue. The question is…is it going to be you?

Introductions

Welcome! The wonderful thing about taking a walk along a path is even if you know where it leads, you never know what exactly is around the next corner. I often visualize my spiritual path as the proverbial wandering wooded path. It is filled with twists and turns and delightful surprises in the most unexpected places. So, as I wander along this path I hope you will join me and hopefully find a surprise or two yourself.