Pagan Peace

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Pagan Peace

If you surf the internet at all you'll notice that there are a great deal of Pagan web sites, forums and message boards. There is also a large amount of people who are new to the Craft, others looking to find Witches to communicate with, and people who are simply curious about our beliefs.

With the advent of the internet it seems clear that there are more Witches living in every corner of the earth than we could have possibly imagined, and an ever increasing amount of people who are choosing the Craft in one form or another as their path. Of course you would be hard pressed to find anyone who isn't familiar with the words such as Witch or Pagan, but how many people really understand what they mean? Unfortunately if they look it up in many dictionaries they will find descriptions that don't even remotely resemble the truth. Thankfully, the many web sites dealing with it have provided a much clearer view about what it is and is not. At present, the internet seems to be the most powerful tool we have to provide accurate information to those who seek to understand the truth of our ways and give Pagans an opportunity to communicate and get know one another on a global scale. Something that is difficult or virtually impossible for many in their day to day lives.

There are many paths that fall under the category of Pagan. Witchcraft/Wicca, Druid and Celtic are a few of the most well known. But let us not forget the covens, many with their own unique traditions and the solitaries who may very well make up the largest group, no two worshipping in the exact same way. One of the beauties of our religion is that it allows us the freedom to chose whatever path we feel brings us closest to the God/dess, even if we tailor make it ourselves. No matter what path we follow, we are all Pagan and we are all connected to one another.

The varieties of our ways light our paths of worship, but like all things they have a dark side and shades of gray in between. These shades of gray are the confusion that is experienced in trying to understand how all of these paths are connected. Darkness is what results when we are not willing to accept and respect the differences in these traditions and the Witches who follow them.

It's no secret that Witches don't always agree about everything relating to our various traditions, beliefs and practices. But as our numbers grow larger and interest in our ways increases it is vital that we recognize that we truly are one people. All of us are equal and important.

We live in difficult times. If we had the statistics for how many of us have been treated with cruelty in our lives and in court because of our beliefs along with those who are "in the broom closet" in fear of it happening to them, the number would probably be staggering. The sad truth is that we are still greatly misunderstood by the majority of the population and we all want to be understood and respected for who and what we are. Our hope for this means that we have to understand and respect ourselves as well as all other Pagans in their beauty and variety.

We must overcome our differences and remember that we are all sacred. Although each of us worships in our own way, we all hold the earth sacred, therefore we are also sacred. There must be peace and unity in the Pagan community. We Witches have a responsibility to set forth a good example of ourselves as individuals in our daily lives and Pagans as a whole in order to help achieve the common goals that we all seem to agree on.

1. To have the same rights and freedoms as mainstream religions.

2. To receive the same tolerance for our beliefs as we give to others.

3. To stop discrimination and harassment.

The road ahead is a long and rocky one to be sure, but it is a road we must travel in order to transform these goals into reality. Aren't these goals more deserving of our time and energy than bickering amongst ourselves? Would we be more effective in reaching these goals if we, with all our differences were truly united? The answer is yes. So join together fellow Pagans, get to know one another. Extend your hand in true friendship to each other and the many Witches who feel alone and isolated. Embrace each other and celebrate our differences as the beauty of diversity in our religion and unite for Pagan Peace.

In perfect love and perfect trust...Celeste Moondancer