November 15, 2006

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Pagan community needs you. We need your vision, your strength, your hope, your joy. We stand on the shoulders of giants. We breathe the gifts of the Gods. Each one of us can give back to our community. Here are some suggestions for ways you can make a difference:
* Make a commitment to the Pagan community. In ritual space, meditate on what it means to be Pagan and who your spiritual teachers have been. How have those who have gone before made your present path possible? Ask your Gods for guidance that you may be transformed through love, service, and respect. Make a commitment to the community, whether it's to your worship group, an organization, or a particular cause.
* Participate in Pagan culture. Subscribe to Pagan magazines. Join Pagan organizations, whether worship- or activism-oriented. Donate to a Pagan community or scholarship fund to support your fellow Pagans in need. Put your gifts and skills to the service of the Pagan community.
* Support Pagan leaders. Pay administrators for services rendered. Recognize work well done. Offer encouragement and support, not just suggestions for how it could be done better. Develop leadership within yourself. Work magic for Pagans in need and encourage other Pagans to do the same.
* Participate in the Pagan economy. Support Pagan business, not just the stores but also the Pagans who offer services or goods for barter or cash on an informal basis.
* No more Witch wars! Commit yourself to responsible conflict resolution. If you have a conflict with someone, try one-on-one discussion. If that is unsuccessful, seek out an impartial mediator. Do not take the problem to the larger public. Take responsibility for your conflicts and develop your ability to resolve them.
* Commit to attending at least one Pagan festival, conference, or other gathering per year. Explore what it means to be Pagan, not just in the safety and privacy of your ritual space, but in the living, breathing world that is contemporary Paganism.
* Come out, come out, wherever you are! Redeem the ashes of those who have gone before and claim your birthright of freedom. You will find strength you did not know you had. Your relationship with the Gods will grow tremendously. You will gain self-respect and pride in your people.
* Participate in interfaith dialogue and networking opportunities. Pagan views on the environment, sexuality, and childrearing are all needed in the public sphere. Your organization can join with other faiths to sponsor a public forum on any of these issues. Encourage respect and dialogue among all faiths.
* Share your vision of what it means to be Pagan, and where you want the movement to go in the next twenty, fifty, or one hundred years. Set aside ritual time to visualize our healthy future. Clearly visualize the world you want to live in. Breathe life into this vision. Call on your Gods to assist in its manifestation. In so doing, you give birth to your own potential.
Get up, get active! You can make a difference.