Open-Mindedness

I received a comment on one of my articles after I posted about how helpful a book by Scott Cunningham was to me.  The comment recommended that I read the Bible.

I've read the Bible. I was raised in Christianity. And when I began to feel that my spiritual life was lacking, the church was the first place I turned. I prayed and read the Bible and devotionals and tried to learn more about my faith to answer the questions I had.

And the answers weren't there.

So I began to extend my reach a little to find the answers I need, and that's how I came to Wicca and Paganism.

I don't hate Christianity.  Not by any means.  But Christianity is not the best path for me.  There are things it claims that I can't reconcile, and there are things that "Just have faith" doesn't answer.

I recognize that there are things that are beyond human understanding, but when there are things that go against what I believe and what I know in my heart to be true, I just can't sit in services and pick and choose what aspects of the faith I believe.

I know some of you who read this will think I just haven't prayed hard enough or I haven't read the Bible enough, but that's not the issue.  I'm not a Satanist or a Devil-worshipper.  I don't believe in the Devil.  I do believe in God.  I just worship in a different way.

And, no offense to people, but the religion I practice is quite a bit more accepting of people than nearly all denominations of Christianity I have ever met.  I know it doesn't speak for everyone, but there are many many many people who don't accept different kinds of people just because their preacher tells them these people are "evil."  Or doesn't let people participate in certain aspects of worship because of their gender.

Sorry, but the God I worship loves everyone equally, no matter what.

My Apologies

I've been gone for a long time. I'm sorry.  There was quite a bit going on in my personal life, and though I'm still getting things to where I want them, it's better than it was.

I can hardly believe it's nearly Thanksgiving!  I don't know where the year has gone!  It'll be Yule before we know it, and then I'll need a new Van Gogh calendar for my wall.

I hope the rest of the year goes better than the past couple of months have!

We honor you...

My SIL came over a while ago and we did the animal-honoring ritual.  I was a bit nervous, to be honest, but I feel it went really well.

It was actually my first time (ever) casting a sacred circle, but SIL said she could feel the circle's energy during the ritual, so yay!  She really enjoyed it, and even Hubby said he enjoyed it.

Now I just have to write my ritual for the night of Samhain.