A Ripple In The Water

Hello Gentle Readers...

My partner and I have been attending a UU church in town the past couple of weeks. A friend who is Pagan spoke yesterday about her journey from a fundamentalist family to her life as a Pagan. It was incredibly interesting and I found myself hanging on every word and hanging on the edge of my chair.

This is some of my story, as well, minus the amazing education to which this woman has had access. I began life in the United Methodist/Congregational Methodist church and through many incarnations of religious thought have found myself on the door of Paganism. It is a long and thoughtful journey.

During my friends talk, she discussed the tenets of Paganism: "An' it harm none, do as ye will." I've always considered this the main thought in earth-based religion. Don't harm the environment, for it is Divine. Don't harm another, for they are Divine. And start with don't harm yourself, for you are Divine. One thought was that if one thinks ill against another it, by expense of energy, affects the other. Our energy enters this sphere with each action and thought. So if I think or harbor ill against another, I affect their lives. And in turn, this can affect the lives of others: the ripple in the water.

But, while we were discussing this concept, another woman spoke up and made this an even more important thought. She reminded us all that just as ill begets ill, so love begets love. If we chose to take that affect and turn it for good, we engage the ripple affect for good! Yes! This is that upon which we must focus! Returning good for evil. Changing what we feel by using our Divine nature and making the choice to be well and happy. We take that which would ruin us and use it to become even more Divine!

Oh my, what a revelation! We do not, as Divine Beings, have to simply take what is poured out on us by others with suspect intentions! We can choose to be Divine. I cannot tell you how this affects me! When my day at work is difficult, I can choose to be happy...and in that happiness and joy, overcome the evil or dark that would take my joy!!!!

I know this is rambling, and I apologize. But my mind is running in fast forward over this concept and truth. I hope you catch the enthusiasm this has brought to me and allow it to flow all over you! You can change your life. You can change your world. And you can overcome that which would hold you back!

Thank Goddess!