Birch Grove

Note: This was an earlier attempt to put my ideas/views of the Gods in written form and attempt to make some sense of it. Some of it has changed, some has not. As you read, be sure to keep in mind that, “the one thing that separates humans from animals is our ability to hold two contradictory thoughts in our minds at one time.”

Regardless of what some fluffy bunnies may tell you, the Gods are not the all-loving deities we sometimes assume them to be. No, I think the Old Testament may have had it right when it wrote of a God with some vengeance. However, that God was “a jealous God,” and let His temper get away with him. My Gods have a bit more self-control. They are wise, but have a sense of humor; loving, but with the discipline of learning. If you screw up, they’ll only forgive you if you learn from your mistake, which is what you’re supposed to do in the first place. They may rage from time to time, but their anger is temporary, and never intended to hurt those who take care. Defiance is regarded with amusement. Injustice without remorse is regarded with a frown, frightening beyond belief in a deity. Those who choose not to believe are ignored. Those who do are listened to, but the Gods do not take demands kindly. Humans have free will for a reason. The Gods are aloof, but loving, they do not interfere with daily affairs, though sometimes an important plea might be heard and granted. Frivolity is ignored, malice is noted, and ignored. Those who work to follow their right path and learn all they can out of life’s lessons are rewarded.

Life is a cycle of learning. Both sorrows and joys have their own lessons, each in turn. The energy of the soul is passed from life to life until the meaning of existence is discerned. The soul does not always travel in the same direction. Sometimes it must backtrack and retrace certain life lessons. When all is learned, the soul can withdraw to the afterlife, or continue living in the lives of its choice. Reincarnation is merely the manifestation of the first law of thermodynamics, and the recycling tendencies of the earth.

Ritual marks the passage of time. “Magick” is merely the energy of will, or wish. We all make our own luck. Ritual is the expression of reverence for the divine, the earth, each other. The simpler the better: a walk in the park, a candle for remembrance, the revival of old traditions, a dance in the rain. Word is a dance for the tongue. The Gods delight in plays on words, rhythm, rhyme. They delight in the grace of a dance, the beat of a drum, the sweet clarity of a song. Expression of self, emotion, and praise is an essential part of life.

Doing good, as Martin Luther wrote, will not save your soul. But it is a balm for the soul and an expression of love. The Gods do not want to you be selfless. Who wants to be devoid of self? The true challenge is to do good in accordance with your self. To give of yourself to others, to share yourself, your talents, your resources, your love. It is yet another lesson to be learned about the human spirit.

There is no “salvation” with my Gods. What do I need to be saved from on this restless earth, except, perhaps, those who seek to do injustice? So many want to escape the earth, to deny the senses, suppress the primal urge. Why? What good does it do? Any? The senses are sacred, the earth is sacred. Listen to your instincts, but use your learning to reason as well. Pollute not your surroundings, for in doing so, you pollute yourself, and all those around you. It is all a matter of respect. Respect others, the land, all the creatures in it, ask for forgiveness, give thanks, and give no injustice, and you shall be treated in turn.

The afterlife is a funny thing. It exists, for those who have learned their lessons and wish to withdraw, but it is not an escape, merely a different sort of existence. The earth itself is both heaven and hell. Which one, depends on what you make of your gifts, time, and circumstance granted by the Gods. Those with all the knowledge and wisdom of the world would do well to return and help their fellow human beings and creatures, and even the land itself, as best they can.

Time, though seemingly infinite, what with reincarnation, is to be used wisely. Do not squander your time here on earth, but neither rush through life attempting to find more, for the circumstances of the next life are unknown. Enjoy that which you have, savor each moment, but keep moving through life with a sense of purpose, and learn all you can. The more you learn, the closer you come to the final attainment of wisdom.

Life itself is about balance: light and dark, feminine and masculine, good and evil, joy and sorrow. You cannot have one without the other. There will be dark times and light times, you will encounter good and evil, we are all both male and female, you will rejoice and you will sorrow. For that is the sacred circle of life: birth, and then death, and then birth again. Every sorrow is followed by a joy, every night must end in the dawn.