A Day of Peace

Posted on May 2, 2013 by BarefootBran

I’m not one who likes getting into current news, but I think we’ve all heard of the Boston Marathon tragedy. It’s a terrible, terrible thing to happen. And over the last few weeks I’ve been listening to the developments in the search for the suspects.

 

I remember listening to NPR, and they had a segment talking about the last suspect being caught, and the guy on NPR spoke my mind. He said something to the effect of, “Oh, I hope he’s not Muslim.” Because I knew that if the suspects turned out to be  Muslim, it’ll only start another one of those anti-Muslim hate movements. People will start blaming Muslims again for being terrorists, when in fact it’s the extremist, radical Muslims we should be worried about. But not just extremist, radical Muslims, but extremist, radical PEOPLE in general.

 

This drives me crazy, because all the intelligent people out there know that being Muslim doesn’t make you a terrorist. That’s like saying being a Christian makes you a Westboro Baptist Churchgoer. It’s just something that’s so utterly false, but uninformed people start believing.

 

Speaking of Westboro Baptist Cult, I heard that they would be protesting at the funerals of those who lost their lives in the Boston Marathon Tragedy. This got my blood boiling. I see the WBC as either 1) crazy lunatics who actually believe what they preach, or 2) scumbags who use their lawyery know-how to sue people who get too angry at them and do something they could sue them for. Either way, they are lousy for doing so.

 

And something tells me it’s the former. They really believe what they say. If you would have asked me a year or two ago, I would have hesitated, because I thought “Who in their right mind could believe something like that?” But I’ve seen so-called Christians preach hate. I’ve been to Church services who preach intolerance and hate and a foaming-mouth disdain for others.

 

The preacher at said sermon said multiple times that the true “Christians” and the other religions can’t get along, because Christianity had to prevail, and any Christian denomination that preached tolerance was misleading and not the real true way.

I’m sorry, but if you follow a religion that believes it must ‘prevail’ over others simply because of the deity you believe in, I feel that these kinds of beliefs are what leads humanity down a road of destruction. If we keep up our stubborn “well, no, I’M right,” or “well, no, my GOD is right and the only real one,” there will be no healing our problems, because all we need is two people to say, “No, I’M right!” to begin to destroy the world of man.

And in recent news, also, the home of the pagan author Kyrja Withers, author of the “Tales of Rupert” children books, was shot at a while ago, with harassment from drive by cars and profanities shouted at them. This is the exact kind of crap I’m talking about. The ignorance and arrogance of the cretins who would ENDANGER LIVES because your beliefs are “threatened” by one of the most loving, positive, fun, carefree woman I’ve ever heard of, that’s just WEAK and utterly deplorable.

And sometime in January, I believe, there was the killing of Yana, a Pagan in Syria, where radical Muslims tortured her, proclaiming her a whore and a witch. This is what I’m afraid will happen to not just pagans, but to all walks of faith everywhere if we don’t learn to love and coexist. If we let hate fester underfoot here in America and the more “civilized” western world, what do you think the predecessor of the Westboro Baptist Church do?

I don’t care if you’re Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Pagan, atheist, Satanist, whatever. I will respect and tolerate you and your beliefs as long as you do the same. Because even with differing beliefs, we CAN get along.

We cannot hold hands if we keep pointing fingers!

We need willingness to listen. Willingness to listen to the other side. How many of you have offered to hear an opposing side’s argument? How many of you have been willing to read a book or go to a sermon or just talk about that which you don’t agree with?

And how many of you have been turned down–sometimes violently–when you offer a chance for the other side to understand? Even if you don’t offer them a chance consciously; perhaps they see that pagan symbol you’re wearing, or even if they inquire you about your beliefs.

This is what stops us from reaching our desperate need for peace, for if we can understand and listen to the other side, we can see why they believe what they believe, and we can ACCEPT the fact that they believe what they believe.

It’s not about being right. It’s about living together as a society without having to prove each other’s ideals “wrong”.

But enough negativity! This day is supposed to be about peace and love! Pagan youtuber Raven NightSong proposed making Beltane a “Beltane Peace Day,” a day to promote and to concentrate on peace. I think it’s a great idea.

You can find her video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhtFruQq_IY and my response here: http://youtu.be/cZ10q_Fa1u4

Being pagan, I have seen my fair share of negativity. But I also have seen an impressive display of positivity and curiosity. I’ve met atheists, Christians, a Mormon or two, and others within the pagan community, who have openly asked questions about my beliefs and who, upon realizing what I believe, smiled and understood–even if they totally disagreed. It’s one of the greatest feelings when two opposite beliefs come together in a moment of acceptance. It’s just wonderful.

Here’s MY invitation: Love, listen, question, understand, accept, spread peace and joy, and LIVE MINDFULLY.

There’s a Druidic Peace Prayer that goes:

Deep in the still center of my being, may I find peace

Silently within the quiet of the grove, may I share peace

Gently within the greater circle of humankind, may I radiate peace

This is something I strive for every day. Will you join me in finding, sharing, and radiating peace throughout our lives?

Peace,

Bran

 

Notes:

WBC Picketing victims of the Boston Marathon victims’ funerals:

http://www.examiner.com/article/westboro-baptist-church-to-picket-explosion-victims-funerals-petition-started

The story on Kyrja Withers:

http://wildhunt.org/2013/03/shots-fired-at-florida-pagan-authors-home.html

The story on Yana:

In Syria and Egypt, Pagan voices fall silent

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Idle Idols in Modernity

Posted on May 7, 2012 by BarefootBran

Over one of the most amazing weekends I’ve had in a long, long time (perhaps forever? I digress. This isn’t about that!), I visited the Nelson Atkins museum in KC, a place I first visited in my early elementary school days. And a place where I discover and rediscover the wonders and beauties of ancient art and religion.

 

To me, the Nelson is one of the most spiritual places I’ve stepped into, aside from the wild places and the spirit of the land. In the Nelson, among the modern and contemporary art, they have ancient Egyptian art, mummies, sarcophagi, and ancient Egyptian idols. They have Hindu, Buddhist, and Far east artwork and statues. They have Native American art and clothing and  masks. In short, they have many ancient cultures represented in small, yet hugely beautiful, collections from all around the world.

 

Early in my conscious pagan path, I marveled at the Hindu statues depicting Shiva and Ganesha, the Native American shaman aprons and ritual masks, but over the weekend I rediscovered something I perhaps have not taken notice.

 

It was a statue in a large, beautifully crafted room with tapestries and dim lighting. The statue was of the bodhisattva Guanyin, a Goddess of Mercy and Compassion of East Asian Buddhists and Taoists. 

 

Upon entering the room, I remembered that I had been in that room before. I remembered it as the first place I consciously could recall visiting from way back when in my elementary museum field trip days. Back then, fear of the unknown and strange made me nervous, and I harkened back to that fear. It was a sort of fascination mixed with the fear, the same feeling that humbled me amidst the large colonnades in the main anteroom of the museum, the same feeling that sent chills up my spine when my eyes met the eyes of the eastern Lion statues.

 

As I stepped into the room, my eyes fell upon Guanyin, a larger-than-life statue lounging in the center of the far wall, sitting in front of an ancient, faded mural. I almost fell to my knees in marvel. The energy that came upon me went wild, and I soon found myself sitting on a bench in the room, unable to remove my eyes from Guanyin. 

 

Grounding and centering myself, I regained my senses–if only a fraction of them!–and on my way out, I stopped once more in front of Guanyin to marvel at its energy and beauty, and to sheepishly read in the info plaque situated near its mount. I could do nothing but bow my head in reverence. I felt the eyes of the ancient spirit of Guanyin on me, on my soul. I bowed and quickly left the room, still unable to ground and center myself completely. I shivered with the energy.

 

Idolatry. Some religions say not to do it. I say not to forget it. These idols–statues, pictures, gods–are archetypal ideals anthropomorphized and personified (and sometimes zoomorphized) into beautiful, breathtaking tales. So real are they that sometimes people mistake them as literal incarnations of history past. Some people think they’re mere metaphors formed by primitive man. Some say they’re art.

 

I say they’re invaluable. Not quite metaphor, not quite art, not quite literal, but something of a crossroads betwixt the three. A sort of glimpse into the universal mind of the universe. An emergence of the ultimate divine spirit. An attempt to express our inner god into fruition. 

 

Well, whether or not I’m right, whether or not I’m crazy or true, the feelings are there. The feelings are real. And they should not be ignored.

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The Contemplation of Seasons

Posted on March 1, 2012 by BarefootBran

Sadly, this pic isn’t from today. I didn’t take any pictures today 😦 But it’s still beautiful!

Today was the first of March, and Spring has never been more welcome! Alban Eilir is only a few weeks away, and I find myself pondering over the past autumn and winter.

It has been an unusually warm winter–a relief, to me at least. We had exactly two separate days of snow, and only one of those days did the snow stick–an inch or so. Other than that, we’ve had cold days and warm days. Today, March 1st, it was 70 F (21 C), and I had breakfast sitting in my old maple tree friend and did some reading in the glorious sunlight.

And I am SO glad to be outside again. The past few months, I’ve suffered from the cold weather. Chest infections, colds, the works. I couldn’t even go outside if I wanted to without running the risk of more complications. But now that Spring is almost here, I’m feeling much, much better.

Before fall arrived, I assumed autumn was my favorite season. I love the color, the festiveness of it. But when it arrived, I quickly realized I underestimated the ferocity of autumn. I do enjoy fall, don’t get me wrong–the lack of wasps and bees, for one–but I like to be outside and see the life thrive. I like to sweat and to be able to explore and spend my time in nature. It’s hard to do so in the short daylight hours of the fall and winter seasons, especially with my schedule. My fondest memories lie in the heart of sultry, summer days and quiet, warm nights.

Summer will always remain the most magical time of the year for me, and spring is a part of that; it’s the beginning of the magic. When Blodeuwedd is conjured up by Math and Gwydion, when the Green Man opens his eyes, stretches, and yawns happily from his deep winter slumber. Life returns to the earth, and with it, we can attune ourselves to awaken. Burn those winter pounds, if applicable! Get outside, plant a tree or a garden, photograph or sketch landscapes, play (or learn!) an instrument, write an ode to the warm sun, take up birdwatching or whatever draws your attention. Just get to know the natural world around you and celebrate the coming of Spring and Summer!

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