I have always felt a strong connection to the earth below my feet.
Never had any desire for heaven to make me feel complete.
No wish to explore other planets, except in my mind's eye.
I am made from the same stuff as this one and will go back to it when I die.
Whether I continue after that, frankly, remains to be seen.
My next great adventure, a really good nap, or something in between.
I wrote that poem to convey the connection I feel to the planet where we all find ourselves.
I don't need any hope of life somewhere else. I am made up of the same elements as Mother Earth. And those elements are self-contained. Easiest to recognize are the water cycles. There is only just so much water. The rain we felt yesterday might have been drank by a Dinosaur. In the air the flap of a butterfly's wings in Africa might cause our next hurricane scare. Fire has patterns too and is necessary to a forest's wellbeing but, hopefully not too close to our house. Earth movements are slower. Most of the time our limited life span hardly notices. When it does move though, again we hope our house is not in the way.
How fragile we are in the scheme of things.
So, what about Spirit? The fifth element. Surely, there are cycles to this energy. The spark that animated you in your mother's womb and will stay with you for a lifetime did not start and will not end with you. It goes back to the Ether to return anew. And it has always been so, soooo. Your spark could have been part of that dinosaur that drank that water that rained on you yesterday. Do you see now why the UU with it's interconnected web of life is the only organized religion I could ever be a part of?
Then as a Witch, I take it one step further. I propose that this energy can be manipulated. Through intention and force of will Spirit or energy can be used just like water from a tap.
This is the basis for my Fiber Magick Path. I imbue the items I make with healing and comfort. In the Plarn Initiative we send hope along with the mats we create. Several good deeds are accomplished there. We keep plastic out of the landfill. We provide some comfort to folks experiencing homelessness. We offer the chance to get involved in a tangible act of kindness for those who may be overwhelmed by the plight of others. Using the fifth element, manipulating Spirit for the greater good we bring hope to all concerned.
This is what I believe. We must give and take comfort in the here and now.
May your next adventure be far in the future and not of major concern.
I'd like to share a chant that I wrote for the Peewee Pagans a few years back. Join me if you will, it goes like this...
The sky is our Father
The earth is our Mother
The water is our Sister
And the wind is our Brother
We are never alone
We are never alone
Thanks for playing with me.
Stay Crafty,
Opal Luna