I'm pretty sure that if you take Wicca and Sioux/Lakota spirituality and mash them together into a single thing, I'm somewhere in the mix. I believe in a divine entity, but not so much a separate one as a consciousness of the life force that flows throughout the entire universe. I believe that the closer we get to nature, the more pure things are. I also believe that technology can be a divinely ordained tool for good, but also a tool for evil against the world. The difference has to do with intent and with use and with respect.
I think that a morally good person is a person who accepts her own role in the systems of life, who operates in the context of the entire universe with respect and with purpose. She treats the world as her family, has empathy and compassion.
I value the number four because there are four seasons, four phases of the moon, four stages of life, four directions, four times of day.
I want to learn about natural herbal healing, to acquire a stock of herbs and regularly use them instead of chemicals to cope with ailments. I want to get rid of the toiletries and other chemicals that I use all the time, and replace them with natural substances -- not 'all natural' brands, but straight natural substances that I can know and understand. I want to have all of my clothing either sustainably sourced or secondhand.
I believe in magicks -- that there are powers beyond the physical in this world, and that they can be manipulated for good or for evil. I believe that my intent is a powerful thing, as well as my will. I believe that some things are holy, but that ultimately, ritual is between myself and the universe. Operating within a ritualistic tradition adds the power, the faith of heritage, but it isn't the only way to practice. I believe that magick should be used only for the good of the universe.
I swear by the Wiccan Rede: If it harm none, do what you will.
I think, ultimately, it's all about respect.
It's about respecting my fellow beings, respecting the resources which give me life. Respecting the planet where I live, the universe where it spins, the communities where I belong and the ones where other people belong. It means respecting the beliefs and the feelings of others, which is a step toward tolerance and open-mindedness. It means always remembering that I am not always right, that I do not know everything, that my experience and my abilities are limited.
