As I'm sure many of you know, Isaac Bonewits passed away recently. Right after his death, I listened to a lecture that he gave, probably his last, on a podcast by Brendan Myers. If you haven't listened to Standing Stone and Garden Gate, you really should. Anyway, Isaac was talking about magical ethics, the Law of Three, and that sort of thing. Toward the end of the lecture he made some statements about how many Pagans use these magical ethics as an excuse to not do anything to take care of the environment.
Now, I'm not going to debate magical ethics. I personally do not follow the Law of Three. If it works for someone else, then great. But for me, it just really doesn't fit. My concern is this, if we are going to call ourselves Pagan, then why are Pagans not at the forefront of environmental activisim? What are we doing?
If you are reading this blog, then I am going to assume that it is because you have an interest in living off the land, getting back to nature, and are probably aware of the many problems we are facing. For those of us who understand and realize the magnitiude of our problems, why are we not shouting it from the rooftops within our Pagan communities? Now, I'm as guilty as anyone else. I suffer the same problems as everyone else of worrying about how I'm going to pay all the bills, spending time with my family, trying to find some quiet time for myself, much less trying to work in a little activisim here and there.
We are only human and we all have fininacial and time constraints. We do what we can right? I recycle, use CFL light bulbs, and try to educate my children in how we should take care of the earth. But at some point I began to think, is that really enough? Am I really doing everything I can for the Mother? In my head I hear a resounding, No. But I rationalize why I cannot do more.
Lately, I have been giving some serious thought to what it means to be Pagan and why do I feel so strongly about environmental issues. If we say we are Pagan, then we are saying that we worship the Earth and everything that is in it. We hold everything around us as sacred. If we hold the world around us as sacred, then should we not treat it with reverence even when we are not in Circle? Shouldn't we be saying, "Hey! The world is my church! Don't trash it!" But I sit here and wonder, where are all the Pagans? Why are there not more Pagans working diligently to help create a world that will be tolerable for our children?
Now, don't get me wrong. I know there are many Pagans out there who are doing everything they can to foster awareness and work in programs that are trying to make things better. But for the rest of us, for those who think it is someone else's problem. That someone else will fix it, here's what I have to say to you. You have a responsibility to the Mother. She is not here to baby you and protect you. She provides for your needs yes, but it is our responisiblity to take care of Her. Without Her, we do not exist. So what is your excuse for not doing what you know is right? Are you afraid that the Law of Three is going to bite you in the butt for doing a spell to protect what needs to be protected? Stop using excuses! You have no right to call yourself a Pagan if you are not willing to be a warrior, a protector, a guardian for what you claim to hold dear. Our time is now and if you are not willing to help then get out of the way.
If the influence of the Pagan community was ever needed it is now. We are running out of time and the Mother is calling for those who are willing to fight for Her cause. Personally, I do not feel I am doing enough. I am trying to remedy that. I am not perfect nor do I claim to be. But I feel that I have been called. What my role will be I still do not know. What I do know is this, if I do not answer her call, if I do not do everything I can to create a better world for my children, how can I possibly go into the next life knowing that I failed to honor my promise to the Mother. To love Her, to worship Her, and most importantly, to take care of all that She is. So now the question is this, where does everyone else stand?
