Chatting In the Noosphere

These days, there are far more Pagan blogs than there are hours in the day to read them, which is a pity because there are so many good ones. At times, it seems to me as if it's really all one grand conversation, even when it initialy appears as if we're discussing different topics.

Thorn's explained a bit more about why it's so important to her to move beyond "basic Wicca" -- in a world where she's bemoaning the lack of "real elders," I suspect she's going to have to become the elder that she wishes that she could find. Thorn's wonderful about emphasizing the need for daily practice and it's my humble experience that daily practice will get you through times of no teachers and sketchy thealogy better than great thealogy and amazing teachers will get you through times of no daily practice.

Diane Sylvan's been discussing the relevance of the Wiccan concept of the Wheel of the Year for a few weeks now, but she says something today that simply cannot be repeated often enough and that I think is directly related to Thorn's point: We practice an Earth religion, which means that your first task as a Wiccan is to enter into a relationship with the Earth. I'd add: first, last, and everything in between. If you are in relationship to the Earth, you're 99% of the way there with or without teachers. But you can't get there without a regular practice. And my experience is that paying attention to the Wheel of the Year -- dancing the Maypole in Thorn's earlier post -- is an important tool for achieving that relationship.

At the same time, Sara Sutterfield Winn adds the following to the conversation, although I think she imagined that she was talking about something entirely different: I am also reminded of how the keeping of our Holy Days, or the regular meditations/prayers/offerings we make (I struggle with this in particular, the discipline of daily practice, but I persevere, and the gods are at least understanding of my good intentions), or the time we spend even just preparing for ritual - the writing, the gathering up of offerings, the baking of bread, the placement on an altar, the singing - how all of these things sound out through the world like great messages, saying “here I am, waiting for you - these are my promises, I intend to keep them - I will not leave you - here is my passion - here is your blessing.”

Is it just me, or is it reallly one amazing conversation?