Being Wiccan

Being Wiccan wasn’t something I considered growing up, but it’s the path that makes the most sense to me as an adult.  The biggest reason for this is the fact that Wiccans, and pagans in general, strive to live what we believe.  There is an emphasis on this path to live our lives with intention.  This means understanding our faith, striving to continually add to our own knowledge and wisdom, and to apply what we have learned to our daily lives.

Please don’t misunderstand and think I’m dismissing other religions.  I have an immense respect for other faiths, one gained through study and interaction.  Faith and religion offer a framework for understanding the divine, for understanding man’s place in the cosmos, and even for personal comportment.  They can even provide a sense of community and belonging to its members.  There is nothing wrong with this, but for me, the idea of everything in nature and life being sacred, being part of the divine, is the key.  For me specifically, and for Wiccans and Pagans in general, everything around us contains the divine spark, so it’s steeped in meaning, history, and connection.  Because I walk a path that honors the divine in everything and everyone, the very way I interact with the world around me is impacted in what I feel (and hope) is a very positive way.

As a Wiccan, it’s essential to understand why I believe what I believe.  The one piece of advice you’ll get from virtually every Wiccan source you’ll come across is to read extensively.  There are “mysteries” everywhere but it’s not part of this path to blindly accept them.  We are encouraged to find answers to all of the “why” questions that come up.  Researching, studying, and learning about our path is part of our practice so that we truly understand the reasons behind doing what we’re doing.  Whether you look on my desktop, bookshelves, bedside table, or even on my Kindle, you’ll find a variety of historical texts, contemporary texts, practical guides and so on.  In fact, I even have texts from a variety of perspectives and paths because they open up perspectives I might not consider otherwise.

One of the last aspects of Wicca that resonates with me is the emphasis on being present in everything that we do.  When we live with intention, looking for the sacred in all things, it becomes essential to live in and appreciate the “moment.”  Each evening, I step outside and revel in the New Mexico sunset, marveling at the colors and cloud formations as the sun sinks behind the buttes, mesas, and mountains that surround my little slice of heaven.  The Wiccan and Pagan paths encourage us to observe the world around us, to truly see the changes brought by each season, to be in tune with nature, to honor our family and friends, and to be aware of each moment with gratitude.

By honoring the divine in everything around me, truly understanding my faith, and learning to live in the moment, I’m able to not only see the connections between myself and the world around me, I’m able to nurture them.  I’m able to live a life of intention, which is what I would wish for all of us, regardless of the path we walk.

Blessed be!

Rain