To Will :: Pagan Values Month

To Will is . . . to let the fire of your spirit shine to it's fullest, and in doing so act in accordance with your truest self to uphold all that you find worthy and good.

Will is the manifestation of your personal power. Just what is personal power? It's the evidence of the divine shining through the filter of your human personality (damn, I know that sounds corny, but I can't think of any other way to put it! *cringe*). It's that eternal, connected part of ourselves that expresses itself through our physical actions. On its way, it becomes altered by our human experiences - our hopes, dreams, memories, fears, talents, quirks, insecurities and relationships. This in itself is a complex and amazing thing - that all our power comes from the same, unknowable but deeply intimate and sacred source, yet is totally individual to ourselves and something that can never be taken from us.

When we let our spirit shine through our actions, we are acting from a place of honesty and integrity. We become living expressions of authenticity. Some people's personal power is shown through their kindness, their creativity, their leadership or their strength. There are myriads of ways through which people show their authentic selves. Sometimes these qualities of spirit seem buried beneth layers of social expectations, self imposed limitations or conventions, but they are always there burning inside waiting to shine.

Our Will is when we use these soul-traits to make postive actions in our daily lives. When we use our kindness to lighten a stranger's day, or our strength to support a vulnerable family member, we are using our Will to manifest happiness in our own and other peoples lives. We also use our Will to manifest our dreams or goals. Our creativity coul make art that inspires others to look at their lives in a different way, or our leadership skills could bring about a project that changes peoples lives directly for the better.

Our Will can achieve wonderful things, but we also have to remember that, as with all things, there are also darker sides to it. There have been countless historical characters who have used their charismatic power to manipulate people and bend others to their will. They have used their personal power for selfish and egotistical means, and that is something that we can all become susceptible to. Honourable use of our Will comes through remembering just where our personal power comes from - the source from which everyone's divinity and spirit is born. It is only made ours through the fact that it is everyone's.

One very important thing to remember is that by being our true selves, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. Many people feel that they have to be a certain thing, act a certain way, or achieve certain things. By letting our spirit shine, we set an example to others that there is a different way of being, which entails courage and risk, but rewards with letting the Will of our highest self manifest in our lives.To use our Will and our personal power is to honour our sacred selves, and to honour the Will of others along the way.

I envision Will as a staff which is carved from the wood of the World Tree, and upon which is marked all our soul-traits. It is a symbol of our personal power. Something that we can lean on to support us on our path. A tool that helps bring about the changes we wish to see in the world. A reminder of our role as upholder and defender of what we find worthy of spending our Will on, namely that which brings joy, integrity and compassion to a world that needs it.

To Know :: Pagan Values Month

To Know is . . . to accept, with our hearts and our minds that which is Truth, and with the responsibilty of that Knowledge act with humility, integrity and compassion.

Usually, when we think of 'knowing', we think of it in intellectual terms - who has the most general knowledge or who is cleverest. In my opinion as a pagan, knowing is something a lot more intangible and heartfelt than that. To me, knowing is interchangeable with understanding, which breeds humility and compassion.

Knowing

But what is that we understand? It's the understanding that we are connected to the web of life, that we are not seperate from everything else in the world. That deity is both out there, in that web of life, and within ourselves - because we are a part of it. It's knowing that we are spiritual beings on a luscious, painful, achingly beautiful human journey. That's where humility comes in. How can we not be humble when we know that we are connected to all life, from incandescent specks of stars to tentative unfurling roots in damp earth?

A part of accepting this as our divine birthright is learning to accept that as a truth. When I wake up, all morning breath and bed hair, I certainly don't feel divine! This is a part of being on that human journey - to experience doubt, worry, insecurity, disbelief. To know is to have faith in our own truths, regardless of how far we feel from them.

Knowledge of our spiritual heritage can certainly be an empowering tool in our daily lives. What do we do with this knowledge? But what happens when we do not nurture that knowledge? When we do not recognise or practice our own truths?

When we forget that we are connected to all life, we can become self absorbed, and concerned only with our own egos. Our egos, without the guidance of this Knowledge and our Higher Self, can turn us into selfish, greedy, and rather ignorant people. We fail to see our part in the scheme of things, often not taking responsibilty for how our actions affect others.

But, when our actions stem from our own truths and knowledge, how can we not act with humility and compassion? When we can see the face of the God*dess in all who we meet, how can we not show empathy or openness? And, when during our everyday lives, we have a moment where we stop and realise just how amazingly complex and wondrous life is, how can we not be humble? This humility naturally leads to reverence and respect, not only for nature but for all who we meet on our paths. By taking up the Sword of Knowledge in our lives, we become upholders of all that we find good and worthy in the world.