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.