6/23/2007 Hello, and welcome. It has been six days since my last update, so there. Take that, all you people who thought I'd vanished. Still here, and still thinking about things. I had to come back to share the following with you. Maybe you already know it, but I'd never heard it before this afternoon, and it is one of the more moving and beautiful things I've ever read. This is from the preface to the 1855 edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.
"This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body...."
What more can anyone really say? I am awed and humbled by that.
In other news, I've been compiling some reference material for people trying to put together their own wedding services, and everything so far can be found here. Thanks for coming. I hope you find it worth your while. Bright blessings, and fair skies....
 Introduction
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Rites and blessings
| Articles and information
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| A word or two about me
| Poetry and such
| Getting started
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| The opinion page
| Links
| Rings and things
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Those most at risk are the new students, people exploring Wicca for the first time. As with any religion, it seems that those who are most vocal about their beliefs often constitute the "fringe." It's seldom easy for the seeker to locate down-to-earth, sound advice. That is the purpose of this page. I will try to offer practical tips, as well as some ritual material, both for the holidays and any old day. Use and amend as you see fit. Our needs are different, after all.
As always, if you have any suggestions, comments, or material you'd like included at this site, feedback is one of my favorite things. Let me know.
There are many different Wiccan traditions (more all the time, it seems), and they all have something to offer the new student of the Craft. This does not mean that they are right for everyone. Successful practice of Wicca, at its most basic, is the communion between you and the deities, however you perceive them. If something you are told to do makes you uncomfortable, don't do it. It is up to you to make your peace with the Old Ones. If, for example, this means working with your clothes on, fine. No one can tell you you're wrong. If you don't want to name your deities, or if you want to come up with brand new names, this is all strictly up to you.
Remember, one of the hallmarks of Paganism is tolerance. If you start hearing that there is only one correct way to practice, you should consider this a serious red flag. Learn what you can, from every source you can get your hands on. Follow your heart, and be careful.
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