The Activist Witch, page 3 Taking a Stand There are a growing number of witches taking their beliefs into the political arena. When you believe that Goddess and God are immanent, alive in the everyday world, it follows that you want to do everything you can to be Her agents of change. There are as many levels of involvement in this area as there are witches, and they are all needed. I'm a member of a pagan group that gets together monthly at a coffee shop to write letters to policitians, companies, any person or agency who we think needs to hear our opinion about an issue. We also attend rallies with a commitment to nonviolence. For two years we have led peace dances in Oak Ridge, TN, in front of the last full-scale nuclear bomb plant in the U.S. (these are organized by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance; for more information and photos, click this link). Some of our members attended demonstrations at the School of the Americas ( www.soawatch.org) and the Million Mom March. Witches are traveling the world and risking arrest by protesting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. For more on those issues, check out www.starhawk.org Other witches feel called to a support role, rather than participating directly. At some demonstrations, groups of witches will set up a healing and nurturing spot somewhere safe, and give massage, Reiki, counseling and water and food to people who are demonstrating. You might look into Food Not Bombs, which serves meals to the homeless and also during various demonstrations. Another support role can be accomplished far away from where a demonstration is taking place. You can send energy or create a ritual to help the intentions, morale and safety of your witch friends who are demonstrating. You could offer babysitting services, transportation, pet sitting, houseplant watering, money, meal preparation, all manner of things. Maybe you could present your traveling, demonstrating witch friend with a gourmet picnic all packed up and ready to go for their journey. What about a small cooler with chocolate in it? In Conclusion... I believe that an activist witch is someone who embraces the world and their place in it. On a daily basis, how can you live your witchy values? How does being a witch affect your state of mind, how you relate to and respect Elementals, the Ancestors, Goddess and God, and your participation as a citizen in our country's democracy? Have fun discovering the answers to these questions, and in finding even more interesting questions to ask yourself along the way. Irish Flambeau is a Peace Witch inspired by the Reclaiming tradition, and a devotee of Venus. |
The Activist Witch, page 3 Taking a Stand There are a growing number of witches taking their beliefs into the political arena. When you believe that Goddess and God are immanent, alive in the everyday world, it follows that you want to do everything you can to be Her agents of change. There are as many levels of involvement in this area as there are witches, and they are all needed. I'm a member of a pagan group that gets together monthly at a coffee shop to write letters to policitians, companies, any person or agency who we think needs to hear our opinion about an issue. We also attend rallies with a commitment to nonviolence. For two years we have led peace dances in Oak Ridge, TN, in front of the last full-scale nuclear bomb plant in the U.S. (these are organized by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance; for more information and photos, click this link). Some of our members attended demonstrations at the School of the Americas ( www.soawatch.org) and the Million Mom March. Witches are traveling the world and risking arrest by protesting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. For more on those issues, check out www.starhawk.org Other witches feel called to a support role, rather than participating directly. At some demonstrations, groups of witches will set up a healing and nurturing spot somewhere safe, and give massage, Reiki, counseling and water and food to people who are demonstrating. You might look into Food Not Bombs, which serves meals to the homeless and also during various demonstrations. Another support role can be accomplished far away from where a demonstration is taking place. You can send energy or create a ritual to help the intentions, morale and safety of your witch friends who are demonstrating. You could offer babysitting services, transportation, pet sitting, houseplant watering, money, meal preparation, all manner of things. Maybe you could present your traveling, demonstrating witch friend with a gourmet picnic all packed up and ready to go for their journey. What about a small cooler with chocolate in it? In Conclusion... I believe that an activist witch is someone who embraces the world and their place in it. On a daily basis, how can you live your witchy values? How does being a witch affect your state of mind, how you relate to and respect Elementals, the Ancestors, Goddess and God, and your participation as a citizen in our country's democracy? Have fun discovering the answers to these questions, and in finding even more interesting questions to ask yourself along the way. Irish Flambeau is a Peace Witch inspired by the Reclaiming tradition, and a devotee of Venus. |
