One of my favorite quotes from poet and warrior Audre Lorde is,
"In touch with the erotic, I become less willing to accept powerlessness, or those other supplied states of being which are not native to me, such as resignation, despair, self-effacement, depression, self-denial."
What Audre labels "the erotic", my religion simply calls Sex. To Witches in my tradition, Sex is the unifying force- not just of two (or more) people's genitals coming together in the moment- it is the unifying force that created the universe, perpetuates the universe, and affects the universe.
Sex is something that all vibrant living beings must tap into in order to thrive and be connected to everything else. While I have heard some teachers downplay genital sex as part of this concept ("you can pet a dog, paint a painting, give hugs!"), those genital sexual expressions are a hugely important part of the Craft and should never be dismissed or downplayed as non-essential to this religious view. Anyone who tells you otherwise isn't teaching the Craft, they are marketing feel-good, new-age inspired self-help to the largest possible audience.Sex, in all its forms, is celebrated and held in high regard in the Craft.
I love also that Ms. Lorde talks about "supplied states of being which are not native" to her. (Powerlessness being the first state she cites.) I could not agree more. In the course of my life, I have run into people who feel powerless or they feel like they have no choices. They feel that no matter what they do, they cannot affect change in their own life. They, in essence, hand over their power to others.
I know that not everyone starts with the same societal privileges. I know that there is a fine line between holding people accountable for their words and deeds and blaming the victim. However, there is truth in what Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."When you are feeling powerless, you must take a step back and look at the situation more clearly. There are always choices- which one will lead to more freedom for you?
Everyday choices of your past create the world in which you live- in the present. Starting to make choices that are beneficial to yourself now affects your future. Witches know this truth without a doubt. If a Witch has had decent training, they not only know how to make their lives work, they know how to work their Will in this world and others.
When you recognize these truths, you are no longer willing to accept "resignation, despair, self-effacement, depression, self-denial". You are in touch with Life/Flow/Sex. You are connected to all there is.
Great post. Really got me thinking. Plus, I absolutely adore that photo of the skeletons holding each other. So sweet! Who would have thought skeletons could bring tears to your eyes?? Forgive me, I'm emotional lately. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's so true. We can affect our lives by the way we see them.
ReplyDeleteIt's all in the perception.
Beautiful. And thanks for introducing me to Audre Lorde.
ReplyDeleteI just got now what your writing reminds me of. It reminds of something that's missing in some religion teachers/preachers--the sense that they are Life, that they are living and connected to everyone else. THey get so bogged down with the truths of their religions that they forget or don't find out what those truths are about originally--Life.
Bear with me on this: I think the writer Madeleine L'Engle may be right. SOmetimes, you can learn more about things from unusual sources than from some of the teachers we have. In an earlier story, A Wrinkle in Time(?), the child characters were taught that one of their pets, a snake, is actually one of their "teachers" in life.
Oops, did I just mix this article with
"Where is the Magic?"? -- Sorry.