Irish Flambeau, for Blessed Bee Media
As you've probably discovered by now, most forms of Witchcraft have the underlying belief of "immanence". Immanence means that Goddess and God, Creator, Great Spirit or even the Great Metaphor (according to my Unitarian friends), exists right now, right here, as part of this world. As Witches, we know that we belong here, embodied, and this is a joyous thing. Being alive on Earth is how we connect and participate with Goddess and God; not by some future transcendence into a cotton candy heaven.
Once you start to see Deity present in the world, it naturally follows that you will notice that humanity is really doing a number on Her. The most important radical act that you can do as a Witch is to acknowledge the Earth as sacred. This flies in the face of all our Western cultural conditioning. The next step is to find ways that you can actually live this belief; ways that fit for you and your life. Discovering your personal values and living them as best you can is what defines you as a Witch.
Change Your Mind, Change Your World
I think the first place to start is with Dion Fortune's concept of magic. Magic is "the art of changing consciousness at will". Make the intention to be aware that the world is much more than what we have been taught. This isn't just hocus pocus. Modern science such as quantum physics and "string theory" have shown us that everything is made up of moving energy...even the computer I am typing on now and the table it is resting on. It looks solid and inert to my eyes, but I know better. I think the reason that the movie, The Matrix, was so popular is because it has some truth in it. If everything is made up of moving energy and Witches work in harmony with it to move and shape it, could it be that magick is real and working within the Laws of Nature? Ah, now you've taken the Witch's "green pill".
It's a well-known and curious phenomenon that when a long-standing sports record is broken (such as Olympic sprinting), it doesn't take too long until all over the world, other athletes meet or closely approach that record. This is the underpinning of the idea of "the hundredth monkey", and I believe it has a lot to do with how cultures are built. Cultural standards and expectations exist because a large enough group of people agree on those standards and expectations as "acceptable". But one person with an idea that is good enough to spread to enough people (the hundredth monkey) can change the culture. Examples of this would be Galileo, Einstein, Madame Curie. Or Jimi Hendix, The Beatles, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe. These are all people who were Originals, who brought something new to our culture.
We can do this too. In this time of technology and industry, the Earth needs our wisdom and ability to see divinity in all things: trees, computers, rivers and subways. And we can make a difference. All it took was one friend talking to me about paganism, and it grew to today where I am the co-creator of a vibrant group of witchy friends, organizing events in my community, teaching and even writing articles for national pagan magazines. I can hardly believe it myself. Likewise, your activism can be rooted in the power of being alert to cultural agreements and modes of thinking that don't serve the Earth (in yourself and in others), and in consciously deciding what actions and attitudes will serve Her. By doing this, you have changed your consciousness and created magick. Be patient and watch for evidence that your world has changed, because it has. Be an Original.
Walking the Pentacle in Daily Life
Your connection to the four elements and Spirit (which is one way to name the points on the pentacle) is another starting place for activism. You can consider each of the five points of the pentacle in turn, and decide on one or more actions you can take to honor each of the points in real life. In this way, you bring your spirituality into everyday life, and activism into your spirituality. The decisions you make on how to honor the pentacle should have meaning and depth for you; that way you will feel joyful doing them, instead of it turning into one more daily chore. Here are a few suggestions to get you started (these are the elemental correspondences that I use; use your own when creating your own personal elemental practice):
North (Earth): When you go for a walk, bring one of those plastic grocery bags that always seem to be multiplying in your kitchen, and pick up trash. Reduce the waste you put into landfills by recycling, buying products with the least amount of packaging, and if you can, composting. Did you know that even urbanites can compost? You could try "vermiculture", which is an odorless means of composting using a certain kind of earthworm in a bin. For more information, read "Worms Eat My Garbage!" by Mary Applehof. She even has instructions for making an attractive seating bench which cleverly doubles as your compost bin. Feed the compost to your houseplants, give it to friends, or bring it to the park!
East (Air): Two directions you could go here. Make the air cleaner in your home by declaring it a no smoking zone. If you smoke, you might decide to honor Air by quitting smoking altogether. Get an air filter for your bedroom, it will help you feel better. Look for ways you are polluting the air in any way and create solutions. If you live in a city, carpool, especially on high smog days. Conversely, you can make yourself more conscious of Air by bringing your attention to it. Burn pleasant incense to honor Air. If it's safe, open your windows and let Air revive and refresh your living space. When the wind kisses your skin, tell yourself it's the kiss of the Goddess. Find out about air quality and what companies are polluting it in your area here: www.scorecard.org.
South (Fire): Conserve electricity and gasoline by turning off lights and carpooling. Buy energy efficient appliances. Winterize your living space with strip insulation on windows and doors. Install ceiling fans and lower your air conditioning bill by 5 -20% (using the power of Air!). Dedicate yourself as a "Fire Safety Witch"...get a fire extinguisher for your home, never leave burning candles unattended, or volunteer at the next Gathering to stay with the bonfire until it is safely out, or to extinguish it thoroughly using water and stirring the coals until they are out. Install a smoke detector and honor the power of Fire.
West (Water): Conserve water, especially in areas where there is a deficit. Showers take less water than baths. Use a water conserving showerhead and toilet. The new pressurized air toilets flush just as well as the old huge tank kind! How about drinking more water and less sodas? Good for your body; 98% of your body is water. Find out if their is an activist group in your area targeting water pollution and conservation issues, and go help them. Find out where your drinking water comes from, and whether or not it's healthy. Many state governments have a recommended limit on the amount of fish it's safe to eat out of their waterways, due to pollution of water by heavy metals, PCBs, which are byproducts of various industries. Find out about your state from your Department of Natural Resources. Another good source of information is Physicians for Social Responsibility, www.psr.org.
Spirit: This includes all of your witchy activities like altar building, ritual and the like. You might also enjoy creating your own ideas for honoring Goddess and God. What does being a witch mean to you? What is the core of your reason for walking this path? For me, it's feeling connected to, and a part of, all creation. Not as an idea in my mind, but a feeling that is bone deep. I share this feeling by leading Dances of Universal Peace, which are a form of moving meditation that transcends talking and can give you a direct experience with the Divine. Find dance meetings near you at www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org. One of my teachers has dedicated herself as a Priestess in the Temple of Order, Beauty and Comfort, and has created a home of true hospitality, tranquility and fun. Another mentors forming pagan communities with his skills as a coach, providing encouragement for the group to find its own power. My partner uses his music to honor, talk about, and communicate with the Goddesses and Gods. What talent, skill or focus can you contribute to the world? Everyone has one.
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.
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