Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Life versus Death

Two large shrubs bracket our front door--two witch hazels. Today, just apres-solstice, one of them is sporting an actual bud. Such a sign of life returning is more than welcome, especially since the little fellow is peering from a heavy blanket of snow.
Wiccans are fond of saying that Wicca is based in Nature. It is true that we respect Nature and are more than happy to see its repeated cycles; but we (Frosts) think Wicca is based in Life, as contrasted with Death.
The abrahamic religions have made a good thing out of Death--a good thing for themselves. They have taught people to be deathly afraid that even the most minor "sin" in this world will get the "sinner" consigned to an everlasting hell. Provided you follow the rules and regularly attend church, though, it will be all better. Whee. Your reward? You will sit on a cloud and play a harp while you grovel eternally to a neurotic deity of insatiable vanity.
Recall Jonathan Swift's words:
It is impossible that anything so natural, so necessary, and so universal as death
should ever have been designed by Providence as an evil to mankind.
Death is as natural as being born. One birth, one death for each of us. That's what we are assigned. It's up to you, then, to pack between those two milestones everything you possibly can so that you don't have to keep coming back, going through the diaper stages and learning it all over again.
Life equates to survival. As soon as we are born, we start on a path of personal survival. As we pass through puberty, we begin to work hard on gene survival : first by producing children and then by trying to make sure that our name will not be lost. Many people are driven to acquire wealth, thinking that materialistic toys and buildings will survive with their name attached. (Donald Trump comes to mind.)
That's not for us, though we think some of our worthy thoughts may survive.
We ask and challenge you to live life and if possible to do something by which you will be remembered. Seek your own immortality.

2 comments:

DaveandKathy McAllister said...

Greetings:

How syncronic, Kathy and I were having this very conversion at dinner the very evening that you made your post. Our talk was stimulated by some recent difficulties that family and friends are currently enduring. Times such as these cause us to naturally take a sounding on how we believe in comparison to them. We McAllisters think the limiting nature of the belief system imposed upon the followers of Abraham not only robs them of their natural sprituality, but sets them up for defeatism through limited narrow mindedness in all life matters. We can only share with them our positive healing nature and look for the best result.

DaveandKathy McAllister said...

Greetings:

How syncronic, Kathy and I were having this very conversion at dinner the very evening that you made your post. Our talk was stimulated by some recent difficulties that family and friends are currently enduring. Times such as these cause us to naturally take a sounding on how we believe in comparison to them. We McAllisters think the limiting nature of the belief system imposed upon the followers of Abraham not only robs them of their natural sprituality, but sets them up for defeatism through limited narrow mindedness in all life matters. We can only share with them our positive healing nature and look for the best result.