A note. A thought. A hope...
For Patience & Understanding.

     Imagine for a moment that we live in the late 15th century.  A dear friend or your child (whom you love dearly and is known for having a good head on his shoulders) comes home one day with a curiosity on his mind.  You inquire of his thoughts as they seem to preoccupy him and may have even lit a spark in his eye.  Slowly, or perhaps excitedly, he explains to you that he heard or believes the world is not flat.  Can you believe this tale?  Is it an atrocity? Is it heresy?  

     Clearly, by living in the twenty-first century, this idea from the 15th seems a bit silly, old news.  But keeping this in mind, an open-mind that is, try to absorb what it is your loved one may be attempting to describe to you today (possibly the reason for you reading this page).  He may have started off by saying, "It's not what you think." or "Please hear me out."  If he's lucky, you may have held your breath and said, "Okay..." with a sigh of disbelief.

     Do try to hear him out.  You, too, may learn something new just as your friend has.  This person has come to you with trust and hope in his heart.  That bond you share shouldn't be crushed in an instant simply because one impatient word is uttered: "No."  This response can cause a person's thirst for any knowledge to be something that is not taken up again; or... done without you.  It happens.  Instead, wouldn't you rather share the experience of the quest, if only for the mere adventure of the journey together?  Would you want your thoughts or curiosities to be persecuted by another through fear tactics or oppressive control?  (Hopefully, that comment seems a bit harsh, but it still happens today in every part of the world, even in our modern society.)  So why should theirs?

     What I'm getting to here is don't be too quick to quell a curiosity.  Have an open mind and don't be afraid to explore the unknown or the other side of what you've been taught (or dare I say, programmed) to believe.  If no one ever had a sense of adventure or the courage to question, we'd still be living in the Old World, not eating tomatoes and thinking the moon was made of cheese.

     Back in 15th century Europe, believing the world was round was heresy.  But the world is round.  And Witchcraft is a Nature-based, positive religion practiced by millions 'a-round the world'.  Not too long ago it was believed to be heresy... by those who sought to control the masses through fear and oppression.

     Do you have to trust in what I say?  No, you don't have to.  But now that you know there is another side to history that's been suppressed through tyranny, it is for you to satisfy curiosity and find the truth in regards to Witchcraft.

Bright blessings,
~Hazel  :)

'The Old Religion'
The religion that predates all others.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  Lao-tzu

"The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."  Eden Phillpotts

About Witchcraft & Magick 
(the Earth Dance home page)

Hazel's Book of Shadows