Ahimsa Grove

Ahimsa Grove is a resource for vegan pagan living. It will include personal experiences and musings, recipes, shopping tips, vegan ethical and dietary considerations, and ideas for pagan practice including spells, rituals, and herbcraft.

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Circle of Compassion and the power of

Many of us who have come to identify with Witchcraft or Paganism (hence finding ourselves on the Witches & Pagans blogosphere) originated in a family tradition where communion with the Divine (the All, Spirit, the Totality) was achieved through prayer. In the etymology found within common dictionaries, "prayer" tends to be defined both as, "worship of God (a deity)" as well as simply, "an earnest hope or wish." Somewhere in the mystery between these two forms, we may find the truth. Prayer, as well as spell craft and the various types of ritual used to facilitate both, can be seen as acts of co-creation

Those of us raised in one of the major mono-theisms may be familiar with teachings like that found in Matthew 18:20 of the Christian "new testament": Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather together in my name, there I am with them."

The concept of a group of fellow-believers gathering together to exhort one or more deities for help manifesting our desires is certainly a familiar concept for Witches and Pagans. We know it as magick and spell-craft.

Along the lines of a meta-system act of co-creation, a site called "Circle of Compassion" has for several years been prompting subscribers to all join together in "prayer" at noon each day by simply saying, "Compassion encircles the earth for all beings." Their goal is, to quote their page, to "...co-create an energy field of respect and kindness for all living beings, that embraces our entire earth."

Though the founders of this site are animals rights activists and generally don't consume animal products, their act of co-creation is something I feel many Witches & Pagans can get behind. I, therefore, invite everyone who sees this to join me and these others in this daily (or as possible) act of co-creation. The Circle of Compassion website also gives a weekly prayer with a blog entry detailing a particular natural/animal rights concern and these are always quite informative.

 

http://circleofcompassion.org/

 

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Leslie earned her Master of Divinity Degree at Vanderbilt University and is a Wiccan Priestess, Ordained Interfaith and seeking ordination through the Temple of the Feminine Divine in Bangor. Her column in SageWoman, “Child of Artemis,” deals with women and our relationship with animals. Leslie considers herself a cultural worker, dealing with issues of violence and oppression as they impact humans and other species. She has worked at a rural domestic violence prevention program since 2001 and is a board member on VegME, Maine’s vegan advocacy group.  

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