Vuya!Pagan

Two weeks to Samhain. The end of summer and the beginning of Autumn. Its round about this time of year that I hear Pagans go on and on about "honoring the ancestors" faining intellectuality and presenting themselves as the few who understand the darkness that comes with the Sabbat of Samhain.

Yet I see these same Pagans bemoaning their moms and dads, brothers and sisters and other close family's lack of understanding of their Pagan paths, their inability to accept their choice of Pagan spirituality.

My question is: do you honor them only when they're dead and unable to back-chat? Is it comfortable to deal only with those who've ceased to draw breath? How can you honor your blood line if you don't deal with what's happening in your living family? Or do you not believe that they too hold a spark of the divine?

No one ever said being a Pagan was easy. We have no loopholes or easy-outs. We are to understand certain things, the difference is some choose to engage the struggle and others just ignore the existence of the conundrum.

I choose to engage the issue.

My family, like so many other modern Pagans, is made up mostly of Christians of various ilk. It was a battle to come to terms with the fact that they would never embrace my choices, but they did eventually make peace with the fact that it was my choice. This is one of the reasons why I honor my living family as part of my ancestral line.

My brother, who's an arse most of the time, but who holds his family in such high regard; he's truly the protector of his magos - I honor him for his commitment to something that I myself also hold dear. He can work out being an arse later.

My mom who's committed to her own spiritual philosophies, has always done her best to give me room to experience my own life, to encourage my journey to self-awareness and understanding; maybe I didn't use the tools she thought I would, but she was always there for me and encouraged my journey. I honor her sacrifices as a mother, I honor her sacrifices as a JW (which at times were rather painful for her), in my eyes she's a wonderful example of what a Mother should be.

My dad, although agnostic is the most hard-working man I ever met, and perhaps ever will. For the years I barely saw him, he was building a life, a career and a way to look after his family. Again the quintessential protector who road my scooter home for me the day I couldn't, dressed in his suit and tie because he came straight from work because I needed him. I honor the man who was strong enough to be unpopular so that he could do what was best for us all.

So go. Run along now. Light your little black tea candles, find your dry ice supplier, haul out the potjie from the garage and dress up for your play. Whoop and chant and moan to the moon if it makes you feel good. Speak lyrical prose to the night sky about how you hold your ancestors in high esteem. Just remember that your living family is part of that line, that they will be the ancestors of YOUR children's children. So do yourself a favour, find a reason to give THEM a cudo this Samhain.

Welga.

Arias