a call for help

“There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible"
Atticus Finch

It lives close by. For the few, it’s kept at bay for a lifetime. For most of us, there is at least one close encounter and many near misses. For all of us, from birth to death, it lurks within our peripheral vision, with its ubiquitous threat.

Violence.

I grew up in household where it seemed to explode out of nowhere, rocking the house and shaking me to the core. This was during the decade where it also came through the television in relentless waves. At seven I witnessed my President’s killer shot dead in real time in black and white. My generation grew up with that hopeless little screen pulsing it to us directly, uncensored and unfiltered.

As an adult, my body has felt its impact only when I’ve faced it down. Taking action against it often has meant putting myself in its way and wake. I’ve been shoved, hit, choked, and gassed as a result of peacefully standing up for a more peaceful world.

The past few weeks I’ve worked with others who have recently done the same. From the therapist chair I’ve witnessed the confusion, fear and pain that are wrought by a sudden encounter with violence. Can you ever really prepare for the visit? When I did trainings in civil disobedience, I thought so. Certainly it helps to find a resoluteness of spirit and connect to something bigger than yourself. But, there is always a toll taken, a scar on the soul if not the body.

This week my son had an encounter with violence. His best friend was beaten and kicked repeatedly in the head, while my son ran and called the police. His friend is alive, with no major damage, and three gang members are in jail, two of them adults. My sixteen year old son has replayed the encounter many times, questioning whether he should have stayed and fought. That’s what boys are supposed to do, to put up their dukes and fight for their friends. He’s my son, and he did not fight. He called for help, and help came.

Now I question whether he should to stand up against violence, to bear witness against it, and in doing so, possibly bring it on in full force against us. Tuesday we meet with a district attorney who specializes in gang violence to assess what ramifications my son testifying could have. I think I already know.

I have believed it’s important to try and do as little harm as possible in traversing life and to do what I can to devoke violence and face it down. That’s why I like the Wiccan Rede. That’s why I have no truck with calling myself a warrior. Because I have the power to heal, I know I could also hex. True strength means not doing so.

Like my son, I won’t put up my fists on this. But, damn, I sure as hell am calling out for help.

One world, one dream.

The slogan for this year’s Olympics is “One World, One Dream”. A perfect slogan, a perfect spell for us to invoke.

The Olympics seize our imagination in that they are a direct tie to the old gods. The Olympics are also a coming together of humans in our divine bodies...taking those bodies - from all the countries of the globe - to their limits, and celebrating what we humans are capable of. Hercules is said to have been the founder of the games, and one of the stated purposes of the games is to promote global unity and “sound minds in sound bodies”.

They have historically also held a foreshadowing of things to come and/or mirror what is happening on our planet. Think of the 1968 games or the games that were held in Germany before the holocaust. Think of Munich. The Olympics serve to bring the world’s attention together and into focus. There’s a kind of magic in the choice of the city that will be the focus of that attention at what time.

At the Olympics, the whole world….or at least a heck of a lot of it…actually IS watching.

These games are held in Beijing. They are in a polluted city in a country strong with economic clout and record wreckage of the environment. And countless human rights violations. I am imagining and I am invoking that as the world focuses in on the games, we as a world begin to truly dream together.

This is a time to actively dream and envision what we want the future to look like.

I have dear friends who are in Beijing working energy and planning actions to invoke the dream of a free Tibet becoming a waking reality. I dream that they are successful and unharmed. I dream a free Tibet. I dream all rivers in the world running as clean and clear as the pure air we all are breathing. I dream we as a species begin to truly value sound minds in sound bodies. I dream we wake up.

One World. One Dream.

What are you adding to the dream?

mission accomplished!

I love it when magic works!!! And it always does. I especially love it when the fates/elements dance along with me in the way I requested on the multi-versal dance card…only just a tad more delightfully. Yes. That happened last weekend.

From Friday night to Sunday afternoon I was with a group of my friends in Sonoma planning the restorative retreat – A Fool’s Journey – that we are creating for right after fall equinox. My wish was that the planning session contain within it what we intend the restorative to be; both deeply satisfying and restorative. Check!!!! Mission Accomplished!

Somehow we managed to question and theologically pull apart everything we usually do in ritual and at witchcamps, put it back together in ways that suited all of us, open to inspiration and watch it come, take that inspiration and plan several rituals , structure the retreat and when things would be offered, swim, read, go on walks, cook, and feast. And somehow, doing all of this was profoundly easy, spacious, and relaxing.

A swimming pool and a nicely appointed kitchen really helped. Not to mention the many allies that were swirling around, happy to help us in our work. Below is a picture of the swimming pool at the retreat center. It somewhat resembles the pool we were in and out of all weekend.

So…now my wish/intent is that the actual retreat be as easy, spacious, and relaxing as our planning weekend. It’s on your dance card, multi-verse! I’m prepared to be delighted.

It was a darn good Lammas. Completely delicious.