Wrong Forum

Fair day, all.

'Tis ne'er been more important to set things right with those whom one has wronged than now. Why? Simple, basic.... One ne'er knows when life will end for self, a loved one, friend or acquaintance, even a stranger. I have received so many e-mails regarding such circumstances as how one goes about righting wrongs; whether those were intentional, or unintentional. 'Tis human nature to avoid that which is often most unpleasnat but the fact remains that unpleasantness is far less difficult to indure than being forced to live with never having made the effort before 'tis too late. An apology must come from the heart; be meaningful, else 'tis no' worth the bother.

Several of you have expressed feelings of guilt for having issued cruel words to a stranger on the street, someone down and out who asked for help. Others have ignored loved ones in need; friends long forgotten; family at a distance, and so on. Whomever you have wronged, 'tis upon you to face the task of repairing the damage you wrought.

Others have written to express their anger at feeling they were 'forced' to turn someone away, for a multitude of reasons. Search your conscience and if there you find a valid reason for having turned someone away then 'tis no your burden to bear. But if you find you have done so for selfish reasons, demands upon your time; unwillingness to take on a difficult task in order to assist another; unconcern for someone other than yourself then 'tis no' me you should turn to for absolution but the one whom you let down.

Folks, nursing facilities, hospitals, psychiatric wards, and the streets are full of those in need and many of them have family members. Aye, and some of those can no' be cared for in one's home but that does no' absolve one from assisting to find proper care for such a person. 'Tis a shame the way the elderly are dumped and left at the mercy of strangers in facilities where they may, or more likely will no', get tender care. 'Tis a brutal fact that children are left to fend for themselves; are used as pawns between divorcing or already divorced parents; that some parents simply wash their hands of teenagers who run away. I could go on and on describing the scenarios I have seen and those I read about in my mail.

What truly amazes me is the number of folks who become angry when I do no' agree with their point of view. 'Tis no' ever my attention to parrot what one wishes to hear in order to feel good about one's self. With the information you send me, I call it how I see it. The point to be made here is this: Do no' ask for my advice unless you are willing to hear the bald truth. As I have stated in the past, this is no' an advice column such as Dear Abby. On the occassion I do respond to a particular one whom I think needs guidance but for the most part the e-mails I respond to have to do with other Kinds and things of supranatural origins. Blessings Upon All, Dream Teller.

Bonjour mes amies.

'Tis been a while since we last posted to our blog. We have been extremely busy the past couple of weeks; many of our colleagues out in the field, as well as Dream Teller being called away several times. Ah, 'tis nice to finally get a short respite.

We received many responses regarding Dream Teller's last post and the majority of you agreed with her. Many of those who did no' agree registered some valid complaints while others allowed their anger to rule them. 'Tis the latter group which Dream Teller attempted to set to thinking, with her comments. As she stated before, anger will never solve a situation. It only serves to inflame and cause friction when a level head is most needed. I urge you to reread the last post and mayhap the message will be clearer this time.

If one but stops to consider the situation 'tis but a short step to the realization that in these modern times 'tis a ridiculous notion that Christianity will rule above all other religions. We no longer live in those dark times when rulers forced their will upon the masses. What we are hearing is the noise of those who would stir the cauldron so that it boils over with anger for the mere purpose of grabbing the limelight.

Think about it and surely you will see the impossibility of what they hope to achieve. Even our Christian colleagues have had a good hearty laugh at such an idea. 'Tis been a long time now that nearly all religious persuasions have recognized one another's rights of belief. So long as we continue to recognize and accept others' rights of choice, that small minority of radicals will do no more than make a blip on the radar screen. But, turn to anger and outrage and behave accordingly and you feed them fodder to continue to poke and prod until disaster will come calling. Let us no' give them what they seek, for we are smarter, kinder, and more considerate.

And now to post Dream Teller's answers to some of your mail.

To Greer in California: One does no' 'become' just because one wishes to. Open your eyes and look around you. Do you no' see those who have little or nothing; those without a loving family? What are you thinking, child? As you have said, your life is a blessed one so why would you wish to throw it away. Boredom is no' a reason for such drastic changes as you long for. Mayhap you need to learn to give back for all that you have been given. I will only advise you to stay away from that group lest you get far more than you bargained for. You are ripe for the picking and believe me, you will wish you had no' been so foolish as to step into that viper's nest. Blessed May You Be.

To Turner in S. Carolina: I appreciate your kind thoughts. Aye, and this month is the first anniversary of my spouse's passing. 'Tis been a difficult year and it seems impossible that much time has passed. I will, hopefully, continue to keep my feet on the path before me and in time, mayhap, the razor-edge of pain will dull. 'Tis my goal to concentrate my efforts on those in need and in doing so, fulfill my destiny. Blessed May You Be.

To Gary in Montana: Life is no' always as we wish it to be and 'tis up to each of us to make the most and best of what is given us. Rather than count the negatives turn your thoughts and efforts to the positives in your life. I think you will be surprised at what you discover you have overlooked. 'Tis human nature to want to be the center of someone's thoughts and affections but most often 'tis self-centeredness which drives away the very one we wish to hold to us. Leave her be and give her time to assimilate all that you have told her. Witches are, by nature, wary of Outsiders. The fact that she is a Solitary Witch is of her choice and by no means a negative reflection on her character. Do no' continue to push for an answer lest you wish to completly alienate her. Her life's work has no bearing on the situation you have described. Just as you have your job in life, so too does she. To expect her to put you first in all things is tantamount to saying that her true calling is no' important. Selfishness is the harbinger of disaster to any relationship; more so when a Witch is involved. Give her the freedom to incorporate you into her life rather than expect her to drop all else, at your whim, and you will see an entirely different person. Blessed May You Be.

To Janna in Tennessee: Untrue. Our life's work is geared to protecting the innocent. We do no' attempt to force Outsiders to our way of thinking. If one sincerely seeks an understanding of our ways, we gladly accomodate them. It sounds as though you think us some sort of cult that brainwashes others when, in fact, we are totally opposed to such means and methods. So far as the other Kinds we embrace as friends and allies, the same goes with them. While many is the time we find ourselves at war with our enemies, we are a peace-loving lot. 'Tis our number one goal; peace, among all Kinds, yours included. Blessed May You Be.

To the Preacher in Michigan: 'Tis your type which we avoid like the plague. Preaching hell's fire and damnation to those no' of your particular faith is no' only wrong, 'tis a juvenile behavior that does no more than lay you open to ridicule. Given your tirade, you have no clear vision; no care for the rights of others; and certainly no true understanding of the God of whom you purport to serve. I count many Christians among my friends and no' one of them agrees with your point of view. Mayhap you should take a long look at yourself and see that 'tis your desire to be personally worshipped as some sort of god which drives your manic outburst. Continue on your chosen path and you will discover who fares best on the other side. As difficult as it will be, I will find it within myself to ask for mercy on your behalf.

To Leslie in Florida: I suggest you give it a break. One can no' force what was obviously never intended to be. Take care you do no' become one of those who wanna-be and travel the wrong path. There is danger in that, taking the wrong path, such as you can no' imagine. Turn your efforts before 'tis too late. Blessed May You Be.

To Shamika in Lousiana: Aye, and there are other Kinds with dark skin. Why would you think no'? The color of one's skin and one's race has no bearing on one's origin of Kind. 'Tis a shame such is no' the case with Outsiders. In fact, there is a Coven of Witches no' too distant from your area of which there are several dark skinned members, and which is led by a particularly personable and powerful Warlock of African descent. That is no' to say there is no' the occassional discrimination among other Kinds but that generally only occurs with those who practice the Black Arts, or with rogues of differing Kinds. Blessed May You Be.

Fair day, all.

There has been much ado about the recent movement to declare Christianity the major, if no' the 'only', religious faith in several states. And as the movement grows, other faiths and non-faiths are angered (and rightly so) that 'tis in the political arena where such a ridiculous issue has been raised, and is set to be fought over. What is truly at issue here is no' that one religious persuasion holds major importance over others, but the 'tone' of the movement. 'Tis reminiscent of the days of yore when the earliest Holy Wars were fought.

One only has to read an historical account of that particular era and shades of the past will come to haunt these modern times. During those times innocent people were slaughtered for the mere fact that they held religious beliefs that differed with whatever Monarchy was in power. Am I suggesting that such brutality would occur in these times if the Christian movement presses on for power? No' in the ways of old but in modern times we certainly have our own brutal methods of persuasion.

'Tis long been fought over, the separation of church and state, yet the many continue to interpret the laws of our country as they deem neccessary to suit their own agenda. What, one wonders, is the purpose of such a movement? Christianity is already a major faith; reaches far and wide. So, why the sudden desire to hold sway over all others? Why the desire to declare other faiths lesser or worse, no' even a true faith?

As a Pagan I certainly take issue with such a ridiculous ideal. But, as a Pagan, I have seen this issue rise and fall so many times as to be rather a joke than a serious situation. If the Christian movement wishes to bring more souls into the fold, 'tis most certainly the wrong way to go about it. Worse, to break ties with all that has been done to bring about acceptance of and cooperation among all faiths is no' only to commit political suicide, but to set in motion a firestorm of which the proportions have never been seen nor imagined. Why worse than in earlier days? Simple that; the real issue is that of trampling upon one's rights to choose for one's self in any matter, including one's faith.

The Powers that be are no' dealing with ignorant peasants, as in the past. Too, we must all remember that radicalism is no' the way to handle the situation. Radicals do no more than make fools of themselves and cause worse problems than the one being dealt with. 'Tis easy enough to quietly go about one's way while doing what needs doing. One has the right to choose, so the point is a moot one, at best. Voice your opinion with dignity and grace, for those are what will set things right, again. Do no' be drawn into a ridiculous fray by hot-heads who will no accomplish anything of real importance. Access whatever routes are available to you to further your ideals and get on with the business of living and worshiping as you choose. Blessed May You Be, Dream Teller.