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Willow Firesong's
Here you will find our beliefs, our myths, our holidays and their meanings, all of the foundations for our religion. Our ethics and our actions all arise from our basic beliefs about the nature of the world.
Our brains are structured to respond to patterns. It is the ability to analyze and respond to those patterns that creates a portion of our intelligence. It is reasonable, then, to believe that a ritual, or pattern of stimuli, could evoke a consistent response within the brain. In fact, many religions and philosophies embrace the use of repeating patterns to access certain aspects of the mind, and/or the brain. We believe that, just as writing depends on a set of abstract symbols that acquire meaning through their pattern of relation, we can create meaningful change within the brain by selecting symbols of meaning to us, and arranging them in a ritual, or pattern. Since the brain is our primary tool for creating change in our outer world, the use of ritual can create change on the larger scale through the changes it evokes in the brain.
There are other means of creating change within the brain, and these can be applied instead of, or in conjunction with, ritual. The most important element to bear in mind is that ritual is only a tool, one of many, and we must never allow our tools to control our lives.
Just as ritual can create changes in the individual, so, too, it can create similar changes in a group of people, bonding them together for a moment toward a given end and purpose. Group ritual provides a means of celebration, mourning, and providing support to one another through the ups and downs of life.
Some times and seasons, both in the world and in the lives of individuals, naturally lend themselves to gathering together in groups, to celebrate, blow off steam, or find support in a common experience. Among these are agricultural holidays, like planting and harvest, when we work together in concert on a great effort; seasonal holidays, like the darkest depths of winter when the light returns; and personal events, like marriages, births, and deaths. When we come together to mark these occasions, we share our strengths and minimize our weak areas - there is someone among us to cook the festive meal, sing the songs of the occasion, write the ritual with which we celebrate, and make the event a light burden for the earth on which it is held, and those who may dwell in that space, by cleaning up after the gathering. Many hands make light work, and many voices raised in song make beautiful harmonies of the voice and the soul.
However, not every event is suited for group celebration, and we must not discriminate against those who choose to celebrate or contemplate alone. At one time or another, each of us hears the call to solitary contemplation, or feels the need to mark something deeply personal and private. There is within each of us a balance between the need for others, and the need for quiet time alone.
Sometimes, especially when we are first searching our souls to discover what we believe, or have left another form of organized religion, we feel a need to retreat from others, to ensure that the still, small voice we hear is our own inner voice. Many of us feel a need to make other people comfortable or happy, and we can lose our sense of self in this if we are not careful to maintain a strong awareness of our own ethics and beliefs. For this reason it can be wise for any person to take some time alone to reflect upon what is important to them, and whether their life reflects that, or meets their needs. This can involve evaluating every belief, every habit, every major action and decision; religion and ethics are not the only aspects of life subject to evaluation. Some cultures have rituals to help a person through these periods of self assessment; these can be useful, but are not strictly necessary. What is important is honest self-evaluation, and respect for one's own person and beliefs.
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