Taking It Home
Part of Faithful Journeys
Whatever you think you can do, or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace, and power in it. — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Any ritual is an opportunity for transformation. — Starhawk
IN TODAY'S SESSION... We heard a story about a Unitarian Universalist child who celebrates the pagan harvest holiday, Lammas, by going to a peace rally every year. To illustrate our third Unitarian Universalist Principle, acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth, we learned about magic as a spiritual practice we can use to work for the good of the world. We created our own wands and did a spiral dance. Our signpost to help guide us in faithful action was "Create Magic."
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about... We defined magic today as combining focus, intention, and energy. Many other spiritual practices also combine focus, intention, and energy. Tell your child about a spiritual practice you are familiar with and explain how focus, intention, and energy are involved. Tell what the practice means to you and how it affirms one or more of our Unitarian Universalist Principles.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try... Pay extra attention to times when your child creates magic by combining focus, intention, and energy, such as making and carrying out a plan to recycle plastic and care for the Earth or making a get-well card for a relative or friend. Point out instances of your child acting faithfully in a way that reflects the Principle of acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth. Your child will have the opportunity to tell how they "created magic" the next time Faithful Journeys meets.
FAMILY ADVENTURE
Pay attention to the evening skies for a few months, including the waxing and waning of the moon. On a clear night when the moon is full, take a family walk, preferably in a natural setting that is familiar to you and safe, with well-marked trails. When you return home, finish the evening with sparkling fruit juice or hot cider, cocoa, or tea or to celebrate the seasonal harvest in your locality or somewhere far away.
A FAMILY RITUAL
As a daily practice, say "Thank you" to the Earth for the food, shelter, and very life it gives us. A natural time to do this would be at mealtime, but it also could be a bedtime ritual. Enhance the ritual with prayers or blessings from the book Earth Prayers from Around the World, edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon, or another like it.
A FAMILY GAME
In "I Spy," one person says, "I spy something the color (fill in the blank)." Others take turns guessing the item and the person who guesses correctly is the next "spy." Play "I Spy" in a natural setting. Instead of identifying items by color, say, "I spy something that is a tree/a plant/an insect/a rock/made of wood."
FAMILY DISCOVERY
Learn more paganism through the fictional Aisha in the book Aisha's Moonlit Walk, by Anika Stafford. The book Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions, by Starhawk, is appropriate for parents of any religion who wish to encourage a love of nature in their families.