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Happy July 4th!

This post is in honor of the liberty, freedom and the Goddess, Columbia. On January 29th Coven of the Mystic Path., ASW offered this ritual to empower us in the wisdom of the Goddess, our Ancestors who met the challenges of liberty and the vision of our Forefathers of equality and justice.

As part of our community sharing a recording was made of a ritual pathworking for those who could not attend the live event. I am reposting this today as a reminder of our power and our strength when we claim the Torch of Liberty and step into our power. Enjoy.... 

July 4^th, 2016 marks the 7th anniversary of my ordination.  I had almost forgotten the personal importance of this day until I saw a blog post from another Pagan writer where she wrote about the anniversary of her own ordination.

For a long time ordinations were not something I took very seriously.  They reeked of organized, mainstream religion.  As a typical, angry, pseudo-anarchist young person, I had zero time for those types of distractions.  Ordinations seemed to be something that Christians had to earn after years of brainwashing seminary, or something that was handed to them by a congregation hungry for “the word.” 

As the fourth of July rapidly approaches there will be flags all over the place and politicians will talk endlessly of patriotism.  Here in Sebastopol a guy often drives around town with American flag flapping over his pick up truck bed.  Once a week people who claim the “support out troops” stand on a busy corner and solicit honks from others while across the intersection people dressed in black stand as silent witnesses for peace. They support our troops as well, but differently.  All if asked probably think of themselves as patriots. But they are thinking of different things.

Around the Fourth of July, I began to write this essay. I was inspired by the ways in which the Fourth is celebrated: by families and neighborhoods, with fireworks and games and picnics and all-day, Summery leisure. I watched movies about the American Revolution, and I thought at length about the Fourth, as a civic celebration, as an iconic moment of childhood, as an inspiration for the immigrants who come here, for artists and writers aspiring to greater depth of talent and expression. For anyone longing for liberation, this celebration of independence and freedom seems full of promise, full of encouragement to go boldly in the direction of one's heart's desire. This is an American narrative of liberty and opportunity, the one we teach school children, the one that inspires numerous people to immigrate despite hardship and challenge (not to mention a less than warm welcome once they arrive). It is based on a shared history that is inspiring and ennobling, as well as horrifically violent and racist.

The Fourth's observance, with its emotion and spectacle, is truly an American Sabbat, a day of remembrance and revelry. Its arrival soon after the beginning of Summer marks its as a time of play and pleasure. It's also a time to recall our civic Ancestors: not merely the Founding Fathers or members of the military, but everyone who died in pursuit of freedom and liberty, not all of whom were warriors. I always feel that part of this Sabbat is marking the sacrifices others have made in building this country, and how far we are from coming into our country's fullest promise of liberty and security.

Though we know the First Amendment by heart and have the Establishment Clause tattooed on our wee Pagan hearts, it's pretty tricky to belong to a minority religion in some parts of this country. Like gender, race and class, following a spiritual tradition that marks you as "Other" isn't always comfortable in the Land of the Free.

The recent Supreme Court decision about employers freedom to impose their religious views on their employees has been another blow in women's on-going quest for something approaching autonomy in this country.  We've been talking about the "glass ceiling" for decades and every few months, someone trots out the pay inequity that seems to be endemic in the American economic system.