When I die, I will return to the embrace of Goddess and God, to be healed of whatever hurts I suffered during my life, and prepared for the next one.
We continue to be reborn until we prove ourselves worthy of remaining in "heaven" with Them permanently. In ancient times, it was thought that the Aurora Borealis was Caer Arianrhod ("heaven") and the souls of the dead would go there until their next lives.
My practice of Witchcraft helps others by helping me be in tune with myself better; I relate to others much better by knowing myself so well. Consequently, my relationships are very healthy and strong, even with people who do not share my beliefs.
My belief in balance and moderation neutralizes some of the imbalance in the world; my practice of pacifism and compassion neutralizes some of the anger and violence. I wish I could do more, and often perform spells of healing for the Earth, its people, its animals.
I also feel strongly the link between myself and other creatures, be they human or otherwise, and do what I can to help them while living responsably so I'm not harming them indirectly.
When I speak of God, I mean the All-Father, the male principle of Deity/the Divine. He has been symbolized by the Sun in many cultures (including early Christianity-- did you know that "holy bible" is from the Greek "helios biblios", which means "sun book"?).
He is every father, every son, every spirit. He is the boy, the man, the father, the grandfather. He is the protector, the tease, the fierce hunter and the gentle husband (in the meaning of "animal husbandry"). He teaches and guides us, but sometimes lets us go it alone so we can learn on our own-- if we need to.
The animals are His special children and He deals harshly with those who abuse them. They are His gift to us, to help us survive, but not to waste or squander. He has a mischievous sense of humour, and employs it a lot in teaching us. He reminds us not to lose our sense of humour, even when the going gets rough-- it can help sustain us.
He is lusty, and encourages us to enjoy sex for its own sake, not just for procreation. In fact, sex is a ritual that honours Them greatly. However, sex is a grave responsability and He teaches us that we must take it seriously and do it with eyes open.
He is also the harvest, both vegetable and animal, and when we cut them down for our food, He is making the supreme sacrifice of His life so that we may live. He does this willingly, for love of us. We honour Him with thanks at every meal, and make cooking a ritual of gratitude to Him.
