Temple Service - Sermon 8/01/24
O Great Master of The Sea Hear me now as I pray May our temple members be under your protection As your trident bares it's teeth May I be of service to these kind folk, and remain under your protection as long as I help these people
Thank you, Lord Poseidon For the waters you sway
We’ve all heard it before, right? If you’ve been a beginner or are a beginner, we’ve all heard it. We have our little cup of water, a stick and maybe a crystal as an altar and people scorn. I used to fall victim to this myself. I would sit in bed crying at night, what is it that i’m doing so wrong?
The answer? It was simply because my practice did not look like their practice. They had more grandiose altars, more experience, more more more. More than me. But they were hateful about it. Instead of treating a baby worshiper or witch with kindness, I was met with sincerely demeaning comments that made me want to quit. I did, for a while. It wasn’t worth it.
However, here I am today. Running this temple, having my dreams as a leader come true. Don’t give up just because someone in your comment section said nasty, demeaning things. Especially as a beginner. Don’t fall to consumerism just because someone says that cup of water and stick isn’t enough, because it is. Your altar grows with you, if you even have one. You don’t need a single thing besides a search engine and a free pdf file of where you want to get started. You don’t need the prettiest pinterest practice to be considered “right”. There is no right.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are definitely dos and don’ts and especially if you’re white. There are closed practices that are sacred to those of color. Some common examples are smudging and voo-doo. I will leave a link to these closed practices, as an article explains it clearly and cut to the point. But if you aren’t practicing out of those closed to you, what is so wrong?
Everyone’s practice is different. Take me and my husband for example. We are both witches. We are both hellenic polytheists. This is very much true. However, if you think our practices even look similar? I’ll be the first to tell you that is not the case. We do not worship the same, pray the same or at the same time, we do not even worship on the same days. This is perfectly valid. Your practice is not defined by others. It is defined by you, and you alone. Sure, others can guide you and teach you and make sure you don’t stray too far into practices that are unethical. This is valid as well, but you will stray from them and go on your own path as soon as their teachings are complete. Once you’ve gained enough knowledge to be comfortable within yourself, your practice will be completely yours and no one else will practice the exact same.
Don’t listen to those who are scornful and just want to scare you. Don’t tolerate hate just because someone doesn’t understand or is far more experienced than you. You are just as valid as any other practitioner in the community.
