My Good and Gracious Witches,

    I suspect that we in the Reclaiming Witch Tradition, still have much to explore around our commitments to peace, active pacifism, non-violence, creative conflict resolution, etc. I am feeling, that this spring 2008, is a propitious  time to begin a deep examination of how we (individuals, communities, families, clans, as well as the tradition itself), have incorporated into our day to day lives, this specific statement of intent named in our Reclaiming Principals of Unity:

    “Our tradition honors the wild, and calls for service to the earth and the community. We value peace and practice non-violence, in keeping with the Rede, “Harm none, and do what you will.” We work for all forms of justice: environmental, social, political, racial, gender and economic. Our feminism includes a radical analysis of power, seeing all systems of oppression as interrelated, rooted in structures of domination and control.”

     Americans currently find ourselves in yet another governmental sponsored, ongoing war springing out of a home culture addicted to greed, violence and fear. Many of us in the Western World are often so mesmerized by the promise of ‘the good life’, that we forget that we are embedded and enmeshed in a worldwide over-culture devoted to a religion of commodification, a spirituality based and dependent upon humans addicted to greed, violence and fear, a spirituality that proudly declares, ‘more is more’. These are the cultures from which most of us sprang.

    The Reclaiming Witch Tradition began to consciously emerged from these cultures only in the 1980s. Yes, we have grown. Our roots are eagerly growing deep into the thriving soils of the past, seeking out the ancient wisdoms waiting in the rich living composts of our ancestors’ egalitarian dreams and actions. Our branches are passionately reaching into the farthest realms of the cosmos, seeking new egalitarian dreams, possibilities and probabilities. Many of us have dared to step through the Veils of Obfuscation and are learning to live in the Eternal Now. The knowledge that we have gained, has given us many gifts, including the gift of clear sight. This clear sight has revealed to many of us, just how immersed and dependent we are on the current over-cultures of addiction . This understanding has lead many of us to begin to more fully disengage from the over culture. We have chosen to embark on an exciting journey. It’s each and every step leads us closer and closer to the new sustainable cultures of justice, peace and beauty that we are co-creating throughout all of Midgard.

    Recently, the question of how do we, the Reclaiming Witch Tradition, choose to support conscientious objectors has be ask. I am confident that this question has come to our attention at the perfect time. In other words, I am feeling that this is an auspicious time to carefully examine how we, the Reclaiming Witch Tradition, choose to actively support COs in Midgard. I suspect that now is a good time for us to gather relevant information; our experiences, ideas, theories, practices, and such, to bring to the next Dandelion to begin the joyful work of crafting active support for COs.

    As I have stated recently in an earlier post on the Reclaiming Spider yahoo list, I think it is very important to look at conscientious objector status with our Witches’ eyes. Please allow me to restate that sentence; I think it is essential to explore conscientious objector status with one’s whole Witchy being, gathering pertinent information with all of one’s physical and clair-senses.

    Using my Witchy senses, I have come to see the act of claiming a conscientious objector status as a powerful spell working, a magical statement, a step into transformation and a claiming of the rights and obligations of a co-creator of the multiverse. I recognize the act of claiming a CO status as actively nurturing the emerging Cultures of Beauty, Balance and Delight. I sense that naming oneself a CO is a public and powerful magical way of naming oneself a devotee of Peace and Plenty. I sense that declaring oneself to be a CO throws yet one more piece of the war machine onto the compost heaps of transmutation, transforming the tools of war into nutrients that feed and nourish the Mysteries of Life, Death and Rebirth. Using my Witch’s senses, I cannot help but to clearly recognize, that claiming a conscientious objector status is a brazen declaration of the mystery, "We each are our own spiritual authority!"

    The next Dandelion Gathering is April 16 - 20, 2008. Is there a better time to engage in this exploration? Is there a better time for a large group of Reclaiming Witches to trance journey together, seeking information and support around peace, active pacifism, non-violence, creative conflict resolution, conscientious objector status, etc.? Is there a better time for a large group of Reclaiming Witches to ritually nurture Peace and Plenty around the world?

    I only wish I could be there with you. But, alas, as many of you know, I will still be in England. So I am asking you to please bring these questions to the gathering for me:

    What are the peace spell/prayers that we already have in place? How are they working? Are there any obvious results?

    What are we currently brewing in our Cauldrons of Peace? Around the current war? Around the Democratic and Republican conventions? Around Reclaimers living peacefully amongst ourselves?

    Are we, the Reclaiming Witch Tradition, willing to actively support Conscientious Objectors? What resources do we already have to offer support to a person claiming a conscientious objector status in the USA? Are we willing to develop the materials that we need in order to support them?

    Are we willing to continually name publicly, that our spiritual tradition (The Reclaiming Witch Tradition), is grounded in non-violence?

    Are we willing to name and practice non-violence as core to our teaching and living the ways of the Reclaiming Witch Tradition?

    How are we currently expressing/living our commitments to non-violence within and without the Reclaiming Witch Tradition in our day to day lives?

    Are we still dedicated to continuing to actively explore the many new and old expressions of non-violence around the world? Are we willing to glean the materials appropriate to our tradition, adding this information to our basic curriculum?

    Please, if a working group forms at Dandelion or BIRCH around these questions, add my name to the list.

    Though, I pray that discussion around these topics and the questions above are not only limited to those gathered at Dandelion ’08’. I hope that Reclaiming as a whole chooses to engage in these explorations; on line, at rituals, during dinner, on dates, at the gym, on our blogs, while gardening, at Witch Camps, etc. In my opinion, it is essential for all of our voices to be a part of this great chorus of possibility.

    I truly look forward to hearing about this year’s Dandelion when I get back home. Folks, please take good notes and lots of photographs. And please do not forget to embrace pleasure during the whole this gathering.

    And to those of us not able to go to this year’s Dandelion, please, I also want to be kept in the loop around the discussions focused on peace that I am hoping will be going on throughout all of our amazing tradition.

    Please everyone, give each other a kiss and a hug for me.

    May we all dare to dwell in Beauty, Balance and Delight.

    Blessed the Bees,

        Donald

PS. Please pass this letter on to anyone whom you think would be interested.