**Thoughts on Religion** It seems to me that all religions of a life-affirming and non-judgmental nature are equally valid. This is not, to be sure, because they all consist of absolute truths, because that makes very little sense. Religions, by nature, are approximations and metaphors. They are tools that people use to try to understand and become closer to the unknowable presence known by so many names. I think that most of us are trying to communicate and commune with that same presence, calling it by different names. The fact that we all attribute different values to it does not necessarily speak against this. If you believe that the One (I will be using One for lack of a better word, as well as for the sake of brevity for the rest of this thought process) created the world and that their was nothing before it, then by nature, the One would contain all that exists at this moment, as well as the potential for everything that has not occurred yet. It would contain the attributes for male, female, good, bad, life, death, regeneration, and stagnation, and everything else. How could something exist if it were not present in the original One? This is stated well in this quote from Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Suzuki: We are always here. Do you understand? You think that before you were born, you were not here. But how is it possible for you to appear in a world where there is no you? Because you are already here, you can appear in the world. One metaphor that a friend told me really seems to explain it very well. Imagine a beautiful field. There are many paths leading into the meadow, and you may take your choice. But whatever path you choose still takes you to your final destination, and so why does it matter which you choose. If one path seems better to you, then that is the path that you should take, as long as you dont try to hinder someone else on their path. We are all physically, emotionally, and mentally different, so why should we expect to be able to follow the same path to the One? I feel that my own personal path has become much clearer to me. I realize that if at some time something doesnt seem right to me, that I have every right and obligation to change it. As Emerson says, Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. Right now, this is my path. I believe that the One or Spirit is not only the creator of everything, but actually IS everything. Energy and matter and everything else are divine in origin, because if they werent, I dont believe that they could exist. People themselves are made of divine energy as well, if they choose to accept and embrace it. If one enjoys life and creation, then it seems in poor taste to harm any part of it, because it is all made of the same divine materials as we are. I believe that our inner divinity is always trying to speak to us, and that we can to choose to listen to it or ignore it. The most important feeling that I get whenever I commune with the One is the interconnectedness of life. The fact that we are all constantly interacting and changing everything with our thoughts and actions, because we are all existing here together. Thoughts, being impulses of energy and physical as well as mental, have the power to influence the world as well. This brings me to my definition of magick. Nearly all religions have some form of magick. When you focus all of your energy on some desired end, and you truly have a need of it, I believe that you can make it come about. Of course I also believe that the source of this energy is the One, and so prayer is also a form of magick. Most of you reading this probably know of the function of the k at the end of the word magick to distinguish it from stage and sleight of the hand magick, so thats all Ill say on that. This big huge mass of divine energy can be hard to relate to and is almost incomprehensible given the limitations of the human mind. People approximate their perception of divinity to make it make more sense to them by accentuating its human qualities such as gender and personality traits that it naturally contains. In the interest of balance, Paganism usually splits divinity into male and female entities which can be called on by any name given them, but which are also assigned the title of God and Goddess (Germanic in origin for male and female deity) or the Lord and Lady. For a great metaphor of Divinity and balance from a Pagan perspective, try the Divinity page at College Wicca. All of these thoughts are my own and should not be interpreted as me telling you what to think, only more things to think about. You should always do what feels right to you at any one time. I encourage you to live in the moment and discover spirituality for yourself.