Letters Please address letters to New Moon Rising or otherwise make it clear that your letter is available for publication. Please let us know how you would like it signed. Opinions of authors in New Moon Rising and especially in the Letters section certainly do not necessarily reflect those of New Moon Rising. The Benefits of the Sacrament I support your publication, which is badly needed to bridge a certain gap. Other cultures throughout the ages have had access to entheogenic plants and they have all been able to incorporate them into their proper place in society for the good of all by setting up the necessary structures for their use within their religious context. Our society has had to rediscover these ancient tools which had been long known to Ancient Europeans but had been negated by a powerful competing religious form during the Burning Times. The true source of that religion, I believe, was not to blame, and in fact also incorporated the use of herbs in a central position in its own practices, but hundreds of years later, it was co-opted by the opposing forces who recognized its value as a means of controlling the people within an authoritarian power structure. Now we will have to reconstruct the space for the proper use of the entheogens in a responsible way if America is to become the powerful Spiritual influence in the world that it should be. There was always a certain preparation beforehand, and the materials were always carefully controlled by a leader who also acted as a guide throughout the experience. Those involved in gathering and preparation should be justly compensated for their work and guidance somehow, as by donation, but never should the more powerful agents be available for sale on the street as a commodity. We should oppose this, but we can't stop this sort of thing from being done by others and so must accept this. It occurs to me that this unique publication might support the formation of a genuine practitioners society dedicated to the creation of the necessary space for the right use of the Sacred Plants in the context of a functional society which is constantly evolving in itself as a result of the incorporation of the new knowledge which has been locked within our own makeup. We have locked ourselves out of our own homes and have forgotten our ancient friends in the plant world who have always kept the keys in safe keeping. One obvious solution is to adopt the cultures of the Ancient Americas across the board since they have all the practices built into them already, and this is certainly a valid alternative, but these cultures were custom designed over the ages to fit into a specific way of life. That way of life has been swept aside completely for the most part or disrupted beyond recognition, though many are trying to reconstruct the remnants of what once was and this is admirable but there is a tendency to believe conformation to the old codes of this continent will be complete for those of us who have largely European Ancestry or even for those of us who have largely Ancient American Ancestry but who have been swept up by The World Mono-Culture I support this kind of experimentation but at this point in time it is necessary to create a new open ended culture which is always open to incorporating anything else which can act as a Catalyst for Unification of all peoples through that which is highest in each of our different cultures. Trying to go back to the old ways of this continent or the old religion would only limit us to the repetitions of outer forms which corresponded once to a way of life that has vanished and it is a step backwards, an attempted regression which may not ever succeed fully. Imagine a tree trying to grow backwards and you will get the picture immediately. Like the roots of a tree, we should continue to search for any remnant of antiquity which could be of value to feed our further growth, but like the growing tip we need to also keep building higher and higher into The Blue Sky and ever expanding in every direction where Light can be absorbed. [T]here are ancient prophecies that the coming of the white man was expected and his rise to power was inevitable and meant to be, so instead of wishing things could have gone differently, I think we have to align ourselves with what is and how we can help what was meant to be come about, because it hasn't happened yet. I think we better do what it takes to make the price that had to be paid well worth while for everybody concerned. Aren't we also in a very similar situation? We have no unity, no identity as A People, no organization. We have no tanks, nukes, or aircraft carriers, and yet we have been under fire so long that we have come to regard that as normal. Our form of Spirituality has essentially been outlawed except the one concession given to The Native American Church which is a form of racial discrimination against those of us who like most people of Ancient American Ancestry do not have any papers to prove it, or don't have the necessary percentage of blood to be allowed into church. This effectively sets up a kind of Race Religion designed to divide and isolate peoples. In the situation where the 25% blood with papers marries a Black Indian without papers, their children would then be found to have insufficient blood to continue to participate in the Native American Church. If it is considered that involvement with The Sacrament would be harmful and destructive, why would we allow its use by any Americans? And if it is seen as of potentially positive value, why would we let one group of people alone unleash all the benefits of The Sacrament for their own use and deny access to the bulk of the population? I believe it is seen as dangerous because new insights could be revealed which could give one an advantage over others in the mainstream of the population for whom it is seen as being also dangerous for them to use because the new information might upset their belief systems which are thought to be necessary to maintain order. I am afraid that this reveals that at the time that this strange law was enacted, the Native people were not thought to be able to make use of any new insights which might give them power over the rest of society, and that any harm that might result would make it easier to keep them subdued. Allowing use within the context of Native American Spirituality has been useful though as a living demonstration that the Sacrament can be used safely within this kind of a framework as very few cases have been reported of any problems resulting. There is a very real danger when used by the unprepared when the set and setting have not been agreed upon by all because in order to be able to open up to new material, some of the defense mechanisms must be temporarily reduced leaving one more vulnerable to the thoughtlessness of others who have growing up in a very competitive culture learned to use every advantage over others to maintain their own status by crippling the self esteem of any others whenever the opportunity arises. Many of us have found out about this the hard way and see the need for the creation of designated Safe Spaces for this purpose. We need to form a close knit and yet open society to fill this very real need. We see in every tribe that each individual has a place and is important and we should be the same, starting with each individual one by one, getting into communication and forming the bonds of unity. The formation of a Practitioners Society will allow us to fulfill a very real need in the world and to maintain a high level of service by supporting only other ethical practitioners with integrity that we can count on. TimoThy
The Practitioners Society
PO Box 849
Glen Ellen CA 95442 Touching Hearts:
Pagan Penpals and Magazines When you were a child did you ever have a penpal? One of the first things you did was tell the other person what you looked like. Pagan penpals do that too but we don't describe our outer beings but rather our hearts. What path one follows is one of the first things discussed and not long after that, the conversation diverges into how we came to the Pagan Path. In many ways, I feel closer to the Pagan friends I correspond with than people I've known all of this incarnation. My network of Pagan friends is a haven, a place where I know my beliefs are accepted. Not every Pagan will agree with my views, but most will defend my right to have them. It was amazing; I got a letter last week from one of my correspondents and I was feeling really down about going to work and being away from my children. She cheered me up and reminded my how sacred the task of giving birth and providing for one's children is. She saluted my sacrifice (being away from my kids) instead of making me feel guilty. That was precisely what I needed. It is odd but it is very easy for me to pour my heart out to fellow Wiccans/Pagans whom I have never met. I feel bonded to others on the Pagan path. Our society today has gotten away from writing letters and turned to phone calls instead. That is a great loss. Through letters one can express things that may be difficult to verbalize. We can pour out our hearts without danger of being interrupted. And if we are interrupted by kids, spouses, or animals it isn't too difficult to pick up the train of thought by rereading what has already been written. There is a permanence about letters that phone calls just don't have. Looking back over letters I've received is one of the great joys of life. Many times I will get a new insight or read a letter a slightly different way. Pagans express their creativity in so many ways; writing letters is just one of them. Another favorite form of expression for Pagans is the magazine/newsletter. Here Pagans have a place to express their love for the Lord and Lady with people of like mind. There may be differences in form and emphasis of different aspects of Deity (God and Goddess vs. Goddess alone) but on one issue we are usually in agreement—a dislike of the fundamentalist attitudes. Many Wiccans/Pagans come to this path because of a dislike of organized religion. We've found acceptance of our path and ourselves through Wiccan. Personally, I love being able to express my creativity in rituals and poetry and it makes it that much better if I can share my thoughts/feelings/ritual ideas with others. If I touch one person through my words, I feel honored. Pagan magazines have provided a forum for my creativity and in doing so have rekindled my love of writing. I write for myself but Pagan `zines give me a place to be heard. Communing with my deepest thoughts allows me to discover myself. I'm not very good at keeping a Mirror Book/journal but I love to write letters. Discussing issues with penpals makes me explore my own heart. I've quit feeling guilty about not writing a formal journal but have started keeping copies of letters I write. For example, I recently gave birth to my second child and I felt inspired to write letters to everyone who has touched my life. These letters mirrored my soul. By thinking about the people who have influenced me, I dug deep into my soul to think about how they shaped me and about how I came to be the person I am today. These letters are now in my journal along with copies of all the articles I write. I strongly recommend corresponding with other Pagans through the mail to anyone who sometimes feels isolated. Receiving letters from other Pagans truly makes you feel as if you are not alone. I know that sometimes the Wiccan road is difficult and bumpy but take heart, you needn't travel it alone. Reach out and touch hearts! Arias
Okinawa, Japan | 
