Autumnlike Weather, Thoughts of Death and a Loving Goddess

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The weather today is somewhat eerie because it is overcast and the high is 85°F. That is not normal for Texas, in fact this time of year 85°F is more likely to be the low temperature. Today has been different and that has been very welcome.

I woke up to a cool 68°F, at least that is what CNN claims, it sure felt cooler to me. It put me in a very happy mood, even though we are in midsummer, fall is coming. Fall has always been my favorite season. The leaves turn beautiful colors, the heat of the summer fades away, the nights that I so love grows longer. Soon it will be time for midnight walks in the woods . . . dancing in the cemeteries . . .

Mmmmm. I can hardly wait, one a half more months and I will be in the midst of my favorite season. Samhain is coming, my favorite holiday. I love Samhain, my lovely Halloween.

Our culture has a sick fear of death and I believe that there are a couple of possible reasons for this.

The first, we do not believe what we are told about the afterlife and are frightened that death is really the end. This fear highlights how we, as a culture, are not in touch with the Divine, not in a truly personal, effective way. Since I have had my slow but deep spiritual experience much (but not all) of my fear of death is gone. My largest fear around death is leaving my family and friends. On the other hand I crave the closeness with the Goddess that I am anticipating experiencing.

A second, and more depressing possibility, is that we get told so often and so vehemently that God disapproves, that God judges, that God condemns and that God punishes that we believe these lies and think we are all going to burn in Hell.

Sadly, I believed this garbage for a long time myself. I denied any belief but every now and again it would cross my mind and I would worry about it. I figured I was a complete write off.

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince . . .

Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, July 8th 1841.

I think this second possibility is much more likely, although the two propositions are not mutually exclusive.

It is just a sad commentary on our world that so many of us live in fear of our Creator. What a vast underestimation of the power of love, which originates from Her.

Peace.