Beth Washington HPs, eclectic pagan, explains to the Boston Pagan Examiner the difference between messages from the Divine and the voices heard by some people with mental disabilities:
“This is the part that makes pagans sound like nut jobs: People say, ‘Ooh, she’s got voices in her head. She’s nuts!’ When you listen to the voices, and they make sense, and they tell you things you didn’t know that you can prove to be true, how do you explain that?”
Ms. Washington gives an example: A past Samhain ritual that she led was particularly emotional for one of the participants, who shed tears. Ms. Washington says that the Morrigan, the Celtic Triple Goddess, had predicted that someone would cry at the ritual that night. “How did I know that? I didn’t. She did. That’s just one example” of the Divine telling her truths that she had no way of knowing by herself, she explains.
"We jokingly talk about listening to the voices in our heads, but then we stop and ask, are we really talking to the God, or the Goddess, or some other spirit guide... or are we just talking to ourselves, or even our higher selves. What does it matter 'who' we are talking to if the words that are spoken are good, guide us to better ourselves and the world around us, and help us to discover our own truths and the path we are walking. If the words are wise, does the source matter? No, not really."
Ms. Washington leads workshops and sabbat rituals at Aquarius Sanctuary in Westford MA (see www.aquariussanctuary.com), The Natural Path in Townsend MA (see thenaturalpath.tainstitute.net), and Muse Gifts & Books in Marlborough NH (see www.facebook.com/pages/Muse-Gifts-Books/137774576240016?ref=ts&fref=ts). She also makes pagan-themed crafts; see www.moondragondesigns.com/store. Join her Yahoo group at groups.yahoo.com/group/SpiritualStudiesWithMoonDragon to learn about upcoming events.
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