We opened the Sacred Cauldron Center seven years ago and it has expanded and grown as the Wiccan Community has grown. The Covens in the Greenwood Celtic Shamanic Tradition use the Center for their meetings and there are many workshops, public events, classes and courses going on. When we open our doors to the public everyone is welcome but sometimes people walk through the door that we don't expect! Wonderful people with dreads, body piercings, purple hair and covered in tattoos and not so wonderful people who create chaos.
We Can't Walk Some Else's Path
We struggle with this sometimes because we have the vision of creating a healing oasis where seekers can come to find peace, inspiration and information. We want to be inclusive and welcome everyone. What do we do when a chaotic personality with mental health problems bursts into the circle and disrupts the peace? Not everyone is ready or able to do the deep spiritual and magickal work in a Wiccan Circle, just like not everyone can be a healer or a Shaman. That does not mean that people cannot gain a great deal from the work being done at the Center as long as they are able to be respectful. Lately I have come to understand that we cannot rescue everyone! And we are not meant to! There are people in the world with challenges that they are working on, suffering from, living in and we can't change that. We can offer them a place in the Public Circle as long as they don't disrupt or harm or others. We can send them healing and good wishes from the Healing Drum, but we can't necessarily solve their problems. That is the path they are walking and it is their work to heal their own souls.
Letting Go
Letting go of this feeling that we need to rescue is important. This need is coming from a place of ego and trying to control others. We think they should change and we try to push them in the name of helping. This is wrong thinking! The Goddess loves all of us, even the damaged and hurting people, maybe especially these people! They belong to Her and She is guiding them. Whether they listen and follow is their choice and their right. Personal freedom is important to us so why not extend this to everyone who walks through our doors? This doesn't mean that we never ask people to leave the Circle, but it is not from a place of exclusiveness, rather a place of protecting the peace and letting them honestly know that this is not the place they need to be at this time on their quest.
So are Wiccan Communities exclusive? No we don't set out to exclude anyone! But some people exclude themselves by their behavior. And that is their personal choice.
We Can't Walk Some Else's Path
We struggle with this sometimes because we have the vision of creating a healing oasis where seekers can come to find peace, inspiration and information. We want to be inclusive and welcome everyone. What do we do when a chaotic personality with mental health problems bursts into the circle and disrupts the peace? Not everyone is ready or able to do the deep spiritual and magickal work in a Wiccan Circle, just like not everyone can be a healer or a Shaman. That does not mean that people cannot gain a great deal from the work being done at the Center as long as they are able to be respectful. Lately I have come to understand that we cannot rescue everyone! And we are not meant to! There are people in the world with challenges that they are working on, suffering from, living in and we can't change that. We can offer them a place in the Public Circle as long as they don't disrupt or harm or others. We can send them healing and good wishes from the Healing Drum, but we can't necessarily solve their problems. That is the path they are walking and it is their work to heal their own souls.
Letting Go
Letting go of this feeling that we need to rescue is important. This need is coming from a place of ego and trying to control others. We think they should change and we try to push them in the name of helping. This is wrong thinking! The Goddess loves all of us, even the damaged and hurting people, maybe especially these people! They belong to Her and She is guiding them. Whether they listen and follow is their choice and their right. Personal freedom is important to us so why not extend this to everyone who walks through our doors? This doesn't mean that we never ask people to leave the Circle, but it is not from a place of exclusiveness, rather a place of protecting the peace and letting them honestly know that this is not the place they need to be at this time on their quest.
So are Wiccan Communities exclusive? No we don't set out to exclude anyone! But some people exclude themselves by their behavior. And that is their personal choice.
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