Magic can be described as the art of sensing energy, then learning how to flow with the energy rather than resisting it. It’s spiritual aikido. As humans we find comfort in what is predictable and unchanging. However, the nature of reality is that everything changes, everything is in flux, everything is moving, and is interdependent. This deep dialogue looks into a nature-oriented religion having rituals and practices that are derived from pre-Christian religious beliefs. Even though this much maligned form of religion has been associated with Witchcraft, in April 2007, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs agreed to allow Wiccans to display their symbols on the gravesites of soldiers. Here, an avowed Wiccan Priestess talks about this form of spiritual practice and celebrations. She says, “In our current culture, we act as if this earth is like a stage for us to strut around in, like a backdrop for our self-important play. The term environment implies something sterile instead of understanding that everything is alive, everything is present, everything is trying to communicate with you. That includes not just the animals and the birds, the plants, but the elements themselves, the air, the fire, the water, the earth. The minute you start showing up and paying attention, they’ll all talk to you and guide you.”
