Pagan Culture
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It was working last night for me. Problem must be with web or site. Posts on other forums works.
A previous version on page 12 works just fine. Uploaded same way and of similiar size. Tried to make it black again with no diff. Don't think it's the link.
There were some questions about Summerlands and Bear had wanted to read some of my short prose. I found this in my journal.
The Faeries had promised that I could come home last night ant I think the amethyst was the key to the door. I had felt so close yesterday. The Oak had spoke with me and healed my heart a bit. What a strong healer. I can see why the Fae’s trust him with the secret door. His roots strong and he keeps their secret well. I didn’t almost! I saw past the veil of the marbled wood and as I drifted off I saw the rabbit hole twisting down into the roots, past the earth into the cavern. The roots dropping into the underground stream, soaking up the crystal clear water in the crystalline cavern. Protruding from its walls were amethysts, garnets, amazonite, Smokey quartz, clear quartz points, rose quartz all in abundance. Drifting down the cold stream, amongst the cavern walls, the sparkle and glitters of the ever so delicate mica twinkling off the walls. The stream cascades down a patch of white water rapids and surrenders into an underground lake. In the center of the lake is a lush island of the oldest willows, the most ancient of Oaks and Pines, Ashe, Maple. It was the oldest forest never known to mankind. I thought…How??? Then she showed me. The cave was illuminated with mica mirroring the sunlight till the whole cave glowed and the underground quarry twinkled like stars. Then I thought…Who??? Instantly I knew my Goddess had opened my eyes. Cleared my mind and took my hand. I suddenly thought…and called…KUMCHAKA! I heard his call from the other end of the island. There he was my sweet guide. He swept down and took my hand and as if the days had never passed my friend and I flew. Fae smiled and I was home again. My heart soared higher than I’ve ever remembered. Then I remembered my body at the oak, my back against his warm trunk. I was sad I had to return. We flew to the isle, to Fae and standing tall next to my Goddess was a handsome man. I knew him. He was a Prince, he was my son. I ran to greet him. I hugged him deeply. Not an utterance crossed our lips yet our eyes said books and books. I looked at my Goddess and turned to my son, we all laughed till I cried. I knew, I knew he was safe and well and waiting so we can play once again. My Guide took me and my son to the door in the old Oak. We bid each other Merry Part and Merry Meet Again knowing he and Kumchaka would have many, many adventures and they all would guide my days left in this realm. Very soon we will all meet and there’s always dreamtime to play in.
The Faeries had promised that I could come home last night ant I think the amethyst was the key to the door. I had felt so close yesterday. The Oak had spoke with me and healed my heart a bit. What a strong healer. I can see why the Fae’s trust him with the secret door. His roots strong and he keeps their secret well. I didn’t almost! I saw past the veil of the marbled wood and as I drifted off I saw the rabbit hole twisting down into the roots, past the earth into the cavern. The roots dropping into the underground stream, soaking up the crystal clear water in the crystalline cavern. Protruding from its walls were amethysts, garnets, amazonite, Smokey quartz, clear quartz points, rose quartz all in abundance. Drifting down the cold stream, amongst the cavern walls, the sparkle and glitters of the ever so delicate mica twinkling off the walls. The stream cascades down a patch of white water rapids and surrenders into an underground lake. In the center of the lake is a lush island of the oldest willows, the most ancient of Oaks and Pines, Ashe, Maple. It was the oldest forest never known to mankind. I thought…How??? Then she showed me. The cave was illuminated with mica mirroring the sunlight till the whole cave glowed and the underground quarry twinkled like stars. Then I thought…Who??? Instantly I knew my Goddess had opened my eyes. Cleared my mind and took my hand. I suddenly thought…and called…KUMCHAKA! I heard his call from the other end of the island. There he was my sweet guide. He swept down and took my hand and as if the days had never passed my friend and I flew. Fae smiled and I was home again. My heart soared higher than I’ve ever remembered. Then I remembered my body at the oak, my back against his warm trunk. I was sad I had to return. We flew to the isle, to Fae and standing tall next to my Goddess was a handsome man. I knew him. He was a Prince, he was my son. I ran to greet him. I hugged him deeply. Not an utterance crossed our lips yet our eyes said books and books. I looked at my Goddess and turned to my son, we all laughed till I cried. I knew, I knew he was safe and well and waiting so we can play once again. My Guide took me and my son to the door in the old Oak. We bid each other Merry Part and Merry Meet Again knowing he and Kumchaka would have many, many adventures and they all would guide my days left in this realm. Very soon we will all meet and there’s always dreamtime to play in.
One of my favourite jethro Tull songs concerns Green Man. Called Jack in the Green in parts of England.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSL48411LPc&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSL48411LPc&mode=related&search=
Nice. Thank you. While I was in England The Green Man was very prevailant especially in English Gardens.
What is a "Pagan?"
Everybody has their favorite definition of the word "Pagan." Most people are convinced that their meaning is the correct one. But no consensus exists, even within a single faith tradition or religion as to what a pagan is.
Everybody has their favorite definition of the word "Pagan." Most people are convinced that their meaning is the correct one. But no consensus exists, even within a single faith tradition or religion as to what a pagan is.
Origin of the term:
There is general agreement that the word "Pagan" comes from the Latin word "paganus." Unfortunately, there is no consensus on the precise meaning of the word in the fifth century CE and before. There are three main interpretations. 16 None has won general acceptance:
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Most modern Pagan sources interpret the word to have meant "rustic," "hick," or "country bumpkin" -- a pejorative term. The implication was that Christians used the term to ridicule country folk who tenaciously held on to what the Christians considered old-fashioned, outmoded Pagan beliefs. Those in the country were much slower in adopting the new religion of Christianity than were the city folks. They still followed the Greek state religion, Roman state religion, Mithraism, various mystery religions, etc., long after those in urban areas had converted. [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Some believe that in the early Roman Empire, "paganus" came to mean "civilian" as opposed to "military." Christians often called themselves "miles Christi" (Soldiers of Christ). The non-Christians became "pagani" -- non-soldiers or civilians. No denigration would be implied.[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]C. Mohrmann suggests that the general meaning was any "outsider," -- a neutral term -- and that the other meanings, "civilian" and "hick," were merely specialized uses of the term. 17[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]
By the third century CE, its meaning evolved to include all non-Christians. Eventually, it became an evil term that implied the possibility of Satan worship. The latter two meanings are still in widespread use today.
There is no generally accepted, single, current definition for the word "Pagan." The word is among the terms that the newsgroup alt.usage.english, calls "skunk words." They have varied meanings to different people. The field of religion is rife with such words. consider: Christian, cult, hell, heaven, occult, Paganism, pluralism, salvation, Witch, Witchcraft, Unitarian Universalist, Voodoo, etc. Each has so many meanings that they often cause misunderstandings wherever they are used. Unfortunately, most people do not know this, and naturally assume that the meaning that they have been taught is universally accepted. A reader must often look at the context in which the word is used in order to guess at the intent of the writer.
We recognize that many Wiccans, Neopagans, and others regularly use the terms "Pagan" and "Paganism" to describe themselves. Everyone should be free to continue whatever definitions that they wish. However, the possibility of major confusion exists -- particularly if one is talking to a general audience. When addressing non-Wiccans or non-Neopagans, it is important that the term:
[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Be carefully defined in advance, or that[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Its meaning is clearly understandable from the text's context.[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]
Otherwise, the speaker or writer will be referring to one group of people, while the listeners or readers will assume that other groups are being referred to.
[/FONT]
There is general agreement that the word "Pagan" comes from the Latin word "paganus." Unfortunately, there is no consensus on the precise meaning of the word in the fifth century CE and before. There are three main interpretations. 16 None has won general acceptance:
By the third century CE, its meaning evolved to include all non-Christians. Eventually, it became an evil term that implied the possibility of Satan worship. The latter two meanings are still in widespread use today.
There is no generally accepted, single, current definition for the word "Pagan." The word is among the terms that the newsgroup alt.usage.english, calls "skunk words." They have varied meanings to different people. The field of religion is rife with such words. consider: Christian, cult, hell, heaven, occult, Paganism, pluralism, salvation, Witch, Witchcraft, Unitarian Universalist, Voodoo, etc. Each has so many meanings that they often cause misunderstandings wherever they are used. Unfortunately, most people do not know this, and naturally assume that the meaning that they have been taught is universally accepted. A reader must often look at the context in which the word is used in order to guess at the intent of the writer.
We recognize that many Wiccans, Neopagans, and others regularly use the terms "Pagan" and "Paganism" to describe themselves. Everyone should be free to continue whatever definitions that they wish. However, the possibility of major confusion exists -- particularly if one is talking to a general audience. When addressing non-Wiccans or non-Neopagans, it is important that the term:
[/FONT]
Otherwise, the speaker or writer will be referring to one group of people, while the listeners or readers will assume that other groups are being referred to.
[/FONT]
Seven definitions of "Pagan:"
First meaning: Pagans consist of Wiccans and other Neopagans:
We recommend that this should be the primary definition of "Pagan," for the simple reason that many Wiccans and other Neopagans embrace the term for themselves. "Paganism" in this sense refers to a range of spiritual paths which are Earth centered -- involving their members living in harmony with the Earth and observing its cycles. These are often Neopagan religions based on the deities, symbols, practices, seasonal days of celebration and other surviving components of ancient religions, which had been long suppressed. For example:
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]The Druidic religion is based on the faith and practices of the ancient Celtic professional class; [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Followers of Asatru adhere to the ancient, pre-Christian Norse religion; [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Wiccans trace their roots back to the pre-Celtic era in Europe. [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Other Neo-pagans follow ancient Roman, Greek, Egyptian and other traditions. [/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]
Some typical quotations which demonstrate this meaning of "Pagan" are:
[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]"Witchcraft, or Wicca, is considered part of the occult, but has little relationship to Satanism. Wicca is pagan (pre-Christian, as opposed to anti-Christian) and is currently gaining popularity." 1[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]"Witches do not worship the devil...Witches are more interested in magical arts and the divinity of nature...Wiccans are considered pagans because they worship several nature gods instead of a single god." 2[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]"The World Christian Encyclopedia estimates 6 million Americans profess to be witches and engage in practices like these. They are a sub-group of over 10 million persons the encyclopedia says call themselves pagans, who practice "primitive" religions such as Druidism, Odin worship and Native American shamanism." 3[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]
In this sense, "Pagan" refers to a group of religious traditions, and should be capitalized, as Christianity, Islam and Judaism are.
Second meaning: Pagans are people to hate:
[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Religious and social conservatives sometimes use "Pagan" as a general purpose "snarl" word to refer to cultures or religions that are very different from the speaker's. There is no general consensus as to meaning. It can be seen directed at any religious or cultural group that the speaker hates. Some examples: [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Dr. John Patrick, professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada was discussing at a conference the number of abortions performed worldwide. He said: "Gods and goddesses are beginning to re-inhabit the Western world. Infant sacrifice -– there are 52 million a year. It is paganism." 4[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Dr. Richard Swenson, director of the Future Health Study Center. said at the same conference: "We went into post-Christian and neopaganism very quickly...We want the culture to change, we want some spiritual sanity, but we need to understand that this is a pluralistic and even neopaganist society." 4[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Jerry Falwell appeared as a guest on Pat Robertson's "700 Club" program on 2001-SEP-13. He said that God became sufficiently angry at America that he engineered the terrorist attack on New York City and Washington-- presumably to send Americans a message. He said: "I really believe that the Pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians ...all of them who have tried to secularize America - I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.' " Pat Robertson responded: "Well, I totally concur..." 15 [We have asked Falwell's office via repeated Emails to tell us exactly to whom he was referring with the word "Pagans." They declined to respond.] More details.[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica][/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]
Third meaning: Pagans are ancient polytheists:
The term "Pagan" is sometimes used to refer to ancient polytheistic religions. The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines "pagan" as: "belonging to a religion which worships many gods, especially one which existed before the main world religions." 18
The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) contains many references to the societies surrounding the Israelites -- Babylonians, Canaanites, Philistines, etc. These are commonly referred to as Pagans:
[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]There are allegations that these societies engaged in human sacrifices: [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]II Kings 3:26-27: "...the king of Moab...took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall."[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Psalms 106:37-38: "Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood."[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica][/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Their altars were often referred to as "high places:" [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]II Kings 16:4: "And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree."[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica][/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Surrounding tribes were viewed as committing idolatry by worshiping golden images of animals: [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]II Kings 17:16: "And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal."[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica][/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]
Some current examples of this usage are: [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Referring to sun wheels and obelisks: "...These symbols of pagan sun worship were associated with Baal worship, or Baalim, which is strongly condemned in scripture. So why are they so prevalent in the Roman Catholic Church, if they are associated with paganism and apostasy?" An anti-Catholic essay on a conservative Protestant Christian web site. 5[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica][/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Ancient faiths of ancient Celtic, Egypt, Greece, Norse, Rome, and other cultures are frequently referred to as Pagan religions. Even though many of these religions had strict social and sexual behavioral codes, their followers are often portrayed as hedonist and immoral: [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]1 Peter 4:3: "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries."[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica][/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]
Fourth meaning: Pagans follow Aboriginal religions:
Paganism is occasionally used to refer to animistic, spirits-and-essences filled belief systems. These are based upon direct perception of the forces of nature and usually involves the use of idols, talismans and taboos in order to convey respect for these forces and beings. Many native, aboriginal religions fit this definition.
Fifth meaning: Pagans are followers of non-Abrahamic religions:
[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]A rare use of "Pagan" is to describe a person who does not follow an main Abrahamic religion. That is, their faith does not recognize Abraham as a patriarch. The individual is neither Christian, Muslim, Baha'i nor Jew. This includes Agnostics, Atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Humanists, Taoists, etc. About 45% of the people of the world are Pagans, by this definition.[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]
Sixth meaning: Pagans don't belong to any of the main religions of the world:
The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives an alternative definition of the word "pagan" as: "relating to religious beliefs that do not belong to any of the main religions of the world" 18 This definition is rather vague, because it does not describe how a "main religion of the world" is defined. If it is any religion with more than, say, 1% of the world's population (i.e. 60 million members, then: Aboriginal religions, Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Taoism would be non-pagan, whereas Judaism, Sikhism, Confucianism, the Baha'i World Faith, Wicca, Zoroastrianism etc. would be pagan. I doubt that many members of the latter religions would be happy with their classification.
Seventh meaning: Pagans are Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, etc:
The term "Pagan" was widely used by Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, etc. to refer to themselves. The word was also used by others to describe these groups. The usage dropped after the rise of Neopaganism in the middle of the 20th century, and is rarely seen today.
[/FONT]
We recommend that this should be the primary definition of "Pagan," for the simple reason that many Wiccans and other Neopagans embrace the term for themselves. "Paganism" in this sense refers to a range of spiritual paths which are Earth centered -- involving their members living in harmony with the Earth and observing its cycles. These are often Neopagan religions based on the deities, symbols, practices, seasonal days of celebration and other surviving components of ancient religions, which had been long suppressed. For example:
Some typical quotations which demonstrate this meaning of "Pagan" are:
[/FONT]
In this sense, "Pagan" refers to a group of religious traditions, and should be capitalized, as Christianity, Islam and Judaism are.
[/FONT]
The term "Pagan" is sometimes used to refer to ancient polytheistic religions. The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines "pagan" as: "belonging to a religion which worships many gods, especially one which existed before the main world religions." 18
The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) contains many references to the societies surrounding the Israelites -- Babylonians, Canaanites, Philistines, etc. These are commonly referred to as Pagans:
[/FONT]
Some current examples of this usage are: [/FONT]
Paganism is occasionally used to refer to animistic, spirits-and-essences filled belief systems. These are based upon direct perception of the forces of nature and usually involves the use of idols, talismans and taboos in order to convey respect for these forces and beings. Many native, aboriginal religions fit this definition.
[/FONT]
The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives an alternative definition of the word "pagan" as: "relating to religious beliefs that do not belong to any of the main religions of the world" 18 This definition is rather vague, because it does not describe how a "main religion of the world" is defined. If it is any religion with more than, say, 1% of the world's population (i.e. 60 million members, then: Aboriginal religions, Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Taoism would be non-pagan, whereas Judaism, Sikhism, Confucianism, the Baha'i World Faith, Wicca, Zoroastrianism etc. would be pagan. I doubt that many members of the latter religions would be happy with their classification.
The term "Pagan" was widely used by Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, etc. to refer to themselves. The word was also used by others to describe these groups. The usage dropped after the rise of Neopaganism in the middle of the 20th century, and is rarely seen today.
[/FONT]
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Stronger in you, I need to be,
Grant your power in to me!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Ease your influence on my life,
And protect me now from future strife!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Stronger in you, I need to be,
Grant your power in to me!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Ease your influence on my life,
And protect me now from future strife!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Stronger in you, I need to be,
Grant your power in to me!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Ease your influence on my life,
And protect me now from future strife!"
Bring me balance through and through.
Stronger in you, I need to be,
Grant your power in to me!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Ease your influence on my life,
And protect me now from future strife!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Stronger in you, I need to be,
Grant your power in to me!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Ease your influence on my life,
And protect me now from future strife!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Stronger in you, I need to be,
Grant your power in to me!"
Fire and Earth I ask of you,
Bring me balance through and through.
Ease your influence on my life,
And protect me now from future strife!"
Last edited:
Prayer In Times of Stress and Confusion
O Goddess, Mother of the green earth, blue waters, and silver moon; be with me now in my time of need.
Stress and confusion have taken over my life.
I feel the weight of life's burdens pulling me down.
I am afraid,
But, I know you hear me now.
Your loving kindness is making the weight easier to bear.
My God, Father of the dark forests, and shimmering mountains,
Impart to me some of your spiritual strength
So I may get through this time of crisis,
And get back to my normal life once more.
Blessed Be.
Adapted from:
From: The Wiccan Prayer Book by: Mark Ventimiglia
WYRD
http://www.wyrdwords.vispa.com/heathenry/whatwyrd.html
The most fundamental concept in heathenry is wyrd. It is also one of the most difficult to explain and hence one of the most often misunderstood.
The Anglo-Saxon noun wyrd is derived from a verb, weorþan, 'to become', which, in turn, is derived from an IndoEuropean root *uert- meaning 'to turn'.Wyrd literally means 'that which has turned' or 'that which has become'.
One ramification of wyrd in personal human terms is that our past (both our ancestry and our personal history) affects us continually. Who we are, where we are, and what we are doing today is dependent on actions we have taken in the past and actions others have taken in the past which have affected us in some way. And every choice we make in the present builds upon choices we have previously made.
With an understanding of wyrd comes a great responsibility. If we know that every action we take (or fail to take, for that matter) will have implications for our own future choices and for the future choices of others, we have an ethical obligation to think carefully about the possible consequences of everything we do. But even if we manage to make all the right choices, we are bound to find ourselves facing difficult circumstances or tough decisions at various times in our lives as a result of the past choices of those connected to us through the web. Since we can't control everyone else's actions, nor can we change the past, sometimes we just have to live with what's been woven for us. In such a case we still have choices. We can ignore our problems in the hope that they will go away, we can burden other people with them, or we can boldly face up to them and do our best to overcome them.
A verse from the Anglo-Saxon poem The Wanderer observes:
Ne mæg werigmod wyrde wiðstondan,
ne se hreo hyge helpe gefremman.
For ðon domgeorne dreorigne oft
in hyra breostcofan bindað fæste;
A weary mood won't withstand wyrd,
nor may the troubled mind find help.
Often, therefore, the fame-yearners
bind dreariness fast in their breast-coffins.
Through the Web of Wyrd may force us into circumstances we would never have freely chosen for ourselves, we always have some choice about how we react in those situations. And how we choose to react will always make a difference, if not to the world at large, then at least to our own fate.
http://www.wyrdwords.vispa.com/heathenry/whatwyrd.html
The most fundamental concept in heathenry is wyrd. It is also one of the most difficult to explain and hence one of the most often misunderstood.
The Anglo-Saxon noun wyrd is derived from a verb, weorþan, 'to become', which, in turn, is derived from an IndoEuropean root *uert- meaning 'to turn'.Wyrd literally means 'that which has turned' or 'that which has become'.
One ramification of wyrd in personal human terms is that our past (both our ancestry and our personal history) affects us continually. Who we are, where we are, and what we are doing today is dependent on actions we have taken in the past and actions others have taken in the past which have affected us in some way. And every choice we make in the present builds upon choices we have previously made.
With an understanding of wyrd comes a great responsibility. If we know that every action we take (or fail to take, for that matter) will have implications for our own future choices and for the future choices of others, we have an ethical obligation to think carefully about the possible consequences of everything we do. But even if we manage to make all the right choices, we are bound to find ourselves facing difficult circumstances or tough decisions at various times in our lives as a result of the past choices of those connected to us through the web. Since we can't control everyone else's actions, nor can we change the past, sometimes we just have to live with what's been woven for us. In such a case we still have choices. We can ignore our problems in the hope that they will go away, we can burden other people with them, or we can boldly face up to them and do our best to overcome them.
A verse from the Anglo-Saxon poem The Wanderer observes:
Ne mæg werigmod wyrde wiðstondan,
ne se hreo hyge helpe gefremman.
For ðon domgeorne dreorigne oft
in hyra breostcofan bindað fæste;
A weary mood won't withstand wyrd,
nor may the troubled mind find help.
Often, therefore, the fame-yearners
bind dreariness fast in their breast-coffins.