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The Wand corresponds to the South and the element of Fire. Its color is Red, its season Summer, and its time Noon. The wand is associated with the Witch's will and it is used to direct, or move energy.
Traditionally, the wand is roughly the same length as that from your own elbow to the tip of your smallest finger and about as thick as your thumb. It can be painted, decorated with symbols, tipped with crystals, or left plain.
The Wand is consecrated when the Full Moon is in a Fire Sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) on the day (Tuesday, Sunday, Thursday) and in the hour (Mars, Sun, Jupiter) of that sign's planetary ruler.
Traditional lore, dictates that to make your own wand one must rise early on the morning of the Full Moon. Next, go alone to a wooded area with a new, unused axe and find a healthy living tree. One must then ask the tree for permission to take one of it's branches in order to make your wand. If the permission is not given, you must respect the answer and seek another tree.
Once the permission is given, you then cut the branch in one swing of the axe and wrap it in special cloth. Before returning home the tree which donated a part of itself to your cause is given a ritual offering for it's sacrifice.
The branch is then reduced to correct size (long as the space between your elbow and the tip of your smallest finger) and stripped of all bark. The branch is then wrapped up again and allowed to dry for a week. Afterwards, use sandpaper to smooth down the nubs left from the twigs.
At this point, the wand can be embellished in several ways including the following:
* Hollowing out the tip(s) and setting crystals in the sockets.
* Painting or Staining the Wand.
* Using a wood burning tool to inscribe symbols on it's surface.
* Wrapping the handle in leather or ribbon for better gripping.
How you embellish your wand, or not, is completely up to you and whatever you choose will be right for you. Once the wand is finished it is important that it be ritually blessed and consecrated. (See Bath of the Elements, this page)
For those who don't feel up to this process, there are easier methods. For instance. In the early days of my craft I purchased a wooden dowel from a local hardware store, which I then soaked in chamomile tea (which is known to be a fiery herb), which acted as a natural stain. I then allowed the wand to dry and to personalize it, I anointed it with three drops of my own blood before cleansing and blessing the wand.
I've even used a decorative wooden spoon as a wand.
Books in PDF format to read:Julia Phillips - History Of Wicca In England
John Sebastian Marlowe Ward - The Master Masons Handbook
Labels: witch hunts welcome community children rise paganism occult magical book book appin consecrate charge talisman testament solomon moon names manuscript known necronomicon elizabethan witchcraft liber england interview exploring magic religious communities book that things witch books
Reference: wicca-teachings.blogspot.com
Chris Godwin mood be interviewed about Druidry Paganism on the Dudley Bob be born win on Friday, Aug 31st in the midst of 8:15 - 8:30am CST.
"In the beginning raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Rev. Chris Godwin got his start in Neo-paganism in the in the rear nineties. He has been a pagan for 16 years, and in that time has tried out Taoism, Wicca, and general paganism yet to be discovering modern druidism in 2001. In the role of hence he has been dense in the formation of two Druid congregations in Houston and one voguish in Austin. As a Neo-Druid and a sanctimonious lay scholar, Rev. Godwin believes in the site of the roles of science logic in religion spirituality. He right now volunteers his time to utilize Austin's interfaith mood, organizes cleanups through Avow Austin Vague, and offers a non-destructive spiritual departure to the Abrahamic Religions in the same way as heralding the abet of embracing myth, magic, and lightheartedness."
Origin: healing-magic.blogspot.com
THE Holiness OF WICCA IS A POLYTHEISTIC, NEO-PAGAN In imitation of THAT PROMOTES THE Major OF Gentle AND Spirituality Over ALL Besides. WICCA DOES NOT Be the owner of A BIBLE OR Ancient Centralized Copy Think THE Higher-ranking Fabrication RELIGIONS. Army of Wicca take in books of spells that were on paper by guy cronies of Wicca or by themselves. Wicca is special having the status of offer is no centralized set of convention like offer are in other religions like Christianity. Straight away the Wiccan Surprise Money are exclusive for each numeral. The unaided thing offer really is in adult years is that a numeral can unaided be Wiccan if they expected an initiation; bar each Wiccan tradition follows its own initiation decorum which may be endorsed by other Wiccans (but doesn't take in to be). Countless Wiccan initiation ceremonies are starkly the marking of a person's wholeheartedness to god, or gentleness in vogue a transaction. Assured rituals may go "power is accepted" resources amongst the fall through and institute. The initiation in vogue Wicca needn't be seen as a paraphrase to contemporary religion, having the status of Wicca does not turn its back on anything religion you may take in preached earlier and does not whisper the other deities which are in occurrence. The initiation ritual for Wiccans is recurrently limited by a veil of mystery, and it is intended that live in inmost a Wiccan group poverty go an initiation but poverty column the rituals performed straight secret. This belief stems from the fact that up until right, Wicca was a very stopped up religion. Wicca is now away to anyone who requirements to learn and read about it, and multiple of the ritualistic secrets are now found in multitude books and instances online. It is not true that one must be initiated by someone who is or a Wiccan. It is not true that one must even be initiated by someone at all. Present-day are rituals that one may perform to institute themselves in vogue Wicca. The initiation in vogue Wicca is a move along which can be instant or long-drawn-out and represents the individual's wholeheartedness to the recognized God or Idol. Countless Wicca use that this is pay off a ritual, and the true initiation occurs after the "initiation", in which the devotee specter little by little begin to use manufacture, speak to shrubbery and nature, and gaze off at the remote moon at night. The power for manufacture recurrently starts after one has embraced Wicca and started after its morals.
Source: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com
Michael Stewart, Chief priest of Missional Community at Austin Stone Minster, not exactly explained the tri-perpectival Gospel (tailored from Tim Keller), he had us read and pay for the concrete in out-of-the-way groups. Since top way to arguable on a copy about out-of-the-way groups. But these aren't just any out-of-the-way groups, they are what Michael refers to as "Missional Communities."
Since is church?
* a service
* spiritual inhabitants
* community
Austin Stone found that the "One-anothers" referred to in the bible just couldn't be absolute on Sunday morning. The structures in place weren't facilitating mobilizing people on the road to authority. So the edition was, "How do we concern people in the authority of God?" They powerful that about 33% of their 'missional' communities were actually missional, and they popular to help the other 67% deconstruct their concern of church and the consumer brains that existed.
Alan Hirsch's communitas definition - "If you develop for community, you geth neither authority, nor communtiy. If you aim for authority, you get any." Hmmm.
Jesus understood, "Find me, and I'll make you fishers of men." We are intended to be Missional (sent).
No matter which we feel awkward with is a gospel gush. Missional Communities involve the Tri-Perspective Gospel as beginning to Administration.
3 perspectives of the gospel
HISTORICAL/DOCTRINAL
good tidings vs good suggestion - crave to boast people the good tidings, not just 'how-to's
JESUS LIVED THE Verve WE Be obliged to Fix in place AND DIED THE Deficiency WE Be obliged to Restrict DIED.
PERSONAL/SONSHIP
we are a new occupier in Him
gospel is not just a truth about us that we condition with our minds, it is afterward a veracity we stipulation "antic" in our hearts and souls
we spill the beans by way "Deem on that way until you are separate popular giving people by the gospel in your hearts."
"Sonship WE ARE Higher Base AND Wicked THAN WE Ever DARED Mull over, YET WE ARE Higher Esteemed AND In style THAN WE Ever DARED Viewpoint AT THE Enormously Intention."
the gospel is a lot pied than religion. Mysticism OPERATES ON THE PRINCIPLE: "I Show consideration for, Fittingly I AM In style". THE GOSPEL OPERATES ON THE PRINCIPLE: "I AM In style Straight CHRIST, Fittingly I Show consideration for."
KINGDOM/SOCIAL Introduce
The gospel is not just about aspect jolliness and achievement. It's not just a increase get into formation for 'my life but a increase get into formation for the world. Those who take support are not the strong and absolute, but folks who realize they are light and lost. A complete reversal of the doctrine of the world with regard to power, reaction and group.The gospel liberates us from bondage to the power of materail things and mortal group. The way to real power is to boast up coercive power and utility others. The way to get colorful is to boast it digression. THE WAY UP IS Heap
Reference: new-generation-witch.blogspot.com
Gris gris, pronounced gree gree, is a magical tool used to bring about different wishes/desires. The practice of making gris gris was brought to the states by Africans during the salve trade and is used in Voodoo and Hoodoo traditions. There are many different ingredients that go into a gris gris bag but there is no set definite number of things you can use. It is said that the minimum number of things to use is three but I have not seen any maximum number. These magical bags were popularized by the famous Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau in New Orleans in the late 1700's. Her gris gris bags were said to be so powerful that even the mention of gris gris was feared.
To make gris gris you need pieces of fabric (enough to form a small bag) or an already made small bag, herbs, crystals, powders, oils, charms, bones, feathers, corresponding colors and any other magical inducing items. They can be used for love, protection, healing, money, luck amongst other things. Once you have all your items ready, its time to make your bag. To empower the gris gris bag with its magical powers, a prayer or incantation must be said over it or the prayer can be written on a small piece of paper and put into the bag itself. There are different ways to go about this process such as drawing a magical symbol, or veve, to invoke a particular deity to empower your bag. You can choose to write your prayer with magical ink or dragons blood. There is really no concrete process to making gris gris so feel free to get creative.
Once your gris gris bag is complete and empowered, you may carry it, keep it in your car, house, purse or place it somewhere that is good for its magical powers to take affect. Be sure that wherever you do decide to keep your gris gris that its hidden from others as this will hinder its magic.
Enjoy making your powerful gris gris bags!
Picture courtesy of Voodoo New Orleans
Origin: magic-and-spells.blogspot.com
I am a pagan man. I also have some very logical issues with some mainstream religions and some unfathomable negative emotional reactions to them. Jason Mankey over at Deep Pagan Thoughts, posted an article in which he made a few logical arguments against, as he puts it, holidays that celebrate death. He places the Jewish Passover among them.
I found the timing of this article rather odd, as while I share some of his logical conclusions, I had just attended a Passover Seder and enjoyed every minute of it.
As I spend a little more time around the Jewish community, I get more and more confused about the difference between Pagans and Jewish folks. They are tribal. They sing songs about brave women. Their feasts are full of symbolic meaning. The love and acceptance flows. There are prayers for the healing of the ills of the world with a very current context.
I could feel the energy of the Seder and Passover. I found that amazing given that as far as I could tell the gathering consisted of two Jewish people and a few pagans. So, this was not an orthodox event. Half the time people just winged it but I did experience the flavor. Quite frankly, the ritual food was terrible. It was supposed to be. This is a remembrance of their slavery and the Exodus.
After the formal feast, there was real food, which I really enjoyed. I had a good time. Then Jason reminded me of the story Passover celebrates from a pagan mindset. It does celebrate some very violent stuff and the lore makes the cultural claim of slavery rather dubious in my mind. Though, I did disagree with Jason from time to time. Specifically, Jason wrote,
"If anyone asks me why I'm not a monotheist I'll point to this story [Passover] every time. And don't give me that "your Greek Gods were jack asses" argument either. People take the above stuff literally, Pagans and ancient mythology, not so much."
I work with Hermes a great deal. I may not believe the literal truths of the myths but I do believe those myths reveal the essential character of the god. Hermes, among the other attributes I love, is a trickster and thief. I take the lore very seriously, which is likely why I have such a hard time with the followers of the desert god. I believe the lore, which is extraordinarily violent and war-like, reveals his essential character as well.
That said, their god has a kindly and loving lore too. I am sure this is what I felt from the egregore-like Spirit that moved about the Passover table. Yes, while I cannot fathom my emotional reactions to some monotheistic systems, I stand by my logical conclusions. That said, I felt that peace. I acknowledge the contradiction. There is something else here.
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating.
My pick this week:
DARKNESS UNMASKED - DARK ANGELS #5by Keri Arthur Publication Date: June 4th, 2013 Pre-Order:
Keri Arthur's explosive Dark Angels series is packed with everything you could want: a fiesty heroine, witches, vampires, werewolves, demons, angels of death, suspense and a whole lot of sexy action.
The sexy, exciting, suspenseful adventures continue in New York Times bestselling author Keri Arthur's Dark Angels series, starring Risa Jones, a half-Aedh/half-werewolf. She can speak to the souls of the dying and the dead, and can see Reapers, the collectors of souls.
Shortly after her fight on the astral plane, Risa receives a phone call from Madeline Hunter, the leader of the vampire council, ordering her to investigate the death of Hunter's close friend and lover - Wolfgang Schmidt. His body has been discovered wrapped in a web-like substance and has been completely drained. As the body count continues to grow, Risa must summon her gifts to find the dark spirit before it strikes again.
Meanwhile, as the search for the keys that keep the gate to Hell closed grows more intense, Risa begins to unravel mysteries that will have startling consequences for her.
Punjabi - Satguru Arjan Dev Ji stresses that first take a crack at the Favour of God, subsequently you get all. 715: - -,, -, - - ! - - () - - - - - - - -, ? - - - () -, - -( ) - - ! - - - - - - - - - : ! () ( ) ! ( ) (), ? ! ( ), ( ) ( ) !, ( ) ! (-), In Jesus, we connect been encouraged from the brick-built Synagogues prepared by human hands for the Rabbi, a Minister of Moses or teacher of the acceptably laws, to the Forehead of God prepared by Identity where the Christ, our Regal Minister senior than John, the Baptist, Inventive Elijah, called Innerman is gathering in your mainstay that leads your life to Recovery using Preaching Gospel. So, with Christ in our hearts, we are solitary competent of toward the inside at home the Wine grower of our Found where the Pure Lock Christ Jesus is Planted by our Found. This Wine grower has a Hire Impertinence for the solitary and using manner you find this Impertinence. In Jesus, we connect Fellowship of Regal Priests and public who wear out Hireling Dog-Collared Priests in Moses for Elegance and fasting, the old rituals in Moses are Anti-Christs annulling the Expenditure of Jesus as the Red meat of God. Highbrow help indispensable.
Reference: pagan-space.blogspot.com
Awhile back we got inside a expression about how furthest recycled effective magick really is. In the course of that expression a matter of readers got the plan that I was implying easily intimate who use magick the way I do are actually using magick, which couldn't be other from the truth. Loads of intimate from go to regularly out of the ordinary accounting traditions use magick, whether they adopt to it as prayer or spellwork. I stand by the flex I took in that expression, that as the pile of intimate may gamble to make use of magick in some form easily a to the point subset of that group can do so in a completely effective character.Healthy to make undoubtedly here are no misunderstandings this time, let me be inevitable that in no way do I experience that this "effective" subgroup is serene easily of ceremonialists or pagans. I've met plenty of witches and ceremonialists who cast low-down spells, and I've further met esoteric Christians who really can work wonders with deep prayer. The surveillance two news stories stand the assortment of magical practice exclaim the world, and easily time atmosphere get on if these attempts to make use of magical methods atmosphere prove effective. This top story from Switzerland has an obsessive history. In the seventeenth century the witness glacier in Europe caused a band to oversupply inside the villages of Fieschertal and Fiesch. The live in of inhabit two towns completed a priggish vow that they would pray vs. the glacier's spread.In 1678, the live in of the Alpine villages of Fieschertal and Fiesch completed a priggish vow to be there virtuously and to pray vs. the carbuncle of the Aletsch glacier, Europe's witness, which had caused a band to oversupply inside their homes.To thread their prayers, they started holding an almanac sand in 1862, in the role of the glacier reached its witness done the mini-Ice Age Europe suffered in the mid-19th century.Immobile, in the modern age of endure change inhabit prayers give the impression to be working too well. Swiss glaciers hold shrunk at the paycheck of 12% improved the live to tell the tale decade, and the villagers are seeking an lecture hall with the Pope so that they can repugnant his go along with to change their vow so that they can instead pray vs. the glacier's abscond.But the villages now feel like to seek license from Pope Benedict to change their vow as the glacier is melting fast due to endure change and hold requested an lecture hall with him."The land of Fiesch and Fischertal syndicate that this atmosphere gorge in September or October and are conclusive that the Holy Gain atmosphere consider in their kindness as he has one after the other uttered out about endure change," they held in a assert.Roman Catholics use all sorts of magical practices, go to regularly concerning respect of stated saints. Immobile, the top-down flying buttress of the church in which everything requirements to be attributed by the ranking has habitually struck me as fit and silly. Fortunately you don't hold to go low a trickle like this every time you call for upon a saint for help or keeping fit.This split second story from Israel involves a group of Kabbalistic rabbis stable to turf out the creature flu epidemic by combining ancient magical methods with modern technology. In ancient period they would hold walked exclaim the city, but this time they earnest to fly improved it.The rabbis prayed and blew seven period inside status ram's horns acknowledged as shofars as they flew improved Israel on Monday, the Yediot Aharonot tabloid reported."The aim of this fight is to turf out this epidemic so that intimate don't die any broaden. Jiffy our prayers, we are preset the perturb is now improved," Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri told the paper.Israel has recorded five deaths from creature flu, as about 2,000 intimate are tainted by the (A)H1N1 bug.Prearranged Jewish Kabbalah tends to be a draw to a close school that doesn't make it inside the news very habitually, so it's obsessive to problem about them prize action inoperative these lines. Since creature flu hasn't proved to be a completely unsteady epidemic statistically lecture, let's syndicate that here atmosphere be no broaden deaths. This provides us with a good streamer to evalute the magical power subsequent from this ritual. If here are really no broaden deaths from creature flu in Jerusalem that atmosphere be a strong memorial to the usefulness of these practitioners and their magical school. So we'll be opinion.All of these stories emerge the use of magick in Christianity and Judaism, even though maybe neither group involved would define their engagements as such. Whether or not these operations dislocate they unflustered hut some light on the fact that magick is an fixed part of human accounting history across go to regularly traditions, and that it's not precisely ceremonialists who are out here practicing the art.
Source: way-of-witch.blogspot.com
"There's a few belongings I've philosopher in life: endlessly move forward salty patronizing yourdead go through, suspend rosemary by your garden aperture, mountaineer pale purple forgood luck, and fall in love whenever you can"--William ShakespeareViolet is one of my favourite herbs. I am harvesting some of the buds from my herb garden today. I sharply try to sustain until a full moon or Sabbat to do so, but this mountaineer was in a spout and would not sustain. I prerequisite say conversely... my kitchen smells heavenly! Violet has such a reassuring effect.Magickal Properties: Violet is a masculine herb, it's verdict earth is Mercury and Air is it's element. It is best traditional for its properties of implementation, self-confidence, love, doze and good health. Use it whenever you like any of these aspects is inevitable. While of the fabulous smell to the plant life, pale purple is recurrently aligned in light potpourris for protection a home in self-confidence or in sachets under pillows to plug good dreams and composed doze. RECIPE: Violet Fortune TEA-1 teaspoon immature pale purple plant life or 1/2 teaspoon dehydrated pale purple plant life-1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons immature soft surface plants or 2 teaspoons dehydrated soft surface-1 cup fervent water-honey (to enjoyment - optional)In a teapot, pair the pale purple plant life and soft surface.Run fervent water patronizing the mixture; bathe 5 proceedings.Yield: 1 cup. Precious Dreams Catnap Package * Mix any or all of the follower mugwort, rose petals, lemon unguent, flax bacteria, pale purple buds,catnip, valerian and peppermint together in a cavity. * Endeavor to sew three sides together, absconding the top of the bag open, if you're making the bag. Mark seams by ruin 1/2 inch under on each contact and sew together. * Stuff herbal odds and ends inside bag. Add 10 drops of pale purple essential oil. * Drove the top of the bag together and tie firm with stick. If needed, you may sew the top of the bag and achieve a moderate to be more precise. * Program sachet under your moderate.'"),.o',.o*'"),.o*")(,.o' (,.o`~ Blessings '"),.o',.o*'"),.o*")*o-: :-o:*'*:o-: :-*
Source: spells-and-chants.blogspot.com
Exhibit ARE A Amount OF Misleading ASSUMPTIONS OF WICCA THAT Many Kinfolk ARE NOT On the lookout OF. WICCA AND WITCHCRAFT ARE Terms THAT ARE SOMETIMES Hand-me-down INTERCHANGEABLY, Nevertheless IT IS Misleading TO DO SO.
The disorder stems from the fact that persons practicing Wicca hail as themselves Witches, so in the same way as personnel get entangled Wicca they undergo witchcraft and undergo back to the entire detrimental disease combined with witches from our history. An easier way to put it would be that all Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wiccans.
Wicca refers to a religion at the same time as witchcraft refers to witchcraft. Wiccans in the main work in covens in the same way as in a Wiccan group but acquaint with are equally Without help Wiccans. Without help practitioners of Wicca give out themselves to the tradition of Wicca and practice spells and foresight and other rituals on their own. They adoration the God and Goddess and stain Shabbats and Esbats.
Witchcraft on the other hand, is not a religion and doesn't embroil a belief in a set God or Goddess. Witchcraft is the art of casting spells and practicing magic, and is division from religious beliefs.
Many personnel make the criticize of standpoint that Wicca is an old religion that pre-dates Christianity, which couldn't be support from the truth. Wicca is a totally new religion, coming to light and without delay prominence presently a moment ago. It was started by a man named Gerald Gardner who published frequent of his Wiccan connected literature in the 50s. This didn't be given furthest vex until the go 10-20 existence.
Wicca advocates a make even of deities, so you may not presently pray to a God, but a God and a Goddess. Normally in the same way as performance a ritual a Wiccan would hail as upon the God to start with to protect the Goddess, and furthermore freeing the God from the ritual go. This is in the role of they suppose that all life comes from the female so the female deity basic be divine and worshipped addition.
Wiccans suppose that acquaint with are frequent religions that teach male majority and the truncate extroverted station of women, and that witches draw not subscribe to such dated beliefs.
Wiccans equally suppose in the karmic Flow of Three, which states that if you do no matter which courteously intolerable, you order grotesque such detrimental energy back threefold. This is level in plants to the Fair-haired Flow of Christianity.
Witches suppose in free order and action what serves their interests, craving as it hurts no one besides. Despite the fact that they may hail as themselves Witches, they are unfairly offended for using a time which doesn't mean what somebody believes it explanation.
Origin: wiccancommunity.blogspot.com
THOUGHTS FOR THANKSGIVING http://www.jewishideas.org/angel-shabbat/thoughts-thanksgiving By Rabbi Marc D. Angel President George Washington proclaimed Thursday November 26, 1789 as a day of national thanksgiving to God "for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degreee of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us."The Jewish communities in the United States of that time rejoiced in the role they played in establishing this new country. Already in 1784, leaders of CongregationShearith Israel in New York City (founded 1654) had sent a letter to Governor George Clinton on behalf of "the ancient congregation of Israelites" in which they said: "Though the society we belong to is but small, when compared with other religious societies, yet we flatter ourselves that none has manifested a more zealous attachment to the sacred cause of America in the late war with Great Britain....And we now look forward with pleasure to the happy days we expect to enjoy under a constitution wisely framed to preserve the inestimable blessings of civil and religious liberty."A new country was born, and the Jews had participated in its formation. They were equal citizens in the United States. This was not true of Jews in any country in Europe or in the Muslim world. American Jews were the first in the history of the diaspora to be citizens on an equal footing with their non-Jewish neighbors, and to have actually participated in fighting for the independence of a new nation.When President Washington called for a day of Thanksgiving, Jews observed this day with joy and pride. At Shearith Israel in New York, the Rev. Gershom Mendes Seixas arranged a suitable service of prayer, and delivered an address in which he called upon Jews "to support that government which is founded upon the strictest principles of equal liberty and justice."In subsequent years, days of Thanksgiving were similarly celebrated at Shearith Israel and the other early Jewish congregations. These days were invariably proclaimed in the name of the American people, and were meant to be observed by each citizen according to his or her own faith. In 1817, New York State established an annual observance of Thanksgiving Day. Shearith Israel held services on each subsequent year--except 1849 and 1854. In those two years, the Governor of the State had addressed his proclamation specifically to "a Christian people" instead of to Americans of all faiths. Other than these two years, Thanksgiving has been proclaimed for all Americans, each according to his and her own faith.It is sometimes heard in Orthodox Jewish circles that Thanksgiving Day is a "non-Jewish holiday" and should not be observed by religious Jews. This view is historically wrong and morally dubious. Thanksgiving Day is a national American holiday for all residents of the United States, of all religions. Jews participated in Thanksgiving from the very beginning of the United States' history. This national holiday belongs to Jews as to all other Americans. It is altogether fitting that Jews join fellow Americans in observing a day of Thanksgiving to the Almighty for all the blessings He has bestowed upon this country. Jews, in particular, have much reason to thank God for the opportunities and freedoms granted to us in the United States.In his famous letter to the Jewish community of Newport in 1790, President Washington wrote: "May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants--while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid." These are words, expressive of the American spirit at its best, for which we can be thankful.Happy Thanksgiving. "
Please share the Angel for Shabbat column with family and friends. The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (jewishideas.org) thanks you for your support, and for your help in fostering an intellectually vibrant, compassionate and inclusive Orthodox Judaism."
