This past Saturday I did my first of many Saturdays at the Sweetwater Market. It was interesting to say the least. The other vendors were great people, the weather was beautiful and there was a Pride event in the park next door. There was even a church group aggressively protesting the Pride event. While setting up the energies were peaceful morning energies, it was nice. As time passed and more and more protesters showed up, the energies got messy and, after a while, uncomfortable.
The thing I noticed is what a tool of separation and mind control religion and labels can be. I just felt the hate the protesters had for their earthly brothers and sisters as I walked past them. I tried to put myself in their shoes but I can’t put my mind there. How can anyone choose to hate an entire group of people over a belief system? How can something that separates and controls people come from a place of love? How the hell am I supposed to take any of this seriously? I come from love and light, not sin. I do not fear my Gods and Goddesses. I do not have the ability to hate others for being different than me or than I’m told to be. Freedom is freedom for all, not freedom to live in someone else’s box, according to their version of an ancient text, that’s mind control and slavery. Nothing of value needs to recruit and separate people. Attempting to do so is a HUGE red flag.
The leader of the protestors, I’m not sure of he’s the pastor or not, came over by my booth. He was polite as he noticed the beautiful pentagram charm on my necklace and glanced over my products. I stood there, smiling as he composed himself. He then asked me if I go to church. When I’m asked that question I just feel the judgement spewing all over me. I told him the forest is my church and I go often. I find judging someone by their choice to go to church or not is ridiculous. Not everyone needs or wants that. I get absolutely no benefit from it. That’s me. Others may really feel they benefit from it greatly for whatever reasons (really not important why) and want to go to every church event possible. Neither is wrong. People deserve the space and peace to explore and figure out what is right for them without harassment for not subscribing to someone else’s “one true”. It’s no one’s business how I practice or what I believe; what really matters is that I live true to my beliefs, intuition and my authentic self. It doesn’t matter what that looks like to others or if it fits their chosen belief system.
I understand and respect that their religion is based on their interpretation of the King James version of the Bible. Not a damn thing wrong with that! Hey, if you want to be a Christian and base your life on any version of the Bible as you understand it, I got all the love and support for you. Likewise, there’s nothing wrong with being an Eclectic Nature Witch and Empath either. It’s more important that I live true to my beliefs than it is to recruit others into them or argue with anyone about them. I refuse to argue, I’m too busy living true to what I believe. What would I be arguing for anyway? Just like standing on a street corner screaming at people different than you isn’t going to change a darn person, neither is arguing. It’s really not important that others approve of me, permission is never needed to do as they will. I’d rather be a light for those who are in the darkness or judgement
The closed mindedness and refusal to accept anyone different than them really made the protesters seem like programmed robots. They were holding signs and screaming, wanting to be heard but refusing to hear anyone else, even those who simply tried to talk to them from a place of love and understanding. They just kept screaming. We should always try to understand those different than us and learn to respect the differences. There’s power in diversity, there’s weakness in sameness. When asked when their God outsourced the job to judgement to them they just kept screaming about going to hell and repenting. They want everyone to be like them and really don’t care if you’re happy about it or not. I personally stay away from belief systems that recruit and claim to be the one true. That claim is so disrespectful to all other humans on this planet. We’re not all sinners, I do NOT come from a place of sin but they kept throwing that word around. Calling me names does not make me want to do as they do, it completely turns me off.
As I observed the non-protesters, I saw a lot of annoying looks, people taking different routs to try to avoid the screamers and the protesters quickly get out numbered. The energies coming off these people were dark, hateful, full of fear and shame and just ugly. Not something you want to be throwing around in the name of any loving God or Goddess. They were unwelcoming and very judgmental as if their God just couldn’t do all the judging himself and outsourced it to this entire group with special permission to verbally abuse and slander and entire group of other people not one of them took the time to get to know. Buddhism has taught me to seek understanding first, even with my so-called enemies. The protester’s actions and words made it very clear they have no interest in understanding anyone. Their version of the Bible is the right one, their version of Christianity is the one true and everyone who isn’t like them is going to hell. It was nauseating how much hate this group spewed all over the place. The blessing of a beautiful day should not be polluted by so much hate.
The protesters hurt the vendors as people that would have normally walked to the Sweetwater Market decided not to due to the protesters. I can’t blame them, no wants to spend their morning getting screamed at for simply walking down the street. They way they were treating the Pride people was downright disgusting and cruel. I don’t blame people for avoiding them. They pain these people cause…the hurt feelings, the isolation, the threat of hell and being called a sinner, the refusal of the people abusing others instead of seeking understanding, the harassment simply for going to an event they choose to hate. Love and hate do NOT exist in the same space, no do love and fear.
https://www.pexels.com/@ugurtandogan/
All Gods and Goddesses matter! While explaining to the leader of the protesters, he approached my booth, I explained to him that all Gods and Goddesses matter. This was while referring to my medicines as “God’s Medicine”. The Christian God is just as important as Mother Gaia, Mother Moon or Father Sun and any other diety. Their all just as important as other Gods. My Gods may not be important to others however, their all worthy of our respect. People are not all the same, that’s the struggle the protesters were having. It’s a blessing to have many Gods and Goddesses, many belief systems and the ability to create our belief systems. We can study, learn, experiment and find what works for us. It’s not important to have a God or Goddess or work with Deity. Their only one form of energy. We’re not “under” any God or Goddess, we ARE Gods and Goddesses that forgot who we are. We need to learn and honor each other, lift each other up and accept people for who they are. ALL LIVES MATTER. After we packed up, the hubs and I walked over to the Pride event to show our support, spread some love to combat all the hate the protesters threw at them and work a little protection magick. As we walked past the screaming protesters, I felt the dark, hateful, ugly energy coming off them. It was gross, sticky and heavy. Once we entered the Pride event, the energy changed. It was higher in vibration, peaceful, happy, the color yellow comes to mind. People were friendly, welcoming and not one person cared we were straight. They were welcoming to everyone. As we walked around I spread love and positive energies and worked a little protection magick to help keep the negative energies out of their beautiful event.
While were there we hunted down some staff to offer our support in other ways. We came across a very sweet young man that filled us in. Their happy to have my booth and I don’t have to be careful what I bring as I was told to “bring it all!” That’s what I call love and acceptance! I was told that Sweetwater Pride is only 2 years old and they are having other events to help the cause grow. We offered to be a vendor in their events and music as we’re both musicians. With how well we were treated, the way we saw others being treated and the beautiful energies created by the people at the event, how could we not support such love? Getting past the political labels, the tools of separation ad the evil energies will bring anyone to a beautiful place with beautiful people. I leaned a long time ago to never believe what I hear bout others because most of time its’ not true. I’ve had enough lies told about me and acted on as if they were true. I refuse to do that to anyone.
Just because I support a group of my brothers and sisters doesn’t mean I agree with all they do or say. Not everyone in that group even believes the same. The hate comes from the puppets in the Main Stream Media and on Social Media tell us to hate, it’s a tool of separation and control. Personally I choose not to listen to that shit and get to know people myself. Main Stream Media has not been worthy of my time and I don’t use main stream social media, my belief in freedom and truth keeps me away from those things. Some in the LGBT community believe in more than 2 genders. I do not. That doesn’t give me the right to abuse them or cram my belief in 2 genders down their throat with all my various evidence. They have a right to believe in how many genders they want. It has nothing to do with me! I’m not supporting any political movement as politics is for sheep, not for those who know their power. I’m supporting my fellow humans and their freedom to be who they are without abuse, the only rule being to harm none.
All Lives Matter, All Gods and Goddesses Matter.
With love,
Rainie Dae
Love of Lotus Apothecary and Farm 