The Aspen Tradition

Tomorrow in the United States we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We also swear-in Donald J Trump as president for the second time. His words, often devoid of truth and veracity, have weaponized anger and fear. He’s incited violent crime. And he’s preyed on the hatred in our hearts.

He’s tapped into the male drive for dominance when he speaks about grabbing women inappropriately. He’s tapped into a toxic style of nationalism when he calls other countries ‘shit holes’. He’s called for people of color to “go back where they come from” even when they were born here.

Donald Trump is an easy man to hate. But I tell you with certainty that Dr. King wouldn’t want that.

Dr. King said “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” He said “I have decided to stick to love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

In Wicca, we believe in the Threefold Law. We believe that the energies we send out into the world come back to us threefold. Sending hatred out into the world is not the answer. By refusing to hate, we reclaim our power and our dignity.

“There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us.” Dr. King said, and it’s true. Our religion has no all-loving perfect being, and no completely irredeemable devil. We know life isn’t full of absolutes, but shades of gray. In Wicca, we believe in the transformative power of love, and everyone’s ability to learn, to grow, to evolve. And we remember our greatest oath is to harm none.

So let us use our voices to advocate for justice, our actions to promote peace, and our hearts to spread love. Life is full of cycles and seasons. Nature keeps Her balance. A time of progressive values will always be followed by a time of conservative values. The pendulum swings both ways, but as MLK famously quoted “the arc of the moral universe… bends towards justice.”

Love him or hate him, one thing Trump did for this country is end a lot of political apathy. Since he ran for president the first time, people across the political spectrum have been more involved, informed, and active politically. Let’s do as Dr. King implored and “seek to transform the suffering into a creative force.” This is Wiccan magick.

We are so much more powerful than we realize. We can do so much good with just a little courage to take that first step. It matters so much.

As Imbolc approaches and we think about our goals for the year, let me pose a question:

How will you commit to transforming anger, pain, and suffering into a creative force for the good of all, harming none?

As we honor Dr. King’s legacy let us commit to living out his vision of a world where love triumphs over hate, where justice prevails over injustice, and where every person is seen, heard, and valued. Together, we can rise above hatred and build a society rooted in compassion and understanding. Blessed Be.