Hmm....the guilt of being a Wiccan??

[wiccachicken]

Hi guys...

I suffer terribly with guilt...as a Wiccan I respect our planet immensely. It is a beautiful place that should be thoroughly cherished. But there are some things that I do....either through bad habits or not thinking properly that trip me into feeling really guilty.

I have never liked spiders....I think they are the most ugly bugs on the planet and my first instinct is to kill it!!! Normally, I can control this and leave it be...but sometimes I just....do it and then feel soooo guilty afterwards!!

But the bigger thing is when I can't recycle things. I feel like I'm wasting things and adding to Global Warming (I am aware that there are some of you out there that don't believe in that - but there are strong scientific links)...I just feel terrible.

Anyone feel the same way and has anyone got any ideas/spells to help me stop feeling this way??

Blessed be
wiccachicken
xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Wolf Heart]

The only way you can make yourself stop feeling a certain way, is by doing something about it. Magick and spells cannot fix all of our problems.
If you can try to find a place where you can take your recyclables (sp?) my dad takes all over our cardboard products to some fenced in area they have set up specifically for those things to be recycled. We also take in all our cans and bottles.

As for the spiders, do not worry as that is my first instinct to. I don't ever get them really in my apartment but at work or in my parents basement they are frequent visitors. I try to let them be on their merry way but if they try to crawl on me, I smoosh them.

Blessed Be,
Wolf Heart

[wiccachicken]

I knew that spells couldnt fix all problems...I didnt want a fix....I was asking for a little help...like a spell to help me not feel so racked with guilt every time (and I mean every time) I throw an empty tin of beans away.

Sounds like a good idea about the recycling....however I am a student, have no money, no car and live in the centre of Cardiff, the capital of wales where they, for some stupid reason dont have any recycling facilities around. When Im at home in Cornwall I always recycle. I just think its absolutely ridiculous....if you think how many bottles of alcohol most students go through...think how much you could recycle!! NUTS!!!

wiccachicken xxxxx

[Sobek]

spiders aren't bugs, but that is neither here nor there.

I dont think there is much can be done if you feel bad about certain things, its where nature and thought collide i think.

just do what you can when you can and be at peace with your efforts.

[Tragedy Anne]

Have you ever watched Penn and Teller: Bullshit!? Look up the episode on recycling. That will make you feel better about not doing it.

[XWynterXoXPriestessX]

hello, i'm sorry you feel bad.... Do you wanna hug? *hug* Well, honey, i believe in doing what makes you feel good. If somethign makes you happy, then pursue it, but if it makes you feel sad or guilty, then rethink it, love. I know that as wiccans, there are alot of rules to follow and abide. perhaps wicca isn't for you. maybe you are just well....a non-wiccan witch. i mean, thats not bad, look at . She's not wiccan, but she's amazing with such a creative and amazing personality. who knows? again, so what makes you feel god about yourself, and don't worry if it is 'right' or 'wrong. kk, hun? hope i made you feel a little better....

Wynter

[SaraSapphire]

Yes, often times I feel that way. I do the same with spiders, first go in for the kill, but in years past, I will try and scoot them out of the door instead.

We are all humans, and it is inevitable that we are going to do something that feels wrong at some point in time. Try and make up for it, and do a good deed. Like today, the creek behind our home is compleatly dry, and the animals have nothing to drink. There was a rather large snapping turtle looking for the water along the creekbed. My uncle and I felt bad, so we went down there with a big empty trashcan, scooped him up in there, and took him to the pond across the way. We were so happy when he went right into the water and swum off! Just the night before we had to kill a wasps nest that was too close to the door to the house.

Don't focus so much on the things you do that make you feel guilty, or the guilt will build. Take that negative energy you feel, and turn it into something positive!

[Eretik]

Just do your best.I taught my kids not to litter -it helps, but it's frustrating to see so many others still do it. I pick up rubbish if I see it at the park - sometimes other folk will join in.Lead by example - some of us parents cleared the playground one day -spontaneously - it was so the kids didn't risk falling or getting hurt on the alcohol,broken bottles , debris etc. I also left a 'little' psychic guardian[servitor style] there to scare the teens next time- nothing too bad,just drunken illusory 'boo' stuff - seems to have worked.lol.My squirrel friends live around that part. The pond is there too.It had to be done,we all need to take responsibility -but fight your corner - a little at a time is good.What you can manage is fine.I like spiders -but my kids don't - here a housespider web, in the living room corner/s is the most natural fly trap you can have.I leave them alone[and I'm a cleaning obssessive!] -they help me.[ Funnily enough , they never go near the kids,stay out of the cat's reach too.I talked to them,asked the spirit of spiders for an 'understanding' -try it.]

[Sobek]

"I talked to them,asked the spirit of spiders for an 'understanding' -try it.]"

Very true, spiders are quite amazing creatures. im still not a fan but they know their stuff

[wiccachicken]

Thanks guys....these are really useful suggestions. I'll try these. Just gotta do little bits at a time I guess...I tend to talk to spiders if Im scared of them....sounds silly....but it makes me less scared of them if I give them a name! Like the one at home in the corner by the front door is called Derek!!!!

Thanks guys xxxxx

[Shadow_Kitten]

I'm like you too. Lucky for me, our town just made recycling compulsary so I don't feel guilty about that anymore. IOn fact, I feel REALLY good about myself because at the end of the week we have a bin full of recyclables & our ordinary bin is only a third full!

I don't usually kill bugs but I accidentally killed a spider about a month ago & I felt SO bad afterwards! And my brother killed a cricket by dropping it in boiling water & I couldn't stop him & I felt SO sorry for the cricket! I didn't realise what he was doing until it was too late. But he felt guilty straight afterwards too that's something.

PS - No way! It just started raining! 40 degrees & it's raining! Weird . . . smells nice though, lol.

[Nic O'Loughlin]

I do believe that littering is bad, but I'm not so against killing spiders. All living creatures have to kill to live. Spiders kill to survive and so do people. The spider that you killed could have killed you, depinding on what kind of spider it was. You killed it to survive the same way that the spider would have killed its food, to survive. It's the the whole "circle of life" concept. I also believe that after every ending, there is a whole new beginning. When you killed that spider, you could have helped to begin something amazing in the whole grand aspect of things. What comes from the earth, goes back into the earth to start something new!

Nic

[twilight]

I felt guilty a few weeks ago. I was sat on the floor using the laptop when a huge spider jumped out of one of my draws, and after much screaming I squished it with a baseball bat, and as much as I was glad it was dead I felt a bit guilty since it's a goddess symbol, but I though she would understand why I killed it since I'm so terrified of them.

[Hera#76]

I understand the recycling guilt but, like others have already said, the best way to resolve this issue is to do something about it. Speak to your neighbours perhaps and set up your own neighbourhood recycling system where you take it in turns to collect each others recycling and take it to the nearest recycling point. I am lucky where I live in England becuase the council has set up a two weekly pick up where they come and collect your recyling for you.

As for the spiders, I don't share your dislike for them so they are not a problem for me. However I do really dislike wasps, but whenever I see one now I try to remember that they are here for a purpose as well, and try to leave them to get on with their job. Wakling away from them rather than trying to get rid. Obviously if it was a whole hive then I would have to get them humanely removed to another area - rather like relocating them. I sometimes catch teh spiders in my house and deliberately put them in a safe place outside because the cat usually finds them otherwise and torments them.

[wiccachicken]

I have a cat at home that does exactly the same with spiders but also with mice and rabbits....he only kills them so he can play with them!! He's a little bit evil is my cat....however, my other cat kills for fun and food...I worked that out after he started skinning the mice before eating them!! Bleurgh..!