Читать книгу The Real Witches’ Handbook - Kate West - Страница 9

We believe that we should respect nature and not take more than we need from the world around us. This does not mean that we worship nature, rather that we should care for our world and the things which grow and live upon it. We should also respect the natural order of things.

This takes many forms:

 Being economical with resources – not using the car when it isn’t necessary, for example, and offering a lift to friends when we’re all going the same way.

 Being aware of how much damage is done to the environment in order to satisfy our desires – for example, many crystals are mined from the Earth by strip mining and the use of explosives, devastating acres of land and the habitats of wildlife and people in order to supply a market for ‘healing’ stones, whereas the stones you collect yourself can be imbued with healing properties.

 Not buying unnecessary things made from non-replenishable resources.

 Taking our litter away with us and disposing of it thoughtfully. This includes not leaving candle wax, dead flowers, etc., at stone circles or other sacred sites, or burying items there. Don’t change the site, let the site change you.

 Not throwing things away which could be passed on to friends or given to a charity shop.

 Using recycling facilities.

 Thinking carefully about the way we keep and treat our pets and animals. This is not to say that your cat should not be house-trained or that your dog should be allowed to bite, rather that you should think twice before making them perform foolish tricks just because you want to appear clever. It also means making sure that you provide the animals in your care with the best environment for them to live as normal as life as possible. Keeping a snake in a tank or a bird in a cage may be fashionable, but does it show any respect for the creature?

 Making appropriate protest when we feel that unnecessary damage is being done to the environment – and not just because we don’t want something in our neighbourhood. Deciding what is appropriate protest can be quite difficult, but it is worth remembering that protests made with enough support, at the right time to the right people, through the formal system, are more likely to succeed than something newsworthy just as the bulldozers move in. A lot of publicity at that late a stage will not save a lost cause! Remember, politicians count one well-written letter as representing the views of 100 people.