- The Laws were created to give our lives form and order, that all might be balanced throughout all of the planes. In truth there are two sets of laws which govern us — one sets forth the ways of the Wiccan, and the other the ways of the Universe. Both are important, both should be observed with respect and treated with honor. The Laws were shaped and molded to teach us, to advise us, and to counsel us in our time of mortal life on earth.
I see that these laws are put in place to help us. I see that there are two sets of laws which govern us- The Wiccan/Universe so earth is just as important as my religion? There both equal in the eyes of Wicca? I was just wondering how I could actually put this into perspective that’s all. Does anyone have any thoughts? So earth is supposed to teach us? For example how in Texas it is snowing? How can that teach us? It can teach us to be more prepared for disaster? Or maybe taking care of earth better is essential to make sure the climate does not change. In other words maybe earth or the universe is speaking to us? How can I really put these Ideas to practice? Any ideas?
Jeannie
Blessed Be
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I truly believe that the snow that happened in Texas is a symptom of climate change. The weather has been weird, for a while now. More hurricanes, fires, extreme temperatures. The Earth is crying out for help.
It doesn’t help that we don’t have a recycling center around here. But I try not to run the air unless it’s needed during the summer and the same for the heat in the winter.
Unfortunately I live in coal country and they’re all focused on using coal for electricity which is one of the things really mucking up our air. If you talk about solar or wind energy around here the uproar it makes would make you think you were talking about sacrificing babies.
I don’t know what else I can do about keeping the Earth healthy. Maybe someone else in comments will be able to help.
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I’m not sure what laws you are specifically referring to. Can you be more specific?
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Sure Megan here is one,
- Honor the Gods, for They are the channels and the manifestation of the Source. Honor yourself, for this force also lies within you. Love the Gods as They love you, and by loving yourself and your brothers and sisters, so the Gods shall honor you. As the love and joy of a man and a woman [or “lover and beloved” — LAH] flowers and grows when nurtured with respect, and cultivated with understanding and honor, so should you love the Gods.
Thank you
Blessed be
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Kassie,
I feel like as a Wiccan we can donate what we can to Texas and help.
Maybe that the universe would receive that as a offering.
In a scene that how I perceived the question about Texas.
The law says that they should govern us another words that should be your first priority.
I also feel like our earth is crying out for help. This is why I think I should help Megan with her donation.
Even if it’s five dollars Or a dollar I am contributing.
Thanks Kasie
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Okay, so it looks like what you’re looking at may be laws for a specific coven. I found the information you shared on Sacred Texts here: Internet Book of Shadows: New Laws (Lady Galadriel, Grove of The Unicorn)
Neo Wicca (Wicca outside of a coven and initiatory tradition) doesn’t necessarily have any laws besides the Rede. Even then, the Wiccan Rede is more of a guideline than a law itself. However, that doesn’t mean that what you’re experiencing and questioning aren’t part of your particular belief system. To answer your questions…
It is if you make it so. Most pagans (not all of them) have some form of Earth reverence in their practice. This could be caring for the planet themselves, being good stewards of the Earth by recycling and reducing waste, or whatever other way they want to take care of the planet.
This is going to depend on the tradition and rules set in place by that tradition. In Neo-Wicca, you make the rules you follow, basically.
I don’t necessarily think the Earth is teaching us in the case of Texas. That would be an awful method of teaching, in my opinion, when so many people have been displaced, hurt, or lost their lives because of it. What we can do instead is learn from these experiences in ways that don’t put the Earth at the center of the teaching, if that makes sense. The Earth is not actively saying, Okay, it’s time for the humans to learn how to be prepared for disaster now. What is happening instead is the Earth is responding to our actions. I believe that the weather in Texas is a combination of climate change and natural weather cycles. I’m not a professional, though, so take that with a grain of salt.
I think the best thing you can do is just be a good steward of the planet. Reduce your waste, recycle when you can, choose eco-friendly and sustainable options when you can, eat local produce when you can, etc. If you can’t do any of those things right away, or even at all, that’s okay too. Being active in the communities, sending letters or emails to those in power, that all makes a difference.
I hope I was able to provide you with some answers and ideas 
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You’re welcome! I just hope I helped with my babbling.
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Thanks for all the insightful replies, @MeganB! I agree with your view regarding the Earth not “teaching” us.
However that doesn’t mean that we cannot learn from what’s happening. Like Jeannie said:
In my view the Universe is telling us to act. If we want change, we have to do something about it.
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Thanks Francisco,
I just wanted to see if anyone else thought the way I do!
I do feel like that too. For example we went from using plastic bags that were really thin, and know we have thick ones. How good is that for our earth? I dont think that is good at all. We use to have a place to take the plastic bags know I don’t know of one place to take all my plastic. I feel like alot of our old values went out the door! Sometimes I feel like it would take someone that really does care to make a change and get rid of plastic bags once and for all.
blessed be
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Megan,
Thank you I am glad that you clarified that Neo Wicca doesnt have laws that is really good to now. I am very glad I asked this question. No bad question right. “Yes” pagans do have reverence over earth. So like caring for the earth that is important to me. and I love earth so I do want to make it a better place. I see I am making progress Megan I see that I can be more active in the community. For example they should have a place where they recycle plastic bags! I could find out where it is or where I can go to recycle bags.
Thank you very much!
Blessed Be!
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This is a great starting point! I have noticed that Walmart and many other grocery stores have little bins at the front of the store where you can return plastic bags for recycline.
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Thanks Megan,
I guess I should just call and ask! I will try that thank you.
Can I ask you a personal question? Are you vegan? I think I heard you say you were. I think I would like to try not eating meat at all.
Every time I eat I think about that animal that died for me. I won’t fish because I don’t like to kill them just to eat. Can that help earth? Being vegan? Why do people become vegans. I know I heard a lot of pagans are vegan. Is that true?
Jeannie
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Jumping on this! It is a very interesting conversation to bring up, @Jeannie1 
From what I’ve heard from others (I am not vegan myself), vegans chose that path for many different reasons. Some believe it is healthier, others believe it helps the earth, some for spiritual reason- and so on.
As for if being vegan helps the earth- it’s a tricky situation. In the USA, studies show that the meat industry (in particular beef 
) and dairy industry are very unsustainable. An article from the Guardian takes a stance on this in Avoiding Meat and Dairy is the Best Way to Reduce Your Impact on Earth.
I know many people who pursue vegetarian or vegan diets because they don’t want to support harmful industry practices. So in this sense, yes- avoiding foods produced in unsustainable ways can definitely be said to help the earth 
However, there are also those that make the case that we are part of the circle of life and it is unnatural to remove ourselves from this cycle. Even if some certain foods- in order to stay alive, we must consume the lives of others- whether that is animals, their products, or plants 
This is one reason why the Buddhist temple I lived at practices a vegetarian (but not vegan) diet. Since we cannot remove ourselves from the natural food chain, we should instead choose sustainable food sources and always eat responsibility and respectfully. It all comes back to mindfulness! 
There’s also the concerns that a vegan diet makes it hard (or impossible) to get certain things that are essential for a healthy life- such as the Vitamin B12. Those considering switching to a vegan diet should do research and find ways (such as supplements) to get the vitamins and nutrients they would otherwise be missing
This is a topic I’ve spent a lot of time examining for myself and is something I find fascinating! 
From my research and experiences, I have decided that being a vegan is not the right choice for me nor my spirituality. But I always love to hear from others!
Thanks again for bringing this up, Jeannie!
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This is basically what it boils down to. I don’t consider myself “vegan” because there’s a whole community there where it is all about the lifestyle. I am more plant-based. I don’t eat meat or dairy. The eggs I do consume are from a local person who raises chickens. My diet isn’t one of spiritual or environmental reasons, honestly. My body just doesn’t like it when I eat those things and, since changing my eating style around, I have fewer aches and pains. Some pagans are vegan, but veganism definitely isn’t a requirement to be pagan. There are even those who would argue that there is nothing wrong with hunting your own food or raising your own food because it gives you a perspective that most others can’t appreciate.
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This was a great topic/question @Jeannie1, very informative too. I agree the weather in Texas I wouldn’t see as the earth teaching us a lesson, as @MeganB said
But it was indeed odd!
As far as steps I take in loving and caring for Mother Earth, one thing I do is clean up beaches when I visit. It’s amazing at the levels of trash people throw down that also creates hazards for sea life, as well as our planet.
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Travel Witch
Blockquote
From the article Avoiding meat and dairy to reduce the impact on earth,
“Really it is animal products that are responsible for so much of this. Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy.”
To support this claim I instantly thought about Covid 19 it most likely came from an animal. Really we don’t know what they do with the animals. Most of the chickens are caged up. Most of the time there is like ten chickens in on cage. They poop in the cage. It would be hard for me to stop eating egg. But it is possible. It makes me wonder how we came about getting the Covid 19. At first they were talking about it coming from animals and then I heard it came from abat. But who knows we’re it came from. I know there is so much Bacteria
in the meat industry. We Don’t know what is happening behind closed doors I’m sure there are documentaries that have proven that they are not clean. I also heard that it came from China.
If we play devils advocate, it is apart of the cycle of life that we do consume but it’s about the fact that in the article that started that
Blockquote
The new research shows that without meat and dairy consumption, global farmland use could be reduced by more than 75%
Corporations like Mc Donald’s kill more than there share when it comes to the chickens. When there not producing enough eggs they just kill them. So sad that they don’t get to live because they can’t produce enough eggs anymore. I don’t want to support them at all. I refuse to eat there egg Mc Muffins anymore. I want to try to eat better anyway and have my own Garden. That’s my hope to learn how to be a decent gardener to have my own food. I won’t have to worry about any pesticides or anything like that.
It would be nice. Do you have your own garden? [quote=“BryWisteria, post:13, topic:7590”]
There’s also the concerns that a vegan diet makes it hard (or impossible) to get certain things that are essential for a healthy life- such as the Vitamin B12. Those considering switching to a vegan diet should do research and find ways (such as supplements) to get the vitamins and nutrients they would otherwise be missing
[/quote]
Thank you Travel Witch I am thinking about our planet and how I can be active in helping earth. Honestly I think it would be to hard for me but I know someone who said at first it was hard but they did it and they feel better. It’s a good idea to consider the lack of vitamin B but I see I could take the vitamin b pill 
to Substitute for the lack of meat. Thank you very much! Your so knowledgeable. I am so thankful for this wealth of information.
Blessed be 
Jeannie
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Megan,
When I start eating vegetables, I always feel so much better! I want to be better about eating better and drinking plenty of water. I am glad to hear that you were able to turn vegan, and it’s working well for you. Our health is very important. I take care of seniors and some have really bad eating habits. I watched some videos on how people changed everything in the fridge and it takes a lot of Discipline.
Blessed be
Jeannie
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I try to look at it in rather primitive speak~so yes, snow in Texas is the earths way of telling us something is wrong with you it. What we need to take from these messages is that yes we all need to take action, to do something different, even if it’s only a small change. That your small change for the good may inspire someone else to do the same and soon we’re all doing better!
I find journaling to be extra helpful to really hear what the elements are telling us. Sometimes it takes me awhile to understand the messages.
Basically take only as much as you can and try not to worry about which you don’t know. Everything will be clear when it needs to be and that’s a hard lesson to learn too so be patient with yourself 
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I know I went to the happy place other day and I saw so much trash I told my husband we should take a day and actually pick it up it would take a half hour and I would be helping the earth. This is some thing I actually thought of but saying it and doing it is another. It will make me feel that I am contributing to doing something for earth. It’s about feeling like I am contributing to earth with my spiritual practice and journey.
It would be very fulfilling thank you Tamera this is a great idea!
I could get a group of friends and pick up trash!
Blessed be
Jeannie
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AliceInWonderdab, [quote=“AliceInWonderdab, post:18, topic:7590”]
What we need to take from these messages is that yes we all need to take action, to do something different, even if it’s only a small change. That your small change for the good may inspire someone else to do the same and soon we’re all doing better!
[/quote]
That is correct, even if it’s big or small even if we are taking strides to save earth! I am inspired to pick up some trash! 
Blessed be!
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