To walk lightly upon the Earth, honoring her as sacred;
To make every act of service an offering to the Divine;
To shine my light for others and help them feed their own flames;
To live as love, inspiring all to awaken to the truth: that We are All One.
I’d like to share a little about where this vow came from and how I am seeking to express it through Emerald Earth Interfaith.
To walk lightly upon the Earth, honoring her as sacred
I believe first and foremost that the Earth, the planet which births and sustains all life, is in and of itself sacred. I endeavor to leave as small a footprint as I can while advocating for policies with the impact to protect our planet and its people.
To make every act of service an offering to the Divine
Long ago, in thanks for finding a welcoming spiritual community in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, I vowed to give back by “serving my gods by serving my community.” I have spent many years volunteering as a teacher, mentor, liturgist, bard, ritualist, and in many other ways. My call to service led me to seminary at One Spirit where I spent two years in intensive training to become an ordained interfaith/interspiritual minister.
From my home in the greater Neo-Pagan community, I offer services to everyone regardless of their religious and spiritual paths–including agnostics and atheists. Everyone deserves meaningful and moving rituals to mark the important turning points of their lives, and all people and love should be celebrated. I endeavor to create personalized rituals to truthfully and beautifully honor life’s milestones and transitions.
To shine my light for others and help them feed their own flames
My ministry includes supporting every person on their own unique path through this life and helping them to shine as their fullest selves. No one needs an intermediary, but sometimes we could use help holding up the mirror or finding the right path. I seek to help others in making their own magic.
To live as love, inspiring all to awaken to the truth: that We are All One
I believe that the divine force of love flows through all of creation–through everything and everyone. As divinely souled beings, no separation exists between us. I seek to help everyone realize this truth and live with compassion and kindness, recognizing that sometimes the best way to love someone is to stop them from engaging in actions that hurt others, and ultimately themselves as well. Dr. Cornel West has written, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” Loving includes challenging a system that exploits the most vulnerable among us even as we work to create a beautiful, robust, and equitable world for everyone.