Journal of the Council of Magickal Arts, Inc.

Love

by Maluna Starcloud

"Behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals."
- Charge of the Goddess (Doreen Valiente)

"Love is the law, love under will."
- Liber OZ (Aleister Crowley)

"Love is the law, Love is the bond."
- Seax Wica (Raymond Buckland)

"Love is the decision to give all that you can honestly give without begrudging it, whenever you are asked."
- When, Why...If (Robin Wood)

Of all the emotions you might experience in your life, Love is perhaps the only one that is both eternally ancient and immeasurably new at every turn. Love transcends all boundaries, ignores all limitations imposed by language and society. It is the simple charm of a dandelion's puff, as well as the complex beauty of a well-woven tapestry. It is both the emotion felt for your most comfortable pair of jeans and the feelings your other half stirs every time your eyes meet. Love is a poet's dream, as it has the inherent mysteriousness of the Goddess Herself and Her many faces.

Love is ancient in its ability to pull together unlikely forces into near-perfect harmony. It can draw two seemingly incompatible people into a strange balance, leaving those on the outside to wonder just how such a mix came to be. It is the moment you realize that you've looked into another's eyes and seen someone from your lives before. It can be like looking into the eyes of your animal family or a new baby and recognizing the spirit residing within. That instant, unmistakable connection is through your heart and soul, not your head.

But of all the boons you might gain from Love, the greatest gift of Love is it's renewability. Love for your profession makes each day a pleasure instead of a burden. Love for your family, both blood and chosen, allows you to feel the fullest range of emotions each day. You more thoroughly experience life when your interactions with others are fueled by such a powerful phenomenon. And learning to feel love toward the world around you helps your spirituality, as your heart guides you toward a greater appreciation for your people and your planet.

I find myself reaching for Love as a tool of the Craft, as well. Have you ever faced someone you couldn't stand, especially at work, and wished you could make them leave? We all have to work; our world is, for better or for worse, run on what you earn through work. Is it really helpful to angrily wish away those who make life difficult?

Love as a tool is a beautiful athame. It cuts through the grit and grime, and it allows us to move forward in any situation with clarity and sincere understanding. When you let yourself love others with eyes that truly see them, you let others become real and whole beings. You grant them the status of equals, of spiritually-valid and important peoples. Love slices away bias and doubt, maneuvering you toward the full measure of a person, "warts and all". It opens your heart to feel, your ears to listen, and your eyes to see.

As with all things, Love does sometimes end. It may fade and die, as all things do. Life is, after all, a cycle. But just as it has endings, Love is also often reborn with new beginnings and renewed chances. It is through Love that life is begun, lived, and released. And it is through Love that we may return to live again, among our beloved.

Know that I give you this tool of Love out of Love. You, who I may or may not know in my head. My heart recognizes yours as kin, a child of the gods and a natural born Lover. Use it wisely.