Let us not merely mourn, let us honor, let us celebrate!

Hello friends,

So as most of you doubtless know by now, Isaac Bonewits passed away a few days ago…

I never had the privilege of meeting the man, but had an inkling of just how much his life had affected mine for the better as a Pagan.  I know him through his words and works and through the lenses of the words and works of the many, many people whose lives he touched; those he knew directly and those he inspired.

I have already started seeing plans on many of the e-lists I am on for memorial rituals and folks suggesting we put up memorials to him.  Stone circles and memorial gardens, rituals and memory books.

Yet, it seems to me that given the dreams and goals he had for Paganism,  and the work Isaac did in his life, that a better way to celebrate his memory would be to carry forward the ideas and the goals he had for Pagans, all Pagans of every path.  He had big dreams for Paganism as Jason Pitzl-Waters quoted in his obituary for Isaac…

“We believe that Neopaganism is eventually going to become a mainstream religious movement, with hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of members, and that this will be A Good Thing, both for the individuals involved and for the survival of the Earth Mother. Neopaganism is riding the crest of the “baby boom.” Many people who grew up in the 60′s and 70′s are discovering us at about the same time that they are realizing both the desperate state of our planet and the eternal relevance of our youthful ideals. Membership in the Neopagan community is quietly growing at a geometric rate, both through word of mouth and the many do-it-yourself books now available, giving us an ever-greater impact on the mainstream culture as a whole.”… rest of quote here

So how we find ways to honor his memory that dream as big and have as big a goal as Isaac?

How about we fund the existing Pagan Community Centers and establish new ones in his name? What about a medical clinic or eventually an Isaac Bonewits Memorial Hospital? How about a home or a small community for Pagan Elders, preferably right in the center of a thriving Pagan community.  What about establishing and endowing and supporting with our time effort and money an Isaac Bonewits Schollarship for Pagan Youth?  How about when Cherry Hill Seminary finally becomes a fully accredited University, we create a financial endowment to support that University in Isaac’s name?

If he taught us anything its that not only are The Holy Powers worth the time, energy, and effort…so are we.

Lets dream big my friends, lets do Isaac and our Gods and ourselves proud!

Peace,

Pax