This last year, my family and I sat down and made a list of the values we each felt were most important. We took those individual lists, and compiled a single list of the values that we each shared and discussed what those values meant for each of us. I took that information and wrote a short explanation for each of these values. This was a great chance for us to all have some input in the foundations of our family coven and also a way for us to each learn to understand the other a little better. It took me quite a while to finish writing these, mostly because I was resisting the call to write that was growing ever stronger day by day. The gods don't let up just because you don't want to listen, they just find more ways to get their point across. I hope that these will inspire you, and give you some ideas for moving forward in your own spiritual path.

Blessed Be!


Acceptance

The ability to accept people for who they are can lead to many learning opportunities and a greater understanding of our universe. This is not a blind acceptance, but acceptance tempered with discernment.



Adaptability

The ability to adapt to the constant changes in our universe as well as adapting to the new things we learn as we grow is of great importance to our family as each individual learns more about themselves and their place in our world.



Balance

With all the things demanding our attention and a great deal of our time and energy, finding balance is more important then ever. When the many aspects of our lives are balanced, we are more able to make informed and timely decisions. When we are unbalanced in our lives, stress, sickness and discord prevail.



Creativity

The ability to find new and different ways to solve problems is very useful in our every day lives. However, creativity is much more than that. Creativity helps us find new ways to accomplish goals and even helps us invent new things. Without creativity there would be no art or poetry or even beautiful buildings for us to admire. Creativity benefits us in many aspects of our lives and enriches our spirituality.



Dependability

Family members must be able to depend on one another, this builds trust, which strengthens the family bonds. Strong, dependable families build strong, dependable communities.



Exploration

Exploring new places, ideas and different cultures teaches us about our world, helps us define who we are and helps find our place in the world. Exploration renews our spirits and strengthens our minds.



Empathy

The ability to read and understand others emotions and even experience to some degree what others may be going through, gives us a better understanding of those we come in contact with. This helps us understand events from different perspectives and also helps us connect with others in very personal ways.



Gratitude

When we show gratitude, we encourage others to be generous to each other by making them feel appreciated. However, feeling grateful for something someone else has done for us is important too. Gratitude is a two way street, we must experience both sides of it to understand it fully.



Integrity

Integrity is a necessity in building trust with in the family coven as well as between the family coven and the greater Pagan community. We must have integrity of word as well as deed at all times in order to maintain that trust.



Loyalty

There are many forms of loyalty. Loyalty to our friends and family and loyalty to our beliefs are some of the most important forms. In our family coven, loyalty between the members helps to bind us closer together.



Open-mindedness

Closing our minds, limits the possibilities in our lives. Keeping our minds open, while maintaining some caution allows us to remain open to opportunities that we may not otherwise have noticed.



Strength

There are many forms of strength and all are important in different ways. Most important in our family coven is our inner strength, that which we draw on when all else has failed. This of course comes from our connection with the divine which is in us all.



Team-work

A family works in much the same way as a team. While each member has a specific job, they must each work with the other to fulfill the goals of the family(team) as a whole. Within the family coven there is another benefit to teamwork, we can work together to help the individual members reach their own goals as well, both magical and mundane.



Wisdom

There are many definitions of wisdom and many more descriptions of how to attain it. What the many definitions agree on is that wisdom is knowledge of what is right or just, combined with the judgment to determine the best way to achieve it. Wisdom is not only attained by the very old, but is often found among the very young as well. It can take lifetimes to achieve or only moments. It is something we should always work toward, for one can never be too wise.