Rared
August
10, 2009
We
were told when we were young…
Dear Kindred,
…. that animals are raised and children reared. We think, however,
that this opinion was due more to certain types of humans’
proclivity toward corporeal punishment than a strict understanding
of the English language. The Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary,
on the other hand, informs us that the terms ‘raised’
and ‘reared’ are interchangeably acceptable for the description
of the upbringing of both animals and children.
We elves, however, are neither raised nor reared, we are rared,
that is educated to become unique or rare, which is to say, become
our true s’elves. Although, we also refer to our upbringing
as being rarified, not only made rare, but also made more subtle,
spiritual and refined.
While in most cultures the young are continually faced with peer
and parent pressure to conform to cultural traditions and social
mores at the expense of their own being, we elves continually encourage
our kin to be their own true s’elves, to trust their intuition,
and develop their personal style.
Some would think that this would lead us to be particularly self-centered
and competitive individuals promoting our individuality at the expense
of others or rebellious individual ever eager to be different from
those who are all the same, however, quite the opposite is true.
Our uniqueness is developed with the understanding that all beings
are essentially unique and it is by encouraging individuality and
independent thought that our own unique being is both developed
and protected. It is true that in cultures that seem to both promote
conformity while decrying peer pressure there arises a certain rebelliousness
among us and a struggle to rise above the mixed messages we receive,
however, this is not the natural state of elfin and we have no need
to prove we are more unique than our others. Thus we are the same
in our uniqueness and united by our diversity and mutual respect
thereof.
More than that, we delight in our own as well as our others uniqueness.
Our world is filled with diversity and this is in harmony with Nature
and pleasing to The Magic. Nature loves diversity, however, the
Grim or Grimlean, despite diversity wanting everyone to dress, act,
think and believe as they do and will ever go as far as jailing
or killing those who don’t. Of course, the Grims don’t
themselves always agree on what they should believe thus the world
is ever subjected to the religious wars of one Grim sect trying
to eliminate their rivals. This competition of uniformity is quite
the opposite of our elven tendency to live and let live. And perhaps
it is the Grims tendency to want to make everyone the same that
makes them so hateful, callous and disrespectful of Nature. To them
Mother Nature is nothing more than their slave/whore; to we elfin,
She is our great Goddess.
In the Elfin mind, the more rare we become as individuals the more
rarefied we become, that is refined and developed as spirits, and
the more rarefied we become the more rare we are as well. Our egoic
nature rises to the fore and the unique aspects of our souls and
spirits become ever more evident and powerful. It is recognizing
our uniqueness that we come to understand the Unity of all Nature
and our unique and special place within it, for we are elves and
we are all the same, we are each unique.
Kyela,
The Silver Elves
