The Magickal Pen

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Magnetism presents itself in many forms. The chemistry of interpersonal relationships, the fusion of minds and hearts towards similar goal, the drawing to oneself what is desired, the waves of current that flow from sun’s orb lighting the way for movement. These are but a few ways of expression. By way of definition…

“Magnetism refers to physical phenomena arising from the force between magnets, objects that produce fields that attract or repel other objects.

All materials experience magnetism, some more strongly than others. Permanent magnets, made from materials such as iron, experience the strongest effects, known as ferromagnetism. This is the only form of magnetism strong enough to be felt by people.

Then there’s paramagnetism, in which certain materials are attracted by a magnetic field, and diamagnetism, in which materials are repelled by a magnetic field. Other, more complex, forms include anti-ferromagnetism, in which the magnetic properties of atoms or molecules align next to each other; and spin glass behavior, which involve both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions.”(LiveScience)

In spiritual work, creating the energy of magnetism is one of the desired goals. We strive to cultivate attributes and actions that are in resonance with what we hope to attract into our lives. We cultivate a loving nature, in desire of attracting love and compassion from those we interact with. We cultivate focused intention in the desire to create and manifest the product of that intention as we train ourselves the discipline of commitment. We cultivate our intuitive gifts in desire of being more deeply connected to those beings, seen and unseen that inhabit all of the realms. We cultivate strength of purpose in desire of staying the course and rising to productively greet the challenges of life.

Magnetism is the child of the Sun. Our physical sun as well as the spiritual sun that resides and burns brightly within. That same magnetism is what draws us to sit in the heat of its glory as we commune with nature and seek the light that illumines our way. Let the radiance of your own magnetism draw to you the gifts worthy of a child of Divine birth and as you weave this magick of attraction remember always that what you desire and seek most is already in resonance with your Spirit.

In Honor of the Sun

Fiery fingers extended
Magnetic attraction
Pointed ice of heat
Beginnings and core of birth

Millions of tiny moving seeds
Catalytic and combustible
Moving towards and creating
A vortex of icy brilliance.

To merge with this Source
To become one and yet distinct
Within its heat of fusion
The magnetic core of light
And heat attracting to itself
What it seeks and desires.

The child of this consummate act
Is born as the crown of enlightened
Seeker descends and polarized life
Moves forward on its intended course
Complete in the creation of the sacred
Sacrifice freely given once again.

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Flames rise higher
As desire pours
From lover’s intent.

Flames glow in the darkness
Lighting the path to
Be followed in blissful
Surrender to Lover’s touch.

Flames rise and fall and
Two merge seeming inseparable
As flesh moves against
Flesh in abandon and trust.

Flames consume the desire
That is fed and burn hotter
In passion’s final outpour.

Flames move now as one
Singular fusion of life
Burning strong and full
Sated from breath that
Expands and contracts
As longing is fulfilled.

The Flame scatters as seeds
Of quickened potential
Fill the ripened womb of
Creation’s sacred vessel.

The time will be soon
And the first cries of
New Life will pierce
The silence as the
Flames of creation
Rise in acknowledgement
Of their completed work.

Fire destroys all in its wake, but from that destruction comes new form. We speak of Fire as one of the four alchemical elements, but do not always recognize it as the great catalyst that becomes the brilliant thought of mind, the passion of the heart and the exertion of the physical form towards its intended goal. Fire is will and guided by desire it becomes the fuel that burns through what would otherwise serve as challenge and hold us inert. Fire is action and active outpouring of what will clear away the debris and make ready new ground for tilling and seeding. Fire is all these and more. And, with that intention the post this week focuses on the creative Fires that are in abundance; most especially at the time of Beltane.

These are the Fires that are generated from the union of male and female. The potential for new life is held within the very core of these Fires. In celebration, we gather in the fertile space of circle greenery anchored well with phallic maypole standing tall. We dance around the potent fires of Beltane celebrating the sacred union of God and Goddess, youth and maiden and the polarity of seed and womb offered by male and female. The air is fragrant with the promise of summer’s musky scent and shoots of fresh grass elongate delicately upwards, stretching towards Father Sun and longer days to bask in His brilliance. We can see the lengthening of the days and feel the gentle caress of warm sun-kissed air on skin that has just recently shed its winter clothing. In the continuous cycle, darkness gives way to light and so also the sparse flora of the fields gives way to the thick verdant splendor of late-Spring growth.

The potency of sexual union and the energy that is the by-product of the sexual act is one of the most potent and its heady scent seductively calls to all to join in the dance. If guided and directed towards enlivening and magickal working its raw force has the power to manifest form. In alchemical and Tantric practice, using this energy as a means of self-enlivening and energetic renewal and healing is the goal. It is this energy that is celebrated and called into action as we wait in anticipation of the Beltane’s lovers sacred union. The heat of passionate longing and the desire to join as one ensures the continuance of life’s pleasure and humanity’s legacy. It pulses with a lusty rhythm that mesmerizes and magnetically draws to itself the object of its seeking. And, life continues in the throes of human passion and Divine synthesis.

This is the time of spiritual union. When the potency of the energies and the fires of devotion are most fertile and ready to be held in loving embrace in hopes of creating connection and bond that will move us forward on our spiritual paths. We stimulate the fires of our own will and exhale into the heat of our yearning. At this turn of the Wheel, I would like to propose a deeper union; a quickening of your own solar union.

A Meditation of Quickening Light

Choose a space where you will not be disturbed. Relax into a comfortable chair or other space. Establish an even and steady flow of breath, allowing your focus of awareness to gently settle into the space just at the level of your legs and thighs (Root Chakra) . Breathe into this space and open your senses to the experience of your legs resting on the surface below you and the feel of leg and thigh pressing into the chair or floor. Gently tense the muscles in your lower limbs and make note of the strength and feel of flesh, bone, tendon and muscle.

Move your awareness up to the space of your pelvic bowl (Sacral Chakra) . This is the creative vessel that holds the seed or egg of potential for life. This is the space of release and container of womb of receipt. Breathe into the spaciousness of this part of your body. Feel the warmth and sensation of awakening as you allow the energy of breath to flow through this creative gateway. Move this area of your body rocking gently side to side envisioning the flow of creative potency and vitality. Breathe into this movement as the bowl of your creative desire fills with life force.

Draw this energy up into the space of your center core (Solar Plexus) . Focus your awareness on the filling of this core with the flowing life force of your creative potential and the anchoring of the physical support of leg and thigh. Breathe into this space allowing the energies to co-mingle, feeling the warmth of the inner sun as it generates it life-sustaining power to what you have called forth. Breathe deeply and fully into the experience of enlivening this central space within. These are the spaces of physicality that flow into heart, lung, arm and head. These are the anchors that hold your physical form connected to the earth and the instinctual urges towards procreation and survival. Envision light filling your lower body and mid-section. This light glows brightly, expanding with each breath and radiating throughout all of your body. You feel the heat of the sun and the flow of creative energy moving strongly and purposefully. Allow these energies to move as they will for as long as you wish.

When you have received all that is needed, envision all of the energy that has run through you coming into the core center of your solar plexus. See and feel it all moving deep into the center of this inner sun creating the space of renewal and stimulation for everything that you wish to bring to manifestation. Inhale deeply taking from the waves of energy flowing into this center. Offer thanks for this experience of quickening and the uniting of all that makes you fully human.

Allow your awareness to return to focus on your breath, the rise and fall of your chest and the physicality of your being in the space you are at present. Each breath brings this awareness into sharper focus and attention. And, when you are ready gently flutter your eyes open and be present in the here and now.

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This is an excerpt from the 13 Keys Series of articles on WitchVox. I began these as a study of the Qabalistic Tree of Life….. enjoy!

13 Keys: The Crown of Kether

The Energy of the Sphere

What’s in a Name?

Kether is assigned a variety of names and attributions. To some degree these are influenced by the essence of its energy as much as the cultural and occult clues to the nature of the sphere that are contained within. Below is a listing of some of the more widely used names:

Existence of Existences
The Concealed of the Concealed
The Ancient of the Ancient Ones

As you see from the semantics of the three above, the duality or doubling causes a unique polarity to arise. It is also a greater emphasis that is given to the attribute described, which alludes to the timelessness of the energetic construct of Kether.

Read Full article here…13 Keys: The Crown of Kether

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Let us drink from the waters of gratitude and
Be fully present in the space of appreciation
for what surrounds us.

Open your eyes and take in all the lessons of
Both sorrow and joy and from a place of gratitude
Find the grace of mercy that flows
Eternal within your own being.

If you were raised as I was, you were taught to say “thank you’ when receiving something, to be grateful when someone does you a favor and especially at Thanksgiving to offer up with great verbosity the laundry list of gratitude to family and friends.

Now, I am not saying that these things are not good models of polite behavior, but as with many things we have been conditioned to do we act and react on auto-pilot without giving much thought to what the words really mean. With that being said, the challenge then becomes to bolster each word, action and offering of gratitude with the full understanding and intent that it rightfully deserves.

Now, you would think that holding those standards would lessen those grateful moments, but the surprising thing is that when we truly are grateful for what has been given us, we see more clearly the abundance of things we can offer up gratitude to. I envision the space of gratitude to be very much like flowing waters. Some are shallow and you can clearly see all that rests on the bottom. Others are vast and deep like the very oceans themselves, and we wait with bated breath to catch a glimpse of dolphin or whale, affirming that life teams below the surface.

The waters of the earth meander here and there and from the right altitude, etch a veiny trail on the surface, leaving an indelible mark of their course.  These waters respond to the magnetic pull of Luna’s magick just as our perception and awareness of those things deserving of our gratitude are pushed and pulled to the surface by emotional connection. The waters of life are a necessity for our survival and our bodies move with fluid like grace in acceptance of the gifts for which we should be grateful.

We yearn to know more of these deep waters and in that knowing we seek those gifts that catalyze us as grateful beings. Mind and heart are synthesized and become as one in the space of gratitude and in those moments of acknowledgment of what has caused us to be grateful. Gratitude feeds the feelings of appreciation that we seek for ourselves and once found, we may then selflessly share with others.

It is in gratitude and appreciation that we are transformed as we offer up these gifts in recognition of our Higher Self and the Divine Flame that flows within. It is in gratitude that we cease to be, for this is the gift of culmination of the lessons of this lifetime and the power to shed these forms of matter as we reunite with our own Spirit Divine. These are the loftier aspirations of gratitude that are only realized through the building of being able to see with clarity all the moments of gratitude that present themselves daily.

A good beginning to laying these foundations is to begin a gratitude journal. Each night before going to bed, list the things for which you have given thought to and are truly grateful for their presence. It does not matter how small or short-lived that thing was, just write it down. As you continue this process, you will become more selective in what is deserving of thanks and also see areas of your life that would have gone unnoticed and un-thanked. As you open to a deeper awareness of how much you have to be grateful for the waters of that gratitude will flow strong and freely and in their clarity you may drink from them quenching the thirst of a soul that seeks its own flow of appreciation.

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I frequently work with the elements and the expression of their sub-sets as well as pure forms. This approach has allowed me to experience each in a unique and specific way. In the case of Water this has added a new dimension to how I “feel” my way through all levels of my experiences.

I have always been very much driven by Air. The emotional and Watery nature of myself has taken a lot of practice and lots of effort to develop. It has not always been an alliance that I have been willing partner to, but using the subsets of emotions has given me a wider range to dip into and often produced deeper and more lasting results. These are my impressions of Water, its ebb and flow in accord with the other elements and its gifts as an expression of emotional and spiritual well-being.

Water of Water

The Great Mother sighs and oceans
Tremble and swell filled with her breath.

The Bright Mother opens her eyes
Gazing with expectation and the world is
Suddenly ablaze with illumined gaze.

The Dark Mother stretches out her hand
And you are left exposed and vulnerable
Your darkest secrets are laid bare.

The Creatrix moves and Life awakens
As the fabric of form is woven gently
Within the folds of Her potent embrace.

The Universal Laws of Water

The Law of Rebound

Think in terms of the natural ebb and flow of the waters of the oceans, or the fishing line that is cast out and as result of the rhythmic process of moving forward and then rebounding back is carried on the waves. The element of water (emotions) is very much like this principle. What we send out emotionally and intuitively always bounces back towards us, similar to the sonar-like quality of the directional apparatus of bats. They are blind and in the dark, yet they find their way; largely through intuiting it by using a scientific and physiologic adaptation.

In magickal workings the intent is very important, and as we have discussed previously, intent must be fueled by the Fires of Will to be viable. The true tempering of the metal occurs in the process of placing the heated metal in water. This is the place of rebound, where what was heated and contracted can expand and cool to fill the space between. If this cooling did not have the dynamics of the heat to rebound from and reestablish its form it would eventually melt and dissipate.

The Law of Equalities

This brings us to the Law of Equalities. Not necessarily balance, but at the very least a common ground of meeting where flow and expression can occur. This common state of equanimity is where the lower rises to meet the Higher and the Higher descends towards matter. This is the place where the emotions and the mental have dialogue with one another and the gateways to the depths of true wisdom can be passed through. You can also think of this as the element of water being the interface or interpreter that allows greater and deeper levels of understanding and communication to be achieved.

The Law of Balance

And, finally through the efforts of resistance causing return (rebound) and the correct interface of communication (Equalities) having been achieved, the work can be held within a state of balance. Not a balance that indicates all sides having equal share, but the balance that occurs; when, despite there being a greater amount towards one end of the equation, all works in harmony because there is precisely the right combination of differing ingredients to produce a successful outcome. In this form of balance it is the quality of the contributing energies versus the quantity that are of the utmost importance. And, in magickal pursuits, achieving that perfect state of quality is the key to unlocking the Limitless Divine.

Air of Water

Inhale-exhale
Inhale-exhale
Breath moving as
Liquid sustenance.

Inhale-exhale
Inhale-exhale
Slow down the
Impulsive reaction
And think through
The end result.

I breathe in the emotions
That enfold me
And offer the
Insight achieved
Upwards like spurting
Crown of fountain.

The energy of Air moving through Water is one of question, analysis and intellectualization of our intuitive nature. Faith gives way to inquiry and pause is given to responding from our emotions in order that the response will be informed and insightful.

Most of us are driven either by emotions or by mind and occasionally the two are united. For the most part, it takes hard work and conscious awareness to know how and when to use each independently and to remain ever present in their combined power.

Adding the equation of rational thought to the problem of an ill defined emotional or intuitive nature can offer the resolution to what would potentially become a stalemate and eventually an over – abundance of emotional outpour that only serves to cloud thesolution even further.

Fire of Water

Heat boiling
Away discarded flesh
Muscle and sinew
Raw and moist as new
Shell is formed.

Electricity runs through
Nerves overwrought
From continued abuse.
Let the current run through
The healing waters that
Move just below the surface.

You know those moments when your emotions are in such a volatile place that you simply explode with the slightest provocation? This is the boiling point, or water expressed in its fiery and expansive state.

Fire is an expression of our will and desire. When the will or desire is placed in the container of emotions, passionate expression and fire fueled intent are the natural outcome. This can be productive in urging on towards transformation or destructive in over stimulating the emotional response and causing damage.

Fire within Water is the electrical charge of the fires of will being expressed through the intuitive or emotional selves. In magickal practice, this is the igniting of the inner spark of our inherent Divine nature supported by compassionate love, understanding and the call to healing. This also speaks to the power of self-control. The discipline of knowing when you are nearing that point of boiling over and when there is just the correct amount of energy, action and creativity to produce something new.

Earth of Water

Water rushes through
Stone and rock
Carving its own
Sculpture of emotive release.

Tides expand and contract
Carrying the mysteries of
Each shoreline it has touched.

When we reach into the earth of water, we are calling into action the necessary container to stabilize and coalesce the movement or flow of watery energies. Earth is the foundational energy through which we function and express ourselves in our most instinctual of states. Emotions are the products of response to these prime energies. Earth’s energies are that of creation from the fertile seeds implanted within it. Each of our emotions are those seeds that are planted within the energy of our physical body and eventually out pictured in the landscape that is our physical and spiritual being.

Excerpted from: The Elemental Year

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Hands carefully and tenderly holding a book
Pages thick and full between fingers in
Anticipation of what new kernels
Of wisdom may be consumed
Chewed upon and digested with
Hopes of nourishing a hungry Soul.

Seeds strewn between the crevices of mind
And illumined waterfalls of gentle rain.

A thirsty stream of electrically charged
Idea and sparks of quickening pulsing through
Halted breath just before the sigh and lengthy
Exhale of “yes, I understand!”

The beginning of a new awakening
A swish of pages stirring the excited
Breath of musty history penned by the
Sliding silk caress of ink and paper
Caressing oatmeal colored parchment.

And once again I sit at the table of knowledge
The first stirrings of an insatiable appetite
Invited to the Feast of the Seeker.

I am a book addict. I admit it proudly and will shamelessly give you detail of all the steps of my addiction.  There was a time when I was a young girl that I had very strict standards about what books I read. The thicker, the smaller the print and the more vocabulary dense- the better. You know that scene in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”, when the Beast opens the doors to an endless library? That was my ultimate fantasy. 

When I was younger, I spent hours at the local library with my Grandmother. When I was a teenager, I got a job as a page at that same Library and spent countless hours shelving and stealing away to devour every book I could get my hand on. As a Young woman commuting to New York for Ballet, I read book after book, while happily riding the morning train. When I became a mother, I read hundreds of books over the summer to our five children, each eagerly selecting their own pile to be read on weekly trips to the library. Every book honed my skills of imagination and every book set up a visual library within my psyche that now I use as the reserves of magickal visioning and practce of energetic connection. So, what is the inherent magick in a book?

A Practice of Visioning:

Some of our most successful magick is born from what we envision as we set our intention towards manifestation. Our desires and wishes become the intention of will to action and from that foundation we weave and craft our spell of making. Reading a book stimulates this creative action. We see words on the pages and images emerge that fit the intention. The more involved we become in the story or information, we begin to hear the narration of these words as we read as though the instructor or beloved characters are whispering over our shoulders. I have been told by those who have attended my workshops that they could hear the sound of my voice in narration as they read one of my books. They are actually calling up the holographic energy I’ve put into the writing of the book. The images become the encyclopedic reference we use as we categorize and analyze similar images in our daily or magickal workings.

Tactile Energy:

The tactile sensation of holding a book in your hands, feeling the weight of its pages and turning each page is an experience that engages much more than the physical sensation. Energetically, you have given the signal to the brain that something new is at hand. Your eyes scan the pages of word and image and the brain processes al that it sees and formulates the subtle connections that become the stores of information received from the simple writing of words on a page. Yes, I am proudly old school about books. I love technology, Kindles and the Nook, but there is nothing like a physical in hand book.

One of the favorite exercises I give to my students to do when we begin studies of sensing energy is to suggest taking their favorite book and as they read the pages to imagine what the author must have been feeling and trying to convey as they wrote the words. To allow themselves to energetically connect to the words, beyond simply reading each, but also opening to the sensation of the rhythm and vibration that word is setting into motion. This works at two levels, because not only are you connecting tot eh author’s intent, but also being aware of your feelings and response to what you are reading.

A Book is a Book, Plain and Simple:

You will note that I have not even touched upon the subject matter contained within a book of choosing. The point being that the simple act of reading a book- regardless of subject matter – has impact at subtle levels. Add to this, the reading of a book that relates to spiritual and magickal pursuits and the energy to be gathered has even greater potential for taking the reader on a journey of vision and energetic connection.

Now I write my own books and try to imagine as I am writing what my reader will be hearing and seeing as they read the words lovingly put to paper. My home library is extensive and additions are frequent, despite limited space. Each is like a supportive friend and teacher that has opened my perspective and enriched the inner library of my magickal practice.

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I’ve written several times on the importance of developing a personal practice and the work and efforts of fine-tuning what that practice includes and ultimately becomes. But something more is needed that will expand upon those singular and personal threads you’ve woven. That “something” is the expansive catalytic energy created by the intermingling of your ideas, philosophies and practice with that which others have crafted of their own. It is within this space of exchange, safe haven for disagreement and accord and body of enough like-minded individuals that we find the assemblage of what may be defined as a community.

By definition the word Community means:

1: a unified body of individuals as:
a: an interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common location
b: a group linked by a common policy
c: body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society

2: those who have:
a: joint ownership or participation
b : common character
c : social activity and fellowship

I like these definitions because they give clue to the multiple layers that community is and the varied forms it may take. This simple word encompasses geographic location, societal conditions, historical and philosophical commonalities and interaction among varied, yet like-minded individuals. In the broadest and simplest setting it is the coming together of those with shared interests on common ground. As we narrow it down a bit more, we see that the broader community is composed of smaller groups of individuals, who have even more in common and with shared interests. Moving in closer still, we separate out into the many traditions and practices that comprise the umbrella of what a pagan community includes. And, looking closer still, we see that even within our smaller pockets of community that are our covens, groves, lodges and more, there is yet a smaller community of individuals who share the common experience of expertise, lineage or mundane life. Some may disagree with my drawing the lens in so tightly and still calling it community, but if we use these definitions above we can loosely define community with as few or as many participants as we wish.

I believe that one of the key points of distinction in what constitutes as community or not is the aspect of joint ownership and participation that is at the heart of that community. This implies that there should be a sense of co-creation at work in establishing what we identify as community; and without the active participation from all who wish to claim ownership of what has been created that cluster will soon wither and dry up. I have purposefully omitted comment on the efficacy of communal efforts, power plays and negative ego based agenda that flow as an undercurrent through all communities as this is a topic for a much lengthier essay.

If we take all of the above dynamics into consideration, finding a home within a specific community adds yet another dimension of complexity in that the individual must feel comfortable, safe and identify that home as a place of nurturance and best interest. Becoming part of a group or frequenting the same open communal activities simply out of the need to belong and falsely molding yourself to fit in is not a great option. Nor is holding on rigidly to your own beliefs and remaining indifferent to the scope and breath of others experiences a positive practice. And, in the broader sense, neither of these conditions is a good foundation for creating a strong and resilient pagan community that will stand the test of time and remain viable regardless of what pressures are set upon it.

Remember that definition of joint ownership? I would like to add responsibility to the mix as well. We are ultimately responsible for the life we breathe into our communities; the strength we lend to them and the intent we place upon them to grow in a functional and positive manner. It is our responsibility to ensure that our communities will attract the necessary energy that will move us forward as magickal workers, human beings and stewards of our lives and lands. The function of a healthy community is to be the legacy from which the next generation of seekers can draw upon and take to the next level of evolvement (or involvement).

So, with the goal in mind of finding a community that will serve both your personal needs towards growth and contribute to the ever expanding diversity of that community, finding a place that you call home within this broad spectrum can often be overwhelming in choice. This is where the adage “Know Thyself” and the time spent in personal practice can serve as anchor and scale to weigh the pros and cons to where you choose to hang your hat.

Each of us wants to find a place within community that feels right and is comfortable. A place where we can be our best and at times also be our worst and still remain accepted for who we are. This is one of the primary purposes that community serves. So, explore the offerings and opportunities to participate in summer Festivals, Pagan Pride Days, Open Rituals, Balls, Conferences and anywhere others on a similar path may gather. Meet others, share in common experience and enrich and expand your own connections outwardly. Then, drawing that lens inward, return to the space of your self and evaluate and reflect on how each of these settings felt. Who were the people that you felt most connected to? What are their practices and how do they align with your own? Do your research about those Traditions that you may not know and reach out a little more deeply, probing the waters, of those you do.

Every community has its own nuances and subtleties, many of which are not apparent until you spend some time within them. But, there is also a wealth of obvious strengths and weaknesses if we take the time to open our minds and hearts and fully engage during the time spent in the setting and among the people with whom we are communing. Take the broadest of your experience within the larger community and then narrow it down, step by step until you find the one with which you resonate the most comfortably. This may be committing formally to a group or Tradition and the community they form, adapting communal practices to your solitary practice or participating routinely in select events that completely nourish and enlivens you throughout the year.

The important thing to remember is that where you choose to make your spiritual home and the connections to that community that you weave often become the pivotal factors in how you progress along your chosen path. And, more importantly, the lessons learned from your experiences will ultimately inform what you then have to share with those whom you consider to be part of your larger community.

Definitions taken from The Merriam Webster Dictionary

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