Last week at the Lords Day Circle Gathering, the Servant of the Light had spoken to the Kindred about the energy there is in joy.

“Aside of the homely needs of our earthly nature – food, rest, intimacy, play – there are two main sources of energy,” Harold had said to them. “There is joy, and there is anger.

“The energy of joy is winged and eager, it is full of laughter and ready to serve. It is ready of access where people are allowed to do the right thing for their temperament; where the inborn need to give and to serve finds the work asking to be done in the community. When folk are working out of their joy, the Light shines through every task accomplished; the result is as sweet and wholesome as a nut.

“The energy of anger is different. It is accessed where people are too tired to go on, and irritation generates a little adrenalin for one more push. The flavour of anger energy is bitter and scary; it is full of blame and resentment. Anger energy fuels work done under coercion, work that has no pleasure in it; lonely work done only for money by folk who go to places they don’t want to go, to do the jobs nobody wanted to do – not for love or service, but to be paid a wage.

“People who choose that their lives will express holiness have many reasons to tread the path of simplicity. One of the reasons is, if you live simply, your life won’t be so expensive – so you will have more freedom to choose how to spend your time.