Virtues - Moderation

Moderation: Cultivating one's appetites so that one is neither a slave to them nor driven to ill health (mental or physical), through excess or deficiency.¹



Moderation. noun.

An avoidance of extremes in one's actions, beliefs, or habits <the kind of person who does

everything in moderation> ²

Out of all of the virtues, I personally find moderation the hardest, not so much in terms of food or drink anymore, however when it comes to study and working on projects, I get very absorbed, often to the point of neglecting everything else and not sleeping properly for days. I recognise that this is not a healthy way to be, and am trying to figure out how to limit myself so that I still manage to make enough progress that I don't feel like I did nothing, but in a far more balanced way.

Moderation is counselled in the Havamal, we are told it's best to not eat to our 'own life's hurt'³, 'keep not the mead cup but drink thy measure'⁴, 'speak needful words or none'⁵, and that it's best to not 'wax too wise'⁶, as ' seldom a heart will sing with joy if the owner be all too wise.'⁷

I agree with ADF in that it is a virtue (and was in the Pagan period). However, I do think that we should be careful that we don't mistake moderation for not fully experiencing our Paganisms or breaking down those mental barriers between our Judeo-Christian enculturation and Paganism. As Oscar Wilde famously said, 'Everything in moderation, including moderation.'

Words - 220 (excl. quotes)

1

 Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

2   (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderation

3 Bellows, H. (1923). Havamal 20. In The poetic Edda,. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.

4 Bellows, H. (1923). Havamal 19. In The poetic Edda,. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.

5Ibid.

6 Bellows, H. (1923). Havamal 55. In The poetic Edda,. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.

7Ibid.