[from an old book-of-shadows entry]

Here is the truth: like we it or no, asking for forgiveness is important. There is no energy-channeling that can be done properly without purification first: if power rushes into a flawed crystal, the crystal breaks apart rather than becoming stronger.

I have never before understood why we ask forgiveness, why we must apologize, until this. We are not apologizing to God because we have failed her; we are apologizing to God the same way we apologize to Earth.

We work to improve Earth, yes, or to protect and foster her, but we also give her waste. And we waste what she gives us--on packaging, and greed, in torturing animals and treating ourselves and each other badly. And then we come to her with all our waste and all our wastefulness and ask her to take the poison upon herself, take it away from us, so that we can continue living. We give it to her and ask her to transform it, like Kali, from garbage into food, from something evil into life, from poison back into something of which we can make use.

And all this is natural. But firstly, natural doesn't mean not regrettable; and secondly, we ask too much in any case, more than we should. It hurts Earth, the things we do: it costs her something to take them and transform them. That is why we apologize to earth, and similarly we apologize to God (as above, so below)--not because we are "being bad," but because we are hurting her, that is, doing her harm. And it's nothing God can't handle (though as to Earth, I have my doubts), but it iswhy apology and forgiveness, in one form or another, are necessary in a religion.

And they are necessary for us, too. There is no focus to be had while guilts whisper to you that you cannot do exactly what you're trying to do: touch God, improve yourself.

Post-scriptum: What entirely sacrifice is, I can't say, but surely there must be an element of waste-disposal to it.