Every aspect of how we live can be, should be even, a manifestation of our beliefs. So, what are the Druid issues when it comes to housework?
I’ll start with the reasons to treat housework as an important, worthwhile thing.
1) Respecting our own space is an extension of self respect.
2) By caring for the house we are honouring the spirits of place.
3) Work undertaken around the house also cares for our tribe (assuming we have one).
4) We can create beautiful, sustaining, inspiring spaces for ourselves and others, pouring bardic creativity into our homes.
5) All work done mindfully has a value, we should not devalue any work just because it is not directly paid for.
On the flip side, there are reasons to be wary of housework.
1) Is your home as shiny as houses in TV commercials? Do you feel pressured to make it that way? That’s about pressure to buy products, and needs resisting.
2) What are you cleaning your home with? All products, even the green ones, represent consumption and use of resources. Reduced cleaning can be the greener option.
3) How much time and energy goes into housework, and what else might it be used for instead?
4) Over-identification with under-valued work can be very bad for your sense of self and can affect how others perceive you. While there’s much to said for re-valuing domestic work, that’s a revolution that hasn’t happened yet.
As with most things, there are no rights or wrongs here. It’s very easy to be ‘too green to clean’ or to view it as someone else’s job. It’s also very easy to feel people will judge you on the appearance of your home – especially true for women – and that no matter what else you do, an imperfect house will condemn you to all who see it.
You can pour heart and soul into anything and get positive effects. You can bring grace and beauty to any activity. How you judge the results and value of this is very personal. A lovingly maintained home, where people can rest, play and work together happily, is a remarkable thing to have. Whether the uber-tidy and ultra-clean shiny house in the style of the adverts, actually gives you that, I shall leave you to ponder.
