Today is the start of something new. 

Today, an African-American (and a post-baby boomer to boot!) took the U.S. Presidential Oath of Office, and now, for the first time in a very long time, I feel we have the chance to make changes that will count for something.

Now our president is a person who seeks out diversity of opinion and then makes well-reasoned decisions.

Now our president is a person who is one of the best and the brightest America has to offer. 

He will work to create partnerships, not adversarial relationships, with the leaders of other nations. 

He will embrace the opportunity he has to break political and economic logjams and get this country back on its feet.

He is living proof that differences of race and culture present no insurmountable barriers to understanding and good will. 

He is living proof that hard work and faith in oneself can make amazing things-things I wondered if I would ever live to see–happen. 

Today, after eight years of small-minded, unimaginative, me-first, no-you-can’t game playing, I have a president I can believe in. 

And today, I cried for joy.

I cannot hope to match the eloquence and wit of other Pagan bloggers (see especially David’s Silver Maple—“Grant Park” and Anne Johnson’s The Gods Are Bored “How Faeries Vote” postings) who have posted about the outcome of the 2008 U.S. presidential election, but I want to say that I personally feel as if we as a nation have been in prison for the past eight years, and now the cell doors have been unlocked and we’ve been told “you’re free!” 

I know that the next eight (yes, EIGHT! J) years under Barack Obama won’t be perfect—but if you saw his speech on election night, you know that Obama wasn’t promising perfection.  This is a man who, unlike his predecessor, doesn’t have time to posture and gloat.  And despite the history made on Tuesday night, he didn’t waste a breath on basking in the glory of the moment; he gave a very let’s-roll-up-our-sleeves-and-get-to-work kind of speech, giving credit to the many who worked so hard over the last two years for this moment and the millions who believed in the message enough to step into a new direction at long last.

The Goddess and God have indeed blessed us!  May they continue to bless Barack Obama and all of us as we make a new beginning.