Tag: Christianity

The Wicca Book of Days for Feb. 14th – Valentine’s Lovebirds

The Wicca Book of Days for February 14th – Valentine’s Lovebirds

Although February 14th is known as Saint Valentine’s Day and is dedicated to love and lovers, the Valentine who was canonized for having been martyred on account of his Christianity in ancient Roman times had no known connection with romance. It seems that Valentine’s name and patronage became confused over the millennia, and that the day’s association with love and romance arose from the widespread popular belief that birds began mating on this day. In England, it was said that if you were unattached, the first person of the opposite sex that you clapped eyes on on this day would become your husband or wife.

“The Lovers”

If you are not wooed tonight, you may find meditating on The Lovers, the sixth of the major-arcana. Tarot cards, thought-provoking. It portrays a pair of lovers, yet may be concerned with the dual options inherent in making any binding decision.

The Wiccan Book of Day for Feb. 9th – Child Of The Sun

Wiccan Book of Days for Thursday, February 9th

Child of the Sun 

The divine infant that, according to many systems of sacred belief, was born around the Winter Solstice in late December, is thought to have grown into childhood by this time of year. The stories associated with these Divine boys which include Christianity’s Jesus and ancient Egypt’s Horus are concerned with their growing strength-of mind, body and spirit-but also with their vulnerability, especially when pitted against the embodiment of evil. In Horus’s case, Set, the murderer of his father, Osiris, presented a hugely dangerous threat, one that could only be neutralized in an epic, coming of age struggle to the death, in which the heroic. Horus would emerge bloodied but victorious.

　

“The Artic Sun”

Light a yellow candle in a gesture of joyful fellowship with the people of Narvik in Norway, who are celebrating their first sight of the sun since early November around

 

Historical Roots to Modern Practice of Witchcraft

Historical Roots to Modern Practice of Witchcraft


The roots of the religion called Wicca, or Witchcraft, are very old, coming down to us through a variety of channels worldwide. Although any general statement about our practices will have exceptions, the following will attempt to present a basic foundation for understanding. Some of the old practices were lost when indigenous religions encountered militant Christianity and were forced to go underground for survival. The ancient mystery religions were lost when the practice of the rites was stopped and the old oral traditions were no longer available. Parents transmitted their traditions to their children, with parts being lost and new parts created in succeeding generations. These survivals, along with research into the old ways, provide a rich foundation for modern practice. Other factors contributing to the revival of the Craft are archaeological and anthropological studies of the religious practices of non-Christian cultures, the works of the Golden Dawn and other metaphysical orders, and the liberalization of anti-Witchcraft laws.

Modern Witches hold rituals according to the turning of the seasons, the tides of the moon, and personal needs. Most rituals are performed in a ritual space marked by a circle. We do not build church buildings to create this sacred, ritual space — all Earth is sacred and in touch with the Goddess and so any place, indoors or out, may be consecrated for ritual use. Outdoor spaces tend to be used from Ostara to Lammas, indoor spaces from Samhain to Imbolc.

Why I’d Want Darkness In Me (Or, At Least, Not Mind It)

Why I’d Want Darkness In Me (Or, At Least, Not Mind It)

Author: Fire Lyte

While listening to an old clip from The Way of the Master Radio – a Christian Fundamentalist show, the radio host asked why anyone would want darkness in them. He asked this because Kirk Cameron, the co-host, had infiltrated a Mabon ritual and recorded the whole thing. This question came about, because pagans supposedly celebrate the balance of light and dark within them and in the world on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes – contemporarily known as Ostara and Mabon, and the two hosts could not fathom why anyone would want to accept darkness within. This is a really good question, and one that should inspire a lot of internal questioning.

Why in the world would anybody want to celebrate the balance of light and dark within him or her?

This is one of those trick questions kids ask one another on the playground that takes some fact or circumstance, twists it, and asks it in such a way that there is no good answer. For example: Does your mother know you lie? If you say yes, then you admit to lying and you assume the guilt of having let down your mother. Alternatively, if you say no, then you admit to lying to your mother about lying, and you assume the guilt of keeping a secret from your mother. There is no secret option C in which you neither lie, nor have to admit your deceit to your mother.

Well, this question is the same thing. We celebrate the balance of light and dark within us, firmly acknowledging that both exist. It is not that we want one over the other, and it is not that we want only one. This is one of the beautiful facets of paganism that I see as a benefit to our collective ideals. We may not agree on a lot of things, but we agree that we worship something solid, something real. At the heart of many of our religious tenets lies a central Earth worship, or the notion that we tie our sabbats and magical practices to the physical universe. Prosperity spells when the moon is waxing and so on. As such, we have a tendency to honor the natural laws of existence. We celebrate birth and death equally, and know that they are not points of singularity, but rather spokes on an ever-turning wheel.

Let’s try an experiment.

Think hard. Raise your hand if you’ve ever wanted to take an item off the shelf and just leave the store with it without paying. I mean, this economy is pretty tough, and I see lots of things I wouldn’t mind having without burdening my wallet with an inconvenient charge.

Raise your hand if you laughed when someone tripped or saw someone go through hard times and thought, “They had it coming.” Raise your hand if you’ve ever wanted to be the one who collects on karmic debts or if you’ve ever wanted to take a break from monogamy for just one day. Raise your hand if swift revenge seemed like the only option. Raise your hand if you’ve ever really wished someone would die. Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought about what a razor blade would feel like going inside your wrist. Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a dark moment…

Now, keep your hand raised if you didn’t go through with it. And aren’t you glad you didn’t?

Aren’t you glad you had enough inner balance to view the dark thought, shed some light on it, and put it neatly back in the box of dark thoughts where it belongs? It doesn’t matter if you briefly weighed the option of stealing the bottle of soda or if you dwelled upon a guilty conscience for years. The point is that at some point or another, you balanced out. You were not swallowed up by that singular point of darkness.

It would be a wonderful thing if we only ever had good thoughts. It would be great if the world were a fluffy pillow and the sun shone everyday and the radio station only played your favorite songs. But it isn’t. I’ve said before that reality isn’t fun, but it’s what we’ve got, and that’s really very true. As pagans, we acknowledge that we have our dark moments, and we can view them from a balanced perspective, because we also acknowledge our light. We differentiate them, because of one another. How would we know what moments are truly triumphant, truly joyous, if we did not have the hard times to compare them to?

It would be a foolish act on our part if we turned a blind eye on darkness. It exists, and it is as real and corporeal as if it were caressing you in the night. We are only prepared to face it, because of the balance of light and dark, because of the knowledge of past dark times, and the light we brought in to turn the dark away. If you knew an army was going to invade your country, rape your women, kill your men, and burn your cities, would you acknowledge the threat or talk about what a beautiful day it is? There is something to be said for reveling in the good times, but we must not let the good get in the way of reality.

On a different tangent, dark and light can quite literally also mean the times of year. The darker parts of the year are times when we don’t want to be as active, when the earth is bare, and when times are a bit hard. Without the sun, it is easy to become melancholic and shut off. Again, in these instances, we celebrate the light and the dark, because we know that light will come again. We remind ourselves to not get complacent in the dark, and to actively seek to bring light into every corner of our lives during times when it doesn’t come naturally. (Both literally and figuratively.)

Celebrating the balance of light and dark is celebrating the very nature of the universe, celebrating the most natural parts of nature. We acknowledge both, because both exist, and we do not wish to be foolish when the time comes to face one or the other. The good can be just as overwhelming as the bad, and can cause as much harm. Have you ever been so ecstatic that you forgot about your other daily duties? Have you ever let time get away from you when having fun that it turned into neglect of yourself or others?

If we are not conscious of consequences, the choices we make are one-sided and potentially harmful, dark. I see this with a lot of college-aged kids who stay out all night partying, enjoying the goods of youth, but forget to study or don’t get enough sleep or forget to come to work.

Balance, true balance, is what happens when we weigh our decisions carefully before making them. It is acknowledging hard times, dark times, and finding the light in each situation so that we can move forward. It is the quintessential idea of living in the present moment, of accepting the realness of reality.

So, to that radio man, I say that I don’t want darkness anymore than I want light. I simply acknowledge that both exist, because I have a brain and the ability to think and reason and accept the nature of the natural world.

Now, on the topic of sin. I ask you what, exactly, sin is, whether we should be forgiven for it, and, if so, who does the forgiving. However, I want you to think about the definition of sin without using the words Christian, or Abrahamic, or Jesus, or Bible. Remember doing those exercises in English class where you were supposed to come up with the definition of a word without using the word in a sentence? I want you to do that here. Strip away the conventions of Christianity, because sin is most definitely not simply a Christian concept. The notion of sin exists in all faiths.

So…think about it. What is sin? The majority of definitions ascribed to the word sin are that it is a transgression against some sort of moral code of conduct. In some cases this code is set forth by divine law, but in other cases it is simply that which goes against one’s personal ethics or values. But, this is just a theological idea of sin.

Chocolate can be sinful. It can be a sin to throw out a perfectly good jug of orange juice when it’s half-full. Recent statistics show that more and more people are leaving their religion of origin – yes, specifically the Christian and Catholic faiths. Half of all adults have changed religions at least once. Half of all adults! On top of that, most people that change religion do it more than once. 44% of Americans, according to a study done by the Pew Forum, do not belong to their childhood faith. 9% more say that they do belong to their childhood faith, but they changed at some point to another one.

And, in all of this mixing of doctrines, beliefs, and practices, we’ve muddled down the definition of sin. Or, perhaps we haven’t muddled anything. Perhaps, since we are in a constant state of reinvention and evolution, we have created a new and modern definition of sin. As pagans, this is what we are all about. We call ourselves neo-pagan in a nod to the fact that we take the traditions of the past and meld them with modern thinking.

Enough with the set up. What is sin? Well, I am going to say it is an action that goes against our values, morals, ethics, or other personal or social code of conduct. I include social, because some might claim that it is well within their personal system of morality that murdering someone for personal gain, revenge, or other innocuous vendetta. Some claim they should be able to take as much as they can steal, because that’s their own morality. That’s not acceptable; I don’t care if you claim you’re on the most left of left-hand paths or what. It is not ok. Your rights do not expand and envelope another’s right to be left alone.

So, if we commit one of these moral transgressions, should we be forgiven for it? Simple answer: yes. Now, notice I have yet to say I believe sin is some sort of divine act against a deity’s will. I think we should be forgiven for our wrongdoings, because we are supposed to be the best people we can be.

We need to release ourselves from the guilt of carrying around our sins, and we need to allow the person we wronged the opportunity to experience the positive karma of forgiveness. (More on karma in a future article.) In order to move on and be balanced individuals, we cannot be weighed down by too much dark or too much light, and thus we cannot carry around all the darkness of sin. To be balanced is the goal, the epitome of religious study and introspection.

However, balance is not something that occurs by purely singular means. You do not balance yourself by yourself. You shed off what doesn’t work, take on what does, and meld them together in a cohesive lifestyle. Many of us do this by focusing on the positive during the waxing and full moons, as these are times of growth and prosperity. On the flip side, we are taught that the waning and dark moons are times to banish the bad aspects of our personality, to get rid of guilt and worry and the wrongs that are done to ourselves and to others. These are times when we both forgive others and forgive ourselves. Oh…and we ask the Goddess and God for guidance.

Who does this forgiving? I’d say it is a combination of people. I might ask the Goddess to help me shed myself of some sin or other, or I might ask for the opportunity to have a positive encounter with someone I wronged so that I can seek forgiveness from them. However, when that person doesn’t give forgiveness, I simply work harder to be a better person and not wrong someone else in the way I wronged him or her.

I would venture, then, to say that sin is we dipping our toes too far into the pool of dark. It is when we tip the scales too far to one side, and we seek forgiveness from that sin in order attain the true balance that is our end goal.

What we want is not to have the darkness, but to work towards temperance. Wow…isn’t that one of the major Arcana in the tarot? Isn’t that one of the lessons of the fool? We seek true, alchemical balance by transforming ourselves, and understanding that there is no true dark and light but merely lessons we must learn. Sometimes we must learn that something needs to be learned, to be taken on. Sometimes we learn that we must rid ourselves of something. Either way, once balance is achieved, we evolve, we transform into our highest selves.

So, I don’t want darkness anymore than I want pure light. I want to be my highest self, and the only way I can think of to do that is acknowledge my sin, seek forgiveness from myself, my Gods, or those who I have transgressed against. I learn the lessons of life that come from experiencing both light and dark, and I work towards balance and becoming my best self.

Footnotes:
References in article

The Shield of Brigid

Every day, every night
that I praise the goddess,
I know I shall be safe:
I shall not be chased,
I shall not be caught,
I shall not be harmed.
Fire, sun, and moon
cannot burn me. Not
lake nor stream nor sea
can drown me. Fairy
arrow cannot pierce me.
I am safe, safe, safe,
singing her praise.
~The Shield of Brigid, Irish Prayer

February Eve

Imbolc/Candlemas Comments

February Eve

“Dread Lord of death and Resurrection life and the giver of life, Lord within ourselves, whose name is Mystery of Mysteries, encourage our hearts. Let the light crystallize in our blood, fulfilling us of resurrection, for there is no part of us that is not of the Gods.”

—-The Book of Shadows (1949), Gerald Gardner

Magickal Graphics

Becoming a Witch

Becoming a Witch

by Morgaine

© Morgaine 2001.

This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times.

I am often asked how one becomes a witch. Do you find someone who is a witch and they make you one? Or are you a witch just by saying you are? Can you make yourself a witch?

The process of becoming a witch doesn’t happen overnight. It is a life change, a new path upon the journey of your life. It takes consideration, study and work. If you have previously followed a mainstream religion, you may have things that take time to let go, and new things that take time to absorb. I have heard many people say it is often hard, coming from a life of Christianity, to feel comfortable praying to the Goddess. All new things take time, but if you are serious upon this path, you will find your way. The Gods call their own home to them.

No matter how you have came about finding the Old Religion, here you are. So where do you go? To the book store. For a novice, books are like the air you breathe. You must have them, or access to them in some way. If you cannot afford, or do not feel safe having books on the Craft, the internet is the next best place.

In both books and on the internet you will find a wealth of knowledge that will help guide you upon your new path. Of course, as with anything else, there is good information and bad information. Avoid any kind of book, or internet site, that speaks of controlling another person in any way, harming them, doing love spells on a specific person, or tells you to chant in latin, even though you have no idea what you are saying (yes, I have seen sites like that). These books/sites will not fulfill your need for knowledge in the Craft and will only serve to confuse you.

Once you have read a variety of books and feel called to this path, the next step is to find a teacher. If you have access to a teacher, in my opinion this is the best course of action. A teacher or a coven can often be found if there is a new age book store in your community. Also, the Witches Voice is a site that offers networking in every state. It has grown extremely large over the past few years and is a valuable resource in the Craft community. All of my coven members have found me on the Witches Voice.

Having a mentor can offer so much to you when you are beginning. There will be things you come across that you have a hard time understanding and need clarification. If you have a teacher, they are just a phone call or email away. If you do not, you must try to decifer things on your own, and may not come to the correct end on them. If you do not have a teacher, again, the internet is the next best place to look.

If you are only looking for a ‘how to’ on casting spells, then the Craft is not for you. Witchcraft is a serious spiritual path, in which magick is performed, but is secondary to the religion itself. I would suggest you look to ceremonial magick for that.

A couple of things need to be said about beginning this path, in light of recent attitudes about the Craft. Here lately it seems that you have a people who, after reading a few books, feel as if they can call themselves a master of the Art. They throw on a title like Lady/Lord, or HP/s, add some black clothes, a pentacle the size of a hubcap, and they are ready to go. This is not what the Craft is about. If you have spent years following a particular path, have worked hard for the spiritual lessons that have been presented to you, and through this have attained the title and rank, then by all means use it. But think of how you would feel if, after all that, you have a newbie with 6 months and 5 books unde their belt walking about calling themselves Lady Starry Ski or Lord Thunderbutt. It is very offensive. Just like your parents told you when you were growing up (or maybe you still are) ‘don’t rush things, it will all come to you in the end, and be sweeter for the waiting’. This is true with the Craft. Using titles, putting on airs, and in general acting high and mighty are not going to make you any more spiritual. And that is what this path is about. What it will do is alienate you from people whom you may actually want to meet and get to know!

All of this being said the way to become a witch is through study and dedication. Gather all of the information you can. Find the best teacher possible. Read whatever you can get your hands on. Go outside in nature and commune with the Goddess and God. Listen to the trees and the wind and the rush of the water, for this is the witch’s world.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

 

Amazing grace, how sweet the Earth
that bore a witch like me!
I once was burned, now I survive,
was hung and now I sing.
T’was grace that drew down the moon
and grace that raised the seas.
The magic in the people’s will
will set our Mother free.
We face the East and breathe the winds
that move across this earth.
From gentle breeze to hurricane
our breath will bring forth the change.
Turn towards the South and feel the fire
that burns in you and me.
The spirit’s flame will rise again
and burn eternally.
We greet the West, our souls awash
in tides of primal birth.
Our tears and blood, our pain and love
will cleanse and heal the earth.
Reach into the North and know your roots
down deep ancestral caves.
We find the wisdom of the Crone,
Of circles we are made.
Amazing earth, enduring life,
from death into rebirth.
T’is earth I am and earth I love
and earth I’ll always be.
Amazing grace, how sweet the Earth
that bore witches like we.
We once were burned, now we survive,
were hung and now we sing.
Goddess bless, so mote it be,
Our magic spirals on.
Merry meet and merry part
and merry meet again
 
Courtesy of Dana… From GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives

The Meanings of the Pentacle

The Meanings of the Pentacle

The Elemental Pentacle

Each point of the star represents an element. Earth,Water,Fire,Air,and Spirit.The circle surrounding represents all these aspects working
together to create the natural cycle of life on Earth.

The Stages of Life Pentacle

Each point of the star represents one stage of life. Birth,
adolescense(Maiden/Son), nurturer (Mother/Father), wisdom(Crone/Sage),and death. The circle surrounding represents these stages creating the cycle of individual life.

The Human Pentacle

If we hold our arms out to either side, while standing or lying with our feet apart, we are a star. The circle surrounding reminds us that we are in perfect balance (or at least strive to be) as the star.

The Inverted Pentacle

The upside down star represents the face of the Horned God, he who is the animal that gives his life so others can eat.The circle is the cycle of the food chain.

from another group.
author unknown

Celebrations Around the World, Jan. 22

Erotic Festival Day
Festival of the Orgone
St. Vincent’s Day (patron of winegrowers, schoolgirls, vinegar makers)
Dance of the 7 Veils Day
Festival of Invoking & Banishing
Answer Your Cat’s Question Day
Ukranian Day
Saints Day
National Blond Brownie Day
St. Timothy’s Day (Greek)
Goddess Month of Hestia ends
Munich Ballet Festival begins
Hong Kong Arts Festival begins

Mayan Chronological Estimation: A Good Day For Those Who Walk In The Country.

Calendar of the Sun for January 7th

Calendar of the Sun
7 Wolfmonath

Justicia I: Themis’s Day

Color: Blue
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a blue cloth place three candles, a goblet of white wine, and any book related to the study of social rules.
Offerings: Go out into the community and do service.
Daily Meal: All food must be ethically and sustainably grown.

Invocation to Themis

(To be said Call And Response)

Lady of the All-Seeing Eyes,
Advisor to Kings and God-Kings,
Themis Eubolos, Good Counselor,
You who are always on the winning side,
Guardian of Propriety and Civic Duty,
Lady of the Public Assembly,
Keeper of Order,
Builder of Correct Ceremony,
Teacher of the Discipline of Graciousness,
You who know the value of Procedure,
Mother of Rules,
Mother of Justice,
Mother of Peace,
From you sprang the Hours,
From you sprang the Graces,
From you sprang the foundation of our Order.
You who took pity on humanity
And showed them how to save themselves
With the bones of their Mother,
Creating life from stone,
Show us, too, the proper way of things,
That we might always honor your name.
Hail Themis!

(Pour out the libation and all exit. Immediately upon leaving the service, go out into the community and do some visible service in Themis’s name.)

Dark Night of the Soul

Dark Night of the Soul

Author: Draconis Wierinsan Kinthasil

I always knew I was different. I spent almost twelve years blindly accepting what I was taught was the only truth, that there was only one God and He was unchanging. That the Church was always right and if you disagreed, then you were a, “Godless Pagan!” A soulless heathen, lacking in morals and, perhaps even humanity. I accepted it, even praised myself for my avoidance of “sin”, or at least anything remotely connected with pleasure, happiness and joy, which was how I thought of sin.

But, in my heart of hearts, I had begun to question everything I had been raised to believe. I was lost in a sea of my own inner trials. I had thought for many years that my view of the world was right, that I was an essentially good person. Seeing the crimes, the hatred and pain that came from taking faith, any faith to extremes, soured me on it all. I questioned, asked for answers and still came up spiritually empty.

It had been a difficult time for me; I had left the Hanover-Horton school district after the sixth grade and I was still having trouble with the aides they had me working with. One in particular, Mrs. Paxton made me seem like an idiot, when she tried to say that I needed to have periodic meetings with her three or four times a year. One of the things that got me was she was actually nice when I saw her later. All I ever heard from her and her cronies was “He’s unorganized! He can’t spell! He doesn’t understand the simple concepts!” On and on they went about stuff that didn’t matter, things that only added to my feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Though I was not forced, it was in essence assumed that I would believe a certain way. My parents, though they never espoused any particular religious faith, both came from fairly mainstream backgrounds. My search for my own truth, for what I truly was as a person, led me, at first, to reread the Bible and other books, seeking answers. This however, proved more confusing. I saw for the first time the contradictions, the deep chasm between what the Church-folk and Bible-thumpers preached, and how they acted.

The hypocrisy of spending six days a week drinking, lying and stealing, then crawling to church on Sunday and everything was supposedly “forgiven.” I remember I saw it firsthand when I was stupid enough to ask a pastor “Why can’t women be priests?” He sputtered, turning away. He never did give me an answer. Later I learned that the clergy didn’t appreciate those sorts of questions. So I expanded my search, including religions that were a complete departure from what I had known.

The impetus to this process of self-transformation came in the unlikely form of Mr. James Wright, a leader of Boy Scout Troop 134, of which I was a member. He and his wife had given me a pamphlet that gave a brief overview of several different faiths. It, combined with my inner turmoil, proved to be the kick I needed to launch me on a journey of self-discovery.

Just before Samhain, an old Celtic name for Halloween, of 2003, I rediscovered papers I had printed from the Internet two years before. They contained things I’d pulled from the multitude of sites that covered the many faiths of the world. Reading through them again, my thoughts were skeptical. At first I had the attitude that all faiths other then the Christian one were false. This prejudice soon fell away as I began to discover that I was less of a Christian then I’d thought.

I spent days wrangling with the issue. What was so wrong with believing differently? That haunted me for a long time, making my break with the Christian faith more difficult. But, like a drowning man I grasped at the one thing I knew was still true. That “If I can’t blame myself for the foolish deeds I’ve committed, how can I blame others for the choices they made?”

One night shortly thereafter, I prayed for guidance as I took the first step what will soon be an eight-year journey of, awakening, study, meditation and prayer. I discovered the Craft (Witchcraft, the Craft of the Wise) through the Internet and other forms of media.

It was as if a light switch had suddenly flicked on in my brain. I felt something…a sort of gentle nudge from somewhere inside, a little voice saying that I needed to know more. I made a choice then and there, for a year and a day, one complete cycle of what Witches call the Wheel of the Year I would walk the Path, learning if it was what I sought.

So I wandered along the winding road of transformation and discovery. I studied, I prayed, and I learned. Many obstacles, the disapproval of my family, my own fear of what I might find out about myself and my fear of taking that step into the unknown, stood in my way. Greatest among them and hardest for me to take were my parents thinking “Oh it’s just a phase he’s going through” and this required me to keep my inner travels hidden from the outside world. At times I felt like I was walking in darkness, seeking something I couldn’t name. What I found was the essence of my true self, the truth of my faith.

As that first year and a day flew by, I read and pondered the words of those learned men and women who spoke of the Craft. Raymond Buckland, whose books showed me the spiritual side of the Craft, It was his description of what a Witch really was that gave me my first glimpse of the spiritual realm that intersects our own. Scott Cunningham and Raven Grimassi both pioneers in the study of the historic roots of the Witch and the modern form that practice took. Gerald Gardner, the first to bring Witchcraft out of the shadows and offer it to the world. Ted Andrews, whose writings on the roots of animism and shamanic magic gave me new insight into our relationships with our environment, were my first teachers. Through their writings and my own emerging sense of self-empowerment I began to become a Witch in truth, not just in name. Being a Witch as I soon learned meant having self-control. It was difficult for me, to break the cycle of fear and self-hatred but in doing so I began to shed the worst aspects of my character I worked and studied, learning and absorbing information, learning more about myself, and who I was.

Prayer, once central to my life as a Christian, took on a new meaning. My soul recoiled from the thought of bowing my head in fear. That was what I had been taught, that God was wrathful and powerful, casting all but his followers into Hell. I rejected fear of the Gods, instead, I prayed in homage and in reverence. I honored them for their power, not because someone told me to. Now, for the first time in years, I had a reason to pray, a desire to know the Gods. I called out to the powers of the universe, asking them to show themselves. I paid homage to the Lady and Lord, as I first knew the Goddess and God, celebrating the eight sacred festivals of the Wheel of the Year, wondering in the back of my mind if I was just being foolish. That was my greatest fear at that point, what if I was truly damned? Was I risking my very soul? About six months into that first year, I received the answer.

I had prayed that evening as had become my custom, asking for guidance, expecting nothing. I remember I had readied myself for my daily meditation when it happened. I had a vision. I was awake, and yet I was dreaming. I felt a tingle on the base of my neck and a jerking, swooping sensation in my stomach and before my eyes was a vast field.

I was standing before a great temple, carvings of leaping stags and running wolves adorning its doors, the scent of freshly turned earth filling my lungs. A swirling mist enveloped me, cool and damp, fresh like the air after a spring rain. As if brushed away by an unseen hand a tendril of mist swept away on the wind revealed massive standing stones, weather-hewn monoliths carved with symbols and signs from some long ago time.

As a long mournful howl split the air, a shiver raced down my spine and my blood ran cold. From the mist that surrounded me came a tall, masculine figure, his face half hidden by shadow. A flash of silver, like spun moonlight solidified into a kilt of linen He wore belted at His waist. His skin was dusky gold and I felt power coming from Him, a wild, untamed, feral power.

The hair on the back of my neck prickled, this wasn’t a dream; something inside told me “This is real.” My eyes locked on the spear in His hand, a shaft of ebony and gold with faint silver symbols I couldn’t make out engraved along its length. Finding the strength somewhere deep inside, I lifted my gaze to His face. But, fear held me immobile and coiled around my heart, as he came into the light of the luminous silver moon, I saw for the first time the true nature of his outer form.

Atop His shoulders was the black furred head of a great wolf, his eyes a fiery amber-red. Ornaments of bone hung from His wrists and neck, and His eyes burned with the wild essence of a true predator. Yet, there was no malice in his gaze, no cruelty, only wisdom and caring. In the Wolf-Lord’s eyes, like fiery pools of molten metal, I saw compassion and love. Such emotions were weakness, or so I’d always thought, but no one would call Him weak, for no weakness could be seen in the corded muscles of his powerful body.

I felt His hand rest on my shoulder, warm, like the summer sun. Then, He spoke, His voice like rolling mountain thunder. “I have heard you, my child. The wildness in your soul, the freedom you crave, the passion that burns within you, these are my gifts to you.” I felt His hand clench on my shoulder as He pronounced with solemn authority, “To mark you as one of those who keep our ways, take for yourself a new name. For it I call you Kinthasil, Shapechanger, One who Serves the Old Gods.”

Before I returned to my body, as if shouted from far off, I heard His name, Lupercus the Wolf-Lord, the Hunter in Shadow. I knew then I wasn’t dreaming; this had felt too real, to be just a dream. The Gods had heard my call and came at my summons. So with no other taskmaster, and more determined than ever, I redoubled my studies. But, nearly a year after that first questioning, just before Samhain 2004, I again had a vision.

This time, I stood in a twilight glade and a woman approached Her movements lithe and graceful. She wore a gown of russet and brown buckskin that matched for her reddish brown hair and doe-soft eyes. The sliver of the waning crescent moon lent hints of dusk and shadow to the creamy color of Her skin. Belted around her slim waist was a cord of spun silver, knotted at both ends. But my eyes were drawn to the necklace of antler and silver, shaped in the image of a star in a circle set between a pair of crescent moons, the points on each facing outwards, the circle between them connecting them both.

The Lady, whom I would thereafter call Sabdh, the Doe-Maiden, smiled, Her eyes filled with warmth. She beckoned somewhere beyond me and, as if by some spell; a russet-gold stag, His antlers wide and branching, points too many to count, stepped forth from the shadows.

I stood in awe as the Antlered Lord raced across the glade, His hooves raising gusts of wind and yet, no blade of grass bent under His weight. Even more amazing, was the Lady, racing along at His side, matching Him step for step. They circled around, and just before His antlers impaled me, He slowed to a stop, the cool smooth tips of His antlers resting over my heart.

He reared and in a flurry of movement changed form. He became a man, His bare chest shining with sweat, His amber eyes alight with the fire of life and massive antlers sprouting from His brow. In those eyes, I saw a great power, the same force I’d seen in the face of the Wolf-Lord.

My eyes were drawn to the long, yew bow that hung across His back and beside it, a quiver of maple-shafted arrows with fletching made from the white feathers of the Peregrine Falcon. From His belt, hung a knife; its bronze hilt shimmering in the sliver of moonlight overhead and on his left hand a ring of silver and moonstone glittered like a star.

Even now, I can still hear his voice echoing in my mind. He placed His palm around the staff that rested against a nearby tree. As he spoke the antlers and golden sphere atop it glowed with a radiance that was like white-hot fire, but cool to the touch. “I am Wierin Cernnunos, ” He said, and as He spoke I saw a montage of images of leaping stags and men with bows, arrows drawn and ready, praying to Him in homage.

Then, like the Wolf-Lord He gave me a new name. “Wierinsan” He called me, “Son of the
Stag-Lord Ye shall be.” It was in essence, a coming home, a rebirth. A few months later I took for myself the name Draconis or “Of the Dragon” in Latin. It is a symbol of my ability to dwell in the spiritual realm and yet remain grounded in the physical, the “real” world, the here and now. Thus by the Gods I am called Draconis Wierinsan Kinthasil. It is the new name I chose to represent the person I had become. Through the trials of spirit, through the pain I endured came the power of the flame that shaped and tempered the iron of my soul.

As the years have passed, for my newfound faith, for the peace I had found in my soul, I have faced criticism, hostility and, at times, outright ridicule. But, knowing what I knew, that the Gods have seen fit to choose me, mark me for some special purpose I have yet to understand, has kept me strong. It has allowed me to stand firm against the scorn, knowing at last what I was and what I believed.

Those like me, the Witches, Pagans, Heathens and others who worship the Old Gods, when I finally met them, welcomed me as a kindred spirit, a fellow wanderer in the Realms of the Gods. Through my Internet connections I have become what I had once sought, a guide to others on the path. But, though I have done and learned many things, I am still and will always be a student.

Walking the path of the Witch is not about controlling others, or bending another to your will. It is about shaping yourself from your experiences, learning from the foolish, stupid things you have done, of controlling yourself. It is walking the earth in friendship, not in dominance. That by helping others, you are helping yourself.

Though I didn’t plan it when I first began my studies, I am determined to learn and train to serve as a priest. By doing so I hope to help others to discover the peace of spirit and sense of fulfillment I have attained.

My experiences, real, spiritual, mental and physical have shaped the man I have become. They have shaped the core of my ethical code, the one fact I have come to see as divine truth: That harming none does not mean playing the other guy’s doormat. It is about standing up, for yourself, your Gods and your faith.

It means tempering your destructive emotions with passion and love. Giving of yourself completely in faith or in love. It is being honorable and just, but not blind to the evils of the world. Doing good, not for yourself, not for what you can get out of it, but doing good for others.


Footnotes:
Names have been changed

Simple Thoughts on Churches and Personal Spirituality

Simple Thoughts on Churches and Personal Spirituality

Author: Disciple of Oghma

I left the Christian faith this last year. After 25 years, I had became everything one seeks to become in a Christian (I still had my issues, but who doesn’t?). But I met a balanced person who gave a thought provoking life testimony. I nearly flipped when I found out this person was a dark pagan. I started rethinking my whole world.

Now I am on a new personal path with a much greater respect for others.

Once I had left Christianity, I started seeing clearly a lot of the odd misconceptions that it promotes… such as the twisted definition of ‘love’ among other things.

If a Christian’s relationship with his or her God could be put in the context of human marriage terms, then the Christian should get a restraining order on God, change his or her name and leave. A funny thought unless you find truth in it.

Anyway… after a year of thought, I have realigned my perspective of the Path.

When I first left the Christian religion, I realized all the hate and rage and condemnation that I was throwing around in the name of ‘love’. In an attempt to decide if that was ‘just me’ or the teachings of the church, I have studied the faith from a different angle.

At first, I drew the conclusion it was a parasitic organism that has been using its popularity and influence to corrupt the nations.
But an idea struck me and I no longer think Christianity is to blame for the problems with people.

I think the Christian church is a symptom of the underlying weaknesses of people not the illness itself. It’s all about our desire to have a set of black-and-white fatalistic standards to use as a system of measurement to understand our world.

So we create a system of “Absolute Truths”.

Then we create a control-based system to ‘run it’ so that we can take advantage of our own desire not to take responsibility for ourselves and to enrich ourselves at the cost of others all… the while feeling pride at our ‘humble spirituality’.

So then what do we do?

We build a large comfortable plush little shrine to an image of human perfection and greatness. The average church, not including all the zoning permits, costs an average of $3-$5 million to build. (I Googled the “cost of church building” and plucked a few sums. It isn’t an absolute number but it gives a good idea to the cost.)

Then we throw our individual responsibilities at it, pray, and ask it to do everything for us. Our only real ‘job’, it would seem, is to use it as an excuse to hate, kill, steal, and harm any whom disagree with us and our god.

Jehovah is the icon of what the average selfish lazy person would be if he or she was a god:

“Let there be “less of you more of me in your life.”

“Give me the upper 10% of your prosperity.”

“I love you if you sing my praises and enslave yourself to me.”

“I’ll help if it suits me and if I don’t, it will work to your benefit”.

(These are beliefs that were generally promoted to me in my churches. I have been through four branches of Protestantism and studied several of the “spinoff faiths of Judaism.” So if you find this inaccurate, I only mean to explain the background from which I draw my current musings).

It is possible for any faith to become in every way as ‘dark’ as we have often accused the Judeo-Christian belief and all its related spin-offs (Mormon, Judaism, Catholic, Jehovah witness, Satanism, protestant, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, etc.) as being.

It seems the only way to avoid this path is to cut the problem off at the roots.

Personal Growth and Responsibility

It seems when we face ourselves, we very often discover that all the roots of our problems stem from either bad reactions to outside stimuli or a passive/active bad decision on our part.

This includes a new growing trend I am seeing in “disorganized religion” as well: The pop up Wicca/Pagan Sunday schools and the adoption of opposing religious practices like Wiccan “CHRISTenings”.

There is a great freedom in disorganized paths but people who seeks any sort of power should exercise a measure of discretion and be assured that they are grounded. Power without responsibility is dangerous, no matter what badge one wears.

Also we must accept ourselves entirely. We must accept all of our darkness as well as all of our light. To do otherwise is to dwarf one’s growth as well as grant power to the darkness, thus leaving it unchecked.

All of the dark aspects of ourselves, in proper controlled amounts, are actually healthy things. Greed, sloth, envy, pride, etc. Without any of these things, we would never strive, never seek to achieve or grow. They are integral parts of ourselves.

It is as unbalanced to applaud tendencies of light while divorcing ones of darkness just as it is to believe only in a female or only in a male creator.

We don’t have to be destructive either. To find balance and growth, one should simply accept both the inner darkness and inner light to be whole. If you are not whole, how can you grow and stand?

When we recognize our weakness, we master it and find balance. Otherwise it doesn’t matter what the name of your faith is or what you call yourself. You will simply continue to commit acts of cruelty, ignorance, sloth, malice, strife, theft, condemnation, and pride.

If we all would seize the opportunity to take responsibility, accept ourselves, correct our own errors, love and respect everyone – including respecting their rights to their own paths and their own views — and stop trying to make a black-and-white standard in this colorful world, perhaps we can be a better people and encourage growth in a better world.

Disciple_of_oghma

The Top 5 Things Your Local Witch Wants You to Know

The Top 5 Things Your Local Witch Wants You to Know

Author: Holly Risingstar

I am a fairly ordinary woman. I’m in my early thirties; I have a Master’s Degree in Counseling Services; I work with families in crisis. I’ve got two kids, a husband, and family nearby; I love the arts, shopping, beadwork, travel, and photography. I’m addicted to the Grey’s Anatomy and Heroes. I drive a black Honda that has seen better days. I wish gas prices would go down. I’m in desperate need of a haircut.

Oh, and did I mention, I’m a witch?

No, really.

I was born into a nominally Jewish family and had five years’ worth of Hebrew school growing up, but it never felt right to me. I never felt connected, spiritually, to God. By the time I was hitting my teens, I had started to read more and more about the occult, and finally came across Scott Cunningham’s book Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (considered by many to be the best introductory book on Wicca there is). Finally, I Got It. Something inside me knew this was my path, where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to be doing. I’ve been Wiccan for 17 years now, and I’ve never looked back.

Wicca is an earth-based, non-Judeo-Christian religion. The modern form was created from various pieces of pagan religion by Gerald Gardner in the 1930s, but from there has exploded into a rainbow of traditions, each with its own particular blend of magic, faith, and morals. Wicca is a legally recognized religion in the U.S and you can even have it imprinted on your dog tags in the Armed Forces. It is often cited as being the fastest-growing religion in the country.

When asked to write this piece on Wicca, I considered carefully what I might want to say. Should I launch into a defense of my beliefs? Normalize Wicca with other religions? Simply compare and contrast? Deliver an anecdotal “Day in the Life of a Witch” kind of thing?

I settled on this:

THE TOP FIVE THINGS YOUR LOCAL WITCH WOULD WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT WICCA

1.We are not Satanists.

You heard it here first! Wicca does not subscribe to a Judeo-Christian belief in God; therefore, we don’t believe in a Devil, Hell, or Heaven. Wiccans revere nature and treat the Mother Earth with great respect. Many (though not all) of us believe in some aspect of the Goddess; many also believe in some form of the God, Her consort.

The most common belief system involves the Triple Goddess; a Mother Goddess, symbolized by the moon, who watches over mothers and children, family and all matters pertaining to that phase of a woman’s life; a Maiden Goddess, who reigns over joy, youth, vitality, freedom, and so on; and a Crone Goddess, who holds the secrets of magic and is the Guardian of the Crossroads (in other words, a death-related Goddess. Not one who causes death, mind, but who assists those who are in this stage of existence.)

Often the Goddess has a God consort, symbolized by the Sun, who is her lover and assists her with Creation of all things. Often he is associated with forests, certain animals, and a vast variety of human experiences ranging from sex to war to creativity. One of the great joys of Wicca is the ability to choose which Goddesses and Gods have meaning and connection for you – though they’ve been known to choose the practitioner!

2.We have one law – An It Harm None, So Mote It Be.

Which means don’t harm anyone, including yourself. Sounds fairly simple, right? Not so easy. It’s a tough moral code to live by. We cannot, in good conscience, take revenge, cause harm, or cause another person problems on purpose. No killing, no stealing, respecting other human beings – sound familiar?

3.You probably know one of us.

Wiccans (and pagans of all flavors) are everywhere. We come from all walks of life; nurses, doctors, teachers, lawyers, convenience store clerks, computer programmers, business owners, you name it. We are not necessarily the odd chick down the street with the long hippie skirts and twelve cats. . .ok, well, she might be one of us.

We have our share of hippies, vegans, Goths, and assorted subcultures. But you won’t necessarily know us just looking at us – most people I tell about my religious leanings are surprised. As a co-worker (and devout Christian) recently said to me, “I was so surprised that you are – you know, what you are. I kept saying, “How can Holly be a heathen? She’s so nice!”

4.Yes, we do cast spells.

It’s very similar to praying. Spell casting simply means using rituals to help bring about a desired outcome; no more, no less. A conscientious witch never casts on another human being without that person’s consent and full knowledge, and she won’t do it for money, if she’s the real deal. Witches try never to violate another person’s free will. There are no big flashes like in the movies; I can’t fly, float, or make things disappear (though there’s a shot if I put it on my desk!), and lightning has certainly never flown out of my fingertips.

What I can do is help protect, heal, bring about some occurrences (like employment or good legal results), marry couples and bless children, and things of that nature. I do not hex, curse, or cause harm through magic. It’s not cool with the Goddess.

5.You may have participated in a Wiccan or Pagan tradition.

We have holidays, creation myths, and rituals just like any other religion.

Wiccans generally celebrate eight high holidays: Samhain (pronounced so-when) on October 31st is one of them. That jack o’lantern on your porch? Started out as turnips, decorated to keep away evil spirits. Next comes Yule, the Winter Solstice, on December 21st – and if you have a Christmas tree, know that it started as the use of evergreen to symbolize life and rebirth in Roman and Druidic rituals.

Following are Candlemas on February 2nd, which celebrates the lambing of the ewes and the returning spring; Litha, the spring equinox, on March 21st; Beltane on May 1st, which celebrates life, generativity, and is where the Maypole comes from (you are dancing around a phallus to make the fields fruitful, folks!) Next, the Summer Solstice on June 21st, then Lammas on August 2nd, which celebrates the height of summer.

Lastly we have Mabon, the autumnal equinox, which ends the cycle of growth and prepares us for Samhain and the winter to come. We also celebrate and worship on the night of the full moon; we may also celebrate life events like births, weddings, maturation of our children, and death. In this way we remain close to the cycles of the earth, never forgetting who we are and what is happening in the world around us.

Wicca and Paganism are rapidly becoming mainstreamed. Your local bookstore probably has a decent-sized section on Metaphysical Studies, and you’ll find plenty on the religion there.

We have our own magazines, hundreds of websites, bumper stickers, T-shirts, music, and so on. Being Wiccan or Pagan does not necessarily mean we’re strange; it means that we have a different belief system than the general American public.

If you run across a Wiccan or a Pagan, don’t be afraid to ask us questions. We won’t come to you, but if you ask we’re generally happy to share what we know with others. Most witches are delighted to have a chance to combat the stereotyping and misconceptions the public has of us.

When we part, Wiccans often say, “Blessed Be.” And so I’ll leave you with a Blessed Be – merry met, merry part, and merry meet again.


Footnotes:
Previously published in a Mensa newsletter.

Just Another Pentacle Article

Just Another Pentacle Article

Author: Koneko

Wearing a pentacle is a topic that has been, will be, and is being as you read this talked about, written about and thought about. But like all religious symbols, yes even the cross or crucifix, it also can create or instigate a great deal of negative backlash.

For Wiccans in predominantly Judeo- Christian countries it is from the almost all Christians that live among us, whether they mean to be cruel or not. For Christians and Jews, it is in the non-Judeo-Christian countries that they are persecuted.

Persecution over religious symbols is everywhere and in every faith we’d be fools to think it is just towards Pagan and other non-Judeo-Christian faiths.

But anyway, wearing the pentacle is a choice we all have to make. Should we declare openly that we follow an alternate path of spirituality or for the sake of ourselves and maybe even our families keep it hidden away?

For me sometimes I wear one of my pentacles and sometimes I don’t. It all depends on my mood and whether or not I can handle whatever ignorant b.s. comes my way. If I think I will be able to handle it I’ll either break out the simple one or I will break out my necklace that has a right side up pentacle resting over an upside down one, a gift from my sister. If not I won’t wear either of them.

I have great respect for Christians that actually follow in Christ’s footsteps and show compassion and love for all those around them – my late and loved grandmother, a late and equally loved friend/sister, my mother, my second mother (a family friend) , an old family friend, and a very dear friend of mine are only a few that come to mind.

My parents and friends know by the way, I didn’t even have to tell mom (mom’s know everything) . They are truly God’s gift to the world, I do not think my late grandmother and friend could hate someone if they even tried, and are truly beautiful examples of the Christian faith. I was born and raised Catholic so I have seen and learned about the good and the bad of that faith.

The pentacle never really gave me a problem when I first started wearing it, even when I was wearing it in High School. My grades suffered because I was horrid at history, I loved the subject, and couldn’t do grammar to save my life, and I only passed because I gave my papers to about three or five different people to look over.

My teachers for the most part loved me or liked me because I actually *gasp* participated in class, didn’t cause problems, and often times knew what I was talking about. I actually enjoyed high school because I wasn’t the only so-called freak in the school and it was large enough that I could blend in with the crowd but small enough to wear fights weren’t really a problem. Strangely enough all the students seemed to get along with each other.

Sorry I seemed to have gotten off track, with graduation I went off to college a liberal arts college that was known for three things – gays, art program, and the teacher program. So, I never had problems there. I did act immature and burst out laughing when I overheard someone telling another student that the tarot cards were evil. Like I said wasn’t mature but I really couldn’t help myself, I always did have a problem with the brain and mouth connection.

Problems didn’t come until after I left the University of Montevallo, business school and I did not agree with each other, and went to Jeff State for their Culinary Program. Not at school, this happened at Subway, and yes dominoes I know that Submart on your commercials is supposed to be us, thankfully not by a coworker but by a customer.

Basically the customer was throwing a tantrum because I wouldn’t give her a discount that she didn’t qualify for, “sorry, but if you get two six inches that do not have the same meat they don’t equal a footlong.”

Well she called and complained and started harassing me, she wanted me to give her my last name, which freaked me out and I told her to have a nice day and slammed the phone down, burst into tears and had to be lead to the back during a rush and comforted. My coworker at the time, a Bulgarian woman that was a wonderful Christian woman comforted me and calmed me down. The woman is a great mother. Once again getting off track, sorry you’ll have to stay with me.

That same night, honestly this crap happens for a reason, I meet a tree-worshipper and a Baptist girl, friends with another coworker, and we talked about my faith. Luckily she had already seen a program on TV about witchcraft. We talked about binding spells, evidently according to her church binds stuff in the name of Jesus. We might have even talked about hexing, which seems to be a popular question when witchcraft is related. We talked about a few other things and I must say it was a joy to talk to her.

I should probably mention that I did have a conversation about my religion at my first job in the bar with some regulars. That was centered on binding and love spells. One woman wanted to know because a friend with a fake leg was having problems finding love. I explained that performing a love spell was controversy and could be dangerous if handled wrong.

I told them that if I were to perform a love spell for her I would only do it with her permission and cast one on her first so that she could love herself and be able to know and understand that despite the dirt bags that couldn’t handle her only having one real leg she was worth loving. I then explained that I wouldn’t cast a love spell on a certain person but putting a spell or call out there for someone that would love her for her was a possibility.

The conversation turned to hexing; I essentially told them that if they believed they could be hexed then chances are in my opinion they would be whether they were actually or not. Belief is a strong thing and the power of suggestion even more so sometimes.

Basically what I am trying to say, aside from the fact that my grammar is horrid, if you wear the pentacle you open yourself up to many people. Though sometimes no one really pays attention to what your wearing around your neck, unless they don’t like you for one reason or another. Then you’ve got more problems than you know what to do with.

You open yourself up to the Christian nut jobs, the open-minded Christians and they are out there, and even to members of your own or a similar religion. So wear it if you want or don’t wear if you wish to stay locked and barred in your closet for the rest of your life, or do what I do and don it when you are emotionally, mentally, and God forbid physically ready (should you have to defend yourself with brute force) for any and all attacks that might come.

Either way I hope the wearing of it brings you happiness, good debates and interesting meetings with interesting people.

Prayer Bowls

Prayer Bowls
 
What is a prayer bowl? A Prayer bowl is used to listen to your prayers, wishes, and thoughts, and carry
them into the other dimensions (the astral). They can be used to make any room more spiritual, without
causing to much attention. They are good for the workplace, because to co-workers, it is just a decoration,
and for you, it is a magical tool. The feather would be one that means something to you, perhaps a feather
of your power animal, and a feather of a power animal that you relate to. The crystals can be anything, from
clear quartz for focusing energy, to hematite for healing. These things can be looked up in various books.
A Prayer bowl is a fairly simple object to make. Take a small bowl that you like, a feather that means
something to you, some crystals, and some dirt. Put the dirt into the bowl, put the crystals on the dirt,
and place a feather in it.
After it is put together, empower it to listen to your prayers. In a dim light room, preferably candle lit, gaze
into the feather. Concentrate on what this prayer bowl is going to do for you. Think about the bird that it came
from, the views of the world that it must have seen. Thank that bird for giving of itself so that you may have this
prayer bowl. Next, think about the crystals, and what they mean for you. Visualize them in there natural
environment, deep in the Earth, and thank them for coming to you for this prayer bowl. In the Americas, they
are known as “stone people”.
After it is empowered, place it in an appropriate spot. I like to have mine near a window, so as they get a little
sun now and again. Also, the feather can hear the calls of the birds.
 
Pagan Hearth Recipes

The Real Meaning of Yule

The Real Meaning of Yule

The Real Meaning of the Holidays
or A Peaceful Solstice From the Good God Thor!

by Rel Davis

A Reading:

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock,
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years!  Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
“Come; see the oxen kneel

“In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.

(“The Oxen” by Thomas Hardy)

The real meaning of Christmas.  What is it?

I keep hearing that we have lost sight of the real meaning.  Too much Santa
Claus.  Too much emphasis on gift-giving.  Too much feasting and making merry
and mistletoe and … not enough talk about the baby Jesus!

I’d like to offer a slightly unorthodox version of the real meaning of these
holidays.  But first we’ve got to do some straightening out about some facts.

First, Jesus was not born on December 25.  Couldn’t have been. There were no
“shepherds watching their flocks by night” in or near Bethlehem in December.
Sheep were taken on a constant journey all year long, spending certain seasons
in certain parts of Israel.  In December, the sheep would have been across the
Jordan river (having been taken over the “Valley of the Shadow of Death,” a
real river crossing described by a shepherd psalmist named David), miles from
Bethlehem.

Shepherds would have been in Bethlehem only in the spring.

In fact, the church celebrated Jesus’ birthday in the spring for hundreds of
years, until it saw that the masses had their biggest festival on December 25
and moved his birthday to mid-winter.  This wintry season has nothing
whatsoever to do with Jesus the Nazarene.

Second, a mid-winter’s festival on or about December 25 is an ancient event
predating Christianity (and Judaism) by thousands of years.  The festival
traditionally featured gift-giving, evergreens, lots of food, circular wreaths,
fires, and (in the north) a flaming yule log plus holly and mistletoe.  Sound
familiar?

The evergreens, holly and mistletoe symbolized life in the midst of winter.
The fires, log and wreaths symbolized the reborn sun at the winter solstice.
The food and gifts were in honor of the bounty to return with spring.

Virtually nothing in the modern-day celebration of Christmas has anything
whatsoever to do with Christianity.

Third, Santa Claus is not Saint Nicholas.  Santa Claus pre-dates Nicholas by
thousands of years and was a traditional element of the ancient mid-winter’s
festival.  Santa Claus today might be traveling under a bit of an alias, yet he
actually has much more right to this holiday season than does the baby Jesus.

Face it, there is something comforting about Santa Claus.  He’s a friendly old
fellow.  Does only good things.  Lives far away in the northlands.  Laughs a
lot.  Likes children.

And, as I say, he fits in better at Christmastime than all that stuff about the
Christ-child.

Evidence indicates that the Christ-thing is just window-dressing added on to an
ancient festival to make it more palatable to the Church, and that the whole
rigmarole about magi and shepherds and mangers is part of a charade that the
mass of people put up with in order to be able to celebrate Yule as they have
for thousands of years.

I submit that to be true.  And that the way we celebrate Yule today is quite
fittingly similar to the way our nordic ancestors celebrated it long before
Christianity arrived on the scene.

Yule, of course, is the time of the winter solstice.  The word is derived from
two ancient words:  one meaning “to turn” and thus similar to the Latin word
“solstice” (describing the sun’s standing still before it turns).  And the
other meaning “feast” and describing the eating that traditionally went on at
the solstice season.  (The ancients apparently liked puns as well as we do!
They combined the two words into one season:  “jul geol” (pronounced “yule
yule”) would mean “feasting at the solstice.”)

This season traditionally was celebrated by our nordic ancestors like this:  A
large log would be burned in the home, a symbol of the sun’s warmth.  Candles
would be lit throughout the house, symbolizing the sun’s light.  A fir tree
(usually undecorated) would be placed in the house because the evergreen was a
promise of coming spring.  Mistletoe, another plant that was green in winter
(and which lived on the sacred oak), also would be brought into the home.  It
was believed that enemies meeting beneath a mistletoe-bearing oak tree would
become friends at least for the day, and that couples kissing beneath the
mistletoe would be married within the coming year.  Kissing beneath the
mistletoe was a way of announcing your engagement.

Gifts would be given to friends and family.  Singing and dancing, usually in
circles — witchcraft style — would be featured at Yule.  The word “carol”
derives from a Greek word meaning “to chorus with flutes” (compare
“choreography”) and referred to the popular circle dances of pre-Christian
Europe.

Drama would be used, and often gifts would be brought by a symbolic figure.  In
Russia, children to this day receive gifts from “babushka” or grandmother, a
winter figure, or by Father Winter. Father Christmas was the name used in
England for awhile.  Before the Christians, he was called Father Winter in
England as well. The Germans called him Knecht Ruprecht — Knight Robert.
Originally, he was someone quite different!

Gradually the gift-giver in Christianized Europe took on other forms.  In
Italy, the gift-giver is called the Christ-child. German children once called
this the Krist-kindel, which became eventually our alternate name for Santa
Claus: Kris Kringle.

Food, of course, was important at Yule.  Fruit, candied or preserved, would be
served.  (The fruitcake, and plum pudding, are modern equivalents.)  A major
meal would be served on the day of winter solstice –with a roast pig or goose
(the turkey, of course, is an American species).

If this all sounds familiar it’s because our culture hasn’t really changed the
holiday much over the years.  They’ve added new names and tried to put new
meanings onto things, but really haven’t changed things a lot.

The central figure of our holidays is a person called Santa Claus. Not Jesus.
Not Mary.  And certainly not Joseph.

Let’s look at Santa Claus a minute.  Nicholas was a bishop in the city of Myra
in Asia Minor.  The historical reality is just that. He was supposed to have
been imprisoned by the Emperor Diocletian and later released by Constantine.
And he died about the year 350. Around the turn of the first millennium, his
remains were dug up by Italian merchants and taken to the city of Bari in Italy.

Nicholas hated to see women unmarried, so he went around giving money to
unmarried women so they could have a dowry and get married.

That’s it.  The myths, of course, are numerous.  He is a patron saint of
mariners, of unmarried women, and of children.  He was supposed to have given
gifts by throwing money in the windows of homes (always of unmarried women, of
course).  The church recognizes his feastday as December 6.

At some point, his name was transferred to the gift-giver of Yule. Dutch
children brought their favorite Yuletide character, “Sinter Klaus,” to New
Holland (later New York) and English children picked up the name.  And the
church pretended that “Santa Claus” was the Dutch pronunciation of “Saint
Nicholas.”  Not only is that not true, but no Asia Minor bishop would have been
caught dead wearing furs and red clothes and driving a sled pulled by reindeer.

Santa Claus, I’m afraid, is not Saint Nicholas.  Santa Claus is someone
altogether different.  The common people of medieval times probably thought it
a great joke on the church to call their gift- giver “Saint Nick”!  Nick was
the usual name for the consort of the Goddess in pagan Europe (compare our
expression “Old Nick” for the devil.)  Nick was one of the names given to the
most popular of the pagan gods.

Before the Aesir — the stern warlike gods of the Norse led by one-eyed Odin —
were worshipped by the peoples of northern Europe, another race of gods were
revered, the Vanir.  Later myths place the two races of gods side by side in
the nordic pantheon, though sometimes they seem to be opposed to one another.

The reality is that the Vanir are the original gods worshipped in northern
Europe and the Aesir are the usurpers, the gods worshipped by the warlike
hordes which overran Europe not long after the advent of Jesus.

The Vanir were gentle farming deities, led by Erda, earth, also called The
Goddess.  When the warrior classes conquered the aboriginal farmers, Erda was
destroyed, but some of the Vanir, like Niord and Freya, survived.  In the place
of a seasonal honoring of earth and sky and weather, was placed a stern,
vengeful set of gods who lived in Valhalla (the Hall of Death) and honored war
and killing and dying.

One other of the Vanir refused to die.  The rulers might honor stern Odin (or
Woden, for Wednesday is his), but the common people preferred the kind god
Thor, Thunder.  The rulers later transferred the day and the honor of Odin to
Peter — who is worshipped by the church each Wednesday!  And the people
transformed Thor into Santa Claus.

Who was Thor?  Thor was originally the son of Erda and was associated with the
sun and with fire.  As such, he is the same as the druidic “Be al,” and the
Phoenician “Baal” and the Roman Apollo or Mithras.  And as such he shares their
birthdate — for the sun is reborn each year at the winter solstice.

Thor was worshipped in every home:  his altar was nothing but the chimney
itself!  When a person translocated he or she would take the entire fireplace,
or at least a brick from the fireplace, so that Thor would have a place to
live.  The first European structure in Iceland was a chimney transferred intact
from Norway as an altar to Thor.

Thor was dressed always in red — the color of fire — with fur boots and hat.
He visited homes by coming down the chimney, of course.  He drove a chariot
pulled by two goats (called Cracker and Gnasher).  He lived in the Northlands,
in a castle surrounded by icebergs.  He was elderly, always jovial and
laughing, and of heavy build.  He could be expected to visit between December
21 and 25 and would bring gifts when he came.

Our modern Santa, of course, lives at the North Pole, drives a sled pulled by
reindeer and … that’s really about all the difference I can think of.  Two of
Santa’s reindeer, fittingly, are called Donner and Blitzen, and it’s only right
that Thor’s sled should be pulled by thunder and lightening!

Santa Claus is the god Thor.  The Dutch name Sinter Klaus was the children’s
title for Thor as the Yuletide gift-giver.  It means simply “Klaus of the
cinders.”  However much rulers try to substitute the stern Yahwehs and Odins
for the gentler goddess and her children, the people will refuse and will
continue to worship as they feel best.

The church has known this for all time, of course.  Much of the history of
Christendom has involved an attempt by the Church to abolish Christmas.
Christmas was completely banned over and over again throughout the Medieval
period, only to be reborn again by popular demand.  The Puritans in England
tried to abolish Christmas and faced rioting which virtually destroyed some
cities!

Every year I hear people attacking Christmas as being too “commercialized,”
that is, too much Santa and not enough Jesus. That, of course, is hogwash.
Christmas is commercial because we happen to live in a commercial, capitalistic
society.  As long as we choose this form of society, don’t knock our most
popular folk holiday as reflecting that form of society.

My feeling, of course, is that there is too much Jesus and not enough Thor —
or Santa, if you will.  Some years ago I formed the National “Keep Christ Out
of X-mas” Committee.   I might be the most active member but I think it’s
necessary that we remember our true roots as human beings.  I’d like us not to
forget the old ways, not to lose touch with our ancient verities, not to fall
from the path of the Goddess.

The solstice, the time of the turning of the sun in its path down toward
darkness, is a time of looking back and of looking forward. It’s a time of
analyzing one’s life and making changes, if necessary.

The solstice is a time of being thankful for life itself.  That is the meaning
of the fires and the evergreens.  Life is precious and we need a time of year
to express that preciousness.  For had the sun not turned each year, there
would be no spring and no life at all.  Yuletide is a time of joy and
happiness, a time of honoring the fact of life itself.

And the Yule is a time for reaching out to others.  To bring people in to our
homes, to give gifts to children and grownups, to provide aid to those in need.
This again, is an extension of the joy of life itself.  And is a reflection of
the concept in ancient goddess-worship that all humankind are of one family.
Of one flesh.  Of one kind.

There is much meaning in the festival of the Yule.

The northern people at this season wish “God Jul” or a “Merry Solstice.”  The
word “merry” did not originally mean “joyful,” but meant: “peaceful.”  In the
carol,”God rest ye merry, gentlemen,” the wish is that they remain peaceful and
contented.

That should be our wish this solstice season:  may you be peaceful and
contented in the year to come.  May you be grateful for continued life and have
good health the year through.  May the goodness and kindness personified in the
image of the good god Thor be yours, not just at Yule, but all the year around.

God Jul!  And Blessed Be!

All Hail Ye, Simple Pagans

All Hail Ye, Simple Pagans

Author Unknown

“(Oh Come, All Ye Faithful)”

 

All hail ye, simple pagans
Gather round the Yule fire
Oh come ye Oh come ye
To call the Sun!
Fires within us
Call the fire above us:

Oh come let us adore him!
Oh come let us adore him!
Oh come let us adore him!
Our Lord, the Sun!

Yea Lord, we greet thee
Born again at Yuletide!
Yule fires and candle flames
Are lighted for you!
Come to thy children
Calling for thy blessing!

Oh come let us adore him!
Oh come let us adore him!
Oh come let us adore him!
Our Lord, the Sun

Anglo-Saxon Yuletide

Anglo-Saxon Yuletide by K. A. Laity

­­The Anglo-Saxons settled Britain in the early fifth century, giving their name to the land now known as England. Very little remains of the native culture of the Anglo-Saxons. We learn from the Venerable Bede, a seventh century Christian historian, that the months we now call December and January were considered “Giuli” or Yule by the Anglo-Saxons. According to the historian, his Anglo-Saxon ancestors celebrated the beginning of the year on December 25th, referred to as “Modranect”— that is, Mothers’ Night. This celebration most likely acknowledged the rebirth of Mother Earth in order to ensure fertility in the coming spring season. An Anglo-Saxon charm for crop fertility, recorded in the eleventh-century and known as “Aecerbot,” refers to the Earth as “Erce, [the] Earthen Mother” and contains the following praise poem for her:

Hale be you, earth,
mortals’ mother!
May you ever be growing
in god’s grasp,
filled with food,
useful for folk.

It could be that the poem refers to Nerthus, the earth goddess the Roman historian Tacitus identified as venerated by the continental Germanic tribes, but we will probably never be sure.
Many scholars have suggested that the mother goddess Friga (Frigg in Old Norse) played a central role in the Yuletide observances, although no records remain of specific celebrations for Mothers’ Night. Chief of the goddesses and the consort of Woden, Friga ruled over childbirth and marriage and inspired the naming of several English towns like Frobury and Fretherne, as well as the English word for the day of the week, Friday.

It is very likely too that the Yule celebrations also included honors for Freyja, who governed love and fertility. Both she and her twin brother Freyr were associated with the boar, the primary animal represented in Yuletide customs and indeed in Anglo-Saxon culture in general. Scholars first discovered the importance of the fierce wild boar through warrior poetry like the epic Beowulf. Beowulf’s men wore boars on their helmets both to protect their own heads—and to intimidate their opponents. But it is not only in literature that we find the boar motif. Twentieth-century archeological discoveries like that of Sutton Hoo (a dig containing a royal burial and many different artifacts) have revealed the truly widespread significance of this totemic animal, even into the Christian era. The boar continued to ornament brooches, bowls and jewelry as well as more military objects for centuries.

The boar’ significance as the center of the Yuletide celebration outlived not only the conversion to Christianity, but even the disappearance of the creature itself from England. By the late Middle Ages, the offering of the boar’s head had lost its religious significance, but it continued to be the centerpiece of the Christmas feast, and indeed the Yule procession. Along with songs honoring the traditional holly and ivy—often said to fight with each other for prominence in the hall—the songs to accompany the boar’s head still convey the joy its arrival would bring and the twelve days of merriment this first course promised, as this fifteenth-century song attests:

The boar’s head I bring,
Singing praises to the lord. [chorus] 

The boar’s head in hand I bring,
With garlands gay and birds singing!
I ask you all to help me sing,
Who are at this banquet.

The boar’s head, I understand,
Is the chief service in all this land,
Wherever it may be found,
It is served with mustard.

The boar’s head, I dare well say,
Soon after the twelfth day [of Christmas]
He takes his leave and goes away—
He has left the country.

 

The second course, according to another contemporary song, was cranes, herons, bitterns, plovers, woodcocks and snipe. Then came the larks in a hot broth, almond soup—to say nothing of the sweet wine, good ale and brown bread—and then venison, capons, dove entrails, currant jelly…and the list continues. At Yuletide in Medieval England, no one in the hall was going to go hungry.