Tag: Religion

Calendar of the Sun for December 9th

Calendar of the Sun

9 Yulmonath

Evergreen Day

Color: Dark green and red
Element: Earth
Altar: Bare, with a red cloth. This is the day when evergreens are brought into the house from outside, to honor the spirits of the forest. All will go out at the beginning of Sponde and gather armloads of them, and bring them in to be laid in great heaps upon the altar.
Offerings: Put food outside for the forest spirits.
Daily Meal: Vegetarian

Evergreen Invocation

Hail to the Spirits of the Wild!
Hail to the life of the trees
Who do not sleep, but are awake and alive
Even through the coldest of winters!
Hail to the oldest, those who stood their watch
Long before tender leaves grew
On the branches of your descendants.
Hail to you who show us life
Even in the midst of death,
Hail to you who give us scent
Even in the midst of sleeping.
Hail to you who give the creatures
Of the wild their winter sustenance
And shelter among your branches.
Hail to the Wild Men, the spirits
Who danced through the houses of our ancestors
Bringing your blessings to the people.
Now we shall warm you in our home,
Until the time comes that you shall warm us.

Song: Evergreen: Song for the Wild Men

(All shall then take the evergreen branches and disperse them through the house, making wreath and garlands and hanging them wherever the blessings of the wild spirits are needed. A Yule tree is decorated on this day, with symbols of our faith.)

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for December 6th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Have you considered the effect your presence may have on people around you? Do they need you? The answer is yes. We are somewhat selfish with our presence at times. We want to withdraw and think our own thoughts and read quietly rather than entertaining someone or just listening to them. But we never really know how much they need us, not to perform good deeds for their good, but only to be company to share a happening of the day.

Perhaps within their minds we can quiet some restlessness, assure them that they are needed or give them a feeling of tranquillity. To many life is no simple matter, and to hear them out may be the remedy.

It has been said by a very wise man that if you never make a mistake you’re not doing anything.

It is a relief to know that every day, without fail, we come in contact with people who put such confidence in us that we strive ever harder to never fail. Such people build human beings – and there is no job more worthy, or more creative.

Building character and confidence in fellow human beings is a delicate task….for no two people respond in the same way. Challenges may be the way to boost up some individuals, while others may need encouragement and praise to guide them on the way. But, oh, how human we all are having the need for accomplishment….for attention….for approval.

And how great the responsibility for leaders who must have the wisdom to inspire….the integrity to trust….the heart to understand. The race is hard for leader and follower, for each must understand the other – and there must be compassion for the slow, courage for the weak, and appreciation for the loyal. To follow one must be secure to lead one must be very wise.

It should be the practice of all of us that when we hear something complimentary about someone – so tell them. It is so true that man does not live by bread alone, and to be recognized in having done something that rated approval is a very great reward.

Nothing so builds character in children than to let them know someone believes they have a fine potential. That feelings that “someone believes in me” can be the very thing that will anchor their faith deep in hope for humanity.

To be able to see the good acts of others renders service to ourselves. Swiss theologian John Casper Lavater once said, “He is incapable of a truly good action who finds not a pleasure in contemplating the good actions of others.”

Appreciation for the achievement of others is akin to sunshine – we simply can’t help it shine on other people without feeling the glow ourselves.

*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet:

 

http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

 

The Gems of Yule, Alexandrite

Alexandrite

Alexandrite is a centering stone. Use this stone for stress or in other situations requiring you to be calm. This stone will allow you to become centered and balanced and will bring together the important aspects of  your life. For healing, use this stone for the brain and central nervous       system. It can also help when in a rut for it provides higher self-esteem and gives a feeling of purpose. In conjunction, it will help you achieve your goals.

Your Tarot Card for December 5th is The World

The World

Wednesday, Dec 5th, 2012

What has traditionally been known as the World card points to the presiding intelligence, called “Sophia,” or Wisdom, which upholds life on this and all worlds. A more precise title for this card might be “the Soul of the World,” also applicable as a symbol of personal empowerment and freedom. In most Tarot decks it is a female figure that has become our standard World image. She originates in Hebrew, Gnostic and Alchemical lore, and stands between heaven and earth as the Cosmic Mother of Souls, the Wife of God and our protector from the karmic forces we have set loose upon the Earth in our immaturity and ignorance.

Where the Empress energy secures and fertilizes our terrestrial lives, the goddess of The World invites us into cosmic citizenship — once we come to realize our soul’s potential for it. Just as the Chariot stands for success in achieving a separate Self, and Temperance represents achievement of mental and moral health, the World card announces the awakening of the soul’s Immortal Being, accomplished without the necessity of dying.

This card, like the Sun, is reputed to have no negative meaning no matter where or how it appears. If the Hermetic axiom is “Know Thyself”, this image represents what becomes known when the true nature of Self is followed to creative freedom and its ultimate realization.

Calendar of the Sun for December 4

Calendar of the Sun

 

4 Yulmonath

Day of the Frost King

Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of thick, soft white place a figure of the Frost King, his sleigh, snowflakes, icicles, and many gifts given to each other. The gifts shall be removed to the Yule Tree later.
Offerings: Give gifts to each other.
Daily Meal: Frozen dishes.

Invocation to the Frost King

Hail to the Lord of Frost!
Hail to his sleigh of bells
Pulled by the beasts of the tundra
Or by snow-white horses
Through the thick white cloak of the Snow Queen.
Hail to the lace-maker, the artist
With his silver brushes, the giver of Death
In the most beautiful and painless way.
Hail to you who are found in many places,
Many stories, many tales, many rites
Around the world, and whose gifts pile up
Around the great Tree where you ride.
Gift-giver, you found the maiden in the snow
And near froze her with your testing,
Yet when she awoke there was fire, and riches
All around her. You smote the ungenerous
And the greedy, for in your world
No one refuses to share. That is the First Law
O f Survival. Share what you have,
Be it fire, food, drink, comradeship,
A warm cloak against the winds,
A warm body against the cold.
Let each day be a gift-giving, you say,
For if all gifts wait until the longest night
We will all be cold indeed.
Hail to you, Father of Winter,
And may you teach us generosity with your knowing smile.

(All bring gifts from the altar and give them to each other, saying why the gift was given, and blessing each person present.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

 

Calendar of the Sun for December 2nd

Calendar of the Sun

Bruma

Colors: White and brown
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a bare table lay a large pot shaped like a human figure, reclining, filled with earth. All should enter bearing two white cloths, one on each arm.
Offerings: Silence and meditation.
Daily Meal: Vegetarian

Bruma Invocation

Earth, you lie sleeping in silence,
And we can do nothing but wait.
We have breathed upon your first seeds,
We have sung your first green shoots
Up from the bare brown soil,
We have watered you with tears and sweat
And fed you with the remains of our meals,
We have cut down your bounty and saved it,
Yet this is not the time for seeds, or green,
But simply the long cold wait in the dark
Until the light waxes and the time comes again.
You are silent, and will not speak to us,
No matter how we cry out.
You are dormant, and will not sing to us,
No matter how we raise our voices,
For all things come in their own time,
And this is not the time for movement.
So we will sit with you, Earth,
We will watch over you as you sleep
And take part in your dreams
In silence, and wait for your awakening.

Chant:
Earth dreaming
Silent seeming
Winter’s vigil
We will wait for you.

(After the chant has been sung five times, all come forth to the altar. Each lays one white cloth gently over the pot, saying, “Blessed be the Earth in the time of winter.” Then each sits on the floor and places the other white cloth over their heads, and meditates on all that is sleeping and cannot be awoken. Silence in the House until Akte.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for November 30

Calendar of the Sun

31 Blutmonath

Sigyn’s Day

Colors: Light pastel colors
Element: Air
Altar: Bedeck the altar with cloth of light pastel colors, upon which place candles of light colors, many flowers, graceful toys and dreamy figures, and a silver chalice of liqueur. In the center place a black cloth with a burnt wooden bowl full of ashes.
Offerings: Care for the wounded.
Daily Meal: Fasting today. Instead, bring food to those who need it.

Invocation to Sigyn

Long ago, the Gods quarreled with each other,
And there were many chained, and many slain,
And those who moved the pages of History
Had their say, and their screams.
Yet there are always those who screams
Are not heard, as History and its makers
Run them over. And so today we hail Sigyn,
Child-bride of Loki the Trickster who slew
The beautiful Baldur, son of Odin.
When Loki was scorned, you closed your ears.
When Loki fled, you followed.
When your children were slain, you cried out,
But none heard you save the weeping Earth.
When your beloved was bound by the body of your son,
And condemned to poison and pain,
You forsook all that you knew
And stayed with him, faithfully,
Doing what you could in a place of horror.
Lady of the Staying Power,
Innocent child-bride thrown into terror
Who survived, and grew stronger.
You who gather broken things to your breast,
You who understand the blameless
Forced under the wheels of circumstance,
Aid us in our moments of pain and torment
When we, too, are caught undeserving in the rages of the Gods.

(The wine is poured out as a libation. Each person present speaks in turn of undeserved events that they must endure, and how they came to have the strength of spirit to do so.)

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for November 28th

Calendar of the Sun

28 Blutmonath

Sophia’s Day

Colors: Red and white
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a red cloth lay a white cloth, and upon that set a lit lantern, a glass chalice of clear water, incense of frankincense and lemongrass, and let each place upon the altar a book which they find to be great in wisdom.
Offerings: Promise to grow in wisdom, even when the path is difficult.
Daily Meal: Simple and communal.

Invocation to Sophia

Hail, Great Mother of Wisdom!
Consort of the One Whose Name May Not Be Spoken,
Lady whose still small voice
Echoes through every one of us,
Teach us to listen, Lady,
Teach us to pay attention
And to consider well our actions,
Lest we may come to regret them.
Teach us to walk each of our words
Through the door of truth,
Through the door of necessity,
And teach us to know when
We must walk them through
A door yet narrower than those,
The door of kindness to the hearer.
Let our words be heard
By ears who will listen,
And show us how to speak their language
That no misunderstanding
May mar what flows between us.
Lady of Wisdom, speak to us,
And we will strive to hear your voice.

(Each comes forward and takes the book from the altar, and speaks to what that book taught them, and how they are the wiser for it. Then each speaks to another lesson that taught them wisdom, a lesson that did not come from books but from life. Each person thanks Sophia for these lessons, and bows before her altar. Her lantern is carried from the room in procession, and set to hang, still lit, in the main room of the House, where it will remain lit for seven days.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for November 24th

Calendar of the Sun

24 Blutmonath

Vainamoinen’s Day

Colors: Blue and orange
Element: Fire
Altar: On a blue cloth lay the figure of a ship, a sword, and three orange candles. Lean a shaman’s staff up against the altar.
Offerings: Pictures from faraway lands. Explore a new area of knowledge, especially from another culture.
Daily Meal: Traveler’s food, done up in separate packages, to be eaten as one walks the bounds of the property.

Invocation to Vainamoinen

Thirty years in your mother’s womb,
Born already old before your time,
Walker, wanderer, adventurer,
Doomed never to be at home,
Solitary one who failed
Even to gain a mate to ease
Loneliness, you beckon to us
And tell us of far horizons
Outside and inside both.
Keeper of Words of Power,
Knower of the True Names of things,
Old man who walks in unknown places
With your wizard’s staff ,
Great boots and a battered hat,
Shrewd one, banished for your
Prophecy of truth that would
One day rend the world
Yet even you could not impede,
Maker of ships, maker of magic,
Stauncher of blood and pain,
Make sure that we never become
So comfortable in our patterns
That we forget the wide, wide world outside.

Song: Vainamoinen’s Song

(Each person approaches the altar in turn, takes the shaman’s staff in hand, and walks in a circle around the room, returning the staff to the altar. It must not be passed hand to hand. Then each leaves to be alone with themselves; work through Akte and Elekte is done alone.)

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for November 23rd

Calendar of the Sun

23 Blutmonath

Chiron’s Day

Color: Grey
Element: Air
Altar: On a grey cloth set a pile of books, a flute, a pot of salve, and a chalice of Greek wine.
Offerings: Votive candles. Offer to teach or mentor someone.
Daily Meal: Vegetarian

Invocation to Chiron

Tutor of the children of Gods,
Mentor of heroes,
Teacher of legends,
Wild centaur nurtured
By light of Sun and Moon
Into something more than
Mere wildness and savagery.
Someone had to teach them,
These half-powerful youths,
And who better than the one
Who is half sage and half beast?
Wounded by your own student,
Doomed to an immortality
Of pain and suffering,
You cheated your fate
By gifting life on one
Reviled by the powerful
And loved by the weak.
Chiron, Teacher, Wise One,
You who always knew
The right thing to do,
Share with us this certainty
And mentor us in our confusion.

Chant:
In your hands the flame of learning
In your flesh the fire of burning
In your eyes the force of sorrow
Give us insight for tomorrow.

(Pour out the libation for Chiron, sit around the altar with votive candles, and meditate on doing the just and right thing in every circumstance, no matter how painful.)

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Today’s Tarot Card for November 21 is The Hierophant

The Hierophant

Wednesday, Nov 21st, 2012

Traditionally known as the Hierophant, this card refers to a Master and the learning of practical lessons from the study of Natural Law. This energy of this card points to some agent or resource that can reveal the secrets of life, the cycles of the moon and tides, the links between human beings and the heavens.

Because monasteries were the only places a person could learn to read and write in the middle ages, a Hierophant was one to whom a student would petition for entry. He was the one to set the curriculum for the neophyte’s course of study.

Often pictured with the right hand raised in blessing, the Hierophant is linked with the ancient lineage of Melchezidek, initiator of the Hebrew priestly tradition, the one who passes on the teachings. All shamans of any tradition draw upon this archetype.

Today’s Tarot Card for November 20th is The Emperor

The Emperor

Tuesday, Nov 20th, 2012

In the most practical terms, what has traditionally been called the Emperor card represents the highest leadership, a head of state or the most exemplary and powerful person in the realm. This archetypal ruler is responsible for the positive working out of affairs of a society or community, which are directly proportional to his well being and happiness.

The more enlightenment and cosmic perspective this energy brings, the better life is for all. The Emperor archetype masters the world of matter and physical manifestation. When you apply this card to your situation, acknowledge your potentials for mastery. Reinforce a sense of sovereignty within yourself, despite any self-limiting beliefs, habits or appearances to the contrary.

Calendar of the Sun for November 20

Calendar of the Sun

 

 

Carista – Day of Peace in the Family

Color: Lavender
Element: Water
Altar: Upon a lavender cloth set a tray of cakes shaped like clasping hands, and many cups full of hot tea.
Offerings: Promise to attempt to be more considerate of those you live with.
Daily Meal: Any food, but it must be served from one great plate for every table, and it should not be in separate portions.

Carista Invocation

May there be Peace in this house.
(Response: “May there be peace in this house!”)
Peace can be a hard mistress.
The daily round of the ordinary,
The simple turn of day and night and day
The presence of the same souls
Can come to be like a shadow on the sun,
And yet Peace still demands
That we find a way to move past
That ordinariness
And all the thousand thorns and briars
And bring Peace into the house.
(Response: “May there be peace in this house!”)
Take the hand of your sister, your brother,
The one who shares your roof, your table,
The ground you walk on,
Whose feet know the boards as well as your own,
And swear to find a way
To bring peace into the space between you.
(Response: “May there be peace in this house!”)

Chant:

My brother, my heart, my sister, my soul;
My family, my life, come in from the cold;
My sister, my heart, my brother, my soul;
My family, my life, that makes this life whole.

(Instead of a ritual, this period of time should be used to mediate and address problems between members of the community, with emphasis on peacemaking and compromise and useful solutions. At the end of the meeting, all share cakes and tea.)

 

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

A WITCH’S PERSONAL MANIFESTO

The following personal manifesto was presented by Paul V. Beyerl to the 1987 Harvest Moon Celebration in Woodland Hills, California. It was in no way written to represent a set of laws to govern the behavior of others, but only as an open discussion of personal ethics to provoke thought and communication.

 

A WITCH’S PERSONAL MANIFESTO

 

I demand these things as a Witch:

– I must pursue my Highest Ideals

– I must strive to elevate my ethics

– I must be as good as my word

– I must demand integrity of myself

– I must be willing to suffer for my religion

– I must willingly embrace discipline

– I must develop financial responsibility and independence

– I must be able to pay my bills

– I must pay attention to my diet & intake of food

– I must LIVE the Hermetic Principle

– I must respect the astral

– I must approach ritual with great care

– I must see ritual work as a disciplined art form

– I must consider seriously the ramifications of reincarnation

– I must conserve fuels

– I must recycle whenever possible

– I must not litter, not even a cigarette butt

– I must avoid negative energy, even within my own thoughts

– I must avoid placing blame for any of the events in my life

– I must take responsibility for my ill health

– I must take myself seriously

– I must have humor

– I must live with my eyes open and my feet grounded

 

I demand these things of myself as a member of the Wiccan Community:

– I must support the work of making Wicca a respected religion

– I must expect financial accountability from those groups to which I donate monies

– I must stop the mockery of other religions (including anti-Christian sentiment sometimes found in modern Paganism)

– I must not support religious plagiarism (such as the teaching of shamanism by those who have never experienced the wilderness nor studied from a real shaman).

– I must be respectful of all other’s ritual forms

– I must separate myths and reality in our history and in our future

– I must work to contribute towards a reputable public image of Wicca

– I must protest against pagans who use shock tactics in dealing with the public

– I must upgrade standards of Wiccan education

– I must support serious research of our religious heritage

– I must demand quality in pagan literature, newsletters and books

– I must support the assembling of libraries

– I must not be a religious isolationist and I must work to remove pagan ghetto mentalities from our communities

– I must demand provocative, challenging workshops over entertainment

– I must share my knowledge and skills

– I must make Initiations increasingly difficult, challenging and rewarding

– I must consider the amount of education other religions expect of their clergy when planning Wiccan training

– I must be willing to network

– I must remain in contact with pagans in other places

 

I demand these things of myself as a Priest/ess:

– I must prepare for the deaths and burials of our peoples

– I must provide for the future of my consecrated tools beyond my physical death

– I must work towards the establishment of legal ministries

– I must provide for children and their education

– I must provide for the survival of my Tradition

I demand these things of myself as a Wiccan citizen:

– I must promote community service, being of help to all peoples regardless of their beliefs

– I must be willing to be political

– I must be a knowledgeable, active voter

– I must respect and utilize the system

– I must find value in the political system in which I live or work actively to promote change

– I must be aware of the world perspective

– I must extend myself to world poverty and hunger

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – November 9

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – November 9

“Language is a vehicle for carrying spirit, life, family. Language, religion, and land base are three things that characterize culture.”

–Edmund Ladd, ZUNI PUEBLO

The Elders say we need to know the answers to three questions in order for us to be connected the Earth, the Sky, the East, the West, the South, the North. The three questions are: 1. Why are we? 2. Who are we? 3. Where are we going? If we know the language, if we have our spirituality and if we can pray on sacred spots, then we are able to seek the answer to the questions. We must protect the language, religion and land so our future generations can stay connected.

Great Spirit, help us maintain our language, spirit, family, religion and our Mother Earth.

A Sincere Note Of Gratitude From All At The WOTC


It is late at night and I have been reading the comments in the back. Also the comments that have been sent to our personal email address. I want you to know that I appreciate all the well wishes and blessings you have sent my way. I know now how I have made such a recovery with all your prayers and healings vibration you have sent to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

It is something, we get up every morning, come to the office and sit down at our computers. We stare at a blank screen then we start our daily work. You know it never dawns on you that you are reaching thousands of individuals all around the world each day. You never stop to think about what an effect we are having on those individuals with our words and message that we deliver each day. I know, personally, it is still hard for me to imagine that we are touching hearts and souls all around the world. In every corner of the planet, our words are reaching ears that would not be able to hear about our Religion. Some have to read our site in secret, they do not have the privilege that we take for granted in the States. In other regions, people are still stoned for even being though of as a possible witch. But still those individuals take the chance to read our site and hear our message. I am truly inspire by your courage and especially your commitment  to the Goddess. When I read your messages, it makes me realize that what we do each day is serving a purpose. A purpose greater than we could ever imagine. Thank you for the inspiration you give us each day. Thank you for being our readers, our followers and most of all our family.

I would also like to take a moment to thank the recent individuals that have made generous donations to us. I know I mentioned one this morning and I checked recently and we have received another new donor. I would like acknowledge both of them at this time for their generosity, love and support, kooltrainer and Altar L. Thank you both for your donations which will go toward our animal refuge. This time of the year is a very busy time of year for us at the refuge. I know with my illness things have been quite complicated to say the least. I am the one that generally goes and picks up the injured animals out in the field. They tell me around here, I could charm a rattlesnake. It is a gift I have always took for granted or one I never stopped to think about. I love animals. That is one of the reasons we got involved in starting a refuge. There was a community need for it. And as always, we see a need, we answer it. I know people think of animals in the wild as being just that, wild. Not capable of ever coming close to a human and never letting a human come close to them. But you have to actually look deep into any animals’ eyes and see their true essence. You have to feel the soul, yes animals have souls. They also have personalities, feelings and when they are hurt they want our help. The animals can feel my intentions the moment I get out of the truck. A wild coyote with his foot in a trap, angry and snarling at the hunter that found him, will calm down as I start to approach. Fear, I use to have some when I was little but not now. I see animals in a different light. I know they are all the Goddess’ creatures and they need me as much as I need them. I need their acceptance. I want to become their friend and help them. I want to help them recover and as sad as it has been when it comes time to release them, return them to the wild. There are times I admit I get to attached to an animal. I don’t want them to leave but I know their place is not with me but at home in nature. Animals are such beautiful creatures. Most of them in the wild have been misunderstood for so long. Now we have come to realize that some of our most valuable assets on this planet have been almost been wiped off the face of it. I know in our area, we have two huge game reserves. The government has stocked it with lynx, wolves, bears, bobcats, and some cougars. It is the hopes that these animals will repopulate their once known habitats. But even though the government is involved in restocking it doesn’t stop ignorant hunters from shooting, injuring or hurting one of these majestic creatures. The government restocked the animals but made no provision for their care if it was needed. This is where I figured we should come in and we did. I would say we care for about 25 to 30 injured animals a month. That is not to mention the babies we pick up along the way. It is our hopes to expand our operations. In fact, it is my dream to do just that.

With the help of supporters like kooltrainer and Altar L, we will continue to be able to care for the animals that come through our doors. With the help of all our followers and friends, we will be able to continue to spread the truth about our Religion throughout the world. Our movement will continue to grow and grow till one day our dream is finally realize. Witchcraft…back in the mainstream of today’s Religion. Won’t that be a glorious day, indeed. As one great Lady that I truly admire once said, “It takes a village…” This Lady was Hilary Clinton and she was referring to children. But I am referring to us, our movement and our Religion. We need your donations, love, support, prayers, anything that you wish to do, is greatly appreciated. It takes all of us to make progress happen. It takes all of us to see that our work continues not only with the animals but in spreading the word of the Goddess.

For the Goddess is the reason we are here to begin with. With those words, I will again say thank you and good night, dear friends and family.

Her humble servant and yours,

Lady Of The Abyss

More Thank You Comments

Calendar of the Moon for October 26th

Calendar of the Moon

 
26 Muin/Boedromion

Lakshmi’s Day

Colors: Blue and Purple
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of blue and purple set a figure of Lakshmi, surrounded by many flowers and gold coins.
Offerings: Saffron rice, cow’s milk, sesame.
Daily Meal: Indian food.

Invocation to Lakshmi

Hail to Lakshmi, Wife of Vishnu!
Divine Princess of the sky
Whose stars lie like spray
Of scattered drops of milk
Wrung from the sacred cow,
Around whom flowers bloom eternally,
Your divine presence ensuring their life,
Whose lotus opens trustingly
To sun and rain and hail and sun again,
Teach us to trust that fortune can be kind,
And even when it is not,
All things will come around
To goodness again in their time.
For a wise man adapts himself to circumstances,
As water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it.
So it is that we pray to Lakshmi,
Wife of the Preserver of Life,
Whose hands bring forth riches and blessings.
Bless us now, Lakshmi, with all that we need,
And let us live trusting that we shall get
Everything that we may need,
As a child trusts that the rain
Will fall everlastingly from the sky.

Chant: Lakshmi Mahadevi

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

We’re Not Like Other Families

We’re Not Like Other Families
image
Author: RedBeanSidhe

Have you ever found yourself saying this to your kids? “We’re not like most other families. We’re different.” How do you feel when you say those words?

I know how I felt having to say that to my kids. My heart sank when I heard the words roll out of my mouth. I felt like I was setting my kids up for a harder life. I felt as if I was alone in a large uncaring society, and leading my kids to learn to feel the same way as I did when those words came out of my mouth.

I debated for a long time over it. Even made up ‘pro and con lists’ in my head just to try and figure out what, if anything, I was doing wrong.

I am a pagan mother of seven boys. Then to top that off I have an extended large family. I still have yet to find another large pagan family such as ours. AND… I home school. I am happy homeschooling, and I believe my kids are too, but sometimes looking at everything I am shocked at what a large load I have put on my kids. It is a lot to take in if you were not the one experiencing it. Could you imagine?

So after all the worrying and debating I asked my oldest, “How does it feel to be different?”

Then this 12-year-old son of mine answered me the way only a kid could.

“What do you mean different? I don’t feel any different. I feel like myself.”

I smiled and then felt put in my place. We’re not really different. When I asked him how he felt about our family, he said, “Well, our family is extraordinary.”

Overall, when you really get down to thinking about things, and how some things might appear to be different, just put things into perspective. Perhaps you aren’t all that different. Maybe it’s just the way you think about things. The ‘burden’ I thought I was giving my kids was actually just my desire for them to have an open mind and a different perspective on how our family exists.

See, I think my perspective comes from how I was raised. I was raised very Christian. I was in the church nursery as a baby. My mom was the Sunday school teacher when I got older. I knew the Bible, and it was a contest between the preacher’s son and me as to who knew all the answers in class.

We had weekly dinners with the preacher and his family. I went to youth service on Wednesdays, as I got older. I had a lot of questions though, and as my mom said, good Christians don’t have questions. they just have faith. So I knew I had problems because I couldn’t stop asking questions.

I wasn’t a good Christian. I couldn’t just believe. I had too many conflicts. I tried to talk to my mom, and I told her I didn’t like having a God I was afraid of. I explained that it’s not right when you fear God.

In response, I was told, you should fear God. It makes you a better Christian to know you will be punished if you don’t accept him and Jesus.

I just couldn’t win. I tried to talk to the preacher, who told me my mom could explain things to me. And when I talked to my mom, I got no answers.

I swore that growing up my children would not have to face the things I did. I found Paganism when I was younger.

I told my mom, “Those people who were hugging the tree looked so happy”.

My mom said, “They should be. They are all going to hell.”

I said, “Well, if all the people at our church are going to heaven, why are they all so sad?”

She replied. “Life is hard. There is nothing easy about it.”

I got books and read in private, figuring out my religion. When we had children we agreed that they would be able to pick their religion and they would be educated.

When my 12-year-old son had done some research and told me he chose Paganism, I must admit, my heart skipped a beat. But what he doesn’t know, he wasn’t raised to know, are the hardships involved. It’s both a blessing and a curse for him.

I have explained the secrets he will have to keep from his grandma. Some people won’t agree with his choice and he will have to either keep his faith secret or deal with this.

Overall though, still he doesn’t see us as different. It’s a wonderful thing that he doesn’t take to heart all the hardships. He doesn’t see us as different because he was not raised to see anyone differently. I figured by his age these things would have come into perspective for him, but they haven’t.

What a wonderful experience, not being different! Having a large family, and being Pagan is just natural for my child. Maybe for other children of mine too, someday. I believe some will be Christian, some will be pagan, and maybe some will venture beyond these boundaries and dive headfirst into their own religious freedom to choose something totally different.

I will take them to the local Hindu temple. They go to church on occasion. We have been to two local Universal Unitarian churches. In the words, being ‘different’ is good because everyone is ‘different’. If we were all the same, the world would just be boring.

It’s true. Everyone is different. It’s just something we deal with throughout life. Maybe it’s not such a horrible thing to be ‘different’ and some of our children don’t even think we’re ‘different’ at all. It really puts things into perspective to believe that any religion, sincerely held and practiced, is just fine.

If you are not taught to believe that ‘different’ religions are bad, then they aren’t.

Calendar of the Sun for October 3

Calendar of the Sun

3 Winterfyllith

Njord’s Blot

Color: Sea-blue
Element: Water
Altar: Upon cloth of sea-blue set a Scandinavian ship, a net, a basket of fish-shaped cakes, and a metal tankard of mead.
Offerings: Give aid to a sailor. The House should, together, send a package to one who sails the seas and has need of succor.
Daily Meal: Fish.

Invocation to Njord

Hail, Njord, Lord of the Surface of the Sea!
Hail, Sailor’s Watcher,
Lord of Ships upon the waters.
Blessed you are in the prow,
Where you lead us forward to our goals.
Blessed you are in the stern,
Where you guard our wake
From the monsters of the Deep.
Blessed you are on the port,
Where your keen eyes search the horizon.
Blessed you are on the starboard,
Where you guide us by the stars.
Blessed you are on the high mast,
Where you stand tall with far vision.
Blessed you are in the sails,
Which you fill with billowing winds.
Blessed you are at the rudder,
Where you skillfully outrun all storms.
Blessed you are at the nets,
Where the fish come by the thousands into our hands.
Blessed you are belowdecks,
Where you rock us gently to sleep
On the waves of certainty,
Knowing that the farthest shore
Will soon be under our feet.
Hail Njord, Lord of Ships,
Guide our souls safely across the waters.

(All pass and bless the package, and see it safely gone. The mead is poured out as libation.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for October 1

Calendar of the Sun

1 Winterfyllith

Festival of Fides

Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: Today the altar and the altar room is stripped, swept, and cleaned, as are all the shrines and altars about the House. The invocation is spoken to the empty libation altar, and each person wraps a strip of white cloth about their right hands in token of their faith. Then the room and the altar are cleaned and anointed with sacred oil, and any sacred items are cleaned, mended, and returned to their places. Once the cleaning is done, the altar is draped again with clean white cloth. The Book of Hours is placed upon it, wrapped in white cloth, to be blessed. It is censed and the room closed for the afternoon.
Offerings: Cleaning of sacred objects and shrines.
Daily Meal: Fasting.

Fides Invocation

Call: We who are the bodies of the faithful,
Response: We lend our bodies to this cleansing.
Call: We who are the minds of the faithful,
Response: We lend our sight to the purification of what is holy.
Call: We who are the hearts of the faithful,
Response: We lend our passion to the healing of the space.
Call: We who are the souls of the faithful,
Response: We lend ourselves, and everything we are.
Call: We give our hands over to the Gods,
Response: We give our hands over to the future,
Call: And may they bless us in our work.
Response: And may they bless us in our work.

(All proceed to cleaning for the rest of the Hour.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]