Beyond Pagan 101
Something I’ve noticed is that when you start browsing Pagan books, the great majority of them are ‘Pagan 101’ – what is is/means to be Pagan, how Pagans practice their faith, etc. I am a researcher by nature, and tend to be drawn to books on spirituality and on Pagan paths in particular. It’s been disappointing to see the same material rehashed over and over and over again: what Sabbats are, correspondences, dedication rituals and how to ‘be’ pagan – the very basics. Oh sure, it’s a little different; re-branded or spiffed up and published under a new name or path, but so much of it is the same basic, beginner material that you can find all over the place.
I’ve been thinking about why that is; why so many books are ‘beginner’ style books for Pagan spirituality, and have come to several observations. First, I think that a lot of Pagan practice is ‘first generation’. People are dissatisfied with mainstream spirituality and they go exploring. Because there are so many different styles of Paganism, it’s hard to ‘pick one’, and so each style or path has its own interpretation of the Path. Additionally, there are different ‘branches’ of Paganism: Wiccan, Heathen, Asatru, Druidic, Dianic… the list goes on, each with their own specific way of doing things.
Secondly, as information and technology have increased access to information, the sheer volume of beginner Pagans has increased to the point that such a volume of beginner material is necessary. Since there are so many first generation Pagans, there isn’t a large population of people who have practiced long enough to move beyond basics. Although I know many who have been in practice for decades, a great many of those have switched paths or gone eclectic or solitary for lengths of time, and developed their own traditions, rituals and styles of practice and don’t feel the need to publish it publicly. Add to that the general consensus that Pagans don’t like to be told ‘what to do’ or ‘how to worship’, finding an open group to practice with can be extremely challenging, which leaves many/most new Pagans solitary.
Thirdly, of those who have practiced for extensive periods of time, they don’t feel the need to indoctrinate their children into their faith, allowing the children to find their own paths, as it were. Without that indoctrination, children who grow up Pagan may or may not feel the need to pursue their own spiritual path. I know several adults who were raised by Pagan parents and although they may be interested on the fringe, most tend not to practice actively, at least among the people I know in this situation. Obviously, that’s not true across the board, so no slight intended if you’re a third or fourth generation practicing Pagan. These are just my observations, and I’d be interested in hearing yours.
Though I understand these as logical explanations, and accept whatever other possible explanations there may be, they don’t mitigate the fact that the majority of Pagan-centered books available are beginner-level books. For those who have been practicing long enough to have personalized their faith and practice, investing in new books can be disappointing because even seemingly promising books end up containing only a little bit of new information. While I certainly do not claim any authority, I thought I would share some of the ways that I have found helped me to move beyond ‘Pagan 101’ and into a more deeply personal and meaningful practice.
One method I found to circumvent getting trapped in the newbie books has been to move outside of strictly Pagan-themed books and into history, philosophy and world religion books. (Side note: My path isn’t deity-centered, so if yours is, the same types of methods for researching and deepening your knowledge about your pantheon or deities applies.) Beyond a certain point, even the most devout reconstructionist Pagan practitioner is just making stuff up to fill in the gaps in whatever factual/historical recorded information they have managed to piece together. From that viewpoint, their opinion on how you should practice is no more authoritative than yours. Additionally, many strictly Pagan-themed books tend to be European in origin, which means that they may be making recommendations for alignments and correspondences for a different hemisphere, climate or botanical availability than where you;re practicing your path. I am a firm believer is adapting my practice to suit my environment and many nature or earth-based paths focus on that connectivity almost exclusively. It seems silly to try to find herbs or wood to work with that you wouldn’t have any personal connection with because you’ve never seen, touched or smelled it!
If your path is earth-based; hedge-witches, kitchen-witches, and the like, and herb-crafting is a big part of your practice, then you’ll only find a handful of information in your typical Pagan-themed herbal companions. Look into books on gardening – learn native flora and what grows best when. Growing your own herbs, flowers and plants can make them so much more effective when you need them to work and the connection that you have to your garden and materials is a big part of making your path come alive. Continue your education; learn about using plants as medicine, how to distill essential oils, and anything else that strikes your fancy from sources that aren’t strictly Pagan-oriented. If the only information you;re lacking is the magical correspondence, those are easy to find online. If food is your bag, then the same applies; research cooking and recipes; experiment with flavors and use herbs and ingredients that you grow yourself.
I’d also suggest researching folk magic – hoo-doo and root-work, Santeria, Native American religions and other types of old, earthy magic. Many of those types of religions can be hard to find information on, but it’s worth it when you do. If your ancestors come from those religions, then even more so. My personal task over the last year or so is considering how ancient holidays could be modernized. I have posts about Lupercalia and Matronalia, and will be doing similar posts this year. I may not get them ‘right’, but it’s been a fun experiment, and adds value to my practice.
Another way to find more meaning in your practice is just that – practice. If you are a new practitioner, especially if you’re coming out of a religion where Pagan things are taboo, then you may be reluctant to actually do the things that you’re reading about. Even if you’ve ‘been Pagan’ for a long time, but don’t practice, moving beyond the basics means getting your feet wet – sometimes literally (if ritual cleansing is part of your practice). If you haven’t found anything in what you’ve read that appeals to you, make something up! There’s no right or wrong way to do an Esbat or Sabbat Ritual; there’s no right of wrong way to perform a candle spell, or sage your house, or create an altar. Don’t be afraid to try something, whether it’s all written out for you or you make it up yourself. If it has meaning for you, then it works. I view my path as an ever-winding road, with new things to learn and try around every corner, and I’ve been practicing for twenty five years. Some things I’ve tried flopped entirely, some things worked for a time or were interesting to try out, but ultimately didn’t stick, while others have become a regular, essential part of my practice. our spiritual practice should add meaning and value to your life, even if it’s a simple ritual like lighting a candle and incense with your morning coffee.
My final tip for moving into a more mature practice is to connect with the Pagan Community. Not just online, but in person. If your local community hosts Pagan Pride Day, or has a ‘Pagans Night Out’ or other meet-up, make an effort to go. If you have children, look for (or organize!) a Pagan Playdate or Pagan Game Night. There’s a group in the Houston area of TX that hosts an Interfaith Tea & Game Night, and there are organizations like Celebration of Womanhood and Women Of Magic And Nature (WOMAN) that host retreats for Pagan women each year. Meeting the incredibly varied group of women at WOMAN for the last 2 years has been such a great way for me to learn and explore different paths and practice dynamics and has added to deepening the meaning and value in my own practice. Plus, it’s just plain nice to be around other people who have similar (even if very different) beliefs.
How have you moved beyond Pagan 101?
Brightest Blessings,
New Moon Names – Part 1
Most of us are familiar with the various names for the Full Moon, but when I went looking for the names of the New Moon, I was a little surprised to find that there weren’t any. It seems odd that such a notable recurring event wouldn’t also have names to mark the passage of time, especially pre-calendar. I’ve talked before about non-traditional elemental associations and since this is one that I am making up, I thought I’d share my thought/creative process. For each month, I looked up several things, ranging from the history/origin of the month’s name and the deity(ies) they were associated with, as well as properties and other associations that go along with them. I also considered my own personal feelings and insights. Since this is a slice of my personal practice, how I interpret the months and times of year as the cycle turns plays a role in how I chose their names.
Because it’s the first of the year, let’s start with January. Even though, for many Pagans (myself included), January isn’t the beginning of the magickal year, it’s still ‘a’ beginning. I orient myself in the years’ planning starting in January, so for me, it is a beginning. Because I typically print of create my Moon Calendar by calendar year, and because my almanac runs from January through December, this is a logical starting point to me.
The Latin word for January is ianua, or door, since January is the door to the year. January’s deity is the Roman Goddess Juno. There’s some contention with that; apparently Janus was the original deity associated thought to be associated with January as He is the God of Beginnings and Transitions, but more recent research suggests it was, in fact, Juno. Because I am a woman, happily married and mother, the association with Juno speaks to me more. She is generally thought to be linked with protection of the state and of women, love, youth, fertility and vital force, marriage, and other complex roles. In particular, Juno’s name is associated with the Latin words iuvare, “to aid, benefit”, and iuvenescendo, “rejuvenate”, which could potentially connect her to the renewal of the new and waxing moon, which suggests that she may have been revered as a moon goddess. I like that idea. The word for January, or door, fits because in a way, Juno – and thus, January – can be seen as the guardian of the new year. She holds the doors to the year ahead, and as a gatekeeper, creates the way for the new path. For me, January is a time of beginnings – it’s when I reset my calendar, I’ve filed away things from the previous calendar year and get ready for the new year ahead. It’s a time of starting fresh, of making plans and setting goals and intentions – it’s sloughing off the previous year and starting anew. Because of those ideas and concepts, I’ve decided to call January’s New Moon the Renewal Moon.
Because of the potential length of this post, I am breaking it up into several parts. I will come back and edit the list below with the links to the other posts as I make them. For now, subscribe and you’ll get future posts in your inbox!
- January – Renewal Moon
- February –
- March –
- April –
- May –
- June –
- July –
- August –
- September –
- October –
- November –
- December –
- Black Moon (2nd New Moon in a month, also called the Secret Moon or the Finding Moon)
Do you have names for the New Moons? I’d love to read about it!
Brightest Blessings,
Lupercalia 2016
There’s something I really enjoy about making old celebrations new again, and so this year I am taking a stab at honoring some of the long forgotten (or transformed) holidays a little more modern. Obviously, the historically ‘accurate’ traditions probably won’t translate well into today’s accepted celebratory rituals… sacrificial goats are a little hard to come by around here and we’re rather fond of our pup, so that’s clearly out. Plus, what would the neighbors say? The boys are also not keen on public displays of either dancing or nudity, so we’ll have to skip those parts as well. It occurs to me that, while the turning of animal skins into leather might be a useful skill, creating lashes with which to chase and hit young women is also going to have to be forfeit as we don’t generally condone violence, and definitely prohibit violence towards women … so again, a more modern interpretation in necessary, I think.
Apparently, not even the Romans knew the origins of the festival, or even which deity it was associated with; they just that it was a thing and they celebrated it with enthusiasm. That makes it a little hard to find modern-day associations, but there are some that seem obvious to me, even if they’re not historically accurate. Since the word ‘lupercalia’ is derived from both Greek and Latin, and where we find modern words for wolf, it seems natural to me that the deities associated with wolves and other canines would be the focus at this time of year. Whatever your chosen pantheon, there’s likely a deity that is associated with wolves: Fenrir for the Norse; Anubis for the Kemetic/Tameran; The Morrigan for the Celtics; Cerberus for the Romans; Pan for the Greeks; Inari (Kitsune, Dakini) for the Shinto, Hindu and Buddhist … there are others as well, but those are some of the ones I am more familiar with.
Fairly consistent with historical practice, these deities also are associated with themes of fertility, protection, ensuring good favor and good fortune. According to the oldest records, Lupercalia was a festival designed with rites ‘to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility’. That’s pretty common at this time of year, with Spring on the horizon – Imbolc is just passed, with ‘waking the Earth/Goddess’ and preparing the ground for seed to be sown, love is in the air as animals come out of hibernation and look for mates, Valentine’s Day is celebrates (with it’s historical ties to Lupercalia and other Pagan festivals)… even though this is an ‘ancient’ holiday, we’re not as far removed from it as it might seem on the surface!
So how does one translate traditional celebrations into modern day observances? Starting with the obvious, exploring Lupercalia and its connection to wolves is a logical beginning. Wolves symbolize strong family connections, loyalty, communication and stand as guardians. Spring is a time of planning and sowing, and so introspective questions arise:
- Are my goals clear?
- Am I communicating my intentions?
- Am I guarding my space to ensure that I am able to work effectively on achieving my goals?
Taking the themes popular in the Spring, my deities of choice are The Morrigan and Fenrir. The Morrigan is probably more well-known for her associations with ravens, but she’s also known to take the form of a wolf in folklore. Her role as a Mother Goddess, protector and fierce warrior is well-known, and in the context of my path at this point in my life, appropriate. Fenrir is also a strong figure, tasked with overcoming Odin at Ragnarok. As Odin could be seen as the personification of Wisdom, defeating ‘wisdom’ to make the world anew is an interesting concept.
Fenrir candle from WitchcraftsArtisanAlchemy.com
This Lupercalia, then, is celebrated with meditation and introspection, with a focus on honestly considering my needs and goals, moving forward with making plans for the coming year and making sure I am clearly communicating what I need in my life to accomplish them. It’s not flashy, but it does feel ‘right’, and that’s all one can ask!
Have you tried taking/making meaning from old traditions?
Brightest Blessings,
Air in the North, Part II
I really miss the alphabetical challenge that the Pagan Blog Project was doing – though I understand why they stopped, it was a fun challenge, and even though I don’t think I completed one of them ‘on time’, it did keep me writing. So I thought I’d do a modified version of it just for myself, with a more-or-less weekly alphabetical update.
I also found another site with monthly blog prompts, at Mom’s a Witch. I’ll probably work some of those in over the course of this coming year as well.
Starting with ‘A’, this week’s post is on Air in the North, Part II. A while back, for one of the other PBP posts, I did the original Air in the North post, but I’ve learned more since then and thought it was worth another post. I also met another few people who put Air in the North, which was really cool, since most of the people I practice with on a regular basis keep to traditional elemental directions.
At Pagan by Design, the article starts off with acknowledging the discrepancy and sometimes conflict among different Pagan paths regarding elemental and directional correspondences. There are a lovely few paragraphs that indicate other Pagan cultures and paths that use additional directional and elemental correspondences (of note, Chinese, with fire, wood, metal, earth and water). I particularly like the Celtic and Gaelic preference of North, East, South, West, Above, Below, Within; and the concept of the Spirit being divided into 3 – Light, Dark, and Soul. I’ve written Druidic-inspired Rituals, using only three correspondences: Land Sea & Sky; and have participated in Native American-inspired Rituals where we did a Medicine Wheel rather than a traditional Quarter Call.
Part of my preference for Air in the North comes from thinking along these lines:
Native American:
The North improves mental wisdom, discovery, and logic in an illuminating fashion. Knowledge accumulated through our lives is purified, as if a swift breeze blew away all dust and confusion. We prepare for intellectual illumination as these winds sweep into our awareness. It seems that gusts of enlightened, intellectual processes of “knowing” blows into our lives.
I was also particularly intrigued to find that the Lakota People also associate North and Air. I am not Lakota, but I’ve learned a bit about them over the past few years as one of my good friends is of Lakota heritage, and identifies with some of the spiritual paths and practices of the People. That makes total sense to me, as the Dakotas would be among the first territories to feel the chill of the Northern Winter storms – Air would absolutely make sense coming from the North for them, which is a big part of my feeling that Air belongs in the North for me as well.
After a lengthy explanation of why traditional correspondences exists and speculation as to how they came about, Pagan’s Path ends with this:
For you, the wind might be warm instead of cold. The waters might be cool instead of warm. What do you “feel” when you think of each element? Does the fire rise or flicker? Does the Earth rise or spread out upon a vast land? Make your own saying and then think about where these elements fit within the cardinal directions of your location. Is it cold in the North or the South? Does the warm water flow to the South or East? Does the sun represent your fire? If so, when it rises in the East or sets in the West? Does the Earth rise up to greet you in the mountains of the East, West, or maybe some other direction? These are the things that make you connected to the elements, the directions and the Divine Energy around you. It’s not how your friend feels, or your partner thinks, or what your Teacher says is right or wrong. None of those outside forces are going to be there when YOU sit down to do a working or to commune with the Divine world around you. So this is your time to think about where you are, and what you believe. You have the answers within yourself. Just sit down, meditate a little and ask your higher self what goes where and why.
That, I think, is one of the key elements as to how ‘being Pagan’ works. “You have the answers within yourself. Just sit down, meditate a little and ask your higher self what goes where and why.” This, exactly.
Though I am pretty vocal about my preferences, I don’t have to have Air in the North to be part of a Ritual Circle. I have, and do, function just fine when someone whose correspondences differ from mine leads Ritual. In fact, I’d go a step further and say that my practice is enriched by being part of Circles where things are vastly different form how I normally do them. Being exposed to new things always adds an element of wonder to my experience within that Circle, and I have always come away from that experience with something to take back to my practice (or know with certainty that something is ‘not for me’).
If you keep non-traditional correspondences, I’d love to hear form you – what they are and why you have them!
Brightest Blessings,
PBP: The Wheel of the Year – Part 2
Prompt: The Wheel of the Year
“When celebrating the Wheel of the Year, you can interpret it many ways. You can see it as symbolic, agricultural, astrological, etc. You could even do a combination. How do you find significance of each holiday in the modern world we live in? For example, during the fall season, the holidays relate strongly to the harvest. In this day and age, most of us don’t live on a farm harvesting grain and ensuring the following year’s crops. How do you stay in touch with the roots of the holy days we observe when some times we are so far placed from them?How do you interpret the Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year and make it fit the modern world around us?”
Lughnasadh
Mabon
Mabon is another easy connection for me. When I first heard the legend of Blodeuwedd the Owl, it struck a chord for me. She’s gotten kind of a bad rap over the years, but when the culture and circumstances of her life are discovered, her role and actions in the larger tapestry are revealed. The Triple Goddess is another important part of my path, and at Mabon, She is represented fully to me. Of the three Harvest Festivals (Lughnasadh, Mabon, Samhain), Mabon is the one that is ‘Thanksgiving’. It’s the main harvest, and as such a time for reflection and giving thanks. It is Spring, fulfilled, and celebration for the completion of what was planted earlier in the year (be it seeds or a garden, spellwork, or plans). For my family, Mabon is a season of pouring back into the community and into the people who touch our lives. Though we are involved in community service work throughout the year on a regular basis, Mabon is a time for recognizing the blessings we have received and showing thankfulness through generosity. Mabon is also a time to celebrate the Dark Mother. As the earth is dying just a little, preparing for Winter. Persephone/Proserpina and Demeter/Ceres are also honoured at this time, as the earth descends to darkness and the Crone aspect of the Goddess is beginning.Samhain
Yule
Yule is the Winter Solstice as well; traditionally a time of rest – settling in with kith and kin by the fire, counting blessings and weathering out the last of winter. Though I’m in the Southern United States, and our temperatures reach to 80’s (F) sometimes, the sentiments are the same – gathering close to freinds and family, and counting ourselves fortunate.
Another observation that I feel is important to do is ‘Walking the Boundaries’. Every year, on the Quarter Days (Yule, Ostara, Litha & Mabon), I walk the boundaries of our property and leave Thanks and Offerings to the boundary spirits for continued good-will and protection. We share the land with Those Who Came Before, so we try to honor them with a little something.
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If you’re so inclined, feel free to use the same promt and write your own blog post. Be sure to link back!
Brightest Blessings,
Women of Magick and Nature 2015 Retreat
A few weekends ago, Bridey and I went to a retreat called W.O.M.A.N. – ‘Women of Magick and Nature‘. I’d learned about it earlier this year, and had been looking forward to going for some time. Despite how ‘connected’ I tend to think I am, it always surprises me to stumble upon some gem of knowledge or activity or event that is totally new to me. WOMAN has apparently been around for years, though it’s gone by several different names and changed leadership over the years – but the spirit of the gathering is in tact (at least I hope so – what I brought home from the experience was absolutely wonderful).
Over the course of the weekend, I got to meet so many bad-ass Texas witches – who have been around for years and both been instrumental in shaping the Pagan community in Southeast Texas and guiding the women who will come after them. I love that the traditions that started within Texas are being passed on, and at the same time, new life and vitality and ideas are breathed into them as new ones learn and adopt and grow. It felt good – being part of a group that, with each change of name and hands, both honors what came before while accepting and facilitating the changes to come. It’s a process that’s on-going… not without moments of frustration and sadness for what was lost, I’m sure, but overwhelmingly with love and excitement for that which is yet to come.
One of the things I was surprised to find is how much I enjoyed talking with the older women at this retreat. Having a community with a more diverse mix of ages is something that I hadn’t realized I was lacking. I remember sitting underneath the kitchen table while my mother and grandmothers and aunts and great-aunts (both those by blood and those by choice) would sit around talking and shelling peas, or playing cards. I always assumed that I would have that when I grew up, and I suppose in some ways, I do – but there were often elements of faith discussed in those kitchen-table gatherings and that’s the part that’s been lacking. It was energizing to be in an environment where spiritual ideas and concepts were so openly discussed and considered.
In my friend group, I am one of the oldest there – my kids are older, I’ve been married for the longest… I don’t have anyone to learn from. That’s not to say that I know everything, or that those with less time on the clock can’t or don’t have things to teach me – they absolutely do, and I eagerly accept their teaching just as readily as I do that from elders – but it’s not the same as being taught/mentored by an older woman. There’s something about the way an older woman imparts her knowledge – not universally, of course – personalities are what they are, but in general, the wisdom of years has something unique to offer, and I’ve missed it.
It was lovely being around so many women who wanted to teach and to learn from them. There’s something about the Pagan community, about the willingness to teach and be taught, that I don’t see in other religious communities. Whereas other communities all look to a single leader or group of leaders, at events like this, the floor is open to anyone who has something to offer. We had classes and workshops all weekend long, from divination, to crafts, to astrology… it was really interesting and fun to be part of. I felt like there was plenty of room for everyone’s time and differing opinions were heard and no one was belittled or told that they were ‘wrong’… it was such a great atmosphere.
One of the things I learned that I just love is a style of stone divination. Basically, you choose small stones, one for each planet in the solar system, plus ones for the sun and moon, and (to start with), a stone to represent yourself. Using either traditional or personal correspondences for the planets/stones, cast the stones within a circle (a 3’ loop of leather cord, or on a cloth or other surface with a defined edge). Depending on your preference, you can read the stones with the center point as the present, moving outwards for a timeline, or as the edge of the circle closest to you being the present, moving further along the timeline as you move away form yourself. Stones that are closest to ‘you’ (your signifier in the spread) have more of an effect, or their influence is in play, while those farther away from you have less influence. That’s a very (very) simplistic explanation, but gives the gist of the method. It’s also highly adaptable and open to various personalizations. We were left with the instruction, “Make it your own!”, so I did.
And then, there were the rituals. I won’t go into detail, simply because I feel like those were special times to me, and private. But these ladies went all out for planning and preparation, and it was really just awesome to be part of it.
I am so glad that I went. I struggle with anxiety issues, and as a child, I’d have passed an opportunity like this up. I’d have wanted to go, and been regretful for bowing out, but the stress and dread of meeting new people and participating would have been too much, so I’d have declined or bowed out when it came time to leave. I am so glad that I’ve worked through a lot of those issues. It was still hard to walk into a room in progress (we arrived mid-class), but without a doubt, this was one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a long time and I am so glad that I got to share the experience. There’s another retreat in the Spring, and I am hoping that I get to go!
Brightest Blessings,
Crystals and Gems for Everyday Use
I was asked recently about my stones and crystals, and thought I’d make a post about them; specifically, about how they’re used. But first, some basics!
Most of the Pagans I know tend to think of their stones as ‘living’ objects, and by that, I mean that they recognize the energy and effect that stones and crystals have on their user/wearer. If you’re not familiar with stones and crystals in your personal practice, they can be a useful addition. I recommend getting a couple of books on stones, both scientific/geology-related and Pagan-related, to get an idea of what it is you’re dealing with. Knowing the geological profile of a stone can help you place it into your practice and correspondences more easily, in my opinion (especially if you use non-traditional correspondences, or follow an eclectic path). DK Press has several ‘stones and gems’ books, and I found one that is organized by color that is useful for identifying stones I find in the wild. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic is another good one, and The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall is another good one.
While it’s tempting to start your stone and gem collection and pack it away, stones and crystals can’t help you if they’re tucked away in a drawer. To get the most effect, they need to be handled, loved and taken care of. It’s important to recharge your stones, too. But first, let’s talk about choosing the right stones for your collection.
Choosing Stones and Crystals
So how do you go about choosing the ‘right’ stones and crystals? Mostly, it’s by ‘feel’. Sometimes, you can be drawn to certain stones or crystals and know instantly that it’s right for you. Other times, you may need to touch and hold several in the bin before finding the ‘right’ one. It’s not uncommon for me to be walking around outside by the beach or in the woods and be drawn to something I can’t readily see, only to find a beautiful bit of sea glass or a stone that feels like it’s ‘mine’. Crystals seem to be a bit different, in that they often warm to the touch if they’re meant to go home with you! I can imagine that it has something to do with the cuts and the vibration of your personal energies, but that could be a load of hooey. In either case, crystals are easier for me to choose or recognize that it’s not meant to be mine than stones.
Can you use ‘just any’ stone or crystal? Probably, but if you don’t feel it, then chances are you won’t see the result that you were looking for.
Cleansing & Charging
This isn’t my picture, but my set-up is very similar to this.
I’ve read a lot of different methods for cleansing and charging. As with any magickal tool, I feel like cleansing prior to use is essential. Not only does cleansing clear whatever other psychic vibrations or energy attached to it, but it also gives you a chance to impose your energy on it, and ‘tune in’ to the stone or crystal. I use crystals and stones all the time – herbs and stones/crystals are probably the most often used in my personal practice – so I want to make sure that my stones work for me. Cleansing is a vital step for best results.
Among my favorite methods for cleansing are Sun Cleansing, Moon Cleansing, and Water Cleansing. With Water Cleansing, you can use Salted Water, Moon-Blessed Water, or Holy Water to cleanse. For Sun Cleansing, I choose a day when the sun is bright and the sky is clear. The Summer Solstice is an ideal day to cleanse stones in the sun, but any day would work. If correspondences are important to you, then you might choose a day that corresponds to the stone you’re cleansing, and use other favorable trappings as well (like color of tablecloth, or herbs on the table as well). I don’t cast a Circle for cleansing stones, but I do set a small, temporary altar, with the elements represented and the stones in the center. I leave the stones out in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day, and bring them in afterwards. A word about Sun Cleansing for crystals – I don’t use the sun for crystals. The UV rays can discolor your crystals, and some crystals can crack or shatter if they get too hot. They’re still the same, energetically speaking, but not as pretty.
other ways to cleanse stones and crystals
For Moon Cleansing, I recommend waiting until the Full Moon. I try to cleanse and charge my crystals by moonlight only, and every month. If I am home, it’s easy to leave them out overnight, but even just a little while under the moon can cleanse and re-charge them. You don’t have to do anything fancy; leaving them in a windowsill where the moon can touch them is perfect if you can’t get outside.
Something that is also very effective is Spirit Cleansing. Spirit Cleansing is ideal for those on a limited budget, or who practice discreetly, or just prefer to do things without a bunch of ‘stuff’. We Pagans tend to like our ‘stuff’, so sometimes it’s nice to get back to basics, and really connect with the idea that the power is in the witch. Spirit Cleansing is essentially using your own energy to cleanse and charge a stone or crystal. Using Spirit to charge is common; it’s how I charge all of my stones and crystals – but using Spirit to cleanse as well is just as effective. If you think about it, the intent is what matters. Even with other methods, you’re still drawing on your energy to set the intention. Spirit Cleansing is just a little more overt. To cleanse with Spirit, like with other methods, I don’t cast a Circle. I prefer to do Spirit Cleansing at my altar, with my altar and working candles lit. Spirit Cleansing is a little like meditation practice, in that you’re holding the stone and focusing your energy into it, and through it, and drawing your will and intent into it.
Charging your stones and crystals is something different from cleansing (though you can do both at the same time). Much like with Spirit Cleansing, charging uses either your own energy, or the energies of the elementals and things around you, combined with your will, to help the stone or crystal do the work you intend it for. One of the reasons stones and gems and crystals are effective is because you’re drawing on its own energy as well. When your intent is in alignment with the energy and purpose of the stone or gem or crystal, then it just works! Generally speaking, to charge my stones, gems and crystals, I hold it in my hands, and use visualization and focused meditation to set the intention for the stone. Some stones, I have specific goals for; others are for more general use.
Everyday Use
One of my favorite ways to use stones is by wearing them. Lots of places have necklace pendants that you can either tuck a stone into, or open and put a stone in. I have both kinds, and 
they’re ideal for wearing small stones. The ones I have are large enough to put multiple stones in, which makes customization easier. Using harmonious stones or gems in one group can maximize a particular effect, or mediate the effects of one stone by using another. I wear my stones to help control anxiety and stress, and to promote compassion and harmony in my interactions with people. My son wears stones to help with gastrointestinal stress, and digestive issues. They’re also useful on the bed-side table, to help with falling asleep, staying asleep and dream-magick.
Another way to draw on the healing and/or magickal properties of crystals and stones is to make tinctures or oils with the stone or crystal inside. My jars and vials of Moon Blessed Water, for example, usually also contain a bit of moonstone, or quartz (or both). If you’re making massage oil, adding rose quartz, amethyst, tiger’s eye, or carnelian can either help with relaxation or help spice things up. For prosperity oil, gold, adventurine, unakite, goldstone, labradorite and other stones that attract wealth or luck can boost the oil’s effectiveness.
Many stones also have a deity connection; that is, a stone or crystal is associated with a particular deity. They can be used to focus on your connection and communication with a particular deity, or to establish one. In some cases, being drawn to a particular stone may be deity trying to get in touch with you! If that’s something you’re open to, a little research can go a long way towards figuring it out.
I also use stones in spellwork. Larger stone can be used as candle holders – I drip some wax onto the stone, and set the candle into it, then place it on my altar until it’s done or my work is finished. Stones are also great for long-acting spells; stones are very stable and can hold onto an intention for a long time (especially with regular care). I use them on my altar as place-holders for intention or as the visible reminder of spellwork for prosperity and protection that are either in other areas of my home or outside (like Witch Balls).
Crystal grids are another good way to maximize your intent. Laying a grid can be somewhat time-consuming, but once it’s laid, the stones use each other to stay active. The old infomercial ‘set it and forget it’ comes to mind (only don’t ‘forget it’ – you ARE the magic)…. Stone massage is 
another great use for your stones. Much like the very popular (and costly) ‘hot stone massage’ that many spas offer, you can achieve similar effects with your own stone collection. Certain stones are aligned with the seven chakras, and can be used to balance them, and affect your musculature and overall health. Though you can buy fancy sets of chakra stones (and there are some really nice, big flat stones that are engraved), you don’t have to go to such lengths to get the same effects that you can get from stones you find our buy in rock bins.
Crystals, stones and gems can also be used in decorating. I mentioned a while back that I was somewhat interested in Feng Shui, and found that they can be useful in bringing harmonious energies in, and helping the flow of energy in your home in general. I haven’t put this to the test, but I am fascinated by the possibilities and will probably try it and see what sticks.
Something that I’ve found to be very useful is purchasing vials of stone or crystal chips or shards. Those are very small, and can go into things like charms and spell bottles more easily than larger stones. They can also be ground in a mortar and put into things that you might not otherwise think to put them in (like sprinkling in doorways or around the foundations of your home for protection).
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If you’re not currently using stones in your personal practice, I encourage you to give it a go. Start simple; your birthstone is a good place to start. Those are really easy to find and
completely inconspicuous (if discretion is important to you). From there, you can learn about the correspondences associated with it, and how you can use it to focus your energy, will, intent or spellwork. Birthstone jewelry is simple, but can be an important tool, too.
This is far from an exhaustive guide to how stones, gems and crystals can be used, nor are my methods the only ones. One of the most important facets of many Pagan paths is personalization. Trial and error are expected; ask any witch and they’ll tell you about the many mistakes and fumbles that they endured when they were new to the Craft. It’s okay to try something and if it doesn’t work for you, to scrap it. It’s also okay to try something multiple times until you get it (to a point where it feels) right, or to discard it today only to pick it up down the road.
How do you use stones in your practice?
Brightest Blessings,
Celebrating the Blue Moon
Ever hear the phrase, ‘once in a blue moon’? Well, get ready, because Friday’s Esbat is awash in the energy of the Blue Moon! In actuality, blue moons (using the most common understanding of ‘the second full moon within a one-month calendar period’) aren’t anything super special in a mystical sense; we wouldn’t have them at all were it not for the calendar we use. But we do have them, and because of the rarity (the next one won’t be until 2018), that makes them a special thing. If you keep track of such things, upcoming Blue Moons will be on:
31 January, 2018, 31 March, 2018, and 31 October, 2020.
Looks like Samhain 2020 is going to ah-maz-ing, right?
There’s a second definition for Blue Moon as well that is much more uncommonly heard, but is the ‘real’ definition, which is truly much more rare:
the original definition is that a Blue Moon is the third full Moon in an astronomical season with four full Moons. A normal year has four astronomical seasons – spring, summer, fall (autumn), and winter – with three months and normally three full Moons each. When one of the astronomical seasons has four full Moons, instead of the normal three, the third full Moon is called a Blue Moon. more here
The ‘real’ definition is slightly more complex, and can understand why the more simplified version caught on (even though it’s technically a mistake). If you’re a stickler for technicalities, the next Blue Moon as defined by astronomical season will be next year:
21 May, 2016; 18 May, 2019; 22 August, 2021 and 19 August, 2024.
Regardless of which definition you prefer, this is still a Full Moon, with all the bells and whistles that come with celebrating one. I love the Full Moon Esbat. I absolutely adore being outside when the moon is full. The night feels so alive and everything is soft and dreamy with a beautiful moon-lit glow. The moon at its fullest is so bright – I love the feeling of being out; bathed in it. It’s a great time for cleansing; I set out stones and crystals and jars of water to make Moon Blessed water and re-charge the stones and jewelry that I wear. Everything gets cleansed and grounded and waits for the next part of the cycle.
Traditionally, the Full Moon is a time of culmination and completion. What was started with the New Moon this cycle finds its apex of energy at the Full Moon, before winding down over the next two weeks and starting the cycle anew. I find the Lunar Cycle ideal for short-term goals; a naturally occurring 4-week cycle that grows, peaks, wanes and starts again feels to me like a natural timetable and guide for such things. The two-week span between the Full Moon and the New Moon is a time of rest, reflection and preparation for me. While I don’t adhere strictly to traditional correspondences for spell work, there are some things I am fairly meticulous about and my interpretation of the Esbat Celebrations is one of them.
‘Full Moon Bath’ by DeviantArtist BlancaBS
I don’t know if anyone else does this; I’ve never read it or heard it being done and haven’t heard of it being part of any established tradition, but I use the Black and Blue Moons in a similar manner as the traditional Lunar Cycle. The cycle begins with a Black Moon, and reaches culmination at the Blue. In my opinion, for the least amount of confusion, you should use the same definition for both, i.e.: if you’re using the definition of Blue Moon to mean the 2nd Full Moon in a month, then your definition of Black Moon should be the second New Moon within a month. That’s my personal preference for this type of longer-term planning, and so with this Blue Moon, what was set into motion with the last Black Moon (March 30, 2014) reaches its climax. The next Black Moon of this kind will be October 30, 2016 (which is the night before Samhain – so cool!!), with culmination expected January 31, 2018. I will have the months between now and October of next year to rest (energetically speaking), reflect on my intentions and results, and plan and prepare for the next long-term goal.
As for effectiveness, I can say that my life has undergone some fairly radical changes over the last year and a half, and those changes are in line with the goals/plans/intentions I set. I am not naive enough (or ‘faithful’ enough?? Is that even the right word??) to think that ‘it’s all because of spell work’. I do make choices that are in line with my goals, and live my life in a proactive way – my actions match my intentions. I believe that hard work and a life in harmony with realistic goals set make a works of difference in what a person is able to achieve. But there’s an element of luck or fortune or favor there, too. Call it what you will, but hard work can only take you so far and the extra ‘spark’ – wherever it comes from – helps.
The next Black Moon of the other type (3rd of 4 within an astronomical season) won’t be until August 21, 2017 (with the Blue Moon May 18, 2019). I haven’t personally used this type of moon for this purpose, but I feel like it would probably work as well. If you’re into long-term goal-oriented spellcasting, consider giving the Black/Blue Moon cycle a try to see how it works out for you. I’d be interested in hearing from you if you do (or have done this before).
Brightest Blue Moon Blessings,
Energy Flows in the Home
In the process of working through my home-making goals for the month of March, I’ve been considering the flows of energy in my home. I’m basically done with my bedroom now (there’s still some laundry and shoes to be sorted, but the books, the handbags, and other spaces are sorted). I still need to do some refining in a couple of spaces (mostly getting my witchy cabinet organized properly), but I am really happy with the progress I’ve made in that space. When we first set up our bedroom, it had a ‘hotel’ feel to it – clean, clear, open – not very personal or ‘lived in’ yet. It was an odd feeling, but nice in a way. We re-painted before moving our furniture in that room, and I painted runes and wards before the final coats of paint, and cleansed the space with sage and a few other cleaning tricks (plates of citrus left to dry; incense, etc.), and it left the room feeling very ‘light’. It was almost void of any sort of energy, and it felt so nice to settle into that space. My husband and I have a really good marriage, so the space was filled with love and good intention and communication – laughter, openness, happiness, contentment – and those are still the predominant feelings in that room. It was starting to get a bit cluttered though, and now it feels more like it used to again.
That renewed feeling impressed even more the need to look at the next project area, the hallway, and examine the ‘feel’ and flow of energy in that space. This week, I am taking up (a couple days late, but better late than never) the second leg of this project:
Step 2: Hallway – What’s my goal here? This space is really cluttered right now. It’s a transitional space between my children’s bedrooms, and I feel like the ‘stuff’ that’s in there is blocking the flow of energy from them into the rest of the house. I think there’s a communication gap between them that’s affected by a lack of free movement, so I want to clear that out. Practically speaking, there’s a closet in the hallway that’s become so full of stuff we don’t use that it’s wasted space. I’d like all of that out so we can store things we actually do use, like holiday storage and sports equipment.
- clear closet
- remove clothing that isn’t needed
- remove, down-size and reorganize supplies (tools, video game equipment and sports equipment)
- add hooks and shelving
- store camping supplies & holiday boxes
- bookcases: get rid of books that I have digitally
- TIME FRAME: 3 days (March 9, 11, 13)
Because of the limited space in my bedroom (and reclaiming of the closet), there are several boxes in my living room right now with craft supplies in them. I till intend of cleaning those boxes out, but will still have at least one, which will find a new home in the hall closet. My goal is to have the last of the books cleared out by tomorrow/Saturday so that I can finish in the hall by my deadline.
Back to energy flows though, I don’t follow feng shui, but I do very much believe in the way a room is 
arranged affecting how we feel. Even colors and lighting in a room can dramatically affect the feel of a room and the way the occupants of the room interact with each other. We’ve often intentionally changed the tone of a room through breath, connection, sound and movement (there’s a reason Pagan like bells and noise-makers!). Teaching my kids to take a moment, reconnect with self and intention, and put the energy out into the room they’re in has been a boon to our family because they can take positive action to affect change in a real, tangible way. They know how to do this for themselves, which affects the people around them. As the parent, I feel like it’s my job to continue helping them recognize that potential in themselves, but also to set up their environment in a way that facilitates communication and harmony.
In doing some reading to prepare for this post, I was looking at some of the diagrams for feng shui, and found that, in some respects, our home is set up in a way that mimics traditional feng shui flows. Our bedroom is in the ‘love’ center, our kitchen (the hearth) is in the ‘reputation & respect’ center, our living room is in the ‘health/career’ center, and my desk/homeschool area is in the ‘children & creativity’ center while my husband’s desk is in the ‘helpful people’ center. While our finances are in a good place, our financial center is a bit of a mess, so I wonder how bringing order to that space will affect them. Similarly, the ‘family’ and ‘knowledge’ centers are on the same side of the house as the cluttered hallway, so I really feel like reclaiming those areas will be a positive change for our family.
I am looking forward to updating again with progress!
Brightest Blessings,
Defining, Creating and Defending Sacred Space
Lately, I have become very interested in the minimalist movement. I don’t necessarily want to become an extreme minimalist (one who limits possessions to a certain number), but I definitely need to work on the spaces in my home and in my life to make sure that I am getting the most out of them.
I believe in keeping my life simple, but have a hard time in some areas. I like ‘things’, and have a hard time letting go of the emotional attachment to objects, particularly things from my childhood or that are attached to a memory. I also have a pretty bad case of ‘I might need this someday’-itis, and of ‘I am going to craft with this soon’ syndrome, which really makes it difficult to clear things out.
Another area that keeps me bogged down is clothing. I really am not an adventurous fashionista; my wardrobe is (laughably) fairly limited to black (with a few pieces for color thrown in once a month or so – maybe), and comfort plays a huge part in dictating what I wear – lots of yoga pants and tee shirts.
Knowing that things are veering out of control is one thing; doing something about it is another.
So, I’ve started trying to think about it in another way – from the concept of ‘sacred space’. Our Circle group isn’t as active right now, so more and more, I’ve had to adopt a more solitary role in my practice. Without having group events to plan for, the items I was frequently using for group rituals and events have become clutter, and my supply cabinet has gotten messy (similar to other areas in my life). In getting my herbs out and labeled recently, I was forced to really take stock at look at what a mess the spaces that I’ve dedicated to my path have become, and as a result, not really relaxing or fulfilling. The logical step is to clear some things out.
I am good at knowing that something needs to be done, but bad about following through, so I thought I would post a plan of action and make some progress reports to keep myself accountable. Here’s my plan, and time table:
Step 1: Bedroom – What’s my goal here? This is my personal space. I don’t share it with anyone (other than my husband), and my kids don’t often come into my room. My altar and cabinet of curiosities (herbs, oils, books, etc.) are all kept in there, and I want that space to be inviting and refreshing for my spirit. Practically speaking, I also need to move my clothes from the laundry room into my closet (which is currently full of old crafting supplies). Here’s what needs to be done:
- clear out closet
- remove craft supplies & confine to one box
- create space for clothing
- clear off bookshelves (get rid of hard copy books that I have in digital form)
- clean out trunk & organize herbs onto shelves
- clear nightstand drawer of clutter
- go through bathroom closet (de-clutter makeup, beauty supplies, etc.)
- TIME FRAME: 4 days (March 2-5)
Step 2: Hallway – What’s my goal here? This space is really cluttered right now. It’s a transitional space between my children’s bedrooms, and I feel like the ‘stuff’ that’s in there is blocking the flow of energy from them into the rest of the house. I think there’s a communication gap between them that’s affected by a lack of free movement, so I want to clear that out. Practically speaking, there’s a closet in the hallway that’s become so full of stuff we don’t use that it’s wasted space. I’d like all of that out so we can store things we actually do use, like holiday storage and sports equipment.
- clear closet
- remove clothing that isn’t needed
- remove, down-size and reorganize supplies (tools, video game equipment and sports equipment)
- add hooks and shelving
- store camping supplies & holiday boxes
- bookcases: get rid of books that I have digitally
- TIME FRAME: 3 days (March 9, 11, 13)
Step 3: Kitchen – What’s my goal here? The kitchen is the main entertaining space in our house. We have a rather small house and the living room is oddly shaped, so the kitchen has become the ‘hearth’ of our home. I like the overall feel of our kitchen; Hestia’s presence there is strong. But like many spaces in small houses, the kitchen does double-duty. We have tools in there that are better suited to the hall closet, so I’d like to re-organize so that everything in the kitchen is dedicated to family, togetherness, well-being and health, and entertaining. Practically speaking, I need to make better use of the spaces I have (limited though they are).
- clear pantry & organize (with labels)
- clear cabinet under pantry of tools & declutter/reorganize
- junk drawer
- under oven cabinets
- under stove cabinets
- under sink
- drawers
- add art
- TIME FRAME: one week (March 16-20
Step 4: Living Room – What is my goal here? Our living room is an odd space. It’s not terribly small, but it has a weird flow of energy, and isn’t very inviting. There are times during the year (when decorated for Christmas, for example) when I love being in that space, but most of the time, it just feels odd. When we have company, we always end up in the kitchen, rather than the living room. I’d like to work on this space and make it more inviting. Practically speaking, I think it has to do with the arrangement of furniture. I’d like to re-arrange, maybe paint and add some art to the walls. I may enlist the children in creating something unique to decorate with.
- re-arrange furniture
- clear out china cabinet
- clear bookcases (get rid of books I have digitally)
- paint
- TIME FRAME: 3 days (March 23, 25, 27)
Step 5: Office – What is the goal here? This is our ‘catch all’ room. We tend to have office supplies, art supplies, exercise equipment and other clutter accumulating in this room. My focus is really my desk, which is the hub of my activity. My goal is to make my space more accessible, and less cluttered. When I am in the middle of a project, I need the clutter to aid my creative process, but when I am not, I like a more ‘open’ space. I am currently facing West, and I think that’s blocking my energy. I am a Fire sign, and facing Water isn’t working for me. I’d like to reorient my desk so that I am facing North, which for me is Air (more about why I put Air in the North here). Practically speaking, I’d like there to be a clear function of this space, or at least better organization and storage so that its multi-functional aspects can be maximized. We also need to add a desk, so moving mine will allow us to add another desk in this room.
- move desk to the other wall
- clean out filing cabinets
- clear bookcases (get rid of books I have digitally)
- re-home art supplies
- paint
- re-do curtains
- organize kids’ spaces
- add shelving
Step 6: Laundry Room – What is the goal here? I’ve seen some pretty nifty laundry room makeovers on Pinterest, and honestly, I’d love to have one of those lovely little spaces. We each do our own laundry, so I don’t spend a lot of time in there, but I’d like for all of the spaces in my home to be inviting. It feels like a ‘fly-by’ space right now, and I’d like for it to be a little more organized, and a little neater.
- add shelving
- add basket organizer
- paint
I didn’t add the kids’ room; that’s another whole post. We’re planning a pretty heavy makeover of their room, including paint and building in shelving, and adding new furniture. I scheduled what’s on the list right now for March, so I think I will get through that and then plan for April (spring cleaning). Looks like I have my work cut out for me!
Stay tuned for updates (hopefully weekly).
Brightest blessings,
PBP: The Wheel of the Year – Part 1
Prompt: The Wheel of the Year
“When celebrating the Wheel of the Year, you can interpret it many ways. You can see it as symbolic, agricultural, astrological, etc. You could even do a combination. How do you find significance of each holiday in the modern world we live in? For example, during the fall season, the holidays relate strongly to the harvest. In this day and age, most of us don’t live on a farm harvesting grain and ensuring the following year’s crops. How do you stay in touch with the roots of the holy days we observe when some times we are so far placed from them?
How do you interpret the Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year and make it fit the modern world around us?”
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Ostara
Beltane
Litha
Litha is also when my local Circle celebrates our anniversary. We formed in 2011, and Litha was our first Ritual as a group, so each turn of the Wheel to Litha is another year that I celebrate in fellowship with the members of my Circle. We celebrate 3 full years in 2014.
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Brightest Blessings,
Tasseography, Tasseomancy, Tassology
This is a subject that I know next to nothing about, but am extremely curious about, so I thought I would write my ‘T’ post on it – Tea leaves! More specifically, the reading of them.
Some of the girls in my local Circle and I joined a tea co-op, and for $6, I now have bags upon bags of wonderful, flavored and traditional loose teas sitting in my kitchen just begging to be read.
I also come from a long line of teacup collectors, so it seems natural that tea leaf reading would be implied. However, the religion I was raised in had very strict censures on anything even remotely related to divination ‘lest the demons get ‘cha‘, (you have to say that part with one eye squinty and a really bad Southern accent to get the full effect of that statement), so I’ve never had the opportunity to play with it much.
I also didn’t know that there were special tasseography cups, so the combination of tasty loose tea, knocking on Satan’s door via the practice of divination and another tea cup to collect? Sign me up!
To begin with, I haven’t yet bought any books or materials to go along with this art. I say ‘yet’ because of course I am going to be collecting books on the subject; I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I had The Girls over a while back with instructions to bring teacups so we can practice. We had a lot of fun trying to interpret our own cups and each others.
Some of the websites I’ve found that I plan to use are:
This seems to be a pretty good step-by-step for the beginner site. I have read through the steps, but still haven’t learned enough to go without a refresher. This website says that since tasseography is so subjective, that reading your own leaves is preferable and likely more useful than having someone else read for you. She likens it to the Rorschach tests – what I see may be totally different than what you see. That makes sense to me; since what I am thinking about while reading may be something totally unrelated to what you’re thinking about, and so our readings will naturally reflect our differing states of mind. I do like that she gives a pretty long list of symbols and possible interpretations; I think that, like dream diaries, keeping a log of my own symbols and interpretations would probably be useful as well.
There’s another symbol list at mojomoon.net, but the one at tasseography.com seems to be a little more complete, and has more symbols. I tend to prefer multiple lists and usually create my own with a mixture of traditional meanings and space to write my own interpretations as well.
For practice, Reading Tea Leaves has a long list of specimen cups that you can work on to improve your reading skills. I thought that was a neat thing to offer! There’s also quite a bit of general information on tasseography as well. There’s also a symbol dictionary as well.
Serena Powers’ website has something different than other sites I’ve seen; she mentions that before you even drink the tea, the reading has begin. Signs to look for are bubbles, floating tea leaves, an accident of teaspoons… I wonder how much of this is superstition and how much of it might be considered a true part of the reading, but most superstition has roots on coincidence of facts, so who knows. It’s fun, in any case. Serena also has a symbol guide at the bottom of her page.
There is also a set of tea leaf fortune cards that I think would be fun to play with.
What is your experience with reading tea leaves?
Brightest Blessings,
Jealousy Among the Gods?
Here’s a topic for you eclectic Pagans out there who honor more than one Pantheon… do your Pantheons play nicely, or do they get jealous of your devotion to deities that preside over the same areas from another Pantheon?
I, myself, mix the Egyptian Pantheon with Celtic and Norse appearances. I have one member of the Greek Pantheon in my personal pantheon, and another finding her niche – but primarily, I work with deities from those three.
So far, I haven’t had issues with calling on deities from multiple Pantheons. In my daily practice, I may call on or honor several home and hearth deities. When I am making incense, I may call on deities that are associated with the purpose of the incense – fertility, peace, protection, or for a Sabbat. I seem to have a rather laid back/casual relationship with my personal deities on a day-to-day basis, but my rituals tend to be uber formal, so I think that balances out.
I tend to think of the different deities as incarnations of the Lord or Lady (or both). For example, I may call on Ares, Sekhmet and Kali to help me deal with frustration or anger – to channel it into a productive outlet; or I may call on Hestia, Vesta, Brigid and Bast for home blessings. It is in these more accessible forms that I identify with the Goddess and the God – they exist as separate entities, but are all ‘of’ Them – aspects personified, maybe? I am not sure how to describe how I feel about it, exactly, and years of being told what to think and how to think of and approach and worship has left me feeling just fine with a fluid personal concept of deity.
In any case, I was curious as to how those of you who mix pantheons do things, and if you have a generally positive or generally negative experience doing so.
Brightest Blessings,
Flamekeeping with my Sisters
I am a Flamekeeper.
My friend Bridey recently wrote about Flamekeeping, and began a cell of flamekeepers to tend Brigid’s Eternal Flame, which I have joined. I would say that it’s a ‘local’ group, but it’s comprised of women from all over the world. It’s been fascinating to me to be a part of Pagan groups with one common uniting feature, and this group is no less interesting.
I have never been called to Brigid in the past, but I have been around her more in the last year as she is Bridey’s patron and She seems to be drawing me closer to Her, for a time, at least.
As a Flamekeeper, the expectation is that during the 20-day cycle, you will tend the flame on the day of your shift for as much of the day as possible, taking safety into consideration.The longer you are able to tend, the more energy the cell will be able to generate: an offering to this world and the otherworld, as well as to Brighid. The day is not spent merely ensuring that the candle doesn’t get out of control – it is a day spent, as much as possible, in meditation, reflection and devotion – in whatever form – to Brighid. For some, this may mean a day of fasting, for others, a day of indulgence. For some a day of quiet meditation, for others a day of joyous celebration. It is making devotion to Brigid personal, and connecting with Her in whatever way moves you as an individual.
I thought that I would take a few minutes and talk about what tending Brigid’s Flame means to me now, before the cycle begins. I plan to write again once this first cycle ends and reflect on the experience.
Brigid is associated with hearth and home, the fire especially; with creativity (poems, art, music) and healing. Her counterparts are other domestic deities: Norse Frigg, Greek Hestia, Roman Vesta, Egyptian God Bes and Goddess Sekhmet-Hathor with her husband Ptah, and their son, Nefertum.
I am partial to the Eqyptian Pantheon (though I do not consider myself to be Tameran or Kemetic), and so I associate Brigid with the righteous anger and divine retribution of Sekhmet (though somewhat more balanced and less prone to getting carried away). The triad of Sekmet/Ptah/Nefertum(Imhoptep) and their combined attributes ally closely with Brigid for me – home, hearth, fire, creativity and healing. Therefore it is easy to incorporate Brigid into my personal Pantheon as a sort of sister to or re-visualization of Sekhmet.
Tending the flame of home and hearth is something that I can relate to. As a stay at home mom, the home is my first priority – the essence of home if not the physical building. Years ago, when my children were little, we were forced to evacuate for Hurricane Rita. We were displaced for just over a month. When the dust settled and we finally ‘landed’ (in a hotel, put there by my husband’s company), one of the first things I can remember doing was unpacking and getting into a routine to make the hotel as ‘normal’ as possible so that the children would feel balanced again. It is this sense of balance that is generally present in my home that I honor by tending Her Eternal Flame.
Though I would not consider myself an ‘artist’ I love to craft – painting, sculpting, jewelry-making, scrapbooking, needlework, sewing, writing, story-crafting – all this and more are practices that soothe my soul. As the patroness of artists and creativity, Brigid has a place in my life as the well-spring of inspiration and spark of creative fire that leads to a piece – be it a story or mixed-media piece – that I find healing in. As a Goddess of healing, this aspect plays a role in my life as well – not only through my art, but also in my desire to care for my family and my community. At one point in my life, I wanted to be a midwife. Circumstances have changed, and though that is no longer a goal of mine, I still work closely with new mothers and plan to continue doing so.
Because I am not as familiar with the Celtic Pantheon, I am going to use the next few months as a Flamekeeper to learn more about the Gods and Goddesses that make up the Celtic Pantheon, and respond to the call I have been feeling to Cernnunos and Cerridwen as well.
If you’re interested in keeping Brigid’s Eternal Flame, you can check out Ord Brighideach International, the Order of Flamekeepers, to find a cell that is open. Even if you’re not called to Brigid, consider the possibility of making time to connect with her for a cycle (even informally). Perhaps She waits for you!
Brightest Blessings,
Mercury in Retrograde
This week’s Pagan Blog Prompt is ‘Another Mercury Retrograde’. The questions for this week’s prompt are:
Do you pay attention to these Retrogrades?
If so, do you prepare for them?
Does knowing that it is happening make it easier to deal with the challenges that appear?
If you didn’t know it was happening, would it still affect your life?
Any thoughts on this current Retrograde?
First of all, what does ‘Mercury in Retrograde’ even mean, and why and how should it affect us?
‘Retrograde’ comes from the Latin retrogradus, which means ‘backward step’. It relates, in this instance, to the apparent backward path across the sky. I say apparent, because we know that the planet does not actually reverse its orbit; it merely apprears to for a time. This is because the earth and the planets all move at different speeds around the Sun. All of the planets are in retrograde at some point or another; the planets that are farther away from the Sun go retrograde more often than those closer to the Sun.
Mercury, in particular, is said to have adverse affects on us because it is Mercury that rules thinking, conceptualizations, communication, and technology. During a retrograde period, things seem to be in a state of constant flux; what seems solid and real one day may be dissatisfying the next. Influences may come up that cause us to doubt ourselves, creating a situation where we may feel ‘wishy-washy’ or start thinking that a change in course would be wise. There may be breakdowns in communication or relationships, arguing is more apt to occur. The trouble with these doubts is that they are temporary at best, a caution at worst. We can generally think of this period as a time to gather information, but before moving forward with any changes, wait until Mercury goes direct again.
For me, personally, I haven’t paid all that much attention to retrogrades in the past. I should; I have always had an interest in and assigned a certain level of validity to the planetary aspects of one’s birth and relationships (particularly those of myself, husband and children), but for magic and general ‘happenings’ I haven’t paid much attention. I don’t know why, other than it seemed like more effort than I had to put into it at the time, but over the last couple of years as my practice has gotten more sincere and become more and more a daily part of my life, I am working to learn more about extended correspondences and how the alignment and actions of the planets affect things. I’ve been toying with the idea of looking up past retrogrades and seeing what correlations I can make with events in my life.
I definitely think that ‘forewarned is forearmed’; I don’t see how it could possibly hurt to prepare for and avoid certain things during a retrograde period. I have a tendency to take things personally that I probably shouldn’t; I can see this knowledge being of benefit to me and allowing me to brush things off a little easier.
Not knowing doesn’t mean that you’re not affected. It just means that you don’t know why things are so screwed up, or how to fix them. That said, millions of people walk around during a retrograde not knowing about it and being seemingly unaffected by it. So I really couldn’t say if I am or would be affected if I didn’t know. In any case, knowing about it certainly provides a convenient scapegoat!
I found this to be an extremely interesting and insightful paragraph:
With the March/April Mercury Retrograde, the major issues of spiritual essence, intuition, belief and purpose provides the focus for the revisions. We are on the threshold of major change and transition regarding our direction, beliefs and purpose. The road that we have been on for five years, since 2008 now requires that we make choices and decisions. The climb to the summit had ended but now we must choose the directions we need to go, to pursue the spiritual journey, purpose and pathway for 2012. This Mercury retrograde is setting the stage for the shift out of the incredible clilmb and movement since 2008. All of the challenges, difficulties and accomplishements can now become part of our shift into a new world. 2012 is a universal FIVE year (in numerology terms) which represents CHANGE, BREAKTHROUGH AND FREEDOM. You will need to be ready to break free from the past and move into new directions, shifting your goals, location and purpose. This Mercury retrograde also connects with the winds of change as Uranus connects with Mercury three times during the March/April timeframe. We are setting a new pace for the changes of 2012. http://www.alphalifetrends.com/mercuryretrograde.html
It will be interesting to see what the next few weeks hold as Mercury goes direct again.
If you’re keeping track of this year’s Mercury Retrogrades, I found a helpful calendar at http://www.caretakingthesoul.com/astrology/mercury-retrograde
Mercury will go retrograde three times in 2012.
March 12, 2012 Mercury turns retrograde at 6° Aries
April 4, 2012 Mercury turns direct at 22° Pisces
July 15, 2012 Mercury turns retrograde at 12° Leo
August 8, 2012 Mercury turns direct at 1° Leo
November 5, 2012 Mercury turns retrograde at 4° Sagittarius
November 26, 2012 Mercury turns direct at 18° Scorpio
To read more about Mercury Retrogrades and how other Pagans think of them and deal with them, be sure to check out Pagan Blog Prompts for the linkup.
Brightest Blessings,
Air in the North
For my ‘A’ prompt with the Pagan Blog Project 2012, I wanted to write about Air in the North. This is something that I thought was pretty unique to me; among the other Pagans I know who use ritual circles, I am the only one who feels that the element of Air resides in the North.
Along the way, I’ve found that I am not the only one who uses non-traditional elemental association, theirs even different from mine, and sometimes vastly different from the traditional Earth=North/ Air=East/ Fire=South/Water=West. I don’t know what their reasons for the different associations, but none of them felt right to me. For a long time, I couldn’t tell you why Air belongs in the North, it just feels Right™.
A few years ago, I came across an article that talked about why a pretty good case to house Air in the North could be built. I don’t remember where the original article was (that was several computers ago), but in researching for this post, I found at article at eCauldron.net that featured some of the same reasons I remember reading, and had some new ones, too. The article is here:
photo courtesy of Photobucket.com
http://www.ecauldron.net/rethinking.php
I copied the reasonings that made the most sense to me, and wanted to offer my own commentary on them as well.
5. Seasonal: Many occultists associate the four seasons with the four cardinal points, as well. Hence, winter = north, spring = east, summer = south, and autumn = west. (To be precise, it is the solstice and equinox points which align with the cardinal points.) Again, in most folklore, winter is associated with air and wind, as the icy blasts that usher in the season. In spring, it is the earth which arrests our attention, with its sudden riot of blooms and greenery. Again, south relates to summer, the hottest season (fire), and west relates to autumn.
Of all the reasons, I think this makes the most sense to me. When I think ‘North’, I think of the North Wind ushering in colder weather. Having the four seasons, the four directions and the 2 solstices & equinoxes aligned that way (solstice, equinox, solstice, equinox) balances.
6. Diurnal: Occultists also often associate the cardinal points of a single day to the four compass points. Thus, midnight = north, sunrise = east, noon = south, and sunset = west. (Please note that we are talking about true midnight and true noon here, the points halfway between sunset and sunrise, and between sunrise and sunset, respectively.) These associate nicely with the seasonal attributes just discussed. It is easy to see why sunrise should equate to east, and sunset to west. And, once again, from the perspective of the British Isles, the sun rises over land (earth) and sets over the ocean (water). South is related to noon because it is the moment of greatest heat (fire). Leaving the ‘invisible’ element of air to be associated with the sun’s invisibility, at midnight.
This is a point that I hadn’t thought of, but it makes sense to me, especially the connection to the geographical orientation of Britain.
8. Yin/Yang: Many occultists believe that the four elements have yin/yang connections. Both air and fire are seen as masculine, while earth and water are seen as feminine. If air is associated with the north point of the magic circle, and earth is east, then one achieves a yin/yang alternation as one circumambulates the circle. As one passes the cardinal points of east, south, west, and north, one passes feminine, masculine, feminine, masculine energies. This alternating flux of plus/minus, push/pull, masculine/feminine, is the very pulse of the universe, considered of great importance by most occultists. That it was equally important to our ancestors is evidenced by standing stones in the British Isles. At sites like the Kennet Avenue of Braga, the tall, slender, masculine, phallic stones alternate precisely with the shorter, diamond-shaped yoni stones.
This is another reason why I put Air in the North; I see Earth and Water as obviously feminine elements while Air and Fire are clearly masculine. Having Earth in the North would not work – the cycle would be unbalanced – or split on the diagonal instead of equally in quarters. Air in the North as masculine energy balances across from Fire in the South (also masculine).
9. Generator: This argument flows out of the previous one. Practicing magicians often think of the magic circle as a kind of psychic generator. Witches in particular like to perform circle dances to ‘raise the cone of power’. Hand in hand, and alternating man and woman, they dance clockwise (deosil) around the circle, moving faster and faster until the power is released. This model has an uncanny resemblance to an electrical generator, as man and woman alternately pass each of the four ‘poles’ of the magic circle. These poles themselves must alternate between plus and minus if power is to be raised. This means that if the masculine fire is in the south, then the masculine air must be in the north. If the feminine water is in the west, then the feminine earth must be in the east. If any adjacent pair were switched, the generator would stop dead.
10. Masculine/Feminine Axis: When you look at a typical map, north (the cardinal direction) is at the top. Any north-south road is a vertical line, and any east-west road is a horizontal line. Likewise, a ‘map’ of a magic circle makes the vertical north-south axis masculine (with air and fire), while the horizontal east-west axis is feminine (earth and water). This makes logical sense. When we look at the horizon of the earth, we see a horizontal line. Water also seeks a horizontal plane. Feminine elements, considered ‘passive’, have a natural tendency to ‘lay down’. Fire, on the other hand, always assumes an erect or vertical position. Air, too, can rise upward, as earth and water cannot. Masculine elements, being ‘active’, have a natural tendency to ‘stand up’.
Yes! These last three points all kind of go hand in hand with similar themes – the balance that is maintained by alternating male/female. The attributes of the elements also affect my perception of them. Life grows within the Earth and Water. Those two elements are where Life resides. They need the complimentary energies of Fire and Air, heat and warmth, creativity and passion – but the Earth and the Water ARE life. Air has just never felt feminine to me.
I also associate life cycles with the elements – birth – east (sunrise, earth, fertility), childhood/youth – south (fiery passion of youth, exuberance of childhood), water – adulthood (reflecting maturity, change, fluidity) & air – old age (crone, winter, maturity, wisdom, death). Putting Air in the East just wouldn’t ‘work’.
Something else I thought was interesting was a note I found about the elemental associations in Australia:
- North = Fire (The equator is above us)
- West = Earth (WA is a large state, lots of land)
- East = Water (While all coasts have water – it seems the East coast is more “beachy” in culture)
- South = Air (Tasmania being detached from the mainland and the “roaring 40s” across Bass Straight) http://labyrinth.net.au/~obsidian/bos-oz.html
Being in the Northern Hemisphere, my associations are opposite.
All this said, I don’t want to give the impression that Air should or must be in the North. The associations that you use should be the ones that feel right to you (or that your tradition or path dictate). As I said, I have met and worked with practitioners who had different elemental associations (one friend has Fire in the East, I believe). Those associations work for her, and when I am in Circle with her and she is directing the group’s energy, I don’t have any trouble working with those associations. It’s just that when I cast a Circle, these are the associations that I use; that work for me. It’s been mentioned before, so I thought that I would explain why I have my associate Air with the North.
As a side note, I also came across a scientifically linked argument for Air in the East/Earth in the North from Lydia Marcassa Nettles Crabtree that I found the be quite interesting. I’m not entirely sure that I understand all of it, but it was very cool to see a ‘reason’ for those associations other than ‘tradition’.
If you have non-traditional associations, how do they differ, and why do you put your elements where you do?
Brightest Blessings!
Rowan Hale 