As the title says, the Sabbat (or Festival) or Imbolc approaches, Feb 2nd is the traditional day to celebrate, traditionally it is a festival of returning light, the fires of Brighid are kept alight for the full day, the symbolism of the first Lamb's being born, an agricultural festival of the first births of the animals for the coming year, the Ewe's are 'in milk', hence the origin of its name.
And yet, although the first buds are appearing on the trees (or have been for the past 4 weeks), it doesn't feel like mid winter, it still feels autumnal, the weather feels strange, milder than it should be, a lot wetter than normal, stirrings are apparent in the countryside, the dawn chorus is louder than it has been, but for me it still feels as though we are yet to experience Winter, the Holly King may have been defeated, but he still has some power left. I would not be surprised to see snow before winter is truly out, my feelings tell me it will come, but whether it does or not I am sure only time will tell!
So, if you choose to Celebrate Imbolc, then I wish you well, may the light of the fires of Brighid warm your homes, may your first Lamb's be born healthy and may the seeds of the coming year's harvest receive good portents.
For me, I'm afraid Imbolc will be celebrated when it feels right, I know this isn't an accepted 'Neo Pagan' view, but my path is a Crooked One, where I walk as directed by the Old Ones, listening to and feeling the energies of the land and responding in the manner that feels right, if this means I am out of step with other Pagan's, then so be it, I am not one to follow the herd, but one who walks her own path, alongside those who also feel the same pull and honour the Old Ones in a similar manner.
Saturday 25 January 2014
Monday 6 January 2014
A New Year?
So, A New Year is upon us, 2014 CE, if you follow the accepted labeling of time as per the Roman Calendar, and yet, in these Isles those of our Ancestors who lived pre-Christianity measured the year from another point, rather than some arbitrary date a week after the Christian celebration of Christmas (which itself is nothing more than an attempt by the church to supersede the Roman festival of Saturnalia and usurp the festivities to their own ends) our Ancestors celebrated the New Year as starting after Samhain.
Neo-pagans tend to celebrate 8 festivals, Yule at the midwinter solstice, Imbolc at the first cross quarter, Ostara at the Spring Equinox (another celebration usurped in name and imagery by the church into Easter), Beltane at May Day (2nd cross quarter), Litha/Lughnasadh at the Summer Solstice, Lammas at the 3rd cross quarter, Mabon at the Autumn Equinox and Samhain at the last cross quarter.
This has become the accepted Ritual Calendar for most Pagans, and yet, were all of these festivals actually all celebrated by our Ancestors, and were they on the dates we are told?
Certain of these festivals come from different regions and pantheons, Ostara is distinctly Saxon in origin, Yule is Norse, Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain are from the Celtic world, it is fairly unlikely that today's Ritual Calendar was followed by the Witches of Old, but aspects of it, correspondences and certain ritual aspects would definitely have been used, although exactly what, when and how is something that only you can judge for yourself.
Never be afraid to question the accepted norm, to ask questions that others may consider strange, never be afraid to follow your own heart, go with what feels right for yourself and ignore that which does not work. For in doing so you will be crafting your own Crooked Path, one that has meaning and personal validity, something that many seek but ultimately do not find by blindly following what is accepted by most.
Neo-pagans tend to celebrate 8 festivals, Yule at the midwinter solstice, Imbolc at the first cross quarter, Ostara at the Spring Equinox (another celebration usurped in name and imagery by the church into Easter), Beltane at May Day (2nd cross quarter), Litha/Lughnasadh at the Summer Solstice, Lammas at the 3rd cross quarter, Mabon at the Autumn Equinox and Samhain at the last cross quarter.
This has become the accepted Ritual Calendar for most Pagans, and yet, were all of these festivals actually all celebrated by our Ancestors, and were they on the dates we are told?
Certain of these festivals come from different regions and pantheons, Ostara is distinctly Saxon in origin, Yule is Norse, Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain are from the Celtic world, it is fairly unlikely that today's Ritual Calendar was followed by the Witches of Old, but aspects of it, correspondences and certain ritual aspects would definitely have been used, although exactly what, when and how is something that only you can judge for yourself.
Never be afraid to question the accepted norm, to ask questions that others may consider strange, never be afraid to follow your own heart, go with what feels right for yourself and ignore that which does not work. For in doing so you will be crafting your own Crooked Path, one that has meaning and personal validity, something that many seek but ultimately do not find by blindly following what is accepted by most.
Wednesday 6 November 2013
Revisiting a classic......
Following the Spiritual OD of the past week neither of us is ready to come back down to mundane reality, yesterday left us both feeling disjointed and wanting more, wanting to maintain the high level of connection, so last night we decided to relax and watch some TV, nothing seemed to be on, and Lee went up to look at the DVD's, and amongst the choices was the Robin of Sherwood boxset, have to say it was no choice between that and the others, so 1st disc of the 3 series was put on and watched in entirety.
Quality wise it isnt brilliant, especially on a large plasma TV, but when viewed through the PS3 with it's upscaling programming it becomes watchable. Have to say it was wonderful, Clannad music, pagan spirituality ('Stag Man, me likee Stag Man' - as was said by Damh the Bard last week), good cast and acting and beautiful locations, methinks we have found something to watch over the next few nights that will sate the cravings!
If you haven't seen Robin of Sherwood (which was made between 1983 and 1985), and if you have an interest in pagan spirituality, then I would recommend you take a look, a lot of the Lore is very close to being spot on (some bits had to be changed to protect those watching who may have tried to recreate without having the background knowledge), and the ethos and feel of the program feels very right to us both.
Tuesday 5 November 2013
Samhain Rites - the Veils are still thin............
As stated in my last post, last night was our Samhain Rite at home, circumstance kept us from performing the Rite any closer to Samhain itself, but as the first frost was yesterday morning (an old sign of the date of Samhain), the synchronicity and symbolism worked well for us both.
The living room was prepared, candles and incense lit, and then a feast was prepared and a dumb supper held, with 'Lady of Avalon' by Heloise Pilkington playing quietly in the background (beautiful soulful music that lends itself to use in Ritual).
Following this a small but meaningful Rite was held, the Circle was cast as per the powerful, beautiful and simple ways of our Coven, Witchenwood, then the Ancestors welcomed with words from our Hearts.
A time for reflection and meditation followed, once more I travelled to the shores of Avalon, crossed through the mists on a punt to meet with my Beloved Dead and the Ancestors Legion Vast, a connection was made, tears shed, joy re felt in their presence, Lady, Willow and Belladonna (our fur babies who have crossed the Rainbow bridge) were again present, along with Mr Biggles, my dog from many years ago, a family member and a Craft Sister also came forth to greet me, along with my unborn son, Simon, visible as both child and young man, then several of the Ancestors allowed themselves to be seen individually. All too soon it was time to leave, and with more tears a farewell was made.
Returning to my body was to find Poppy slightly worried as although we were both physically present she could sense we weren't all quite there on another level, as she became concerned she decided to whine, bark and generally do her best to bring us back!
Lee found himself in a forest glade, to be greeted and acknowledged by Herne and Cerridwen, no words were spoken, nor needed.
A second meditation to check some of the results experienced at our Coven meet on Sunday also worked well, but as the results are to do with Coven techniques I cannot share them here.
Cakes and Ale followed, then the Rite was ended, thanks given and the circle closed. As always time seemed to flow differently and the temperature in Circle was higher than it should be, normal side effects that we are used to.
Following the Rite we were both wiped out physically and an earlyish night was had, we both slept like the dead.
Beautiful, moving and fulfilling, as a Samhain Rite should be!
The living room was prepared, candles and incense lit, and then a feast was prepared and a dumb supper held, with 'Lady of Avalon' by Heloise Pilkington playing quietly in the background (beautiful soulful music that lends itself to use in Ritual).
Following this a small but meaningful Rite was held, the Circle was cast as per the powerful, beautiful and simple ways of our Coven, Witchenwood, then the Ancestors welcomed with words from our Hearts.
A time for reflection and meditation followed, once more I travelled to the shores of Avalon, crossed through the mists on a punt to meet with my Beloved Dead and the Ancestors Legion Vast, a connection was made, tears shed, joy re felt in their presence, Lady, Willow and Belladonna (our fur babies who have crossed the Rainbow bridge) were again present, along with Mr Biggles, my dog from many years ago, a family member and a Craft Sister also came forth to greet me, along with my unborn son, Simon, visible as both child and young man, then several of the Ancestors allowed themselves to be seen individually. All too soon it was time to leave, and with more tears a farewell was made.
Returning to my body was to find Poppy slightly worried as although we were both physically present she could sense we weren't all quite there on another level, as she became concerned she decided to whine, bark and generally do her best to bring us back!
Lee found himself in a forest glade, to be greeted and acknowledged by Herne and Cerridwen, no words were spoken, nor needed.
A second meditation to check some of the results experienced at our Coven meet on Sunday also worked well, but as the results are to do with Coven techniques I cannot share them here.
Cakes and Ale followed, then the Rite was ended, thanks given and the circle closed. As always time seemed to flow differently and the temperature in Circle was higher than it should be, normal side effects that we are used to.
Following the Rite we were both wiped out physically and an earlyish night was had, we both slept like the dead.
Beautiful, moving and fulfilling, as a Samhain Rite should be!
Monday 4 November 2013
Old Samhain.................
Hmm, synchronicity occurred today, we had our first Frost of the Autumn, something that some of those within BTW consider to be the actual date of Samhain rather than the more accepted 31st October, which as we have been away over Samhain and busy for the past 2 nights (Coven meeting last night and Damh the Bard concert the night before) coincides rather nicely for our planned Dumb Supper and Samhain Rite tonight!
Samhain is/was the Celtic New Year, also a Sabbat Festival when the veil between this world and other realms is considered to be at its thinnest (also occurs at Beltane), a time when our Ancestors and Beloved dead can cross the veil and walk from the Otherworld into this one, for which reason offerings were left at the doorstep for them in order to placate and allow them to return at the end of the night.
Instead of leaving the offerings at the threshold a 'dumb supper' means setting an extra place at the table and serving food in order for those of the beloved dead present and who wish to partake of the food may do so.
As to whether the veils are at their thinnest because of the Sabbat, or because most Pagans generally believe them to be (and consequently they are as a result of our belief, or perhaps even they are no thinner than normal, just that we are more aware of them) I shall leave for yourself to make up your own mind.
I hope whenever and however you celebrated Samhain and honoured those who came before it was a fulfilling and powerful Rite, that gave you what you needed at the time.
Dark Dreams
Suzanne
Samhain is/was the Celtic New Year, also a Sabbat Festival when the veil between this world and other realms is considered to be at its thinnest (also occurs at Beltane), a time when our Ancestors and Beloved dead can cross the veil and walk from the Otherworld into this one, for which reason offerings were left at the doorstep for them in order to placate and allow them to return at the end of the night.
Instead of leaving the offerings at the threshold a 'dumb supper' means setting an extra place at the table and serving food in order for those of the beloved dead present and who wish to partake of the food may do so.
As to whether the veils are at their thinnest because of the Sabbat, or because most Pagans generally believe them to be (and consequently they are as a result of our belief, or perhaps even they are no thinner than normal, just that we are more aware of them) I shall leave for yourself to make up your own mind.
I hope whenever and however you celebrated Samhain and honoured those who came before it was a fulfilling and powerful Rite, that gave you what you needed at the time.
Dark Dreams
Suzanne
Sunday 3 November 2013
Another Year has passed......
Once again I return, the mundane life challenges that have kept my attention away from where it is supposed to be have now been addressed, time is now right for a return to a focus on the more Spiritual and Craft aspects of my Crooked Path.
To sum up the past two to three years, I stood up at work for what I believed, spoke out (through an allegedly anonymous Staff forum) against changes that were for the worse and found myself being pushed out, something I fought for 18 months, but as my heart was no longer in it I eventually left a job I had been doing for 23 years. 4 months of job hunting and recovery from being completely burned out and I started a new position, one that promised much, but didn't deliver, one that I couldn't fully engage in due to the nature of the industry, boring and mundane to the extreme and unfortunately not really my cup of tea, but it paid the mortgage, although prevented our traditional Samhain trip to Glastonbury. I stuck it out for 18 months, and then up popped a dream job, application went in and I was successful in obtaining it. I now work as a Trainer / Assessor within the Cycle Industry, visiting apprentices throughout the NW of the UK to help train and develop the next generation of Cycle Mechanics, as one who has always had a passion for bikes it is an absolute dream job, I get paid (reasonably well) to visit bike shops and talk bikes, it can't get much better than that!
Due to the required focus on the mundane for the past 18 months I haven't had much chance to practise my Craft, don't get me wrong, the connection is still there and when the need has been felt we have done what was required, but nothing formal was planned or done, this started to change this year.
Once it was confirmed I had my new job life immediately seemed to change for the better, the stress that had crept back in and the job security, money worries and work life balance problems all seemed to melt away. For our holidays we weren't able to get the normal dates, and had to take August Bank Holiday week, which meant camping at Shell Island was definitely out, so instead we planned a trip to Cornwall, staying in a refurbished Barn on the edge of Bodmin moor (middle of nowhere:)), with an overnight stay at The Covenstead in Glastonbury on the way back.
A visit to The Witchcraft Museum at Boscastle, followed by Tintagel, then 2 nights of exploring Cornwall, including being led to the Hurlers Stone Circles on a beautiful moonlit night, our Crooked Path was once more beginning to move forwards. Cornwall is beautiful, a place with definite connection, but the stay in Glastonbury was something we were both looking forwards to.
Staying at The Covenstead was amazing, luxurious, lush, fantastic decor and Adele is the perfect person to run such a wonderful place, warm and friendly greetings indeed from one who has more experience of the Craft than most, a connection was made and we immediately booked for Samhain this year and Beltane for next.
On returning home we both felt a new vitality and a renewed purpose in exloring our Paths, more was done at home and out and about, then a new group was brought to our attention Witchenwood that seemed to be just what we were looking for, less Wicca, more natural and BTW, we immediately applied only to find the group was being formed by 2 friends and former Covenkin!
The group is still forming, but regular meetings are happening and a connection has been made, unfortunately we weren't able to make the Samhain Rite as we had booked for Glastonbury, but none the less it appears to be where we are needed at this time.
Our Samhain / Wedding Anniversary trip to Glastonbury was amazing, 2 nights in the Halloween Honeymoon suite, again a fabulous welcome from Adele, and The Covenstead was magnificent in it's Halloween decorations, over 200 trick or treaters visited between 6 and 8 pm!
Whilst the Trick or Treaters were having their fun however, the invited adults and guests were having some quite in-depth conversations of their own, more connections were made and much wine and spirits did flow.
After 3 days of connection, relaxation and shopping we returned home on Friday (7 hr hellish trip due to the traffic - seems like someone is trying to tell us something each time we come home), ready for a trip to Leeds to see Damh the Bard last night! Awesome night, awesome gig, awesome guy!
Tonight we are off to a New Mooon Rite with the Coven, I know I need to start writing again and will hopefully be doing so in the near future, but thanks for reading.
http://www.witchenwood.co.uk/
To sum up the past two to three years, I stood up at work for what I believed, spoke out (through an allegedly anonymous Staff forum) against changes that were for the worse and found myself being pushed out, something I fought for 18 months, but as my heart was no longer in it I eventually left a job I had been doing for 23 years. 4 months of job hunting and recovery from being completely burned out and I started a new position, one that promised much, but didn't deliver, one that I couldn't fully engage in due to the nature of the industry, boring and mundane to the extreme and unfortunately not really my cup of tea, but it paid the mortgage, although prevented our traditional Samhain trip to Glastonbury. I stuck it out for 18 months, and then up popped a dream job, application went in and I was successful in obtaining it. I now work as a Trainer / Assessor within the Cycle Industry, visiting apprentices throughout the NW of the UK to help train and develop the next generation of Cycle Mechanics, as one who has always had a passion for bikes it is an absolute dream job, I get paid (reasonably well) to visit bike shops and talk bikes, it can't get much better than that! Due to the required focus on the mundane for the past 18 months I haven't had much chance to practise my Craft, don't get me wrong, the connection is still there and when the need has been felt we have done what was required, but nothing formal was planned or done, this started to change this year.
Once it was confirmed I had my new job life immediately seemed to change for the better, the stress that had crept back in and the job security, money worries and work life balance problems all seemed to melt away. For our holidays we weren't able to get the normal dates, and had to take August Bank Holiday week, which meant camping at Shell Island was definitely out, so instead we planned a trip to Cornwall, staying in a refurbished Barn on the edge of Bodmin moor (middle of nowhere:)), with an overnight stay at The Covenstead in Glastonbury on the way back.
A visit to The Witchcraft Museum at Boscastle, followed by Tintagel, then 2 nights of exploring Cornwall, including being led to the Hurlers Stone Circles on a beautiful moonlit night, our Crooked Path was once more beginning to move forwards. Cornwall is beautiful, a place with definite connection, but the stay in Glastonbury was something we were both looking forwards to.
Staying at The Covenstead was amazing, luxurious, lush, fantastic decor and Adele is the perfect person to run such a wonderful place, warm and friendly greetings indeed from one who has more experience of the Craft than most, a connection was made and we immediately booked for Samhain this year and Beltane for next.
On returning home we both felt a new vitality and a renewed purpose in exloring our Paths, more was done at home and out and about, then a new group was brought to our attention Witchenwood that seemed to be just what we were looking for, less Wicca, more natural and BTW, we immediately applied only to find the group was being formed by 2 friends and former Covenkin!
The group is still forming, but regular meetings are happening and a connection has been made, unfortunately we weren't able to make the Samhain Rite as we had booked for Glastonbury, but none the less it appears to be where we are needed at this time.Our Samhain / Wedding Anniversary trip to Glastonbury was amazing, 2 nights in the Halloween Honeymoon suite, again a fabulous welcome from Adele, and The Covenstead was magnificent in it's Halloween decorations, over 200 trick or treaters visited between 6 and 8 pm! Whilst the Trick or Treaters were having their fun however, the invited adults and guests were having some quite in-depth conversations of their own, more connections were made and much wine and spirits did flow.
After 3 days of connection, relaxation and shopping we returned home on Friday (7 hr hellish trip due to the traffic - seems like someone is trying to tell us something each time we come home), ready for a trip to Leeds to see Damh the Bard last night! Awesome night, awesome gig, awesome guy!
Tonight we are off to a New Mooon Rite with the Coven, I know I need to start writing again and will hopefully be doing so in the near future, but thanks for reading.
http://www.witchenwood.co.uk/
Sunday 21 October 2012
A Pagan Baby Naming celebration - thats not overtly Pagan?
I was asked yesterday if I could come up with a Pagan Naming Ceremony for a friend's grandchild, but one that wasn't overtly Pagan as the other grandparents are very religious (christian), so using an online available template I came up with the basic format below..........
The Naming Ceremony
(Celebrant)
We gather today to bless and name this child in the name of all that we hold individually Sacred, honouring a new life that has become a part of our world.
To call a thing by name is to give it power, and so today we shall give this child a gift. We will welcome him into our hearts, our homes and our lives and bless him with a name of his own.
(Parents - together)
To be a parent is to love and nurture, to lead a child to be a good person. It is to guide them along the right path and to both teach them and learn from them.
It is to rein them in, and to give them wings. It is to smile at their joy, and weep at their pain. It is to listen to them and make time for them. It is to walk beside them, and then one day allow them to walk alone. To be a parent is a great gift we have given ourselves and the greatest responsibility we shall ever have.
(Celebrant)
We call upon All here present, both in flesh and in Spirit to witness that from this day forwards You are known to Us and to all we hold Sacred as (Baby's Name). This is your name, and it has power and meaning. Bear your name with honour, and may the Divine bless you on this and every day.
May you always have good fortune, may you always have good health, may you always be joyful, and may you always have love in your heart.
(All Present)
Welcome, (Baby's Name), to our family, to our world and to our hearts.
Your parents love you, and we thank them for giving you the gift of life.
We ask the Divine to watch over you, (Baby's Name), and over your mother and father, and we wish your family love and light.
(Celebrant)
May Mother Earth nurture you as you grow tall and strong,
Providing sound grounding and strong personal roots,
May the Winds of Fortune blow favourably upon your life,
Carrying you from harm to safe haven when you have need of it,
May the Heat and Light of the Sun show you Your own Path,
To walk forth in joy as you follow your journey along life's Trails,
May gentle mists of Summer Rain nourish you as you grow,
Providing succour when you need it at every stage of Your life,
May you learn and grow in light and love, changing as do the Seasons,
From Spring and Youth, a time of energy, growth and promise,
To Summer and Manhood, a time of plenty and of satisfaction,
To Autumn and Maturity, a time of harvesting what you have sown,
To Winter and Age, a time to reflect and take joy in your achievements.
May You have Love, Light, Health and Joy wherever you may Walk!
What do you think?
I've emailed it to the Grandparents and asked for their feedback, to see if this is the sort of thing they are looking for, or whether I am wide of the mark, but we shall see what they think, just thought some of you may appreciate it for what it is!
Hugs
Suzanne
The Naming Ceremony
(Celebrant)
We gather today to bless and name this child in the name of all that we hold individually Sacred, honouring a new life that has become a part of our world.
To call a thing by name is to give it power, and so today we shall give this child a gift. We will welcome him into our hearts, our homes and our lives and bless him with a name of his own.
(Parents - together)
To be a parent is to love and nurture, to lead a child to be a good person. It is to guide them along the right path and to both teach them and learn from them.
It is to rein them in, and to give them wings. It is to smile at their joy, and weep at their pain. It is to listen to them and make time for them. It is to walk beside them, and then one day allow them to walk alone. To be a parent is a great gift we have given ourselves and the greatest responsibility we shall ever have.
(Celebrant)
We call upon All here present, both in flesh and in Spirit to witness that from this day forwards You are known to Us and to all we hold Sacred as (Baby's Name). This is your name, and it has power and meaning. Bear your name with honour, and may the Divine bless you on this and every day.
May you always have good fortune, may you always have good health, may you always be joyful, and may you always have love in your heart.
(All Present)
Welcome, (Baby's Name), to our family, to our world and to our hearts.
Your parents love you, and we thank them for giving you the gift of life.
We ask the Divine to watch over you, (Baby's Name), and over your mother and father, and we wish your family love and light.
(Celebrant)
May Mother Earth nurture you as you grow tall and strong,
Providing sound grounding and strong personal roots,
May the Winds of Fortune blow favourably upon your life,
Carrying you from harm to safe haven when you have need of it,
May the Heat and Light of the Sun show you Your own Path,
To walk forth in joy as you follow your journey along life's Trails,
May gentle mists of Summer Rain nourish you as you grow,
Providing succour when you need it at every stage of Your life,
May you learn and grow in light and love, changing as do the Seasons,
From Spring and Youth, a time of energy, growth and promise,
To Summer and Manhood, a time of plenty and of satisfaction,
To Autumn and Maturity, a time of harvesting what you have sown,
To Winter and Age, a time to reflect and take joy in your achievements.
May You have Love, Light, Health and Joy wherever you may Walk!
What do you think?
I've emailed it to the Grandparents and asked for their feedback, to see if this is the sort of thing they are looking for, or whether I am wide of the mark, but we shall see what they think, just thought some of you may appreciate it for what it is!
Hugs
Suzanne
Sunday 7 October 2012
Samhain Approaches............
Historically within paganism Samhain is celebrated on October the 31st, a date that modern folk know as Halloween, yet this date is not one that is easily identified unless you have a wroking calendar in place and are aware of the dates. Unlike the Solstices and Equinoxes, which can be identified by the relative position of the Sun (using natural or man placed markers (such as Stone Circles, Menhirs, etc), the 4 Celtic Cross festivals, the so called 'greater' festivals have no astronomical marker (that we are aware of), but are signified by being half way between the Solstices and Equinoxes.
One Tradition we studied with used another set of dates, Samhain was marked by the first Frost of Autumn, Beltaine by the First Blossoming of the May (Hawthorn) in spring, Yule and Midsummer were celebrated at the Solstices, but other festivals were less important to that group. The use of first frost to date Samhain works on many levels, it signifies the death of many crops and foodstuffs, plus the end of certain berries and fruits, it gives an easily identified point that does not require the use of calendars or astronomical observation, is it not likely then that this marker was used more bny our ancestors than a rigidly set date that relied upon observation and calendars to set its dates?
Dark Dreams
Suzanne
Sunday 9 September 2012
Do the Gods really exist?
Greetings, a question posed and prompted by a TV programme due to air this week, exploring whether science and religion are mutually exclusive or whether they can co-exist, can they both be right? I will share some musings of my own, but ultimately only you can decide for yourself!
Do they Gods exist? In a world of science, of learning, of the internet and the fact that most subjects can be researched in a short time from the vast archives of data that is available online, does the existance of semi-mystical higher beings whose existance cannot be proven through observational scientific rationalisation actually still have meaning in the modern world?
I have to say, that for myself, they have as much meaning as do our Ancestors, without the toil and advancement of our predecessors, without their physical and mental evolution, without their sufferring and their joys we would not be the people we are today.
Are the Gods Real? What is the nature of their existance? Are they actual non-corporeal entities that are existant in their own right, either within our physical realm or upon another plane of existance? Are they nothing more than the result of mass delusion of many peoples seeking explanations of physical phenomena that was outside their experience base? Are they entities brought into existance by the energy expended in their worship by those who have followed them? Are they nothing more than a personal psychological construct that we each fabricate into our own reality in order to externalise issues / areas we wish to work with in order to make sense of them for ourselves? Are they now outmoded, the reasons for the belief in them no longer valid with our more scientific understanding of the world around us? Are they nothing more than a means of control of the masses by the powered elite? Are they all of the above?
Before you can truly answer these for yourself you have to understand exactly what is 'reality', we each experience the world generally through our five physical senses, and understand it through the use of our inbuilt supercomputer, our brains. This is perhaps the simplest way to look at reality, but each of us carries around our own 'programming' for our brains, life experiences and lessons, personal feelings and thoughts, personal beliefs and experiences of things beyond the physical all contribute to our own worldview, our own set of filters through which we process our daily experiences and this is what our own 'reality' is truly made up of.
Our Ancestors would have looked at natural phenomena such as Thunder, Lightning, earthquakes, droughts, storms, etc and come to the conclusions that they were the results of actions of supernatural Gods, that is definitely not to say they were any less civilised than ourselves, nor any less intelligent, but that they had a different worldview and way of looking at things that allowed them to explain these phenomena in a way that worked for them. From their initial understanding and the rise of stories about the Gods, through to experiences of interracting with the Gods (both through trance, dream states, etc and through direct interactions whilst fully awake - actual experiences or delusions/halucinations I will leave to yourself to decide) these beliefs became strengthened and a part of their own personal reality for many of our ancestors.
Nowadays we may understand that Thunder and Lightning are the results of charged particles earthing out from charged Cumulo Nimbus clouds and not the results of arguments between Thor/Zeus/Thunnor etc and other Gods, but does that understanding actually have as much beauty as the other older way of looking at things, does it have more impact upon our lives than did the other explanations? For most of us understanding the more scientific explanations doesnt make them more real to us individually than it did to our ancestors who believed that the Gods were behind the phenomena! In fact, with most of us having heard the mythological explanation at some point in our lives (usually when we were smaller), I would say that the older explanation holds more beauty and realism to most of us than does the dryer scientific explanation.
We may understand (or at least have been introduced to even if we dont fully understand) the scienctific explanation for many of the phenomena of the natural world surrounding us, but we also have our own personal experiences of things that we have individually experienced that we have no rational explanation for, times when we have experienced deja vie, times we have felt the touch of something 'other', times we have experienced something beyond the 5 physical senses, you can ascribe these experiences to misfiring of the synapses within our brain, or to our imagination or delusions caused by optical/physical effects beyond our understanding, but whatever their reasons they become a part of our individual worldview, our own reality, and affect the way that we perceive the world(s) around us.
Unlike most of the 'traditional' 'book' religions being a Pagan means we do not generally have any 'priest' who intercedes with the Gods on our behalf, we do not have any religious leader who tells us what to believe, what to think and keeps us inline with the organisational viewpoint, we have to make our own minds up, using our own experience and accumulated knowledge and wisdom, this means that for us there is no real dichotomy between science and religion, we can take scientific knowledge and apply it to our own understanding / worldview and reality and use it to reinforce our own beliefs.
Whether you feel that the Gods exist as separate entities that predate our race, whether they are entities that have been created by the beliefs and energy that has been devoted to them by many people over past millenia, whether they are personal constructs and a part of ourselves truly does not matter in the slightest to anyone but ourselves, as long as it works for yourself!
Personally from many different viewpoints I believe the Old Ones exist, that they have meaning and validity in the modern world, they are inspirational, they provide a connection to the Ancestors and to the Land, they alow us to look at our lives in a different way, they allow us to define ourselves against them and to experience a more magical, mystical and wonderful reality than we are able if we do not aknowledge their existance. They are also much more besides, but that is something that is purely personal, that you have to experience for yourselves, so I shall halt my discourse there for now and allow you to ponder for yourselves.
As I said at the beginning of these musings, only you can truly decide for yourself what the Gods are, whether they exist and whether they have validity in the modern world that we now inhabit!
Do they Gods exist? In a world of science, of learning, of the internet and the fact that most subjects can be researched in a short time from the vast archives of data that is available online, does the existance of semi-mystical higher beings whose existance cannot be proven through observational scientific rationalisation actually still have meaning in the modern world?
I have to say, that for myself, they have as much meaning as do our Ancestors, without the toil and advancement of our predecessors, without their physical and mental evolution, without their sufferring and their joys we would not be the people we are today.
Are the Gods Real? What is the nature of their existance? Are they actual non-corporeal entities that are existant in their own right, either within our physical realm or upon another plane of existance? Are they nothing more than the result of mass delusion of many peoples seeking explanations of physical phenomena that was outside their experience base? Are they entities brought into existance by the energy expended in their worship by those who have followed them? Are they nothing more than a personal psychological construct that we each fabricate into our own reality in order to externalise issues / areas we wish to work with in order to make sense of them for ourselves? Are they now outmoded, the reasons for the belief in them no longer valid with our more scientific understanding of the world around us? Are they nothing more than a means of control of the masses by the powered elite? Are they all of the above?
Before you can truly answer these for yourself you have to understand exactly what is 'reality', we each experience the world generally through our five physical senses, and understand it through the use of our inbuilt supercomputer, our brains. This is perhaps the simplest way to look at reality, but each of us carries around our own 'programming' for our brains, life experiences and lessons, personal feelings and thoughts, personal beliefs and experiences of things beyond the physical all contribute to our own worldview, our own set of filters through which we process our daily experiences and this is what our own 'reality' is truly made up of.
Our Ancestors would have looked at natural phenomena such as Thunder, Lightning, earthquakes, droughts, storms, etc and come to the conclusions that they were the results of actions of supernatural Gods, that is definitely not to say they were any less civilised than ourselves, nor any less intelligent, but that they had a different worldview and way of looking at things that allowed them to explain these phenomena in a way that worked for them. From their initial understanding and the rise of stories about the Gods, through to experiences of interracting with the Gods (both through trance, dream states, etc and through direct interactions whilst fully awake - actual experiences or delusions/halucinations I will leave to yourself to decide) these beliefs became strengthened and a part of their own personal reality for many of our ancestors.
Nowadays we may understand that Thunder and Lightning are the results of charged particles earthing out from charged Cumulo Nimbus clouds and not the results of arguments between Thor/Zeus/Thunnor etc and other Gods, but does that understanding actually have as much beauty as the other older way of looking at things, does it have more impact upon our lives than did the other explanations? For most of us understanding the more scientific explanations doesnt make them more real to us individually than it did to our ancestors who believed that the Gods were behind the phenomena! In fact, with most of us having heard the mythological explanation at some point in our lives (usually when we were smaller), I would say that the older explanation holds more beauty and realism to most of us than does the dryer scientific explanation.
We may understand (or at least have been introduced to even if we dont fully understand) the scienctific explanation for many of the phenomena of the natural world surrounding us, but we also have our own personal experiences of things that we have individually experienced that we have no rational explanation for, times when we have experienced deja vie, times we have felt the touch of something 'other', times we have experienced something beyond the 5 physical senses, you can ascribe these experiences to misfiring of the synapses within our brain, or to our imagination or delusions caused by optical/physical effects beyond our understanding, but whatever their reasons they become a part of our individual worldview, our own reality, and affect the way that we perceive the world(s) around us.
Unlike most of the 'traditional' 'book' religions being a Pagan means we do not generally have any 'priest' who intercedes with the Gods on our behalf, we do not have any religious leader who tells us what to believe, what to think and keeps us inline with the organisational viewpoint, we have to make our own minds up, using our own experience and accumulated knowledge and wisdom, this means that for us there is no real dichotomy between science and religion, we can take scientific knowledge and apply it to our own understanding / worldview and reality and use it to reinforce our own beliefs.
Whether you feel that the Gods exist as separate entities that predate our race, whether they are entities that have been created by the beliefs and energy that has been devoted to them by many people over past millenia, whether they are personal constructs and a part of ourselves truly does not matter in the slightest to anyone but ourselves, as long as it works for yourself!
Personally from many different viewpoints I believe the Old Ones exist, that they have meaning and validity in the modern world, they are inspirational, they provide a connection to the Ancestors and to the Land, they alow us to look at our lives in a different way, they allow us to define ourselves against them and to experience a more magical, mystical and wonderful reality than we are able if we do not aknowledge their existance. They are also much more besides, but that is something that is purely personal, that you have to experience for yourselves, so I shall halt my discourse there for now and allow you to ponder for yourselves.
As I said at the beginning of these musings, only you can truly decide for yourself what the Gods are, whether they exist and whether they have validity in the modern world that we now inhabit!
Sunday 2 September 2012
Rituals
To most of us Pagans there is nothing more Sacred than completing a Rite, be it one to commune with the Old Ones, one to work some spellcrafting, one to mark a festival or important day within our lives, or just for the sheer joy of connecting with those not of our Realm.
Unlike those of the 'Book' faiths (so here called as their holiest wisdom is codified within their Holy Books for the priests to interpret, unlike our more chaotic and personal faith that insists we each are our own Priest/ess, connecting directly to the Old Ones ourselves, not requiring any 'go between' to intercede on our behalf) generally there are no universal Pagan Rites, no 'Lord's Prayer', no 'Holy Mass' and no Psalms that must be followed by Rote, instead we are free to work as we see fit, when we see fit and how we see fit. Yes, there are some writings that have been passed down, Rites that are 'traditional' within the Pagan Community (or within the Coven / Working Group / Family / Circle / etc), but all that truly matters is the intent, the will and the awareness of the individual Practitioner, be they Witch, Wiccan, Heathen, Druid, etc!
Rites can be scripted, meticulously planned, or impromptu, spoken from the heart at the moment, phrases pulled from the aether as prose, poetry or just a mix of our emotions and intent. Rites can be held outdoors, locally in your garden or somewhere close by that allows you to connect, or they can involve a pilgrimage to a special place, be it one thats well known or one that has a more personal connection. Rites can also be held inside in an area we are comfortable with, one that is dedicated to the purpose, or in an area that has been prepared for Ritual use, if you subscribe to the personal beliefs that the area has to be made sacred and clean first, or they can be done on the spot, wherever you are!
Rites can be held at any time, day or night, there are correspondances that tell you certain times and days will be better for certain types of working, but I personally feel these come from High Magic, they arent something that I am particularly bothered with to a greater extent, I feel our Ancestors, the village Witches, the Wise Men and Women, the Cunning Folk, the Hedgeriders, to some extent the ancient Druids and pagans would have done what was needed, when it was needed rather than spend too much time wondering whether it was the correct astrological phase at that time!
Rituals can involve the use of tools, special objects that hold meaning for the individual, but they need not do so, a 'tool' is just that, an object that aids the individual in some manner or form, be it a focussing point, as a reminder, an object that corresponds to what it is you wish to acchieve, or to invoke memories / thoughts / feelings that help allow the individual to connect. However, the tools do not make the ritual happen, they are not entirely necessary, they are merely aids for the individual, what matters most is the intent, the will and the connection of the individual. If an individual has the focus, the intent, the will and feels the connection they need do nothing more than concentrate and they can complete the rite, they need not take special tools, they need not even find a special place, nor even verbalise what they wish to acchieve, the Rite will have happened just the same.
Personally we do have some tools, some of which are reserved for Ritual work, others are used in the mundane as much as for ritual, it doesnt really matter to anyone except yourself and the Old Ones!
My own tools are quite simple, a black handled knife that I use for everything from gardening to fishing, my Stang ( a wooden forked staff) that is also used for walking (and fishing - makes a great rod rest), a cauldron (great for holding a banefire) and incense, either shop bought or crafted from the herbs we have at home. We do have other tools, and do occassionally use them, but generally we dont need them, my Stang and Knife are the only ones I feel I generally want to take into Ritual.
When it comes to the form of the words we use in Ritual, here we are fairly open, we have been members of various groups, Covens, Working Groups, a Family Group, Open Rites, etc, generally we have been lucky enough to have had many experiences, and found the simplest forms that work for us, some of which are listed below (some are personal, some from other sources) for your perusal. If you find them to your liking, please try them out!
Circle Calls
I Call to the Mother, to claim Mine By Right!
As Daughter of Dark and Child of the Night!
By Badger, Owl, Fox and Hare,
I invoke the Mother, Goddess Fair!
I Call to the Father, with Will as I May!
As Daughter of Light and Child of the Day!
By Badger, Owl, Fox and Hare,
I invoke the Father, Horned One so Fair!
Elemental Invites
To those who live in the North,
Lend us Your presence and Your Power,
Be with us Now, Oh Powers of Earth!
Elemental Releases
To those who live in the North,
Thanks for Your presence and Your power,
Go if you Must, stay if You Will!
Boundary Calls
Water run silent, Water run deep,
Moat Guarded Castle, Strengthen my Keep!
Badge of the Wards
Within the Castle, Within my Heart,
We shall never be apart!
Darkness Surround me with all the Powers of Witchery,
Rekindle the Yearnings of Past Moons so Bright,
Witch, Lord and Lady, joined on this Night!
As you can see, they are fairly simple, no summoning, stirring or commanding, we invite the powers that be in and thank them, nothing more. Nothing fancy, nothing presumptive, nothing overly flowery, just the bare bones of what we need and a few references to Trad Crafter techniques, we can't claim they are lineaged and traditional ritual words, there is little available that can be truly claimed to have lineage back to the Ancients, but we can say that what we use is used in the same spirit, that we are seeking to reclaim what we can and build a synthesis of what we find works based on our current understanding of what practices were used in antiquity.
The reference to the animals within the God and Goddess calls are to four of those animals knows to have links to BTW, there are of course others, as anyone will tell you, but these are what we have been introduced to. Tha badge of the Wards is a Rite in itslef, and one we were again fortunate enough to have been introduced to, I would be interested to hear of anyone else having heard of this Rite and practices linked to it.
Anyhows, I hope this small peice of writing stirs something within, that my words resonate with your own feelings, please let me know how the words feel to yourselves.
Suzanne Read
September 2012
Unlike those of the 'Book' faiths (so here called as their holiest wisdom is codified within their Holy Books for the priests to interpret, unlike our more chaotic and personal faith that insists we each are our own Priest/ess, connecting directly to the Old Ones ourselves, not requiring any 'go between' to intercede on our behalf) generally there are no universal Pagan Rites, no 'Lord's Prayer', no 'Holy Mass' and no Psalms that must be followed by Rote, instead we are free to work as we see fit, when we see fit and how we see fit. Yes, there are some writings that have been passed down, Rites that are 'traditional' within the Pagan Community (or within the Coven / Working Group / Family / Circle / etc), but all that truly matters is the intent, the will and the awareness of the individual Practitioner, be they Witch, Wiccan, Heathen, Druid, etc!
Rites can be scripted, meticulously planned, or impromptu, spoken from the heart at the moment, phrases pulled from the aether as prose, poetry or just a mix of our emotions and intent. Rites can be held outdoors, locally in your garden or somewhere close by that allows you to connect, or they can involve a pilgrimage to a special place, be it one thats well known or one that has a more personal connection. Rites can also be held inside in an area we are comfortable with, one that is dedicated to the purpose, or in an area that has been prepared for Ritual use, if you subscribe to the personal beliefs that the area has to be made sacred and clean first, or they can be done on the spot, wherever you are!
Rites can be held at any time, day or night, there are correspondances that tell you certain times and days will be better for certain types of working, but I personally feel these come from High Magic, they arent something that I am particularly bothered with to a greater extent, I feel our Ancestors, the village Witches, the Wise Men and Women, the Cunning Folk, the Hedgeriders, to some extent the ancient Druids and pagans would have done what was needed, when it was needed rather than spend too much time wondering whether it was the correct astrological phase at that time!
Rituals can involve the use of tools, special objects that hold meaning for the individual, but they need not do so, a 'tool' is just that, an object that aids the individual in some manner or form, be it a focussing point, as a reminder, an object that corresponds to what it is you wish to acchieve, or to invoke memories / thoughts / feelings that help allow the individual to connect. However, the tools do not make the ritual happen, they are not entirely necessary, they are merely aids for the individual, what matters most is the intent, the will and the connection of the individual. If an individual has the focus, the intent, the will and feels the connection they need do nothing more than concentrate and they can complete the rite, they need not take special tools, they need not even find a special place, nor even verbalise what they wish to acchieve, the Rite will have happened just the same.
Personally we do have some tools, some of which are reserved for Ritual work, others are used in the mundane as much as for ritual, it doesnt really matter to anyone except yourself and the Old Ones!
My own tools are quite simple, a black handled knife that I use for everything from gardening to fishing, my Stang ( a wooden forked staff) that is also used for walking (and fishing - makes a great rod rest), a cauldron (great for holding a banefire) and incense, either shop bought or crafted from the herbs we have at home. We do have other tools, and do occassionally use them, but generally we dont need them, my Stang and Knife are the only ones I feel I generally want to take into Ritual.
When it comes to the form of the words we use in Ritual, here we are fairly open, we have been members of various groups, Covens, Working Groups, a Family Group, Open Rites, etc, generally we have been lucky enough to have had many experiences, and found the simplest forms that work for us, some of which are listed below (some are personal, some from other sources) for your perusal. If you find them to your liking, please try them out!
Circle Calls
I Call to the Mother, to claim Mine By Right!
As Daughter of Dark and Child of the Night!
By Badger, Owl, Fox and Hare,
I invoke the Mother, Goddess Fair!
I Call to the Father, with Will as I May!
As Daughter of Light and Child of the Day!
By Badger, Owl, Fox and Hare,
I invoke the Father, Horned One so Fair!
Elemental Invites
To those who live in the North,
Lend us Your presence and Your Power,
Be with us Now, Oh Powers of Earth!
Elemental Releases
To those who live in the North,
Thanks for Your presence and Your power,
Go if you Must, stay if You Will!
Boundary Calls
Water run silent, Water run deep,
Moat Guarded Castle, Strengthen my Keep!
Badge of the Wards
Within the Castle, Within my Heart,
We shall never be apart!
Darkness Surround me with all the Powers of Witchery,
Rekindle the Yearnings of Past Moons so Bright,
Witch, Lord and Lady, joined on this Night!
As you can see, they are fairly simple, no summoning, stirring or commanding, we invite the powers that be in and thank them, nothing more. Nothing fancy, nothing presumptive, nothing overly flowery, just the bare bones of what we need and a few references to Trad Crafter techniques, we can't claim they are lineaged and traditional ritual words, there is little available that can be truly claimed to have lineage back to the Ancients, but we can say that what we use is used in the same spirit, that we are seeking to reclaim what we can and build a synthesis of what we find works based on our current understanding of what practices were used in antiquity.
The reference to the animals within the God and Goddess calls are to four of those animals knows to have links to BTW, there are of course others, as anyone will tell you, but these are what we have been introduced to. Tha badge of the Wards is a Rite in itslef, and one we were again fortunate enough to have been introduced to, I would be interested to hear of anyone else having heard of this Rite and practices linked to it.
Anyhows, I hope this small peice of writing stirs something within, that my words resonate with your own feelings, please let me know how the words feel to yourselves.
Suzanne Read
September 2012
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