Nov 05 2009
Nothing in this report is surprising, really. I am sure it happens all the time to people of all backgrounds and religions and spiritualities. That doesn’t make it right, though–so more power to this guy for standing up to it. I am doing everything in my own power to be my own boss, mostly because of potentially craptastic situations like this one.
Nov 02 2009
The author of The Squarest Peg put forth the notion that religion is LARP (live action role play).
I agree that most religions (including religions which are not structured or organized) involve some sort of live action role play. In fact, I think this is one reason why certain sects and religions get a bad rep. Ever witnessed a Catholic mass as a non-Catholic? If you don’t know what’s going on, it’s just plain bizarre. If you do not understand (on an academic, psychological, or spiritual level) the components of mass, it would look pretty archaic.
In Wicca in particular, a woman can embody the Goddess. This can be done through everyday spirituality and/or in a specific ritual. I have no doubt that a non-Wiccan coming across such a ritual without understanding the consent and symbolism involved might also find it to be archaic and maybe even profane.
Read more about Goddess feminist ritual practices here.
The speaker here also happens to discuss a shift of energy, similar to what I mentioned in my last blog entry here. So, while the rituals themselves may involve live action role play for a sacred and/or theatrical purpose, the effect of a spiritual shift is very real to the participant.
What is the source of this energy and shift? Whether it is divine or produced by other worshippers makes no difference to me. It is there and it is not physical, but metaphysical–intriguing and worth exploring without getting totally lots on the journey.
So yes–there is LARP in religion, but religion can be about more than just live action role play.
What do you think?
Oct 01 2009
Mabon traditions are centered around the harvest. Much of the thought surrounding Thanksgiving celebrates and reflects the values and traditions of Mabon.
Mabon is celebrated at the Autumnal Equinox. Mabon occurs in late September (in most countries partially populated by those who celebrate it). While the harvest traditions are themselves old, the name of the holiday comes from a Welsh tale and was formalized first by Aidan Kelly — around 1970. Continue Reading »
Sep 08 2009
One of the most well-known and controversial pagan holidays is Samhain. Some people don’t know a great deal about Samhain except for its pagan origins and connection to the widely-celebrated Halloween, making them reticent or fearful to learn more about it. Samhain is celebrated on either October 31st or November 1st, depending on one’s belief structure or calendar.
Samhain (pronounced sow-ehn, rhymes with ‘how then‘) was celebrated as a pagan holiday in ancient times. Elements of this celebration as well as the meaning of Samhain has been retained in both popular culture, but more specifically in neopagan paths including Wicca and Celtic Reconstructionism.
Samhain can be seen as the end of the harvest and/or the beginning of the new year. It is often signified and celebrated with bonfires.
What’s the Halloween Connection? Should I Worry?
Samhain marks the lowering of the veils between the worlds of the living and the dead. While this might sound odd to some, it will also sound familiar–this is very standard Halloween lore and history.
Samhain was and is a day for participants to remember the dead. To remember the dead on Samhain, you can: Continue Reading »
Sep 03 2009
Being a Joss Whedon fan, I watched some Buffy: the Vampire Slayer last night. I checked out the episode ‘Gingerbread,’ in which parents are brainwashed into hating witches due to the influence of two small children, who are found murdered in a playground at the beginning of the episode.
There was a lot of talk in the episode about ‘is your teen experimenting with witchcraft?’ The parents underestimated the power of what, in the Buffyverse, is real witchcraft. It’s not spoiling the episode to say that the parents team up with Principal Snyder to go through students’ lockers to confiscate occult-related items from students and to identify them.
While the episode was a bit campy (in true Whedon fashion), it was also pretty revolutionary. It showed that the teens practicing witchcraft weren’t necessarily different or possessed by Satan. Willow’s mother even tries to explain away Willow’s fascination with witchcraft with psychological explanations. Continue Reading »
Jul 08 2009
As you may have read on here before, I am a big fan of author Paulo Coelho. I particularly enjoy his stories because he reflects upon gender and spirituality in a way that really makes sense to me. Coelho also takes a very universalist approach, which I find appealing; I believe he has the potential to reach a wide audience (and has done so).
When I found out about Coelho’s recent publication, I felt a warm light inside. He wrote Brida, the tale of an Irish witch and her spiritual journey. I certainly related to Brida’s spiritual searching and contemplation of fulfillment in love, life, and in her studies and career.
The mystical qualities of the Irish landscape and the contrast of Dublin and the country certainly added to my affinity for this book. Continue Reading »
Jun 19 2009
A coven of witches in England rented out a hall for a Halloween ball. Then they were kicked out. It might sound discriminatory, until you learn that the hall they rented was parish property. (View the original source here at the Telegraph.)
Because of obvious differences in their belief systems, this seems to be a no-brainer. But what gives the witches the right to claim persecution? After all, isn’t it a bit odd that they’d rent a church hall to begin with? If anything, this story would be more controversial if the church HAD allowed them to keep the space.
The church is its own institution and has its own property. I don’t think it’s discriminatory if they give priority to members of their church (just like having a wedding in a church is less expensive for church members, who also have priority on dates) or if they decide not to support a social celebration of a religion that they feel conflicts with their beliefs.
I don’t necessarily agree with church principles in general, but they have a right to have them–and by claiming persecution here, this coven is actually infringing upon the church’s right to make its own choices. Continue Reading »
Mar 02 2009
Merry Meet, friends!
I’ve had a few questions come in privately about finding good sources on paganism online. With our topic in particular, there seems to be a lot of crap out there. This is specifically why I haven’t researched and reported on specific pagan paths as much as I’d like to. However, I would like to present you with a short list of useful resources:
Feb 20 2009
A reddit post introduced me to this link: Witchcraft Growing Faster Than Religion’s Big Three.
I think that in this age of tolerance, Wiccans and other pagans will feel more open/less hostile about their beliefs.
What do you think?
Feb 17 2009
The Book of Shadows is one of the most frequently misinterpreted items in paganism (or neo-paganism) as it exists today. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that “book of shadows” has multiple meanings.
Pagans of various paths make such books for their personal use. Most books include rituals, spells, and information for present and future use. The act of copying down or creating one’s own ritual is very important to many people, as it personalizes the item being written down. Some pagans also journal a bit in their personal book of shadows.
The Book of Shadows itself derives from the Wiccan path. The concept of personalizing one’s own book is also strongly tied to Wiccan origins. Individuals and covens alike sometimes keep such a book.
Because of the title given to the Book of Shadows, many have assumed that it is Satanic or dark in nature. In fact, many neopagans keep such books full of poetry or nature-centric journaling. Furthermore, this is a great point to remind others that Wicca has a “do no harm” rule as its core tenet; therefore most of the spells contained in such individual and coven-created books are not meant for negative purposes, or to work with negative energy.
Admittedly, I definitely see a personal book of shadows being a source of spiritual power. However, this is tied less to its bad reputation and more to the fact that writing empowers me and that I have developed much of my identity through writing. To write on spirituality, therefore, allows me to grow as an individual and as a spiritual person. I suppose at this point in my life, Merry Meet (this very blog) is my own book of shadows, to which others are welcome to contribute.
I have received a blank book from a pagan friend in the past. The book was meant for journaling, recordkeeping, etc. For the longest time I kept it with my spiritual items and wrote down my innermost thoughts in it. I decorated the cover of it myself, making it more personal. If you are close enough to another pagan, she or he might find a blank journal a very worthy gift.
Do you keep a book of shadows? What are your thoughts?
Feb 02 2009
The Elements
In case you haven’t noticed the theme, I’ve been using the elements at the top of each of these posts on pagan altars. Today I have posted the feather, which represents air.
The elements are central to (or included in) most pagan altars. The elements are generally easy to physically obtain and/or represent; as always, it is important to choose an item or symbol that has particular meaning to yourself and your energy. The item should feel as though it inherently represents the element to which it is assigned to represent.
Here are some suggestions to get you started, but please do not be limited by this list.
Wiccan altars have specific elements and suggestions, and I am not a Wiccan nor an expert. If you are Wiccan, consult your coven and/or instructional materials for futher information.
Many pagans also wish to include other elements in their altars. Common elements include wands, pentacles (this can represent balance, center, Spirit, and protection), and male and female symbols, such as the athame (male) and the chalice (female).
What elements would you/do you include in your altar? What do they represent?
Jan 04 2009
Recently, someone left a blog comment (hoping to be funny I suppose) asking if pagans were “still around.” This actually warrants an explanation, I think, because the term pagan is intentionally general and does confuse a lot of people. Paganism is now used to describe pre-Christian religions in Europe as well as neo-paganism, or the incorporation of originally pagan elements and ideals into modern day incarnations of paganism. To add to the meaning of the word, paganism describes nontraditional non-Christian religions in terms of Christianity, including shamanistic traditions and the native traditions of people from around the globe.
Each pagan has his or her own beliefs about the origin and practice of their own spirituality. Reconstructionists generally attempt to follow original pagan beliefs as accurately as possible, but not all pagans attempt to do this. This is often discussed in Wicca, which certainly has very ancient elements, but seems to have been put together only as early as the 1920s.
Because so little is known about Druids historically, modern day Druids or neo-Druids are excellent examples of this debate. A lot of what we do know about Druids comes passed down from legend, which to many people is perfectly acceptable. I tend to study a lot of Irish literature and history, and if I do not consider the validity or importance of Irish mythology, there truthfully isn’t much to work with. I feel that if mythology is such a large aspect of the present, living culture as it is in Ireland, it does have a historical and sociological validity, whether it is true to the letter or not.
That said, there are historical writings from the Romans and the time of Saint Patrick regarding Druids and their practices. The source of the below video about Druids has a fine description about them.
What do you think about this debate?
