Tag: God

Can A Pagan Still Have Blind Faith?

Can A Pagan Still Have Blind Faith?

Author: Lady Julie of Ravensgrove Coven

Can you be Pagan and still have blind faith? Do you have to have tangible proof of the Goddess’s and the God’s existence? Do you actually have to see the gifts bestowed upon us by deities to believe in them?

Growing up in the Christian churches, the one thing that I have carried with me in my Wiccan path is the idea of blind faith. You sometimes just have to believe and just leave it at that. Not to say that you cannot have questions, it would be silly not to. If I do not understand an aspect of the path or a topic I am learning, I have no qualms about asking a question to try to understand it better. If we do not question, we cannot find answers, therefore we cannot grow. I do not want my high priestess to tell me, as the ministers of my early youth did, “Because the Goddess/God said so.” That is not what I consider faith.

Then again, I do not feel the need to question every single thing and need that tangible, “I have to touch it to believe it” proof. Do I need to see a physical manifestation of the Goddess or God? No. Would it make my belief in them stronger if I did? I do not think so.

I feel them with me everyday. I see their existence in the sun and the moon, in the flowers and the trees. I see them in the faces of my coven family during ritual. I see them every time I look into my granddaughter’s eyes. I feel them every day when I get out of bed to start my day, and I feel them every night as I ready myself for sleep.

My High Priestess is a gifted psychic and medium. I have seen the reactions of people after she has done reading for them. I have seen the looks on the faces of some when she describes a spirit that she sees. I cannot see what she sees; yet I still believe her. And there are times that what she sees may not make sense to the client, or even her at that moment, yet I still believe in her and her gifts. I am not going to run and throw everything I have learned from her away because something did not come through to her clearly and I felt it should. What kind of student would I be then? And most often, in time, what she had seen becomes clearer to all involved and they begin to understand.

It would be a very hard life to live, I feel, if we did not just sometimes believe, to feel that we had to have everything explained and proven in detail. It would be exhausting to question every aspect of your life, religion, belief, etc. How sad it would be to never be happy with just knowing that sometimes, things just are; that there is no rhyme or reason to the universe around us, to know that life is everywhere without having to see its DNA. I love the fact that I look around my life in wonder and see the gifts that have been bestowed upon me, knowing that I am a child of the Goddess and God.

I know the concept of “blind faith” carries a tremendous amount of Christian connotations to it, especially for those of us who grew up in the Christian churches. I cannot tell you how many times I was told that it were “God’s will” or “Give faith unto the Lord” in times of trouble. I know my mother has “put things in God’s hands” when money was tight or there was some other crisis in her life.

I believe that you have to help yourself to achieve your goals. Every time I cast a spell, no matter what the need, I know that I have to take actions myself to obtain that goal. I do not have the mindset that I am going to get what I want or need just because I have faith.

I know many Pagans who grew up in the Christian churches moved on from them because of the “just believe” attitude and the inability to feel free to question what they were being taught, the scorn that they received from the members of the congregations if they spoke out and questioned the Bible. I remember the fear I felt as a child when I was told that if I did not believe I would burn in Hell. The fire and brimstone fear, as I call it.

Yet now, in my Pagan life, there are times that I cannot see, or hear, or touch something, but I still believe it is there. I know that the Goddess and God are with me daily, because I feel their presence, yet I do not question their existence because they are not in a physical form.

I believe that there are spirits around me all the time, yet I am not one of the lucky ones who can actually see them. I believe that there is life in the grass, flowers and trees, yet I cannot physically hear them breathe.

I believe that there are people who have lived many lives, yet I was not there to witness those lives that they lived before. I believe that my High Priestess can see people and places here and now as well as the past, yet I cannot see them with her.

Blind faith, to me it is a comforting thought. To know that there is something out there that you believe in, that you cannot explain. Something you cannot see, but it is out there regardless. You do not have to be Christian to have blind faith. I believe that in any religion you have to have to have the ability to say, “I cannot explain it, I cannot see it, but I know it is real.

If you do not, then you might as well stay in bed and not look forward to a new day, not raise you face to the warmth of the sun, or breathe deep the fragrance of the flower. You might as well not look into the night sky and smile when you look at the Goddess in her moon form.

Can a Pagan still have blind faith?

I certainly hope so. I do.

Brightest Blessings,

Lady Jasmyne Dragonskye
Ravensgrove Coven
Indianapolis, IN area

Earth Witch Lore – Crossroads

Earth Witch Lore – Crossroads

 

Crossroads are considered sacred in almost all magical traditions. A crossroads is a universally accepted place to hold rituals, leave offerings, or dispose of items you wish to be rid of. While this is not a natural creation but one that is homemade, it still falls in the realm of earth.

 

It is believed tat Hecate rules over the three-way crossroads. She can see the past, present and future, It is said that if you should approach a three-way crossroads at night, you would hear her black dogs howling. Her altars have been erected at such places for centuries.

 

The four-way crossroad are considered to be powerful because all four directions meet at one point. Dirt, rocks and sticks gathered from such a crossroads are said to have powerful spiritual connections, albeit tricky ones to master. In Greek myths, Oedipus met his fate at the crossroads. From the Yoruban people we have Legha (a god known for his clever tricks) ruling the crossroads.

 

Ancient people were afraid of what it meant when one direction met another direction. All manner of folklore is available concerning the crossroads. Fairies are said to hand about there, along with ghouls and goblins. Even the Christian Satan is said to roam the crossroads.

Earth Witches know that a crossroad is actually a place of sacred transformations, manmade or not. Frequently they see them as a metaphor for transformational points in our lives. In such a capacity the crossroads relate to time.

Earth Witch Lore – Mountains and Mounds

Earth Witch Lore – Mountains and Mounds

 

Legendary mountains and mounds fall within the domain of the Earth Witch. While mountains are natural formations, mounds are human-made. Both are considered sacred space. The prevailing argument as to the purpose of the mounds is that they are sacred burial grounds.

The Navajos have an old legend that describes the creation of the six sacred mountains. The First Man and First Woman formed the mountains from a bag of dirt that they carried with them from the third world (spirit realm). They sent Turquoise Boy to one mountain. Abalone Shell Boy to another, Jet Boy to another, and White Bead Boy to another. The mountains were not satisfied with that arrangement and would rumble loudly with displeasure. Only two of the six mountains were happy. First Man and First Woman sent the beautiful Mixed Stones Boy and Girl to those mountains. They then sent the rest of the holy ones, including Grasshopper Girl and Yellow Corn Girl, into the mountains.

First Man and First Woman then fastened the mountains to the land with lightning bolts, stone knives and sunbeams. They decorated them with shells, eggs, mists and rain. They then blessed the mountains with chants and prayers. They believe that keeping the land beautiful pleases the ancestors, and pleasing the ancestors, make for a happy tribe.

The Earth Witch agrees with this philosophy. She makes regular use of eco-magic and often gets involved with environmental issues. She understand the true beauty and blessing of the Earth and does not take them for granted. She considers keeping the land clean a sacred responsibility.

The Dark Side of the Earth Witch

The Dark Side of the Earth Witch

 

All beings have their strengths and weaknesses. In the case of an Earth Witch, there is one main magical problem: she has a hart time defending herself against things that are “unearthly.” Spiritual entities or adverse astral conditions are rare occurrences, but since they force the Earth Witch out of her natural realm, they can cause quite a bit of stress and wreak havoc. Because these entities have an easier tim attacking the Earth Witch, they tend to do so more often than they do the other Elemental Witches. Because of this problem, the Earth Witch is usually very practiced in warding and protection. This is also a prime argument for maintaining balance in one’s magical practice. Each element has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Where one element may have a hole, another may fill it with energy.

 

However, the enterprising Earth Witch has (and has had for centuries) the perfect tool to remedy this problem: the bridge. Crossing running water serves to release her from any hounding spirits. In order for an Earth Witch to fight unearthly forces effectively, she must call upon her sister elements. It is in this capacity that her role of being the foundation of life is of the greatest importance. Her ability to draw from her sister elements and seek their aid becomes more pronounced each time shed does it. Practice makes perfect for an Earth Witch.

 

It is important to note than an Earth Witch can have a hard time understanding her sister elements. In truth, all practitioners of specialty paths have to find their own unique ways of relating to those who follow a different elemental path. The Earth Witch is both battered and pampered by the other elements. For example, a hurricane force wind may change the surface of the Earth, but it cannot change the core of it. The Earth Witch is the same. She can adapt to the wind on the surface, but it does not change who she is or her role in the world.

Home of the Earth Witch

Home of the Earth Witch

  

The home of an Earth Witch is lived-in, comfortable, happy, and usually well organized–she runs a tight ship. At the same time, the Earth Witch is the first to let housework slide a bit. Her view is that as long as everything is in its place, a little dust is okay. She recognizes that many times there are more important things to do than mindless scrubbing. It is not unusual for an Earth Witch to incorporate magical correspondences into her décor. She usually has an abundance of house plants and tends to have a green thumb when it comes to the care of these plants.

The kitchen is by far the most popular room in the Earth Witch’s house. She considers it to be the heart of her home—and her home is her heart. The aromas drifting from the kitchen tend to make folks gravitate into the room. The Earth Witch appreciates good cooking. She is renowned for her ability to whip up a meal from scratch while visiting with others. Unfortunately, due to this love, she also may have issues with weight and carry a few extra pounds.

While taste is important to the Earth Witch, texture is even more important. The Earth Witch is sensual and loves touching and being touched. She may have a affinity to velvet, silk and more exotic fabrics, but you will most often find her dressed in comfortable cotton. She has a strong affinity to stones and crystals and often wears them as jewelry.

The Earth Witch understands the forces at work behind crystal energy. She know that crystals contain electrical charges and can be used as batteries, both personally and in electronic devices. She is usually well versed in magnetic magic as well.

The Earth’s Witch Book of Shadows is often painstakingly kept. Thorough and detailed, it can contain entire family histories with its pages. It is usually scrupulously organized and filled with any fact that could possibly be needed. The Earth Witch treasures family heirlooms and creates her personal Book of Shadows in such a way that it will stand the test of time. To her, it is not only a book of magic, it is a manual of life, and it is meant to be passed down through the family.

The Path of the Earth Witch

The Path of the Earth Witch

 

The path of the Earth Witch most closely resembles that of a Kitchen Witch or a Green Witch. It is grounded in the home and family. Whether gardening, cooking or cleaning, the Earth Witch brings magic into her life at its simplest level. She becomes one with the Earth. The Earth Witch accepts that everything she does is a reflection of the cycle in nature, down to the cell multiplications in her body, and she considers all of it to be magical. She fully understands the mysteries of the Earth.

In almost all religions traditions and mythologies, humans sprang forth from the Earth. The Earth allows us to draw energy from it and to return that energy to it. It cleanses us by its very presence. We may purge into the Earth any negative vibrations that bother us, and we can depend on it to do a thorough job of cleansing them away.

The Witch who follows the element of earth is similar to the Kitchen Witch in her use of herbs and magic in the kitchen as well as her affinity for “home-grown” magic and simple folk magic. The Earth Witch incorporates magic into the spice additions and stirring patterns of the majority of meals she prepares in her home.

The Earth Witch relates to the path of the Green Witch in that they both often are gardeners. It is not unusual to find Earth Witches with statues and beautiful rock formations in their gardens. They decorate them in much the same manner as they do their homes. Often, they tend their edible gardens the closest, while courting the favor of the gnomes to watch over their more delicate plants.

The Earth Witch views her home as an extension of the Earth in every way; it is like her own personal slice of the Earth. The kitchen is a direct extensions of the garden and therefore of the Earth.

The Earth Witch specializes in protection magic, past-life discovery, prosperity and fertility. She trains to hold herself closely to the honors of the Earth by recycling and practicing eco-magic. She often is very frugal and prefers to make the things that she can rather than buy them. She can usually make her own cleaning products, candles, and all types of herbal remedies. From healing teas to lice treatments, the Earth Witch understand that the magic is within the Earth itself and within her. She knows exactly which herb to prescribe to cheer you up or relax you. Herbs are her special course of study.

The Earth Witch lives in a world where every knife is a potential athame and every glass a chalice. While she does perform more formal rituals, for the most part she keeps things informal and constant. She holds her path close to her heart and has no illusions about how grand magic can be. She knows that it takes work. She is grounded in reality.
The Earth Witch views spirit as a part of her and everything she does. She accepts that spirit lives within everything in existence. Because her view of spirit is so all-encompassing, she understands that not all things have rational explanations. However, she is the first to try to find a scientific explanation before chalking up an experience to something “supernatural.” While she easily accepts the existence of spiritual conjurations and the like, she does not do so blindly. She keeps her mind open.

Through the Earth Witch is often perceived as boring or a homebody, she stands on a foundation that is unshakable. If you are friends with an Earth Witch, you have a true friend. She has a very nurturing and protective quality and is loyal and dependable.

Characteristics of an Earth Witch

Characteristics of an Earth Witch

 

One of the best things about the Earth Witch is her ability to remain silent. She understand that sometimes it is best to say nothing rather than risk saying it wrong. She is very careful about what she says. Because she is not argumentative by nature, when the Earth Witch speaks her words hold weight. She also tends to be critical of others, even though she may not say it out loud. Too often, the Earth Witch represses her feelings and as a result may need to purge more often than those who follow other elemental paths. But since she holds earth so close to her, she is adept at purging anywhere and anytime.

Cautious and wary, the Earth Witch rarely takes unnecessary chances. Level-headed to the end, she helps others find suitable solutions to their problems. Her approach to life is slow and steady. She is conservative, patient, and practical.

The Earth Witch can most often be found working a job in which she can directly improve the world around her, or a job that may seem boring but is traditionally necessary within the boundaries of society. Social work, teaching, architecture, and banking are natural choices for the Earth Witch.

On the flip side, the gentle Earth Witch is not one you want to anger. She is capable of utter destruction, which she views as a natural part of the cycle of life. Rarely will she look back with regret. She may take a while before deciding that she is angry and will give you every chance to explain yourself. But once angered, she can be stubborn and hold a grudge. Because she will give you every chance in the beginning, if she decides that she doesn’t like you–well, you earned it. Most people only get to cross that line once with an Earth Witch. However, she is eternally forgiving toward those she loves and trusts.

Because the Earth Witch is so rooted in the home, she must be careful not to shut herself away from others entirely. However, she is rarely shy and can often be found at social gatherings.

The Earth Witch may have a talent for sculpting, even if she doesn’t know it yet. When holding chunks of clay in her hands, she can create some beautiful statuary.

The Earth Witch is a teacher and strives to set a good example for her students, children and friends. She practices what she preaches and believes that actions speaks louder than words. For thousands of years, the bones of the Earth (rocks) have been utilized as teaching implements. Pictographs (painted-on symbols) and petroglyphs (carved symbols) date back to the ancient Egyptians. Almost every culture has its own version of rock teachings.
Earth rules the season of spring. During the spring, the Earth and the Earth Witch come roaring back to life. As the flowers bloom, the grass grows, and the animals wake from their slumber, the Earth Witch becomes one with all of nature. She is directly influenced by the increasing life energy of all things. Her personal power is at its highest point during this season.

One of the most prevalent aspects of the path of the Earth Witch is sharing. Mother Earth shares all of herself with the other elements. She allows herself to be the foundation for all of life. She is battered by storms and ravaged by fire, but she remains unchanged yet ever evolving. The Earth Witch holds herself close to the archetype. She struggles to remain calm and steady during all of life’s storms. She has a unique talent for being able to keep her cool. She also has the minor quirk of being slow to movement. The Earth Witch knows that she has all the time in the world–she is not the sort to jump around and do things right away. “All in good time” is her motto. However, she must be extremely careful with this aspect of her personality, as it can cause her to stagnate and stop her growth. As a rule, the Earth Witch resists change.

When it comes to divination practices, the Earth Witch can read better by scrying into water or fire than by using the divination systems that fall under the rule of earth. This is because her role as the base for the other elements. The Earth as a whole contains water and fire and serves as a foundation for air. There is much more to the Earth than dirt and plant life.

Humanity belongs to the realm of earth. Any type of folk magic that utilizes footprints, hair or nail clippings, etc., is an Earth Witch’s specialty.

The Earth Witch is puzzle of Hoodoo, Voodoo, Native American beliefs, shamanistic behaviors. Wiccan ethics (or the Golden Rule), and/or ancestral lore. Yet she is a puzzle in which all of the pieces fall in place to create a beautiful picture.

The Meaning of the Number 9

The spiritual meaning of number Nine bring us to the very height of vibrational frequencies in this number sequence. Nine represents attainment, satisfaction, accomplishment, and our success to achieve an influence in our circumstances. The spiritual meaning of number Nine deals with intellectual power, inventiveness, influence over situations and things. Nine beseeches us to recognize our own internal attributes, and extend these abilities out into the world to make a positive, influential difference.

 

The Spiritual Meaning of Numbers

Saint of the Day for August 10th is St. Angela Merici

St. Angela Merici

When she was 56, Angela Merici said “No” to the Pope. She was aware that Clement VII was offering her a great honor and a great opportunity to serve when he asked her to take charge of a religious order of nursing sisters. But Angela knew that nursing was not what God had called her to do with her life.

She had just returned from a trip to the Holy Land. On the way there she had fallen ill and become blind. Nevertheless, she insisted on continuing her pilgrimage and toured the holy sites with the devotion of her heart rather than her eyes. On the way back she had recovered her sight. But this must have been a reminder to her not to shut her eyes to the needs she saw around her, not to shut her heart to God’s call.

All around her hometown she saw poor girls with no education and no hope. In the fifteenth and sixteenth century that Angela lived in, education for women was for the rich or for nuns. Angela herself had learned everything on her own. Her parents had died when she was ten and she had gone to live with an uncle. She was deeply disturbed when her sister died without receiving the sacraments. A vision reassured her that her sister was safe in God’s care — and also prompted her to dedicate her life to God.

When her uncle died, she returned to her hometown and began to notice how little education the girls had. But who would teach them? Times were much different then. Women weren’t allowed to be teachers and unmarried women were not supposed to go out by themselves — even to serve others. Nuns were the best educated women but they weren’t allowed to leave their cloisters. There were no teaching orders of sisters like we have today.

But in the meantime, these girls grew up without education in religion or anything at all.

These girls weren’t being helped by the old ways, so Angela invented a new way. She brought together a group of unmarried women, fellow Franciscan tertiaries and other friends, who went out into the streets to gather up the girls they saw and teach them. These women had little money and no power, but were bound together by their dedication to education and commitment to Christ. Living in their own homes, they met for prayer and classes where Angela reminded them, ” Reflect that in reality you have a greater need to serve [the poor] than they have of your service.” They were so successful in their service that Angela was asked to bring her innovative approach to education to other cities, and impressed many people, including the pope.

Though she turned him down, perhaps the pope’s request gave her the inspiration or the push to make her little group more formal. Although it was never a religious order in her lifetime, Angela’s Company of Saint Ursula, or the Ursulines, was the first group of women religious to work outside the cloister and the first teaching order of women.

It took many years of frustration before Angela’s radical ideas of education for all and unmarried women in service were accepted. They are commonplace to us now because people like Angela wanted to help others no matter what the cost. Angela reminds us of her approach to change: “Beware of trying to accomplish anything by force, for God has given every single person free will and desires to constrain none; he merely shows them the way, invites them and counsels them.”

Saint Angela Merici reassured her Sisters who were afraid to lose her in death: “I shall continue to be more alive than I was in this life, and I shall see you better and shall love more the good deeds which I shall see you doing continually, and I shall be able to help you more.” She died in 1540, at about seventy years old.

In Her Footsteps:

Take a look around you. Instead of just driving or walking without paying attention today, open your eyes to the needs you see along the way. What people do you notice who need help but who are not being helped? What are their true needs? Make a commitment to help them in some way.

Prayer:

Saint Angela, you were not afraid of change. You did not let stereotypes keep you from serving. Help us to overcome our fear of change in order to follow God’s call and allow others to follow theirs. Amen

 by Terry Matz

Catholic Online

TO THE DRAGONS, REBORN

TO THE DRAGONS, REBORN

They say the flame wrought winds are dead;
Ethereal dancing, jeweled wings – no more.
Monolithic rationality is the head.
Noble dreams and works – shattered, torn.

Their world was theirs – never doubt.
But the magic and power faded away,
When the light gave way to spiritual drought
and Oppenheimer replaced Morganna Le Fay.

But in some strange souls they found a home:
Those inspired, lost, exiled castaways.
Music and verse and The Craft are the bones
Of these long lost archetypes of elder days.

And it takes a mere seed to create an oak,
and music and light, rain and mirth,
bridging land and sky with it’s growth;
fulfilling the call to renew the Earth.

So nurture these dragons who live within you-
The Burning has ended and they may go free.
Let them grow so that their work may continue.
An it harm none, do what ye will

 
Blessed Be!