Tag: God

Chicken Soup for the Soul: On Becoming a Grandmother

Chicken Soup for the Soul: On Becoming a Grandmother

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers

BY: Terrie Todd

Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild.
~Welsh Proverb

I thought I was prepared. I was a mother, after all. I already knew what it meant to love someone so much it hurt. I understood the old adage that to be a parent is to walk around forever with your heart outside your body. I had written in my journal, revealing all the emotions I’d discovered tag-teaming in my heart: happiness, melancholy, anxiety, joy, anticipation, worry. I had seen the ultrasound pictures. I’d crocheted a soft, fuzzy blue blanket, patiently undoing all my bungled stitches and doing them over so it would be a perfect square. I had memorized the verses in Psalm 139 that tell how God wonderfully forms us in our mother’s womb. I had prayed for this child and for his parents daily since I learned of his existence. I had written letters to his mom and dad, assuring them how proud I was of them both, how I’d be as supportive as I knew how to be, how they would be excellent parents.

I’d prayed for myself, too. I’d wrestled with the idea that I was going to be a grandmother. Shouldn’t I be wiser first? Or sweeter? Or at the very least, a better cook? How exactly did one cram for this event? I had even admitted to myself that I would soon be sleeping with someone’s grandfather. That idea took a little getting used to, let me tell you! 

I had bragged to my friends. I had celebrated with my mother. I had gifted my daughter-in-law with maternity clothes and bought the most irresistible little stuffed puppy for the baby.

I had done all of that. I thought I was prepared.

The day he was born, I rode along with his other grandparents to the hospital to meet our mutual little descendant for the first time. We were told to wait in the hallway while the nurses finished up whatever they were doing with him and his mother in the room. While I waited, I studied the instructional posters on the walls, filled with advice for new parents. I remembered how challenging those first few days could be. Given the hospital rules, I fully expected that my first sight of my little grandson would be in his plastic baby bed and I was prepared. But when I turned around, I instantly knew that no amount of groundwork could have prepared me for that moment. Instead of the expected baby bed, I was beholding my own firstborn carrying his firstborn in his arms.

I came unglued. Part of me was carried back twenty-six years to the day I first laid eyes on my son. But those twenty-six years had passed in an instant, and here I was looking at the next generation, with the same dark skin and the same head full of thick, dark hair. He was beautiful and I was smitten. I didn’t even try to check the tears running down my cheeks as I held him in my arms and hugged his dad as tight as I could with the baby between us. What a cherished moment!

This little boy is about to turn three years old and now has a baby brother. Every day brings new adventures, new things to learn, new memories to make, and new opportunities to wonder at the marvelous work of our Creator. These little guys have taught me that sometimes stopping to watch ducks is more important than getting in out of the rain. They’ve uncovered my own impatient ways, the ones I thought I had overcome. They’ve reminded me that time spent cuddling a sleeping baby in a rocking chair trumps pretty much anything.

Most of all, I’ve come to realize that no matter how hard I tried, I could not have prepared to love someone so profusely, or to learn so much from someone so small.

Altar Setup

Altar Setup

I’m a big supporter of Keep It Simple. Altar setups that are overflowing with magical goodies seem to collect a ton of dust, and dust is a magnet for negativity. If you’re a busy person , with friends staying over, siblings or children running through your room, and the cat jumping on and off your altar surface at will, collecting a bunch of stuff to set on your altar may not be such a good idea. If you are in college, especially in a dorm room, there’s no telling what might happen to your magical items. We tend to form an attachment to our magical tools, and a missing wand or cauldron can send anyone into a tizzy. If a magical tool of yours could decide to “walk off,” don’t despair. If it’s gone, it’s suppose to be gone. Sometimes magical things leave us for a good reason. Perhaps something better is coming your way.

In the last few years, the idea of having a personal altar has gained popularity outside of the Craft environment. However, often what people are calling “altars” are actually shrines dedicated to a deity or a particular energy the person would like to bring into the home. The altar, for a Crafter, is a working magical surface, where a shrine is more of representation of your spirituality and a place for daily, weekly or monthly offerings. In some Craft traditions the shrine is called the high altar, and the separate, working surface is called the low altar. Where prayers and petitions are given at the high altar, the messy work (such as grinding herbs, working with wax or spell work that required you to make and then put together a particular object) is done on the low altar.

A basic altar setup requires only the four elements. The beginning Craft altar adds a statue of deity; two illuminator candles (one for the God and one for the Goddess); a flat centerpiece for focus (usually a geometric symbol: pentacle, hexagram, lunar crescent, the zodiac ring, and so on); the wand; and if your family environment supports it, the athame.

If you have more space and plenty of privacy, you may wish to use the traditional altar setup use by most Wiccan practitioners when they first learn about the tools of the Craft of the Wise.

The Elements

The Elements
Philippus Aureolus Paracelus, a Swiss physician, chemist, and philosopher (1490 – 1541) is credited with the Doctrine of the Four Elements, from which early nineteenth-century occult practitioners drew the belief that an element (earth, air, fire and water) is not only physical but also contain a spiritual essence. Granted, ancient cultures around the world long before Paracelsus’ time believed in this same principle: however, the condemnation of the Christian church did its best to eradicate this belief for over a thousand years. Pliny (Rome, first century A.D.) Pythogoras (Greek, 582 – 500 B.C.), Aristotle (382 – 322 B.C.) and Manilius (there is debate whether he lived to the first or ninth century A.D.) were all saying basically the same thing. To have Paracelsus renew the idea and pass it around didn’t make him especially popular, therefore in the occult world he gets give gold stars.
Paracelsus defied physicians of his time by insisting that diseases were caused by agents that were external to the body and that they could be cured by using chemistry. Many of his remedies were based on the belief that “like cures like.” He could be called the father of homeopathy, which has become popular in alternative medical circles (which include practitioners of Witchcraft). Homeopathy stems from the idea that one should treat the underlying problem, rather than just try to cure the symptom by using natural ingredients, such as herbs. He was pooh-poohed by his peers because he included magick in his scholarly writings. Witches also believe that we need to treat the problem rather than concerning solely on the symptoms, but what does this have to do with the primary elements?

 

Almost everything in the Craft, from the tools we use to the herbs we employ to the sigils we design, zodiac associations and planetary alignments we follow; fire into the ancient and medieval elemental category of the primary elements. Manilius put it this way:
 
“And first the heaven, earth and liquid plain, the moon’s bright globe and stars titanian (bright white). A spirit fed within, spread through the whole and with the huge heap mixed infused a soul; hence man and beast and bird derive their strain and monsters floating in the marbled main; these seeds have fiery, vigor, and a birth, of heavenly race, but clogg’d with heavy earth.”
 
So, about 2,000 years ago, the Roman Manilius was trying to tell people that everything–animals, humans, stars, seas and earth–consisted of living energy. I realize that philosophy might not interest you, but then I’m sure there are those among you who will be delighted to discover that even though these old geezers are long gone, their ideas of magick, science and philosophy continue on, right into the lap of modern Witchcraft.
 
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word element has a mysterious origin and is first found in Greek texts meaning “complex whole” or “a single unit made up of many parts.” From the ancient up to medieval times there were only four elements (earth, air, fire and water) and if you were occult-oriented the fifth was Spirit. Cornelius Agrippa called spirit the “quintessence.”
 
Today, although scientists list more than 100 chemical elements (with some being manmade), magickal people continue to rely on the five basic building blocks of medieval occultism—earth, air, fire, water and Spirit—using some of the additional elements of the modern age to support the original five, depending on the spell or ritual. For example, silver (an element/metal) is used in various spells, and is a symbol of the divine Goddess, feminine mysteries, and is associated with moon magick, dreaming and psychism. Gold, another element, stands for the God, male mysteries, success prosperity, general well-being and all magicks associated with the sun.

My Pentacle Is Bigger Than Yours!

My Pentacle Is Bigger Than Yours!

Author: Devon, The Maid Of Epona

I’ve been a practicing solitary witch for a little more than ten years. I have just recently decided to wear my pentacle openly.

Does that mean I’m out of the broom closet? Heavens no! I like to describe myself as having one foot in and the other out of the proverbial broom closet. I believe this to be the smart way to be, living where I live. Hey! Pennsylvania isn’t California!

I’m not a militant pagan although I do have a serious warrior’s streak. But being a warrior also means picking and choosing your fights. I work in the small animal business in one job and in the horse business in the other.

When working in the horse business, keeping your mouth shut about what faith you are, especially if it is an alternative faith that is greatly misunderstood by others, is the wiser way to go.

If I were to be open to everyone about my faith, it would have a detrimental effect on my career. People in the horse business would immediately assume that I was one of those “tree hugging, wackos” and I suddenly wouldn’t get hired or be able to buy or sell horses because gossip runs rampant in stables and sometimes is taken to be truer than the Bible! I also deal with many of the Amish community and I hide my pentacle out of deference to their beliefs.

So I pick and choose when and where to display my symbol of faith openly. I have also made an agreement with myself that, when I wear my pentacle openly, and someone questions my faith, then I must answer truthfully and intelligently.

I tell them that my pentacle stands for the four elements and the element of spirit. I tell them that it is a symbol of wholeness and balance, not of negativity and hatred. And its meaning cannot be twisted by reversing its direction, at least not in my eyes!

The first day I wore my pentacle, I walked about with a heightened sense of awareness, waiting for everybody to judge me. I guess I was expecting the whole world to gasp, point their fingers and declare me a witch in that tone of voice that meant nothing good. The actual reaction of people was much more subdued and confused.

Instead, the only question I had to deal with was, “I didn’t know you’re Jewish!”

Do you know how hard it is not to roll your eyes at someone and exclaim, “What? Can’t you count”?

I took a real risk this past Christmas. My husband had given me two gifts I picked out from our favorite knife catalog; an unusual knife and a pentacle decorated with red gems that I thought was pretty. So what it wasn’t silver!

Well pictures in catalogs can be deceiving!

I thought the pentacle to be modestly sized and the knife to be around the size of a Bowie knife. Well the truth was things were reversed.

The knife was the size of a pocketknife. The pentacle was big. REALLY BIG!

Try a pentacle with some serious attitude and lots of bling to the red gems on it. There was no mistaking it when I chose to wear out. It just reeled you in. Ooooh boy!

Then I decided to wear it out and obvious to a family function. Hey! It was a Christmas gift from my hubby that I still really liked in spite of the size. I wanted to show off my sparkly!

Now, not all of my family knows my religious denomination but most are aware. My parents are a blessing from the Goddess! They approve as long as I don’t go around trying to convert everybody. My brother and sister know and are open minded enough to not make a big deal about such things. My cousins even know and are cool with it.

My uncle? Well, lets just say his religious views scare me! He attends an ultra conservative church that has several ministers, several auditorium sized rooms for worship and boasts an attendance of several thousand people.

I was told to never tell my uncle what religion I was.

He was coming to the party as well.

I probably should NOT have worn the pentacle. But I did.

I also chose to disguise it with my new fashion statement, which was to wear cowboy clothes. You see, in the western horse show world, they have this design that is called a Texas star. It’s like a sheriff’s badge. Hmmm. Guess what? That’s a pentacle!

So I immediately went out and got my western show attire decorated in “Texas Stars”. I’ve got them on my hat and even my horse’s saddle and bridle sport little “pentacles”. No, I won’t wear ten million pentacles on myself but I’ll completely festoon my poor, long suffering horse with them!

Anyway, I showed up at the party with my hunka, big, new pentacle and my “Texas Star” hat. And my uncle showed up later. He looked directly at my new pentacle and then me and my newly dyed, black hair.

And then he asked if I’d had any of the steamed shrimp he brought.

I felt like I had had the rug pulled out from under me. I tried not to laugh my relief.

The pentacle was a big hit though.

Two people asked about it and my religious persuasion. I found out that they also were open-minded and we had a lovely evening chatting about esoteric things. Those conversations would have probably never happened if I hadn’t been daring enough to chance wearing it out.

But the real point of the matter is this: A pentacle, or a cross, or a Jewish star, or whatever symbol you choose to wear is nothing but a piece of jewelry unless the belief is behind it to make it more.

Those Wiccans that chose not to wear a pentacle or any other symbol of faith, does that make them any less of a Wiccan? No.

Sometimes I wear my pentacle and sometimes I wear my favorite jade horse pendant. They are both symbols of faith in my opinion and are as important to me as the cross is to someone else.

But I am not a Wiccan because I choose to wear a pentacle. I am Wiccan because that is what language my heart sings.

And no one can change what you feel in your heart. You can only choose whether or not to speak it.

Do you wear your pentacle on your skin or in your heart?

Devon, the Maid of Epona

Grasping Witchcraft

Grasping Witchcraft

Author: Charmed By The Moon

I know the title is a bit misleading as Witchcraft isn’t something we can physically hold. In fact, it’s more of something we can embrace and become. I’m referring more to the idea of getting a hold on it, seeing it, understanding it and living it.

I’ve been on this road for so long but haven’t made the true connection to the facts and ideas that are Witchcraft. There is so much to learn and so much to do and so much to envelop, it can often feel like a horse running down the road and I’m trying to get a rope on it to bring it back in again. It gets away from me sometimes. It becomes too big for me to truly grasp and hold close to me.

Some would say, “Well faith isn’t something you can capture; it is a free moving spirit of the Universe knowing no bounds, limits, or time”.

I agree to a point.

How do Christians and Jewish and Muslim people get a hold of their religion? I believe in some cases it is indoctrinated into them at birth and they have spent years studying and applying what they learn through weekly ritual, holidays etc. They have parents and family and friends in the same realms and it becomes a part of their life.

They have many years of preparation and teaching to reach the important milestones of their particular faith. There are huge parties and gatherings of celebration, families bonding and loving, and a strong sense of community.

That’s fine and wonderful if you are of a major Belief System but what about us? Or should I say me?

What about the Witchcraft of today and how it is still perceived by our peers?

There is no building to belong to, no sense of community really. No one wants to hear how you just made a second initiation and chose a new name. No one wants to know what crystals you bought for ritual. No one cares about the books and discoveries you are making.

Point is unless you have friends and family in the know, you don’t have any real support or ways to learn and certainly no one to celebrate with that might matter to you.

I do have a partner in my life and for that I am grateful and he too is on the same road as I but he knows about as much as I do. We can share moments and lessons but we still need more, still need direction so I set it as my personal goal to gain enlightenment on a different level at least for myself.

That leaves us on fact-finding missions. It leaves us open to strangers in our Belief System to guide us. (Some of which I have to say based on personal experience are total flakes!) Or, we meet people whom ‘don’t owe us anything’ and they choose not to teach what they have learned or even help to get us started. Fine. They have the right.

Next we have books by 1, 000 authors at least! Some writers and practitioners are on the same page, others are more complex, more don’t make any sense, some are so busy saying “this is the only way” and how do they really know? Books are great but there is no real way to ask a book a question! No way to talk to the author directly so it leaves many an unanswered query. So then we move to the online world and there is no real way to know if the person on the other end is real or not, what their motivations are, what they represent and where do they get their information. I suppose you can find a local coven and hope they accept you if your willing to do the work. Again these are strangers and you are in a vulnerable state as it is and for some insecure people they can fall into a terrible way.

It can be such a lonely world and very disheartening. There had to be a better way and I think I may have found it! I had to put some trust in someone I didn’t know and I am pleasantly surprised to say the least.

I paid for my classes. I exchanged money for knowledge.

Granted it isn’t a lot but there is a personal responsibility to each person and we carry it out. I know there are many people who are telling me that I shouldn’t have to pay. I can find information everywhere and yes, I have indeed found info. I’ve found so much I can’t organize it all and I don’t know how to manage one particular sect of Witchcraft.

I’m overwhelmed. I need direction, accountability, projects, motivation, detail, organization and even coaching.

That’s it!

I needed a Witch Coach! I needed someone to break it down and give me a starting point.

So, after a 2-year search and investigation I did come across one woman. She teaches many classes in person as well as correspondence and her style completely resonates with me, and I like her! I like the way she thinks. I like how she isn’t all about props and deliverance as much as common sense and developing natural ability. I got a cool little lesson book with projects, ritual ideas, reading material, supplies to buy, etc. and a nice note saying to me “Welcome” and a few other things.

I loved it. Granted I’ve not had a conversation with her yet and I will soon but I still felt like someone was at least a nice person and to the point. Anyone can say welcome to the group but I picked up a sincere feeling.

Upon receiving my materials I set out to start by doing the first lesson and I am still doing them day-by-day.

I feel good and I feel like I might actually one day grasp the element of being a Witch. I know I am one. I always knew but didn’t know how to get it off the ground.

It isn’t a race to ensue one’s faith; it is a journey of mind, body and spirit and it is meant to be as such. I want to taste it in my breath, feel it in my soul, and wake everyday knowing I am special and I know what many others do not know but seek.

No one can become anything over night. it takes study and determination and a natural love of what your doing. It takes wanting it more than you’ve wanted anything and not giving up because it becomes hard. In reality if we don’t learn how to do things right, we can cause more harm than good.

In all the information I’ve gathered in four years I couldn’t differentiate what was bogus and what was truth and then who deemed it to be truthful? I discovered I have to find my own truth in what makes sense to me and what calls to me.

I found it, finally.

~KB

To Coven or not to Coven- On the Internet?

To Coven or not to Coven- On the Internet?

Author: Stacy Marie
Last year whilst putting all of my cat tails and broom sticks in a row (so to speak) for my brand new shiny coven; my husband made the comment that he felt traditional covens were a thing of the past.

“A thing of the past? We’re just getting started.” I responded.

We went on to discuss how, he feels, that more and more people are choosing to work solitary and opting out of having to deal with the politics that often come with joining a coven.
“Well, gee just take the North wind gale out of my sail then, why don’t ya.”

Here I have invested money and countless hours of my time into Seminary school, polishing up my family tradition and formatting everything into a structured learning program for a full blown teaching coven and whamo my other half doesn’t think it will get off the ground. Now, I am not the type of person to just give up on my visions and dreams, but I have lived with my hubby for 10 years and I didn’t start calling him “Oracle” for not. So, I meditated and consulted my guides, the runes and researched.

I contemplated the reasons why I, myself have not joined a coven. By the time I had any incline to do group work I had already been a practicing Witch for many years. I had studied Asatru and Feri when my life took on a distinctively Wiccan path. I was well set in my ways. I did search for groups and covens, but I found that experience, or rather the lack of experience among group leaders was a rather common hurdle that I just could not get my proverbial broom over.

The people in my life were all solitary: my Dad, my step Mother, her aunt, my husband, our children, etc. I decided perhaps starting a family coven would be the way to go, and that went well for a while, then my Dad and Step Mom moved away. So, I set out to obtain the magickal piece of paper our society so dearly clings to. I wanted to be sure that I had credentials that said to the world, “Psst, hey this Lady took the time to do some actual work for the title Priestess.”

Rather than buy one instantaneously online or what not. As I and my family interacted more within the Pagan and Wiccan community I often was faced with the same question by both my husband and my son; Why did it seem like so many of the people we were meeting were, well, a little heavy on the acorns… in other words nutty?

Ahhh, yes they said it, I repeated it and you know you have thought about it on occasion too. So lets think about the situation that is unfolding here: covens and groups with inexperienced leadership, more people opting for solitary work, people who are a little loopy. Could it possibly be that magick in its many forms is a tad bit dangerous?

No, you don’t say.

The state of the coven culminates for me here; inexperience leads down two paths, one is non interest, i.e. those who have the experience to recognize inexperience when they see it choose to be solitary and path number two taken by those who do not know any better can lead to the possibility of real psychological damage in a blind leading the blind type of scenario. The reality is that Wicca is the fastest growing religion in America today, its numbers double every few months (so certain statistics say) . There simply are not enough quality teaching covens available to all those who would seek them.

It is a daunting task for a beginner to try to discern the quality from the crap both in covens and books. If you are lucky enough to have a quality coven in your area, you still have to mesh well with the other members and the types of energy they raise. What about those who live in the country? What if you have kids? Now you need a family friendly coven. Let me tell you, if you thought finding a coven was difficult, try finding one that accommodates young aspiring witchletts. That is a task that redefines difficult.

Oh, by the gods it is a dilemma, indeed. I think my husband may be on to something, perhaps. What is a girl that has been given a vision to do?

Are online teaching covens a viable option? I researched and meditated. I concluded that online covens are not better than being able to physically coven with others, but they are out there and they do provide a sense of fellowship and community, as do social networks such as Paganspace and Wiccan Together.

A quality online teaching coven or virtual coven, which is not easier to find than a physical coven when trying to hold true to the definition of quality but does, when found, offer a valuable service to those new to the craft that a simple social network does not. It can offer experience to those who would otherwise not have it available. It can offer structure to a path that may fall by the wayside because of frustration created by the mass amount of misinformation, repeated information, plain poorly researched material found in so many books and websites or by the lack of trustworthy peer support for ones work. Which brings me to the experienced witch and what such a coven has to offer them. Trustworthy peer support of ones works.

I can hear it now, screams and spats of how “I don’t need anyone else’s approval or validation for the work I do.” Indeed nor do I. There is nothing more exhilarating however to the spirit then to have the ability to share and compare notes on journey work and just perhaps find similarities that quite possibly lead to epiphanies for both parties involved. This sort of experience is one that is few and far between in solitary work and can lead one to stagnation along the way if not had to some degree, in my opinion.

I decided to heed the words of my Oracle, not by abandoning my vision, but expanding it.
Along with my physical coven, I created an online coven. In order to accomplish this successfully I had to research these types of covens. I have scoured the Internet tirelessly, taking notes the whole way. At the end of my research I was left with a few quality resources available to anyone with a computer.

It is my intent to share this research, so that others may benefit from it. What follows are my findings and in no way do I claim that I had the ability nor opportunity to view every such coven in existence, I did view quite a lot.

As a practitioner of the craft for over 19 years I used my personal experience to make a list of what I feel are the best of the covens I viewed. They do not appear in any specific order and I encourage anyone interested in such a coven to do additional research on their own.

Jaguar Moon Cyber Coven- http://www.jaguarmoon.org/
Run by Lisa Mc Sherry (Lady Maat) . Formed in 2000 from Shadow Moon Cyber coven and with Southern Cross Coven. Exists as an entirely virtual coven to teach Wicca in a non-threatening manner. Annual classes that start in July and end in June. Fee $60 annual (may vary year to year) . I could not view what an accepted applicant could, as one must apply for membership to gain access to entire site. However, the outline of the Lesson plan is available to the public and very comprehensive. Jaguar Moon Cyber Coven does have a traditional degree system.

Coven of the Far Flung Net- http://www.cuew.org/cffn/
This site is owned and run by Church of Universal Eclectic Wicca, LLC.
Provides free Wiccan education through a series of online lessons. Universal Eclectic Wiccan Tradition. Public collection of information about various Pagan and Wiccan topics. One must apply for membership. This is a very organized site.

Temple Zenith- http://www.templezenith.com
Physically located in Largo/Seminole, FL. A Wiccan/Pagan coven both physical and online where that the Goddess and God are equal in their reflection of cosmic BEING. Core teaching based on the union of the three selves and magick being the art of understanding the interplay between the manifestations of divine forces in Nature. Decent public information on Wicca, magick and Paganism. Traditional Degree format. Structured learning program set up on a social networking platform. Free.

The Holy Temple of Witchcraft – http://www.holytempleofwitchcraft.com
Founded on August 8, 2005 in Wooster, OH. Online coven for witchcraft. Very clear in their expectations of a student. Degree Structure. Small $10 fee. This site does not contain public information on witchcraft.

Sacred Circles Coven- http://sacredcirclescoven.com/
Founded on October 15, 2001. Physical coven located in Puerto Rico. This is a Grove of the Old Religion, not Wicca. A wealth of Pagan related public info including mythology, Book reviews, herbs, dream info, cat magick, moon magick and also a growing social network. Free.

The Athame’s Edge http://athamesedge.com/index.php?pg=1
Very organized and clear in their purpose and goals. A Progressive Wiccan Coven. Must apply for membership to gain access to entire site. No public info on Wicca or Paganism other than a brief “What is Wicca?” primer.

The Temple of the Moon’s Rising http://www.freewebs.com/emrysthewitch/index.htm
Owned and run by Emrys, a young Wiccan Priest with an obvious old soul. Public info on Eclectic Wicca is available on this site.

“In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust”

“In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust”

Author: Rebecca Ivy MoonPanther
Such powerful and inspiring words, spoken by some of the most powerful and inspirational Wiccan people. What does this phrase mean? And, as all smart-ass people will say (like me, teeheehee) WAT U MEAN BY PERFECT??

Just finished studying, so here’s my take on it.

We as Wiccan men and women are, for the most part, law-abiding citizens, correct? We may occasionally run that red when were late for work, not necessarily speak up when that cashier gives you five extra bucks back, but we don’t draw the line. We abide by state and federal laws, so religious laws should be no different.

Now, I am not saying that every Wiccan uses the Wiccan Rede. Some are followers of the older faith and do not choose to abide by the new rules. Just as we need to accept all faiths, we need to accept that those who may not use that Rede are not evil or weird or freaks. Just different, like you and me.

Back to what I was saying. “In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust” has been debated a lot. My take on it is that true, there is no such thing as a literal “perfect”, except when speaking of the Divine. They are the only perfection. And that’s why perfection is unattainable.

We are all made perfectly, but even so, it is at our core, simply because we come from the Gods. However, at the same time, we are all imperfect as well. That is simply because the physical plane has to be imperfect. In fact, to have symmetry of our limbs, eyes, even (as women) our bosoms are unsymmetrical. Every girl can tell you which one is bigger (LOL) . I wouldn’t exactly recommend asking every one though. So, we come from utter perfection, but in order to be on this plane, we must be imperfect.

But as we delve deeper and deeper into this faith, seeking out the answers of the universe, we try to somehow, reach or see one tiny aspect of divinity.

We already know of it, but no one truly sees it. The true aspect of Divinity is Love. It seemed so simple to me, at first, but after reading this article on The Witches Voice, it became clear that it was far from it. As SilverEagle wrote: “There is a lot of resistance to this practice for most of us. We have within us a pseudo self that treasures the illusion. It is important for us to question this self.”

We love Lady Luna and Helios because we trust them to always have our best interest in mind. We all have gone through many tests just by surviving childbirth, and have endured more since. And we will not be done until we cross to the other side of that black veil. Once we do, we know that the Goddess has shown us enough for this life, and it is time to start over. She loves us enough to put us through these trials, and Helios gives us the light and warmth that we need to see that we always have the strength to persevere. And we love her because we maintain her strength in all we do.

Every person is of the Goddess, and though you may not like the person for as far as you can throw him or her, or you may not even know him or her, but you love them. This because inside, they are of the Goddess.

Now, I have covered perfect, love……ah! Trust. Shall we?

Trust is a very touchy thing for me. It has always been hard for me. Because of my tests, I have learned, like most others, that every person is not worth trusting, even if they look, act, or even may seem like the best person. They have gone through almost everything I have! So? What in this wide world and beyond makes you think that someone will not take your kindness and run with it for miles and onward? Perfect trust is not naive. Perfect trust and perfect love are able to check each other. If I don’t trust them, I cannot love them, and vice versa. And just because a person says that they believe in this statement, or are even Wiccan or Pagan, that does not necessarily mean that they deserve your trust, or mean what they say.

Perfect trust demands intelligence, and especially with our limited trust of others in this day and age. Anyone can stab you in the back, and if they are truly of merit, then they won’t mind if you question their means. This is your life, your body, your mind, and your spirit. Let no one, NO ONE, be they man, beast, deity, inanimate or alive, take away your right to do what is right and righteous for you.

Be selfish! That is your right! And yes, included in this is the event of you taking away your own voice. Trust and love yourself. We all know that Self-confidence and Self-love ride in the same boat. Confidence is trust! So have the confidence in your stride and dance among the unenlightened!

Now, because each aspect of this phrase has been questioned, how do we combine the three to make this nifty Wiccan phrase? You love as the Gods do and trust in the Gods and Fate itself. By agreeing to enter the circle, you are vulnerable, but because you are of the Gods, and are able to love perfectly, and have perfect faith in the universe and your own will and intentions you may choose to surrender any psychological barriers and enter, or say, I am not ready to give up my distrust and stand. You have the choice to make that decision. You are not being forced to enter, so work to attain that light inside of you and do no enter until you are ready to surrender all your troubles to the Divine. I know I have a long way to go, so do not feel alone.

So, what have we learned?

I have learned that carpal tunnel is no excuse to not type hahaha.

Anyway, summary: Perfect is simply, of the divine. Because we are of the Gods, we have the gift of Love, as well as Free Will– to give trust and question our surroundings. So, to invoke perfect love and perfect trust is to say, you and I are of the Gods, and we both are going to follow their will and serve them to the best of our ability because that is why we are here. That is why She dances so freely. That is why I am writing this explanation.

Ideas for the Witch’s Altar

Ideas for the Witch’s Altar
 
Dresser, nightstand, or bureau in your room.
A flat piece of stone that is portable.
A skateboard.
Empty closet.
Desk drawer (not recommended for burning candles).

Cinderblocks.

Steppingstone (can be purchased at a garden store, or you can make one yourself from material purchased at a craft store).
 
Bookshelf (not recommended for burning candles–even though you think the flame is far enough away from the next shelf, it will warp and eventually burn the shelf above.)
 
Top of a filing cabinet.
 
A large mirror.
 
A cookie sheet.
 
A serving tray.
 
A camping tripod, sold in most camping sections of large department stores. It should be noted that these can wobble.
 
An old steamer trunk or other trunk with shelves from an antique store or flea market. (Be careful of open candle flames and take appropriate precautious.)
 
A window sill (however, don’t put burning candles there).

In your imagination. Some people scoff at this, but there are people who are not permitted to have altars for a variety of reasons. Perhaps your parents or spouse are aftaid that you’re religiously going down the tubes and have put their foot down on the issue of an altar. College students, due tol iving conditions, may not be allowed to have an altar. Individuals in the military service at boot campe can’t have on either Maybe you are visiting Grandma for the summer and you know that she’ll find the idea an altar offensive. If your family goes on an exxtended vacation, where luggage is a factor. Mon and DAy might not be too happy if you bring a twenty-ton suitcase with all your altar stuff, even though they don’t mind your altar at home. Learning to build an altar in your imagination helps you to enhances your visualization sklls. You really never know when you might need those mental powers.

The Changing Role of Men in Wicca

The Changing Role of Men in Wicca

Author: Morgan Ravenwood
It is unfortunate but too often true that male Wiccans find themselves relegated to a passive, almost non-existent role in Wicca and many other Pagan traditions, thereby depriving their female counterparts of some potentially useful interaction, observations and teachings.

While many Wiccan women would defend this stance by pointing out that the Abrahamic faiths are male-centered and that they came to Paganism to avoid being forced to submit to male authority, they fail to realize that any faith that places emphasis on one gender over another is simply out of balance and deprives its members of both spiritual satisfaction and education.

We Wiccans must remember that it was a man, Gerald Gardiner, who originally gave birth and identity to the faith we practice today. However, he didn’t do so all by himself—he a lot of help and encouragement from women such as Doreen Valiente. Perhaps that is why the Gardnerian tradition has always promoted gender equality. Since then there have been some notable male Pagans such as Stuart Farrar, Oberon Zell, Isaac Bonewits, and more recently, Kerr Cuhulain and Christopher Penczak (who has written a great deal about gay Wiccans, whose numbers continue to grow) whose knowledge and experience have benefited us all.

A quick overview of some of the major Wiccan traditions certainly doesn’t inspire a man to want to join most of them unless he is willing to play a subordinate—and submissive- –role. While ones such as the various Druid groups and the Alexandrian and Gardnerian traditions seem to be more welcoming to the male practitioner, others such as the Dianic and Avalonian traditions are strictly matrifocal with no male participation at all. There are endless lists of Wiccan female-only groups on the web as opposed to barely a handful for men. All of this amounts to the same kind of sexism practiced by the mainstream religions, and is just as counter-productive.

We are all familiar with the concept of the Triple Goddess, which is of course worshiped by male and female Wiccans alike. While most female Wiccans relate the phases of the Goddess to our own lives, how do we apply this to the God, and in so doing, contemplate how this concept can be applied to men?

In my long years of study and correspondence with other practitioners, I have learned quite a bit from some very wise male Pagans. I recently asked some of them their opinions on this, and actually got some pretty similar answers, though one male friend said, “I hadn’t really ever thought about it!”

I can’t help but feeling that that is a very great shame indeed.

Equal gender identification really isn’t that difficult when you think about it. When we see the young Goddess as the Maiden, we could see her male counterpart as the Youth/Warrior/Student. As She reaches Her Mother stage, Her consort matures into the Father/Warrior/Hunter.

Opinions vary on when a woman has aged sufficiently to regard herself (and be regarded by others) as a “Crone, ” but on the other side of the coin, we again have her consort becoming an Elder/Sage/Grandfather. Though male Wiccans revere and venerate the Goddess in these various incarnations, might they not feel a little more comfortable if the God was given equal consideration?

Those female Wiccans who may belong to covens who worship the Goddess to the exclusion of the God might feel a little more in balance also.

When we look at the history of Paganism we find a large number of male deities such as Cernunnos, Dagda, Lugh, Cuchulainn, Pan, Osiris, Zeus, Apollo, and so many more. In ritual, particularly when petitioning for a special purpose, it is wise to aim such petitions towards a deity who may have certain characteristics particular to the object of the petition.

Male Wiccans especially may have certain issues that they feel more comfortable sharing with a male deity as opposed to a female one. That doesn’t mean, however, that they would (or should) eliminate worship of the Goddess in Her many forms—on the contrary, the male Wiccans of my acquaintance are very devoted to Her.

As in everything, balance and moderation are the keys.

We need look no further than our own Wheel of the Year to understand how important the God is to our religion. From Yule, when we celebrate the birth of the God, to Samhain, when He dies and prepares to be born yet again at Yule, our Sabbats are ironically centered on the God, with the Goddess both assisting and participating in a supporting (but no less important) role.

Consequently, it seems illogical and counter-productive to relegate the God along with male practitioners to a minor role in other Wiccan rites. While I am certainly not advocating the dissolution of all female-only covens, I DO encourage them to give some serious consideration to allowing serious male practitioners to participate in their rites. This would present many opportunities for fellowship and the sharing of knowledge, which would surely outweigh any perceived disadvantages.

The Religioustolerance.org website contains Edain McCoy’s description of the worship of Wiccan deities thusly: “We worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess and father God, who together created all that is, was, or will be. We respect life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of all creation.” And yet, the same article also says, “Wiccans celebrate the sexual polarity of nature.

For example, the fertilizing rain is one manifestation of the male principle; the nurturing earth symbolizes the female. Females are respected as equal (and sometimes at a slightly higher rank) to males. A priestess is often the most senior person among covens — a local group of Wiccans. They aim for a female-male balance in most of their covens (local groups), although men are typically in the minority.”

The last sentence really reinforces the imbalance that exists in Wiccan practice and brings up a salient point: perhaps if more men chose to become involved in Wicca, it would drive up the numbers of Wiccan adherents and consequently make us more of a force to be reckoned with. The days of “broom closet” Wicca are coming to a close and we are already seeing the benefits such as the V.A. approval of the pentacle on the headstones of Wiccan veterans.

However, we must keep in mind that in order for more men to become interested in Wicca, they must be allowed equal consideration and status.

It’s a concept whose time has come.

THE CREATION STORY

THE CREATION STORY

THE CREATION STORY

Long, long ago, the world slept in the arms of the dark void.From this place of nothingness, Spirit drew together and created Our Lady of Infinite Love. 

The Lady danced among the heavens, Her feetbeating out the rythmn of all creation. Sparks of light catapaulted from Her hair, giving birth to the stars and planets. As She twirled, these heavenly bodies began to move with Her in the divine symphony of the universe. When Her dancing quickened She formed the seas and mountains of Earth. She chanted words of love and joy, and as these sounds fell to the Earth, the trees and flowers were born.

From the pure, white light of Her breath came the colors of the universe, turning all things to vibrant beauty. from the bubbling laughter in Her throat sprang the sounds of the pristine running water of the streams, the gentle lapping vibrations of the lake, and the roaring screams of the oceans. Her tears of joy became the rains of our survival.

When Her dancing slowed and She sought a companion to share the wonders of the world, Spirit created The Lord as Her lifemate and companion. Because She so loved the Earth, Spirit made Her companion half spirit, half animal, so that together the Lord and Lady could populate our planet. The Lord’s power moves through her and She showers the Earth and all upon it with Her blessings. Together, the Lord and Lady gave birth to the birds, animals, fishes, and people of our world. To protect and guide the humans, the Lord and Lady created the angels and power spirits. These energies walk with us always, though we may not often see them. Their speech creates a tapestry of positve energy, from which we draw strength.

To each bird the Lady gave a magic song, and to each animal the Lord bestowed the instinct to survive.

The Lord is the master of the animal and plant kingdoms, and therefore wears the antlers of a stag crowning His great head. This aspect of half man, half animal shows His joy in both the human and animal creations of the Spirit.

As the humans began to grow and prosper, the Lord and Lady saw a need for healers among them. And so they drew forth energy from the realm of angels, the realm of the power animals, and the realm of the humans to create the Witches. The Witches brought with them the wisdom of the Lord and Lady, the ability to heal, and the art of magic. The Lady taught the Witches how to cast a magic circle and talk to Spirit, and the Lord taught the Witches how to communicate with the energies of air, fire, earth, and water, and commune with the animal and plant kingdoms.

At first, the humans accepted the Witches and treated them fairly; but because the Witches are different, humans began to fear the Wise Ones of the Lord and Lady, thus the Witches became the Hidden Children, conducting their rites of positive energy in secret lest they risk capture and death at the hands of uneducated humans.

As the world grew darker with ignorance and hate of human creation, The Lady took the body of the Moon to represent the gentle light of her perfect peace, and the Lord took the vibrant rays of the Sun as his symbol of strength in perfect love. And once a month, when the Moon is full, the Witches celebrate and remember the blessings our Mother has bestowed upon us.

We call forth Her energy to help us take care of ourselves, our families, our planet, and our friends. Four times a year the Witches celebrate the festivals of fire and honor the Lord and His love for us – these are called the cross-quarters. At the four quarters of the seasons, the Witches honor the cycle of life and the gifts of the Earth with festivals to both the Lord and Lady – signifying the balance they have brought us – the Equinoxes and the Solstices.

The Lady has many names – Isis, Astarte, Bride, Diana, Aradia, Hecate – and the Lady walks within and beside each woman of every race.

The Lord has many faces, from the strong Cernunnos to the delightful Pan. He guards and guides us and resides in each man of every race.

When thunder roars in the heavens, and lightning cracks from the ground, the Lord and Lady dance the divine myth of creation so that we may remember them and know that we are never alone.

When the Sun rises each morning, we bask in the joy of His love for us, and when the Moon moves through Her phases, we understand the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth.

When it is our time, the Witches enter the Summerland. From the Spirit that moves and flows through the Lord and Lady we continue to learn the mysticism of the Universe so that we may return, life after life, to serve our brothers and sisters.

In each lifetime, Spirit guides us through learning experiences, preparing us along the way for our individual missions. Sometimes we are born among our own kind, and in other instances we must seek out our spiritual family. Many of us do not remeber our chosen path until we reach adulthood, but others know instinctively of their heritage from the time they form their own thoughts.

We are the Witches, the representation of the growth of wisdom on our planet. We are the Hidden Children, back from the dead. We are the people, the power, the change, and we have incarnated in every race and every culture. We are the angels of Earth. 

 

“The Creation Story” Courtesy of SilverRavenWolf