Interconnecting the Sabbats

Well then. Reader Request didn't really pan out. But it's not too late to ask me question or post topic suggestions!

One thing I've been doing in my personal practice is trying to understand and make meaningful the Sabbats, individually as well as a whole, exploring the interconnectedness. Here are a few of my insights so far:

Of the first two harvest festivals, Lammas is still holding onto the joy and revelry of Summer, while the Fall Equinox is beginning to recognize the diligence and hardship of Winter. This is a transitional time. I'm betting/thinking/hoping a certain realization will come to me in reference to Imbolc and Eostar.

And also, the Spring and Fall seasons each carry variations on a common theme:

Imbolc - fertility as ideas/creativity
Eostar - fertility as growth/momentum
Beltane - fertility as physical/sex/conception

Lammas - harvest as bounty/reward for hard work
Fall - harvest as consequences/emphasizing relationship between what is reaped from what was sown
Samhain - harvest as death/endings

You can read more about these explorations of mine at my other blog, Priestess Spirit.

Reader Request - Alecia: Reincarnation vs. Contacting the Dead

Thanks to Alecia for submitting my first Reader Request! Here was her question:

One thing I have wondered about is the potential conflict caused by the belief in reincarnation and the ability to contact the dead (ancestor guardians, Ouija boards, etc, etc, etc). What are your thoughts on this topic?

I want to preface this by saying this is only my personal belief, YMMV :)

I don't believe that reincarnation is instantaneous. We are given a period of rest between lives to commune with Deity and those who have passed before us, before continuing on to our next life. So, in that time, it is certainly possible to contact the dead, as they have not come back yet.

Additionally, I believe a piece of each soul/spirit remains with the collective Divine with each passing. I'll quote my "101" piece on the subject:

It’s also a matter of personal belief whether new souls are ever created, or if there are always the same number of souls being recycled over and over. I believe it’s a little of both. Just as with Divinity being like drops in the ocean, the same can be said of souls. I believe there is a constant and consistent amount of energy and “God stuff” in the Universe at all times (similar to the Law of Conservation of Energy), but it takes different forms and is parceled out in different ways. So, even if my specific soul learns all it needs to after this particular life and rejoins the whole of Divine Energy, it may then be re-infused into multiple entities later on.

So, since these souls/spirits/energies leave their "signature" on each other/Itself, it is then still possible to connect with that piece that remained even after reincarnation.

Now, is it always ethical or advisable to do these things? That's a matter of personal interpretation. I will admit, I own a (Parker Bros.) Ouija board, and have experimented with it once or twice, but I own it more for novelty than as a tool. I will also add the caution that, with Ouija boards especially, it's important to have safeguards in place, something like casting a Circle. This is because Ouija boards are non-specific; they're open to anyone and anything that might be hanging around or just passing by. It couldn't hurt to have some kind of shield in place and maybe even a banishment procedure in mind, better safe than sorry.

Unrelated to the Request, I have a new blog, Priestess Spirit. My readers here are welcome to follow that as well, if only just to prove my own fallibility.

Reader Request!

Alright folks, here's your chance to ask me what you want to know! Is there some aspect of Wicca or Paganism you're curious about? Is there something personal about me and my spirituality that you're dying to know? Please, don't be shy, ask away! I'll compose an answer/article for at least the first three ideas I receive, but probably for all of them (dependent upon how much research I may or may not need to do!). This is an opportunity for us all to learn something together! I hope especially to hear from some of my more quiet/reserved readers who haven't commented much :)

I do have one limitation request, however;

Fae, Aliens, Angels, and Teletubbies

What?!

I know that's what you're all thinking, but hear me out. This will be a little disjointed, but maybe eventually I can turn it into something coherent.

And P.S., it's OK if this is tl and you dr :P

New Layout

It's not perfect yet, but I need to get to bed :P Thoughts so far?

EDIT: I think I'm done! Input?

Maiden, Mother, Crone

Last night Hetshepsit and I got into a discussion about this particular Deity model. I'll start with a quote from her:

I honestly do not have a maternal instinct and the Pagan community can sometimes have a lot of emphasis on "first you're a Maiden, then you HAVE to be a Mother, then you HAVE to be a Crone."

My response was rather impassioned, but I've tweaked and added to it for your enjoyment and enlightenment.