tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25732723475882971922024-03-13T11:07:59.367-05:00Wicca 101 and BeyondLearning to TeachHexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-27729224929682777372010-07-20T10:54:00.001-05:002010-07-20T10:57:18.664-05:00Elemental ImagesHere is the Elemental images picspam. Full sized images available <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?start=all">here</a>.<br />
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<center><b><u><font size="+1">Air</font></b></u><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_10300.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_12184.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_17632.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_17572.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_16264.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_7844.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<b><u><font size="+1">Transition from Air to Fire:</b></u></font><br />
<i>(ignore the fact that is says "Lies") </i><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_10790.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<b><u><font size="+1">Fire</b></u></font><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_bryanv-solaceinwarmth.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_15695.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_16822.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_17930.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_17167.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_2488.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_16848.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_8701.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_1735.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<b><u><font size="+1">Transition from Fire to Water:</b></u></font><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_10775.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<b><u><font size="+1">Water</b></u></font><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_4037.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_19242.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_19084.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_17091.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_11724.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_13693.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_9506.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<b><u><font size="+1">Transition from Water to Earth:</b></u></font><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_13073.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<b><u><font size="+1">Earth</b></u></font><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_8764.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_7011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_16809.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_15470.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_16380.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_6331.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_15517.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<b><u><font size="+1">Transition from Earth back to Air:</b></u></font><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_16361.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<b><u><font size="+1">Spirit</b></u></font><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_11206.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_13936.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_16500.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_5825.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_16336.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></center>Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-70544509898054255032010-07-12T10:53:00.000-05:002010-07-12T10:53:36.067-05:00Masks of the GodThe second in my picspam-type entries, this time focusing on the God. Enjoy!<br />
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<center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=sunecklace2.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_sunecklace2.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=CC000023.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_CC000023.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=Celtic_Stag_by_dark777fairy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Celtic_Stag_by_dark777fairy.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=god2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_god2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=VS706.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_VS706.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=wiccan221.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_wiccan221.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=oak-hollyking-copy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_oak-hollyking-copy.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=Herne.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Herne.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a></center>Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-23552742888887007912010-07-04T11:12:00.003-05:002010-07-04T11:23:58.825-05:00Guises of the GoddessThis is a simple picspam-type entry, but I hope it can still move people and be thought-provoking. I'll be posting more of these types of entries in the coming weeks, through the end of July.<br />
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But before I begin, to the other US citizens I have following me...<br />
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<center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/?action=view¤t=Backgrounds_14882.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/th_Backgrounds_14882.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a></center><br />
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<center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=Backgrounds_12363.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_12363.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=Backgrounds_10222.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_10222.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://uncontainable.webs.com/ddm.jpg" target="blank"><img src="http://uncontainable.webs.com/ddm.jpg" height="160" width="132" border="0"></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=26112_1202105221305_1488822969_4430.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_26112_1202105221305_1488822969_4430.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=glowinginherbelly.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_glowinginherbelly.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=Backgrounds_19280.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_19280.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=Backgrounds_6616.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_Backgrounds_6616.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/?action=view¤t=nicnevin1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/picspam/th_nicnevin1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a></center>Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-41906027446896687692010-06-25T04:52:00.000-05:002010-06-25T04:52:23.728-05:00ElementsI did some thinking and restructuring, and added this lesson to my Wicca 101 series. Enjoy.<br />
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<b>Elemental Powers</b><br />
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Wiccans call upon the powers of the Elements in ritual and other Magickal work. Across the board, the four classical Western Elements are included, being Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Some of the time, a fifth is included, the Element of Spirit, sometimes also called Akasha or the Ether. Each Element has many common associations, although some may differ between individual, Coven, and Tradition.<br />
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<center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/?action=view¤t=elemtab.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/th_elemtab.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a></center><br />
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There are other associations as well, but these are the more basic ones.<br />
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In ritual, the Elements are each called in turn to watch over and lend strength to the workings that will be performed (it should be noted that the most common places to begin calling the Elements are North and East, and there are compelling reasons for both). Often physical representations of the Elements are present on the altar or at the edges of the ritual space in the appropriate direction. It is also very important to dismiss or banish the Elements at the end of ritual; imagine the unchecked power of Fire hanging about!<br />
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The Elements as a group are sometimes called the Quarters, as the space between each is one quarter of the ritual space, or the Corners or Directions.<br />
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There is a bit more to discuss in relation to the Elements, but as that relates more directly to Tools, I am saving it for that section.<br />
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<font size="1">1 - This color association is my own, and I came to it thusly; It is said that Spirit is the combination and perfect balance and harmony of all the other Elements. If that is so, then what are all colors mixed together? Well, first we must decide if we’re talking about light, or pigment. If light, then the answer is white. If pigment, black. This is yet another duality, and as discussed before, Wicca is non-dualistic. So, if we combine black and white, the result is grey, or perhaps silver. This makes more sense to me than purple, which is red and blue, and while can be send to be a blend of male and female energies, to me then excludes the other colors in the spectrum.</font>Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-26404393766256477772010-06-21T11:00:00.003-05:002010-06-21T13:53:22.935-05:00Joyous Midsummer<center><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/midsumcard.png" border="0"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/th_midsumcard.png" border="0"></a><br />
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<i>Then came the jolly Sommer, being dress’d<br />
In a thin silken cassock coloured greene,<br />
That was unlined all, to be more light;<br />
And on his head a garland well beseene. </i><br />
<font size="-1">--Edmund Spenser, "Faerie Queene"</font><br />
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<i>But yonder comes the powerful king of day,<br />
Rejoicing in the east. The lessening cloud,<br />
The kindling azure, and the mountain’s brow,<br />
Illumed with fluid gold, his near approach<br />
Betoken glad. </i><br />
<font size="-1">--James Thomson, "The Seasons: Summer"</font></center><br />
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<hr><br />
And, for the Other side...<br />
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<center><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/darkgodcard.png"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/th_darkgodcard.png"></a></center><br />
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This image inspired by <a href="http://www.witchessabbats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=20">"The Death of Llew"</a> by <a href="http://www.witchessabbats.com/">Mike Nichols</a>.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-3761612042469003232010-06-18T12:17:00.000-05:002010-06-18T12:17:19.501-05:00QuotesJust a few quotes for today, as I haven't updated this blog in a while... :/<br />
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"We dance around the ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows." --Robert Frost, poet<br />
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"Without Evil there can be no Good, so it must be Good to be Evil sometimes." --Satan in "South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut"<br />
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"God answers every prayer. But sometimes the answer is, 'No'." --priest from an episode of "Law & Order"<br />
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"Not all who wander are lost." --J. R. R. Tolkien<br />
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"Follow your Bliss." --Joseph Campbell<br />
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"The problem with Yahweh is that He thinks He's God." --op. cit.<br />
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"There are two kinds of knowledge; Symbolic Knowledge and Intimate Knowledge. Science deals with the former, arts deal with the latter. The primary focus of the religious pursuit is the latter. To confuse the boundary by using physics to analyze spiritual experiences is to largely miss the point." --user "felisarcanum" on LiveJournal<br />
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"The injection of religion has a coma-like effect"<br />
--from "Wreath of Barbs," :wupmscut:<br />
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"Witchcraft is, and was, not... for everyone. Unless you have an attraction to the occult, a sense of wonder, a feeling that you can slip for a few minutes out of the world into the world of faery, it is of no use to you." --Gerald Gardner<br />
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All the following quotes are from the LunaBar tool available from Infra-Azure Labs.<br />
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But sun and moon, those watchmen of the world,<br />
With their own lanterns traversing around<br />
The mighty, the revolving vault, have taught<br />
Unto mankind that seasons of the years<br />
Return again. <br />
--Lucretius, De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things).<br />
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Let not my Heart-soul be driven away from me;<br />
and grant me a sight of the Disk of the Sun<br />
and the beholding of the Moon for ever and ever. <br />
--Egyptian Book of the Dead.<br />
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The sacred Queen of Night,<br />
Who pours a lovely, gentle light,<br />
Wide o’er the dark, by wanderers blest,<br />
Conducting them to peace and rest. <br />
--Thomson, "Ode to Seraphina."<br />
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For ages the army of spirits, once so near,<br />
has been receding farther and farther from us,<br />
banished by the magic wand of science from hearth and home,<br />
from ruined cell and ivied tower,<br />
from haunted glade and lonely mere,<br />
from the riven murky cloud that belches forth the lightning,<br />
and from those fairer clouds that pillow the silvery moon... <br />
--Frazier, "The Golden Bough."<br />
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"...And hail their queen, fair regent of the night." --Erasmus Darwin, "Botanic Garden (pt. I, canto II, l. 90)."<br />
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Full summer moon, floating in the warm evening air<br />
Just above eye level, unseen by me<br />
With my hurrying, worrying, encircled in frantic anxiety<br />
My endless loop of wasted time.<br />
Her energy pulls my focus and spirit upward<br />
To see her miracle self watching me<br />
Relaxing me, like a gentle reminder to sit up straight:<br />
Moon’s yin to gravity’s yang.<br />
--"Look Up," Karen Ley Smith.<br />
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How like a queen comes forth the lonely Moon<br />
From the slow opening curtains of the clouds ;<br />
Walking in beauty to her midnight throne !<br />
--George Croly, "Diana."<br />
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Queen and Huntress, chaste and fair,<br />
Now the sun is laid to sleep,<br />
Seated in thy silver chair<br />
State in wonted manner keep<br />
Hesperus entreats thy light,<br />
Goddess excellently bright.<br />
<br />
Earth, let not thy envious shade<br />
Dare itself to interpose;<br />
Cynthia’s shining orb was made<br />
Heaven to clear when day did close:<br />
Bless us then with wished sight,<br />
Goddess excellently bright.<br />
<br />
Lay thy bow of pearl apart<br />
And thy crystal-shining quiver;<br />
Give unto the flying hart<br />
Space to breathe how short soever;<br />
Thou that mak’st a day of night,<br />
Goddess excellently bright!<br />
--Ben Jonson, "Hymn to Diana."<br />
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Hail Queen, great Moon,<br />
white-armed Divinity,<br />
Fair-haired and favourable!<br />
--Homeric Hymns, "Hymn to the Moon", trans. by Percy Bysshe Shelley.<br />
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Ye stars and moon, that, when the sun retires,<br />
Support his empire with succeeding fires;<br />
And thou, great Hecate, friend to my design;<br />
Songs, mutt’ring spells, your magick forces join;<br />
And thou, O Earth, the magazine that yields<br />
The midnight sorcerer drugs; skies, mountains, fields;<br />
--Ovid, "Metamorphoses," Dryden's translation.<br />
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Fair goddess of the rainbow !<br />
Of the stars and of the moon !<br />
The queen all-powerful<br />
Of hunters and the night,<br />
We beg of thee thy aid<br />
To give good fortune to us !<br />
--Spell to Diana, in C.G. Leland, "Unpublished Legends of Virgil".<br />
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Hecate: the moon before she has risen and after she has set.<br />
Astarte: the crescent moon, “the moon with crescent horns.”<br />
Diana or Cynthia: the moon in the open vault of heaven,<br />
who “hunts the clouds.”<br />
--Brewer, "Dictionary of Phrase & Fable".<br />
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Lovely Goddess of the bow!<br />
Lovely Goddess of the arrows!<br />
Of all hounds and of all hunting<br />
Thou who wakest in starry heaven<br />
When the sun is sunk in slumber<br />
Thou with moon upon they forehead...<br />
--"To Diana," collected in Leland, "Aradia."<br />
<br />
Selene or Luna: the moon personified, properly the full moon,<br />
who loved the sleeping Endymion.<br />
Endymion: moonlight on a bank, field, or garden.<br />
Phoebe: the moon as the sister of the sun.<br />
--Brewer, "Dictionary of Phrase & Fable".<br />
<br />
...and on all sides beautiful maidens<br />
stepped from the trees into the bright light of the moon.<br />
These were the wood-nymphs, daughters of the earth-mother,<br />
who came every night to hold their dances, in the forest.<br />
--"The Violet Fairy Book" (1901).<br />
<br />
To behold the wandering moon<br />
Riding near her highest noon,<br />
Like one that had been led astray<br />
Through the heav’n’s wide pathless way;<br />
--Milton, "Il Penseroso."<br />
<br />
The fairies, from their nightly haunt,<br />
In copse or dell, or round the trunk revered<br />
Of Herne’s moon-silvered oak, shall chase away<br />
Each fog, each blight, and dedicate to peace<br />
Thy classic shade.<br />
--Quoted in The Folk-Lore of Plants.<br />
<br />
The aspiring Mountains and the winding Streams,<br />
Empress of Night! are gladdened by thy beams;<br />
A look of thine the wilderness pervades,<br />
And penetrates the forest’s inmost shades;<br />
--William Wordsworth, "To The Moon."<br />
<br />
In moons and tides and weather wise,<br />
He read the clouds as prophecies,<br />
And foul or fair could well divine,<br />
By many an occult hint and sign.<br />
--Whittier, Snowbound.<br />
<br />
Dian’s Worshippers: Midnight revellers; so called<br />
because they return home by moonlight. Dian means the moon.<br />
--Brewer's "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable."<br />
<br />
The hour is nigh; the waning Queen<br />
Walks forth to rule the later night;<br />
Crown’d with the sparkle of a Star,<br />
And throned on orb of ashen light.<br />
--Sir Richard F. Burton, "Kasidah."<br />
<br />
Bright wanderer, fair coquette of Heaven,<br />
To whom alone it has been given<br />
To change and be adored for ever.<br />
--Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Fragment: To the Moon"."<br />
<br />
Let us be Diana’s foresters,<br />
Gentlemen of the shade, minions of the moon;<br />
And let men say we be men of good government, being governed,<br />
as the sea is, by our noble and chaste mistress the moon...<br />
--Shakespeare, "King Henry IV," I, ii.<br />
<br />
The year is divided into four seasons;<br />
The first season is of a frigid complexion, and this is “Winter”;<br />
The second is of the complexion of Air, and this is “Spring”; <br />
Then follows the third, which is “Summer”, and is of the complexion of Fire;<br />
Lastly, there is the fourth, wherein fruits are matured, which is “Autumn”.<br />
--The Turba Philosophorum, ca. 12 century.<br />
<br />
<br />
Then came the jolly Sommer, being dress’d<br />
In a thin silken cassock coloured greene,<br />
That was unlined all, to be more light;<br />
And on his head a garland well beseene.<br />
--Edmund Spenser, "Faerie Queene."<br />
<br />
Come, Sons of Summer, by whose toile,<br />
We are the Lords of Wine and Oile :<br />
By whose tough labors, and rough hands,<br />
We rip up first, then reap our lands.<br />
Crown’d with the eares of corne, now come,<br />
And, to the Pipe, sing Harvest Home.<br />
--Robert Herrick.<br />
<br />
But yonder comes the powerful king of day,<br />
Rejoicing in the east. The lessening cloud,<br />
The kindling azure, and the mountain’s brow,<br />
Illumed with fluid gold, his near approach<br />
Betoken glad.<br />
--Thomson.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-9564420579546582462010-06-01T17:52:00.000-05:002010-06-01T17:52:01.606-05:00Found Article: The Question of OathsAn article found on <a href="http://jenett.livejournal.com/1005513.html">LiveJournal</a>, written by <a href="http://gleewood.org/threshold/2010/05/12/the-question-of-oaths/">Jenett</a>.<br />
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<b>The question of oaths<br />
<i></i></b><br />
Tomorrow night, I’m having a pre-Dedication conversation with my current student.<br />
<br />
One way I think about the oaths in my tradition is that it gives us a really good point to stop and talk about a number of community interactions clearly and directly, without making assumptions about how other people view the issues of personal privacy, sharing experiences, or giving people space to have their own experience of an event. Over time, I’ve come to the decision that there are some basic principles behind the oaths that I agree with – and then some practical things I also keep in mind.<br />
<br />
<font size="+1">Basic principles:</font><br />
<br />
<b>The oath is a communal agreement with everyone in the tradition about what we do and don’t share.</b><br />
<br />
It covers not only people currently in the tradition, but people who’ve been part of the tradition in the past, and those who make that commitment in the future. Not everyone sees the world in the same way. People from different backgrounds often have very different ideas about what it’s okay to share, and with whom. As our cultures mix and mingle, however, we have to have some way to be clear about our particular communities practices are, and why they’re there. The oaths give us that tool.<br />
<br />
If our agreement changed over time, we’d be constantly having to renegotiate around those changes. That’s tedious and time-consuming, even if it were practical (and it often isn’t, as people move out of contact for many and varied reasons.) Thus, we have a persistent oath, and people can choose to take it or not take it.<br />
<br />
<b>The oath reminds me that there’s a difference between sharing my own stuff, and other people’s stuff.</b><br />
<br />
I’m working in a tradition that was built by many people. I don’t have exclusive rights to determine how that’s shared. It is larger than me, larger than my own preferences, larger than my own inclinations. Again, I get to decide if I buy into the general agreement (and make the oath) or don’t. Obviously, in my case, I did.<br />
<br />
Besides that, there’s the question of personal experiences. I should not generally be sharing someone else’s experiences for them. For one thing, it’s rather rude, and for another, I might well get it wrong, since I do not live inside their heads. (There are a very few exceptions in teaching circumstances I’ll get to in a minute.)<br />
<br />
<b>The oath reminds me to let other people have their own experiences.</b><br />
<br />
Our initiation rituals and a couple of other rituals in our ritual cycle gather weight and ability to change the participant because the participant does not entirely know what to expect. That’s a powerful tool, used well. And while, like all powerful tools, it can be abused, I firmly believe it’s possible to handle it in an ethical and caring manner without spoiling the experience for others (just like a good reviewer can talk about a play or novel without spoiling the plot). More on that below.<br />
<br />
(I should note: it’s not that I believe that most of the stuff in these rituals isn’t available in other forms: most of it, except for the very specific trad stuff, is. But I believe that context informs our experiences, and that my Craft is based around emotional response, not just intellectual understanding, so how we get to through that experience is as much or even more important than what we learn from it in a pure knowledge sense.)<br />
<br />
My oaths do allow me to share my personal experiences (even of otherwise oathbound rituals), but only if I do so in ways that don’t touch on the oathbound bits. So, for example, I might say “Part of my initation made me think about those things in my life that really aren’t serving me: one of the things that came up was whether I need to do things for people in order to have them like me.” This happens to be a totally true statement, and it’s one I continue to think about (7+ years later). And I have, indeed, talked about it at length in various contexts with that beginning. But saying this is also not revealing any oathbound material about how I got to that realisation. Likewise, I can say “Someone in ritual had an experience that made me start thinking about my relationship with X, and ….” without sharing what they said.<br />
<br />
<b>The oath reminds me that not everyone is interested.</b><br />
<br />
Big shiny new things to us are not of automatically interest to the rest of the world. One thing I found during parts of my training was that the oath helped remind me that not everyone is a good audience for the details and specifics. If they wanted to learn my tradition in detail, they could do that. If they weren’t choosing to, we could find something else to talk about. If I really wanted to talk very precise specifics, I went off and found someone in the tradition I could talk to.<br />
<br />
<b>The oath creates space to work through things.</b><br />
<br />
Much of work we do in initiatory practice is anything but easy. A lot of it asks us to take a good hard look at ourselves, to shape ourselves, our skills, our identities into something that becomes of greater service to the tradition, to the groups we work in, to the Gods (and we hope, to ourselves as well!)<br />
<br />
Having something be oathbound can help create space that encourages us to build skills that will serve us well: sitting with a difficult experience for a while or working through something ourselves rather than running to get someone else’s advice or falling into gossiping and venting that don’t lead to productive change. (I can be a champion venter given the chance, but I’d rather have that energy go somewhere useful in the long run.)<br />
<br />
Part of the oath commitment for elders is often being available to people who need to talk (within reason, and with respect to their other commitments): this is what helps prevent abuse in this area. I’ve done taken advantage of it in my time, and these days, I try to pay it forward by being there for others in the tradition (not just my group) who need an ear without stepping on the leadership of that other group.<br />
<br />
<b>The oath creates known boundaries within which self-transformation can occur.</b><br />
<br />
In many ways, the oath is like a ritual circle: it creates a controlled space with known limits, and allows the people within that space to make different choices within it than they might outside it that will then echo into other parts of their lives. Sometimes this has to do with trying on different skills or talents. Sometimes it has to do with practical security: whether one is out as Pagan (or witchy, or whatever) or not at work, with extended family, or in other settings.<br />
<br />
And within a group context (with people at different degree levels) it’s a reminder to give people space to grow at their own speed.<br />
<br />
People need time to think through, process, and make things their own. Sometimes, if you tell them something they’re not ready to take in, they won’t even hear it or remember hearing it (or reading it, or whatever.) But that’s not always true: sometimes sharing a particular piece of information shifts the ground underneath their feet, and changes all of their subsequent experiences with that experience or piece of information.<br />
<br />
One of the greatest gifts I can give students in the tradition, or those below me in degree, is to let them have their own experience, without biasing them about mine. (I can, and do talk about mine, of course, but I’m very careful about how and in what context.) The other part of this is that until they’ve made the commitments to leadership, they should get to spend as much of their time gleefully unaware of those bits of occasional drama and complication as they can. They can’t do that if I keep dragging it into their world. There’s time enough for their participating if/when they make those same commitments to leadership and support of the group and tradition. (Except for the most major cases, of course, that truly do need input from everyone.)<br />
<br />
<font size="+1">Why an oath?</font><br />
<br />
Why not a working agreement, or a set of guidelines, or something that doesn’t have the weight and power of an oath before the Gods? Certainly, many groups out there have guidelines about privacy, confidentiality, and common practice that don’t take on the complexity and binding of an oath.<br />
<br />
I think, however, in this case, an oath is totally appropriate.<br />
<br />
First, because it is about things core to people’s identities and well-being. What we do touches on all of people’s lives, potentially – work, identity, family, commitments, priorities, not because we force those changes, but because people grow towards some of them through their work in the tradition. That’s Big Important Stuff, and we should treat it that way.<br />
<br />
The second is that the oath goes multiple ways. When someone Dedicates, or Initiates in my tradition, there are commitments they make (to the group, to the Gods.) But there are also commitments others make to them. When I take on a student, and take part in their Dedication oath, I’m making certain fairly significant ties to them, for the duration of their Dedication. Should they initiate, some of those change and pass, and become different, but still deeply meaningful.<br />
<br />
And third, that some of what we do has the potential to do real damage if we get it wrong. Honestly, this is like a lot of life – getting in a car can go horribly wrong, getting in a relationship can lead to tremendous pain, all sorts of other complex choices we make can go wrong. But because of the very personal nature of initiatory growth and training, I think we’ve got extra incentives to make sure that we take every possible precaution that still allows for the desired change without causing any unncessary damage. Making sure that everyone is taking that as seriously as possible therefore strikes me as a good idea.<br />
<br />
<font size="+1">What I do:</font><br />
<br />
My tradition requires formal oaths at four points: Dedication, First Degree, Second Degree, and Third Degree. Dedication is involved by training leading to the First Degree. People may stop at any point along the way, though some stopping points are generally more stable than others. We require at least a year of working regularly with the group prior to First Degree initiation, as well as demonstrating a general level of skill and knowledge. (Second and Third are a bit more open-ended in some ways, but also have their own requirements.)<br />
<br />
The group I trained with (the founding group in the tradition) does a serious focused class before the First Degree initiation (and before anyone can actually request to be considered for initiation) which basically says “Here’s why we’re an initiatory tradition. Here’s different ways initiatory traditions can work. Here’s a whole bunch of stuff that turns up in various initiatory experiences. We’re not telling you which of these we do, but if you have any specific concerns, now would be the time to tell us if you’re considering initiating.”<br />
<br />
I like this approach a lot, because it gives people information that they might not otherwise have (particularly around practical concerns) without spoiling the experience for them. It’s the functional equivalent of saying “This stage performance involves strobe lights and smoke machines”, so that people who can’t deal with that can avoid that show, without spoiling the plot.<br />
<br />
I therefore plan to start (tomorrow!) with doing something similar, but with less detail, prior to Dedication, talking about what the expectations are, what the potential challenges are, what things they might want to know (so that if any of them are absolute no-go choices, we don’t mutually waste each other’s time.) I’m not expecting, in this case, that any of this will be a problem with my current student, but it’s nice to start as one means to continue with others.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-18557806027250233642010-05-29T01:56:00.002-05:002010-06-21T14:32:35.013-05:00Found Article: The Sacred PhallusI'm a member of a Pagan Yahoo! list, and this was recently posted by the author. I am reproducing it here with his permission. Enjoy.<br />
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THE SACRED PHALLUS . . .A BEGINNING.<br />
<br />
I offer these musings as a beginning, hopefully they will be discussed and enlarged upon by others in the days to come. My thoughts were guided to this subject by some curious coincidences in regard to this subject in letters from two friends on the difficulty of creating a truly meaningful men's mysteries ceremony and the skittishness of men when it came to discussing their sexuality during those men's mysteries. Then I was sent a particularly beautiful drawing of the Horned God image! My friends' perceptions and my observing of the Horned God image led to the thoughts I present for you consideration.<br />
<br />
If men are leery about discussing their feelings about their sexuality and sex in general, that hides in turn the more delicate subject of their feelings about the phallus. These feelings are part of the core of our concepts of manhood. The phallus in particular divides the boy from the man.<br />
<br />
It is not by accident that the first rite of passage into manhood, the first initiation, would come at the beginning of puberty. With it came new rules, new responsibilities and new privileges. Nor is it accidental that earliest images of the Horned God show him with a large erect phallus. His strength and potency were every bit as important as was the fertility of the Goddess. The phallus was a sacred symbol of the God, and sacred to manhood as well!<br />
<br />
For ancient man, virility was a matter of survival, not merely ego and pride. Lack of animals to hunt or lack of descendants meant the end of existence, hence death. Having descendants formed the basis of family, clan, and tribe, still later of kingdom, nation and empire. The number of descendants gave one power within the tribe, as the size of tribe might give it power over small tribes. The number determined how much could be gathered, hunted, and raised, thereby creating the basis of wealth and prosperity. It also determined how much safety and comfort one enjoyed if one lived to old age. Having descendants gave one a form of immortality through kin and remembrance.<br />
<br />
So the phallus, hence virility, became one measure of one's importance as a man. Regardless of how far we men think we have advanced beyond ancient man, the unmentioned phallus remains a core part of each man's feelings of pride, strength and pleasure.<br />
<br />
But if the phallus is a powerful symbol of the God and manhood, there is its uncomfortable aspect as well for man. Its power is a wild power that can strip a man of his wisdom and intelligence, lay waste to his defenses and control, drain him of strength and energy and leave him vulnerable to hurt and pain. Any inability in making use of it is perceived as a weakness that can put his very manhood in question and leave him fearful of his failure and being found out.<br />
<br />
It was this fear that was accented when priests of some of the patriarchal religions choose to emasculate the God and make the phallus and sex sinful. Suddenly the pleasure became shameful, something to be kept repressed and controlled. Every passion, any spontaneous emotion or action became evil and dangerous. The one that raised love and lust became a trap to resist, control and repress. Anything wild and free had to be repressed or destroyed, including women and nature. Everything had to be changed, or put into order by man, or made into a product before it could be deemed useful or valuable.<br />
<br />
The basic purpose of male mysteries is to initiate and empower men. The rules of life and magic are much the same, both have tests and lessons to be learned. If men can face that which they fear and are embarrassed by then they can be empowered, gaining strength and pride. Rather than face each new stage of manhood isolated and alone, each man could initiate and advise younger men into the stage he is leaving. All men are a mixture of bravery and cowardness, strength and weakness, wisdom and foolishness. Learning this from each other, we can get a more realistic view of manhood and its endless variety. Thus we could establish our brotherhood and become each other's bedrock and support. Then manhood could become less stressful and more enjoyable. The phallus would become just one of the many core issues we men could explore. This is just a beginning.<br />
<br />
Near the Summer<br />
Solstice 1996<br />
Christopher BlackwellHexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-34845907266450306422010-05-21T15:12:00.002-05:002010-05-21T15:12:49.997-05:00Phil the Fill-in PhilosopherI downloaded an app on my Pixi called Phil the Fill-in Philosopher. it's kinda like mad-libs in that it asks you for words, but you can opt to skip that and it generates the words, then puts them into nuggets of wisdom. Some of them end up nonsensical or humorous, but a few so far have been worth repeating and pondering...<br />
<br />
<I>"You know it will be a good day when a butterfly sits on the moon." <br />
<br />
"Love flows warmly around you." <br />
<br />
"If you decide to endure, you can do it." </i><br />
<br />
And my personal favorite:<br />
<br />
<i>"To further develop your self-awareness, surround yourself with metaphorical people." </i>Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-38968471044315601662010-05-09T00:48:00.002-05:002010-05-09T00:51:29.895-05:00Beliefs SurveyShamelessles taken from CricketSong at Lunar Wisdom.<br />
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<u>Basics</u><br />
<b><br />
Do you have a magickal name, If so what does it mean?</b><br />
Yes, although it is "new" and I haven't used it in ritual yet. It is Satya, and is Sanskrit and means, essentially, "truth or correctness." It is also a variation on Satia (pronounced as in inSATIAble), a Goddess related to others such as Abundia, Herodias, Diana, and Nichneven.<br />
<br />
<b>How did you find Wicca/Paganism?</b><br />
Raised with it by my parents since about the age of five. Began serious involvement at about 16.<br />
<br />
<b>How long have you been practicing?</b><br />
If you go by my "introduction" to it, about 23 years. From my serious interest, 12.<br />
<br />
<b>Solitary or group practitioner?</b><br />
Right now, essentially solitary (sometimes joined by mu husband), but I greatly prefer group practice.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your path?</b><br />
Trad-leaning/-seeking Outer Court style Hereditary Wiccan Witchcraft. Or just say Wicca, it's easier :P<br />
<br />
<b>Are you out of the broom closet?</b><br />
Mostly. At work, not so much, but I have had conversations with one co-worker in which I've admitted that I don't consider myself a Christian (a HUGE understatement there! lol).<br />
<br />
<b>Who is your patron God?</b><br />
Lugh may be emerging as such.<br />
<br />
<b>Who is your patron Goddess?</b><br />
I have two, An Mhor Rioghain and Blodeuwedd.<br />
<br />
<b>What Goddesses do you worship?</b><br />
I honor An Mhor Rioghain and Blodeuwedd, call Freyja in rituals with my husband, and call only aspects (as opposed to a specific name and face) in rituals I perform alone.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you fear dark aspects in Gods/Goddess, or rather respect them?</b><br />
No, i honor them in their time.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you worship the Christian God?</b><br />
Not by the name the Christians use.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you ever worship animals?</b><br />
I honor them.<br />
<br />
<b>Or plants?</b><br />
I repsect them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Nature</u><br />
<b>Do you regularly commune with nature?</b><br />
No, although I'm working on improving that.<br />
<br />
<b>Ever walked barefoot in the woods?</b><br />
No. My feet are wussies.<br />
<br />
<b>Taken a camping trip just to talk to nature?</b><br />
That wasn't the sole purpose, but it happened.<br />
<br />
<b>Describe the moment you felt closest to Mother Earth?</b><br />
Seeing the vegetables that came out of my husband's garden last year.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your power animal?</b><br />
My totem is Barn Owl, but I also feel affinities for lions, corvids, and scorpions.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you have a familiar?</b><br />
Not presently.<br />
<br />
<b>Have you ever called upon the powers of an animal in ritual?</b><br />
No.<br />
<br />
<b>Or a plant?</b><br />
No.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you hug trees?</b><br />
Upon occasion.<br />
<br />
<b>Give them gifts?</b><br />
I like to pour out my libations from ritual under a tree if I can.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your favorite flower to work with?</b><br />
N/A<br />
<br />
<b>What is your favorite tree to work with?</b><br />
N/A<br />
<br />
<u>Wheel of the Year</u><br />
<b>What is your favorite Sabbat?</b><br />
Samhain.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your least favorite Sabbat?</b><br />
Imbolc, only because it's the one I'm struggling to understand right now.<br />
<br />
<b>Have you ever held a ritual on a Sabbat?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Ever taken a day off work to celebrate a pagan holiday?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you celebrate Yule on the 21 rather than the 25?</b><br />
Yes, but we also celebrate Christmas with our non-Pagan family.<br />
<br />
<b>Have you ever felt the Veil thin on Samhain?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Ever danced the Maypole?</b><br />
Yes<br />
<br />
<b>Know what the Maypole symbolizes?</b><br />
Yep!<br />
<br />
<b>Ever made love on Beltane?</b><br />
YES!<br />
<br />
<b>Do you usually celebrate the pagan Sabbats?</b><br />
I try to at least acknowledge them, if not more.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Divination</u><b><br />
Do you use Tarot?</b><br />
Not as much as I'd like - I can't read for myself and no one seems to want a reading ever.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you use runes?</b><br />
I have.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you use a pendulum?</b><br />
See above<br />
<br />
<b>Do you use dowsing rods?</b><br />
Ditto.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you use astrology?</b><br />
Somewhat.<br />
<br />
<b>Any other form of divination?</b><br />
I have a home-made scrying mirror, and I want a black scrying ball.<br />
<br />
<u>Spells</u><br />
<b>What was the first spell you did?</b><br />
The first I remember was running around my parents' initiators' property, singing to the Sun to come out. It was a cloudy day, threatening to rain, and we were supposed to have an outdoor ritual.<br />
<br />
<b>What was the latest?</b><br />
I think it was probably some simple laying-on-of-hands type healing.<br />
<br />
<b>Ever done a love spell?</b><br />
No.<br />
<br />
<b>A job spell?</b><br />
No.<br />
<br />
<b>A healing spell?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>What was the most powerful spell you've ever performed?</b><br />
I was the subject of a spell before some surgery several years ago. The energy raised there was incredible.<br />
<br />
<b>What deities do you usually call on?</b><br />
For spells? Generally not Anyone in specific.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Cryptology</u><br />
<b>Do you believe in Vampires?</b><br />
Part of me very much wants to.<br />
<br />
<b>Werewolves?</b><br />
See above.<br />
<br />
<b>Shape-shifters?</b><br />
Ditto.<br />
<br />
<b>Elves?</b><br />
*shrug*<br />
<br />
<b>Faeries?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Dragons?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Nymphs?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Sprites?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Mermaids?</b><br />
Why not.<br />
<br />
<b>Sirens?</b><br />
Sure.<br />
<br />
<b>Satyrs?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Ever "seen" any of the above?</b><br />
I’ve seen Fae, yes.<br />
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<b>Ever talked to any of the above?</b><br />
I’ve asked the Fae to give back things they've taken, and to stop scaring me :P<br />
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<b>Ever used any of the above in magick?</b><br />
No.<br />
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<b>Do you have one of them as a personal guardian?</b><br />
No.<br />
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<u>Random</u><br />
<b>Do you see a rabbit, a man or a woman in the moon?</b><br />
Umm, I see the Moon?<br />
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<b>Own a cat?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
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<b>When you mediate what does your happy place look like?</b><br />
A meadow, can be day or night. During the day there's either a small hill in the center, or a huge oak tree. At night there's a large stone with a pool of water on top of it (going down into it as well) with a statue of the Goddess standing over it.<br />
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<b>Do you work with Chakras?</b><br />
No.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you believe in past lives?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you believe in soul mates?</b><br />
I believe that I have known and loved everyone I will ever meet in this life, in all my previous ones. However, it may have been in different capacities. Someone who is a casual acquaintance in this life may have been a lover or spouse in another, and my son could have been another family member, or simply a friend last time. Essentially, I believe all souls are re-absorbed into the Whole and then released in a slightly different way. So, pieces of the past will remain, and those pieces that were separated will again seek each other out.<br />
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<b>Do you have a spirit guide?</b><br />
Yes.<br />
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<b>Is it always love and light?</b><br />
No. Balance is key.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-58456691216637735352010-05-07T11:02:00.002-05:002010-05-07T11:04:10.711-05:00Paganesque PlaylistI've embedded a playlist into my Paganesque entry with nearly all the songs on it! For those that are missing, I've left the links up. <a href="http://hexeengel.blogspot.com/2010/03/pagan-music.html">Go check it out!</a>Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-45540599437442484992010-05-01T07:12:00.000-05:002010-05-01T07:12:21.420-05:00Joyous Beltane<center><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs541.snc3/29676_417707930819_764145819_5252439_1440356_n.jpg"><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs541.snc3/29676_417707930819_764145819_5252439_1440356_n.jpg" height="30%" width="30%"></a></center><br />
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The Maid waited anxiously in the Grove, knowing soon that Her Love would emerge from the trees. Although She knew exactly what was to happen this night, She was no less excited. To be reunited with the Lord She loves above all others after His death in the Fall, the cold lonely Winter, and the teasings of Spring, this first day of Summer was remarkable indeed.<br />
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When She at last heard the approaching footsteps, She dropped Her shift to the ground, Her pale skin radiant in the rising Moonlight. The Magick of the Full Moon sparked, sizzled, and cracked around Her as Her Love drew ever closer. Finally, after seemingly endless moments, a form silhouetted against the setting Sun at the edge of the trees.<br />
<br />
Her breath caught as He stepped forward, His beauty far greater than She remembered (as seemingly happened every year). She took in His defined, lean muscles, the grace in His stride, the passion in His eyes. The ends of His dark tousled hair barely brushed His shoulders, His budding antlers peeking through the mass above His forehead. His desire for Her was obvious as He continued His advance, and the Maid let loose a peal of joyous, inviting laughter.<br />
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Seeing Her, the young buck of a God broke into a run, His hunger now barely contained. Her silken hair fell in delicate waves to the middle of Her back, a fawn-colored waterfall from the crown of Her head. Her eyes glowed at Him even from a distance, and the rapid rise and fall of Her bosom only excited Him all the more. Within moments He was in arms’ reach of the Maid, and His hands nearly itched with the anticipation of caressing the soft, supple curves of Her body. A flittering déjà vu flickered in His mind, a faint memory of another tryst not unlike this one. He shook it from His thoughts though as He stopped, leaving little more than a hair’s breadth between Him and His Love.<br />
<br />
His panting breath was warm and bore the lush scent of the woods as it met the Maid’s face, His eyes flashing and His heart pounding from more than just the sprint. She remembered His face, of course, even though the last time She saw Him as Her Consort, He had been old and weathered. She knew that only His Divine Soul remembered Her, not His young conscious mind; He always lost His powers of recollection on His yearly sacred journey to the Underworld. She, however, is eternal, and so while Her age cycles as well, She never leaves as He does. The Dark of the Moon obscures Her face, and the Winter months take their toll, but She still remains. It didn’t matter though that the memory was gone from His mind, He still knew and understood His destiny, and tonight would be the first of many milestones as this Once and Future King traversed His path in this incarnation.<br />
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For a moment, both were still, each drinking in the naked form of the other. She drew Her breath, He licked His lips. She smiled, and He spoke;<br />
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“My Lady, will You come dance with Us?” His deep, gentle voice carried all the raw power and promise of fulfillment proven by years past, stretching back to the beginning of time. It shot sensuous lightning bolts through the Maid’s thighs, as this hallowed ritual exchange did each year.<br />
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“With joy, My Lord,” She answered, Her words chiming like silver bells, Her breath sweet and cool as honeyed wine. The God smiled, showing His white teeth, and grasped the Maid at Her waist, lifting Her and spinning about. He laughed full in His throat, a sound like the harmonious choir of the forest creatures. When He set Her on the ground again, She still smiled, and He held Her close to Him, His lust evident against Her bare hip.<br />
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Her eyes, bright with seduction, gazed up at Him through Her lashes, and She whispered, “My Lord, will You come love with Us?”<br />
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His blood boiling and His need spilling over, the God growled His answer, “With joy, My Lady.”<br />
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Before the final word left His lips, They had tumbled, limbs entangled, to the soft grass of the meadow.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-6370053975836908572010-04-28T10:21:00.000-05:002010-04-28T10:21:42.356-05:00Interconnecting the SabbatsWell then. Reader Request didn't really pan out. But it's not too late to ask me question or post topic suggestions!<br />
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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:<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
And also, the Spring and Fall seasons each carry variations on a common theme:<br />
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Imbolc - fertility as ideas/creativity<br />
Eostar - fertility as growth/momentum<br />
Beltane - fertility as physical/sex/conception<br />
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Lammas - harvest as bounty/reward for hard work<br />
Fall - harvest as consequences/emphasizing relationship between what is reaped from what was sown<br />
Samhain - harvest as death/endings<br />
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You can read more about these explorations of mine at my other blog, <a href="http://enaid-offeiriades.blogspot.com/">Priestess Spirit</a>.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-46790059342994522512010-04-15T09:41:00.000-05:002010-04-15T09:41:42.530-05:00Reader Request - Alecia: Reincarnation vs. Contacting the DeadThanks to Alecia for submitting my first Reader Request! Here was her question:<blockquote>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?</blockquote>I want to preface this by saying this is only my personal belief, YMMV :)<br />
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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.<br />
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Additionally, I believe a piece of each soul/spirit remains with the collective Divine with each passing. I'll quote <a href="http://hexeengel.blogspot.com/2009/11/death-and-apology.html">my "101" piece on the subject</a>:<blockquote>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.</blockquote>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Unrelated to the Request, I have a new blog, <a href="http://enaid-offeiriades.blogspot.com/">Priestess Spirit</a>. My readers here are welcome to follow that as well, if only just to prove my own fallibility.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-16703602410716116042010-04-14T09:18:00.001-05:002010-04-14T09:19:59.973-05:00Reader 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 :)<br />
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I do have one limitation request, however; <a name='more'></a>if you suspect or wonder if your question topic may be oathbound to any Tradition, please refrain from posting that specific question. I ask this for a few reasons...<br />
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1.) I am not an initiate of any Tradition, so therefore I would not know the answer for certain.<br />
2.) Even if I were an initiate, I could not, ethically and in good conscience, answer the question anyway.<br />
3.) I believe strongly in respecting the beliefs and oaths of others, so I make it a policy not to investigate topics that I suspect to be oathbound to others.<br />
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If such a topic should arise out of our own ignorance (and I don't mean that as a negative here, just in the sense that we didn't know), I will let the questioner know, and ask if they have another topic in mind. I thank you all for respecting my wishes, and what is sacred to others as well.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-27462703561770865282010-04-07T10:30:00.018-05:002010-04-14T09:41:23.839-05:00Fae, Aliens, Angels, and TeletubbiesWhat?!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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And P.S., it's OK if this is tl and you dr :P<br />
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This thought-train got moving when Hetshepsit warned me that, with my connection to and love for barn owls, I probably shouldn't see "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1220198/">The Fourth Kind</a>," because, in her words, "the aliens, in the movie, they take the form of barn owls and FREAKING GO IN YOUR ROOM TO FUCKING ABDUCT YOU. You will never look at owls in the same way if you see that movie." My first thoughts were, "DAMN THEM, I WANTED TO SEE THAT!" But as I pondered things more, I figure I could deal. See, my parents are of the opinion (from their own experiences as well as personal religious leanings) that aliens (especially the commonly seen "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_aliens">Greys</a>") and related phenomena are at least kin to the Fae, if not essentially the same thing. Coming from that standpoint, it makes a certain amount of sense that aliens would take on the form of barn owls (who are regarded as Otherworld messengers and communicators) to take people away.<br />
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Moving on from there, there are theories and beliefs that say that Witches are the children of the Fae and humans, which reminded me of the explanation from the gnostic/heretical Christian Book of Enoch:<blockquote><a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/boe009.htm">Chapter VI</a><br />
1. And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters.<br />
2. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' <br />
3. And Semjâzâ, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.'<br />
4. And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.'<br />
5. Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. <br />
6. And they were in all two hundred; who descended ⌈in the days⌉ of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.<br />
7. And these are the names of their leaders: Sêmîazâz, their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl, Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl, Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl.<br />
8. These are their chiefs of tens.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/boe010.htm">Chapter VII</a><br />
1. And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants.<br />
2. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells:<br />
3. Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them,<br />
4. the giants turned against them and devoured mankind.<br />
5. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood.<br />
6. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/boe011.htm">Chapter VIII</a><br />
1. And Azâzêl taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals 〈of the earth〉 and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures.<br />
2. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjâzâ taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, Armârôs the resolving of enchantments, Barâqîjâl, (taught) astrology, Kôkabêl the constellations, Ezêqêêl the knowledge of the clouds, 〈Araqiêl the signs of the earth, Shamsiêl the signs of the sun〉, and Sariêl the course of the moon. [...]</blockquote>I know that was long, but what it boils down to is that, according to Enoch, Witches are the children of angels and humans' "comely daughters." (It also illustrates why Sodom and Gomorrah were such a big to-do - it wasn't so much the gayness that was troubling, but the fact that there could be more Witches *gasp!*)<br />
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Teletubbies are only tangentially related here, but I have on decent authority that the show expresses a lot of British Faerie Lore. Here's my under-educated-on-this-particular-subject catalog of observations:<blockquote>~ They live in a hill surrounded by rabbits in "Teletubby Land" which is separate from ours. This is pretty obviously Faerie.<br />
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~ They dance and sing to make child in sun laugh. Sun God, anyone?<br />
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~ Round simple faces with big round eyes is another common Fae/alien description (similar to <a href="http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&q=dropas&ndsp=21&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw">Dropas</a> or the <a href="http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=princess+mononoke+tree+spirits&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=Gre8S9SgHY-_nge9scTOCA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CA8QsAQwAA">tree spirits</a> from "Princess Mononoke").<br />
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~ They communicate primarily with children, and I think most of us know that children are far more connected to the Otherealms than are adults.<br />
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~ They eat Tubby Custard and Tubby Toast, which is reminiscent of leaving out milk and pancakes for the Fae.<br />
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~ The Teletubbies' colors are green, yellow, red, and purple (but my five-year-old insists that it's dark blue). These are the colors commonly associated with the Elements. Plus, there are other color correspondences at work - Dipsy, the green one, is concerned with image and materialism, making him Earth. Tinky Winky, the blue/purple one, carries a bag, for carrying things (away), which places him in the West with Water. LaaLaa and Po, the yellow and red ones, are reversed from typical Wiccan/Pagan associations though; LaaLaa is a dancer, which makes her more Fiery (passion and expression), and Po rides a scooter which translates to travel and Air. However, the two male and two female Tubbies are also reversed, and there is some history of reversing correspondences to protect Mysteries in esoteric traditions, so I find these discrepancies acceptable.</blockquote><br />
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I know, this is long, and like I said, pretty disjointed, but it's stuff I wanted to get down.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-41023211821853610892010-04-06T01:51:00.002-05:002010-04-06T14:28:28.706-05:00New Layout<s>It's not perfect yet, but I need to get to bed :P Thoughts so far?</s><br /><br /><b>EDIT:</b> I think I'm done! Input?Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-38707918450927420892010-04-02T10:14:00.007-05:002010-04-02T12:56:26.770-05:00Maiden, Mother, CroneLast night <a href="http://online-grimoire.blogspot.com">Hetshepsit</a> and I got into a discussion about this particular Deity model. I'll start with a quote from her:<blockquote><i>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."</i></blockquote>My response was rather impassioned, but I've tweaked and added to it for your enjoyment and enlightenment.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />A Maiden is not necessarily a young, nubile, sexay thang (or, conversely, not necessarily a virgin either). It is someone who is youthful (different from “young”), independent, and sees the world as a place of possibility and opportunity. But, a Maiden can also be ignorant (as in still having things to learn, not stupid or bigoted), stubborn, headstrong, impulsive.<br /><br />"Mother" does NOT have to mean "preggers then babies." Someone could have fur babies. Or plant babies. Or idea/project babies. The point of Mother here is nurturing and creation, but also discipline and responsibility. It's a maturity level, not necessarily a familial-capacity descriptor. <br /><br />Similar deal for Crone, it's a level of wisdom and achievement, a certain degree of respect earned. Also a boldness and perhaps even bluntness... Eh, that word's not right, but basically being "old" enough not to be concerned with others' perceptions and more concerned with the truth one has learned in life; it's a Crone's job to pull away the veil between perception and truth, which is not always an easy or pleasant task.<br /><br />And lastly, the MMC model is most prevalent in eclectic Wicca (not making a judgment here, just a distinction), but what I'm told of Trad Wicca, it's just that, a model. It's a teaching tool but not the actual view/aspects/distinctions of the Goddess that is taught to initiates. And, there is an explanation as to why the MMC model has gained so much attention and prevalence, but that gets into a history lesson, and is really more appropriate for a seperate post. Which I may very well do in the near future. <br /><br />For an Outer Court (i.e., non-oathbound) description of the Goddess of the Wica, see <a href="http://www.tradwicca.org/gods.html">this page</a>.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-13182908411267696042010-03-20T01:16:00.002-05:002010-03-20T01:16:57.062-05:00Joyous Eostar<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><img src=http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs492.ash1/26875_404020645819_764145819_4922635_1066682_n.jpg>Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-23914411116448004192010-03-14T10:32:00.003-05:002010-03-14T10:35:09.210-05:00PoemThis a piece I wrote to commemorate Blodeuwedd coming into my life...<br /><br /><u>Blodeuwedd's Charge</u><br /><font size="-2">Copyright © 0ct. 2008 S.E.J.</font><br /><br />From realms beyond, Barn Owl soars;<br />To awaken the land, Great Lion roars;<br />Warrior Queen with Her army of Shades;<br />All stand with me to welcome the Maid.<br /><br />Under the Sun, high on a hill,<br />The wind dies down to a reverent still.<br />The Lady of Spring sparkles with dew,<br />Banishing old and welcoming new.<br /><br />Her visage composed of sweet flowers nine.<br />Clad in grey mist as Dawn is Her time.<br />Her skin like the Moon, glowing and white.<br />The wind lifts Her hair like pale firelight.<br /><br />Fixing Her gaze, She looks to my soul,<br />Drawing forth knowledge of Witch-child’s goal.<br />She knows the next step, what must be done,<br />The task is set forth for what’s yet to come.<br /><br />She pushes my body deep in the ground,<br />Still from my throat comes not a sound.<br />Swallowed by terra, alone in the dark.<br />Conquer this trial and receive the Art.<blockquote>As I try to find my way,<br /> From above I hear Her say,<br /> “Out of the Earth,<br /> Climb to your birth!<br /> Out of the Earth,<br /> Climb to your birth!”</blockquote>Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-59739842589539517932010-03-05T08:01:00.014-06:002010-05-07T11:03:41.131-05:00Pagan MusicI've yet to meet a Pagan who doesn't like music, and I'm sure there are times when most of us look specifically for Pagan music. There are a few "old standards" that come up when someone asks after Pagan music, Emerald Rose, Wendy Rule, Gaia Consort. I myself like stuff that's a little "harder" and "darker," some of my favorites being Within Temptation, Inkubus Sukkubus, and my new discovery, Faith and the Muse.<br />
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However, I also sometimes find Pagan-like messages and themes in the works of those who are not (publically) Pagan. I call these songs "Paganesque," and my current list can be found past the cut below. (Now with a playlist!)<br />
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<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNzMyNDcxMDMzNTUmcHQ9MTI3MzI*NzExMTgzMSZwPTY5NDMwMSZkPSZnPTEmbz*zNWJlNGM*MGFkYjc*ZTk4OThi/MWE5NDU2ZDIzOGU2NiZvZj*w.gif" /><div style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; visibility:visible; margin-right: auto; width:450px;"><object width="435" height="270"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.musiclist.us/mc/mp3player_new.swf"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="flashvars" value="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_red_shuffle.xml&mywidth=435&myheight=270&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiclist.us%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D77478774%26t%3D1273247112&wid=os"></param><embed style="width:435px; visibility:visible; height:270px;" allowScriptAccess="never" src="http://www.musiclist.us/mc/mp3player_new.swf" flashvars="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_red_shuffle.xml&mywidth=435&myheight=270&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musiclist.us%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D77478774%26t%3D1273247112&wid=os" width="435" height="270" name="mp3player" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" border="0"/> </object> <br />
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<i>(Click the song titles to view the YouTube video.) </i><br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Sabbats:</span><br />
<u>Samhain</u> - "You Can Still Be Free" - Savage Garden<br />
<u>Yule</u> - "Here Comes the Sun" - The Beatles<br />
<u>Imbolc</u> - "Waiting for the Sun" - The Doors<br />
<u>Beltane</u> - "Tonight is What it Means to be Young" - Fire, Inc./Jim Steinman/"Streets of Fire" movie soundtrack<br />
<u>Midsummer</u> - "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lESVxVugnHk">Voodoo</a>" - Rusted Root<br />
<u>Fall</u> - "World Coming Down" - Type O Negative<br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Goddess:</span><br />
"Gold Dust Woman," "Rhiannon," and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dUMLNSaPk8">Three Birds of Rhiannon</a>" - Fleetwood Mac<br />
"Mysterious Ways" - U2<br />
"Holly Holy" - Neil Diamond<br />
"The Voice" - "Celtic Woman" group (sung by Lisa Kelly w/Mairead Nesbitt on fiddle)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">God:</span><br />
"My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison (solo)<br />
"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-LsdbHlQf4">Soolaimon/Brother Love</a>" medley (Hot August Night live concert recording) - Neil Diamond (I could only find "Soolaimon" for the play list, so the medley stays up)<br />
"Green Man" - Type O Negative<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Ritual Experience:</span><br />
"Sisters of the Moon" - Fleetwood Mac<br />
"Carry On Dancing" - Savage Garden<br />
"Edge of Heaven" - Ace of Base<br />
"Dancin' in the Moonlight" - King Harvest<br />
"Tango in the Night" - Fleetwood Mac<br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Other:</span><br />
"Into the West" - Annie Lennox/"LotR:RotK" movie soundtrack<br />
"American Witch" and "Lords of Salem" - Rob Zombie<br />
"Like a Prayer" - Madonna<br />
"Rocky Mountain High" - John Denver<br />
"Like a Stone" and "I am the Highway" - Audioslave<br />
"Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zeppelin<br />
"The Christians and the Pagans" - Dar Williams<br />
"Divine" - t.A.T.u.<br />
"Don't Pay the Ferryman" - Chris de Burgh<br />
"Medusa and Hemlock" and "British Fire" - Cradle of FilthHexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-12696771439080237172010-03-04T12:55:00.004-06:002010-03-04T13:04:57.179-06:00Bella Strega AradiaFound out something interesting recently; "ara" in Italian means altar, and "dia" is the feminine form of "dio," which means god, so dia = goddess. So, in essence, "Aradia" means "altar to the Goddess." The specific Goddess, in this case, presumably being Diana, Aradia's mother. Hmm......<br /><br />Also, as folks may or may not be aware, Italian Witchcraft has a long history of familial intermarriage - this is because it was believed that Witchcraft was carried in the blood, and so to keep the magick strong, Italian Witches would often marry and reproduce with relatives. I figured out today that this must stem from Aradia's parents, Diana and Lucifer, being siblings and giving the world Aradia, who taught Witchcraft to the Italian people.<br /><br />Behind the cut are the lyrics to two songs by the British Pagan Goth band <a href="www.inkubussukkubus.com">Inkubus Sukkubus</a>. One is called "Aradia," posted here for obvious reasons, and the second is "Lord of the Flame," just because.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><i>(*Note: all "misspellings" of witch(es) as "wytch(es)" are Inkubus Sukkubus' preferred spellings) </i><br /><br />"Aradia"<br /><br />Mother Diana, Queen of Wytches<br />Stars in the Heaven obey your calling<br />Mother Diana, temptress, sorceress<br />Spinning your magick above the earth<br />Bore ye Aradia, daughter of incest<br />Wytch child of Lucifer, teacher divine<br /><br />Lucifer, Diana, strega Aradia<br />La Vecchia Religione<br />Lucifer, Diana, strega Aradia<br />Spinning your magick above the earth<br /><br />Stregoni, stregoni sulla terra<br />Bella strega Aradia<br /><br /><i>(*Note: this song is very chant-like, and at times all parts are layered together. The Italian translates roughly as follows:<br />"Lucifer, Diana, witch Aradia<br />The Old Religion"<br />and<br />"Witches, witches on (or "of?") the Earth<br />Beautiful (or good) witch Aradia") </i><br /><br /><hr><br /><br />"Lord of the Flame"<br /><br />He is coming through dust, sea and sand<br />And he is coming from the Ancient Lands<br />Angel of Light, and Lord of the Sacred Flame<br />A liberator to free you from your shame<br /><br />Ride out and set the slaves all free<br />Fill our souls with your love and with your ecstasy<br /><br />He is Osiris, and he is also Pan<br />And he is god, but he is also man<br />He has come from Heaven and of Earth<br />A god of lust, of music and of mirth<br /><br />Ride out and set the slaves all free<br />Fill our souls with your love and with your ecstasy<br />Break the chains of the last two thousand years<br />save us from pain, save us from fear<br /><br />Oh great Horned God, we have not forgotten you<br />Oh great Horned God, we have not forsaken you<br />Oh great Horned God, we have not denied you<br />Oh great Horned God, we have not defied youHexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-87648715958163574442010-03-02T08:29:00.004-06:002010-03-02T08:44:10.458-06:00Native MeditationIs it wrong for me to want to assist my roommate with meditation? She recently received a CD of Native American instrumental/meditation music, and is considering buying <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/089281456X/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&v=glance">Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards</a>. She is herself part Native, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oglala_Sioux">Oglala Lakota-Sioux</a> to be more precise, so I guess that's why I hesitate; I'm not native, and I don't want to feel/appear to be getting into all that nasty <a href="http://puffin.creighton.edu/Lakota/war.html">cultural appropriation</a> business. Thoughts?Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-75049647024775090382010-02-27T23:44:00.005-06:002010-02-27T23:49:43.379-06:00TranspositionSo yeah, I apparently suck at this posting thing now :( <i>Mea culpa.</i><br /><br />But, in supplication, I bring you something very funny:<blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hexeengel says:</span><br /> OMG i am SO GLAD that gods love you no matter what - i COMPLETELY FORGOT that they were locked in their kennel like ALL DAY :( :( :( poor puppies!!!<br /> er<br /> dogs<br /> LMAO<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://online-grimoire.blogspot.com/">Hetshepsit</a> says:</span><br /> lol<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hexeengel says:</span><br /> TYPO FAIL<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://online-grimoire.blogspot.com/">Hetshepsit</a> says:</span><br /> Oh you :P<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hexeengel says:</span><br /> because, yeah, if GODS were locked in a kennel all day, i don't think They'd love you anymore</blockquote>...Yeah.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573272347588297192.post-62880878177137245482010-02-02T02:34:00.003-06:002010-02-02T02:38:04.106-06:00Joyous ImbolcLyrics from "Waiting for the Sun" by The Doors.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/imbolccard.png"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/gypsy_meryre/imbolccard.png" width="25%' height="25%"></a><br /><br />Click to enlarge.Hexeengelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15403229769483847858noreply@blogger.com0