Transposition

So yeah, I apparently suck at this posting thing now :( Mea culpa.

But, in supplication, I bring you something very funny:

Hexeengel says:
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!!!
er
dogs
LMAO

Hetshepsit says:
lol

Hexeengel says:
TYPO FAIL

Hetshepsit says:
Oh you :P

Hexeengel says:
because, yeah, if GODS were locked in a kennel all day, i don't think They'd love you anymore

...Yeah.

Joyous Imbolc

Lyrics from "Waiting for the Sun" by The Doors.

Dates and Times

Long time no post, I know. Thought I'd pop in for a quick minute to post the 2010 New and Full Moons, and Solstice and Equinox dates, courtesy of the LunaBar tool. Any times listed are, I believe, GMT. Plus, here's an article about what a Blue Moon truly is.

Tarot Influence?

For my birthday this past November, I bought myself the Sensual Wicca Tarot deck. As is my practice before working with a new deck, I slept with it under my pillow for three nights to infuse it with the "purest" possible form of my personal energy.

In this case, I think it was a reciprocal thing.

Seeker's Perspective

Wow, long time no post.

Anyway, happy 2010.

Like my last piece, this is one that concerns the Gardnerian Tradition, but obviously from the outside looking in. This is my personal overview of what I know of the Trad.

Let me begin by explaining a concept that will be mentioned throughout this piece, what I refer to as “the Mysteries.” For me, there are two kinds of Mysteries, Greater and Lesser. The Greater Mysteries are open and available to anyone willing to seek them out. Call it God, call it Nirvana, call it Enlightenment, call it complete understanding, it is that ultimate place that I believe all religions, spiritualities, and disciplines of science are attempting to achieve, comprehend, and explain. These Mysteries are for everyone to seek in whatever way best suits them. The Lesser Mysteries then are those religions, spiritualities, and disciplines; they are the paths to that shared destination. However, if these Lesser Mysteries were readily available to everyone, they would no longer be Mysteries. The Greater Mysteries are Mysteries precisely because we have not reached them, they remain unknown to virtually all of us. Lesser Mysteries are Mysteries to the uninitiated or uneducated. This is why working in the sciences requires much formal schooling and training. This is why oathbound paths exist. Hence, Gardnerian Wicca is comprised of such Lesser Mysteries.

Gender, Possible New Series

I may be studying Tarot with a friend soon. It'll be informal and probably sporadic, but we both want to get better at reading, so we're attempting to set something up.

But, now on to the first of the "Beyond" part of this blog, a piece I wrote about gender polarity/equality issues in Trad Craft, as seen, of course, from the outside:

There exists the notion that male-to-female initiations and workings in Gardnerianism indicate a (repressive) hetero-dominant system, and that the Tradition itself is also highly misogynistic. These accusations are, in a word, ludicrous. In his book, Witchcraft Today, author Gerald B. Gardner easily counters and dispels both of them, albeit proactively.

When the Gods close a window...

So, the ritual matters post marked the end of my 101 lessons. Does anyone have any questions or suggestions on the series as a whole? Is anything lacking or missing? Is anything unclear or confusing?

Starting with the next entry, I'll start posting some more "advanced" topics, some of them the subject of controversy and debate in the Wiccan and Pagan communities. This is where the "beyond" part comes in folks, hold tight!

Link Dump

A few sites I enjoy/employ...

Esoterica Bichaunt - Witchcraft persecution during the Inquisition

Lunarium - "Discover the Mysteries of the Moon"

Infra-Azure Labs - Home of the LunaBar tool

Pagan Calendar - Every holiday and other Pagan/Heathen event one may care to know about

Archaeoastronomy Countdowns - Pinpoints the Sabbats and provides a dynamic countdown based on your computer's internal clock, plus this

To be expanded upon without warning.

Ritual Matters

Ritual Purpose, Etiquette and Progression

Purpose

The reason for performing ritual usually falls under three categories:
- to perform Magick or spellwork
- to honor and connect with the Divine
- to enact spiritual beliefs in a physical and visual way

What's in a Name? A rose by any other name...

Names and Naming Yourself

What and Why
A common practice of many Pagans is to choose a name to go by specifically within ritual. These can be called Magickal names, Circle names (as many Pagan rituals are held within an energy circle), Witch names, Craft names, or ritual names, depending on who you talk to (I personally use "Circle names" most of the time). Some choose to keep the name their parents gave them, but others feel that their legal name doesn't reflect who they truly are or who they are or wish to be within the confines of sacred space, since they did not select the name themselves and/or were given it before finding their Pagan identity. There are some paths wherein a teacher chooses the names for their students at one time or another, but to be so bold as to make a blanket statement about the Pagan community at large, the majority of teachers are more than accepting of one's personal choice of name.