Pagan

There are 41 posts tagged Pagan (this is page 1 of 7).

At The End of the Day I Sometimes Wonder Who Decided…

The idea that there are different kinds of Witches, Wiccans, Pagans, is not new. But, I don’t think there should be an all inclusive, exclude nothing approach to being a Witch, or really, anything. If nothing is excluded then what makes one person or group, different from any other person or group. In order to be something, you have to actually be something.

I exclude Ouija boards from my idea of a Witch. I’ve seen some people who try calling them “witch boards”. They are not Witch boards. In my opinion they are an occult thing and a lot of occult things don’t seem very Witch-like (or safe) to me. I don’t believe in hell, satan, devils, etc. I do believe there are bad people, evil deeds. These are all real things people have created. Like the idea of hell and so on. How do you scare people into obeying your rules, make them afraid not to. Give them terrifying consequences.

What is a Modern Witch?

You can go through a shopping list and throw endless things into your cart, deciding what a modern Witch is. It would be easier to decide what to exclude. Sort of easier, not as easy in these days of mass inclusion. Well Witches, dare to step on someone’s toes and make a decision about what a Witch is and what a Witch is not.

The Wiccan Rede is a good place to start. Harm none, in essence. People add in contingencies and excuses and justify everything in order to suit themselves. But, the Wiccan Rede is not about making yourself comfortable. It sets a standard. It’s an almost impossible standard but it gives you a direction to head for. Don’t be too quick to slide off the path. Think about your actions and don’t harm others.

I want to be honest, an honest person. With more than 50 years of experience I can say that honesty does make life easier. Not always, but overall. Plus, honesty isn’t all black and white. You can be honest without hurting someone’s feelings, or making promises you don’t want to keep. In the second case, don’t back down and make a promise or a commitment you don’t want to keep. Be firm and politely decline, even if they whine.

I exclude things I don’t believe in. That sounds simple but it’s taken me many years to decide not to believe in some things. It’s like a child believing in Santa Claus because they want to so much. I believe in the Christmas spirit. Santa Claus is a face for the Christmas spirit. People like having a face to look at. Something recognizable and human looking. But, it took me awhile to decide to believe in that Christmas spirit versus the marketing and religious versions of Christmas. I don’t see the point in being a Grinch during the holidays and pulling others down. Let people be happy when they can.

Deciding who you are, making decisions about what you will and will not believe are lifelong tasks for a modern Witch. As new ideas come along a Witch can’t sit back in the dark and ignore them. Guide yourself through modern life, making decisions based on harm none, but without being a doormat.

At the end of the day, I sometimes wonder who decided…

Who decided the pentacle was “the” symbol of Witches? I can read about why it is, but I wonder who decided to start it and keep it. As a modern Witch, is that something you want to keep, or is there something new you might be the very person to start up?

Make Your Own Mobile Travel Witch Altar

With some planning, creativity and ingenuity, you can make an altar to take with you, carry it in your pocket, backpack, luggage, carry on bag, or purse. The size will depend on the container you can find to hold everything in. From there just keep thinking small.

I would like a special container, a small metal box I think. I could see the metal box as my element for Fire. So that serves a double duty without adding a thing inside the box.

What do you really need for your altar?

Make a list and whittle it down. Literally and figuratively. Decide what you need and what you can do without, for a day or two, or when you’re not at home. What can you scale down, bring less of, or find a smaller alternative?

For me, I would always have to bring at least one small rock, pebble. The Earth element is easy that way.

A sealed container can hold a little water. Another can hold air, nothing but air. If your water leaks, test it before packing it up, you could keep a second empty container to fill with a little water later. Air and water are not hard to find, even on the road.

Wrap everything in a soft cloth, which can double as an altar cloth, to keep it from jiggling, making noise, or breaking when they are in your pocket.

Get a little creative for other tools you want to have in your little box. Add a leftover (or new) birthday cake candle, or four. Use a penny as a weight, melt a dab of wax from your candle to stick it to the penny so they are less likely to tip over. You may already have a small pentacle, a necklace, for instance. Substitute for tools you can’t fit in the box. Get more than one use out of fast food containers, for example.

Pick up things along your journey: seashells, flowers, a stone, a button, a pack of matches, a postcard or other souvenir. These can be great additions to a mobile altar. They can be temporary and are no problem to recycle.

Don’t forget some salt, or whatever you choose, when you close circles, and end rituals.

Go through and use your mobile kit once at home so you don’t realize you missed something once you are using it somewhere else.

I found kits online, but as you can see from these, it really isn’t a stretch to make your own. Something personal will have much more personality and meaning for you. Buying one made by someone else just isn’t as much fun. Think of it as a challenge, see how miniature you can go.

A Pocket Travel Altar – from Etsy shop – The Whimsical Pixie11

Another, called a Witch Kit Box – Etsy shop – The Ridgeville Witch

Pagan, with a Capital P

Some people don’t even give Pagan, Wicca or Witch/ Witchcraft a capital letter any more. This bothers me.

Pagan is a title, a proper name for something, a title. When using English (the language is also title) we should capitalize the first letter of a word that is a title.

I know English language standards have slipped into non-importance for some people. But, I see this lack of capital letter from people who do make an effort at writing well and keeping the standards for communication in English with all the right punctuation, grammar and spelling. Sure, we all make mistakes. But, not putting a capital letter on a title is not like a spelling mistake or a typo you only make once and don’t happen to catch. It looks deliberate.

Has Pagan lost it’s place, it’s importance?

A Better Reply to Those Who Fear Paganism

We are always changing, evolving. Not only do we change ourselves as we get older and value things differently. But, we change our minds as new ideas come in and merge with our existing ideas. Six years ago (on this same day) I wrote a short reply I could give to anyone who felt afraid, distrustful, of Paganism.

“What makes your path better? You offer nothing but threats of harm and accuse me of sinning.”

I wouldn’t write or say that now. I’ve changed and I see things differently. I’m not so eager to change other people or push them to understand or accept anything.

I’d like to know why people fear Paganism, Witches, Wicca, etc? It matters less to me that anyone does fear it than to know and understand their reasons.

Most likely it is still about misunderstanding, a lack of knowledge, and prejudice from other sources who also don’t know or understand. But, that’s how things are. People have to choose something else and they aren’t likely to. It is easier to stay the same and go with the flow of popular opinion than poke your head up and take a chance on forming your own (different) opinion.

As a generic thing to say, to someone who fears Paganism, I would say: “It’s about nature, more than religion.”

I don’t think that will help them understand if they don’t really want to understand. But, its a simple statement, not aggressive or threatening. It doesn’t challenge their beliefs or ask them to change, or think too hard. I wouldn’t offer to explain more and I wouldn’t even want to convert them to anything.

If people ask for more information I could tell them about my feelings and thoughts. But, nothing too personal. Each person needs to figure life out for themselves. It’s not for me to teach or preach to anyone. Especially to people who probably don’t want to hear or listen. But, I have learned that people are more likely to stop and listen to a whisper, than a lot of loud yelling.

Consider that next time you talk to a non-believer.

 

What do you Think About Sea Magick?

I found this link a few years ago and left it to explore for later. I’m glad the site is still up. It’s always sad to find things gone.

The Book of Tides, is a resource site for sea magick. Site started in 1995 by Minnie, “resident Sea Witch and mermaid-in-disguise”.

I have taken information and some quotes from the site and added my thoughts along the way. As Minnie herself says, I like to have things written down. So much easier to look at the information again than to hope I remember it. We do forget things and ideas meld and merge into something different. Not always a bad thing, but it is good to have the original to refer to.

I have read more about fire, and fire magick, than water magick. I do love the ocean though.

There is something about standing on the edge of a huge body of water (more often Lake Ontario, or the other Great Lakes, for me) and knowing there is depth there and layers of water covering over a world with creatures and life of its own, not seen by those who live on the land. Being on the lake, or the ocean, is an experience everyone should have at least once. Like flying. Being in the air or in/ on the water is something you can do. I highly do not recommend experiencing fire in the same way.

I have been to both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, here in Canada. For some reason the Pacific appeals to me more than the Atlantic. It might just the the different feelings about the provinces here in Canada. British Columbia, on the Pacific is thought of as wild, free and artsy. The Atlantic is about fishing and struggle. So far I have only been to the Atlantic side once and about half a dozen visits to the Pacific side.

In actuality, there is but one World Ocean. Without it, life as we know it would not exist on this planet. All life on this planet began in the sea, and each person carries within ourselves our own sea of blood as salt water runs through our veins. This internal sea establishes a connection between all beings through our origins in the sea. We are all affected by it, just as we affect it in turn.

Source: The Book of Tides

Do you need to live near the ocean, the sea, or large body of water?

Minnie says you don’t need to live near the sea and can use almost any form of water with salt added . At some point, without access to the sea or the ocean, wouldn’t this just become water magick?

I love the idea of sea magick but it does seem a bit sad to think any water and some table salt would do. You can create some form of salted water but I feel it would be the difference between something created by nature versus something man/human made.

Like using a plastic bottle instead of glass. The glass is just different, it feels different and looks different and reacts differently to the elements. I really feel a glass bottle, or the real sea/ocean is so much more than a plastic bottle, or water from the tap or hose.

Instead of making do with tap water make a point to visit the ocean or a sea and bring along a large container, collect your own sea water and use it sparingly until you can make another trip out to get real sea water. Don’t sell yourself short. I do agree with working with what you have, as she writes next, but tap water isn’t sea water. Table salt isn’t natural salt from the sea either. If you are serious about this don’t settle for less.

I would like to live on the ocean. Unless I moved I think I would have to consider myself a lake witch at this point. Maybe a combination of sea magick and forest magick? Lake Ontario is great for beach coming and we do have some seafaring lore.

Sea magick is associated with seafaring, beach combing, moon lore, the tides, and weather.

Minnie says it can be a dark or grey area of magick. This is something I believe for most magick. Anything claiming to be all light (or all dark) doesn’t sound believable. Almost nothing is that simple and uncomplicated.

She says it is for solitary witches, those who like the isolation, which suits me very well. But, like any tradition of Pagan or Witch, people can choose how they want to practice when it comes to being alone or finding a group. I do prefer not dealing with a group, but that doesn’t mean it is the best, or better, way. It’s just personal.

Also, I wonder why the sun is not included. Why only moon lore? Possibly to do with navigation by stars at night. But, you certainly feel the sun on the ocean, even on a lake.

Types of sea magick: Beach, Moon, and Weather magick.

Symbolism of the Sea – Quoted from What is a Sea Witch?

Gems: pearls, moonstones, aquamarines, clear quartz, shells, beryls, emeralds, coral
Metal: silver
Colours: white, blue, black, emerald green
Symbols: moon, spiral, wave, crescent, cloud, lightning bolt
Tools: mirror, cauldron, cup, broom, comb and mirror, mop and bucket
Herbs and foods: fish and shellfish, seaweeds such as kelp and nori, sea salt, bouillabaisse, watermelon, grapes, coconut, cantaloupe, champagne, honeydew melon, rosemary, parsley, chamomile, watercress, spearmint, basil, white rum

Minnie also writes about sea glass, which are glass or pottery pieces tumbled into stones by the ocean (lake, etc.). You can find these while beach combing. I have heard of a beach, it may have been in California, which is a rainbow of colours in sea glass.

She has very good information about beach combing and seashells. But, if you really want to know more about sea magick read the page which has information about the alter and tools she she uses. If you have read this and want to know more, I’d start there.