Are You Sure You’re Pagan?

Is your Faith Misplaced?

One thing I seldom see in Pagan writing are posts about world news and current events from a Pagan perspective. (Unless the events actually relate directly to religion/ Paganism).

I also don’t see people talking about taking comfort in Paganism or Wicca or Witchcraft the way some other religions do. Is our religion a fair weather friend? Something we take out when we intend to, or want to, but other times it’s just not there.

These are the things I’ve been thinking about lately.

When you have a personal tragedy, do you turn to your Pagan beliefs for comfort?

I’ve seen people talk on and on about what they believe, defend it, teach it and promote it. But, is it still so personal to you that you could turn to your beliefs when you really do need something to believe in – not for a cause but for your own heart? You might perform a ritual because it’s the thing to do. But, is your heart really in it? Is this giving you real comfort? Or are you just doing what’s expected of you as a Pagan/ Wiccan/ Witch?

When did you last think of something in the news from a Pagan perspective? I don’t mean news about anything religious. When did you hear the news from the perspective of being Pagan and think to write about how this made you feel, as a Pagan?

Not all news is relevant to being a Pagan, yet, if you are a Pagan shouldn’t you see the news from the perspective of your beliefs rather than adding them in later?

Do you wear Pagan jewelry, collect Pagan tools and magical items? Does each one have real meaning to you or are they just part of your collection? Do you wear black because that’s what Witches do or because you actually like wearing black?

When you ‘Go Green’, do you stop and think about how you are helping the Earth or do you just recycle because that’s the right/ popular thing to do?

If you work with spells are you really taking into account “Harm’s none”? Or do you just like creating a spell because it makes you Pagan and special. Are you a Witch because spellcraft makes you feel special and important?

When someone talks about Pagans in a negative way do you need to spring up and rush to counter them? Why? It’s not for us to convert anyone and you are more likely to change their mind from your actions, not your words.

Do your Pagan beliefs reach right down to your soul? Are you satisfied with what you believe will happen when you die? Not about being gone and death itself, few would be satisfied to leave life. But, do you get comfort from the beliefs you have about what happens to your soul after your body dies?

Is being Pagan a fair weather friend for you or is it in everything you do and feel and believe? There’s no rule that says it has to be. Being Pagan is about making your own choices and decisions, finding your own values and ideals. Have you taken that to heart or are you following the popular path without really accepting it on that deep, personal level?

After reading this are you going to leave me a comment to prove how Pagan, Wiccan or Witch you are? Are you already listing your Pagan credentials, ready to type them all out? Stop and think about why you need to prove how Pagan you are.

Could you be Pagan and not tell anyone, ever? Could you be Pagan and not need to prove it to anyone?

Being Pagan, Wiccan or a Witch is a choice of religion, spirituality, beliefs and faith. Do you have faith in your choice?

Have you looked at enough of the other options? There are endless choices inside of Paganism itself. Find the one that really speaks to you, the one that reaches your heart and soul, the one you want to live and grow with. Don’t settle too easily for what looks shiny and new or popular.

Interesting Groups Found on GoodReads

Dystopias and Social Critiques

The Alternative World

Apocalypse Whenever

Hard SF– Where the reality of the science counts.

Urban Fantasy

Cozy Mysteries

Dragon and Magic Lovers – For those who like books that include dragons.

Wicca and Witchcraft – Discussing Paganism and books about Wicca and Witchcraft.

Witches Brew – Books with Witches in them.

Do you use GoodReads? I joined awhile ago but haven’t done much with, just too many social sites to keep up with. I took another look at it today and will set up the widget and see if I can login at least as often as I start a new book.

Write a Witchy Spell

First of all, this is a writing exercise, something to try in order to start your flow of words. Although you can write a Witch spell, you should not believe writing and then saying the words will make things happen as you want them to. Real magic comes from inside of yourself. I think using a spell (especially one you have written yourself, one you have put your heart into and given time to consider each word) can bring about your own magic through focusing you fully on what it is you want.

Having said that… write a Witchy spell. Think about what you want from the spell: love, hope, fame, fortune, a new car? Begin by calling on some outer force like the four directions, the elements, the moon, your Grandmothers. Pick something that suits you. Then write the words to say what you are asking for and give some information about the who, what, when, where, why and how. Keep it light, just have fun. Give it rhymes, rhythm and a pattern in the words themselves. Speak them aloud to see how it all sounds. Change anything that feels in the way. Have fun with it.

Whispers to the wind

Shouting into the fire

As I call out my ire

Dancing over the dirt

Walking in the puddle

As I feel in a muddle

Clear my thoughts

Help me to see

Me as I want to be.

How does mine sound?

How to Make a List of Your Interests

I don’t think you can make a real list of all the interesting things you like (whether you participate or observe them) in just a few minutes. There are so many elements to ourselves, so many things we have caught in passing and so much flashing through our minds at any given time. But, if we were to just make a slow and building list, I bet you would surprise yourself with how many interesting, kitschy and/ or unique things you have taken an interest in.

Start a list, keep it pinned to a bulletin board, the fridge or anyplace where you can easily jot down another topic/ activity/ hobby as it comes to your mind. Don’t consider it a complete list until it has been quite awhile since anything new has occurred to you. You will see how interesting you really are!

Here is the start of my own list, by no means is this complete. I’m mostly looking for little things that I have almost forgotten myself. But some of the bigger things have to get out of the way (onto the list and out of my head) so I can move beyond them and find the little things.

ASCII art
old fashioned clothes
making Christmas decorations
Christmas baking
drawing cartoons/ comics
reading fantasy stories
drawing fantasy creatures
dragons
reading science fiction
Carmageddon (a car demolition racing game).
Empire and city building computer games
writing erotica
daydreaming
road trips
train travel
rocks, stones, pebbles
rural exploration
urban exploration
sewing, even mending and hemming
embroidery
crochet
paranormal romances/ chick lit
drawing for Christmas and Halloween
old buildings and architecture
astrology, mostly for online dating purposes
web design and development, as an amateur/ hobbyist
blogging, online writing and web publishing
the possibility of time travel
wildflowers and native plants
Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism
old traditions
pioneer and old ways of living
pixel art
car art
Renaissance Faires, though I have yet to attend one
the supernatural, occult, paranormal – though some of it really spooks me.
herbs and cactus plants
end of the world/ civilization scenarois, mostly survival and building things back up
doll making
beading, have done only a little
papercraft like folding and cutting out images to make art
podcasting
writing a paranormal chick lit book
writing a syndicated newspaper column
zine publishing
linguistics/ words
digital scrapbooking
digital photography
collage
mail art
role playing games – RPGs
illustration/ graphic arts
copywriting/ copy editing
fashion design
interior design, furniture
recycling and refurbishing furniture, clothes, etc
green living
history
web usability
haiku poetry
backpacking travel
skating
nature crafts

Where the Wild Things Are: The Whole Circle

The magic circle, sounds so mystical… But it’s like many things in Witchcraft, it’s adaptable to your own style, your whims and personal needs of the moment.

Witch/ Wiccan rituals take place in a circle. Not always, it’s not written in stone with blood or anything really dramatic. But, it does make things tidy in it’s own way. You draw in power and you keep it to yourself, out of the way of others. Then, when you’re done you release it. It goes back to nature and the powerful parts of yourself.

We draw the circle and then we close it. Some people cast the circle and banish it at the end of the ritual. I tend to think of it as drawing and closing the circle. When you draw your circle take a moment to bless each of the elements at each of the 4 directions. Yes, you might need a map to know where north, south, west and east are in relation to your location. If you choose, bless the goddess and god too. Then bless the Earth and life, those are most important to me. When you close your circle just do the steps in reverse order. Gather your pebbles, erase your chalk, whatever you used as you go around in the 4 directions again. Sounds too simple? Why shouldn’t it be simple. You’re welcome to make a bigger production out of it. I like it simple.

You can use chalk, hemp rope, embroidery thread, pebbles, sand, dust bunnies, anything really. Consider a circle of jack o lanterns for Samhain, wouldn’t that be fun! It depends on how fancy you want to be or how close to natural elements. My personal choice are pebbles. I love them. I collected them from a beach here in Ontario. Took my time to find stones I especially liked for their shape, colour or some markings on them.

The circle represents wholeness, the cycles of life and the seasons, the wheel of life to make it simple. In theory it is without beginning or ending and perfect in it’s completeness.

To draw the circle is to make a place set apart and sacred. Where ever you are- living room, backyard, beach, clearing in the woods – the circle becomes a place where we focus on magick in ourselves and the Earth around us. The circle is a pure place where we can think, make notes in our Book of Shadows, create and practice rituals, anything. It doesn’t have to be dramatic and you don’t have to feel you must do something special. It’s your circle, your dime.

This summer when I have a road trip out to the beach I want to cast a circle on the beach. Using a piece of driftwood to draw my circle and some stones to point to the directions. I don’t even know what ritual I might do. I just want to sit in a circle of my own creation and enjoy the world, life and being alive.
–

“In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia.” -Charles Lindbergh

I take thee, herb, to cure my ills
or perhaps while dancing pon the hill.
I’ll dip you in the cauldron fine
Then asperge a circle in the pines.
I’ll make you into teas and brews
when picked from ‘neath the morning dews,
or hide you in a pillow seam
to guard me close, come night and dreams.

– Marian Loresinger

Originally posted to ‘BackWash: Where the Wild Things Are’ newsletter, March, 1, 2004.