raising kids with religion

There is a post over at the Gaelic Folkway blog that inspired me to write a wee bit on this topic. The post is entitled Should Your Raise Your Kids in Your Religion? and is authored by Éireann. I have some pretty strong opinions on this {there is a theme here, eh?}, but I am probably not the most qualified to talk about this as I do not have any children myself. Although the better half and I did discuss this at great length when we were trying to have kids and I was raised for a time in a household of rigid religious dogma that was damaging. 

I suppose it would be fair to say that the way I view raising kids with religion would match what Éireann would describe as "liberal"; I do think that children should be given the freedom to decide for themselves what they believe, and this is probably best achieved by exposure to different belief systems and open dialogue. I also think that they should be able to decide if they wish to participate in any religious or spiritual activities and traditions. Probably the most important thing is that children should definitely be taught to respect other faiths and exposed to science and secularism. This would of course include respecting the rights of those who decide to be atheist and base their worldviews strictly on science.

The point of their post was to critique this liberal approach to the subject, and while there are quite a few things that I fundamentally disagree with, I do think that the critiques were thoughtfully delivered. And perhaps because we do share a similar faith, there are many things I also agree with.

No doubt parents/guardians will influence the children under their care, so certainly they have a responsibility to not only their kids, but to society in general. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more parents & guardians were instilling critical thinking, respect, and acceptance in the people who will be running things in the near future? Unfortunately I don't see that to be the case for many people who are raising kids in many of the more popular religions, and I certainly can relate to this from when I was growing up.

We owe it to kids to have a healthy view of themselves and their fellow humans, as well as the environment and all the other creatures who dwell on this planet.

Anyhow, please do feel free to add your own two cents if you like and if interested, you should give not only the post by Éireann a read, but the whole blog as well. Some great stuff over there!

Sláinte!

Laurel

Edit: Éireann has expanded on her position in regards to this topic which I wanted to add part of it here {it can be seen in full in the comment section} so there are no misconceptions on her position. 

"I noticed you wrote that you feel that kids should be free to choose what they believe. I wanted to clarify that I in no way feel anyone can -dictate- to another -what to believe-; -belief- is internal and personal and cannot be put upon another; it is impossible. So I want to be clear that I am not advocating for that." 

Luverly of the Week: St. Brigid Doll by St. Blaize

{St. Brigid Doll by St. Blaize}

Isn't she lovely? There are more photos of her over at St. Blaize's Flickr.

Sláinte!

Laurel

{e is for...} Everyday Rituals

{a wee contribution to the Pagan Blog Project}

After rising and making myself a little more presentable, before coffee or seeing what is going on in the world, the first thing I do in the morning is make an offering of thanks to all of Those I work with and Who protect our household. It is a quick and simple ritual consisting of lighting a candle, saying a prayer and a small offering.

This is the first of many rituals throughout my day. Being someone with a relatively short attention span, I also like to keep them short and sweet {there are not too many ceremonial rituals happening at my hands!}.

I am sure that many would bulk at the idea of doing multiple devotionals and blessings every day. To them it probably seems to be the jurisdiction of members of some religious order that are tucked away from the world. This is not the case for me though.

In my view there is no difference between the "mundane" and the "sacred". They are both inseparable. For those who see spirit dwell in all things and in all places, and who can feel purpose in every aspect of life, this will probably make sense. They might also see the sense in saying a blessing over a garden or giving a prayer and offering of thanks for a meal.

One could fairly say that for me ritual is routine; however it is certainly not devoid of meaning. I find life is a lot more enjoyable when there is intent behind my actions, as opposed to just going through the motions.

Tending to my home and land is no longer drudgery, but a series of spiritual acts. Besides, hearth-keeper sounds much more pleasant than housewife. ;)

On the subject of rituals, you should go give this wonderful post The Meaning of Ritual a read.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Standing Alone Trilogy

These are three interesting films that are about the Blood elder, Pete Standing Alone.

Sláinte!

Laurel

P.S. there is some footage of rodeos that I personally find very disturbing and cruel, otherwise I enjoyed the films.

*********

Circle of the Sun

This short documentary by Colin Low is an invitation to a gathering of the Blood Indians of Alberta - as the Sun Dance is captured on film for the first time. The film shows how the theme of the circle reflects the bands' connection to wildlife and also addresses the predicament of the young generation, those who have relinquished their ties with their own culture but have not yet found a firm place in a changing world.

Standing Alone

Pete Standing Alone is a Blood Indian who, as a young man, was more at home in the White man's culture than his own. Confronted with the realization that his children knew very little about their origins, he became determined to pass down to them the customs and traditions of his ancestors. This film is the powerful biographical study of a 25-year span in Pete's life, from his early days as an oil-rig roughneck, rodeo rider and cowboy, to the present as an Indian concerned with preserving his tribe's spiritual heritage in the face of an energy-oriented industrial age.

Round Up

This short film traces Pete Standing Alone's personal journey from cultural alienation to pride and belonging. As a spiritual elder, teacher, and community leader of the Blood Indians of Southern Alberta, Pete works with the youth to repair the cultural and spiritual destruction wrought by residential schools. At age 81, has come full-circle in his dedication to preserving the traditional ways of his people.

A Great Interview w/ Professor Ronald Hutton

For our readers who might be interested, there is an interview with Ronald Hutton over at the Necropolis Now Blog. Enjoy! :)

Sláinte!

Laurel

Gaelic Pretties, Ribbon and All!

While on one of my thrift store adventures yesterday, I found three book wrapped in a ribbon. I couldn't help but feel someone had left me a present given what the books were about...

Songs of the Gael by Lachlan MacBean, Songs of the Gael by Patrick Watson, and The Poem-Book of the Gael by Eleanor Hull.

All for a big 3 bucks. But you can read them online for free by clicking the links.

Sláinte!

Laurel

A Lonely, Winding Path

{royalty free photo}

The first Celtic Reconstructionist Pagans I ever met left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I got the impression that CR Pagans were a bunch of snooty armchair intellectuals. Initial encounters with practitioners of Traditional Witchcraft left a similar impression on me as well. In both cases the folks were nice enough to me to my face, but I had the feeling that soon as I left the patchouli and fluffy bunneh jokes would be flying 'round about me too.

This all happened in my late teens and early twenties. It took a few years of maturing on my part to realize that just because I met a handful of asshats, it doesn't mean that everyone in those two groups were like them.

I started to feel restless in my spirituality. I wanted something with more structure and substance. Something with more meat and bones. The restlessness was strong enough to coax me out of my prejudice to reach out and explore. That took a while though.

It wasn't until my mid-twenties that I started to really research historical magical practices and to apply them to my own. And it wasn't until just a few years ago that I embraced Gaelic Polytheism for my religious faith.

While reaching out and exploring I came across many awesome, patient folks {mostly online}, who thankfully changed my previous prejudice. I have come across some wankers too, but we all know that they are everywhere, in all groups. Because of these folks, I had an idea of where to look for research materials. I came into this process realizing that both CR Paganism and Traditional Witchcraft are not "evangelical" and that I would not be spoon-fed. I had to do my own leg work in both research and practice.

I was reminded of all of this because of a recent post that I read over at Erynn Laurie's blog, Searching for Imbas. In the post {Aisling, Ársaíocht, agus Agallamh: A Modern CR Triad} she talks about how there is a need for dialogue and respecting other view points to avoid repeating the same mistakes that are found in extremism in other religious movements. I couldn't agree with her more.

If CR Paganism is going to blossom to its full potential, then it needs to be accessible. I am not talking about going and standing on street corners to convert people. However, if it is to have a future, then we need to welcome new-comers and be respectful to each other.

There is a lot of historical misinformation and cultural misappropriation out there in the more "mainstream" Pagan and new age media. So chances are that this is the type of crap that most people are going to come across first. I understand that it is annoying when someone thinks that chakras have anything to do with Celtic spirituality. That said, one does certainly win more flies with honey.

One is probably more likely to spread more accurate information by a friendly correction and a point in the right direction {to more sound info sources}. Insults tend to just raise walls and the misinformation stays put. But we all know this.

Anyways, me thinking about all of this led me to thinking about where I am today in regards to my practice and faith.

I have been quite content practicing magic on my own, or with a select few people on occasion. In fact, I think I prefer this. When it comes to my religious faith though, I have been feeling a bit of a void that I can only name as loneliness.

CR Paganism {as I understand it at least} is tribal at its very core. Community, family, relationships and interactions are extremely important. This is something that drew me to it.

While I have come across some awesome folks online, I have yet to meet anyone in my region who shares a similar faith. It would be fantastic to be able to celebrate the cross quarter days with other folks and to be a part of group of Pagans that share a similar faith to myself.

So, I guess what I am saying is that I feel like I am missing out on a fundemental part of my religious faith. This probably sounds like I am holding a pity party for myself and perhaps I am.

Self-pity ain't a Gaelic virtue, now is it? Heh. ;)

Sláinte!

Laurel

Consecrating Seed

Royalty free photo

Last night I dusted off my little book that I write my gardening rituals and the like in to yank out this simple adaptation that I made a few years back of The Consecration of the Seed found in Carmina Gadelica Vol. 1.

Traditionally "three days before being sown the seed is sprinkled with clear cold water, in the name of Father, and of Son, and of Spirit, the person sprinkling the seed walking sunwise the while."

So on the Tuesday before I plant seeds outside on Friday, I will do a little ritual like this. I will lay all my packages of seeds that will be planted at that time, and take one of each type of seed out as a "representative" and sprinkle spring water on them. {If I have any seedlings that will be going out at this time, I will add them to the ritual too.} Instead of doing this in the name of the Christian Trinity, I do it in the name of my Gods, Ancestors, and local Land Spirits.
I should mention that this is a ritual that was probably carried out mostly on cereal crops. I do this with all seeds that are being planted directly in the ground, so this is a ritual I generally do 3 times: the first time around the beginning of April, the second around the end of May, and the third time around mid August.

On the Friday before planting the seed, I will say the following incantation:

I will go out to sow the seed,
In names of Them who gave it growth;
I will place my front in the wind,
And spread a gracious amount on the ground.
Should a seed fall on a bare rock,
It shall have no soil in which to grow;
As much as falls into the earth,
The dew will make it to be full.
Friday, day auspicious,
The dew will come down to welcome
Every seed that lay in sleep
Since the coming of cold without mercy;
Every seed will take root in the earth,
As the Rulers of the elements desired,
The braird will come forth with the dew,
It will inhale life from the soft wind.

I will come round with my step,
I will go rightways with the sun,
In name of the Gods that are mine,
In name of the Ancestors and the Nature Spirits kind.

Gods, Ancestors, and Nature Spirits
Be giving growth and kindly substance
To every thing that is in my ground,
Till the days of harvest shall come.

You can see the full original Consecration of the Seed here.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Ok, Apparently It Does Get Worse!

Now not only do these assholes want to make miscarriage a crime, but they want the death penalty to be the punishment.

Speechless,

Laurel

Welcoming the New Moon

Photo by MShades

Hail unto thee,
Jewel of the night !

Beauty of the heavens,
Jewel of the night !

Mother of the stars.
Jewel of the night !

Fosterling of the sun,
Jewel of the night !

Majesty of the stars.
Jewel of the night !

~Queen of the Night from Carmina Gadelica

Just for the Helluvit

A few of the Pagan blogs that I read have been doing this Pagan questionnaire which is pretty cheesy in some parts. I do have a fondness for cheesy questionnaires, so I thought I would have a got at it too. Feel free to join in the fun! :D

B A S I C S

Do you have a magical/Pagan name?

Nope, and if I did I wouldn't share it.

What does it mean?
N/A
How did you find Paganism?
Through a couple of friends.

How long have you been practicing?
Practicing what, exactly? I have identified myself as a Pagan since I was about 16 or 17. I am a tad older than that now.

Solitary or group practitioner?
Both I suppose.

What is your path?
Irish Polytheist would probably be the most accurate description. Oh, and an animist.
Are you out of the broom closet?
At the moment I am. I am in my office.

D E I T Y

Who is your patron Deity?
Got four "household" deities: Macha, Airmid, Brigid & Flidais.

What Gods do you worship?
The Irish Pantheon

Do you fear darkly aspected Gods/Goddess, or rather respect them?
I don't see the gods as one-dimensional "dark or light aspects". I see them as full, rounded individuals just as people are. That said, I have at the very least a minimal respect for all gods of all pantheons and I wouldn't want to piss any of them off. I have a fondness for others, and I love and admire the gods of the pantheon that I worship.
Do you worship the Christian God?
No. We had a falling out a long time ago and haven't been on speaking terms since.

Do you ever worship animals?
I pay homage to and work with some animals.

Or plants?
The same as animals.

N A T U R E

Do you regularly commune with nature?
All the time. I hope that this is something that everyone does, whether they are Pagan or not.

Ever walked barefoot in the woods?
Yes, when the snow is not on the ground.

Taken a camping trip just to talk to nature?
Fortunately now I do not need to! But I still do enjoy camping.

Describe the moment you felt closest to Mother Earth?
Oh wouldn't you like to know. :p

Do you have a familiar?
Three.

Have you ever called upon the powers of an animal in ritual?
Yes.

Or a plant?
Yes.

Do you hug trees?
What hippie doesn't?

Give them gifts?
Often.

What is your favourite herb/flower to work with?
It depends what I am working with them for. The ones I most often work with are probably sweet woodruff, herb robert, tansy, monkshood, irish moss, henbane, lady's mantle, dandelions, woad, meadowsweet, juniper, wormwood, mistletoe, various ferns, valerian, mugwort, nightshade, wild roses, lemonbalm, mullein, sweet william, vipers bugloss, and foxglove.

What is your favourite tree to work with?
The rowan is definitely my favourite tree. I also often work with hawthorn, cedar, birch, witch hazel, oak, blackthorn, elder, and yew.

W H E E L O F T H E Y E A R

What is your favourite holiday?
I love all four of our festivals.
What is your least favourite holiday?
See above.
Have you ever held a ritual on a holiday?
Yep.
Ever taken a day off work to celebrate a Pagan holiday?
I work from home so that is not an issue. Previously I never asked for time off work for one. I organize around it.

Do you celebrate Yule on the 21 rather than the 25?
It is not one of my feast days, so I will celebrate it whenever friends and family are available.

Have you ever felt the veil thin?
Yes.

Ever danced the Maypole?
Once and I almost got tangled up.
Know what the Maypole symbolizes?
Something naughty, yet oh-so-nice.

How do you usually celebrate the Pagan holidays?
Feasting, offerings, rituals and feasting. Did I mention feasting?

D I V I N A T I O N

Do you use Tarot?
Yep.

Do you use runes?
Yep.

Do you use a pendulum?
Not anymore.

Do you use dowsing rods?
Never tried that, but it is interesting!

Do you use astrology?
Not really.

Any other form of divination?
Ogham, tealeaves, nature omens, and scrying. Oh and sometimes dreams if I can actually remember them.

S P E L L S

What was the first spell you did?
A very simple candle spell for success.

What was the latest?
A protection spell for someone else.

Ever done a love spell?
Yep.

A job spell?
Yep.

A healing spell?
Yep.

What was the most powerful spell you’ve ever performed?
That I am not divulging.

What deities do you usually call on?
For divination, ancestral workings, fertility and agriculture: Macha; working with herbs and healing: Airmid; lust, and workings involving the wild: Flidais; for household protection and domestic workings and issues: Brigid.

C R Y P T O Z O O L O G Y

Do you believe in Vampires?
The emotional and psychic variety, yes.

Werewolves?
I believe that there is a history of folks shapeshifting into wolves.

Shapeshifters?
See above.

Elves?
Yep.

Faeries?
Aren't Elves supposed to be in the Faery family? I believe that land spirits/spirits of a place exist.

Dragons?
Do komodo dragons count?

Nymphs?
Again, aren't they in the Faery family?

Sprites?
*ehem*
Mermaids?
*grrrr*
Satyrs?
*sigh*

Ever “seen” any of the above?
Even though we don't have it in Canada, I plead the fifth.

Ever talked to any of the above?
Ditto.

Ever used any of the above in magic?
Anyone who thinks that they can "use" them deserves whatever nastiness that comes with that idiotic line of thinking.

Do you have one of them as a personal guardian?
I have a few garden gnome statues. I am sure that they would make pretty decent weapons if an idiot decided to break into my home.

R A N D O M

Do you see a rabbit, a man or a woman in the moon?
There are all sorts of funky patterns on the face of the Moon.

Own a cat?
Technically he owns me.

When you meditate, what does your happy place look like?
Ever seen the original Wickerman?

Do you work with Chakras?
Nope.

Do you believe in past lives?
Yep.

If so, describe a few briefly:
Birth. Life. Death. Repeat.
Do you believe in soul mates?
I have spent the last decade or so thinking that I have found mine. With that kinda love it is hard not to believe.

Do you have a spirit guide?
Isn't this just another way of saying familiars or gods?

Is it always love and light?
What about the sparkles? I am a moody creature, so you figure that one out.
Well, it looks like my diversion from housework has come to an end. ;)
Sláinte!
Laurel

Sad Fate for the Holy Glastonbury Thorn

Photo by Alwyn Ladell

On December 10, 2010, the 2000 year old Holy Thorn Tree was found chopped down in Glastonbury, a town in Somerset, England. While police try to determine who cut down the Glastonbury Thorn Tree and left the discarded branches by the stump, others are wondering what could have motivated someone to cut down a tree of such seasonal and religious significance. The Glastonbury Tree has special meaning for Christians, especially at Christmas and Easter.

Read the rest of the article here.

Time for the Dark: Samhain & Hallowe'en

A photo of artwork done by Sulamith Wulfing

As I went out walking this fall afternoon,
I heard a wisper wispering.
I heard a wisper wispering,
Upon this fine fall day…

As I went out walking this fall afternoon,
I heard a laugh a’laughing.
I heard a laugh a’laughing,
Upon this fine fall day…

I heard this wisper and I wondered,
I heard this laugh and then I knew.
The time is getting near my friends,
The time that I hold dear my friends,
The veil is getting thin my friends,
And strange things will pass through.

~The Veil Is Getting Thin by Wolfdancer

It has just dawned on me that I still haven't done a comprehensive post on the lore of my favourite holiday, Samhain. I have already done some on holidays such as Bealtaine and Lughnasadh, so I suppose this is a good excuse to do a blog post. ;)

Snap Apple Night by Daniel Maclise, 1833

Samhain is generally accepted to translate from old Irish to mean "end of summer" or "summer's end". At one time there were only two seasons observed in Ireland, Summer and Winter, or the Light and Dark halves of the year. Bealtaine heralded the beginning of Summer/Light half and Samhain the beginning of Winter/Dark half. {You can read more about the origins of the name and the Celtic year here.}

The Dark half was ruled by forces associated with Unseen, Otherworld, and Death. It was a time for divination, honouring ancestral spirits {and of course the Gods}, and the final harvest. It was also the start of a new year.

Besides also being Hallowe'en, there is Nos Galan Gaeaf in Wales, Hop-tu-Naa in the Isle of Man, Allantide in Cornwall, Día de los Muertos in Mexico, and All Saints Day for Catholics.

La ronde des Farfadets de Les Farfadets by David Ryckaert III, 1600's

Because it was thought that the dead roamed freely on this side around Samhain, some folks would leave meals prepared for their deceased loved ones. I have already talked about this a bit in other posts such as here and here.

But it wasn't only loved ones afoot! There were also other Otherworldy folk that one might run into who weren't as benign. According to Land, Sea & Sky travellers would disguise themselves in the hopes that they would be overlooked or would avoid being out at night altogether.

The text also mentions how people would kiss goodbye any leftover crops not yet harvested by Samhain, as they were believed to be spoiled or they were left out as offerings to the Faeries.

Just like Bealtaine, bonfires played an important role at Samhain. However, it would seem that Bealtaine bonfires were lit at daybreak, while the ones for Samhain were lit at sundown {The Gaelic Otherworld by John Gregerson Campbell}. Bonfires were probably seen as a symbol of renewal and purification, and no doubt was thought to protect the living from being harmed by supernatural forces.

Traditional Irish Jack-O'-Lantern

An iconic symbol of this holiday is of course the Jack-O'-Lantern. You can hear about it's supposed beginnings here, in a video I posted last year. Carving veggies into lanterns is a tradition that has quite a long history in Ireland and Scotland, but it wasn't made into a Hallowe'en tradition until the practice was taken up in America in the late 19th century. And while most folks make theirs out of pumpkins, veggie lanterns over the pond were usually turnips or swedes. You can learn how to carve a traditional turnip Jack-O'-Lantern here.

Another popular activity associated with this time of year is dressing up in costumes. As previously mentioned, folks would sometimes disguise themselves as a protective measure against malignant spirits.

In his book Hallowe'en, Nicholas Rogers remarks how in both Scotland and Ireland, there is a fairly strong tradition of guising at this time of year. Anywhere from an Irish traveller turning their coat inside out to avoid being nabbed by Faeries {The Year in Ireland by Kevin Danaher} to young Scottish men blackening their faces or wearing masks going out and about to cause mischief or entertain other folks in exchange for money, food, and drink. This is something you see at other times of year, especially around Yule/Christmas with Mummers. I suppose this was the beginnings off our modern trick or treating.

1920's Hallowe'en card

There are folks who feel that now is the best time for divination, making charms, and other magical practices. Many of these practices traditionally involve food {especially fruit and nuts}.

If you are wanting to leave a message for those who have passed, Robin Artisson suggests the following on the Tracks in the Witchwood blog:

Split an apple in two, and write a letter to that dead one you wish to communicate with on a small round of parchment, using Saturnian ink mingled with a dab of blood- then put it between the apple-halves and spear the halves “back into whole” with long, sharpened thin stakes of some Saturnian wood. Bury these messages in a ground that also has graves dug in it- or bury them under the roots of the Elder, the Apple, the Thorn, the Yew, or the Cypress. Thus, the deed is done. And this isn’t just a Hallows letter-writing; do it year-round, if you will.

Bobbing for apples, while seemingly just a game was also used as a form of divination. Over at the Tairis website it says that while dookin' for aipples in Scotland there was a penny added to the water and the finder would have luck in the coming year and that the apple caught was often used in other divination.

The website also talks about other forms of divination involving food as well, including nuts:

{in Ireland} Two hazel nuts, walnuts, chestnuts or grains of wheat were taken and named after the two potential lovers, and were then placed in the ashes or on the grate to see how they would behave. Spitting and jumping showed the couple were not meant to be together, whereas nuts or grains that burned happily together indicated an altogether happier fate.

And that both in Ireland and Scotland people would put various charms in food such as pies or potato-based dishes.

A way for a girl in Lewis to bring her chosen lover to her was to use a dumb cake:

Girls were each apportioned a small piece of dough, mixed with any but spring water. They kneaded it with their left thumbs, in silence. Before midnight they pricked initials on them with a new pin, and put them by the fire to bake. The girls withdrew to the farther end of the room, still in silence. At midnight each lover was expected to enter and lay his hand on the cake marked with his initials. {The Book of Hallowe'en by Ruth Edna Kelley}

In various places a young woman could find out who her future husband was by looking in a mirror on Hallowe'en, where she was supposed to see him.

If you are looking to erect an altar or shrine, some items you might want to consider putting on it besides that nifty turnip Jack-o'-Lantern I hope that you all are going to make { ;) } are photos or belongings of deceased loved ones; representation of animals such as owls, deer, crows, ravens, hounds, and horses; food and plants such as apples, pumpkins, pomegranates, nuts, dried roses, dried leaves, poppies; also items to place offerings on {i.e. bowl, cup, incense burner} are of course suitable.

Here are a few luverly photos from other people for inspiration:

by Sinjy and Sadie

by Annie in Beziers

by Crimthann Fid-Nemed

by kightp

by Raul D

by Katie Cowden

by autumndragyn

by FreeCat

by Great Beyond

by Carlitos

by LoopZilla

by Avia Venefica

Also, here are a few previously posted videos that might be of interest in regards to altars, as well as other things for Samhain/Hallowe'en.

Necromancy:

Plants for the Dying & Deceased:

Sláinte!

Laurel

Ancestral Offerings

As my household gets ready for Samhain, I get to thinking about what would be good offerings for our Gods and Ancestors, as well as the local land spirits and the other spirits we work with.

We do make regular offerings to all listed above, and what we offer depends on the personal taste of whoever we are offering it to. Things such as tobacco for local land spirits, mead for the Gods, and whiskey or flowers for our Ancestors all seem to be appropriate offerings in our case.

During certain times of the year though {like Samhain} we also make offerings that take a little more thought, time, or effort. For example, I am making a fruit cake using the recipe of an Ancestor as an offering to her. I have never made a fruit cake before, so I will have at least one practice run before presenting one to her. The ingredients would have been a lot more expensive for a farmer's wife back during the Depression compared to now, but we still need to budget a little for it.

Besides actual tangible offerings, we often find that making donations {whether it be monetary, goods, time, or talent} to certain causes or organizations to be very fitting. We are already pretty active in our community, so these offerings would generally be something outside of this. An example would be making a donation to an organization that we would not have thought of supporting before, but do so because they helped out a particular Ancestor, or it is an organization that they supported themselves.

The whole idea of offerings and sacrifices probably seem very odd to many folks, and for people who think this way it can be very difficult to explain why we do it and have it make sense to them. So I usually just say that the ritual of offering and sacrifice is a sacred one to us and we benefit from it as well, even if it only makes us feel closer to Those we leave the offerings for.

For my household, it is one of the ways of showing how thankful we are for the blessings that we receive. A gift for a gift.

Anyhoo, I suppose that is enough nattering for now. Here are a few nifty resources on the topic:

Making Offerings and Types of Offerings from Tairis {a Celtic Reconstructionist site, but may be helpful to others as well}.
The Dumb Supper on Free Thoughts of Free Dragon blog {a great source of info for Ancestral offerings}.
Ancestors podshow on New World Witchery {the whole show is definitely worth a listen and they have info on offerings in the show}.
Contacting Our Ancestors on the blog of Carolina Gonzalez {a great post with a focus on Hoodoo and there is info about offerings}.
Feel free to share your thoughts on offerings and any good resources that I have missed! :)
Sláinte!

Laurel

Happy Midsummer!

Life begins and ends with sunbeams in the forest
drops of light on bracken and moss
and the call of the stag in the distance.

~Anonymous

We wish all of our readers in the Northern half a Merry Midsummer! We hope you all have plenty of sunshine and the time to enjoy it. :)

Sláinte!

Aymi & Laurel

Traditional Witchcraft Recommended Websites

Wanker of the Week...

I love the Raging Grannies so much that I will keep them up as the Luverly of the Week for another round. For something a little new, here is the Wanker of the Week:

Sláinte!

Laurel

The Gods: Personalities and Archetypes

A little while back I was having a rather heated exchange with someone as to why I call myself a polytheist.

This person was a 'reformed monotheist' {their words} and now they are a pantheist, and just could not understand why I as a Pagan was not. My beliefs are 'divisive' and 'heretical'. There is no 'proof' that there are multiple Gods and Goddesses. Heh.

Of course it goes without saying that it is pretty stupid to bash other people's spiritual beliefs when the basis of your argument is 'proof' and you believe in the intangible yourself. That is a justifiable tactic for a materialist, not so much for someone who believes in the unseen.

So, how did I come to be such a 'heretic'? Believe it or not, I used to be like this person. Well, ok, sorta. I wasn't the judgemental asshat they are, but I had considered myself pantheist.

Now I identify as a polytheist and an animist.

Someone wrote on Wikipedia:

Hard Polytheists believe that gods are distinct, separate real divine beings not psychological archetypes or personifications of natural forces. Hard polytheists reject the idea that "all gods are one God"

This is contrasted with Soft Polytheism, which holds that Gods may be aspects of only one God, psychological archetypes or personifications of natural forces.

Personally I reject the whole idea of 'soft' and 'hard'. I see polytheism as the belief in multiple Gods who have their own distinct existence, and that they are not merely the personifications of one God and/or Nature. And after some reflection on my part, this is how I came to realize that I was in fact a polytheist.

I do believe that everyone on our planet is interconnected. I see us all as members within a larger community {with smaller communities and tribes within that}. But we are all still autonomous individuals who make up that community.

Since I do not see myself an archetype, to me it just made sense that the Gods aren't either. I see each one as a complex individual with their own feelings and personalities, with wonderful qualities, as well as faults. Pretty much just like all of us, except they are deities.

I don't just believe in the Gods and Goddesses that I worship and work with, I believe in those of other pantheons as well. Many of them I find quite nifty, and others not so much. That is not to say that I see my own as 'better', but they are the best choice for me.

This also goes for other belief systems...mine is no better than others, it is just best for me.

Anyhoo, this is turning into a nattering post, so I will leave it at that. Feel free to share you own thoughts {either in the comments or feel free to email me}. Blessings to you all, regardless of what you do or do not believe in. :)

Sláinte!

Laurel

A Perfect Candidate for the Scold's Bridle

I am sure that many of you have already heard Pat Robertson's little speech about the tragic earthquake in Haiti. If you have not, here it is:

Nothing like a huge tragedy to make one turn all opportunist. I am sure the last thing that the people of Haiti need is to be told that their ancestral Gods are devils or that they are not properly worshipping the God of their former colonizers.

Haiti might be cursed, but it more likely has to do with corrupt government and poverty {and other wonderful things like aggressive globalization and a history of slavery and colonialization} than the Gods.

What a wanker.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Yuletide Traditions: Magic, Divination & Superstitions

Artwork from Pennywig's Dearies & Elf-Friends

This time of year has been historically seen as a good time by various cultures and countries as a great time for divination, and to hold various rituals for health, plenty, and overall good luck. One of the most popular subjects for divination was love and marriage.

On December 21st, which is sometimes celebrated as Saint Thomas Eve, young English women and girls would turn to 'Saint Thomas' onion' to dream who their future mate will be. They would peel the onion, put it on a cloth and place it under their pillow and say the following words:

Good St Thomas do me right
And bring my love to me tonight
That I may look him in the face
And in my arms may him embrace.
{Mother Bunch's Closet by George Laurence Gomme}

In Christmas In Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan, Clement A. Miles mentions various Yuletide divination practices for those who are looking to find out more about their future loves.

Also on Saint Thomas Eve, German women and girls would divine when they would be married by tossing shoes over their shoulder. If the toes of the shoes were pointing towards the door, they would be starting their own household within the year.

During Christmas Eve a Slavic girl would what kind of husband the future hold for her by setting the table before bed with a plate, fork, spoon, and knife along with a loaf of bread. That night she would have her future husband's spirit come to her and would throw the set out knife at her. If the knife missed her she would have a long and happy life with a husband who was kind and loved her.

Russian girls would use two candles and two mirrors while sitting in a dark room to find out who her true love was.

Artwork from Vintage Holiday Crafts

In Scotland omens were to be found all over during the festive season. While baking 'Yeel' {Yule} cakes in upcoming deaths and hardships could be announced; if a piece of a cake fell of then sickness or injury would be suffered by someone in the household, and if the cake broke altogether then someone was to depart in the up coming year. If the Christmas morning fire was a warm and bright one, the upcoming year would be filled with affluence and if the first fire of the New Year had peat fall away from the fire, then a family member was to die within the year. {The Folklore of North-East Scotland by Walter Gregor}.

One tradition on New Year's morning was to 'cream the well', the cream being the first water drawn from a spring or well. The Clan Sinclair website says of 'creaming the well':

Since the well would only be drawn the once, everyone would race to reach it, and in particular the young lassies, for possession of the first water drawn was said to guarantee marriage within the New Year. It was said for this to work, the young woman cocerned would have to get the lad they desired to marry to drink the water before the end of the first day.

Farmers would cream the water source of successful neighbours in hoping to bring some of that prosperity onto themselves. This was thought to be especially effective for farmers with dairy cows when they washed their milking bucket and other milking tools with this water or gave it to their cows to drink.

And on Christmas morning in Bohemia {now the Czech Republic} farmers would see to their cattle's health by having a priest either sprinkle them with holy water or feed them bayberries, bread and salt that were blessed by a priest.

Artwork from The Graphics Fairy

If there was ever a good time to die, for a Catholic Irishman it would be to do so at midnight on Christmas Eve, because many believed that one could go straight to Heaven at this time without having to wait in Purgatory. {The Encyclopedia of Superstitions by Edwin Radford}.

In Superstitions of the Irish Country People by Padraic O'Farrell it is said that an Irish family would leave a candle in the window, the door unlocked, and food left out for travellers on Christmas Eve in memory of the wanderings of Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus. A bowl of water was also left out for the thankful guests to bless, which could be used in various cures in the upcoming year.

While having Yule visits with family and friends, Irish folks would place everyone's shoes beside each other to avoid any tiffs for the year to come...and hopefully they were not wearing new shoes, as it was thought to bring bad luck if worn on Christmas!

The sky was looked to on Christmas Eve to see what farmers had in store: a new moon and a clear night with bright stars would mean a good harvest. In Switzerland folks would take a gander at the sky on New Year's day and if it was red, war was sure to come. {Festivals of Western Europe by Dorothy Gladys Spicer}.

The Swiss thought {along with people in a few other countries} that their farm critters would gain the power of speech on Christmas Eve because of their presence at the nativity, so they were given extra portions of food and goodies on this night. The farmers also made sure that they were far away for the barn at midnight when the speech was bestowed to the animals, for if they heard the conversation doom would hang over their heads.

Christmas Eve was a happy time for a young Swiss person in search of love if they drank from nine different wells before the midnight church bells were ringing. After doing so, they could hasten over to the church steps to see their future love there waiting for them.

Are you looking to divine who your own future love is? Give this a whirl:

This Christmas falls on a Friday {perfect!} go out a midnight and collect 9 holly leaves, then tie each one into a white 3-cornered hankie and place under your pillow. It is said then you will dream of your future spouse{Encyclopedia of Superstitions by Edwin Radford}.

Sláinte!

Laurel