Looking at Death

We spent Thanksgiving with our parents this year.  Weretoad's mother visited us and we all went down to my parents'.  Weretoad and I brought the tofurky.  I cooked it in a crock pot surrounded by sweet potatoes and carrots.  Oh my Gods, it was delicious!  We don't eat many processed faux meats.  We tend to stick with straight beans or homemade bean patties.  When I'm feeling a bit lazy, or when Thanksgiving rolls around, Tofurky is relatively guilt free.  While it's still a processed product, it's not made from genetically modified or non-organic soy.  I feel pretty good about eating it. 

I've been learning more about Buddhism recently.  I don't know why, but my interest in it has increased.  There are obvious differences between it and modern Druidism, but there are also similarities.  It fascinates me, especially in regards to compassion.  There is a story about The Buddha attending a planting festival.  Instead of watching the dancers, he focused on the bugs and their eggs.  He thought about how the people digging into the soil had to disturb them, possibly kill them, in order to grow their crops.  This event is said to have helped inspire his philosophy on compassion.  This, in turn, inspired many Buddhists to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle.  I've been thinking a lot about this recently.  No matter how hard I try to be compassionate towards the natural world, I can only do so much without killing myself.  Even the most dedicated fruititarian will inevitably harm one creature, if only through the cultivation of vegetable matter to consume.  Some may look at this and say, "Well then why give up meat?  You cannot escape the circle of life entirely.  You might as well embrace it."  The thing is, I'm not trying to escape the cycles of nature - I am still a part of them but in a different why than a meat eater.  I experience the cycles differently now that I try not to consume the flesh of my fellow brother and sister animals.  I do what I can  - I seek a balance. There must be a balance of compassion for the Nature Spirits and ourselves.  That balance will be different for each of us depending on the lessons we need to learn and the diet our bodies need.  We should not punish our bodies.  Even The Buddha recognized that killing our bodies for spiritual goals was not healthy.  Everything must be balanced.

We have entered to season of death.  Our ancestors culled the herds and this tradition continues to this day with hunting season.  Since moving to the North Country, I have seen more deer hanging from trees in front of homes.  Every time I see one, I think of Odin hanging from the World Tree, starring down at the roots, seeking wisdom.  I wonder where the deers' souls have ventured as the blood drains from their bodies.  I marvel that the corvid family is not there to taste their flesh.  As the nights grow colder and hunters work to stock their freezers, I've seen them peel the flesh from the deer.  I've seen the gleaming muscles and tendons revealed.  Weretoad looks away.  He has his reasons and I respect them.  I stare.  I find myself fascinated with the process.  I feel for the deer, but there is something fundamentally more sacred about the relationship between the hunter and the hunted than the shopper and the package of meat. I think of that as I stare.   That is not to say that I don't respect the people buying locally farmed and butchered animals - that is also better than buying factory farmed meat.  But one must admit - when it is you hunting/raising, killing, and then skinning the animal...  you enter an intimate dance with the forces of life and death.  It is more than simply being in touch with the land and the agricultural cycles - you are getting in touch with the real essence of mortality. Some of this may be my romanticized, Paganized, outsider perspective, but have talked to people who hunt or raise their own food - some of whom are very close friends and family - I am not alone in thinking these things.

It seems obvious, but there is a difference between killing a plant and an animal.  The only difference is that we can relate more to the animal because of its similarities to us.  I stop and stare at the gutted, dripping, shimmering corpses.  They are like me.  That could be me.  I am reminded of Ricky Fitts from "American Beauty" and his facination with dead people and animals.  When asked why he films them, he says, "It's like God's looking right at you, just for a second, and if you're careful... you can look right back."  He admits to seeing beauty in what is otherwise uncomfortable and grotesque.  I still feel uncomfortable, but I look anyway and try to feel what the hunter might have felt (if he was the respectful sort like my soon to be brother-in-law).

I read a blog entry recently about what is arguably the most humane way to kill a turkey.  The author described the event, how the animal's brain died before its body.  The convulsions made a woman who had never seen this cry and feel for the animal.  Even the author admitted to always feeling something of pity for the creature.  He explained that being there to witness the death of the animal is the price a human should pay for eating it.  To eat the fruit of death, a human must pay the price of being reminded of his or her own mortality.  It was a fascinating perspective, and one perfectly in-line with Druidism' belief in a gift calls for a gift or sacrifice. 

I think that is why I stare.  I don't experience that exchange as vividly in my garden.  If I kill anything as I till or dig, I do not see it.  I move anything large enough to see.  I experience the death of flesh distantly, but I still feel I must somehow experience it and whisper soft prayers for the departed.  I must be reminded of my own mortality - not through animal activist videos - but through the vivid dance of the hunter and the deer.

In some ways, I suppose I stare for the same reason I stare in awe at the multitudes of stars at night.  I like to be reminded of how small I really am.  For some reason, that feeling is like a hug. 

Gods bless the deer and other game who have fed the multitudes this season.  May you run wild in the Other World!

( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

More on Ahimsa and The Spirit of the Deer

My most recent post about ahimsa and Druidism sparked some conversation with prophet_maid on Live Journal.  We talked about vegetarianism, eating meat, the food chain, and the hierarchy implied by Jainist ahimsa.  It helped me sort through my thoughts better and I realize that that isn't the best way for me to express my reasons for what I do.  Many of the ideas surrounding ahimsa still resonate with me.  I am very inspired by Gandhi's application of it

A hierarchy naturally implies that I feel I am better and more privileged than other creatures.  As I've expressed to others before, I really don't think that.  I don't believe that humans are any better or worse than the other Nature Spirits.  I believe we all have natural talents and that some of us are better at certain things.  Framed by human-centric values and aspirations, I can say that we are more creative and innovative than other creatures (sometimes for better or worse), but there is a bit of hubris to that.  I am proud to call myself creative and artistic, but I am not close-minded to the possibility that some other creatures have a different definition of art and think of themselves as more capable in that area than us.  Who really knows?

In the end, I have made a spiritual decision about what I will and will not eat.  It almost seems like a hierarchy in that I am choosing to eat some things and not others, but I feel no true superiority over the plants I eat.  I have a great respect for plants.  I talk to them, ask permission before I harvest, leave offerings, sing to them, and thank them frequently.  I hug trees and am not ashamed to admit that.  I do not feel as closely related to plants as I do those in the animal kingdom, but I fill a kinship nonetheless.

In talking more about it to prophet_maid, I compared myself to herbivores like rabbits and deer.  I explained that I didn't feel removed from the natural cycles of life or somehow less human because I was denying myself participation in a common human act.  I said that I was just as connected to the cycles of life as a deer.  I don't see it as the denial of basic human needs; I see it as another way of experiencing humanity - a way just as valid as eating sustainable meat.  Thinking of it this way in combination with the end of my previous post, in which I discuss spiritual prohibition and life lessons, it makes so much more sense to me.  I am feeling more comfortable simply saying that it is a spiritual choice I have made connected to the lessons I must learn at this time in this life.  Perhaps there will come a time when I am meant to learn the lessons of eating meat again.  Who really knows?

Comparing myself to a deer, though, opened up a new door - one that has been slowly opening for years.  I've had different spiritual experiences with deer.  I could say it started as a child as I delighted at seeing the deer outside my home, but what child wouldn't feel that way?  Truly, the first time I felt spiritually tuned in to this creature was when I started college.  I was in a rough place emotionally.  Although I was experimenting with Wicca before a breakup, it was after that I really became a practicing Pagan.  It was then that I started to work harder and develop my skills.   I went into the woods to meditate.  One day, after meditating, I opened my eyes and was surrounding by a herd of deer.  It seemed like a buck and a harem of does.  I looked at the buck and I remember that I wasn't afraid.  I was in awe as he stared me down.  I remember saying to him in my mind, "I'm not here to hurt anyone."  He made a noise - the first time I ever heard a deer speak in anyway - and stamped a hoof.  The herd moved away, dissolving into the woods.  I felt such a rush and instinctively felt like, after so many years of playing in the woods as a child, I was finally formally allowed there.  Was the spirit of the Horned God in that deer?  I've never been sure, exactly, but it was one of the most spiritually important events in my life.

The second time I brushed with the spirit of deer came during meditation.  I met with a spirit of the forest - a fair woman who called herself a lady of the deer.  I was then obsessed, for a short time, with Flidais.  I tried to research her and seek advice from others.  There is little on her, and some people seemed dismissive of it.  Yet I felt so drawn.  I still do...  I let that fall by the wayside because I didn't want to seem too "New Agey" to Celtic Reconstructionists and scholarly folk who seemed to think she was just a literary character in the tales and little more.  I wasn't as driven or emotionally strong then.

Most recently, I was in the woods making offerings.  I called to the spirits of the forest and asked for their teachings.  In that moment, a deer ran through in the distance, vanishing into the darkness.  I wanted to follow it, but was also frightened for some reason...

I don't think of myself as the sort to attach oracular significance to every natural event I witness.  Most of the time, if I see a raven, fox, or such, I just hail it as a passing nature spirit.  There might be a lesson, but most of the time it is simply a blessing to see them.  I feel lucky for that alone.  The deer though...  I cannot shake the significance of those times.  I feel that this is something I should really work through and explore more.  Perhaps I have another spirit guide I should be working with in addition to Breeze the Lynx?  Perhaps I should start walking into that darkness and facing the fears.

The doll above, "Flidais," was made by the extremely talented Forest Rogers.  
( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

On the Nature of the Gods

If you are a Pagan and have not read 'Polytheology: Syncretism, Process Theology, and "Polyamorotheism"' by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus, you absolutely must.  This well-written and very thoughtful article about cultural appropriation, syncretism, Pagan theology, and religion in general is amazing.  It certainly gave me a lot to think about in regards to the nature of the Gods.  I love the beautiful image he weaves of Gods evolving and/or creating other Gods through romantic or sexual meetings that we have not considered, discovered, or sung about yet.  It almost makes me envision deities as spider plants.  Have you ever had one?  They grow smaller versions of themselves that can be removed and planted as normal.  Are the Gods like that, each a spider plant that creates similar plants (Gods) for different places or even purposes?  It can make sense when considering it in light of the various Celtic triple deities.  Hello American Gods!  Oh the possibilities...

It causes me to look at syncretism a little differently.  Truthfully, I have softened to it already as of late, though I think it must be done with care and for well-considered purpose.  The author himself cautions against doing so without respect, understanding, or proper involvement with the culture.  That is very reasonable, I think.


( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )

Thoughts on the Wicker Man

From Friday to Saturday, I underwent the vigil to become an official "folk" of Muin Mound Grove along with Candee.  What this means is that, along with having a history of attending the grove and a good relationship with everyone there, I am taking on more responsibility.  If need be, I could be asked to lead a significant part of a ritual.  I'm expected to do more for the grove.  It's really exciting for me.  I love everyone there and I'm proud to be a part of it.   I want to do more for my Grovies of my religion in general.

Muin Mound has various traditions that are part of becoming a folk.  Along with staying up until just after sunrise, we made Muin Mound pins to wear at ritual, underwent a long guided meditation, participated in a ritual, were formally welcomed during the main worship service, and watched the Wicker Man.

Now, I'd never seen the Wicker Man before.  It's not the sort of film my parents would have had around the house.  It also has the reputation as a horror film and, for all my recent posts about ghosts and zombies, I don't often watch such things.  When I found out what becoming a folk entailed, I decided to put off watching it until my vigil.

Why is the Wicker Man part of our vigil tradition?  Well, it's a hugely popular movie in the Neo-Pagan community.  Everyone seems to rave about it.  Groups are even organizing Rocky Horror-like parties where people watch the movie and sing along to the beautiful songs.  I suppose we watch it because it's become such a huge part of our Pagan culture and to become so involved in said culture is to experience its art*.

So what did I think of it?

Let me just get it out right now and say that I didn't enjoy the end.  If you've never seen the movie, look away right now.  Did the uninitiated leave?  Ok, good.  Now, the movie is called The Wicker Man because, at the end, the investigator, who also happens to be a virgin Christian, is sacrificed to the Gods by being burned alive (along with various animals) to ensure the fertility of the land.  The residents of the all-Pagan island of Summer Isle, known for their apples, had a poor harvest the year before and wanted to give a really large sacrifice to aid them.  Now, I always knew this was going to happen because of the movie's reputation and my background knowledge.  Julius Caesar wrote about the Gauls use of wicker men but, other than that literary blurb, no other evidence for the practice exists.  We know that the Celts did sacrifice people and animals, but the wicker man method was either incredibly rare, a one-time event, or a rumor that Caesar noted/created.

The film, over all, did not meet my definition of a horror film.  It simply did not "horrify" me until the very end.  I'm sure it's more horrible to Christians who are easily offended by nudity, sex, and polytheism.  I spent most of the film giggling at the protagonist's discomfort (or growling at his rudeness) and wishing that I lived on an island of Pagans.

And this brings me to why I didn't like the end.  As stated, I know our ancestors sacrificed animals and people to the Gods.  I don't feel that we have to do that any more.  Our society has evolved and, while I know some people still maintain such practices, I feel that we are in an age that requires less killing and destruction. We ravage our environment enough.  We kill too many factory farmed animals.  We have too many hungry humans in the world to justify killing animals to use up other important resources like grain and water.  Human sacrifice is now murder and animal sacrifice is now arguably unsustainable.  A better sacrifice to the Gods in this day and age would be to give up something you worked hard on, or, better yet, an environmentally damaging practice that is convenient to you (I could do more of this).  There's also giving up time for community service.  There are many types of sacrifice and all are appropriate, in my opinion.  If you really feel that the Gods desire blood, put a razor to your own fingers.  If you must offer an animal, buy an animal to feed an unfortunate family in the name of your Gods.

Some people giggle at the sacrifice of the Christian at the end.  Me...  I was uncomfortable with it.  In the modern sense, it was a murder.  The Pagans of Summer Isle claim that he was a willing sacrifice because he came to the island by his own free will, but that isn't so.  They tricked him and then sabotaged his means of escape.  I worry that many Pagans love the film because of their own bitterness towards Christianity.  As much as the religion makes me uncomfortable, I know too many good Christian people.

Now, I know that most Pagans wouldn't dream of doing an actual wicker man.  Most are level-headed enough to know that such practices are best left to ancient history.  Hopefully most are aware that The Wicker Man is fictitious and that modern groups just don't do that (knock on wood).**  After watching it with some of my grove mates, we had a brief conversation about how it was fictitious.  I think the key to Pagans watching and enjoying the movie is that it must be followed by discussion because it can be educational and inspirational.  When showing it to new Pagans or the highly impressionable, it should be prefaced in some way so as to cushion the blow.

Ending aside, I actually really liked the movie.  A level-headed person should know that it's all fiction and that it's not an accurate portrayal of modern Pagans (Are any movies?).  The music was beautiful.  I was familiar with a majority of it.  Damh the Bard does an excellent cover of "Gently Johnny," and Mediaeval Baebes produced a playfully melodic "Maypole Song."  Also present was the traditional "Sumer is a Cummin In" that I so loved from MVPN's Beltaine rituals.



Mediaeval Baebes' "Summer Isle (The Maypole Song)."


In the end, and after a night to think about it, I really did enjoy "The Wicker Man."  The ending made me uncomfortable, but that is the point of horror films, I suppose.  Even though the movie wasn't much of a horror film otherwise, it gave me something to reflect upon.  "The Wicker Man" can be a useful educational tool, is fun to watch as a fictional piece***, and has a lovely soundtrack.  I think I would like to add it to my DVD collection.

*I say this is Pagan art because I've read that the crew consulted with Pagans for ideas and traditions.


** My brain would explode if someone showed up for a Beltaine rite with an animal to put in a wicker man.  "But I thought that's what you guys did!"  Oh that would be so weird...


*** ...as opposed to a basis for practice or belief.

Cultural Appropriation: Yoga and Belly Dance

Despite the lazy spell I've been going through this week, I've recently become more health conscious than I ever was.  One of my new doctors (everyone is new since I'm so new to the North Country) had a short discussion with me about heart disease.  She looked over my family history, saw that it has occurred in my tribe, and wanted to emphasize what I could do now to try and prevent it down the road.  She validated my diet but encouraged me to exercise more.  I also know that my metabolism will not be what it is forever.  To stay healthy I need to become more active.

I was running (and intend to get back into that once my foot feels a little better), but my mainstays have been yoga (through the Wii fit) and belly dancing.  Now, between trying to develop a better spiritual grasp of vegetarianism and my growing interest in yoga, I've started to read more about Hinduism and Jainism.  How timely, then, that today's Wild Hunt post is about how yoga is Hindu.  Now, I already knew this, but the point of the post is that many people do not.  The dominant American culture has been stripping away the spiritual significance of yoga for years (hence Wii Fit yoga!...er, I guess that's Japan's fault...).  This is nothing new.  The Pagan community is well aware of the term "White Indian" and the negative consequences associated with it.  Is the same thing happening with Hindu practices?

One could argue the same thing about belly dancing.  Many in America have embraced it as a workout.  To others, it's viewed as a burlesque dance.  The history of belly dance seems to be part mythology - it's so hard to figure out exactly where it came from and why.  A popular belief I've is that it was developed by women for women; mothers would pick out wives for their sons based on birthing shape.  Whatever the true origin, you cannot remove the Middle Eastern heritage of belly dance.

This brings me to a new spiritual quandary: how can I practice yoga, belly dancing, and Druidism while being respectful of each practice/history?  I know I'm not the only one dealing with these issues.  In the end, I think the key is, as the linked article relates,  to be respectful and mindful of the heritage of a certain practice.  Try to learn about its roots, engage in the community, or at least give credit where it is due.

What do you think?


[ For my LJ friends, please visit me at: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ ]

Pagans and the Concept of Evil

Ian Corrigan of ADF posted a fascinating and, I think, well-written essay on the concept of evil within Paganism.  It makes a lot of sense to me and I think it's worth the read.  It's pretty much what I think about "evil" but better than anything I could write on the subject. ;)

[ For my LJ friends, please visit me at: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ ]

This book sounds really interesting!

It's called God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter by Stephen Prothero.  I love "The Wild Hunt" for introducing me to it and I can't wait to read it!   The author apparently argues that lumping all religions together as paths to the same God is "naive" and potentially dangerous.

The book has left out many 'Pagan' religions but, according to Jason Pitzl-Waters:

So if god is not one, how many gods are there? Prothero’s polytheism doesn’t go that route. He instead explores eight different “great” world religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Yoruba, Confucianism, and Hindusim), their conceptions of god, what they see as the primary problem with the world, and how they approach solving that problem (for example, in Buddhism the problem is suffering and the solution is awakening). It’s an interesting way of approaching the subject, and I look forward to seeing how Prothero presents it.

Here's a video of the author discussing the book.

Another book to read (plus some personal thoughts on polytheism)

The third book I ordered for Magic 1 arrived yesterday!  It's called Practical Magic in the Northern Tradition by Nigel Pennick whom you may remember is the co-author of A History of Pagan Europe along with Prudence Jones.  Having thoroughly enjoyed A History, I couldn't wait to start it.  Yay for reading three books simultaneously!  I feel like I'm back in college.  I haven't progressed very far in Practical Magic, and a lot of it has been review, but I'm enjoying it all the same.  I've even learned a few new things.

Pennick is what many would call a "soft polytheist."*  He makes a lot of generalizations about the similarities between cultures, which sometimes annoys me, but he also points out their unique differences as well.  In the introduction he says "...what is important is the essence, not the form, and that while the corresponding deity of another culture may have a considerably different form, its essence is the same"(12).  I must be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with soft polytheism.  Some days it makes a bit of sense, while others it seems too simplistic given the remarkable diversity of the universe.**  All the same, I have a lot of respect for Pennick as a writer and researcher and look forward to learning more from him!





*"All gods are one God, and all goddesses are one Goddess, and there is one Initiator." - Dion Fortune.


** When it comes down to it, I'm more of an agnostic hard polytheist pantheist.  My experiences, as well as the lore I am most drawn to, lead me to believe in many, individual beings.  I have to be a bit agnostic because who really, really knows how the universe works?  The pantheist bit comes from my belief that, even if there are multiple deities, there exists a ubiquitous, unifying energy.  Based on my own experiences, observations, and studies, this energy is very powerful as far as creation and destruction go, but has no consciousness as we experience it.  It's just energy/chi/magic/the Force, and it moves through us and the Kindreds.  My belief is that some beings have more access to and/or understanding of this force, hence the power of deities compared to us.

I often wonder this about my Catholic family members...

Folkish Heathenism vs All of Pagandom?

Having worked with many wonderful Pagans in an open network/group, I've experienced the frustration, sometimes even disgust, with other Pagan paths/traditions.  I've also experienced the mental and social reconciliation that can happen when two people who believe very differently can come together, learn, and make something beautiful like a ritual or even a lasting friendship.

In MVPN down in Utica, there was always a huge lack of Heathens.  We had one come during a meet and greet (I was not lucky enough to make his acquaintance) but he never returned.  He was looking for others like him and not the Wiccans that were present.  My friend Parallax worships Heathen deities but I'm not 100% sure if she calls herself a Heathen.  She practices through an ADF context, as do other would-be Heathens who take issue with Asatru's folkish (sometimes racist) stance.

Jason Pitzl-Waters, author of "The Wild Hunt" blog, steps up and questions the often deliberate distance placed between "us" (All of Pagandom) and "them" (the "traditional" Heathens) in his entry entitled "Asatru and the Alternative Right."  The whole she-bang is definitely worth reading, but the best bit is the final paragraph:

In the end it comes down to this. I don’t have to like all Pagans, I certainly don’t have to practice with all Pagans, and I’m long over the notion of any sort of real “Pagan Unity” ever being feasible, but a broader idea of solidarity is important if we are to capitalize and build on the legal, political, and social gains we have made. When we trash each other to impress other groups or individuals, we don’t damage the integrity or utility of those other religions and traditions, but we do harm the vital solidarity necessary to get the things we all want. This doesn’t mean you can’t draw distinctions or even civilly criticize paths different from your own, but when folks start implying that you shouldn’t be in the larger movement, that’s counter-productive and drains enthusiasm from the activists working for the rights of all Pagans.

Jason is brave to stand up for everyone, and I applaud him for doing so.  At the same time, we need to remember that not all self-described Heathens are like that.  It's unfortunate that many Heathens have ostracized its more liberal members - the ones who see beyond skin color and country of origin.  Thankfully they have a home in Ár nDraíocht Féin  and the larger Pagan community.  We have our differences, but we need to stand together for our rights.

Worst Movies and Shows Depicting Witches and Pagans

Gus diZerega, Pagan blogger on Beliefnet, posted a list* of what his readers believe to be the worst cinematic (or television) portrayals of Pagans - specifically the much maligned witch.  It was an interesting read.  "Hocus Pocus" was one of the top worst offenders.  Although I completely agree with the argument, it's still a favorite movie of mine.  I love the singing and the over-the-top witches.  It's just a fun story.

I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to see the original (or the remake) of "The Wicker Man."  I'm saving that for Muin Mound.  Apparently it's a tradition to watch it after initiation into the grove!  I've also yet to see "The Craft."  My hubby owns it, so one of these days...  I never really got into "Buffy", mostly because I didn't have cable.  Someone commented about the character Willow and how she was "dismissive of Wiccans as: 'Bunch of wanna blessed be's. Nowadays every girl with a henna tattoo and a spice rack thinks she's a sister to the dark ones.'"  Yes it's a fictitious story, and real magic as we know it is not so spectacular on the movie screen, but it's annoying all the same.  And really, 'the dark ones'?  Give me a break!  I tend to write off anyone who uses that sort of ignorant, goth-tinted language.    I've never seen "Charmed," however I must say I'm always extremely annoyed when someone sees my triquetra tattoo or necklace and thinks I'm a fan, as if the symbol came from the show!  




At the same time, one has to have a sense of humor.  Like I said, "Hocus Pocus" remains a favorite of mine, in part because it is so over the top and makes no references to Wiccans or people who actually practice Paganism.  There's also a wicked little part of me that thinks, if I was going to be some sort of supernatural bad girl, I'd want to be like that. **  And how many Christians find various church-bashing Monty Python skits hilarious?  Most can't help but crack a grin because there is a grain of truth there.  Perhaps it's the same with negative Pagan portrayals.  The characters represent what some in our community have deluded themselves into thinking is real or possible because they have no concept of reality in this plane/dimension/world/existence.  Some Pagans are, for lack of a better term, bat shit crazy.  Some really do see the world through purely dark or purely sparkly white lenses.


So what do you think are some of the best portrayals of Paganism in modern entertainment?  For my readers who are not Pagan, what are the best and worst portrayals of your religion?

*For my lj friends: http://blog.beliefnet.com/apagansblog/2010/03/the-worst-movie-depicting-witches-and-other-pagans.html

** For the record, I don't really want to be that way.  I'm just saying.  It would be cool to (temporarily) change people into cats though.

Visiting for Easter

My parents want to visit next weekend!  I'm very happy and excited to see them, but the situation makes me laugh.  They were talking about going out to eat somewhere but I suggested making dinner.

"But it's Easter!  We don't want you to have to work."

Oh, my silly if well-meaning parents.  I explained, for the millionth time, that I don't celebrate Easter and that I wouldn't mind making them a nice dinner so that they don't have to work or spend lots of money on their special holiday.  They deserve it and I've been meaning to make them a nice dinner since moving up here!  We have a Cracker Barrel in Watertown and, ever since discovering it, my mum has been addicted to visiting us and going there for dinner.

As some of you know I've recently given up dairy, making me an ovo vegetarian.  I'm trying to eat more local when it's available, so I'm only eating eggs from local farmers I trust.  In other words, when eating out, I'll be a vegan.  My mother is concerned I won't get enough protein so I'm excited to show her what I can do.  My father is surprisingly more supportive.  Although not a vegetarian, he's been trying to give up/limit his dairy for various reasons.

One of my new favorite things to make is shepherds pie.  I make it just about every week using a haul of root veggies from Doxtater's Farners Market and a mix of peas, mushrooms and, occasionally, tofu.  Recently I've been favoring the mushrooms in this recipe.  I think that will be the main dish, along with some homemade bread and some sort of green.  Maybe a few deviled eggs to celebrate the spring.  I'm not sure about dessert yet...  I have some frozen strawberries so maybe I could do something with them.  Hmmm...maybe pound cake with strawberries?

Where would we be without our freezers?  Seriously, I feel so dependent on that and my refrigerator.  This summer, I really want to do more canning and, maybe, get a dehydrator.  My soon-to-be brother-in-law has one and it works amazingly well.  When I think about how my ancestors kept their food, it's really amazing to me, and I can understand why spring and summer were so celebrated.

So what about you, dear readers?  Do you have Christian family members celebrating Easter?  Are they including you in their celebration?

Right Hand vs. Left Hand Path?

Ian Corrigan, accomplished ADF Druid and erudite occultist, just posted a fantastic blog entry * about the so-called right hand and left hand paths.  He examines where the modern, Western notion probably came from, what the unadulterated concept means/meant, and how such an idea doesn't work well with a lot of polytheistic belief systems.  It's a spectacular read if you're interested!


* For my lj friends: http://intothemound.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-im-not-right-hand-path.html

It's that time of year again!

When I was a jaded high schooler, newly converted from Catholicism to "Wicca,"*  I didn't have a good understanding of ancient or medieval history.  I knew quite a bit about American history thanks to years and years of emphasis in school, but otherwise...  I knew a bit about feudalism, I knew that the Egyptians were some sort of polytheists who built the pyramids and believed in an afterlife, and I had a vague idea that the Druids were from Ireland.  For years after, even into my earliest Druidic studies, I was convinced that St. Patrick's Day was a crappy holiday because it celebrated how mean old St. Patrick kicked the Druids (aka The Snakes) out of Ireland.

Fast forward to the last ... oh, year and a half.  My interest in Druidism has grown so that it's an incredibly important part of my life.  I read about it a lot.  Inspired by Celtic Reconstructionist methodologies, I read history book after history book, even the dry ones, to obtain a greater understanding of my ancestors and the culture I feel most inspired by.  It is impossible for me to wag my finger at St. Patrick after reading as much as I have.  I'm not alone in this revelation.  Several Pagan bloggers have been discussing their feelings and understandings of the holiday.  To make a long story short, St. Patrick has been framed.  He's a scapegoat among the Pagan community - a largely innocent Christian victim to our community's "Waaaa, you stole my toy!" attitude.**

In other words, I have less of a "bah humbug" attitude about St. Patrick's Day.  A couple years ago, a friend of mine (I swear, I think it was one of my sister-in-laws), who is neither Pagan nor Christian, told me that she prefers to celebrate St. Patrick's day in the spirit of her Irish ancestry.  I've come to feel similarly, especially when considering what my immigrant ancestors went through.  I come from a proud, strong, spiritual, creative, and tenacious people.  I am honored to have Irish blood flowing through my veins.

That said, St. Patrick's Day cannot escape my criticism entirely.  Although I don't get very "into" St. Patrick's Day,***  I'm not against celebrating my culture.  I also recognize that many minority groups join in because the Irish are, more or less, a success story in America.  Although they were persecuted and abused, they climbed the social ladder and many of us are successful and happy today thanks to their efforts****.  However, the celebration is just way, way too commercial.  There are too many crappy, plastic trinkets that end up in garbage limbo, too many styrofoam shamrocks, too many greasy attempts at Irish food, and too much ignorant debauchery.  I use such language because it's true!  I love a good drink and a reason to party, but on St. Patrick's Day, at least I know what the hell I'm celebrating.  It's unfortunate how many Irish wannabes and, even worse, Irish descendants haven't a clue what their ancestors went through.  Worse yet, most don't care.  They just like the excuse to drink.  The only reason St. Patrick's Day continues to thrive is, in my opinion, because of its association to booze.  Why do you think St. Joseph's Day isn't a big deal in the States?  Why is Cinco de Mayo a hit  but Chinese New Year isn't?  It's the booze.  The ignorant masses just want to drink.  Any excuse.  If you asked them what they were celebrating and why, I bet they wouldn't be able to explain.  Bah humbug to that!

So roll on my Irish loving friends!  Have a fun (responsible) time but remember what the day is about.  Sláinte!





*I put Wicca in quotations because I'm coming to the conclusion that, while I read about it and attempted to practice Wiccan liturgy, I wasn't really a Wiccan.  This has nothing to do with initiation or anything.  I simply wasn't living a Wiccan life.  I called myself one, but I was more akin to a Catholic who rarely prays and only goes to church on Easter.  I should expand on this in a future entry...

**It's obviously more complicated than this.  There are other stories the Patrick myth has grown out of, and people do love to perpetuate falsities or hyperboles.

*** It's still a Catholic holiday and has a history of solemnity in Ireland.  I'm not Catholic, don't care to celebrate the St. much, and prefer to let Catholics do their thing in peace.

**** Before anyone points this out, yes I'm aware this was facilitated by skin color.

No religious expression by students in school?

The story about Guthrie Center's industrial arts teacher, Dale Halferty, and his refusal to allow a student to make a Wiccan altar in shop class is really irking me.  I wholeheartedly agree that a teacher should not promote his or her religion in school, but that students have every right to express their religion in nonviolent ways.  They should be allowed to write about loving Jesus at Christmas time, to wear head scarves, and to construct small Wiccan altars at shop class if all the students are given free reign to create something useful.  In my professional opinion, school is the first place where children are introduced to other ways of being.  It should be a safe place for self-expression and the exploration of diversity.  I wonder what would have happened in my old school district  had I tried to do something like that.  Oh wait, I did!  In web design, I made a website about tarot cards.  In 11th grade English class, I did a presentation on the tools of modern witches to go along with our exploration of The Crucible.  My senior project was about Runes.  Any teacher that became aware of my beliefs was respectful and even interested in it.  I'm glad to hear that the superintendent for this other school, Steve Smith, is supporting the Wiccan student's right to religious expression.

Halferty's argument, that if Christians can't express themselves, Wiccans shouldn't, is bogus.  Most schools I know of allow Christian students to form after school bible study groups, to pray around the flag before school starts, and to wear crosses.  They even have that "under God" statement that remains in our Pledge of Allegiance!  Give me a break.

When I was in shop class, back in 7th or 8th grade, the big project was to make an analogue clock.  We all got to choose a face for our clock out of a catalogue.  Were there crosses?  Oh you betcha.  Were there pentacles, triquetras, Thor hammers, Brighid crosses, Stars of David, Buddha's hands, script from the Koran, or any other religious symbol?  Of course not.

On the Vital Importance of Pagan Community

Jason Pitzl-Waters from Wild Hunt posted a fascinating and alarming blog entry today about an evangelical  Christian group called Repent Amarillo and their bullying tactics against anything they perceive to be immoral, including Paganism. *  This is very frightening to someone living in a predominantly rural setting with, in my opinion, limited safe havens for liberals.  I'm surrounded by Christian churches.  Right now, they seem more welcoming and peaceful than anything else, but there's always that fear of what they would do if they knew about my beliefs.  What could I do to protect myself?

Jason writes:

That doesn’t mean we need to out-militant them, but it does mean that Pagan communities, especially small and vulnerable Pagan communities, need to prepare for the coming storm. They need to come out of the “broom closet” now to their employers and family before they are outed by these “soldiers”, they need to be prepared when the faux-military trucks and loud-speakers roll up to their events, they need to know the law and how to use it, and they need to be ready to network with the larger Pagan community and other sympathetic minority faiths so we can get the word out, show solidarity, give aid, and withstand these bully tactics. They may have come for the swingers first, but if we show no shame, and stand up, it can end with the Pagans.

At the moment, I stand with one foot in and out of the "broom closet."  I'm very open with close friends and family.  I was very open in college and where I used to work.  In my current field I'm extremely reluctant to confide this side of me in anyone.  I'm lucky enough not to be the only vegetarian at work, but I don't want to tempt alienation anymore after such a short time there.   (For the record, my diet has not alienated me, but it was something I kept to myself until I learned of the other.)  I suppose, if I were faced by the "coming storm," I would have to first research and make certain my boss and HR people weren't involved with any such militant organization.  Then I would probably request a small meeting with my boss, HR, and even mentor to let them know what I am and that I want to be up front and protected.  I would hope that my actions now would speak volumes about who I am and that an added label wouldn't damage my reputation.

In the meantime, I'm not going to go into a panic about it.  Everyone I've met is, for the most part, a wonderful, welcoming, helpful person.  Barely anyone has even attempted to discuss religion with me, and when they do it's fleeting - what kind of wedding they plan, etc.  At the moment, I'm not worried.

That said, I do wholeheartedly agree with Jason about networking.  The Pagan community is fractured and it is such a weakness in these instances.  We've been able to put aside differences and work together to get pentacle headstones and throw lovely Pagan Pride Days...  But thats only the start.  It's what I'm hoping to get going in NY State with the transitioning MVPN.  I would love to see the forum become more of a networking site for Pagans all over upstate NY.  We need to come together as a community instead of wallowing in our perceived isolation.  We need to have bonds so that, if we ever get negative press, we have solidarity.  We need to know who in our community are lawyers, cops, and politicians.  We need to know who we can turn to and what their reputation is from the get-go.  We need physical meet ups to feel comfortable.

So those are just some thoughts.  As always, thanks again to Jason for a thought-provoking and informative article.

*http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/03/first-they-came-for-the-swingers.html

"A future I'd like to stick around for."

Our old friend Jason posted about a recent study by the Pew Forum. This one zeroes in on "Millenials"- people who "came of age" in or around the year 2000. So...people like me!

It looks as if Millenials are less religiously affiliated than those who came before. We're also more tolerant of homosexuality and evolution. I encourage you to look at the rest of the study.

According to Jason of the "Wild Hunt":

What does it all mean? It could certainly mean a more tolerant world, as an overwhelming majority of this generation believe there is more than “one true way”, and that the Bible isn’t the literal word of God. Less than half even believe that religion is important. Millenials, along with Generation X, represent a sea-change in attitudes that have so bitterly divided previous generations. A “post-Christian” future, one where Christianity is only one voice among many, seems ever more likely. A world where religion may be female-dominated and largely private. Sounds like a future I’d like to stick around for.

Me too.

What makes the full moon so special?

I have a lot of friends who are skeptical of "energy" as is seen by Pagans. This is fine and I encourage questions because it forces me to think and reevaluate my spirituality. Let's face it - sometimes things are a matter of faith and that's that. Someone experiences unverified personal gnosis and it's his/her word against yours. End of story. But there are also plenty of times when spiritual people have to be open to scientific explanations. Science won't necessarily devalue what you believe, either. In fact, I often feel quite the opposite and I don't understand why more religious people and scientists can't reconcile. For me, science and religion are two sides of the same coin. Someone once said that science answers the how and religion can answer the why or the who. I'm not arguing that one is better than the other or that people from both schools should accept that wholesale ... but really. I think most cases, like creationism and evolution, can be viewed as two sides of the same coin.

ANYWAY.

Today I thought a bit about the moon, particularly the full moon. I always notice the big, beautiful moon in the sky. It invigorates me, comforts me, and inspires me. Could it be, scientifically speaking, that the light given off by the moon not only pleases us for psychological reasons (light helps us see in the dark and avoid danger), but also for physical reasons? The sun's rays are reflecting off the moon onto Earth. Does it also reflect vitamin D? Does it trick us into feeling somehow more awake and that's why I often want to dance when I see a full moon?