Blurb

My spirit really wants to take a walk in the woods but my body is very much against it.  For starters, I had a long and wearisome work day.  Second, and most influential - it's dreadfully hot today.

I think it will be a good night for trance.  Maybe.  *crosses fingers*

It is also a good night to work on study programs and catch up with my mentoring and reviewing...

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

On the Evolution of Magic

I've been reading Magic in the Ancient World  by Fritz Graf.  While I'm not even halfway through, I'm learning a lot about magic in the Mediterranean world.  The concept changed throughout history, but there was always this concept of the "other" - the enemy or the outsiders - practicing malevolent magic.  Unless I am way off base, it seems that beneficial magic (like healing) was hardly considered magic at all because, for some time, magic was considered a practice apart from the official religion - and healing was endorsed (this became complicated when healing magic was differentiated from medical science). People who attempted to control the will of the Gods were argued to be atheists by some because they questioned the power of the Gods.  It's interesting how concepts change throughout time.

I'm not sure what to assume about the Celts in their many tribes.  We know the Druids and the common folk practiced magic of varying degrees, and yet there is still the concept of the horrible witch - the other apart from the Druid.  She (or he, I suppose) practiced wicked spells and was feared (but usually bested in the end).  Was this a carryover from Christian fear, another way to view deities of death and decay, or did the Celts categorize magic as good and bad; endorsed and prohibited?

Some people have this idea that the witch of ancient times was really once a respected wise woman or man.  That is true for some periods, but not all.  And the witches in the stories are not healers - they are quite the opposite!  Many in our communities today would also ostracize and perhaps even persecute someone who practiced magic for immoral reasons such as stealing another's property.  Thankfully, it seems most Pagans do not aim for such roles.  A normal person detests the wicked witches in the lore - lore that may be propaganda against the innocent practitioners of folk magic from an older, once endorsed religion.

When we look back at magic and how it has been perceived through the years, it is complicated and depends on the time and the place.  It also depends on who you talk to.  Magical history is not so cut and dry as some would have us believe.

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

Mmm...essential oils...

Today, Weretoad and I went to a craft show in Clayton sponsored by the Thousand Islands Art Center.  It was exquisite with high quality artisan crafts; probably the most diverse and interesting craft show I've ever seen - along with Utica's Indie Garage Sale.  Weretoad bought me a stained glass triquetra.  I bought tea tree and fir essential oils and a foot scrubber from Harmony All Natural Soaps and Oils.  I'm running low on oils lately.  I like to use them as offerings to spirits and for certain magical workings.  I very nearly bought juniper berry oil as Northern Europeans burned juniper as incense and I've found it to be very effective in my rites.  I decided to go with fir needle instead because I recently made (and have been using) juniper smudge sticks and I've never had fir oil before.  I rather like it and think it will be excellent for working with local nature spirits.


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

More Crafty Goodness

 Here's my first attempt at an amigarumi Earth Mother/fertility Goddess.  I used blue and green yarn to represent earth and sea.  In retrospect I wish I had finished with a darker blue - then it could have been from the top down sky, earth, and sea - the sacred realms of Druidism.  The Autumn Equinox is coming up and I'm thinking of making one in harvest colors for a sacrifice.

And finally, what you've all been waiting for - another tree spirit!  Here she is - a lovely little apple tree.  She was made with recycled felt and stuffing.  Her eyes are plastic beads but the apples are red stones.  She has a wire armature and is definitely not for children.  Weretoad claims that she looks more mature than the first tree I made.  I'll have to photograph them together sometime and get opinions on that!

I'm already working on a third tree.  I emailed Skip today about ADF consignment and whether or not he needs any help getting things on the site because I'd really love to sell these guys through ADF.  I'm planning to make a simpler and more complicated variation so I can vary the price a bit.


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

Gifts from the Nature Spirits

I took an overdue walk in the forest today.  My bronchitis and some severe rain kept me inside for a week or so.  I couldn't resist the pull any longer.  It was raining a bit today, but not enough to soak me to the bone and obscure my vision.  It was rather atmospheric actually.  In the forest, the rain hardly got through the leaves. It was like a percussive mist.

I gave an offering to the local spirits and spoke a bit to them.  I apologized for being away so long and declared how much I longed to visit.  From that moment it was one gift/lesson after another.  It started with the discovery of tiny bones near the shrine.  At first I thought they were from a bird because they looked so light.  Many of them were cracked, but some were still attached to their hinges.  I moved a tiny bone in its socket and thought of my own body.  I followed the trail, and eventually found the skull at left.  It was some sort of rodent but I'm not sure what kind.  Perhaps a chipmunk?  I thanked the spirit of the animal, for the discovery reminded me just how fragile life is.  I left the remaining bones for the mice and others to enjoy.

I found a few other things - some quartz fragments, a lovely white stone, orange jelly fungi, more jewelweed...  I even got to see a flash of deer leaping through the woods!

And then I found the specimen at right: the skull of a small carnivore, perhaps a fox.  I just happened upon it - a branch running through one of the eye sockets.  The rest of the body was nowhere to be found save the left canine tooth.  "What are you?" I asked aloud.  "How did you get here?  Where is the rest of you?  ...How did you die?"  What a mystery life is.  These creatures had lives and then suddenly - death and decay.  The trees themselves know the secret to this creature's death but they will never give up the story.

I delighted in finding these skulls and took great care in gathering them.  I feel I was very respectful.  I must seem like a strange vegetarian collecting animal skulls, but I gathered them out of reverence and a desire to learn from them.  I'm bleaching them at the moment.  They will undoubtedly end up on an altar dedicated to the nature spirits.  

As my entry from earlier indicates, I do feel the absence of a strong human teacher in my life, but I am very lucky to be forming a closer bond with the Nature Spirits.  For a Druid, witch, or shaman, nature is the best if not only real teacher.


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

I wish I wish...

I had a wonderful experience in the forest earlier, and I will blog about that later - but for now I want to talk about something else.

For me, ADF satisfies three very important things - my desire to worship using reconstructionist models, my desire to be creative, and community.  I love these aspects of ADF and it's why I feel at home there.

But there are times where I find myself wanting more...  And I guess when I say more, I mean more community in the here and now.  I wish the grove was closer and I wish we met more often than on high days.  I know this would be terribly demanding in reality, but there are times when I feel like I could really benefit from a more hands-on teacher.  I read about traditional witches with their apprentices or very close-knit CR groups that practice trance, divination, and other folk magic together.  I try to do these things on my own but I so often feel like I'm afloat in a great big sea.  I have had significant trance experiences, including moments where Gods or a spirit guide help me out, but they are rare.  Often it is only myself.  In some ways, I suppose this is empowering.  I can forge my own paths without bending to the will of an elder, but that's very easy for a young whippersnapper like myself to rationalize.  I know I could gain much from an elder, but few seem spiritually/emotionally/physically available, especially when it comes to CR or CR oriented Druidism.

Anyway, these were just thoughts rolling around my head this afternoon.

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

Thoughts on the Esbat and Some Shopping

Today I attended an Esbat - the first in a couple years, I think.  It was put on by the local CUUPs chapter.  There weren't as many people there as there were last time, but still some familiar and new faces.  The ritual was very Wiccan, which isn't a problem, of course, but I've not been to anything like that since leaving Utica.  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect and the ritual wasn't briefed very well beforehand so there were some awkward moments.  We did get some energy flowing, which was fun.  We made some holy water for spells and consecrations which will be nice to have.  The ritual leader never lead us through a grounding which I believe helped trigger a headache.  I did some grounding when I returned home which helped. So...  all in all, pros and cons to the ritual.  I really liked getting to know people, working with others towards a magical goal, and seeing new ways of doing things, but I think they could plan it better.  In their defense, they did admit that they hadn't really planned well to begin with!  I do intend to keep going for now.  There was some good energy and the fellowship is nice.  

I also did some shopping today.  I bought some clothes, some art supplies to make more tree spirits, and the latest edition of Witches and Pagans.  I have a lot to keep me busy!


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