Wednesday, August 31, 2011

How do your deities let you know that they are there?







How about you guys?

Dealing with Family and Differing Religious Viewpoints?








Anyone dealt with this kind of thing in the past?

I would appreciate any insight at all.

Ways to Do Spells?

How would you guys do spells? I know some people do air spells such as taking a feather and using your hands and picture your intention going in the feather then relasing it into the wind. Does anyone have any easy ways they do spells?

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Are You a God-Slave? Will You Be?

In the book that I've been reading, I've stumbled upon the phrase "god-slave" which both intrigued me and worried me and disgusted me and terrified me. From what I have gathered, the terminology is similar to that of having a patron deity, however, instead of merely having this divine parent, so to speak, loving you and offering you encouragement from afar, you have literally dedicated your every waking second to the patron that has chosen you.

Let me reiterate:

You have completely dedicated your entire life to this god/dess that has chosen you.

At least... I think. I think that's the reasoning behind that terminology.

The reason I stumbled upon all of this confusing morass was because of Galina Krasskova, free range tribalist heathen and the article written on patheos that I've linked here. Specifically, she says:

Spiritual commitment is a very complex thing. I think that many of us come to Paganism and Heathenry not realizing that the Gods are quite real, and that once we enter into the process of devotion, They can sometimes ask for a very daunting level of commitment. I've noticed that for some folks, the Gods are a nice idea but it's a totally different matter when one encounters what scholar of religion Rudolf Otto called the "numinous tremendens et fascinans." We're conditioned in many ways to assume that spirituality should make us feel good, should not inconvenience us, should be about what we want to do, not what might be necessary. Too many times we think that we can control the process.

By consciously using the word "slave" (as Odin directed me to) it brings home the point that sometimes we don't get to do that. It's a troublesome term, but it implies a level of binding commitment more accurately than anything else I have come up with. Part of the problem that people have with the term stems from the terrible abuses inflicted by one group of people on another throughout history, but part of it comes from disrespect for service. I have seen the term "godservant" evoke almost as heated a response.

As to value and honor -- it is an honor to serve the Gods in whatever capacity They determine to be right and proper. There is immense value in knowing and accepting one's place, which in turn allows a person to truly shine. That is not something I think that we should be setting limits on. I think it's for the Gods to define the terms of the relationship and the terms of one's service. I am many things in my relationship to Odin and one of those things is His godatheow, perhaps the core note of my service. It is a very beautiful thing and terrifying and I wouldn't change it for the world, save to learn how to do it better.
I was just wondering... how do you guys feel about all of this?

Personally, I can see my relationship with Sekhmet heading in this direction. So far, she's been the distant parent coaxing me to live my life appropriately. So far, she's been there to pick me up when I'm down and to yell at me when I'm wrong and to give me encouragement when I need it most. That's where she is now: she's teaching me and letting me come to conclusions on my own and I think, at some point, she would enjoy having me become a god-slave.

Honestly, I don't think I'm at all ready for that level of commitment. All joking about commitment phobias aside, it's a really big step. It's ten times more serious, to me, than marrying the significant other that you love. It's thirty times more important than anything else that I could do on this plane of existence. To me, it's important, but I just... I can't even imagine giving of myself so completely to my Hubby. How can I get that way with Sekhmet?

If that is the direction that I am heading, and something inside of me is saying yes very clearly, then I think I have a long way to go before I get there. I'm excited at having something so clearly to look forward to but I'm also... leery. It's... so much. Just. So much.

Do your patron gods test you?

Reading this article today:

I've grown curious of this passage in particular




So my question is:


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Money Drawing Spells -- Opinions Please





Do Deities Care About People?



So, what do you all think? Do deities care?

Monday, August 22, 2011

Deity/Spirit Possession: Where Do You Stand?

I recently bought Drawing Down the Spirits... by Raven Kaldera and Kenaz Filan. Prior to this, I had never really thought about deity/spirit possessions before. I have been possessed by a deity before, but in regards to various pagan religions (from the African diaspora religions to the Neo-Pagan movement), I had never realized that the feelings on this are both strong and diverse.


How do you feel about possession? Where does it fall in your religion? Do you think it exists? If so, why? Do you think that those who have claimed to be possessed are crackpots? If so, why?

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Astrology & Jungian Archetypes






The twelve archetypes Pearson lists are:
- The Innocent
- The Everyperson (Every Guy/Every Gal)
- The Warrior*
- The Caregiver
- The Explorer
- The Lover
- The Revolutionary
- The Creator
- The Magician
- The Ruler
- The Sage
- The Jester


Love to hear your thoughts!

Friday, August 19, 2011

How do you picture the gods?




Partners and Paganism


The Craziest Thing Someone's Said About Your Tradition?

What's the craziest thing someone's said about your path? For Paganism in general...I'd say anything that can be found in a Chick tract. (My personal favourite is "Dark Dungeons"). For Vanatru, I've heard: "People say they're Vanatru just to get dates." (I've also heard the same thing said about Wiccans, in particular). IMHO, if you've joined a religion, any religion, to get dates, ur doin' it wrong.

How Do You Keep Your Records?

Just a question, how do you keep your records? How do you refer to it (Grimoire, BoS, etc.)? Do you use binders, folders, notebooks, custom-made books, etc.? Do you write it by hand or use computers? How long have you been working on this? Do you have more than one? Does it have any organization? How much would you say you have invested in it? What is contained within it? Do you (or would you) let another copy it/use it? I use an old fashioned three-ring binder with college-ruled, loose-leaf paper and sometimes printed materials. I call it a Grimoire (as that's what I was taught to call it). I do have organization, but I'm trying to separate things and begin using more than one three-ring binder, one for wortcunning, one for spells/rituals, one for meditations/dreams/visions, one for divinations, and one for Deity/Spirit workings/info. I've not been working at it long but I've had it in mind for a while. Also, I do try to write it by hand and then sometimes I will print something out to make it look nicer. I would not let someone copy or use it. I would give them the information they need and then go from there, but I would never let it pass into another's hands.

Favorite Tarot Deck

I know this was done on the old board, but it's interesting to see what everybody says. What's your favorite Tarot deck? Mine at the moment is The Robin Wood deck.

Ghost Experience? Just Out of Curiosity...

Okay, I'm just going to ask this question that has been dying to come out. Has anyone here got a ghost experience they would like to share? I've had an experience or two myself, and have gone through the I'm nuts/ maybe I'm not nuts/ I'm accepting my insanity now ordeal. I also love hearing these stories! So please, share!

Myths and lore about boars?

I've just had a vivid dream featuring a wild boar which could be eaten and grew back. (I know it sounds pretty weird.) So I'm looking for myths and lore about boars. I've found some Greek stuff at so far. Does anyone know more stories about boars? I think there must be some in Nordic and Celtic myths as well...

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Organizing Your Paraphernalia?

We all have items that we use (regularly or otherwise) that need organization. Herbs, crystals, gemstones, etc. I was just wondering how you organize all of these items?

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Familiars anyone?

Hearken back to the days when anyone who wasn't 'normal' was a witch. And said witches all had 'familiars' to do their bidding. If only that were so! I would love if my darling husky would clean up her own doggy stains. How do you feel about familiars? Do you think there is something to them, even if only an animal you feel connected to? Or do you think it's a bunch of silliness?Why? I'll start out. I don't think familiars exist in the sense of critters who are bound to a person and are forced to do their bidding. After all, animals have free will too. Although my pets listen to me, they choose to, and most of the time they choose to have selective hearing. I believe familiars exist in the sense of psychic connections. My pets are too stubborn and silly to be connected to me. They just like food and coddling. And socks. However, I've always felt a connection with crows, ever since they started nesting near my house. Since then, they've followed me everywhere, even to Texas. I'm not saying the same three are tracking me, that's silly, crows have their own agenda. It just seems they always nest nearby, and their cawing soothes me. I know it sounds crazy, and I try not to entertain the thought that I am oh so special and crows love me. I just feel they are here to teach me something. I don't know. Enough of my rambling, please, share your thoughts!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Honouring Irish Gods?



I was curious to see if anyone else ever felt intimidated to do a ritual for their gods/spirits/whatever, or otherwise call attention to yourself from such beings? How did you get over or around this? Maybe it's just my upbringing, or the things I've read, but I've always felt intimidated, even during in my Wicca stage. I was always afraid of messing something up, that I'd end up pissing someone off with why a dork like me was bothering them. >.< I always felt that contacting them, especially gods, was Serious Business and not something to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking only makes me nervous and more likely to screw up a speech. Any advice on this matter would be much appreciated!

Friday, August 05, 2011

What is your definition of doing magic (or energy work), and how do you do it?

How do you define making magic, and how do you accomplish it?

If you do energy work, do you feel anything or is it more of a belief that it works therefore it does kind of thing? and.. I hope this isn't going to make the thread too broad but, what methods do you like to use - visualization, dancing, drumming - and why does it work for you?

I'm curious, because I have ceased to use any tools, and even my attempts at using candle magic have left me feeling that something isn't clicking and so it does not work.
It seems my best tool is meditation/visualization of whatever I'm doing, which still doesn't necessarily click with me. So, in the end I am not sure if the fault lies in not choosing a method of working with energy that suits me, or if I simply don't know how to work with energy at all.

While TC has a huge selection of spells on hand, I know it doesn't work that way - going through the motions without anything behind them isn't going to work, just like reading a book in an unknown language isn't going to make you understand the book.

(Maybe I just haven't found it) I haven't really found much on how to center/ground or work with magical energy properly. How you know when you have centered/grounded, and how do you know if/when you can shape/direct your energy/will to what you want to do?

I thought maybe getting a variety of answers of others' experiences might help me identify what I'm doing right/wrong.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Southern Magic?

I was raised in the Southeastern United States, and if you have ever visited or anything, you know how unique it is down here! I've been looking for some time trying to research any Southern pagan rituals or spirituality. So far, nothing! I know much of the South is located in the Bible Belt, but maybe there's something out there? I'm not looking for Voodoo or anything, although I know that's the other biggest practice in the South. Well, if anyone has any information, please let me know! thank you so much!

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