34 posts tagged “pagan”

Or not.  But as I was sitting here, wondering how the hell I was going to scrape up the cash to drive to Army this weekend (and back again, the back again part was really stressing me out), my sister calls and offers me $50 to fix her machine.  Seeing as how I am still jobless, I've certainly got the time for that.  HIP HIP HOORAY (or something). 

The new moon can't come soon enough.  I need to work some serious mojo for my future prosperity this month.  What better time to do that than during the harvest?

Anyone seen the latest issue of PanGaia at their local bookstore?  Raymond Buckland is on the cover, and his interview was interesting, but the entire issue's focus on secrecy, mystery and "Words of Power" was fascinating.

What did you think?

I stopped at the giant Borders near the optometrist last week and found a few bargains I could not pass up.  The bigger stores have a better selection in this category, so I always check it out. 

The Handy Religion Answer Book (Handy Answer Books)

Pop! Goes The Witch: The Disinformation Guide to 21st Century Witchcraft

I find this pagan shop site to be interesting, and I take advantage of the sales when I can, depending on what's in stock.  So I thought I'd share the latest email-sales with everyone here.

Here's an early May Day gift for our MEMBERS ONLY (Join the email list!):

Buy 1 WACKYJAC gift, Get 1 FREE! and All OVERSTOCK items only $3.

http://www.wackyjac.com

Sale ends Beltane, May 1st 2007.

Buy any non-Overstock item, and get another one like it free. For example, buy 1 tee and get another (any design, any size) FREE!. Buy 1 tote, get 1 free. And, so on. And, so on. This goes for items already 20% off from our Witchy Spring Sale . Whoa! Specify free item size and style in comments field.

Buy any Overstock item for only $3 each.

Overstock price will be manually adjusted after you order and will appear on your packing slip. (The sale price won't appear on your email order confirmation).

To qualify for this bloomin' sale pricing, (sign up for the email newsletter, if you don't get the code, forward the confirmation email to me, then I'll share the code with ya)

Order now for prompt delivery!

Blessed Be!

WACKYJAC

One of my great friends posted something interesting last Saturday about St. Patrick's Day, something that made me pause and think.  (No flames allowed!)

"Today is a sad day. Today is not a day to celebrate. Today is not a day to drink, get shitty, puke, all under the guise of celebrating a man. One who condoned genocide."

I really don't agree with her sentiments, at least not all of them.  And because I didn't want to spam her journal, I saved the bulk for right here. 

I totally agree that St. Patrick should not be a celebrated hero (we're still trying to deal with the realities of Columbus, let alone Patrick).  But I also do not believe that America's St. Patrick festival, or at least the one that I celebrate in Chicago, has *anything* to do with that historical figure.  Which is why I feel completely free in celebrating it.  It actually is more a Spring Equinox bacchanal-like celebration for me.

But back to history and my own thoughts.. If we were to study history in great great detail, we would find it very difficult to find joy at any time of the year.  I agree that history has lessons that we must learn from, and I am *not* a fan of re-writing history, but I guess I also feel it is unhealthy to dwell, and unhelpful to ram down the throats of the idiotic Xtians their horrible history if they don't want to listen.  I have hope that they will eventually learn more of the truth of St. Patrick, and come to appreciate that their hero is my villain. 

March 17th definitely had a period of quiet and a period of discussion on the historical basis of it.  But then it was on with Spring Celebration, for me.  

Wow. Just, really, wow.  I wish I was in SF, CA.  Because of this, as posted by T. Thorn Coyle on her LJ:

What Are We Reclaiming? An Afternoon Salon

Join us in an afternoon salon in which we invoke the questioning attitude in
regards to Reclaiming. Is Reclaiming a tradition, a community, a network, a
cult, or all of the above? Does simply calling yourself a Reclaiming Witch
and saying you embrace the principles of unity make you a Reclaiming Witch?
What does it mean to embrace the principles of unity? What happens when
individuals and communities disagree on what that means? Reclaiming has
been around over two decades. Has some of what we set out to reclaim been
accomplished? If so, what is the intent of Reclaiming now?

Who we are: The Independent Craft Teachers, otherwise known as The Good Hair
Guild, consists of M. Macha NightMare, Fern Feto Spring, Dawn Isidora, Deborah
Oak Cooper, T. Thorn Coyle, Medusa, and Anne Hill. We are seasoned Reclaiming
and Feri priestesses devoted to examining and reflecting on our theology and
how it is practiced.

When: Sunday, March 25th, from 1pm to 4pm

Cost: Somewhere above thirteen dollars. The money goes towards sending
ICT/GHG representatives to witchcamp spokescouncil and perhaps the next
gathering of Dandelion or BIRCH. We also hope to raise money to put on a
Dinner for the Dead at Samhain and will be doing other salons thru the year.

Where: Mission District, San Francisco

Please call 415-647-7916 to reserve a spot at the salon or email Deborah Oak
at deborahoak@gmail.com. Space is limited

1. What religion or spiritual tradition do you follow? Wicca is a foundation, but I'm an eclectic and solitary Pagan, with a secret love for Buddhism and an interest in Asatru and germanic Heathenism thanks to my geneology research.

2. Geographic location (not "earth/the universe"): Chicago, IL, USA

3. Coven or solitary? Clergy? Solitary.  If I claim any teacher, it would have to be my Non-sexual Life Partner who is my balance, and far more attuned to the spiritual than I am.  She's also more experienced and learned with Feri and Evolutionary Witchcraft as well.  We blend well.

4. Public or in the broom closet? Public. Even in the military, though I'm not very outspoken about it.

5. Are you active in your local pagan community? In what capacity?  Not really.  I try to visit Diana's Grove at least once a year.  And I feel compelled to seek out group works on the Solar quarters.  But aside from that I like beign solitary.

6. Personal web site (if you've got one): Too many to count.  valkyrierisen.typepad.com

7. Anything else you'd like us to know about you: nada

Amazing.  When I created my pagan group, there was nothing other than the all-purpose-tarot-astrology-occult group of 26 members.  Now, I do another search for pagan, and there are 2 others aside from my own.  One for explicitly Wiccan witches.  And the other, another, general pagan group.  Was it really necessary?  Did we have the same idea at the same time? 

Gads.  I'm annoyed and cynically unsurprised all at the same time.

1. What are your thoughts on what happens after you die?

From something I picked up about Socrates, Plato or Aristotle or someone (I really don't remember which), it became easy for me to view the soul or spirit as a piece of the great universal Spirit.  When the body dies, the spirit rejoins and mixes again with the rest of the Spirit.  In that way, the spirit is universal.  There are elements of Buddhist and Hindu thought regarding Atman incorporated in this.

2. Has this belief changed at some point in your life from a different theory? If so, how?

I'm sure I will be refining my ideas constantly until the moment I die.  Judgement of some sort, whether by my own standards or by a Divine Will for a destiny or purpose which I was supposed to enact or achieve, I'm not sure, but that feels like it is necessary in some way.

3. Do you belief in any sort of karma and reincarnation?

Yes I believe in reincarnation and karma, both, though not as essentially taught in Hindu theologies.  I like to think that one's spirit is separate from the body, but individuals in space and time are tied to both.  I, as I am right now, will never exist again exactly the same.  But I do believe that a combination of Spirit remarkably similar to what I am now may again be returned to physical reality.  It will not be me, but it will be similar.  And my past lives, if any, are really memories of those previous combinations of spirit that had the most in common with me. 

I'm hoping the members will help me give life to this community.  So, speak up, cross post, and let 'er rip.

I'm non-denominational for the most part, feel kindred to germanic paganism and asatru (sometimes), call myself Pagan.  I'm a busy college-student/military-chick so my time for personal spirituality is found in every-day rituals and my few spare moments of breathing in a sunset, walking home in the dark, rising early to see the sky change colors.

What about you?