tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53166611798037754332024-02-19T10:03:13.938-06:00Emerald and BlackAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-4199141001642149832015-08-17T08:09:00.001-05:002015-08-17T08:09:33.384-05:00The Ebb and FlowSome of you may have noticed how sparse my posting has been this year. I've been in kind of a weird place spiritually. Not a bad place, certainly... just a different one.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the focus of my practice is laser-sharp, sometimes not so much. And lately I've been in the "not so much" place. I don't really know how to describe it other than to say that it's been feeling kind of... open-ended? I still have my shrines, I still have my gods, my practice. I just feel like right now I don't need to keep up with the daily rituals, like I don't always need to be "on" in the way I was before. Unfortunately, a side-effect of this is that I don't really have the inspiration to keep up with this blog as much as I did before. But that's fine. If there's one thing I learned from my nearly two decades of being Pagan, it's that these things, for me at least, are always changing. It becomes center stage and then fades into the background. There's a lot of reasons these cycles occur, and this time it's because
I feel the need to focus on other things in my life at the moment. It has happened often enough for me to know that the cycle will come around again, and I'll be back in my Super Pagan headspace eventually.<br />
<br />
I'm telling you all of this just to let you know that I'm not going anywhere. This blog may remain somewhat silent for a while, but I have no intention of abandoning it. I'll be back in full force some day. I'm just not sure when.<br />
<br />
Until then, peace and senebty.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-4535850075189748952015-05-30T00:46:00.000-05:002015-05-30T00:46:52.299-05:00A River CeremonyLast weekend I got my spiritual on at the banks of the Mississippi. After the long winter, I was itching to get outside and reconnect my spirituality with nature. I managed to do this with a very simple offering ceremony. My beau and I went to a riverside park where we wrote some prayers and praises to the Netjeru. We then folded the paper into boats, which we filled with offerings of roses and coins...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FAOs8rmK-1ZDy98-Vkuno2PQBRaNPpk6DujZ348-DmyTmqp4yAxDyNjwp_4yF44sda7MICxoGvtM8f3BfXgGl3dhflsFRW-H9ZbXrbPL4UNz8STcUO1CvlVTCr1KcXfJ09VPzL6oWrg/s1600/P1010660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FAOs8rmK-1ZDy98-Vkuno2PQBRaNPpk6DujZ348-DmyTmqp4yAxDyNjwp_4yF44sda7MICxoGvtM8f3BfXgGl3dhflsFRW-H9ZbXrbPL4UNz8STcUO1CvlVTCr1KcXfJ09VPzL6oWrg/s320/P1010660.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGx1kmn6v1pqDzLJcWY30tcojJT4q0q_bgxWgKAan_Tb3stDB4k38W00kng_VrODwfmyxbsF09kQDVPbEtERVAZXFzQJhLihEZuXxmb0Gel73MJxf9rAcsJfZI92Ysp6nwfYZpfQKJ9M/s1600/P1010662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGx1kmn6v1pqDzLJcWY30tcojJT4q0q_bgxWgKAan_Tb3stDB4k38W00kng_VrODwfmyxbsF09kQDVPbEtERVAZXFzQJhLihEZuXxmb0Gel73MJxf9rAcsJfZI92Ysp6nwfYZpfQKJ9M/s320/P1010662.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
...And then I set the boats into the river, letting them drift off to carry our prayers and offerings to the Netjeru.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQPdvwQZnkoCD8yG3Xp-TOrDg0Ipv-ssBxUE2shLccrNH8FeNGx3r6gqBOZ1GrDTVJ7rBBzha9LsU6287xPPaGov3Ha22xYl26LZtz4tjMK4GCZEaktjki5X50ic2fyF68jM0KmPYapA/s1600/P1010666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQPdvwQZnkoCD8yG3Xp-TOrDg0Ipv-ssBxUE2shLccrNH8FeNGx3r6gqBOZ1GrDTVJ7rBBzha9LsU6287xPPaGov3Ha22xYl26LZtz4tjMK4GCZEaktjki5X50ic2fyF68jM0KmPYapA/s320/P1010666.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXuFivo4wHw16D_PSjrLBQAwS9dA0YUM5DbTq8uvwarjclALzGAKhaXysZ5AQOttg5FA3oJRNBvMTu9RoTlMUIL1s3TkKneKUwOfUNL3c9aPjfYmg3upKnompa6A7e5rpoKGhlSEDStw/s1600/P1010668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXuFivo4wHw16D_PSjrLBQAwS9dA0YUM5DbTq8uvwarjclALzGAKhaXysZ5AQOttg5FA3oJRNBvMTu9RoTlMUIL1s3TkKneKUwOfUNL3c9aPjfYmg3upKnompa6A7e5rpoKGhlSEDStw/s320/P1010668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Heka achieved!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-64555051182139968542015-04-15T10:04:00.000-05:002015-04-15T10:04:18.531-05:00The Colors of WepwawetPerhaps the biggest misconception about Wepwawet is that he is depicted as a white or grey jackal (or jackal-headed man), while Anubis is depicted as a black jackal (or jackal-headed man). Yet historically, Wepwawet and Anubis are <i>both </i>depicted as black jackals. I think the pervasiveness of this bit of misinformation comes from a desire to be able to clearly and easily differentiate between Wepy and Anubis. Convenient as it would be, a white/grey Wepwy just isn't true to his iconography. In the interest of clearing this up, I wanted to share something I saw on <a href="http://bigbadjackal.tumblr.com/post/88979179880" target="_blank">tumblr</a> forever and a half ago, which was originally written by Bezenwepwy. This particular post reads:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"First off, I am going to point out that the late Terence DuQuesne,
THE foremost expert on jackal deities, adamantly agreed with me that
Wepwawet was not depicted as a grey or white jackal. Claims of such have
very little basis in reality and for the most part seem to arise from
some all too common oversights and misunderstandings. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The biggest of these misunderstandings seems to be the depictions of
Wepwawet in the temple of Seti I in Abydos, where much of the relief
retains colour except for Wepwawet’s head. But it is very important to
stress that a colourless depiction does not equate to ‘white.’ It
equates only to what it is. The overall lack of surviving black paint at
that temple has been noted by scholars. From my reading, the fragility
and poor adherence of the black seems to have been caused by a reaction
between the pigment and the underlying plaster. This temple, along with
others, were also subjected to archeological squeezes, conducted during a
time when egyptologists didn’t really care that much about
preservation. The poor survival rate of black pigment when it comes to
temple reliefs isn’t just limited to Abydos either. And on those reliefs
where the pigment on the face and/or body IS surviving? Yeah, it’s
black. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The second major source of misunderstandings about Wepwawet’s
colouration may come from the painted murals within tombs and decoration
on funerary equipment. A) Tombs and sarcophagi do sometimes feature
unusual colour schemes, so you might find green-skinned, yellow-skinned,
or blue-skinned jackal deities. It tends to be consistent however, with
no differentiation in colouration between Anubis, Duamutef, Wepwawet,
etc, that I have noticed. B) Sometimes the pigment used as black in a
particular tomb does now appear to be more grey, perhaps through
degradation or just because it wasn’t painted on thickly enough or
what-have-you. But that means that the grey is not really meant to be
grey, it is meant to be black. There might be a grey Wepwawet, but other
commonly black elements will also appear to be grey. This does not a
grey Wepwawet make. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A friend of mine brought up a third point when she noticed there are
more depictions of Anubis with surviving pigment than there are of
Wepwawet. She felt this probably has an impact on people’s perception of
what colour Wepwawet is, and I agree that it may very well do! It is,
however, another case of not misinterpreting 'colourless’ for 'is
coloured something other than black.’ He would have originally been
painted black. An interesting thing about depictions of Wepwawet is they
are quite commonly found in areas where there is a greater exposure to
the elements (such as temples) — as opposed to Anubis, who is often is
much more sheltered locations such as tombs or inner rooms. It is only
logical that the pigment would survive better in areas of less exposure.
And, as I’ve implied, black does also seem to be one of the first
colours to go when it comes to temple reliefs. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I must also say that I have yet to find a single instance/location
where Wepwawet and Anubis are actually painted different colours, let
alone enough examples to declare it as an established pattern. (As I
pointed out, unusual colour schemes can and do happen but they should be
considered anomalies. Or a contextual variant if there are enough
examples.) It is therefore deceptive at best to say 'Anubis is painted
black while Wepwawet is painted grey.’ I appreciate that a lot people
have gotten this idea from Wilkinson’s 'Complete Gods and Goddesses of
Ancient Egypt’ and so I actually contacted him about it awhile back. He
had this to say to me: “My comment on Wepwawet was based simply on my
own experience - that a number of examples I have seen (inasmuch as it
is possible to tell that W. is intended) seemed to be grey or not to be
painted black when color was otherwise present. On the other hand,
looking now at what I wrote, I think that the implication that this is
"usually” the case is due to a poor choice of words on my part. I
believe that what I meant was that while Anubis is usually shown as
black, W. is sometimes depicted as grey (or without black). It is
interesting if you have not found any examples of W. that differ so from
Anubis - perhaps it is a rarer phenomenon than I realized.“ (Sadly, we
were not able to get into more specifics at that time.) </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I have addressed the lack of black and also the occasional appearance
of 'greyness’ in those situations where it is serving as a substitute
for black or else is suffering from degradation or transparency. It
seems relevant to add that green can also degrade to a quite greyish
look and is a not uncommon skin-tone in funerary contexts due to its
colour symbolism. The thing about grey as a colour is it does not have
its own individual symbolism in AE art. It classifies as black. So it
doesn’t even make any sense, when colour is always used in such a highly
symbolic way, for the Egyptians to have distinguished Wepwawet as being
grey while Anubis is black. It also comes into conflict with the fact
that since the Old Kingdom, the vast majority of jackals, be they gods,
spirits, or even just hieroglyphs, are painted in black."</blockquote>
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-84583412069473778442015-03-24T07:35:00.000-05:002015-03-24T07:35:53.380-05:00faith and science<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMrwnyiOIlXaIA_wfz0vzWLIcS-nwGsimDc9MjYBnJ0dSNFDVSJsZKDcWeSUODzXfmmwmqq3lCOfm8sWGYrLcMoT5TE0gTnwg0uExfxctd_F3MjeR6iiBdPSzmpYlE8yc8O9IJ9KbxYE/s1600/Neil+quote2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMrwnyiOIlXaIA_wfz0vzWLIcS-nwGsimDc9MjYBnJ0dSNFDVSJsZKDcWeSUODzXfmmwmqq3lCOfm8sWGYrLcMoT5TE0gTnwg0uExfxctd_F3MjeR6iiBdPSzmpYlE8yc8O9IJ9KbxYE/s1600/Neil+quote2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Atheists (or more accurately, <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/frankschaeffer/2014/11/lets-stop-calling-new-atheism-atheism-and-start-calling-it-what-it-is-anti-theism/" target="_blank">anti-theists</a>) often seem to treat science and religion as though they are diametrically opposed. There is no room in a logical, scientific mind for superstitious things like gods or religion. We know how life evolved, how our planet - and the very universe - was created, what they're made of... we know too much about how everything works to believe in anything but Almighty Science.<br />
<br />
Being that I am a religious person, I obviously disagree. Just take a look at the quote in the picture. It reads: "The atoms of our bodies are traceable to stars that manufactured them in
their cores and exploded these enriched ingredients across our galaxy,
billions of years ago. For this reason, we are biologically connected to
every other living thing in the world. We are chemically connected to
all molecules on Earth. And we are atomically connected to all atoms in
the universe. We are not figuratively, but literally stardust."<br />
<br />
And then there's this beautiful Neil deGrasse Tyson quote: "The knowledge that the atoms that comprise life on earth - the atoms
that make up the human body, are traceable to the crucibles that cooked
light elements into heavy elements in their core under extreme
temperatures and pressures. These stars- the high mass ones among them-
went unstable in their later years- they collapsed and then exploded-
scattering their enriched guts across the galaxy- guts made of carbon,
nitrogen, oxygen, and all the fundamental ingredients of life itself.
These ingredients become part of gas clouds that condense, collapse,
form the next generation of solar systems- stars with orbiting planets.
And those planets now have the ingredients for life itself. So that when
I look up at the night sky, and I know that yes we are part of this
universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both
of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that
fact, I look up- many people feel small, cause their small and the
universe is big. But I feel big because my atoms came from those stars."
<br />
<br />
Yes, I am a raging Neil deGrasse Tyson fangirl. Deal with it.<br />
<br />
While an atheist or anti-theist might look at those words as evidence of
a purely material world, I (and many other Pagans I'm sure) see the exact
opposite. If I remember correctly, the first quote comes from an episode of "Nova" from back when Tyson was its host. When I first heard those words all those years ago, they stirred something deep within my soul. They echoed what I had always felt when staring at the moon on a clear night, or walking among the greenery of a forest. These words confirmed what I had always felt to be true: Everything is connected. What exists within me exists within you, within nature, within everything in this world and beyond. Everything that exists out there exists within us all. We are part of something unimaginably vast and complicated, and yet our bodies themselves are whole universes, and we are their gods.<br />
<br />
Most Pagans have always known these concepts. It's pantheism, animism, "I am God."<br />
<br />
It's science.<br />
<br />
It's fucking beautiful.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-63697638648438134522014-11-08T13:24:00.000-06:002014-11-08T13:24:30.960-06:00Wepwawet's TambourineI have long wanted a <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/546743/sistrum" target="_blank">sistrum</a> for ritual purposes. Problem
is, I have neither the skill to make one of my own, nor the money to buy a nice
one that I really like. So I did the next best thing and stole an idea from a
friend of mine, who decorates tambourines with deity images. I bought a
10" tambourine and decorated it with acrylic paint, dedicating it to the
super awesome Wepwawet. I made it for him not just for the fact that he's been my patron (for lack of a better word) lately, but also because according to <a href="http://www.per-sabu.org/aspects-and-roles.html" target="_blank">Per-Sabu</a> "Wepwawet was one
of very few deities to have his own dedicated groups of both chantresses
and
dancers." This more celebratory side of Wepy isn't very well known, but it is reflected in
certain
epithets he has, such as the Lord of Jubilation, He With the Sweet Joy,
and He
Who Causes and Brings forth Goodness.<br />
<br />
And here is the part where I show off Wepwawet's new tambourine. I painted him in a typical pose, as a jackal just standing there, being all stoic and cool. I put him on the "earth" hieroglyph with the <a href="http://www.per-sabu.org/the-sdsd.html" target="_blank">shedshed</a> at his forepaws, and put Nut stars all around the edge (because Nut, that's why). All in all, I think it makes a great stand-in for a sistrum!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeG6iiQtIwjKxGwbIxrR4z6Z1CaWtXNyzG2ZQSDfX3tzLhQ0BOhj1oCqJHL2Tnsoq9Bi0I2aDjwbNPRyG2TN53ngC7jc-KGLDNkbW7q7AvjSeoqHOEUoIsMpbLSalmT0Xujt9_dVXd2FM/s1600/P1010238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeG6iiQtIwjKxGwbIxrR4z6Z1CaWtXNyzG2ZQSDfX3tzLhQ0BOhj1oCqJHL2Tnsoq9Bi0I2aDjwbNPRyG2TN53ngC7jc-KGLDNkbW7q7AvjSeoqHOEUoIsMpbLSalmT0Xujt9_dVXd2FM/s1600/P1010238.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrJJl5NxH0fYU55po83zgp836uG9gUrNLoQbTiU_Nt-ZC0zask_BkzD1cPCTLe1BO1kqRYRBFvRHb7n-wLmLdPtA10wBiEUl5s_n25ywwLQ5PluvRjE2gPyv1r07SHF8O7WtYlZyTSi4/s1600/P1010239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrJJl5NxH0fYU55po83zgp836uG9gUrNLoQbTiU_Nt-ZC0zask_BkzD1cPCTLe1BO1kqRYRBFvRHb7n-wLmLdPtA10wBiEUl5s_n25ywwLQ5PluvRjE2gPyv1r07SHF8O7WtYlZyTSi4/s1600/P1010239.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-19827745459210609022014-10-14T21:26:00.001-05:002014-10-14T21:26:54.194-05:00"The Way to Hel"Today I want to share a song I like, "Helvegen" (The Way to Hel) by Warduna<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/z0PvZGVPiJU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Here are the translated lyrics:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Who shall sing me<br /> In(to) death-sleep sling me<br /> When I walk the way of Hel<br /> And the tracks I tread are cold, so cold<br /><br /> I sought the songs<br /> I sent the songs<br /> When the deepest well<br /> Gave me drops so harsh<br /> From Valfaders pledge<br /><br /> All know I Odin, where you (your) eye hid<br /><br /> Early or in the days end, still knows the raven if I fall<br /><br /> When you stand at the gate of Hel<br /> And when you have to tear free<br /> I will/shall follow you<br /> Across Gjallarbru with my song / Past the bridge of Gjöll with my song<br /><br /> You become free from the bonds that binds you!<br /> You are free from the bonds that bound you!"<br /><br />"Cattle die, kinsmen die,<br />you yourself soon must die;<br />but there is one thing that never dies,<br />the fair fame that one has earned.<br /><br />"Cattle die, kinsmen die,<br />you yourself soon must die;<br />but there is one thing that never dies,<br />the doom on each one dead."<br />- (Hàvamàl 76-77)</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-45333626219355246682014-09-04T10:14:00.000-05:002014-10-14T21:41:18.729-05:00Prayer for VictoryThe following prayer was adapted from a prayer of the same name from the <i>Carmina Gadelica</i>. It invokes the favor of the goddess Boann and her son <span class="st">Áengus mac Óg</span>. As the name implies, it is a good prayer to recite when you need success in any matter. Personally, I like tp recite it while bathing, or while standing outside in the sunshine.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Prayer for Victory </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I bathe my face</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In the nine rays of the sun,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As Boann bathed her son</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In the rich fermented milk.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Honey be in my mouth,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
affection be in my face;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The love that Boann gave her son</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Be in the heart of all flesh for me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All-seeing, all-hearing, all-inspiring may she be,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To satisfy and strengthen me;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Blind, deaf, and dumb forever be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My contemners and those who mock me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The tongue of a druid in my head,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The eloquence of druids in my speech;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The composure of the Son of Youth</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Be mine before the multitude.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh674MrfBbpskTkFqP0e6LlTCuDc5iaNdWm9R7sLuF42A-pPSwVMI5D5HlN2mv8D3BVGZdXHTjzeezFjJdLLbHRhYLuoiDqtFggaAtT2xEYaJ0dQK5J4MaIH_m6OquTXjS52lYCwABN23w/s1600/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh674MrfBbpskTkFqP0e6LlTCuDc5iaNdWm9R7sLuF42A-pPSwVMI5D5HlN2mv8D3BVGZdXHTjzeezFjJdLLbHRhYLuoiDqtFggaAtT2xEYaJ0dQK5J4MaIH_m6OquTXjS52lYCwABN23w/s1600/sunset.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-41208751002805979702014-07-29T08:50:00.000-05:002014-07-29T08:50:57.267-05:00Are the Myths Real?This is a question that pops up on Pagan forums and FB groups every now and then. I have seen it asked often enough that it inspired me to write this in response. However, before I can go on to answer this question, we first have to ask ourselves a slightly different one, and it is this:<i> "Are the myths literal?"</i><br />
<br />
The answer to which is a resounding "No." I do not believe for one moment that giant, one-eyed fomoire ran around Ireland battling the Tuatha Dé Danann, nor that a goddess in the night sky actually eats the sun every night and gives birth to it every morning. I do not think that treating the myths as literal is a legitimate means of validating them or our beliefs. In fact, I would go so far as to say that doing so can be outright harmful. One glance a creationist fundamentalist ought to be enough to tell you why.<br />
<br />
<i>"So if the myths aren't literal, then they're not real, right?"</i><br />
<br />
Again, my answer would have to be "No."<br />
<br />
<i>"But Kaif, if they aren't literal, how can they be real?"</i><br />
<br />
To help illustrate my point, I will take an example from one of my favorite new shows, "Vikings."<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And before I continue, here is the obligatory</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>*SPOILER ALERT!!!*</b></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif__Moc-PXPbSXOjwPJPKH5i-jQt43gF2r5Bqn5PQYqrXJAT6TLtnbwb7g_Dm2UUvkuKHRshPhImHdm6uc2E6Y3cDTJbGd48tc59rZpw6fKKXnBM8uc91yCKZP-qL6GHwGrHi6ZRAa3R8/s1600/Lagertha+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif__Moc-PXPbSXOjwPJPKH5i-jQt43gF2r5Bqn5PQYqrXJAT6TLtnbwb7g_Dm2UUvkuKHRshPhImHdm6uc2E6Y3cDTJbGd48tc59rZpw6fKKXnBM8uc91yCKZP-qL6GHwGrHi6ZRAa3R8/s1600/Lagertha+2.jpg" height="320" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lagertha the Awesome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In "Vikings" there's this really awesome chick named Lagertha. In the first season, her husband becomes earl and, while out viking, leaves her to take care of their land. It is during this time that a man brings his wife and her baby boy before Lagertha, claiming that she has been unfaithful and that the baby is not his. He says that a young man named Rig had been staying with them at the time she conceived, and since he had so far been unable to impregnate his wife, it must have been the doing of this young stranger. The wife concedes that since the three of them shared a single bed, she couldn't say for certain which man had, in the dark of night, had sex with her.<br />
<br />
In answer to this story, Lagertha explains that Rig is a name used by Heimdall in is travels, and that the couple were in fact visited by this god who then saw fit to gift them with a child. It is the myths she cites as the source of this knowledge.<br />
<br />
"But those are just stories!" the man protests.<br />
<br />
To which Lagertha responds, without missing a beat, "Our lives are just stories!"<br />
<br />
Lagertha herself was pregnant at the time, and had much trouble conceiving her own child. Because of this, it could be argued that she didn't really believe what she said about the young man being Heimdall, that she only said it for the benefit of the wife and baby. But whether or not she believed her own words is beside the point. The fact of the matter is that this couple had been trying unsuccessfully for years to have a child, and now they have one. In a sense, all Lagertha was doing was telling this man to shut up and be grateful for the opportunity to finally be a father.<br />
<br />
This is why Lagertha's assertion that "our lives are just stories" is so perfect. At that moment, the couple's story is that they have a child. Yet it is the story of the child's divine paternity that, even if not literally true, serves to highlight the reality that this previously childless couple now have a precious baby that needs to be taken care of, regardless of who actually sired him.<br />
<br />
<div id="phraseSubHeaderId">
Myths are allegories, entertainment, lessons, and hyperbole, just like many of the stories we tell of ourselves, or the stories that will be told of us when we die. The myths themselves may not be literal, yet that doesn't make them untrue. The Cath Maighe Tuireadh illustrates the nature of the Déithe; Nut's birthing and consumption of the sun is a metaphor for day and night; the conflict between Ba'al and Mot are the cycles of rainfall and drought; the list of examples is endless.</div>
<br />
So there you have my answer. The myths are just stories. Our lives are just stories. One is every bit as real as the other.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-68540334871482071362014-05-28T08:56:00.000-05:002014-08-07T07:17:46.522-05:00My IbA few weeks ago I saw this video:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mnWdbdkWfqg" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
...And I thought, "That's cool! Kaif, get yourself a little ib pot thingy, and do all of the heka!"<br />
<br />
While I probably could have gotten away with using any sort of container, it was very important for me to get one that at least somewhat resembled the ib symbol. So for a couple of weeks I kept an eye out for something suitable, but unsurprisingly, didn't find a finished product that was the right shape <i>and</i> size <i>and</i> price. And then I got impatient, so I did what I usually end up doing, and made my own.<br />
<br />
For a dollar or two at a craft store, I found a small glass vase that had more or less the right shape, minus the handles. It was a little bigger than I would have liked, but it was the best I'd found so far. I took it home and covered the entire thing in air dry clay. It was a gamble, because I had no idea if the dried clay would stick to it or not, but luckily, in the end it did. (Huzzah!) I then added some handles to the body (again using air dry clay) and painted it a deep, rich red. Aside from being the color that ibs are usually portrayed in, red also happens to be my favorite color, so it has a bit of added meaning right there.<br />
<br />
The result was this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-uQMS3oBFSikaDxvPn13_5kpDlbQzmjs0gmY9n4qDlBGqf5qWKYoNZTaapaeyVDBWePW9rDapgkO3-_-D4bpUOuwd-IqMRCeC8wXJDfomDQc2xUfTMT1KbzWYC8f2CGgDwnqD47gmzU/s1600/P1010113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-uQMS3oBFSikaDxvPn13_5kpDlbQzmjs0gmY9n4qDlBGqf5qWKYoNZTaapaeyVDBWePW9rDapgkO3-_-D4bpUOuwd-IqMRCeC8wXJDfomDQc2xUfTMT1KbzWYC8f2CGgDwnqD47gmzU/s1600/P1010113.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And here is a picture of my ib pot stowed safely on my shrine, with my Wepwawet amulet and ankh necklace draped around it:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzFubSWCbV95ItyayueJoT5C7KoetOi1dAx7_64pTMqjo9v3VJGjCF57btlKXwRzOdPJn7-wk8R2PxSJ84N4cCY2LJ88yFMMR8YGmPecs3Rkcl6I2915TbNddtSSWCgC457XLWKxaxFo/s1600/P1010131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzFubSWCbV95ItyayueJoT5C7KoetOi1dAx7_64pTMqjo9v3VJGjCF57btlKXwRzOdPJn7-wk8R2PxSJ84N4cCY2LJ88yFMMR8YGmPecs3Rkcl6I2915TbNddtSSWCgC457XLWKxaxFo/s1600/P1010131.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTD7rPAUhfFbC1XGK774MXCdIAZ-dggMq-6X_RONe18c3dJfkJ9W7Cb6c9WW9b6FrqQ3g8ihxVkiH71pcON06Cw35F6KuFvHdZp2L0fk4nWcH4HSUtV_g3USKwYgQ7YDtcVtckDBGinmM/s1600/P1010133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTD7rPAUhfFbC1XGK774MXCdIAZ-dggMq-6X_RONe18c3dJfkJ9W7Cb6c9WW9b6FrqQ3g8ihxVkiH71pcON06Cw35F6KuFvHdZp2L0fk4nWcH4HSUtV_g3USKwYgQ7YDtcVtckDBGinmM/s1600/P1010133.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-91267772896509167462014-04-22T18:21:00.000-05:002014-04-22T18:21:24.340-05:00The Shaman From Northern MongoliaLike many people, I love music and listen to it constantly. Music in general has a way of touching your spirit, but every now and then, a song comes along that speaks to your soul the way few others do. Maybe I'm just a sucker for overtone singing (or throat singing), but Hoosoo Transmongolia's "The Shaman From Northern Mongolia" is one such song for me. I hope you enjoy it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/GsGMOunRt4Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-17678602258602642732014-03-27T03:22:00.001-05:002014-06-03T08:45:10.163-05:00Wepwawet's Shrine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
If any of you have been paying attention to my most recent posts, you will likely have noticed that I have developed a bit of a Wepwawet obsession. I encountered Wepwawet not too long after I became Kemetic and liked him right off the bat, but it wasn't until about a year ago that we started working together on a regular basis. Everything pretty much snowballed from there, and we've developed quite a rapport in that time; so much so that after much consideration, earlier this month I finally took the plunge and dedicated myself to him. That of course meant he got a fancy new shrine, which in turn meant that I had to take pictures and show it off.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaR7nph526XAfI5T3sWP6xrWHZjZj1DDrOZ0GWZsGIdqvlLu1qr2WNoRNlj4sTRsIs3IxuYL7VnEn4FlffACxU0zzdpUnYnzy2E7frY20jCvATwkreBB9pMj1oXnYdI7MYGliPBl7E_A/s1600/P1000953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaR7nph526XAfI5T3sWP6xrWHZjZj1DDrOZ0GWZsGIdqvlLu1qr2WNoRNlj4sTRsIs3IxuYL7VnEn4FlffACxU0zzdpUnYnzy2E7frY20jCvATwkreBB9pMj1oXnYdI7MYGliPBl7E_A/s1600/P1000953.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta-da! Wepy's shiny new shrine!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As you can see, Nut gets her own little spot on his shrine. She's another deity that I've long adored, and as there are references to Wepwawet being Nut's firstborn, I thought it was fitting that she have a place with her son.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbzT2USMuD-qKULfdwPepeU2_3264Do2w1LE-Oi9SGkeColSmhdaHOi98dM1-zSU6JkVFj3PBl4Q99qj7AFMEvRzQEi2mA6_OTjOT7C4J1YZugmBZ0vXU5uD7u-WQ9wP0pl4sMp-F96I/s1600/P1000939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbzT2USMuD-qKULfdwPepeU2_3264Do2w1LE-Oi9SGkeColSmhdaHOi98dM1-zSU6JkVFj3PBl4Q99qj7AFMEvRzQEi2mA6_OTjOT7C4J1YZugmBZ0vXU5uD7u-WQ9wP0pl4sMp-F96I/s1600/P1000939.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All lit up with candles and incense.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-28834066239722541692014-03-03T18:24:00.000-06:002014-06-03T08:47:04.841-05:00Polytheism 101: RitualThe third post in my "Polytheism 101" series will cover the basics of ritual. Though I will be referencing certain Kemetic viewpoints in regards to ritual, the actions and ideas behind them will be the same for any practicing polytheist. I feel I
should also note that though this series is called "Polytheism
101," the ideas and methods shared here can be applied to just about any
Pagan path.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFziSCmIT0LRmrQNdNQTNWzo0lBgGLraRNsFvu3zkaaObUiwf474icZLjPemPCMQ38vNSGh9ShSQLw1GTsCPVe0CAm2eoU22LySGEUH5XGxIwA0M9_rzEyovooOlidij-RchIlrydY94/s1600/ritual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFziSCmIT0LRmrQNdNQTNWzo0lBgGLraRNsFvu3zkaaObUiwf474icZLjPemPCMQ38vNSGh9ShSQLw1GTsCPVe0CAm2eoU22LySGEUH5XGxIwA0M9_rzEyovooOlidij-RchIlrydY94/s1600/ritual.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
There are a number of actions that many polytheistic/recon rituals share, and I have listed them below. These are what I consider to be the basic steps to performing a ritual.<br />
<br />
<b>Calling the deity</b><br />
Before starting your ritual, you may find that it helps to invite your deities to join you. Some people call them by playing an instrument, ringing a bell, singing, or chanting. Others say a simple prayer, such as "Sekhmet, O powerful One, please join me for this ritual." Many also find it fitting to greet the deity with a bow. You can do any or all of these things. The most I do is ring a bell and call the deity's name before bowing<b>.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Lighting the candle</b><br />
In a Kemetic sense, the candle flame is representative of the sun and therefore the victory of Ra as he emerges from the underworld (or the forces of ma'at as they defeat the forces of isfet). Lighting the candle is also symbolic of Zep-tepi, The First Time, when Ra (or Atum, or whichever creator deity floats your boat) came into being and everything began. This isn't too far off from the meaning of the ritual flame in other traditions. The flame establishes the beginning of the ritual as the beginning of something new and significant, and/or the establishment of something powerful and good over the symbolic darkness. If you want to say a prayer while lighting a candle, something like "As Shapsu rises over the horizon, I light this candle" or "I light this candle for you, O Morrighan. May it shine as victoriously as you" will do.<br />
<br />
<b>Offering the incense</b><br />
I read somewhere - and I can't remember for the life of me where exactly - that that the Egyptian word for incense (<i>senetjer</i>) means "to make divine." Whether or not this is true, and whether or not you follow a Kemetic path specifically, that phrase is fitting. Incense marks a space and moment as being sacred, and is very much beloved by the gods. And if you are anything like me, it goes a long way in putting you in a ritualistic headspace. I think it's also worth noting at this point that while both a candle and incense can be given as offerings in and of them selves, they both serve the purpose of establishing sacred space. For this reason I consider them to be ritual tools as much as they are offerings. If you wish, you can say something along the lines of, "I offer this incense to you, O Wepwawet. May its scent please you."<br />
<br />
<b>Libations</b><br />
Libations are liquid offerings which are poured into a dish or, if your ritual is outdoors, onto the ground itself. Wine is commonly used, but other liquors, water, or milk can also be used. Since my practice is primarily Kemetic, I use water. In this context, the libation represents the life-giving abundance of the inundation. Of course, the theme of abundance and refreshment still works with other pantheons. You can accompany your libation with a prayer like "O Dadga, I pour this libation for you, that it will rejuvinate you."<br />
<br />
<b>Giving the food offering</b><br />
At this point, it is time to give the food offerings. I often accompany these offerings with a prayer. You can say something simple, such as "O Brighid, please accept these offerings. May they satisfy and strengthen you." Only a small amount of food is needed to give to the gods. If you are having a feast as part of your ritual, you may choose to offer the entirety of the feast to the gods, in which case you would still give them their own portion of food.<br />
<br />
<b>Ritual action</b><br />
Now is the time to perform your magic, meditate, pray, feast, or do whatever it is that you are performing the ritual to do. If consuming the food offerings is part of your practice, you will either eat them at this point, or wait until sometime after the ritual has concluded to return to the shrine and eat them. Kemetics call this "reverting the offerings," and only requires a simple prayer before you eat them, like "O Bast, receive your offerings from me." The majority of my rituals are done for the sole purpose of giving offerings to my gods, so I usually just take a couple of minutes here to pray, meditate, or just sit there quietly and enjoy the deity's company.<br />
<br />
<b>Closing the ritual</b><br />
Kemetics know this as "removing the foot." Thank and bid farewell to the gods, extinguish the candle, and remove the libation and food offerings (or offering dishes if you have consumed them as part of the ritual action). If you intend to eat the offerings later, leave them at the shrine until you are ready to do so. Once you are ready to leave the shrine space, bow, then take a few steps backwards before turning away from the shrine.<br />
<br />
<br />
And that's pretty much it. Hopefully now you're ready to perform your own rituals with confidence!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Other posts in the Polytheism 101 series include "<a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2013/09/polytheism-101-building-shrine.html">Building a Shrine</a>" and "<a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2013/10/polytheism-101-offerings.html">Offerings</a>."</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-86956486145363876272014-01-28T15:06:00.001-06:002014-06-03T08:45:10.184-05:00Wepwawet, God of teh ShinyAfter a long and perilous journey through the underworld, Wepwawet emerges victorious!<br />
<br />
Or more accurately, after a long journey through customs, this beautiful bronze Wepwawet amulet/ritual item arrived in the mail yesterday. It was made for me by jackal junkie and all-round awesome person, <a href="http://wepwy.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> </a><span class="author vcard"><a href="http://wepwy.wordpress.com/on-the-temple-steps/" target="_blank">Bezenwepwy</a></span>. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4Krdps5fQjv3L_h28DcGUnYbpXW2UNT5EV_5VOND_ED14hN-o0tVJySs4jFeSF_IVV61iDxQDUqWihZxmNVb2e2pKwP_PZQpwGPc_A7SmYUF5BaqKjo9DSSQ9PeSnCmdr0IDNLRiTRk/s1600/P1000827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4Krdps5fQjv3L_h28DcGUnYbpXW2UNT5EV_5VOND_ED14hN-o0tVJySs4jFeSF_IVV61iDxQDUqWihZxmNVb2e2pKwP_PZQpwGPc_A7SmYUF5BaqKjo9DSSQ9PeSnCmdr0IDNLRiTRk/s1600/P1000827.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Guyz. <span class="author vcard">I love this so much I can't even words.</span><br />
<span class="author vcard"> </span> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-12396579036528354342013-12-30T20:56:00.001-06:002014-06-03T08:45:10.158-05:00Wepwawet, God of teh CuteI recently took up a new craft: needle felting. One of my first projects was this, a little Wepwawet doll. I still haven't decided if I'm finished with it yet or not, but he looks pretty darn cute in the meantime. Not too bad for a beginner, I think!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvqjxJaZEjrW1zGOvOCL0mcMunCn-d7KHOkDvvFhmOwCkcyut7xX_l31enDRvH4lKDtMMHYrTvF6xwhAPIlO3C8CGUW53B01DTcIiS_KrXN_ehXJ8hb6ofOaJe78dQqEW7ttowNnNVCw/s1600/997024_10201012330938149_1211625411_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvqjxJaZEjrW1zGOvOCL0mcMunCn-d7KHOkDvvFhmOwCkcyut7xX_l31enDRvH4lKDtMMHYrTvF6xwhAPIlO3C8CGUW53B01DTcIiS_KrXN_ehXJ8hb6ofOaJe78dQqEW7ttowNnNVCw/s1600/997024_10201012330938149_1211625411_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-62153563862442272582013-10-16T10:12:00.002-05:002014-10-14T22:33:02.809-05:00Polytheism 101: OfferingsThe second post in my "Polytheism 101" series will cover appropriate offerings for various pantheons, and what to do with them after they have been
offered. I feel I
should also note that though this series will be called "Polytheism
101," the ideas and methods shared here can be applied to just about any
Pagan path.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4UfvkhbYVDcErLU0HLFZ0P0oqoTUYAorZdEU6Z6enW2eGb6c8l1sYNmUukM2GYRv850QDtFGtks8QsZyFnpmrcTDuDcQ_by5lFselmoBdHP1tIW_yjHPiaHmag35cLunSaB9r_1rbHc/s1600/offerings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4UfvkhbYVDcErLU0HLFZ0P0oqoTUYAorZdEU6Z6enW2eGb6c8l1sYNmUukM2GYRv850QDtFGtks8QsZyFnpmrcTDuDcQ_by5lFselmoBdHP1tIW_yjHPiaHmag35cLunSaB9r_1rbHc/s400/offerings.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
While the short answer to the question of
what to offer the gods is "whatever you have to give," I'm betting that
if you came here, you're looking for a more substantial answer. So here
it is, my meatiest, Manwich-iest of answers:<br />
<br />
There
are three main places to turn to when figuring out what to offer the
gods. The first is to look at the region your gods are from. If you
follow Hellenic deities, you might want to offer Greek food. If you are
Heathen, try Germanic or Scandinavian foods. Second, look to the myths
and symbology of the god in question. At a ritual I once held for
Sekhmet, an attendee brought some pomegranate infused beer because they
read the story in which Sekhmet was pacified with beer dyed red with
pomegranates. A cauldron could be given to Dadga or raven figurines to
Odin, as those things have mythological significance to those gods.
Lastly, as you continue your research, you'll find out what kinds of
things are proven (or at the very least, likely) to have been offered in
antiquity. From there, it becomes much easier to figure out
suitable modern or local counterparts to give, which is
especially important if some of these things aren't easily acquired
(such as offering venison instead of gazelle meat).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If
you are at a complete beginner, following a more obscure god/pantheon,
or otherwise at a loss of where to start, there are luckily a number of
things that make great offerings to give to any deity of any pantheon.
I've found that vegetables,
fruit (dried or fresh), water, fruit juice, bread, and alcohol are
always a safe bet. As far as items go, incense, flowers, coins, and
pretty stones or crystals are also great catch-all offerings. As you
gain intuition and familiarity with your deity and their pantheon, it
will go a long way in deciding what to give.</div>
<br />
As far as the disposal of offerings go, composting or
burying them is probably the most common thing to do, though burning or
sinking them also works. When disposing of offerings, it is important
that you to be mindful of what you have offered and how you are
disposing of it. For example, if you offer chocolate, don't leave it
lying around in a park where someone's dog could find and eat it, and
don't burn an offered item if it could produce harmful fumes. What
exactly you do with them may also be determined by where you live; I
live
in an apartment, so burning or burying anything on the grounds is out of
the question, and I'm well out of walking distance from the nearest
lake or
river, so I just put natural (e.g. flowers, rocks, etc.) and edible
offerings under a tree for the wildlife
to take. (As I said before, if you are going to do this, <i>be mindful</i>. You don't want to leave something that will make an animal sick!) Just use common sense, and you'll be fine.<br />
<br />
The
following is a list of more traditional offerings for the Irish, Kemetic, and
Canaanite pantheons. I've compiled it from my own research, as well as a
bit of personal experience. Hopefully it will serve as a good starting point for you as you continue to build your own practice.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Irish Celtic offerings</b><br />
<br />
<i>Edible offerings</i>: Alcohol is a favorite among the D<span class="st">é</span>ithe.
Mead, beer, and whiskey are the definite forerunners, though I've known
them to enjoy wine or hard cider. Apple juice and milk are great
non-alcoholic alternatives. Beef, pork, and salmon are ideal meat
offerings. Apples, hazelnuts, cheese, and honey (or pretty much anything
with honey in it) are also great choices, though I have found that
hearty foods in general tend to go over well with the D<span class="st">é</span>ithe.<br />
<br />
<i>Incense</i>:
Juniper incense seems to be well-loved, as well as cedarwood and sage.
I've also had great results with cinnamon, amber, and cedarwood.
Basically, anything woody and earthy is a good choice.<br />
<br />
<i>Items</i>:
Flowers and other natural items, or things carved from stone or wood
are great. Weapons, real or miniature, are popular with warrior deities.
As humans were sacrificed in ancient Ireland, human effigies are a
suitable and powerful offering, though in my opinion, they are best
saved for special occasions.<br />
<br />
Food offered to the D<span class="st">é</span>ithe
likely was not eaten, so you may want to avoid doing so. The best way
to dispose of any offering to them is to burn, bury, or sink it in a
body of water. Man-made items should be destroyed (broken or otherwise
rendered useless, as was done back in the day) then burned, buried, or
sunk. However, since items won't spoil, I find that it is sometimes
acceptable to leave them on the
shrine for an extended period of time first. (Devotional jewelery is my
exception to this rule; such items I keep and wear indefinitely.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Kemetic offerings</b><br />
<br />
<i>Edible offerings</i>:
As far as food offerings go, it could be said that the Netjeru have
simple tastes. Bread, water, and beer are are the most basic, yet most
ideal offerings. Beef, milk, onions, dates, figs, and wine are also
appropriate. Game such as gazelles was also offered, so I think deer or
elk could make a suitable substitution.<br />
<br />
<i>Incense</i>:
Frankincense and myrrh were commonly offered, and are probably the best
choices if you can get your hands on some, though the Netjeru seem to
love resins in general. I've also had good results with lotus, cedar and
sandalwood, jasmine, and fig. When offering incense, the most important
thing to keep in mind is that some brands use dung as a binder. These
should <i>not</i> be given to the Netjeru, as dung is considered impure for ritual purposes (for obvious reasons; I mean, it's <i>poo</i>). I've put together a list of pure incense brands at the end of this post.<br />
<br />
<i>Items</i>:
The ankh, ib (heart), feather of ma'at, and udjat (Eye of Horus) are
all things that were offered to in ritual. Jewelery and perfume, or
pretty much anything that's pretty will be enjoyed by the Netjeru. For
as simple as their tastes in food offerings can be, when it comes to <i>stuff</i>, they enjoy fine things.<br />
<br />
Food
offered to the Netjeru was eaten by the priests, so if it is up to you
if you would rather eat or bury them. Items which were offered were also
used by priests, so you can use them yourself, in honor of the god(s)
it was offered to, leave them at the shrine, or bury them. Fire was
typically used for banishments or execrations, so I wouldn't burn
anything that was given to the Netjeru.<br />
<br />
Follow <a href="http://thetwistedrope.wordpress.com/kemeticism/kemetic-offering-guide/" target="_blank">this link</a> if you would like to read more about Kemetic offerings.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Canaanite offerings</b> <br />
<br />
<i>Edible offerings</i>: Wine, figs, pomegranates, dates, grapes, hummus, olive oil, flatbread, beef, lamb, and goat are some of the best things to offer. Do not offer pork to the Iluma; it wasn't offered in antiquity, and is likely considered inferior or impure. They prefer farmed meat over wild game.<br />
<br />
<i>Incense</i>: When it comes to incense, the Iluma seem to share many of the same tastes as the Netjeru. Myrrh and frankincense are ideal, as are other resins and floral scents. Offerings of incense to the Iluma also carry the same requirement of purity as those for the Netjeru.<br />
<br />
<i>Items</i>: Perfume or olive oil infused with essential oils are always enjoyed by the Iluma. Flowers, art, and jewelery make great offerings as well.<br />
<br />
Disposing of Canaanite offerings is much the same as with Kemetic ones; priests used or ate what was offered, and you may choose whether or not to do so yourself. The main difference is that Canaanites performed burnt offerings, so burning them is an option.<br />
<br />
If you are interested in reading more, <a href="http://tessdawson.blogspot.com/2013/08/setting-up-shrine-pocket-guide.html" target="_blank">this post</a> has an in-depth account of offerings preferred by the Iluma.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Pure incense brands:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nipponkodostore.com/" target="_blank">Nippon Kodo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sensia.com/auroshikha/" target="_blank"><span class="">Auroshikha</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.shoyeido.com/" target="_blank"><span class="">Shoyeido</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nagchampa.com/incense.html" target="_blank"><span class="">Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://gonesh.com/c-65-incense.aspx" target="_blank"><span class="">Gonesh</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://auricblends.corecommerce.com/Incense/" target="_blank"><span class="">Auric Blends</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://wholesale.frontiercoop.com/products.html?br=Pondicherry+Natural+Incense" target="_blank"><span class="">Pondicherry</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fredsoll.com/basket/incensesticks.htm" target="_blank"><span class="">Fred Solls</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.devonshireorganics.com/Incense-Wands.html" target="_blank"><span class="">Devonshire Organics</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.golokaincense.org/" target="_blank"><span class="">Goloka</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.spiritualskyincense.com/productcategory.aspx?id=10" target="_blank"><span class="">Spiritual Sky</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.wild-berry.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WB&Category_Code=RSticks15" target="_blank"><span class="">Wild Berry</span></a></li>
<li><span class=""><a href="http://www.maromausa.com/products/category/9" target="_blank">Maroma</a> </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<i>Other posts in the Polytheism 101 series include</i> "<a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2013/09/polytheism-101-building-shrine.html" target="_blank">Building a Shrine</a>" and "<a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2014/03/polytheism-101-ritual.html">Ritual</a>."<br />
<br />
<ul></ul>
<ul>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-39806772002900681962013-09-27T09:32:00.000-05:002014-06-03T08:45:10.171-05:00Papyrus Painting - WepwawetMy latest painting is of Wepwawet. All of the Netjeru love gold, but I've long had the feeling that Wepwawet is also extremely fond of bronze. So naturally, I used lots of bronze-colored paint in this picture.<br />
<br />
I may have overdone it a little....<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_iDLdUIV5zDEKJ2e19FThtKHJo4ANk9Fm1NNUQb5zl6dS9Zk4kCDMzQ1plObvzxDsaJmHbdrcx5gvoRkqvcYA2qigVnXDfh3IziMPsEeEKPEvlu1uI0LDNW7chJTUg-IYtJy4iECwd4/s1600/Wepwawet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_iDLdUIV5zDEKJ2e19FThtKHJo4ANk9Fm1NNUQb5zl6dS9Zk4kCDMzQ1plObvzxDsaJmHbdrcx5gvoRkqvcYA2qigVnXDfh3IziMPsEeEKPEvlu1uI0LDNW7chJTUg-IYtJy4iECwd4/s1600/Wepwawet.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-17253978694416070422013-09-12T14:33:00.000-05:002014-06-03T08:47:04.836-05:00Polytheism 101: Building a ShrineThis is to be the first post in my "Polytheism 101" series. As the title says, it will cover the basics of putting a shrine together. I feel I should also note that though this series will be called "Polytheism 101," the ideas and methods shared here can be applied to just about any Pagan path.<br />
<br />
How you decorate a shrine is largely a personal matter. Your own taste, which tradition you follow, and which gods you honor - if any in particular - will determine what exactly your shrine ends up looking like. Big or small, extravagant or simple, the sky's the limit. So my focus here will be about the various items that are used for ritual and devotional purposes.<br />
<br />
Items that are commonly used for a shrine are a pitcher and bowl for libations, a small dish and cup for food offerings, an incense holder, a candle holder, a bell (or a sistrum or drum), and a deity image or religious symbol. I set up these items as an example in the following picture:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GLAbYpfo3Vh0e35rw8SXYe14fjvBypWQA-mGN3E9HSpvM_HnXajM5afqeps6w4mE92d_5ZHiOISYQ7sJQN-rsXLQazrgD_gt2f_vt525Ksr0vjYLEo5MAcQtMVTxKZgTyyTIhbK0MV0/s1600/sample+shrine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GLAbYpfo3Vh0e35rw8SXYe14fjvBypWQA-mGN3E9HSpvM_HnXajM5afqeps6w4mE92d_5ZHiOISYQ7sJQN-rsXLQazrgD_gt2f_vt525Ksr0vjYLEo5MAcQtMVTxKZgTyyTIhbK0MV0/s400/sample+shrine.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I set up this sample shrine on an empty spot on my dresser. For your own shrine, any such clear surface will do, but I do prefer my shrines to have an entire surface all to themselves (such as on a shelf) to ensure that any clutter doesn't encroach on the shrine space. As for items, for my libation bowl and pitcher, I used a cruet that I bought at a supermarket for $3, and an onyx bowl that was given to me as a gift. For an offering dish, I just re-purposed a saucer from my cupboards. The tea light candle holder and "incense holder" (it's just a pretty dish I liked and put one of those Morning Star incense tiles in it) were purchased at a craft store for $1 each. The offering glass was a thrift store find for about a dollar, and as you can see, the deity image is just a picture of Wesir that I printed from my computer. My splurge item is the bell, which I got at a local metaphysical shop for about $6 or $7. The reason I'm explaining where I acquired everything and for how much is to demonstrate that a shrine can be assembled easily and for little cost.<br />
<br />
I remember that as a young pagan, I would often read about all of the things one "needed" in order to practice a certain path or tradition successfully, and feel overwhelmed by them. Such lists (especially those for more Pagan/Wiccan leaning practices) are often quite long, and the task of acquiring so many things can be very daunting to anyone who is practicing casually or in secret, or who has a limited working space or tight budget. Yet the more experienced I became, the more practicality became my rule of thumb. You don't need a wand, special robes, or crystals. Even an athame can be left by the wayside when you have a perfectly good index finger to direct energy.<br />
<br />
Even my list, as short as it is, shouldn't be seen as a list of requirements that you absolutely need to be a decent polytheist. The items on this list are the things that have proven to be the most used in my own years of experience. But if you feel that you would rather offer a glass of water instead of making a libation, then obviously you can forgo the pitcher and bowl. If you would rather clap your hands or use your voice, then you can skip the bell. Even the deity image/symbol isn't a necessity, as not everyone finds visual foci useful.<br />
<br />
You can see more examples of shrines in my post about <a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2013/04/and-then-there-was-anatu-and-athtartu.html" target="_blank">'Anatu and Athtartu</a>, and in last year's posts about <a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2012/08/happy-wep-ronpet.html" target="_blank">Wep Ronpet</a> and the <a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2012/03/eating-onions-for-bast.html" target="_blank">Day of Chewing Onions for Bast</a>. There is also the website <a href="http://shrinebeautiful.com/" target="_blank">Shrine Beautiful</a>, which features shrines, both simple and ornate, from many different paths.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Other posts in the Polytheism 101 series include</i> "<a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2013/10/polytheism-101-offerings.html" target="_blank">Offerings</a>" and "<a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2014/03/polytheism-101-ritual.html">Ritual</a>."<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-81430410050723930702013-08-22T13:00:00.000-05:002013-08-22T13:00:56.295-05:00The Ultimate Cocktail: Mixing PantheonsWhen I first started this blog, I thought I'd be writing a lot more about what it's like to follow two different paths at the same time (and now three, because back then I wasn't a Canaanite polytheist yet). It's pretty clear now that the reason that I only write about them separately is because I keep them separate in practice. It only makes sense that my blog would follow that same pattern. But here at long last, I have something that involves all three.<br />
<br />
One issue that pops up on various forums and groups is whether or not it is appropriate to follow multiple spiritual traditions or paths, and how to go about doing so. It is this issue that I'm going to address today.<br />
<br />
To anyone who has has read this blog before, it must be unsurprising to hear me say that I think it is absolutely appropriate to honor more than one pantheon of deities. I'm sure it is also unsurprising to hear me say that what I recommend is keeping your practices separate. The only real trick to this is keeping a separate shrine for each pantheon, and after that, tailoring your rituals to each specific path in regard to that path's gods, their mythology, and the culture from which they come.<br />
<br />
One of the most basic reasons I say this is because<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[11nwf].[1][4][1]{comment627235713965232_627245287297608}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2]"><span data-reactid=".r[11nwf].[1][4][1]{comment627235713965232_627245287297608}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[11nwf].[1][4][1]{comment627235713965232_627245287297608}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]"> once you've separated everything, it's easier
to get a sense of what works well for each pantheon, and which deities or practices (if
any) mesh well. Another important thing to consider is that </span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[11nwf].[1][4][1]{comment627235713965232_627245287297608}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2]"><span data-reactid=".r[11nwf].[1][4][1]{comment627235713965232_627245287297608}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[11nwf].[1][4][1]{comment627235713965232_627245287297608}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]">one
thing that is acceptable to one pantheon's practice might be taboo in
another. </span></span></span>Blood, for example, can be a powerful offering to certain Celtic
deities, but in certain Kemetic religions, blood is fairly widely
considered to be an inappropriate thing to have at a shrine. Other such offerings include
pork (which was never named in Canaanite texts as as an offering to the Iluma) or incense made with dung as a binder (which is a big no-no in both Kemetic and Canaanite traditions). Kemetic and Canaanite religions also often require some form of purification before ritual, whereas ritual purification isn't as commonly practiced in Celtic traditions.<br />
<br />
So let's say you're working with two different pantheons of deities,
and you are keeping those paths completely separated. How do you make
this work? How do you strike balance between them and give a fair share
of your time and effort to each?<br />
<br />
Well, if you have a path
that is primary, that pretty much solves the problem
right there. You may only practice your secondary path as you see fit, or perhaps once every month or so. However, if that's not the case, one thing that works well is dividing ritual time evenly between
the pantheons. For example, if the Netjeru get offerings one day, the
next offering can be made to the <span class="st">Déithe</span>. Or you can alternate between
weeks or months (or whichever time period works for you), with the Netjeru
getting all of the offerings and rituals for one month, and the <span class="st">Déithe</span> getting all of
the offerings/rituals the following month.<br />
<br />
The only issue with this is that every now and
then you may feel the need, either on your end or the gods', to
focus on one deity or pantheon for weeks or even months at a time. A pantheon might suddenly become primary (if one wasn't before), or whichever pantheon was primary might change for a while. For well over a year, I was focused very heavily on my Kemetic path, but <a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2013/04/and-then-there-was-anatu-and-athtartu.html" target="_blank">once I established my Canaanite shrine</a>, my path was almost exclusively dedicated to 'Anatu and 'Athtartu for about three months. In my experience, the
gods tend to be quite understanding when it comes to realizing what
you need at any point in time. Besides, another deity's turn probably won't
be far behind. The key to this is that it requires a certain amount of
attention and intuition
to maintain this balance, to know when which god wants what when, but
you'll get better at it as you go along.<br />
<br />
However, I know from experience that it's not always possible to have the space to set up two or three (or more) different shrines. And I'm sure there are also cases in which keeping them separate just doesn't work for an individual. If you want to mix different paths into a singular practice, the
most important thing to keep in mind is what is considered acceptable to the deities (purification, blood, etc.), which I mentioned before. If I had a shrine to the Iluma and <span class="st">Déithe</span>, I would refrain from offering "impure" incense<span class="st"> at that shrine. I might not offer pork, either. Pig may make a wonderful offering for Celtic gods</span><span class="st">,
but not so much for the gods of Canaan. If I felt I
needed to give Mannanan Mac Lir some bacon, I might make a small, temporary
shrine elsewhere, and offer it there. Again, attention and intuition are very important here. As you go along, the gods will let you know where the lines are.</span><br />
<br />
While I will freely admit that I don't get the appeal of mixing deities of different pantheons into one practice, the recon-snob in me can't make too much of a fuss about it, because it was done in ancient times. Greeks honored Heru and Anpu as Horus and Anubis, and Egyptians honored 'Anatu and Yamu as Anat and Yam. Moreover, the Greeks and Egyptians honored these gods within the religious contexts into which the deities were adopted. I know that there are plenty of discussions as to how appropriate doing a similar thing in modern times is, and I think there are good points on both sides. But in the end, I think that as modern polytheists, honoring our gods and having respect for them <i>and</i> their cultures is the most important thing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwp_WkYDqwovnx8TqdYBjyjOtoKxwszau_-GLHqbWqiOcQhalLVZcRrwfx8xYLNvAGD_VmzqjupXBLxhWpKarsuHu404NDdDpM8T2hZdlADh7lsoJlKCEX2lIKU3WYmdbhqy2ho0HTyCY/s1600/rock+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwp_WkYDqwovnx8TqdYBjyjOtoKxwszau_-GLHqbWqiOcQhalLVZcRrwfx8xYLNvAGD_VmzqjupXBLxhWpKarsuHu404NDdDpM8T2hZdlADh7lsoJlKCEX2lIKU3WYmdbhqy2ho0HTyCY/s320/rock+bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-22739486342105053862013-08-05T11:28:00.002-05:002014-06-03T08:53:03.328-05:00Asherah Calls<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[436].[1][1][1]{comment10152846958855014_10152847350040014}.[0].[1].[0].[1].[0].[0].[0][2]"><span id=".reactRoot[436].[1][1][1]{comment10152846958855014_10152847350040014}.[0].[1].[0].[1].[0].[0].[0][2].[0]">Today I want to share a lovely song that a friend of mine wrote.She kindly gave me permission to make a video for it, so that it would be easier to share with all of you. I hope you enjoy it!</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i1.ytimg.com/s_vi/l0Cy3sepX3g/default.jpg?sqp=CNyj_48F&rs=AOn4CLC2mRKa98Cotl7HRYXF7sCX6-IsiA"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l0Cy3sepX3g?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l0Cy3sepX3g?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[436].[1][1][1]{comment10152846958855014_10152848559435014}.[0].[1].[0].[1].[0].[0].[0][2]"><span id=".reactRoot[436].[1][1][1]{comment10152846958855014_10152848559435014}.[0].[1].[0].[1].[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[436].[1][1][1]{comment10152846958855014_10152848559435014}.[0].[1].[0].[1].[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]">
</span></span></span>
<br />
<h5 style="font-weight: medium;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Asherah
koret li mehaadama, <i>(Asherah calls me from the land)</i><br />Aherah koret
li, vekola nishma' <i>(Asherah calls me, and Her voice is heard)</i><br />Asherah
koret li, vekola na'im, <i>(Asherah calls me, and Her voice is
pleasent)</i><br />Asherah koret li, koret mehagalim <i>(Asherah calls me,
calls from the waves)</i><br />Asherah koret li, koret li HaGvira <i>(Asherah
calls me, the Lady calls me)</i><br />Asherah koret li, veani ona <i>(Asherah
calls me, and I answer)</i></span></span></span></h5>
<h5 style="font-weight: medium;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">(vocals)</span></span></span></h5>
<h5 style="font-weight: medium;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Asherah koret li, koret
mehae'tsim, <i>(Asherah calls me, calls me from the trees)</i><br />Asherah
koret li, ruach hachaim, <i>(Asherah calls me, the spirit of
life)</i><br />Asherah koret li, koret li mehayam <i>(Asherah calls me, calls
me from the sea)</i><br />Asherah koret li, koret li mehadam <i>(Asherah calls
me, calls me from my blood)</i></span></span></span></h5>
<h5 style="font-weight: medium;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">(vocals) </span></span></span></h5>
<h5 style="font-weight: medium;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rabat a'tirat yam, rabat
a'tirat yam, <i>(Great lady of the sea, great lady of the
sea)</i><br />Haholechet al galim, hatova et hachutim <i>(Who walks on waves,
who weaves the threads)</i><br />Asherah koret li, mehaadama, <i>(Asherah
calls me from the land)</i><br />Asherah koret li, koret li HaGvira,
<i>(Asherah calls me, the Lady calls me)</i><br />Asherah koret li, koret
mehae'tsim, <i>(Asherah calls me, calls me from the trees)</i><br />Asherah
koret li, mikoach hachaim. <i>(Asherah calls me, from the power of life)</i></span></span></span></h5>
<h5 style="font-weight: medium;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></h5>
<h5 style="font-weight: medium;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>*I wasn't able to find all of the <span style="font-size: small;">the artists who <span style="font-size: small;">created</span> the pictures<span style="font-size: small;"></span> in this video. If you are responsible for <span style="font-size: small;">creating them, or know who is, please let me know and I will happ<span style="font-size: small;">ily give you <span style="font-size: small;">credit</span>!*</span></span></span></i></span></span></span><i><br /></i></h5>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-44631491931845819862013-07-08T09:11:00.002-05:002013-07-18T13:59:38.277-05:00Polytheists vs. PagansFor over a decade and a half I have identified as pagan, yet in the last couple of years of that time, I have identified specifically as a polytheist. The reason is not because I have divorced myself from the pagan label or that community, nor do I have any desire to do so. I identify as a polytheist simply because that term is more specific to my beliefs. While "Earth-centered" still applies to the things I believe and the way I live my life, over the years the gods have become just as important in my beliefs, and primary in my practice. I like to think that my blog reflects this dual approach, and is as appealing to polytheists as it is to pagans.<br />
<br />
When I first came to paganism all those years ago, I embraced archetypal interpretations of deities. In hindsight, I realize that I thought that believing in <i>ideas</i> of gods somehow gave my religion more credibility. While monotheists sometimes get flack for believing in just one deity, polytheists can be thought of as being even more "backwards," because it is assumed that people don't believe those things anymore. If someone raised a skeptical eyebrow when I told them that I believed in a bunch of gods, it was a comfort to be able to tell them, "it's not like that! The gods are really just manifestations of the human psyche!" or any number of definitions that pagans use.<br />
<br />
More than that, I found the non-literal interpretation of the divine to be very liberating. To say that I was raised Catholic is an understatement. It was pushed upon me, and the harder I resisted it, the more it was thrust upon me. I think that my time as a monist/agnostic pagan was necessary to
cultivate my own spirituality, as it deconstructed (what were to me)
damaging ideas of what divinity is. Only after that was I able to
approach religion and spirituality with an open mind and heart. There are a number of pagans who have experienced similar things, and to these people, freedom of their individual religious expressions are of utmost importance. I cannot resent this. Having been there myself, I have a deep understanding and sympathy for this need.<br />
<br />
Yet as my time as a pagan wore on, and I continued to call upon and interact with the various names of the deities, more and more I became unable to think of them as mere archetypes and so on. To me, the gods became more real, distinct, and individual.<br />
<br />
Our relationships with the gods can be compared to our relationships with other human beings. When you first meet someone, you may simply know them as "that guy who fixes computers." If there's something wrong with your computer, he's clearly the person to call. But unless you spend the time to get to know him as a person, he'll never become more than another tech geek. You may never learn that he loves spelunking and has a phobia of bubble gum. You may never fully appreciate him for the unique individual that he is. Likewise, I see my transformation from an agnostic pagan to full-fledged polytheist as the result of spending time with the gods and getting to know them.<br />
<br />
I don't say this to imply that I'm doing religion more correctly, or better than anyone else. I simply mean to say that these are the things that I
believe, why I believe them, and how I came to believe them. My becoming a polytheist was a natural evolution of my spirituality, and necessary to fulfill that spirituality. You are
probably going to believe something completely different. And you know
what? <i>That's ok</i>.<br />
<br />
The awesome thing about paganism is that it is open and accepting of all
kinds of beliefs. The frustrating thing about paganism is that it
is open and accepting of all kinds of beliefs. In my years interacting with other pagans, there have been times when they've been so focused on what makes everyone's belief systems similar, they neglect what makes them different. And when we neglect those differences, misunderstandings happen. Our differences should be as recognized as our similarities because
they can give us understanding, context, and a new appreciation for the
things we do and believe as individuals, as well as a diversity and vitality
that makes our communities richer.<br />
<br />
At least, that's the ideal.<br />
<br />
In the quest for finding sameness, pagans can be very insistent about Jungian archetypes or monism. There are times when I've found it frustrating, offensive even. But guess what? For all the times I've been annoyed by the insistence that "all gods are one," or some other idea, there are pagans out there that have been annoyed by a polytheist's insistence that all gods are separate.<br />
<br />
Which brings us to the major point of contention: Crack open any dictionary, and it
will tell you that polytheism is the
worship of multiple gods. And according to polytheists, gods are gods. Archetypes are not gods.
Natural forces are not gods. However, gods are big, and can do amazing
things. From a polytheist's point of view, gods can represent archetypes
and
manifest as forces of nature as well as being separate, distinct
entities. However, the opposite is not necessarily true. The way they see a humanist
pagan's view is that a
deity is reduced to <i>only</i> an archetype or <i>only</i> a force of nature. And polytheists find this insulting, to their gods.<br />
<br />
I once heard someone say that when you define what your beliefs are,
you are in a way denying someone else's. At first I balked at this idea.
"No way! My beliefs are, like, Über tolerant and junk!" But as I
thought about it, I realized that it was true. When I say that I believe
in many gods, this statement is the antithesis of what a monotheist
believes. My statement, in an indirect way, denies what they believe. There is nothing malicious about this; it is simply a matter of people having differing points of view.<br />
<br />
And this is the key to the problem that pagans and polytheists are having. <br />
<br />
In
the "pro-polytheism" posts that I've been reading, the authors take a
very firm stance on their beliefs. They draw a line, and they defend it.
And then some of the pagans get offended, interpreting these
declarations of belief as attacks, as one person telling another what to believe and how to worship. I know there are those who would disagree with me, but I do not believe that this is the case. And even if it was... so what? No one has to do or think what Random Internet People say. Your beliefs are your own, and no one can change that. If that is not the case, your beliefs must not have been held very close anyway.<br />
<br />
At the beginning of this debate (or more accurately, before I realized that it <i>was</i> a debate) I was very pleased to see my fellow polytheists standing out and declaring what they, and by extension I, believe in. But the deeper I read into the debate, the deeper I saw the contention and nastiness run, until this whole kerfuffle has left me feeling very disheartened. Instead of grown people discussing what they believe and why, egos get in the way and people bicker about who's "righter," slinging personal insults along the way and arguing about who fights dirtier. But all of this is useless. The important thing is not to fight over who is correct. It is to understand each other, and find harmony with each other.<br />
<br />
How do you do this when people on both sides have scoffed at the idea of having to accept each other's beliefs? After all, saying that you accept those beliefs is a way of saying that you believe them. And why would anyone want to say that they believe something they don't? Luckily, the solution is simple.<br />
<br />
We need only to accept that we are different, and that that is ok. No one has to accept your beliefs. No one has to accept my beliefs. But
as decent human beings, we all have an obligation to respect that we
have them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z2iOYFzlxgHFH9E1vnp_stwUqn5RRHgttt7IqioL64goXDzsHr6hRTg9PWDQnPY7cV1WpiArgewSU1pbYbQYXOwkkS6xHKQXfxsO_ysba6i1OCnuHoKszKuRgtwWG1WbJ4c4eelnJIs/s1600/fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z2iOYFzlxgHFH9E1vnp_stwUqn5RRHgttt7IqioL64goXDzsHr6hRTg9PWDQnPY7cV1WpiArgewSU1pbYbQYXOwkkS6xHKQXfxsO_ysba6i1OCnuHoKszKuRgtwWG1WbJ4c4eelnJIs/s320/fix.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
If you want to read more about The Great Debate, I have compiled some links below (in no particular order):<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://tessdawson.blogspot.com/2013/06/putting-deities-first.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Putting the <span style="font-size: x-small;">D</span>eities First</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://tessdawson.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-god-faucet.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The God Faucet</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/allergicpagan/2013/06/09/we-have-met-the-enemy-and-he-is-us-pogo-2/#comments" target="_blank">We <span style="font-size: x-small;">Have Met the Enemy a<span style="font-size: x-small;">n</span>d He is Us</span></a> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.witchesandpagans.com/Pagan-Paths-Blogs/we-don-t-need-no-stinkin-theories.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We Don't Need No Stinkin' Theories</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://krasskova.weebly.com/1/post/2013/06/lines-in-the-sand.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lines in the Sand</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://witchesandpagans.com/Pagan-Paths-Blogs/gods-of-consequence.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gods of Consequence</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.patheos.com//Pagan/Bringing-Back-Gods-Sufenas-Virius-Lupus-01-11-2013.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bringing <span style="font-size: x-small;">B</span>ack the Gods</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://ofthespiae.hellenistai.com/2013/06/17/honestly-the-most-reasonable-exchange-ive-seen-concerning-this-latest-drama/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Honestly the Most Reasonable Exchange I've Seen Concerning This Latest Drama</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://witchesandpagans.com/Pagan-Paths-Blogs/we-are-not-all-one-and-it-s-ok.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We Are Not All One and it's OK</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://thetwistedrope.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/on-being-accepted-as-a-polytheist/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On Being Accepted as a Polytheist</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://dreamsbeforeflowers.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/more-on-the-debate/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">More On the Debate</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://thehouseofvines.com/2013/05/28/maybe-i-should-do-a-kickstarter-campaign-to-fund-this/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maybe I Should Do a Kickstarter Campaign to Fund This</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://satsekhem.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/once-more-with-feeling/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Once More, With Feeling </span></a></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-9268296073370633632013-06-26T16:46:00.000-05:002014-06-03T08:45:10.191-05:00Papyrus Painting - MutA picture of Mut that I painted. I thought about putting a <i>was</i> scepter in her empty hand. I've not seen a picture of her holding one, but since she's a queen, I think it would have made sense. But in the end, I painted her so that she's holding out her hand in a summoning gesture, calling for her follower (which would be me).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EvuneFvOAMfJo0SU9CML5EORa66-5gukfZBIzpUVinQuv3tN3yKwkm72Lu1RkgBAS1Xsr6k5-jJn9v9AbP4G_S3zeipzc9bRGJUd-wxOcR_iSDP4NVkghwlOMC4PTBw9IgfT_M_UZmU/s1600/Mut.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EvuneFvOAMfJo0SU9CML5EORa66-5gukfZBIzpUVinQuv3tN3yKwkm72Lu1RkgBAS1Xsr6k5-jJn9v9AbP4G_S3zeipzc9bRGJUd-wxOcR_iSDP4NVkghwlOMC4PTBw9IgfT_M_UZmU/s1600/Mut.jpeg" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-58205845747863558172013-06-17T20:32:00.002-05:002014-06-04T18:29:46.282-05:00Response: What Makes a "Devout" Polytheist?Today's topic is inspired by a post I recently read on The Twisted Rope entitled "<a href="http://thetwistedrope.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/what-makes-a-devout-polytheist/" target="_blank">What Makes a 'Devout' Polytheist?</a>" If you haven't already, you should take a few minutes to read it. Go on, I'll be here when you get back. I promise!<br />
<br />
Her point could be summed up with these questions: "<i>isn’t there more to your religion than the shrine you bow in front
of? Isn’t there more than one way to show your devotion to the gods and
the religion that they are a part of?</i>"<i> </i>She talks about things like blogging and writing, community building (both online and off), crafting, or just talking to other polytheists about religion and gods as a form of devotion. And all of those can be just as meaningful as sitting in front of a shrine. Yes, spending time at your shrine is important, but devotion is
something that you live in all aspects of your life.
Otherwise your spirituality looks something like that of the anecdotal
Christian who attends church every Sunday, yet acts in a decidedly
un-Christian manner the other 167 hours of the week.<br />
<br />
I know that for my part, my devotion is shown in the adoration I feel towards
my gods, in the sense of peace and joy I feel whenever I glance across
the room at my shrines. It is a simple, but profound experience every time.<br />
<br />
While I more or less agree with everything that Devo said, one important thing that she didn't touch on is that (in my opinion) a big part of devotion is the way in which you treat your gods, inside ritual and out. Being a polytheist means viewing the gods as independent, distinct beings - and treating them as such. I believe that the gods care about us; they want us to be happy and whole, and they can help us to become so. However, this does not mean that the gods exist simply to please us or solve our problems. You shouldn't go to them with offerings and praise only when you want something in return, because <a href="http://www.witchesandpagans.com/Pagan-Paths/the-gods-are-not-your-personal-biatches.html" target="_blank">the gods are not your personal biatches</a>. In that sense, being devout is being able to honor the gods just for the sake of honoring them.<br />
<br />
The other significant point here is that Devo (rightly so) differentiates between the devotional responsibilities between priests and laypeople. And that difference is what I really got hung up on.<br />
<br />
For much of my life, I have wanted to be a priest. Even when I was a little girl and Catholicism was all I knew, I wanted to be a nun. A life of devotion to one's god and service to one's community is an intimidating prospect, but that life is one that has always been extremely appealing to me.<br />
<br />
So where does that leave a polytheist wannabe-priest? More to the point, where does that leave the misfit tri-pantheon polytheist wannabe-priest? Can I be a priest of three pantheons at once, or do I need to pick a primary one to be a priest of? What do you do when you feel like you have no one community to call your own? Can I call myself a priest when I serve the gods but no community?<br />
<br />
Among my friends, I have described myself as being my own priest, but I mean that in only the most matter-of-fact way. I literally do act as my own priest in the majority of my life and spirituality. But what does that even matter in a religious group filled to the brim with self-described priests?<br />
<br />
So that's what Devo's post did to me. It reminded me for the hundredth time what a weird half-place I'm in. I enjoy ritual more than many things in my life (despite the fact that it <i>is</i> a chore on occasion). Aside from the good it does the gods, ritual is fulfilling and it brings me peace. As cheesy as it might sound, I really do feel like it is a way in which I am meant to bring some small bit of ma'at into not only my life, but into... well, everything. I try to do ritual and give offerings every day, and I often succeed. But I also fail miserably at times, so where does that leave me? I think of being a priest as a lifestyle, a profession, something that you not only want to fulfill, but are obligated to. But is that even possible - or more importantly, fair - when I also need to make a living and may not be able to put as much time into a priesthood as I feel I need to?<br />
<br />
Dear Deithe, Iluma, and Netjeru, I feel so hopeless sometimes!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hm73Eq7Dtsbck9y5affYQdnwJz3GLF6zpd3QLC9C3-5pzeemlZiFMbNrd3_GPUqf64rxVclHrJHVl-x-4WfOjNQmLuENWeCQcBieUhHFE_kAYjVpvqJ6IHBJ3MRjylyW0UxpybRmMuM/s1600/praise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hm73Eq7Dtsbck9y5affYQdnwJz3GLF6zpd3QLC9C3-5pzeemlZiFMbNrd3_GPUqf64rxVclHrJHVl-x-4WfOjNQmLuENWeCQcBieUhHFE_kAYjVpvqJ6IHBJ3MRjylyW0UxpybRmMuM/s400/praise.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-82549370110733567192013-05-21T11:51:00.000-05:002014-06-03T08:46:35.106-05:00Diancecht Is Not a Jerk<span style="font-family: inherit;">A while back, a well-meaning friend gave me a book called "A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year." While I have to admit that the book does have some useful information as far as herbology goes, the mythological and theological approach the author took was frustrating, to say the least. I can't help it; anytime someone goes around saying that Morrighan is a triple goddess, I kind of want to smack them. (She isn't. The triple goddess concept is <i>not</i> Celtic.)<br /><br />Now, I could continue to pick apart all the nonsense the author said about Morrighan, but I'll settle for telling you that if you decide to read or have read that book, you </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">might as well disregard everything the author says about Morrighan. </span>Today, there's another deity I feel I need to stand up for. And that god is Diancecht. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Poor Diancecht has such a bad reputation. In the retelling of his story in "A Druid's Herbal," as well as retellings I've heard many other Pagans repeat, it's the same thing. "He's angry! He's jealous! He murdered his son!" Ok, so that last one may be true, but that's not what I'm going to focus on at the moment. It is the words "angry" and "jealous" that I get hung up on when people try to tell his myth, and I'm going to try to explain why.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The story in question occurs after the battle between the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tuatha D<span class="st">é</span> Danann and the Fir Bolg. Nuadu's hand had been cut off, and Diancecht created for him a new one made of silver, which had the movement of a real hand. However, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diancecht's son Miach </span> wasn't at all satisfied with this cure. Miach restored Nuadu's severed hand, healing the king. It is at this point that </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diancecht</span> seems to loose his shit. He threw his sword at Miach's head, cutting into the flesh. Miach healed himself, and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diancecht struck him again, this time cutting into the bone</span>. Again Miach healed himself, and for a third time </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diancecht struck him, cutting into his brain and killing him instantly. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diancecht buried his son, and 365 herbs grew from the grave, the same number as the joints and sinews of his body. At that point</span></span> Airmed, Diancecht's daughter and Miach's sister, spread her cloak on the ground and picked and sorted the herbs according to their properties. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diancecht then mixed up all of the herbs, so that no one knows all of their healing properties.<br /><br />Now I'm going to talk about the texts themselves, how I interpret them, and why. If you want to read them for yourself, translations can be found <a href="http://sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/gafm/gafm04.htm" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://sacred-texts.com/neu/cmt/cmteng.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
Regarding Diancecht's "jealousy" about Nuadu's newly healed hand, one of the texts says simply that "Dian Cecht did not like that cure." Another says "But Diancecht was vexed when he saw his son doing a better cure, than
himself..." Admittedly, it is an argument of semantics to say that Diancecht's annoyance at his son doing better cure isn't the same as saying that he was jealous of it, but I will take on that argument.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduouDFfxBLmzV7dAPu8HuwKYrYg2hePQOW9WGw_mB36aze5vH87CMAKG3bcf01X1gybVliq1MuvCHT4Sslk4m1Oy0l9YAzdofa73r4or29WLSECub_jHZAFWZwjYmik9NfxukqYgxPJE/s1600/herbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduouDFfxBLmzV7dAPu8HuwKYrYg2hePQOW9WGw_mB36aze5vH87CMAKG3bcf01X1gybVliq1MuvCHT4Sslk4m1Oy0l9YAzdofa73r4or29WLSECub_jHZAFWZwjYmik9NfxukqYgxPJE/s640/herbs.jpg" width="191" /></a>In this story, I look at Diancechet as a god of doctors, healers, and physicians. Miach is also a god of healing, but more than that, I see him as a god of regeneration. Therefore, to say that Diancecht was annoyed by his son's cure or that he simply didn't like it, is a mythological statement of fact. Humans cannot regenerate missing appendages. Until recently, reattaching missing body parts was a medical impossibility, and even now the process is iffy. This is why I say Diancecht's dislike of Miach's cure was not borne of jealousy. It is simply a statement that Miach's cure was something outside the scope of human ability.<br />
<br />
So how do you get from disliking something that someone does, to repeatedly hurling a sword at that someone's head? Well, for one thing, I think this is another exploration of human ability. Flesh wounds and broken bones can heal on their own, barring any sort of infection, but once you damage the brain, you're pretty much screwed unless you have immediate and extensive medical care. In some movies, damaging the brain is even how you kill zombies, like in "Shaun of the Dead." Remove the head or destroy the brain, right?<br />
<br />
More significantly, I see this as a sort of origin story of healing herbs. Just think about it - from the grave of the god of healing and regeneration comes 365 herbs, each corresponding to his body parts. In a mythological sense, the herbs that heal us could have <i>only</i> come from there. And in this sense, Diancecht's act is one of necessity, for without the felling and burial of Miach, we would have no medicine. Likewise, I see Diancecht's scattering of Aired's collection of these herbs as an explanation of their complexity. Being a competent herbologist takes years of study, and even so, no matter how experienced you are, there is always more to learn and discover.<br />
<br />
Some may think that my interpretation of this myth is a stretch, but one has to remember that mythology is metaphor. In my experience, myths are about more than they appear to be on the surface. So the next time you tell this story, or hear someone else doing so, please don't be so hard on Diancecht. He is not a villain. He is one of the <span style="font-family: inherit;">Tuatha D<span class="st">é</span> Danann. He is a god.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="goog_1664274562"></span><span id="goog_1664274563"></span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-6628756116967832682013-04-16T17:45:00.000-05:002014-06-03T08:53:03.399-05:00And Then There Was ‘Anatu and ‘Athtartu<b>Or, "Why Kaif is a Big Fat God Slut."</b><br />
<br />
Some time ago, I stumbled across Tess Dawson's website,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://canaanitepath.com/" target="_blank">Natib Qadish: Modern Canaanite Polytheism</a></span>. After poking around a bit, I found a brief description of the goddess <a href="http://canaanitepath.com/inner_sanctuary.htm#anat" target="_blank">‘Anatu</a>, a deity of war and loyalty. She was described as being young, fierce and fearless, and ready to defend those she cares about.<br />
<br />
Despite how short the description of ‘Anatu was, it really made
an impression on me. The feeling I got reading about her was kind of
like the feeling you get when you meet some one new, and know
instantly that you're going to be friends. Needless to say, I was
immediately hooked, and eager to learn more about this deity. Yet at
the same time, I must admit that part of me was a little frustrated
as well. I had just gotten a handle on my Kemetic goings-on and
wanted to continue to focus on that, to continue to nurture the
relationships that I had spent roughly a year developing. However,
the feeling I got about ‘Anatu was one I had learned not to ignore.
After some extensive internal debate, and some reassurances to and
from the Netjeru, I eventually managed to strike a compromise with
myself. My immersion into Canaanite polytheism or Natib Qadish was a
slow process as I learned about ‘Anatu and her fellow Caananite
gods, culture, and religion bit by bit, while still keeping the focus
on further establishing my Kemetic practices.<br />
<br />
Eventually, <a href="http://canaanitepath.com/inner_sanctuary.htm#athtart" target="_blank">‘Athtartu</a> started creeping into my mind as well. Tess Dawson's website describes her as "<i>a goddess of compassion, restraint, and peace</i>," and a goddess of justice. In other words, very different from ‘Anatu! It confused me a great deal that these two very different deities were both so appealing to me (or that I was so appealing to them, whichever the case may be), but I eventually learned that according to legend, ‘Athtartu and ‘Anatu were friends and would go hunting together. Discovering that was one of those beautiful moments when your own intuition can be validated by research, and that's when their connection really clicked for me. It is difficult to put into words as this understanding is so visceral, but it's about the wholeness of two seemingly separate and opposing parts. They are the warrior and the diplomat; the need to fight or make peace, act or react, and to me, together they represent the need and the wisdom to take the appropriate action at the appropriate time. This insight gave sense to my fascination with these goddesses, since one of the things I've struggled with all my life is knowing when to push and when to pull.<br />
<br />
I recently decided to take the plunge and give the goddesses a
shrine of their own, and begin some sort of formal practice for them.
Despite my limited skill, I had previously made statues for them.
‘Anatu is in a smiting pose similar to those of other Canaanite
warrior deities, holding a spear in hand, and ‘Athtartu is in a
gentle pose, sporting the prominent pubic triangle with which she is
often identified. I put these statues on a shelf with some modest
decoration, and while it's a simple shrine, I like the result:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIaIwbA81BvXjlNFchabPIJh1WR3H5nZwboxO529XODbWJb7gFhxkXWKA9lKW99YyevgR1p_M3FrPfXfPNCVI-eAO1AEI0fs2DZWIV6cHnR6RWrSyr9EocV8-qlEbOZWK2PKFiLD1jVa4/s1600/Canaan+Shrine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIaIwbA81BvXjlNFchabPIJh1WR3H5nZwboxO529XODbWJb7gFhxkXWKA9lKW99YyevgR1p_M3FrPfXfPNCVI-eAO1AEI0fs2DZWIV6cHnR6RWrSyr9EocV8-qlEbOZWK2PKFiLD1jVa4/s400/Canaan+Shrine.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shrine of ‘Anatu (on the left) and ‘Athtartu (on the right), with offerings of a candle, incense, and water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you are interested Cananite Polytheism, check out <a href="http://canaanitepath.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Natib Qadish: Modern Canaanite Polytheism</a> and <a href="http://tessdawson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kinaʻani: Impressions of Tess Dawson, Canaanite Polytheist</span></span></span></a>. For more information about ‘Anatu and ‘Athtartu specifically, read "<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://tessdawson.blogspot.com/2012/08/oh-my-goddess-es-identities-of-inanna.html" target="_blank">Oh My Goddess-es: Identities of Inanna, Astarte, Ishtar, ‘Athtartu, ‘Anatu, and Athiratu</a>" to learn more about them.</span></span></span> :)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661179803775433.post-84898496774039552522013-03-26T10:22:00.000-05:002013-03-29T20:39:30.769-05:00Heka, Masaru Emoto StyleI thought this video would make a good follow-up to my previous <a href="http://emeraldandblack.blogspot.com/2012/04/heka-words-of-creation.html" target="_blank">heka</a> post. It is a brief yet brilliant summary of Masaru Emoto's work. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, in a nutshell, Mr. Emoto took pictures of water molecules after they had been exposed to various words and intentions. I first heard of Masaru Emoto's work several years ago, but didn't give it much thought then. However, coming to Kemeticism and learning about the concept of heka gave me a new perspective on what he has done, as well as a great appreciation for it. Just watch this video, and you can see why.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/33IiYb8htHk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Remember, words have the power to create. They have the power to heal. Saying so is not just fluffy nonsense - it's true!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08825570025708157071noreply@blogger.com0