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Friday, August 24, 2012

Pagan Spirituality


The word “Spirituality” often crops up in discussion amongst Pagans. It’s an interesting concept, Pagan spirituality can almost seem like a contradiction in terms to the individual outside the Pagan realm; references to Magic and occult ceremonies, an assertion that the divine feminine loves all beings and that eternity is not judged by this life alone. In fact Pagans tend to resist the whole concept of a “Day of Judgment” Referring instead to laws of cause and effect; the three fold law or versions of Karma. The rewards or punishments of actions will be received either in this life or in another incarnation. That, in itself, presents a rather different concept. To the Pagan community, there is no permanent Hell. When you have sufficiently made recompense for your actions you may move on. This is best illustrated by the following story;
“Once there was a Priest whose duty was to prepare Goats for sacrifice. One day as he was commencing his duties the Goat he was preparing began to laugh, a very human laugh. Startled, the Priest asked ‘Why are you laughing?’ The Goat replied ‘For five hundred years I have been born as a goat to be sacrificed, born and reborn for the same fate but this time, when I am sacrificed I will be reborn as a man’ The Priest congratulated the Goat and said he was happy it would be so. Just then he saw a tear in the Goat’s eyes. ‘Why the tears?’ Asked the priest. ‘Because’ replied the Goat ‘five hundred years ago I was a Priest who sacrificed Goats’
The question that is then asked, and it is a fair question from the religion point of view, is that if there is no immediate judgment and everything will balance out in the by and by, what is the incentive for being spiritual?
Another apparent contradiction to Pagan Spirituality also raises itself. Pagans often speak of using Magic to manifest desire; Pagans frequently find themselves defending gay marriage and group arrangements. There is Sex Magic, The Great Rite and men and women jointly performing rituals naked, or “Sky Clad” as it is often called. This manifestation of Earthly desire and the glorifying of the body appear to the outside as the very opposite of spirituality. These questions bring us to the very foundation of what makes the Pagan, the Magical People, different.
Religions see a duality of Body and Spirit, Religions see them as separate entities and insist that the Body with all its earthly desire must be controlled and subordinated. The Pagan sees no such duality. To the Magical People there is no duality in that sense. We are one person and honoring our body and the body of another is a spiritual practice. The phrase often heard in Witches Coven and Druid Grove alike is;
“We are not bodies having a spiritual experience. We are spirits having an earthly experience.”
Once this concept is fully grasped then the questions of birth, death and re-birth are easily answered. The fulfilling of the Mortal experience is the aim along with a realization that such an experience must be done carefully, thoughtfully and with attention to the ripples it may cause. “Do as you will but harm none” is still the best counsel though the application is not as easy as it may sound. Pagan Spirituality is not about controlling or abandoning the desires of the body, Pagan Spirituality is about recognizing the whole person. Completely existing in this incarnation and living life to the full.
Have a wonderful and Magical life my Brothers and Sisters. All that this World has to offer is yours. Do not be distracted by the poverty of mind or the poverty of circumstance that many find themselves in. The Magic and the Blessings of the Gods are yours in abundance, you just have to learn how to claim your birthright.
Your birthright and your joy and the honoring of all that you are lie in the Love of the Earth and the Love that the Goddess has for you.  This is Pagan Spirituality.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Prosperity Ritual


One of the saddest and most disturbing things I hear about is people who follow the pagan Path finding themselves in dire poverty. I am referring to homes lost, cars repossessed and even homelessness. There seems to be something quite wrong about this. Those who have given their lives to honoring the old Gods should not end up this way. Since getting involved in Twitter and Facebook, especially Twitter where almost all of the people I interact with are Pagan, I have become more and more concerned with the brothers and sisters who find themselves in dire straits.
Those who love the Goddess and give honor to the Gods of nature should not find themselves in such a situation. I am firmly convinced that abundance is our goal. Enough to meet your needs is not sufficient. If all you have is enough for your needs then you have nothing to contribute to the truly needy and helpless. How can we donate to causes and give material aid to those in real need if all we have is enough for ourselves. So here, in this blog, I want to share a prosperity ritual. Drawing wealth to yourself through Magic.
Create an Altar specifically for this task. Declare to the Gods and to yourself that this is a Sacred Place. Every morning have your favorite Tarot deck prepared. Place upon your altar four cards from your deck using the 10 cards. These are the cards of abundance in the four suits. Place the 10 of Pentacles in the North, Swords in the East, Wands in the South and Cups in the West. Below the cards place a stone in the north, a feather in the east, a candle in the south and a small vessel of water in the west. In the center place whatever money you may have with you that morning. It doesn’t matter if it is only a coin put it there.
The next part I cannot tell you what to do. This is a matter for yourself, your needs and your relationship to the Gods. All I can give are general guides. First prepare yourself. What you are doing must be done with intent and awareness. Do not let your mind wander from the task at hand. Feel within you your love for the Gods and for the World we live upon. Spend some time in feeling the earth and exploring your feelings. Facing the North, let your consciousness flow down beneath your feet. Feel your consciousness moving below the rock, through the magma down to the very core of the Earth. Then draw that power through the Earth back up into your body. Feel the strength and energy of the Earth fill you.  Face the East, the direction of the rising Sun. Use your own words, drawing upon the way your preparation has filled your being and call abundance to yourself. Repeat this ritual every morning.
Magic appears to most of us in two ways; luck and coincidence. Pay attention, luck and coincidence will occur in your life, be prepared to move in the direction they take you.  Then you will be able to say, as I do every day;
“ I am Goddess Blessed”