Thanksgiving is in two days here in the US, and I think this is the
first Thanksgiving in a few years where I am basically free from kitchen
duties! Usually Thanksgiving is at my grandparents, and I help them
cook. This year my partner and I are in Denver with her family, and
she's the one who gets to help with most of the cooking. My contribution is a bag of frozen meatballs dumped into a crock pot with some whole berry cranberry sauce, and some cocktail sauce. Might sound strange but it tastes good. Thank the Gods for crock pots, let me tell you. Even my
grandmother gets a year off, since she is going to my Dad's where he
will have done the work. (He bought a new house earlier this year which actually fits guests!) It's not that I don't like cooking, but who doesn't want a break now and then? I'm sure after a million years Mama feels the same.
Since I'll have more free time this year, I've decided to take the time to properly honor Hestia, and make the offerings for a safe winter, since I did not do this during Samhain as I normally would (and it's finally getting cooler out). Since it's Thanksgiving, it seems like an appropriate time to, you know, actually give thanks and all that.
Speaking of Hestia, my hymn was accepted for the devotional to her that will eventfully be coming out, so that's quite exciting for me!
Showing posts with label ritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ritual. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Full Moon Ritual for Selene
This is a simple little ritual that I try to do each month when the moon is full. I prefer to do this ritual outside if at all possible, even on cloudy nights, or inside at a window from which the moon is visible if outside isn't an option.
I begin the ritual by lighting some incense. I often just use sticks or cones of jasmine, gardenia, or other white flowers. For those who prefer lose incense, the Orphic hymns recommend burning aromatic herbs such as bay, lavender, basil, rosemary, thyme, mint, lemon balm, and chamomile.
I take a few moments to focus myself, and then I recite the Orphic hymn to Selene (hymn number 9):
Hear me, O Divine Queen,
O light-bringing and splendid Selene,
O bull-horned Moon,
crossing the air as you race with night.
Nocturnal, torch-bearing,
Maiden of the beautiful stars,
O Moon, waxing and waning,
feminine and masculine,
luminous, lover of horses,
mother of time, bearer of fruit,
amber-colored, moody,
shining in the night,
all-seeing and vigilant,
surrounded by beautiful stars,
you delight in the quiet and in the richness of the night,
you grant fulfillment and favor as, like a jewel, you shine in the night.
Long-cloaked marshal of the stars,
wise maiden whose motion is circular,
come, O blessed and gentle Lady,
lady of the stars,
through your own light shine and save, O maiden, your *initiates.
(Original line is new initiates. I also sometimes replace initiates with devotee/devotees.)
After reciting the hymn a small libation is poured out for Selene. I often just use cool water. While pouring I say something along the lines of, O Selene, may you be well pleased with this offering.
I follow the libation either with my own personal prayers, or more often, silent meditation. After I thank Selene for her presence, and leave the ritual space.
I begin the ritual by lighting some incense. I often just use sticks or cones of jasmine, gardenia, or other white flowers. For those who prefer lose incense, the Orphic hymns recommend burning aromatic herbs such as bay, lavender, basil, rosemary, thyme, mint, lemon balm, and chamomile.
I take a few moments to focus myself, and then I recite the Orphic hymn to Selene (hymn number 9):
Hear me, O Divine Queen,
O light-bringing and splendid Selene,
O bull-horned Moon,
crossing the air as you race with night.
Nocturnal, torch-bearing,
Maiden of the beautiful stars,
O Moon, waxing and waning,
feminine and masculine,
luminous, lover of horses,
mother of time, bearer of fruit,
amber-colored, moody,
shining in the night,
all-seeing and vigilant,
surrounded by beautiful stars,
you delight in the quiet and in the richness of the night,
you grant fulfillment and favor as, like a jewel, you shine in the night.
Long-cloaked marshal of the stars,
wise maiden whose motion is circular,
come, O blessed and gentle Lady,
lady of the stars,
through your own light shine and save, O maiden, your *initiates.
(Original line is new initiates. I also sometimes replace initiates with devotee/devotees.)
After reciting the hymn a small libation is poured out for Selene. I often just use cool water. While pouring I say something along the lines of, O Selene, may you be well pleased with this offering.
I follow the libation either with my own personal prayers, or more often, silent meditation. After I thank Selene for her presence, and leave the ritual space.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Reconsidering Smudging With Sage Bundles in Neo-paganism
Cultural appropriate is a real hot button issue for a lot of modern pagans, particularly when it begins to concern Native Americans. Although some Native tribes are quite open to those who are sincere, many Native Americans have come forward and asked people to please stop taking their traditions, and please stop taking them and using them out of context, or without any relation to a tribe, and so on. This is often met, unfortunately, with cries of things like "we're all one people," "spirituality needs to be shared," and "you should feel grateful that people want to emulate you." I would think one only needs to consider the history and current issues facing Native American populations to realize why these aren't exactly great things to say. (And yet...)
But the use of sage in particular is an issue I find interesting. Smudging with sage sticks, generally white sage (Salvia apiana), is just so ubiquitous within modern paganism, nobody seems to question it, or look at it's origins. White sage is native to western North America. The spiritual associations of it, using it for purification, the rituals surrounding it, and so on, all originate with some Native American tribes. White sage is also not the only plant used in such a way, of course, sagebrush, cedar, and other local plants would have all been used by various tribes.So why is it this one thing which seems to have become so widely spread throughout the pagan community? Especially when we consider that the pagan roots we tend to draw from have their own purification traditions.
Let's look at Greece, for example. Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is native to the Mediterranean. Same genus as white sage, but a different species. Common sage, sometimes also called garden sage, is what you're likely to find in grocery stores for use in cooking. (Although white sage is edible, and was/is used as a source of food.) Common sage is found in Greece. It was very, very likely that it was one of the "aromatic herbs" burned as an incense offering to some of the gods. The Orphic Hymns recommend aromatic herbs be burned for Hestia, Hera, Athene, and Selene, for example.
But the Greeks didn't use common sage in smudging rituals like some Native American tribes would do. In Greek ritual, purification of people and spaces would have generally been accomplished with lustral water and barley.
Which is all not to say that no one else ever purified with incense, smoke, sacred fires, and so on. That's found in many, many places all over the world. It's just, there are so many ways to do this without pulling from Native American customs. So again, I can't help but wonder why that in particular was the thing to become standard practice for so many folks. Particularly when, for many pagans, connecting to our ancestral roots is such an important element of the practice. Why didn't we look more to what they did? Their traditions are just as valid, and often easily accessible, after all.
I doubt that I could ever talk someone out of using a sage stick if it's become something they've done in their practice for quite a while, and I'm not even sure if that's my 'goal' here, so to speak. But I do think paganism, as a whole, would benefit in looking at, and finding the value in some of our other purification traditions.
As a final note, I'm always someone who's often going on about the importance of looking locally, working locally, and so on, in witchcraft. However, it's quite possible to work locally, and even respect indigenous traditions, without lifting elements of their spirituality directly from them. Living in those areas would probably open you to the use of these kinds of sage in general, but I think there would have to be ways to utilize these plants respectfully, you know? Being aware of the cultures that still use them as part of their living tradition. Not living in an area where sage is native, I can't speak more on that. There's not really an easy equivalent where I live (not to mention, so many plants here have been imported, so they are local but not native). I'd be interested to hear more from witches living in such areas, however.
But the use of sage in particular is an issue I find interesting. Smudging with sage sticks, generally white sage (Salvia apiana), is just so ubiquitous within modern paganism, nobody seems to question it, or look at it's origins. White sage is native to western North America. The spiritual associations of it, using it for purification, the rituals surrounding it, and so on, all originate with some Native American tribes. White sage is also not the only plant used in such a way, of course, sagebrush, cedar, and other local plants would have all been used by various tribes.So why is it this one thing which seems to have become so widely spread throughout the pagan community? Especially when we consider that the pagan roots we tend to draw from have their own purification traditions.
Let's look at Greece, for example. Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is native to the Mediterranean. Same genus as white sage, but a different species. Common sage, sometimes also called garden sage, is what you're likely to find in grocery stores for use in cooking. (Although white sage is edible, and was/is used as a source of food.) Common sage is found in Greece. It was very, very likely that it was one of the "aromatic herbs" burned as an incense offering to some of the gods. The Orphic Hymns recommend aromatic herbs be burned for Hestia, Hera, Athene, and Selene, for example.
But the Greeks didn't use common sage in smudging rituals like some Native American tribes would do. In Greek ritual, purification of people and spaces would have generally been accomplished with lustral water and barley.
Which is all not to say that no one else ever purified with incense, smoke, sacred fires, and so on. That's found in many, many places all over the world. It's just, there are so many ways to do this without pulling from Native American customs. So again, I can't help but wonder why that in particular was the thing to become standard practice for so many folks. Particularly when, for many pagans, connecting to our ancestral roots is such an important element of the practice. Why didn't we look more to what they did? Their traditions are just as valid, and often easily accessible, after all.
I doubt that I could ever talk someone out of using a sage stick if it's become something they've done in their practice for quite a while, and I'm not even sure if that's my 'goal' here, so to speak. But I do think paganism, as a whole, would benefit in looking at, and finding the value in some of our other purification traditions.
As a final note, I'm always someone who's often going on about the importance of looking locally, working locally, and so on, in witchcraft. However, it's quite possible to work locally, and even respect indigenous traditions, without lifting elements of their spirituality directly from them. Living in those areas would probably open you to the use of these kinds of sage in general, but I think there would have to be ways to utilize these plants respectfully, you know? Being aware of the cultures that still use them as part of their living tradition. Not living in an area where sage is native, I can't speak more on that. There's not really an easy equivalent where I live (not to mention, so many plants here have been imported, so they are local but not native). I'd be interested to hear more from witches living in such areas, however.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Rite of Her Sacred Fires
Last night I preformed the Rite of Her Sacred Fires, in honor of Hekate. It was very interesting to do a ritual exactly as many people all over the world were doing.
I was surprised how many people, in how many places, actually participated in the ritual.
I used oil lamps for light during the ritual, but the actual 'sacred fire' used was fire I lit in a small cauldron. Part of the rite involves reciting the Ephesian letters, a sort of mantra for Hekate, so to speak. While reciting them, the fire went crazy! That's something I'll have to follow up on, for sure.
Another interesting thing was how alive the woods around me became. There was movement all around the clearing I was in, unlike anything I've ever experienced before. The night before I'd held a small ritual for Selene in the same spot, not much later in the evening, and the woods were quite still and tranquil.
I was also out there much longer than I realized. The whole rite only takes some five minutes to complete, without the meditation bit, and I stayed out there for almost an hour without really realizing it. It was a very nice night.
I used oil lamps for light during the ritual, but the actual 'sacred fire' used was fire I lit in a small cauldron. Part of the rite involves reciting the Ephesian letters, a sort of mantra for Hekate, so to speak. While reciting them, the fire went crazy! That's something I'll have to follow up on, for sure.
Another interesting thing was how alive the woods around me became. There was movement all around the clearing I was in, unlike anything I've ever experienced before. The night before I'd held a small ritual for Selene in the same spot, not much later in the evening, and the woods were quite still and tranquil.
I was also out there much longer than I realized. The whole rite only takes some five minutes to complete, without the meditation bit, and I stayed out there for almost an hour without really realizing it. It was a very nice night.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Home Again
Well, things have settled down a bit, and I'm back in my apartment, for a few days at least. My grandfather is finally up and about after his knee replacement, doing very well.
While at my grandparents' I was not only helping out with the household needs, but I was also swamped in work, and I came down with a head cold, so not too much time for other activities. But, I did manage to get the altar built!
It's not quite what I had in mind, but I figure I can always add to it as needed. It was quite the undertaking to haul the larger stones out to this spot. (It perhaps looks a bit taller than it is? It's meant to be knelt at.) There was a lot of sweat, some blood, and... well not tears, but germs, from coughing all over them. So, that's great.
I only finished assembling it last night, despite the stones sitting around for what, a week? But with it being the sixth of the lunar month, Artemis' day, and the Thargelia festival, I figured I must get it done.
Thargelia is a festival dedicated to Artemis and Apollon. In antiquity is was a festival to celebrate the new shoots of the spouting harvest, and a time to drive away all bad things, purify, and welcome in good things. The agricultural aspect of the festival doesn't fit in very well with life in New Hampshire, as farming wise, there's not going to be any planting for another week or two. But foraging, there are thing starting to come up, like fiddle-heads.
The purification aspect worked well with finally getting the altar built. I went out a bit after sunset, with the moon already high in the sky, and washed the altar down with blessed water. Next I took barley, and sprinkled it on the altar and the space around it. Finally, I burned a mixture of patchouli, mugwort, and rosemary and carried it around the ritual space, and fanned the smoke to the altar.
I dedicated the spot generally to all the Gods who bring good things, and then more specifically to Artemis, Hekate, and Selene, who will be seeing the majority of worship here. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, I'm only in my apartment for a short while, as I plan to go back to my grandparents' next weekend for the full moon, which brings the Rite of Her Sacred Fires for Hekate. (http://hekatecovenant.com/rite-of-her-sacred-fires/) I am not a member of the covenant, and have not done this rite in years past, but this year it seemed appropriate. There's just something about many people, from many traditions, coming together at the same time, to do the same ritual in honor of a deity they all feel called to.
While at my grandparents' I was not only helping out with the household needs, but I was also swamped in work, and I came down with a head cold, so not too much time for other activities. But, I did manage to get the altar built!
I only finished assembling it last night, despite the stones sitting around for what, a week? But with it being the sixth of the lunar month, Artemis' day, and the Thargelia festival, I figured I must get it done.
Thargelia is a festival dedicated to Artemis and Apollon. In antiquity is was a festival to celebrate the new shoots of the spouting harvest, and a time to drive away all bad things, purify, and welcome in good things. The agricultural aspect of the festival doesn't fit in very well with life in New Hampshire, as farming wise, there's not going to be any planting for another week or two. But foraging, there are thing starting to come up, like fiddle-heads.
The purification aspect worked well with finally getting the altar built. I went out a bit after sunset, with the moon already high in the sky, and washed the altar down with blessed water. Next I took barley, and sprinkled it on the altar and the space around it. Finally, I burned a mixture of patchouli, mugwort, and rosemary and carried it around the ritual space, and fanned the smoke to the altar.
I dedicated the spot generally to all the Gods who bring good things, and then more specifically to Artemis, Hekate, and Selene, who will be seeing the majority of worship here. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, I'm only in my apartment for a short while, as I plan to go back to my grandparents' next weekend for the full moon, which brings the Rite of Her Sacred Fires for Hekate. (http://hekatecovenant.com/rite-of-her-sacred-fires/) I am not a member of the covenant, and have not done this rite in years past, but this year it seemed appropriate. There's just something about many people, from many traditions, coming together at the same time, to do the same ritual in honor of a deity they all feel called to.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Mounykhia
The traditional offering made to Artemis at this time would be round cakes, called amphiphontes, which means something similar to shining all around, which were decorated with little torches. It would seem these cakes were offered before the sun set, but after the moon had risen. Unfortunately, this wasn't possible in my location, as the moon wouldn't rise until well after sunset.
So I offered a cake and flowers in the woods at sunset. A honey almond cake, topped with walnuts, lemon zest, and sweet goat cheese. (Goats were also a traditional sacrifice at this time, so I wanted to include some sort of goat product.) As well as a libation of mead mixed with honey and olive oil. I spent some time meditation on Artemis' Orphic hymn.
Later in the night I poured out another offering of warm milk, honey, and cinnamon, and meditated on Artemis as goddess of the moon, and as light bringer in the dark. I also spent some time praying for others who had requested it.
During both events, something interesting happened. I have never in my some seventeen odd years of practice considered myself a priestess. Either because I belonged to a specific tradition where being a priest held a particular meaning, or because as a solitary practitioner it seemed like an unnecessary thing to do. And yet on that night, for the first time, for some reason, I felt somewhat like a priestess. I do not particularity know what to make of that. What that actually means. It's something I'm sure I'll be turning over in my medtations for a good while.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Hekate's Deipnon
Tonight is the night of Hekate's supper. Shortly after sunset, while there was still a little light in the sky, I went back out into the woods, under the bridge. I spent a bit of time cleaning some of the litter from the area. Then I made offerings to Hekate and her wandering dead, and made private prayer to Hekate.
On the way home things felt very right, and I think this is a call to make a permanent shrine in that area, but again, I'll have to think more on that to be sure. There is another area that I was considering, a triple crossroads in the woods, sees much less traffic I think. But... there's something about that bridge I just can't get over.
After the ritual, I also got the feeling that I should be sprinkling barley over the offerings when I leave them, something I usually do not do for the deipnon, but will start doing.
On the way home things felt very right, and I think this is a call to make a permanent shrine in that area, but again, I'll have to think more on that to be sure. There is another area that I was considering, a triple crossroads in the woods, sees much less traffic I think. But... there's something about that bridge I just can't get over.
After the ritual, I also got the feeling that I should be sprinkling barley over the offerings when I leave them, something I usually do not do for the deipnon, but will start doing.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Simple Evening Devotional
When creating this daily devotional I knew I'd have to keep it very simple. There are a lot of days where I deal with health/fatigue issues, and it really rules out a lot of things for me. In the past I've written about a daily ritual at my hearth shrine during dinner, but there are now many days where I either might not be the one cooking, or I might be with my grandparents, away from my own kitchen, and it's shrine.
So I came up with a very simple solution. I keep a clay olive oil lamp on the window sill near my computer, right in my view so I remember to use it. It has four wicks, one for each of the deities I primarily honor. The first wick lit is always the one for Hestia, and when lighting it I say something along the lines of "I light this flame in honor of Hestia, heart of my home, who brings peace and stability." It varies a bit, sometimes I use a different title, or have something more specific I am thankful for, or even something I might be requesting from her.
I light the other flames for Artemis, Demeter, and Hekate, all with the same style of short prayer. Then I take a few minutes to simply relax, clear my mind a bit, take a deep breath or two. Then I will leave the lamp burning for a while as I go about my business - be it work, writing, or just playing games. The lamp will go out on it's own when it runs out of oil, and some nights I simply let it go out when it will. However, on most nights, I extinguish the flames with a final thank you to the deity.
Now, what about those nights I'm away from home? I don't bring the lamp with me, I just take a few minutes to myself and, well, basically imagine lighting the lamp, with the same prayers. Since I do it often enough physically, it's easy to picture in my mind. In some ways I enjoy this symbolism even more than the physical ritual, carrying the flames of these deities within me, always.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Personal Practice
This week's Pagan Experience prompt is about personal practice. I would say that at the moment the core of my personal practice is built around a series of daily, monthly, and yearly rituals.
My daily ritual is pretty simple. I have a small shrine on the back of my oven dedicated to Hestia, and while making dinner I light her candle on the shrine, and leave a small offering - generally a bit of whatever is for dinner, but sometimes it will be wine, olive oil, or something along those lines. Sometimes I recite a hymn to her, or make personal prayers, but often it's just the offering with a simple 'thank you for your blessings.'
The 'monthly' rituals are based around the lunar month, and are inspired by, but not strict reconstructions of, ancient Greek practices. The ancient Greeks marked the beginning of the new month with their new moon, which was the first sighting of the crescent moon, but I guess I'm a little stuck in my own old habits, because for me the astronomical new moon is where I start the cycle. On the new moon, the first of the lunar month, I hold a somewhat larger ritual for Hestia and the household spirits, where I give offerings of barley cakes, wine, salt, olive oil, and aromatic herbs, and thank them for the blessings of the previous month, and ask for the continued support.
On the fourth day of the lunar month I hold a special festival for Aphrodite. I do a working ritual with her each Sunday, but her monthly festival is just about honoring her and celebrating her, rather than preforming a ritual with a specific goal in mind. Incense and music are the offerings for this festival, and occasionally dove shaped honey cookies.
The sixth day belongs to Artemis and the nature spirits. I strongly prefer to hold this ritual outside when I can, but sometimes it's not always possible. Even if the ritual can't be held outside, I try to spend at least some time in nature on this day, even if it's just going for a short walk, or looking at the moon a bit. Out of all the monthly rituals, this is the one that I've been doing the longest, and has seen the most changes in how I celebrate it. However, it generally involves making an offering to Artemis of something that the local wildlife will also enjoy, such as birdseed, which I can leave out after the ritual.
The last day of the month is for Hekate and the ancestors. As it's the last day of the month I spend the day cleaning up a bit, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning out the fridge a bit, washing things down, and cleaning off the shrines. This way everything is clean and ready for the new month. Anything that comes off a shrine (or around it) goes into an offering bowl for Hekate - things like incense ash, partially burned incense, any offerings that might still be on shrines, candle wax drippings, used matches, old flowers/herbs, etc. They are offered to Hekate so that she can take the old away to make room for the new, both in a literal and symbolic sense. I also offer her many traditional things like eggs, garlic, bread, cheese, and onions. I have also found cookies decorated with stars, locks, and keys, which I have found make a wonderful offering to her. Traditionally these offerings would be left at a crossroads, but I generally leave them at a stonewall at the edge of the property. The cookie gets buried or burned, if I am able to do so, as it is strictly for Hekate. Everything else is left on the ground at the wall, and I assume animals probably enjoy them. I chose the wall because it is a liminal space, so sacred to her, and is a much more private location. I also make offerings at my ancestor shrine on this night. The next night starts the cycle again.
Then there are the yearly festivals, which are the Sabbats that I'm sure many are familiar with. They fit very nicely with the climate where I live (well, with a few adjustments here and there), so they're something that's stuck with me throughout my time as a pagan, even if the details have changed since then.
Of course not everything I do is quite so structured, but over the years I've found having these cycles really keeps me in tune with my deities, with the spirits, and with nature. It keeps me motivated to practice, and to keep deepening these relationships and bonds, so that things don't become stagnant, and so I don't find myself having done nothing at all for months at a time. Certainly it's not something that would work for everyone, but it does seem to keep me focused, which is something I need a good bit of help with at times!
My daily ritual is pretty simple. I have a small shrine on the back of my oven dedicated to Hestia, and while making dinner I light her candle on the shrine, and leave a small offering - generally a bit of whatever is for dinner, but sometimes it will be wine, olive oil, or something along those lines. Sometimes I recite a hymn to her, or make personal prayers, but often it's just the offering with a simple 'thank you for your blessings.'
The 'monthly' rituals are based around the lunar month, and are inspired by, but not strict reconstructions of, ancient Greek practices. The ancient Greeks marked the beginning of the new month with their new moon, which was the first sighting of the crescent moon, but I guess I'm a little stuck in my own old habits, because for me the astronomical new moon is where I start the cycle. On the new moon, the first of the lunar month, I hold a somewhat larger ritual for Hestia and the household spirits, where I give offerings of barley cakes, wine, salt, olive oil, and aromatic herbs, and thank them for the blessings of the previous month, and ask for the continued support.
On the fourth day of the lunar month I hold a special festival for Aphrodite. I do a working ritual with her each Sunday, but her monthly festival is just about honoring her and celebrating her, rather than preforming a ritual with a specific goal in mind. Incense and music are the offerings for this festival, and occasionally dove shaped honey cookies.
The sixth day belongs to Artemis and the nature spirits. I strongly prefer to hold this ritual outside when I can, but sometimes it's not always possible. Even if the ritual can't be held outside, I try to spend at least some time in nature on this day, even if it's just going for a short walk, or looking at the moon a bit. Out of all the monthly rituals, this is the one that I've been doing the longest, and has seen the most changes in how I celebrate it. However, it generally involves making an offering to Artemis of something that the local wildlife will also enjoy, such as birdseed, which I can leave out after the ritual.
The last day of the month is for Hekate and the ancestors. As it's the last day of the month I spend the day cleaning up a bit, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning out the fridge a bit, washing things down, and cleaning off the shrines. This way everything is clean and ready for the new month. Anything that comes off a shrine (or around it) goes into an offering bowl for Hekate - things like incense ash, partially burned incense, any offerings that might still be on shrines, candle wax drippings, used matches, old flowers/herbs, etc. They are offered to Hekate so that she can take the old away to make room for the new, both in a literal and symbolic sense. I also offer her many traditional things like eggs, garlic, bread, cheese, and onions. I have also found cookies decorated with stars, locks, and keys, which I have found make a wonderful offering to her. Traditionally these offerings would be left at a crossroads, but I generally leave them at a stonewall at the edge of the property. The cookie gets buried or burned, if I am able to do so, as it is strictly for Hekate. Everything else is left on the ground at the wall, and I assume animals probably enjoy them. I chose the wall because it is a liminal space, so sacred to her, and is a much more private location. I also make offerings at my ancestor shrine on this night. The next night starts the cycle again.
Then there are the yearly festivals, which are the Sabbats that I'm sure many are familiar with. They fit very nicely with the climate where I live (well, with a few adjustments here and there), so they're something that's stuck with me throughout my time as a pagan, even if the details have changed since then.
Of course not everything I do is quite so structured, but over the years I've found having these cycles really keeps me in tune with my deities, with the spirits, and with nature. It keeps me motivated to practice, and to keep deepening these relationships and bonds, so that things don't become stagnant, and so I don't find myself having done nothing at all for months at a time. Certainly it's not something that would work for everyone, but it does seem to keep me focused, which is something I need a good bit of help with at times!
Monday, November 17, 2014
Approaching Aphrodite
Aphrodite's altar is coming along. I want to post a picture in the next few days. I preformed my first ritual at it yesterday morning. I was actually planning to do it sooner, but there were a few days where my health wasn't letting me, and then another morning where I took a ritual shower, got dressed, and things just didn't feel right. I didn't preform the ritual, and I spent some time thinking about what was off... eventually it hit me, it was the clothes. I shouldn't be wearing them. I shouldn't be wearing anything.
That was a new one for me. Fifteen-ish years of paganism and I have not once ever felt the need to do a ritual in the nude. It's not so much that I'm uncomfortable with the idea, but it just wouldn't be practical for the types of rituals I tend to do. I've never been big on ritual garb one way or the other, really, my everyday clothes have just worked fine for most things up to this point.
So since I had no real objections I went ahead with it. I wasn't really sure what to expect. I've seen a few other pagans say that the first time they practiced nude they found it totally freeing, and amazing, and wonderful, and they'll never go back... and nope, didn't get any of that myself. It wasn't super amazing, and it wasn't uncomfortable or awkward, it just felt normal and like the right thing for the ritual. I will continue to do it when honoring Aphrodite in this same setting, but I don't see it becoming a regular occurrence in other ritual settings.
As for the ritual itself I probably should have written more of it out, rather than just be beginning and part of the middle, because I found myself rambling a bit at times. Shortly after the ritual I found myself thinking of another deity, and realized that perhaps this deity should actually be included on the altar as well (and that I perhaps should be directing my specific request to this deity?). I'm still thinking on that...
That was a new one for me. Fifteen-ish years of paganism and I have not once ever felt the need to do a ritual in the nude. It's not so much that I'm uncomfortable with the idea, but it just wouldn't be practical for the types of rituals I tend to do. I've never been big on ritual garb one way or the other, really, my everyday clothes have just worked fine for most things up to this point.
So since I had no real objections I went ahead with it. I wasn't really sure what to expect. I've seen a few other pagans say that the first time they practiced nude they found it totally freeing, and amazing, and wonderful, and they'll never go back... and nope, didn't get any of that myself. It wasn't super amazing, and it wasn't uncomfortable or awkward, it just felt normal and like the right thing for the ritual. I will continue to do it when honoring Aphrodite in this same setting, but I don't see it becoming a regular occurrence in other ritual settings.
As for the ritual itself I probably should have written more of it out, rather than just be beginning and part of the middle, because I found myself rambling a bit at times. Shortly after the ritual I found myself thinking of another deity, and realized that perhaps this deity should actually be included on the altar as well (and that I perhaps should be directing my specific request to this deity?). I'm still thinking on that...
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Barking Dogs
Tonight is the first night in a very long while that I've celebrated Hekate's Deipnon. It is the first time since creating a permanent shrine for her in my home. It wasn't perfect. I forgot to offer any of the eggs I bought. I stumbled a bit during prayer. I couldn't leave the offerings where I wanted to, because the apartment complex was strangely busy for 11:30 at night. Couldn't burn the incense with the offerings.
But I left the offerings in a patch of mugwort by a small swampy area. I walked away and circled back around from the area, and suddenly there was a dog barking from the area where I'd left the offerings, despite the fact that there had certainly been no dog there just a minute ago. A baking dog (or dogs) is a traditional sign of Hekate's presence. As soon as I heard the baking a very strange feeling washed over me - some mix of reverence, joy, and a bit of fear.
Maybe it was just a coincidence, it's certainly possible, but perhaps it was also a sign that imperfect worship is still better than no worship.
But I left the offerings in a patch of mugwort by a small swampy area. I walked away and circled back around from the area, and suddenly there was a dog barking from the area where I'd left the offerings, despite the fact that there had certainly been no dog there just a minute ago. A baking dog (or dogs) is a traditional sign of Hekate's presence. As soon as I heard the baking a very strange feeling washed over me - some mix of reverence, joy, and a bit of fear.
Maybe it was just a coincidence, it's certainly possible, but perhaps it was also a sign that imperfect worship is still better than no worship.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Samhain
Happy Samhain and happy Halloween!
My original Samhain plans ended up being tossed around a bit, so this year it seems I'll be doing the bulk of my Samhain celebrating tomorrow and the day after. Which actually works out well for me, because it will coincide nicely with my regular lunar rituals for the last day of the cycle and the new moon, which have a very nice overlap in symbolism. Isn't it nice when disruptions end up working out?
Still, I was able to celebrate a bit last night as well. Yesterday it rained most of the evening, but stopped around midnight - it was foggy, warmer than it had been earlier in the day, and everything smelled damp and earthy. Perfect atmosphere for a small Samhain ritual. First I went to the edge of the woods and just spent some time meditating. Then I left some simple offerings for the spirits - flat bread, eggs, and apples.
I also ended up doing a little spontaneous working. I'm sure many are familiar with the basic concept of this working - you list negative things you don't want in your life, things that are holding you back, bad habits, and so on, then you burn the list and picture these things being removed from your life. This time of year is traditionally the time to cull the herds, the time to let things go, and of course has associations with death and release, so I thought it would be a perfect little working which would utilize those energies of this season.
I expected the real benefit of this working to come in the actual listing of what's holding me back, and to an extent that was helpful. There were no surprises on the list, but it was good to actually write these things down, to really see them and acknowledge them.
However, the surprise of the ritual was when I actually went back out to burn the paper. I felt like I received two clear messages from Westya (who is personified in flame), who I'd never really felt anything so clearly from before. Until now, our relationship was very quiet - a mutual sort of I'll remember and honor you, and you'll gift your blessings to my home, and that was it. But during the working, I felt she gave me two messages... First, that it's going to be hard work. Change is coming, and it's going to be hard, it might be a painful process, and to remember that I asked for it when that time comes. Not that unexpected of a message, really, it made sense. The second message, though, was that it was all going to be alright. That if I put my faith in my foundation (my deities and core/daily practices), I would get through the change, and that she is taking an active role in this, but likely in an unexpected way, and she will burn through my obstacles as long as I am willing to put the work in. The other deities I work with will be there to, but that in this I should look to her first.
Honestly, for such a small ritual, I couldn't have asked for more, and I was not expecting anything like that. Simple rituals can still have big impacts.
My original Samhain plans ended up being tossed around a bit, so this year it seems I'll be doing the bulk of my Samhain celebrating tomorrow and the day after. Which actually works out well for me, because it will coincide nicely with my regular lunar rituals for the last day of the cycle and the new moon, which have a very nice overlap in symbolism. Isn't it nice when disruptions end up working out?
Still, I was able to celebrate a bit last night as well. Yesterday it rained most of the evening, but stopped around midnight - it was foggy, warmer than it had been earlier in the day, and everything smelled damp and earthy. Perfect atmosphere for a small Samhain ritual. First I went to the edge of the woods and just spent some time meditating. Then I left some simple offerings for the spirits - flat bread, eggs, and apples.
I also ended up doing a little spontaneous working. I'm sure many are familiar with the basic concept of this working - you list negative things you don't want in your life, things that are holding you back, bad habits, and so on, then you burn the list and picture these things being removed from your life. This time of year is traditionally the time to cull the herds, the time to let things go, and of course has associations with death and release, so I thought it would be a perfect little working which would utilize those energies of this season.
I expected the real benefit of this working to come in the actual listing of what's holding me back, and to an extent that was helpful. There were no surprises on the list, but it was good to actually write these things down, to really see them and acknowledge them.
However, the surprise of the ritual was when I actually went back out to burn the paper. I felt like I received two clear messages from Westya (who is personified in flame), who I'd never really felt anything so clearly from before. Until now, our relationship was very quiet - a mutual sort of I'll remember and honor you, and you'll gift your blessings to my home, and that was it. But during the working, I felt she gave me two messages... First, that it's going to be hard work. Change is coming, and it's going to be hard, it might be a painful process, and to remember that I asked for it when that time comes. Not that unexpected of a message, really, it made sense. The second message, though, was that it was all going to be alright. That if I put my faith in my foundation (my deities and core/daily practices), I would get through the change, and that she is taking an active role in this, but likely in an unexpected way, and she will burn through my obstacles as long as I am willing to put the work in. The other deities I work with will be there to, but that in this I should look to her first.
Honestly, for such a small ritual, I couldn't have asked for more, and I was not expecting anything like that. Simple rituals can still have big impacts.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Confession Time
So here's a confession for you all... 90% of the time when someone makes their spell/prayer/ritual rhyme, I think it sounds corny.
I know, I know. I'm sorry.
I mean, I would never point at someone's work directly and say to them, yeah, you tried, but that is so silly sounding - that's just rude, right? It's uncalled for. Still, I can't do it myself. I don't ever bother with making anything I write rhyme, and I can't remember the last time I incorporated something into a working which rhymed. It just doesn't do anything good for me.
Unfortunately there seems to be this idea floating around that you need to make things rhyme, because that's the only way to raise power. Which is flat out wrong. Yes, this might be a good technique for some people! I know lots of folks who like when things rhyme... it makes it easier to remember, and yes, the flow of it helps them build energy for the working. Awesome, if it's working for you, go for it. It doesn't work for me, though, and I know I'm not alone there. The rhyming usually takes me out of the right mindset for a working.
So, if you're new to witchcraft, just know that you don't have to work with rhymes, even if someone says that's the only way to do things... because it's really not. There's so many ways to raise power, and heck, you don't even need to include words at all in a ritual if you don't want. Find what works for you. If it's a rhyme? Great. If not? Don't worry, try something else.
I know, I know. I'm sorry.
I mean, I would never point at someone's work directly and say to them, yeah, you tried, but that is so silly sounding - that's just rude, right? It's uncalled for. Still, I can't do it myself. I don't ever bother with making anything I write rhyme, and I can't remember the last time I incorporated something into a working which rhymed. It just doesn't do anything good for me.
Unfortunately there seems to be this idea floating around that you need to make things rhyme, because that's the only way to raise power. Which is flat out wrong. Yes, this might be a good technique for some people! I know lots of folks who like when things rhyme... it makes it easier to remember, and yes, the flow of it helps them build energy for the working. Awesome, if it's working for you, go for it. It doesn't work for me, though, and I know I'm not alone there. The rhyming usually takes me out of the right mindset for a working.
So, if you're new to witchcraft, just know that you don't have to work with rhymes, even if someone says that's the only way to do things... because it's really not. There's so many ways to raise power, and heck, you don't even need to include words at all in a ritual if you don't want. Find what works for you. If it's a rhyme? Great. If not? Don't worry, try something else.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Using Dirt in Ritual and Spellwork
Yep. Dirt. Lots of people are familiar with using herbs, spices, oils, gems, and so on in their rituals - but what about dirt? Mentioned briefly in my post about budget witchcraft/paganism, dirt has a place in ritual and spellwork.
The idea behind using dirt for a working is fairly simple - dirt from a particular location gathers and carries the particular energies of a place. For example, libraries and schools are usually thought of as places of learning, so you might gather dirt from such a location for use in a working involving learning, intelligence, knowledge, and so on.
To give a few more examples, dirt from around a bank may be used for prosperity. Dirt from a garden or farm for fertility or growth. Dirt from around a courthouse for workings dealing with justice or legal issues. Dirt from a mountain for grounding and stability. Dirt from a sea shore (or sand) for purification, dirt from the bank of a swift river for messages. Dirt from a road for travel. Dirt from around a casino or racetrack for luck or gambling. Dirt from the soles of shoes for a working involving that person. Like many aspects of spell work, such things can be open to interpretation, so give some thought to your goal, and the energy you wish to bring to it.
Two types of dirt are often given more attention than others - graveyard dirt, and crossroads dirt. Graveyard dirt in particular has many different rituals and ideas attached to it. Usually dirt is not just taken from any part of the graveyard, but a bit of dirt from a particular grave. This might be someone who has traits specific to your working - such as a doctor for a healing. This might also simply be someone who you were related to, or were close to, while they were alive (particularly for protection). As such, it is important to work to know the spirit you will be working with. Take time to tend to the grave, to leave offerings, to ask for permission to take the dirt, to ask for their aid in your working, to listen to for a response before proceeding.
Again, that is just one view on the use of graveyard dirt. There are tons of different views on the collection and use of such dirt.
Dirt from a crossroads also has multiple associations and rituals attached to it, much as the crossroads themselves. For example, some say you must go during the middle of the night, leave an offering, take some dirt, and leave the area without ever looking back. Other collection rituals might be much less specific. This dirt is often used to add extra potency to any working, but again can carry a variety of meanings.
Now, when it comes to actually using the dirt in a spell or ritual, it's fairly simple. It can be stuffed into a bundle, sachet, or dolly much like herbs can. It can be sprinkled in a ring around a candle (or even added to wax in small amounts when making a candle). It might be sprinkled around an area, such as around the outside of a home in a protective working. Symbols can be drawn onto a paper, the dirt sprinkled on that, and folded into a charm. There are many ways to utilize dirt for all sorts of workings - get creative with it.
The idea behind using dirt for a working is fairly simple - dirt from a particular location gathers and carries the particular energies of a place. For example, libraries and schools are usually thought of as places of learning, so you might gather dirt from such a location for use in a working involving learning, intelligence, knowledge, and so on.
To give a few more examples, dirt from around a bank may be used for prosperity. Dirt from a garden or farm for fertility or growth. Dirt from around a courthouse for workings dealing with justice or legal issues. Dirt from a mountain for grounding and stability. Dirt from a sea shore (or sand) for purification, dirt from the bank of a swift river for messages. Dirt from a road for travel. Dirt from around a casino or racetrack for luck or gambling. Dirt from the soles of shoes for a working involving that person. Like many aspects of spell work, such things can be open to interpretation, so give some thought to your goal, and the energy you wish to bring to it.
Two types of dirt are often given more attention than others - graveyard dirt, and crossroads dirt. Graveyard dirt in particular has many different rituals and ideas attached to it. Usually dirt is not just taken from any part of the graveyard, but a bit of dirt from a particular grave. This might be someone who has traits specific to your working - such as a doctor for a healing. This might also simply be someone who you were related to, or were close to, while they were alive (particularly for protection). As such, it is important to work to know the spirit you will be working with. Take time to tend to the grave, to leave offerings, to ask for permission to take the dirt, to ask for their aid in your working, to listen to for a response before proceeding.
Again, that is just one view on the use of graveyard dirt. There are tons of different views on the collection and use of such dirt.
Dirt from a crossroads also has multiple associations and rituals attached to it, much as the crossroads themselves. For example, some say you must go during the middle of the night, leave an offering, take some dirt, and leave the area without ever looking back. Other collection rituals might be much less specific. This dirt is often used to add extra potency to any working, but again can carry a variety of meanings.
Now, when it comes to actually using the dirt in a spell or ritual, it's fairly simple. It can be stuffed into a bundle, sachet, or dolly much like herbs can. It can be sprinkled in a ring around a candle (or even added to wax in small amounts when making a candle). It might be sprinkled around an area, such as around the outside of a home in a protective working. Symbols can be drawn onto a paper, the dirt sprinkled on that, and folded into a charm. There are many ways to utilize dirt for all sorts of workings - get creative with it.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Cleansing, Consecrating, and Charging
Cleansing
Cleansing is fairly simple in concept. Places, items, and people all gather dirt and grime over time - physically and spiritually - and cleansing is simply getting rid of that gathered grime. Just as you wouldn't go without washing yourself for long periods of time, or invite your family over without tidying a bit first, it's good to also spiritually clean yourself and your spaces.
There are many different ways to cleanse, and it's really about choosing what's best for your situation, and something that won't damage the item you're cleansing.
The smoke of smudge sticks and other purifying incenses are quite popular. However, you could also dip an item in water with a bit of salt - or sprinkle that salt water onto the item, person, or around the place. Instead of salt water, a light tea of purifying herbs could also be used. An item might also be simple sprinkled in salt or herbs. The light of the sun is cleansing, and some use moonlight for the same purpose. You could pass an item over a flame. Use running water (a shower or bath is a good way to cleanse yourself both physically and spiritually). Sound can also cleanse - a sharking rattle, a tambourine, bells, flutes, or singing bowls can all be used to cleanse. Get creative and experiment with different methods.
When exactly to cleanse is also often a personal matter. Some always cleanse any space before holding a ritual, but in my personal practice this is not something I usually do when working outside. If a space doesn't feel right, I find a place that does. These places are not my home, and I would rather go where invited than try to push my way into a space, but this is something people will have different views on, of course. I cleanse my home about once a month, but I find doing it before every last working is not necessary as I have dedicated ritual space. Again though, it is really personal preference. Some do it more, some do it less.
When it comes to purification of items, I do this as needed, and always at Imbolc. Others do it once a month at the new or full moon. Some just do it only when it's needed.
As for purification of the self? This is easy enough to do with each shower or bath, if one wishes to do so. It can be nice to let all the spiritual gunk dissolve down the drain with the physical dirt. Taking a shower or bath before a ritual is common practice. At other times a ritual washing of the hands, and sometimes face or mouth is enough. Then there are times that you might be physically filthy, say if there's a long muddy hike to the ritual space, but a light spiritual cleansing of the self is still done as a gesture of respect.
Consecrating
To consecrate something means to dedicate it to a particular purpose, usually a sacred one. As with cleansing, there are many ways this can be done, but personally I prefer a fairly simple approach. After giving an item a good cleansing, I anoint it with a dab of blessed oil, and simply state what the item's purpose will be, and ask for the blessings of those it will be going into service of. I then spend a while meditating with the item, thinking about it's new purpose in my practice. It is then ready for ritual use.
In my opinion, it is only necessary to consecrate an item once if it remains in fairly active use. (For myself, that means at least once a year.) However, if a particular item had to go into storage for some time, or something like that, it certainly would not hurt to cleanse it and re-dedicate it.
Likewise, you might find you no longer need a particular item, or perhaps only needed it to act as a sacred tool temporarily. In either case, it's wise to remove it from service. Again, a simple way to do this is just by holding the item and saying some words to return the item to day to day use.
Charging
To charge an item means to imbue it with energy. This can be your personal energy, energy from the sun, moon, or other natural energy, or energy that you have raised and set to a particular purpose.
For example, if you wanted to make an amulet to use for protection, while crafting the amulet you would think of it's purpose. This begins to charge it. When it is complete, you would raise and focus energy as you would for any other working that required it, and it would then be focused into the item.
To charge an item with your person energy, you would simply have to spend time with it. This often happens on it's own with ritual tools we use frequently. To charge it with the energy of some natural force, you'd simply allow it to spend time in that force. Buried in the earth, under the sun or moon, hanging from a tree, dipped in ocean water, and so on. One might even ask a spirit or deity to bless an item with some of their energy.
Cleansing is fairly simple in concept. Places, items, and people all gather dirt and grime over time - physically and spiritually - and cleansing is simply getting rid of that gathered grime. Just as you wouldn't go without washing yourself for long periods of time, or invite your family over without tidying a bit first, it's good to also spiritually clean yourself and your spaces.
There are many different ways to cleanse, and it's really about choosing what's best for your situation, and something that won't damage the item you're cleansing.
The smoke of smudge sticks and other purifying incenses are quite popular. However, you could also dip an item in water with a bit of salt - or sprinkle that salt water onto the item, person, or around the place. Instead of salt water, a light tea of purifying herbs could also be used. An item might also be simple sprinkled in salt or herbs. The light of the sun is cleansing, and some use moonlight for the same purpose. You could pass an item over a flame. Use running water (a shower or bath is a good way to cleanse yourself both physically and spiritually). Sound can also cleanse - a sharking rattle, a tambourine, bells, flutes, or singing bowls can all be used to cleanse. Get creative and experiment with different methods.
When exactly to cleanse is also often a personal matter. Some always cleanse any space before holding a ritual, but in my personal practice this is not something I usually do when working outside. If a space doesn't feel right, I find a place that does. These places are not my home, and I would rather go where invited than try to push my way into a space, but this is something people will have different views on, of course. I cleanse my home about once a month, but I find doing it before every last working is not necessary as I have dedicated ritual space. Again though, it is really personal preference. Some do it more, some do it less.
When it comes to purification of items, I do this as needed, and always at Imbolc. Others do it once a month at the new or full moon. Some just do it only when it's needed.
As for purification of the self? This is easy enough to do with each shower or bath, if one wishes to do so. It can be nice to let all the spiritual gunk dissolve down the drain with the physical dirt. Taking a shower or bath before a ritual is common practice. At other times a ritual washing of the hands, and sometimes face or mouth is enough. Then there are times that you might be physically filthy, say if there's a long muddy hike to the ritual space, but a light spiritual cleansing of the self is still done as a gesture of respect.
Consecrating
To consecrate something means to dedicate it to a particular purpose, usually a sacred one. As with cleansing, there are many ways this can be done, but personally I prefer a fairly simple approach. After giving an item a good cleansing, I anoint it with a dab of blessed oil, and simply state what the item's purpose will be, and ask for the blessings of those it will be going into service of. I then spend a while meditating with the item, thinking about it's new purpose in my practice. It is then ready for ritual use.
In my opinion, it is only necessary to consecrate an item once if it remains in fairly active use. (For myself, that means at least once a year.) However, if a particular item had to go into storage for some time, or something like that, it certainly would not hurt to cleanse it and re-dedicate it.
Likewise, you might find you no longer need a particular item, or perhaps only needed it to act as a sacred tool temporarily. In either case, it's wise to remove it from service. Again, a simple way to do this is just by holding the item and saying some words to return the item to day to day use.
Charging
To charge an item means to imbue it with energy. This can be your personal energy, energy from the sun, moon, or other natural energy, or energy that you have raised and set to a particular purpose.
For example, if you wanted to make an amulet to use for protection, while crafting the amulet you would think of it's purpose. This begins to charge it. When it is complete, you would raise and focus energy as you would for any other working that required it, and it would then be focused into the item.
To charge an item with your person energy, you would simply have to spend time with it. This often happens on it's own with ritual tools we use frequently. To charge it with the energy of some natural force, you'd simply allow it to spend time in that force. Buried in the earth, under the sun or moon, hanging from a tree, dipped in ocean water, and so on. One might even ask a spirit or deity to bless an item with some of their energy.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Budget Witchcraft/Paganism
All too often someone will say to me, "I want to be a witch/pagan/whatever, but I don't have any money to buy supplies!" Good news - all you really need is you. Yeah, sounds kinda cheesy, right? It's true, though. There are many things you can do that don't really require any money. You can learn to meditate, visualize, cook/eat mindfully, spirit journey, pray, and a whole host of other things, all without spending money on special items.
That said, tools and various other ritual items, while not necessary, are often nice to have, and can be useful aids in your practice. So how do you go about getting these things when you're on a tight budget?
Usually second hand stores, pawn shops, some antique stores, and even the occasional yard sale can bring about a good number of items, for little cost. These sorts of places have tons of little bowls, plates, and other bits - as well as nice stemware that can be used as a ritual cup. Small decorative daggers and letter openers can serve as a fine ritual knife. Such items generally need a good cleansing and blessing before use, but that's something many do for all their tools before use, anyway.
An all too often overlooked source is nature itself. You can go right out and pick up a whole bunch of useful odds and ends for free. Wood from a local tree could easily be made into a wand. Some people even like to carve ritual knives from wood. Herbs, stones, wood for charms, etc. can all be found right outside for a number of people.
Maybe not everyone has the means to do this, but a lot of people who do still seem to overlook it. Last summer I was chatting with a beginner, and she was telling me how she had no money, and so she could not buy herbs or stones, and so she could not practice at all. This person was from a somewhat rural town in New Hampshire, very similar to the one I'd grown up in, and I can assure you if there's one thing we've got plenty of in New Hampshire, it's plants and rocks. For whatever reason, many people just don't consider what's outside, they want something from a shop, or online. The "real" magic sort of stuff.
Sure, you're not likely to go out and find quartz points or tumbled gemstones lying around, but the things you will find are no less powerful or interesting, and they have the potential to become as personal and meaningful, if not more so, than something you just picked up in a shop.
To the left are some examples of some things I've found for myself outdoors. At the top is a stick of lilac wood, which could easily be made into something like a wand, or a part cut off to make a charm. Below that, at the left, is a small horse charm. Not natural, no, but found while out walking anyway. Next, a stone with a cross through it, a symbol of the earth and protection. A chunk of granite, half black and half white, balance. Sea glass and a shell from a trip to the beach, feathers from the woods, teaberries and birch bark right from the yard. There are many plants and trees which can be easily identified with a little research, and can have many uses. Many people are already familiar with some of the more commonly found things, such as maple trees, acorns, pine cones, and dandelions.
Even something as abundant as dirt has a place in ritual and spellwork! Dirt from specific locations is often used in spellwork in hoodoo, for example. Dirt from a hospital yard for healing, or dirt from outside a courthouse for help in legal matters. (For more on that topic, see this post.)
It's also good to take a look around your own home. You want to purify yourself before a ritual, but no sage to smudge? How about soap? Yes, really. Soap gets you nice and clean, right? So there's no reason a good scrub down in the shower can't get you ritually clean, if you put the intent into it. Want to cleanse a space? Bet you've got some salt in the house, so put a little sprinkle of blessed salt into some water, and sprinkle that around the area you'd like to cleanse. What else have you got? Maybe some sugar, flour, pepper, honey or maple syrup, some basic dried herbs or spices (like cinnamon, red pepper flake, oregano)? Find out how you can use them, because you can.
When it comes to offerings, you can always offer a bit from your own plate, or even something as simple as a cup of water, so long as you are truly sincere about it.
You don't need a bunch of expensive tools and fancy items to practice witchcraft, or to be a pagan. There's nothing wrong with saving up for a really nice tool, if that's what you'd like to do, but likewise there's also nothing wrong with using what's at hand or what you can forage and dig up, either. Don't put off practicing until you have a perfect collection of every item you could ever need, don't let it become an excuse. If you want to practice, do it! You may have to think outside the '101 book' item list, get a little creative, really get your mind working - but you can absolutely practice without going broke.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Prompt: Offerings
For those who perform rituals, do you give offerings? If so, what kind?
What is the meaning/purpose of offerings?
The Proto-Indo-Europeans had a concept called ghos-ti. It is the origin for our modern words of stranger, guest and host. It essentially refers to a reciprocal, or mutual relationship of giving and receiving/taking, many such relationships can be found within the universe, and in fact in some cosmologies this concept explains the very nature of the universe as a whole.
This is the reason I give offerings to the Gods and spirits. A balanced relationship can't be had by only taking. It's disrespectful to the ones you're taking from, and it's doing a disservice to yourself - you won't grow if things are always just handed to you, and you won't form a complex, deep, and lasting relationship by always taking. Imagine having a friend who always takes and never gives... you might put up with it for a while, but would it really be lasting and healthy for both individuals? It's unlikely.
Do the Gods really need our offerings? Perhaps not, but it shows them we do more than take, that we respect them, value them, and that we want to share what we can with them. The same goes for the spirits, the ancestors, and the like. Different Deities/spirits enjoy different things. Different foods, drinks, scents, colors, materials, actions, and so on. Taking the time to figure out what is part of building a relationship. We can research traditional offerings, and experiment with new ones.
So what offerings do I give? There is, of course, the standard food and drink... flour, cornmeal, barley, oats, bread, honey, wine, mead, beer, milk, cream, clarified butter, spices and herbs, cookies and cakes, parts of family meals, fruits, vegetables, nuts... well, you get the idea. Even cool water makes an appropriate offering at times. Beyond food and drink, there's flowers and other fresh plants, little crafted items, beads and charms, coins, fabrics, tools, artwork, incense, candles, and more.
Time and actions can also be offerings. Dedicating the actual process of making an item, for example. A deity of weaving might enjoy the actual act of weaving as an offering, not just the finished product. A nature deity might appreciate an offering of going out and cleaning litter. Sometimes just spending some time researching the deity, or spending time at their shrine, can be an offering - making the effort to keep them in mind, and investing time into the relationship.
One doesn't have to go broke making offerings... sometimes a cup of water, a few wildflowers, and the sincerity of the gift is all that is needed.
What is the meaning/purpose of offerings?
The Proto-Indo-Europeans had a concept called ghos-ti. It is the origin for our modern words of stranger, guest and host. It essentially refers to a reciprocal, or mutual relationship of giving and receiving/taking, many such relationships can be found within the universe, and in fact in some cosmologies this concept explains the very nature of the universe as a whole.
This is the reason I give offerings to the Gods and spirits. A balanced relationship can't be had by only taking. It's disrespectful to the ones you're taking from, and it's doing a disservice to yourself - you won't grow if things are always just handed to you, and you won't form a complex, deep, and lasting relationship by always taking. Imagine having a friend who always takes and never gives... you might put up with it for a while, but would it really be lasting and healthy for both individuals? It's unlikely.
Do the Gods really need our offerings? Perhaps not, but it shows them we do more than take, that we respect them, value them, and that we want to share what we can with them. The same goes for the spirits, the ancestors, and the like. Different Deities/spirits enjoy different things. Different foods, drinks, scents, colors, materials, actions, and so on. Taking the time to figure out what is part of building a relationship. We can research traditional offerings, and experiment with new ones.
So what offerings do I give? There is, of course, the standard food and drink... flour, cornmeal, barley, oats, bread, honey, wine, mead, beer, milk, cream, clarified butter, spices and herbs, cookies and cakes, parts of family meals, fruits, vegetables, nuts... well, you get the idea. Even cool water makes an appropriate offering at times. Beyond food and drink, there's flowers and other fresh plants, little crafted items, beads and charms, coins, fabrics, tools, artwork, incense, candles, and more.
Time and actions can also be offerings. Dedicating the actual process of making an item, for example. A deity of weaving might enjoy the actual act of weaving as an offering, not just the finished product. A nature deity might appreciate an offering of going out and cleaning litter. Sometimes just spending some time researching the deity, or spending time at their shrine, can be an offering - making the effort to keep them in mind, and investing time into the relationship.
One doesn't have to go broke making offerings... sometimes a cup of water, a few wildflowers, and the sincerity of the gift is all that is needed.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sixth Night Festival
Tonight is the sixth night of the new lunar cycle, not the first night seeing that sliver of a crescent, but still newly forming. This is one of the nights in a month where I hold a special festival for Artemis. I hold it on this night because Artemis is associated with the number six, as well as with the waxing crescent that resembles Her bow.
I began the night by making the ritual cakes. Equal parts flour and ground almonds (it should be walnuts, but almond is what was on hand tonight) - 1/4 cup of each is enough for my purposes, six small ritual cakes. Next there's a bit of butter and honey, about a tablespoon of each. A pinch of salt, a few drops of good olive oil. Enough wine (well this month it's mead) to form a stiff dough, again usually about a tablespoon. It's probably obvious that this is not a strict recipe. Some months I include fruit, maybe fig or apricot. Or perhaps something locally growing that I've picked earlier in the day. Some months there may be some egg - yolk into the cakes, and brushed with the whites before baking. The dough is shaped into little crescent cakes, baked until the bottoms are lightly browned. Tonight the drink was that same mead used in the cakes. Locally produced, it's flavored with black cherry, blueberry, and red currant. Very nice on a cold night.
Next I gathered the supplies - the cup and plate, the knife, some incense and a lighter, my choker that I wear when doing Her rituals. I walked to the place where I knew I'd be able to see the crescent as it sank lower to the horizon. If this were a summer month the sun would still have been up for the ritual, birds and bugs would have been singing... but it's winter, so it was dark, and very quiet. This is not like a full moon ritual, the crescent shines some light down, but even away from city lights it's still quite dark. It was cold out, 25F, but I didn't feel cold...
I sat on the ground and gave my eyes a few minutes to adjust a bit, gave my mind some time to adjust. There's no lengthy set up. No need to purify the space, no need to do anything to it. It's good as it is. I simply lit the incense, and invited Artemis and Her spirits to join me if they would. I used the knife to bless the meal, I ate and drank some myself, but I shared more, and then I just sat and listened. When the time came, I thanked those who attended. I left more offerings at the edge of the woods.
It's very simple, but not everything has to be complicated, complex, highly-scripted, using many tools or props, or whatever else. Such things have their purpose and place, but I find myself leaning more and more to the simple these days...
I began the night by making the ritual cakes. Equal parts flour and ground almonds (it should be walnuts, but almond is what was on hand tonight) - 1/4 cup of each is enough for my purposes, six small ritual cakes. Next there's a bit of butter and honey, about a tablespoon of each. A pinch of salt, a few drops of good olive oil. Enough wine (well this month it's mead) to form a stiff dough, again usually about a tablespoon. It's probably obvious that this is not a strict recipe. Some months I include fruit, maybe fig or apricot. Or perhaps something locally growing that I've picked earlier in the day. Some months there may be some egg - yolk into the cakes, and brushed with the whites before baking. The dough is shaped into little crescent cakes, baked until the bottoms are lightly browned. Tonight the drink was that same mead used in the cakes. Locally produced, it's flavored with black cherry, blueberry, and red currant. Very nice on a cold night.
Next I gathered the supplies - the cup and plate, the knife, some incense and a lighter, my choker that I wear when doing Her rituals. I walked to the place where I knew I'd be able to see the crescent as it sank lower to the horizon. If this were a summer month the sun would still have been up for the ritual, birds and bugs would have been singing... but it's winter, so it was dark, and very quiet. This is not like a full moon ritual, the crescent shines some light down, but even away from city lights it's still quite dark. It was cold out, 25F, but I didn't feel cold...
I sat on the ground and gave my eyes a few minutes to adjust a bit, gave my mind some time to adjust. There's no lengthy set up. No need to purify the space, no need to do anything to it. It's good as it is. I simply lit the incense, and invited Artemis and Her spirits to join me if they would. I used the knife to bless the meal, I ate and drank some myself, but I shared more, and then I just sat and listened. When the time came, I thanked those who attended. I left more offerings at the edge of the woods.
It's very simple, but not everything has to be complicated, complex, highly-scripted, using many tools or props, or whatever else. Such things have their purpose and place, but I find myself leaning more and more to the simple these days...
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Welcoming the Lady of the Hearth - Part Two
Continuing from my last post...
Deciding that I wanted to get to know this Lady, I set out to create a ritual to preform in Her honor each evening. The first thing that had to be done was preparing the space to be welcoming to the Goddess. This involved a deep cleaning of the kitchen (where Her shrine would be kept), the kind of clean I would do when expecting a visit from guests, which seemed fitting for this Lady. Which lead to the next thing to consider, what ritual purification would I preform on myself? In the end I found it most fitting to do a simple hand washing at the sink - exactly as I would do before preparing a meal for family. (This might make more sense later in the post.)
The space was ready, I was ready, it was time to set up the shrine. Two white bowls on each side for offerings, and a pillar candle holder in the center. I put a mixture of the herbs and spices I use most often in the candle holder - salt, pepper, basil, oregano, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper, garlic, lavender, and a bit of cornmeal - to act as a perpetual offerings of sorts. (They'll be changed out each month with a special prayer.)
Then it was time to prepare the candle that would act as the Lamp of Westya. Quite simple, really. I took a bit of good olive oil from the same bottle I cook with, and anointed the candle while saying "Be pure, Lamp of Westya. Be sacred, Lamp of Westya."
(As a note, from here on all prayers were written by Ceisiwr Serith, with only a few small modifications, whose prayer and ritual books I highly recommend!)
For the first lighting of the candle I wanted to light it at my stove, the actual "hearth" of my home. It's recommended to actually light the candle, using a match as middle man, from the stove's fire - but I have an electric stove, so lighting it at the stove was next best. On this first night, and every evening since, I light the candle while saying "Westya is here, heart of our home." The candle is not a symbol of the Goddess, but Her Living Flame. After lighting, I carefully moved the candle to the shrine. (After the first night I just lit the candle in the shrine after the hand washing, while reciting the same prayer. When a new candle is needed, I'll repeat lighting it on the stove.)
After lighting the candle, I make the first offering, a "base" material that is used in cooking... milk, honey, flour, salt, oil, or clarified butter. This is to be symbolic of Westya being the base, the foundation of the family home. Four spoons of the offering go into the bowl, reciting a line from this prayer with each spoon full...
Burn on our hearth, Westya,
source of all that is holy.
Bless us who dwell here,
and smile on our home.
After the first offering, I go on to cook dinner. This is our largest meal of the day, and the one where we are really able to sit and eat as a family. After dinner is cooked, the second is made, it is a bit of the family's meal. This offering represents the transforming and sustaining power of Westya. With this offering a personal prayer is said.
After dinner is done, there's a bit of clean up, and when done in the kitchen the candle is put out. Before putting the candle out, I take a few moments of silent meditation, then say...
You are always the shining fire,
here in home's heart.
Stay with us,
stay in our home,
and each day I will honor you.
And extinguish the candle.
Later in the evening the offerings are removed (I am placing them outside at this time), the bowls washed, and returned to the shrine for the next day.
Deciding that I wanted to get to know this Lady, I set out to create a ritual to preform in Her honor each evening. The first thing that had to be done was preparing the space to be welcoming to the Goddess. This involved a deep cleaning of the kitchen (where Her shrine would be kept), the kind of clean I would do when expecting a visit from guests, which seemed fitting for this Lady. Which lead to the next thing to consider, what ritual purification would I preform on myself? In the end I found it most fitting to do a simple hand washing at the sink - exactly as I would do before preparing a meal for family. (This might make more sense later in the post.)
The space was ready, I was ready, it was time to set up the shrine. Two white bowls on each side for offerings, and a pillar candle holder in the center. I put a mixture of the herbs and spices I use most often in the candle holder - salt, pepper, basil, oregano, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper, garlic, lavender, and a bit of cornmeal - to act as a perpetual offerings of sorts. (They'll be changed out each month with a special prayer.)
Then it was time to prepare the candle that would act as the Lamp of Westya. Quite simple, really. I took a bit of good olive oil from the same bottle I cook with, and anointed the candle while saying "Be pure, Lamp of Westya. Be sacred, Lamp of Westya."
(As a note, from here on all prayers were written by Ceisiwr Serith, with only a few small modifications, whose prayer and ritual books I highly recommend!)
For the first lighting of the candle I wanted to light it at my stove, the actual "hearth" of my home. It's recommended to actually light the candle, using a match as middle man, from the stove's fire - but I have an electric stove, so lighting it at the stove was next best. On this first night, and every evening since, I light the candle while saying "Westya is here, heart of our home." The candle is not a symbol of the Goddess, but Her Living Flame. After lighting, I carefully moved the candle to the shrine. (After the first night I just lit the candle in the shrine after the hand washing, while reciting the same prayer. When a new candle is needed, I'll repeat lighting it on the stove.)
After lighting the candle, I make the first offering, a "base" material that is used in cooking... milk, honey, flour, salt, oil, or clarified butter. This is to be symbolic of Westya being the base, the foundation of the family home. Four spoons of the offering go into the bowl, reciting a line from this prayer with each spoon full...
Burn on our hearth, Westya,
source of all that is holy.
Bless us who dwell here,
and smile on our home.
After the first offering, I go on to cook dinner. This is our largest meal of the day, and the one where we are really able to sit and eat as a family. After dinner is cooked, the second is made, it is a bit of the family's meal. This offering represents the transforming and sustaining power of Westya. With this offering a personal prayer is said.
After dinner is done, there's a bit of clean up, and when done in the kitchen the candle is put out. Before putting the candle out, I take a few moments of silent meditation, then say...
You are always the shining fire,
here in home's heart.
Stay with us,
stay in our home,
and each day I will honor you.
And extinguish the candle.
Later in the evening the offerings are removed (I am placing them outside at this time), the bowls washed, and returned to the shrine for the next day.
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