Wonderfully, Amazingly Pagan

Photo by lica20/deviantart.com

I love the phrase " Relentlessly Gay" and I want to personally thank the homophobic nitwit who recently introduced it into our modern lexicon through their hateful note stuck on a neighbor's door because she decorated her yard with a string of lights and colored jars. (Didn't exactly go as planned, did it?) This Ally thinks the whole thing is a hoot. Thanks for the chuckle.

During the social period after yesterday's Summer Solstice ritual, when we were taking advantage of the longest day relaxing around the remains of our bonfire (a real bonefire, mind you, because someone thoughtfully brought a few bones to toss into the flames), someone came up with the idea that we needed a snappy phrase to describe ourselves because "relentlessly gay" only covers a few of us.  Since "Wild,Wonderful" is already taken by our neighboring state of West Virginia, we bounced a few phrases-mostly lame-back and forth. Someone came up with " Wonderfully, Amazingly Pagan"...close enough for me.

I am hard pressed to describe myself nowadays. I incorporate a lot of things into my version of being Pagan. I have developed a big bent toward Buddhist philosophy in the last few years. I'm using a lot more techniques from folk magic/medicine. I am a both a kitchen witch and a hedge witch . My solitary rituals are sometimes loose, spontaneous and less structured. I am more at ease leading ritual in a group setting  than I ever have been ( encouraged by the small cluster I occasionally join). I am still very much Wiccan because that's where I started on this path, but no longer rigidly bound to any particular tradition. I am not particularly attached to 'witchy' jargon other than for the sake of clarity.

I believe there is a point when we simply become "Wonderfully, Amazingly Pagan": it's the moment of realization that we are no longer bound by the constructs of our former religion; when we are comfortable in our spiritual development to work outside of an established Craft Tradition; when we transcend the limitations we place on ourselves and become cognizant of being that small speck in the Universe. 

The discoveries and mistakes we make along the way are frequent and many. We try to fit our new spirituality into the skin of our old one and find we are altogether another animal. It's starling and scary to see the old skin peel away. We loose the identity and comfort of it. Until we slowly develop this new Pagan self hood, we are sometimes distressed by the spiritual free-fall until we land someplace in the journey where we are satisfied and not fixated on a destination. It's difficult to adapt to new ideas; one a lot of people have a problem casting off is the concept of original sin,which  does not exist in paganism. The personal implications associated with this moral time bomb are disarmed by Pagan theologies; the realization is truly an awakening to a new life. You are no longer held to the rules of a tradition you are no longer a part of.

But...When bad things happen to other people, we do need to speak up. As Pagans are still considered a minority religion. We are certainly not in the mainstream, even though we're making great strides toward being accepted. When things happen to other minority groups, we need to speak up to show our support. Many of us, like myself, are LBGT-Q allies.Working toward equality for everyone makes our relationships and society stronger. Remember the story about how when the Nazis were overtaking one group of people after the other much of the world stood by in silence and watched until those who were left realized there was no one to speak up for them? It's still like that in the world today. If we stand silently and allow intolerance and bigotry to just go by, chances are there will be no one else to speak up when we are the target of discrimination. Pagans should be active in their community, not just in Pagan-sponsored activities. Showing you care-letting others get to know you first- is a good way to build a solid foundation prior announcing your religious affiliation.

Just as we are unique in our individual personalities, not all Pagan Traditions are alike-but you knew that, didn't you? Don't we all know this? Then why do we continue to have pissing contests over who's a 'real' Pagan and who's not? I don't want to put energy into this argument because it's absurd. Each of us have a relationship to the gods that is uniquely ours alone and we choose to integrate being Pagan into our lives as we see fit. It's not a contest. We should be helping one another on the journey and not be competing against one another. This is not the Pagan Olympics and no one is handling out metals. There are a lot of people out there who are not like you, and a few who will not be to your liking. Most of the time we can agree to disagree and still be civil. I am Pagan enough, thanks, and so are you.

And please, please, stop believing everything you read about how Pagans should act, believe, look like, etc.There are some 'must have' books and some really awful ones on the shelves. Trial and error will teach you which is which and which ones are beneficial to your spiritual development.  (Admittedly some of the really crappy ones are fun to read!) Apply this general rule even more to things you find on the Internet. While it's true that Paganism has no central authority and no one is monitoring information  we still share a few core beliefs and have some moral standards in common.
While you are certainly free to believe whatever you desire because that is your prerogative, whether you should is another discussion. You know that little voice in the back of your head? Listen to it.

Like everything else, you get out of being Pagan what you put into it. If you don't study and practice, you'll get nothing out of it. Paganism (and Witchcraft even more) is an experiential form of spirituality. You cannot will knowledge to wash over you like rain. You may call yourself anything you like, but standing in a circle with twelve other naked people under a full moon doesn't not necessarily make you a Pagan. Dressing in all black clothing and wearing pentagrams dangling from every appendage will not make you a Pagan. Teachers will not be knocking on your door begging you to become their student; you will have to put a lot of thought into what you want to get out of being Pagan, and when your head stops spinning and you have a vague idea of that, then you will have to search out a teacher-be that an actual individual, a group or author.

My most effective teacher is not a sage adept practitioner of the mystical arts; it has not been the author of any book. My most effective teacher has been me. I still believe that everything we need is with us. I'm not trying to claim to be a font of wisdom in any narcissistic way. What I'm saying is that my spirit knows what my soul needs when I take myself into the Place of Deep-Indwelling, when I create and sit in sacred space. Joseph Campbell said "... if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen."[ The Power of Myth,1985] He meant to trust the process, participate in creating the process, be the process. The place I am  most myself is when I am sitting alone in the center of a draw circle. Within that circle I can visualize and experience anything. I can be my most quiet in that sacred stillness. What is Pagan within me (and this is very, very complicated) was born in this space, grew and radiated into the world.

Wonderful. Amazing. Indeed.

[ Further reading and study:http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/04/09/find-your-bliss-joseph-campbell-power-of-myth/ ]

Back To Basics

I have been practicing Earth-Centered spirituality since the late 70's-which means I've been around the block a few times. Not that I consider myself special or a fount of occult knowledge on the subject. My personal version of spirituality developed slowly and came from a diverse arena.
I am comfortable with my place in the Craft, and I am confident in my abilities because I know what works for me.

I'm spending the Spring and Summer reacquainting myself with the intrinsic simplicity I felt when I first came to the Craft. To be quite honest, there was a freedom and elegance to not exactly knowing what I was doing back then, and in finding my way. Working by instinct-and seeing the results-was exhilarating. Who knew the conventional wisdom behind the old saw of "Magic is everywhere" being literally true? I certainly didn't, because like most folks, I approach everything with a healthy portion of skepticism. I have to learn things from doing it myself. The first Truth I learned about being a witch is that the Craft is experiential. If I read about a method of achieving a goal with a particular spell, to me it's basically hearsay until I prove to myself that it will work. My personal experience with things  fuels my individual practice and spirituality.

During the next few months  I am able to hike and explore my surroundings in these mountains, I'll be more alert to view things through 'magickal eyes'. I will be receptive to Nature's cues like I was before I claimed any particular path.

Yesterday I watched a thunderstorm form and cross the mountains from my living room. ( I have a fabulous, unrestricted view of the mountains and surrounding valley, and the windows in the living room take up most of the wall, so when they are fully open, it's pretty much like being outside.) With the relative safety of enclosure- and because I have the greatest respect of lightening, having once seen it fry a beloved red maple into dry,cured fireplace wood in a matter of seconds-I could see and feel the energy of the storm without fear of endangerment.

My perspective placed me in a perfect place to open to the energy of the gathering storm. As the sky darkened to a yellowish grey, the atmosphere became dense. The changing barometric pressure was intense and dramatic as clouds condensed; the air cooled as moisture was wicked out of the ground. With the altitude at nearly 2,400 feet where I live, these changes are not only instantaneous, they are visceral. Watching two buzzards lazily gliding just ahead of the storm, I was visually able to trace the thermals they rode. The visualization was broken by the first roll of thunder, the shock wave so deep it seemed to shake the mountains with it's tympani. A bolt of lightening split the sky, back lighting clouds in pale, metallic pink and lavender.The electric charge of the lightening was palpable because it was close, I heard the shriek and sizzle of the next two or three as they bounced off the microwave towers on the other side of the mountain directly in front of me. (Truly, Nature has the very best light shows!) A gust of wind flipped the leaves over so their bottoms were facing the sky, and pushed a curtain of rain between me and the mountains. Micro bursts caused the curtain to ripple silver in some spots and sent huge drops of rain thrown the window screen: I allowed my face and hands to get reasonably wet this way. The air had a moist and earthy scent; the leaves and grass were shades of bright green. As quickly as it came on, the storm dissipated.

When I felt it was safe to go outside, I walked down to the creek/canal that runs through town. The water was high and churning; it was murky. The ducks were stirred and quacked excitedly-fingerling fish had been washed into the canal from further up the creek, darting out of 'harms way' from the hungry ducks. The creek carried the scent of the honeysuckle and laurels growing along it's banks. By then it was well after twilight, but the sky still reflected an eerie afterglow.

Back in my apartment, I set up my altar and cut several lengths of twine. Psychically, I put myself back into the storm, and with each crash of thunder and flash of lightening, I tied a knot in the twine, capturing the energy and power of the moment.When I finishing rerunning the course of the storm in my mind, I had several lengths of twine with knots tied in them that I will use by untying them during future spell casting when I need a burst of energy to help send the vibration and intention along.

This is the magick of the natural world, the simple form of the Craft that Scott Cunningham wrote about. Earth Power was the first real book of magick/witchcraft that I read as a 17 year old seeker desperately searching for the force I was driven to form a connection with for the rest of my life.

As a young solitary ( I didn't call myself solitary then; I had no notion such a thing existed) books were my first tools. Books opened the gateway, gave me clarity and helped me to form my understanding of Earth-centered spirituality. And even today, that is still what believe about them. Books provide the cues and information while participating in the process provides the necessary internalization of experience that gives life to the Craft and lights the Spirit within. It is also why I believe there are so few advanced practice books available concerning the Craft. The knowledge contained in the Craft is primarily experiential.

Having said that, let me go back and further define what I just said. Proficiency in the Art of the Craft comes from the study (and participation in) many areas which will later apply to our individual advancement: astrology,astronomy,ancient cultures and civilizations, history, mythology, folk lore, herbalism,botany and alternative medicine molarities, physics, geometry, psychology, comparative religion, art, music and dance...the list goes on. Witches must be perpetual students because knowledge of the world is unending and new discoveries are made everyday. We never know it all. (Those who do make claims of this are flat-out fools and we need to run far away in the opposite direction from them!) With so many choices of subjects, I find myself scoffing when I hear someone bemoaning the lack of 'advanced' books on the Craft. Thinking outside the box ( or is that 'the broom'?) reveals an infinite resource from which to draw when a witch feels the restless urge to seek knowledge.

Broom With A View: Is It Appropriation Or Adaptation?

photo courtesy ihazcheeseburger.com

In the lexicon of modern Paganism, the term appropriation has become a bit of a dirty word, especially when applied to the ‘borrowing’ of methods and elements of culture and spirituality which is not our own, and more specifically when concerning holidays.

In America, we live in a multilingual, multicultural country, the hallmark of which has always been the ‘melting pot’ society; we are rather proud -rightly so- of our ability to blend iconic characteristics of the nations from which our millions of citizens have come.  We happily celebrate Christmas (a Christian holiday) by setting up Christmas trees (a German practice by way of Victorian England) sing Christmas carols (written in many languages from England, France, Germany, Italy and an exhaustive list of other places) about an event concerning a Jewish child imbued with deity (a Hebrew, Muslim, and again, Christian belief) that historically and mystically took place a couple thousand years ago in the Middle East according to a variety of sources.  We do this through public religious expression which has its origins in the Latin and Orthodox Rites,( later influenced by European Protestantism), blending the religious aspect of piety with a secular one concerning the persona of Santa Claus (forged from the folklore of many nationalities), reindeer, sugarplum fairies, snowflakes, and children’s toys, with a smattering of morality (“Santa knows if you’ve been bad or good”) thrown in for good measure…and other than the occasional cry of a few crabby fundamentalist Christians that there is a ( non-existent) ‘War on Christmas ‘, we suck it all down like a Winter Wonderland-flavored milkshake and nary bat an eye. And we not only deliriously enjoy every slurp, we revel in it.

As of late, the Pagan community in general has been pointedly vocal about how many of the things traditionally thought of as an expression of Christmas spirit (by Christians in particular) have been ‘stolen’ from ancient pagan sources, and that indignation has now spilled over to other holidays on the calendar, like Easter and Halloween. The more literally and fundamentally minded devotees of Christianity ( a la Kirk Cameron and Fox News) have retaliated by creating an imaginary “War on Christmas’ fueled by mass paranoia. To be absolutely honest about it, there has been self-righteous bellowing and finger-pointing from all sides concerning the subject, which is simply making me tired and slightly nauseous from buzzword sickness. The fact is that societal/religious/governmental groups have been picking and choosing, appropriating, adapting, borrowing and blending elements from cultures and spiritual practices other than their own from the beginning of time. Since this is nothing new and universal, it should not only not come as a surprise, it should not be warranting the attention or indignation the subject has been getting as of late. Whether or not it is ethical or moral is a moot point her and another discussion someplace else…we’ve all done it in some way at some time, folks. Taking that into consideration, let’s move on to other things, like solving the problem of not enough clean water on the planet or what we’re going to do with all the trash we’re generating, or what to do with the idiots we’ve elected to Congress.

To be sure, there is a fine line between appropriation and adaptation. Neither is necessarily negative or the act committed maliciously. Disregarding the old saying about “imitation being the best form of flattery”, there is also the truth that if something contributes to your spiritual growth in a positive way, there is no reason for you not to create your own individual version of a practice-hasn’t that been a rallying cry in the modern Pagan community since its inception?

We smudge ourselves, our tools and our circles; bestow blessings, offer up prayers with incense, chant, dance, sing and make music; wear robes sewn from fine fabric and richly embroidered with mystical symbols, crown ourselves with fancy tiaras fit for royalty, brandish ceremonial knives and swords to cast the boundaries of our sacred spaces, and acquire degrees, pedigrees and titles such as Lord and Lady…and I have never heard a single damn one of us express any remorse over how we appropriate the cultural or spiritual icons or spiritual elements of the Celts, Greeks, Romans or any other ancient people- including and especially those of indigenous native heritage. We wear feathers woven in our hair and not one of us gives a second thought that we might be appropriating a style or spiritual practice from Native Americans, Africans or Aborigines, because we see it rather as a personal adaptation of individuality. The wearing of feathers alone doesn’t mean we are intentionally appropriating an element of the a fore mentioned groups in a disrespectful way…maybe we just like the look or feel of feathers in our hair. The act of sweating in a sauna is healing and restorative for many who, although perhaps mindful of the similarity of the sweat lodge, would hardly consider it stealing a sacred act from Native Americans or those of Swedish heritage-as long as it is not represented as such. Just as much as I suspect donning a ceremonial Elvish-inspired, jeweled headpiece doesn’t make you an Elf Princess, a Hobbit, or give you special magical powers…but it may help you spiritually transcend between the worlds, or assist in creating a mindset beneficial to a successful ritual experience. I happen to like loose-fitting, draped robes (and if they have a pretty embroidered pattern on them, all the better), but wearing one doesn’t make me an ancient Celt, a Roman goddess or a Greek oracle wannabe-it just means I like to be comfortable when in the circle.

Do by all means consider what you borrow and adapt- to understand why you’re doing it-but try not to over-think things in the process…because what you unjustly project upon others says more about your motivation and shadow than theirs. 

On Being Pagan

We live in a constantly evolving Universe.  Change goes on within and all around us all the time. We are forever in a state of flux. Our personal beliefs and cosmologies change. I don't see  things in exactly the same way that I did 20 years ago because I'm a different person today than I was then. Things change, and that's okay. Because really? In the larger scheme of things  we don't have a choice in the matter. Acceptance of that tiny fact is the first step to integration and growth.
 
Depending on whatever new I learn, my opinion about people, situations and how things are  re-formulated. My thoughts about things evolves as I incorporate new knowledge into my understanding.  I am not the same person I was even five minutes ago on a molecular level. The world is not the same as it was yesterday. This is factual and born out by the saying" The Truth is not what you see, but what you believe about what you see." Your  viewpoint isn't the truth, but it is your truth. Belief is merely an assumption.

Pagans (for the most part) are particularly analytical people. We are experts at deconstruction. What it seems we aren't very good at is knowing the difference between authentic examination and tearing things apart-including and especially, each other. This, in my humble opinion, is why we have the same conversations over and over about defining who is Pagan and who gets to play in our sandbox. And I have to admit, I often wonder why this is so important to know in order to determine what we stand for morally and ethically. I suppose there is an argument about knowing who you are before undertaking an action, but personally,  I believe right action should take place no matter who you are.

Talking about whether we engage in right action because we are human or because we are spiritual is a chicken versus egg argument. To quote Buckminister Fuller, " We're all passengers on Spaceship Earth." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller ]. The compassion we have for one another, especially for the suffering of others, and the way in which we respond in helping them to come out of that suffering is something that stems from empathy. We relate to how it feels because we can put ourselves in that place. In that instance, what we call ourselves doesn't matter. By nature, humans are helpers at our most basic level; that's the way we are wired. We have a need to serve in the most beneficial and satisfying way for others and ourselves. While that may be influenced by our spiritual beliefs, for the most part it comes out of a concern for the welfare of others and the way we would like to be treated. Altruism is two sided and not entirely selfless: yes, we do want to help others, but in turn, should the need arise,we hope to be helped ourselves. The majority of us ascribe to the moral and societal rules of common decency, regardless of whether or not we believe in the existence of a deity.

In other words, it's not who you are, it's what you do that makes a difference in the world. To be perfectly blunt, the only person who should care about who you worship, or how you go about it is YOU.    It's not my place to tell you whether or not you are a Pagan. It's none of my business, because, you see...I don't care. Truly, I don't. I don't care if you venerate Wonder Woman as the Goddess, or believe the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz are angelic messengers, or see Imminent Divinity in the Titans.

If you do, then that's fine with me. You don't have to fit my personal definition of what is and isn't  Deity, and you don't have to buy into mine. As it's so often said,we can agree to disagree. I have enough on my plate dealing with defining and forming my own personal theology. I practice as I choose, when I am lead to do so by Spirit. I really don't owe any explanation of who or what I see as Divine, and I certainly have no need to justify my spiritual practice. I don't seek or need  the validation of others [http://amethjera.blogspot.com/2011/06/pagan-enough.html].  Take it and accept me for who I am or leave it and walk away. ( The only time I will call bullshit is if I see someone irrefutably  ripping someone else off).

You would  think  that as often  as  we have this conversation in our living rooms or  in the pub, the subject of "Who-is-and-isn't-a-Pagan" would  be a non-issue to the majority of  us by now.   I recognize that our community has exploded in numbers in recent years and there are a lot of new-comers at the table who may need to sort things out, but what I'm seeing isn't limited to that kind of spiritual formation. What I'm seeing is not only a lack of tolerance for diversity, it's exclusivity. It's widely understood that the word 'Pagan' is an umbrella term covering the many traditions and varieties of serving the gods. [ttp://www.incitingariot.com/p/project-pagan-enough.html] There are no membership  rules for who gets to join the 'club'.  So frankly, when I see someone appoint themselves as a gatekeeper for the community, I do think we need to react and disabuse the individual of that notion swiftly...Kudos to those who have done this respectably, such as  Jason Mankey [http://www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey/ ] and the collective at Pagan Activist  [http://paganactivist.com/2013/06/16/standing-up-against-a-step-too-far/]. You can ask questions about someone's spirituality without questioning their practice.

Because, you see, as I've said before, it's my path, and I'll travel it my way, thank you very much.