Flying the Unfriendly Skies

Imagine you are seated in the gallery of one of our lofty Halls of Justice in the Great Northeast. The Judge hearing the case has probably heard his share of suspicious and ridiculous accusations, so he is now the type to brooch no nonsense. Imagine the testimony of one of the defendants co-workers sounding like this:" The heater in my car quit working because it was hexed by a witch who was following me home from work."

Imagine the uproarious laughter in the courtroom as the Judge hammers his gavel in an attempt to regain decorum. But it's no laughing matter- not to Carole A. Smith, a former Transportation Safety Administration agent-and self professed Wiccan- who lost her job last year after allegedly being bullied by co-workers about her religion. You've seen the video and read the news articles by now. We've all pretty much come to the same conclusion that the major problem here is that Smith  pointed out dangerous safety issues being ignored by superiors( with whom she has a personality conflict) at the TSA, which clearly makes them guilty of placing the public at risk...and that the issue is being spun into something entirely different by representatives of a government agency entrusted with the protection and well-being of the public.

"She was in the top 10 percent in Albany at catching weapons on the X-ray machine. She passed her skills test on the first try. She caught a woman on her way to Vietnam with $30,000 in cash. And she didn't mind working with the passengers -- her training as a massage therapist kept her from being squeamish, as some officers were, about patting down elderly and special-needs passengers."~ quoted from a  MSNBC report.

Although the TSA did have a large file on her prior to the trial, even the judge pointed out that officials kept changing their stories and confusing the details. While it seems the TSA might have had good enough reason to terminate her employment in the end, according to the Judge's decision, the complaints came with suspicious circumstances.Those circumstances included the fact that her superiors allowed their professional judgement to be clouded by personal religious bigotry, as evidenced by the inclusion of a prejudicial statement referring to her practice of witchcraft.

I'm not questioning whether or not Carole Smith was a good or bad employee, but I am questioning why the TSA felt it was necessary to mention her religious preference in her termination letter. What difference did it make to the performance of her duties as a TSA agent?

Absolutely none.

She wasn't unrolling a prayer rug in the security area and facing East to pray, or setting up an altar with icons and candles. She wasn't lighting incense or reading tarot cards. From what I can tell, she wasn't even wearing a pentagram pendant on the job (unless it was concealed beneath her uniform shirt). There was nothing apparent in her behavior regarding her mundane employment to indicate if she were Wiccan, Muslim, Christian or Jew, although she had shared with a co-worker that she was a witch.

As much as I'd like to believe in my heart that the word witch isn't still loaded with  all sorts of assumptions- and that it's a positive and  accepted appellation - it isn't. Not even in my own Beloved Community, it seems. There is as much unwarranted criticism from those in the Craft as there is from the outsiders who lack any true knowledge of the meaning of our beliefs at their most basic. And that derision stems not just from those having a difficult time defining the word, but from those with a false sense of  'witchier -than-thou' superiority.

"She's no witch. She's living proof of how far people have strayed from the way of nature. If she were following her intuition, she would not apply for such a job &also would recognise that she does not belong there due to the harassment. A tunedin person would be glad to go. Get a nicer job lady & stop giving witches a dubious& confusing profile." -You Tube user comment posted after MSNBC video

In the video in question, Smith- an eclectic solitary- was seen walking around her home pointing out some of her prized Craft-related possessions, including a crystal ball of a size most of us would kill for, a pentagram wind chime, and a broom she brings attention to in a humorous manner (Come on, admit it: We all have at least one 'witchy' item in our collection we joke about. Mine is a dinky little iron cauldron.) She has three felines, and yes, one of them is a black tuxedo cat that she is photographed playing with and petting. How this brief video that does not discuss the specifics of her personal practice in depth earns her the ire of  a member of the self-appointed Witch Police and Craft Tradition Approval Bureau with a declaration of " She's living proof of how far people have strayed from the way of nature." is beyond credulity, as is the rest of the rambling rant about her choice of employment. How any of the footage provided  gives witches in general " a dubious and confusing profile" is also a bit of a mystery.

The upsetting part of this to me is that someone in the larger Pagan community has once again taken it upon themselves to define how the rest of us should practice our Craft and connect with the Divine while injecting a great deal of negativity and vitriol into the commentary...and that, friends, gives witches "a dubious and confusing profile" with the public.(Nevermind my favorite personal pet peeve with the Pagan community: If you're going to make a post attempting to show your superiority, knowledge and enlightenment on a subject, kindly focus on commenting in a manner that doesn't make you look like a fucking doofus.)

Continuing to send the mixed message of how well we treat one another with respect and dignity while allowing freedom to choose one's own path- but only if you do as I do and say and I approve of it, is far more damaging and damning than anything other religions say about Paganism and Witchcraft.

Why Wait Til Spring?

Lots of blogs about Spring cleaning this week, so I thought I might as well throw mine into the pot, too.

I am not a fan of housework ( raise your hand if you are so the men in the white coats with the nets can more readily identify you). Dust and my sinuses are not on friendly terms, but they do seem to get together to party every now and then, usually necessitating a trip to the doctor for something to take care of the resulting infection. If I were smarter at this cleaning thing, I would clean as I go-wiping off surfaces before they get dusty, vacuuming before there is an army of little bits of this and that on the carpet, giving the floor a swipe with a damp mop just because everyday.

But I'm not. I like to think that it's because I actually have credible activities in my life that prevent me from fussing-that I actually have a life- but the sad little fact is, nothing is preventing me from doing this bit of preventative maintenance.

It's been said that the clearing of physical spaces will ultimately affect the organization of your mind. Clutter is a terrible waste of space, especially if that space is supposed to be vacant. Staying in the mindset of the way I was raised however, space is there to put stuff in. That's why it's there. It's empty, you fill it. Simple, no?  I've tried to adopt the Japanese way of home decoration-creating empty space around specific items so they are more meaningfully showcased. The problem here  specifically is  that I wasn't raised in a Japanese household, I was raised by folks who went through the Great Depression and therefore saved everything.

The result of living through the Great Depression was that you kept everything that came your way because your literal survival might just depend on it one day. Everything that came through the door-particularly if it were free- was a real 'find', a gift from the gods of plenty. There was never enough of anything and everything was in short supply. Consequently, nothing was ever thrown away: it was wasteful and shameful and down right UnAmerican. Throwing away a perfectly good anything could get me an ass-whooping of epic proportion at my house. Even if you didn't need it now- you might in the future and you wouldn't have it- or someone else might have need of  it and therefore you could be a good neighbor by supplying whatever it was. It was actually prudent to think that way and has its merits...within reason.

My grandfather never turned anything down. Anything. And  he was damn proud to be able to produce whatever it was if someone else happened to be looking for 'it'. He was buddies with another elderly Sicillian man who owned the salvage yard, and on Sunday afternoons he'd go off and drink lemoncello, smoke rank stogies and bond over the fact that both their fathers " came over on the boat." And he would come home with some of the most remarkable things-old wooden doors, lengths of lead pipe, discarded two by fours, partial boxes of ten penny nails, rusty tools, odd packs of roofing shingles and homeless units of (formerly) built-in shelving....most of which were still taking up real estate in the basement when he died. Guess who got to sort through it to throw it all away after my Grandmother died and I inherited the house?

I realize that Pop was just trying to be a good provider and keep us from ever needing anything. Recalling the harrowing experience of shifting through his collection of basement treasures is not meant as criticism as much as issuing a warning: if  it's stored it, someday you will have to discard it. And it's easier to say "yes" than "no", so at some point you, too will be faced with the same task... and looking for an empty spot on the wall on which to bang your head as you try to figure out what to do with it.

No wonder that I always felt somewhat befuddled and confused when I was in my 20s and 30s. It took until my 40s to take to heart the lesson that if your world is cluttered, your consciousness is cluttered also. There was always a feeling of chaos in that house for me,and whenever I did a major cleaning I always felt as though I was throwing away a part of my childhood. And I was.There is a time and a place for everything, according to the wise council of Ecclesiastes:When no longer a child, it is time to put away the things of a child. I beg to differ with the council fully: Get ride of what you no longer need, but never surrender your wonder,curiosity or ability to be satisfied with something simple or revel in pure delight.

When you have created your own space, you feel much more comfortable with all the stuff you have to put up with from the rest of the world. Four years ago, when I was moving for the third time in seven years ( after having lived in the same house for 40 years) I became aware of how much stuff I had collected on my own and how much I had to weed out to go to the resale shop just prior to what my friends call The Great Southern Migration.


There was a lot. I had to give up a couple of the things  I truly wanted to keep- my great grandmother's book rack, an antique table from a church that I bought for $5 at a yard sale, three nearly new bookcases, the garden glider I was using as a couch in the living room. They were things that wouldn't fit into storage, and I was torn to loose them. The bright spot in this is that none of it is irreplaceable in the larger scheme of things, all could be replaced...someday...if I so choose. I am not a prisoner of my stuff and I realize that I couldn't keep it all. Besides, I still have the memories...I didn't give those away. I have more of an appreciation now for the few things I did keep.

Even more important than clearing out my material possessions is the fact that I have been able to develop a space for my personal awareness. I have begun to think about who I authentically am and the way I would like my life to be. There are subtle levels of being  that there was no room for before. There are things I know I will never have enough of-money and love being two in particular- but I'm working on it. I have faced the fact I will never be rich. Love is wherever it finds you. Right now there is enough for me to be comfortably satisfied, and it's all I need.

Funny, You Don't Look Pagan-Then Again, Maybe You Do

After my first blog by this title, I got a few emails from folks who were wondering just what I thought Pagan clergy should wear during ritual...evidently this is a bigger question than I knew about. I didn't consider it a concern, question or problem, but I guess everything is up for discussion in our community these days. Not that I object-it's' how we learn from one another. Dialogue produces an exceptional amount of good-will and teaching.

One thing I don't do is skyclad. I don't have anything against nudity in it's context and I celebrate the naked form as beautiful in all ages, shapes and sizes, both female and male. There occasions when it is ritually proper ( and perhaps necessary, depending on the nature of the ritual). Skyclad, although a bit on the dramatic and romantic side visually, is a ridiculous sounding word and smacks of foppery. I realize there needed to be a euphemism created for the time it was first used, but now it just seems silly to me. I slept naked under the covers last night-does that make me blanketclad? No, it made me naked...and  I don't like being cold, nor do I find it particularly conducive if participants are uncomfortable during ritual-for whatever reason. We can feign an air of progressive thinking all we want, but the fact is that most of the time people are still uneasy with public nudity. Moving right along...

Orthodox dalmatic and deacon stole

The Wheel of the Year is the Pagan  liturgical calendar for most of us, regardless of our tradition. The mainline Judeo-Christian Liturgical Calendar follows a set list of colors for the seasons. Modern use ( and those who produce and sell vestiture) has expanded the list a bit, but it's still pretty basic. Starting with Advent, which is the beginning of the Church Year, the colors are royal purple and pink, with the exception being blue if the Sarum Rite ( Old English/Anglican)is being observed; Christmastide is white and gold up until the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th when the color changes to green until Lent. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, and the color is either black ( traditional) or violet  thereafter until the week between Palm Sunday and Easter ( known as Holy Week).  I have to stop to comment on the violet used: it's a purple that has more red in it than what's used for Advent, the reasoning being that it's still recognizing the royalty of Jesus, but reflects the blood sacrifice of that royalty. This isn't dogma, it's mythological lore, most likely stemming from the middle ages when much of this type of thing was created to hold the interest of the faithful. The Christian people weren't very far removed from their pagan roots, so they still had the concept of the blood sacrifice of a king very much in their minds, and this was a concession of the Church to community beliefs they knew they couldn't totally erase from the collective unconscious of the faithful.

Roman chasuble

During Holy Week the colors change  several times: red or maroon is used until Maundy Thursday, when the color is changed to black and the interior of the church-including the altar-is stripped of all vestiture and linens. The sanctuary light is taken out of the church, signifying that God has seemingly abandoned the faithful for what is about to take place during the crucifixion on Good Friday. Processing the sanctuary light out of the building is symbolic of the absence of the Presence of the Holy- and if you have ever  participated in a Maundy Thursday service,then you understand the feeling of utter desolation of being left alone by God when the sacred ceases to exist and the Church is just an empty shell of a building. It's difficult to process on many levels.The color usually changes back to red during the day on Saturday, but once again changes to white or gold on Saturday evening if an Easter Vigil is held; if not the color doesn't change until Easter morning, when it remains white for forty days until the Feast of Pentecost
(the Anglican Church calls this Whitsunday," White Sunday"), but most liturgical churches use red to symbolize the Spirit and Word  of God descending on the Apostles-most of whom will be martyred. The season of Pentecost- when the spirit of God dwells among the people, is celebrated by using the color green to symbolize growing in faith. It is temporarily supplanted  for the by either white for feasts relating to Mary or Jesus or red for the feast day of saints who were martyrs.The green is in continuous use until Advent rolls around again at the start of the next Church Year.

The vestiture of the clergy and the sanctuary reflect the colors of the Liturgical Calendar. There are variations to shades of the colors in modern usage from parish to parish. The dalmatic and chasuble pictured aren't exclusive to the Christian Church because they were the garments of the day. The dalmatic is a ornate tunic worn by deacons in the Roman, Anglican and Orthodox Churches. It is worn over a plain white tunic called an alb. Some albs are hooded, most of them are white or cream linen, and they resemble the monk's robe. A rope, called a cincture may be wrapped around the waist; they come in all liturgical colors as well as white.The deacon's stole is worn across the left shoulder and either left to hang as shown or fastened at the right hip. A chasuble is traditionally worn during communion services by priests, but it is actually an adapted outer garment like a poncho in the middle-ages.

As Pagans, we follow no such hard and fast rules other than gold for the God and silver for the Goddess, and even that is debatable. The colors we use are reflective of the seasons and the Sabbats we celebrate (at least in the Northern Hemisphere!): the reds, greens,and whites of evergreens and berries for the Winter Solstice and Yule; reds and yellows for the flames of Imbolc; grassy greens and all pastels related to colors related to Ostara; heady greens and rich shades for Beltane and Litha; muted yellow, brown and gold for Lugnassadh and Mabon, and blazing oranges, yellows and somber black for Autumn and Sanhain....and a million others in between, dictated by location, personal preference and custom. It's wonderful and dizzying and somewhat chaotic. I have my own personal selections, and I'm sure you do to...But to continue...

robe and cowled hood

What do we wear? Anything we want, really. Some folks like to dress to represent their particular pantheon or time period. Renaissance, ancient Greek  and medieval are popular. I know of a coven that wears Goth and Steampunk. To each their own. When I'm not leading a ritual, I settle on a dark outfit of pants and comfortable top or a long dress of appropriate weight for the weather. Like I said before, I don't like to be cold..or too hot for that matter! Many Pagans wear robes-black is the most popular color, followed by seasonal shades.Many are elaborately decorated. It really doesn't matter as long as you are comfortable and aren't fussing-a distraction to both you and others. Many of us wear jewelry specifically reserved for use in ritual. I know many Pagans who have certain pieces of jewelry that they never wear outside the circle. A headband, circlet or tiara are popular with both women or men, but in some circles they are only worn by the ritual leaders for distinction. I wear a wide two-tone copper Celtic bracelet as a part of my "witch jewels". Some folks wear absolutely no adornment whatsoever. All are correct, I my humble opinion.

interfaith stole

What I wear outside the circle in the mundane world when participating in interfaith worship is different: many times I wear a traditional stole ( plain or with Pagan symbols). It signifies the yoke ( burden or seriousness) of office of the clergy, and it's universally understood by all religions. Occasionally I will wear a prayer shawl, especially if I will be covering my head at some point during the service. ( Some Pagans wear a traditional hooded alb-a monk styled robe- for the same reason, so the hood may be drawn up during the ritual.) I nearly always wear a circlet, even when wearing a stole, to set myself apart a bit as a Pagan. The one I particularly am fond of is a plain silver band with an elemental cross in a circle of Celtic knot work. The cardinal directions are signified by small stones of the appropriate colors: it's understated and  tasteful.

Greek or Elemental Cross

I also wear traditional clericals-black shirt, pants, jacket with white collar. It's uniform and professional, and I wear an elemental cross or other Pagan symbol. I never, ever wear a Roman cross-the traditional "Christian" style. There are two styles of traditional Greek crosses.The first is an equal armed cross with four smaller crosses at the ends ( too Christian-looking for a Pagan). The second has four smaller crosses tucked in the angles, which in essence makes it an elemental cross.

While we're at it, lets talk size. Personally, I don't like anything too big and flashy. Not my personal taste or style. An elemental cross or a pentagram about two square inches is plenty enough for me. A man may want something a little bolder-or bigger-and that's fine. Hubcap size is over-doing it. Nobody needs to see you coming from that far away! This is not the time to make a fashion statement. You want to keep it low-key and understated to look professional.

No matter what you're wearing, it can be covered by a nice hooded cape or cloak. This garment is always neat and attractive, and you can layer clothing beneath it if necessary. You can even wear a coat under it without it becoming too bulky and still have a nice profile.

Him/Her/Us/Them

Yet another controversy in our Pagan community still raging: transsexual individuals being excluded from ritual due to gender bias. An incident at the recent PantheaCon is only the latest reported episode in a long battle where some members of the community question the legitimacy of another based on  birth genetics vs sexual reassignment.

Personally, I am aghast that our supposedly enlightened and  tolerant community is still having issues in this area. Having had transgendered men and women in my home circle has never affected the integrity of the ritual. Never. Several months ago the priestess chosen to Call Down the Moon was, in fact, a transsexual woman, who by all accounts pleased the Goddess and did an excellent job evoking  Her. This individual was chosen for her ability and skill at ritual expression; that she was born a man made absolutely no difference whatsoever because she had completed gender reassignment surgery and was now biologically and psychologically fully a woman. 

Heterosexual male and female, bisexual male and female, gay, lesbian, transsexual and any other variation of gender identification-we are first and foremost human. Recognition of the  inherent worth and  dignity from others of our kind is our human birthright. It should be the foundation we build  further acclaim upon; everything that comes after it in that regard is earned. We tend to forget that we all possess a bit of both sexes within us and it's only the difference of an X or Y chromosome that makes the final distinction of our gender. Jungian psychology recognizes the anima and animus:analytically speaking, the unconscious feminine in the masculine and masculine within the feminine.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anima_and_animus.  Taking this into account, I often wonder why we don't know one another a bit better as men and women.

Sarah Thompson's letter to the organizers of PantheaCon expresses eloquently and passionately the emotion of being denied and excluded  from certain rituals; you may find the text here: http://cerridwen.st4r.org/wiki/index.php/Gender_and_Transgender_in_the_Pagan_Community

I cannot understand why some in our community feel justified in denying a transsexual individual the right to inclusion if that person meets all the other requirements deemed appropriate to participation in a ritual. A transsexual person feels they have been "born in the wrong body" and identifies as the opposite sex; therefore a trans woman is still a woman, even if she has not undergone surgical intervention. How much more simple could this be and why are we making it so difficult for everyone affected? 

The answer is just as plain and simple: prejudice.

I hope the answer has shocked you, because it certainly shocks me.I also hope you are as offended by the existence of this type of prejudice in our community as I am. Claiming to not have all the facts on the subject is inexcusable: if you don't feel you have all the facts, go educate yourself. The rant attributed to Z Budapest amounts to rationalizing this prejudice and is nothing more than self-righteous ignorance and male-bashing. It is time we dropped our ill and preconceived notions on the subject. There is no place for bigotry among us.  Have we not suffered enough at the hands of others without committing the same shameless act upon our own? 

The Onus of Elderhood

When someone says the word Elder, does the image of a wise and sagely man or woman immediately pop into your mind's eye? Who in your immediate community does come to mind? In the wider public arena, does your association with the word immediately link to someone like Raymond Buckland or Laurie Cabot?

Any dictionary will include the following definitions for elder:" Someone who is wiser, or an influential member of the tribe or community; one with superior knowledge or wisdom."

 Notice that the definition does not include someone who has been awarded any degrees within a magickal group, a  lengthy biographical resume,scholarly pursuit, curriculum vitae or educational pedigree, nor is it defined by the number of years one has been alive.

Being older does not necessarily make one wiser, although there is a natural tendency to make the assumption  that with each passing  year some knowledge would be gained. Being long in the tooth doesn't equate with being smarter. Age and tenure have nothing to do with it.  Claiming mastery of a discipline does not guarantee ascension to elderhood as a done deal, either. 

Prefixing your name with a title or adding a string of academic abbreviations does not automatically  make an Elder. In fact, our community has too many members with titles running about like so many rabbits. Lord and Lady, are pronouns of distinction awarded to those who are peers of rank, in other words, you earn them.They are otherwise not a part of a given name. Like wise High Priest/ess, which is more realistically descriptive of a designated role or degree ( in some traditions the third degree members  are called High Priest/esses). I am the High Priestess in my home circle: it's my elected office. It does not mean I am a High Priestess anywhere else- and it certainly doesn't mean I am an Elder. Any esteem in which I may be held by the members of my circle is seperate from respect they hold for the office.It seems to me that we have so many members of 'royalty' out there that we could create our own little principality, and after awhile the affectation gets down right silly. Let's face it. It's hard to keep a straight face and your sense of credulity intact when someone introduces him or herself as Lord Kissmyhinnie or  Lady Lookatme. ( Magus is just as bad-sorry.)It is not something you claim as a part of your given name, magickal or otherwise. It is a title of office bestowed by the coven, circle or grove.

So what does it take to become an Elder? What particular qualities do we look for? My answer would be that the individual in question has authentic wisdom that stands the test of time both in the past and for the future. Their experience and proficiency in a variety of areas far exceeds the ordinary. They are capable of teaching multiple age groups in  an appropriate manner, and a legitimate resource to the community.( By the way, being a great teacher doesn't necessarily mean you are cut out to be an Elder.)Finally, they are humble, mindful and sensitive to the abilities of others-and they are always open to learning and the ever changing landscape of their community. All of which is an incredibly heavy burden and takes much patience and skill. Not many of us are up to the task.

The presumption of proclaiming ones self an Elder within the community for the entire community is galling to me at the least and heretical in the extreme. Elders are made by recognition within and by their immediate community. Being an Elder in one community does not make that particular  individual an elder in the next community down the road.  The fondness for the Elder of one community by another community is a courtesy, not a requirement.

There is a great onus in being a true Elder.

Elders have not only earned the respect and reverence of their peers but of their community. But that alone is not enough. Through proven leadership and ability to contribute true wisdom, they are the shining example of what has gone before and the voice of what is yet to come.





  

The Blessed Community

 I left the mainstream Church in my teens and over the years developed a self-styled earth-centered path, one that was more attuned with the seasons and the feelings that came out of that. There was a Spirit, a being to Nature, and I wanted to wanted to learn everything I could about that because it was what authentically resonated within me. I didn't have a name for it; I didn't know it had any name, but I knew what I felt. Looking for information to broaden and expand the spiritual bonds that were developing within me lead me to go looking for ways of doing that. I began talking with like minded individuals- and reading. It was through reading that I found a name for what I was creating and experiencing through the everyday rituals I was doing: Witchcraft. No one was more surprised that I-wasn't Witchcraft something evil and wrong? I had a solid religious grounding from the Catholic Church-I rejected the dogma, but I kept the knowledge of how to perform rituals and apply them to my everyday life. I continued my earth-centered spiritual practices all through college, and after finding an appropriate group, joined a teaching coven: I was now officially a witch. It didn't sit well with my friends who were members of mainstream religions-and not just the Christians. My friend Phyllis- herself a student of the Cabala-nearly had a meltdown, " You aren't a witch!" she screamed, " Witches are malleficia. You are a student of the occult."  I was careful not to use the 'W' word in her presence again for years. To this day she still refuses to change her position on the matter, and so do I, yet our care and love for one another overcomes our differences on this fine point.

Just so you know, I love all things spiritual, so much so that I earned a post graduate degree from an Episcopal seminary and entered the ministry. If I could have just spent my days inside the walls of the first church I was assigned to-the diocesan cathedral, no less- I would have been blissfully happy to have spent my time communing with the Divine and saying the Daily Office. But that's not what ministers do; the job and the vocation extends far beyond Sunday morning, and it plops you down in places that  I never imagined. You get to share the joy of welcoming babies into the family and joining the lives of lovers and burying those you never knew you loved until they were gone. You are fully engaged in community if you are working your ministry anything like you should be. Being a cathedral chaplain was the same as being a priestess of the Goddess- there was no delineation. It was all the Mystery of the Spiritual and connection to the Divine- only the names changed. It was easy for me to adapt: I'd gone into the ministry with a background in Jungian psychology, and I understood the concept of archetypes. Same God/dess-many different names.

Over time I grew impatient and tired with the dogma of the Church: the rules and laws couldn't contain my understanding and connection with the Sacred Imminent. I wasn't a Christian: truthfully I doubt I ever truly had been in any sense of fullness of the meaning because I continued my personal form of devotions all through the time I was  an Episcopalian with no sense of conflict due to my existential concept of divinity... and I still called myself a witch.

I left the Church and the communion of like-minded believers of my own accord, knowing that there was still a place-a community- where I could practice my spirituality. The realization that there was a Pagan community ( yes, capital P, proper pronoun) was nothing short of awesome. There were people like me who had developed their own tradition of worship, some who followed the tradition of a specific teacher, others still who incorporated many forms of occult practice to varying degrees into their own form of worship. This is the way that the spiritual journey works, and I believe it's the way all religion should. Whatever you find meaningful, whatever fills you up and makes you feel whole and recognizes the divine within you is good and right. However you accomplish that- whatever brings you to that place, whatever tools you use or deities you work with will help you find your True Name.It's my belief that  being genuine in your desire and true to yourself  is the first lesson to learn before heading off down your personal Path. You have to be willing to take the journey alone because ultimately, it will just be you. There maybe others following a similar Path, but you are the only one taking that particular journey.Your stregnth comes from knowing what is right for you. You are not responsible for the spiritual formation of anyone else. That is the power of the Sacred Priesthood open to all of us in the Blessed Community.

It is not all fuzzy-wuzzy and feel good. Every now and then you trip over something and occasionally you run into a wall. Sometimes you bleed from your wounds. Eventually you learn how to navigate the path without stubbing your toe. You learn to go around any obstacles in your way because nothing is insurmountable. Having to rip that brand new metaphorical cloak you're so fond of into strips in order to bind your wounds, you limp onward, learning a valuable lesson in detachment in the process. There is a great resounding joy in following this Pagan Path...you are free to blaze your own trail because the Divine doesn't come with a user's manual. In theory, we are a community of Fools willing to step off the cliff into the unknown.

Most important in the formation of community is cohesion, which binds it together. In every community there is always something which is at its core, some thing that is shared.Undeniably  at the core of the Pagan community is individuality to explore, self and other worthiness, and the freedom of creativity. The connection to the gods is limitless in manner and method because the Divine is within each of us, and we are called to recognize the Sacred Mystery there. We have many names for this and many names for ourselves, but I believe we still share those core values as a community. Moving away from those core values takes us out of the authentic community into a pseudo sub-community of chaos where people freely display their 'shadow' selves in a negative manner outside the Divine.The process of deep respect and true listening for the needs of the other people in this community is often sadly lost. The dictation of the ego rises up and consumes us: we lose the ability to listen and give respect.This how the Blessed Community becomes wounded and broken. The battle turns from inside us to one another, and it is a war we will loose in one way or another, because the Blessed Community comes apart at it's foundations because we have allowed it.

Why does it only take a trifling poor excuse like the recent flame fest over the declaration by Christian Day of Salem that he is attempting to rehabilitate the word 'warlock' out of the common vernacular, and as of now choosing to identify as such. There was a major uproar in the Pagan community over what a single individual asked to be called. Isn't this  the community where others have felt free to identify as werewolves, vampires,nightkind, a variety of daemons, reincarnated historical figures and to have Fae-blood- and we have all for the most part sat back and given them the right to do so because we felt we didn't have the right to tell them what to call themselves? There are all sorts of negative connotations connected with those words, too, and we are freaking out about one person wanting to identify as a warlock? Why is this any more controversial than any of the aforementioned, and more importantly,if we are walking our own Path authentically why should we really care? If Christian Day has intentionally chosen to select an identity for himself with more baggage than a passenger train he is free to do so because it is his right: it doesn't mean anyone has to agree or approve. This should have not caused a rift in the community and by now-weeks later-it should be a dead issue. I assure you that for the general public, this is a non-issue and has been forgotten...but our reaction to it has made the Pagan community look like a bunch of petty whiners to the outside world. Put away your Old English Dictionaries, intellectual treatises, and get down off your soapboxes, and take a look around at the damage we have caused ourselves.


For those of us who have thrown off the mantle of mainstream religion, this looks, sounds and feels too close to the stymieing pall of dogma. And I, for one, will have none of it. It's time to tuck away our egos and move on. I find it disheartening that there is a tragedy of epic proportions on the other side of the world that we should be focusing our energy on and instead we are willing to give over our personal power to this subject. There are much more serious issues at hand that should command our attention than what one person in the community chooses to call himself.

Building a community is easy, maintaining it is difficult. Healing it through concentrated effort is a simple action: develop that sense of tolerance you accuse your former faith community of lacking. If we of the Beloved Community are intolerant of those who's truth is different than our own chosen truth, then why do we expect others to do likewise for us?

Saints Galore and Peppermint Patties, Too

 I'm Irish, Scot-Irish, Pennsylvania Dutch German and Italian; sorry but the Italians lost this one. I am fair-skinned, freckle-faced and red-haired, unlike my cousins who are Cajun French, Sicilian and olive skinned with dark wavy hair. I was raised by my Italian grandparents who took it upon themselves to get guardianship of baby me against their totally irresponsible daughter, and then systematically purge everything about the union of my parents out of my background...especially my father. Well, here I am, the spitting image of my father: chalk one up for Irish genes. The stubborn tenacity of the Irish is what has kept them from being eradicated from the face of the Earth for millennium. They have survived  nearly everything imaginable: soggy, cold weather and rocky barren soil; failed crops and resulting starvation,rotten potatoes, civil strife, immigration to less than desirable conditions,Sinead O' Connor, legendary myths of alcoholism...and the Church.Especially the Church: witness the new upsurge of Paganism in Ireland. No kidding. Irish Central has recently reported that despite it's best efforts and much to the chagrin of Christianity proper, approximately 60% of it's population adhering to any faith tradition is categorically identifying it's self as Pagan.

Meanwhile, it seems the whole world is gearing up to be Irish on March 17th,Saint Patrick's Day. Everyone loves a good party and prodigious amounts of flowing  alcohol. At least that's what they tell me. I wouldn't know-I'm of the occasional glass of wine variety. As much a blasphemy as I'm sure it will be considered, I'm not a beer drinker- can't stand the smell of it because it makes me nauseous. So don't even go there with me about green beer...

Or Saint Patrick. I have nothing against him personally, but I can't for the life of me understand why the one lousy day we get to hold our heads up and claim a bit of pride in our ancestry should be celebrated in the name of a Roman Catholic bishop who's aim it was to eradicate our history. There, I said it. Why can't we celebrate our historically diverse roots on Irish Heritage Day instead?

Saint Patrick is officially the  chief patron saint of Ireland. Although he's the most well known, he actually shares the honor  with Saints Columba and Brigid.

Surprisingly little is known about St. Patrick's history but these few facts: he was kidnapped from Britain around the age of 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave,working during his captivity  as a shepherd. Spending much of his time cold and hungry, he turned to prayer, which lead to his escape from slavery after being called in a dream by God.  Upon returning to Britain he studied in monasteries to enter the priesthood, where he was elevated as a bishop. In another dream he was commanded by God to convert his captors.He is single handily credited with converting many to Christianity. There are literally hundreds of unsubstantiated tales of Patrick's clerical abilities.One memorable story about him is that he  used the shamrock's three leaves on one stem to explain the Holy Trinity. Historians have been unable to validate this tale, but the shamrock still remains a symbol associated with Saint Patrick and Ireland. The most famous tale of all-how he drove the snakes out of Ireland has been thoroughly debunked by anthropology and science-serpents were unable to make the leap-literally-during the separation of the landmass that became Ireland.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080313-snakes-ireland.html It's been speculated that the 'snakes'  story stems from Patrick's successful ( though temporary, it seems) bid at squashing Druidism.Snakes are a popular icon in their tradition. The Other symbols associated with Ireland are the harp that mysteriously played through the halls of Tara  and the Fae, the fairy-folk, mostly know as leprechauns.

Leprechauns are often depicted as merry little people dancing around their burrows in pastures and leading humans to their pots of gold.They've also been portrayed as leading mortals to their own ruin; I suspect that like all relations of the Fae, they're not to be trifled with. Forget the Lucky Charms cereal thing. There has actually been a new law enacted recently protecting them in the British Isles.http://www.irishcentral.com/travel/Leprechauns-are-now-protected-under-new-European-law---SEE-VIDEOS-117791804.html

Friends who lived near Waterford in the 70's have related how St.Patrick's Day seemed to be an invention of the Irish living in America. At the time the day was only celebrated as a religious holiday and not with the revelry that it is today. In a strange twist of fate, the holiday has gone in the other direction across the Atlantic-from America to Ireland. There were no greeting cards with charming Victorian Irish children, leprechauns, shamrocks or harps on them, no shiny  green plastic beads, glitter deelie boppers or green beer. The only parades celebrating St. Patrick were when his effigy was carried to the local Catholic Church for veneration during the mass. How times have changed!


My favorite Irish custom on March 17th is making the traditional corned beef and cabbage with roasted carrots and potatoes, accompanied by soda bread and strong tea. You can thank the Jews in New York for the addition of corned beef to the menu, because the original meat was a rasher of bacon-inexpensive in Ireland when it was made on the farm, but a luxury in New York City where corned beef was much more common.  It's a lovely, filling meal and creates a link with my ancestors. I'm sure it wasn't a lavish meal for them however: a tough, cut of beef that has been preserved with salt and spices( corning) that requires boiling until it's palatable. I'm certain that's why they threw in the cabbage, potatoes and carrots into the pot; it helped to preserve the flavor of the meat because it had to be cooked all day. Modern cuts of corned beef still require simmering on the stove for nearly an hour per pound. If you choose to cook a brisket yourself, don't wash off the meat before adding it to the pot of water and add the contents of the spice packet or what you will get is a flaccid, bland piece of meat. Keep it below the water line while boiling, and add the root vegetables and quartered cabbage in the last hour. Pull the whole thing out and save the brine for soup stock-it's delicious. I arrange the meat, carrots, potatoes and cabbage in a roaster, then paint the vegetables with melted butter and glaze the meat with a mixture of honey mustard. Leave it in until it's browned and then slice the meat. Transfer it all to a serving platter for a meal fit for an Irish King. I usually make an assortment of shortbread, mint-frosted sugar cookies and peppermint cream candies for desert. The recipe I use for the candies is not a traditional butter cream center, but it's one that holds up well for the addition of mint extract and rolling to be either dipped in melted chocolate, or left plain and dusted in cinnamon to make 'Irish potatoes'http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,177,150186-252202,00.html And by the way, here's the recipe for real potato candy:http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,176,135181-254199,00.html.

Céad míle fáilte romhat!