>Because I have an ethical obligation by law, I'm including a disclaimer that any of the material in this post which alludes to folk magic/medicine should not be used as a substitute for medical care or in the treatment of any type of illness, and make no claims as to its effectiveness.The reader bares sole responsibility as to the use any material contained in this post at will.< I was excited to make the move to Southwestern Virginia last year because I knew I would be living in Appalachia, and I grew up reading the Foxfire Series of books. Foxfire, if you're not familiar, originated as a project for English teacher Eliott Wiggington's high school English class in Raburn Gap, Georgia in the 1970s. The project sent students out into the community to interview their elders about life in Southern Appalachia, and what resulted was a wonderful collection of personal recollections about the culture,crafts, skills and lifestyle; the information also included narratives about religion, faith healing,planting by the signs (moon cycles), ghost stories, folk lore, folk medicine and subjects covering a wide variety of 'cunning folk' knowledge woven through the pages. While I can wax poetic about the beauty and natural wonder of these mountains, the hard reality is that there is a lot of poverty here, and has been for decades. For every verdant valley and rolling hill crest, there are dozens of dilapidated and decaying buildings leftover from the period when coal was king and the next boom town was just over the ridge. Around every curve of the two lane highway into the next largest town there are the bones of ancient houses and trailers, and some pretty creative architecture which include lean-tos, and old buildings nailed together with sheets of plywood. There is beauty where Nature has taken over the dying man made structures of a bygone era, but a lingering sadness, too. In these places, the 'cunning folk' and 'granny women' still reside; they tend their gardens and guard their secrets with an admirable tenacity from outsiders like you and me. They don't trust us, and with good reason. For the most part, outsiders mean trouble: there is always someone from Social Services or the County Government on the doorstep telling these gentle folk that their way of life-the only one they've known for the most part-is unacceptable by today's standard. Either their yard is overgrown and unkempt or the house considered uninhabitable by current standards: conform or loose your land, your roots and your family history. There are instances where generations of a particular family has lived and died in the same place for generations, and the land has become saturated with their living essence, along with the spirit of those who came before. Appalachia may be financially poor, but it is historically rich beyond our wildest dreams for those who seek out "the old ways". The Craft is threaded through the fabric woven by the Scots, Irish, English, Italians, Hungarians, Polish and other Eastern Europeans who made their way her to work in the coal fields in the mid 1800's. If you look even deeper, you can glimpse a bit of Native American and African influence. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Granny_Magic] Low Magic is very practical. Unlike Ceremonial or High Magic ( The spelling of magick is rumored to be first used by Aliester Crowley to differentiate between slight of hand and occult ritual. It's a tradition that I occasionally use out of habit because it was used by my teachers. Auto correct hates it. Popular author and Witch Elder Laurie Cabot spells it majick. I use both of the well-know spellings interchangeably because I think the intention is more important than the window dressing.) The specifically prescribed tools of Ceremonial Magick are not found in Low Magic: whatever is available is used by the practitioner. It is not uncommon for these people to be practicing Christians as they see their magic as a spiritual gift and to them "gifts of the spirit" are all the same. There are particular methods employed by these healers, such as "stopping blood"," blowing thrash", which are in effect forms of faith healing. These methods are not exclusive to Appalachia,and are often taught across generations to those who have the gift. (The first Foxfire book explored these phenomena extensively, and you can read more about it here:[http://www.illinoishistory.com/bloodstopping.html ] The practitioner's gifts are used to benefit themselves and others to survive in the common life. Spells are cast for healing and prosperity, to put food on the table and as an expression of spirituality. Folk magic/ medicine is highly individualized and adaptable. Some practitioners work by invoking the name of Jesus or Christian saints such as St. Michael, and some do not. The single constant in their practice is that they are all herbalists who use whatever is available in their area. They have a deep connection and faith in the healing vibration of what is grown locally. [http://home.wlu.edu/~lubint/touchstone/AppalachianFolkMed-Stone.htm] It has taken nearly a year for me to gain the trust of some of these workers, and I am not only honored to have earned that trust, but am humbled by their collective storehouse of knowledge. I now have several journals filled with what I have learned from them just through casual conversation. The majority of them are not prone to the affectations of the current Pagan/Witch community and do not claim any title for their Craft. Likewise, their wisdom is simply referred to as a spiritual gift, or " Just what I learned". I use the terms 'granny women' and 'cunning folk' for the sake of identification and folk magic/folk medicine for clarification of actions. The fact is that anyone who has lived for a period of time in these mountains has become privy to more than a few 'home remedies'. Some of them work because they are common sense or have a legitimate chemical application, some by the power of suggestion, or through trust and faith. And some...are just historically interesting in an off beat way. *One of the most popular remedies is a bit of rock candy in whiskey or moonshine, which is used to tame a cough, body aches or anything else you can think of. Take a bit of the mixture several times a day. (My grandfather swore on the effectiveness of this one and drank it in hot tea. Personally, I think it's a great way to indulge in Rock and Rye.) *Baking soda mixed with water is a well known (and medically proved) digestive aid. Mint or wintergreen tea, or blackberry juice are also used. *Arcacia steeped in water or, marigold blossoms steeped in cider vinegar and applied to a compress are used to treat bruises. Cider vinegar alone can be massaged on sore muscles. *Chapped lips can be treated by applying olive oil, or making an ointment of clarified lard and the strained water from white willow bark. Add a bit of mint for flavor. *Rub a half a lemon over a clean face to help with oiliness or acne. Lemon juice or cider vinegar vinegar can be rubbed on the scalp to help with dandruff. Add a drop or two of olive oil for dryness. * Soak a dozen clove buds in vegetable oil, or ground cloves in oil for several days and strain. Use the oil to rub on sore gums or for a toothache. A warm compress held against the face will speed the action of the oil by increasing circulation to the area. *Soak a cup of steel cut oats in two cups of water and strain to make a soothing wash for sunburn or a rash. Using a cup of crushed almonds instead of the oatmeal and adding a few drops of olive oil will do the same. A poultice of baking soda applied liberally to a sunburn will "cut the fire". Leave on until it dries, then rinse off and reapply if necessary. *If you have arthritis, place a sharp knife under your bed to "cut the pain". You can also tie the pain up in a knot of sweetgrass (bury it afterward). *During a thunderstorm, tie knots in twine to harness the energy. Tie nine knots in a row and store for use later to add strength to any spell. Snip off a knot to add to a liquid, or untie a knot to release the energy. I'm also including this wonderful interview from Mother Earth News that I think you"ll enjoy: http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/southern-and-appalachian-folk-medicine-ze0z1403zhou.aspx |
Monday, June 9, 2014
Low Magick
Monday, May 19, 2014
Jung-A Mystic For Our Time
The teachings of Dr. Carl Gustav Jung ( pronounced "young") are one of my passions. So much so that when I finally decided to pick a psychological discipline with which to align myself while I was working on my counseling degree, I chose Jungian Psychology.
My first exposure to Jungian thought was through a self-help group sponsored by the Center+Point Foundation. We met as a coterie weekly to apply Jung's theory of self-integration and growth potential to areas of our lives. It was the 70's,what can I say? All my friends were going to est, and I certainly couldn't afford to spend that much money on developing my psyche at the time. ( Later I did got to both est I and II, but to be honest, Center+Point was the better investment, in my opinion. It's certainly the one that's benefited me the most in the long run. It's been over 35 years now, and all I can remember taking away from est was that they controlled when you got to go to the bathroom, the bastards.)
C.G.Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist, a friend and contemporary of Sigmund Freud. They shared a lively friendship, mostly through correspondence. That ended after many years when Freud asked Jung to give him his opinion on a particular dream he'd had. I take it the explanation Jung came up with was less than flattering to Freud's rather largely inflated opinion of himself; to make matters worse, it was later discovered that Freud withheld details of the dream that he thought would usurp his authority in the psychiatric community. Jung had deduced correctly what those details were and he and Freud parted company acrimoniously- but not before Freud publicly accused Jung of casting "death wishes" upon him during another encounter where he fainted ( Which I suspect was due more to Freud's own hysteria than to any malefica from Jung.) [ Freud A-Z,pg 103 by Susan Heller,2005 ;published by John Wiley&Sons,Inc.] The suggestion so affected Jung that he plunged into a depression during which he had vividly lucid dreams about death. During this period, Jung became intensely interested in all things death-related, so much so that it influenced the writing of his Seven Sermons to the Dead (using the pseudonym of Basilides). He described the dead as "...the voices of the Unanswered, Unresolved,and the Unredeemed."[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sermons_to_the_Dead ]
But wait a minute...weren't these two supposedly learned men of science? They were indeed, but I wonder if Freud's knowledge of Jung's numerous encounters with the mystical that began in his childhood (he'd experienced psychokinesis,precognition and clairvoyance at a very early age), hadn't lodged its self in a dusty corner of his mind, only to prey on the psychiatrist's own fear of the occult.
Both Jung's mother Emile and grandmother Augusta were known psychic mediums. It would follow that Carl would have a natural curiosity and a better understanding of this subject than most of his contemporaries, wouldn't it? As it turns out, it not only was, but when Jung learned that his 16 year old cousin was also a medium, he enlisted her assistance in helping with paranormal experiments that became the framework for his doctoral thesis," On the Psychology and Pathology if So-called Occult Phenomena", published in 1902. Four years later he published one of his most significant works,The Psychology of Dementia Preacox [https://archive.org/details/psychologyofdeme00junguoft]After that, he received several impressive honorary degrees in succession from universities in his home country and Harvard,Oxford and Clark University in Massachusetts. He'd also been appointed as the President of the International Congress of Psycho-Analysis (1910), but resigned from that and an esteemed professorship at the University of Zurich. Desiring to distance himself from the mainstream, he began an almost obsessive preoccupation with mythology and dream work. [ The Portable Jung,edited by Joseph Campbell, published by Penguin Books,1976]
He began to work on the development of his general theories on psychological types and archetypes in earnest. Out of this period came his definitions of introvert and extrovert and the four basic functions of thinking, feeling,sensation and intuition; the collective unconscious, and anima (feminine) and animus (masculine) principles.
Jung's theories were powered by insight into the workings of his own psyche. He closely examined his dreams and applied his own unique understanding of spirituality to interpretation of religious symbols. He was a student of both Eastern (Taoism,Hinduism) and Western religions (Christianity and Gnosticism), and his spiritual leaning were best described as eclectic. He believed in occult phenomena and the paranormal because he'd experienced it first hand. As the line of demarcation between his dreams and visions began to blur, he penned the enormously popular and autobiographical Memories,Dreams and Reflections,which he continued to work on until his death on June 6,1961.
In 1944, Jung had had an out-of-body experience (OBE) after a heart attack where he saw himself high above the Earth, where he saw a temple made of stone. He felt called to go inside this temple to learn the meaning of life. But before he could do so, he was called back by an apparition of his attending physician, who'd taken the form of the Heal of the Temple of Asclepius (the Greek god of healing) who commanded him to return to Earth because he work was not done. Jung's near-death experience was confirmed by a nurse who witnessed him being surrounded in a white light.
After the death of his wife in the 1950's, he retired to Bollingen, Switzerland and began to build what amounted to being a castle on the property he owned. Into the stone walls he had mystical and alchemical symbols carved. During the building of this castle he updated many of his published works on the mandala, synchronicity and the I Ching. These re-workings became his opus, Aion [.http://www.amazon.com/Aion-Researches-Phenomenology-Collected-Works/dp/069101826X]
Jung was an ardent believer in reincarnation; much of his feeling on the subject came from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. He was quoted saying that his existence was based on " ...a passionate drive for understanding in order to piece together mythic conceptions from the slender hints of the unknowable."
[Harper's Encyclopedia of Mystical and Paranormal Experience,Rosemary Ellen Guiley, 1994] Like many of us today, he feared for the future of humankind and stated emphatically that our saving grace would be our becoming mindfully more conscious as a species.
Just prior to his death, Carl Jung had a dream in which he became whole ( a reoccurring subject in his writings about personal integration). I believe this meant that his individuation had become complete and he had reached the pinnacle of human growth. In this dream, he was himself symbolized as a tree whose roots were interlaced with gold-the metal associated with completeness in alchemy. On the night he died, a particularly violent storm arose on Lake Geneva in which lightning struck his favorite tree. Coincidence? Synchronicity? Stranger things have happened in this world.
Carl Gustav Jung left a legacy of thought that is applicable to all forms of occult and academic traditions; little wonder so many Pagans gravitate to this great mystic of our time.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Funerals: Some Helpful Tips In Times of Sorrow
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| 19th century children's graves in Frederick, Maryland |
No one likes to think about making final arrangements for themselves or a loved one who has died. It's not an unpleasant task, and it is necessary...and if you don't do it yourself or at least put in your own two cents, someone else will make the decision of how your physical body will be disposed of, and quite possibly what transpires during your funeral/memorial service. Do you want that to happen? No? Then read on for a deeper discussion...
Nowadays the majority of people die in a hospital or hospice setting. In 2010 The National Center for Health Statistics gathered stats from a sampling of U.S. hospitals and determined that 29% of all deaths took place in a hospital.[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/drop-in-hospital-death-rates-may-mean-more-americans-dying-at-home/] Other reports by the National Institute of Health determined that 23-27 percent of recorded deaths happened at home, while deaths in nursing homes stayed at 21%. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1282180/]
Just a century ago our families tended to the dead at home. Why has this changed? Culture, for one reason: our lives are industrial vs agrarian and much different than that of our ancestors,e.g., travel modes (auto accidents, etc.) And there is the fact that humans are dying much older than before (often after a lengthy decline). Modern healthcare has dramatically changed toward the use of technology. We have moved death out of the home and into institutional settings.
Death is inevitable, despite our best efforts. Death is merely a transition in the natural cycle of life. In most US states, it is perfectly legal for a family to handle the funeral and disposal of the body themselves as long as all the necessary certificates have been filed. There are rules which apply to this, but it can be done.[http://www.npr.org/programs/death/971208.death.html] Others are opting for a "green", more natural manner of burial; green cemeteries are gaining popularity across the country. "Green" burial is primarily direct burial within 24-48 hrs. into the ground, with the body clad only in a shroud,or in a biodegradable container. You may have to call the cemetery yourself because this is not yet a popular option in the funeral industry. But what do you do if you aren't prepared to handle the funeral or burial yourself? You will probably seek out a funeral home to take over the task.( Let me interject here that if you are a member of a coven or other group this is a splendid time to discuss the subject of funerals, because as a general rule, not many groups have experience in this area. Getting someone trained to assist members in this area, as a part of a Community or Pastoral Care Committee,would be a true service to your group.)
The larger question is how do you deal with a funeral home if you are Pagan? The truth is that most of these establishments deal largely with Christianity when the funeral is of a religious nature (Jews have a tendency to use a Jewish funeral director because there are strict religious laws governing interment.) It is also true that more and more funeral directors are serving those who are humanists, atheists or those of no specific faith; the majority of funeral directors will work with anyone and don't care about your religious preference or lack there of. Because few funeral directors are familiar with Pagan practice, you will need to express your needs and requirements to him/her fully, in writing. If you are a member of a group, it would be wise to ask your clergy/high priest(ess), or other member to accompany you when you initially meet with the funeral director.
At the initial meeting you will discuss the arrangements to be made concerning the disposal of your loved ones body. While there are many options widely available, the services normally provided by a funeral home primarily focus on two: cremation and burial. Whatever you decide, the Federal Trade Commission mandates that you receive an itemized price list of goods and services provided by the funeral home/funeral director[http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0070-shopping-funeral-services] and [http://funeralethics.org/rights.htm]. Ask what is specifically included in 'package deals', or things such as 'preparation of the body'.(Embalming is rarely required by law. Special situations do exist, however[http://www.funerals.org/frequently-asked-questions/48-what-you-should-know-about-embalming]. >Do not be ashamed to ask for the least expensive coffin or the bare necessities if you cannot afford what you are shown; nearly all funeral directors can provide a simple,economical alternative to the traditional casket. < (My own grandmother was buried in a simple casket made of pressboard which was lined in white 'satin' and covered in blue damask-like fabric,which was actually very attractive.) If you have concerns in any of the above areas, please be sure to read the next link provided which is a general guide to funeral home ethics and standards: https://www.funerals.org/forconsumersmenu/your-legal-rights/was-the-funeral-home-ethical
Also for that initial meeting you will want to bring along basic information about your loved one: full name, any other name under which the individual was know (nick name, magickal name, or title);date of birth; the name of his/her hometown and the town in which s/he currently lived; and age at death. You will also need to supply the names of parents and possibly grandparents; and siblings; and of course a spouse,partner or significant other, and children's names.(Some obits also include the name of a beloved pet or familiar.) If the decedent was a member of a group such as a temple or coven,and it is agreeable to the members, the name of the group may be included (e.g., The Temple of the Moonlight Rose).You may wish to include the names of schools,certificates or degrees awarded or earned; fraternal organizations, etc. A sentence or two about the decedent's favorite activities could be added as well,(e.g. "Jane was an avid knitter and loved making scarves for her friends","Amber studied herbs and made her own incense"). It is not necessary to mention the decedent's faith tradition or spiritual practices, but if you do, this is not the time to be snarky about any former religious affiliation (e.g., including a phrase such as "Jane became a Witch after being rejected by the Baptist Church" is not appropriate and just plain spiteful). However, if you'd like, something like, " Jane was a devotee of the goddess Diana for over thirty years" would be perfectly fine, as long as it is included without fanfare. The funeral director you choose will be able to assist you with the wording/editing of any obituary you may wish to place in the local newspaper. Remember, you may be paying by the word, letter or space, so keep it concise.If you would like to include a picture,take a clear black and white photo to accompany the obituary. ( Note: a death notice is automatically sent to local newspapers. It will include the decedent's name, date of death,place where s/he died, and who is handling the funeral arrangements.) The date and time for any funeral or memorial service will be included, too.The obituary may or may not include the name of the clergy or individual officiating at the funeral or memorial service, if there is one. Otherwise the closing statement of the obituary will be a statement of which funeral home is handling the arrangements.
If you are having any sort of religious ceremony for the decedent, and if you have not done so previously, a member of the clergy should be contacted ASAP. That means your High Priest/ess or Elders, or an ordained member of the mainstream church. This is where things may get a little awkward, particularly if the person is not Pagan or at least Pagan-friendly. If a member of the mainstream Christian clergy is asked to officiate, it is more likely than not that minister will expect to deliver a Christian-themed service complete with readings from the Bible and music from a hymnal approved by their denominational authority.This is to be expected because this is the normal way things are handled in mainstream religions, so don't be offended. You may come upon resistance to anything remotely Pagan being included in the funeral, either from the officiating clergy...or the decedent's family ( if you are a spouse or partner.) On the other hand, you may be delightfully surprised. More and more interfaith ministers,
especially from the Unitarian Universalist Association, are not only accepting of alternative religions, they have experience dealing with the special situations that can occur in planning and execution of such.[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/pantheon/2010/10/the-last-great-initiation/] And here's reality: Expect to pay this individual for his/her time. Even if it's small an honorarium. It is only right they be compensated for their time and effort, unless there are other arrangements made or they do it from the goodness of their heart.
If you are solely responsible for the planning of your loved ones last rites, you-and you alone-have the final say as to what takes place prior to and at the disposal of the body. Whom you consult to aid you in planning the funeral/memorial/graveside/scattering of cremains-in the funeral home or at another location-is your prerogative. How you plan the service-what components you wish to have-is also up to you. There are guidelines, but no hard and fast rules. A simple guideline is as follows:
- Background music while attendees are assembling. If there is to be a formal processional, there may also be music for this purpose.
- Opening words of welcome. ( May be from the Funeral Director, Officiant,or a family member)
- Thoughts on life and death. (Usually a brief homily or talk by the Officiant)
- Tribute (memories(eulogies) written and spoken by family, friends or the Officiant)
- Music for Reflection (or silent reflection)
- Prayers,readings,etc.( Readers selected from friends and family members,or by the Officiant,who have gone over the material well in advance.Don't just spring this on someone.)
- Closing words or benediction.( Funeral Director,Officiant or a family member)
- Music while the Officiant exits,followed by those assembled.
Using a traditional funeral form, those assembled then follow the hearse carrying the body and the Officiant in procession to the cemetery or place where cremains will be scattered. You man not desire to follow this form and have a private interment, or scatter the cremains on another occasion ( or privately). Many times there is a reception following the committal. This may be a catered or potluck affair at a location hired for the purpose, provided by a fraternal organization or religious group to which the decedent belonged(e.g,a volunteer fire department or a coven), or the home of a friend of the family. At the very least, especially for those who have traveled to attend the rite, a beverage or other type of hospitality should be offered.
A few words of warning on scattering cremains: it is not just 'ash' in the bag, there will be some bone fragments and some may be large enough to be identifiable as such. You will be getting 5-9 lbs.cremains, depending on the individual's size. Get permission from the property owner,or a permit from local authorities where required...and please,please,please stand up-wind when you pour the contents of the container out. I'm not trying to be funny here. Check the direction of the wind before you pour and preserve everyone's dignity.This is by no means intended as an exhaustive examination of the subject of Pagan funerals, it is just a place to jump on, just an overview...there is so much more beyond the scope of this post. I hope it's been helpful.There are many resources available to help with planning a funeral or memorial service; I have found that the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Humanist Movement is a rich supply in particular.One of my favorite go-to books is Illuminata, by Marianne Williamson, because the language in which the prayers and meditations are written, is modern, while the intention and feeling of them are very old. I have included some valuable links from the Internet, and there are many more online. Be aware that some of the following resources do not originate in the US; they are provided here for reference:
Outlines for Rites or Services:
http://www.pagan-transitions.org.uk/rites.html
http://www.amazon.com/The-Pagan-Book-Living-Dying/dp/0062515160
Music:
[http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-04-music-selections-for-a-humanist-funeral]
http://www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=565
Readings,poetry, etc.:
[http://www.funeralhelper.org/funeral-readings/non-religious-funeral-readings.html]
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/illuminata-marianne-williamson/1101076610?ean=9781573225205
http://www.amazon.com/The-Pagans-Muse-Invocation-Inspiration/dp/0806524405
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Pagan-Prayer-Ceisiwr-Serith/dp/1578632552
http://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Ritual-Prayer-Ceisiwr-Serith/dp/1578634849/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399138749&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Pagan+Ritual+Prayer+Book
And finally...This lovely funeral service by Dr. She DMontford:
Friday, April 25, 2014
Initiation-A Fire In The Head
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In religious art, saints are often shown with a flame positioned above the head. There are two meanings to this; the first is that the individual was among those present at the first (Christian) Pentecost and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-31,New Oxford Annotated Bible), the second is that the individual had a deeply spiritual connection to a Divine source of inspiration. During the Middle Ages of European history, the common human on the street lacked the ability to read and write, so the meaning of ideas was taught symbolically through paintings and street theater. It was not unusual for someone who'd had an epiphany or sacred encounter to be portrayed with a flame above their head-literally, "a fire in the head." As far as I can trace it, the term originated in the ' Song of the Wandering Aengus',in which William Butler Yeats refers to the visionary experience as "...a fire in the head." It is an odd phrase which I don't fully believe can be understood unless you've experienced it first hand. Many of us have had this experience just before or during our initiation into the occult mysteries (the private one, between just you and the Immanent Divine).
So here is the story of my personal initiation. I have back-linked it to an earlier post that I wrote because I don't believe I can write it any better now than I did then. Sometimes you just have to allow a thing to stand for the record.
http://amethjera.blogspot.com/2011/02/fire-in-head.html
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Hare Comes Peter Cottontail...
Hare,hare...ahem...Spring is in the air, Easter eggs are on the lawn,and there are leapin' lepus are everywhere! Unlike their close rabbit relatives, hares bare their young in a nest of flattened grass (not in a burrow underground), and they are fully furred with eyes wide open and are instantly independent ( those equally adorable baby bunnies are born with their eyes closed and are essentially naked)...which means the hare literally hits the ground running.
Normally quiet, the male hare goes into a hormonal frenzy during mating season. The image of two hares standing on hind quarters and "boxing" aren't two males competing over a female, but is more likely a female striking a male with her front paws to avoid mating.
In tribal mythologies-African and Native American-the hare is a trickster. A character who lives unconventionally by his wits, Brother Rabbit (Br'er is a contraction, likely an honorary title given to him by indigenous people to recognize kinship) wrecks havoc on his enemies in outrageous situations. It is believed that the Br'er Rabbit Stories popular in the Southern United States, are versions of the trickster myths retold by slaves which were written down by Robert Roosevelt, an uncle of US President Teddy Roosevelt, among others. Very similar stories were told and known in Alabama,Georgia and Louisiana.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brer_Rabbit]Joel Chandler Harris made Br'er Rabbit into a folk hero through his books. These days we are probably more likely to recognize him from the Disney movie Song of the South [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038969/].
As a totem animal, the hare is know for it's ability to successfully hide when threatened; they are very clever and will double back when being pursued by a predator. Those with hare as a totem must be fluid and be able to change direction at a moments notice in order to take advantage of situations with only a brief window of opportunity.[Cinnamon Moon,http://spiritlodge.yuku.com/] Hares are one of the animals traditionally associated with witches because of their nocturnal habits; witches were often accused of keeping hares as a familiar. Legend has it that a witch could shapeshift into a hare [http://kittythedreamer.hubpages.com/hub/Shapeshifting-Witches-Legends-from-Europe-and-North-America]. In Greek mythology, the hare is associated with Hecate, goddess of witches.
Hares and rabbits were also associated with the Moon in Asian and South American folklore. For centuries, dark markings on the lunar surface show an outline that it thought to show a rabbit. There are numerous myths in both cultures concerning Lepus.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_rabbit].
The rabbit also appears as one of the signs of the Chinese Zodiac.
The Easter Bunny was first mentioned in a story by German physician and botanist Georg Franck von Frankenau in his work "All About Easter Eggs" [De ovis paschalibus,Satyrae Medicae XVIII,Heidelberg,pg 6.], in which he referred to a tradition of leaving eggs at Easter for children. German immigrants to the United States in the 18th century, specifically the Pennsylvania Dutch brought with them the tradition of Osterhase (which translates to "Easter Hare", not "Easter Bunny").
As a final point of interest, three hares pictured chasing one another in a circle is also symbolic of the Triangle or Trinity. It is seen in Christian,Buddhist,Islamic,and Jewish symbolism, as well as other Eastern Religions.[https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101011195535AAHwDqR
Broom With A View- 300th Post
Broom With A View originated on MySpace as a part of my personal account, and I suspect you can still see some of the old posts there.
When BWAV began getting attention, I moved it from MySpace to Blogger so it could be more easily found by its readers. Later I made a slight adjustment to the title because, let's be honest, in hindsight, I didn't choose the most original title in the world...and I knew nothing about ranking for a search engine. I am embarrassed to admit that I am still blissfully and technologically ignorant of most things connected to the computer, even after graduating from business school classes ( Thank You, Vocational Rehab!) Despite my lack of computer saavy- praise be to the gods!-this blog had over 1,600 hits last month. I am still amazed...truly. Because I started out writing this blog for me; I figured if no one else ever read it, at least I'd made an effort to formulate my thoughts in a tangible way. I was then, and am now, a solitary practitioner of the Craft. That doesn't mean that I don't want to share my experience of that; and besides, I get to teach occasionally, too.
My first post here included a statement of faith. I included it because I thought it would show people a peek at who I am. Looking back, I think it was equally as important for me to put those things into words so when I needed to, I could remind myself who I am. From time to time I still need that, because it's not so simple anymore. As is the nature of all things, life changes continuously. I am not the same person I was four years ago when I wrote those words, and hopefully I have changed for the better. Like the lyrics in an old Bruce Cockburn song," You get bigger as you go. No one told me, I just know." I take that to mean that as we experience life, those experiences fill up and expand our consciousness. At least I hope that's it, because that's what makes sense to me about it. Stephen King says that " Writing isn't about making money,getting famous, getting dates, getting laid or making friends. Writing is magic." I couldn't agree with him more, except maybe about it not being about making friends; people I have come to love, who have become family, have come into my life because of this little blog.
If I were to add anything to that first post, it would be that I am more in touch today with who you know as AmethJera because of my spirituality. I was originally initiated into a Wiccan tradition, but I living my spirituality as a solitary, I'm not so sure that it's necessary for me to label myself anything other than Pagan, just for clarification. With so many of my fellow bloggers redefining themselves, maybe the truth is that we have out grown the limitations of labels. I don't think the gods care what we call ourselves, so long as we still come to our altars and occasionally look up at the moon and stars. I don't think it matters as long as we use our occult knowledge for the greater good and sustainable change in the world. The gods know us, even if we don't know ourselves: they are within us and live through us.They are recognized by us when we catch glimpse of them as we touch one another. If I may be so bold as to make the suggestion, I believe that is the task of the Divine and Humankind: to live through one another.
That first original post from 2010 appears here:http://amethjera.blogspot.com/2010/11/by-any-other-name.html I'd love to hear what you think about how the first 300 have changed and for you to make suggestions about the next 300.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Emptiness- A Reflection
We live immersed in the busy-ness of the world. Too often we are swept up in this busy-ness beyond our capacity to cope. This is the beginning of anxiety, which leads to other things later on, like lack of focus, inattention and possibly depression. We become fearful and anxious in all areas of our lives. Coming daily from a place of fear causes us to doubt ourselves and our decisions and abilities; our home life and work begin to suffer. The guilt about our perceived failures causes shame...the negativity just snowballs out of control. We feel as though we've not only let ourselves down, but others who have come to depend on us doing our share for the greater good.
Buddhist teaching labels this as an illusion. It is we who create anxiety from a small kernel of truth and guilt which leads to sorrow within ourselves. We panic and allow the negativity generated from our fears to wash over us and color our thinking with despair. The Buddha teaches that not only is this an illusion, it is a misunderstanding of impermanence and attachments.
Swept up in the busy-ness of the world, we loose sight of the truth that change is inevitable. It is constant. Nothing stays the same in the flow of the Universe, and so we cannot hold tight to persons or situations as they are this minute, hour or day. We cannot hold on to them at all. Try to hold water in one hand for very long...it is impossible, the water runs off.
The only constant in life is that change takes place regularly. Immersed as we are in the chaos around us, we fail to see that we have ceased to flow with the river and instead are caught in an uncontrollable vortex which drags us down in a spiral of negativity until we drown.
I have these days,too. In our current society most of us are afraid to stop being busy, lest it be seen as a negative character flaw. (After all, if we aren't busy, the lack of activity just might mean we are lazy -or worse yet-shirking our duty!) What has worked for me is to empty myself from the attachment of busy-ness. A close examination of the situation usually leads to stopping the behavior which causes me distress, that is, that I step away from the business that is sucking away at what is good and right for me. At times that has meant getting rid of what no longer serves to nourish my soul, so I can focus on the things that do. I stop saying "yes" when I should say "no" to others. I make more time for myself.
Emptying myself makes me feel lighter. I find that disengaging from certain activities-even for just a little while-allows me to feel less weighed down and entangled. I am able to quiet the chatter in my head and allow things to simply flow along like they should just by taking a few minutes a day to sit in silence. Visualization helps; focusing on a spot on the floor in front of me, the flame of a candle, or gazing into a cracked glass orb. The point is to focus on something outside yourself so your thoughts slow and clarify. Eventually I feel myself begin to detach from worries and urgency. This is a good way for me to let go of attachments and remind myself that the world is an impermanent place.
This form of meditation is also good for preparing me to do ritual and magick. When I have emptied myself of the things of the mundane, I have a much stronger focus for whatever I wish to accomplish magickally. I believe emptying yourself through meditation is a beneficial form of ritual cleansing.
One of my favorite things to do a few years ago was to drive down to Battery Park, cup of coffee in hand, just before dawn and watch the sun rise over the Delaware River. The darkness would eventually give way to muted streaks of blues and purples which became increasingly lighter until the orange jewel of the sun popped just above the horizon to flood the sky and water with golden light.
I would stay until the seagulls sleeping on the rail of the pier would awaken and fly off. Focusing on the simple act of watching the sun rise emptied me all of the stress and worry I was going through at the time while being a caregiver for a dying relative. That few moments of emptiness was a precious gift from the Universe, and I reveled in the the daily renewal, so much so that when I moved from the area I missed going to the river's edge to see the sun rise every morning it left me a little sad and feeling incomplete.
Once again applying Buddhist principles, I realized I had not only formed what was a habit-abet a healthy one- but an attachment to the very act which gave me so much relief. The realization that this attachment existed allowed me to let go of it. The resulting emptiness opened my mind for fresh insight and enlightenment to take place: The sun rises everywhere with the same beauty. While that seems like such a silly thing to have to have reminded myself of now, I was also reminded that getting overly caught up in the business of the world causes us to loose focus on life's simple truths. Occasionally we need the reminder because simple truths are often taken for granted and when they are, they loose their grace. Leaving behind the attachment to place allowed this simple truth to manifest, and for it's grace to open the possibility of peace. Moving beyond the comfortable, the emptying of the familiar made way for limitless possibility. Possibility gives us the hope and a reason to seek authentic fulfillment of the self.
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