"Q" With A View

"Q"

If you're a Star Trek fan ( and I'll admit that I am only at best marginal ) you've probably seen at least one episode of the many spin-off TV series with the bombastic character "Q" played by actor John de Lancie. He is a synergistic character, an individual member of a race of omnipotent beings which together form the "Q Continuum". They live in a dimension all their own and seemingly exist to meddle in the affairs of humans or whom ever else might be inhabiting the Universe. They expect humans to know they posses superior intelligence and paranormal powers, and if de Lancie's Q  character is any indication of the attitude of the rest of them, they hold us mere mortals in contempt for our lack of  recognition and validating their greatness.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_Continuum]

In other words, they sound like typical Deity to me.  Ho-hum, Humans, we are bored.

I find the character of  Q particularly interesting from a theological angle. If Q represents our concept of a god-like being, then how, exactly are we humans viewed by the gods? Are we viewed as a sort of  blight on Planet Earth by a species far advanced beyond our wildest dreams? Are we merely tolerated?  Do the gods just allow us to exist for entertainment? Is our evolution an experiment in growth potential? Are we valued as an emergent creation to be nurtured during our time of discovering our potential. Are we merely mortal-or fully equal?

It's not much of a theological jump from the Q to the gods of, say, Olympus. Each god and goddess had assigned duties or "aspects".[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympian_gods] Individual deity were prayed to or worshiped depending on what the devotee desired. A relationship or patron-ship developed between human and god, and the human depended on the superior knowledge of the god to help them through their lives. Many of these groups of Deity exist, depending on location and pantheon, but all have similar duties or favors. We know from our experience what these patrons mean to us, but still, there is the question of what Mankind-the Human Species, et al- mean to the gods? A quick Internet search will usually yield nothing other than the Judeo-Christian definition of Mankind being made in G-d's image from the book of Genesis, followed by the story of the Fall from Grace. That leaves us yet to wonder...What is our relationship with the gods of antiquity?

The word deity derives from the Latin deus (male) and dea ( female); the related words divine and divinity (divum), roughly translates to "open sky" or "heaven". The Sanskrit word deva also reflects this definition " shining ones". Dictionary.com also cites the words "heavenly" and "celestial" included in its definition of divine. The gods are believe by humans to be supernatural beings of superior intelligence and power to our own. Some believe humans were created by the gods, some hold to the belief that humans and gods are co-creators in earthy matters, and others define them as archetypes (C.G.Jung). The worship of deity is largely a religious and spiritual matter: the belief in one singular omnipresent god (monotheism), many gods (polytheism) or the divine in all things (animism) are all valid forms of belief. Many earth-centered religions take an animistic view ( as do many Native Americans) of the spirit alive and living in everything that exists, not just humans and animals. In addition, demigods, the combination of gods and humans, are also recognized through many religious traditions, and some houses of royalty claim their rulers to be such.  However, the majority of religions believe their gods and goddesses to be sovereign and dwell in places inaccessible to humans, such as other worlds, celestial, subterranean and supernatural. Most are thought to be invisible forces which interact with humans through rituals. Others are manifest in the physical forms of men ( such as the Dali Lama) or animals.

Basic monotheistic Christianity believes that G-d is a single personification with Trinitarian  aspects of the Holy Spirit and the Son. Various Christian sects ( Christian Scientists and Gnostic Christians, for example) deviate from that by believing that G-d is both male and female ( Father/Mother God). Others believe that the three members of the Trinity to be equal in standing; of these groups, a small amount name the Holy Spirit as a 'female' aspect along with the two males who hold slightly higher power. Polytheistic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and neo-Paganism believe in many concepts of the Divine, in forms not only limited to gods, but as spirits and Elementals.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elemental].The most popular belief among religious traditions is anthropomorphism, that the gods are personified with human traits. In religion and mythology, it  refers to the perception of a divine being  in human form, or the human qualities in the gods.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythology]

The closest I can come to answering the question posed regarding our relationship to the gods is this: we exist to give life to each other. Humans need the personification of a higher power on which to project their fears and adoration. The gods need humans to provide veneration to justify their existence. Again, we dance on the edge of the sword.

Mí Lúnasa

This morning I noticed the leaves on one of the trees in the backyard has a slight yellow tinge to it. It has been hot and somewhat dry, but not enough for this...this is the beginning of harvest.

When I was in Missouri a couple of weeks ago, I noticed  corn in the fields-though stunted due to drought-had small tassels on it, tomatoes were heavy on the vine, squash were abundant...we are on the doorstep of the First Harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. In a few weeks, the grapes will be thick on their vines, pumpkins will show a slight oranges cast, and the grain fields will be ready to mow.

"Lughnasadh"," Lughnassah", "Lughnasa"," Lammas"...The spelling varies depending on the source and the origin. Although definitely a holiday founded in Celtria, it's celebrations differ among the Irish, Scots, Manx and English. Lammas is the AngloSaxon/Christianized version, translated as " Loaf Mass", indicating the first loaves made from the new harvest.The Catholic Church has established it as a day to bless the fields.Some Pagans are increasingly uncomfortable with this name, to others it doesn't matter any more than the varied spelling.

Lughnasadh celebrations have been held in fields where the first sheave is cut by hand with a scythe to symbolize the wounding of Lugh (pronounced 'Lew', the modern spelling being 'Lu'), the dying God of the Harvest. Accounts of folklore center upon Lugh's self-sacrifice so that his blood (and seed) would fertilize the soil for the next growing season. Lugh is a solar god  associated with thunder and lightning, games of sport and crafts such as smiting. He is also associated with fire, which is why Lughnasadh celebrations in the British Isles are often held around bonfires on hilltops. Like most Celtic festivals, there is feasting, drinking and dancing. During some celebrations Tailtui- the step-mother of Lugh- is honored for clearing the fields; in ancient Ireland she is remembered for clearing the plains to make way for planting, after which she died of exhaustion. The day is thought to be especially lucky if a gentle rain falls, which is interpreted as the god bestowing his blessing on the people.

Those who came to America during the Irish Diaspora brought their agrarian festivals. Lúnasa festivals survive in part through festivities such as Harvest Home, a time when family reunions occur. The Festival of First Fruits ensures culinary bounty for these gatherings, with much homemade food and merriment. In the Northeast, where blueberries are plentiful, churches hold festivals featuring the fruit as pies or paired with shortcake and whipped cream. In the pacific Northwest, the featured fruit is blackberries. Other parts of the country celebrate with Apple Festivals or Strawberry Festivals. All are directly related to older harvest festivals.

I use cut wheat and grasses to braid into a circle. The braid is tied with a red ribbon, and the circle is hung in the kitchen as a talisman to protect the home during the year and as a visual prayer for abundance. The talisman may consist as three interlocked circles, or something a bit fancier. I use the single circle because it is simple to make, and I can make a number of them quickly to bless on my home altar and gift to friends.( The circle from the previous year is burned.)

Loaves of wheat bread are simple to make and there is a lot of personal satisfaction in making bread for Lughnasadh. Wheat bread recipes  are pretty straight forward and difficult to screw-up, even by the first time bread maker. The loaves can be formed into ovals or simple rounds, or into the shape of a man to honor Lugh. I especially like any homemade berry jam with the bread, and a good strong pot of tea or fruit juice, which is fitting for the season.

In case you missed it, here's last year's blog for Lammas: http://amethjera.blogspot.com/search?q=Harvest+home

By Any Other Name

I have always felt a very deep connection to the unseen forces of the Natural World. I think that everything in life is magical, because life is a miracle and much of it is unexplainable- and I think that's right, because that's where faith comes into the mixture, that's where God (whatever you call the Source of Life)comes into it. I think it becomes 'science' when we have an explanation for the unknown and unseen; science is a process of unending discovery. Faith is knowing that there is something there even if it's intangible. Faith is not the same as belief: Belief is what you think you know. Faith adds hope to that knowing.

Before mankind created organized religions, there was Nature. The God/ess of Our Understanding was and still is everywhere. The magic and wonder of Nature was framed for us differently by our primitive cultures, and some of us have never lost that connection even in an Age of Science and Belief.The beginnings of our spirituality and the ritual of the Church was first a part of the ritual and spiritual understanding of Nature. The Church created ecclesiastical ritual through a means of Ceremonial Magic.The Eucharist is a undeniably a magical ceremony when the transmutation of the Body and Blood takes place-otherwise for some it is just a ceremony, a remembrance. Either way is correct. It correlates to the time when our ancestors raised a glass of wine and a bit of grain to the God (s) of their understanding to give acknowledgment and thanks.It's all good in it's purest forms. You do what you believe is right in the form you believe is correct, and so will I, that's where we meet God.

Our modern day medical system came out of our learning to use plants and animals in a special, magical way. No one today would call that 'witch craft', but it was exactly that; it's hedge witchery and herbalism. Alternative medicine has it's roots in hedge witchery and is more closely associated with it because it is less mainstream.

In the late 1940's, Gerald Gardner, a British civil servant and military hero began exploring what he claimed was the 'Old Religion', a belief and faith system born our of worship of the ancient deities with a central Goddess at it's core. In it's day, GG chose to claim it as (British Traditional) Witchcraft. We now know it as Wicca. There are probably as many different forms of Wicca or Witchcraft as there are blades of grass or snowflakes. Each has it's own unique characteristics.

Jews, Christians and Muslims are know as People of the Book, that is, their religious roots are in the same faith and belief systems as Abraham and Moses.For some the Book is the Bible, for others it is the Torah or Koran. Buddhists, Taoists,Shinto, and all native aboriginal religions, fall under the category of Pagan/Heathen. These were faith systems developed by recognition of spiritual deep indwelling, of faith within the person, of what was there of Nature from the day of Creation. Spirit is all knowing, a Oneness.The Latin root Paganus means 'country dweller'. Heathens were traditionally the people living in the heath- the prairies and wild countries. There is no negativity attached to these words,and remained so until they were used as derogatory phrases to distinguish the masses from the 'educated class' of the People of the Book.

End of history lesson, back to me...I believe in the Immanence of Nature, that the natural world is a holy place, and I recognize and celebrate this through rituals and other expressions of spirituality. I believe that Jesus was not only the Son of God, and a great teacher, but that the Buddha is also.... as is every great religious and philosophical teacher through the ages, including Martin Luther King and the present Dali Lama. That makes me a Pagan. Into those beliefs I have incorporated knowledge of divination systems, herbalism,reflexology, and other forms of spiritual expression. By all accounts, that makes me an eclectic practitioner of Earth-centered Spirituality, and if you stretch that a bit further and I have to label it, then yes, I am a technically a witch.( A side piece of information here-all witches are Pagan, but not all Pagans are witches.) Furthermore, I have studied theology and was educated for the ministry, into which I was ordained after graduation. I am licensed clergy and ministered in a mainstream Christian denomination as a chaplain for many years, as I expanded my knowledge of other religions and studied in several esoteric orders. I now am associated with a liberal spiritual tradition that espouses all and every belief system...Pagan, Christian, Humanist and Atheist. I do not share in all of these beliefs with my fellowship members, but I respect their right to their own form of finding God or the answers to the Universe in their own way...and they respect mine. Being a witch or not being a witch hardly ever enters into the picture because it isn't as important to label what I believe as to to be able and willing to share it.