Joy and Sorrow Ritual

Joys and Sorrows ritual. I wanted to share a bit more in-depth on the topic of sharing joys and sorrow in group ritual.

There are a few reasons why you might want to incorporate this;

• It builds bonds. Knowing the joy/sorrow of fellow members provides each member some insight on what they’re going through. Empathy and compassion might be enough to keep someone going through troubles afloat, while the person enduring the hardship might find a bit more light in an otherwise dark life.
• Offers support and help. I also find that sharing those bits of your life offers members the opportunity in case someone could help. A member mentioning being out of work might find a someone’s job looking for employment, or getting the word out. Another member, might find an offer of help to get out of their situation, or advice.
• It reminds of us balance. Even solitary, you can light a candle for joys and sorrows. It acknowledges the hardships we must endure to learn and grow, but also reminds us to focus on joys that we might otherwise take for granted.

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How to do the Joy and Sorrow ritual; Select a tray or plate, or a bowl filled with sand. You can use tea lights, birthday candles, or other candles. One for each joy or sorrow.

Ask each member, or if you’re solitary, state out loud the joy and sorrow you want recognized and light the candle. Take a moment to consider- 1) what lesson will you learn, or how can you grow from the sorrow, and 2) bask in the joy you feel to celebrate that.

Let the candles burn through the rest of the ritual and blow out at the end of ritual, giving thanks for what Life/the Gods/Higher Power/etc gives you.

Post in comments thoughts and ideas for this. I’d love to hear from you.

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Whatcha doin for Yule fun?

One of the best things about the month of December is celebrating an entire season. It’s not just a single-day holiday, but weeks you get to celebrate and do fun things.

My family celebrates both Yule and Christmas. We do the usual stuff like bake cookies and decorate the tree, but my group will also plan and celebrate the Yule ritual as well.

Here are a few ideas I’ll be sharing;

• Make offerings through the winter months for our feathered/furry friends.  You can put fruit, seeds, peanut butter, cereal, etc on string or wire and hang on the trees outside.
• Consider all-night vigils, and plan for songs, story-telling, games, etc. Light candles and share the light/warmth with one another.
• Watch the sun rise at dawn on Yule

These are just some ideas. Post your ideas in comments.

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Cakes and Ale

Cakes and ale is one of the part of ritual that serves multiple purposes.

Sharing of food and drink. Participation of communal food and drink helps build a dynamic or bond between members in ritual. It builds a sense of community.

Grounds the energy raised. Sometimes after raising energy or working magick, you might find yourself a bit ‘spacey’. Eating and drinking helps ‘ground’ your energies, to bring you made to the mundane world.

What kind of cake and drink to serve? This depends entirely on you and/or your group. I’ve been to some rituals where they served traditional recipes while others bought from a bakery. I’ve had cornbread, cookies, biscuits, cake, scones, and even fruit. For drink, I’ve had various mead, cyser,(fermented drink) wine, juice, and sparkling juice (which we use due to one member unable to drink alcohol).

You can try new things, or switch things around depending on the moon ritual you work. For instance, full moon in the spring you can serve fresh fruit with dip, while winter full moon you might want to serve cookies and cake.

Once you perform the thanks and blessing over the cakes and ale and everyone partakes (or just you if you are solitary), be sure to keep some for libation later.

In my group, we sometimes pass the chalice and plate of food more than once, often giving blessings to the person next to you. “I give you the blessing of strength” for example.

Cakes and Ale ceremony – simple and basic

Full moon ritual- a sample ritual with cakes and ale ceremony

Moon Cookies- a very rich buttery cookie much like a sugar cookie.

Crescent Cakes- a nut-based cookie.

Share your own links, comments, or thoughts on the topic below.

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Lammas- ‘Loaf Mass’

August 1st (Northern Hemisphere) marks the first of three Harvests we celebrate through the year . Lammas, a word from Anglo-Saxon meaning ‘loaf mass’ celebrates the first crops of wheat. Bread is often made and shared, as well as feasts, games, and sun related activities.

Happy Bread is a recipe I found the other day that looks perfect to celebrate Lammas. Not only is this a sweet type bread, its formed to look like the sun.

A Hub Page on Lammas- Includes some cool activities such as sacrificing bad habits, and harvesting your own crops or make a day to go out and pick berries and other crops.

PaganLibrary’s page of Lammas- Includes Catherine’s Wheel tradition of rolling a wheel down a hill to mark the end of summer and beginning of the Harvest season.

Lammas is the time of year where you need to finish the goals you’ve set, to plan for the winter ahead, and to consider what you’ll leave behind. It’s a time of being grateful for what you have, to celebrate the food on the table and the shortening days of summer.

My favorite traditions of Lammas;

• Baking, and not just bread. My group celebrates with a feast so we gather together and eat great food, and talk about what we’ve accomplished through the year.
• Crafting. I like working with weaving hemp cord, making jewelry, and working with clay. Its being creative that takes this shape of celebration for me.

What are your favorite traditions? Post in comments.

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My thoughts for would-be pagan writers

As someone who’s been in paganism for some time now, I’d like to share a few things I’d like to see in any new books on the topics of Wicca and/or paganism;

More spiritualism, less emphasis on stuff and practices. Most books seem to talk about practices such as the proper tools, the words to say, but not so much on the traits of philosophy such as using practice to heal and evolve our spirit. I want to see more books include the fact you don’t need any ‘things’ to practice your religion at all.

More history, less speculation. I think its important to know why we do the things we do, how it got started, in what context it was used. Traditions change over time and we must weigh the worth against current events. We can’t change or adapt unless we understand why we do the things we do.

More religion, less magick. It seems so many books cover spells, magickal practices, even sharing some prayers and chants, but doesn’t really cover much depth of Goddess, the Divine, or philosophies compared to other religions.

More fun, less lecturing. I’d love to read a book that balanced fact with humor without being trite about the whole thing. Too often humor and fun gets ignored for the intellectual ideology. Words of religion should be uplifting, inspiring, not bogged down with dull history facts (and history can be fun/entertaining), or lengthy explanations.

If anyone knows of such books, please leave in comments below.

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A Witch’s ‘must-have’ tools

 I saw on Youtube a number of videos where pagans shared their top ‘must-have’ tools they use in ritual and spell work. So here are mine-

A focused mind. Being able to visualize clearly, to focus intention for a certain amount of time, and to control that thought is essential to ritual and magick workings.

To know thyself. Another crucial and necessary tool is to understand what makes you do the things that you do. You need to understand why you want certain things in your life, what (and why) symbols represent what they do for you, and to look deep inside the Self, particularly the darkness we have within our souls.

To always be open to learning. No matter how long you study, no matter how many years you claim you’re on this path, you will always learn something new. I’ve been in paganism for 30 years and am delighted to say I still find things to learn regularly.

Read and write. Ok, so  maybe not actual writing because my own handwriting requires a Rosetta Stone to decipher, but to find some means to express yourself and be mindful of your learning.  Reading provides a powerful means to learn new idea, even if you don’t agree with them.

In conclusion, I don’t depend on objects to work ritual or magick. You can cast circle without anything but the ‘tools’ mentioned here. I’m not particularly attached to the tools I have now, and most were either gifts or found items.

What about your opinion? Post in comments or better yet, write a post in your own blog, and post below. I’d love to hear what you think.

Book of Shadows Assignment: Add a page to your BOS on the tools you deem as essential to your spiritual path.  Include not just the objects, but the practices as well. This can include specific chants or prayers you enjoy.

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Stories for pagans

 Someone asked me once about books that encompass the realm of realistic witches. They meant Wiccans, I think, specifically, so I felt to share a few books I’m familiar with that you might be curious to read.

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The Fifth Sacred Ring is written by Starhawk who wrote The Spiral Dance , a well known Wiccan book. I read this years ago, and although I felt it a bit heavy with anti-Christian rhetoric, its still a good read.

 Mists of Avalon is a lovely read on the King Arthur story, from Morgana’s perspective. What I loved with this story is how much the author researched the myth but also the period of time. She adds a few twists to the tale without taking away from what we’re already familiar.

The Sword and Sorcery anthology series is massive with tales of wizards, dragons, ghosts, warrior women, and witches. I found a number of stories that touch upon  myth or legend, so I highly recommend these books.

 Cat Magic by Whitley Strieber includes a heavy pagan theme, but touches upon the idea of ‘sin’ and the death experience. I felt it really hit home the idea of our concept of guilt and what we forgive in ourselves.

Into the Shade is a short story, for Kindle, by me. Ok, I admit it, I figured it was my post so why not list my own story. It includes a character’s entering the Veil and finding a way to get out.

I’m a bit frustrated for not remembering more books. Years ago I found a number of books that seemed to have that pagan feel to them, but I can’t for the life of me remember the title. If you have book suggestions, please list in comments or post and link in comments. I’d love to hear some recommendations!

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Links to more (from commenters)

 

 

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The faces and forms of God

We often learn in the pagan religions that the God has as many faces and forms as the Goddess. We don’t see ‘one true God’ as much as we see the male aspect of the Divine in history as well as myth. Our god is a harvest god, a sun (solar) god, or one of the warrior, or hunt.

A friend pointed out the other day his confusion as to why so often pagans make clear they do not worship God. In many ways, the Hebrew God is renounced, while other faces such as revered by the Vikings, Egyptians, Celts, and other cultures are held in high regard.

It’s a good point he makes.Why not the Hebrew God?

I think this also touches upon the denial that we do not, in fact, worship Satan. But why not? We can the darker faces of the gods such as Loki, or the Celtic gods that people offered human sacrifices. (We don’t sacrifice, but I think its important to know the history of all religions, and that many had dark pasts).

I think for some of us, its denouncing a spiritual path that too often claims their God is the only god. Its also to make clear how there is a marked and profound difference between pagan and Christians. Why make such a distinction, when we can share so many things in common;

- A god that dies for his people. Our harvest god dies every year and is reborn at Yule.

- A god that is both father, warrior, and guide. Many gods take roles of a parent, fighter, and teacher (wise man).

- A god that can both love and show anger. Many myths and stories tell how the pagans gods could be as fickle, wrathful, and also loving and forgiving as the Hebrew God.

I guess my point is that I think we, as spiritual beings, should question why profess what we aren’t, instead of standing firm on what we are, and also accept that the difference doesn’t mean it makes one side ‘bad’ or ‘good’. Are not all gods the same one, as the many faces of the goddess are facets of the single Divine?

Post in the comments your thoughts/opinions. Do you feel each god (or goddess) are unique and individual, or all gods are the same but a different facet? Which face do you worship?

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Altar tool- possible statue replacement

I’ve made a few attempts at making my own statuary for my altar, but so far, haven’t found anything that really works. Now I’m thinking of using this idea I worked on today; (see photo to the left).

Its easy enough to make with some wire, one of those glass pebbles you can find a garden section or craft store, and make a card or pretty element of just about picture, quote, or graphic you’d like.

I could use any illustration of the goddess, and change as I see fit, or include a card that has a quote or prayer on it, add a daily tarot card, or add any number of pictorial elements. I think this works nicely on the altar type setting, and could travel well in portable altars.

The card appears to be ‘soldered’ but its not. I used a hot glue gun, touched up the edges, then used Mica powder to give it a metallic sheen. Nifty, eh?

You could also make them any size, and use a number of various bases from wood blocks, to stone, to polymer clay.

Hope you like the idea.

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Beltane fun and frolic

Here are some ideas to have fun on Beltane. Celebrating traditionally on May 1st, it celebrates the union between the God and the Goddess.

Some Beltane Activities:

Mask Making- I could write an entire post on the elements of mask making, how a mask can reflect our most innermost self, or illustrate a totem or spirit guide, but the symbolism is endless. We’re making masks so we’ll have them for Midsummer, using this as an activity to consider that innermost Self and what donning a mask means to each of us.

Beltane mask-making- a neat page that shows some lovely masks created.

Mask making with plaster tape

Easy mask making with foil and tape.

Weaving ribbon- Beltane is the traditional holiday you find Maypoles. These represent the phallus of the harvest god, entwined with ribbons as life and rebirth, as well as the sexual, life-affirming energies of the God. Some solitaries may create an altar Maypole, which will sit on the altar each Beltane. You could also make ribbon

My group doesn’t the room for a Maypole or for dancing, so we’re opting for a new tradition of weaving ribbons amid the members in rituals.

How to make an altar Maypole (Video)

Ribbon Dancing (video w/ belly dance)

How to make ribbon wands

The idea is simple:

Get two lengths of ribbons(two colors) that is enough to encompass the perimeter of the assembled people. Twine the two together, letting each member take part at their part of the ribbon, while weaving their own ribbon into the length. This symbolizes not just the God and the Goddess’ union, but our own Spirits as being manifestations of their union. Each member should bring their own ribbon or select a ribbon of color, texture, etc. that represents them.

Potluck- Always a fun tradition at holiday, where you either pick traditional foods served that time of the season, or simply enjoy the camaraderie of eating food as a group. I think it’s a fun idea to have members bring copies of recipes, in case someone wants a copy, or add that to your BOS to serve next year.

Celebrate creativity! This is a fun activity for groups so members can do a show-and-tell of things they make (or create). Creativity is, after all, a source of the Divine inspiration. I’ve been in rituals where people brought arts and crafts, songs, dance, and even stories.

Share in comments your own favorite traditions for Beltane, or better yet- post in your blog and add a link in comments here.

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