Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts

Spiritual Evolution - Science, Religion and Magic



This morning I felt the urge to talk about the evolution of spirituality. As many of you know my path has evolved from its inception. As a child (roughly age 8) I was raised Southern Baptist.  I was taught that if I donated money to the church, I would be blessed. If I were blessed, my step father would stop molesting me.  My mother would stop living in soaps and we would have more food on the table.

My path as an adult has moved from a general interest in Wicca, to a Devotee to the Covenant of Hekate, to a Torchbearer and today, it still progresses.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson


Over my stay with the Covenant of Hekate I was encouraged to explore my path. Read more books and learn more about the path I was traveling. As we look at our past, we can see that as we learned more about the world around us, we began to understand that some things we attributed to a deity was actually science, magic or insanity.


Let's start with Abraham. (Link) -  In the Hebrew Bible, a very dedicated servant of God is told by his God that he must kill his son in order to prove his loyalty. Abraham puts his son on an altar and pulls out a knife to sacrifice him to his God.  The story continues that an angel stops Abraham from killing his son.

By Caravaggio - scan, Public Domain, Link
Here we have a man killing his child because a voice told him to.  Today, if this happened, we would tell the person they were insane and lock them up for attempted murder.  We frown on parents who use religious objections to not seek medical care for their children. In fact the American Academy of Pediatrics is against these types of medical objections.  (link)

Remember, there's a huge margin here as it relates to insanity vs. hearing voice or reading images. I certainly don't believe or mean to imply that everyone who has "heard" the voice of their deity is insane. We have to look at literal vs. figurative.

Then we have this, in the United States the government has passed a religious freedom bill that allows medical professionals to decline treatment those those people or for those procedures that are against their religious beliefs.  Which basically means, LGBTQI people get kicked to the curb, OH and if you want an abortion or birth control, guess what??  You don't get that either. (link)

(I follow my book, but only when I want to)

Today many out there like to use words like "I'm not that kind of Christian"  or "That's not what Christianity is about today".  They see their religious frame work as being some thing that has evolved to include LGBTQI - People of Color (because yes, in the not so distant past, these same folks used the Bible to defend slavery)

One of the things that I watched along my journey was Caesar's Messiah. I'll link the trailer below. I highly recommend taking a look at this.

**Just for the fun of it, here's another website that lists all the times "murder" is called for in the bible.



Just to reiterate, I do not believe that those who "hear" their deity are insane.  I believe that there are some that are, but there are also some who are indeed hearing their message.



Now let's talk about Pyhthia - Oracle of Delphi


"Priestess of Delphi" by John Collier, 1891. 
                                       

In this example oracle goes into the Temple of Apollo where there are assorted fumes and then the oracle gives a reading and provides and answer to the questioning from the Gods.





Today we see groups that still engage in the use of drugs to contact a deity. Peyote for example is in the same class of drugs as Heroin.




A quick look at the ingredients of "Flying Ointment" will quickly reveal, if we weren't flying, we certainly thought we were. (lol)

Source - Wikipedia















Still anyone using drugs today and telling us they speak for a God/Deity is generally met with a huge amount of skepticism.  Today we look to make sure that those who claim to have contact with a deity are not in a place where they can hurt themselves or others.  This is another form of religious evolution. We move from blanket belief to a healthy does of critical thinking to ensure the safety of our people.


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson


In our final example, I want to have a look at Hecate Devotees.

Followers of the Goddess Hecate have certainly changed from what we see in the assorted historic texts related to her. We know, for example that many of her followers were/are vegetarian or vegan. (Hekate: Liminal Rites (Avalonia Press, 2009).  You can find more on vegetarianism and Hecate here.
Now does that mean everyone who follows Hecate should be/is  vegan or vegetarian?  Of course not. Each person follows their own dietary practices. Science tells us that some people cannot eat only a vegan diet.  My DNA tests revealed that when I eat animal products, I tend to put on more weight and have more adverse side effects.  So I choose to eat vegan. Not for the goddess but for my own health and well being.

Hecate has a thirst for the blood of black dogs and puppies? Or so I've read. There are several references to black dogs in various documents that equate them to being evil or the devil. Dogs which are said to be sacred to her were sacrificed as well.  Today very few cults still use animal sacrifice as part of their ritual practice. For me, as an animal lover, I completed my dedication to Hecate by helping homeless animals.  This allowed me to embrace the part of the Goddess that was said to love dogs and then to weed out or EVOLVE my practice away from something distasteful into something useful.

To round out this discussion on Hecate, you cannot complete her story with out reference to the Eunuchs who were said to follow her in Lagina.  This discovery has led to many discussions and all out fights online as to if men were even allowed to be Devotees of Hecate. Because of her further association with childbirth as well as being seen has as a virgin/maiden Goddess, it could be said that she was, indeed a Goddess for women. The following link has a great deal of information on Hecate and women, however the association of Hecate with the Crone aspect of the MMC construct is not something I subscribe to.  That being said, I do like to supply all views so here is the link.


Video from the Temple of Lagina.




Today we do not expect ritual castration, sacrificing puppies (your kids) or even inhaling noxious fumes to follow your path.  Today, our thoughts have evolved to allow for others to follow their own path. If that path contains a deity or if that path is absent of one, it is still one's own path and should only be judged by themselves.  It is not our place to say one way is right or wrong but more of which way grants peace to all those involved.

Our science has shown us where an eclipse comes from.  Where earth quakes and hurricanes originate. We know that we have the ability to think freely for ourselves and not rely on some antiquated text (don't even get me started on that) or messages from a doped up oracle for our direction in this world.  We have evolved to understand that our magic, our religion can usually be explained by science. And where it cannot, my hope is that one day we will be able to tap into those areas and explore them fully.  Because we know that space is there.  We can all feel the magic when we are in our ritual, in our meditation or even just walking into our sacred space to commune with what we may call our deity or our reality.

I'm a reader.  I read photos and people to learn about them.  I can see extramarital affairs. I can see illness and sadness. I can spot resentment and evil. I do not attribute this to any deity. I have had it my entire life. From Baptist to Atheist, my skill at reading has improved with age and my disconnection with negativity. I know that it is real and cannot be explained currently by science. But we'll get there.

We have to remember that each person, even those ancients that some embrace as being the only way, were merely interpreting what they see/heard/felt.  It was the UPG of its time.

So until you're walking around tossing black puppies in wells and hacking off your testicles I really don't need to hear about how your way is the only way to follow Hecate. Each person makes their own way. They have to walk that path, not you.

There's always room to evolve. No matter where you are in science, religion or magic.



Image result for everyone complains about the weather




Additional Reading:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/am-i-right/201512/violence-in-the-name-god
https://www.ancient.eu/delphi/
https://foodanddining.omeka.net/exhibits/show/vegetarianism-in-antiquity/ethical-social/on-the-impropriety
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Porphyry_(philosopher)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285775950_Dog_sacrifice_in_the_ancient_world_A_ritual_passage
https://archetypicalwitchcraft.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/understanding-hekate-part-4-offerings-and-sacrifices/
http://zer0dmx.tripod.com/gods/hekate.html
https://people.well.com/user/aquarius/nock.htm
https://www.ancient.eu/Hecate/
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Can You Be Good Without God?

I fought with myself on creating this post.  Does responding give the accuser more power?  Should I sit back and say nothing?  Should I defend my honor?  You're probably thinking, Renee, what in the world are you talking about.

Recently I have had my character called into question simply based on one thing.  The title Atheist.  Over the years I have had my spiritual path ebb and flow as I expect most do.

As a small child I was baptized in a southern baptist church after being convinced by those in power that my poverty and sexual abuse was my own fault due to my sinful nature.  All I had to do (as a 9 year old) was accept Jesus as my savior and my troubles would be over.  Jesus would save me. Needless to say we all know how that went.  That very day my church bus driver told me as I stepped off the bus - "Tell (my abuser)'s name that I'll see him tonight at the show."  This destroyed me.  In my head - my church (my god) condoned the years of sexual abuse forced on me by my stepfather and condoned by my mother.

Fast forward 20 or so years and I was introduced to Wicca via a girlfriend.  It was a way to get close and yes, I was like dance naked?  Let's do it.  I began to study other alternative religions and hunted and pecked my way around paganism for the next 20 years.  Within the last 10 years, I was introduced to Hecate through a friend and found myself reading on the Covenant of Hekate, of which I am now a member.  I currently dedicate my spare time to assisting in administrative duties for the group such as moderator for various social media sites, editor of the monthly newsletter and a member of the administrative team.

More recently I have moved away from the idea of a divine creation for mankind and more in line with a scientific look at the world. I do believe there is energy and I do believe that there is a way to manipulate that energy, hence my identity as an atheist (does not believe in a divine creator) witch (believes in the manipulation of energy).

https://www.atheists.org/activism/resources/about-atheism/


I fail to see how any of these beliefs make me unfit for public office, friendship or even just to be given the same respect that others receive. I believe that my public voice on this embodies the very virtues of Hecate or at least what we have assigned to her.

For now I will say to my naysayers, I am indeed comfortable on my path.  I do not expect, nor require your acceptance.  Your ability to judge and defame someone based only on their religious affiliation and not on the years of dedication to the cause speaks volumes about your character.




And with that, I'll share a few links for you on Atheism Science and Magic.





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_atheists
https://www.atheists.org
https://www.thedailybeast.com/can-you-be-good-without-god
https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2010/03/science_and_magic_is_there_a_r.html
https://www.quora.com/Which-religion-is-responsible-for-the-greatest-number-of-deaths-of-infidels-over-its-entire-history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_violence
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/alchemy-may-not-been-pseudoscience-we-thought-it-was-180949430/





 Arthur C. Clarke: “Magic's just science that we don't understand yet.”
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Confessions of a Modern Witch - Episode 2

Here's my new update for the blog!



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The Kybalion - A Study Series for Witchy Wednesday

So this week I thought I would take a look at a book I picked up recently.  It's called The Kybalion - A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece. By Three Initiates.

The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding. - The Kybalion

Chapter one takes us through the physical locations of this philosophy and shows how it is found in many organized religions today.  It talks about the sharing of the doctrines passed from teacher to student over the years to avoid persecution in the middle ages. The exact meaning of the Kybalion however was lost.  The first chapter makes a clear distinction between the author's opinion and the direct text from the Kybalion. I like to see that in a book. I want to know what the actual source is not just what the author's opinion of it is.

"Where fall the footsteps of the Master, the ears of those ready for his Teaching open wide." - The Kybalion.

According to this, when you're ready to learn (to hear) the teachings the laws of attraction will bring you together with a teacher.   Are you ready?

Here's a link to the audio book that is under public domain on YouTube.  You can also download the file here.




I'm going to spend the next few weeks reading this book and sharing my thoughts here.  Feel free to jump the comments and add your commentary or link to your own blog with your journey through these same pages.  
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Witchy Wednesday - Disagreeing with Pagans

Over the last ten to twelve years I have been exposed to many types of people in the Pagan-ish community.  I say Pagan-ish because the term Pagan is often time up for dispute as to what actually is and is not Pagan.  When I use the word Pagan, I am referring to any person who has a spiritual (or magical) path outside the three major religions.  Judaism, Christianity or Islam.   To me this encompasses with Witch or Warlock as well as those following Wicca or Heathenry.  In today's instant comment world and with the anonymity of the computer screen we are able to say whatever we want with pretty much little or no regard for the person on the other side.  Be it inside or outside this community at times it is blatantly obvious that people have lost the art of debate, discussion and rebuttal.

The real problems that people have are the same that happen in face to face debate however they escalate so much more quickly online.  As a person who has been on the interest since its creation, I can say that I have see the pendulum swing widely left and right on this issue and how has centered itself in the middle of a constant state of outrage. There's usually only one emotion in online disagreements and that is complete disdain for others.  We have loss the art of debate.

The main issue I see with online debate today is that the parties to the debate fail to debate the issue or topic at hand.  Instead, they resort to the typical school yard bullying tactics of name calling. Nearly ever encounter I witness inevitably one party calls the other a troll or attacks their family or background. This is not something that Pagans don't jump on the bandwagon for either.  One person calls another a fluff bunny or attacks their path directly resulting in the No True Scotsman fallacy which spirals out of control into an assortment of cherry picking, false analogies and other faulty generalizations. 

When strong personalities come into play online discourse quickly turns into real life attacks. A simple disagreement or difference of opinion can jump directly into parties making threats to the livelihood, business or reputation of the other. A quick search on Google reveals that all too often we have plummeted to the bottom of the barrel in our need to be right, our desire to silence the opinions of others on a social media platform.

With the changes in our current political climate in the United States, there is so much to be passionate about.  Many are commenting on things that they simply just do not understand. The fail to understand what things like Religious Protection laws and will actually do to the families of  United States Citizens. Illegal immigration is a serious situation for both the individuals fleeing their own country but also to the infrastructure of the United States. We do need a strong immigration policy. We do need to allow people to believe in the deity or the option to have no deity as they see fit. We do not however need to allow people to persecute others based on their faith.  We do not need to allow illegal immigrants to be abused by employees or those who may push them into the sex trade with out the ability to reach out to us, the United States for help. There should be, and can be balance in what we say and what we do.

We have a choice to make as this year rolls on and we begin life under this new era of government. We need to have a strong look at ourselves and our values. What do we stand for?  What can we do to make the world a better place? How can we get our message our into the world without falling victim to the online hostility and rhetoric that is so prevalent today?

For the most part Pagans are pretty forgiving types of people.  Yes, that is a generalization. We want others to be happy.  We want to live and let live. We don't care what deity you follow or what magic you practice.  We are for the most part very caring loving, caring and we will fiercely defend those we feel have been wronged.  We just need to find a better way to deliver our message to the masses to ease the possibility of misunderstanding, distrust and anger.

What do you think?  What can we do to ease this season of discourse in our community today?  Is this a new thing?  Do you think people take things too seriously?  What would you do if presented with a personal attack on your livelihood after an online disagreement?

Rude or attacking comments will be deleted.

<3



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Spiritual vs. Religious

Sometime I struggle with spirituality.  First let me put this out there for who those who may not know.  I was raised Southern Freewill Baptist.  I was forced to go to church by my parents.  Let's say they did not practice what they made me go hear bring preached. I had very little if any actual believe in Jesus or the Christian God by the time I was about 15 years old.  I spent the next 10 years without any real religious direction.  I then met someone who called herself a druid and I began a journey into Paganism.  Today some 30 years later, I am a Torchbearer for the Covenant of Hekate and consider myself a Devotee to the Goddess.  It wasn't a decision nor commitment I made lightly.  There was much discussion, research and contemplation.  I believe that deities were given specific traits to help a person feel protected or even championed in order to move forward in life.  Each deity had traits assigned such as the Goddess of the Hunt or the God of War to help humans fight daily battles both of the spiritual and the physical nature.

I wanted to put that primer in place so you know where I'm coming from when I say sometimes people, confuse me and herein lies the struggle. I am a moderator for several groups. I also participate in groups related to magic, witchcraft and sorcery. Recently I was taking part in a group where the discussion turned to questions around what happened when someone died, or the afterlife.  If you ask twenty people, (including Pagans) what is the afterlife, you'll get twenty different responses.  I was surprised however by the number of people who said they would spend all eternity with Hecate.  At first I was puzzled.  I am by no means a religious scholar.  I have read a great deal on Hecate (Hekate) from an assortment of sources.  At no point did I recall a story like the one being told in this group.  My understanding of Hecate as it relates to souls was a night-wandering goddess of the dead who led souls on their journey to their next space.

More and more in my chats with people online, I'm seeing mixing of what exactly the relationships are with gods and how we relate to them.  I'm seeing more people put a Christian spin on the afterlife. I'm seeing self-proclaimed Heathens hoping to die in a glorious battle so they can get access to Valhalla. I am seeing Christo-Pagans adding Jesus to their altars next to Bast and Shiva to be included in their monthly rites. It is pretty amazing to watch the doors in Pagansim swing in a wider path, yet in our public world Christianity seems to be taking a swing backwards to the point of denying rights to LGBT people in restaurants, bakeries and places that are clearly not religious institutions.

People who take stories that were intended to teach us something literally scare me.  We cannot look at these stories for anything other than what they really are.  I do not believe that a triple bodied deity walked the crossroads at night waiting for followers to leave food.  I do not believe the flood waters covered the earth killing every living thing because a deity got pissed off.

We are a people of imagination and inspiration.  We tell stories to teach lessons and to remind ourselves that we are not the only thing in the world that deserves respect.  We should honor out families when they deserve it.  We should honor our earth, because live here.  We should take care of our water because need it to survive.  We should help someone who is down on their luck because it is the right thing to do.  Right being human, not godly.

To be a spiritual person is so much more important than a religious person.  Dogma permeates our culture and our world from top to bottom. Where ever on this planet people gather, there are spirits and deities.  They are the wind that brings the seeds and the force that brings the thunder.  We know, with the modernization of studies and the advancement of science that it isn't a god that delivers our rain. But still, you've have someone blaming a hurricane or a tornado on god being pissed off because gay people can get married.

Learning that we do not need to do the right thing because some sky god may get made, but instead because it makes us feel good to help others seems to be extremely challenging for some people to accept.  I've been writing and rewriting this post for a while.  Each time I try to make a point and it seems it always comes back to one thing.   We can be wonderful spiritual beings who go out of our way to help each other or we can be religious hatemongers who use a book of stories written in antiquity to take the rights away from others.

I believe that for the most part we can be good to each other, but only if we lay down our religious dogma and pick up some true spirituality. Christians need to stop fighting with non-Christians, Muslim with non-Muslim, Jew with non-Jew.  We need to start taking care of the inhabitants of this planet while we still have Earthlings left.

Blessings
Sosanna

Source - Sosanna's Closet Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/sosannascloset
Photography by - Renee Sosanna Olson


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Bewitching a Witch - Casting Spells on Others

There are times in our lives when we all need a little boost of energy.  I know I do from time to time. Around the winter holidays I tend to get a little down and sometimes will post a request for others that may participate in that type of work to send a little boost my way.

The problem lies in when a witch takes it upon themselves to spell on another witch without permission.  It is never OK, in my opinion, to do magic on someone without their knowledge. That being said, I also have issues with any type of love spell or harm spell. I have enough to worry about in my life without being burdened with the return of energy from negative spell casting. My spells consist of prosperity, healing and mirroring.  I rarely do any type of binding spells either. Binding someone takes a great deal of energy.  This is something that should only be done if there is no other way to resolve a situation.

Now many look at my page and may think, your goddess is Hecate, Queen of the Witches, Mistress of Magic, Keyholder to the Crossroads, Guardian of the Underworld.  She is invoked when curses are made, how can you not do negative magic?  I didn't say I didn't do negative magic.  There may be a time when that type of magic may be called for, however for the most part I do not take part in that type of magic.

Casting spells on people without their permission is, in my opinion one of those things that get you kicked out of the "good witch's club".  Magic is a give and take of energy. Each energy sent out is returned back. When working spells, we need to be sure that we know exactly what we're working with. If I work a spell to reverse energies for a fellow witch, and they are working a spell to create a positive effect there is the chance that I could undo their magic.  Not to mention, it's just rude.

Recently a dear friend and fellow devotee of mine visited a temple and after asking permissions, said a prayer for me and had a statue blessed for me.  Just this week a package arrived in the mail.  My friend had sent me a statue of Kwan Yin, a deity related to compassion and mercy.  I was so moved by her gift.  When considering magical work for others be sure that your book and your words are in the right place.  Asking permission to do magic on a fellow witch is the right thing to do.


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Freedom FROM Religion


First I want to apologize for any misuse of names, words or phrases.  I am not a religious scholar and have not studied any of these religions.  My information comes simply from observation, what I've read in news stories and what I've experienced first hand. I ask that any misuse not be taken as offensive.  That is not my intent.

Over the last three days I have been really sick.  Hubby brought the flu bug home and I've been stuck coughing, sneezing and reading on the internet.  I try not to take a lot of medications so I've been fighting this thing with herbal tea, egg drop and chicken noodle soup.  Yesterday the news came across regarding an attack on Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine in Paris.  Paris has a large population of Muslims who believe that any depiction of Allah at all is blasphemy.  Drawings, that here in the United States and in other countries around the world, would be considered harmless are deemed worth of death by some.

Today in USA Today an editorial piece was posted stating that people knew what they were getting into when they poke fun at radical groups.  The article asserted that the magazine was aware of the feelings their work produced and in turn actually provoked the attack.  Taunting followers into retaliating against them and causing their own deaths.  Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League followed with a statement that said, "Muslims are right to be angry." and "Had Charbonnier not been so narcissistic, he may still be alive." reported by the Washington Post.

I sit and think about what does it mean to be killed for drawing a picture, showing a movie or writing a book?  While I understand that people get offended at some point we need to grow.  I fast forward to this afternoon when I'm moderating some posts in a group I belong to on Facebook. I look at the post and my head cocks sideways.  There is a post where someone is actually praising Hecate for getting out of a speeding ticket.  My first thought was Tim Tebow and his end zone prayers.  Hecate did no more for getting my groupie out of his speeding ticket than Jesus did for helping Tim with his touchdown.



Herein lies the reason we have shootings over someone drawing a picture of Mohammad's butt. People cannot separate fantasy from reality.  They cannot separate a myth that teaches us a story from factual events.  I believe that everyone should have the right to believe what they want to believe.

That being said, I also understand that at no point did a woman with the head of a bull, a horse and a snake walk the earth.  At no time did a Titan Goddess stand up next to Zeus and defeat the other Titans to defend Olympus. At no time did Helios see Persephone taken by Hades into the underworld and cause the beginning of winter.  These are stories to explain what we could not explain. Jesus is not the reason for the season, the tilt of the earth is. I adore Hecate.  I love to read the stories of her and follow how many different civilizations followed her.   I have two altars to her in my house and one outside my house.  I light candles and incense to her in a daily devotional.  I do this to remind me that I want to live my life to represent her virtues, not out of some fear that I must do it so that I don't get punished. I do it because I want to focus my energy on being a better person not because if I don't do it she will be angry with me.

So because I believe that Hecate never walked the earth does that make me an atheist? I don't know. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.  It doesn't change the fact that when I think about cleaning out my closets that I don't think about giving to others because of what I read about her. Or putting out my food for the restless dead that accompany her.

Religion was created to explain things we did not understand.
Organized religion was created to rule over people who did not understand.

Until we accept that there are others out there who are not like we are, and we can let them be who they are without the need to destroy them, we will always have those who feel they need to slaughter others in the name of their god.  Until we can stop hurting each what we really need is freedom FROM religion.


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Facing My Mortality & Drawing Down the Moon

Recently, I commented on a profile picture of some other well known Pagans in a discussion with a friend saying, I'm not sure why people feel they need to look a certain way. Why use a picture of yourself from a long time ago?  Are we that vain?

I then saw a share by the Militant Baker.  I love her.  She's amazing.  She talks about Body Love Project and how we need to relearn that our bodies are not our enemy.  I really enjoy her posts.  This isn't so much fat acceptance that everyone yells about, but more self acceptance.



Today, at work I was updating my profile and noticed that I hadn't changed my picture in a while.  A long while.  Almost 9 years as a matter of fact.I did a quick Snagit of my old work photo and my most recent photo and was really surprised at how much I've changed over the last nine years.  I remember then, I felt the same way I do today.


2014                                                 2005
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

I then went to my "Me" album on Facebook.  There are pictures of me with assorted hair colors and styles. Most are pictures that I remember being unhappy with who I was.  The ones that I am happy, I'm not thin.  I used to have a lot of problems with this.  I fell for the line that you have to be thin to be healthy.  Today I have no meds, no doctors, and I'm probably over 200 lbs again.  I say again because I've been up and down so many times I can't count.  I had my DNA tested earlier this year and when I saw the results I was rather surprised.  I had heard that some people are fat and its in their genes.  I laughed it off but there it was in black and white.  I have the DNA type that means I have to work our harder, do more intense exercises in order to keep weight off.

I've worked out so much that I was able to fit into a size 8 pair of pants and I was miserable.  Yesterday one of the most influential people in my life passed away.  Margot Adler, author and correspondent for NPR passed through the veil.  Margot's book, Drawing Down the Moon was my introduction into Paganism. It has actually been more painful for me that I had thought it would be.  It has made me realize, life is too short to be unhappy.
Life is too short to be worried about a number on a scale.  Be happy, be yourself and love yourself.  There are enough people on this planet who will put you down for being something.  People will hate you for being Christian, Atheist or Pagan.  People will say you're too fat, too short, too skinny or too ugly.  There is no reason one of those people talking down to you should be yourself.

Love yourself.  No matter how old.  No matter what size.  Just love yourself.

Tonight at 8:00 pm CDT Circle Sanctuary is remembering Margot Adler.  Take a moment to head over there and check out the broadcast.

Photo Credit - Circle Sanctuary Facebook


I appreciate the doors she opened for me.  Had it not been for her book, I'm not sure that I would have been the person I am today.

Blessings
Sosanna
)O(
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The Wages of Pagan Sin

Earlier this week I started writing a post about Pagan Sin.  Inspired by a post in a group I was in, I thought about contemplating what would a Pagan call sin?  How would one be a bad Pagan, and if they were a bad Pagan, would they have some sort of Hell they would go to?

This thought was furthered along by two things that I experienced yesterday.  First, there was a situation regarding the attack of someone who was claiming the title Pagan Elder online.  The second, was American Horror Story – Coven. 

For those that missed the excitement of the online shenanigans, I’ll spare you the gory details and just say that one witch was using another witch to attack a third and fourth witch and tragedy was averted by open dialog.   Something the current Pagan community desperately needs.  Instead of blocking people, chitter chatting behind people’s back and whispering veiled threats there should be more direct conversation, open community and frank honesty.  In this instance, we have one Pagan calling another Pagan “bad”.  They are being labeled as a blight on the community, someone who is not worthy of the place they hold in the community.  

While I understand that we have those that are indeed role models, people that do a service to the overall community; we also have to understand that we are not going to agree.  Some may see a spider as a necessary part of the ecosystem, others may see it as … EEEEEK KILL IT!   There’s no changing that.  We have to learn that even if we revile the spider, the spider will continue to be a spider.  We cannot expect the spider to suddenly say, “Oh shit, I’m not going to be spider any more.”  He has no choice but to be a spider.  Now I’m not saying that we should allow mass chaos.  The world needs level heads and understanding.  We need to be more concerned about our neighbor and less concerned about who is the “Bestest Witch”. 


Taking our incident from yesterday, let’s for arguments sake agree that a certain photo was faked.  Let’s also say that it was done intentionally and with malice and forethought.  I present you with this question.  Who cares?  What difference does that make in the grand scheme of things today?  How does it change anything?  Is the person who did that guilty of some great sin? 


Stay with me for a moment, fast forward from a photo from the 70’s and let’s turn on the TV and watch AHS-Coven episode – “Go to Hell”.  The characters Marie Laveau and Madame LaLaurie, who were immortal, were both killed and ended up in their own hell.  Understanding that this is fiction, I’m completely sure that showing that two obviously Pagan people were in hell is sort of an oxymoron.  Hell is a Christian concept.  It was created by those followers of Abrahamic religions, which would by definition exclude Voodoo and Wicca.  I’m using the term Wicca, very broadly here.  Now, as I am not a scholar in Voodoo, that isn't to say that followers may have some sort of punishment area or something of the sort.  What I am saying is that the term “Witch” is used with a pretty broad brush and for the most part, the majority of the people I know that claim that title do not believe in hell.

So what do they believe in?   What will happen to those people who harm others?  What will happen to those who use the craft to further their own personal vendettas against the world?  What about those who don’t follow the rule of three?  Will they continue to thrive while those that respect the earth and the world only just get by?  What about fooling the entire community? What about stealing the work of others?  What about spreading lies via blogs and backbiting?

Here’s my take on the whole thing.  The success of one does not equal the value.  Just because someone has a 100,000,000.00 home, or a fancy car doesn't make that person successful.  Your success, your failure is within you.  You are the one who determines your worth.  If you sit all day, grumbling and complaining that page X has more likes than you, or blogger X has more followers, you will continue to see that come to fruition.  You are sending that energy out in the world and it is coming back to you.  You have to accept that there are those who will benefit from being nasty.  There is no great cosmic parent who is going to come rain down fire and brimstone to defend you. Ever heard the adage ‘misery loves company’.  It’s sort of like that.  You keep talking negative, being negative, living negative and you will attract negative.  Regardless of your belief in the rule of three.

I believe, there is no judgment at the end.  There’s no hell or heaven.  We are the masters of our destiny.  We make our lives good or bad.  Live your life openly, honestly and stand by what you believe in. 

Ultimately, you are the judge, jury and executioner of your life.  You are the only one that you need to please.  Live your life to be who you are, even if you are a spider.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(


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Pagan Blog Project 2013 - Y is for Yourself

We've heard it a million times, “Be Yourself.” 

From Oscar Wilde:  “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
To Lady Gaga: “Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.”
Every person on the planet is different.  We are all individual.  Not in a “special snowflake” sort of way. In a way that says we are all different and it is OK to be different.  We find things that we can participate in to find others who are similar to us.  Religion is a perfect example of this.

If you celebrate Yule or worship Yahweh, you are very different, yet the same.  Though the religions practices behind each of these are very different.  The individuals have the same right to practice them.  They have the right to be who they are.  They have the right to practice their faith without fear of being harmed by others.  Our forefathers thought this right was so important that it was the first item in the Constitution.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


Now of course this doesn't mean that there isn't some issues.  Currently we have sitting government officials that would like to outlaw Islam.  There seems to be some sort of thought process in the minds of some religious people that in order for their religion to be right, everyone must accept it as the right one.  I'll use the extreme example of Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). 

Best known for protesting funerals, WBC makes no excused for their hard-line view of the bible and God.  They take the bible as the literal word of God whereas most other religions admit that the book was written by men and should be looked at in a more figuratively.  In WBC there is no room for anyone else to have free will or for anyone else to believe anything other than exactly what they believe.

Knowing that there is a church in Kansas that believes that it is OK to protest funerals, put t-shirts on little kids that say hateful things, does nothing to change my belief system.  The numerous churches nestled in my county of 557 square miles does not change what is safely tucked away in my heart and mind.  I’m quite OK.
Screenshot of Google Maps - red dots are churches



There are groups out there that feel they need to spread the word of God to all the earth.  Some could care less if I end up with eternal damnation.  For this, my friends, I feel truly blessed.  Evangelicals, for example believe that they need to get out and convert living person on the planet to Christianity.  From the remote indigenous tribes of the Amazon jungle to the witch down the street, no one is safe from the rhythmic bible thumbing of the Evangelical.  Often quoting the bible as a reason to do so.

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).

"Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

However they missed this verse.

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet” (Matthew 10:14).


Religion is one of the most argued topics in history.  For the most part, we cannot agree to disagree; so much so, that wars are still being fought today over religion.  Even within their own religious groups, it seems that there are those who are not allowed to simply be themselves.  The video below shows monks fighting in what each of them consider the holiest place on the planet; The Church of the Holy Sepulcher.



As I sat here writing this I had thought I would wrap up with how we should all be ourselves and allow others to be themselves.  But in my research to this point, it looks like there are just some people who cannot do that.  In fact, being themselves is actually to stop letting others be themselves.  So instead of me telling the world to live in peace and harmony, I’ll quote an article I found on Psychology Today.

Gretchen Rubin: “Be yourself, but keep your inner jerk in check.”

Blessings!
Sosanna
)O(


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Blessed Samhain/Beltane


Over the years I've learned that everyone will not agree.  This year is no exception.  Two of my favorite times of the year are Beltane and Samhain.  I love the fiery nature of the day and I love what they both represent.  One with its sexual passion and the other it’s ending the cycle of life by honoring those passed.
This is a fantastic time to clean out negativity in your life.  Open the door to new beginnings and try to let go of those things that are dragging you down.  It is time to start anew.


This year I’m working on releasing a few things and welcoming a few things.

I release the expectation that others understand me.
I release the desire to explain myself to others.
I release the need to please others.
I welcome new friends.
I welcome new opportunities.
I welcome new understanding.

As we look around the world today it is full of people who would rather toss us up on the proverbial stake as opposed to getting to know us, even in the smallest way.  We don’t need to spend our days destroying each other.  I’m saying that we ignore bad behavior or give a pass to those who are attacking others.  What I am saying it before you jump, stop and breathe.  Look at the evidence.  If you’re wrong, say you’re wrong and don’t follow that apology with the word “but”.

I wish each one of you a very blessed day, I’ll be honoring those in my life that have moved on and ask that Hecate with her fiery torches light the way for their journey. 

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Ancestor Altar 2013
-


I wish all health, prosperity and wisdom.

 Blessings
Sosanna

)O(
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Pagan Blog Project 2013 - V is for Views

Everyone one has a different point of view.  Over the past few weeks I've noticed that when people express those views inevitably someone is called a bully.

When one person takes a stand and questions why others are not in the same physical shape, she’s labeled as fat shaming.  When a fat-activist responds to her post with a similar post she’s tagged with thin shaming.  When someone shares a photo of a grocery cart full of garbage food she’s tagged as food shaming.

Pagans are notoriously known as being accepting people.  A quick search on Google finds that generally speaking most Pagans are pretty accepting of most people.  Gays, lesbians, male, female, most follow perfect love and perfect trust motto.  They live and let live.  For the most part.

That’s not to say there are not folks with their questionable views.  There are pagans who are racist.  There are pagans who are sexist.  Just as there are Christians, Muslims and all religions for that matter, who fall into these categories.  Each having their own view and believing they are correct.

Earlier this week a car pulled into our driveway here at the farm and two ladies stepped out.  I was standing at the door and hubby walked over to the fence where our dogs were doing mad.  The lady reached out towards my hubby and started to talk about Jesus.

As I watched my hubby shake his head side to side to indicate that we’re not really interested in what she’s selling.  I felt angry.  I felt attacked.  How dare this woman come into my driveway, on my property and automatically assume that I needed her to tell me about her God.

I agreed with his statement by shaking my head in the negative and they both got back in the car and left.  After they drove away hubby and I chatted a bit about the situation.  I asked him how he felt about them coming to our house.
 
From his view, an atheist, he felt they were arrogant and rude.  They didn't know who we were.  They didn't know what we believed and yet they felt that they had to come to our property and push their views on us.
Then I thought about their view.  What was their view exactly?  What did they think they were doing?  I’m sure neither of these ladies thought they were trespassing.  I’m sure neither of them thought that they were offending us.  Does that make them bullies? 

I try to treat others how I want to be treated. I try to be honest, work hard and do the right thing.  I don’t steal, or take credit for other people’s work.  I try to make quality products in my shop and charge a fair price.  I try to help other earthlings, be they two legged or more.

I believe that we should take the time to remember that even though I felt angry because they were on my property.  I have to remember the intent.  I have to remember that they were not really trying to attack me.  In their minds they were trying to save my soul.  We have people in this world that do intend to do harm.  They do intend to be hateful nasty people.  I don’t think that posting a photo of yourself online and challenging others to work out, or answering that challenge with a rebuttal of your own is in anyway hateful. 
People need to learn to agree to disagree.  Understand that not everyone has your views.  Some of those views will be different from your own, be it Pagan view or a Christian view.  We need to understand that no matter what our views are, inside of us we are all the same people.  We bleed the same.  We breathe the same. 

I’m reminded of Namaste.  Namaste is a greeting, it is like saying good day, or I bow to you.  There is the belief that there is a divine spark located within each of us.  That spark is said to dwell in the hear chakra. 

Gandhi defined it as the following:
"I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the place in you of light, love, truth, peace and wisdom. I honor the place in you where, when you are in that place, and I am in that place, there is only one of us."

Blessings
Sosanna

)O(
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Pagan Blog Project 2013 - S is for Spells

A spell is defined as set of words, either written or spoken. For most of us, spells are very personal things.  We sit down with our books and being to jot down the words one at a time.  We look up correspondences to ensure that we’re calling on the correct planet or herb. 

Photo Credit  - Renee Sosanna Olson


Being a proper witch means casting spells in a proper manner.  This is something that really scares new people coming into the practice.  With wonderful authors out there creating their own spells ready for easy download or copy, it’s often very tempting for the new witch to just copy a spell and use it as their own.  When you’re working at home as a solitary using someone else’s spell may be just fine.  Using them in a ritual that is.  When sharing the work however, always cite your sources. 

I've spent a great deal of time over the last few weeks looking at different webpages and I wonder why people don’t just write their own spells.  Chants and rituals at times are repeated.  For example, I participate in the Rite of Her Sacred Fires each year.  We have set invocation that we do and for this I download the direct steps and complete it.  But the rest of the time, my spell work is my own.

The steps for writing a good spell are really very very simple. 
  • 1.       What is the purpose of your spell?
  • 2.       How will you cast your spell?


That’s it!
I know it sounds very simple.  But that’s really all there is to it.  What is the purpose of your spell?  If you identify your purpose of your spell you can then decide if this is something that requires ingredients or just the written word.  How will you cast the spell?  This will help you understand if you need music, chants or more. 
For many out there who follow the Wiccan Rede, there’s a verse in there that leads directly to spell casting:

"To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be spoke in rhyme"

This can be challenging to new witches.  Keep in mind, no one is judging you on this.  The goddess isn’t going to come down and scold you if your words don’t rhyme correctly.  Have fun with it.  Make it your own.  If it’s a serious subject, lead with your heart.  The intent is what counts.  As an exercise for yourself take a few moments each morning and just write a few lines.  I've been posting these as status messages on Facebook.  I’ll share a few here.




Betrayal destroys a heart once true,
Taking away the love within.
Curses coming from out of the blue
Turning a saint to sin.
9-10-2013


Ego can be a monster,
If allowed to grow.
Self-esteem is a fresh green field never needing a mow.
Manage the two, with strength and grace.
Those who judge you, have no horse in the race.
9-10-2013


It’s best not to put others on mountains high.
Judge for yourself what is right or wrong.
It only leads to a hearts long sigh,
When witnessing the fallen's swan song.
9-9-2013



Time moves through us
As we through time
Opening and closing doors
Allowing us to sparkle and shine.
9-5-2013

Through sleepy eyes I look at the world in awe
My heart, open and my mind steady.
I open my window and absorb the dawn
I look to the future at the ready.  
09-04-2013


As you spend more time working on the cadence of the lines, you’ll lead more into the chants and spells.  Sometimes a chant is only one word, sometimes a spell can be a hundred words.  Just take your time and remember to speak from the heart.  All the rest is just pomp and circumstance.
Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna

)O(
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Pagan Blog Project 2013 - R is for Rede


Rede is defined as counsel and advice.  So when we look at something such as the Wiccan Rede, it makes sense that is would be advice or counsel as it relates to Wiccans. (Wikipedia)
There is a full version and the short version being,

“These Eight words the Rede fulfill: “An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will”

Many people in the pagan community following this phrase and the full version of the Rede as the “law”, in that they take it that no harm should ever be done for any reason.  On the other hand, there are those that believe as we discussed in a previous post, “A witch that cannot hex cannot heal.”

For me, as a solitary and a Hecatean, I do not hold the Rede as law.  To me, my Rede would be a single word.  Justice.  To me, in order for there to be happiness, love, understanding and any other harmony in the world, be it magical or mundane, there needs to be Justice.
I've been interested in justice for many many years.  As a child I felt I was not heard, and I was hurt by those in power.  As a young mother, I felt as though my power was taken and no one was there to fight for me.  As a woman, I've felt that my place in this world was always set upon that gender. 

To me justice is very different than revenge.  As a young student in a paralegal program I quickly learned that there are indeed, many people in prison that are innocent.  I learned that things like the death penalty are not really justice.  They serve as no deterrent and no real way to provide justice to the family.  
  
I've spent my life since, doing what I can to do the right thing and to work to see that justice is served.  I've been accused of creating drama, and bringing in negative energy on some of my fights.  At times I feel like I’m jousting at windmills in some of these battles.  But I believe, that in the end you must stand by what you believe in.  You must stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. 

To me, that’s what it means to have a Rede, or a law if you will.  More directly I believe that the Wiccan Rede and my personal Rede is personal law.  Something an individual signs up for and holds themselves accountable for.  

I believe, that what you send out comes back to you.  With Hecate as my Goddess, I invoke her often to help me see what is unseen and to dispense justice.  What I send out, I am not afraid to have come back to me.  If you say what you mean, and tell the truth, generally you have nothing to hide.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(


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Pagan Blog Project 2013 - P is for Pagan

Pagan /ˈpāgən/

A person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions. The origin of the word is said to be Pagus, Latin for country dweller.  Some say that gentile, idolater and health are synonyms.  Basically a pagan is someone whose religious views are other than Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Pretty simple when you think about it. No matter how you slice and dice the religions, anything outside those three religions would fall under the pagan umbrella.  Much like how anything outside of a Catholic, would be considered a Protestant.

When one country conquers another country many of the customs of the old country are melded into the customs of the new and a new custom is created.  For example if we look at the yearly calendar for example there is clear evidence of this.  Many holidays have transitioned into something much different than the original. 

We can take the American holiday Halloween for example.  Halloween is based on a melding of several different days.  Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival celebrated to prepare for the winter and honor the dead.  Being a fire festival common traditions included bonfires.  Some believed that on this night the veil was the thinnest between the living and the dead and would leave treats out for the dead to find.  Others would carve turnips into frightening faces to keep watch over their homes.  This laid the foundation for our modern Halloween traditions, including trick or treating, wearing masks and of course the dear jack-o-lantern. Other holidays such as Christmas, Easter and even Groundhog day have Pagan DNA. 

I believe the same thing happens with religion.  

I’ve been a party to several group discussion around Pagans who follow Jesus.  I read over and over again how they include Jesus as part of their God/dess collection and consider themselves to be Christians.  This always confuses me.  I can only compare it with my own belief structure.


1.       I am a Pagan because I do not follow one of the three world religions.
2.       I am a Witch because I cast spells and practice candle magic.
3.       I am not Wiccan because I have not been initiated into an order.
4.       I am Hecatean because I follow Hecate.


Now, looking at those statements I can validate each.  When someone says they are Christian these are what I see.

1.       They am Christian because I believe that Jesus is the son of the God of Abraham, the one true God.
2.       They believe that Jesus is the Messiah.
3.       They believe that Jesus died on the cross and arose 3 days later.
4.       They have accepted that I am a sinner and that I can only be saved by believing 1-3.


Ok, see where I get confused?  A pagan by definition is a follower of something other than the three world religions.  A Christian can only believe that the God of Abrahman is the one true God.  You can’t really say I’m a Christian who also follows Bast.  Well, let me rephrase, you certainly can say whatever you’d like to say, but based on what the ‘rules’ for Christianity are, you’re not.
I did do a bit of generalizations on the “What I believe a Christian is” because each group has different requirements.  There are different paths in Christianity.  Catholics believe that a person must get Last Rites before they die.  Some believe that if you’re not baptized you are not a Christian.  So I guess technically one could argue that in their particular “pagan” path Jesus is the son of God and they have other Gods or Goddesses as well.

Personally I believe its fine to have or not have a religion.  A person may be able to embrace what a particular God or Goddess stands for without having to believe that they were an actual being.  To me I believe that we are all energy and when we finally get it right, we can all join together in that pool and be at peace.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna

)O(
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