To Be Alone and Useless
One of the biggest parts of my Path and practice has been that of a solitary. By that I don’t mean not being a member of a coven. I mean isolation and loneliness. Feeling cut off or different from everyone else. Not having someone with shared and similar experiences to talk to, let alone practice with.
I do have a few friends here in Ottawa (and other places) who have done some Hedgecrossing. But they have only begun to walk those roads, or have crossed only a handful of times. I have yet to meet another spirit worker, ancestor worshipper, Hedgewalker … like me. I know that they are out there. I see them on documentaries about shamans, I read their books, I read their blogs, and I listen to their podcasts. But face to face conversation, no.
Certainly I’ve met plenty of people who seem to think they know what they are doing. Or who do Hedgecrossing and spirit work. But their Path is still very different. No Tricksters, no dealing with the Dead. Their version of the Stag God is one of grapes and fun and sex. Not raw rutting danger, running blood and rotting flesh.… Continue reading
Beltaine 2011
My ritual group is meeting for Beltaine on Wednesday but for the actual day of I was lucky enough to have the day off. Yay! So I slept in and took care of the pets, hopped in the shower and all that good stuff. Then I headed off to Lissa’s place, passing by garage sales on my way. I am proud to say I bought nothing at said garage sales. Lis and I picked up some subs (for picnic purposes) and headed off to the arboretum park here in Ottawa (arboretum park = tree park).
We wandered aimlessly around the park, reading the plaques that told us which tree was what, and trying our best to guess correctly what we were looking at.
The English oaks are always impressive, its easy to stand under one such and imagine why the Druids like to practice in groves of them.
I adore the kind of trees who droop and thus, once they are big enough, create a kind of shelter out of their own limbs. Especially the evergreens.
A wind storm had come through Ottawa a couple of days before and so there were branches laying about the park.… Continue reading
The Hollow Bone is an Asshole
I honestly once had someone tell me quote “I don’t create drama, I serve.” in response to my calling her out for bully and drama creating behaviour.
As if being a servant of her god gives her the right to bully, troll, humiliate and create drama. Which god is going to exempt you from being a decent human being? Does she serve the god of assholes? I really doubt her god was commanding her to troll Facebook.
Just because you are god owned (or a hollow bone or a godslave or whatever you wish to call it) does not mean that everything you do is in their service. Nor does it mean you get a free pass on your words and behaviour.
I don’t justify myself by claiming god slave status.
If I mess up and be a bitch and get called on it, I own it, either by apologizing or being a bigger bitch, depending on the situation. But I don’t lay the blame at the feet of Cernunnos. He’d tear my friggin’ head off for that shit.
Of the gods that I have encountered personally, I cannot think of one who would tolerate their servant being an asshat… Continue reading
Political Pagans
Recently over at No Unsacred Ground one of my fellow columnists Howling Hill spoke of the lack of Pagans involved in the environmental movement.
A while back I butted heads with Cat Chaplin Bishop after she made a statement that she felt Pagans ought be environmentally friendly, feminist, politically left wing and so forth.
I was part of a panel discussion for a podcast the other day (Pagan Pathfinders Podcast, the episode is still in the editing process) Diana Paxton lamented that Pagans are uncomfortable getting involved in politics. The Canadians on the panel immediately spoke up: “that’s not a problem here!” I think the lady was a little take aback.
(The above are just a few examples)
Having lived and travelled a fair bit I must say that one’s experience with non-political and un-environmentally friendly Pagans is going to differ depending on where one is.
Tangent:
Having lived in the USA I can try to not be insulted here. Not because people wish Pagans were more political, but because what they are really saying is that they wish USA Pagans were more political. Like I said, I’ve lived in the States, so I… Continue reading
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