The Course of My Studies Part One
“At the very dawn of religion, God was a woman. Do you remember?” – From: When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone, 1931 – 2011
Like many Pagans, Merlin Stone’s book was amongst the first I found. Interestingly, I find that many Pagans my age or younger have, in fact, not read this book; as well as others like it such as “The Wise Wound” for an example. I was not like many of my generation’s young Pagans in that my very first book on Paganism did not come from the hand of Silver Ravenwolf.
This is a blog post I have been considering writing for a little while now. I was also considering reading it for the podcast, but I worry it might be boring to listen to. So, in honour of the memory of such persons as Merlin Stone, here goes …
My first literary foray into Magick, Witchcraft and Paganism came from fairy tales of course; Jack and the Bean Stalk, Disney, Mom reading ‘The Hobbit” to us. Like many children I played witches brew with mud and crud in the back yard, tapped stones with my sparkly cheerleading baton to wake the fairies, pretended I… Continue reading
Valentine’s Day Link Love
While Bren and I go to a book sale and drink some wine for Valentine’s Day (and pretend we don’t have a podcast episode waiting to be finished) here is a list of awesome articles and blog posts worthy of being read:
The Curious Case of American Land Spirits
The question is, can those of us of European descent summon, honor, call, and treat with American land spirits?
Thinking Shall Replace Killing: A Short Look at a Pagan Model of Ethics
At the most basic level, it matters that you are the kind of person who resolves problems with force of thought and feeling instead of with the force of arms.
Hellhound on My Trail
Celtic and European legends are filled with the sounds of the Wild Hunt, the hounds traveling across the night sky: Arawn, Celtic god of the underworld, has a pack of white hounds with blood-red ears; Lugh has a magical hound, as does the family of Harelquin, the Oskerei, Gandreidh, and Herne and his brutal band of wild men. Sometimes it’s called the “Furious Host.”
The Trouble With Bright Girls
For women, ability doesn’t always lead to confidence. Here’s why.
Roman Statues Trace Back to Troubled… Continue reading
Chop Wood, Carry Water
It’s amazing how the mind (and the rest of ourselves) falls into routines and patterns and learns to prefer certain methods over others. I am truly a creature of habit.
The majority of my adult life has been spent living on acreages of one sort or another, having access to large tracks of land, privacy and all that comes with it. As such my most effective methods for inducing trance states, (and any or all altered states of consciousness) which would be the step towards Crossing or full on ecstatic work, are built around a rural life. Or at the very least, having a yard or garden.
I am a repetitive motion Witch. Raking leaves, shovelling manure or snow, washing the floor, chopping firewood, pulling weeds, and other similar tasks have been my main methods of entering into trance states for much of my time as a Witch. I can quite easily gradually slip deeper and deeper into an altered state as I dig rocks out of the earth with my hoe until the task is completed and then leaving my tool in the shed, wander off to a pre-prepared ritual spot waiting for my arrival.
This style of trancing… Continue reading
Mastery
There is no such thing as an expert Witch.
There is no mastery of the Craft.
The more you learn, the more you see that one mortal Witch can know nothing compared to all there is in this many layered and multi levelled universe.
There is no need to achieve perfection. In fact if there be any sin in Witchcraft it would be just that. For it is impossible.
One should always be learning, experimenting, adjusting and making the appropriate corrections.
We should always be striving to do better, reach higher and go further. However: You never stop.
There will never be a time where you say; “I can learn no more, I can do no better. I have achieved all there is to achieve. I have reached the highest height.”
There is no such thing as an expert Witch.
There is no mastery of the Craft.
One should never claim to be such, never assume that another is such. Nor should one ever accuse another of being such in any manner, but certainly not as an act of spite or nastiness.
In fact such words as expert, guru, master and so forth should not be in our vocabulary at… Continue reading
To Fly By Night
Hoofprints in the Wildwood
Recent Comments