"Between Life and Spirit |
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Herbal Tea for the Pagan Spirit |
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Wiccan Seminars presented at Borders Bookstores, Montclair, CA (w/booklets) Throughout 1999 and 2000 Classes Taught (all include booklets): |
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Web Design and Community Service: The Pagan Culture Center Celtic Wellspring Inland Empire Pagan Pride (2001, 2002, 2003) Hemet Interfaith Council COG, TLC Inland Empire |
Crystal Avalon (no longer in business) |
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Drum Circles Church of Religious Science Crystal Avalon Spiritual Elements |
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Music Zeora Sage and the Soulshakers |
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Services | ![]() ![]() |
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Articles Published |
PagaNet News Article published, Imbolc 1999 issue "Witch Wars" - Under my then pen name, Myrddann (Dragonsoul) An Essay in Pagan Differences <READ> |
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Witches' Voice Article published, Aug. 22, 1999 "Who's The Boss? - Under my then pen name, Myrddann Is Wicca a Females Only Club? <READ> |
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More Articles |
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(Published on the internet and other mediums) |
Is
There Spirituality in Modern Paganism?
Or is it just Fluff? Dogma.
That word is associated with many of the mainstream religions, to
follow a set of rules governed by an ‘Almighty’ or one must face
eternal damnation. This
tenant and its followers has been used to oppress many women, men and
cultures alike. Karma.
The knowledge that whatever goes around comes around.
Or better yet, known
in the Wiccan community as the three-fold law.
Whatever energy is sent out will return to the sender three-fold.
The
Wiccan Rede
- “An it harm none, do as thou wilt”
What does that mean?
‘Do whatever you want so long as you aren’t hurting
anyone?’ In some cases
and to some individuals…yes. This
tenant is taken to a literal sense by those who wish to celebrate the
lack of dogma in the Pagan faith. Additionally,
there are those that refuse to even validate the ethics of the
three-fold law or karma. In
the Pagan faiths, there are no actual ‘rules’ or guidelines on how
to be or act morally. Webster’s
Dictionary defines moral as; relating
to, dealing with, or capable of making the distinction between right and
wrong conduct; ethics, sometimes in sexual behavior. Because
there are no actual written ‘commandments’ or rule books on moral
behavior, many find an attraction in the free spiritedness of Paganism.
However, there is a general understanding of how an individual or group
of individuals should conduct themselves.
Specifically, most of us agree that murder, rape or other violent
acts are wrong. Where does
this fall into the Pagan community?
As Wiccans, we respect life in all its aspects - from the blade
of grass to human existence. There
are some that regard human life as merely a consequence, and the very
thought of betrayal means death. Some
‘traditional’ Pagans believe that secrets within a coven or family
are to be kept and not shared. To
do so means the expiration of the individual who has divulged those very
secrets. Many
Pagan faiths hold sex as sacred. Additionally,
sex in any form is viewed as acceptable, and as part of the idea behind
the nature-based religions, it is an integral part of the union between
God and Goddess and the continual cycle of fertility, birth, life and
death. Sex in itself is not ‘dirty’ or wrong.
Sex between two consenting adults or couples can be fulfilling,
satisfying and pleasurable. But
sex for mere entertainment is not sacred, just passing the time. Intimacy between individuals is spiritual in as much as
sexual. But some use the
openness of sexuality as something that is a simple lifestyle, like eating three meals a day, instead of a sacred, special
act between loving adults. I
give here an example. A
High Priestess of a circle (not a coven) after ritual, explained to the
others that the next full moon would be mandatory
skyclad. Additionally, she
went on to say that the Ostara celebration would consist of
‘drunkenness and debauchery’ - or more literally ‘anything
goes’. After the stunned
looks of those around her began to fade, disgust and antipathy took
over. Most of the people
there knew this woman’s want for sexual activity, and merely saw this
as her way of fulfilling her needs. Is
this morally wrong? Let me
put it another way. Would
this make you feel uncomfortable? Some
of you might actually look forward to this type of activity.
Most wouldn’t. Out
of the twenty or so people that were there that evening, not one person
had any interest in participating in any
of those activities. Was
this because of a moral issue? Or was it merely a personal preference?
Ok,
one more example. A major
Pagan organization gathered for it’s annual meeting and public ritual. Of one of the three day long events, a ‘dance night’ was
one. Before this event, the
president gave specific instructions to use one’s own judgment on
behavior since the events were conducted exclusively in a major hotel
ballroom. The
dance took place with only one problem - one of the attendees waltzed
through the hotel in lingerie to get to the ballroom.
Needless to say there was a complaint and another request for
common sense was passed on to the others.
During the dance, it seemed many were pretty much ‘doing as
they will’. There were
men dressed in nothing more than stockings and G-strings, and women who
barely wore little much else. Now,
the issue if nudity during ritual has always been understood and an
accepted as a normal practice. Yet
this was merely a dance party, not a ritual, and again, a way to let
loose and act in any manner the individuals saw fit. Let
me just pause a moment and clarify something.
As for what people wish to do privately or in groups is really
none of anyone’s business - so long as others that are involved are
comfortable with it. For me
personally, I could care less. The friends in all these situations that
accompanied me to these events were not comfortable.
Additionally, the thought was ‘what does this have to do with
spirituality?’. Does spirituality involve moral standards or not?
What, if any, does spirituality mean to individuals who practice
a literal sense of ‘do what thou will’ with little to no regard of
what others may think or how they might be effected. When
one’s personal taste, rights
or lifestyle intrudes on another and makes others uncomfortable or is
offensive, not only is that person or group violating the rede, they are
violating that person’s rights as a human being and a child
of the gods. Simply put, should one practice an open and free from care
lifestyle under the guise of their religion?
Or should that person leave their lifestyle private and the
religious interaction separate? Pagans have become a bigger topic all over the newspapers and television. The general population is watching us…what kind of picture do we want to paint for them about Pagans?
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Is
There Spirituality in Modern Paganism?
Or is it all Fluff?
Part IV Or
do we? There
are many faiths that retain creationism as part of their beliefs. Pagans are no different.
The one thing that separates us from mainstream religions is the
polarity of the divine. Most
Pagans see the divine universe as male and female - God and Goddess. Some see the universe as many separate gods and goddesses.
But are there actual beings that serve as deity?
Or are we making this up as we go along? Some
believe that if a deity exists, then we have created it from our own
energies and the energies of the universe.
In this case, especially after two-thousand years of enforcement,
then the devil himself may actually be a real being. One of our
presidents said it best, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.”
This lends itself to the argument, doesn’t it ?
If you have anxiety over falling off a cliff, then you could very
well make yourself careless and falling can become a reality. Also…ever heard the phrase…”be careful what you wish
for…”? It
can be the same with gods and goddesses.
If you fear reprimand from a higher source, then it will come to
pass because your emotions and thoughts are so focused on the problem at
hand, that it becomes easier for a spiritual influence to influence the
outcome, in addition to your own will. Does
this mean that we have the will and power to “create” the gods? I don’t believe so. In
fact, I believe that even though we can control certain aspects of our
daily lives and environment, the gods have the ultimate control in fate,
justice, life, death and rebirth. Granted
we can take life ourselves, but that is not the same context as what the
gods’ part in death means. It
is for the purpose of rebirth of the soul, whereas humans that take the
life of another have no regard for the victim’s well-being. Are
the gods creators of the known universe?
Did the gods have anything to do with evolution? Hmmmm….. (time
to get out the aspirin!) What
I believe, and a few others I have met, is that here is a “Great
Spirit”, or “One” that encompasses everything we see, hear and
touch which includes ourselves. The
divine spark is in each and every one of us and everything.
And it follows logically that there too is a divine influence in
creation. The Universe
continues to expand because it too is learning and growing from us.
The seed of life was born of the divine, in whichever form you
wish to think. From this
sprang the evolutionary forces
that became what you are used to seeing today. From
this beginning, the Great Spirit became aware of Itself and the male and
female aspects were born. From
them, the Lord and Lady, life too became polarized and flourished.
There is in most situations, life and death, rebirth and life,
dark and light, “good” and “evil”, day and night….male and
female. Look
around you. Where does this
fit in? It takes two
polarized forms to create a new life, or single entity.
What of the plants, you say?
It takes the seed from the plant to bury itself deep in the womb
of Mother Earth to become a new life.
It takes the ever-working honey bee to pollinate the flowers and
help “fertilize” the seed. Even the stones that decorate the face of
Mother Earth were once a part of Her.
They could even be referred to as Her children! When
we search for our spirituality, we are touching a part of ourselves that
is as old as the Universe. When
we ask of the divine for assistance, we are asking ourselves to reach
out and touch our will - the spark, to receive our answers.
In spellwork or prayer, we open the channels to the energies that
already exist within us. This
is a part of who we are, who the Great Spirit is.
Memories of past lives, or deja-vu haunts us because we carry the
cells and knowledge of our ancestors and their ancestors which harken to
the very beginning. Yes,
we can create gods….only
because it is a part of the greater All.
But the aspects of the All have always been there. The gods of
the ancients who were already ancient were born of necessity, not
thoughts. The renewal of the ancient ways has merely awakened what
already was. In this way, I
guess we have “re-created” them through our own will…and love.
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