Slow Down

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is to full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn't make any sense.
Rumi

What great poetry. There is a message in it.

If we stop blaming one another, if we stop and listen to Gaia. Then what she needs will become clear. This is the first step to transformation.. to peace and regeneration..

Blessed Be!!
I

Wazzup!!

Yea it's been a while since I posted. Figures. I start writing in my journal again and neglect my blogging responsibilities :)

Latest news!! No news really. Pretty much same ol same ol. Though I have been enjoying winter. I have a few more months before it turns off hot here.

I've started reading "Under the Dome" one of Stephen Kings latest books. I had pretty much sworn off of reading him after the final "dark tower" book came out. Was very disappointed at the conclusion after nearly 30 years waiting.. But since he was my favorite author, I figure I'd give him another shot.

I'm about 1/4 way into the book and I see a lot of the old SK style I grew to love. It's a huge tome, little over 1000 pages!!

Had a very interesting Pagan dream the other night.. But I'll save that for another post.

Point of View

It seems to me that most people (myself included) view their life or place in the world through one of two points of view.

1) everyone is basically good and we should work with one another to help one another.. to better not only ourself but our brothers and sisters and our environment.

2) Everyone is out for themselves, out to better only themselves, to screw anyone and everyone over in the process. That the world is screwed, we might as well only worry about ourself because in the end that's all that matters.

Of course these are the two extremes of the spectrum, most of us likely fall somewhere in between.

but where do these Point's of view (POV) come from? Are they cultural, are they formed through experience? Maybe more important, can we change our point of view? If so how?

Please keep in mind I am not a psychologist, sociologist, or any other "specialist" nor do I play one on TV..


In my experience the negative POV seems to be based in the masculine. No doubt it has always existed to some extent. I believe that the industrial revolution and the advent of capitalism exacerbated it. This follows the logic that industry, has always been owned and controlled by men..
The men in power want to keep that power so they tend to promote individualism instead of community. This breeds greed and paranoia. and thus the cycle continues.

This sells so well because it is always backed with visions of indentured servitude, reliance on government, etc..

It puts forth the idea that "why be tied or indebted to someone for something, when you can be a free individual?"

But what it leaves out is that by "being free" we are losing our ability to be self-reliant. What happens when that 100k job dries up and no jobs are available? How do you eat? how do you barter for needed items if you don't have trusting relationships with your neighbors and community?


I associate the positive POV to the feminine. Women have (IMHO) always been the voice of reason. Typically thinking in terms of what best for all
involved. From cooking a nourishing meal for the family to teaching others a valuable skill, to trying to make sure that communications in the family and community stay viable and civil.

This is why you hear that women are the "weaker" sex. But I disagree. I say the Wiser and Stronger sex.

Obviously these area generalizations and no doubt I'll catch flack from some of my readers.

The point I'm trying to make is that we need to reverse these negative thought patterns and turn them strongly to the the feminine side, if we hope to survive.

Someone is bound to say "We need balance, not to much of one or the other". Agreed, BUT At this point in time the masculine is so ingrained and so dominate that only a strong feminine mindset can bring us back into balance..


We've now dealt with the cultural aspect of POV so lets look at "experience based"

Speaking from my own experiences, it seems that in our current culture things are much easier to get done if we take the masculine (dominate) stance. "This is what I want.. I'll do whatever it takes to get it.. screw everything and everyone who gets in my way". Forcefulness works for a lot of things... But it leaves the forced ambivalent and the forcer less human (and one would hope, remorseful).

On the other side, if we try the same task from a feminine POV, it may take longer to get things done (people in a male centric society tend to downplay the importance of anything they see as feminine), but will be better for both the person seeking something and the one(s) responsible for implementing the change. And likely for the peoples the change will affect.

The problem with this model is the person using it often burns out because they are often brushed off as ineffective. But I feel it is worth the effort and is really the only viable option.

So how do we bring about the paradigm shift? There is no easy answer.. I believe that to affect change in others, one must first acknowledge their own issues. That's not to say we must be perfect before we can be part of a greater good. It just means we need to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses as we work with others.

Try to see things from their POV. Don't throw stones; be a compassionate ear. Don't just extend these values to your friends but to everyone and everything.

Now my confession!!

I tend to view life from a negative prospective, while I know that is destructive, it is also a habit that is hard to break.

It's easy enough for me to get into the positive mindset in a ecstatic environment
such as a ritual or witch camp space, but to bring that energy into the muggle world is another matter entirely. That's what I strive for.

I am tired of being angry and feeling like I'm out of control when it comes to life. I don't have any wisdom to impart on how to overcome this but I do have some Ideas I'm going to implement that will hopefully help.

Here's what I'm going to try this year:

find out how to get into my creative state and write some poetry.

re-learn to read and play music.

try and be less critical to myself, but especially of others.

journal daily.. to vent frustrations of the day

blog more regularly. I'm hoping by journaling I can take some of the past negativity out of the blog and get it back on track with pagan content.

I'd like to also start a daily practice. Though I'm not sure yet what that means. Perhaps just spending a few minutes free writing out in nature.

I'm at a point with pagan practice that I don't really want to read about it.. I want to do it. But more than just for a week a year at camp. I want to live it.

Books are good but they can only take you so far; They'll always be there as a resource.

As always, I welcome thoughts and comments.

So what are your resolutions for the new year?


Blessed Be

Untitled

To me this is what christmas is about. Not so much the religious message but the overall message.

It's not about consumerism. It's about giving.. At least thats my take.

And heres another one for Yule.. The longest night of the year (which is the 21st this year).

Midterm Elections

Sigh!! Well I've waited this two weeks, since election day, to post my thoughts on the situation. Thinking perhaps time would lessen my anger. Alast it is not so. Time to vent my fury and put my heart at some bit of ease.

We (Democrats) lost the congress; and with it, much hope for a brighter future I'm afraid.

It appears that the pubic is tired of waiting for Obama's change. What they forget is that he has inherited Bush's mess.. but let's be fair, truly he has inherited the mess this country has been in since the early 70's.

To put things in a bit more prospective lets look at some "for instance" shall we?

We've know, at least since the 70's about global warming and peak oil but, as is the conservatives way, we wait to fix the problem until it gets so bad we can no longer tolerate it.. or we flat out deny it exist..

Now people are whining about how it's going to cost more to buy cars, food, pay taxes, etc.. WELL DUH!! If we had only decided to start paying on this when we first learned about it, we wouldn't be in near the fix we are now. It's always going to cost more to fix a problem than to run preventative measures to start with.

Obama had a plan on paying off this large debt over the next 10 or so years, without raising taxes.. But now people are whining about how "our kids" are going to be indebted blah blah blah. We'll now that is likely the case. The GOP is certainly going to do everything in it's power to block any of Obama's plans.

GOP = Greedy Ol' Pigs

The sad thing is, I don't see a way out of it as things now stand. I'm still overwhelmed that a lot of the people who voted for him are now voting against him, and right at the time when he is bringing the change promised. Is it taking longer than expected? Yes.. But the truth is he has done more for this country than any president in recent history.. You can't fix in 2 years (or for that matter 2 terms) what's taken decades to destroy.

And the health care issues... don't even get me started. Obama Care isn't the single payer health care I had hoped for, however, it is a lot better than anything we've had before. Of course, That will likely be the first or second thing the republicans overturn.

Canada looks better every day..

Yes We Can... But will we! Will people ever wake up the these facts.. Or keep on believing that the GOP is the "working class party".

I guess if ignorance is bliss, the general public must be orgasmic.

What does it mean to be Pagan/Wiccan?

Well,
It seems some of my friend/family found my facebook page and are wondering what this thing called paganism/wiccan is.. So I figure why not try to explain.. At least my take on it.

You can think of paganism as a catch all term for any earth based spiritual group. The term could be likened to the word christianity, in that it too, includes sects such as baptist, methodist, etc.

As with christanity, each group has different ways of doing things or different area of emphasis. But all are working toward the same ends.

Basic beliefs are..

we are all part of one another. Put simply, we are all stardust. So in essence we are one.. from our fellow human being to the star you see twinkling in the sky, to the wolf you see in the woods or the eagle in the sky.

With this in mind we are all responsible to one another and nature. We believe that the universe is sacred and we work to promote protection of natural resources, human rights, etc.

Toward these ends we can work in education others in these matters (organic agriculture, permaculture, etc), participate in protest, vote & write our politicians.. etc

Our mantra is "an harm none - do what thou will". This goes a step beyond "the golden rule" because it forces you to think beyond one on one interaction. For instance, If you decide to walk to work you are not only reducing the ozone you create (through driving) but your also are not using oil (a non-renewable resource).. you are also not part of the traffic jam.. which is causing idling.. thus causing more fuel to be consumed and thus ozone created.. etc

So while you have more freedom in your actions.. you also must think a bit more as to who/what your actions can cause. I liken this to the indian proverb of thinking of our actions and how they could effect the next 7 generations.. That can be a heavy load to carry.

Now heres where things can get confusing....

Where as christianity has the holy trinity (father/son/holy spirit). three-in-one.. but is still considered a monotheistic religion.

Pagans take a different view on this. And each pagan has their own view.. there is no "holy rule book" in paganism.

Some people, like the native americans, tend to see individual gods/goddesses.. mother earth/ father sky.. etc.

or in the case of paganism there can be Pan, Diana, Gaia, etc.. There are as many pantheons as there are cultures. Many gods/goddesses overlap but are called by different names in different cultures.

However where many pagans differ is if we believe each god(ess) is a physical/real individual being, or if each is an idea, or a different face (personality) of one god(ess).

I've not had a lot of experience working in this area.. I tend to just recognize "divinity" or a god and goddess. At this point in my life I feel as if each god/goddess is a facet (personality) of the divine. I also feel as if this divinity is androgynous. I've done enough work to know that there is something out there and not just something in my head.. Flashes of in-site or feelings of warmth.. I don't know how to describe it.. Love and security is the only way I can describe it.

Another thing I often here is that people think paganism is "Satanism" or devil worship.. Nonsense!!

Satan is a christian construct. We certainly don't worship something we don't believe in. Some would say "it's your hell, you burn in it", but I wouldn't be that hateful. I'm more into the live and let live side of things.

There's a lot of confusion about magic, ritual, spells.. etc so lets try to clear it up with some examples

Magic can be defined as manifesting change in our lives in compliance with our will

so what does that mean? or more importantly, how do we go about it?

we might use a spell (affirmation) in paganism.. or in christianity we might use a prayer. In essence they are the same thing. Both are put forth to effect a change we would like to come about.. an intention.

rituals can be likened to a mass or a sunday service. The idea here is that there is power (energy) in numbers.

I'll leave you with one further though. Pagans typically celebrate the wheel of the year.. which follows agricultural cycles .Samhain(prononced sou-en) coincides with halloween. Yule roughly with Christmas. Ostara falls around easter (ever wonder about the eggs coming from the bunny? look up Persephone story).

christanity has pagan roots.
We don't try to recruit people, we don't try to convert people. We will freely share
our views if you ask, but we won't try to force them on you.

Many folks think we're evil, troublemakers, etc.. but nothing could be further from the truth. So next time you're working at the soup kitchen, helping clean up a park, etc.. and you are really impressed by that "glow" you're getting from someone.. they might well be a pagan.. food for though.

Any questions feel free to ask..

A Bright Spirit Passes -

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/news-leader/obituary.aspx?n=ramona-sue-colvard&pid=146242926&sms_ss=favorites&at_xt=4cca180633a32281,0

While I am truly sad that my aunt has passed, I am grateful she is no longer in the pain she endured for the past 4-5 years.

The family struggled with the life support option, but in the end she was sound of mind to make clear she wanted none of that.. she was ready to go on her terms.

She will be greatly missed!! She touched so many lives, including mine.
She had devoted her life to God, and was truly devoted to living her convictions. She was always a kind ear and was always willing to share her views, but would never force them on you..

For as long as I can remember she loved playing music, the piano, and singing. Her and Bob (her husband of 50+ years) made several recordings than I recall.

One that kept running through my mind at the funeral goes , I don't know the title, "Little boy in the field why do you cry, can't you hear your mother say, I'll see you again someday". Then I heard them queue up "wind beneath my wings". That's when the fountains turned on in my eyes. :)

The graveside service was spectacular as well. We let balloons soar on the wind (I know, not enviromental but...). ..

One thing this also brings to mind is how, no matter what spirituality you practice, the idea that the spirit lives on is often shared between them... Something to reflect on this Samhain