To Banish Poverty

Found this post on a blog I follow.

A Charm To Chase Away Poverty

I think that at a time like this we can all use a little help, a little nudge if you will. 

Best use for this is too create it on a piece of paper and charge it under a candle (green would be good) on day of Jupiter, which is Thursday.  Once it is charged place it in a black bag and carry it with you, either in a wallet, purse or pocket.

Blessings of wealth be yours, but remember that wealth doesn’t always mean monetary.

Environment and Ritual Setting for The Dumb Supper Observance at Samhain

The Dumb Supper can be an important aspect of the Samhain observance. It can focus your attention on the fact that the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest has come again.

Keeping in contact with those who have gone before, no matter how long ago or how tenuous that connection may be, is invaluable in one’s daily life in terms of having some wisdom in one’s decision-making and sense of personal responsibility.

Arranging the supper table with an extra place setting and then asking the ancestors to attend the supper is a mark of respect to them. When you can sense they are present, make a point some time during the Dumb Supper to request a sign from them regarding some aspect of your life and how you might approach the concern you have in order to resolve that situation. Often, they will touch your life in your dreams, and they will take you up on your invitation, at this time, to do so. Keep a pen and pad of paper close by your bed for several weeks so that you can write down what you learned, as it will probably be lost quickly when you wake up.

The use of some calming music during the Dumb Supper lends itself, along with silence for all those attending, to maintain a state of meditation, respect and openness to communication with the world beyond. There is no need to hurry the meal as it is also a time of reflection. Just let it take its normal course. At the end of the meal, take a moment to thank the ancestors for attending and then bid them farewell. This is the end of the observance, and your normal routine can return.

Bright Blessings!

Ron Ivins

For Teachers, Parents and Students

This is a reprint of an essay made back in 2000.  It is just as pertinent today as it was back then.

"You have a Pagan in your classroom:"

An essay for school teachers about Paganism by Suzanne "Cecylyna" Egbert,

2000-NOV-2

A student in your school practices a religion with which you may not be familiar. This leaflet is simply to give you information you may need to understand the different experiences this student may share with you, and answer any questions you might have.

What is a Pagan student likely to practice and believe?

Because Pagans generally follow a non-creedal, non-dogmatic spirituality, there may be even more variants between Pagan religious beliefs than there are between denominations of Christianity. The most commonly practiced types of Paganism are Wicca, Asatru, Druidry, or simply Paganism, just as a Christian can be Catholic, Presbyterian, or simply Christian. All of these are somewhat different from each other. Because of this, the following statements may not be true for every Pagan you encounter. However, there are some practices that are generally common among Pagans; the student or his parents will tell you if their practices differ significantly from the following:

A Pagan student will celebrate a nature-based, polytheistic religion:

A Pagan student will honor Divinity as both God and Goddess, sometimes with a feminist emphasis on the Goddess. One effect of this is that the student is likely to treat gender equality as an assumption,

A Pagan student will celebrate religious ceremonies with small groups on Full Moons and at the beginning and midpoint of each season, rather than with large congregations or at a set weekly schedule. These celebrations are often called 'rituals' or 'circles', and the congregations called 'covens', 'groves', 'hearths', or 'circles'. Some of the items commonly found on the altar in a Pagan ceremony are statues of the Goddess or God; candles; crystals; wands; the athame, a blunt-edged dagger used as a symbol and not as a tool with which to cut; cups; cauldrons; incense; and a five-pointed star called the pentagram or pentacle.

A Pagan student may wear a symbol of his or her religion as an item of jewelry. The most common symbol is the pentacle, a five-pointed star in a circle. The misconception of the pentagram as a satanic symbol is based upon its inverted use by those groups, in the same manner in which devil-worshippers may use the Christian cross inverted. The meaning of the pentacle as worn by Pagans is rooted in the beliefs of the Greek Pythagoreans, for whom the pentagram embodied perfect balance and wisdom; inserting the star in the circle adds the symbol of eternity and unity. Other jewelry that may be worn includes Celtic knot work; crosses; triskelions; Thor's hammer; the labrys, a double-headed axe used as a symbol by Greco-Roman worship of Cybele; Goddess figurines; crescent and/or full Moon symbols; the Yin-Yang symbol; or the eye of Horus or horns of Isis from Egyptian mythology.

A Pagan student will view Divinity as immanent in Nature and humanity, and view all things as interconnected. This often leads to a concern with ecology and the environment, and a fascination with the cycle of life.

A Pagan student will believe in magic, and may spell it 'magick' to differentiate it from stage illusions. This may include belief in personal energy fields like the Chinese concept of chi, and may also include the use of rituals and tools to dramatize and focus positive thinking and visualization techniques. It does not mean that the student is taught that he can wiggle his nose to clean his room, summon spirits or demons, or do anything else that breaks natural laws, though if young, like any child, a Pagan child may pretend these things. It also does not mean that the student is taught to hex or curse; in our ethical structure such actions are believed to rebound on the sender, and therefore are proscribed.

A Pagan student may believe in reincarnation. It is the most common eschatological belief held among Pagans, but is not universal. However, a Pagan student is unlikely to believe in either Heaven or Hell; she may believe in the Celtic Summerland, a place of rest between incarnations, or Valhalla, a realm of honor in Norse religions.

A Pagan student may call herself a Witch, a Wiccan, a Pagan or Neo-Pagan, a Goddess-worshipper, a Druid, an Asatruer, or a Heathen. He is unlikely to call himself a Warlock, as that is believed to come from the Scottish word for 'oathbreaker'. And while a Pagan student may or may not be offended by the stereotype, she is likely to quickly inform you that the green-skinned, warty-nosed caricature displayed at Halloween bears no relation to her religion.

Ethics and rules of behavior:

A Pagan student will be taught ethics emphasizing both personal freedom and personal responsibility. Pagan ethics allow personal freedom within a framework of personal responsibility. The primary basis for Pagan ethics is the understanding that everything is interconnected, that nothing exists without affecting others, and that every action has a consequence.

There is no concept of forgiveness for sin in the Pagan ethical system; the consequences of one's actions must be faced and reparations made as necessary against anyone whom you have harmed.

There are no arbitrary rules about moral issues; instead, every action must be weighed against the awareness of what harm it could cause. Thus, for example, consensual homosexuality would be a null issue morally because it harms no one, but cheating would be wrong because it harms one's self, one's intellect, one's integrity, and takes unfair advantage of the person from whom you are cheating.

The most common forms in which these ethics are stated are:

The Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do as thou wilt," and

The Threefold Law, "Whatsoever you do returns to you threefold."

Religious plurality:

A Pagan student will hold a paradigm that embraces plurality.

Because Pagan religious systems hold that theirs is a way among many, not the only road to truth, and because Pagans explore a variety of Deities among their pantheons, both male and female, a Pagan student will be brought up in an atmosphere that discourages discrimination based on differences such as race or gender, and encourages individuality, self-discovery and independent thought.

A Pagan student is also likely to be taught comparative religions. Most Pagans are adamant about not forcing their beliefs on the child but rather teaching them many spiritual systems and letting the child decide when he is of age. However, a Pagan student is unlikely to have an emotional concept of Heaven, Hell, or salvation as taught by Christian religions, though he may know about them intellectually. And a Pagan student will be taught to respect the sacred texts of other religions, but is unlikely to believe them literally where they conflict with scientific theory or purport to be the only truth.

Personal interests:

A Pagan student is likely to enjoy reading, science, and helping professions. Margot Adler, National Public Radio journalist, reported the results of a survey of Pagans in the 1989 edition of her book, Drawing Down the Moon. 1 The results showed that the one thing Pagans hold in common despite their differences is a voracious appetite for reading and learning. Pagans also seem to be represented strongly in the computer and health-care fields, so the Pagan child is likely to be computer-literate from an early age.

Conclusions:

Despite their sometimes misunderstood beliefs, earth-based religions have grown steadily throughout the past few decades, and provide a satisfying spirituality to their practitioners. With the current appreciation of diversity and tolerance, more people now understand that different cultural backgrounds bring perspectives that can be valued instead of feared. It is our hope that as an educator this will provide you with the information you need to be able to facilitate understanding.

References:

Margot Adler, "Drawing down the moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess worshipers and other Pagans in America today," Penguin USA, (1997) Rated by Amazon.com in the top 3,500 of all books sold. Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store

Introductory books on Wicca are listed elsewhere on this web site

Copyright © 1998 Cecylyna Dewr; Reprinted by permission

Distribution is welcome. Please include this notice:

For more information, contact the Pagan Pride Project Executive Director, Cecylyna Dewr:

Web site: http://www.paganpride.org.

Email: paganpride@paganpride.org.

Address: Pagan Pride Project, PMB 119, 133 W Market St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Phone: 317.916.9115

The Pendle Witches–Returning from the past

November 14 2011.  This was the first day that I heard of the Pendle Witches, specifically Alice Nutter.  Alice was charged with witchcraft in 1612 in the Lancaster Witch Trials and was later hanged.  The village of Blacko was the site of where Alice was seen at Malkin Tower, also known as Stansfield Tower and Blacko Tower, with what was deemed a witch’s coven. 
Now a memorial statue to Alice Nutter has been commissioned to mark the 400th anniversary of the trials.  It will be placed in the village of Blacko.
Statue plan to celebrate ‘Pendle Witch’ Alice - Peek Into The Past - Pendle Today
The next day I found more information on the Pendle Witches and the planned statue from the BBC.
Statue of Pendle Witch Alice Nutter to be commissioned
I was very intrigued by this news that after 400 years, what happened to these victims of fear and confusion will now be memorialized.  It shows that people are finally realizing how wrong the trials were.
What happened next is kind of eerie if you think about it. 
December 8th, 2011.  The BBC reports - 'Witch's cottage' unearthed near Pendle Hill, Lancashire. 
The story even hopped the pond and was reported by Fox News -
Centuries-Old Witches' Cottage and Mummified Cat Unearthed in Britain
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/12/08/centuries-old-witches-cottage-and-mummified-cat-unearthed-in-britain/#ixzz1gF2LuBFg
You have to admit that it is quite interesting that only a month after the planned memorial was announce that this ‘cottage’ was unearthed.  Add the fact that within a wall of the building the mummified remains of a cat were found and it is hard to dismiss the claims that it belonged to one of the witches of Pendle.  Admittedly there isn’t any ‘concrete’ evidence that a Pendle Witch resided within the walls of the well preserved building.  This hasn’t stifled the talk and the supposition among the locals and witches from around the globe.
Is there some supernatural link between these two events?  Are the spirits of Alice Nutter and the 10 other villagers, who were executed for witchcraft, now setting out to uncover more history of their lives?  What will be found next?
Next year will be the 400th anniversary of the Lancaster Witch Trials, which were held on the 18th and 19th of August, 1612. 
This is an image of the original title page from The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster

The trial not only accused the women of Pendle but also other people, men and woman, from around the area of witchcraft.
It is nice to see that this information is now becoming mainstream and not relegated to the tabloids alongside who had the newest alien baby or the new date for the end of the world. 
I am going to keep a watchful eye out for the next installment of the Return of the Pendle Witches.
Blessed Be.

The Thinning Veil - This is Samhain

The thinning veil.  Now is the time when whispers of those who have passed before us can be heard on the cool winds.

The leaves are turning with bright yellow, oranges and reds filling the trees.  The harvest is ending as the last crops are picked from the fields.

Pumpkins begin to decorate the homes, their carved faces glowing from candle and light.  The Jack-O-Lantern stands guard.

This is SAMHAIN!!!  This is HALLOWEEN!!!

Now is the time to honor those who have passed before us.  We seek to speak to them once again, to ask questions, and to seek knowledge.  We do so with reverence and awe since we know this will only happen this night, the thinning of the veil.

Take up staff and cast a circle vast.  Welcome the spirits of element and guide, the Lord and Lady, beckon to our side.  Enjoy the night and seek you knowledge, let loose that has kept you and cleanse your way.  To the fire give all that is spent and cleanse your way.  In crystal, mirror and water gaze, seeking knowledge through the ethereal haze.  Dine with them who have eaten not.  Bid you farewell to those who were called.  Elements, guides, Lord and Lady to their halls.  Close your circle and yet be sure that what you have gained is hallowed and pure.  

Blessed Be!!!

Charge of the Goddess - Do you really know it?

The Charge of the Goddess has been around for some time.  The one that we are most familiar with was penned by Doreen Valiente the High Priestess of Gerald Gardner in the 1950's.  It is believed that the final work by Gardner and Valiente was derived from various sources.  Among these is the book by Charles Godfrey Leyland, Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches.

Normally during ritual the Charge of the Goddess is read by the High Priest and the High Priestess.  But during the last ritual I attended, our High Priestess was absent so I read the charge.  Now I have read the Charge before but never in a ritual atmosphere.  I will say it was different.  Reading it gave me pause and made me think.  Do I really know it?  How many read it and don't think about it?  They are just going through the motions.

I am going to post the Charge of the Goddess.  Full version by Doreen, not the version by Starhawk.  Read it and then really read it.  Think about it.  It is the pure Charge with all the old English so it might be hard to read at first but if you truly read it will flow easily.

Charge of the Goddess
by Doreen Valiente
Now listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names.  At her altars, the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.
Whenever ye have need of anything, once in a month and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place, and adore the spirit of me, I who am Queen of all Witches.
There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach all things that are as yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be truly free, you shall be naked in your rites; and yea shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise.  For mine is the ecstasy of spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings.
Keep pure your highest ideals; strive ever toward them, let nothing stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Vessel of Immortality.  I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before.
Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold, I am the mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.
Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of Whose feet are the hosts of heaven, Whose body encircles the universe.
I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters and the desire of the heart of man.
I call upon thy soul to arise and come unto me.  For I am the soul of Nature, who gives life to the Universe.  From me all things proceed and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded, in the rapture of the infinite.
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoices for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.  Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
And thou who thinketh to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless thou knoweth the mystery; for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.
For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

Read it out loud as well as to yourself.  Feel the power as the words are spoken allowed.  Read it during your daily devotion as a way to honor the divine.
Copy it into your book of shadows.  Keep it and know it.

Clean Your Altar. Yes, you.

"In a dark room a table sits, covered with the trappings a witch.  The chalice and blade once sparkled in brilliance like the morning dawn.  Candles that once burned brightly now sit dark and shadowy.  Forgotten is the power that once flowed freely as spell was spoke and ritual performed.  Absent are the deities and elements that journeyed at a plea or an offering.  Now a fine layer of dust has covered those symbols of the craft like a soft cloth and obscured them from the view of those that would use them.”

I imagine this might describe an altar or two out there.  I know it has described mine at least once maybe twice.

We all have lives outside of the craft and at times our altars can get relegated to becoming just another spot for the car keys or the loose change from your last soda or mineral water purchase.  Unless your altar is in secluded sanctuary where no one ever sees it then don’t be surprised if it accumulates items other then what is supposed to be there.  I myself have absently placed all sorts of mundane items on my altar, from keys to clothes.  Yes, clothes.  No I wasn’t using a t-shirt as an altar cloth.  No matter how hard you try there will eventually be something on your altar that shouldn’t be there and you may not have done it.

I have found some items on my altar that I have no idea how they got there and I can only assume that my lovely house fae have helped out again. 

So…

You have found your altar under a pile of stuff, now what.  (Even if your altar isn’t buried it can still benefit from a good cleaning.)

First get a small bowl or bucket with a cleaning solution mixed with fresh water.  I prefer to use a solution that I make myself that way I know it won’t damage any of the items I wipe off.  Also remove all the items off the altar, including the cloth if you use one.

Clean the cloth/surface

If you use and altar cloth remove it and if it is washable then give it a once through in the olde washing machine.  If it is a commercially made cloth be sure to read the cleaning instructions.  If you have a cloth that is not able to be machine washed then perhaps a hand washing with a Woolite type product would be better.  Again, check the cleaning instructions.

Not everyone uses an altar cloth and if you are one of those people, and you know who you are, just give the surface of the altar a good wipe down with the cleaning solution you have.  Don’t forget to gently scrape of any wax from those nice candles.  Dry the surface with a clean towel. 

I like to press my altar cloths so they look crisp.  I have also heard it is nice to use a lavender water spray as you iron.

Replace the cloth on the altar as you choose.

Clean the tools

Now that the surface of the altar is clean and ready for our tools it is time to clean those tools.

Using the cleaning solution gently wipe down all of your tools.  This includes any statues that you may have.  Any porous items should be wiped with a clean dry rag and in the case of wood items a good wood cleaner could be used.  Be sure to dry all items with a clean towel before replacing them on the altar.

If you have a nice silver chalice you might notice that it is not as silver as it used to be.  Fingerprints cover the surface from all the times you have held it in a toast to the Goddess.  So how to do you get it back to the bright polished silver?  Toothpaste.  Yes, I said toothpaste.  It is an inexpensive way to polish your silver items.  Now before you run to the bathroom and grab the tube from the medicine cabinet you need to know one thing.  It has to be the true toothpaste, not a gel or mixture thereof.  It is best to get a brand like the traditional Colgate© or a natural toothpaste from your natural grocers.

“To clean off tarnish, coat the silver with toothpaste, then run it under warm water, work it into foam, and rinse it off. For stubborn stains or intricate grooves, use an old soft-bristled toothbrush.”

Be sure to empty all the ashes from your incense burners too.  Many times I light a charcoal disk and realize that I am smelling incense when I haven’t placed any yet.  It was actually the unburned incense that had fallen through the screen and is resting on the ashes from the previous time.  Some people would say to dump the ashes outside, I just empty them into the trash since all the power of the incense has been spent and sent.  Of course, don’t dump hot ash in the trash.  DUH!

Empty out your offering bowl.  This should be done outside to make one final offering.  Wipe out the bowl and dry it with a clean towel. 

Mirrors, crystal balls, and scrying bowls, wipe them off so that you can again see clearly what you are being shown.

If you have any other items that you place on your altar be sure they are clean and fresh.

The Little Thing

Here is one thing that everyone should do when they are setting up their altar. (Or at least I think so) 

Candle wicks.  New candles come with long wicks as a rule and many people just light that long wick and move on.  Most candle makers say that the wick should be cut to about ¼ inch in length. Why? Well I have found that if I do this then the candle burns more evenly. The wick should be trimmed whenever it gets very long.  If have a torch when you light the candle it is time to trim the wick.  Be careful when trimming a used wick as you can inadvertently break the wick down to the wax and then the candle is finished.

Finishing up

Now that the surface of your altar is clean and dry and your altar cloth is places as you like it is time to reset your altar.  How you do this is completely up to you, there isn’t a right or wrong way to set up an altar. 

After I have set my altar I like to give it a quick smudging and blessings with my favorite incense.

Keep it clean.  The best way to do this is to use it.  Your altar is less likely to gather dust and cobwebs if you are using it daily or every other day.  If you notice a bit of dust on an item, give it a quick brushing with a cloth or even a Swiffer Duster©, they work great for altars.  A complete wash down should be done at least once a month or as you feel the grime accumulating.

Remember…

Keep it clean and let the power flow.