Pagan Practices

[Setepenaset]

My regular spiritual practices involve mostly meditation and divination. I meditate on a small Isis statue I have on my desk, sometimes with incense and sometimes without. Divination is with tarot cards, and a divination tool called the "Sacred Scarabs Oracle" which is based on Runes, only using hieroglyphic symbols. inscribed on little scarabs.

 

[Jainarayan]

But one thing I came up with some time ago (with Thorbjorn, if I recall) was to honor the ancient practice of Elf-worship via the modern custom of a bird-feeder. I don't have one ATM, and that would be a way to do it that won't make the neighbors unnecessarily uncomfortable (as well as getting around the fact that my Mom is unlikely to appreciate me leaving foods on or in an Elf-house. lol)

Yes, it was we who talked about that. It's really a simple thing to do, and quite unobtrusive for anyone who wants to do it. I have a wooden bird-feeder hanging from a free standing plant hanger, the metal kind that gets stuck into the ground. Some can be quite high. Those are best, especially away from trees where the squirrels can't raid the feeder. I also put over ripe fruit and vegetables outdoors. I have also put meat out, but the problem for me there is that my house has a tendency to attract raccoons. For this coming winter I'll get some suet and birdseed and set it out. I think any little act of kindness for the animals and spirits is appreciated.

 

[Quintessence]

I suppose I should write a little something in here about what I do, shouldn't I? When I created this thread, I had in mind practices or disciplines that are applied to my path as a whole. They are skill sets that are used broadly, and may be part of other religions aside from my own. I usually list three things as core practices of my brand of religious Witchcraft:

• Meditation. The ability to change one's state of consciousness to one of focused awareness at will. Essential for getting in the right mindset for just about anything.
• Energy work. The ability to sense and work with the preternatural aura or intuitive/emotional feel of things. Essential for providing richness and depth to experiences of just about anything.
• Journeywork. The ability to take imagination seriously as an aspect of reality to be engaged and explored. Essential for just about anything creative, as well as knowing many gods and just plain having fun.

Nearly everything else I do in my path draws from these three in some way.

 

[Riverwolf]

I suppose I should write a little something in here about what I do, shouldn't I? When I created this thread, I had in mind practices or disciplines that are applied to my path as a whole. They are skill sets that are used broadly, and may be part of other religions aside from my own.

My study and creation of stories absolutely falls under that. That is probably the most important part. One of the stories on my Blog, I kid you not, just came to me while watching the documentary "Mystic Journeys", as if Bragi Himself was telling me the story, and encouraging me to write it down.

 

[Midnight Rain]

It is often said that Pagan religions, contemporary or otherwise, are more about practices than creeds or beliefs. Regardless of whether or not you agree with this characterization, what do you consider the core practices of your path to be? What is it that you do that defines your religion?

It is who I am and how I view the world first and foremost. Life is life is life. The little things like paying respect for nature when you can. Being in nature and surrounding yourself with life; plants, animals ect.

But we do have rituals that we do that might be more obvious from the external view.
We have started the wheel again so we will have ;
Yule
Imbolc
Ostara
Beltane
LItha
Lughnasadh
Mabon
Samhain.

We also meet every full moon that we can for a circle. Setting up the personal altar I guess would be another example.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

That's a really good question. This is a kinda late reply, but I wanted to add my two cents. My practice is based around rituals. I try to find what I can literally learn from the wind, the water, the earth, and fire and find natural symbolisms. For example, fire would be associated with heat and the sun which gives us energy. So spells that refer to energy would be directed to the sun. (or candle if its night out). Water I associate with the moon because of the tides. We are born from the water so the tides are the patterns of our growth. In other words, I use the waters for spiritual growth and renewal. Earth, our physical bodies go back to the Earth and we are nourished by the Earth so my rituals center around that and a sense of family and home. Air or wind we need air to breathe, so it is life. I use the wind and its direction to guide how I cast a spell (or prayer).

I practice Nichiren Buddhism, so when I chant, I do so towards the sun, the moon or so have you. While keeping in mind I am one with the mystic Law.

The Lotus Sutra guides me to being a Bodhisatva of the Earth while the Earth itself teaches me how to take care of myself and structure my prayers by being part of a whole.

It is often said that Pagan religions, contemporary or otherwise, are more about practices than creeds or beliefs. Regardless of whether or not you agree with this characterization, what do you consider the core practices of your path to be? What is it that you do that defines your religion?

 

[Quintessence]

It is who I am and how I view the world first and foremost. Life is life is life. The little things like paying respect for nature when you can. Being in nature and surrounding yourself with life; plants, animals ect.

But we do have rituals that we do that might be more obvious from the external view.
We have started the wheel again so we will have ;
Yule
Imbolc
Ostara
Beltane
LItha
Lughnasadh
Mabon
Samhain.

We also meet every full moon that we can for a circle. Setting up the personal altar I guess would be another example.

When you work with the Wheel of the Year, do you use fixed cross-quarter dates or true cross-quarter dates? This is mostly just a curiosity; the vast majority of the community seems to use fixed cross-quarter dates because that's what is overwhelmingly represented in the literature.

It also sounds like you're fortunate enough to have a coven or a circle in your local area. It's always interesting to hear stories from folks who have the benefit of community, so if you'd like to share something about that, it'd be interesting to listen to!

That's a really good question. This is a kinda late reply, but I wanted to add my two cents. My practice is based around rituals. I try to find what I can literally learn from the wind, the water, the earth, and fire and find natural symbolisms. For example, fire would be associated with heat and the sun which gives us energy. So spells that refer to energy would be directed to the sun. (or candle if its night out). Water I associate with the moon because of the tides. We are born from the water so the tides are the patterns of our growth. In other words, I use the waters for spiritual growth and renewal. Earth, our physical bodies go back to the Earth and we are nourished by the Earth so my rituals center around that and a sense of family and home. Air or wind we need air to breathe, so it is life. I use the wind and its direction to guide how I cast a spell (or prayer).

I practice Nichiren Buddhism, so when I chant, I do so towards the sun, the moon or so have you. While keeping in mind I am one with the mystic Law.

The Lotus Sutra guides me to being a Bodhisatva of the Earth while the Earth itself teaches me how to take care of myself and structure my prayers by being part of a whole.

Nah, it's not a late reply. Learning directly from various aspects of reality is definitely a huge part of my path too, though I make a distinction between the Four Elements and the this-worldly manifestations thereof for reasons that nobody probably wants me to go into. *laughs*

So much of what we learn on paths like these is grounded in everyday experiences. Another thing that is sometimes said about the contemporary Pagan religions is that the entire world is our church. Our relating to our gods or that which we find sacred isn't something that happens in a closed building with someone talking at us (though these kinds of things can certainly be enlightening), it primarily happens every day with the experience of all things life has to offer. A word I'll sometimes use to refer to the knowledge uncovered through direct experience is Mysteries. There are these deep "ah hah!" moments you have on these paths. That could probably be the subject of another thread, though.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

That is so true. Yeah, if I have an experience doing the day (a "mystic" experience), I'd say that's the Buddha working through me. (Buddha-nature rather than the Buddha Himself). Pulling in prayer energies just by living and finding good karma by observation of those experiences.

I honestly don't understand how god/desses can be part of this equation; but, then again, I don't believe in a Being. I would love to understand who God is in general without any religious influences. That's a good discussion for another thread, maybe? (shrugs)

Carlita

 

[Iti oj]

I always greet the weather spirits

 

[Midnight Rain]

When you work with the Wheel of the Year, do you use fixed cross-quarter dates or true cross-quarter dates? This is mostly just a curiosity; the vast majority of the community seems to use fixed cross-quarter dates because that's what is overwhelmingly represented in the literature.

It also sounds like you're fortunate enough to have a coven or a circle in your local area. It's always interesting to hear stories from folks who have the benefit of community, so if you'd like to share something about that, it'd be interesting to listen to!

I usually used the fixed cross-quarter dates because I couldn't ever think of doing Samhain on anything other than the 31st.

I am very fortunate. I've seen people come and go and I've recently moved but I have found a group. I have good stories and bad. I might make a thread about it later.

 

[Nada]

X-mas?

 

[Midnight Rain]

X-mas?

Yule?

 

[Nada]

Yule?

Same thing.

 

[Quintessence]

No, they're not. Please be mindful of making posts that are within the spirit of the DIR and do not take this thread off-topic.

 

[Midnight Rain]

Same thing.

Not really. Christmas was the Church's way of keeping beloved Pagan holidays and still recruiting new members for the Church. It was an appeasement of their long loved holidays. Yuletide was a long process during what is now the month of December and is one of the key reasons that even though "Christmas" is a single day we have "Christmas Eve" and "Christmas Day" along with a jolly yuletide for the whole month.

 

[Riverwolf]

Same thing.

Not really. Christmas was the Church's way of keeping beloved Pagan holidays and still recruiting new members for the Church. It was an appeasement of their long loved holidays. Yuletide was a long process during what is now the month of December and is one of the key reasons that even though "Christmas" is a single day we have "Christmas Eve" and "Christmas Day" along with a jolly yuletide for the whole month.

As an addendum, however, I do want to point out that, while Yule and Christmas are quite distinct holidays, they do share many elements in common. One major element they share in common is the togetherness of community. In the harsh winters, where in the Old Times at least one person in the Village was guaranteed to die every year, this Longest Night, where in the Far North there are Sunless Days surrounding it, Yule provides an opportunity for the Community to come together in shared celebration of Life, in this Season of Death.

Plus, Yule marks the Waxing Year's Birth; the Sun has been reborn.

 

[Nada]

As an addendum, however, I do want to point out that, while Yule and Christmas are quite distinct holidays, they do share many elements in common. One major element they share in common is the togetherness of community. In the harsh winters, where in the Old Times at least one person in the Village was guaranteed to die every year, this Longest Night, where in the Far North there are Sunless Days surrounding it, Yule provides an opportunity for the Community to come together in shared celebration of Life, in this Season of Death.

Plus, Yule marks the Waxing Year's Birth; the Sun has been reborn.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Adramelek]

Doesn't December 21st mark the beginning of the Season of Darkness?

 

[Quintessence]

Not to me. That would be Autumn Equinox. Winter Solstice is peak darkness. The exact dates vary.

 

[Riverwolf]

Doesn't December 21st mark the beginning of the Season of Darkness?

No.... the Winter Solstice may be the longest Night, but it marks the New Year and the reborn Sun.

Samhain marks the beginning of the Winter, the Season of Death, which was on November 7 this year.