Just a quick commercial interruption, LOL! For those of you who might be interested, I have created a new page here on WordPress for my home business The Rainbow Ram; in addition to fiber art and outerwear I also make rune sets, ogham sets, votive candles, herbal blends, and other items of Pagan interest. My work is currently being sold at Rising Goddess Goods in South Charleston (WV)! Right now I am in the process of getting photos put up on the new site so as of this morning only tams are pictured, but keep your eyes peeled over the next few days for more items to appear!
We now return to your regularly scheduled Dedicant blog postings!
Pilot Mountain can easily be seen long before one crosses the border from VA into NC; its’ distinctive shape looms over the horizon and serves as a handy marker of when we’re getting close to NC every time we make the trip down from WV, and US Route 52 passes right by it. A metamorphic quartzite monadnock which stands 2,421 feet above sea level, it has served as a landmark for both the Native American peoples living in the region, such as the Sauras (who called it Jomeokee, “The Great Guide”) as well as later European settlers. Pilot Mountain is part of the western end of the Sauratown Mountain Range. Monadnock is an Abenaki term for a hill or lone mountain which rises from a surrounding, eroded lowland. In the case of Pilot Mountain, less resistant rocks and soils eroded away over time to leave behind a more resistant quartzite core with some vegetation on top. As a part of our return trip to WV on 5/17/13 we stopped by Pilot Mountain and walked a portion of the Grindstone Trail before rainy conditions and a hungry, tired four-year-old turned us back towards the van.
One of the many Five Lined Skinks we would encounter on our trip.
Juvenile Five Lined Skinks have a distinctive bright blue tail (giving them the nicknamed “Blue Tailed Lizard”) which vanishes as they reach adulthood, as can be seen here.
We made offerings at the start of the Grindstone Trail to the local spirits of herbs and pennies and made our way along the trail. One of the things that I personally took note of was how different it felt to be in these woods than in the woods I have developed a relationship with in WV. Although the spirits of Pilot Mountain accepted our offerings, there was not the sense of familiarity or even of complete acceptance; instead, we felt watched every step of the way. Not in a bad sense, but in the sense of how one would keep an eye on new visitors to see how they act and how one should accordingly react.
A shot of the woods on the Grindstone Trail. The woods here have a high population of various species of Oak as well as Locust trees, Maples, and Poplars.
Spotted Wintergreen showing flower buds and seed heads on the Grindstone Trail.
Yellow Wood Sorrel.
I feel it’s important to remember that just because one has a strong bond with land-spirits in one locale, it doesn’t mean you’re going to have a credit with other land-spirits in other locations; they can be (and often are in my experience) very clannish. While in my experience it is not unusual to have land-spirits in different woods in a single region communicate and respect bonds, it’s a different matter when you get to the point of crossing state lines, and especially when it comes to spirits which inhabit different mountain ranges, as mountain spirits have their own clans. So the sense of being watched and followed is to be expected; only through repeated visits and efforts at building bonds with those spirits interested in maintaining bonds with people does that feeling diminish; not all spirits in the woods have an interest in dealing with people, however.
Many of the Locust trees in the woods along the trail were hosts to Cracked Cap Polypores, which are a useful species of punk (used in fire-making), along with Tinder Conk (also used as punk).
A young Cracked Cap Polypore; you can see the distinctive cracks just beginning to really show.
A pair of more mature Cracked Cap Polypores. These fungi can easily reach a foot across.
A colony of Tinder Conks growing in the moss of a dying tree.
Closeup of some of the Tinder Conks showing their distinctive hoof-like shapes; they frequently grow in stacked clusters. These are slightly broader than the ones I’ve documented in WV.
Cracked Caps must be dried and then soaked before usage; Tinder Conks can be used fresh. Both are used as coal extenders and can produce a strong, long-lasting flame. Only a sliver is needed, so a single fungi can last you some time.
A squirrel adds fresh greenery to its’ nest.
A younger Five Lined Skink we encountered on the trail; this one has just a little bit of blue left on its’ tail.
One of the many patches of ferns carpeting the floor of the woods along the trail.
“As fast as a speeding Oak!”
Large rocks and boulders dot the landscape along the Grindstone Trail.
A familiar “face”: Jack in the Pulpit!
I would love to be able to spend more time exploring these woods as well as eventually be able to make it to the summit. Who knows, perhaps our next trip down to NC we’ll leave earlier in the morning and take some time to do some deeper exploring!
It’s been a busy past couple of weeks – I vended at our local Beltaine celebration (Beltaine in the Forest) on 5/11 and made a trip to NC to visit my parents from 5/12 – 5/17! We had loads of fun and I was able to stop by my home temple as well (for those not aware, in addition to being in ADF I’m also a practising Buddhist in the Gelug tradition), where I got some photos of the recently completed stupa. Here’s a few photos from the past week!
My tables at Beltaine in the Forest, where I vend as “The Rainbow Ram”. I do all the crocheting, sewing, embroidering, pyrography, candle-making, macrame-ing, and herb blending myself. Occasionally I include items made out of my own hand-spun yarn.
The presence of rain throughout the day did not deter people from the Maypole Dance!
One of the Pigs on the carousel at Pullen Park in NC. Note the nice symbolism (golden tusks, Oak & Acorn sprig on a pig…hmmmm…). Guess which one I rode!
The stupa at the Kadampa Center (FPMT) in Raleigh, NC; this is the temple I attend. The inside is filled with precious relics and holy items.
The pinnacle of the stupa is covered in gold leaf.
Stupa in the sunset.
Tomorrow I’ll be posting some photos from our visit to Pilot Mountain State Park on the way home yesterday (5/17).
I’ve been busy getting ready to vend at our local Beltaine festival coming up this Saturday (Beltaine in the Forest), so while I have still been writing daily entries in my hand-written journal, I have not been posting as much to my Dedicant Blog. I have a few moments this morning before I need to work on the final few items, so I thought I would share some photographs I have taken over the past few days which show some of the increasing variety of flora in my part of WV.
Fleabane growing along the banks of the Kanawha River in downtown Charleston. Photo taken 4/28/13.
Spiderwort growing along the banks of the Kanawha River in downtown Charleston. Photo taken 4/28/13.
Long-Leaf Plantain, good for stomach and intestinal ailments. Growing along the banks of the Kanawha River in downtown Charleston; photo taken 4/28/13.
Curly Dock Flowers along the Kanawha River. Photo taken 4/28/13.
Close-up of Curly Dock flowers. Photo taken 4/28/13.
Yarrow showing stalks and the start of flowers. Photo taken 4/28/13.
Hop Trefoil, aka Low-Hop Clover, Large Hop Clover, Plains Clover, and Field Clover. The inclusion of Hop in the name is a reference to the fact that the flowers resemble tiny hops. Originally introduced as fodder, it is now considered an invasive weed in many states. Photo taken 4/28/13.
A young member of the Solanum family, most likely Horse Nettle (going by the thorns under the leaves). Both Horse Nettle and Nightshade are abundant in our area. Photo taken 5/2/13 along the Kanawha River.
In addition to documenting the local flora I continue to document the increasing variety of flora and fungi present during our visits to Kanawha State Forest.
Foam Flowers. Photo taken 4/25/13.
In many parts of Kanawha State Forest this time of year, Foam Flowers carpet the ground. Photo taken 5/4/13.
Lousewort, which is also sometimes nicknamed Wood Betony. Photo taken 4/25/13. This is a very popular flower with bees.
Squaw Root (Conopholis americana), aka Cancer Root, American Broomrape, Bear Corn. Photo taken 4/25/13. This parasitic plant can be found commonly growing on the roots of Oak and Beech trees and prefers non-compacted soils, from which it draws nourishment. The waxy, yellowish colour is due to the fact that it does not produce chlorophyll. Because of this, light levels don’t matter much in terms of health and growth of the plant. It is common generally from May to June, and can grow to be 8 in. tall. Medicinally, it is used as a treatment for symptoms of menopause, as well as headaches.
Squaw Root showing different stages of emergence and growth. Often Squaw Root will grow in the same patches year after year, so it’s not unusual to find new ones growing alongside last year’s dead ones. Photo taken 4/25/13.
Itty bitty baby Squaw Roots, just emerging. Photo taken 4/25/13.
Ground Cedar; photo taken 4/25/13.
Here you can get a nice view of the Lousewort’s flowers. Photo taken 4/25/13.
Fire Pinks; photo taken 4/25/13.
Sweet Clover; photo taken 4/25/13.
Dryad’s Saddle aka Pheasant’s Back Polypore (Polyporus squamosus). Dryad’s Saddle is an edible member of the Polypore Family and while its’ common growing season is May-November it is most frequently spotted in May. Dryad’s Saddle can grow on dead or living wood and favours deciduous trees, such as maple, elm, poplar, willow, and birch. They are most commonly found on the East Coast down to NC and in the Midwest. Look-a-likes can be found in CA. The Dryad’s Saddle is distinguished by its’ large, fleshy, scaly cap with white to pale yellow pores descending along the short stalk of the fungi; scales are brown and white (can also appear as a dingy white or yellowish) and closely overlap, giving the appearance of feathers (hence the alternative nickname “Pheasant’s Back”). The cap ranges from circular to kidney in shape. The fungi smells and has a taste akin to a watermelon rind, which is pretty distinctive. Photo taken 4/25/13.
By 5/4/13, this little one had joined the others.
You know it’s getting closer to Summer when the Poison Ivy gets more abundant! Photo taken 5/4/13.
Virginia Creeper; photo taken 5/4/13.
Flowering Woodland Stonecrop; photo taken 5/4/13.
Wild Geranium; photo taken 5/4/13.
Jack in the Pulpit; photo taken 5/4/13.
False Solomon’s Seal; photo taken 5/4/13.
Dwarf Crested Iris; photo taken 5/4/13.
Yellow Buckeye Flowers; photo taken 5/4/13.
Wild Geraniums growing next to (true) Solomon’s Seal (you can just make out the shape of the buds along the stem, instead of at the tip). Photo taken 5/4/13.
Hornbeam Tree; photo taken 5/4/13.
And last but certainly not least – our Mayapples are in bloom! These final few photos were all taken 5/4/13 along Davis Creek.
Hawthorn trees in bud at a WV rest stop on the way to VA. Photographed 4/18/13.
Trillium Gathering was the first ADF gathering we have ever attended, and it was a blast! We enjoyed meeting some wonderful folks, attending excellent rituals and workshops, participating in games, and the overall sense of fellowship and family that came with this gathering. Even though we had never been to an ADF gathering before, and I have only been a member since the end of January, we were made to feel welcomed, which made for a fantastic experience that we can’t wait to have again next year! Although weather and having a four-year-old who likes his bedtime early meant we couldn’t stay for everything going on over the course of the festival, we stayed for as much and as long as we could and came away with new friends, insights, and ideas.
We left WV on Thursday 4/18 and with stops to get out and stretch (plus a wrong turn!) it took us about 7-8 hours to get from Charleston to Winchester, VA (where we were staying at the local Travelodge). One of the stops we made on our way to WV was to Seneca Rocks (in Pendleton County, WV), where we stopped to eat a picnic lunch and make offerings to the spirits of the road for safe travel. The weather was good for the most part, and although we encountered some cloud cover, there was no rain or other inclement weather. The route we chose to take to get to Winchester took us through some of WV’s most gorgeous Eastern Panhandle woods and mountains, which made for an enjoyable trip.
Seneca Rocks as seen from the parking lot of the Yokum’s Motel and general store. Photo taken 4/18/13.
A zoom of the rocks under some cloud cover. Photo taken 4/18/13.
Our original plan had been to camp, however $1500 in van repairs over the course of three months killed our camping gear fund, and it was ironically cheaper to stay at a hotel. The Travelodge was only about 30 minutes from the TLC Campground, which is an absolutely gorgeous campground bordered by some incredible woods. One of the things as a Mom that I loved about TLC was the play area for kids located in easy sight of the main house, kitchen/dining area, dome (where the workshops were held), bathrooms, wash station, and ritual area. This meant that Iskander could run and play with the other kids within easy sight of us while we attended rituals, workshops, and while I helped out with the Hospitality Tent. Once we checked in to our hotel, we headed out to the campground and after registering, we turned Iskander loose to burn off some energy while we explored the grounds and buildings. Dinner was on your own for Thursday night, and we had grabbed a bite to eat before coming to the campground. I spent some time exploring the woods around the campground and noticed several favourite wild flowers, fungi, and herbs: Bittercress, Yarrow, Pussyfoot/Woman’s Tobacco, Mayapples, Dandelions, Turkey Tail, and some other Polypores. I made some private offerings to Rudra-Pashupati while in the woods in gratitude for safe travels and in hopes of a good weekend. The opening ritual was in honour of Frigga and led by Blue Heron Protogrove (ADF); flowers and libations were offered to the Lady of Asgard along with prayers for a happy and excellent gathering. One of the most memorable moments of the opening ritual for me was when the smoke from the fire blew in a circle after the final offering of flowers was made, the smoke touching all those gathered, censing everyone. Iskander being tired we had to leave shortly after the ritual concluded, but I had signed up to assist with the Hospitality Tent the following morning (Friday, 4/19), so we would be back early in the morning.
Yarrow basal leaves at TLC Campground, just down from the children’s playground, bordering the woods.
Friday started out nice – sunny and comfortable, with a few clouds here and there, which would change by later in the afternoon with the arrival of a storm front preceding a cold front. After morning yoga at the hotel and breakfast, I made my way over to the Hospitality Tent as folks finished their breakfasts to check on the status of the coffee, cups, granola bars, sugar, creamer, etc. and then remained in the vicinity for the course of my shift in the event more of anything would be needed. Iskander made his way over to the play area to play with the other kids present and Matt checked out some of what the vendors had to offer. From 11:30-12:30pm I attended Rev. Michael Dangler’s workshop “Inviting, Feeding, and Honoring the First Guest: Ritual Fire Building and Tending”, which was not only fun but informative – demonstrations of fire-making techniques included Rev. Carrion Mann doing a demonstration of flint striking, and Rev. John “Fox” Adelmann providing a demonstration of fire-making using a fire bow. Among the topics discussed were not only the best way to build the fire to help it burn stronger longer, but when to feed it during ritual, and the best way to feed it (hint: don’t just throw everything on top). Issues with fire-tending in rituals was also discussed, with an excellent point being that improper care of the fire can lead to losing your fire mid-ritual. At the end, participants were given the chance to build a mini-fire with (burned) matchsticks inside of an Altoids tin using other small materials to assist (stones, bark, gravel, etc.), which was a fun project. Shortly after the workshop Rev. John “Fox” Adelmann and I went for a walk in the woods where we discussed wildcrafting, foraging, and woods- and fire-lore, which was lots of fun. Later on in the afternoon following a delicious lunch made by the awesome Tanya of Tanya’s Treats (whose brownies are to die for), I attended Wayne Keysor’s workshop “The Pagan Pilgrimage: Ancient and Modern” (1:30pm – 3:00pm), which discussed not only ancient examples of Pagan pilgrimage and how they were undertaken, but also ideas for how we can create Pagan pilgrimages today, and what can be considered modern forms of pilgrimage for Pagans. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this workshop for me was Wayne’s use of Aelius Aristides’ (117 – 181 CE) pilgrimage accounts from his Hieroi Logoi (“Sacred Tales”), and of his divine relationships with Sarapis and then Asclepius, for whom he turned to for cures for his ailments. After this workshop was concluded I was enlisted by Guy Eaves to be a “town crier” and summon children for the Children’s Footrace, so I put Iskander into a red wagon and made my way around the campground, where I went from one child in a wagon to suddenly surrounded by several, which is how we met the folks of Maple Hart Protogrove (ADF), who also turned out to be the parents of the kids Iskander had been playing with all day. The kids had fun running in the footrace, during which it began to sprinkle; the bottom finally dropped out during the children’s Rune Workshop. We stuck around for a little while but with Iskander soaking wet and hungry, we made the decision to head out a little early. There was no ritual Friday night so after dinner we went back to the hotel and I did some journaling before crashing for the night.
Ritual fire at Trillium on 4/20/13, just prior to the Main Ritual.
The morning of Saturday (4/20) dawned sunny and cooler, and we made our way back out onto the campground in layers. Turned out we wouldn’t be shedding layers so much as adding them as the day went on! Iskander went in search of his friends and we caught up with the Maple Hart Protogrove folks, and then I made sure to keep the coffee going at the Hospitality Tent. Matt attended an excellent presentation on how and why people believe in fortune telling (“Beyond the Future: How People Believe in Fortune Telling”, 9:30am-11am) which was presented by Taryn Lyon of CedarLight Grove, ADF. Taryn Lyon discussed the three categories which fortune-telling generally falls into and the functions which they serve, as well as how the role of Diviner is generally viewed by both clients and those on the outside. He enjoyed it and afterwards we spent a lot of time just socializing and enjoying the company of others. I had a fun discussion at Michael Dangler’s booth (The Magical Druid) on Icelandic folk magic and syncretism, and we did a little bit of shopping. In the afternoon, Matt took part in the Warrior Games while I took part in a Healing Ritual for Sue Eaves, who is battling cancer. Sue and Guy Eaves are the owners of TLC Campground in addition to being ADF members, and many people took part in the ritual. It was facilitated by CedarLight Grove, ADF with Arch Druid Kirk Thomas Opening and Closing the Gates, as well as leading the Toning portion of the ritual. All participants were asked to pray to and/or invoke their particular deities of healing as a part of the ritual, thus instead of being focused on a single pantheon, this was a Pan-IE ritual. Sue Eaves’ patron is Þór, so many people present asked for Þór to watch over Sue, in addition to other Norse deities; also called upon were Celtic, Greek, Roman, and Vedic deities. When the horn was brought to me, I read a portion of a hymn from the Rig Veda (Hymn 10.9: The Waters of Life – stanzas 5-7, Doniger translation), inserting Sue’s name where appropriate:
Mistresses of all the things that are chosen, rulers over all peoples, the waters are the ones I beg for a cure. Soma has told me that within the waters are all cures and Agni who is salutary to all. Waters, yield your cure as an armour for Sue Eaves’ body, so that she may see the sun for a long time.
After the prayers and invocations were completed, Sue, her family, and the healers who would be performing Reiki went into the dome, while the rest of us remained outside, ringing the dome, with Arch Druid Kirk Thomas leading us in Toning. After the ritual was concluded, I gave Sue and Guy the Guldgubber pendant that I had been instructed to bring in a dream, because I got the strong feeling that this was the time to give it away, and these were the people it needed to go to. I have lost two family members to cancer, so taking part in a ritual designed to help someone be healed and recover from it felt right and good.
Shortly afterwards, once I was 100% sure I was fully grounded and back in my own skin, I attended Rev. John “Fox” Adelmann’s (of Shining Lakes Grove, ADF) workshop “To Grasp At Radiance: The Magic and Myth of Sacred Fire”. It was a fantastic workshop which was condensed into 2 hours from 8 hours; it was a very information dense presentation covering the similarities in fire lore and usage in ritual among the different IE cultural groups, with strong emphasis on Agni and fire in Vedic ritual. Because much of Western European lore and tradition regarding sacred fire (among other religious concepts and traditions) with the advent of Christianity and its’ acceptance was destroyed, Adelmann recommends the study of Vedic sources to help bolster understanding since there is great similarity. We discussed the view of fire as a living divinity, the foundation of the home and clan, and its’ function as a “priest” and sacrificial officiant in IE fire lore. Also discussed were myths centered around fire and its’ interactions with mankind, including its’ love of women, and the role of fire in the generation of kings and rulers. It was a fantastic workshop and he had a wonderful slideshow display showing maps, artifacts, and depictions of fire deities and rituals.
The Main Ritual took place shortly afterwards, and was led by GOSH (Grove of the Seven Hills, ADF), with Ian Corrigan and Liafal leading the main (and extremely beautiful) praise offering to Brighid, in whose honour the ritual was being performed. Arch Druid Kirk Thomas led the Opening and Closing of the Gates. In addition to making personal Praise Offerings, participants were invited to contribute offerings to be placed inside Billy the Twig Man, so I put the last of my herbal winter offering blend into a paper packet and put it inside of Billy’s belly, and Matt offered an apple.
Billy the Twig Man, ready to go with offerings! 4/20/13, Main Ritual.
The Altar at the Main Ritual. 4/20/13
The Well of the Ancestors. Main Ritual, 4/20/13
The Need-Fire. 4/20/13, Main Ritual.
The Main Fire after the ritual – nothing is left of Billy!
Ian Corrigan and Liafal led a beautiful hymn of praise to Brighid in English and Irish with offerings; this was followed by personal Praise Offerings from any who wished to give them. I did not make any personal offerings during the Praise Offering portion as Brighid is not a deity I have communion with, and I had no particular requests from any friends who do have regular communion with her to make any offerings on their behalf. Afterwards, Billy the Twig Man was offered as sacrifice, being first presented and blessed, then “drowned” (in the waters of the Well, for the Ancestors), beheaded (for the Nature Spirits), and then placed in the ritual fire and burned (for the Gods). It was a moving and powerful ritual, and I feel blessed to have been able to take part in it. While final preparations were made for the post-ritual community potluck, Iskander, Matt, and I hung out for a little bit with the Maple Hart Protogrove folks in the yurt, talking a bit about other ADF gatherings and other points of Pagan interest. Afterwards, the dinner bell was rung and everyone lined up to enjoy the dishes and goodies folks brought to share. We ended up having to cut out a bit early again as Iskander was thoroughly exhausted, having spent the entire day running around, playing, and climbing without much of a break, except for the 10-15 minute stretch he laid down within the circle of the Healing Ritual to take a catnap. By the time we got back to the hotel, Iskander was solidly asleep and didn’t wake up once while we got him to the room, brushed his teeth, got him in his pajamas and into bed.
Sunday morning was even chillier than Saturday morning when we arrived at TLC for breakfast and the closing ritual; I checked on the status of the coffee and snacks at the Hospitality Tent one final time before making the round of goodbyes prior to the Closing Ritual, which was led by the folks of Maple Hart Protogrove, ADF. The Closing Ritual honoured Epona, and offerings of carrots and apples were made as well as libations; I poured out a libation of coffee (it’s the 21st century and Epona is a Goddess of travel – why not?) for safe travels on the road. I handed out some of the Mistletoe I harvested as a parting gift to folks, we exchanged contact info and helped out with some of the clean-up around TLC, and then the three of us got into the van and made our way back to WV. Epona must have enjoyed the coffee, because not only did we make very good time, but we had gorgeous weather the whole trip, and didn’t make a single wrong turn.
Mountains ringing Vernon W. Welton Park in Grant County, WV. 4/20/13
On the way home we stopped by Vernon W. Welton Park in Grant County, WV, to give Iskander a chance to stretch his legs and get in some play time. I made some offerings of small polished stones to the local River Goddesses and Spirits for continued safe travels before we left.
Trillium Gathering was fun, inspirational, exciting, and very enjoyable; the people were awesome and the rituals deeply moving. We’re looking forward to attending again in 2014!
It is a collection of words shaped by pixels on a screen composed of a mixture of lead, mercury, phosphorus, metal semiconductors, gallium arsenide, and polarized crystal-coated glass in varying quantity based on whether you have an LED or LCD screen.
It is easily ignored by simply clicking away from this blog.
It cannot follow you home, beat down your door, drag you to your shrine, berate you for a perceived “lack of devotion”, or in any way force you to change your spiritual routine because it is not in and of itself sentient and capable of freely moving of its’ own volition. It cannot make you feel lacking, bad, good, motivated, deprived, satisfied, etc. – unless you choose to give it that function. Yes, YOU. The one reading this blog post and potentially thinking it has the magical power to make you do anything, when in reality, it doesn’t.
Why am I posting this on my Dedicant Blog? Because since beginning the Dedicant Program and wading back into the waters of the wider Pagan community from my “semi-retirement” I began in 2006, I have noticed an increasing number of people placing great weight on what some Big Name Pagan™ (whether self-styled or not) has to say about how you (the reader)should practise your spirituality based on their practises and how you measure up to their scale of accepted Pagan-ness. Sometimes, they target a specific group of Pagans; sometimes, they critique Pagans as a whole. And the general roll call of perceived lack as stated by these Big Name Pagans™ generally runs as follows (I’m going to paraphrase here greatly). Some of you will doubtless be able to pick out specific bloggers you’ve encountered from these paraphrases alone:
[Fill in the blank with group of choice] aren’t showing as much religious/spiritual devotion as I do, therefore they suck.
Solitaries suck.
Groups suck.
If you have a henotheistic relationship with the Gods, you suck.
If you’re a soft polytheist, you suck.
If you’re a hard polytheist, you suck.
[Fill in the blank with group of choice] doesn’t do things the way I do in ritual, therefore they suck.
Your altar doesn’t look like mine (all 10 of them), therefore you suck. Because you’re not devoted enough to the Gods, so the Gods think you suck too. Because if you were really devoted to the Gods, you’d have 10 altars too.
You have too much fun in ritual, therefore you suck.
You don’t have enough fun in ritual, therefore you suck.
You don’t wear the right clothing in ritual, therefore you suck.
You wear clothing in ritual. You suck.
Traditions suck, and if you’re in a tradition you suck.
Not being initiated into a tradition means you suck and shouldn’t be a Pagan/Wiccan/Witch.
You’re not ME, therefore you suck and the Gods will never love you, because it’s all about the Gods and the Gods love me. NYAH!
Paganism sucks. I’m starting my own Pagan tradition, but it won’t suck because it’s my tradition, which removes all potential suckitude.
You’re not focusing on the Gods enough, you suck.
You focus on the Gods too much, you suck.
You focus on Gods. You suck.
I’m sure you’re seeing a pattern here. And it’s oddly reminiscent of high school drama (“Susie is wearing pink jeans with a purple shirt and listens to The Bangles. I mean seriously, who still listens to The Bangles? The Bangles suck. She sucks.”). I graduated from high school in 1997 – don’t miss it, and don’t see why anybody would want to act like they’re still in it. Frankly, I think it’s ridiculous just how wrapped up some people have gotten in what someone (they’ve probably never met and never will meet) with a keyboard and a bad attitude has to say about them. I’m seeing folks get upset, bothered, angry, cheesed off, depressed, and miserable because of the above bullet points (either singly or in combination). And I’m here to tell you today that you don’t need to get bent out of shape by it, because in the end, they are just blog posts. A collection of words shaped by pixels on a screen composed of a mixture of lead, mercury, phosphorus, metal semiconductors, gallium arsenide, and polarized crystal-coated glass in varying quantity based on whether you have an LED or LCD screen. They are easily ignored by simply clicking away from the blog.
If what you do spiritually works for you, do it – whether alone, in a group, in a trad, in an organisation, in a cabal, whatever. As long as it doesn’t involve fraudulent activity, con artistry, plagiarism, theft, BS claims, brainwashing, or anything else patently illegal, rock on with your spiritual self, and stop caring about whether or not some twit with an axe to grind likes/approves of/endorses what you do. (If it does involve fraudulent activity, con artistry, plagiarism, theft, BS claims, brainwashing, or anything else patently illegal – sorry, those are things which legitimately suck.)
Before getting bent out of shape by something blogged by someone on the internet, I humbly suggest you ask yourself the following simple yes/no questions:
(1) Is this person’s view relevant to your spiritual experiences?
(2) Is this person an Elder specifically connected to your faith/tradition/lineage?
(3) Is this person your priest/ess, teacher, mentor, guru, patron saint, etc.?
(4) Do you really want to add more unnecessary drama to your life?
If the answer to the above questions is “no” then you really have no reason to care what some Big Name Pagan™ thinks of your relationship with the Gods and Goddesses, your sacred space, your choice to be solitary/in a group, or your ritual format. Stop giving them more credence than they deserve, and if it bothers you that much, stop going to their blog and reading their posts. Don’t waste your time engaging in something that makes you miserable if it can be at all avoided.
Am I being sarcastic and pointed in this blog post at times? You betcha. Because this is my blog post. It consists of my thoughts typed out on a laptop keyboard. A collection of words shaped by pixels on a screen composed of a mixture of lead, mercury, phosphorus, metal semiconductors, gallium arsenide, and polarized crystal-coated glass in varying quantity based on whether you have an LED or LCD screen. They are easily ignored by simply clicking away from my blog. They cannot make you feel lacking, bad, good, motivated, deprived, satisfied, etc. – unless you choose to give them that function. In the end, words only have as much power and authourity in your life as you choose to give them. What is important to you? Being happy with who you are? Making your own decisions based on your needs and situation? Or constantly allowing the opinions of others to decide what/who/how you should be? As the saying goes, the choice is up to you.
And now: proof that you shouldn’t take everything on the internet so darned seriously.
