Month: February 2009

Signs from the Goddess… but, which one?

On By PaxIn Bouncing off the Gods, Chrysalis, Imbolc Blogging, Pagan Ponderings, The GoddessLeave a comment

So I was digging through some of my various BoS’s earlier this evening, the ones I still have anyway, looking for some of my Tarot notes as part of my Imbolctide resolution to relearn/regain my skills and knowledge with the Tarot… I was at least at the point where I didn’t need to leap for my copy of Eden Grey’s Complete Guide to Tarot (note to self, add to suggested reading)…

Anyhow, in searching through these artifacts of my Witchcraft I found a booklist for a Pagan reading group that never quite got off the ground.  One of the books listed was R. E. Witt’s Isis in the Ancient World, which is a wonderfully in depth book about Isis as she was worshiped over the entirety of the ancient times she was worshiped… it also shows how She was not only in a three way competition with Christ and Mithras for the hearts and minds of the Roman peoples; this book also shows just how much She and Her worship influenced the Christianity that eventually followed it.
I spent a short Alaskan Summer developing a bit of a serious relationship with the Lady of Beer and Bread, for personal reasons.  This book helped me a lot in that particular quest.

So, of course having found a reminder of this fabulous book, I wanted to add it to the Suggested Reading section here at Chrysalis.  So I go over to Amazon.com to get the bibliographic information… because I like to give folks enough tools to track down the books on their own rather than just a direct link to a bookseller… mainly because I like to encourage folks to support their local Pagan bookseller…

Anyhow (again) I go onto Amazon and what is sitting there on the we suggest this book window but Isis in the Ancient World?!?

Now normally, I try to maintain a certain healthy skepticism.  I haven’t, despite what you may think from some of my ‘bouncing off the gods’ posts, had all that many woo-woo experiences in my time as a Witch.   So while a part of my waking mind wanted to say…

“Well, now this could just be a coincidence, don’t get all X-files about it or something!”

That part of my gut, and heart, and my younger self said…

“Hmm… this is interesting… and we were feeling like we should have said something more about the Goddess in our little evangelical rant the other day… maybe this is a nudge?!  This feels like a nudge!”

I had to agreee with…well essentially myself, that it did indeed feel like more than mere coincidence.  But if it was a nudge, who exactly was nudging?!

Is it the Threefold Lady of the Moon, Goddess of the Witches?

Is it the Throne of Kings, Isis?

Or is Brigid, Lady of Learning and Inspiration nudging me in some needed direction during this her Holy time?

Or perhaps as we are approaching Her upcoming modern festival Aphrodite is pushing me toward poetry, one of my first loves?

For myself I shall contemplate these questions and keep sillent for the moment.  To meditate and cogitate and to post and poetize and theorize on the morrow.

Peace, Love, Mischief and Wisdom unto you and yours this Imbolctide,

Pax

journaling stuff 02/04/09

On By PaxIn everydayLeave a comment

So I have started to seriously re-pick up Tarot as a regular part of my Witchcraft… I think I need the scrying practice and the focus shifting that Tarot can give us.  It is a useful tool for scrying and for helping to look at our situation in a new way…

I worked over Imbolc, but it wasn’t to horribly busy in the park, especially as we had a solid rain all day.  It was, strangely appropriate for a Fire festival, in that Brigid is, in part, a Goddess of healing and the Element of Water is associated with that.  Given all the prayers I am sure have been spoken in the last several months relating to healing and cleansing the U.S., well I am not surprised there was rain.

Tonights skies were crystal clear and full of doom.   The overnight low is projected to go into the 20’s… this wouldn’t be so alarming, even in Florida had we not been having a number of nights with lows in the 30’s and 40’s recently… its really doing a number on the plants!

In other news I am working on another piece about the ethics and virtues of Witchcraft, since there have been a lot of comment streams and discussions I’ve run into lately that seem to think that Witchcraft and Wicca are lacking in those areas.

Also on the workbench is a piece about the presence of, and importance of supporting, Pagan based Charity organizations; or at least working with and supporting Pagan friendly charities.

I am also working on some of my poetry, and have decided to try taking up knitting of all things!

Peace,

Pax

A little Witchy Good News…

On By PaxIn Chrysalis, Pagan Evangelical, witcheryLeave a comment

For various reasons I am feeling the need to dig into myself a bit and pull out a little old fashioned Witchy good news and Pagan evangelism… here goes…

Hello,

I am Geoffrey, or Pax, and I am blessed to be a Witch.  A servant, worshiper, and beloved child of the Goddess and God.  I found Witchcraft when I was a young man in his late teens and early twenties looking for himself, looking for faith and philosophy, hoping to define his ethics and values and morals.  Witchcraft, and Paganism, my dear Paganfolk, helped me to find it, and so much more.

The Horned God of the Witches, as Herne, or Pan, or Cernunos you may have heard of Him.  He is born and grows and lives and dies, then he travels through the mysteries of the otherworld to be reborn, each year.  His love and his strength are offered freely to us, if we would but open our hearts to it and to Him.  His wisdom enlivens the mind and his compassion holds us close, for whatever the trials and travails we face in this lifetime, He too has faced.  He knows, and He cares.

The Great Mother, The Lady, the Threefold Goddes of the Moon who is Maiden and Mother and Crone.  She is magick, and too inspiration, and poetry and song and determination and fiersome inteligence.  As a poet, and Witchcraft’s especial midwife, told to us; Her love is poured forth across the lands.  If we spend every moment of our lives singing of Her we could but describe Her shadow.

They are the Ebb and Flow of All of Creation.  The light and dark, the Yin and Yang.  They are present in every atom and cell of Creation, and Creation is but one atom, in one cell, within Them.

They have led me in my life thus far to seek after wisdom, and learning, and idealism, and humor, and hope.  Their loving example has helped me to open my heart to the love of a good and decent man.  Their patience and love has helped me to open my heart further than I though possible, seeking to follow Her law “Love unto all beings”.

Their loving kindness and flowed into me and opened up the doors of perception and compassion within me; through Them I have opened places in my heart for other Gods and Goddesses, while still remaining true to Them.

When I catch sight of the Moon through the clouds, or I see the noonday clouds perfectly reflected in the windows of a sky scraper, They are there; for They are always there and always with Me and always there waiting for you.

They are not the only Gods, nor is Witchcraft the only Pagan path.  There is wisdom and honor and values and faith and a rightful relationship with the Gods in any of the Faiths, Pagan and non-Pagan.

Yet for me, whatever other Gods I open the doors to my heart to, and whatever other paths I walk in my journey as a Pagan; I will always be a Witch.  I will always treasure my time with Them and Their lessons and love.

Bliss, and Blessed Be.

Imbolc 2009

On By PaxIn Imbolc, Imbolc Poetry Blogging, Poetry, Prayer, Seeking1 Comment

Imbolc,

First time in a long time

Picking up the Cards

Rearranging the Shards

Lookin’ for and Scrying in

The Mirrors of my Contemplation again.

~

Stretchin’ so many muscles,

I haven’t even felt in a long long time.

~

Relearning to Write,

Relearning how to Scry,

Relearning how to Breathe,

Relearning how to Rhyme,

And the Ebb and the Flow,

And don’t you know,

Relearning my Craft

All Alone in my own Time.

~

First time in a long long time

Picking up the Cards

Rearranging the Shards

At Imbolctide.

Dear, Dear Goddess…

On By PaxIn Prayer11 Comments

Dear, Dear Goddess,

Help me to find patience with those who have mistaken their need to run away from their tremendous Mommy and Daddy and Church issues, for a Pagan spiritual calling.  You know, the ones who like to talk about how wonderful and enlightened and tollerant the Pagan community is an then when the topic of Christianity comes up their head snap back like a giant Pez dispenser spouting off ignorant and hateful things about Christianity?  Yeah, they are exhausting my love for other beings as of late…

Thank you,

Your loving Servant and Child,

Pax

Imbolctide!!!

On By PaxIn Imbolc, My Florida Sabbats, Reinventing the Wheel5 Comments

So there is this idea in a lot of sources is of Imbolc as somehow being the first stirring of Spring.  Coming from Anchorage, Ak. and now living in Orlando, Fl. ~ I am really not all that into Imbolc as a stirring of Spring…

Although January and February do mark the Strawberry harvest, among others, in my locale!

For me, and this lack of Springy spirit may in part be due to the annual influence on my childhood of the Fur Rendezvous festival in the Anchorage, area.  Fur Rondy, is an annual Winter carnival that includes the World Championchip Sled Dog Races, carnival rides and games set up in downtown Anchorage, arts and crafts fairs and competitions, and social events of all sorts.  In part this is a celebration of the lengthening days as we move from Winter to Spring.

For me this returning of light and sense of renewal and creativity is the big part of what Imbolc is all about.  It’s why, despite my mixed past with the Celtic Gods, I really really dig Bride and the Poetry and Hearth and Crafts related aspects of Imbolc.

Imbolc is about  new beginings, creativity and invention are the themes for this season as we reach outward into the light half of the year.  This is a time of continued and growing engagement with the world around us, beyond our home and hearth, after the deep focus on our friends and families of Yule.  We start to look forward to the activities of Spring and Summer, we start looking towards the new secular year and the things we want to do…

I am realizing, that for me at least, on a very deep level the Wheel of the Year is overlaid with Spirals that wind in and out and intertwine with one another.  For half the year we are Spiraling outward from Samhain to Beltaine, from Death (and the mysteries of what lies beyond) to Birth and Beginigns and Growth and learning and LIFE…

Then, for half of the year we spiral inward from Beltaine to Samhain…

Death and Growth and Life and Learning and Death and Life again…

Time to pour a few libations in the chilly Florida air…

Peace foks,

Pax