Dear Friends,

So as I was pre-writing on a project I realized I needed to define the idea of the Acrostic Eye, and then I realized that I while I’ve mentioned the idea on here before, I hadn’t dived into it… and I get the feeling I may be bringing it up again so into the Definitions page it goes…

The Acrostic Eye is a concept I first saw mentioned in one of Starhawk‘s books, and while she specifies it as a Witch thing I would suggest that ALL Pagans and Polytheists experience this phenomena.

Now Acrostics, for those unfamiliar with them, are both a type of poem and a type of puzzle… basically you can see different messages and meanings in the poetic style depending on how you read it… for example if you take the first letter of each line or sentence or word you may get a hidden meaning.

The Idea is that as a Witch or Magick Worker dives into their studies they begin to look at the world around them differently.  One begins to consider the literal and symbolic, the metaphorical and the material and the metaphysical, and their relationships at work in the world around them.  My basic contention is that for ANY Pagan or Polytheist the process of learning about the myths and stories and Gods and Spirits… that the symbolic and mythopoetic and the everyday overlap in much the same way…

After all in looking at an approaching Thunderstorm is it all that uncommon for Pagans to see, both and at the same time, the complex interplay of atmospheric and meteorological phenomena, and the Presence of a Diety?  That sort of double-vision moment, that’s the Acrostic Eye.

Peace,

Pax

(edited to add)

PS- I would invite any who feel so moved, to share some of their Acrostic Eye moments here.