Pentagrams Throughout History

Hey everyone!

I am SO excited! I just got a new piece of jewelry, every girl's wet dream :). This is even more special because it is Pentacle of the Goddess and this is my first pentagram.

I have been leery of wearing the pentacle in public due to the negative connotations surrounding the pentagram and its associations with Satanism and black magick. However I found this necklace and it is just so beautiful (and I am sick and tired of succumbing to the expectations and ideals of the masses) that I had to get it.

I love the knot-work feel to both the pentagram and the flower design, it gives it a Celtic aspect almost. My favorite thing about the necklace is the fact that it takes a symbol of faith and divinity for so many and adds to it femininity, strength, and nature in a gorgeous display.

For those of ya'll who don't know, the pentagram is a big aspect of pagan culture, especially Wiccan. But it is also important in other religions and cultures, including Ancient Christianity. I can see the "Holy Crap" faces now, but it is true. The Ancient Christians believed that the five points of the pentagram were directly associated with the five wounds that Christ received while on the cross and that it warded off demons and other evil spirits.

We've Hit 1000!!!!

I cannot believe that ya'll have come back over 1000 times. That is freakin' incredible. I know for the veteran bloggers out their, 1000 is miniscule compared to their number of pageviews. But for a girl who's only been blogging for a few months, and who has been slacking in the past one [:( SORRY!], 1000 views is unbelievable. I love you guys, ya'll are amazing, and I promise, promise, promise, that I will get back to posting.

As Always (but with some added love today)
Blessed Be!!

Apologies

Hey guys!

I am so sorry I haven't been posting these past few weeks. It's just been so hectic with school and work and studying and family and trying to squeeze in some time to focus on my path. But I will defenitely get back to posting on a regular schedule.

One exciting thing though, is that I have joined a group on campus that is focused on education and acceptance for pagan practices. The group is called Earth Spirit Association (ESA for short). It was started last year at my campus but unfortunatley I was not aware of it. It's really exciting for me that GSU has this group now because I finally have a community of like-minded individuals to go to when I have questions or concerns. Up until now I had never even met another pagan face to face, so this is a big deal to me.

Well this post is gonna be kinda short, but I promise that I'm gonna post another one either later today or tomorrow that will be longer. I am also gonna try and catch up with PBP posts that I have gotten behind on.

Glad to back up.
Blessed Be!

Barefoot Beauty

Hey guys. Y'all are probably mad at me 'cus I didn't post Wednesday like I said I would. It's been kinda hectic this week starting back to school and having to juggle classes with work for the first time. So it might take me a little while to get back into the groove of posting regularly, but I will get there.

Well today is supposed to be my Pagan Blog Project post. However, today's letter is "Q". Okay so this is like the toughest letter ever to come up with topics about (besides like Z but that's a rant for another time). So instead of coming up with a subpar post that I hate and that probably will suck majorly, I think I'm just going to skip it and if I ever come up with a good idea I'll post it late.

So instead of doing PBP, I'm gonna do the newest prompt from Sunfire over at Pagan Blog Prompts.

How do you feel about going barefoot?

Do you? When, how? Where?

And of course, why?

Pagans In College

Hey guys, how are y'all doing. Well like I said the other day, I'm gonna be trying really hard to get back into a regular posting schedule. I don't think I'm gonna be posting almost every day like I was, but I do think I might start posting on certain days. I will defenitely be posting on Wednesday and Friday so check back then for updates. I might include Tuesdays and Sunday to that list, which would mean four posts a week and that sounds pretty good to me. What do ya'll think? I also want to ask y'all to send me emails with any topics or ideas that y'all might want me to talk about. I am open to any suggestions.

Well yesterday was my first day back to school. It went pretty well, I only had two classes: World History and Ancient Philosophy. Since it was the first day we really didn't get into any topics, we just covered the basic outlines for the course and basic "house-keeping" stuff.

What was interesting for me though was my philosophy class. Though we didn't jump right into the course material, my professor did give us a little lecture about what we would be learning in class this semster. One of the things she said we are going to be focusing on is the struggle between pagan and anglo religious belief systems.

Pagans and Parents and Questions, OH MY!!

Hey guys, how y'all doing? I cannot believe that it has been over a week since I last posted! I feel so horrible that I've left y'all hanging. It's just been so hectic 'cus we've only had the internet back up for the past few days and then I've been so busy juggling work and back to school errands that I haven't had time to think much less blog. But I promise that I will get back on my regular schedule and I won't abandon y'all again.

Well, I missed the P's for the Pagan Blog Project and I will get to those, but I want to skip on ahead to the Q's. Actually this one could technically be both, so I guess this post is me minding my "Ps & Qs". That was a really dorky joke...but I like it :).

So the thing is that I am still living with my parents and my older brother, the problem is that they don't know I'm pagan. Oh they know certain aspects of me being pagan: like I'm extremely eco-friendly and I am in to magick and fey. But they don't realize that it is more than recycling or thinking Tinkerbell is awesome (which I do). They don't know that I actually think the Earth is alive and sentient or that I believe that magick and the fey are real and not myth.

Trouble On The Net

Hey guys, sorry I haven't been posting this week. My internets still down from that light ing strike Monday. Thankfully we now have our water back though. A friend of my brothers came by Wednesday and looked at it. We were worried we were gonna have to pull up the pump and replace it like last time, but it turned out it was just the relay box. So we went from having to spend $700 to only paying $150. I think it was a pretty good turnout, the most important thing is that I can take a shower at my own house now.

I am excited because I just started back up with my tarot journal. He past few months have been very hectic with starting the new job and everything, so I kinda let it get lost in the shuffle. But things like that happen, and I have gotten better and I am making entries every day now. I forgot how much fun it can be to read the cards and try to interpret what the combinations mean. Hopefully I won't get outa practice again

Well I've got to go unfortunately. I will try to get the net fixed this weekend so I can back to my regular posting schedule. For now I hope y'all have a great weekend and as always Blessed Be!

Mother Nature Strikes Back

Hey guys sorry I haven't posted in a while. This weekend was a girls weekend with my BFF so we vegged on pizza and Bourne movies. We also saw the new Total Recall which is really good. It reminded me of Inception because of the whole question of wether memories are real or implanted and if it even matters. I kinda liked the one character's take on memories: they are just chemical reactions in your brain brought on by sensory perceptions and implanted memories just take out the middle man. Overall it was really good especially when your in the mood for an ass-kicker.

I couldn't post yesterday cus lightning hit a pine tree in our front yard and blew off a trail off back going sown the side. Thats not all though the lighting ran down the tree to the water pipes nearby and then all the way to the well pump out back. At one point the pipe couldn't handle the pressure and exploded. So now the well is out and we don't have water. It must have followed the phone lines too, cus it blew the phone, the wireless router, and the e-car in the desktop so we have no Internet (thankfully we had a spare phone we could hook up so we can get calls).

The weirdest part is that almost the exact same thing happened last year at around the same time too. Lightning hit a tree in the back yard then but it still blew the well, an took out our 65" tv too...we still haven't got that thing fixed if we even can. These things amaze me: not only did the same circumstances happen but they happened almost exactly a year apart. I wonder if there is a lesson or a message in this, cus everything happens for a reason. Are we taking to much for granted and we are being shown what it would be like not to have creature comforts? Is this Mother Nature's attempt at telling us that we aren't appreciating her? I don't know, what I do know I that this proves that nature is not something that can be predicted or controlled. And as for that saying bout lightning not striking at the same place twice, I do believe that might be an old wives tale (a false one).

Well that's going to be all for tonight, I was lucky to get a chance to post what I have. I hope y'all are safe and happy and as always Blessed Be!

Revisiting the House of Night

**Warning May Contain Spoilers**

I just finished Destined, the last book (for now) in the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast. I've been reading the series for fun as well as for the Pagan Reading Challenge and I thought I would give a review for the whole series.

For those of ya'll who don't know, these books are about a 16-year-old Oklahoma girl named Zoey Redbird who is chosen by the vampyre goddess Nyx to become a vampyre fledgling and Nyx's representative in the modern world.  After she is "marked" she moves into the Tulsa House of Night (vamp finishing school) and soon forms a close-knit group of friends and allies.

Throughout the next nine books Zoey and her friends team up with other vamps backed by Nyx to battle against the House of Night's High Priestess (principle) turned evil immortal, Neferet, who is allied with the personification of Darkness and who's main goal is to cause chaos and destruction.

Celebrating the Harvest

Brightest Blessings Everyone!

Today is the ancient Celtic festival of the harvest, the first of three harvest festivals including Mabon and Samhain. This day takes its name from the Irish god Lugh, one of the Tuatha De Danann. Today is know as Lughnasadh is Ireland and Lunasdál in Scotland. However, Lughnasadh has an older name, Brón Trogain. This name refers to the pain that comes with childbirth, which is fitting because this is the time of the year that the earth gives birth to the first of her bounty.

The Lughnasadh festival was started by Lugh as a feast dedicated to his foster-mother, Tailtiu, who died from exhaustion after clearing a great forest in Ireland to be cultivated and farmed. She told the men of Ireland on her death-bed to hold games in her honor, and if they did so, Ireland would not be without song. That is why it is not uncommon to have contests of strength and skill at this time. Her name, which comes from the Celtic Talantiu or "The Great One of the Earth", suggests that she was a personification of the land itself. We honor her today for her sacrifice as well as the sacrifice of the earth, because no harvest comes without a sacrifice.

Blue Corn Moon

Merry Meet everyone! I hope ya'll are doing great.

Just in case ya'll don't know, this August we are actually gonna have two full moons. The first will be tomorrow and the second will be on the 31st. (Oh and the title IS a reference to Pocahontas :) for those of ya'll who didn't catch it)

When two full moons happen within the same month, the second is usually called a "blue moon", even though the moon usually looks like an other. Another interpretation of the blue moon rule concerns when four full moons occur within the same season (spring, summer, fall, or winter) and the third full moon out of the four is considered the blue moon. Most years have twelve full moons and they normally occur monthly. However, the solar calendar year has about eleven more days than the lunar year. Those extra days accumulate and so every 2~3 years (2.66 to be exact) there is an extra full moon. It's works very much like leap years, which is why some people use the term leap month rather than blue moon.

The term "blue moon" is thought to come from the Middle English belewe which means both "blue" and "betray". Therefore a belewe moon is one that betrays the normal cycle of one full moon per monthly cycle.

The term "once in a full moon" has been used since the early 1800s and refers to situations that are uncommon, but not rare. The ironic part though, is that blue moons are actually not that uncommon. Like I said before, they occur about every three years. In 1999 there were two blue moons within three months of each other. The association with blue moons and rare occurrences may come from the literal meaning of "blue moon" where the full moon appears to have a blue tint, which actually is a rare event. This event can be caused by smoke and dust particles in the atmosphere, which happens after severe forest fires or volcanic eruptions.

The Mystery of the Oracle

Hey guys! How ya'll doin' today. It's been a good day for me and it'll get even better when I can cuddle with my pillow :). Today is day number two for the O's on the Pagan Blog Project.I had a hard time coming up with an idea, but I finally decided to write about something that confuses the heck outta me while at the same time mystifies me: Oracle Decks!

I am currently learning to read tarot cards and when I was searching for a deck to purchase (I eventually got the Mystic Dreamer deck and I LOVE IT!!) I kept coming across oracle decks. I've tried to search for information about oracle decks but there doesn't seem to be much information about them. The only thing I have learned so far is that an oracle deck can have anywhere from 44 to 55 cards in it and that no deck has the same kinda cards. I guess it is a completely unique experience for each person and no two people read the cards the same way.

Phoenix Rising

The first few lines of this poem just came to me while I was trying to go to sleep. They were so emotional that I had to write them down. Once I started writing I couldn't stop and this is the result, without editing or review. It's very descriptive of my life and I think the words and the imagery are beautiful, I even cried a little while writing. I decided that I couldn't wait to post it and see what ya'll thought about it.

Jobs and Atheism

Hey guys! I hope ya'll are doing great. Update on the whole job scandal: I will get put on payroll on the 6th of August. That means that I won't get paid for this week or next week, not to mention the month I've already been there, but I will get paid for any time after that. WHICH SUCKS!!! I'm kinda torn about whether I should stay or go. I mean I've already put in so much time trying to get this job that I feel like I need to just go ahead and finish it out. Besides I need this job if I ever hope to get into vet school. On the other hand though is the fact that these people will get a month and a half of my time and I get nothing for it. I just feel really lost and really confused about what I should do.

A Very Lost Wicked Wytch

Okay so today is gonna be a simple and pretty short post, but I was hoping to get some frustration off my chest and hopefully get some advice if ya'll have any.

I put in an application to one of the vet offices in town about three months ago. A few weeks after I put in the application  I got a call back from them asking me to come in for an interview. I ended up going back for another one a few weeks after that. After about a month of going back and forth for interviews, they told me I had the job as a vet tech. YAY!? Well I celebrated too soon.

I noticed something hinky after about the first week: they had not given me any paperwork to sign, which is not a good thing because that means I am not on their insurance or workman's comp which means if I get hurt they are screwed. OK weird but hey they might have just gotten distracted, it does get pretty busy there and there is a major employee shuffle going on (they are losing three techs and there are two including me in training). Well the week before last (3rd week working) I took matters into my own hands and asked the office manager about paperwork and I was wondering when I would get my first paycheck. I was told that I was still in my training period and guess what: I DON'T GET PAID FOR TRAINING! So that means they got three weeks of my labor and they don't have to give me anything for it.

Owls In Myth and Legend

Okay it's a little late but like they say, "Better late than never!" So here is my first "O" post for the Pagan Blog Project. I decided to do Owls and their connection to different pagan traditions (mainly Celtic and Cherokee but I also threw in some Greek). I have always had a special love and affinity for owls so this post is one that is close to my heart.

One of the most well known myths about owls is the sacred owl companion of the Greek goddess Athena. Originally she had a crow as her companion. she eventually grew tired of the crows prankster attitude and banished him. Seeking a replacement, Athena chose the owl for her wisdom and serious nature. As Athena's companion, the owl would reveal to her unseen truths.

In the Celtic tradition, the owl is know as cailleach-oidhche and she represents wisdom, stealth, initiation, change and detachment. She is clairvoyant and a seeker of deeper knowledge. She is also a sign that death is only a new beginning. She has great intuition and courage and she always follows her instincts. She is a bringer of hidden truth, omens, and secrets and she can help unmask those who wish to deceive you. Barn owls are especially sacred and known for being able to see the hidden and hear the unspoken. This is because barn owls have exceptional hearing and sight, even compared to other owls.

Respect the Veil

Hey guys, hope ya'll had a good weekend. I know I've missed a couple posts for this week, it's just been one of those weeks, and I could not think of anything to write about, but thankfully my writer's block has been cured. Thanks to the lovely ladies at Covered In Light and It's Only Cloth, I have a topic that is controversial, widespread, and extremely important for any woman whether she be Pagan or otherwise.

The topic for today is concerned with women who veil, which means they cover their head and/or hair for spiritual reasons. Covered In Light is a group, a sisterhood as they call themselves, of pagan women who have chosen or been called to veil themselves. Their mission is to raise awareness of the discrimination that women face when they do make the decision to wear a veil. These women are met with outright anger and hatred and are often shunned for their choice in dress. Those individuals who act so heinously towards these women defend themselves by claiming that veiling is wrong because it oppresses women and supports the Muslim and Islamic faiths (I will discuss this shortly). The sisterhood has decided that this year they will hold the First Annual International Covered in Light Day on which they ask women of all faiths to wear a covering to show support for women who choose to veil.

Names, Magickal Names

IT'S FINALLY FRIDAY!!! I've been leading up to this post all week and now I'm finally get to talk about Magickal Names. I love discussing magickal names because it is such and intensely personal and complex process (if you do it right).

Taking a magickal name means choosing a name other than your birth name to use during ritual and other craft practices. Magickal names are not required but they do add dimension and mysticism to your work. I took on a magickal name as part of my spiritual dedication to the craft and my deities. When part of a coven, it is often traditional to study for a year and a day before deciding on ones magickal name. Being a solitary practitioner, I had no limits or guidelines to how or when I chose my name. It was a long time before I discovered my name, and I do mean discovered because I never made the conscious decision to take on a magickal name.

Numerology, Decoding Your Personality (Part 3)

Hey guys, hope ya'll are doing great.

Well I did promise that I would do numerology today, and I'm going to keep that promise. Today we're gonna talk about your Sun number.

Sun Number

Basically your Sun number is Numerology's equivalent of Astrology's Sun or Zodiac sign. It is based on the month and day you were born and describes your personality on a basic level. Often Sun numbers are described as the anchor of one's numerology chart. It is your starting point, your island in the vast sea that is your life. Your Sun number reveals how you approach changes and how they influence you.

The Sun number was discovered by Master Numerologist Hans Decoz. The combination of our birth month and birth date is a very special number and it is used in many Numerology calculations. Before Hans Decoz, this important number had no name. He realized that looking at the Sun number level, we are better able to tune into our baseline personalities. Understanding your Sun number can help you understand why you make the choices you do as well as understanding why you experience certain feelings at different moments.

Wicked Wytch Mashup

I hope ya'll are having an awesome week. I was having a pretty good one until today. I recently started a new job, been there about two weeks now. Well today I found out that I will not be getting paid for the hours I have already worked. Technically I am still in the "training" period so that I can learn all the procedures, but this training is unpaid and I won't get put on payroll until after my training ends. The kicker is the fact that there is not set length for the training period, it's kinda a play by the ear thing, so I currently have no clue when I will actually start getting paid for working. YIPEE!!! Well enough about me, let's go ahead and jump into today's topic.


I know ya'll are expecting me to talk about the last two Core numbers in numerology, and I was so planning on doing that today. However, I was worried that I would bore ya'll by repeating the same/similar topic each day and besides, pushing that post back gives me a carrot to dangle to keep ya'll coming back :). So instead of numerology, I'm going to use the latest prompt from Pagan Blog Prompts (there is a button on the right hand sidebar if ya'll want to go check out this blog)/ So her it goes...


"Religion, Faith, and Beliefs...while these three words are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. What do they mean to you?"


I really like this topic because I have strong opinions on religion and faith. I personally do not like the institution of religion and I usually respond to questions about my religion with the statement that I "am spiritual, but not religious." Before I actually get to my dissection of that phrase I'd like to discuss the official definition of each word versus my own interpretations.

Numerology, Decoding Your Personality (Part 2)

Ok so last time we talked a little about the history of numerology as well as some detailed information on the  Life Path number. Today we are going to discuss the Expression number as well as the Personality number.

Expression Number

The Expression number, also called the Destiny number, is concerned with your natural strengths and weakness that are given to you and influenced by the time your were born. This number is considered the foundation on which your Life Path rests. It is based on the letters of your full birth name (the one on your birth certificate), because your name represents the your personal history and heritage up to the moment of birth and this history shaped who you are. What we are named is no accident, our parents use intuition as a guiding force in choosing those names. I am a good example of this. My parents had two options for my name, my mom was set on one and my dad on the other. Eventually they chose the one that combined the names of my grandmothers. See, it could have gone either way, but there was a reason why they chose the one over the other, and I for one have not regretted their decision.

Comments Please!

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to thank all of you for viewing my blog. I know that it is very small and shabby right now but I am working on that. I wanted to ask ya'll to please comment on things that you like, that you don't like, and just general ideas for the blog. I want to turn this into a really good blog and the only way I can do that is to know what you guys want to see. So I am open to any and all comments and suggestions, just post it directly to the blog or shoot me an email (my email address is listed on the Wicked Wytch page).

Again thanks for the views,
Phoenix Starfire

Numerology, Decoding Your Personality (Part 1)

Since today's post is for the Pagan Blog Project 2012, the topic is a N word. This is actually going to be a multiple part blog involving numerology and magickal names. To start off lets get a little 411 on Numerology 101 (yes pun is intended).

Numerology is the study of how numbers can be used to predict the future or gain knowledge about ones personality and attributes. Numbers have been used to gain divine wisdom since ancient times and evidence of numerology can be seen in many civilizations including the Chinese, Greek, Egyptians, and Mayans. The Mayan calender that predicts the end of the world this December employs the use of numerology (I am neither promoting or discounting the authenticity of their prophecy).

What is widely used today is the Greek system created by the mathematician Pythagoras. He combined the disciplines of the Arabic, Druid, Phoenician, Egyptian, and Essene sciences to create something new. It did not stop there though, it has continued to grow and evolve over the centuries and is still growing today. Numerology has become more widespread today than it has ever been.

Though numerology declares ALL numbers significant, there are five numbers that are considered the Core numbers of numerology. These numbers define you and have great insight into who you are. These numbers are your Life Path number, your Expression number, your Heart's Desire number, your Birth Day number, and your Personality number. Each one uses your personal birth name and/or birth date, therefore they are rooted in the person you are.

Life Path Number

We will start with the Life Path number because it is the most important number in your Numerology chart. Your Life Path is a road map to how your life will play out and it will influence the challenges that you face along the way. It also influences your general character and attitude towards life. The reason the Life Path is so important is because it uses your entire birth date and never changes.

To calculate your Life Path number you must reduce each unit of your birth date (month/day/year) to a single-digit or Master number (Master numbers are 11, 22, and 33). Then add each of the resulting numbers together and reduce the total again to either a single-digit or Master number. I'll do mine as an example: April 12, 1992.

April is the 4th month, so we have a 4.

It was the 12th day of the month and 1 + 2 = 3, so now we have a 3.

The year was 1992 and 1 + 9 + 9 + 2 = 21 and 2 + 1 = 3, so now we have another 3.

Now you add them all together: 4 + 3 + 3 = 10 = 1 + 0 = 1

So my Life Path number is 1

One thing to remember about numerology is that the numbers are not the only important part, the method of getting the numbers is also important. The reason why you have to get your Life Path number by first adding and reducing each section of your birth day is because each part represent other sections of your numerology chart: your Period cycles. Your Period cycles (this has nothing to do with menstruation) are three long term cycles that divide your life into thirds. The first is derived from the reduced number of your birth month (4), the second from your birth date (3), and the last from your birth year (3). This is what makes your Life Path number so important: it is found by combining the numbers of your three Period cycles.

Once you know your Life Path number you can use it to learn about yourself and make important decisions about your life from your major in college to whether you and your partner will be compatible.

My Example

Having 1 has my Life Path number suggests that I have the skills to be a leader and that I demand independence and personal attainment. i am also capable of creative inspiration and great determination and ambition. i am also a great project started and I am at my best when challenged. I have a natural tendency to lead and I generally take charge even when not appropriate. I am highly original and have the talents of an innovator/inventor. i have a strong personality and I feel it is necessary to folow my own convictions regardless of consequences. Routine tasks bore and tire me quickly. I can be self-centered and demanding, though I tend to hide it in social settings. Regardless I may be considered friendly and good-natured. I am sensitive to disapproval and tend to not take criticism lightly. Though I show great potential for leadership, I may fail as a follower. Due to my strong personality, I should avoid being to bossy or 

Ok so this is only the first part of my numerology, so keep checking in to get information of the other four Core numbers and check back next Friday to seek how I add in magickal names.

Blessed Be!

Cerridwen, Goddess of Knowledge

I was gonna post this yesterday but a big freakin' storm blew in from nowhere and wiped out the power, so no internet and no blog post. YAY...Not!!! So I'm posting this late which means that I'm gonna have to bump back my Pagan Blog Project post to tomorrow (if I have time cus I have a babysitting gig). I hate technical difficulties :( ...

A painting of Cerridwen by Jessica Galbreth
(My favorite artist)

So anyway this post is on Cerridwen. I thought it would be cool to dedicate some time to her because she is one of my favorite and I mentioned her in my blog on Wednesday, so cue the very researched, probably very dry (I'm trying to make them more interesting), information packed post on the lovely goddess Cerridwen. (I am aware that I am slightly off :)) (I think I just gave my smiley a double chin)

Blessing Moon

Happy Fourth of July!!!

I hope everyone is having an awesome day. We grilled out for lunch and we are just having a nice day relaxing at home.

I missed the full moon yesterday (I am so disorganized). For those of you who don't know July's moon is known as the Blessing Moon.

Other names include the Buck Moon because the new antlers of young deer begin to emerge around this time, the Wort Moon because wyrt plants were gathered and stored when the sun was in Leo, and the Mead Moon because this is the time when mead was made for the harvest celebrations.

July is a time to honor the ash and oak trees, god the element of water, and goddesses Athena, Venus, and Juno. The Celtic deities Cerridwen and Lugh are also worshiped during this moon. Cerridwen is a crone goddess, part of the Celtic Triple Goddess, and is the keep of the cauldron of knowledge and inspiration. Lugh is the god of skill and talent. Combining the power and energy of both these deities in your esbat magic sure ensure that your endeavors are successful.

Well this is a short post today but hey it's a holiday. I'll make sure to get back on tomorrow and post a longer one.

Brightest Blessings

Saying Goodbye

Tonight was a sad one. My brother's dog was struck by a car and though we were able to get him to the veterinarian, we were not able to save him :'( ... It's always hard when you lose a pet because they are more than that, they are best friends and family, but it is especially hard when you have to make the call whether to sustain them for a few more days or let their suffering end where they can pass on peacefully. That was the difficult decision we had to make tonight.

In times like this I have always been the one to pray, a tendency that I gained during my Christian upbringing. In this particular situation, I pray for the safe passing of the individual's soul to the afterlife and often for the healing of those who feel that loss. The beauty of prayer, whether pagan or Christian or another religion, is that the words can either be scripted or freely formed at that moment. I usually say what is in my heart at the moment but I do have a few scripted favorites, a few of them fitting for this event.

Symbol

I would like to do a very special post today honoring a large group of people.

In 2005, Sgt. Patrick Stewart lost his life in Afghanistan. He was the first known Wiccan soldier to lose his life. His widow wanted the pentacle to be etched onto his grave marker. The Department of Veterans Affairs denied her request because the pentacle was not on their approved list of religious symbols. It took the efforts of Celia, Rev. Selena Fox, Roberta Stewart and many others to get the pentacle onto that list. Now Sgt. Stewart rests in piece underneath the symbol that stands for everything he believed in.

The pagan singer Celia wrote a beautiful song in Sgt. Stewart's honor and it is one of the most moving and bittersweet songs I have ever heard. This song depicts all the battles we have to face as pagans just to practice our faith. It also shows that tenacity and the fire that gives us the courage and the strength to meet those battles head on.  Symbol is one of those songs that creeps into your head and your heart and pulls every ounce of emotion out of you leaving you feeling raw and open. It is a song that should definitely be on every pagans playlist.


Sgt. Stewart you are missed, loved, and honored and may you revel in the love and light of the God and Goddess until you return once more.


Celia you are an inspiration and a pillar of strength for the pagan community. May the God and Goddess bless you days with happiness.


And all the blessings in the world to soldiers past and present.

Here is a video of Celia singing Symbol live.

An It Harm None

Another serious post, but much more informational than the last.

Every religion, faith, or path has a base tenet that acts as a guideline for its worshiper's actions and behavior. Christianity as its Golden Rule, Hindu and Buddism have Karma, and Wicca has the Rede. It is written in many different forms but the most commonly used is, "An it harm none, Do what ye will." Basically a Wiccan/Wytch/Pagan can perform any act as long as the repercussions do not harm. Generally harm includes not only physical injury but emotional turmoil, manipulation, and any form of domination or control.

You can also find the Rede in mainstream philosophy, though it prefers to go by a different alias. The Harm Principle is a major tenet of the Utilitarian standpoint and was strongly backed by the English philosopher John Stuart Mills. He stated that "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others." Going hand in hand with the Rede, the Harm Principle states that a person is free to do whatever he or she pleases, a right that not even government can impede, except for when their actions negatively impact another.

L is for Love

This will be my first official post and it happens to correspond with the first L day on the Pagan Blog Project of 2012, which is sponsored by Rowan Pendragon of OneWitchsWay.com. It is a wonderful project were bloggers worldwide simultaneously post blogs concerning paganism and the occult.Since today is letter L and I have decided that my first post should carry some weight I have decided to discuss the connection between paganism and love.

Love is the driving force for any and all decisions that human beings make. This is why there is such a huge following for paganism, Wicca, and other Earth-based religions, because they are grounded in love. In this modem-day technological world it is very easy to find yourself disconnected from everything: coworkers, family, friends, nature, and the divine. You may begin to feel that you are alone and worse, that everyone will trample you in pursuit of their own gain.

Yet Wicca and most pagan religions stress community and support and above all love: love for one-self, love for others, love for nature, and love for a divine being. This love has no qualifications and no boundaries, it is giving fully and unconditionally.

Within love lies the strength of the pagan movement. Though we may never become mainstream like Christinity or Buddism, we will never crumble because we have forged our foundation out the strongest material in existence.

So I just want to say one more thing ...... I LOVE YOU GUYS!! :)