Moire and The Passion of Fate

One needn’t complicate the mind by asking, what is fate, and how does it play upon our lives, if it even plays at all.  While I would like to think that I know for sure what the gods have in store for me, if they even think of me, I’d best like to leave my faith unwavering and instead  take solace in the belief that they are with me at all times and think this mortal unimportant enough to not give me many tribulations.

But it seems, as of lately, I am not quite sure what lessons I am to learn at this moment. To be hardened and coarse like stone? To be soft and yielding like fresh butter? To claw at life like a starving lion, looking to grab at all that I can? Or to sit in silent contemplation and grasp for nothing? To wait, in patience and reverence until which time my soul leaves my body and enters the underworld?

 

Delving Deeper: Moving Past 101

Journey to any main-stream bookstore, or occult shop for that matter, and you’re sure to be barraged with titles introducing you to the wonderful world of Witchcraft or Wicca all for the low-low price of 19.95. Many, quite naturally, will go for the thickest book hoping to find that secret key to unlocking their inner potential as magical practitioners, but often are met with grave disappointment. Books touting new and “progressive” techniques are nothing more then rehashes of old information published with newer, glossier, more magical looking covers; candle colors, an herb glossary, something on minerals, and a bit on the Sabbats. The understanding that a) you’re looking for the very basic and b) you’re self-initiating into Neo-Wiccan is the main assumption pumped out by the leading Pagan publisher and in the interim the community suffers as more substantial information is not readily available.

There are two scenarios, of many, that I have seen this trend lead to;

a) Spiritual Apathy- America is a “ready made” country and “silver platter” culture. We want things handed to us, quickly and with fries if you please. Many don’t have the “time” or the “energy” to go searching for extra resources ,and so, come to a grinding halt in their spiritual development. This creates a huge gap in the community between the “have” and “have-nots” as far as knowledge goes and often the “haves” do not want to spoon feed someone they feel can do the leg work themselves, while the “have-nots” feel robbed of being able to “connect” with people they feel SHOULD be their teachers.

b) Spiritual Snobbery- It’s not so much the belief that your religion is better then someone else’s due to a perception of “age” or “ancient-ness” but feeling as if you path is better and more valid because you actually put “work” into it. It’s like saying “I’m more pagan than thou, because I doth have the most books and no padawan, thou canst borrow from mine library.” Possible leaders in the community are confronted with the sweet bitterness of having to have spent hours pouring over texts, weeks waiting for packages, and years of devotion- when some upstart tart sashays up expecting “all ur family secretz” the first time they encounter you on a pagan forum.

So how can these two issues be reconciled? Aside from petitioning publishers to put out new, more advanced material- the other advice I can offer is “Get specific.” Going into intense study with something does not mean one has to stick with it forever, but it does mean you’ll have a better appreciation of it once you decide to leave. It seems like many in the community (from my generation at least) are suffering from “Paganism ADD” and spend years dipping a toe in different pools of water and then wondering why every time it comes out cold.

Start With Something Simple and build OUT- If you’re interested in divination, explore the different types of divination systems there are out there, but bear in mind that for many it takes a lot of practice and work to find the system that works for them and get it to actually well…work for them. Lithomancy can open the door to the study of rocks and minerals scientifically as well as spiritually and one can never have “too much” information. Many 101 books gives you snippets of wisdom, crunched together to save space and money- from a simple beginning you can begin research into more complex aspects of whatever has taken your fancy, peeling back the layers of subjects that more often then not are barely surface smudged by what is largely offered.

Network with Enthusiasts- I’m a member of more then 20 message boards and forums devoted to the various aspects of my religious faith as well as my extracurricular magical studies. This isn’t to say I’m a chatty Cathy on most of them, in fact 80% are for reading only, but enthusiasts and those whom have already studied intermediate and advanced material and continue to progress will be a fountain of knowledge that is virtually everlasting and most of the time you don’t even have to ask anything…you can just sit back and listen. Some places, like The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum, are organized enough where you can post questions and read content on many topics- but an enthusiast,devotee, or “professional” (For things like Tarot and Astrology) group tends to stay more focused and can help quell the desire to jump to the next thing you see on the forum roster.

Flex Those “Search” Muscles- It still amazes me how many web-savvy individuals do not know about Sacred Texts, Project Gutenberg, or Google Scholar (at the least), three pretty nice sources that can link one with primary and secondary material that are either free, rare, or both. Try wandering to one of these sites and doing a bit of digging. Having a general idea of what you are going for (see #1) can help you narrow down your search. I’m not saying to not ask for help- but getting out of the 101 rut isn’t going to be something someone else can do for the seeker.

Read Reviews and Check Out Book Lists- Some “specialist” websites contain a list of recommended reading material, browse through it and check at your local library to see if any of the more expensive titles are available. In a pinch, ask those in your network what they recommend and follow procedure from there. Most people into metaphysical and occult studies are more then happy to share their sources- they’re just not always willing to give you a book report complete with diagrams. Prepare to not always find yourself in the “new-age/occult” section of the book store, or even an occult book store- knowledge of mysticism can be found in many places so leave these prejudices at the door.

Finally…Stick With It- I’m probably going to get hate mail for this, but I’ve attempted to group with practitioners who couldn’t stick with anything long enough to really learn from their pursuits or reap the rewards. One doesn’t go to the doctor ONCE in their lives and think that automatically makes them healthy forever, why would one possibly think that doing a ritual once or twice means they’ve mastered or even fully understand that concepts they were attempting to learn? When in doubt, set a schedule that you know you can follow. Don’t burn yourself out downloading, buying, printing, and photocopying everything you can get your hands on within a 5 day time span. These ideas took years to compile and might take just as long for the seeker to disseminate. Devote a solid three months to actually exploring what you are attempting to implement into your belief system. You may find that you can get all you need from one or two sources of spirituality instead of 15.

Don’t think for a second I am leaving the adepts, masters, leaders, and organizers out of this. In a rush to force the community to “grow up” it seems some have forgotten that growing up without role models doesn’t work very well outside the Pagan community and provides the same hackneyed results within. Kid gloves aren’t necessary, but remembering the gap in generations, the disadvantages of living in age where misinformation can be easily spread by the click of a mouse, and how many of our leaders themselves, at one point, were just “newbies” can open the gates of sharing wisdom and help our newcomers find the right path for them.

In Praise of Neptune

Neptune is the god of the sea in Roman mythology- he is similar to but not completely identical to the god Poseidon in the Greek Pantheon. As well as being a deity associated with salt and fresh water- he was also associated with horses and worshiped by some Romans as “Neptune Equester” the patron of horse racing.

The Neptulia was Neptune’s main festival and was held during the month of July and included the building of tents made of branches of bushes. There were two temples dedicated to the deity in Rome- the first stood near the Circus Flaminius and the second, named the Basilica Neptuni, was built on the Campus Martius and was dedicated by Agrippa in honor of the naval victory at Actium.

To this day Neptune plays a central role in certain military rites of passing- mainly the “line crossing ceremony” which occurs after a sailor or a Marine has crossed the equator for the first time.

Neptune can be brought into the life of anyone who wishes to seek him out by visiting the oceans and fresh water lakes in their area. Create an altar adorned in horses, blue candles, conch shells (as regular sea shells tend to be associated with venus) and other artifacts of the sea.

Hymn To Neptune:

We sing of Neptune, to whom the oceans part and mighty waves give pardon
We sing of he of the growing swell and salty air
Praise to him that wields the mighty trident!
Praise to him that pounds the fertile shores!
Praise to him that fills our nets with bounty!
Praise and hail to mighty Neptune!

Seeking Eris

“Ugh! She’s a such a drama queen!” or “He’s always in the middle of something!” How often have you heard these phrases uttered about someone? The person who speaks these words lip will curl up into a slight sneer and you might even get an eye-roll as well. How many times have these words been spoken to you? I have to admit at one point in my life, particularly in my younger days, I was very much the quintessential “drama” queen. Always the in the middle of someone’s crisis- proffering my opinion and getting emotionally riled normally at the wrong people at the wrong times for the wrong reasons. I guess that’s the thing about “meddling” you never really have all of the facts. But this was more “innocent” meddling…well…as innocent as any such drama seeking can be.

In todays times where less and less people on our side of the globe are likely to experience the touch of Eris’ strife due to the hands of war- more seek Eris’ company in different, more imaginative ways. This isn’t to say that the goddess of discord, responsible for the “Golden Apple Debacle” isn’t a necessity in the cosmos- I just don’t think she should be courted as often as she is. “Suburban Warfare” in and of itself has taken on a very different tone from the bloodied shields and swords of yesteryear- now we battle for positions in companies, lovers, parking spaces, and global positioning all through the use of clever spears made of words and shields made of misinformation and gossip. Seeking Eris has become more then just turning your enemies blood out on the stone- the disconnect of our global community and even our local ones has left it easier for many to inadvertently call to her with the ease that one order’s a pizza.

Perhaps we should thank Narcissus.

Personally, I could do very well without Eris paying me constant visits- either by me invoking her presence through my own actions or by surrounding myself with people who seek her counsel on all matters (as long as those matters aren’t their own, funny that). If she turns my wheel, she turns it and I can welcome the radical changes that will come because of it.  But if she doesn’t place  her “dainty” hands upon my thread then I am still all the more grateful.

Book of the Goddess: Hymns to the Ennead: Eris

Sing now, my muse, of the Goddess of Chaos,
Arising from primeval Quantum foam born,
Goddess of Entropy, Goddess of Anarchy,
She who creates and destroys innumerable cosmos
In the gap between dawn and the rise of the sun,
She who dances between unseen fractal dimensions,
In a small still place all enfolded in storm,
Where tempests so huge, lighting rends open the quasars,
So massive no light escapes from her shroud,
She who sunders our soul from our sweet earthly flesh,
And brings us rebirth with her ghastly sweet breath,
Lover of Death and Lover of Life,
She dances a dance on the edge of a knife,
A gulf of ten thousand light years on each side,
And She never misses one step in the dark,
Singularity bound, in a teardrop of light,
Cocooned in the smallest, suffused in the largest,
Immortal Chaos wreathed with broken planets and dust,
Thy name is Eris, world shattering Goddess,
We ride your wave breathless and are towed under again.
Singularity Goddess, you approach inverse zero,
Still more drowned worlds loom in Thy billowing shroud.
Asleep and awake she dreams our creation,
The sound of a bell in an dark empty cavern,
The scent of a rose in a room long abandoned,
The dance of the motes in the eye of the Goddess,
The touch of a breeze in the heat of the noon,
The taste of wine from an ancient tomb offering
She is there always, and not there ever,
Look and you will miss her,
Close your eyes and she is before you.
Most terrible and most beautiful name of the Goddess, Eris!

What Hera Can Teach About Love

Don’t let “Hercules: Legendary Journies” or Disney’s “Hercules” fool you. Hera is much more dimensional then “jealous rage” or “pie in the sky mommydom.” She is the protector of marriage and women in general, bestowing upon us the graces and senses necessary to be prolific wives and mothers. Upon the beginning of my new relationship I asked Hera to help me grow and learn of marital love, how to love unconditionally and fiercely “in spite of…” and that “in spite of” has often been the deal breaker of many relationships in our modern era. We love ” as long as…” and “provided that…”

Recently with my relationship reaching that one year phase where the honey moon is over and reality slowly starts to kick the lovey dovey endorphins in the teeth, I’ve needed Hera’s presence more then ever in my life and have felt her influence my heart and my soul in ways I could not imagine. I have felt her wise face smiling down on me as she says “Ha! Now you know how I feel and yet I still love him…”  or “And look how he comes to you now when he needs your strength.” and every mistake while not easily forgiven or forgotten seems…softened. As if by way of gentleness and not reacting in such a harsh manner I may more easily understand the kind of unfettered love within commitment that she presides over.

What with Hera’s wicked reputation, I see a woman pushed to the edge. How many affairs did she witness before bearing her claws? Before the great writers and story tellers could lavish us with tales of her anger? In her I see a woman who gave her all and in return received the bitter taste of betrayal and the unappreciative regard of her holy husband- it’s from her lessons, trials, and tribulations that I know to not only ask, but demand that which I deserve and from her as well that I learn that TRUE love can and does survive the bile of imperfection.

Some might say this is the kind of thinking of someone who experiences abuse- self blaming and flagellation, but this is not about a man who puts his hands on me in anger and violence- but more a man who makes the mistakes that every man makes in the eyes of a woman who only sees herself as trying to “help.”

Goddess Hera, of whom sweet song is sung and wine poured for your diligent and constant favor. Love and guide me always and teach me to love as you do.

XII. To Hera (5 lines) (ll. 1-5)

I sing of golden-throned Hera whom Rhea bare. Queen of the immortals is she, surpassing all in beauty: she is the sister and the wife of loud-thundering Zeus, — the glorious one whom all the blessed throughout high Olympus reverence and honour even as Zeus who delights in thunder.

Mercury Retrograde Through the Eyes of a Devotee

Perhaps I’m just a bit superstitious, but Mercury retrogrades rarely bode well for this Virgo vixen. Words come across  as “extra harsh” to me and I find myself saying not so nice things to others. My charm and wit seems to falter, I flounder through communications- constantly debating and deleting with myself in emails and letters and hoping for the best with my car and computer. But this Merc Ret, I’m taking a different approach and using this time to focus on the lessons of Hermes, bringer of messages and protector of travelers.

Maybe in this time of uncertainty, where one takes many steps back to review what one has done- asking he of the winged sandal to guide and protect your words and deeds seems to me very appropriate. My desktop at work, where I do a lot of communicating, data entry, scheduling, and conflict resolution, has been outfitted with a picture of Hermes- his staff in hand. A constant reminder of my devotion to him and to whom I should defer in this rough astrological climate.

Since I didn’t get a chance to add his hymn to the April Fool’s post of the blog, I shall add it here, that I may always sing sweet praise of him;

Orphic Hymn XXVII To Mercury

Hermes, draw near, and to my pray’r incline, angel of Jove [Zeus], and Maia’s son divine;
Studious of contests, ruler of mankind, with heart almighty, and a prudent mind.
Celestial messenger, of various skill, whose pow’rful arts could watchful Argus kill:
With winged feet, ’tis thine thro’ air to course, O friend of man, and prophet of discourse:
Great life-supporter, to rejoice is thine, in arts gymnastic, and in fraud divine:
With pow’r endu’d all language to explain, of care the loos’ner, and the source of gain.
Whose hand contains of blameless peace the rod, Corucian, blessed, profitable God;
Of various speech, whose aid in works we find, and in necessities to mortals kind:
Dire weapon of the tongue, which men revere, be present, Hermes, and thy suppliant hear;
Assist my works, conclude my life with peace, give graceful speech, and me memory’s increase.

Iuppiter: A Brief Introduction

I have the esteemed pleasure of taking a course on Greek and  Roman gods over at Magical Circle School and am charged with creating small presentations on the deities I am studying. I’ve decided to use my blog for this display as its a medium I’m familiar with and have a lot of fun adding to.

Jupiter (or Jove) was the King of the Gods and God of Sky and Thunder in the Latin mythologies. He was called Iuppiter (Diespiter) or Optimus Maximus (Father God the Best and Greatest) and formed part of the Capitoline Triad with Juno and Minerva. Jupiter is the father or Mars and thus the grandfather of Romulus and Remus, the founding brothers of Rome.

His epitaphs include;

Jupiter Caelestis (“heavenly”)
Jupiter Fulgarator (“of the lightning”)
Jupiter Tonans (“thunder”)
Jupiter Summanus (“sender of nocturnal thunder”)
Jupiter Terminus (“defends boundaries”)

The largest temple in Rome was that of Iuppiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_(mythology)

Jupiter can be brought into one’s life through petition and dedication offerings. Building a connection with him through the reading of his myths and an offer of service, living one’s life in virtue and Roman principles and dedicating a shrine are all ways to invite Iuppiter Optimum Maximus into one’s life.

Hymn to Jupiter

Hail to thee Iuppiter
From whose heavenly might comes storms and thunder
Protect my home, lead me to the shelter of victory
And keep this land proud and strong
That I may always sing sweet praise of you.

It’s Hermes Day!

I had never before associated Hermes with April Fools day, but thinking about it now, it makes perfect sense! The day of tricks, where things aren’t always what they seem and pranks are the flavor on the day. It’s also no small coincidence that this wonderful day falls on the same weekly day that I devote to Hermes anyway- so I’ll be doubly sure to add extra honey to my libation and actually grind some incense instead of going with my normal sticks.

As a Virgo, Hermes plays an integral role in my life- from my communication style to the way I love, he appears frequently in my astrological chart and I tend to do my best work and have the best days when his influence reigns supreme.  I’ll probably come back and add more to this blog a little bit later in the day, once I’ve gotten some sleep.

But on this April Fool’s falling on the day of dear Hermes, I advise everyone to mind their p’s and q’s and make sure they know exactly what they’re getting into before they sign on the dotted line.

Blessings of Zeus

In a fit of, I don’t  know what, I had had enough of this seemingly stagnant state I have been sitting in. It seemed as if things had come to a molasses like crawl and none of my efforts were coming out as fruitfully as I would have liked. We’ll leave my own lack of energy and chronic procrastination out of this. Feeling in the mood for a little divine comfort, I filled a small  plate with olive oil, grabbed a black  chime candle, and a mechanical pencil not knowing what I hope to achieve but knowing that something had to give all together and that something giving would have to be me.

I sat on the floor and slowly began rolling the candle between my hands,  pouring into it my fears and those things that had been troubling me the past few days.  I took my lead-less mechanical pencil and carved his name into the warmed stub of wax.  From there I dabbed my fingers in the olive oil and bathed the candle in it, a strange kind of peace coming over me as I did so.

Zeus and I have never had a particularly strong relationship,  but lately I have been calling upon him…magnetically drawn to him and his strength. He doesn’t have the reputation of smashing obstacles like Hermes, but something about him has been calling to me. A powerful all consuming presence. To him I offered a bowl of olive oil and honey and begged his assistance.

After allowing the candle to burn  out in the fireplace, I felt strangely resolved, more confident, and assertive. I feel he may have heard me, that silent prayer for some kind of mental relief even if it was in the gods’ will that I experience pain or discomfort.

Noumenia of Mounichion

Tonight marks the beginning of a new month for many and a new spiritual perspective for me. The calling of Lord Apollon, the intense concentration I’ve put into maintaining, essentially, 3 blogs, tarot studies, and an online community have left me with swift moving fingers and a new sense of duty, responsibility, and moderation. On one hand, I feel that void of energy that comes with the darkened moon on the other, the promise of Mounichion fills me with a strange excitement and reverence.

The 16th and 19th of this month have me preparing to celebrate my first “festivals” alone and I am slowly working on building up a worship calender that won’t leave me feeling overwhelmed.

In my attempt to delve deeper into my sprituality I find it almost like swimming in from the ocean to a fast moving yet narrow river. There is so much to see, so much to explore, but my desire to keep moving impedes me from sitting still and really getting into the nitty gritty of Reconstructionist practice. I can use this Noumenia to dedicate myself to slowing down and going with the flow, instead of rushing from shore to shore, anxious to reach some kind of “end.”