Witches' Weekly

Time for Witches Weekly again! :)

What is your favorite pagan related website?

I really like Witches' Voice just because they have so much good information, including information you can give to educators, police in your community and others who might need to have a better understanding of Paganism and Witchcraft as part of their official duties. My favourite Norse-based site is Irminsul which is a clearinghouse of information on varoius Norse oriented groups, sites, resources and other information. Both of these sites seem to be focused on helping educate people and helping Pagans and Heathens connect with each other, which really fills a need for the community.

Well, I don't have a "magickal" name, Kriselda Jarnsaxa is a name that I adopted because of my spirituality, similar to how some who convert to other faiths will take a name that represents the "new" person they are in that faith (probably most frequently seen in converts to Islam who adopt a Muslim name, but certainly not limited to them).

Magical names are often described as names known only to you and your God(s), or possibly you, your God(s) and coven elders (in some Wiccan traditions), and is used to represent that special relationship that exists between the individual an the divine. I think its kind of an interesting concept, but it's just not something that's used much in the Norse paths, and, while I do still retain some Wiccan-oriented practices, it's one I've just never adopted.

Heathens in general, though, tend to be a lot more pragmatic and less "mystically"-oriented than some of the more esoteric paths. Just as a Heathen blot (basic worship service) is much simpler in structure than a Wiccan circle, so our naming traditions tend to be simpler. I do, however, feel that for people who wish to follow the true Wiccan path, as it has been established, it probably is quite necessary to have a Magickal name. That's just part of faith as a whole, and I respect that.

That's a hard one to answer because with me, it often depends on what day you ask me. Today, I've feeling very strongly connected to Fire and Air - which are two I relate to quite frequently, being the elements that represent passion and temperment (Fire) as well as mental skills and intelligence (Air). If you've read this blog much, you know that I tend to read a lot, think about stuff, get pissed off and then write. Usually a lot. Other days, though, I much more grounded and practical (which are represented in Earth) or I just go on emotions (Water).

I've seen several of those fun little quizzes that are supposed to tell you which element represents you, and I get different answers all the time. Most people would say that's an indication that you're fairly well balanced, but if I'm balanced it's only because I spend so much time running from one point to another than it averages out that way *g*.

Witches' Weekly

I forgot last weeks "Witches' Weekly", so you're going to get a double dose here :)

Questions for this week:

1. Do you think paganism will ever be nationally accepted?
   
   Yes, but not for a long time. Sadly, there's a lot of misinformation that has to be corrected, and we are fighting the tide of a revival of fundamentalist Christianity, which has a vested interest in seeing that Paganism never is accepted. But Paganism has been growing steadily for several years now, and its starting to become more widely recongized in popular culture, so there is hope.



2. What was your most successful work of magic?
   
   I don't do a lot of magick, but I have done a few things. Probably the most "successful" (though part of me still tends to chalk it up to coincidence) was when I did a prosperity spell with the intent of getting an answer back on my disability application. Four days later I got it - I was accepted on my first application, no need for appeals or anything else, and they had apparently decided I'd been disabled longer than *I* thought I had been, as they also awarded me several more months back-pay than I had though I would be eligible for. I called them at least 5 times to verify that it really was corect and make sure that I didn't need to send any of it back.
   
   The other one I've always considered a surprising "success" (though, again, I'm open to the possibility of coincidence being involved - though I have to admit, get enough coincidences going and after it bit it seems like it may be something else) was when we had a neighbor that lived behind us who was a cantankerous, miserable, vile bastard. Even though he had two dogs himself that he left out at all hours and let bark at whatever times they felt like it, if our dogs so much as barked once or twice (individual barks - not barking sets), in the middle of a sunny afternoon while he was out in his yard, he's start yelling obscenities and, on more than a few occasions, threatening to harm them if we didn't get them back inside. After one particularly nasty threat, I did a spell to protect our dogs, figuring it couldn't hurt anything. We'd filed a report of the threats with the local police, but there really wasn't anything they could do unless he actually tried to hurt the dogs, and I didn't want to wait for that. Within a few days, we learned that his house was up for sale. Within a month, he had moved elsewhere, and our new neighbors are absolutely delightful. The dogs, of course, are fine.



3. What do you imagine your Lord and Lady (or deities that you worship) to look like. Do you have a physical description?
   
   Big, rather hairy, lots of long red hair, big red beard, very big, dressed like a Viking, carries a big hammer, had a big chariot pulled by his goats. Basically, what most people would imagine Thor to look like. Did I mention he's big?

1. What is your favorite herb, it's use, and why?
   
   I don't really have "a" favourite one. I have some difficulty with strong fragrances, so using a lot of herbs doesn't work well for me, sadly.



2. What was the first herbal concoction that you ever made?
   
   The first, and still the best - Lavander oil, Rosemary oil and Eucalyptus oil - mixed in equal parts. It does a wonderful job of relaxing muscles and has been known to help relieve some of my bad tension and migraine headaches. It's not a miracle cure, but it smells better than Ben Gay and isn't nearly as scary to use as some of the drugs I've had suggested to me.



3. What is your favorite flowery/herbal scent? (I.E. Roses, Patchouli)
   
   Again, my sensitivity to fragerances can be a problem, but if I can find a light enough oil, or am able to mix the herb oil with a fair amount of carrier (like sweet almond oil, which dilutes it), I can enjoy jasmine and roses sometimes.
Posted by thorswitch at 01:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A Pagan Primer

There's a new "meme" in the tradition of "Friday Five" (though it's neither on Fridays nor set at 5 questions per week) called the Witches Weekly. The questions it asks are from a Pagan spiritual perspective. While this blog is mostly political, I've also often made reference to my how my spiritual beliefs influence my views, and my spirituality is a very important part of who I am.

So, once a week, I'm going to share some of my thoughts on my spirituality by answering the Witches' Weekly. It sounds like a fun way to do it, and hopefully, it'll help you to understand how it is my faith relates to my life as a whole, and to my social and political views.

First thing I want to do is briefly (well, briefly for me - which may not be very brief at all, but...) explain why I sometimes use different terms to describe myself. I've referred to my spiritual category various as "Norse Witch", "Norse Pagan", "Pagan" and "Heathen".

"Pagan" is a very generic term for non-mainstream theologies that take their foundation from the pre-Christian Indo-European beliefs, and are generally "modernized" to take into account the 2,000+ years of development humanity has managed to make since most of the old ways were displaced (i.e. Pagans don't engage in human sacrifice. Humanity - for the most party, anyway - has figured out that it doesn't make a lot of sense to thank the Gods for their gifts by killing one of them, so we just don't do that anymore, even though our ancestors did.)

Pagans work with a variety of Gods depending on what tradition (similar to "denomination") they belong to. Some worship a male and female pair referred to as the Lord and Lady, some worship only the Goddess, some worship all the Gods and Goddesses of a certain pantheon (for me, it's the Norse Pantheon) - frequently developing a special relationship with one particular member of the Pantheon (for me, it's Thor). There are probably some who worship a single male God, though I have to admit I've not run into many. And then there are some who mix and match from various cultures. When I was first starting out, I developed a strong relationship with Isis, who is Egyptian (though she was widely worshiped thoughout much of the Indo-European lands - a temple to her was even found in a part of London, IIRC), and for a while, worked with both her and Thor. She's since let me know I've learned from her what I needed to, and I now work exclusively with the Norse Gods. This kind of transitioning isn't unusual in Paganism, especially when you consider most Pagans were either raised as Christians or even were Christians at one time themselves.

Mind you, that's not a perfect definition - there really isn't one (believe me, I've seen debates on this that have lasted years... but for general purposes, it's fairly workable). "Pagan" would be roughly akin to how the term "Christian" is used to refer to all of the various Christian denominations, including Catholicism.

"Witch" and "Witchcraft" refer mainly to a specific style of practice. Many people use the terms "Wicca" and "Witch" or "Witchcraft" interchangably, but it doesn't really work that way. "Wicca" is a specific kind of Witchcraft, developed by Gerald Gardner in the 50's which he said was based on traditions that originated in ancient times and have been handed down over the generations before he codefied it and began initiating others into the practice. In my own work, I do incorproate many aspect of general Witchcraft, but I am not Wiccan.

"Heathen" is a term used specifically for people who practice a spirituality based on the ways of the ancient Norse people (nee Vikings). Much as there's a distinction made within Christianity between Catholics, Protestants and Orthodoxy, there's also distinctions with Paganism, though some Heathens might get a bit testy if you try to lump them in with other Pagans. A lot of it, I think, has to do with the regretable image that seems to have coalesced around some aspects of Paganism, making it seem more akin to the "New Age" movement than actually tied to the beliefs our ancestors held.

Since I follow the Norse ways, I am, for all intents and purposes, a Heathen. I will sometimes use "Pagan", "Norse Pagan" or "Norse Witch" to describe myself because more people understand what a "Pagan" or "Witch" is right now than they do "Heathen", so I kind of toss around all three and hope most get the general idea.

Keep in mind, these are MY definitions and how I've found best to explain what I've seen and heard in the Pagan community. The old saying goes, as 3 Pagans for an opinion, get 5 answers. They're not exaggerating. But at least this gives you an idea of what I mean when I use various terms.

So, there's your basic "alternative theologies" lesson for the day :) On to the questions!

Witches' Weekly

The first week's questions - Animals

1. What animal do you feel best represents your personal totem/spirit, and why?

I've never really used Totems in my personal practice - no particular reason, I've just never felt a need to... but if there's any particular animal I seem to connect with the best, it's horses. I can't remember a time (and neither can my mom, for that matter) when "A horse" wasn't on my Christmas list as a child, and before we got married, I made my husband promise me that if we ever get rich and famous he's buying me one! One of my absolute favourite memories has to be the time my parents took me to Montana so they could visit an old friend of hers, and I got to spend the day riding his horse across the land he owned. It was just me, the horse and nature around us, and I don't recally any other time when I felt so free or at peace.

Acyl :)

She's your perfect black cat, too. (If you want to see her, there are pics of her up at http://www.thunderhaven.net/photos/acyl.shtml).

She went into "retirement" a few years ago and now lives with my parents. She's almost 16 years old now, and when we got the dogs, she wasn't at all sure what to make of them, or terribly comfortable around them. When my parents had to put their dog to sleep, I knew they would be loney and that Acyl would be much happier at their house where she could be the center of attention, so it worked out well for the three of them. But when it was just she and I, she always seemed to know when I was working on spiritual matters and would just come and sit beside me, quietly. She's a really great cat...

I'm often asked if her name is Greek for something (why "Greek", I've never understood, but....). Anyway, it's not. When I first got her, I was a huge Pink Floyd fan (still am, actually), and since black is what you get when you mix every colour together, I named her for their song "Any Colour You Like" - ACYL.

Oh, probably a horse. Of course, my mom used to joke that she thought I was a horse in a previous life, so maybe next time I should pick a zebra or something - horselike, but still a bit different. :)