Administrator June, 2006

What happens so often in any community is the need to conform to the social and societal norms of the community at large. Pagans and Wiccans are no different and continue to fall into this very trap time and time again.

So often we attempt to take what is so wonderful about paganism and squish it into a box that was really meant for the book religions of the world. Now, in all fairness, there are many reasons to try and do that. Some include the legalities of what is considered a “religion” under the law. But I am not talking about that specifically. I am really focusing on the thoughts of Pagans and Wiccans everywhere and how many of us are still stuck in the box created by the religions we were raised with.

Paganism is not meant to follow the structures of a dogmatic society. We are spiritual warriors that pride ourselves in free-thinking and spirituality versus religion, so why do we get stuck thinking there is a right and wrong way to the divine spirit? So often people feel the need to have set guidelines or structures to exist in because it is safer than relying on self.

So what happens is we give our power away to others, traditions, High Priests and Priestesses, rules and many other things, instead of diving into ourselves and giving ourselves permission to keep our own power. Why is it so hard for individuals to take responsibility for their own thoughts and their own spirituality? Why do we as a society feel that we have to follow the thoughts of others when it comes to our spiritual path?

We as a society are so use to having others who are “more qualified” lead us in our spiritual path and we become conditioned to follow. Walking a spiritual path can be that awakening that we as individuals hold the power and the keys to a spiritual existence. Others are here to help guide and assist but they are the same as we are, they are only individuals walking towards their own path as well. No one person is closer to deity than the next; it might just be that their paths are different.

Now, this is in no way disrespect to the elders of our religion. It is just a reminder that those elders may or may not have found some of the wisdoms of life on their journey but that does not discredit the journeys of others.

So what this really points out is that being a free thinker takes lots of work and responsibility. It is much easier to follow than to do the work and lead.

Another wonderful aspect of paganism is the diversity within the traditions and beliefs. We get the opportunity to learn from so many different systems on the road to deity and the only thing required is an open mind and respect. Again, unfortunately, many carry over the thoughts that one thought system is better or closer to the gods than another. And we help to create the great divide within the pagan community that has plagued the religious community at large for years. In addition, many run from the book religions only to come here and find the same scenario with people who claim to be different.

People are in the habit of imposing beliefs, ideals and judgments on others instead of allowing others the personal freedom and responsibility to think for themselves. The minute that someone thinks differently or doesn’t subscribe to the same method of training that we did, we automatically discredit them.

So the challenge this month is to push ourselves to try and be understanding, open minded and accepting Pagans. Let’s stop pretending that is the way that the Pagan community as a whole is and start being that. Let’s start by trying to make an effort not to force others to live within our restrictions and thoughts.

Let’s remember that the path to the divine is an individual journey for each person. Some will walk, some will crawl, some will fly but all will get there in their own time and their own way. Let’s respect each other’s intelligence to make the best decisions for spiritual growth and let’s not judge others for doing it differently. And I am not talking specifically about Christians, Muslims or any other religion. I am also talking about within our own Pagan community.

Don’t dismiss it. Just sit with it.

***

author bio:

Rev. Cyrstal

amethystsage@sbcglobal.net

I am a 29-year-old Pagan mother, been married for seven years. I am very close to my family and my parents. I work full-time in the drug and alcohol treatment field. I have been a practicing Pagan for about four years. I consider myself to be an eclectic Wiccan/Pagan. I try not to limit or label myself. My passions in life are my family, enjoying a good book, learning what life has to offer, connecting with my spiritual self, giving back to my community and spending time with good friends.

Tags: Pagan, Rev. Cyrstal, society

• Articles

Administrator May, 2006

Almost every witch has a respect for the kitchen, especially witchy parents. Parents master the art of taking care of their home, cooking and nourishing the family among other things. So why not put those skills in the pot with our spirituality, stir it up and teach our kids some kitchen witchery.

The act of nourishing our loved ones with our magic is an age old tradition that has been passed down for ages and adopted by many cultures.

The roles and responsibilities of parents have continued to evolve and as our society continues to become increasingly more violent, parents are dealing with more unique problems with their children.

We parents must remember where our true power lies and that is in the home. We cannot change society but we can give our kids as many tools as possible to learn to deal with life.

Kitchen witchery can give a unique sense of understanding of our connections to life and our own personal power, in addition to a sense of belonging. Making something that we are required to do daily into a spiritual act can add a whole different dimension to a normal routine.

We can start by explaining the importance of what we do. Taking care of the family and the hearth is the most important job there is. The home is your safe haven, your special domain where you live, worship, love and grow.

Kids connect and respond to what is right in front of them rather than the big picture especially depending on the age. So start small and add onto your lessons as appose to teaching the global perspective.

Two areas of witchery skills that I have been successful in introducing to my kids have been the energetic wellbeing of the home and cooking.

Depending on age, kids understand energy. From a very young age kids respond to energy even before they understand words. Kids know when someone is happy, upset or whether they are welcome or not.

So involve your kids in cleansing the home. Explain what you are doing and give them an active part. You can say something as simple as, “We are going to clean the house so it is not sad anymore.” You’d be amazed that kids know exactly what you mean because they can feel it.

After you are finished you should reaffirm what you’ve just done. You could say something like, “Doesn’t the house feel happier?” Talk to your kids about the benefits of being positive and how it affects everything around us. Talk to your kids about energy, positive and negative. Put it in terms they can understand.

As parents we hold back on many things because we assume that kids will not understand. What we fail to see is that kids are extremely intelligent and know much more than we think. Kids may not be able to explain something in terms that we understand but they feel much more than we think because that is their form of communication and understanding.

So we have to ask ourselves a couple of questions:

1.     What do I want my kids to learn?

2.     What values are important to me?

3.     How can I teach my kids the value of the hearth and personal power?

4.     Where should I start?

Pick one or two things to start with and build onto it from there.

Remember that kids respond to fun. Put on some music, light some candles, plan a cooking adventure and have fun. Explain how these things support the wellbeing of the home and those you love. Mix the food, pray over the food, sing over the food and create magic with your child.

The Kitchen Witch’s Creed

In this pot, I stir to the sun

an’ follow the rule of harming none.

Banishment of bane

when goin’ widdershins;

an’ with water and salt

negativity is cleansed.

Household duties are more than chores.

Magick abounds when mopping floors.

With this broom, I do sweep

to clean my house and safely keep.

Marigold, Basil, Thyme, and Yarrow

my spell is cast for a better tomorrow.

Lemons for joy and apples for health

the pow’r within brings great wealth.

And, in this kitchen I do pray

To truly walk the Witches’ Way

Copyright 1998, 1999 E. Zeigler

***

author bio:

Rev. Cyrstal

amethystsage@sbcglobal.net

I am a 29-year-old Pagan mother, been married for seven years. I am very close to my family and my parents. I work full-time in the drug and alcohol treatment field. I have been a practicing Pagan for about four years. I consider myself to be an eclectic Wiccan/Pagan. I try not to limit or label myself. My passions in life are my family, enjoying a good book, learning what life has to offer, connecting with my spiritual self, giving back to my community and spending time with good friends.

Tags: Rev. Cyrstal

• Children and Parenting

Administrator April, 2006

Everyone finds their path to the divine in different ways and at different times. The pagan path can mean so many different things to each individual. Where do we start in learning to live by a spiritual code or a spiritual life no matter what pagan path you follow?

So often people are conditioned to work inside the box and never venture outside of those walls. But when talking about living a spiritual path, not a “religious” path, we are looking at not only living outside of the box, but realizing that there is no box. We are conditioned to create these boxes because it gives us a sense of security in such an unstable world.

Living within the structure of this self-imposed box or religion can make it harder to work with forces that cannot be contained inside of that thought system. Magic is all about the uncontainable forces of nature, so it seems almost counterproductive to try and force something as big and powerful as the universe into the often closed-minded constraints of religion.

All of this points out many things about human nature, including one’s need to rationalize things that are not meant to be understood. When we truly understand that we don’t have all the answers to life’s mysteries, the deities or fate, we begin to understand the power of faith.

Faith, among other things, is about action. Building character, living by ethics and actively working towards your own highest good and the highest good of others; these are the beginnings of the foundations of faith.

When one carries faith and spirit in their hearts, it doesn’t matter if the moon is full or waning because they practice their beliefs everyday.

Wiccans and Pagans may get stuck in restrictive traditions, specific teachings or books that instruct one on “how” to be Wiccan or to do it the “right” way. But being spiritual helps us to understand that Wicca is more than Sabbats and Esbats. Spirituality directly connects to our relationship with the divine spirits and how we choose to live our lives day-by-day and moment-to-moment. True spirituality begins to take us away from those concepts of the right and wrong way to practice and pushes our practice more into our hearts.

So where do we begin? Let’s start with some action. Giving ourselves moments and opportunities throughout the day to connect with spirit is a great start. Devotionals, meditation, lighting spirit candles or anything you can turn into a daily ritual is good for building spirituality.

Something as simple as lighting a candle in the morning can start your day off with more light and open your heart to spirit. So just imagine how the quality of your life could change if you let light into it everyday.

Spirituality doesn’t just drop into ones lap. Like anything in life worth having, spirituality takes work, dedication and devotion.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. What qualities do you feel a spiritual person should possess?

2. How many of those qualities do you have?

3. Which qualities do you need to improve or grow in?

4. What can you do daily to open yourself to spirit and faith?

Daily spiritual practice can be done anytime and anywhere. Find a place where you can steal a couple of uninterrupted minutes for yourself and your spirit. These couple of minutes could make the difference between spiritual stagnation and growth, hope and doubt, peace and chaos.

I send continued blessings to you on your spiritual journey. May you remember that “you will always be given ground to walk on or wings to fly”. May you continue to find exactly what you are seeking.

Here are some suggestions for devotionals and blessings to help you on your way.

Morning devotional
Opening heart, welcoming the god/goddess divine
Blessings this morning in the bright sunshine
Guide my spirit to the light
Spirit within me shine bright

Daily devotional
Love and spirit follow me as I walk the path of the ancient ones. Help me to live in the ways of the goddess and to grow inside of her love.

Kitchen Witch prayer/blessing
Infuse this food with the love of the gods. Nourish our minds, body and spirits with the love of the universe. May this food heal and never harm. May we continue to feel the love of the mother Goddess and father God.

Elemental devotional
Earth give me balance and grounding
Air give me wisdom and clarity
Fire give me drive and transformation
Water cleanse me and prepare me for change
Spirit love me and show me the light.

To be continued…………………

***

author bio:

Rev. Cyrstal

I am a 29-year-old Pagan mother, been married for seven years. I am very close to my family and my parents. I work full-time in the drug and alcohol treatment field. I have been a practicing Pagan for about four years. I consider myself to be an eclectic Wiccan/Pagan. I try not to limit or label myself. My passions in life are my family, enjoying a good book, learning what life has to offer, connecting with my spiritual self, giving back to my community and spending time with good friends.

Tags: Rev. Cyrstal, spirit

• Articles