{"id":17935,"date":"2019-06-01T01:10:45","date_gmt":"2019-06-01T06:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=21395"},"modified":"2019-05-26T18:51:10","modified_gmt":"2019-05-26T23:51:10","slug":"celebrating-the-old-ways-in-new-times-50","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2019\/06\/01\/celebrating-the-old-ways-in-new-times-50\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating The Old Ways in New Times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>June\n2019 for Celebrating The Old Ways in New Times<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bright\nBlessings!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\nwrite this on the 18 of May, and it is above 80 degrees, and feels\nand smells like Summertime already! I can hardly believe how fast the\nWheel of the Year is turning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/garden1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21397\" width=\"543\" height=\"407\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/garden2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21398\" width=\"383\" height=\"510\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\ncould write a lot about which plants are doing what, but I thought it\nwould be better to show you. I decided I would focus on planting as\nmuch on the patio as possible this year, and you can see that is\ngoing very well.  Raised beds are a great favorite of mine! I proudly\nshare my photos. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/garden4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21400\" width=\"465\" height=\"620\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/garden5.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21401\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nthe front, you can see things are JUST beginning. I put in seeds,\nsome of which have sprouted, and I am excited to see them come along!\nI bought more seeds also. I am not done planting yet! By this time\nnext month, it will be Summer Solstice, and the plants will be even\nbigger, the days even longer, and the weather, even warmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/garden3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21399\" width=\"408\" height=\"544\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/garden6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21402\" width=\"439\" height=\"328\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Summer Solstice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\nmany, Summer Solstice is about festivals, cookouts, and road trips. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not\nfor those who practice the Old Ways, though. It falls when day is\nlongest, and night is shortest, and it celebrates the sun at the\nheight of its power. To emulate that, traditionally, in the British\nIsles, bonfires burn day and night in some places to give more power\nand strength to the sun. Torchlight processions, to further give the\nsun power can be seen to this day, although most celebrants are\nXtianized and just do the rituals as matter of tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Golowan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One\nthing I will focus on is the festival of Golowan, which is well done,\nand well attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a link to one of the event listings:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golowanfestival.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"GolowanFestival.org (opens in a new tab)\">GolowanFestival.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\nis a video where you can see how much fun everybody is having! Here\nyou hear the marching band, and see the street dancing. I partook of\nsimilar observances for a different celebration in Mexico. Let me\ntell you, nothing is quite as much fun as a street procession and\ndance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe  id=\"_ytid_52582\"  width=\"960\" height=\"720\"  data-origwidth=\"960\" data-origheight=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/l4wuB9M05E8?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These\nare their versions of St. John\u2019s Eve celebrations. Catholic\ntradition has it that St John was born 6 months before Jesus, so his\nfeast day is right at 6 months before Christmas. So from June 21-June\n30, various towns have a Golowan at Midsummer. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically,\nGolowan had been outlawed due to so many fires being used, and the\nincreasing price of insurance being a strain on townships. But that\nall changed in 1991 when Penzance in the UK resurrected it. Other\ntowns followed suit, and it\u2019s now a major cultural celebration\nagain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things\nyou will see besides the street dancing and music include amazing\nfood, costumes, and a form of costumed beast called the Penglaz, or\n\u2018Obby Oss\u2019. Winter celebrations see a similar costumed performer\ntoting along a horse\u2019s skull on a pole, and the name \u201cObby Oss\u201d\nsupposedly means hobby horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This\nis done because there is much revivalism currently. People have\ndecided to reclaim old folk traditions for themselves. Our culture\nmakes us who we are, and many never forget that. Here is a video of\nthe Obby Oss! This is a night procession complete with band and\ntorches. It\u2019s so beautiful! Note the reveler joining in on his or\nher scooter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe  id=\"_ytid_33176\"  width=\"960\" height=\"540\"  data-origwidth=\"960\" data-origheight=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kkPBHnt-Qmw?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Many\nNeo Pagan celebrations in the States include outdoor ritual, and\npotlucking someplace nice like a yard or park.  As few of us rely on\nour own gardens or farms for our food, the significance of giving the\nsun power so it can make things grow is not on the forefront of our\nminds for the most part. Like the Golowan celebrations, it\u2019s about\njoy, frolicking, and gathering in good weather. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But,\nif you are like me, and you are a plant lover, Summer is what you\ndream of and look forward to on cold days. While doing your garden,\nyou plan next year\u2019s, and you are always gathering supplies from\nsoil to seeds, and learning all you can to improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another\nthing we, as Pagans work to cultivate, is our knowledge base. I would\nlike to share with you a very good book , a bit of info about the\nauthor, and a free link to read the whole publication online as my\nSummer Solstice gift to you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Magick\nWithout Tears<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/magick-without-tears.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21396\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When\nmy Priest assigned this book, I rolled my eyes. I have a lot of\nrespect for Aleister Crowley, aka The Wickedest Man Alive aka The\nBeast! But I am not Ceremonial Magician, and I have no plans to be. I\nprefer to focus more on ancient history than modern things, and I\u2019d\nrather read about something the Vikings did than something a man\nwrote close to a century ago. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\nalways do what Lord Shadow says, and I always learn why he wants me\nto do what he does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nthis particular case, I read a great book which not only defined a\nlot of things in Crowley\u2019s words, but this revealed an intimate\nportrait of Crowley, himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nbook was not a book perse when it was first written, but a collection\nof letters he wrote to his student. In the Forward to the Hermetic\nLibrary\u2019s free online link to the book, Karl J Germer tells us\nCrowley met a gal in 1943 who wanted to learn from him, and he sent a\nseries of letters to her. He saved many letters, and they were\npublished together as Magick Without Tears after his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nfree link where you can read the whole thing is here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/hermetic.com\/crowley\/magick-without-tears\/index\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Free Copy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If\nyou prefer an actual book you can hold in your hands to read, I\nrecommend buying it here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1561840181\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1561840181&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=paganpages-20&amp;linkId=ac0fbef41e3658e996088e009e47bdfa\"><strong>Magick Without Tears on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nbook was first published in 1954, and the beloved publishers\nLlewellyn did another edition in 1973. Two other editions, one in\n1982, and finally one edited by the illustrious Israel Regardie was\npublished in 1991.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who\nCrowley was specifically, in the simplest of terms was a highly\ninfluential occultist who believed it was his responsibility to bring\nus all into what he called the Aeon of Horus. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Born\nin 1875 to Plymouth Brethren Xtians, Crowley was blessed with their\nwealth, and used it to promote his religion, Thelema, and travel\naround the World. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thelema\nspecifically taught magic, mysticism, and magick, which is anything\nyou do to conform with your Higher Will. The Higher Will is much more\nthan the mundane will. It makes you YOU, and that which is your basic\npurpose to being. From what I have been told, anything can be magick,\neven taking a shower, if it goes towards your goal. The spelling\n\u201cmagick\u201d , however, is used by a lot of mainstream authors and\ngroups to denote anything besides parlor tricks, and is not the\nproper use of the spelling at all. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo\nwhat thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.\u201d Crowley wrote.\nMeaning that everything you do in life ought to go towards your\nHigher Will. Or as Lord Shadow says \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean do whatever\nthe hell you want to!\u201d It is also where Wicca gets \u201cthe \u201cDo\nwhat thou wilt\u201d from \u201cAn it harm none, do what thou wilt.\u201d \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crowley\nis actually responsible to some extent for Wicca in general. We all\nknow Uncle Gerald Gardner was highly influenced by the writings of\nMargaret Alice Murray, taking her word for it that the witch trials\nwere persecution of the Pre Xtian Pagan religions in Europe. What\nmany don\u2019t know is Gardner claimed he got a charter from Crowley to\nstart a Ceremonial Magic temple, and we will never know whether that\nwas one of Uncle Gerald\u2019s tall tales or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\nwe DO know is he founded Wicca, promoted it, and became the first\nface of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\nborrowed more than the \u201cDo what thou wilt\u201d from Crowley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\nexample- Magical tools used in Thelema include a circle drawn on the\nground to operate within, a dagger, grimoires, wands, and pentacles.\nGardner stated his practice was old pre Xtian, but nothing like any\nof this has been found in archaeological digs within temples or\nsacred sites. It\u2019s all found in Thelema, and Gardner was highly\ninfluenced by Crowley. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\nis entirely fair to say without Crowley, there would have been no\nWicca, even though he was not an active participant in hand crafting\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier,\nI stated much of who Crowley was is revealed in these personal\nletters. For example, one can tell he fussed over his students, but\nexpected them to do further reading.  For example, in chapter XXXIV,\nThe Tao, he refers to The Book of the Law, which he expected her to\nhave a copy of, and full knowledge of, He writes, \u201c <a href=\"https:\/\/hermetic.com\/crowley\/libers\/lib220\">The\nBook of the Law<\/a>\nstates the doctrine of Tao very succinctly: \u201c\u2026thou hast no right\nbut to do thy will.&nbsp; Do that, and no other shall say nay.&nbsp;\nFor pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of\nresult, is every way perfect.\u201d (AL I, 42-44)\u201d Further evidence he\nexpected her to know much, as well as grab her books he fully\nexpected her to have on hand is  farther down in this chapter, when\nhe writes of other topics to use as an example. He writes, \u201c You\nare familiar with the Four Powers of the Sphinx, attributed by the\nAdepts of old time to their Four Elements.&nbsp; Air is to Know,\nScire; Fire is to Will, Velle; Water is to Dare, Audere; and Earth is\nto Keep Silence, Tacere.&nbsp; But now that a fifth Element, spirit,\nis generally recognized in the Qabalah, I have deemed it proper to\nadd a Fifth Power corresponding: to Go, Ire.&nbsp; (<em>Book\nof Thoth<\/em>,\np. 275)<sup>\u201d\n<\/sup>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nother sections, you can see Crowley\u2019s beliefs, which influenced\nwhat he did. For example, in chapter number XIX, titled \u201cThe Act of\nTruth\u201d, here is what Crowley says to do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnalysed,\nit is to make the assumption that something which seems very wrong is\nactually all right, that an eager wish is an accomplished fact. a\nreasonable anxiety, entirely unfounded\u2014and to act accordingly. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\ninstance, I&#8217;m in some desolate place, dependent for my food supply on\na weekly messenger. If he is a day late, it is awkward; if two, it\nmeans hardship; if three, serious risk. One is naturally anxious as\nthe day approaches; perhaps the weather, or some similar snag, makes\nit likely that he will be late. From one cause or another, I have\nrather exceeded my ration. There is nothing I can do about it,\nmaterially. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nsensible course of action is to draw in my horns, live on the\nminimun, necessary to life, <em>which\ninvolves cutting the day&#8217;s work down to almost nothing<\/em>,\nand hope for the best, expecting the worst. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But\nthere is a Magical mode of procedure. You say to yourself: I am here\nto do this Work in accordance with my true Will. The Gods have got to\nsee to it that I&#8217;m not baulked by any blinking messenger. (But take\ncare They don&#8217;t overhear you; They might mistake it for Hybris, or\npresumption.&nbsp; Do it all in the Sign of Silence, under the aegis\nof Harpocrates, the \u201cLord of Defence and Protection\u201d; be careful\nto assume his God-form, as standing on two crocodiles. Then you\nincrease your consumption, and at the same time put in a whole lot of\nextra Work. If you perform this \u201cAct of Truth\u201d properly, with\n<em>genuine<\/em>\nconviction that nothing can go wrong, your messenger will arrive a\nday early, and bring an extra large supply. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\nhave been told there were times Crowley had spent all of his money,\nand could not afford to buy pen , ink, and paper, so it is obvious\nthis, like any spellwork or magical or magickal operation has to be\ndone properly and with much forethought. All I am saying is when I\nwas at my lowest anxiety, I not only had friends nearby to help\ncomfort me, but I KEPT on telling myself \u201cEverything is fine. It is\nall okay. \u201c I was a basketcase, but I made it through. I used this\nmagical operation to get through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nSometimes,\nwe literally tell ourselves the absolute worst, and just have to tell\nourselves the best to get through whatever we are dealing with. This\nworked for me. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crowley\u2019s\neccentricity also comes through in a chapter that has been written\noff as complete baloney by experts. He was said to have thought very\nhighly of himself, and been quite flamboyant. It showed in chapter\nnumber V- The Universe 0=2 Equation. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\nwrites: \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cQ.\nAh, but what we started to do was discover the meaning of <em>Nothing<\/em>.&nbsp;\nIt is not correct to write it simply as 0; for that 0 implies an\nindex 0<sup>1<\/sup>,\nor 0{<sup>2<\/sup>},\nor 0<sup>n<\/sup>.\nAnd if our Nothing is to be absolute Nothing, then there is not only\nno figure, but no index either. So we must write it as 0<sup>0<\/sup>.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\nis the value of this expression? We proceed as before; divide. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>0<sup>0<\/sup>\n= 0<sup>n-n<\/sup>\n= 0<sup>n<\/sup>\n\u00f7 0<sup>n<\/sup>\n= (0<sup>n<\/sup>\n\u00f7 1) \u00d7 (1 \u00f7 0<sup>n<\/sup>).\nOf course 0<sup>n<\/sup>\n\u00f7 1 remains 0; but 1 \u00f7 0{n} = ?. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\nis, we have a clash of the \u201cinfinitely great\u201d with the\n\u201cinfinitely small;\u201d that knocks out the \u201cinfinity\u201d (and\nAdvaitism with it!) and leaves us with an indeterminate but finite\nnumber of utter variety. That is: 0<sup>0<\/sup>\ncan only be interpreted as \u201cThe Universe that we know.\u201d \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>R.\nSo much for one demonstration. Some people have found fault with the\nalgebra; but the logical Equivalent is precisely parallel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\nam sorry, but Crowley does not provide good mathematics here, as was\neven stated in footnotes, where it was called \u201cbogus math\u201d. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\njoked to my Priest that Crowley must have been tripping on one of the\ndrugs he was not ashamed to say he used, and indeed, his COPD and\nasthma was treated with heroin, which he was likely using at the time\nhe wrote this letter. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As\nNeo Pagans, we are blessed today with a plethora of publications\navailable in libraries, bookstores, and for free online. Back in\nCrowley\u2019s day, the knowledge truly was more \u201chidden\u201d, and you\nreally had to look hard to find it, spend a lot more money than we do\ntoday, and keep it quiet what you were participating in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today,\nenjoy this amazing book free on the Internet at the link I provided. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Saoirse\u2019s Summer Solstice Celebration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\nalways include a working in my articles. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This\nmonth, in the spirit of Crowley, who was VERY true to himself, and\nthe revelry at Golowan, I want you to hit a festival or other\ngathering when the weather is nice and eat, drink, dance, sing, and\nbe merry. That\u2019s what it is all about. The sacredness of BEING\namidst the others who are happy to be alive and groove with the\nbeautiful weather is celebration enough.  I can\u2019t think of any\nbetter way to connect to the old gods, the old ways, and the earth,\nthan to just be out in it having a good time doing what makes you\nhappiest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"> \u201c<em>Let my worship be within the heart that rejoicest,\u00a0<\/em><br> <em>for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.\u00a0<\/em><br> <em>Therefore, let there be beauty and strength,\u00a0<\/em><br> <em>power and compassion, honor and humility,\u00a0<\/em><br> <em>mirth and reverence within you.\u00a0\u201c<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blessed\nSolstice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blessed\nBe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>***<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nthe Author:<\/strong>\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Saoirse.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16018\" width=\"138\" height=\"106\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Saoirse<\/strong>\u00a0is a recovered Catholic. \u00a0I was called to the Old Ways at age 11, but I thought I was just fascinated with folklore. At age 19, I was called again, but I thought I was just a history buff, and could not explain the soul yearnings I got when I saw images of the Standing Stones in the Motherland. At age 29, I crossed over into New Age studies, and finally Wicca a couple years later. My name is Saoirse, pronounced like (Sare) and (Shah) Gaelic for freedom. The gods I serve are Odin and Nerthus. I speak with Freyja , Norder, and Thunor as well. The Bawon has been with me since I was a small child, and Rangda has been with me since the days I was still Catholic. I received my 0 and 1 Degree in an Eclectic Wiccan tradition, and my Elder is Lord Shadow. We practice in Columbus, Ohio. I am currently focusing more on my personal growth, and working towards a Second and Third Degree with Shadow. I received a writing degree from Otterbein University back in 2000. I have written arts columns for the s Council in Westerville.\u00a0I give private tarot readings and can be reached through my\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TarotwithSaoirse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0page\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TarotwithSaoirse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tarot with Saoirse<\/a>.\u00a0You can, also, join me on\u00a0my\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCmB1kwLwh-16NDcXNsk2upg\" target=\"_blank\">Youtube Channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 2019 for Celebrating The Old Ways in New Times Bright Blessings! I write this on the 18 of May, and it is above 80 degrees, and feels and smells like Summertime already! I can hardly believe how fast the Wheel of the Year is turning! I could write a lot about which plants are doing what, but I thought it would be better to show you. I decided I would focus on planting as much on the patio as possible this year, and you can see that is going very well. Raised beds are a great favorite of mine! I proudly share my photos. In the front, you can see things are JUST beginning. I put in seeds, some of which have sprouted, and I am excited to see them come along! I bought more seeds also. I am not done planting yet! By this time next month, it will be Summer Solstice, and the plants will be even bigger, the days even longer, and the weather, even warmer. Summer Solstice For many, Summer Solstice is about festivals, cookouts, and road trips. Not for those who practice the Old Ways, though. It falls when day is longest, and night is shortest, and it celebrates the sun at the height of its power. To emulate that, traditionally, in the British Isles, bonfires burn day and night in some places to give more power and strength to the sun. Torchlight processions, to further give the sun power can be seen to this day, although most celebrants are Xtianized and just do the rituals as matter of tradition. Golowan One thing I will focus on is the festival of Golowan, which is well done, and well attended. Here is a link to one of the event listings: GolowanFestival.org Here is a video where you can see how much fun everybody is having! Here you hear the marching band, and see the street dancing. I partook of similar observances for a different celebration in Mexico. Let me tell you, nothing is quite as much fun as a street procession and dance! These are their versions of St. John\u2019s Eve celebrations. Catholic tradition has it that St John was born 6 months before Jesus, so his feast day is right at 6 months before Christmas. So from June 21-June 30, various towns have a Golowan at Midsummer. Historically, Golowan had been outlawed due to so many fires being used, and the increasing price of insurance being a strain on townships. But that all changed in 1991 when Penzance in the UK resurrected it. Other towns followed suit, and it\u2019s now a major cultural celebration again. Things you will see besides the street dancing and music include amazing food, costumes, and a form of costumed beast called the Penglaz, or \u2018Obby Oss\u2019. Winter celebrations see a similar costumed performer toting along a horse\u2019s skull on a pole, and the name \u201cObby Oss\u201d supposedly means hobby horse. This is done because there is much revivalism currently. People have decided to reclaim old folk traditions for themselves. Our culture makes us who we are, and many never forget that. Here is a video of the Obby Oss! This is a night procession complete with band and torches. It\u2019s so beautiful! Note the reveler joining in on his or her scooter! Many Neo Pagan celebrations in the States include outdoor ritual, and potlucking someplace nice like a yard or park. As few of us rely on our own gardens or farms for our food, the significance of giving the sun power so it can make things grow is not on the forefront of our minds for the most part. Like the Golowan celebrations, it\u2019s about joy, frolicking, and gathering in good weather. But, if you are like me, and you are a plant lover, Summer is what you dream of and look forward to on cold days. While doing your garden, you plan next year\u2019s, and you are always gathering supplies from soil to seeds, and learning all you can to improve. Another thing we, as Pagans work to cultivate, is our knowledge base. I would like to share with you a very good book , a bit of info about the author, and a free link to read the whole publication online as my Summer Solstice gift to you! Magick Without Tears When my Priest assigned this book, I rolled my eyes. I have a lot of respect for Aleister Crowley, aka The Wickedest Man Alive aka The Beast! But I am not Ceremonial Magician, and I have no plans to be. I prefer to focus more on ancient history than modern things, and I\u2019d rather read about something the Vikings did than something a man wrote close to a century ago. I always do what Lord Shadow says, and I always learn why he wants me to do what he does. In this particular case, I read a great book which not only defined a lot of things in Crowley\u2019s words, but this revealed an intimate portrait of Crowley, himself. The book was not a book perse when it was first written, but a collection of letters he wrote to his student. In the Forward to the Hermetic Library\u2019s free online link to the book, Karl J Germer tells us Crowley met a gal in 1943 who wanted to learn from him, and he sent a series of letters to her. He saved many letters, and they were published together as Magick Without Tears after his death. The free link where you can read the whole thing is here: Free Copy If you prefer an actual book you can hold in your hands to read, I recommend buying it here: Magick Without Tears on Amazon The book was first published in 1954, and the beloved publishers Llewellyn did another edition in 1973. Two other editions, one in 1982, and finally one edited by the illustrious Israel Regardie was published in 1991. Who Crowley was specifically, in the simplest of terms was a highly influential occultist who believed it was his responsibility to bring us all into what he called the Aeon of Horus. Born in 1875 to Plymouth Brethren Xtians, Crowley was blessed with their wealth, and used it to promote his religion, Thelema, and travel around the World. Thelema specifically taught magic, mysticism, and magick, which is anything you do to conform with your Higher Will. The Higher Will is much more than the mundane will. It makes you YOU, and that which is your basic purpose to being. From what I have been told, anything can be magick, even taking a shower, if it goes towards your goal. The spelling \u201cmagick\u201d , however, is used by a lot of mainstream authors and groups to denote anything besides parlor tricks, and is not the proper use of the spelling at all. \u201cDo what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.\u201d Crowley wrote. Meaning that everything you do in life ought to go towards your Higher Will. Or as Lord Shadow says \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean do whatever the hell you want to!\u201d It is also where Wicca gets \u201cthe \u201cDo what thou wilt\u201d from \u201cAn it harm none, do what thou wilt.\u201d Crowley is actually responsible to some extent for Wicca in general. We all know Uncle Gerald Gardner was highly influenced by the writings of Margaret Alice Murray, taking her word for it that the witch trials were persecution of the Pre Xtian Pagan religions in Europe. What many don\u2019t know is Gardner claimed he got a charter from Crowley to start a Ceremonial Magic temple, and we will never know whether that was one of Uncle Gerald\u2019s tall tales or not. What we DO know is he founded Wicca, promoted it, and became the first face of it. He borrowed more than the \u201cDo what thou wilt\u201d from Crowley. For example- Magical tools used in Thelema include a circle drawn on the ground to operate within, a dagger, grimoires, wands, and pentacles. Gardner stated his practice was old pre Xtian, but nothing like any of this has been found in archaeological digs within temples or sacred sites. It\u2019s all found in Thelema, and Gardner was highly influenced by Crowley. It is entirely fair to say without Crowley, there would have been no Wicca, even though he was not an active participant in hand crafting it. Earlier, I stated much of who Crowley was is revealed in these personal letters. For example, one can tell he fussed over his students, but expected them to do further reading. For example, in chapter XXXIV, The Tao, he refers to The Book of the Law, which he expected her to have a copy of, and full knowledge of, He writes, \u201c The Book of the Law states the doctrine of Tao very succinctly: \u201c\u2026thou hast no right but to do thy will.&nbsp; Do that, and no other shall say nay.&nbsp; For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.\u201d (AL I, 42-44)\u201d Further evidence he expected her to know much, as well as grab her books he fully expected her to have on hand is farther down in this chapter, when he writes of other topics to use as an example. He writes, \u201c You are familiar with the Four Powers of the Sphinx, attributed by the Adepts of old time to their Four Elements.&nbsp; Air is to Know, Scire; Fire is to Will, Velle; Water is to Dare, Audere; and Earth is to Keep Silence, Tacere.&nbsp; But now that a fifth Element, spirit, is generally recognized in the Qabalah, I have deemed it proper to add a Fifth Power corresponding: to Go, Ire.&nbsp; (Book of Thoth, p. 275)\u201d In other sections, you can see Crowley\u2019s beliefs, which influenced what he did. For example, in chapter number XIX, titled \u201cThe Act of Truth\u201d, here is what Crowley says to do: \u201cAnalysed, it is to make the assumption that something which seems very wrong is actually all right, that an eager wish is an accomplished fact. a reasonable anxiety, entirely unfounded\u2014and to act accordingly. For instance, I&#8217;m in some desolate place, dependent for my food supply on a weekly messenger. If he is a day late, it is awkward; if two, it means hardship; if three, serious risk. One is naturally anxious as the day approaches; perhaps the weather, or some similar snag, makes it likely that he will be late. From one cause or another, I have rather exceeded my ration. There is nothing I can do about it, materially. The sensible course of action is to draw in my horns, live on the minimun, necessary to life, which involves cutting the day&#8217;s work down to almost nothing, and hope for the best, expecting the worst. But there is a Magical mode of procedure. You say to yourself: I am here to do this Work in accordance with my true Will. The Gods have got to see to it that I&#8217;m not baulked by any blinking messenger. (But take care They don&#8217;t overhear you; They might mistake it for Hybris, or presumption.&nbsp; Do it all in the Sign of Silence, under the aegis of Harpocrates, the \u201cLord of Defence and Protection\u201d; be careful to assume his God-form, as standing on two crocodiles. Then you increase your consumption, and at the same time put in a whole lot of extra Work. If you perform this \u201cAct of Truth\u201d properly, with genuine conviction that nothing can go wrong, your messenger will arrive a day early, and bring an extra large supply. \u201c I have been told there were times Crowley had spent all of his money, and could not afford to buy pen , ink, and paper, so it is obvious this, like any spellwork or magical or magickal operation has to be done properly and with much forethought. All I am saying is when I was at my lowest anxiety,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":211,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/211"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17935\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}