Messages In This Digest (7 Messages)
- 1.
- Fw: [StormysBookofShadows] Dark Paganism From: Grandfather Oak
- 2.
- Fw: [StormysBookofShadows] The Dark Powers in Witchcraft ! From: Grandfather Oak
- 3.
- Goddess of The Day: Ka-blei-jew-lei-hat From: Cher Chirichello
- 4a.
- Ease Transitions Spell From: Cher Chirichello
- 5.
- Aromatherapy Tip of the Day ...Bookmark From: Cher Chirichello
- 6.
- Sunday's Correspondence...Sept 4 From: Cher Chirichello
- 7.
- Homeric Hymn From: Cher Chirichello
Messages
- 1.
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Fw: [StormysBookofShadows] Dark Paganism
Posted by: "Grandfather Oak" robert_patti@windstream.net grandfatheroak_wizard
Sat Sep 3, 2011 11:26 am (PDT)
From: Dee Harris
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2011 10:26 PM
Having lived in the country most of my life, I have learned that life has to have darkness as well as light. Animals have taught me that as well as life itself. I've said before that I'm more comfortable with darkness than I am with light. I'm a crone and close to the end of my life in about forty years. Darkness is a comfort where light can be irritating at times. When we accept the darkness we accept a very basic part of ourselves that can be very invigorating in
itself. It is a time of rest and renewing just like winter.
--- On Fri, 9/2/11, StormyRed77@aol.com > wrote:
There are some who find comfort in the shadows,
Who strive to comprehend the mysteries,
Who find solace in the silence of a winter night,
Who sing softly to the crone.
We are the Dark Pagans, children of the Dark Mother
.
So often darkness is associated with evil. Since the term evil has no place in a nature-based religion, we Pagans are forced to look beyond such stereotypes.
Evil is a human term. It begins and ends with us. A tornado is not evil, yet it is destructive. Fire can be used to benefit life or destroy it. Nature is neither good nor evil. It simply is. It follows no moral code. Only humans, with our complicated set of emotions and intellect, can justify such categorizations.
Death, destruction, chaos… these are essential driving forces within nature. Life feeds on life; destruction precedes creation. These are the only true laws, and they are not open to interpretation.
When Pagans anthropomorphisize nature into something good and loving, they deny its very all-encompassing nature. When the dark deities are shunned in fear of the unknown, we deny ourselves full understanding of all deities and what they have to offer.
It is our nature to fear the unknown. We cling to archetypal forms representing the aspects of some great unknowable, encompassing force, which we cannot comprehend. We call them our deities. This is not wrong; It is in fact, necessary since we cannot grasp the "divine" or cosmic source otherwise.
Some religions choose to see this source as one omnipotent being. However, accepting the existence of an all-good and just being dictates that there must then exist a counterpart that encompasses evil.
Since nature-based religions view the concept of deity in a more polytheistic and pantheistic way, the separations of creative/destructive forces are not as well defined. The deities take on aspects of nature or human ideals. Instead of one omnipotent being, we have deities of love, war, beauty, the sun, the moon, the sea… Each deity inherently contains both the creative and destructive forces.
It is through the many aspects of the Goddess and God that we come to learn more about the universe and ourselves. To shun those aspects we fear inhibits our growth. It is the goal of Dark Pagans to encourage those who hide behind the positive aspects of our deities to embrace their fears and learn.
As a life-affirming spirituality, Paganism often focuses on the positive, creative and nurturing forces in nature. It is easy to loose touch with the darker aspects. Life begets death and death begets life. Chaos is the fuel of creation. Something must always be destroyed for something to be created.
Those who shun the darker aspects of nature and ourselves tend to fall into what I have heard called "Lightside Paganism" - Pagans who think life is all happiness and joy and that once attuned to the rhythms of nature, life becomes such wonderful dreams. Many subscribers to the "New Age" movement have this shallow outlook. To them, nature is good and just and ordered.
This simply is not the case. Take these dull-eyed individuals and place them in the wilderness with nothing but their crystals and they will be some animal's dinner before the end of the week. Nature is harsh. It is unforgiving. The weak die or are killed by the strong. Life feeds on life. Even the strictest vegan is a plant killer. Humans, with their technological and medical breakthroughs have "improved the quality life" by distancing themselves from the harshness of nature.
However, despite this harsh side of nature, it is not evil. It also has its share of beauty. The point is, nature encompasses both the creative and destructive forces. Ignoring the negative aspects results in an incomplete view of nature.
It is the goal of dark Paganism to remind us that there is a darker side to all things and that this darker side is not necessarily harmful and negative. There is beauty in darkness for those who dare enter the shadows to embrace it.
Many aspects of the darkness are not as harsh as death and chaos. There is reflection, reverence, change, divination, introspection, trance, autumn, winter, maturity, wisdom, the distant cry of a crow in a forest, a single candle glowing in the night, the cool embrace of the autumn wind. These are all aspects; these are its gifts. Perhaps it is through the beauty of a sunset and sunrise and the colors of fall and spring that we are reminded of the cycles of birth-death-rebirth and of the importance - the necessity - of each phase.
It is important to remember that focusing only on the darker side is just as dangerous as focusing on the lighter side. Balance is important, and even though some may relate to one aspect more than the other, we must always remain open to the other aspects.
©1997 - 2001, John J. Coughlin
- 2.
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Fw: [StormysBookofShadows] The Dark Powers in Witchcraft !
Posted by: "Grandfather Oak" robert_patti@windstream.net grandfatheroak_wizard
Sat Sep 3, 2011 11:36 am (PDT)
From: stormys_bos
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2011 10:21 PM
The dark powers emanate from the dark aspects of the Goddess and the God. This is the power of the Crone and the Lord of the Shadows; the Hag and the Hunter. The dark powers are more than just a personification of the negative influences in life, however, and the energy raised through the dark imagery of the Divine is very potent. As such, be careful what you do.
The Dark Goddess is manifested in mythology as various kinds of death crones, wise hags, devastation, war, disease and barrenness of the land. She is the Bone Mother who collects the skulls of the dead for the ossuary. In Irish mythology, Morrigan and Nemain would be considered Dark Goddesses in that they are associated with War and Death. [See also: Goddesses of War]
The Dark God is seen in mythology as the silent host to the dead in his underground realm of gray shadows and deep sleep, knowing of secrets and wise of the universe, death, war, destruction, gatherer of souls and harbinger of chaos. He is the Hunter, whose wild hunt, or rade, ingathers the energies of the soul.
There is sense to this ancient cosmology. Cults of ancient times focused on the dark aspects of the Divine so that their followers would move past their fear of mortality to seize upon the recognition of their eternal immortality.
In Irish mythology, Crom Cruach, and Donn would be considered "Dark Gods" or "Dark Powers" because Donn was the god of the dead Milsians. At death, Mannannan Mac Lyr carried the soul to Tech Dunn or the House of Donn. In texts like the Dinsenchus there is references to Crom being considered to be a dark god, contrasting a light god, in a way
that is very similar to the Slavic god Czernobog.
As a power, the Dark Lord is the Chaos from which Order must evolve.Yet there is no ending to this cycle, Order resolves again as Chaos to be reborn as New Order. The Lord of Shadows as Death becomes the process of new life by gathering the energy of dying life, and the Passage into a new material form is through the Crone.
In the aspect of light, the god dies willingly by entering the ground to bring his vitality to crops that will be harvested to feed humanity. Through this selfless act, he revitalises the earth. He does this through the Crone. The marriage of Lugh in August, celebrated as Lughnasadh, is the start of the descent into Mother Earth. Once there, he is transformed into the son within the goddess. Hence, the pagan god is both Father and Son, which is yet another concept that Christianity absorbed from the pagans. The harvest comes, the seasons change, and the Mother becomes the Crone of Autumn and Winter, only to be transformed into Mother again at Winter Solstice with the rebirth of the Sun (her son, the god). See Also: Cernunnos, Green Man and Herne.
The womb-tomb is the domain of the Crone and is a place of great power. This is where the transformation takes place, with energies of death given repose and returned to form as the energies of life. When this power is confronted and recognised, there comes a freedom
from fear, a new sense of independence and a recognition of personal responsibility. We are not judged in Death by the Lady and the Lord, but we are Self-judged. From the quietude of the realm, we move through her into new life. That is the balanced, pagan theme of the
cauldron, the god of self-sacrifice and the resurrecting goddess. It is this power of the goddess that significantly differentiates the old and new religions.
Thus, in an historical sense, while the Dark Lord guides the chaos of social and cultural changes through the Crone into a new life, the Crone becomes not the terror of death, but the joyful passage to new vibrant societies through the death of the outmoded and stagnant
ones. She is Fata Morgana, the Huntress Diana, Minerva, Cerridwen, Sati and Kali. He is Pluto, Hades, Cerunnos, Herne the Hunter, Set and Shiva. But the names may not convey the image needed by the practitioner unless you are able to move beyond the modern association of darkness as evil.
By accepting that the dark powers are in balance with the light powers, you are able to utilise the wholeness of the Power. The dichotomy of good and evil do not apply to what simply is. Energy can be drawn to the light or to the dark; thus death provides the soul's passage to
whichever realm the soul-energy has been drawn. Energy is always in motion, and flows back and forth between light and dark. What at one time is light energy turns and becomes dark energy. Through the practice of the Craft, the witch directs this energy for beneficial
purpose. To do otherwise, is to inflict Self-harm.
To face the Underworld and the power of the dark aspect of the Divine is to understand that dark is part of the necessary blend of light and not something to fear. The unifying of the dark and the light within the individual offers wholeness and peace, which may then be transferred to external contacts.
(LadyOfTheEarth)
- 3.
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Goddess of The Day: Ka-blei-jew-lei-hat
Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411
Sat Sep 3, 2011 10:05 pm (PDT)
Goddess of The Day: Ka-blei-jew-lei-hat
Themes: Work; Rest; Recreation; Prosperity
Symbols: All the Tools of Your Trade
About Ka-blei-jew-lei-hat: The Assam Goddess of the marketplace and merchants takes
a much-deserved rest from her labors today and focuses on rewarding tasks that have been
well done throughout the last eight months.
To Do Today: For most folks in the United States, Labor Day represents a long weekend
without normal workaday activities. From a magical perspective, this holiday offers us a
chance to thank Ka-ble-jew-lei-hat for our jobs (which keep a roof overhead and food on the table)
and ask for her blessing on the tools we use regularly. A secretary might empower his/her pen
and steno pad; a musician can charge his/her instrument; a shopkeeper might anoint the cash
register; a book clerk might burn specially chosen incense near goddess-centered books
(and in the business section), and so forth.
Some potential herbal tinctures and oils to use for inspiring Ka-blei-jew-lei-hat's prosperity
and watchfulness include cinnamon, clove, ginger, mint, orange, and pine. To partake of the Goddess's
abundance by energizing your skills with her magic, blend all of these (except pine) into a tea!
This Goddess can help with job searches, too. Just tell her your need, then review the
newspaper to see what companies catch your eye. Then get on the phone or get the resume
out so Ka-blei-jew-lei-hat can open that doorway.
By Patricia Telesco From "365 Goddess"
- 4a.
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Ease Transitions Spell
Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411
Sat Sep 3, 2011 10:11 pm (PDT)
Ease Transitions Spell
Today is the festival of the Apache Goddess, Changing Woman. This spell helps us to embrace and learn from the changes that come into our life. To
start, decorate your sacred space with potted plants. Place on your
altar pictures of yourself from all stages of your life. Light a new
green candle and ask Changing Woman to help you grow and change. Look at the photos of yourself when you were a baby, a young child, a teenager, and so forth. Realize as you study the pictures that although you've
changed radically from your early childhood, you are still fundamentally the same person. Pray to Changing Woman to help you make any changes
for the better that may be necessary in your life.
~Lily Gardner-Butts
- 5.
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Aromatherapy Tip of the Day ...Bookmark
Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411
Sat Sep 3, 2011 10:11 pm (PDT)
Aromatherapy Tip of the Day...Bookmark
If you're giving a book as a gift why not add a bookmark to which you've
added a few drops of essential oils. Try to choose something that will
appeal to most folks like Orange or maybe a blend
of Lavender and
Tangerine. The Orange is great for kids. Create a bookmark for students
adding oils to help them study, Peppermint,Rosemary and Basil will help
keep them alert. Add a bottle of the
essential oil so they can refresh their bookmark. Maybe spice oils for a cookbook. The possibilities are endless.
y AromaThyme.com
- 6.
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Sunday's Correspondence...Sept 4
Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411
Sat Sep 3, 2011 10:11 pm (PDT)
Sunday's Correspondence...Sept 4
Today's Influences: All Love Matters, Friendships, Affection, Partnerships, Money, Sex
Today's Goddesses: Deities: Brighid, Helios, Ra, Astarte, Aphrodite, Erzulie, Aida Wedo, Eve, Venus, Freya, Diana, Aset [Isis], The Witch Of Gaeta, Chalchiuhtlique, Artemis, Branwen, Eriu, Nymph, Epona
Incense: Saffron, Verbena
Aromas: Stephanotis, Apple Blossom, Musk, Ambergris
Candle: Green
Color: green, Yellow & gold
Planet: Sun
Metal: Gold
Gemstones: Quartz crystal, diamond, amber, carnelian
Herbs & Plants:Marigold, sunflower, cinnamon
Associations: Agriculture, beauty, hope, victory, self-expression and creativity
What's Happening Today:
Rome: Ludi Romani begins, the great games honoring Jove/Jupiter (Zeus), continuing for two weeks.
Greco/Roman: The Goddess month of Hesperis ends, named for the Hesperides Aegle, Arethusa, Erytheia, and Hesperia. These three nymphs guard and tend Juno/Hera's garden high in the
mountains. Hera planted a tree there from the golden apples of immortality which were presented to her by Gaia on her wedding
to Zeus. Ladon also guards the garden, a dragon with a hundred heads. Only Heracles/Hercules was able to reach the garden and
obtain the magic fruit, by tricking Atlas, the Hesperides' father, into getting some of the apples for him, thus completing
the 11th of the Twelve Labors assigned him by Hera/Juno in order to become fully a God of Olympus.
Catholicism: Feast day of St Laurence of Justinian, who had a vision at age 19, of "the Eternal Wisdom in the guise of a
maiden encircled with light. She invited him to seek her with happiness, rather than satiate his baser lusts..." The mushroom,
Agaricus campestris, is dedicated to this saint. Perhaps a mushroom-induced vision of the Goddess?
Born in 1905: Arthur Koestler, a Hungarian-born writer. Koestler had psychic experiences throughout his life, but maintained that
he was not a psychic. Established The Koestler Foundation, which promotes research in parapsychology and other fields. Koestler
left his entire estate to found a Chair of Parapsychology at Edinburgh University. Koestler's best-know scientific
publications from are ROOTS OF COINCIDENCE (1972), an attempt to provide ESP with a basis in quantum physics, and THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE (1973), where he related his study of coincidences to the 'synchronicity' hypotheses of Carl Jung."
1922: The Daily News (England) reported the fall of little toads from the sky, at Châlon-sur-Saône, France.
Use for magick involving love, peace, beauty, gentleness, women's problems, healing, protection, lovers, ease, pleasure, affairs. Resolve quarrels today!
- 7.
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Homeric Hymn
Posted by: "Cher Chirichello" CHIC0411@YAHOO.COM chic0411
Sat Sep 3, 2011 10:20 pm (PDT)
There are few whom laughing Aphrodite cannot conquer:
Artemis is one, for she is already in love with the hunt,
with the bow and the quiver full of arrows, with the sound
and the scent of the chase, the songs and calls of the hunters,
and the fierce blood shed by wild boar and deer as they die
in the shadowy forest glades - and the dancing, later,
to the music of lyres among right-living people.
~Homeric Hymn
On the full moon in August in ancient Greece, one of the great festivals of Artemis was held. Each full moon was sacred to the Goddess of the wilderness, but this one was a special feast, dedicated to Artemis huntress aspect. A goat was sacrificed to her at this time, in recognition of the fact that she controlled all animal life.
It may seem contradictory that Artemis was a huntress, given her other aspect as protector of all birthing mothers, both human and animal. Bout our forebears found no contradiction in uniting birth and death in this way. Life feeds on life, they knew. Whether that life is animal or vegetable, we cannot survive unless we devour the once-living bodies of other creatures. This is the stern truth, but one that our ancestors looked at fearlessly, unblinkingly. Artemis, who tenderly assisted in the birth of every fawn, just as avidly hunted them down when their time came. During the harvest season, we vividly experience the cycle of life's communion with other life - the cycle of Artemis.
by Patricia Monaghan From "The Goddess Companion"
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