Witch_Essentials

Messages In This Digest (4 Messages)

1.: November Issue of PaganPages Up Now! From: paganpagesorg

2.: Cdw 3-10 Hands. From: Blackbird

3a.: Re: Whats is Wicca 2-2 Buckland. From: gaia_d

4a.: Re: What is Wicca 2-3 Elities. From: gaia_d

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1.: November Issue of PaganPages Up Now!

Posted by: "paganpagesorg" paganpagesorg@yahoo.com paganpagesorg

Tue Nov 9, 2010 12:17 pm (PST)

Merry Meet!

The November issue of PaganPages Magazine, a free educational pagan internet magazine, is up now at http://www.paganpages.org.

We hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Samhain!!

We had an all time high in Sept with readership and we were so excited, but guess what…Oct was even better. Almost 20,000 pagans visited our site. We want to thank our loyal readers and new readers. Keep on enjoying and spreading the news of this site.

UPDATE

We are currently looking for the following writers:

Herbs

Meditation

If you are interested in becoming a writer for PaganPages email us at admin@paganpages.org

REMINDER

Have a look in our etsy shop ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/paganpagesorg) for beautiful jewelry. Your purchases go to keeping PaganPages up and going.

GlitteryBlessingsandLove,
PaganPages.org

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2.: Cdw 3-10 Hands.

Posted by: "Blackbird" blackbird_61@yahoo.com blackbird_61

Tue Nov 9, 2010 3:54 pm (PST)

Card of the Week 3-10: The 6 of Pents, Hands. Hi All,
Today I was replying to a Thank you note from a dear friend who I
recently gave a copy of the Robin Wood Tarot, and after sending the
post; got to thinking about this essay. In my post I had mentioned that
while I was quite happy she was pleased with the deck, it was already
hers; I was just holding it till the deck let me know who she belonged
too.

This is a common enough "belief" among Pagans, whether a Book, a Charm
or a Stone; how many times have I heard a Pagan say basically those
words, or even if something comes to you, for a while, when you need it,
you still have an obligation to pass it on when it has seen its purpose
through. My own chant for this is, "Blessings Given Blessings Received
let the circle flow, blessings given blessings received let the circle
close." In the Tarot this Cycle of Gifting is depicted by the 6 of
Pents. <http://www.anar-mura.com/tgimg/rw/pen_vi.jpg>

and thinking about all this put me in mind of a thought I'm not sure the
Authorship of, but it's been around a while.

God's Hands are Our Hands.

and Goddesses too; for 7 of the 9 years I worked for the cable company I
worked off again on again for a security company as well and in that
capacity I worked quite regularly with the homeless; I worked with
Regular's like coffeeman, and TWO with persons you only met once, with
others you wish you had never met at all; like the woman who lost her
mind and hissed and scratched at the air like a feral cat.

One night I heard a rustling sound, now ... and again; I finally found
the source of the noice, a desperate woman trying to steal a bag of
chips though a grate; her thread bare top had a huge rent and you could
see her paper thin body beneath. I had her arrested, I expect it saved
her life, once in the custody of the county she would recieve some food,
and better clothes, but most likely they would not keep her long and she
would soon enough be on the street again.

Christmas Morning, was it that year, or another. I ran into a different
woman, I asked her to share breakfast with me and we had something at
Roy's. At the end of the meal getting ready to go I asked her how long
she had been down and out. "Two Years" I believe was the answer, she
seemed surprised I knew, but I replied in my business, I had to, I had
to know the signs. I gave her maybe $20 as a Christmas gift, keeping
only just what I needed to get home.

Today I was getting on the Elevator at the Library, a older man was
wearing a hat. AO ###; I asked him out loud; what's an AO mean. He
paused, explained it was a Tanker, that in the 2nd War he had served on
a Tanker that helped to keep the fleet at sea and speed the war to a
successful end. He was obviously still proud of his part in our nations
great struggle and it made his day someone cared to ask.

As I was leaving the Library I noticed a young lady, hunched over a
drawing taking notes. I paused for a moment she was on the phone taking
down a number; which she hid for me, seeing she mistook my intention I
said aloud. "That's very good work." She smiled and seemed quite please,
I said really, "I've drawn for 30 years, that's really quite good." now
she was almost blushing, and I wished her a good day and was on my way.

When you see some wretched creature who needs Gods Blessing, or a young
lady who maybe needs a little boost (we all do now and then) or
whenever; it's fine to bless yourself however it is your custom, and
hope God/dess will smile on them; but if you have the option, a moment
of your time, a dime to spare; maybe just maybe God/dess is reaching out
to bless them, but needs your help to do it.

Gods hands, are Our Hands.

Blessings, BB.

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3a.: Re: Whats is Wicca 2-2 Buckland.

Posted by: "gaia_d" Gaia_D@yahoo.com gaia_d

Tue Nov 9, 2010 5:28 pm (PST)

--- In Witch_Essentials@yahoogroups.com, "Blackbird" <blackbird_61@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi All,

> to Which I replied that one cannot blame 'Beginners' for considering
> themselves Wiccan, when the invitation to consider themselves Wiccan
has
> been presented to them by persons of stature in the Wiccan Community,
> Para phrasing here, persons such as Raymond Buckland, Scott
Cunningham,
> Janet Farrar, and Starhawk among others. We will return to them
shortly,
> My point here today is not to Debunk Gaia's position; but I feel that
> for the benefit of the many "Baby Witches" drawn to this group that
> Gaia's position is but one side of an Argument that has been going on
> for 30 years, that if you find yourself on the other side of that
> argument your position is not inherently wrong, and has been
propounded
> and expanded by persons of great stature in Wicca and in the Larger
Neo
> Pagan Community. Much of what follows will speak to that Question.

GAIA:

HI Blackbird --

I'm going to stop you here because I'm afraid we have a (major) problem
--

I asked you to please present actual QUOTES and REFERENCES about these
supposed "invitations to consider themselves Wiccan", precisely because
i don't think it's reasonable for you to expect me to accept *your*
paraphrases -- after all, the whole point is that we have here a
*disagreement* on how we view / understand this issue.

Thus, If you want to say that these Wiccan/ Pagan leaders "invited"
people to "consider themselves Wiccan", you will have to present those
QUOTES and REFERENCES so i can read them for myself.

> BB:
> Now in the Spiral Dance,
> Starhawk clearly sees herself as a Witch, and the book is clearly a
> guide to Self Initiation into Witchcraft as a religion. Which is what
> Wicca sees itself as;

GAIA:

Although at one time the terms "Wicca" and "Witchcraft" were originally
used interchangably, we now make a clear distinction between them.
Wicca is a religion, and there are many *other* religions, that are
clearly NON-Wiccan, but use Witchcraft -- for just a few examples,
Santeria and Voudun.

Therefore, for some time the Pagan-Wiccan community has been defining
Wicca as a *religion*, and Witchcraft as a group of PRACTICES --
including such things as Divination, Herbalism, and various
psycho-spiritual-psychic practices -- that are practiced by a wide
variety and diversity of paths.

Blessed Be -

~Gaia

> >

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4a.: Re: What is Wicca 2-3 Elities.

Posted by: "gaia_d" Gaia_D@yahoo.com gaia_d

Tue Nov 9, 2010 5:37 pm (PST)

--- In Witch_Essentials@yahoogroups.com, "Blackbird" <blackbird_61@...> wrote:
>
> Elite's and Elitism.
>

> one could get into an uncontrollable position of power.
> Buckland's Book of Saxon Witchcraft Pg xi.
> Brightest Blessings, BB.
>

GAIA:

Look, i agree with you that there *can* be problems with elitism in ANY organization or group, but Wiccans (and Pagans) are such independent cusses, and Wicca itself is organized in such a way, that i think any such dangers are strongly mitigated.

Furthermore, the whole point of this is that you expressed a concern that Initiated Wiccan Priest/ess(es) would consider themselves "Clergy" against you wishes --

I have already noted that it would be silly -- not to mention, pretty impossible -- for any Wiccan to attempt to "force" you to accept them as your Clergy against your will;

You are NOT Wiccan, so their principles and practices (especially regarding INitiation) are irrelevant to you;

-- so i'm afraid i don't understand what the problem is here. Are you just wanting to have a philsophical discussion on these issues?

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