3 Jan 07

Is Magic Real?

I just recently finished a CFFN lesson on magic where I wrote about how I thought magic works and also about how I saw the Wiccan perception of magic change through the years. (You can read a version of these two essays here: Why Magic Works and Changing Views of Magic.

In response to my essays, a fellow student said that she felt Wiccan religion could not be separated from magic, even if that is the way the trend seems to be going. (Heavy paraphrasing here.) I said that I felt that magic is now more associated with spells and less associated with rituals. To the majority of Wiccans Circle casting and interaction with the divine is magic, but to the lay person it probably isn’t. That’s why I say I don’t work magic–I don’t cast spells or perform any Ceremonial Magic. I do, however, perform religious rituals, which, to me, are magical.

So, is Wicca magical or not? Yes, I believe it is. Do I perform magic? Everyday of my life, even though I never cast spells. If you have the right outlook, being alive is magic, being in love is magic, and doing what you Will is magic.

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9 Dec 06

Adopt-a-Deity – Lan Tsai-Ho

Lan Tsai-Ho is the mountebank of the Chinese Eight Immortals. She poses as a wandering singer, denouncing this fleeting life and its delusive pleasures1. The basket of flowers she carries is full of plants associated with longevity—chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, pine, bamboo, etc. Lan Tsai-Ho is sometimes represented as a woman and sometimes as a young, male child; she may also be presented as a hermaphrodite.Lan Tsai-Ho

She is often drunk, or pretends to be, and gathers a group of followers while singing and capering through towns. When she has money, she usually throws it on the ground for poor. In the summer she wears thick clothing and a coat, and in the winter she makes her bed in the snow. Truly a foolish woman.

Lan Tsai-Ho dates from the Tang Dynasty (1766–1122 BC). She is said to have obtained immortality by bathing the boils and sores of a beggar, who is believed to have been Li-Tieguai (another of the Eight Immortals) in disguise.

It is believed that one can communicate with the gods by using Lan Tsai-Ho’s basket of flowers.2

Sources:
1. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths and Legends of China, by E. T. C. Werner
2. ChinaCulture.org – The Eight Immortals

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21 Nov 06

A Sabbat by Any Other Name

The commonly accepted names for the Wiccan Sabbats are:

  • Yule (approx. December 21st)
  • Imbloc/Imbolg (February 1st)
  • Ostara (approx. March 21st)
  • Beltane (May 1st)
  • Midsummer (approx. June 21st)
  • Lammas/Lughnasadh (August 1st)
  • Mabon (approx. September 21st)
  • Samhain (October 31st)

Most of these names come from Celtic festivals, and in some case, the Wiccan celebration supposedly vaguely resembles these original festivals. But, as well all know, Wicca is not Celtic. In the tradition I belong to, Universal Eclectic Wicca, there has been a move to change the Sabbat names to the following, with the idea of the celebration/rite occurring the evening before for the “eve” Sabbats:

  • Winter Solstice (approx. December 21st)
  • February Eve (February 1st)
  • Spring Equinox (approx. March 21st)
  • May Eve (May 1st)
  • Sumer Solstice(approx. June 21st)
  • August Eve (August 1st)
  • Autumn Equinox (approx. September 21st)
  • November Eve (October 31st)

While the names aren’t as poetic, they also don’t carry the Celtic baggage of the other names. In most cases, I try to use the newer names (or older, since they were supposedly used by Gardner originally), but I still like to use Beltane, Samhain (Sow-een), and Yule. They have built up a certain feeling for me that will take some time to become attached to the other names.

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2 Nov 06

Aspiring to Hermithood

I am seriously thinking about never leaving the house again! It seems to me that people are getting ruder. If I want to be treated poorly or ignored, I can stay home and be abused by my cat.

I’m beginning to think that all the rudeness comes from a sense of entitlement. People cut into line, take up multiple seats on public transportation, and cut off others when getting onto escalators and elevators because they truly believe they are better and more deserving then everyone else. They may have had a bad day (or not), but they need to remember that they aren’t any better or worse then me or anyone else!

The lack of community connectedness also plays a big role, and is more obvious in situations where people don’t hold open doors or give up their seats to the elderly or pregnant women. If there were greater feelings of community, if we knew the people we saw when we were out, I think we would be much more kind.

I would like to think that I’m not rude when I’m out. Being polite and exercising (un)common courtesy is something that I think is part of the Wiccan Rede. Taking up two seats on the subway may not seem harmful to some, but to someone else it might just be the last straw that causes them to give up on “polite” society.

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31 Oct 06

November Eve 2006

Blessed Samhain!

This is probably my favourite Sabbat. The weather is beatiful–crisp and clear; the leaves are wonderful shades of yellow, orange and read; and ghosts and witches abound.

Samhain (or November Eve) is a mirror of my other favourite Sabbat – Beltane (May Eve). While one celebrates fertility and action, the other focuses on fallowness and reflection.

For me, Samhain is also a wonderful time to perform divination and to take stock of the past year. These are activities I also like to do on my birthday, which is nearly six months from Samhain.

I hope you have enjoyed this lovely, witchy day. And try not to eat too much candy!

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12 Oct 06

Being Ethical

I’d like to think that I am an ethical person.  I try to do the right thing in any given situation, but I also occasionally do unethical like taking mild revenge at people who annoy me. (One co-worker drives me nuts sometimes, and I’ve gotten my revenge once or twice.)  I also take advantage of grey areas in the law, and do things like download television documentaries.  So, does this make me unethical?  I think it does to a certain extent.  Does this make me a bad Wiccan?  Yes, I think it does to a certain extent as well. 

It can be very difficult to reconcile one’s spiritual life with one’s everyday life.  I’m sure I’m not the only person who struggles with this.  And maybe that is okay, as long as we remain aware of these differences.  The Wiccan Rede is hard to live up to, especially if you choose to interpret it in a strict manner.  I do my best, but real life is much more difficult then theory.

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9 Oct 06

Meditating

I mentioned back in August that I had signed up for a meditation class.  I’m about a month and a half into the class now, and while I’m still not meditating every day, I am really benefiting from the meditation I am doing.

Sitting for meditation is very difficult for me.  My daily to-do list, which is full of things that are only marginally important, runs through my head whenever I try to sit.  So, I tell myself that I will do the vacuuming, or write that email, or take care of that project for work, or do just a few more stitches before I stop–and the next thing I know it is time for me to head off to bed.  Sure, I could meditate in the morning, but I’ve discovered that that isn’t the optimal time for me (I start to drift back off to sleep…). 

To help me with this minor(!) problem, my meditation teacher has suggested that I add meditation to my daily schedule.  She says that it should be added to my to-do list or what-have-you so that I don’t neglect it.  I agree with her.  I need to see it more as something that must be done daily rather then something that it nice to do occasionally.  The benefits for me have been great, even though my practice has been spotty.  I can only imagine how much better they will be once I get used to doing my practice regularly.

You can read more about my meditation teacher, her methods, and her classes here: Look Again

Meditation books I have read or am reading include:

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23 Sep 06

Happy Autumn!

Blessed Autumn Equinox! Fall is here, the leaves are turning, and the nights are now longer then the days.

Autumn Equinox/Mabon

In Wicca, this Sabbat similar to the secular Thanksgiving holidays (which is less then a month away in Canada, but about two months away in the United States). Wiccans take time to appreciate the foods that are being harvested, and to honour the Lord, the male divine, who has given up His life so that we might be able to harvest these items. (There is another myth cycle that gives this Sabbat a different meaning, but I do not follow the Holly and Oak king cycle.)

I have yet to perform my Autumn Equinox ritual. Last night I wasn’t feeling too well, and today we have company. Tomorrow, though, looks to be shaping up to be the perfect day.

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1 Aug 06

August Eve 2006

Blessed Lammas to everyone. I actually celebrate this Sabbat as August Eve, which means my celebrations should have been last night. Notice I say should. August Eve/LammasThe heat here in Southern Ontario has been horrific, and yesterday evening I was in no shape to bake bread. Today the heat is even worse, possibly reaching a high of 36°C (99°F) with a humidex of over 45°C (113°F). But, thankfully I am feeling much better today. (I thank all the gods that have every been and ever will be for air conditioning! And that is hardly an exaggeration.)

August Eve/Lammas/Lughnasadh is the first of the harvest Sabbats. Here in Southern Ontario we begin to see the start of the sweet corn harvest, as well as leek, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, apples, peaches, pears and watermelons. Some of the produce doesn’t actually come into season until a little later in August, but with the warm and wet weather we’ve had this summer, farmers have started their harvests early in some areas.

For many Wiccans, the major symbol of August Eve is bread. Lammas, an alternate name for the Sabbat, means loaf-mass, and was (and perhaps still is in some areas) a festival celebrating the first wheat harvest of the year. In Ontario, the wheat harvest starts some time in the middle of July, depending on the weather. Wheat, of course, is used to make bread. And what better way to celebrate the wheat harvest than to bake some lovely, fresh bread. (This, of course, is ignoring the fact that the flour most of us have in our cupboard was probably harvested some time last year… The joys of modern living.)

I did a search and found some pictures of a modern wheat harvest: SW Ontario Wheat Harvest Pictures. Another search netted this picture of a man harvesting wheat by handing using a sickle: Trade Workers in Turkey.

That brings me to another symbol of August Eve, the sickle. It is pretty clear why that would be, since the sickle is the traditional tool used for harvesting wheat. The sickle, sometimes referred to as a bolline by Wiccans (but this can also mean any white-handled working knife) is a tool that is used all year long. Generally, it is used for harvesting herbs or any other ritual cutting that may be needed. On August Eve, however, the sickle is special and usually takes a prominent place on the altar.

I hope everyone has a lovely, and cool, Sabbat. Be sure to enjoy some fresh bread, even if you don’t have time to bake some yourself.

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17 Jul 06

Witch School Worth the Money?

Several years ago I took some courses through Witch School. To say I was unimpressed is an understatement. Although I have had trouble articulating what it is that bothers me about Witch School and the Correllian tradition, someone else has explained it quite well: Nonfluffy Pagans – Why not WitchSchool? (Use the green arrows above the entry to read the next two parts of this essay.)

The author of this piece has many valid points. The tests for lessons are laughable easy, and the Correllians seem to becoming more and more commerical as the years go by.

I am a member of an online Wiccan group that teaches–Coven of the Far Flung Net. However, it is a great deal different than Witch School. For one thing, members of CFFN do meet face to face. For another, we are a very social group with several active mailing lists. It is important for us to know each other, to see pictures and learn about families. We aren’t part of CFFN just to learn about Wicca (some of us have a great deal of experience with Wicca, but are still in the early stages of CFFN training), we are part of CFFN because it is our family and our teaching coven.

The lessons for CFFN are also infinitely more advanced and deep then those found on Witch School. And, instead of simple multiple choice tests and the end of lessons, in CFFN you are expected to produce well thought out and well written answers to provided questions, which are commented on by teachers and your fellow students. While learning though Witch School can make you feel like you are in a vacuum, CFFN provides a very supportive community.

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