Here is my 2nd blog of the night.... so, here it goes.
Tonight, I also want to talk about Imbolic. It is the 3rd Sabbat, or Pagan Holiday, in the Pagan calendar (First Samhain, then Yule). Imbolic occurs around Groundhog's Day in the North America (February 1st-3rd).
Imbolic is a time of warmth and love. I guess you could say that Imbolic can be considered a "Wiccan Valentine's Day" due to what it is about. It also is about passion, and anyone knows that anything that has passion has a fire to it. That's exactly what it is: Worship of the fire deities. The most popular one is Brigid, the Celtic Goddess of fire. However, there are a lot more. On Imbolic, I will be worshiping Hestia, the Greek Goddess of fire. She is also the Goddess of one of my elements.
I have also known Imbolic to help others with divination. It is a good way to enhance your spiritual energies. Because of this, I would say that tarot reading, any fortune-telling activities, meditating, and other things to that nature is beneficial.
Some ways to celebrate this holiday is to either work with divination, bake and cook (seeing as though you bake and cook with a fire), or going to a bonfire.
I rarely talk about stones and gems, but amythist can help with one's spiritual energies and divination. Rose quartz also helps with being calm and attracting romance, and I would probably recommend it to you guys.
This Imbolic is special to me. Since I am not quite out of the broom closet, I am going to a Church event. On the day of Imbolic, they decided to have a "fireside chat." That means it will be more like a bonfire situation. They have no idea that they are celebrating Imbolic, and it's phenomenal. I can also practice with fire scrying. It is one of my favorite types of divination, and my friends enjoy scrying with me, too. I will also wear my gem bracelet. It has amythist and rose quartz in the mix, and it'll help better my mood.
Wishing you all a blessed Imbolic,
Dawn )O(
Showing posts with label Eclectic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eclectic. Show all posts
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Incorporating Spirituality Into Wicca
Hello, again! I feel like I haven't written a thing since I had a sinus infection. I've also been having a tough time bouncing back emotional-wise, but I seem to be better now.
Today, I decided to talk to you guys about spirituality, and how some things I have experienced within it have been incorporated into my Path. This is going to be interesting when I explain some of the beliefs I follow. Some stem from other Pagan religions, such as Buddhism, some have been pulled from Wicca, of course.... And I even found that even a Wiccan can follow some teachings from the contradictory religion, Christianity and it's Holy Book, the Bible. This is what I believe makes me eclectic: Taking bits and pieces from other religions and placing some of them into my life and Wicca.
I believe in karma, which is different from the Threefold Path. Karma says that whatever you do will affect you for better or worse. The Threefold Path states that the energy you give something (positive, negative, passionate, anger) will return to you in Threefold. That is the difference, and it's a rookie mistake. Anyways, I absolutely believe in the law of Karma. I also love to meditate, which is usually a part of Wicca anyways, but it is also Buddhist. It really does calm me down, but I also am creative with these meditation sessions. I have tried meditative painting before, or painting in general. It helps me talk to the God and Goddess. It also pleases Apollo because he is a God of the Arts. I love doing yoga, but haven't done it in quite a while. I like to believe that it is a physiological meditation. I am attempting to work with chakras, but I have no idea where to start. (I will research this later.)
I am Native American, therefore Paganism is in my blood. My great-grandmother believed in nothing but herbal remedies and believed in having a totem animal. I am not sure what our totem animal was, but I think it may have been a wolf. Regardless, I believe in the same thing. I feel more connected to felines, particularly black domestic cats. I also am looking into certain herbs and what they may help with. I have come across a video that has informed me on how to treat illnesses, which will come in handy.
Now, for the most controversial part that I have been DYING to get to: the Bible. You're probably like, "Dawn, how do you live by the Bible when it speaks against Paganism?" I follow certain verses that I would like to share with you. Let me type them.
John 15: 12-13
This is my command, that you love one another, so that I have loved you. Greater love has no man than the one that lays down his life for his friends.
Romans 12:15-21 (Modified for Wicca)
Rejoice with those who are rejoicing, and cry with those who cry. Have the same concern for everyone. Don't be full of pride, but accept humble duties.... If someone has done you wrong don't repay them with a wrong. Try to do what is considered to be good. Do everything that is possible on your part to live at peace with everybody. Never take revenge (for that is the God and Goddess's part). If your enemies are hunger, let them eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This will make them filled with shame. (Do not let negative energies take over you. Instead, let positive energies flow from your heart.)
1 Corinthians 13:13
These 3 things remain: hope, faith, and love. The greatest of these is love.
These are just a few of the verses that I apply to my faith. Just read these and think... Most of these involve love, right? And I quote the Wiccan Rede:
Today, I decided to talk to you guys about spirituality, and how some things I have experienced within it have been incorporated into my Path. This is going to be interesting when I explain some of the beliefs I follow. Some stem from other Pagan religions, such as Buddhism, some have been pulled from Wicca, of course.... And I even found that even a Wiccan can follow some teachings from the contradictory religion, Christianity and it's Holy Book, the Bible. This is what I believe makes me eclectic: Taking bits and pieces from other religions and placing some of them into my life and Wicca.
I believe in karma, which is different from the Threefold Path. Karma says that whatever you do will affect you for better or worse. The Threefold Path states that the energy you give something (positive, negative, passionate, anger) will return to you in Threefold. That is the difference, and it's a rookie mistake. Anyways, I absolutely believe in the law of Karma. I also love to meditate, which is usually a part of Wicca anyways, but it is also Buddhist. It really does calm me down, but I also am creative with these meditation sessions. I have tried meditative painting before, or painting in general. It helps me talk to the God and Goddess. It also pleases Apollo because he is a God of the Arts. I love doing yoga, but haven't done it in quite a while. I like to believe that it is a physiological meditation. I am attempting to work with chakras, but I have no idea where to start. (I will research this later.)
I am Native American, therefore Paganism is in my blood. My great-grandmother believed in nothing but herbal remedies and believed in having a totem animal. I am not sure what our totem animal was, but I think it may have been a wolf. Regardless, I believe in the same thing. I feel more connected to felines, particularly black domestic cats. I also am looking into certain herbs and what they may help with. I have come across a video that has informed me on how to treat illnesses, which will come in handy.
Now, for the most controversial part that I have been DYING to get to: the Bible. You're probably like, "Dawn, how do you live by the Bible when it speaks against Paganism?" I follow certain verses that I would like to share with you. Let me type them.
John 15: 12-13
This is my command, that you love one another, so that I have loved you. Greater love has no man than the one that lays down his life for his friends.
Romans 12:15-21 (Modified for Wicca)
Rejoice with those who are rejoicing, and cry with those who cry. Have the same concern for everyone. Don't be full of pride, but accept humble duties.... If someone has done you wrong don't repay them with a wrong. Try to do what is considered to be good. Do everything that is possible on your part to live at peace with everybody. Never take revenge (for that is the God and Goddess's part). If your enemies are hunger, let them eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This will make them filled with shame. (Do not let negative energies take over you. Instead, let positive energies flow from your heart.)
1 Corinthians 13:13
These 3 things remain: hope, faith, and love. The greatest of these is love.
These are just a few of the verses that I apply to my faith. Just read these and think... Most of these involve love, right? And I quote the Wiccan Rede:
Abide by the Wiccan Rede, ye must
In perfect love and perfect trust...
See the connection? That's something that Wicca and Christianity have in common. There's a lot of common aspects between these 2, but in general, no one really knows it. (I'll save this for yet another post.)
This is why I'm Eclectic. I believe in all of these things and apply them to Wicca.
Many blessings and have a great esbat,
Dawn )O(
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Huge Steps
Hello, again, guys! I'm Dawn, and today, I'd like to share with you what actually happened yesterday. I talked about it briefly on Twitter, and seeing as there's only about 140 characters, I couldn't explain on what I was saying and what had fully happened, so I'd thought I blog about it.
Yesterday, I had met not only another Pagan, but I had met a Wiccan. It started when we were talking about religion, and he claimed he was a witch. He prefers the title to be called "Mage," so I asked him if he meant real life or Skyrim (because that was quite a bizzare statement). He said both.
At this point, I was really interested in the conversation. He told me about a couple of spells that he had cast... He had cast a couple for revenge, which I'm mostly against. I wouldn't cast one in order to put a family member in the hospital, which is what he did to his sister, but if it was to teach another person humility, then MAYBE. (Let's just say the other involved extensions falling out. Yes, I laughed my butt off.) So, he's more into... a darker side of Wicca, you could say.
He explained to a friend that was sitting with us that Wicca is all about manipulating energies and that is how spells work. He actually volunteered to help her learn more about Wicca and its beliefs. He also stated he works with candle magick, and I was happy that I wasn't the only one. After he said this, I stated that I knew a lot about Wicca and asked him how long he's been a Wiccan. He is on his 7th month, 5 months after I became a Pagan.
The conversation had died out, and he left to check out a devotional book from the library. I then took a deep breath and said I researched Wicca for a year, and that I am Wiccan. She is quite accepting, and now she has 2 friends that are Wiccan. She has yet to get used to the fact that I don't believe in the Christian God and that I believe in Apollo and Hecate and other deities of this nature. As a matter of fact, she loves religion and is kind of wondering if she wants to minor in Theology like I might do.
So, that's yesterday in a nutshell. I am so glad I was able to find another Wiccan, and I am starting to get out of the broom closet.
To all of you who are still in the broom closet, I suggest that you tell your best friend about being a Pagan first. They are usually the ones to understand you a lot more.
Much love and blessings,
Dawn )O(
Yesterday, I had met not only another Pagan, but I had met a Wiccan. It started when we were talking about religion, and he claimed he was a witch. He prefers the title to be called "Mage," so I asked him if he meant real life or Skyrim (because that was quite a bizzare statement). He said both.
At this point, I was really interested in the conversation. He told me about a couple of spells that he had cast... He had cast a couple for revenge, which I'm mostly against. I wouldn't cast one in order to put a family member in the hospital, which is what he did to his sister, but if it was to teach another person humility, then MAYBE. (Let's just say the other involved extensions falling out. Yes, I laughed my butt off.) So, he's more into... a darker side of Wicca, you could say.
He explained to a friend that was sitting with us that Wicca is all about manipulating energies and that is how spells work. He actually volunteered to help her learn more about Wicca and its beliefs. He also stated he works with candle magick, and I was happy that I wasn't the only one. After he said this, I stated that I knew a lot about Wicca and asked him how long he's been a Wiccan. He is on his 7th month, 5 months after I became a Pagan.
The conversation had died out, and he left to check out a devotional book from the library. I then took a deep breath and said I researched Wicca for a year, and that I am Wiccan. She is quite accepting, and now she has 2 friends that are Wiccan. She has yet to get used to the fact that I don't believe in the Christian God and that I believe in Apollo and Hecate and other deities of this nature. As a matter of fact, she loves religion and is kind of wondering if she wants to minor in Theology like I might do.
So, that's yesterday in a nutshell. I am so glad I was able to find another Wiccan, and I am starting to get out of the broom closet.
To all of you who are still in the broom closet, I suggest that you tell your best friend about being a Pagan first. They are usually the ones to understand you a lot more.
Much love and blessings,
Dawn )O(
Saturday, December 29, 2012
My Story
Within 24 hours, I come at you with a 3rd blog entry. I have been blogging a whole lot lately, so please bear with me.
Anyways, I was thinking about where my path had stemmed from and when it actually started. I guess you could say that I didn't really notice it until my freshman year in high school (I'm a senior in high school now, so...) .
It all started when I was 7. I was entertained with the idea of magick. Something about it had drawn me in. I read books that had had magick within them, and I used to create my own world with elements and faeries. I was completely lost in it as a child would be.
When I was in 8th grade, I started to see a huge change. I was into things like intuition, the laws of karma, and all of those types of things. I absolutely believed in self-control and if something needed to be said, I wasn't one to hold back. It seemed as though when I got mad, something was controlling me to say mature things. I thanked it each and every time. I believe it was the God and Goddess controlling me, and I didn't know it yet.
By my freshman year in high school, I had a unique friend. She wasn't exactly into church, and she introduced me to types of divination. She read my numerology (which was a 2) and said that I was bound to be a leader and do great things. I laughed at her when she said that, but now I'm starting to see what she means...
She also used a Ouija Board while I was on the phone with her. You could hear and feel the spirit she was talking to. I never really believed in such things until then. She also read my palms and taught me a little about palmistry. She had tarot cards, too, but her mother had threw them away, claiming that they "belonged to and served the devil."
Also in my freshman year, we had this huge research project due about a Greek God or Goddess of our choosing. As much as I wanted to choose Apollo, the God of music and light, many people had chose him. Instead, I chose Artemis, Goddess of the hunt. I found that she was independent and the twin of Apollo. I had so much respect for mythology after this, and I literally obsessed over this project. I lived, breathed, and ate the project until I had to present. I had to edit my 10 minute speech because I had acquired so much information about Artemis.
In my sophomore year, I found myself going back to church, but as soon as I did that, I began looking up spells and became a Christo-Witch. That contradicted everything in my opinion. I just couldn't make up my mind.... Until my junior year.
I actually met a pagan through a music program that unites our school district. He was goth and Pagan, so I thought he was quite unapproachable. I was wrong. He was one of the most awesome people I've met in my life. I found that surprising, not because I had heard that goths were so distant and cold, but how a Pagan, something that I was taught was wrong, was amazing and confident in what he believed in. He also developed a small crush on me, and I was pretty much liking him, too. I thought that if I got some more religious tolerance under my belt, I could actually date him and make this work. Unfortunately, we didn't end up dating, but, about a week later, Wicca became my obsession.
I researched it night and day, tried a new moon ritual, tried keeping a Book of Shadows, and researching Gods and Goddesses to work with. In about 2 weeks, I had known most of the basics, and did a dedication ritual to the God and Goddess. It was about a week or 2 after Imbolic. I took notes, tried to memorize things, and now I have the days of the week correspondences memorized. I also have some colors that I mostly use memorized.
I fully couldn't grasp the idea of a Goddess until I reasoned with it in a Christian way. "Ok, so God... The Christian God, has a masculine and feminine side. The feminine side would be the Goddess, right?"
Long story short, it's been about a year since I actually got into Wicca. In my opinion, it was only a matter of time before I got into a great religion. And now, I'm starting to learn from a mentor so that I can continue on my path, form my own coven, and become an effective leader.
Well, that's my story, but it's still not written to its fullest.
Wishing you many blessings,
Dawn )O(
Anyways, I was thinking about where my path had stemmed from and when it actually started. I guess you could say that I didn't really notice it until my freshman year in high school (I'm a senior in high school now, so...) .
It all started when I was 7. I was entertained with the idea of magick. Something about it had drawn me in. I read books that had had magick within them, and I used to create my own world with elements and faeries. I was completely lost in it as a child would be.
When I was in 8th grade, I started to see a huge change. I was into things like intuition, the laws of karma, and all of those types of things. I absolutely believed in self-control and if something needed to be said, I wasn't one to hold back. It seemed as though when I got mad, something was controlling me to say mature things. I thanked it each and every time. I believe it was the God and Goddess controlling me, and I didn't know it yet.
By my freshman year in high school, I had a unique friend. She wasn't exactly into church, and she introduced me to types of divination. She read my numerology (which was a 2) and said that I was bound to be a leader and do great things. I laughed at her when she said that, but now I'm starting to see what she means...
She also used a Ouija Board while I was on the phone with her. You could hear and feel the spirit she was talking to. I never really believed in such things until then. She also read my palms and taught me a little about palmistry. She had tarot cards, too, but her mother had threw them away, claiming that they "belonged to and served the devil."
Also in my freshman year, we had this huge research project due about a Greek God or Goddess of our choosing. As much as I wanted to choose Apollo, the God of music and light, many people had chose him. Instead, I chose Artemis, Goddess of the hunt. I found that she was independent and the twin of Apollo. I had so much respect for mythology after this, and I literally obsessed over this project. I lived, breathed, and ate the project until I had to present. I had to edit my 10 minute speech because I had acquired so much information about Artemis.
In my sophomore year, I found myself going back to church, but as soon as I did that, I began looking up spells and became a Christo-Witch. That contradicted everything in my opinion. I just couldn't make up my mind.... Until my junior year.
I actually met a pagan through a music program that unites our school district. He was goth and Pagan, so I thought he was quite unapproachable. I was wrong. He was one of the most awesome people I've met in my life. I found that surprising, not because I had heard that goths were so distant and cold, but how a Pagan, something that I was taught was wrong, was amazing and confident in what he believed in. He also developed a small crush on me, and I was pretty much liking him, too. I thought that if I got some more religious tolerance under my belt, I could actually date him and make this work. Unfortunately, we didn't end up dating, but, about a week later, Wicca became my obsession.
I researched it night and day, tried a new moon ritual, tried keeping a Book of Shadows, and researching Gods and Goddesses to work with. In about 2 weeks, I had known most of the basics, and did a dedication ritual to the God and Goddess. It was about a week or 2 after Imbolic. I took notes, tried to memorize things, and now I have the days of the week correspondences memorized. I also have some colors that I mostly use memorized.
I fully couldn't grasp the idea of a Goddess until I reasoned with it in a Christian way. "Ok, so God... The Christian God, has a masculine and feminine side. The feminine side would be the Goddess, right?"
Long story short, it's been about a year since I actually got into Wicca. In my opinion, it was only a matter of time before I got into a great religion. And now, I'm starting to learn from a mentor so that I can continue on my path, form my own coven, and become an effective leader.
Well, that's my story, but it's still not written to its fullest.
Wishing you many blessings,
Dawn )O(
Friday, December 28, 2012
Wicca 101: Spells
Hello, again! It's me, Dawn, and I'd thought that since tonight is an esbat (more commonly known as a full or new moon) that I would talk to you about the subject most people would love to know most about: Magick. Many people know this as spellcasting.
To tell you the truth, most don't need the physical casting of a spell, but most consider this common. What I just found out moments ago is that prayer can be considered a spell. Depending on who your mentor is, this can vary, so you don't really take what I'm saying at face value. Once again, what you think matters when being Wiccan.
There are different methods in casting spells. I usually cast a circle to keep positive energies in and negative energies out. (I will explain this in a post following this, so do not worry!) If you do not want to cast a circle, then it is fine. Some decide to get their spells online, while others write theirs. Once again, it is up to you. However, it is more powerful if you write your own. There are many kinds of spells that you could conduct, and that depends on what you want to achieve.
When conducting a spell for love (as an example), you can use correspondences to strengthen this spell. The color red is for passionate love, and you would most likely cast it on Friday. As a note for any love spells, you must be careful. If you follow the Wiccan's Rede, you do not want to tamper with one's free will. If it is more of a general spell to find love, and it is not aimed towards anyone, I would say that that is better. Still, you would want to be very careful.
There are so many things that I could tell you guys about spells, but this will have to do, seeing as though Wicca 101 is covering certain topics briefly. In the future, I may post about different spells I have used and how they work.
Wishing you many blessings,
Dawn )O(
To tell you the truth, most don't need the physical casting of a spell, but most consider this common. What I just found out moments ago is that prayer can be considered a spell. Depending on who your mentor is, this can vary, so you don't really take what I'm saying at face value. Once again, what you think matters when being Wiccan.
There are different methods in casting spells. I usually cast a circle to keep positive energies in and negative energies out. (I will explain this in a post following this, so do not worry!) If you do not want to cast a circle, then it is fine. Some decide to get their spells online, while others write theirs. Once again, it is up to you. However, it is more powerful if you write your own. There are many kinds of spells that you could conduct, and that depends on what you want to achieve.
When conducting a spell for love (as an example), you can use correspondences to strengthen this spell. The color red is for passionate love, and you would most likely cast it on Friday. As a note for any love spells, you must be careful. If you follow the Wiccan's Rede, you do not want to tamper with one's free will. If it is more of a general spell to find love, and it is not aimed towards anyone, I would say that that is better. Still, you would want to be very careful.
There are so many things that I could tell you guys about spells, but this will have to do, seeing as though Wicca 101 is covering certain topics briefly. In the future, I may post about different spells I have used and how they work.
Wishing you many blessings,
Dawn )O(
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
What is an Eclectic Wiccan?
Hi, guys! Instead of posting another Wicca 101 entry, I would like to talk about Eclectic Wiccans.
People believe that eclectic is not a tradition. And to be honest, I have looked it up, and according to the Internet, it is a blend of traditions.
I consider myself eclectic. Why? I believe women have a little more power in Wicca (Dianic) and combine it with some beliefs from all of the other traditions (more so Alexandrian than the others). Honestly...
I don't understand why people decide to say that being an Eclectic Wiccan "is not a tradition." Look on YouTube and Tumblr. There's a LOT of solitary practitioners out there and you will acknowledge that it is where many Wiccans lie.
Sorry, but I am a little annoyed.
As usual, I give you blessings and send you positive energies, loves.
)O(
Dawn
People believe that eclectic is not a tradition. And to be honest, I have looked it up, and according to the Internet, it is a blend of traditions.
I consider myself eclectic. Why? I believe women have a little more power in Wicca (Dianic) and combine it with some beliefs from all of the other traditions (more so Alexandrian than the others). Honestly...
I don't understand why people decide to say that being an Eclectic Wiccan "is not a tradition." Look on YouTube and Tumblr. There's a LOT of solitary practitioners out there and you will acknowledge that it is where many Wiccans lie.
Sorry, but I am a little annoyed.
As usual, I give you blessings and send you positive energies, loves.
)O(
Dawn
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