Category Archives: Paganism

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Resources For Hellenic Paganism…

Posted by Sephira in Hellenic, Paganism, Reader Question, Resources and tagged with , ,

Via our tumblr page…

Anonymous asked: Do you have links for someone interested in Hellenic paganism?

Sure!

This is not a bad little introduction (and I’m pretty sure she’ll be expanding it over time)

Temenos Theon might be the most helpful (and it has a heap of links and resources)

Theoi.com for all the lore on gods, heroes, spirits etc

Of course all the relevant texts on Sacred Texts

and there are organisations like Hellenion.

This book comes highly recommended, and the page has some links and a calendar

and of course Burkert’s Greek Religion is a must-read.

Hope these helped!

Sacred Moments #4

Posted by Sephira in Hellenic, Paganism, Sacred Moments and tagged with , , ,

Ran across this the other day and thought it was worth sharing!

By the Light of Morning…

By the light of morning
In the chill air
We greet you, o Helios, Lord of the Sun

And at this hour
And with all our hopes laid bare
We seek you, o Helios, Lord of the Sun

For when the Sun rises
And the light of day kisses our skins
We will know you, o Helios, Lord of the Sun

So watch us today
As we play, as we toil
Watch and guard over us, o Helios, Lord of the Sun

by Hector Lugo

The Use of Psychoactive Plants in Early Religions

Posted by Sephira in Paganism, Reader Question and tagged with , ,

Hi, I’ve been searching all over the internet for scholarly information on how psychoactive plants were used in early religions, and how they may have shaped the religions as a whole. So far, I haven’t had much luck in my search. Can you help me?

Great question! To be sure, it’s a bit out of  my area of expertise, however I did a bit of digging and came up with some resources that should be helpful. Note though, that many academic publications often require subscriptions or membership, in order to view entire articles. However in any case, several of these also have a wealth of cited resources, so, if for some reason the article itself doesn’t hold all the answers, it should still be a great starting point to getting the information that you are looking for.

  • Bookwise – if you can get a copy of Plants and Society 3rd edition by Estelle Levetin and Karen McMahon, chapter 20 specifically covers psychoactive plants and drugs, along with their history of use. You can find a general outline of the chapter here.

Sacred Moments #3

Posted by Sephira in Kemeticism, Sacred Moments and tagged with , , , , ,

This week we are offering a selection from the Pyramid Texts, which are a collection of religious texts  from Ancient Egypt, that date back to the Old Kingdom period. The following is a hymn to the Goddess Nut…

Utterance 432

782. O Great One, who came into being in the sky, you have achieved power,
you have achieved strength, and have filled every place with your beauty;
the entire land is yours. Take possession of it, for you have enclosed the earth
and all things within your embrace, and you have set this King as an
Imperishable Star who is in you.

source: “The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts” translation by R.O. Faulkner

Sacred Moments #2

Posted by Sanna in Heathenry, Sacred Moments and tagged with , , , , ,

Today’s devotional is a sonnet by an Odinswoman we know. Many thanks to her for allowing us to post it here.

 

Gallows Load

Burnished gallows set with red
Caress the fevered, empty mind
Of man who hangs bloodied and blind
To reach for wisdom, not for bread.

I think to hang there in his stead
And wonder if I dare to bind
My destiny to be his kind
And follow where he never lead.

To ride my orlog like a steed,
If I could dare to take the plunge
Into the noiseless emptiness
That calls me with its baseless need,
Of wisdom’s touch and daring’s lunge
To aid with endless lovingness.

       ~ by Deoridhe Grimsdottir

Pagan Coming Out Day… Things To Think About

Posted by Sephira in Paganism and tagged with , , , , , ,

May 2nd is International Pagan Coming Out Day, a day when all Pagans should band together and joyously shout to the world… “I’m Pagan and Proud!!!” and dare anyone to take issue with it. Ok, not really, however it is an annual “event” that strives to “achieve greater acceptance and equity for Pagans at home, at work, and in every community.”

As mentioned directly on their website, “coming out to someone is a decision only you can make and it’s a decision best made when you are ready to do so“, and there is an absolute truth to that. While it would be very nice if we could all be open about our religious/spiritual choices or practices, in actuality it’s something that we need to think long and hard about. On the one hand we shouldn’t have to hide who we are, on the other, it’s worth noting that there are still plenty of countries that will kill Witches almost on sight, and even in countries where there are laws against that sort of thing, many have very poor opinions of Pagans, or really anyone who has a different religion than what is considered mainstream.

So when considering “coming out of the broom closet” we need to first decide if the benefits of doing so, outweigh any potential negative consequences. Then given that there will likely be at least a few negative consequences – are they manageable, or will having to put up with them make life miserable enough, that staying silent is the wiser course. Some things to think about…

  • First and foremost how will your friends and family react? If you are still living at home, or having to depend on your family for support, this can be a major factor in keeping one’s path to oneself, especially if you think they won’t take it well, and might kick you out. Are you willing to put up with potentially losing friends and/or alienating your family if they don’t understand where you are coming from? Are you willing to gather up relevant information on your path, and have calm, rational (can’t stress those two words enough) discussions, in an attempts to inform others on what your path is about?
  •  How will your employer react? Unless you plan on wearing overt symbols of your faith/practices to work everyday, this may not be a huge issue, but it’s still something to consider. Job security isn’t the best these days, so if there is any possibility that being out will cause you trouble at work, it might be better not to say anything at all. This would still apply if you are in school as well – though they can’t fire you, teachers (and fellow students) can make things difficult for you if they so choose. So it’s something to keep in mind.
  • How will your local neighborhood/community react? If you live in a large city, again this might not be a big deal, but if you are in a smaller town, or a close-knit neighborhood, then outing yourself as a Pagan, could have an impact.
  • For those who are married or in a committed relationship – how will your significant other react? I have this separately, even though it’s technically lumped into friends/family, but it’s a really big one, so it deserves it’s own consideration. If you are in a relationship with someone (or married to them), and they don’t know that you are Pagan, be absolutely sure that they will be ok with it, before saying anything to them. Keep in mind that telling them, can literally be the end-game to your relationship. Things may eventually work out, but you need to be willing to weather the bumpy ride, to get through it, if they are not overly thrilled about your choices.

I know at this point it may seem like I’m against Pagans coming out, and in reality that isn’t true, as I dream of the day that we can all live – if not harmoniously, then at least in perfect apathy to each other’s religious/spiritual choices.  However as we are not yet at that point, “coming out” can be a monumental, life changing event, and I don’t think that mere words can adequately convey the seriousness of the situation. I’d like to think that in this day and age, most people are cool with it, but if I’ve learned anything out of recent “current events” in the US, it’s that we really aren’t as “cool” as we’d like to think we are, if anything we’ve started to backslide quite a bit.

So while I encourage those Pagans who can, to “come out” on May 2nd, I definitely urge everyone to think carefully before jumping right out. Not that we shouldn’t all be proud to be Pagan, but ultimately it’s a question of… is this the right decision for me at this time? If it is… go for it!! If it isn’t, then there is nothing wrong with keeping it to yourself. You’ll know when the timing is right!!

If you are out, or are planning to come out, on the 2nd… feel free to comment and share your story with us. We’d love to hear from you!!

For more information on IPCOD, you can also check out their FB page.

The Origins of Easter

Posted by Sephira in Holidays, Paganism and tagged with , , ,

Something that I’ve noticed at certain times of the year, is the tendency for some Pagans to claim that the Christians stole our holidays. This primarily happens around the Christmas season, but it hops out around Easter as well, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to put a little effort into clearing up some misconceptions that might be floating around.

One thing that I like to point out, is that many of the “Pagan” traditions that have eventually become associated with a particular holiday, are generally due to those Pagans who were converted finding ways to keep some of the comforts of their old practices, while still conforming to their new ones as well.

As to the origins of Easter, the approximate dates for it are actually pretty clearly outlined in the Bible, and it was originally celebrated around the same time as the Jewish passover, as that is when the Crucifixion is said to have taken place. In 325 the Council of Nicea decided on a more precise method of calculation, which in essence combined the two primary methods that were currently in practice at that time – calculating it based on moon phases and having a specific set date. From that point forward, the date of Easter would be on a day following the first full moon, after the Spring Equinox, though it took quite a bit longer for the particular day (Sunday) to be solidified across all communities.

What is important to note, is that although there have been references made to Easter being associated with the Goddess Eostre (primarily due to Bede’s work), it is likely that this may have been an error on his part, or at least not something that had any basis in provable fact. While details are rather sketchy on her existence, it is entirely possible that she was simply associated with the dawn, and new beginnings, rather than Spring itself. Also, historically “Eostre-month” was a month long celebration, rather than any one particular day.

I also find it interesting that in almost all other languages, the term for this particular holiday is Pasha/Paschal (in reference to the Jewish Passover) – even the full moon after the equinox is called the Paschal Moon. So it is only in the English language that there is even any association made to the term Eostre.  All of which makes the argument that Easter is an ancient “spring festival” that has been stolen by “teh ebil Xtians”, a less likely version of what really happened.

additional resource – The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain by Ronald Hutton

Happy Anthesteria!!!

Posted by Sephira in Hellenic, Paganism and tagged with , ,

In the interests of Paying More Attention to Pagan holidays outside the generic Western European 8, a happy Anthesteria to all Hellenic Pagans and others who are celebrating this week. Enjoy your wine! Hail Dionysos!

(I don’t know the Greek way to say “happy holidays” or anything like that. You can prob’ly tell. I didn’t want to look it up and get it wrong and look like an ass. )

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Atheistic Witchcraft

Posted by Sephira in Paganism, Reader Question and tagged with , ,

Anonymous asked: oh also if there’s any resources on atheistic witchcraft. thanks again

There aren’t many, unfortunately! Most books on witchcraft are centred around ditheistic, Wicca-flavoured religious craft and the atheist or non-Pagan witch will need to pick through these things to find something of value. Too many books purport to be about witchcraft and spend more time discussing religion (gods, holidays, religious rituals) than they do witchcraft. This is annoying, especially if one’s religion is not in line with these books but even if one’s religion is, and one simply wishes to learn more about the craft itself.

Doreen Valiente, despite being a religious witch herself and considering witchcraft a religion, nevertheless manages to be a good source on witchcraft and magic from a non-theistic perspective. Give ABC of Witchcraft and Natural Magic a read.

Way of the Hedge Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock manages to discuss witchcraft without assuming the reader is theistic or a Pagan, and she has other books (haven’t read them yet, so making an assumption here) that may be the same way, such asWay of the Green Witch (but I wouldn’t bother with her book about “Wicca”).

Have a look also for books on witchcraft written from a historical or anthropological perspective, such as Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits by Emma Wilby.

If atheistic spirituality is what you’re after, I haven’t read any, but there are a couple around, such as this one. Overall one gets the impression that most of these books on atheism and spirituality spend far too much time preaching to the converted, as it were, about how there is no god and too little time discussing the expression of spirituality for the atheist. You may find something of interest within Taoism or some forms of Buddhism

Other than that nothing springs to mind at present – books on non-theistic witchcraft are something we’re always interested in finding, so if anything else comes up, we’ll try to remember to mention it.

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