~~Grace-Notes~~

**For every piece of beauty, there is a dark thought **

Posts tagged pagan

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Reblog if you’re a Wiccan/Pagan/Spiritual/Nature based blog so I and others can follow you!

No Wicca here, but the rest is throughout here, along w/ other great things like poetry, philosophy, music, and art . . because those things also enrich the soul!

One of my other blogs is ONLY nature, and natural health/ wellness for mind/body/spirit. It’s at
http://gaiaheals.tumblr.com/

Also, I write my own poetry, a lot of it spiritually-based. That’s at http://diary-of-dissonance.tumblr.com/

(Source: forestfullofmysteries, via spiritscraft)

Filed under pagan spiritual nature pantheism

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silverwitch: Danu's Dance

silverwitch:

Warm and moist beneath the hill
voices and laughter are soft and shrill
glints of light and shadows long move
& merrying the long night thru
Danu’s children in morning emerge anew

Slumber and waking each in their time
music and laughter interlace and combine
earnest crafts folk of diminutive size
dance with creativity before the eyes
and tumbling out the treasures come

The land is quiet and still above
no hint of the secrets within the hill
honey flows and mead is good
this place between, below & above
the magic is and always was

Words are treasures polished bright
poems by day and rhythms by night
interlaces adorn each glowing page
painted in berry juice, pollen & gall
words slide into being for one and all

Words of Danu, Druids and Sages
thoughts and truths for the coming ages
never a care or woe is penned here
the land above is sleepwalking near
beneath the hill each word is dear
Warm and moist beneath the hill
voices and laughter are seldom still
glints of light and flashes of fire glow
open secrets all the wee folks know
Danu’s children are spun of light

~ Abby Willowroot © 2008 

Filed under poetry poem danu pagan deity magick

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~~Grace-Notes~~: "Cultural Appropriation" is an umbrella used to cover and justify a lot of racist and segregative nonsense that everyone...

mischeviousfae:

theogonic-symphonic-tragedy:

I personally think it’s all bullshit and that we are all one, and you should practice whatever resonates on a deep level with your personal beliefs, that traditions/practices/beliefs have always and will continue to travel, transform, blend, and evolve, and that as long as you are well-read, respectful, loving, and truly dedicated to your path … … . . do what thou will, be the whole of the law!
I may draft up a more formal and explanatory composition over the next few days, but I would like to hear others’ input on the matter, as well. Try to be civil and sound intelligent, if you’re gonna contribute. So … … ? …

Except not all cultures and religions are open to people outside of their sphere. Is it so wrong to respect them? Is it so wrong to ask that other people have the common decency and not take rituals, deities, titles, etc from them?


You can’t “own” a deity, my dear. Those cultures have every right to not welcome “outsiders” or accept them but they also shouldn’t get outraged that someone finds their practices to be beautiful and inspirational. Someone shouldn’t feel ashamed of their path, their beliefs/practices just because others feel this individual doesn’t “deserve” to practice “their” faith. You can’t help what you deeply believe, or choose which doctrines/beliefs feel “right” to your own soul. Telling someone what they can and can’t find faith in is the most disrespectful part of all of this. Cheers! and thanks for your contribution :-)

(via mischeviousfae-deactivated20120)

Filed under pagan cultural appropriation

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“Cultural Appropriation” is an umbrella used to cover and justify a lot of racist and segregative nonsense that everyone is getting so pissy over.

I personally think it’s all bullshit and that we are all one, and you should practice whatever resonates on a deep level with your personal beliefs, that traditions/practices/beliefs have always and will continue to travel, transform, blend, and evolve, and that as long as you are well-read, respectful, loving, and truly dedicated to your path … … . .  do what thou will, be the whole of the law!

I may draft up a more formal and explanatory composition over the next few days, but I would like to hear others’ input on the matter, as well. Try to be civil and sound intelligent, if you’re gonna contribute.

So … … ?

Filed under me cultural appropriation racism pagan nit-picking and splitting hairs oneness

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Hi there, other path-walking students!

This post is my intro for others participating in the Pagan Study Group. Feel free to keep scrolling otherwise :-)

I go by the name Dulcea (dull-say-uh), but you can call me D. My path is a very eclectic one which is constantly changing and growing, as I discover more about myself, and the Universe.

I will try to explain the best I can.

My mother always raised me to think for myself, and I’m very grateful for that. She, herself, is agnostic but was raised (in England) as an Anglican. It is why, out of the seven of us kids (I’m the 3rd-born, first female) there are Agnostics, an Atheist, a Pantheist, Christians, and one brother says he’s Catholic now. We’re a diverse bunch!

I discovered Paganism when I was about 15, which was the same time my stepmother started forcing me to go to church and telling me that I was “going to hell.” . . which only pushed me farther away from Christianity. I started by diving into World Religion and read up on everything from Wicca, to Satanism (LaVey), to Buddhism, Hinduism, etc and though no one path felt really “right” for me, I found sanctuary in my new learnings …and thus the Eclecticism began!

Now, I am a Pantheist (still arguing in my head between monism and dualism) and study mostly Hermetics along with bits from religions and philosophies worldwide. My studies in bost eastern and western religions and philosophies ( along with Traditional Chinese Medicine, as part of my career studies, as I’m a massage therapist) has led me to see similarities and correspondences throughout all history and all religions and I have discovered many of the similarities seem to come from the teachings of Hermes (aka: Thoth or Enoch). So this is my main focus, but I’m still very eclectic.

But these studies inspire me to find balance - between light/dark, love/hate, east/west, mind/body etc etc . . as Hermetics and Eastern philosophy teach. The world and every part of it, from atoms, to people, to galaxies can be divided into yin/yang. Two seemingly opposite things or aspects that completely depend on each other for existence.

Everything you see, know, or are oblivious to is the creation of a thought, of the Infinite Living Mind - Spirit - Divinity - God - Cosmic Consciousness - whatever you call it. We are it. The Universe and all of Nature IS it. We, indeed are all one (I know this sounds more monistic but I want to divide this ONE into mental/physical because of the law of polarity and I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but who has?) It’s hard for me to put into words because I’m still drilling it in there, but I have finally found something that feels right to me.

Also, though I believe in all deities of all ancient religions I don’t see them as any more ‘divine’ than any other thing in existence (because I’m Pantheist). Since everything is of a mental creation, I see them as created by the minds of men, over centuries of constant thought and prayer (which makes them as real as anything else) and used as ways to focus your mind/spirit on certain aspects of the Universe (whatever the deity ‘reigns over’) for daily life or ritual purposes. They serve in the same way as a magicians tools and robes, to help to train your mind to focus on certain things, to remind you the state you need to be in for successful ritual, to create certain vibrations and create the change you want or need. They focus your will onto whatever’s important,to you, at the time of prayer/ritual etc. Once someone is adept enough (in my humble opinion) they will need no tools and no gods .… but I’m a long, long, long way off from that.

This is the first time I’ve really put my beliefs (or a summary thereof) onto paper and not yet outloud because it’s usually met with a wtf from the rest of the pagan/occult communities. They see my beliefs as contradictory. I see them as complimentary. If anyone has questions about my path, I’d gladly answer them, to the best of my ability. Just remember, I’m only a student, and always will be (at least for a few more lifetimes), just like you!

Filed under pagan study group me my path beliefs hermetics eclectic pagan

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Ancient and Archaeological Order of Druids

paganresources:

Founded in 1912 as the American branch of the Ancient and Archaeological Order of Druids, AODA is a traditional Druid order rooted in the Druid Revival of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, offering an opportunity for modern people to experience the teachings and practices of Druidry in today’s world.

AODA understands Druidry as a path of nature spirituality and inner transformation founded on personal experience rather than dogmatic belief. It welcomes men and women of all national origins, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and affiliations with other Druidic and spiritual traditions. Ecological awareness and commitment to an earth-honoring lifestyle, celebration of the cycles of nature through seasonal ritual, and personal development through meditation and other spiritual exercises form the core of its work, and involvement in the arts, healing practices, and traditional esoteric studies are among its applications and expressions.

We welcome you to the AODA website and encourage you to learn about AODA and its work!

(Source: )

Filed under druidry pagan ancient nature

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What is Druidry/Druidism?

pacific-order-of-druids:

“Druidry,” or “Druidism,” are terms we use in modern English to describe the relationships that various Celtic cultures had to their lands; like “Native American spirituality,” it is our language’s clumsy attempt to put labels on that which is intangible—a truly-“aboriginal” connection to the land.

One of the things I’ve found over my years on the path, and described by ordinary druids—and our author kindred—is that a druid’s first steps into his/her relationship to Nature begin with a return to awareness of one’s own body and mind.

We reconnect to our bodies through varied exercises and meditative practices that allow us to engage our senses in the capacities in which they were meant to perform. One of the simplest ways to begin, for example, is to kick off your shoes and take a walk in the natural world. As we make the necessary efforts to invigorate our sensory organs, we find ourselves, over time, to be in a better connection to the land beneath our feet.

In the early stages of druid training, we exercise our minds through the study of Celtic mythology and history, but I also think that it’s important for modern druids (or Bards, specifically), to connect with the stories and history of their own heritage, and those of the land in which they find themselves living. In my case, as an example, I have no direct connection to Celtic culture via blood heritage, though I am connected by the tradition of Druidism. My own ancestral connections are to German, Scandinavian, and Native Canadian cultures; yet, at the same time, I also believe it appropriate to study Classical mythology, as Ancient Greece and Rome informed so much of modern langauge and culture.

Canada has plenty of music, and history, and stories that would be of great use for Canadian bards, as does America, to American bards. I don’t think it’s reasonable to dismiss the “modernity” of even Christian stories and music, because in his effort to preserve culture, I feel it’s a Bard’s duty to explore all relevant influences, and to be able to relate appropriately to many people, and not simply focus on Celtic and Pagan folks. It’s a powerful thing to be able to relate to people in the way best-suited to the time, place and culture, in which they find themselves, rather than trying to force their understanding into a narrower range of experience. Not everyone will agree, of course.

In my own case, I subscribe to Jean Markale’s definition of “druid” as a “keeper of oak-wisdom”—a pantheistic woodsman. I’ve thus formed my own understanding of the Druid path, by exploring, for nearly two decades, primitive living-skills and nature-study, as well as the overlay of history, shamanic influences and Celtic-specific modern druidism, described by such authors as John Matthews, Philip Carr-Gomm, Michael Harner, Emma Restall Orr, Ronald Hutton, and the pantheistic influences of my own explorations of nature, coupled with ideas presented by Paul Harrison, in Elements of Pantheism.

I believe that the beginning of every druid’s walk in druidic spirituality begins when we are prepared to set our bare feet on the soil again—to fill our nostrils with the rich scents of field and forest. It is when we have become open to a relationship with our own place in the world, even when far-removed from the Celtic countries, that we are truly prepared to call ourselves Druids.

(Source: , via druidteachings)

Filed under druidry druid pagan nature learning awareness spiritual growth

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The ridiculousness of witches bitching at other witches who can’t “prove” their witchy ancestry …

with ‘historical papers verified by a third party” … .

Are you fucking serious!? You’re practicing witchcraft! Something people have been declaring there’s no “proof of” for countless ages … . . but we all have to be proof-demanding dogmatic douchebags, don’t we? Our ancestors weren’t listing their practices in some family-passed down heirloom so their dismissive progeny could prove to the occult community how totally cool and legit they were. *rolls eyes*

Every one of us are made of elements and substances trillions of years old, that were originally in some unknown star at the infacy of our galaxy (or however it works). The air you breathe was once inhaled through the lungs of pharoahs and paupers alike and the water that composes the plasma (clearer fluid part of blood) in your veins may have one day flowed in the Euphrates, was lifted to the clouds and rained down nourishment upon all life … . .and everyone acts like total pricks if someone is audacious enough to claim a magickal ancestry!? Well I’m claiming some epic goddamn roots, and so can you!

Really think about this …please, for the sake of us all. Everything you are and see on this planet is ancient and blessedly recycled into you. Your blood is ancient. MY blood is ancient. What makes up us and the Earth is as old as time itself and our true ‘roots’ are barely even comprehensible.

so stop bickering. Please.

Y’all frustrate me.

Filed under ancestry lineage me rant witchcraft wicca pagan blood earth