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Finding American Mystics
by Jason Pitzl-Waters The Tribeca Film Festival, one of the most prominent independent film festivals in the world, has announced the twelve entries in their World Documentary Feature Competition for 2010, one of which prominently features modern Pagans. That film is “American Mystic”, directed and co-produced by Alex Mar of Empire 8 Productions.The Pagan priestess in question is Morpheus Ravenna, who, along with her husband Shannon, operates the Stone City Pagan Sanctuary in California’s Diablo Range, just outside the San Francisco Bay Area. “Set against a vivid backdrop of American rural landscapes, Alex Mar’s meditative documentary artfully weaves together the stories of three young Americans exploring alternative religion: a pagan priestess in California mining country, a Spiritualist in upstate New York, and a Native American father and sundancer in South Dakota, all yearning for fulfilling spirituality in disparate but often strikingly similar ways.”

A History of Anglo-Saxon Wedding Customs
By Arden Ranger Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence for her shoe. Stag Parties The Stag or Bachelor party had its beginnings with the ancient Spartans. Spartan soldiers would hold a great feast for their comrades who were about to be married the night before the wedding. There he would bid goodbye to his bachelorhood and swear unending allegiance to his comrades in arms. Knowing ancient history, I have to believe that these gatherings, like the ones that every modern bride fears, involved more than a little sex. For to the ancient Greeks, only a man could truly enjoy sex. Women were not capable of the higher emotions involved and were only for providing heirs. Engagements The modern engagement is rooted in the Medieval customs of publishing the banns and handfasting. The handfasting ceremony usually took place when the couple was very young, often many years before the actual wedding. It was this ceremony, not the wedding, that produced the exchange of vows which are now part of the Anglican wedding ceremony (where the couple vows to marry and be faithful). This was also time for bride price and dowry to be exchanged. The ceremony was sealed with a drink and a kiss. (Wet bargains were considered more binding than dry ones; if the kiss did not take place, and the parties later decided to back out, they both had to return any betrothal gifts. If the kiss did take place the man had to return all but the woman only half). This custom of keeping engagment gifts, specifically the ring, was recently shot down in the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Parrish vs Heiman. The judge declared that an engagement ring was a conditional gift, the condition being the wedding. Therefore, the woman had to return the ring even though it was the man who had broken off the engagement. In the 1300s the Archbishop of Canterbury decreed that all weddings should be preceded by the reading of the banns for three consecutive Lord’s days (holidays). Banns are a public declaration of a couples intent to wed, like today’s engagement announcement that is published in the newspaper.

Easter, Ostara and Passover: It Must Be Spring
by Penelope Friday Spring has sprung, and religious festivals abound. Penelope Friday explores the similarities between Easter, Ostara and Passover. Hello! I’m the Easter bunny. Oh wait, no – I’m the Ostara hare. What in God’s name am I talking about? Well, there’s a question… You know, the two festivals have an awful lot in common. It’s important to point out that most of the myths surrounding the (possibly non-existent) goddess Ostara/Eostre are mostly bunkum. Nevertheless, the Pagan idea of a Spring festival, celebrating the planting of seeds which will grow into new life has a lot of similarity with Lent and Easter. Lent is a period of spiritual renewal; Ostara a time to plant new seeds, which may be literal or spiritual in nature. Lent is followed by Easter: the death and resurrection of Jesus; Ostara has also a new life/rebirth theme.

Tyr
By Uncle Thor In the Eddas, Tyr is described as the War god. He is one God among several. Tyr appears to have no special importance. His main events are the capture of a cauldron from his Jotun forbear, and the binding of the Fenris Wolf. The Eddas are a later collection of myths and legends, mainly from Icelandic and Norwegian sources. They represent one region’s beliefs. We know from other sources that Tyr was considered equally important to Odin in some places. For instance, an invocation from a part of Scotland that had been controlled by Vikings invokes Tyr and Odin together. Tyr is called first. On an amulet from Sweden, circa 500 CE, there is reference to Tyr as the “original God and God of War. Tyr means God.” Is Tyr the main God, the first God or just one among several Gods?

Reflections on the existence of CHI
by Gus diZerega A couple of days ago I came across two Youtube videos of Qigong masters using chi to perform extraordinary feats. One, in which I have enormous confidence, is from China, and was linked to by a man I worked with for many years while doing a lot of healing work, Larry Wong. The other was next to it in YouTube, and showed an American with (possibly) even more impressive powers, if they are real. Real or not, when he and his students attempted to perform similar workings on others, they failed. The Fox News team took their failure as evidence chi did not really exist. Having worked with it for over 20 years, and been knocked out of a room by it, I beg to differ. But what, then, did the Fox News team really demonstrate? We have two interesting phenomena to investigate: 1. People who work with chi have long-term personal experience that it is genuine and very powerful. 2. People who do not work with chi very often or at all find they do not feel it, even when "masters" use it on them. For them it either does not exist, or is very weak, and the strong effects seem staged or deluded.

Round in a Circle
By PostalPagan One of the most difficult concepts for me to understand when I was new to Wicca was the casting of a circle. Most religions have a designated place, usually a building, set aside for worship, but we have the ability to create our own. Some books tell you to cast a circle and how to do it, but do not always explain how to move the necessary energy. Some Wiccans don’t cast a circle and still have meaningful rituals and effective magick. Like many other elements of our practice, there are aspects that are standard and those that reflect personal tastes and spiritual path. Let’s put aside any confusion and look at what a circle is, how it is set up and taken down and what it does. A circle is a magickal space created by the witch or coven in which ritual takes place. By this act, we are effectively erecting our own sanctuary and taking it down when we are finished. We start fresh every time, yet as with other workings, there is a residual energy left which can enhance future workings. A circle is more properly a sphere or bubble. When created, it touches the ground or floor in a circle but the web of its energy arcs above us like a dome. It is also a place where we can meet the gods and goddesses and other magickal beings. It is said to be a place out of space and time. By that, I do not mean that it is some kind of fourth dimension, but it is a place where we leave our worries and mundane life at the door, instead concentrating on our spiritual life and being at ease. It is a sort of transparent curtain; marking off a place for ritual, but not cutting us off from the world. The physical process of creating the circle shifts our mood into our working so that we mentally and emotionally put behind the day to day routine and stress, giving us a break and enabling us to better focus on what we are doing in the circle.

Let people have their religious views
by Jamie Henson Being of the Wiccan faith, I was offended when I read a teacher would not allow a student to build a Wiccan altar in shop class - especially since Wicca is a recognized religion in the United States. It's a simple matter of fear of the unknown. Wicca is not devil worship. The devil is an entirely Christian concept. We believe in balance in things: the light and dark sides, male and female, life and death. It's a different belief, not a wrong one. I doubt the student was asking his teacher to share in his belief system. Was the teacher wrong to forbid the building of the altar? Yes. Since it was for something that didn't fit into the teacher's scope of thinking, it was denied. Is the whole battle over religious views and who's right or wrong overrated? Yes. How about live and let live?

By Chalice and Blade: The Great Rite (part 1)
By Rowan Pendragon One of the rituals that once took center stage in many Wiccan traditions has today become a somewhat misunderstood and even forgotten practice, especially among many neo-Wiccans and solitary practitioners. While many may go through the motions of The Great Rite it is far more than just a blessing before cakes and ale in ritual; it is the sacred act of celebrating the union of the Goddess and God, the union of the creative polarities, and the celebration of divine creation itself. It is a key to understanding some of the great Mysteries of this path. The Great Rite is related to the hieros gamos, Greek for “holy marriage” and is such also known by the name The Sacred Marriage. Hierogamy is the union of a Goddess and God in ritual, specifically through a symbolic act, often one that takes place with two representative elements such as a male enacting the role of the God and a female enacting the role of Goddess. In Wicca these roles are often held by the High Priest and High Priestess though in circles and covens where there is no traditional hierarchy any male or female member who is deemed to be spiritually fit for such an act may perform the rite. In some Traditional Wiccan covens, such as those practicing the British traditions, the act of participating in The Great Rite for the first time can be part of the Third Degree initiation as it is seen as being an introduction into the great Mystery of creation and the Mystery of birth and even death.

Satan worshipers suspects in slaying
By ROCCO LaDUCA Kimberly Simon, 16, of Marcy, was raped and murdered in 1985. Steven P. Barnes, also of Marcy, then 22, was convicted for the crimes. His 1989 conviction was tossed out after appeals by the Innocence Project based on DNA evidence. The last hours of Kimberly Simon’s life in 1985 were likely spent with a group of young men who worshiped the devil, tortured cats, used hallucinogenic drugs and sexually abused women, according to investigators who have been probing her homicide for the past 16 months. “They built quite a reputation for themselves,” District Attorney’s Office Investigator Richard Ferrucci said of the Satan worshipers. “To the people they were close with, they did not try to hide the fact that they were involved in this sort of stuff. It was sort of a shock value, and they really enjoyed putting that out there for people to know about.”Witness accounts have placed Simon in the company of these Satan worshipers during the night of Sept. 18, 1985, at a popular hangout spot for youths along the Sauquoit Creek in New York Mills called “Three Bears,” Ferrucci said.

Magic and Patron/Matron Deities
By Jess Folks new to Heathenry today, particularly if they are coming from Wicca or another Neo-Pagan faith, usually tend to ask two questions when it comes to being Heathen in the modern day: - Is it necessary to (or, How can I) learn galdr and/or seiðr? - How do I know who my patron/matron deity is? These are questions that I have encountered frequently in my own conversations with new Heathens and/or people interested in Heathenry, and the answers to both are simple. - Knowledge of galdr and/or seiðr is not necessary to be Heathen. - You are not required to have a patron/matron deity. Some people can get very frustrated with new folks asking these kinds of questions, but the simple fact is that they originate within the context of Wicca and Wiccan-derived Pagan beliefs, where adherents are generally encouraged to find a patron/matron deity, and where the study of magical practises and concepts is a backbone of education and training. Although I have been told that they exist, I have not personally encountered a Wiccan who did not do magic, and most Neo-Pagans I have met have a definite patron/matron deity.

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Correspondences for Friday
Light Green candles. Burn incense of Saffron, Verbena, Sandalwood, Myrtle. Friday is ruled by Venus, and is a good day to work with Love, friendships, affection, partnerships, money, sex.
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Sun is in Pisces, Moon is in Aquarius
Light Green candles. Burn incense of Saffron, Verbena, Sandalwood, Myrtle. Friday is ruled by Venus, and is a good day to work with Love, friendships, affection, partnerships, money, sex.
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Article: Building Community Through Corporate Regalia

Pagan Views: Building Community Through Corporate Regalia by PaganNews.com Staff Writer
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Article: Someone to Catch my Drift

Pagan Family: Someone to Catch my Drift by Julie Cox
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Today's Herb: Skullcap
Description: Downy perennial herb with short stalks, ovular pointed leaves that are bluntly toothed and dark green with red veins underneath. Stems grow up to 12 in bear large slender tubular bright violet flowers in summer. Uses: Use all green parts during flowering fresh or dried. Treats di...
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Review: Learning Ritual Magic
Review of the book by John Michael Greer, Clare Vaughn, Earl King Jr. in our "Western Mystery Tradition" section
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Today we honor Auriel/Uriel

Auriel (Uriel) is most well known for his role as Regent of the Sun in the book of Revelation where he calls forth the birds of the air to feast upon the fallen. As one of the most faithful and dedicated members of the host, Uriel was also placed in charge of Tartarus (another name for Hades), warned Noah of the impending flood (although Raphael is credited with teaching the building of the ark), and attacked Moses for failing to circumcise his son. Accepted as an archangel by the christian church for many centuries, he was finally removed from the records in 745 CE as the church became increasingly concerned with the prominence the public was placing upon angels. His position was taken by Anael (The Glory of God). He is still honored, however, in some wiccan traditions.
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Consciousness: Interview with an Angel

Consciousness: Interview with an Angel by Silas Jackson
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Cosmic Sense: Understanding Mercury Retrograde from a Pagan Perspective

Cosmic Sense: Understanding Mercury Retrograde from a Pagan Perspective by Sharla Stone
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST

Applied Quantum: The Songs we Sing

Applied Quantum: The Songs we Sing by Vaughan Wynne-Jones
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:02 MST