Pagan Blog Project: J- Jumping to Conclusions

 

Thanks for my topic this week go to my friend, Hannah. She provided me with some inspiration this afternoon. This week’s post is all about jumping to conclusions. Whether it’s the assumption that all Pagan paths are intense adventures, receiving messages from nature, or reading tarot cards, it’s all something we as humans have a tendency to do. I notice it a lot more in people just beginning their Pagan path, but even I sometimes have to step back and think: Am I jumping to conclusions?

With the Pagan community more inter-connected than ever, it’s easy to find information and personal stories from other Pagans. It’s easier still to get caught up in them. You’ve just read how Morgana MoonBeam (names made up off the top of my head) had her first encounter with the Goddess- WOW what a dream; I wish I could have something like that happen to me-

But wait. Wait right there, because not everyone will have vivid, exciting encounters that produce fabulous stories. The truth of the matter is that sometimes being a Pagan is, well, not that exciting. There will be periods of time where huge revelations aren’t made, where you might not see faeries, or get a direct message from the gods or your spirits. And ya know, that’s okay.

I was totally enthralled by some of the stories Silver RavenWolf shared in her books (boo and hiss elsewhere, I love that woman). I wanted experiences like that, too. I wanted to see the Gods, deal with spirits, the whole nine yards. I think to an extent, I even created on a subconscious level supernatural experiences because that was what dealing with the occult and Paganism was all about, right? Later, of course, I realized that some of the things that had happened were sort of my own doing, and that although nothing as exciting as the stories I had read from others was happening, I still was connected. There was peace in that. I didn’t need the excitement to feel connected with all of nature.

Another point where jumping to conclusions is easy: signs and omens. Was that crow a message from The Morrigan? Or was it just a crow?

Again, I’m totally guilty of this act as well. Typically, crows and ravens seem to appear when things are about to change in my life. They have long been my spirit animals, guides in meditation, and a source of fascination for me. However, when I find myself noticing that I see them EVERYWHERE, I have to ask myself which ones are signs, and which ones are just passersby and inhabitants of the area?

My rule of thumb here: don’t assume it’s a sign. It really could just be a passing bird. If the crow makes you think of one of your patron deities, great! It’s cool that you think about them, and I’m sure they appreciate it. Take note of it; if you’re not sure what the symbolism behind the animal is, perhaps look it up. With the technology these days  it shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.  After that, just keep an open eye without trying to dwell on the supposed message. If something happens in accordance, cool. If not, you took a moment to observe and connect with nature.

Last place I see many many many people jump to conclusions: divination tools. In my experience most people I know use tarot, so I’ll focus a bit more on the cards.

Each card has meanings typically associated with it. The 2 of Cups almost always suggests a relationship or partnership of some sort, etc. Learning what some of the basic meanings are is a good way to have some base knowledge when doing a reading.

Memorizing the book meanings, and not being open to more loose interpretations based on the placement of the cards, however, can provide inaccuracy. Yes, the Death card almost always symbolizes rather dramatic change, and the image DOES make it seem like things are going to be very rough while the change is occurring. But, what if it means something different?

Another pitfall- and I too am guilty of this- is assuming that if you get a card once and get a particular vibe from it that it will always have the same meaning you originally assigned it.

My advice with tarot (and any tool, really) is to:

1) Cleanse your deck regularly

2) If at all possible, have more than one deck- or a friend who can read tarot. Sometimes a different perspective on the problem at hand can provide a clearer view.

3) Take your time with a reading. Really get a feel for the cards and what they’re telling you. Don’t just remember what your previous experiences with them were.

Brightest Blessings,

Brenna Adaira

Pagan Blog Project: J – Jewelry

 

Jewelry has always had a special place in my heart. Not only have I loved it since I was young (I always wear at least one necklace), but I’ve found that having special jewelry that I wear only for rituals can really help to put me ‘in the zone’ and focus on what is at hand.

The first piece of Pagan jewelry I owned was actually given to me by my mother. The Pentacle of the Goddess necklace found its way into my possession when my mom gave it to me for protection against the nightmares and such I was experiencing (I was about 9 or 10). I wore it all day everyday up until very recently. It has always been just that: a symbol of protection and strength, a connection with my mother and the divine.

A few summers ago, I finally purchased my own pentacle necklace. It quickly replaced the one my mother had given me- not out of spite, but out of desire to keep the old one from tarnishing further. It was called the “Druid’s Pentacle” at the shop where I had purchased it (ironically the same place my very first pentacle had been bought when I was very young). I thought, ‘How perfect is this?’ It was during my transition from Wicca to Druidry that I bought this pentacle. It became a symbol of my growing up, past Wicca, which I felt no longer suited my needs spiritually, as well as my coming independence from my family.

And last summer, again from the same jeweler, I purchased my Mjolnir pendant. I had had a dream in which it appeared- oddly enough right before the sightings of Norse mythology became as frequent as they now are. This is the necklace I wear now for protection and strength.

I’ve heard many say that special jewelry- or jewelry that you wear in rituals should be worn only in rituals; that it collects the energy of mundane life if you wear it around elsewhere. While I would certainly never leave, say, a pirate medallion on during a ritual, I can’t bring myself to shun my other Pagan jewelry that I wear on a day-t0-day basis during magical workings. The talismans and pendants that I wear daily are, at least in my opinion, charged with my energy. They are charms of protection, grounding, and strength that I feel almost naked without. I’d never even consider taking them off for a ritual. It seems only natural that they should maintain their place of power: ‘mundane’ or not.

That being said, I DO have pieces that I wear only in ritual. I own a Valknut charm that I purchased recently that I wear only in rites in which I invoke Odin. I also have an obsidian arrowhead that I empowered specifically for my rituals involving the Wylde Hunt. I wear these items along with my usual jewelry, and they have specific purpose. They are never worn outside my sacred circle.

So what about you, followers? Do you have ritual or Pagan jewelry that you wear regularly? What are your opinions of wearing Pagan jewelry in public or anywhere other than rituals?

Blessings,
Brenna Adaira

Update: 5/8/2013

 

Sorry for my absence! I think I’ve completely missed the letter “I” for the Pagan Blog Project. Whoops. I’m finding it rather difficult to find time and inspiration to write since I’ve been home.

The group Beltaine rite went pretty well. I sensed there was a little bit of … hostility sounds too harsh, but that’s almost what it felt like between some of the members of the circle. I think ritual writing went better than ritual planning in this case. Despite that, it was a fun little celebrational gathering.

Afterwards, we started character creation for a new group activity. I was able to find all of the clanbooks and information for Vampire: the Masquerade, the role-playing game that was rather popular in the 1990′s, online. Now that we have them- and a large bag of D10′s we have pretty much everything needed to play. We thought it’d be a fun way to bond more without it always being about Pagan-related topics. And who doesn’t love creating a good vampire story? So in a scattered pile of papers, and fighting to see the screen of my laptop, we created our characters for the game. We’ve yet to schedule an actual day to start playing, but I’m rather excited to see where this goes. My only concern is that we may no longer get what needs to be done as far as our Pagan goals is concerned. Hopefully, it all goes well, and this will bring us closer together.

So far, being home has induced some rather mixed feelings. I’m glad I’m not in classes and I can see all of my friends here more often, but living with my parents has become a royal pain. I’m still without any of my own real space- save outside- and somehow, it’s been deemed that just because my parents helped me get a student loan for my trip to London and I’m home all day, I should have to do my sister’s chores on top of my own and the odd jobs for my dad I’m doing to get some spending money. I’m sorry… WHAT? So that’s been relatively irritating, but I’m hoping that things straighten out before I leave. I’ve only been home a couple weeks and there are six and a half weeks left to go before I’m off to the UK. My younger friends will be getting out of school soon, and that will mean, hopefully, that I can spend more time out and about doing things rather than sitting around the house.

Blessings,

Brenna

Happy Beltaine!

 

Blessed Beltaine, everyone! Spring has finally arrived in Michigan- and not a day too soon. I’ve got plenty of things to do on this beautiful start of spring in celebration of the return of life to the land and of course, the union of the God and Goddess.

As soon as my dad is off to work, I’ll be performing a personal Beltaine rite geared more towards my path with the Wylde Hunt where I’ll be re-connecting with my sacred femininity and the Goddesses of the Hunt. I’m hoping with this bright sunshine some of the excess water still standing in my yard will dry up so I’m not sloshing in puddles!

A bit later, I might go for a walk in the woods. I’ve been told the deer like to spend time in an area not too far into the trees where I might be able to find fallen antlers. I’ve been begging my dad to talk to his friends who hunt about getting antlers for about a year now. It’d be a fun little adventure to go hunting for some while I’m home.

Hope your day is merry and full of the brightness of Spring!

Blessings,

Brenna

Update: 4/21/2013 Exam Week

 

So, here it goes: the week of final exams. As glad as I am to be finally going home, it’s a little crazy to think I’ve already completed a year of college. Luckily, I only have a few finals- none of which are cumulative! Though classes themselves have proven to be a bit tougher this semester than they were my first semester, I’m feeling pretty confident about the final exams.

I’ll be heading home on Wednesday. It feels like forever and the blink of an eye all at the same time. I’ve begun packing, but I’m realizing again that I just have a TON of stuff… I suppose it just sort of happens when you decide to attend college three hours from home, but damn… There just feels like there’s so much to do. But I don’t have the cardboard boxes that I packed everything in! They gotten taken home to save space in my tiny little dorm.

In other news, I’ve learned some new things about the study abroad trip I’ll be going on. Apparently, as part of the program through school I’m supposed to keep a travel journal of my daily experiences there. Awesome. I figured I could just use my blog to do it- I’d be able to fulfill the requirement and share all of my adventures with my followers, right? Wrong. I guess, for security measures, we’re not allowed to blog about where we’ll be going and staying and the like until AFTER we get back. I totally understand the reasoning, but it makes it an epic bummer because I’ll want to share everything with ya’ll as it happens. I’m thinking that what I might do is blog and save everything as drafts to publish once I return to the States.

Now, this does NOT mean that you won’t be hearing from me for those four weeks! I will be keeping up with my weekly Pagan Blog Project Posts and other Pagan-related posts. And of course, those of you whom I know personally will definitely be getting updates as I go along.

Lots of exciting things coming up in the next few months, and as I leave campus where wi-fi is always available, I will probably be online far less often (my family has one ethernet cable for 4 people… ugh). I will try to keep posting as often as possible.

So here it is, the last blog post of my freshman year.

Brightest Blessings,

Brenna

Pagan Blog Project: H- The Hunter’s Horn

 

Thought I’d shake things up and do a poetry post this week!

The Hunter’s Horn

Can you hear the Hunter’s Horn,

Sounding in the forest deep?

Can you hear the pounding of hooves

When night creeps in and people sleep?

In the dark night can you feel

That rush of wind- that fleeting chill?

Standing in the night-time wood

What will be his latest kill?

2 Years!

2 years of what? Well, blogging, of course. This blog was started two years ago today. If I remember correctly, it was originally just another place to post poetry and a method of following Silver RavenWolf’s blog (see links to the right of my page –>).  And look how it’s grown: I’ve talked about a wide array of issues- some I NEVER thought I’d be writing about and have well over a hundred followers. Thank you all for making this such a rewarding experience and way to connect with people.

So where am I going from here? Well, that’s always the question, right? I’m going to keep blogging. It’s a much more efficient way for me to express myself and discuss issues in Paganism than YouTube was. I’m sorry to say it, but don’t expect many more videos from me; they’re just not my thing. I will be keeping up with The Pagan Blog Project (http://paganblogproject.com/ ) and my usual updates. I don’t think I’ll be abandoning this blog anytime soon.

But what would you all like to read about? I know there has already been a request to hear about my Wylde Hunt project, but I’ll tell you now that I want to get it a bit more complete before I start posting on it. I’m always open for requests on topics, just post them below.

It’s been a great 2 years. Thank you all again, and Blessed Be.

~Brenna

Pagan Blog Project: H- Herne the Hunter

 

I am lover, I am father,
I am Horned God and King,
I’m the life in all of nature,
That is reborn every Spring.
Call of stag and cry of eagle,
I am Child of Barleycorn,
And I am the antlered crown,
And standing stone.

-Damh the Bard “Antlered Crown and Standing Stone”

Who is Herne the Hunter? God of the forests and wildlife, Spirit of the hunt and the creatures of the land, Leader of the faeries and the Wylde Hunt, or ghost haunting a local wood? Herne has appeared in all these ways in British folklore, the stories so interwoven that it makes it rather hard to separate them.

Herne the ghost was said to appear in Windsor Forest. The legend retold in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, states that Herne was a forester, employed by King Richard II. When the king was attacked by a white stag, Herne saved him, died, and was brought back to life. He later fell from favor with the king and committed suicide, hanging himself from an oak, later called Herne’s Oak. His spirit, said to haunt the forest, has been seen many times riding through the wood, wearing the antlers of the white stag.

Other legends suggest he may be leader of the Wylde Hunt (and he most certainly has appeared to me in that way) and a God of Forests and wildlife. Modern Pagans worship him as Horned God.

Interestingly enough, while he does have much in common with the Gaulish horned god, Cernunnos, and many believe them to be one and the same, I found an article suggesting he might have more in common with Odin (link: http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2117 ). While it’s very easy to argue that they are the same, the author, Kenny Klein, points out that while Cernunnos was a Gaulish god, England was predominantly Anglo-Saxon. The probability of those people adopting a French deity was rather unlikely, according to Klein. Herne does have some things in common with Odin, though. The article goes on to point out that both hung themselves from a tree, both were seen as horned deities while leading the Wylde Hunt. Klein even suggests that the name “Herne” comes from another name, or guise, of Odin: “Herion” the Hunter, and that the Pagan Saxons could have maintained their practices while hiding out in Windsor forest.

It was an interesting read, to say the least, and definitely got me thinking since Odin has made his presence well known in my life and practices of late. While I can’t say for sure where I think Herne ‘came from’ or whether or not he really is one and the same with Odin, I do know he is very much a strong presence in modern Paganism as well as my own life.

I believe he is all of these things: ghost, leader of the Hunt, God of the forests… While, I personally have worked with and experienced him in guise of hunter and god, I do still enjoy hearing the ‘ghost tales’ too. I think he probably was a god at one point in time, whether he came from Odin or was more like Cernunnos, and was eventually changed, as many figures in mythology were at the coming of Christianity, to faery or spirit.

Like many, I do view the horned gods (Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, the Green Man, etc.) as sort of connected: different ways of viewing the archetypal horned god of the land and animals. However, Herne is the name by which I call him, and with my recent studies and workings with the Wylde Hunt, I think my experiences with him are far from over.

Blessings,

~Brenna

Oh No, Guys, It’s Too Late

 

So, this conversation was sparked by something another rather close friend of mine called to tell me about this afternoon. Apparently, her behavioral analysis professor did a study where he ‘proved’ that being gay is a learned behavior- one that can be changed.  Now, never in a million years, did I ever expect to be blogging about gay issues on this blog, but it just really pissed me off.

Like, where did I learn to be gay? My family was a ‘normal’ one: one dad, one mom, me and my sister. None of my family was gay. Was it from watching David Bowie and Elton John as a kid? Was it participating in theater with gay kids? The gay-straight alliances on campus? Oh my gods, it’s everywhere! It might just be too late for me. 

Here’s the truth: being gay isn’t a learned behavior. Most of us are just born this way; it’s a totally natural way of life. No amount of  ’exposure to gayness’ is going to make someone gay. I see a LOT more hetero-normative things in life. Has it ‘taught me’ to be straight? Of course not. Being gay isn’t something that can really be learned, anyway. Each person within the gay community is different, regardless what the media and stereotypes tell you. Each person who identifies as LGBTQIA is ‘gay’ in their own unique way. It’s not a standard lifestyle that ALL gay people follow. To assume so is rude and foolish.

I’ve really been blessed that I’m surrounded by people who are SUPER supportive of absolutely everything I do- not just in the sense of being a Pagan, but in my recent coming out as gay, too. But every now and then, the rest of society steps in to remind me how shitty some people still are to others. Just some food for thought. I’m not sure what my friend’s response to her professor was, but I really hope she said something to him. To change how someone naturally is is just sick and wrong.

Stay fabulous, guys.

 

Update: My friend just told me she used me as an example to prove her prof. wrong. Literally made my evening.

Blessings,

~Brenna

Punctuation Personalities

Reblogged from New York English:

This image is a great resource. It helps students remember the purpose of each punctuation mark. It can be hung in the classroom or given to students, and it instantly becomes a great resource for students.

So, which punctuation personality are you?

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536442559708072&set=a.158139670871698.33824.139729956046003&type=1&theater

Too Cute!