What's Wicca

From Beliefnet.com

• Paganism (or "Neopaganism," which means the new Paganism) is the overall name for the modern nature religions. Just as Christianity has many different forms (Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and so forth), so does Paganism. Some of the forms of Paganism include Wicca, Witchcraft, Druidism, Shamanism, Odinism, Goddess spirituality, and many others. Although there are differences between the many forms of Paganism, they also have much in common.
• Witchcraft and other forms of Paganism have nothing to do with devil worship or Satanism. On the contrary, Paganism teaches the importance of living an upstanding and ethical life, just like any other religion.
• Christians subdivide God into a Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Wiccans do the same thing, only they see God as a Mother and a Father. In other words, as a Mother Goddess and a Father God. In fact, one of the biggest differences between Paganism and Christianity is that some Pagans prefer a feminine image of the Goddess over, or in addition to, the traditional masculine image of God.
• To Pagans, it makes no sense to see spirituality as separate from the material world. The Goddess is present in the material world, just as she is present in prayer and meditation. For this reason, Pagans see nature as holy and many Pagans get involved in recycling and ecological preservation as a way of expressing their religious convictions.
• Most Pagans talk about magic -- an easily misunderstood term. To Pagans, magic is not about pulling rabbits out of hats, or conjuring up spirits to do one's bidding. [Some Pagans prefer the spelling "magick" to differentiate their practice from this type of magic.] Instead, it is best seen as using spiritual power in their daily lives. For example, just about anyone who believes in God will pray for healing when someone is sick. What Christians call prayer, Pagans call magic. It's basically the same thing: relying on spiritual power to achieve our goals and live happier lives. Just as Christians ask for God's blessing through their prayers, Pagans ask for the Goddess' blessing through their magic.
• Wicca is basically a new religion. It didn't really exist before the 1940s. But it is based on ancient spirituality (such as the spirituality of the Druids, the ancient priests of Ireland and Scotland), as well as on modern science and psychology. For many Pagans, following this religion is about getting in touch with one's (ancient) roots. For example, the more I have learned about the ancient Celts, the more I admire their civilization and spirituality. Modern Pagans try to honor the old ways of our forefathers and foremothers, who lived close to nature and who believed in Mother Earth as much as in a heavenly Father.
• Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of people around the world follow the Pagan path. Pagans come from all walks of life: rich and poor, male and female, straight and gay, high school dropouts and Ph.D.s. Pagans can be found in every corner of society: as lawyers, teachers, computer programmers, doctors, nurses, mechanics, and writers. The U.S. military has a thriving Pagan population, since many Pagan groups consider it an honorable thing to be a warrior. The Military acknowledges Pagans as practicing a valid religion, and many military bases have Pagan chaplains or chaplain assistants.

What Do Witches Do?

When people become Witches, how do they practice their spirituality? Wicca is considered a craft of the wise. It involves the pursuit of wisdom in many forms. Thus, people who explore the old religion will do any or all of the following:

• Study. Witches often love to read, and many longtime practitioners of the craft have houses crammed full of books. Nowadays, this love of research also extends to the Internet, where countless websites provide information on mythology, ritual, Goddess lore, and magic.
• Ritual. This would be the closest equivalent to going to church or synagogue. Rituals can be performed alone, in small groups, or in larger gatherings. As a general rule, they are performed on the night of the full moon, new moon, or on one of eight special Pagan holidays known as Sabbats.
• Magic. Less formalized than a ritual, magic consists of any activity aimed at channeling spiritual energy to achieve a specific goal. This can be as simple as meditating before a lit candle or as complex as an intricate ritual involving a series of carefully prepared symbolic objects. Incidentally, the process of doing a magical working is known as casting a spell.
• Craft activities. Many Wiccans and Pagans love to make candles, incense, oils, salves, herbal tinctures, and other items, imbued with natural ingredients that have spiritual significance. Such items are created only for positive magical or healing purposes, and are often used in spells or rituals.
• Nature-based activities. From planting an herb garden to helping clean up a polluted river, to simply enjoying long walks in the woods, nearly all Witches and Pagans truly the outdoors. To Pagans, such ecological activities as recycling or composting are not just good civic duties; they are also spiritually sacred acts.
• Other activities designed for spiritual growth. These miscellaneous pursuits can include meditation, studying a divination system such as astrology or Tarot, taking classes to develop psychic or intuitive ability, or making pilgrimages to ancient sacred sites such as Stonehenge in England or Newgrange in Ireland. Because Witches and Pagans regard all of life as sacred, any of these activities can be spiritually meaningful and an important part of their overall religious observance.

There's no one right way to be a Witch, and so not all Wiccans will do all of these things. But this variety of activities shows the richness and depth of spirituality that is available to modern Pagans.

Quarter Call Variety

Quarter Call Variety

from the Pythorium

Yet another way to call the quarters when casting a circle. Don't get stuck in a ritual rut.

Welcome East, power of Air!
Intuition, knowledge and wisdom,
Come and send forth your inspiration,
And be here now.

Welcome South, power of Fire!
Energy, heat and flame,
Come and send forth your passion,
And be here now!

Welcome West, power of Water!
Emotions, love and courage,
Come and send forth your tranquility,
And be here now!

Welcome North, power of Earth!
Stability, structure, and growth
Come and send forth your strength,
And be here now!

Nature never ceases to amaze me...

Beltane

"The fires of Beltane kindle the night reflecting the Green Man’s glance
His lady Queen of the May delights us all with her spiral dance
"Follow me to the source of all" he said "I am eternal fire"
"Come with me to the source of all" she said "I am your heart’s desire"

Celtic Druidism

The potential of the Path of the Celtic Druid today
Celtic Druidism is the ancient spiritual tradition of Ireland, it roots lie in the oldest temples in this island where many modern Druids still honour the Solar and Lunar cycles. Druidism is a spiritual path to gaining and holding inner Light and expressing your higher self. This path does not lead anywhere but as a Celtic Druid you have to walk it all the time. Walking this path is only possible by being balanced and in your centre. To be in your centre is to achieve a balance between thinking and intuiting. It is only in your centre that you can discover and express your magical higher self. Being in this balance means being in the godlike awareness we call the 'Witness'. This is where the modern Celtic Druid of today holds his/her awareness ie 'turned on and in balance'.

Technically speaking, this is not about killing the ego, it is not about killing the intuition, it is not about killing our base brain (medulla oblongata) ­ it is about working with all three and not being controlled by any of them. We need our left brain (thinking) and our right brain (intuiting) synchronised to transcend the reptilian brain (fight or flight) to activate the connecting bridge (corpus collosum) to hold our awareness in the higher mind. This I suggest is best done by focused magical training on a spiritual path of self-realisation in unity with Nature.

Witches Rune

"The continual exhalation of mosses gives the temperate rain forest much of its essential character; from bird song to banana slugs, it seems as if the entire forest is stitched together with threads of moss" R.W. Kimmerer

Mosses are an entrenched and enchanting part of all forests, and none more so than in the Pacific Northwest. This is because mosses need moisture in order to photosynthesize (and thus produce energy); dry moss cannot grow or reproduce. While other plants have roots that soak up water and nutrients from the ground, and strategies to conserve water, mosses absorb them directly from the air and from rain and spray water, and thus they grow most abundantly in consistently moist places. Luckily for them, mosses are poikilohydric- they dry out when the environment is dry, but can revive again once conditions are wetter. Most plants, if dried out completely, will wilt and die. By absorbing and retaining water from air vapour, and slowly releasing it to the ground, mosses actually contribute water to the forest, keeping the soil moist for trees and other plants to grow. As mosses increase, so does humidity from their ‘exhalations’, bringing about favourable conditions for even more moss to grow.

Their role in forest ecology is tied to, but goes far beyond, water balance. Mosses are preferred seedbeds for many tree seedlings, they get woven into the nests of many bird species (often providing a cushion for their eggs), are food for slugs, and countless insects and fungi depend on them for habitat. Large wet moss mats may contribute to the infrequent fire cycle in our regional forests- lightning may smolder on moist moss, but will never ignite. Ferns and other plants that grow on trees do not root directly into the tree bark; they depend on moss to be a substrate. Mosses are not eaten by most animals (including humans) due to the tough compounds in their tissues and their low nutritional value. This is used to good advantage by hibernating bears though- prior to getting into their dens bears will eat mosses and other tough fibrous vegetation, in effect producing an “anal plug” that keeps them from defecating through the winter.

Being food-focused to a fault in my foraging, the many ecological and human values claimed by mosses are an inspirational reminder for me to keep a broad outlook. Consider that historically, dry mosses were used as diapers and as menstrual pads- their combination of absorbency and large air spaces would effectively wick moisture away, while providing mild antiseptic properties that no doubt prevented diaper rash. They were used as lamp wicks, scrubbing dishes, insulation for humans (Otzi, the “Iceman” preserved in the European Alps, had his boots packed with Neckera moss to keep his toes warm) and for homes (e.g. chinking cracks in log cabins), a component of artisan works, and used in food preparation. Salmon were scrubbed with moss prior to being dried, while camas pit-cooks used moss as a source of steam during the cooking. Linnaeus, the father of modern plant taxonomy, bedded down on a portable bedroll made of polytrichum moss during his botanical explorations. It is not known whether he used a pillow made of Hypnum moss (think ‘hypnosis’) that was said to impart special dreams to the sleeper.

Human use of moss today is focused on epiphytic mosses (those that grow on trees) as decorative floral products. Every year tens of millions of kilograms of moss are harvested from the Pacific Northwest, bringing in tens of millions of dollars. Much of this takes place in National Forests of Oregon and Washington, but includes British Columbia (for which les information is available). Moss harvest has been significant since the 1940s, originally for use as a fruit-packing material, and has increased in the past couple decades as alternatives to timber harvest have been sought. It has shifted from patchy harvesting by local residents looking to supplement their income, to full time strip harvesting by seasonal crews from outside the region. While regulations exist, they are criticized as being insufficient and poorly enforced. Modeling exercises have projected the depletion of mosses in some areas if current harvesting rates continue, and some National Forests have enacted a moratorium until better management can be demonstrated. Ecologists are working to develop guidelines based on scientific and local knowledge of moss distribution and growth patterns. Peat moss harvesting from our boreal forests for use in gardening is a topic for a whole other ‘Non-timber Tidbit’.

A less commercial human use of moss is to monitor pollutant levels. Mosses usually lack a protective cuticle, and so they readily absorb heavy metals and other substances from the air and rainwater. Since they are often widespread, abundant, and grow in regular patterns, they can be appropriate tools for “bio-monitoring” pollution over time and space.

Recipes for such a non-edible forest product being scarce, the following one for Jamaican Sea Moss Drink, while having no relation to mosses as we know them, may be appropriate, as it includes the tropical non-timber forest products cinnamon, nutmeg, and the beautiful orchid vanilla, as well as the red algae carrageen:

- 1.3 L water
- 15 g dried carrageen
- 400 g condensed milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tp linseed /flaxseed (optional)
- Freshly-grated nutmeg
- Few drops of vanilla extract
- Little rum to serve (optional)

Soak the carrageen in cold water for about 15 minutes. Drain and place it in a saucepan with water, cinnamon and linseed and bring this mixture to a boil and cook until it begins to thicken. Strain the mixture using a sieve and discard the seaweed, linseed and cinnamon stick. Pour the liquid back in a pan and add condensed milk, vanilla essence and freshly-grated nutmeg. Boil the mixture and whisk vigorously to cool it. When this mixture begins to set, whisk it again vigorously and when the mixture cools, whisk once again and then finally cool it in the refrigerator. Before serving, whisk it again and add a dash of rum.