PAGAN ARTICLES BY " LINK "


Your Own Mother is Also the Goddess When you look into the eyes of your own mother (the woman who gave physical birth to you, raised you, fed you, reminded you to wash behind your ears) do you see an image of the Goddess? You should.
We often talk about the Goddess in vague, abstract terms. We may give Her a name taken from the pantheons of Old, or maybe assign Her special qualities, colors and symbols. While this is fine, we shouldn't limit our view of Her to only the abstract. Perhaps we can see Her in parts of our everyday lives. Perhaps our first encounter with the Goddess is indeed our own mother.
Of course, in every family, with every child, this relationship is different for each of us. Isn't the same true for our relationship with the Goddess? We each experience Her in different ways. And this often changes over the years. That same woman who nurtured you when you were young might seem like your best friend when you are an adult! You might enjoy the same movies, laugh at the same jokes, and have much in common. In time, as she grows older, she may someday depend on you to "nurture" and care for her. The roles sometime come full circle. And as you treat her, you also treat Her.
Have you ever looked at greeting cards designed for mothers? (You know, the mushy floral ones.) Read the words carefully. You'll find phrases about the one who gives "everlasting love" or "the one who is always there" or special thanks for "the countless gifts she gives." You may find words just as beautiful and sincere as any ritual prayer for the Goddess.
Look for your own way to make Mother's Day (and Father's Day too) a special spoke in your own personal Wheel of the Year. See the time you spend with your mother as the most tangible Esbat you could ever have. See her as your own personal Mother Goddess, your nearest link in the divine chain of events that gave you life. We often give credit and thanks to our Mother Earth, but we often forget the specific way in which the Earth gave us life. For me, this was a kind-hearted woman, with beautiful green eyes, who married a man she met at a small-town roller skating rink. Together, they became my gateway into the world.
Link (Anthony)
AnthLink@aol.com
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You and Your Loved One:
Union of Goddess and God
Your eyes meet; your hands join, fastened in a warm tender touch. Two become one with each other. You and your loved one are the union of Goddess and God.
We are surrounded with magic and beauty every day. The special people we share each day with are part of that magic and beauty. It is easy to see the Maiden within a young daughter, or the nurturing Mother in your own mom, or the wise Crone in your grey-haired grandmother. With love and reverence, we often talk about the Old Ones. Can we see the Old Ones in our own "dear ones" and within our own loving relationships?
Romance offers a special type of union, more so than other relationships we share. Romance is one small example of that place where Goddess and God join, becoming one.
To know the Goddess and God as union, rather than two separate entities, ask yourself how you feel when sharing special moments with your loved one, versus being alone. What message can you see in this union? How does it apply to your own love relationship? This is your own personal aspect of union. It is no accident that Pagan symbols for Deity are male and female; it is an analogy to a very beautiful part of nature!
Your life is like sacred space. When you invite someone into your life, it becomes as sacred as any Invocation. You draw them into your Circle, and into yourself. See the time you share with your loved one as a religious event. See your loved one as your own private aspect of the Goddess or God. And as you treat them, you also treat Them.
Don't limit yourself to seeing only the Goddess within your woman or the God within your man. We each carry both. She can show you new sides to the God, stronger and gentler than you could ever imagine. And he can show you new sides of the Goddess, more tender and caring than you might expect.
Your relationship with your loved one isn't much different than any other religious experience. "She of a Thousand Names" can also include soft loving names like Sweetheart, Honey or Dear. And the "Horned One" can become a very tangible part of your life!
Do you share special "holidays" with your loved one? Anniversaries, birthdays, or even Valentine's Day can all become special spokes in your own private Wheel of the Year. Each year, do you remember that first loving day (or night) of romantic initiation? Celebrate these events with great joy; your celebrations are the most sympathetic magic you could ever do to bless your relationship!
If your love were like the moon, what phase would it be in right now? Over time, do you see your relationship both wax and wane? Can your love renew itself, becoming full again, even after the darkest of times?
If you see your love as the union between Goddess and God, you may find your relationship to be the Greatest Rite of all!
(Inspired by & written with Love for Liban)
Link (Anthony)
AnthLink@aol.com
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The Ancestors Within
Eventually, every inquisitive child asks the question, "Where did I come from?" Perhaps some, with that same innocence and curiosity, never stop asking this question all through life, all along their Spiritual path. Looking for the answer will help us find the Ancestors within.
Deep within us lies a vast fortune of information about who we are and where we came from. As Spirits incarnated into a physical body, we are the product of a chain of events going back farther than we could ever imagine. We can see examples of this chain in everyday life -- if we choose to look.
Our bodies are each a product of unique genetic chemistry. Our entire family tree contributed to this mix over the years. Perhaps our eye and hair color, height and frame came from our recent Ancestors, like parents or grandparents. But some traits date back for generations, like gifts from Ancestors who were born centuries ago. We carry bits of these Ancestors within us and pass them on to our children, like precious heirlooms.
Perhaps the oldest gifts are the most basic. Deep within us lie instincts and primal memories that date back to prehistoric humans. For example, whether fashionable or not, many people still wear animal skins like leather or fur. This attraction to animal skins may stem from ancient memories buried deep within us from a time ages ago when cave-dwelling primitive humans, our Ancestors, wore animal skins as their daily wardrobe. Since humans evolved from other animals, perhaps these innate memories go even deeper, to the animals within all of us, to a time when we ourselves were furry, leathery-skinned creatures. On the evolutionary timeline, animals are our Ancestors and we are their descendants. What lessons can we learn by getting in contact with our inner animal selves? From mating rituals, to defending food and territory, to a mother protecting her young -- we are surrounded by the ways of our animal Ancestors.
Even more basic, while our own Spirit and Will may give us our burning desire for music, art or mechanics, Nature gave us the arms, legs and fingers with which to play, paint, use tools, climb mountains, build bridges, or just pick apples. These appendages are gifts from Ancestors even older than any animal; within each of us are gifts from plants. Our limbs are genetic descendants of the limbs of trees. What can we learn from these tree Ancestors? We branch because they did so long ago, the way any "family tree" branches outwards. This branching occurs similarly in the limbs above the ground, and the roots below the ground. So, a simple plant can teach us that what happens above can also happen below.
And even simpler than the exact tangible form of our bodies, is tangible form itself. We are incarnated in physical form for a reason; it is part of the lesson, an important step in Nature's curriculum. The laws of physics allow matter to exist. Every molecule, every atom, gravitates together to give form. What lessons can we learn from the Ancestors of physical form? Pick up a stone, watch it fall from your hands. Gravity pulls it toward all the other stones. Gravity makes things "want" to join together. Remember this the next time you long for a hug!
Many people still hold a special fondness for certain elements, like sitting around an open fire. Perhaps this dates back to the cave-dwellers, the primitive human Ancestors huddling around a flame merely to survive. Or perhaps, since the elements (especially fire) pre-date any of Earth's lifeforms, the memories of fire Elementals burn deep within us, feeling that special romance in the warmth and light of a campfire, a household fire place, or even a simple votive candle. Many people also have a special fondness for water, the ocean, from which all life on Earth arose. Water was the source, life's birthplace. Can we learn from the cycle of Earth's water supply? Water vapor rises from the ocean, crystallizes to form a raindrop, falls to the Earth, runs its course through life's rivers and streams, returning to the ocean, its source, to vaporize once again, perpetuating water's cycle. Are we any different? Even today, Pagans sing about a drop of rain flowing to the ocean, returning to its source, the source of all life. This song even tells where we come from, and reminds us that we shall return. Think about the words.
Searching for the "Ancestors within" can help us understand the linkage we have to age-old things, to all life and to all forces in Nature. The Ancestors within can teach us that many "modern" ideas may stem back to animal instincts, to laws of physics, or other principles which we can observe in Nature and use to enhance our daily lives. It is no accident that as wide-eyed children we ask where we came from. This is our first step in self-discovery.
Link (Anthony)
E-Mail: AnthLink@aol.com
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Everyday is Sacred
Throughout history, people of nature religions found something sacred everywhere they looked. There was no clear-cut boundary between what was religious and what was not, what was magical and what was not. Examples of this can be found all over Europe, where people had Goddesses and Gods for virtually every part of daily life. From ovens and doorways, to bridges and wells -- everything was sacred! Latin, and the languages which descend from it, were shaped by Pagan cultures. Language assigned gender to every person place and thing, perhaps reflecting the idea that all things link back to a specific Goddess or God. Every person place and thing truly is a part of nature!
Historians and archaeologists uncover bits of ancient lore and share their treasures with us. We love to marvel at something old and rich in years. But while the richness of history gives us valuable perspective, we should not overlook the present. In this way, we learn from the progression we make over time, the flow from yesterday to today. Today, every thing is still just as sacred as it was in days of Old.
Look to your own surroundings and see the sacredness in everyday life. The seasons and cycles still tell us much about the nature of many things. Every year, every moon, and even every single day waxes and wanes in a similar fashion. What do these cycles mean to you personally? How do you mark their special points and midpoints? How do you celebrate them? You may find that even simple events like your morning shower can be a special ritual, marking the beginning of your own "Wheel of the Day."
The town in which you live is full of sacred sites and shrines! The busy concrete roads you travel every day are sacred. And so are the many crossroads we pass along our path. However trivial they may seem at the time, each of these crossroads and intersections bring us where we need to be. Many roads have names or route numbers; we can address them personally and thank them for our many safe journeys. Remember this the next time you are frustrated in rush-hour traffic or lost on a dark, lonely highway.
Remember how your own neighborhood felt as a child? Every tree or bush or sewer pipe was unique and familiar. As we mature, we need not lose that familiar feeling. Notice the things around you. Take time not just to smell the roses, but to read the billboards and to hear even the noisy commotion all around you. You may find that they speak just as clearly as the rivers, winds and thunder.
Your own home is full of sacred beings! An entire pantheon lives in your pantry! Your kitchen is not just the place you cook; it is a temple for the herbs, fruits and animals which give us life. Each of them is a relic of a bygone life form, with spirit deserving our respect. See each meal as a ritual, a blessed event which brings new life to that which we have harvested. These "food relics" become part of you; they live again through you.
Throughout your home, photos of loved ones can be a shrine to that sacred someone. Perhaps your own family's Mother Goddess? Or your own beloved Lord of the Wood? A photo captures and stores the light and energy of the moment in which it was taken. Mementos of any special occasion capture a bit of that energy, like the charge within a battery or a charm. Feel it the next time you "release" that energy, as you open an old photo album, uncork that special bottle of wine you've been saving, or just open up your favorite junk drawer! Things around your house store bits and pieces of your life. They come into contact with the sound of your voice, the heat from your body, the energy from your thoughts. They hear your most private conversations; they feel your heartbeat race. And just imagine the dreamy stories your pillow could tell. . . No wonder packing and moving all your possessions out of your home is so traumatic. The energy built up little by little over the years is all released in one sudden moving-day whoosh!
Your plumbing and faucet, furnace and electrical wiring, fans and windows, floors beams and walls -- are these not the Elements themselves? Do they not combine to give you a fifth, making your house into a home?
And within yourself, many, many sacred things can be found. Every atom of every cell has its nucleus, its center. Within us are many Suns! Our fingers and toes, arms and legs branch like the limbs of any tree. Our tiny capillaries feed larger veins and arteries, no different than rivers or streams helping a drop of rain flow to the ocean. And within our spirit lies the spark of all life, like a pilot light which burns as long as we do.
If we choose to see the sacredness in all things, even the most mundane parts of our lives will become magical. Perhaps someday, thousands of years from now, historians and archaeologists will uncover age-old tales of deities which bless our microwave ovens or look both ways through our aluminum sliding glass doors. Perhaps they will see how we made every day sacred.
Link (Anthony)
E-Mail: AnthLink@aol.com
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Pagan Culture Never Died
Pagan culture never died. It changed, was hidden, became hushed -- but never died. We can look around and see that many of the Old ways are still part of everyday life. Here's a few examples. What others can you see in your own surroundings?
A personal favorite is the candle-magic ritual we do once a year, celebrating one's incarnation with the chant "Happy Birthday to you." A wish is made, the candles blown out and gifts given. This custom dates back to worship of Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon. On Her day, cakes were baked in the shape of a crescent moon and decorated with candles. If worshippers could blow out the candles in a single breath, the Goddess would look upon them with favor. Whether ancient Greek myth, or a modern-day spell, the way we celebrate our birthday is truly magic!
"AH-CHOO!!!" Bless you. (If you lived during the time of Tiberius Caesar, you may need it.) Ancient Rome circa 150 a.d. was stricken with a deadly disease, which the first symptom was sneezing. People, including Caesar, believed that the more blessing you received from others, the more likely you would be to survive. Perhaps today's common courtesy was yesterday's healing spell? The myth of Prometheus includes him sneezing, having caught cold from stealing the fire of the Gods. (And we know what happened to him.)
Perhaps the richest remnant of Pagan culture still survives in the wedding ceremony! Terms like "giving your hand in marriage" and "tying the knot" certainly refer to handfasting. It doesn't take a Celtic scholar to recognize the word "Bride" as an Old name for the Goddess. And Groom? In matriarchal life, the man came to work in the wife's family's home. A groom is a term used to describe a laborer who cares for the horses. The term husband, meaning "bound to the house" or house-bound, also dates back to such customs. The word matrimony refers to the custom of inheritances being passed down through maternal blood lines. "Matri" means mother; "mony" or monium, means money. But, in ancient Germany, carrying the bride over the threshold welcomes her into the groom's family, since his ancestors were once buried below the home!
The wedding cake was baked by the couple, as a symbol of the ingredients of their lives coming together as one. A form of sympathetic magic? And the kiss at the altar? In times of Old, the union was consummated right there in front of witnesses. Even today, a marriage can often be considered legally void if never consummated. The term honeymoon refers to the lunar cycle immediately following the wedding. For the full lunar cycle, the couple ate honey each day, believing it to be a sweet aphrodisiac! (Some couples still use honey in their bedroom revelry, but in a different way...) June weddings are still a fashion, perhaps dating back to the days where a festive Beltane celebration (late April/early May) resulted in conception! (June weddings are rooted in Spring fever.) Brides, not grooms, were also showered with wheat, so that they could bear children like wheat brings bread.
The wedding ring placed on the third finger was believed to be a direct connection to the heart. This was even called the Medical Finger, which doctors used to stir medicines. If poison were present, the doctor's heart would skip a beat! But of all places to wear wedding jewelry, the ring is likely related to handfasting. Why not a wedding necklace, brooch or tiara? Also, the action of the finger penetrating the circular ring is not all that different from other Pagan symbols of union. Likewise, wearing and throwing the "garter" seems not so distant.
Giving flowers to a loved one? Flowers are brightly colored, heavily scented reproductive organs! An agricultural society might see this. So might our deeply rooted animal instincts which relate color and scent to the courting rituals of nearly every species, including homosapien!
Knock on wood? This probably dates back to the Druids. Opening an umbrella indoors? Umbrella comes from the Latin word for shade. The device was used as a parasol ("stop the sun") before it was used as protection from rain. Not opening it indoors showed respect for the realm of the solar deities. Tie a string on your finger to remember something? (Sounds like cord magic to me.) I wonder why sailors put so much skill into the knots they tied over the centuries? Fishermen and fisherwomen, even today, have special words they say when throwing their lines into the water.
Naming things seems rich in magic. Look at the names of farms, race horses, and even pets. Notice that boats are referred to as She, probably linked back to She of the Sea. (Probably no accident when they named the greatest ship "The Queen Mary.") Even the Greek and Latin languages that descended from Pagan Europe assign gender to every person, place, or thing. Perhaps all things were linked to a God or a Goddess. Days of the week, months of the year -- some are still named after the Old Ones. Friday the 13th? (Can you get more linked to Goddess worship than that?) Perhaps it was fairly new beliefs, from cultures who did not worship the Goddess or note her lunar cycles, which gave Friday the 13th an unlucky connotation.
We can go over hundreds of holiday customs which date back to Pagan roots. We can find Pagan traces in many practices of the newer religions. But more importantly, we can make our own new traditions every day. We are catalysts of the future, not mere conduits to the past! We are the Ancestors of tomorrow. See the magic in everyday events, like knotting your neck tie, leashing your pet, or even fastening your seat belt. Feel the sacred union when you share any event with a loved one, whether sharing a hamper or sharing a bath. Feel the sudden release of stored up energy as you uncork that special old bottle of wine, or open that priceless photo album. See all cycles as magic; use the monthly rent payment as a blessing for the home.
Doing so is the difference between a culture which has never died -- and a culture which is truly brought to life!
Link (Anthony)
E-Mail: AnthLink@aol.com
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All One People
Standing in their Circle, a group of people reverently turn to face and address the four directions. They call to their Great Mother and Great Father, giving thanks for their many gifts. The Circle is blessed with sweet smoke from sacred herbs and becomes a place where dance and song flow forth. It becomes a place where words of power are spoken.
Where is this great Circle? Who are these special people? (Does it really matter?) The scene described above could take place in many cultures. It could have occurred in stone age times, or with the tribes of North America, or even today in our own living room.
Perhaps the similarities we find are because we are all One people. Like a forest with many different trees, we all sprang from the same soil. We all took root and grew on the same green Earth, sought light from the same Sun. While the shape or size or color of our "leaves and bark" may differ, we are all made of basically the same materials. And within our cultures are many great things in common.
A Native American woman once taught me that there is no single "Indian culture" per se. They are a widely diverse collection of many tribes, nations and peoples. This often complicates a wide range of political and social issues facing Native Americans. She explained that while many things will vary from Indian nation to nation, one common thread holds fast. From Canada to South America, most Native Americans share the belief in an Earth Mother and Sky Father. And with this common thread comes a reverence for nature and the desire to live in harmony with it.
While it is obvious that the Earth Mother and Sky Father are similar to the Pagan belief of a Goddess and God, perhaps we have even more similarities with the Native Americans. Both Pagans and Native Americans were persecuted, becoming scarce over time. Both are now reviving, becoming more and more a part of the 1990's. Pagans too are a diverse people, with many different Traditions. Perhaps if we look for the common threads throughout our own diverse community, we may just be surprised at what we find! Perhaps our common threads can help hold us together.
These common threads stretch farther than just Native Americans or Pagans. They weave in and out of a wide variety of people we meet every day. People who live and work and play and learn with each of us. When we become frustrated with our differences, perhaps we can search for and focus on that which we all share. While the specifics of our religions may differ, people who hold their faith very dear and make it a central part of their lives have much in common - whether devout Christian, Jew, Pagan or whatever.
Another common thread is that many faiths are divided into a variety of diverse sects. Since our history does not include a time where all people ever agreed on all things, perhaps we can see religion as a mosaic. (And which part of any mosaic is not part of the whole?) Or maybe religion is a gem with many facets. (Which facet does not help shape the entire stone?) Or maybe it is a warm bowl of soup, helping to thaw the many bleak, cold parts of our lives. (Which ingredient in any soup does not blend into its overall flavor? Which noodle is not linked together by the same hearty broth?)
So as we stand in our Circle, sing our songs, dance our dances, we should remember that our Circle is one of many sacred spaces. Our dance is but a single step in a larger rhythm. Our words of power form a language spoken by many in a great variety of ways. We are all one people.
Link (Anthony)
E-Mail: AnthLink@aol.com
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To Heal or Not to Heal?
When we help heal another, are we truly helping them? The question is hypothetical, and the answer will surely differ case by case, conscience by conscience. But this is an important question to ponder.
Magical healing usually involves sending energy to speed the recovery of an illness or injury. It can be a gesture of love and support. When we help heal someone, we help make their life a bit more comfortable. But are all the lessons of life comfortable? Many important growth steps involve some type of pain. The pain of childbirth brings new life; the pain of adolescence brings adulthood. Perhaps the pain of illness is a difficult part of the human experience, the lessons of the flesh that we are all born to learn. When we work magic to ease someone's pain, are we cheating them out of something they needed to learn?
There are no right or wrong answers here, but before we help heal someone we should consider what is best for the patient. (They usually know better than we do!) Did the patient ask for our help? What are their beliefs on the afterlife? Do they welcome death as a type of "graduation ceremony" or do they truly wish to live? While it may not always be possible to communicate with the patient, hopefully we know them well enough to understand their wishes. It may be wise to discuss these matters with loved ones beforehand. Many people have a Living Will; does the same concept apply to the use of magic?
While most Pagans speak of Karma and reincarnation, many of us were born into a society where death is feared, rather than accepted as a natural part of the cycle. The fear of death may be the root of our desire to prolong life for our loved ones. A healer should always examine their own motives for wanting to heal. Is it because we truly want to help, or is it because we are afraid of being alone?
The desire to heal someone may be a sign that all living things are linked together. All life has an instinct to survive and to grow, even under painful circumstances. This is equally true for human life as it is for the straggling weeds poking their way up through a tiny crack in the sidewalk. Everything wants to live! Nature gives all organisms the bodily systems to heal itself of many ailments. Antibodies come running to every cell in danger.
But no single organism is ever alone. What if we defined the "organism" as part of a larger collective -- a loving couple, or a family unit, or even all life as a whole? Healers become the antibodies of society. But our bodies sometimes do not heal; they seem to know when to keep trying and when to quit. They eventually let us go in peace. As healers, perhaps we can learn from this lesson as well.
Link (Anthony)
E-Mail: AnthLink@aol.com
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Doing It By The Book
(Or is it "BUY" the book?)
(Author's Note: Read this only if you consider laughter a sincere form of worship!)
I looked in the yellow pages for a Pagan public school. I didn't find any. Not one. But I did find a variety of metaphysical bookstores and magical supply shops. I went to a few of these stores. And there on the book shelf, I found all the secrets of the universe. Soft-cover, only $9.99.
So now I can do it by the book! I tried calling the four directions, but it took me so long to memorize the exact words verbatim. I tried purifying my sacred space, but I couldn't pronounce all those ceremonial words. (It was some kinda foreign language; it sounded like what my Uncle Irving and Aunt Sadie used to yell when the old station wagon wouldn't start.) I tried meditating too, but by the time I got comfortable enough, it was time to flip the cassette tape over. I'd like to just say a simple prayer to the Goddess, but I didn't get to that chapter in the book yet, so I guess I'll have to wait.
I went back to the store and the person there said that I wasn't using the right color candle. In fact, I needed not just one candle -- but 72 candles! (This is to balance the numerological energy between my magical name, the phase of the Moon, the exact weight in grams of my silver jewelry, as well as the last four digits on my Visa card.) And incense. I needed incense. And charcoal. "Don't forget to have extra charcoal," they all warned me.
So when I did my ritual, I lit all my 72 candles and filled my hibachi FULL of charcoal. 91 packages. (13 for each chakra.) And incense too. I lit the whole pack! Purple Moonbeam Aquarian Sage Ritual Incense. (This is just a code name. I can't find out the REAL ingredients until after a year and a day.) And oil. I poured in a whole bottle of Peace-Giving Psychic Wisdom Oil. (It's lower in cholesterol than even Canola Oil!)
Well, in a past life, I must've blown out a candle instead of snuffing it -- because the Fire Elementals got REAL mad. Whooof!!! Between all my candles and all the fumes from my charcoal and incense and oil and stuff, I barely had enough breath to dial 911. The
ambulance driver said I had smoke inhalation and was lucky to be alive. (Gee, my first healing spell!)
After all of this, I looked at things a bit differently. I used my books as ONE way to learn from the ideas of others. Many of the authors were very thought-provoking and understanding several different view points helped me form my own opinions. I decided that I could learn from the books AND still do what felt right, for me, and for the moment. While I am very lucky to have freedom of the press, I realized that the greatest book of all is NOT for sale. It is written deep within us all, by a very special Author, and every day we turn a new page. I also found that the Old ways would speak to me through Nature, the birds singing, or the thunderstorms, or even that big ol' tree behind the Post Office.
And now when I shop for the few things I use in rituals, I do it very carefully. I realized that SOME of the people selling me stuff, were just that -- people selling me stuff! But others were more sincere about their vocation. They seemed more like teachers and mentors, rather than Retail Clergy. After a while, it was easy to tell the difference.
I stopped worrying about saying all the RIGHT words to call the Elements or to purify the Circle, and just spoke from my heart instead. I also discovered that once I stopped trying to use the exact verbatim words, that I could actually THINK about what I was saying, and WHY it was being said. I like that much better!
I even tried new things, like facing the Lake out back, or the maybe the Ocean, instead of always facing West for Water. It just feels right, like politely facing somebody when you speak to them in person. I guess facing West made sense for folks back in England, but where I live Water is someplace else! And instead of burning a green candle for Earth, I used a little cup of soil from my garden. Any candle -- even a green one -- is still Fire. But there are lots of stuff that, to me, FEEL more like Earth.
And when I think about the Goddess, I just call Her "The Goddess." That's it. No elaborate names that I don't fully understand, no historical baggage from all the wars and stuff in the mythology books. Just "The Goddess." And when I think about the God, He's just "The God." I know They both love me, no matter what phase of the Moon, and even if I'm not dressed in black.
I'm not exactly sure how to do magic, but I did find that there are PLENTY of stuff I do every day, without all the hocus-pocus, that are very magical already. Today I sent my sick friend a Get Well card. (Gee, is that a healing spell too?) And last night, I said a simple thank you before eating dinner. And the night before that, when I took a hot shower, I visualized myself washing away all my tension and stress. Ahhh. Now THAT was magic!
Maybe someday, I'll even write these ideas in my own book. Soft-cover, only $9.99.
Link (Anthony)
E-Mail: AnthLink@aol.com
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The Old Ones Live in New Things Too
Imagine living in a time where all things were sacred, in a place where everything you touched was part of a Goddess or God. Since all things were divine, each had a patron Deity. From doorways to ovens, from the farm, to the hunt, to the birth of anything new -- all was special and blessed. While these ideas certainly lived in ancient times, they still live with us today. The Old Ones live in new things too.
New things, born of modern technology and shaped by human hands, are as much a gift as the timeless rivers and the endless seas. We often trivialize things made by humans and see them as less beautiful than other "natural" creations. But we too are part of nature, not something separate. It is our nature to make things, the way a forest makes trees and trees make leaves. Our colorful works of art, our music, our architecture, our discoveries in electronics, medicine and even a simple home-baked apple pie are all a part of nature.
If you can see the everyday things around you as divine, you just might see some Old Friends. Can you see the Goddess of the Hunt living today within your job search, or maybe within a simple trip to buy groceries? Can you see the Ibis-headed God of Writing living within your computer, or maybe within that special letter you pen for someone dear? Do Pan's pipes sing to you just as clearly through your favorite stereo? Can Mars do battle in the Cola Wars, or any other facet of a competitive business?
Who else can you see within the modern objects around you? Who glows within the fire in your electrical devices? What messenger travels through the copper communications link of your phone line? Who ebbs and flows within the watery tides of your household plumbing? Technology has filled our surroundings with aspects of the Old Ones we may never have noticed before. Things we create come from our own unique inspiration, our own insight into that special spark within. The gifts we find without, all stem from what we find within.
Seeing the divinity in all things is not easy at a time where "building too many things" has hurt our fragile eco-system. While we may enjoy the gifts of our technology, we are also challenged to use them wisely, enjoying them in moderation. Doing so will ensure that we continue to build new doorways and ovens for a long, long time to come.
Link (Anthony)
E-Mail: AnthLink@aol.com
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Crescent Moongoddess
93 5th Avenue
Hicksville, NY. 11801
Phone: (516) 827-4399
E-mail: cresmoon@crescentmoongoddess.com
Website: http://www.crescentmoongoddess

Last modified on Friday, July 18, 2008