Laura Perry's Blog, page 23
November 6, 2014
Win a Book!
It's my birthday and I'm giving YOU a present!
Now through the end of November you can enter to win a copy of The Wiccan Wellness Book. All you have to do is share this blog post or the Facebook contest post on Facebook and be sure you have liked my Facebook page. I'll announce TWO winners on December 1. Good luck!
Now through the end of November you can enter to win a copy of The Wiccan Wellness Book. All you have to do is share this blog post or the Facebook contest post on Facebook and be sure you have liked my Facebook page. I'll announce TWO winners on December 1. Good luck!
October 29, 2014
Death Becomes Us
Today's post on the Minoan Path Blog focuses on a subject most modern people find a bit uncomfortable: death. The ancients had a slightly different experience of death than we do; they didn't have hospitals and funeral homes to keep the distance between the family and the dying. This life experience influenced their spirituality in ways that can help us learn to embrace death as part of the natural order.
A pillar crypt in the Minoan temple-palace at Knossos
Click the title to get to the blog post:
Death Becomes Us: The Minoan Path BlogTo join the discussion about modern Minoan spirituality, hop on over to Ariadne's Tribe on Facebook.
A pillar crypt in the Minoan temple-palace at KnossosClick the title to get to the blog post:
Death Becomes Us: The Minoan Path BlogTo join the discussion about modern Minoan spirituality, hop on over to Ariadne's Tribe on Facebook.
October 21, 2014
Time to Build an Altar
I recently posted an ancestral healing meditation that included the instruction to set up an ancestor altar. Since then I’ve received several questions about how, exactly, to do this. An altar can help you focus on the task at hand when you’re doing meditation, ritual or spellwork. It can remind you of the energies – deities, ancestors, spirit helpers – who are a part of your path. And it’s not at all difficult to set one up.
Essentially, an altar is a collection of items organized in such a way that they evoke the purpose of your spiritual or magical activities. You can set up an altar right before a ritual and take it down as soon as you’re done or you can arrange an altar that stays in place for an extended period of time.
My Ariadne altar; it lives on the end of my desk
Some traditions have a set of requirements or instructions for altar-building. For instance, some varieties of Wicca require you to place representations of the four classical elements in the appropriate directions on your altar. For other paths, you might need to place particular tools on the altar in specific spots or you might need to ‘feed’ some of the items or dress them with sacred oils. If you practice a tradition that has specific instructions for setting up an altar, then you need to follow those instructions. But if you’re not part of that sort of tradition, or if you’re just looking for inspiration, you can ‘free-form’ an altar for almost any purpose. Here’s how:
The first thing to do is decide whether the altar will be permanent or temporary. For a ritual in the woods or in someone’s living room, when all the accoutrements will be cleaned up afterward, you’ll be making a temporary altar. But if you’d like to set up an altar to your favorite deity or your ancestors and have it in your house as a constant reminder of your relationship with those energies, then a permanent altar is the better choice.
All you really need to start is a flat surface – a large stone for outdoor rituals, a tabletop or bookshelf indoors. We make the temporary altars for our seasonal rituals on a picnic table when we’re outdoors and on the coffee table in the living room if we’ll be inside. My Ariadne altar is a long-term installation; it fills up a portion of my desktop in my office. I also have several altars to deities and ancestors in various places around the house – on bookshelves, the fireplace mantel, a little shelf on the headboard of my bed. Most of them look like interesting collections of knick-knacks, so people who aren’t pagan wouldn’t necessarily recognize them as altars.
My Egyptian altar; it sits on a bookshelf in my living room.
Once you’ve chosen your surface, you can begin to collect up items to put on your altar. If you’d like to define the space with a cloth of some sort, now is the time for that. A piece of plain fabric, a scarf, a table runner – any of these will work as long as it fits the theme of your altar. Think about the colors that make sense in this regard: blue for a water god, red for the blood of the Ancestors, pink for healing. The color you choose should resonate with you.
Now what goes on top of the cloth? If this is an altar to a god or goddess, you might want to have some sort of representation of them. Some people like figurines and small statues, paintings or other images. Other folks like to focus on the symbols of the deity – Mjolnir for Thor, a labrys for Ariadne, a Brigit’s cross for (obviously) Brigit. Whatever you choose should evoke the central focus in your mind every time you look at it.
Now you can move on to the next selection of items. Are there other symbols or images you could add that will give you more layers of meaning? Stones, runes, wands and other ritual tools can add significance. If it’s an ancestor altar, old family photos or other mementos make a heartfelt addition. If this is a seasonal altar, natural objects such as leaves, flowers and rocks can add to the ambiance.
Speaking of ambiance, most of us like a nice candle or two to gently illuminate the altar. For rituals and spellwork, choose candles appropriate to your purpose. Match the color to the meaning, since the purpose of an altar is to evoke a response in the people looking at it, and pay attention to any scent as well, since that can either add to or detract from your purpose. My Ariadne altar has a candle scented with olive leaf and thyme; to me the aroma instantly evokes the Mediterranean, where my patron goddess hails from. You can add scent with incense and essential oils as well. In addition to anointing yourself and any other participants in the ritual or spellwork, you can anoint candles, statues and other items that will not be damaged by the oil. Wooden objects such as bowls and platters will absorb the oil and provide a gentle, long-lasting source of scent for your altar.
As you decide what to add or leave off of your altar, listen to your inner voice. This is the avenue through which the gods and the ancestors speak to us. Few among us will hear clear directions in actual words, but when you feel drawn toward one particular figurine or become uncomfortable with the addition of a particular stone to your altar, pay attention to those feelings. They matter.
When you’re finished, stand back and look at what you’ve created. Does it evoke your purpose? Does it make you think of the deity, the spell or the ritual you’ve made it for? If it does, then you have successfully created an effective altar.
Essentially, an altar is a collection of items organized in such a way that they evoke the purpose of your spiritual or magical activities. You can set up an altar right before a ritual and take it down as soon as you’re done or you can arrange an altar that stays in place for an extended period of time.
My Ariadne altar; it lives on the end of my deskSome traditions have a set of requirements or instructions for altar-building. For instance, some varieties of Wicca require you to place representations of the four classical elements in the appropriate directions on your altar. For other paths, you might need to place particular tools on the altar in specific spots or you might need to ‘feed’ some of the items or dress them with sacred oils. If you practice a tradition that has specific instructions for setting up an altar, then you need to follow those instructions. But if you’re not part of that sort of tradition, or if you’re just looking for inspiration, you can ‘free-form’ an altar for almost any purpose. Here’s how:
The first thing to do is decide whether the altar will be permanent or temporary. For a ritual in the woods or in someone’s living room, when all the accoutrements will be cleaned up afterward, you’ll be making a temporary altar. But if you’d like to set up an altar to your favorite deity or your ancestors and have it in your house as a constant reminder of your relationship with those energies, then a permanent altar is the better choice.
All you really need to start is a flat surface – a large stone for outdoor rituals, a tabletop or bookshelf indoors. We make the temporary altars for our seasonal rituals on a picnic table when we’re outdoors and on the coffee table in the living room if we’ll be inside. My Ariadne altar is a long-term installation; it fills up a portion of my desktop in my office. I also have several altars to deities and ancestors in various places around the house – on bookshelves, the fireplace mantel, a little shelf on the headboard of my bed. Most of them look like interesting collections of knick-knacks, so people who aren’t pagan wouldn’t necessarily recognize them as altars.
My Egyptian altar; it sits on a bookshelf in my living room.Once you’ve chosen your surface, you can begin to collect up items to put on your altar. If you’d like to define the space with a cloth of some sort, now is the time for that. A piece of plain fabric, a scarf, a table runner – any of these will work as long as it fits the theme of your altar. Think about the colors that make sense in this regard: blue for a water god, red for the blood of the Ancestors, pink for healing. The color you choose should resonate with you.
Now what goes on top of the cloth? If this is an altar to a god or goddess, you might want to have some sort of representation of them. Some people like figurines and small statues, paintings or other images. Other folks like to focus on the symbols of the deity – Mjolnir for Thor, a labrys for Ariadne, a Brigit’s cross for (obviously) Brigit. Whatever you choose should evoke the central focus in your mind every time you look at it.
Now you can move on to the next selection of items. Are there other symbols or images you could add that will give you more layers of meaning? Stones, runes, wands and other ritual tools can add significance. If it’s an ancestor altar, old family photos or other mementos make a heartfelt addition. If this is a seasonal altar, natural objects such as leaves, flowers and rocks can add to the ambiance.
Speaking of ambiance, most of us like a nice candle or two to gently illuminate the altar. For rituals and spellwork, choose candles appropriate to your purpose. Match the color to the meaning, since the purpose of an altar is to evoke a response in the people looking at it, and pay attention to any scent as well, since that can either add to or detract from your purpose. My Ariadne altar has a candle scented with olive leaf and thyme; to me the aroma instantly evokes the Mediterranean, where my patron goddess hails from. You can add scent with incense and essential oils as well. In addition to anointing yourself and any other participants in the ritual or spellwork, you can anoint candles, statues and other items that will not be damaged by the oil. Wooden objects such as bowls and platters will absorb the oil and provide a gentle, long-lasting source of scent for your altar.
As you decide what to add or leave off of your altar, listen to your inner voice. This is the avenue through which the gods and the ancestors speak to us. Few among us will hear clear directions in actual words, but when you feel drawn toward one particular figurine or become uncomfortable with the addition of a particular stone to your altar, pay attention to those feelings. They matter.
When you’re finished, stand back and look at what you’ve created. Does it evoke your purpose? Does it make you think of the deity, the spell or the ritual you’ve made it for? If it does, then you have successfully created an effective altar.
October 16, 2014
Ancestors and Bees
This week on the Minoan Path blog I'm abuzz with information about how the Minoans revered their ancestors. From the beehive-shaped tholos tombs on the open plains to the pillar crypts beneath the great temples in the towns of ancient Crete, the people took the time to honor those from whom they descended. In the hopes that you will take some time to do the same, I also revisit the ancestral healing ritual I posted here last week - just in case you missed it the first time around. So click the headline below and feel the embrace of the ancestors on whose shoulders we stand.
'Tis the Season: The AncestorsAs always, if you'd like to find out more about modern Minoan Paganism, please join the conversation over at Ariadne's Tribe.
October 8, 2014
Rite of Ancestral Healing
Samhain approaches; ‘tis the season of the Ancestors. On my Facebook page I recently posted an article that focused on the concepts of ancestral debt and credit – in other words, the ways in which our ancestors’ life experiences shape the family line down through time. I’m not talking about DNA here, though the emerging science of epigenetics may one day be able to explain the nuts-and-bolts of this kind of ‘bequest.’ I’m talking about the Spirit of Family, of your ancestors and your family line, extending deep into the past and, I hope, long into the future.
The article talks about how our ancestors’ lack – poverty, war, depression – might be one source of the mindless drive toward consumerism in our current culture. All those empty spaces our however-many-great-grandparents had to live with – are we trying to fill them up with video games and smartphones? My Facebook post prompted one reader to ask a favor. The article mentions the concept of ancestral healing as a way to close the gap, fill the void, and regain the spiritual depth that a relationship with the Ancestors can bring. The reader asked me to create a ritual for just such healing and share it. That is the purpose of today’s blog.
Let’s start with some basics about ancestral spirit work. First of all, you don’t need to have your family tree drawn out all the way back to the Middle Ages. In fact, you don’t have to know your genealogy at all. Your ancestors are in your blood, your bones. Your DNA sings their song. And if you’re adopted, you can also call to the ancestors of your adoptive family – they are truly yours, too.
In the modern world we are not taught how to connect with the Ancestors. Sure, we have family reunions and we might look at old photos, but for most of us, sitting around a fire while a bard or shaman calls up the ancestral spirits is not a familiar activity. It’s this lack of connection with the Ancestors that keeps us from knowing what’s going on inside us; we need that bond in order to heal the family spirit and ourselves as well.
So we’ll begin with this simple act: connecting with the Ancestors. Then we’ll help them find healing while we also discover ways to fill up those empty spaces in our modern lives.
Make some time and space for this activity. You can do it alone or with others, but be sure you won’t be interrupted. Turn off phones, shut off TVs and computers, turn down the lights, have other adults attend any children who won’t be participating (yes, kids can get in touch with the Ancestors just as well as adults can).
Prepare a sacred space using your favorite method. Cast a circle if you desire, but at least smudge or salt the area and consecrate it to the activity at hand. You can do this ritual entirely in your head, as a meditation, but it’s nice to have something physical to anchor your thoughts, so I recommend setting up a small Ancestor altar.
If you have old family photos, display them along with any mementos that help you feel connected to your forebears. I recommend that you only display photos of deceased family members; mixing pictures of the living among the dead can confuse the Ancestors and suggest to them that you would like those particular living family members to join them. No, I don’t think terrible things will necessarily happen if you include a photo of a still-living relative, but I like to err on the side of caution. Please take the Ancestors seriously; they are very real.
Once you have any photos and/or mementos gathered, light a candle or two. My ancestors enjoy food, drink and flowers, so I make small offerings to them before I begin this sort of working. If there are particular foods or drinks that evoke ‘family’ to you, include them. A token amount – just a taste – on a small plate is sufficient. (As an aside, it’s a lovely gesture at special times such as Thanksgiving, Yule, and celebrations like birthdays and weddings to set up an ancestor altar, if you don’t already have one going, and include the Ancestors in your celebratory meal.)
Now sit comfortably and focus on your altar, or on mental images of relatives if you haven’t set up an altar. (But really, set up an altar!) Allow yourself to feel the connections between and among the people. Yes, there are lines like on a family tree, but at an even deeper level there is a spirit that envelops the entire family, binding them all into one enormous entity going far back in time. You might experience this spirit as a kind of fog or miasma, or as incredibly fine cobweb, or some other subtle substance that wraps the whole family into a single entity.
While still focusing on this enveloping spirit, allow your eyes to close and allow yourself to recognize that this ancestral spirit enfolds you as well. Relax into it; it is as much a part of you as the cells of your body. Feel the Spirit of the Ancestors wrap around you like a great cosmic hug. Remember, you are the result of the love of thousands. Feel that love. Open your heart to it and revel in the connection; you are never alone.
Sit with this for a few minutes, allowing yourself to become familiar with the Spirit of the Ancestors.
Now introduce yourself to the Ancestors. Yes, they already know who you are, but announcing yourself is polite, just as if you were stepping through the front door of your grandmother’s house and calling out to let her know who’s there. Tell the Ancestors your name and why you are connecting with them today: to acknowledge their hardships, their wounds, and to help them heal. Allow your mind to open and pay attention to what they have to share with you.
Depending on your particular sensory style you may experience mental images, or feelings, or sounds…even scents and tastes. Don’t try to identify everything right away, but just let it flow. The Ancestors have been largely ignored for a long time; they appreciate our attention and our willingness to communicate.
Once the ‘talk’ from the Ancestors slows down a bit, focus your mind on the concept of healing and ask the Ancestors what you can do to help them heal. Each family is different and each set of Ancestors has unique needs. Whatever comes to you, don’t try to analyze or judge it. Simply accept it as is.
For some, the simple acknowledgment of the difficulties our ancestors have been through is enough to initiate healing. Others may request acts we find odd or silly – taking six raspberries to a particular place and setting them on the ground in a certain spot was my first assignment from the Ancestors. We can’t truly understand what deep underlying effects simple physical actions may have. Trust your instincts and don’t allow yourself to be embarrassed. Often, healing comes about in unusual ways. But obviously, use your common sense and don't do anything dangerous, even if you think the request is coming from the Ancestors.
Once you feel you have received all the communication the Ancestors have for you at this time, you may politely bid them goodbye. But I need to issue a warning here: You haven’t just done a ritual; you’ve begun a relationship. Don’t revert back to the typical modern stance of ignoring the Ancestors. That’s the equivalent of spending an evening with someone and then never speaking to them again. Go ahead and plan, right now, for the next time you’ll connect with the Ancestors again. Set those family photos and mementos somewhere they can become a permanent altar.
Once you have completed the ritual, take a few minutes to sit quietly and notice any differences in the way you feel. Upon connecting with the Ancestors for the first time, many people feel as if they have filled up an empty space they didn’t even know existed before. It is in our nature to be connected with the Ancestors, to have a relationship with them, to live in their midst. When a society forgets this, we all suffer on many levels. Give thanks for the Ancestors and look forward to the next time you meet with them, and you will find healing you might not have expected.
The article talks about how our ancestors’ lack – poverty, war, depression – might be one source of the mindless drive toward consumerism in our current culture. All those empty spaces our however-many-great-grandparents had to live with – are we trying to fill them up with video games and smartphones? My Facebook post prompted one reader to ask a favor. The article mentions the concept of ancestral healing as a way to close the gap, fill the void, and regain the spiritual depth that a relationship with the Ancestors can bring. The reader asked me to create a ritual for just such healing and share it. That is the purpose of today’s blog.
Let’s start with some basics about ancestral spirit work. First of all, you don’t need to have your family tree drawn out all the way back to the Middle Ages. In fact, you don’t have to know your genealogy at all. Your ancestors are in your blood, your bones. Your DNA sings their song. And if you’re adopted, you can also call to the ancestors of your adoptive family – they are truly yours, too.
In the modern world we are not taught how to connect with the Ancestors. Sure, we have family reunions and we might look at old photos, but for most of us, sitting around a fire while a bard or shaman calls up the ancestral spirits is not a familiar activity. It’s this lack of connection with the Ancestors that keeps us from knowing what’s going on inside us; we need that bond in order to heal the family spirit and ourselves as well.
So we’ll begin with this simple act: connecting with the Ancestors. Then we’ll help them find healing while we also discover ways to fill up those empty spaces in our modern lives.
Make some time and space for this activity. You can do it alone or with others, but be sure you won’t be interrupted. Turn off phones, shut off TVs and computers, turn down the lights, have other adults attend any children who won’t be participating (yes, kids can get in touch with the Ancestors just as well as adults can).
Prepare a sacred space using your favorite method. Cast a circle if you desire, but at least smudge or salt the area and consecrate it to the activity at hand. You can do this ritual entirely in your head, as a meditation, but it’s nice to have something physical to anchor your thoughts, so I recommend setting up a small Ancestor altar.
If you have old family photos, display them along with any mementos that help you feel connected to your forebears. I recommend that you only display photos of deceased family members; mixing pictures of the living among the dead can confuse the Ancestors and suggest to them that you would like those particular living family members to join them. No, I don’t think terrible things will necessarily happen if you include a photo of a still-living relative, but I like to err on the side of caution. Please take the Ancestors seriously; they are very real.
Once you have any photos and/or mementos gathered, light a candle or two. My ancestors enjoy food, drink and flowers, so I make small offerings to them before I begin this sort of working. If there are particular foods or drinks that evoke ‘family’ to you, include them. A token amount – just a taste – on a small plate is sufficient. (As an aside, it’s a lovely gesture at special times such as Thanksgiving, Yule, and celebrations like birthdays and weddings to set up an ancestor altar, if you don’t already have one going, and include the Ancestors in your celebratory meal.)
Now sit comfortably and focus on your altar, or on mental images of relatives if you haven’t set up an altar. (But really, set up an altar!) Allow yourself to feel the connections between and among the people. Yes, there are lines like on a family tree, but at an even deeper level there is a spirit that envelops the entire family, binding them all into one enormous entity going far back in time. You might experience this spirit as a kind of fog or miasma, or as incredibly fine cobweb, or some other subtle substance that wraps the whole family into a single entity.
While still focusing on this enveloping spirit, allow your eyes to close and allow yourself to recognize that this ancestral spirit enfolds you as well. Relax into it; it is as much a part of you as the cells of your body. Feel the Spirit of the Ancestors wrap around you like a great cosmic hug. Remember, you are the result of the love of thousands. Feel that love. Open your heart to it and revel in the connection; you are never alone.
Sit with this for a few minutes, allowing yourself to become familiar with the Spirit of the Ancestors.
Now introduce yourself to the Ancestors. Yes, they already know who you are, but announcing yourself is polite, just as if you were stepping through the front door of your grandmother’s house and calling out to let her know who’s there. Tell the Ancestors your name and why you are connecting with them today: to acknowledge their hardships, their wounds, and to help them heal. Allow your mind to open and pay attention to what they have to share with you.
Depending on your particular sensory style you may experience mental images, or feelings, or sounds…even scents and tastes. Don’t try to identify everything right away, but just let it flow. The Ancestors have been largely ignored for a long time; they appreciate our attention and our willingness to communicate.
Once the ‘talk’ from the Ancestors slows down a bit, focus your mind on the concept of healing and ask the Ancestors what you can do to help them heal. Each family is different and each set of Ancestors has unique needs. Whatever comes to you, don’t try to analyze or judge it. Simply accept it as is.
For some, the simple acknowledgment of the difficulties our ancestors have been through is enough to initiate healing. Others may request acts we find odd or silly – taking six raspberries to a particular place and setting them on the ground in a certain spot was my first assignment from the Ancestors. We can’t truly understand what deep underlying effects simple physical actions may have. Trust your instincts and don’t allow yourself to be embarrassed. Often, healing comes about in unusual ways. But obviously, use your common sense and don't do anything dangerous, even if you think the request is coming from the Ancestors.
Once you feel you have received all the communication the Ancestors have for you at this time, you may politely bid them goodbye. But I need to issue a warning here: You haven’t just done a ritual; you’ve begun a relationship. Don’t revert back to the typical modern stance of ignoring the Ancestors. That’s the equivalent of spending an evening with someone and then never speaking to them again. Go ahead and plan, right now, for the next time you’ll connect with the Ancestors again. Set those family photos and mementos somewhere they can become a permanent altar.
Once you have completed the ritual, take a few minutes to sit quietly and notice any differences in the way you feel. Upon connecting with the Ancestors for the first time, many people feel as if they have filled up an empty space they didn’t even know existed before. It is in our nature to be connected with the Ancestors, to have a relationship with them, to live in their midst. When a society forgets this, we all suffer on many levels. Give thanks for the Ancestors and look forward to the next time you meet with them, and you will find healing you might not have expected.
October 1, 2014
Possession in the Pillar Crypt
Today's Minoan Path blog post is a little different from the ones I've done before. This time, I'm sharing a very personal vision I had in meditation, in which I experienced a few moments in the life of a Minoan priestess in the town of Malia on ancient Crete. Please click on the title below to get to the article.
Possession in the Pillar CryptI'd like to dedicate today's blog post to the folks at Ariadne's Tribe - we're a young community, working together to create a practical Minoan spirituality for the modern world. Please join us!
September 24, 2014
The Crane Dance: Walking the Worlds
Walking the Labyrinth can be a moving experience, but what if the Labyrinth itself was a dance? Today's blog post over at The Minoan Path is about the mysterious Crane Dance, the ritual performed by Theseus in gratitude for surviving his encounter with the Minotaur...or is it something more? Click the title below to get to the post.
The Crane Dance: Walking the WorldsIf you're interested in the ancient Minoans, how they lived and worshiped and how we might bring their spirituality alive in the modern world, please join us at Ariadne's Tribe.
September 17, 2014
How to Love Your Neighbor
I’ve recently been thinking about compassion. All the great spiritual traditions of the world speak of having compassion for others – all others, no exceptions. Jesus told us to love our enemies. Buddha reminded us to have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike. Rabbi Hillel counseled us to refrain from doing to anyone else those things we find hateful ourselves. You get the picture.
In my meditations on compassion, and in my effort to actively include it in my daily life, I’ve hit upon the usual stumbling block: How am I supposed to have compassion for those people who can honestly be described as Bad Guys? You know the ones I mean – the people who not only put themselves over everyone else, but actively do harm either to get what they want or just for jollies.
It’s the old paradox of being tolerant of everything except intolerance, right?
So I started trying to figure out why the heck anyone would purposely do the kinds of things I define as evil. I completely understand the reflexive lashing out we do when we are hurting (the wounded animal effect). That’s not what I’m talking about here. I mean people who think about doing something, know it will do harm, understand that all the great world traditions say it’s wrong, and either don’t care or are actually pleased at the thought.
I finally came to a conclusion that startled me, but I think I may be on to something. Please bear with me as I do my best to explain.
First of all, I firmly believe that we’re all part of a grand whole, connected together with everything and everyone into a great All-That-Is. You might call that all-encompassing thing God, or True Nature, or Quantum Foam. No religion necessary here, but many spiritual traditions do speak of this quality of the cosmos.
In other words, separation is an illusion. You are my other self, as the Maya say. (That’s the Maya people of Central America, not the Hindu term Maya which refers to the illusion of separation I’m talking about here. Confused yet?)
I think some property, some effect of living in a physical body makes us tend to forget the connection, the All-That-Is-ness of things. We believe the physical separation we experience with the body’s senses is the ultimate reality of space/time.
But somewhere in the far back recesses of the psyche, we vaguely recall that in spite of appearances, we are still part of the greater whole. And every now and then, that knowledge erupts, overwhelms us with a feeling of oneness with the cosmos. It happens when we look up into a starry night sky, or hold a newborn baby, or stand alone in a forest full of birdsong. Then we remember who we really are, that we are coterminous with the infinite cosmos.
I think, though, that some of us never make that connection, never recognize that memory. How horrible to feel forever separate and alone in a universe that dwarfs the human body on a scale that’s hard to comprehend. How could anyone cope with such a situation?
By making themselves feel bigger, that’s how. Stepping on everyone around them. Manipulating their way to power, on a small or large scale depending on ability and drive. Doing harm on purpose to reinforce the feeling of control over something, anything.
OK, now I get it. And suddenly I feel great compassion for those people, in spite of all the horrible things they’ve done.
Because I, too, have had moments of loneliness, of separation from everything and everyone, moments of feeling so dreadfully alone that I would have done almost anything to rid myself of the feeling.
But for me, and probably for you as well, those times were just shorts moments we could recover from as soon as we saw a friendly face, heard lovely music, accepted a hug.
I can’t begin to imagine a whole life lived in that kind of darkness. I can understand how it would drive a person to hurt others in an attempt to assuage their own pain. Of course, I know better than to invite damaging, dangerous people into my life, and I’ve gone to great lengths to remove friends and family members who fell into this category. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about them.
If I’m right, I doubt any of those people even have an inkling why they do such horrible things. But I can have compassion for them. I can hope with all my heart that they find what they need to heal, because they are part of the cosmos just as surely as I am.
In my meditations on compassion, and in my effort to actively include it in my daily life, I’ve hit upon the usual stumbling block: How am I supposed to have compassion for those people who can honestly be described as Bad Guys? You know the ones I mean – the people who not only put themselves over everyone else, but actively do harm either to get what they want or just for jollies.
It’s the old paradox of being tolerant of everything except intolerance, right?
So I started trying to figure out why the heck anyone would purposely do the kinds of things I define as evil. I completely understand the reflexive lashing out we do when we are hurting (the wounded animal effect). That’s not what I’m talking about here. I mean people who think about doing something, know it will do harm, understand that all the great world traditions say it’s wrong, and either don’t care or are actually pleased at the thought.
I finally came to a conclusion that startled me, but I think I may be on to something. Please bear with me as I do my best to explain.
First of all, I firmly believe that we’re all part of a grand whole, connected together with everything and everyone into a great All-That-Is. You might call that all-encompassing thing God, or True Nature, or Quantum Foam. No religion necessary here, but many spiritual traditions do speak of this quality of the cosmos.
In other words, separation is an illusion. You are my other self, as the Maya say. (That’s the Maya people of Central America, not the Hindu term Maya which refers to the illusion of separation I’m talking about here. Confused yet?)
I think some property, some effect of living in a physical body makes us tend to forget the connection, the All-That-Is-ness of things. We believe the physical separation we experience with the body’s senses is the ultimate reality of space/time.
But somewhere in the far back recesses of the psyche, we vaguely recall that in spite of appearances, we are still part of the greater whole. And every now and then, that knowledge erupts, overwhelms us with a feeling of oneness with the cosmos. It happens when we look up into a starry night sky, or hold a newborn baby, or stand alone in a forest full of birdsong. Then we remember who we really are, that we are coterminous with the infinite cosmos.
I think, though, that some of us never make that connection, never recognize that memory. How horrible to feel forever separate and alone in a universe that dwarfs the human body on a scale that’s hard to comprehend. How could anyone cope with such a situation?
By making themselves feel bigger, that’s how. Stepping on everyone around them. Manipulating their way to power, on a small or large scale depending on ability and drive. Doing harm on purpose to reinforce the feeling of control over something, anything.
OK, now I get it. And suddenly I feel great compassion for those people, in spite of all the horrible things they’ve done.
Because I, too, have had moments of loneliness, of separation from everything and everyone, moments of feeling so dreadfully alone that I would have done almost anything to rid myself of the feeling.
But for me, and probably for you as well, those times were just shorts moments we could recover from as soon as we saw a friendly face, heard lovely music, accepted a hug.
I can’t begin to imagine a whole life lived in that kind of darkness. I can understand how it would drive a person to hurt others in an attempt to assuage their own pain. Of course, I know better than to invite damaging, dangerous people into my life, and I’ve gone to great lengths to remove friends and family members who fell into this category. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about them.
If I’m right, I doubt any of those people even have an inkling why they do such horrible things. But I can have compassion for them. I can hope with all my heart that they find what they need to heal, because they are part of the cosmos just as surely as I am.
September 10, 2014
Baking from Scratch, Minoan Style
Today's blog post on The Minoan Path blog over at PaganSquare is about the collective project we're working on in Ariadne's Tribe, building a liturgy for modern Minoan Paganism. It's quite a challenge, but with the goddesses and gods of ancient Crete to whisper us along our way, we're taking it one step at a time. Click the title below to get to the post.
Baking from Scratch, Minoan Style
Please feel free to join us at Ariadne's Tribe, either to add your own voice to the conversation or simply to cheer us along. We'd love to meet you!
September 3, 2014
Paganism on the airwaves and Interwebz
Looking for some great interviews, discussions, or music with a Pagan slant? Look no further than the radio shows and podcasts that come out of the Pagan community every day. I've listed some of my favorites. What are yours? Please comment with any great Pagan podcasts or radio shows I've missed.
ATC Pagan Information Network
Podcast show with interviews, information about festivals and gatherings, roundtable discussions of Pagan topics and more. Run by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church.
Discovering the Male Mysteries with Mel Mystery
“This podcast is for and about gay and bi pagan men. My podcasts are about what it is to be gay, what it is to be pagan, what it is to be men.”
Down at the Crossroads: Music, Magick, Paganism
Interviews and discussions with writers, musicians, teachers, artists. Lots of music and edgy conversation.
Good Morning Goddess
“Begin each week motivated, inspired and affirmed in your spiritual journey with uplifting advice and inspiration to guide you on your spiritual journey. Hosted by author Krystal Madison, The Witch of Sleepy Hollow and founder of The Pagan Circle and Pagan Parents Online.”
Inciting a Riot: Lighting a Fire Under Comfortable Thinking
Interviews and discussions about a wide variety of Pagan and Wiccan subjects, with a view to finding deeper meaning and exploring heavier concepts than are usually addressed on podcasts.
Pagan Musings Podcast Channel
Weekly shows with a wide variety of content and a large following. Includes news, interviews, music and more.
Pagan Perspectives
Interviews, news and opinions about contemporary Pagan issues. Includes information about a wide variety of groups, traditions and practices.
Pagans Tonight Radio Network
Long-running daily Pagan radio show including interviews, instructional activities, music, trivia, and even shows in Spanish.
Prairie Land Pagan Radio
Hosted by Lynn (SilverWolf) Williams from the Pagan Mystical Paths Center located in Coralville, IA. A source of news, information, music, special events, and happenings that involve anyone who follows an earth-centered spiritual path. Find all the archived shows under “More” then “Interview Archives” on the menu at the top of every page.
Scroll of Thoth
Hosted by James L. Wilber and Colleen Kelly. “About Magick and Change – Epizeteo Eschaton.” Interviews with a wide variety of leaders, writers, and practitioners from the Pagan and occult community.
The Secrets in Plain Sight
Weekly podcast on a wide variety of Pagan-oriented subjects, from seasonal celebrations to ethics to practical applications of belief.
ATC Pagan Information Network
Podcast show with interviews, information about festivals and gatherings, roundtable discussions of Pagan topics and more. Run by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church.
Discovering the Male Mysteries with Mel Mystery
“This podcast is for and about gay and bi pagan men. My podcasts are about what it is to be gay, what it is to be pagan, what it is to be men.”
Down at the Crossroads: Music, Magick, Paganism
Interviews and discussions with writers, musicians, teachers, artists. Lots of music and edgy conversation.
Good Morning Goddess
“Begin each week motivated, inspired and affirmed in your spiritual journey with uplifting advice and inspiration to guide you on your spiritual journey. Hosted by author Krystal Madison, The Witch of Sleepy Hollow and founder of The Pagan Circle and Pagan Parents Online.”
Inciting a Riot: Lighting a Fire Under Comfortable Thinking
Interviews and discussions about a wide variety of Pagan and Wiccan subjects, with a view to finding deeper meaning and exploring heavier concepts than are usually addressed on podcasts.
Pagan Musings Podcast Channel
Weekly shows with a wide variety of content and a large following. Includes news, interviews, music and more.
Pagan Perspectives
Interviews, news and opinions about contemporary Pagan issues. Includes information about a wide variety of groups, traditions and practices.
Pagans Tonight Radio Network
Long-running daily Pagan radio show including interviews, instructional activities, music, trivia, and even shows in Spanish.
Prairie Land Pagan Radio
Hosted by Lynn (SilverWolf) Williams from the Pagan Mystical Paths Center located in Coralville, IA. A source of news, information, music, special events, and happenings that involve anyone who follows an earth-centered spiritual path. Find all the archived shows under “More” then “Interview Archives” on the menu at the top of every page.
Scroll of Thoth
Hosted by James L. Wilber and Colleen Kelly. “About Magick and Change – Epizeteo Eschaton.” Interviews with a wide variety of leaders, writers, and practitioners from the Pagan and occult community.
The Secrets in Plain Sight
Weekly podcast on a wide variety of Pagan-oriented subjects, from seasonal celebrations to ethics to practical applications of belief.
