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Kindle Notes & Highlights
Pagan comes to us from the Latin paganus, referring to someone who lived in a village or rural area as opposed to a city (paganus is derived from the noun pagus, meaning village).
Pagans take note of their mistakes and faults, and they strive to do better, to be better. We acknowledge our mistakes, and we do what we can to rectify them.
proselytizing.
The term “Celtic” refers to European ethnic groups distinguished by similar languages. This includes people such as the Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Gauls.
secular
animistic
eclectic. This means that their practice, unique to them, is not part of a larger tradition. Instead, it has been formed from multiple Pagan traditions and religions.
Stregheria
Witchcraft is founded on animism—
Cities and rural areas alike hold lessons for us and opportunities to connect with the land and the Gods in different ways.
so an affinity for reading is essential to develop a strong foundation for their spiritual practice
A deity is a spiritual being, lacking physical form and comprised of energy alone, who is able to exert significant power within the physical world and the spirit world alike.
This removes the pressure of worrying about “doing it wrong,” as there are no mistakes you can make with the Gods if you approach Them with sincerity and respect.
Remember, the Gods are unique beings. They may choose to bestow blessings on you and aid you in your life, but they aren’t obligated to do so.
Don’t despair if there is no noticeable response to your efforts. The Gods don’t always respond, and when They do, it’s often subtle and easy to miss until you sharpen your intuition and spiritual skills.
Yet in the broad scope of the world’s history, monotheism is relatively new and unusual in that most of the world’s religions have been polytheistic or animistic.
However, no Pagan tradition possesses a sacred text or strict dogma detailing “proper” belief or practice.
deities within a polytheistic worldview frequently exhibit what we would consider to be human emotional qualities, yet this familiarity in behavior shouldn’t be taken as cause to underestimate the power They wield.
When you see the world as alive with spirits, it requires you to change your behavior and acknowledge the ways that your behavior hurts the other-than-human beings who share the land with you.
A popular misconception about Paganism is that it is “devil worship”—
Personal responsibility. Rather than a universal code of ethics, within Paganism, personal responsibility is stressed. This means you are not just accountable for the consequences of your actions, but you are responsible for your spiritual practice,
We don’t scorn the flesh in favor of the spirit but view both as essential and necessary, both as a blessing and imbued with the sacred.
As an independent, powerful, and sacred being in your own right, you make these decisions for yourself, creating a personal code of moral conduct while treating others with respect and affording them the same right to make decisions for themselves.
as it implies that as we hold ourselves accountable, so, too, will others be held accountable for their actions.
To try in the face of fear and the possibility of failure speaks to your character and strength.
Our spiritual journeys are long and winding paths—it is perfectly reasonable to question where you stand and where you’re going.
“the Wheel of the Year”
While many Pagans do raise their children within their religion, ultimately, we are each responsible for our religious choices and are free to determine our level of involvement—this includes children.
handfasting
Croning and Saging
Seeing these cycles play out in your life and the ways that you grow and change to meet them reminds you how much you are capable of achieving and helps you remain grateful and open-minded.
magick is an action. It is something we do, a particular way of moving through the world and interacting with it.
Magick is the use of spiritual forces to create change,
nebulous.
spiritual forces.
It can mean spiritual beings, such as the Gods and spirits, or it can mean impersonal spiritual energy that flows through and permeates the physical and spirit worlds alike.
the fact that: the energy we speak of in magick is not the same as the energy we speak of in science;
Inability to achieve exactly what we hoped to achieve has more to do with us and how we structured the magick than with magick itself.
It is important to note that spells are not the same as prayers, though it was once common to compare the two.
The difference comes down to basic mechanics. With a spell, the burden of success rests entirely on you: You must effectively engage your spirit body to take hold of energy and direct it toward your goal. A prayer, on the other hand, is an act of faith.
throwing the bones or reading clouds.
For example, there may be one altar for the Gods of that household, another for that individual’s or family’s ancestors, and another that is personal to the individual and where they work magick.
it is considered improper to combine an altar or shrine for your ancestors with one for the Gods or an altar at which you primarily work magick. This is because work with ancestors typically is expansive and intense, requiring its own focused magick as part of honoring those ancestors and resolving ancestral trauma.
their altars are often connected to the state of their spiritual health. When they keep their altars well-tended, it is easier to focus and stay motivated in their spiritual practice. When their altars are neglected, collecting dust and incense ash, they are more likely to feel spiritually lethargic and distracted.
classic five-elements
These elements are Earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.
We are each a compilation of the elements, made up of each of them in equal amounts.
Fire is also a protective element, as it can keep things at bay, and it can be used for healing in the sense of burning away disease and infection.
element of water is associated with movement, flexibility, dreams, emotions, the moon, and psychic abilities. Water teaches us to let go and move on.
Pentacle
