General Chat

[Erik]

Sorry that I haven't been so active here lately. I had another martial arts instructor come down to train in my system for the weekend, been very busy. I've been very busy getting classes formed for self defense and for martial arts, now it's time for the advertising. Soon I'll be able to spend more time here and be more social.

[Nell]

No apologies needed, Erik - life tends to take over at times. Good luck with the project.

[Kirsten]

Since this is general chat, and I can't find the topic for questions again, I'll post my question here. This may be a silly question but I'll ask anyway. I've noticed a lot of the pagans I know,have met,or have talked to online have almost all been raised by someone in their family with similar beliefs and I'm not sure why but I feel like I don't belong because everyone in my family is Christian and has been Christian. I do have two great great grandmas who were Cherokee but ice ever met them of course and it would be hard for me to assume that they believed in one religion versus another. So my question is, as silly as it may be, can this gift that some people call magic be learned or does it have to be passed down? I feel so silly asking it especially since a dear friend tells me it's not necessarily magic (which I understand I just can't think of a better term) and it can be learned since she is in a similar situation. Sorry for the long ramblings!

[Jo]

There is no one pagan in my family but since 2012 for some reason I have had an overwhelming urge to ask questions about things that never occurred to me before. I've been to a few moots and consider myself pagan now but what kind of pagan I really don't know. I'm more drawn to nature recently and like the idea of the wheel if the year and festival celebrations (and history that they come from). I like the sound of the shamanic drum and have started trying to meditate recently. I don't feel alone though because the great thing about being pagan is that it's not exclusive and you can do what feels right to you without recrimination.

[Ancestral]

I was raised Catholic, and went to a Catholic school in a very Catholic family. Only my maternal grandparents were atheists. It wasn't until I emigrated to another country to seek my own path, and informed my family of my religious choice, did my maternal grandmother speak of her family and their attachment to what is referred to as the "Spiritualist" movement. It was also the start of conversations about the practices my grandmother had inherited, which, in folkloric convention, were gifted to her by being born with a caul. Over the last 14 years or so, my mother has also discussed things she can do, but I think being Catholic she has felt more than reticent about discussing these things before.

The upshot is that although both were happy to discuss their abilities in general, sometimes vague terms, they did not teach me anything. I read, attended workshops, and experimented myself. I would relish the upbringing some of the people I met had, being raised in a particular tradition with training, and guidance. When I started out, I knew nothing of my grandmother, or mother's abilities for years. I felt like an outsider. I lost my grandmother last year, and my mother is now seriously ill and her memory impaired, so I am, once again, without a familial connection.

I am carrying on: reading, learning, experimenting for myself. I have made connections with people with whom I can discuss my own work, and help guide me. Each of my friends follows a slightly different path, but are essential in helping me forge my own.

My advice to you, Kirsten, is don't be discouraged. If you want it bad enough, and work hard, you will get where you want to be. I think that adage "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear" is somewhat true. Just like you have done above, I raised questions in appropriate places and found people whose opinions I respected, and they've become my magico-polytheistic family. You can create your own, too.

I encourage you to keep asking questions, and seeking answers. All the best.

[Jo]

I don't know where to ask this question so ill ask it here... I noticed a tab on goodreads that said book swap? Does that exist and how can I list books ill swap and books?

[Ancestral]

I can't help with this, as I am in the UK, and so am excluded from the swap section on Goodreads. I use Bookmooch instead.

[Jo]

Oh I'm in the UK too. We are excluded? :-(

[Ancestral]

We were, but I see, from a quick search, it's now closed: "Swap Close Notice".

[Jo]

Oh ok. Thanks for your help. If I could just ask one more thing? Am I right in thinking that you have to donate 10 books on the other site you told me about... 10 books for 1 point?

[Ancestral]

The points system is explained on the site: Points.

[Jo]

You have been very helpful. Thank you. :-)

[Kirsten]

Thank you Jo and Ancestral for the words of encouragement! I am very glad I joined this group, I don't feel quite so alone anymore. I've been curious about paganism for a little less than a decade but I've been afraid to follow my heart.

[Aaron, Moderator]

Kirsten I just wanted to say that it's very encouraging to meet someone who doesn't have an obvious link in their past to their current beliefs. Personally I've always thought nature and nurture were not really enough options for me. It leaves out the options of mystic flow and personal choice which are also a part of it for me.

My Paternal Grandfather was a Mason, and an Anglican, although he kept a Hawthorn staff in his closet and wouldn't tell us what it was for.

Paternal Grandmother was a Unitarian, who switched to Anglican to please my Grandfather and then kept sneaking back to the United Church for the bridge games and knitting parties. She was my first meditation student.

My Maternal Grandfather was a Communist with mystic leanings.

The most important one of all I think in a pagan tradition is the Maternal Grandmother, and the Maternal aunts, not that it diminishes your ability if they're not powerful, it's just a trend I've noticed. My Grandmother didn't identify as anything except madly in love with my Grandfather, but she always asked us to send photos of the Hindu statuary in India, which she found inexplicably fascinating. When My Gran-dad died, she returned to the Church, I think mostly for comfort and to feel closer to him.

My maternal aunts are constantly having premonitions, and if you get them in a room together with more females of their blood, all you can hear is cackling.

I won't go through the whole tree, but the point is, none of my family directly identified as pagans, and I always felt weird, but there were tiny hints all along that they believed in something more than the tradition they were born with, which I discovered later to my delight.

[Noctowl]

Recently, my stuff has been breaking. Just today, I broke my umbrella,and the wire holding my charms broke. WHILE I WAS WEARING IT!!!!! So, I got pretty scratched up because I didn't realize it was broken.

Oh, and before the necklace broke, I felt a presence. I told it that it should talk to me in a dream if it needed to, which is what I tell every ghost (they hardly ever show...). However, I'm starting to think that I'm cursed. I have a bad feeling about my things breaking, and now, I'm worried for my computer. Please help me anyone, youre my last hope

[Sarah]

Noctowl wrote: "Recently, my stuff has been breaking. Just today, I broke my umbrella,and the wire holding my charms broke. WHILE I WAS WEARING IT!!!!! So, I got pretty scratched up because I didn't realize it was..."

Hi Noctowl,

You say we're your last hope. What else have you tried? It's very rare for a person actually to be cursed, and even when someone tries to curse somebody else, it rarely works. That said, if you're anxious about it, at the very least, you need to find a way to deal with the anxiety.

Two possible approaches come to mind. I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones I can suggest off the top of my head.

The first is to concentrate on blessing and protecting yourself, which is reasonable to do regardless of whether you're cursed. I'm guessing from your writing voice that you're not already very familiar with Paganism, so I'm going to point you to the beginner text that I read first. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess by Starhawk is a good introduction, with some practical applications.

The second is to ask yourself if you have wronged anyone. In my tradition, we talk about the Law of Threefold Return. The behavior you send out into to world will echo back to you. That's not the only reason that unfortunate or weird things can happen, but it's worth considering. Is there something you've done that you ought to put right? Regardless of whether you're cursed, or feel that you may be, it's worthwhile to check in with your conscience from time to time.

Best of luck!

[Kathleen]

Noctowl, you might want to get some sage, put it in a small bowl, light it, and carry it through every room in your home. The smoke cleanses discordant thoughts and emotions, which may be building a negative energy net around you. Sending blessings your way.

[Noctowl]

Thanks everyone.:-)

[Portia]

I go through phases when things break. Usually, it happens in threes like a lot of things do. I dropped a favorite plate a few weeks ago and then, when I was rinsing out the coffee carafe, I managed to ding it against the sink and the bottom shattered. A few days later, I tripped on a tear in the kitchen rug and fell, earning a couple of deep purple bruises.

For me, these are happenings that occur every once in a while. They usually come in threes and I hate when something special breaks. But it has happened often enough over my life that I just accept it, tho' I did joke with Little that The Good Neighbors were annoyed with me.

That said, I follow The Law of Three as Sarah does. Following The Law of Three helps me think before acting when my feelings get hurt.

[Aaron, Moderator]

My dad and I call that Bumpsy Dropsy. It's an invisible bunny rabbit who is very agitated, and bustles all around bumping into things and you, causing havoc, especially in the kitchen. He shows up at certain times, I think to get us to slow down a bit.

[Portia]

He is in my kitchen this afternoon. One side of the top rack of my dishwasher came off its rollers. I can get the whatsit through two of the thingys, but that third one won't go until hub comes home. How girly, "Honey, will you fix my dishwasher?" Pleeaaah.

Aaron, does he like imaginary carrots? I have plenty of those. :)

[Aaron, Moderator]

It's sounds funny but seriously it might be worth doing a ritual with carrots. I wouldn't be surprised if it worked.

[Sarah]

Puts me in mind of that old Jimmy Stewart movie, Harvey, in which the hero is the only person who can see a six-foot-tall rabbit spirit.

[Kathleen]

I can't wait to go find Donnie Darko. Never heard of it.

[Portia]

Harvey is a pwca (Welsh spelling). We had a cat we named Pwca

[Portia]

Good advice, Aaron, and timely with Spring cleaning. I think Someone may be telling me to shake out the Winter leftovers in my head.

[Aaron, Moderator]

It's one of my favourites Gina.

[Noctowl]

All right, it took some time, but I fiannally realized why all my stuff was breaking. It tur s out that an old friend of mine was trying to send me a message that I need to grow up. I'm actually happy that this message was sent. It means that something that I have been waiting for is coming soon. Thanks for all your help, everyone

[Sarah]

Best of luck, Noctowl. Growing up is work, no matter how early or late we do it, but even in postmodern American culture, growing up is possible and worth doing. Sometimes also fun.

[Kathleen]

Portia, I loved the reference to "shaking out the winter leftovers" in your head. Time to look to the light and warmth that pervades everything around us.

[Portia]

Thank you :-)

[Amy]

Hey guys!
Could someone please tell me a prayer for a loved one?
My friend told me I can make my own, but I thinnk I'm too new to it to really try something. And I'd like to say a prayer for my girlfriend

[Aaron, Moderator]

You're not too new Amy. Prayers in your own words are more powerful, because they carry the personal emotion you feel. The only advice I could give, which I think is consistent for prayers is to use positive wording. For instance when praying for someone who'd ill, you want to say something like, "let them be well" rather than "let them not be sick". Words like "not" and "don't" and "no" have no true power. Think of the situation you want to unfold, envision it, and then put it to words, include your personal feelings.

[Amy]

I was looking for a prayer to keep her safe and well. But thank you Aaron for the advice! I will work on it and see what I can do. Thank you :)

[Amy]

Okay I made it. Wrote one. Thank you aaron for the advice. Without knowing what how to phrase it and what words not to use it'd be difficult. Noe it was only poem writing :)

Oh great Goddess, Mother divine
Hear out my prayer for the one I love
Let her be well, let her be safe
Let her step out of harms way.

Oh great Goddess, Mother divine
Hear out my prayer for the one I love
Watch over her with your helpful eye
I beg You let her be fine.

Blessed be!

[Aaron, Moderator]

Wonderful Amy!

[Amy]

Hello :)
I'm making a board with Wonders of Mother Nature. True I just started. I know I need more animal of all kinds, minerals, plants and herbs. But I still would appreciate you thoughts. And maybe some recs on anything and every thing :)

Thank you

http://www.pinterest.com/flanamy27/wo...

[Amy]

Thank you. I want to find as many as I can from all around the world.

[Amy]

This is just terrible :(

[Aaron, Moderator]

What happened to freedom of religion? Isn't that supposed to be in the constitution somewhere?

[Amy]

I'm no american, but as far as I know it should. It's horrible, why do people discriminate so much against others?

[Aaron, Moderator]

Well yes, there is that too.

[Old-Barbarossa]

I think the freedom of religion is in practice limited to xtianity from the protestant current.

[Aaron, Moderator]

Is that how it's worded in the books?

[Old-Barbarossa]

No book...the written (US) constitution. Written by deists, atheists, protestants. Many early settlers were of dissenting political and religious persuasion. Their descendants and culture obviously impacted the document.
Their freedom of religion was in some ways an effort to redress the persecution which led their ancestors to leave Europe.
This cognitive dissonance which allowed the persecution of Jews and catholics while allowing "freedom of religion" is the same as that which said all men are equal and allowed slavery.

[Old-Barbarossa]

For the record I am not American... but I live in a republic and enjoy the writings of Thomas Paine.

[Amy]

Yes it been. But still. There are so many who still hold on to the old ways so rigidly. And I don't mean just that. Do you know how many people are against LGBT adoption, or just Transsexual people in general? And I think anyone who really looks sees that without love there cannot be a family.


I have another one. Some time back I watched a documentary with Morgan Freeman as a host. It was about scientific progress and religion. They said that more and more people turn to atheism and science, and that one day, thanks also to progress, humans will become non-believers. Wait, here it is....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zGbr...

They said that the more we will know the more we will turn to science and less and less to any kind of spirituality. It's very interesting. They asked many questions.

But the one they didn't ask and the one that came to me immediately was "What will we become?" I mean, the current world give many things. How many people dream say about space. How many people are who they are because of their faith. And also we need some mystery. So that's what I remembered.

[PJ Who Once Was Peejay]

Little wrote: "Puritan/Calvinist roots. Pretty rigid right from the start."

Very. Everything black and white, simplistic, which probably goes a long way towards explaining the schizoid nature of much of American religious and cultural thought. However, near the same time that the Puritan/Calvinists were landing at Plymouth, the Quakers were founding Germantown, PA—a much different crowd—and the running dog capitalists were founding Jamestown, VA.

I'm actually directly descended from some of William Penn's Quakers myself, and having such long American roots means that my ancestors have been involved in many of the strange Xtian sects that have swept across this country, including Mormonism and Southern Baptists and Presbyterians and you name it. I'm glad my direct ancestors were Xtian apostates because I grew up with the freedom to make up my own mind—and my mind said "No, thanks."

What really galls me are the current crop of American Xtians who try to paint themselves as "persecuted" because now, finally, people who don't think as they do are calling their bluff and pointing out their hysteria and hypocritical thinking. Xtians have been the dominant religion in this country since the first white invasion of Native land, have imposed themselves and their philosophies every chance they've gotten, but they yell loudly hoping to distract people from that unpleasant fact.

[PJ Who Once Was Peejay]

The Quakers are an interesting lot, and I've even got a tragic love story connected with them, resulting in apostasy. Snake handling is mostly Pentecostal (only some), but I believe they're an offshoot of Southern Baptist and I'd bet you dollars to donuts some of ma peoples got involved in that. I've got a lot of crazy Ozarkians rattling around the family tree. Our family motto should probably be, "If it's crazy, I'm in." ;-D

The Xtian imposition was especially brutal here in California, but it pretty much happened across the country as white folks pushed West. Invasions are brutal things, no matter what the agency of justification, I think.

[Noctowl]

Amy Victoria's girlfriend ❤ wrote: "This is just terrible :(

"

I'm so happy no one at my old school found out about the club I started with my friends. If they expelled a witch, who knows what they'd do to timetrvelers. Lol.

But really, what's wrong with people?