Secular New Year

Many Pagans start their new year at Shadowfest (Oct 31). And to be fair "The Manuals" indicate that the ritual year starts at Shadowfest.

But I've always felt that there were Ritual Seasons which fade out of and into each other. There are no hard and fast rules for when each "ritual season" starts. The environment, which is primarily influenced by the weather but which can be affected by other things as well, influences the edges of these seasons.
The "Growth & Harvest Season" typically includes Summerfest and Cornucopia.
The "Introspective Season" typically includes the Autumn Equinnox and Shadowfest
The "Rebirth Season" typically includes the Winter Solstice and Lupercus.
The "Renewal Season" typically includes the Spring Equinox and Lady Day.

The whole cycle of rituals is designed to work together, to create a web of life, inner and outer life. We have been culturalized to a Cartesian Separatist approach to life. We break things down into their component parts. We categorize things, ideas, experiences, responsibilities. I am wife, mother, breadwinner, supervisor, strega, neighborhood activist... But in reality these are all connected. Experiences and influences of one area or idea affect the others, affect the whole. The rituals both Solar and the monthly Full Moon rituals are designed to ensure that we experience this fullness, this integrated cycle, the web of life.

During Cornucopia we are to review what is good and worthwhile and what can be eliminated. During the Autumn Equinox we are to look at what is passing or has past and work the hidden, introspective aspects of our lives, at Winter Solstice we experience the potential for rebirth in the darkness, at Lupercus we attempt to connect to the past and to what is wild and natural in all of us, at Spring Equinox appreciate tender new growth.

The secular new year starts at the calendar change in January. Considering that this month is named for Janus, a god who looks both forward and backward, it seems that the secular new year works perfectly to bridge the fruits of the Introspective Season to those of the Renewal Season during the Season of Rebirth. So take the time The New Year,the secular world gives you and do as Janus encourages us and look back and forward at the same time and weave your own web of life.

1st Pagan Invocation at governmental function

Many legislators open their meetings by what is supposed to be a secular prayer. Most of these are done by Christian ministers though on occasion another religious leader may be allowed, usually with some controversy. One by a Pagan minister only happened the first time October this year at the Wisconsin State Assembly. This event comes only after decades of dedicated and public service as a pagan. See details in a interview that Selena Fox gave to Christopher Blackwell for his Yule 2009 edition.

Below is a copy of the opening Remarks & Prayer written & delivered by Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister, Circle Sanctuary for Wisconsin State Assembly Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at Assembly Chamber, Wisconsin State Capitol Madison, Wisconsin

"Greetings from the colorful forests and fields of Brigham Township, near Barneveld, in Iowa County in Southwestern Wisconsin.

In this Autumn season, let us appreciate Nature’s beauty in the many colors and patterns on the land throughout our whole great state of Wisconsin.

And, let us also recognize and appreciate the beauty and richness of the diversity of all of us gathered here today in this Assembly Chamber.

We are from many places, many backgrounds, many walks of life, many viewpoints: yet we converge here to serve, and also today, to remember those who have given their life in service of our great nation.

Let us now reflect a few moments on being part of a collaborative and creative community of service, helping the people of Wisconsin and the greater Circle of Nature of which we are all part. (short pause)

And now, in the next few moments of quiet, each in our own way, let us connect with Creative Source, according to the religion, spirituality, and/or philosophy that informs our lives. (longer pause)

O Creative Source, Within and Beyond, You who are known by No Name and by Many Names, including: Higher Power, Great Spirit, Divine Mother, Divine Father, Still Small Voice Within, God, Goddess, Truth, Eternal Light, Reason, Love, and by many other names, across religious traditions, spiritualities, and philosophies.

Watch over and bless this Assembly, its members and its staff -- and all those who are here today.

Bless All with Wisdom, Understanding, Creativity, Love, and Compassion,
in Considerations, Deliberations, Communications, and Decision-making.

Bless All, so that that there is a spirit of cooperation and success in finding effective solutions to the challenges before us,

And so that we can work together for more liberty and justice -- and environmental well-being for all.

So Be It, So Mote It Be.

Amen, A’ho, Ashe, Namaste.

Let It Be So."

Thank you Selena. Thank you Christopher.

To view Selena delivering the invocation Click here,
then go to Wisconsin State Assembly Floor Session (Part 1) for 10.27.09. The first ten minutes of the proceedings is the roll call. That is followed by an introduction of Selena (starting at time stamp 10:10 or 12:11 PM) and then her invocation (starting at timestamp 11:22 or 12:12 PM).

"It is all connected" - Tribes buy back land

Indian tribes buy back thousands of acres of land
By TIMBERLY ROSS - Associated Press Writer
Published: 12/27/09

OMAHA, Neb. — Native American tribes tired of waiting for the U.S. government to honor centuries-old treaties are buying back land where their ancestors lived and putting it in federal trust.

Native Americans say the purchases will help protect their culture and way of life by preserving burial grounds and areas where sacred rituals are held. They also provide land for farming, timber and other efforts to make the tribes self-sustaining.

Tribes put more than 840,000 acres - or roughly the equivalent of the state of Rhode Island - into trust from 1998 to 2007, according to information The Associated Press obtained from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Freedom of Information Act.

Those buying back land include the Winnebago, who have put more than 700 acres in eastern Nebraska in federal trust in the past five years, and the Pawnee, who have 1,600 acres of trust land in Oklahoma. Land held in federal trust is exempt from local and state laws and taxes, but subject to most federal laws.

Three tribes have bought land around Bear Butte in South Dakota's Black Hills to keep it from developers eager to cater to the bikers who roar into Sturgis every year for a raucous road rally. About 17 tribes from the Dakotas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and Oklahoma still use the mountain for religious ceremonies.

Emily White Hat, a member of South Dakota's Rosebud Sioux, said the struggle to protect the land is about "preservation of our culture, our way of life and our traditions."

"All of it is connected," White Hat said. "With your land, you have that relationship to the culture."

Other members of the Rosebud Sioux, such as president Rodney Bordeaux, believe the tribes shouldn't have to buy the land back because it was illegally taken. But they also recognize that without such purchases, the land won't be protected.

No one knows how much land the federal government promised Native American tribes in treaties dating to the late 1700s, said Gary Garrison, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. The government changed the terms of the treaties over the centuries to make property available to settlers and give rights-of-way to railroads and telegraph companies.

President Barack Obama's administration has proposed spending $2 billion to buy back and consolidate tribal land broken up in previous generations. The program would pay individual members for land interests divided among their relatives and return the land to tribal control. But it would not buy land from people outside the tribes.

Today, 562 federally recognized tribes have more than 55 million acres held in trust, according to the bureau. Several states and local governments are fighting efforts to add to that number, saying the federal government doesn't have the authority to take land - and tax revenue - from states.

In New York, for example, the state and two counties filed a federal lawsuit in 2008 to block the U.S. Department of Interior from putting about 13,000 acres into trust for the Oneida Tribe. In September, a judge threw out their claims.

Putting land in trust creates a burden for local governments because they must still provide services such as sewer and water even though they can't collect taxes on the property, said Elaine Willman, a member of the Citizens Equal Rights Alliance and administrator for Hobart, a suburb of Green Bay, Wis. Hobart relies mostly on property taxes to pay for police, water and other services, but the village of about 5,900 lost about a third of its land to a trust set up for the state's Oneida Tribe, Willman said.

So far, Hobart has been able to control spending and avoid cuts in services or raising taxes, Willman said. Village leaders hope taxes on a planned 603-acre commercial development will eventually help make up for the lost money.

The nonprofit White Earth Land Recovery Project has bought back or been gifted hundreds of acres in northwestern Minnesota since it was created in the late 1980s. The White Earth tribe uses the land to harvest rice, farm and produce maple syrup. Members have hope of one day being self-sustaining again.

Winona LaDuke, who started the White Earth project, said buying property is expensive, but it's the quickest and easiest way for tribes to regain control of their land.

Tribal membership has been growing thanks to higher birth rates, longer life spans and more relaxed qualifications for membership, and that has created a greater need for land for housing, community services and economic development.

"If the tribes were to pursue return of the land in the courts it would be years before any action could result in more tribal land ... and the people simply cannot wait," said Cris Stainbrook, of the Little Canada, Minn.-based Indian Land Tenure Foundation.

Thirty to 40 tribes are making enough money from casinos to buy back land, but they also have to put money into social programs, education and health care for their members, said Robert J. Miller, a professor at the Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore., who specializes in tribal issues.

"Tribes just have so many things on their plate," he said.

Some tribes, such as the Pawnee, have benefited from gifts of land. Gaylord and Judy Mickelsen donated a storefront in Dannebrog, Neb., that had been in Judy Mickelsen's family for a century. The couple was retiring to Mesquite, Nev., in 2007, and Judy Mickelsen wanted to see the building preserved even though the town had seen better days.

The tribe has since set up a shop selling members' artwork in the building on Main Street.

"We were hoping the Pawnee could get a toehold here and get a new venture for the village of Dannebrog," Gaylord Mickelsen said.

The pantheistic gospel of Avatar

Heaven and Nature
By ROSS DOUTHAT Published: December 20, 2009
(Published in TP 12.27.2009)

It’s fitting that James Cameron’s “Avatar” arrived in theaters at Christmastime. Like the holiday season itself, the science fiction epic is a crass embodiment of capitalistic excess wrapped around a deeply felt religious message. It’s at once the blockbuster to end all blockbusters, and the Gospel According to James.

But not the Christian Gospel. Instead, “Avatar” is Cameron’s long apologia for pantheism — a faith that equates God with Nature, and calls humanity into religious communion with the natural world.

In Cameron’s sci-fi universe, this communion is embodied by the blue-skinned, enviably slender Na’Vi, an alien race whose idyllic existence on the planet Pandora is threatened by rapacious human invaders. The Na’Vi are saved by the movie’s hero, a turncoat Marine, but they’re also saved by their faith in Eywa, the “All Mother,” described variously as a network of energy and the sum total of every living thing.

If this narrative arc sounds familiar, that’s because pantheism has been Hollywood’s religion of choice for a generation now. It’s the truth that Kevin Costner discovered when he went dancing with wolves. It’s the metaphysic woven through Disney cartoons like “The Lion King” and “Pocahontas.” And it’s the dogma of George Lucas’s Jedi, whose mystical Force “surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.”

Hollywood keeps returning to these themes because millions of Americans respond favorably to them. From Deepak Chopra to Eckhart Tolle, the “religion and inspiration” section in your local bookstore is crowded with titles pushing a pantheistic message. A recent Pew Forum report on how Americans mix and match theology found that many self-professed Christians hold beliefs about the “spiritual energy” of trees and mountains that would fit right in among the indigo-tinted Na’Vi.

As usual, Alexis de Tocqueville saw it coming. The American belief in the essential unity of all mankind, Tocqueville wrote in the 1830s, leads us to collapse distinctions at every level of creation. “Not content with the discovery that there is nothing in the world but a creation and a Creator,” he suggested, democratic man “seeks to expand and simplify his conception by including God and the universe in one great whole.”

Today there are other forces that expand pantheism’s American appeal. We pine for what we’ve left behind, and divinizing the natural world is an obvious way to express unease about our hyper-technological society. The threat of global warming, meanwhile, has lent the cult of Nature qualities that every successful religion needs — a crusading spirit, a rigorous set of ‘thou shalt nots,” and a piping-hot apocalypse.

At the same time, pantheism opens a path to numinous experience for people uncomfortable with the literal-mindedness of the monotheistic religions — with their miracle-working deities and holy books, their virgin births and resurrected bodies. As the Polish philosopher Leszek Kolakowski noted, attributing divinity to the natural world helps “bring God closer to human experience,” while “depriving him of recognizable personal traits.” For anyone who pines for transcendence but recoils at the idea of a demanding Almighty who interferes in human affairs, this is an ideal combination.

Indeed, it represents a form of religion that even atheists can support. Richard Dawkins has called pantheism “a sexed-up atheism.” (He means that as a compliment.) Sam Harris concluded his polemic “The End of Faith” by rhapsodizing about the mystical experiences available from immersion in “the roiling mystery of the world.” Citing Albert Einstein’s expression of religious awe at the “beauty and sublimity” of the universe, Dawkins allows, “In this sense I too am religious.”

The question is whether Nature actually deserves a religious response. Traditional theism has to wrestle with the problem of evil: if God is good, why does he allow suffering and death? But Nature is suffering and death. Its harmonies require violence. Its “circle of life” is really a cycle of mortality. And the human societies that hew closest to the natural order aren’t the shining Edens of James Cameron’s fond imaginings. They’re places where existence tends to be nasty, brutish and short.

Religion exists, in part, precisely because humans aren’t at home amid these cruel rhythms. We stand half inside the natural world and half outside it. We’re beasts with self-consciousness, predators with ethics, mortal creatures who yearn for immortality.

This is an agonized position, and if there’s no escape upward — or no God to take on flesh and come among us, as the Christmas story has it — a deeply tragic one.

Pantheism offers a different sort of solution: a downward exit, an abandonment of our tragic self-consciousness, a re-merger with the natural world our ancestors half-escaped millennia ago.

But except as dust and ashes, Nature cannot take us back.

Solstice Wreath & Offerings

The Fire Pit was full of water because it's been raining, a lot. This December is the wettest December on record, ever. We cut the branches off of the bottom of our "Noble Fir". When I saw the water in the pit, I put the branches into the Fire Pit to stop them from drying out. When the rain stopped and we were finally able to see the sun again I spread them out in a circle creating a large wreath. A candle in the center will be a great way to mark the Solstice outside.



Very early New Orleanians typically used Citus Trees instead of firs & pines as their Christmas Trees. The citrus trees bear golden hued fruit at this time of year and are perfect for the Solstice celebration. My kumquat tree never fails to ripen by the Winter Solstice. The Sweet Gum a block away drops its balls. They look remind me of sputnik and also of the Sun and its solar flares. I spray painted them gold and added to the Solstice Offering.

Plants Know

Plants know naturally the science of seasons
By Dan Gill

In just a few days, on Dec. 21, the 2009 winter solstice will occur.

Here in the Northern hemisphere, we are tilted farthest away from the sun on that day. That means the period between sunrise and sunset is shorter than on any other day of the year, making the night the longest of the year.

The length of our days and nights vary from season to season because the Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted in respect to its plane of orbit around the sun.

The winter solstice marks a turning point: While days have been getting shorter and shorter and the nights longer and longer since the summer solstice in June, after Monday, the days will gradually begin to lengthen and the nights shorten. From ancient times until today, humans around the world have marked this time of year with various celebrations, festivals and religious rituals.

Plant sense
What does this have to do with a column on plants?

Well, I could mention that for thousands of years certain plants have played a role in human observances of the winter solstice.

In Europe, plants that stay green during the winter often had special significance. They were a reminder of life in the midst of freezing cold and leafless, dormant trees and shrubs. Evergreen plants such as holly, English ivy, mistletoe, and conifers such as fir, spruce, cedar and pine, are still used today to decorate our homes, along with winter-flowering plants such as poinsettias.

Speaking of poinsettias, have you ever wondered why these colorful plants bloom now, rather than for the Fourth of July?

Here’s where the horticultural lesson about the winter solstice comes in. It is important for gardeners to understand that the changing length of days and nights from season to season has an effect on the way many plants grow and what they do throughout the year.

Just like us, plants living in temperate climates where major temperature changes occur during the year need to be able to tell when the seasons are changing.

Two ways that plants do this are by measuring hours of darkness that occur in a 24-hour period, and by measuring how much cold they have experienced.

Counting the hours
The fact that seasonal changes in light during a 24-hour period have an effect on plants was researched thoroughly back in the 1900s, and the term photoperiodism was created to describe the phenomenon.

In 1920, two employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered a mutation in a type of tobacco called Maryland Mammoth that prevented the plant from flowering in the summer as normal tobacco plants do. Maryland Mammoth would not bloom until late December.

Experimenting with artificial lighting in winter and artificial darkening in the summer, they found that Maryland Mammoth was affected by the relative length of light to darkness in a day. Because it would flower only when exposed to the short-day lengths that naturally occur in winter, they called it a short-day plant.

Once this behavior was discovered, it was found to take place in many kinds of plants, such as chrysanthemum, poinsettia, Christmas cactus, camellia and kalanchoe.

Other plants, such as spinach and radish, flower only after exposure to long days and short nights, and so are called long-day plants. Still others, including many annuals and vegetables (such as the tomato), are day-neutral; their flowering is not regulated by photoperiod.

As it turns out, the terms short-day and long-day are not quite accurate. It is not how long or short the period of light is, but the length of the darkness. Photoperiodic plants actually need a sufficiently short or long period of darkness to develop a response. However, once people start using a term and get familiar with it, it’s hard to get them to change, so we still use the terms short-day and long-day plant.

Ready for a change
Plants don’t only determine when to bloom by measuring the length of night. Increasing darkness also plays a large role in some plants’ ability to anticipate the coming of the winter and respond.

It’s why, for instance, shade trees drop their leaves in November and early December, even if the weather is not intensely cold. Because the nights have been getting longer, they know colder weather is on the way.

What mediates this remarkable response are various pigments, called phytochromes, which allow photoperiodic plants to measure how many hours of dark they receive in a 24-hour period. The phytochrome, in turn, can trigger the release of various hormones or growth factors that may cause the plant to bloom or to drop its leaves or to begin forming a bulb.

How do plants know when spring is arriving, so as not to be deceived by an early warm spell?

Some photoperiodic plants can perceive the shortening of nights to know spring has sprung. Many others are able to measure the amount of cold that has occurred to determine when winter is over. When a sufficient number of chilling hours accumulate, they are triggered to bloom or send out new growth.

As the winter solstice approaches, it’s interesting to note how remarkable plants are. They have abilities to sense the world around them and to respond to it.

It might not have occurred to you that it is just as important for a plant to know when it is time to bloom or drop its leaves, as it is for a farmer to know when its time to plant a crop.

And just as we have used Earth’s movement around the sun to develop calendars that allow us to do this, many plants can also determine the time of year based on similar perceptions

Living with the Land

I'm a New Orleanian. A relatively recent one as my maternal German family only arrived here in New Orleans from German around the 1850s. My father's family was 1700's from Spain and Scotch-Irish from before the American Revolution. But my mother drug him to New Orleans.

You may have heard about a little event and its aftermath called Katrina. Katrina was a terrible storm. But I was here and we survived only to have the man made levees and drainage canals and shipping canals built and maintained by the Corps of Engineers fail and flood our home. We floated bicycles and ourselves out on air mattresses and then rode to dry land were we were, after a day on the side of the Interstate and under the guns (literally) of what passed for law and order, rescued by family.

This makes what is said about this place and why we should or shouldn't live here something I can at least have an opinion about.

Today the Huffington Post published an article highlighting just how unnatural the aftermath of Katrina was for us.

The real problem with the Corps of Engineers is that they are run by as an arm of the miltary and they are (primarily) engineers. I have nothing against engineers as people or as a profession. But engineers who work rearranging and controlling the natural landscape need to work closely with other scientists who specialize in understanding how the natural landscape works. Geologists and Coastal Scientists have been saying FOR DECADES that the Corps approach was onesided and not working with Nature. Katrina showed the flaws in their mechanism. We need to learn from this and begin to undo what the Corps has done.

For too long the people of South Lousisana have assumed that those making the decisions were making good decisions. We know better now. We watch many things more closely. We're learning. New Orleans PostKatrina was the canary in the coal mine for our future. We've had our "awakening". I think there are many things that we have done technologically across the globe that will have to be rethought and undone. I'm sure there are examples in your backyard. Pay attention. It's not all about CO2 levels. There's lots more. The Web of Life is rich and complex.

Winter Dress

Information below taken directly from International House in New Orleans

For generations New Orleanians have upheld the tradition of altering their homes for summer and winter in response to climactic conditions. Homes are often outfitted with formal wool rugs and furnishings in the winter which add warmth to tall, drafty rooms. As winter gives way to summer, wool gives way to sisal rugs and cotton slip covers, which allow furnishings to breath during the months of heat and humidity found in this semi-tropical climate International House continues this temporal tradition by dressing the hotel for summer each Easter and for winter each Labor Day.

From Labor Day through Easter, or the "not so hot" months in New Orleans, International House dresses the lobby for fall and winter. Exuding almost living room warmth, set in an exalting space with 23" ceilings and enlivened with activity from the candlelight only bar, intimate groupings of lobby furniture have been tailored in the most sensuous fabrics. Colors are derived from those found in New Orleans' native spices and in her verdant, semi tropical landscape. Fern greens and a gallery of earth tones, for instance, compliment a subtle reaux-like cayenne, and formal wool rugs coupled with flora, such as Vetiver and palms, complete the sartorial composition for the cooler season.

Equally important is staff dress, for in New Orleans people not only dress their homes but themselves in response to climate. In contrast to the cream colored seersucker suits worn in summer, staff members dress in a classic, tropical weight, black suit from Banana Republic and an earth tone shirt, reflective of the more autumnal palette during the winter months. As such, with seasonal change International House celebrates the rich traditions and mores of this temporal city.

Moonlight Sonata

Just listen

I think this could be perfect music for a mediation during a Vegilone.

Reverence for preserving the purity of the land

NYC Protestant Church Apologizes To Native Americans For How They Were Treated 400 Years Ago

NEW YORK (AP) - Members of one of America's oldest Protestant churches officially apologized Friday - for the first time - for massacring and displacing Native Americans 400 years ago.

"We consumed your resources, dehumanized your people and disregarded your culture, along with your dreams, hopes and great love for this land," the Rev. Robert Chase told descendants from both sides. "With pain, we the Collegiate Church, remember our part in these events."

The minister spoke on Native American Heritage Day at a reconciliation ceremony of the Lenape tribe with the Collegiate Church, started in 1628 in then-New Amsterdam as the Reformed Dutch Church.

The rite was held in front of the Museum of the American Indian in lower Manhattan, where Dutch colonizers had built their fort near an Indian trail now called Broadway, just steps away from Wall Street.

The Collegiate Church was considered the "conscience" of the new colony, whose merchants quickly developed commerce with the world in fur and grains - till then the turf of the natives.

Surrounded by Lenape Indians, the Dutch colonists "were hacking men, women and children to death," said Ronald Holloway, the chairman of the Sand Hill band of Lenapes, who lived here before Henry Hudson landed 400 years ago.

The Indians dispersed across the country, eventually ending up on government-formed reservations. On Friday, some came from as far away as Oklahoma.

During the ceremony, Chase embraced Holloway and, as symbolic gestures of healing, the two sides exchanged wampum - strings of beads used by North American Indians as money or ornament. A boy representing the Lenapes and a girl from the Collegiate Church put necklaces on each other.

While Friday's ceremony exuded warmth and openness, accompanied by an Indian drumming circle and the haunting sound of a wooden flute, the feelings leading up to the reconciliation were mixed.

"After 400 years, when someone says 'I'm sorry,' you say, 'Really?' " Holloway said before the ritual. "There was some kind of uneasiness. But then you've got to accept someone's sincere apology; they said, 'We did it.' We ran you off, we killed you.' "

In New York City, the Collegiate churches are composed of four congregations including the landmark Marble Collegiate Church on Fifth Avenue led by the late Rev. Norman Vincent Peale.

The church plans to sponsor educational activities and exhibits to teach children history - including the Indian reverence for preserving the purity of the land taken over by the Dutch colonists.

Thanksgiving Prayer

I give thanks
for this sink of dirty dishes;
we have plenty of food to eat.

I give thanks for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry;
we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

I would like to give thanks
for those unmade beds;
they were so warm and comfortable last night.
I know that many have no bed.

I give thanks,
for this bathroom,
complete with all the splattered mirrors,
soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory;
they are so convenient.

I give thanks
for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs cleaning.
It has served us faithfully for many years.
It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.

I give thanks,
for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today;
It has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful
for all of the outdoors we are able to enjoy.
Children are healthy and able to run and play.

The presence of all these chores awaiting me
says "My family has been richly blessed."
I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,
I give thanks, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible,
I give thanks that I can see.
Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
I am grateful that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic,
when socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so loud,
I give thanks for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines
and the menu is at times not balanced,
I give thanks for the table and the food on it and the people around it.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
I am grateful for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day
and wish my circumstances were not so modest,
I give thanks for life.

Written by "anonymous". Modified from original post on another blog.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Magick

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

There is a force which dwells in all things, which is called the Numen. The power of an object is the power of its Numen. This essence has, of its own accord, a definite consciousness. If you are in harmony with the Ways, then you may call upon any Numen which you desire, and it will assist you. This is but one aspect of Magickal rapport.

Know that all things of the same nature (or essence) are as links in a chain. Through one you may influence the other. By this law do we make use of clay puppets. Yet even the mind is linked by thoughts and has power to reach out on its own.

The substance of Magick is best controlled and directed through the use of ritual. Ritual attracts power and through repetition it is accumulated.

Certain channels of power are formed through ritual, which becomes a link to a desired response or contact. Thus do we make use of the secret signs, symbols and gestures (which are empowered). Repetition is necessary as well as consistency.

As Strega, we draw power down from the Moon and also do we draw power from Nature. The God and Goddess oversee our works, as do the Grigori. When our Magick does not produce the desired effects, it is because a greater power resists its power. This is often a sign that the nature of the Magick was improper. Yet it can be that another Strega works against you. If this becomes the matter, then seek this person out and resolve your differences.

Understand that you must always work in harmony with the phases of the Moon, under the blessings of the God and Goddess and in accordance with the laws and ways.

The Moon symbolizes the hidden things revealed in darkness. The night is the side of life which is unknown. The light of the Moon is subtle and active on hidden levels. So too is our Magick.

The powers which are obtained through the knowledge of the Old Ways are neither good nor evil,it is only the way in which you use them that is good or evil.

The mind is most receptive to the influence of power when the person is intoxicated or asleep (within two hours of awakening). This is true also of trance, which is induced through chant and dance.

The mind which dreams (the subconscious) is directly linked to the Moon Worlds (the Astral Realms) just as the mind which knows the daylight (the conscious mind) is directly linked to the Physical World. It is through the dream mind that the Moon Worlds are contacted. It is through the Moon Worlds that Magickal influences and Magickal forms, are created. These in turn, influence the Physical World.

It is the purpose of symbols to speak to the dream mind, and plant the Magickal seeds which will manifest. It is the purpose of rituals(and spells) to establish the patterns of power. These patterns are established to either draw upon power or to raise power (or both).

Magickal and ritual correspondences are incorporated to take advantage of the Numen qualities in objects, times of power, links to Deities, and states of consciousness (awareness).

The art of Magick is a blending of inner or personal power with that of the natural powers and divine powers.

Magic & Menses & the Moon

Taken from LaVecchia
"I don't know about other traditions of stregheria, but in the Arician tradition, we're taught that a woman, while menstruating, draws magical energy into herself and then sheds it with her menses. So, it depends on the type of magic being done as to whether she should attempt certain workings or be around others while they do one. Sorta like the certain phases of the Moon can aid or hinder your workings, depending on what they are.

For instance, if she is working a healing magic, she could draw out any "negativity" and then shed or ground it, utilizing the natural process her body is experiencing then. But if she were trying to establish or build up something, that energy would be drawn into her and then grounded. For example, during ritual work, if a woman in the boschetto is menstruating, she waits outside the circle while it is being magically established, so she doesn't draw that energy into herself. Once the circle is cast, she then enters the circle to celebrate the ritual.

So, no, there is nothing "bad" about doing magic whilst menstruating. Some types of workings would be enhanced while others would be hindered or completely negated. You just have to learn how to work with the process."


And followup from Raven:
"According to the Teachings, the blood flow during the time of the "period" absorbs energy and carries it with the blood. On a metaphysical level, menstrual blood is a form of waning energy, as it is derived from the breaking down of material within the female's body. However, it also contains the essence of fertility transformed into the promise of renewal. So, while it would be a good time to do healing work for others (since the blood will absorb energy from the other person and ground it) it would not be a good time to raise energy intended to send to another (unless the blood itself came along with it, attached to a charged object or something of this nature).

We have noted that casting the ritual circle is sluggish if women are bleeding within the circle. We have also noted that the presence of women on their period tends to drain off energy that we are trying to pass to another during a ritual. Again, this is because the women is absorbing or grounding the energy into herself.

However, there are many "positive" uses for menstrual blood in magick. If you have a copy of my book The Wiccan Mysteries, there are some examples on pages 226-228. In this section I talk about blessing the crops with menstrual blood, anointing the dead, and so forth. This addresses the "captured" fertile essence of the blood that flowed from the womb, connecting it with the renewal of transformation."

The moon's phases are typically divided in Stregheria into Dark, Waxing, Full, Waning. Streghe also say the Moon is Dark (no moon showing) for 3 days and Full for 3 days. The Full Moon is of couse when we do lunar ritual, the Veglione. The Waxing Moon is when energies build, the Waning Moon is when energies ebb. Dark is the time of enchantment and possibilities.

Many people assume that there is an "optimal" menstrual cycle for pagans. A menstrual cycle during a Full Moon can feel wrong. But there is no wrong. When you cycle, you cycle. The feeling of "wrongness" comes from the fact that Full Moon the energies associated with a menstruating woman can feel like they are in opposition. A cycle at the Dark Moon is a bit more easy to take. It is a time of mystery and possibility and power. A women bleeding for days and not dying is one of the original human mysteries. A menstrual cycle in the waning phase of the moon will also feel more aligned with the moon's energies.

My menstrual cycle is naturally longer than the 29 day lunar cycle. This means that my natural cycle will shift over the course of the year and occur in anyone of the eternally shifting moon phases. This perhaps is why no matter what magic I feel the need to work, I can always find a way to work *with* whatever the moon's energies are at the time. The only time I tend to avoid working magic are those times when the Moon is "void of course".

There are some that say that standing in the moonlight will adjust a woman's cycle. But no amount of standing in the moonlight has changed this for me. Nor have I seen my cycle change as a result of being around other women. But this may be related to the fact that I have typically worked and lived with other men more than women. And then there is the ability to control our cycles with birth control pills. What I have done is time my birth control pills such that I now have a cycle in the waning of the moon and am completely finished with my cycle by the time the moon is dark. But should I stop taking the birth control pill my cycle will naturally shift into a longer period, closer to 32 days. Then Over time my cycle will again slowly shift so that it swings in and out of phase with the Moon. And I just have to learn how to work with the process.

Some initiate females who have to work solitary have choosen to celebrate on the 3rd day of the Full Moon if they are mensuating at this time. They feel that it better aligns their physical energies with the Moon's (waning) energies.

For the God - inspired by Shadowfest 1999

Words of Aradia: Concerning the Astral Plane

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

The Astral World, through the Plane of Forces, receives the thoughts and vibrations of actions from the Physical World. Just as solid materials are used to create objects in our world Thoughts and vibrations create etheric object on the Astral Plane.

Therefore, what people strongly believe in enough can be created astrally. This is one method by which ritual Magick is performed. Energy is first raised with a specific purpose in mind, then it it given up to the Plane of Forces, where it it drawn and channeled to the Astral Work, and so obtains a thought form.

The true purpose of the Astral Plan is to prepare us for future lives and existences by burning out (purifying) or exhausting, all of our fears, desires and false concepts. These bind us to the lower worlds. So it is our afterlife experiences in the lower astral world which transforms us.

The Astral World is under the Divine Law of Cause and Effect, action and reaction. It is the essence of the Three-fold Law.

The Astral Planes contain all the heavens and hells which followers of all religions believe in. They will experience what they believe awaits them.

On the Astral Plane, thoughts are things. As you believe so shall it be.

Making the coast a priority

Making the Louisiana coast a priority: an editorial
By Editorial page staff, The Times-Picayune
October 25, 2009, 6:00AM


Nancy Sutley, the White House's point person on the environment, got an airboat-level view of Louisiana's eroding coastal marshes Tuesday. In a photo from Big Branch Refuge near Lacombe, the boat appears to be in open water, but there is a small strip of green marsh grass in the distance.

Louisianians who have fished and worked the coast for decades can point to broad expanses of water and describe the stands of trees and fields of grass that once grew there.

Byron Encalade, a fisher from East Pointe-a-la-Hache, talked recently about the dramatic loss of land. "I used to travel at night on my boat from St. Bernard all the way across the Mississippi line with only a compass, because we had landmarks we could navigate by," said Mr. Encalade, who fishes for oyster and shrimp. "You can't do that anymore. All the small islands, all the passes, they've all washed away."

Mr. Encalade said he wished that President Barack Obama would tour the marshes by boat during his stop in New Orleans a week and a half ago. That didn't happen, but Ms. Sutley and Jane Lubchenco, the undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, should take what they saw on their boat ride back to the White House.

Even before the airboat excursion, Ms. Sutley said she understood the urgent need for coastal restoration. Viewing the erosion first-hand surely reinforced that message.

Rusty Costanza / The Times-PicayuneWhite House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley speaks with Col. Al Lee, District Commander for the New Orleans District for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, during a visit to the Bayou Bienvenue Coastal Restoration Site in New Orleans' lower Ninth Ward on Thursday, October 15.The boat tour came a day after she, Ms. Lubchenco and several other Obama administration officials listened to three hours of testimony in New Orleans on developing an oceans policy. Most of the comments concerned Louisiana's coastal land loss. That is no doubt partly a reflection of where the meeting was held.

But it also is an indication of the importance of the issue to a broad range of people.

"The nation cannot continue to watch Louisiana disappear," said Robert Twilley, associate vice chancellor for research at Louisiana State University and a professor of oceanography and coastal sciences.

"We have watched as our coast has disappeared," said Tracy Kuhns, who runs the coastal advocacy group Louisiana Bayoukeeper. "It's not just wetlands, it's not just a swamp out here. People live there. When we lose all that we lose our culture and our livelihoods."

That is crucial for the White House to understand. Ours is a working coastline, not a vacation-land dotted with high-priced condos. And the work that is done along our shores is vital to the U.S. economy. Ms. Sutley and Ms. Lubchenco no doubt saw fishing boats and oil and gas pipelines on their marsh trip last week. Our fisheries supply 40 percent of the seafood consumed nationally, and 34 percent of the country's natural gas supply and 29 percent of the crude oil comes through coastal Louisiana.
If nothing else, the federal government ought to help rebuild our coast out of a recognition of its immense economic value. In addition, restoring the state's protective marshland will help protect the government's investment in the region's recovery.

President Obama should remember, too, that South Louisiana has paid a price for oil and gas exploration. A federal Minerals Management Service study released recently found that oil and gas production has taken a significant toll on Gulf Coast wetlands and contributed to this state's land loss crisis. The report also pointed out that destruction caused by pipeline and navigation channel construction could be avoided or reduced by using the least damaging and most easily mitigated construction method.

The findings, which went unpublished for two years, bolster Louisiana's argument that the federal government ought to shoulder a greater share of coastal restoration costs.

For decades the federal government refused to give Louisiana a share of royalties from oil and gas harvested off our coast. Not until 2006 was the state's congressional delegation able to get Congress to pass a revenue-sharing bill -- and even then only on new wells. In the first decade, very little money is being realized for the state.

Louisiana will receive about $7 million this year, and that amount will stay between $7 million and $10 million per year until 2017. New federal Minerals Management Service estimates now conclude the state's share will only grow to between $100 million and $150 million a year, which is substantially less than predicted when Congress approved the revenue-sharing measure.

To help jumpstart restoration projects and pay for land needed for levee construction, the state has put up at least $800 million from its budget surpluses since 2007. That ought to signal Louisiana's commitment to the coast. Gov. Bobby Jindal said he used his time with President Obama to press for funding for the backlog of flood-protection projects that are ready to go and for which the state has already put up matching dollars. The state is hoping that the president will include $500 million to $1 billion in his next annual budget to pay for four major restoration projects.

The governor should continue to press the state's case.

Denise Reed, a coastal researcher at the University of New Orleans, described the situation well. "Louisiana is undoubtedly in a crisis, and we don't need short-term fixes, we need deliberative thinking about what the next century holds."

Louisiana loses the equivalent of a football field in land area to erosion every 38 minutes, which leaves everyone here far more vulnerable to storms. That threat has a cost not only to us but to the nation.

Children denounced as witches tortured in Africa

My degree is in Geology.
In geology we have a tenant which says the present is the key to the past.
What this means is that if you can see a process happening today, its a pretty good bet that it has happened in the past, and will happen again in the future. Now with this in mind, read the article below.

Churches denounce African children as "witches"
By KATHARINE HOURELD (AP) – Oct 17, 2009

EKET, Nigeria — The nine-year-old boy lay on a bloodstained hospital sheet crawling with ants, staring blindly at the wall.

His family pastor had accused him of being a witch, and his father then tried to force acid down his throat as an exorcism. It spilled as he struggled, burning away his face and eyes. The emaciated boy barely had strength left to whisper the name of the church that had denounced him — Mount Zion Lighthouse.

A month later, he died.

Nwanaokwo Edet was one of an increasing number of children in Africa accused of witchcraft by pastors and then tortured or killed, often by family members. Pastors were involved in half of 200 cases of "witch children" reviewed by the AP, and 13 churches were named in the case files.

Some of the churches involved are renegade local branches of international franchises. Their parishioners take literally the Biblical exhortation, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

"It is an outrage what they are allowing to take place in the name of Christianity," said Gary Foxcroft, head of nonprofit Stepping Stones Nigeria.

For their part, the families are often extremely poor, and sometimes even relieved to have one less mouth to feed. Poverty, conflict and poor education lay the foundation for accusations, which are then triggered by the death of a relative, the loss of a job or the denunciation of a pastor on the make, said Martin Dawes, a spokesman for the United Nations Children's Fund.

"When communities come under pressure, they look for scapegoats," he said. "It plays into traditional beliefs that someone is responsible for a negative change ... and children are defenseless."

___


The idea of witchcraft is hardly new, but it has taken on new life recently partly because of a rapid growth in evangelical Christianity. Campaigners against the practice say around 15,000 children have been accused in two of Nigeria's 36 states over the past decade and around 1,000 have been murdered. In the past month alone, three Nigerian children accused of witchcraft were killed and another three were set on fire.

Nigeria is one of the heartlands of abuse, but hardly the only one: the United Nations Children's Fund says tens of thousands of children have been targeted throughout Africa.

Church signs sprout around every twist of the road snaking through the jungle between Uyo, the capital of the southern Akwa Ibom state where Nwanaokwo lay, and Eket, home to many more rejected "witch children." Churches outnumber schools, clinics and banks put together. Many promise to solve parishioner's material worries as well as spiritual ones — eight out of ten Nigerians struggle by on less than $2 a day.

"Poverty must catch fire," insists the Born 2 Rule Crusade on one of Uyo's main streets.

"Where little shots become big shots in a short time," promises the Winner's Chapel down the road.

"Pray your way to riches," advises Embassy of Christ a few blocks away.

It's hard for churches to carve out a congregation with so much competition. So some pastors establish their credentials by accusing children of witchcraft.

Nwanaokwo said he knew the pastor who accused him only as Pastor King. Mount Zion Lighthouse in Nigeria at first confirmed that a Pastor King worked for them, then denied that they knew any such person.

Bishop A.D. Ayakndue, the head of the church in Nigeria, said pastors were encouraged to pray about witchcraft, but not to abuse children.

"We pray over that problem (of witchcraft) very powerfully," he said. "But we can never hurt a child."

The Nigerian church is a branch of a Californian church by the same name. But the California church says it lost touch with its Nigerian offshoots several years ago.

"I had no idea," said church elder Carrie King by phone from Tracy, Calif. "I knew people believed in witchcraft over there but we believe in the power of prayer, not physically harming people."

The Mount Zion Lighthouse — also named by three other families as the accuser of their children — is part of the powerful Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. The Fellowship's president, Ayo Oritsejafor, said the Fellowship was the fastest-growing religious group in Nigeria, with more than 30 million members.

"We have grown so much in the past few years we cannot keep an eye on everybody," he explained.

But Foxcroft, the head of Stepping Stones, said if the organization was able to collect membership fees, it could also police its members better. He had already written to the organization twice to alert it to the abuse, he said. He suggested the fellowship ask members to sign forms denouncing abuse or hold meetings to educate pastors about the new child rights law in the state of Akwa Ibom, which makes it illegal to denounce children as witches. Similar laws and education were needed in other states, he said.

Sam Itauma of the Children's Rights and Rehabilitation Network said it is the most vulnerable children — the orphaned, sick, disabled or poor — who are most often denounced. In Nwanaokwo's case, his poor father and dead mother made him an easy target.

"Even churches who didn't use to 'find' child witches are being forced into it by the competition," said Itauma. "They are seen as spiritually powerful because they can detect witchcraft and the parents may even pay them money for an exorcism."

That's what Margaret Eyekang did when her 8-year-old daughter Abigail was accused by a "prophet" from the Apostolic Church, because the girl liked to sleep outside on hot nights — interpreted as meaning she might be flying off to join a coven. A series of exorcisms cost Eyekang eight months' wages, or US$270. The payments bankrupted her.

Neighbors also attacked her daughter.

"They beat her with sticks and asked me why I was bringing them a witch child," she said. A relative offered Eyekang floor space but Abigail was not welcome and had to sleep in the streets.

Members of two other families said pastors from the Apostolic Church had accused their children of witchcraft, but asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.

The Nigeria Apostolic Church refused repeated requests made by phone, e-mail and in person for comment.

___

At first glance, there's nothing unusual about the laughing, grubby kids playing hopscotch or reading from a tattered Dick and Jane book by the graffiti-scrawled cinderblock house. But this is where children like Abigail end up after being labeled witches by churches and abandoned or tortured by their families.

There's a scar above Jane's shy smile: her mother tried to saw off the top of her skull after a pastor denounced her and repeated exorcisms costing a total of $60 didn't cure her of witchcraft. Mary, 15, is just beginning to think about boys and how they will look at the scar tissue on her face caused when her mother doused her in caustic soda. Twelve-year-old Rachel dreamed of being a banker but instead was chained up by her pastor, starved and beaten with sticks repeatedly; her uncle paid him $60 for the exorcism.

Israel's cousin tried to bury him alive, Nwaekwa's father drove a nail through her head, and sweet-tempered Jerry — all knees, elbows and toothy grin — was beaten by his pastor, starved, made to eat cement and then set on fire by his father as his pastor's wife cheered it on.

The children at the home run by Itauma's organization have been mutilated as casually as the praying mantises they play with. Home officials asked for the children's last names not to be used to protect them from retaliation.

The home was founded in 2003 with seven children; it now has 120 to 200 at any given time as children are reconciled with their families and new victims arrive.

Helen Ukpabio is one of the few evangelists publicly linked to the denunciation of child witches. She heads the enormous Liberty Gospel church in Calabar, where Nwanaokwo used to live. Ukpabio makes and distributes popular books and DVDs on witchcraft; in one film, a group of child witches pull out a man's eyeballs. In another book, she advises that 60 percent of the inability to bear children is caused by witchcraft.

In an interview with the AP, Ukpabio is accompanied by her lawyer, church officials and personal film crew.

"Witchcraft is real," Ukpabio insisted, before denouncing the physical abuse of children. Ukpabio says she performs non-abusive exorcisms for free and was not aware of or responsible for any misinterpretation of her materials.

"I don't know about that," she declared.

However, she then acknowledged that she had seen a pastor from the Apostolic Church break a girl's jaw during an exorcism. Ukpabio said she prayed over her that night and cast out the demon. She did not respond to questions on whether she took the girl to hospital or complained about the injury to church authorities.

After activists publicly identified Liberty Gospel as denouncing "child witches," armed police arrived at Itauma's home accompanied by a church lawyer. Three children were injured in the fracas. Itauma asked that other churches identified by children not be named to protect their victims.

"We cannot afford to make enemies of all the churches around here," he said. "But we know the vast majority of them are involved in the abuse even if their headquarters aren't aware."

Just mentioning the name of a church is enough to frighten a group of bubbly children at the home.

"Please stop the pastors who hurt us," said Jerry quietly, touching the scars on his face. "I believe in God and God knows I am not a witch."

Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Papayas from seed - really

I think the plant looks a bit like Diana at Ephesus.

Words of Aradia: Concerning the Grigori

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

Before the people walked upon the world, there dwelt those beings which we call the Grigori. Some have called them spirits or gods. Some have spoken of them as powers and forces.

The old legends tell us that the Grigori were once physical beings, but that they are no longer. It is said that they dwell among the stars.

They are the Watchers of the Worlds, and the entrance and exits to the Worlds. Once is was said that the stars were the campfires of their armies, ever watching over us.

The Grigori have set their towers at the four quarters of the world and stand vigil over the portals which lay between the worlds.

Once they were called the powers of the air, and so did they come to be linked to the winds. Then were they known by the Latin names of Boreas, Eurus, Notus and Zephyrus. Yet these are but their titles. Know now their ancient names of Tago, Bellaria, Settrano, Meana.

The Old Ones come to our rituals to witness our rites, for we have a covenant with them. So do they watch over our works and help us. Our covenant with them was established at the end of the Second Age, and from this time do we mark the years of our ways.

The Grigori observe our rites, protect us, and escort us to the Moon Worlds when we pass from the Physical World.

Beautiful Day

It's been raining.
It's been raining a lot.
Fall just can't seem to get here.

The plants are transitioning from summer to fall.
The camelias are setting buds. The red clover is coming up.
But Fall just can't seem to get here.

It's also been hotter than we'd like.
Warm and Wet is not our typical fall.
Granted we are happy to have had a mild hurricane season.
But it is time for the seasons to change.

Today as I drove over the bridge to the 9th Ward where the levees broke
there was, for a split second - just enough time to crest the bridge
come down the rise and go a few blocks,
a beautiful sunrise.

The clouds were dark purple shades of grey
the sun was a bright not quite day glow orange ball
there were wisps of grey clouds over the face of the sun
and the hole in the grey clouds was pale yellows, pinks and oranges like a Peace rose.

It was beautiful, surprising and surprisingly hopeful.

Come on Fall. We're ready.

Lasa/Lare Shrine Offerings

I am often asked what kind of things can be used as offerings in a Lasa/Lare Shrine. I like to use plants & flowers. But whenever I do ritual I make sure that I offer some of the same wine I drink to the Lasa. I also place some on my God & Goddess shrines.

Another favorite offering is Jordan Almonds. These are easy to come by at our local Middle Eastern grocery. Because they are often handed out as favors at New Orleans weddings, these favors usually end up on the Lasa Shrine. The offerings last a long time.

I have also successfully used Florida Water. I've seen this sold for more than $7.00 a bottle on pagan sites. But here in New Orleans this is so common item that it is sold at our local Walgreens, mostly in the summer so this is when I stock up. It is great as an insect repellent and it can also be used after the mosquito bites to stop the itching. Coaches & parents soak cooling cloths in it and store these in ice chests then use it on the back of the necks of their young athletes to help fight the heat. I like Florida Water's crisp scent. It has has been used to cleanse houses of negative energy in New Orleans for a long time. It is typically added to a bucket of clear mop water and then the floors in the house are mopped from the front door out of the back. Because the Lare can be spirits of the home or location, I find the use of such a historical liquid appropriate.

I have also used Dr. Tichenor's as an offering. This is linked more to my paternal ancestors and many summer weekends spent on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The key here is the link to my past and my ancestors and the heady smell. Scent is a great pleaser of the spirits.

You can also use fresh baked bread for this reason. But I tend to shy away from food offerings at my interior shrines as here in the deep south cleanliness keeps the critters & bugs away. And our tropical climate makes us more susceptible to these.

Shame on you Leonard Pitts

Mr. Pitts,

I am a fan of your columns, a BIG Fan.

I agreed with the spirit of you column
"When the witch-hunt finds witches". (which was how the column was titled in New Orleans)
Yet I was incredibly appalled at how you went about saying it.

"Kill the witches instead" is like saying "Gas the Jews" or "Lynch the Niggers".
It is appalling, inappropriate and offensive.

History records that many pagans (witches) and non-pagans have been killed in witch-hunts. Current history shows that pagans still suffer, albeit not as much, from discrimination. The use of the term witch-hunt should be limited to its use as a pejorative.

I know you can be more eloquent and can use better metaphors.

Sincerely,
Nola

a pagan, who does not advertise her spiritual path to protect her job and her family from the discrimination that still exists.

Words of Aradia: Concerning the Elements

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

There is a vaporous, subtle and invisible quality to each of these things which are called the physical elements. The ancients have told us that all of creation was brought into being when Spirit drew the four elements unto itself. These elements are called Earth, Air, Fire and Water. And they are controlled by Spirit.

Each of these elements possess an etheric double. It is this essence which gives vitality or fertility to the physical object.

Just as the physical realms or matter contain their own forms of life, so too do the etheric realms. These entities have been personified as the many spirits and creatures of myth and legend. It is their activity which creates and maintains the vital essence within all matter.

The etheric powers of the elements also give potency to spells and works of Magick. It is within their realms that the Magickal powers ebb and flow. Thus are the spirits of the elements summoned to assist us.

A candle burning to light the way

Today a friend, and someone born to be Strega, experienced the greatest of all initiations. To honor her I gathered all the Owls that I had in my house together in one place. Owls were special to her. I cast a circle and read the rite of passage. And cried and smiled remembering her. So did 2 other Strega in straight line up the Mississippi River toward Canada, where our friend was born. Whether we were trying to or not, we coordinated the timing of the rite.

I didn't have all the woods (Juniper, Sandalwood, Cedar) but I did have all the woods necessary in incense form so I burned the 3 incense types. I also had pennyroyal in the garden and used fresh cut from my backyard on the shrine and the smell was intense.

After casting the circle, I moved over to the small shrine and read the rite out loud, and cried. I was moved to actually say something out loud about Lore even though it was only me in the room.

I then moved back to the circle altar and did a TAROT spread, which included the Sun, The Wheel of Fortune & The World and the Ace of Wands & Swords.

I added some Strega Oil/Extract to the Spirit Bowl and refilled it with Everclear and watched the Spirit Flame for awhile. When it got to the point where it should just wick out, the flames began jumping and crackling. This was of course the Strega Oil burning. But it felt like Lore saying goodbye. She liked her magics. It took almost as long for these remnants to burn out as it had the for the whole bowl of Spirit Flame. And when the flame was gone it truly felt like closure.


"We gather now in honor of our Sister who has crossed over and begun the sacred journey to the Realms of Luna. We wish you well on your journey, and send with you the emanations of our love, and our friendship. We know that the sorrow that we feel is of our own making. There has been no loss among us, for we shall meet each other again in a future life to come. And we shall remember, and know each other, and love again. We shall speak your name and remember you at Shadowfest. If it be that we shall see you, or speak with you, then let it be of your own desire. For it is not our wish that our desires should bind you to this life.

May the Great Lord and Lady receive you into their care, and may they comfort you and prepare you to be born anew.

May the realms of Luna give you all that you desire, and may you find peace and pleasure, and reunion with those who have gone before. Farewell dear sister, farewell dear friend. Blessed be."

Hot House Flower and the 9 Plants of Desire

I love reading. I've been living on the books I already have in my house, and I'm not starving, but I wanted something new, different and fun. So with a few minutes to spare between work and a meeting at my daughter's school I went to the locally owned and operated bookstore just a few blocks away from the school.

I can always count on this bookstore to have something interesting. I talked myself into going specifically to buy a book based on blog posts written by a native New Orleanian PostKatrina; a book by Mark Folse called "Carry Me Home". I found it and then I wandered around looking for something fun to read. A bright fuchsia book with blue and yellow flowers on it caught my eye: Hot House Flower and the 9 Plants of Desire.


It was exactly what I thought it would be fun, a mini vacation and a quick weekend read; but embedded in the fun were bits of wisdom that were drawn from nature. Given that one of the key teachings we get from Aradia's words is that Nature is the Great Teacher, it is wonderful to find a fun book that uses Nature to teach deeper life lessons. The plant "lore" embedded in the book provides an interesting example of how any of us can draw lessons from Natures. The lessons the main character learns aren't always straight forward or even logical. What is interesting in this is that the book shows that sometimes we have to let go of what we have been taught is logical and just listen and go with the flow. Remember I'm trained as a scientist so I know how silly this will sound to some. Sometimes the best way to learn is from our mistakes and scientists don't really understand human intuition . So I recommend that you read the book, let it wash over you, go with the flow, but keep a look out for lessons from the Great Teacher, Nature.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Luna

Luna is the purest of all the Moon Worlds. It is where the Soul is taken to rest and be renewed. It is a place of eternal youth. Here there is union with the Gods and with those Streghe who have gone before.

The portal to Luna is in the West, beyone the sunset and beyond the Ocean. Luna is a place of beautiful forests and meadows. A place of clear streams, rivers and lakes. Nature spirits inhabit these places as to all the beautiful creatures of ancient myth and legend. In Luna it is always Summer.

Each Soul experiences Luna in the manner which is most suited to its life experiences. This is as it should be.

In ancient times, it was said that the shape of the Moon grew as it received the Souls from the Physical World, and that it depleted as they were reborn. Yet if you could see between the Worlds, you would see that the Moon is Luna.

From the Physical Work, and by the physical senses, you can never see or know the World of Luna

Nature Boy

This is a haunting tune that never fails to take me off to mystical places. The song reminds me of the God's cycle through the Wheel of the Year and seems esspecially appropriate at this season. It also reminds us that Love is the Great Attainment.


Lyrics source

There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy
And sad of eye
But very wise
Was he

And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings
This he said to me
"The greatest thing
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved
In return"

(instrumental interlude)

"The greatest thing
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved
In return"

The song has a unique history and author.

And because I'm a New Orleans girl, here's a shameless plug for another New Orleanian who put Nature Boy on her 2008 CD

Hello Stranger

New Orleans, where bothering strangers is allowed: a Monday monologue
Posted by Jarvis DeBerry, Editorial writer, The Times-Picayune September 06, 2009 11:58PM.

Last month, as my wife was inside the Office of Motor Vehicles becoming an official Louisianian, I was outside fixing the brake light.

I had fixed it before -- so I thought -- but soon it was again being pointed out to me that the light was out. It was also pointed out that - given the nature of my columns - I should try to avoid a traffic stop.

The biggest frustration with fixing a brake light is the inherent inability to see if the job is done. Kelly was inside in a long line. She couldn't help. Some folks were sitting idly outside the building, but who wanted to bother them?

Oh, wait. I'm in New Orleans. Bothering is allowed.

I could be wrong, but the woman I yelled at through the open window looked like she was just waiting to be asked to do something. She hopped up joyfully. She asked me to take my foot off the brake and put it back on. "Do it again," she said, so she could be sure it was the light from the bulb and not the light from the sun causing it to glow.

I thanked her and she went back to sitting, perhaps waiting for the next stranger's request.

I went inside with the newspaper, and as I flipped through it, I thought about how few boundaries there are this city. I'd demonstrated it by bothering that woman for a brake light inspection.

I felt a hard tap on my shoulder. I turned to see a woman I'd never seen. She pointed at the A-section I still held in my hand. She said, "You done with that part?"


In New Orleans it has always been our habit to actively participate in the web of life. The article above is only one example. I think it is part of what makes this place unique and special. Nola

Words of Aradia: Concerning the Act of Rebirth

After the death experience has been completed, then the Soul is made ready to be born again.

When a couple is engaged in sexual union, a whirlpool of energy (a vortex) is created above them. This energy attracts Souls who are awaiting rebirth, from the plane which is harmonious to the energy of the union (the vortex is a composite aura of the couple.)

Once attracted, the Soul will be drawn into the female womb and will enter into a new physical life (all conditions be procreant).

Before being born again, the Soul will obtain knowledge of the life to come. Then is the plan realized.

1st Day of September

We can't usually start thinking about a break in the summer heat until WAY after the equinox. But we've had a rare treat.

"The arrival of September is usually more of a psychological change than a meteorological one in South Louisiana.

But today, the calendar and the weather find themselves in unexpected harmony. It's not exactly sweater weather, but the break in the heat and humidity are enough to make fall seem within reach.

The arrival of a second front in the waning days of summer is golden. And we deserve a cooler-than-expected end of summer after the abnormally scorching, dry weather in June.

Summer has just worn out its welcome by September. School is in session, football teams are playing and everyone is ready for a change -- for weather that actually fits what we're doing. The fact that these weeks are the most active of hurricane season is all the more reason to be impatient for autumn.

We're more than ready to trade mosquitoes for love bugs and afternoon deluges for clear skies and crisp temperatures.

We're glad you're here, September. Why don't you stick around a while?"

Please?

Mary Landrieu - 1st female Senator from Louisiana

gets "The Last Word" with CNN's John King,
on both health care
and the 4th Anniversary of Katrina

As the Democratic Senator of a relatively conservative state she manages to find the middle ground and represent the people who elected her.
No easy task.

Note that she gets coastal protection issue correct.
Remember Katrina was a natural disaster,
BUT what happened in New Orleans was an engineering failure.
Levees.org founder is Sandy Rosenthal

On the 4th Anniversary of Katrina

John Barry, author of Rising Tide and Influenza is also the Secretary of the Levee Board for the east bank of the Mississippi which includes New Orleans. Listen as he talks about the importance of reversing the damage done to Louisiana's coastal wetlands. Take a look at facts you might not know. For too long we've let engineers determine the fate of southeast Louisiana. It's time to respect the geology of southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi River and work WITH Nature instead of against.

For 4 years the people of southeast Louisiana & Mississippi have worked to recover from the storm. Please take time to share this with your senators & representatives. You may think this does not impact you. But when you look at the facts that John Barry presents you will realize that we are all more connected than we think.

Diana & Dianus Garden Plaques

These are the same size. They were purchased at a local garden/nursery. I liked the fact that the were a matching set and the similarity to the New Orleans Water Meter cover.

Rite of Union

One of the basic components of the branch of Stregheria I practice is the Rite of Union. It is in its most basic form a prayer. But it is also an alignment ritual. The words and gestures are meant to align our physical body with our spiritual selves and with the Gods.

It is short and simple. The instructions for the hand gestures are given on page 115 of Hereditary Witchcraft.
Hail and Adoration to you O Source of my Enlightenment. I pray thee impart to me thy illumination. Enlighten my mind that I may see more clearly all things in which I endeavor. Illuminate my soul, imparting thy essence of purity. I reveal my inner self to thee and ask that all be cleansed and purified from within.

When I first started practicing Stergheria I struggled to memorize all the new bits. I was being taught via the internet and eMail. My teacher was and is great, but far away. I didn't get the reinforcement associated with seeing and hearing someone else do this, nor the benefit of doing the action with others. Because the Rite of Union was both a part of many rituals and a smaller manageable bitesize piece, a Strega's prayer, I thought I should be able to memorize it easily. But I kept getting the words and gestures snarled up. One day I became so frustrated with not being able to remember all the parts of this correctly that I finally broke down and locked my self in a room in front of my Lasa Shrine and repeated these words and the associated actions over and over.

First just the beginning, Hail and Adoration unto Thee O Source of my enlightenment. So many times until it slipped from my tongue without thinking. Perhaps as a result of my initial frustration which became an internal plea, I ended up starting my Rite of Union with my arms raised in an outreaching V with my palms open. Hail and Adoration unto Thee O Source of my enlightenment. Which means for me, I am here. I acknowledge you O Source of my enlightenment. I reach out to you and honor you. And initially, while I struggled, a plea to help me get this, please!

Then, I pray Thee impart to me Thy Illumination letting the action of creating the triangle of manifestation above my forehead bring the wide wonder and greatness of the One into focus. Me on the One and the One on me.
Arms up reaching out Hail and Adoration......... Hands into triangle ........ Thy Illumination. Then on to the triangle over my forehead... until it seemed so practical, so natural. Of course I would want to have my thoughts enlightened. Of course it would be natural for this enlightenment to come to the location of the 3rd eye. Enlighten my mind that I may see more clearly all things in which I endeavor.. Over and over again.

Now what? Why am I here? I am here for my soul, because this is my spiritual path, my center. So the triangle of manifestation goes over my solar plexus with the words: "Illuminate my soul, imparting thy essence of purity.". Not just my mind. Not just in your head. But your SOUL.

And then because there is always the opportunity for more and because I want to bring this illumination into my core, I open my arms saying, I reveal my inner self to thee and ask that all be cleansed and purified from within. Cleansed and purified. Allow me to be open. See my arms are open, I am open. Allow me to start fresh, clean and purified.

Again I did each section over and over again. Until I decided to try the whole thing together and low and behold! It just worked. All the hand gestures all the words flowed as they should and their meaning flowed into me as well. Now I can break into the Rite of Union at any time (well when I'm pretty sure no one is looking or will care). I do it to the Full Moon. I've done it at sunrise or sunset, to an oncoming storm front, to a magnificent bush of gardenia flowers. Or of course as part of ritual. Even when I do my rituals inside because my back yard does not offer enough privacy to do circle casting ritual outside, I always start the Full Moon Ritual by going outside and doing the Rite of Union to a Full Moon. My teacher encouraged this and was, of course, right.

Moonflower

PreBloom and a perfect offering to the God.



Blooming and a perfect offering to the Goddess.

Seasonal shift

I know, right now in other parts of the country and northern hemisphere this is prime summer growing season. I live in New Orleans which has and I hope always will be slightly out of phase with the rest of the world. Now is the start of our inbetween season. Watermelons are ready and the okra is going crazy. But many summer plants are finishing up. Oh the eggplant and peppers will produce into the fall but it is time to think about pulling up the tomato plants. We can start harvesting and keep harvesting basil for pesto until the first frost. But the basil is at its prime now. It is also time to think about planting our fall crops.

While this process can seem wildly out of phase with other parts of our county it is in keeping with the mythos that is part of my tradition. Autumn Equinox is when our God dies. Here in New Orleans we start to see the signs earlier than most. It actually makes sense with our agricultural seasons for the God to die and go into the earth at the equinox. Seed crops like sugar snap peas, dill and root crops like onions, leek, radish, carrot are what we'll plant. We can plant other crops too like kale and parsley.

One of the things that I love about my tradition's wheel of the year is that it works with what passes as seasons here in New Orleans. This year I've decided to go with organic heriloom seeds instead of seed packs from Lowe's or Home Depot. I've placed the seed orders today. The seeds should be here in a week or 2.

Diana's Day Ritual

Keep to the ways beyond all obstacles. My backyard is not as private as I would like it to be. PreKatrina it was a bit more private but I lost some of the taller plants in the brackish water that covered everything for a little over a week. I have great backyard neighbors but when I want to be left alone to do ritual visiting is not what I have in mind. Sometimes I have to visit and then wait to do ritual. And then I remember that we are to keep to the ways beyond all obstacles.

I prepared 2 scrolls with my written petitions. These were a combination of symbols, images related to my requests, and written spells. I rolled these and tied them with white ribbon in preparation for burning.

I created a "lake" from a circular firepit and placed 13 votives around it's edge. I also set up my New Orleans firepit to burn the petitions.

After lighting the votives around the "lake" and the log in the firepit I did the Rite of Union to the Diana plaque I have on my garden fence. I then circled the lake 13 times remembering all those who celebrated Diana's Day or the Nemoralia in the past. I burned dried rosemary and spearmint cut from my garden weeks ago in the pit as incense. I did the Rite of Union to the Diana plaque again. Then I called to the Grigori and asked that they allow my magic to manifest. I then burned my petitions in the fire.



I finished the ritual with one last Rite of Union. This was the first time I have done this outside and even with the still, heavy heat of August and the additional heat from the fire, the ritual was more powerful outdoors. So it looks like I be creating Diana's Mirror in my backyard again next year.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Worship

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

Remember to keep, and observe, all the sacred gatherings. For therein does the power flow, and emanate forth into our Being. Observe the time of the Full Moon, and all the Holy Days of the Goddess.

Honor the Sun and Moon for they are sacred symbols of the God and Goddess(which they placed in the heavens as a token of their convenant with us). But do not workship them, for they are but images of the Great Ones.

And you who are priests and priestesses, remember the times of union (and the rite thereof).

All acts of reverence toward Nature and toward life are acts of worship. So it is too with love and pleasure. Therefore, let each day be your rituals of adoration to the Great Ones.

Times of Gathering
Shadowfest (October 31st)
Winter Solstice
Lupercus (Feburary 2nd)
Spring Equinox
Lady Day (May Eve/May 1st)
Summer Solstice
Cornucopia (August Eve)
Autumn Equinox

The Holy Days
Festival of Diana (August 13th)
Festival of Fana (December 19th)
Festival of Tana (May 1st)

Vinnie Russo on Grimassi and Streghe

Posted with permission.
From: Vinnie Russo
Subject: [traditional_stregheria] Moderator Note - Grimassi & Wicca bashing
Date: Aug 12, 2009 8:49 AM
Hello all,

First, I want to say that I am thrilled with all of our new members and the recent lively discussions. However, I need to step in both personally and as a moderator regarding Raven Grimassi as well as the recent attitude of "Wicca bashings".

I know Raven Grimassi personally. People who criticize his published material often don't have all the facts, have never talked to him, or have jumped to assumptions.

Raven's published material is just that published. You don't really think that he'd actually publish all the material that he has or what he uses to train personal students, do you? It's material that is appropriate to teach the public, he makes that very clear. However, what Raven teaches his students is both authentic and valid.

I would like to quote directly from Raven Grimassi:
"There is a rich legacy of ritual, lore, and magic in the teachings of Italian Witchcraft. It has always been my goal to share this with others in whatever way I can. This has been a challenge over the years because much of the material is protected by sworn oaths to not reveal various elements. I have pushed that envelope over the year and continue to do so today. Ironically this has brought charges from initiates that I am violating the oaths, and it has brought allegations from the public that I have nothing authentic to share and am simply using the "oath claim" as a shield. We are a fascinating community."

"The facts are that I plant the keys to initiate material in my non-initiate material. I use common material as a carrier for the inner workings. All that is required is for a person to sift through my books and join things together. The keys and the doorways are all there, it only takes a focused desire to reveal what resides within the written words. Is this the breaking of oaths? For some people it is, and some initiates feel that I am freely giving away keys that they have had to work for over the years."

"Some non-initiates look at my work, and because it contains some common Wiccan elements they dismiss it all as unauthentic. I guess this is like finding a fly in your soup; it ruins the whole thing. Except, of course, that the fly doesn't make chicken soup something else because the fly is mixed in. It's chicken soup with a fly in it. That's pretty much the situation with Wiccan elements in my writings on Italian Witchcraft. I was particularly amused one time to hear my book on Italian Witchcraft referred to as Wicca with marinara sauce. While inaccurate, the statement is still funny."

"I find that some of my critics invent things about me and work, which is really a misuse of valuable time for all concerned. While I appreciate respectful differences of opinion, and I value constructive criticism of my writings, I have little tolerance for unwarranted allegations and outright lies. But I do realize that being a public figure is going to draw attacks upon my work and my character. It's an unfortunate truth about human nature."
More can be read here.

OK, back to me now. In addition to responding to inaccuracies regarding Raven's work, I want to address the recent "Strega good, Wicca bad" attitude.

What's with all the Wicca bashing? There is absolutely no reason to denigrate or criticize another Path in order to compliment one's own. It is entirely possible to "sing the praises" of what Stregheria is WITHOUT the need to criticize what it is not.

Stregheria is a VERY diverse path and some families and branches have chosen to incorporate some Wiccan elements. So what? I applaud them. They are taking a long term look at things and incorporating elements into their own practices to ensure what they pass is a complete system rather than a fragmented system of lore and folk magic. Bravo.

The very culture of Sicily and Italy is syncretic in nature (Italian, Greek, Spanish, French, African, Phoenician, etc.) and there is no reason that our Craft shouldn't reflect that. As a matter of fact, it would be VERY surprising if our Craft DIDN'T reflect that especially as a living tradition. As many of us are American, English, etc. and NOT native Italian or native Sicilian, it only makes sense that we would begin to incorporate elements of the culture that we currently live in and make those elements our own. Just because something originally can be traced to another culture or Path doesn't mean that it can't also be part of Stregheria. It becomes part of Stregheria (at least in particular families) when the element in question becomes fully integrated into the composite fabric of the Craft.

Further, factual history of the Craft (of any culture) is almost non-existent. Most of the so-called facts are simple oral lore and stories but would not stand up to academic research to ascertain the validity of the various claims. Much of the initial modern Wiccan/Pagan movement started based on a fabrication of history (i.e. tweaking the truth and even outright lies). It's much better now with Wiccans becoming Academics and doing real research that will allow them to take a more honest look at themselves.

I don't want to see us (The Streghe) fall into the same trap that the Wiccans of the 1960's did namely, that of everyone claims to have a personal family tradition going back in an unbroken line for thousands of years; with unchanged material, lore, and mysteries; that is a complete system of magic and mystery; that was always secret which is how it survived; and is oathbound so no verifiable proof can be offered to corroborate. If we follow that path, it only makes us look like attention seekers and children that don't know any better.

So, let's all try to criticize others less and compliment good academic research, good heart, and honest discussion more.

---Vinnie