Chatting to ElfKat about coming out as a Pagan at work and it got me thinking. I remember twice when I shut up the piss takers and bullies.

 

Once when doing some filming on farmland while I was with the Re-enactment group. It was nighttime and we had a massive fire going, I was dressed as I usually was, only in trousers and hide boots. and just because there was some mutterings going on I sat down in front of the fire, while the rest of the group were spread around on logs or sitting on the grass, I sat so close to the fire I could have been spit roasted. My main reason was to dry my boots, which had got soaked. I had my Indian Dagger tucked into my belt. Anyhow, the mutterings got louder, so slowly I drew my dagger, flung my arms wide and looked up to the sky, looked down at the fire and poked it with my dagger. I started muttering in fake Irish/Welsh, which I used on the battlefield for the crowds. I saw a couple of the lads get up and go over to the trees, and come back, while the muttering was watching me transfixed. Any way I once again flung my hands wide and looked up to the sky, but when I poked the fire a massive tree branch moved violently and the Guy who had been talking about me summoning Deamons jumped about 3 feet into the air, from a sitting position. I just looked at the tree and gave a nasty smile towards the tree. Pocked again and again the tree moved, and so did he. We told him what was going on, but he did shut up after that.

 

An interesting aside to this was that the film company were, we felt, taking the piss, and a group of us who were not filming at that time were sitting on the ground leaning against a fence. I had a re-curve bow in my hands, pointing straight up. I pulled back as far as I could, then relaxed. For some reason I notched an arrow, pulled back only a few inched, still pointing up, and my hand slipped of the string. The arrow went skywards like a rocket. By rights it should have flopped at my feet. It still went up, and then came down, all in the space of seconds, and landed inches from the assistant for the director. straight down. Had it hit her, I would have been up on a murder charge, because at the speed it was going, it would have gone right through her.

 

The second thing was I got invited out with a few lads from work, just after moving in with Hilary. My best mate Chris, and two others from work. Anyway the other two were riding me all night, all the way though the film, and into the carpark afterwards. I just said back in a bit and I walked off a little. I once again did my hand raised bit a few times and said in a loud voice, that will learn them, too right it will. A few minutes later Chris pulled me aside and said “Dave, mate, look can you not do that again please, it’s shitting them up”

“No Worries mate, just doing what I had to do”

Never got baited from them again.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/uk-weather–hundreds-of-newborn-lambs-dying-butterflies-extinct-snow-ice-freeze-124810695.html#55a9rxL

For the last 6-8 years I have been doing Imboc every year, and we (here anyway) have had a warn or very warm March and April. And this year I did the same and we have snow and biting winds right across the Islands, and Europe. Now I do not know what the weather is normally like in Eastern Europe at this time of year, and if anyone can tell me that would be cool.

But why the sudden change? If Brib was pissed at me, I would know about it, but this is just far to widespread. Or the Earth could be going through a cycle of warm and cold years, last one like this was in 1963 I think.

What what is left, Global Warming, Iceage, or Human Intervention. And who would gain from the Human Intervention? A sad and sick person, or and this came to me last night, one of the big 6 Power Companies. Face it, with cold weather the heating stays on so we spend more money on Gas and the companies gain a bigger profit. But would they stoop so low as to effect the weather and put lives at stake for profit? Now I am not blaming any one Path, but I do not think that Wiccan’s would do this for profit, please correct me if I am wrong. Chaosist would not bother to do it, well I do not think they would. Again please correct me if you know otherwise. A Shaman might, if there was a good reason to do it, but I do not know any who would do it for profit, but I am going from personal views here.

So what to do, well a South working using the energy of the South may be necessary, just to save lives, and I do not like fucking around with the weather, because far too much can go wrong and it could end up even worse if I really get it wrong, but if it is just the planet doing it’s thing, then I will be wasting my time anyway.

Ok, I know I have been tardy in blogging, but my new page for those just starting on their Path is now up, and it will be updated as and when I get round to it.

Please feel free to use the information, but please be polite and remember where you found it. The reason why I am writing on here and not writing a book is 1) Saves Paper, 2) Not everyone can afford to buy a book at this time, and 3) Just because I can, and 4) I do not charge for Healing or readings, so why would I charge for this basic knowledge.

Walk in Faith and Balance

Magical Weapons

Some Paths and traditions fully adhere to the need for the Witch/Magician to have a full arsenal of weapons, stating that to focus the Will you need to wield the weapon, either physically or if you have the ability, (some have but most do not, I am one of the latter) using the imagination only to create the weapon. Such open hand techniques are usually only able to be done by very skilled practitioners who are Adepts within their Paths.

So, are they really necessary? Personal choice, as usual, but with some like the Pentacle it is a sensible precaution and some would say very necessary when Working especially within Ritual. Also casting the Shield will also help the Workers to focus their minds to the Magic being created. I have used all the weapons way back when I was performing Rituals when I was into the Roman Gods. Later when I was guided to the Irish Gods I tried to use Rituals but it just felt uncomfortable. Which is when I started to explore the Way of the Shaman.

Usually I do not use the weapons now, but I still have the ring and a dagger, which is a Sikh Ceremonial Dagger, and I now use my Sigel set as the Cup. But apart from the Set, I do not use weapons. Sometimes when they are being helpful, I get important messages through Visions, but this only happens on a rare occurrence. The meaning comes upto a few days later. But do I really need to use the weapons? I cast no circle, I can focus my Will to Heal or Hex just by concentration.

The only one which I never got the idea for, despite it being explained several times, is the Lamp, or Soul. Why do I need to try to focus on my Kai, my lifeforce. It is there when I heal or hex. It is always there when I Work. My Will focuses and sends my Kai. Why do I need to try to create a Weapon which is my Kai? I have never understood that, but maybe I am just missing the point, or just Dense.

So I do not use the circle, wand or sword, so how do I Work? Well that it the question, is it not. How to explain, that is the problem. Scattered around are various examples, including within the Balance page, outside that generally I just ask, and by focusing my Will, maybe my request is granted, sometimes not, depending on the Universal Kai, and the blessing of my Gods. One which has not been granted is Freedom, but there is a reason why I was denied, it is just I know not the answer. Also my ending has not happened, again I know not why, I only wish I did, what is the lesson that I have still to learn, which I have not yet learned.

Some have said that there is no point to life, existence, others say that there is eternal Heaven or Hell awaiting you, and yet others say that you will forever be reborn from the Chaos of creation and re-incarnate endlessly. Well you know what I think, unless this is the first page you have read, but it is written elsewhere. Personally I think that there is a point to life, otherwise why bother at all. The point is to learn from life, all life is an experience, as they say Experience Life to Live Life. If you have finished learning you have finished living.

A.W.O.B.

Yeah, yeah, I know that I am a little behind times, by maybe 2 years, but that is me all over with current fashions and thinking trends. And you know what, I just do not care.

So reading a few threads, blogs and websites I find out about Project Pagan Enough, been there, done that, gave my sixpence worth. But while saying my Prayer to Danu last night, I remembered a thread I had read. This was about setting up a “minimum standard”, but I can not for the life of me remember the site, WordPress or somewhere else. Anyhow, this got me thinking, could it work? Err no. How would we set up a “Council of Elders” to lay out the rules and regs.

So how would we set up a Council, one from each Path? Do we accept Voodoo and Satanist? What about Shinto, Hindi. Hmmm, good question methinks, but where will it stop. Of course we have to accept the Pagan/* whatever, Christian, Muslim, etc.

So I can see how it would go. Wicca, Shinto, Hindi, and Druid will have the most members, so they will have a louder voice, than say Shaman or NeoGreek. But what if you do not fit into the main Paths, well my friends, that one is easy, who gives a damn about you, well you do for one, and I do for two but considering that neither You nor I will be on this Council, mute point I think. Sorry.

So we have set up this council, and a set of Rules is passed down that everyone must adhere to. I can really see that working, NOT. Hell even amongst the Main Wicca Paths there will be infighting. “Who put them in Charge, Why am I not on this Council, I am going to form my own Council then we will show them. “ It will be like the European Union, or worse. A bang on the door at two in the morning with the goon squad whisking you away for improper dress sense or the improper use of an incense stick. Yeah, laugh it up. You know it could happen. And who gets to be the Pagan Pope?

So here’s an idea. FOAD with that idea.

Here’s another idea, and I really think that this is a corker of an idea. Drop this stupid idea. It is even worse than “You are not Pagan Enough” or the Common Agriculture Commission from the EU. You want to be Pagan, cool, go for it. You do not want to be Pagan, cool, go for it, or we all could just drop the entire “Pagan” bull, and class us all as Alternative Faiths, Any which is not one of the main recognised Faiths, in which case the Satanist and the Voodoo followers can then be inside this umbrella term. Which brings us to A.W.O.L. this also means Alternative Way Of Life or change Life to Faith or Belief, granted Rockers, Goths, Punks, and Bikers are A.W.O.L. but so are the Wicca, Druid, Nordic, Celtic, etc. although maybe if Druid and Wicca were classed as main Recognised Faiths along with Christian, Hindi, Muslim or Shinto et al. then maybe we would not be even thinking about this. Because if you are Wicca you are Wicca, If Christian, you are Christian. Until you amalgamate different Faiths, Christian and Wicca as an example, then you may be classed as Not Wicca Enough, or Not Christian Enough, but you would always be Alternative Enough.

Earth, Gods, Nature, Magic, Occult, Magick are all Alt. Beliefs, regardless to Whom you Pray to and how often, if Anything at all.

And this does not mean that you have to dress in a leather Jacket and ripped jeans, or you have to listen to Rock or New-Age music. Unless you want to anyway. I do but as from one of my other blogs I am into Heavy Rock. If your usual is skirt and cardigan with a blouse and listen to easy listening or County, then why would you even think about changing. Alt. Belief is different to Alt. Fashion and Music. Personally I can not stand PVC or Latex clothing. Or Death Metal, My choice. And how “Eco” have you got to be? Answer “How eco do you want to be?” Some class Pagan as Earth based religions but with Alt. Beliefs there is absolutely no such misconstrued ideas. Not Officially State Recognised religions. Not picking on them but I can never see Satanism becoming an OSR, but they are an Alt. Belief system. My Faith will never become an OSR, but it is an Alt. Belief system.

So could this work? Drop Pagan and call ourselves Alternative Faiths, (or Alt. Faith/Belief). I personally think that it could, and do we really need a Council to guide us. I do not, I know that for sure, and in certain Faiths there is already a Council of sorts, who guide the Faithful, which is cool, but honestly how many of us really need a council, or just a friend to help and “Advise” and “Suggest” but not demand. I would rather have 1 friend than 20 Council Members who will mainly be looking out for their own interests. And to be honest, would I even want to be on this council. No, I have enough trouble and stress in my life without having to figure why Alt. Religion has gone political.

And what about mixed Covens, with different Paths working together? Would this be outlawed, or enforced. I have worked with a Wiccan, and a Runic Warrior, and a Satanist at different times, but mainly I work alone. I do not want to “have to” join a Coven. But I guess that if we have a council and I am ostracised from wherever, then I really do not care, but others might.

So where do we go from here, my personal views on the term “Pagan“ is written elsewhere on here, so I do not have to repeat it. But one final question for you gentle reader. Who and when did the term Pagan come into main use to explain our religious beliefs? I really do not know, but I am curious to find out. 50 years ago? 100? 500? Mainstream press? Gardiner? Tudor? Edwardian? Cromwell?

Guess what, yeah, another Question. Apart from trying to explain to those of OSR Faiths what out beliefs are, how often do we really use the term Pagan? Apart from on here I very rarely use the term to describe myself, unless it is to outsiders from OSR Faiths, and then only the once. So how often would I use Alt. Belief, about the same. But it may stop the infighting which certain groups and people have started with the term Pagan, but then maybe not. But if Druid and Wicca wanted to be classed at OSR’s then that is all to the good for them, they will not be Alt. Beliefs, but OSR Beliefs, which in reality they are already. Saying this I know from previous conversations with Wiccans that not all Wiccans would be happy with their Faith going Mainstream. I have not spoken to any Druids, as far as I am aware, with regards to this, so I am not sure. But one upside to this would be that if Wicca and Druid went OSR mainstream, that could benefit all of the Alt. Faiths from religious attacks.

Cor. I do go on a bit, don’t I.

If you Listen to Fools, the Mob Rules. Is the wise man always right? No, he can play the Fool. RIP Ronny J Dio.