Killing Frost

The Killing Frost is the first life-ending freezing of the season due to frost. It clinches the deal on autumn and ushers in the energy of winter. Green foliage gives way to white tipped death.

Death however, like crystalline frost, is pure power. It is not the gentle comma of fall, but the abrupt period at the end of a seasonal sentence.

In Alaska, we are given a heads up that this is coming in that we can see it a long way off. We have ‘Termination Dust’, that is, the first visible fresh snowfall on the mountainsides. We see this begin at the top of the mountain, and hold fast as it silently strides down the mountain toward sea level. When the termination dust settles upon the elevation that we each live, winter has come to us. And, like the finality of death, there’s no turning back from the stillness of winter.

I mention these terms because they have magickal significance to offer. Just as a first kiss and first sexual coupling are energetically powerful, so are first frost and first snow.

Killing frost and termination dust are literally the kiss of death. They come quietly like thieves in the night and take the last of the living with them. As they settle in and we wake, we register a new purity, an energetic cleansing. We can literally smell the change in the air and notice that the slate has once again been swept clean. We are at ground zero, and neat enough, this usually occurs in our area around Samhain, so it’s doubly potent for us here on the Kenai Peninsula.

I mention these things because in the autumn we pagans begin downshifting toward our season of introspection. While we may or may not realize the specific things or ideas in our lives that need to be called, we best be thoughtful and heed the strength of the Killing Frost.

The waters from the first frost and first snow are very, very powerful. They are dark moon in their core. The inherent energies of the element of water stand on their own, but when changing phases and seasons they seem to shift octaves. When we take this souped-up water element and bring it together with our magickal intent combined & our own spiritual energy, incredible results will occur. They literally have to.

So, heed this witch tip- collect the frost from the killing frost. Scrape it into a sterile jar and drop a smidge of alcohol in it to preserve it (ice vodka anyone?). Killing frost is technically any frost which kills, so I’d guess that collecting all of your first frosts up to the point when all seasonal greenery is fully dead as a direct result of them would work as well, but the first is the most potent by far. Grab as much as you can because you won’t be able to collect another batch of for another year. As you can imagine, Killing Frost is more difficult to collect in abundance than Termination Dust, so be set up beforehand.

 

To grab Termination Dust collect up the first snow as it first begins snowing. Be mindful that snow will melt to @ 20% it’s original volume roughly, so you’ll need five jars worth of snow to make a jar of snow water. Use these sacred and ultra strength fresh waters in spellwork which deals with endings. Not all Killing Frost or Termination Dust occurs on a dark moon of course, so you’d do good to notice the moon phase that you collected these within..as that is what you’re waters are also inherently attuned to as well. The first of the first snow is Termination Dust, and the rest of the new snow has a tinge of new moon/beginnings energies to them, so best to bear that in mind. (New snow could similarly be collected for new beginnings..)

These waters are guaranteed for one year & are automatically great for any dark moon magick. They can be incorporated into any working which aims to end habits, circumstances, or even bind someone.

Happy Reeving,

       Peninsula Pagan

What is a ‘Pagan’ anyway?

Fair enough question, so let me take a stab at it. There are a couple of core concepts that delineate a pagan from a nonpagan.

The first concept is that, generally speaking, pagans are those on the ‘alt-path’, as they are not beholden to any of the three Abrahamic solar deities or their institutions. These folks are ‘othered’ right from the start in our culture as the judeo-christo-muslim is considered normative.

Paganism is an umbrella term for the original religions, and encompasses all faiths with the exception of the three mentioned. Each one of us has ancestors who we’re pagan (as the spirituality of all people was originally pagan), and many of us still have relatives who are.

There was a time we were hunted & killed for our knowledge and skill sets because others found them threatening, but in the Western world today, this is largely not the case. Pagans are today a minority in the Western world (only).

The second concept is that pagans today inherently know @ energy, they perceive it & utilize it for the benefit of themselves/others/their communities/the planet. The energy manipulation very real, and is what we call magick (delineated from ‘magic’ which is slight of hand trickery). As science progresses, physics is increasingly able to validate our interface with an energetically interactive & intelligent universe.

While these are the main two identifiers, there are smaller ideas/experiences that we collectively share.

Generally speaking, we understand that energy/life force is everywhere and in everything. This extends beyond our physical world and our physical bodies. As such, we perceive ourselves as eternal, part of a collective energy, and many of us believe in reincarnation (because we have memories and evidence of prior incarnations).

Pagans revere nature and it’s natural elements as we revere each other and our Source. We find the energy of creation within all natural things. We celebrate nature with the changing of the seasons and indeed honor the seasons themselves. It is because of these things that many pagan groups are defined as ‘earth religion’s.

Unlike those of organized religion of today, pagans are exclusively led by inner guidance. In this culture, there is no external authority structure or institution to tell pagans what to believe/how to think. Therefore, we key into the divine via our personal intuitive compasses, each individually. We use no intermediary to commune with ‘all that is’ but some of us are known to use aids for divinatory purposes (famously tarot cards, runes, pendulums, etc). Our learning then is wholly authentic and genuine, is deeply personal. We also realize that what fits one may not fit another and hold no judgement about that.

Some pagans have an structured faith system (Wicca, for example, is a pagan earth based religion..or Hinduism, Taoism..), but most do not. Yet each pagan identifies as pagan/heathen based upon the concepts mentioned prior.

Pagans are not evil nor aligned with the devil. Both of these constructs are based in other religions and are not applicable to paganism. Sin is another Abrahamic construct that is foreign to pagans. We do not find that there’s a boogeyman-type of scapegoat or entity that tricks people into being irresponsible any more than we find that there’s a constructive reason to emotionally manipulate people into submission via threat of consequence or bribe of reward. We do not find natural things ‘dirty’ nor do we perceive people to be inherently ‘impure’. We find these characteristics part of the culture of the unhealed religions. Strip all of the fanfare, ego & motive out of institutionalized religions, and paganism is what you have left.

Some pagans worship no deities, but most generally do. Some worship only one (that being the ultimate source of creation itself, or prima causam/first cause..larger than any one religion or planet) but most worship, or at least work with, a series of benevolent nonphysical deities or entities. It is because of this that pagans/heathens are seen as polytheistic.

Pagans are quite well known for walking the path between worlds and working alongside beings that others are unfamiliar with. Most, but not all pagans find some or all mythical creatures to be real on some level, work with totem animals, spirit guides, familiars, & natural energies (like water, air, fire..) to assist us in our paths.

Most of us align with benevolent energies of love/light and life itself but there are a few bad apples who have given us a bad name. The rest, and primary cause of our ‘othering’, is the result of the bastardization we endured as part of the control dramas of the religious structures that we would not submit to. In many ways, pagans, the tools they use, their lifestyle, and beings they work with, have been literally demon-ized by those in power.

Seldom if ever do pagans bow to anything/anyone. We perceive that deity wants us to handle our own dramas without hand holding, without need for grooming them, and without fanfare. We are expected to be strong and self sufficient, and we will be know by the fruits of our labor.

Pagans perceive themselves and our physical world as part of, not separate from, the divine itself and as such perceive all things and acts to be holy & have inherent value. We have no cause for being body phobic, ashamed of our sexuality or sexual preference, and do truly perceive all genders as being inherently equal. We do not see natural drugs or alcohol as wrong any more than polyamory, tattooing or allowing one’s hair to be long (as dictated by the ‘harm none & do as you will’ ethic).

The moral code of pagans is rather intuitive…do to others as you’d have them do to you and harm none. Honor is held in great esteem, as we feel everything/everyone is connected. Therefore, what one does for others is truly something you do for yourself. We are held accountable mostly by our own conscience, but also by our peers and our deities. We are in service to each other and to our Earth.

Pagans do not prosylitize. We find the behavior abhorrent and figure if you have to advertise something then you’re trying to sell a product. We do feel that spirituality is not something that should be for sale and those who peddle it are seen as snake oil salesmen. We feel indoctrination is about as close to wicked as things can come, and to state a need for an intermediary between ourselves and our Source is a perversion of truth.

This is not a complete list of characteristics, but it’s a start. Apologies for the random nature of the list, but I was hoping to help you capture of feel of our world.

Brightest Blessings to you and yours,

The Peninsula Pagan

Celestial Syzygy

We’ve already posted about eclipses before, but here’s the stats for the July 27, 2018 total lunar eclipse and a brief refresher on it’s energetic impacts:

It will NOT be visible from our area, but that doesn’t change it’s energetic impact upon us. It will occur late in the evening on the other side of the planet, but for those of us on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, it will occur late morning thru early afternoon.

This particular eclipse will be the longest total lunar eclipse in the 21st century. The event will last about four hours (from 10:18 am thru 2:22 pm AST) and the totality will last approximately 103 minutes (11:30am -1:13pm). The next TLE will be January 20, 2019 and will be viewable from our location. The occur infrequently and so are an opportunity not to miss.

My personal take on TLE’s is that they’re a great time to work with the crone aspect, any of the Dark Goddesses (Hecate, The Morrigan…), a good time to do intuitional work, and ideal for dark magick. The new/waxing/full/waning lunar energies are all lumped into the same moment, so one essentially works with all aspects of the moon phases at once, making any working more powerful.

I’m including additional snippets of info on TLE energies below from other sources for those interested.

Thanks for reading!!

~Peninsula Pagan

“…an eclipse only takes place during the full moon phase of the lunar cycle, so this is a good time to do rituals focused on personal growth and spiritual development. Some examples could include, but are not limited to:

• Spells related to increasing your intuitive awareness and psychic ability, as well as divination and wisdom.
• Healing magick or rituals, particularly those that tie in to women’s mysteries or reproductive health.
• Any working related to developing your magical skills.
• Rituals that honor lunar Gods/Goddesses–now is a really good time to make an offering to them!

• Healing magick or rituals, particularly those that tie in to women’s mysteries or reproductive health.
• Rituals that connect you closely with deity, such as Drawing Down the Moon, or other spell work designed to invoke the god or goddess of your tradition.

Finally, remember that even if an eclipse is taking place where you can’t see it–it’s raining, there’s a cloud cover, or you’re just stuck inside for some reason–you can still take advantage of its power and energy. It’s out there and it’s happening, so make the most of it and use it to your own benefit.

”

(https://www.thoughtco.com/lunar-eclipse-magic-and-folklore-2562384)

Also of merit:

“Many magic-users consider the lunar energy during the time of a lunar eclipse to be particularly potent. There are a few different ways of considering this energy.

It can be said that the moon during an eclipse embodies the energy of every phase of the moon. You begin with a full moon and the Earth’s shadow begins to cover it and it wanes before your eyes until it goes dark (or rather red) and then the new moon’s sliver appears and the moon wanes to full again. Thus, you have all of the energy of every moon phase all at once, or in the amount of time it takes for the eclipse to complete. This makes the period of a total eclipse an excellent time for a multi-part spell that will utilize the energy of both the waxing and the waning moon.

Another way of looking at the energy of the eclipse is to consider the energies of the Earth, Moon and Sun in alignment. The moon is reflecting the energy of both the sun and the Earth back to you as it approaches totality.

When working with the energy of the lunar eclipse, it is important to consider the timing. The start and end date for an eclipse will differ based on your location and an eclipse can last a few hours so a quick internet search for your local start and end times is in order when you are planning a ritual.”

(http://www.witchipedia.com/def:lunar-eclipse)

Putting the Ostara back in Easter

For your consideration, here are 25 historic facts about the 5000 year old holiday many in the US consider ‘Easter’ today.

1.  The holiday Ostara/Eostara, Eostar/Easter is the ancient festival celebrating the resurrection or ‘rebirth of the sun’ at our vernal equinox, when the power of the sun returns & life is resurrected or ‘born again’.

2.  Ēostre is the Saxon Goddess of sunrise, spring, fertility, new life & immortality- as such hares, spring bulbs, eggs & baby animals have always been prominent themes. Ostara is the Norse name for her, Ishtar is her Sumerian name. As with all personifications of the goddesses, she has had many names, in many lands, in many times.

3.  The colored eggs we know today have represented always the sunlight of spring and are made and gifted as offerings to Eoster/Ostara at the equinox in hopes of being blessed with renewing life & joyous abundance.

4.  Ostara is said to have healed a wounded bird she found in the woods by changing it into a hare. Still partially a bird, the winged hare showed its gratitude to the goddess by laying eggs as gifts in her honor.

5.  This ancient Germanic ‘Osterhase’ or egg laying hare was said to lay brightly colored eggs into nests made by children to honor her. This is the origin of the Easter basket.

6.  In other countries it is an Eoster Cuckoo, Easter Bilby, or a fox which leaves the colored eggs.

7.  Eggs have been perceived as sacred for millennia and were colored red to represent the life force as early as 5000 B.C. They have been blessed and gifted to promote health & happiness in many cultures for just as long.

8.  Christian tradition states that when Mary Magdalene visited Emperor Tiberias, she gave him a red egg as a symbol of new life. Catholic tradition further seems to include details of the egg becoming magical in characteristic.

9.  Ancient Anglo-Saxons, Egyptians & Greeks all placed decorated eggs at grave sites especially as a charm of rebirth. This aligns well with the attributes associated with the solar resurrection and desire for continued blessings.

10.  Hot cross buns were traditionally made at Eoster to honor the goddess & the quarter solar holiday of spring as well as often the four quarters of the moon. (Solar quarters are the two equinoxes and solstices, indicating a change in seasons due to location of the sun in our skies)

11.  The oldest cross buns located were found by archaeologists excavating the ruins of Herculaneum, a city buried under volcanic ash & lava since 79 CE.

12.  Some cross buns were gifted to drive evil sprits away, hung in kitchens to prevent fires, and/or taken on travels as a protective good luck charm… depending on the culture and time.

13.  The pre-Christian people ‘broke bread’ together to be shared along the seams cut into the bread for better rising, breaking it into four pieces for sharing and to promote friendship.

14.  These spiced, berry studded sweet rolls we’re eventually banned from sale in England because of superstitions that the buns carried medicinal and/or magical properties.

15.  The Bible’s old testament references trying to stop pagans from making sweet buns for their idols, and later Chrisitian clergy tried to prevent sacred cakes being made at Eoster, but in the end they gave up & blessed the cake instead.

16.  Cross buns have been adopted as a Christian tradition and were fully institutionalized in Tudor times when the buns were relabeled & reappropriated to the now famous torture device.

17.  300 years after Christianity was popularized, it was decided in the First Council of Nicaea to put Christ’s figurative ‘rebirth of the son’ story atop the traditional vernal literal rebirth of the sun, in an effort to facilitate the peaceful assimilation of adherents of traditional religions to the new death cult. (This happened with the birth of the sun/son/winter solstice -Yule come Christmas- at that time as well). It was at this time that ‘Easter’ became a Christianized holiday.

18.  Christian scholar Bede admitted in his book, De temporum ratione, (The Reckoning of Time) that Easter is derived from the Saxon Eostre specifically to help graft it to the local culture.

19.  Christians originally considered the Eoster hare to bring bad fortune, saying witches (local folk healers) changed into rabbits in order to suck the cows dry.

20.  Later, springing from the old belief that witches are active during Holy Week and that they get together with the ‘Devil’ at a place called “blåkulla”, Swede kids today dress up as Easter witches and go around seeking treats from their neighbors.

 

21.  Yeshua/Jesus is the seventeenth in a string of ‘dying & rising god’s of the ancient world, also known as a death god archetype or of the resurrection god stories of the ancient world. The deity Attis (from the Vatican area, ironically) for example, arrived on the scene @ 1250 BC & was believed to have been born of a virgin, died & had been resurrected three days later, the rememberance of the event occurred each year during the vernal period, generally celebrated at that time near March 22-25.

While Christian apologetics attempt to explain comparative mythology of the Yeshua stories away, the preponderance of evidence left behind is overwhelming to those who have ears that hear and eyes which see.

Photo: Osiris, an ancient Egyptian death & resurrection deity

22.  The concept of ‘deicide’ as a form of redemption made it’s first appearance millennia prior to Christianity as well.

Yet it was through Christianity expliticly that the spring holiday of Eoster/Ostara, which historically consecrated life & renewal in many separate religions, came to instead solemnize human sacrifice & death via deicide among the followers of one religion.

 

23.  It is tradition to use old Yule (Christmas) trees to make the Eoster Fire as a way of bidding goodbye to winter and welcoming spring. (Generally speaking, the four solar quarter holidays are celebrated with fire rituals in honor of the sun & have been for thousands of years)

24.  Many countries have bonfires at Easter time, but in some countries the burning of the yule tree has been changed and instead effigies of Judas are now burned.

25.  Eoster has been celebrated continuously, in one form or another, since 3000 BC & is celebrated worldwide by many people of many different religions.

 

In summary, while the majority of the world’s cultures have already celebrated the vernal equinox and associated Ostara holidays this year, I recognize that the Christianized version of Easter is today. None of the above trivia is a joke intended to fool anyone for April Fool’s. As one of millions of non-Abrahamics of many religions who has already celebrated our holy day earlier in March, I want to make plain that Christians do not, nor ever have they ever had, a corner market on this particular holy day.

We pagans hear about shoving Christ into Yule annually (also known as ‘keeping Christ in Christmas’), and increasingly over the years the pagan community has been faced with only the Christianized version of Easter being acceptable in our society.

The chronic rescripting of history by those in power is damaging & divisive. Luckily, as we know better, we do better. Through education we can learn to focus more about what we have in common than what has historically kept us separate.

As always, please feel free to share.

In Regard,

The Peninsula Pagan

Month of Lunar Magick

Solar fireworks may have had your attention for 2017, but thankfully we’re on to bigger and better things.  If you reflect, you will observe that 2016 was about learning what needs to go while 2017 was your opportunity to physically experience what needs to go. It’s been a deep plunge into our fears and subsequently a means bringing them to the surface to be healed.  This leaves us crystal clear in 2018 what needs to change if we’re going to survive ourselves, and it is fully intended that we make these powerful sweeping changes this year.  It’s huge.  For you, for me, for the Goddess, for all of us. We’re in it together after all.  It’s quite the challenge and is the year or sink or swim.  Please note the Goddess is offering us all a helping hand.  You’ll note her theme for this month especially is GO BIG OR GO HOME.  Thankfully, she has our @&*#! covered in the way only a big mama can.

2018 begins with a Full Super Moon on night of the the 1st/2nd, and another Full Super Moon on the 31st.  Having two full moons in the same month makes the second a Blue Moon.  While these are incredible opportunities in their own right, the 31st offers us a Total Lunar Eclipse (making the moon appear red, called a Blood Moon) as well.  You will find that she will revisit with another TLE on July 27 to break trail for you again to help bolster you through the end of the year (hint: don’t waste her time or your opportunity) as we are likely going to be needing it.  You’ll note the solar eclipses all take a back seat to her this year.  They are only present, seemingly, to add a bit of backseat masculine chatter in her wake (Feb 15, July 13, Aug 11; each is only partial and further, we won’t be able to witness any of them from our locale).  Solar eclipses always occur @ 2 weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.  The important nugget to remember as far as eclipses go, is that solar eclipses challenge your logic and your authority in your life, while a lunar eclipse will challenge your emotional readiness for a change.  You can observe the parallels from these astronomical events as they manifest in your physical life.  Don’t believe me?  Keep a journal.

Are you ready to experience the fullness of the power of the Goddess? January of this month is your best opportunity for quite some time. Let’s unpack all of this.

 

  lupus lunas maximus

SUPER MOONS:

Jan 1 Super Moon, is the biggest full moon of the year. As a reminder, astronomically speaking a super moon is a full moon which occurs at moon’s closest to earth in it’s elliptical orbit (perigree).  This makes it appear bigger (by @ 20% compared to apogee), and because of it’s increased proximity to us causes greater influence on us, the tides, and our magick.  As it is the first full moon of the year it is called the Wolf Moon- this year’s happens to be a Super Moon as well.  Super Moons occur only a few times a year. Full moons of course are empowering times for witches, as we use them for meditation, energy healing, chakra clearing and recharging our energy fields.  Doing any energy work or healing work during a super moon creates greater strength and depth because every effort (good or bad) is amplified.  Your efforts will be magnified because the lunar influence is more pure.

Super Moons thus are a great manifestation tool, a great time to meditate, receive visions or connect with your guides, perfect for sending healing or blessings to yourself or others (idea: purge your emotional closet and allow the moon to shine illumination into every crevice that needs healed and allow it to occur in the moment), ideal for supercharging your crystals or making potent moon water (tip: capitalize by storing SM energy in something special to be used later), connect powerfully with the Goddess (see insert below for my BOS version of the Valiente Charge of the Goddess…snag a copy if you like), and is an optimum time for doing some serious spell work.  Lastly, worthy of note, is that you’re likely to need to make a special point to ground, as the super moon can heighten your sensitivity up to tenfold.  Get that root anchored (for me this involves red wine & dark chocolate).  Remember the Goddess is blessing us WITH TWO OF THESE THIS MONTH!!!!  DAAAAAAAYYUUUM GIIIIRRRLL!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qx-c1QU2Wt8EySw-yes3P3qnEnuk8YCQ4B_y9Z3Pq8Q/edit?usp=drivesdk

 

BLUE MOONS:

Blue Moons occur only once every two or three years and are technically defined as the second full moon of any given month.  Some witches find them to be as, if not more, powerful than the prior full moon of the month.  This particular Blue Moon is also a Super Moon. As you can tell, the Goddess is done messing around.  She expects us to utilize these gifts she’s offering and we’d better listen.  She won’t be offering this type of hand out again for a long time.  Whatever vestiges of hang-ups you didn’t clear on the 1st will be dealt with this evening.  If you got all of your own homework done, then capitalize on this time by helping your other beloveds out and throw in for them.

The Blue Moon is a great time for making occur something that is improbable but not impossible because it offers an extra kick.  Blue Moons are like full moon’s on steroids…much more so than any SM by far. (As an extra bonus, we actually have a second Blue Moon in 2018, on March 31..a mathematical improbability and definitely something to mark in bold in your calendar as well…as it won’t happen again until 2037.)  You may want to use the Blue Moon on the 31st for something particularly significant because this one is also happens to be a Super Moon.  The veil is as thin during a Blue Moon as it is on Beltaine and Samhain, so it’s definitely time to get your game on and offer your deep gratitude to everyone and everything you can muster… it’s a great time to honor your deities or decendants.  We won’t get another Blue Moon until mid 2020.  By my math, we won’t have the opportunity to experience another Super Blue Moon for 13 years.

 

BLOOD MOONS:

As if two full moons, two super moons, and one blue moon weren’t enough, the Goddess is the gift that keeps on giving. There’s also a Total Lunar Eclipse this month.. which thus offers us a BLOOD MOON. This is the first Blue Total Lunar Eclipse Moon to occur in 150 years.  Mathing it out, it’s a Super Blue Blood Moon.  Say it again slowly to yourself until it sinks in.  Succinctly put, if there’s anything in your way and you’re on your game, it’s going to get knocked out of the park.  Actively participate in it for you, for everyone and everything you love, as your direct impact will last the next seven and a half generations.

A total lunar eclipse occurs only when the earth is directly between the sun and the moon in perfect alignment and can only happen on a full moon.  There wasn’t one in 2017, there are two this year (they most often occur in pairs) and we’ve only only one in 2019.  The moon appears to take on a red hue, which is simply a reflection of millions of equivalent sunrises on Earth.  During lunar eclipses a witch will experience her insecurities and it’s important to WILL changes to re-frame them (“I am open and perfectly prepared for these changes, and I embrace them with love and optimism”).

An eclipse offers an experience of exquisite stillness that can be unnerving and cause a feeling of uncertainty.  Think of it as a cosmic pause between heart beats or between breaths, the magickal practitioner will notice it as having a similar sensation to that felt within a magick circle.  This is experienced most fully when the moon is fully within the Earths’s umbra (shadow) during the period of totality.  The Totality will occur for a whopping one hour and 16 minutes during this particular event.  An total eclipse is a moment of ‘time beyond time, space beyond space’ I invite you to utilize your other states of being and the guidance of your unseen allies to shift things for your benefit. Often phychic development and women’s mysteries are great themes for this event.

Magick performed during a lunar eclipse combines the power of the full AND new moons simultaneously, thus invokes the Triple Goddess in each of her forms.  Consider carefully any craft work prior to the working by taking extra precaution beforehand to be impeccable in your reiving and being explicit in your phrasing.  You are expected to use the precision of the Crone during this time if you’re going to participate, as working during an eclipse is considered ‘advanced’ work and you have roughly an hour to raise, focus and release the working completely as we cram a full moon cycle into a few hours.  You can focus on what it is you want as the moon passes into darkness, build energy, release it as the moon begins to return, and bring it manifest as the moon returns to full.  As a practitioner is wise to utilize blue during a blue moon, some of us will work blood magick this blood moon.

 

If you don’t know what you’re doing, then simply don’t do craft work during an eclipse. Instead, you can participate by simply grounding, centering, shielding and meditating to benefit from the eclipse in a positive way.  For example, as the moon wanes during the eclipse, you could focus on getting rid of your blocks and as it waxes back to full you could focus on increasing your psychic skills. There are many ways to approach this and what feels most correct to you intuitively is what you should do.  But I do highly suggest that you participate either way. Here is the gist and the times for our local area:

       Jan 31 metaphysical bonus round: total duration of the eclipse is 5 hrs 17 mins, while totality lasts 1 hr 16 mins

 

January 2018 is a stunning display of the magnitude of growth and change can occur when the Goddess leads.  2018 looks to be the year of feminine re-empowerment and my guess is that we’re all more than ready for much more of that. This rising is synonymous with magickal creation.  I’m happy to say goodbye to 2017 much like I would endeavor to scrap dog poo off the bottom of my shoe.  I’m ready for 2018 and lining up to capitalize on the gifts Goddess bestowed.  I hope this article has helped you to focus in on the opportunities presented you this month.  May all of your workings be blessed in 2018.

 

-The Peninsula Pagan

 

PS reminders: Jan 31 super Blue Blood, Feb 15 partial solar eclipse, March 31 Blue Moon,  July 13 partial solar eclipse, July 27 total lunar eclipse, Aug 11 partial solar eclipse

Yuletide Merriment

    

Winter Solstice is a powerful moment in time marked by the moment at which the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun, thus producing the longest darkness at night/shortest amount of daylight of the year. Yule, however, is a season marked by the beginning of the solstice and lasts until January 1st.  The Solstice marks the sacred time when the sun returns to our land, is birthed. This is celebrated by merry making in many differing ways for nearly two weeks.

• also called: Solstice, Jul/Jól, Saturnalia, Midwinter, solar/secular New Year
• dates: around December 21 and the season runs from the Dec 21- Jan 1
• colors: red, green, white, silver & gold
• plants: evergreens, holly, ivy, mistletoe, birch, oak, yew
• herbs: bayberry, evergreens, frankincense, holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine
• oils/scents: wintergreen, pine, myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
• energy: regeneration & renewal
• goddesses: Great Mother, Isis, Mary, Tonazin, Lucina, Bona Dea, Diana, Gaia
• gods: Sun Child, Horus, Jesus, Mithras, Santa/Odin, Saturn, Holly King, Ra, The Horned One, Green Man
• rituals: personal renewal, world peace, honoring family & friends
• spellworkings: peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness
• activities: Welcoming the Sun ritual on Solstice Morn/(ring the bell or singing, caroling the neighbors, decorating & burning the Yule log, making pomanders, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents to loved ones and gifting those less fortunate, kissing under the mistletoe, honoring Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of Yule, feasting, making resolutions, bonfires & releasing ceremonies, making food and clothing donations, laying sunflower seeds/making suet feeders outside for birds, creating and walking a solstice spiral,  performing magick for a peaceful planet, and wassailing the trees at the end of the season.
• decorations: wreaths on the doors, mistletoe hung, decorated Yule tree, garlands, lights/candles, witch balls, pomanders, pine cones, stars/pentagrams, bells

       

 

Yule Blessing Prayer Ritual: cut out multicolored strips of paper, bless & anoint the strips, light candles, speak the prayer, write your blessings on a strip as you think of them, make a loop & glue the strip end to end… making a blessing chain to use as garland about your home, altar, or tree.

 

“I am grateful for that which I have.

I am not sorrowful for that which I do not.

I have more than others, less than some,

but regardless, I am blessed with

what is mine.  Blessed be.”

 

Pomanders: The orange is associated, like many fruits, with abundance, fertility and prosperity. While you’re making pomanders with oranges, you can incorporate them into magical practice. As you poke the cloves through the skin, focus your intent on bringing abundance your way. Use corresponding ribbon colors. Roll the pomme in corresponding herbs to cure it (often nutmeg & cinnamon are used)

Wassail: originally a word that meant to greet or salute someone—groups would go out wassailing on cold evenings, and when they approached a door would be offered a mug of warm cider or ale. Over the years, the tradition evolved to include mixing eggs with alcohol and asperging the crops to ensure fertility. While this recipe doesn’t include eggs, it sure is good, and it makes your house smell beautiful for Yule.

Ingredients for a basic wassail recipe:

• 1 Gallon apple cider
• 2 C. cranberry juice
• 1/2 C honey
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 oranges
• Whole cloves
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• Allspice
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• 3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
• 1/2 C – 1 C brandy (optional)

Directions:

Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they’ll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste—usually a couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. Finally, snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add those as well.

Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 – 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.

 

 

Enjoy your holy days and be blessed.

Spice of Life

We’ve entered winter here on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska and have received the blessings of sacred Samhain as we head toward Yule. (Happy New Lap Around the Sun!!)  As the season sets in we begin to ache for rich hearth-y foods, savory drinks,  and re-kin-dling with our friends around warm fires. We yearn for that which we need to stoke and sustain our inner fire. As always, there’s a way to add magick to our moments.  There is a magickal method to incorporate the potency of the sun and groundedness of the earth to help maintain us on our journey through the dark side. This path assists in our personal healing and literally empowers our cunning undertakings with passion and strength. It is as delicious to the soul as it is to our pallet and our magick….Behold the sacred magickal chai latte!

Between Samhain and Yule I drink this potent brew to bolster myself & my workings. Because of the associations of the components of my concoction, it is wise to sip and sit with the drink, while basking in it’s energy and incorporating it into the body. Not a fan of caffeine, I make mine with a blend of rooibos and tulsi (holy basil) and it is every bit as tasty as that of the chaiwallas of the middle east! In this blog I’ll lay out for you the general shape of the correspondences for each ingredient followed by the recipe and directions for steeping what is sure to be one of  your most favorite powerhouse witchy teas of all time. You are sure to see the method to my madness as you ponder the elements that I’m combining. You’ll soon see why I suggest that you sit with a cuppa chai before embarking on any witchy task which requires earthy oomph. This is among the most potent and exquisite potions I’ve created.  And, I’m going to share it with you freely knowing that I’m literally handing you occult rocket fuel & hoping for the best.

        

Cardamom– the ‘feminine Mars’, strength, warmth, fire energy, Venus, love, water, passion, lust, protection, love

Cloves– sun, warmth, prosperity, protection, pinning into place our intentions, hearth

Cinnamon– sun, gentle warmth, mild protection, fire, prosperity, booster in spells

Ginger– heat,used to speed things up, firey, success, money, power, health, protection

Nutmeg– Samhain/Yule, warmth without fire, money & luck, the Goddess

Allspice– fire, Mars, masculine, uplifting, healing energy, determination, money, luck,, purification

Milk– most magickal of all body fluids, life provider, exists exclusively to nourish, Isis, is a living substance  (coconut milk, if you prefer as an alternative, is used for protection and spiritual cleansing)

Water– cleansing, psychic healing, clarity, emotion, purification, understanding, friendship

Honey– sun, health, abundance, security, love, protective, binding, productivity, sweetening life

Rooibos– rejuvenation, inner peace, dreamwork

Tulsi– love, perfect health, vitality-promoting, wealth, enlightenment, purity, chakra balancing, harmony, goodness

Star Anise– (Optional) moon, clairvoyance, psychic awareness, protection, promotes youth, luck, money, happiness,health empowerment

You see, these are all warm, strengthening/empowering, and are all used for prosperity and protection magick. Odd enough, one would combine cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger to water for a prosperity simmering potpourri or use this combination in any prosperity spell.  If you add in a little nutmeg and allspice, you have assembled the basic chai spices. I consider these the ‘spice of life’ blend as they do nothing but promote abundance, health vitality, grounding, pleasure and exuberance.

If you’re chai savvy, you’ll notice no mention of peppercorns in this recipe. This is simply because tulsi, on it’s own merit, tastes a bit like black pepper when steeped. For those unfamiliar with tulsi, it is a sacred plant of Hindi people and also known as holy basil, and she is truly the Queen of Herbs. Tulsi literally means “beyond compare” in Sanskrit. There is no limit to her health benefits and I’ve known her to be excellent in mediation and protection. I routinely consume tulsi (Davidson’s organic blend, from Amazon) and always have her growing in my home. I’ve never smelled a plant more pleasant or known one to be of such a high vibration…

Witchy Chai Recipe                                                                                                                       The Ingredients (for one)

4 cardamom pods                                                               1 T loose rooibos

1 inch of cinnamon stick                                                  1 generous T loose tulsi

4 cloves                                                                                 1 C water

1/4 t ground nutmeg                                                          1 C milk

dash of allspice                                                                    honey to taste

1/8 inch of fresh ginger                                                     1 star anise (optional)

 

The Instructions                                                                                                                               

In a small sauce pan, gently heat up 1 C water and 1 C milk. As that comes to a gentle simmer (do not boil), and using your mortar and pestle, grind together cardamom pods, cinnamon, and cloves. Grate in nutmeg (or alternatively, use ground nutmeg) and add a dash of allspice. Separately, slice a small piece of ginger (or alternatively, use 1/8 t of dried ginger).  Combine the loose leaf rooibos and tulsi to the mortar and blend all clockwise and pouring in your love and appreciation. The energy of these tea herbs and the earthy spices will sync harmoniously without further effort on your part.

Once the water/milk is warm enough to lift a slight steam, but before it would ever boil, add in the combined ingredients and stir thoroughly and gently with a whisk. Once combined well, turn off the heat and let the concoction steep for two minutes. Drop the star anise into the bottom of your mug (if using), lay a small straining sieve over the top of your large mug (or another holding container), and gently pour the contents of your potion into your mug. It is important to separate the solids from your brew lest it continue to steep.

Grab a spoon and dip it in your honey, or alternatively, add about 1-2 t of honey to your chai tea. Your chai will be hot, but because of the freshly pulverized spices will be among the most aromatic drinks you’ve been exposed to.  Enjoy!  Even if all you do while you enjoy your tea is ponder upon all that you have to be grateful for or your hopes and dreams, you will notice the energy of the tea you consume seeping and empowering your ideas. You will feel the warmth of the herbs and spices continue to warm your soul long after you’ve consumed your potion.  And yes, there will likely be enough sediment in the bottom of your mug for tasseomancy.

Note- This will keep in the fridge for a week if you protect it from air exposure (use a lidded mason jar) and be suitable for reheating. Separately, one can grind and combine the appropriate ratios of the dried spices & herbs and put it in a hermetically sealed jar for greater ease when making this tea (great Samhain or Yule gifting idea).

 

Peninsula Pagans

 

Peninsula Pagans can be found here,

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& on Twitter @PeninsulaPagans

 

 

Magickal Methods- a practical approach

Pagan Pondering: “What type of Magick do you do, or use most frequently? What does ‘magick making’ look like??” Many of us are curious about magick & maybe have read about it, but….what is it like applied to daily life???

First let’s identify our parameters by defining magick for those unfamiliar. Magick is utilization of natural inherent energies directed purposefully toward a goal (differing from ‘magic’ which is sleight of hand trickery). It is neither negative/dark or positive/light, just like water or air can’t be perceived as dark or light. In this sense, magick is a noun…a thing. A type of living, vibrant, latent or potential energy, much like light, electricity, or magnetism.

By combining our intent (our ‘will’) we can effect a change in our energetic environment. In this sense we perceive it as a verb, we perceive that we are ‘doing/practicing magick’..all were doing is using our will & using magickal energies to do work. Some people call upon an aspect of deity to assist them, many do not. Manipulating energies is not inherently bad or good, is something everyone can do if they learn to do so effectively.  It is a very natural thing to do and most often, we do it without conscious awareness of it.  Those who practice magick are just doing it deliberately and mindfully, just as adherents of other faiths do when they pray for another or a particular situation- they’re sending energy outward for an intended effect. Sending energy does not involve Satan or devil worship or any such church-promulgated hate rhetoric or similar vilifying folklore.

As each of us possess a life force energy, we all possess the ability to manipulate this energy inherently.  I’d propose that, largely, magick is who/what you are, is within you intrinsically like your life-force (God-Spark) animate energy & not just an act you do. That your own type of signature ‘magickal energy’ is inherently yours. It’s not something than can be ‘turned off & on’ but rather something you can deliberately amp up or ground downward.  In my experience its always there whether I perceive it to be static or active, but a type of energy neither created/destroyed and able to be combined with other things & shifted around. We shift things gently over time through magickal living in our day to day lives and we also shift things in more forceful ways deliberately through targeted spell work or ritual practice.

 

What does my daily magick look like? 

Daily magick is different from ritual or spellcrafting. It’s rather informal and unstructured, so here’s a random list of ‘daily-type’ things this particular magickal person does:

I write out intentions & have a charged manifesting box I add them to, I have a fetch doll I use that I made when the need arises, have a witch’s garden where I grow plant allies with a purpose and also as a celebration of life;  do crystal gridding; create magickal waters. I meditate in nature; talk aloud continuously with my guides/angels; have whimsical items in my home to welcome fae which share my residence with me; I bless things as I cook with them; use visualization daily; often send random blessings & healing energies to whomever/whatever I choose (always with the intent that it be applied in their highest good). I leave offerings to my perception of deity as a way of practical worship (honor life, rebirth & air by attending to the needs of the birds at my place for example; or collect items from the beach and make temporary altars of them to honor the ocean & earth; collect local seeds & spread them on sparse ground).

I say thanks aloud for beautiful clouds & serendipitous moments; & when I experience a bubble of unbound joy I purposefully send it outward….  When I shower I deliberately use essential oils and my purple-tinted shampoo, and visualize my energetic body getting a good once-over, too. I have charged color coordinated stones that are laid between my mattresses to help my energetic body clear/rejuvenate at night when I sleep, according to the chakra system and tailored to my personal needs.  I have tarot-type decks for spirit-led guidance & a pendulum I use for internal guidance when I feel compelled. I use this pendulum for also balancing my own energetic body, and have a separate one I use for balancing the energy of others and also locations which feel ‘off’ to me.

I love burning natural candles in my home & do so nearly every day, I frequently make my own as well.  I drink herbal teas as a sacred way to honor myself, often using those herbs & flowers that I have grown (sometimes I bathe in them too!) I listen to pagan music because I love it (Pandora);  I love & revere all aspects of nature;  have little mini-altars all over the place but not until recently did I realize that’s what they were….collections of things of a theme used to provoke me. I clean my home incorporating herbs, oils, waters & salts.

Separately from these, I find making music soothes me and use it as a means of informal worship to ‘all that is’; read metaphysical books; research extensively; and have constructed my own personal grimoire– a collection of my magickal learnings over the years, to use as a tailored reference book for myself. I’ve a cupboard of random things collected in as a personal apothecary (from cascarilla powder & dirt from Death Valley, to pussy willows, glitter, and a bottle of bubbles for blowing). I use these items often on a whim as inspired, or other times as part of a pragmatic approach to effect an energetic shift in spell crafting.  Sometimes I whip out a circle & scry for a while, sometimes I create sacred space & make a poppet. Sometimes I’ll write down things I’m ready to let go of, make a fire & light those up as a form of release (either in a cauldron or outside at the firepit). I have created and use talismans programmed to do certain things for me/my family, and also amulets (usually of the mineral kingdom) used for protection.  I find the Solar Sabbats holy, frequently celebrate the cross quarter Sabbats, & routinely honor monthly Esbat.

Mind you, these things aren’t cleanly labeled and obvious in my life, however to the magickal practitioner are notably present.  They are part of who I am, because I create the space for magick in my life and create things specifically for the purpose of doing magick. I participate each of these day-to-day  routine things without really thinking too much about it. I’m a bit eclectic that way. I like finding excuses to celebrate and explore things and do on both large and small scale helplessly.  I find deliberately celebrating life & honoring creation is a great way to honor that universal energy that created us, even as we all argue about who/what it truly is.

Even after all of this, this ‘daily life’ list doesn’t include any specific description of what I do when I set out to specifically, and purposefully, ‘do magick’.

Magical Practice…

‘Doing magick’ is called ‘practicing magick’ for much the same reason as ‘practicing medicine’ is referred to as such- it is a practice, an art, a craft of the witch, a skill which is honed through deliberate application and study, observing and measuring outcomes and adjusting accordingly over time.  It’s a passion & is work.  It takes organization, effort, & focus. It is specific to a task at hand, a specific situation ‘I will’ to change and is what I’d call ‘active’ magick. It is spell casting as practiced in witchcraft, and btw is independent of any specific religion.  Pretty much everyone who practices magick keeps written track of what works for them & what doesn’t over time. This deeply personal and detailed record is called a Book of Shadows.

A BOS is not unlike a journal in which a person writes their home-brew recipes and journals trials, errors, and results of different batches and different combinations of ingredients. By recording your method (using the scientific method, actually) and your results, you hone in on what works for you. Know that what works for me may/may not work for you.  There isn’t a right or wrong, but rather a more effective/less effective- for you personally.  As ALWAYS, take which aspects of methods which jive with you and leave the rest.  Your work must be authentic if you’re seeking authentic results. You will find there are different ways of doing magick. ..cauldron magick, wind magick, time magick, plant magick, ocean magick, solstice magick, moon magick, candle magick, blood magick, sex magick, etc. .. it’s endless and the sky is the limit, really. You’ll have to see what pulls you. I suggest you keep track of it in a BOS so that you can more easily see patterns, & too recommend that you use a 3 ring binder because you’ll be adding to it & adjusting it quite a bit.

Here’s how I go about ‘practicing magick’ deliberately..how I cast a spell (using ‘candle magick’ as an example):

1. I get a specific targeted goal (singular, not plural) in mind & plan out what is appropriate for the specific task at hand using my intuition, my guides &/or reference books.  I use herbs, oils, crystals, candles, incense & symbolism figure out who/what to invoke… according to their correspondences & my intuition. I’ll aim to incorporate the five senses & also the five elements…from stones, feathers, shells, chimes, to flowers, seeds, blood, ice, old photographs, taglocks, etc.  (NOTE: Be mindful not to include the kitchen sink- often simpler is better)

2. I cleanse & ground myself, collect items needed & charge them up/program them, then link them all together so that they work harmoniously toward my goal & then often leave them on an amethyst slab or pentacle to soak…

3. I write out my incantation on a blank sheet of paper (a script usually written in rhyme). Once satisfied I rewrite the finished draft onto a blank BOS worksheet.

4. To this sheet I add the list the tools/items to be used for my BOS. (After the working, I can edit this preliminary draft to what actually occurred & later record my results) The BOS sheet will ultimately have the name of the spell, my incantation, an ingredients list, a record of who/what is to be invoked, a date/time of the working, a timeline for expected results, current lunar cycle & will in the future contain a description of the spell results. I will commit the procedure to memory before doing the working.  I restate for emphasis- it’s important to remember to give the spell a time frame within which to work.

5.  From there I write an ‘objective’ statement of my intended outcome onto a seperate piece of charged & charmed natural paper…written in current tense in black ink & it’s a condensed version of my verbal incantation spell.  This slip of paper is separate from my BOS worksheet that I use as a log, and is something I generally burn in ritual. Sometimes it’s a statement, sometimes a crafted sigil, but it’s always short, sweet and directly to the point. It’s often a focal point in my work but is not a necessary component of candle magick, per se. It’s just my preference.

Sometimes I seek the ‘proper timing’ for a working, other times not. But when I decide to do my work, I’m always psychologically ready.  When ready, I grab something to pour into my goblet (always, often wine) & an offering (sometimes..) get to work!

6. I create my sacred space by cleansing my work space, tools, myself & the items I’ll use. Sometimes I cast a big circle, other times I’m rather informal about it.  Note: The circle separates the magickal from the mundane, is a protective barrier which prevents untoward intrusion, & creates a ‘space beyond space & time outside of time’..a void in between worlds, and is where magickal work occurs.  I always use a form of incense to aid me to clear energies (white sage, copal, lavender/sandalwood etc.), and usually anoint things I work with using sacred water or oil.

7. I call the corners & invoke spirit as warranted (think angels, guides, totems, ancestors, Goddesses, God’s, guardians… whomever I feel appropriate at the time but alway unfailingly inviting Sacred Hecate, Queen of Witches & Goddess Triformis).  I do a prayer of protection, re-center myself & make sure I have everything I need with me. I light my working candles, then ring my bell- it’s a personal preference to do it here at the beginning of my ‘work’.

8.  I use mantras/motion/drumming/ TM to deliberately put me into a state of hypnosis or altered awareness (mugwort, etc. can help here, too)

My spell candle(s) is inscribed, anointed with oil, & frequently rolled in herbs as I work with them & connect with them to get me in the zone & begin to raise power in conjunction with them. If you use invoking/banishing pentagrams you could do that too…

9. I place my prepped candle in the center of my altar & light it (I suppose the spell has officially ‘begun’ at this point). I raise energy about it and through it, linking myself to it and the elements.

10. As I raise energy I can focus on my sigil & place it’s energy into my work, can recite my spell aloud & sometimes I recite my objective outcome statement repeatedly as a mantra in my head or aloud… seriously do anything you feel is ‘right’ in the moment to add to the energy you are raising. Dance, yell, spin, rock back & forth, visualize continually the energy raised & let it pulsate between your work & your core, building & spinning deosil. Belly-breathe into it!  I often add extra herbs to my flame, or roll them up in my small paper & tie it with knots using colored string accordingly… This swirling energy that you’ll tangibly feel is called a ‘Cone of Power‘, is shaped like a cone or witch’s hat & is the vortex of your infused magical energies.  Some perceive it as a wall which grows in height as you build it…. whatever works for you.  One need not be skyclad or hop around a field on a broom to have energy, raise it, and direct it purposefully btw.

11. Once I’ve got it as high as it will go/complete as it can be, however I choose to do it, & have expended all frenetic yet focused energy that I’m able or willing to generate, I let it go. I do this by burning my objective statement that I was fixating on & it’s released as it finishes burning. I direct the built energy outward, sometimes in a specific direction…but usually trust it to go where it needs to without further input from me. As it let’s go I often feel the release as a gush of energy, not unlike wind.  Some people clap or make a loud noise, ring a bell or state ‘So mote it be!‘ as this occurs…to each their own!

12. I let the candle burn down as I regroup & ground…I tend to sit with it in gratitude. Some people release the corners & give thanks at this time, but I do that once the candle has spent itself (I prefer smaller candles😊)..feels more complete to me. I ring my bell signify to my subconscious mind that its time to return to normal time and space, to help snap myself back into my body.

Once my candle is out, I offer explicit thanks to each spirit/thing that aided me, release the corners, cut the circle & imbibe. Seriously, I take a swig of something (wine/juice/alcohol) from my goblet & have a bit of chocolate (either just a pinch of cocoa power under my tongue or a bit of cacao) always on hand in a container on my altar for that purpose. You see, it usually takes a bit to get me regrounded & this helps me. This is the time for clean up & airing out the work space…it’s closing shop.

13. Having done that- it’s time to LET IT GO. I walk away, redirect my energy elsewhere, I distract myself with something else & don’t look back. I don’t ruminate on it, overthink it, don’t doubt. I know that as I will it, so mote it be in confidence.

At a later time I return to finalize my worksheet to add to my BOS…and usually again after I’ve noticed the spell has run it’s course.

That’s it.  May sound complex but it’s not. Figure out a goal, write it down, gather things/spirit to aid the working, light a candle, throw all appropriate energies into it & build it like a bonfire, then release it.

I don’t have all the answers & I am far from expert, and like you, I am learning. I will likely feel novice even after I’ve reached some degree of competency but there is no end to learning and no end to mastery. If I happen to be a chapter or two ahead of you I’m happy to share & encourage you along. If you are a chapter or two ahead of me & have something to share with me I’d humbly receive it from you in gratitude. I do notice the coveting of hard earned knowledge is common with this path. Admittedly some things are to be left unsaid & need to be experienced first hand. But too, sharing safely is empowering to everyone & I’m happy to contribute as I’m able.

 

Hope this helps & Blessed Be!!

)O(

 

Religious Erections

      

https://www.onenewsnow.com/ap/united-states/arkansas-new-10-commandments-monument-at-capitol-destroyed

Religious Erections: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

I’d understand the ‘Ten Commandments’ being placed on government property if the United States were a Jewish Theocracy, but it’s not. We have a secular government in the United States, by definition & in practice (usually).  Yet in Arkansas, the religioulus subverted democracy to impose their beliefs onto the public again, and this time their efforts were torn down within 24 hours. Michael Tate Reed understands that people have rights, but beliefs do not.  Tate is a Christian man who has dismantled this golden calf twice now. He knows that the separation of church & state is important in the US & is committed to it. Admittedly, many a proselytizer could learn much from him.

Remember when blacks began asserting themselves in the 20’s & whites subsequently began erecting civil war monuments to subtly remind them of who was in charge?? This seems like a parallel & the Christian way today to remind people who it is that lines the pockets of our government. I wish more Americans were ashamed of this…  Either way, erecting religious murals on tax payer property, & separately, by giving the impression that those beliefs are ‘government sanctioned’, are both vehemently anti-American behaviors.

In the interim while it gets sorted out, it would be nice to see an addendum added to every Ten Commandments monument on public property across the US to include the explicit punishment listed for breaking the Abrahamic playbook: “death”, “death”, “death”…. for it would serve as a quick reminder that these rules are neither Christian nor do they represent the morals or attitudes of the vast majority of Americans.

We Peninsula Pagans appreciate that spirituality minded folk on the Kenai Peninsula are capable of sharing our public property without need to sabotage one another or our US laws. We are as bothered by Christmas trees as Christians are bothered by Halloween… we play along & put up our Yule trees in celebration of the birth of the sun, & Christian families share candy with our kids on the doorsteps of their homes in generosity toward ancestral spirits & tradition. Reciprocity is important & respectful.

We are hopeful that our local Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will soon figure out that we are all Americans, equally. Arkansas seems to be grappling with the same dichotomy so it’s not an uncommon misunderstanding.  America is built of people’s of all faiths, approximately 313 to be exact, and each perceived as valid by their adherents. None of us have the legal right to lay claim to any piece of taxpayer funded property or time to further our religious agendas. They’ll come around one way or another…

Peninsula Pagans do not condone vandalism by the way, but neither do we support the current religious entitlement problems our citizens are wrapped up in.  Erections in public aren’t something the public should be required to see, especially righteous ones.

Thanks for sharing 😊