Author Archives: totallypagan
Worksheet for the element: AIR
Below is a worksheet I frequently use for private students. This is a wonderful start to a Book of Shadows. The blanks, of course, are meant to be filled in by hand. Could you go down the list and just Google the answers? Sure.
Did your spiritual adviser/teacher have you fill out such things? What benefit could you see from doing worksheets like this?
Worksheet
AIR
Sample Calling: I stand and I face the _________ (direction) and call the element of _______. Bring with you __________________, ____________________ and ________________ to the edge of this circle for protection and purification. Welcome, _________.
Sample Dismissal: I return to face the _________ (direction) and dismiss the element of _____. Return now to your realm and come again when I call.
Direction:
Planet:
Color:
Role (what does it bring or contribute?):
Gender:
Tools:
Other Correspondence:
Symbols/Sigils:
Logically/Mundanely – what is this element to you?
Is it important in your mundane (physical) life? How?
Spiritually/Metaphysically – what is this element to you?
Why do we call this element?
Is it important in your magical/spiritual life? How?
List 3 things you hope to learn from this element.
1.
2.
3.
List 3 things you don’t understand about this element.
1.
2.
3.
After working with this element – list 5 things/lessons you learned from this element that made an impact on you.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Please use this page for any difficulties/discoveries you made during your Air quest. Any other notes/thoughts/experiences or anything noteworthy to YOU can be written here for discussion at another time.
Religions of the World
Here’s a detailed map of all religions of the world on a map.
This was orignally seen at http://metal-gaia.com/
Meditation Malfunction
There are times I have a lot of trouble meditating. I can’t seem to get myself to that ‘no thought’ or ‘no mind’ frame and just can’t fully meditate.
I’m not ADD. I can focus without force! I just can’t simply meditate any old time I want.
The very first time I was almost into a totally meditative state a sudden thought came to mind.
Wow. It takes twice as long to exhale as it does to inhale. I wonder why that is!
I was so very frustrated. I was so close!
It took quite a long time before I realized that meditation isn’t always about getting to that empty state. Sometimes it’s just about relaxing so you can refocus. Relaxation doesn’t have to be unproductive. You don’t need two hours in a room thick with incense smoke and soft music. Maybe you just need a cup of tea and a hot bath.
There’s no wrong way to meditate. I’ve also found there’s no right way, either. If you’re determined to meditate – try out different things!
Here is a favorite of mine to listen to while bathing, meditating, relaxing.
Dream Interpretation
Dreams are amazing. They are a harmless way for us to play out our desires, fears, and just experience things we otherwise wouldn’t be able to (like flying).
Dreams can be literal or symbolic. Some folks are stuck asking “What does it mean?”. I do that sometimes too! Sometimes dreams are so bizarre that everything has to be a metaphor. Surely I don’t literally want to be a manatee (okay honestly I do) but what are the correspondences?
If I have absolutely no idea – I will traipse over to one of my favorite dream interpretation dictory sites and look it up. http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary – Dream Moods Dictionary says this for a manatee:
To see a manatee in your dream represents your passiveness in a situation. You are lacking ambition and drive. Alternatively, it represents someone in your life who is lazy, slow or gentle.
I’ve even had dreams that I’m a man with a constantly erect penis and am baffled that no one is offended or saying anything about it.
Dreams can be silly, meaningful, mournful, beautiful – and they are all unique to each person. This is something that I always hope to explore more but rarely get the opportunity.
On the rare occasion when my dreams are so detailed I am questioning whether I am awake and in reality – I will always wake up with a debilitating migraine. When something in my mind clicks and I do realize I’m in a dream – I will start to bend a shape the dream and make it even more ridiculous. Why not? I’m going to have a migraine anyway, so I might as well have fun!
Introductory Altar Building
One of the first things people rush to when discovering and beginning to follow a Pagan path is altars. They see pretty pictures on the internet and rush to assemble one. My advice? Wait.
As humans we are very attracted to the aesthetic of pretty things. Of course we are! Everyone wants things around them to be their idea of beautiful. Altars should be an exception.
When I get students who want to learn from me, the first thing I tell them is “If you have an altar, strip it.” When I was first seeking a teacher I was sooooo mad when I was told to do this. How dare they! There’s a reason, kids.
Removing everything that you’ve accumulated lets you go back to fundamentals. For those who’ve not yet discovered fundamentals it gives you a chance to really work on things first – before diving into the pool during adult swim. Please be respectful that this is a religion. You don’t just show up to a church and shout “I’m Catholic! Give me a shot of wine and a cracker!” It’s now how this works. It’s not how any of this works.
While there are many beginner books I adore, I sort of hate the whole self-initiation thing. I think in most cases people read a website, see a video, or read a few chapters of a book and go “Yep I’m 100% witch now.” or “I read most of that book … and I’m 200% Wiccan!” Please. Please?
Take some time to learn something from someone else. Even if all you learn is how to make some incense and a good bread recipe. Don’t assume you know everything and I think it’s a good idea to refrain from assembling an altar right out of the chute.
Here’s what’s most likely to happen. You dabble. You’re sort of into it so you buy stuff for aesthetics. No shame! We’ve all done it! You spend all this money on stuff for it to sit in part of a room that you don’t really touch. Now it is a source of contempt. All that money wasted on something that is meaningless to you. Just avoid that whole cycle!
I am not an authority to tell anyone how they should do things – but I have seen this cycle again and again. My position is to inform from the standpoint of experience only. Take that as you will!
Pagan Resources
When I was a little baby witch the Internet was in infancy. Finding like-minded folks was really difficult. You really had to be serious to go through all the trouble of ‘putting yourself out there’ to find someone!
These days there are all sorts of resources at your fingertips.
You can search by country, state and type of person, group you’re looking for. Adult, Military, Teen, and Recovery are some of the categories.
Perfect for those who don’t want to put themselves out there but want information. This site offers a lot of information on different paths. Read, decide and follow your heart.
Local UU Churches
If you are looking for other Pagans, the easiest place to start is a local UU church. If no one there is Pagan, someone will at least know where you should start searching. Most UU Churches host craft faires and things which other Pagans frequent. Check it out!
In the same vein of UU Churches – the Pagan sector of UU called CUUPS has a great resource site:
http://moonpathcuups.org/resource.htm
Slow News …. Months
It has been quite some time since I’ve sat down and written a blog post.
I hope to make this my Saturday afternoon ‘thing’ soon. I’ve gotten busy with being a 30-something college student and trying to juggle all the homework. It has only been a few weeks but I’ll get the hang of it. Slowly I’ve been learning the ropes.
Starting this Saturday – February 21 I will spend a few hours writing posts that will auto publish throughout the week. Will the posts be useful? Maybe to some. Will they have cited sources? Fuck. Probably not.
This is an outlet. A place for me to easily share my spiritual observances without worrying if my words are misconstrued or if my natural ‘resting bitch face’ is sending the wrong message.
NEXT WEEK – more regular posts coming.
This Week’s Astrology
New Moon on Thursday, January 30th, 2014, at 4:39 PM EST.
Mercury is in Aquarius from January 11-31.
When Mercury is in Aquarius, we have a need to gain new knowledge and are more open to new ideas. Sometimes this means we’re thinking more progressively and speaking and communicating more. Use this time to your advantage!
Mercury is in Pisces from January 31-February 12.
When Mercury is in Pisces, our thinking becomes more imaginative. We’re more emotional in our thoughts.
Venus is retrograde all week, and it’s time to revisit our attitudes towards our relationships. On Wednesday and Thursday in particular this week – there may be a tendency to over-intellectualize our feelings and just overall over-think things.
Void of Course Moon on Monday, January 27th, from 5:03 PM EST, with the Moon’s last aspect before changing signs (a sextile to Mercury), until the Moon enters Capricorn the next day, Tuesday, January 28th, at 12:05 AM EST.
VOC Moon on Wednesday, January 29th, from 11:47 AM EST, with the Moon’s last aspect before changing signs (a square to Mars), until the Moon enters Aquarius at 11:33 PM EST.
VOC Moon on Friday, January 31st, from 11:45 AM EST, with the Moon’s last aspect before changing signs (a trine to Mars), until the Moon enters Pisces at 10:45 PM EST.
TotallyPagan 