PBP- J is for Journaling

I have always liked to write and for as long as I can remember I have kept a journal of one kind or another. Sometimes they have been on the PC or online but as a general rule I find pen to paper the most enjoyable way to keep track of my thoughts. I also have to confess I have never been one to write on a daily basis, I tend to write only when I feel I have something to say. Lately I have been looking at my journal as a way to process past pain and so a lot of my writing has been about things that happened many years ago.

As part of compiling my BoS I have been looking at the Delphic Maxims, and the most famous one of all is probably “Know Yourself”. I think this is an excellent goal for all individuals, not just pagans, and journaling is a great way to really do this, but only if you allow yourself to be 100% honest about your thoughts and feelings.

I am not an overly sharing person as a general rule, I am very private and I prefer to keep certain things to myself. When I sit down to write in my journal I make a promise to myself that it is the one place I will truly be honest, it will be the place I use to get my thoughts out of my head and in to the world. I know no one is ever going to read it but me so I allow whatever is in my mind to spew on to the page. It is not always easy, it is definitely not always fun, but it really does help. I have learnt so much about myself by writing ‘stuff’ down and re-reading it later. I have let go of so much tension and pain by writing it down and forgetting about it. I have ranted. I have rambled. I have questioned my own sanity. I have noted details of amazing experiences so that I may re-live them whenever I choose.

My journal is my confident, my best friend, my worst enemy and my soul-mate all rolled in to one. I don’t think I could function without one, and I think it is an important part of my journey to really know myself.    

PBP- I is for Introspection

This post is very short due to the fact I am not only behind on PBP but also on my Tarot posts, and I am determined to get some major catching up done today.

Following on from my post about not having a Book of Shadows, I decided it was time to start putting some information together and began typing up the things I wanted to keep.  It has been an interesting experience to go through the information I have amassed over the years, and to decide what is actually relevant to my current path. The last few weeks that I have been working on this have been ones of introspection, and have been very valuable. I have often wondered about the need for a BOS as a solitary but I am beginning to see at least one of the benefits in this building process. I am learning who I am on a religious level, I am learning what is important to me and my path, and I am learning how much I have grown and changed in the last 14 years.

PBP- Intent

“I hate it; it's always getting screwed up. It's like... sometimes I'll... I'll want it to rain, and a pipe will burst in my bedroom, and it'll just get flooded.

Or I'll want it just to be quiet and I'll wish for it and wish for it, and I'll go deaf for three days straight.”

Sarah- The Craft

Yep, I went there. I used a quote from The Craft and I’m not even ashamed. I love that movie, and the quote is a handy opener for this post.

Technically Sarah isn't talking about intent but personally I think it is a great illustration of how we have to be a) careful of what we wish for and b) very clear on our intent.

The trick to being clear on our intent, at least in my opinion, is to be specific. Let’s take a weight loss spell as an example, ‘I want to lose weight’ is a very different statement than ‘I want to lose 50lbs’, which is a very different statement than ‘I want to lose 50lbs in a way that is healthy’. The more specific we are, the more we are able to tailor a spell to our exact needs, the more likely we will get the results we desire.

Taking the time to be clear on our intent also allows the time to be clear on our motivation. We need to examine our reasons for our chosen action in detail and this helps us to determine whether we are acting from the best place, and whether we are willing to take full responsibility for the consequences. Being clear on our intent, and being specific, even allows us some control over what the consequences will be; in the above example I am unlikely to lose weight by becoming very ill as that would not be ‘a way that is healthy.’

Taking the time to be clear, and specific, in our intent is not just something we should practise in spellwork, but should be something we carry in to our everyday situations. Before we speak, before we act, before we write that email, we need to be sure we know what our intent is. What do we hope to achieve, or convey, and what is the best way to do so?

PBP- Hestia

I am a little behind this month and this wasn't the post I originally intended to write for my second H. Hestia is not a goddess I work with in the same way I do Athena, Aphrodite and Dionysus but I recognise her as the goddess of my home.

When I can, I try to remember to light a candle for her and I ask her to bless my home with her presence. I also dedicate any housework to her and I light incense in acknowledgement of her when I perform any offerings to my primary deities. She is a peaceful presence within my home, one that helps to make it a sacred and serene place.

Goddess of Hearth and Home

Name means ‘the essence’, the true nature of things

Symbols= the sacred flame and the circle

Virtues= mild, gentle, forgiving, peaceful, serene, dignified, calm, secure, stable, welcoming, well-centred

Symbols

General= Hearth, Home, Living flame, Architecture, Bowl, Veils, Pantry, Keys

Animals= Donkeys and Pigs

Plants= Angels Trumpet (Datura), California poppy, Goldenrod, Hollyhock, Purple Coneflower, Yarrow

Perfumes/Scents= Angelica, Iris, Lavender, Peony

Gems & Metals= Amethyst, Garnet, Gold, Silver, Brass

Colours= Gold, Dark Rose, Lavender, Silver, Black

The Devil- Self-Imposed Limitations

The Devil (Robin Wood Tarot)

Number= 6

Astrological Sign= Capricorn

Hebrew= Ayin 

Keywords/Phrases= The power of negative thinking. Finding it hard to let go. Pessimism. Excessive dependency. Unnecessary guilt. Heavy commitments. Confronting personal demons. Darkness. Vanity. Selfishness. Unhealthy attachments. Greed. Lust. Powerful sexual urges. Inhibitions. Fears. Hang-ups. Self-doubts. Hopelessness. Oppression. Ties that bind. Unhappy choices. Co-dependency. Enslavement. Imprisonment. Indulgence. Addiction. Sadism. Cruelty. Primitive urges. Uncontrolled passions. Perversions. Sexual instincts. Repressed fears. 

6= Peace, calm, contentment, self-acceptance, cooperation, satisfaction, harmony of opposites, regularity, equilibrium, striving for perfection, home, family, duty, close relationships, friendship, love, patience, justice, reconciliation, marriage, domestic responsibilities, remodelling, family obligations, assistance, responsibility

Capricorn= Loyal, aspiring, restrained, firm, dogged, determined, responsible, sincere, shy, pessimistic, negative in thought, awkward, impeding, detached, self-centred, gloomy, stubborn

Ayin= Eye. Realisation. Insight. Consciousness. Object. Perception. See, know, experience. Enjoyment. Affliction.

The main colours are black, brown and grey

Black= Death, endings, darkness, mystery, the occult, destruction, resurrection, negativity, sin, materialism, ignorance

Brown= Stability, common sense, dependable, security, practicality, grounding, orderly, earthly, protection

Grey= Mourning, grief, sadness, penitence, depression, wisdom born of experience, reconciliation

Chest of jewels= Materialism, money, power, earthly attachments, addictions, fears, doubts, hang-ups

Shadow self- The denied aspects of the self. The least desirable aspects of the personality

the fools journey= The fool must confront his personal demons. The Devil is about the various chains that bind us and inhibit our development. 

PBP- Homework

Someone recently posted on a Facebook group I am part of that 'Paganism is religion with homework' and asked whether people agreed and why. Most people seemed to agree that there was some degree of homework within paganism, with most only disagreeing that paganism was the only religion where this was the case.

There does seem to be a lot more self study involved in paganism, which I guess could be seen as homework, and I guess this is because there is no dogma, no holy book, and no prescribed tenants to follow. Each of us needs to find our own path and that often involves at the least a little bit of research.

So what do you think? Do you agree that Paganism is religion with homework? Why, or why not?

PBP- Understanding the nature of the Gods

I said the following on my post on believes;
'I believe in the existence of an ultimate source.
I believe that many, many deities exist independently of each other. I am not sure if I believe that all pantheons exist but it would be logical to assume that if some do they all most do. If not I have no way of determining which do and which don’t.'

I have posted about the fact that my main deities are Aphrodite, Athena and Dionysos.

I have even talked about the fact that I get feelings about my gods without actually having any type of direct conversation with them.

All of this is true, and yet my belief in the nature of the gods is something that has changed the most in the last 14 years. And it is something I am still not convinced is set in stone.

Once upon a time I believed that 'all god/dessess were one' and that the different names were archetypes for different areas of influence filtered through a particular cultural lens. Now I would say I am a hard polytheist, but I accept that it is possible that some deities are the same being with different names, again being filtered through a specific cultural lens.

The nature of the Gods is something I am probably never going to fully understand, yet it is something that I spend a lot of time thinking about. I am also always interested in how others view their gods so I encourage anyone to leave me a comment.