Polarities
“The Judeo-Christian heritage has left us with the view of a universe composed of warring opposites, which are valued as either good or evil. They cannot coexist. A valuable insight of Witchcraft, shared by many earth-based religions, is that polarities are in balance, not at war.”
Microdose
“Study: People Who ‘Microdose’ LSD and Magic Mushrooms Are Wiser and More Creative”
Read More...Philosphy foundation
NeoNote — Protected
❝The popular American Christian concept of Satan isn't what it started as. Originally the Hebrew Adversary was a tester of faith, not a nearly all powerful god of evil. In short, that Satan can't tempt you unless the temptation is there to begin with.
I disagree. I realize it's a cornerstone of your faith, but tain't mine.
That's closer to the original. It also fits a number of folktales and mythologies.
There's a sort of protection that derives from the collective belief of your culture and faith. As long as you are a "member in good standing" and your culture is true to itself, you can't be touched without permission by spirits. Break the rules and you're fair game.
Which incidentally is the plot to almost every supernatural horror film ever made.❞
NeoNotes are the selected comments that I made on other boards, in email, or in response to articles where I could not respond directly.
❝Nothing exists except atoms and empty space…❞
“Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is just opinion.”
Short version, yes, magick works.
❝OK, this is a more complex topic than I want to handle here. Short version, yes, magick works. Most religions recognize it including Christianity (intercessory prayer among other things). Most of the time, it's not necessary or practical. If you're a "good" person by the standards of your culture, you're protected from almost all baneful magick as long as your culture is true to itself.❞
NeoNote — First lesson
Of course, you could stop trying to preach and actually pay attention to what people are willing to share. You might even learn something.
Read More...Good vibrations
Ro3 № 17
❝It’s not a real party unless it lasts three days.❞— NeoWayland, Rules of Three
The flip side of placebo
Technopagan retreat
Doing something positive in the world
“Several years ago, I heard what I think was best advice ever about improving the image of Paganism. Unfortunately I can’t remember who said it, but the gist of it was this:) Rather than coming out as Pagans and then trying to convince people we deserve to be on the school board or city council or whatever, we should join the school board or city council, show them we are good citizens and good people, and then come out as Pagans. It’s not about hiding our Paganism, so much as taking our focus off of ourselves and refocus it on doing something positive in the world (other than making the world more comfortable for Pagans). Changing the image people have of Pagans will then happen naturally, without us trying.”— John Halstead, Why Contemporary Paganism Deserves to Die
How does it make the World better?
Us versus them
“Anyway, my point was that seeing the world solely through an us vs them lens only increases the conflict and division in the world, and dehumanizes the people we think are Them. It's the root cause of why these Christian folks in the article think that the Druids are Satanists out to do terrible evil. Their specific religious justifications are only the surface level. At it's root it is the poison of dualistic thinking, the idea that the world and it's people can be divided into good and evil. And the poison of dualism can infect anyone, or any religion.”— Shawn Herles, comments from Wayist Druid public Samhain ritual draws threats
The pedestal problem
Read More..."The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."— Lewis Carrol,
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There
NeoNote — People cherish their passions
❝Whatever has brought you the most passion, that is what you will seek out. If it is pain from abuse or being attacked, that is what you want. If it is exhilaration from skydiving, that is what you want. If it's the love and acceptance from a loving partner, that is what you want. Whatever has pegged your emotional meter, that is your longing.❞Read More...
NeoNote — He would deny it
NeoNote — Political hexing
❝As I said before, apparently the motivation for hexing Kavanaugh has moved from justice to attack.Read More...
This will have consequences, regardless of who did what where and when.❞
Sexuality without politics
On-line biding ritual
Me, I compare an on-the-fly online ritual to building one custom motorcycle in twenty different places with 459 mechanics and parts from thirteen manufacturers.
Read More...NeoNote — Religion & responsiblity
❝Religions are not created by the Divine.Read More...
Religions are created by people claiming to speak for the Divine.❞
Paganism isn't a movement
Condemnation of memory
Anti-Christian
❝There was a time, a little more than a year, when I was very anti-Christian. Some of my relatives didn't help. But I didn't like the person that I was becoming.
There's an old idea, like calls to like. In the New Age vernacular, if you put positive energy out into the universe you get positive energy back.
But it's simpler than that. People cherish their passions. If you wrap yourself in hate and envy and despite, that will color your thoughts. That will be what rules you. That is what you will hold tightest in your secret heart. And that is what you will be. You won't have passion or power for anything else.❞
A book fell on my head
NeoNotes – Government should not be trusted
I do not believe that a government agency should be trusted with caring for the environment.
Read More...Difference between the Story and the Journey
❝It is the difference between the Story and the Journey. One is told while the other is lived. The only two purposes of the story are to honor the memory of those who have gone before and to teach you to recognize where the path begins for your own journey. The rituals are not the faith. The map is not the territory. The words are not the thing. You can only be responsible for your journey alone because it is your journey and no one else's.❞— NeoWayland, Some thoughts from my WebTree path
Tainted frisson
Politics has tainted paganism in my mind and I am working to re-establish the separation.
Read More...NeoNotes — Perception and symbols
I wonder. If a symbol can be "tainted" no matter what it was used for previously, what does it take to "purify" the symbol?
Read More...Walk away
“Speak To The Sky” (pagan version)
I call myself pagan
❝I call myself pagan because I don't have a better term. I'm polytheistic and pantheistic. On alternate Thursdays and every third Tuesday I might admit to an animism bent as well. On the 13th of the month, I'll tell you (truthfully) that the label isn't really all that important, only the manifestation.❞
— NeoWayland
Magick everyday
The air is still humid from last night's never-storm. No rain, but plenty of lightning and thunder around midnight.
Read More...Special harvest
There's something very renewing about greeting the sun at dawn dressed in nothing but a pendant.
Read More...Beyond patriotism
I was coming off a long time of being militantly solitary and I relished the fellowship I finally allowed myself.
Read More...Pure
Today's really twenty-nine
NeoNotes — What witch?
❝The "Witch Winter Solstice Ritual" in Nylon is populist pap. It's a lot like having Easter using only Cadbury eggs and never once mentioning a resurrection or what it might mean.❞
Read More...
Intuition & Inspiration
Act of Change
According to popular culture, magick is about breaking the rules and molding reality.
Nope.
Read More...Faith Triad
No matter what the inspiration, you still have to come down off the mountain. Living in the Here & Now helps make you human.
Read More...Earth centered
More and more I think I was wise to separate my pagan blogging from my political blogging.
Read More...The grand cause
You take a plot of land. Now you can grow flowers or vegetables or both. You choose.
Read More...Gaia
Better
“My friends have always been the best of me.”Read More...— Doctor Who, “The Wedding of River Song”