Opening up when it fits


Tuesday ramble

We're going to ramble again.

I still haven't managed tea with a Goddess yet (I know there's a short story in there somewhere), but I did have a friend and occasional ritual partner drop by. We did cinnamon hot chocolate on the patio, heavy on the cinnamon.

As part of my pledge to be more open about my beliefs, we got to discussing how some of my path differs from some of the others we both know about. "Hey, that sort of sounds like 1734," he said. "Have you ever heard of the Roebuck?"

It turns out that there is sort of an offshoot of 1734 now called the Ancient Keltic Church. Some of my beliefs are similar. I can't claim synchronicity on this one though because I have read (and studied) some of Robert Cochrane's letters. Very few people know what Cochrane was or just how much he was putting people on. Certainly I don't.

The website reminded me again of the differences between ceremonial and operative magicks, the differences between "high" and "low" ceremonial magicks, and between inward and outward operative magicks. Not to mention all the variations that lie along those scales.

I was intrigued with the idea of three goddesses alternating roles. I thought about how I might incorporate three goddesses. I was rummaging through my jewelry box and found that I mainly use two pendents during the full moon, a Brigid's cross variation and a Celtic triskelion. Both are bright silver and round of course. So a third would help.

There are other pendents I use of course. I use a bear medicine shield during the waning moon and a modified bear fetish during the waxing moon. There are probably three or four pewter pieces I use during the dark moon. During the sabbats or special occasions I use a tree of life (I've two very nice ones). And I still have my grandfather's iron key. But I probably have four pentagrams that I hardly ever use. I have a couple of dragons I have used during some of the soulweaver stuff, but that is all I use those for.

They just don't fit well, especially not for everyday use.

My preferred symbol is a wheel cross, and I usually use a spiral, a tree of life, or a web to identify my path. Same thing really, but from different perspectives.

I have a scrimshaw bear head that I sometimes wear, but I have never felt that it could be used as a focus like my regular pendents.

Even looking through for other Bear pendents (not to mention Coyote and Raven), I've just never seen any that seemed to fit.

I've two rings that I sometimes wear when my fingers are cooperating, which isn't often. I probably need to get them resized.

Once upon a time I did have ritual scars on my back, but I have never had piercings. I'll hang stuff from my belt (tech geek that I am), but I never did the tie chain/clip or cufflinks.

Jewelry just isn't my thing. Most of it doesn't even appeal aesthetically, although I am a sucker for Celtic knots.

I think it has something to do with energy flow.

It just doesn't fit.

Most of my ritual planning is pretty basic. Although my formal rites definitely lean towards "low ceremonial" these days, they aren't simplistic. I just like to improvise. Well, not improvise exactly, more like my higher self calling the shots. I suppose if I had become a Baptist or Methodist minister like the family expected, I'd call it letting the spirit move me.

The way I look at it, high ceremonial magick is like engineering or architecture, using the best available for the spirit of the endeavor as well as for the actual need. Low ceremonial is using off the shelf parts to get the job done faster and cheaper, but probably uglier and considerably less elegant. High operative can fix it, low operative can patch it. There's a time and a place for all of it.

I can do high ceremonial in a pinch, but I am not comfortable there. I can do low operative if the need is urgent, but I'd really rather "do it right."

So I will pare things down to do as much as I can with what I can reach quickly and I know works. The fancier stuff may make it better, but it just doesn't fit.

Posted: Tue - March 10, 2009 at 07:45 AM
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