Post No. 162 - Adapting Wicca to the Great Southern Land

Indigenous matters have cropped up in some of my posts (for instance, see here and here). What I want to cover here is NOT indigenous ritual work - apart from that mostly being sacred, I don't know ANYTHING such rituals [1] - I have no idea, for example, how a tanderrum (welcoming) ritual would be conducted.

However, the land that I live on does not have the four seasons that my pagan traditions originated in: I would like to adapt it to suit the place I live in.

The indigenous peoples of this land, the Kulin people, had - according to a public webpage at the Museum of Victoria - identified seven seasons. I am hoping that this information that is publicly available has been made so with permission: I have used it to try to develop a new way of invoking that is based on these seasons that exist in the place I live.

I've come across a similar display previously, at the Brambuk Centre in the Grampians Gedriwerd), which is also available on the Bureau of Metreorology website, but this one was local.

The basic information about each season available on the Museum's website is:

Seasonal Responses

Kulin Seasons (a suggested template is here); 

• Iuk Eel Season (a suggested ritual is yet to be written); 
• Waring Wombat Season (a suggested ritual is yet to be written); 
• Guling Orchid Season (a suggested ritual is yet to be written); 
• Poorneet Tadpole Season (a suggested ritual here); 
• Buath Gurru Grass Flowering Season (a suggested ritual is yet to be written); 
• Kangaroo-apple Season (a suggested ritual here); 
• Biderap Dry Season (a suggested ritual here). 

I haven't finished this, to the extent that it is complete and neatly presented, but - given the high demands on my time - it is likely to be some time before I do. In the meantime, maybe someone else can use or finish this. So, here are my rough notes.

Before reading them, however, I ask that you read my post on Not devoking: I think being concerned about the possibility of doing something like "sending away the rain", which is catastrophic in mainland Australia, needs to be considered. If you do any devoking when working with indigenous seasons, make sure you are only devoking any energies represented by the season, not the season itself. I actually just go straight from the working to opening the circle and then doing a really good grounding when doing this type of working.



You'll see that I have tried to allocate a compass direction and set of emotions/life experience with each season, much as, for instance, east is associated with spring and any form of renewal.

It will be interesting to see what the Australian pagan community evolves towards in its practice over the next hundred years or so.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

Notes:

1. Although others in my family may have such knowledge - but, quite rightly, have not passed it on to me. My full-blood brother has spent many years working with indigenous people, particularly in northern NSW, and my full-blood sister was married to an indigenous man in the Kimberley region for a few years

This post's photo is yet to be posted.

Tags: adaptation to Australia, rituals, energy work, grounding, indigenous, Kulin, seasons,

First published: Friday 5th November, 2010

Last edited: Saturday 20th November, 2010

Post No. 135 - The benefits of combining witchcraft and (spirit) rescue

I recently was walking to work after dropping my car off to be serviced (and have an annoying fan belt squeal when I start in the morning attended to [1]), and contemplating various matters [2], when I noticed quite a few earthbound spirits around me, clamouring for me to open a gateway or door for them. At that moment, I realised that my speciality within the world of spirit rescue is opening doorways or portals - which is possibly connected to having Yinepu as one of my Patron Deities; I opened the doorway, and quite a few people passed through to the Summerlands.

I can't leave the doorway open for too long: there is a certain amount of protection I can provide, as well as a certain amount if inherent protection coming from the higher energy state of the astral the connection is to, but I cannot keep this safe for an unlimited time. Still, it is an easy, efficient way of performing rescue that was never mentioned in my days in Spiritualist/New Age groups.

The other thing I realised, is that some entities evidently do realise that their body has died, and they just simply don't know what to do, or that there is an afterlife. Maybe this is an outcome of the increase in atheism, or perhaps agnosticism? Certainly the last century's of terrible, terrible wars and atrocities has increased the number of people who died in fear and pain, and thus (arguably) may be more likely to not notice that their body had died, but maybe our (as a planetary whole) belief systems have contributed to the problems.

In any case, I have found that a quick establishment of protection and then opening a portal is a remarkably efficient way to help some people pass over.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

Notes:

1. Think it sounds like I know about cars? Nope: I don't have much more than basic car knowledge - and have no interest in gaining any more :)
2. Such as having one of my sisters diagnosed with throat cancer, and told she needs a glossectomy ...

This post's photo is yet to be posted

Tags: about me, astral, attitudes, awareness, earthbound, energy work, emotions, evil, inventiveness, planes of existence, rescue, spiritualism, New Age,

First published: Sunday 25th July, 2010

Last edited: Sunday 25th July, 2010

Post No. 056 - Musing: a new "world religion"?

One of the things the controversial author Lobsang Rampa (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobsang_Rampa) has written about is the development of a new "world religion", in the sense that every few hundred years a new major religion seems to come along (e.g., Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, etc). He predicted that a new religion would come, with an inclusive basis (although I suspect his interpretation of "inclusive" may have been cultural and/or racial; Rampa suffers from being quite sexist at times, and shows a limited understanding of homosexuality etc). At the time I read that, when I was young (a teenager), I was quite happy to be Buddhist, and didn't put a great deal of effort into thinking about it. Now, a few decades later, I have been spiritualist, shamanka (which I understand to be the female version of the word "shaman"), Druid, Wiccan, etc, and have friends, family and acquaintances of many other faiths (including Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam) I have asome experience of the commonality behind these various religions. (I also know of some of the differences, but thjat is a topic for another time and place.)

I've talked to people doing religious study courses (and am doing a Coven based study course [see Septen Seethers] which covers a dozen established pathways). Maybe there is "room" (or perhaps "need"?) for a new, major world religion which facilitates bringing people and other paths together?

Rampa said, back in the 70s, that the leader of the new world religion had not yet been born, but that some of the coming leader's supporters were active, and preparing the world for this. I'm not aware of being one of those "supporters", incidentally :) However, it would be nice to be able to contribute to the world being better in a big way, so I'll do that in my little way by suggesting that it could be worth you, dear Reader, thinking about what you would like to see in a new "world religion", what could possibly lead you to change any current belief/disbelief system you have and join it, and what type of movement would lead you to want to be a better person.

Happy musings :)

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

This post's photo is yet to be posted.

Tags: religion, about me, change, control, inventiveness, commitment, communication, leadership, personal characteristics, personal responsibility,

First published: Saturday 8th November, 2008
Last edited: Saturday 8th November, 2008

Post No. 054 - Superstitions can be codes for guides to use

OK, most cultures, and some people, have a range of superstitions – for instance, throwing salt over your shoulder to “ward off evil/devil/bad luck”, not walking under ladders, not crossing the path of a black cat (anyone ever bother to check what happens to the black cat when someone crosses its path?), wearing lucky socks/bling/underwear. Ask most reasonable people what’s behind superstitions, and they’ll often give an explanation about how superstitions have a core of some truth, and some might even talk about examples like one from Africa (which I think I first read about in one of Lyall Watson’s excellent books) where a long, complicated procedure involving virgins, certain types of food, certain exposure conditions, etc for the purpose of fixing certain types of illness just happened to also create the right conditions for growing a particular type of penicillin. Hmmm – willow bark tea and aspirin all over again, eh? And I can hear the scientific/”rational”/Vulcan minded amongst you lot, my readers (both of you – I know who you are! Ahhhh ... must stop eating certain types of food prepared by virgins in another type of way ...) talking about the value of using objective testing to find out what is essential about procedures so you don’t confuse the waffle with what is of real value.

Well, you know what? I agree with you.

So there.

I actually do think there is too much blind faith and desire for things to work in too many metaphysically/spiritually inclined people – which, given the sad, unduly sceptical, materialistic state of our world, is understandable (though actually counter productive, as it leads to what does work being swamped in a sea of shoddy details which feed the sceptics). We would be better off maintaining some objectivity, and lots of true scientific enquiry. But that “true scientific enquiry” does not assume things either work or they don’t: there are rules, contraindications, circumstances/people for whom things will work and others for whom it won’t work.

I always tell people, in my crystal workshops, this won’t work for all people. When we cover dowsing with a crystal pendulum, I then talk about theories that this will not work for a couple of hours each day, and that you have to be very precise in your questions (e.g., don’t ask “can you tell me if ...?”, as the crystal may well answer “yes”, meaning it can tell you, which may be WRONGLY interpreted by you to mean the answer to your 2^nd question was yes), and check how each combination of you + crystal will indicate yes, no or maybe. The rules for communication can change for each combination.

And that, dear readers (both of you :) ), brings me back to superstitions.

MAYBE the reason there seems to be a kernel of truth in these for some people is that they are true for SOME people. MAYBE those people’s guides know they are inclined towards certain types of beliefs, and so they USE those beliefs to frame their communications. For instance, someone close to me has a superstition that seeing magpies has meanings: one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy, five for silvery, six for gold, seven for a story never to be told. That works for her – infallibly (well, the one and two do anyway), but doesn’t for me. However, the superstition that owls are a harbinger of death does work for me (as far as physically seing owls is concerned – that doesn’t apply to psychic visions for me, which is fortunate considering owl is one of my power animals).

Well all is said and done, superstitions are superstitions. They don’t necessarily have a rational basis that can be used universally (but neither do, say, all medicines), but, in this irrational, imperfect world, they may be being used a valid means of communication from those who are busting their guts to try and help us as best they can.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

This post's photo is yet to be posted.

Tags: guidance, communication, inventiveness, mirrorology, perceptions, persistence, personal characteristics, personal responsibility,

First published: Saturday 8th November, 2008
Last edited: Saturday 8th November, 2008

Post No. 051 - Superstitions

OK, most cultures, and some people, have a range of superstitions – for instance, throwing salt over your shoulder to “ward off evil/devil/bad luck”, not walking under ladders, not crossing the path of a black cat (anyone ever bother to check what happens to the black cat when someone crosses its path?), wearing lucky socks/bling/underwear. Ask most reasonable people what’s behind superstitions, and they’ll often give an explanation about how superstitions have a core of some truth, and some might even talk about examples like one from Africa (which I think I first read about in one of Lyall Watson’s excellent books) where a long, complicated procedure involving virgins, certain types of food, certain exposure conditions, etc for the purpose of fixing certain types of illness just happened to also create the right conditions for growing a particular type of penicillin. Hmmm – willow bark tea and aspirin all over again, eh? And I can hear the scientific/”rational”/Vulcan minded amongst you lot, my readers (both of you – I know who you are! Ahhhh ... must stop eating certain types of food prepared by virgins in another type of way ...) talking about the value of using objective testing to find out what is essential about procedures so you don’t confuse the waffle with what is of real value.

Well, you know what? I agree with you.
So there.

I actually do think there is too much blind faith and desire for things to work in too many metaphysically/spiritually inclined people – which, given the sad, unduly sceptical, materialistic state of our world, is understandable (though actually counter productive, as it leads to what does work being swamped in a sea of shoddy details which feed the sceptics). We would be better off maintaining some objectivity, and lots of true scientific enquiry. But that “true scientific enquiry” does not assume things either work or they don’t: there are rules, contraindications, circumstances/people for whom things will work and others for whom it won’t work.

I always tell people, in my crystal workshops, this won’t work for all people. When we cover dowsing with a crystal pendulum, I then talk about theories that this will not work for a couple of hours each day, and that you have to be very precise in your questions (e.g., don’t ask “can you tell me if ...?”, as the crystal may well answer “yes”, meaning it can tell you, which may be WRONGLY interpreted by you to mean the answer to your 2^nd question was yes), and check how each combination of you + crystal will indicate yes, no or maybe. The rules for communication can change for each combination.

And that, dear readers (both of you :) ), brings me back to superstitions.

MAYBE the reason there seems to be a kernel of truth in these for some people is that they are true for SOME people. MAYBE those people’s guides know they are inclined towards certain types of beliefs, and so they USE those beliefs to frame their communications. For instance, someone close to me has a superstition that seeing magpies has meanings: one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy, five for silvery, six for gold, seven for a story never to be told. That works for her – infallibly (well, the one and two do anyway), but doesn’t for me. However, the superstition that owls are a harbinger of death does work for me (as far as physically seing owls is concerned – that doesn’t apply to psychic visions for me, which is fortunate considering owl is one of my power animals).

Well all is said and done, superstitions are superstitions. They don’t necessarily have a rational basis that can be used universally (but neither do, say, all medicines), but, in this irrational, imperfect world, they may be being used a valid means of communication from those who are busting their guts to try and help us as best they can. Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

This post's photo is yet to posted :)

Tags: communication, correspondences, cross-fertilisation (ideas), daily life, divination, interpersonal interactions, inventiveness, judging others,

First published: Sunday 28th September, 2008
Last edited: Sunday 28th September, 2008

Post No. 047 - A new symbology for invocation

I like to try doing things differently from time to time, and something I tried recently, and quite like, is a set of hand gestures for the various quarters to invoke the Goddess. Basically, I use my two hands to draw a crescent Moon in the east for the Maiden, and the west for the Crone, a full Moon in the north for the Mother, and simply point to the south (for invocation of either the God, or more frequently now, Lilith). To invoke, I commence drawing at the top; to devoke I commence the drawing from the bottom (and use an open palm to the south).

(By the way, the issue of balance is something to be viewed, in my opinion, in a broad context: if, for instance, a woman has lots of recent past lives expressing masculine energy [which doesn’t mean “was male”], she may need to focus on the female to get the balance at a soul level right. Or, if she is living in a male dominated society, she may need to invoke more female energy to get the balance of energy in her life correct. Or, a male may feel the need to invoke more male energy in ritual because his personal circumstances result in an excess of feminine energy. Now reread that swapping the gender of the person I have referred to, but not the energy.)

I have got into a habit of drawing the crescents “facing” into the full moon (I’ll post some diagrams in the near future), whereas they should, to be accurate, be “facing” away from the full moon. I have tried both ways, and feel more comfortable as I have been doing it: if you try it, try both (or other variations: I’m in the southern hemisphere, so those in the northern may want to swap my associations for north and south).

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr

This post's photo will be a diagram, when it gets posted :)

Tags: correspondences, inventiveness, invocation, symbology,

First published: Thursday 7th August, 2008

Last edited: Saturday 26th June, 2010