E-Witch Auctions; Better Than eBay?
The Pagan community spends a lot of money. There are so many things to buy! Beginners are easily swept up into the excitement and often confusion of what tool is used when, with what color candle, and while donning what type of robe. Many Pagans have a greater opportunity than those of the Islamic, Jewish or Christian faiths to spend money on materials used in worship, like imagery and offerings. So it is really that surprising to find this website?
E-Witch Pagan Auctions is a website much like eBay, the online auction site, except that it is made entirely of materials that Pagans of many different paths would be interested in. Although the site seems to largely contain New Age items that one may find in such catalogs as The Pyramid Collection and such books as one may find in Barnes and Nobles’ New Age section, customers have posted such a variation that you’re likely to find at least a handful of items you’re interested in.
A dollar store... now THAT is useful.
I’m not an eBay user, so I’m not sure if this is something offered on that site, but at the top of the categories list you’ll notice a Dollar Store. Although some folks wouldn’t want to bother buying something online that’s the cost of pocket change, I love the idea. If you’re purchasing something from the site and plan on paying the shipping charge anyhow, it would be worth looking into. And if you’ve only got a few dollars to spend, it’s the perfect place to limit your shopping.
The items on the site run the gamut from good quality with a decent price to “You expect me to spend how much on that?” As with any auction site, do your research before you purchase anything from anyone online.
Conclusion? In some respects, it’s better than eBay. You’re supporting a website that is run for Pagans, which is always a good thing. The About Us page claims that the site has a much lower issue with fraud which is a great advantage to the fear of identity fraud and ripoffs at eBay, easily the largest auction site. But the site does tend to cater specifically to those Pagans who have a path close to Wicca and New Age, with much less for those of Recon and other less popularized paths.
Western Kentucky University’s Pagan Student Union
When I started college, I was excited to be a part of university life. I wasn’t the sorority type of girl, and I didn’t have enough time for band, but I was looking forward to see who the Pagans on campus were, and seeing what groups I’d be able to get to know.
Turns out, there wasn’t a single group of Pagans that I could find, and in fact, there were few Pagans that were out of the broom closet. As Pagan students, we had no representation.
However, that all changed recently. This semester marks the third that the Pagan Student Union has been a part of Western’s campus. Founded by Katie Hager, Carmen Royal and Kelly Sexton, it began with a wave of flyers being passed out all over campus. The three girls (all from Meade County, KY) came to Western with the same hopes and without finding the opportunities, decided to make it happen themselves. It wasn’t easy; the hunt for faculty representation took a lot of work and provided disappointment after disappointment. Professors repeatedly turned them down, including some who, being Pagan, tried to convince the girls to stay “invisible” and under the radar. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Dr. Robert Dietle at the university, the head of the History department of WKU, stepped up and offered to help.
Since the group began, we’ve been present at Louisville Pagan Pride Day the previous two years, and we’ve worked together as a group on campus to hold events, encouraging communication and networking for Pagan students. We’ve put a lot of effort into supporting religious freedom. We focus on Paganism, but allow anyone of any religion to come to meetings to ask questions or learn more about who we are and what we do. If you are interested in checking us out, you’re welcome to stop by our MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/wkupsu until the website is up and running. We have meetings every Tuesday on campus, and on Sundays we do various religious activities, usually participating in a religious service from Asatruar to Catholicism.
An Interview: Christians and Pagans
Casey and I have been friends since junior high school. Way back when, we would sit all night and talk about the big questions that I’m sure no other 6th grader could have cared about. What is the nature of God? What is the purpose of the universe? At the time, we were mostly in agreement with the answers we came up with.
She’ll be turning 21 at around the time of this publication. These days, while we’re still good friends, we have very different religious ideas. Casey has been a Christian and I a Pagan for many years now, and while we share most ideas in common (be they politically, ethically, etc), religion has become an area where our theories differ. This doesn’t mean that we no longer talk about religion – on the contrary, I drag her into religious conversations whenever I can and we really enjoy comparing the vast and not-so-vast differences in our beliefs.
And in fact, when I interviewed her for this piece, we sat in her bedroom, lounging about in exactly the same fashion as we did over seven years ago.
It’s important to continue to listen to ideas outside of our own. Many Pagans come to this faith because of a bad experience with Christianity. Perhaps they felt pressured or limited by a patriarchal religious structure, or felt offended by the idea that they were born full of sin, and so on; but there are positive and useful ideas still among Christians.
I wanted to take the chance to not only listen for myself, but share that opportunity with the rest of the Pagan community.
KPP: How did you become a Christian?
CP: When I was younger, I was a Christian because I was raised that way. You go to church on Sunday, give your offerings, listen to the preacher for an hour, then go to Sunday School and draw pretty pictures of Jesus… when you’re a kid, that kind of stuff is just fed to you, and I believed it because everyone else around me believed it. When I got in middle school, around the age when the other kids didn’t believe in Christ, I started thinking, “Why do I believe in Christ?” I started searching for that answer, and after I tried out a few different religions, I just realized I believe in God. I believe in one, true, ultimate being.
I was looking in the Bible after hearing all the horrible things people were telling me about. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was learning other amazing stories and about how God forgives everyone and I just fell in love with the religion.
KPP: How big a part of your life is your religion?
CP: My faith is a big part of my life. I incorporate my faith into everything I do, regardless of whether it’s something that is of my faith. For example, I freeze up when I have to take an exam, but I pray that God will clear my mind, let me focus a little more.
Faith has always been the most important part of my life – I thank God for everything I do. Everything that happens to me, I ask God why; so, for me, God has always been a big part of my life.
KPP: What is your definition of your faith?
CP: My definition of Christianity would be to believe in God and his principles. I would consider Christianity to be pretty simple; I mean, [if] you believe in God, you’re probably a Christian… it’s so hard to put Christianity in one small sentence because there is a million different definitions! But to call yourself a Christian, you have to believe in God.
KPP: Pagans constantly fight with a huge part of the population having a false understanding of us. What are some common misconceptions about your faith?
CP: That we’re all narrow-minded. Being a biologist and being a Christian, I get a lot of questions [from fellow students], like asking how I can believe scientific facts if the Earth was created in seven days. There is a common misconception that we’re all fat, Caucasian, Republican males trying to take money away from people who don’t believe in God, which isn’t fair. Most of the time, when I tell someone I’m a Christian, they automatically think I’m closed to new ideas beyond the Ten Commandments.
KPP: Why do you think that religious tolerance and understanding is essential?
CP: Once I was accused of keeping the company of people who weren’t Christian. The way I always looked at it was that if you’re always around a Christian, and not anyone else, how are you supposed to spread your faith around, how are you supposed to share your ideas and beliefs? The point is to get that faith and then share it with someone else who is missing something in their life that you think maybe faith can replace. The reason I believe in religious tolerance is that if you don’t keep an open mind to others’ ideas, then how are they going to keep an open mind to yours? I wouldn’t want to listen to someone if they told me, “Your religion is completely wrong and I don’t see how you believe that; you must be stupid.” To me, that’s not fair to tell someone that their ideas are wrong.
KPP: In your religious life, who is your role model?
CP: Sherry Phelps was my substitute youth pastor for two weeks. Two Sundays in a row, she taught in our classroom, and her ideas were “outside the box”… they didn’t always follow the path that the youth books did, and she didn’t just read from the books as though she was giving us what God said and what we were supposed to believe. She gave you a different view of the Bible – she didn’t just say that God made the world in seven days, she asked us, “How long is a day in the eyes of God? Look at all these clues and symbols you can find in the Bible instead of taking a literal translation.” I thank her for that because I wouldn’t have that free-thinking if I didn’t have her as a youth pastor.
“Hair”, Raphaeline
(One of the older posts from the previous site.)
Samson of the Old Testament had hair that was the source of his incredible power. Lady Godiva, as she rode on a horse through town to oppose her husband’s taxation, relied on her long locks to preserve her dignity and modesty. Rapunzel’s hair served as her gateway to freedom and true love. In history and mythology, we find tales that have been passed down for many, many years. They maintain that her hair has always been something beautiful, mystical and even powerful.
We can see an example of this from “Fertility, Gods, and Water”: “Hair, being another symbol of fertility, increases its potency when it is in touch with water. Thus, one of the first things that Sinhalese parents do as soon as a child is born, is to cut a small tuft of hair and throw it into a waterway, usually a river, so that it mixes in water, thereby ensuring fortune and prosperity for the child. Since hair is one of the items used in black magic to bring harm to someone, throwing hair into water may also signify the destruction of evil that might affect the child in later life.” 1 In Hindu tradition, hair symbolizes the “lines of force of the universe”. 2 In relation to the location of our hair – growing from the head – it’s no wonder it’s given spiritual and supernatural significance. In some cultures, it was thought that a woman’s fertility lay in her hair – thus, women would be required to cover their hair for modesty’s sake. Those who let their hair hang loose were shunned and even thought to be… wait for it… witches. Recently, in the 1920’s, the “bob” because popular. At the same time, corsets were largely tossed, and women were becoming more independent. Keeping the hair short was a social statement to remove themselves from everything women were pressured to be: quiet and obedient.
Although it’s a common biological occurrence -every mammal has it – the ability to grow such long hair on the head is uniquely human. Even in modern times, we have such high regard for it that we pour endless time and resources into it. Many balding men have paid hundreds of dollars, even thousands, in an attempt to regrow and retain their hair. Women can be equally passionate, and are usually more so. We buy bottle after bottle of hair care products and will eagerly try multitudes of kitchen products from vinegar to yogurt to attain strong, sleek hair.
Because of the intense symbolism we have given to our hair, it holds the potential to be a useful spiritual tool. One popular trend I have recently learned of is growing hair as an act of devotion to one’s patron deity or deities. When I began a journal online to document my hair growth, I titled it, “My Hair Is Sacred. I Grow It For The God” (from Euripede’s The Bacchae). I was surprised to find that many of the non-Pagan journalists could have used the same or a similar title. There are different purposes behind each of them are as varied as the gods of man. For instance, the Bible reads in Corinthians 11:15 “… but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her. For her hair is given to her as a covering.” Most of those are based on the idea that long hair is the natural, and this the pure, genuine state.
The style of one’s hair can be a tool during ritual work as well. Bound styles such as buns and especially braids are symbolic of controlled and focused power. The same idea would be true of disheveled, wild hair that expresses raw, independent power. During any ritual, spell or exercise focusing on release, freedom, celebration, or even mourning might involve the act of disheveling the hair or wearing it this way. Braiding the hair can be used during rituals involving gaining control, intensifying any spellwork (through focus at a particular goal) or any organizational goals.
Although changing the color of one’s hair through chemical dyes is far from the gentlest method (see below for details and alternative methods), applying colors to the hair can also be used. Individuals with red hair are often seen as independent, spirited and even temperamental – those who are looking to invoke self-confidence may consider changing the color of their hair to do so. The same could be said of someone who would like to incorporate the ideas of youth and beauty of the blonde, the maturity and smarts of the brunette or the seductiveness of the raven-haired. Of course, there’s always the basic color correspondences, which opens a door to a whole world of hair colors!
The following are some general hair care tips – but I have to add that each head of hair is different. One person may find that someone with the same type of hair as them can use products successfully for the latter and not at all for the former. (Check the sources at the end of this article for a great place to learn more!)
* Dilute your shampoo – it will last longer and it’s just as effective.
* Multivitamins will nourish your hair and help keep it healthy and regular scalp massages will encourage it to grow.
* Oiling your hair can keep the length and ends moisturized and shiny. But be careful because you don’t want to get your hair too greasy – put just a drop of oil on your hands and run your palms along and through the hair, placing it evenly.
* In your shampoo, avoid sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, olefin sulfonate and ammonium laureth sulfate. Look for sodium laureth sulfate or sodium myreth sulfate, which are lighter detergents and won’t strip your hair of all it’s moisture.
* In your conditioner, look for sorbital and panthenol (which are humectants and hold in moisture), soy protein and wheat protein (which strengthen hair) and aloe vera, amino acids, and shea butter, which are moisturizers.
* As an alternative to chemical dyes, consider using henna in your hair. It’s much healthier for your hair, in fact, it can actually improve the state of your hair rather than damaging it. (See http://www.hennaforhair.com/faq/index.html for more.)
* Blowdryers, straighteners… using hot tools can cause some nasty damage to your hair. If you have frizzy hair that you usually straighten, try light oiling or damp braiding to gain some control over it.
1. “Fertility, Gods, and Water”,
http://wanni.org/fertility-gods-water.htm
2. “A Dictionary Of Symbols”, Juan Eduardo Cirlot,
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?r=1&ean=0486425231
3. The Long Hair Community, (Thanks for the help, ladies!)
www.longhaircommunity.com (A special thanks to Arctic from LHC!)
How Does Your Garden Grow? Making a Hanging Garden
(One of the posts moved from the old site!)
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Bohemian Dream
HANGING GARDENS
I can’t think of a single Pagan I know that doesn’t have at least a small interest in gardening, if only for a few herbs. Perhaps you’ve been an “armchair” gardener dreaming of a beautiful, lush garden but don’t have a large expanse of land to plant on. Not to worry.; lack of space can be a challenge but it doesn’t have to keep you from having the garden of your dreams. A few containers and a little imagination are all that’s needed.
One of my favorite container gardening projects is the hanging hummingbird/butterfly garden. It’s a great project for beginning container gardeners because it’s simple and easily adapted for other projects like an herb garden or whatever you may like to try.
To create your hanging garden you will need 1.) an 18 “or 20″ round wire basket 2.) a bag of soil 3.) a bag of dry sphagnum moss 4.) slow release houseplant fertilizer 5.) water retaining polymer crystals (to keep soil moist) 6.) a plastic flower pot saucer 7.) potted plants (refer to the USDA zone guidelines when choosing your plants).
The following steps will guide you through assembling your basket:
1.) Wet your moss. 2.) line the wire basket with the wet moss so that the bottom and sides are evenly filled with about 1″ to 1-/2″ of moss. 3.) place the saucer firmly in the bottom 4.) soak the polymer crystals in water until they expand 5.) thoroughly mix the fertilizer granules and the soaked polymers in a bucket. Do this with your gardening gloves on! Or use a small gardening tool. 6.) add the fertilizer/polymer mix to your potting soil and mix again 7.) put about 1/2 to 2/3 of the planting mixture into your moss lined basket. Adding just a bit of water helps the soil to better adhere to the moss. 8.) add your plants.
Some plants to try in your basket that naturally attract humming birds and butterflies are ivy geranium, fuschsia, trailing lobelia, meadowview, pink sand verbena and lotus.
Start by planting the Ivy Geranium from the inside of the basket, carefully poking through the moss and wire. Leave the roots with their soil toward the inside of the basket. Leave room between each plant for the fuchsias, that will be next. Tap the soil around each plant so it stays in place.
Next, plant the fuchsias between the geraniums, again poking the leaves through the moss and wire. Fill in any small spaces left around the outer edges of your basket with the lobelia, alternating colors. Plant from the inside of the basket, pushing the leaves through moss and wire. Loosening the soil on the roots of the lobelia will give them a better start. Cover the roots with potting soil.
Plant the Pink Sand Verbena in the top center of your basket, since it grows upright to about 6-8 inches.
If you have any space left add the trailing lotus around the top edges of your basket. Fill in any areas that need more soil and water with a fine mist from the water hose
Care tips for your hanging hummingbird/butterfly garden:
Water at least once daily, more if needed
Fertilize once a week with a reliable liquid fertilizer
Deadhead or pinch off faded or dying blossoms regularly
Hang your basket where it can get enough sun and shade.
I hope you enjoy your hanging hummingbird garden as much as
I’ve enjoyed sharing it it with you.
Divina Kohl’s “Witch”, Enigma’s “Under The Moon” and Raphaeline’s “Love Spells”
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(One of several entries to move older entries to the new blog.)
Under The Moon
Enigma
Like the shadows of desire
Until the bell rings, then
We pick shapes out of the pyre
We form a gigantic ring
The men are humming and women are singing
To the great God and Goddess
For the harvests they bring
There’s never been any other
Perfect night for all to gather together
To be one with our Earth Mother
Men, women, and children praise her one after another
We raise our arms to the sky
The bell ringing, candles dancing sly
Before us out of the fire arise the deities
Merry meet, Lord and Lady.
“Witch“
Divina Kohl
Flying high in the moonlit sky,
If you listen closely you can here her cry;
Over the moon and around the stars ,
She flies high, having no bars.
Her familiar has fur black as the night
Tells the witch all what is seen by sight.
She cackles and ponders over the cauldron’s bubble;
Finding the right herbs, she is simple and humble.
Leather boots and dragon hide gloves ;
Some say she calls the spirits from above.
In a Book of Shadows, she keeps all of her schemes;
The witch has the power to enter your deepest dreams
Mixing potions and casting spells,
She lets no evil dare come in to dwell.
Her work be good and harm you she not;
She has taken to the oath with all her heart.
Bind you she may having good intent;
Until the black candles magic is spent.
She loves the earth and welcomes all good in-
But the witch, never forgets the magic within.
“Those Love Spells”
4/8/02
Raphaeline
A few
Magic Words
To capture you.
An incantation,
And a potion of rose and apple blossoms,
You are bound to me!
With the simplicity
Of baking a cake,
I have created a timeless romance,
One never to be shaken.
To exist –
To persist –
Forever.
Those charming eyes
Shall gaze at me.
All I need
Is a magic wand
And a pretty potion bottle.
A few more words
And you’ll drink the potion,
And no longer
Will I wish.
Will I dream of you –
Endlessly.
I’ll never have to walk away again.
My heart will not break
With departures-
Again.
Through the window,
You are out of sight..
In another world, I have opened
My Book Of Spells,
And I am crafting the words
To conjure our love.
All Pagans Are Created Equal
The following was written early this morning in a rush of inspiration. It’s not been proofread, for which I apologize! Of course, I appreciate all comments at the end of this post, especially for the sake of discussion. -Raphaeline
As a community, why is it important for us to stick together? Why should we work with one another, whether or not we practice in a group or in solitary? Because most Pagan traditions encourage development of the individual, and because beliefs differ among all Pagans. There isn’t a lot to hold us together. It’s easy to draw that line between the more experienced and the beginners, especially in a search for a sense of accomplishment.
Let us take Christians as an example. They belong to popular belief system that have a set of basic, shared beliefs. It’s easy to see how those of Christianity can join together for a common ideal, for they have plenty of support. However, it’s not so easy for Pagans. We often have more differences than things in common, and it is a force that push us apart.
We are literally capable of representing complete opposites; we’re proud that we do this and we should be! However, we should always keep in mind that it does take work at times. Some Pagans worship a pantheon that others would deem too violent. Some Pagans are deemed fluffy and naïve. Because we have so many disagreements, we tend to move apart from one another. We are all so different that it’s sometimes hard to remember that we’re really of the same ilk. We have principles we stand for – we stand for free thought. We stand for the ability of the common man to have a hand in his own destiny. Without being able to rely on one another for support, we may find that we are indeed the cause of our own problem.
One specific issue I would like to address is the gap between novices and the more experienced. Whether it be out of a simple lack of interest or, more frequently, self-importance, it is crucial to remember that Paganism considered on a nationwide and especially local scale is delicate. We are in a position in which we cannot be concerned solely for our own personal education and experience. Doing so would be a dire threat to the quality of each following generation. Pop Wicca tends to be the doorway to youths who all to often go through the gauntlet of ostracism, rebellion, and loneliness. Most of them are isolated from those who could help them understand the labyrinth of Paganism.
The key to keeping our religion healthy, I believe, is to do two things – we must all seek to advance through knowledge and continue to learn consistently, and at the same time, we must be concerned with those who ask questions and help whenever possible. When we buy a book to learn something new (and I don’t mean the New Age section exclusively; I’m referring to History, Mythology, Psychology, etc. as well), read it and take notes and then pass it down to someone else. Don’t become elitist. The Pagan who thinks he knows everything, knows nothing. *
(Speaking of elitism, I would like to add an aside here. One of the boasting points of Paganism is the fact that we don’t rely on clergy to do our spiritual practice for us. It is a prideful thing that we can brag about – it is a key point of Paganism that we are in control of our own spirituality. Please be wary of the warning signs of cults, available here.)
Discuss and share with the awareness that you may change the opinion you carry now – share your experience, but do it objectively. Some of those who want to learn only have books to learn from, and while they are useful and enlightening, they are also very limited. To eliminate confusion and misunderstanding, let’s concentrate on our collective beliefs and never forget that we do need one another.
♣
*Edited to add: No matter how experienced you think you are, there is someone who can teach you something. I’ve been a Pagan for ten years and I am still finding Pagans every day who have a unique belief or practice, or who offer a more in-depth view of something I previously assumed I knew very well.
Update: Whew!
I’ve become an expert at deciphering even the most twisted of CAPTCHAs – I spent the morning inviting folks from the old KPP MySpace to this blog, and let me tell you, I had no idea how big that list was! I’m still not finished rounding them all up.
Speaking of MySpace, I do ask that if you add us to your friends list on MySpace that you verify your location. Since this is a group for Kentuckians, we prefer to keep the list consisting of only those in our state – if your MySpace location doesn’t have Kentucky, just make sure to add in your request that it’s incorrect!
http://www.myspace.com/underabluegrassmoon
I’ll be at Louisville Pagan Pride Day 2008 this year with the Pagan Student Union of WKU, so if you’ll be there we look forward to seeing you!
Introductions
Welcome to Under A Bluegrass Moon!
This blog is the phoenix of the Kentucky Pagan Post ashes. I miss it already, but I’m looking forward to working on a blog that is designed for our audience. Many of you (those who were a part of the KPP a while back) may recall the survey that asked about your opinion of the KPP and what you would like changed. The results were largely in favor of having it released more often, although there was also a large number of folks who let us know they weren’t able to contribute as often as they liked simply because of time contraints or their preference on what they wanted to post.
Because of the way the KPP was set up, that meant that we couldn’t fulfill those needs easily. Therefore, the new blog form of Under a Bluegrass Moon will allow us to post by contributors when they are able to do so, and posts by staff members and regular contributors as often as they would like.
I can’t wait to get started! We have a couple of projects we’ve been working on and they will soon be released.
Please let us know if you have anything that you would like to share – any projects, written pieces, pictures or videos. You can add us on MySpace, too, at myspace.com/underabluegrassmoon.
Many Thanks;
Raphaeline
