Being Pagan and Vegan

Well not really thought about it, but this week I've officially been Vegan 2 months! 6 in total if I count from February where I was 90% vegan up to going full 2 months a go! Do I feel better for it? Absolutely! In mind, body and spirit!!

For me being vegetarian and then vegan is part of my pagan path. When i had a brief spell of eating meat (it was for family reasons and not for myself) again I stopped being pagan. I felt as if I was failing my path as a pagan  and witch. I didn't feel I could live as a pagan when i was doing something against my own beliefs.

When i started back on the path of paganism the one thing I had to return to was vegetarianism and animal rights. Becoming vegan was from educating myself further.

But of course that is just me. I am not saying you are not a true pagan if you are not  vegan.  We all walk our own path in our own way. I guess for me it was because I was already vegetarian when I realised I was pagan and so for me they are a part of each other.

Is there anyone else that has something in their life they feel is part of being pagan when normally on its own it isnt?

New Tools: Cleansing And Consecrating

                       

 

And when we say 'New' we don't just mean brand new, but new to you!  

It's very wise to cleanse and consecrate any new tools etc you have bought for your craft, be it a wand or a simple knife. We cleanse our tools to remove any unwanted energies and consecrate them to make them ours.

Before consecrating you should first cleanse your  tools. You can simply use sage smoke or moonlight. Some have even used sunlight to cleanse. Others may lay there tools on the Earth or sprinkle with well or spring water. You can also use sound. It needs to be a pure and clean sound such as tingsha bells.

                                                                      

I will often cleanse my tools after I have been doing any spellwork that may have left a negative aftertaste, so to speak, such as maybe banishing work or if you have been doing some major healing doe a serious illness.  And if I feel it is needed I will re consecrate my tools too.

As I said earlier when you gain any new tools etc, you should cleanse and then consecrate them. Here is a good site on consecrating your tools. And even if you have made the tools yourself, consecrating them ties them to you even more!

Consecrating Your Tools

Oracle Card of the Day ~ Embrace Your Sensitivity

~*Oracle Card of the Day*~

Image Source 

' Embrace Your Sensitivity'

"Your sensitivity is the sacred gateway to your intuition. It's that special, receptive radar that picks up energy and signals. In fact, your sensitivity is one of your greatest assets, and the key to your survival. The more you connect with it, the more miracles and synchronicities you'll attract."

'Crazy Sexy Love Notes' by Kris Carr Artwork by Lori Portka

http://kriscarr.com/
http://loriportka.com/

Oracle Card of the Day ~ Imagine

~*Oracle Card of the Day* ~

' Imagine...'

"Let your imagination lead you today.  Go with the flow.  You may find yourself inspired when you allow your imagination to run wild. "

Oracle cards 'Words and Whispers Oracle ' by Linda Ravenscroft

Oracle Card ~ Comfort

~*Oracle Card of the Day* ~

"Comfort"

"The smell of flowers, the warmth of the sun, a favourite chair. 

Take time to enjoy the things that give you comfort today."

Oracle cards 'Words and Whispers Oracle ' by Linda Ravenscroft
Web site: http://www.lindaravenscroft.com

Oracle Card of the Day

 

'Your Purpose is Joy...'

"Your purpose has nothing to do with how you make a living.  That is your vocation,  mission,  or inspired passion - all worthy - but your purpose is much simpler and bigger.  Your purpose is joy. It's about discovering,  nurturing,  and celebrating who you truly are, and knowing and loving yourself at the deepest level. "

'Crazy Sexy Love Notes' by Kris Carr Artwork by Lori Portka

Kris Carr Web Site

Lori Portka Web Site

Favourite Books

A very short post for me. It's just a few of my Witchcraft books, three by Scott Cunningham and one by Lexa Rosean.

If you like to make potions  etc I highly recommend Scott's 'Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs' and 'Potions, Oils & Brews'. I would also recommend purchasing a couple of good identification books for wild flowers and plants and also one for herbs. 

I also recommend  Lexa's 'Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients' that doesn't just include herbs, but such things as iron nails and egg.

Chants

Chanting is a tool that many of us either know very little or nothing about and just simply don't realise how important this simple act can be. It is simply the rhythmic sound of your voice. This can be speaking, singing of words, such as one word, a God or mantra, or a sound and is more often than not one or two pitches that are called reciting tones. But it can also be simply the repeating of one or two of lines of a song. It can be used for reasons such as meditating, spellwork and raising inner energies. This article really is just touching on the subject. It is as fast as it is powerful, so lets start with Om.

The word Om

Om is one of the simplest chants/mantras and is of Hindu origin.   When you say this word you start with O and draw it out for a few a minute or two before ending with Mmm. So it is Ooooooooommmm, but not pronounced as a Uuu sound as we would normally do. Here's a an example of the sound on Youtube . Though a simple sound it is incredibly powerful. When done correctly it vibrates through your whole body, especially your skull and chest.

A more complex Om chant is Om mani padme hum (or hung in the Tibetan version)Youtube

Chants can be a powerful tool during ritual and spells too. But they can also be an incredible cleanser of the mind, body and soul, especially before you start and should never really be overlooked by us. It is also free. It is simply you and your voice. And if there is a group of you chanting at the same time the energy is beyond measure. It is both powerful and often very moving.

''The Magic Circle' by John William Waterhouse 1886

When many of us thinking of chanting our thoughts immediately go to Buddhism, but you will find it in many of the mainstream religions and of course Paganism, from Wicca to Heathenism.

As I said earlier it can be used during your spells. It helps to raise the energy, focus yours thoughts and intentions as well as giving extra power to your spell. Sometimes all we will do is a chant such as this simple chant for healing grief and pain that can be said aloud or or inside your head whilst you are out walking on a misty or rainy day.

"Brother Wind and sister Rain,
Cleanse my heart from grief
And pain."

You keep repeating this until you feel calmer and do remember to thank the rain and wind for this healing gift. Here's an interesting article Why Do We Do Spell Chanting.

You will find some pagan chants that for me feel more like a prayer as they are multiple paragraphs. The whole point of a chant is that it is a repeated word, phrase or sound. If you start adding multiple paragraphs it is simply a prayer and loses the power of a chant. But you can, as I said, take a song and just use a couple of lines and keep repeating them. for example 'We all come from the Goddess' by Moving Breath. Here are the full lyrics and here is the song on Youtube to give you an idea of rhythm.

Although it is repeated many times, there is only really three paragraphs to this song. I only use the first which is ~

We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop of rain, 

Flowing to the ocean

When I sing it I draw out the word Ocean. 

Here are a few more examples of Pagan Chants you could use. I have also added the Youtube links so you can hear them.

Air I am
Fire I am
Water, Earth, and Spirit I am


- Andras Corban Arthen Youtube

It's the blood of the ancients
That runs through our veins
And the forms pass
But the circle of life remains


- Ellen Klaver Youtube

Earth my body
Water my blood
Air my breath
And fire my spirit


- Author Unknown Youtube

On the Youtube version of this next chant, the word 'Bring' has been changed to 'Show' 

Rise up, O flame
By thy light glowing
Bring to us beauty, vision, and joy


- Author Unknown (recorded by Libana on Fire Within) Youtube

These are just a few examples of what I feel are chants as opposed to prayers. To find out more simply use the powerful tool Google. And don't just use chant as your search but also Mantra and Affirmations as affirmations are often short and make ideal chants.

Mantra Prayer Beads (108)

And before I leave the subject a little something of tools. When we meditate, we often have such aids as candles and incense. 

Chanting is one form of meditation and so shouldn't be treated any differently. You can also use mantra beads to help you keep a count, with out the need to physically count, if you intend to chant for some time. 

Pagan Prayer Beads

Mantra beads or prayer beads can be found on both Amazon and Ebay at very reasonable prices. These can have as many as 108 beads, but you can purchase smaller ones too. And do try Pagan Prayer beads search as this may help you to find something more suitable to your needs.




Also, once you have seen a few examples of chants and mantras, try writing your own. Just remember to keep them simple and only a few lines. Too many lines and you'll lose it's power.

Now relax and enjoy!

~ Pagan Hare

Useful Links

Beth's Pagan Chants (though personally I find some are too long)
En-Chant-Ment ~ Home of Pagan Chants
98 Pagan Chants
Mantras for Precarious Times
How To Use Mantra Beads (108)
Pagan Prayer Beads

Almanac 16th to 22nd March

"Ostara" by Helena Nelson-Reed

All information from "Llewellyn's Magical Almanac 2015" 

Colour and Incense based on information used by Llewellyn from 

Personal Almanac by Amber Wolfe

All times are Eastern Standard (US) Time (EST) 

or Eastern Daylight (US) Time (EDT)

Next Sabbats and Full/New Moons

***20th March Ostara (Spring Equinox) - Northern Hemisphere
20th March Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox) - Southern Hemisphere

20th March New Moon
04th April Full Moon

The Moon and Correspondences For This Week

Monday 16th
Waning Moon  
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter 
Colour: Gray
Moon Sign: Capricorn
Moon enters Aquarius 6:14 am
Incense: Neroli

Tuesday 17th  
Waning Moon 
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: Maroon
Moon Sign: Aquarius 
Incense: Bayberry

Wednesday 18th 
Waning Moon
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: Yellow
Moon Sign: Aquarius
Moon enters Pisces 6:58 am
Incense: Bay Laurel

Thursday 19th  
Waning Moon
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: Turquoise
Moon Sign: Pisces
Incense: Myrrh

Friday 20th 
***Ostara - Spring Equinox***
Waning Moon
New Moon 5:36 am
Colour: White
Moon Sign: Pisces
Moon enters Aries 6:28 am
Sun enters Aries 6:45 pm
Incense: Vanilla

Saturday 21st  
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Indigo
Moon Sign: Aries
Incense: Ivy

Sunday 22nd 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Yellow
Moon Sign: Aries
Moon enters Taurus 6:40 am 
Incense: Hyacinth

Almanac 16th to 22nd February

All information from "Llewellyn's Magical Almanac 2015" 
Colour and Incense based on information used by Llewellyn from 
Personal Almanac by Amber Wolfe

All times are Eastern Standard (US) Time (EST) 
or Eastern Daylight (US) Time (EDT)

Next Sabbats and Full/New Moons

20th March Ostara (Spring Equinox) - Northern Hemisphere
20th March Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox) - Southern Hemisphere

18th February Aquarius New Moon
5th March Virgo Full Moon

The Moon and Correspondences For This Week

Monday 16th 
Waning Moon  
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter 
Colour: White
Moon Sign: Capricorn
Moon enters Aquarius 7:13 pm 
Incense: Clary Sage

Tuesday 17th 
Waning Moon 
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: Black
Moon Sign: Aquarius 
Incense: Bayberry

Wednesday 18th 
Waning Moon
New Moon 6:47 pm
Colour: Topaz
Moon Sign: Aquarius 
Moon enters Pieces 6:47pm
Sun enters Pieces 6:50 pm
Incense: Bay Lavender

Thursday 19th 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Green
Moon Sign: Pieces
Incense: Jasmine

Friday 20th 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Pink
Moon Sign: Pieces
Moon enters Aries 6;13 pm
Incense: Rose

Saturday 21st
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Gray
Moon Sign: Aries
Incense: Rue

Sunday 22nd 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First  Quarter
Colour: Yellow
Moon Sign: Aries
Moon enters Taurus 7:28 pm
Incense: Eucalyptus

Valentine's Day: Pagan or Christian Holiday? Pagan Origins of Valentine's Day by Austin Cline

For me Valentines Days is kind of special for both myself and my parents. Not because I have a cue of suitors every year outside my door, but because I am a Valentine baby. I was, according to my parents, an extra special Valentine present. And your mum and dad are always right? Of course they are, they're your parents. But this Valentine baby is also a pagan baby and I thought it would be nice to either write or post something about the origins of this day and it's connections to both Pagan and Christian beliefs. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to sit and write something myself. But I did find a good article about this very subject. And believe me, if you Google Valentines Day you will find a myriad of articles dedicated to this very subject. And do remember that this article is just one individuals view point. Like anything, read more.

So enjoy the following article written by Austin Cline and maybe dip your toe into the myriad to learn more.

Beannachd

Pagan Hare

Valentine's Day: Pagan or Christian Holiday? Pagan Origins of Valentine's Day

 by Austin Cline

Valentine’s Day as a Pagan Holiday:

Isn’t Valentine’s Day a Christian day, named after a Christian saint? When we consider the matter more closely, we don’t find a strong relationship between Christian saints and romance. There is a lot of debate and disagreement among scholars about the origins of Valentine’s Day. We’ll never be able to disentangle all of the cultural and religious threads in order to reconstruct a complete and coherent story, but the pagan connections to the date are much stronger than the Christian ones.

February 14th & Juno Fructifier or Juno Februata:

The Romans celebrated a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno Fructifier, Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses as well as goddess of marriage. In one ritual, women would submit their names to a common box and men would each draw one out. These two would be a couple for the duration of the festival (and at times for the entire following year). Both rituals were designed to promote not only fertility, but also life generally.

February 15th & Feast of Lupercalia:

On February 15, Romans celebrated Luperaclia, honoring Faunus, god of fertility. Men would go to a grotto dedicated to Lupercal, the wolf god, located at the foot of Palatine Hill and where Romans believed that the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were suckled by a she-wolf. The men would sacrifice a goat, don its skin, and run around, hitting women with small whips, an act which was supposed to ensure fertility.

St. Valentine, Christian Priest:

According to one story, Roman emperor Claudius II imposed a ban on marriages because too many young men were dodging the draft by getting married (only single men had to enter the army). A Christian priest named Valentinus was caught performing secret marriages and sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, young lovers visited him with notes about how much better love is than war — the first “valentines.” The execution occurred in 269 CE on February 14th.

St. Valentine, Second and Third:

Another Valentinus was a priest jailed for helping Christians. During his stay he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and sent her notes signed “from your Valentine.” He was eventually beheaded and buried on the Via Flaminia. Reportedly Pope Julius I built a basilica over his grave. A third and final Valentinius was the bishop of Terni and he was also martyred, with his relics being taken back to Terni.

Christianity Takes Over Valentine’s Day:

In 469, emperor Gelasius declared February 14th a holy day in honor of Valentinus instead of the pagan god Lupercus. This allowed Christianity to take over some of the celebrations of love and fertility which had perviously occurred in the context of paganism. Pagan celebrations were reworked to fit the martyr theme — Christianity did not approve of rituals that encouraged sexuality. Instead of pulling girls’ names from boxes, both boys and girls chose the names of martyred saints from a box.

Valentine’s Day Turns to Love:

It wasn’t until the Renaissance of 14th century that customs returned to celebrations of love and life rather than faith and death. People began to break free of some of the bonds imposed upon them by the Church and move towards a humanistic view of nature, society, and the individual. Moving towards more sensual art and literature, there was no shortage of poets and authors connecting the dawning of Spring with love, sexuality, and procreation.

Valentine’s Day & Divination:

As with so many other holidays that have pagan roots, divination came to play an important role in the development of modern Valentine’s Day. People looked to all sorts of things, primarily in nature, in order to find some sign about who might become their mate for life — their One True Love. There were also, of course, things which came to be used to induce love or lust.

Commercialization of Valentine’s Day:

Today, capitalist commercialism is the biggest aspect of Valentine’s Day. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on chocolate, candies, flowers, dinners, hotel rooms, jewelry, and other gifts used to celebrate February 14th. There’s a lot of money to be made from people’s desire to commemorate the day. Only Christmas and Halloween come close in the way that modern commercialism has transformed and adopted an ancient pagan celebration.

Valentine’s Day as a Pagan, Commercial Holiday:

Valentine’s Day is no longer part of the official liturgical calendar of any Christian church; it was dropped from the Catholic calendar in 1969. It’s not a feast, a celebration, or a memorial of any martyrs. A return to more pagan-like celebrations of February 14th is not surprising — and neither is the overall commercialization of the day. Millions of people all over the world celebrate Valentine’s Day in one fashion or another, but it’s unlikely that even one of them celebrates it in an even remotely religious manner.

This has resulted in some backlash among reiligious leaders in some societies. Some of the negative reactions are due to the pagan and commercialized elements, but some must be attributed to the long-term Christian character of the day. In India, Hindu nationalists threatened anyone caught observing any Christian holidays, including Valentine’s Day. Some young lovers ccaught in public together on Valentine’s Day were even assaulted. Government officials in Saudi Arabia prohibited Muslims from doing anything at all associated with Valentine’s Day.

A few Christians seem to be interested in restoring some semblance of religion to Valentine’s Day, though not in any traditional sense. They don’t want to use it as a means for memorializing saints, but as a means of evangelization. In Kansas, for example, Christians sent roses to high school girls that were accompanied by Bible verses. It’s not clear whether they were trying to reclaim a lost Christian holiday or merely trying to appropriate a secular, commercial holiday for their own purposes.

The truth, though, is that American culture has so taken over Valentine’s Day that no amount of Bible verses will be able to change things. Commercial interests make so much money from Valentine’s Day that they aren’t going to accept any changes that won’t lead to even more profits. Christians helped make Valentine’s Day a cultural holiday, and now it’s entirely out of their hands.

Article Source: About Religion ~ Valentines Day

Almanac 9th to 15th February

 All information from "Llewellyn's Magical Almanac 2015" 

Colour and Incense based on information used by Llewellyn from 

Personal Almanac by Amber Wolfe

All times are Eastern Standard (US) Time (EST) 

or Eastern Daylight (US) Time (EDT)

Next Sabbats and Full/New Moons

20th March Ostara (Spring Equinox) - Northern Hemisphere

20th March Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox) - Southern Hemisphere

18th February Aquarius New Moon

5th March Virgo Full Moon

The Moon and Correspondences For This Week

Monday 9th 

Waning Moon  

Moon Phase: Third Quarter 

Colour: Silver

Moon Sign: Libra

Incense: Narcissus 

Tuesday 10th 

Waning Moon 

Moon Phase: Third Quarter

Colour: Maroon

Moon Sign: Libra

Moon enters Scorpio 2:05 am

Incense: Ylang-ylang

Wednesday 11th 

Waning Moon

Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter 10:50 pm

Colour: Yellow

Moon Sign: Scorpio

Incense: Bay Laurel

Thursday 12th 

Waning Moon

Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter

Colour: White

Moon Sign: Scorpio

Moon enters Sagittarius 11:46 am

Incense: Myrrh

Friday 13th 

Waning Moon

Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter

Colour: Rose

Moon Sign: Sagittarius 

Incense: Thyme

Saturday 14th 

Waning Moon

Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter

Colour: Brown

Moon Sign: Sagittarius 

Moon enters Capricorn 5:24 pm

Incense: Pine

Sunday 15th 

Waning Moon

Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter

Colour: Gold

Moon Sign: Capricorn

Incense: Hyacinth 

A New Venture

As we approach the middle of January we get ever closer to Imbolc on 1st February. We are already seeing the signs of a fresh start in nature through the first signs of buds on trees and the delicate leaves of daffodils, crocuses,  snowdrops and bluebells.

But it's not just nature that is waking up or making a fresh start.  Many of us in the Pagan community are and I am no exception.

Towards the end of the year my sister, Raven Moon,  invited me to join her in a new venture. A new witchcraft and pagan store that sells hand crafted, hand decorated items done by myself and Raven Moon and also by another part of this tiny coven, Litha SilverMoon.

What are we called? Besom Magic. You can find us on both twitter and Facebook.  And this past few days this little Techy Witch has been busy setting up the website.

I will  share more as we get closer to opening.

But for now. ..

Beannachd to you all and be sure to look us up

New Beginnings

Change can be a scary time, especially when that change is huge. I myself have gone through a massive change this past year. One that was both scary and a breath of fresh air.

Before this great change I found myself in a kind of pagan/witchy quagmire.  Although I knew I was pagan through and through,  I had somehow lost my spiritual drive. I had fallen into a rut.

This huge change in my life involved a great deal of pressing the re-start button including this part of my life and because of this re-start it has re kindled my dying flame that is my spiritual side as well as my witchy side.

And even more change is in motion as I type as I join a tiny coven that has re-kindled a light within all those who are apart of it.

So yes change can very often be incredibly frightening.  But more often than not,  it is for the best and can re awaken the dying embers within you!

Beannachd

~ Pagan Hare