Friday, October 16, 2009

Asatru

Asatru (or Norse Paganism) is a religion of "hard" Polytheists, which means they believe that each deity is a separate entity, unlike Wicca's idea of a universal God and Goddess. Anyway, here are some links to fill you in.

Intro to Asatru http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/4452/AsaIntro.htm

Ritual Book: http://www.ravenkindred.com/Ravenbok.html

Heathen Texts: http://heathengods.com/temple/modules/library/

Blessings,
Jake Jackson


Ps. Sorry for the very long period between posts. I'm trying to get into a more stable posing pattern.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Bannock

This ones a bit late in posting. Ok, so a lot late in posting. Bannock is supposed to be a Lughnasadh treat. *cringe*

Bannock

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons oil
About 1 1/2 cups water

Mix ingredients and add water. Knead approximately 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a mixer. You can add cinnamon and brown sugar to the dough or sprinkle it on after it's cooked. Pat the dough into very flat pancakes, less than a 1/4 inch thick. Add about a 1/4 inch of oil into a frying pan. Heat up and place dough into frying pan. Let bottom get golden brown and air bubbles form on top. Flip over and cooked the other side. Remove from pan and serve plain or sprinkle on a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.

Blessed Be,
Jake Jackson

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Article: Eclectic Witch: I Am the World

Article is from http://www.witchvox.com
Enjoy!!

Eclectic Witch: I Am the World

Author:
Maiaduir


What does it mean to be an Eclectic Witch? This may mean many different things to many different people. However, I think that what it means to be an Eclectic Witch is this: to be at a state of oneness with the whole of Gaia, and all of her cultures and traditions.

Eclectic Witches reclaim spirituality from many sources, including their Ancestral traditions, traditions from their past lives, traditions from the land upon which they reside, traditions that they have a special connection to, and traditions that have truly made a calling to their hearts. They also realize that the whole of Gaia is our tribe, and it is beneficial to look at all traditions, cultures, variations of magick and Witchcraft, religions, and spiritualities for Awen, divine inspiration.

So now lets take a look at what it means to be an Eclectic Witch.

One source from which Eclectics may choose their traditions is from Ancestral traditions. This can mean two different things: Your genetic ancestors, whose blood you carry in your veins and arteries, or the ancestry of your soul, traditions and cultures that you were involved in during past lives. The traditions of your genetic ancestors can be a powerful thing to reclaim.

Look at the veins on your wrist and forearm, or put your hand to your chest and feel your heart pumping. Just sit for a few seconds and watch or listen to the blood flowing and pumping through your veins, through your heart. That blood that flows through your veins is a sacred mixture of blood that once pumped through the veins of your ancestors! Whether you are Asian or African, European or Hispanic, reconnect with your blood!

Reconnect with your genes, and realize that your great-great-great-great-great-grandmother or father could have been a Druid or a Stregha, a Brahmin or a Mambo, a Shaman or a Saint. Reconnect with the traditions of your ancestors, and feel the primordial life blood which flows and pumps through your veins. This is definitely a part of being and Eclectic Witch.

Another way of reclaiming your ancestry is by reclaiming the traditions of your past lives, if you know of them. If you do not know of them, then it's a great idea to do some past life regression, as it can be a profound experience. Many Witches feel called to cultures and traditions based on past life experience with them.

If you have had a past life as a Celt or as a Sumerian, research the spiritual traditions of those cultures. It may give you a marvelous sense of homecoming, a return to what you have known before, a piece of your souls history. Research this bit of who you are as an Eclectic Witch, and reclaim your ancestors of body and soul.

Another source from which Eclectics may draw Awen from is the traditions and spiritual practices of the natives of the land upon which you live. If you are a native to the land upon which you reside, and if you have taken Paganism as your religion, then you most likely have this covered. However, most of us in the United States and Canada are not Native American. Most of us trace our bloodlines back to Europe, Africa, or Asia. These are our true homelands.

However, you have lived in America your whole life, you still have a very strong connection to the spirits of place here, especially if your family has lived here for many generations. A great way to connect to the land upon which you live is by researching and practicing the spiritual customs of the natives of the land, who really know it best. If you live in the America Southwest, for example, you might look into the customs of the Hohokam, Navajo, or Pueblo peoples. Not only will it deepen your connection to the land, but it is also fun to learn about the people who stood here many years ago. Witches strive to be at one with out land, so we should look to the practices of those who have attained oneness with it before us.

A fourth vehicle to the Divine that many Eclectic Witches draw practices from is from traditions and spiritualities that they have special connections to, and unique spiritualities that have made a calling to their hearts for seemingly unknown reason. You might be asking yourself what I mean when I say that one may be drawn to a tradition that they have "special connections" to. Like Eclecticism itself, it can mean many different things to many different people.

One might have a teacher who has been highly influenced by Hellenic Paganism, and whose matron is Artemis, and might develop a strong connection to Artemis' energy as a result. One might have a spirit guide who is Egyptian, and therefore have a connection to Kemetic Witchcraft as a result. There are really endless reasons why someone might have a special connection to something that is not "theirs", per say.

The last reason I will discuss here that one may feel called to a tradition is for a reason that they really cannot put their finger on. The tradition just calls to their hearts and spirits, and they follow that call because that is what the Divine tells them to do.

If you have specific interest in a tradition, or it calls to you for a reason that you really do not know, explore it! This is a sacred opportunity to broaden your spiritual worldview. It doesn't mean that you have to give up your current beliefs. Rather, integrate them with the ones you have currently, as all traditions come from the same source, and therefore bear similarities to each other in some way, shape, or form. Do not be afraid to explore currently unknown traditions. Just let the Gods and Goddesses take you where their will is to take you, and you will always be safe within their arms, even when times are tough.

In conclusion, being an Eclectic Witch means to be at a state of oneness with the whole of the planet, and all of her traditions and spiritualities. At one time in history, Pagans worshiped the gods and spirits of where they were from, and as cultures intermingled, so did the Gods and Goddesses and the traditions and religions of the cultures, as seen in the worship of Isis in not only Egypt, but also Rome. But now we are faced with a new age of technology and advancement.

We are no longer single tribes. The whole of the world has become our tribe. Eclectic Witches realize that, in reality, we are all related. Mitakuye Oyasin, as the Native Americans say. So, realize that we are all one, and, as Witches of any and every tradition, let us act as such.

Chaos Magic Links

For all you Chaoists out there (or even curious pagans) here is a link to end all links. It will take you to a page filled with hundreds of links to articles regarding Chaos Magic.

http://www.chaosmatrix.org/library/chaos_all.php

Blessed Be )O(

P.S. Is there anyone out there? Am I just posting into empty space? If you do indeed read this blog, or just looked at It once, let me know by posting a comment, or sending an email to swordguru@gmail.com. Thank you!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Oh My Gods!

(click for bigger image)


Oh My Gods is a pagan comic by Shivian Balaris. If you like your pagan humor dry and sarcastic, this comic is for you!

http://ohmygods.co.uk

Blessed Be

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Green Man's Grove

Green Man's Grove is an awesome website that has an online shop that lets you order all kind of Pagan related things such as: Athames, Wands, Robes, Jewelry and much much more! Check them out, you will NOT be disappointed.

http://www.celticpagan.com/

Blessed Be


Tuesday, June 30, 2009

"A little bit of sweetness"

Have you ever been tired of your regular wine during the Simple Feast? I know i have. A wonderful way to mix things up is to brew your own Mead!!! Mead is a traditional norse drink made from honey and citrus fruits. If you make it right, it tastes simply AMAZING. Below is a recipe for soft mead (Non-Alcoholic). Enjoy!

Soft Mead
Ingredients:
  1. 1 quart of water
  2. 1 cup of honey (not too dark)
  3. 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
  4. 1 sliced lemon
  5. juice of 1/2 lemon
  6. a pinch of salt
First put the water into a pan and heat up. When it is almost boiling, slowly stir in the honey, making absolutely sure that it is dissolved. Then, put in the sliced lemon and nutmeg. "Scum" (thick little brown bubbles) will start to rise to the edges. Remove this with a wooden spoon. Continue doing this until no more rises (or very little). Take off the heat. Add a pinch of salt and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Stir briefly. Now strain the mead several times, removing the lemon seeds and any floating nutmeg left. I usually strain it 3-4 times. Now bottle it and put it in the refrigerator. Make sure to drink it soon!

Believe me, Mead is totally the nectar of the GODS.

Blessed Be! )O(

Sacred Texts: Wicca and Neopaganism

Here, my friends is a absolutely wonderful website. It is host to thousands of texts. But don't let me hold you up, go check it out for yourself!!!

http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/index.htm

Blessed Be! )O(

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

A nice resource...

This is a nice little resource that I found with lots of information pertaining to wicca and its beliefs. This site would be particularly useful for coming out of the broom closet and trying to explain to baffled (or sometimes hysterical) relatives/friends what Wicca/Paganism is and entails.

http://www.magicwicca.com/wicca/main.html

[Edit] Ok, well, it looks like that site has shut down or experienced some technical difficulties. In other words, its not gonna work. :P

Blessed Be )O(

Monday, May 18, 2009

Tarots Tarots and more Tarots

Ever needed to know the meaning of a card, and the descriptions that you have just don't cut it? I know I have. This site is an archive of detailed meanings for each card, that I think you will find quite to your satisfaction. Now when I'm doing a reading, this is a must have tool for me. I hope it works as well for you.

http://www.ata-tarot.com/resource/cards/

Blessed Be

The Wiccan Rede

The Wiccan Rede is a set of principles and guidelines that a Wiccan lives by. But you don't have to be wiccan to take wisdom from it. I myself am a "Wiccan Inspired" Pagan. Anyone can look at it and say, "Hey, that's a great idea," or "I want to stand for that." It doesn't matter what you follow, but what you get from it. I get a lot from this poem and I hope you will too so I'm posting it.

Blessed Be

The Wiccan Rede

Bide ye Wiccan laws ye must,

in perfect love and perfect trust.

Live and let live, fairly take and fairly give.

Form the circle thrice about, to keep all evil spirits out.

To bind ye spell every time, let ye spell be spake in rhyme.

Soft of eye, light of touch, speak ye little, listen much.

Deosil go by the waxing moon, singing out ye Witches’ Rune.

Widdershins go by the waning moon, chanting out ye Baneful Rune.

When the Lady’s moon is new, kiss your hand to her times two.

When the moon rides at her peak, then ye heart’s desire seek.

Heed the North wind’s mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss thee on the mouth.

When the wind blows from the West, departed souls may have no rest.

When the wind blows from the East, except the new and set the feast.

Nine woods in ye cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.

Elder be ye Lady’s tree, burn it not or cursed ye’ll be.

When the wheel begins to turn, soon ye Beltaine fire’ll burn.

When the wheel hath turned to Yule, light the log the Horned One rules.

Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady blessed be.

Where the rippling waters flow, cast a stone and truth ye’ll know.

When ye have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend, nor be counted as his friend.

Merry meet and merry part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind ye threefold law ye should, three times bad and three times good.

When misfortune is anow, wear the blue star upon thy brow.

True in love ye must ever be, lest thy love be false to thee.

In these eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill,

‘An ye harm none, do what ye will.

An Introduction, Perhaps

Hello, Internet!

This blog is planning to be your one place that you can come for useful links on pagan related subjects. I plan to post great articles, funny comics and awesome links to neat pagan sites. I want to be able to have a archive full of useful texts, articles and spells for the use of the general public. I also will write about my daily experiences with Paganism in the 21st Century.

Blessed Be