Not Feeling It This Year

All Hallows is upon us, and depending on the calendar you follow, Samhain.  As I waited through October this year, I found myself thinking more and more, “is it over yet?”

Validity and Religious Pluralism

Spiritual/religious validity are topics that never go out of style within the Pagan community.  We can talk about them until the blue-faced cows come home.  And no matter how often or how many times we go over the same topic, it never fails to end in ruffled feathers and out-of-joint noses.

Our national and international news sources tell us of the great strides being made at various interfaith conferences.  Pagans are being taken more and more seriously as a player on the world religion scene.  Our rights to publicly display our faiths on equal footing with The Big Three™ are being recognized with more frequency by various governmental agencies.

These are all very encouraging steps forward into a new age of religious pluralism.  And yet, one only needs to look as far as a few Pagan blogs or discussion forums to get the feeling that the last dozen years or so have been an exercise in futility.

Under

Under is one of my little one’s favourite words at the moment.  When thinking of topics for the letter ‘U’ for the PBP, all I could think of was her little voice chanting “Unda!  Unda!”

When we’re small, under is pretty cool.  We play Hide-and-Seek, trying to squeeze ourselves into the smallest places we can find.  Later on, we build forts with blanket ceilings and tree houses under a canopy of green.

These small under places are our own.  Our first understanding of separate and private space are in these little caves and duns.

Perspicacity and Pagan Art

Perspicacity as defined by Merriam-Webster is:

acute mental vision or discernment

More specifically, it’s the ability to understand or gain insight. As much fun as it is to say, perspicacity strikes me as a unifying core goal of many, if not most, Pagan paths.  We seek to understand; to grow our vision to see all that the world(s)/universe is and has to offer.

Opining

Back to the PBP.  Summer officially ended in Calgary today when the temperature dropped from yesterday’s high of 23 down to our high today of 8. I guess that my waiting for fall was in vain.  We get summer and winter here.  Meh.

The cooler weather and the evil threat of snow for tomorrow means that I’ll be inside more, and I’ll have some time to get caught up on the PBP – hopefully before it’s over.

At the End of the Day …

There’s been a lot of talk floating around the Pagan Blogsphere about ethics, interfaith work, lore, living your beliefs and whatnot.  I’ve also seen posts from those who have spent years seeking and seem to found nothing but a soul deep weariness that turns them from a spiritual path all together.

I have had my own moments of ‘What’s the point?’  I think that we all have.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of.  You’re not a failure as a Pagan/Witch/etc if you find yourself wondering why it is that you’re doing all of this.  Why do you spend so much time, energy and money on your path?  What do you get out of it?

VOTE: Should the Pendle Witches receive an official pardon? – Peek Into The Past – Burnley Express

IT’S a big year across the whole of the area … 2012: the 400th annievrsary of the infamous Pendle Witches trials.

With exhibitions, events and even a thwarted plan to mark the event with a huge ‘2012’ on Pendle Hill, the spotlight has fallen on the group of women who were hanged for their crimes of ‘witchcraft’.

Read more @ VOTE: Should the Pendle Witches receive an official pardon? – Peek Into The Past – Burnley Express.

Magical Green Elephants: Pagan Finance

“Now I’m sure someone is looking at this post and saying “What the hell does this have to do with paganism, or the pagan community.” and I’ll say “everything.” It’s the giant elephant in the room we so often sweep under the rug. It isn’t until a scandal comes about that the discussion of pagans, and our attitudes towards money and financial involvement, are brought up for conversation. It’s amazing how much money will be put into a community center, but mention a pagan credit union and you can hear the crickets chirping half way from Omaha; despite there being a Christian credit union in my immediate area.”

Read More at: Magical Green Elephants: Pagan Finance.

This is an interesting topic, and I think that this article is very timely with the closing of the Sacred Paths Community Centre and the controversy surrounding it.  What are your impressions of Pagans and finance?  Would you put your financial business in the hands of a Pagan credit union?