I’m all for different religions, but I also think that people should know the history of specific holidays related to their religion and should also know how to celebrate them properly. In the event that you believe in a God, Goddess, pantheon or anything else, you ought to obey any commands they have given, yes? Otherwise what’s the point of following a religion with a God, Goddess or pantheon to begin with?
Jeremiah 10:2
Thus says the LORD,
“Do not learn the way of the heathens,
…
For the customs of the peoples are delusion;
Because it is wood cut from the forest,
The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
They decorate it with silver and with gold;
They fasten it with nails and with hammers
So that it will not totter.”
Clearly this is a condemnation of the practices of the ‘others’, the Israelites specifically, but I’m sure God is just against the practices of the Pagans (which is why I used a translation that states ‘heathens’ as that would indicate all religions that are non-Christian). Most specifically, this passage speaks against the cutting down of trees and decorating them, because that is what the ‘others’ do; they are delusional for this and you should not learn from them, according to the Lord.
Think twice before you get a Christmas tree. You are practicing the ancient, heathenous celebrations of those God denounces as delusional. By learning from our celebrations you go directly against God’s commands.
Showing posts with label Wiccan Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wiccan Holidays. Show all posts
Wiccan holidays: Samhain or Halloween
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Samhain, which is on October 31, is coming up soon. Set your calendar if you weren’t already prepared for it, though I’m sure you are since Halloween is the same night.
Samhain marks a thinning of the veil between our world and the next. Spirit activity is strongest on this night and magic is extremely effective. This thinning can be used to communicate with the dead or amplify astral projection.
I am not a fan of actually communicating with the dead so my Samhain celebration never includes that. Feel free to incorporate it using a homemade Ouija board (I only recommend homemade because I have never had success with the mass produced ones) or a pendulum. Remember, you can make any celebration your own; these are just my preferences and suggestions.
I have always used Samhain as a solo holiday; I feel that the link between life and death is one that should be experienced and investigated alone. It’s a very personal matter, but you can feel free to incorporate others into this ritual. Just remember to be respectful of each other's magic strength and those with stronger techniques may wish to share their energy to help others look deeper, but should not feel obligated to do so.
Step 1: Find an item that represents Samhain for you. Halloween is actually still very close to its origins in terms of symbols, so a jack-o-lantern, skeleton or other Halloween item can work perfectly for this. The item should represent the link between life and death to you.
Step 2: Place a drink and a treat on either side of your Samhain symbol. These items should be representative of the holiday to you, too, so perhaps apple cider and a piece of your favorite candy. I use hot chocolate and a candy apple - not the healthiest, but quite tasty.
Step 3: Sit in front of your Wiccan holiday symbol and begin to meditate. Begin to feel inside of yourself. If you have ever astral projected before, go through with your normal method. If you have never done it before, Samhain is the perfect time to begin practicing. The veil is so thin the body can easily pull apart. You can follow my astral projection guide to get started (coming soon).
Step 4: As your astral self, move into your own body - not rejoining, but into your own mind - and look into yourself. You should be able to investigate your past like this. Those with stronger projection techniques (and more experience) may even be able to feel and sense out other lives. Keep in mind, it’s unlikely you will ever fully realize what you previously were, but you may get small hints and feelings of dancing, healing, having children, etc. Do not dwell on finding out who you were, just feel it.
Step 5: Slowly pull out of your mind when you are done investigating and rejoin your astral self to your body. Depending on how deeply you went, you may need to take this very slowly to avoid any trauma.
Step 6: You may feel the need to cast a spell after your investigation. Feel free to do so. Spells to energize your current life are very good after such deep astral projection. Disposing of negative energy is also good.
Step 7: If you cast a spell, finish with “So mote it be.”
Step 8: Enjoy your drink and food items.
Tips:
If you can’t succeed at astral projecting tonight, do not worry about it. Getting in touch with your inner self through simple meditation is enough to give proper reverence to the cycle of life and death.
Those with strong astral projection techniques may feel their previous life deaths. Do not be alarmed. Remain calm. This is a natural part of the life cycle and you must remember that your current body is safe.
Samhain marks a thinning of the veil between our world and the next. Spirit activity is strongest on this night and magic is extremely effective. This thinning can be used to communicate with the dead or amplify astral projection.
I am not a fan of actually communicating with the dead so my Samhain celebration never includes that. Feel free to incorporate it using a homemade Ouija board (I only recommend homemade because I have never had success with the mass produced ones) or a pendulum. Remember, you can make any celebration your own; these are just my preferences and suggestions.
I have always used Samhain as a solo holiday; I feel that the link between life and death is one that should be experienced and investigated alone. It’s a very personal matter, but you can feel free to incorporate others into this ritual. Just remember to be respectful of each other's magic strength and those with stronger techniques may wish to share their energy to help others look deeper, but should not feel obligated to do so.
Step 1: Find an item that represents Samhain for you. Halloween is actually still very close to its origins in terms of symbols, so a jack-o-lantern, skeleton or other Halloween item can work perfectly for this. The item should represent the link between life and death to you.
Step 2: Place a drink and a treat on either side of your Samhain symbol. These items should be representative of the holiday to you, too, so perhaps apple cider and a piece of your favorite candy. I use hot chocolate and a candy apple - not the healthiest, but quite tasty.
Step 3: Sit in front of your Wiccan holiday symbol and begin to meditate. Begin to feel inside of yourself. If you have ever astral projected before, go through with your normal method. If you have never done it before, Samhain is the perfect time to begin practicing. The veil is so thin the body can easily pull apart. You can follow my astral projection guide to get started (coming soon).
Step 4: As your astral self, move into your own body - not rejoining, but into your own mind - and look into yourself. You should be able to investigate your past like this. Those with stronger projection techniques (and more experience) may even be able to feel and sense out other lives. Keep in mind, it’s unlikely you will ever fully realize what you previously were, but you may get small hints and feelings of dancing, healing, having children, etc. Do not dwell on finding out who you were, just feel it.
Step 5: Slowly pull out of your mind when you are done investigating and rejoin your astral self to your body. Depending on how deeply you went, you may need to take this very slowly to avoid any trauma.
Step 6: You may feel the need to cast a spell after your investigation. Feel free to do so. Spells to energize your current life are very good after such deep astral projection. Disposing of negative energy is also good.
Step 7: If you cast a spell, finish with “So mote it be.”
Step 8: Enjoy your drink and food items.
Tips:
If you can’t succeed at astral projecting tonight, do not worry about it. Getting in touch with your inner self through simple meditation is enough to give proper reverence to the cycle of life and death.
Those with strong astral projection techniques may feel their previous life deaths. Do not be alarmed. Remain calm. This is a natural part of the life cycle and you must remember that your current body is safe.
Wiccan Holidays: Beltane
Monday, April 25, 2011
Beltane, which is on April 30, and is coming up fast, starts a fertility festival where the Universe is ‘pregnant’ with the coming summer. It is meant to usher in the spring, good planting for those who grow fruits, vegetables and even regular flowers and good births. Rabbits are a great Beltane fertility symbol; “breeding like rabbits,” anyone? Pagan Beltane rituals involving rabbits and eggs (also a fertility symbol) is actually where the modern, Christian Easter came from, and why the date for Easter is so near Beltane.
Beltane is the first of the Wiccan holidays where daytime is longer than nighttime and may mean a brighter rest of the year for those who have had difficulty previously. It can also mean continued good fortune for those who take advantage of the longer daytime hours. For those who prefer the night, you will need to adjust to the new hours in order to take the most advantage of the shortened night.
So now that the history lesson is out of the way, what kind of magic should be done for Beltane? Fertility rites such as increasing the fertility of a couple having trouble conceiving or casting magic for a good birth for a human or an animal who is or will shortly be pregnant. With the energies of spring come abundant sex energy, as well. This sexual energy can be used to excite an old relationship, draw an old flame back or find a new, exhilarating partner - which is great for rebounding from a bad relationship. Magic for these purposes will need to be done very carefully on Beltane to ensure the relationship created are more than lust, unless that’s what you want, of course.
To complete your Beltane celebration, as with many Wiccan holidays, you should end with a feast.
Step 1: Use a fertility symbol such as a rabbit, egg, baby animal or phallic-shaped object. Circle the feasting food around the symbol.
Step 2: Cast any spells you planned for Beltane. If you’re celebrating with others, ach person should be able to cast one spell.
Step 3: Every participant should look at the symbol and imagine a long, glowing phallic-shape forming around the symbol.
Step 4: Everyone should reach out and touch the glowing column with the right hand. Take a few seconds, up to a full minute, for everyone to adjust to the feel of the energy.
Step 5: With hand still out, step back three steps from the symbol and feast food. The energy you took from the column should come with you and connect you to the column with a ribbon-like bit of energy. If someone did not get connected properly, take the time to repeat step 4 and wait a bit longer.
Step 6: Step to the left. The connecting ribbon of energy should begin to wrap the column, like a maypole.
Step 7: When everyone reaches their starting position five times, going faster with each circle, until you are all running on the last go, stop. All of your spells should now be interwoven with the power of the fertility symbol and the ribbons of energy should have passed through all the feasting items.
Step 8: In unison say, “So mote it be.” Release the ribbons of energy and wait for up to five minutes for the column to fade and the energy within everyone to settle.
Step 9: Begin the feast. If the fertility symbol was an animal, make sure it’s well hydrated and offer some appropriate pieces of the feast (carrots for a rabbit, for example).
Step 10: When the feasting is done, the fertility symbol will need to be dealt with. If it is a non-living item it should be carefully buried in an open area where the participants can visit easily if they need reinvigoration, but where others do not regularly go. A field owned by one of the participants would be a good idea, or if someone owns a large backyard that may be an option as well. If the fertility symbol was a living animal it should be kept and cared for by one of the participants; it should be available for others to visit when they need to re-new the sense of invigoration Beltane brought with it. If the animal is okay with traveling, you may consider doing a ‘custody’ situation, where it travels between each household for a certain time. I would recommend a month for each household.
Tips:
At the end of the ritual, people may feel sexually invigorated. No one should be embarrassed to excuse themselves for a short time to relieve themselves before joining the feast.
The same animal should never be used multiple years in a row.
Beltane is the first of the Wiccan holidays where daytime is longer than nighttime and may mean a brighter rest of the year for those who have had difficulty previously. It can also mean continued good fortune for those who take advantage of the longer daytime hours. For those who prefer the night, you will need to adjust to the new hours in order to take the most advantage of the shortened night.
So now that the history lesson is out of the way, what kind of magic should be done for Beltane? Fertility rites such as increasing the fertility of a couple having trouble conceiving or casting magic for a good birth for a human or an animal who is or will shortly be pregnant. With the energies of spring come abundant sex energy, as well. This sexual energy can be used to excite an old relationship, draw an old flame back or find a new, exhilarating partner - which is great for rebounding from a bad relationship. Magic for these purposes will need to be done very carefully on Beltane to ensure the relationship created are more than lust, unless that’s what you want, of course.
To complete your Beltane celebration, as with many Wiccan holidays, you should end with a feast.
Step 1: Use a fertility symbol such as a rabbit, egg, baby animal or phallic-shaped object. Circle the feasting food around the symbol.
Step 2: Cast any spells you planned for Beltane. If you’re celebrating with others, ach person should be able to cast one spell.
Step 3: Every participant should look at the symbol and imagine a long, glowing phallic-shape forming around the symbol.
Step 4: Everyone should reach out and touch the glowing column with the right hand. Take a few seconds, up to a full minute, for everyone to adjust to the feel of the energy.
Step 5: With hand still out, step back three steps from the symbol and feast food. The energy you took from the column should come with you and connect you to the column with a ribbon-like bit of energy. If someone did not get connected properly, take the time to repeat step 4 and wait a bit longer.
Step 6: Step to the left. The connecting ribbon of energy should begin to wrap the column, like a maypole.
Step 7: When everyone reaches their starting position five times, going faster with each circle, until you are all running on the last go, stop. All of your spells should now be interwoven with the power of the fertility symbol and the ribbons of energy should have passed through all the feasting items.
Step 8: In unison say, “So mote it be.” Release the ribbons of energy and wait for up to five minutes for the column to fade and the energy within everyone to settle.
Step 9: Begin the feast. If the fertility symbol was an animal, make sure it’s well hydrated and offer some appropriate pieces of the feast (carrots for a rabbit, for example).
Step 10: When the feasting is done, the fertility symbol will need to be dealt with. If it is a non-living item it should be carefully buried in an open area where the participants can visit easily if they need reinvigoration, but where others do not regularly go. A field owned by one of the participants would be a good idea, or if someone owns a large backyard that may be an option as well. If the fertility symbol was a living animal it should be kept and cared for by one of the participants; it should be available for others to visit when they need to re-new the sense of invigoration Beltane brought with it. If the animal is okay with traveling, you may consider doing a ‘custody’ situation, where it travels between each household for a certain time. I would recommend a month for each household.
Tips:
At the end of the ritual, people may feel sexually invigorated. No one should be embarrassed to excuse themselves for a short time to relieve themselves before joining the feast.
The same animal should never be used multiple years in a row.
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