Pagan Musings

[Lilias]

Thanks! I love when things like this just turn up and find me <3

I've found that if you manage to wait, rather than cave in and buy something 'eh, okay' for fear of never finding the right thing, then the right thing does find you! ;)

[Rhedyn]

"I do not seek. I find." ~ Pablo Picasso.

This is so very true with everything.

[Rhedyn]

At the moment I am currently embarking on one of my major Autumnal missions. Though a massive chore it is really something I enjoy to do, in fact I do it twice a year, once in the Spring and once in the Autumn, both times of balance and reflection in light of coming change. I am in the process of the massive clear out. 

Closets, cupboards, clothing, toys, paperwork and general miscellaneous junk  beware, nothing is safe as I will sort through it all. I always find that when my house is cluttered, my mind is too and vice versa, they are linked and the best thing about doing these massive cleanups, other than having lovely clean surroundings, or as my daughter puts it ~that just moved in feeling~ is that it is so liberating mentally and creatively for me. 

What better time to indulge, at a point where energies are urging us to lighten the load, drop the things that are weighing us down and unimportant, cleanse out the people and situations that are halting our development. 

It was while doing this (I'm about halfway through the task) that I came across some of my ex boyfriends things. We broke up over the summer after what was an emotionally tumultuous time and for some reason he decided he didn't want to take his things straight away, that he would as he put it, pick them up later. He needed time to think, perhaps he thought he would leave them here because in the long run he would come back, who knows? I think for me, the most important thing here with this clear out was that I realized I had been holding onto him as well, that hope that he would want me back, perhaps that's why I agreed to hold onto his things, because of hope...?

Regardless of my subconscious reasoning I knew that it was time to let go, because the longer I leave it the more I am closing myself off to the new energies and opportunities that are waiting to come in. I found the strength to ask him to pick up his stuff and despite being quite obliging he was obviously surprised. A few things came up, I dealt with them in a new way, a less emotional way even though the feelings were raw in my chest. His things will be gone this week hopefully, it will stop my daughter asking after him and stop me feeling too connected to him on a daily basis, which I think is what I need to move forward right now. 

People come and go in our lives, some more often than others, some having a deeper impact than others and some we seem to make the same mistake with again and again. What I am learning to do this Autumn, thanks to the stern words of a friend of mine who is wise well beyond his years, is to let go of them. It isn't easy but it's right.

[Rhedyn]

[Avis habilis]

A good Mabon & huge pumpkin pie to you too, Rhedyn.

[Rhedyn]

Mmmm...pumpkin pie...

I hope you Avis, and everyone else of course, have a wonderful harvest. I know I have plenty to be thankful for  :-)

[InariShiftskin]

Happy Mabon to you too, Rhedyn!

[Rhedyn]

Thank you Inari :)

Mabon - Omnia

A little something by Omnia for the season <3

[Adammair]

Happy Mabon, Rhedyn, and all other pagans. *smiles softly*

*ponders taking up paganism, as he is seeking to bring peace and harmony back into his spiritual life, and is tired of the senseless guilt, and endless fighting, associated with the major religions.*

[Rhedyn]

Welcome and thank you Adammair. I will suggest to you what I suggest to everyone who is thinking about taking up Paganism or any other lifestyle or belief system. Think about what it is that you believe rather than trying to fit into something that you are told you should believe. In my opinion it is the only way to find peace and satisfaction on a spiritual journey.

Apologies for my late reply, I had a busy weekend and was out of action for half of it with a nasty headache. My PM box is always open if you want to talk to me about any of it privately.

[Rhedyn]

Today I have been making bird feeders for the garden, something that I do every year come Autumn/Winter as we have a lot of small birds that come looking for food. Usually, if I put anything larger out for them the monstrous Sea Gulls come and eat it all so I'm always looking for ways to sneak something in for the smaller birds that the bigger ones don't go for. Pine cone bird feeders are the answer! (Plus they are cheap and easy to make with the kidlets ;) )

I thought, should anyone want to give it a go themselves, I would write a little guide on how to make your own.

First you will need open pine cones, medium to large size and some twine or garden string. I usually make about five of them since I only have a small garden and a few suitable places to hang them. Step one is to tie your string around the top bit of the pinecone nice and tight a few 'layers' down.

Next make a paste of 1/2 lard and 1/2 peanut butter mixed together well and smear the stuff with a knife over the surface of the pinecone.

Roll the pasted pinecones in bird seed pressing them into the seed slightly so it embeds into the open areas of the cone.

Refridgerate for 30+ minutes and then hang out in the garden for the birds to feed. Simples ;)

[JadenMystic]

Another way to make the bird feeders is with icing. My son is highly allergic to nuts, so we make ours with the icing, and the birds still love to eat from them. :-)

[Oniya]

I'd think going with straight lard (or suet) would be better for the birds than icing, and would still avoid the nut complication.

[loki]

Hello Rhedyn and hello to you all. I know it has been a while since I have spoken with you Rhedyn and to be truthful I'll admit that your pms hurt. But in my musing and pondering over what you had said to me, I began to wonder just what it is that I am. So I am back to ask you and whomever reads this for answers or suggestions to my problem.

First off for those who don't know, I can see, hear and feel spirits. Both living and dead. By living, I mean, unicorns, dragons, fairies etc. By dead, of course I mean, humans. But for most of my interaction I am dealing with living. I see them all the time. When I close my eyes, glimpses of them when I blink, and in other things like piles of clothes on the floor, in steam and even in the stucco ceiling. But here is where my problem comes in. I have a hard time thinking that I'm psychic, even though each time I think that, I am correct by my many spirits that just talking and seeing them makes me a form of psychic. Though through my reading and the information that I have been told, I do not worship anything. I just see them.

That seems to be my main hang up. I thought that I could just easily wrap it up into that I was a Pagan, or a Wicca, or even a Druid. But to my dismay, I find that I am none of those things because I worship nothing. I don't do spells, I don't light candles or burn incense. I don't do offerings or even gatherings. I mean, I do work with healing stones, but that's as far as I go. I don't pray to gods or goddess. I just seem to meet and have a large group of spirits around me that I love and care for like they were my family. Also it doesn't matter what they are, by that I mean, I have nightmares and unicorns with me side by side. So I have what would be considered good and "evil" and elemental all working together and working with me. (Well with my hubby as well.) So I know about the veil between this world and the next.

But I do ask that you please don't think that I'm trying to brag or even show off. I really just want help in finding out where ... well where I would fit in. I mean, I have told others that believe in the spirits, only to have them look at me like I was crazy. And at times I had thought I was as I listened to myself speak. But it is all real and is really happening, though I find myself alone and more than a little lost. I want to be accepted when I speak of things that I know, not looked at like I was a freak or evil. And maybe this isn't going to be the best idea to post this, it could very well isolate me even more that I already feel. But I want people that I can talk with, people who won't roll their eyes at me or think and look at me like I'm crazy. I guess what I really want is for people to believe me and accept me. So I'm here asking anyone if they would possibly know where I would fit in or do I have to face the facts that I will never fit in anywhere? Can you are anybody help me? Is there an easy answer? Is there such a thing as just being Spiritual?

[Rhedyn]

Hello again loki. First of all I in no way meant to hurt you in anything I said in PM and I am sorry if I did that. That's not how I operate with anyone nor did I try to make you feel segregated or wrong in any way. I tried to explain my viewpoint and my beliefs in them and have an honest discussion about that with you. Next time, if I say something that offends you please let me know, as I cannot remedy it or explain myself better if I don't know. A PM saying such would have been nice rather than coming onto my blog and saying that my PMs hurt you when I have no idea what I said to do that.

As for where you fit in? I don't really believe that there is a simple answer to such a question. You don't need to belong to a religion or specific path to do the things that you do. In my opinion there is definitely such a thing as just being spiritual. I wish I had the words to explain what I mean more clearly. If you don't mind I will think on it and try to get back to you as I am very busy right now but felt that I needed to make a reply of some sort straight away.

[loki]

I am sorry that I didn't say anything in a pm to you and instead did it this way. I tend to act childish when hurt, curl up into a ball and block everything and everyone out until I feel better. I'm afraid that is what I did with you when you were just trying to tell me how you seen things. Again, I am sorry I did this and meant no wrong doing on your part. I just need to stop acting childish and talk with people, but as I keep re reading your words, I began to understand what you were saying and just got more confused about myself.

I kept seeing people talking about alters and other things that they did and that they did them at certain times of the year, but I had never done any of that. I tried looking into Paganism and Wicca and even Druidism but just got more lost and couldn't really relate to any of it. Plus I also found that I was isolating myself from others due to their reactions to me. I mean, it really hurt me bad when I causally mentioned the ability to speak with the dead in a conversation and had my own mother tell me that it and the people who could was evil and the devils work. It really through me for a loop so badly that I started to shut down to anyone in the outside world.

I meant to disrespect to you or anything that you have said to me. Most of the backlash that I mentioned has happened to me in my own little world. Also, it would please me greatly if you would be kind enough to think and answer me later when you are a little less busy. I want to thank you and anyone else who could give me a bit of insight  to where or even how I could fit in with others. I would just really like to talk and chat with people who understand me and don't think badly about me. Thank you again for your time, I really, really appreciate it.

[Rhedyn]

I genuinely don’t think there is an easy answer to any of your questions. Perhaps, and I am not trying to be at all negative here, you are trying too hard to ‘fit in’. I know what it’s like to feel isolated with what you can do, not having anyone to talk to about it, but already you have your hubby who experiences similar things and understands as best he can given that he is not you.

You do not need to have beliefs or do certain things. The incense and candles I light, the prayers I say are all focuses for my own energy and mind. They help to keep my energy balanced and grounded and keep me focused on my intentions to give back to the Universe as is a part of my personal belief system. They are not required to my beliefs and lifestyle, they are just me and something I have come to accept in my practice. You cannot force faith or try to fit yourself into somewhere that doesn’t speak to you.

I would very strongly suggest listening to the guidance your guides must be offering to you and one of the best ways I have found to do this is through meditation and astral work. Meditation in particular is an excellent tool when you are overwhelmed and unsure as it helps to ground and balance your energies and chakras to find peace and the advice that you need from your guides/soul/deity/higher self.

I guess what I’m trying to say, and I know it is not terribly helpful, is that you don’t need to fit in with others. We are all on our own personal spiritual journey of self-discovery and it differs greatly from person to person. I have found that the right people come into our lives at the right time for the right reasons to help us develop, teach us and support us, sometimes in good ways, sometimes in bad. I have also found that I tend to get a good intuitive sense for when to speak about things like this with people and who not to even attempt to talk about it to. In part that is down to opening up to guidance and in part down to experience from doing so and seeing people’s reactions.

As always my PM box is always open and I will try my very best to help you find answers where I can. I’m learning my way and where I fit in as much as the next person. There’s no shame in not knowing where you are, only when you accept that can you move forward.

[Oniya]

Just weighing in here - a very wise man once explained it to me this way:  'As we go through life, we all follow our own Path, taking in some things, keeping what nourishes our spirits, and discarding the waste behind us.  So, if you try to walk behind someone on their Path - make sure you've strapped on the hip-waders, because it can get pretty deep sometimes.'

I've been an eclectic Pagan for half my life now.  I freely admit that I don't follow anyone else's Path, and don't expect anyone to follow mine.  I invoke when and who I feel inspired to (it's not unusual for me to hit up Bast when the cat's feeling poorly, and Hermes when I really hope the local speed trap won't notice me), I've made dreamcatchers that doubled as energy filters, and I've taught the little Oni to make glowing bubble shields to keep out the nightmares.

I really understand how outside attitudes can make all of us defensive - when I was in college, someone took it upon herself to leave anonymous Bible verses in my mailbox, and I had a priest tell me to leave a youth event because of the 'three circle Devil symbol' I was wearing.  (He wasn't amused when I pointed out that the Celtic trefoil knot also happened to have been used as a symbol of the Catholic Trinity, and was also embossed on the spines of the Bibles they had in his own meeting room.)  I've also learned that despite our differences, people of different trads can come together peacefully and just be.

This went on longer than I expected, and I don't want to hijack Rhedyn's blog any more, but I would also offer my PM box to anyone who wants to bounce questions off of me.

[Rhedyn]

Well put Oniya and I do not consider it a hijack at all  ;)

[loki]

Well you both gave me a lot to think over and I want to thank you both very much for your insights on things. It's kinda funny, but I felt better once I asked for help, even before I read the responses. Then I must admit I feel even better when I seen that not only Rhedyn responded but Oniya did as well. I guess it made me feel less alone and not as crazy. Again, thank you both and I will try to look at things differently, possibly mediate. (though I have never done that before either)  :-[



Also Oniya, I just might take you up on that off of a pm chat sometime.

[Rhedyn]

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain.

It's been a very busy day for me today. I had planned on writing all about what I've been doing on here but haven't had the time thus far. In fact, for personal reasons, I'm condensing a lot of my blogs down from here and elsewhere into a wordpress blog for my own ease. Now, what with it being the start of the new cycle, seems as good a time as any so once I have it set up I will be posting a link to it and hope that anyone who is interested will follow me there to read a bit more about my pagan musings and lifestyle. Blessings x

[InariShiftskin]

Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain, Rhedyn!

[Lilias]

I'm looking forward to your WP (and its custom headers ;))!

[Rhedyn]

Thanks Lilias *loves the WP custom headers and options*

I am still fiddling with it when my internet connection allows but I finally have the blog up and running with a first post. Just do the clicky thing ;)

Hope you all enjoy the new blog!