#neo wicca

[weepingtyrantblaze]

For all my Broom Closet Witches if you have sims 4 you could just make a altar for your deitie(s)!

I just got this idea when I was looking for witchy stuff for my sims.

Like I can’t make a altar at home because I still live with my parents but this is the best idea I have so far.

[thenightling]

To me the "Witch Tip" to smudge used / old books (Does no one know what smoke does to book binding and paper anymore?!) is as bad as when I saw the "tip" to leave chocolate out as an offering to the nature spirits if you know there are stray dogs around, so the spirits will be incline to protect them. Is someone deliberately trolling occult groups with this stupidity? WHY do people fall for this stuff?!

[that-one-pencer]

Im creating my own neo pagan religion where I worship the new holy trinity (Satan, Dionysus, Bill Cipher)

[tiredangrydyke]

GUYS

If you’re a pagan looking for the stories about your deities, DO NOT FORGET ABOUT WIKIPEDIA.

It’s so useful, has sources and more articles if you want explaination of other people in the story, it’s fact checked as well.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF WIKIPEDIA

(And happy lughnaghsadh to my fellow Irish/celtic pagans/anyone who celebrates!)

[god-of-annwn]

A Tynged (Welsh, meaning ‘destiny’ or ‘fate’) is the Welsh equivalent of an Irish geas, a kind of vow, curse or spell.

Famously, the Welsh star and moon goddess, Arianrhod, placed a tynged on her son, Lleu in The Mabinogion, dooming him to never have a wife.

[broomsick]

Hey pagans what’s your favorite pagan holiday? I’ll go first: mine is Yule!

[booksandwitchery]

Revering Nature

Throughout my search for science-based pagan books to help me on this path of mine, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer kept popping up--so I finally read it.

I would recommend it to most people, especially those who feel a special connection to the natural world but don't exactly know why. I can see this book offending a lot of people on the right side of the political spectrum, but if you fall into that category I'm betting you found this blog in an accidental or ironic sense anyway.

Ultimately this book is all about reverence for the natural world and the importance of maintaining a spirit of respect, reciprocity and responsibility for the gifts given to us by nature. It makes a strong case for maintaining balance, which is a) weaved throughout pagan religions, b) arguably foundational to them all, and thus c) deeply relevant to my studies. Kimmerer also explains the importance of ritual and ceremony to human beings, regardless of our beliefs (or lack thereof.)

Bits of wisdom I marked down from this important book (just in case this isn't clear, everything inside quotation marks is taken directly from the book) separated by theme:

I. Exploitation of Natural Resources

Kimmerer disapproves of the belief that the natural world is human property to be produced and sold: "The commodification of the natural world is just a popular story told by humans. Strawberries belong to themselves."

II. Indigenous Wisdom & Animism

Thirty percent of English words are verbs, but in many indigenous American tribes this proportion is as much as seventy percent (as with the Potawatomi tribe). The language does not divide between masculine and feminine, but rather between animate and non-animate. We can learn from Potawatomi and other indigenous "ways of knowing" because even their very language acts as "a mirror for seeing the animacy of the world," and honors the universe as "a communion of subjects."

III. The Power of Balance

The author stresses the need to maintain balance with nature and life in general: "Balance is not a passive resting place--it takes work, balancing the giving and taking, the raking out and the putting in." Kimmerer suggests that we should temper our desires with self-discipline, which "builds resistance against the insidious germ of taking too much."

IV. Capitalism and the Death of Contentment

Kimmerer comments on consumer society's tendency to see contentment as a "radicalist proposition" and capitalism's dependence on the creation of unmet desires. This reminded me of The Door to Witchcraft by Tonya Brown, when she writes that we should try our best to have an abundance mentality rather than one of scarcity. We should take from nature only what we need, and give back whenever we can.

V. Importance of Ritual and Ceremony

Kimmerer beautifully explains humans' innate need for ritual and ceremony: "Ceremony focuses attention so that attention becomes intention. . .ceremonies transcend the boundaries of the individual and resonate beyond the human realm. These acts of reverence are powerfully pragmatic." This is deeply reminiscent of my post last year on the psychological benefits of ritual ceremony. This affirmed my belief of why these behaviors are ubiquitous despite all varying forms of thought and belief.

VII. Pessimism in the Environmentalist Community

Regarding the fatalist attitude that has crept into many environmentalist conversations: "Environmentalism becomes synonymous with dire predictions and powerless feelings. Despair is paralysis. It robs us of agency. It blinds us to our own power and the power of the earth."

[omnist-angels]

One of my goals for this year I set during Yule was that I wanted to involve myself in an offline multifaith community. Problem is, I can't find anything in my area. And I want to put off moving for as long as possible.

So I'm wondering 1) am I just not looking hard enough please say yes bc if not 2) does that mean I gotta create this community cause idk how to that

Can anyone offer any guidance on this I'm a 20 yr old agoraphobe idrk know what I'm looking for I just wanna hang out with other religious people and help each other and learn from each other is that so much to ask

[radicalwobbly-blog]

The Sacred Changed

ok so I've wanted to set this idea out and I've noticed some people floating around in a sort of meme fashion. But as with my last post I wanted to try and establish a more formal theological reason for this.

The idea I'm posing is what I'm going to call the pagan acceptance of trans people, now while not absolute the vast vast majority of pagans (aside from fascists but fuck them) are trans accepting. I want to expand on this idea that not only should trans people be accepted. But they're experience of transition should be seen as sacred. And further that this idea should be spread in order to oppose the idea that trans people are broken or confused particualrly as the US seems to be falling more and more into theocracy by the day.

The fundamental basis of my argument comes from a couple of sources. The first and most important is the Hymn to Inanna which was written by a woman called Enheduanna who served as a priest of the goddess Inanna (better known as ishtar) and who lived about 4300 years before the present. One of if not her most famous surviving works is this Hymn whose most famous line goes. "To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inana." (line 120). In this line Enheduanna specificly uses this transformative power as evidence of how supreme the goddess is.

The action is treated as amazing and powerful. In preceding lines Inanna is described as a goddess who has the power to "shatter the earth" and before whom all other gods prostraight themselves before at her power. and amoungst these pasages where the goddess is given power of victory in battle the wellfare of cities and the wealth of lords and kings she is also given transformative power. In effect the text calls the men and women changed into the opposite gender (what we would call trans men and women) not onlt sacred but evidence of the supreme power of the goddess the text was written to exult.

Further Inanna/Ishtar as well as later goddesses derived from her maintained a long lasting class of priests known as gala as well as preist roles specific to her origonal cult (group of worshipers or priestly organisation) who enaged in actions which violated the gender binary, these included wearing womens clothing and adopting feminine roles in terms of singing religous songs and hymns. While not exactly trans individual as we might identify them today this role clearly shows an affinity for gender non conforming individuals within the cult of the goddess ishtar.

And this idea is not limited to ancient mesopotamia. Both ancient greek and ancient roman sources though they often have a different idea of transition than we would (often filtered through misgony). This is seen not only in the cult of excplicitly gender non conforming gods like hermaphroditus (who depending on myth was either born half male half female or became half male and half female). or numerous myths in which the gods change someones biological sex. with the change in all cases being seen as divine power if not an exact positive (specificly male to female transitions are often thought of as negitive with a couple of possible exceptions).

In addition to this the Galli (Potentialy a contiuation of the Gala of mesopotamia) though refered to as eunchs in contemperary writings. seem to have occupied a similar space to modern trans gender people and again were seen as sacred to their goddess Cybele.

Across the ancient mediteranian trans people (or a probable ancient equivilent) not only existed but often held localy important religous positions. And beyond that the transformation was treated as an almost supreme act. In fact it could be argued that transitioning is in fact the most religous act a human can perform because the gods may change their shape at will and choose the form in which they appear therefore it follows humans who change their own form to one which they feel is true to so in imitation of the gods and so are the most like them.

And it is this idea pagans must encourage as attacks on the LGBT community and trans people especily grow and mount. we must hold the line we must stand with this community and defend them not only because it is the moral action but because it is the pious action. Because to stand with this community is to say "Here are those the gods have chosen and risen up as sacred here are those who are like the gods and so we shall defend them" and that is the lession of Inanna great goddess of Uruk and greatest of all the anunaki and igigi. She who Enheduanna glorifys as the one who "opens the roads and paths who is a place of peace on a journey and who is companion to the weak" and she the goddess whose power is exulted as supreme by Enheduanna "she who changes men into women and women into men"

Dedicated to Ishtar-she who changes

[neutralgray]

Uneducated: A Question for Modern Witches on Gender

So, hi. I'm learning about the practices and beliefs of Wiccanism as an intellectual curiosity. To do this, I've begun by reading "A Witch's Bible," written by Janet and Stewart Farrar. As far as I know, this is a relatively good source outlining "Gardnerian Wiccanism," which seems to be one of the most popular contemporary understandings of Wicca and Neo-Paganism (as far as I know? Forgive my ignorance, if I am mistaken).

As I read it, I have thus far found it to be a very illuminating read, that goes in depth on the largely progressive, naturalistic, and idealistic belief systems of the "modern" witch. However, as good a source as this book may be, there is one repeated aspect that feels dated by today's discourse-- the concept of gender, and how this topic is discussed.

Now, this book's major components were written in 1981 and 1984, then compiled into a single manual in 1996(?), so it's obviously somewhat dated. We've had four decades of growing social progress since.

In brief, let me explain my understandings thus far, to see if I am on the right track in following this book's vision of Wicca: there is a huge emphasis on "polarity," i.e. opposites. This includes man and woman, written in very binary black/white terminology. This book states that man and woman's nature is inherently different (but equal) on a level beyond physical. Women have a "cyclic nature" due to ovulation and menstruation; whereas men have a "linear nature." Women are afforded more psychic ability because they have the "gifts of the goddess," and can be a symbolic vessel and avatar for the Goddess. However they can also serve as the vessel for the God, if there is no man able to do so during a Sabbat gathering, ritual, or event. On the flipside, a man can only ever be a vessel for the God-- never the Goddess. The domain of Goddess is strictly a role afforded to the high priestess and women in an "ideal" Gardnerian coven structure. (Again, not stating that this IS 100% the case, just explaining how I've understood it thus far.)

So the question burning in my mind is simply this: how have Wiccan beliefs and communities adapted and changed in their thought processes on the relation between sex and gender, considering we live in an age where the topic is now more mainstream than ever? What are the psychic and spiritual roles of man and woman in modern day, considering the newfound greater questioning of what it even means to be "man" or "woman" in the first place?

To anyone in those communities who sees my long winded wall of text in the tags of your community and you actually read it, I hope you'll forgive my intrusion. I don't mean to espouse my ignorance of your religious beliefs. On the contrary, I find many of them to be engaging and very beautiful. However, I consider myself a pretty strong pro-trans ally in the LGBTQ+ community, and I just became too curious on the thoughts and attitudes of modern witches on the subject. I know there are a lot of trans people who are in wicca and neo-pagan circles, so I hope you wouldn't mind my probing. And while I could Google this topic, I feel an appeal to those in the community directly would be more engaging and personal.

[honeyrosewitch]

My Litha wreath ☀️

[kitsunesobo]

Erinys Sekhmet

[thenightling]

I just left a Facebook group called Hekate's Children because it posted a meme about how you can cast spells by smoking a cigarette.

I know cigars and tabaco come up a lot in Voodoo / hoodoo but this group is supposedly Greek-Pagan. The Ancient Greeks didn't even have cigarettes yet. The Cigarette didn't exist until the sixteenth century. It had nothing to do with Hecate.

Also most of the meme just felt like wildly inaccurate "smoke a cigarette and you'll feel better." crap.

And there were so many pro-smoking comments acting like this was some great revelation.

As I lost my mother to throat cancer when she was only forty-one I have no tolerance for that crap. I should have shared the meme to the Trailer Park Pagans group.

[tiredangrydyke]

Aengus óg my love I’m sorry but I hate summer so much oh my fuck 35 minutes until autumn im literally so excited HDJDJSJXJJZXHHX

[eightofpentakles]

bless Lady Hestia for being the one to steer me away from that does me no good <3 she will always be there bless her

[idontknowanametouse]

Mentally ill pagan folks:

I am having a lot of thoughts of invoking demons or low vibration creatures. I am not sure if these are intrusive thoughts or if I actually want to do it, because I feel the impulse to do it but at the same time I know I shouldn't because I know it will end up with really dangerous shit happening to me.

I am restraining myself from doing it and am having a hard time with all of that. I am scared I end up doing it in a moment of despair. I would like to know your opinion.