Mary Worship? A Study of Catholic Practice and Doctrine
http://www.biblebelievers.com/bennett/bennett_mary-worship.html

This strikes me as a well presented essay from a former Roman-Catholic Nun. She left the Church when she realised that she’d been practicing ‘Mary Worship’, placing Her above Jesus Christ and God.

I’ve already heard of and have already accepted that there is a distinct difference between Roman-Catholcism and The Bible. I struggle with which is truer to ‘original’ Christianity, which has become the least biased through the centuries. Without a doubt, both have been ‘adjusted’ by those in power over time, buT can’t help but wonder which is worse, whatever it is that ‘worse’ means.

I think I’ve actually made it clear that I like that ‘Goddess worship”-ness of Catholicism. I agree with many of the parallels drawn up by Ms. Collins. Not being a Christian myself, I have a different sort view of God and the inconceiveble entirety of his Whole-ness. I do believe that He is in all things and all people, in the good and in the destructive, in Mary and Jesus, and hey, Joseph too.Of course, my opinions don’t matter much. I just find it too bad that so many Christian sects are opposed to each other.

An adaptation for the Hail Mary.

Queen of Heaven, full of grace
Your child prays to thee.
Blessed art thou among women
And blessed is all, the fruit of thy womb.

Holy Lady, Mother of All
Bless us with your wisdom and
Guide us through our darkest nights.

Amen

Within the past few months I’ve been struggling to explain this fascination with The Virgin. So many Pagans hold Christianity in contempt for their past, for the persecution of Witches… Many Christian sects, in turn, consider Roman-Catholicism to be blasphemous because its idolization of Mary and Saints takes away from the worship of Christ and/or God.

She’s  so complex. She fascinates me. In Neo-Paganism we speak of many Mother Goddesses and how important they are.  She is the only one who resonates with me so. I guess this inarticulate exploration is above all a plea for understanding from my peers who generally wouldn’t “get it”.

Goddess Imagery

Standing upon the crescent moon, She is a Mother Goddess figure that is familiar to us. In religious art, she has traditionally been portrayed garbed in blue. Mary, Queen of Heaven, I see the sky as her mantle.

Her halo is often punctuated by stars. Did the Book of Revelations mean for the 12 stars to signify the signs of the zodiac?

When I look up at night past the stars, I see blackness, the nothingness of infinite space. The mysteries that lie there, the unmeasurable void of space, this is Her womb. To me, contemplating the mysteries of the First Mother is a lot like meditating upon the universe, wither it has limits and what lies beyond them.

Virgin Birth

She gave birth to the savior of the people without physical insemination. You could think of it as mitosis, a mirror of how life first began on earth among self-replicating bacteria.

My mind runs to the Tao Te Ching:

“Out of nothing comes the one
Out of one comes the two
Out of two comes three
Out of three comes all things”

I compare this to a simpler model of black + white = gray, that the combination of extremes creates all things. The First Mother is one of those extremes.

I wish I better understood what “The Holy Spirit” means, because I feel that the trinity deserves mention here.  There is a mystery here that I am still contemplating.

The Woman

We all have wavering moments of faith. Christ himself did. Mary is revered for having kept faith, but surely she must have felt upset that she would only be able to enjoy the company of her son in death. Imagine giving birth to a child who you would die for everyone’s greater good? I know I would feel selfish. I would ask “What about me? I need my son.”

You call Her by different names -  Juno, Queen of Heaven, Mother Mary, Aradia – but she is one force to me, and a most important, fundamental one.

Here some links to the topics I’ve been exploring lately. I’ve been reflecting upon creating my own prayer beads, my own rosary to the Goddess.

Blessed Virgin Mary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_Virgin_Mary

Black Madonna
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna

A Chapel of Our Mother God
http://www.mother-god.com/

Rosary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary

]]> http://censersmoke.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/the-first-mother/feed/ 0 Mana Mary, Queen of Heaven http://censersmoke.wordpress.com/2008/12/11/the-altar/ http://censersmoke.wordpress.com/2008/12/11/the-altar/#comments Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:39:00 +0000 agmancini http://censersmoke.wordpress.com/?p=182 ]]>

The Altar – and not spelled ‘alter’ – is the work-table of the Witch. While some traditions have specific tools,  solitary practitioners can feel at ease to work with whatever they find satisfying.

Personally, my choice in tools has evolved and changed over time to suit my personal practice. I love seeing how others have set up theirs and thought I would share mine.

Mana's Altar

My has come to really reflect my practice. I consider my religion to be almost primitive in its simplicity, using ‘archetypes’ that can be transferable in and around many different religious traditions.

I have personal names for Those whom I pray to. Principally, I work with a Goddess of the Night Sky, A Horned God of the Earth, an Earth Mother and an Underworld God.

The Tree/Stang

I first read about The Stang in the works of Robin Artisson. In ‘Traditional Witchcraft’, it is used as a representation of The Horned God. In ourdoor rituals it is used to hallow the circle and is then placed in the earth to represent the God himself.

Raven Grimassi defines The Stang as a symbol of the Goddess and her fertility, representing the lines defining her genitalia in statues such as the Venus of Willendorf.  I don’t give any credit to this, personally.

I actually have three on my altar. The upright one is for my permanent indoor altar. Two others lay on the altar, which I intend to decorate and use for outdoor rituals and meditations, since they are made of thicker branches.

‘The Tree’ is an important principle of ADF Druidism. The tree, with it’s branches and roots, is connected to all of the three realms. It is a connection to the Gods above and below.

The Bell

While noisy, I’ve found the bell to be incredibly effective in spells and rituals. I find its piercing sound and vibrations effective in reaching the ears of those whom I call, so I use it mostly for invocations and when making especially important statements. Over time, I intend to use a singing bowl.

The Well

The Well is a bowl of blessed water that is connected to the underworld. Made of glass, I’ve sprayed it with a transluscent layer of black enamel paint to use it for scrying. I ask that the water be blessed as used for purification before my rituals and also make offerings of oil and herbs to it.

The Flame

Such a  universal symbol! With it’s heat and smoke rising upward, it connects us with the Gods and Goddesses of the heavens. Incense and oil burners are extensions of this, transmitting those offerings to the Otherworld. The sacred fire also represents knowledge and passion.

I have trouble getting intot he Yuletide spirit sometimes, since as student, finances and the semester’s end comes with far too much stress. Here is a list of my favourite things about the holidays!

1. Decorating the Home

My place is always a dump by the end of exams.  Tidying it up and adding some holiday decor makes a huge difference! We have acorns hanging from ribbons, faux-spruce over windows with tiny lights just waiting to be put up.

2. Baking!

On my list this year is chocolate-hazelnut biscotti, double-chocolate chip cookies, crispy gingerbread cookies, and tiramisu for dad (which, no, isn’t baked.)

3. Yule Fair

I wouldn’t say “shopping”, as it sometimes puts me in a bad mood. Montreal has a lovely Yule Fair every year! Jewlery, soaps, metal and wood works!

4. Making a Yule Log

I take a log and burn decorative motifs in it. Sometime’s it’s an offering to my Mum’s fireplace. This year it’s to be a centerpiece and candle holder for my own home.

On my beloved forums, this issue pops up now and again: people who describe their practice but can’t define whether or not it is spellwork. I think this is definitely worth defining and should be different from rituals of worship.

Spells

In Wicca and many other traditions, a  spell makes use of the practionners will to create change. Wiccans start the spell much as they would any other ritual – by creating a working area for containment (the circle), raising energy through various means such as story-telling, singing, dancing and/or chanting. When the power reaches its “height”, collected in the circle (called the cone of power) the practicionner then releases it to the Universe, directing it to her or his intention.

Other ways of building energy include calling on the elements and calling to specific deities. I am adamant in  my opinion that deities should NOT be called to fulfill the spell for you, they should only bear witness and support you if they choose to do so. You, the spell-caster, must propell the spell yourself and in doing so, take full responsibility for it.

You msut only do a spell when it is absolutely necessary, when you’ve done every possible practical thing to resolve the situation first – like really going job hunting before doing a spell to have work fall in your lap.

If you have to ask “Is this ethical” or if you’re feeling chicken about karmic payback, then don’t bother. In times of true necessity, you’ll be willing to sacrifice your personal comfort for what needs to be done. If you can’t tweak the wording and the intention of a spell enough to properly clarify the terms of your spell, then you’re not smart enough to be doing them.

Which is fine, really, because spells aren’t for everyone. I think it’s much easier to just ask the Lord or Lady to do it, but I happen to find that irresponsible. To be honest, the only two spells I have ever performed would be considered “unethical” by some. They were necessary, they were hard, I paid repercussions for them, and they came true in ways that I did not quite expect – but it was worth it.

Rituals

Rituals are much different and are something I think all practicionners. Rituals are acts of worship, ranging from prayers to full-blown ceremonial offerings, and are important for everyone to establish and maintain relationships with The Divine.

We cannot just ask of The Divine, we must also give of ourselves. Rituals of worship nurture the give-and-take that makes up every good relationship. Make offerings to your deity. Ask that they bless some food and wine, so you may take their blessing into your body. Ask for nothing else. Meditate before your altar.

Sabbats/Festival Days should be reserved for ritual and not spellwork.

A continuation fo my exploration of “Italian Witchcraft”. 

Difference Between Latin and Etruscan

Grimassi relays the studies of Charles Leland, Etruscan “folklorist” in his teachings of Stregheria. He writes that “Italian Witchcraft, or Stregheria, pre-dates Celitc Witchcraft by centures. [...] Italian Witchcraft is the proud legacy of Etruscan Civilization and the Roman Empire” (i, Italian Witcraft: The Old Religion of Southern Europe). There are great errors in this opening statement.

Rev. Agnostino Taumaturgo points out acontradiction Stregheria.com’s FAQ, question number six where it says “[Stregheria] is primarily derived from Etruscan religion rather than Roman.”

This is getting confusing! The Etruscans and Romans were actually very different!

Cultural Influences

First of all, the Etruscan Civilization was focused in central Italy long before the great empires of Rome. At their height they were marvelous sea merchants and wondrous goldsmiths with evident trade relations with the Middle East and Egypt. They were also served a specific vase market for The Greeks – Greek artists actually made specific vases to suit Etruscan tastes. We know this because many of the least-damaged Greek vases in existence today have been found in Etruscan tombs.

Greece had a great influence over Etruria. We see from tomb illustrations that Etruscan religion and attitudes towards death became darker, more similar to Greek religion over time. We can find some parallels between Etruscan and Greek deities but it is also possible that scholars are being misled by the names inscribed on Greek vases. Do they show Etruscan deities or Greek deities with Etruscan names? Perhaps the Etruscans saw them as enjoyable characters. Or they saw parallels between the two pantheons. We may never know.

The Etruscans weren’t a unified people. Italy was scattered with their loosely affiliated independent city-states, much as Greece was. This unfortunately also made them much more susceptible to attack. Weakened by attacks from the Greeks over the centuries, the Roman Empire finally overcame the Etruscans and assimilated them almost seamlessly into their religion and culture.

The origins of the Etruscans will always be a mystery. They weren’t there only peoples who ever populated Italy – the Greeks moved into the south, the region of Sicily, during their period of greatness. There we also the Umbrians. The great majority of pagan european cultures, including the Norse, Indian, and the Celts, actually shared ancestry. This is most strongly proved by their languages, which share common elements and can be traced back to the Indo-Europeans. We also see similaries in the cultures values as well as their religions. Looking at common elements between Celtic and Vedic religion has allowed for a lot of theorization and exploration of the similarities between Druids and Brahmins, the “priests” of Celtic Paganism and Vedism respectively.

The Romans were quite adoptive of other religions. They had a great philosophy: “Come with us to Rome, and bring your Gods with you! We can all pray to them to bring victory and prosperity to Rome!” It definitely worked for them, for a while. 

It is important to note that the Etruscans were not descended of the Indo-Europeans. This gives them a completely different background than the latin-speaking Romans. Genetic testing has linked Etrsucans with the Turkish, though there’s definite room for error in this theory. Still, this likens the Myth of Aradia (depending on how you feel about Leland)  to the Descent of Inanna and opens new, exciting doors.

Furthermore, the Etruscans didn’t actually call themselves that. The Greeks called them Tyrrhenoi . They called themselves The Rasenna. We commonly use the Latin title. If Grimassi’s craft draws primarily from Etruscan roots, is deeply connected to them, why doesn’t he call them by the name they had for themselves? Why call themselves Streghe at all when it is an Italian, Latin-descended and not Etruscan word?

Etruscan vs. Italian

Etruscan mythology and culture is an important piece of the Italian puzzle. Someone on working in an an Etruscan-centered tradition has a lot of dust to stir up and many mysteries to explore. Despite it all, a craft called Italian could never particularly emphasize Etruscan religion. Italy is a country in name only. With so many dialects and city affiliations, with such rowdy politics, the people of Italy are united in the way they are so very different from each other. Contemporary elements of Italian life, including politics and religion, must be considered when it comes to Italian Craft because it reveals the true, distinct qualities of Italians.

Fratelli d’Italia! Culture and Language Identity

What does it mean to be Italian? This is something I personally struggle with as someone of mixed heritage in North America. I was not born in Italy, do not speak the language, am not a part of the local Italian community. I do not call myself Italian, though do feel many ties to this country and culture that has so shaped myself and my family. Certainn tendencies and customs have remained through years of assimilation and immigration, which is why I consider them so important.

Is being Italian important?

Grimassi has written that being Italian isn’t neccessary in order to be a Strega.

“No, you don’t [have to be Italian to practice Stregheria.] Stregheria is a spiritual path that is open to all. It is, however, based on traditional Italian witchcraft and does have an Italian flavor.”

This is a bit confusing, given that Grimassi’s website claims to be home to Traditional Italian Witchcraft and not something based on it, but I have to disagree somewhat here. A connection to Italy is neccessary to work with Italian Craft. That doesn’t seem to be unreasonable. Why else would anyone else want to practice it?

Even Italians amongst one another will refer to their specific area/village/province/dialect with great pride. I’ve heard of Montreal-Italians in the 60s who knew multiple Italian dialects – that really impressed me. 

Community, Filial Piety and Ancestor Worship

I will argue that the family core and remembrance of the ancestors must be central to any modern Italian Craft. Italian-North Americans are very family and community oriented.

Little Italies have popped up in every every major city and Italian communties have grown to accommodate entire lives and routines. My Nonna lived in Montreal her whole life and never learned French or English, never learned how to write and never needed to become a Canadian citizen. She enjoyed Italian TV, local stations and ones syndicated from Europe. There’s an Italian Hospital, an Italian Market, etc. Large families, village life, church life – a connection to the community is part of being “Italian” and should be very improtant to an Italian Witch. 

Roman-Catholicism

A lot of practitioners disagree on the subject of Christianity. Some, like myself, believe that a lot of core beliefs unique to Italy would have been integrated into Christianity to attract the Pagan native and facilitate their conversion. I entertain the possibility that certain distinct qualities about Roman-Catholicism that differ from other Christian sects might be remnants of La Vecchia Religione, The Old Faith.

For example, most Christians believe that after death, spirits depart to either heaven or hell. Italian Roman-Catholics traditionally put great influence on all souls day, visited  graveyards, kept a candle lit for the Beloved Dead next to a display of photos. Is this not, in it’s own way, a belief in spirits? An act of ancestor worship?

What about the very religious, pious nature that we see in our relatives? I’ve come to associate piety with italians as well, people who live their faith. 

The Virgin Mary

Despite not being Christian, I cannot help but feel humbly awed by The Virgin. She has many names bestowed by various Christian sects: Queen of Heaven, Queen of the World, Madonna, Mother of God, Mary of Guadaloupe, Our Lady of Lourdes… Specific practices, such as rosary bead prayers, are devoted to her. The association with the rose is but one of many elements that link her to other Mysteries.

There is something mystical about Her that I feel is imperative to Italian Craft, this awareness and reverence to The Virgin.

She is the First Mother, She who have birth by herself.  She is the void before the “Big Bang”. She wears the stars in the sky and is the darkness that lies beyond, that which we will never truly know. She holds the mysteries of birth and death. You may have already have another name for Her, but she has always been truly loved by Italians. 

What else?

Dare I add feasting, wine, fine art, games and competitions to list? Story-tellings and joking? Very loud conversation? These of course are not unique to Italians, but are important for people and families. 

The Makings of an Italian Craft

• A Mother Goddess, an Agriculture God
   
• An awareness of the land, its distinctiveness, its spirit(s)
   
• Reverence of the Beloved Dead, remembrance of The Ancestors, honouring the newly born
   
• A commitment to the community, be it your neighborhood, your local Pagan community, your child’s school…

And so, I share the above list because it is a truly important part of my Art. While developing your own path, I urge you never to forget what is most important to you, to think about what you love most about life and give thanks for it in your spiritual tradition.

A recommendation – and I don’t always enjoy Witchvox.

To Be Young, Gifted, Black…and Pagan in 21st Century America
Dina, Witchvox.

There are frequent posts on one of the forums I enjoy about deity semantics. I call them semantics, but they’re obviously very important to the poster. I don’t mean to belittle their concerns, but IO feel that people so often get caught up on the details that they end up missing the point.

I see forum posts asking “Who was this God/dess who visited me in my dream” or “I don’t understand, which is Wiccan, hard-or-softpolytheism(or other)?”.  I always feel bad, because they always get variety of answers that won’t give them a direct answer.

When we’re at that philisophical point in our development, we really have to move away from books and start committing to ritual and personal experience. Here we can establish our relationship with The Dive, develop our senses and intuition. Do we feel He/She is all encompassing? Do we feel different Forces, distinctly different Beings?Do only a few of them touch you?

It tooks me years to “decide” on “My Truth”. To explain it in words would sound contradictory, so I won’t, but I’m quite satisfied with it. It doesn’t matter what Their names are, how many of Them there are. To me, these are semantics.

Respect those who touch your life.

If you don’t know their name, give them one- see if it fits. We all have special names for people close to us, nicknames, special titles. Don’t forget that deity names often translate as titles into English. Even our own have distinct significance in another language, or we are named after a notable figure.

Very good for you!

V&VNPism. Ismism. What mouthfuls! Honestly, I don’t see how a Neo-Pagan could NOT be conscious about what they put in their bodies.  I think we Pagans especially should be aware of nutrition and making an effort to be vegetarian, to eat organic, and/or eat local as a consideration of our bodies, economy and  our Earth.

My partner, C., and I have been musing the idea of changing our diets and buying habits. I’ve cerainly been considering becoming Vegan, or at least transitionning to Vegetarianism with occassional dairy intake, since I’ve realised my meat intake is habitual rather than a pleasure in itself. I don’t at much meat as it is, but catch my diet degenerating to often to cheap and easy, filling cheesy pasta dishes. Not very healthy

While C. definitely doesn’t want to give up meat, he is willing to switch to organic. I’ve had trouble finding sources that are easy enough to get to, but there is one organic/fair trade Grocer called eCollegeY that delivers ’round here. I think that maybe we could make an $80 meat purchase once or twice a month.

I don’t think that humans need meat anymore, even those who live in colder climates like myself, given that can import all sorts of fruits, veggies and legumes from around the world.

For my conscience, I emphasise buying local over buying vegan or necessarily buying organic. Soy products, for example, have a greater carbon footprint if they are imported from much further than from organic Quebec farms.  I think buying local is much better for the wavering economy.

So, I’m working on emptying my freezer – changing my diet doesn’t excuse being wasteful.

Some Links

Vegan Outreach

Vegan Lunch Box

Shmooed Food

VegCooking

Vegan Montreal

From a Pagan Perspective

I’ve always suggested that humans should go back to hunting if we want meat – it would teach us to be less wasteful, to appreciate hard work. As a Pagan, I consider the consequences of my purchases – I don’t want to create a greater demand for cheap meat that comes from terrible living conditions for animals. I don’t want to support the earth, air and water pollution caused my these animals. I do feel that we should be concerned about what we put into our body, the kind of energies that went into its creation.

All Pagans should be diet and body-concious. Part of learning about nature is learning about our bodies.

A Vegan Pagan’s Prayer by author Dianne Sylvan.