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Ostara Countdown: Deities of the Season
12 hours 1 min ago
Early spring blooms are associated
with rebirth
Image © Patti Wigington 2009
Ostara is the season of rebirth and new life, and in many cultures, a god or goddess is associated with these aspects. In fact, while the story of the resurrection is typically connected with Christianity, other deities such as Mithras and Attis are also tied to the theme of death followed by rebirth. Here are a few of the deities connected with the spring equinox: Deities of Ostara.
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Ostara Countdown: Deities of the Season originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 06:28:16.
Complaint Filed in NV Prayer Stop
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 5:21amThanks to Rowan for tipping me off to this one. A group of seven Muslim men who stopped to pray in a Henderson, Nevada, parking lot back in December have filed a complaint against the local police. According to reports, a resident called the police to say "seven Middle Eastern males were acting suspiciously by a gray minivan with California license plates." The caller also reported several of the men "were kissing the ground." Shortly afterwards, law enforcement officials showed up to question the men.
If you watch the cell phone video -- which is a bit grainy and blurry -- you can hear the officer saying that police were called because "someone saw you doing your prayers, and they were kind of weirded out by that." The officer makes reference to "indicents in the past," and says, "based on events that have happened around the world... can you fault people who don't understand things for being concerned?" You can also hear one of the Muslim men questioning whether or not just being Muslim is just cause for a police stop. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, has filed a formal complaint with the Henderson Police Department for what they believe to be an unlawful stop.
So, here's the big question -- IS it okay for police to question someone just because people think their behavior is a bit weird? What happens if I'm hosting circle in my back yard, and my neighbors peek over the fence to see a half dozen folks in robes, holding athames, and chanting around an altar? Can my local deputy pay a call just because it's odd behavior by suburban standards? Or is it only a problem if I'm a Muslim, rather than a Pagan? Definitely something worth thinking about.
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Complaint Filed in NV Prayer Stop originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 11:21:14.
Christianity vs Vodoun in Haiti's Streets
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 4:21amSince the January earthquake that struck Haiti, leveling buildings and killing thousands, there has been an emerging battle between Christian groups and the country's many practitioners of Vodoun, or Voodoo. Last month, Vodoun high priest Max Beauvoir accused missionary groups of discriminating against those who practiced his religion, saying, "The evangelicals are in control and they take everything for themselves." He claimed that opponents of Vodoun have deliberately prevented medical assistance and food relief from reaching some of the more remote areas of the country.
In the past few weeks, things have gone from bad to worse, as Christian evangelical groups place the blame for the quake on the sinfulness of Haiti's Vodoun followers. Willer Jassaint, a houngan, or high priest, told reporters, "They say we're the ones who caused the earthquake. But we know ourselves that we didn't cause the quake, because it was a natural catastrophe."
On February 23, things got completely out of control when a group of Protestant evangelicals threw rocks at people holding a Vodoun ceremony. Max Beauvoir has encouraged his people to respond to such acts with aggression, although at this point it doesn't look as though there have been additional violent conflicts. Still, folks in Haiti have it bad enough right now, what with there being no real infrastructure to speak of, a lack of resources, and a crumbling socioeconomic strata. Add to this some violent dissention between religious groups, and you've got the makings of a civil war in an already damaged country.
Meanwhile, the houngans continue to plan ceremonies, so they can lay the dead to rest. They say they "owe the spirits of the dead that release... and they owe themselves that show of defiance."
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Christianity vs Vodoun in Haiti's Streets originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 10:21:18.
Dowsing Workshop Planned in Canada
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 4:08amI've always been fascinated by the notion of dowsing, which is a method of locating water sources beneath the ground using sticks and rods for divination. Some might scoff at this, but it's a technique that's been used with some degree of success for hundreds - even thousands - of years in some parts of the world. The Canadian Society of Questers, which is a dowsing group based in Calgary, has planned their spring conference at Olds College from May 14 -17, 2010. If any of you folks up in Calgary get a chance to attend, be sure to stop back in and let us know what you learned!
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Dowsing Workshop Planned in Canada originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 10:08:48.
Ostara Countdown: Hooray for Herbs
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 12:27am
Plan your magical herb garden in advance!
Image © Getty Images
If you're planning your spring garden, consider adding some magical herbs into your planting activities. Start off by selecting a few plants you'd like to work with, and grow them yourself instead of buying them from suppliers. Plan ahead, by looking over the list of Magical Herbal Correspondences. Also, be sure to check out our Magical Herbs Image Gallery.
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Ostara Countdown: Hooray for Herbs originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 06:27:22.
Join Me for the Gift of Light!
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 5:08amIf you're in the Central Ohio area, stop in next weekend, March 13 & 14, and visit me at the 8th Annual Gift of Light Expo! It's a great festival that brings the metaphysical community together, and includes all kinds of workshops, lectures, energy workers, readers, vendors and artists. I'll be doing readings and selling books at The Cat & The Cauldron's booth (#308), so if you get a chance, stop in and say hi!
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Join Me for the Gift of Light! originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 11:08:05.
Ostara Countdown: Peeps Everywhere!
Sun, 03/07/2010 - 11:01pm
Got leftover Peeps? Make dessert!
Image © Getty Images
Coming on the heels of yesterday's goofy Chocolate Rabbit ritual, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite sugar-coma inducing recipes for Ostara. Got leftover Peeps after your Chocolate Rabbit rite? Never fear -- you can whip them up into a dessert! Marshmellow Peep Ambrosia.
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Ostara Countdown: Peeps Everywhere! originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 05:01:54.
Ostara Countdown: Spring Silliness
Sat, 03/06/2010 - 11:55pm
Hail, the great chocolate bunny!
Image © Getty Images
A couple of years ago, I saw all the Easter candy in the store a while back, and thought that there had to be a way to incorporate all that sugary goodness into a ritual. Thus was born the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Chocolate Rabbit, which has been an annual favorite here on About Pagan/Wiccan. Feel free not to take it very seriously -- the gods know I don't -- but it's a lot of fun. And there's probably a rule somwhere that candy consumed in a ritual setting has fewer calories.
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Ostara Countdown: Spring Silliness originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 05:55:39.
Ostara Countdown: Moon Gardening
Fri, 03/05/2010 - 11:54pm
Moonflowers bloom when the sun
goes down
Image © Patti Wigington 2009
This is the time of year when we're planning our plantings. Have you ever thought about planting flowers that bloom just at night? Yeah, sounds a bit odd, but it's glorious to look at (and smell) when it's done right. Try cultivating a Magical Moon Garden as a way of getting in touch with lunar energies. This not only looks beautiful, it provides a nice backdrop for evening rituals during the summer.
Don't forget to sign up for the free Seven Day Ostara Class!
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Ostara Countdown: Moon Gardening originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 05:54:26.
March 6: Happy Birthday, Laurie Cabot!
Fri, 03/05/2010 - 10:17pmHappy birthday blessings to Laurie Cabot, the Grande Dame of Salem's witchy society! Laurie has practiced witchcraft for over four decades and is the founder of the Cabot Tradition. She has been an outspoken activist on behalf of the rights of witches and Pagans everywhere, and has written a number of books. Happy birthday, Laurie, and may you enjoy many more!
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March 6: Happy Birthday, Laurie Cabot! originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 04:17:28.
Naked Snow Goddess Gets a Cover Up
Fri, 03/05/2010 - 6:51amI had to share this because it just made me giggle. A New Jersey family created a snow version of the Venus de Milo, the famous statue depicting the goddess of love. Neighbors complained that there was a naked snow lady next door, the police arrived, and so the Venus was bedecked in a bikini top and a sarong.
I should add that the snow Venus is really well-done - she looks like marble. The family who built her has since taken her down -- she was getting melty -- but they've got a good sense of humor about the whole thing. "Curvaceous, bodacious and booty-licious," is how Elisa Gonzalez described the snowy goddess she built with her son and daughter.
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Naked Snow Goddess Gets a Cover Up originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 12:51:24.
Altar Case Could be Education Opportunity
Fri, 03/05/2010 - 5:05amWe've been following the case of Iowa shop teacher Dale Halferty, who received a five-day suspension after forbidding a student to build a Wiccan altar in woodworking class -- there's been some question about the legality of Halferty's actions, so he's getting a few days off work while the school district's attorney's sort things out. Originally, Halferty said, "no religious items can be built at all by anyone," but later added that he was being forced to act against his Christian beliefs, and that Wicca is Really Really Dangerous for kids.
Halferty made it pretty clear from some of his statements that he is, at the very least, not educated about what Wicca and modern Paganism actually entail, although that didn't stop him from making false statements. However, not everyone is willing to remain as unenlightened - today's Des Moines Register runs an editorial from college student Kat Fatland, who is neither Wiccan nor Christian. Fatland points out that "If Halferty thinks that learning about any valid religion is "terrible," he is thus prohibiting entire fields of knowledge from being accessed. If one reflects on reasons why anything should not be talked about in school, the only reason Halferty has is fear - and nothing is more degrading to knowledge than fear of it."
It's a nicely done piece, and one written by someone who doesn't have a dog in this race at all. Kudos to Fatland for being objective and encouraging people to learn about things which are a bit outside their comfort zone.
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Altar Case Could be Education Opportunity originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 11:05:52.
Ostara Countdown: Labyrinth Meditation
Thu, 03/04/2010 - 11:50pm
Use a labyrinth as a guidance tool
Image © Patti Wigington 2008
Got a problem you can't quite resolve? This meditation uses one of the most ancient techniques of all -- the walking of a labyrinth. Take advantage of Ostara's season of balance, and set up a labyrinth of your own so you can use it as a tool of introspection and reflection. You might be surprised at what you learn about yourself on the journey! Ostara Labyrinth Meditation
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Ostara Countdown: Labyrinth Meditation originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 05:50:27.
Repent Amarillo Back in the News
Thu, 03/04/2010 - 5:24amThanks to PollyAmory for sending this bit my way -- remember a year or so ago when we talked about the right-wing nutjobs from Repent Amarillo? They're the "prayer warrior" group that targets sin-filled places like swingers' clubs, coffee houses, and breast cancer events. Well, last month Observer reporter Forrest Wilder got a chance to sit down with Repent Amarillo's leader, Dave Grisham, and the conversation is, at the very least, illuminating.
Grisham goes into extensive detail about how his mission is to save the souls of everyone in Amarillo, as well as in neighboring cities like Houston, the entire state of Texas, and apparently every other place in the world. What's a bit scary about Grisham and his army of jackbooted minions is that they really don't understand why it's not okay to use terrorist tactics against people just because you disagree with them.
Mac and Monica Mead, founders of the now-shut-down swingers' club that was targeted last year by Repent America, had some pretty revealing things to say too. They've had trouble getting support from law enforcement, despite some questions about the legality of Repent America's actions, some of which have cost swingers' club members their jobs.
Repent America's website, which is chock full of music and some sparkly things that might be snowflakes, includes a map of Bad Occulty Things that members of God's Army should be praying for. These include a nature reserve because Pagans meet there, a Reiki center, and the local Unitarian Universalist church.
Over at the Wild Hunt blog, Jason Pitzl-Waters makes the excellent point that "We can no longer ignore these militaristic "prayer warriors" simply because their numbers are small, that just empowers them to pick off weak targets (like the swingers) and grow in status and power." It's a valid concern -- while so many members of the Pagan community feel they need to stay closeted to avoid the sorts of persecution that Repent America encourages, the other side of the coin is to wait so that fringe groups like this can be the ones who out you. If your area has a Pagan community, I encourage all of you to get involved in whatever way you can. Small groups are easy to pick off, but a large cohesive community can fight back against the terrorist tactics that Repent America and the like are using against those they see as enemies.
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Repent Amarillo Back in the News originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 11:24:38.
Teacher Defends Actions in Altar Case
Thu, 03/04/2010 - 4:53amThe other day we talked about Iowa teacher Dale Halferty, who told a student that he was not permitted to build a Wiccan altar as his industrial arts class woodworking project. Originally it was presented as a case of "no religious items can be built at all by anyone," but later evolved into "that thar witchcraft stuff is bad for kids." Anyway, Halferty received a five-day suspension while school officials tried to figure out what to do about the situation.
Now, Halferty is telling the press that he's "being forced to act against his Christian beliefs." He says he really doesn't understand why he has to "allow the student to disrupt his class with a project based on a religion he believes is wrong and bad for youth." Well, Dale, it's because even if you don't like it and think it's icky, the student is still allowed to believe as he chooses. And I'm not entirely sure how a student building an altar table in shop class is "disruptive," unless the kid has plans to hold ritual right there in the industrial arts room.
Halferty says he thinks it's offensive to "worship rocks and trees" and that he's just trying to be a moral person.
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Teacher Defends Actions in Altar Case originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 10:53:43.
Ostara Countdown: Mad as a March Hare
Wed, 03/03/2010 - 11:45pm
Rabbit energy is everywhere!
Image © Getty Images
Spring equinox is a time for fertility and sowing seeds, and so nature's fertility goes a little crazy. The rabbit -- for good reason -- is often associated with fertility magic and sexual energy. So how did we get the notion that a rabbit comes around and lays colored eggs in the spring? Learn about rabbit symbolism, the Easter bunny, and mad March hares! Rabbit Folklore
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Ostara Countdown: Mad as a March Hare originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 05:45:42.
Ostara Countdown: The Vernal Equinox
Wed, 03/03/2010 - 12:36am
Spring is celebrated around
the world
Image © Getty Images
While Pagans and Wiccans are celebrating Ostara, and Christians are observing Easter, it's important to remember that the dawning of spring has been observed for a long time in many other cultures as well. Traditions vary widely from one country to the next. Here are some ways that residents of different parts of the world observe the season. Spring Equinox Around the World
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Ostara Countdown: The Vernal Equinox originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 06:36:17.
Can Student Build Wiccan Altar in School?
Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:58amHere's an interesting one out of Iowa. A high school shop teacher has been put on temporary leave while district officials sort out what could be a big mess. Apparently teacher Dale Halferty told a student that he was not permitted to build a Wiccan altar as his industrial arts class woodworking project. Now, as you read the story, at first it appears that Halferty is trying to be fair, because he says he "previously told another student he could not build a cross in shop class because he believes in the separation of church and state." He also stated that he doesn't want any religious symbols in the shop. Fair enough, and seems reasonable so far.
However, further into the story, Halferty makes it clear that he's not really sure what Wicca is, saying, ""It scares me. I'm a Christian... This witchcraft stuff - it's terrible for our kids. It takes kids away from what they know, and leads them to a dark and violent life. We spend millions of tax dollars trying to save kids from that."
School officials say that there are rules in place to "prohibit discrimination against students who express religious beliefs through school assignments." This would cover, for instance, if an art student chose to paint a portrait of the Virgin Mary, or if a Jewish student opted to craft a dreidel as a project. So while Halferty's concern about separation of church and state could in theory be a valid one, it may be that his concerns are driven by his own lack of education about what exactly the student is practicing, and what the altar would ultimately be used for.
Halferty is on temporary administrative leave while district lawyers sort out the legal ramifications of his actions. Interestingly, school principal Garold Thomas said the incident has become a divisive one, and that "almost 70 signed a petition late last week saying they didn't want witchcraft practiced at the school."
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Can Student Build Wiccan Altar in School? originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 16:58:42.
Reader FAQ: Pagans and Lent
Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:43amOK, so I recently got an email that asked, in part, "I'm trying to figure out what to give up for Lent. I'm a Pagan, so it's kind of hard for me to decide. Do you have any suggestions?"
Yes. If you're Pagan, my suggestion would be to not even worry about Lent. Here's the thing - it's a Christian holiday, and the notion of giving things up for it is in no way related to any Pagan spirituality. Lent is a forty-day period of preparation before Easter, and the whole "giving stuff up" bit is in honor of the death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There's also an aspect of repenting that's included in some denominations of Christianity.
If you're not Christian, I'm not sure why you would choose to observe this season at all. It's a bit like worrying about what color candles to put in your Passover display -- if it doesn't apply to your religion, it doesn't much matter.
If you want to give something up for forty days, have at it. I would suggest, though, that you don't refer to it as your Lenten sacrifice, because it's something else entirely. What that something is, is a personal choice.
I'm curious, do any you readers give things up for Lent even though you're a Pagan or Wiccan?
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Reader FAQ: Pagans and Lent originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 16:43:06.
Ostara Countdown: Magical Spring Flowers
Tue, 03/02/2010 - 12:31am
Start planning your magical gardens now
Image © Getty Images
Whether you have a few containers on your patio full of herbs, a small patch of flowers, or -- if you're like me -- you're growing an abundance of veggies, fruit, herbs and everything else you can get your hands on, now is a good time to start thinking about what you're going to plant. Granted, you won't be able to actually stick anything in the ground yet, but it's a good idea to know what you're going to grow, and where you will put it. For those of us who follow nature-based belief systems, this planning can be part of the spiritual process each year.
When it comes to spring flowers, there's a long history of tradition. Flowers have often been connected with magic, in a variety of ways, so when you're planning your early gardens, be sure to read up on Spring Flower Magic.
If you want to give your seedlings a jump start this year, make a Miniature Greenhouse some time this month. Get your plants started now, and they'll be ready to go into the soil by Beltane!
Don't forget to sign up for the free Seven Day Ostara Class!
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Ostara Countdown: Magical Spring Flowers originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 06:31:11.
