About a month ago, Anita (a Christian friend from a couple of the forums I haunt) asked me what Samhain means to me. Now that the buzz of the season has calmed, the rites and divinations done for another year, I have some time to put metaphoric pen to paper and ruminate on that question.
Ever since I was young, I've loved Halloween - the costumes, the trick-or-treating, the horror movies, and most of all the faux spooky atmosphere that surrounds the modern holiday. But the atmosphere that modern commercialism has surrounded the night - yes night, because Halloween is not about the daylight hours - with wasn't the only thing that I loved about it. I always vaguely sensed an undercurrent of otherworldly ambiance on this night, something real behind the mask if you will, and even though that current seemed scary at times I still craved it with the curiosity of youth. A trait I never really lost over the years.
Fast forward to the present. To me, Halloween isn't a single night but rather the month of Samhain. It starts on October 1st (Octoberfest in the area I live) with the barest of hints, anticipation of things to come. Throughout the month, day by day, the energy rises and rises until finally the week of Halloween arrives. And then the celebration for me begins.
October 29th, Anton's Day. Back when I first left Christianity and finally the grip of my teachers, the writings of Anton LaVey earned a special place in my heart (why I'll explain at another time). LaVey died on October 29th 1997, and out of respect for the man and his work to this day I raise a glass to honor him and endeavor to perform some act of personal improvement or hedonism (or both) on this night.
October 30th, Devil's Night. A night of pranks, perhaps with a sinister undertone (in Detroit in times past at least). I don't so much do anything in particular on this night (save for the semi-tradition I have of watching the Crow) but rather consider it something of a dress rehearsal for the night to follow. The energies are high enough and the ambiance is so right that any preparatory magical work I may need for the next night finds a home here rather than the daylight hours of the next day. Of course, if someone is irritating me, a prank of some sort is not out of the question. Although this year I was the one who was pranked (some...individuals...have an odd sense of humor).
October 31st, Halloween/Samhain Proper. "It's time again." That simple line from Halloween 3 sums up this night best for me. During the waning daylight hours, I love to be home where I grew up - I like handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters and seeing their costumes. I may be too old to participate, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the spectacle. But that's just the appetizer. As darkness falls a couple horror movies fill the last few hours til the real show begins. Because on this night, of all nights, the energy flows strongest, the walls between here and there are the weakest, and the weird becomes much more possible than in the garish daylight of the rest of the year. Midnight, magic hour, and the show begins on this night of power, between times. After the rites and magical work de jour are done, the quiet hours that follow are for divination and remembrance. Looking forward, looking back, contemplating the meaning of things - as I do now - and waiting out the night till dawn brings an end to it. Not out of fear, least some suggest that, but out of reverence. Almost like waiting at the bedside of a dying friend.
November 1st, All Souls Day. A relic of my Catholic upbringing - one of few that remain - November 1st is special for me in the same way the day after Christmas is. Not for itself, but rather as a sort of aftermath. The tide has crested and broke as the sun rises, and all that's left to do is remember the year before and lay plans for the year to come. And feast, a replacement of sorts for the candy trove of childhood.
So there you have it, a short overview of my tradition of Samhain. A blend of pop culture festivities, neopagan religious beliefs, and occultism with a distinctly dark and slightly sinister undertone. Many of my neopagan compatriots would object to this - some more strenuously than others - but for me all of these elements are inextricably linked. It cannot be otherwise, nor would I have it be. It seems though that I've failed in a sense to tell what all this means to me, but then in truth it's not something I can truly explain in words I find. It must be experienced.
Showing posts with label Paganism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paganism. Show all posts
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
The End of Monotheism
Or, How Judaism Evolved From Pagan Roots
I've been aware of this material for some time, and meaning to write a post on the subject, but really why bother? This guy's video does most of the work for me. A little commentary though - I think, given the ancient sources, it is obvious that YHVH was originally a pagan god just like all the ones the bible spends a great deal of time denouncing. It's also a safe bet that a group of henotheistic YHVH worshipers were, over time, responsible for steering early Hebrew society in a monotheistic direction. After all, given the personality exhibited by their god (see my posts here and here), he is not the type that can handle competition of any sort. Fast forward a couple thousand years, spawn a couple of offspring religions off Judaism, and you get the mess we have in the world today.
Those interested can follow discussion on this matter here.
I've been aware of this material for some time, and meaning to write a post on the subject, but really why bother? This guy's video does most of the work for me. A little commentary though - I think, given the ancient sources, it is obvious that YHVH was originally a pagan god just like all the ones the bible spends a great deal of time denouncing. It's also a safe bet that a group of henotheistic YHVH worshipers were, over time, responsible for steering early Hebrew society in a monotheistic direction. After all, given the personality exhibited by their god (see my posts here and here), he is not the type that can handle competition of any sort. Fast forward a couple thousand years, spawn a couple of offspring religions off Judaism, and you get the mess we have in the world today.
Those interested can follow discussion on this matter here.
Friday, July 20, 2007
The Warrior Spirit
Recently I joined an online class on the subject of Pagan warrior spirituality. As the first assignment is an essay on what being a warrior means to each individual, I'd thought I'd plaster mine up here.
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What is a warrior, or better, what makes a warrior? It seems to me that a warrior is defined by two things – conflict and sacrifice. Anything else seems off to me in a sense.
A warrior accepts not only the necessity of and responsibility for conflict, but also it’s inevitability. But I should define terms first. In the sense I am speaking of conflict is any confrontation that has the potential to cause lasting harm. The obvious example is physical conflict, combat, whether lethal or not, but this definition can go further to include spiritual and mental harm. After all, I have a hard time believing that someone who risks their life and sanity in an exorcism or other spiritual battle is somehow not every bit the warrior as the soldier on the battlefield can be. Due to the definition I use of conflict, a diplomat, negotiator, or “web warrior” is not necessarily a warrior, although they can be. A warrior then is one that accepts that conflict is sometimes the only way to resolve a situation or protect what he cares about. A warrior does not flee from necessary conflict, but rather embraces it as his calling and purpose. As a result of this, a warrior takes responsibility for conflict – for initiating it or ending it as necessary and for being prepared for it at all times. A true warrior does not seek conflict lightly or without purpose, as any conflict he is involved in is his personal responsibility, his duty to himself and those or that which he cares about. To seek conflict lightly then puts the warrior and moreover his responsibility at unnecessary risk, and has the potential to reduce his capability to undertake necessary conflict. This emphasis on personal responsibility is very important, as it creates an important distinction – a warrior can be a soldier, but a soldier is not necessarily a warrior. Lastly, a warrior knows in his deepest heart that conflict is inevitable. It can be avoided or put off in many cases, but sooner or later a threat will emerge to those or that which the warrior cares about that cannot be avoided, and then the warrior must fight.
Sacrifice is the second element that defines a warrior. In order to simply be a warrior, much must be sacrificed. A warrior sacrifices the luxuries of complacency, unpreparedness, and pacifism. A warrior sacrifices the luxury of letting someone else take responsibility for protecting the things he cares about, and the luxury of fleeing from necessary conflict. On a further level, a warrior sacrifices the luxuries of happiness, of peace, even of life itself, should these sacrifices be necessary to do his job. A warrior then is one who holds the line to protect what is important to him regardless of the personal cost. He understands that his personal needs are secondary to the needs of the job, and in accepting this makes that sacrifice small or extreme as it may be.
What then is a Pagan warrior? What can he or she be but one who feels called to this life of service, to a sacred duty to do whatever is prudent and necessary to protect that which he or she loves? A Pagan warrior then would seem by necessity to understand that his or her contributions will be minor in the greater scheme of things, constrained by the need for restraint, and go largely unsung by a fractious and unorganized community. A Pagan warrior is then one that understands and accepts all of these things, and then chooses the life of the warrior anyway.
=========
What is a warrior, or better, what makes a warrior? It seems to me that a warrior is defined by two things – conflict and sacrifice. Anything else seems off to me in a sense.
A warrior accepts not only the necessity of and responsibility for conflict, but also it’s inevitability. But I should define terms first. In the sense I am speaking of conflict is any confrontation that has the potential to cause lasting harm. The obvious example is physical conflict, combat, whether lethal or not, but this definition can go further to include spiritual and mental harm. After all, I have a hard time believing that someone who risks their life and sanity in an exorcism or other spiritual battle is somehow not every bit the warrior as the soldier on the battlefield can be. Due to the definition I use of conflict, a diplomat, negotiator, or “web warrior” is not necessarily a warrior, although they can be. A warrior then is one that accepts that conflict is sometimes the only way to resolve a situation or protect what he cares about. A warrior does not flee from necessary conflict, but rather embraces it as his calling and purpose. As a result of this, a warrior takes responsibility for conflict – for initiating it or ending it as necessary and for being prepared for it at all times. A true warrior does not seek conflict lightly or without purpose, as any conflict he is involved in is his personal responsibility, his duty to himself and those or that which he cares about. To seek conflict lightly then puts the warrior and moreover his responsibility at unnecessary risk, and has the potential to reduce his capability to undertake necessary conflict. This emphasis on personal responsibility is very important, as it creates an important distinction – a warrior can be a soldier, but a soldier is not necessarily a warrior. Lastly, a warrior knows in his deepest heart that conflict is inevitable. It can be avoided or put off in many cases, but sooner or later a threat will emerge to those or that which the warrior cares about that cannot be avoided, and then the warrior must fight.
Sacrifice is the second element that defines a warrior. In order to simply be a warrior, much must be sacrificed. A warrior sacrifices the luxuries of complacency, unpreparedness, and pacifism. A warrior sacrifices the luxury of letting someone else take responsibility for protecting the things he cares about, and the luxury of fleeing from necessary conflict. On a further level, a warrior sacrifices the luxuries of happiness, of peace, even of life itself, should these sacrifices be necessary to do his job. A warrior then is one who holds the line to protect what is important to him regardless of the personal cost. He understands that his personal needs are secondary to the needs of the job, and in accepting this makes that sacrifice small or extreme as it may be.
What then is a Pagan warrior? What can he or she be but one who feels called to this life of service, to a sacred duty to do whatever is prudent and necessary to protect that which he or she loves? A Pagan warrior then would seem by necessity to understand that his or her contributions will be minor in the greater scheme of things, constrained by the need for restraint, and go largely unsung by a fractious and unorganized community. A Pagan warrior is then one that understands and accepts all of these things, and then chooses the life of the warrior anyway.
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