Saturday, November 15, 2014

Thanks for reading along!


5807719_1883530154_n.jpgAfter three years and more than 240 posts, it may be time for a break.  Use the Index tab above to find topics and help your notes.  There are hundreds of other topics you can find yourself online and in books.  I don't know where I will take this blog?  Maybe a post on Sabbats?  Or if there is a request on a topic in the Comments?  Or maybe this will be the last post?

Religion is the medium that our Spirituality grows, through ritual, worship, practice, and community.  Wicca is a beautiful Spiritually rich Religion that encompasses many faiths, and a variety of Paths, all while leaving us the God and Goddess given gift of free-will and unconditional love.

Wicca is a new way to worship the old Gods and bring us closer to the Divine Friends.  The Scandinavian Gods of old are full of traditions, culture, stories, myths and legends that guide our individual Paths to enlightenment and help us live ethical and morally good lives.

Norse Wicca is not a reconstruction religion - we are not trying to worship the Gods and Goddesses just as they did a long time ago.  Worshipping the Aesir and Vanir is wonderful in its own rite.  Doing so in a Wiccan Circle, following the familiar Ritual of Calling the Quarters, Meditation, Grounding and Centering, Invocation of the Goddess and God, celebrating the Wheel of the Year makes the whole experience even better!

Never stop learning.  Read on.  Talk with others.  Ask the Ancestors.  Leave a Comment below to contact me.  Do what speaks to you, as long as you are willing to accept the consequences. 

1035882278267.jpgThanks for reading along.  

Vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit.

Merci d'avoir lu le long.

Grazie per la lettura.

Dzięki za czytanie.

Takk for at du leste sammen.

 

Blessed Be!  ~ Merry Part, Sam Silver

 

 

"I am Pagan. I am a part of the whole of Nature. The Rocks, the Animals, the Plants, the Elements, and Stars are my relatives. Other humans are my sisters and brothers, whatever their races, colours, genders, sexual orientations, ages, nationalities, religions, lifestyles. Planet Earth is my home. I am a part of this large family of Nature, not the master of it. I have my own special part to play and I seek to discover and play that part to the best of my ability. I seek to live in harmony with others in the family of Nature, treating others with respect.

I am Pagan. I celebrate the changing seasons, the turning of the Wheel of the Year. I celebrate with singing, dancing, feasting, rituals, and in other ways. I celebrate each turn of the Wheel with personal spiritual practices and by taking part in community festivals.

Samhain, commonly known as Halloween, is a time for gazing into the future and for paying homage to my Ancestors and other loved ones in the Spirit world. I work magic for greater religious freedom for Pagan peoples and humankind as a whole. I celebrate the Wiccan and Celtic spiritual New Year.

55156_1464337987_n.jpgYule, the Winter Solstice, is a festival of peace and a celebration of waxing solar light. I honour the new Sun child by burning an oaken Yule log in a sacred fire. I honour the Great Goddess in her many Great Mother aspects and the Father God as Santa in his Old Sky God, Father Time, and Holly King forms. I decorate my home with lights and with holly, ivy, mistletoe, evergreens and other herbs sacred to this season. I ring in the new Solar year with bells.

At the beginning of February, I celebrate Candlemas, known to ancient Celts as Imbolc and to contemporary Americans as Groundhog's Day. I focus on spiritual purification and clearing away blockages to prepare for the coming of Spring and new growth. During this festival, I light candles to honour Brigid and I invite her to inspire my artistic works and guide my healing practice. I give offerings of seeds to wild birds.

At the time of the Spring Equinox, I welcome the renewal of Spring and celebrate the greening of the Earth by dressing in green myself. I honour the Teutonic Goddess Ostara and the spirit of the Rabbit, Her consort. I colour eggs with friends and divine choices for new growth.

Beltane at the beginning of May is a festival of fertility and pleasure. I dress in bright colours and wear a garland of flowers in my hair. I dance the Maypole to bless gardens and creative projects. I leap the Beltane bonfire for good luck. I place flowers at the Bast Sacred Cat Shrine and other sacred sites.

american_pagan_2f.gifSummer Solstice time, also known as Midsummer and Litha, is a grand gathering time when I greet old friends and meet new ones. I dance with them around a sacred bonfire to the magic rhythms of drums. I honour my spiritual community and tribe. I celebrate Pagan culture. I add stones to the sacred Stone Circle on Circle Sanctuary land with prayers for planetary harmony and well-being.

As August arrives, I celebrate Lammas, also known as Lughnassad. At this festival, I honour the height of Summer and prosperity. I not only give thanks for wild and cultivated plants and for blessings that are starting to come to fruition, but I also pray for continued abundance. I break and eat bread with others in ritual and I give bread and herb offerings to the Goddesses and Gods of agriculture.

Fall Equinox, which some call Mabon, is the time of thanksgiving for all the harvests I've reaped during the growing time. I give thanks for food I have received from the gardens and fields and for other blessings which have come into my life. I return to the Mother Earth offerings that come from the best of the fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, and other food stuffs I've gathered.

And at Samhain, this Wheel of the Year starts again.

I am Pagan. I also honour the seasons of life within my life's journey -- beginnings, growth, fruition, harvest, endings, rest, and beginnings again. Life is a Circle with many cycles. With every Ending comes a new Beginning. Within Death there is the promise of Rebirth.

love5_5640b9e03b.jpgI am Pagan. I see circles of change and renewal not only within my own life's journey, but in my heritage. I see my life as a circle that connects with the life circles of my ancestors. They are part of me and my life. The ancient wisdom of Nature's Renewal and Recycling is embodied in the crests of two of my Ancestral clans. From my German ancestors of my mother's mother's lineage is the totem of the heron, a family emblem signifying perseverance and renewal after difficulties. From my Celtic ancestors of my father's father's lineage is the crest bearing the symbol of a hewn oak tree sprouting new branches and leaves from its stump, enclosed in a circle with the motto, Iterum Viriscit, which means It grows Green again. These symbols and motto remind me not only of my own renewal and the renewal of Nature, but also the renewal of Pagan philosophy on this planet that is part of my life's work as a Pagan priestess.

I am Pagan. Intentional consciousness change, Magic, is part of my spirituality. For every problem there is at least one workable solution as well as opportunity for growth. I create my own reality with my thoughts, feelings, and actions. Whatever I send out always returns. I seek to abide by the Wiccan Rede: "And It Harm None, Do What You Will." When I do magic in rituals, before I raise and direct energy, I seek always to look at the larger picture of which my needs are just a part. I endeavour to work for the best for all as well as to help myself. When problems come my way, I seek to understand their cause and messages as part of my finding a solution. In doing healing work, I seek to address the underlying spiritual causes of disease, rather than only focusing on relief of its symptoms.

I am Pagan. I work magic by the Moon to help and to heal others, myself, and the Planet. The Triple Goddess of the Moon guides me. I activate beginnings in the Waxing, energize manifestations at the Full, and clear away obstructions with the Waning and Dark. I take part in rituals at the New and Full Moons, and I know that my Circles are part of a great web of Circles that meet at these times around Planet Earth.

I am Pagan. I embrace Pantheism, acknowledging that the Divine is everywhere and in everything. I honour the Divine that is within the oak trees in the forest, in the herbs in the garden, in the wild birds singing in the trees, in the rock outcroppings on the hillside, in myself, and yes, even in "things" such as my car, cameras, and computers. I understand that everything with a physical body has a spiritual body, too. The physical and spiritual are deeply intertwined, not separate, in this world of form. I honour the interconnectedness of Creator and Creation.

60676518_4370221.jpgI am Pagan. I know that Divinity has many facets and I experience this through a variety of Goddesses, Gods, and other spiritual forms. I also honour Divine Oneness, the Unity of All. My personal encounters with Pagan Goddesses, Gods, and other Divine forms have transformed and enriched my life. Hecate appeared at a Death to teach me of release and rebirth. As a young child, Artemis flowed through me and helped me ward off a would-be rapist. Selena of the Full Moon brings me visions and my name. Sacred Sun energizes me. Yemaya of the Ocean cleanses and renews me. I have heard Pan play his pipes in the woods. Dionysius awakens within me the joys of spontaneity and ecstatic bliss and teaches me the mysteries of androgyny. I have experienced the union of Goddess and God while making love with my mate in the garden. Bast has helped me deepen my connections with my Cat friends. Cernunnos has appeared to me in the forest as a Stag. Isis has spoken to me in bursts of radiance in the deep of the Night and in flows of energy through my hands in doing healings. Saturn has given me lessons about discipline, time, and organic agriculture. Lady Liberty protects me as I work for religious freedom for Wiccans and other Pagans. Mother Earth guides my work on behalf of this Planet. I also experience the Divine as totem animals, plant allies, and as other forms in my dreams, in guided inner journeys, and while questing for vision alone in the wilderness.

I am Pagan. My spiritual practices include self-acceptance and understanding, instead of self-rejection. I share my views with others when I sense it is right, but I do not proselytize, claiming my way is the only true right way for everyone. There are many paths up the mountain of spiritual understanding, not just one path.

I am Pagan. My worship takes the form of Divine communion with Nature. As part of my worship, I founded and take care a sacred Nature preserve, Circle Sanctuary. I do rituals at special places there, such as in the Stone Circle atop a sacred mound; on Spirit Rock high above the valleys; in the Magic Circle garden; by outdoor shrines; in the indoor Temple room; and in the ancient sandstone rock shelters that housed the ancient ones that lived on this land thousands of years ago. I also do rituals elsewhere on the land and at other places, outdoors and indoors. My worship and rituals can be anywhere since my sacred circle is portable. Wherever I am, I can set up a circle around a sacred sphere with seven invocations: to the four compass point directions, to the Cosmos above, to the Planet below, and to Spiritual Integration in the center.

I am Pagan. I journey to the Otherworld in my dreams, meditations, and rituals. I use sacred tools to aid me in my journeys and my magic making. These include cauldrons, crystals, candles, censors of incense, chalices of water, pentacles of salt, dishes of soil, feathers, bells, brooms, rattles, drums, wands, staffs, blades, mirrors, and a variety of divination tools, including Tarot cards, I Ching yarrow stalks, and Rune stones. I fly with my consciousness through time and space. I explore other dimensions and then I return with insights, knowledge, and power. I go between the worlds for healing, growth and transformation. Intuitive, psychic perception is a natural, not supernatural, part of my daily life.

601050_553697568_n.jpgI am Pagan. I attune myself to the four elements of Nature -- Earth, Air, Fire, Water -- and to the fifth element, Spirit, which is the spiritual force that connects all. I see these Elements in Nature -- the Earth in the soil and rocks; the Air in the winds and atmosphere; the Fire as the lightning, fires, and electricity; the Water in the springs, rivers, oceans, rain, and other waters on the planet; and the Spirit as Divine Unity. I also see these Elements as aspects of Self -- my physical body and physiology is my Earth; my intellect and thoughts my Air; my will and actions my Fire; my emotions and feelings my Water; and my Inner Self, my Soul, is my Spirit. I endeavour to keep myself healthy and in balance in all these parts of Self. I work toward a restoring of balance of the Elements in the environment.

I am Pagan. I hear the cries of Mother Earth who is upset with the harm being done to the environment by humankind. I am dismayed by the pollution of the air, the soil, and the waters, and by the domination games being played by nations with the fire of nuclear missiles and other weapons of mass destruction. I also am concerned about spiritual pollution on the Planet -- selfishness, hatred, greed for money and power, addiction, violence, despair. Yet as I perceive these problems, I also perceive cleansing and healing happening on Planet Earth at this time. I know that I can help in at least a small way to bring the Planet into greater balance by seeking balance in my own life, by being a catalyst for restoring balance in the lives of others, and by working for a better environment. I know that my attitudes and my way of living can make a difference. I endeavour to be a channel for healing and balance. I make the practice of environmental responsibility a personal part of my daily life. I endeavour to live in harmony with the other members of the family of Nature.

I am Pagan. Nature Spirituality is my religion and my life's foundation. Nature is my spiritual teacher and holy book. I am part of Nature and Nature is part of me. My understanding of Nature's inner mysteries grows as I journey on this spiritual path."

~ Selena Fox






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5 comments:

  1. I have highly valued this blog for sometime as a Nordic Wiccan and actually an Eckist witch myself. I have never made a blog comment on this site until now but I suspect that I should have been commenting on this blog earlier. I am training as a first degree Wiccan in the Dorey tradition at Temple of the Ancient Ones in Jackson, Tennessee. I have been studying for clergy in the Dorey tradition and am taking first degree classes right now which includes doing a sabbat report for every sabbat during this current cycle of sabbats and wheel of the year. Since I am well known in my church to be a Nordic Wiccan I have been completing my sabbat reports and sabbat altars in the style of a Nordic Wiccan. I have also used some research material from this website in support of my Nordic sabbat reports whereas I have been crediting your website in the references section of each sabbat report I have been submitting for my first degree Wiccan studies. The point I am trying to make here is that your website is highly valued by me to be sure and I certainly do myself refer to it a lot as a Nordic Wiccan. Please accept my gratitude for all of the great work and effort you shown in doing this wonderful website! If there are any other Nordic Wiccans out there that would like to talk with me I can be reached by email at martybilich@gmail.com. I am a great fan of anything very pagan and Nordic and especially Wiccan and everything that is very witchy too as a very hard core Nordic Wiccan myself. Hurrah to all Nordic Wiccans in this world of ours! Stay strong, stay Nordic and stay Wiccan! Long live Odin, Thor, Tyr and Frigg, Freya and Skaldi and all of the rest of the wonderful Nordic Pantheon in Valhallah! Let us fly in the heavens with the Valkyries!

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    1. Hail! Thank you Greywolf for reading along! I'm glad I could help you on your Path. Heather is another reader that has been reading the blog that commented once about 'feeling lonely' on the journey. I'm very happy to seen the Nordic Wiccan Path expanding, no one is alone here. I get thousands of readers and followers still at this blog. Answering questions and comments has really helped my own Path flourish. I had another contact mention the Sabbats so I have been thinking about maybe adding more at those turns of the Wheel? Maybe a copy of my 12 days of Yule sheet? Or maybe at the Esbats? I'm still not sure where I will take this blog but I will gladly keep the content up to help anyone's notes. Hail Divine Friends! Thank you readers! May your Path be clear Greywolf as you complete your degrees!

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    2. Hail and welcome back to you Silver! There really is a significant Nordic pagan community here in North America and in Europe / Scandinavia too I would suppose that I have no doubt appreciates your blog here. I was also associated with the Order of the World Tree which belongs to the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel (ASW) tradition in Northern New Jersey as overseen by HPS & HP Maggi and Craig Setti. They very much loved Odin and Freya as the respected God and the Goddess in that coven. I was also a long time associated with Bergen Wiccan Pagan Group (BWPG) in Northern New Jersey which is overseen by HPS Niki. At the Temple of the Ancient Ones in Jackson Tennessee with HPS & HP Shari and Paul Yetto the Goddess and the God invoked in Circle are Inanna and Cernunnos however they respect all Wiccan paths there to be sure. I have also been associated with the spiritual path of Eckankar too since 1988 so I am not a pure Wiccan but neither am I a pure Eckist either - I am an Eckist witch with a strong neopagan bias which is no doubt a heresy but it is who I am. However my deepest passion has been for anything Nordic Wiccan in the end and I cannot rationally explain to you why this is - all I can say in the end is that is who and what I am. The Wiccan community is still a minority community in the US and in Europe and Nordic Wicca is a minority but significant community within Wicca so Nordic Wiccans are a minority within a minority. However there is a growing amount of support for anything old Nordic among a lot of Americans and Europeans nonetheless both within and outside the community of Wicca - Thor, Odin, Tyr and Freya, Valhalla and the Valkyries are popular in a lot of places actually and for good reason because they represent a honorable tradition of courage and valor that has to be respected by all.

      Sure - I would love to see you post more regarding the topics of Sabbats and esbats or whatever else your Nordic Wiccan heart appreciates because we are so totally on the same page when it comes to very much loving everything that is Nordic Wiccan. I came from a family that was and still is very much Southern Baptist and it has been a struggle for me to try to communicate to them my love for Wicca in general and it is probably best that I don't say anything more about that than that. I can't rationally explain my love for Wicca and how it ties in to the Nordic culture and I really can't quite understand my love for these things myself though I suspect that I have lived a number of past lifetimes both as a witch and in the Nordic culture in the past and those experiences have followed me to this lifetime as well. However I am here as your friend if there is anything where I can help you with that you may need help with I would see what I can do to help. Thanks for the hundreds of hours you have put into developing and maintaining this blog please be assured that your work is no doubt appreciated by many out there! Greywolf

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  2. Hello! Do you have an email to learn more about a potential Nordic Mythology writing opportunity?

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