Oooh, Ooh, Witchy Woman...
This is, by far, the blog I've been dreading. I mentioned in a previous writing that I am not a Christian... in fact, here's the exact quote: "For one, I am a student of all religions, and I follow an eclectic conglomerate of them ... I am not a Christian (or a follower of any Abrahamic religion) which makes me, by definition, a pagan- but not the hippiegranolaflowerchildnodeoderantunshaven kind that most people think of... but we'll come back to that one later." So! It is now "later". It's difficult to describe, exactly, what it is I feel inside about religion, but I think that holds true for most people. I'd say, there are as many "versions" of any religion as there are people who practice it, even within the same denomination. I'm sure there are things that my mother does differently than my father, even though they've been sweethearts for approximately 40 years. I think the best way I can do this is similar to the way I did the trichotillomania blog - question and answer style (and I'll stick to just ten)... and here we go...
1. What is an Abrahamic religion / What is Pagan?
Any Abrahamic religion is monotheistic (worshipping one god) and can trace its roots back to the teachings of Abraham. The "big three" include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Judaism follows the descendants of Jacob, grandson of Abraham. Christianity branches off Judaism and becomes its own religion, and follows the teachings of Jesus. Islam follows the teachings of Muhammad, whom they regard as the last prophet of God. All three of these religions, in some way, go back to the early scriptures of the Torah, Bible and Qur'an. "Pagan" is an umbrella term used to describe faiths that do not follow the teachings related to Abraham. This encompasses a vast number of religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Native American spiritualism, Taoism, Wicca, and so on, and so forth.
I don't like to label myself as one thing or the other, because I find that I am drawn to several different aspects of a lot of beliefs. In some ways I am deeply connected to the early Celtic pagans of my ancestry ... as a far removed descendant of the Plantagenet line, it's in my blood (so to speak). I am also strongly influenced by the flow of nature and the driving force behind its "magic". I find that I am also drawn to certain teachings of eastern philosophy (try reading Zen Flesh, Zen Bones ... it's a good text I had for a college course, and I refer to it regularly).
2. Do you worship the devil?
No. The devil/Satan/Beelzebub/Lucifer is a part of the Christian faith, and I am not a Christian.
The personification of good and evil exist in a wide variety of faiths/religions. I simply use Christian foremost because the majority of folks who ask me these questions are of the Christian faith. I do, after all, live in the "Bible belt" ....
3. What keeps you from being bad if you don't have the devil to "set you straight"?
That's actually a good question. I certainly don't feel that I'll be sent to Hell after I'm dead and gone as punishment for being "bad". I do, however, believe in karma... Karma, basically, is the result of an action... cause and effect, in other words. Have you ever gotten that feeling of elation when you've helped someone out, simply because you knew it was the right thing to do? For me, that's karma at work. I get that "feel good" feeling that boosts my confidence after doing a good thing ...and the opposite is true, as well. Some would call it simply a conscience, but it goes a bit deeper than that. I think the universe has a way of working in such a manner. For instance, if you were to plant a fruit tree, care for it, nurture it, love it ... eventually it will bear fruit as a reward. If you neglect the tree or treat it badly, it will wither and die. (not the best example, but simple enough). Also, as a community, we have rules and laws set in place to help guide us... and, for the most part, justice prevails. (there are a few cases where the bad guy got away with it, but when karma catches up with them, they'll be sorry)
4. What about going to Heaven when you die?
Again, Heaven is a Christian thing... kinda. Heaven and Hell also exist in a great many religions/faiths, including some that fall into the Pagan catagory, but for the sake of arguement, we'll assume this question generalizes the idea that when someone dies, they float up to the sky with angels and St. Peter, etc. etc. and live with God for eternity. A great deal of pagans believe in reincarnation ... which makes more sense to me. Living things use energy to function, and energy can neither be created nor destroyed. So, when I pass on, that energy will be absorbed in any number of fashions ... Here is a portion of Whitman's "Song of Myself" from Leaves of Grass :
A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands;
How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he.
I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.…
And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.
…
What do you think has become of the young and old men?
And what do you think has become of the women and children?
They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
Deep stuff. I'd also like to think of the afterlife as something like Albert Brooks' film "Defending Your Life" ... oh, how I'd love to go to a past-lives pavilion :)
(see the movie trailer at the end)
5. Is that why you wear a lot of black?
There are a lot of reasons I wear black, and I do not wear black all the time. In fact, I'm a huge fan of turquoise and soft pink (they are great colors for someone with a complexion like mine). So - A) Black hides the stains.. I have three kids, four dogs, three cats and a man sharing my home... so, there are a lot of mishaps with spaghetti sauce and crayons left in pockets in the dryer. B) I like to rock superhero shirts, and those vibrant colors look best on a black background ... although, I really like my purpley Batman tee. C) Black is supposed to be slimming... supposed to be. I'm still not slim after wearing black all these years, but I keep trying.
In some religious circles, black is considered to be the color that best absorbs magic and energy, which is why that question is asked, I suppose. I also find, in the Tennessee sun, that black is very retentive of heat, and that causes a lot of sweat ... that leads to a lot of time indoors with air conditioning, and a pale complexion from lack of sun. (anyone who knows me well is aware that five minutes in the sun will cause me to become bright red.) Hey, you asked....
6. Do you sacrifice/eat babies? (This one has never been asked directly to me, but I've heard it from someone else).
I can't speak for others, but I would never do such a thing. (added note: I have three kids, and there are times that I completely understand why some animals eat their young... especially teenagers) I do, however, like veal and eggs ... so, while I'm not devouring human babies, lamb chops are delicious. Which leads me to my next question :
7. If you're (insert religion here) shouldn't you be a vegetarian?
This is a tricky subject. Yes, I would love to go through life without harming all the little fuzzy creatures, alas, vegetarianism/veganism is not for me. It's a personal choice. I think I could get by for a while being a pescetarian (excluding forms of meat except fish/seafood), but I'm highly allergic to shellfish, and there's a high price tag on good salmon. I do enjoy eggs, cheese and milk. I do what I can to buy eggs and dairy from humane farms - or, at least that's what it says on the package... unless I drive to said farms and look for myself, I'll never really know. Hebrew National hot dogs are pretty much the only kosher meats available around here (that I know of) ... for those who don't know, "kosher" by modern standards are rules set in place for how an animal is slaughtered for meat (and also by species) in such a way that said animal feels little to no pain. (Ironically enough, these rules come from the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live")
8. Do you put spells/hexes/curses on people?
No ... and yes. I would never "cast" anything on anyone without their permission or knowledge. That would be bad karma on my part. If you ever piss me off, trust me, I'll let you know to your face.. I'm not the kind that would exact revenge behind your back. Also, casting a spell, etc. is nothing like you think. If you believe I can turn someone into a toad, or blow them up, or cause their children to be born with a tail then you need to stop watching television and search the yellow pages for a good psychiatrist. The "yes" bit would pertain to prayers and meditation to help better myself, so I may put that positive energy back into the world. For example, I may use a "spell" (e.g. prayer) to help better understand the emotional turmoil my daughter is going through as she reaches womanhood.
9. Do you listen to weird "hippie" music (an odd question, yes, but it comes up frequently)
I listen to everything. I like Eminem, Limp Bizkit, Miley Cyrus, Mediaeval Baebes, The Who, The Sex Pistols, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga... etc.... Right now as I write this, I'm listening to Grieg's "In the Halls of the Mountain King". I would have to say my favorite type of music is classical, since that's what I grew up listening to - Vivaldi being number 1, in my book ... and I'll always love Michael Jackson, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, as I am a product of the 80's. So, that's what I listen to in addition to weird "hippie" stuff.
10. How come you chose this instead of being a Christian?
For me, religion is like a pair of pants. The Christian pants are what everyone wants me to wear, but they're uncomfortable and just don't fit. They're tight in the crotch and cause the dreaded and unsightly "muffin top" effect for me. On you, they look just fine - and I'm glad they fit. Me? I like the relaxed fit dungarees with the boot cut legs - you know, the ones you can take a nap in. My pants are not for everyone, and neither are yours, so please don't force me to squeeze my fat but in them or they're liable to rip...
OK, one more, because life does go to 11.
11) Do you get bullied/pressured about being Pagan?
All the time. There are a handful of folks who love me for who I am, and not what they want me to be, and I keep telling myself that they are the ones who matter most, and everyone else can bugger off. Sadly, however, it's not a simple as that. The ones I'm trying to ignore can still key the paint on my car, bully my kids, and preach to me about how "wrong" I am... But, I carry on with my life as best I can. I teach my kids to be kind and tolerant people, I do my best to help others, and - most importantly - I stand up for myself when need be. I owe it to yours truly to be self-confident and to love me for me.
I hope, dear reader, that this blog helps to clear things up a bit, as well as to ponder about it. Feel free to ask questions, or perhaps fill in the gaps that I may have ... I don't pretend to know everything, and I'm sure I've missed some things here... so feel free to point them out. Namaste :)
(Oh, and if you happen to find any grammatical errors, just let me know... halfway through writing this the children came home from school, so I had to work on this blog in five minute snippets between helping with homework and calming two very excited puppies.)
EDIT: I think I need to clarify the Heaven/Hell issue above... I stated that Heaven and Hell are a Christian thing, which they are, but they also have a place in many other religions, perhaps by a different name. So, I think the more appropriate question would be "Where do you think your soul goes when you die"? Yes, the energy of my physical body will go back to the Earth, and as for the "life force" (if you will) that drives me to be the person I am, I have to honestly say I don't know. I'm hoping that upon my death I will have come to some sort of enlightenment, or close to it... to feel fufilled and content with the way I've spent this portion of time here. Here's the trailer for Defending Your Life
1. What is an Abrahamic religion / What is Pagan?
Any Abrahamic religion is monotheistic (worshipping one god) and can trace its roots back to the teachings of Abraham. The "big three" include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Judaism follows the descendants of Jacob, grandson of Abraham. Christianity branches off Judaism and becomes its own religion, and follows the teachings of Jesus. Islam follows the teachings of Muhammad, whom they regard as the last prophet of God. All three of these religions, in some way, go back to the early scriptures of the Torah, Bible and Qur'an. "Pagan" is an umbrella term used to describe faiths that do not follow the teachings related to Abraham. This encompasses a vast number of religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Native American spiritualism, Taoism, Wicca, and so on, and so forth.
I don't like to label myself as one thing or the other, because I find that I am drawn to several different aspects of a lot of beliefs. In some ways I am deeply connected to the early Celtic pagans of my ancestry ... as a far removed descendant of the Plantagenet line, it's in my blood (so to speak). I am also strongly influenced by the flow of nature and the driving force behind its "magic". I find that I am also drawn to certain teachings of eastern philosophy (try reading Zen Flesh, Zen Bones ... it's a good text I had for a college course, and I refer to it regularly).
2. Do you worship the devil?
No. The devil/Satan/Beelzebub/Lucifer is a part of the Christian faith, and I am not a Christian.
The personification of good and evil exist in a wide variety of faiths/religions. I simply use Christian foremost because the majority of folks who ask me these questions are of the Christian faith. I do, after all, live in the "Bible belt" ....
3. What keeps you from being bad if you don't have the devil to "set you straight"?
That's actually a good question. I certainly don't feel that I'll be sent to Hell after I'm dead and gone as punishment for being "bad". I do, however, believe in karma... Karma, basically, is the result of an action... cause and effect, in other words. Have you ever gotten that feeling of elation when you've helped someone out, simply because you knew it was the right thing to do? For me, that's karma at work. I get that "feel good" feeling that boosts my confidence after doing a good thing ...and the opposite is true, as well. Some would call it simply a conscience, but it goes a bit deeper than that. I think the universe has a way of working in such a manner. For instance, if you were to plant a fruit tree, care for it, nurture it, love it ... eventually it will bear fruit as a reward. If you neglect the tree or treat it badly, it will wither and die. (not the best example, but simple enough). Also, as a community, we have rules and laws set in place to help guide us... and, for the most part, justice prevails. (there are a few cases where the bad guy got away with it, but when karma catches up with them, they'll be sorry)
4. What about going to Heaven when you die?
Again, Heaven is a Christian thing... kinda. Heaven and Hell also exist in a great many religions/faiths, including some that fall into the Pagan catagory, but for the sake of arguement, we'll assume this question generalizes the idea that when someone dies, they float up to the sky with angels and St. Peter, etc. etc. and live with God for eternity. A great deal of pagans believe in reincarnation ... which makes more sense to me. Living things use energy to function, and energy can neither be created nor destroyed. So, when I pass on, that energy will be absorbed in any number of fashions ... Here is a portion of Whitman's "Song of Myself" from Leaves of Grass :
A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands;
How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he.
I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.…
And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.
…
What do you think has become of the young and old men?
And what do you think has become of the women and children?
They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
Deep stuff. I'd also like to think of the afterlife as something like Albert Brooks' film "Defending Your Life" ... oh, how I'd love to go to a past-lives pavilion :)
(see the movie trailer at the end)
5. Is that why you wear a lot of black?
There are a lot of reasons I wear black, and I do not wear black all the time. In fact, I'm a huge fan of turquoise and soft pink (they are great colors for someone with a complexion like mine). So - A) Black hides the stains.. I have three kids, four dogs, three cats and a man sharing my home... so, there are a lot of mishaps with spaghetti sauce and crayons left in pockets in the dryer. B) I like to rock superhero shirts, and those vibrant colors look best on a black background ... although, I really like my purpley Batman tee. C) Black is supposed to be slimming... supposed to be. I'm still not slim after wearing black all these years, but I keep trying.
In some religious circles, black is considered to be the color that best absorbs magic and energy, which is why that question is asked, I suppose. I also find, in the Tennessee sun, that black is very retentive of heat, and that causes a lot of sweat ... that leads to a lot of time indoors with air conditioning, and a pale complexion from lack of sun. (anyone who knows me well is aware that five minutes in the sun will cause me to become bright red.) Hey, you asked....
6. Do you sacrifice/eat babies? (This one has never been asked directly to me, but I've heard it from someone else).
I can't speak for others, but I would never do such a thing. (added note: I have three kids, and there are times that I completely understand why some animals eat their young... especially teenagers) I do, however, like veal and eggs ... so, while I'm not devouring human babies, lamb chops are delicious. Which leads me to my next question :
7. If you're (insert religion here) shouldn't you be a vegetarian?
This is a tricky subject. Yes, I would love to go through life without harming all the little fuzzy creatures, alas, vegetarianism/veganism is not for me. It's a personal choice. I think I could get by for a while being a pescetarian (excluding forms of meat except fish/seafood), but I'm highly allergic to shellfish, and there's a high price tag on good salmon. I do enjoy eggs, cheese and milk. I do what I can to buy eggs and dairy from humane farms - or, at least that's what it says on the package... unless I drive to said farms and look for myself, I'll never really know. Hebrew National hot dogs are pretty much the only kosher meats available around here (that I know of) ... for those who don't know, "kosher" by modern standards are rules set in place for how an animal is slaughtered for meat (and also by species) in such a way that said animal feels little to no pain. (Ironically enough, these rules come from the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live")
8. Do you put spells/hexes/curses on people?
No ... and yes. I would never "cast" anything on anyone without their permission or knowledge. That would be bad karma on my part. If you ever piss me off, trust me, I'll let you know to your face.. I'm not the kind that would exact revenge behind your back. Also, casting a spell, etc. is nothing like you think. If you believe I can turn someone into a toad, or blow them up, or cause their children to be born with a tail then you need to stop watching television and search the yellow pages for a good psychiatrist. The "yes" bit would pertain to prayers and meditation to help better myself, so I may put that positive energy back into the world. For example, I may use a "spell" (e.g. prayer) to help better understand the emotional turmoil my daughter is going through as she reaches womanhood.
9. Do you listen to weird "hippie" music (an odd question, yes, but it comes up frequently)
I listen to everything. I like Eminem, Limp Bizkit, Miley Cyrus, Mediaeval Baebes, The Who, The Sex Pistols, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga... etc.... Right now as I write this, I'm listening to Grieg's "In the Halls of the Mountain King". I would have to say my favorite type of music is classical, since that's what I grew up listening to - Vivaldi being number 1, in my book ... and I'll always love Michael Jackson, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, as I am a product of the 80's. So, that's what I listen to in addition to weird "hippie" stuff.
10. How come you chose this instead of being a Christian?
For me, religion is like a pair of pants. The Christian pants are what everyone wants me to wear, but they're uncomfortable and just don't fit. They're tight in the crotch and cause the dreaded and unsightly "muffin top" effect for me. On you, they look just fine - and I'm glad they fit. Me? I like the relaxed fit dungarees with the boot cut legs - you know, the ones you can take a nap in. My pants are not for everyone, and neither are yours, so please don't force me to squeeze my fat but in them or they're liable to rip...
OK, one more, because life does go to 11.
11) Do you get bullied/pressured about being Pagan?
All the time. There are a handful of folks who love me for who I am, and not what they want me to be, and I keep telling myself that they are the ones who matter most, and everyone else can bugger off. Sadly, however, it's not a simple as that. The ones I'm trying to ignore can still key the paint on my car, bully my kids, and preach to me about how "wrong" I am... But, I carry on with my life as best I can. I teach my kids to be kind and tolerant people, I do my best to help others, and - most importantly - I stand up for myself when need be. I owe it to yours truly to be self-confident and to love me for me.
I hope, dear reader, that this blog helps to clear things up a bit, as well as to ponder about it. Feel free to ask questions, or perhaps fill in the gaps that I may have ... I don't pretend to know everything, and I'm sure I've missed some things here... so feel free to point them out. Namaste :)
(Oh, and if you happen to find any grammatical errors, just let me know... halfway through writing this the children came home from school, so I had to work on this blog in five minute snippets between helping with homework and calming two very excited puppies.)
EDIT: I think I need to clarify the Heaven/Hell issue above... I stated that Heaven and Hell are a Christian thing, which they are, but they also have a place in many other religions, perhaps by a different name. So, I think the more appropriate question would be "Where do you think your soul goes when you die"? Yes, the energy of my physical body will go back to the Earth, and as for the "life force" (if you will) that drives me to be the person I am, I have to honestly say I don't know. I'm hoping that upon my death I will have come to some sort of enlightenment, or close to it... to feel fufilled and content with the way I've spent this portion of time here. Here's the trailer for Defending Your Life
Wow! You explained all of that really well! I've been Pagan (officially) for almost 12 years... and before that I was drawn to similar Pagan-like things growing up. Plus, I've always been skeptical of Christianity (gee, is this it?)!
ReplyDeleteI struggle daily with how to fit my beliefs in my everyday life... I'm totally a non-practicing Pagan.
It'd be interesting to see how you do it.
Good post!
Excellent! Eloquently stated...
ReplyDelete