Posts tagged ‘ritual’
Neat Polytheistic Projects
Signal-boosting some cool stuff I see other folks doing on social media- it’s not all strictly polytheistic content, but at least of interest/relevance. Let me know if there’s anything you’re working on that you’d like to share, and if I like it I will add it to my next link round-up.
Polemical Topics in Polytheism Series– this topics are all too big for me to fit into mere comments, so I may make my own posts on them!
Sarenth’s Ritual Praxis Series -this is from an intentionally pan-Germanic perspective
Podcasts-
Bespoken Bones Podcast – this podcast interviews folks from a variety of spiritual viewpoints about ancestor veneration practices.
Brute Norse– Scandinavian archeology, history and culture
Getting Started in Various Polytheisms
If you aren’t sure what tradition you will be following (or creating!) this is a nice way to compare things a bit before you dive head-first into something! Remember also, that polytheist and animist practice doesn’t have to be based on a particular cultural tradition- either historic or living. One example of a modern, polytheistic religion is the Otherfaith, involving worship of eight Gods and a multitude of spirits. Though I’m not a follower myself, I find it fascinating to watch the development of the Otherfaith, the reflection of human diversity in their Gods (or rather are we reflections of the Gods?) and my discussions with Other People has added a lot of insight in my own attempts at finding modern inspiration.
General–
A list with lots of resources- Pagan 101
Polytheism 101: Building a Shrine, Offerings,
Devotional Primer– advice from an eclectic heathen
Keeping a Daily Practice: 7 Keys to Success by Dagulf Loptson
Daily Devotions– suggestions for each day of the week. On the main blog page, she posts each day the day of the week activities as well as hymns for deities/spirits associated with that day of the month, festivals etc.
Indo-European Polytheisms
Longship– Beginner’s Guide to Heathenry- pan-Germanic
Non-Indo-European polytheisms
Natib Qadish– Canaanite polytheism
Kemetic Polytheism (Egyptian)
Hinduism
Shinto-
Non-historically inspired polytheisms
The Otherfaith
Modern American Polytheism– this can be combined with various other pagan/polytheist traditions.
Transgender Rite of Ancestor Elevation
Reposted from here– Some people have been having trouble reading with the background, (not sure if there are any accessibility probs for people using screenreaders?) Not sure if I am participating (guess I better make up my mind quick though!) Regardless, I do plan on going to a Transgender Remembrance Day event on the 20th, I’m sure there are probably some at the area’s rainbow flag waving churches.
“This is a ritual to honor the transgender dead.
Ancestor elevation, in the words of polytheist scholar and ancestor worker Galina Krasskova, “is a sacred practice that is done to help the soul of a dead family member who was troubled or angry or depressed in life, perhaps doing harmful things to themselves or others, perhaps never able to live a happy life due to their own inner demons…. In doing an elevation for a particular ancestor, we are engaging in ancestral healing, in cleansing a tiny bit of mess, blockage, pain, strain, hurt from that particular line.” [1, p. 50] We have adapted her suggested ancestor elevation ritual format to elevate our transgender ancestors, those who came with us and before us, those who survived struggles and violence and hardships, as well as those who didn’t survive them. There is incredible pain and rage in the ranks of the transgender dead – we the living can understand it all too well. We seek to help relieve the suffering that persists after death, and to offer back to those who gave so much so that we could simply exist today. We elevate our ancestors out of the miasma that clings to them. We hope to bring them healing and peace.
The format of the ritual is as follows: for nine consecutive days, beginning on November 12 and concluding on the Trans Day of Remembrance, participants will set out a candle and a glass of clean drinking water on an ancestor altar, and then read a series of prayers offered to the dead. That, plus the physical raising of the altar itself to counterpoint the spiritual raising of our ancestors, is the basic framework within which we will be working.
In subsequent posts, we will discuss the altar itself, a more specific step-by-step ritual format, and the prayers that we will be using. Follow this blog for updates as the date of the rite approaches.
Thank you for joining us in honoring our beloved transgender dead. ”
[1] Krasskova, Galina. Honoring the Ancestors: A Basic Guide. Sanngetall Press, 2014.
Alternative Views of Outsiders
In most Indo-European mythologies, there is a primordial battle between the older forces of darkness & chaos and the younger forces of order and light. For example, the Jotuns vs. the Aesir, the Fomorians vs. the Tuatha De Danann, the Titans vs. the Olympians. Neither is strictly good or evil, it is really a story being told of the universe being brought into order.
In ADF, there is a phase of the ritual structure in which these “Outsiders” or “Outdwellers” the spirits of chaos, are given offerings so as to discourage them from disrupting the ritual. We do this instead of casting a circle, as they do in Wicca.
In the (non-ADF) Druid grove I participate in, we do neither. Some of the members have mentioned that they think it is the idea that evil spirits need to be placated before ritual is just silly. I think they believe we have nothing to fear from them.
I have mixed feelings about this as well. For one, it seems rather superstitious to me. Also, some Druids have beings/gods they worship like Eris and Loki, which would be considered Outsiders. In each of these mythologies, the two races are interrelated- the Gods are usually the children of the chaotic beings. Also by addressing them, and giving them an offering, we may be drawing their attention when otherwise they might’ve just left us alone. I also question if the reason for including this step in the Core Order of Ritual (COoR) is based more on theology/philosophy or Isaac’s desire to include as many elements of IE cosmology as he could in the ritual format.
I’d consider identifying the Outsiders with emotions and other issues we want to set aside before the ritual- anxiety, anger, rivalry, worries about money etc. Another possibility occurred to me yesterday while weeding the garden. We could identify the Outsiders with invasive species. Not just any non-native species, but ones that are disrupting the ecosystem- around here these would include- milfoil, buckthorn, zebra mussels and Asian carp, and emerald ash-borer. In these mythologies, even after being defeated in the primal war, the Outsider races still continued to make efforts to destroy the world. Human beings are actually the ones working on this, and these species which we’ve brought in, whether intentionally or accidentally, are doing their part as well.
Sacred Cauldron by Tadhg MacCrossan
Note: I have been posting my book reviews on my other blog, Roots Leaves & Threads but I thought I’d put Pagan-related ones here.
Sacred Cauldron is an excellent primer on Celtic Reconstructionist religion. (Regardless of whether the CR community thinks) Tadhg MacCrossan calls his tradition “Druidactos” focusing on Gaulish culture. There isn’t much information on Gaulish polytheism, however so most of the book is based on Irish and Welsh mythology, history and folklore.
I can tell it is very well researched, using many reputable sources I am familiar with such as “Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland & Wales” by the Rees brothers and “Gods of the Celts” by Miranda Green.
On the down side- There were some assertions in the “Gods and Their Tales” chapter that I found questionable- so be a little careful with that. I thought his ritual set up (nemeton or grove) was overly complex- I think it is based on Vedic (Indian) ritual. He includes several useful appendices terms for ritual gear and other words in various languages including Proto-Indo-European. In general he is very big on comparing IE mythologies, but I think he tends to emphasize similarities over differences a little too much. We certainly can get many good ideas from other IE (and some non-IE) cultures, but we need to stay true to the Celtic spirit. Overall though, this is a well put together and very useful book for Celtic Pagans. I wish it would go back in print!
Though I have to say the marketing on the back is annoying “Secrets of the Druids Revealed!” That’s typical Llewellyn, probably not the author’s choice.
Samhain: Turning Over a New Leaf
(I was inspired to give this long-neglected blog another try after seeing that someone had subscribed. Hi!)
I had a relatively low-key Samhain & Halloween this year. I attended a ritual with the Mists of Stone Forest Grove, a group which I have been worshiping with in the past year. Due to various circumstances, I hadn’t been to one of their rituals since the Spring Equinox. I volunteered for the Nature Spirits invocation, though since it had been such a long time, I was a little rusty on extempore speaking. As I have in the past, I called on the animals of the land, water and sky. I named various birds and fishes, but oddly for land I picked the badger and hedgehog. The badger does live here in the Upper Midwest, though I have never seen one in the wild. The hedgehog, however does not live in the Americas. I am going to think about what those animals mean, but I will save that for other posts so I don’t go off on a tangent…
Our Patron & Matron of the rite were the Dagda and the Morrigan. For the remembrance (an object used to help connect/remember the ritual) gorp was distributed. Obviously this was a last-minute choice that was rather silly. Phil tried to connect it by saying that the raisin was the crone aspect of the grape (Morrigan) and that the peanuts represented the Dagda’s club. A bit of a stretch, if you ask me. I thought some of these were going to be offered to the Gods, but then I remembered the Mists grove doesn’t use food for offerings.
The human focus of the ritual was on setting goals for the new year. Phil (one of the leaders of the grove) referred to the goal-setting as “planting seeds” but turning over a new leaf seems a better metaphor for this season. Some people wrote theirs down on pieces of paper that would later be burned. That is what they consider offerings.
My goals for this year are to once and for all finish the dang ADF Dedicant program, and to finish learning to drive and get my license. It sounds rather mundane, but it is a means to get to rituals in outlying areas and have more job options. This post is a part of the Dedicant path, as reviews of holiday rituals are a requirement. I have written a bunch of these in the past couple years, but the rituals are required to be 8 consecutive holidays.
The Lefthander's Path 