A bit of perspective...

It's been a bit of an interesting morning. I woke at about seven thirty from the whimperings of my super pregnant dog who seemed to be in labor. After assessing for a moment in my stupor and comforting her, I decided I better get up and get her birthing crate together. In doing this I went into another room and happened to catch a glimpse of my half asleep, half naked self in a full length mirror. And like most any woman, such a sight at such a time was not heartening to me upon first waking.

I have a HUGE date coming up in the next few weeks...I have been struggling with my nervousness and anxiety about this as the day looms closer on the horizon. Upon seeing myself in this state, those hypercritical feelings came rushing back as usual. Not helping matter was the fact that I already felt sick, not a good sign when my mother had called in to work just the day before because of a stomach bug. I got the crate together and proceeded to go about my morning routine, having a smoke and a glass of ice water and reading through my news apps and social network  profiles. This is my version of the morning paper.

One of my favorite news apps for Android is Flipboard. Just about a week ago they gave users the option of starting their own magazine on the site, to which the user can flip relevant articles into. I started one for Women's Rights thinking it would be just for my own collection of articles. Five days later, it has a over a 1,000 subscribers. Why can't my blog get that many followers? OH WELL.

I usually take ten or so minutes to go through and flip a few articles into the magazine a couple times a day to keep the content new. For 1,000 plus followers, it really is very simple to keep up. Anyway, I finished and got onto google+ and started looking at the new posts. One of my fave Gplussers +Rob Salzman posted an article that caught my eye which I decided to read, thinking it might be relevant to the magazine and I could flip it later.

The article comes from redflagnews.com and can be found at this link The 8 year old girl who didn't make it past her wedding night As a warning, both from the site and myself, this story is pretty graphic and could definitely be triggering for many.

For the sake of summary, here goes. The story is one about an Afghan girl who was sold into marriage at age eight to a prominent male in the village, who is also about 50 years old. One the wedding night, he attempts to have intercourse with the girl but cannot because she is so thin and undeveloped. He then proceeds to use a knife to cut her genitals to make intercourse possible. The child bleeds to death during the night as the family sits unaware in the adjacent room. The story is told by a doctor who knew of the girl and had heard about the incident from a friend to whom the husband had confessed, saying he had a "bad conscience about it."

Though the story is anecdotal and there is no way to confirm it, we all know that these types of atrocities are played out on a daily basis around the globe. On the occasions we do think about them, we might shudder and and pause for a moment, feeling helpless to do anything about it. For the most part we are. Then we move on to our own lives, fears, hopes, frustrations.

However, this story touched me so much deeper than most. I thought of this innocent child and my heart was filled with a deep sorrow. What she must have felt as she lay there dying, how little she might have understood. It broke my heart in compassion, to the point I vowed to perform an offering in her honor this afternoon, which I will. It also put my own issues into perspective.

I thought of all the freedoms that I and my daughter inevitably take for granted as western women. We can never be sold. We can never be forced into marriage. Such an act against a woman here will be met with swift justice. We can live as we please and say what we please with little fear of bodily harm.We can choose our life's course and our husbands. We can choose if we want to be alone. We can have education just as a man.

I am not saying that the fight is over. We will still be faced with some form of discrimination daily as women, but at least we can meet that with our own minds and words, without fear. As western women, we have so many opportunities to live freely, as well as speak out for other women around the world who have no voice. We can create change. And we are lucky enough to be in the company of a good many men whom we know and love, who are just as passionate about women and their freedom as we are. I know because I love one.

In the face of this, I felt rather stupid for letting my mind wander to self critique at spying myself in the mirror. This problem felt as insignificant as a light breeze in comparison to the trials of women around the world. Little girls are left to die in their own blood with no repercussions or second thoughts. What foolishness it seemed to scowl at my body in the mirror then. What luxury to even have a full length mirror, a pet I can afford to breed, a bed to sleep in, and the room I sat in, full of books and well appointed possessions that I can call "mine," and no one elses. What a luxury to even be able to look at this body, and feel dissatisfied  when for many their body is the sole possession of another.

I realized then that a little gratefulness goes a long way. Especially towards oneself. I need to take pride in this body and stop demeaning its value in my mind, when it should be a matter of pride that I even have the opportunity to call it my own. I should be grateful to have the chance to learn and to love, when so many would give the world to be able to live in my shoes for a day, free. I need to realize that the purely random circumstances of my birth have been a blessing to me, simply for being born when and where I was. It's time to be grateful, and let go of the the fear I hold inside that I will be hurt. What a luxury it is even to be able to feel a hurt freely chosen, as opposed to a life lived without the chance to feel free.

In Frith
Cena

Symbols of the Vanir

Hi everyone. While going through some of my old folders I found this list I saved of some symbols of the Vanir. I wanted to share as I know many Vanatru and witches who work with the Vanir, and such a list is handy to have around for both spellwork and meditation, not to mention crafting!

I have absolutely no idea where this list originated, in the folder it was simply the list itself, and I honestly don't remember how or when I saved it. If you know the source, let me know so I can update the post and give credit to the originating source.

Symbols and Meanings for the Vanir

boar - the primary sacred animal of Frey, Freya, and Nerthus.
wain - Frey, Freya, Nerthus, and Holda were all said to have wagons or chariots.
ship - Frey and Njord have ships, and Nehelennia is associated with ships also.
stag/antler - Frey carries an antler, Ullr is associated with hunting, and Herne is antlered.
sunwheel - for the changing of the seasons, and the four primary Vanir (Frey, Freya, Njord, Nerthus)
Ing rune - for Ing-Frey
Jera rune - to symbolize the year and the cycles of growth and harvest
Fehu rune - for prosperity, particularly as given by Frey and Freya
Wunjo rune - for joy, and the fruitfulness and plenty of the Vanir
Uruz rune - for Eir, or Nerthus; healing and strength as given by the Vanir
oak tree/leaf - Several Vanatruar associate Frey with the oak tree.
acorn - The acorn, having a phallic shape, and being a seed, can be seen as a Frey "lingam".
walnuts/other nuts - associated with Frey's fertility.
phallus - Associated with the Frey cult.
seagull, albatross - Njord's sacred birds.
footprint/s - Njord's feet.
cats of all kinds - a sacred animal of Freya.
cow/cattle - a sacred animal of Nerthus.
wheat sheaf - sacred to Frey and Nerthus, and possibly Sif.
fish, dolphins/porpoise - sacred to Njord.
flax - sacred to Holda.
goose - sacred to Holda.
white feather - associated with Holda.
snowflake - for Holda and Skadhi
dog - sacred to Nehelennia.
wolf - associated with Ullr and Skadhi.
bear - some associate the bear with Ullr.
cornucopia - sacred to Nehelennia, and a general Vanic symbol of abundance.
swan - sacred to Njord.
shells - sacred to Njord and possibly Freya (as Mardoll).
bow & arrow - Ullr's weapon of choice.
oath ring - associated with Frey, Njord, and Ullr.
axe - Njord's weapon of choice.
boar helm & shield - symbolic of the Vanir as protective Gods, and worn by tribes dedicated to Ing and Nerthus.
rowan tree - sacred to Sif.
briar-rose - associated with Holda.
corvid - associated with Holda.
skull - associated with Holda (Hel).
apples - sacred to Idunna.
eggs - sacred to Eostre.
hares - sacred to Eostre.
goldenrod - sacred to Sif
various berries, esp. blackberry/elderberry - associated with Holda, and possibly Nerthus.
bees - associated with Frey through Byggvir and Beyla.
snowshoes - worn by Ullr and Skadhi.
yew tree - sacred to Ullr.
mountains - Skadhi's preferred place of residence.
ocean wave - Njord's element.
flame - for Gullveig.
sword - carried by Frey before giving it up to carry an antler.
spear - associated with Gullveig.
wand - for Frey or Gullveig.
pine tree - associated with the Vanir, and shared UPG also connects it with Frey and Ullr
horse - horses were traditionally kept in Frey's honour.
bells - bells were traditionally worn by Frey's priests.
anvil - associated with Wayland Smith.
sickle - associated with Nerthus.
birch - sacred to Nerthus (and possibly Holda).
broom or rake - associated with Holda.
scales - associated with Frodi as Keeper of Time.
hourglass - also associated with Frodi.
sun - for Sunna or Dagr
moon - for Mani or Nott
star - for Nott or Star Mother

In Frith
Cena

Freyja and Falcon Lore

I have always been fascinated by animal symbolism within myth and culture, so at one point early in my path I decided to do some research about the falcon, an animal perhaps more closely associated with Freyja than any other. This is largely in part to her famous falcon cloak, which she uses as a magical tool to travel the worlds.  The connection made me wonder what one might glean about our Goddess Freyja by examining the common myth and history of a bird present within many cultures, both ancient and modern.

All birds, and the falcon especially, are connected with the idea of transcendence. They represent the link between the earth and the sky, which often becomes a metaphor for the mundane world and the spirit realm.  In some cultures this also translates to viewing them as a sort of protective guardian from malevolent spirits.

Probably the earliest recorded and well known association with the falcon comes to us from Egypt, in the deity of Horus, the falcon headed god.  In this culture, Horus was a protective figure, thanks to his defeat of Seth, in which he lost an eye for the price of success. This symbol, the eye of Horus, or the udjat or wadjat eye, is perhaps one of the best know symbols of Ancient Egyptian lore and culture. It’s powers of protection and wisdom are legendary.

Another association with the falcon is that of the messenger. Falconry is an art that has ancient origins within a number of cultures worldwide. Peregrine falcons are the most well-known example, but many varied species of falcon and raptor have been used successfully as messengers as well as hunting companions throughout history.

This also leads to the concept of speed itself, or swiftness. The peregrine falcon in modern times has been clocked at the fastest speed of any bird on earth. It was this swiftness of purpose that helped falcons become a reliable method of distance communication within the cultures which practiced falconry.

Another association of the falcon is its connection to the sun, as well as magic and witchcraft. Circe, the famous Greek goddess/sorceress was daughter to Helios (The Sun) himself. In myth, Circe is a well-known sorceress with a vast knowledge of herbs and pharmacopeia. Her potions give her the ability to transform mortal men into swine, or any other variety of animals.

In medieval Christian texts, the falcon became a symbol of the human soul through its association with the Sun. The falcon was supposedly drawn to the warmth of the Sun, which caused the bird to molt and grow new feathers, thereby being transformed. The falcon here represented the transformation of the soul through its contact with the Divine (God) as the Sun.

Magic can also be associated with the falcon through the figure of Merlin the Magician, whose very name is taken from a species of raptor/falcon.

The falcon has also become a symbol of medieval love and status, due to the use of falcons as hunting birds in medieval cultures. There is much medieval age love poetry which uses the falcon as a symbol of love, the passion of which has always been compared to the sport of the hunt itself. As a status symbol, a falconer’s wealth and status could often be determined simply by the species of falcon he owned and trained as a hunting companion.


These are just a few of the more common associations within many cultures attached to the falcon.

Protection

Transcendence

Spirit travel

Messenger

Speed/Swiftness

Solar connection

Magic and Witchcraft

Wealth

Status

Love (Wooing)



Do you believe these connections are relevant to Freyja? Which ones and why? What can we learn from the Goddess by examining the animals she is so closely associated with?

Plan B and personal autonomy

That's it. There is no argument against this logic. 

Yes this is a pagan blog but I am so mad and I feel I have to purge. I'm sure many of you have been following the approval of Plan B or the morning after pill for over the counter purchase by females 15 and over. When I heard of this approval I was shocked for once, thinking that after years of waiting here was one piece of news I could rejoice in. Until this came out this evening...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/01/plan-b-justice-department-appeal/2128039/

The U.S. Justice Department has appealed the decision of the judge who ordered that the Plan B pill be made available over the counter.

It makes me sick inside. Really Really sick. Not for myself or my daughter. But for the millions of other American women and girls who wont have the opportunity to protect themselves on their own terms from unwanted pregnancy.

It's a non issue for us of course. Over the counter or not, at any age, if my daughter needs this pill in her lifetime she will damn sure get it. The same goes for birth control, condoms, even abortion if it is needed. Even if she is 15 and makes a foolish mistake. I will do whatever is necessary in my life to assure that my daughter's reproductive organs are never under anyone's control but her own. Just like I have done and will continue to do for my self and every other women that I love and cherish.

I'm sick of moral proselytizing on all sides. I'm sick of the debates which never end. The fact of the matter is entirely practical. You have no right on this earth to claim you support gender equality if you do not support complete and total reproductive control for women of any and all ages everywhere. It's that simple. It's called logic.

Every child is not a blessing. Every child is not a gift. Getting pregnant is not magic. God does not come down with his magic wand into your womb and grant life. I'm not an atheist by far, but I do believe in realism. There are children in this world now that should never have been born. Harsh? Yes. Honest? Yes.

If you are a woman reading this, I BEG you, no matter what laws or rules are passed, to be a beacon of personal autonomy for all the young ladies and women you know. Vote these gaping shit holes making these decisions out of office. Tell your girls every chance you get that their body is their own, and if they ever need your helping in protecting that to come to you.

Do not judge them, do not lecture them. Simply open your heart to women in compassion and non judgment. Realize their is no sin too great that it should ever deny a woman's right to control her own body. How she got into the situation is meaningless. Be it by force or total willingness. The equality of women is entirely dependent on her right to personal autonomy. It is a basic human right, for any gender, if equality is the ideal.

For me, it matters little what the law says in this issue. Even of birth control and abortion became illegal, it would make no difference. I would learn other ways to preserve my right and the rights of all women I know.  Even if I had to scour the earth for herbs and lost lore to prevent pregnancy. Even if I had to go to school for twenty years just to become a doctor so I could give women access to abortion in secret, I would. Honestly that is how I feel about it now, and how I have felt about the rights of women since I became self aware.

And it is how I pray other women feel, or might feel in the future.

In Frith
Cena

The fire within...

Image credit to Emily Balivet, check out this original painting available at : http://www.etsy.com/listing/71895349/beltane-reunion-pagan-god-and-goddess

Tonight is Walpurgis Night, and tomorrow is May Day, or Beltane. It's a peculiar energy today, or at least I feel so anyway. Knowing what the coming month or so holds makes it all the more meaningful for me. The end of coursework, beginning of vacation, and visitors from afar are all close on the horizon. It is a summer I have been waiting for. For years honestly.

It is nearing 7 and I already have a small fire in the cauldron, it will burn throughout the night. For now it is but a candle, but later I may get a bit more elaborate. I am very tired so we will see.

Not sure why but for six months or so I haven't done much for the traditional holy days. A prayer or an offering, a votive or two, maybe a bit of charming or divining. I have lost the desire somewhat for the more elaborate rituals I once held for myself. I'm more inclined to meditation that action.

It feels like a hibernation. Yet I wish to do something special tonight. I feel the energy of may day is like an awakening for me this year. I will be honoring myself and the spirit of fire within and without. I've come to realize in past months their is far too much water energy surrounding me. I need more fire and passionate energy to offset my emotions.

I will call on Freyja tonight to help me in this act. It is a night for witches. A night for awakening, burning, and rebirth. Much like the spirit of Gullveig. Burned thrice and reborn anew. Perhaps I shall incorporate this three fold fire into my practice tonight.

May you all be blessed with fire and passion.
In Frith
Cena

Nerthus: Earth and Darkness

I have found myself drawn to the Goddess Nerthus very much since the end of winter. There is so much changing both within and without me at this time I've felt very drained and at times confused but the barrage of new energy. In less than two months I will be facing a journey that will force me to confront the darkest fears I have yet faced. Fears about my very self, my worth, my vulnerability emotionally, in nearly every sense I will be tested. But if I overcome that fear, I will have gained one of my greatest dreams in life.

Nerthus Talisman

Nerthus has seemed very near to me lately, particularly in her darker aspects. I don't mean dark in the sense of evil or negative, but dark in terms of the secrecy, the sacredness, of the cave and the deep deep earth. I feel like a seed buried in the mud, gathering as much energy as I can before my effort begins to push forward into the sunlight. I am reminded that life requires death, and to live I must allow parts of myself to die.

Once upon a time I thought it was my flaws, the things I feared about myself which needed to simple go away. We bury the parts of ourself that shame us, the shadows, without realizing that to deny them only gives them a tighter grip of fear in our mind and spirit. We try to hide these darker shades even from our own mind, yet they eventually consume us. We view these dark parts as evil and run from them.

When  you face the darker side, your shadow self, it is a difficult task. We long for self acceptance, yet are often blinded to the fact that to acquire it requires us to find a purpose and acceptance of those very dark parts we try to deny. Simply discovering what these dark parts of the self are can be difficult. I know its taken me years to come to terms with the mere fact that this dark side of myself even exists. Yet the shadow self is easy enough to find, if one asks themselves a single question.

What thoughts, what urges, what desires have I held inside that I would absolutely never reveal to another person, write down, or dare to speak?

When I think of the shadow self, I think of Nerthus. No one can look upon her, she remains forever veiled, to see her true contenance is a death sentence. Yet even in her darkness, when she is honored, frith and bounty flow from her throughout the land. To me Nerthus represents the shadow self, that which we fear and can not bear to see. Yet if only we accept that darkness with an open heart, without trying to fix it, simply accept it, that is how we honor ourselves.

When I find myself face to face with my shadow and appalled by it, I try now to accept it. To realize that at the core, though I am human, I am still animal. These dark parts of us have purpose. The shadow self provides us with a well of power from which we may draw when we need to fight for survival. It gives us the anger to keep fighting, the bloodlust to protect our young when strangers attack. Even our pain protects us, we could not survive without the awareness that pain brings us of the life which flows through us.

I truly believe that is the first step, to find a positive purpose even in the darkest shades of our minds and feelings. It is a way of embracing the shadow as it longs to be embraced, instead of being feared and reviled. And in this sense, we are embracing ourselves as we embrace the shadow as well as the light. It is much harder to fear what has purpose, what has a reason for being.

It's not about choosing light over dark. Its about choosing the whole over mere fragments. Acceptance of the light and dark as one is true acceptance of the self.

But its never so simple as that is it? Not for me anyway. So for now I continue the journey, knowing at least this time, there is no backing down. I will face these fears very sooner. So for now I simply pray to Nerthus for wisdom, for strength, and for rest until then.

In Frith
Cena

The Cauldron: Tool of the Witch

Do you use a cauldron in your magical practice? I do. I purchased mine a couple years ago, and it is one of my favorite tools to work with, though I haven't used it much recently. I brought it back out today because I've missed it on the altar, and I have been reading a bit about it in a book I own called "Way of the Hedgewitch" by Arin Murphy Hiscock. It's a great read for those interested in hearth based work, and contains alot of information about incorporating the cauldron into a home centered practice. I thought I would share a bit of information, from my own knowledge and the book itself. 

The cauldron is an iconic tool of magic and witchcraft, associated heavily with the witch in both mythology and pop culture. As a pagan symbol, the cauldron is often associated with the feminine, and serves as a representation of the female womb. It's energy is that of fire, creation, fertility, and abundance. It's connection to fire also leads it to be associated with correspondences if the element of fire, such as transformation and purification. It is a common tool of magicians and witches in European and Mediterranean mythological systems. 

In Vanir mythology, the cauldron would likely be most associated with the goddess Nerthus. Many cultures associated the cauldron with the Underworld, perhaps because it shape echoes the cave, often sacred to deep earth bound divinity. Nerthus herself is often associated with the cave, and with the cycles of life and death which are often echoed in the tales of the cauldron. For clarity I would mention that Nerthus has never appeared in any myth with a cauldron, I simply make that inference due to some of the common connections seen between the figure of Nerthus and the mythology of the cauldron. The cauldron can also be associated with Odin and Kvasir, connected to the brewing of the Mead of Poetry and the ideas of wisdom and inspiration.

Cauldron Divinities

• Cerridwen
• Dagda
• Medea
• Bran
• Anwen
• Brigid
• Odin
• Kvasir
• Hecate
• Circe

In The Way of the Hedgewitch, detailed instructions are given for making 

A Cauldron Based Needfire, which can be created even in the smallest of cauldrons (I know from experience)

You will need:

Epsom salts

Rubbing Alcohol

herbs and resins (depending on intent)

measuring cup

long handled match

heatproof trivet or pad

large bowl of sand

cauldron lid

fire extinguisher (safety first!)

1. Measure equal parts salt and alcohol. Add salt to cauldron and then pour alcohol over them. 

2. add herbs and resins if you are using them. Place cauldron on heatproof trivet.

3. Light the match and touch it to the mixture in cauldron. The fire will burn until the alcohol is consumed. (I would add to take care as well, I have used this method many times and the alcohol produces a silent flame that can be nearly invisible.)

The cauldron can be utilized in a wide variety of magical working, with or without the use of flame. Filling the cauldron with water will emphasize its properties of calm, soothing, and generative energy. The fire filled cauldron is used for its energy of transformation and purification. An earth or salt filled cauldron can be a powerful symbol of elemental earth, grounding and fertile. 

The author of the book also includes some cauldron prayers which are designed as meditative tools for various intent. Here are a couple of those.

Cauldron Prayer for Abundance

Blessed cauldron,

I invoke through thee Undry,

The great cauldron of Dagda.

Be for me a source of Abundance,

Nourishing Energy, and Strength.

Cauldron Prayer for Inspiration

Blessed cauldron,

I invoke through thee the cauldron of Odin.

Be for me a source of Inspiration,

that my work at hearth and home may be motivated by

Divine Insight, handled with sensitive perception,

And carried out with Poetry.

The cauldron is a valuable tool for witches and pagans alike who follow Euro based traditions and faiths. It can serve as tool for spellcasting, a vessel for divination, and even a meditative symbol of home and hearth. Do you have your own cauldron? What are your thoughts on it's value?

IN FRITH,

CENA

(Information under bold headings paraphrased from The Way of the Hedgewitch by Erin Murphy Hiscock. You can view or purchase a copy on Amazon from this link:

The Way of the Hedgewitch