November: A quick altar post

I finally set up my altar tonight (after going through a few things and realizing I need to re-season my cauldron as it’s getting rusty). Here are a few pictures.

I currently have my altar set up to 3 saints:

Our Mother of Guadalupe, patroness of health, peace, help, and luck. I am working with her for my health.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, patron of schools, students, theologians. I am working with him to help me receive my acceptance to school (hence the admittance info sitting beside him).

Saint Brigid of Kildare, patroness of hearth, healing, smithery, fires (and about a million other things). I am working with her for the health of my family and friends (anything to prevent H1N1!).

The whole kit and caboodle. It’s not fancy, but it’s mine. I have some stones by Guadalupe corresponding to the areas in which I need healing. I have the admittance info for the school I applied to (and I wrote ACCEPTED as a nice little affirmation) beside Thomas. One of my athames sits by Brigid to direct the healing energy. The candles have been carved and anointed with intention, and correspond to specific colours. I have 2 other candles – one to represent the presence of ‘God/dess’, and an unlit 7 day novena. I also plan to make some prayer beads on my day off for myself to put on my altar for specific prayers.

November: Christopaganism? Really?

I joked with my co-worker Amanda that I was going to stealth-convert everyone at the store.

I really can’t believe there is only 2 months and 2 paths left! I have really learned so much in the last 10 months.

So I am tackling Christopaganism. It’s both easy and difficult. Easy, because I come from a Christian background and I remember a lot of the practice, even though it’s been… 13 years. Hard, because as a pagan, it’s very common to rile against Christianity. It’s hard to reconcile the two, but I know a number of people who do it very well.

I want to tackle it because there are so many issues surrounding this paradoxical pairing. I want to be able to reconcile my past with my present. And I want to be able to understand the mindset of the people that following this path as a life path.

The first thing I am going to do is work with the saints. Most saints are patrons of something – Brigid for fire, hearth, creativity; Our Lady of Guadalupe for health or peace, etc. It’s like looking at deity, but calling it a different name.

October: How I learned prayer/ Final thoughts.

So, I end my foray into Hinduism.

I’d say, in the grand scale of things, I was an okay Hindu. I wasn’t as observant as I could have been, nor was I as discerning as I could have been with my diet (though I did avoid eating beef). I did my meditations and mantras, however, and I learned the real power of prayer.

Prayer and I have rarely been friends. I used to pray a lot when I was a Christian – I always said the Lord’s Prayer and Hail Mary before bedtime. When I got a bit older, into my early teens, I also had conversations with Jesus. It wasn’t even like I thought he was listening back, but I felt comforted by the fact that I felt he was always there. When I started into the path of agnosticism, I stopped praying all together. Consequently, I fell into a deep depression. I don’t blame my depression on my change in path, but I am sure a slight correlation is there.

I rarely have prayed as a pagan, other than in a ritual setting when I feel somewhat comfortable. I haven’t been able to get past my own insecurities, and worrying that I am bothering the deities with my petty requests.

This month, though, was different.

I spent a lot of time praying to Ganesha. He is the remover of obstacles, so I would often pray to him and ask for things. In return, I offered up additional reverence for that evening. After the first time, it was so easy to pray. Even now, as I embark on a different path, I look forward to finding new deities to pray to.

You could almost call me a ‘prayer-o-holic’.

That was my greatest strength as a Hindu – learning how to speak to my Gods conversationally.

I have always been fascinated by Hinduism and India – and having that little taste of it really helped my respect and reverence for the religion. I have a lot of respect for those who can do it wholly, every day. And I carry love in my heart.

October: Hinduism: Interview with Pranada/Diwali

I asked my friend Pranada to help me out with some of the info for Hinduism, at least from her perspective. She’s a follower and devotee of Amma (Mātā Amritanandamayī Devi).

Renee: What exactly is Hinduism? What sect do you practice?

Pranada: You will get a different answer from everyone on this. Hinduism is a name that has been attached to what is more accurately referred to as Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Truth. In general, it affirms that all names and forms of God/Goddess are manifestations of the same One, that we have been born innumerable times and will continue through the cycle of birth and death until we attain full realization that we are not the individual self, but the limitless Whole.
I don’t practice Hinduism per se. I am a devotee of Amma, who does not describe Herself as Hindu either. She says, “My religion is love.” However, certainly She grew up in a Hindu context and the vast majority of Her devotees are Hindu. It is also very much within the Hindu tradition to have a Satguru to guide you to full realization.
It could be argued that I am a Shakta, a devotee of the Goddess. However, I am also somewhat Shaivite, a devotee of the god Shiva.

R:How do the rituals work (if you call them that)?

P: I think it is most accurately called puja. Check this link out for a better description of puja than I can come up with – http://amritapuja.org/what_is_puja.htm
In addition, regular spiritual practices are known as sadhana. Puja may make up part of sadhana, or it may not. My sadhana, when I am sticking to the plan (heh), involves two different meditations and the chanting of the Lalita Sahasranama (1000 names of the goddess Lalita). I do this sitting at my altar, where I light simple oil lamps and incense, and where I have numerous pictures of Amma as well as a Shivalingam (looks a little like this one – http://images.exoticindiaart.com/sculptures/shiva_linga_eh85sm.jpg).

R: Do you face any issues because you are a white practitioner?

P: I haven’t personally faced any discrimination, but some of my friends who are Western devotees of Amma have been made to feel unwelcome at other temples. Another friend of mine who officially converted to Hinduism when she married her Indian husband, years before she met Amma, was barred from a temple that was for Hindus only – they would not accept that she had converted.
It would likely be more difficult if I were practicing Hinduism per se instead of simply following my path with Amma. There are thousands of us Western devotees who come to the programs, who travel to India, who wear saris, dots on the forehead, etc. around Amma. It simply isn’t out of the ordinary in the circles in which I move.

R: Is there any food I should be avoid aside from beef and dairy?

P: The typical Hindu diet is lactovegetarian – in other words, dairy is fine, but eggs aren’t. If you feel the need for meat, then typically that would be chicken, fish or lamb. Definitely not beef, as the cow is revered. Also, some people will avoid onion and garlic.

R: What can you recommend for someone like me to do on Diwali?

P: I don’t actually do much for Diwali myself. At satsangs, we light some extra lights and share some sweets. Whatever you decide to do, think of the external as symbolic of the internal. To worship Ganesha is to invoke the kind, readily-accessible force that clears obstacles. To worship Lakshmi is to invoke the Divine Feminine who showers blessings of abundance. To worship Saraswati is to invoke the Divine Feminine who governs knowledge, speech, language and music. When you light lamps, feel that the light is being lit within as well, clearing away all darkness. If you get some sweets, offer them first to Ganesha, Lakshmi and Saraswati as a symbol of you offering your sweetest, best self to the Divine for His/Her enjoyment and blessing. Then eat them gratefully, mindfully and slowly as though the Divine were feeding you.

R: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions!

***

Tonight is Diwali. I spent last night making homemade apple crisp to give to family and co-workers, and we celebrated by listening to Hindu and Kirtana music all day at work. I came home, made curry and bread pudding, and lit some candles and incense. I said some prayers and mantras to both Ganesha and Lakshmi. I offered apples, sugar, and honey (in following with offering the sweetest parts of myself to the divine).

Here are a few pictures of the altars I chose to light:

My main altar to Lakshmi and Ganesha.

Pets past and present

My air altar

October: Hinduism (or how I stopped worrying and learned to love the Brahma)

Namaste.

This month, I am studying Hinduism, which is a complex and huge religion. There are several different sects of Hinduism, ranging from montheistic to polytheistic. Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include (but are not restricted to), Dharma (ethics/duties), Samsāra (The continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), Karma (action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation from samsara), and the various Yogas (paths or practices).

For rituals, I will be aiming for daily meditation/prayers (mostly to Ganesha “Aum Shri Ganeshaya Namah”, and Lakshmi “Aum Shring Hring Kleeng Mahalakshmi Namah Aum”), daily yoga, and a larger celebration on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights on October 17. Diwali is a celebration of the victory of good over evil and the uplifting of spiritual darkness.

I am waiting to hear back from my friend, and then there will be more.

September: the female Jewitch perspective

My boyfriend recently asked me ‘are you even doing anything for these different months?’

I simply replied ‘yes, but I work when you’re asleep.’

I work my best at night, the later toward midnight, the better.

I think the hardest part of the Jewitch path has been keeping kosher, and the fact that being a Jewitch is so essentially ethnic. It doesn’t have to be, but it definitely is. So many folks that come from ethnically jewish backgrounds often embrace pagan mysteries. Being Jewish is the same as being Inuit – it’s a distinct society, a distinct people.

There isn’t a huge Jewish population in Halifax, and I’ve had a lot of problems getting in contact with the one Rabbi I found listed online. I spent most of my time as a Jewitch reading about being a Jewitch, and saying shabbat prayers. For Rosh Hashanah, I said a few prayers and rang a bell instead of blowing a trumpet. I tried to make peace with decisions I may be judged on, and I tried to live humbly.

In other words, this was the hardest one yet. Mostly because it’s such a small sect of paganism, and the person I had been emailing suddenly dropped off the face of the earth and neglected to email me back. I kinda had to go on feeling and sketchy framework – there is no guidebook. The book I spent my time reading is mostly a collection of interviews from people celebrating mystical Judaism. There were definitely people who identified as pagan, but they didn’t necessarily combine the elements of both Judaism and Paganism.

I am hoping that next month will prove a lot easier. I know that I have someone to help me out who won’t stop answering my emails (and truthfully, I have had a lot issues with people doing this to me throughout the year – they agree to help, and then when the time comes, they neglect to reply. Certainly, there could be underlying situations I am not privy to, but it’s frustrating nonetheless).

Shalom.

September: The Jewitch.

ברוך אתה, האלים של היקום שלנו, אשר הפכו אותנו הקדוש דרך האור שלך ציווה עלינו להדליק את האור בשבת

Above is a prayer in Hebrew, said on the night of the Sabbath by the woman of the house as a blessing. I have modified it slightly to say:

“Blessed are You, our gods of the universe, who made us holy through your light commanded us to kindle the Sabbath light”

How do I explain the Jewitch?

Most Jewitches are ethnically Jewish. A lot of Jewitches are of the Jewish Renewal tradition.

There is a lot of information here.

I am finding it hard to keep kosher. I eat a lot of pork, usually. I have cut out bacon, though, so it’s a start. It’s a lot easier to find halal stuff in Halifax than kosher, but it’s pretty much the same standards.

I do work Saturdays, so it kinda screws up my Shabbat. I am trying to focus on Friday nights, so I can at least TRY to be a good Jew for a few hours.

I am waiting to hear back from a lady who is a practicing Jewish Renewal/Alexandrian Wiccan. I asked her a few questions about the high holy days coming up and how I should celebrate. I hope to hear from her soon.

August: Wrapping up

If there is one things that Kemetic Orthodoxy has in common with Asatru – it takes time and effort and dedication.

My Apep is still following me, even now. It’s finally gotten to something that I will have to go to the doctor to take care of.

I am certain I will come back to this – it was an interesting path to follow, if a bit fussy for me. Working so hard to please a God reminds me so much of Christianity.

August: Smiting my Apep

I am a bad, bad, bad blogger.

So let me fill you in on what I’ve been doing.

I have set up a shine to Anubis. You know, the jackal-headed god of the dead? He also came to be identified as the Greek god Hermes, becoming Hermanubis during the Ptolemic period.

This guy:

Anubis and I have always been close. He’s helped me shed a lot of my skin and I often pray to him when there is a death in the family to ask him to lead them safely to the underworld and care for them. I can often feel his presence right before I get the phone call, telling me someone is on the brink of dying, or someone has died. The other night, I was burning incense and candle on my shine to Him, and just as the phone rang, the candle suddenly went out. My mother was calling to tell me my great-uncle has Leukemia and has about 2 weeks to live. After the call, I relit the candle and asked him to watch over him and have Ma’at judge him accordingly.

I feel it fitting that he is the one I turn to to smite my apep.

My current apep is my health. It has not been 100% these last few weeks, and I would like it to be better. I have been working with Anubis, asking him to help me shed the sickness like mummy’s wraps. I’ve been doing what I can to make it better, and I have a doctor’s appointment to help figure out what is wrong.

August: Egyptian Paganism and Wep Ronpet

Egyptian Paganism is a faith that is rooted in traditional African spirituality – meaning, a lot of rituals and living a specific way to honour the divine.

Some interesting terms:
Netjer : the concept of God
Ma’at : justice, balance, harmony, creation – also, a goddess of the same.
Isfet: the opposite of ma’at – imbalance, destructiveness, uncreation. It is symbolized by a serpent named Apep.
Names of Netjer (or Netjeru): the gods and goddesses

The most interesting thing is that the holiday is at the first of the month. Wep Ronpet is the Egyptian new year. It is 7 days of celebration.
The layout of days is as follows:
Day 1: Last day of the year
Day 2: Osirus’ birthday
Day 3: Horus’s birthday
Day 4: Set’s birthday
Day 5: Isis’ birthday
Day 6: Nephthys’ birthday
Day 7: Wep Ronpet (New Year!)

The middle 5 days are the interesting ones – they are, as the Egyptians believed, the ones that made up the 5 of the 365 days. Apparently, weird things happen more often on these days than any other day.

It is customary to light some candles and pray to each Netjeru on their day. On the final day, you light a candle and make goals and wishes, like any other new year celebration. There is also a theme of shedding the old, getting rid of bad habits, and giving gifts.

Today is the last day of the year. Fitting, as I am sick. Sick with the old. Hopefully, I will shed this sickness as I move into tomorrow to honour Osirus. This sickness is my apep of the day.