From time to time the topic of Pagans and Sacrifice comes up in various forums online. Unfortunately, the majority of people (including pagans) who talk about Sacrifice don’t seem to understand about sacrifice. Most think of sacrifice (in the connotation of Pagan religions) as dealing with human sacrifice or animal sacrifice. While those are ancient practices and valid forms of sacrifice, they are not all that is.

First we need to understand the definition of sacrifice. Sacrifice means simply “to make sacred”. It is from the Latin root and in modern times it is defined as giving up something of value to gain something you wish.

Pretty cut and dried, but when it is translated into Pagan Religion, all anyone can see is things like the Wicker Men of legend, bog drownings, burning bodies and cattle dropping dead.

Because of this persistent vision of what sacrifice is, the act of sacrificing something to the Gods has a VERY bad reputation.

But let’s think about this for a few moments. Sacrifice does not have to be bad, since it’s done all the time by most Pagans.

Ever think of the act of consecration? Cleansing it and going over it with the salted water and so on or whatever ritual you do to make that item sacred sacrifices it to the Gods. You just gave something to Them. Granted you still get to USE it in your rituals, but taking that special goblet that your grandparents drank their wedding toast out of and consecrating it to use in ritual has taken it from the realm of the mundane and special into the realm of the sacred. So that sacrifices it.

You have, in effect, given it to the Gods.

You can do this with any object; a knife, a harp, a person, a steer, a mouse, an owl, a candle, a poppet, a stuffed animal or anything else. Heck, you can even take food, already prepared and cooked food and sacrifice it to the Gods.

Time is another sacrificial object. Most people don’t realize that it can be sacrificed until someone points it out to them blatantly like this, but time, effort and energy can all be sacrificed. It takes time to do something, to make something, to create something of your own. That is a sacrificial act. Creating candles and dedicating them to the Gods is sacrificing them to those Gods, even if you go out and use them to burn on the altar or to light up the chapel or circle.

Creating a poem is a sacrifice. I wrote an article on Lugh and on Tailtu at one point and sacrificed them to them during a ritual to get a new job. It’s perfectly valid to do so and a good and original sacrifice as well. It represented my willingness to sacrifice something that I spent time creating for Them.

In my opinion these original sacrifices are worth more than all the gold and food in the world. They show that one was thinking and that you actually took the tastes of the deity you are sacrificing to into consideration. If it were up to me, I would be more inclined to look favorably upon someone who was sacrificing something that was original than something that everyone gave.

In some cultures and deity sets, the more valuable a sacrifice is to the giver, the more acceptable it is to the Gods in question. One story I remember hearing as I grew up is of a ritual where the Gods would bless this town with health, wealth and prosperity if a sacrifice made to them was valuable enough. The Gods favor would be shown by the bell in the main cathedral ringing with no hand touching it. There had been ten years straight of famine so it was very important that this ritual come about and please the Gods. So the entire town gathered to make their sacrifices to the Gods, and as time passed things became more and more worrisome. Hundreds of people paraded past the altar and made their sacrifice with no result. From the poor to the rich, each gave what they considered to be a proper sacrifice to the Gods, but nothing happened. Finally the King himself knelt before the altar and placed his crown on the altar, sacrificing it to the Gods. Still no bells. The people were crushingly depressed. Finally, the last person to make an offering was this little beggar boy. He approached the altar with a silver coin he had begged from passers by. With this coin he could eat for a month. He placed it on the altar and when he moved away, the bells rang out for hours. The Gods were pleased with the monumental size of the sacrifice the beggar gave.

The beggar boy had given his entire worldly goods and in the process directly harmed himself to please the Gods, so his town could prosper. It showed a willingness to give that is the core of sacrifice.

The ritual of Cakes and Ale is a sacrificial ritual. Yes, it is also a ritual of Thanksgiving, one of sharing the bounty of the Earth with the Gods, but it is a Sacrificial rite.

Most people have this idea that sacrifice has to involve a living thing. But what about burning herbs in honor of the Gods? Is that a sacrifice? I say it is.

You worked to find those herbs. You dried them, and now you are giving them to the Gods in a ritual of honor. It takes energy and time to do all that, plus the herb you grew/found is now not usable by you for any reason. It is therefore a sacrifice. It may look like it is not since the Gods grew the plant and all you did was harvest it, but you fussed over it too. Even if you wild-crafted the herb (meaning you went and searched for it in the wild), you still had to do the work to find the herb if nothing else.

This point I have spent many hours in debate with the Gods about. It basically comes down to this; if you feel the Gods would enjoy something, if it is something you enjoy or that is valuable to you, then sacrifice it to Them.

I didn’t believe this, so I tried it once. I baked a loaf of bread for the Dagda for a spell I needed to come to pass. He loves bread and porridge, and I thought it was appropriate since it was something that looked to me as though it would be of little importance. I mean, bread is bread.

My wife and I made a big deal of it, grinding the meal (we added oats to the bread), pounding and rolling it out, braiding it and putting it in the oven. And I offered it to Him. He was very pleased and even more so when I gave it all to the Birds who would be hungry for it. But it was such a little thing and it gave so much joy to many people around us. And the Gods were pleased.

Which brings up the point of what about the Voodoo custom of bringing cakes and alcohol to celebrations and giving them to the spirits? Well, understand that I’m not a practitioner of Voodoo, but I have learned (despite everything) from some of the specials on voodoo on channels like Discovery. What I remember one mambo saying about that was that the loa eat the spirit or the essence of the food offerings, leaving the physical behind. It is only natural at that point for the celebrants to have that to share in the bounty with the loa. It’s like a partnership where one animal eats only the forequarters, and another eats only the hindquarters. It makes sense for them to hunt together at that point so there is no waste.

Now, what I have talked about are the other forms of sacrifice. Your time, your energy, items you made, your attention, spells, poems, service and so on can all be sacrificed to the Gods. Let’s grasp the nettle here and talk about Human, Animal and Blood sacrifice.

Any discussion of these three topics needs to start with the disclaimer of these are special case sacrifices, and the people participating in them HAVE to know what they are doing. Those who have no clue are letting themselves in for a world of hurt and are going to spoil what is a sacred rite.

Here’s the point of these sacrifices; there should be no pain. The goal of these sacrifices is the energy bleed off.

When a life ends, there is a rush of energy that is released by that death. This is true for ANY living thing, plant, animal, human or whatever. It happens when a bacteria dies (but it’s so miniscule that most people don’t sense it). This life energy is exactly like the “Force” of Star Wars fame, and it can be channeled into the same purposes. That energy is simply lost when something dies, but those that know what they are doing can gather that energy and force it into spells or into other uses to boost it. BUT pain and anger and hatred and fear “taints” that energy. Just like using a paint stick that has mixed red paint to mix white paint without cleaning it first will result in a bucket full of pink paint, so too will fear and anger make this energy useless.

Blood sacrifice is exactly that, spilling your blood and offering that to the Gods. For some there is a mystic use for blood. Like Lugh (the Celtic God) had to store his spear (which had a flaming head) in a bucket of puppy blood to keep it from burning down everything from an unquenchable fire. For others, there is no greater essence of life than blood. Plus, it is nutritional all on it’s own. You can eat blood and live off it. Granted it’s very hard to do so and you will get sick, but what do you think Blood Sausage is? It’s mostly cooked blood.

But those that have been analyzing the attraction of Vampires have done a better job than I could do in telling you about the mystic use of blood. It is a primordial substance and an essential one. Because of CENTURIES of association with life, spilling blood voluntarily becomes a huge sacrifice for others.

Now, I’m not saying that every deity out there will enjoy a sacrifice of blood. Far from that, most will be repelled. However, there are some that do demand blood sacrifice and have demanded it in the past, therefore sacrificing blood to them will help your cause with that deity. Should you do this lightly? Not at all. It should be done only when there is little else that can be done and when there is great need.

Are there other solutions besides just letting it drip out of your hand/arm? Certainly. One of the most original blood sacrifices is dealt with in this article.

As to animal sacrifice. This one is a lot more problematic. There are traditions out there who practice it currently as part of their holy rites. There are some versions of Santeria, Voodoo and some pagan beliefs that do so as well. In EVERY case, the animal is treated with respect and honor. It is fed the best of the best, it is praised and sung to and the death it experiences is quick and painless. Great care is taken to ensure that the animal does not suffer during the actual sacrificial process. For the object of the sacrifice to suffer and to have a torturous experience is a terrible omen and will destroy the sanctity of the rite like nothing else will.

This is not about pain. This is about an offering to the Gods. The best animal in the herd is offered to the Gods, the energy is taken to fuel the ritual or spell the animal was sacrificed for, the soul of that animal is sent to the Gods for THEIR feast, and the flesh of that animal is eaten in a mirror feast among the practitioners. It’s not discarded or thrown into the ditch as some believe (that is an act of sacrilege and wasteful. Why praise and take care of the animal, thanking it for sacrificing itself and then throw it aside casually like day old bread?) but it is eaten and partaken of in a sacred rite. It also occurs to me that this act can have the same effect as other eating rituals.  Eating the heart of a deer one has hunted and killed ritualistically takes the power of the deer into oneself.  Ritually eating the body of a sacrificed animal takes the purity and those blessings of the Gods into oneself.

Human sacrifice is a different order of magnitude. Let me state that this is NOT practiced by any sect or religion that I know of currently. It may be done illegally, but if it is, the participants would be charged with murder under most laws of Western Nations. However, it was a valid form of worship back in the day.

Basically it’s the same as animal sacrifice with two differences: The first was that the sacrifice went to plead the case of those committing the sacrifice directly to the Gods themselves and second, the flesh was (normally) not eaten afterward. I say “normally” because some cannibal tribes probably did eat it.

Once again the sacrifice themselves was the best of the best, someone who was pampered and praised and made to feel special, then they were killed in a ritual that did the least amount of pain to them. When the soul got to the afterlife, they were normally under orders by the priests to plead whatever case they had to the Gods directly. This showed the Gods that the situation was very serious and that immediate help was needed. I mean, if you are willing to give up your life to talk to the Gods about a problem the tribe is having….

One special note on Human sacrifice; the people who were the sacrifices were volunteers. It may have been a case of “I can sacrifice you in a ritual, or we can starve/torture you to death, but either way you are going to die” kind of a choice, but they could trade a potentially painful death for one that would allow you to die at peace. But they were volunteers.

There are some who may still practice this, but it is not a matter of someone else doing it to them, but more along the lines of self-sacrifice in the form of suicide. Groups like the Heaven’s Gate cult can be seen as practicing self-sacrifice to bring about a specific end. It is simultaneously a form of protest and channeling their lives into a greater goal. Buddhists used to do this all the time.

Some notes on sacrifice: There are those who believe that sacrifice, especially willing human sacrifice, has the power to change the world. Not the extreme cults either, but Judeo-Christianity believes this. Let’s look at the biggest sacrifice in history, Jesus’ crucifixion. According to the belief of the followers of Christ, his sacrifice saved the entire world, past, present and future from the fires of Hell so long as they believe that he sacrificed himself for their sins. And that is a hugely powerful magickal act.

Scapegoating has been known for centuries by many peoples. It is basically a cleansing ritual in which the purest animal in the village is ritually “loaded down” with all the evilness, pettiness and sins of the people of the village, then it’s sacrificed to the Gods. That takes all the sins of that village to the Gods and the people are clean again. This allows for closure on many things that could fester and get worse and worse over time for those people.

And if you look at it, the sacrifice of Jesus was just another form of scapegoating. Ritually cleansing the whole planet so long as they buy into the ritual in the first place.

Now, all that said, I know of very few groups who still practice Blood or Animal sacrifice and I know of no groups who actively practice Human sacrifice. But this is not to say that those who do are wrong. It is saying that their practices are not my practices and may not be YOUR practices. It makes them different, not wrong.

If you think of it, there are mainstream practices of Animal sacrifice all the time. Kosher law (in which the blood is removed and the rabbi checks to make sure the animal is clean) is a sacrifice of a kind, and saying prayers before dining CERTAINLY is an animal sacrifice. In case you don’t get it, the animal is killed and made into hamburger patties. Then you bless and thank the animal for sharing its body with you. That is one definition of a sacrifice, since the food is now blessed and sacred. This happens every day. So don’t jump to conclusions too quickly about the need or evils of sacrifice. And this holds true for any meal you eat, it was a living thing that has given its life for you and you have thanked it, therefore it is now a sacrifice.

I mean, if you base an entire religion around a human sacrifice, it can’t be THAT bad, can it?

Let me add a personal observation here.  Sacrifice is not bad.  It simply is.  Animal sacrifice may not have any place in Wiccan practices, but that does not mean it is not a valid form of worship for others.  Human sacrifice isn’t bad either, so long as it is not done casually and care is taken for the person to be sacrificed, but unfortunately most law enforcement agencies aren’t going to see it that way.  Thankfully this is not that big of a problem, no matter what the fanatics try to convince you of otherwise.

Update March 3, 2006

I was contacted by a lady who read this article and had some things to add to it.  I’ll share her comments with you here:

By Cassi Dixon

Thoughts on Sacrifice, in specific animal sacrifice:

Animal sacrifice in which the animal is eaten afterwards also serves the purpose of connecting the participants with the cycle of life/death.  In industrial society most people get their meat prepackaged and are very removed from the actual process of animal husbandry and slaughter.  There’s little relationship between the cellophane wrapped bundles in the store and the animal that gave up its life to bring you dinner.  Most people have no idea of their place in the lifecycle because they have no relationship to their food.

You cannot have an functional acknowledgment of the cyclic nature of life without seeing yourself in that lifecycle.  Animal sacrifice serves to drive home “something dies, you eat – you die, something else eats”.  This of course has even broader implications for most practitioners of Pagan religions because our gods are not only gods of life, but gods of death as well.  In many cases our gods have even died in order to keep the lifecycle moving.  Bringing our awareness to our place in the divine order brings us into unity with the Divine itself.  Sacrifice not only makes the food sacred and consecrated to the Gods, it makes the person who consumes the food sacred as well.

You can do this of course with plant products, but most people are not capable of easily making the leap that plants are also alive until we kill them for food.  Many sacred stories and practices were created in the past to try to illustrate the point to us, the God of the grain dies at harvest time and is consumed by the followers in a ritual manner, but even in modern day Paganism such practices and stories are rarely observed.

Sounds good to me.  I wish I had thought of this.

Originally posted 2009-12-24 03:02:58.

AE: this is the abreveiation for “American Eclectic” in which elements of many different traditions are taken and mixed to form a new kind of spirituality, while respecting the cultures those elements were taken from. Has a strong sense of history and a seeking of continuity. See this article for an excellent discussion of the various flavors of Wicca.

BTW: this is the “short term” for British Traditional Wicca. Normally this is typified by Gardnerian and Alexandrian, but it can be any group that is a lineaged mystery tradition. See this article for an excellent discussion of the various flavors of Wicca.

Emo (an abbreviation of “emotional”) is a term now broadly used to describe almost any form of guitar-driven alternative rock that expresses emotions beyond traditional punk’s limited emotional palette of alienation and rage. It is also used to describe fans of this genre, most commonly teenagers. (e.g., emo kid). The actual term “emo” originated in the mid-1980s D.C. scene, with the band Rites of Spring. The term addressed both the way the band connected with its audience, as well as its tendency to deal more with topics of personal and relationship politics than with the standard themes of rock music.

Evoke: To ask a being/emotion or other noun to mainfest outside of ourselves to be with us, as another person would be. To evoke an emotion is to bring that emotion forth. To cause to occur.

Fluffy Bunny: A full explanation of this condition would take too long. A short definition is one who insisits that their view of Wicca or Paganism is the correct one, despite reams of evidence being presented to the contrary. A person who is willfully ignorant. For further explanations, see What Makes a Fluffy Bunny and Standard Fluffy Statements

Godiots: Defined as a God Idiot or a God Zealot. Basically a Fundamental Religious person who makes it their business to shove their beliefs in everyone else’s faces. Most notably refers to Christian Zealots, but can and does apply to Pagan, Muslims and other religious practices.

Invoke: To invoke something is to bring that something to being inside ourselves. To invoke a deity to to ask that deity to manifest within us and within our lives, as reflected by ourselves. It is literally to bring something from outside ourselves within, to invite it in.

Karma: Religious doctrine that each rebirth in the cycle of lives is based on the sum of the merit accumulated by an individual during his previous lives. Karma establishes the general tendency of a life but does not determine specific actions. In each life, the interaction between individual character and previously established karma forms the karma of succeeding lives.

Polyamory: participation in multiple and simultaneous loving or sexual relationships DOES NOT IMPLY PROMISCUITY.

Sheeple: People sheep. A person who just follows the crowd with whatever they are told, who never questions or wonders or tries. They simply do what they are told to do like good little sheep.

Spitball or Spitballing: to toss ideas around with no expectation of them coming to pass, to brainstorm.

Straw Man: A straw man or man of straw is a dummy in the shape of a human created by stuffing straw into clothes. Straw men are used as scarecrows, combat-training targets, effigies to be burned, and as rodeo dummies to distract bulls. In otherwords, a disposable target. In the context of an argument, it is a distraction, a target presented to sidetrack the discussion from one area onto it with the purpose of derailing the discussion/debate/argument. A target intended to be destroyed.

Vanity Search: A Websearch where you enter your name, handle, or website, to see who mentions or links to you. Normally used as an ego boost.

Wictim: A Wiccan Victim or one who believes that you are persecuting them right now. Generally a trait of the Fluffy Bunny.

Yahoogroup: A group run and hosted by Yahoo! Groups which is based on the email list format. Emailing an address as a member will post that email to the entire group, as well as all responses. MajorDomo is a form of this, but it is a bit more clunky to use.

Originally posted 2005-05-31 10:37:59.

When the discussion topic of “can I charge for the reading I did” comes up in most forums, it really turns into a free for all fight. There are the proponents of “yes you may” and the opponents who say “no you may not”. I can see both sides of this discussion and I offer my own humble thoughts here.

First, the side that opposes payment.

Most often they point out that you are using a gift from the deities and that, as such, you will “contaminate” it by having money change hands for using it. They point out that since the future is always in flux and you could be wrong, that it is impossible to guarantee that you are accurate or that what you state will happen. They also (if they know their craft history) might point to the “ardanes” and show that Gardner didn’t want the Arte being sold, meaning that by his rules that one could not take money in exchange for the casting of a spell. They also point out that it’s traditional.

Next the side that proposes payment.

The proponents will point out that it’s only fair to exchange money for the work of readings or spells. I mean, they worked for the money; therefore it’s an energy exchange, them giving their energy (money) for yours (spell). That in those who have used their spells or their readings to make a living, that it didn’t corrupt them or make them less of a priest or priestess. There are assertions that you can exchange service for service, mowing a lawn, cooking a meal or what have you.

My opinion?

I will accept money for my service. I may not do it for religious services, like a Handfasting or a Wiccaning, definitely not for a Sabbat or Esbat, but I will take money for a Tarot reading (as shown by the ads I have for just that service). My reasoning is simple.

One goes to a lawyer to have legal documents drafted. It is his skills that create a binding legal document that says what you want done after you die, or that you have now set up a trust fund and so on. You pay him. You go to a doctor for medical treatment. You give your money to him, he gives you medicine and he tells you if you need to lose weight. You take your car to a mechanic. You give them money, they repair your car and give it back to you. You buy food from the grocer who takes your money and gives it to a farmer who gives him the fruits of his land, which the grocer gives to you so you may eat.

Where is it mandated that these professions must give away their skills or their knowledge or their components? Why should the doctor fix you for free? Should the mechanic expend several hours of work on your car and use many, many parts to correct a problem in your car for free?

It would be nice to have a communistic society where that happened, but it’s not reasonable. Greed and sloth, many human failings as well as the need to acquire all conspire to make most communistic groups fall apart fairly quickly. But this is neither here nor there.

Selling professional skills is a normal part of society. An author would count it theft if you took their words and republished them without his permission and without royalties being paid to him, after all, he wrote those words. The Music Industry has a long history of going after people who take their work and who don’t pay for it. So why should I, as a Tarot reader, be expected to give away MY professional skill?

It is a skill. I may have a talent for reading the cards, but there still has to be a connection to the Universe, an intuitive link, that will help me interpret the card correctly when they come up in a reading. I also must study and learn not only surface meaning of cards, but their deeper symbolism, expending my time and energy, something of value to me at least. I have to be aware of the cards, I have to be aware of the client, I have to be aware of the connection to everything, and I have to know when to depart from the “book standard” reading. I also have to supply my cards, replace those cards when necessary and invest in books to give nuances in meaning and so on. This is a pursuit that could take quite some time and significant amounts of energy and money.

Shouldn’t I be reimbursed for all that?

Gypsies certainly were. They would refuse to do a spell or a Tarot reading without an exchange of money first. Temples did this also. There were some temples in the past that would do oracular readings for money (or other service) for the clients. The Witches of the past did this too, taking their “payment” in many forms, just one of them being cash.

It is true that in a village, one can do a reading for someone in need and let the community take care of you in exchange, that the reading would be your contribution to the whole. I can see this happening in a coven situation where there are only a few members and each of them contributes to the health and welfare of the whole. I can see the one who is talented with the Tarot cards giving readings to the rest of the members of the coven, just as the High Priestess gives her home for the Covenstead, the High Priest supplies the candles and other alter items, the Maiden prepares the feast for everyone. I can see that and understand it totally.

I can also see in the “brotherhood of card readers” one that is skilled at doing readings being generous and allowing another who has a similar set of skills to do a reading for them. I exchange my Tarot readings for a rune reading or a dowsing. That is an equal exchange of effort and energy.

Those special cases are fine, but to believe that because I am Wiccan I must give my skills (which have taken me a lifetime to learn) to whoever asks, for nothing more than a smile, is asking me to bastardize my skills as nothing more than a sideshow trick.

Part of human nature is to value little what comes for no cost. The car that Mommy and Daddy gave to their child has little intrinsic value to a teen; therefore it is of no consequence when it is wrecked. But the car you bought for yourself is taken care of, it is pampered, it is treated like it was a one of a kind vehicle. Because YOU paid for it. It was your talents, your skills and labor that gained you the money to purchase that vehicle and therefore you prize it. That is the way it should be.

A reading or a spell is one of the most personal things one can do. A spell to protect, a spell to bring revenge, a spell to help someone over come an inhibition are all very personal and the person requesting them MUST hold them in value, pamper them and so on. But more often than not, if the spell is cast for free without the expectation of return, then they will go “Oh, pretty lights” and do nothing more with it, negating the spell in its entirety and thus “discovering” that magick is nothing more than mystic passes with the hand and chanted phrases.

But if you ask money for it, then they pay attention. They have ritually infused themselves into the spell or the reading. They have taken their labor and their effort, their sweat and blood, made physical by the money, and they are now completely and totally tied into that reading. They pay attention to each word, each hesitation and they hold onto that reading. They invest their soul and their energy into the spell, and by god they want it to WORK, therefore they believe in it. After all, they gave MONEY for that, they can’t buy that carton of cigarettes or that tank of gas. That’s a valuable reading now.

Because of this personality infusion in the process, because of this energy exchange, I believe that more people should charge for readings and spells. That any time a Tarot card is turned or a prophesy is spoken or that a stick of incense is lit, there should be an energy exchange of SOME sort, be it in labor, food, or cash.

If Priests, Monks and ministers in the churches (including Buddhist and Hindu) are willing to take money for prayer (through the medium of tithing or donations, which pay for their upkeep), then why can’t we for the same reason? It doesn’t make sense.

Oh, you can say that it cheapens the gift that by charging and that the person will feel ripped off. To that I say the only person who can cheapen it is the person who refused the money. When you are giving it away, you are inclined to do less than you may normally do, simply because you are getting no reward. So, asking for and receiving money is a way to make you work harder to give good value to others.

I know when I started Tarot readings, I gave them away. I did readings and I didn’t take any money. It was easy for me and my talents to do so. I did the minimum I could to answer the question, never really delving into the problem the person came to me with. And I did regret it.

When I started taking money, I knew the value of a dollar. I know what *I* would expect were it me paying for the reading, and I make sure I give value for that money. One reading I do costs $90 and takes about an hour. I had one lady purchase one from me, and I didn’t feel that I had given her full value for her money since one HUGE question went unanswered in my mind. So I did another reading for her while she sat there, answered that question and did some more explaining. That I felt was good value and I performed to my best. She commented later that she was satisfied with the first reading, and that the rest was icing on the cake, unnecessary but really good.

This philosophy can be applied to any discipline, not just to Tarot or divination or even spells. It can be applied to writing, singing, playing an instrument, teaching, computer work, secretarial work or anything. ANY professional skill and manual skills can be seen in this light. Paying for something makes it valuable, if SOLELY for the fact that one has given money for it. That is the textbook definition of value. That which has value is treated differently and is treasured. That which is free is treated as less and with no value, thus is treated with contempt.

I know that when I get done with a reading, I feel a sense of satisfaction in the reading, that I did my best. I want the other person to value that reading as well since I worked my backside off. To see my effort and energy treated with contempt makes me mad. To see them take what I have said to heart and believe it, to see them put what I advised into practice, well, it makes me very proud.

And if I have to take a few shekels or tuppence for that, so be it. I’ll take it gladly and use that money without shame.

Originally posted 2009-11-11 22:21:07.

The Witches’ Almanac LTD., 2010 $11.95 US
ISBN 978-0-9824323-0-3

Review by Daven

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

I honestly thought this was a mistake when it was sent to me. I hadn’t requested this book, and I tend to avoid reviewing things like calendars and date books, since their usefulness is very limited. But I am glad to have the opportunity to review this book.

Like all almanacs that I have ever seen, this has a calendar in it. It has articles and also information on planting cycles. The required articles and mentions of astrology are also present. But as the title implies, this also is a book packed with information for Witches.

No, there are no recipes for making your own wormwood flying ointment, but there is an article on the use of Cauldrons in Celtic Myth. There is an article on the Mexican Day of the Dead. The Holidays for most Pagans are listed in the calendar accurately. There are moon phases in the calendar as well.

One thing that I noticed for this book, and it is the first time I have seen it, is that the calendar, instead of being broken down into January, February and such months on the Gregorian calendar, is instead broken into Zodiac Signs. So the “year” of the calendar starts with Capricorn, and then goes to Aquarius and on until the entire cycle has been covered, and then it continues for three more signs to give you time to pick up a new copy to continue the cycle.

There are full length articles in the front and back of this book, and there are little snippets of articles on the pages facing the month that you are dealing with. A glance at the calendar is enough to show you what the moon phase is, as it is printed graphically on the days it occurs. I was a bit confused by the days having the signs of the zodiac on them until I read the planting suggestions that are just before the section of the calendars. There it tells me that the zodiac names are qualities in effect as the Moon moves through the houses, and what you should be planting on those days.

ON the calendar pages are little snippets of information on the zodialogical attachment to what stone or metal. They call come from the “ABC of Magic Charms” and I’d bet you that it is another book published by this publisher.

I have to say that like most almanacs that I have read, I like this a lot. There is useful information in there instead of the information that I have to ignore because it’s not for me, like the times of tides and so on. The articles are informative (if in some cases short), but I did find myself reading those articles and learning something from them each time.

All in all, I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars. The reason it’s not higher is the limited usefulness that it will have after the Spring of 2012. But don’t let that stop you if you find a copy in a used book store, the facts contained in these articles won’t change, and it can be used for reference later.

Who knows, maybe next year’s edition will have the date of the End of the Fifth world in it.

Originally posted 2010-11-13 20:51:08.

(Note from Daven:  Some might question the necessity of this piece of information here, but I think it’s necessary.  So long as we are living in the United States, it behooves us, as Wiccans and Pagans, to take a hard look at those in power and in charge of our government and look at the weapons that we can use and what can be used against us.  Even if you live in another country, you may want to think about the points raised here.)

Magick and the Second Amendment

Yael Dragwyla
More from this author:  http://www.livejournal.com/users/polaris93/
http://www.greyarchive.com “Yael’s Page”
email: polaris93@aol.com

The “anti-witchcraft” pogroms of many times and cultures have in some sense been the esoteric equivalents of the current “anti-gun” and “anti-self-defense” movements now in full cry in the USA. Or perhaps it is more accurate that the “anti-gun” movement in this country at this time is a secular analogue of all “anti-witchcraft” movements, and that both are just different expressions in different times and places of “anti-self-defense movements” and laws and official penalties of all kinds the intent of which is to restrict, hinder, even ban outright any and all forms of self-defense, especially citizen self-defense against oppressions visited upon them by state, religious, or other authority. Magick is just a generalized form of engineering and technology that includes biophysical — psychic and telekinetic — applications as well as strictly physical ones, and can be used to produce very effective methods of self-defense against any and all comers. Aleister Crowley was just the Ned Buntline or the Winchester of esoteric Art and Science; Anton Szandor LaVey is their Gatling — or maybe their J. Robert Oppenheimer or Leo Szilard or Enrico Fermi. Whosoever is truly serious about banning Magick — or any of the other disciplines upon which it dependent for its theory and techniques, such as astrology or Alchemy — is therefore just another manifestation of the same spirit that would cripple or destroy the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

This Amendment was put in place so that the people would be able to guard the other rights guaranteed them by the Bill of Rights, especially those covered by the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It is only by exercise of the First Amendment that men’s souls are kept alive. If a man’s* soul is dead, not all the guns in the world will give him the Will to take charge of his life or act of his own initiative, for his own reasons, in his own behalf or those he loves. And if his soul and Will are dead, Magick is impossible for him — for Magick is the Art and Science of causing change in conformity with Will, and is only possible for live-souled men with healthy hearts and Wills. The First Amendment is to esoteric engineering and technology — Magick — what the Second is to physical engineering and technology: an end-product of weapons technology by which men are capable of defending themselves, their loved ones, and all else they hold dear — especially their liberty, their right and ability to determine their own destinies, free of interference by tyranny of any sort. The right to Magick springs from the same roots that the right to possession and responsible use of physical weapons of all kinds does: the love of liberty and the determination to defend it from any and all would-be tyrants and oppressors, whatever it may take, whatever does the job best. Pagans, NeoPagans, and occultists of all kinds therefore are on the same side of the political fence as those dedicated to defending and preserving the Second Amendment, whether either realizes it or not: for all of them are dedicated to preservation, study, development, and application of technologies which can enable _anyone_, of any age or gender or ethnic background, to defend him- or herself against oppressors of any kind. I therefore think we’d better hang together, gang, whether we are “evil sorcerous nigger-lovin’ queerboy Jewboy nerd wimp bra-burnin’” occultists/Pagans/NeoPagans/etc and/or “religious right-wing Fundamentalist gun-nuts” promoting the Second Amendment — because otherwise, one of these days the Conspiracy is gonna hang us all separately (assuming that they don’t just do a mass barbecue trip on us, instead, or blow us to smithereens with a pocket nuke that CNN then tells everyone was a “fertilizer bomb” . . .).

____________________________________________________________________

*_Nota bene_: “Man” here is meant generically, the same word used in German to mean “one,” “any designated sentient individual of either sex and any age,” etc., rather than “adult male human being.”

Originally posted 2009-11-14 22:16:27.

A conversation that happened years ago, that I thought was funny as hell, and still think is great:

Parts of the conversation sorted by color….

By the way, do you even know what the Nine sacred woods are? No fair peeking.

Oh, wait, I know this one…

1. Morning wood
2. Afternoon wood
3. Evening wood
4. Midnight wood
5. “I gotta pee, dammit” wood
6. Embarassing first-date wood
7. New Britney Spears video wood
8. Yeah, I guess Orlando Bloom really is hot wood
9. Kids are coming up the stairs let’s finish this *quick* wood

I guess the “10. No reason just random wood” wood isn’t in th ere, but what about the “11. Embarrasing called to the blackboard wood” wood? Where does it go?

Not all woods are sacred woods.

(Note from Daven:  This is another resource used in a class I was taking at one time, but this touched me enough that I decided to put it here as well.  I hope you all see what I saw in this the first time I read it.)

The Tale of the Seeker and the Crone

From:  The Properties of Life
by Maragano

The Seeker traveled many miles to a temple high in the western mountains.  There, in the outer court, sat a Crone.  The Seeker went up to the Crone and said, “Old Mother, I have come from far to study at this temple.  How may I gain entrance?”

The Crone did not look up from where she sat, but simply said, “You have three questions to ask, Seeker.  If they are the correct questions, you may enter.  If not, you must go elsewhere.”

“i am tired and hungry.  I need sleep and food,” protested the Seeker.

The Crone raised her hand and cut short the Seeker’s protest.  “Your first question, Seeker, or leave now.”

The Seeker sat down and was quiet for a while.  Then the Seeker said, “Old Mother, what would be the three best questions to ask?”

“You have asked your first question, Seeker.”  The Crone nodded.  “The three best questions to ask are:  First – ‘What is our theology?’ – so that you will know what we believe is what you believe as well.  Second – ‘What are your responsibilities to us, and our responsibilities to you?’ – so that you will know what sort of bargain is being made.  Third – ‘How do I know I have been called?’ – so you do not spend your life in illusion.  Now, Seeker, for your second question.”

“Old Mother, what is the answer to those three questions?”

The Old Mother told of the beliefs of the temple.  She told the Seeker the outer names of the Goddess and the God the temple was built to honor.  She told of the rites and the reasons for them.  As day passed into night, robed figures came into the courtyard and lit fires at the four quarters to dispel the darkness.  As the moon boat crested the horizon, the Crone began to answer the Seeker’s second question.  She told of the blessings of the High Ones and all that they had given to us and what they asked in return.  As dawn cleared the darkness from the sky, she looked up for the first time, and looking deep into the Seeker’s eyes, she said, “Seeker, only you know if you come here to run away from a world that has battered you, or because all the world is here.  Now, Seeker, for your third question.”

Mother, I have heard all that you have said.  I have trod many false paths in search of this temple.  I am tired and hungry for all that you have to offer.  I fear that it is too much for me to learn.  But, Old Mother, may I come in and try?”

The Old Mother stood and helped the Seeker to stand, and said, “Come, Seeker.  We will both go in and learn together.”

(from January 1982 Georgian Newsletter)

Originally posted 2009-11-14 23:10:11.

I was thinking about a snark I did yesterday on Persecution, then a friend posted about persecution on her LJ and it got me thinking:

Pagans really don’t have a candle to hold to anyone on the persecution scale.

I heard this piece coming into work this morning on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6349532

One of the things that struck me is that the fighting between the Suni and Sheite groups is causing diversified communities to be one or the other. Steve Inskeep, the comentator on that piece said “in some communities, the clensing….is complete.” Meaning that one sect KILLED OFF the entirety of the other sect, or forced them out.

Part of the process is to grab people off the street, call their homes and ask relatives to confirm that their loved one is Suni or Sheite. It’s a crap shoot as to whether or not they get home at that point.

Consider this for a moment. You as a pagan are sitting in your house. You get a call. On the other end of the phone you hear a voice you don’t recognize who tells you they are with the “Freedom Feris” and they have your loved one. They then demand that you confirm that your loved one is Black Forest Tradition. You know that if you say the wrong thing, then you are never going to see that loved one again, until you identify the body. What do you say?

You say something and the phone goes dead in your hand. Now comes the worry time. Does your loved one get home, or did you sentance them to being shot in the street like a dog?

And this is not an isolated incident, this HAPPENS EVERY DAY in Iraq. Multiple times a day. AND if they don’t kill the Suni they picked up, they may ransom him back, so now these people are pauperizing themselves to buy the freedom of those they love.

And little playgans are bitching about having “Happy Samhain” erased from the campus whiteboard?

Listening to the stories that came out of WWII and the Jewish Holocaust, listening to these horror stories coming out of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan (where the Taliban executed people in the street because they weren’t dressed right) is eye opening.

I read in National Geographic about the Taliban when December rolled around in 2001. I knew nothing about them. This was a philosophical movement among college students to return to some of the roots of Islam. It got so hemmed in with rules that men’s beards were measured for length and they could be jailed if the beard wasn’t long enough. That’s like Fred Phelps having the authority to execute anyone that didn’t have the right brand of hat on.

Stories about a school being on fire, and THE STUDENTS NOT BEING ALLOWED TO ESCAPE BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE THEIR VEILS ON. So those women and girls DIED in screaming, flaming agony while the firefighters forced them back in to either get their veils or die.

But little Wicletts think they are persecuted.

Repost this. As soon as I can I’m going to open this up to the Public, but I want these idiots who think that being Pagan is as hard as it gets to go spend some time as a white person in the Congo, or to have to dress in a burqua and walk the streets of Saudi Arabia to learn what persecution REALLY is.

Originally posted 2006-10-20 08:41:31.

Published by
The Tennessean
Sunday, 6/27/99
http://www.tennessean.com
haynes27.shtml for article

COMMENTARY

Witches test tolerance

By Charles Haynes / First Amendment Center

Most Americans are all for religious liberty — at least until it protects a religion they don’t like. Then all bets are off.

The latest test of popular support for the First Amendment is the controversy following news reports of Wiccan celebrations at Fort Hood, Texas, our largest Army post. In recent years, Army officials at Fort Hood and other bases have accommodated requests by Wiccans for space to hold their ceremonies.

Some conservative Christian groups are so angry about Wiccan practices on bases that they have called on Christians not to enlist or re-enlist in the Army.

Wicca provokes outrage and controversy because it involves witches and witchcraft, long associated with “evil spells” and “demons” in Christian history. Persecution of witches — or those thought to be witches — was common in medieval Europe. And, as every schoolchild learns, America had its own chapter of persecution in colonial Salem.

Actually, the witches of Wicca (most, but not all, Wiccans are witches) have nothing to do with casting evil spells. Nor are Wiccans “Satanists.” In fact, Wiccans don’t even believe in the existence of Satan.

Wicca might best be described as a contemporary version of ancient pagan religions. A core concept is “reverence for Earth,” based on a belief that the divine permeates all people and everything in nature.

Understanding what Wicca is really about won’t make it more acceptable to most Christians, but it might reduce some of the fear about what Wiccans are doing at Fort Hood.

Most opponents of Wiccan ceremonies on Army bases aren’t denying that people have the right to be Wiccans. But they don’t understand why the Army provides space for their celebrations and rituals.

Most constitutional experts would answer that the Army has no choice. Under the Establishment clause of the First Amendment, the government may not decide what is or isn’t an “acceptable” or legitimate religion. As long as the group doesn’t break the law, its members have as much right to practice their faith as members of any other religious group in the United States.

But does that include the right to hold Wiccan celebrations on an Army base? Probably so. If the Army allows some groups to practice their religion on the base, then it can’t close the base to others. This isn’t a question of being “tolerant” or nice toward Wiccans; it’s a matter of equal treatment under the First Amendment.

Why can’t the Army simply forbid all religious meetings on military bases? That would be difficult — and probably unconstitutional. Under the First Amendment’s Free Exercise clause, soldiers stationed far from home or on foreign soil should have the freedom to practice their faith.

In fact, the need to accommodate the religious needs of soldiers has long been the rationale for the military chaplaincy program. The federal government actually pays the military chaplains, who serve as officers in all branches of the armed forces.

As our population grows increasingly diverse, the chaplaincy program is under growing pressure to address a bewildering variety of religious practices and convictions. Although most chaplains continue to be Christian or Jewish, they must now be prepared to work with soldiers of many other religions, including those they may find offensive.

Upholding the First Amendment isn’t always easy. But if we want full religious liberty for ourselves, then we must be willing to guarantee it for others.

The controversy at Fort Hood is a reminder that freedom of religion isn’t a privilege granted by the majority, it’s an inalienable right of all human beings. In the words of the Williamsburg Charter: “A society is only as just and free as it is respectful of this right for its smallest minorities and least popular communities.”

Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to Charles Haynes at the First Amendment Center, 1207 18th Ave. S., Nashville, 37212. E-mail chaynes@freedomforum.org

© Copyright 1999 The Tennessean
A Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper
Use of this site signifies that you agree to our terms of service.
Associated Press content and material is Copyrighted by The Associated Press.

Originally posted 2009-11-10 02:43:59.

(Note from Daven:  This is a work on standard Numerology, as opposed to the Celtic Numerology that Mike Nichols wrote about.  I place it here because this system of numerology is one of the most widely used in the world.  You may need it one day.  I know I did.)

Pythagorean System Of Numerology

Now simply total the numbers which represent the letters of your name.

JOHN PHILIP BROW’N would total: JOHN (1 + 6 + 8 + 5) = 20 = (2 + 0) = 2 PHILIP (7 + 8 + 9 + 3 + 9 + 7) = 43 = (4 + 3) = 7 BROWN (2 + 9 + 6 + 5 + 5) = 27 = (2 + 7) = 9

These numbers have their own significance. That of the family name offers a general generational influence. The number of your forename, given name, Christian name whatever you call it – is the most important to use in numerology: and it should be used in the form in which most people use it (if Mr. Brown is usually known as “Jack”, then that is the name which would be used in numerology – and the most significant number for him would be 7 rather than 2). A “middle” name or names is less important, and its influence less marked.

Looking at a combination of traditional factors in numerology, we would interpret the effect of the number of the forename as follows:

1. Above all, you will be an excellent communicator, and in one way or another will always be able to explain your arguments (w emotions to others, whether on a personal level or in your business or career (and You may work well in the media). You are reasonable, but highly argumentative and adaptable and perhaps opinionated; you are perceptive, but very critical – sometimes hypercritical; you are versatile but can be very tense and uptight.

2. Modest and shy, you are meticulous in everything you do and diligent in completing every task you undertake. Your perfectionism can make you a less than welcome workmate, for your own high standards will make it impossible not to seem to be Criticizing others, however hard you try to avoid this. Criticism can become carping, and self-criticism can turn to introversion and worry. Your natural discrimination is trustworthy, and provided it is disciplined and not expressed in grumbling about others’ standards, it can make you an ideal employee.

3. Charm and diplomacy, romance and sociability are all qualities of this number; but they can hide a certain weakness, masking indecision, changeability and gullibility – you are highly susceptible to persuasion. Decision-making is not your strong point, and your relaxed attitude can result in your never reaching a conclusion about anything at all. You like luxury, a quiet life (even at any price?); You can be resentful towards anyone who seems to be standing between you and a harmonious and troubled existence.

4. Your true feelings are probably hidden behind an extravert exterior and an outwardly brash and forthright manner. Determined and forceful, passionate and an exciting personality, you can also be obsessive, resentful and jealous. You’re not likely to give way to even the strongest arguments of those you believe to be in the wrong; and -your feelings about any dispute that may arise will be supported by the most powerful a well-sustained reasoning.

5. This is the number of learning – and not just the accumulation of random facts on a number of subjects (as with ONE), but real, in depth study. Religion and philosophy may interest you; you will possibly find the study of languages attractive. You will be optimistic, loyal and much concerned with justice – but beware of self-indulgence and conceit, and indeed of over-optimism.

6. This number is associated with the planet Venus and hence with the emotions; you will be particularly eager to find a partner and enjoy a satisfactory emotional relationship. This may lead to your committing yourself too soon, and somewhat thoughtlessly. The feminine side of your personality will be emphasized (whichever sex you are), and you may well have an interest in art or fashion. Gentleness, friendship, tact and social adaptability will probably come easily to you – but you should beware of blind optimism, and of continually wearing rose-coloured spectacles.

7. Optimism, good humour, honesty are the hallmarks of this number; the reverse of the coin displays the possibility of over-optimism, carelessness and irresponsibility. You are a free spirit, always concerned for the freedom of the individual whether on a local or worldwide basis. You can be tactless in expressing your forthright opinions, and your emotions can carry you away to such an extent that you become offhand and superficial. Sport may well interest you more than usual.

8. This is a number much concerned with ambition, supported by practical, patient, disciplined theory and work. You may be a little too conventional, and this together with an inherent pessimism and fatalism can make for an all-work-and-no-play attitude to life, which may be somewhat joyless. Your sense of humour can be a saving grace, not only for yourself but in your relationships, and your prudence should pay off in your business life.

9. Your friendliness and loyalty will mean that you need never be alone; you are original and inventive, and your independence of mind is a great asset provided you don’t allow yourself to be too contrary, perverse or unpredictable Your originality means that you are able to shed an unexpected light on – for instance – others’ problems. Positive and optimistic, you may find yourself in some ways a leader. But you may also find it somewhat difficult to establish a close personal relationship.

The number associated with love is the total of all our forenames. A classical numerological system tells us that particular numbers vibrate in harmony with each other, others strike a harmonious chord, yet others are in disharmony. Some (not mentioned below) appear to have no potential either for harmony or disharmony.

1. Is in harmony with 9, In accord with 4 and 8, In discord with 6 and 7.

2. Is in harmony with 8, In accord with 7 and 9, In discord with 5.

3. Is in harmony with 7, In accord with 5, 6 and 9, In discord with 4 and 8.

4. Is in harmony with 6, In accord with 1 and 8, In discord with 3 and 5.

5. Is in harmony with 5, In accord with 3 and 9, In discord with 2 and 4.

6. Is in harmony with 4, In accord with 3 and 9, In discord with 1 and 8.

7. Is in harmony with 3, In accord with 2 and 6, In discord with 1 and 9.

8. Is in harmony with 2, In accord with 1 and 4, In discord with 3 and 6.

9. Is in harmony with 1, In accord with 2, 3 and 6, In discord with 7.

Numbers that are in harmony indicate a strong natural attraction; numbers that are in accord with each other are likely to get on well together; numbers in discord will find that their relationship will need some hard work. The most favourable numbers are those which are the same.

Anyone wishing to get more stuff in accordance with the Pythagorean System Of Numerology, Or Spells/Chants, Feel free to E-mail and ask for them. E-Mail is: IceBreak13@Aol.Com

Originally posted 2009-11-14 14:14:28.