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| Home > News Archive > Cauldron News Old: June 2004 | Search |
| Cauldron News Old: June 2004 |
| Spirit Totems Posted Wednesday, June 30, 2004 by Randall |
I have often wondered what my spirit totem might be. A friend of mine told me to look at my dreams and find what animal appears the most. One dream that came to mind was a nightmare I used to have (and still have from time to time) about a spider that had a knot in its web and I had to untangle it while it looked over my shoulder the whole time. Could this be my totem animal? Are there other ways to find ones totem animal? And how did you find your totem animal?
| Pagan Jeweler -- Seeking Opinions Posted Wednesday, June 30, 2004 by Randall |
I'm looking for any past experiences with or opinions about the quality and service offered by the jewelry artist Mark Defrates. I found his website and really like the pieces displayed in the photos; lots of religious symbols to choose from and the prices seem pretty reasonable to me. I'm not a big jewelry or online shopping person though so I thought I'd see if anyone else has heard about his work.
| Ghosts Recordings? Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2004 by Randall |
I read "Legion" and apparently a character records nothingness and ghosts voices answered his questions. I thought this was rather odd but apparently William Peter Blatty did this. Is it really possible? You just a tape recording at really high speeds and ask questions then listen.
| Name a Witch Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2004 by Randall |
I just thought this might be interesting to have a thread on naming witches (since there was a thread on deity names for children). These can be historical or fantasy based (or you can use your own nickname for those of you who are witches) :).
Anyway, I thought I'd start with:
Alison Device (of the Lancashire witchcraft trial of 1612)
| Trouble Meditating? Posted Monday, June 28, 2004 by Randall |
I've noticed I've been having alot of trouble calming my mind down enough to meditate. I even find that before sleep I get very restless and scenes from my day or things I think could happen in the future play out in my mind. Is there a way to turn these thoughts off? My boyfriend has had no trouble meditating and has tried to help me, but I just can't get these thoughts out of my head. What can I do?
| Cleaning Quartz? Posted Saturday, June 26, 2004 by Randall |
I have recently acquired two quartz clusters (tennis ball-sized DT clusters, no less...) and I am wondering what I should use to remove the iron deposits?
| A Few Questions from a Newbie Posted Saturday, June 26, 2004 by Randall |
I haven't given much thought to religion in years. However, I am feeling a very strong pull to learn more about paganism. I'm not sure if it will eventually become my spiritual path or if it's just that I'm curious and interested from an intellectual and philosophical standpoint.
Here are a few questions I've been wondering about:
1. Do you believe that the Christian god exists, but is just one diety among the many gods? Or do you not believe in the Christian god at all?
2. If you do think the Christian god exists, is he seen in a negative light for wanting people to believe in only himself & not acknowledge the other gods?
3. Is it possible to be an agnostic pagan, believing in the *possibility* of many gods as opposed to literally believing in them? Taking that idea one step further, is it possible to be both atheist and pagan?
| What Does Research Mean to You? Posted Thursday, June 24, 2004 by Randall |
When you hear the word 'research', what sort of things spring to mind? Good images? Bad ones? Frustrating ones? Has your attitude towards research changed over time (I know some people who got a lot more comfortable with it once it was outside a school setting, such as for personal religious research)
I'm mostly looking to see the range of responses and thoughts people have - feel free to contribute stuff you've heard talking to friends/co-workers/etc, too.
(This is for a project I'm working on, which relates to Pagan research stuff. I'm not expecting I'll be quoting anyone, but I'd never quote without direct permission from a setting like this. I'm mostly trying to see if there's stuff I've missed or if my perceptions of other people's peceptions are reasonably on target.)
| What Do You Believe? Posted Thursday, June 24, 2004 by Randall |
Have you ever had someone ask you what you believe in a general sense? How do you answer such questions, if you answer them at all? Obviously a whole personal belief system is a bit much to get into in most situations, so how do you decide what to cover and what to let slide?
| Defining "Pagan"? Posted Tuesday, June 22, 2004 by Randall |
How do you personally define the term "Pagan"? Please note, I'm not looking for a consensus here. I hope people will not post what they think would satisfy everyone, the way we might if we were all trying to come up with a group definition. If we all come to an agreement (sure, right) that's great, but what I really want to know is how we as individuals define it. Obviously there's a high probability that someone will disagree with nearly any definition posted, but I hope people won't let that stop them.
| Just How Magical are Kids? Posted Tuesday, June 22, 2004 by Randall |
The discussion about runic baby blocks has led to some interesting discussions here at home about just how magickal are kids.
I think kids are wonderful creations. They are open and willing to believe in just about everything and anything. And in the belief is power.
Jessi started doing magick [as far as I know] when she was four and 'created' Monster Be Gone spray to get rid of nightmares. It was her idea and she applied it to windows and doors with her own chant, "No nightmares here, only Little Pony dreams!" About the same age, she created her own rune symbols and would 'write' with it.
Matt ... well, Matt was Matt. We are talking about the kid that at 18 months was found having a conversation with a knife. ::rolls eyes:: Life with Matt has always been interesting.
My personal opinion is that kids are very magickal and capable of working magick. Whether or not that lasts as they grow is up to us. What do you think?
| Religious Jewelry? Posted Monday, June 21, 2004 by Randall |
Over in the persecution thread, I noticed that some people were pretty adamant about not taking off their religious jewelry at work. I have a couple of questions for people who agree with this.
First of all, why? Is it the jewelry or symbol that's so important, or is it the idea that in that situation the company would potentially be discriminating agianst you, or something else entirely?
Second, I was wondering if there was a situation in which you would consider removing the jewelry in question (and presumably no longer wearing it in the workplace) when asked to. If no religious jewelry was allowed (crosses included), would that be more palatable? What about being asked to remove jewelry for safety reasons (necklace might get caught in machinery)? Does that upset you as much as being asked to remove it for religious reasons?
Third, is there any circumstance under which you forsee yourself ceasing to wear religious jewelry in the workplace without being asked to? (Does it make a difference that you have made the decision on your own rather than being asked to not wear it?)
And finally, just for a reference point, would you be as upset if you were asked not to wear a non-religious piece of jewelry in your workplace?
| Magic: What Do You Believe? Posted Saturday, June 19, 2004 by Randall |
A few friends and I were chatting about magical practices, and we had some very different views on the subject. So... I thought I would ask the questions we were talking about, to you. I hope they aren't too personal. My apologies if they are.
1) What is magic to you?
2) What practices do you think fall under the umbrella of practicing magic?
3) Is divination magic?
4) Is it necessary to believe in magic for it to work?
5) Who actually works the magic, the practitioner or the person's God /Goddess?
| Preaching vs Informing Posted Saturday, June 19, 2004 by Randall |
I think we all recognize that there is a difference between telling people about your religion and preaching or proselytizing at them. However, is there a good way to tell which category a statement falls into? Are there definable criteria for deciding whether a person is informing or preaching? Or is it just one of those "I know it when I see it" things?
| How Persecuted Are We? Posted Thursday, June 17, 2004 by Randall |
In another thread, some people mentioned feeling singled out and persecuted and having people attempt to convert them "every day" and getting preached to "every time we turn around".
Is it really that bad? Are Pagans continuously being persecuted, preached to and targeted for conversion?
| Religious Reading Posted Thursday, June 17, 2004 by Randall |
Floating around this forum and others, people talk a lot about the religious books they've read. With good reason -- after all, we're all about religion here! Sometimes, though, it seems like people are reading an awful lot of religious stuff!
Is that an accurate perception? How much religiously-oriented material do you read on a regular basis? What's the ratio of your religious reading to non-religious reading? (Approximate, of course; I know no one is keeping exact track.)
I'm thinking that maybe my perception is being biased a little bit by the setting in which we're interacting, and the fact that some of you have had a long time to read things, or maybe even just plain have more free time in which to read. But I'm not sure, so I thought it would make interesting discussion.
| Which Foot Does Energy Come in From? Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2004 by Randall |
Which foot does energy come in from? For the hands it is in through left and out through right (unless you are left handed, supposedly). I remember seeing a diagram, but I'm not sure if the energy goes in the left or right leg. It would seem to me to make sense that it is reversed from the hands.
| Mythological Baby Names Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2004 by Randall |
Since my future child will likely insist on being called something besides "Hey, You!" we are in the throes of combing through baby names. Some of the names we both like come from Greek mythology (Athena and Calliope in particular). So here's what I wonder:
1) I wondered what you thought about naming your children after deities or other figures from mythology. Good idea, or bad idea?
2) What are names from myths you think would make cool baby names, and which ones are bad?
| Teaching Classes Posted Tuesday, June 15, 2004 by Randall |
For those of you who have made up (written, etc) your own classes, how do you do it? I've been teaching from a prewritten script but I want to make a more hands on, relavent class. Something that isn't purely thinking-logical-listening.
What's the processes you go through? What do you decide is relavent? I have the basic bare bone structure I want to work with, but I am having the hardest time covering what should and shouldn't be in it.
Visualization, meditation, and such, of course. But there's so much more out there and I thought I'd ask both how those of you who have made classes do it, and what things people wish to see in classes. (Be aware of the fact that nothing will be taught in depth but maybe more than a brush over.)
| Duty to the Community? Posted Tuesday, June 15, 2004 by Randall |
I'm curious... Do people think that we owe something to the community? That they owe something to us? Where does one person's freedom end, and the rights of the community begin?
BTW, by community I basically mean the people around you -- both the ones you like and the ones you don't.
| How Many Gods Does It take to Pull the Sun? Posted Sunday, June 13, 2004 by Randall |
I have thought of a question I would like to ask everyone, but hard polytheists in particular. If the Gods are all separate beings, what does Apollo do when Ra is taking the Sun for its daily ride? This is not meant as disrespect (and I hope it does not come across as such), but the question has been Itching at my brain... We have but one Sun and one Moon. We (earthlings) have many, many Sun and Moon Gods. If they are all separate, how?
| Where Does Religious Freedom End? Posted Sunday, June 13, 2004 by Randall |
Last night I watched an episode of The Practice. Synopsis: Christian Scientist parents prayed for their very sick 3-year-old child instead of seeking medical treatment. The child died, and they were prosecuted for murder in the second degree. They were found guilty.
This made me think, where do we draw the line for religious freedom? When does the right to believe and worship stop, and other rights begin? Is the right to life always more important than religious freedom?
Obviously you can't have a religious right to randomly shoot people in the street. I'm wondering about the less clear cases, where religious beliefs harm others indirectly, or even harm just the followers of that religion. When can society decide that religious freedom ends?
| Why Worship Archetypes? Posted Sunday, June 13, 2004 by Randall |
I participate in an Israeli forum that discusses various subjects of politics, social affairs and culture. In a recent debate about the Bahaii religion, I stated that some Pagans worship gods that are archetypes. I was asked: why would they do that? Why worship a god that is an archetype, a psychological idea that exists in our heads? Why have religious practices related to a concept from the consciousness? What good does that do?
As someone who never subscribed to the archetypes ideas, hard polytheist me, I didn't know quite what to answer. So to those of you who believe in archetypes, or just anyone with better knowledge or ideas - why worship archetypes?
| Hungarian Paganism? Posted Wednesday, June 09, 2004 by Randall |
I am a 22 year old Canadian male of Hungarian decent looking for information on Hungarian or similar paganism. I know Hungary has a deeply pagan past, with the many revolts against Christian domination such as the revolt of 1046.
What I am looking for is some information on what kind of paganism was practised in Hungary or maybe some of the gods that my pagan ancestors worshipped. I have read about Slavic paganism but those pages and documents do no recognize Hungary as a slavic country, this is as close as I can seem to get. Any help would be much appreciated regarding these matters.
| Dream Worship Space Posted Wednesday, June 09, 2004 by Randall |
If you weren't limited in your home by relatives or space, how would you set up your personal worship space? If you have a yard (or if it's just where you'd like to have a special spot), how would you decorate it?
What sorts of things would you add that would give the space your touch?
| When Things Don't Work Posted Tuesday, June 08, 2004 by Randall |
I think it happens to us all at some point: We find something interesting which we think would be a good addition to our religious practice or spirituality, try it... And then either discover it doesn't work for us or let it slip away before we really get going on it. It's not that we don't like it or anything like that, it's just that we can't seem to get ourselves to study it or make use of it as much as we had thought we might.
What do you do when this happens? Do you try, try again? Do you give up and move on to something else? Why?
I'm also curious about how this sort of behaviour is percieved. Do you think people who do this sort of thing often are spazzy? Or have they just not found the "thing" for them yet? Is it a perfectly normal process, or is it a symptom of chronic dabbling?
| Evangelizing Paganism? Posted Tuesday, June 08, 2004 by Randall |
Does anyone here ever have the desire to "evangelize", in any situation? I don't mean, saying, "Paganism is the Answer" or anything, but more, a desire to tell a person you are talking to something like "you know, you should check out the Pagan faiths, it sounds to me like you could find some peace/answers there..."
| God's Body? Posted Monday, June 07, 2004 by Randall |
This mostly came out of a line in (I think it was) the Farrar's The Witch's Bible. It was the idea that not only is the Goddess female ... but that she menstruates.
Do you think God/dess/whatnot has a physical body that corresponds to our own? Do gods eat/sleep/excrete/etc? What do you think?
| The Threefold Law in Wicca Posted Monday, June 07, 2004 by Randall |
I am trying to further my understanding of how Wicca presents and describes the Three Fold Law. I think I understand it, but thought it would be a good idea to see if I am off base since most of my info is self taught.
I think so far the one that made the most sense to me was it comes back three ways: physical, spiritual, and emotional. Is that the general consensus? Or do some see it another way? Can anyone tell me there interpretation, or point me towards some online info, essays or other info to read more on this topic?
| June Cauldron and Candle Available Posted Sunday, June 06, 2004 by Randall |
The June 2004 issue of our Cauldron and Candle newsletter has been emailed to subscribers (over 1400 of them) and is now available on our web site. This issue features the usual forum news and reviews as well as a number of interesting articles.
If you don't subscribe to our free monthly newsletter, you can read the archive copy of this issue at the link below.
| The Baldwin Project Posted Sunday, June 06, 2004 by Randall |
We frequently have people ask what myths and stories are appropriate for children. Project Baldwin is going to be of great interest. Over 3000 myths and stories of various cultures and events sortable by title, author, genre and age group. The Baldwin Project seeks to make available online a comprehensive collection of resources for parents and teachers of children. Their current focus, is on literature for children that is in the public domain in the United States, including: Nursery Rhymes, Fables, Folk Tales, Myths, Legends and Hero Stories, Literary Fairy Tales, Bible Stories, Nature Stories, Biography, History, Fiction, Poetry, Storytelling, Games, and Craft Activities.
| What Are You Reading? Posted Thursday, June 03, 2004 by Randall |
A few days ago I started "The Essential Golden Dawn" by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero. It's a comprehensive volume about the origins and history of the Order of the Golden Dawn. I'm only around page 70 or so, but already enjoying it very much. The authors clarify a lot of things and explain complex stuff in a simple step-by-step way. Also I really like their approach about choosing respectful honesty instead of religious secrecy.
A few books waiting on my shelf: Janet Farrar's "Progressive Witchcraft", Asimov's "Caves of Steel" and Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" (Still. I always keep meaning to read it and then decide to start something else instead.)
So... what are you reading at the moment?
| Inferior Magickal Symbols? Posted Thursday, June 03, 2004 by Randall |
I was discussing various things with someone else in e-mail today, and a topic came up that I thought might be interesting to discuss here. The question which prompted this was one about whether a light bulb could be used to represent the element of fire, since it does give off heat and light and all that. My answer, recalling some of the conversations we've had about dorm altars and using electric candles when open flame isn't an option, was yes. But then that got me to thinking... I don't think that something electric would be as effective for me personally. Part of why I use candles is because they have a certain "feel" to them, and they help set the mood in a way that an electric bulb wouldn't. But does that mean it's an inferior symbol?
So my question to you is: Do you feel that some symbols are inherently inferior to others? Or is it all about what works for each individual person? In this case, I suppose you could argue that a candle isn't really a symbol, since it IS fire--so is it always preferable to use such a direct representation of an element? If you use substitutions (like an electric candle or light bulb for fire), will your results be inferior or does that depend on how well your brain connects the symbol to the real thing?
| Labels Posted Tuesday, June 01, 2004 by Randall |
I remember a 2ma tutorial on lables, and how they define us, and what would be there if we stripped them away, also a JH tutorial on masquerade, and the wearing of masques, and letting the masque slip, what would be behind it.
In certain situations we wear different labels/masques to suit, for example in a school setting I will wear the label of parent, that is what defines me in that situation, or I may wear label such as mother/daughter/sister/wife/friend or which ever is appropriate.
What are these labels? Are they only aribitrary terms for ease of communication? Are they what defines us? Is there anything behind it all, and if so what?
| Gooey Guru Posted Tuesday, June 01, 2004 by Randall |
One of the other threads got me thinking about how you would cope or have coped if you are a teacher and someone has decided to elevate you to a guru pedestal. (I'm using the word guru in the cult sense here).
Have any of you ever been in a situation where you have had a student who has gone overboard with their perceptions of you?
How did you deal with it? What lessons would you give to others?