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| Home > News Archive > July 2005 | Search |
| July 2005 |
| So, What Makes A Real Witch? Posted Sunday, July 31, 2005 10:43 PM by Randall |
In the Real Wiccan thread, Annis said, "One is either a witch or one in
not! It is our relationship to the Lady and the Lord which defines us!"
I know that proverbially if you put two witches together you'll get
three definitions, but I couldn't resist: what is a witch? Is it
somebody who has a particular "relationship to the Lord and Lady?"
My own working definition is one who uses magic. That would seem to
encompass both religious and secular witches; besides, it saves me from
cognitive dissonance over appellations like "Christian Witch". (I still
baulk at "Christian Wiccan", but to each her own.)
| Refraining for Faith? Posted Sunday, July 31, 2005 10:40 PM by Randall |
Have any of you abstain from sex, fasted, or otherwise denied yourself
something pleasurable as a way of honoring your faith? From what did you
refrain? Why did you choose to refrain?
| Relationship of Morality to Your Faith Posted Saturday, July 30, 2005 10:35 PM by Randall |
It seems to me that morality is intimately connected to some religions
but is less apparent with others. I know this is a huge questions, but
how is morality related to your faith?
Are your moral beliefs guided and sustained by your religion? Or did you
pick a deity based on pre-existing moral beliefs? Some combination?
Neither? The omnipresent other?
| Dream Home? Posted Saturday, July 30, 2005 10:32 PM by Randall |
Jumping of kronjer's ponderings on an intentional, low-technology Pagan
community - what would be your dream home? Not necessarily a house,
but a home - land, location, structures (if any), fellow denizens, etc.
Personally I think I'd have a city house and a country house, so feel
free to have a summer home or country home if you so desire. Share your
most mouthwatering, I-won-the-lottery home fantasies here!
| What Makes A "Real" Wiccan? Posted Thursday, July 28, 2005 5:24 PM by Randall |
My eye was caught by this which Sine posted in another thread and it
brought some questions to mind that (obviously) only a 'real' Wiccan can
answer.
So, to be a Wiccan, one must go through all the initiations as
specified by ? Gardner? or, who? And even if one read all there was, one
would still not be able to talk about Wiccanism or have a valid (as in
authoratative) opinion? (or could only know 'very little').
Also, there seems to be a lot more people claiming to be Wiccan than can
be accounted for statistically by the lineages. Are they not Wiccan?
And what happens when the 'real' lineaged ones die out? Since there are
few enough around already, this is a real possibility. Also, there is a
guy in the U.K. who has run groups for yonks. Turns out his claim to
lineage was bogus. I guess that means all the 'initiates' from his
groups (perhaps unknown to themselves) are living a lie? Or can this be
remedied by them finding a 'real' group and going through the process
again?
This one really confuses me. I understand the idea that one must have
'deity' knowledge 'directly' from what others have posted. Does the
above mean that only people in prescribed groups can experience
this?
And then, only by people who have 'been there before'? In another
thread, an experienced Wiccan said a group was preferable, but not
necessary - that one could make the discovery on their own. So is this
not the case? And does this mean that there is only one 'proper' ritual,
and all else are spurious?
That's going to leave a hell of a lot of people out. So, no eclectic
Wiccans, then?
Not being critical, just totally confused at conflicting reports. Who
has the rights of the matter?
"Clearly, without that initiation, there is very little anyone can claim
to actually know about Wicca. And, clearly, without all the
instructions, the fragments one may have can be misleading and one might
come to incorrect conclusions and make stupid statements in public."
"I am continually amused by the arrogance and hubris in people who
believe that one can learn about the Gods from books. Liturgy isn't
sacred. The place where proper ritual takes us is, and there is no
shortcut to that place. One has to do the work with people who have been
there before, for only they know that path."
| Dealing with Gossip, Backbiting, Etc.? Posted Wednesday, July 27, 2005 8:59 PM by Randall |
I was wondering if anyone would mind if I asked a few questions about
how to deal with local Pagan community problems. Mainly, how do you deal
with issues such as gossip, backbiting, and the such?
I tend to find these things distasteful, but recently have found myself
smack in the middle of a situation I have no idea how to handle. Has
anyone here ever had problems with this sort of thing? If so, how did
you handle it?
| Can't Access the Message Board? Posted Tuesday, July 26, 2005 7:35 AM by Randall |
Some of the DNS records associated with our message board server
(ecauldron.net) had to be updated yesterday. As most Internet providers
now update their DNS records several times a day, this did not cause
much distruption for many of our members. Some members, however, are
still reporting that they cannot access our message board or Mux this
morning. We apologize for the problem, but how often Internet providers
update their DNS records is beyond our control. (DNS records are used to
turn user friendly Internet address like http://www.ecauldron.com/ into
the numerical addresses that Internet programs actually use to
communicate.)
| Religious Practices and Traveling Posted Tuesday, July 26, 2005 7:29 AM by Randall |
For those who have set religious practices, do/would you continue to
perform them while away on a vacation or trip? Does it depend on who
you're with or other circumstances?
To expand a bit, if you have regular devotional practices, is it
important for you to continue them while away? Or is it something you
tend to let go or forget about?
If a religious holiday coincides with your trip, do you observe it as
you would at home, change it around, wait to celebrate it when you get
back, or skip it altogether? Are there any holidays you'd deliberately
avoid traveling on because you would rather be home to observe them?
If you have materials that you normally use in worship/ritual, do you
prefer to take them along or do without?
| How Much Explanation Is Owed the Idly Curious? Posted Tuesday, July 26, 2005 7:27 AM by Randall |
In another thread, Elfwreck said the following about explaining her
religion in detail:
+++My workload is heavy enough without catering to the idly curious.+++
And Loreley replied:
+++I feel the same way. To be brutally honest, sometimes explaining my
religious views in depth to others feels like a complete waste of time.
If those people aren't seriously learning the religion, or at least
*truly seeking* and showing willigness to do the hard work - why spend
so much time and energy on making them understand?
(And I'm not talking about seekers and beginners here. I'm specifically
talking about the "idly curious").+++
I think this is an interesting issue, while is may be a more common
issue for those from minor religions than for followers of the major
religions, it is still an issue that all openly religious people face on
ocassion. How much explanation of one's religious beliefs and practices
do we owe the "idly curious"?
| Handfasting or Marriage? Posted Sunday, July 24, 2005 10:04 AM by Randall |
I was wondering how many here are handfasted? This this something all
Pagans do? I haven't had any other Pagans around me that have married.
| Why Have Foresight If The Furture Cannot Be Changed? Posted Sunday, July 24, 2005 10:02 AM by Randall |
When you know something (bad) is going to happen, and yet you cannot
change it, why see it at all? What's the point? My friend is very much
about "giving back to the world and serving her purpose" etc. and so
this bothers her a lot. lol. I'm more apt to think that seeing things
you can't change is just a "side effect," if you will (of clairvoyance
and psychic tendencies in general that is). And not being able to change
it doesn't mean that you can't prepare for it and/or learn from it. I
don't necessarily think that one should really strive to change it
either, even if they could. What will be will be, and who's saying
something good won't come out of it. I'd just rather not mess with stuff
like that, ya know?
So what is the point of seeing things happen, if they can't be changed?
| Body Vs. Spirit Posted Friday, July 22, 2005 1:44 PM by Randall |
Do you see yourself as more the body and your physical self, or a spirit
that's just inhabiting a body? Or somewhere in the middle?
Is this something your religion says, or simply more a matter of
personal belief? Does it matter?
What is the role of the body and the spirit in your religion?
| What Does Your Faith Say About Forgiveness? Posted Friday, July 22, 2005 1:42 PM by Randall |
What does your faith say about forgiveness? What role (if any) does do
your gods have with regards to seeking forgiveness?
| Review: Fifty Years of Wicca Posted Thursday, July 21, 2005 3:43 PM by Randall |
At last, the book I have been waiting for; a book written by an
individual who was there when the Craft first came out of "the broom
closet". He doesn't reveal any great mysteries in this book - he takes
his oaths of secrecy far too seriously. In fact, he raises more
questions than he answers in many ways. In the first chapter, alone, he
questions the authenticity of Gardner's version of the Craft. But, as he
says on page 12, "It doesn't matter! The Craft works for you. Does it
matter whether the rituals that brought you there are three or three
thousand years old?"
| Review: Teenage Witch's Book of Shadows Posted Thursday, July 21, 2005 3:42 PM by Randall |
This is an extremely short and basic book. It epitomizes the concept of
a "Wicca 101" book. The second chapter (page 9 through 12) gives a very
workable checklist of "13 Steps to Becoming a Witch." I don't agree with
everything here, but the final paragraph of item 10 (actually item 11,
but the numbering is messed up) says it all "As a rule, remember KISS.
Keep it simple, stupid." Far too many "101" books emphasize the need for
this item or that item. This book avoids that pitfall.
| Review: Wiccan Spirituality Posted Thursday, July 21, 2005 3:40 PM by Randall |
Kevin Saunders presents, in this book, an introduction to, and an
overview of witchcraft and Wicca as they move into the 21st Century (if
you accept the split between the two terms). His work has been
well-received by witches and pagans in Britain and should find such
acceptance here in the U.S., even though some of views may seem slightly
anachronistic. His is not a dogmatic approach. He knows the value of
modifying the basics provided by Gardnerian and Alexandrian training to
make them relevant to your individual needs. He quotes from
"traditional" Books of Shadows, without demanding slavish adherence to
the written text.
| Review: Advanced Wiccan Spirituality Posted Thursday, July 21, 2005 3:38 PM by Randall |
This book draws from a wide variety of inspirations from "traditional"
Wiccan sources to Jung. It details symbols and ceremonial magick. The
author is a Gardnerian Wiccan who has attempted to present his view of
what Wicca can be in the 21st Century. It has a traditional foundation
(in fact, several traditions), but is not limited to "the way it was."
He presents a vision of Wicca as a group function (although
acknowledging necessity for individual activities), based on a thorough
self-knowledge.
| Review: True Hauntings Posted Thursday, July 21, 2005 3:37 PM by Randall |
Dr. Denning approached the field of parapsychology from the related
field of psychotherapy. She is not one of the many individuals who have
set themselves up in this field to prove their own personal belief
systems. She does display sympathy for, and an understanding of, the
Spiritualism movement. How much that influences her perceptions is
impossible to determine strictly from her writings. There are far too
many books of ghost stories out there nowadays. There are not so many
books which go into the reasons for hauntings and apparitions.
| Review: The Mysteries of Mithras Posted Thursday, July 21, 2005 3:35 PM by Randall |
This book benefits from several things. First, and most obvious, is the
number of illustrations scattered throughout it. Although illustrations
aren't necessary for understanding the concepts laid out, they help to
give a sense of the permanence of this religion. Second, the appendices
contain actual texts from the time when Mithraism was a dominant force
in the world. Third, the author has provided meditations and initiations
for the seven grades of worship of Mithras. Finally, and most
importantly, this text has been produced by an author who grew up in the
Persian culture and thus approaches the subject from the inside, unlike
many authors who approach religions from the outside.
| How Many Deities Is Too Many? Posted Wednesday, July 20, 2005 8:44 AM by Randall |
Many of us here define ourselves as polytheists. Some of us have patron
deities, some of us look into specific pantheons, and some of us work
with specific gods and goddess from different sources.
I've been wondering - how many deities approximately would it be "ideal"
for a polytheist to work with? We know that even in ancient cultures,
while multiple deities were recognized, many times only one deity or a
small group of deities was publicly worshipped by the city or the region.
Is it better, in your opinions, to develop a close relationship with a
limited number of gods, or to embrace as many gods as the heart desires?
Should an entire pantheon be honored by a devotee of a specific god from
that pantheon? And how much devotional attention should be given to
those "fellow-deities"?
Is there such a thing as "too many gods"?
| Faithfulness To One Pantheon? Posted Wednesday, July 20, 2005 8:42 AM by Randall |
Do you stick to one particular pantheon and why?
I personally stick mainly to what I know of the Celtic pantheon
(although I'm not a Celtic recon expert). The possible exception is
Herne, who's a bit of an odd man out - I suppose you could equate him
with Cernunnos but I think he's different and while his name is from
fairly modern origins (Shakespeare I think) I believe the reality he
represents probably predates the Celtic pantheon by millenia, possibly
going back to the beginnings of Homo sapiens.
I do have god/desses I have a soft spot for outside of the Celtic
framework. Odin is one and the Buddhist Tara another (yes I know she's
not a goddess in the strict sense, I just like her, she's nice). And I
tried putting myself in a Norse mindset once, which I found intriguing
but it didn't gel with the more creative aspects of my nature (not that
I'm saying you can't be Nordic and creative, just that it didn't fit
with my kind of creativity). Overall I think I stick with the Celtic
pantheon partly to keep things simple and partly because it feels right.
I'm intrigued with people who mix and match deities. How do you deal
with having different mythologies to cope with and do you ever feel your
loyalties are being stretched?
| Mixed Faith Families in the Afterlife Posted Tuesday, July 19, 2005 10:39 PM by Randall |
So what happens to mixed faith families in the afterlife? For
monotheists, like myself, the answer is that we were all really
worshiping the same deity, so we all end up in the same place.
However, to hard polytheists, who believe in different deities and
different afterlives I imagine the answer is a little different. What do
you folks think?
| How Did You Meet Your Goddess/God? Posted Monday, July 18, 2005 10:07 PM by Randall |
As a spin off from the 'Perceptions of Deity' thread, I just wondered
how everyone sees their own deities and how they first encountered them.
To try to explain. I percieve anything spiritual, gods ghosts, faeries
etc. as part of a different reality, which I feel part of as much as I
feel part of this reality. These realities are very close and I believe
that there are places where they overlap, especially where interraction
between the worlds has been intense. So I can 'see' something in
Otherworld almost as clearly as I see this world sometimes.
The first God I ever met was the Horned God, I was fifteen and had been
out for a moonlit bike ride around our village in Cumbria. When I
stopped to look at the moon I got a sense of a powerful presence, to my
'sight' he was about fifteen foot tall, wearing a dark hooded robe of
fur and vegetation and had a great set of stags antlers on his head.
More recently I encountered the Morrigan but she manifested herself as a
real-life raven which followed me around for a few days. I met all of my
personal deities in different ways.
How do you see your Gods and do you have specific stories of how you
encountered them?
| Importance Of A Sabbath (Weekly Holy Day) Posted Monday, July 18, 2005 10:04 PM by Randall |
How important is it for you to have a weekly sabbath-like day (or your
sabbath)? What does it bring to your religion or path? What would you do
differently on a sabbath then you would on a holier day? If you don't
have one, why not?
| Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Posted Sunday, July 17, 2005 1:36 PM by Randall |
You have a copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. You
have read it in a one day reading fest and now you want to discuss it.
You can discuss it here -- and yes, spoilers are allowed in this thread.
| Cauldron Web Design Guide Available Posted Sunday, July 17, 2005 1:28 PM by Randall |
The first edition of The Cauldron's free Web Site Design Guide is now
available for download. It is a zipped PDF file with a selection of
articles from the Pagan Webcrafting section of our site along with some
new material not found on our web site, such as Star's Web Design Guide.
Its purpose is to help Pagans design web sites. You can download this
guide via the link below.
| Books To Steer Clear of? Posted Sunday, July 17, 2005 1:22 PM by Randall |
As a service to those of us who are still relatively new to one or more
aspects of paganism, I thought it would be helpful if some of the more
knowledgeable people around here offered some titles of books they think
should be avoided at all costs, especially by newbies. Of course,
reading a book that is badly written and/or full of unsupported and
undocumented "facts" can be instructive in its own way, but only if the
reader knows what s/he's doing and what is and is not of value in the
text, something that only comes with experience.
Of course this is a bit of a selfish request, since I've been compiling
a list for my own reference. However, since it's broad enough to expand
even into areas I'm not personally interested in, I don't feel too
guilty. (Also, if LyricFox's reaction to the Moura book is any
indication, it could also make for very entertaining reading!)
So, what books on various pagan traditions, mythology, magical theory
and practice, ritual, etc. would you say novices should steer clear of,
and why?
| Technomagic? Posted Sunday, July 17, 2005 1:20 PM by Randall |
I personally am fascinated with technology and its impact on culture,
especially computers and the internet. (I love cyberpunk writing,
especially William Gibson.) I think it's important to find a balance of
nature and technology.
I've found some information about technomagic and technopaganism online,
but not nearly as much as I thought I would. One of the things I've
encountered is the idea of a similarity of the Internet and the astral
plane. (From a decent number of people - I though a friend of mine made
it up.) Interestingly enough, it was Gibson's gorgeous descriptions of
cyberspace (particularly in Neuromancer) that got me started thinking
about astral projection and magic again, which eventually (a year and a
half later) ended in me becoming Pagan. Strange how those things work.
Has anyone here integrated modern technology into their magical or
religious practice?
| Using the Runes? Posted Thursday, July 14, 2005 9:27 PM by Randall |
Having just picked up a set of runes as well as a book, I was wondering
if there were set rules on their use? why or why not? Also, are there
preferred books on the runes?
| Are There Male-Only Pagan Religons? Posted Thursday, July 14, 2005 9:25 PM by Randall |
I am admittedly unlearned in most of the things that are discussed in
and around the cauldron but this one brought something to mind....
Are there ever any thing for men about what god they worship or their
worship of the god? Being a woman I may have missed it but I don't think
that I did. Are there male only pagan religons?
| Best Incense Holder? Posted Tuesday, July 12, 2005 9:45 PM by Randall |
I absolutely love stick incense and like to burn it whenever I get the
chance. Finding a place to burn it isn't tough...lots of options there.
The problem is controlling the mess and that's where I'm looking for
ideas.
I've tried those long holders with a hole at one raised end where the
stick goes in and has a "channel" running down the middle. Those are
pretty good, provided the stick is placed "just so" and doesn't amble
off left or right.
I've tried the little disk thingamajobs with the whole where it incense
stick is held straight up. Maybe I've flunked Stick Insertion 101, but
that seems to be the messiest option of all.
So. What do you use to hold burning stick incense that controls the ash
spillage?
| They Don't Do It Right Like in the Old Days! Posted Tuesday, July 12, 2005 9:43 PM by Randall |
I just wanted to raise a question, mainly poised at Wiccans, regarding
flexibility in our faith.
What's set me off is that I attended a conference in Northern England a
couple of weeks back where an older Wiccan couple basically indulged in
blasting everyone else there from the rostrum on their lack of
commitment to the craft. They poured scorn on people for integrating
shamanic practices into their working, harked back to the trials they
had gone through in getting Wicca some kind of acceptance by the
mainstream public, and beat us over the heads with the "burning times",
accusing everyone who didn't adhere to their interpretation of the craft
as "fluffy bunnies" ("burning times" - how fluffy bunny is that?)
The worst thing about this was half the people there weren't even
Wiccans, just pagans in general.
Now, I'm a Wiccan but what attracted me to the Craft is the level of
flexibility introduced by the post-Gardnerian revisers plus the
convenient framework for group working but there do seem to be those who
were involved near the beginning who have sort of fossilised and no-one
seems to be willing to point this out for fear of hurting feelings.
Has anyone encountered this sort of thing and how do you handle it?
| Cauldron Member Handbook Major Update Posted Sunday, July 10, 2005 5:17 PM by Randall |
A new and greatly expanded edition of the Cauldron Member Handbook is
now out. Version 1.5.0 adds the following:
And includes rules revisions, other minor updates, and is slightly
reorganized to make things easier to find. I strongly suggest all TC
members download a copy when they get a chance -- even if they have the
original 1.0.0 from last month. This version is about a 375K download --
it's a zipped Acrobat (PDF) file
| Body Magic Posted Saturday, July 09, 2005 10:30 PM by Randall |
I wondered how many of you have done magic that involves your body
(other than your body being present at ritual)? If so, in what way was
your body involved, e.g.--hair clippings, getting a special piercing or
tattoo, use of blood, etc.? Also, did this magic seem to be different or
more powerful because of the personal, physical, connection?
| Devotional Dances? Posted Friday, July 08, 2005 1:16 PM by Randall |
I've been working with Evolutionary Witchcraft for a while and
while I enjoy the devotional dances, I wonder if anyone has some
suggestions for alternative sources on something similar? Repetitve
motions or movements within a religion framework?
Heck something even nicer would be such things with associated
chantings/singings/whatever.
| Demonic Hauntings? Posted Friday, July 08, 2005 1:15 PM by Randall |
After watching a television show last evening concerning a supposed
haunting of a former funeral home turned private residence by not a
ghost, but a demon, and the Catholic exorcism that "cleaned it", I was
left pondering the thought, Do demons really exist? Or are "problem or
evil" hauntings just human spirits that chose evil in this life and
choose to carry it on to the next?
I don't believe in Hell as a place one is sent, but rather as a place
one creates for oneself... But without a Hell, from where do these
"evil" hauntings originate? Or are they even "real"?
| Faith in Times of Adversity Posted Friday, July 08, 2005 1:12 PM by Randall |
How does your faith help you deal with painful situations? By providing
comfort? By providing strength? Both? Other?
| Server IP Move Successful Posted Friday, July 08, 2005 1:10 PM by Randall |
The message board server IP move has been completed and The Cauldron's message
board seems to be up and working -- at least there are people
posting and I haven't heard of anyone having DNS issues with
ecauldron.net. The server is now on a much faster connection to the
Internet, so the board should be more responsive. Thanks and a tip of
the pointy hat to Bob for all the planning and hard work!
| Message Board Server IP Move Friday Morning Posted Thursday, July 07, 2005 4:33 PM by Randall |
Bob, our server admin, is going to move the message board server to a
new set of IP numbers Friday morning (July 8th in the US). This could
cause a day or two of server down time (as the new IP numbers percolate
through the DNS system), but Bob says "Through some twisted DNS kung fu,
I'm thinking I can get the move done with a minimum of pain and downtime
for most posters."
This means that if we are lucky, the board will only be down for a short
while during the move. If we aren't lucky, of course, the board will be
unreachable for 24-48 hours. If this happens, we will post a link to our
backup board.
| Feeling the Divine Posted Wednesday, July 06, 2005 4:35 PM by Randall |
When, where or under which circumstances is it likely for you to feel
the presence of the divine around you? Which experiences feel like a
Mystery to you? What makes you feel "whoa! here's god!"?
For me - it can happen at nights when the moon is full, or when I watch
the sparrows playing in the garden. Sometimes it's a yellow butterfly
hovering over the grass, or the warmth of the wind. Other times it's a
wonderful chill I get while chanting quietly in ritual, the tingling of
my skin when invoking deity, or the the way magical power feels in my
hands.
Care to share your own experiences?
| Music Used in Ritual Posted Wednesday, July 06, 2005 4:33 PM by Randall |
Unlike more established religions, Pagans don't have a wealth of musical
material from which to draw. So, I was curious, what types of music (if
any) do you include in your worship? Do you use published Pagan music?
Do you invent your own? Do you use secular music, and fit it to your
ritual?
| Best Pagan Festivals? Posted Tuesday, July 05, 2005 9:55 PM by Randall |
I know that a lot of you have been to different Pagan festivals, and I
wondered what is the best Pagan festival you have attended? Why was it
the best for you...the general atmosphere?... a specific encounter or
incident? Essentially, what made it memorable and special for you?
| The Afterlife: Is There One? Posted Tuesday, July 05, 2005 9:53 PM by Randall |
Is there an afterlife? What do people think about this and even more
importantly why do they think it? I have my own beliefs of course, but
I'd like to hear a wide range of opinions if possible.
| Does Divination Play a Role in your Faith? Posted Sunday, July 03, 2005 3:57 PM by Randall |
I just wondered if divination plays a role in your faith? If so, what
type of divination is used (e.g. tarot, runes, etc.), and how is the
divination used. For example, are you trying to predict the future, gain
more information about unknown situations, or other?
| Review: The Cambridge Companion to Homer Posted Sunday, July 03, 2005 3:52 PM by Randall |
The Cambridge Companion to Homer is third in Cambridge's new
series of companion volumes, in which books on Virgil and Ovid have
already appeared, nicely produced and very attractively priced. In the
"Introduction" the general editor R. Fowler finds Homer's poems
miraculous and even "a serious argument for divine intervention in human
affairs." Whereas Dr. Johnson considered Homer a great among greats, the
Romantic view was to relish his alterity and to understand his different
world. By these lights, the historicism of modern Homeric criticism is
Romantic, F. suggests, but the mystery will remain because we know
nothing real about any such poet. Still, we strive to learn more, and
this book will show a literary bias, while not neglecting historical
issues.
| Review: Augustus and the Family at the Birth of the Roman Empire Posted Sunday, July 03, 2005 3:49 PM by Randall |
In the plethora of recent works on Augustus and his period, this book
marks out its own terrain with a claim for uniqueness. And although it
owes much to preceding work on the political system, legislation,
cultural change, 'the Roman Family', art and iconography, religion and
ritual, it does weave these threads into an argument with a new
emphasis. This is that gradual developments within Augustus' family, and
the growing role of that family as an instrument of state, by 14 CE made
the heritability of his personal-political position seem natural and
even inevitable. Establishing a dynasty was not Augustus' aim for at
least the first two decades of his rule: he used family relations to
consolidate his own individual position. The book not only makes a
contribution to the scholarship on early imperial Roman history but will
also attract a more general readership interested in the role of women
and family, in the transmission of power, and in transitions in world
history.
| Suggestions for Pagan Organization Activities? Posted Sunday, July 03, 2005 3:44 PM by Randall |
This new school year, I'd really like to form some sort of Pagan
Organization, if my school doesn't have one (going into eleventh grade
around here means a new school. Odd, I know).
I've been on this path for five years, and I'm hoping to finally meet
other teenagers who are serious about a Pagan faith. Believe me, I've
met far too many who just claim to be Wiccan. I once wished a "Wiccan"
girl happy Beltane, and she seemed to not understand me. I guess that's
us teenagers for you, though. Page through some basics and claim a
faith. Hopefully the ones here have passed that stage.
Anyhow, I think I'll end up leading my brainchild, which I guess would
be all right. What sorts of things could we do when the club meets,
other than discuss what we each of us believes? I'd like it to be open
to all, the Pagans, the Pagan curious, and the bored who think "gee, I
guess I should find something to kill time." What sorts of things do the
Christian organizations do? What could we do?
So far, all I can come up with are field trips to a park or nature
society, but then what? I know not everyone who shows up will be Wiccan,
so I want to try and keep it completely Pagan friendly.
Any ideas would be welcome!
| What Is Your Symbol? Posted Sunday, July 03, 2005 3:40 PM by Randall |
Do you have a religious symbol that you find especially meaningful
(pentagram, cross, hammer, ankh, moon, sun, spider, etc.)? Where does
the symbol come from? What does it mean to you? Do you use the symbol in
ritual or other religious practice? Do you wear it or use it where you
can actually see it?
| New News Posting System Posted Friday, July 01, 2005 2:48 PM by Randall |
Although you probably will not notice much difference, we have replaced
our news posting system as of today (July 1, 2005). We had been using Blogger.
Now we are using Thingamablog.
Blogger was nice, but it was too often down or very slow when we wanted
to make a post. Thingamablog runs on our home system and uploads new
news items to the ecauldron.com server. No third party needed.
| Do Your Gods Have Physical Bodies? Posted Friday, July 01, 2005 2:38 PM by Randall |
Unlike the JCI god (except of course, Jesus), many Pagan gods are
typically represented as having human or animal-like bodies (and if
you're Egyptian, some funky combo of the two). Do you think that the
gods actually have some sort of physical substance? Or are they a spirit
form that appears to be a physical body? Or is there another possibility?
What do you think?
| Review: The Significance of Votive Offerings in Selected Hera Sanctuaries Posted Friday, July 01, 2005 2:33 PM by Randall |
Most of us, laymen and specialists alike, tend to think of Hera in terms
of her panhellenic profile in epic: ravishing, bossy, white-armed,
stern, ox-eyed, matronly, pugnacious, zealous, persistent, principled,
articulate, firm, a warrior quick to pick a fight as her mood incites
her, deceptive (of Zeus) as the need arises, artificially sexy but not
necessarily fertile, certainly not motherly (think of poor Hephaistos'
plight and her "monstrous" dimensions in the Hom. Hymn to
Apollo). Zeus' celestial wife is a distinct, clearly definable
character in epic, a primeval and revered force who nevertheless has not
attracted attention or excited students' imagination as readily and
extensively as, for example, Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, or Demeter. She
certainly does not take pride of place in the typical opening lecture of
the undergraduate Greek Civilization course or its equivalent on Greek
Religion. Neither could she be, in any form, a catch-piece in art and
archaeology classes, this despite a century and a half of Kopienkritique
and endless efforts to reconstruct the majestic allure of the Pheidian
image at the Argive Heraion. No wonder Paris did not choose her....
Whoever picks up Baumbach's (hereafter B.) book carrying this
preconceived, narratively induced gestalt will certainly be surprised by
the picture this archaeologist can put together on the basis of the
thousands of votive offerings that form the empirical basis of his bold
and far-ranging study.
| Review: The Metamorphosis of Magic Posted Friday, July 01, 2005 2:29 PM by Randall |
The Metamorphosis of Magic began as a 1999 invitational seminar
at the University of Groningen on "Cultural Change," which included a
stellar cast of scholars. The intention was to look at how "magic" took
on different forms from the early Roman period (Dead Sea Scrolls)
through early modern Europe (represented by various learned grimoires).
The papers are all quite discrete in historical/cultural focus, however,
making it difficult to see the continuous development of any particular
phenomenon over time and space. What might be "magical" for the Dead Sea
Scrolls certainly bears little similarity to what Augustine discusses or
to early modern debates about lycanthropy.
| Review: World of Myths (Volume Two) Posted Friday, July 01, 2005 2:22 PM by Randall |
Myth, always tempting as a subject of study, remains controversial. Many
definitions have been suggested and rejected. The second volume of the
World of Myth is indicative of the widespread interest in comparative
mythology. Co-published by the British Museum and the University of
Texas Press, it consists of five contributions, each about 80 pages in
length, from a series entitled "The Legendary Past". The first volume,
edited in 2003 and introduced by Marina Warner, comprised Greek, Roman,
Norse, Egyptian and Celtic Myths. The present volume includes
Mesopotamian, Persian, Chinese, Aztec, Maya and Inca Myths.
| Inverted Pentacle in Initiation? Posted Friday, July 01, 2005 2:18 PM by Randall |
I've heard and read that the inverted pentagram is the symbol for a 2nd
degree initiate in Wicca, however, I don't really know why this is. The
only connection I've drawn here is between the "pentagram as human body"
school of thought and the Hanged Man card of the Tarot, the idea being
that one must suffer to learn, and perhaps the 2nd degree initiation
focuses on that idea more than others. I don't really know. I asked
someone who is not Wiccan what he thought of it, and he said "stay away
from anything that uses the inverted pentagram for an initiation,"
because in his belief, the inverted pentagram is a symbol of evil or of
physical matter ruling over the mind/spirit. I generally disagree with
him because I don't know any Wiccans who would use the pent to mean
that, and the people I know certainly wouldn't wear it around with that
meaning attached to it.
What are your thoughts?
| Taboo Breaking in Magick Posted Friday, July 01, 2005 2:11 PM by Randall |
To elaborate on the thread title... In some magickal/spiritual systems
that I have come across, I have seen the idea of deliberate
taboo-breaking valued. For example, in LeVay Satanism there is the Black
Mass (and similar rites), in Discordianism there is the hot dog to be
eaten on Fridays; and in Chaos Magick, Peter Carroll suggests that
taboos can be part of magick, or spiritual experiments - e.g. making the
identity more malleable by deliberately taking up habits and dropping
old habits, eating foods you dislike, etc.
Do you use taboo breaking in your religion/spiritual or magickal
practices?
If so, what do you see as their value and/or purpose?