Elections 2012



Oh hail, Goddess Columbia, Protectress of our great land,

Be with us I pray as we go do our duty as citizens next Tuesday.

May we still ourselves before your altars, remembering that

What we do should not be for selfish reasons but for the best

Of our country and its people as a whole:

That no one, including the government, should have control

Over another person, except in the criminal justice system;

And, finally, as that great Hero Franklin Delano Rooselvelt

said, we need to be free from the greatest fear of all -- fear

itself.



It is only by this that we can truly be a great nation: one made

out of many. So may it be, Great Columbia!

Thoughts on the NCAA, Penn State, and Ethics

I don't know about the rest of you; but, I've been thinking about the NCAA's recent ruling regarding the late coach Joe Patierno, Penn State, and ultimately the football team.  Now, I will admit up front that I do not watch much football and do not have any favourite teams, either college or professional.  I do not have an axe to grind. 

I am disgusted at what the assistant coach is accused of doing (having child porn on his computer).  However, from what I have read about this scandal, Patierno did take the issue to the university's president when he found out about it.  I don't know about the hierarchy at Penn State; however, he was ordered to keep quiet and sit on it.  Who knows what he may have told this assistant to do since he is now dead.  He may have tried to order him to stop the behaviour at work. So, yes, he kept quiet and the s***t hit the fan last year.  Oedipus, anyone?  Symbolically falling on his sword, he let himself die.  Now the jackals of the press and the editorial cartoonists are further ripping apart whatever is left.

However, in my opinion, what is even worse in this whole debacle, is what was done to former members of the Penn State football team, most of whom DO NOT become professional players, by the NCAA. Over 100 wins were wiped away as if they didn't even exist -- including bowl wins.  This brings me back to ancient Egypt, when a new pharoah would sometimes try to eliminate all historical references to his predecessor by scatching out his cartouches.  (Stalin also did the same thing, if you need a more modern example.)

I do agree that the university's President, who made the decisions in the first place should be the one who faces the firing line -- and he has been fired.  The monetary fine levied against the university I also cannot argue.   However, I've always had a huge problem when the NCAA punishes the athletes who had nothing to do with the actions of the persons in charge.  I don't care what sort of weak excuse the NCAA comes up with in this regard -- IT IS WRONG.     

The Lure of Esotericism

I believe that esoteric practice (ie. Gnosticism, Hermeticism. Qaballah, etc.) is just another form of excessive pride/hubris.  The practitioner believes that he/she has special "secrets" of the gods, which are only entrusted during stages of initiations -- the hoi polloi, of course, not being capable of understanding such things.  BAH! and HUMBUG! I say to that.
Another reason that I look at it with a leery eye is that it has a feel of "dogma" to it.  Most of the esoteric practices of which I am aware arose further to the East and in Egypt.  Some reconstructionists even think that if the ancient polytheist religions were left alone they would have become more neo-Platonic and Hermetic.  I certainly would not have wanted that to happen!
The Mysteria at Eleusis is said to have opened the doors to all this other {redacted}.  Personally, I do not feel that Eleusis was esoteric even though the initiates kept its secrets.  A person did not need to study in order to go through the initiation -- anyone could as long as they could speak Greek.  This sounds like exoteric religion to me.
 

Another Good Reason to Dump "Pagan"

All of my readers know why I dislike the words pagan and paganism.  Anyway, there is another reason to dislike the terms -- they are being taken over by the New Atheists.  Yes, that is correct, the group of people who have evolution expert Dawkins, who is a professor at Cambridge, as their figurehead, have glommed onto "pagan" to describe themselves because they are all into ecology.  The web site/blog Humanistic Paganism was brought to my attention today in my E-mail because of a short essay by a M.J. Lee entitled "Why Do People Want Supernatural Gods?"  http://www.humanisticpaganism.com/2012/06/03/why-do-people-want-supernatural-gods-by-m-j-lee/ Right away I can see that there is a BIG problem with this essay.  In my theology and world-view, the gods are NOT supernatural.  Star Foster had a wonderful rebuttal, to which, of course, none of the so-called intellectuals involved with this group responded.  In fact, she has published a more thorough rebuttal on her blog over at Patheos, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/pantheon/2012/when-pagan-loses-meaning-atheists-and-theists/
As a matter of an FYI, I would like to recommend a WordPress blog, The New Oxonian.  He writes profusely about the New Atheists (he does not have a good opinion of them).

This Questionnaire is One Reason I Don't Call Myself a Pagan

The Great Big Pagan Meme of Doom


Do you have a magical/Pagan name?
(can I throw up?)
GAH!  However, I have occasionally used Hypatia and Ergane as confirmation-type names (a second name after my real birth name).  As I do not believe that I can "magically" raise myself to the level of the Gods or even send out the amount of personal energy that would be required to make "magical" change, it just seemed rather silly to me.

How did you find Paganism?
I do not believe that "paganism" is a religion of long duration.
The Greek Gods came into my life at a very young age (under 10).  I didn't know there was a name for this.  Of course I was a book nerd then, too.  I did read some of the better books on traditional Wicca and witchcraft; however, I found that these did not contain the things I was looking for (these were just magic).  I even attempted open Wiccan circles.  Even these were not ultimately satisfying and seemed to me to be very shallow and fluffy.  So I do not believe there is any such thing as Paganism other than the modern syncretic magical cum religious practice created in the 20th century.  In addition, I do not believe that so-called witchcraft is a religion but is herbalism associated with prayers to whichever gods are local in a region.

How long have you been practicing?
over 50 years

Are you out of the broom closet?
not totally

Solitary or group practitioner?
both

What is your path?
Hellenic Polytheist

D E I T Y

What’s your brand of deism?
hard polytheist with some animist tendencies

Who is your patron God?
I'm not sure about all this "patronage" business; however, I do have an interesting relationship with Hermes, Boreias, and Zeus.  I am not dedicated to any of them; however, as I believe that a person can develop a relationship with a God without being dedicated.

Who is your patron Goddess?
Presently, Athena and Hera have a predominant place in my life right now.  I am not ritually (formally) dedicated to Them; however, I am working toward becoming a priestess for them both.  When I was very young it was Artemis who first made the Gods a reality to me.

What Gods do you worship?
the Hellenic Pantheon

Do you fear darkly aspected Gods/Goddesses, or rather respect them?
DUH!  I am NOT a Dualist so this question has NO MEANING for me.

Do you worship the Christian God?
No

Do you worship animals? Or plants?
(OY, VEY!)  I honour the nymphs who reside on the Earth.

N A T U R E

Do you regularly commune with nature?
DUH!  Of course! 

Taken a camping trip just to talk to nature?
I had enough "camping" when I was on USAF active duty.  I don't feel that I have to go rustic in order to have proper awe for the greatness surrounding me.

Describe the moment you felt closest to Mother Earth?
all the time

Do you have a familiar?
NO
Do you hug trees?
? I leave offerings for the nymphs by them
What are your favorite plants to work with?
I don't do magic

what are your favorite trees to work with?
ditto

W H E E L O F T H E Y E A R

this section has no meaning to me as I follow a number of festivals dedicated to different gods


What is your favorite holiday?
Theogamia; Khalkeia
What is your least favorite holiday?

DUH


Have you ever held a ritual on a holiday?
try to
Ever taken a day off work to celebrate a Pagan holiday?
no
Do you celebrate Yule on the 21st rather than the 25th?

I don't celebrate Yule


Have you ever felt the veil thin?
no
Ever danced the Maypole?

no


Know what the Maypole symbolizes?

DUH

How do you usually celebrate the Pagan holidays?

dimwit: MODERN, IRISH, NORSE, GERMAN, SLAVIC, ROMAN, GREEK, EGYPTIAN, ETC......

D I V I N A T I O N

Do you use Tarot?

NO


Do you use runes?
N
SOMETHING SIMILAR


Do you use a pendulum?

no


Do you use dowsing rods?
NO
Do you use astrology?

NO

ANY OTHERS?
DREAMS


S P E L L S


What was the first spell you did?

I don't remember-- I just know that I felt weird and that the gods disapproved.


What was the latest?

don't do magic

Ever done a love spell?

see above

A job spell?
ditto
A healing spell?
ditto
What was the most powerful spell you’ve ever performed?
none
What deities do you usually call on?

no


C R Y P T O Z O O L O G Y
now we are in the realm of the rabid fluff bunny: be afraid, be very afraid!!!! 
Do you believe in vampires?
DUH!
Werewolves?
ditto
Shapeshifters?
ditto

Dragons?
no     dinosauria--yes


Elves/Fairies/Nymphs/Sprites/Satyrs/Mermaids...?
I believe that these are local names for the various demi-divinities of the earth, sea and sky.  As such, they are not all sweetness and light as the FB would have it.

Ever “seen” any of the above?
not sure
Ever used any of the above in magic?

I would NEVER USE any BEING!!!!!!  GAH!!!!  How distasteful is that!

Do you have one of them as a personal guardian?

no

R A N D O M


Do you see a rabbit, a man or a woman in the moon?
HUH

Own a cat?

Owned by a passel of them 


When you meditate, what does your happy place look like?

no place

Do you work with chakras?
no
Do you believe in past lives?

maybe

If so, describe a few briefly:


Do you believe in soul mates?

No.


Do you have a spirit guide?
no
Is it always love and light?
you have got to be kidding