Banned OF Pagans's topics - tribe.net

What are the things you look for when Joining an online community or group?

2008-05-22T22:47:10Z

So, quick discussion topic.

What are some of the things that you look for when joining online communities, and groups?

Is it the feeling of a community? The content that is in the group? The People that manage or run the group?

Please share your thoughts here.

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 4 replies

Becoming and being a Druid

2008-02-22T22:13:43Z

Becoming and being a Druid

Since I joined this group I have been asked this question many times, both in open and in private messages. With this post I hope to clarify some of my thoughts on this issue as they have been handed down to me. Becoming and being a Druid becomes a life long quest for "Draíocht" (The Druid's art). It is the discovery, personal experience, and the illuminated knowledge of Draíocht. Aside from service to one's people (which I will get into a bit more), "Imbas/Awen" is an inner truth which firmly establishes the Druid *as* a Druid. Being a Druid involves a study of An Fhirinne in Aghaidh an Tsaoil, or the Truth facing the world. A Druids training is given by studying this inner truth, as well as understanding the laws of man, and nature. Lastly the training involves knowledge, respect, and honoring of the "god's" aka the ever living Sidhe. "An Fhirinne in Aghaidh an Tsaoil" is a study, an art in and of it's self, it is what can be discovered beyond the limits of ego, self involvement, and the illusions generated by the "onion" created by reality, what is "reality" if not an onion, given to it's many layers and perceptions?

Art and personal expression was and is the art of the Druid, or the oes dána. The aspiring "Draoí" must learn what his strong points are as far as art and self expression, in ancient times the "oes dána" (or the "Learned class") who's arts included, the judge, the leech, the joiner, the metal-worker, and most important of all, the poet (fili), who seems to have inherited much of the prestige of the druid of pagan times. The oes dána, the "Druí" and the Tuatha de Danann had these things in common (see what I mean by tracing times?). The Lebor gaballa Erenn (the book of the taking of Ireland) is a manuscript recorded by the Irish filidh somewhere between the 9th and 11th century which records some of the old tales of Ireland. It shows us in histories, pseudo-histories, puns, and riddles how the ancients viewed the practice of Druidry. In the quote I am about to highlight, notice how the God Lugh asks the strengths of the hosts of the De Danann:

Then the men of rank among the Túatha Dé were assembled around Lug. He asked his smith, Goibniu, what power he wielded for them.

‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Even if the men of Ireland continue the battle for seven years, for every spear that separates from its shaft or sword that will break in battle, I will provide a new weapon in its place. No spear point which my hand forges will make a missing cast. No skin which it pierces will taste life afterward. Dolb, the Fomorian smith, cannot do that. I am now concerned with my preparation for the battle of Mag Tuired.’

‘And you, Dían Cécht,’ said Lug, ‘what power do you wield?’

‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Any man who will be wounded there, unless his head is cut off, or the membrane of his brain or his spinal cord is severed, I will make him perfectly whole in the battle on the next day.’

‘And you, Crédne,’ Lug said to his brazier, ‘what is your power in the battle?’

‘Not hard to answer,’ said Crédne. ‘I will supply them all with rivets for their spears and hilts for their swords and bosses and rims for their shields.’

‘And you, Luchta,’ Lug said to his carpenter, ‘what power would you attain in the battle?’

‘Not hard to answer,’ said Luchta. ‘I will supply them all with whatever shields and spearshafts they need.’

‘And you, Ogma,’ said Lug to his champion, ‘what is your power in the battle?’

‘Not hard to say,’ he said. ‘Being a match for the king and holding my own against twenty-seven of his friends, while winning a third of the battle for the men of Ireland.’

‘And you, Morrígan,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’

‘Not hard to say,’ she said. ‘I have stood fast; I shall pursue what was watched; I will be able to kill; I will be able to destroy those who might be subdued.’

‘And you, sorcerers,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’

‘Not hard to say,’ said the sorcerers. ‘Their white soles will be visible after they have been overthrown by our craft, so that they can easily be killed; and we will take two-thirds of their strength from them, and prevent them from urinating.’

‘And you, cupbearers,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’

‘Not hard to say,’ said the cupbearers. ‘We will bring a great thirst upon them, and they will not find drink to quench it.’

‘And you, druids,’ said Lug, ‘what power?’

‘Not hard to say,’ said the druids. ‘We will bring showers of fire upon the faces of the Fomoire so that they cannot look up, and the warriors contending with them can use their force to kill them.’

‘And you, Coirpre mac Étaíne,’ said Lug to his poet, ‘what can you do in the battle?’

‘Not hard to say,’ said Coirpre. ‘I will make a glám dícenn against them, and I will satirize them and shame them so that through the spell of my art they will offer no resistance to warriors.’

‘And you, Bé Chuille and Díanann,’ said Lug to his two witches, ‘what can you do in the battle?’

‘Not hard to say,’ they said. ‘We will enchant the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth so that they will be a host under arms against them; and they will scatter in flight terrified and trembling.’

‘And you, Dagda,’ said Lug, ‘what power can you wield against the Fomorian host in the battle?’

‘Not hard to say,’ said the Dagda. ‘I will fight for the men of Ireland with mutual smiting and destruction and wizardry. Their bones under my club will soon be as many as hailstones under the feet of herds of horses, where the double enemy meets on the battlefield of Mag Tuired.’

Then in this way Lug addressed each of them in turn concerning their arts, strengthening them and addressing them in such a way that every man had the courage of a king or great lord.

Now every day the battle was drawn up between the race of the Fomoire and the Tútha Dé Danann, but there were no kings or princes waging it, only fierce and arrogant men.

Now as I stated earlier, being a Druid is also defined by ones actions and learning in the given culture(s) they study. How can we be in reality Druids when we know it took as long as 12 to 20 years to become one in ancient times. This can be accomplished by setting up a curriculum similar to that of those of ancient times. In the Book of Ollamhan, this training was said to produce seven levels of Filidh with a curriculum that lasted for twelve years. These seven levels laid out would be "a 'Fochlac', a 'Mac Fiurmedh', a 'Doss', a 'Cana', a 'Cli', and an 'Anrad', with an 'Ollamh' as the seventh.." And with that I will outline the difference between a Druid and a Celt. To be a Druid in truth, firstly you must memorize an acceptable number of tales traditional and experiential in order to be able to advise the people of the Tuath or tribe, and have learned the skills necessary to help them in times of need. When the poet's dedication to truth has stood for years as a shining example without blemish, when he has absorbed the lore and the techniques of other Druids to the point that he is considered skilled in many of them, when he has established a connection to the Otherworld and the deities such that you can be described as one who is a master, and when his skills in leadership and communication are such that people you serve usually understand what you say and frequently follow your advice, then...You are a Druid.

Power of the Dagdha's heart be in you.

Senbecc, your resident Druid and File

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 1 reply

Hello's and Welcomes!!!

2008-02-22T20:02:09Z

Some of you will know me from myspace, and, will even belong to the group there of the same name. This is just an off-shoot of that group.

I haven't seen many groups here on tribe that were just general paganism, and, those that I have found have been somewhat dead... So, I thought that having our own place here might be a good idea.

I hope that everyone will feel free to post topics and questions, and, of course. please, introduce yourselves!

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 21 replies

What makes a path?

2008-02-22T05:23:19Z

What makes something a path? Is it that other people have walked it?

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 8 replies

NICE JOB POSTING THESE GROUPS ON MYSPACE ! ! !

2008-02-21T02:58:01Z

http://paganmystics.celticfaithful.org/index.php
http://tribes.tribe.net/bannedpaganstribe?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5B8c14581c-579e-4529-86f2-be0d68f82a13%5D
http://paganmystics.proboards101.com/index.cgi

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 5 replies

I > you

2008-02-19T08:46:58Z

its true :D

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 6 replies

The History of Valentines Day

2008-02-12T17:55:50Z

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February -- Valentine's Day -- should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)
Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

Special thanks to American Greetings.

http://www.history.com/minisites/valentine/viewPage?pageId=882

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 2 replies

History of Paganism.

2008-02-10T21:44:04Z

According to Oxford University, the modern meaning of the word "Pagan" would be ' a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions'. However, in my opinion, any serious "Pagan" should understand and educate themselves on the fact that Pagan/ism isn't a religion in and of it's self, but more over has become something of an umbrella term as Oxford would suggest.

For example, a Wiccan would be a Pagan, a Druid would be a Pagan, and a "Heathen" would be a Pagan according to modern Etymology. However, where does the word it's self originate and how did it become what we as "Pagans" understand today? Basically, a Pagan is someone who doesn't follow a Christian or Jewish religion.

The Word Pagan is actually Latin, and denotes a country dweller. It originates from the word "pagus" (or paganus) and actually means "rural district" Roman soldiers would used the term "Pagan" as some would use the term "hick, redneck, or bumpkin". Much later, after Rome started to become more of a Christianized culture, the use of the term Pagan shifted some what into and used by city folk to describe someone who continued to worship the old Pagan Idols, this being how the word came to denote one who worships Pagan Gods.

It wasn't until the reign of Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (Constantine I), as it was this reign which would be the turning point for early Christianity from a simple religion, to a state power within the Empire, and from there, from minority, to majority around the year 313 C.E..

Anyone who followed the literally hundreds of the old Pagan Religions of the old Roman Empire were persecuted by Constantine I relentlessly. The persecuted Pagans included the non-Christians of North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe - the area often called the "oikoumene" or the "known world. As persecution spread around the known world, often Pagans would pretend to be Christians as a means of escaping, such as the Pagan Emperor Julian for example (who ruled from 361-363), who was born into a Christian family, and later (no one knows exactly when) converted back to Paganism. Pagans had already begun to practice their religions in secret in the mid and late fourth century. To take this a bit further, there was a famous fellow Pagan author called Libanius who lived at the same times as Emperor Julian and during his time in power. Libanius also reported in his work "For the Temples" that by Julian's death, there were Pagan's who not only pretended to be Christian, but would pray to Pagan gods as the worshiped in the church.

Now let's fast forward a bit to the Dark Ages, which lasted from about 600 AD to about 1000 AD. Well let's just say they're not called the Dark ages for nothing. Now Pagans not only have Christians to worry about but other Pagans as well. Christians fought Christians, Pagans fought Pagans, Pagans fought Christians, and Christians fought Pagans. Something that was common was the burning of scrolls, books, and other forms of knowledge and ancesteral ways of the defeated armies. Very little would ever survive invading hordes and Crusades. However thankfully there were strongholds, places which were from Rome and Athens, such as city of Timbuktu in central Africa, Irish monasteries, and by Islamic scholars in centers of learning as Baghdad.

Fast forward again to the Middle ages, so much has been lost to "Paganism" already, it is now between 1000 C.E. and 1500 C.E. It is during this time that we begin to see some of the first Inquisitions, known as the Medieval Inquisitions around 1184 C.E., this is the term historians use to describe the various inquisitions which occurred around this date such as the Episcopal Inquisition which raged from 1184 to sometime in the 1230's, however just as the Episcopal ended, the Papal Inquisition began. Not a good time to be anyone, Christians, as well as Pagans would be tortured and killed, though more Christians would die than Pagans, it was a dark time for everyone.

By definition an Inquisition is is the judgment of heresy by the Roman Catholic Church. During this time Wicca and Wicce (Male and female practitioners of sorcery and magic O.E.) would become interchangeable with "Pagan". Fear and sometimes hate would drive priests to focus much of their attention to women, thus the word "Witch" soon evolved from Wicce. This being why much of modern Bible translations focus on women. For example the word from which "Witch" is taken is "Chasaph" which actually means "poisoner". King James I according to Reginald Scot in his book "The discovery of Witchcraft" had purposely mistranslated the Bible to target women. Some translations saying Witch, some saying Sorceress, I have even heard of one translation which said Woman. Then there was the Malleus Maleficarum which was first submitted to the University of Cologne on May 9th, 1487 and is translated by Montague Summers to mean "The Hammer of Witches" is the most infamous of all witch hunting instructional books. Written by James Sprenger and Henry Kramer, it remained in use for three hundred years and It had tremendous influence in the witch trials in England and on the continent. This book, should serve as a terrible reminder of what can happen when intolerance is allowed to run rampant. Literally thousands of people were tortured and killed in the name of eradicating Paganism, primarily Christian women.

Whether Witch Hunts Driven by King James I or Roman Emperors like Constantine I who was bent on making the world Christian, it should always be remembered that religion is only an excuse for one culture to rule over another. It isn't religion which teaches us to reign over others, but how we twist said religions. Paganism, like Christianity has endured it's share of hardships down through the ages. We as modern Pagans and Christians alike must remember our history, as to never let it be visited back on us. You can no more change what a man holds sacred, than you can change the color of his skin. This is why Paganism has endured, this is why the legacy endures. Let the many paths be opened, let us hear the calling of the ever hidden, let us go to the gathering, and meet at the great Crossroads.

Power of the Ancestors be within you!

Welcome to PaganMystics!

Senbecc, your resident Druid and Filidh

http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/mm/

http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/index.htm

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=witch&searchmode=none

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/details.php?id=O07P742THW

http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/PAGANISM/id/182360

http://www.egregores.org/

Past and Present journal No. 136 (Aug., 1992), pp. 186-205 Oxford University Press by "The Rise of Magic in Early Medieval Europe" by Valerie I. J. Flint

http://paganmystics.celticfaithful.org/index.php?page=11

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 3 replies

The importance of Animals, According to the OBOD

2008-02-08T07:48:07Z

Imagine that you are in a forest glade, a clearing lit by shafts of sunlight that filter down through the canopy of leaves high above. For a moment it seems as if you are alone in this clearing, but then you hear the sound of scuffling hooves, and all of a sudden you see a young white hind approaching you – its graceful body caught in the sunbeams. She stops, and for a moment the two of you simply stare at each other – each surprised, each entranced for a moment. Then she turns away from you, slowly and deliberately, and walks – not runs – back into the forest from whence she came. She moves so slowly she seems to want you to follow her. You can almost hear her saying “Come with me. Follow me deeper into the forest.”

Just as every plant and tree is considered sacred in Druidry, so every animal, fish and bird is seen as sacred too. But in the same way that some trees and plants, such as the oak and mistletoe, receive special veneration, so too do certain creatures receive particular attention within Druidry. The hind, which is a female red deer, is one such animal, and it is considered especially sacred by Druids. In Scotland they are called ‘fairy cattle’ and the old people tell stories of seeing these cattle being milked on the mountaintops by the fairies. Some say that the hinds are in fact fairy women themselves who have shape-shifted into these graceful creatures. To have a hind appear in our lives - either in the outer world or in the inner world in meditation or dreams – usually means that we will soon experience great happiness – that our lives are about to change in positive ways.

Inner Knowledge, Vitality and Healing
Each creature is seen in Druidry as offering gifts of inner knowledge, vitality and healing. We know that animals can provide us with food and clothing, but here the idea is that they can offer us much more – they are not simply ‘dumb animals’, fit only for our tables or shoes. Anyone who has kept, and truly loved, cats, dogs or horses, for example, will know of the extraordinary bonds that can form between us as humans and the animals we love. Telepathic connections with pets are frequently reported, and have become the basis of scientific experiments, and it has now been proved that pet ownership in the elderly prolongs life and promotes good health. All this shows that animals do indeed offer us the gifts of vitality and healing, and clearly we in turn can help them with our care and affection.

In Druidry we go one stage further and suggest that each animal carries a different and very particular kind of ‘energy’ or healing potential – ‘medicine’ in Native American vocabulary. This energy is available to us not only by physically connecting with an animal. Sometimes it simply isn’t practical to stroke a snake or lion for example, but Druids believe they can still receive this energy and interact with the animal in the Otherworld. This mysterious realm is sometimes called the Spiritworld. Some might think it imaginary, others might see it as another term for the Collective Unconscious, but Druids believe it is a world to which we sometimes travel in sleep or meditation, and which we enter at the death of our physical body. There, in this parallel universe of the Otherworld, are trees and plants, animals and birds, humans and nature-Spirits. Just as our outer world contains a host of different environments and beings who inhabit them, so too with the Otherworld, and part of the training of Druidry lies in developing the ability to consciously travel in this world – so that in dreams and meditation, and on death, we can navigate within it.

Many of the old Celtic folk-tales that derive from the Druid tradition speak of this realm and of the exploits of mortals who enter it. In the story of the Well of Segais from Ireland, for example, we learn of King Cormac, who loses his wife and children to a mysterious warrior who spirits them away to the Otherworld. Cormac gives chase with an army, but a mist descends, he is separated from his troops, and he finds himself alone by a well. Around it grow nine hazel trees, and swimming in its deep waters are five large salmon who feed on the hazelnuts. Five streams representing the five senses flow from the well, which is also described as a fountain or pool. The mysterious warrior reappears and reveals himself as the god of the sea, Manannan, who reunites Cormac with his wife and children. He then explains that the wise drink from each of the five streams and the central pool – suggesting an approach to wisdom that represents the very essence of Druidry as a sensuous spirituality that seeks wisdom and nourishment from the still centre of Spirit deep within and through each of our five senses.

The Salmon
The salmon is the creature that swims in the streams and the pool, and which represents the goal of every Druid – the Salmon of Wisdom. The salmon is perhaps the most sacred of all creatures in the Druid tradition, and it is known as the Oldest Animal. The fish as a central symbol within a spiritual tradition is ancient and ubiquitous – not only does it appear in Irish and Welsh legend, in the Vedas, in Hinduism and Buddhism, but also in Babylonian and Sumerian mythology. Orpheus was depicted as a fish, and later Christ and the Philosopher’s Stone of the Alchemists. Christian fish symbolism, including the custom of eating fish on a Friday, is believed to derive directly from the Jewish tradition, which in turn probably drew this element from Syrian belief. The fish and the fisherman were both intimately related symbolically from the earliest days – the first Avatar of Vishnu the Creator was a fish, both the Buddha and Jesus are referred to as fishermen, the Babylonians had a fisher-god and the Fisher King is the central figure in the grail legend.

When the Druid today seeks the Salmon of Wisdom they are connecting not only to a tradition of the ancient Druids, but also to an understanding that is rooted deep in the collective awareness of all humanity.
Ways of Working with Animals
Since Druidry is a sensuous spirituality of the land that seeks an involvement with life, rather than a detachment from it, an essential way of working with animals from a Druid perspective is simply to include animals in our lives – spending time with them, caring for them, becoming involved in conservation projects. Western consumerism has tended to cut us off from much of life, enclosing us in boxes of metal as we shuttle from our brick boxes to our concrete and glass work-boxes. For many of us we work gazing into the screen of a small box all day, to return home to an evening spent gazing at another box before falling asleep. Earth spiritualities such as Druidry offer a way out of these boxes built around us by our modern lifestyle. They encourage us to enter the natural world with an open heart and spirit to commune with the trees and the stones, the animals, the earth and the sky.

But in addition to simply being with and caring for animals more, Druidry also tells us that we can develop relationships with animals that go beyond the ordinary, and that animals in the Spirit-world as well as the physical world can guide and counsel, heal and protect us. They may come to us in our dreams, we may see them in our meditations, or we may encounter them in the outer world in magical and synchronistic ways.

Sometimes the animals that become meaningful for us are, in fact, symbolisations of parts of ourselves - the bull or horse might express aspects of our sexuality, the hawk or eagle our intellect, for example. A great deal of pioneering work has been done in this field by the psychologist Stephen Gallegos that demonstrates the psychotherapeutic value of working with our hidden fears, urges and wishes which can be evoked as animals that inhabit our inner world. But often the animals that we see in dreams or meditations or shamanic journeys are not simply symbolic representations, but are animals that exist as objective realities in the Otherworld as well as in the physical world. They may still evoke or resonate with our hidden fears or urges, but they exist independently of us – and are not just creations of our subconscious or our imaginations. It is these magical animals that offer us special qualities, special ‘medicines’.
The gifts of the animals
We discover the special qualities and gifts which these animals offer through experience – through exploring the world of animals and relating to them out in nature, and through interacting with them in the Otherworld too. The Ovate work in particular is focused on learning how to do this. But in addition to personal experience, we can also learn from the accumulated experience of our ancestors by studying traditional animal lore, and just as certain trees are associated in the Druid tradition with particular qualities, so certain animals have been found to mediate particular attributes too. For example: the bear, boar, cat, dog, goose, otter and raven are all associated with the quality of protection; the adder, boar, dog, frog, ram and raven are connected with healing; the owl and raven with initiation, and so on. When we need the qualities or abilities that these animals represent, we can call upon them to help us – seeing and relating to them in our inner world, dancing or singing with them, and connecting with them in the outer world too.

Raven knowledge
In the old stories Druids were sometimes referred to as ‘Adders’ - those with ‘Serpent Knowledge’ – and sometimes they were described as those with ‘Raven Knowledge’. As the associations listed above show, the raven possesses many attributes - mediating healing, prophetic knowledge, protection, and initiatory power.

The raven is seen as a messenger between the two worlds – this and the next – and for this reason we find ravens buried at the bottom of ancient ritual pits, such as at Danebury in Hampshire. These pits or shafts symbolised the connection between this world and the Otherworld, and the raven was seen as a messenger between the two.

The early Irish Druids divined according to the flight and cries of birds, and in particular the raven, and seeing the raven as a bird of divination and prophecy was lodged so firmly in the folk imagination that as late as 1694 in Hertfordshire a raven was reported to have uttered a prophecy three times. Even today the association of the raven with prophecy and protection is openly fostered in the heart of London at the Tower. In the tale of Bran the Blessed, the prophetic god-king Bran (which means ‘Raven’) asks that his head be cut off and buried on the White Mount in London, facing the direction of France. As long as his head remained buried there it would protect the kingdom. The Tower of London was later built on the site of the White Mount, and the magical protective power of the buried head was symbolised by the presence of ravens, which are kept at the Tower to the present day to fulfil Bran’s prophecy and ensure the safety of the realm.

Animal Oracles, Allies and Familiars
Today we can work with the sacred animals of tradition to gain guidance and insight into our lives, and a number of animal oracles have been developed to help us do this – including The Beasts of Albion and The Druid Animal Oracle.

Sometimes we seem to have a special connection with one or more animals – we feel an affinity with them, they come to us in our dreams, we turn to them in our minds and hearts when we need strength or reassurance. By working with specific techniques to strengthen our bonds with them, these animals can become our spiritual companions, and as our relationship with them deepens, we may feel that they have become our ‘familiars’ - our totem animals – who stay close to us and become our magical allies, partners in our journey through life.

The animals themselves then teach us, and we can draw as well on the fund of animal lore embodied in tradition – in the old stories and sayings that simply need some thought and time to unlock their secrets, as we can see from the old English adage: Ask the wild bee what the Druids knew.

Adapted from Druid Mysteries by Philip Carr-Gomm

Special Thanks to Faol for letting me steal this article for reposting

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Online Educational Sites For Pagans

2008-02-08T07:45:26Z

These are a few of the links that we have posted in the Teen Group. Please feel free to add more links to different educational sites, or tell us what you think of the links that have already been shared.

http://www.novaroma.org/

http://www.adf.org/core/

http://www.thetroth.org/

http://www.celticfaithful.org/

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Hello to everyone.

2008-02-08T05:13:30Z

Being recently new to the tribe i thought i would drop a hello and blessed imbolcto everyone. I hope that i will get a chance to know everyone and that the knowledge i have will be of help somewhere along the way.

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 3 replies

THE STORY OF KATO SAYEMON

2008-02-07T15:41:46Z

THE STORY OF KATO SAYEMON

IN the days when Ashikaga was Shogun there served under him a knight of good family, Kato Sayemon, of whom he was especially fond. Things went well with Sayemon. He lived in what might almost be called a palace. Money he possessed in plenty. He had a charming wife who had borne him a son, and, according to old custom, he had many others who lived as wives within his mansion. There was no war in the land. Sayemon found no trouble in his household. Peace and contentment reigned. He enjoyed life accordingly, by feasting and so forth. 'Oh that such a life could last!' thought he; but fate decreed otherwise.

One evening, when Sayemon was strolling about in his lovely garden, watching the fireflies and listening to singing insects and piping toads, of which he was extremely fond, he happened to pass his wife's room and to look up.

There he saw his dear wife and his favourite concubine playing chess ('go,' in Japanese). What struck him most was that they appeared perfectly happy and contented in each other's society. While Sayemon looked, however, their hair seemed to rear up from behind in the shapes of snakes which fought desperately. This filled him with fear.

Sayemon, in amazement, stealthily approached in order to see better; but he found the vision just the same. His wife and the other lady, when moving their men, smiled at each other, showing every sign of great courtesy; nevertheless, there remained the indistinct outlines of their hair assuming the forms of fighting snakes. Hitherto Sayemon had thought of them as almost sisters to each other, and so outwardly had they in fact appeared; but, now that he had seen the mysterious sign of the snakes, he knew that they hated each other more than could be understood by a man.

He became uneasy in his mind. Until then his life had been rendered doubly happy because he thought his home was peaceful; but now, he reflected, hatred and malice must be rampant in the house. Sayemon felt as if he were a rudderless boat, being drawn towards a cataract, from which no means of escape seemed possible.

He spent a sleepless night in meditation, during which he decided that to run away would be the safest course in the end. Peace was all that he craved for. To obtain it, he would devote himself to religious work for the rest of his life.

Next morning Kato Sayemon was nowhere to be found. There was consternation in the household. Men were dispatched here, there, and everywhere; but Sayemon could not be found. On the fifth or sixth day after the disappearance his wife reduced the establishment, but continued herself, with her little son Ishidomaro, to live in the house. Even the Shogun Ashikaga was greatly disconcerted at Sayemon's disappearance. No news of him came, and time passed on until a year had gone, and then another, when Sayemon's wife resolved to take Ishidomaro, aged five, and go in search.

For five weary years they wandered about, this mother and son, making inquiries everywhere; but not the slightest clue could they get, until at last one day they were staying at a village in Kishu, where they met an old man who told them that a year before he had seen Kato Sayemon at the temple of Koya San. 'Sure,' he said, 'I knew him, for I was once a palanquin-bearer for the Shogun, and often and often saw Sayemon San. I cannot say if he is at the temple; but he was a priest there a year ago.'

For Ishidomaro and his mother there was but little sleep that night. They were in a fever of excitement. Ishidomaro was now eleven years of age, and was most anxious to have his father at home; both mother and son, happy after their long years of searching, eagerly looked forward to the morrow.

Unfortunately, according to ancient regulations, Koya San temple and mountain were only for men. No woman was allowed to ascend to worship the image of Buddha on this mountain. Thus Ishidomaro's mother had to remain in the village while he went in quest of his father.

At daybreak he started, full of hope, and telling his mother not to fear. 'I will bring back father this very evening,' said he; 'and how happy we shall all be! Farewell for the time being, and fear not for me!' So saying, Ishidomaro went off. 'True,' he said, 'I do not know my father by sight; but he has a black mole over his left eye, and so have I; besides, I feel that it is my father I am going to meet.' With that and such other thoughts in his mind the boy plodded upwards through the tall and gloomy forests, stopping here and there at some wayside shrine to pray for success.

Higher and higher Ishidomaro climbed--Koya San is near 1100 feet in height--until he reached the outer gates of the temple, of which the true name is 'Kongobuji,' for 'Koya San' means only 'Koya Mountain.'

Arrived at the first priest's house, Ishidomaro espied an old man mumbling prayers.

'Please, sir,' said he, doffing his hat and bowing low, could you tell me if there is a priest here called Kato Sayemon? Greatly should I be obliged if you could direct me to him. He has only been a priest for five years. For all that time my dear mother and myself have been in search of him. He is my father, and we both love him much, and wish him to come back to us!'

'Ah, my lad, I feel sorry for you,' answered Sayemon (for it was indeed he). 'I know of no man called Kato Sayemon in these temples.' Delivering himself of this speech, Sayemon showed considerable emotion. He fully recognised that the boy he was addressing was his son, and he was under sore distress to deny him thus, and not to recognise and take him to his heart; but Sayemon had made up his mind that the rest of his life should be sacrificed for the sake of Buddha, and that all worldly things should be cast aside. Ishidomaro and his wife needed no money or food, but were well provided for; thus he need not trouble on those grounds. Sayemon determined to remain as he was, a poor monk, hidden in the monastery on Koya San. With a desperate effort he continued:

'I don't remember ever hearing of a Kato Sayemon's having been here, though, of course, I have heard of the Kato Sayemon who was the great friend of the Shogun Ashikaga.'

Ishidomaro was not at all satisfied with this answer. He felt somehow or other that he was in the presence of his father. Moreover, the priest had a black mole over his left eye, and he, Ishidomaro, had one exactly the same.

'Sir,' said he, again addressing the priest, 'my mother has always particularly drawn my attention to the mole over my left eye, saying, "My son, your father has such a mark over his left eye, the exact counterpart now, remember this, for when you go forth to seek him this will be a sure sign to you." You, sir, have the exact mark that I have. I know and feel that you are my father!'

With that, tears came into the eyes of Ishidomaro, and, outstretching his arms, he cried, 'Father, father, let me embrace you!'

Sayemon trembled all over with emotion; but haughtily held up his head and, recovering himself, said:

'My lad, there are many men and many boys who have moles over their left eyebrows, and even over their right. I am not your father. You must go elsewhere to seek him.'

At this moment the chief priest came and called Sayemon to the evening services, which were held in the main temple. Thus it was that Sayemon preferred to devote his life to Buddha, and (as Mr. Matsuzaki tells me) to emulate Buddha, rather than return to the ways of the world or to his family, or even to recognise his one and only son!

My sympathies are with Ishidomaro, of whom, as of his poor mother, we are told nothing further. To end in Mr. Matsuzaki's words:

'What became of Ishidomaro and his mother is not known; but it is told to this day that Kato Sayemon passed the rest of his life in peace and purity, entirely sacrificing his body and soul to Buddha, and did these things without any person to mourn over him, but in perfect contentment.'

In the third book of Sir Edwin Arnold's Light of Asia are the following verses, which were addressed to Buddha, when he was a Prince, by the winds:--

We are the voices of the wandering wind;
Wander thou too, O Prince, thy rest to find;
Leave love for love of lovers, for woe's sake
Quit state for sorrow, and deliverance make.
So sigh we, passing o’er the silver strings,
To thee who know’st not yet of earthly things;
So say we; mocking, as we pass away,
Those lovely shadows wherewith thou dost play.

No one, I feel sure, will fail to agree with me that Sayemon appears as a weak, selfish, and unheroic personage--not as a hero, much less as a Buddha.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Footnotes
75:1 Told to me by Mr. Matsuzaki. I cannot say that I think much of the story. Sayemon is made a hero; but he must appear to most as a rather cowardly and low creature. I remarked upon this to Mr. Matsuzaki, saying: 'I do not see that the story is finished. You make Sayemon out a model person, whereas to me he appears the worst one in the story. Surely the wife and the son should have come out as the good people; but you laud and praise Sayemon for leaving his family, and refusing to recognise them when they had no sin against themselves.' 'I do not admit the difficulty,' said Mr. Matsuzaki. 'It is the same as the Lord Buddha. He also left his wife, and devoted his life to religious affairs just as Sayemon did.' Well, I could not agree with this. Buddha was Buddha, a benefactor and helper to the whole of Asia. Sayemon was a poor miserable weakling who simply sought personal peace. As far as the story goes I defy anybody to find him a hero, or a person who in any way emulated Buddha--unless he did so from an entirely Japanese point of view. The story, however, is quite a celebrated one, referred to in many Japanese books: so Mr. Matsuzaki tells me.

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Asking Questions

2008-01-28T04:24:44Z

Asking Questions

Sometimes, people are afraid to ask questions for fear of being ridiculed or attacked. Not doing so is a certain way to avoid learning and growing. By not seeking one is diminishing in wisdom IMO. Those who prevent others from seeking are guilty of offenses against knowledge and even themselves also IMO.

It seems to me that those who ridicule newcomers are most often those who are insecure in their own knowledge or even those who don't learn deeply because they didn't ask the right questions (or even the wrong ones). One of the three parts of knowledge is inquiry according to Irish Druidic tradition. The other two parts are tradition and experience.

OTOH I've seen many newcomers to the Druid Way who are products of our *instant society.* These are people who don't understand that a lot of study and work are involved in being or becoming a Druid. In those cases, it has been the newcomers who seem intolerant to others rather than those who consider themselves among the established.

There's the third part of this scenario (you just knew there'd be three didn't you?). Those who sit back and do or say nothing are as guilty of either transgression or misbehavior according to Brehon Law. Celtic values say that a person who sees a wrong or an offense occurring and who does nothing to stop it or to come to the aid of another in need is partly guilty of the offense or the calamity themselves. They would be (according to Druid Ways) responsible for making restitution or righting wrongs.

In the case of a person being unjustly ridiculed, the responsibility is to come to the aid of the newcomer who knows no better. One way that this can be accomplished is through admonishing their attackers, as well as by providing answers or clarifications for their inquiries.

Please feel free and safe to ask the questions that need answers. By doing so, you will be honoring the three Druids of Partholan: Eolas, Fios and Fochmarc. You will be following one of the three Druidic ways to knowledge.

Searles O'Dubhain on the importance of asking questions.

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All Members Please Read

2008-01-28T04:24:01Z

What is the purpose of this group?

We have all come together, seekers, all of us at different stages in our development... to help one another, to build a community, and new friendships.

We are here to offer guidance and assistance to one another...To teens as well as beginning adults...

We all have questions that we’ve needed help with at one point or another...
We do what we can, sometimes if only lending a sympathetic ear when someone needs one… At others times, we come together to share our joys as we progress along our paths, find our personal truths, and celebrate birthdays and the turning of the wheel…

I would like to remind everyone here, that respect is a two way street, if you wish to be respected, then I suggest you also show respect to your fellow group members…

Just because you don't agree with someone's choice or decision; it is still ultimately theirs to make… We can only offer advice and guidance... we should never offer judgment... we don't come together to be judged... we should leave that up to ourselves and our deity... not the group.

What is so hard about being happy for one another and the choices that individuals make? Why do some people feel the need to make others feel bad about the choices that they have made?

If for example, one of us decides that our true path is one that leads to Christianity; shouldn't we be proud of that individual for finding their true place? I think that we should be elated that one of our extended family has found the place that they feel that they belong…

All of us should be lucky enough to know exactly what path we are destined to be on… Sometimes that takes years, a life time of searching… so, when we have a brother or sister that finds their way, even if we don't agree with that path, we must remember, that is not our choice to make.. The choice that we can make, not to judge someone else for their differences, but, to be happy that they have found their way…

Blessings, Love and Light
lala

posted in Banned OF Pagans - 0 replies