Drawing Down The Moon

Alright, so everyone is familiar with the term, "Drawing Down The Moon" right? According to wicca and in some pagan practices, this term is used to refer to bringing down the power of the moon into the self. Or bringing the force of the goddess into you, so you essentially become the Goddess for whatever brief amount of time.

Does anyone else scratch their heads on this? Don't Wiccans believe that the God and Goddess are omnipresent and are existent in all things? So why, then, for the need to draw it into you if its already there?

After much thought I think maybe this is just another way to awaken the inner gods in yourself. I am not saying everyone believes the same way. But as a Wiccan it is said the Gods are apart of you. I don't think enough emphasis is put on feeling that inner God and Goddess, or people have dogma still attached to them from their prior religious experience so they deter away from feeling the connection. 

Either way I think it is a great thing! Interacting with the divine is always nice and should be sought after. It just always puzzled me why it was such a popular practice with Wiccans because of our religious philosophy. Share your thoughts on the subject and your take on it below!

Sorry about the no updates. :( I am a bad blogger!

Mini-sode

I apologize to everyone that is actually following this blog! I havent been able to update for a really long time! I am in school full time, work full time, cohost a podcast (more on this in a minute), and am now a teacher of the craft! <(:-)

Ok, so I wanted to talk to you all about the podcast! It is called Divine Community and it is about religion and spirituality from a slightly pagan perspective. We are on Itunes, podbean, wordpress,and podcast alley. (divinecommunity.wordpress.com) So go check us out! It has really been quite fun and I love it. I am not a totally regular cohost but am on most of the episodes.

I hope to get an actual post out later, but for now I must leave you!

If the broom fits,

Amadore

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is the topic I would like to talk to you all about today.

I have been vegetarian for eight years, same amount of time I have been pagan. I think a lot of pagans and witches a like are vegetarian. On finishing the writings for my English class it really made me want to blog about it.

I think that the reason for vegetarianism in a Pagan society is because of spiritual reasons, obviously and also I like to think that as Pagans we are of a more open minded sort. Vegetarianism is seen as a cleansing thing for the body, mind, and soul. Which can be very spiritual. It also has been said to make you more magically aware and to open your third eye. So I have heard (Read it somewhere, sometime, in some book). There are also moral and ethical reasons to it. Although let it be said that you do NOT have to become vegetarian to be Pagan. There are plenty of Pagan's out there that eat meat.

I am a vegetarian for all the reasons you could ever think of and more. I love people and animals so much. I just care way too much. It would be like me eating Uncle Sam. Just disgusts me. Animals have emotions, it has been proven that they feel pain, fear, etc. They also have no voice. We are the dominant species ( sad as that is...) and most people feel entitled. How arrogant do you have to be to ignore the fact that they are helpless? That you eat meat because humans have been doing it since we were in homo gautengensis stage(just as in time frame. Its actually said that homo gautengensis probably ate less meat than all other stages of man) and that besides being lazy and not wanting to get your vitamins and nourishment from other things, there's no reason you HAVE to eat meat? I understand its the pecking order and all that but most people will argue that we are supposed to eat meat. SUPPOSED to. Like we are supposed to worship GOD and love JESUS and not play with SATAN? It just gets my cauldron bubblin. But it really makes me sad when I think of the inhumane way they are treated, kept in stuffed cages, whipped, starved sometimes, fed antibiotics so they wont die, not cared for, not given any love or attention, then slaughtered in horrific ways. A high number of slaughterhouses skin and gut the animals while they are still alive and conscious. The standard way is to shock the livestock to knock them unconscious,hung upside down, they sever the jugular and carotid artery so that the animal dies from exsanguination (bled to death). This is the general way they take care of business and is considered humane. If a human died like that it would be a big murder investigation! I just don't see it in the light that most people do I suppose. I just do not see how it is right. And by Gods if I didn't almost faint while looking that sh** up. And also, only 45-50% of the animal is going to become food.

Also, vegetarianism is good for the environment, could help end world hunger, and aid in the health of many people.

I just want everyone to think where their food is coming from. Be thankful if you do eat meat the pain and death your meal had to go through to sustain you. I am not saying eating meat is bad. I am just saying that not eating meat, for me, and many others, is wonderful.

If you are interested in becoming vegetarian I suggest you get a few books on it. Complete Idiots Guide to Being Vegetarian by Frankie Wolfe is a really good starting point. I on the other hand and as a bad example quit meat cold turkey (figuratively) and did not read about it or anything. Nothing bad happened to me but I did not make a smooth or safe transfer over to vegetarianism.

So think for yourself, read some books if interested, and stay safe!

If the broom fits....Fly it!


Amadore

Pagan Enough

So I really want to get the ball on this thing going. I have been considering what to write about and I really haven't come up with anything yet. So I am going to do what everyone else does and WING it.

I think first I will talk about my separation and inclusion of the paganverse. I have been pagan since I was 15 years young. It was amazing and fascinating and called to me and spoke to me in ways we all know as mystifying experiences. My pagan walk down the road did not start alone. I started learning and casting circles with my neighbor friend. We would sit and just cast a circle and then sit in it and just talk, forever. We would look at the back yard grass and feel the wind and also RP sometimes (I know, GEEK...RP for anyone that doesn't know is role playing). I also did my first love spell with her. Not for her, not that I am not a lesbian, but all the same. My pagan network escalated in high school with some friends. We did one or two rituals together. It was a group of 4 of us. It was a really awesome experience, but only happened I believe twice. My pagan network after that group went to whomever I knew online. I have since high school not talked to the other three girls except for Facebook. This all now in a roundabout way brings me to the present. I have for all intents and purposes been solitary for the entire time I have been pagan. I did not talk or see pagans on a day to day basis. I have been pretty much on my own with it.

Many a time I have tried to connect with like pagans on message boards, facebook, witchvox, etc. All of the main things. I have even tried to find a coven. But I either was too young or too involved in other things or too far away. So now here I am, throwing myself into the midst of the pagan-verse via online twitter/blog/pod-casts and I. Am. Terrified. I have in the past been in touch with pagans and alike in the past but the past couple of months has just been up in mah face PAGANATION. All over my phone. It's amazing and crazy at the same time.

Now this is my next point. Why am I afraid to be apart of the paganverse? Well this is where Project Pagan Enough would come in. Or just a lot of other peoples fears about being accepted. Look up Project Pagan Enough while you are at it. Fire Lyte is in charge of it and it is a phenomenal project that I find SO inspiring. But it all comes down to, "Am I pagan Enough?". I am scared that I don't know enough about my craft, my leanings, my religion, my spirituality, my all, my being, and that the world as I would like to know it will reject me.

So this blog is about reclaiming myself, my religion, and my cajones! I am ME and I am PAGAN ENOUGH. I hope to bring to the table something someone can read and find entertaining, enlightening, and a learning experience every time.

What I am trying to say is, is that you cannot be afraid. Of anything in life! This life is the only "this" life you will have. So live it, and live it fully. You have to love and BE yourself, because only you have to live with you for the rest of "your" life. This is it folks and this is me.

Take the time to enjoy who you are, where you are in life, what you have, and what you are striving for. Even if you are not fully happy with your life, take a look at the positive or get up off your butt and make a change. This is also a spiritual philosophy I try to follow every day. It helps me stay sane, happy, and beats the nasty out of me!

I think I have ranted enough....So if the broom fits...Until next time!


Amadore

Starting a Pagan Blog

First off, I know. Another pagan blog? Gods above. But I have to do something! I want to be more apart of the pagan community. Twitter has REALLY helped out in that area. Although, now, out of boredom I think shall have my VERY own pagan blog.

I would like to start off by recommending some awesome Podcasts:

Inciting A Riot - Very informative. Has segments in news, books, words, and more! Funny, innovative, and a very good listen.

Witches Brewhaha - On hiatus until September I believe but it is WORTH listening to from begining to end. The host, Velma Nightshade, has a very sexy voice. Her podcast is informative, entertaining, and thought- provoking. I could listen for hours.

The Witches View - OH MY GODS. I cannot tell you how well loved these group of women are by me. I love each and every one of them. It is fashioned like the ever popular T.V. show, The View. Either on purpose or not I do not know. It is hands down the most entertaining podcast out there. Prepare to laugh until you pee your pants.

There are more out there, a lot more. But these are my top three picks.

Also. I really wish one day to have my OWN podcast. But I am going to see if I can do THIS first and then we will go on. Besides, I don't even have my own computer.

My own brand of pagan is Celtic based Wicca/pagan. Sometimes I just say Pagan sometimes I say Wiccan. But I do consider myself Wiccan. I have a very hungry appetite to learn everything there is out there. I have been apart of the craft eight years and am always learning more.

I hope my next post will be more focused. I apologize for being all over the place. :)


Brightest blessings!

Amadore Edana