Alice's Cosmic Resturaunt

Alice's Cosmic Resturaunt

So, I have been contemplating the holidays. We are a mixed faith household and that means we do everything. Christmas for the man, Hannukah for me, and Yule for Quennessa. This leads to a certain amount of compromise, which is something that I would like to see a lot more of around me. America isn't very inclusive of other faiths, for all of our supposed religious tolerance. Muslims, Jews, Pagans, we get short shrift around the holidays, as suddenly the dominant faith is inescapable.

Growing up Jewish in America was somewhat difficult, especially in December. I was always picked to sing the token Hannukah song in the Christmas Choral Recital and it was always "Dreidel, Dreidel", which is the worst of the many Hannukah songs there are. We never had a Christmas tree, or that morning rush for presents, and Mom told me Santa only came for Christian children. I spent the holiday season watching Christmas specials and heart-warming family tales of Christmas and then had to open my little boxes for Hannukah. Christmas morning was for other kids.

The same goes for Muslim kids in America, I imagine. Any of the non-Christian minority gets to stand outside the Christmas display window, with their nose against the glass and stare in at something that they are never going to have. Pagan kids have it hard as well, being a witch is not one of the boxes you can check in most school forms. How do you tell the Principle that Solstice is not a school day for your little one, or that the pentacle they are wearing is NOT about some band, its the same as the cross that little Suzie wears every day? Not easy on either the child or the parent.

This season I have been watching TV with the little one. Every show has a Christmas Special, complete with a Santa needing rescue from some prediciment or another (How that guy gets around the world in one night, but can't even get his sleigh out of the mud, baffles me). None of these shows, except Blue's Clues, had one that covered Xmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa ( though not Yule). Blue's Clues has been the most consistently tolerant show on TV and I can count on them to cover most faiths, show people with disabilities in a positive way, and in every way just be great children's television. But they stand out so much because the contrast is so great. Sesame Street is also usually pretty good, though the Boo doesn't seem much interested in it at this point. (She's two and I think some of it goes over her head) but neither of them has anything about witchcraft beyond the occasional good or bad witch showing up sometimes to do something.

Walking around the stores, I get excited when I see something for Hannukah or Kwanza, because it's so rare. I certainly never see anything for Yule. Buying for Q at this time of year is nearly impossible. Just try to find Wicca-themed wrapping paper - I dare you! I end up with Star and Moon paper, or something with Holly on it. But cards? Aiyeee. I have to make my own.

I am just thinking that in a Season all about "Good Will Towards Man" that, as people go about their Christmas frenzy, they stop and think about the children with their noses pressed against the glass. That we shift our society to be more inclusive and accepting, that we make it both acceptable and "normal" to be a non-Christian. I would also like some nice Pagan themed gift wrap and cards, then I would know that we all were accepted. Commercialism is the ultimate equalizer.

To remind us

Understanding Prayer

Anon

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Heavenly Father (or Mother), help us remember that the woman driver who cut us off in traffic last night, is a single mother who had worked nine hours, was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry, and spend a few precious moments with her children;

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams, with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester;

Remind us too, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares...

Help us also to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slowly through the store aisles, blocking our shopping progress, are savouring this moment, knowing that based on the biopsy report she got last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Holy Divine, remind us each day that of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not just to those who are close to us, but to all of humanity. Let us be slow to judge, quick to forgive, and show patience and empathy and love.

Amen

Taken from : http://www.paganlibrary.com/rituals_spells/understanding_prayer.php

Gonna wash that c#&p right out of my life

I'm about to embark on the wierd quest of banishment. Seems a lot of people I know are going through some rough spots lately and I think I need some black candles.

It's always a bit odd to me to attempt to do a ritual for other people. I know that I haven't got their names right, or in some cases, the pronounciation. Magik, being a rather exact medium, makes me wonder if visualizing them in my head is going to be good enough.

And does one burn a black AND a white candle for these purposes? And just who the heck do you call out to? (Methinks since it seems to be her time moonwise I should call on Hectate) All these things to consider from a free-form ritual, but I know that as long as the intentions are there...well the Universe usually listens. And it's not like I'm asking Them to send my friends anything but good juju for their lives. Perhaps a scroll of some kind would come in handy. I'm thinking blue ink for a nice sense of calm in people's lives.

And why do I always think of these things at this hour of the morning? Goddess knows I'm a night child, but I think there's something to be said for sleeping as well.

Goodmorning Moon

Just wondering if anyone else has morning rituals. Every morning I say good morning to my dieties, and every night I say goodnight before I go to bed. Why? It's my way to remind myself that They and I are connected. Also a way to keep connected, to just basically say "Hi there. I know that You are there and just thought I'd let ya know that I'm still here."

I find it easier and easier these days to be less connected with the Cosmos since the day to day life stuff encroaches. Still, when I find myself looking up at the night sky, and I see billions of stars and the face of my Goddess...my breath exscapes me and I suddenly reconnect. Oddly enough, the most connection I ever feel with the Universe is at night when staring up into the sky. Perhaps that's why I'm more a "fly by the seat of your pants" kinda ritualist.

Still, it's nice to look up and see the face of my Goddess, to see the rising of my Lord Ra. I don't know many other faiths that can say that about what they believe in. And just that little 5 minutes I spend talking them in the morning before I open the doors to work seems to keep that ever fragile connection between us. And every day I say the same things to them. I tell them that I love them, I call to them with phrases of adoration, and I ask them to be with me now and forever.

So what do you say to your Dieties upon awakening, or going to bed?

Well, as for the fey...Dealing with them is like dealing with a horde of toddlers sometimes. It's mostly damage control and keeping them away from the sugar. LOL

The Beginning

Merry Meet All!

Welcome to what I hope will be a nice little place for pagany discussion. So why did I want to create this? Well, my friends and I don't get enough chances to actually sit down and discuss things sometimes. Share ideas, explore ideas, or just sit down and talk about our religious beliefs. So, I thought to myself....Hey, let's build a site where we can do this.

The site won't be strictly Wicca. I hope that we can also find folks that are into Native American tradition to join in, maybe some Kabbalists? Hell, maybe we'll even find some just plain ol' occultists. I do believe that the mixing and mingling of several traditions can be benifitial. And if you happen to have a good spell you want to put across to the world? Here might be the place to do that as well.

Magik, and magikal theory. How you interpret Tarot. How to deal with the Fey (and thank you for explaining this to me Anji). A recipe for Sabbath cakes. Who knows what we'll come up with, but I for one hope to simply enjoy gaining more perspective and knowledge whilest jawin' it up with my friends.

Blessed Be