The Curse (gasp!) of the Pagan Podcaster(s)

We've all experienced it.  We've been hooked on that great new Pagan podcast that already has 10 episodes.  They've been steadily coming out once a week or once a month just like we were promised in the first episode, and then BAM!  It is a frequent occurrence these days.  Little by little as time goes on Pagan podcasters (to be fair, like most podcasters) slowly diminish in regularity until they become a distant memory in a world that is a dream within a dream.

What is to blame for this shift?  Is it that we expect too much of them?  Are they bombarded by tons and tons of comments and requests for spells that they simply need to get away from it all?  What about all of those youtubees that routinely post videos and then they seem to vanish from the planet all together?  My theory: it's a natural part of life.

Maybe whatever called them to do the podcast/blog/video blog/website/book has run its course and they feel that they currently have nothing else left to say.  We can't all write 70 books on Paganism and if we had 200 Pagan podcasts with episodes in the thousands do you honestly think we would have time to check out all of the new ones?  24 hours is all we get in a day, and I must admit that I like my sleep.  So we'll just assume 15 hours.  Dang, what about work?  Don't forget meals!  You have to tuck the kids in and read them a bedtime story...or two.  The fact of the matter is that we as human beings just don't have enough time for everything we commit to and try to fit within a day.

What is more important: spiritual practice or burning out to the point where one no longer wants to deal with their spirituality because they are "sick" of it?  Originally I was going to compose this on the other side of the pancake (Dr. Phil always says they have two sides), but I decided this point of view made it more interesting.  That, and I just like to ask a lot of rhetorical questions.

My summary: People have lives no matter how happy we become when we hear them in our headphones late at night.  Be patient and treat each new podcast and episode as a new jewel to be inspected and admired, but not worshiped (I'm starting the United Pagan Church of the Holy Citrine, so dibbs).  If you lose the ability to enjoy the podcast and be happy to hear another person's opinion then you will eventually burn yourself out.  You could always start your own podcast/blog/website/video blog/book, and you may learn a few things about yourself and the world in the process.  After all, the collective is enhanced when everyone adds their voice to it.

Winter Solstice Celebration

I'm back from the Winter Solstice celebration at my local Unitarian Universalist church.  It was an incredible experience.  The evening started out with everyone walking outside.  We started lighting sparklers and playing with poppers that you throw on concrete.  Then we progressed to drumming and making a lot of noise to welcome back the Sun.

After drumming, clapping and all of us making as much noise as possible, someone dressed up as The Sun emerged with ten people carrying torches.  The Sun spoke a little bit and then they lit the bonfire, to which everyone got to walk and dance around.  By the time we were finished the snow on the ground was pretty much gone.

Spiritually I felt like it was a very rewarding experience.  It wasn't completely Wiccan as we didn't cast  a circle and call any quarters, but it was still a fantastic thing to participate in.  The energy among everyone was wonderful and it truly was a celebration of the solstice and the Sun's return.  Plus, about half way through while we were singing a variety of holiday songs, we looked up to the sky to find the moon with a beautiful ring around it.  The following picture isn't mine because I didn't have my camera, but you'll get the idea.

All in all, a great event.  What was your first Pagan event like?

Person you should know

Hello everyone.

There is a person you should know of.  Her name is Sy and she is incredible. She has a lot vlogs on Paganism and spirituality on youtube.  She also has a lovely blog full of useful information.  Point your browser to one or both of these places and get to know her.  You will be the better for it, trust me.

Plus, accents are awesome!

Book review: The Goddess is in the Details

The Goddess is in the Details is a book written by popular Wiccan author Deborah Blake, but this book is not just for Wiccans.  Ms. Blake is not one of the most common writers known among the Pagan community, and it is more likely that someone will mention Scott Cunningham, Z. Budapest or Starhawk if you ask them to mention the first Pagan author that comes to mind.  Don't let this fool you.

The author of this excellent gem describes this book as a title that is not "Wicca 101," and she makes no apologies for it.  Instead, she leads the reader to believe that this book is more about the spiritual practice of Paganism and living every day as an empowered human being through your faith.  She offers excellent tips and suggestions on topics such as sacred space and altars while living with a roommate, and quick and easy ways to celebrate the Sabbats for individuals that don't have a lot of time or money to obtain a long list of ingredients.

In fact, Ms. Blake encourages the reader to come to the realization that Paganism begins with the spirituality and faith of the Goddess and God and that is the first place to start.  This is also encouraged through simple tasks at the end of each chapter encouraging readers to think about their beliefs and their path and how they would like to shape their spiritual development.  Check it out!

Magical Names

Many people involved with Paganism take on a magical name.  It is fairly common actually, especially considering the religious intolerance that is still prevalent throughout the "land of equality."  Most people are in the Broom Closet, choosing not to tell friends, family and coworkers the full information about their religious and spiritual practices for whatever reason.  Also, in the cyber world where we are connected to potentially millions of strangers, it makes sense to protect oneself with anonymity.  We've all heard the horror stories of giving out too much personal information.

In this post I will share with you some of my previous magical names and why I am now identifying myself with the myth of Miach.

• White Tiger Wizard.  Thinking back on it now it seems more likely that I were a member of the KKK because of the "white" and "wizard" in the name, but I assure you that is very far from the truth.  I have always been interested in and had an affinity for Tigers.  White Bengal Tigers also were of interest because of the purity of their color and markings.  The dichotomy of black and white said a lot to me as a young adult.  This was the first name I associated myself with on forums and internet chat rooms, back when parents didn't know anything about computers and when Onelist was the best email list service around (it later was purchased by yahoo, which became yahoo groups).
• White Tiger.  After learning a little bit, the Wizard at the end seemed unnecessary.  After all, I was still learning.  It made no sense to call myself a Wizard right away.  I also played with WhiteTiger just to avoid the extra keystroke.
• EagleWolf.  This was the magical name that I cared for almost ten years.  After connecting more to The Goddess (and to a lesser extent The God) spiritually, I felt like I needed a more serious name.  I've always loved Wolves and felt my totem animals were the Eagle and the Wolf, so I simply combined the two.  I also liked that people assumed I was a female because of this name, which helped the anonymity factor.  What 16 year old boy would identify himself as EagleWolf in high school in any era?
• Miach.  It is a name I took recently.  In fact, it was less than a month ago that I decided on it.  With the next shift of spirituality and the willingness to finally explore the Pagan world, it made sense to give in to my Celtic leanings and find a name that resonated with me.  Now, I'm not going to tell you the mythology of the name because I'd like you to do some research, but don't pay too much into the mythology.  To be honest, I liked the name and the pronunciation (mee-ak).

What do you think?  Did I have some crazy magical names?  Tell me your magical names and why they have meaning to you.

"In the middle of the journey of our life..."

So it begins.

I have wanted to create something like this for a long time, but honestly my faith was always on the back burner.  I was too concerned with life and my job and the prospect of making money to focus on my spirituality and to go deeper than simply believing in a Goddess and a God.

To provide you, my soon to be faithful readers (you'll learn that I assume a lot), a little background I must first state that I was raised in a pretty laid back household.  My parents considered themselves baptists but the only time we attended church was when I was young, about seven or eight, and asked my parents to take me.  They did so happily a couple of times and then they missed having their Sunday morning and afternoons back, so after a few short visits we stopped attending church. 

I suppose I was curious more than anything.  I was intrigued by the idea that there were all of these different beliefs and there were many similarities between the people that went to one religion as opposed to another.  As a child I was more focused on playing than spirituality, but when we finally owned a computer with internet access my whole world shifted.  Now I was exposed to new ideas and philosophy at the ripe young age of 13 years and I wanted to know everything.  I had a taste for knowledge but hated school because I didn't get to learn about the things I wanted to learn about.  I started researching "real witches" after watching a rerun episode of Bewitched and from there I found Wicca.

I was hooked pretty quickly and after finally finding a path that met my own beliefs and curiosities I told my parents.  Neither of them were thrilled, but they both allowed me to continue my research, probably thinking it would be a fad.  I continued learning about it, making my own Book of Shadows out of a green folder because every young student has plenty of them around.  My mind opened up to the wonders of mythology, archeology, history and even physics. 

I associated myself with a Goddess and a God and called myself eclectic, but I didn't chose any patron deities because part of me knew that I wasn't ready for the commitment.  I moved on from there, never really performing spells or rituals and instead forming a relationship with The Goddess.  Sadly, part of this also meant that I ignored The God quite a bit, but I still felt that he was there working with The Goddess.

A lot has changed in my life to get me to where I am today.  As we continue I am sure you will learn a lot more about my past and where I am today.  Friday evening I will be attending a Winter Solstice celebration.  This will not only be my first time celebrating a Sabbat but it will also be my first time celebrating a Sabbat with a group of like-minded individuals.  This event is held through my local Unitarian Universalist church and, to my surprise, they also have a welcoming Earth Spirituality group that I plan on joining if all goes well.

This blog is meant to help me explore my spirituality and get more interactive than simply writing in a journal.  Also, part of this process will help me continue my bardic training with The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.  I am full of excitement at the prospect of what the future holds and where my path my lead me.  But I know that I am never alone and I hope to share what I learn with everyone equally so that enlightenment is available for anyone who dares seek it.