sonneillonv | Entries tagged with paganism

No, not a social justice petition. XD A petition to a deity.

One of my best friends contacted me today to tell me the results of her latest battery of tests were inconclusive. She says her doctor is highly frustrated with the limited options for diagnostic care that are available in her area. Her medical problems are severe and life-threatening. This sort of thing seems to fall pretty squarely into Asklepius’ hands - the need for diagnostic assistance and medical resources.

I hang with a good number of atheists, and it seems one of their pet peeves is when people thank God (or the gods) for things that human professionals, especially doctors, have accomplished. I understand why this bothers them - doctors, for instance, go to school for years and years, bust their asses doing research, serving unpaid internships, working terrible hours, and submitting themselves to the gauntlet of Klingon Pain Sticks that is ‘peer review’ before they arrive in a position where they can serve as a medical authority. They spend years sometimes up to their elbows in cadavers to learn how to take out your appendix. They deserve credit for their craft. I’m not saying all doctors are wonderful people, or even intelligent people, because I know there are plenty of assholes in the profession, but the fact remains that becoming a doctor is a lot of work, and continuing to be a good doctor, especially to patients with chronic conditions, is a lot of work.

A note: I like to begin petitions, especially to deities I don’t often work with, by introducing myself and delineating the relationship between my Patron and the deity in question. I do this as a sign of respect, because I know if some johnny-come-lately started demanding my assistance out of the blue I’d be giving them the side-eye and wondering why I should help them. For instance, in this case, Hekate and Asklepius are first cousins once removed. I then address the deity by titles and lineage, another show of respect.

So my petition looks something like this:
I am Sonneillon
Servant of Hekate
Daughter of Asteria
Whose sister was Leto
Whose son was Apollon
Who by unfaithful Koronis
Fathered Asklepius
Whose aid I implore.

To the divine medicus, Asklepius, son of bright Apollon
Father of Hygeia, Panakeia, Iaso, and Aceso,
From whom the people seek solace from ills of every kind
Greatest of mortal physicians, conqueror even of Hades curse,
Condemned for thy skill and later exalted among the stars,
I petition thy aid.

May the fire of divine inspiration descend on Dr. (redacted for privacy)
May the truth reveal itself to her
May the resources she desires fly to her fingertips
May any hurdles in her path fall before her
May she walk in the blessings of the Great Healer
May her peers see blessing shining from her and aid her in her quest for knowledge
May the right path lay itself down under her feet so that she cannot err
May she be justly rewarded for her dedication in seeking truth and healing

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/171964.html

Witchvox published my article on gender roles in modern Paganism (emphasis on Wicca and Wicca-derived practices) after all.

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/171336.html

So church was fun today. It was the youth-led service and in general I thought they did great. Since I'm still kind of new I had no idea who was in the youth groups or what they were up to. We wrote things on rice-paper slips and burned them in a cauldron, but the 11 o'clock service was a lot more crowded than the 9:30 service so when they lit the paper slips, there was a huge WOOSH of flame and everybody was like O_O.

I wore my sai necklace for the first time in years and, no exaggeration, five random people stopped me to ask me about it. One of them called a Japanese church member over to basically say, "look at her necklace!!!!" and I felt pretty awkward about that because people always calling you over to point out anything that may possibly be connected to your culture gets really old really fast. So I just said "Hi" and "Nice to meet you" and said absolutely nothing about it and let him get on to shit he probably actually WANTED to do.

Nothing was really on the schedule this week except Women's Spirituality (for those who don't know, that's code-speak for 'where the Pagans hang out'), which I'm already going to, though I utterly forget what the theme is supposed to be (Motherhood and Remembrance? I think?). So I signed up for a meeting aimed toward beginning meaningful conversations about social justice, and I also tentatively signed up for the church Work Day to come and have breakfast and then do landscaping stuff. Manual Labor FTW. The husband and I have a ton of stuff planned for that Saturday already but this is early morning so I can probably squeeze it in. So I'll do that until sometime between 10-12, then drive the boo to his grandma's, then come back and have dinner-and-movie night with my husband thanks to one of my customers giving me a free dinner for two at her son's restaurant. (Normally we can't afford to go out.) We'll be seeing The Avengers, so looking forward to that.

Finally got around to fixing my juice-cup garden today. None of the water from the storm two days ago had evaporated, probably because it rained yesterday. I should have punched holes in the bottom of the cups for irrigation, but since they're just starters, I didn't figure it'd be a big deal. Went through and picked all the flotsam blown into the cups by the storm, fixed the ones that got overturned, all the seeds seem fine. Considering getting some clips to stabilize them and moving them into more direct sunlight. We go through a lot of two-liters at my workplace, so I'm going to try that DIY Sub-Irrigated Planter idea I saw somewhere on tumblr last week. I'm sure the neighbors think my efforts are ugly and tacky, but for a Witch my green thumb is sorely lacking and I'd like to get something grown this year.

It's an absolutely beautiful day and I want to go out and do something so badly, but I have no idea what, so I've just thrown the doors open and let the breeze in.

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/170665.html

So here's a general practice update for those of you who care about such things.

( In which I start veiling and give my girly-parts a work-out )

Still haven't gotten around to making a new anklet, OR blessing the new car. Will update y'all when it happens.

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/169440.html

Out of the sea came Aphrodite
formed of sea foam
riding a clam shell.
And with her she carried
all the dreams of the people
their great loves
and base lusts
in blood-soaked cords to bind us all together
so that we might never escape each other.
For all humans know longing,
and longing is older than love
and deeper
and more dire.

And in the union of love and longing
we bring together water and fire
black pyre with ashes
of sacrificed hearts
and ancient tidal power
which pulls each of us into decaying orbit.
For what is the red cord if not
gravity
centrifuge
magnetism
and what are we if not stars
of stardust born
of hydrogen, oxygen, nickel, and iron,
eternally circling, pulled by inner forces,
drawn by the impulse to collide.

As we come together in a great shattering
new missiles are born and sent spinning
into the cosmos in search of ecstatic collisions
of their own.
Throughout the universe not one
can wholly escape Her inexorable guidance
as we act on every body
and are acted upon
true as physics
terrible as Aphrodite.

copywrite SonneillonV, credit if you share

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/168588.html

What Americans need to realize is that the values that keep the rulers of the United States from doing things like forcing children to fight each other to the death are Christian values. The values that ended the death matches in Rome were Christian values. The values that ended slavery in England were Christian values. And, the values that should be crying out against such violence in movies like THE HUNGER GAMES are Christian values.

The values that led to the Crusades were Christian values. The values that led to the Inquisition were Christian values. The values that led to the Salem Witch Trials were Christian values. The values that led to slavery were Christian values. The values that lead to anti-Islam, anti-Pagan, and anti-GLBT policies and sentiment in local governments, schools, and businesses, are Christian values. The values of those waging an anti-choice war against women are Christian values. The values that cause people to viciously attack transgender people for the heinous crime of existing in public are Christian values. The values that lead to Creationism being taught in schools but no sexual education, therefore putting our children at risk of disease, pregnancy, abuse, and other severe reproductive health problems because they have no information, are Christian values. The values that enabled the cover-up and continuance of the abuse of millions of children in both Catholic and Protestant congregations because men of God should not have to deal with the consequences of their perversions... Christian values.

Do not fucking behave like Christians have the monopoly on morality. Don't try to sell me that bullshit. I will spit it back in your face. Plenty of Christians manage to be wonderful people despite the deity-sanctioned rape, slavery, genocide, and baby-killing in their holy book. Plenty of non-Christians manage to be wonderful people, who are appalled and disgusted by the idea of sentencing children to mortal combat for entertainment purposes, without having to be told to react that way by the Christian deity or by ANY deity. I don't need Hekate, Dionysus, Persephone, or Hermes to stand over my shoulder going, "Now, this is bad, so you must not do this." I can figure that out on my own. Both my cognition and my empathy function just fine without divine intervention.

If you really believe what you're shilling, I wonder, can you say the same?

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/165641.html

Lady Yeshe Rabbit, who has been distinguishing herself in the Pantheacon Gender Controversy by apologizing for Z's trans*phobia all over the place, actually retired from Z's lineage over the issues raised at PantheaCon. Her explanation is at the link.

Even the improvements she plans to make for her new "Pan-Dianic" coven, the Bloodroot Honey Priestess Tribe, are problematic. She still insists on believing menstrual and childbirth mysteries are the exclusive province of women, as if trans* men don't exist. But she has set herself on the path of being more inclusive, and I can only hope that she continues on that path, and gets some education on trans* issues while she's at it. I feel like this entire controversy has been one hell of an education, being alternately explained, proclaimed, and outright spat from the mouths of Z's detractors, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. When you fight for social justice on the internet, you are never guaranteed that the people standing opposite you are paying any attention to what you're saying. I would like to believe that this schism is an indication that Lady Yeshe Rabbit was paying attention, but not knowing her personally, I couldn't say how long this split has been in the making.

Regardless, it's a step in a good direction. I have very cautious optimism that we may be seeing the rumblings of a larger response.

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/163894.html

The moon is waxing gibbous and as I drove to the grocery store (a witch is a witch all the time, after all), I started composing in my head a hymn to Hekate. I'm not the world's best with software, but I tried to record myself singing it. For most of you, this will be the first time you've heard me singing! If I sound a little weird and breathy, it's because A) I'm sitting very improperly and B) I'm singing very quietly because Jake is asleep.

( Media Under Cut )

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/163415.html

*falls over laughing*

DO NOT ATTEMPT A DRUID INFILTRATION ON YOUR OWN! ALL CHURCHES HAVE TEAMS OF TRAINED OCCULT INVESTIGATORS (tm) WHO CAN BE DISCHARGED TO CUT DOWN SUSPICIOUS TREES AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE! WE "INFILTRATED" AN ADF RITUAL WHICH WAS ACTUALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/163325.html

Recently Jadelyn and I had a brief discussion on her blog about some of our lingering difficulties with masculine divinity. We were both raised Christian and converted later, and were talking about how our experiences with gender roles still affect our spirituality, especially when contrasted to the experiences of second- and third-gen Pagans who have grown up with our faith. We both hope that as Paganism ages, and as we raise more children, the emphasis on a strict gender polarity will ease and allow more images of trans* deities, gay, lesbian, and bisexual deities, and deities who shape-change with gleeful abandon.

( Read More )

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/162656.html

Since I last posted, there has been more discussion in the Pagan blogosphere about trans* exclusion at PantheaCon. ( Read More )

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/161936.html

[Content Note: Transphobia]

Some of you may remember that last year at PantheaCon there was a bit of a dust-up: Z. Budapest, a great feminist leader of Dianic paganism, held a women-only circle that was advertised as being for all women, to celebrate the diversity of femininity. Trans* women were turned away at the door.

Lots of talking happened afterward. CAYA held a conference to discuss trans* inclusion in pagan rituals, an anthology was published as a result (I was never able to fully endorse this conference because I never got an answer about how many Trans* people were invited to attend and speak as authorities on their own experience). This year, PantheaCon chose "Unity and Diversity" as their theme, and Z. Budapest attended again. Her only contribution? A Dianic ritual circle "For Genetic Women Only".

There is not enough desk for the amount of head-desking I am doing. ( Continued Under Cut )

ETA: Edited for preferred terminology and to reflect that the words 'trans' and 'cis' are adjectives, not prefixes

Crossposts: http://sonneillon-v.livejournal.com/161335.html

I am not the world's most reliable Pagan, in practice. I don't always observe the holidays, I do little spellwork, I don't meditate (ADD makes it extremely difficult, but still a worthwhile pursuit, I wholeheartedly believe), and I don't make it to the conventions. I don't have Pagan friends who live close by, or a circle to go to, or even a UU church where I might get some sense of a community. At times, I feel the lack of these things very strongly. At the same time, I AM very much Pagan, in belief and outlook, but I feel as though some of my early Christian training has carried through to my Paganism... you can discern my paganism most clearly through my apologetics. My arguments betray my beliefs. My passionate debates, my occasional written rants, the articles I choose to link and the events I choose to discuss. Who I am is clear in the study of the media with which I interact. So I'm a modern woman, even if I lack the usual trappings of an iPhone and e-reader.

I talk and I write. I talk with more consistency than I write, as my friends circle can attest. I also cast the runes and use my characters as meditation guides because frankly some of them are better at it than I am. I try to celebrate my holidays and I am disappointed when they rarely turn out very well. I try to observe the occasional natural event, I do small, simple spells with yarn and stitching and candles and stones and drawing in the dirt. I am Pagan enough, certainly, but a lot of the time I really miss having the support of my community. I miss being part of a coven, which is an experience I've actually never had. I miss the classes I never took. I miss the guided meditations that never happened and the conventions that passed me by. I miss the relationships.

Patheos helps. Days like this I sit and read every pagan column I have in my bookmarks and their archives. I put Emerald Rose on Youtube and reserve a few books from the library to brush up on a few areas of interest. If I'm honest with myself, I'm afraid of joining the community because I'm afraid my distracted kitchen witchery isn't really pagan enough. I don't know enough about the tarot, I don't have enough of the buzzwords down. I can't meld seamlessly with this community like I can with the Christian community, for which I have strong cultural context.

Or maybe I could, but I don't know.

No, this post isn't going anywhere, really. I just haven't written anything in a while and this was what was on my mind.