Adventures in Vegetarianism
02 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Creativity Tags: adventure, cooking, food, new, omnomnom, Philosophy, recipes, spirituality, vegetables, vegetarian, vegetarianism
Vegetarian diets are popular in the pagan community. Reasons vary, from health to personal views on animal spirits to energy intake, and so on. As with any topic, you could ask a hundred pagans just to get a hundred and fifty-seven responses to their views on vegetarianism.
In high school, I was a pescatarian. I ate vegetarian meals, but I also consumed water animals. At the time, my reasons stemmed from both an overload of protein at family meals and a discontent with the way farm animals are raised. Because I’m a wonderfully lazy little girl, I often cooked ramen noodles or rice and added vegetables as a filler. For three years, I managed to gladly avoid beef, pork, and chicken. Then times changed, and I went back to a mixed diet.
That said, I know from experience that [a] I enjoy a meat-free (or mostly so) diet and [b] I believe that I’m a true omnivore and find no shame in being so.
Now comes the fun part.
I’ve decided that my diet bores me. I don’t often cook, instead settling on easy frozen meals for lunches at work. My pallet is listless, nostalgic over the memories of simple vegetable dishes and plain rice. To assuage my hunger for something more, I’m embracing a fully vegetarian diet for two weeks. Starting next week, I’ll be trying out dozens of recipes I’ve collected in an effort to branch out and try new things.
My goal is to find various dishes that I would gladly make again. They all have E-A-S-Y as a major ingredient; who wants to spend an hour fixing tomorrow’s lunch? Many of the recipes are meat-able; with very little modification, I could un-vegetarianize them for myself or others down the road. However, the point is to find recipes that I enjoy as-is.
As I cook and devour these (hopefully) delicious recipes, I’ll be posting them here and sharing my thoughts. This endeavor is also spiritual, though. I find that my tired, bored pallet and tummy lead to a tired and bored ME. Changing up my diet will also change up my energy levels, encouraging me to be more active both physically and magically. I want to think about what I eat, and why. Every ingredient holds potential magical energies, waiting to be unlocked by my awareness. Also, spring’s approaching and the idea of a home garden is appealing.
Walk with me while I try this out. Share experiences, offer recipes. And try something new. You never know what you might find…
Bigotry and the Devil’s Advocate
22 Feb 2012 1 Comment
in Creativity Tags: balance, bigot, Lupa, opinion, PantheaCon, tolerance, transgendered, women, Z Budapest
I’ve so thoroughly embraced the idea of the equality and validity of ALL spiritual paths… that I’d forgotten not everyone feels the same way.
I’ll be honest. I hate the word “bigot”. In the dictionary, it is defined as:
noun, a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially, one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance
The reason I hate the word is that I often see it being used by someone who is very effectively sticking themselves into the same definition.
To judge another person’s path is to assume superiority of your beliefs, regardless of what parts and pieces of their path you have a problem with. A religion that doesn’t break the law, cause violence to others, or force conversion upon others deserves to be respected as a valid path. Respecting a path doesn’t have anything to do with agreement.
I respect Christianity, but I can’t stand the (haha) bigotry and hypocrisy of fundamentalists (who, unfortunately, are the most vocal).
I respect Asatru, but I don’t like that some groups are basically religious white supremists.
I respect Dianic Wicca, but I happen to love men in many fields of my life. My subservient personality would probably cause frowns anyway, because I’m supposed to be a powerful woman… little do they know the power a sub holds!
I respect traditional Wiccans, but I happen to feel that Wicca has evolved to become something more organic and fluid than what they hold as “true” Wicca. The arguments over semantics drive me crazy!
I respect Satanists, but I feel like many of them are only Satanists for the “OMG!!” factor. I actually agree with many aspects of Satanism, especially from the branch that isn’t ritual-based like LaVey’s version.
I respect Atheists, but I personally feel sad when I meet true believers that this is it. I feel like they’ve either been hurt badly or have found comfort in a science-only world. If they’re hurt, I wish they could find hope and happiness in something; many are so pessimistic it’s frustrating. If they’re science-focused, I feel like they’re failing to recognize that science is working on catching up to religion (look at research on auras, energies, and so forth).
I respect the path I just left, the Equitas Veneficii. But I personally feel like magick should be in every breath, and taught as such. I love the “equal truths, equal magicks” aspect, but I can’t match my beliefs on magick and its uses to those of the EV tradition.
These are examples. I’m a bigot in that I become “one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance” when talking about, well, bigots. I accept that judging them makes me that which I judge, and I try to remember to live and think and speak with love.
A Moment as the Devil’s Advocate
Much of this blog is sparked by the online outrage over Z Budapest at PantheaCon. I’d like to take a moment, even as a supporter of a woman’s right to be a woman by birth or by making, to make a magickal point about genetic-women only rituals.
In her book “Skin Spirits”, Lupa discusses her thoughts on the energies in a skin of an animal. She says that each little scrap holds power, because in a way every since cell holds a bit of the animal’s essence within it. That means having full-body dancing skin of a wolf is wonderful and powerful, but having a pinch of wolf fur in my pouch will provide just as valid of a connection to the wolf. It will not, however, connect me to the bear, skunk, or cat. It is wolf fur.
Along that line of thinking, a genetic woman’s very cells hold a different energy and life force or essence than a man’s. Surgery, hormones, and other methods of becoming a woman don’t change the DNA of the person. So technically, it is reasonable that some magickal practitioners might see a non-genetic woman as being magickally incompatible with their women-focused ritual.
Forget fairness, or whether you agree or disagree for a moment. Is it at least plausable that someone could believe this without it being “I hate transgendered people”? Is it possible that the issue could be focused on how the energies and life essence of a non-biological woman would affect a ritual?
I can see this as a possibility. I don’t agree with it, and I’m not sure it actually has anything to do with how DNA and magick are interlinked. But I accept that people have their reasons for their decisions. As stated above, I respect their right to ban non-genetic women (or in another ritual on men’s mysteries, to ban non-genetic men). I don’t have to like it, but I remind myself of this:
People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost. - H. Jackson Brown
Otherkins and Therians, oh my!
03 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Creativity Tags: Pagan, reincarnation, snow leopard, therian, therianthropy
Otherkin – a person whose spirit or essence belongs to a species other than human, to include mythical beasts, elves, and alien races.
Therian – an Otherkin person whose spirit or essence specifically belongs to a non-human species that exists or has existed on Earth
Reasons and theories on why Otherkins and Therians occur:
- Species dismorphia, where one disassociates with one’s true species (human) and associates with another
- Totemism taken too far, where the person over-connects to their totem animal and begins to have unconscious shifts (mental and spiritual) as they occassionally merge
- a Higher Power choses to mix in spirits from other realms and species in order to add new lessons and guidance from those people
- a spirit that has lived recently as an animal is now a human (reincarnation) and the past life is sticking to its essence, making minor mental and spiritual shifts occur
- two spirits (one human and one other) are sharing a body, causing mental and spiritual shifts between the two
- two spirits melded before entering a person’s body, like yin and yang, so occassionally aspects of one or the other will present themselves in shifts
My theory, broken into (hopefully) easily-digested pieces:
The human species is expanding rapidly each year, far beyond any previous popullation numbers. Where do all these new human souls come from? The Divine is infinite, but even with reincarnation you have the problem of there being more humans than the previous number of souls available. The Divine could be making new souls… but!
Meanwhile, in the animal kingdom… many species are endangered or extinct. These souls would be shelved, if they were only allowed to be that one species, because if there are no new bodies to house them, they can’t be reborn.
Many of those species are common among the therian community.
My personal reincarnation belief is that we aren’t reborn as a bug one life, a human the next; I believe we’re generally moving up in awareness, with humans being the most conscious of creatures on this planet. While I agree that animals are smarter and more connected/aware of the Earth and balance than us in many cases, they aren’t at the same level of mental development (most species don’t make art, invent complex things, etc.).
That said, I think the gods have a smart recycling plan. Those spirits that were animals and can’t be reborn as such again are being born human. They have lessons learned as animals that can be taught to mankind.
Maybe enough therian spirits, self-aware or not, can lead to an environmental change through their intense understanding of the need to protect our home, Earth. Maybe there are thousands, or millions, more therians than you find online… maybe they sit around unaware of their unique nature.
I think the therians who do claim their therian side are just more aware. Many of them practice or have practiced some form of self-enlightening spirituality. I believe there are many unaware therians running around, probably many of the people drawn to environmental movements, earth-based spirituality, and the like. And I believe that some species (say, the bee) may not have been aware enough as the animal to carry over shifts or personality quirks from their life as such.
Imagine, though. A bee or an ant, born human. Most bees are worker bees. Most people are worker people, doing the smaller tasks that keep the bigger things running. Example, a night stocker at Walmart restocks the shelves, a truck driver transports those items to the store from a warehouse, a warehouse worker prepares an order for a store, a manager oversees the requisition orders for various stores, and so on.
I got off topic. Overall, though, my theory is that many of us Earth-loving people are being born with spirits who have never lived as a human before. Some of us are more aware than others, through spiritual sensitivity and species; others are less aware, due to lack of sensitivity or to a species that has little mental awareness as individuals with personalities (i.e. bees, ants).
I also believe that all of the other theories are valid. For Otherkin elves and dragons and such, perhaps those spiritual beings are being born human to bring their knowledge and energies into the Earth living experience. Otherkin are more complicated, as a vampire Otherkin isn’t so much a spirit trapped in a different body as a person with non-human needs and abilities.
NOTE: I stumbled onto therianthropy by accident in 2009. I was researching some strange feelings and energies I’d been experiencing off and on; during my searches I found someone describing a mental shift as a therian, and it matched some of what I’d been through. I resisted accepting that, because it was even beyond the average pagan weirdness. Last year, in studying totem animals with my coven, I found myself redrawn to the therian research I’d done. In meditation and random spiritual daydreaming (my favorite way to get “ah ha!” moments), I discovered I’m a snow leopard therian. I’m now wise enough to accept that, weird or not, as a part of my spiritual self. Accepting it has been a beautiful and interesting lesson so far…
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in Creativity, Philosophy
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in Creativity, Philosophy
Morality and Ethics
21 Jun 2011 1 Comment
in Creativity
When the news people come around, who always finds the cameraman’s attention? The person least suited to be an accurate representation of the group he or she is speaking for. You see it in a disaster area; it’s always some uneducated ninny. It’s getting better, but often when some news group decides to look into New Age paganism, they find the MOST obnoxiously stereotypical pagan to interview (whitelighters and all).
That said, I think it’s far too easy to fall into the same trap with your own judgments.
Christians are judgmental. They base their entire moral structure on ancient (and often interpreted-as-needed) scriptures, then proceed to force it down everyone else’s throats as The Way to Be. They take no personal responsibility for any of their actions; either the Devil made them do it, or they confess and ask for forgiveness to make all well again. They are often hypocrites, saying one thing and doing another.
Generalizations S-U-C-K. Quit nodding. You’re about to feel bad for agreeing with any of that.
Christians are as varied in belief and practice as pagans are, if you take even a moment to look and even ask. This is where it helps to not just consider that conversation you had with the man who said you were going to hell because he saw your pentacle necklace; I’d like you to think of the non-confrontational examples of Christians you’ve met. If you don’t have any, find some! Many of them try to follow some pretty awesome teachings: do unto others as you would have done unto yourself, let he who is without sin cast the first stone, turn the other cheek, thou shalt not kill, love thy brother (actually, I happen to love the quote “love is gently, love is kind” from the Bible). Christianity is actually a beautiful religion, in many MANY ways. Most Christians aren’t religious enough to feel a need to even discuss their religion with others, unless the topic is brought up; they don’t often preach at anyone. Society teaches us (unfortunately) that someone else is always to blame; this isn’t a failing of Christian teachings, but a failing of the society as a whole. And hypocrisy is EVERYWHERE, even in pagan circles. *gasp*
I’ve watched pagans be judgmental. Not just of Christians, but of each other! They have their path, tradition, or branch of paganism, and anyone who dares approach it without invitation is scoffed at. For example, some traditional Wiccans (i.e. those in branches of the path that trace themselves back to its start with Gerald Gardner) will slap a pagan silly for even thinking of themselves and the word “Wiccan” in the same sentence. Or a Druid might snear at a circle that’s calling deities from their base culture.
It’s sad. Many pagans are willing to accept personal responsibility for their magickal actions, but their mundane lives stand as a separate entity. Harming none only applies to hexes, not to treating your neighbors with kindness while their dogs keep shitting in your yard. We are sometimes hypocrites, too.
This whole thought-train came from watching my circle discuss ethics. Our tradition embraces “Equal Truths, Equal Magicks”, that there is validity in EVERY path, not just the ones we like. And yet I watched us, new and old alike, talk about how Christian morality is inferior compared to pagan ethics. I listened to a discussion of morality and ethics (neither of which necessarily belonging to ANY spirituality) fall apart into a chorus of comments on the failures of Christianity and the intelligence of pagans for taking responsibility for their actions.
I’d like to say that maybe we should all take responsbility for failing our own tradition’s guidelines. I take personal responsibility for not speaking up, even as I sat there and listened and disagreed.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this: there is beauty and simplicity in following a structure of moral behavior, just as there is a striking freedom and joy in following a path of personal ethics. No one path is good for everyone, and that applies to understanding right/wrong decisions as well. We aren’t all built to handle the pressure of being held accountable for every thought, word, and deed; some would break under the strain. Some of us are wired to a natural tendency to refuse to follow a rule without an explanation as to why it is so. Others are born with a need for security and structure, for rules and regulations to help guide the way. Neither is better. Remember that.
the Bark-footed Tribe, in context
06 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Creativity
I had a humorous thought today, on the meaning of actions in and out of context. You see, today was one of my circle’s longer classes. We got together under a shade pavilion, drinking iced mint tea to cool ourselves from the Texas heat. There are fire ant mounds in the yard of our covenstead; as a natural deterrent for the ants, we sprinkled cinnamon over their mounds and our feet. The strong smell sends them hiding underground, saving us a lot of pain and itching.
Now the fun part. Imagine that someone, years from now, were to find our covenstead and records of what we did today, but no descriptions as to why…
This tribe of Texans had a complex social structure. They would gather beneath a large tepee, finding repose in cloth seats of multiple hues. The tribal people would pour themselves a mint-based infusion; we are unsure of the tea’s purpose, as no hallucinogenic properties have been found. What has been most fascinating about the study of this tribe is their use of ground bark from a cinnamon tree. While not native to the Texas region, the cinnamon was a common spice in the American food culture. We postulate that it was associated with the constant heat of Texas. The peoples of this area often applied the powdered bark to their feet and meeting places, leading to the common nickname of the “Bark-footed Tribe”. It is said that the purpose may have been to appease the “fire spirits” that caused the hot temperatures. Other scholars believe the Bark-footed were attempting to show, though symbolism, their tribal connectivity and willingness to “walk through fire” for one another (this fire symbolized, again, just the spiciness of the bark and its essential oils). The site in what was once called Killeen contains the most complete picture of the Bark-footed culture.
Now doesn’t that make you think of the anthropological inferences found in our history books? We often assume a lot into the meanings of what we find in locations where tribes or other cultures once lived and traveled. We see what we want to see. Pagans do this often, as do other groups. We look at a cave painting of a curvy woman or a craving of a pregnant female… and we assume goddess worship. What’s to say that some fool didn’t have a pregnant mate? Maybe he got creatively inspired and wanted an image of her. Or maybe it was a rite of passage image, made by the women of a tribe to commiserate a female’s first pregnancy. Maybe somebody had a fat-girl fetish, in a time when life was far too tough for anyone to really get fat from overeating; perhaps seeing a pregnant girl tickled someone’s fancy, and the carvings and pictures were simply prehistoric porn. Who are we to say what the original people really meant to do? We weren’t there.
It’s fun to speculate, though, isn’t it?
the Future
31 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in Philosophy
Today (rather, this whole past week or so) has been a close study of my personal issues with planning for the future. See, you can make all sorts of plans for what you want in your future…
…but the only variable you have control over it yourself. All those other people involved, from your closest friends and family to the strangers you meet along the way…
…they all have the potential to ruin even the best-laid plans. It’s a heavy weight sometimes, making plans. I can think of things I’d like to have, or do, or be…
…but they require someone else’s cooperation. I’m not sure of myself most of the time, no matter what front I display to the world. It’s hard to get the gumption to actually make an offer, or to ask for assistance that I can never repay. And the wait for a decision, a yes or no to my request, is excruciating.
Then there’s the handful of times I find myself standing on someone else’s path, on their way from point A to point B. The way is clear to both of us, but for some reason my opinion matters. I become an accidental fork-in-the-road, unwittingly transforming into a reason to do (or not do) something. It’s terrifying, to find yourself in that kind of position…
…to know that, for one small moment, you have more influence on that person’s life than they do. Or at least an equal amount of influence.
I’ve found myself facing a lot of uncomfortable thoughts these days. Keep in mind that “uncomfortable” doesn’t necessarily equate with “bad”…
…they’re simply things I would rather avoid, or plans I can’t imagine working out smoothly. Human nature, and our interconnected lives, prevent anything from occurring in the “most logical” way. Call it cowardice, but I’d much rather live in the moment…
…than speak of my hopes and dreams for the future. In the moment, I can make decisions as though riding though rapids, steering myself around boulders and over rough waters as they come.
For now, I think that’s what I need. Tomorrow will just have to wait and see.
