I is for Isis and Osiris positions

I for one use the Isis and Osiris positions when calling the Lord and Lady during ritual. I know they'e Egyptian gods, but I'd like to learn more about these positions, so on to the research...

These positions are also referred to as simply the God and Goddess Positions or Postures. According to the Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft, the God or Osiris Posture represents burial, and while a bowed head in this position refers to the Slain God or Harvest Lord, a raised head symbolizes the god renewed, Sun God, or Lord of Vegetation. The Goddess Posture is similar to Neolithic Goddess symbols found in Old Europe. It also resembles the ka symbol of Egypt, which refers to the spirit body double of the physical body.

You can look at these pages to learn about Isis and Osiris

H is for Happiness

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln
"Happiness depends upon ourselves." -Aristotle

I decided that it is my job to make myself happy; nobody can do it for me. Happiness is all about attitude, and mine needed improvement. Actually, it still does. As with many things, my pursuit of happiness is a work-in-progress. One of the things I am trying is affirmation. I've put sticky notes in places I'll see (on my bathroom mirror and near my computer) saying, "I think positive and loving thoughts and enjoy a happy, optimistic mood." I've also been attempting more positive thinking, which is easier said than done. My goal in every situation is to look at the bright side, but if that's too hard, I just try to calm down and not make it worse. I'm not always happy, and I'm certainly not the happiest person alive, but thinking positively has made me happier, and I'm hoping it will continue to.

H is for Hell (as an expression).

Sometimes being a Pagan surrounded by Christians is as hard as Hell. I could try to raise hell about it, but all hell would break loose, and someone hell-bent on converting me would tell me I'm doomed to hell, to which I'd have to reply, "Go to hell!" just for the hell of it. Then they'd give me hell about that, which would start one hell of an argument, which neither of us would have a snowball's chance in hell of winning, unless hell freezes over. Maybe I could just scare the hell out of them and they'd flee like a bat out of hell. Ah, to hell with it!

As a pagan, I don't believe in Hell, so why would I use the word? Well, it is probably the best known name for a location of its type, at least in the Western world. According to Thesaurus.com, there is a list of synonyms for hell: Abaddon, Gehenna, Hades, abyss, affliction, agony, anguish, blazes, bottomless pit, difficulty, everlasting fire, fire and brimstone, grave, hell-fire, infernal regions, inferno, limbo, lower world, misery, nether world, nightmare, ordeal, pandemonium, perdition, pit, place of torment, purgatory, suffering, torment, trial, underworld, wretchedness. While many of these words could be used in place of hell in some circumstances, sometimes hell just works better. Many of these words still refer to the same Judeo-Christian concept of hell: Abaddon, Gehenna, everlasting fire, fire and brimstine, hell-fire, perdition. Some are just not as comprehensive as the word hell: abyss, affliction, agony, anguish, blazes, bottomless pit, difficulty, grave, infernal regions, inferno, misery, ordeal, pandemonium, pit, place of torment, suffering, torment, trial, wretchedness. A few are names for similar mythological places: Hades, limbo, lower world, nether world, purgatory, underworld. The only synonym left is nightmare, but let's face it: "Hurts like a nightmare" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Not only is hell a relatively unique word, but the fact that you don't believe in something isn't necessarily a reason to avoid talking about it or using it in conversation. I have friends who debate the physics within fictional universes. Most of us have heard the phrases, "I'm no Superman," and "What would <insert fictional character here> do?" Not to mention all the memes starring fictional characters or places. So the next time you say "What the hell?" and someone responds, "I thought you didn't believe in Hell." give 'em hell! ;P

G is for Goddess Festival

I recently had the pleasure off attending the Goddess Festival in nearby Fayetteville, Arkansas. This was the fifth annual celebration, but the first year I'd heard about it in time to go. The mission of the Goddess festival is "to restore balance in the world, by encouraging exploration of the feminine divine through art, music, words, dance and shared knowledge." It was a 10-day long assortment of events linked together by a focus on the divine feminine. There were rituals, music, workshops, and discussions. I did not attend every day, but I did get to participate in a few of the events. They started the whole thing with an opening ritual, followed by a wine and cheese reception. The ritual included drumming, chanting, and interaction with for different altars set up throughout the venue. It was a very welcoming atmosphere where all were included. A few days later, I joined others for group Yoga. On the Equinox, the Festival held an Equinox ritual, which was created collectively a few days prior. The next event I attended was "Divine Sculpture: Creations in Salt Dough" where we learned how to make and use salt dough, and received some inspiration as to its spiritual applications. The last day of the Festival included a service at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fayetteville, and the closing ceremony included the live music of a local band, Selkie. "Selkie is an original ensemble whose music speaks to the mythical, magical past and future that we all share. Featuring such instruments as didgeridoo, Irish whistles, African and Latin percussion, guitars and bass, lush female vocals and rich harmonies, Selkie is hard to categorize. But to be sure, this unique blend of rich influences speaks to some-thing primal and deep in all of us and is sure to enchant and get your soul and body moving." I enjoyed all of the events I attended, and there were many I missed that sounded good as well including 
"Bringing the Feminine into Spirit: An Interfaith Dialogue," a "Vendor Village," wand-making, archery, "Singing in Sacred Circle," an open-mic night, bellydancing, and many others. I hope that this event continues to be held every year, and I recommend attendance to anyone interested in Goddess worship and/or the divine feminine. 

The Goddess Festival website: http://www.goddessfestival.com/

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fayetteville: http://fayettevilleunitarian.org/

Selkie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Selkie/155035357913057

F is for Fairies and other beings

Do I believe in fairies? Well, that answer is not a simple yes or no. I believe there are beings of another realm, with whom we have only limited communication. I believe some of these are the souls of those who have lived as humans before: ghosts. I believe that there are others, as well, but they are harder to define. I think we humans (certainly I) do not have enough information about these beings to form a scientific conclusion, so we just go with whatever term we think applies to what we've experienced. Some call them angels and demons, or good fairies and bad, perhaps elves, gnomes, or many other names. I prefer the term fairies, but only for lack of a better name, as I'm pretty sure only they know their true identity(ies). What about you?

Ostara (a poem)

Ostara, Equinox, First Day of Spring!
Earth now awakens and new life she'll bring
The sun is returning and weather is warming
The flowers are blooming and big storms are brewing
Fresh plants now abounding, the soil is thawed
Animals back: scaled, furry, and clawed
It's now time to plant, some seeds we will sow
Then in Fall harvest, the profits we'll know
So as the season renews everything
Together rejoice in the coming of Spring!

Does it make me a bad Pagan?

In my home, trespassing is punishable by death... if you're a bug, that is. To clarify, by "bug" I don't necessarily mean insect. I mean any small creepy crawly or flying thing that bugs me. Spiders are bugs; butterflies are not. Back to the point, I will squish most bugs, certainly spiders, crickets, and ants, simply for being in my home, without remorse. Does that make me a bad Pagan?
Also, shouldn't I enjoy the sunlight? I mean, I'm supposed to, right? Well, I don't. I can certainly appreciate the sun from a logical standpoint, for what it does for life on Earth, and I am thankful for the warmth it provides, but I can't seem to really like it on an emotional level. It's too bright, it hurts my skin, it gets too hot in the summer, causes glare, sunburn, I could go on. I'd be happy living a completely nocturnal life, never seeing the sun, if it weren't for the fact that everyone else operates during the day. Does that make me a bad Pagan?
Another confession: I'm not much of an animal person. Sure, I think baby animals are cute, and I admire some animals for their behavior and/or beauty, but I'm not really much for taking care of them, or even being around them much. I've had a few pets, currently one cat (Rain), and I did and will take care of them, but I really leave a lot of that to my husband. I feel guilty that I don't play with Rain more, but she seems happy. I could certainly never see myself working with animals, whether volunteering or as a career. I used to think I might like working with horses, but that thought didn't last long. Does that make me a bad Pagan?
I'm also very picky about when I like being outdoors. I don't like the cold, or the heat, or the sunlight, or getting rained on, or bugs, or getting dirty... but otherwise I love the outdoors! Does that make me a bad Pagan?
My list of faults could go on, but I really don't think any of them make me a bad Pagan. I think none of us are perfect, we are all different and unique, and that's the way Goddess made us!