Everything has its own voice

Individuality

Week #17 - the letter "I"

One thing that really drew me to Paganism was the ability to make my own path that was unique and custom to me.  Even if you elect to strictly follow one single tradition, you are still seen as an individual.  Paganism, to me, is not about the nameless, faceless masses but collections of people celebrating their individuality and still playing well with others.

I am an eclectic Pagan so I'm very much so an individual in my beliefs and practice.  This blog is a tool for me to explore my spirituality and figure out the little bits and pieces that click and connect to build the whole.

Because I do teach in my community, lead my family in our home practice, and am a Priestess, my individuality is introduced to others.  How I do things, why I do them, and when is my system and it is what I rely upon when I'm doing all workings.  Those in my community, classes, or family may have different methods to doing the same thing but I can only lead based on my own experiences and preferences.

But I am still an individual.  As are those who come into contact with me.  Perhaps some of my individuality rubs off on them and they elect to incorporate it into their system.  We are still individuals with quirks and methods that are unique to ourselves.  

Paganism encourages and embraces individuality.  I need individuality.

Some synonyms of individuality:  identity, oneness, distinctiveness, originality, uniqueness, independence, manner, nature, selfhood.

The below quote is on the backside of one card in the Power Deck by Lynn V. Andrews.  I love it.  It really encompasses what is individuality.  The last two lines are especially powerful and really hit home. 

Power Deck by Lynn V. Andrews, with paintings by Rob Schouten

Huna

Week #16 - the letter "H" again

Growing up, one of my best friends was part Hawaiian.  Her older sister babysat us, our mothers were friends and our fathers worked together.  Ernie, the dad, is Hawaiian through and through and the Hawaiian culture was always a part of their life, and mine.  The language, the stories, the people, the traditions...all caught and held my interest.  I learned hula in my dance class, the episodes of "Sesame Street" and "The Brady Bunch" that occurred in Hawaii were my favorites.  Bits of the culture would pop up from time to time but I never really researched.

Years later, the movie "Lilo and Stitch" was released and my love and fascination was renewed.  I
remembered the word Ohana (family) and it warmed my heart.  I started trying to learn some Hawaiian words and reading snippets of information here and there.  Why had I never done further research into the Polynesian culture?

When I started reading "Evolutionary Witchcraft" by T. Thorn Coyle and working with friends in a study-group format, the word Huna was introduced into my life.  Could this be my connection to the culture that I experienced second-hand through friends? 

In Ritualist and Leadership training, I was introduced to the Po'e Aumakua - the network of souls and the connection between all souls, including those presently living, ancestors, and those of animals, deities, and other beings.  I loved it.  I believe we are all connected and I believe in animism.  This was a term that clicked with me on a very deep level.  This was the big smack upside my head that finally got my butt in gear.

One of the first things I found is that Huna is not a religion that was practiced by the ancient Hawaiians.  Huna is a Hawaiian word adopted by Max Freedom Long in 1936 to describe his theory of metaphysics which he linked to ancient Hawaiian kahuna (experts).  Long initially learned about the teachings of Huna from William Tufts Brigham who had spent forty years living in Hawaii, trying to understand the secrets of the Huna teachings. He had been able to obtain much information but never able to get to the core of the teachings. Long had heard of Brigham's interest in Huna and searched him out. Long felt that Brigham would find the answers to the teachings.

Long studied Brigham's work. He too came across obstacles in his search. The Huna teachings had been passed on by word of mouth. The few kahunas left in Hawaii would not speak with him. In 1935 he made made a fresh translation of the chants and prayers based on the root words. The new translation was the key that unlocked the secret of how the kahunas performed their seemingly magical feats.

Huna is part of the New Age movement and there is controversy over it.  In fact, some sources claim the Hawaiians hate Huna and view the books and teachings of Huna as cultural appropriation.

This made me feel a little weird about Huna but the concepts, based on Hawaiian culture or not, still struck a cord with me.  I am careful to research any idea I adapt from another culture to ensure that I do so in a manner that is respectful and fully informed. 

Some of the key assumptions of Huna as practiced by the ‘kupua’ or adventurer shamanic tradition of Huna have been wonderfully described by Dr Serge Kahili King, Kahu of Aloha International.  I am still learning about Huna and trying to see if it will or will not fite into my personal practice.  Overall, I feel that Huna will influence my practice and that it may even be a core concept.   

The seven principles of Huna:

1. IKE (ee-kay) - The world is what you think it is - You create your own personal experience of reality through your beliefs, expectations, attitudes, desires, fears, judgments, feelings and consistent thoughts. If you change your thinking, you can change your world.
2. KALA - There are no limits - We are all connected. Energetically there are no limits between you and everything and everyone else. Separation is only an illusion. You also have unlimited potential and can create whatever you desire.
   
3. MAKIA (mah-kee-ah) - Energy flows where attention goes - You are feeding and empowering whatever you are dwell upon with your thoughts and feelings. It creates you vibration which attracts to you similar experiences.
   
4. MANAWA (man-ah-wah) - Now is the moment of power - The past only exists as energy in your body. The future only exists as a concept. NOW is where you make the choices that change your life. NOW is when you can change limiting beliefs and dwell on what you want, not what you don’t want.
   
5. ALOHA - To love is to be happy with (someone or something) - The Universe exists because of love. When you acknowledge this and focus on love, gratitude and appreciation, you are happy. When you forget it, you are not. Simple.
   
6. MANA - All power comes from within - The power of the Universe flows through you. You can empower or disempower anything at all including people, things, events, the past, the future, etc. You cannot control other people, but you can control how you react to them.
   
7. PONO - Effectiveness is the measure of truth - The Universe is infinite. The truth is what works for you and may vary from person to person and even from one time in your life to another. All systems are arbitrary because consciousness and perspective changes.
   

The Three Selves (or Four) - another set of assumptions used in Huna is that human behavior and experience can be explained and changed through the interaction of three (sometimes four) selves, aspects or functions:

1. The High Self (Kane, Aumakua), inspires.
2. The Conscious Self (Lono) imagines.
3. The Subconscious Self (Ku) remembers.
4. The Core Self (Kanaloa) wills.

The Four Levels of Reality - a third set of assumptions coming from the kupua tradition divides all experience into four levels or frameworks of beliefs about reality which can be summarized as follows:

1. Everything is objective (Scientific/Physical reality) - everything is objective and factual. We are bound by physical, scientific laws.
2. Everything is subjective (Psychic reality) - all things are connected, the world is defined not only by facts but by psychic and/or telepathic experiences.
3. Everything is symbolic (Shamanic/Dream reality) - all of our experiences can be viewed and interpreted as symbolic, as a dream.
4. Everything is holistic (Mystical/Holistic reality) - everything in the universe is one. Everything is made up of energy, and all energy is connected.

The Eye of Kanaloa

Hedge-ish Witch

Week #15 - the letter "H"

I associate with the term/label Hedge Witch on many levels.  Now, keep in mind that the term/label Hedge Witch has a gazillion definitions depending on who you ask, what you read, and where you find it.  There are some general aspects that are in most definitions so I'm using them to show why I am a Hedge-ish Witch.

Healing - Although I'm not a proficient healers, it is an important aspect for me.  I do what I am able to help heal others when it is needed and I am still building my skills in this area. 

Deep love of nature - I do adore nature and most all that exist in the natural world.  I care deeply about the planet and do what I can to keep her healthy and alive.  I love animals (with the exception of ticks, spiders, and mosquitoes) and honor them.  I like to listen to the sounds of nature and enjoy celebrating the changing of seasons.

Shamanic techniques - In the instance of using drums and drumming, I like incorporating those sounds, including rattles and rattling, into my rituals and practice.  The peaceful, natural methods align well with my own instincts.

No separation or distinction between "normal" life and "magickal" life - I try to live my life with no separation between the magickal and the mundane.  It isn't something I've mastered just yet.

Simple, or folk, magick - I don't do magick very often, but when I do, it is simple and practical.

WonderfullyWitchy on Etsy

Simple, practical tools - I've never had the need for a lot of altar decorations or tools.  To the day, I rarely use tools in my practice.  Those that I do have and use, are generally very plain and simple in both form and material.

Follow their instincts and hearts - 100%.

Blaze their own path - I've tried to walk the path of others and have failed.  No matter how hard I try to fit myself and my beliefs into a specific tradition or path, it doesn't work.  I do what works for me, what feels right for me, and make my own path.  It may merge or cross with other paths but the direction is my own.

Often solitary in practice but will celebrate with other Pagans - Deep down, I've always been a solitary practitioner.  I have groups that I practice with and even practice with my husband and kids.  Those are all nice and do add something to my life and to my spirituality.  But in the end, my deepest work happens when I am alone in my own practice.

Herbalism - Here is where I do not match.  I've never had much interest in learning more about herbs much less using them.  I have a black thumb and plants do not thrive under my care.  I don't really even have a basic knowledge of herbs. It is because of the herbalism aspect that I add the "-ish" to Hedge.

Not a phase

About guidelines

A friend shared some blog posts by T. Thorn Coyle entitled "Feet of Clay."  There are three parts with a fourth that would fit in nicely but isn't a part of the original series.  I've scanned through them and I wanted to be sure to include them.

Feet of Clay (part 1)
Feet of Clay (part 2)
Feet of Clay (part 3)

The fourth part - Predators in Paganism (Trigger warning) - contains the below letter at the end and I think it is a good way to address sexuality in Paganism.

After the CPS hearing, I wrote a letter to the caseworkers that I was told ended up being read in court.

I’ve edited that letter for content and am posting it in case others may find it a useful template to start community discussions on ethics and boundaries, to help us get clear on what we believe, or to use should, Gods forbid, the need arise in any official matter. Please adapt it for your use. I recognize that the words below do not reflect the beliefs or practices of all Pagans. Please keep in mind that I was trying to write for people who knew nothing about Paganism and doing so under extreme circumstances at short notice.

X Tradition and Y Tradition are subsets of contemporary Paganism, which is sometimes called neo-Paganism. Pagans try our best to honor Nature as sacred, and divinity as immanent to our cosmos (meaning that the Divine is here with us, all the time, not off in some distant, transcendent place). We find Divine expression in the natural world, in humans, animals, sun, sky, and in various Gods and Goddesses as well. There is a variety of belief and practice in Paganism, which can make things seem confusing. But just think of the variety of people who call themselves Christian, and that might help.

1/ Our religion does honor sexuality as sacred. Sexual coercion is not allowed. Anything that smacks of sexual coercion is an aberration. Therefore, sex between children and adults, for example, would be anathema to anyone of our religion who is in her or his right mind and ethically sound.

2/ Personal power and autonomy are also cultivated. Any relationship that would seek to put one person under the thrall of another would also be an aberration. No one has authority over another, all we can do is attempt to guide others.

[Edit: I removed one non-essential and confusing sentence from #1. #3, below, dealt with some particulars in the CPS case and certainly would not be useful in many cases. I leave it here in case someone ever needs this sort of statement for any reason.]

3/ Our religion has no strictures around medical care. There are those among us who are Registered Nurses and research scientists as well as those who are herbalists and acupuncturists. Therefore, saying that a medical procedure is against our religion would not be true, and would only be a matter of personal conviction. Personal convictions, of course, are often informed by people’s religious backgrounds or spiritual inclinations. 

In summary: Anyone who abuses a child or adult, or says they cannot do some medical procedure because of their religion is not speaking on behalf of X Tradition, Y Tradition, nor of Paganism in general. They are speaking simply from their own personal convictions or in some cases, from their own personal emotional imbalance.

I believe we will reference this when constructing out community ethics/code of conduct.

Guidelines

Week #14 - the letter "G" again

I wasn't feeling overly inspirited to write on the letter "G" because nothing was really sparking my interest.  But I did make a promise to myself to write weekly so I've decided to address the idea of guidelines in the Pagan community since is currently a topic of discussion within the Pagan blogosphere.

There have been instances within the Pagan community where we landed in unfamiliar territory as to how to deal with a certain situation.  The need to create safe communities is essential and, with the recent arrest of Kenny Klein, having a code of conduct for reporting issues and establishing just what is and is not acceptable is something to address.  I fully believe that each Pagan community/coven/group needs to be proactive and establish some sort of agreement stating the rules and guidelines, including repercussions, for their group.

I was drawn to Paganism partially for the lack of hard and fast rules.  Personally, I am guided by my own morals and ethics.  While they might not mesh with other people, they do work for me.  So why do I think we need a code of conduct?  Because bad shit happens.

Not everyone is a moral and ethical person.  And not everyone who thinks they are moral and ethical have morals and ethics that are consistent with the general population.  We don't need a Pagan 10 Commandments, but we do need guidelines.

Setting guidelines and then sharing them with your community gets everyone on the same page.  Being on the same page allows community members to see potential situations in terms of what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.  It makes people accountable to themselves but also gives the community a certain sense of power and obligation to "report" that which goes against the guidelines. 

One of the best things about having guidelines/rules/a code of conduct is that you have the ability to have consequences for those who choose to not abide by the rules.  No one has to make a judgement call when Sally says Susie broke the rules because the rules are clearly defined.  It is no longer one person deciding something someone did was wrong because it is the community that has defined those wrongs.

I do see how having a written and agreed upon code of conduct can be a turnoff for some people.  And I also know that there may be people who choose to leave the community because of the rules and restrictions.  But, in the long run, I think the positives far outweigh the negatives.

The groups I currently am involved with, and my Pagan community as a whole, currently does not have a code of conduct in place.  We are starting to talk about it and discussing if there is a need for one.  I would guess that by the end of the year, if not sooner, we will begin the process of putting one into place.