The First Fire and the Worst Fire

It seems autumn is finally kicking in and growing closer to winter. Last week we lit our first fire of the season. It's such a good feeling to sit by the fire and watch the flames lick the wood. I know that woodburning isn't the most environmentally sound thing to do but with two fireplaces and no central heat it's either this or freeze. During the ice storm in January the fireplaces quite literally kept us alive. And we don't cut down living trees unless we absolutely must. There's still so much tree damage from the ice storm that it will be some time before we have to consider cutting down a living tree. We'll probably spend all winter collecting fallen trees from our friends and family. I love sitting in front of the fire. To ancient man the fire was the television. Actually, it's bright lights and constant movement stimulated the eyes and minds in a way that tv can't. It's throught provoking and magical in a way no tv screen can be. And yet, as we all know, fire can quickly become out of control.

Above is a view from space of the California wildfires. Over a million people evacuated, a MILLION. It's amazing and unbelievable to me. According to Reuters:

As many as 24 separate wildfires ravaged more than 500,000 acres of California last week, destroying 2,300 buildings and causing at least 12 deaths and 78 injuries.

The latest seems to be that the fires are old news and while I find that hopeful I still can't help but think about those who lost their homes and businesses and those who were hurt or killed. I can't imagine fires ravaging and endangering an entire state and forcing tons of people out of their homes. It's staggering. I've never experienced anything like it and can't begin to understand what those affected must have felt and are still feeling.

Albino Spirit Animals

The above starling image comes from Wild About Britain.

I recently had the luck and great pleasure to see an albino bird. I was going 40 mph at the time so I wasn't in the best situation to view it but as it was moving roughly in the same direction I was I did see it well enough to realize that it was most likely an albino starling. It was flying in a group of birds with the exact same size, shape and flight pattern but it was stark white with no coloration while the other birds were the typically black against the blue sky. I'd never seen an albino bird before and except for the White Squirrels of Marionville, Mo I'd never seen any stark white wild animal before. (For the record, and you'll learn this if you read the above article, there is still some debate about whether or not the Marionville squirrels are really albinos or not. I've seen dozens but never close enough to see their eyes, so I can't call them albinos with any certainty.) At first I couldn't really see it clearly but when it turned slightly in its flight I could see that it was completely white. I couldn't see its eyes so there's a chance it wasn't a true albino but even so, it was a rare and joyous occasion. So I went on a search to learn about albino animals.

Like human albinos albino animals cannot produce pigmentation. While they may sometimes have blue eyes they usually appear as stark white with pink skin and eyes. This pink look is resultant from the blood vessels beneath the skin. Absence of the protective virtues of coloration of the eyes causes albinos to have very poor eyesight and many are completely blind. Their eyes and skin are also extremely sensitive to light and can burn easily. An albino animal in the wild has a lot stacked against them and they usually don't survive long. This is because, as mentioned above, they have poor eyesight, no camouflage and are vulnerable to sunlight. For all of these reasons, and because an albino birth occurs anywhere from 1 in 100,000 births to 1 in 1 million births, it is a very rare thing to actually see an albino animal in the wild.

There is quite a lot of albino animal lore to be found in the world, especially among American Indian traditions. To kill an albino animal was/is a major taboo with serious consequences.

If an albino squirrel were hunted and killed, the hunter would suffer loss of his hunting abilities. If an albino deer were killed (and without remorse) the hunter might later loose his life in a freak accident often involving his hunting or survival skills.

The White Buffalo is probably the most sacred of albino animals in American Indian lore. As a portent of peace and something of a host for the Great Spirit just to look upon the White Buffalo was to gain some of this power.

Among all tribes, the Albino animal had spirit connections, one of the strongest among the Plains tribe was the White Buffalo, a definite omen of great wisdom. The symbolic significance behind white or the quality of "whiteness" was not associated with purity as in Western culture but also wisdom and ancient knowledge of greater conceptual and spiritual magnitude.

The taboo against killing an albino animal is closely related to the fact that an albino animal is easier to kill and it is thus not a fair fight to hunt an albino animal. To learn more about Spirit Animals visit Encyclopedia Mythica.

In Asian society the White Elephant is an omen of good luck and in 2001 was used as a political tool to bolster the regime of Myanmar. This is particularly disgusting given the current situation in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

As for myself, I consider my sighting of an albino bird a portent of good things to come. When I saw it I was driving home from my second visit with two of my most favorite witches. We started a women's group years ago and things didn't work out but we have since rejoined. I feel my albino bird sighting was an encouraging sign from the gods that, this time, we will stick together and learn and grow together for a long time to come.

A Mental Mind F*&! Can Be Nice

It's not easy having a good time; even smiling makes my face ache.
Why don't they make more movies like Rocky Horror Picture Show? It's got everything a body and mind need for entertainment: Music, dancing, sex, humor, murder and one helluva floor show. It's even got tobacco and alcohol if not any good drugs. It's a Halloween tradition in my neck of the woods, watching Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon and company wiggle and giggle and dance and sing. Hell, it's almost a ritual. Of course, it's not as fun sitting in the livingroom as watching it with a crowd of toilet paper throwing, squirt gun shooting, "bitch" shouting freaks in a theater. I once knew a really short and not too attractive guy who played the role of the hot dog himself at his university; I think he's a doctor now.

Anyway, I think it's a testament to our fucked up and yet sexually repressed culture that a film featuring bisexuality had to be farcical. I wonder what a serious film dealing with free love and bisexuality would be like in this day and age. Perhaps they've even made films like that and I just haven't seen it. I admit the Bible Belt isn't a great place to broaden horizons; finding openmindedness and progressive thinking isn't easy around here. In fact, it's damn near impossible around some of these Ozarks hills. But in the greater land of these purple mountains and plains you'd think that there'd be some openmindedness sneaking into the mainstream, wouldn't you? But still, there's hubbub about gay marriage and gay parents adopting children. There's still these backwoods, dark aged minded scared silly folks who simply cannot wrap their heads around the fact that their way is not the way of everyone else and that they have no right to cram their Bibles and their "morals" down our throats and up our Constitution.

Don't get me wrong: I've got nothing against the live and let live Christian. But I'm sick of the unenlightened preachers and soccor moms and sycophantic politicians and oh-so-self-righteous, narrowminded jerks. If I could invent a time machine I'd send all these evolutionary throwbacks to the 14th century and let them rot. Maybe they wouldn't rot, maybe they'd like it. I wouldn't care, I just want them outta my country and off my planet. Perhaps I should start making a scientist and inventor of myself; I figure I can master time travel in a week or two.
Don't dream it; be it.

P.S. For those of you who might wonder, I celebrate Samhain on the actual astronomical cross-quarter which falls on November 7 this year. That's why I don't post about Samhain on Halloween. To me, they're two distinct events.

University Recognizes Pagan Holydays

After several controversial requests, the university's policy regarding absences excused for religious reasons is under review, and the decision has been made to add Pagan holidays to the list of excusable holidays.

"Based on the research I've done, Paganism is practiced by a group of people large enough for it to be considered a major religion," Steve Hensley, dean of student affairs, said.

The Parthenon Online Student Newspaper

The above comes from Marshall University in West Virginia. I find the time and place of the decision somewhat interesting but I'm still impressed by Mr. Hensley. The timing is a little odd in that we're nearing Hallowe'en or Samhain and the fundies as well as some pagans are all up in arms about the Assault on Halloween and tasteless Halloween decorations but I bet Marshall's pagan students feel great. Good for them.

I was curious about other universities that excuse students for pagan holidays and I found a few. According to this 2002 Fox article the University of Arizona as well as Lehigh University in Pennsylvania also excuse students who honor the pagan holidays. Denison U in Ohio includes the pagan holidays on their sacred calendar as well. I found a few other references to pagan holidays being recognized by colleges and universities but several of them were older, timed out articles.

After that my goooogle search kinda petered out but it's still plain that the recognition of pagan holidays on school calendars might one day become commonplace and the recent Marshall University decision speaks to that. I think it's a good thing and a natural result of the growth of neopaganism within the typical college-age young adult crowd. I was in my early twenties when I was called to neopaganism as are many who spend their twenties searching for something meaningful to fulfill their lives. I look forward to learning of more universities and colleges reaching similar decisions in the future.

Autumn Thunderstorms

We've had thunderstorms, tornadoes and a rainbow in our area lately and a baby copperhead snake in the living room; it must be an Ozarks autumn. I know it sounds weird but I sometimes enjoy thunderstorms. The tornado that wreaked havoc and destruction just a couple miles from my house was frightening of course but aside from that, I love thunderstorms. I don't like the hours before the storm when the air is tense and crackling with energy and people and animals sometimes get antsy and jumpy. I've had too many arguments in the 24 hours before a big storm to like pre-storm madness. But the storm itself is exciting as hell!

I enjoy standing outside and watching the lightning and the thunderhead get closer. Then the wind picks up and begins to whip the trees and wind chimes into a wild frenzy. Then the lighting gets close enough to produce bone-jarring thunder and the rain pelts down so hard it hurts. When it's all over the clouds are still amazing and provide vast expanses of awe-inspiring magnificence.
During the night last night our power was out for a few hours but not as long as we were anticipating. I like it when the power goes out, for a little while at least. There's no TV blaring, there's no internet to get lost in and there are no obnoxious lights. There are only candles in the dark and the blowing wind and falling rain and rolling thunder. During the lull between two storm systems I sat and watched the clouds drift over the moon.

I was lucky enough today to get a mild rain shower shot with the light of the setting sun. I'm always on the lookout for rainbows during rainy days and today I was not disappointed. I didn't get to see the full bow but it was impressive nonetheless. I got chilled walking through the pouring rain, in bare feet no less, but it was worth it.
As stated above, I don't enjoy tornadoes, but I respect them. All the same, I'd much rather have a thunderstorm sans tornadoes. The wind, rain, thunder and lighting are enough to fascinate me and hold my attention. I don't think I'll ever get tired of thunderstorms; I'm sure they'll always fascinate me.

Hope and Doubt for Our Fate

Despite the best efforts of many the overall situation is not improving. Most conservatives continue to disregard the land and the water and the air and the animals in their calculations. They still see the Earth Mother and all its various forms of life as a means to an end, something to tame, something to control and produce profit. I wonder what these kinds of people see when they go outside. Do they see the sky? Do they smell the air? Do they notice when the creatures of the air migrate to warmer climes? Do they recognize the seasons as anything more than a time for a change in dress? Do they feel the rush of energy during the spring? Do they feel the magic of high summer? What do they feel when there is a full moon or an eclipse, or when a new species is discovered or another iceberg melts away? Do they feel the storm coming?

Do they feel the gathering dark and recognize its threat of violence? There is trouble brewing on the horizon and no matter what positive changes take effect in our lifetimes it may already be too late for us. The Earth Mother will of course go on no matter what we throw at her. She may have fewer living children and her atmosphere may be irreparably damaged and the land may be covered by water but she will carry on dancing through space around the sun. And there is some hope for us too. If we eventually do reach a point when our planet can no longer support human life there are other possibilities in our solar system. In time we might be able to colonize other planets or moons. The technology is not there yet of course but it is growing by leaps and bounds and may reach the required level before we manage to kill ourselves. And the environmental cause here on the Earth Mother is making some gains but the opposition is so great and powerful it is questionable whether the efforts have come too little too late. And while I have some hope for the human race as a whole I can't help but doubt that we will be able to continue to live on our Earth Mother. I doubt but I hope.

Some Pagans Need to Shut Up

I've been thinking about this for years and have finally decided to write about it: Gossipy pagans, jaw flapping, badmouthing pagans who repeat and embellish anything they hear about others and sometimes make a big damn deal out of nothing. My first encounter with this occurred when I visited the most established and public group that I know of, a group from Springfield. I won't mention the name of the group or the individuals involved; I just want to recount the story. This was quite a while ago and things may very well be different. I had never met with any group before so I was nervous and excited when I attended my first pagan discussion meeting. And I was disillusioned and disappointed when the topic of soul bodies drifted into the area of "let's bash this other group". They spent so much time badmouthing this other group and its members I didn't end up learning anything except how spiteful the gossipy people were. I was craving pagan community and thirsting for magical experience and knowledge and instead what I got was conversation unworthy of an elementary school playground, much less an adult pagan discussion group.

I was a lot younger then and I was a beginning witch and didn't have the heart or the guts to discourage such behavior. But even then I was disappointed not only at the way the meeting had gone but at the mere fact that these more experienced pagans indulged in such a pointless and harmful activity. I thought, perhaps arrogantly, perhaps foolishly, that folks older than me with years more training and experience than me would automatically be wiser and above such a thing as gossip. I had assumed that those who had been walking their pagan path for many years would be beyond such things as witch wars and taking sides and swapping rumors and all that crap. I thought I had left that shit behind in high school. Not so. And I was reminded of this fact again when I attended the Springfield Pagan Pride Day and witnessed the conversation between two women who had a non-friend in common. The conversation had started with witchcraft and historical information but devolved into a case of two people agreeing with each other about how much they disliked another. I didn't know any of the people involved so I didn't feel I could say anything but now I kind of wish I had. I ask you: is this the kind of people we, as pagans, want to be? Is this the kind of behavior we want our children to emulate? Shouldn't we strive to have more honor and wisdom than that?

As practitioners of a religion that often falls into the "new age" category shouldn't we be aiming to bring something that's actually new to the human dynamic? Instead of name-calling and backstabbing and cliquishness we should put common courtesy and honesty above the desire to badmouth someone we don't consider a friend. Have some honor my fellow pagans and witches, if you can't say something good and you don't have anything concrete to back up gossip then just keep your trap shut.

Bee Pollen

I recently acquired an ounce of bee pollen at the Springfield Pagan Pride Day and am just now learning about this amazing substance. It is food for the young bees and with 40% protein and almost every other nutrient we need it is one of the most completely nourishing substances on the planet! It has been used and praised by many people and cultures throughout history the world over. It's in the Holy Bible as well as ancient Egyptian and Chinese texts. The fathers of Western medicine, Hippocrates, Pliny the Elder and Pythagoras all prescribed it. It stimulates the organs and glands, increases energy so much that world-class athletes swear by it. It also promotes a longer, healthier life. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola:

Gathering pollen is not as easy as it sounds. Once a honeybee arrives at a flower, she settles herself in and nimbly scrapes off the powdery loose pollen from the stamen with her jaws and front legs, moistening it with a dab of the honey she brought with her from the hive. The enlarged and broadened tarsal segments of her legs have a thick trimming of bristles, called pollen combs. The bee uses these combs to brush the gold powder from her coat and legs in mid-flight. With a skillful pressing movement of her auricle, which is used as a hammer, she pushes the gathered gold into her baskets. Her pollen baskets, surrounded by a fringe of long hairs, are simply concave areas located on the outside of her tibias. When the bee's baskets are fully loaded, the microscopic golden dust has been tamped down into a single golden grain, or granule.

One of the things I find most interesting about bee pollen is that it cannot be duplicated in the lab because there are elements of bee pollen our science cannot even identify! Now how's that for an example of the brilliant complexity of nature. One teaspoon a day provides the most complete nutrition from any one food on the Earth. Bee pollen is the richest source of vitamins to be found in a single food. It contains more amino acids that eggs, beef and cheese of an equal weight. It increases the production of white and red blood cells and prevents the development of many forms of bacteria. And it has more protein THAN ANY ANIMAL SOURCE! So, along with nuts vegetarians have bee pollen to help out too. Wow, there's so much to know about bee pollen and it's apparently not that uncommon. Where was I when the bee pollen memo was handed out? I totally missed it, but now I'm fascinated by it and look forward to working with it for years to come. For tons of more information about bee pollen be sure to visit Shirley's Wellness Cafe. It's fascinating! Anybody else eat bee pollen?

Tree Philodendron

Isn't it just heartbreaking? Just about the time when I figure out what it is a big storm rolls through and snaps it like a twig. I could just scream. I'm hoping that its aerial roots will enable it to survive but even if they do it will be years before its former heights are reached. The more common name is Puerto Rico Philodendron; its scientific name is Philodendron marginatum. The name comes from the Greek: "philo" is love and "dendron" is tree. Even though the science of philodendrons is not complete still many people have them as ornamental house plants. As I have alot of plant that may soon be dying I was considering using it for medicinal purposes. So I set out to learn and quickly nixed that idea. Every part of the plant is poisonous due to calcium oxalate crystals. Such a shame this beautiful tree is down and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it.

The Wanga Bottle

Back in February I posted about the European style Witch Bottles and now I turn to the African style of bottle magic. I had the great pleasure of learning about the Voodoo practice of Wanga Bottles this weekend at Pagan Pride Day. It's a fascinating practice that dates back hundreds of years to African slaves taken to Haiti. It seems that the white folks thought they were just pretty bottles meant for decoration and because of this misconception they would even have these items in their own homes not knowing magic was being used against them! The bottles themselves must be covered completely from top to bottom so that noone may see what is inside. This weekend we at the workshop used scraps of brightly colored cloth. Once covered many decorate their bottles with beads, shells, gemstones, mirrors, feathers, symbols or just about anything you can imagine. Ideally, the colors used to decorate the bottle should reinforce the intent of the bottle but as I didn't have a clear idea in mind I just aimed to make mine pretty, hence the batik look. Items placed inside the bottle are likewise corresponding to the intent and are only limited by the size of the opening of the bottle. These items are similar to what you would put in a mojo bag like herbs and gemstones. There should also be a very specific note of intent. It should be noted that once the bottle is sealed, either with wax or glue over the cork, it is not to be opened--ever. So whatever you put in the bottle you should be prepared to keep it there. When sealing the bottle it is important to restate your intent then place it under, or very close, to your bed for three nights. As you lay down each of these three nights you should focus on your intention. After the three nights have passed you have a choice to make. The bottle can either be kept until your intent comes to pass or you can bury it. Once buried, however, it should not be dug up. And in case of the unforeseeable accident, if the bottle gets broken it and its contents should be consecrated by fire. The idea behind keeping the bottle sealed, buried and burning it if it gets broken is that the powers that be in the universe are not at your beck and call forever and should not be expected to honor your wishes if you are careless. If you do not choose to bury your bottle it can be kept around the house for decorative purposes or stored away, whatever you choose.