Do the Gods change?

I pose a question to you all:
Do the Gods change?

I'm going to give my perspective, but I'd love to hear yours as well. Go ahead and leave comments here on my blog, or you can visit my YouTube page, comment, or post a video response.

ALSO: I apologize for the loud whurring of my laptop, this thing is a beast. I should have used my headset! =P

BB )O(
obscurevisions

Intro Music: "Marco Polo" - Loreena McKennitt


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znQXoYJiIc4

For Tannhaus.

Hey everyone.

If you've been on YouTube lately, you're probably well aware of the situation with Tannhaus and his suspension, as a result of a certain someone's efforts to take down the Pagans of the YouTube Community. I am hosting this video here, his inspiring Call to Arms, in the hopes it will reach more individuals who otherwise might not have seen it.

Updates on this situation can be found here.

http://blip.tv/play/gYMm5PEYjKMC

BB )O(

Good afternoon, and what a pleasant afternoon it is! :D

Today I wanted to briefly discuss different types of altar layouts, and what I use, since my structure is not exactly one of the conventional Wiccan methods.

In most pagan paths, the altar is the center for your spiritual practice. Upon it are all of your most commonly used tools of worship and magick, items to be offered to deity, and also items that symbolize certain concepts to you. They by no means need to be flashy, and cost you more than you can afford. Honestly, you could turn a cardboard box over and cover it with a small cloth to start with, if you have nothing else, or if you need to be "inconspicuous." You can leave an altar up permanently, or you can set it up and take it down whenever you intend to use it. It's up to you.

There are two popular altar layouts of which I am aware. The first is the feminine/masculine, Goddess/God duality layout. On the left hand side of the altar, you place all tools/objects that fall under the feminine aspect of Divinity. This includes the elements of water, and earth. On the right hand side of the altar, you place tools/objects that fall under the masculine aspect of divinity, fire and air. In the center, you place any items that are dedicated to both masculine and feminine, such as offerings, the pentacle, etc.

The second popular altar layout is the elemental layout, which divides the altar into quadrants dedicated to each element. Each quadrant contains items and tools that fall under that individual element, and oftentimes in the center is the realm of spirit, where you might place images of Deity or offerings. North belongs to earth, east to air, south to fire, and west to water.

The altar layout I use is not a conventional one, and quite honestly I don't know of anyone else who does this. I've always been a huge fan of the yin yang concept within Taoism, because it just makes sense to me. Nothing is pure; not everything is so clear cut. With the other altar layouts, I was running into issues with overlapping items. "ACK!! Where the hell am I supposed to put the abalone shell? It's for the Goddess, but I'm using it for smudging, and putting my smudge stick in it... smudge is fire and air... I don't have room in the center RAAAWR!!!" x3 I'm sure I'm not the only one who has fell into that before. Or, how about dealing with the fact that in the Kemetic pantheon, there are often SOLAR goddesses and LUNAR gods? Where on earth do you place them?! Thus, the yin yang layout was born. There is always a bit of yin in the yang, and a bit of yang in the yin. The symbol itself clearly displays this concept, and it is true of many items you may wish to place on your altar. The yin yang layout allows you to place items that are for both aspects (evenly so) in the center, or objects that lean MOSTLY to the yin on the left, or MOSTLY to the yang on the right. As such, Yinepu sits on the left side of my altar, and Bast on the right. Bast may be female, but she is solar, a protectress, an avenger, and embodies many yang characteristics. Yinepu may be male, but he is a lunar god, and deals often with the dead and many yin concepts.

So, I hope this gave you all a bit of insight into altar layouts, what's out there for you to choose from, and what I use. Most importantly, remember that your altar is your own spiritual space, so you should always place items where it feels proper to you. If it makes sense in your heart- go for it. If someone yells at you for not following "proper structure," remind them that paganism is non-dogmatic, and how you practice your religion is of no concern to anyone but yourself.

Brightest Blessings! )O(

An Introduction.

Courtesy of Dictionary.com:

obscure [uh b-skyoor]
adjective,
-scur⋅er, -scur⋅est, verb, -scured, -scur⋅ing, noun –adjective

6. of little or no prominence, note, fame, or distinction: an obscure French artist.


I am your average, run-of-the-mill pagan college student, living in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am not a scholar, I have no degrees to speak of, and the area I am studying has nothing at all to do with my religion. I'm a geek, a code monkey, an Information Technology major. I am 20 years old, and I live with my Methodist Christian parents while I attend school.

There is nothing special about me; I am obscure. I am not well-known in the pagan community at large, and I never expect to be one of those iconic, legendary figures whose reputations precede them. I am merely a student of my pagan faith, always learning. This blog will serve to provide you all with a glimpse into my perspective on pagan religion, personal experiences, growth, frustrations, and everything under the sun. Occasionally, I will feature some of my more informative YouTube videos here as well.

This blog is my voice, and with it I will share a piece of my spirit with you.