Blog of an Obscure Pagan

Hey folks.

So tonight, I did a solitary Imbolc ritual. As this Greater Sabbat recognizes the growing strength of the Sun, in my personal tradition I have blended it with the Kemetic mythos by using it as an opportunity to honor Aset (Isis) and Heru sa Aset (Horus). At this time of year, the Sun begins to grow in strength, preparing itself to return to the Earth and begin to overtake the darkness at the Spring Equinox. This is a good parallel to the time period where Aset protected Heru from his uncle Set, who wished to cause him harm so that he could not reclaim the throne and avenge his father's death. Aset nurtured her son, helping him to grow stronger each day to prepare for his coming duties.

The message I received from my Imbolc ritual tonight was quite clear: Now is the time for us all to embody the Mother and the Son. It's not a gender issue, it has nothing to do with that- it's all about the role you play in other's lives, and the role they play in yours.

From Aset, I have learned this lesson: Embody the mother in the lives of those you care about. Support them, love them, nurture them, and be their undying source of friendship and compassion, to help them achieve all they wish to accomplish in life. When the land is dark and desolate, be their light, their source of warmth and love. Be their hand to hold, to push them to succeed, to encourage them that they are capable of doing anything they wish to achieve. Be their unshakable foundation, their rock.

Heru has taught me this: Embody the Son/Sun in your own life. As the Sun grows in strength and vitality, soon to bring life to the land which has been dormant and sleeping all winter, may you also awaken your inspiration, drive, motivation, and determination. May you manifest within yourself the power to accomplish all that you wish to achieve in the coming year. And in addition, may your friends embody the mother for you, and help you to grow strong in your endeavors. The time for slumber is growing short, and the time for action is now. It is up to you to make your own happiness.


These are the messages I have received tonight, ones which I feel we can all benefit from hearing. Blessed Imbolc to all!

BB )O(

obscurevisions

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(

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.