Sun: 09'Cancer
Moon: 16'Aries
Last Quarter Moon
In the United States, we are very fortunate that the Constitution protects our freedoms of both religion and free speech: of all the objections raised to the original writing of the document, the rights of free speech, press, religion and assembly were the first to be preserved specifically to the populace by the Bill of Rights. Religious fundamentalism of any stripe is at odds with both of those rights. Christian fundamentalists attack both the freedom to believe as one wills and and the right to say it (the brainless claim that non-Christians are waging a "War on Christmas" rings a bell here) within our own country. Islamic fundamentalists (and others) do the same elsewhere.
It is a courageous few, comparatively, who stand up and speak for all by saying they wish only to be left to their own beliefs in peace. This blogger in Bangladesh was almost murdered - and still lives in fear for his life - for no reason other than the fact that he believes (or, more accurately, does not believe) as he chooses and speaks about it. And his words are the title of this post, which I quote in respect.
What cowardice could motivate a person to attack from the shadows, to murder or attempt murder in defense of a theology that claims God (by any name) is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present and created all things (including the one being murdered), and then slink back into the shadows convinced that God will protect and absolve that crime, the theft of the life and free will of another of His creations?
Speak, for the cup of hemlock is not yet on your lips. Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, and if those around you are silenced, let their voices join yours and roar defiance at those who would silence freedom forever in the name of religious tyranny.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Ji...hawg?
Sun: 05'Cancer
Moon: 22'Aquarius
You know, I've spoken about spiritual warfare before. Last time it was in the context of what Pagans face from some of the more determined religious fanatics of the Christian Right here at home.
Conscience forces me to address it, however, when I see another ethnicity being attacked for their beliefs - quite literally. So it was with great disgust that I noticed an article on the HuffPo about "Ji-hawg" bullets - bullets painted with pork-laced paint, meant specifically for use against Muslims.
Moon: 22'Aquarius
You know, I've spoken about spiritual warfare before. Last time it was in the context of what Pagans face from some of the more determined religious fanatics of the Christian Right here at home.
Conscience forces me to address it, however, when I see another ethnicity being attacked for their beliefs - quite literally. So it was with great disgust that I noticed an article on the HuffPo about "Ji-hawg" bullets - bullets painted with pork-laced paint, meant specifically for use against Muslims.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Update: The bees keep dying from a neonicotinoid pesticide
Sun: 04'Cancer
Moon: 04'Aquarius
Waning Gibbous
Update on the Oregon bee kill-off, which I initially covered in my National Pollinator Week post earlier this month: lab tests confirm that the bees were in fact killed by the Safari pesticide used for aphid control on the linden trees around a Wilsonville, Oregon Target location. Safari is a neonicotinoid pesticide known to be highly toxic to bees, and of a type banned by the European Union. The bees have been dying since the spray on 15Jun, and estimates have doubled from the initial 25,000 bees dead to over 50,000.
For more information....
Please note that it was unnecessary to spray the trees in the first place: Target had received no customer complaints about the aphids or the honeydew they produce, and it would not have taken a neurotoxic pesticide to kill them had they reached numbers which would have hazarded the trees. Soapy water would have done just as well.
I think that pretty well lays to rest any controversy, anywhere in the world, that pesticide use is a large part of major bee die-offs. I will be interested to see how the chemical giants (Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, DuPont, Syngenta) react to a solid confirmation that their products may indeed have a significant role in the worldwide Colony Collapse Disorder ("Bee-pocalypse").
I would also be interested in seeing how the Pagan community at large worldwide reacts to this news: most of us, it might be fair to say, consider ourselves to be stewards of the Nature we reverence. This would be a good time to start walking the talk, if we haven't already at the individual level.
For my part, I am learning the basics of container gardening, specifically choosing strongly aromatic herbs that will attract bees and growing them organically, from organic seed - I will not feed the beast. So far I have three lavenders, a basil, a mint, and a lemon tree sapling successfully started, with more lavender, basil, tomatoes, pomegranates and a mango to start when I have the time.
Moon: 04'Aquarius
Waning Gibbous
Update on the Oregon bee kill-off, which I initially covered in my National Pollinator Week post earlier this month: lab tests confirm that the bees were in fact killed by the Safari pesticide used for aphid control on the linden trees around a Wilsonville, Oregon Target location. Safari is a neonicotinoid pesticide known to be highly toxic to bees, and of a type banned by the European Union. The bees have been dying since the spray on 15Jun, and estimates have doubled from the initial 25,000 bees dead to over 50,000.
For more information....
Please note that it was unnecessary to spray the trees in the first place: Target had received no customer complaints about the aphids or the honeydew they produce, and it would not have taken a neurotoxic pesticide to kill them had they reached numbers which would have hazarded the trees. Soapy water would have done just as well.
I think that pretty well lays to rest any controversy, anywhere in the world, that pesticide use is a large part of major bee die-offs. I will be interested to see how the chemical giants (Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, DuPont, Syngenta) react to a solid confirmation that their products may indeed have a significant role in the worldwide Colony Collapse Disorder ("Bee-pocalypse").
I would also be interested in seeing how the Pagan community at large worldwide reacts to this news: most of us, it might be fair to say, consider ourselves to be stewards of the Nature we reverence. This would be a good time to start walking the talk, if we haven't already at the individual level.
For my part, I am learning the basics of container gardening, specifically choosing strongly aromatic herbs that will attract bees and growing them organically, from organic seed - I will not feed the beast. So far I have three lavenders, a basil, a mint, and a lemon tree sapling successfully started, with more lavender, basil, tomatoes, pomegranates and a mango to start when I have the time.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Magickal waters
Sun: 03'Cancer
Moon: 26'Capricorn
Just Past Full
All right. I admit, a big part of my practice is astrology. But I also like the hands-on witchy work as well, and I am a biiiiig fan of charging water by the Sun, Moon, element or astrological aspect in effect for practical work. (By "water" I mean actual dihydrogen monoxide, not oils or tinctures, those are for another topic.)
You see, while it's nice to be able to set your tools, talismans, crystals, self, etc. out under the Full Moon overnight for cleansing and recharging, that's not always possible or practical. (People do steal, and not everyone has the privacy necessary for a skyclad Esbat - the neighbors probably mind, even if you don't!) Charging waters, or the herbs to go into them, provides a standalone tool, a storage battery already tuned to the frequency you want that can be pulled out at any time. You can make it as elaborate or as simple as you want: what you put into the water will catch the energies to which it is closest and radiate it into the water to hold. It can be as easy as setting out a jar and a funnel during thunder snow (and use that water cautiously!), or as complicated as charting out the entire heavens at the specific planetary day and hour you want to capture.
Moon: 26'Capricorn
Just Past Full
All right. I admit, a big part of my practice is astrology. But I also like the hands-on witchy work as well, and I am a biiiiig fan of charging water by the Sun, Moon, element or astrological aspect in effect for practical work. (By "water" I mean actual dihydrogen monoxide, not oils or tinctures, those are for another topic.)
You see, while it's nice to be able to set your tools, talismans, crystals, self, etc. out under the Full Moon overnight for cleansing and recharging, that's not always possible or practical. (People do steal, and not everyone has the privacy necessary for a skyclad Esbat - the neighbors probably mind, even if you don't!) Charging waters, or the herbs to go into them, provides a standalone tool, a storage battery already tuned to the frequency you want that can be pulled out at any time. You can make it as elaborate or as simple as you want: what you put into the water will catch the energies to which it is closest and radiate it into the water to hold. It can be as easy as setting out a jar and a funnel during thunder snow (and use that water cautiously!), or as complicated as charting out the entire heavens at the specific planetary day and hour you want to capture.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Summer Solstice 2013: Prometheus and Hellenic Reconstructionism
The BBC came out with an article yesterday that I thought was an interesting, and too-brief, look at the Greek phenomenon known as Hellenic Reconstructionism and the challenges it faces.
These folks see Greece as a pagan nation under occupation by the Orthodox Church and are, quite literally, attempting to reconstruct the ancient religion of Greece.
These folks see Greece as a pagan nation under occupation by the Orthodox Church and are, quite literally, attempting to reconstruct the ancient religion of Greece.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
National Pollinator Week kicks off - with a huge bee kill
Sun: 29' Gemini
Moon: 28'Scorpio
Waxing Gibbous - 3 days before Full
My sister Alohi, who runs the blog Tales of Alohi, tipped me off to this story on OregonLive earlier this morning:
Moon: 28'Scorpio
Waxing Gibbous - 3 days before Full
My sister Alohi, who runs the blog Tales of Alohi, tipped me off to this story on OregonLive earlier this morning:
25,000 bumblebees killed, dropping from trees in Wilsonville; pesticide suspected
25,000 bees. 55 trees, known to have been sprayed with neonicotinoid pesticides just days before as National Pollinator Week began.
The European Union has issued a continent-wide ban on the use of these "neonic" pesticides. Why? Because they have found sufficient evidence for concern that the extreme toxicity of these insecticides (to bees as well as to the insects they're intended to kill) is contributing significantly to Colony Collapse Disorder - observed worldwide among farmers and beekeepers for years now. The evidence is strong enough that Vladimir Putin almost refused to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry because his outrage and fury over America's support for the companies that make them - including Monsanto, Bayer, and Syngenta.
The European Union has issued a continent-wide ban on the use of these "neonic" pesticides. Why? Because they have found sufficient evidence for concern that the extreme toxicity of these insecticides (to bees as well as to the insects they're intended to kill) is contributing significantly to Colony Collapse Disorder - observed worldwide among farmers and beekeepers for years now. The evidence is strong enough that Vladimir Putin almost refused to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry because his outrage and fury over America's support for the companies that make them - including Monsanto, Bayer, and Syngenta.
If you like to eat, you may want to keep reading this one...
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The Cult of the American Flag?
Sun: 28'Gemini
Moon: 00'Scorpio
Sun Trine Moon - Waxing Gibbous
I will make no friends with this post, I am sure. It is a mix of both theological thought and politics, fair warning, but it should be said despite the common convention. (After all, you came here, and it's your choice to keep reading or not.) And there's no better time to explore the deep-seated psychological thoughts and urges than under a Scorpio Moon.
What defines "sacred?"
This question came to my mind after noting the incident in which rapper Lil' Wayne stepped on, or was perceived to be stepping on, the American flag.
Now, I normally don't give a flying rat's ass about what goes on in popular culture, and the rap "scene" is just really not my thing at all. However, this caught my eye as both a Pagan and an active servicemember. And my thoughts are not precisely what one might expect from either perspective.
Moon: 00'Scorpio
Sun Trine Moon - Waxing Gibbous
I will make no friends with this post, I am sure. It is a mix of both theological thought and politics, fair warning, but it should be said despite the common convention. (After all, you came here, and it's your choice to keep reading or not.) And there's no better time to explore the deep-seated psychological thoughts and urges than under a Scorpio Moon.
What defines "sacred?"
This question came to my mind after noting the incident in which rapper Lil' Wayne stepped on, or was perceived to be stepping on, the American flag.
Now, I normally don't give a flying rat's ass about what goes on in popular culture, and the rap "scene" is just really not my thing at all. However, this caught my eye as both a Pagan and an active servicemember. And my thoughts are not precisely what one might expect from either perspective.
RLS, pregnancy and energy flow
Sun: 28'Gemini
Moon: 28'Libra
Sun Trine Moon: Waxing Gibbous
Restless Legs Syndrome is truly torturous. I've dealt with it for as long as I can remember in one degree of another, but now in the third trimester of pregnancy, it's worse than ever before. It's a common side-effect of late pregnancy, and it is both debilitating and absolutely maddening.
Moon: 28'Libra
Sun Trine Moon: Waxing Gibbous
Restless Legs Syndrome is truly torturous. I've dealt with it for as long as I can remember in one degree of another, but now in the third trimester of pregnancy, it's worse than ever before. It's a common side-effect of late pregnancy, and it is both debilitating and absolutely maddening.
Friday, June 14, 2013
A discussion on Fire
Sun: 24'Gemini
Moon: 29'Leo
A burst of colorful flowers in the sky, fading away in smoke trails just before another illuminates the night. A campfire crackling merrily away, toasting your marshmallows, before it escapes the confines of its coals and transforms into a raging wildfire. A volcano spewing embers into the storm it generates to wreathe its own summit in rainless lightning a la Etna, or fountaining smooth streams of heavy basalt into the sea as Kilauea so iconically does A candle, steady or flickering in the wind. The scent of bread baking in the oven and meat roasting on the barbecue. The light by which you read these words. The fury of the nuclear fusion at the heart of the warm sunlight on your skin (and the painful red burn it may leave after)...
These are some of the physical manifestations of Fire.
Earth may give us form and Water life, Air is breath (or death). But no element has brought people together again and again the way that Fire does. It is as beautiful as it is dangerous, tough to contain but impossible to live without.
Moon: 29'Leo
A burst of colorful flowers in the sky, fading away in smoke trails just before another illuminates the night. A campfire crackling merrily away, toasting your marshmallows, before it escapes the confines of its coals and transforms into a raging wildfire. A volcano spewing embers into the storm it generates to wreathe its own summit in rainless lightning a la Etna, or fountaining smooth streams of heavy basalt into the sea as Kilauea so iconically does A candle, steady or flickering in the wind. The scent of bread baking in the oven and meat roasting on the barbecue. The light by which you read these words. The fury of the nuclear fusion at the heart of the warm sunlight on your skin (and the painful red burn it may leave after)...
These are some of the physical manifestations of Fire.
Earth may give us form and Water life, Air is breath (or death). But no element has brought people together again and again the way that Fire does. It is as beautiful as it is dangerous, tough to contain but impossible to live without.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Capitalism, Calvinism, and Japan
Sun: 21'Gemini
Moon: 27'Cancer
New Moon
While I disagree with the essay's final conclusions, I do find this to be a fascinating and very thought-provoking piece.
Japan, of all the Asian countries, has most stringently resisted the incursion of Christianity into their lands. This is a look at the historical and cultural roots that make such powerful nationwide resistance possible, and further, a look at how Calvinism empowered (in a way, created) modern capitalism as we know it. Finally, it looks at the cultural assumption behind that empowerment - that wealth is a sign of godliness - and questions the religious exclusivity in the tradition from which that assumption came.
Moon: 27'Cancer
New Moon
While I disagree with the essay's final conclusions, I do find this to be a fascinating and very thought-provoking piece.
Japan, of all the Asian countries, has most stringently resisted the incursion of Christianity into their lands. This is a look at the historical and cultural roots that make such powerful nationwide resistance possible, and further, a look at how Calvinism empowered (in a way, created) modern capitalism as we know it. Finally, it looks at the cultural assumption behind that empowerment - that wealth is a sign of godliness - and questions the religious exclusivity in the tradition from which that assumption came.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Elemental shrines
Sun: 14' Gemini
Moon: 08'Taurus
Dark of the Moon
A short post tonight. Now that our home's central altar is up and running, my husband and I are in the process of putting up several small elemental shrines around the house. So far, one is in progress, the other three are in conceptual form.
Where we live in Hawaii is urbanized, but when you close your eyes and strip out the city from your awareness and focus on what is behind it, the elements are screaming to be heard. This land, this solid earth, is born of fire from water's embrace, kissing the sky as the winds play over the mighty pali (cliffs) under the heat of the tropical sun. You can't miss it, if you quiet down half a second to listen. It's easy to overlook the origins of your land on the continents: when the volcanoes that gave rise to your island are still watching over you (and are still active or potentially so!), you don't forget.
Moon: 08'Taurus
Dark of the Moon
A short post tonight. Now that our home's central altar is up and running, my husband and I are in the process of putting up several small elemental shrines around the house. So far, one is in progress, the other three are in conceptual form.
Where we live in Hawaii is urbanized, but when you close your eyes and strip out the city from your awareness and focus on what is behind it, the elements are screaming to be heard. This land, this solid earth, is born of fire from water's embrace, kissing the sky as the winds play over the mighty pali (cliffs) under the heat of the tropical sun. You can't miss it, if you quiet down half a second to listen. It's easy to overlook the origins of your land on the continents: when the volcanoes that gave rise to your island are still watching over you (and are still active or potentially so!), you don't forget.
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