2012

I don't do much for the "new year". Religiously, my new year starts in winter, and it's more of a process than one particular day or moment. So New Years has always just been an excuse for a party, and typically the nights don't go well. They're usually a disappointment at best and a disaster at worst, so I go into things with a view that it will probably suck. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised! This year's NYE party was nothing special, but I did get to see some old friends again, and no one was horribly injured, and only one person threw up. So that was OK.

It usually means, also, that New Year's Day is spent hung over, or filled with regret, or otherwise with me being grumpy. (Tick off at least two of those for me this year.) I don't start a "new year" filled with joy or anything like that, but occasionally I'll participate in some sort of tradition; in my family, we wear a brand new item of clothing on New Year's Day, usually something received as an Xmas gift. It's supposed to be good luck. I don't know where this tradition came from, but I sort of like it. This year I didn't get anything clothing-related except socks (I like socks) and I'd already worn those, so I didn't have anything new to wear.

As for resolutions, I usually fail at them utterly. I think I'd rather set a general goal, and work towards that, but it's a strange thing to do when the world's just turning itself down towards winter. Goal-setting seems like it should happen more at the beginning of spring. At any rate, I'm more concerned with completing the goals I have in mind already than I am with making more goals.

I don't have any goals for the blog, except to keep it going. We've made it a year so far, which is about 11 months longer than any other "proper" blog I've tried to run. I still have about three book reviews half-finished that I have to complete and post at some point, and I hope in 2012 I'll be more conscientious about getting those (and others!) written up and posted.

I've also considered "monetising" the blog; I've had a fair few more visitors lately (yay!) and am not opposed to the making of a dollar or two. I decided against ads, but I did decide to put up a little "donate" button, tucked away further down the page so as not to be obtrusive. If you like the blog, have an extra dollar and feel like it, you are now able to give that dollar to me. (Or you can buy a yourself lollipop or something. Or give it to the local animal shelter. Or Alzheimers research. Anyway, the option is now there.)

Oh, also, the Mayan thing? Yeah, no. If the world was going to end this year it would have only begun about 5,000 years ago, when the last calendar ticked over to 13.0.0.0.0 or whatever it is. Which is nonsense. Of course the world is billions of years old. So. I just felt I should mention it, given the title of this blog post.

"Happy Solstice!"

One thing I noticed over the holy-days was that a surprising number of people, on twitter and elsewhere, wishing one another a happy Solstice. I'm not even talking about Pagans - Buddhists, agnostics, the non-religious, and those whose affiliations I do not know. Some suggested to one another activities like lighting a fire or going out to dance in the snow.

It was strange, and for some reason quite gratifying. This of course is a religious festival for me, and for many of us, and it's very pleasing to see people for whom it is not a religious festival still getting into, shall we say, the spirit of the season, and feeling moved to do something, to say "Happy Solstice", even if it's not, for them, a religious holiday.

The great George Carlin once said that if he was going to worship anything, it would be the sun. You can see it, it gives you food, warmth and light, and without it you would die. (Sounds good to me.) But in a way he has a point... whether or not you consider this a religious celebration, the Solstice exists regardless. It's an astronomical time that you don't need to be religious to mark and celebrate if you feel like it; the sun exists for atheists as much as it does for people who worship sun deities, or whose religious festivals are linked to the movement of the sun through the sky.

Seeing so many different people taking note of the Solstice and pointing it out - along with good wishes and salutations! - to others of myriad different religions and lack thereof really gives me hope that in the future, we can all celebrate the Solstice as a secular holiday as well as a religious one.

How cool would that be?

This is the holiday post, I suppose. And it's also nearly a year since I started this blog - the first post was way back in January 2011. Well, OK, to be honest it's nearly 11 months since I started the blog, as I started it at the end of January, but nevertheless as 2011 comes to a close one becomes contemplative about the past year.

It does feel like it has been a long time. I'd never blogged regularly before when I started, though I'd tried, so I'm glad it's come this far. I think I owe the "30 Days of Paganism" meme a debt of gratitude for giving me something to post on those occasions when I couldn't think of much of anything to write.

And I'd especially like to thank all of you for not only reading but linking to the blog on StumbleUpon, Twitter and Tumblr. It's because of all of you guys that Hagstone reached 3000 views this month, and I really, really appreciate it.

The Solstice is tomorrow. Summer for me, Winter for many of you, so many happy returns to those who are celebrating religiously at this time of year, and many happy returns for any secular holidays you all may be celebrating as well. I, for my part, will be picking some flowers tomorrow for my altar and celebrating the longest day with some nice fruits, some nice wine, and a ritual I will probably make up as I go along. My secular Eksmas will be celebrated with family and good food, and my Nordic Midsummer I will stretch out to a few days, with a formal blót, oh, probably on the 22nd, but perhaps a day or two later. It is a busy time of year after all.

Joyous Holidays!

Reader Question: Greek Paganism

"I love your blog (Seriously, I should be writing an essay but I've been scrolling through your blog, whoops.)

As I was scrolling, I was thinking about my pantheon, as a brand-spankin' new pagan, I've already become comfortable with the pantheon I know the most about and what feels right with me. Which would be Greek Paganism. And I was wondering if you had any information to share with me, or have any reading materials you would recommend?

Also, on a side note...  it's been a family rule that I'm not allowed to burn anything in my room. I have a few electric candles and I was wondering if those had the same principal,  I've seen on the internet that some pagans use them, I was just wondering what your thoughts were.

- Alex"

Hi there! Thanks so much! I love knowing people are enjoying the blog =D and I'm happy to help.

I do have some sources for you! As a Greek Pagan, you are very lucky as there is a wealth of information available in the form of primary texts, art and archaeology. On the down side, religion was practised a bit differently from area to area, city-state to city-state, which can confuse matters.

But anyway, here are some links for you:
Theoi.com - MANY primary and secondary sources, organised by God, hero, spirit or entity.
Temenos Theon - the best site I've found so far for basic info on Hellenic recon. It's straightforward but has great info, and a lot of links to further reading.
This book was recommended by a Hellenic friend of mine and the website also has some recommended reading, links and an Athenian festival calendar. I haven't read the book myself but I do trust my friend's judgement, so it should be a good read.

And of course the main primary texts are Homer (Iliad, Odyssey) and Hesiod (Theogeny, Works and Days). You can read them here if you don't mind an older translation.

I'm not a big fan of electric candles myself. The act of lighting a candle, the way the flame responds and so on, and the presence of the fire itself can't be replicated by an electric alternative. But, on the other hand, part of the reason for lighting candles is atmosphere. If they provide the right atmosphere for you, then go right ahead and use them. It all depends on the reasons you want to light candles.

EDIT

My friend added her advice:

"My first book introduction (because Kharis wasn't out yet, and Old Stones New Temples was out of print) was actually Walter Burkert's Greek Religion. It's dense, dry, a history book...and utterly important to read.

At some point. It doesn't have to be everyone's first resource, but I think it's an important work to read.

My biggest recommendation is to learn the ritual pattern and then just do ritual. It doesn't need to be very big and fancy, and as you learn, you can incorperate your beliefs and practices into your daily life."

 Thanks hun! Everyone go check out her blog.

Day Twelve: Pantheon (Thor)

I feel I should point out, before going further, that these "30 Days", particularly on deities, do involve quite a bit of my UPG. There's lore-referenced stuff as well, but quite a bit involves my personal experiences with these deities. Sorry for not pointing that out before. As always, click on the "30 Days" tag for other entries.



So. Thor.

Thor, or Þórr if you like, is a big god. Not in the sense that Oðinn is big, but physically very large and tall and broad across the shoulders. He's also good for hugging. Not that he's really a big teddy bear. He's fierce and strong and so on. He just happens to be also good for hugging. Like a real bear, I suppose.

I have this theory that no one can actually dislike Thor. Thor is too nice a chap to dislike. He is Protector of the Small, and we're all small, at least to Thor. He guards our fields and a rolling of thunder is exciting and reassuring and familiar. When I need something against to rest my back, something to keep me upright and ongoing, I think of Thor. I think, "Thor wouldn't let this shit get the better of him" and I keep going. When I need strength and reach for him for reassurance, he is the iron bar supporting my spine.

Compared to Oðinn and Loki he's very straight-forward, and I like that. I'm fond of Thor not because we share things in common but because I can't help myself, because his presence is always so warm and comforting. He is a god of the people, where his father is a god of chieftans and warriors. He's not as perspicacious as his father or uncle, he's not as cunning or wise. But he's not stupid either. He's not simple. He's straightforward.

I asked Thor for his protection when I was overseas. Before I left, really. I asked Oðinn as well, as a Wanderer, and Loki to keep me safe from those who would trick me. I had an uneasy feeling when I was over in England and on my way to London, so I spoke up to ask again for their protection and felt safe instantly. The request didn't need to be made, because the deal had already been struck. That in itself was reassuring and the experience taught me something I theoretically knew but hadn't really grokked about the Aesir.

Thor's Hammer is a, perhaps the, primary symbol of Heathenry. I always feel particularly safe and beloved, and indeed somehow proud, when I wear mine. My Hammer on my altar is one of my favourite ritual tools, and I've mentioned previously on this blog how much I love the "Hammer Rite" at the beginning of a ritual.

Summer and Eksmas

In the Southern Hemisphere, as you doubtless know (unless you are the victim of an unfortunate education system), the seasons are the opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. I am a Colonial, insofar as I live in a post-colonial country that was once a part of the British Empire and is now a part of the Commonwealth. As such, my ancestors brought their cultural traditions with them from Britain and Ireland to the new Promised Land of New Zealand.

Meaning? Well, it means religious and cultural secular holidays that are associated with particular dates - Easter and Christmas primarily, but Halloween also - are no longer matched up with the seasons. Traditional decorations remain largely the same: holly and snow around Christmas (although, pleasingly, the sun and the pohutukawa are gaining ground here), pumpkins around Halloween, pastel colours around Easter. People sing "Jingle Bells" as if it had a damn thing to do with Christmas. It's annoying, and frustrating, and sometimes I dream of moving somewhere nice like Scotland where the sun doesn't spend four months of the year trying to kill you and cultural holidays are more in line with my religious ones. It's weird celebrating the Summer Solstice when everyone is pissing around saying "Happy Yule!"

I actually love celebrating secular Eksmas* in summer. It's a unique sort of thing. Everybody gets about four weeks off, and spends the whole time lying around wearing very little and drinking gin and tonics or sparkling wine with strawberries in it. People play beach cricket, the entire world seems to relax the fuck out, and the world is pleasant. I even feel this way despite not particularly liking summer. It is fucking awesome, and everyone in the Northern Hemisphere should come down and try it at least once in their lives.

So where does that leave me? Yule on one end of the year, Midsummer on the other, and here I am with my major religious focus at the opposite end to everyone else's major family focus holiday. The eating and drinking and giving of gifts happens in December, not June the way I feel it should, and I celebrate my Yuletide essentially alone. In the future, if I find myself a nice little Kindred or a partner with similar religious leanings, this may change. But for now, well, I am going to respond to my family and community. Midsummer was, for our Heathen ancestors, still a big holiday. There were Things, and Maypoles, and happy enjoyment. There's no reason really I can't marry that with the secular Eksmas of my country.

Too long have I vaguely overlooked Midsummer in my Heathen practice. I've held blót every year, of course, usually to Tyr and sometimes Sunna also. This year, I plan to incorporate more of how summer is celebrated (consciously or not) in my country into my own religious summer celebrations. I'm going to extend my Midsummer for a few days, and incorporate Eksmas into it. It will be strange, but to many people how Eksmas works here would be strange anyway, so there we are. I am a bit of a come-as-you-are Pagan, so this little experiment will develop as I go along, and of course in no way will Midsummer become as important to me as Yule has always been, but nevertheless I am excited to incorporate things a little more each way.

Now, back to Eksmas shopping.


*My reason for "Eksmas" is twofold. Firstly, I watch too much Futurama, and have acquired their pronunciation of Xmas. I am well aware that "X" stands in for the Greek "Chi" and is an initial of Christ, hence Xmas, Xian and so on. Second, I am aware also that the secular holiday of Christmas and the religious holiday of Christmas, while occurring at the same time of year and sharing many symbols, are nevertheless not the same holiday. Out of respect therefore for our Christian friends, I would not want to call this holiday "Christmas" or "Xmas", and so, Eksmas. I hope my reasoning for this is clear and offends as few people as possible.

Day Eleven: Pantheon (Odin)

Oðinn is one of those gods that sets the spirit singing, for various reasons. He is utterly magnificent for all he is sneaky and restrained when he wants to be. He is fearsomely marvellous and marvellously fearsome, and I love and admire him very much.

I met Oðinn properly many years ago when I was a silly little chit of a witchling, and asked Apollo for advice on Runes. (Because Apollo is connected with divination, don'tcherknow.) Apollo tactfully suggested I talk to Oðinn about it. So I did.

Oðinn is a very layered god. He and I share a lot in common, which is why I think I like him as much as I do. We both like language, and words. We value wit, wisdom and poetry. We like to wander. We like to learn for the sake of learning.

He has so many sides to him, so many things in which he dips his fingers. Oðinn is a god of war.... and a god who practises an argr form of magic. (That is, ummanly. Shamefully feminine.) He is a Tricky Bastard of the highest order, with a tendency to smile on people in battle until they've reached the peak of their abilities and then let them die so he can add them to his personal army. "Hi, you know that magic sword I gave you that helped you win all your battles? Yeah, I'm gonna need that back now. Have fun fighting that huge great army that vastly outnumbers you. Ciao!" He's also a lover, a leader, the Most Wise, a god with more names than I've had hot dinners and some of them quite fearsome indeed. Ygg, the Terrible!

When I think of him, I acknowledge that he is a particularly frightening deity. Yet when I honour him or speak with him, I do not fear him but feel great love for him. He is patient with me though I've taken so long in learning his Runes. I am happy to do for him what he wants me to do, yet, I'm glad I'm not "one of his" as I hear he's rather harsh with them. I'm more comfortable and happy in his presence than I am with many of his folk. But he is big, and not in the sense of being physically intimidating. More in the sense that you're very aware that he could squish you if he wanted to. I associate a lot with him, more than I do with many gods, in the way of "correspondences". Many of them physical, or ineffable. He's grey and blue, like the sky, particularly dark grey-blue of heavy clouds. The scent of snow in the air. He's wolf and bear. He is winter, and blood on the snow. He's also things that keep you warm on a cold night, like mead, and stories by the fire, and sex. He's the clang of metal on metal and the taste of blood in your mouth.

I see him with grey beard and hair, and sharp eye (the other, of course, not being there), sometimes wearing a blue cloak and his traveller's hat, sometimes wearing a wolfskin cloak. He gave me one similar during a Walk once, and taught me things that day. One of those things is that one wears wolfskin if it is cold if the alternative is freezing. He likes mead, very much, and he doesn't like peach schnapps.

So don't give him any.

(As always, click the "30 days" tag at the bottom there to quickly find my other entries.)