I came up with this in the middle of my Solstice ritual tonight.
I will walk with the Earth Mother all of my days
Dancing and singing and giving her praise (x2)
Luna, you shine from above
Full of limitless love (x2)
I will walk with the Earth Mother all of my days
Dancing and singing and giving her praise (x2)
Helios, you race in the sky
With humanity you laugh and cry (x2)
I will walk with the Earth Mother all of my days
Dancing and singing and giving her praise (x2)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Musings on the (Triple) Goddess
I recently discovered that the Pagan magazine SageWoman has an archive of selected articles from past issues. One article that caught my eye was Issue 74's "Why We Need the Queen" by Barbara Ardinger. In this article, Ardinger explores the concept of the Triple Goddess, a tripartite deity most commonly associated with Wicca and other Goddess-centered paths. The phases of the moon, the phases of a woman's life, and the phases of the world around us are seen to be reflected in the trinity of virgin and wondrous Maiden, bountiful and loving Mother, and mysterious and wise Crone. Ardinger supposes that this deity concept is too simple for the myriad of trials and tribulations modern women face. As examples, she offers teenage mothers - have they given up their Maidenhood with pregnancy? - and women going through menopause - does a decline in physical fertility mean the end of a creative life? Ardinger also looks at the moon, noting that rather than three phases, there are four - dark/new moon, waxing, full, and waning. Which is the missing archetype? Queen.
Settled between Mother and Crone, a Queen is a woman who has come into her prime, in the perfect point in her life to give back to the community; she has gone through the pure joy and unadultured love of life as the Maiden, given birth to children, projects, or businesses, or mentored others, as the Mother, and has not yet started to experience the physical decline and exhaustion often associated with Cronehood. A Queen has amassed wisdom that comes from experience and is still in a position, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to be powerful within the community. (This may partly be interpretation on my part and not at all what Ardinger meant to imply, but it feels like the concept of Queen could undermine the equally important Crone stage, but it would be completely up to personal viewpoints and preference.)
One aspect that particularly struck me about Ardinger's article was the fact that age and a woman's actual life cycle may not correspond as neatly to the Triple (or Quadruple?) Goddess as some books and websites have suggested. Is a Maiden a pre-pubescent girl, a woman who has never had sex, someone who has never married, or someone who has no children? Is a mother a mother even if they're at a young age, or have no children but create in other ways? Must a crone begin at menopause when so many women show years of experience on relatively young faces? Ardinger seems more to espouse a self-identification that allows women themselves to choose their phase of life. If pushed to do so, I would identify as a halfway point between Maiden and Mother, but I would be extremely loathe to leave the experience of Maidenhood behind. I feel that while I've started to create and give back to the world, I've also just discovered that there's so much for me to do and learn.
Following up on Ardinger's article, I would suggest a fifth archetype slid between Maiden and Mother (as the moon have five faces - new, crescent, half, gibbous, and full). I'm toying with the names of Lover, Warrior, Priestess, or something like that - maybe the name would be up to the individual practitioner. For me, Maiden has a very young association - think Persephone, whose alternative name Kore literally means "girl". So-called virgin goddesses such as Athena and Artemis seem to be too worldly for me to comfortably identify them as the Maiden Goddess. (Besides, "virgin" in the Classical world would not have necessarily meant a woman who had never had sex. A virgin could have been a strong woman who never married, or who kept her independence from her spouse.) I'm still working on how to get a fivefold Goddess to fit within the phases of the moon (although who says She has to be lunar?), but here is a very basic breakdown of the five types within a Classical context:
Maiden: Persephone/Kore/Proseprine, daughter of Demeter, goddess of Spring, taken later in her mythological cycle to be the wife of Hades.
Warrior: Athena/Minerva, goddess of strategic, defensive warfare (rather than the mindless violence of Ares), crafts, learning, and the Greek polis, or city-state. Athens is her city.
Mother: Demeter/Ceres, goddess of fertility, crops, and the earth. Her Greek name come from Da Mater, which literally translates to "the Mother." A mystery cult focused on Demeter and her daughter Persephone were celebrated at the city of Eleusis.
Queen: Hera/Juno, goddess of marriage, women, and motherhood. She's portrayed primarily a woman reacting to the infidelity of her husband, Zeus, but I like to think of her as a very regal woman, proud and sure of herself and her self worth.
Crone: Hekate/Trivia, a triple goddess in her own right, guarding crossroads, thresholds, and other such places. She's been adopted as a patron of witchcraft and magic by many.
None of these are perfect matches, and all goddess can play roles beyond their primary "function." Persephone, Maiden of Springtime, also spends half the year serving as Queen of the Underworld with her consort Hades. Athena could be a Maiden, as a virgin, Mother, with her association with crafts, or Queen, with her association with justice and community. Demeter may be considered Queen of the Earth (different than the personification of Earth Herself - the Greeks knew the physical earth as Gaia) or, when she wanders the planet in search of her daughter, an itinerant Crone. Hera has obvious associations with Motherhood. Hekate I don't know enough about to say what other roles she might play - perhaps Queen of magic, or even cycling back to Maiden, reflecting the joy and awe that comes from learning of the magical realms. If you'll also notice, three of the five goddesses take part in the same mythic arc: the kidnap of Persephone by Hades. (Hekate is the one who alerts the Olympians to Persephone's hiding place.)
Ardinger also cites The Women’s Wheel of Life, by Elizabeth
Davis and Carol Leonard, which explores thirteen goddess/woman archetypes. The more archetypes and faces of the Goddess the better, I say. I admit that it's a bit of a moot point for myself, never being particularly fond of the Goddess, definite-article-with-a-capital-G-thank-you-very-much, Triple or otherwise, partly because of some reasons outlined by Ardinger herself. Keeping this in mind, I still think it's good for everyone to play mental gymnastics once in awhile, looking close at the trappings and tropes you hold and tweaking them a bit. Does every Wiccan need to go out and change the number of faces of the Goddess they honor? Of course not. But I feel like for a concept so deeply ingrained in the Neo-Pagan community, the Triple Goddess should get examined once in awhile. If anything, honoring the goddesses and women who fall outside the Maiden-Mother-Crone trinity can bring the same sort of reverence as honoring those who fully embrace what, for them, is an empowering archetype.
Settled between Mother and Crone, a Queen is a woman who has come into her prime, in the perfect point in her life to give back to the community; she has gone through the pure joy and unadultured love of life as the Maiden, given birth to children, projects, or businesses, or mentored others, as the Mother, and has not yet started to experience the physical decline and exhaustion often associated with Cronehood. A Queen has amassed wisdom that comes from experience and is still in a position, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to be powerful within the community. (This may partly be interpretation on my part and not at all what Ardinger meant to imply, but it feels like the concept of Queen could undermine the equally important Crone stage, but it would be completely up to personal viewpoints and preference.)
One aspect that particularly struck me about Ardinger's article was the fact that age and a woman's actual life cycle may not correspond as neatly to the Triple (or Quadruple?) Goddess as some books and websites have suggested. Is a Maiden a pre-pubescent girl, a woman who has never had sex, someone who has never married, or someone who has no children? Is a mother a mother even if they're at a young age, or have no children but create in other ways? Must a crone begin at menopause when so many women show years of experience on relatively young faces? Ardinger seems more to espouse a self-identification that allows women themselves to choose their phase of life. If pushed to do so, I would identify as a halfway point between Maiden and Mother, but I would be extremely loathe to leave the experience of Maidenhood behind. I feel that while I've started to create and give back to the world, I've also just discovered that there's so much for me to do and learn.
Following up on Ardinger's article, I would suggest a fifth archetype slid between Maiden and Mother (as the moon have five faces - new, crescent, half, gibbous, and full). I'm toying with the names of Lover, Warrior, Priestess, or something like that - maybe the name would be up to the individual practitioner. For me, Maiden has a very young association - think Persephone, whose alternative name Kore literally means "girl". So-called virgin goddesses such as Athena and Artemis seem to be too worldly for me to comfortably identify them as the Maiden Goddess. (Besides, "virgin" in the Classical world would not have necessarily meant a woman who had never had sex. A virgin could have been a strong woman who never married, or who kept her independence from her spouse.) I'm still working on how to get a fivefold Goddess to fit within the phases of the moon (although who says She has to be lunar?), but here is a very basic breakdown of the five types within a Classical context:
Maiden: Persephone/Kore/Proseprine, daughter of Demeter, goddess of Spring, taken later in her mythological cycle to be the wife of Hades.
Warrior: Athena/Minerva, goddess of strategic, defensive warfare (rather than the mindless violence of Ares), crafts, learning, and the Greek polis, or city-state. Athens is her city.
Mother: Demeter/Ceres, goddess of fertility, crops, and the earth. Her Greek name come from Da Mater, which literally translates to "the Mother." A mystery cult focused on Demeter and her daughter Persephone were celebrated at the city of Eleusis.
Queen: Hera/Juno, goddess of marriage, women, and motherhood. She's portrayed primarily a woman reacting to the infidelity of her husband, Zeus, but I like to think of her as a very regal woman, proud and sure of herself and her self worth.
Crone: Hekate/Trivia, a triple goddess in her own right, guarding crossroads, thresholds, and other such places. She's been adopted as a patron of witchcraft and magic by many.
None of these are perfect matches, and all goddess can play roles beyond their primary "function." Persephone, Maiden of Springtime, also spends half the year serving as Queen of the Underworld with her consort Hades. Athena could be a Maiden, as a virgin, Mother, with her association with crafts, or Queen, with her association with justice and community. Demeter may be considered Queen of the Earth (different than the personification of Earth Herself - the Greeks knew the physical earth as Gaia) or, when she wanders the planet in search of her daughter, an itinerant Crone. Hera has obvious associations with Motherhood. Hekate I don't know enough about to say what other roles she might play - perhaps Queen of magic, or even cycling back to Maiden, reflecting the joy and awe that comes from learning of the magical realms. If you'll also notice, three of the five goddesses take part in the same mythic arc: the kidnap of Persephone by Hades. (Hekate is the one who alerts the Olympians to Persephone's hiding place.)
Ardinger also cites The Women’s Wheel of Life, by Elizabeth
Davis and Carol Leonard, which explores thirteen goddess/woman archetypes. The more archetypes and faces of the Goddess the better, I say. I admit that it's a bit of a moot point for myself, never being particularly fond of the Goddess, definite-article-with-a-capital-G-thank-you-very-much, Triple or otherwise, partly because of some reasons outlined by Ardinger herself. Keeping this in mind, I still think it's good for everyone to play mental gymnastics once in awhile, looking close at the trappings and tropes you hold and tweaking them a bit. Does every Wiccan need to go out and change the number of faces of the Goddess they honor? Of course not. But I feel like for a concept so deeply ingrained in the Neo-Pagan community, the Triple Goddess should get examined once in awhile. If anything, honoring the goddesses and women who fall outside the Maiden-Mother-Crone trinity can bring the same sort of reverence as honoring those who fully embrace what, for them, is an empowering archetype.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Samhain 2009 - Details
Possibly pics to come soon? I know I saw someone at that house with a camera...
----
Invoking Athena + Others
In the name of all those we hold dear
In the name of all the gods and goddesses, known and unknown
In the name of Athena Sophia, our patron and friend
In the name of the spirits we honor and the loved ones we adore
We acknowledge this space and this time as sacred
We guard and protect our circle and this rite
Benevolent energy shall be welcomed with open arms
Malevolence will be cast out and kept out with the drawing of the circle.
In the names and powers of gods, mortals, and the very spirit of Samhain
So mote it be.
Persephone Chant
Persephone
Maiden of Spring
Life to all the earth you bring
Persephone
Queen of the Dead
One day with you we'll break our bread.
I tried my hand at getting a loose Spanish translation and while it's not perfect, I think I got the rhyme and rhythm to do what I wanted.
Persephone
Primavera (Spring)
Al mundo trae la vida (To the world you bring life)
Persephone
Reina Muerte (Queen Death/Queen of the Dead/Reign of Death)
Sea nuestra guía fuerte. (Be our strong guide)
----
Invoking Athena + Others
In the name of all those we hold dear
In the name of all the gods and goddesses, known and unknown
In the name of Athena Sophia, our patron and friend
In the name of the spirits we honor and the loved ones we adore
We acknowledge this space and this time as sacred
We guard and protect our circle and this rite
Benevolent energy shall be welcomed with open arms
Malevolence will be cast out and kept out with the drawing of the circle.
In the names and powers of gods, mortals, and the very spirit of Samhain
So mote it be.
Persephone Chant
Persephone
Maiden of Spring
Life to all the earth you bring
Persephone
Queen of the Dead
One day with you we'll break our bread.
I tried my hand at getting a loose Spanish translation and while it's not perfect, I think I got the rhyme and rhythm to do what I wanted.
Persephone
Primavera (Spring)
Al mundo trae la vida (To the world you bring life)
Persephone
Reina Muerte (Queen Death/Queen of the Dead/Reign of Death)
Sea nuestra guía fuerte. (Be our strong guide)
Better a late start than never
Samhain with Athena's Circle went really well. During the feast beforehand (which was, of course, delicious), it was like like I was home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. As ridiculous as this will sound, I felt like it really was a holiday, and I was surrounded by family and friends. It was a good feeling, and much preferable to Samhain last year - then again, just about everything in my life at Bryn Mawr this year is better than the last. That's the way it should be, though - life gives you tough lessons, you learn a little here and there, and then you go out to kick ass and take names.
More about the actual ritual - note to self, invest in a camera - the leader of AC and I wrote the ritual together and decided we wanted to break with our traditional (and very Wiccan) format a bit. The focus of Samhains in the past has been some form of divination or ancestor communication and this year we decided to take a break from all that. This year the ritual was going to be entirely devotional, dedicated to honoring the ancestors and their passing. What follows is a basic outline for the ritual - I'll put in specifics later, in a different post.
Invoking Athena/Stating Purpose - we decided to call the deities (only invoking Athena by name) and ancestors before casting the circle and then calling on no one once the circle was cast. This was to allay fears of any Shit Going Down, as it has in the past on Samhain.
Casting the Circle - we had three methods: a round of hugs while singing "We Are A Circle", a circle of tealights behind us, and walking the circle thrice with an athame.
Calling the Elements - no lanterns this time! We decided on the quarters (I was North) and passed around smoldering incense and a bowl of salt water.
Persephone - so we only specifically invoked Athena, but I was totally able to sneak Persephone in here anyway. I told her story (in abridged form) and shared a chant I had created for her.
Main Ritual Work - as a group, we constructed an altar to the ancestors. First, in total silence, we set our offerings for those that had past on. I brought a small piece of wood with an intricate tree burned/carved into it I found at the Goodwill, a miniature chalice, a small Buddhist prayer wheel, and four Tarot cards: The High Priestess, the Hierophant, the Moon, and the Sun. After this, we shared stories about those who had past, recently or long ago.
Thanking the Elements - same as Calling, but reversed. Thanks Momma Earth.
Opening the Circle - same as Casting, but reversed, and using the chant "The Circle Is Open".
All in all, I was pretty pleased with how things went. I'm glad Athena's Circle is expanding, not just with new people but also with a willingness to experiment with ritual style. We're still heavily influenced by Wicca, but there seems to be more self-awareness with that fact. I'm already excited for Yule. :)
More about the actual ritual - note to self, invest in a camera - the leader of AC and I wrote the ritual together and decided we wanted to break with our traditional (and very Wiccan) format a bit. The focus of Samhains in the past has been some form of divination or ancestor communication and this year we decided to take a break from all that. This year the ritual was going to be entirely devotional, dedicated to honoring the ancestors and their passing. What follows is a basic outline for the ritual - I'll put in specifics later, in a different post.
Invoking Athena/Stating Purpose - we decided to call the deities (only invoking Athena by name) and ancestors before casting the circle and then calling on no one once the circle was cast. This was to allay fears of any Shit Going Down, as it has in the past on Samhain.
Casting the Circle - we had three methods: a round of hugs while singing "We Are A Circle", a circle of tealights behind us, and walking the circle thrice with an athame.
Calling the Elements - no lanterns this time! We decided on the quarters (I was North) and passed around smoldering incense and a bowl of salt water.
Persephone - so we only specifically invoked Athena, but I was totally able to sneak Persephone in here anyway. I told her story (in abridged form) and shared a chant I had created for her.
Main Ritual Work - as a group, we constructed an altar to the ancestors. First, in total silence, we set our offerings for those that had past on. I brought a small piece of wood with an intricate tree burned/carved into it I found at the Goodwill, a miniature chalice, a small Buddhist prayer wheel, and four Tarot cards: The High Priestess, the Hierophant, the Moon, and the Sun. After this, we shared stories about those who had past, recently or long ago.
Thanking the Elements - same as Calling, but reversed. Thanks Momma Earth.
Opening the Circle - same as Casting, but reversed, and using the chant "The Circle Is Open".
All in all, I was pretty pleased with how things went. I'm glad Athena's Circle is expanding, not just with new people but also with a willingness to experiment with ritual style. We're still heavily influenced by Wicca, but there seems to be more self-awareness with that fact. I'm already excited for Yule. :)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
First Post!
I've never been able to keep any internet related project going, even my own personal blog, so we'll have to see how this goes.
Hi. My name is Ellen, and I'm a Pagan.
Assuming I'm at all capable of keeping this thing going (I know, I know, way to attract negativity to this venture before it's even really started), I envision this blog turning into a personal rambling archive, book review list, funny (or not so funny) anecdote collection, and public Book-o-Shadows. What else can I say for myself besides my name and religious affiliation?
Well, I've been a Pagan for about two and a half years now (dedicated myself Ostara 2007) and been studying Paganism for over three years. I'm also Unitarian Universalist and am considering going to a UU seminary for grad school. I attend Bryn Mawr College and hope to major in either religion or anthropology (or both, if I'm feeling particularly masochistic). I read, I write, I draw, I cook (and eat), I'm a shameless geek, and I'm just coming to realize how absolutely, ridiculously awesome life can be.
Hi. My name is Ellen, and I'm a Pagan.
Assuming I'm at all capable of keeping this thing going (I know, I know, way to attract negativity to this venture before it's even really started), I envision this blog turning into a personal rambling archive, book review list, funny (or not so funny) anecdote collection, and public Book-o-Shadows. What else can I say for myself besides my name and religious affiliation?
Well, I've been a Pagan for about two and a half years now (dedicated myself Ostara 2007) and been studying Paganism for over three years. I'm also Unitarian Universalist and am considering going to a UU seminary for grad school. I attend Bryn Mawr College and hope to major in either religion or anthropology (or both, if I'm feeling particularly masochistic). I read, I write, I draw, I cook (and eat), I'm a shameless geek, and I'm just coming to realize how absolutely, ridiculously awesome life can be.
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