Merry Meet!

The Goddess Eoster and Her Chosen Animal

Merry Meet!

It’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, then we Pagans get more flattery from the major religions than you can shake a stick at! Even when they actually shake sticks at us to chase us a way.

Let’s take the most recent holiday, Easter. For Christians, it symbolizes renew, resurrection, new beginnings, and the like. The egg symbolizes new life and the rabbit…

The rabbit???

This was always the question I asked as a child. What the heck does the rabbit have to do with eggs? I’d get vague answers or a change of subject in most cases. When I was older, people told me the rabbit symbolized life because of it’s fertility.

Yep. I could see that. Maybe the poster child for population overgrowth. There may, however, be another explanation. Christians copied or took over these symbols from Pagans. For many of us, the egg does symbolize life and, boy oh boy, does the rabbit symbolize fertility!

But there is still another reason. One of our myths tells of the Goddess Eoster, calling all of the animals together. She wants them to search the world to find the greatest gift for her. The one gift that best symbolizes life. The animal that brings her the one most worthy will be her chosen animal.

The animals scurry away only to return with elaborate gifts, each one more fantastic and ornate than the next. The Goddess despairs of every finding a truly remarkable and worthy gift capable of expressing how wondrous a life they live.

Just as she begins to weep, a small bedraggled mess comes limping up to her. As it nears, she can see that it is the rabbit covered in mud and footsore. The bunny pulls an object from a tiny sack and places it before the Goddess. All the animals burst into laughter. The bunny has a plain, small egg.

“Nothing remarkable about an egg,” the birds caw. “We can make those any time we want!”

“Nope, not a thing,” agree the snake and the turtle. Soon all the animals take turns telling the shamed rabbit how bad a gift he has.

As he hangs his head, the Goddess whispers a single word that rolls across the world like rumbling thunder.

“Silence!”

The animals back up a bit, not understanding. They look up and see tears in the Goddess’ eyes. They watch her reach down and gently take the egg from where Rabbit has left it. Then she bows to him.

“Rabbit is the only one of you who understands the meaning of life,” the Goddess’ quiet words reach every ear. “It is fragile and delicate. It can be crushed in an instant, yet it gives its bounty as it may. From life we have beautiful flowers, abundant food, and joyous companions.”

With that she touches Rabbit, and he is clean. His fur fluffs up. His feet no longer ache. He takes his place at the Goddess’ side as her chosen animal.

Since then, Pagans have celebrated life with the symbols that nature gives us. The egg and the rabbit. Flowers and food. So next time you see the Easter Bunny, congratulate him on being so clever!

To think about:

Sit in a quiet place and try to imagine the symbols of life. What do they have to teach you? How can you share this with others?

Simple Spring Ritual:

Boil an egg. You may want to invite friends and family over to share in your ritual, boil an egg for each person.

Tell the story of the Goddess Eoster. Make a small blessing of thanks to the earth and her animals for the food she provides. Pour out some water. Peel the egg and eat it, being sure to keep the shells. Crush the shells and spread them around the plants to help feed them.

By sharing some of your rituals with those who love you, you build a bridge of understanding that they can cross to get to where you are. With understanding comes acceptance. And this is just one of the ways you can help your non-Pagan friends and family understand the reverence you hold for nature and all the things the Creator gives us.

Bright blessings and merry part ‘til merry we meet again!

Asha

Merry Meet!

Last time we talked about the “An it harm none, do as ye will” law that most Pagans follow. I’ve said before that this is the ultimate responsibility law. By my actions or inactions I may not cause harm to others or myself. As a Pagan, you really have to weigh the consequences of your actions and how they affect not only the people around you, but you yourself.

We’re going to look at a few of the ways that Christians and Pagans are alike. So many of us focus on our differences and forget the things to celebrate that make us part of the whole of humanity. We all love, grieve, laugh, cry, the whole spectrum of human emotion is shared by the average human. They can also be gateways into the conversation you’ve wanted to have with your friend, spouse, parents, “insert your person here;” whoever you’ve been contemplating sharing your spirituality.

As a former Christian, I was a bit surprised that most of my still-Christian friends think I’ve gone to the “Dark Side.” They don’t realize how similar our beliefs are. Our love of community. Our commitment to service. The ties that bind a community together weave through the Pagan community just as they do the Christian or Muslim or Jewish.

Here is my take on how Christians and Pagans share many similarities. I’m paraphrasing from the Christian Bible. First, the one I’ve spoken of before. An it harm none, do as ye will. This nearly mirrors the Bibles “Golden Rule” of Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Likewise, On Earth as it is in Heaven correlates perfectly with As Above so Below. Both of these sayings speak to harmonizing our spiritual life, our inside self, with the outside. Jesus of Nazareth taught tolerance, peace, love, and equality for all. Pagans believe this, too.

Take time over the next week or so to read some religious texts. Find passages in them that speak to the similarities in their belief system and yours. Read with as open a mind as you want others to find in your own words. Write down some of these passages as reference points to anyone who asks about your spirituality. Think about ways that Pagans and those of other religious backgrounds can work together.

Sit down for a few minutes every day to breathe deeply, relax, and reflect on what you’ve found that day. You’ll be surprised at how quickly the chasm you thought divided you from everyone else begins to close. Those reflections will be the gateways you can use to speak to others. To help them understand and alleviate their fear about what they think they know.

Don’t be afraid to question yourself, too. By asking questions, we learn who we are and what we believe. We also build a solid foundation from which to show others our faith.

Bright blessings and merry part ‘til merry we meet again!

Asha

Merry Meet!

Okay, you want to tell the world you follow an Earth-Centered Spirituality.  You are a Pagan.

My first suggestion is don’t.  At least not right away.  Many of the problems I’ve encountered when telling people about my spirituality is that I don’t know enough about it.  I know that the general practice of those under the Pagan umbrella resonate with me the most.  I feel more alive, connected, and in tune with the Creator.

But know what you’re talking about.

As a whole, humans live by definitions.   There is a need to define “Otherness.”  To know who is part of their group and who isn’t.  In prehistoric times, this saved our lives.  It helped us become strong as a species.  So strong, we changed the face of the Earth.

Today, that evolutionary defense can manifest itself as prejudice and fear.  By knowing why someone fears you, you can help to alleviate that fear.  To do that you need to know what you’re talking about.

Deciding who to tell about your spiritual awakening should be done with great thought and care.  Remember, you are part of the “An it harm none” Crowd.  And that tenet creates a great starting point. You’re first thought needs to be for the person you’re getting ready to tell.  Will knowing harm this person?  Will it harm me?  Will it harm my family?

I don’t mean to pick on Christians, but they do tend to be the people who accept us the least.  Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and other non-Chrisitan practitioners I’ve encountered tend to be much more willing to listen before they decide I’m going some place unpleasant.  So most of my advice will come from that perspective.  Also, I grew up Southern Baptist and understand Christian views better.

Let’s take a look at that tenet or “Law” I just mentioned. “An it harm none, do as ye will.” Many people believe this means that I can do whatever I want.  In a word…No.  The rule means that by my actions or inactions, my thoughts, words, or deeds, I may not cause harm to others OR myself.

Here we have pretty much the ultimate responsibility law.  As a Pagan, I must understand the consequences of my, well, pretty much my whole existence.  You’ll go nuts thinking about it too hard, but the bottom line is a sort of “Dear Abby” approach.  Like her advice to consider if you are better with or without the person, we need to seriously consider whether we are better off telling or not telling. someone.

The same applies to the person they want to enlighten.  I have a friend who would never be able to accept my beliefs.  I will never be able to share the joy I feel with her.  The connection I feel.   This makes me sad, but I’ve also fulfilled my belief in the law of “An it harm none.”  Can I discuss other topics with my friend?  Of course.  Can we still be friends?  Absolutely.

But this “Law” isn’t exclusively a Pagan concept.  The Christian Bible contains the same sentiment in I Corinthians, only with different wording:  “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient.”  Here the Bible shows that eating meat might be okay for me as a Christian, but if it causes someone else to do something harmful or “wrong,” then it is wrong for the Christian.

By becoming Pagan, you have also become responsible.  Whether you meant to or not remains to be seen, but, for me, there is something rather wonderful in knowing I have become part of those responsible.  For my fellow man, for the Earth, for myself.  Now it’s your turn to start on your path.

To Think About:

Take a few minutes to sit quietly.  Call to mind the people in your life you would like to tell.   Start with the person you think will be easiest to tell.  Hear yourself talking with them and their response.

Now go tell them.  You can do this one of two ways. You can just blurt it out one day. No prelude, no warning. For many, this will be the only way you can work up the courage to tell someone. Just understand this might set the scene for some reactions you didn’t count on. We’ll talk about dealing with negative reactions in another entry.

Another way, you can call them and say, “I really have something I’d like to tell you.  I’m really happy about it and thought of you to share it with.”  Then meet them somewhere they feel relaxed and comfortable.  Start the conversation with how you’ve been feeling about your spirituality lately.  Your search for a good fit for your spiritual beliefs.  How you feel about your new path and why you’re happy with it.

Then tell them about your Earth-centered belief system.  And this is where knowing about yourself and your chosen path will help the most.  Don’t use the word Pagan at first.  Most people see Pagan and Devil in the same light.  Too much TV and propaganda.

Now that you’ve told them, ask them if they have any questions or concerns.  Address them honestly, and without judgment as much as you can.  Don’t get angry.

Until you know that you can talk about their misgivings without getting angry or offended, don’t tell them.  If you can’t show your joy, how can you expect them to believe it?

Next time, we’ll talk about more of the similarities between Christian and Pagan ideals and look at some simple things you can do to bring more joy to your life.  In the meantime, take a look at www.sacred-texts.com.  It’s a great resource for learning about spiritual path including Pagan.  If you have questions, leave them in the comments section, and we’ll explore them together.

Bright blessings and merry part ‘til merry we meet again!

Asha

Tags: Earth Centered Spirituality, pagan religion

Merry Meet!

From my greeting you may already know that I follow an Earth-Centered Spirituality. It’s a common greeting among those of us who follow this path.

I am a Pagan. The quick and easy definition: One who does not follow the three major Abrahamic religions. That means I’m not Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. In early Christian times, Pagan meant country dweller. A derogatory name suggesting the person was uneducated and prone to superstitious mumbo jumbo rather than the sanctioned religious tents of Christianity. I’ve become an apostate. A person who has abandoned their religious faith.

At least the faith of my family and friends.

I’m often asked how I could change my religion. The people at the Southern Baptist church I attended with my parents consider me a lost soul. But I have found that by following my heart and what feels right to me, I’ve begun to live a life of joy. I’m not lost. In fact, I’ve never know better where I was going. Not to mention, feeling freer and more in tune with life and spirit than ever before. For me, the Divine is revealed in nature. The Divine gives nature to us to renew our spirits, follow its teachings, and gain insights into our own lives. Nature teaches us that although it can be hard, life is also joyous.

But, for those of us following the Earth-centered path and living in a Christian-dominated society, let’s be honest. It’s hard. Damn hard. To tell or not to tell becomes central to our personal as well as business relationships. Who can we trust? Who will think we’re crazy? Who will be afraid?

Who will hurt me?

Most Pagans know of or have experienced at least one act of discrimination or intolerance. From as subtle as a stare when wearing a religious object to loss of home, children, and jobs. Christians have successfully won custody from their Pagan spouses even when the children are obviously better off with the Pagan parent. Judicial and societal prejudice is not as easily challenged when something out of the ordinary is involved. I’ve experienced this prejudice first hand myself. Few of us remain untouched.

In these posts, we’ll explore ways to approach the people you want to tell about the path you walk, what it means to you, and how to explain your religious choice. We’ll go through some of the myths that Christians believe about Pagans and how to dispel them. We’ll discuss ways to show them the similarities in our faith and theirs. We’ll look at some of the ways you may be able to tell when you shouldn’t say anything as well as few things to decide before you walk into a new situation. Finally, we’ll learn ways to live a life of joy, tolerance, peace, and harmony with all of the spiritual energy around us.

Bright blessings and merry part ‘til merry we meet again!

Asha