ravens' call #60
DESCRIPTION
60th issue of the Ravens CallTRANSCRIPT
Ravens’ Call THE TASMANIAN PAGAN ALLIANCE, INC. NEWSLETTER
S U M M E R / A U T U M N 2 0 1 3 N U M B E R 6 0
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ww.taspainc.com Ravens‘ Call - Summer/Autumn 2013
The Pagan Alliance Ethic Love & Kinship with nature.
Reverence for the life force & its ever-renewing cycles of life & death.
Each individual is responsible for discovering & developing his/her own true nature in harmony with the greater world, & takes full responsibility for his/her actions.
Acceptance of the many-faceted nature of Divinity: Acceptance that divinity exists in many forms, & can be worshipped/respected as male, female, androgynous, or
in a form beyond human definition.
3 Editorial
4 Eye of Newt
5 Beltane at Jan‘s
6 The Feast of Lugh
8 Pagan Podcasts
9 Burning of the Wicker Man
10 The Debt Christianity owes to Paganism
11 A breathing exercise with Tim
12 Luna Journey
14 Moots
16 Silver Broomstick Awards
18 Familiar Friends
20 Pagan Parenting
23 My Introduction to Mithraism
24 A High Magic Exorcism
26 What‘s On
28 Pagan Friendly Business
29 TPA Friendly Businesses
30 State Coordinators Report
31 More TPA Friendly Businesses
32 Samhain Invite
33 Membership Invitation
Contents the Team
Postal Address PO Box 1127
Launceston TAS 7250
Hobart - Allannah Turner Launceston - Mel Ell
North-West - Jo Corvinus
Jess Steers [email protected]
State Coordinator
Mel Dolliver [email protected]
Regional Coordinator
Mandhi Allen
Secretary
Terri Baran [email protected]
Treasurer
Moot Convenors Editor - Mel Dolliver
Proof-reader - Heather Jensen Graphic Designer - Terri Baran
Printer - Mandhi Allen
Ravens’ Call
Disclaimer: The views contained within the Ravens’ Call newsletter are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or members of the Tasmanian Pagan Alliance, Inc. Likewise, the advertisements are placed in good faith and do not signify endorsement by the editor or members of the Tasmanian Pagan Alliance, Inc.
© Copyright 2013 Tasmanian Pagan Alliance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Mel Dolliver - Editor
Welcome to the fabulous 60th anniversary issue of
the Tas Pagan Alliance newsletter!!
In celebration of 15 years of local spirituality this
special edition of The Ravens‘ Call is brought to
you by all the sensational pagan men in our
community – I have nagged and hounded, re-
reminded and been pleasantly surprised by all the
contributions stacking up in my inbox during the last
month, it is a pleasure to gift you with such fantastic
diversity…
From Mithraism to organic cheese, the origins of
Lughnasadh to raising chickens for the table –
whatever your interest we have it covered this
issue.
While I wax enthusiastic about the current edition
I‘ve also been recently reviewing the content of The
Ravens‘ Call throughout the past year – reading
back over the articles and reports of my dog-
eared hardcopies, greeting each minor grammar
or spelling error with fondness and comparing
photocopy quality of varying contrast, I realised
how heavily I relied on just a handful of regular
writers to fill my themed headings and provide
feature articles.
Yet the Pagan Alliance in Tassie is growing in both
numbers and activities each year, our moots and
events are attracting consistent interest and it is
wonderful to see a mixed crowd with an almost
even ratio of men to women…
So my two goals for 2013 were to offer an almost
wholly ‗man-made‘ Ravens‘ Call showcasing our
fab pagan blokes – in the wild hope of further
articles and artwork for future newsletters, and
also to publish articles from members who have yet
to share their thoughts or are new to our
community.
One goal down and one to go – not bad and its
only February!!
So be brave and share your experiences with us –
from rites of passage or a walk with your dog,
write a review on a moot or event – tell us about
an awesome book or warn us away from a tragic
read.
One of the most special things about this pagan
newsletter is the direct link between author and
reader, we aren‘t a glossy untouchable magazine
– we are here to support your business and to
inform about events in your area, to discuss local
news and we invite you to contribute and
participate - The Ravens‘ Call is written by
Tasmanian pagans for Tasmanian pagans – and I
think that rocks!!
Blessings of the harvest,
Due date for submissions: 13th April
About the Artist
Front cover: Peter Seekings
Peter was kind enough to provide our front cover image
for this Edition. Peter has been an artist for many years,
and you can see some of his work featured in our 2013
Tasmanian Pagan Alliance calendar. Peter is also the
owner of the Richmond Mazes, where you can see more
of his artwork, and also his beautiful calligraphy. Thank
you Peter for contributing to our Issue 60!
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Cheese with Ed from Cygnet
Greetings, Ed here! Most people know me by my goats cheese in the pagan scene. I have been making the goats cheese for about 15 years now. Here is my recipe for a fresh Chèvre.
ED’S RECIPE Equipment needed :
A milking goat!
A large pan
1 1/2 ltr milk per cheese (300gm)
Small amount of veg rennet and starter culture from Cheeselinks.com.au
colander
cheesecloth
ladle Day 1 Warm the milk to approximately 68c and cool to 21c. Add a pinch of starter culture a tablespoon of rennet
mixed with four tablespoons of boiled water cooled. Mix in for 30 seconds and leave overnight. Day 2 Strain the curd into a cheesecloth and colander over a bucket or bowl to let the whey run out. Cover up and leave overnight. Day 3 Put into cheese moulds lined with cheesecloth of your choice and leave overnight again. Day 4 Take out of moulds dry off on kitchen paper and lightly salt and wrap in cling wrap. Put in fridge. Eat when desired. Blessings Ed P.S. Say hello if you are visiting C y g n e t , t h e market is the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month.
Don't forget Samhain on your
Tas Pagan Alliance calendar at our place 27 &
28th April!
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Beltane at Jans
Green man masks,
mead, dancing the
Maypole and feasting
with great company
made for a fantastic
Beltane at Jan’s
beautiful bush
property. Thanks for
having us Jan!
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With the Festival of Lughnasadh and the harvest season
rapidly coming upon us Mel asked if I would write an article
on the subject for this edition of Raven‘s Call, accordingly I
have submitted a brief outline of Lugh taken from traditional
sources. There are of course, many stories relating to Lugh, but
I have limited this article to only those fragments relevant to
Lughnasadh itself.
Lugh
Lugh was son of Cian of the Tuatha de Danaan, and of Ethlinn,
the daughter of Balor, King of the Formorians. The Tuatha de
Danaan (Tribes of Dana) were the Fey folk of Ireland,
supernatural descendants of Dana or Danu. While the
Formorians were ancient semi-divine inhabitants of Ireland that
arrived by sea and represented
the forces of chaos, wild nature
and often malevolence. Lugh, a
chieftain God, was pictured as
being young and handsome and
associated with the Raven. His
chief weapon was the Javelin,
but he also used the sling to
great effect, thus having the
ability to wound from a distance.
In Ireland the Milky Way was
called Lúgh‘s Chain, indicating the
significance of his sling in
traditional folklore. Lugh also
holds the Gaelic title Samildanach
(possessor of many skills and
crafts), The Cath Tánaiste Maige
Tuired records that once when Nuada Silver Hand, King of the
Tuatha de Danaan, held a great feast at Teamhair (Tara),
Lugh was prevented from attending by their gatekeeper:
“Gatekeeper - What skill have you, for no one is admitted to
Tara unless he have some skill?
Lugh - I am a Carpenter.
Gatekeeper – We do not need you, for we have a
Carpenter.
Lugh – I am a Smith
Gatekeeper – But the Tuatha have a Smith
Lugh – I am also a Harper, a Poet, a Historian, Champion,
Hero and Sorcerer”.
The Tuatha had amongst them specialists with all of these skills,
but no one who combined them all, so Nuada instructed that
Lugh be admitted where he occupied the Sage‘s seat in the
Halls of Tara.
Lughnasadh
Irish tradition records the invasion of Ireland by a race of people
called the Fir Bolg on the 1st August (people who historically
could well have been the Belgae), they were subsequently
defeated in a great battle by the Tuatha De Danann (tribes of
Dana) and their leader killed. Taillte, the dead leader‘s widow,
was later to marry a chief of the Tuatha and cultivated vast
plains of Ireland and planted them with clover and prepared
them for agriculture. Taillte was then to die from exhaustion
after this effort, her foster son who was Lugh, obeyed her dying
request and established the Funeral games (Óenach Tailten),
appropriately a Harvest Festival, in her honour. This is why the
Lughnasadh celebrations in Tailltin (now Teltown, county Meath)
the place of her death, are named after her - the Tailltean
Games. Traditionally this feast that started in 3370 BC, went
for 15 days before and after
Lunasadh, and it was said that as
long as Lughnasadh continues to
be celebrated there will be ‗corn
and milk in every house‘.
Incidentally, Lunasa (Irish) or
Lunasdal (Scottish) is the Gaelic
word for the month of August.
However, there is another
important element to the story of
Lughnasadh. At the time of Lúgh‘s
acceptance into Tara, the Tuatha
de Danann were suffering under
the Lordship of the Fomorians
through their leader, Bres. Bres,
like Lugh, had a Fomorian father
and a Tuathan mother, but exhibited strong Fomorian traits, he
forced the Tuatha to work as slaves and pay excessive tributes
to the Fomorians. His greed and the withholding of the harvests
of the Land from the Tuatha De Danann, finally drove them to
revolt. This led to the battle of Mag Tuired in which the Fomorian
champion Balor slew Nuada demoralising the Tuathan warriors,
at that critical moment Lugh met Balor on the field of battle
where Balor attempted to strike Lugh down by gazing upon him
with his single deadly enchanted eye. But Lugh, agile and with
great skill, cast a sling-stone into the eye, so that the poison from
it fell upon the Fomorian fighters handing victory to the Tuatha.
As a result of this victory Lugh became King and was then to rule
over Ireland for forty years.
Immediately after the battle, the Tuatha de Danaan decided to
kill Bres. But he begged for his life, offering great gifts in return.
Firstly, he offers to make the cattle of the Tuatha de Danaan be
always in milk. But the lawyer Maeltne Morbrethach replies that
Bres has no power to make this so. Bres then promised that
should he be spared he would reveal the secrets of the
agricultural cycle. Thus the Fomorian blight on the land was
The of
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exchanged for Fomorian fertility by Lúgh's victory. So although Lughnasadh was inaugurated in honour of Lúgh‘s foster mothe r, another
important reason behind the celebration is the victory of Lugh, and the release of the harvest for use by the people. In the tale above, we
see the contrast between the reigns of Lugh and Bres. While Bres brings hardship and famine to the people, the victory of Lugh brings
forth a time of good harvests and abundance, which is the reason why this festival most often carries Lúgh‘s name.
The celebration of Lúghnasadh is generally centred on the high place of ancient times. Most auspicious were high hills that had a source
of water near their top -- because they are able to join the Above and the Below, the realm of the gods of culture (Tuatha) and the
watery Underworld (the Fomorian realm). On the Isle of Man the inhabitants would climb to the top of Snaefell for their celebrations.
The first fruits of cultivated crops, as well as wild crops (usually bilberries), were brought to the site to be blessed and to be shared by
the community. In the Scottish Highland tradition, the gift of special cakes known as the Lunastain bannock would favour the recipient with
good luck, blessing, and protection. It was also a time for musicians to show off their skills, and craftsmen to display thei r wares in honour
of the God of Crafts. Another feature of Lunasadh Festivals were the 'Tailltean‘ marriages, an informal marriage that often lasted for
only 'a year and a day' or until the next Lughnasadh. At that time, the couple could decide to continue the arrangement if it pleased them
or simply walk away from one another, thus bringing the Tailltean marriage to a formal close.
I would just close with a brief reference to some of the more popular contemporary interpretations of Lugh. Despite many very confident
and seemingly authoritive pronouncements that one reads on the Net or in some Modern Pagan texts, that Lugh was a Sun God, there is
no basis for this claim in Gaelic text or traditions. This would appear to be an idea that gained prominence in the late Victorian era, it is
also worth noting on this point, that Lugh has no association with either of the two great Celtic Solar festivals, Beltane or the Mid-Summer
Solstice. The Romans viewed Lugh (or Luga in Gaul) as being associated with Mercury, which probably has some merit, though this is still
an idea that is contested in many quarters. Lugh is also commonly associated in many modern texts with Llew Llaw Gyffes, the husband
of Blodeuwedd, who appears in the Fourth Branch of the Welsh Mabinogi. Like Lugh he is a God of many arts - harpers, healing, poets,
smiths and sorcerers. He is also celebrated on the 1st August. However, to my mind the pantheon and the stories associated with Llew
bear little resemblance to those of Lugh, so I am yet to be convinced. I wish you all a happy Lunasadh,
Beannachd leibh,
Iain MacPharlain
Symbol by Brett SheaSymbol by Brett Shea
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By now you all probably know what podcasts are (if you don‘t know it‘s an audio file made available on the internet for downloading). The good thing about podcasts is once you‘ve downloaded them they are a resource for later use. Nowadays I usually listen to podcasts when I‘m
driving. The best tool to use for searching for podcasts would be iTunes, but once you know the direct URL to the podcast I find it‘s best just to download a copy onto the computer and not through iTunes, mainly because every time you reformat the computer you have to re-download all the podcasts, which I find annoying. And when you do find a decent podcast you like it is easiest to back it up this way. These are the main podcasts I listened to when I started listening about 5 years ago.
The Crooked Path was probably one of my favourites, presented by Peter Paddon, a pommy bloke living in America. It has since stopped, he got to about 110 episodes, but he‘s put a few more out after, but I‘m not
sure what‘s going on, it‘s a bit hard to follow. The Crooked Path was based on traditional witchcraft: Robert Cochrance, Clan of Tubal Cain style. I liked Peter‘s information on herbs and his meditative exercises like tapping the bone, which is a good meditation on ancestor connections.
The Wigglian Way is produced by two Canadians – Sparrow and Mojo. This is a Wiccan podcast, and Mojo is all about promoting Pagan music. It‘s a rather humorous podcast, with lots of stoner humour I can relate to. Some may call it just dribble. The Wigglian Way is still an active podcast, with 113 episodes thus far.
Deo‘s Shadow was another Canadian Podcast hosted by Deo, who was a neo-pagan and approached it from an intellectual, philosophical point of view.
Of course I listened to the Australian ones first, but they were short and sweet. The Catnip Brew, with Fortuna and Fluffy, had only 9 episodes. GeekWitch by Tahleah Moonwater, (our very own Terri), had 10 episodes and Aussie Pagan Talk had 18.
Stay tuned for the next
instalment from the pod-o-sphere.
Pagan
Podcasts ...with Kynan
Pagan Podcasts with Kynan
is our brand new column!
Keep an eye out for future
podcast information and
reviews in upcoming issues of
the Ravens’ Call.
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Burning of the Wicker Man at River & Willow’s
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To start with, we really have to go a long way back
to the time of the Babylonian Empire. They had a
fatalistic view of life which was born out of the
study of astrology. This study of the stars which was
so strong we still read about it in the daily
newspaper. The other concept was that of a duel
system of religion that is good and bad so there
was always a ‗devil‘ around the corner waiting to
take our soul to hell.
This idea influenced
the Jewish peoples
and therefore also
Chr i s t ian i ty wi th
alarming effect.
Next we must skip
along the time line to
ancient Rome to the
first century CE. Many
new cults were finding
a new home in this
cosmopolitan city. The
two we are interested
in are Christianity and
Mithraism. Both had
come from the Middle
East and ended up in
contest for state
recognition. As we all
know Christianity won
the contest, but in
many ways lost
because to achieve this end took on board a great
deal of the aspects of Mithraism.
Mithras is a Sun God, Jesus is the son of God.
Mithras was born in a cave of virgin birth and the
first people who came to see him and offer gifts
were shepherds. He was born on the 25th of
December and his special day was the seventh,
Sunday. Christianity had as its main protagonist
Paul of Tarsus, a hot bed of Mithraism. Paul tells us
to put on the armour of God, a fitting tribute to
Mithraism, a military inspired religion but not Jesus
who told us to love one another.
Strangely enough Mithras was not the top god of
the religion that gave us its name. That place was
reserved for Kronos – Time – the creator and
destroyer of all things. Contributing to his renown
were the Cross Keys of Heaven.
When a person, which
only applied to men,
entered the religion, he
was baptised with water
and the solar cross burnt
into his forehead.
Thankfully only a cross
of ash is placed onto the
forehead of Christians.
When Mithras finally
completed his mission of
putting humanity on the
right path he collected
his disciples together
and had a ‗last supper‘
with bread marked with
a cross and wine. He
then descended to
heaven in a chariot
where he looked down
upon the faithful and
would eventually come
again in a day of judgment. This then is the
contribution handed down to us from the pagan
world. Unfortunately the message that Jesus came to
give humanity – we should love our neighbour as
ourselves - was hardly ever adhered to.
COMING SOON
If you enjoyed this interesting brief about Mithraism –
brace yourself for the following edition of The
Ravens’ Call (Autumn/Winter #61) as Peter delves
deep into the realm of Mithra...
by Peter Seekings
The debt Christianity owes to Paganism
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I came up with this some time in the mid-to-late 90s. It's a short breathing exercise that's so complicated you can't help but achieve a meditative state once you complete it. Breaths should be taken to the stomach/diaphragm, not the chest. Written out in full, it goes like this:
1. Breathe in a bit (count to three while inhaling), hold for a count of three
2. Breathe out a bit (count to three while exhaling), hold for a count of three
3. Breathe in mostly (count to five while inhaling), hold for a count of five
4. Breathe out mostly (count to five while exhaling), hold for a count of five
5. Breathe in fully (count to eight while inhaling), hold for a count of eight
6. Breathe out fully (count to eight while exhaling), hold for a count of eight
7. Breathe in mostly (count to five while inhaling), hold for a count of five
8. Breathe out mostly (count to five while exhaling), hold for a count of five
9. Breathe in fully (count to eight while inhaling), hold for a count of eight
10. Breathe out fully (count to eight while exhaling), hold for a count of eight
11. Breathe in mostly (count to five while inhaling), hold for a count of five
12. Breathe out mostly (count to five while exhaling), hold for a count of five
13. Breathe in fully (count to eight while inhaling), hold for a count of eight
14. Breathe out fully (count to eight while exhaling), hold for a count of eight
15. Breathe in mostly (count to five while inhaling), hold for a count of five
16. Breathe out mostly (count to five while exhaling), hold for a count of five
17. Breathe in a bit (count to three while inhaling), hold for a count of three
18. Breathe out a bit (count to three while exhaling), hold for a count of three
19. Return to regular breathing
Frankly, the description is terrifying and makes it seem more difficult than it is, in which case the picture below may prove enlightening. Starting from the left, make your breath follow the path of the line to the right. When the line goes up, you breathe in. When the line goes down, you breathe out. The height (or depth) of the line indicates how far to breathe in (or out), and the central (starting and ending positions) represent regular breathing. Another way to look at it is the pattern 3, 5, 8, 5, 8, 5, 8, 5, 3. Or, just remember you start with 3, 5, end with 5, 3, and in the middle you've got three 8s separated by 5s. Assuming you've made it this far, you've now spent so much effort concentrating on 3s, 5s and 8s, that your mind should be otherwise utterly empty. Happy meditating! Tim
with Tim
A Breathing ExerciseA Breathing ExerciseA Breathing Exercise
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We feel powerful tides ebb and flow
in our emotions, our bodies,
depending on the phases of the
moon. We feel her push us and
then tighten the pull. The energy of
the moon is a personal journey...
Book Review - Dance of the Moon by Dan Furst
―Dance of the Moon – Celebrating the Cycles of the Earth‖ is a non-fiction paperback of 285 pages, first published by Llewellyn Worldwide in 2009. It is both a fascinating chronology of timekeeping systems and an invaluable reference book for Pagans. I strongly recommend it to all who are searching for their own true nature in harmony with the greater world. The author, Dan Furst, is an internationally-respected astrology writer and an authority on spiritual practices and rituals used around the world. Dan now lives in Peru but can be found on his website: www.hermes3.net. Dance of the Moon is the history of how humans came to
understand and measure time. It is a fascinating story of the development of the human race in terms of how they interpreted what they saw in the heavens. It takes you on a 9000-year journey through time, starting in the Age of Cancer, when farmers first learned how to work the Earth for food, and finishing in the Age of Aquarius, when the supply of food and water are but one of the environmental emergencies facing life on Earth. Although the content is somewhat scientific, its use of charts, tables and diagrams enhance the text, making it suitable to those of literary and scientific backgrounds alike. This colourful story of the Earth tells us that our first concept of time involved the two great lights – Sun by day and Moon by night. Then, our only timepiece was our body; its calls for attention from our various organs for food, sleep and activity and our heartbeat, which gave us rhythm for music. Later, we started counting the number of Sun rises to a Moon cycle and correlating menstruation and childbirth with cycles of the Moon. Both Sun and Moon were worshipped, as it was recognised that each played a role in the flourishing of crops and the motions of life. They saw that one life-cycle of Earth from leafing in spring, through summer‘s harvest to the cold of winter was close to thirteen cycles of the Moon. A table is given which shows the names and corresponding modern calendar dates of the thirteen-month Celtic Tree Calendar, as well as the feast that was celebrated at this time. When these Sun and Moon cycles were recorded over a long period, there came the need to include an intercalary month to bring the Moon cycles back in line with the seasons. This was later adjusted to the intercalary day of February 29th. As communities grew in size in the Taurean Age, timekeepers began to take more notice of the Sun and, by using observatories like Stonehenge, were able to measure time in years, providing the observers with a greater concept of history. A resume is given of the understandings of time held by the cultures of the Egyptians, Greeks, Mayans, Chinese, Vedics, Babylonians and many others. Each culture came to recognise the necessity to measure and predict the return of the Sun cycle and, thus, for the New Year to have a beginning
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date. Most civilisations began to make estimates of how long life had existed on Earth and to predict future doom. In about 1900 BCE, the priests of Mesopotamia and the Shang dynasty simultaneously recognised that the Sun, Moon and stars moved in a regular fashion. After much rigorous study, they were able to correlate these movements with events on Earth and, eventually, the art of astrology was split from the science of astronomy as a separate study. This book provides technical details of such astronomical occurrences as the Pole Stars Circle and the Precession of the Equinoxes for those who wish to know the ―why‖. By 200 BCE – the Age of Aries – the sun had taken over from the Moon and was the main instrument for the measure of time. A 12-month calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar. Chapters are dedicated to predictions made with the complex Mayan calendar and to explaining some interesting points about the highly spiritual Muslim calendar and its Holy Days. Of particular interest to modern pagans will be the chapter devoted to the evolution of Wicca, as pioneered by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. This chapter shows how the Great Festival Calendar is formed by superimposing two holy-day cycles: the four Celtic-Druid mid-season feasts and the four Solar feasts, which results in the eight Sabbats, or rests. Gardner‘s
movement accepted male deities but this evolved into a more feminist, goddess-centered ―Revisionist‖ Wiccan Movement by the mid-1960s and this barred all male deities as well as male participation. This chapter also explains the source of the names that Aiden Kelly chose for the eight Sabbats in the Pagan Wheel of the Year. His Sabbats are tabulated to show their zodiacal location and the corresponding Celtic Esbats. The difference between Druidry and Wiccan practice is delineated and the five points of Wiccan Belief are given. In all, this book ―Dance of the Moon‖ is an essential reference work for all who search for a great understanding of all that has been held sacred by peoples all over the world. John Dixon, 6 November 2012
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Tasmanian Pagan Alliance, Inc.
MOOTS Hobart Moot Report - January
At the January moot a planning session took place for
2013 and feedback was sought from attendees on
what they‘d like to see occur. 5 new people attended
who were al l del ightful and heavily
participated. Questions and discussion were held
after the planning session and excellent suggestions
were made on recommended reading included below.
Recommended Reading
The Gate to Women‘s Country - Sherry Tepper
Rebel without a Soul -
http://rebelwithoutasoul.wordpress.com/
Maybe Logic – Robert Anton Wilson
Reality Tunnel – Timothy Leary
Cosmic Trigger (trilogy) – Robert Anton Wilson
-Karl
Burnie Moot Report - November
The dinner and chat time at the Burnie RSL was good
as usual on the night of the November moot. After
dinner, though, a special treat was in store for us. We
were blessed with the company of Bev Chell, a Bowen
Therapist from Burnie. The Bowen Technique is a
globally recognised healing modality with offices and
contacts in about twenty countries of the world. Bev
explained that Bowen Therapy is a gentle form of
body work in which very subtle moves performed over
the muscles and connective tissue send messages deep
into the body, retrieving cellular memory of a
preferred, relaxed, balanced way of wellbeing.
Bev energetically made a round of the table and
attended to ailments of the seven moot attendees in
turn. She was offered sore shoulders, neck injuries and
broken fingers to work on. This was a tall order given
the time restraints of the RSL room. Bev did three
rounds of the table, leaving the requisite pause
between applications of her hands to each body to
provide time for the bodies to respond. There were
claims of near-instant relief for some ailments and,
although my broken finger was not straightened with
this short, mild treatment, the rest of my body
benefited from Bev‘s relaxed and cheerful manner
and in the knowledge that such techniques are
enthusiastically available from her clinic in Burnie.
Bev left with our blessings for good health and many
new customers.
-John
Burnie Moot Report - December
As is usual, the December Burnie Moot was held in the
local RSL venue, and after some catching up with news
over dinner we retired to the board room where I gave
a talk on the history of Mythology, illustrated by a
Power point presentation of some photos of Pagan sites
in Scotland and Italy/Sicily taken on my recent trip.
I structured the talk by first considering some of the
various categories of myth: Creation, Hero, Myths of
Eschatology (end times - ultimate destiny of humanity),
Etiological Myths - study of causation etc. I then dealt
with the Theories of Myth: which are mostly objective
and look at Myths from the outside rather than take
them at face value, they ask such questions as:
Why did people tell stories like these?
What were they really trying to say or do by means of
such tales?
What can they mean for us?
Can they help us understand ancient people?
Can they help us understand ourselves?
Some of the theories discussed in this context were those
loosely categorised as: Euhemeric, Enlightenment,
Functionalist and Structuralist. I also spoke at some
length on Psychoanalytic theories of Myth, and the use
that both Freud and Jung made of myth in developing
their schools of thought – establishing some basic
concepts that continue to have some influence today.
I then dealt briefly with the Romantic Theories which
have formed the basis for many of the ideas that
underpin contemporary pagan/wiccan movements. A
period that produced such significant works as Frazer‘s
Golden Bough, The Celtic Twilight by Yeats, and
Graves‘ White Goddess, and also influential movements
such as the Cambridge Ritualists and the Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn.
To close, I talked about the Vedic system of
understanding the nature of Deity, and also of some the
contemporary debates relating to the question of using
myth to justify present-day social agendas and that
vexed question of ‗authenticity‘ in the Pagan movement.
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Burnie Moot Report - January
After the holiday season, the attendance at the
January moot reached ten pagans – the highest seen
for a year or so. As January is the peak season for
flowering gardens, attendees were asked to relate
stories of how they view their gardens. Most of us told
stories of the pleasure derived from our plants and
flowers, although, a couple of members with larger
properties had this pleasure diminished by the rapid
growth of thistle and mugwort at this time of year.
There were complaints about possums nipping off
azalea flowers and raspberries all ripening at the
same time but, overall, it seems gardens provide each
of us with a special form of joy and satisfaction,
especially with daylight saving time providing longer
evenings to partake in the peace of the garden.
Some native gardens provide a haven for parrots,
honeyeaters and wrens. Growers of edible varieties
anxiously wait to see the fruits or vegetables of their
labour. Others gardens are full of perfume from
carnations and roses. Many people have lemon trees
and the discussion soon went to recipes for lemon
butter and ways to peel kiwi fruit. To me the most
amazing garden was Mel‘s, which apparently has
dozens of pots, each with a different species of mint
plant. When you consider the enormous range of
flavours and aromas that could be made from
blending these, Mel‘s Sunday Tom Cruise would never
have to taste the same two times running.
Towards the end of the evening, Jo circulated a
beautifully illustrated set of Earth Magic cards from
her large collection. Each of us chose a card and
many of these cards were seen to carry potent
messages for us.
-John
Launceston Moot Report - January
On January 29th we had the first moot of the new
2013 year and it was informative and enjoyable as
usual.
We had a great turn out for the moot of over 20
people and everyone had a good time!
Prior to the discussions we did the regular raffle.
Prizes were home made jams and smudge sticks (Thank
you Brett!) and earrings (Thank you Kristel!)
Lisa won the Nectarine jam and earrings!
Chris won the Plum jam and Lavender smudge!
Lily (and Mum Terri) won Marmalade and Sage
smudge!
We had a great discussion about different domestic
and household traditions that people employ when they
are moving house, cleaning, or just generally wanting
positive energy in the household.
The range of traditions discussed included but was not
l imi ted to Smudging indoors and out ,
Crystal placement and Crystal Grids, Creating intricate
and... smelly... witch bottles, rock salt in the corners of
rooms, even collecting toenail/hair clippings from family
members and burying them!
We discussed upcoming events such as the Living
Goddess Workshop (February 17th) ran by Zahira and
Jo.
The exciting Lughnasadh Weekend in Forth - I even got
to plug my Tree of Life medallion making workshop!
The soon to be arranged Gede Palmer workshops in
Hobart being arranged by Jess.
Zahira spoke about her belly dance course she is
running as well as the upcoming Goddess Conference.
Our northern member Kristel spoke about the Aboriginal
singer/songwriter Bob Wilson who will be doing a
presentation about Aboriginal beliefs and a small
musical interlude for our next moot on February 26th.
More great presentations and topics to come in the
future.
If any members are interested in doing a brief
presentation, or just have a topic they wish the group to
discuss, please contact myself at the moot email.
Newcomers are always welcome!
There may be a change of Venue for upcoming moots,
but February will be at Newstead Hotel - 160 Elphin
Road Newstead TAS 7250, February 26th, 7:00PM
Please RSVP if possible to the Facebook event page or
to [email protected] Thanks to Jo for speaking in Launceston in October
about your inspiring overseas trip!
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Silver Broomstick
Awards 2012
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We gathered together in the North and the South this year to
celebrate our members and volunteers! Thank you to all who
came along, and a huge thank you to Pagan Cider for their
generous gift of Tasmanian Apple Cider for our Southern Picnic.
Well done to all our winners, especially Avril for taking the Silver
Broomstick Award, and Jeanette for her well deserved Life
Membership.
Silver Broomstick award for 2012 Avril
Maiden, Mother, Crone award Jan
Green Man award Greg
Wooden Spoon Karl
Up and Com’en Young’en Dee
Lifetime Membership awarded to Jeanette Gormley
Most Regular Moot Attendee
Northwest (Burnie) – John Dixon
North (Launceston) – Greg Williams
South (Hobart) - Jan Walker
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I've always been a meat eater. Growing up, eating
meat was just part of what we did, and I guess when I
was a child I never really thought much about the
ramifications of this. Later, I met vegetarians who
were so specifically because they either didn't want
animals to be mistreated, or didn't want them killed at
all for human consumption. In my teens I glibly wrote
off my meat eating with the line ―those [farmed]
animals wouldn't have even existed if we weren't
going to eat them‖. But somewhere along the line I
realised that the conditions under which animals are
kept for commercial food tend to be somewhere
between appalling and horrific.
This is part of the reason that my wife Morgan and I
decided to keep chickens about ten years ago. We
eat eggs (and chickens), but if you've ever done even
the most cursory investigation of cage laid eggs, you'll
know the hens have no quality of life at all. And
roosters in that environment are killed on day one,
after having gone to all the trouble of actually
getting themselves out of that damn egg. This is just
not right.
Originally we kept chooks in suburban Melbourne. A
suburban back yard has a definite maximum chicken
population, and you can't keep roosters, which makes
raising a flock for meat problematic, but you can
certainly get a good supply of eggs from anywhere
between two and half a dozen hens. They'll also help
you out in the garden with your weeding, and they
produce wonderful rich soil. Hay, compost, weeds,
dirt, various kitchen scraps and chook manure is a
magic combination.
The eggs you get from real, honest, home grown
chickens with the ability to roam around a bit and eat
green food are astoundingly good. The yolks are
bright golden-orange, not that pasty whitish yellow
you get from the supermarket.
When we moved to Tasmania a few years ago, we
brought a couple of hens with us from Melbourne. As
we'd moved to a rural area we were also able to get
a rooster, which meant that suddenly all our eggs
were fertile. None of our hens had decided to go
broody, so we hatched three lots of eggs in an
incubator, and ended up with twelve more hens and
(incredibly) about twenty roosters.
Roosters, when they grow up together, don't tend to
fight with each other too much, or at least much less so
than if you were to introduce a couple of full grown
roosters to each other. However, beyond a certain age,
they realise that all those hens look rather attractive.
One rooster jumping on a hen is all well and good, but
half a dozen at once is pretty bad. So after a certain
point we had to segregate the hens and Neo (the father
and head rooster) from all the other roosters.
Then the question became, what do we do with all these
roosters? We couldn't in good conscience give them to
people we didn't know were going to treat them right
and let them free range. And part of the point of this
whole endeavour was to provide us with meat, so one
day it came time to kill our first chicken.
We spent many hours discussing the ethics of this. One
immediately obvious question was, having put ourselves
in the position of having to kill an animal ourselves,
could we go through with it? And if we couldn't go
through with it, what would that mean? Surely the only
ethical choice then would be to no longer eat meat. This
is not to say that I believe everyone who eats meat
needs to kill something in order for their meat eating to
be ethical, but rather that if you are a position to kill an
animal for food, but can't bring yourself to do it, you
might have some soul-searching to do.
It's interesting at this point to consider the general
attitude of Western civilisation towards death. Most of
our society seems to be heavily influenced by the
Abrahamic religions, or tends towards secularism. In the
former case, you live, you die, you go to heaven (or
hell), but it's a one-time opportunity. Once you're gone,
you ain't comin' back (with perhaps one or two messianic
exceptions). For secular types it's even worse – once
you're gone, you're gone. Is it any wonder that people
with these perceptions fear death? And how does that
fear of death translate to how the death of animals is
On
Raising Animals
for Food
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perceived? If our life is our only existence, surely an animal's life is its only existence. How tragic then to take the life
of another in service of our own?
Thankfully we don't subscribe to any of those Abrahamic religions, nor do we grope in the empty spaces of secularism.
As Pagans, we take a panentheistic view of the universe, that is to say that we see – or try to see – the divine in all
things, and consider all things to be part of one great whole. If pressed, we would probably say we believe life is a
manifestation of the universe trying to understand itself. Consequently life is the most sacred thing. Consuming another
living creature, be it plant or animal, does not subtract from the sum of existence. Energy cannot be created or
destroyed, merely transmuted. When we eat another living creature, that creature becomes part of us in a very real,
immediate sense. From this perspective, killing and eating an animal is morally no different than killing and eating a
plant.
Given that life is sacred though, we see it as our
solemn duty to give our animals (and plants) the
best possible life we can, and the quickest,
cleanest death.
This leads, naturally, right back to that first
chicken. The most humane means we could
produce of slaughtering a chicken ourselves is a
killing cone, that is to say a sheet of aluminium
wrapped into a funnel shape, attached to a star
picket and hammered into the ground. You catch
the chicken and place it head down into the cone.
The chicken's head comes out the bottom of the
cone. You grasp the head, stretch the neck out,
separate the feathers a bit, slit the throat and
sever the head. The chicken is dead and bled out
within moments, and there's no flapping around or
undue torment. Frankly, the first time we did this,
the whole experience seemed remarkably more
stressful for us than for our dear departed chicken
friend.
Later, after plucking and gutting, and giving the
liver, heart and kidneys to the cats, we had a
roast. We wondered if we would feel bad (or
possibly even nauseous, or have some other
adverse reaction) eating this bird that we had
raised and cared for, for six months.
One thing struck me quite hard, and that is that I
finally understood the saying of grace. My
rejection of Abrahamic religion notwithstanding, I was brought up nominally Catholic, at least in my early years, and
we were always made to say grace, which never meant a damn thing to me. It was just ―Dear Lord, thank you for the
food, Amen‖, and then we ate. It was rote, and meaningless. But on that night, as we sat down, I felt compelled to stop
and sit a moment and say grace.
Not ―Thank you Lord‖, but simply ―Thank you chicken.‖ And that actually meant something.
Oh! And the meat! Not that squishy jelly-like commercial texture. Not pasty white. This meat had colour! and texture!
Because this chicken had been ranging free.
Later, after the meal, we looked at each other and both felt, unexpectedly, a deep and abiding sense of satisfaction,
because out of all the chickens we'd ever eaten, we knew with absolute certainty that this one had had a wonderful
life, a quick clean death, and had become a part of us. Tim
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Hello and thank you for reading my article.
I love paganism, and I love parenting so the two ideas sit very well together in my mind. That said, like all things I can
only give you my personal slant on what it has been like to raise children in a way that embraces my pagan values
and beliefs.
Now this idea of pagans raising kids is nothing new. I read a book about the local scout groups, which talked about
the history of scouts. Apparently scouts had a meaning in more tribal communities and one story was about a Zulu tribe
in which the boys, when they came of age, were painted in white and sent out to fend for themselves. The paint could
not be washed off easily and any of the elders who spotted the young men were allowed to chastise and pull pranks
on them. The idea was the kids learnt to hide, watch, practice and learn their tracking and survival skills.
Now I am not suggesting we should kick our kids out of home at the age of 12 to live on the streets, but even here the
practice makes sense to me. As our children get older why not put a few challenges in their way deliberately. Let them
struggle and fail in private, let them suffer the wrath of other parents if they do something or make choices that impact
on other people. Then when they have learnt and perfected their social (and looking after themselves) skills then they
can come and impress us with what they have learnt.
Another thing that we western parents can borrow from is games from other countries. Most of these folk games have
a sense of nature to the children‘s awareness as they play. My son has a game on his computer called Mancala. It‘s an
insanely simple game like angry birds, but in this game you have to move counters around a board, taking your
opponents counters away from him while protecting your own.
If you look this game up on the web it used to be a piece of wood
with hollows dug out of it and the counters were stones. So if your
lazy like me, grab an egg carton instead of carving wood, but you
can still head out to the park. Get the kids to collect some counters;
one can collect gum nuts the other stones. (Remind them to ask the
trees and foot paths if they are happy to play with the kids)
Then sit down in the ground somewhere and play under a tree or in
the sunshine if it‘s a nice day. Kick your shoes of and let the dirt sift
between your toes while you play. Is this pagan? Probably not, but
it feels a lot more natural to me than clicking a mouse! My kids like
the computer, but I believe they also like feeling the stones in their
hands and almost always want to bring the stones home with them.
So the next thing I think of is how do I impart to them my witchy
theme? I like the image of the old English land scape, so I looked to
the games that I thought might have come out of England. For
inspiration think of the nursery rhymes such as ―Ride a cock horse to
Bunbury cross to see an old lady on a white horse, rings on her
fingers and bells on her toes‖ I wonder if the Hobby horse and the
Hobbit from ‗Lord of the Rings‘ share the same historical derivation
both being diminutive forms.
I have yet to find a very young child who I cannot tempt with the
idea of running around with a stick between their legs and a
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cardboard head stuck
to the top. Or a piggy
back ride around the
lounge room. My
daughter had a horse
head on a stick from
Chicken Feed it was a
soft head and if you
pinched its ears it
made the noise of a horse. (Actually it was a unicorn
head) and she would hold it with one hand and in the
other she had a parasol. My son got stuck with the card
board head and he would run around with his power
ranger sword. My daughter would ride out with me to a
picnic while my son would joust with me on either side of
the fence!
To this day my daughter still likes riding horses, my son
has progressed and would much rather ride a dragon
unfortunately.
But how do I picture a pagan parent if I close my eyes?
My image usually comes from third world or pre
industrial countries. I imagine a Negro mother picking
cotton in the fields of America, a sheet tied across her
chest like a sling and a little baby cocooned inside,
cooing gently as the mothers motion rocks the child to
comfort as she goes about her work.
I had the great fortune to be able to take my children
to work with me when I was on call. They got to see me
setting up the cameras and helping elderly people
gently up onto the beds. They met the nuns and got to
pat the hospital therapy dog. It‘s not quite the harsh
cotton fields but the chance for the children to see and
feel close to their parents while
they work. Seriously work places
need to be much more family
friendly than they are currently.
My vision extends to Australia
and aboriginal children; I picture
the parents sending the kids
down to the beach to dig up
some turtle eggs and bringing
them back to the camp fire to
make pancakes. Ok maybe not
pancakes, and while maybe I
wouldn‘t ask my kids to eat turtle eggs in case they are
endangered, but alternatively a friend of mine has a
chook shed and at the back is a hutch which if you open
the little letterbox door you can reach in a collect the
eggs. The kids don‘t like doing this because the eggs
are dirty, but I get them to do it anyway, they can
always wash their hands afterward.
I recently gave a little talk about my love of story in
relation to paganism. So it feels appropriate now to
talk a little about story in terms of parenting.
As a kid I hated poems. The first poem that captured
my interest was the man from Snowy River. As I read I
could almost feel the horses hooves pounding on the
ground beneath me as I flow over fallen logs with my
long leather stockman‘s clock trailing along behind me
in the wind. Imagine my disappointment when the first
poem my kids wanted me to keep re-reading them was
‗Sam I Am‘.
But no matter, what first captures your childs‘
imagination is most important. Cuddle up close to them
at bed time, or resting outside with your backs against
a brick wall and keep going. Stories are a great way
to pass on your pagan values. No matter what lesson
you want to teach the children there is a story
somewhere than can help you. My favourite stories for
teaching moral values are Aesop‘s tales.
Then when they get a little older and you can keep
them still for more than 10 minutes, introduce the
traditional stories. Regale them with Persephone‘s
journey to the underworld and back again, or if you‘re
feeling more epic try the journeys of Ulysses and Jason
and the Argonauts.
Or get on Google earth and fly to Egypt like Osiris
and check out the pyramids, visit Anubis or Baste. Pull
out some paper and pencils and draw a few cartouches
of your own. Now I was all set to visit the Aztec and
strap my kids to a table ready to sacrifice them to the
sun gods but apparently you can‘t
do this just before bedtime,
because there is no sun according
to my little boy.
Now when discussing parenting
and pagan rituals we have to
consider that jolly fat man in red
who punishes parents by taking
their money and putting it into the
hands of the consumerist society.
Me personally I feel no need to
paganize the Christian celebration
because frankly Christmas has so much paganism woven
through it that it feels more pagan than Christian to me.
But if I really wanted to, and at times I do. I pick the
middle of our winter, take my kids camping somewhere
with lots of trees, light a camp fire when it gets dark
and tell them about another old man called Odin with
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the one eye, who I say travels around looking for his lost eye.
I tell them how during his travels he has to pay for his lodging and board somehow, and everyone knows old men are
good at making wooden toys. Now you might think that kids today with their ipod‘s and WII‘s would not be interested
in handmade wooden toys. But here is one a friend of mine made for my son and I can tell you he spent hours tossing
this thing into the stream and watching it go over the waterfall.
Now we all know kids are not with us all the time. School takes up a big part of their lives and parents are not
allowed in that place. My son already tells me to just wait, then he has to go play with his friends.
But school often also teaches the kids things and when you get home and chat about their day you can add on to what
they have learnt. Now you might have to go to the teachers to find out what they are learning first. Queries on my
part to the kids often gets answered with grunts and the firm answer that they learn nothing and do nothing all day.
But don‘t be fooled they are being taught something at school.
When I was a kid the government agenda was to teach us about how badly we treated the aboriginal community,
now the political agendas are more diverse and it is not uncommon for your children to know a lot more about
environmentally friendly practices than they let on to you. So be prepared to find your-self being told to buy free
range eggs so that the fox‘s don‘t get them!
So what are some of the possible pit falls with pagan parenting? For one thing paganism is very hands on and
interactive with kids so they bond closely but this also comes with a high responsibility. I do pagan things with my kids
and they know the basics about it and love it, but I always tell them that I don‘t want them to choose a faith until they
are older, I want them to learn about the other pathways to spirituality as each path has something good to teach the
children just in different ways and they might find a path that fits them better.
Then there is the innocent tendency for children to just tell everyone everything, and given we live in a predominantly
Christian based society this can make them stand out, maybe exposing them to ridicule and bullying. To address this
you can disguise your practices as plain every day events, teaching pagan lessons along the way. For example
walking near the base of Mt Wellington and pointing out the red robins as they move down the mountain in winter to
avoid the frost up the top. Or planting a vegetable garden and then getting the kids to use those vegetables in the
kitchen to make yummy snacks.
We have a yearly ritual. Every year we watch the black berry bushes beside the creek and when the berries are
black we buy a small pot of local honey from the market and pick and dip till we are sick and my kids clothes are
stained so bad they have to be soaked for months afterward to clean them up!
Finally what about the future for my pagan parenting practices? I suspect when teenage hood starts and my kids start
ducking under the window sill when I drive past their friends that anything I do is no longer going to be cool. But while
pagan rituals at Yule will not be acceptable until they realise they can drink alcohol at the ritual feast afterward, I
believe my pagan values of how to treat people nicely and that this
treatment must extend to the animals, plants, and the very ground
itself will continue to linger on in them till the very end.
I also believe they will carry the memories of what I have done with
them into their adult hood as gems they will look back on and be
happy whenever they are feeling a little down. Already my son
remembers with fondness every time we drive to Huonville, the
sleeping dragon that lives under the southern outlet, a story his big
sister made up for him years ago.
Of course there is a big section on pagan parenting I know nothing
about called teenage hood. I personally intend to hide in a bunker for
those years and just wait out the storm, so you might have to ask some
of the older and wiser crones about that one.
Sabian
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I first became interested in Mithraism through a
chance remark by my Father. He was a man who
had been involved in Spiritualism was well as
Theosophy. He used to hold informal meetings at
our house in Norwich when I was a teenager, I am
now 65! Well after one of those meetings he was
talking about an ancient Roman religion called
Mithraism, the word somehow struck a cord in my
consciousness. I had never heard of the term before,
but I had to know more. Cycling down to the central
library in Norwich I found a volume called ―The
Fellow in the Cup‖ and become intrigued. From
there I was led to another book called ―Puck of
Pook‘s Hill‖ by Rudyard Kipling. This book written
for younger people is about two children who by
going around in a circle three times saying ‗By oak,
ash and thorn‖ conjured Puck – a small version of
Pan. He takes them to various places in History, one
of them being Hadrian‘s wall across the top end of
England. Accompanying this story is a song to
Mithras which I learned by heart.
Now the story gets interesting. Just outside Norwich
is the old Roman fort of Venta Icenorum which
controlled the Iceni tribe after the insurrection of
Boudicca in AD 61. The fort fascinated me and I
often used to walk of cycle the three miles to get
there. The site had previously been excavated and
a gold cavalry helmet was found in the stream
which becomes the River Yare. No one knows what
became of the small community. The fort had to be
reduced at one stage and soldiers from Germany
were sent there, however nothing else is known.
Inside the perimeter of the fort is a small church built
of stone and flint probably scavenged from the
Roman wall. I never bothered to look inside the
church, until I took my wife‘s little sister to see it. I
took her to see the fort and asked her if she would
like to see inside. Walking up to the church, through
the covered turnstile gate and along the gravel
path with ancient gravestones on either side, I
started to recite to myself the ‗Song to Mithras‘.
At the last verse -
“Mithras the God of the Midnight,
here where the great bull dies,
looks on thy children in darkness,
O take our sacrifice.
Many roads thou hath fashioned,
all of them lead to light,
Mithras also soldier,
teach us to die aright.”
On finishing the verse I opened the church doors and
a huge power ball hit me in the chest. I staggered
back. What was it I thought? But I‘m not going to
stop now. I walked into the church and the
atmosphere was heavy and almost physical. I got a
little worried and suggested we say a little prayer
then left. The little girl felt nothing, it was only I that
had the experience. Perhaps there was a temple to
Mithras built under the church and somehow I had
opened a portal, I guess I will never know.
By Peter Seekings
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: I‘d always believed that exorcism was the purview
of Hollywood features, or the Roman Catholic
Church, that is until I found myself in a circle of salt
in a High Magic circle about to assist with the
exorcism of my coven‘s High Priestess.
A week earlier, she had caught a ride with me up
country, halfway to an appointment she had with a
friend of her partner‘s. As I waved to her as her bus
pulled out to complete her journey, I had no idea
what series of events would unfold upon her return.
Roxanne, the High Priestess, had agreed to travel to
Kamloops in central British Columbia to treat an old
friend of her partner Don. This friend had just
returned from a trip to Central America where she
had been touring ancient Mayan, Aztec and Toltec
temple sites. She and her travelling companions had
done some ritual within a chamber in a ruined
temple structure. During the ritual, she had fainted
and when she woke, she had felt fevered and quite
ill. Upon returning home, she had contacted Don and
they had decided that Roxanne should see what she
could do.
When Roxanne called me to come and pick her up
from the bus station, she warned me that she had
some strange news. A short time later, we sat across
from one another at a restaurant. I asked her what
had happened and she asked me to take her hand
as she extended it across the table. As I took it, by
reflex I recoiled: her hand
was impossibly hot. Being
familiar with the particular
gifts of each of her coven
members, she asked me to
take her hand and tell me
what I saw. I usually used my
gift for psychometry with
objects. As I resumed my grip
on her hand and closed my
eyes, a scene unfolded of a
dark chamber and the thick
scent of blood. My view
moved down towards the stone floor and met the
glazed eyes of a lifeless, naked corpse strewn on
the stones. I became aware of a presence behind
me and as my view swung, around following the tail
and then half the body of something that seemed
reptilian. It moved and I withdrew from the vision.
As my eyes opened, I knew what the vision meant. I
asked Roxanne what had happened. She told me
that she had given the ill woman a treatment, laying
hands on her and doing some energy healing. For
some reason, she had not shielded herself or
properly grounded herself as she usually did with
such treatments. She described how she had felt
something enter her body from that of the ill woman,
cursing as she realised what had happened. While
the other woman had felt progressively better soon
after the treatment, her gratitude was small solace
as she felt her temperature rise steadily. As I
explained my vision, she nodded, thanked me and
asked me to take her back home immediately.
We had phoned ahead and Roxanne‘s partner and
Ron, a coven elder and high magician, were waiting
for us at the couple‘s bookstore, Pagan‘s Book Place.
Ron and Don had already prepared the large room
at the back of the bookstore for a ritual. I walked
down the long hallway to the back room expecting
to be able to see Ron and Don‘s preparation, but
then to withdraw back to the front of the bookstore
to wait with the small group of
friends who had gathered
there. I was shocked when Don
asked me to stay and Ron
started to explain the high
magic circle and the process he
was planning to go through to
remove the spirit that had
entered Roxanne‘s body. I
protested that I couldn‘t be of
any help as I was new to the
Craft and knew very little
about high magic. They assured
me that because I was the only
A HIGH MAGIC EXORCISM
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Next Issue
AUTUMN/
WINTER
2013
one that had an idea of what the creature looked or felt
like, they needed me to participate. I would be safe they
explained as long as I didn‘t leave the protection of the
magic circle demarcated by the circle of salt laid out on the
floor.
Reluctantly, I took up my position within the circle. About a
metre away, Ron had laid out a triangle also in salt. Within
the triangle was a chair where Roxanne took her place.
Ron cast the circle, but this one designed to protect those
who stood within it. Once the circle surrounded us, Ron began
addressing the demon. Roxanne sat quietly in the chair.
Other than being somewhat withdrawn, her behaviour since returning from her healing appointment hadn‘t
been remarkable in any way, but about a half hour into the ritual, upon Ron‘s repeated demand for the
demon‘s name, Roxanne – or the demon – began to respond evasively: questioning why Ron wanted ―their‖
name.
I had been asked to contain Roxanne within an energy shield and when Ron gave a signal, I was to draw the
demon away from Roxanne and out through the ceiling. I did this through
visualising a whirlwind of fire spiralling around her.
A chill raced down my spine as in response to one of the many demands
from Ron for the demon to leave Roxanne‘s body, I saw a misty image of a
reptilian face project a few centimetres from Roxanne‘s face. My familiar is
a grey wolf. As a reflex, I took on the wolf to help give me courage as I
knew I was experiencing something extraordinary.
I don‘t know how much time passed as Ron continued to challenge the
demon, demanding it to leave Roxanne‘s body. I sensed the energy
reaching a crescendo and focused on my energy field. At the moment that Ron called now, I saw the
whirlwind of fire widen and then something within being carried upward, the weight of the contents though
caused the energy to wobble and lean towards the front of the building. At that exact moment, we heard a
loud crash and the sound of breaking glass. Roxanne slumped forward with her eyes closed.
Ron closed down the circle quickly and we ensured that Roxanne was alright, which she claimed to be. I left
the backroom and went to the front of the bookstore. All the others who had been waiting there were out on
the street. As I exited out the front door I could see that the large plate window of the store next door had
shattered outward onto the sidewalk and street. As it was Sunday, there was no one in the store. As the
window had shattered at the same moment as we had drawn the demon from Roxanne, it seemed that the
window had blown out as the demon exited though it.
While I‘ve had a number of experiences that have defied conventional
explanation, I truly hope never to have another such as this!
Mescal St. John
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Autumn Equinox - 2013 - Camping Event
Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd & Sunday 23rd March
Come and join us at Myrtle Park, as we relax into a no fuss camping
weekend to celebrate the beginning of Autumn, a time of balance as
the daylight and night time hours are equal.
Myrtle Park sports a pretty bush landscape surrounded by a fresh
water river. Showers and toilets are free and in good working order
and a kiosk is open during the day.
When: Friday 22 - Sunday 24th March
Where: Myrtle Park, 25 minutes from
Launceston on the A3 to Scottsdale
Cost: $6 per family per night
Site: Booked under ‗Mel Dolliver‘
Site 8 - sign in and pay at reception
Bring: Camping gear, tent, chairs, cooking
implements, clothing for all weather.
Firewood, or a gold coin donation to
contribute
Meal to share at the Communal Feast
on Saturday night
More info: Check out our event Facebook page
or email [email protected]
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To submit your event, contact Mel on [email protected]
The above events are submitted by our readers and are placed in good faith. They do not necessarily signify endorsement
by the editor or members of the Tasmanian Pagan Alliance, Inc.
The Australian Goddess Conference October 18 – 20 2013
Come and enjoy a weekend of ceremony, ritual, storytelling, teaching, music, dance, workshops, creative play & festive feasting. The theme for 2013, the eighth annual conference is
The venue for this exciting conference is in a secluded location in the Sydney area. Situated among bushland, it’s the perfect location to complement this year’s Into the Wild theme. Onsite
accommodation available.
The Australian Goddess Conference is organised by the Goddess Association in Australia (GAIA Inc). This not-for-profit association is dedicated to supporting the growth of the Goddess
community in Australia.
To find out more about the Australian Goddess Conference and GAIA Inc, visit
http://www.goddessassociation.com.au
This site will be regularly updated as details become available.
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A Witches Cauldron
Purple House, Cooee, Tasmania
Phone: Delaila on 0404 463 559
Firstly, for our members who may not know you or
your business, can you please tell us what you do?
We are Spiritual Healers, Teachers, readers—So all
and many of these are covered—we do offer
Hypnosis, Dream Analysis, Character Analysis,
Readings, Relaxation Therapy‘s, Past Life and Present
Life regressions, Healing and Chakra Attunements,
and Balance, massage, natural facials, artificial nails,
all services with Mind, Body and Spirit—Spiritual
Counselling, Life Coaching.
What inspired you to do this type of work?
We don't consider our path as work but rather a
service of a Spiritual nature—as we follow this path
the inspiration to help those that need our help,
leaving a sense of gratification in their development is
the inspiration.
Do you follow a particular pagan path? What lead
you to following this spiritual way?
We are eclectic Witches following the path of the
Ancient Ones and coming from an extremely religious
background we take pride in our path-work that it is
varied and wide.
What do you enjoy most about your business?
We enjoy the satisfaction of the service within the
healing aspect in one form or another.
Are there any upcoming events, workshops, specials
or exciting things happening in your business that
you would like to share with our membership?
Most of our work is in Closed Circle, we do run Open
Circle by invitation and we run practical workshop on
the 1st Wednesday of each month that is open to the
public.
We also run Spiritual Boot Camps open and are one on
one. A weekend Retreat—By the Lake—Ideal for those
looking for the Soul Self or those already working the
craft—A Spiritual Attunement, back to basics.
And finally, how do members get in touch with you if
they want to know more?
Simply call Delaila on 0404 463 559 or catch us on
Facebook—Witch in the Purple House. (Please note that
no blocked numbers will be responded to).
Thank you for answering our questions, and being a
Tasmanian Pagan Alliance Friendly Business!
A Witches Cauldron
Purple House, Cooee TAS
Spiritual Teachers, Healers, Readers
Suburban Retreat of Spiritual Services
Introducing the Ultimate Cleansing, Healing, Relaxation Therapies:
The Womb, The Reflection Room, Sweat Box,
Hypnosis, Life-Coaching and much more…..
$13.00 credit to members of TPA. Current card holders
– on services only
Also Available – Spiritual Bootcamp by the Lake
Delaila 0404 463 559
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TPA Friendly Businesses Jan Walker
Pagan Marriage Celebrant
Email: [email protected] www.wix.com/janwalker/janwalkercmc
Weddings, Handfastings, Vow Renewals, Commitments,
Namings, Wiccanings
Phone: 03 6266 3685
Mobile: 0400 006 828
Each drum is made slowly by
hand, with a lot of love and
attention to detail and each has
its own sound and resonance so
that it becomes part of its owner.
Kindred Drums Mike & Cheryl Maddock
Phone: (03) 6265 9405
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.wix.com/mikemaddock/
kindred-drums
Your home for legendary gifts
and collectibles within
Tasmania and beyond. If we
haven’t got it, Ned will try
and source it for you!
Open: Tue-Fri 9am to 2pm
Saturday 9.30am to 1pm
Creators of quality hand poured candles made from 100% organic
beeswax sourced locally right here in the Meander Valley,
Tasmania. Custom orders welcome!
www.facebook.com/OtherworldCandles
Email: [email protected]
Books, Music,
Clothes, Oracle Cards,
Jewellery, Incense,
and a whole heap of
other cool stuff!
32 Emu Bay Road, Deloraine Phone: 6362 4242
Living Goddess Learn about ancient Goddesses & explore practical ways to incorporate their qualities into your daily life. A different Goddess featured at each monthly workshop. Ph 0418 139 826 / 0437 366 711
More
on page
31!
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STATE COORDINATOR’S REPORTSTATE COORDINATOR’S REPORT I have just travelled back from celebrating Lughnasadh in the North West coast with a great bunch of
members. Although it‘s always sad to head toward the end of summer, Lammas time is still one of my
favourite festivals! Once again I‘m so grateful to spend it amongst such an amazing and talented group of
lovely pagans.
It‘s also a chance to take a deep breath and reflect on what the Tas Pagan Alliance has been up to over
the busy summer time! The calendar has been a great success, with many copies being distributed amongst
local businesses. We still have quite a few copies left, however, so if you know of somewhere that might be
interested in some, please let me know.
With such a great response, we will definitely be doing the calendar again this year. After doing the
figures and discussing options, the committee has agreed that the calendar can be our sole source of funding
for public liability, however to achieve this, we need help! I’m seeking a helper with the calendar, to assist
with contacting businesses to see if they want to advertise, and also stock copies, of the calendar. It‘ll need
to be someone with a bit of spare time during business hours, access to phone and email, and someone who
can commit to the task over October, November and December. Without a helper who can fill this role, I
don‘t see us being able to successfully run the calendar again, which will result in a smaller batch, pre-order
only, and perhaps a higher cost because of this. So please get in touch if you think you can help!
Have you had a chance to check out the new
website? We‘re adding to it regularly, and it‘s
worth a look, especially in the members area!
There‘s heaps of new information on there,
including info on our life members, our own
traditions, and more. We‘re just about to start
expanding the ―past events‖ section, to include
photos, workshop notes, chants used, and even
a copy of the ritual! So if you have anything
hidden away in your photo album or pictures
on your computer, please send them in! These
will be in the members area only so not
available to the public.
Finally, I just want to say a huge thank you to
all our pagan men who have contributed to this
amazing Issue 60! And well done to Mel, and
all our past editors, who have kept the Ravens‘
Call going for so long. It‘s definitely something
to be proud of!
Autumn blessings,
You guys don’t drive me to drink, but if you did I’d choose Pagan Cider!
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TPA Friendly Businesses continued (from page 29)
Do you have a business or know of one that would like to come on board as
part of our Tasmanian Pagan Alliance ―Pagan Friendly Businesses‖?
Contact us to find out what‘s involved: [email protected]
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Samhain at Ed & Jeanette’s
Ed & Jeanette have kindly opened their doors to us again to celebrate
Samhain. Please join us in a night of pumpkin carving, ritual, feasting and
drinking at Ed & Jeanette’s beautiful cottage South of Hobart.
When: 27th & 28th April
Time: Saturday afternoon onwards
Bring: Ritual outfit (including sturdy shoes) and drinking up, a dish to
share for the evening feast, camping gear or bedding including
mattress (plenty of floor space), pumpkin to carve.
To RSVP, directions or more information: email Jeanette: