The Pagan Path

Those who wonder are not lost; they are trying to awaken! 'The Sleeper must awaken!'

Saturday, January 30, 2021

The Cycle of Life & Love

Coming up on 7 years ago, I 'penned' an article titled 'Februation': re-reading this article recently, I was able to see, once again, how far I have come on my Journey, though I'm obviously on the same Path; It just looks different! I say ' it just looks different' because I can read what I wrote way back then & note that I have not 'strayed' at all; I just use different wording. Not to 'stray' too far from my intended Purpose here, but 'God' takes many shapes & forms - in fact, some have said that 'God' is 'above all, and through all, and in [c]you all' - so while there are those who refer to 'God' as 'Him', following/worshiping Yahweh of the Hebrews, others have noted, whether correctly or incorrectly ( you be the judge ) that 'God' is simply our Highest Self, our 'Divinity', you might say. Back to our subject now, that of 'februation'.....................

In this day & age, selfishness seems to abound! In the traditional, or even non-traditional relationship, this might be a simple as doing what you want, even though you know your significant other would much rather be doing something else. It can also be complicated by that 'significant other' sacrificing his/her wants/needs in order to keep the peace/placate their chosen partner. Speaking of 'Sacrifice', which is what that previous post centered on & what this post will touch on somewhat, the act, in itself is not wrong, in fact, it is often vaunted as one of the most noble Paths one can take, but it can be detrimental. Again, in this day & age ( of selfishness ), the tendency for the one being sacrificed for is to want more, to begin to expect it. On the other hand, if one sacrifices their wants/needs for the other's wishes, resentment tends to step in & like a double-edged blade, this 'sacrifice' also leaves one feeling drained & unfulfilled. So we come to 'Self-love': this term has been getting a lot of attention lately, mostly because of the 'selfishness' related above. Please don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that those practicing 'self-love' are being selfish, though there IS a bit of a fine line here & we must practice with care: no, to love others, we must first love ourselves, whatever 'love' means to you individually. To some, 'love' is based on feelings, so if you feel like, 'I'm not getting enough out of this relationship', you may want to re-examine your own reasoning for being in that relationship in the first fucking place! To others, 'love', at least on this earthly plane, looks more like 'care'. On this earthly plane, at least, the latter definition is definitely the closest to defining True Love. Humanly speaking, we should note well, caring for others is the greatest, if not the only manifestation of True Love. What is known as 'Romantic Love' & which is celebrated around the middle of the month upcoming is really nothing more than lust, passionate & even sacrificial though it be!

'Love' looks different to different people: 'As above. so below'; to love someone is to care for & about them. As some have said, 'I don't much like you right now, but I still love you!' Statements like this should sound strangely familiar, for they are inextricably linked to what is often called 'the human condition', or, our feelings, which are not a 'bad' thing. Sometimes, however, one can care about another, but if this other does not return that feeling, that care soon goes away. This is because that 'love' was based on feelings/emotions, which, as we've discovered previously, can be fleeting. There is a Love that lasts the test of Time & we'll get to that, but first, a little more about this so-called 'Romantic Love'. 'Romantic Love', just plain 'Love', as it's known in most circles, can be a fickle mistress & is really more akin to 'Lust'. The holiday most associated with this feeling is coming up soon. During this holiday, if only on this holiday, those with a 'significant other' will traditionally ( ? ) purchase, for that 'other', anything from chocolate & roses, to sexy underwear ( lingerie ), usually in the hopes of getting something in return ( most guys ( this applies to some girls/women, too ) would say 'gettin' some' ). Most often, you might say, the feeling is mutual ( else they wouldn't be 'together' ), but sadly, this is not always the case..................

On Facebook, you may have noticed the cute little reactive emojis under a person's post that allow you to like what they have posted, love it, be angry, be sad, etc., etc., not necessarily in that order. You may also have noticed, as at least one other has, that these emojis follow, almost perfectly, the 'normal' modern human relationship. Sadly, this is often the case, for our feelings often change like the weather ( 'like the Seasons' would be another way to put it ). Speaking of 'the Seasons of Life'; as we mature, humanly speaking, our perceptions change. This usually includes our perception of what 'love' is. When, at a relatively young age, we 'fall in love' with 'the girl next door' ( so to speak ), this is often called 'puppy love', especially when the two involved ( sometimes, it's one-sided ) are in their early teenage years, or younger. 'Infatuation' is another word for it, though this word can be employed throughout the 'Seasons'. All of the above, of course, is based on feelings & when the feelings change, well...................

The 'Seasons' of Life are not necessarily set in stone. We can normally ( ? ), more or less, count on the weather, for instance, changing with the Seasons. At or around the Spring & Fall Equinoxes, as well as at the Summer & Winter Solstices, like 'clock-work', the Seasons are ushered in. As with the Seasons of Life though, the Wheel of the Year is not so precise. For example, we may see Fall-like weather in the middle of January, or freezing, Winter-like weather at the beginning of Fall ( like we did this year, here in Montana ). Though during the Summer, we can pretty much count on the weather being fairly warm to very hot, Spring is much like the Fall, ranging from Winter-like weather to almost Summer climes. In the same vein, the Seasons of our Life can change on a whim it seems, because, once we reach a certain age, our likes & dislikes can change, almost like the weather. Much like the Zodiac, which we covered in a previous post, these Seasons can affect our lives & explain why we, as human beings, are the way we are, but ultimately, the choice is up to us, as to how we will either act or react in any given situation.

Reincarnation may seem like a strange subject to bring up in the middle of a discussion on love, yet here we are! To many, the notion that we have more than one life to live is ridiculous, tantamount to blasphemy, even. However, to this blogger, as well as to a growing number of people, it makes all the sense in the world. Deja vu, as well as other 'feelings' ( 'stirrings'? ), are explained by what many now understand to be 'a fact of life'. 'Soulmates' are one such notion that has enjoyed increasing airtime of late, maybe especially around this time of year. Although soulmates are often lovers from past lives, this is not necessarily so. A 'soulmate' is simply one individual soul that, for whatever reason, is inextricably, even inexplicably connected to another.  Just because two individuals are soulmates, does not mean that in every lifetime they will end up together, either; circumstances or other environmental factors are usually involved here, humanly speaking. Getting to the point, though, 'how do these souls know to find each other in all these different & various lifetimes?' That may be a question for another day, but for now, suffice it to say that Love does have something to do with it!

The modern definition of 'Love' may vary from individual to individual or group to group, but in reality, there can be only One! Okay, a little movie humor there, but seriously, True Love has but One definition. Although, humanly speaking, Love may look/sound/feel differently to different people, at the Heart of It, Love is Who we are ( much like Energy )! This may seem to be a strange, enigmatic statement (' what does he mean, 'We are Love?' ), but I urge you to ask yourself, 'What IS Love?' 'What does It mean to me?' 'As above, so below'; Love means different things to different people; to some, 'love' might be simply a feeling they get around certain people or a certain person. In many cases, this feeling is more akin to 'lust'. To others, however, their definition of Love adheres about as closely to the true definition, humanly speaking, as One can get in this earthly experience; 'care', even sacrificial care. No, I'm not saying we should sacrifice self-love, or self-care, but seriously, what real harm does it do us to give up our wants/'needs', in deference to another?! With the realization that we must love ourselves, again, humanly speaking, before we can love another, in essence, 'if we don't care for ourselves, how can we truly care for others?''; we can give of ourselves ( sacrifice ) to the other ( ? ), knowing that by doing so, we are manifesting the Love that we are.

'Okay', you may be saying, 'so We ARE Love; how does that translate to the REAL world?!' Well, first of all, 'what IS 'real' to you?' Secondly, SINCE We ARE Love ( NOT humanly speaking ), We must simply BE! In order to manifest What & Who we truly are, we must simply live sacrificially, proving to ourselves, as well as to others that We ARE Who We say WE are. With the realization that this is easier said than done, especially in this day & age, we tend to strive for 'perfection' & this, humanly speaking, is the majority of the problem! No, I'm not saying that, as human beings, we should simply stop caring, or loving, just that we don't have to TRY to love, it comes naturally.  ( 'Love' does not equate with 'like' ) If we could simply ( ? ) bypass our Ego & manifest from our True, or Higher Nature, we might find that Love DOES come naturally to us ( as opposed to manifesting from our lower, or animal nature, which equates to 'lust' )!

Whether we manifest from our Higher or lower nature, then, depends largely on whether we have learned from our past lives. One may or may not believe ( ? ) in reincarnation, but again, it only makes sense to this blogger ( much more than the Christian notion of the whole 'fallen nature' thing ). Since Life is all about choices, so why should it be so hard to believe ( ? ) that It's all about learning our lessons & bettering our choices? The choices we make, as individual human beings, prove whether we are acting according to our Higher or lower nature; if our definition of 'love' is more akin to 'lust', in essence, caring/loving others only as long as WE are being sated, that is a good sign that we are acting/reacting from our lower, or animal nature. However, if sacrificially care for others, while remaining true to ourselves, this is a good indication that We, in our Higher Nature, have learned in the process that it is better to give than receive!

The Seasons, or Cycles of Love may also be explained thusly; when we act/react differently at different times in this present life, it indicates the level of maturity that we have attained. Another way of putting this is to say that we have learned & are learning the lessons that our past ( life? ) experiences have taught us.  In some sense, this is only humanly speaking, for this is how We manifest on this earthly plane. On the spiritual plane, however, since Time is an illusion, there ARE no Seasons or Cycles: in the Realm of Spirit, We simply ARE, no changing, no choosing; no liking or loving, no feeling. It is in this Life alone that such things exist & they exist for the Sole Purpose of manifesting the Love that We are!

The Love that We are, then, is not affected by any of the above ( 'below' might be a better way of saying it )! We do not 'love' another, simply because of how they make us feel ( although many try & fail miserably ), We do not 'love' another for what we can 'get' from that person ( that too, will always fail ); We manifest True Love when we realize that We are the definition of True Love; it is only when we manifest from our Higher Nature that we truly know/prove what Love really, actually IS! Again, this is MUCH easier said than done, but once we accomplish it, EVERYTHING on this earthly plane will change, however imperceptibly, first, for us, then for our 'world'!

Namaste' & Blessed Be.

Sage Charles




 


 

 

May The Circle Unbroken Be

As we meet this sacred night, may all worries take their flight.

Heavy heart & tired hand, Lady, lift on high both heart & hand.

We meet this night with our Mother Earth, lending aid to lift this dearth.

To meet the darkness with our light, to make Her dwellings O, so bright.

May the Goddess & the God now with us meet, elemental powers to defeat.

In our hearts we long to fight, with our hands to bring the light.

Now we draw the Circle Three, now all troubles quickly flee.

Maiden, Mother, Aged Crone, join us here, evermore dispel the Fear .

Perfect Love & Perfect Trust, in this Unbroken Circle, we ever must.

O Great Goddess of the Gnome, let us know we're not alone.

Powers of the Earth be at our feet, ever ready to be fleet.

On this long & wintry night, let us vow to be Her Light, let us burn e'er so bright.

O Mother, may we see, 'tis only Light that shines in Thee.

Sacred Mother, praise to Thee, forevermore, So Mote It Be.



Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Misty Mountain Morning, RV

Morning has broken, and I wonder as I wander,
How blessed I am to live among such beauty!

The mountains high, the valleys deep,
The rivers that are so cold and clear!

The fawns that graze, majestic elk,
The great old bear that wrestles with her cubs!

On this beautiful & wintry day, I watch the veil of steam,
As it rises from the vales, on this Misty Mountain Morning!

We praise our Mother Earth, with Whom we dwell,
Her Glory is seen in the beauty all around!

The Love of the Goddess is greater far, than all the Beauty found on earth,
The Creation shines forth Her praise, and sparkles in the Sun-lit haze!

The Beauty of the Earth does not surpass Her Grace,
Nor the Ones who shout Her praise!

We worship Her with all our deeds, in all we do and say,
For in Her strength we live & love, on this Misty Mountain Morning!

Sage Charles




Sunday, January 24, 2021

Procreation; What It Is, What It Isn't

 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb [ that ] yields seed, [ and ] the fruit tree [ that ] yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed [ is ] in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.  

Genesis 1:11

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, [ each ] according to its kind”; and it was so.

Genesis 1:24

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His [ own ] image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [h]moves on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26-28

Let me first make this disclaimer; I no longer call myself a Christian! Though I no longer accept the moniker, I tend to borrow from the Christian Scriptures because they are those with which I am most familiar, being the ones I was raised with. I believe, as I did even when I claimed to be a Christian, that the passages above do not necessarily refer to anything but the 'everlasting covenant' ( Genesis 9:16, 17:7 ) that the Hebrew God made with Israel. Even so, the words, however 'lost in the translation' they may be, still convey a certain Universal Truth which stands today. This Truth is that, even according to these Scriptures, all Biology ultimately springs from the Womb of our Mother Earth. Humankind, on the other hand, being the Image of God ( unlike mere animals ( ? ), were not instructed to 'bring forth', only to 'Be fruitful and multiply'. To 'Be fruitful and multiply' carries with it less physicality then the command to 'bring forth'; the point being that Humankind need not 'bring forth' more Humans in order to 'procreate', but must simply 'Be fruitful and multiply', whether it be through art or some other form of magick ( creativity ).

In the passages above, one might note that the Hebrew perception of the Source of All has been given a male Persona; while the Source of All is neither male nor female, the Deities that most cultures worship as apart from themselves have been assigned either one gender or the other. One might well note here that, in doing so, Humanity has neatly made 'God' in their own image! As the case may be, however, the Source of All, be It simply Energy or the Master of the Universe, rather than being male or female, like Humanity, indeed everything in this Biology, is not divided into male & female, but is, as the Christian Scriptures also say, 'above all, and through all, and in [c]you all'.

Clearly though, biologically speaking, human beings are made for physical procreation. Without going into too much information, or detail, suffice it to say that the male & female sexual organs fit together like hand in glove, normally speaking, anyway; obviously, there are exceptions to this rule. As the case may be, though the act of sexual intercourse, when done correctly & at the right time, will most often result in a pregnancy, or physical procreation, this is not necessarily always the case. If no pregnancy is desired, but the act itself ( which I hear can be VERY pleasurable ) is, then either the pair must engage in sexual intercourse at ONLY certain times, or the male may encase his sexual organ in a special covering & the female can also do certain things to allay this concern.

When done correctly, again, the physical act of sexual intercourse may bear much fruit, not least of which is strengthening the bond, both spiritually & physically, between the two participating in the act. I cannot speak from experience, never having 'sired' a Child, but from all ( or most ) accounts, the Joy that springs from giving rise to a new Human Being is like nothing else on this physical plane! Though this act, or the resulting 'consequence', is termed 'procreation', one might well wonder why it's not just called 'creation', for in Essence, that's what it is.

The Essence of What we are, as spirit-beings having a physical experience, is More than Human. Being thus, as normally understood, the act of procreation IS merely physical. Considering the above Truth though, the question should be presented; 'since we are More than Human, not merely physical beings, MUST procreation be simply a physical act?'  'Is there such a thing a spiritual procreation?' I would venture to say, 'as above, so below', that 'yes', there most definitely is & it is far more important to the survival of the human race than the physical act! 'How does one spiritually procreate?', you may ask. Well, we've already covered this to some extent, but to put it plainly, spiritual procreation is as simple as the magickal act of letting your creativity flow. 

The word 'procreate' or 'procreation' first appeared in the late 14th century, according to this article & means anything from 'the process of begetting offspring, generation and production of young' to 'bring forth'. 'As above, so below'; although, according to this fairly obvious definition, procreation is primarily a physical act, both the word & its definition seemed to be based largely upon the religious notion of a 'Creator'. Now, before someone blows a gasket; I'm by no means saying that there is NOT a Creator, or a Divine Intelligence Who put everything in motion! There very likely IS ( some would say, 'HAS to be!' ) a Master of the Universe, but on the other hand, there are those who say that it is the Universe itself that is Eternal. Again, still others would say that All is Energy ( which is true ) & that 'Intelligent' or not, Energy is Its own Generator!

Speaking of 'Energy'; anyone who has ever participated in the act of sexual intercourse knows how much Energy it takes. Not to get too graphic, but it takes a lot out of a person to employ his or her sexual organ. It IS ( or can be ) VERY pleasurable & although it is often over too quickly, there are ways which can be employed in order to prolong the gratification. Not having done much study myself in this area, I cannot say this with authority, but probably one of the best ways to reach this heightened 'gratification' ( 'ecstasy'? ) is of Eastern origins & has more to do with self-awareness than physicality, though physicality might seem to be, in modern times anyway, the predominant factor. The point is, the physical act itself, whether willfully or ignorantly, is overshadowed by the Higher Self. Although sexual intercourse is most often viewed as a predominately physical act & can indeed become very animalistic, it is, first & foremost, a spiritual exercise, one which is meant to bring balance to the Universe Itself.

It has been said that human beings are a microcosm of a much vaster macrocosm above. How true this statement is is not merely  matter of conjecture or theory, it is a proven fact! The infinite wanders of the human body are, in some areas still, beyond comprehension, Yes, Science. with the help of Technology, has made great leaps in its study of the human anatomy, but it has yet to explain how the egg & sperm come together to 'create' a uniquely individual human being. It obviously does not just 'happen'; certain factors must occur ( not unlike the operation of the Universe ) in order for the new avatar to form correctly. That said, these factors, while obviously physical in manifestation, have their genesis in the spiritual realm.

In conclusion, then, while the generally accepted definition of the term 'procreation' refers to the physical act of producing offspring, it should be clear, if for no other reason than that the physical is simply a manifestation of the spiritual, that our Higher Self, again, whether consciously or not, guides our actions in the physical realm. In case any objection might present itself ( which I'd imagine it will ) obviously some people are unconscious of their Higher Self, which explains their animalistic behavior. In order to 'procreate' ( biologically speaking ), two people, one male & one female must magickally employ their collective Wills. Again, procreation may, by definition, be a primarily physical act, but in reality It all begins in the Spirit & in the Spirit It must remain, or it loses all meaning!

Namaste' & Blessed Be.

Sage Charles

Saturday, January 09, 2021

The Mansions of the Moon

 In My Father's house are many [a]mansions; if [ it were ] not [ so ], [b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:2 


In the majority of English versions of the Hebrew/Greek Scriptures, the Greek transliteration
monē is, literally translated, 'dwellings'. Interesting enough is the fact that the translators chose to use the term 'mansions' instead, but, even more intriguing is the fact that this transliteration, monē, is a feminine noun! In Vedic, or ancient Indian/Hindu astrology, as well as Chinese, Arabic & Greek, according to this Wikipedia article, the position of the moon on any given day was called a 'lunar station'. These stations, or positions, were also called 'houses' or 'mansions'. Here, one might recall the very first line of 'The Age of Aquarius' by 'The Fifth Dimension'; 'When the moon is in the Seventh House.............................'. It should be fairly clear fro the article above that the use of the word 'mansion' predates ( by far ) its appearance in most English versions of the Greek New Testament, though there are many ( Christians ) that would very likely argue that the opposite, that the ancient astrological term is based on the biblical usage. 'As above, so below', though, the question here is, 'Why did the original translators of the English Bible choose to use the term 'mansions', when it is such a clearly esoteric reference to ancient astrology?'

Though it is almost taboo to most fundamental Christians & defamed by many others, Astrology has proven its worth, if by nothing other than the fact that it is an ancient art. Modern Astrology, to whatever extent, has contributed to this defamation, as it, like so many other art forms, has become almost merely, in some cases, a business, for monetary gain. On the other hand, there are some who truly possess this skill & are able to divine some scarily accurate astrological portraits for their clients. One must judge carefully between the two!

One thing that we must consider, when confronted by those nay-sayers ( of Astrology ) is the well-accepted fact that the movements of the Moon in the heavens affects the tides of the oceans, here on Earth. How or why the Moon so affects the waters of the Earth is not in question here, so much as, 'if the Moon affects the tides in such a drastic way, how can it not also affect our physical bodies, which, by most accounts, are made largely of water?' In the same vein, 'if the Moon affects these biological marvels, why should we find it ridiculous that the other planets, even the stars, do as well?'

As we have noted previously, however; we are More than this biological construct! As such, as spirits having a physical experience, what is 'written in the stars' need not necessarily determine our destiny, though it does help us to understand why we, as human beings, act the way we act, like or dislike the things we do, etc., etc. Just to be clear, the movements of the Moon & Stars only affects this Biology; they have no effect whatsoever on Who we really are, the Essence of Us!

The causa principalis for the above, of course, is that we are of the same Essence as the One who hung the stars! It might be said ( correctly ) here that my Christian roots are showing, but be that as it may........................ Whether one posits that there is an Almighty Being ensconced in some mythical ( mystical? ) Heaven above or simply that All is Energy, the fact is that all creation ( ? ) is connected, to whatever extent. What affects one has an effect on the other, though they be 'worlds apart'!

Being of the same Essence, it is only natural then, that, biologically speaking, we would feel a 'pull' from these heavenly bodies, an attraction of some sort. 'As above, so below', though; it is still our choice as to how that effect manifests.We may choose to submit to what some prognosticator foretells about our supposed 'destiny' & very likely, our future will be chosen for us. Or, we may choose to understand that these effectors, though they have an influence on our physicality, have no power whatsoever over us, unless, again, we allow them that power. As we have also previously noted, though there are things outside of our control, it is our future, our choice!

How the Moon ( Planets, Stars ) affects us is ultimately up to us! Yes, 'as above , so below', they help us to understand why we feel things at certain times, but they cannot determine how we will either act or react to those things. Some might chalk our negative reactions up to our supposed 'fallen nature' or whatever ( not that reactions are necessarily negative ), but again, that is their choice. One may quite sensibly take the responsibility for their own actions, even with the understanding that this or that is 'written in the stars', or they may choose to believe that a particular ( all-powerful? ) Being has made them thus & thus, so there is really nothing they can do about it except hope against hope ( have faith? ) that someday that all-powerful Being ( or one like It ) will come & save them from their 'fallen nature'!

Hoping to end this post on a more positive note, let us strive to answer the questioned posed in the first paragraph; 'Why did the original translators of the English Bible choose to use the term 'mansions', when it is such a clearly esoteric reference to ancient astrology?' Well; it may be as simple as these 'wise men' understanding that, while this passage was a fairly obvious, though esoteric, reference to the Zodiac, as are numerous references throughout both the Hebrew & Greek Scriptures, they might easily make that point refer to a more intangible, even mythical 'Heaven', where the above-mentioned 'all-powerful Being' makes 'His' lodgings. It could also be that, 'wise men' that they were, they purposely ( esoterically ) 'hid' ( in plain sight? ) a very plain reference to the Zodiac that their ancestors had found to be proven & true. Whatever the case may be, we may take this as yet another sign that, though there may not be some pie-in-the-sky reserved for our 'Afterlife', as we were taught to believe ( as I was ), the Truth is in there, if only we would choose to accept It!

Namaste' & Blessed Be,

Sage Charles