Solemnis Solitaire #2
By Staff Writer: Paganus Greybeard
Greetings.
Salutations.
Hail & Well Met.
Welcome…..
I am a Reader
I am a Writer
I am a Sharer
I Read.
I Write of what I Read.
I Share of what I Learn.
As both a Reader and a Writer I am in a position to not only do my Readings
but to Write of that which I have Read and Learned. It is - in this way -
that the valued and valuable process of Sharing is achieved and
accomplished.
Sharing - whether by physical action or by written word or by recorded
spoken word - is a basic human behavioural trait. Observe a toddler with a favorite
toy or cookie. The toy and cookie will be offered. To the tiny toddler there
is no ‘me & mine’. There is ‘our’. What belongs to one belongs to all.
What is Shared by One is Shared by All. Let us read. Let us learn, discover
and explore. Let us - together - join in a sharing of those readings,
discoveries and explorations…
Let us together share….
In my Readings that I have made so far - a book is often prominently
described and mentioned.
A “Book of Shadows". A Shadow is Dark from the Dark. In the Light of the
Day a Shadow is where the Light shines not. I am not here writing of
where the light is not. I write of the Light from the Light.
I am not whom and what I once was. What then am I?
I am if I can be considered to “be” anything - I might be best considered
an “Eclectic Practical Functionalist". Yeah. A really big mouthful that
does not say much. Boiled down it means - “whatever works".
I have always been an Eclectic. Bit’s of this - Bits of that.
Bit’s of anything and everything from anywhere and everywhere.
Rigid and ritually formalized “Canonical Dogma” does not work with me.
My life changes.
So too must my interactions with Deity.
My life is not in any way rigid and ritually formalized.
Why then should my interactions with Deity be?
My interactions with Deity are as open and free-form as possible.
I remember Sundays when I would sit on a hard wooden pew and “Hear the
Given and Delivered ‘Word’".
I also remember that on those Sundays I would serve as the ‘Candle-Lighter’.
In proper black and white alb and chasuble I would give honour to the
altar then very carefully light the candles on the left side of the altar. I would
then pause at the altar again giving honour then light the right hand set of candles.
You always lit from the outside inwards. After all candles were lit I would pause
for the final time at the altar then extinguish the lighter and step offstage. It was
five or so minutes of ritual and drama. I really enjoyed the brief moment of ritual.
At the end of the Services I would go out and repeat my actions save
this I enxtinguished the candles. At that time that was acceptable. In all things a
foundation must be formed and laid down.
Remember - You cannot build a building from the top down. You build a
building from the bottom up.
Those years of sitting in those pews are and were my formative
foundation of the Deity.
While I no longer sit in a hard wooden pew on a Sanctus - I still do
accept and acknowledge the existence of Deity.
It is just far more personal and direct now. It many even be - according to the
rigidly dogmatic and doctrinaire “mainstream denomination” - a different
Deity!
As an adult I no longer have any desire or need to have the ‘Word’ - in
whatever form it may be “Given and Delivered” - be “Given and Delivered” by an interpretive
middleman.
The ‘Word’ - in whatever form it may be - is mine to discover, explore and share.
The Goddess is important.
The God is equally important.
Neither is more important than the other.
Neither is ’superior’ or ‘inferior’ to the other.
Have I forsaken my earlier Deity learnings? No. Absolutely not.
In no way is my acceptance of Goddess and God a repudiation of what I
was taught - and what I learned earlier. Deity is Deity. It matters not who you send the
messages to.
It matters not at all. It all winds up in the same place. It’s all the
same multi-faceted, multi-formed,
multi-dimensional infinite “Creator” being. It’s all the same thing.
It’s the ALL. {Remember the Creation Mythos?…}
Why are we so concerned about our limited views, comprehension and
understanding of Deity?
We are Humanity.
We are - in no possible way - Deity.
Deity is Deity.
Deity has no restrictions or limitations.
Why then limit and restrict Deity?
Why limit and restict the ALL?
Convenience.
Personal pride and ego.
Human competitiveness instead of human cooperation.
Challenge and Confrontation instead of Cooperation and Coordination.
It all comes down not to the needs of the Divine - but rather the needs
of the Humanly Mundane.
The Humanly Mundane ‘Church’.
It derives from “Religion".
Sociological Power and Control.
Personal interaction with Deity is not based upon Power and Control.
But “organized” “religion” most certainly is. For “organized” “religion”
as it is structured and formulated - cannot exist or operatively function - without Power
and Control over it’s members and adherents. This much is sociologically and historically
proven and documented.
Personal interaction with Deity is private, intimate, instructive,
enlightening and empowering. Enlightenment and Empowerment for the solitary individual is
not a priority nor encouraged with the ‘Church’. It is the ‘congregation’ that matters.
For it is the ‘congregation’ that feeds that ever insatiably greedy golden ‘offering’
bowl.
As a “learner” and most recently an “eclectic” “solitary practioner” of
“whatever works", I find that listening and paying close attention to my “Guides” helps.
Yes. My Guides. Spirit Guides. Guardians. Muses. Good People.
I have no Priestess.
I do have my Editorial Mystress.
She often tells me what to do - and how to do it. This does not count.
She is my Editor/Publisher. Without her guidance and instruction as
to what the Membership and Readership needs - I would be nothing.
There would be nothing written or posted. There would be nothing
at either MysticWitch.com or Mystic Witch Forums.
I have my “Guides".
I have the Goddess/ Earth Mother.
I even have the “God".
Horned God? For me that once was a bit much. That once was too much too
close to my “Demonic Devil"/cosmological ‘Boogy Man’ figure I had waved in front of
me for all those earlier formative years. Is the Horned God the ‘Christian’s’
smelly, dark and nasty ‘Devil’? No. In no way. What then is He? He is the ancient ‘Green Man’
of Northern European Celtic and Nordic cultures. He is the Priest/ess//Shaman wearing the
head and horns of the beast that was killed and slaughterd for food. He is the very deep reverent
honouring of the life and spirit of the beast sacrificed for the survival of the human tribe.
I even had to come to terms with the “pentacle". I knew it as the
“pentagram". I never knew it with the fifth point pointing upwards. It was always pointing downwards.
Even the security officer badge I wore had the point downward not upward.
I could “sense” and “feel” that was wrong.
The badge pointed downwards. That “felt” wrong.I did not know why.
I wore it but it “felt” wrong.
It was only in my Readings of the past few years that I have seen the
“pentacle” and read of its usage and meaning.
So much of what I am Reading and Learning is not so much a denial or
contradiction of that which I was taught and learned earlier, as it is
an amplification and alternative viewpoint. But even so - I will be
open, ethical and honest in this admission - it has been difficult to
“expand” my previous and prior comprehension and understanding to
include and encompass my new “readings and learnings". As was quoted by
one of the writers I read - from Father Loyola:
“Give me your children to the age of seven and I will have them for life".
I have many years of teachings to comprehend and understand in new light.
I therefore, have no interest in Power and Control.
I do have interest in Learning and Guidance.
So too did all those earlier generations. In their books - their Books
of Shadows - They shared.
It was quiet by need and necessity - a book written in and shared in -
the shadows.
It was indeed a “Book of Sharings” but it was done in the safety and
security of the obscuring “shadows".
Sometimes the absence of Light is not a bad thing
When in times of Darkness - The Light is needed
Martyrs and burned books are not needed.
So care and caution were exercised.
So in that context I can accept and understand “Book of Shadows".
Yet - for all of that - these words I am now writing - are part of my
“Book of Sharings".
They are again the same thing - serving the same intent and purpose.
I just like “Sharings” better.
So let us - together - read
So let us - together - learn
So let us - together - share
So thus it was
So thus it is
So thus it be……
So mote it be………
Blessings Be….