Las Vegas Pagan Pride 2009

So... because of some of my type A personality tendencies, I had a busy day ahead for PPD. The week before, I touched up the signs that would be posted out front, even acquiring a fourth to ensure that the problem from the years before of not being able to find the place were no longer a problem. A sign was made to let people know that photography was going to be allowed so people needed to be aware even though the photographers knew they were to ask before taking photos. Last minute changes to the program were able to be squeezed in and then Peter, the coordinator met me at the printers the Friday before to get them all printed up. The educational pamphlets we were going to hand out for those coming to PPD to find out just what the hell paganism was all about were ready to be printed, as well. Collected were both the tarot cards and layout cloth for the two hour window I would be volunteering for readings and the sign making materials, in case I needed to make a few signs on the fly. Truck was emptied and then reloaded it with necessary tables and chairs and, of course, the signs.... and I was entertaining the idea of being a vendor too? Ha!

It is 630 am when I awake! Holy Mother Earth and Her Lord the early morning Sun! I'm usually just going to bed at this hour... but I want to have coffee (lots!) and make sure I have time for last minute stuff so... Sue and I arrived on site at around 9am where we found the radiantly pregnant Leia and her new husband marking her vendor layout with little orange flags. First thing Sue and I do is check on her; she's fine, so we go put the signs up. Across the street is a makeshift yard sale on the corner. Cool! Maybe he'll bring us some peeps! Peter arrives and we lay out the entry area, canopies are erected, t-shirts, bracelets, and bags are displayed for sale, the food collection area is established, areas are taped off, and then the vendors begin arriving for their set-ups. One of the first is my group, the Temple of the Inner Circle and the BBC so I go and help them unload and see if they need my assistance setting up. Nope! They're good. Of course they are! Instead, I gather broom and dustpan and sweep up as much of the glass I can from the tarmac area. Thanks to the observation from the Sierra Club who offered to do so.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Las Vegas has prepped the inside of the building for water and soda sales and the three separate divination areas to accommodate the call from the year before's lack of readers. Signs are posted for the restroom and by noon... we're breathing okay still. Yay! Our volunteer DJ, Byron, has brought not only his equipment but a beautiful backdrop for the outdoor stage area which was a bit of a puzzle but well worth the effort. Victoria, our first day of volunteer has arrived and I get her acquainted with everyone before I disappear to go and work my two hour shift at the divination booth. There are three of us: myself reading the tarot, Sue with her Aboukara cards, and an exquisite, classy lady named VaDonna with rune stones. Unfortunately, readings were not as in demand as they were last year so we three only had one reading each to do, but fortunately, I was able to catch some of J.D. Holveck's Chaos Magick lecture, make a sign to indicate the classroom area, and a sign for our featured author, Denise Dumars.

After a great lunch and watching the ritual, I had a lecture about the history of modern Wicca. It was nice to see many knowledgeable people in the classroom listening and nodding their heads and injecting their comments. I was a little scattered but I'm pretty sure everyone was entertained and even if they didn't learn anything new, they enjoyed the approach to the subject I had. If anything, I'm pretty sure it was pretty unexpected since I didn't do the norm and hearken back to our ancient ancestors much and kept to the 1800's and beyond.

So what is Pagan Pride all about?

Meeting and networking with other pagans. Getting a glimpse of what other pagans do if you already are one or seeing what the heck pagans are like if you are not one. Pagan Pride is about comradeship between all pagans and being proud of being a pagan! All of this... I got in the span of about an hour. I ran into a couple of fellow pagan friends I hadn't seen in years and we had lunch together (had to go out to get it of course). Then I watched the ritual that Vicki had put together and listened with rapt attention to all the different variety of blessings bestowed upon the food being collected for Three Square. I watched happy smiling faces as they wandered from booth to booth marveling at the hand crafting skills so many of us pagans have. I watched many people as their eyes lit up seeing their friends and “family” and being introduced to new people. I myself wandered from booth to booth marveling at the skill, friendliness, and creativity of so many in our community. I ran into a lot of great present friends, reconnected with some old ones, and the best... made quite a few new ones (like Bhen Rhuda and the Druids from the ADF who came in to support Beej and the Larrea Tridentata Protogrove.) Except for the few glitches we had... I'd say that Pagan Pride was a huge success. It does for the community exactly what it's supposed to and for that... I'm glad I am a volunteer and will continue to do so.

Saving Our Ass!

My humble (and right) opinion on the LCROSS mission and search for water on the moon...O, and pagans... http://damevegas.blogspot.com/2009/10/saving-our-ass.html

Mercury: That F%&king Bastard

Mercury: That F%&king Bastard

The planet Mercury went retrograde on Monday, September 7th, 2009, at 6°13' Libra. If you were not prepared, or have not tried to ease the effects with your Mercury Retrograde candle, then more than likely you have been inundated with a host of problems. More than likely you are hiding under a rock. It won't end until October 18 as he passes the point where he first turned retrograde.

Your car has developed a glitch; you are constantly misunderstanding what others say... or they are misunderstanding you; your computer has a new virus; the dryer lost your favorite pair of underwear; the post office has lost your mail and your bills are overdue; etc.

You could, of course, curse yourself for not being a better witch by preparing for the event or... you can do what damn near everyone else does and blame someone else! In this case: Mercury: That Fu%&king Bastard! Sure! Pass that buck! Go for it! Everyone else is doing it! His shoulders can bear the burden of your oversights; your screw-up; your busy, busy life.... Hey!? Maybe we can get him to martyr himself for our sins, too!? Wouldn't that be a hoot?

The negative attention focused on a Mercury Retrograde period is absolutely amazing to me. It's even being blamed by secular people on the radio and television. It always seems portrayed to be the worst time of year to do anything. Don't do this... don't do that... avoid this.... avoid that... I mean, really?! Are your weekends that bad?! Do you hate vacations that much?

Mercury's influence is extremely diverse. Mercury, the God, rules over communications and all their devices, commerce, travel, crossroads, eloquence, work that requires skill and dexterity, and modern appliances. He is the patron of ambassadors, thieves, gamblers and magical practitioners. He is the guardian of boundaries and roads, and has sway over sleep and dreams.

His job consists of delivering messages, aiding in decisions, making sure business matters run smoothly, shuttling people (and gods) from one end of the world to the other, or in-between. He investigates would be problems, teaches magic and prophesy, makes sure your Internet is running smoothly, that you're good with your diplomatic skills, he enhances your persuasion abilities, guards your line in the sand, and makes sure you're up for work on time. Oh... and on occasion he may be asked to babysit a 100-eyed giant, end up killing it, steal some cattle, rescue someone's grandson or a god, and then teach some snot-nosed kid some music. Mercury is the busiest god in his pantheon and probably all others as well. For all his hard work, he is rewarded with 3 to 4 vacations a year (must be union). To our detriment (if we're not prepared) then we have problems to solve all on our lonesome without his obliging guidance.

One of the good things about a Mercury Retrograde period is that we can see it coming.... next one:

Sat, Dec 26 - 21 Capricorn 46 (begins) :
Fri, Jan 15, 2010 - 5 Capricorn 35 (stations, then goes direct) :
Thu, Feb 4, 2010 - 21 Capricorn 46 (end of phase).

If you can pickup and learn to read an ephemeris, or learn some astrology, or Google it...you can know this into forever.

For a Mercury Retrograde period to be a GOOD thing, all you need is a swivel in your perception. Crawl out from under that rock. Don't pass the buck. Think of a retrograde period as a time to recharge and relax.... like a vacation! There are many tasks that can enhance the rest of the year so much more than you would have ever imagined if completed during a Mercury Retrograde period. But before I get into that, let's talk about what Mercury Retrograde actually is.

The planet Mercury traverses the heavens in its ordinary manner without fail day after day. It is traveling DIRECT... as in directly along it's course. Three to four times a year, the planet APPEARS to stop its direct course and not move at all for about three days. This is called STATIONING. Then it starts to appear to move BACKWARDS in the night sky.... this is RETROGRADE. After three weeks of retreat, it gives the impression of STATIONING once again before it starts to RETRACE the path forwards that it seemingly took backwards. This period is called SHADOW. Got it?

Direct-Stationing-Retrograde-Stationing-Shadow-Direct... this takes about six weeks. All this movement is a “cosmic optical illusion.” Much like when you are sitting at a stoplight and the car next to you begins to roll forward... giving you the illusion that you are rolling backwards.

So what exactly is all the hoopla? Well, Mercury has gone AWOL, kinda. You, my friend, are on your own. You can expect problems to deluge your profession, your transportation, your ability to walk and talk at the same time.. Your appliances will stop working, the warranties will have already expired, your ability to make sound decisions will be hindered, or nonexistent due to the simple omission of a single bit of information. Expect to lose money at dice in the alley. Expect all your magical spells to take a great leap into the weird and unknown. Expect to see your self on COPs with your face a huge blur and your pants around your ankles as you're stuck under a fence.

The biggest mishap everyone (most people) experience is in communication. The 'it's a small world' concept we are all used to falls prey to Mercury's disappearance since communication plays a role in the most important events in our lives to the most benign (you can now expect those benign matters to become overwhelming.) Expect to develop foot in mouth disease. Intonation, vocabulary, and discernment can and probably will cause wars.

But again... we know its coming!

Sat, Dec 26, 2009 - 21 Capricorn 46 (begins) :
Fri, Jan 15, 2010 - 5 Capricorn 35 (stations, then goes direct) :
Thu, Feb 4, 2010 - 21 Capricorn 46 (end of phase).

Before it arrives... while it's still traveling direct... PREPARE!! Back up your computer files. Pay your bills early. Send all the packages that need to be sent out. Make any large purchases. Get your car worked on. Make several copies of important numbers, appointments, itineraries. PREPARE!

When Mercury is STATIONING (holding still for three days – the day before, the day of, the day after) – MIMIC Mercury's inaction! Do nothing. Be still. Stationing is a very powerful time! The consequences of anything done, said or started during stationing points can come bac

k and bite you on the ass. If you take on any oaths or make any promises at these times and somehow you are unable to fulfill the requirements, the ramifications can haunt you for years.

During RETROGRADE, read the fine print if you have to sign anything...twice! Clarify any dealings by asking a lot of questions and then ask them again. Reconfirm any and all appointments. Bring a book or project for when you will get delayed. Keep the sales slip for anything you have to purchase. If things do happen to go sour... adapt as best as you can. Learn from the tutelage of Mercury because he walks alongside of you every other day of the year when he's not on vacation. Slow down a bit. Remember... you're kind of on vacation too. Engage your brain before you engage your mouth and know that this too, will pass. Above all, keep your sense of humor - the very best stories usually come out of a mercury Retrograde period.

Again, while it's STATIONING... do nothing!

When Mercury is in SHADOW (retracing it's way back along its backwards path) – the prefix RE- is highly advisable. Retouch, review, recreate, reassess, reapply, restore, rearrange, reassemble, rethink, redo, reevaluate, revise, relocate, renew, repair, restructure, research... Return phone calls and borrowed items, Reunite with old friends or restart old projects. Reflect and remember.

Reorganization and cleaning are the very best things to do during a Mercury retrograde period. Things are more apt to stay organized and clean if done at the time of shadow, which in turn, contributes to the smooth operation of everything and everyone concerned. Many major companies (that know this) utilize this time to restructure, reorganize, anD spring clean their offices and files. Employee stress levels are reduced and the company benefits year round.

When Mercury again passes the point of which it began it's seemingly backwards movement and is again traveling DIRECT you can climb out from under the rock and resume your normal life; until the next time. Put into action all those plans you rethought... write a killer book or blog with all your research... Check your computer... bet the glitch is gone!

Mercury's winged sandals are but mere shimmers in the fading dusk of the day as you rejoice in his return and renewed vigor. Meet me a the bar and we'll celebrate your fresh, new confidence in being able to adapt, improvise, and overcome. You're buying of course, since you never passed the buck. I'm so proud! Now... make mine a shot of Maker's Mark!



Mercury Retrograde Spell*

(to lighten the effects of a Mercury Retrograde period)
*NOTE: Does not combat all the effects, just lessens it so its not so traumatic

Items needed:
damp, not wet white rag (use Blessed Water if so inclined)
Blue 7-day jar candles (about 10)
Silver marking pen (paint)
Mercury oil
Lighter

Step One: Clean your candles with the damp rag. Wipe the outsides. Peel off any stickers. Wipe the wax on the inside removing all dust and debris. Know that the energies of the previous person who handles this candle is being removed as well.

Step Two: Draw the Mercury figure on the jar of the candle and the power symbol right below it with the silver marking pen.

Step Three: With oil on your power finger(s) (pointer finger and middle finger side by side) anoint the candle in a counter-clockwise motion visualizing yourself being eloquent, your car running great, your computer working smoothly, etc. Empower the candle as long as you can with your visualization.

Step Four: Light candle with lighter. Let it burn day and night. Put in safe place. Sit on a coaster or pie plate for additional safety. Before one goes out, light another. Keep the series burning through the entire period of retrograde, stationing, and shadow. Place empty jar candles in paper bags and break when they're out. Throw away and let your garbage men bury them for you.

*This spell was taught to me during my first year and a day of training at the Temple of the Inner Circle by Lady Morgana of the Bell, Book, and Candle, 1725 East Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89104 - (702)386-2950

Magic Siphon

...taken from an original posting at http://damevegas.blogspot.com ....

I had the pleasure of casting our ring tonite and the energy was high.
Not a misstep nor wasted movement... We moved like the finely crafted
gears of a precision timepiece.

The room was instantaneously disassembled, the ring was quickly
erected, the magic performed, the cakes and wine shared, and then it
was over after the closing and retrieval of the rope. Absolute
clockwork. Beautiful.

When complete, we set the room to rights and cooled off from the heat
generated by our round. I offered the saved cakes & wine to the Lord &
Lady while Sue cooked up a storm.

Not more than an hour after our candle was lit and we were enjoying
the meal that Sue made did I get a query for calligraphy work. Magic
rocks!

After dinner, we three were still all giddy like schoolgirls. It was
asked before the ring about the possibility of being drained after. I
offered up my opinion on the matter.

Magic(k), as we utilize it, comes from everywhere around us: from the
earth below our feet and from the very molecules of the air we
breathe. In order to work your will upon those natural forces, you
must first become intuned to them... thus the purpose of ritual... And
once you are there, in tune, you yourself becomes the conduit of those
natural forces. So all those racing molecules, vibrating through you,
should have the effect of energizing you.... not draining you. If
you're being drained, imho, you're doing it wrong.

One of our observers, on the other hand, was completely drained by
rituals end. He gave himself fully to the work at hand, without guard,
sacrificing himself upon the pyre of good works. It only took a
minimal amount of time to bring him back up to rights. Must remember
to protect the observers on the outside before the next one.

All in a it was a good night. Working magic with close friends has a
tendency to open the mind and allows one to see old situations in a
new light. The energy expended on the periphery has a tendency to
energize and make happen other things you wouldn't imagine.

My fear of change had not subsided, but I move forward today with new
information and conviction. I move ahead a little more secure in the
steps I will be taking. Today I am the dawning rosy glow of optimism
and a smile is on my face. The good news is - is that there are no
fangs.

Erma aka Atheona
Improvise! Adapt! Overcome!

A Short Essay on Wicca History (Cos that’s all there is)

A Short Essay on Wicca History (Cos that’s all there is)
By Lady Atheona

There was once a nudist by the name of Gerald Gardner. Somewhere around the mid-1930's, Gardner, while acting in a small theatre production in England, found a group who called themselves the New Forest Coven. He discovered they were practicing a form of nature deity worship utilizing fragments of rituals believed to be from ancient sources. Gardner, an avid anthropology hobbyist, believed he had discovered a religion that predated Christianity.

Gardner's contact and teachings from this group led to the publication of two books.... both fiction: "A Goddess Arrives (1939)" and "High Magic's Aid (1940)." Gardner, and anyone else participating in this form of worship at the time had to be careful for the practice of this "religion" involved witchcraft; illegal in England until 1951.

A couple of years after the repeal and replacement of the anti-witchcraft laws with a fraudulent mediums act, Gardner then began his own group called the Bricket Wood Coven. After initiating Doreen Valiente¹, her becoming his high priestess and partner, and culling from many sources ²; Gardner and Valiente reconstructed the rituals for the worship of nature with a primary focus on a horned god and mother goddess.

Gardner wrote two more non-fiction books: "Witchcraft Today" (1954) and "The Meaning of Witchcraft" (1959) and introduced many other people into the religion. These initiates spread out across the world and began introducing "Wicca" to others. Today, the Office of National Statistics estimates there to be 800,000 Wiccans worldwide.

Gardner and Valiente consequently became the Father and Mother of a new religion called Wicca. The term "Wicca" was never used by Gardner. Instead he referred to the people who practiced the "Ancient Arts and Crafts" as the Wica (meaning "wise"). Through the years with new minds taking, researching, and explaining the basic concepts of the Craft, "Wicca" and "Wiccans" have come to be the term.

Raymond Buckland, grandchild of Gardner's tradition, landed on the shores of America in 1962. His teachings about Wicca and witchcraft, along with others, took root and spread like wildfire across the country. Gavin and Yvonne Frost with their School and Church of Wicca (b.1968 in West Virginia) became the first federally recognized Wiccan church in 1972 (as per tax exempt status). In 1985, a prisoner argued he wasn’t able to freely practice his religion while incarcerated and it became a landmark case(3) for Wiccans making Wicca the first modern pagan religion recognized under the 1st Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. (And from what I’ve been able to find, they had nothing to do with Gardner or any of Gardner’s initiates.)

So, with the history above, Wicca is a modern religion only about fifty years old. It is, however, based on the ancient religious practices of Europeans predating Christianity. Despite its youth, Wicca has evolved into many different variants of itself and has spawned other pagan and re-constructionist movements worldwide. Gardner's vision of keeping an ancient religion alive has been exponentially fulfilled. Wicca is a thriving and prosperous religion with adherents being drawn to it faster than most of the old world traditions that have been around for thousands of years. Wicca is a beautiful new religion, filled with the wisdom and knowledge of the ages; one that can grow and evolve as our society does; one filled with the beauty and wonder of nature. It is a modern religion filled with the romance of our ancient past and can take us back to our roots. So take a single night, when the moon is full, and dance under the stars with us. You don't have to be naked to do so, but we won't stop you if you want to.

______________________________________________________________________

*Many argue that Gerald Gardner would have nothing if it wasn’t for his association with Aleister Crowley and that much of Gardner’s material came (was stolen) from Crowley himself . Those who argue this point always seem to draw attention to the fact that Gardner was also an avid nudist who incorporated ritual nudity and sex rites for his own purpose. Well, Gardner was a nudist and probably really did like sex, who doesn’t. My point is, Gardner is just the father of the modern religious movement of Wicca who pieced together a working outline of how to worship nature and practice the Craft. It was Gardner’s children and grandchildren that give the Craft of today it’s substance as a religion; children like Raymond Buckland, Patricia Crowther, Alexander Sanders, Janet and Stewart Farrar and these are just the most famous of names. More than likely, it wasn’t until Alex Sanders broke tradition with Gardner’s teachings to produce his own form of Wicca that Gardnerian Wicca got it’s name. Today, there are several branches of Wicca. Wiccans give credit to Gardner because it was he who pieced together this new religion they love. If Crowley’s fans want credit for Crowley for his contribution, most teachers of the Craft today give it, including me.

(1)Valiente is credited with taming the ceremonial occult influences of Gardner’s Freemasonry training and making the religion more nature oriented.

(2) Sources included Margaret Murray (The Witch Cult in Western Europe, 1921), Charles Godfrey Leland (Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, 1899), Dion Fortune (The Sea Priestess, 1930's and many others), Sir James Frazer (The Golden Bough, 1890), Robert Graves (The White Goddess, 1948), Rudyard Kipling, Aleister Crowley*, The Golden Dawn, and other ceremonial magic cousins.

(3) 617 F.Supp. 592

United States District Court, E.D. Virginia,

Alexandria Division.

Herbert Daniel DETTMER, Plaintiff,

v.

Robert LANDON, Director of Corrections, Defendant.

Civ. A. No. 84-1090-A.

Aug. 28, 1985.

"the Court thinks that the Church of Wicca is clearly a religion for first amendment purposes. Members of the Church sincerely adhere to a fairly complex set of doctrines relating to the spiritual aspect of their lives, and in doing so they have "ultimate concerns" in much the same way as followers of more accepted religions. Their ceremonies and leader structure, their rather elaborate set of articulated doctrine, their belief in the concept of another world, and their broad concern for improving the quality of life for others gives them at least some facial similarity to other more widely recognized religions. While there are certainly aspects of Wiccan philosophy that may strike most people as strange or incomprehensible, the mere fact that a belief may be unusual does not strip it of constitutional protection. Accordingly, the Court concludes that the Church of Wicca, of which the plaintiff is a sincere follower, is a religion for the purpose of the free exercise clause."

Witches Bottle Found Intact

Boffins boil down witch-repelling brew

Take one bottle of urine, insert iron nails, navel fluff, sulphur...

By Lester Haines

Posted in Bootnotes, 4th June 2009 10:31 GMT

A raft of modern scientific tests has revealed the contents of the first "witch bottle" discovered with its cork intact - a late 17th-century vessel buried by the owner's front door and designed to thwart the evil intentions of ill-wishers.

According to the Times, the salt-glazed stoneware bottle was unearthed in Greenwich. It's among 200 such witch-busting devices which have come to light, but the only one to still demonstrate just what was required to trap hexes and even send spells back to the caster.

Alan Massey, a retired chemistry lecturer from Loughborough, revealed that the recipe for success in this case comprised "a small heart-shaped piece of leather, a handful of iron nails, eight brass pins, a lock of hair, some nail clippings, a pinch of navel fluff" and, essentially, a pint of urine.

Over 12 months, Massey first subjected the bottle to X-ray and CT scan analysis, then extracted a sample of its liquid content with a syringe. This was the aforementioned urine with traces of nicotine which "indicated that it had come from a smoker".

The brew also contained sulphur, and suspected navel fluff. The nail clippings were adult, and Mike Pitts, editor of British Archaeology, said: “From their size, they probably came from a male and they were well manicured so he was from a higher social class. It is possible that we could one day identify him from DNA analysis and the location of the discovery.”

Pitts, whose magazine has published the findings, added: “This is a relic of early modern Britain. There is documentary evidence of how people were advised to make witch bottles but this is the first that has been subjected to rigorous scientific analysis.”

Witch bottles were traditionally stoneware Bellarmine jugs named after the Catholic Inquisitor, Robert Bellarmine. Their embossed decoration featured a scowling bearded face intended to ward off evil.

The owner's urine, nail clippings and hair were used as a decoy for hostile spells, while bent iron nails and pins would trap the enchantment. Tangled sewing thread, thorns or fishing hooks were also used for the same purpose. ®

I stole this from my twitter friends blog: http://blog.bocan.co.uk/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/04/witch_bottle/

Prepping for LVPPD's Chili Cook-Off

Tonight was voting box painting. Some of the ladies from the LVPPD committee rendezvoused over at the Bell, Book, and Candle store at the graciousness of the owners and painted beautiful little keepsake boxes (for the cooks) for the voting of the Chili contest winner.

Box Tops

Box Sides

Box Bottoms

Not bad for some acrylic paint and some creativity, eh? They were a huge hit last year with the cooks. This year I thought I'd date them for the ones that wanted to start a collection.

While at the BBC, Robin, the owner donated a few items for the door prize raffle we'll be having while at the Chili Cook-off. One of her best sellers is what she calls a "Grab Bag." It is one of the most popular items that the store sells. Essentially, it's a spell-in-a-bag, complete with bath salt, candle, oil, incense, and charcoal. The students are the biggest clients utilizing the surprise to build their oil larders. Also included in the BBC's donation were some of her handcrafted, potent, magical bath salts and two voodoo fetch pencils. I'll add those pictures when I get them. I asked her to leave them blank so I could decorate them up and to ensure she received some advertising that they came from her store because... that is what we do! Support our local community!

There's only a couple days till. Have you cleared your schedule to come? We hope to see you there!

Lady Atheona