Episode 9 - Creating Original Traditions
Why do some Pagans create their own traditions? When is it necessary and when is it for the ego? Big thanks to Firemage and Foxfire of Pagan Parents on the Edge who wrote spectacularly considered responses. I talk a little about what I have been up to since the last show, I revisit the underlying question of this podcast: Can ritual, magic and witchcraft be separated from the religion?, and Fluffy gives pompom readings for two voters of The Wigglian Way at the Podcast Awards, Tammy and AquaTaz.
A reminder that we will be discussing your thoughts about initiation in Pagan traditions in the next show. Is Neo-Paganism better off as a non-mainstream religion and maintain its secrets among its followers, or initiates, or should we work to ensure that it has a future as a strong representative among other world religions? Please send your letters to fluffy@catnipbrew.com, preferably before Saturday, 22nd November, but even if it’s later, to give me some time to gather my notes.
This show’s musical feature is Anne Davis, with her song Come a Little Closer, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network. (I keep hearing 34 seconds in as “Han Solo” when I think it should be, “it hung so low”!)
Hi Fortuna,
Heard your question on the podcast, and figured I’d answer, especially since I’m lovin’ it. :)
I studied works of authors like Joseph Campbell and Serge King for about four years before I decided to follow a Craft path (largely because at that time, everything that I read about the Craft said that minors could not/should not dedicate themselves, so I waited until I had turned 18 and adjusted to being an adult before I gave my life over to the Lord and Lady). From that point, I was a solitary practitioner for 10 years. I then started classes with a coven, and about three years later, I was initiated. So, from the day that I decided the Craft was right for me until I initiated into a coven was almost 13 years to the day (plus four years of study before that). For my husband, it was about four years from his first Craft introduction to initiation.
Oh, and hi to Fluffy, too. My husband and I have three furbabies who are big fans as well.
The Deo’s Shadow forums have a post from Mandy about what is up and why they’ve decided to leave the show for now. Here is a link.
http://www.deos-shadow.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5401
Blessings,
HedonsDog
Cool Podcast.. I am now a fan!
very great show, Fluffy is great!! Keep them coming i look forward to the next show
Hi Fortuna
Since you mentioned masonry in your latest podcast and you seem to be drawn to learning different practices to expand your knowledge, why dont you join a Co-Masonic Lodge and find out what those mysteries are all about? There is a lodge in Sydney and perhaps some queries might satiate your curiosity?
When I found masonry and underwent the various initiation rites I found Gardiner’s Wicca borrowed heavily from it and that I learned and understood much more on the esoteric and spiritual practice of Wicca from actually becoming a Mason.
I have also been a member of several different covens over the years, each of them imploding due to the detrimental egos of the people running them. I still practice witchcraft within and outside the wicca scope and personally find that ritual, magic and witchcraft be separated from religion as well as being part of it - it just depends on the individuals personal practice. Right now I work within a closed coven with people I have known for years and have earned my trust because to be quite honest I am sick and tired of all the political, mental emotional and financial bullshit I have seen in various covens.
Lastly you ask - “Is Neo-Paganism better off as a non-mainstream religion and maintain its secrets among its followers, or initiates, or should we work to ensure that it has a future as a strong representative among other world religions?” Personally I dont think paganism will ever have a unified front thus dont feel it will become a mainstream religion. I feel the saying “its like trying to herd cats” applies when you are trying to get pagans to work together whether it be for the good of the community or self indulgence.
Blessings
Mason Gal
Hiya. Happy to help out with regards to the Deos-Shadow issue. They posted information on their podfade on their forums. This is a letter to the listeners, written by the ever lovely Mandy:
In these past months, deo has had a lot of great school opportunities.
Researching under some big names in Philosophy, writing papers and still
plugging away at school. I have been working full time days, and teaching
bellydance full time nights. With the little time we have we try to see
family - especially these days. As I will mention on the show, a couple
months ago now I nearly lost my sister in a car accident. She was literally
run over by a transport truck.. anyhow, to make this short.. it opened my
eyes to what I was missing in family. deo and I both realized we needed to
value this family we both have, and each other now, because you never know
what will happen. I was by my sister’s side for month as she recovered, her
neck was broken and doctors amazed she lived. It was a nice miracle, and a
moment that changed deo and my thinking almost as heavily as our Thailand
trip.
So our priority for the show, even these ones we have recorded have been
once again limited. It will come to no surprise to anyone that we will not
be continuing it. We do have a few more shows under our belt, as we already
recorded them. But as I will announce on the show, it is just not something
we can keep up at this point in our life. So after the next few we will be
putting out, deo’s Shadow will be laid to rest.. at least from new episodes.
We want to be supportive to any other shows out there, so any podcaster is
SOOOOO welcomed to send us in promos for their show we can add to ours. We
have been purely amazed by the amount of listeners we have had.. our last
shows were coming in at over 10 000 unique listeners, which is simple
unbelievable. A large portion were not even pagan. We would be happy to
support all those others out there, as we know how hard this is.
We both really miss this at times, and I know we both enjoyed it.. but we
need to put life first - live it a bit so that in the next three years we
can work to introducing a little deo into the world and starting a family
of our own! We really don’t mean to abandon our listeners, as they have
really made this show and this experience what it was for us. We really do
have the most amazing listeners of this show! But we also need to do what
we need to do in order to live life, and give honour to our new experiences
as they come. I cannot say when the next show will be out, and I seriously
hope it will be soon - but the way things work these days I don’t want to
promise anything unrealistic!
Man, I am long-winded!!
Sorry about that
Thanks!
Mandy
I’m sad to see them fade, but I will keep their shows archived on my computer, and in ever greater news, Jax of Five Minute Tarot fame has agreed to move her segment on over to my show, The Dark Side of Fey!
Blessings on your path, Fortuna!
Fey