Recent Articles

Thanks to friends and to the meme nature of the internet, I've come across a few articles this week which discuss Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Sumerian religions and cultures. The articles show the influences of each on the other, but this confluence, this trade, or fluidity or syncretization isn't the subject of the articles.


This one isn't a news article or even new, it's an entry on the Goddess Tnt, or Tanit.

"The details of Tanit’s nature and powers are not really clear. Like Astarte, she had a complex personality. First and foremost, she was the mother deity of Carthage, protector of the city and provider of fertility. As such she seems to have been a deity of good fortune. Goddess of the heavens, she was often associated with the moon. Like Asherah, she had maritime connections and was a patron of sailors. There is also some indication that she had a warlike nature, as we would expect of the protector of a city."

Johanna Stuckey, the author of the above entry, has an interesting body of work on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Goddesses.


I posted this one on the Facebook group; It's about Cleopatra's children- what happened to them after her death? Her daughter married and became a queen and had children, including Drusilla, of whom little is known. I wonder what happened to the line? I wonder how many will start claiming descent from Cleopatra, especially when the movie hits theatres. Some have remarked at the blending of Egyptian, Roman and Greek religions and symbolism in Cleopatra's time, but let's remember that she was Greek!


Romeland theme park? Relive ancient times near the city itself...




Female Gladiators? Folks thought this statue was of a woman grooming herself. Turns out she was a victorious gladiator. Mmmm the smell of sexism in the morning...

If you're in the UK, you can Meet the Romans in this new TV special.

Kerfuffle

I subscribe to many communities, and "like" many groups on facebook and belong to many yahoogroups and on-line communities. In addition to my varied interests, I like to know what the folks in the magical community are talking about, what they're up to, and I like to see where various traditions meet/overlap and where they differ.

This past week there was a kerfuffle because a blog author has made claims about channeling and other things tho "untrained." They're apparently getting a lot of hate mail because of it.

WHY?????

There is no need to hate on others. If you don't believe their claims, follow the age old wisdom: If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. If you think someone needs help, share your concern in a kind way and move on.

Here's another great article by Ariana. It wasn't written about this specifically, but it should be read and several quotes are apropos:

As a Strega I respect all faiths for to stick my nose up at one I do the same to my own, to point a finger at another I point that same finger back at me.

The Gods As Above do what is necessary and they give us information and knowledge, they give us hard times to see who and what we are made of, are we worthy to be their Priestesses and Priests this is our test.

What she said.

I don't know why this whole thing bothers me so much; I don't know the people involved, I've just seen blogs and emails and commentaries and the bs that's been going on. I think it's the bile from the community which is so upsetting. Why can't we all just get along? People need to take their baggage and agendas and stuff it. It's a new year! Stop dishing out the same old shit!

That, of course, is not directed at the Loyal Horde. All of you? Hearts as light as a feather ;)

Oops, I forgot to stop blogging daily...

Dithyramb

My show was this afternoon and it was a success! Especially for a Mercury storm. On one hand, I would have liked more performances to get everything down to precision timing, on the other hand, the pressure is off, I'm glad it's done and I had a good time doing it. I would never want to go back to it as a full time job, but occasional sojourns into the theatre are wonderful.

I must give my thanks to the Gods who stood by us throughout the process:

For my Patron, Mercury, as thanks for smoothing the roads of travel and communication and technology, I will burn frankincense in His name tomorrow. Before the show I prayed for His help and it was received!

For Dionysus, God of theatre and wine: It has been good to be in your presence once again! Tonight after the show, the cast raised a glass together.

Many of us have connected on facebook as friends and supporters of each other's work. As we gathered around the U shaped table and toasted, the following song came to mind. It's a familiar one for many ren faire folk, which often spills over into te Pagan community, so I offer this song to Mercury, Dionysus, Serendipity and all who were involved in this production, seen or unseen (despite the fact that it's not Italian :P)


Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme
Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine
Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain
For we may and might never all meet here again

Here's a health to the company and one to my lass
Let us drink and be merry all out of one glass
Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain
For we may and might never all meet here again

Here's a health to the dear lass that I love so well
Her style and her beauty, sure none can excel
There's a smile upon her countenance as she sits on my knee
Sure there's no one in in this wide world as happy as we
Our ship lies at harbor, she's ready to dock
I hope she's safe landed without any shock
If ever we should meet again by land or by sea
I will always remember your kindness to me!


Tomorrow we get back to proper blogging business! I've had too many posts simmering, waiting for the time and attention they deserve!

In bocca al lupo!

This is a common expression used in opera circles before a show. It's the Italian equivalent of "break a leg." You never respond with "thanks" always with  "crepi!" Which is a wish to kill the wolf violently.

Where'd this expression, and the rules surrounding it, come from?

No one knows. It's just been around that long. It's not even correct: The word "in" does not mean "in" when speaking Italian. The word "nella" translates to "in." Is "in" just a mistranslation? Someone wrote it down wrong? Is it really n'boca with the n' serving as a contraction of "nella?"

When I first heard this expression so many years ago, I thought it was about the legend of the founding of Rome where Romulus and Remus were saved by a mother wolf and suckled; Therefore to be in the mouth of the wolf would mean to give over your troubles to a benefactor. Is it a message to relax because you are not in control?

Some have pointed out that the last word is lup-O not lup-A, so therefore it's not about Romulus and Remus, it's about hunters who would kill wolves which plagued towns in Italy. It would also account for the violent response. My problem with this idea is that 1- you don't want to be in the wolf's mouth because you'd be injured or killed so you're a crappy hunter in that case. 2- Just because it's now written as lup-O doesn't mean that's how it started, just how it was written. Again, Italian isn't a precision language! 3- the "crepi" response could have been added at any time.

The congruence with "break a leg" is tenuous too. "Break a leg" isn't a wish of bad luck, it's a wish that you get to bow or curtsey (hence the leg breaking part) to applause after a performance.

And just to show you that I didn't make this all up tonight, here's an excerpt from another source, and a fun, brief article to read.

In Italy, it is good luck to touch iron. Knocking on wood will do nothing for you. It is also good luck to touch the hump of a hunchback or stroke the nose of a wild boar. Fortune will also smile kindly upon you if you jump when you see a priest or play 98 on the lottery wheel after you dream of a dead relative. I am told that rain on your wedding day is really good too.

It also may be useful to know that in Italy, it is considered extremely bad luck to wish someone good luck in the literal way by saying buona fortuna. The lucky way to wish good fortune is to say in bocca al lupo, which can be translated as “into the wolf’s mouth.” Similar to the English expression “break a leg,” the “in bocca al lupo” metaphor compares any challenging scenario to being caught between the hungry jaws of a wild beast whose aim is to swallow both the misfortunate and the careless. The “wolf” may be a teacher who wants to fail you, a critical audience before a presentation at work, or simply symbolize having to overcome any excruciatingly difficult enterprise.

There are other similar sayings in Italy, more vulgar versions of our Wolf wishes, which I think sum things up nicely for tonight:


"In groppa al riccio!" ("On an hedgehog's back!")

To which one replies:

"Con le mutande di ghisa!" ("Wearing underpants made of cast iron!")

I like this one. Especially since touching metal is lucky, you accomplish two things at once!


The last one for tonight:

"In culo alla balena!" (In the ass of the whale!)

The reply?

Spero che non caghi. (I hope it doesn't shit.)

This phrase is way less mysterious. I don't know what that guy is doing in a whale's ass, but for his sake I hope it doesn't shit either!

While searching the internet tonight I think I found the answer!

hahahahaaa!!!!

Father Time

Father Time, celebrated even today at the New Year, is known by many names, including Saturn, hence the Roman winter celebration of Saturnalia where the "former" leader of the previous pantheon is honored. In Rome, his statue was bound for the entire year except on His festival.

Why was he bound? Symbolically stopping the passage of time and decay? Because he was of the old pantheon and had to be bound lest he seek revenge on his children who dethroned him? Saturn had done the same to his own father, Ouranos.


How interesting that a new religion took over yet kept the main festival celebration of the old religion. History does repeat itself.

In Roman mythology when Jupiter ascended the throne, Saturn fled to Rome and established the Golden Age, a time of perfect peace and harmony, which lasted as long as he reigned. In memory of the Golden Age, the Feast of Saturnalia was held every year in the winter at the Winter Solstice. During this time no war could be declared, slaves and masters ate at the same table, executions were postponed and it was a season for giving gifts. This was a time of total abandon and merry making. It refreshed the idea of equality, of a time when all men were on the same level. Christians adopted the feast and renamed it Christmas. When the festival ended, the tax collectors appeared and all money owed out to government, landlords, or debtors had to be accounted for. This is another side to Saturn and it's ruling sign, Capricorn: the settling of accounts.

Saturn was once seen as a God of agriculture and fertility- the one who planted and protected the seed. He is also syncretized with one of the oldest recorded Sumerian deities, Ninib, or Ninurta, another farming/fertile deity.


This came up for me today because of my current theatre gig: I am the keeper of time. I set the arrival time, I keep everyone aware of the time by calling it out every 5 minutes for the half hour before we begin. I time the show. I call the breaks and time them as well.


This has taken my meditations to the idea that a cast circle is a time outside of time. Very true. I've been on epic journeys which took days, yet picked up the flow of normal time just minutes later. Time is variable and flexible and in the eye of the beholder- We waste it when we don't have an immediate need for it, yet when we need it we never have enough of it! We're on the clock or off the clock, it flies, it drags... Is Saturn time itself personified?


As for my meditations on the blog today, I'm out of time for blogging and need to be on the clock in a flash! Today I'll leave off with a quick hymn to Father Time, asking for his patronage!

Theatricality

Last night's post was deeper than I had expected. I'm not ready to share my musings from last night's meditations as there's so much more to explore and I'm wiped out from tech tonight. Here is what I was going to post last night before things got deep: I adore Sondheim and I really like the play The Frogs. I blogged about The Frogs months ago, in the Spring, because it "stars" Dionysus. The opening number is called "An Invocation to the Gods of theatre" hence last night's mistaken blog title! Here is a concert version. It's very clever (Sondheim is always clever!) and includes instructions to the audience on how to behave!

Enjoy!

The Power Vested in me...

Today I was down at the DMV. I mean the old DMV, the current "marriage bureau." There's even a gift shop where you can buy "I got married in NYC" t-shirts or a baseball cap with a veil. It's where couples go to apply for and obtain a marriage license, and can even get married there. It's the same place where you apply to be a licensed officiant in NYC. The city has whole reams of red tape around who may and may not solemnize marriages. The civil rights implications are a different matter for a different time. I got all of my papers in order and headed down, waiting about an hour to be called. Once everything was handed over and filed, I got to sign a very large ledger. I knew that used to be done, but I figured these days, especially since it was at the old DMV, that I would be signing a screen with a stylus.

I was given a three page "how to" on filling out marriage licenses and all of the rules about returning said license. Also included was a sample ceremony which concluded with "By the powers vested in me by the State of New York..."

In the midst of the cold, gilded, former DMV, signing that giant ledger was very ceremonial. I felt like I had actually been vested with power.

I was tempted to ask if any of the couples waiting to be called wanted to skip the line and have me perform the ceremony right then! I didn't, I wouldn't have felt right! Than again, I'd be way better than this guy...

Loyal Horde Appreciation Month!

Wow! December already! 11 months of daily blogging and hundreds of readers who make it fun to do.

To say thank you for joining in on this adventure, we're having a give away and calling it:

The Twelve Months of Blogmas!


As a Libra, I like feedback, so I've decided to solicit some! It's nice to know that I'm not just posting into the internet void. To enter this contest, go back through the past 11 months and comment on one of the posts. There will be one give away per blogging month!

Winners will be picked on December 31st. Prizes will include: Candles, incense, stones, evil eye charms and other fun things!

You can enter more than once by commenting in a different month, for a total of 12 entries.

Actual comments, please, not just "here!" or "first!"


Back tomorrow with a real blog on something incredibly interesting! Well, interesting to me ;)

Deck the Halls

Today is thanksgiving. I've started decorating the house for the coming winter. It's been so depressingly dark lately that I knew I wanted to get a jump on putting up the sparkly things. I often wait until December to get started. It's been a long, fun day of sleeping in, eating favorite foods, drinking yummy wine, decorating, and spending time with family.

I have officially lifted the ban on playing holiday music in the house, especially on the piano.

My holiday playlist? Mostly secular. For the rest I change the words to suit myself ;)
Jingle Bells
Santa Baby
Let it Snow
Winter Wonderland
Frosty the Snowman
Sleigh Ride
Deck the Halls
And my favorite... which I'm posting below: You know the song! No, it's not the dogs barking jingle bells :P I'm Italian! What do you think it is? I sing it as "The Italian Solstice Donkey!" Yeah, I'm a sucker for the song Dominick the Donkey. Best song ever... Italy, Brooklyn, o ciucciarell, and dancing a taratell! What else could you possibly want in a holiday song?

Enjoy! Hope your holiday season has gotten off to a great start!

First!

This might just be a quickie post tonight, I don't know. This idea has been in the air for a while now, especially since I have been rereading Dion Fortune. She is the only one of the authors in question that has crossed over, so I will be keeping the names of the other authors out of it and use Ms. Fortune as an example. I posed this as a question in an earlier post, so let's reframe the discussion around a statement:

Just because someone publishes it first, does not mean that they are the best.

It especially doesn't mean that they are right. 

Let's take Dion Fortune for example: Just because she was one of the first to publish such things does not mean she was the best at it. I give her a lot of credit. I never worked with her personally, so I don't know how adept she was. By all accounts she was a gifted mage. That does not make her a gifted writer. I do think that Psychic Self Defense is annoying as written and not the best book on the subject. As a friend said: 'She published what needed to be out there at the time" and yes, times change as well as writing styles and acceptable topics of publication. I can only judge the book by today's standards and compare it to what is out there now. Today's esoteric writers might be all the better for Ms. Fortune's publications, and a great deal of thanks is due to her, but she is not the best writer on the subject and I think we can come up with several books which are better for today's student.

So what makes a book "good?" To me, it doesn't have to be "new" information, but it can't just be a rehashing of what's already out there. I don't want a book where someone had read a bunch and just summed up all of the resources for me- I'm not that lazy! I will go to the direct source myself! I want something that puts forth a new perspective on the information out there. Of course historical research is always helpful as is a modern adaptation of ancient practices, but so much out there is a rehash that I'm loathe to pick up new books at all.

I changed my mind, I'm not going to leave others out of it: I have a problem with the book Evolutionary Witchcraft because when I read it, all I could think was "This is Spiral Dance with some new poetry." It was just repackaged information and added nothing new to the body of work that was already out there. I'm glad it's helped so many people, but if I had to pick? I'll take Spiral Dance any day. Yes, that's just personal preference. Note my Dion Fortune example where I point out that things can be improved upon. I'm sure some people think it's a better rendition of Spiral Dance, but honestly, I don't think half the folks who picked it up ever heard of Spiral Dance. "Zomg I can't be expected to read something old that's not ancient! o0o0o0o!" I got tired of folks thinking ill of me for not liking  this rehash. I don't think there is anything evolutionary about redoing a book I read almost 25 years ago.

What I really hate seeing in our community, as with the mundane community, is this obsession with the next big thing. Ten years ago, it was rare to hear mention made of Hekate and it was always as a "Dark" Goddess, one who was petitioned by Medea, and associated with cemeteries and curses - someone Witches would distance themselves from for fear of being called "evil." Today? Certain authors have somehow made Her palatable to the shiny-happy white-lighters. There are certain books and organizations around this Goddess which have popped up and, while I'm not one to claim to understand the intentions of the Gods, I hate seeing this powerful Titan of Magic stripped of Her power until there's nothing left but the happy shiny Mama Goddess. Seriously, how can you focus on ONE aspect of a Goddess to the complete neglect of the others? Argh! But because it became the flavor of the moment, hundreds of fluffer-nutters just glomped on to this idea. It (obviously) puts a bee in my bonnet because flavors of the month get left behind almost as quickly. Think Hecate will let you leave Her behind unless She's done with you? Can't wait to see the fallout. Grab the popcorn.

My opinions are large and my squirrly wrath can be intimidating (so I've been told) but what people don't often get is that my opinions can change and everything is open to debate. I welcome the bandying about of ideas and opinions, especially those which are in contrast to my own. If you have an opinion on what's written here, or in any of my other posts, please feel free to comment. We don't grow unless we are challenged. However, if you post something, be prepared to back it up with logic, anecdote and proper research or you will be eaten by the dragons which guard this blog :-D

Sidewalk Preachers

It's a rant tonight.

These preacher people with their microphones or megaphones are all over the place right now, believing that their hate-speech is somehow "saving" people. If these assholes really cared about people they wouldn't be spewing such vile hatred from their mouths.

What good does it do to berate people for not living the exact way some random asshole believes they should? Don't like magic? Don't practice it! Think homosexuality is wrong? Don't have sex with others of your gender! Another don't: Don't be a hypocrite!!! These people are representing a religion who has killed and continues to undermine the lives of (when not outright killing) people whose choices they don't agree with! They do things in the name of Jesus and the kj version of the bible when they don't even know the history of either and don't want to know it. They can't answer intelligent questions about their beliefs, they just spew their hatred on all within hearing distance.

No, not every single christian does this, I don't lump them all together the way some do to us, but I have to agree with Dan Savage: if you're one of them and not trying to change things from the inside then you're a bigger part of the problem than the hate mongers.

You can only make choices for yourself, take responsibility for the path you walk with your own feet, and above all else, mind your own business. I think it is offensive to the Gods to kill animals. However, you're not going to find me outside of a steak house standing on a soap box with a bullhorn telling people how horrible they are and that they need to stop how they are living and repent. Why? It's not my business! MY choices are my business. If your way is so great, lead by example and others will see it and follow.

These people must serve some purpose. I suppose it's to remind us that we must be vigilant against the forces of ignorance and bullshit. Yes, I was happy to see the crowd giving this one jack ass with a bullhorn as much shit as he was dishing out. I was even happier at the number of people who just ignored him and went about their business.

That's what I'm about to do now. However, if he's back tomorrow, I reserve the right to cast a circle of silence around him. I will bring chalk with me. Ha! I will post about the circle of silence another time! Off to get some sleep and enjoy Hallows Eve!

Ethics

This has come up a few times lately. I've been asked what "code" I follow. Ummm.... Hammurabi? There is no ethical prescription in La Vecchia. Like most of what we do, the magical is not separate from the mundane. Be a good person. There. A good person has respect for themselves and for others. There. That's it. You don't need all of the "don't lie, cheat steal, etc" because it's included. You also don't let others disrespect you. You especially don't let people get away with the serious stuff. To let evil go unanswered makes you an accomplice. There's no hand-wringing over working magic for yourself or others. You need something done? It gets done. Maybe there's a card reading or omen reading to pick the best course of action, but there's no fretting over whether or not we're interfering with fate or with "karma." THAT'S THE POINT!

Most people don't think to look for a dynamite recipe. Those who do, but don't know where to get the real info, wind up blowing themselves up and saving us the trouble of having to take them out before they hurt others. Same with magic. These days, any jerk can go on the internet and find a ton of spells which could blow some metaphysical shit up. No one is screening who gets the info and no one is taking responsibility for them.come  Unfortunately, we have to watch out for these jokers and handle them as we come across them.

Used to be that the teacher took responsibility for their student. You made damn sure who you were teaching because it's your ass on the line. You screen potential students. You made sure you knew them well before ever teaching them how to make metaphysical dynamite. And it's your responsibility to handle them if their work goes wrong.

That's all I have for tonight. Went to the San Gennaro festival and had a lovely time with the Hounds of Artemis. But now I'm wiped out. I might have to do another post on the magical importance of sleep!

Weathering the Storm

I hope everyone is safe and well, with power and supplies! We had a tense night here. The power was out for about 6 hours, but that was just before sunrise. To prep kiddo for possible emergency conditions, I put things in the context of Little House on the Prairie: No electricity, depending on their stock of food and water, working with the land, depending on the sun and moon for light, and finding fun things to do that didn't involve electronics! As an aside, I had a total crush on Almonzo when I watched the Little House tv series. I felt old when he showed up as Buffy's dad. >.<

I was thinking about how our ancestors lived in the moment, with the seasons, by the land and by the moon. Kiddo watched a tv show where the group went out at night on a full moon and they were scared- they said it was "spooky." We talked about how the full moon was an awesome time because it was bright at night and you could actually see. The Dark Moon was more worrisome because there really was no light by which to find your way after sunset.

Makes me think about ancient dark moon rites. I don't think too many folks were gathering outside. This celebration was done in the family home, at the hearth, or on a sacred spot on the family property. Well, at least in my family. I don't want to assume what others did.

This isn't a deep diary tonight. It's been a tense day. We'll pick back up tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who sent prayers, energy and offerings to protect and support us and everyone in the path of the hurricane!

True Blood (the ties, not the show)

Is it important? Is it necessary? I've been asked these questions often lately. Yes it is important. No, it's not necessary. How can both be correct?

Generally speaking, and never speaking for everyone,  a magical family is exactly that- a family. No matter what issues come between family members, blood is blood. You are literally tied together through your dna despite how you feel about each other. This is also true for in-laws to a lesser extent; It's easier to ignore your in-laws because you don't directly share dna, but you can share descendants. Two grandmothers can't stand each other? Too bad- they still have to deal with each other because of their combined dna, embodied in their grandchild. In adoptive families, you share everything but direct dna. You still share the family obligations and the family "karma" by virtue of having the Ancestors and Patrons of the family conferred upon them. You still share the family ties. Even if you can't stand Aunt So-n-so, you still have an obligation to deal with her, at least minimally. 

When working with la famiglia, you've known them your whole life- you know what you can trust them with, you know what they bring to the table and you know that no matter how you feel about each other, if some straniero comes along and starts something, your annoying ball-breaker of a cousin has your back in both the mundane and magical realms.

There are politics in every group and families are no exception. Family politics can last through generations, and get deeper and dirtier than the backrooms of the US Capitol. It's up to us as descendants to untangle what we can. I've talked before about "the black book" I've inherited- it's not just the accounting of who gave what gift and showed up where, it's also everyone who has ever called vendetta and who responded to the call, who slighted whom and in what way, and so on. Sometimes it feels like the burden of what it really is- the family karma- decisions and their consequences. But I don't have to carry all of them out. Some of it is obligation, but you can discern between the petty bullshit which has outlasted its use/relevance and the grudges which rightfully need to be upheld.


In a magical group that is not family based, it is the work, or the path, which brings people together and the social and emotional ties that keep them together. If you don't enjoy each other's company, why be there? If you don't trust each other outside of sacred space, how can you trust each other inside of it? What happens when the social ties lead to petty politics and the emotional ties are merely cliques of people jockeying for position? There's nothing to fall back on, nothing to tie the group together. It's a risk to take. Is it worth it? Ask the creators of the Golden Dawn. These people came together to work, something came between them, and it imploded (exploded?). Was that a bad thing? I'm sure for them it wasn't fun to go through, but as a forest fire releases new seeds, the end of the Golden Dawn (as it was first formed) planted the seeds of several other organizations which are still around today. Of course it's worth the risk. It won't always be fun, but it will surely be memorable.

When I look at bringing someone into my magical family, it isn't just about folks I'd like to work with, tho that's definitely part of the equation. It's as serious as who I want to adopt into my family with all of the rite and obligations thereof. Many of us have those friends who are so close that they're considered family; That is the kind of relationship I'm talking about and it doesn't develop overnight (unless They tell you it's a nownownow imperative, which has happened too! lol)

I've rambled a bit and I'm going to leave it here and call this a part 1. I'm sure you'll forgive me since Mercury will be stationing direct soon! We're in a mercury storm and I want to save part 2 until after we're back in the swing of things.

Holding Back

I find that when something is important, be it a spell, a ritual, an initiation, reading a certain book which you know will change your perspective, so many things seem to get in the way. I was carpooling with a cohort to her dedication ritual. She was late to my house because she fell on the ice getting to her car.

Another anecdote involves a train running late, a cat who hairballed on a robe, mundane life getting in the way where work piles up and new projects get dropped on desks out of the blue. Sometimes it's just a feeling of lethargy that can overtake you. You get too lazy to do The Work, or it starts to feel overwhelming. The later is what happens to me: I rebel against my to-do list when I'm feeling overwhelmed.

So what to do? I think this is where the importance of community comes in, why so many Strega will commune with the wiccans when it's just not their flavor. Humans are social creatures (tho my husband might object to that statement lol Hi sweetie, love you, no this isn't a test to see if you read my blog). I spoke to a friend about this feeling and she helped me to kick my own ass and get over it. I wasn't running to put on a robe, but as soon as I felt well today, I got that proverbial tap on the shoulder, that whisper in my ear. I knew what I needed to do, how I needed to do it, and that I had to do it that very minute. Happily, I was available and got right to business. I feel so much better having gotten past that hurdle. All of which brings me to the question:

Are these obstacles self-imposed? Are they manifestations of what we project? Do we not want that initiation, that knowledge, that rite? Are they imposed by those who wish to foil our work? Negative energies or entities? Are the obstacles sent by those who would test us to make sure this is what we really want?

More questions than answers. Let's thank the high dose of vitamin c for tonight's ramblings. I'm off to read more about Archangels and angels in general and their presence in Babylon and hope to hear other thoughts on the matter.

The most random post ever

Today I visited my friend and her almost 2 month old baby. It was fun! it made me want to post all of the babeh superstitions and practices of both old and new. But playing with a 2 month old, and driving 90 minutes to see her, took the wind out of my sails. I will say this: New cars are treated much the same as new babies: red ribbon for protection, coins for prosperity...

I've been hearing talk about last night's especially energetic moon. It was pretty rockin allright. Even the muggles were talking about it today. That old, gnarled tree with the bare branches reaching up into the twilight sky... it's always there. It's not always that form: Sometimes it's lush and green, sometimes not. Depends on who is leading the train, I suppose.

After talking about the Italian version of the Wild Hunt with a friend, a few things crystallized for me: My relationship to it, and participation in it is different now that I'm a Mother. Some might think it's sexist that the men get to run off and join the train while women, for the most part, have other roles to play. I'm fine with that. I'm needed here. My attention, my focus is on this plane and it's hard for me to be away from it in any capacity. Journeying in short bursts is fine, and something I do weekly. However, I have more control in a journeying situation, as opposed to being part of the roving horde.

Dusio posted! I'm excited- he has a few tricks up his sleeve (or in his shoe as the case may be), that I don't. I'm looking forward to reading more from him!

Can't believe we're almost 6 months into this!

Darth Strega

Tonight we watched Return of the Jedi. In having to explain to a child what was going on between Darth Vader, Luke and The Emperor, I realized something:

The Jedi are stupid.

Seriously. Don't use your hate or fear or anger? What kind of hippie crap is that? There couldn't be Italian Jedi. We embrace our dark side, we use whatever emotion we need to use to get the job done, or the situation taken care of.

If Luke had been Italian? That Emperor would have been toast AND Luke would have saved his father. Dude is about to kill everyone you love and destroy the rebel alliance, sealing the fate of the universe? Toast. Luke killed a lot of bad guys who were threatening his friends, like Jabba the Hut. I bet there were plenty of innocent creatures in Jabba's place when Luke blew it up. Why didn't that make Luke turn to the dark side? Pft.


Yeah, I know: Vader had to have the opportunity to come back to the good side. I think if Luke had taken on the Emperor and stayed "good" that Vader would have joined him anyway. Then there could be sequels. They could have started a new, more powerful line of those who used The Force, a combination of Jedi and Sith. One that integrated the "good" and "bad."

Why is it an either-or proposition? Why can't you use your "dark" emotions to do what needs to get done without it consuming you? Is it because this movie is a simplistic parable wherein the bad guys are wholly bad and the good guys are wholly good and you can't be a bit of both? Feh.

I will say this: Never underestimate what a parent will do for their child. The Emperor was so overconfident in Vader being completely in his dark side pocket, that he didn't realize that instinct can still take over.

This is a silly rant about a silly movie, but it does lead to a more pertinent topic: Embracing what many have come to think of as "dark" in regards to witchcraft. There's a huge difference in the Strega and Wiccan mindsets, and I've talked a bit about it here before: The Wiccan Reede is just some advice. If you do something and think it will come back, you still do what you have to do. The difference is that you own it.
When you don't know how to swim, it's more dangerous to be near a pool. My evil twin pointed out that if Anakin had been taught to use his dark side, he wouldn't have gotten sucked in by the Emperor in the first place.


In other news, half of the labyrinth has been planted and I hope to have the second half done tomorrow! I have a headache, I think from using neck muscles that haven't been used that way in some time! I'm calling it a night and hope to post a proper post tomorrow! Perhaps some psychopomp and circumstance! I'll leave you with more philosophical debate about the trilogy:

This next one is really funny and really disturbing all at the same time. Too soon? I can't embed it, so you'll have to surf over to college humor yourself!

Got me to a Nunnery!

I'm writing this in the passenger seat of my car. Hubby is driving us home after a visit to his aunt, a member of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius. I spent the day with a Nun! :-o She entered the order when she was 21 and is now 80. She has been a nun for almost 60 years. That's devotion.

"zomg does she know you're a Pagan???"

Not only does she know, she attended our Pagan wedding ceremony- the one my mother in law threatened to boycott because it wasn't a catholic ceremony. When The Nun said she was coming, MIL had no room to boycott. After all, a Nun is holier than thou! In playing card parlance: MIL was trumped.

So I was in a nunnery today where three different orders of nuns are housed: Her order mentioned above, Carmelites, and Dominicans. I jokingly asked her if there were rivalries between the three orders like the Jets and the Sharks LOL

Today I was able to appreciate the devotion to The Mother, by whatever name she is called. I got to see a variant on a tradition that has been handed down since before the Vestal Virgins: An organized group of women, dedicated to The Mother, using high magick to heal others and bring forth positive change in the world.


Coolest Nun ever. She couldn't be cooler even if she could fly.

Loose Ends

I'm at loose ends tonight. It's been a really productive day in terms of NYC Pagan Pride planning, homeschooling fun, catching up with friends, laundry and cleaning, and an all around mundane kind of day. I'm exhausted right now, so instead of delving into my latest blog post project: Astral travel, the Wild Hunt, and Shape-shifting al Italia, I just wanted to review my day.

This is less of a diary entry and more of a peek at my daily practice. Despite having an incredibly "normal" day, it was still filled with Magic.

Morning devotional aka Greeting my Gods. It's a personal prayer and ritual of gesture and gratitude. It doesn't take long, just long enough to connect.

While making breakfast, I light the candle next to my stove. I light it off the burner. It feels like the same gesture of old- lighting it off the hearth fire. Every time you light a candle in remembrance, you're relighting every candle that has ever been lit by and for your Ancestors.

Cleaning involved certain soaps that cleansed energetically as well as physically. I tell ya tho, I wish I had those Fantasia mops, only with better control over them!

I went outside with kiddo to play and walked the garden, connecting with the plants and trees and the land itself.

Had discussions with my kiddo about gnomes, earth energy and how to feel and use it, the relationship of energy to our Ancestors, and touched on the other elements too. We also talked about worms and dragonflies and watched a cave-hopper walk around. 

I read the sunset for omens of tomorrow's weather: The redder the sky, the hotter the next day will be. Farmer's Almanac has all sorts of fun weather lore.

Back again to my altar, I did my evening devotional, which is much the same as the morning one.

Here I am writing this blog, and connecting with all of you through space and time is a magickal experience.

Tonight I'll meditate before going to sleep, which will be right about................now.

Before I go pass out, I wanted to put it out there that I'm happy to answer questions and take requests for blog topics. Bonna notte!

A Gesture of Thanks!

I have a whole bunch of new readers so I thought it was time to say hello, welcome, and thanks for coming along for the ride... So, yeah, all of those things!

I started this blog as an offering to Mercury, one of my Patrons. It began as an exercise in getting my voice out there. It's a daily blog, started officially on January 1st, 2011 CE, tho there were a few "warm up" posts before that. I've finally reached the point where hubby has stopped telling me, when I'm searching for subject matter, that I don't have to do this every day. He's realized that's not true. I really do have to do this every day. I take my commitments seriously. There was one day where I didn't have internet access so I just wrote the entry of the day and posted it as soon as I was back on line.

I post a lot about Italy, Sicily, the deities thereof, mystery traditions, and how Catholicism is mostly an extension of Roman Paganism. I delve into pre-history when possible and talk about Italic Witchcraft before the Romans came along. I post folklore, family traditions both mundane and magickal, and I rant about things that bother me, including the modern Pagan community's ignorance of their Italian Pagan roots. The info just isn't out there and I suppose that's part of my mission here.

The past few days of posting have been pretty intense for me. There are days where I can put up a post in a few minutes and others that lead me to hours of research and new avenues of information and study. Looks like this blog is Mercury's gift to me as well as my offering to Him. So, Thanks! Tonight, I need to post some fluff. Shinies for you!

How do you stop an Italian from talking?
You tie their hands behind their back!

It's true: half of the language is gestures, the other half has a coinciding gesture for it if necessary.

Some of em aren't as dirty as you think! Some of em are worse too! This fits in nicely with what I was talking about earlier in the week regarding the magic of Italy and how it's woven into every day life. There is a ritual of gesture used on the daily in Italy. The gentleman in the video below talks about how gestures came into common use: After the fall of Rome, people from all countries started to settle in Naples so the gestures were created as a way to bridge the communication gap. I don't  think he's going back far enough. I've blogged about the Roman hand of power, but huge grand magickal gestures are not what I'm talking about, tho in every video you'll see the cornuto, the sign for the horns. He calls it "exorcism" and in another video they equate it with knocking on wood.

This is a long video (it just feeels slow because he's in no kind of rush), but the man is adorable! 


This is a quicker, more modern crash course and gives you the basics!


If you're not up for a video you'll find a page of 3 really cute Italian hand gesture charts here.