Pagan

[foxyshaman]

Hey Sunshine!!!

Allies peeking through angel wings!! That made me ... We have to go with what we are given to get the message through sometimes! I hope Gryph has a better day today. Being stretched too thin is a true stressor. It seems like you two have been going through enough already eh?? Last year some of the farm areas around where I live were declared disaster areas because of the drought. But hey there is no global warming or anything silly like that is there?

Thank you for the information on Raziel. I too have found references to him in role playing games. His energy is completely different from the other Angels I call upon. The other three are Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. They come in the room and aid the suffering being that we are working on releasing from my patients. But Raziel merges with me. My core body temp rises and my hands feel like they are on fire. I have never felt a spirit quite like this one. I am going to call one of the Rabbi's in town and see if they have any further information. I am doing some research on funerary rights for a lecture at the University I am giving and so I think that the two questions will be rolled into one conversation for the Rabbi. I have never spoken to a Rabbi before!! But I was given the number by my Director at work <I disguised part of the reason I wanted to talk to a Rabbi>

The growth of angels and the change in their personalities over the centuries is pretty interesting.

As always this is such a learning/teaching path.
I hardly feel qualified at times to even talk about it, there is so much information and I feel like I am in kindergarten!!!

Hugs and Love to you and Gryph!

[Bit]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{Foxy}}}}}}}}}}}}} Hi darlin!! How are you this fine weekend? Busy, I'll bet!

Do your politicians do that "no such thing as global warming" stupidity also? I thought that curse was special to the US. *snort* Ohhhh yeah, let's just ignore 50 years of climate science, and when the predictions start coming true let's just say it was a coincidence... sheesh, politicians!

That's very interesting about Raziel. Oddly enough, I almost typed Azriel... Angel of Death... I speak in my mind as I type and I really did say to myself "Azriel".... caught it just before I typed it. The meaning of Azriel is "God is my help" which is a pretty interesting name for the Angel of Death, lol.... the name is more commonly spelled Azrael, and can also be translated as "whom God helps". I would presume we would say "the one whom God helps".

I did find a reference to Raziel as the Angel of Death, but only on a page about Raziel; a search on "angel of death" didn't pop his name up at all, and he didn't come up on the Azrael Wikipedia page either.

[Bit]

Wow, this is a great article on Feminist Witchcraft, well researched and well put together! You might enjoy it!

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=nlxx&c=words&id=13973

You also might enjoy the rest of the articles on WitchVox.

http://www.witchvox.com/index_mov.html

[Daryn]

Bit - Reading your posts a bit (sorry for pun). One of the few things I miss from days in the East are fireflies. Two years ago in late June, when I was back in the area I grew up in I saw them again for the first time in many, many years. I wonder why you don't see them West of the Rockies.

[Bit]

Ha! I like the pun.

I wondered that about fireflies too. The only thing I can think its that it's the Rockies themselves; they're a divide between so many species which only exist on one side or the other. Maybe the winters are too severe through the range to allow fireflies to spread?

Aww heck, so much for that theory; Gryph tells me there were fireflies in the mountains of California when he was a kid.

Well, maybe they're really sensitive to pesticides? I know in Phoenix (all through the metro area) pesticides have been routinely and, imo, indiscriminately sprayed for decades; maybe other cities have done so, also?

[foxyshaman]

Heya Sunshine!!

Raziel and Azriel... interesting typo. For me that has a ring to it since some of the suffering beings I work with are dead humans, some are not, but many are. I am going to delve into that a bit deeper, if I come across anything interesting I will let you know.

I was busy yesterday, I had four patients, which is quite a bit for this little fox. The last patient I had was an extraction that turned out to be an extraction - depossession. It was taxing. My last patient had requested an extraction due to her health problems and that her man of twelve years, no warning, broke up with her ande moved to New York. Then her body rose up and demanded attention. Interesting work. I wear bracelets when I do extraction work, so that 'greeblies' do not go up my arms. It is just a small thing I do, I am sure others protect their bodies in different ways. I sometimes will wear necklaces that I have charged for protection or created ceremony specifically to create protection pieces.

I cleaned my entire spirit room last night after my last patient left. Today I am cleaning the house top to bottom. Washed all the floors, hell I even moved the fridge and stove!! Did all my laundry and now I am tackling the dusting... including my poor neglected bedroom. And then... argh... the office. I have one public talk tomorrow night on Compassionate Depossession and I have been asked back to the University to talk about shamanism in one of the ancient religion classes. Shamanism is ancient and yet still so very alive. It changes and has to evolve, or it will die.

This week is my last drumming circle in the temple. I am doing a Ceremony of Gratitude. Still working on which story to tell. Storytelling is such a vibrant part of shamanism. Is it so in witchcraft or wicca in your neck of the woods? I have been to many different rituals and ceremonies over the years and not many have told stories. The druid rites I have been to have had stories, and fun ones too!! It is hard to believe this is the last circle I lead. I suspect it will be a bit of an emotional roller coaster this week. Perhaps that is the need to clean house? Well that and it has been grand central station here lately (trying to use an american reference !! LOL

Glad you put a link to witchvox... I have been advertising circles and events on there for a number of years. It is a fantastic resource. It is nice to see it here.

Well... my house work is yelling at me. I am off. No rest for the cutely wicked.


Have a fantastic day everyone. Cath pass my huge hug hello to Gryph!!

Foxyshaman

[Bit]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Foxyshaman}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} Gryph sends his hellos and hug back to you from the middle of typing up the minutes for the last Neighborhood Association meeting!

I would LOVE to hear what you might find re: Raziel and Azriel! And um, *admiration* what clean floors you have! Am I right that this is one way to clean the greeblies out of one's space?

I love the term "greeblies" and I think your bracelets of protection are an all-around good idea! I used to wear necklaces for protection--tis a Marian thing, to wear a medallion with Mary's image for protection--but I suppose they were more than that, because routinely they would get "fully charged" and then ask to be passed onto someone who needed them.

Lately I am wearing a pentacle that is less about protection and more about accessing. It seems to be a good trigger, helps me to work better.

I've been dealing with a lot of fear lately. I finally realized that no matter WHAT I happen to wish to do, if I think--just think--about working any kind of magic, I am automatically deflected into something mindless, usually a computer game, and it seems to grab hold of my mind and keep me there until I am utterly exhausted and have fallen asleep in the chair.

I have in the past been a victim of a pretty serious "Do Not" spell and it took me a LOT of effort just to identify it and then to deal with it, so of course that's the first thing on my mind, "omigawds, am I hemmed in by that spell again?!" BUT *sigh* I am also cognizant that it ain't necessarily so... this could be my own fears holding me back. In that case, I dunno what to do. (You cannot imagine how much I want to delete this post and go play Solitaire at this moment! OY!) I don't like feeling out of control; I especially don't like not knowing what's IN control of me. Damn.

Since what I want is to have access to my own power and abilities again, and since the necklace I wear seems to be helping, I think maybe I need to do as you do, and start using more of what works.

About stories, well, I'm a Solitairy [EDITED to correct lol, Solitary, Solitary!!] so I don't really know. Back when I was a newbie witchlet, the Women's Spirituality group I attended was big on stories, though.

Wishing you the very best on your drumming circle,
Sunshine

[Nat]

I was wondering if any of y'all have a spirit animal that you know of?

Also, do you find yourself connected to any other-worldly beings/elementals?

And, do you find yourself connected to certain trees or types of trees?

-------------

my answers:

I feel especially connected to both cats and spiders. My mom has a thing with turtles, my dad has a thing with owls, and one of my aunts has a thing with fish.

I'm also very drawn to mermaids, I have a friend who's very drawn to faeries, an aunt who's drawn to pixies and another aunt who's drawn to gnomes and trolls. My mom tends to be drawn to dragons and other monsters, and my gf is also drawn to dragons.

I love trees - all trees - but especially sycamores, redbuds and mimosas.

[Bit]

Dear Sycamore Girl,

{{{{{{{{{{{{Nat}}}}}}}}}} *utterly delighted!* How cool to run into someone else who is connected to them! How I love them! Sycamore branches were gifted to me (by the trees themselves) a little over two years ago and they've guarded our home ever since!

I've considered myself a Daughter of the Trees for most of my life, and I cherish the redbuds, hackberries, maples and oak that we're blessed with here in That House. In Phoenix, I adored mulberries and pines.

The trees that are the most special to me, although not in the spirit connection way, are fruit trees, apple, peach, plum, cherry, orange, date palm, etc, and my favorite, the fig tree. I suppose it's like the difference between my teachers and my little sisters (to put the difference in the ways I relate to them into human terms).

Animal connections, there are so many... they come and they go, depending on what I need and also on what the people I am with need. (You might remember I used to post as Mama Tigre--the tiger.) It's the same with beings on other planes. I'm not close to the fae, but I'm comfortable with many creatures better known through mythology, like gryphons.

Cath

[Nat]

Bit - how awesome is that?

I have sycamore seed-balls at home and work. My grandfather used to write me letters on sycamore bark and sign them "A. Troll" or "D. Troll" and tell me that he "found" them.

There is a young sycamore tree at my work, and there were a few times I went out there and hung out next to it, and the trunk was covered in flies and the leaves were wilty. I was out there to meditate, so I suggested to the tree that we ground and center together. I held onto one of its leaves, and imagined both of use extending our roots down toward the center of the earth and bringing up that earth energy together. What surprised me, is that it seemed to me that the tree had an easier time with this than I did, and that the energy not only came up through it faster but that it sort of spilled over onto me. Since then, when I can, I go out there and listen to podcasts or meditate or check bfp under the tree on my breaks, and I always tell the tree hi and often sit in the grass and lean against the trunk. No more flies, btw.

[2myladyblue]

Originally Posted by Nat

I was wondering if any of y'all have a spirit animal that you know of?

Also, do you find yourself connected to any other-worldly beings/elementals?

And, do you find yourself connected to certain trees or types of trees?

Hello Nat! Great questions!
I've always felt a kinship to Morrigan's messengers...the corvids...most specificially ravens & crows. Although my family name is daw...coincidence, no? lol
I keep company with felines & equines as often as possible. I find that I have a lot to learn from them...
And I find my peace of mind/body/spirit walking through a nearby forest, plentiful with oak trees.
~Skipping off to play in the forest~Blue

[foxyshaman]

Originally Posted by Nat

I was wondering if any of y'all have a spirit animal that you know of?

Also, do you find yourself connected to any other-worldly beings/elementals?

And, do you find yourself connected to certain trees or types of trees?

-------------

Oohhh nice questions!!!

I do have power animals that I work with and journey with all the time. I have my primary spirits which are lion, panther, owl, deer and moose. There are other animals that have taught me quite a bit over the years when I journey (which is a term used to mean altered state of consciousness, usually sonic driven). In ordinary reality I have worked with cats, lots of birds and horses.

I work with elementals carefully. Elementals in my workings are: Sylph, Undine, Gnome and Salamander. I do like contacting & working with the Little People. Every summer I lead a shamanic wilderness camp,last years theme was working with the Little people. We broke off into three tribes, elves, gnomes and faeries. It was fascinating and the journey work was quite substantial for the participants. I have a very healthy respect for the Fae and beings associated with that term. I have long researched Fairy Tales as a way of understanding my relationship (historical and familial) with the unseen. I don't generally see Faeries as kind and loving beings... at least they have certainly not always appeared that way to me... this one time... oh wait this is not story time

Trees, well you guys certainly have different trees than I do up here. I love my Spruce trees and the different kinds of poplars. I am also very fond of the Cedar forests of the West Coast and interior BC. Old Elm trees also hold a very special place in my heart. Oh and how could I forget choke cherry trees??? i loved climbing them as a kid and taking the bitter fruit. As an adult I still like to climb trees, but choke cherries don't support adult weight very well...

[2myladyblue]

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

Trees, well you guys certainly have different trees than I do up here. I love my Spruce trees and the different kinds of poplars. I am also very fond of the Cedar forests of the West Coast and interior BC. Old Elm trees also hold a very special place in my heart. Oh and how could I forget choke cherry trees??? i loved climbing them as a kid and taking the bitter fruit. As an adult I still like to climb trees, but choke cherries don't support adult weight very well...

Heya foxy! (Can you see me wavin' from a couple provinces over?) Your forests are BEAUTIFUL....and when I was in BC, I remember being amazed to see a real live holly tree!
I think Wpg is well known for its 'urban forest', but unfortunately, most of our elms are plagued by dutch elm disease.
I grew up climbing crab apple trees for an after school snack, but these days I prefer to walk amongst them or lay under them
~Blue

[Arwen]

Originally Posted by Nat

I was wondering if any of y'all have a spirit animal that you know of?

Also, do you find yourself connected to any other-worldly beings/elementals?

And, do you find yourself connected to certain trees or types of trees?

-------------

Great questions for discussion.

I have always been drawn to trees--particularly the pine, the oak and the willow. I started talking to trees when I was a girl (and was not surprised to get answers.) There was an old live oak in my front yard that I spent many hours in.

Yes, in. I was a mad tree climber when I was younger. Still get the urge to climb a big old oak tree and find a branch to perch on.

Otherworldly beings, yes. Mermaids in particular and green sprites as well. I see green men a lot (heh...that sounds bizarre.) I used to commune with fairies as a little girl but they don't stop so much any more.

Spirit animals? That's a tricky question because part of my path is not able to share all of this answer. So yes and not the wolf or tiger or lion. Grin. My spirit animal is a bit shyer than that. I do have some that are public like the Manta Ray and Kestrel.

[Bit]

What a wonderful conversation! I'm so glad you started it, Nat!

Originally Posted by Arwen

Spirit animals? That's a tricky question because part of my path is not able to share all of this answer.

I also hesitate to share too much, but for a different reason; I used to be hounded by someone on another site. Anything I posted was turned against me; the better I got at shielding, the more skillful my assailant got at breaking through my shields. This happened consistently for many years, until I finally got so cautious that I just stopped talking about anything Pagan for a long time.

I still have that second-nature impulse that says, "watch it! anything you talk about will backfire!"

What I can say is that I work with all kinds of animals--whomever comes to my mind in a moment of need--and also with several different kinds of entities. I've worked with the animals ever since I first discovered formal paganism. The other entities are much more recent, and working with beings from other planes has really stretched my limits and helped me grow.

Originally Posted by that Foxy tease!

I don't generally see Faeries as kind and loving beings... at least they have certainly not always appeared that way to me... this one time... oh wait this is not story time

IS TOO. Is too.

How interesting that our trees are different! I didn't expect that; guess I thought that oaks and maples were ubiquitous once a person was north of the desert... silly of me, because I remember the Douglas fir/cedar/alder forests of the PNW!

For me, like for Blue, the trees are part of an urban forest, planted by people. I don't think of them in the same way I think of an indigenous forest... heck, all over the PNW oaks and maples are planted in people's yards. Maybe that's why I didn't think about the forests being different.

I think all our elms are probably Chinese elms at this point, because of Dutch elm disease. Some are very old but I suspect most are less than 100 years. A really massive elm that I thought had to be quite old is only about 60 years, so I guess I have to allow for the large yearly rainfall here having MUCH more of an effect on the trees than I expected it to.

[oblivia]

Originally Posted by Nat

I was wondering if any of y'all have a spirit animal that you know of?

Also, do you find yourself connected to any other-worldly beings/elementals?

And, do you find yourself connected to certain trees or types of trees?

I suppose it depends on your definition of spirit animal. I have had various animal guides (primarily a Unicorn).

I am VERY connected to Unicorns and many of my general journeywork and meditations have me in Unicorn form myself.

I am very drawn to the Weeping Willow and to very strong, old, tall trees in old growth forests.

[oblivia]

Also...

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{bit}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

How are you!??