All things Pagan. A Druid's guide.

Blessed be all,
How will I explain this.......
Okay, I am going to jump in the deep end and see what happens!
I have to say something and ask for some counsel and help.
I have had a reoccurring vision ( twice at the moment )
Between 8 and 12th of december Europe falls and rioting breaks out across Europe. ( simplified version as the rest is private and personal )
I would like to ask for the help of those well versed in the practice of Seeing further in Time.
Could you link with my energy and try Seeing, to help me either confirm this happening or that my imagination is running wild? I do have to say the vision has now twice been identical, right down to the smallest of details.

Namasté

1. Treat the Earth and all that dwell therein with respect
   
2. Remain close to the Great Spirit
   
3. Show great respect for your fellow beings
   
4. Work together for the benefit of all Mankind
   
5. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed
   
6. Do what you know to be right
   
7. Look after the well-being of Mind and Body
   
8. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater Good
   
9. Be truthful and honest at all times
   
10. Take full responsibility for your actions
    

O si yo.

I don't know if this is paganism, but this is the way that was taught to me.

reply to post by Druid42


thats cool, I didn't realize it was a personal choice I thought it like a tag for iditification. thanks

Good Blessed Day, fellow Journeyers....

As I posted earlier, I'm posting a few links on the "basics" of the history of Druidism, Paganism, and Wicca. Continuing here with that goal in mind.

www.angelfire.com...

On the beginnings of Wicca....this is a good basic read site....community-2.webtv.net...

Time went on, and people migrated from many places to settle in Rome, and those who came from Greece, came with many of the same beliefs that the Romans had....and though they worshipped different Gods and Goddess's, they shared in many similarities. With the migration, there also came to Rome the nomadic Eutruscans from Asia Minor who were very well versed in the aspects of magic and divinations, and they brought this knowledge with them to Rome. Than came the people of the British Isles, who had also discovered agriculture around the same time as the Indo-Europeans, and these are what we know now to be the Celts. Also, from the islands, came the peoples known as the Mediranian Cult of the Dead. These people were very spiritual and knowledgable on the theories of death and reincarnation, and they came and spread out all over New Europe. They shared their secrets with the Celts, and these people became the Druids, and they were the ones who oversaw all of the rites of the pagan people.

The Druids were predominately men, with very few women. From the time of 6500-4500, there were still remenents of the solar/lunar cults that dealt with animals, herbs and the mysteries who intertwined in the pagan communities, and these people were known as the "wice" and they developed the power and understanding of life and the earth, and these were the keepers of the mysteries. So during this time of all these different people traveling back and forth and sharing information, three major groups of people developed, which were the Druids who mostly held the mens mysteries of the Cult of the Dead, the Wice, who held the mystery teachings of the solar/lunar cults, which remained mostly matrifocal, and was made up of mostly woman, and who worshipped the Goddess, and the pagans, who werethe comman folk, who were balanced and polaric, and sought out the wisdom and the knowledge of the Druids and the Wice.

Than, from 0 ACE-650ACE, the old testament was being written in the Middle East. After the death of Christ, the people from the Middle East spread out across the land, spreading the word of Christianity, and eventually came to Rome, and this is when the mass conversion began. They started the conversions first with the rulers, the kings and the Queens first by using money and bribery. this way, the country dwellers would have to convert, as they depended upon the the rulers for their survival. Pagan temples were destroyed, and Christian churches were built upon the pagan holy grounds. The pagans however, forced to build churches over their pagan temples, incorporated many of their symbols into the building of these churches, which you can still see today.

During this time the first scriptures of the pagans emerged, and was held by two Celts.

In 1100, the dark ages began, and no writing went on during this time, and it was like the "lights went out", and when they came back on, the pagan texts were gone, and the Christian conversion continued to spread, and the Holy Wars began. When the Christians decided that the new ways were not catching on fast enough with the pagans, the Christian leaders began asserting that the pagans worshipped and consorted with "the devil" and the inquistion began.

Very important to note> Please note, there is a difference between practicing the Wiccan Religion, and Witchcraft.

Originally posted by KhaliWitch
Blessed be all,
How will I explain this.......
Okay, I am going to jump in the deep end and see what happens!
I have to say something and ask for some counsel and help.
I have had a reoccurring vision ( twice at the moment )
Between 8 and 12th of december Europe falls and rioting breaks out across Europe. ( simplified version as the rest is private and personal )
I would like to ask for the help of those well versed in the practice of Seeing further in Time.
Could you link with my energy and try Seeing, to help me either confirm this happening or that my imagination is running wild? I do have to say the vision has now twice been identical, right down to the smallest of details.

Namasté

Greetings KhaliWitch. After sending my energy to yours, this is what came to me. Take what resonates, toss the rest...or all of it.

The dates of your vision are for the 8th. through the 12th. of December. Due to the tilt in our Earths' rotation, we are now back in sync with 13 signs of the Zodiac. So your dates fall in the sign of Ophuchicus, 13th sign of the zodiac.

The field of astrology, which is concerned with horoscopes and the like, felt a major disruption from astronomers, who are concerned with actual stars and planets. The astronomers from the Minnesota Planetarium Society found that because of the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth, the alignment of the stars was pushed by about a month.

(More on TIME.com: See if your horoscope will change with the “new” Zodiac model.)

“When [astrologers] say that the sun is in Pisces, it’s really not in Pisces,” noted Parke Kunkle, a member of the group’s board. Your astrological sign is determined by the position of the sun on the day you were born, so that means everything you thought you knew about your horoscope is wrong.

It turns out that astrology has had issues from its inception. (Aside from the fact that it tries to link personality traits with positions of the stars.) Ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, but wanted only 12, so threw out Ophuchicus, the snake holder. Libra didn’t even enter the picture until the era of Julius Caesar.
Read more: newsfeed.time.com...

The constellation Ophiuchus represents a man wrestling a serpent, dividing the snake’s body in two parts. It is the only sign of the zodiac linked to real men, sharing traits with Imhotep, a 27th century BCE Egyptian doctor, and biblical Joseph.

Like Imhotep, Ophiuchus is considered a healer of men and a doctor of medicine or science. He seeks higher education and enlightenment. He is expected to achieve a high position in life.

(More on TIME.com: Read about the Chinese zodiac.)

Like Joseph, he is an interpreter of dreams and vivid premonitions. He is envied by his peers and favored by his father and authority figures.

The Asclepius and the Caduceus, the medical staff, are based on the constellation.

Read more: newsfeed.time.com...

My "feeling" is that those dates represent your "personal" issues. That during that time period, something you have been watching go downhill, will reach a point of falling apart chaos. That it is something you already know, but were hoping it wouldn't come to this.

Sorry if this makes no sense at all.......I don't often put myself out there like this...I may redact it later....

Bright Blessings,

Des

Originally posted by Destinyone

Originally posted by KhaliWitch
Blessed be all,
How will I explain this.......
Okay, I am going to jump in the deep end and see what happens!
I have to say something and ask for some counsel and help.
I have had a reoccurring vision ( twice at the moment )
Between 8 and 12th of december Europe falls and rioting breaks out across Europe. ( simplified version as the rest is private and personal )
I would like to ask for the help of those well versed in the practice of Seeing further in Time.
Could you link with my energy and try Seeing, to help me either confirm this happening or that my imagination is running wild? I do have to say the vision has now twice been identical, right down to the smallest of details.

Namasté

Greetings KhaliWitch. After sending my energy to yours, this is what came to me. Take what resonates, toss the rest...or all of it.

The dates of your vision are for the 8th. through the 12th. of December. Due to the tilt in our Earths' rotation, we are now back in sync with 13 signs of the Zodiac. So your dates fall in the sign of Ophuchicus, 13th sign of the zodiac.

The field of astrology, which is concerned with horoscopes and the like, felt a major disruption from astronomers, who are concerned with actual stars and planets. The astronomers from the Minnesota Planetarium Society found that because of the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth, the alignment of the stars was pushed by about a month.

(More on TIME.com: See if your horoscope will change with the “new” Zodiac model.)

“When [astrologers] say that the sun is in Pisces, it’s really not in Pisces,” noted Parke Kunkle, a member of the group’s board. Your astrological sign is determined by the position of the sun on the day you were born, so that means everything you thought you knew about your horoscope is wrong.

It turns out that astrology has had issues from its inception. (Aside from the fact that it tries to link personality traits with positions of the stars.) Ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, but wanted only 12, so threw out Ophuchicus, the snake holder. Libra didn’t even enter the picture until the era of Julius Caesar.
Read more: newsfeed.time.com...

The constellation Ophiuchus represents a man wrestling a serpent, dividing the snake’s body in two parts. It is the only sign of the zodiac linked to real men, sharing traits with Imhotep, a 27th century BCE Egyptian doctor, and biblical Joseph.

Like Imhotep, Ophiuchus is considered a healer of men and a doctor of medicine or science. He seeks higher education and enlightenment. He is expected to achieve a high position in life.

(More on TIME.com: Read about the Chinese zodiac.)

Like Joseph, he is an interpreter of dreams and vivid premonitions. He is envied by his peers and favored by his father and authority figures.

The Asclepius and the Caduceus, the medical staff, are based on the constellation.

Read more: newsfeed.time.com...

My "feeling" is that those dates represent your "personal" issues. That during that time period, something you have been watching go downhill, will reach a point of falling apart chaos. That it is something you already know, but were hoping it wouldn't come to this.

Sorry if this makes no sense at all.......I don't often put myself out there like this...I may redact it later....

Bright Blessings,

Des

Blessed be Des,
Thank you so much for putting yourself out there and thank you for the information that you have feeling.
It actually makes al ot of sense, it is just the rest of the vision is so detailed about my family life that I feel reluctant to post it on the internet, but it was related to the vision I have posted in the thread about the 28 october website.
I must state that I am at the moment and for the last week not shielded as I am Empathic ( this was advised to me by my Guides as I am waiting for signs that my shield might block ).

Ooohh, I forgot to mention that I come out of the vision in fight or flight mode!!

Namasté

Des, I thank you for your additions of basic information, a bit of background, so to speak, and very appropriate. I felt your need to get this thread back on track. That warms my heart.

I also appreciate you answering Khali. My energy was too unbalanced at the time to respond. I have meditated, gaining my balance back, and have a post to share after this. I am very empathic, and the emotions from negativity welled up, and I was put into defense mode. I had to disperse the accumulation of negativity. To be honest, I think we all felt it.

That's life. It's about meeting others, sharing thoughts, and sometimes, it doesn't always work out. I was being open, my protections down, willing to share, and thus caught off-guard. The infusion of emotion had me unsettled. Time to move on, and share. I have my balance back.

I thank you, for you being you.

Originally posted by boomerdude
reply to post by hudsonhawk69

 

If I remember correctly, and I'll try and find the reference for you ( maybe Hearn or Lindow ), part of the formula was fermented mare's milk and horse urine. The formula was very close to what later Medieval Alchemists called the Philosopher's Stone.

Cheers, my mates recipe contained daytura and several other potent ingredients.

reply to post by Druid42


Thank You for the kind words Druid. I feel some people coming to this thread have a misconception of Paganism, Wicca.

I'm only posting some very basic info, in hopes it will dispel some of those uninformed ideas. It's their choice to read, or not.

Yes, I could feel your energy being taxed by hungry egos....you handled the situation with calm, and an open heart. It takes great strength to stand upright in the storm. You, my friend, have had much practice.

What I really like about this thread is...there are many student/teachers here. Also, a lot of Old Souls. It feels like a healing place.

Bright Blessings,

Des

reply to post by KhaliWitch


KhaliWitch. I send you Prayers for Strength and Clarity. Choose your battles wisely. Also, Dear Lady...you cannot fix what is broken...there are missing pieces that are needed for wholeness.

Last night, I Prayed the Goddess surround you with Angels of Light and Love to protect you.

Des

Originally posted by amaster
reply to post by autowrench

 

My protection symbol is the very image used for my avatar. Commonly refered to as Metatron's Cube, it has been something that has always brought me peace and comfort.

I love it! It reminds me of Creation. Whatever one uses, it needs to be infused with positive energy. Mine was washed in a natural spring, laid on a stone to dry, passed through fire, and held to the wind and Earth. I called all of these powers into play, and input this energy into the symbol. Now whenever I touch it, it shocks me a little bit. I can feel the energy within it.

reply to post by Open2Truth

But it can no longer be read as a body of work by those interested in learning more about the topic. Personally, I think this is a bit disrespectful to the original material and topic, one well worthy IMO of discussion. I’m not sure this can be seen by the majority of the contributors - as it is now a hodge podge of so many different elements - and really seems much more to be a pagan community bulletin board with no effort to coherently share and educate on the original topic.

I fully agree with you here, Open2Truth. I have seen a lot of good information threads get derailed by these people who post off topic, or go on a tangent.
If this is to me an info thread for all things Pagan, then the ones not interested need to just stay away! People all over the world are seeking a new avatar, a new way, the old ways are stale, and do not fulfill anymore. The sermons on evil are boring, the visions of Hell and Satan and Demons pounded into your head fades away.......Something new, that is older than any way.
That is what Paganism is, after all. We are the "Other People," the ones you stare at in the store, the ones you go out of the way to pass, or speak to. We are the ones Hated with passion by the Christian community, this can be seen in some threads. Let's keep it Pagan/Wiccan/Druid as the Op obviously create it it in the first place.

I am a Wiccan myself, but I appreciate the Ancient Druids, Merlyn. Merlin is a hero of mine,. during a 10 year search for the Grail, of course I read much of the Druids. I am left to wonder if all if the Ancient ways are somehow connected to the others to the ways and lifestyle of the Pagan community of today? I think it is humankind's destiny to be happy together. Together will all others. We are all ONE, you know, and the sooner we see that, the sooner we get to Ascend. The Higher Levels are grand, folks, I have had a few short visits, and a few old memories from another life. It is a place we want to go to. Call it by any names you wish, Heaven, Hell, Summerland, Valhalla....it is whatever you wish it to be. Your thoughts are action, and whatever you think of will manifest into your reality. A training of the mind is necessary here, to be able to do this. Nobody is coming to "save" us, we are on our own here. So stop believing in a Saviour, become a Saviour yourself. Reach out and touch those who are lost, with no path to follow. Or those held by cults, threated with horrific visions of Hell, a place that doesn't even exist as told. The Pagan Path is not easy to follow, the road is crooked, strewn with stones, and has many pitfalls. There is a Dark Force that follows people like us, always tempting you to do thing you know better than to do. This Force can me altered, as can the Good/Positive Force, so the two both work for you, taking power from both, feeding nether with my own power.

Thank you, Druid42 , for starting this thread.

The schism in religious beliefs is inevitable, as I believe there is no one "true" way. The moment you believe that you have gained the "true" path is the same moment you should take a step back and analyze what you truly believe.

Schisms occur in all religions, and to me, that indicates there is no really correct belief system that we are able to comprehend, for if there was one path, it would be easy to find, completely revealing, and everyone would believe it, and we'd have one world religion. Religion is man-made.

In Judaism, you have the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes. In Islam there are Shiites, and Sunnis, and others. Christianity contains the catholic church, and many different spin-offs, from the Protestants, to the Lutherans, to the Latter-Day Saints. There is no way to incorporate so many different beliefs into one unified religion. It's the same with Paganism. We have Purists, Neo-Pagans, Witches, Druids, Satanists, and the list goes on.

One of the unifying beliefs, however, that pagans have achieved over the other religions is the lack of a strict dogma, the unwillingness to adhere to one specific "truth". We believe in everyone finding their own path, have a desire to help others learn, and adhere more to a natural or animistic viewpoint. The fact that there is no "rule-book" that we must follow is the most refreshing aspect.

The fact that paganism pre-dates all the other religions by thousands of years is another fascinating concept. Basically, we were in tune with nature, and lived that life. We didn't need a book of rules, we did what we had to to survive, used our collective intuition, and it apparently was working fine, until someone decided that there was a better way that everyone must see. Not so, of course, and as we scan back over history, we'll find that perhaps all of religion is simply looking for answers to the meaning of life. I'll default to Occam's razor in this regards, that often the simplest things work the best.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll be back later, to share more, but I did have a request from someone who wanted to learn about "smudging". I have "family" responsibilities this afternoon, running around so to speak, but if anyone wants to talk about "smudging" in my absence, please feel free. They wanted to know about all the aspects of purifying your home and family members, what supplies to use, and places to find them.

reply to post by Druid42


I wish to apologize for the way I expressed my comments within your thread and to all those that read this thread. I take the topic very seriously and it seemed to be becoming a joke. This frustrated me. I am very big on understanding foundations and it is my belief that by "making things up as you go" causes the loss of the true teachings and lessons of the crafts. It leads to false understandings of symbols, purpose, and history both from the standpoint of the practitioner and the casual observer. They already have a bad name in society due to lack of understanding and false beliefs. Many of the comments within it show my point of misunderstanding and misuse of the knowledge and power.

It was not my intention to create an argument, it was simply to help guide it(the thread) to a serious discussion of the crafts by reminding the posters of the seriousness of the conversation, then the replies written seemed less than polite. After rereading my original statement I see that my wording may have(and was taken) the same way I saw the replies. This I take responsibility for and again express my apologies.

I used an old proverb to express a point in my last post and was using it for its meaning. By using its literal translation you missed the point and threw it back in my face, however by doing so you reminded me of my original purpose for posting what I did(full circle).

It appears that our argument/discussion was understood and your thread has become the serious discussion and learning tool it should have been to begin with. We need to remember that these discussions are not limited to those involved but people years to come that are looking for guidance and information, not a casual conversation.

You asked my path and I choose now to answer. I was raised by my fathers side as an old school Druid and my learnings have come from lessons taught and passed down through my families history and Catholicism on my Mothers side, as well as the study and practice of many other belief systems including formal education (Masters in Religious History). I have always had a dislike of the destruction and twisting of the old lessons to suit personal preference under the guise of modernization, this is how the true beliefs have been lost in the first place and the calling ones self a Druid without the foundation is sacrilege to the true meaning and understanding of the "lifestyle" as you put it, especially when the practices are a "Hodge Podge" of belief systems when the title implies one specific path, IMO.

The true lessons are of releasing fear and doubt, knowing self and the Worlds around you, and working toward Ascension in every belief system. The paths to get there are vastly different, the words used to teach the lessons are vastly different and the tools and symbols are vastly different but the lessons and understandings if TRUE are exactly the same regardless of the path,language,tools, or symbols, yet I see in this modern age that the lessons have been lost to rituals of manipulation of energy and self gain in all belief systems. Yes it is about self gain from a Spiritual point of view as the goal is forward progress, but it seems that the purpose has been lost to learning how to cast spells, doing rituals, and misuse of symbols without the lessons being learned.

Much like seeing the literal translation without seeing the meaning behind it. This is not an attack on you or any other but simply an example of what I am attempting to get across. These lessons and Understandings are actually what unite all beings of all walks of life, not what name you call a higher power or even accepting a higher power for that matter.

reply to post by Destinyone


Blessed be,
Thank you for your Prayers and kind thoughts, it is most appreciated.

Though I am without Shield at this time, I am not without Protection as I now constantly wear an Amulet which I have myself Crafted and Embued with the most Positive Energy and I Cleanse and Recharge it daily.

I have had the vision once more and again it was identical and again I awakened in fight or flight mode.
From my past experiences, if I recieve a vision three times or more it has more than 90% chance of coming to pass.

Namasté

reply to post by Druid42


Blessed be Druid,
I trust you are starting to feel much better, as I am also after experiencing the Negativity.
I am sending you some Positive Energy and some Balancing Energy to help you remain Balanced.
It would also would be pleasant to hear your thoughts on my vision as you have also read the original vision on the other thread. It feels like this is a prelude to that vision.

Namasté

The Sacred History and Usage of Smudging

Smudging began with the use of incense in ancient Egypt around 1530BC. Different scents were used for different purposes. Its practice can be seen through history in Babylonia, Judaism, Greece, Rome, India, Asia, Druidic(and the Women of Avalon) and Nordic cultures and Catholicism and its practice has spread almost global in the last 200 years. The purposes ranged from offering prayer and divining oracles to cleansing an area from evil(diseases and/or spirits), healing and other spiritual purposes.

The common understanding of the term "Smudging" comes from a Native American practice of the The Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing, which is considered a powerful cleansing technique. It is a ritual way to cleanse a person, place or an object of negative energies or influences. It is believed that the smoke attaches itself to negative energy and as it clears it takes the negative energy with it, releasing it into another space to be regenerated, this negative energy includes evil spirits, negative thoughts and feelings and any energy thought to disrupt ceremony or peaceful living.

The common tools for this ceremony are a bundle of Sage(I prefer White or Russian) or some cultures used Cedar(I sometimes use both), a long wing feather/s, and a large shell, but some forgo one or both of the shell and feather/s by simply using a tied bundle of sage(also known as a Smudge Stick) and their hand to wave the smoke rather than loose sage and the feather/s as a fan.

The practice of smudging is very effective when you are depressed, angry, spiteful or sick or after you have had an argument. It is important to smudge yourself, the space and all the guests or participants before a ritual or ceremony or celebration if you choose to use this type of cleansing. You can also smudge your own auric field, your home, car or work area. You can use smudging to cleanse crystals, gemstones, altars, sacred books, or any other spiritual or ceremonial items. You can substitute Sweetgrass if you are simply doing blessings as it is more apropos.

Edit to add: You can use the same sage you use for cooking therefore you can find it at a grocery store. You can substitute the shell for an ashtray(anything to be safe with a burning substance) and anything to fan. Cedar branches/needles can be found almost everywhere(evergreen with flat needles). Bundles can be found at most spiritual shops or grown yourself.

The elemental properties are such:
- The shell represents the element of WATER
- The unlit herbs and ashes represents the EARTH
- The lit herb represents the FIRE
- The smoke and feathers represent the AIR

reply to post by Agarta


Great Post but I would just like to point out that there are many descriptions of Druidesses by Tacitus at the isle of Mona or Anglesey and many more in Ireland.Some names of Druidesses have been preserved; as Geal Chossach, or Cossa, white-legged, of Inisoven, Donegal, where her grave is still pointed out to visitors. There was Milucradh, Hag of the Waters, reported to be still living, who turned King Fionn into an old man by water from Lake Sliabh Gullin. Eithne and Ban Draoi were famous sorcerers. Tradition talks of Women's Isles of Ireland, as of Scotland, where Druidesses, at certain festivals, lived apart from their husbands, as did afterwards Culdee wives at church orders. On St. Michael, on Sena Isle of Brittany, and elsewhere, such religious ladies were known. Scotch witches in their reputed powers of transformation were successors of Druidesses.

Several ancient nunneries are conjectured to have been Druidesses' retreats, or as being established at such hallowed sites. At Kildare, the retreat of St. Brigid and her nuns, having charge of the sacred fire, there used to be before her time a community of Irish Druidesses, virgins, who were called, from their office, Ingheaw Andagha, Daughters of Fire. The well-known Tuam, with its nine score nuns, may be an instance, since the word Cailtach means either nun or Druidess


Brightest Blessings - lovely thread

reply to post by druid1


Agreed, however, they are associated with the Women of Avalon and the Lady of the Lake. More specifically the mystical Isle of Avalon was their Capital although they were found throughout the isles. The reason for them being separate, save certain festivals, was/is the way Males and Females use energy. A Male can generate energy within himself and use it in the land(physical) where a Female cannot generate energy within herself, it must be drawn to the within from the spirit(of the physical) and sent out to the spirit(thus the drawing of the moon).

When the festivals of unity came around the Males would generate the energy and cast it to the Fire(physical) and the Females would draw it from the Fire(physical) and cast it to the spirit. A unity of function with each playing the role to achieve the higher purpose. Being separated allowed the Male to generate and hold vast amounts of energy for these gatherings. Sexual rituals for fertility were done the same way with the exception of the energy cast directly to the Female.

Great history lesson you have provided by the way.