Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Pythagoras and Joseph Smith on Kindness to Animals.
As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love. Attribution to Pythagoras by Ovid, as quoted in The Extended Circle : A Dictionary of Humane Thought (1985) by Jon Wynne-Tyson, p. 260; also in Vegetarian Times, No. 168 (August 1991),p. 4
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 71 Kindness to Animals Required of Man The following incidents occurred while Zion's Camp was on the march from Kirtland to Missouri. In pitching my tent we found three massasaugas or prairie rattlesnakes, which the brethren were about to kill, but I said, "Let them alone -- don't hurt them! How will the serpent ever lose its venom, while the servants of God possess the same disposition, and continue to make war upon it? Men must become harmless before the brute creation, and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the sucking child can play with the serpent in safety." The brethren took the serpents carefully on sticks and carried them across the creek. I exhorted the brethren not to kill a serpent, bird, or an animal of any kind during our journey unless it became necessary in order to preserve ourselves from hunger. (May 26, 1834.) D.H.C. 2:71.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Friday, September 9, 2011
Initiation
Here is the first part of the second one I wrote.
The hunters in the sky began to light their distant white campfires. A sleepy owl called out and began to hunt for breakfast. A wolf pack sang farewell to the setting sun. The frogs and crickets began their nightly jazz session. And somewhere, deep in the forest, a young man stepped past the torches and took his place in the circle of stones.
Like all the young men and women gathered here, Bres was nude except for a loin cloth. Scars and tattoos earned in previous ordeals covered his body, their patterns echoing the turning of the wheel of the year, the patterns of the wilderness and the dance between this world and that of the spirits.
Bres’ shoulder-length fiery red hair and yellow-flecked moss colored eyes made clear his heritage as a descendent of the wild geese, the sons and daughters of the Gael who had scattered from their homeland two centuries before to escape English tyranny.
Now, after nineteen years the sun and the moon returned to the place where they had started that first Beltaine eve when Bres at five years of age had chosen and been accepted to begin the training that tonight, if he passed this final test, would finally allow him to serve the forest and the town of Abish hidden deep within it as a Druid warrior.
Here are the first fourteen lines of a story I wrote. I am posting it here in response to a challenge by John Michael Greer. I am only posting the first part so I don't lose any future publishing rights, but I am happy to e-mail the whole story to anyone who is interested.
Bres swung up into the tree where the trail bent. The young adult was wearing buckskins and moccasins and carried a longbow and quiver at his back. He bore an obsidian knife on his waist. He had eluded his pursuers so far, but he needed to be sure they were still following him away from the sacred places of the forest, the homes of the spirits of the forest and the places where Bres and his fellow Druids conducted their rituals of healing and maintaining the fertility. Behind them, deep in the forest and mountains that had been Glacier National Park before the United States government collapsed in 2015 following the end of obtainable oil and the resultant shut down of industry and most businesses, was the town of Abish. The community of about five thousand people had remained secret for nearly three decades while they struggled to survive, but recently they had been able to trade with other communities, hauling their goods out of the mountains by mule. That must have been what lured the robbers here. In the absence of any major government, those whose parents and grandparents had lived off welfare had turned to stealing from those who were willing to work for a living.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Enchantment as a Practical Response to Ecological Problems
There is a probably apocryphal legend about John DeLorean,who built the car from Back to the Future. The story goes that he wanted to cut down a certain tree to build his factory. Locals warned him that that tree was belovedand protected by the fair folk and begged him not to cut it down. He didn’t listen and his factory burned down.
Make Prayer to the Raven, a 1997 documentary by Mike Badgershares how the Koyukon of Alaska hunt bear every winter. When they kill a bear, they treat the carcasswith a great deal of ceremony. Thehunters first tie the bear’s arms and paws to a tree. They prepare and eat the bear withmindfulness. Finally, theytreat the bones in the same way they treat their own dead. The Koyukon do not boast about their hunting success,because to do so would offend the bear spirit and the bears wouldn’t givethemselves to the hunters any more.
As these stories show, our ancestors lived in an enchanted world, but since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has lost much of it's connection to magic and to the natural world. Consequently, our world has faced significant environmental degradation in the subsequent centuries. For example, many species have been driven to extinction and many others are at risk. A few weeks ago, a pipeline leaked oil into the Yellowstone River. We are running out of many natural resources, either because of finite amounts of those resources as in the case of fossil fuels or because of unsustainable harvests in the case of many renewable resources.
I believe that a vital part of restoring the balance between humans and the rest of the world is returning to a magical point of view. I am going to talk about three ways this will guide environmental behaviors and benefit our environmental outcomes.
In 1968, Garrett Hardin published an essay titled Tragedy of the Commons in the journal Science. He argued that any time a common resource was shared by more than one user, rational behavior would soon lead to the destruction of said resource. Each person, acting rationally will try to get the most short term benefit out it before the others use it up.
However, magicians know that every natural resource has it's own "owner." Whether it be the genii loci of the mountains or the rivers or the totem spirits of the bear or the elk, somebody is responsible for it. They lend us what we need, but they expect us to act ethically and pass it on in good condition.
As well as countering the tragedy of the commons, magical perspectives can help maximize the productivity of a resource without damaging it. A good example of this is the Findhorn Ecovilliage in Scotland. An August 4, 2007 Herald Scotland article titled "Findhorn eco-footprint is world's smallest," the community uses half the resources and produces half the waste of a typical United Kingdom community.
At the same time, they have managed to turn some of the worst ground in Scotland into some of the most productive. A major contributor to their success was one of the founders ability to communicate with the spirits of the land.
Finally, magic can be used to heal damaged landscapes. As John Michael Greer teaches in his 2007 book, The Druid Magic Handbook, ritual can be used to create patterns in the life force that encourage healing. These patterns can be anchored to standing stones and trees planted in the place you want to treat. Finally, the magician must take action such as picking up trash or planting trees. This establishes the pattern in the physical realm and commits the magician to it's success.
For most of you, I will be thrilled if you just exercise alittle mindfulness. Remember thateverything you eat and most of what you wear and use every day came from aliving being—even the paper you are taking notes on right now. Take a moment once in a while to remember andbe grateful for their sacrifice.
A very few of you may have felt a spark. Those few have the potential in passion, loveand drivet to become magicians. Theworld needs you, especially now. If youare one of those, please do some research and explore the path of magic. It’s a hard path, but rewarding and one inwhich you can do much good.
Thank you and may the blessings of nature be with you.
Yours under the eco-magical oaks,
Nathair /|\
Make Prayer to the Raven, a 1997 documentary by Mike Badgershares how the Koyukon of Alaska hunt bear every winter. When they kill a bear, they treat the carcasswith a great deal of ceremony. Thehunters first tie the bear’s arms and paws to a tree. They prepare and eat the bear withmindfulness. Finally, theytreat the bones in the same way they treat their own dead. The Koyukon do not boast about their hunting success,because to do so would offend the bear spirit and the bears wouldn’t givethemselves to the hunters any more.
As these stories show, our ancestors lived in an enchanted world, but since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has lost much of it's connection to magic and to the natural world. Consequently, our world has faced significant environmental degradation in the subsequent centuries. For example, many species have been driven to extinction and many others are at risk. A few weeks ago, a pipeline leaked oil into the Yellowstone River. We are running out of many natural resources, either because of finite amounts of those resources as in the case of fossil fuels or because of unsustainable harvests in the case of many renewable resources.
I believe that a vital part of restoring the balance between humans and the rest of the world is returning to a magical point of view. I am going to talk about three ways this will guide environmental behaviors and benefit our environmental outcomes.
In 1968, Garrett Hardin published an essay titled Tragedy of the Commons in the journal Science. He argued that any time a common resource was shared by more than one user, rational behavior would soon lead to the destruction of said resource. Each person, acting rationally will try to get the most short term benefit out it before the others use it up.
However, magicians know that every natural resource has it's own "owner." Whether it be the genii loci of the mountains or the rivers or the totem spirits of the bear or the elk, somebody is responsible for it. They lend us what we need, but they expect us to act ethically and pass it on in good condition.
As well as countering the tragedy of the commons, magical perspectives can help maximize the productivity of a resource without damaging it. A good example of this is the Findhorn Ecovilliage in Scotland. An August 4, 2007 Herald Scotland article titled "Findhorn eco-footprint is world's smallest," the community uses half the resources and produces half the waste of a typical United Kingdom community.
At the same time, they have managed to turn some of the worst ground in Scotland into some of the most productive. A major contributor to their success was one of the founders ability to communicate with the spirits of the land.
Finally, magic can be used to heal damaged landscapes. As John Michael Greer teaches in his 2007 book, The Druid Magic Handbook, ritual can be used to create patterns in the life force that encourage healing. These patterns can be anchored to standing stones and trees planted in the place you want to treat. Finally, the magician must take action such as picking up trash or planting trees. This establishes the pattern in the physical realm and commits the magician to it's success.
For most of you, I will be thrilled if you just exercise alittle mindfulness. Remember thateverything you eat and most of what you wear and use every day came from aliving being—even the paper you are taking notes on right now. Take a moment once in a while to remember andbe grateful for their sacrifice.
A very few of you may have felt a spark. Those few have the potential in passion, loveand drivet to become magicians. Theworld needs you, especially now. If youare one of those, please do some research and explore the path of magic. It’s a hard path, but rewarding and one inwhich you can do much good.
Thank you and may the blessings of nature be with you.
Yours under the eco-magical oaks,
Nathair /|\
Monday, May 16, 2011
Re-enchanting the World
As I said in another thread, I believe that the loss of enchantment in the world is one of the most significant root problems in the world today, being a major factor in many of the problems of our age. As I promised, it's time to discuss the loss of enchantment and what some of us are doing to bring it back.
Before the modern age and the rise of scientific materialism, we saw the world as full of magic. The river you are crossing had it's own genius loci, that tree might be a home for a Dryad, or the hill behind your village might be the dwelling of An Daoine Sidhe. The world spoke in the wind in the trees or the flight of birds. Even man-made places could become the homes of extra-corporeal beings. Brownies and pixies even lived with humans, helping with chores, caring for livestock or pulling pranks on those who displeased them.
The Faeries Plea
We who dance beneath the hill
We who dwell in the oak and elm
We hidden ones of legend and song
We entreat thee
Come dance again in the toadstool ring
Leave your gifts in the De’ils croft
Put your songs in standing stones,
And we repay
A thousand times and a thousand more
We return all gifts and honors,
To your wise men, your bards we impart great lore
For the price of a song or spell
Your fields will bloom; your herds will be fat
For a little butter and porridge
The veil thickens, the pathways close
When you forget us, your friends
The garden withers, the wasteland grows,
Because you no longer invite us in.
So remember us, call us back
Ere we are gone forever.
And with us goes the life of the land
And the hearts of your children will fail.
It seems to me that this perspective provides a great deal of protection. It's a lot harder to pave over a grove of trees when you understand that it's the home of an intelligent being with rights to life and happiness. It's harder to be unkind to another person when you know he or she is a divine being.
Beginning in the industrial revolution, philosophers, scientists and businessmen began to systematically destroy the perspective of enchantment. Rene Descartes taught that even animals didn't have spirits or awareness. He believed that one could, with perfect ethics, vivisect a conscious dog because it didn't really feel pain or awareness, but was merely responding to stimuli. His world was one where bodies, even human bodies, were nothing more than machines. From this point of view, there is nothing wrong with clear-cutting a forest to build a strip mall or dumping toxic waste in the river as long as humans aren't harmed. Some have even gone so far as to see other humans, especially those outside one's monkeysphere, as not worth caring about, leading to driving ordinary people from their homes to build a factory or high-rise office building.
In Druid philosophy, as in many similar systems, all life depends for it's survival on what Taoists call chi, the life force, an energy that makes the difference between mere matter, like concrete, and something that's alive. Those who can see it are reported as saying that the life force is weak, sickly, or even absent around areas of industrial pollution.
There's an apocryphal story about John DeLorean that effectively illustrates at least part of what I'm trying to get across. Seems when he was building a factory, there was a faerie tree he wanted cut down. I don't recall if it was in the way or he wanted the lumber from it. The people begged him to leave the tree alone, but he went ahead with his plans. His factory burned down and we all know what happened to him after.
I think it's clear that from my perspective, our world desperately needs more enchantment, especially if those who predict a collapse in our present society are correct. If we can no longer depend on cheap energy, functioning economic systems and stable government, we will have to find other solutions. But even in our present conditions, a return to enchantment would be a powerful boon in our everyday lives and in our relationships with each other and with the world.
Fortunately, there are methods to do so. Sometimes, I like to stop at a tree and express my appreciation for it's beauty and it's work in absorbing poisons and releasing oxygen, food and shelter. Others like to plant gardens, something I hope to do more of in the future, or talk to their houseplants. Even storytelling, imaginal play, and other forms of bardcraft can be important. Enchantment literally means "to put a song into" something.
In a Native American studies course I took last summer, we discussed a tribe who, when they hunted bears, treated the carcass with a great deal of respect and ritual. They were careful not to give the appearance of boasting since they recognized that the bear--indeed all game-- gave itself to them. They hung the bear's front paws from a tree, then treated whatever remaining parts of the bear they did not use the same as they treated human remains. Another tribe, caribou hunters, would not enter certain areas, reserving them to the caribou. In return, for this kind of respect, traditional peoples maintained a sustainable resource base.
I believe that before taking a life, any life, one should consider well the implications of doing so. I eat meat, I've raised meat animals and I've hunted for food. I have no moral problem with weeding a garden, cutting down a tree for lumber, paper or cropland. I'm not saying these are bad things. But I think you should understand the trade off. And I think you should show the proper gratitude for the sacrifice being made. One more method, which I am participating in to the extent of my small abilities, is the same method by which enchantment was put into the world in the first place, ie. magic. A mage can "charge" an object, whether it be a tool, or something like a standing stone with the life force and tune it for his bidding. Some have done such things as inviting chi into an area that has been neglected or polluted, anchoring it in place to provide healing. One community, Findhorn, turned one of the most unfertile spots in Scotland into a place of unimaginable yields by listening to the genius loci and working with it to bring healing and fertility.
Yours under the magical oaks,
Nathair /|\
Before the modern age and the rise of scientific materialism, we saw the world as full of magic. The river you are crossing had it's own genius loci, that tree might be a home for a Dryad, or the hill behind your village might be the dwelling of An Daoine Sidhe. The world spoke in the wind in the trees or the flight of birds. Even man-made places could become the homes of extra-corporeal beings. Brownies and pixies even lived with humans, helping with chores, caring for livestock or pulling pranks on those who displeased them.
The Faeries Plea
We who dance beneath the hill
We who dwell in the oak and elm
We hidden ones of legend and song
We entreat thee
Come dance again in the toadstool ring
Leave your gifts in the De’ils croft
Put your songs in standing stones,
And we repay
A thousand times and a thousand more
We return all gifts and honors,
To your wise men, your bards we impart great lore
For the price of a song or spell
Your fields will bloom; your herds will be fat
For a little butter and porridge
The veil thickens, the pathways close
When you forget us, your friends
The garden withers, the wasteland grows,
Because you no longer invite us in.
So remember us, call us back
Ere we are gone forever.
And with us goes the life of the land
And the hearts of your children will fail.
It seems to me that this perspective provides a great deal of protection. It's a lot harder to pave over a grove of trees when you understand that it's the home of an intelligent being with rights to life and happiness. It's harder to be unkind to another person when you know he or she is a divine being.
Beginning in the industrial revolution, philosophers, scientists and businessmen began to systematically destroy the perspective of enchantment. Rene Descartes taught that even animals didn't have spirits or awareness. He believed that one could, with perfect ethics, vivisect a conscious dog because it didn't really feel pain or awareness, but was merely responding to stimuli. His world was one where bodies, even human bodies, were nothing more than machines. From this point of view, there is nothing wrong with clear-cutting a forest to build a strip mall or dumping toxic waste in the river as long as humans aren't harmed. Some have even gone so far as to see other humans, especially those outside one's monkeysphere, as not worth caring about, leading to driving ordinary people from their homes to build a factory or high-rise office building.
In Druid philosophy, as in many similar systems, all life depends for it's survival on what Taoists call chi, the life force, an energy that makes the difference between mere matter, like concrete, and something that's alive. Those who can see it are reported as saying that the life force is weak, sickly, or even absent around areas of industrial pollution.
There's an apocryphal story about John DeLorean that effectively illustrates at least part of what I'm trying to get across. Seems when he was building a factory, there was a faerie tree he wanted cut down. I don't recall if it was in the way or he wanted the lumber from it. The people begged him to leave the tree alone, but he went ahead with his plans. His factory burned down and we all know what happened to him after.
I think it's clear that from my perspective, our world desperately needs more enchantment, especially if those who predict a collapse in our present society are correct. If we can no longer depend on cheap energy, functioning economic systems and stable government, we will have to find other solutions. But even in our present conditions, a return to enchantment would be a powerful boon in our everyday lives and in our relationships with each other and with the world.
Fortunately, there are methods to do so. Sometimes, I like to stop at a tree and express my appreciation for it's beauty and it's work in absorbing poisons and releasing oxygen, food and shelter. Others like to plant gardens, something I hope to do more of in the future, or talk to their houseplants. Even storytelling, imaginal play, and other forms of bardcraft can be important. Enchantment literally means "to put a song into" something.
In a Native American studies course I took last summer, we discussed a tribe who, when they hunted bears, treated the carcass with a great deal of respect and ritual. They were careful not to give the appearance of boasting since they recognized that the bear--indeed all game-- gave itself to them. They hung the bear's front paws from a tree, then treated whatever remaining parts of the bear they did not use the same as they treated human remains. Another tribe, caribou hunters, would not enter certain areas, reserving them to the caribou. In return, for this kind of respect, traditional peoples maintained a sustainable resource base.
I believe that before taking a life, any life, one should consider well the implications of doing so. I eat meat, I've raised meat animals and I've hunted for food. I have no moral problem with weeding a garden, cutting down a tree for lumber, paper or cropland. I'm not saying these are bad things. But I think you should understand the trade off. And I think you should show the proper gratitude for the sacrifice being made. One more method, which I am participating in to the extent of my small abilities, is the same method by which enchantment was put into the world in the first place, ie. magic. A mage can "charge" an object, whether it be a tool, or something like a standing stone with the life force and tune it for his bidding. Some have done such things as inviting chi into an area that has been neglected or polluted, anchoring it in place to provide healing. One community, Findhorn, turned one of the most unfertile spots in Scotland into a place of unimaginable yields by listening to the genius loci and working with it to bring healing and fertility.
Yours under the magical oaks,
Nathair /|\
Sunday, May 1, 2011
AODA Candidate initiation, finally
I finally managed to gather all the necessary supplies and perform my initiation as a Druid Candidate in the Ancient Order of Druids in America today. I've been preparing since March 21 of 2008 for this day. I am deeply moved and joyful for this day. It's been a great day for my spirituality.
The Native American center here at the university has an outdoor ceremonial firepit which they were kind enough to let me use. An Cailleach na Beara has not quite let go of the Missoula valley (it snowed the other day), but though the sky was cloudy, there was little wind and pleasant temperature for the afternoon.
The Native American center here at the university has an outdoor ceremonial firepit which they were kind enough to let me use. An Cailleach na Beara has not quite let go of the Missoula valley (it snowed the other day), but though the sky was cloudy, there was little wind and pleasant temperature for the afternoon.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Kerry Shirts on the Kaballah for Latter-Day Saints.
I'm still waiting to get my computer back so I can finish my post on human spiritual potential. In the meantime, I wanted to share a video from Kerry Shirts who, while not a Druid in name, has pioneered for me the path of bringing in material from the occult and pagan world and applying it to LDS thought.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A favorite LDS Druid song
I've been working on a major post on human spiritual potential for a while now. Sadly, it's taking too long and probably won't be up before Beltaine. So I don't leave you too long, I thought I would share a primary children's song that describes a big part of what Druidry means to me.
Whenever I hear the song of a bird
Or look at the blue, blue sky,
Whenever I feel the rain on my face
Or the wind as it rushes by,
Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by a lilac tree,
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heavenly Father created for me.
He gave me my eyes that I might see
The color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears that I might hear
The magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart:
I thank him reverently
For all his creations, of which I'm a part.
Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.
My Heavenly Father Loves Me
Whenever I hear the song of a bird
Or look at the blue, blue sky,
Whenever I feel the rain on my face
Or the wind as it rushes by,
Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by a lilac tree,
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heavenly Father created for me.
He gave me my eyes that I might see
The color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears that I might hear
The magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart:
I thank him reverently
For all his creations, of which I'm a part.
Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Making Peace
One of the things ancient Druids were known for was their ability to make peace. They were so respected in this role that they could walk between two opposing armies and the battle would completely stop.
There are several groups in the world today who have no business fighting each other. ;They have bigger problems to worry about and would be significantly better off if they could get along. I am thinking specifically of the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq, and the Palestinians and Israelis in the Near East as well as many others.
As Latter-Day Saints, we don't need to take sides in any of these conflicts, We have reason in our traditions to support both sides and encourage them to get along.
So, it seems to me that LDS Druids could play a valuable role in stopping the pointless fighting, smacking the various parties upside their collective heads where necessary and getting them to sit down and work things out so they can get along.
There are several groups in the world today who have no business fighting each other. ;They have bigger problems to worry about and would be significantly better off if they could get along. I am thinking specifically of the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq, and the Palestinians and Israelis in the Near East as well as many others.
As Latter-Day Saints, we don't need to take sides in any of these conflicts, We have reason in our traditions to support both sides and encourage them to get along.
So, it seems to me that LDS Druids could play a valuable role in stopping the pointless fighting, smacking the various parties upside their collective heads where necessary and getting them to sit down and work things out so they can get along.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
My best definitions of some magical terms.
Magic
Dion Fortune, a leader in the original Golden Dawn and one of the most important Hermetic mages of the past century defined it as "Causing change in consciousness in accordance with will." Magic typically involves manipulating the life force (what Chinese and Japanese martial artists call chi or ki and Jedi call "the Force," the Hebrew word is ruach and my Druid tradition calls it Nwyfre.) It is typically done either through imagination/visualization, physical movement (eg. dance, martial arts), or using materials that are naturally charged with certain qualities of Nwyfre (eg. Juniper bushes are said to keep thieves away and elm trees are said to attract Faeries); combined with intent. Other plants, animals and minerals have their own effects and properties.)
The effects can be enhanced by ritual, by music and by timing the work to days when the spiritus mundi or general nwyfre of the earth are strong in certain qualities. One can also enchant (literally: to put a song in something) certain objects or places to help them in their work or to have a long term effect without needing to work magic every time. One might enchant a stone in their garden to increase productivity or prepare a satchel of herbs and minerals and keep it where they practice a musical instrument to increase the rate of improvement.
However, the one thing that must not be neglected if one wants to learn magic is regular practice, just like if one wants to be an artist, they have to practice. For this reason, many mages say that all human activities, without exception, are forms of magic.
Occult
Literally means hidden or unseen. Occult typically refers to any activity taught only to those who have been initiated. In a general sense, it includes groups like the Freemasons or Odd Fellows.
Sorcery
The only kind of magic prohibited in restoration scripture. It refers to powers derived from evil entities (eg. Satan) or evil acts (eg. involuntary human sacrifice or torture of any living being.) Much of what Alister Crowley did and virtually anything promoted by Anton LaVey qualifies.. Sorcery can also refer to claiming magical abilities, either pretend or real, in order to deceive and get money, power, etc. Goetia is a type of sorcery under the literal definition of invoking evil entities. However, it can also involve improving psychological health by dealing with ones shadow side or personal demons (ie. damaged parts of the psyche.)
Black Magic
Any act involving sorcery or magic for evil purposes. Black magic always burns it's caster. Curses always rebound. However, magic for the purpose of ensuring a criminal will be caught, for example, is not black magic unless motivations are evil.
Hope this helps.
Yours under the theoretical oaks,
Nathair /|\
Dion Fortune, a leader in the original Golden Dawn and one of the most important Hermetic mages of the past century defined it as "Causing change in consciousness in accordance with will." Magic typically involves manipulating the life force (what Chinese and Japanese martial artists call chi or ki and Jedi call "the Force," the Hebrew word is ruach and my Druid tradition calls it Nwyfre.) It is typically done either through imagination/visualization, physical movement (eg. dance, martial arts), or using materials that are naturally charged with certain qualities of Nwyfre (eg. Juniper bushes are said to keep thieves away and elm trees are said to attract Faeries); combined with intent. Other plants, animals and minerals have their own effects and properties.)
The effects can be enhanced by ritual, by music and by timing the work to days when the spiritus mundi or general nwyfre of the earth are strong in certain qualities. One can also enchant (literally: to put a song in something) certain objects or places to help them in their work or to have a long term effect without needing to work magic every time. One might enchant a stone in their garden to increase productivity or prepare a satchel of herbs and minerals and keep it where they practice a musical instrument to increase the rate of improvement.
However, the one thing that must not be neglected if one wants to learn magic is regular practice, just like if one wants to be an artist, they have to practice. For this reason, many mages say that all human activities, without exception, are forms of magic.
Occult
Literally means hidden or unseen. Occult typically refers to any activity taught only to those who have been initiated. In a general sense, it includes groups like the Freemasons or Odd Fellows.
Sorcery
The only kind of magic prohibited in restoration scripture. It refers to powers derived from evil entities (eg. Satan) or evil acts (eg. involuntary human sacrifice or torture of any living being.) Much of what Alister Crowley did and virtually anything promoted by Anton LaVey qualifies.. Sorcery can also refer to claiming magical abilities, either pretend or real, in order to deceive and get money, power, etc. Goetia is a type of sorcery under the literal definition of invoking evil entities. However, it can also involve improving psychological health by dealing with ones shadow side or personal demons (ie. damaged parts of the psyche.)
Black Magic
Any act involving sorcery or magic for evil purposes. Black magic always burns it's caster. Curses always rebound. However, magic for the purpose of ensuring a criminal will be caught, for example, is not black magic unless motivations are evil.
Hope this helps.
Yours under the theoretical oaks,
Nathair /|\
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A wee cautionary tale about magic
f Protection ritual as described in the Druid Magic Handbook. After doing it using the general invocations/ banishings for a few weeks I lost my job. This kicked in a series of events that two years later led to me going back to the University this past May. It was a difficult two years though, barely making enough money to survive with the help of family and friends.
Since starting School, I have finally been stable enough to start working seriously on my Druidry and Magic again, working the SoP the same way. On the first of August, I lost my apartment and the University decided to verify my income so my financial aid is delayed.
Perhaps I am being stupidly ram-headed stubborn (I am an Aries and a Celtic Barbarian) but I have no intention of stopping. I am sure that like before, this will put me in a better place eventually.
Since starting School, I have finally been stable enough to start working seriously on my Druidry and Magic again, working the SoP the same way. On the first of August, I lost my apartment and the University decided to verify my income so my financial aid is delayed.
Perhaps I am being stupidly ram-headed stubborn (I am an Aries and a Celtic Barbarian) but I have no intention of stopping. I am sure that like before, this will put me in a better place eventually.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Magic and a Latter-day Saint worldview.
Disclaimer: nothing in this post should be taken aspostulating that every member of the Church should practice magic or thatmagical practice and theory should be taught or promoted by the Church. Rather, it falls under the principle taughtin D&C 58:27.
Definition and Theory
Christian mage Dion Fortune defined magic as “the art andscience of causing change in consciousness in accordance with will.” This definition should be read along with theprinciple that ‘every energy is an entity and every entity is an energy.”
Magic depends on the life force; called ruach by theHebrews, Ki by the Japanese, ea by the Hawaiians, prana by the Hindus and TheForce by George Lucas in his Star Wars films. This “energy,” for lack of a better English term, is as much a part ofnature and reality as gravity and electromagnetism. Anyone can learn through simple methods tosense it. Magic works by influencing thelife force, which then affects the world.
Magic can only do things that nature can do; that is: itcannot, for example, cause rain to fall out of a clear blue sky. Rather the barometric pressure drops, thewind shifts, clouds roll in and rain starts to fall. What makes it magical is that it comes inresponse to the mage’s intent expressed through ritual or other techniques.
Magical Ethics
For me, the core of magical ethics is the principle taughtin Moroni 7:16-17 and the golden rule. In other words, if you are working magic to do good or if it brings youcloser to Christ, then it is ethical. Ifyour magic drives you away from Christ or if you are working magic on anotherthat you wouldn’t want done to you, it is not ethical.
The second stage of magical ethics is the practical “strawberryjam” rule; you can’t do anything magically without getting a little onyourself. This is because magic works byyour intent. If you create a pattern ofintentionality in the life force of doing harm, you define yourself as someonewho does harm and eventually even when you are trying not to do harm, thepatterns you have created lead you to do harm anyway. The converse is also true.
Unintentional Magic.
It is quite common that someone might work magic withoutrealizing that is what s/he is doing. For example, if you repeatedly tell yourself that you are positive,intelligent, competent, etc; sooner or later, you will be. I have also on occasion seen Christian bands(who would be horrified at the idea they were working magic) quite effectivelycreate a group mind, unifying theaudience in the act of worship.
Definition and Theory
Christian mage Dion Fortune defined magic as “the art andscience of causing change in consciousness in accordance with will.” This definition should be read along with theprinciple that ‘every energy is an entity and every entity is an energy.”
Magic depends on the life force; called ruach by theHebrews, Ki by the Japanese, ea by the Hawaiians, prana by the Hindus and TheForce by George Lucas in his Star Wars films. This “energy,” for lack of a better English term, is as much a part ofnature and reality as gravity and electromagnetism. Anyone can learn through simple methods tosense it. Magic works by influencing thelife force, which then affects the world.
Magic can only do things that nature can do; that is: itcannot, for example, cause rain to fall out of a clear blue sky. Rather the barometric pressure drops, thewind shifts, clouds roll in and rain starts to fall. What makes it magical is that it comes inresponse to the mage’s intent expressed through ritual or other techniques.
Magical Ethics
For me, the core of magical ethics is the principle taughtin Moroni 7:16-17 and the golden rule. In other words, if you are working magic to do good or if it brings youcloser to Christ, then it is ethical. Ifyour magic drives you away from Christ or if you are working magic on anotherthat you wouldn’t want done to you, it is not ethical.
The second stage of magical ethics is the practical “strawberryjam” rule; you can’t do anything magically without getting a little onyourself. This is because magic works byyour intent. If you create a pattern ofintentionality in the life force of doing harm, you define yourself as someonewho does harm and eventually even when you are trying not to do harm, thepatterns you have created lead you to do harm anyway. The converse is also true.
Unintentional Magic.
It is quite common that someone might work magic withoutrealizing that is what s/he is doing. For example, if you repeatedly tell yourself that you are positive,intelligent, competent, etc; sooner or later, you will be. I have also on occasion seen Christian bands(who would be horrified at the idea they were working magic) quite effectivelycreate a group mind, unifying theaudience in the act of worship.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The legend of the Stone of Scone
According to Genesis, when Jacob/Israel was returning home from his in-laws', he camped one night and had a dream of a ladder to heaven with angels ascending and descending and God standing on it. When he woke, Jacob set up the stone, anointed it and called the place Beth-el.
Legend has it that when Babylon conquered Jerusalem, Jeremiah took some of King Zedekiah's daughters and the stone to Tara Hill in Eire. There, it may have been named the Lia Fail (some sources apply that name to a different stone at Tara). The stone of Bethel was used in the coronation of the High Kings of Eire. The claimant would stand on it and if it groaned, he was known to be the rightful Ard Righ (High King).
Now, we come to times a little better documented. When Fergus MacErca sailed from Eire to Alba to become king of a united Scotland, he took the stone with him. St Columba prophesied that wherever the stone was, a king of MacErca's line would always reign. In Scotland, the stone was kept at Scone from whence it received the appellation "the Stone of Scone."
During his attempt to subjugate Scotland, the dastardly Edward I (Longshanks) took a stone from Scone to London where it was installed in the English coronation chair. He certainly believed it was the original, but some say the stones were switched and Longshanks got a fake. Whatever happened, English monarchs have been enthroned on it ever since. There is no record of it ever groaning for any of the Sassenach (English) sovereigns, at least not that I can find.
Queen Elizabeth II (of England) and I of Great Britain, sent the stone and the chair back to Scotland with the stipulation that it be returned in time for the next coronation.
Where will it go next? Well, use your imagination, but some have suggested that it might be used in the foundation of the future Jerusalem temple.
Yours under the royal oaks,
Nathair /|\
Legend has it that when Babylon conquered Jerusalem, Jeremiah took some of King Zedekiah's daughters and the stone to Tara Hill in Eire. There, it may have been named the Lia Fail (some sources apply that name to a different stone at Tara). The stone of Bethel was used in the coronation of the High Kings of Eire. The claimant would stand on it and if it groaned, he was known to be the rightful Ard Righ (High King).
Now, we come to times a little better documented. When Fergus MacErca sailed from Eire to Alba to become king of a united Scotland, he took the stone with him. St Columba prophesied that wherever the stone was, a king of MacErca's line would always reign. In Scotland, the stone was kept at Scone from whence it received the appellation "the Stone of Scone."
During his attempt to subjugate Scotland, the dastardly Edward I (Longshanks) took a stone from Scone to London where it was installed in the English coronation chair. He certainly believed it was the original, but some say the stones were switched and Longshanks got a fake. Whatever happened, English monarchs have been enthroned on it ever since. There is no record of it ever groaning for any of the Sassenach (English) sovereigns, at least not that I can find.
Queen Elizabeth II (of England) and I of Great Britain, sent the stone and the chair back to Scotland with the stipulation that it be returned in time for the next coronation.
Where will it go next? Well, use your imagination, but some have suggested that it might be used in the foundation of the future Jerusalem temple.
Yours under the royal oaks,
Nathair /|\
Friday, June 4, 2010
Some relevant quotes
The inquiry is frequently made of me, "Wherein do you differ from others in your religious views?" In reality and essence we do not differ so far in our religious views, but that we could all drink into one principle of love. One of the grand fundamental principles of "Mormonism" is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may. [Teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith, p. 313]
Have the Presbyterians any truth? Yes. Have the Baptists, Methodists, etc., any truth? Yes. They all have a little truth mixed with error. We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true "Mormons." [Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 316]
Saturday, May 22, 2010
What is a Druid
A reader of this blog recently asked me to define what a Druid is. This is an interesting challenge because there is no consensus. Ask any three Druids the same question and you will get at least six different answers. That is nowhere more true than in the question of what makes one a Druid. So, the best I can do is explain what a Druid is to me.
My short answer is: A Druid is a wise man who specializes in man's relationship with nature and the otherworld and reminds us that we are fully part of both.
Here are what I think are some fundamental characteristics of Druids. Feel free to add to and take away from this list as your Awen (Spirit of Inspiration) guides you.
A love of nature and wilderness
Creativity: this can take any form you find ethical
Wisdom
Living in harmony with the rest of creation to the best of ones ability
A desire to preserve, disseminate and enhance knowledge
Awareness of the divine in all things including yourself and each other.
Phillip Carr-Gomm's three mystical Druid senses:common sense, a sense of proportion, and a sense of humour
Seeking enlightenment and wisdom from nature and inspiration.
Recognition of the power of words and language; (John 1)That's enough for now. Feel free to add more in the comment section.
Yours under the non-definitive oaks
Nathair /|\
Friday, May 21, 2010
Prominent Latter-Day Saints who should have been Druids.
The following is a list of a few prominent Latter-Day Saints who I consider to be Druids in all but name. In other words, though they didn't (as far as I know) think of them selves as Druids or use the title, their lifestyles and teachings are consistent with the highest values of Druidry.
Hugh Nibley
An absolutely brilliant man, the Einstein of Mormon Scholarship, He was both warrior (intelligence officer for the Screaming Eagles) and a peace maker, a man of great scholarship and great spirituality, and one who found spiritual solace in wild places. He wrote positively on Hermetics, one of the main influences in the Druid Revival.
Brigham Young
Made the desert blossom as a rose, he knew the power of fertility. Nibley wrote a book on Brigham Young and the Environment and stated that BY lived up to the highest ideals of Hermeticism. The fact that such a book is possible marks Brigham as one of the greatest of my LDS para-Druids.
Spencer W. Kimball
Ephraim K. Hanks
I will add more names and commentary in a future post. Feel free to suggest any others you wish.
Yours under the fellowshipping oaks
Nathair /|\
Intro
I am a Latter-Day Saint and I want to be a Druid. This blog is an attempt to explain how they work together and do not conflict. It will start out as a collection of random ideas and quotes, but I hope to soon make it into a consistent whole. Many, including my parents, are disturbed by my interest in Druidry because they only know about NeoPagan Druidism. They are two different things. Druidry means, for me, a participant in the Druid Revival, which started in the seventeenth century as a response to growing environmental degradation, Cartesian philosophy and the power of established state churches. It is not a religion, but a craft as indicated by the "-ry" suffix. It is spiritual in the same sense as Freemasonry and like that craft, it can be applied to almost any religion. Gordon Cooper, one of the Archdruids of the Ancient Order of Druidry in America even told me in a private conversation about an atheist who found in all he needed spiritually in Druidry. I hope you can help me make this blog informative and readable. Polite comments are always welcome. Vulgarity, profanity and rudeness in comments will be edited or deleted, though I retain the right to say what I find appropriate.
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