Science is ever evolving

 One of the things that has become quite clear, in recent times, is how little people as a whole understand how science and facts work.  One of the things that separates science from faith is the ability to ask questions with answers.  Faith seeks to question that which can't be known, it asks the big questions, the ones that don't have answers.  Faith is about asking the questions because in exploring what the answers might be, we discover truths that we wouldn't otherwise know.

Science, on the other hand, is about trying to actually answer questions.  Sure, sometimes the questions are big, but the point is to figure things out, not to simply question.  Where people tend to get lost is that answers aren't absolute.  Just because we answer a question today doesn't mean that tomorrow a different answer might reveal itself.  

And here's the tricky part.  When we find a new truth, we have to accept that an old answer is false.  What we don't need to do is declare the old answer a lie.  At the time, that answer was true, as far as we knew it, and we acted on that truth as best as we were able.  Life isn't static, we are constantly changing and growing and discovering new stuff, and as we do, we need to learn how to adapt to this changing truth.

This is a lesson that will serve people well in all areas of their lives, because as I just stated, life is ever changing.  I am not the same person today that I was yesterday, because each moment that I exist I experience something new (even repeated items are 'new' in that it will be the millionth time I've done that particular thing), and each new experience changes how I respond to future events.  

The thing is, we can look back and see how things were wrong and still acknowledge that, in the time in which that information existed, it was what was we believed to be true.  Being able to separate truth as we know it now from truth as it was believed then is a huge concept that plays a vital role in our understanding of history.  We can look back and see the thoughts of the day, and see how people thought they were taking just and honest actions, and at the same time we can recognize how we have learned new truths that make those actions unthinkable in the current day and age.

And here's the other thing:  we can't hold back from acting on the truth of the day, just because we know that it's not complete!  If we wait until we feel like we know everything, often the moment for ideal action will have passed.  All we can do is take the best action we can, in every moment, based on the information we have.

This means staying current on information as best as you are able.  It means reading and being open to new facts, new theories, new ideas and new truths.  Just because something has been an accepted truth for hundreds of years doesn't mean we can't suddenly realize that it's not actually true.

This can be really hard to move on from, especially when we change how we fundamentally view the world.  This means we may have to abandon what we thought were very basic concepts, and completely start over, figuring out what is what from the start.  And this kind of radical change is pretty scary, and often involves admitting that we may have done things in the past that weren't noble or honorable or even ethical.

But just as we can let go of old ideas, we can also let go of the guilt we have for our past and past actions.  Even if we thought we were doing something right, if we realize we did something less desirable, we can apologize to people we may have hurt.  Making amends for prior actions doesn't mean you need to keep beating yourself up today, it simply means you are acknowledging your own growth, and expressing your desire to be better to people who may have suffered because of you.

I think part of why we often struggle with the idea of science and 'facts' changing is that we want the world around us to be stable and solid and eternal.  When things change, we have to change with them, and sometimes we fight back against that change.  If we learn to shift our perspective instead to one of discovery, where each change is a brand new world to explore, a brand new set of experiences and ideas to play with, we may find that the change becomes exciting instead of terror inducing.

Nothing in life is certain except for change.  And so, we need to stay mindful that long established thoughts need to be challenged from time to time, just to make sure they are still valid.  No matter how long we have stood by a belief, if we can't honestly look and see if it's still true based on what our current life experiences have taught us, then we aren't fully embracing it...we are just hiding behind our habits.

Redefining group work

 When we speak of magical group work, we typically have an idea of what that means.  We may think of a coven that regularly works together, or it might be a festival where strangers gather and do ritual together.  But almost always it is a physical space where multiple people work together towards a common goal.

And it makes sense that this is the traditional model for group work.  I started my spiritual journey a quarter of a century ago, right at the start of the internet (okay, technically the internet had been around for a handful of years before that, but it wasn't really a thing, and in the early days occult stuff on the internet was really sketchy), so everything was done in meatspace.

In fact, distance learning of any kind just wasn't done.  I often heard things like, "if it was really important to you, you'd find a way to travel to the group you want to work with," or stuff like that.  It was basically accepted that 'making it to meetings' was part of your responsibility as a witch, and that not being able to drive an hour or more each way for every coven gathering meant you weren't dedicated.

But, in the time since then (and especially over the past year or two, with the pandemic forcing people to find new ways of doing things), our ability to gather digitally has exploded.  Where we used to have emails and message boards (yes, I'm dating myself), now we have a million options for live chats, for live video streams and video calls.  

Now, if you have been hanging out with online magical communities you will know that digital group work isn't a new thing.  Worldwide planned rituals and spells have been going on pretty much as long as there has been internet (probably before that, but it's much easier now)!  The fantastic thing about working this way is that you aren't constrained by space (or even time), and everyone who wants to participate can. 

 

But in many ways, this is still a form of solitary work.  Each participant will do their own ritual (either following a set form or really making their own), and mostly just the focus of the work is shared.  While the benefit of having many people working towards the same goal is there, the sense of community isn't as present.

However, doing rituals in real time takes things to a whole other level.  It creates a sense of interaction and community that is missing from previous ways of working together remotely.  Being able to call and respond or to see what other people are doing makes it feel as if you aren't just doing your own thing.

 

But community and group work isn't always just about one-off rituals.  Many groups have formed entirely online, building true bonds of friendship and connection that people used to get from covens and other local groups.  

 

A lot of people still struggle with the idea of 'online friends', people who you have never met in person but who are real and true friends.  Speaking as someone who has quite a few, really awesome and long term online friends, I know that they can be just as real and important as people you have met face too face.

 

In the same way, people you work with and discuss magical things with can be just as important to our paths and practices, even if we only know them online.  We can work closely with people, share our insights, breakthroughs and concerns.  Our online groups can be just as supportive and nourishing as physical groups.

 

Plus, you have the added convenience of being able to work around the other parts of your life.  One of the greatest things (in my opinion) about online communication is that it doesn't have to happen in real time.  I can message someone or make a post, and other people can respond when they are able.  I can 'talk' with people in very different time zones, and a conversation may take a bit longer, but it expands your circle, it lets you share ideas with people who have very different daily experiences.

 

Even planning real-time virtual events is often easier than trying to plan a physical meetup.  It removes travel, which can add a lot of time to an event (and might exclude some people straight off, if they don't have reliable transportation or child care or the like).  It is much easier to fit in a half hour video call than it is to try to carve out a five hour block of time to cover travel, socialization, setup and clean up...and actually doing the thing.

 

As a magical community, we've changed our attitudes towards solitary work, and it is no longer seen as something that people do because they can't find (or be accepted by) a group.  Being self-taught and eclectic doesn't have the stigma that it used to have. It is high time we start adjusting our views on group work in the same way.  Groups come in all types, and working with others can be done in many ways to fit many different people.  It make take some getting used to, especially if you aren't that tech savvy, but it is well worth the effort to try different groups and find one that works for you!

In honor of books...

 I saw a meme the other day that questioned why we don't have awards for books the same way we do for movies or T.V.  Sure, we have lists, like the New York Best sellers or awards like the National Book awards, and of course getting on Oprah's Book Club is a huge thing.  But wouldn't it be fantastic to have awards like, "Most exciting plot twist," or "Best supporting character"?  

I've ranted before that the written word isn't given the same attention and hype that other forms of artistic expression are afforded.  Actually sitting down to read is often seen as tedious or something that people can't afford to take time to do.  Audio books are huge, promoting the ability to consume a book while you drive or run or do chores or whatever else you want to do while listening to the book.  

People will drop five bucks on a coffee (ugh I really hate that comparison, as I almost never pay that much for coffee..but yeah), some music, a picture...but not a book.  People will flip through magazines and look at the pictures, but books filled with nothing but words turn them away.  They will stop scrolling to read a dozen memes, but not bother to read a post that is more than a sentence long.

As an avid reader, I often feel sorry for people who don't read.  Books engage you in a way that many other forms of education or entertainment just don't.  Reading a book is a physical thing, and it is very different from reading on a device/computer (as much as that is a convenient way to read, it is missing part of the experience).

I've been a reader since....well since I could read.  My bedroom has always featured book shelves, and getting new books is a pleasure that is like nothing else for me.  I am also a rereader.  Sure, there are some books that are a one and done for me, but most of the time books are read with the intent of reading them again in the future.

There is something rare that happens when you reread a book.  You are experiencing the same information, the same story, and yet it is different.  Even if you read the book and then immediately read it again, the act of reading the book changed you.  You will find that parts of the book will read differently now.  It may be because you know what is coming, and so you can see hints of foreshadowing.  Or perhaps the end of the book made you change how you think and now you read the beginning with that altered perspective, leading you to even more insights.  Or maybe, you just find comfort in knowing where the tale will go, in experiencing your favorite scenes and characters again.

I love books in both their pristine and brand new form and also when they are well used and worn.  There is something very alive about an old book, about the way the pages have weathered, about how the spine is broken and the marks that have found their way to the cover, and the pages within.

I'm one of those horrible people who bends page corners and writes in their books.  And while I love me a highlighter, I've come to prefer underlining with colored pencil (less bleed...but it still catches your eye).  I am absolutely fascinated when I find books that other people have written in, I love peeking into other people's heads, especially when it's a book I am interested in.

And while I have a thing for beautiful old books (I mean who doesn't love a leather bound volume with ribbon bookmarks, gilded pages and that wonderful ripped edging!), I also appreciate modern mass-market books.  There is just something absolutely lovely about a clean white page with crisp black letters printed on it.

As a Pagan, I find books particularly magical.  They are a way to transmit a message, not only across space, but across time.  I can pick up a book written by someone hundreds of years ago, that has been translated into a language I can read.  I can write out my words and know they will live beyond me.

Not only that, but I can create something in my mind, describe it and share it with other people.  I can make a world come to life and someone else can find refuge in the place I have created, interact with the people I dreamed up and feel emotions I imbued into my writing.  If that's not magic, I don't know what is.

My love of books also translates to a love of journals.  There is really nothing quite like a brand new journal, a blank book full of potential and waiting to be filled with whatever I want (or need) to put in it.  Just like printed books, there are absolutely wonderful, hand-crafted journals, but simple composition books or spiral notebooks make great journals as well.  The power is in what you do with it, not it's physical form.

I think we use books as tools so often, but we rarely stop to acknowledge them as such.  In the list of tools, we often have the blade, the cup, the wand, the broom, and the list goes on, but often books are left off.  Or if they are mentioned, it is in a very limited capacity:  the Book of Shadows.  But I know that I use a ton of books in my practice!  Especially as a solitary practitioner, books are my teachers, my companions and my students (journals!).

So, I just thought I'd write a little piece, in honor of books.  A listing of the many reasons why books are amazing and why I feel they are undervalued.  And a small reminder that if you work with books, in any form, to remember their impact in your life. 

Honoring Lugh by practicing/learning skills

 Most Pagans celebrate Lughnasadh with offerings of grain and bread.  The harvest is coming in and sacrifice is in the air.  But the festival takes it's name from the god Lugh, who was often celebrated with games of skill, as he was a renowned craftsman and skilled spear thrower.

Dedicating games of skill to the deities is not a new thing, and our foremost sporting event (the Olympic games) started as a series of competitions held in honor of Zeus.  What many people may not know is that the Olympic games were just one of a set of four sports festivals, each devoted to different deities in the Greek pantheon.

Many cultures believed that great skill at anything was a gift of the gods, but it was also sometimes seen as a dangerous gift.  If you were too good, they might wish to claim you as their own, or if you didn't show proper humility (by giving the gods proper praise and gratitude for your skill), they might get jealous and send sorrows your way.

We see remnants of this idea today, when athletes thank God for their victories or credit Jesus with their success.  I always thought this was a bit funny, as it made it seem like a popularity contest....I won because the divine likes me best!  Strangely it makes more sense in my mind in a Pagan world view, because our gods are often quite opinionated and petty...they aren't above picking sides and favoring whomever they like (or changing their mind at the last minute, if you say forget to give the right offering before your contest).

But devoting time to using or learning a skill is something that can be done, not only to honor Lugh for Lughnasadh, but as an act of worship and communion with any number of deities, throughout the year.  Even the word devote is rooted in the same word as devotion, so by devoting your time, you are pacing this activity (and any associated deities) in a pace of honor.

Around Lughnasadh, you might think about what skills or talents you have that you feel serve the community best.  This Sabbat is about harvest, sacrifices made for the future, and community.  So consider what you are good at that helps others.  Set aside some time to mindfully do things that can give back.

The ways we serve our community are not always obvious.  You may think that you don't do much for the greater world around you, but remember that our actions are like pebbles dropping into a pond..the ripples reach the very furthest banks.  Maybe you are a great cook, and mostly cook for your own family, but you know one of your kid's friends doesn't get many home cooked meals, so you invite them over for dinner one night.  Or maybe you like painting, and donate one of your pictures to a hospital, to help bring a little joy to people who are having a rough time.

Skills don't always have to be practical either.  Maybe there is a game you are really good at, and you want to see if any newer players need help.  Or you might love to sing, and you decide to create a few videos and share them online for anyone who wants to enjoy them.  There are a million things we can be good at and just as many ways to share them.

Learning a new skill might not seem to be very community oriented, but consider that you might be learning from someone (who now has the joy of sharing their wisdom and talent), or that someday you may teach what you have learned to someone else.  Plus, learning a new skill means there is one more person in the world who is able to do that particular thing, which gives you chances to use your skill throughout the rest of your life.  

Thinking a bit broader, anytime you are practicing or learning a skill you can think about what deity might relate to that skill.  It might be an obvious one, such as how a deity of weaving would be linked to learning to weave, but other times it might be less of a direct connection.  To stay with the idea of learning to weave, you might also be drawn to honor a deity of the home (where we keep our clothes and blankets), of travel (as a sturdy blanket or cloak would be a great boon on the road), of children (who need lots of new clothes as they grow), of sheep (from whom your wool came), or of patterns (weaving involves following a pattern to create a design in the final product).

How you honor the deity you choose can be as simple or complicated as feels right.  You might want to do a formal ritual, to invite the deity into your practice, to inform them that every time you work on your skill you are devoting that time and energy to them.  You might simply say a small prayer when you start to work.  You might bless your final product in their name.

The lovely thing about devoting a skill to one of your deities is that it is a way of entwining your spiritual practice with the activities you are passionate about.  It is a way to get closer to a deity and to deepen your enjoyment of a skill at the same time.  You may find that the deity you honor with your work stays in that part of your life, or they may end up becoming a bigger part of your practice.  You might find that other deities that you work with in other ways become interested in the skills you are honing.  Be open to the opportunities and see what grows from them!