Shifting holiday dates

 

One of the things that Pagans often struggle with is celebrating our holy days on the appropriate day.  While it is quite common for the main Christian days to be designated holidays (so that most people have them off of work), our holidays are not well understood or acknowledged.  Many other 'big' religions have highly recognized holidays, which may not be official days off work, but at least are understood by a great meany people as a day that someone might want to be off (like when requesting days off and expressing how much of a priority that particular day is).

I think we get into this headspace where we think that the official day is the only day we can make observances on, and that it's super bad to celebrate things on alternate days.  But it makes me wonder why we have so little flexibility in this idea, especially in a world that requires us to be completely inflexible in other ways (like on what days we have to work).

I've never been big on timing, even for personal stuff.  I don't care if we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or holidays 'on the right day.'  For me, it's more about the essence of the holiday.  Sure, it's great to have special things done on your actual birthday, and having people wish you well is part of what makes that day special.  But if we want to go out for dinner or get together with friends, often it's better to do it on the weekend (or even a few weeks away).  And that is perfectly fine with me!  I love that it means we get to relax and enjoy the time, instead of trying to squeeze in a celebration when people have worked all day or have to get up early the next day.

I was reading about something recently called the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.  This act was designed to shift some official holidays to Mondays (something the travel industry was pushing for....more three day weekends means more people able to go places).  But it took days of remembrance (like Memorial day, Columbus day and Washington's birthday), and made the holidays on a set Monday (instead of the actual historical date of the occurrence).

And if you think about it, this kind of holiday shifting makes a lot of sense.  If we go back far enough (back before the 5 day standard work week), most people worked pretty much every day.  There wasn't a weekend that you got off, because the crops still needed tending, animals still needed taking care of, people needed to eat, and so on.  It's only because we developed enough prosperity to be able to take regular days off (and split the work between many people), that we have this concept of a weekend.

So previously, holidays might not even have been a full day off.  Some things would still have to be done, but maybe you would work extra the day before and the day after to be able to have the evening off and celebrate.  Since your 'work week' didn't have natural breaks, you could celebrate on any day and it wouldn't make a difference, so celebrating on the actual date made the most sense.

But now, we have natural breaks in our work week, and most people don't have the luxury of shifting their work to take a particular day off.  So instead, we shouldn't worry too much about shifting our holiday to a better time.

And we can always take a moment of acknowledgement on the actual day, and then do our 'big' celebration at a time that is more convenient to all involved.  I do this a lot with Sabbats, where I'll share a blessing or celebratory post online, but I may do my ritual on a day that I have more free time (which for me is inverted!  Most of the time weekends are my busy time, and it's weekdays where I can create space to do things).

I feel like we sometimes over-romanticize our holidays, in the sense that we want that perfect celebration.  We may want the big gathering with everyone in full regalia and all the trimmings, or maybe we crave time where we can sit on our own, in perfect privacy to just observe and be.  But whatever our dream is, when we have to compromise, it feels like we are compromising on our faith itself.  I kind of think the opposite.  I think that the more we are willing to shift, the more ways we are willing to work to make things work, the more dedication we are showing.

I would love to live in a world where everyone could have their sacred and personally important days off, but sadly we don't live in that world.  So instead, I think it is important to carve out time for the things we feel are vital to us.  And sometimes that means being willing to let go of this image of perfection and learning to embrace the adjustments we have made to make our observances fit into our lives (and the restrictions we have from the world at large).  Compromise isn't a form of giving up, it's a way of negotiating for what we want and need.

Lupercalia

Lupercalia is a Roman festival that many people have heard of, and that is often associated with Valentine's Day.  However, there isn't much proof of a connection between the two (other than Lupercalia being celebrated on February 15).

The origins of Lupercalia reach back to the story of Romulus and Remus, twins who were said to be raised by a wolf.  Later, the twins returned to human society and named the wolf who cared for them Lupercal, and her den became the primary location for Lupercalia rituals.

 

The ritual itself was often seen as honoring Lupercal, though it may have also paid homage to an ancient deity who protected the herds from wolves.  Some also think that the god Faunas (similar to Pan) might have been honored.

The practice of Lupercalia was led by priests known as Luperci, and they were divided into two colleges (groups) based on family lines that are reported to have started with the twins.  These Luperci would perform a ritual of purification in February, which was the month for purification as March was seen as the start of the New Year in ancient Rome.  So February was a time of cleansing, a time to get rid of the old and prepare to welcome in the new.

Lupercalia could be thought of as happening in two stages.  First, there was a goat sacrifice at the Lupercal.  The blood would be smeared on the foreheads of the Luperci, while the hide of the sacrifices would be cut into strips to be used as lashes.  There was a feast, and then the Luperci would run around, using their lashes to strike women as a blessing.

In the early days of the celebration, the Luperci were naked, though as time progressed more restrictions were put upon them.  Women would come out and present either their back (more common in earlier days), or later their hands to be whipped.  If a woman was pregnant, this was thought to ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy.  If she wasn't pregnant, this was a blessing that would aid her with fertility.  The whipping was seen as a symbolic act representing copulation, and was acceptable even for married women.

Some people think that the whipping could also have been a form of purification, to remove any deadly influences that the person might be under.  Not only would this fit into the theme of purification for the month, but another festival honoring the dead occurred near the same time, and this could be a way to cleanse after that contact.

Some sources also connect a matchmaking lottery with Lupercalia, where young people would be randomly paired up for the night, though sometimes the couples would stay together until next year's festival and many ended up falling in love and getting married.

 

Festivals and celebrations change over time.  Even in ancient times, the rites performed for Lupercalia changed based on people's perceptions of what was appropriate as well as laws that were in place.  So if you are interested in Lupercalia, you can read more about it and see which parts you want to embrace and which you might need to adjust.

 

Though there is no clear connection between Valentine's day and Lupercalia, many modern Pagans look at it as an alternative to the overly commercialized love holiday with strong Christian roots.  While the ancient animal sacrifices wouldn't be performed, other sacrifices could be made, especially those that are of an erotic nature (like chocolate or wine).  Lupercal can be honored, or you can work with a deity you associate with fertility or love.  It is a great time to work on purification as well.

Magical experimentation....science style!

 A friend of mine shared a meme with me, thinking it would make a good blog post, and she was absolutely right!  The meme said:  Witches should treat themselves like magical scientists.  I see way too many comments asking "could I also use this for..." and not enough "I'm going to try this and see."  Stop asking for permission from creators online to experiment.  Your magic advances when you get messy.

Now, I definitely agree with the overarching sentiment of this (thought there are a few points I want to unpack within it).  Magic didn't appear fully formed into the world, the way we learned what things 'work' and what don't is through trial and error...and paying attention to what works and doesn't work.  It's basic scientific theory!  You see something that seems to work, you test it out and verify if it does or doesn't.

I've talked before about the difference between universal correspondences and personal ones, but the basics are that universal correspondences are the ones that have been generally accepted by a population (this is often cultural), and thus have built up a lot of energy because so many people believe in them.  Think about how black cats are seen as omens of bad luck.  

 

But personal correspondences are based on your own personal history.  Instead of drawing on the power of the masses, you are tapping into your deep personal connection, which is often highly charged with emotion.  

When it comes to magical experimentation, you can test out either universal or personal correspondences.  There are two ways to approach experimentation.  You can start with the desired outcome or you can start with a potential ingredient.

 

***Quick safety note***  We live in the information age.  When it comes to experimentation, there is no excuse to not check for basic safety first.  Anything you are ingesting, breathing in, putting on your skin should be checked first to make sure it's not toxic.  Of course we all might have a personal allergic reaction (so always pay attention when you are trying things new to you), but definitely rule out actual poisonous or not-safe items first!  Remember, we are working energetically, so if you feel a particular plant might fit well but it's not safe to consume, you can use a picture or call on it's spirit without actually using a dangerous plant.

Starting with the desired outcome would be where you want to do some work to increase your health, and so you think about all of the things that you associate with good health.  This might be white (from the doctors robes), or maybe every time people send you 'get better' cards they are all bright pink, so pink might feel like it links to health for you.  Once you have a list of things that you feel could work for health, you can start working with them, and see which ones bring you the best results.

 

Starting with a potential ingredient might mean that you decide you want to work more with cat, for example, and so you brainstorm things that cat could help you with.  Like before, once you have your list of ideas, you can start trying them out, and seeing which ones seem to give you the most gains. 

Sometimes, we have a theory, based on an experience we had or something we noticed.  Maybe you start noticing that there are dandelions nearby whenever you hear bad news.  Testing to find this connection might involve keeping a log of what you see and what happens afterward.

This is one place where I think great record keeping comes into play.  It's something I'm not really good at, because I find a lot of record keeping highly tedious, but if you are wanting to do some magical experimentation, logging what you try and how it turns out is highly helpful (especially if you are like me and have horrible memory, so you don't remember which things you tried when...or how they worked).  

I think one important thing to mention here is that most of the time magical experimentation will be benign.  If you are trying things (remember to check for actual dangerous ingredients first!), and they don't work, then it's not a big deal.  If I am trying out a new combination of ingredients for a prosperity spell, and it's not effective, the most likely outcome is that I just won't be extra prosperous.  It's almost impossible for my 'failed' spell to backfire on me or create some other kind of disastrous effect. 

It's also worth noting that failure is a part of the experimentation process, so if you try out spells and they don't work, that's fine!  That doesn't mean you aren't a good witch, or that you won't be able to work future spells....just that this one didn't pan out.  Make some notes on what you did and what didn't happen, and try something else!

Returning to the meme for a moment, I think that the bit where it mentions 'asking permission from creators online' is something to take note of.  It doesn't actually say asking about historical precedent (and while 'what worked in the past' is a great place to start, it shouldn't be a limiting factor!), instead it mentions online creators.  And if you think about it, that implies that you are asking someone else for things they created (which also implies they experimented until they found something that worked).  The underlying thought here is that you are accepting the idea that they are a better witch than you, which is really tricky territory.

Of course, someone who has been practicing for fifty years probably has a bit more experience than someone who just started, but the way you gain that experience is trying things.  Even if you only work with spells that other people swear by, some of them won't work for you, for a variety of reasons.  It is by trying things that we figure out what works.

Which brings us to the final line of the meme, that you get advances when things get messy.  This I absolutely don't agree with.  I don't deny that sometimes mistakes are great teaching moments!  I don't deny that failures can lead us to success (honestly that's what the scientific method is based on...failing until you succeed).  What I do take exception to is that this implies that doing things yourself is the only way to get ahead.  And that's just not true.

This may seem like a complete contradiction to this whole blog post...but you can absolutely be a great witch by only using spells that other people have suggested.  Honestly, your path is so personal to you that you are the only one who knows what works best for you (and sometimes we don't know what works best for our selves, and that is fine too).  But if the idea of experimenting and building your practice from the ground up sounds exhausting and terrifying...you don't have to!  I just don't like the fact that some of the witchy community has created this terror around trying things, as if you might 'fail' on a spell and accidentally burn your town down or cause your loved ones to catch a horrible disease.  It just doesn't work like that.

I guess what I really want to end with is a simple reminder that magic isn't inherently dangerous.  It's okay to try things out, it's okay to fail, and it's okay to make stuff up and see if it works for you.  Don't assume that people online who are speaking with authority have actual credentials...no matter how sure they sound or how many followers they have or how pretty their pictures are.  Try stuff and see!

Chinese New Year Zodiac Myth

 

 

The Chinese Zodiac assigns one of the signs to each year, and there are a total of 12 signs (all animals).  There is a story behind the order in which the animals are assigned, and of course there are many variations on this story.  This is my favorite.

A very long time ago, Buddha decided to hold a race and he invited all the animals of the kingdom.  Even though all the animals were invited, only twelve showed up for the race, and so Buddha rewarded those twelve by naming a year after each of them, and the order in which they finished the race was the order in which the calendar years were arranged.

Rat was very excited about the race, but saw that there was a large river that crossed the race path.  Knowing he wasn't a very strong swimmer, Rat made a deal with Ox, persuading him to let Rat ride on his head across the river.  Once they were across the river, Rat dashed ahead of Ox and was the first across the finish line.

Tiger is both fast and a strong swimmer, and so he finished third, just after Ox.  Surprisingly, Rabbit was next to cross the finish line.  He had been jumping across the river from stone to stone, but slipped and fell in.  He managed to scramble onto a log and made it to shore, tired and wet, but finishing in fourth place.

Dragon should have been a shoe in for first, as he is able to fly, however he came in fifth.  Dragon had stopped on his way to the finish line to save a village from a flood, and then he had seen Rabbit drowning in the river and had blown up a wind to help guide him to shore.

Horse would have been next, however Snake had wrapped himself around one of Horse's legs and when Horse made it out of the river, Snake slithered forward, startling Horse who reared back.  Snake slipped into sixth position, with Horse following right behind him.

Goat, Monkey and Rooster decided to work together to build a raft to cross the river.  When they got to the other side, Monkey and Rooster insisted that Goat go first, as he had kept them calm when they were panicking on the river.  So Goat crossed first of the three of them, followed by Monkey and then Rooster.

Dog had been a favorite to finish early, but he was too playful, and spent a lot of time splashing and playing in the river, allowing other animals to pass him by.

Buddha thought Dog would be the last, but then Pig surprised him by showing up.  Pig had gotten so hungry during the race, he stopped to eat, but he ate too much and grew sleepy and had to take a nap.  When he woke up, he became the last to cross the finish line.

The twist to the story is that Cat isn't part of the zodiac at all.  Cat liked to sleep in late and knew he risked missing the race, and so he asked Rat to wake him up.  Rat, however, was too excited to remember his promise to Cat and forgot!  And so Cat overslept and missed the race and has no place in the Zodiac.  He never forgave Rat and that is why they are foes.

2022 is the year of the Tiger, more specifically the year of the Water Tiger.  Tiger years are associated with courage and spontaneity and can be a bit of a roller coaster (not really something I think many of us want to hear...), but fear not because the fact that it is a water year helps tame some of that fiery Tiger energy.  This year will temper that unpredictability and lends a sense of quite self-control.

Tiger years are often considered quite lucky, but as with many forms of luck it can be fickle and luck can change quickly.  So always remember to use a cautious approach and not let any lucky streaks drive you to recklessness.

Overall, the Year of the Tiger will be exciting and highly charged, so be ready for a wild ride and make sure to dedicate time to self-care and calm, so that you are ready for whatever this year might throw your way!