Internet: the modern oral tradition

When I first started my path, almost everything I read suggested that each witch should maintain and keep a book, in which they wrote down what they were learning and doing, and that it should be hand written. It was also suggested that a special name should be taken, one used for rituals and amongst others who shared your beliefs, and in fact, that your real and legal name should not be used or written down, to maintain the secrecy of your practice.

The roots of both of these traditions are to protect those who do not wish their activities known. Throughout history, and even into the modern age, people with different views have been persecuted for them. Even though, by many counts, we are a very tolerant society, many people still choose to keep their beliefs secret to avoid trouble with family, friends or work.

But even with these cautions, information was shared. If you met with another who had knowledge that you did not, you would copy it into your own book. Then, if you met someone else who was interested, they could copy the information into their book. Like a web, the knowledge spread outward and all could benefit from it.

Today we have this great tool at our disposal: the internet. A web that reaches across the globe, to people you might never have the opportunity to meet face to face. A way to share information in a way previously unimagined. The internet allows us to be as anonymous as we like, and to freely talk about things we might not otherwise discuss.

But even in an oral tradition, sourcing is important. If an author doesn't wish to use a legal name, but prefers a pen name (a time honored literary tradition of it's own!), then by all means, source it to the name they prefer. An author who consistently produces quality, well researched and accurate information will become credible, where as those who don't will not be often quoted.

Posting something on the internet, be it on a blog, a forum or just having a conversation in a chat room is releasing the information to the world. If your words have weight, they will probably be quoted, and this is a good thing! It's not about being famous or being recognized, but about knowing that your words were so powerful that they moved someone enough that they not only remembered them but wanted to share them.

It saddens me, to think of all the valuable information that has been lost. And today, when we have the world at our fingertips, we shouldn't hoard what we know, we should spread the seeds of knowledge to the wind that they may fly to new lands and grow.

Revisiting the Household Gods

(Papa Olayade of House of Neo-Tribal sent this to me)

All great empires have their slumps.  Economies, like the seasons, rise and fall.  Rome was no exception to the standard; a once great pagan empire began to fall into decay.  The economy was in a slump, and the cabinets started to become bare, very similar to the contemporary American society as it stands today.  The neotribal pagan view is to return to some of the old household Gods to ease the strain on the wallet and the internal atmosphere of the household.              In Classical Rome in each household they had three main areas The Penates, The Lares, The Genius, these areas were blessed under the light of the Goddess Vesta the Roman equivalent to Hestia.  The classical beliefs were that these three sections helped keep food on the table and a happy household. These deities were helper deities allowing in times of strain on Denari, likewise with the American dollar.Vesta is the Goddess of the household and the hearth, our basic equivalent to the kitchen, where we know all important discussion and entertaining happens.  Vesta was a virgin goddess; keep the household pure like the earth it laid on. Vesta was the eternal fire and lamps that were constantly lit for her to keep both the house and the city-state safe.  Her sacred fire represented the warmth of the home coming and the safety around its warmth.  A dedicated house to Hestia or Vesta was a warm and inviting place, a place where a family could feel at peace and safe under her flame of warmth.  Vesta was the oldest and youngest of the Homeric Gods, showing the solid institution of the home and the beginning of new homes and new familiesTo awake Vesta in your home, the neotribal belief was to have a huge feast dedicated to her.   Each of the guests would offer a bay leaf in honor of her and the great Twelve Homeric Gods.  Then light a candle that shall burn through out the meal, representing her eternal warmth.  The Penates were the Gods of the pantry.  They attended to the welfare and food prosperity of the household.  They were represented by a small male and a female statue and offered food and candles during every meal.   By making offerings to the Penates, a small amount of your food and feeding the divine brought you more abundance to your pantry.  Some anthropologists’ believe that they are the two images on the wedding cake resemble the Penates offering food and prosperity to a new household on their wedding.The neotribal tradition is to create the Penates, placing them where the household eats.  My household created them using polymer clay and painting them.  A tray for their food to be placed during the meal, lies in front of them and a candle to the rear represents the warmth and light of the Goddess Vesta.   During the meal the candle is lit, and they are treated and served like one of the family.  I also place my drying seeds on their altar to bring forth a new and strong growing season.The Lares also being household deities differed greatly from the Penates.  The Lares were mortal and ancestral spirits who watched over their family.   They are spirits who protect the boundaries of the home and fields.   The Lares are specific to one’s household and domains, being that these are your ancestors.  These protect the household and the dwellers within it.  The Lares are invoked for wisdom and celebration.  It is the equivalent to asking your elders for advice and also inviting grandma to your birthday party.   Unlike the Penates, the Lares are called upon during celebration and need for advice.The neotribal tradition usually will have an altar setup to the ancestors where they can reside and communicate through. During major events, food is prepared for the ancestors.  It was as if you were cooking for a party and you knew Grandma liked pumpkin pie.  You would leave a small offering for the ancestors, and then later that evening place it outside to be carried away by the carrier spirits.  Whenever talking to the Lares or ancestral spirits for advice we always offer them food, drink, and incense to carry our thoughts and prayers.The Genius represents the mortal aspect of the household divine and the importance of the family structure within the household.  This Genius represents the male figures and the female figures of the household.  The males represented by Janus the God of opportunities and Juno the Goddess of the household.  These deities help with the flow of the household.  One opens the doors for new opportunities, while the other nurtures the ideas and secures the sanctity of the household.  On birthdays, people would make offerings to the deities to keep the home safe and prosperous. In the neotribal tradition, this represents the natural divine we find inside, recognizing the flame that burns within all of us. We celebrate it by giving thanks on our birthdays to what the Divine has given us.  We usually on birthdays have a cake, and each person at the table lights a candle on the cake for that person.  In this way, we give them wishes for their upcoming year, allowing their own divine nature to blossom and to bless all those around them.I hope the reintroduction of some spirits of the past bring you new and rejuvenated joy into your future and your pocket. These household deities were used to comfort the Ancient Romans, and now the can comfort the houses of the new generation of pagans. May your hearth burn steady and strong and the light of Vesta never burn out in your house and your soul; so say us all.    Love Papa Olayade

Excited About This Site!

I'm excited this site is up and running and I'm looking forward to blogging here.

Hello And Welcome!!

Hello and Welcome!! I'm Glad you're here!  Please share your thoughts and viewpoints with us, and hopefully be entertained by ours. 
     My name is Patty and I had an idea for a Blog, this one, in fact.  I thought about the rich times I had in the wonderful conversations in my living room when I could tempt a group of my friends over, where the topic jumped back and forth, the energy was high and ideas appeared as if by magick in my brain; so many interesting things being discussed.  I wanted More!!
     You won't all fit in my living room, and I can't always tempt a crew of my friends over, so this is my solution:  a Shared Conversation blog, in which my friends and I talk about topics of interest to us - and hopefully to you - reply to each other, post about something about which someone else's post has made us think... You get to join in the conversation by commenting on blog posts, giving us your opinions on the topics we post, or if you blog also, linking to us and blogging back. I anticipate much fun to be had by this shared conversation and no living room to clean for Me!! (not that I wouldn't clean for you, but I'd rather talk).
     We have taken as a model for ourselves the historic concept of the Salon- a gathering of intelligent, interesting, interested people who would discuss topics of importance to the group, in the "Salon" of a Hostess (that would be me).  The Salon took as its ideals the notions of civility, politeness, and honesty, and so will we.  The word 'Salon' has been kidnapped by the beauty products industry, and they show no sign of giving it up any time soon.  These gatherings were named after the room in which they took place, Salons, Ruelles, Alcoves, for us "Cabinet," and our conversation focus of Enchantment (snagged from Wikipedia)"def-incantation, a magical spell, charm, or bewitchment, in traditional fairy tales or fantasy, the sense of wonder or delight."

If you skywatch, you are our people.
If you believe in things other people say are impossible, you are our people.
If the thought of mysterious old books makes your heart go pitter-pat, you are our people.
If you talk to the Old Gods, you are our people.
If you enjoy a good story, never mind if its entirely true, you are our people.
If you still dream, you are our people.
If there is nothing you like better than random conversations with cool people that last until all hours of the night, you are our people.

Our topics here will include, but will in no way be limited to Paranormal, Enchantment, Spell work, Mad Science, Howling at the Moon, Magick, Stories, Psychism, books, ghosts, Witches, Witchcraft, fiction, Spirits, Fae, Paganism, the Occult, symbols, ritual, Dreams, tarot, ritual, shamanism

So, if these topics of ours are of interest to you also, please make yourselves comfortable, get an excellent coffee or a first rate tea (as my guests, you deserve it, and I would serve you nothing but the best) and we'll get the Conversation started momentarily!
 

Hello My Name is Maggie

Hello everyone! My name is Maggie and I am very excited about this blog spot! I feel very honored to be among so many talented minds! To tell a little about myself....which is always the hardest thing to do right? Probably the most interesting thing is that I am a Clairvoyant Psychic~Medium and a paranormal investigator. I co~founded a paranormal group called Other Side Investigations (O.S.I.). Alot of my blogs will probably be mostly about spirits, the metaphysical, psychic awareness and the paranormal. I am also most recently interested in demonology, occult and the study of spirits. I am a mother, caregiver, vegetarian, biker chic, tattoo enthusiast, entrepreneur, and all around funny gal! I hope you all enjoy subscribing to Cabinet of Enchantments!