Prepare Yourself

 

Some groups are saying that the Mayans are a little late to the game and that the Rapture begins May 21, 2011 at 6pm.  The end of the world is coming, they say, and we have to be prepared.

These groups get made fun of, get called crazy, and yet I think they still put all of us on edge – even if we don’t know it.  Those other groups who will be having Rapture parties and loudly laughing could be doing so as a way of demanding something happens, and when/if it doesn’t, they can put those who believe down even further.

As a Pagan, I don’t think an almighty god will sweep down and cherry pick those who believe in him the fiercest.  I don’t believe that the world will end by the hand of an angry sky god to wipe away all the sinners.  I do believe that the world will end, someday, and that on another day, our way of life will change dramatically.

But because I do not believe in the Rapture, do I have the right to make fun of those who do?  I have laughed at them, and been a little bit frightened, and shook my head, but then I stop and realize that they are merely presenting their case. 

They don’t believe what I believe, in the power of a simple wind, in the sacredness of a living tree.  I would be upset if they laughed at my religion or my choice to use reusable bags at the supermarket.  I have supported Pagan Pride Day and Pagan Coming Out Day as a way of teaching that we are a faith just like any other.  And to reach that level of understanding and acceptance, we need to show others the same thing.

We need to treat others the way we want to be treated.

So on Saturday, I will not be attending the Rapture or a Rapture party.  I will be buying tomatoes, hauling dirt, and finishing my bug out bag so I can be prepared for whatever disaster the mama planet throws at us.

 

Noumenia: The Wheels are Turning

Welcome to another new month, dear readers!

I'm quite happy to say that I honored both Hekate and Noumenia so far this month.  Now I just have to remember the Agathos Daimon after my meeting tonight and I will have hit all three days.  It will be the first in a very long time.

I feel like I might be on the right track finally on getting a hold of all the different aspects of my life.  Or at least the writing ones.  I wrote down all my obligations the other day and set up a schedule for the week on how to get things done.  At a time when I'm seriously considering having to give up something, I decided that I want to submit a piece of writing at least every other week.  It sounds like a lot, but I think I can get it done.

I waiting and waiting for the warmer weather.  I keep thinking it's right around the corner, but it never comes.  My weather gadget says it is 30 degrees at home right now.  It's May!  Where is the weather that causes sunburns?

I started some of my garden, and then it kind of went belly up in the cold night.  But I replanted my cucumber, lettuce, spinach, and sage seeds.  Hopefully it will be the right timing so that they can come up wonderfully.  This weekend I think I will go get my tomatoes and onions and all the rest of what I want to plant.

This month I just want to stick to what I am doing, follow through, and make it work.

Have a great May!

Happy Beltane!  May the summer come sweetly and the earth bear it's fruit with grace.  May the fertility of the cool, dark earth spread to our hearts and minds.

It's Beltane, but it kind of feels like just another day for me.  How do you celebrate the great fertility holidays when you are single and solitary?  Normally, that's not a problem, but I feel out of touch with the natural world around me.  I take that back.  I am out of touch with the holiday progression.  Planting is behind schedule here in Iowa and it still feels like early spring.  Maybe I am just not ready for the fire of Beltane.

At this time of year, Persephone has walked the world and spread her flowers throughout the deep, dark earth.  Now they awaken to the touch of the sun, lifting their heads from the deep roots and stretch up towards the sky.

My spirituality group will be working through the Inner Path of Twelve Wild Swans by Starhawk and Hilary Valentine. One of my friends said that if you need counseling for issues, you might not want to go through with it. Sounds like fun, right? 

I was talking to another friend about different religions and beliefs this week after I said he should check out the UU. I forgot he was set in his beliefs and they didn't match up with the UU. Politically, he would fit, but maybe not religiously. In our conversation, he shared more information with me on what he actually believes. We came to a point in the conversation where I was reminded of something said on a podcast I listen to (and I'm roughly paraphrasing): Belief without questioning is what makes a zealot and questions deepen the faith.

I have questioned my beliefs quite a bit at times. I have looked deep into my roots and tried to figure out what kind of flower I am supposed to bloom into.

The Inner Path will take us deeper, it will take us down to the root questions of who we are and who we want to be. Am I ready to go there? Maybe. I feel like I have already descended those steps before, and I continue to do it over and over again. 

** PS, all these flowers, and more, are found outside my apartment.  Squee! **