This is one of those blogs that’s going to seem completely obvious to some of you, but I have found that for many pagans and polytheists we get so caught up in our idea of our spirituality being a certain way – read: primitive – that we can be a bit blind to some things. Like the way that modern life and technology intersect with ancient Gods and spirits, for example. Recently a friend of mine…
Category Archives: By Land Sea and Sky
Why I don't think Danu is Anu
So something that comes up fairly regularly is the question of whether Danu and Anu are the same goddess or two distinct individuals*.
I want to say up front that this is one of those fun things that scholars disagree about so what follows is not meant to be conclusive but merely reflect my opinion and the evidence I base that opinion on.
I tend to believe that Anu and Danu are different…
Bullets, the Morrigan, and My Perspective
So another Pantheacon has come and gone and the Morrigan community is currently abuzz with our very own controversy. People are blogging about it and there is quite a bit of hyperbole winging around on both sides. I’m not going to link to any of the other blogs, just google ‘bullets for the Morrigan’ and you can start wading through the results.
I really debated weighing in on this one or not…
Nuances of the words "Witchcraft" and "Witch" in Old Irish
How’s that for a boring blog title?
Seriously though, one of the reasons that I tend to be such strong advocate for an omniglot approach or at least attempting to have a basic understanding of terms in other languages that relate to our practices is that often there are nuances within those terms that are – quite literally – lost in translation. And we shape our understanding, our…
Expanded Ogham Guide
The Ogham that we are most familiar with in a modern context is the Tree Ogham which associates each letter of the Ogham alphabet with a specific tree. However there are actually many different types of Ogham associations including River Ogham, for example, and Pig Ogham. Each one is layered, both a mnemonic device which associates the letter with a word that begins with that letter and also a…
A Prayer of Personal Power
Experimenting with a little translation of a different sort. There’s an excerpt from one of the Carmina Gadelica prayers making the rounds (without credit to the source of course*) and when I took another look at the original Gaidhlig I realized that Carmichael’s translation was more poetic than literal. I don’t have any Gaidhlig myself but it’s close enough to Sengoidelc that I can actually read…
Dirt Beneath Your Fingernails
Recently a friend of mine wrote two very insightful blogs ‘The Line in the Dirt’ and ‘Deepening the Line’. Both deal with looking at the way the pagan community, in general, approaches magical and ritual practice, the laziness that’s rampant among practitioners, and the idea of what happens beyond basics.
I’ve been thinking a lot since I read them, both because she raises some good questions…
Wodan
Many people are familiar with the Norse God Odhinn, but less well known is his German counterpart Wodan who is similar but not identical. Wodan (Old High German Woutan) although almost certainly derived from the same root as Odhinn has several distinct characteristics. In today’s blog I would like to discuss Wodan as we see him in the German material.
Duncan Royale German "Odin" statue…
Ways to Feel More Connected to the Morrigan
One question that I am asked on a fairly regular basis is what should people who are interested in connecting spiritually to the Morrigan or who are just beginning to honor Her do? So I thought it might be helpful for me to post a list of general suggestions here, although keep in mind that these are only my ideas and what I have found works well for me. I tend to be a very sensory person so…
Random Irish Mythology Trivia
* Nuada is left handed – he lost his right arm during the fight with the Fir Bolg warrior Sreng, and we are told it was his shield arm, meaning his sword arm is his left arm
* Speaking of Nuada’s arm, when it is healed it is the original flesh arm that is restored, which Miach acquires and holds against his body for six days, then strikes it with burnt bulrushes for another three. Which makes…