Yours,Mine,Ours...

Merry Christmas, my Beloveds!

Yes, I went there!  So, what's the big deal?  Well, for some...it's a HUGE deal!  It's politically incorrect to wish some people a Merry Christmas.  Many people don't celebrate Christmas, so the term, "Happy Holidays" was adopted.  But is that correct, really?  Aren't we just presuming that everyone who we wish this greeting upon is happy?  I know many people who don't find the holiday happy at all. It's filled with painful memories and/or grief.  And yet, it's appropriate at this time of year to bestow this greeting upon them, despite how they might feel about it.

This is true of the Pagan community as well.  At this time of year, we have the usual, albeit good-hearted and amusing, disagreement of the origins of Christmas.  Who's holiday was it first?  Well, some historians tell us that it was originally the Roman Pagan holiday of Saturnalia which was, admittedly, about 8 days of complete and utter debauchery.  I'm certain that's a lot funnier now, than it was then.  At some point however, the holiday was Christianized to include the Pagan holiday, and the birth of Christ was celebrated on December 25th as Christmas.  The rest is and should be history, but it's not.

I am not a scholar on the origins of Christmas.  Yes, I know it's origins were Pagan, but more than that, I have not a rat's ass to give.   Pagans celebrate Yule at the Winter Solstice on the 21st of December.  We have a Christmas tree and a visit from Santa at our Yule celebration.  Our Clan children, who are being raised by Pagan parents, are excitedly awaiting a visit from Santa on Christmas morning, just as are most Christian children.  On Christmas morning, many of us wish our friends, Pagan, Christian, Jewish, etc., a "Merry Christmas".  Is it "politically incorrect?'  In my opinion, it's the intention and sentiment that matters, not by what words you choose to deliver the well wishes.

Despite popular belief, Pagans are not "anti-Christ" or anti-Christmas".  Many of us incorporate the Christmas holiday into our Pagan lives out of respect for our Christian family members, respect for Deity or just because it's the Season O' Joy! Dammit!

Let's face it, no matter when, where or for whom the holiday is celebrated, one can not deny the magic of the Season.  It's the Return of the Light, both literally and spiritually.  It's the time when family and friends draw closer, people treat each other a little kinder and are more thankful for what they have and for those in our lives.

So, who's holiday is it?  It belongs to the heart whom it touches.

In Darkness, Light!


Tracy
    

Every Little Thing You Do Shouldn't Be Magic!

Merry Meet and Yuletide Blessings, My Beloveds!

I often get emails from people asking for magic.  What can I say?  It's an occupational hazard!  Often I don't really mind.  I figure if someone is contacting a stranger for help, they must really be in need.  Having said that, I do not routinely do magic for people I don't know.  The most I will offer is a very basic suggestion as to what they might do for themselves, but from there, they are on their own.  There are tons of people on the Internet who will be more than willing to do magic for you, for a price. Not all are reputable.  

So, what's wrong with a little well intentioned help? Most of the time, nothing at all.  Unless, someone becomes a magical addict. By that I mean, they cease to seek mundane solutions to any of their life's problems and look for a magical fix to everything.  They don't need Witchery, they need therapy!

One of the first things one learns about magic is that it is not meant to replace mundane solutions to one's problems.  For example, you need a job.  The first thing you do is spruce up your resume, then send it out to every job lead that seems promising, then go on a ton of interviews, then maybe, if one of those jobs seems like the one you really want, that would be the time to do some spell work to help things along.  Does this guarantee that you'll get the job? If you were meant to, perhaps....but there are no guarantees in life or in magic.

Oh...and throwing the kitchen sink into a magical working does not mean it's going to work any better or that you'll see results any faster.  Neither will doing numerous different spells for the same thing.  All you're doing is pulling the focus and energy away from your original goal and making it less effective.  I've seen some of the best spells take virtually years to work!

Magic also takes years of study and practice.  It's not something that one can learn or teach overnight. Just because you pick up a spell book and decide magic is the way to go, doesn't mean it's going to go as you had planned.  You certainly shouldn't even be attempting to do work for other people. Trust me, I've seen things go horribly wrong when they aren't well thought out.  Magic has tons of variables that effect it.  Purpose, Intention, Will, Focus, Specifics, the experience of the practitioner, just to name but a few.

One of the things I'm asked most often and usually with the most sarcasm, is "do you really believe that stuff works?" There was a time, even after I'd begun practicing, that I was unsure of my answer.  Now, I can answer with an uneqivocal, resounding,  "YES!".  And make no mistake, that's not always a good thing!

Magic is often used for the betterment of our lives, the lives of family, friends and community.  All those are good things.  Magic isn't meant to be a crutch to avoid facing unpleasant life situations or difficult people.  The reason why these people and situations are put on our life's path is because they have something we are meant to learn from them. It may be a challenge, but not necessarily an obstacle.

In Darkness, Light!


Tracy