Favorite Tarot Deck

I know this was done on the old board, but it's interesting to see what everybody says. What's your favorite Tarot deck? Mine at the moment is The Robin Wood deck.

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Ghost Experience? Just Out of Curiosity...

Okay, I'm just going to ask this question that has been dying to come out. Has anyone here got a ghost experience they would like to share? I've had an experience or two myself, and have gone through the I'm nuts/ maybe I'm not nuts/ I'm accepting my insanity now ordeal. I also love hearing these stories! So please, share!

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Myths and lore about boars?

I've just had a vivid dream featuring a wild boar which could be eaten and grew back. (I know it sounds pretty weird.) So I'm looking for myths and lore about boars. I've found some Greek stuff at theoi.com so far. Does anyone know more stories about boars? I think there must be some in Nordic and Celtic myths as well...

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Organizing Your Paraphernalia?

We all have items that we use (regularly or otherwise) that need organization. Herbs, crystals, gemstones, etc. I was just wondering how you organize all of these items?

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Familiars anyone?

Hearken back to the days when anyone who wasn't 'normal' was a witch. And said witches all had 'familiars' to do their bidding. If only that were so! I would love if my darling husky would clean up her own doggy stains. How do you feel about familiars? Do you think there is something to them, even if only an animal you feel connected to? Or do you think it's a bunch of silliness?Why? I'll start out. I don't think familiars exist in the sense of critters who are bound to a person and are forced to do their bidding. After all, animals have free will too. Although my pets listen to me, they choose to, and most of the time they choose to have selective hearing. I believe familiars exist in the sense of psychic connections. My pets are too stubborn and silly to be connected to me. They just like food and coddling. And socks. However, I've always felt a connection with crows, ever since they started nesting near my house. Since then, they've followed me everywhere, even to Texas. I'm not saying the same three are tracking me, that's silly, crows have their own agenda. It just seems they always nest nearby, and their cawing soothes me. I know it sounds crazy, and I try not to entertain the thought that I am oh so special and crows love me. I just feel they are here to teach me something. I don't know. Enough of my rambling, please, share your thoughts!

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Honouring Irish Gods?

Long story short, many years ago I was very interested in Irish gods and culture, and felt a strong collection with Danu, Dagda and Morrigan. Around this time, I started pursuing a Hellenic Recon path since I felt my connection to the Greeks gods was stronger, however, now that I'm loosening up again when it comes to how I view the universe, the gods and religious practice, I'm interested in honouring these gods again. The problem is I don't really know how. I've read a few books on Irish paganism, but they don't really specify how one actually worships the gods. My first instinct is to honour them like I would a Greek deity, with incense and libations, although I don't think incense would have been used that far north, traditionally. Not that I think it matters that much, but I would like to be as culturally appropriate as possible. Any advice?

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Intimidation

I was curious to see if anyone else ever felt intimidated to do a ritual for their gods/spirits/whatever, or otherwise call attention to yourself from such beings? How did you get over or around this? Maybe it's just my upbringing, or the things I've read, but I've always felt intimidated, even during in my Wicca stage. I was always afraid of messing something up, that I'd end up pissing someone off with why a dork like me was bothering them. >.< I always felt that contacting them, especially gods, was Serious Business and not something to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking only makes me nervous and more likely to screw up a speech. Any advice on this matter would be much appreciated!

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What is your definition of doing magic (or energy work), and how do you do it?

How do you define making magic, and how do you accomplish it?

If you do energy work, do you feel anything or is it more of a belief that it works therefore it does kind of thing? and.. I hope this isn't going to make the thread too broad but, what methods do you like to use - visualization, dancing, drumming - and why does it work for you?

I'm curious, because I have ceased to use any tools, and even my attempts at using candle magic have left me feeling that something isn't clicking and so it does not work.
It seems my best tool is meditation/visualization of whatever I'm doing, which still doesn't necessarily click with me. So, in the end I am not sure if the fault lies in not choosing a method of working with energy that suits me, or if I simply don't know how to work with energy at all.

While TC has a huge selection of spells on hand, I know it doesn't work that way - going through the motions without anything behind them isn't going to work, just like reading a book in an unknown language isn't going to make you understand the book.

(Maybe I just haven't found it) I haven't really found much on how to center/ground or work with magical energy properly. How you know when you have centered/grounded, and how do you know if/when you can shape/direct your energy/will to what you want to do?

I thought maybe getting a variety of answers of others' experiences might help me identify what I'm doing right/wrong.

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Southern Magic?

I was raised in the Southeastern United States, and if you have ever visited or anything, you know how unique it is down here! I've been looking for some time trying to research any Southern pagan rituals or spirituality. So far, nothing! I know much of the South is located in the Bible Belt, but maybe there's something out there? I'm not looking for Voodoo or anything, although I know that's the other biggest practice in the South. Well, if anyone has any information, please let me know! thank you so much!

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Reformed Hellenismos

Over the past few years of studying modern Hellenismos, I have come to a personal understanding about Hellenic Polytheism, and the movement that surrounds it.

There are two main interpretations of Hellenismos that I have continually observed:

Traditionalist Hellenismos
AND
Reformed Hellenismos

Traditional Hellenismos takes the most literal, orthodox, and exoteric approach to spirituality within Hellenismos, and as a result is generally unconcerned with practices considered esoteric, mystical, and most especially magical. The tendency of this approach is, as I've heard it put, to focus on "authenticity over inclusion", and is very conservative in the traditional sense (from my experience).

Though I'd like to stress that magical practice is not the only point of contention between the two, it forms much of the basis of the argument in debates I've seen and been apart of. That being said, there are also issues surrounding the implementation of festivals, the structure of ritual, and socio-political issues, just to name a few.

I think it's time that a real attempt is made to approach Hellenismos from a more balanced and pragmatic perspective, and although I know of several wonderful people who do indeed implement pragmatic philosophy with regards to Hellenic Religion, very little in the way of exposure to such an idea is really given.

Personally, I think that defining this approach as Reformed Hellenismos, or something similar, will be an important step in the right direction, as will defining Traditional Hellenismos for point of comparison. I believe that Traditionalist Hellenismos is a valid approach, albeit too rigid for my tastes, but there needs to be something solid as an alternative to such an approach for those who desire it.

To me, Reformed Hellenismos is an approach that allows for a diversity of opinions about religious practices, and is less concerned about the "right belief", and more concerned with establishing orthopraxy. Personal interpretations of said orthopraxy are just that... personal - as is what other practices a person does or does not do in addition to their religious ones.

Whatever you think about this idea, I would like to hear your opinions...

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