Ancestral Window Ritual and Crafting Intergenerational Continuity - Part 2

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Crafting clan continuity

This concept is basically where an individual may observe and/or perceive... and ultimately formulate an inter-generational set of consistent-congruencies based on their own culture, sub-culture, beliefs, religion, politics, values, etc., as it relates to their own bloodline or a part of it. In other words, your family in whole or part, possesses certain consistent and congruent behaviors or tendencies... generation after generation. It may skip a generation here or there. This is a realm where reality and fantasy become particularly conflated. At best, there's a very special spiritual bliss to it; at worst, it could be an arrogant attempt to manipulate others. It's the whole range of good and bad and right and wrong. I would suggest keeping it within the range of the former. If shared, then it would be best kept to a simple shared idea or value.

Whereas the room/window ritual could easily be a collective endeavor, the idea of formulating the direction and consistency of a clan continuity is inherently more personal... and perhaps should remain as such. This is the idea that you can observe and chart, largely in a subjective manner, particular patterns within your bloodline or a part of your bloodline. This can be very provocative... and ultimately may be controversial. In other words, a crafted set of consistent chronological/inter-generational values and activities is more true for that individual. Since each family represents two different larger clans coming together, there can be many consistently-congruent--but different and sometimes opposing and/or competing--behaviors, values. spiritualities, and... politics (ouch!). Hence the reason that this is best for the individual self.

On the positive side, this crafting of consistent-congruencies via the bloodline can free your mind to at least explore many possibilities.. and there doesn't have to be any limiting perception of right or wrong. Therefore, hypothetically, if two different family members--lets just say unbeknownst to each other--were to both craft or chart some sort of congruent clan continuity, or even just a history, the results may reflect a very different history, set of values, or even world view. One may be correct and the other incorrect, they both may be correct, or they both may be incorrect; therefore maintaining the subjectivity and lessening the right and wrong factor probably would be best. Maybe it could work if those involved were really on the same page or agree that one cultural element or belief is of the utmost importance and focus.


Crafting continuity of cultural collectives

Within the framework of the reality of "a history of any distinct people" and the concept of shared ancestry, if someone shared the related consistent-congruencies of their family... a person not directly related to them could subtly adopt that history in something of a collective-historical manner... or in turn, share their own. This type of sharing may spiritually enhance the collective experience, it may bond them closer together, or it may bring focus to a greater meaning. There can be something of a collective ancestor, but not a direct descendant. Tito Speri was a hero of what was essentially the Lombard nation in the middle of the nineteenth century. Like my family, he was a Brescian; so he was something of a collective ancestor, but I'm not blood-related to him.

Of course, this type of crafting of inter-generational values could be applied to aspects other than clan history or collective ancestral ties. It could be latched onto any religion or politic... but somehow this, although applicable, lacks the spiritual metaphysics of a DNA-connection. However, if there exists a strong cultural divide within a particular family or the larger clan..... well, this concept could aid in perhaps establishing what amounts to a breakaway clan if

need be! This thought-process of crafting values and congruencies should  be a tool of liberating the mind and exploring possibilities. Once I ran into a blog in which the person's whole message was to tie Asatru/Heathenism to Communism/Marxism. It was nonsense, but it apparently liberated this person's mind. It could be thought of as a tool for the personal-evolution of an individual; a personal or family mythos... or a relatively larger clan mythos of some type. Ideally, individual identity should go hand-in-glove with each larger collective identity. One shouldn't be devalued at the hands of another. Intrinsically, it's probably something that should evolve over time.

While becoming, we discover, we already are.
  
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Remembering Evelyn Paglini - Part III

I had been meaning to post this in some form, and one posting from Asatru Update sort've provided me with a basis for it.

Horg in the Himalayas
 
If you go to the AFA's Facebook page (image here)  you will find a picture of a makeshift horg, or altar, I erected to Thor.  If you look closely you can see my Thor's hammer necklace draped across the rocks.  There is nothing unusual in that; many of you have done the same.  What may be unusual is the location  -  a high Himalayan pass near the border between northern India and occupied Tibet.

See above link if you wish to read the whole story. Ironically, there is a strong historical and spiritual link with that region, covered here on The Arctic Home in the Vedas: Part 18 - "Arkaim"

On the evening of Sunday, April 6, we took a night trek into some trails at the

base of our mountain here. Beforehand, I printed a small photo of Dr. Paglini and placed it inside of a clear plastic baseball card holder and put it into my pocket along with a little candle, matches, and a small red solar cross which I had made. This symbol was one of her favorite symbols.

I had something of an idea for a temporary shrine. At one point making our way through a trail with tall, thin, but full trees... we finally reached our destination. It was a clearing surrounded by heavy brush, but with a good view of the mountain. It was a bit chilly, but clear, and with a half moon providing a bit of light. It was an active night astronomically, with Saturn rising... and we were just far enough away from the nearby urban lights to see some of it.

I placed the card down at the base of a lone standing tree with white bark. I placed the candle down in front of it, the red cross to the left of it, and a flowery tip which I had picked off of a nearby bush... and lit the candle. The shrine would only stand for just a little over an hour, but it resonated with positive energy I think. It was a perfect night in it's own way.

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MYSTICAL BLEND UPDATE:

Mystical Blend will be undergoing some changes. In the meantime, the website will be LIVE and all orders will be accepted. We've had an overwhelming response to continue providing supplies for all your ritual needs. The pleasure is all ours!

We would love to share the knowledge of Dr. Paglini. All orders placed on the Mystical Blend website will receive a Free Mind Dynamics CD along with a Free Essential Oil.

We are doing our best to complete and send out all pending orders. If you still have not received your order please contact us by:

Email: admin@mysticalblend.com
Phone: 818-700-9345 (Mon-Fri 9-5pm PST)
Web: www.mysticalblend.com

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The following was one of Evelyn Paglini's final postings on facebook from February 17...

I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's weekend and was able to spend it with their loved ones.

Family, friends and loved ones always hold a warm spot in our hearts.

Cherish those special ones you have in your life and make memories that will last a life time.

Have a splendid week

Sending my love and positive energy...

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Loose Ends: Valcamonica, Cernunnos, Wicca, Druids, and the Pentagram - Part II

Witches: Part 1 (Part 2 below)

This is an episode of Lifetime's Intimate Portrait: Witches

This I believe aired around mid 90's. I don't remember when I taped it. It's a bit jumpy in a few parts. This was taped originally on VHS (remember them?!)

I cropped out the "Historical" parts. Many of the info is outdated. I tried mostly to get the interviews with Modern day Witches & Wiccans.

However I don't agree or support all of the info. I think this would be interesting for those who follow the teachings of Laurie Cabot, Z. Budapest and Janet Farrar.

From RivaWitch YouTube channel

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The original 'Loose Ends: Valcamonica, Cernunnos, Wicca, Druids, and the Pentagram' was posted on March 5, 2009; and it has been the most popular post from this blog by a country mile! Out of over 10,500 page views, most of that fairly recent, that one post accounts for about 20% of the total. So I think it's only logical to update some of the knowledge. The original was an attempt to tie-in various concepts. It was more of a musing of the subjects. Maybe we can do better.

To start with, the "Cernic tradition"--after many centuries of often brutal state and church-sponsored religious condemnation--developed into what is referred to as "European witchcraft." The idea of "Wicca" is a recent development; and one which does not necessarily adhere to it's parent "Celtic paganism." By "Celtic" I mean the spiritual-traditions of the loosely-connected pre-Roman Celtic cultures who lived, at one time or another, from Ireland to Turkey and from Poland to Spain. It seems pretty clear that the Cernic spiritual hub was located in Gaul, and Cisalpine Gaul, but it may have sprung from the Hallstatt culture in what is today south Germany. Horned or antlered images can be traced back as far as 20,000 years ago in central Europe. It seems at least possible that the origins of this spiritual tradition may date back with the early proto-Europeans who predated other Indo-European peoples.

Recent archeology is showing more and more that the ancient Celts built roads which served as trade routes across Europe; from marketplace to marketplace; from community to community. Cernic spiritual concepts likely migrated in this way, and mixed with other spiritual traditions on those far off places. For example, the ancient Celts, in what is today England and Wales, apparently made no reference in art or symbology regarding Cernunnos; but they developed their own concept of the "horned god." It seems to be true that females, special females, were generally the high priestesses of this earth-based spiritual traditon. The forest was their church.

Wicca is a universalist concept developed by Freemasons in the United Kingdom; and the pentagram they adopted goes back to Sumeria. However, there are references to the pentagram within European witchcraft which can be traced back about five centuries. Having "borrowed" many things from other pagan religions worldwide, Wicca only vaguely resembles European witchcraft or Celtic paganism. For example, the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis had nothing whatsoever to do with Cernunnos. It's fun to compare certain traditions, but to splice them together only accomplishes to spoil their uniqueness. Also, modern politics are no place to inject religion; and many well-intentioned people are turned off by politically-minded people within any religion.

But getting back to the Cernic tradition of the ancient world; it's not entirely clear how this spiritual tradition interacted with the Druidic spiritual tradition which was also Celtic in origin. The Druids lived in ancient Gaul as well, although it appears that most of the high priests of Druidism were males. It was also an earth-based spiritual tradition, which also existed in what is now the British Isles. It appears that the Cernic traditions merged with the Teutonic Wotanist traditions in some areas. I haven't seen evidence of how Druidic ideas may have interacted with the Wotanists, but I would guess that all of these beliefs merged in some places. I don't think that today it's pragmatic to open up ancient feuds; but there is absolutely no doubt that Christianity fully replaced the Cernic, Druidic, Wotanist, and many other earth-based rites; either by coercion or force. It was not just the Romans who perpetrated this policy either.

 It should be mentioned that Cernunnos was not the only Celto-Gaulish god, and that there were other gods and goddesses like there is in Odinism; but Cernunnos (pronounced as "KER-new-nos") was the chief one in most places (just as Odin is in Odinism). Some of the dark symbolism in European witchcraft is probably a result of it having to exist underground for so long; but some of it may have always existed. "Dark imagery" does not necessarily reflect "evil." The ancient forests were often dark places. It seems obvious to me that this is mainly just a reflection of nature. To the ancients, the night was a scary place; and they may have counted on Cernunnos to protect them. Any hike at night in a remote natural area will give us an instant connection to that world.

It seems obvious to me that the rightful daughters of Cern today, would be the most logical ones to access "Cernism" and serve as its high priestesses. To the ancient Cernic pagans, the family was at the heart of their culture; and the woman was the head of the household. Not the "head" like she was bossing around her husband, but boss of the "household" while he was away hunting, providing, or at war. This one element of their culture marginally found it's way into later Christian societies, which had entirely different views regarding men and women. The Cernic male represented "law"; while the Cernic female represented "justice." Cernic women were the spiritual leaders of their folk societies. They were at the center of everything.

Cernic women were very strong-women, not "Feminists," which is an entirely modern political construct which attempts to make females more masculine. There were "women warriors" in Cernic societies. They weren't like guys, but simply were just big strong gals, period. Obviously there are some women who could wipe the floor up with weaker men; and these women were pragmatically allowed to serve the tribe in battle. It was all about the family, clan, and tribe... maybe sometimes of a "tribal federation," or loosely their nation.

It's important to compare the Cernic societies with the Odinic societies. Of course, the Cernic culture had it's own mythology, just like Odinism. There are many similarities. Odinism may have developed a little more of a "heroic ethic," which seems to remind one a little more of "the masculine"; while Cernism, although in many ways a "warrior society," somehow seemed to be a little bit more "down to earth," and reminds one a little more of "the feminine." As to where the Druids fit into all of this, I don't know. Some Celtic societies seemed to be Druidic, while others seemed to have been Cernic. I think it's also very important to remember that Cernism influenced other tribal groups. For example, some ancient Norse seemed to be almost Cernic, or at least strongly influenced by them.

Obviously, the first 'Loose Ends" article was from the point of view of historical Camunian culture. The Camunians had not surrendered their native beliefs by the sixteenth century, which is pretty remarkable. However, the Val Camonica witch trials were just two of many such events in Europe during the Middle Ages, and after. In all of these tragic events, think of the great women and men who died. They were martyrs who aren't even given the proper status of martyrs. In the earlier article, I had stated that I believed that the witch trials were exaggerated; and they probably were in most locations in Europe and the American colonies. However, in some locations it was pretty extreme, as the last link above reflects in its 'Counting the Witch Hunt' graph by Ronald Hutton. It's hard to argue with those numbers.

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