Comments on: How the Catholic Church Led Me Into Paganism http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism Legacy of the Witch Blood Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:29:48 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: ian stuart robertson http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-2/#comment-641 ian stuart robertson Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:53 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-641 Arlene you are a very brave personage Arlene you are a very brave personage

]]> By: admin http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-2/#comment-337 admin Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:31:46 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-337 Hi! Wow we do have a lot in common. I shouldn't call it Paganism when I mean Witchcraft, but my deep conditioning causes me to shy away for such direct language in this context. Cowardly of me! I went to Rosslyn in 1997. It is like a jewel box. Nit only are the pillars like trees, but there are stars on the ceiling. All the Gothic cathedrals are built to look like forests. Notre Dame in Paris has very obvious tree columns and the groined ceilings are like branches. I studied Medieval Art quite a bit including architecture and I had a comment on this post -- much higher up in the queu, that makes me want to write a post about it. Glad you enjoyed it! Hi!
Wow we do have a lot in common. I shouldn’t call it Paganism when I mean Witchcraft, but my deep conditioning causes me to shy away for such direct language in this context. Cowardly of me!
I went to Rosslyn in 1997. It is like a jewel box. Nit only are the pillars like trees, but there are stars on the ceiling.
All the Gothic cathedrals are built to look like forests. Notre Dame in Paris has very obvious tree columns and the groined ceilings are like branches. I studied Medieval Art quite a bit including architecture and I had a comment on this post — much higher up in the queu, that makes me want to write a post about it.
Glad you enjoyed it!

]]> By: Bernadette http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-2/#comment-334 Bernadette Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:09:44 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-334 Your experience sounds very similar to mine. Raised in a seriously Catholic family, I began to notice all the strikingly illogical contradictions of the dogma in my teens. When Vatican II came along I missed the ritual, frankincense, and Gregorian chants. It felt like the soul was taken out of the Mass. I actually tried to get into it until my late teens, but meanwhile I was reading about Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, Taoist, New Age, and Pagan ideas. I was fascinated by astrology, tarot, herbology, reincarnation, fairy tales, myths, and Arthurian legends. I even started having spontaneous past-life memories. Obviously I had pagan leanings even then, but I was also dismayed at all the superficial ritual and complex hierarchies that I found in modern pagan groups. The real essence of pagan spirituality seemed to be hidden then, but over time it has unfolded into a fabulous tapestry that spans the otherworlds, with roots deep in the ancient past. The older I get, the more it feels like home! I have to thank the Catholic Church for giving me a sense of ritual at an early age, but (among other things) I could not possibly align myself with an organization that burned thousands of people, and does not give women equal stature. The cool thing is that we haven't lost any of the valuable things the Church claimed to offer exclusively. We still have the virgin mother Isis-Virgo-Danaan, and the resurrected son Mithras-Lleu-Osiris. We still have angels, and we have faeries too. We still have the heavens and the underworld, but our underworld is not a hell of suffering and damnation. It is a place of wonder, healing and deep spiritual connection. We still have the ritual of bread and wine. In fact we had it before the Church ever existed. We still have the afterlife. And we still have access to the divine. We can even have Christ consciousness, which is not necessarily embodied in a human personality. As for the pillars representing trees. Have you ever been to Roslyn Chapel? Those pillars definitely look like trees! Your experience sounds very similar to mine. Raised in a seriously Catholic family, I began to notice all the strikingly illogical contradictions of the dogma in my teens. When Vatican II came along I missed the ritual, frankincense, and Gregorian chants. It felt like the soul was taken out of the Mass. I actually tried to get into it until my late teens, but meanwhile I was reading about Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, Taoist, New Age, and Pagan ideas. I was fascinated by astrology, tarot, herbology, reincarnation, fairy tales, myths, and Arthurian legends. I even started having spontaneous past-life memories. Obviously I had pagan leanings even then, but I was also dismayed at all the superficial ritual and complex hierarchies that I found in modern pagan groups.

The real essence of pagan spirituality seemed to be hidden then, but over time it has unfolded into a fabulous tapestry that spans the otherworlds, with roots deep in the ancient past. The older I get, the more it feels like home!

I have to thank the Catholic Church for giving me a sense of ritual at an early age, but (among other things) I could not possibly align myself with an organization that burned thousands of people, and does not give women equal stature.

The cool thing is that we haven’t lost any of the valuable things the Church claimed to offer exclusively. We still have the virgin mother Isis-Virgo-Danaan, and the resurrected son Mithras-Lleu-Osiris. We still have angels, and we have faeries too. We still have the heavens and the underworld, but our underworld is not a hell of suffering and damnation. It is a place of wonder, healing and deep spiritual connection. We still have the ritual of bread and wine. In fact we had it before the Church ever existed. We still have the afterlife. And we still have access to the divine. We can even have Christ consciousness, which is not necessarily embodied in a human personality.

As for the pillars representing trees. Have you ever been to Roslyn Chapel? Those pillars definitely look like trees!

]]> By: alex http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-2/#comment-318 alex Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:52:50 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-318 THE WOODWOMAN BY QUORTON Resting by my fire.Looking deep into it's flames My mind must have been somewhere else Far beyond these plains I am suddenly aware of a pair Of eyes staring at me I urn around and behold the most Ugly thing I have seen The woman standing in the glade Like a shadow in the night Points her wretched finger at me With a wretched smile And she asks me in a voice That sound as if it`s been so long Since she spoke,if I seek magic Then I should come along I`m but a man.Mortal a man. But she leaves no footprins in the snow Still I follow on to where she is going For she has promised me magic if I follow on She takes me to a part of these woods Few have ever seen Where the sun surely won`t reach Still the ground ominously gleams She says she`s seen is coming And tha she known where I`ll go But before I leave,she says There is this one thing I should know She offers me the ability To take a fatal wound Every cu by sword or spear will be Absorded by her tree-womb This magic will remain until it`s Time for me to part with this mortal world And all she`ll claim is my young heart I`m but a man.Mortal a man. And I`ll need all the help tha I can get So I give my heart to the woman of the dark With or without it... my life is not over yet Wing of bat and lizzard eye Dust of a star fallen from the sky Tears of a virgin and the cum of a god Thirteen drops of an infant`s blood A twist of a cat`s spit and oil of the moon Stir for a while a very soon A salve to be applied upon the chest Close to where the heart beats strong "No pains will occur when hand is pushed into my flesh She`ll slowly draw my living heart out of my open chest She`ll place my heart in the pit of the snake and behold the years go by Hers to keep from the moment when the time has come for me to die" THE WOODWOMAN BY QUORTON

Resting by my fire.Looking deep into it’s flames
My mind must have been somewhere else
Far beyond these plains
I am suddenly aware of a pair
Of eyes staring at me
I urn around and behold the most
Ugly thing I have seen
The woman standing in the glade
Like a shadow in the night
Points her wretched finger at me
With a wretched smile
And she asks me in a voice
That sound as if it`s been so long
Since she spoke,if I seek magic
Then I should come along
I`m but a man.Mortal a man.
But she leaves no footprins in the snow
Still I follow on to where she is going
For she has promised me magic if I follow on
She takes me to a part of these woods
Few have ever seen
Where the sun surely won`t reach
Still the ground ominously gleams
She says she`s seen is coming
And tha she known where I`ll go
But before I leave,she says
There is this one thing I should know
She offers me the ability
To take a fatal wound
Every cu by sword or spear will be
Absorded by her tree-womb
This magic will remain until it`s
Time for me to part with this mortal world
And all she`ll claim is my young heart
I`m but a man.Mortal a man.
And I`ll need all the help tha I can get
So I give my heart to the woman of the dark
With or without it… my life is not over yet
Wing of bat and lizzard eye
Dust of a star fallen from the sky
Tears of a virgin and the cum of a god
Thirteen drops of an infant`s blood
A twist of a cat`s spit and oil of the moon
Stir for a while a very soon
A salve to be applied upon the chest
Close to where the heart beats strong
“No pains will occur when hand is pushed into my flesh
She`ll slowly draw my living heart out of my open chest
She`ll place my heart in the pit of the snake and behold the years go by
Hers to keep from the moment when the time has come for me to die”

]]> By: alex http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-1/#comment-317 alex Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:40:23 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-317 but i really think that this concept is an interesting, i hope i didn t look like i was imposing or anything, i am probably less knowledgeable in that area than you, so it wouldn t surprise me if i am wrong.there might actually be a level where it is worth it to do it, but you have to be really courageous which i am not. i wonder if i have had such actions, in a small percentage maybe, but all that comes out is that you get used and then when yo re not needed anymore yo re killed off.everything contains a risk, obviously. then you get resurrected after their own egos, some people just nderstand what you are until you re gone. at least if you re sacrificed god, you don t want popularity, like all false celebrities.so funnily enough today i went to sign on i asked if i could stop getting the dole because it a burden, the thing is that i lose my room, so it is interesting cause life isn t precious after all if you don t die or sacrifice it.but the person who spots you like that got its eyes on treasure.these are also things that are better to start young cause you need many years of experience.you probably seem to have that spirit. there no point really in living as long as possibleor no t get burned , by accepting death i gess you re eternal and young forever. you d end up making cars with water, instead of drilling for oil, oil which is actually needed to keep the body nourished.that is why it is interesting to be a fool.anyway i m just talking, so maybe if people including me cold sacrifice talks and big meetings for action, that too could be a nice sacrifice.but i guess everybody is afraid,of the unknown.and you need to have a meaning and a motivation yo re not conscious of. i am sorry if my ego took too much room in this columnade of comments, i probably do what everybody does.but thanks for that post that was really interesting.i hope you inspire people to rise to the challenge as you seem to be quite a leader in that matter. but i really think that this concept is an interesting, i hope i didn t look like i was imposing or anything, i am probably less knowledgeable in that area than you, so it wouldn t surprise me if i am wrong.there might actually be a level where it is worth it to do it, but you have to be really courageous which i am not. i wonder if i have had such actions, in a small percentage maybe, but all that comes out is that you get used and then when yo re not needed anymore yo re killed off.everything contains a risk, obviously. then you get resurrected after their own egos, some people just nderstand what you are until you re gone. at least if you re sacrificed god, you don t want popularity, like all false celebrities.so funnily enough today i went to sign on i asked if i could stop getting the dole because it a burden, the thing is that i lose my room, so it is interesting cause life isn t precious after all if you don t die or sacrifice it.but the person who spots you like that got its eyes on treasure.these are also things that are better to start young cause you need many years of experience.you probably seem to have that spirit. there no point really in living as long as possibleor no t get burned , by accepting death i gess you re eternal and young forever. you d end up making cars with water, instead of drilling for oil, oil which is actually needed to keep the body nourished.that is why it is interesting to be a fool.anyway i m just talking, so maybe if people including me cold sacrifice talks and big meetings for action, that too could be a nice sacrifice.but i guess everybody is afraid,of the unknown.and you need to have a meaning and a motivation yo re not conscious of. i am sorry if my ego took too much room in this columnade of comments, i probably do what everybody does.but thanks for that post that was really interesting.i hope you inspire people to rise to the challenge as you seem to be quite a leader in that matter.

]]> By: alex http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-1/#comment-316 alex Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:27:47 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-316 it s obviously not mine it s obviously not mine

]]> By: alex http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-1/#comment-315 alex Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:26:54 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-315 oh yee one eyed old man, you who see it all You who see the past and all to be Say,yee one eyed old man.For I need to know Tell me which path fate has chosen for me Say does the Northstar still shine on me Say will I set my loved ones free O yee one eyed old man.Of yee our elders told You have been since land and sky was one And if you really knows all that will be,tell me What the future wants with this young no one`s son Say does the Northstar still shine on me What fo you see in store for mee....... "Questions,questions.Many you ask About the future and some of the past. Few hav seen what I see,fewer still will ever know. I gave an eye to see a better And you thirst fo knowlenge grows. But you,my chld,who treads the road of pain. Who have felt such anger.Such that bears no name. Thee shall I nurse as if you were my own son. And this very night your training will already have begun. For I have seen you come for a thousand years or so. And the gods have told me to teach you all that I possess and know. And hough me eye no longer sees My hand held out in front of me, I sill gaze crystal clear at all That moral man cannot see. And I see you riding up on a stallion as white as snow Which the speed of the winds and endurance unold And you weild a sword of steel forget in fire an ice. And the cry of a warrior you sound And victory is in our eyes. Hear me my son,for you are the chosen one..." oh yee one eyed old man, you who see it all
You who see the past and all to be
Say,yee one eyed old man.For I need to know
Tell me which path fate has chosen for me
Say does the Northstar still shine on me
Say will I set my loved ones free
O yee one eyed old man.Of yee our elders told
You have been since land and sky was one
And if you really knows all that will be,tell me
What the future wants with this young no one`s son
Say does the Northstar still shine on me
What fo you see in store for mee…….
“Questions,questions.Many you ask
About the future and some of the past.
Few hav seen what I see,fewer still will ever know.
I gave an eye to see a better
And you thirst fo knowlenge grows.
But you,my chld,who treads the road of pain.
Who have felt such anger.Such that bears no name.
Thee shall I nurse as if you were my own son.
And this very night your training will already have begun.
For I have seen you come for a thousand years or so.
And the gods have told me to teach you all that
I possess and know.
And hough me eye no longer sees
My hand held out in front of me,
I sill gaze crystal clear at all
That moral man cannot see.
And I see you riding up on a stallion as white as snow
Which the speed of the winds and endurance unold
And you weild a sword of steel forget in fire an ice.
And the cry of a warrior you sound
And victory is in our eyes.
Hear me my son,for you are the chosen one…”

]]> By: alex http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-1/#comment-314 alex Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:19:20 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-314 so i wonder if the sacrificed god is not only about sacrificing the ego, and then all the rest follows. so i wonder if the sacrificed god is not only about sacrificing the ego, and then all the rest follows.

]]> By: alex http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-1/#comment-312 alex Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:32:59 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-312 and also that makes me think tat if the sacrificed god was letting those people die or starve to death it would not spare him either, so it is really like a natural thing, you can t really run away fromthat unfortunately unless you are [prepared to suffer the consequences, and even if you close your eyes to that suffering is not eternaleven spring has a winter. then you ve got people who know you re going to sacrifice yourself for and they take it for granted, so it is all very nice, but they are as many kingdoms as people, so mirabelle is not going to marry for money or material riches like land as her father wants.the daughter of the king of swords is called medusa, and it is not for nothing. i wanted to marry her when i saw her in the clash of the titans, perseus could have sacrificed himself, he didn t cause he had a broken heart . he saved the country but his kingdom remained adrift.then a real sacrifice is innocent.some people walk the earth with values that remain buried all their life cause there is no opening.clearly people living in society don t live on this planet otherwise they wouldn t transform it into a dump.and you can t do twice the same thing unless you go back to the beginning or you switch. the earth is a broken soul cause it is divided, osiris is a broken soulcause he s been cut up, but that is just a way to hide the whole.i d obviously prefer to sacrifice myself for higher good instead of living something that is not precious, it s all good nice people are one sided, but people just don t live there.be it one or the many, it s the same evn if in the end you get hurt you know that the ones that hurt you won t last.they want you to sacrifice your life to work for them an dmake their empiregrow, i understand that it is the common evil. and also that makes me think tat if the sacrificed god was letting those people die or starve to death it would not spare him either, so it is really like a natural thing, you can t really run away fromthat unfortunately unless you are [prepared to suffer the consequences, and even if you close your eyes to that suffering is not eternaleven spring has a winter. then you ve got people who know you re going to sacrifice yourself for and they take it for granted, so it is all very nice, but they are as many kingdoms as people, so mirabelle is not going to marry for money or material riches like land as her father wants.the daughter of the king of swords is called medusa, and it is not for nothing. i wanted to marry her when i saw her in the clash of the titans, perseus could have sacrificed himself, he didn t cause he had a broken heart . he saved the country but his kingdom remained adrift.then a real sacrifice is innocent.some people walk the earth with values that remain buried all their life cause there is no opening.clearly people living in society don t live on this planet otherwise they wouldn t transform it into a dump.and you can t do twice the same thing unless you go back to the beginning or you switch. the earth is a broken soul cause it is divided, osiris is a broken soulcause he s been cut up, but that is just a way to hide the whole.i d obviously prefer to sacrifice myself for higher good instead of living something that is not precious, it s all good nice people are one sided, but people just don t live there.be it one or the many, it s the same evn if in the end you get hurt you know that the ones that hurt you won t last.they want you to sacrifice your life to work for them an dmake their empiregrow, i understand that it is the common evil.

]]> By: alex http://www.winterspells.com/2372/how-the-catholic-church-led-me-into-paganism/comment-page-1/#comment-311 alex Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:56:15 +0000 http://www.winterspells.com/?p=2372#comment-311 and as to the soldiers valkyries must be pretty sad at the state of affairs and as to the soldiers valkyries must be pretty sad at the state of affairs

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