Classes & Lectures

Posts about classes, conventions and lectures that I’ve attended

Perry the Dream Guardian

~ Leona Oigheag ~ Leave a comment

Perry the PlatypusMy husband and I enjoy watching cartoons – especially those that are designed for adults to enjoy as well as kids. One of the cartoons that we enjoy is Phineas and Ferb by Disney.

In the cartoon, there’s a character called “Perry.” Perry is a platypus who is a pet that doubles as a secret agent. I’ve got a stuffed Perry on my bed. He’s fierce and kind, understanding and respectful but still gets the job done … and there’s a point to me talking about a cartoon.

In my class on the Process of Magic by Taylor Ellwood, we talk about using thought-forms and other beings to help us. A few weeks ago, I had the idea to leverage all the energy and attention that had been given to Perry to help me with an issue I’ve had sleeping. I took the stuffed Perry toy that I have and talked to it. I asked him to help guard my dreams like he guards the boys in the cartoon. Every night I ask for what kind of dreams I’d like to have that night. It’s usually something like “restful” or “good” or “pleasant” but I have occasionally asked for “none.”

Phineas sleeping with PerryIt’s been working decently overall.  My dreams have not left me overtired, or waking up frustrated or angry.  Dreams that would normally have me end up frustrated have somehow avoided the emotion – like someone was defending me from it (Thanks Perry!). Asking for no dreams didn’t work though .. I still got random dreams, although without the level of frustration that I normally get when stressed so it was an improvement.

Next, I think I might try a sigil and empower my Perry to help out a bit more with deeper sleep and remembering my dreams.

It’s an interesting experiment in pop culture magic.

Defining my Theology

~ Leona Oigheag ~ Leave a comment
World Tree by Ian Corrigan
ADF Sigil for the World Tree – by Ian Corrigan

A little over a week ago, I went to a Buddhist temple for one of their Temple Life tours. The tour was great, and subject for another post. As part of the tour registration, I was required to put down my religion.

That made me think … how do I define my religion?  Depending on the context, I might say that I’m a Norse Pagan, a Welsh Polytheist, or a Druid … or some variation of those.

Neither ADF nor OBOD require that I have any particular belief set.  OBOD tends to work with the Welsh mythology and ADF encompases a wide range of Hearth Cultures with some tendency towards Celtic Hearths, but what I choose to believe is totally up to me.

As part of my Pagan Theology course at Cherry Hill Seminary, I did a survey of Facebook pagans.  You can find the results of my survey here. Both OBOD and ADF druids answered, as well as a smattering of other folks. For the same paper, I also interviewed ADF’s Archdruid Jean “Drum” Pagano and Pagan blogger, artist and ritual facilitator Shauna Aura Knight.

Talking with those esteemed folks, as well as reading through the results of the survey has helped me to define my definition of my beliefs. I am a pagan polytheist – I believe in multiple gods, gods who are willing to intercede to our benefit, and the importance of relationship with our gods, each other, the plants, animals and all of nature. The gods are important in my own theology.

I’ve also come to the understanding that what my theology is doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.  It makes it easier to have certain discussions when I’m talking with others who share components of my theology, but we can also have great discussions and build relationships when we completely disagree on theology.

It’s the relationships that matter, not the beliefs behind them.

 

Now for the next step

~ Leona Oigheag ~ Leave a comment

For many years I have been attending the College of the Sacred Mists, an online Wiccan program that is run by High Priestess Lady Raven Moonshadow.  The online college offers a Wiccan training program as well as courses in Herbalism, Tarot, Progressive Magic and Historical Paganism.

I have been working through the 2nd degree course in the Wiccan program and taken a lot of time to review what it is that I want out of my spirituality.  I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be good to explore other paths, without turning my back on wicca.  Because the College offers a great range of courses, I’m happy to be able to continue attending with a simple course change to the Progressive Magic course, taught by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone.

I’m only on the first lesson so far, but I’m really enjoying it.  There’s a lot of meditation work as well as some research into the history of Wicca.  It’s pretty awesome.

In addition, I’ve joined Ár nDraíocht Féin, or ADF.  ADF is the largest American-based druidry group.  They aren’t exactly a re-constructionist group as they based their practices on studies of a number of Indo-European Druid-like groups.  So far they seem to lean more to the mystic/shamanistic angle but with a fair amount of high ceremony mixed in.

All ADF members have the option to take the ADF Dedicant Program.  You’re welcome to participate in the practices and rituals without formally completing this program, but if you’d like to further your studies in the group, of if you just want a more in-depth understanding of druidry as ADF practices it, then it’s generally a good idea (and required for further training) .. so I’m doing it.

As part of both of these programs, the Progressive Magic and the ADF Dedicant’s program, there is fairly extensive journaling and essays required.  I’ll be sharing the journals and essays that I’m comfortable with being public on this blog, so expect a bit of variety and hopefully more frequent updates!

A day with the Chief

~ Leona Oigheag ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday I got the opportunity to spend the day with Chief Golden Light Eagle at an event hosted by Firefly Willows.

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The Chief is a great speaker! He is very passionate about his message and is eager to share information with anyone who is willing to receive it.

The day started with a film outlining some of the more sane points of view on the Roswell crashes. While I still remain unconvinced that the crashes were alien ships, I certainly have to consider that something very weird did happen. The information that the Chief presented was informational without wandering into the conspiracy theories, and was much easier for me to accept that way.

The Chief’s friend Bill Tenuto then told us about the vision quests that he has been on. They call them ‘fasts’, and for 4 days and nights they stay on the mountain and pray without water or food. It was amazing to watch Bill describe his experiences …. He was very obviously connected with the spirits, with the greater consciousness. We got a fantastic view of what one of the ceremonies of the Dakota people was like.

After Lunch, The Chief talked to us about the things he has experienced, the discrimination that his people faced as well as some of his experiences learning about the symbols for the Universal and Spiritual laws. He sang us some songs in his native language. I don’t understand a word of the language but the emotion and energy in the songs are obvious and amazing. I could listen to him sing all day!

We then learned about the 11 Spiritual Laws and the 11 Universal Laws that the Chief has learned are represented by the symbols believed to be from the aliens.

I learned many things about the Native Americans that the Chief is experienced with and about the Star People and how the Chief interfaces with them. Most importantly I learned that, no matter the trappings, we are all on the same road. The message of the Star People as interpreted by the Chief is the same message as interpreted by many other religions.

We are here to help this planet to evolve to the next step … Increase our energy vibrations to the next levels, and we are here to help everyone and everything on this planet to survive and to evolve together.

We are all related, every being on this planet. Together we shall evolve.

Resistance

~ Leona Oigheag ~ Leave a comment

I have recently been taking a course on Courting Desire: the Soul’s Longing for Purpose by T. Thorn Coyle.  The course focuses on knowing what you truly want to follow, and following that desire in order to be more in-tune with your live and generally be happier about things!

So far the course has not been difficult, except in one aspect.  Resistance.

It is not uncommon for me to find myself starting the reading, then putting it down.  Starting to think about or do the exercises, then finding something else more important, or urgent, or just more interesting.

It has very little, if anything, to do with the work that is being presented.  The lessons are well written and clear.  Thorn is often on the forums and responds to questions openly and readily.  It has everything to do with me.

I still haven’t identified why I’m so resistant.  Am I worried that people will find it odd? Am I worried that I won’t spend enough time with my husband? Am I worried that I won’t like what I find when I take the time to listen? Am I concerned that it’s too much work? or that it will take away from other things that I enjoy.

I don’t really know.

I do know that it’s more like thick jello than a hard wall and with enough persistence, enough will, I can get through it.

Pantheacon 2011

~ Leona Oigheag ~ Leave a comment

Dragonfly Pin

A few weekends ago, I’m not really sure how many at this point as work has been a bit insane, I went to Pantheacon.  I was lucky enough to have some friends who were also going and who had been there before!

It was … eye opening, amazing, exhausting and overwhelming .. all in one fun filled weekend!  I’m not sure that I can effectively share the feelings I had at the con.  There was the session with Ivo Dominguez Jr about using your voice in magick and how sounds as simple as toning or chanting can really add to magick … and then in the later grounding session with Shon Clark I got to experience the 360 toning, and it was just … wow …

I really enjoyed the sessions with both of those gentlemen, and have taken some of the ideas for my personal practice.  If you get a chance with either of those gentlemen I would suggest it.  They’re very different in attitude and feel, but both are great teachers and engaging lecturers.

A friend and I attended the Battle Goddess session by T. Thorn Coyle to learn about how to blend martial arts, defense and magick.  The class was fantastic and fun!  I learned a lot about the importance of staying centered to stay objective and make the best decisions.  And that sometimes, running away is the smart thing to do!

Thorn is another person on my “take classes from” list!  I love her attitude and I always admire strong women.

I also attended a number of rituals with a wide range of focuses, and a wide range of responses.  There was the beautiful ceremony of Frigga’s Frithweaving put on by Diana Paxton and a lovely set of Heathen priestesses; a fun and energetic ritual about Walking the Pentacle of Power put on by the North Bay Reclaiming group; a beautiful and joy filled Wake up the Spirit ritual by CAYA; and finaly, and most powerfully, the Little Self – Greater Selves ritual by Ivo and Michael (BTW, I LOVE their robes!)

There were also a couple of educational and fun sessions that I attended.  One on the Pendulum (given by Donald Michael Kraig) and another about Tarot As an Action Item (talk by Thalassa).  Both were very interesting and I’m very glad I went .. there was a lot to be learned!

At the beginning of Pantheacon, I had a goal in mind for what I wanted to learn and do.  By the end of the con, I had learned something entirely different and re-focused my plans for worship.  It was pretty cool how it all played out.  There was one theme that was echoed in most sessions … a common message for me to grok.

The image is a pin that I got at the beginning of Pantheacon from one of the vendors (I can’t remember the name of the glass vendor but she had amazing stuff!) and wore it throughout the con.  It’s a beautiful piece of artwork, and I still wear it when I can.

I’m very much looking forward to putting what I’ve learned into practice, and for Pantheacon 2012!