[personal profile] satya_firestone
Many Pagan systems divide the year into two halves. Some call it Light and Dark, or Winter and Summer. Some use the story of the Oak and Holly Kings, others say one half is for Goddess and the other for God. Sorgae also divides the year, into the Spiritual and Material.

The first four Sabeot/ds (B/Pelatin, Ardunakh, Lamasu, and Vestraven) make up the Spiritual half. From my understanding, this can be compared to the "planning stage" of a project, from the first inkling of an idea to a fully formed and detailed plan. If I plot them with the Directions, this is what I see:

B/Pelatin - Northeast - potential, anything is possible
Ardunahk - East - pure knowledge, the idea, transition into energy
Lamasu - Southeast - decision, the moment things come together
Vestraven - South - Will, commitment to the plan and path before us

The next four Sabeot/ds (Soven, Salanakh, Vol'ka, and Ostraven), make up the Material side of the year, when the plan is put into effect. So my Directional interpretation continues:

Soven - Southwest - risk, taking that first step, intial action
Salanakh - West - daring to act, making it happen, trasition to physical
Vol'ka - Northwest - quickening, actions breathing life into the idea
Ostraven - North - solidification, manifestation, completion, results

Unlike Wicca and other Pagan paths, the Sorgae year is not centered around a Deity's life journey. Instead it focuses on renewal of the Wasteland*, our term for the state of the spiritual landscape at the turning point of each year. In my mind I compare it to farmland; just after the snow melts, the land seems barren, dead, an expanse of nothingness. But beneath the surface, there are nutrients, bacteria, enzymes, evem insects. There is life. So it is the duty, responsibility, and privilege of the farmer to prepare the land, seed it, tend it, and harvest the crops.

As Sorgae Witches, I feel we share that duty, responsibility, and privilege, but our preparation, seeding, tending, and harvest occurs through our ritual work. Each year, our Coven performs divination to determine our role, our goal, what "crops" we will raise that year, both for the individual members and the Coven as a whole.

[*Note: However, this does still reflect the idea of the Sacred King myth, that the King must die for the sake of the Land, for He IS the Land. In Sorgae, we seem to "cut out the middle man," in a sense, and work with the Land directly, instead of with a surrogate.]

Date: 2013-06-28 04:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quetzal-zotz.livejournal.com
I really like your farm comparison. I think that really explains things well. I also really like how you plotted out the holidays like that, it's like they tell a story.

This is up there with my favorite posts.
Edited Date: 2013-06-28 04:39 pm (UTC)

Date: 2013-06-28 04:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quetzal-zotz.livejournal.com
Oh, you're right about it still reflecting the Sacred King myth, and I actually like the idea of working with the land like this.

Edited because I didn't understand.
Edited Date: 2013-06-28 04:51 pm (UTC)

Date: 2013-06-29 04:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] satyazomasorga.livejournal.com
The fact that you of all people are digging on the agricultural symbolism is surprising, heh.

Date: 2013-06-29 04:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] twistedphoenix.livejournal.com
AS always, a wonderful, thoughtful post. Your explanation of our yearly division was spot on; very concise and easily understandable. Loved the comparison to the agricultural cycle.

Date: 2013-06-29 04:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] satyazomasorga.livejournal.com
Thank you, Lady. I'm always so happy when I'm able to "get it" through these posts.

Date: 2013-08-24 05:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] enchanted-manit.livejournal.com
Your farm comparison really helped me understand this concept. It was excellent.

Date: 2013-08-24 05:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] satyazomasorga.livejournal.com
Thank you. Coming up with it has helped me too.

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