satya_firestone | Entries tagged with gods

One thing that has been a puzzlement to me, is Arduina talking about Mama Erta, a Mother-Earth Goddess She says She worshipped and served "when She was a Priestess." It always made me wonder what She meant. How was She once a Priestess, but now a Goddess? A possible answer has come from two places.

One, is something I've mentioned before the similarities between the words "Sorgitsak" in Vaska as the Gods have taught it to us, and "Sorginak" in modern Basque. As was stated then, "...it is deemed unclear by scholars whether 'Sorginak' refers to actual, physical Witches, or mythological beings. This is significant, because Sorgitsak, Witches who practice Sorgae 'Craft, are considered a race of Fae. So Sorgitsak are both physical, practicing Witches, and 'fabled beings.' We are the Fae of Will, in that we are the vehicles of Divine Will on this plane of existence." I doubt it is a point of any contention that Arduina was/is a Sorginak/Sorga. So from there stems the conflation between Priestess and Goddess; She is both human and so-called "mythological being" Who served an Earth Goddess.

However, that still begs the question of how this is at all possible. Aside from the assertion of Sorgae 'Craft that Witches are also Fae, I'll let a quote from the novel Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny address that issue:

Godhood is more than a name. It is a condition of being. One does not achieve it merely by being immortal, for even the lowliest laborer in the fields may achieve continuity of existence. […] Being a god is the quality of being able to be yourself to such an extent that your passions correspond with the forces of the universe, so that those who look upon you know this without hearing your name spoken. […] Being a god is being able to recognize within one’s self these things that are important, and then strike the single note that brings them into alignment with everything else that exists. Then, beyond morals or logic or esthetics, one is wind or fire, the sea, the mountains, the rain, the sun or the stars, the flight of an arrow, the end of a day, the clasp of love. One rules through one’s ruling passions. Those who look upon gods then say, without even knowing their names, ‘He is Fire. She is Dance. He is Destruction. She is Love.’ […] they do not call themselves gods. Everyone else does, though, everyone who beholds them.

Arduina is a Goddess because we (and presumably someone, somewhere, before us), recognized Her as one. Just as Deity names being agreed upon by consensus between Witches and Gods, so too is the very condition of Her Godhood. She is a Goddess, because we name Her as such, and She does not object.

I had a bit of an epiphany about Deities and Sabeot/ds and such.

Some background, every year at B/Pelatin, my Coven performs a Tarot reading to determine our purpose and goal for the coming year. After laying a card for each of the eight Sabeot/ds, we discuss how they fit together as a whole, like a story, and then determine which Deities we feel need to be Called and/or honored at each point. This seems to change every year.

It caused me some anxiety, in relation to making the Sorgae system in general more public; if the Deities shuffle about every year, how could we possibly standardize rituals (whether the formal, elaborate sort, or the Tarot ritual I devised)? Because other Pagan paths always honor, say, Brigid at Imbolc, or Lugh at Lammas, the Holly and Oak Kings at the Solstices, or the Horned God at Samhain.

Then it hit me. Sorgae is not like this. Sorgae is an organic, living system. Why should the Deities remain static if the year's purpose doesn't? And why should the purpose for our Coven be the same for everyone else who may practice Sorgae? The answers are, they shouldn't. If Sorgae is going to keep its organic, living qualities, then everyone who follows it needs to discover for themselves what the Gods want of them each year, and when They need to be honored in relation to the Sorg or Sorga's progression through the year. Each Sorg/a and Sorgae Coven should find out how they, individually, contribute to the renewal of the Wasteland. Because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

So my thinking now is that, with the

sorgae_tarot deck, we need to include the (very simple) instructions for the yearly Wasteland Renewal reading, so that those who buy the deck and begin to work with this system and its pantheon, can add their energy, their Gobah, to the whole of the Sorgae collaborative effort.

Some of you may remember that my original post for Ghiana, Gwenhevar, and Goh'len was lacking, to say the least. However, I've just updated it. So to read more about these three Deities, go here.

I'm addressng two Sabeot/ds this week, Vestraven and Vol'ka.

( Vestraven )

( Vol'ka )

This was the designation given to us for the South God, and at first we assumed it to be a proper name. However, we have come to realize it is in fact a title. If we separate the word as "tsar/anos," it means, essentially, "King of the Year(s)." We speculate that Whoever fills the role as South God in a given Age is to be given this title. Previously, for the Piscean Age, He was the Kristos. Now, in the Aquarian Age, we have Tsaranos Hermes.

Since I've already done a post on Hermes, here instead is other information about the role of the Tsaranos in Sorgae 'Craft.

The Wand is the tool of the South and the Vaska word for "wand" is the same as the word for "snake," tsarnu. There is a Celtic God, Taranis, associated with snakes (He did battle with a great sky serpent), Who was worshipped in regions surrounding the Danube river. He was also associated with the eight-spoked Wheel of the Year. Taranis is considered to be a Celtic Equivalent of Zeus, Who, as discussed before, we associate with the High God, Iove.

No, Taranis, is not, in fact, our South God. However, to have the King of the Year(s) aligned in part with the High God makes sense, in a macrocosm/microcosm kind of way; Iove is part of the First Division, when the All split into male and female, and as She took Time, He took Eternity. Taranis' association with the Wheel representes the ever-turning cycle of Eternity, but on a smaller scale, a measured and relatable calendar. Thus the South God, the Tsaranos, is a reflection of the cycle of Eternity that Iove embodies.

Additionally, snakes are classic representations of rebirth and eternity, from the shedding of their skin to the symbol of the ouroboros. The position of Tsaranos is the Dying God, the willing sacrifice, the Sacred King. And you'll notice, Hermes' caduceus has two serpents entwined around a wand. We've yet to discover the nature of His sacrifice though, as the Age has just begun.

[Click to enlarge]

East God – T’hot’ (teh-ho-teh) - associated with incense and knowledge, the psychopomp and the prophet. Questions to Him must be distinct, or the answers will be too vague to understand, but He will often aid the questioner in narrowing the focus of his/her query so as to elicit a more helpful answer. He is far older than and became the Egyptian Thoth.

I've found three sources that corroborate our pronunciation, instead of having the THs spoken as in "that" or "with." It's interesting as well to note that this and other spellings resemble the word "thought."

In Egyptian mythology, Thoth is the Scribe, inventor of language (both written and spoken), astronomy, geometry, and medicine. He is the Record Keeper, a librarian of sorts, recording all knowledge and communicating with the other Gods.

In Sorgae, our God T'hot' sits in the East, the place of Knowledge and communication. He can easily communicate with the other Gods of our pantheon without any of Them being present. He has said, basically, that the ancient Egyptians knew Him as their ibis-headed God, but He is older than that civilization.

This is another of the Sorgae Gods with whom I haven't had direct contact yet. As a writer and someone fascinated by etymology, He appeals to me. However I think that asking Him to assist in creative writing is inappropriate, as that deals with inspiration, and so is the domain of Ariadne, the Muse. Though it is another East-West connection, the physical act of writing coupled with the ethereal act of inspiration.

[Click to enlarge]

South Goddess – Salonshai (sah-lohn-shy) - the Priestess for the Aquarian Age, associated with fiery pillars and sacred prostitution. The Light-Bringer of the Southeast [Atamenoch] is Her Lord. She is the fire lit from the bone, fire and blood. She is the Phoenix, the Eye, the peace of the Light-Bringer. Her manner is bright and forceful.

( Read more... )

If you've been following along with this series, you'll notice there isn't a lot of "how-to." It's been mostly Theory with little Practice (some minor exceptions have been my Tarot Ritual, Orano Ze Zoma, and Channeling). This is because my Coven has had to start from scratch with this system, not only in terms of meeting the Gods and learning about Directions, Sabeot/ds, other Beings, etc., but also HOW to express it all in a way that satisfied the Gods (some of Them can be very particular), made sense for humans, and honored previous Oaths the Coven members had made.

However, rituals are extemely important for Sorgae 'Craft. They are the Doing, the Will. And we mostly have to write them ourselves. Arduina thinks the rituals we had been doing (in keeping with our initial Tradition) make absolutely no sense. Erian likes frippery and formality, props and processes. Some Deities insist on certain methods and words being used to Call Them, others show up pretty much as They please. Or not at all. So while rituals are absolutely essential, we haven't finished formulating them yet.

( Read more... )

Here are the questions I got on my post last week. Thanks to those who participated.

What does your username mean? And how do you pronounce it?

It's pronounced, "SAHT-yah ZOH-mah SOHR-gah."

It's made of two/three words (don't worry, I'll explain). The first is Satya, which is Sanskrit and means "right or correct." I use it as my Magickal name (to imply that I'm on the correct path, not that I'm infallible!).

The rest of it is a word comprised of two other words, all in Vaska. Zoma means "blood," and Sorga means "female Witch." Zomasorga together means, essentially, "Hereditary Witch." I was raised as a Witch since childhood, and so consider myself Hereditary.

Does Sorgae have any symbols? Like Christians have a cross, Wiccans have the pentagram, do you have one?

We don't, no. Though personally, I feel that an eight-spoked wheel would be appropriate; it would represent the eight Sabeot/ds (holidays) and eight Directions and Elements we recognize, as well as the Deities and other Beings associated with them. Additionally then, the ring around the outside could represent the Rim, and its Goddess, Melusine.

(1) What was your personal introduction to this system? How did you learn about it, and (2) after you learned about it, did things start "clicking" for past experiences? (3) Do you think any of these deities have been with you longer than you've worked with them?

Note: These questions weren't sent to me numbered. I added the numbers for convenience.

1. The woman who is now my High Priestess first mentioned it to me in probably 2003 or so. By that time, the Coven had been receiving information (mostly via Channeling) and doing corroborating research for around a decade. After my Initiation into the Coven, which had been reduced to only three other members over time, I was asked what I would like to learn about (as the original focus was no longer a viable option). I chose to follow Sorgae.

2. Finding out that things "click" is a gradual thing, but yes, it has happened. Moreso though, the "clicks" have come in the form of verifying what the Gods tell us; We'll be given information direct from Them, then turn to books and the internet, and in nearly every case have found something that supports and confirms it.

3. Yes, several of Them. Arduina has been my Grandmother Bear for over half my life, and Kur was my Horned Lord even before that. For several years now, the Morrigan has been one of my patron Deities, and in Sorgae 'Craft, I know Her as Morga. As a writer, I now know Ariadne has blessed me since an early age. And perhaps Hekate is responsible for my intuative ability to read Tarot. They aren't Deities, but I've had visits from both the Hurralya and the Keriosak for as long as I can remember, and my fascination with vampires is boundless.

With the help of my Coven, I've developed a way to perform a Sorgae ritual using Tarot cards. Eventually this will also be available on our Coven website, but for now, I'll post it here.

( Sorgae Tarot Ritual )

I had another plan for this week, but it didn't turn out like I hoped. So instead, I'm going to share a collection of artwork amd icons I've aquired that represent some of the Gods of Sorgae.

( Image-heavy under the cut )

Our original interpretation of Ostraven was that it was "the height of our power for the good of all, setting the stage for the next Wasteland... At this time we Draw North God [Ianos], the God who looks both from the land of the Dead and to the land of the Living, and Southwest Goddess [Morga], the devourer who clears the way for new creation." Ostraven is the final Sabeot/d in the Sorgae cycle, and so these themes of thresholds and clearing away made perfect sense. In the Juxtaposition model, it aligned with the Wiccan Sabbat Samhain (though the date coincides with Spring Equinox), which also seemed an obvious fit.

In the Tarot reading my High Priestess and I did earlier this year, this message came through:

Ostraven = Temperance: patience, balance, harmony.
We have achieved what was achievable in this cycle, it is time to begin again.
We assigned East God [T'hot'] and West Goddess [Ariadne] to be invoked, They who are Knowledge and Inspiration.
Theme: Harmony

A similar idea, but with a different feel. Notice too that this is another manifestation of the East-West Axis that has come up time and again in our explorarion of Sorgae; the year ends with such a connection, with even traditional gender associations intact: The God in the masculine Air Element, and the Goddess in the feminine Water Element.

Nlame (nLAH-may) is the Vaska word for name, whether of a person, a Deity, a Sabeot/d, etc..

But I decided to write on this topic to explain that the names given to Sorgae Deities on this blog and my Coven's site, in many cases, are not Their actual names. They are simply the designations the Deities have agreed to answer to for our purposes. Some of Them have revealed other names which the Coven uses in our private work, but not all. In planning out going public with Sorgae information, each of the Deities were asked what name They preferred and what should be said of Them. Nearly all the names were revealed to us during Channeling.

Atamenoch insisted we give Him one, since all others we would recognize have been vilified by Christianity. Erian was briefly known as Erishkegal, because someone suggested it and She agreed, until we were given this name instead.

For some of the Gods, the name is one that has been applied to Them for so long, it's simpler to keep using it. Hekate is one example, as is T'hot'. Dionysus has another name in our work, but we were told that our public references to Him should be under that name (part of that reason is that the known associations with the Greek Dionysus are the same as the Sorgae Deity).

Ariadne is a Deity that, to me, bears little resemblance to Her known form and associations. Yet this is in keeping with the Goddess we know; She says She has worn a mask for a very long time, and it is one of our duties to remove Her mask and reveal Her true form. What that means in terms of Her name, has yet to be seen. Perhaps the name itself is part of that mask, and in time we will be given another.

Goddess of the Rim – Melusine (mel-you-SEEN-ah) - The Task-Giver. She is straightforward and speaks often of the things we must do.

I knew very little about Melusine going into this post. So, as usual, I Googled.

( Read more... )

***

[Click to enlarge]

Southwest Goddess – Morga (more-gah) – She is the leader of the Maenads who hunt their own God and tear Him to pieces to drink His blood. She is sharp and fierce and revels in all that is ecstatic in nature.

( Read more... )

The Sorgae Lunar Cycle is, for me, one of the biggest diversions from modern Wicca and Paganism, aside from the Sabeot/d cycle. Which in a way, makes sense, since one is a reflection of the other. For the details of the Lunar Cycle, click here.

The biggest adjustment for me, is viewing the Full Moon as a time of sorrow, stillness, and solitude. The vast majority of modern Wicca teaches that this is the Goddess at Her peak, a joyous time often used for Magick and celebration of all things Divine Feminine. But for Sorgae, the Moon is in mourning, because She is seperated from Her love, the Sun. She only shines because They are apart.

We haven't uncovered a Goddess specifically associated with the Moon; the closest we have is Erian, associated with stars. My thinking is that a Sorgae lunar Goddess would likely be counted as a "dark" Goddess. I don't know of any "dark" lunar Goddesses off-hand, but that doesn't mean They don't exist. Some research and divinition is likely in order. Perhaps a starting point is Goddesses associated specifically with the New Moon.

I haven't experienced a Sorgae Moon ritual yet, for any of the Moons phases. That may be another avenue for discovering the identity of a Sorgae Moon Goddess, if indeed there is one to be found.

The original understanding the Coven had of Lamasu was that "we know the spiritual adventure of love and begin to understand the chain that will bind us to the physical. We feel a great love with which we shall renew the Wasteland. At this time we Draw Southwest God [Dionysus], the keeper of the chain of physical desire, and Southeast Goddess [Gwenhevar], the essence of spiritual love."

However, my High Priestess and I and two of our Familiars did a Tarot reading about the yearly cycle with my Londa deck, and drew Page of Cups for Lamasu, meaning "perception, metaphysics, compassion. The true understanding within ourselves." It is a similar meaning, but enough of a shift that we assigned the South God [Hermes] and Southeast Goddess [Gwenhevar] to be invoked instead.

Since this is the first Sabeot/d entry I've done since that reading, here are the adjustments made to past Sabeot/ds as well.

( Read more... )

Lamasu was the only Sabeot/d that aligned symbolically with its Wiccan date-counterpart, Lammas, in my Juxtaposition entry. We haven't yet explored how these changes affect that model.

We speculated that these sorts of investigations and adjustments may need to be done every year, but it is also possible that this is merely a symptom of beginning the Aquarian Age. We've done our reading for this calendar year, and will just have to see what shifts, if any, occur with the next.

[Click to enlarge.]

West God – Kur (koor) - identified with swords, magick, and the Underworld. He is the Lord of Shadows, the Horned Lord of Death, and the Hounds (the Keriosak, the Beings of Daring in the West) belong to Him. His placement in the West aligns Him with Water, and therefore Emotion and Daring. He is leader on the Wild Hunt.

( Corroboration )

( Personal )

In closing, I'd like to share a couple songs. One, my High Priestess wrote, and the other, by the Austrailian duo, Savage Garden. After the latter, I have a few notes.

( Remember that the Muse is also in the West )

High God – Iove (ee-ay-OH-veh) - speculatively, the other half of the First Division. He, like the High Goddess [Ghiana], is an archetypal overarching God. We associate Him with the primordial Gods such as En (Sumerian) and Cronos (Greek).

My High Priest is very much a scholar, and has spent large amounts of time researching mythology. Here is an excerpt from a project he did on the Seven Days creation story in Abrahamic religious traditions that relates to my understanding of Iove.

( Who is YHVH Elohim? )

Click image to enlarge.

North God - Ianos (ee-yah-nos) - We associate Him with the old European God, Janicot/Janus. Like Janus, He has two faces, one looking to the East and one looking to the West, to the Past and the Future.

We associate Ianos with gateways, opening (metaphorical) doors, and passages. His position in the North aligns Him with Earth and Silence, and the final stage on the journey to communion with the Divine. However, we have yet to figure out a way to Channel Him, as none of us, obviously, have two faces. A possibility may be two people standing back-to-back and Ianos being called into them both. Another may be having a Familiar also Channeled at the same time, so that Ianos communicates through both Witch and Familiar. But we haven't attempted any of this yet.

But with Hermes now in the South, and the Aquarian Age concerned with acceptance and new understandings, it seems to me to be an important step to take, Channeling this God of passage and gateways. Or, perhaps, another of Hermes' functions is to teach us how best to communicate with Ianos (Would it be Hermes that is to be Channeled simultaneously rather than a Familiar?). After all, the idea of a North-South axis (mythically called the North Star Road, or the World Tree) being crucial to Divine communion, is not a new one.

Click images to enlarge.

Northwest Goddess – Hekate (heh-KAH-tay) –She deals with the mechanics of magick and spellwork. Hers is the physical craft of the Art Magickal. She is far older than and became the Celtic/Greco Hecate.

This Goddess is sometimes thought of as a Queen of the Witches because of Her associations with Magick. She is also associated with Crossroads and hounds.

Hermes is the new South God. Not much at all is known about His relationship and function in Sorgae yet, as His inclusion in the pantheon has just begun. So In an effort to gain insight, I turned to Astrology, researching the planet Mercury (Hermes' Roman name), the Zodiac sign of Aquarius (since this is the Aquarian Age), and what Mercury in Aquarius means.

( Read more... )

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Entries tagged with gods

Arduina, Priestess and Goddess

Yearly Cycle and Deities

Updated

Vestraven, Vol'ka

Tsaranos

T'hot'

Salonshai

Rituals

Questions Answered

Ritual

Pictures

Ostraven

Nlame

Melusine, Morga

Luna

Lamasu

Kur

Iove

Ianos

Hekate, Hermes