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Vaska has several words pertaining to Witches. A Sorg is a male Witch, and a Sorga is a female Witch. Sorgae, the name we use for this 'Craft, means, "what Witches do." Last week I introduced the Basque word "Sorginak" in connection with our Vaska word "Sorgitzak," because they both refer to Witches.
The first point to expand on, is that it is deemed unclear by scholars whether "Sorginak" refers to actual, physical Witches, or mythological beings. This is significant, because Sorgitzak, Witches who practice Sorgae 'Craft, are considered a race of Fae (I've even mentioned that they were categorized as such). So Sorgitzak 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.
Growing from this, is the significance of the Goddess of the Sorginak, Mari. She is the primary Deity of the ancient Pagan Basques, along with Her Consort, the God called Sugaar. Mari is a cave-dwelling Goddess, the very personification of the Earth. Her name may mean "mother," and She is sometimes associated with cows. This is strikingly similar to Arduina, our Mother Bear.
But Sugaar is not to be discounted either. He is associated with serpents and flames. He sometimes takes the form, in the sky, of a sickle of fire. This aligns strongly to the position and office of the Tsaranos.
This provides us a North-South axis, which is seen in shamanic practice as the path to Divine communion, the World Tree, the North Star Road. But also, specific to Sorgae, we Witches, the Sorgitzak, are associated with the South; and Arduina, the North Goddess, was not only the first to speak to us about this path, but the North represents that place and condition of ultimate communion with the Divine, with the All.
"Sorgae" means "what Witches do," and what we do, is honor and serve our Gods, through ritual, communion, and Gobah.
The first point to expand on, is that it is deemed unclear by scholars whether "Sorginak" refers to actual, physical Witches, or mythological beings. This is significant, because Sorgitzak, Witches who practice Sorgae 'Craft, are considered a race of Fae (I've even mentioned that they were categorized as such). So Sorgitzak 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.
Growing from this, is the significance of the Goddess of the Sorginak, Mari. She is the primary Deity of the ancient Pagan Basques, along with Her Consort, the God called Sugaar. Mari is a cave-dwelling Goddess, the very personification of the Earth. Her name may mean "mother," and She is sometimes associated with cows. This is strikingly similar to Arduina, our Mother Bear.
But Sugaar is not to be discounted either. He is associated with serpents and flames. He sometimes takes the form, in the sky, of a sickle of fire. This aligns strongly to the position and office of the Tsaranos.
This provides us a North-South axis, which is seen in shamanic practice as the path to Divine communion, the World Tree, the North Star Road. But also, specific to Sorgae, we Witches, the Sorgitzak, are associated with the South; and Arduina, the North Goddess, was not only the first to speak to us about this path, but the North represents that place and condition of ultimate communion with the Divine, with the All.
"Sorgae" means "what Witches do," and what we do, is honor and serve our Gods, through ritual, communion, and Gobah.
Vaska is the language Arduina spoke when She first arrived, and still often speaks. We believe it to be a predecessor to Basque, for several reasons.
One, mostly simply, is that in Spanish, the term for "Basque" is "Vasca." This is a bit obvious if you know the Spanish language; Bs and Vs have somewhat interchangeable sounds, and are in fact often voiced together. The "-que" suffix in Spanish is pronounced, roughly, "keh." So, if a Spanish-speaking person saw the word "Basque" written down, they may well pronounce it as "Vasca." Or, if they heard "Vasca" and tried to write it, it could conceivably be spelled, "Basque." As part of the Basque region is in Spain, none of this is very far-fetched
Another reason is that, in both Vaska and Basque, the suffix "-ak" is a plural. As Basque is essentially unrelated to any other known language, this unique characteristic seems significant.
But in addition, one of the most important words in Vaska is not unfamiliar to pre-Christian Basque Paganism. As I said, we believe Vaska to be a predecessor to modern Basque, thousands of years older. So, not all words we hear from the Gods will translate into the modern language. But one very nearly does.
We have been told that Sorgitzak means, "All Witches anywhere, any time, throughout all time and space." In Basque mythology, there is a word, Sorginak, which refers to "the assistants of the goddess Mari...It is also the Basque name for witches or pagan priestesses (though they could also be male), being difficult to discern between the mythological and real ones."
There is more to be said stemming from this one linguistic connection, But I'm saving it for next week's post.
One, mostly simply, is that in Spanish, the term for "Basque" is "Vasca." This is a bit obvious if you know the Spanish language; Bs and Vs have somewhat interchangeable sounds, and are in fact often voiced together. The "-que" suffix in Spanish is pronounced, roughly, "keh." So, if a Spanish-speaking person saw the word "Basque" written down, they may well pronounce it as "Vasca." Or, if they heard "Vasca" and tried to write it, it could conceivably be spelled, "Basque." As part of the Basque region is in Spain, none of this is very far-fetched
Another reason is that, in both Vaska and Basque, the suffix "-ak" is a plural. As Basque is essentially unrelated to any other known language, this unique characteristic seems significant.
But in addition, one of the most important words in Vaska is not unfamiliar to pre-Christian Basque Paganism. As I said, we believe Vaska to be a predecessor to modern Basque, thousands of years older. So, not all words we hear from the Gods will translate into the modern language. But one very nearly does.
We have been told that Sorgitzak means, "All Witches anywhere, any time, throughout all time and space." In Basque mythology, there is a word, Sorginak, which refers to "the assistants of the goddess Mari...It is also the Basque name for witches or pagan priestesses (though they could also be male), being difficult to discern between the mythological and real ones."
There is more to be said stemming from this one linguistic connection, But I'm saving it for next week's post.
UFOs/Aliens
Oct. 18th, 2013 09:32 amI'm not a fan of the History Channel show, "Ancient Aliens." I saw an episode that explained away Norse mythology as extra-terrestrial encounters, and it was ridiculous. I don't believe that flying crafts have been coming from some other planet(s) to Earth for millennia.
I do, however, believe the stories of abduction by other beings that come from different worlds than ours. "Planet" and "world" are not synonyms here.
Almost every account of alien abduction, and faerie abduction, share similar traits and themes. These being possess technology just one step ahead of that of thr human world, just close enough that we can understand and perhaps mimic it, but don't yet have it. Often, humans are impregnated during these abductions, or feel as though parts of them have been removed, or that they were given something.
There's also their appearance. When I described the Hurralya and the Keriosak, I mentioned that they may sound familiar, and this is why. These two basic descriptions have existed for centuries, attributed to Fae, but are now applied to extra-terrestrial aliens.
Isn't it interesting, that we have all these parallels. Even Dr. Jacques Vallee, a reknowned UFO investigator, has seen them:
I believe firmly that Faerie interaction with humans is largely responsible for shaping our development. After all, they exist to teach us, and Dare for us. They are partners, not adversaries.
Modern media has also given us a glimpse into this idea. The movie "Prometheus" puts forth the idea of "Engineers," a race that infused its very DNA into just-developing worlds. "The Fourth Kind" features aliens that speak Sumerian, the language of the oldest civilization we have records of, and whose likenesses appeared in ancient carvings from that society. Even "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" revolves around the concept of otherworldly beings having a pivital role in early human society.
Human beings tend to try and frame the unfamiliar with the known or recognizable. We see stars making patterns in the night sky and call them bears, or eagles, or humans. We see faces in rock formations. Gods have long taken on the shapes of native animals, but were identifiable all over the world regardless of culture. So in earlier times, we encountered beings from an Otherworld, and called them Fae (or perhaps vampires or angels). Now when that same experience occurs, with our fascination with space travel and exploration, and our explosion of advanced technology, and love of science fiction books, television, and movies, we call them aliens.
Sorgae's primary teaching is, "It's all the same thing." This topic nearly more than any other is the perfect illustration of that.
I do, however, believe the stories of abduction by other beings that come from different worlds than ours. "Planet" and "world" are not synonyms here.
Almost every account of alien abduction, and faerie abduction, share similar traits and themes. These being possess technology just one step ahead of that of thr human world, just close enough that we can understand and perhaps mimic it, but don't yet have it. Often, humans are impregnated during these abductions, or feel as though parts of them have been removed, or that they were given something.
There's also their appearance. When I described the Hurralya and the Keriosak, I mentioned that they may sound familiar, and this is why. These two basic descriptions have existed for centuries, attributed to Fae, but are now applied to extra-terrestrial aliens.
Isn't it interesting, that we have all these parallels. Even Dr. Jacques Vallee, a reknowned UFO investigator, has seen them:
"The symbolic display seen by the abductees is identical to the type of initiation ritual or astral voyage that is imbedded in the [occult] traditions of every culture...the structure of abduction stories is identical to that of occult initiation rituals...the UFO beings of today belong to the same class of manifestation as the [occult] entities that were described in centuries past."
-Dr. Jacques Vallee citing the extensive research of Bertrand Meheust [Science-Fiction et Soucoupes Volantes (Paris, 1978); Soucoupes Volantes et Folklore (Paris, 1985)], in Confrontations, p. 146, 159-161
I believe firmly that Faerie interaction with humans is largely responsible for shaping our development. After all, they exist to teach us, and Dare for us. They are partners, not adversaries.
Modern media has also given us a glimpse into this idea. The movie "Prometheus" puts forth the idea of "Engineers," a race that infused its very DNA into just-developing worlds. "The Fourth Kind" features aliens that speak Sumerian, the language of the oldest civilization we have records of, and whose likenesses appeared in ancient carvings from that society. Even "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" revolves around the concept of otherworldly beings having a pivital role in early human society.
Human beings tend to try and frame the unfamiliar with the known or recognizable. We see stars making patterns in the night sky and call them bears, or eagles, or humans. We see faces in rock formations. Gods have long taken on the shapes of native animals, but were identifiable all over the world regardless of culture. So in earlier times, we encountered beings from an Otherworld, and called them Fae (or perhaps vampires or angels). Now when that same experience occurs, with our fascination with space travel and exploration, and our explosion of advanced technology, and love of science fiction books, television, and movies, we call them aliens.
Sorgae's primary teaching is, "It's all the same thing." This topic nearly more than any other is the perfect illustration of that.
This post serves as a basic go-to for the various Elemental Beings and Fae we've thus far learned of in our Sorgae explorations. The title is but one of them. We'll start though, in the East.
I've already written about the Hurralya, the Beings of Air. Also in the East are the Hostarak, the Beings of Knowledge.
In the South are the Seiralya, Beings of Fire, and Sorgitzak, Beings of Will.
The West is home to the Keriosak, Being of Daring, and the Uartalya, Beings of Water.
Finally, in the North, the Itlasak are the Beings of Silence, and the Ertalya arez the Beings of Earth.
Many other systems have Elemental Beings as well, such as Sylphs, Salamanders, Undines, and Gnomes. A book series I've read had Djinn, Dragons, Selkies, and Gargoyles.
We don't yet know much about most of the Sorgae Elemental Beings, but thus far the Hurralya, Keriosak, and Sorgitzak have been most important.
I've already written about the Hurralya, the Beings of Air. Also in the East are the Hostarak, the Beings of Knowledge.
In the South are the Seiralya, Beings of Fire, and Sorgitzak, Beings of Will.
The West is home to the Keriosak, Being of Daring, and the Uartalya, Beings of Water.
Finally, in the North, the Itlasak are the Beings of Silence, and the Ertalya arez the Beings of Earth.
Many other systems have Elemental Beings as well, such as Sylphs, Salamanders, Undines, and Gnomes. A book series I've read had Djinn, Dragons, Selkies, and Gargoyles.
We don't yet know much about most of the Sorgae Elemental Beings, but thus far the Hurralya, Keriosak, and Sorgitzak have been most important.
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.
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.
Soven, Salanakh
Sep. 20th, 2013 04:01 pmThis entry is going to be brief because I'm not feeling 100% due to allergies and sinuses. My apologies.
( Soven and Salanakh )
( Soven and Salanakh )
[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... )
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... )
Renewal is one of the central themes of Sorgae 'Craft. We mark New Moons to renew each month, raising power between Sabeot/ds. We mark Sabeot/ds to raise power for and renew the year. And each year then adds to the decade, the century, the millennium, and the Age. The Sorgae yearly symbology, as I've mentioned before, is of the Wasteland. I plan to do a post focusing on it in the future.
It is one of our Tasks as Sorgae Witches to help things turn like this. It is related to Gobah; we give so that we may receive and ensure that the Cycle continues. Scientific laws support this necessity: A body in motion tends to stay in motion. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Energy can never be either newly created or finally destroyed, only changed in form.. And so it works with the energy needed to turn the Age, because even Witchcraft is bound by the laws of Nature.
It is one of our Tasks as Sorgae Witches to help things turn like this. It is related to Gobah; we give so that we may receive and ensure that the Cycle continues. Scientific laws support this necessity: A body in motion tends to stay in motion. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Energy can never be either newly created or finally destroyed, only changed in form.. And so it works with the energy needed to turn the Age, because even Witchcraft is bound by the laws of Nature.
Questions Answered
Aug. 22nd, 2013 07:27 pmHere 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.
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.
Questions Asked
Aug. 16th, 2013 02:32 amHi everyone.
This week's topic is easy; Ask me any question(s) my Pagan Blog Project posts have brought up. You can post comments anonymously, and I've even screened comments. So if you've been worried about asking a "stupid question" (no such thing!) or coming across in an unflattering way, now I won't even know who you are, so there's no embarassment!
Next week, I'll post the questions and my answers (without any identifiers attached! Complete anonymity!), and hopefully, we'll all keep learning about this path together.
This week's topic is easy; Ask me any question(s) my Pagan Blog Project posts have brought up. You can post comments anonymously, and I've even screened comments. So if you've been worried about asking a "stupid question" (no such thing!) or coming across in an unflattering way, now I won't even know who you are, so there's no embarassment!
Next week, I'll post the questions and my answers (without any identifiers attached! Complete anonymity!), and hopefully, we'll all keep learning about this path together.
We've been given Vaska words for a few plants. My original plan for this post was just to research these plants' associations with Witchcraft, and speculate how they could then relate to Sorgae 'Craft. However, in doing said research, I came upon information that takes me much farther than speculation.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
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 )
( Image-heavy under the cut )
Orano ze Zoma
Jul. 26th, 2013 11:12 amOrano ze zoma (ore-AH-no zeh ZOH-mah) is Vaska for "dance the blood." From my High Priestess:
[*Note: for a fictionalized account of these events, read Lammas Night by Katherine Kurtz.]
This is another aspect of Sorgae 'Craft that I haven't experienced, and to be honest, I'm not sure how much I'd look forward to it, given how much it takes out of the participants. Also, I know myself and my reactions to energy; I can get nauseated and dizzy, which I do recognize signals entrance into an altered state, but it can also be distracting and unpleasant. However, since Divine contact is a goal, and I also am a natural Medium, I doubt that aspect would prove too challenging. Overall, I think I'd have to be sufficiently prepared for it, make sure my physical and emotional well-being are at comfortable places.
This is also something that, like aspects of other Pagan paths, is not to be tried for fun or without instruction and peer supervision. Altered states this dramatic and intense are risky to attempt alone, especially if one has only read about it, and never been witness to it first hand, nor known anyone personally who has had proper instruction.
This is a specific rite in which a specific mixture of herbs is steeped in wine and blood, then drunk in ritual. The participants then literally dance and chant, containing the energy they are raising within their bodies until one of them falls and/or begins to channel. Then ALL the power that has been raised is transferred immediately to the fallen/channeling Witch. It is exhausting for all, and the few times we did it, VERY powerful.
The rite is done to raise power for the use of magick, usually on a very important nature. We were told [via Channeling] that a form of Dancing the Blood was what the Witches in England did during World War ll to keep the Nazi forces from crossing the English Channel* – that version required a death, so that the dead Witch could carry the power directly to the Gods. However, Dancing the Blood doesn’t always require a death. We have used it to summon the Keriosak for a specific task, and Arduina always wanted us to do it at sabeodts. The term comes from the idea of activating the Witches’ Blood in our bodies, using herbs, wine, blood and the dance to consciously open a link to the Divine.
[*Note: for a fictionalized account of these events, read Lammas Night by Katherine Kurtz.]
This is another aspect of Sorgae 'Craft that I haven't experienced, and to be honest, I'm not sure how much I'd look forward to it, given how much it takes out of the participants. Also, I know myself and my reactions to energy; I can get nauseated and dizzy, which I do recognize signals entrance into an altered state, but it can also be distracting and unpleasant. However, since Divine contact is a goal, and I also am a natural Medium, I doubt that aspect would prove too challenging. Overall, I think I'd have to be sufficiently prepared for it, make sure my physical and emotional well-being are at comfortable places.
This is also something that, like aspects of other Pagan paths, is not to be tried for fun or without instruction and peer supervision. Altered states this dramatic and intense are risky to attempt alone, especially if one has only read about it, and never been witness to it first hand, nor known anyone personally who has had proper instruction.
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.
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.
Nile, or Rivers
Jul. 11th, 2013 05:47 pmThe Nile is perhaps the most well-known river in the world. One of the few that flows South to North, the ancient Egyptians centered their civilization around its delta, where the land was most fertile. This is but one of many rivers with cultural significance in the world, and for Arduina, the important river is the Danube, or as She calls it, Duna.
I had trouble finding much in the way of mythology about the Danube itself, so instead I pulled bits about general river symbolism that seemed appropriate:
When Arduina was shown a map of the United States, to explain where we were in relation to the places She knew, She proclaimed that the Mississippi was North America's Duna.
I had trouble finding much in the way of mythology about the Danube itself, so instead I pulled bits about general river symbolism that seemed appropriate:
J.E. Cirlot notes that river symbolism "corresponds to the creative power of nature and time. On the one hand it signifies fertility and the progressive irrigation of the soil; and on the other hand it stands for the irreversible passage of time and, in consequence, for a sense of loss and oblivion."
If ocean symbolism is based primarily around water in a relatively unmoving form, river symbolism is based around water in movement. In the book Jung And The Story Of Our Time, Laurens van der Post notes that a river is the image of "water already in movement, finding its own way through great ravines, carrying all over cataract and rapid through conditions of external danger, to emerge intact and triumphant for union with the sea out of which it rose as vapour at the beginning."
...
It is the great movement of rivers which have given rise to labeling them with them with personalities and seeing in them symbols for the progression of life itself from small bubbling mountain streams to raging youth to death at their conjunction with the seas and oceans.
Rivers have played an important part in stories. They were important boundary markers in western films and crossing the Rio Grande had a symbolic significance beyond the relatively quick and simple act of moving across a body of water. Besides symbolizing boundaries they also symbolize roadways into [or away from] the heart of continents and civilizations (Source)
When Arduina was shown a map of the United States, to explain where we were in relation to the places She knew, She proclaimed that the Mississippi was North America's Duna.
