Mabon i zajedništvo

Mabon je vrijeme kada slavimo obilje u svojim životima - slavi se bogat urod plodova, slavi se emocionalno bogatstvo, iskustveno bogatstvo i društveno bogatstvo. Jedno od poruka Mabona jest da čovjek može imati sve bogatstvo svijeta, ali mu je ono uzalud ako ga nema s kime dijeliti. Iz ovog razloga su gozbe ustaljena praksa koja je posebno izražena za ovaj sabat. Svi plodovi koji su pobrani do ovog trenutka se dijele unutar zajednice koja ih je posijala, njegovala i naposljetku brala skupa. Oni koji imaju suviše toga poklanjaju onima koji imaju manje. Iz ovoga je potekao običaj doniranja i volontiranja za ovaj sabat. 

Ali vratimo se na zajedništvo. Iz više razloga mi se upravo ovaj aspekt Mabona nametnuo ove godine. Osvijestila sam više nego ikad da je čovjek zaista društveno biće i zaista pojmila važnost društva i zajedništva unutar njega. Ali zajednica je komplicirana stvar jer odnosi unutar nje mogu biti šaroliki. Zajedništvo se ne temelji samo na onim pozitivnim iskustvima i emocijama; ljudi se mogu svađati, ne pričati međusobno i ne voljeti se međusobno a da ih zajednica ipak spaja. Na kraju krajeva, zajedništvo jača ako se upravo ove trenutke i emocije uspije prebroditi i riješiti. Mabon nas podsjeća na važnost zajedništva jer je zajednica, bez obzira na njezinu veličinu, uvijek tu za nas. Naša rodbina, prijatelji, partner(i), učitelji i tako dalje nas formiraju kao ljude i tu su za nas u sretnim i tužnim trenucima (makar netko više, a netko manje). Unutar zajednice se ne moraju svi voljeti, ali ono što je čini zajednicom jest to što je svaka karika lanca potrebna da ne pukne. Odnosno, svatko na svoj način pridonosi cjelovitosti zajednice.

Fokus mog slavlja Mabona je bilo provođenje vremena s ljudima koje nisam vidjela jako dugo vremena i koji su mi najiskrenije nedostajali. Fokus mi je bio na druženju, smijanju, skupljanju lijepih iskustava i uspomena sa svim tim ljudima, što sam i učinila. U cijeloj toj priči ipak nisam zaboravila na one ljude koje redovito viđam. Podsjetila sam se da njih ne smijem uzimati zdravo za gotovo i proučavala naše međusobne odnose; kako se oni mogu poboljšati, što je u njima dobro, a što loše, na čemu se temelje. Na ovakva pitanja nije uvijek lako pronaći odgovor, ali ukoliko se uspije u tome, čovjek doživi određeno ispunjenje.

Znam da je teško ponekad izdvojiti vremena za zajednicu s obzirom na ubrzani tempo života, ali se usprkos tome nadam da ste uspjeli provesti ovaj sabat sa svojim bližnjima i maksimalno uživati u njemu!

Blagoslovljen vam Mabon! :)

Vaša Witch's Cat

Mabon and Community

Mabon is a time of celebrating the abundance in our lives - we celebrate the rich harvest, emotional wealth, experiential wealth and social wealth. One of the messages that Mabon sends us is that you can have all the wealth of the world but it is all worthless if you have nobody to share it with. Because of this, feasts are a consistent practice which is particularly accentuated for this Sabbat. The entire yield that has been gathered up to this point is shared among the community which sowed them, cultivated them and finally harvested them. Those that have plenty give to those that have little. It is from this that the practice of donating and volunteering during this Sabbat stemmed.

But let's go back to community. This aspect of Mabon beckoned me this year for several reasons. More than ever, I have brought to consciousness that man is a social being and truly understood the importance of society and togetherness in it. But community is a complicated thing because relationships in it can be diverse. Community is not based solely on positive experiences and emotions; people can quarrel, not talk among each other but still be connected through their community. After all, togetherness strengthens if one is able to surmount and solve precisely these moments and emotions. Mabon reminds us of the importance of community; regardless of its size, it is always there for us. Our family, friends, partner(s), teachers and so on form us as people and are there for us through the good and the bad (albeit some more than others). Not everyone has to love one another inside a community, but what makes a community is that every link in the chain is necessary to keep the chain from breaking. That is to say, everyone in their own way contributes to the community's integrity.

The focus of my Mabon celebration was spending time with people I haven't seen for too much time and whom I missed dearly. The focus was on socialization, laughter, gaining pleasant experiences and memories with all of these people, which I did. However, in all of this, I didn't forget about the people that I see often. I reminded myself that I shouldn't take them for granted and contemplated our relationships; how they can be improved, what their good sides are, what their bad sides are, what they are based on. It is not always easy to find answers to these questions, but if you succeed, you can experience a sort of fulfillment.

I know that it is sometimes difficult to set aside time for the community taking into account our fast pace of life, but despite this, I hope that you managed to spend time with your loved ones during this Sabbat and enjoyed this time!

I wish you all a blessed Mabon! :)
Yours,
Witch's Cat

Kolač od mrkve i jabuke

Mabon je druga žetva i slavlje sakupljenih plodova i obilja. Ovo je i vrijeme berbe jabuka zbog čega ih ima ne pretek za korištenje u svim vrstama jela. Berba mrkve također u ovo vrijeme nije isključena, a poznato je da mrkva u kombinaciji s jabukom zna biti božanstvena. I zaista jest tako. Ako me vjerujete, isprobajte sami ovaj recept!

Potrebno je:

Napomena: mjere su plastične čaše jogurta (200g)

Za tijesto:

• 4 jaja
• 1-2 čaše šećera (po ukusu)
• 2 čaše glatkog brašna
• 1 čaša ulja
• 1 prašak za pecivo
• 1 vanilin šećer
• 1 čajna žličica cimeta
• 250 g naribane mrkve
• 350 g naribane jabuke

Za glazuru:

• 200 g čokolade za kuhanje
• 50 ml mlijeka
• 25-50 g maslaca

Napomena: biti će vam potrebno više mrkve i jabuke s obzirom da ćete izgubiti na količini guljenjem gore i, u slučaju jabuke, odstranjivanjem koštice. Primjerice, od 350g mrkve sam, nakon guljenja, rezanja krajeva i odstranjivanja vanjskog sloja dobila 250g, a od malo iznad 500g jabuke sam spala na 350g kada sam ih ogulila i izribala do koštice. Također, kod glazure možete otprilike dodati masla i mlijeka kako biste postigli željenu konzistenciju. Ja sam navela otprilike koliko sam maslaca i mlijeka dodala.

Priprema:

Tijesta:

1. Elektičnim mikserom izmiješajte jaja sa šećerom i dodajte šećer i ulje.
2. Dodajte u glatku smjesu vanilin šećer i cimet.
3. Izmiješajte brašno i prašak za pecivo i potom postepeno ovo dodajite prijašnjoj smjesi miješajući kuhačom.
4. Naribajte jabuku i mrkvu (tek sada da jabuka ne bi pustila previše vode) i dodajte u smjesu.
5. Obložite posudu za pečenje (po mogućnosti metalnu, kvadratnog oblika) papirom za pečenje i ulijte tijesto u lim. Pecite 45 minuta na 180°C.

Glazure:

1. Na pari otopite čokoladu te dodajte maslac i mlijeko.
2. Miješajte dok se čokolada u potpunosti ne otopi i dok se svi sastojci ne prožmu.
3. Prelijte još topli kolač smjesom.
4. Kada su se kolač i glazura ohladili otprilike na sobnu temperaturu, ostavite u hladnjaku na nekoliko sati da se glazura stvrdne.

Carrot and Apple Cake

Mabon is known as the second harvest, the festival of fruits and the celebration of abundance. This is also the time of apple picking which is why there are apples to spare for all sorts of meals. Carrots are typically also ripe for the picking this time of year, and it is well-known that the combination of carrots and apples can be divine. And this is true. If you don't believe me, try this recipe out yourself!

You Will Need:

Note: the measurement is a yogurt cup (200 g).

For the Dough:

• 4 eggs
• 1-2 cups sugar (to taste)
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 cup oil
• 1 packet baking powder
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 250 g grated carrots
• 350 g grated apples

For the Glaze:

• 200 g cooking chocolate
• 50 ml milk
• 25-50 g butter

Note: you will need more carrots and apples than stated here considering the fact that you will end up throwing away the skin and removing the core. For example, I had 350 g of carrots but after peeling, cutting off the ends and grating off the outermost layer, I ended up with 250 g. Similarly, just over 500 g of apples turned into 350 g ones I peeled the skin and threw away the core. Also, with regards to the glaze, you can eyeball the amount of milk and butter you add to the chocolate to get the kind of consistency you prefer. I just listed the approximate amount of milk and butter that I added to the glaze for a reference.

How To Prepare:

The Dough:

1. Using an electric mixer, mix the eggs, sugar and oil together.
2. Add vanilla sugar and cinnamon to the mix.
3. Mix the flour and baking powder together and gradually add this to the previous mixture and mix well using a wooden spoon.
4. Grate the carrots and apples (yes, just now so the apple doesn't let out too much water) and add them to the mix.
5. Cover your baking dish (preferably a square-shaped, metal one) with baking paper and pour in the mixture. Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C.

The Glaze:

1. Melt the chocolate over steam and add the butter and milk.
2. Stir until the chocolate completely melts and the ingredients permeate each other.
3. While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze over it.
4. Once the cake and glaze have cooled down to approximately room temperature, put them in the refrigerator for a few hours so the glaze can harden.

Kako mogu prepoznati loš izvor informacija?

Više puta sam primila komentar na blogu u kojemu me se pita za mišljenje o nekoj web stranici, ili knjizi koja se tiče wicce i/ili paganizma. Ovo me motiviralo da napišem post o dilemi kvalitete ne bih li potaknula kritičko mišljenje i svijest o kvaliteti kod svojih suputnika na ovom duhovnom putu, odnosno vas.

Voljela bih naglasiti da ovaj post ne nudi beziznimna pravila za prepoznavanje kvalitetnih izvora informacija jer se svačija ideja kvalitete naposljetku razlikuje. Ipak, želim ponuditi vlastito shvaćanje kvalitetnih wiccanskih i paganskih izvora informacija jer znam da su tuđi savjeti i literarne preporuke bile od iznimne koristi za mene kada i sama nisam znala odakle početi.

Beletristika, serije i filmovi nisu pouzdani

Bilo mi je zanimljivo primijetiti koliko ljudi koristi beletristiku, filmove i serije tobože kao "izvore" informacija o wicci i paganizmu. Jasno, oni među njima koji se zaista tiču ove tematike mogu i često jesu utemeljeni u istini, ali, kako bi se reklo u narodu, vrag se uvijek krije u detaljima. Iako njihova podloga jest utemeljena, cijela priča koja se gradila na njoj je češće izmišljena, prenapuhana, previše fantastična, ili jednostavno neistinita. Da nije takva, ta knjiga se ne bi uspjela prodati, a film/serija ne bi postigli popularnost. Ovo nisu stručni izvori - oni ne nude konkretne, praktične informacije ni objašnjenja. U najboljem slučaju mogu poslužiti kao inspiracija za nešto, a u najgorem mogu osobu uvjeriti u potpune gluposti što će joj u konačnici štetiti u duhovnom razvoju.

U više navrata sam pitala ljude koji su mi prišli s praktičnim upitima o wicci koje su do sada knjige na ovu temu čitali. Ovo bih uvijek pitala naprosto da dobijem bolji osjećaj za njihovo teoretsko znanje jer smatram da je ono temelj za praksu i da stoga treba biti dobro izgrađeno. Dosta puta sam kao odgovor dobila nekoliko knjiga Paula Coelha (preciznije Bridu, ili Vješticu iz Portobella). Čitala sam ove knjige i simpatične su, ali nipošto ne mogu poslužiti kao ozbiljan izvor informacija o wicci i paganizmu. Isto vrijedi za filmove (npr. Wicker Man, Bewitched ili The Craft, pa i Harry Potter) i serije, kojih se nakupilo tijekom zadnjih nekoliko desetljeća - Sabrina mala vještica, Charmed, Buffy ubojica vampira, Merlin i tako dalje.

Dakle, beletristika, filmovi i serije mogu biti ugodni za pogledati povremeno, mogu poslužiti kao inspiracija, potaknuti znatiželju i slično, ali ne mogu biti, nisu i nikada neće biti stručni izvori informacija o wicci i paganizmu.

Prepoznavanje kvalitetnih knjiga

Kada govorim o kvalitetnim knjigama, mislim na kvalitetne stručne izvore. Beletristika može biti kvalitetno napisana, ali po količini informacija ne može parirati stručnoj literaturi.

Postoji na pregršt knjiga na tržištu o wicci i paganizmu, pa i široj tematici (okultizmu, duhovnosti itd.). Glavno pitanje ovdje je kako prepoznati među svim tim knjigama one kvalitetne?

Zapravo ne postoji jedno shvaćanje kvalitetne knjige jer će svatko pod kvalitetnim smatrati nešto drugo. Stoga ću vas u ovom podnaslovu provesti kroz vlastiti sistem prepoznavanja kvalitetne knjige, odnosno kroz proces eliminiranja onih nekvalitetnih.

Kada sam počela proučavati wiccu i paganizam, imala sam sreće da sam se našla u virtualnom krugu ljudi koji su se već mnogo godina ozbiljno bavili time i koji su pročitali mnoštvo knjiga ove tematike. Preporuke za knjige su mi dolazile sa svih strana, kao i osvrti na njih kako bih znala koja knjiga je dobra za što. Važno je zapamtiti da nijedna knjiga nije savršena i neće pružiti sve informacije koje su vam potrebne. Ipak, svaka knjiga ima neki svoj forte, a isto tako može imati i velike mane koje trebamo osvijestiti ako ćemo iz svake knjige izvući ono najbolje. Zato je važno razviti kritično mišljenje prema literaturi, a to se najbolje čini čitanjem, čitanjem i daljnjim čitanjem kako biste s vremenom shvatili što se u određenim knjigama poklapa, što odskače (i zbog čega odskače), kakav vam se stil pisanja sviđa, koje preporuke zaista imaju smisla i koje zaista uspijevate primijeniti u vlastitom životu, a koje vam nisu nimalo koristile. Pošto je to meni puno pomoglo na početku, i na ovom blogu sam napravila popis od 15ak knjiga koje preporučam za početnike. Ove knjige sam preporučila jer su meni bilo iznimno korisne (ali to ne znači da će se svima svidjeti), jer su formirale moju duhovnu praksu na bolje i jer odgovaraju mom viđenju kvalitete o kojemu ću nastaviti pričati u ovom postu. Taj popis knjiga možete naći u sekciji "Literatura". Ali nastavimo dalje s nekim praktičnijim, aktivnijim savjetima.

Kada tražim knjigu na temu wicce, ili paganizma (ili bilo koju knjigu stručne literature), prvo pogledam sadržaj. Ako naslovi poglavlja odgovaraju onome što tražim od te knjige, onda je nastavljam proučavati. Naravno, ono što tražim uvijek varira. Na početku sam tražila smislene preglede koji će prekriti pomalo od svega - povijest paganizma, sabate i druga slavlja, običaje, rituale, magiju itd. Kada pročitate određeni broj knjiga takve vrste, onda pomalo shvatite što vas najviše zanima i krećete dalje u tom smjeru. Tada tražite knjige uže tematike koje obično postaju sve stručnije i stručnije kako ulazite sve dublje u to područje. Ali ove daljnje knjige nisu problematične za naći jer ćete u toj fazi već znati razlikovati ono što je kvalitetno od onog što je nekvalitetno. Važno je na samom početku, kada tražite svojevrsne preglede, znati razabrati kvalitetnu knjigu u moru njih.

Ljudi imaju naviku, kada tek uđu u svijet wicce i paganizma, tražiti one knjiga koje koje imaju impresivne naslove, ali to ne znači da morate isključiti one koje imaju sasvim uobičajene naslove kao što je "Uvod u _____", ili naprosto "Wicca/Paganizam". Dajte priliku svakoj knjizi bez obzira na njezinu vanjštinu.

Kada listam neku knjigu u knjižari, ili proučavam sažeti primjerak na internetu (kao što se zna naći na Google Books, primjerice), uvijek prvo pogledam poglavlje u vezi magije ukoliko postoji (a najčešće postoji). Nedavni trend svođenja wicce i paganizma na izvođenje magije mi nije nimalo simpatičan jer se onda u potpunosti zanemaruje onaj devocijski aspekt koji je također bitan. Magija je u ovoj cijeloj priči samo jedan (proizvoljni) element paganizma/wicce. Nadalje, ako vidim da autor knjige više fokusa stavlja na iznošenje "recepata" za bajalice i čarolije, a manje na magijski proces (koji se bazira na vlastoručnom pisanju i planiranju magijskog rada), automatski eliminiram tu knjigu. Naravno, ovo ne znači da neki autori neće dati pokoji ogledni primjerak koji zaista dobro dođe na početku, ali bilo koja osoba koja se bavi magijom treba znati da će magija biti onoliko potentna koliko se u nju uloži energija. Ako je osoba samo uzela knjigu i pročitala iz nje nešto što je netko drugi napisao, količina uloženog truda je ravna nuli.

Upravo iz poviše navedenog razloga bih svima savjetovala da, barem na početku, izbjegavaju knjige bajalica (eng. spell books) i knjige slične njima koje sve serviraju na srebrnom pladnju. Takve knjige nose nazive poput "50 ljubavnih čarolija koje će vam promijeniti život", "Kako magijom doći do novca", "Mala knjiga čarolija" i slično. One se trebaju nalaziti na policama za samopomoć jer tome i služe. One neće djelovati, ali će utješiti one kojima su potrebne u tom trenutku. One zapravo daju lažnu nadu i razvijaju negativne stereotipe o paganima i wiccanima. Ovo posljednje kažem jer potiču mišljenje (i praksu) da wiccani, pagani i vještice izvode magiju iz sebičnih razloga i pritom u potpunosti zanemaruju etičku dimenziju svoje duhovnosti. Što više ljudi čita takve knjige, to će ih više zaista početi zanemarivati moralne vrijednosti i raditi samo kako bi sebi pomogli bez obzira na posljedice. Uz sve ovo, sama činjenica da se ovakve knjige može naći na svakom uglu, od knjižara, do trafika i supermarketa, ne ulijeva puno povjerenja (iako sam u više navrata našla jako kvalitetne knjiga u trafikama, ali u globalu budu lošije kvalitete).

Još jedna vrsta literature koju nikako ne volim su kompleti za početnike u kojima uz knjigu dobijete i "sve što će vam trebati za početak". Ovo može biti simpatično, ali ako netko uz knjigu treba prodavati gomilu opreme ne bi li je maknuo s polica, to je već sumnjivo. Također, teško mi je povjerovati da u maloj (vrlo tankoj) plastičnoj vrećici možete dobiti sve što će vam trebati za početak. Ovakve knjige su, po mom mišljenju, namijenjene za one koji ne shvaćaju paganizam ni wiccu ozbiljno nego žele za vrlo malo novca udovoljiti nekom privremenom hiru. 

Pošto je u zadnjih nekoliko desetljeća porasla popularnost wicce i paganizma među tinejđerima, sve više knjiga se piše upravo za njih. Najpoznatija među njima su Teen Witch i To Ride a Silver Broomstick od Silver Ravenwolf (zanimljivost: potonja je među najprodavanijima knjigama izdavačke kuće Lewellyn Publishing). Mnogo ljudi ima negativne stavove prema ovoj autorici iz raznoraznih razloga, ali u to neću ulaziti. No, neke zamjerku nekim njenim knjigama, pa i svim drugim knjigama koje su napisane za tinejđere moram iznijeti. Kao prvo, često djeluju neozbiljno zbog stila pisanja i primjera koji se iznose. Kao drugo, uz pojednostavljeni jezik također iznose pojednostavljenu filozofiju/povijest/teologiju wicce i paganizma što čitateljima nikako ne ide u prilog bez obzira na dob. Ukratko, iako autori ovih knjiga uspiju ostvariti svoju namjeru pojednostavljivanja i približavanja tematike svojim čitateljima, to mogu učiniti nauštrb informacijama. Zbog ovoga je potreban veliki oprez s ovim i svim drugim "početničkim" knjigama. U sekciji "Literatura" sam navela one početničke knjige za koje smatram da sažeto i jasno iznose informacije, ali pritom ne izostavljaju važne podatke i ne banaliziraju stvari. To ne znači da su one najbolje knjige za svačiji početak, ali smatram da se lijepo nadopunjuju i da svatko može izgraditi snažne temelje u wicci i paganizmu ako počne s čitanjem te selekcije knjiga.

Nadalje, kad se nalazim u prilici na prolistam knjigu, nakon što sam pogledala poglavlje o magiji, odmah okrećem na poglavlje o povijesti. Sva sreća da imam već neko pozadinsko znanje o ovome pa mi nije teško procijeniti valja li knjiga ili ne na temelju povijesnih činjenica koje iznosi. Generalno govoreći, autor koji u svoju knjigu uključuje povijesno poglavlje, a ne vlada povijesnim činjenicama je po mom mišljenju autor kojeg se ne treba čitati. Savjetujem vam da uvijek provjerite barem neke osnovne godine i imena iz ovog poglavlja ako ste u mogućnosti to učiniti. Možete zaviriti u druge provjerene knjige ove tematike, ili jednostavno upotrijebiti Google dok sami ne steknete dovoljno znanja da procijenite ispravnost iznesenih povijesnih činjenica.

Još neke mane koje sam primijetila u knjigama osrednje/loše kvalitete jesu licemjernost i nedorečenost. Licemjernost je najčešće vidljiva u kritiziranju drugih religija/vjera/duhovnosti na temelju njihovih diskriminirajućih djela u prošlosti ili sadašnjosti dok se istovremeno upravo njih blati i propovijeda snošljivost i ljubav prema drugima. Nedorečenost je jednako loša mana jer se odražava u šturim informacijama kojima nedostaju objašnjenja. Previše knjiga jednostavno kažu "napravite ovo" i "napravite ovo ovako upravo u tom trenutku" bez da objasne zašto se nešto radi, zašto se radi na taj način i upravo u tom trenutku. Iz ovog razloga, primjerice, izrazito cijenim knjigu Elements of Ritual od Deboreh Lipp - ovo je prva knjiga na koju sam naišla da mi je zaista objasnila zašto se neke stvari rade onako kako se rade u ritualu.

Zajednička mana svih ovakvih knjiga jest to što im nedostaje ozbiljnosti i dubine i/ili opsega. Odnosno, ako tražite knjigu za početak, moj savjet je da idete više u opseg kako biste dobili pomalo informacija o svakom aspektu paganizma/wicce i time spoznali što vas najviše privlači. Naravno, odlično je ako knjiga, uz opseg, uspije ući i u dubinu tematike. No, kada već saznate što vas zanima, preporučam da ciljate prema tematskoj dubini, a ne opsegu kako biste produbili vlastito znanje o toj tematici i razvili kvalitetniju praksu. Ali knjiga u svakom slučaju treba biti ozbiljna! To ne znači da se u njoj ne može naći nijedna dosjetka, smiješna anegdota i slično (jer mnogo kvalitetnih autora koje sam čitala ima ovaj stil pisanja), već samo da knjiga treba biti objektivna (dozvoljeni su subjektivni komentari i iskustva u određenim dozama), da iznosi upozorenja po potrebi, da ističe važnost i ozbiljnost paganske/wiccanske duhovne prakse, odnosno da ih ne promovira kao što bi se činilo u tridesetsekundnoj televizijskoj/radijskoj reklami (čujete li one pretjerano entuzijastične, lažne glasove od kojih vas gotovo bole uši?).

Oprez s internetom

Posljednja i možda najveća opasnost u traženju izvora o wicci i paganizmu jest internet. U knjigama se može naći gomila gluposti, a zamislite tek kako je s internetom na kojemu se svakodnevno objavljuje mnogo više članaka, skripti, "knjiga" i slično koji nisu prošli ruke ni urednika ni lektora. Nisam mogla vjerovati i kakve sam gluposti našla među aplikacijama za mobitele! Zaista treba biti oprezan kada su u pitanju virtualni izvori informacija jer svatko danas može napisati nešto bez ikakve garancije kvalitete.

Moja preporuka je da internet uopće ne koristite kao izvor osim ako nije baš nužno i ako izvor kojeg ste našli nije od iznimne kvalitete! Ovo vrijedi i za moj blog. Internet može poslužiti za podsjetiti se neke informacije, provjeriti i usporediti određene činjenice i istražiti različita viđenja neke teme, ali se nikako ne smije uzeti za glavni izvor informacija.

Vrlo važno upozorenje koje mogu dati u vezi interneta jest da ne nasjedate na stranice koje nude virtualne tečajeve wicce/vještičarstva/paganizma, a još manje na one koje tvrde da će vas inicirati, pročistiti, posvetiti ili ne znam ni ja što za "simboličnu cijenu". Ubrzani tečajevi svećenstva i male škole vještičarstva...gluposti.

Ipak, ako već gledate web stranice, predlažem da se vodite istim savjetima koje sam navela u prošlim podnaslovima. Uz to vam intuicija također može jako puno značiti. Ako naslutite da nešto nije u redu s tom stranicom, samo idite dalje.

Na kraju krajeva će iskustvo učiniti svoje. Ako ustrajate i čitate raznovrsne izvore, s vremenom ćete naučiti već na prvi pogled prepoznati ono što ne valja, ili što vam ne odgovara. Svakako se nadam da ćete razviti vlastite stavove i naučiti kritizirati i preispitivati ono što čitate. Nikada ne uzimajte nešto zdravo za gotovo, budite znatiželjni, motivirani i istražujte dalje!

How To Recognize a Bad Information Source?

In the past, I have received several comments on my blog in which people ask me for my opinion on web sites or books regarding Wicca and/or Paganism. This motivated me to write a post on the dilemma of quality in hopes of stimulating critical thinking and quality awareness in the companions on my spiritual journey, that is to say all of you.

I would like to emphasize that this post does not offer invariable rules for recognizing quality sources of information because everybody's idea of quality is different in the end. Still, I would like to offer my own understanding of quality Wiccan and Pagan information sources because I know that other peoples' advice and literary recommendations were extremely useful for me which I myself wasn't sure where to start.

Novels, Series and Movies Aren't Reliable

It was interesting to notice how many people use novels, movies and series as "sources" of information about Wicca and Paganism. Of course, those of them (the sources) that really are concerned with this topic can and usually are based on the truth but, as the saying goes, the devil is in the detail. Even though their groundworks are firm, the stories that are built upon them are more often than not made up, overblown, too fantastical, or simply untruthful. If they weren't like this, the books wouldn't sell and the movies/series wouldn't achieve such popularity. These are not scholarly sources - they do not offer concrete, practical information or explanations. At best, they can offer inspiration for something, but at worst, they can convince a person into believing complete nonsense which will ultimately harm their spiritual development.

When people approach me with practical questions regarding Wicca, I regularly ask them which books on this topic they have read so far. I always ask this just to get a better understanding of the scope of their theoretical knowledge because I think of it as being the basis for practice and that it therefore has to be firmly constructed. Many times, the replies included some books by Paulo Coelho (more precisely Brida and The Witch of Portobello). I have read these books and they are enjoyable, but they can on no account be seen as a serious information source for Wicca or Paganism. The same goes for movies (e.g. The Wicker Man, Bewitched or The Craft, and also Harry Potter) as well as series, which have piled up in the last few decades - Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Merlin and so on.

Basically, novels, movies and series can be pleasurable once in a while, they can be used for inspiration, to arouse curiosity and so on, but they cannot be, are not and will never be scholarly sources of information on the topics of Wicca and Paganism.

Recognizing Quality Books

When I say "quality books", I am referring to quality scholarly sources. Novels can be written nicely, but they cannot bear comparison to scholarly literature in terms of the quantity of information they provide.

There is a great deal of books on the market about Wicca and Paganism, but also on the topics of occultism, spirituality and so on. The main issue here is how to recognize quality books in this heap?

There actually isn't one unified understanding of quality books because people have different definitions of quality. So, in this heading, I will guide you through my own system of recognizing quality books, that is through the process of eliminating low-quality ones.

When I started reading up on Wicca and Paganism, I was lucky enough to have stumbled upon a virtual group of people who were, at that time, already seriously devoted to this path and who had read many books on the topic. I was receiving book recommendations from all sides, and also reviews of them which helped me understand which books were good for what. It is important to remember that no book is perfect and will not offer all the information you may need. Nevertheless, every book has its forte, but it can also have flaws which we should be aware of if we want to get the best out of it. It is precisely because of this that it is important to develop the ability of critical thinking towards literature, and this is best done by reading, reading and reading some more. In time, this enables you to understand what coincides in certain books and what clashes (and why), what writing style you prefer, which suggestions really make sense to you, which of them you are able to actually apply in your life as well as those that you didn't find useful at all. Because this helped me so much in the beginning, I made a list of about 15 books on this blog which I would recommend to any beginner. I listed these books because I personally found them very useful (although this does not mean that everyone has to like them), because they shaped my spiritual practice for the better and because they correspond to my understanding of quality which I will continue talking about in this post. You can find this list in the "Recommended Reading" section of the blog. But let us continue with some more practical, active suggestions.

When I am looking for a book on the topic of Wicca or Paganism (or really any scholarly book), I first look at its contents. If the chapter titles correspond to what I am looking for in this book, then I continue to examine it. Of course, what I am looking for can differ. At first, I looked for substantial overviews which could cover a bit of everything - the history of Paganism, Sabbats and other celebrations, traditions, ritual practice, magic and so on. When you have read a certain number of books of this kind, you slowly start to understand what interests you the most and continue in that direction. This is when you start looking for books of a more narrower scope which tend to get more and more scholarly as you go deeper into this area. But these further books are not problematic to find because, by the time you get to this phase, you will have learnt how to differentiate the high from the low-quality books. Although, it is important to be able to notice a quality book in a sea of others at the very beginning of your search when you will probably be looking for a compendium of sorts.

When they have just entered the world of Wicca and Paganism, people have the tendency to fall for books with impressive titles. But this does not mean that you should skip books which have completely ordinary titles such is "An Introduction to ____" or simply "Wicca/Paganism". Give every book a chance regardless of its cover.

When I am flipping through a book in a bookstore, or reading through a short sample on the Internet (as can be found on Google Books for example), I always primarily look at the chapter on magic if it exists (and generally it does). The recent trend of reducing Wicca and Paganism to practicing magic is not something I find acceptable at all because this results in the complete disregard for the devotional aspect which is also important. In this case, magic is only one (discretionary) element of Paganism/Wicca. Furthermore, if I notice that the author of the particular book is focused more on serving "recipes" for spells and less on the magical process (which is based on the independent writing and planning of a magical act), I automatically eliminate this book. Of course, this does not mean that some authors won't give an example here and there which really does come in handy at the beginning of everyone's path. But any person that practices magic should be aware that magic is only as potent as the amount of energy that is poured into it. If someone just takes a book and reads from it something that somebody else has written, the amount of invested effort is null.

Precisely because the above mentioned reason, I would recommend to everyone that they, at least initially, avoid spell books and books similar to them which serve everything on a silver platter. Book such as these bear names such as "50 Love Spell To Change Your Life", "Use Magic to Get Money", "Little Book of Spells" and so on. They should be placed on the self-help bookshelf because this is what they are used for. They will not have any effect, but they will comfort those that are in need of them at that moment. They actually give false hope and develop negative stereotypes of Wiccans and Pagans. I claim the latter because they encourage the belief (and practice) that Wiccans, Pagans and witches practice magic out of selfishness and in the process completely neglect the ethical aspect of their spirituality. The more people read these types of books, the more will actually begin to disregard moral values and begin acting just in order to help themselves regardless of the consequences. In addition to all this, the very fact that these books can be found on every corner, from bookstores to newsstands and supermarkets, doesn't instill much confidence (although I have come across quality books on newsstands several times, but the books there are ordinarily low-quality).

Another type of literature which I by no means like are beginner kits in which you get a book and "everything you will need to get you started". This can be cute, but if someone needs to sell a whole pile of things along with a book in order to sell it, then something is suspicious here. Also, I find it hard to believe that you can get everything you will need to get started in a very small (and very thin) plastic bag. In my opinion, these sorts of books are intended for people that don't take Paganism or Wicca seriously, but rather want to satisfy a temporary whim for a small amount of money.

Sine Wicca and Paganism have gained a lot of popularity among teenagers in the past few decades, more and more books are being writtern precisely for them. The most notorious among them are Teen Witch and To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver Ravenwolf (interesting fact: the latter is among Llewellyn Publishing's bestsellers). Many people have negative opinions of this author for various reasons, but I won't be going into that here. But I have to bring up some pieces of criticism which are aimed at some of here books as well as all other books which are written for teenagers. First of all, they generally seem quite frivolous because of the way they are written and the examples given. Second of all, along with a simplified language, they also offer a simplified philosophy/history/theology of Wicca and Paganism which definitely doesn't benefit the reader no matter their age. In short, although the authors of these books do succeed in their aim of simplifying and bringing the topic closer to their readers, they tend to do this at the expense of information. Because of these, one needs to be very careful with these and all other "beginner" books. In the "Recommended Reading" section, I listed those beginner books which I think present information clearly and concisely, but in the process do not leave out important information and do not trivialize things. This does not mean that they are the best choices for everyone, but I believe they complement each other nicely and that everyone can build a quality foundation in Wicca and Paganism if they begin by reading this selection of books.

When I am able to flip through a book, after I've had a look at the chapter on magic, I immediately flip to the chapter on history. I am lucky enough to have learn some historical facts and am now able to judge the quality of the book at hand based on the accuracy of what is said in this chapter. Generally speaking, an author that includes a chapter on the history of Paganism/Wicca in their book and does not have their historical facts straight is not an author worth reading. I recommend you always look up at least some basic dates and names from this chapter if you are able to do so. You can search in other reliable and already tested sources on this topic, or simply use Google until you yourself have gained enough knowledge to assess the accuracy of the presented historical facts.

Some other faults I noticed in low-quality or mediocre quality books are hypocrisy and deficiency. The hypocrisy can usually be seen in the critique of other religions/faiths/spiritualities on the basis of their discriminatory acts from the past and present while simultaneously ridiculing these same religions/faiths/spiritualities and preaching about tolerance and love toward others. Deficiency is an equally bad flaw because it is reflected in scant information which lacks explanations. Too many books simply say "do this" and "do this that way precisely at that time" without explaining why something is done, why it's done in this manner and at that time. Because of this greatly appreciate the book Elements of Ritual by Deborah Lipp, for example. This was the first book I came upon that really explains why certain things are done the way they are in rituals.

A common flaw of all of these books is that they lack seriousness, depth and/or range. That is to say, if you are looking for a beginner book, I recommend you focus more on the range of information so you can get a little bit of information on every aspect of Wicca/Paganism and, from that, discern what interests you the most. Of course, it is great if a book is able to go into depth as well as range of the topic. Now, once you have found out what interests you, I recommend you aim towards topical depth rather than range so you can expand your knowledge on the particular topic and develop a more quality practice. But the book you chose has to be serious! This does not mean that it cannot include a single witty remark, funny anecdote or something similar (many quality authors I have read have this writing style), but simply that it should be objective (although subjective comments and experiences are allowed in moderate doses), that it gives warnings if needed, that it emphasizes the importance and gravity of Pagan/Wiccan spiritual practice, or basically that it doesn't promote it like a thirty-second video/radio commercial would (can you hear the overly-enthusiastic, fake voices which give you a headache?).

The Internet: Caution

The final and perhaps the largest menace in searching for information on Wicca and Paganism is the Internet. You can find heaps of nonsense in books, but the Internet is much worse given the amount of articles, notes, "books" and so on that are posted every day and have not passed through the hands of editors or proofreaders. I also could not believe what kind of nonsense I found among android apps! There really is a great need for caution when virtual information sources are in question because nowadays, everyone can write anything they like without any guarantee of quality.

I recommend you don't even use the Internet as a source unless it's really necessary or unless the source is of exceptional quality! This goes for my blog as well. The Internet can be useful to remind oneself of some piece of information, check or compare certain facts and research different views of a topic. But it should not be taken as a primary information source.

A very important warning which I can give you regarding the Internet is that you must not let yourself be misled by web sites that offer virtual courses on Wicca/witchcraft/Paganism, and this goes double for those that claim they will initiate, cleanse, bless you or who knows what else for a "symbolic price". Priesthood crash courses and little schools of witchcraft...nonsense.

Still, if you are turning to web sites, I recommend you apply the same suggestions that I mentioned in the previous headings. Along with this, intuition can also help you a lot. If you sense that something is wrong with that particular web site, just move along.

Ultimately, experience will will play its part. If you persist and read various sources, you will learn, in time, to recognize at first glance what isn't any good or what doesn't suit you. Anyway, I hope that you will develop your own opinions and learn to criticize and question what you are reading. Never take anything for granted, be inquisitive, motivated and explore further!

Tamni kolačići

Kad se spremaju kolačići za ezbat tamnog Mjeseca, nekako je logično da trebaju simbolizirati Mjesec upravo u toj fazi. Stoga sam odlučila isprobati kekse s dosta kakaa i čokoladnom glazurom koja ih dodatno potamnjuje, a okus obogaćuje. Zanimljiv dodatak ovom receptu je džem od crnog ribiza koji daje upravo onu gorkoslatku notu koja toliko podsjeća na karakter Tamne Gospe (više o njoj u ovom postu). Istovremeno su slatki i osvježavajući! 

Potrebno je:

Za tijesto:

• 600 g glatkog brašna
• 100 g šećera u prahu
• 1 vanilin šećer
• 60 g kakaa
• 120 g mljevenih oraha
• 250 g omekšalog margarina
• cca. 150 ml jogurta
• limunove korice (1 limun)

Za punjenje:

• marmelada od crnog ribiza

Za glazuru:

• 100 g čokolade za kuhanje
• 100 ml vrhnja za kuhanje

Napomene:

- od ove količine tijesta sam dobila 110 keksiju (iako sam neke rezala većim kalupom, a neke manjim tako da vam može ispasti i znatno više), a kad sam ih spojila sam dobila 55 keksiju.

- u slučaju da ne volite okus margarina u kolačima (što je česti slučaj kod ljudi), preporučujem da koristite maslac kao zamjenu; margarin ima specifičan okus kojeg ne voli svatko, a maslac je ionako učestaliji u kolačima i daje malo finiju teksturu

Priprema:

1. Samlijte orahe (predlažem u multipraktiku).
2. U zdjelu izmiješajte sve suhe sastojke (brašno, šećere, kakao, orahe, limunovu koricu) i dodajte omekšali margarin i jogurt. Sve miješajte električnim mikserom koristeći nastavke za tijesto.
3. Ugrijte pećnicu na 175-190°C i obložite lim za pečenje papirom za pečenje. (Moja pećnica ima dosta jake grijače tako da sam kekse pekla na 175°C, ali ako su vam normalni grijači, slobodno pecite na 190°C).
4. Razvaljajte tijesto i oblikujte kekse okruglim kalupima za kekse.
5. Posložite kekse na lim za pečenje i pecite 12-14 minuta. Neće porumeniti previše jer su sami po sebi tamni, ali ne bi smjeli previše potamniti s donje strane. Kada krenu tamniti tu, znati ćete da su gotovi.
6. Kada su se ohladili, spajajte dva po dva keksa džemom.
7. Na pari otopite čokoladu s vrhnjem i umačite samo jednu strane keksa (tj. jedan "keks") u nju.
8. Ostavite sa strane da se glazura stvrdne i uživajte!

Dark Cookies

When preparing cookies for the dark moon Esbat, it is somehow logical that they should symbolize the Moon in precisely this phase. So I decided to try out cookies with a lot of cocoa and chocolate glaze what additionally darkens them, and enriches their taste. An interesting addition to this recipe is blackcurrant jam which gives it that bittersweet note which so reminds of the character of the Dark Goddess (more about her in this post). These cookies are at the same time both sweet and refreshing!

You Will Need:

For the Dough:

• 600 g plain flour
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 1 vanilla sugar
• 60 g cocoa powder
• 120 g ground walnuts
• 250 g softened margarine
• ca. 150 ml yogurt
• lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

For the Filling:

• blackcurrant jam

For the Glaze:

• 100 g chocolate (for cooking)
• 100 g cooking cream

Notes:

- this quantity yielded 110 cookies (although I made some using a larger cookie cutter, and others using a smaller one so you may end up having more cookies than this), but when I stuck them together using the jam, that made 55 cookies

- in case you don't like the taste of margarine in cakes (which is quite often the case with people), I recommend you use butter as a substitute; margarine  has a specific taste that not everyone likes, whereas butter gives cakes a finer texture, plus it's more common in cakes anyway

How To Prepare:

1. Grind the walnuts (I recommend using a blender of some sort).
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl (the flour, sugars, cocoa, walnuts, lemon zest) and add the softened margarine and yogurt. Mix well using an electric mixer preferably with dough hooks.
3. Heat the oven to 175-190°C and line your baking tray with baking paper. (My oven has quite strong heaters so I heated it up to 175°C, but if you heaters are normal, then feel free to turn it up to 190°C).
4. Roll out the dough and form the cookies using round cookie cutters.
5. Place the cookies onto the baking tray(s) and bake for 12-14 minutes. They will not turn golden-brown as is usually the case with cookies because they have a lot of cocoa powder in them which makes them dark, but they should not get too dark on the bottom side. When they start getting darker on the bottom, you will know they're done.
6. Once they have cooled down, stick two similar-sized cookies together using jam. Repeat until all the cookies have been paired up.
7. Melt the chocoalte and cooking cream together over steam and dip only one side of each cookie (i.e. one cookie) in it.
8. Leave the cookies aside to let the glaze harden and enjoy!

Ezbat tamnog Mjeseca

Prečesto ljudi izbjegavaju one osjetljive, teške teme. Svi težimo ka redu, ka harmoniji, kozmosu, a zaboravljamo da kozmos ne postoji bez kontrasta kaosa, da se harmonija ne bi mogla prepoznati bez disharmonije, a red bez nereda. Zbog ovoga pišem o nadolazećem tamnom Mjesecu (13. rujna 2015.).

Tamni ili mladi Mjesec?

U znanstvenoj terminologiji se izraz "tamni Mjesec" neće naći. Ovaj izraz nije čak ni uvriježen u hrvatskom jeziku. Međutim, pojam mladog Mjeseca, odnosno mlađaka je poznat većini ljudi. Mladi Mjesec je općeprihvaćena Mjesečeva mijena koju se uglavnom objašnjava kao astronomsku pojavu pri kojoj se Sunce i Mjesec nalaze "u blizini" jedno drugog. Sunce tada onemogućuje vidljivost Mjeseca sa Zemlje. Tehnički rečeno, Sunce i Mjesec su u konjunkciji kada je riječ o tamnom Mjesecu. No, problem nastaje u tome što se mladi Mjesec redovito poistovjećuje i obuhvaća period prve četvrti Mjeseca (kada Mjesec "raste" i gledano sa Zemlje nalikuje na srp). Jasno je da je terminologija u ovom slučaju prilično zbunjujuća.

U engleskom jeziku je za mladi Mjesec prihvaćen pojam new moon za kojeg je jasno rečeno da obuhvaća onaj period kada Mjesec apsolutno nije vidljiv sa Zemlje jer Sunce baca svoju sjenu na njega. Onih nekoliko dana koji slijede kada je Mjesec u prvoj četvrti ima sasvim drugi naziv u engleskom (waxing crescent moon, ili u prijevodu rastući srpoliki Mjesec, ili pak rastući polumjesec).

Kako bi se izbjegle nejasnoće, u paganizmu, barem onom koji je izrastao na engleskom govornom području, uvriježio se pojam dark moon za ovo vrijeme kada Mjesec uopće nije vidljiv na nebu. New moon se pak odnosi isključivo na Mjesečev srp (koji je također poznat kao Dijanin luk s obzirom na to da se Mjesec u ovoj fazi povezuje s božanskom figurom Djevice, a Dijana je poznata u mitologiji praktički kao arhetip djevice). Dark moon je uveden u hrvatski paganski rječnik kao tamni Mjesec kako bi se ukinula bilo kakva ambivalentnost.

Dakle, pojam tamnog Mjeseca je više paganski termin nego što je astronomski i odnosi se isključivo na ono vrijeme kada Mjesec nije moguće vidjeti sa Zemlje. Noć slavlja tamnog Mjeseca se naziva ezbat baš kao i slavlja svih drugih Mjesečevih mijena, ali samo da bi se preciziralo da se radi o slavlju upravo ove faze Mjeseca, govori se o ezbatu tamnog Mjeseca.

Značenje tamnog Mjeseca u paganizmu

Mjesec se u paganizmu općenito veže uz Božicu, a Sunce uz Boga. Od davnina se Mjesec povezivalo uz žene i ženske misterije, djelomično jer je vrijeme trajanja menstrualnog ciklusa i Mjesečevog ciklusa otprilike isto (Mjesečev u prosjeku traje 29 i pol dana, a menstrualni, iako varira od žene do žene, u prosjeku 28 dana). 

Mjesec u svom ciklusu prođe nekoliko vidljivih faza - prvu četvrt, uštap (puni Mjesec) i zadnju četvrt. Tijekom prve i zadnje četvrti ima srpoliki oblik i kako napreduje se sve više bliži obliku polumjeseca. Posljednja, nevidljiva faza je (u znanstvenoj terminologiji) faza mlađaka, odnosno tamnu fazu. U paganizmu se svaka od navedenih faza veže uz jedan aspekt Božice. Prva četvrt, kada je Mjesec na početku svog ciklusa, veže se uz fazu Djevice koja je još mlada i neiskusna, ali pokazuje veliki potencijal. Puni Mjesec se veže uz aspekt Majke, simbolizira njezino životno iskustvo, zrelost, dosezanje punog fizičkog potencijala i neminovno podsjeća na okrugli drob trudnice. Zadnja četvrt se veže uz fazu Starice koja je na izmaku fizičke snage, ali to nadoknađuje svojom mudrošću i bogatim životom. Svaki život ima početak i kraj, baš kao što i Mjesečev ciklus ima. Kraj života, smrt, je predstavljena nevidljivom fazom Mjeseca, to jest tamnim Mjesecom. U paganizmu je ovaj kratki period mističan jer nije predstavljen nijednim "ustaljenim" aspektom Božice. Uz njega se veže aspekt Tamne Gospe koja predstavlja sve ono nevidljivo u nama i utjelovljuje kaotične i destruktivne sile univerzuma. U wicci i sličnim paganskim pravcima se uglavnom govori o Trojnoj Božici (Djevici, Majci i Starici), dok se ovaj posljednji aspekt rijetko spominje i redovito ne komponira u njezinu ikonografiju.

Hrefngast - Hecate

Osobi koja se po prvi put susreće s idejama Tamne Gospe i tamnog Mjeseca će ovakvi izrazi zasigurno zvučati mračno, tajanstveno, ili naprosto rečeno loše. Možda su zbog ovakvih krivo shvaćenih izraza razvijeni negativni stereotipi o paganizmu i sličnim mu duhovnim pravcima. No, potrebno je jako dobro shvatiti filozofiju iza njih prije nego što ih se obilježi kao negativne. U paganizmu se oni odnose na onaj mračniji dio života na kojeg ljudi ne žele obraćati pažnju jer je upravo takav kakav je. U ljudskoj je prirodi težiti ka lijepom, ka harmoniji i redu (kozmosu), a izbjegavati sve što nam se čini lošim, kaotičnim, što ne poznajemo, ili pak ne možemo još spoznati (tj. ono nepoznato). No, kao što sam naglasila na početku posta, kozmos (red) ne postoji bez kaosa (nereda), dan ne može postojati bez noći, kao ni svjetlo bez tame. Oboje su polovice iste cjeline.

Pagani na svom duhovnom pravcu teže cjelovitosti i slijedom toga prepoznaju ujedno i svijetle i mračne strane života. Mi ne smatramo da se mračne strane treba izbjegavati samo zato što su mračne i zbog toga što nam djeluju loše, ili što bude u nama strah. Potrebno je upoznati se s njima kako bismo se znali nositi s njima. Iako je izuzetno važno naglasiti da to ne znači da ih raširenih ruku primamo u svoje živote. Ljudska priroda je ovdje jača sila. Naravno, ne želimo prizvati ikakvu negativnost u svoje ni tuđe živote niti činiti sebi ili drugima loše. No, svjesni smo da život ima i svoje loše trenutke, da je ponekad potrebno suočiti se s činjenicama koje će nas trenutno zaboljeti, ali koje će nam dugoročno koristiti i pomoći u rastu i razvoju. Odnosno, u svojoj duhovnoj praksi one mračne strane života prihvaćamo kao sasvim prirodne, ili kao ne u potpunosti mračne. Naposljetku, nakon noći uvijek svane dan, zar ne? Stoga na smrt gledamo kao još jedan prirodni, sastavni dio života (za one koji vjeruju u reinkarnaciju je ovo samo jedan korak u ciklusu rađanja, smrti i ponovnog rađanja). Na izazove i probleme u životu pokušavamo reagirati kao na izazove koje možemo svladati i do čijih rješenja možemo doći putem suočavanja s činjenicama, vlastitim emocijama, svojom podsvijesti i tako dalje. Svako takvo suočavanje je teško na svoj način, ali donosi potrebne nam spoznaje.

TALONABRAXAS - Night
of the Moon

Kada se gleda na Tamnu Gospu kao figuru koja predstavlja sve ovo poviše navedeno, ona prestaje biti nešto čega se treba bojati i počinje biti nešto što je potrebno, a ponekad čak i dobrodošlo kako bismo se razvijali kao ljudi u svjetovnom i duhovnom smislu.

Vrijeme tamnog Mjeseca je stoga vrijeme štovanja Tamne Gospe i prepoznavanja mračnije strane života. Ovo se uglavnom radi kroz meditacije, introspekciju, postavljanje ključnih (nerijetko teških) pitanja kako bi se došlo do potrebne spoznaje. Napomenula bih, i ovo je isključivo osobno mišljenje, da spoznaje ne mogu biti nego potrebne. Odnosno, ne vjerujem da neka spoznaja može doći u krivom trenutku. Ako se nešto svojevoljno spozna (naglasak na svojevoljno jer smatram da tuđa volja ne bi smjela manipulirati našom i da takva manipulacija uglavnom vodi samo negativnim posljedicama), onda osoba za to mora biti spremna. Ne bi mogla to ni spoznati, ili uopće razmišljati u tom pravcu da nije bila spremna na to.

Neki smatraju da tamni Mjesec nije prikladan za magijske radove jer, pošto ga se uopće ne vidi, njegova snaga je minimalna. Kontrastno njemu, pun Mjesec predstavlja vrhunac Mjesečeve snage. Međutim, ovaj način razmišljanja nije svima jednako logičan. Ako se gleda na Mjesečeve mijene kao na jednako vrijedne faze koje korespondiraju jednako važnim aspektima Božice, onda nijedna Mjesečeva mijena nije potentnija, ili manje potentna od druge. Naprosto se mijenja vrsta potentnosti. Primjerice, za prvu četvrt (rastuću fazu) Mjeseca, radit će se magijski radovi za prizivanje nečeg dobrog u svoje živote. Puni Mjesec je vrhunac rastućeg perioda pa će se relativno slični magijski radovi izvoditi za njega. Za zadnju četvrt (opadajuću fazu) će se raditi magija za tjeranje zlih sila iz života. Tamni Mjesec, kao simboličan kraj opadajućeg perioda Mjeseca, ima vlastitu energiju i prikladan je za specifične vrste radova koji su slični onima koji se rade za zadnju četvrt. U to spada magija koja se fokusira na uništavanje neželjenog u životu i tjeranje negativnosti (bilo da je riječ o vezama, osobinama, navikama, strahovima itd.), a logično onda i apotropejska magija i obrambena magija. Neki ovo vrijeme također koriste za jačanje svojih magijskih i psihičkih sposobnosti i za divinaciju određene vrste. Posljednja praksa se temelji na vjerovanju da su noći punog i tamnog Mjeseca oprečne po svojoj energiji (sile kozmosa su na vrhuncu za puni Mjesec, a sile kaosa za tamni), ali da im je zajedničko to što su obje tranzicijske točke u Mjesečevom ciklusu. Zbog ovoga se kaže da se obje noći nalaze u trenutku izvan vremena. Ova tranzicijska razdoblja su u narodu poznatu kao vremena kada je veo među svjetovima najtanji pa se smatra da je lakše stupiti u vezu s božanskim silama, precima itd. u ovim periodima nego u drugima. Divinacija je zbog ovoga također potentnija tada. Naravno, ovisno o tome što se želi saznati, bira se metoda divinacije i prikladno vrijeme za nju. Stoga se neće postavljati bilo kakva pitanja na noć tamnog Mjeseca već ona koja odgovaraju njegovoj kaotičnoj prirodi.

Kada su u pitanju devocijski radovi, uglavnom se  smatra da je evociranje tj. prizivanje Tamne Gospe mnogo poželjnije od njezinog uzivanja (tj. invociranja u tijelo jedne osobe) s obzirom na njezinu narav. Njezin izniman intenzitet može biti previše za jednu osobu, ali kada se ta energija podijeli u skupini, ili se dođe u posredan kontakt s njom, kao da tijelo samo odredi koju količinu te energije je spremno upiti u tom trenutku. Nekima će najviše odgovarati rad u grupi zbog ovoga, dok će nekim preferirati samostalno raditi s obzirom na to da spoznaje do kojih se dolazi mogu biti osobne prirode. Naposljetku, svatko će doživjeti energiju tamnog Mjeseca na svoj način.

Iako ezbati na ovu noć nisu tipična paganska slavlja; ne obiluju plesom, slavljem, općim veseljem i slično, njih se obilježava na jedan specifičan način koji ima vlastitu draž i praktičnu vrijednost. Ovakvi periodi služe za prepoznavanje skrivenih strana svijeta i vlastite ličnosti. Ali naravno, u umjerenim dozama.

S obzirom na to da se bliži noć tamnog Mjeseca dok ovo pišem, mogu vam zaželjeti ugodan ezbat i mnogo produktivnog rada! Nadam se da ćete uspjeti primijeniti na njemu, ili nekom idućem ezbatu informacije koje ste pročitali u ovom postu.

Do sljedećeg puta,
vaša Witch's Cat

The Dark Moon Esbat

People avoid those sensitive, difficult topics in life too often. We all strive for order, harmony, cosmos and forget that cosmos does not exist without the contrast of chaos, that harmony could not be recognized without disharmony or order without disorder. It is because of this that I write about the upcoming dark moon (September 13, 2015).

Dark or New Moon?

In scientific vocabulary, the term "dark moon" cannot be found. It isn't all that common in the English language actually. However, the term "new moon" is familiar to most people. The new moon is a generally accepted lunar phase which is usually defined as an astronomical phenomenon in which the Sun and Moon are located close to each other. The Sun then prevents the Moon from being visible from the Earth. Technically speaking, the Sun and Moon are conjunct in the sky during the dark moon. But, the problem here is that the new moon is often equated with and includes the lunar phase called the first quarter (when the Moon is "growing" and resembles a crescent as seen from the Earth). Of course, this makes the terminology quite confusing.

The new moon is clearly defined in the English language as that period in which the Moon is absolutely invisible from the Earth because the Sun then casts its shadow on it. In the few days that follow, when the Moon is in its first quarter, it has an entirely different name - the waxing crescent moon.

In order to avoid any obscurities, in Paganism, at least that which has grown out of English-speaking countries, the term "dark moon" has become widely accepted to refer to this period when the Moon isn't visible in the sky. Dissimilarly, the term "new moon" is used solely to refer to the crescent moon (which is also called Diana's crescent since the Moon in this period is connected to the divine figure of the Maiden, and the goddess Diana is known in mythology practically as the archetype of the maiden/virgin). So, by using the phrase dark moon, any ambivalence is avoided.

Basically, the notion of the dark moon is more a Pagan term than it is an astronomical one and it refers exclusively to that time when it is not possible to see the Moon from the Earth. The night of the celebration of the dark moon is called an Esbat, as is the celebration of any other lunar phase, but just to clarify that the celebration at hand is that of precisely this lunar phase, we will be talking about the dark moon Esbat.

The Meaning of the Dark Moon in Paganism

In Paganism, the Moon is generally connected to the Goddess and the Sun to the God. Since the days of old, the Moon has been connected to women and female mysteries, partially because the lunar cycle and the menstrual cycle are approximately equal in length (the lunar cycle lasts 29.5 days on average and the menstrual cycle, though it varies from woman to women, about 28 days).

In its cycle, the Moon goes through several visible phases - the first quarter, full Moon and the last quarter. During the first and last quarter it has a crescent shape and as it grows, it takes on the shape of a half-moon. The final, invisible phase is (using scientific terms) that of the new moon, or the dark moon as we Pagans would call it. In Paganism, each of these phases is connected to a certain aspect of the Goddess. The first quarter, when the Moon is at the beginning of its cycle, it is connected to the figure of the Maiden which is still young and inexperienced, but shows great potential. The full moon is connected to the Mother aspect, symbolizes her life experience, maturity, reaching her full physical potential and inevitably reminds one of a pregnant belly. The last quarter is connected to the Crone phase who is physically exhausted but makes up for this with her wisdom and full life. Each life has a beginning and and end, just as the lunar cycle does. The end of life, death, is represented by the invisible lunar phase, that is the dark moon. In Paganism, this short period of time is mystical because it is not represented by any "constant" aspect of the Goddess. Rather, it is connected to the Dark Goddess who represents everything hidden us and embodies the chaotic and destructive forces of the universe. In Wicca and similar Pagan denominations, one can usually hear about the Triple Goddess (the Maiden, Mother and Crone), whereas this final aspect is rarely mentioned and often is not incorporated into the Goddess' iconography.

Hrefngast - Hecate

To a person who encounters the notions of the dark moon and the Dark Goddess for the first time, they will surely sound dark, mysterious and simply put bad. Perhaps it is because of misunderstood phrases such as these that negative stereotypes of Paganism and similar spiritual paths have evolved. But, it is necessary to understand the philosophy behind them very well before one labels them as negative. In Paganism, these phrases to refer to that darker part of life which people do not want to pay attention to because it is as it is. It is a part of human nature to gravitate towards beauty, harmony and order (cosmos) and avoid everything that seems bad, chaotic, that we do not know, or perhaps are not able to know just yet (i.e. the unknown). But, as I emphasized at the beginning of this post, cosmos (order) does not exist without chaos (disorder), the day cannot exist without the night just as light does not exist without darkness. Both are two halves of the same whole.

On their spiritual path, Pagans aspire towards wholeness and consequently acknowledge both the light and dark sides of life. We do not believe that we have to avoid the dark sides just because they are dark, because they seem bad, or arouse fear in us. It is necessary to get better acquainted with them in order to know how to cope with them. Although it is extremely important to emphasize that this does not mean that we welcome them into our lives with widespread arms. Human nature is the stronger force here. Of course, we do not wish to invite any negativity into our or other peoples' lives or do any harm to ourselves or others. But, we are aware that life has its good and bad moments, that it is sometimes necessary to face the facts which may hurt us momentarily, but will aid us in our growth and development in the long run. Respectively, in our spiritual path, we accept the darker sides of life as something completely natural or not fully dark. After all, no matter how dark the night, morning always comes, right? Hence, we look at death as just another natural, integral part of life (for those that believe in reincarnation, this is just another step in the birth-death-rebirth cycle). We try to react to the challenges and problems in our lives as if they are all obstacles which can be overcome and to whose solutions we can arrive through facing facts, our own emotions, our subconscious and so on. Every such confrontation is difficult in its own way, but brings necessary insight.

TALONABRAXAS - Night
of the Moon

When one sees the Dark Goddess as a figure that represents all of the above mentioned, she stops being something to be afraid of and starts being something that is necessary and sometimes even welcome in order for us to develop as human beings in a mundane and spiritual way.

The time of the dark moon is therefore a time of worshiping the Dark Goddess and recognizing the darker sides of life. This is mainly done through meditations, introspection, asking key (often difficult) questions in order to reach necessary insight. I would like to emphasize, and this is purely a personal opinion, that insight cannot be anything but necessary. That is to say, I do not believe that a piece of insight can come at the wrong time. If something is perceived willingly (emphasis on willingly because I believe that another person's will should not manipulate ours and that such manipulation mainly has only negative consequences), then the person at hand must surely have been ready for this. They could not have comprehended this, or even have thought in this direction were they not ready.

Some believe that the dark moon is not an appropriate time to do magic because, as the Moon is not visible, its power is at its lowest. In contrast to the dark moon, the full moon represents the peak of the Moon's strength. However, this way of thinking is not equally logical for everyone. If one sees the lunar phases as equally worthy phases which correspond to equally important aspects of the Goddess, then neither lunar phase is more ore less potent than another. It's simply a matter of a change in the type of potency. For example, during the first quarter (the waxing phase) of the Moon, it is appropriate to perform magic that will invite good things into our lives. The full moon is the peak of the waxing period so relatively similar magic will be performed during it. During the last quarter (the waning phase), the appropriate kind of magic is that which drives away harmful forces from our lives. The dark moon, as the symbolical end do this waning period of the Moon, has its own energy and is appropriate for a specific type of work which is similar to that done during the last quarter. What I am referring to is that type of magic which focuses on destroying unwanted things in our lives and driving away negativity (be it in the form of relationships, traits, habits, fears and so on), and logically apotropaic and defensive magic. Some also use this time to strengthen their magical and psychic abilities and for certain types of divination. The latter is based on the belief that the full and dark moon are contrary to one another in terms of their energy (cosmic forces being at their peak during the full moon and chaotic ones during the dark moon), but that they have on thing in common. That is to say, they are both transitional points in the lunar cycle. Because of this, it is said that both nights are situated in a moment beyond time. These transitional periods are known in folklore as times when the veil between worlds is thinnest, which makes it easier to come into contact with divine forces, our ancestors etc. during this period than others. Divination is more potent then because of the same reason. Of course, depending on what you wish to find out, you will choose both the method of divination and the appropriate time. So you probably won't ask any types of questions on the night of a dark moon, but rather those that correspond to its chaotic nature.

When devotional practice is at hand, it is usually thought that evoking i.e. calling upon the Dark Goddess is much more desirable than invoking her (as in inviting into a person) considering her nature. Her extreme intensity can be too much for one person to handle, but when all this energy is shared among a group of people, or when one comes into indirect contact with it, it's as if the body determines on its own how much of this energy it is capable of soaking in at that moment. Some will prefer working in a group because of this, while others will prefer to work alone given that the insights one has tend to be personal in nature. After all, everyone will experience the energy of the dark moon in their own way.

Although dark moon Esbats are not typical Pagan celebrations; they aren't filled with dancing, celebrations, general merriment and so on, they are celebrated in their own way which has its own charm and practical value. These periods are useful for recognizing the hidden parts of the world and our own personalities. But of course, in moderate doses.

Given that the night of the dark moon is approaching as I write this post, I can only wish you a pleasurable Esbat and much productive work! I hope that you will be able to apply the information you read in this post during this or any other upcoming Esbat.

Until next time. Yours,
Witch's Cat