A is for Algiz

Algiz

The Elk’s-sedge has its home most oft in the fen.

It waxes in water, wounds grimly.

The blood burns of every man

Who makes any grasp at it.

Pronounced ‘All-Yeese’

Algiz is part of the Elder Futhark Runes – an alphabet used for divination, writing and magick.  I will go into more depth on this when I post on the Runes themselves later in the year.

Algiz is the Rune of Protection and Divine Connection.  It symbolizes reaching up to the divine, some say the shape of the rune reflects the antlers of the elk, the shape of the sedge-grass herb or a hand raised.

Algiz represents success through endeavors or enterprise.  You will be protected in your journey as long as you are guided by wisdom and clarity of mind.   It symbolizes the awakening of the higher self.

You can use Algiz as a symbol of protection, you can put it on a talisman, inscribe it over your door to protect the home.  You can use it as a channel for energies and the divine.

Correspondences:

Gemstone: Amethyst

Number: 15

Color: Gold

Element: Air

Gods: Heimdall

Astrological Sign: Cancer

Algiz can be associated with the tarot card of the Hermit, who spends their life questing inward for enlightenment and who possesses wisdom and a clarity of mind. 

It has however also been commonly associated with the Moon.

I've been working with the runes for some time now.  I find they are good for a nightly draw, a way to reflect on the day or issues that are troubling me.  I quite often use them in my artwork also adding their energy to the message of my work.  I've made my own before with glass beads and pain pens but I would like to one day make a set from crystals engraving them.  To this end I've been collecting crystals for a while now - different ones that appeal to me to represent certain stones, I'm curious to see how a mixed stone set would work rather than the usual sets that are all one stone or wood type.

Daily Oracle - Thurs Jan 12th 2012

Okay its been a while - I'm having issues finding time to get the draw in before I leave for work.  I know I could get up a little earlier - but getting up at 5:45am is early enough for this little night owl.  So I'm questing at the moment for a deck that won't mind coming to work with me so I can do my draw there - all my current decks are letting me know they like where they are, so we'll see how that progresses.

Today's card - well lets just say there have been a lot of endings in my life of late and the contemplation of a few more still going on and I think this card is an important one.  I need to remember that from every ending there comes a new beginning and that journeys are meant to end so others can start.  I particularly liked this phrase from the book:

"Can you walk forward without hesitating? Can you say yes to what will come for you, on the other side of Kali's fire?  And will you wear your lessons proudly, as she does her necklace, and know that this death is an incarnation within an incarnation, a new life within this lifetime, born of fire."

Pagan who am I

Nabbed this from Book of Mirrors who nabbed it from another source so it appears to be doing the rounds but thought it was something fun to do

BASICS

Do you have a magical/Pagan name? Calenth

What does it mean? Was my draconic name that came to me – I’ve looked around and found quite a few dragon references with the same name so I’m wondering if there is a common dragon spirit that is communicating.

How did you find Paganism? A friend introduced me to it

How long have you been practicing? Since I was 15 – so that’s 16 years ago now.

Solitary or group practitioner? Solitary – I’ve tried the group thing, it doesn’t more for me. 

What is your path? Eclectic – I use bits of everything and what just comes to me and feels right.

Are you out of the broom closet? Somewhat – I don’t hide it but there are still some people who haven’t put two and two together.

DEITY

Who is your patron God? Currently Odin – I struggled a long time to connect to the male aspect of deity.

Who is your patron Goddess? Currently Arianrhod – although I feel her telling me to seek another.  I find the goddess I work with changes as what I need in my life changes.  This works for me because I believe that they are all part of the one source anyway.

What Gods do you worship? I dislike the term worship here – I don’t worship any deity or Gods, I work with different pantheons and their gods and archetypal representations but I do not worship them.

Do you fear darkly aspected Gods/Goddess, or rather respect them? I respect them they are part of what makes up the whole.

Do you worship the Christian God? No.

Do you ever worship animals? Worship, no. 

Or plants? No.

NATURE

Do you regularly commune with nature? Not as regularly as I would like but I try to take time out to acknowledge nature and the world around me.

Ever walked barefoot in the woods? No, but that is years of practical life in Australia telling me wandering the woods with snakes is a bad idea.

Taken a camping trip just to talk to nature? Just to talk to nature, no.  But I take time to talk to nature when I go camping – which sadly hasn’t been for quite some time.

Describe the moment you felt closest to Mother Earth? In a little grove in the Coromandel Peninsula in NZ, the energy that surrounded you when you stepped in was enough to make you stop in your tracks.

Do you have a familiar? No.

Have you ever called upon the powers of an animal in ritual?  No.

Or a plant? No

Do you hug trees? Yes, the Kauri trees in NZ have the most amazing deep thrumming resonance…I’m aiming to see how the California Red Woods compare.

Give them gifts?  Energy.

What is your favourite flower to work with? I don’t have one – I use what I need when I need it for whatever purpose.

What is your favourite tree to work with? I’ve never worked with a tree’s energy before.

WHEEL OF THE YEAR 

What is your favourite holiday? Samhain and Beltane

What is your least favourite holiday? None really, they each serve their purpose and intent as representations of the seasonal year.

Have you ever held a ritual on a holiday? Yes, but sometimes life demands that it be held near the holiday instead.

Ever taken a day off work to celebrate a Pagan holiday? No.

Do you celebrate Yule on the 21 rather than the 25? I celebrate the winter solstice as close to the date as I can.  Christmas still happens with the family on the 25^th.

Have you ever felt the veil thin? No.

Ever danced the Maypole? Yes, once as a child and once as an adult.

Know what the Maypole symbolizes? The union of male and female – the pole is the male phallus the wreath that usually sits on the top to wind down as the ribbons do is the woman.

How do you usually celebrate the Pagan holidays? It depends on life’s schedule.  Usually change up the altar, try to plan a meal, sometimes actually do a ritual.  Lately also celebrate a ritual with friends.

DIVINATION

Do you use Tarot? Yes

Do you use runes? Yes

Do you use a pendulum? Yes

Do you use dowsing rods? No.

Do you use astrology? No

Any other form of divination? Oracle cards, dreaming, scrying.

SPELLS 

What was the first spell you did? Employment spell.

What was the latest? Find a home.

Ever done a love spell? No.

A job spell? Yes.

A healing spell? Healing ritual or energy work, then yes.  An actual spell no.

What was the most powerful spell you’ve ever performed? Powerful as in outcome – the employment spell.  I don’t do spells very often.  I will send energy or I will do particular rituals but I don’t consider them spells.

What deities do you usually call on? If I call on deity I call on the universal source not specific deities, then again as I stated I don’t do spell work that often.

CRYPTOZOOLOGY 

Do you believe in Vampires? Psychic vampires – yes.

Werewolves? No.

Shapeshifters? That we can shape shift when working on the astral or with certain spirits yes.

Elves? No.

Faeries? I believe in the fae.

Dragons? Yes, as energy beings.

Nymphs? As in spirits that reside in the woods, spirits of the trees etc, yes.

Sprites? As I believe in the fae in all their aspects, yes.

Mermaids? No

Satyrs? No.

Ever “seen” any of the above? Dragons, fae, psychic vampires.

Ever talked to any of the above? Yes.

Ever used any of the above in magic? They are invited to ritual and I try to connect to the dragons for certain activities.

Do you have one of them as a personal guardian? I believe I had a dragon guide.

RANDOM

Do you see a rabbit, a man or a woman in the moon? Rabbit.

Own a cat? One - Mischeif

When you meditate, what does your happy place look like? I often journey to different places when I meditate depending on what I am working towards.  When I do meditative journey work I always start in an open field (once I descend the stairwell and open the door)

Do you work with Chakras? I am learning to.

Do you believe in past lives? Yes.

If so, describe a few briefly: I haven’t experienced any memories that I’m vividly aware of them but that doesn’t stop me from believing in them.

Do you believe in soul mates? I believe in soul connections, certain souls who we encounter on our journeys each time.

Do you have a spirit guide? My dragon.

Is it always love and light? Hardly, with the light comes the shadow, we must explore both to truly be balanced.

Is paganism a solitary path?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately due to recent experiences in my life over the last few months.  About three years ago I joined an online group as a way of broadening my horizons and learning from others who follow this path, or more specifically a wiccan path, but I found that after a while I left due to the inevitable power plays and bitchiness that seem to occur within a group setting.  More recently I joined a physical coven in an attempt to once again experience this path in a group atmosphere - I have been a solitary since I was 15, I wanted to see what working in a group was like - and sadly I have been disappointed once again as group dynamics have led away from the practical application of working together.  And I have seen others who have broken off to do their individual journey having grown from the group experience.  It has all left me wondering if this path can really be followed in a group experience.

Firstly, many come to some form of paganism wanting something that isn't a "follow these rules, believe this way" scenario, and so it seems that the idea of a group who attempt to follow a set of beliefs and practices could have its flaws.  Maybe its just my experience, but as soon as you formalize a group like a coven you have to set some ground rules, structures (ritual structures etc) and boundaries that will probably not mesh perfectly with all the members beliefs.

Secondly, we are generally questing for our own knowledge and spiritual connection on this path - this is a solitary undertaking, nobody can tell us how to undertake this journey and while part of your journey may be taking on the group experience most I know who do this still practice their own way at home.

Thirdly, there is the politics and group dynamic aspects that are inevitably part of any group.  Not only the who should be in charge, who makes the final decisions and the power plays that can result as people who feel they have a right or greater knowledge to lead disrupt group harmony.  But there is the communication aspect, the trust and openness that is needed within a group to ensure that negative energies and misunderstandings (that are bound to occur) don't dominate the activities and practices.  All this makes working energies and practices as a group difficult.

Maybe I'm coming from a negative place right now, but I've done a lot of soul searching in the past month on whether to let my group go and return to my solitary roots.  It was an experience I needed at the time and I came away with life lessons I will learn from, but I look at my path, my journey and I see that I am the only one who can walk it, I direct my feet and I will uncover its mysteries on my own.

January's Full Moon

Names:  Wolf Moon, Winter Moon, Hunger Moon, Cold Moon, Cooking Moon, Moon of the Terrible, Quiet Moon, Ice Moon.

The most common name for this month’s moon is the Wolf moon.  It was given this name because this was the time in winter when things are hardest and often hungry packs of wolves can be heard howling outside the villages of the native American tribes.    Names like Winter Moon, Cold Moon, Ice Moon and Quiet Moon also invoke these ideas of the harshness of winter, as weather worsens. 

As indicated by its name Quiet Moon – this full moon is a time for quiet reflection.  It is the winter months and this was traditionally a time of being inside a lot attempting to keep oneself warm.  This moon offers the perfect opportunity to harness the full moon energy to reflect inward manifest some goals and perhaps work on a vision board for the year or the month.  This is a time to develop and work on the inner self.

Correspondences:

Colors: Black, White, Silver, Blue-Violet

Gemstones: Hematite, Garnet, Onyx, Jet, Chrysoprase.

Trees: Birch

Gods: Inanna, Freyja, Sarasvati, Hera, CH'ang-O, Sinn, Baba Yaga

Herbs: Thistle, Nuts & Seeds, Marjoram

Element: Air