Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's getting on for midnight as I type this, so here we go with a new Magic Monday. This week's classic of Western occultism, since I've been indulging in Ross Nichols' poetry of late, is The Cosmic Shape, published in 1946, which contains his brilliant essay "An Examination of Creative Myth," which discusses the need for nature-myth and ritual as a counterbalance to the artificialities of modern life, and his related Arthurisn poem-cycle "The Cosmic Legend," as well as other poems of his and his fellow poet James Kirkup. He clearly discussed these ideas with his good friend Gerald Gardner; those ideas ended up playing a central role in the creation of Wicca as well as the transformations of 20th-century Druidry. Here's a bit from "The Cosmic Legend": 

I have made my ceremonies; the crisis
comes. None may reproduce, no water flow,
until the sword is from its sheath pulled.
Only I, the medicine-man Gawain, instructing 
at midnight Galahad, the pure one of 
spring -- only I can save you, faithless 
with the fallen leaf. I prove to you,
O my dead people, once again that
I alone am your strength.

In the first ray beating touching on the centre altar-stone
to the eye prepared at vigil-end, the vessel of the sun,
cup and heart, to Galahad. 

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With that said, have at it!

***This Magic Monday is now closed -- and yes, this means you.  See you next week!*** 

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Comments

Re: Overspending on <strike>pagan religious</strike> items

[(Anonymous)]

Not specific to pagan, or even religious, items, but I think still relevant: when I want something for my garden, machine shop, or ham radio station, I often have "make" or "buy" options. I generally find the "make" option to be more satisfying in the long run, and suspect that this would be doubly true for religious items. If you want a bit of art to focus your attention, consider drawing, painting, or carving it yourself. In that way, it will be more purely "yours", and less associated with the source of funds used to buy it. And you will be changed, because you can't draw (etc.) something without getting a clearer picture in mind of exactly what you want, each line and shade, and your muscles will be forced to respond to your will.

Money can be used (or saved) for many things, including charity, but the time you spend on your art might otherwise dissipate leaving no trace.

Lathechuck

Re: Overspending on <strike>pagan religious</strike> items

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you very much - this is clearly a comment from someone who knows all about being careful with money.

I'm not now at the level of skill of being able to make detailed devotional objects I'd think visually satisfying. However, this has reminded me about printing pictures out from the internet, which can be decorated further, or put as they are in old or cheap frames, something I learned from a friend not long after college.