Pagan Warriors

Off the Shelf:

Women on War: An International Collection of Writings from Antiquity to the Present - Daniela Gioseff (Editor)

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam - Bernard Edelman (Editor)

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Sia's Post:

Some time back Beliefnet posted a provocative article by Carl McColman (1) on the ways in which the Pagan community views those of our people who serve in the military. It is still relevant. McColman writes about:

(a) quiet revolution that has been occurring in Paganism, as more and more Pagans enter the armed forces (and increasing numbers of military personnel embrace the old religions.

He goes on to say that

...These Pagans often identify as warriors, blending ancient or earth-centered spirituality with the ethics and ideals of the martial arts. A leading Pagan warrior is Kerr Cuhulain, a Vancouver policeman and former Air Force officer whose books The Wiccan Warrior and Full Contact Magick celebrate the ancient--and still relevant--connection between primal spirituality and the path of the warrior.

Warrior spirituality recognizes that it is a limitation to see the Goddess as some sort of romantic peacenik. Try convincing mythical Goddesses like the Hindu Kali Ma, the Irish Morrigu, or the Greek Athena that Pagan spirituality is all about peace and love. Each of these figures are ferocious, take-no-prisoner warrior queens, far more concerned with security and self-defense than with playing nice in the multi-cultural sandbox.

You can read the rest of the article and post your thoughts about it at the link above. If this topic interests you, here are some other, related links:

Military Pagans Page at The Witches Voice

List of Pagans and Heathens in the Military

Miliary Pagan Network

Pagan Vets

Officers of Avalon

Women Warriors

My thoughts today are with men and women who serve in the armed forces, with their families who miss them, and with all those caught in the cycle of violence and war around the world.

In our family we will remember a dear friend lost in Vietnam and ancestors who served in WWI and II.

Congratulations and grateful thanks go out to all those who made it possible for our warriors' families to display the pentacle (2) on their headstones. May these memorials be proudly maintained but few in number.

Blessed Memorial Day,

Sia

(1) It should be noted that Mr. McColman has recently converted to Catholicism. We wish him all the best.

(2) A pentagram is the name for a drawing, design or image of a 5 pointed star with continuious, unbroken lines. It is most often seen within a circle. The pentacle is that design translated into clay, metal, stone, or some other form. See more information here at Wickipedia, and here, at a Wiccan webpage devoted to that subject.

Reclaiming Mother's Day

For those who might be interested:

Beyond Mere Sentiment: Reclaiming Mother's Day.

Excerpt:

The Radical Origins of Mother’s Day:

In an article written for WorkingForChange.com, Gev Parish notes:

Julia Ward Howe called for the establishment of Mother's Day in 1870. Her gesture was intended not as a sentimental tribute to those who bear children, but as a call for women to wage a general strike to end war. (1)

Julia, a poet and suffragist, began her work to honor mothers as a radical act. We tend to forget that mothers are, and always have been, politically and socially active. Throughout history, they have used the wisdom they gained as mothers to think of future generations and work for the good of all. (2)

Real Life Moms:

Motherhood’s a tough gig.

To be a mother is to cry and rage and worry and work till you want to drop. And most women do this without any help from any darn village.

Motherhood is both mind numbing and inspiring, frustrating and fulfilling. It’s a job worth doing and it takes a great deal of strength, wisdom, and self esteem to do it well. The many images of the Great Mother give us a sense of this. Her secret is contained within a paradox of seeming contradictions. She is both and equally, Kuan Yin and Kali, Isis and Morrigan, Aphrodite and Hecate, Lakshmi and Durga, Freya and Ha Hai-i Wuhti. In other, psychologically profound myths, she is portrayed as Medea, who destroyed her children in a fit of rage, and Lysistrata, who organized other mothers, stopped a war and saved two cities in the process. To see only one, sweet side of a mother is to ignore the complex, empowering truth of Her; a truth we can’t afford to miss.

Real mothers sometimes want to punch a wall. Instead they give hugs. They also teach, encourage, praise, and protect, and they do this creatively, day after day, no matter what. No wonder they simplified this holiday – it’s too hard to get all of that in one greeting card....

The Creatrix

Some of us don’t have children (either by choice or by chance) so we honor the Creatrix. The Creatrix is connected to Gaia. She creates her own life as well as great friendships, arts and crafts, loving homes, beauty, peace, prosperity, and opportunities. She empowers friends and family and is, herself, empowered. She cares for others and she protects those who cannot protect themselves. She is a mistress of learning, knowledge, and culture. She has many forms including that of Artemis, Hestia, Athena, and Bridget. She can stand alone or with a partner. It’s her choice. We know her by the blessings that flow from her hand and the ideas that come from her mind and heart. This form of creation is worth knowing and honoring, as well.

[To read the full article, click on the link. The article also contains a bibliography]

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The artwork that accompanies this article (and is copied above) is called Rhea. It is by Sandra M. Stanton. If you would like to see more of Susan's Goddess art, visit Goddess Myths. A portion of all sales from her prints goes to the Global Fund for Women. This image is used with her permission.

Sia