Radical Paganism

In essence, it is the nature of paganism to be radical.

While the mainstream world is driven by money and a hunger for power, paganism reverences nature. You can’t go round pillaging that which you reverence, and in daring to care for the planet, we automatically step away from that normal and oh-so-destructive world view.

Paganism is inherently non-hierarchical. Groups tend to have leaders, but as anyone can found a group, grove, coven, order… and as anyone can move from one group to another as they see fit, that hierarchy only exists

where it is supported and valued. In short, you have to do a decent job as a pagan to be in a position of power and responsibility. Those interested in serving only themselves do not tend to survive long. Plus, you don’t get a house as part of the ‘job’ or a steady income, or a seat on a national ruling body, or any of the other power-trappings other faiths confer. Those who are trying to earn a penny along the way soon find that it’s not the easiest way to make ends meet.

The pagan faiths encourage independent thinking, personal responsibility and enough motivation to get out there and learn. No one will come round and convert you, or tell you what to think, or otherwise make it easy for you. Compare this with the sheer numbers of other religious, political and media folk who are desperate to tell you what to think, wear, feel and say. Having an opinion you formed all by yourself is pretty damn radical.

When you look at the values that exist across paganism, most of them don’t sit well alongside corporate, repressive ideologies. We value beauty, not mass produced pap. We care about where our food comes from. We respect life, and we think there should be more to human life than being a cog in someone else’s money making machine. We dance to our own drums, our own music, and we aren’t afraid to sing our own songs.

Being a radical pagan is not just about doing the recycling, and the striking clothes we might wear. If we let them, our beliefs can permeate every part of our lives. We can be radicals in our compassion and ourwillingness to try and understand others. We can be radical in defending human rights, animal rights, plant rights, soil rights. I’m a great believer in saving the human habitat, which is everywhere. Not only can we care, but we can dare to do so publically. We can stand up and speak. We can blog, protest, letter write, make nuisance and draw attention. We can be in tune enough with our emotions to get angry about what is wrong in the world, and with the courage of our warrior ancestors, we can peacefully resist.

I am hugely inspired by the nuisance making of radicals through history. The best revolutions are bloodless, and often prove the most successful. Where we try and force progress through violence, often what we get instead is more violence. But paganism gives us heroic myths and powerful archetypes to draw on. It gives us personal insight into what it means to be on the fringes, vulnerable, easily made victim. Our people have been oppressed too, and in some countries, still are. It won’t take many right wing bigots to bring back the ‘good old days’ of religious oppression. We are only ever one change in the laws away from being criminalised. Again.

People who think, are dangerous. People who ask questions, are dangerous. People who do not accept the soothing noises of politicians or the toys of consumerism, are dangerous. Every time a pagan rejects the mainstream, they aren’t just making a statement for themselves, they are showing that it can be done. For every pagan who speaks, or acts out of their reverence for nature and respect for life, there are going to be a whole bunch of non-pagans who hear them. Every time we speak with passion of our values and ethics, someone will hear us, and that has the potential to change them. By living our truth we can gently radicalise those around us.

‘Radical’ is a word those in power like to blacken. Radicals are supposedly the bad guys, the threat. To be radicalised is to step outside society, with connotations of violence, and fanaticism. Being a radical means

so much more than this, and does not have to cause harm to anyone. An it harm none, do what you will is a fabulously radical notion.

Make nuisance. Make love, and poetry. Make people listen.

Make your truth, your life. If you do so, you will be a revolutionary, a radical, a threat to the establishment. We aren’t going to take over the world. That kind of power-hunger is just another trap for those who are fearful and lost. All we need is to live our own lives in peace and freedom, which for those who crave control, is about the most offensive thing any of us could do.

Be the change.

A Modern Day Witchhunt by Peter Aziz 2012

Many of you may have heard the news last September that I was the first person to be imprisoned for using ayahuasca, a healing vine used in South American religious ceremonies.

To give a little back ground on the situation, I have been practicing as a homeopath, healer and Shaman for over 25 years, and had written to the Home Office before starting ceremonies, to make sure I would not be breaking the law.

I had a letter from them confirming that ayahuasca was not illegal. Over the last 25 years, my studies have taken me all over the World. I spent 4 years training as an ayahuascaro in Peru. I have trained as a Kahuna, Pueblo medicine man, and have been initiated into Vodou to the highest level. I am also a Hindu priest, and was chosen by Kali to be Her Odiya ( A Shaman).

You can read more about my work on my website:

I had built up a very positive reputation for teaching authentic shamanism, and for giving some very effective healings. Previous press releases had been positive; showing major healing taking place, such as getting a crippled child walking. More recently, though, the press has given very negative focus to alternative medicine and spirituality.

The persecution leading up to this case began several years earlier. I had appeared on the TV program, “Trust me, I’m a Healer”. Following this program, I came under heavy slander from a vicious group of doctors who formed a group called Health Watch, for the sole purpose of discrediting natural medicine. At that time, complaints made to the police were rejected, as ayahuasca was not on the controlled substance list. However, after continuous pressure, the police decided to investigate.

I was arrested and put on bail, with the condition that I was could not give any spiritual or healing ceremony of any kind, or give any plant substance of any kind. At this stage, there was not even any charge made, and yet I was stopped from earning a living, and my religious rights completely violated. It took 3 ½ years to finally get me to court, finally deciding to prosecute me for producing and supplying class A drugs, referring to the 0.1% DMT content naturally occurring in the plants.

They argued that since I had brewed the plants into a tea, it was now considered a preparation of DMT. At first I didn’t believe any court could prosecute me for this, as the United Nations convention of psychotropic substances clearly stated that ayahuasca was sufficiently different from pure DMT not to be classified as the same. However, on the first day of the trial it was clear that the police were up to something; with the evil smiles and over-confidence they displayed. It became very clear that this Court was fixed. During the legal discussion, the judge refused any of my defenses to be brought before the jury, and basically told the jury what conclusion they had to come to. Many points of law were ignored, and I was sentenced to 15 months in Prison.

We are all suspicious that the system is corrupt, but you never know how far the corruption goes until you experience it. I had been given a full criminal prosecution for doing healing ceremonies and sending the money to charity. There was no confusion about my motivation, as all witnesses had spoken of the great benefits they got from the ceremonies, and I had a good bunch of character references. What’s more, the police are trying to seize all charity money, as proceeds of crime. Having been in prison, I can honestly say that I have not met any criminal who would stoop so low as to rob charities.

Of course there are big lessons for me in this experience, apart from waking up to the level of corruption, soullessness and pure evil within our leadership. The plants themselves point to the way through this modern crazy world, and I have taken note of the teachings they have been bringing me. I have made good use of my time in incarceration, and treated it as a spiritual retreat, spending many hours every day in meditation. This has only left me stronger in every way. First of all, I was shown how my consciousness has been like certain plants that have been banned for being too useful in helping mankind, such as the ayahuasca, or the cannabis.

Cannabis was seen as a great gift from the Gods because of its usefulness, and I am not just talking about getting high. It provides cloth, building materials, fuel, medicine as well as spiritual teaching. It is because it was so useful that the cotton and timber industries worked on propaganda to get it banned, so it would not threaten their monopoly. Because any nation growing cannabis was assured of wealth, the banks soon helped get it banned, to stop any nation becoming independent of them. So the plants that give the most get themselves totally banned all over the World. I have been through similar lessons.

As a Hindu minister, I have always believed that the highest form of worship was to relieve the suffering of others. This I had dedicated my life to; running healing ceremonies and giving proceeds to charity, feeding starving families. I had put great dedication into this work, only to be stamped on by a corrupt system. This has not turned me from the path, however, far from it. I have just had to become less naïve and much more expansive in my thinking.

There are other sacred plants to take me to the next level. The two teaching me at the moment are chocolate and tobacco. These two plants have already seduced and tamed nations, and are so ingrained into the commercial world that it will be impossible to ban them, no matter how useful they become in healing and raising consciousness. And yet they are both traditional sacred plants used in South American ceremonies. I am discovering great power within them, and a tricky intelligence that will win through all the corruption and bring about the raising of consciousness that is destined. I am involved in dietas with these two plants this year, learning their songs and mastering their ceremonies. They are proving to be powerfully trans-formative, so watch this space. Chocolate may sound like a very pleasant medicine, but there are times you will hate it, as it digs up such deep issues. It is proving to be stronger than ayahuasca.

Of course, the battle over ayahuasca is not over yet. There is an appeal in process, and there are petitions going. Be sure to sign them and put a stop to the witch-hunt before all spiritual practices and natural medicines are taken away. They may have heavily crapped on my old practice, but this is a new beginning. Before giving medicine ceremonies, I am giving some small group workshops from my home, as I have developed some great empowerments to pass on. I will be giving empowerments from Kali’s tantric traditions, to raise kundalina and develop occult powers, and from tenaga dalam, for invulnerability, protection and victory over all obstacles. You can find details of these events on my facebook pageck/134666116580798

The Dragonfly by Tom Hall

The air was still
Birds flew overhead
Singing a lively song
The sun was molten in a blue sky
The day had been long

I was resting
Lying on green warm grass
When a dragonfly flew by
It was large and blue green
A beautiful thing

It hovered and darted
Among the reeds
Just above the still water
Playing in the warm sun
Having what seemed like fun

Can an insect feel?
Can it think?
It it beyond it's capability?
Are we the only owners of this world?
If so, how can this be?

Artist Scholar Reflections on Writing and Research Book Review

This publication will appeal to the Professional Artist in the field, and equally as a resourceful pool of ideas for the aspiring Student of the Arts. or impending Graduate.

It is a reflective piece covering the subject of Art in Higher Education. Should Art have the same level of outcome as other fields of study, the capability to look on artistic practice and work as research, and carry it to the level of PHD?

There are some very interesting discussions in the text and proffers a new perspective, and approach, offering practical suggestions for the artist to further engage in their work. Such as critical writing and detailed analysis of research material collected during the process of the "work", and utilizing data from sources such as social networking to add more depth to understanding the investigative procedures through which the artist scholar gleans important information.

Fresh ideas for graduating Artists and Designers, and fantastic solutions for those teaching arts based research in higher education settings. This is a must have title for the Serious Professional in the Arts.

Chapter 1: Artists and Scholarship

Chapter 2: The Professionalization of the Visual Arts

Chapter 3: The M.F.A. Degree

Chapter 4: The Status of Artistic Scholarship

Chapter 5: Knowledge and Understanding

Chapter 6: Practicing Reflective Scholarship

Chapter 7: Writing that Reflects on Art

Chapter 8: Conclusion

JM Ashcroft 20 02 2012

Orbs; vehicles of consciousness? Communication devices? by Jade Ashcroft

Having had a keen interest in ufology and esoteric matters for years inevitably I have found myself drawing parallels between the Science of Magick and the "activity" of anomalous phenomena.

The subject of consciousness has been the philosophers concern for centuries, its multifaceted and mutable form evading description and definition. That which is unknown to one mind, is perfectly understood by another via their level of cognition and perception. A difficulty arises when one persons experience, or memory, of an event doesn't fit within a generally understood or socially accepted framework.

Ufology, Metaphysics? Metapsychology? Pseudoscience? How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?

You could share the experiences which you know to be true to you, and face public humiliation, (stoning, or execution) at the hands of those less perceptive, or accept what you know and enter into the shadowy realm within your own conscious experience and begin the personal quest for discovery of Truths in these matters.

During Altered States of Consciousness the perception of things not previously recognised by the normal waking state, becomes possible. But also the functions of perception and awareness are open to manipulation into other "states of being" without our consent or knowledge through the use certain resonant (high and low) frequencies.

Imagine yourself in a place where there are no radio waves, satellite signals, magnetic fields or other broadcasts. Turning attention inward away from the physical world and all its "attractions", deep within the core of ones own conscious awareness or knowing. The faculty of imagination should not be discarded as some childish thing to be restricted or kept on a leash. For where else can you discover hidden worlds and other beings?

Brian Ruhe defines some UFO's as “devas from the god realm who have the power to manifest themselves as unidentified flying objects, when and where they choose.” Perhaps the "God realm" is simply the resonant field within which particular frequencies perform instant information transfer.

Telepathic communication between human minds is possible, and demonstrable, so consider the channel on which we broadcast our thoughts being open to direct communication with other forms of intelligence... not native to our physical bodies?

The late Dr John Mack lectured extensively on subtle realms and the abduction phenomena, to the detriment of his career some may say. You don't have to agree with any of it but merely consider the implications in relation to other dimensional beings. Authors on this subject range between theorising such communication as the work of demons/angels to the "experiencer" suffering from delusions or schizophrenia.

Religion has long sought to control humanity through suppression of information and guarding us in locked cages of predetermined thought. The faculty of belief precedes religion and if the threads of human experiences are carefully linked together, and followed throughout history, it becomes clear that there are lines of communication that are outside our normal states of awareness. But could they be responsible for the evolution of consciousness?

Psychic, religious and mystical experiences that of subjective "visions" experienced during deep meditation are found to be similar in content regardless of which areas of the globe the information issues from. Some may argue that these are collective hallucinations, but perhaps they are ghostly impressions from rites of passage which have been torn from our conscious awareness b those seeking to thwart expansion of awareness or discover knowledge of our true selves. Multi dimensional beings!

In the words of Bill Hicks "we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, life is but a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves."

If beings from another dimension contact us through the veil of our understanding... they don't have that far to travel, except through the "
Maya" or projection that we call reality.

The journey back to the self is one fraught with pitfalls and dangers, and from a reference point without conditioning it then becomes possible to begin travelling, dissecting and recording experiences as we follow our individual map. But to get to the point of perception of ones own opinions, thoughts or theories may be harder to reach than you realise. First you have to sift through everything that has been "taught" since birth and literally begin again from a point of knowing nothing.

That which one has experienced directly should be the foundation to begin understanding the nature of reality, rather than that being "spoon fed" to us through mainstream media and our education systems. Defining the nature of ones experiences however becomes tricky like trying to build a castle on shifting sands, and often spawns into a pseudo-science or fringe subjects of their own.

Floating balls of light have been hypothesised as marsh gas, optical illusions, dust motes, alien space craft etc etc. Beings, intelligent entities, communicating through higher/lower (than normal human perception) frequencies, via non verbal communication. For years i have witnessed "orbs" of varying size, colour and duration in both the inner and outer spheres of reality. While their origin is considered by the masses to be outside of the current understanding of the collective it makes them alien (by definition as non human or having no physical body); when absorbed by the consciousness of humanity their function could be described as that of messengers or vehicles of transmission for transfer of consciousness, and information.

The perception of the passage of time in relation to this subject is an important factor. We live in the present moment yet we have memory of the past and the ability to think about possible futures. If we consider the mind theoretically as a trinity of past, present and future where three parts result in a whole "being" and the function of intelligence as a Mercurial glue that holds these functions together, Time travel becomes a matter of a shift in perception or projection.

At the moment there is a great deal of attention being directed towards the 21st of December 2012, with a multitude of prophesied outcomes... none of which can be anything but speculation until the event. There is however a matter that does concern me leading up to this event which has been largely ignored. It relates to what some describe as the "war on consciousness"

If you are informed about psychic self defence and are working on your "Self" then you may stand a chance of escaping some of the traps laid by those seeking to control the mind of humanity. If you are not aware of the pitfalls and are content to be led into A New World Order, and dictated to by the system then they have won the war for your right to BE YOU.

Jade Ashcroft 2012
Website
Surgery for the Soul
Enlightening Times Youtube Channel

Going into your own world. by: Dana Neeley

When you are in meditation, you want to visualize things that you feel close to, such as the ocean, the animals, you can make up the colors in the environment. The animals in it you can make them up as you go, lets say you like the color purple, and you like tigers, you can make a purple tiger with black stripes, anything that your imagination can come up with, do not limit yourself, the sky is not the limit..

I can not stress more the the importance of breathing, when you are having a stressful day, what is the thing we are told most?.. Breath.... Just take a breath and chill out, basically this is what we need to do on a daily basis. With the meditational breathing you can sit at work or lunchtime and meditate within 5 minutes or less, just a few minutes at a time does a world of good for the heart, mind, body, spirit and soul.. Remember breathing in through your nose, then out through your mouth as you feel comfortable in doing so. Find your own method that works for you. 

I have previously covered the fact that we can listen to music during meditation, this is a good tool for focusing, there is an old saying I have said over and over again, if you can meditate on a bus, train, park (with many people) and beach, you can meditate pretty much anywhere.. 

I never want you all to limit your abilities, ever, meditating everyday is very good for all reasons, health being one of them. I personally have healed myself of many things due to meditating and focusing on my intention. Results are different for everybody, but trying is the key. 

Now with the focus, you can do dishes, walk around, some of us have been known for having a full conversation and be meditating while we do this. Yes, it can be done with focus. Discipline is very crucial, the more of it you have the more that you can focus and heal yourself, clear your head of stress, anxiety, worries, depression. I could go on but the list is way to long to even list of the benefits.
Dana Neeley 2012

Soulscape Commission by Jade Ashcroft. See Jade Ashcroft Website

meditating while doing.. part 1 by:Dana Neeley

Now as I go on here, I will talk more of this as i post more blogs, this will be part 1 for now, there will be more parts to this blog. So I have covered the fact that we can listen to music during meditation, this is a good tool for focusing, there is an old saying I have said over and over again, if you can meditate on a bus, train, park (with many people) and beach, you can meditate pretty much anywhere.. I never want you all to limit your abilities, ever, meditating everyday is very good for all reasons, health being one of them. I personally have healed myself of many things due to meditating and focusing on my intention. Results are different for everybody, but trying is the key. Now with the focus, you can do dishes, walk around, some of us have been known for having a full conversation and be meditating while we do this. Yes, it can be done with focus. Discipline is very crucial, the more of it you have the more that you can focus and heal yourself, clear your head of stress, anxiety, worries, depression. I could go on but the list is way to long to even list of the benefits.