Pagan Blog Project delay

Hello everyone! I just wanted to apologize for not keeping up well with the Pagan Blog Project (PBP). I have been relatively busy lately but I'm determined to try and catch up. I hope that everyone enjoys reading them. I'll be sure to return very soon. I'm really sorry again, for not being able to stay caught up.

Blessed Be!
~Harmony

PBP - Karma

Karma is the belief that whatever type of energy you put into the universe will eventually make it's way back to you. To put simply; What goes around, comes around. 

In Wicca, Karma is put into play by the Three Fold Law, which is basically that whatever you do will come back to you three fold. Or really, Karma times three. A lot of people associate this with the negative choices that people make. Some also believe that it applies to positive choices as well. More often than not, people lean towards the bad because it is basically a punishment for whatever the offending person as done. As it is against the Wiccan rede to harm anyone or anything, those who practice negatively are believed to have triple the bad karma. 

Karma is popular in many traditions and differs as such. In general though, a lot of people believe that karma exists in one form or another. Many use the phrase I referenced earlier, "What goes around, comes around." They believe that because someone has done something terrible and got away with it, that in the end, it will eventually catch up to them and make them pay for what they had done. It's very similar to pagan beliefs although most don't realize that Karma is a pagan thing.  

Blessed Be!
~Harmony

PBP - Jack O' Lantern

When people think of Jack O'Lanterns, they think of Halloween and carving scary faces into them to spook the trick or treaters. Well, that's what I thought too before doing the research. It seems that though were/are used to ward off or fool evil spirits. Halloween, or Samhain, as it's also known, is the day that the spirits and such are free to walk among us. This goes unnoticed because there are a ton of people, adults and kids alike, dressed up for the day. So the spirits blend in with those already in costume and walk among the living. The Jack O'Lantern will keep away the spirits that are harmful or perhaps tricksters. The term Jack O'Lantern literally means "Man with a Lantern". In old days, the men would carry these things to ward off evil. More Folklore: In England, ghostly lights would appear over marshes and such. These were said to move up and down almost as though it was a man holding a lantern, and these were thought of as signals to lost souls.

Blessed Be!
~Harmony

PBP - Intuition

Intuition is like knowing something without ever being told. It's just like a gut feeling, that's how I describe it. In my opinion, I think my intuition is pretty good. Most often, I just know when something is up or how a person is feeling if I'm close to them. I'm really in tune with my friends so it's easy to tell when something goes amiss. Aside from knowing what's going on with people, it's also possible to know other things like, you have this nagging feeling something will go wrong or perhaps that something will go right. I've actually experienced this before. A few friends and I were going to go out and have fun. Well, a couple of hours before we were getting ready to go, I was hit by this terrifying feeling that if I went out that night, something terrible would happen. So I told them I was sick and didn't go. Nothing happened to them but I felt that somehow, if I had been there, something would have happened. I can't explain it and to this day, I still don't know why I felt the way I did. Everyone can feel these things, it's just a matter of really listening to it. So my advice: Go with gut. It will never steer you wrong.

Blessed Be!
~Harmony

PBP - Handparting

Handparting is the equivalent of a divorce for those who have been handfasted. It is basically a ceremony that is done to help those involved grieve, forgive and move on. Sometimes both are there but just the one who wishes to leave the relationship can be there as well. Some even invite guests to this. (I don't know why, it seems rather odd to me, personally). From what I know, it's way for those to say goodbye to the relationship and part ways in an amicable or least a peaceful way. Though a handfasting is not legally binding, it's still in some ways a wedding. sSo, if the union doesn't work it's simply wanted to end, a divorce or a handparting is the way to go about it.

Blessed Be!
~Harmony

PBP - Handfasting

A handfasting is basically a wedding of sorts. It can be temporary or long term. Handfasting chords are made and wrapped around the couples hands, symbolizing the joining together and unity of the two people. (That's how I understand it, as least). Unlike marriage though, it's not a legally binding event. It's more so just proclaiming that you want to be together. I believe that anyone can be handfasted. Sexual orientation does not prohibit you from proclaiming your love for a significant other. As I said, it's not legally recognized but it's still an important and beautiful union for those involved.

My mentor/teacher, Rose, making Handfasting chords. They are beautiful! I'm going to teach myself to make them as well. I realized that the chords have significance as well. The two cords used are symbolizing the joining of two people as well, in my opinion. Overall, I think the whole idea is simply beautiful

Blessed Be!
~Harmony

PBP - Grounding

Grounding is a way of balancing yourself out and releasing extra energy you may have called upon to assist you. I"sure that there are many techniques to do this, but here's what my one mentor/teacher taught me to do.

First, close your eyes and concentrate on breathing. Plant both feet firmly on the ground. Focus on the energy you need to be rid of. Imagine it leaving your body through your feet. Almost like being a tree. Your feet are the roots where the energy flows out and into the ground. After that you should feel much better. I did, at least.

This may not work for everyone, but I found that it really worked for me. Of course, I am very new at all of this and I've only done it a handful of times, but I certainly hope that you find this helpful to you.

Blessed Be!

~Harmony