I had wanted to start posting more but getting ready for my trip has really taken all of my time! 10 days and counting until I fly off to Sicily for a month.
I have my Euro cash, my bills paid, lodging and other arrangements made. I have to pack and get a phone when I arrive. I am pretty sure that I've taken care of most everything.
Each day, I'm doing 1/2 - 1 hour of Rosetta Stone. It's really a great course. If you're thinking of learning a language, it's worth the money especially when you compare it to the price of more traditional courses for language.
Stregacrafts is up and running. since I hand create most items that we carry, but we're not going to be taking any new orders until I return. Note - I was just informed that I accidentally crashed the site. It's off line as of this writing my Mike is going to fix it as soon as he gets back from lunch. Sorry!
OneStopOccultshop is up and running. We'll still be taking orders through the site. I've arranged it so our suppliers will drop ship orders directly to our customers and I'll be staying in touch with them while I'm gone.
Streghe.us is up and running and we've got some surprises planned. I'm working with a friend to convert the site to a WordPress UI including forums. The goal is to make it a real community site focused around resources and intelligent (and respectful) discussion regarding Pagan religious Witchcraft with origins in Italy/Sicily, Europe, & the USA.
http://www.vinnierusso.com/TarotReadings is up and running. Although I am still taking phone readings until I leave, I am not able to do any in-person readings at this time. While gone in September, I will not be available for phone or in-person readings. When I return in October, I will be available for both and will be sure to post a notice.
The Sheaves of Demeter Coven is busy as well. In addition to the Chthonioi-Alexandrian and Italic material, we're currently doing 4 - 6 weeks of elemental workings. Each week is devoted to meditations on a particular element and how that element appears and interacts in our daily lives. The goal is both become familiar with the more traditional associations with the elements as well as forge our own personal associations with them and recognize when and how they appear in our daily lives. By recognizing their appearance and interaction, we can better use our knowledge of them to steer our course more positively.
If you're thinking of doing some of your own elemental work, I highly recommend The Way of Four by Deborah Lipp. It's an excellent book written by an amazing Witch.
OK, back to work.
Ciao a tutti,
Vincenzo
Because, eventually, everyone always talks to Vinnie.
Showing posts with label Sheaves of Demeter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sheaves of Demeter. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Community is important
The title of this blog might be self-explanatory to most of us, at least is it for most of my friends and immediate community.
As Pagans, Witches and Wiccans, part of our religion or spirituality (indeed, a major part) is serving the Gods. That means different things to different people. Generally speaking, for someone who is Wiccan it means that we hold to the Rites of our particular Tradition. Our Rites honor the Goddess and the God, turn the Wheel of the Year, and connect us with Them through aligning ourselves with what is happening in the world around us. This might take the form of Sabbat and Esbat celebrations or other devotional Rites.
However, a big part of my personal spiritual practice is community. Specifically, service to the community. I don't understand Witches who say that community service (at least community interaction) is not a part of their practice. Yes, our Rites let us connect with Them but the easiest and most effective way of seeing Them manifest in the world around us to to see Them in the very faces of the like-minded folks in our community. If I can see Them in the people with whom I interact, how could I not serve Them? Seems like a no-brainer for me.
For a number of years, I've been in a state of semi-retirement from teaching the Craft and from actively participating in community events within the greater Boston community. Mostly because I was burnt out due to my perception of "entitled Pagans", bickering about definitions, witch-wars and flame fests. Last year, that began to change with my involvement in the Society of Elder Faiths (the SEF).
Over the past year, I've had the opportunity to attend social events, open Sabbat celebrations, and network with folk who I might not otherwise have met. What was surprising to me was that I was enjoying myself. Through attending the SEF open events, being encouraged to actively participate, and offering
to coordinate the Befana Yule event, I gained a valuable and renewed perspective and appreciation in regards to community. What I came to realize is that community is more important than I was letting myself believe and experience.
As a direct result of interacting with the SEF community, I have come out of my semi-retirement and am once again participating in community. It was a direct result of positive community interaction that prompted me to start the Sheaves of Demeter and, once again, begin teaching. It was a direct result of positive community interaction that prompted me to attend the Feast of Lights and reconnect with some old friends that I hadn't seen in far too long. It was a direct result of positive community interaction that prompted me to offer my serviced to the SEF as a potential board member to nurture community and grow positive connections with others.
Recently, I was appointed to the Board of the SEF and I am happy to say that I look forward to the coming year (and longer!) where I can offer my services to help nurture such a wonderful community.
If you can afford the time and effort, I would encourage you to become more active in your local community especially if your local community isn't doing what you'd like to see it do or if it is not quite as positive as you would like it to be. Remember, if you want change and a more positive community, YOU need to change it.
Benedizioni,
---Vinnie
As Pagans, Witches and Wiccans, part of our religion or spirituality (indeed, a major part) is serving the Gods. That means different things to different people. Generally speaking, for someone who is Wiccan it means that we hold to the Rites of our particular Tradition. Our Rites honor the Goddess and the God, turn the Wheel of the Year, and connect us with Them through aligning ourselves with what is happening in the world around us. This might take the form of Sabbat and Esbat celebrations or other devotional Rites.
However, a big part of my personal spiritual practice is community. Specifically, service to the community. I don't understand Witches who say that community service (at least community interaction) is not a part of their practice. Yes, our Rites let us connect with Them but the easiest and most effective way of seeing Them manifest in the world around us to to see Them in the very faces of the like-minded folks in our community. If I can see Them in the people with whom I interact, how could I not serve Them? Seems like a no-brainer for me.
For a number of years, I've been in a state of semi-retirement from teaching the Craft and from actively participating in community events within the greater Boston community. Mostly because I was burnt out due to my perception of "entitled Pagans", bickering about definitions, witch-wars and flame fests. Last year, that began to change with my involvement in the Society of Elder Faiths (the SEF).
Over the past year, I've had the opportunity to attend social events, open Sabbat celebrations, and network with folk who I might not otherwise have met. What was surprising to me was that I was
to coordinate the Befana Yule event, I gained a valuable and renewed perspective and appreciation in regards to community. What I came to realize is that community is more important than I was letting myself believe and experience.
As a direct result of interacting with the SEF community, I have come out of my semi-retirement and am once again participating in community. It was a direct result of positive community interaction that prompted me to start the Sheaves of Demeter and, once again, begin teaching. It was a direct result of positive community interaction that prompted me to attend the Feast of Lights and reconnect with some old friends that I hadn't seen in far too long. It was a direct result of positive community interaction that prompted me to offer my serviced to the SEF as a potential board member to nurture community and grow positive connections with others.
Recently, I was appointed to the Board of the SEF and I am happy to say that I look forward to the coming year (and longer!) where I can offer my services to help nurture such a wonderful community.
If you can afford the time and effort, I would encourage you to become more active in your local community especially if your local community isn't doing what you'd like to see it do or if it is not quite as positive as you would like it to be. Remember, if you want change and a more positive community, YOU need to change it.
Benedizioni,
---Vinnie
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