Saint Sebastian

I recently compiled the following information for the Coven.  It occurred to be that other folks might find some interest in this as well.  It is just a bit of history about my family and the patron saint from the town where the paternal side of my family both cam from and immigrated to.  Enjoy!

I wanted to mention a little bit of family history.  My dad’s family originated in Melilli, Sicily.  The immigrated to Middletown, CT with LOTS of other Sicilians at the turn of the last century.  Middletown and Melilli are considered sister cities and they both celebrate a feast day on May 4th dedicated St Sebastian.  The feast is called "Festa dei Nuri". (Festival of the Naked).

Unofficially, he is associated with Apollo and some feel that he is a patron/protector of LGBT folks.

Martyr
Born c. 256;  Died c. 288
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church

Feast: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_of_saints>
January 20 (Catholic)
December 18 (Eastern Orthodox)
May 4 (Melilli Sicily & Middletown, CT)

Attributes: arrows <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_symbology>

Patronage: Soldiers, plagues, arrows, athletes, Patron Saint of Middletown, CT and Melilli, Sicily

Because Sebastian had been thought to have been killed by the arrows, and yet was not, and then later was killed by the same emperor who ordered him shot, he is sometimes known as the saint who was martyred twice.

Saint Sebastian as an LGBT icon -
Many LGBT writers and artists have interpreted Sebastian’s life story as suggesting that he was gay. This association was first made explicit in 1909 by Georges Eekhond’s “Saint Sébastien Dans la Peinture,” but existed anecdotally earlier. Oscar Wilde, for example, used Sebastian Melmoth as an alias during his declining years in Paris.


Some other info if you are interested –

Info on Melilli can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melilli

Info on St Sebastian here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Sebastian


Thus endeth today’s history lesson.

Ciao,

---Vinnie

Konrad Maziarz: Had to share this.

I just don't understand the problem, some violently, with the Health Care bill.  Sure, it is NOT perfect.  There are even some pretty significant issues with it.  However, ANY health care bill that actually supplies health care is better than having NO health care.  I've listened to the arguments of the folks who oppose health care reform and when you actually go to independent non-politically affiliated sites to research the issues, all of the opposition arguments fail.  They're either misinformation, gross exagerations, or outright lies.

It saddens me that our law-makers play this game and and do childish things like the republican "pout-fest".  It saddens me even more that the people they serve would rather be led in a campaign of hate and ignorance rather than think for themselves and consider other points of view.

Konrad Maziarz: Had to share this.

Had to share this.

Mon at 4:45pm

This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory. I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built by the local, state, and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to send via the US Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After work, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to a house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all it's valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log on to the internet which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right.

Bitching about the Health Care Bill? Read this...

I don't know Konrad Maziarz, but this was a post that he did on Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/nivho#!/note.php?note_id=376184907947&id=1474759419&ref=nf


I honestly don't understand the problems that people are having.  The bill isn't perfect.  However, something is better than nothing. I have yet to hear EVEN ONE objection that isn't either completely false or a gross twisting of the facts or a reaction  based simply in fear.  Come on folks, grow up and chose information over ignorance.

Benedizioni,

---Vinnie

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

Busy, busy!

I just realized that my last post was January 22 when I responded to CNN and the Haiti relief effort.  My how fast time passes.

I've recently been reviewing my life and the things that I do to fill my time.  One of the things that I realized is that I often overschedule myself with things that have no REAL purpose other than to fill time.  After sitting myself down and looking at WHAT I do, I made a few changes.

I'm still as busy as I've always been, it's just that the things that fill my schedule are things that are important to me rather than time sinks.

So, what's new?

• I've started a new training coven that will be practicing both Sicilian Witchcraft (The Strega Tradition) as well as Chthonioi-Alexandrian Wicca.
• I've devoted time to network and work in my local pagan community through the Society of Elder Faiths.
• I've set aside time for a healthy home life, including date night.  It's important for us old married folks to take time to reconnect with each other and what's important. :-)
• I've begun planning my trip to Italy.  It may not happen this year but it's a first step on the journey.

I have an Italian phrase-a-day calendar and when there is a particularly relevant phrase, I keep it tacked to the side of my computer monitor to remind me of it's meaning.  There we 3 of them this week.  In no particular order:

1. Sapere è potere. (Knowledge is power.)
2. Ridi ogni giorno. (Laugh every day.)
3. Se è davvero cosÌ importante, troverai il tempo di farlo. (If it's that important, you'll find the time.

Good advice.

Benedizioni,

---Vinnie