Dame Artemis and the Wild Hunt.

 Dear Reader,

I have spent the last few weeks contemplating Dame Artemis (not to be confused with the Grecian goddess) and her role in the spiritual architecture of Filianism and Déanism. In my contemplation, I saw a connection between this lesser known Janya and the Wild Hunt of Germanic and Nordic paganism (which has been adopted into wider groups of pagan religions). 

Their purpose is much the same. The Hunter goes out in search of the spiritual beings that have strayed from the Way and returns them to their proper places. Additionally, the Hunter seeks out malevolent forces to put down and return to their proper places. It is both a rescue operation and a cleansing.

For the Germanic and Nordic pagan community, the Wild Hunt is active for a season (typically winter). In the Filianic and Déanic community, Dame Artemis seeks her prey on a monthly basis. The fifth day after the new moon is hers. I have found no rites honoring her nor much in the way of lore that says why this day was chosen or describing her role in relationship to the other Janyati.

I use the term Dame instead of Lady, because a Dame is the feminine equivalent of a Knight. In my meditation and attempts to logically understand things, I've come to a few conclusions.

If we take a moment to look at Dame Artemis as the equivalent of a Knight, one may see that she is under the direction of Sai Vikhë. Her lunar aspect also puts her under the direction of Sai Candrë. Considering these things, one might say that Sai Vikhë is her commander and that Sai Candrë is her Lady, whom she holds in devotion and esteem and will align her works with Sai Candrë's desire when not acting on the command of Sai Vikhë.

A prayer for peace

Dear Reader,

I am calling out to an unusual quartet of janyati in this prayer.  I call to Sai Sushuri in her role as the harbinger of Déa's love and peace. I call to Sai Thamë in her role as adjudicatrix of that which is in accord with celestial harmony and peace bearer through celestial harmony. I call to Sai Rhavë as the psychopomp and companion of the dead as they journey to their place of rest and healing (not necessarily Avala, for there are many such places). And, finally, I call to Sai Kala to bring a good, clean death to those who must die. 

Dear Sai Sushuri, gentle dove of peace, I call to you.
Holy Harbinger of Our Lady's peace, I beg that you come into the war torn places of this world. Lead them away from the evils of war and to the sweetness of peace and mutual respect.

Dear Sai Thamë, wise songbird of harmony, I call to you.
Holy Peace-Bearer of the Celestial harmony, I beg that you come into the war torn places of tis world. Lead them away from the chaos of war and to the peace of concord and good will.

Dear Sai Rhave, steadfast pelican of necessity, I call to you.
Holy Psychopomp and companion of the soul on their journey to the next world, I beg that you will bear the lost and mournful dead of these war zones to a place of comfort and rest before their next turn upon the Wheel.

Dear Sai Kala, mighty raven of death, I call to you.
Holy One who severs the life thread of this mortal coil, grant, I beg, they who are doomed to die a clean death that does not scar their soul with grief of fear. 

For Love's sake, thus may it be.

Regarding Sai Sushuri (aka Sai Sucri or Sushurichan)

Picture from Gagan Cambo via Pexels.com

 Dear Reader,

Most anyone with an education in Western European art or any understanding of the history of the Roman Empire will look at the image accompanying this post and immediately recognize her as Venus de Milo. Venus (or as she is known in the ancient Greek faith Aphrodite) is a goddess of love.

The Madrian community saw her as a cognate to Sai Sushuri. They recognized that both did hold sway over romantic love but also other forms of love. Sai Sushuri holds sway over platonic love, community bonds of affection, familial love, and the love that people hold for their land and livelihood. This is a limited list of the manifestation of love that Sai Sushuri and Venus reign over.

The Madrian community put greater emphasis on the love that came between a community and their respected leadership than romantic love. They also put greater emphasis on the love that is between people out of their basic humanity.

The Aristasian community adhered to these concepts as dearly as the Madrian community did before them. Somewhere in the process of the seclusion of the Madrian community and the Aristasian community's rising, a word was chosen to express the love of all: amity. Amity is a transpersonal, immersive love experience wherein one finds that there is something to love in all places of this world. It is similar to the Greek term Agape, as used with respect to love. It is a transpersonal, immersive, and expansive love for all.

The modern Filianic/Déanic community holds the concept of amity in a special place in their heart. All loves are viewed as valid and sacred, as gifts from Déa to strengthen, nurture, and comfort us in times of difficulty. Sai Sushuri is always with us, pouring this grace over us as per Déa's will. As such, Valentine's Day has been claimed by the believers in Déa as not a day to focus strictly on romantic love but a day to celebrate all forms of love and renamed Amity Day to reflect this.

Terrestrial Janyati?

 Dear Reader,

It seems I've put a bee into a few bonnets with my mention of terrestrial janyati. This is not some fanciful thing that a bunch of idle minds put together over some tea. In a letter discussing Lady Athene, Sr. Angelina notes that she is a janya that is upon the terrestrial plane. Sr. Angelina further goes on in her letter to state that she does not know how many other janyati have chosen to come to the terrestrial plane to give guidance and aid to Déa's children.

I would love to provide a link to this letter but it has gone missing from the archives that I had found it in. I assume that a technological error has lead to this happening, because the letter is quite valuable in helping us to understand our relationship with the janyati. Lady Athene (alternately spelled Lady Athena) is well known as a goddess of the Hellenic pantheon. It stands to reason that the other deities of the Hellenic (and other pantheons) are janyati that have chosen to come into the world to provide guidance, assistance, and protection for the children of Déa. There is no other reason why they would have deific power if they were not in some fashion beings that embodied Déa's will.

There are some who would be quick to argue that my stance here is overly simplistic and false. I ask them, quite simply, where is the difference between the high ones who performed miracles and intervened in antiquity during the era before the ascension of Christianity and the janyati who perform miracles and intervene? Gender presentation is a foolish argument. Déa comes to us as we may best understand her. If she chooses to appear to us in a form that resembles a masculine one, that is her will and that is her reaching us at the level we might comprehend the teachings she is giving us.

Ultimately, Déa is beyond gender. I know that I am going to anger some with that statement. But gender is a social construct. Physical sex characteristics are an accident of birth. The Divine contains within all potential manifestation. The Divine can present in any manner of method to get our attention. To argue that the Divine is limited to a specific form of manifestation is the ultimate act of hubris. One can not say that an individual rivulet is divorced from the river it flows from simply because it flows in a different direction. Ultimately, all of the janyati lead us back to Déa.

Practical Witchery: Air Elementals

 Dear Reader,

This is by no means a comprehensive guide to the Air Elementals. Each tradition has their own associated directions and attributes for each Element. I aim to provide a gentle introduction to working with Air Elementals and an overview of what manner of things fall under their purview. This is a Wicca focused post because in my work with the Elementals, it is based in my training as a Wiccan priestess. Different faiths and traditions of magical practice have different modes of interaction with these spiritual beings.

Air Elementals have been known by many names. They have been associated with many different spiritual beings. Within the tradition that I was trained, the Air Elementals are slyphs. (The Wikipedia article that I have linked actually has a pretty good set of sources for this entry.) Slyphs look like the diminutive fairies of Victoriana artwork. They are winged and dressed in fanciful things such as cobweb gowns and dew drop jewelry. Slyphs hold reign over the action of Air. 

They are typically benevolently inclined towards humanity, though their mischievous streak is legendary. The slyphs are a class of faery that is considered to be less powerful than other faeries¹.  This argument, however, fails to consider the fact that they are the Guardians of the Elemental Force of Air. They have the ability to influence weather and to influence intellect and communication (which are both considered in the Wiccan tradition I was trained in to be under the influence of Air). Most of the time. slyphs are insubstantial like the wind and their presence can only be felt by those who are psychically sensitive. 

In the case of a ritual where one invokes the power of Air, slyphs will come to the circle and give counsel and advice. They will also act as guardians of holy spaces from spiritual beings that attempt to assail the person who is engaged in magical work. It is not entirely effective against physical beings. (Alexander Pope's famous poem The Rape of the Lock demonstrates this.) Though slyphs seem to be less than impressive, they have the capacity to wreck havoc when angered. Some of the activity attributed to poltergeists is actually the action of slyphs against people who have offended them (i.e. random items going missing and then reappearing in strange places, unexpected gusts of wind that cause mild chaos with one's plans, etc.).

To appease angered slyphs, the old practice of putting out milk, bread, and honey as an offering is highly effective. The use of this sort of offering to gain the good will of slyphs has a long standing history of success. Home made bread is a favorite but store bought works just as well. It is the intention that is important. The offering should be placed outdoors at a secluded spot where it can be consumed by nature. If it is not possible to place the offering outdoors in such a location, it should be left upon the altar for a period of 24 hours to allow the Elementals time to enjoy it and then disposed of in a ritual fashion. (I have a compost bin that I put such offerings into and then return them to the earth once they have broken down.)

Building alliances with slyphs is a good idea for someone who is working with academics or subject matter that requires a good deal of hard thought. It is also helpful for someone who is seeking to get good with weather magic. Through regular offerings and time spent communing with them via meditation and divination, one can build a strong relationship with the Air Elementals and be able to call upon them at any time for assistance, not just when in the ritual circle.

Practical Witchery: Elementals

 Dear Reader,

The system of correspondences that includes the classical elements has been around for so long and in so many variations that its origin is lost to the mists of time. I am going to introduce you to the system of working with the classical elements of existence that I have been using for over two decades now. Unlike what some of the newer authors in the Wiccan community have claimed, this system has been around for millennia. Wicca did not invent the elemental classification system. If this claim is put forth, consider the entire work with a grain of salt because the author didn't do their homework and is ignorant about the history of Wicca.

In the European historical context, the classical elements are: Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit. In the Asiatic historical context it is a bit muddied because of the influence of European invaders destroying documents with their efforts to force the conversion of the native peoples to some variant of Christianity. The clearest evidence of the classical elements in that part of the world comes from China (which has a very, very long history as a nation and an astounding historical record). In traditional Chinese thought, the classical elements are wood, fire, metal, earth, and water. 

Wikipedia has an interesting article on classical elements with relatively reliable sources. I am not going to go over the different cultures that have used different classification systems. That is beyond the scope of this post and I am not well versed enough in pan-cultural elemental classification systems from the pre-Christian era of history to do the topic justice. (This is something that would be worthy of a doctorate level paper. I'm simply not able to accomplish that, yet.)

Wicca comes from the European line of historical metaphysics. There is some disagreement within the Wiccan community as to what the correct order and classifications are for the classical elements. This lack of singularly codified system of classification is not an indication of disorganization as much as a signifier of the diversity of the Wiccan community. If we look back at the work of Gerald Gardner, considered the father of Wicca and modern witchcraft, we find that he organizes them thusly:

• Element of Air; Direction is East; Magical Weapon is the Sword/Athame*
• Element of Fire; Direction is South; Magical Weapon is the Wand
• Element of Water; Direction is West; Magical Weapon is the Chalice
• Element of Earth; Direction is North; Magical Weapon is the Paten/Pentacle

In my personal magical workings, the directional orientations remain the same. The magical weapons for Air and Fire are reversed. My logic for this is blades are fashioned in fire and wands are the branches of trees, which are high in the air. Now, each element has an Intelligence associated with it. They can be described variously as Angels, Janyati, or other spiritual beings. In traditional Wicca, these Intelligences are the Guardians of the Elements and known as Elementals. They can be worked with to grow in one's studies of the occult, to develop greater spiritual balance in one's life, or to manifest that which one desires. Elementals are generally kindly inclined towards humanity. They are a manifestation of the Divine within the realm of the world we live.

While the elemental classification system helps to organize the world we live in, the Elemental beings can influence the world through the things we recognize as under their purview. Next week, I will be introducing you to the Element of Air. 

*Note*

The term athame here is not to be confused with the Filianic term athame. The athame of Wicca (and other witchcraft traditions that use the term) refers to a ritual knife or dagger that is used for magical practices.

Sai Vikhë: Agent of Change.

 Dear Reader,

Sai Vikhë is the janya of discord, strife, and chaos. She is also the janya of vitality, courage, and strength. I would posit that she has a third aspect. Sai Vikhë is the janya of dynamic change. If we look at it carefully, all change is some form of strife. It breaks us out of patterns of behavior and life styles that we have found comfortable and reassuring. It is a struggle when change comes and we must adapt everything to integrate it into ourselves.

If we accept this argument, we could state that Sai Vikhë is (in relation to Sai Werdë) the movement of her wheel. It is possible to see Sai Vikhë in a descending form, the changes that drive us farther from Déa. Ultimately, however, those changes serve to bring us closer to Déa and into greater thamë. As such, the changes that Sai Vikhë brings us ultimately are of the ascending direction. Sai Vikhë is a janya who pushes us to improve ourselves in the lesser war against khear, the internal struggle between the True Self and our False Self (ego). Sai Vikhë is generally recognized as a protector of the children of Déa in the greater war with the Dark Queen and her servants whose pull is far greater in the direction away from Déa and into the abyss of khear.

As one studies the art of war, one finds that battle lines move back and forth. In the war with the Dark Queen that goes on within the manifest world, Sai Vikhë strategizes the battles we fight and guides us. What may seem a defeat may actually be a strategic advance into the territory of the enemy to cause disruption behind their lines before drawing back to friendly forces. Our weaknesses can be overcome but they ultimately serve Déa's goal to bring the whole of creation back into union with herself. As such, Sai Vikhë brings us challenges and changes that we must strive to work through. These serve to strengthen us against the challenges and assaults of the forces of the Dark Queen. Sai Vikhë as a battle janya is always working to give us the strength to stand against the Dark Queen's servants and guide us forward past them to the path towards our salvation in Our Lady.

Sai Vikhë - A Janya of Paradox

Dear Reader,

I present an argument that Sai Vikhë is one of the janyati that can be associated with paradoxes. Sai Vikhë is known as the janya of discord and strife in her 'shadow' aspect. At the same time, she is known as the defender of Déa's children against the forces of the Dark Queen, the patroness of healers (especially surgeons), and the janya of vitality. She is associated with the classical element of fire. Sai Vikhë has a lot of parallels with Loki. It may be one of the reasons why I am fond of her.

Sai Vikhë is a complex janya. She is also a stern janya and associated with the Age of Iron, the period of lowest descent from complete harmony with Déa's music. During the Age of Iron, conflict is more wide spread and discord is prevalent. It would seem that this period that is ruled by this janya is a time where there is complete separation from the harmony of Déa's will and her song. This perception can lead one to despair. It is good to remember that Sai Vikhë is part of Déa and a bearer of the Bright Mother's light. As such, she can (and does) lead us back to Déa.

Sai Vikhë may be the janya of strife, but there is more than one form of striving. She may be the janya of warfare, but there is more than one form of warfare. Sai Vikhë is a janya of paradox. She brings discord but that discord ultimately leads to harmony. Some may be so bold to say that Sai Vikhë is the janya who is the guardian of the victory of good health as our bodies wage internal war against illnesses. She is the heat of the fever that burns away the sickness within us even as it endangers us.

Though Sai Vikhë may seem to frown upon the whole of creation when she comes bearing her sword and spear, her presence is not a punishment upon creation. She comes to drive away the servants of the Dark Queen and lead us to victory in our struggle against our false selves. She comes to anneal our spirits so that we might be purified and strengthened through our trials and tribulations. Let us remember, when troubles come, she is always willing to let us hide behind her shield-wall as she engages the ones who seek to do us evil.

Blessed is Sai Vikhë and holy is her name, for she is a face of Déa.

July for Loki: Post No. 15 - Loki & Sai Mati

Dear Reader,

One may not realize the connection between Loki and Sai Mati. It's easy to think that Sai Mati is more aligned with Odin on the basis of their mutual association with wisdom.(Odin as a trickster deity is a complicated subject and will have to be covered in another post.) Sai Mati in her trickster aspect is known as Sai Nimwë. She leads one to wisdom by ways of puzzles and paradox. Loki does this as well.

Loki is not often thought of as a teacher but he is. A "school of hard knocks" teacher, but a teacher none the less. As a friend of mine once said, Loki will help you to your feet and then tell you to duck as he starts swinging a baseball bat. Loki's lessons are at times cryptic. He teaches you to face the unwanted truth of a situation. He teaches you the facts about brutal honesty.

Sai Nimwë is cryptic. Sai Nimwë is the sphinx whose riddles you must answer to proceed forward on the path of enlightenment. She will help you to your feet and then motion for you to duck as that sign swings backwards to possibly hit you in the face again. Sai Nimwë is the janya of knowledge that is necessary but we may not want to hear. She is a playful and yet stern janya who leads you along a twisting path that leaves you dizzy even as it gets you to where you need to be.

July for Loki: Post No. 1 - Sai Vikhë and Loki: Parallels

Dear Reader,

Within orthodox Filianism and Déanism, Sai Vikhë is the janya of discord and strife (among other things). Some find it difficult to reconcile Sai Vikhë's discordiant qualities with the fact that she is a Face of Déa. I offer the following in an attempt to show that Sai Vikhë is an engine of creation despite the fact that she is associated with destruction. I also offer the following to give a bit of a deeper view of what I see the relationship between Sai Vikhë and trickster/chaos deities. (Sai Mati is also a trickster, but I will be covering that in another post.)

On the surface of things, Sai Vikhë is a potentially malefic Face of Déa because her presence brings discord, strife, and general inconvenience. She is associated with the decline of the world from the perfection of the beginning, noted as the Janya who holds sway over the Age of Iron that is the nadir of the greater cycle of Ages where things are at their greatest distance from the perfection of Déa. This makes it pretty easy to see Sai Vikhë as a potential "bad guy" or "dangerous figure" when considering aspects of Déa to approach. This is because discord, strife, and all related topics have a connotation that is generally negative.

I say, however, that we forget the positive connotations of Sai Vikhë and other trickster/chaos figures when we focus in this fashion. Loki is more than a god of mischief. He is also a god of inventiveness and cleverness. Like Sai Vikhë, he is associated with discord, strife, and most of the related topics. Sai Vikhë and Loki, however, are the entropy that prevents the universe from collapsing into utter stillness and oblivion. In Filianic terms, Sai Vikhë is a manifestation of Our Lady's saving Love holding things in existence in the face of oblivion. Sai Vikhë is associated with fire and its heat. Loki is a fire deity (his birth is from lightning striking a pine needle if you read the names of his parents literally). Both are unpredictable.

Both are kindly inclined towards humanity. Where Sai Vikhë will defend Déa's children from the demonic servants and children of the Dark Queen, Loki assists Thor (the defender of Midgard, the realm of humanity) in his efforts in an on going series of battles with other jotnar who would do harm to Midgard. There is a tale, the Loka Tattur, that speaks of Loki saving a farmer's child when other gods are unable to do so through cunning and guile. It is my opinion that there are other such tales lost to history because of the complex political environment of the Christianization of the peoples who believed in the Germanic and Norse gods didn't promote a "good guy" chaos bringer.

If you take a survey of Loki's modern worshipers, you will find that they generally describe him as chaotic-good with a dash of chaotic-neutral in the mix. His worship has been shaped by the information that we have gleaned from the post-Christianization period where the work of preserving the tales was more like Jacob Grimm's efforts to save folk tales and adding his own twist to make them more interesting to readers of his period. Sai Vikhë does not have as rich of a body of literature surrounding her thus taking her measure from the writings of historical documents is challenging.

In my experience, I have found that Sai Vikhë is a bit of a fickle janya. She expresses Déa's love in ways that seem counter-intuitive. She is the one who brings the challenges that we must grow through to become our best selves. She is, at the same time, the one who guides us through these challenges. Sai Vikhë has a sense of humor that seems a bit odd at times and a touch grim because she views all things through the lens of her role within the pantheon. Sai Vikhë, as the janya of strife, is equipped to strike down the demons formed from khear. She may be joyous in her work or solemn. Her attitude is difficult to gauge because she is mercurial in her humor (a similarity she has with Sai Mati in her trickster aspect).

And where Loki is associated with Ragnarok (which I believe is a cyclical process where all things are destroyed to begin anew afterwards), Sai Vikhë is associated with the Age of Iron. I don't believe that either of these things make them 'evil' any more than we are evil for sweeping away a cobweb. Loki is the harbinger of change. Sai Vikhë is as well. They are also the essence of change, which is a chaotic and disruptive experience where we are shaken out of our familiar, cozy setting and set upon a new adventure by the Divine.

Temptation.

Gentle Reader,

I suppose if we were in the time of year to discuss the temptation of the Daughter in the Northern Hemisphere, I'd be doing so right now. I am, however, focusing on a more personal version. Life is full of vexation. No matter what we do, we can not escape exasperating things. It is very tempting to respond to frustration with sharp words. Society teaches us that this is right and proper and how the world should respond to irritants. If we are poked with a stick, like the bear, we should roar and swipe at the offender with our claws, or so says western society.

Temptation also manifests in our daily lives to neglect ourselves and what is healthy for us. We are tempted to eat food that tastes delicious or is very low effort, despite the fact that it is unhealthy. We are tempted to eat too much food in an effort to assuage bitter feelings of upset and anguish. We are tempted to forgo exercise for the sake of a little more time to rest, a little more time to play with our devices, or get a little more work done.

Temptation is a struggle for us. The act of resisting it can be painful, both physically and emotionally. In these moments, we should call upon the Angels/Janyati for aid. Sai Vikhë is an excellent one to ask for help in resisting temptation. This great Angel is the warrior-maid of the Janyati who is the great protector of creation from the forces of chaos. Seeking her assistance during times of trouble is simply practical. Another one to turn to for help resisting temptations, especially those of the sort that encourage us to deny our needs and good health is Sai Raya, the all benevolent Janya of good things (including good health).  With care, it is possible to call upon Sai Rhavë, the stern Janya of discipline, restriction, and strictness.

Where the first two Angels are inclined towards gentle guidance, the third is a Janya of harsher instruction by her nature. One must be prepared with which ever Angel/Janya they call upon to assist them to find synchronicity guiding them upon the healthiest and most thamelic path. Sai Vikhë will likely encourage you to find active solutions, especially when one's health and vitality is involved. Sai Raya will be more inclined towards providing you with the tools to solve your problems and wise instruction from unexpected places. Sai Rhavë has, in my experience, encouraged active problem solving by way of restricting alternate routes of solutions and providing immediate consequences for lapses in discipline.

Think of them as three teachers. The first teacher has a style of leading by examples and hands on guidance. The second teacher has the style of leading by the Socratic method and giving you tools with instruction on how to use them The third teacher's style is very autocratic and gives you instruction by the approved methods with a corrective measure for failure to perform at capacity.

Temptation in our lives are ultimately lessons that we are supposed to learn. Lessons in how to keep our tempers in check, how to handle others gently, and how to better care for ourselves are the most common ones that come up. The Angels/Janyati can be excellent teachers if we but ask for their aid.

Angels or Janyati?

Gentle Reader,

There are some who approach the higher forces of Déanism/Filianism with trepidation. Some confusion as to what the role of these figures are surrounds them. Are they Angels in the sense of the Abrahamic religion's version of angelic beings? Are they demi-gods or heroes that have ascended to godly status? It is all very confusing. Here is my humble attempt to clarify.

The Janyati, as they are known in orthodox Filianism and the scriptures, are considered to be manifestations of Dea. The great Janyati number in seven and much has been written about them. They are intelligent spiritual beings with agency independent of each other while still being one with Dea. This is why in the Janite tradition, they are held with reverence just about equal to the holy trinity of Mother, Daughter, and Dark Mother.

There are lesser janyati who are also 'faces of Dea' but they are more specialized in what they hold dominion over. Such as Sai Brighe who is said to be the Janya of bridges, transition, and liminal spaces. (Some could argue that Sai Brighe would also be the Janya of transportation due to these qualities and to whom one would appeal for help in these matters. This is unclear in the reading I've done but a logical extension given what is known.)

I use the term Angel instead of Janya. I hold that Angels are the presence of the Divine made known in the manifest world. Having encountered two, I have no doubt that they are so. They are immensely powerful and possess an equally immense presence. Terrifying and wonderful are two words that would be well used to describe them, even if they seem kindly. It would be like having a living being as great in size and power to you as you are to a small animal decide to interact with you.

I do not hold that the Angels are less than Dea. I believe that they are splintered aspects of her that she has chosen to make smaller to make it easier for us to interact with her. This is not because she feels it is necessary to diminish herself to be acceptable to us as much as it is necessary because we are too limited to comprehend more than even the barest glance of Dea in any direct fashion.

I hold that the honored dead who are liberated from the wheel of existence ascend to join the host of the lesser angels. I believe that these are holy souls that the Daughter has freed with her ascension and they attend her court for a time before progressing in to the higher realms. I also believe that new souls join them just as often as new souls are born into this lower world. I do not think there is a limit on the number of souls that pass through the world. This, however, is not the orthodox position.

Endings & Beginnings

Some meandering on the personal side of the ledger, I have to confess I feel terrible in multiple ways right now. Physically, I'm sick with what my primary care doctor insists is a virus. All I know is that my chest hurts from coughing pretty constantly for the last two months. It may have been back to back viruses or this is something else. Either way, I feel pretty horrible and exhausted from it all.

My mental health has not been that great because my Seasonal Affective Disorder has been kicking me in the teeth and my Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has been doing the same at the same time. Today is particularly hard because it is an anniversary date of one of the many sexual assaults I had experienced in the past. Being depressed and prone to dissociation has made this month very hard for me to function on the most basic levels. It's exponentially harder as tasks become more complex like generating content for this and my other blogs. We won't talk about how writing is going, except to say that it is not really happening right now because I can't focus on it.

I have a great deal of anxiety over what the coming year will bring. I know some of this is just because I have anxiety problems. Some of this is because there are legitimate things to be anxious over that range from household details to questioning just what manner of disaster the supposed leadership of my homeland are engaged in. Some have the luxury of saying it wouldn't effect them but there are many people like my family and friends who are deeply effected by things like the farce of tax reform and the long range impact of the disaster in Puerto Rico on things like medical supplies.

So, the year ends with my feeling awful in the sense of negative feelings of distress.

At the same time, I am making plans for next year. I am trying to live in a place of hope. I may not feel it right now, but I can behave as if it is a thing. Through that behavior, I shall build habits to rectify some of the bad habits I developed over the course of a long depressive episode this year. I have decided that 2018 is the year that I get things done. This is my unofficial motto. I'm working on my health. I'm going to finally finish those projects I planned to make for myself. And I'm going to finish some books that have been sitting in various stages of completion. On my list of things I am going to get done this year is I am going to resume posting here.

I'm going to make some changes to posting schedule and topics. There will be some changes to my format for some of the regular post topics. I'm going to do my best to get this to a high quality level of content again and regular production of said content. This being sick and not doing any of this is just unacceptable. So, I am going to do my best to change it.

It is Sai Herthe's day. This is a day within the Déanic and Filianic communities that we cleanse our homes spiritually and seal them against the forces of evil. Rituals vary. The one that I prefer is to walk through all the rooms of my home with a candle to drive out the darkness. And then with a bit of incense to drive out the essence of evil. I follow this by ringing a bell to chase away the bad luck of the old year. I then place my candle on my altar and let it's light empower a sphere of protection around my home. When the candle burns out, the light powering the sphere of protection transfers to pure spirit.

Prayer Beads: Chaplet of the Janyati (part 1)

I have written a few previous posts about the Filianic/Déanic rosary. This is patterned after the Catholic rosary. Most practitioners pray the Filianic/Déanic rosary and meditate up on the Five Mysteries of the faith. From what I can tell, I appear to be the only one who also will pray an expanded version of this, focusing upon fifteen elements that comprise these Mysteries. This, however, is not the only version of prayer beads available to people who wish to pray in a fashion that encourages focus upon Dea.

In the latter portion of the 20^th century, another form of rosary was developed in the West. The Anglican chaplet (also known as the Anglican prayer beads or the Anglican rosary) came into practice in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. It is a modification of the Catholic rosary and the Orthodox Christian prayer rope, wherein thirty three beads are divided up into five major groups. The first group is the terminal (which is a cross most often for the Anglican chaplet) and the inviatory bead. Upon these two beads, the opening prayers are recited. The next division encounter is the first cruciform bead and the first week, a group of seven beads. There are three other weeks with a cruciform bead dividing each group. The fourth week ends where it meets the first cruciform bead.

This style of prayer beads has become relatively popular through out the Protestant Christian communities that are inclined towards this style of worship. Where the Catholic rosary focuses upon the mysteries associated with the events of the life of Jesus and his mother, the Anglican chaplet is used as a tool for counting prayers. There has, not yet, arisen a liturgical structure to focus contemplation and meditation beyond this point. Individual focus whilst engaged in this exercise varies widely.

The Anglican chaplet style beads is also well suited for a devotee of Dea's use. The division of the seven beads in each 'week' of the chaplet lends itself naturally for contemplation of the seven Janyati. The cruciform beads not only connect to the Fora but also to the four regular seasons of the Filianic/Déanic calendar. The fifth season, Moura, can be counted on the inviatory bead or upon the first cruciform bead when it is reached again after the fourth week of beads is counted.

The most basic prayers of devotion¹ for this are identical to those of the rosary. On the terminal bead, for example, a declaration of one's creed would be made, followed by a recitation of the Our Mother prayer and the Gloria prayer. The cruciform beads would have similar prayers to the beads that divide the decades on the rosary. The week beads would have similar prayers to those said on the individual beads of each decade. Upon the conclusion of the final week, the prayers said at the conclusion of the rosary could be said as a way to finish the prayer session.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
1. The rosary prayers of Filianism/Déanism do have some variants between each sect. I will be posting my interpretation of the major prayers in another post soon. If you examine the prayers presented by A Chapel of Our Mother God, you will see the most basic format used.

Werde's Day & Other Thoughts.

Sai Werde's day was the 23rd of August, that would be Tuesday last week if you are keeping score. This is a day in the Filianic calendar that is for taking account of our lives and making resolutions for our future. Some have said this is like what most people do around secular New Year's Day. My day was spent feeling awful. I have been having some health problems and they have been making a great deal of things difficult. Least of which has been my writing on here, for which I do apologize.

On Sai Werde's day, I spent much of my time minding the children and quietly panicked over the vision problems I had developed due to a change in medication. As I was panicking and such, I came to the realization that I spend too much time expecting horrible things to happen. It was a sorrowful realization. I then turned my attention towards what I needed to do to prepare the household for the start of the school year (a wee bit over a week away from today). Still, that sadness lingered at the back of my mind.

It is hard to look forward to the future and anticipate good things happening when so much of your energy is invested in waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop and something horrible to happen. According to my therapist, this is a fairy common thing among people who have post-traumatic stress disorder and people who have anxiety disorders. I try to live with this attitude that I'm not afraid all the time. Sometimes, I can pull off that grand deception and fool myself into thinking that I am alright.

Sometimes, I have a day like today. I went out to go grocery shopping and had a panic attack in the store. In either case, that fear that something horrible is lurking still is hammering at the back of my mind. Once, someone described it as paranoia. I don't know what the right word for it is. I do know, however, that I tend to have contingency plans for when something awful happens and my contingency plans have contingency plans. I don't have them all written down, but they're always at the back of my mind. I'm trying to wean myself off of having to have a plan for every last little thing I do.

It is really hard to do that. I feel like I am standing at the edge of a great, yawning abyss. I am afraid that the ground is crumbling beneath my feet, but I can't tell if it truly is or not. I feel disoriented and dizzy in the face of the chasm. I don't know if the weight on me are my wings that will allow me to fly or chains that will only make my plummet to the ground hit terminal velocity faster and the impact harder. In the face of this, I do my best not to think about this feeling.

Because fear is what slowly kills us. I try to ignore it in the hope that I won't be eaten from the ankles up by it. I don't know if this is my werde or if it is wyrd. I don't know if it something entirely different. All I know is that I'm trying not to die a thousand deaths before my blood runs cold and my heart turns to stone in a clay cold corpse.

Prayer Beads - Catholic and Anglican Style + Filianism.

When someone mentions the Rosary, the first thought most people have is of the Catholic five decade rosaries. While this is an extremely common style of prayer beads, there is alternate sets that are used by people of Christian denominations and people who are influenced by their prayer practices.^[1] A comparatively late addition to the body of work that is prayer tools, the Anglican style Rosary is built upon two prior practices. The use of the Pater Noster beads (a set of thirty three or fifty beads used to recite the Our Father prayer) goes back into antiquity. Indeed, the term for prayers at one point was 'bide your beads' and there is one influential Christian of English origin whose name is known for his prayers (the venerable Bede). The Pater Noster beads were used for the lay people to imitate and integrate the practices of religious orders in their lives.

Largely illiterate, most of the laity of these early eras did not have the ability to recite all one hundred and fifty Psalms (which was the practice of monks and nuns in this time period) on a daily basis. The majority of the laity did not know the Psalms or have time to recite them if they did. Thus, the Pater Noster beads were developed to allow these people to recite the Our Father prayer fifty times and incorporate a similar devotional practice to what the clergy and religious orders did. The Pater Noster beads were also used to recite the Jesus Prayer. (This was a recitation of the invocation of Jesus's mercy upon they who were praying thirty three times - this being the number of years that Christian lore says Jesus lived.)

The Catholic Rosary was developed for similar reasons. This was structured for there to be five to fifteen sets of ten beads divided by spacer beads between each set, with a medallion where the first and last decades meet and a terminal set of beads (usually three) that ends with a cross or crucifix that hang from the medallion. The five decade set of beads is used to pray one of the three sets of five holy mysteries of the Catholic faith at a single session. It can also be used in three repetitions to pray all three sets, which the fifteen decade is designed to cover in a single session. The fifteen decade Catholic Rosary is also recite all one hundred and fifty of the Psalms of the Christian bible.

The Anglican Rosary combines elements of the Pater Noster beads and the Catholic Rosary. The Anglican Rosary has thirty three beads divided up into four groups of seven with four cruciform beads, an introductory prayer bead, and a cross for the terminal charm. The physical structure of the Anglican Rosary is obviously influenced by the Catholic Rosary. The litany of prayers used for the Anglican Rosary is varied. The Anglican Rosary can be used as the Pater Noster beads have in the past or one can devise their own prayers for meditation with them. The prayer tradition for the Anglican Rosary is clearly a modern one that is evolving as time passes, whilst rooted in the practices of antiquity.

For a Filianist, the prayer practices of the Catholic and the Anglican believers are quite similar in structure. This is because as the prayer practices of the Filianic community were becoming established, they were heavily influenced by the Christian environment they were steeped in. In many cases the Filianic rosary is identical to a Catholic Christian one because it is a Catholic rosary that has a Filianic oriented terminal (such as a star or a rose). Adapting the prayers of the Christian prayers is something that is underway in several Filianic groups. Others are at work on developing prayers unique for the Filianic worshiper. Regardless of the set of beads used, the structure of the prayers are all focused towards bringing the worshiper into a contemplative state that encourages meditation and connection with the Divine.

I, personally, have used the Filianic equivalents to the Catholic rosary prayers in my use of the Rosary beads I have. I mainly use them with my five decade set of beads. I have also used them with my fifteen decade set of beads. Praying the fifteen decade rosary is a commitment of time, however, for it takes me about forty five minutes to an hour of uninterrupted time. With small children in my house, I generally don't have that kind of time free most of the time, thus I reserve this devotion for when it is a special occasion or significant need. Since receiving a set of beads that are patterned after the Anglican style Rosary, I have found that my time for prayer is more streamlined by virtue of the fact that I am completing the circuit of the beads with less volume of prayers recited.

When I am praying with these beads, I have used the combination of the Our Mother prayer, the Daughter prayer, and the Gloria. On the invitatiory bead, I recite my statement of faith. This is usually the Filianic creed or an abridged version of this. I also recite the Gloria and the Our Mother prayer at this time. As I progress through the week beads, I recite the Daughter prayer. When I reach the first cruciform bead, I recite the Gloria and the Our Mother. I progress through the set in this fashion where I alternate between the week beads and the cruciform bead prayers. When I reach the fourth cruciform bead, I recite the Gloria, the Our Mother, and the Hail Holy Queen prayer.

I am presently at work on developing a set of prayers for the Anglican inspired prayer bead set. One of these sets of prayers is focused upon the Janyati/Angels. While some would object to making this a focus, it really is only a logical extension. A prayer for each of the Janyati said for each of the week beads is perhaps something that requires a bit more attention than reciting the same prayer for each bead. This, however, is not a bad thing. For the Scriptures teach that the Janyati are also faces of Dea in their own special fashion. It is my belief that they are then also worthy of devotion as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
1. I am writing from a predominantly Western perspective. I recognize that there are prayer beads from around the world. I've written a little bit about them, even. Still, I am coming at this from the angle of someone who is within an over-culture that is primarily nominally Christian and has a broad history that is heavily influenced by Christianity.

Heart-wise and Head-strong.

In the Filianic and Déanic community, Sai Sucri¹ is the Angel² associated with love. She is often represented with images like those of Venus or Aphrodite, as these are considered to be manifestations of her presence within our world in antiquity. Sai Sucri presided over the last liturgical year. (This year is under the auspices of Sai Rhavë, the Angel of discipline and austerity.) Sai Sucri is the guardian of the Path of Love, a mystical road that the soul might travel to the presence of Dea.

A person who lives under the auspices of Sai Sucri is driven by their heart in many ways. They are given to feel things deeply and have a mystic sense of emotional connection with others. They are empathic in their primary psychic gifts. Those who are under the care of Sai Sucri may find their challenges in life revolve around cultivating a greater sense of love and compassion for the world at large in imitation of this Angel.

Deep emotional qualities do not render the person who is guided by Sai Sucri incapable of rational thought. Their rational thought is not divorced from their emotions but rather informed by them. The heart-wise is someone who can navigate their emotional storms without being consumed by them. They may find themselves cast upon the shoals of indifference but they will always return to the depths of love when given the opportunity.

They are like the mermaids of myth and legend. Beings who can exist with in the depths of emotion and on the surface of 'normalcy' with equal ease. They are, however, at their strongest and greatest ease within emotional thinking. They have an intuitive understanding of how the emotions of people interact and combine to create the emotions of the group at large. These people also have a gift for influencing the hearts of others and their passion for life (and their chosen causes) is infectious.

Now, the question arises, what of people who don't fall under the direct auspices of Sai Sucri? How do we cultivate these strengths within ourselves. The first thing we can do is ask Sai Sucri to take a hand in our lives and to soften our hearts so that we might be more receptive to the emotional tides in our lives, more aware of our feelings. In paying attention to our emotional response to the world and what we encounter and taking the time to honor that response, we become heart-wise. We learn what provokes our emotions. We learn what evokes positive, warm, and loving feelings. And we become aware of what gives rise to negative, cold, and caustic feelings. Also, we learn to recognize the things that lead us to feeling vulnerable, hurt, and afraid.

As we become aware of what inspires these feelings and the feelings themselves, we can also become aware of how our thinking is influenced by these emotions. We can disentangle our response to the emotional stimuli to give one that is in greater accord with our values rather then what ever kneejerk response comes with the emotion. This is especially valuable when dealing with unpleasant or painful emotions. It takes a special measure of mental fortitude to pause after an emotional button has been pushed and consider one's response to a situation. This is a crucial skill to acquire as one walks the Path of Love because it allows them to remain loving in their responses despite what ever anger or pain they might be feeling at the time.

Our goal in striving to act in accordance with what Sai Sucri teaches is to become wise in the ways of our hearts and strong enough in our minds to think before we respond in a situation. Thus, heart-wise and head-strong.

May Dea bless you and keep you in the palm of her hand.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
1. Another variant of her name is Sai Sushuri.

2. I use the term Angel in place of Janyati because it is more familiar to most of my readers. Please refer to this excellent article by Miss De Rosa for additional details.

Note: Sai Sucri shares many characteristics with Freyja. I'll try to talk a bit more about that next Sunday.