The Relic Hound

The Relic Hound

Totemic jewelry and tools, fossils, teeth, bones, antiques and antiquities, and other objects from the natural world. For the Pagan, animist, or naturalist at heart.

I guess you can consider me officially open for business. This little shop of mine has been running for a little over a week, and I’ve already made twelve sales. I’m becoming more confident in my artwork, and putting some of my knowledge of old and dead things to a good use.

Portion of proceeds from the sale of all artwork containing animal parts goes to nonprofits dedicated to animal rescue and wildlife conservation. You can find a list of places I’ve donated to on the main page.

I am also working towards paying off some debt, and building a savings for the eventual move to Germany to live with my fiancee and make our marriage legal. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Falling Apart, Coming Back Together

Last weekend I had a very nice conversation with Lyssa, Bryce, and my fiancee about the shamanic path and the issue of trauma. Mainly this would refer to the propensity I’ve seen of some shamanists to be very loud and open about their traumatic pasts and experiences–as if that very thing is an automatic badge for being a shaman or taking on the shamanic path. Bryce hit the nail right on the head when he mentioned that, in order to function, one needs to be able to put oneself back together again. Or, be allowed to be put together again. This sort of thing has been evidenced time and time again across numerous traditions and mythologies.

Being put back together indicates being able to be a contributing member of society. If you cannot interact with people in your own society, how do you expect to interact socially with the peoples and beings of other realms? Also–if you cannot fix yourself or are broken and are unable or unwilling to fix yourself or be fixed, how do you expect to help or heal others on your shamanic path? This only reinforces my view that not everyone who takes on the shamanic path really should, or is able or capable of doing so. Not everyone who has suffered severe trauma in their lives are able to handle this sort of thing. They may even have the energy or power, but no knowledge on how to control or use it. Think a gun in the hands of a toddler. Now granted, some of them may grow up (aka, pull their heads out of their asses) to be skilled sharpshooters, but more often than not all they’ll end up doing is blowing someone else’s head off, or their own.

To some degree this can be blamed on the culture and society we live in–that we don’t have the elders or the people around to address the psychological as well as the spiritual needs of these people, to teach them how to handle the power they’ve been given. To follow a shamanic path is to be in the realm of the psychological as well as the spiritual. But, to another degree this can also largely be blamed on the ignorance of people who are unable or unwilling to take that much-needed step after experiencing the proverbial bitchslap. They do not wish to go beyond the finely-woven comfort zones they have built for themselves. It would be much easier to sit on your online journal and collect *hugs* and sympathy, for example.

Now, before people blast me for being an insensitive prick (which, I do admit, I’ve been guilty of before), allow me to say this. When I mention ‘being fixed’, that does not mean that there are no scars, no seams, no pain of the past lingering. I myself get fairly pissed off when people tell me I just need to “get over it”. Some things you never get over. Some things just stay with you, even fuck you up on occasion. And that’s okay. But what do you do with that pain? That’s the big question. When the shaman is dismembered by the spirits, he or she is usually given extra parts or modified parts in the process of being pieced back together. What are the special gifts you’ve been given as a result of these experiences? How do you adapt to the hand that was dealt you? What was given to you to help you compensate or cope? How about helping others?

I know I posted this before, but Jarandhel’s post Spiritually On-Call is another good rant to look at relating to this topic. I actually have much more to say in relation to this, but it may have to wait for further posts, as I need to run off soon and deal with a work-related crisis. Oof.

Post-Saint Patrick’s Day Thoughts.

Unless you’re completely stupid, you’ve probably figured out by now that I’m not Christian. But yet, I have no trouble celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. I don’t celebrate it for the same reason Catholics do–in fact, even before I walked away from the church, the primary gripe in the church was that St. Patty’s day had lost it’s original purpose, instead devolving into a day of decadence and partying.

Then again, even as a kid, I always thought Saint Patrick was a pooper. I mean c’mon. What’s there not to love about serpents? Later on, when I figured out that the serpent-thing was a metaphor, it didn’t really change my opinion of him much.

But really, why all the Pagan outrage?

For one thing, it’s a fact of life that religions subjugate each other all the time. The conquering religion forms a festival around it. Ancient Pagan festivals were rife with that sort of thing. You could argue that St. Patrick’s Day shouldn’t be celebrated because it recognizes the subjugation of one religion over another, but really. Nowadays people who celebrate that holiday aren’t even Christian, let alone Irish. All they care about is luck, shamrocks, green food dye, Irish heritage and Boondock Saints. And really, what’s not to love about that?

On the other hand, I don’t go around yelling at Muslims for celebrating Ramadan, for instance. So, let the Catholics have their holidays. As long as they don’t go out of the way to put a stinker on my festivals, then I’m not too concerned. Of course, one could say they would like to try–but I’m typing from a America-centric perspective here. America is ass-backwards when it comes to quite a lot of things, but in the end, we are relatively free to do as we please. The Religious Right doesn’t just go around trying to ruin a pagan’s good time.

Just the other day, I had someone add me on Twitter who listed “spiritual tolerance” as an interest, and yet updated for the day that she was “Busy pissing the non-pagans off”. How this classified “spiritual tolerance” was beyond me. And yet this is a prime example of quite possibly why we aren’t taken as seriously, and why we need to work on mutual tolerance and respect. My fiancee, who is European, frequently reminds me on how shocked he is that people in this country are allowed to be so openly rude to each other on the basis of religious affiliation. No, I’m not just talking about the Christians here. Everyone.

Now granted, there are religious groups I, quite simply, do not agree with. But for the most part I ignore them, choosing the “live-and-let-live” principle. Unless of course someone openly comes out to harass me or compel me to convert (Jehova’s Witnesses at my door, for example). I don’t busy myself with pissing anyone off simply because I do not agree with their way of thinking. To be honest, I have better ways to spend my time.

This is precisely why I don’t choose to get upset about St. Patrick’s Day. I simply choose to reclaim it for myself–a celebration of my Irish ancestry, good beer, good movies and friendship. I do not agree with the Catholic spin on it, so I simply choose to ignore it, and reroute it for my own uses. When the Catholics celebrate St. Patrick’s Day they aren’t beating us out with sticks or preaching at us–they’re probably at church, waiting for the priest to finish the homily so they can spill out into the bars (well, if they’re Irish at least). Pretty harmless, in my book.

I’m also not saying we shouldn’t forget the past, or what happened. But what you make of it is a choice. People can choose to be offended by it, or people can redirect it and turn it into a celebration. Paganism isn’t one religion but a conglomeration of many religions. If everyone stopped to focus and be offended by every religion that suffered a blow in the past by every other religion, we’d just spend the whole time sitting around being pissed off at each other. Remember the past, but learn from it. Don’t repeat it. Talk to a Catholic friend, get their perspective. Donate your time to a Celtic Reconstructionist group. Know what it is, and why you’re getting passionate about a thing.

Personally, my day was spent running around like a chicken with my head lopped off at work, followed by a fun evening with my fiancee watching the Boondock Saints and listening to the Dropkick Murphys. Good stuff.

‘Safe’ Shamanism

Something I’ve been kicking around in my head lately, and was recently reminded of. Kind of rambling, disjointed and off-the-cuff, so bear with me here.

In my experience, the shamanic spiritual worldscapes are much similar to our tangible, physical one. They aren’t safe. You don’t always have control over things. This is a fact of life. No matter how one would like to think otherwise. No matter what world you’re in, there is always someone or something out there bigger, wiser and nastier than you. There are also always going to be places you don’t know how to navigate. Take an average inner city guy out of his apartment and stick him in a yurt in the middle of Mongolia. Chances are, it would at the very least take him some time to figure out his asshole from his shoe-sole.

People approach shamanism and these worlds with their own preconceived notions, their own insecurities, assumptions, attitudes and beliefs. These affect not only how they see the worlds they traverse, but if they access them at all, let alone the entities and beings they interact with. If you lack social skills in the “real world”, chances are, your interactions in other worlds may not go as swimmingly either. There is also certain cultural bounds to consider in this, too. Mileage may vary to a degree–but granted, if you have poor social skills in one country, chances are your behaviors will offend someone else in another country, too.

Just like any other aspect in life, learning is about taking risks. Some people take more risks than others. Some people were subjected to more risks and dangers outside of their control. Some are more sheltered than others. In the end however, dealing with more than the physical world you interact in has its risks, burdens and responsibilities–and isn’t for everybody. But this is my personal opinion on the matter. Not everyone can, or should take, the shamanistic path. But that’s me.

The animistic world of shamanism, and the tangible world of matter should be handled in balance. The verified and the unverified. The subjective and the objective. Too much leaning on any one side, you lose the big picture. You either sit in your own fantasy-world, or you cut yourself off from the bigger picture.

Shamanistic practice, in my experience, is all about balance. And it’s easy to fall flat on your face if you don’t know what you’re doing. I’m by far no expert, merely one that’s taken a few falls in the past myself.

Website Pimpage: Dreamhart

Dreamhart

A comprehensive website featuring a collection of essays and notes on everything from reiki and magic to otherkin. Run by Jarin, a close and dear friend of mine, who has years of practice and research under his belt. His stuff is good, so check it out.

Thanksgiving Update

I’m backlogged on the things I really want to write about in here.  Part of this is being highly engaged with things going on in my life right now (not a bad thing), but also needing to become more disciplined in handling time and other such things.  Procrastination happens to be one of my weak points.

It’s Thanksgiving here in the U.S.  Today I get to reflect on all the things I’m thankful for–which are a great many things, really.  I do consider myself a very wealthy person, even if I do have the occasional moth or two fluttering out of my wallet.  Given the way the economy has been, I’m surprised–more like thankful, that it isn’t a swarm. See, when I look around me, and see oh, not the material things, but the emotional, how can I say I’m not? Yes, I’ve got a great many struggles to overcome, but the fact that I seem to be moving forward instead of backward should speak for something, right? I think it does. The material wealth pales in comparison to one’s emotional wealth.

Technoccult posted a good article on the nature of forgiveness which is a good thing to reflect on today. Well, at least for me it is. I won’t deny that I have a habit of holding grudges, and some of the latest work I’ve been doing involves cutting myself free of those grudges, or transmuting them into something else. This is an ongoing process of course, and I will say with no shame that there are some people in my life I will not be able to forgive, that I even have feelings of bitterness or hatred towards. These are normal human emotions that, instead of being confined or denied, should be acknowledged for what they are, and worked through without condescension or shame. Because sometimes “just getting over it” isn’t enough.

In that, I am thankful for the person I am today. Looking back in time at the angry ball of rage I used to be, I’m surprised everyone around me hasn’t flown the coop already. Man did I have some issues. Well, I still do. But I guess it depends on what and how I choose to transmute those issues into. If life gives you lemons, you can either make lemonade or squirt it into your enemy’s eye, but whatever you do, never content yourself with just sucking on bitter juice.

On that note, I’m going to gorge myself on food. For all those reading who live in the States and/or celebrate Thanksgiving, hope your day is a plentiful and peaceful one.

Virtual Immortality

Traditional religion’s ethereal immortality doesn’t strike Martine Rothblatt as much of a trade-off for dying.

To the millionaire entrepreneur, who launched both Sirius Satellite Radio and one of Maryland’s largest biotech companies, death is both tragic and, through not-yet-invented technology, avoidable.

Whole story here, via the Baltimore Sun.

This person is also a Maryland native and transperson, and the creator of Sirius Satellite Radio.  Interesting stuff.  Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see where she goes with her stuff.

Faith, Freedom and Rights

From The Wild Hunt: What About Our Faiths?

A very important question, one commonly missed in the melee that’s grown in the wake of the Prop 8 passing.

I plan on becoming more involved with the Human Rights Campaign. Its a great group to get involved with, and I’m going to sign up for volunteer opportunities and such. Since I live close to the DC area, this would work out quite well.

While I’m here, setting up a separate blogroll/links list of activist groups and organizations I support would also be helpful, too.

Everyone should watch this

I am deeply moved by his speech.  I guess some people might wonder why I’d post this here.  As a transperson, and a person in a binational gay relationship, I guess the proper question would be, why not.

Interesting Quote…

Mostly for my own notes, but I figured whoever reads this might be interested, too. This originally came from a publication that my partner was studying for one of his classes. He posted the quote into his private LiveJournal, and I’m reposting here to share.

“In Neoplatonism, the bond of love forms a correspondence among all things, a “common relationship“ that allows the equation of love with magic. As Ioan Couliano states, the relation between love and magic depended on the analogous relation between microcosm and macrocosm, the “structure of cooperation” between “the world’s parts.” Marsilio Ficino writes in his Commentary on Plato’s Symposium on Love that “from this common relationship is born a common love; from love, a common attraction. And this is the true magic.” Extending Couliano’s discussion of the relation between love and magic in Italian Neoplatonism to include its implicit political dimension makes it possible to envison the manipulation of the cosmic hierarchy from the middle of the social ladder. In other words, the Neoplatonism of both Castiglione and Ficino suggests that the courtier may control the prince through “love,” the representation of their interconnection that he hopes to turn to his advantage.
[…]
Representations of Elizabeth’s sovereign Chastity contained the magical assertion (with its distinctly religious overtones) that the queen occupied an intermediary position between God and her subjects as well as between nature and mortals, as the means to assert her divine power. And on occasion, she was not simply an intermediary, but pictured as God himself.”

(Susan Frye: Elizabeth I. The Competition for Representation. New York, Oxford 1993, p. 110f.)