I've been on a journey of voracious reading in the last month. I've bought several books on Anglo-Saxon spirituality, shamanism, and traditions, all in the search for the meaning of "wyrd". This journey began a few months ago, when I had an internal question about appropriation of a faith tradition of an indigenous people. Then it led me to try to discover my own ancestry. Then I had to spend some time coming to terms with White Privilege and racism in general, and how the desire to find out more about 'whiteness' can become a thin line between racial pride and racial prejudice. This is not something I ever intended, but I feel I have grown in my perspectives.
So, I'm a white woman, with German and English roots, who is looking up Anglo-Saxon heritage, Anglo-Saxon religion, and the word "wyrd". I adopted the name "The Wyrd Woman" because I feel that is who I am: a woman who explores the meaning of "wyrd" and strives to live a life of purposeful actions. I lived a long life in a reactionary state to my surroundings, and I intend to live the remaining portion making purposeful choices and directing my own journey.
I am exploring the possibility of starting a group for "wyrd" people in my community, but I feel I need to be able to confidently articulate what "wyrd" means, and why people would be willing to meet together under that name. We are all living in an awakening society, with the awareness of racism and how it affects us all. White people are slowly realizing the world they live in was contoured to their needs and their desires, and that others have been forced to live on the fringes, coping and surviving the best ways they can. I am not trying to start a "white" support group. This isn't about that, and I am looking for ways to avoid the automatic assumption that being "wyrd" means being "white". I happen to be white, but I don't want to be defined by it. I want to be defined as "wyrd". I want to dive into the spiritual connections of my ancient ancestors of Northern Europe, England and Scotland. I want to stop borrowing from indigenous American cultures, Asian cultures and Hispanic cultures and learn more about my own ancestry and roots. I want to know what my ancestors practiced, and what their rituals were.
In Anglo-Saxon culture, "wyrd" is roughly akin to destiny or fate. Their concept of "wyrd" is that there is no resisting it. I feel this is true in certain aspects, like the family you are born into, the place you are raised in during your childhood, your siblings and extended family are all part of fate, they are predetermined and not changeable. Other things seem like destiny, like meeting certain people and not being able to shake the feeling that you have known them from some time before. I think often of circumstances that led me to meet certain people that could not have happened except for fate. I also believe there are certain things that we can do to shape our destiny, we can change the direction of our lives by education, by involving ourselves in social justice activism, by promoting the things we love. This is what I would like to do with a group: I would like to explore the many paths of enlightenment and education that could help us individually and collectively change our destiny.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
The Wiccan in the Iowa State House
I attended the morning session of the Iowa House on April 9th, when my friend Deb Maynard gave the opening invocation that was supposedly so controversial, a throng of Christian zealots came to witness and oppose it, even before she spoke. They had decided beforehand that she would be praying to demons and spirits, and casting a dark shadow over the lawmakers, so they had come to counteract her invocation with prayers of their own.
Our little Pagan group of supporters sat in the upper gallery to watch our friend on this historic occasion, and we also got to witness firsthand, the actions of the Christians who were present. One woman dressed in a powder-blue pantsuit was standing and praying, murmuring to herself quietly even before the session was called to order. On the other side of the gallery seating, separated by a balcony partition, another man was standing with his hands up midway, praying in a stance that is often seen in Pagan Spiritual circles when we invoke the elements and quarters. We were dressed in very nice, clean, almost clergy-like vestments, and he was wearing a casual shirt, shorts and sandals. Several members of the Christian group had previously inquired if we were there to help pray against the Wiccan, and we had to shake our heads and point them to the folks on the other side. "No, we are here to support Deb Maynard". They seemed to be in shock that our friend would have supporters present at all, and that we would look so clean and presentable that they would actually mistake us for the Christian activists looking to counteract the "evil powers".
Deb gave an amazing and well-thought and well-planned invocation:
Who was offended by that? At least one of the Iowa Representatives postured for the news media and turned his back to Deb as she was giving the invocation. He said later that he thought that's what Jesus would have done.
Right, like Jesus was a self-righteous, uptight jerk who would have pre-judged an earnest prayer for justice, equity and compassion, just because it wasn't specifically and exclusively addressed to "God".
Our little Pagan group of supporters sat in the upper gallery to watch our friend on this historic occasion, and we also got to witness firsthand, the actions of the Christians who were present. One woman dressed in a powder-blue pantsuit was standing and praying, murmuring to herself quietly even before the session was called to order. On the other side of the gallery seating, separated by a balcony partition, another man was standing with his hands up midway, praying in a stance that is often seen in Pagan Spiritual circles when we invoke the elements and quarters. We were dressed in very nice, clean, almost clergy-like vestments, and he was wearing a casual shirt, shorts and sandals. Several members of the Christian group had previously inquired if we were there to help pray against the Wiccan, and we had to shake our heads and point them to the folks on the other side. "No, we are here to support Deb Maynard". They seemed to be in shock that our friend would have supporters present at all, and that we would look so clean and presentable that they would actually mistake us for the Christian activists looking to counteract the "evil powers".
Deb gave an amazing and well-thought and well-planned invocation:
"We call this morning to God,
Goddess, Universe, that which is greater than ourselves to be here
with us today.
By the Earth that is in our bones and
centers us, may all here remember our roots and those whom we are
here to represent.
By the fire that gives us light and
passion, may all here remain passionate about the work that must be
done for the people of Iowa.
By the air that gives us breath and
logic, may all here find thoughtful solutions to the problems that
are presented.
By the water that flows through our
blood and stirs our emotions, may all here draw on that emotional
intelligence which helps us to see the inherent worth and dignity of
every person.
We call this morning to Spirit, which
is ever present, to help us respect the interdependent web of all
existence of which we are a part. Be with this legislative body and
guide them to seek justice, equity and compassion in the work that is
before them today.
Blessed Be, Aho, and Amen."
Who was offended by that? At least one of the Iowa Representatives postured for the news media and turned his back to Deb as she was giving the invocation. He said later that he thought that's what Jesus would have done.
Right, like Jesus was a self-righteous, uptight jerk who would have pre-judged an earnest prayer for justice, equity and compassion, just because it wasn't specifically and exclusively addressed to "God".
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