Who would have thought a scientist would ramble about Pagan Parenting?
I've been thinking a lot about faith lately. It's funny, right, to think of a scientist thinking about faith. Especially my faith. See, my mom raised me in her path - she'd fall under the neo-pagan mindset but I know she has a lot of traditional Celtic beliefs as well. I grew up celebrating the eight sabbats; I was dedicated to the goddess when I started menstruating; and even though I don't study as deeply as my mother does, I still follow what I was taught. It's amazing how well the pagan beliefs fall in line with astronomy. And I'm not talking about astrology and astronomy lining up, but instead how the ancients appeared to have studied the stars and the seasons. A lot of the old myths line up really well with how the Earth aligns itself within star patterns. With Imbolc approaching, it feels like the right time to dust off the old books and cuddle up to read myths that are part of how I grew up but haven't factored as much into my life as an adult as they should have.
Anyway, I find myself thinking more and more about the goddess now that I'm pregnant myself. When I was a young girl, like most young girls, I found myself drawn to Brigid and Ceridwen - they're the most commonly found Goddesses in the lexicon. My mother's matron is The Morrigan, which makes sense. She is the protector and the soldier; the unforgiving warrior when need be. If more people grew up with the Morrigan as a part of their lives, they'd take violence and wishing people harm a lot more seriously.
But now that I'm pregnant, I find myself drawn to the myths of Anu (Danu). She is the mother goddess, who is quite interestingly connected to the Morrigan and other goddesses of war.
If I took anything away from growing up in a pagan household, it's that when you're drawn to something you need to pay attention to what the world is telling you. Sometimes, it's telling you to get your head on straight and stop the behavior and sometimes it's telling you that you are lacking something. For me, I'm lacking in mythology. I'm lacking in connection. I've spent so much time staring at the stars that I'm not focused on what's happening with my own body.
As a young pagan woman, when I was freshly dedicated, my mother sat me down and told me that while there was nothing more sacred than life, there was also no more sacred responsibility for a woman to be able to make her own choices for her mind, her body, and her child. There wasn't any choice in my mind that I was going to keep this baby, but I do think to be the best mother I can be I need to make sure I carry on a tradition of connecting the Earth to the soul to the stars.
Back to reading. I don't know if this made sense to anyone but me, but I kind of needed to get it out.
And by the way - all the pagan parenting sites I can find are crap. At least in terms of layout. *sighs*
Anyway, I find myself thinking more and more about the goddess now that I'm pregnant myself. When I was a young girl, like most young girls, I found myself drawn to Brigid and Ceridwen - they're the most commonly found Goddesses in the lexicon. My mother's matron is The Morrigan, which makes sense. She is the protector and the soldier; the unforgiving warrior when need be. If more people grew up with the Morrigan as a part of their lives, they'd take violence and wishing people harm a lot more seriously.
But now that I'm pregnant, I find myself drawn to the myths of Anu (Danu). She is the mother goddess, who is quite interestingly connected to the Morrigan and other goddesses of war.
If I took anything away from growing up in a pagan household, it's that when you're drawn to something you need to pay attention to what the world is telling you. Sometimes, it's telling you to get your head on straight and stop the behavior and sometimes it's telling you that you are lacking something. For me, I'm lacking in mythology. I'm lacking in connection. I've spent so much time staring at the stars that I'm not focused on what's happening with my own body.
As a young pagan woman, when I was freshly dedicated, my mother sat me down and told me that while there was nothing more sacred than life, there was also no more sacred responsibility for a woman to be able to make her own choices for her mind, her body, and her child. There wasn't any choice in my mind that I was going to keep this baby, but I do think to be the best mother I can be I need to make sure I carry on a tradition of connecting the Earth to the soul to the stars.
Back to reading. I don't know if this made sense to anyone but me, but I kind of needed to get it out.
And by the way - all the pagan parenting sites I can find are crap. At least in terms of layout. *sighs*