Hades is not hell !

Merry Meet and welcome to another Pagan Blog Project we are on week 16 of the project, and I can hardly believe it.  Im still having fun, and learning with these through others blogs as well as my own, and Im pretty sure that, that is what Rowan intentions were.  Love and light to you Priestess Rowan, thank you so much for the learning experience. 


This week Im going to do one that I think is tricky, for me anyway it was.  First you have to know that I do come from a background of mostly Baptist Christian upbringing, my sister was the witch, my mom was also but I was not aware of it until later in life, but she insisted that we go to church every Sunday.  Im grateful now that she did, it gave me the experience, and knowledge to know God, and yes ladies and gentlemen Jesus too.  <3  Not this blog though lol  This one is on Hades, underworld, hell, and what I believe to be my truth. (mine may not be the same as some other pagan's) but through study and research it's the one that I feel comfortable with. 


So here goes,, First I have to say as most of us will Wiccan, witch, pagan, yada yada, what ever you want to call yourself.  I like Wiccan Witch myself,  I, we do not believe nor worship the devil.  So that's out.  Hell as in "you will go to hell"  If you do what ever evil deed it that you do,  I do not believe that either,  example from Christian background Ecclesiastes 9:5 says that the dead know nothing, or Mathew 13:42 where there is burning and gnashing of teeth. Confusing right there because if the dead know nothing...  Well ?  and,  if the decision is based on the 10 commandments,  emm,,, I dont think that to many people are going to make it to heaven. Really lol <3 Okay that's for the hell part, is there an underworld?  Yes I believe that there is however it's not the burning an gnashing of teeth.  I believe it's just another of many parallel universe's.    


Hades was just a God like any other Zeus's  brother.  He had other siblings, a job, and a home, his home was the underworld "to be hidden" in Greek mythology, he was not the devil, but choosen God of that domain.  He is not the angel of Death either.  He is called the enemy of all life, God's and men,I think he has some real mommy issues and big brother jealousy goin on.  Im taking it he does not play well with others he is pouty, greedy, and spoiled.  He  had to trick his wife, but I think she eventually fell in love. Btw, she's his niece.   He was given the underworld when Poseidon was given the ocean, and Zeus the sky's.  Taking an oath with or by Hades is believed to be a bond of life or death.  So I dont imagine him or "there/underworld" to be a pleasant place, nor a place of rest, but I do think, or feel that it would be a place to think of decisions that you made and maybe consequences. Some stories have it that the underworld is also a nice place lush with life, and that no snow falls there,  maybe that's where ice water in hell came from.   In mythology it's confusing also.  Persephone always returns to Hades as her oath?  Or from love we dont know, we do know that the Greeks/Romans believe that to be the reason for the seasons changing.  Balancing out the seasons, as her mother was Demeter, the goddess of harvest.  Talk about dysfunctional families,, Geez.


So where does this fit with Hell & Wiccan or Hades or where do we go blah blah blah.  First the only hell there is, is the one that some create, my opinion only.  There is no devil, there are demons, and possibly from them come the evil that people do, that I dont know for sure but evil is certainly a factor.  What I believe is that this life is a trail, that when we pass we go to Summerlands,  where we are refreshed  and if our lessons in life have not been learned we do life again change our cloths so to speak. 

Some may think life a trail and when you die you go to the waiting room like in Beetlejuice, find out what you did wrong, change your cloths and do it again,, only until you get it right do you go to the Summerlands.  I do know pagans well enough to know that I would never argue any point of view, in fact welcome it.  I also know that our lessons are to be of love, if you have loved enough, forgiven quickly, ect.  Im pretty sure my lessons are still to be learned, so I'll be back.  Why we say Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again,, till again friends thanks, and hope you enjoyed <3

Hawthorne & Beltane

 Hawthorn tree in our back yard

Merry meet, and welcome to another of my blogs for the Pagan Blog Project.  I am so excited about this one and am actually writing it underneath my Hawthorne tree.  *Kandy giggles*  and I have a fire burning near by.  :)

My Wand

My blog today will be on the Hawthorn tree, and it works for me because it's so close to Beltane.  When I did my research on magical trees for my wand crafting I found that Hawthorn had the proprieties I wanted in a wand.  It's strong with the Fae, very protective, is good for any kind of magic that draws things towards you, and is a fire tree,or rather an elemental fire, and that it does burn extremely hot, but I also found that the berries are good for anyone with high blood pressure, or weak hearts.  You can make tea with them,, which I now do. It's really good for energy to give you a little boost.   I thought they where just good tasting (a little sour) they sure quench your thirst on a hot day.  The berries dont ripen until August or so, but this month, for sure by May we will have blossoms! 

 Hawthorn flowers

Traditionally during Beltane the May pole will have Hawthorn flowers placed on top, and fair maidens will braid the flowers in there hair,  Representing purity, growth, and renewal.  The flowers first blooms are a symbol of the days being longer, and
ready for fertilization, berries will follow.  With the colors of the may pole being wound around the representing the cycle of life or spiral, renewal, and birth the pole it's self being a phallic symbol of the God and his readiness, and colors and the flowers on top of the pole being a symbol of the Goddess's purity and readiness for birth. Fire is an extremely passionate element, Hawthorn burns the hottest.  

Little fire I had going on :)

Beltane being a fire festival it is no wonder they would want the hottest burning wood.  With this holiday being so sexual in nature  it is probably one of the worst for us witch's in that the reputation being us "dancing naked"  and fornicating, giving us a bad rep.  sort of a shame really because if they took they took the time to study the Sabbat they maybe would understand that being naked & dancing for some of us is just an excellent way to raise energy.  *blushing yes I am speaking from experience on this one, and as for the fornicating, that is for the God & Goddess.  Mine is behind closed doors and in private. lol <3

Great Gaia

Merry Meet, and welcome again!  Today I think is week 11 of the Pagan Blog Project Im loosing count.  We are on G again, and I decided right away what I was going to do this blog on.   For Gaia is with out a doubt my Savior, my Mother, my friend.  I love her in all seasons, and honestly did not feel as passionate about some "cause's" as I do about her's until I really started my path of Pagan, Wiccan, & lightworker.  I am very sure that many of us will be doing the same blog, being Pagans they will all be different and wonderful in there own ways,, I love that about Pagan's for sure. So with out further adio about Gaia....


There are so many myths & legends of her, but with out a doubt my favorite is that of the Greek.  Where out of Chaos she was formed.. I love that.  Her children, (according to Greeks) where some large monsters,  (Cyclops's)  that Uranus  ate for fear of them besting him.  Gaia was always saddened by this.  I personally think that Gaia is a sad Mother, that only desires our love, but that's just me.  Okay the stories are confusing there because Im not sure with mythology being what it is, but you get the general idea, so by herself she created Uranus, Pontus,  and Ourea. confusing it is wether Chaos father, or Uranus father, from her became the Titans, who are also my favorite stories, and her children, not bedtime stories for sure.  


There is so much to  learn about her, and everyday I am grateful to her. The Native American Indians are (in my opinion) the only one's that even come close to giving her the respect she deserves for there belief is that she is everything for with out nothing would be. Truth there.  One of the major commandments for there people is to treat Earth and all that dwell upon her with respect.  To never take more then you need. & To give back. Sounds familer to me.  With everything in life we have Gaia to thank for it, and I think that many take that for granted. 


 Here comes the passion, we must start, if it's not to late already to take care of her.  She has taken care of us in more ways then we even can know & to me it's no wonder that "natural disasters" occur, it might well be her way of making us stop and pay attention.  There are so many simple ways that we can help her. Recycle, is a good start, I burn my garbage, and recycle what cant be burned, Admittedly this is something that I just started to do, also plant.  Take advantage of the Aurbur Foundation, a lot of times they have trees that they will give away.  This is one that I have been doing for a few years. 

Gaia supports us, literally.  She is beautiful with her fine cloths each season, and the many blessings she gives us, I believe that as witch's it should be our duty to love her, for truly she is the Mother of all.  When I say Goddess, or try to imagine what a Goddess would look like I think of Earth, and from it I can feel, just the abundance of her love, for that I feel so blessed and am so grateful!! Blessed Be )0(



,  Heloook868f the Land



The old people came literally to love the soil, and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth.
Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew in the air came to rest upon the earth, and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew.
The soul was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing. This is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life-giving forces. For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly.
He can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him. 
- Chief Luther Standing Bear -
Teton Sioux, Born 1



Love of the Land
The old people came literally to love the soil, and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth.
Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew in the air came to rest upon the earth, and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew.
The soul was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing. This is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life-giving forces. For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly.
He can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him. 
- Chief Luther Standing Bear -
Teton Sioux, Born 1868