whats in a story?

 favorite show or movie: The Mummy

what is the meaning to me? It combines a sense of adventure, magic, romance, and stepping into the role that will define our lives. ITs everything I want in life. 

what makes a good story: 

• something that isn't too predictable
• quest or goal that sucks you in
• believable and relatable characters that are multifaceted 
• romance - even if its romantic undertones
• history or lore to the world

Discernment Essay start

First Essay: Understanding Discernment - 6 to 8 pages 1500 to 2000 pages

a. How do you understand discernment?

b. What contemplative practices assist you in your discernment process?

Page 23, Richard Rohr reference, Order-Disorder-Reorder; Holmes finding the meaning in suffering. Contemplative practices to listen to one's intuition. Intuition is the gift of Spirit within you - its your spirit tapping into Spirit. 

c. What experiences or circumstances are hindrances to your discernment processes? How do you address them?

Self doubt, issues with self worth, and anxiety. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to trusting my intuition. Rosemary on page 6 says that discernment is an innate gift in all people. 

d. Discuss two authors that we engaged through readings, videos, or podcasts who influenced your developing understanding --- Rose Mary Dougherty, Discernment: A Path to Spiritual Awakening, and Crisis Contemplation through the use of ancestor work, and the one contemplative article that talked about divination and poetry. 

e. In what ways do you assess whether you have made a good discernment?

"““One important sign of confirmation is a peaceful conviction permeating the entire community, including those who dissented, that the decision is the one that will most allow the community to be faithful to God.” Discerning the Spirit in communities is the heading, on https://practicingourfaith.org/practices/discernment/"

I talked earlier in this essay about how pagan discernment is very individual, where as Christian discernment is communal in its purpose and integration, but I want to delve deeper into that. While pagan discernment happens on a individual and personal level that does not mean that what is learned or developed does not have a impact on the greater community or world at large. 

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When one looks up the definition of "discernment," they generally find phrases like "sound judgment" or "the ability to make a good decision." I first heard the term as a child attending a Baptist church, and at the time, I didn’t give it much thought. More recently, as an adult, I became reacquainted with the word through online diviners and spiritualists who often encourage their audiences to use their discernment to decide whether a reading or channeled message is meant for them. From context, I assumed it meant "to distinguish between" or, in an interreligious meaning, "to sense the truth of something." I have since learned that, religiously, discernment is originally a Christian concept: the practice of retreating inward to understand the direction or influence of the Holy Spirit in one’s life and community. In Paganism, discernment is essentially how we "figure out" messages from various forms of divinity - whether that be gods, ancestors, spirits, or the Universe/Spirit itself. While discernment is used in decision making, it is not in making the decision, but rather everything that comes before. In this essay I will explore my personal understanding of discernment through a dialogue between the Christian lens with my own pagan approach. 

What is Discernment? The Christian vs Pagan Lens

For the sake of this paper, I will be approaching the Christian perspective of discernment in dialogue with my own understanding of it as a pagan. First let me clarify that while I grew up in the Christian church, from about the age of five until I left for good at eighteen, I am not a Christian. Therefore, when I discuss discernment from the Christian perspective, it is from my personal interpretation. I can only speak of its accuracy in regards to how I have come to understand it through class readings and discussions. It is also important to note that Paganism is a umbrella term for a wide variety of beliefs and practices. When I discuss the Pagan approach it is limited to my own personal experiences and the experiences of fellow pagans that I have connected with over the last decade. 

Christian discernment is an internal process, how pagans use it runs parallel and perpendicular. My own current working definition of discernment is "the ability to sense, understand or interpret, and integrate messages from divinity through contemplative awareness." The Christian variation is similar: "the ability to sense the presence of God/ the Holy spirit, understanding God's will, or the direction the Spirit is pushing, then integrating that will/direction into one's life through contemplative awareness." These two definitions are similar in that both require contemplative awareness (where  a person is spiritually open and present to be able to sense the presence of the divine) and both involve the integrating of whatever insight is given from that awareness. To a Christian it would be a hint of God's will; to a Pagan it would be a message from some form of divinity - be that an ancestor, nature spirit, god or deity, or from the element of Spirit/"The Universe" directly. 

But how do they truly differ? For Christians, discernment is a communal practice, where as for pagans it is mostly an individual experience. *practice website* Within Pagan practices, while it is important to talk with others about the messages we are receiving, discernment is primarily a personal journey of sensing the truth of divine reality. For both religions, however, the end goal is roughly the same: to honor or hear the wishes of the divine. The process itself is also different, even if the end goal is the same. Christian discernment is an internal process of feeling the presence of Spirit/God within them, possibly acknowledging external signs that align, and then reflecting on that feeling until they are able to understand a hint or direction of what God wills for them. Once they pick up on the hint, they can explore it more through prayer, contemplative reflection, and discussion amongst their community. Its a inner-to-outer experience, while for many pagans discernment is an outer-to-inner experience. 

A pagan may have  a nagging feeling from their intuition that they need to pay attention; for some this grows stronger over time until it becomes clear what message is being pushed through and for others its simply a call to contemplative awareness. During this time of awareness they may begin to notice signs from the divine to clarify what the message is. This runs fairly parallel to the Christian experience; however sometimes it operates in reverse for pagans. There are times in which a pagan may experience an external sign from the divine, which then triggers the internal intuitive process. In either case, once the intuitive sense that there is a message or direction is acknowledged, the next step is to interpret its meaning. To do so, a pagan may consult divination, either using tools themselves or through the services of another, to gain insight into what their intuition is telling them. Others may rely strictly on themselves and their own intuition, choosing to meditate and delve within themselves or journey into the otherworld through ecstatic journeying in order to talk with divinity directly. 

This is where the two practices come back together in alignment: once the mystic has an understanding or interpretation of their message, they then must integrate that message in their lives. But, before doing so, they need to rely on those around them in order to double-check and test that they have understood the message correctly, or to verify that they received one at all. Essentially they need to ask: "is the call coming from inside the house?" Christians inherently have ready access to community all around them through the options of churches, bible studies, prayer groups, and the larger network other Christians in their local community. Pagans on the other hand may struggle to find a group locally, even more so to find one that follows a similar practice. Many pagans turn to online communities found on organization websites and discussion forums or through social media such as reddit, tumblr, or facebook. Others simply turn to a close circle of friends, family, a therapist, or even trusted coworkers to find council. 

Once a person is ready to integrate a message or divine inclination, turning to community acts as a sort of safety net before they make any rash decisions. The final step, after consulting community, is to integrate the message from Spirit and make the decision. For Pagans, this step can be a bit more complicated as we acknowledge that our gods are not all knowing and are capable o making mistakes. This knowledge brings an added pressure. We may not need as much help from our community in understanding the message or direction that divinity is sending us, but we may need more assistance in whether it is best to embrace or resist the guidance we are receiving. *pagan article*. We often need  help discerning whether it is actually in our best interest to follow it or if we are resisting due to internal conflict as opposed to genuine intuition. That’s why the communal aspect of discernment can be just as important for Pagans. Even if the divine guidance we receive is personal rather than communal, support from trusted others can help us reflect more honestly on whether we’re truly perceiving the message clearly, or projecting our own biases onto it.

The Process of Discerning: Tools and Obstacles

From here, I will move on to my own personal processes. There are two primary tools that I use when it comes to discernment: contemplative awareness and intuition. These two tools combined allow me go through the process of discernment in a variety of ways. 

Second Essay: Final Integration

Reflect in some depth upon an experience of discernment in your life, either personally or as part of  a community context or in the process of companioning others. This paper should be 8-10 pages , double-spaced. It should include the following questions:

Explain the situation and context of the discernment:  the first connection with brigid and the move to WI. (For the wi trip include quote from holmes about those that see tragedy coming but ignore it)

What processes did you use?

b. What practices were useful in the process?

c. What spiritual, theological or scriptural traditions/authors were useful to the process?

d. What action came about from your discernment or your companioning of others in their discernment?

e. How do you assess the effectiveness of the discernment?

Holmes 138 about thanking god for the darkness. I find the most clarity when in crisis and through suffering - i am most connected.

Email to Discernment professor - I am pissed/anxious

 Original Email which more accurately is what I want to say because I am pissed off:

Good evening, 

After class this evening, I am actually quite concerned with passing. This is for a few reasons, but it mostly boils down to a concern about communication. I also want to say first and foremost this is not any kind of accusation, as I do not feel it was intentional at all. 

On one hand, I now doubt my ability to communicate about discernment in a way that actually gets my thought across and on the other hand I almost feel as if the pagan voice is being dismissed. I know that is not your intention, and if you hadn't read the articles before saying anything during classI wouldn't feel this way. In your response you dismissed them as the wrong type of discernment and that I would be able to use them as a means of "dialogue" with the version of discernment being used in class, by doing that it feels like you ignored 90% of what the articles were saying. Either that or I am not understanding what discernment is at all; which is cause for concern on its own given I am going to have to define it as part of the assignments.  

With the 4 articles I shared with you, I was excited because it shows how discernment (as we are discussing it) is used in Paganism... and then you had said that you mostly interpreted them as a means of decision making. I would say out of all the sections across all 4 articles, only a small section actually talked about decision making. (Even in the Chrsitian texts you're having us read, decision making is still the final step of the process; even though the focus of the class isn't on that part of it.)  If that is how you interpreted those articles, I do not feel confident in my ability to convey discernment/mystic awareness in order to communicate properly in the upcoming assignments.

In  Discernment: Distilling Truth from our Pagan Experiences  "; only the last section involved decision making. Everything leading up to that covers the tools of discernment - even in his example under the "Discernment requires decision" section he breaks it down. His primary example was: "Discernment led me to understand that Cernunnos was calling me to be His priest." He then answered the call, and later turned down the call of another deity. The discernment process is how he even became aware there was something to decide on - it wasn't the decision itself. 

When Godphones Ring – Discernment for Pagans listed 8 steps of discernment and only the last 2 are about making a decision. The bulk of the article talks about being able to discern the message from the divine. It's about trying to figure out what is being communicated before trying to then move towards action. This article as a whole is about discerning who is speaking and what is being said. 

A Pagan Framework For Discernment is all about discerning belief - it never mentions making a physical choice but rather an internal one. What reality of Spirit/Magic/The Divine is true? 

Receiving the Call: Tuning the Godphone and Learning Discernment this one (and the first one) are in my opinion most similar and relevant to discernment in how we have been talking about it in class; it even defines discernment similar to most of the definitions given on the first night: "To briefly define discernment: it is being able to tell the difference between wishful thinking, your own deepest fears haunting you, and what is really coming from outside of you." This article is talking about discerning messages and where they come from. It even gives an exercise not unlike one or two of the ones given in the reading discussed tonight. 

Overall from how I have understood discernment so far in this class is how to pick up on messages from "Spirit" "God". How to see "God" giving hints or nods or signs - how to feel and interpret them. We use discernment in decision making - that part is clear across the board - but the decision making isn't the discernment.  At least that is how I've understood the readings so far and that is how I understood these articles. But if I am not understanding this class's version of discernment - then I need help to do so. If these articles are not touching on the very same process we are covering in class I don't understand where they differ. Either I am completely missing the point of the class or I am reading something entirely different from the articles you are. 

If, by chance, I am not misunderstanding what discernment is (for the sake of this class) and the same type of discernment is being used in the articles, I have to wonder if it was missed during your first reading of them because they do not use the Christian framework. If this is the case I am concerned that when it comes to the essays we have to write in class you will also only see the "decision making" part and not the divine awareness of my writing. 

Final Draft after lots of refining:

Good evening,

After class tonight, I felt concerned about my understanding of discernment as it’s being discussed in this class and about how that understanding is going to come across in the future assignments.

I want to be clear that my intention here isn’t to challenge but rather to voice genuine confusion and ask for clarity so I can continue more confidently in the course. 

My concern mostly centers around how the Pagan articles I shared were interpreted and what that might mean for my understanding of discernment. I was excited to share them with you because they, to me, directly engage with the kind of discernment we’ve been exploring in class and the readings: listening for divine communication, developing spiritual awareness, and interpreting what’s being received - not just making decisions.

When your response framed them primarily as examples of decision-making and said they could be used only as dialogue in contrast to how we are discussing the topic, it felt like a large part of their meaning was dismissed. I understand that the framework in class is from a Christian lens, and that not everything will map perfectly, but in the articles I shared, especially in Discernment: Distilling Truth from Our Pagan Experiences and When Godphones Ring, discernment is discussed as perceiving and interpreting divine or spiritual messages (which they end up using to make a decision). This is very much in line with how we’ve been defining discernment in class, or at least in how I have been understanding the definition. 

If I’ve misunderstood the core perspective we're working from, I’d really appreciate some clarity and guidance so I can better approach the upcoming assignments. On the other hand, if these articles are in alignment with the course’s concept of discernment, I’m worried that their message may have been unintentionally overlooked because they come from a non-Christian context. If that is the case, I would like guidance on how to communicate them in a way that shows their relevance, without having to translate them entirely into a Christian framework.

Given this possible misunderstanding of how discernment is supposed to be approached from, I am especially anxious about the upcoming assignments. If possible, I’d really appreciate a chance to talk through this in person. Would you be available to have a meeting over Zoom? I can generally be pretty flexible at work, so I should be able to work around your availability. Thank you for the help! 

Discernment in Paganism

 While there are things I can glean from the high Christian resources the class provides i have asked the professor if i can use these as sources for my assignments as well. 

1)  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2018/07/discernment-distilling-the-truth-from-our-pagan-experiences.html#:~:text=The%20dictionary%20defines%20discernment%20as,Discernment%20is%20necessary. 

2) https://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2628?srsltid=AfmBOor_hgi5QapaUBQz-PeEVBaeyhpYa81Uspk2In3Dz-ZtqSGeAaAB

3)https://embervoices.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/when-godphones-ring-discernment-for-pagans/

4)https://darkisnotevil.com/receiving-the-call-tuning-the-godphone-and-learning-discernment/

Regarding when I cite these articles: I’d like to highlight that discernment in these Pagan articles is not solely, or even primarily, about decision-making. The majority of the content addresses how practitioners distinguish between internal thought and external spiritual communication — a process very much aligned with the mystical awareness we’ve been discussing. ---  will need to reword because this is fro chat g b t 

From her own sources:

https://contemplativejournal.org/interviews/what-is-contemplation-oludamini-ogunnaike/

^poetry. divination. 

Ritual STORY to read for class:

 I realize my affirmation exercise cannot be used for the class. I have to use a STORY and how that would be used in ritual...

****

Hey everyone, please click the link in the chat to go ahead and open the ambient sound that will need to play in the background in case there are any ads. 

This could be used for a variety of rituals depending on which aspect of the story is focused on, such as a right of passage  or handfasting or engagement celebration. I will be presenting it in a right of passage context, so the theme to focus on is the willingness for different characters to change and accept new states of being, so that they can move forward in life towards happiness. 

 It is a folk song, and I am not sure how my voice will be volume wise through the microphone so please adjust as needed. 

"Once a fair and handsome seal-lord lay his foot upon the sand

For to woo the fisher's daughter and to claim her marriage hand.

"I have come in from the ocean, I have come in from the sea,

And I'll not go to the waves, love, lest ye come along with me."

"Lord, long have I loved you as a selkie on the foam.

"I would gladly go and wed ye and be Lady of your home

But I cannot go into the ocean, I cannot go into the sea.

I would drown beneath your waves, love, if I went along with ye."

"Lady, long have I loved you: I would have you for my wife.

I shall stay upon your shoreland though it robs me of my life.

I will stay one night beside you, never go back to the sea,

I will stay and be thy husband though it be the death of me."

"Lord, I cannot go and wed thee all to watch my lover die!

Since I'll not be left a widow I have a plan for us to try:

Let us speak with my grandmother who's ever dwelt beside the sea.

She may know some trick or treasure that I may wed my fair selkie."

So they've gone to her grandmother's little cottage by the sea

To inquire how a maiden can be wed to her selkie.

For the selkie's watery kingdom would surely rob her of her breath

But to stay on land past midnight, it would surely be his death.

"Lord, I know not how to aid you – you may never live on shore.

For your kind to live 'til dawning has ne'er been seen before.

But my mother had a seal-coat that she buried 'neath a tree

For she told me that its wearer would become a fair selkie."

So they've journeyed farther inland though the seal-lord's getting weak

And she's shouldering the shovel to unearth the thing they seek.

At the rising of the full moon underneath the elfin oak

She's unearthed that very treasure of which her grandmother spoke.

at  the stroke of midnight they have made it back to sea

And she's donned that magic seal-coat and become a maid selkie.

Now they've gone into the ocean, hand in hand into the sea,

She has gone along -- a fair seal-bride for her selkie"

This song was originally written by Emily Holbert Kellam and if you want to hear my favorite version of it being performed, I sing it as it is performed by Heather Dale. 

Ritual Practice assignment for class script

For Context: 

I follow no one set tradition or path; I simply refer to myself as a bardic witch or pagan for simplicity. As such, music/poetry/story telling of any kind are my sacred texts. The sacred text I’ll be presenting is one such example. 

This is the lyrics to a song called Half-Woman Half-Universe that I have tweaked ever so slightly; to which would be recited as an affirmation at a glamour magic ritual. This is a ritual whose intention is about honoring and calling on the divinity of one's self with primary focus on self love and honoring of one's beauty of spirit and body.

The function of this is to essentially be a form of imitative and contagious magic. 

We are divinity and so we essentially love ourselves as a way to manifest and imitate the love the divine has for us. 

By loving ourselves and calling on our power, we call forward blessings and are able to manifest our intentions. The intentions being our own happiness, beauty, abundance, and love -- as a form of self love.  

Also the more love we give to ourselves, as an offering to the divine, the more love we become capable of giving to other forms of divinity like other people, the earth, spirits, etc. 

The more love we give them - the more love they give us. The more love they give us, the more blessings and success manifest in our lives. 

Its all a big sort of feedback loop.

Structure: As part of a group ritual this could be done as a call and repeat; or as a solo ritual this could be said face to face with one's self  through a mirror if you wish. Or simply reciting it a few times over a candle or incense can be enough. We are divine. Our words hold power regardless of ceremony.  

These words are aimed more so at women, but I invite anyone who does not identify as a woman to substitute with whatever term you prefer. This could be Man, this could be person, this could be being, etc. Same with the term "Femininity" - substitute this with "humanity" or "Masculinity" or if you have another word I invite you to use it. 

I implore you to repeat these affirmations with whatever gendered context hold true for you, as opposed to choosing not to say them at all. 

********

[Bell or Drum] Everything I desire, desires me more. (Group Echoes back) 

[Bell or Drum]  My presence is addicting. (Group Echoes back) 

[Bell or Drum]  My mind is worth millions,  (Group Echoes back) 

[Bell or Drum]  My body is a temple. (Group Echoes back)

[Bell or Drum]  I receive just by existing. (Group Echoes back) 

[Bell or Drum] I am femininity,  (Group Echoes back) 

[Bell or Drum]  I am divinity. (Group Echoes back)

[Bell or Drum] I am the universe,  (Group Echoes back)

[Bell or Drum]  I am who I am. (Group Echoes back)

[Bell or Drum]  Moon dust pours from my lips, (her) (Group Echoes back)

[Bell or Drum]  crystals form when I cry  (she cries) (Group Echoes back) 

[Bell or Drum]  Galaxies pull you into my eyes. (her)  (Group Echoes back) 

[Bell or Drum] Gravity in my kiss will distort space and time. (her) (Group Echoes back)  

[Bell or Drum]  Skin sprinkled with stars that light up the dark. (Hair) (Group Echoes back) 

[Bell or Drum] I am half woman, half universe. (Group Echoes back) 

****

Thank you!

Although now I realize that I can't use this.... it has to be a STORY. 

Ritual Final paper outline and ideas

Welcome all to this ritual of transition! Let us gather in this space with open hearts and open minds. 

Go through grounding visualization and breathing. 

Set the intentions: On this day, in this sacred space, we move into this ritual to explore what transformations are we going through or what changes must we embrace to accept and live in the love and blessings that life brings us. Tonight we step through a portal to receive the messages of the divine through sacred journey. 

This may present and bring up vulnerable emotions relating to self worth, sense of identity, personal power and sovereignty, or even take you through time. This is a place of deep connection, open energy, and safety - you are asked to honor wherever and however you experience this journey with the knowledge that you are supported and loved. Together let us open our sacred space.

open with a calling of sacred space through the gods, the guides, and ancestors. 

Give an offering of gratitude. --- call and response?

Now, I ask you to take up one of the instruments from the center if you feel so called, as we join in music making. If you prefer to use the natural instrument of your body, of your voice, or your visualization, we thank you! I shall begin our song, and I ask you to join whenever you feel Spirit move you. 

tell the story of the maiden and the selkie - sing it while others add music. Perhaps there are people who wish to act out the story through dance.  

We have joined our energies together and blessed this space. Now let us enter into dialogue with the sacred, the divine, the gods, the spirits, The Creator, God, Spirit, The universe... 

"Where are you, when you step through the portal? Perhaps it is not the harbor and sea shore. Perhaps you will find yourself in a Forrest. Perhaps you will find yourself flying through the air. Perhaps its not something you but rather you feel - is it wind? the heat of a fire? Do you smell the earth after it rains? Remember, there are seven senses (list them) as you go through this journey, you can engage all of them or maybe only one or two. There is no wrong way to experience.... just wipe your mind clear of expectations and try to find yourself open to whatever Spirit has to tell you. You may find yourself in unexpected territory! I ask you now to take a position that is most comfortable - that could be sitting or laying down. If at any time you feel called to movement, you are invited to do so!"

Begin the journey with light body exercise

Establish a home base, this is where you can return to if you find yourself overwhelmed. Your ancestors and guides are here, supporting you. From there... we open a portal. I invite you to step through this portal.  

The ritual leader drums, hums, and moves throughout the group as directed by spirit while music plays - helping to encourage

***Books that will be very helpful:

• The power of ritual: chapter 1 and intro
• Quinn - Chpt 1&2: power of voice, power of stories - chpt 4 - archytype 
• Callie Ore - Chapter 4 - the risk of ritual becoming theater, just reading a script (pg 37). This has less to do with theatrical performance as a part of ritual, but rather being disconnected. There is a risk of being disconnected, and so to help circumvent this I have tried to have as little formal script as possible as well as including a means to foster the deep connection to Spirit that is needed for the whole part to bypass the risk. PERFORMANCE vs PERFORMATIVE 
• Orr - chapter on setting 
• Orr - chapter 7 -- uber helpful. pg 78-79 questions to ask before ritual
• Quin - myth to magic. 6 key points of the story
• Ritual book - framing!! Time!! -- new  moon for the beginnings. when you enter the space of framing it centers you and makes you more respectful. alters, shrines, aid in as a focus lens. "effecting and affecting emotions" and "flow" section especially!!!!  

How does it express the thoughts, values, emotions, experiences?

How does it shape those participating?

Use of space? Use of voices? Week 3 lecture powerpoint. 

Whats the meaning of the myth and ritual? Whats the function?

what are the ritual drivers? intrinsic shifts into altered states using focus and intention/internal drivers; breathing exercises, trance,   and extrinsic drivers are external factor like candles and drumming. Polyphasic--- dreams, trans, visions, and altered states are reality and can lead to learning and healing. Western culture is monophasic and so to be polyphasic is weird and discouraged. the time to journal after the journey helps hold on the polyphasic experience since we are monophasic so we do not possess the tools to hold on to it.   Portal - mark boundaries, heighten anticipaition and focus, and prepare participants for altered states, and provides a narrow framework for transformation... liminal marker that you are leaving the ordinary and entering the sacred - incesne, herbs, candles,and alters can be used as gates. 

RITUAL - 149 - people believe with their emotions. story telling as healing. 

****In the story witchcraft book it talks about how there are stories that mirror our lives or what we want to embody. WHY I chose THIS story. Archetype. "The Romantic" -- also Chapter 7: pick a story that resonates with you and embodies the goal of ritual.