.25 (point two five) - Panthea’s Pagan Quarterly Writing and Art Contest

Write anything; a prayer, a poem, an essay, a short story, etc. Or create anything; a painting, a drawing, a craft item, etc. The only restriction is that your work should somehow apply to the Goddess, Goddess Religion, Nature, Nature Religion, Paganism, etc.

Format:

1. Two winners will be chosen – one for visual art work and one for written work.
2. You own all of your work. Grian reserves the write to post work on the Panthea site/blog for contest promotions and in the form of the .25 e-zine, but ownership and copyright remain the property of the creator.
3. Deadline for submissions: Summer Solstice 2007
4. The contest will roll over into the next quarter without a winner unless a minimum of 5 submissions are recieved for each category. If 5 submission are recieved for the written category and not the visual art category then a winner will be announced from the written submissions and the visual art submissions will carry over without a winner. And vise versa.

Rules:

1. All work should be original to you and all sources should be sited. If you write an essay that includes information from other places, please site it. Plagiarism is a pain.
2. Include your email address when submitting your work so that I can get in touch with you when you win.
3. Written work and images can be submitted by email to grian@[no spam]rochester.rr.com. Writing should be in Microsoft Word format. Images should be jpg or png.
4. Work that is blatantly hate filled will not be accepted.
5. Written material will not be edited for errors or content and will not be accepted if void of grammar. This does not apply to artistic use of free form writing such as poetry, etc. Spellcheck is your friend.

The Prizes:

1. Handmade Triple Goddess wrist mala. SEE HERE Includes booklet with prayers and instructions on how to create your own mala design. (can be customized for men)
2. Custom made Goddess doll. You choose which Goddess you want and I will make it for you. SEE HERE
3. Earth Mother Earrings. Hand made out of fine (.999) silver in the style of the Goddess of Willendorf. (PICTURE COMING SOON)
4. Art quality, limited edition print of "Completion" by LM Hutchings (Grian). Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Perfect for framing during Solstice time or anytime of the year. SEE BELOW




Actual items may differ slightly from the images based on availability of materials and custom choices requested.

Help Spread the Word!
Grab one of the images below and link it back to https://1greeneye.net/panthea.

Labels: Art and Craft, Site News

I recently read a post from an email list that I am on that spoke about healing dolls. I've been making dolls for about a year now and really enjoy it. I guess it never struck me to make them with the purpose of healing.

I make Goddess dolls, so I thought perhaps each Goddess could be identified with a certain type of healing and could thus be given to those who have certain ailments. For example: I have a friend who is experiencing a difficult pregnany and I thought Brigit might be a good choice for her. Brigit is known as a midwife and is frequently called upon to aid labor. The main color I would choose would be green - perfect for healthy growth during pregnancy. I may even stuff the entire doll with lavender to give her a soothing quality. Including this with a bit of bath salts, some incense, a candle, and perhaps even some post partum items like cloth pads, nursing pads, cloth diapers, a knit blanket, etc. and I've got a really great gift basket. And it's all hand made.

Anyway, I'm rambling and I have a point to make.

I am not a spellcrafter. At one time I was very interested in spellwork, but over time it lost its luster and its meaning. So, I was thinking that making a healing doll - or making anything for that matter - with the intent to help or heal may be my kind of magic.

I think it's important to get to the practical root of what magic is and what it was always intended to be used for. In my opinion magic is most suited to two things - healing and prayer. You could throw protection and the like in there as well, but I tend to think of that as prayer too. Anything that creates peace of mind can constitute as prayer in my opinion.

Anyway, what do you think? Do you think Paganism, Wicca, etc. has gone a little overboard with the emphasis on spells and such? I mean why not just call it prayer (with props)? I think Witchcraft is a practice not a religion. How do you feel about that statement? What spiritual significance do spells, tarot cards, etc. have?

Can you tell I am trying to get a conversation going here? *wink*

Labels: Art and Craft, Misc. Commentary, Modern Paganism

Prayers

(This first prayer can be used for the entire round or for the Divine bead.)
Great Goddess, Lady of Life
Whose Garment is the shining Heavens.
You are the white moon among the stars
And the beauty of the green earth.
You are the Oneness of all things
And the Completion of the Spirit
You are the mystery that if that which we seek
We find not within
We will never find it without
For you have been here since the beginning
And you are that which is attained at the end of desire.

(adapted from the Charge of the Goddess with Tridean influence)


(spacers)
Goddess, I am looking within and I see your light shining.

(white beads)
Maiden of freedom
You are the Eternal Virgin,
The Holy Bride of Nature,
And the revealing light within the shadows
Through you all that is good comes to birth.

(red beads)
Mother of Compassion,
Forever fertile, Lady of the forge.
You are the creating force of love
And the strength which nourishes all that lives.
Through you the cause of life is served.

(black beads)
Crone of Wisdom,
Ancient One, Keeper of the Cauldron.
You stand at the gates between the worlds
And carry the shining sickle of death.
Without you nothing can be transformed.

(divine bead)
Great Goddess, Lady of Life, Three that are One.
You are everything; the Earth under our/my feet, the Air which we/I breathe, the Water which purifies us/me, and the light within our/my soul(s).
All things are born of your spirit.

(to end)
By the power and will of She that is Three, So mote it be.

Labels: Art and Craft, Goddess, Modern Paganism, Tridean Tradition, Writings

My first set of moon pads. Pictured: 5 11-inch Pads - slightly modified from the pattern, and 3 pantyliners. I'm not sure if these will get me through an entire cycle yet, but I've testing them dry and they are quite comfy. I really love the cute "pink punk" tartan fabric. Too cute.

Labels: Alternative Menstruation, Art and Craft

I've been looking into cloth pads lately. I was surprised (and thrilled) to see that there were so many women on the internet from all over the world using cloth menstrual pads and raving about them. I decided I just had to give it a try. So, I ran down to my local Joann's and picked up some cute cotton flannel (with a punk rock flair). I hunted down a few fabulous patterns and got to work. Needless to say my sewing machine has been getting some good use over the past few days. Cloth pads are easy to make and just plain cute. I never thought I could ever be excited about getting supplies for my period.



So, why use cloth pads? The most obvious reasons are that making the switch from disposables is more environmentally friendly and saves you some money. The less obvious reasons: using cloth is more empowering, allows you to pamper yourself, and makes the moon-time experience more enjoyable. Society has made periods something to hide and be ashamed of. Using cloth pads takes this time back as our own again and creates a healthier attitude towards menstruation.

What about the gross factor? I thought about this too - a lot. My first reaction was basically "eww". But everywhere I look there are women saying that the gross factor is gone once you give cloth a try. I'm personally over it and it didn't take much persuading. Check out some of the links below for more info. There's even mention of harmful chemicals in disposables that can seep into your skin. Now that's gross.

Shop and Learn
https://www.perfectpads.net/
http://www.clothpads.org
http://www.lunapads.com/
http://www.gladrags.com/
http://www.moonhutnaturals.com/

Labels: Alternative Menstruation, Art and Craft

With the change of season I felt the need to change Panthea's design.

I've been watching the crows and other blackbirds lately, scavenging along the damp ground and sifting through the fallen leaves with their beaks. In the cemetary in the next town over there must be thousands of them visiting with the dead and guiding souls to the otherworld. It really is a site. So, this is my autumn design; a mixture of blackbirds, blue sky, and a little sunshine. Oh, and those lyrics up top belong to the Beatles, but I bet most of you already knew that.

I've got some new posts in the works. I'm sure your sick of me saying that, but I really do. I've even comtemplated trying my hand at podcasting. It sounds like so much fun. Anyway, check back often. I'm certainly not on vacation - just collecting myself and trying my best to get through this semester, raise my daughter, tend to my home, and run a growing Circle.

I'd love to get some painting done soon as well, but that doesn't seem possible just yet. On the other hand I have been able to find a little bit of time to make some of my Goddess dolls. See the picture at top. These are fun and with the research I do in making them, I get to learn too.

Labels: Art and Craft, Site News