Color Series: Orange

A number of the associations and meanings for the color orange overlap with those for the color red, and some attributes with yellow.  Since orange isn’t a primary color and is a mixture of yellow and red, it makes sense that it would share the attributes of both parent colors.  Also, shades of orange that lean more toward yellow will have more of yellow’s power, while shades that are redder will take on more of red’s meanings.  Like red, orange is a vibrant and stimulating color.  Red and orange are both good for stimulating the appetite–this is why many restaurants, especially fast food ones, will use these colors in their logos and buildings.  Orange is a very attention-grabbing color that stands for energy, friendliness, and flamboyancy.

Although not generally used as a healing color, orange can promote good health for some people.  For others, it’s almost as overwhelming a color as red, and shouldn’t be used for healing.  Orange is a color of change, based on its association with autumn and that transitional period of seasons.  It can promote transitions or changes in a person’s thoughts, emotions, or life.  It’s also a color of fun, warmth, security, food, and sensuality.  Most people, I think relate sensuality to the color red instead of orange, but orange takes on this meaning because of its association with the sacral chakra (see below).  However, orange can also mean immaturity, dependency, frustration, pride, and difficult interactions with others.

Although not a very common color for religious symbolism, orange does hold certain meanings in various religions.  In Christianity, likely stemming from a medieval tradition, orange represents the deadly sin of gluttony.  In Wicca and some other paths of Paganism, orange is most closely associated with Samhain and autumn.  It is not generally a color associated with the Goddess, although specific Goddesses may have this color in their particular system, especially those related to fire in some way.  However, orange can at times be considered a youthful color, and so the argument could be made that it more closely aligns with the Maiden Aspect.  In Buddhism, monks often wear robes of saffron, which is a yellow-orange color.

In the Netherlands, orange is the national color.  This dates back to the rebellious Prince of Orange and the Dutch War of Independence.  Orange is a color of happiness and love in China and Japan.  The color also has national significance to Ireland and is used in the country’s flag.  In the U.S., orange is often used as a warning color.  For example, traffic cones are usually orange.  Unlike red, orange does not carry the meaning of “danger”, but has more of a connotation of “warning”.  Also in the U.S. orange is the color of Halloween and Thanksgiving.  For some Native American tribes, orange is a color of kinship or learning.

In the chakra system, orange is the color of the sacral chakra, located in the lower abdomen at the intestines.  This chakra is related to self-respect, feelings, fertility, and sexuality.  Also associated with uterus, bowels, prostate, ovaries, and testes.  The sacral chakra also relates to creativity and freedom.  This chakra and its color deals with respecting the boundaries you’ve set for yourself and deals with your self-respect.  If you aren’t in tune with your sacral chakra and don’t respect yourself, you could knock other chakras out of balance as well.  The main words for this chakra are “I feel.”  Orange can help your feelings to flow more freely, thus helping this chakra stay open and balanced rather than clogged or overloaded with pent-up feelings.

Uses

This is not the color to use if you want to hide from the world.  Like red, it attracts attention.  Wear this color when you want to attract attention, but be cautious about too much orange, or you’ll look . . . well, like a traffic cone.  Too much orange can overwhelm and can take on its negative qualities when it does.  Orange is good to encourage oneself to be more social, and is a good color to use when decorating social areas. If you want/need help studying, try using orange to stimulate your thoughts and mind.

This color and many of its vibrant shades should not be used in bedrooms or other places intended for resting, as it is not a restful color; it should also not be used for those places in which stress occurs, such as an office, because orange can exacerbate the stress levels and make things worse.

Associations
Element: Fire, Water
Emotions: joy, confidence, creativity, happiness, excitement, daring
Animals: ladybugs, goldfish, orangutans
Astrology: Gemini, Leo
Chakra: sacral
Flowers: bird of paradise, orange lily
Foods: pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, apricot, mangoes, orange peppers, peach, tangerine, citrus, cantaloupe, honey
Metals: gold, copper, brass
Minerals: cinnabar
Stones: carnelian, garnet, tiger’s eye, orange agate, topaz
Season: Autumn (primary), Summer (secondary)

Resources About Orange
http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-orange.html
http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours
http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour/orange.php
http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/introduction.php
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/orange.htm
http://www.color-wheel-artist.com/meanings-of-orange.html

Vegetarianism and Paganism

A growing misconception seems to be taking hold both within and outside of the Pagan community.  This misconception is that in order to be a “real” Pagan, or a “true” Wiccan, then you must be a vegetarian/vegan.  This is grossly incorrect, and I have personally seen the effects of this misconception among Pagans.  I witnessed the trouble one young woman went through for being Pagan and a meat-eater.  She was verbally attacked over the Internet and so many harmful, hurtful, foul names were hurled at her that I ached for her pain.  And all because she had decided to share the fact that she is no longer a vegetarian because her body couldn’t maintain that lifestyle. The attacks on her were sickening, disappointing, and shocking, and made me ashamed to call myself a Pagan because those attackers also claimed to be Pagan and actively used Paganism as the argument in their attacks.

Vegetarianism and veganism and any other diet choice is a personal choice.  It is not a mandated part of Paganism that a human cannot eat meat.  In the traditions of Paganism I am aware of (which range from Asatru to Wicca to Heathenism [and some Native American traditions]), denial of meat is not a rule.  It is not a principle of these traditions that any member must not eat any animal.  Some may say that members may only eat animals killed in an honorable fashion and in a way that utilizes all the useful parts of the animal.  But no tradition I can think of bans meat as a food.

To be honest, I can think of no tradition that would do so.  To do so would put into place a rule that would not only potentially cause harm to a member, but also disrupt a natural balance.  What would happen if a member were to join, become a vegetarian, but then find that their body cannot sustain that way of life?  Is that member then kicked out?  That hardly seems very respectful or loving.  As for a natural balance being kicked out of place, well, our bodies are designed to eat meat.  It is natural to eat meat.  Eating meat does not make a person an unnatural creature.

I doubt that the gods (whichever ones you work with) would really care what you had for dinner last night.  I doubt they would truly care whether you ate prime rib or had a salad.  In my admittedly limited experience, the gods don’t give a damn about that sort of thing.  They do care that you are healthy and able to work with them in a healthy manner.  Out bodies are complex and affect all parts of life–if your body is unhealthy, how do you expect to have a healthy relationship with the gods?  For example, you can’t exactly participate in a ritual if you have the stomach flu, and if you’ve gone about nutrition in the wrong way and deprived yourself of nutrients by ignoring what your particular body requires, then you do yourself a disservice as well as the gods.

Vegetarianism and veganism are not bad things.  But those kinds of lifestyles are not for everyone.  Not everyone can physically maintain it, even when taking supplements and vitamins to compensate for the lack of meat.  I have a friend who was vegetarian for many years, but even this very problem caught up with her.  She wishes she was still a vegetarian, but her body simply could not keep itself healthy despite her best efforts to maintain the lifestyle properly.

Most paths of Paganism include the ideas of respecting yourself and respecting the natural world.  If you are respecting yourself and your body, and what your body needs, then (to be blunt) what the hell does it matter what you eat?  Even better is if you can eat meat in a way that respects the natural world.  The meat you consume once belonged to a living, breathing, moving creature, a creature that gave its life to feed yours.  We all owe a debt to the animals who give their lives for us, yet few of us pause to think about this.  My advice is to either 1) learn how to hunt and hunt your own meat so that you are assured that nothing goes to waste and the kill is honorable, or 2) buy organically from a meat co-op, the farmer’s market, or a similar setup.  Again, you are assured that nothing is wasted and the kill is an honorable one.

My personal view is that if humans weren’t meant to eat meat, we wouldn’t have canine teeth–teeth specifically meant for tearing.  That being said, I also think there are right ways and wrong ways to go about meat consumption.  The meat packing industry is cruel and inhumane.  But hunting and swift kills, and honoring the spirit of the animal who has given his life to sustain yours, is acceptable and humane.  A quick kill with honor, and not wasting the gift given to you, is far more humane than the meat industry today.

The horrors of the meat industry should be a motivator to bring about change.  It does not mean anyone necessarily has to become a vegetarian.  Being Pagan and eating meat is not a crime, nor is it wrong.  Eating meat does not make me less of a Pagan, and the same is true for those who choose not to consume meat.  It is a personal choice, and no one should be attacked for making a choice that speaks to their own soul.

Weekly Deity: Crow

Crow is a deity of the Iroquois tribe in North America.  He is a symbol of wisdom, being a wise creature, and also a deity of corn.  Also known as Ga-Gaah, for the sound he makes.

Attributes

Crow appears to the people as a bird, not as an anthropomorphous deity.  He does not change shape or take on human attributes.  He remains a large black crow.

Mythology

This deity is very important to the people.  When Crow came to earth, he brought with him in his ear a grain of corn.   This grain of corn fell out as he flew and was planted by the god Hahgwehdiyu, the good creator deity, in the body of his mother, Atahensic, the earth.  This planted grain soon grew and became the first ear of corn.  The Iroquois then learned how to plant and harvest corn, their staple crop.  At every harvest and every summer when the corn is tall, Crow is allowed to hover over the fields and eat the grubs, and he receives the first share of the corn as thanks.

Light and Dark Sides

Crow is a wise deity, although this does not come across in his myth.  To me, it seems more that the grain of corn in his ear was an accidental happenstance–but then, who would know?  Still, Crow is considered a wise deity by the Iroquois, though it would also be wise to remember some of the other attributes of crows when working with Crow: they like shiny things, and are sometimes braggarts, although in Crow’s case, he has the right to brag since he brought such an important crop to the people.  But keep that bit of arrogance in mind.  Crow can also be seen as partially a fertility god, since he was instrumental in bringing the corn to life and bringing growth to the people.  All in all, he seems like a pretty good deity to work with, neither Light nor Darkbut somewhat neutral.

Versions of the End of the World

In honor of the Rapture today, let’s explore some varieties of end-of-the-world scenarios. [And just in case you have no idea why so many people are talking about Judgment Day today, here's a good article.]  Here’s my compilation, from Abrahamic to Nordic to anything else I find.  Pick your poison and enjoy the End of the World (cue announcer’s voice) happening today only!  This is a once in a lifetime event you don’t want to miss!

Abrahamic Religions

The “Big Three” religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) tend to share very similar versions of the end of the world/apocalypse. You’ve got the fire and brimstone, the Four Horsemen (though I think those are mainly associated with Christian versions), the Final Judgment, and the ascension of the righteous and the believers to heaven while all the non-believers and heathens go on their merry way to Hell.  Most people in the world are at least familiar with this version, even if they don’t believe in it, so I’m not planning on spending a lot of time on it here.

Though in Muslim belief, there is the figure of Isa, son of Mary (basically Jesus), who is a prophet and son of God.  He will return at the time of God’s appointing and aid the Madhi, or the redeemer of Islam who, along with Isa/Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice, and tyranny.  There is also the belief in an antiChrist-type figure and the subsequent defeat of his followers (cuz of course the good guys can’t lose).

Judaism’s version is fairly different in some ways.  The Messiah is not divine, but a human physically descended from the Davidic line.  He will rule and unite the Jewish people and usher in a Messianic era of global peace and prosperity.  This is NOT Jesus.  The Messiah redeems Israel in the End of Days scenario.

Norse Belief

In Nordic culture, Ragnarok was the ending and rebirth of the world.  In the apocalyptic story, there are first a series of three winters, during which there is a great deal of fighting, with brother killing brother and such and there is the breakdown of kinship and family bonds (very important to Nordic society).  Then there is another series of three winters unbroken by any summer (the Nordic landscape was very binary–they didn’t get much in the way of spring or autumn).

Then the wolfs which constantly chase the sun and moon at last catch them and swallow them, making the sun and moon disappear.  The stars will disappear and the earth will shake so violently that the mountains fall, and Fenrir the Wolf is able to escape his bonds (he was bound by Tyr).

Next comes all the big players.  The Midgard serpent is released from the shaking earth and attacks.  The serpent sprays venom into the air and sea and attacks at the same time as Fenrir attacks the heavens and the ship Naglfar (made from human nails of the dead) is released from its moorings.  Loki also breaks free from his torture and joins the side of the serpent and Fenrir, against the gods.  From the splintered heaven rides the “sons of Muspell,” led by Sartr, who break the rainbow bridge leading to the gods’ domain and prepare to fight the gods.  Yggdrasil (the World Tree) shakes and everyone is afraid.

The gods awake and Odin goes for council to Mimir’s Well and Mimir.  The gods engage in battle against the host.  Odin fights Fenrir, who swallows Odin whole and alive.  Thor fights the Midgard serpent and kills him, but the serpent poisoned Thor, resulting in his death.  Tyr fights the hound Garmr and both die.  Freyr fights Surtr but fails because he lacks his sword, which he once gave to his messenger Skirnir.  Odin’s son Vidar kills Fenrir, but too late to save Odin.  Loki fights Heimdallr and they kill one another.  Surtr covers the world in fire and it all burns up in a huge mess of flame.

The good side to this End of the World story is that the world is reborn from the destruction.  There is no ascension of the good or destruction of the wicked–it’s a divine battle that results in the death of the world in order for it to be reborn.  The earth returns from the sea, and crops grow.  Odin’s sons Vidarr and Vali survived and Thor’s sons, Modi and Magni, also survived and possess his hammer Mjolnir.  Arising from Hel come Baldr and Hothr.  These gods captain the new, reborn world and help the two surviving humans, Lif and Lifthraser, whose descendants will repopulate the world.  The sun has a daughter, who follows the same path as her mother and the reborn world once again has a source of light and heat.

Hindu Belief

Similar to the Nordic idea, the Hindi idea of the end of the world results in the world’s rebirth or regeneration.  According to Hindu tradition, Shiva dissolves the world and the universe but Brahma regenerates everything to begin anew.  The regeneration occurs at the end of the current age, called the Kali Yuga, which is the last of four periods or ages that make up current time.  Kalki, the tenth and final Avatar of Vishnu, is the last incarnation and he will end the current age.  When at the end of the Kali Yuga there is no religious belief any more and the world is run by evil men, the Lord Kalki will appear.  He will ride his divine horse, Devadatta, over the world and kill all those who dare to pretend to be kings–which probably means those who are wicked or evil and engage in harmful activities.  When he’s done, Kalki will resume his Vishnu form and return to heaven, and from there the Kali Yuga will be over and Shiva and Brahma then play their part.

*I believe I have this section right, but I had some trouble finding good sources.  I apologize if I have something incorrect.*

Greeks and Romans and Celts

Classical mythology (Greeks and Romans) did not have an end-times story.  Sure, there are plenty of instances of the gods fighting and of various things being reborn or regenerated, but there isn’t a future prophecy or description of either the gods fighting a huge battle (like the Norse version) or of a resurrection myth that results in the destruction of the world some time in the future.  This is because the Greeks and Romans had a different world-view than other religions of the world.  The Celts also did not have an end-of-the-world story.

Mayan Theory

Many people have heard of the 2012 apocalypse.  This comes from the Mayan calendar.  In the Popul Vuh, the only surviving records of Mayan belief and story that we have, the gods created three different and distinct worlds, all of which failed.  They then created a fourth world, which succeeded, and in which humanity was placed.  The fourth world is theorized to have a time limit on it and would result in a fifth world; however, there are many, many different theories and counter-theories about this.  We are unable to tell which is true Mayan belief and which is not.  The Fifth World theory shows up in a number of Native American mythologies.

Native American Beliefs

The Navajo, like the Maya, believe that there were three worlds before this one before humans arose and settled in the fourth world.  I was unable to find if there is a specific apocalyptic myth, but there is the possibility of a fifth world arising when the fourth world ends, however that end may come about.  [By the way, Navajo mythology is incredibly interesting, I highly recommend the Dine Bahane.]  Although a few Native cultures had world-ending myths, many more apparently did not.  I think this is due to the fact that these cultures simply had a vastly different world-view compared to the views of the Abrahamic or Hindi traditions.  Like the Greeks and Romans and Celts, the Native religions just didn’t seem to see the world as able to end in fire and brimstone or an Apocalypse scenario.  That’s just my theory, of course, and I could be wrong.  If you’re interested in Native American mythology, I recommend this website: First People.

Weekly Deity: Malsumis

Although there is very little information to be found about this god, I thought he sounded very interesting.  There aren’t many gods that are considered purely evil, but he appears to be one of them.

Malsumis is a god of the Abenaki tribe, who are of the Algonquin people from northeastern North America.  He’s the god of evil.  Seriously–that’s basically his only title: god of evil.

Attributes

None known.  Godchecker.com says that Malsumis is “rather wolfish”, and this could be a reference to what this god looks like, but it’s not very clear.

Mythology

Malsumis is considered the son of Tabaldak, in a fashion.  Tabaldak is the creator god.  Malsumis is also the twin brother of Gluskab (aka Glooskap), the god of good.  According to the legend, Gluskab was born from the dust of the world that fell from Tabaldak’s hands after he created the world.  Since Gluskab and Malsumis are considered twins, it’s possible that he was created from the dust also, but it’s not stated explicitly how he was born.

While his brother Gluskab uses his power to create, Malsumis uses his power to do evil, and he uses a lot of tricks and cruel acts to accomplish this.  It appears that he could do good, if he so chooses, but he prefers to stick to the dark side of things.  Because of Malsumis, plants have thorns, and some insects have stings–these are examples of the trickery and cruelty of Malsumis.

Eventually, Malsumis is going to be the end of man, for he plots the end of man to this very day, and he is in constant opposition to his brother Gluskab, because his brother protects man.

Light and Dark Sides

Malsumis is responsible for all the negativity of the world.  While it looks like he could do good, he makes a conscious choice to turn away from the Light and do evil.  Although there are no myths available to me to verify this, it does appear that Malsumis is an entirely Dark god.