18 February, 2014

Fertility Topic on PaganPerspective

Hey, Readers!

This is a script for today's Pagan Perspective video in which I talk about what fertility, creation, and so on mean to me and my path. I felt as though I didn't have much to say on this topic, having done no work with "fertility magick" as it were, so I decided to script it to make sure I had something set down to say and wouldn't ramble aimlessly! Thus, here is the script, and here is the link to the video. Enjoy!

The topic: from ReadingGaol9
--"Merry meet dear paganperspective collaborators! First, let me thank you for the very well-done work you've done over the years and the time you dedicate to enlightening us with further fields to explore in this wonderful world of knowledge about religions and spirituality. I've been watching your channel for a year and I'm not growing weary of it anytime soon!

I'm sending you this message because a dear relative of mine and her boyfriend have decided to have a baby. I've decided to prepare a little gift for them as well as the few rites I'm intending to do to bring them luck and have begun to study specifically fertility-related pagan topics. I'm currently working and reading about Bouddhist goddess Guan Yin who I came accross in one reading. 

Long story short, I simply wish to hear more about each of your viewpoints and conceptions about fertility, Creation and self-accomplishment/development (as well as anything growing or related to fertility, of course! ) according to the pagan beliefs. If you wish to include some of the recent society debates also linked to this topic (such as surrogacy, assisted reproductive technology, savior siblings etc.), I'd be delighted to hear about it, too, but I mainly wish more pagan references about the topic, possibly from various traditions (I especially like Celtic and Heathen traditions but would like to see more variety in the ressources generally used).

With best regards and all my gratitude for your gift to the Pagan community, I'm looking forward to the upcoming videos and I hope you'll take my suggestion in consideration amongst the many requests you surely have!

Blessed be,
ReadingGaol

P.S.: I hope I didn't make any mistakes, I'm French and not Native English speaker, thus loving this channel all the more for it helps me improve my vocabulary in the spiritual field!"

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The script:

"The opposite of war isn't peace--It's CREATION!"
- Mark in RENT

As an unmarried 20-something female, I am in the company of peers for whom fertility is VERY relevant. I myself am not at all ready for the most obvious and literal use of the word, at least as far as what many people think of first when they hear the word "fertility." So to me, at this time in my life and in my practice, fertility mostly relates to CREATION and POSSIBILITY and POTENTIAL, and I love everything about that!

In my view, things don't always have to be literal; they can also be symbolic. On the other hand, sometimes things aren't symbolic and don't have any hidden meanings, they just ARE what they ARE. Fertility is something that goes both ways. Gerald Gardner, for whom the Gardnerian tradition of Wicca is named, was very concerned with fertility in regards to human reproduction, so I hear. In my practice, that certainly has its own place, but the other definitions of the word are more forefront in my life right now--things like creativity and growth and nurturing things other than children. So when we talk about what fertility means "according to the pagan beliefs," it really depends, as everything does, on what group of pagans you mean, or what individual pagan you mean. For me, fertility is many things, from my own potential to mother children to finding myself full of creative ideas and possibility to literally growing things in my garden (and gosh, I can't wait for spring). Like anything, I don't think there is an overall "pagan belief" about fertility.

I haven't done much work with the idea of fertility from a magickal standpoint, however, because at this point in my life the connotations of that word are a bit much for me! When I do workings for growth or such things, I tend to use words like "growth," "creation," "prosperity," or whatever the case may be. I have never done work for "fertility" as in the example given with your friends' decision to have a child. I think that's wonderful and beautiful and exciting! I have just not yet done any work with that. I've recently been reading about several deities related to fertility, simply because I was looking to find the connections between some deities and was reading in a book simply titled "The Goddess" and learned that all these different goddesses are associated with fertility. Some of them are also related to destruction, balancing out the complexity that is the Divine Female, capable of both nurturing and hindering, creating and destroying. In that sense, I feel a great sense of power in my own potential and fertility, if you will.

Unfortunately I can't offer any personal experiences other than these thoughts, at least not at this time in my life. I also can't comment on recent societal debates related to this topic, though I knew a lot more about issues like surrogacy and savior siblings a couple years ago in undergrad when I was taking a course on Genetics, Identity, and Popular Culture. Then I was required to read, watch, and debate about such issues. Now, I don't feel like I remember enough about them. Perhaps if we were seated around a table and someone could refresh my memory, I'd be able to hold a decent conversation about it, but I also didn't feel that was the direction I wanted this topic to go.

Fertility, to me, when the word is said, means a few things. It means babies, children, parenthood, a growing responsibility and thrusting into adulthood that I am NOT ready for at this time. It also means growing flowers and plants, fruits and vegetables in my garden, and that kind of reproduction I am very comfortable with! It also means that I am, and everyone around me is, BURSTING with the potential to create life, both literal and symbolic. THAT is powerful. That is inspiring and intimidating! It fills me with a sense of wonder, awe, and a sort of pride, but also a bit of fear, because as they say, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Blessings~
-C-