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Post by Claudia on May 5, 2017 15:59:48 GMT -1
Hello everyone!
I'm 32 and from Buckinghamshire in the UK. I've been generically pagan for most of my life and did the usual toe-dipping into Wicca in my teens. I became a Kemetic Polytheist over ten years ago and still identify as Kemetic. However, I have found myself journeying into the Hellenic/Roman, Norse/Saxon, Celtic, and now Brythonic pantheons. I think I have an urge to connect to the land of my birth and ancestors, and to the gods that inhabit these fair isles. I am also interested in the study of traditional witchcraft.
Other things about me? I have a degree in Ancient History and Archaeology (my dissertation was on international vampire superstitions and burial evidence). I have worked as a promoter for a burlesque night, a pin up model, and a funeral arranger. I am now focusing on my writing and coping with my ME/CFS.
I'm looking forward to learning and experiencing new things. Finally, if anyone has any experience of the goddess Senuna, I would be very interested in hearing about Her!
TTFN
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Post by lorna on May 6, 2017 11:43:32 GMT -1
Hello Claudia and welcome to Brython It sounds like you've had and are continuing on a fascinating journey into paganism/polytheism. I hope this forum, our website www.dunbrython.org/, and our blog dunbrython.wordpress.com/ are helpful to you in relation to learning about Brythonic polytheism. I hadn't heard of Sanuna until you mentioned her, but a quick web search turned up this fascinating article - www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/sep/01/arts.highereducation So recently discovered! 'Senua's shrine may have been a ritual spring, into which offerings were thrown, surrounded by a complex of buildings including workshops and accommodation for pilgrims.' It sounds like she had a really important sacred complex surrounding her. I'd love to hear about your experiences with Sanuna and the other Brythonic gods and goddesses. Also, your dissertation on vampire superstitions and burial evidence sounds fascinating in relation to more general superstitions surrounding death and the (un)dead. And I'd be interested to hear more about funeral arranging from a polytheist's perspective. Within my Druid grove we've spoken about performing each other's funeral rites and I wrote my funeral plan last year.
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Post by Heron on May 6, 2017 14:08:56 GMT -1
Welcome Claudia. I hope you find much of interest here. I didn't know anything about Senuna, though when I followed the link that Lorna helpfully supplied it did ring a bell so I probably heard about it at the time. Do you know anything else or have any experience of her?
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Post by Claudia on May 6, 2017 20:23:55 GMT -1
I've not had any experience with Senuna yet but I was interested in her as She may be a local deity. The pre-Roman tribe that lived in my area were the Catuvellauni. I found out about her on this website: catuvellauni.wordpress.com/So far, the only experience I have had with what I assume is a Brythonic goddess was a dream. In the dream I am by a river, there are women around me and we are all chanting, calling back the spring. I get the urge to get in the river so I wade in up to my knees. Suddenly a raft comes down the river. On it is a naked lady with long dark hair and she is holding a toddler. They are both covered in blood. There is a basket on the raft and in it is a baby. At the time I thought the goddess was Rhiannon and I hoped it was a sign I'd have a baby. We were starting our second IVF cycle at the time. I know think it may have been a warning. The IVF was successful but I miscarried again (I won't go into detail but it was more traumatic than the first time and I ended up in hospital three times. It ended in surgery) I tried my best to promote pagan funerals when I worked for the funeral company but they weren't really interested. I'm still keen to develop something and regularly read posts by the Polytheist Death Guild over on Facebook. I might post a separate thread about my time with the company when I'm feeling more alert!
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Post by lorna on May 9, 2017 18:23:07 GMT -1
Thanks for sharing. Your experience certainly sounds traumatic and I hope you work it out over time. I wasn't aware there was a Polytheist Death Guild. That's encouraging to know. I don't do Facebook, but noticed there is a podcast - www.mixcloud.com/pagan-musingspodcastchannel/pmp-polytheist-death-guild-preparing-for-thanatos/ I listened to part of it, but found it a bit rambling although the issues covered such as our lack of existing rites and disconnection from death felt important. Kristoffer Hughes, the head of the Anglesey Druid Order, who works as a mortuary technician is an excellent speaker on natural death. His book, Journey into Spirit, is the best I've read on death from a pagan perspective.
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