The Modern Pagan Male
Dr. Raven Dolick M.s.D.
Feb 18, 2016
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2016 RavenStar Enchantments
The Pagan male today finds himself in a confusing position. In response to the highly patriarchal nature of the mainstream monotheistic faiths, the Pagan community as a whole tends toward a matriarchal, feminine-oriented system. In this system, the male aspects of Divinity are often greatly if not completely eclipsed by the female aspects. The “Great Mother Goddess” is often honored to the exclusion of the God, who is relegated to the status of her “Consort” when He is mentioned at all! We believe that even as a completely patriarchal system is unbalanced, so too is a completely matriarchal system - a positive, dynamic balance between the two is needed, not an aggrandizement of one gender over the other. Both genders have their own strengths and weaknesses, and each has much to teach the other. To this end, we are committed to exploring the men's mysteries, the spiritual aspects of what it is to be male.
We do have an unashamedly men's group – for there are many women's mysteries groups in existence, and we consider ourselves neither unbalanced nor chauvinistic for wishing to explore the spiritual aspects of our own gender and be the Lord we were created to be.
What does community service have to do with men's spirituality?
We at RavenStar Enchantments Spiritual Awareness Center believe that in-service to the community is an important part of our spirituality - that a man can truly find the best in himself only in service to others. Sacrifice for the good of others is a traditional and integral aspect of men's spirituality - for example, the Pagan belief in the sacrifice of the Horned Lord at Samhain to be reborn at Yule and renew the fertility of the earth, or from a Christian point of view, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. All of us sacrifice in some form or another so that others may be better off, though for most of us this sacrifice is of our time and energy rather than our lives. As The Knights of Hern believe that with the power we are given comes the responsibility to help others. In fact, the word "knight" originally came from a Saxon word which meant "vassal" or "servant"; we take this to mean that we are servants of our community and of the greater good.
RavenStar Enchantments Spiritual Mens Group, The Brotherhood of Herne, will individually focus on your inner strengths and weaknesses with a very intense holistic approach to reconnect you with your true divine self and give assistance in self empowerment with modalities to balance the mind, body and soul in perfect union and pursue options to best empower you with in-service expressions of your talents and power. With one on one focused retreats offered also we reach many male figures that then take their personal empowerment to better their family structure, community, spiritual outlook and overall view of how they react to the world around them therefore effectively changing the world one male at a time.
Herne, from whom our Men's Circle focus takes its name, is a pre-Christian Saxon deity whose name is thought to come from the Latin "Cernunnos" which means "The Horned One". His image can be found on the Gundestrup Cauldron, an artifact found in Denmark and dating from about 2000 years ago. Herne is the Patron of our Retreat; for us, he represents the quintessence of manhood, all that we strive to be and to achieve as men. He is the sacrificial God, who gives of himself so that others may live. Though we do not all honor Herne as the face of our particular Deity, as men, we honor what he represents.
Concerning The Lost Rites
Be the full representation my kind sirs of what we were created to be as empowered pagan Male Spirituality.
Concerning the Lost Rites
Before industrialization and the Patriarchal crippling of society, Pagan Males went through many Rites of Passage during their childhood and into manhood that rooted them deeply in their own self power. And so much more are they needed today to again center our children in who they really are and their individual power. Below you will see a descriptive of the many Rites bestowed and realize that as a pagan male we have in a whole missed the mark and need to reclaim that which has been relinquished.
The Rite of Naming
Given to a child at any age from three months to one year old, the purpose of the ritual is to formally accept the child as one of the tribe and to give him his name – and with it, his link to his ancestors (the past), his community (the present), and his destiny (the future).
The blessings of the Powers of the World are asked to be upon the child as he begins his journey. Four symbols (runes, Tarot cards, etc.) are drawn for the child, representing his progress through the stages of life – Boy, Man, Elder and Sage. These symbols, along with their possible meanings, are passed down to the child when he is old enough to understand them. If the child is to have godparents, the godparents will be asked to take the child’s hand during the Rite and to swear their oaths to watch over him and guide him.
The Rite of Understanding
Given at 5 years of age, the purpose of the ritual is to acknowledge a child’s passage from infant to boy, the first step along the path to manhood. The boy is given a gift to mark his passage from the hands of his father (or godfather or man closest to him, if the father is not present), usually a protective amulet on a chain. The Rite is of necessity short and fairly simple, to accommodate the child’s attention span.
The Rite of Responsibility
Given at 10 years of age, the purpose of the ritual is to acknowledge that a boy is ready to begin assuming an increased amount of responsibility for himself and his actions. If the boy in question is the child or close relative of a Knight of the Order, he may ask to become a page of the Hall at this time. The boy is presented with a small knife from the hands of his father (or godfather, etc.) as a sign of the trust that has now been placed in him. He may choose a new name to be known by in ritual, his boy’s name
The Rite of Maturity
Given at 15 years of age, the purpose of the ritual is to acknowledge that a boy has proven himself to be responsible, and is now ready to begin assuming some of the duties of manhood. If the boy in question is the child or close relative of a Knight of the Order, he may ask to become a Squire of the Hall at this point, with his father or relative as his sponsor. He must be at least 19 years of age, however, before petitioning for membership as a Knight- Probationer of the Hall. The boy is presented with a ritual dagger from the hands of his father (or godfather, etc.) as a sign of the increased trust that has now been placed in him.
The Rite of Manhood
Given at 20 years of age, the purpose of the ritual is to acknowledge that a boy has proven himself responsible, mature, and worthy to be called a man. At this point, if the boy has been accepted as a Knight-Probationer of the Hall and has fulfilled all necessary obligations, he may be Knighted. If he has chosen not to join the Order, he is not
Knighted, but is still presented with a sword from the hands of his father (or godfather, etc.) as a sign of his new status, and may choose a new name to be known by in ritual.
The Rite of Handfasting
The Rite of Handfasting is a marriage ceremony led by a qualified representative of the Hall. The purpose of the ritual is to bind two lovers in matrimony, ritually enumerating their duties to each other and acknowledging their oaths to abide by these vows. The two exchange rings as a sign of their pledging, and their hands are ritually bound together. They pass under an arch of swords held by
Knights of the Hall, representing the Hall’s promise to watch over and protect the couple.
The Rite of Elderhood
The Rite of Elderhood is given to a man upon reaching the age of 40. The purpose of the ritual is to acknowledge the contributions a man has made to the Order and to the community, and the honor he has gained in doing so. The man may be presented with a gift from the Order to mark his new status. He may also choose a new name to be known by in ritual, to reflect the lessons the years have taught him.
The Rite of Sagehood
The Rite of Sagehood, similar in many ways to the Rite of Elderhood, is given to a man upon reaching the age of 60. The purpose of the Rite is to acknowledge the contributions a man has made to the Order and to the community, and the honor, wisdom and respect he has gained in doing so. The man may be presented with a gift from the Order to mark his new status. He may also choose a new name to be known by in ritual, to reflect the lessons the years have taught him.
The Rite of Remembrance
The Rite of Remembrance is given to a man or woman at death, and serves to mark his or her passage to the Land Beyond the Veil. Those who knew the deceased are invited to share their memories, so that he or she may not be forgotten, and the Litany of Remembrance is spoken.
So here we can easily see how we, as modern Pagan spiritual males, have missed the mark and struggle to find our center. Now you can move to higher levels of consciousness with the self-empowering modalities you will now have available to you so wisdom can finish what Knowledge has started. Welcome to your Whole Self!
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