46 posts tagged “witches weekly”

Here's an interesting Witches Weekly, on a topic that is one of the most controversial in the Pagan community: curses.

1. How do you feel about the subject of curses?

There's an old saying, "If a witch cannot hex, she cannot heal."  Some say it means if you don't know how to hex/curse, you cannot succeed at healing (even if you never actually perform a hex).  Some say it's a reminder that every action you take has an opposite action, or a balancing action.  And some say it simply means that if you do not have the will to focus & direct energy for either positive or negative means, your magical workings/spells are ineffectual in any case.

Personally, I think there's not a lot of subtext in the saying.  I think it means that if you cannot bring yourself to take action against someone (if and when it becomes truly needful), you do not have the power to take action for someone, either.  It's like good parenting: sometimes we have to discipline (or -- gasp! -- even punish) our children, in order for them to grow up as ethical & responsible people instead of boundless & selfish monsters.  A loving parent doesn't enjoy punishing, but certainly is aware that sometimes it's necessary.

But the consequences should never be underestimated or taken lightly. In this day & age, corporal punishment is highly suspect by many people, and you might find yourself under investigation by Children's Services if you give your defiant preschooler a solid swat on the ass in the grocery store.  Similarly, the repercussions of casting a curse/hex may be more serious or widespread than you ever could have imagined.
 
2. Is it possible to curse someone? How often do you think it happens?

Long ago, what we call "profanity" actually were curses -- which is why they're sometimes called "curse words."  To tell someone to "go to hell" was actually a curse upon their soul, and to many that was even worse than doing them physical violence.  Even if there was no mystical power behind the epithet, all words do have power to some extent, and so such curses were seen as very grave and serious acts.

As to the sort of curses which involve actual ritual and spell work, I'm sure it is quite possible to curse or hex someone.  I doubt it happens very often, in any case, since a well-wrought curse requires more planning, focus and effort than someone is normally capable of when they're incensed or otherwise emotionally distraught (and that's probably a good thing!).

3. What would make you believe that someone was working magic against you, and how would you handle the situation?

It would take a series of extremely blatant and serious mishaps in my life, which could not be otherwise explained, in order for me to believe that someone was working magic against me!  But if such a thing did come about, or if I knew that someone were directing a great deal of negativity toward me, I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.  To some extent, you have to believe in a curse, or the power of the person casting the hex, in order for it to affect you significantly.  The best defense is a good offense, and an all-purpose protection spell is an excellent start (especially if you work it not only upon yourself and your loved ones, but also your home, car, and possibly even your place of employment).  Making a habit of developing (and reinforcing) good magical/psychic shields is a good idea in any case, and if you do the job right, it should protect you against any negative energies sent your way.  As a last resort, if you know for a fact that someone is cursing you, a binding against them from causing harm may be an option...but binding is almost a form of cursing, and also not to be taken lightly.  What goes around, comes around.

Here's a Witches Weekly on the Divine:

What is your definition of the divine, if you believe in divinity at all? (Do you adhere to a god/goddess, one spirit, many deities, etc)

The divine really has to be undefinable to some extent, in my view.  I can't believe in a "Higher Power" that is completely definable!  I believe that God/dess is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent -- and that humans are incapable of truly understanding how and why this is, or how and why God/dess allows certain things to occur (which are generally seen as undesirable to us, like natural disasters or mass killing sprees or most other kinds of suffering).  I believe that, "All gods are one God, all goddesses are one Goddess, and there is but one Initiator."  Some have questioned how this could be, in that the God of one religion is so different from the God of another religion...my understanding is that it's not God who is misinterpreted, but rather the people who believe God is a specific way who are misinterpreting.  (I may very well be misinterpreting God!  And I don't feel it undermines my devout beliefs to admit that.)  Perhaps some must see God in certain ways in order to fulfill their purpose in this life (whether or not reincarnation is what happens to us after physical death), but in any case, I don't believe that there is any "one, true way."  (That puts me at odds with 98% or more of the rest of the world's religious believers, of course, but that's just the way the cookie gets completely stomped and obliterated.)  Personally, I view God/dess as both general (when I refer to them as the Lord and the Lady), and as specific (when I refer to them as my personal deities or as specifically-named deities of another pantheon).  Those who have trouble with that concept are encouraged to seek understanding of the Invisible Pink Unicorn (who happens to be my teenage daughter's favorite deity, at least for the time being.  Wikipedia states that "there are no actual believers in this mock goddess," but of course Wikipedia is wrong, or at least is unfamiliar with teenage girls and what they will take seriously, because she certainly does take it at least as seriously as she does the drama-llama farming of her peers...she also jokingly proselytizes the Invisible Pink Unicorn to her friends).  Anyway, I take seriously whatever others (who are not flaming brainless dingbats) genuinely profess to be their religious beliefs...and I respect their beliefs up to the point that those beliefs impinge upon my rights to live and practice my beliefs.  If someone seriously, solemnly, and devoutly believes that God/dess is a giant fluorescent worm named Dirk who lives too deep in the earth to ever be seen by humans, I will respect Dirk as part of the "All gods are one God" concept.  Even in the midst of my suppressed giggles.

More about the Pagan community in my area in this Witches Weekly -- Your Local:

1. Do you belong to any sort of groups of worship or regularly participate in any organizations? If so, provide links.

I've studied and practiced under the tenets of the Church of Universal Eclectic Wicca for 5 years now, and currently am one of their "unaffiliated solitaries," but I've considered getting back into their lessons program...it would be a big commitment, so I'm still thinking it over.

2. What is the pagan community like in your area? Is it large or small, open or pretty hidden?

Ah, the local Pagan community in Portland, OR.  I would definitely characterize it as large and open.  There are at least 5 Pagan shops in town that I know of (in a city with a population of just over half a million), and plenty of groups that advertise teaching circles and public Pagan festivals/rituals.  Despite this, I often feel rather isolated as a Pagan in Portland (see below). 

3. Do you attend any regular events in your area?

No.  Here's an example of why.  In case the link goes down, let me share the text, which is the explanation for the ritual planned at this year's Portland Pagan Faire:

We hope to get the ritual started as close to 7:00pm as possible. Brigid's Fire will be on the stage, and they will be playing "Look to the Rainbow" as we enter from the East entrance. We will be lead into the Circle by our 7 rainbow spirits who will be wearing rainbow garb and carrying banners/scarf of the 7 colors. Once we are in and the Circle is formed, the directions will be called. Cernunnos and Cerridwen will be invoked. They will speak to the coming of the Spring and the greening of the Earth.

Brigid's Fire will start playing "Lord of the Dance" and the 7 rainbow spirits will get us all dancing; while we're dancing, the "mischievous pookas" will appear and steal the banners from the rainbow spirits. The music will stop and The Morrigan will fly down from the stage to issue a warning about the consequences of losing the rainbow. Cerridwen will join The Morrigan and ask Danu to come and help us find the rainbow. Danu will summon her "little folk" and they will dance a fairy ring around her. A "helpful pooka" will wander into the ring, and Danu will ask her to go to the other pookas and retrieve the rainbow, which she will do. Cerridwen's Cauldron is now in the middle and the 3 Goddesses and the God will be around it. The pooka will bring the rainbow banners to them and they will work their magic to restore the rainbow! Cerridwen & The Morrigan transform back to musicians, and start "She Changes Everything She Touches" with Cernunnos leading us in the spiral dance. When we have grounded around the cauldron, the Goddesses will reveal the gold in it and the "little folk" will distribute it. We will do another round of "Look to the Rainbow" and then we will devoke.

OMGWTFBBQ?!  This isn't a ritual -- it's a audience-participation stage production of the My Little Pony Tradition!  "Cerridwen will join The Morrigan and ask Danu to come and help us find the rainbow."  Someone was smoking way too much pot when they came up with this idea.  My personal (limited but emphatic) experience with the Morrigan is that she's highly unlikely to "help find a rainbow" -- and far more likely to smite stupidity in its tracks.  If the Pagans who came up with this ritual ever find themselves in Hawaii, I wouldn't be surprised if they misinterpret Pele as a "kind & gentle creation goddess."  *rolls eyes*

I'm sure they mean well, but what's that road to hell paved with?  Yeah.  Sometimes it seems that many Pagans don't take seriously the powerful energies they're dabbling with, especially the ones who've mixed in a bunch of New Age "sweetness & light" mumbo-jumbo.  The gods are not just bigger, friendlier, more powerful versions of how we viewed Mom & Dad when we were three years old!  They're not all sweetness & light, and it's sad that some have to learn this the hard way.

Possibly due to the Portland's large population of people with Irish heritage (we have at least as many Irish pubs as we do Pagan shops, and redheads -- even the natural ones! -- are common here), most Pagans in Portland practice an Irish/Celtic/Druidic tradition of some sort.  Although I most likely have more Scots-Irish heritage than Norwegian, I never strongly connected with any of the Irish/Celtic deities, and so I don't feel especially comfortable practicing with the local groups who invoke those deities.  (When doing a handfasting, I'm fine with invoking whatever the couple desire, as long as it's not uber-stupid, because the ritual is for them, not me.  However, a handfasting is not a large public "ritual" performed at Portland's largest annual Pagan gathering.)

I'm sure this all means that I need to develop more patience and tolerance for others' idiosyncrasies.  That said, however, I'm leery of developing more tolerance for others' idiotic behavior.

This Witches Weekly is on Sacred Symbols and Spaces:

1. Are there any symbols or symbology that are significant or special to you? (runes, shapes, symbols created by you) Why is it special to you?

The symbols that mean the most to me are the pentagram/pentacle and my personal bindrune.  The pentacle as macro-/micro-cosm is representative of all that there is, which basically states what is sacred (all of nature) in Wicca.  (Or, as the Golden Dawn's system teaches, the pentacle is one of four tools which are "symbolical representations of the forces employed for the manifestation of the inner self, the elements required for the incarnation of the divine."  In plain words, as far as I can tell, that means it's what you use to talk to God.)

My personal bindrune, which I designed on Oct. 3, 1996, and got tattooed onto my left hip on my 28th birthday the following June, incorporates the Elder Futhark runes of Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Kenaz, Wunjo, Hagalaz, Isa, Sowelu, and Laguz.  (And those are just the runes that aren't reversed -- I ignore reversed runes in symbols unless they're intentionally put there by the symbol's designer.)  I intended to put 5 of those 9 runes in the design, and after I finished designing the bindrune, I realized there were 4 more...and those were also significant to me in one way or another.  My bindrune is profoundly meaningful to me...in so many ways that I've never tried to enumerate them!

For anyone who's curious, the traditional meaning of the runes in my bindrune are: wealth/abundance (Fehu), strength (Uruz), thorn/hardship (Thurisaz), torch/insight (Kenaz), joy (Wunjo), hail/elemental destruction (Hagalaz), ice/standstill (Isa), sun/life force (Sowelu), and water/fluidity (Laguz).  Explaining why they're important to me would probably be a full-length book...especially since I keep discovering nuances that I never thought of a decade ago when I designed the bindrune!  One thing that means a lot to me, which I never noticed for years, is that the traditional magical elements are all there: Fehu (or Uruz) for earth, Kenaz for air, Sowelu for fire, and Laguz for water.

2. What does your special place of worship look like? (altars, sacred space inside or outside) Can you provide a picture?

I've never been particularly attached to any one place as a "special" place of worship.  There are places that feel more spiritual or inspirational to me -- certainly the ocean does! -- but anyplace where I need to connect with the gods/divine can easily enough become a sacred space through one's intent, will, action, & focus.  That may mean casting a circle, or it may simply mean adjusting your conscious awareness to another perspective.

Then again, I've never been lucky enough to actually visit a circle of stones or some other site in Europe or the British Isles that was traditionally considered sacred by the old religions, and is now considered so by many Neopagans.  Maybe the experience of visiting Stonehenge or Avebury or Glastonbury Tor or Chartres Cathedral might change my view (even if it doesn't, I really want to visit all those places!!!).

This week has been pretty sucky, but I'm going to keep my spirits up if it kills me.  So here's a new Witches Weekly, on Your Knowledge (er, my knowledge...whatever).  And thanks to the new "My Links" feature, I don't have to link the main site in every post now!

My daughters, and any children they might eventually have, are welcome to my books (personal, as well as purchased) when I'm gone...they know they're already welcome to read any of them, as long as they stay in the house (preferably downstairs...books that make their way into kids' bedrooms often become lost books).  They've both participated in Sabbat rituals at various ages, and each been given a "welcome to womanhood" ritual at menarche, and I know they've each done some solitary practice.  Whether either of them becomes seriously dedicated is something that only time will tell; I'm not worried about it, since I didn't raise my kids to be witches, but rather I raised them to be knowledgeable about Wicca and to know they could be witches if they wanted to!  I rather envy them -- having been raised with Wicca means they have a perspective that I never will, since I didn't even hear about Paganism or Witchcraft as a modern practice until I was 19 or 20.  Hopefully I'll have many years/decades ahead of me to share what I'm able to, that doesn't reside between the covers of a book!

And another Witches Weekly, because they're just so darned much fun.  This ones is on Classes.

1. What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?
The only class I've ever taken was belly-dancing (almost everything else I've learned, from crocheting to cooking to HTML to parenting to ritual workings, came from a combination of reading books and trial & error!).  My best friend from high school was looking for something she could do with her daughter, and suggested that my daughter & I join her in a belly-dancing class through the local community college, so we did.  (This was several years ago, when I was closer to 30 than 40!)  I found out that belly-dancing is seriously great for toning your abdominal muscles -- I've always had "abs of steel," but after a few classes, I discovered muscles I didn't know I had!  I also learned that I cannot dance without choreography -- give me a dance routine to learn and I will do it brilliantly, but never ask me to ad-lib because I'll just stand there looking panicky & awkward.  (This explains why I don't dance socially...and nobody ever gets to see the silly dances I do when I'm alone at home with the radio on while I do dishes or fold laundry.)  The best things about belly-dancing were the sensuality, how it's body-positive for virtually any size/shape person, and some even suggest that it was the first known dance form involving Goddess-worship (or at least fertility magic).

2. If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be?

FC101 -- Feces Coagulation (Getting Your Shit Together).  The irresponsibility, inconsideration, immaturity, and all-around idiocy of the various Pagan fruits, nuts, & flakes I've had to deal with over the last decade or so are the main reasons I'm not "active" in the Pagan community.  The sad thing is that the people who most need a "FC101 class" are the ones least likely to seek one out or actually attend one, much less apply what they might learn to their lives.

3. How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?

I certainly don't claim to be "the uber-responsible example that everyone should follow" -- far from it, I have a terrible problem with procrastination and lack of initiative in many areas of my life.  That said, however, I have learned a great deal over the last couple of decades (and applied those lessons very positively in my life!) about nearly every aspect of ethics (especially with work, love life, parenting, & friendships).  I also have a very down-to-earth, straightforward perspective that more than a few Pagans I know could benefit from adapting to their own choices and lives.  Even just a few simple changes of behavior applied to interpersonal relationships and everyday choices can make a huge difference for the better...sometimes it requires re-programming old habits, and that's a lot harder than most people imagine, but it's certainly worth the effort expended.

And, while I'm fairly certain that few people realize that this is something quite important to me, the best thing about my perspective / viewpoint / philosophy of life is that with every person I meet, I may have something to teach them -- but I also have something to learn from them.  What I learn may not be what I expected, or what I thought I would learn from them, but it's always something I needed to learn.

This is an interesting Witches Weekly, in my opinion, because Pagan Clergy are not exactly easily found in the Yellow Pages -- and don't have the same sort of training, or professional validation or certification, that clergy of more mainstream religions do. 

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?

Wicca (and some other Pagan sects, but I'm most familiar with Wicca so that's what I'll discuss) is a religion of clergy, rather than a group of laity led by select members who are clergy (the "shepherd & flock" model); Wiccans do not require the intervention of another person -- a clergy member -- to commune with their gods.  (And that's one of the best things about Wicca, in my opinion.)  My understanding is that all Wiccans who are solitary are their own clergy by necessity, and all Wiccans who are coven-trained are initiated as clergy at either First or Second Degree (or their equivalent levels).  Therefore, it's really not possible to compare Wiccan clergy to other religions...because, once on a certain level, we're all clergy.

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?

I've always been a big fan of ceremonies involving a life event (naming, coming of age, handfasting, croning/sage rituals, funerals, etc) taking place either at the home of those involved, or in the outdoors if at all possible.  Of all the handfastings I've been privileged to officiate (eight thus far), only one took place indoors, and that was mainly due to the season (and the couple deliberately chose a local environmentalist center with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto gorgeous land & trees).  So I doubt I would use a Pagan temple.  Actually, if I felt the need for something like that, I'd probably just join the local Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans!

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?

That would depend on whether they were a certified counselor.  I don't believe it's necessary to believe in a certain faith or belief in order to effectively counsel those who hold those faiths/beliefs.  When my primary partner and I (who happen to both be Pagan) went for couples' counseling a few years ago, our counselors were not polyamorous -- and, in fact, had barely heard of polyamory and didn't really know anything about it! -- but the counseling we got from them was absolutely valid and valuable (it probably saved our relationship!), and they never tried to undermine or discourage our practice of polyamory.  It should be the same way with any counseling.  Qualified, ethical professionals won't try to change you; they'll simply help you obtain the tools & skills to enable you to make the changes which you've decided are best for yourself.

As for informal "counseling," which is more along the lines of discussing problems with friends & brainstorming possible options or solutions, I don't think that Pagans necessarily have a better ability to facilitate or promote that.  While some may believe that Pagans are "more empathic" or "more spiritually evolved" than non-Pagans, I haven't noticed any such thing in the 12 or so years since I came out of the broom closet and actually got to know other Pagans in person -- and I have noticed an alarming tendency for many Pagans to be casually careless about meeting basic responsibilities such as showing up on time for appointments, holding down a steady job & paying bills, behaving with consideration & courtesy, instilling basic self-discipline in their children, or adhering to a firm & consistent ethical code.  So I'm not going to deliberately seek out a Pagan friend to advise me on my problems; I'm going to seek out the friends I know have successfully solved similar problems, regardless of their personal faith!

This Witches Weekly is on Your Deities...

1. What type of theistic structure do you follow? God and/or Goddess, gods, or some form of everything/all is god?

All of the above!  I have my personal patron deities, Freya & Tyr (it may be an odd combination, but I'm a rather odd chick).  I also honor all deities with whom I feel some level of connection, from any pantheon.  And I recognize & honor the formless essence of the Divine in nature, in relationships, in situations, and in each moment.

And there's the "urban goddesses" that I give thanks to, as well (some may find it bordering on sacrilege, although the Goddess did advise us to worship "in mirth" as well as in reverence!) -- Asphalta, She of the Gravelly Black Surfaces, the goddess who blesses me with good parking spots; Traffica, the goddess who gives me green lights when I'm in a hurry and protects me from idiots behind the wheel who may drive recklessly; Caffeinia, the goddess of the sacred rejuvenating beverage of coffee (and in her lesser aspect, tea or hot cocoa); Hireme, the god/dess of obtaining a (better) job; and any other gods I need to make up on the spot.  (For those who scoff, let me assure you that ever since I started honoring Asphalta by name, and thanking her by leaving a penny on the ground every time I am blessed by her, I almost always get fantastic parking spots!)

2. Have you ever felt his/her/its/their presence directly?

Every time I'm at the ocean, I feel the gods very strongly; I have lived within 100 miles of the ocean almost my entire life (excepting only about 3 years) and have always associated the ocean with the Divine, even as a young child when I had no conscious concept of God/dess.  My mother told me I was conceived at the beach, and I was born in a hospital room overlooking San Francisco Bay, and I spent the happiest years of my childhood living in Hawaii & frequently swimming in the ocean; so in a way I feel that I'm a child of the ocean.

And with Freya as my patron goddess, I often feel her presence in moments of passion!  In moments when I am considering ethical choices or living up to a promise I have made, Tyr is definitely there to remind me of what's right & honorable.  

3. How and where do you pray to, or honor, him/her/it/them?

I honor my patron god & goddess in ritual, as well as in everyday moments of thankfulness whenever I recognize their presence in my life.  That may sound boringly generic, but basically I honor & thank any deities that the moment calls for!  Even if, unfortunately, that deity may be Murphy (of Murphy's Law) in the god's guise as trickster.  Sometimes you just have to recognize the gods are laughing at you, and it makes life a lot easier to just accept it gracefully & join in with a good chuckle.

Still working on catching up on the Witches Weekly archives (although I have no clue as to what I'll do once I catch up and only have 2 or 3 a month to work on! I may have to help contribute questions *smile*)...this one is Your Paganism:

1. Name on of your goals within the next year that pertains to your spiritual path.

I don't know if this is exactly spiritual, but I'm still working on a couple of personal issues that I've tackled off & on for years -- practicing more patience, and re-considering/moderating my first reaction to given situations before shooting off my mouth about what I think.  Some of my close friends might find my opinionated nature to be entertaining, but I don't think most people do.  *wry grin*

2. Describe a brief outline to one of your rituals or spells.

Er, I'm sure I pretty much follow the same outline that just about every practicing witch follows, I'm guessing...

*Decide where the boundaries of the circle will be and collect together the necessary ritual & practical items needed

*Center & ground, focus on intent for ritual

*Bless/consecrate the water & salt, mix it & cleanse the circle perimeter with it

*Bless/consecrate the incense & flame (lit candle), light the incense on the candle & cleanse the circle perimeter with it

*Cast circle with athame & intention/will

*Call quarters starting with East & going deosil

*Invoke Goddess & God

*Do whatever ritual/spell/divination is planned, ending with cakes & ale

*Thank/dismiss Goddess & God, then thank/dismiss quarters starting with North & going widdershins

*Uncast circle widdershins with athame (many Pagans I know don't do this, but instead let the circle dissipate on its own...every time I've done that, I get jumpy & jittery -- I have to uncast & pull the energy back in or it drives me nuts)

*Center & ground (usually includes eating, preferably carbs)

*Clean up

The more detailed text on how I do circle can be found on this page, about 3/4 of the way down (Lesson 8).  I've pretty much done it this way for around 10 years now, although I can certainly change things up when requested for handfastings or group rituals that I participate in.

3. If you celebrate Beltane, what does the season mean to you? Are there any particular deities that you honor or special ritual tasks that you do for Beltane?

To me, Beltaine has always been about passion.  Spring is in the air, bringing "spring fever" to the young (and many not-so-young!), critters are having babies, the days are lengthening & getting warmer, and in general it seems that many of the passions found in nature are growing along with the season.  Beltaine is probably my favorite Fire Festival (and 1 of my 2 favorite Sabbats, along with Litha, although the equinoxes would tie for next place), partly because I particularly appreciate the masculine energies of Deity and these Sabbats are when the God is traditionally growing to his prime in the Wheel of the Year mythos.  And -- ahem -- Beltaine is a sexy festival.  If you haven't heard the cheerfully-naughty folksong "First of May," you've got to listen to it.  *really big grin*  (That I've heard it -- and have it in my iTunes -- is all Jaz's fault.  Tee hee!)

Ooh, another Witches Weekly with some meat on its bones!  So to speak...  This one's on Death and Afterlife.

1. What are your thoughts on what happens after you die?
I have no clue, and I'm really not worried about it.  I mean, it's not like I can do anything about it, so why worry?  I also don't care what happens to my body after I've died...I'd prefer cremation, simply because it seems the tidiest and most practical, but if cannibals make me into stew and use my femurs for drumsticks, it's not like I can exactly complain about it (when I read about the practice of making soup out of a dead loved one in Stranger In A Strange Land, I actually thought it was a rather sweet idea).  I don't know why the idea of "desecration of a body" has no emotional impact on me, but maybe it's because I've always believed that my body isn't who I am, it's just where I live.  And once I move out, it's no more sacred in my mind than any other vacant residence (considering that I've moved homes about 35 times in my life, I have virtually no attachment to any particular place, and "home is where the heart is" means that my home is with my loved ones, wherever they happen to be).

2. Has this belief changed at some point in your life from a different theory? If so, how?

Nope.  The whole heaven/hell afterlife concept of the Christians has always seemed woefully inadequate & simplistic to me, but I've never been overly impressed with any other religion's explanation of the afterlife, either.  One reason Wicca appealed to me is that there doesn't seem to be a consensus on what happens after we die -- other than the general idea that we're too busy living to worry about dying!

3. Do you belief in any sort of karma and reincarnation?

My view of Karma is basically the Law of Return -- what you put out comes back to you, possibly manifold.  (Although "The Rule of Three" annoys me, because it doesn't make any sense at all -- you can't measure experiences or emotions, or quantify "good & evil."  Whatever cannot be measured or quantified cannot be definitively multiplied, so there's no way it can work that way!  If something can't be measured, it's not science -- and mixing religion/spirituality and science is comparing apples & oranges.  Doing it is an exercise in futility, insanity, or both!)

Whether or not Karma accompanies reincarnation, I have no idea, and I have mixed feelings about the possibility.  On the one hand, it sure would explain why bad things happen to good people -- maybe they weren't so good in a past life!  But on the other hand, it does seem like a really cruel concept -- to have to suffer in this life for choices you made in another life entirely, without any conscious thought or understanding of what you may have done in that life, and without being able to understand something, you cannot learn from it!  As Marcus said, on Babylon 5:

I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life was fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe.

I also have really mixed feelings about reincarnation.  There have been times I've met someone and felt an immediate connection, and reincarnation would very neatly explain this -- they're someone I knew in a past life!  However, I'm extremely skeptical about past-life memories (another reason the idea of "karma crossing lifetimes" kinda creeps me out).  And in general, the whole reincarnation concept doesn't make any sense to me -- what is the good of living multiple lives, if you don't remember them and therefore can't recall the lessons you learned in a prior life?!  The whole concept of the spirit/soul remembering what the mind does not is verging on Scientology (edit the engrams, what?), which is not a religion but rather a money-making con dreamt up by a total whack-job of a science-fiction writer.  I have a hard time believing that the mind and soul are not inherently intertwined, because that idea suggests that there may be living people without souls (if you can have a body that contains a soul but no mind -- such as in a persistent vegetative-state patient, or a baby born without the brain matter to allow consciousness -- then what's to say you cannot have a body with a mind but no soul?), and that is a very nasty concept that could allow some groups labeling others as soul-less.  As far as I'm concerned, the mind & soul are not necessarily the same thing, but are necessarily inseparable things.

Well, this really meandered way out of intended territory, didn't it?