Scott Cunningham, one of the pagan communities best loved writers, died march
28, 1993 after a long illness. Scott was born june 27, 1956 in Royal Oak,
became a pagan after a chance encounter in 1971, and was a prolific writer on
Wicca and the craft by 1982.

Scott's last book, _Living Wicca_, due out soon, discusses the Wiccan
Mysteries. Scott believed that these Mysteries can't be defined or put into
words; that you can only live by them and die by them.

Pleasant journet to the Summerland, Scott, Blessed Be and many fruitful
returns..

26 responses total.

What makes it really worth the trouble of thinking about some one who is
dead?

Scott Cunningham must have been a wonderful root to the tree of spiritual life
in the community of Pagani.  I wish that I had met hime.  The memories of a gr
great soul often bear wittness to the ideas and convictions which motivated
their acts and informed their souls. Among the greatest aspects of tradition
is that of honoring the departed, who may have fought the battles to allow us 
our spiritual freedoms.  :Jesse.

Scott's writting brought the Craft to a level that can be understood by
everyone, and brought it even more into the mainstream!
His impact on the community will be missed,...
As for the comment by "Weary Undead", homage to the dead is as important
for us as it is for them. Especially to the memory of one who came
out into society to tell our story! \
Ever been to a Samhain ritual...
Blessed be,
Phaedrus

What is a Samhain ritual?  I'm sure I've never been to one.

I don't see what value homage is to the dead, so it would seem to me to have
little value to anyone!  Your answer must have led mea different direction than
you intended.

No, it's just that your views seem "unpagan",??
-phaedrus

Weary undead, are you atheist?? If so, it's understandable why homage
to the dead would have so little meaning.
Samhain, among other things, is a time of death, a time to give respect to thos
those that have passed on before us. To what...??? Some may speculate to what,
I'm not sure. It can be very moving.
This is turning into a discussion of transitions, Life/Death!!
What, if any, concept of life/death do others have??
And how do you celebrate Samhain?
-Phaedrus

What phaedrus said.  Even if the dead don't know what we are doing in
our Samhain rituals, we know what we're doing, and I think it's
important for all of us to accept our own eventual demise as a
natural thing, and not to be afraid of it.

I think of Samhain and the more personal celebrations of passage
(funerals and wakes) as being a way for us (the living) to make
peace with the passage of someone who meant something to us.  Death
is hard enough to accept with these rites.  Without them the best
many people can do is put the pain out of mind.

For instance, I wasn't able to attend my grandfather's funeral,
and for years I was accosted at odd moments with the realization 
of how long it had been since I had written to him. After several
bad ments of sadness, guilt, and panic ("OH, how could I have forgotten
for this long?!") I would remember why, and cry myself silly.
It never happened with Grandma because I had completed my good bye to
her.  I had attended her funeral and been with others who were
mourning her passing for weeks after.

Samhain is our way of remembering those we have loved who've gone 
on ahead to whatever awaits us all.  We are generally sad, not
for them but for ourselves.  This gives us a way to celebrate their 
having lived.  Kind of a post-mortum birthday party as much as
a yearly funeral.  Eventually the tinge of sadness wears thin and 
we are truly celebrating again.

well...in my opinion anyway.

BraVo Rob, and MT!!
Why is it also that xtianity has made deathm among other realities, a dirty
secret..?? In my experience at least it has.
-phaedrus

This response has been erased.

I didn't think asking a question was "slighting or belittling", but your
agressive post seems to answer my question thank you.
"...me thinks he doth protest all to much..."
Chris, who, or what exactly is "the man"?? Or is this something you learned
from "them"??
Praise BOB
-phaedrus

I'm sorry, in what way did I (or phaedrus or anyone else) belittle
Christianity, or Emannuel himself?

This response has been erased.

HELLO...Hello...hello...
This is the place to speak, listen and express. Ideas are different not wrong
It seems to me expressing ideas is a major part of being Pagan, or any 
belief that honors exploration of thought.
"we wont wait any longer..."
-phaedrus

As we are on the way to Samhain, does anyone have any good ideas for ritual?
I'm really focusing on the ancestors this with the group I'm in. It seems
obvious, but many times, we get caught up in other tangents.
Does anyone have any ritual ideas, songs, and the like that you would share?
blessings,
phaedrus

The Samhain ritual that I remember best was froma children's rite.
The children were taught the chant:

        Behold the Circle of Rebirth
        The Cord of Life
        Will never fade away

Then they formed a large circle and went round and round chanting.
Simple, but effective.

"...Is there anybody out there?"--Floyd

Nope. The exitentialist hummingbirds tread the air on gossamer jellybabies.
.s

Fabulous!  It's good to know that everything has returned to some semblance of
order!

HUH?

Re #6:  Just because i happen to be atheist (or agnostic at least) doesn't
mean i'm unfeeling, uncaring, immoral, or anything else.  I still feel respect
for the dead, and i can't think of any reason why you seem to expect atheists
to be unfeeling and uncaring...

I was truly saddened when i heard that S. Cunningham was dead. He had made many
 contributions to Pagans, in USA, possibly worldwide. He shall be missed.

He was my favorite writer for Solitaries.  Although he was a prolific
writer, he died at so young an age that I'm sure much was left unsaid,
untaught.  I surely miss him.

I have heard it said that he felt he had written what he needed to.  Not
suggesting that he wanted to die, just that his timing was pretty good.

Certainly, Cunningham's was an important contribution which changed the
type and tone of material available to people coming into the Craft today.

He was the one whose writings introduce me to ththe Craft.
May he do as well in the next incarnation.

(shrug)
I wish him well.

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