What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

[thalassa]

So...as a result of the whole ephemeral internet issue, and a recent blog post I read by Hecate Demeter, I have to wonder...

What happens to your stuff when you kick the bucket? Your BoS, your ritual poetry/artwork/whatever, your runes, that personal tarot card deck you made, the herbal you painstakingly researched, etc? Do you have a plan? Have you even thought about it?

I mean...if you *do* think about it...think about how much information and experience we loose when we loose someone's work, whether they are some BNP or not.

(This is pretty much a problem everywhere, not just among Pagans. In science, in our family histories...)

[Rae'ya]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

I'm hoping that our children will be interested enough to take those things on and pass them to their children and so on. But otherwise I plan to have a plan with the spirits who inhabit my things, so that they don't just end up stuck in the garbage dump or something. In an ideal world I'd love for some physical things to be cremated with me so that we can cross together, but I don't know that'll be an option.

[Jembru]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

Your BoS is traditionally meant to be buried with you, or burnt isn't it? It seems a bit of a waste though. I suppose as the youngest family member with an interest in paganism, mine would automatically go to my niece. I think that whether or not she is still practicing at that point in her life, she'd know what to do with them. I wouldn't have a problem with others reading my BoS and other journals if they were interested enough.. so maybe they'll end up staying in the family. That said, I wish I'd taken a bit more care over my spelling.

[Sean R. R.]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

I'm writing both a Grimoire and a Book of Shadows. When I'll be old I'll publish them both and sell the manuscripts at ridiculous amounts of money. If they are sold then: If I ever have children: Give that money to them. If I don't: Donate that stuff to charity or something like that.

[Gleb]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

I'm writing both a Grimoire and a Book of Shadows. When I'll be old I'll publish them both and sell the manuscripts at ridiculous amounts of money. If they are sold then: If I ever have children: Give that money to them. If I don't: Donate that stuff to charity or something like that.

What's a Grimoire?

[Sean R. R.]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

Like a spell book. A book in which you compile all of your spells, summoning techniques and stuff of the sorts. A Book of Shadows is more of a journal where you write your own experiences.

A Grimoire can also be a treaty of sorts in which you explain how (according to yourself) magic or energies work, and stuff of the likes.

The line between the two is blurry though.

[Gleb]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

Like a spell book. A book in which you compile all of your spells, summoning techniques and stuff of the sorts. A Book of Shadows is more of a journal where you write your own experiences.

A Grimoire can also be a treaty of sorts in which you explain how (according to yourself) magic or energies work, and stuff of the likes.

The line between the two is blurry though.

Huh, sounds very nice!

[Jembru]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

Shawn, I keep all that kind of stuff in my BOS too, so what do you generally record in your BoS? Is it more like a workbook/journal? Actually, I thought about mentioning this before, but decided it wasn't quite on-topic. As grimoires have come up, I guess it won't hurt. My sister and I have talked for a while about writing a family grimoire and paying to have it made into a book (if we can afford it, we want to make 2 copies, but one would do). We have a few family traditions, not necessarily pagan but as a few of us identify as pagan, it seemed like a nice idea. We have a few family spells that we all do (like 4 of us, over 3 different households, light a green candle on a Thursday, and will call one another to make sure we don't forget ^^), we thought it would be a lovely little keepsake. My SIS did quite a lot of work looking into our family tree, so we want to include that, and maybe leave blank pages so that future generations can add to it.

[Shahaku]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

If I were to go before my husband, while my daughter is still too young to understand, I would want him to hold on to it and give to her, and explain the meaning. If I were to go after my husband or at the same time, I want my daughter and my pagan things to go to my best friend and I trust her to raise my daughter on a pagan path. My hope is that I will live long enough to see she gets it at an age when she can appreciate and understand it. Maybe 25? Hehe. That's older than I am now.

In a way, my daughter is my greatest pagan thing. I want to raise her to be a prime example of paganism, though if she chooses another path I will be understanding. At the very least, my hope is that she will be evidence to bahhumbugs that pagan parenting doesn't raise monsters.

[Gleb]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

I would give my book of shadows and amulets to the person I trust most. I will even fly somewhere and give it to one of you guys. But it will be after some good decades.

[Heka]

I hope I have a kid/grandkis to pass it on to.

Though if I ever get like Rae'ya, and have objects with spirits attached... I dunno, burial with me (I intend to be buried naked in a cardboard box - return to nature asap) perhaps, or some kinda passing on something... though some of the kbjects could go to the afore mentioned kids/grandkids.

[Sean R. R.]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

Shawn, I keep all that kind of stuff in my BOS too, so what do you generally record in your BoS? Is it more like a workbook/journal?

In my book of shadows I explain in detail my personal experiences with spells or workings or summonings. My grimoire is more of a "how to" kind of thing.

[Jembru]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

In my book of shadows I explain in detail my personal experiences with spells or workings or summonings. My grimoire is more of a "how to" kind of thing.

Ah I see! That's a pretty logical way to organise your notes and probably not THAT different to my own system.

I keep notes of my experiences in my bos sometimes too, but that usually goes into a rough notebook unless it seems highly significant. My bos, like your grimoire, is mainly a reference book. Spell methods, recipes, herb uses and so on. Yet it also has pages where I write about my beliefs. It's like, if I am experimenting with an idea, or doing exercises from a book or whatever, my findings go in my notebook (when I was younger, I called these notebooks my 'book of illumination', because they were where I found, through trial and error, inspiration that later 'cast the shadows' that were recorded as more permanent truths in my book of shadows). Things that I discover that ring true or appear to work.. or in any other way seem significantly meaningful, are then neatly written up in my book of shadows. So I guess your BoS would be more like my notebook, and my BoS is closer to a what your recognise as a 'grimoire'?

In either case, I never considered my notebooks. They tend to be thrown out when they're full and anything worth keeping has been transferred to my book of shadows, but I think I would prefer any of those currently in my possession to be destroyed on my death. The findings in my bos are fine to share with future generations, but the bitching and moaning, not to mention the explicit dream imagery, that fills the pages of my notebooks, is probably best forgotten!

Also, sorry for spelling your name wrong! I did notice, but only after the 10 minute window was long past.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

Wonder how many people actually have tomes of knowledge. A series of grimores, BOS, Books of Dreams, Books of Spells and various other books that make up the entire collection. Yet everyone always seems to only focus on BOS or the corrupted notion of Grimores.

[iris]

Re: What happens after Pagans die (to the Pagan stuff)?

I keep a few books... a journal that's for anything I happen to think about, dreams and such. A book with thoughts and notions on whatever I'm reading at the moment, and results of spells I've tried (actually I have several of those, trying to keep the different paths seperated)... and my book of spells, that just a "to do" list really... Reently took up rune works, so now I have a seperate book for that too... it's a mess really, but there's order to the chaos!
I haven't really thought about what happens to it when I die, I'm 21 so I don't plan on leaving for a while... If I did die today, I would hope my boyfriend would take it, or give it to one of the few pagans I know. But I don't plan on it, got a lot more work to do first When I'm old and grey, if I have children who are interested they should have it, but I wouldn't want to force it on anyone. If not, well, I hopefully know a few more pagans by then.