River Rituals... As a Celtic Recon Pagan, this article in the Toronto Star today caught my interest...

Adrienne Duff noticed them three years ago, drifting in a Brampton branch of the Credit River.

Clusters of flowers, plastic statues, coconuts – some still wrapped in plastic – even jewellery and money.

"We started receiving calls from landowners, not just on Fletcher's Creek but also in the main Credit area," said Duff, a watershed-monitoring specialist with Credit Valley Conservation.

The mystery was traced to devout Hindus who were making river offerings as a means of conveying blessings, part of their traditional worship.

Tossing votives into a body of water is also a very Celtic thing to do, and I have been known to toss a flower or two. I have yet however to toss any ashes...I'm not dead yet though!

I must admit, that as an amateur environmentalist, the tossing of human remains into small rivers and streams can become worrisome. But as a practitioner of an alternate religion where it is a custom, if I wanted to do this myself, I'd be annoyed if I were told I can't.

I suppose one solution would be to find a much larger river, one where small amounts would not harm and would become dissolved by the water. Smaller rivers and streams of course have less water to work with cleaning itself up. And the rivers and streams of Toronto and the GTA have enough problems with idiots tossing in garbage as it is, plus the airpolution of Southern Ontario falling into them whenever it rains....what to do what to do?

The suggestion as they've done in England may work. Find one or two rivers in the province that could allow votives and death rituals, bigger ones that would be better capable to handle it I suppose.

I know its a hassle, but it is a religious ritual and should be allowed. My cousin struggled with trying to find a final resting place for her mother; my aunt wanted to be scattered on a beach in Florida IIRC, and that wasn't allowed. My (same) cousin's friend, being First Nations however, was permitted to scatter her parents' remains in a lake in Central Ontario. It seems to be allowed in some places, and not others. And for some people, and not others.

As a Celt, with a bit of historical knowledge, I know that throwing votives in water is long tradition in a lot of places in the world. Rivers, lakes and wells in the UK have been dredged and lots of "treasure" has been found. Anything from gold and silver coins, to swords and armour, to wooden replicas of body parts would be thrown in as offerings to the Gods, or as prayers.

Depending on what you prayed for would depend on what you'd throw in. If you wish for the speedy transport of a loved one to the Otherworld, you may toss in their battle gear. If you prayed for recovery from illness or injury, you'd toss in a replica of whichever body part ails you, made of metal or wood depending on your wealth and/or skill.

This article, titled River and Well Worship, (which annoys me a bit, but that's another post I s'pose) from SacredTexts.com tells of how the Celts throw votives to the rivers.

I believe the Romans did too, as well as other cultures, including Indian Hindus, and North American tribes.

In this day and age however, we have to consider not just our own religious rights, but the environmental impact our sacrifices to the Gods may cause. I try to stick with indiginous plantlife when I throw anything in, and if I burn something I try to ensure it is non-toxic. Native North Americans burn or leave tobacco as offering to the Spirits, but to just crumble up a cigarette is not the same! It should be clean, un-adulterated tobacco, organic whenever possible. Cigarette tobacco is full of all kinds of toxic stuff, that I'm sure would not receive the same medicine from the Spirits that we'd get from organic tobabcco. Not to mention the filters are disgusting to burn. :p It bothers me to see anyone toss in a cigarette to a sacred fire without even thinking, or protesting when asked not to. Even when I smoked.


Anyway, the article posted from The Star got me thinking of what would happen here in Morganton if I or any other non-Christian were found to be tossing votives into the Catawba river. I somehow think we would not be offered the same compromises as the Ontario and Toronto governments are working with the Hindus there. We'd be charged with littering er summat, and made to pay a fine.

I don't know that I'd be brave enough to even try.

To my Pagan friends back home, be happy with the rights and freedoms you have there. Not everyone enjoys the same.  ¶ 11:59 AM