I didn’t write this, I got it in an e-mail, so I have no idea where it originally came from…
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Alexandrian/Gardnerian:
To reveal this would be to break my oath of secrecy. I can say, though,
that it really is an ancient rite, dating far back in time, back even
before 1951, and I have learned it from an unbroken lineage. As Gerald
said, it takes a chicken to make an egg.
Asatru:
First, we don’t believe in a “One Chicken” or a “Hen and Rooster.” We
believe in many chickens. Second, “crossing the road” is part of the three
levels, or worlds, and the chicken simply crossed from one level to
another. Hail to the Chickens!
British Traditional:
The word “chicken” comes from a very specific Old English word
(“gechekken”), and it only properly applies to certain fowl of East Anglia
or those descended therefrom. As for the rest, I suppose they are doing
something remotely similar to crossing the road, but you must remember that
traditional roads are not to be confused with the modern roads…
Celtic:
In County Feedbeygohn on Midsummer’s day, there is still practiced St.
Henny’s Dance, which is a survival of the old pagan Chicken Crossing
fertility rite. Today, modern pagans are reviving the practice, dedicated
to the Hen and the Green Rooster.
Ceremonial:
“Crossing the road” is a phrase that summarizes many magical structures
erected and timed by the chicken to produce the energy necessary for the
intention of the travelacross the road. For example, the astrological
correspondences had to be correct, the moon had to be waxing (if the
chicken intended to come to the other side of the road) or waning (if the
chicken intended to flee to the other side of the road), and the chicken
had toprepare herself through fasting and proper incantations. Note:
certain forms of invocation (summoning an egg inside your chicken self)
can produce abnormal or even dangerous eggs and should only be conducted
inside a properly erected barnyard. …
Chaos:
Thinking in terms of “roads” and “crossings” is simply looking at the
formal, typically perceived structure of chicken crossing space-time. We,
instead, focus on the possibility of chicken crossing itself; what appears
to be a random act is thus actually the norm - it is the road which is
the freak of chance. Indeed, quantum mechanics now demonstrates what we
knew all along: two roads can simultaneously exist in the same place at the
same time. Thus, by attuning ourselves to the dynamic energy (called
“crossing”), we can manifest the road. Of course, to the unknowledgeable,
this appears as a chicken crossing the road.
Dianic:
The chykyn (“chicken” is a term of patriarchal oppression) sought to
reclaim for herself the right to be on the other side of the road, after it
had been denied to her for centuries. By doing so, she reawakened the power
of the Hen within herself.
Discordian:
cock-a-doodle-doo !
Druid:
To get to the sacred grove, of course! Keep in mind that 99% of everything
written about chickens-crossing-the-road is pure hogwash, based on biased
sources. Yes, there were a few unfortunate chicken sacrifices in the past,
but that is over now…
Eclectic:
Because it seemed right to her at the time. She used some Egyptian style
corn and a Celtic sounding word for the road and incorporated some Native
American elements into her Corn-name,
Chicken-Who-Dances-and-Runs-with-the-Wolves.
(…I Loved that one… ha ha)
Faery:
In twilight times and under sparkling stars, those properly trained can
still see the chickens crossing the roads. Reconnecting with these
“fey-fowl” as they cross is crucial to restoring the balance between the
energies of modern development and living with the earth.
Family Traditional:
Growing up, we didn’t think much about “crossing the road.” A chicken was a
chicken. It crossed the road because that was what worked to get her to the
other side. We focused on what worked, and we worked more with the elders
of the barnyard and less with all this “guardians of the chickencoop”
business. We didn’t get our concepts of “chickens” or “the other side” from
Gardner, either. You can choose not to believe us since we did not “scratch
down” on paper what was clucked to us orally (which, at certain times in
history, was the only way to avoid becoming Easter chicken soup!), but that
doesn’t change the facts: there were real chickens, and they really
did cross the road!
Kitchen Witch:
The chicken crossed the road to get food, to get a rooster or to get away
from me after I decided to have chicken for supper!
Left Hand Path:
White, fluffy chickens prancing across the road! Do you think that is all
there is to crossing the road? Do you dare to know the dark side of
crossing the road and the other path to self-development?
New Age:
The chicken crossed the road because she chose this as one of her lessons
to learn in this life. Besides, there was so much incense and bright, white
corn to explore on the Other Side.
Newbie:
well, 'cause I read in this really kewl book that said, like, chickens are
supposed to cross the road, right?
Posting on an Online Discussion Group:
What do you mean <<why did the chicken cross the road?>> ???!!!??? Haven’t
you read any of the previous posts? We’ve been [expletive deleted]
debating every word of that question, painstakingly trying to come to some
kind of answer. I know you wrote <<all i wanted to know was why chickens
cross the road, im not looking for any chicken spells>> but I’m fed up with
newbies who can’t even bother to REEEEEEEEAAADDD the posts on that very
topic! No, this is not a flame. But, I and several others here have the
maturity to properly explore and respond to this question, and we were
properly trained; we didn’t just read a book and think we were
full-fledged chickens. <whew, feeling much better after ranting>
(… Newbies… Not to worry, you will never get a response
like that in this community… {Hug} Deeda)
Solitaire:
The chicken didn’t want to be part of a coven or an oven.
Shaman:
Crossing the road is a way to reconnect with the healing, visionary
lifeways of the past. Chickens have long known this, but increasingly the
Rooster’s Movement is adding more roosters to the crossings too.
Snert: (? ? What’s a “snert” ? ? )
Hey, are you guys really chickens? Can you give me a spell that will make a
chicken cross the road?
Wiccan:
The chicken crossed the road because she felt like she was finally “coming
home.” She could do it alone or with others, but she had to call to the
Guardians of the Watchtowers of the Barnyard first …
But the “pentagrams” they show, and are talking about are stars, not the traditional pentagram with crossed lines inside. Sure, many of the various “star”/planet deities have had “stars” as their symbols. Note they they expressly say the more usual symbol for Ishtar is an eight pointed star, in any case. There is a big diff between a “star” symbol for a Goddess who has a heavenly body as her symbol/home, and a pentagram as a symbol of protection/summoning. But still a cool site I learned some stuff from, and rather scientific.