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Today's winner is..."WANDA F from Paranormal Perfect.Enjoy your copy of Beltane" by Erin O'Riordan.I'll forward your email to the author.Congrats, my Wicked Darling!
5TH WICKED DARLING GUESTS' DIGEST (Apr 17th)
* A College Girl's Days - "Trust" comes in many forms and sometimes takes nine months to show its fruits. Oh, and I've been rightfully accused of enticing witchy fiction, and I love it!
* Bewitching Names - Anyone with the name Sabrina out there? Does anyone make the "Oh, just like Sabrina the Teenage Witch!" remark to you? And isn't Alizon a really fun variation of the better known Alison? Is your name spelled in an uncommon way?
TODAY'S GIVEAWAY (April 18th)
* "Witch Hunt" by Devin O'Branagan produces heart shaking effects-at least it did for me. Have you ever looked for a fictional book that shows you witchy lore, history through a thrilling plot? Well, my luvs, this is it. And you have the chance to get all this goodness for free. Go check out the giveaway.
I really like this pic of Leigh (and her earrings!).
TODAY'S POST (April 18th)
* This was a difficult one to write... it took me a couple of days. No; not that I revised it a lot. As terrible as this might sound, I don't revise my blog posts. I've told myself that I'll let them out as they come, and then a few months before the end of the witchy year (October) I'll revise the entire blog to correct typos and see how my mind and heart have changed over the months. Today's post took so many days to write because every time I started I got emotional; even last night, right before posting, I got emotional while sharing the occurrence to my Piano Man. Yes, Real Stories I Wish Were JUST Witchy Fiction, are tough to write and digest.
"Witch Burning" by Granat Olga
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Johnson Flipper Coin
Magic meetings are filled with grabby hands eager to play with other magician's props. For this reason, I've always been hesitant to hand out any gimmicked coins to the performer who promises to handle the coin magic trick gimmick carefully. A few years ago at the Columbus Magi-Fest convention, Troy Hooser had brought in a new flipper coin only to hand it out to a fellow magic fan who broke the gimmick.
and keep in mind this wasn't a $35 flipper coin.
I had a similar experience this week when I ignored my own advice and handed out my flipper coin only to have it fall apart in a fellow magician's hands. Now to be fair, it wasn't his fault. The tape simply wore outand thankfully the band did not.
The following day I proceeded to research how to fix a flipper coin given 2 common flipper coin magic trick problems.
FLIPPER COIN PROBLEM #1: REMOVING THE INSERT
To remove the insert, you're going to need a small screwdriver like a jewler's screwdriver or a thin nail file to pry the insert of the shell. Fortunately my gimmick was secured with double sided tape so prying off the insert wasn't difficult.
If have a coin with a glued insert, you'll need a solvent to weaken the glue such as nail polish remover.
(Hence my preference for double-sided tape)
With the insert set free, you can now replace the band (if necessary)
FLIPPER COIN PROBLEM #2: REPLACING THE BAND
To replace the band, do the following:
* Inspect the insert and remove any remaining fragments of the band
* Clean the groove as best you can by running a pin or a thin screwdriver to clean out any bits of the old band
* Add the rubber band to the larger piece of the flipper coin
* Add the small piece of the flipper coin into band resulting in a completed coin
* Secure the insert back into the shell with a small amount of double sided tape.
FLIPPER COIN PROBLEM #3: SECURING THE INSERT
Some folks swear by glue as a logical bind and other recommend double stick tape and even Blu-Tak.
I haven't tried Blu-Tak yet but I found the double stick tape was a practical solution. If you are going to perform gimmick coin magic, then you need to be ready for gimmicks to break. If you are table-hopping or away from your secret magic library, then you want a quick and reliable solution.
I don't want to be mixing a 2-part solvent to fix a coin while away and the double stick tape solution seems to do the trick. Although the Blu-Tak option is intriguing.
To secure the insert:
* Take a small piece of double stick tape off the role.
* Instead of picking up the tape with my fingers, I use tweerzer and the screwdriver to orient the tape
* Once the tape has been affixed to the inset, press the insert into the shell
* Get back to creating some great coin magic with the good 'ol flipper coin!
BLU-TAK UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2010
I was rummaging through my old coin trick collection and found a few other Sasco flipper coins and cigarette through coin gimmicks. Both were broken and I followed the same steps above and tried Blu-Tak on one of the coins. I don't recommend it as the "stick" wasn't sufficient. The two halves stuck together but I felt like I had to apply pressure to the coin to keep everything in place.
When I switched to double stick tape, it worked like a charm!
I also played with the stretch of the band to get the flipper coin to open up easier.
In my next post, I'll be sure to provide a comparison of some of the commonly available flippers. My Johnston flipper is well machined and worked great. The Sasco coins didn't work so well.
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NaijaBlog writes about the response to the latest Airplane Crash in Nigeria:
"...Never has the opiatic, under-developing effect of religion in Nigeria been so clear to me as it was last night, watching NTA. There will be no major change in the way aviation is run here, so long as the crash is classified as an Act of God, and our response to it conditioned to be one of prayer. Religion Nigerian-style numbs every sinew of the body, freezes the brain, and erodes any possibility of rational response, and above all, transformative action. It is, at present, a malign force - a force which does not transform, which does not heal. It is, as Soul says, the most vicious colonial effect.
It could, of course, be altogether different. Religion (whatever the hue) can be a force for change, for good. Prayers can probably be answered, in a sense (one crystallises intent through quiet moments of contemplation). But not where there is no accountability, not where religion is used as a political tool for repression (explicit or otherwise), not where material wealth is taken to be a necessary precursor to spiritual wealth..."
Origin: http://asatru-religion.blogspot.com
My friend Charles Hedrick, professor of religious studies at Southwest Missouri State University has written a very informative article on the "secret gospel of Mark." The article was published in the November/December 2009 issue of theBiblical Archaeology Review. The article is available online. If you want to know more about the "secret gospel of Mark" or if you have never heard of it, you should visit BAR and read the article.
The following is the introduction to the article according to BAR:
In 1958, while searching through the library of the desert monastery of Mar Saba, Biblical scholar Morton Smith made an astounding and controversial discovery: portions of a "secret" gospel of Mark. The handwritten Greek manuscript he found purported to be a copy of a letter by the second-century church leader Clement of Alexandria, in which Clement evidently responds to inquiries about "Secret Mark." Morton's subsequent publication of his discovery incited a maelstrom of controversy and speculation that continues 50 years later.
Below are two excerpts from the article:
The first quotation from Secret Mark describes the resuscitation of a young man who had died. The youth's sister pleads for help from Jesus, and both go to a garden tomb from which a great cry is heard. Jesus rolls away the stone from the door of the tomb, enters and resuscitates the youth. The youth "looking upon [Jesus], loved him." They go to the youth's house, "for he was rich." Jesus remains there for six days, and then advises the young man what he must do. The unnamed youth then comes to Jesus in the evening "wearing a linen cloth over his naked body. And he remained with him that night, for Jesus taught him the mystery of the kingdom of God."
When Smith published the results of his study of the Clement letter 15 years after its discovery, scholarly responses were harshly negative, even caustic. Many of the published reactions were inflammatory personal assaults on Smith himself,7 and in particular at his interpretation of the text, rather than concerned with the question of whether or not the letter was forged. (The forgery issue was first raised by Quentin Quesnell in 1975.8) Smith's conclusion was that Clement's letter was a genuine second-century text and that Secret Mark was also genuine-from the late first century. The Secret Gospel of Mark demonstrated that the Jesus movement had begun with a mystery-religion baptismal initiation: Jesus baptized each of his closest disciples into the mystery of the kingdom of God, "singly and at night." In his larger study Smith wrote: "In this baptism the disciple was united with Jesus. The union may have been physical... (there is no telling how far symbolism went in Jesus' rite), but the essential thing was that the disciple was possessed by Jesus' spirit." This is how Smith put it in his more popular book: The disciple ecstatically "entered the kingdom of God, and was thereby set free from the laws ordained for and in the lower world. Freedom from the law may have resulted in completion of the spiritual union by physical union."
I hope these two excerpts from the article will motivate you to read the article in its entirety.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
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BY: KENNY SMITH
While popular imagination tends to think of colonial America (e.g., 17th and 18th centuries) as a land in which universal religious freedom reigned, the early America religious landscape was in fact quite the opposite. "In all but the largest cities," James Hudnut-Beumler,"Dean of Vanderbilt University's Divinity School, writes in his recent an quite excellent book, "In Pursuit of the Almighty's Dollar: A History of Money and American Protestantism "(2007), "there was no choice in the matter of which church to attend. There [was] but one church for [each] settlement, [and] citizens were taxed to support the official faiths." In Massachusetts, this meant the Congregational church, in Virginia and other southern colonies, the Anglican church, and in Maryland, the Catholic church. Frequently, citizens were "legally required" not only to support "state churches" financially, but to attend them regularly. Religious dissenters (that is, those offering brands of Christianity at odds with the official churches), were subject to social, and sometimes even legal, censure, fines, and punishments.
The state-church system ultimately failed in America; by 1830 or so, the last of the state-church monopolies (in Massachusetts) had been swept away, and over the ensuing two centuries the concept of "freedom of religious expression" has come to be understood in progressively broader terms, including not only different brands of Christianity (e.g., Mormonism, Christian Science, 7th Day Adventist, New Thought) but religious traditions that look to other sources of inspiration beyond the biblical text (e.g., Scientology, Wicca, New Age). Today, one may "be religious" in an enormous number of ways, and scholars have even begun to wonder whether the most staunch atheists are, in fundamental ways, likewise "religious."
Scholars who study American religion have also wondered why, exactly, American history played out in ways that have emphasized a philosophy of personal religious liberty. Some point to theology, noting the individualism implicit in Protestant understandings of Christianity, which emphasizes "an individual's relationship with God", to some degree unmediated by religious institutions and authority figures. Others look to geography, arguing that, as colonial Americans explored and "settled" an endlessly wide-open frontier (though one suspects native American peoples saw the matter somewhat differently), they were forced to think and live along more ruggedly individualistic lines. Still others have insisted that, from its earlier years, the colonial American landscape was, as Jon Butler tells us, far more "complex and bumptious" than has been previously acknowledged, and thus the enshrining of religious freedom in constitutional principles was simply a pragmatic acknowledgment of this basic social reality.
Butler, who teaches at Yale and is a giant in the field of American religion, overturns some widespread assumptions about the American religious past. The colonies certainly had their share of pious Puritans (New England), Anglicans (the southern states), Quakers (Pennsylvania), and Catholics (Maryland), as well as raucous "upstarts" like the Baptists (Rhode Island), Methodists, and Presbyterians (some of the "dissenters" frowned upon by state churches). They also, however, had atheists and agnostics, and less philosophically inclined others who were simply indifferent to religion and more deeply invested in trying to carve out a livelihood for themselves and their families in the uncertain and often treacherous New World.
Perhaps even more surprising, Butler argues, colonial America was filled with "magical" beliefs and practices. These were entertained and practiced by people of every class, age, race, and gender, and included such things as: astrological lore and the casting of horoscopes; use of charms or enchantments in influencing people, animals, weather, and good fortune; conjuring of angels or spirits of the dead; banishment of evil spirits or forces; communication with animal "familiars"; foretelling the future through prophetic dreams, visions, and the reading of omens in the natural world; the use of amulets for healing or protection; the finding of lost items or persons. As Catherine Albanese (another giant in this field, and who teaches at UC Santa Barbara), it is a "virtual certainty, given the geographical sources of immigration to New England, that cunning folk, witches and wizards were disembarking from English ships in Massachusetts Bay along with everyone else."
Albanese, in fact, traces four different waves of British immigration to the American colonies between 1629-1775, each of which brought distinctive magical beliefs and practices to different colonies. The first of these was the English Puritan immigration to Massachusetts between 1629-1640. These folk hailed from Suffolk, Essex and Cambridge counties in eastern England, a region known for its central role in English witch-hunting. Thus, alongside Puritans, into colonial New England came "the rural and village metaphysics" of "cunning folk" who could see signs of the future in the present, manipulate the weather, discern the truth of hidden matters, heal illness, ease childbirth, and so forth. The second wave, a Royalist gentry class from southern England (with large numbers of indentured servants in tow) came to Virginia between 1649-1675. These possessed an "educated Hermetic inheritance," one preoccupied with reading one's personal fortune in the stars and in games of chance. With the third wave, hailing from the North Midlands regions of England and Wales and settling in the Delaware Valley from 1657-1725, "[f]olk magic came to Pennsylvania and West Jersey...even if the Quaker leadership discouraged it in favor of the doctrine of the inner light." Here, witchcraft beliefs became common, as did "prophecy, divination, geomancy, chiromancy and astrology." The fourth wave, from the north of Britain and Ireland, came to the Appalachian backcountry between 1718-1775. Among these peoples it was believed that "the signs that came to ordinary folk came from nature...in impersonal and unfailing ways and a source of wisdom, guidance, and, especially, warning in everyday life." Of course, many of these practices were illegal up into modern times, and those who engaged in them would necessarily do so discreetly. At the same time, they were often deeply interwoven with Christianity and the popular culture of the time, an issue which scholars are really just beginning to address.
The latter half of the 20th century has seen a number of attempts to revive these, and still older, magical pre-Christian traditions. Typically these traditions go by names such as Wicca, Paganism, Druidism, Heathenism, often grouped together under the label Neo-Pagan. Taken together, they constitute one of the fastest growing religious communities in America over the past two decades, conservatively estimated as representing at least 1% of the American population. This places them in a virtual tie in numerical significance with a great many other groups, such as Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists, each of which represents somewhere between 1-2% of Americans (the largest groups are Protestants at 50%, Catholics at 25%, and those professing "no religion" at 15%).
For many Neo-Pagan persons and communities, this past Saturday night saw the celebration of a major holiday, BELTANE. The Neo-Pagan calendar is quite distinctive, varying from the dominant western calendar in a number of important ways. For Neo-Pagans generally, the year does not come to a close in late December, but rather in the last days of October, when the agricultural cycle is winding down (after the harvest of fruits, grains, and animals). The course of eight major holidays (Sabbats) that follow (about every six weeks or so) trace out not just seasons and the changes in weather, but the ways in which sunlight and darkness change in relation to one another as the year progresses. Neo-Pagan calendars tend to be oriented around winter and summer solstices (the shortest and longest days of the year), and spring and autumn equinoxes (days in which light and dark are perfectly balanced). More, they are linked to the ways in which the Goddess and God (female and male aspects of divinity, or divinities), grow, mature, and develop, as the seasons pass. Beltane is a celebration of the coming of summer, a time at which the Goddess and God are young, filled with creative, loving, life-giving energy. Beltane is considered a very powerful, indeed fertile, time.
The Neo-Pagan "Wheel of the Year" is clearly a different way of experiencing time. Interestingly, as religious minorities that choose (and often need) to remain quiet about their religious identities (staying "in the broom closet," as it were) Neo-Pagans learn to live in two calendars simultaneously, that of the dominant culture, and that of the sacred.
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The Pentagram of Solomon Magical Amulet protects from all dangers and evil spirits. The Pentagram of Solomon was originally a symbol that King Solomon had upon a magic ring he always wore. He would use this ring to control and entrap demons, genies and evil spirits as well as to speak to animals.
The Pentagram of Solomon Magical Amulet is a highly effective and potent protection amulet. It is equally effective when used for protection rituals and spells or to be just be worn around the neck.
This magical amulet can also be used to control spirits, however caution should be taken when exercising this practice.
This amulet can be used to speak with animals telepathically or to help communicate with them in some way. If you are performing a ritual or spell to find or create a bond with a familiar, The Pentagram of Solomon Magical Amulet is your best choice.
The Pentagram of Solomon can be used in dark magick and black magick as well.
Pentagram of Solomon Magical Amulet Specifications:
Approx. 1 1/8" diameter
Comes with chain
made of lead free pewter
Reference: http://esoteric-soup.blogspot.com
Garden Rose (c) 2010 Sander Feinberg
The spiritual path is truly simple. It is simple because it is not about acquiring, accumulating, or achieving anything. It is all about giving up what we don't need. It's about giving up what isn't useful instead of acquiring things with the idea of going somewhere or achieving something. That was the old game. That game which we have been playing for a long time is like a vicious circle. It has no end.
Sometimes the spiritual search itself prevents us from seeing the truth that is always one with us. We have to know when to stop the search. There are people who die while they are searching for the highest truth with philosophical formulas and esoteric techniques. For them spiritual practice becomes another egoic plot which simply maintains and feeds delusions. Amazing! Buddha, God, truth, the divine, the great mystery, whatever you have been searching for, is here right now.
-from (p.37) NO SELF, NO PROBLEM by Anam Thubten, edited by Sharon Roe, published by SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS
Source: http://theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com
Play this fun online tarot reading game and see what the tarot cards have in store for you. With the help of the 22 Major Arcana tarot cards you can get insight in to which direction you are following now and what decisions you have to make in order to guide your life in the right direction. The Latin meaning of the Major Arcana cards is "big secret". Each card represents the joys and sorrows every person can experience in a lifetime. The cards are focused on three themes: the realm of the material world, the realm of the intuitive mind, and the realm of change.
To play the online tarot reading game think of a question or problem in your life that you would like to get an answer to. For psychic predictions select three cards from the deck in the top row. To see what each card means, click on their images.
Reference: http://thelema-and-faith.blogspot.com
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1: Expectation 2: Listen 3: Action.
When it comes to pray and getting result, your expectation is important. Do not expect anything natural from the spirit, or anything spiritual from the natural. Each one is different from each other. The natural things are the evidence of what occurred during the spiritual encounter. If you master this concept, you are on your way to seeing result.
Prayer has been called old fashion and out dated, but to the one who has experience the wonderful result of seeing it's worked in their life, it's a working ability that changes lives in a dramatic way when it is use correctly. The first stage to experience result is your EXPECTATION. Expectation is the combination of faith and believes. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1 KJV). "When you kneel down to pray, you must first have faith in what you believe will occur when you pray.
Pray is like the coming of a storm. At first there is a clam in the air like nothing is going to happen, all of a curtain you begin to feel the effect slowly. A little breeze and a cloudy sky will signify that you should raise your expectation. In other words something is coming. Don't be misinformed by the quietness before a storm. This is not the time to let down your guard or your expectation.
The purpose of a storm is to bring change, although the change may not be in the form of good news, however, it brings change. For example, a removable result occur when a powerful storm arrive. Now picture the after effect of a powerful storm. Devastation and destruction is the right words to describe what a storm could do. But at the same time, the things that were there before the storm is surly not there anymore, change is occurring.
Here is where you are challenged to take a good look and visualize the purpose of a storm. Yes, it is true that tragedy do occur during a storm. However, there is another side to a storm. You must look at the bigger picture in a spiritual way. "The old things pass away and a collection of new things about to appeared".
Now, the after effect from a storm is for the purpose of building something new, just like pray comes to change and remove. As a result, you now are building something different to what was there before.
This is how it works. If you "pray, at all times", according to the Bible, result is eminent. In other words, result will come. However, there are a few problems that seem to always occur when pray is being conducted.
Just before a storm or any kind of devastating occurrence about to happen. The authority will give warning advised about what to do in preparation for the storm. Some people do it and some don't, this brings us to the second stage, which is, LISTEN. This is where most of the mistake is made when it comes to pray, because pray is not a natural thing; you would not feel or see the natural effect with the natural eyes. If pray was a natural thing, Jesus would not instruct us to "go into out private place and pray. And when we pray, our father (God) who here in secret would rewards openly"."
If you listen carefully when a storm is about to come, although it will be very quiet with a clear outlook in the sky, you will here a distinguished sound. This is just like pray, the quiet and silent moment that you encounter after you finish praying is for you to listen carefully with your spiritual ear, and you will here something/instruction from the Holy Spirit. This is very important. If you do not do this, this is what will happen.
This article was written by Carl Mathis, for further instruction and information go to www.carlmathis.com.
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A stranded spirit, a sudden love...
Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life - or her actual death - she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.
Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that has held her captive for so long.
Amelia - still caught between life and death - must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua's Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers... and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.
Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life... a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price.
Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.
COMING JUNE 4TH 2013
A stalker ghost, misguided Seers, and spellbinding wraiths - Amelia Ashley has faced them all. Now her greatest hope is to spend the rest of her afterlife with her living boyfriend, Joshua. But the demonic forces return to give her an ultimatum: turn herself over to the darkness or watch them murder one living person per week until she does.
Amelia fears she might really be doomed, until the forces of light give her another option. She can join them in their quest to gather souls, with a catch: Once she joins them, she can never see Joshua again.
Faced with impossible choices, Amelia decides to take her afterlife into her own hands - and fight back.
Credit: http://my-spiritual-path.blogspot.com
People of all races, religions, sizes, backgrounds, personal opinions will tell you a different theme on how they view faith and how they individually practice worshipping their God(s). Reasons associated with childhood, structure, limitations, as well as fear have most people staying within the boxed in lines. They're scared to learn, afraid of influences of the world, and most of all, influences of their own mind and their own inner spirit. I'll even go as far to say that as children, we have been all brainwashed with a theory, a "truth", a belief system, or a lack ther. Most cling to that belief system, and very few people jump outside that box, to find out what God really wants them to do.
Worshipping God is a personal thing. Some like to meditate before prayer time. Others simply enjoy walking out in nature to experience God's beautiful creations. Some, will go to a church to congregate with others. Everyone has their own way. For me, fellowshipping with other "Christians" has left a bad taste in my mouth. Most judge and ridicule every single move we make, casting us into a fiery pit of hell. A ton of Christians scare others away from God, which is the worst sin of all.
"And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!" ~Matthew 6:5-8
This is what the bible teaches us. It doesn't mean we have to pray like this all the time. The point of this is, don't be so limited upon your prayers to God. Don't ramble on the same redundant prayer over and over again without any heart in it. For me, speaking to God as if He was right here is what works for me. I speak to Him anywhere, in the car, in the shower, outside on the hammock and even when I'm among other people, I'll say a prayer in my mind. My favorite way is early in the morning, facing the east side of my house overlooking the beautiful views of the mountains and lakes. I sit quitely, listen to meditation music, calm myself, and then pray. I try to listen for Him, instead of doing all the talking.
There are many times in the evening where I find myself lighting many candles, alone, just meditating upon His presence. It usually surprises me when someone criticizes another person of faith about how they pray and worship. Be unconventional; pray the way that fits you. I've even went so far to pray like the Muslims do. Catholics kneel to pray sometimes- this just takes it a step further. Communication with God isn't limited. Some people are completely uncomfortable with the conventional ways of praying.
How does one know the truth without seeking answers? I've come across many Christians who claim they "know the truth". Not one person "knows the truth", however, many believe what's "true to them". And we can't argue with them about it. It's "their truth".
In the bible, there's a great scripture that just popped up at me this moment...
The Future-Determined and Unknown
"Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny. The more words you speak, the less they mean. So why overdo it? In the few days of our empty lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? And who can tell what will happen in the future after we are gone?" ~Ecclesiastes 6:10-12
Even the bible tells us that we still do not know the truth. We rely on faith. Our faith- being our 'own'. The stress, anguish, resentment, criticism, judgment of people of the Christian faith comes from insecurity of their own destiny. If you think about it, if everyone was certain about their destiny, no one would be arguing. No one would be bickering over what's right or what's wrong. There would be peace on earth and one belief system- because it was revealed as the truth.
So then, what's the point of arguing, if no one knows for sure what the truth is? How can a mere person try to save another, when the other person's belief may be the right one?
No. one. knows.
We believe.
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Nuestra Bruja espa~nola Laura Wicca, tiene la suerte de trabajar en lo que mas le gusta, la magia. Da clases, da conferencias, consulta personas, tiene su espacio de televisi'on y lo m'as importante: es amiga de Puerto Rico Wicca...Jaj'a jaj'a bueno quer'ia decirlo. Tengo y estoy haciendo, muy buenas amistades paganas y wiccanas; cada cual est'a en lo suyo, pero estamos pendiente del trabajo de cada cual. Espa~na, esta haciendo un excelente trabajo en todo lo referente a la wicca y al paganismo en particular. Puerto Rico, esta ligado a Espa~na por su historia y por alguna raz'on, Puerto Rico Wicca tiene mucha afinidad con colaboradores Espa~noles. Con Venezuela nos pasa lo mismo. En M'exico, estamos entrando con una excelente contribuci'on del duende y otros colaboradores, nuestros saludos desde ac'a. Pues de Espa~na nos llega Laura Wicca, una de nuestras colaboradoras. Esta vez mostr'andonos su trabajo en la televisi'on. Nos gusta su naturalidad, sin contar con su belleza tanto f'isica como espiritual.
Es bueno ver, que alguien trabaje haciendo lo que mas le gusta. Puerto Rico Wicca cree firmemente y exhorta a todo aquel que tenga una habilidad en algo, que lo utilice para ayudar a los dem'as y ayudarse a si mismo. No le reclames a la vida si te da un don y no lo utilizas para vivir. Habr'a quien diga o deje de decir, la decisi'on es bien personal. Yo creo en que todas las herramientas est'an all'i. Vive y deja vivir, Haz lo que quieras y a nadie perjudiques...Felicitamos a Laura por esta nueva temporada de videos...Gracias por estar aqu'i y bienvenida una vez m'as...A ustedes, disfruten el video...
Proximo...Wiccanos.com y Wicca Spain por obligacion y deber, tenemos que hablar de estos dos recursos...Proximo.
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In the past year we have discussed a great deal about magic 2012-in other words, the transition into the Age of Aquarius, the renewal of the Mayan calendar, the interval represented by the year 2012.
You have probably noticed that 2012 is over... so what now? Simple, we move on to magic 2013. Magic 2013 is all about a different kind of magic, and very different from magic 2012. Before we dive in, though, let's take a quick look at the past year.
"MAGIC 2012: A RECAP"
Magic 2012 is probably best described, in magical terms, as an interval. For those of you who are familiar with music or the piano keyboard, an interval is very much like the half-step between two white keys. For those not familiar with the piano keyboard, don't worry. We will explain.
Magically, an interval is a pause in the octave of time. Within this pause, much happens magically. First, it is a time of massive change (and the chaos that can often accompany such a large change). In the Tarot, this is represented by the Tower card. In terms of world change, 2012 represented the first world change in which the planet itself did not bear the effects of the change. In previous world changes, the planet suffered from Wind, Fire, Water and other massive elemental pressures. Entire species were wiped out during such changes, and poles often shifted, with North and South poles changing places. You can imagine the chaos.
The year 2012 was the first world change in which humans were the ones to bear the effects of the world change that is the inevitable result of one age ending and another beginning. Humans elected, a long time ago, to shoulder the burden as a race. In effect, we humans agreed to become a Universal "experiment" to see whether we could use this world change to evolve as a species and avoid being wiped out (as were so many species in past world changes).
Many beings from other planetary systems in the Universe were curious about the results of this experiment and came to bear witness. Some have been walking among us for a few years or a few decades. Others chose not to incarnate and are simply watching from afar.
"MAGIC 2012: WHAT ABOUT YOU?"
So that is the historical perspective of magic 2012. But what about you personally? How did you handle the magic of 2012, and how did you use it?
On a personal level, magic 2012 was about seeing, exploring, and moving through our blind spots. The interval presented the perfect opportunity to make big changes in our lives. The process would have been chaotic, fraught with high emotions, and more than a little scary. But if you DID choose to make major life changes in 2012, you will find 2013 to be a major breeze!
The funny aspect of making changes in 2012 is that while it would have had major benefits for you in the coming years (2013 included), it probably looked to outsiders that you were having the worst year ever. The people we witnessed making the biggest changes and advances in their Spirit paths suffered calamities on all levels: physical, financial, emotional, and mental.
But-and this is huge-these same people also found that the calamities caused them to ask for help from all kinds of sources. The result? These people were literally buried by an avalanche of help. Angels, Spirit guides, helpful people from unexpected quarters, totems, and even some of those observers from other planetary systems all stepped up and gave help, assistance, guidance, information, clarity, and so much more. The affected people were surprised, overwhelmed, grateful, and amazed. And they built some very crucial relationships with allies on many levels.
If you were one of the people who elected to make major life changes in 2012, then you know exactly what we mean. Now, let's move on to magic 2013.
"MAGIC 2013... WHAT NOW?"
So 2013 is definitely upon us and moving at the speed of light. In case you have not noticed, time has sped up since the change in 2012. Everything is faster in this new age. You ask, and the Universe delivers-right now! So be careful how you think and for what you ask. Karma is also the other factor that has sped up. Remember that Beatles' song about "Instant Karma"? We are now living in the age of instant karma. So do try to keep your side of the street clean! You will definitely know if you have failed to do so!
What is happening to those who made major changes in 2012? We said above that life is a breeze for those people... and it is, compared to the rest of the world, that is. Those efforts made at life changes will definitely bring major benefits. However, life will continue to be inconvenient and "stuff" will still happen. The difference is that there is plenty of Universal help and support out there-you just have to ask. In addition, any magic done in 2013 will be greatly amplified and powerful. If life presents you with situations that seems crazy and impossible, look to allies and magic this year as powerful forms of recourse and adjustment.
What is happening to those who chose NOT to take advantage of the 2012 interval? It varies. For those who just want to live mechanical life as always, nothing much will change. Life may get a little more inconvenient, but since they are not really participating in the great experiment of humanity, nothing much changes for them. For those who are conscious and cultivating, change is still possible in 2013... it will just be more difficult and more painful. Part of the reason is that time has sped up in 2013, so the Universe is less forgiving, in a way, of errors in judgment. In actuality, it just means that karma comes around faster than before (not that the Universe is punishing anyone!).
If you have chosen to be spiritually conscious and find yourself coming up against some major barriers in your life, should you still attempt to make major changes in yourself and your life in 2013? Absolutely. Time is only going to keep speeding up and karma is going to keep coming around faster and faster. As inconvenient and painful as changing in 2013 may be (as compared to 2012) the benefits will still be useful.
Our advice? Ask for Universal help (angels, totems, Spirit guides) as much as possible. Look for signs of positive change and guidance everywhere (where you least expect). Do as much magic on a daily basis as possible, since we are moving out of the material world and into a much more energy-based magical world. And when life gets inconvenient and painful, practice acceptance as much as possible, realizing that this is simply the price to pay into change. The results will be definitely worth it - hundreds of times over!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Or, visit our website for more great resources.
"Photo
Credit: http://pinterest.com/nicholasandrea/"
Vrindavan, INDIA - We just received a sad news to Vrindavan His grace Aindra Prabhu suddenly left his body in Vrindavan few hours left. It was an accidental gas leak in his room in Vrindavan. He was found by fans looking for him to pay his obeisances to his divinity and Salagramas. He was in samadhi in this position. He was scheduled to make his usual attire this morning in Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar, Vrindavan.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Believers will very much miss this great champion and kirtan singer. His appearance was celebrated this year Papamocani Ekadasi, 12th March 2010. He spent his last 25 years in Vrindavan inspiring millions.
He was found in his room to do dandavat pranams front Goura Nitai and his personal gods. A fan who always helped him serve his deity, tried to open the door this morning, but when there was no reply, he had the door broken open, and Aindra Prabhu was found lying in silent obeisances to the Lord.
In 1986, Aindra Prabhu to establish themselves permanently in the Holy Dham, where he committed to serve the holy name in the form of Maha Mantra kirtan, has inspired thousands of fans from India and around the world with his great enthusiasm and melodic chanting. His amazing devotional recordings has spread far and wide, bringing joy to the hearts of thousands of followers.
On this famous day away our beloved Vrindavan I again urge offer my obeisances to the prestigious collection of trailers and humbly ask you all to a time-friendly and carefully listen to a few selected simple and truthful words from the heart of a very poor and insignificant Aindra Dasa.
Aindra Prabhu - I lost my heart in Aindra Kirtans! 5
Credit: http://crafty-witch.blogspot.com
VASSOURA
Pois bem, a func~ao dos instrumentos m'agicos (como s~ao chamados pela maioria dos praticantes) s~ao para invocac~ao de Deidades, para afastar energias negativas e para direcionar energias por meio do toque...
Alguns instrumentos s~ao mais conhecidos que os outros, isso gracas a popularizac~ao de algumas f'abulas e tamb'em gracas ao est'udio do Wald Disney - aposto que voc^es j'a viram alguma "bruxa" voando em vassouras ou cozinhando uma crianca num caldeir~ao. Certo?
O fato 'e que nenhum dos objetos possuem de fato poder - mas quando consagrados eles enriquecem os rituais porque re'unem neles a sua energia e a energia que voc^e utilizou para consagr'a-los...
VASSOURA.
A vassoura 'e comumente utilizada pelos praticantes da Arte para "varrer astralmente" sem tocar o ch~ao e limpar o local onde ser'a praticado o ritual em quest~ao. Outra forma de fazer uso da vassoura 'e a danca m'agica que foi de onde surgiu o mito de que n'os voamos por a'i (quem dera, heim?). Forma-se uma roda, e danca-se com a vassoura dentro do c'irculo...
Outra forma poderosa de se usar esse instrumento 'e reunindo as vassouras unindo-as pelo cabo e pelas cerdas para formar um c'irculo de poder onde nenhuma energia pode sair ou entrar... Esse argumento foi utilizado num filme, claro que usaram muitos daqueles raios e ventos. hahahahahaha
Um costume que 'e muito comum no interior do pa'is 'e colocar uma vassoura atr'as da porta quando a visita n~ao vai embora de jeito algum. Dizem as m'as l'inguas que funciona. O que as m'as l'inguas n~ao dizem 'e que esse 'e um dos mais antigos feiticos realizados pelas bruxas europeias. Divertido isso, n~ao acham?
A vassoura tamb'em protege a nossa casa se usada de forma correta: voc^e deve coloc'a-la no ch~ao transversalmente `a entrada da casa. Nenhuma energia negativa consegue passar por aquela porta...
Outra forma de utiliz'a-la 'e colocando sobre o travesseiro para que tenha um sono tranquilo, livre de sonhos ruins e tamb'em serve para proteger o corpo f'isico que est'a em repouso...
Algumas culturas dizem que as Bruxas "voavam" em vassouras pulando no solo (como fazem as criancas naqueles cavalinhos de pau) para promover a fertilidade dos campos...
Contudo, vale lembrar que n~ao adiante sair e comprar uma vassoura comum e achar que ela poder'a ser consagrada porque voc^e precisa faz^e-la artesanalmente.
Para faz^e-la voc^e vai precisar de um galho de 'arvore ou um pau de canela, ramos diversos (eu utilizei folhas de coqueiro) e ervas que devem ser escolhidas por voc^e, n~ao esqueca de verificar o significado de uma dessas ervas, ok?
LIMPEZA PESSOAL, COM AS QUATRO VASSOURAS DA BRUXA
Esta limpeza 'e usada para "limpar "as energias negativas das pessoas; ela harmoniza o flu'ido entre os quatros corpos, beneficiando-nos assim, em todos os planos existenciais.
A Tradic~ao diz que ha quatro fases de evoluc~ao, na vida dos humanos, e que sempre estamos vivendo dentro de uma destas "categorias", as quais relacionam-se com um dos quatro corpos que possu'imos.
Estas categorias s~ao:
- Sacerdotes: s~ao os seres que trabalham ativa e conscientemente, pela evoluc~ao da Humanidade e do Planeta como um todo.
- Guerreiros: s~ao os seres que lutam pela evoluc~ao.
- Artes~aos: s~ao os seres que constroem a evoluc~ao.
- P'arias: s~ao os seres que est~ao alheios a Vida Espiritual.
Todas estas categorias existenciais s~ao independentes de situac~ao financeira, ou extrato social ao qual pertencem as pessoas.
Por exemplo podemos encontrar um p'aria, tanto num empres'ario como num mendigo, ou um Sacerdote, em qualquer uma destas posic~oes sociais, ou um guerreiro empres'ario, ou um artes~ao mendigo.
Relac~ao entre as categorias e os planos existenciais:
- Sacerdotes / Plano Espiritual
- Guerreiros / Plano Mental
- Artes~aos / Plano Emocional
- P'arias / Plano F'isico
Pois 'e, as Bruxas deram-me a forma de usar a vassoura magicamente, para ajudar e melhorar a Vida de todos.
Relac~ao entre as vassouras e os corpos:
- Vassoura de sete ervas; um ramo para cada erva - Limpa o corpo Espiritual
- Vassoura de Espada de S~ao Jorge (macho); sete espadas - Limpa o corpo Mental
- Vassoura de arruda; sete ramos - Limpa o corpo Emocional
- Vassoura de palha; sete feixes de palha- Limpa o corpo F'isico
A vassoura de sete ervas deve ser composta pelas seguintes ervas: arruda, guin'e, espada de S~ao Jorge, tanto a qualidade f^emea como a qualidade macho, alecrim, manjerona, e alevante.
Todas as ervas de todas as vassouras, devem estar frescas, inclusive a vassoura de palha; depois da limpeza, as vassouras devem ser penduradas a deixadas secar durante sete dias e sete noites, na intemp'erie, mesmo que chova, e levadas e deixadas num mato, bosque ou campo.
Pode-se usar o mesmo jogo de vassouras para limpar mais de uma pessoa, desde que a limpeza de todas elas, seja feita na mesma hora.
Para confeccionar as vassouras deve-se atar as ervas num galho de cinamomo, de um metro de comprimento.
Depois de ter todas as vassouras prontas, pedir a pessoa que se deite no ch~ao na frente do altar, de barriga para cima, transversalmente em relac~ao a ele, com o braco esquerdo do lado do altar.
Nesta posic~ao a pessoa est'a simbolicamente no plano f'isico, e dever'a ir virando-se, de esquerda a direita, para ir passando de um plano ao outro at'e chegar ao plano espiritual, que 'e quando comeca a limpeza.
1^0 - De boca para cima, vira de esquerda para a direita ficando de brucos, fechada no plano f'isico.
2^0 - De boca para baixo, vira de direita para a esquerda, entrando assim no plano emocional, de boca para cima
3^0 - Ainda de boca para cima, vira da esquerda para a direita, ficando assim no plano emocional.
4^0 - De boca para baixo, vira da direita para a esquerda, entrando assim no plano mental, de boca para cima.
5^0 - Ainda de boca para cima, vira da esquerda para a direita, ficando assim no plano mental, de boca para baixo.
6^0 - E por 'ultimo, vira da direita para a esquerda, entrando no plano espiritual, de boca para cima.; vira uma vez mais, da esquerda para a direita, ficando no plano espiritual de boca para baixo.
Todas estas viradas s~ao no sentido contr'ario ao altar, afastando-se dele.
Estas voltas representam, a passagem do Ser, de um estado a outro de consci^encia, para que possamos trabalhar em todos eles.
A partir deste momento, fazem-se as voltas no sentindo contr'ario, passando as vassouras na pessoa na frente e nas costas.
1^0 -Com a pessoa de boca para baixo, passar nela da cabeca para os p'es, somente uma vez, a vassoura de sete ervas, correspondente ao corpo espiritual.
Agora ela se vira de boca para cima, da esquerda para a direita, indo em direc~ao ao altar, e se passa uma vez a vassoura de sete ervas, da cabeca para os p'es, somente uma vez.
2^0 - Agora a pessoa se vira novamente, da direita para a esquerda, sempre indo em direc~ao ao altar, ficando de boca para baixo, e se passa nela a vassoura de Espada de S~ao Jorge, correspondente ao corpo mental, da cabeca aos p'es, igual que da vez anterior.
Virando novamente da esquerda para a direita, e ficando de boca para cima, se passa outra vez a vassoura com as espadas de S~ao Jorge, da cabeca at'e os p'es, somente uma vez.
3^0 - Virar de novo da direita para a esquerda, ficando de boca para baixo, indo em direc~ao ao altar, se passa nela a vassoura de arruda, correspondente ao corpo emocional, da cabeca aos p'es, somente uma vez, ap'os o que deve virar novamente da esquerda para a direita, e passar novamente a vassoura de arruda na frente da pessoa, da cabeca aos p'es.
4^0 - Agora ela se vira como da vez anterior, de boca para baixo, da direita para a esquerda, e se passa nela a vassoura de palha, correspondente ao plano f'isico, somente uma vez, ap'os o que vira-se novamente da esquerda para a direita, ficando de boca para baixo, e se passa nela por 'ultima vez a vassoura de palha, da cabeca at'e os p'es.
Todas estas "varridas" para limpar, devem ser feitas sobre a pessoa de forma delicada sem machucar a pessoa.
Depois de terminar com uma pessoa pode-se comecar com outra, at'e terminar com todas as que desejem ser limpas.
Por 'ultimo, deixar secar as vassouras como descrito anteriormente, e entregar no mato.
A vassoura 'e utilizada para varrer o local dos rituais.Pega.se na vassoura e varre-se o local sem a vassoura tocar no ch~ao.
Pode ser decorada com s'imbolos sagrados e ter a tua assinatura m'agica, a vassoura serve de "ponte" quando 'e necess'ario entrar e sair do circulo m'agico pula-se a vassoura (as criancas e animais n~ao quebram o circulo)
Uma vassoura aut^entica (vassoura da bruxa)tem 7 partes distintas.
1-A PONTA DO CABO - geralmente s'olida,mas tamb'em pode ser oca e tapada com uma rolha.
2-O CABO - longo `as vezes chamado de varinha pode variar em comprimento,espessura e textura.Suas inscric~oes e decorac~oes tamb'em variam.
3-O ANEL PRENDEDOR - prende a parte superior das piacabas e geralmente 'e feito de metal,principalmente prata,pois representa a lua e a deusa `a vezes pode haver v'arios deles na mesma vassoura:nesse caso,o 1o'e de prata o 2ode ouro e o 3 de cobre.
4-AS PIACABAS - s~ao ajuntadas de madeira de maneira regular ao redor da extremidade oposta do cabo.Elas devem medir cerca da metade do comprimento da vassoura.
5 -AS PONTAS EXTERNAS DAS PIACABAS - as extremidades grossas s~ao presas pelo anel e as finas as pontas externas se estendem.todas as piacabas devem se inclinar na mesma direc~ao.
6-O ANEL CHANFRADO - s'o h'a um,e ele segura firme as piacabas ao redor do cabo.Esse anel geralmente 'e feito de um material male'avel bastante forte,pois deve resistir 'a press~ao.
7-AS PONTAS INTERNAS DAS PIACABAS - s~ao as extremidades grossas seguras pelo anel prendedor.
1-a ponta do cabo
2-o cabo
3-o anel prendedor
4-as piacabas
5-as pontas externas das piacabas
6-o anel chanfrado
7-as pontas internas das piacabas
"ABENCOAR A VASSOURA"
ITENS NECESSARIOS
1tigela com sal
1 tigela com 'agua
1vela branca
1buqu^e de alecrim
1 incenso
1pedaco de carv~ao
a vassoura
Realize esta cerimonia para abencoar e consagrar sua vassoura,coloque a vela,a tigela de sal e de 'agua junto ao incens'ario e o alecrim sobre uma mesa pequena.Acenda o carv~ao e a vela branca.Jogue um pouco de sal e depois pingue um pouco de 'agua sobre a vassoura dizendo:
"'AGUA E TERRA "TE LEVAM E LIMPAM "DE TUDO O QUE ERA "E 'e IMPURO."
Coloque um pouco do alecrim sobre o carv~ao quente no incens'orio pegue a vassoura e passe-a pela fumaca e depois pela chama da vela,dizendo:
"
"ESS^eNCIA DO AR "CHAMA DO FOGO "TE LIMPEM DE TUDO "DEIXANDO S'o O QUE EU DESEJO."
Agora a vassoura est'a pronta a ser usada tanto para tarefas mundanas quando para o trabalho de magia.Use-a para purgar sua casa de pensamentos e vibrac~oes negativas,bem como das visitas indesej'aveis.
Origem: Wikip'edia, a enciclop'edia livre.
Na bruxaria em geral, e especificamente na Wicca, a VASSOURA 'e um instrumento muito utilizado nos diversos rituais religiosos. A vassoura simboliza o masculino (atrav'es do cabo) e o feminino (atrav'es da piacava). Hoje a vassoura 'e inclu'ida na lista de ferramentas ritual'isticas em muitos guias pag~aos.
MITOS SOBRE AS VASSOURAS
As vassouras h'a muito tempo t^em sido relacionadas `a bruxaria, quase universalmente retratadas em seu estilo medieval arredondado e associado `as bruxas. Esse mito 'e explicado pelo fato de as bruxas utilizarem vassouras em seus ritos de celebrac~ao da natureza, pulando sobre as vassouras em meio a colheita, como a intenc~ao de fazer a plantac~ao crescer maior e mais rapidamente. Essa antiga pr'atica, levou `a crenca moderna de que bruxas podem voar em vassouras.Lembrando que essa vassouras n~ao s~ao as comuns de limpar a casa,essas de limpar a casa t^em um cabo reto por'em as da bruxaria possuem um cabo tortinho.
USOS RITUAIS
Elas s~ao usadas para limpar a energia negativa em c'irculos ritual'isticos. Antes e/ou depois de fazer algum tipo de ritual. Nos rituais matrimoniais da Wicca existe uma tradic~ao onde os rec'em-casados saltam (de m~aos dadas) uma vassoura deitada no ch~ao, para marcar o in'icio da vida espiritual em perfeita uni~ao.
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Excerpt From: Wicca-A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
This is the most basic and yet advanced technique called for in magick and Wicca. The art of using our brains to "see" what is not physically present is a powerful magickal tool used in many Wiccan rituals. For instance, the forming of the magick circle relies in part on the Wiccan's ability to visualize personal power flowing out to form a sphere of glowing light around the ritual area. This visualization, then, directs the power that actually creates the circle; it doesn't create it alone.
Because of its usefulness in changing our attitudes and lives, many Fortunately, nearly all of us already possess this ability. It may not be fine-tuned, but practice makes perfect. Can you, at this moment, see in your mind your best friend's face, or your least favorite actor? What about the piece of clothing you most often wear, the exterior of your home, your car or your bathroom? That's visualization. Visualization is the act of seeing with the mind, not the eyes. Magickal visualization is seeing something which is presently non-existent. It may be a magick circle, a healed friend, an empowered talisman.
We can raise energy from our bodies, visualize it streaming out from our palms, and then form it into a small glowing sphere, fashioning it psychically as if into a snowball, and mentally by seeing it as we desire.
In magick, I might raise energy and, while doing this, hold an image in my mind of something I need - a new car, for example. I visualize the car, see myself signing the contract to buy it, driving it on the road, pumping gas into its tank and making payments. Then I direct energy to empower the visualization - to bring it into manifestation.
In other words, visualization "programs" the power. This could be explained as a form of mental sympathetic magick. Instead of creating a physical image, we create pictures in our heads.
Thoughts are definitely things. Our thoughts affect the quality of our lives. If we constantly moan about being broke, then do a fifteen minute visualization to bring money into our lives, that fifteen minutes of energy will have to counteract 23 hours and 45 minutes of daily, self-induced negative programming. Thus we must keep our thoughts in order and in line with our desires and needs.
Visualization can help here.
To hone this tool, try these simple exercises, widely known within Wicca.
Exercise One: Sit or lie comfortably with your eyes shut. Relax your body. Breathe deeply and still your mind. Pictures will continue to pop into your head. Choose one of these and stick with it. Let no images intrude other than the one you've chosen. Keep all thoughts revolving around the image. Retain this picture for as long as you can, then let it go and end the exercise. When you can retain one picture for more than a few minutes, move on to the next step.
Exercise Two: Decide upon an image to hold and retain it within your mind. You might wish to have it physically present and study it first, memorizing each detail - the way shadows play on it, its textures, colours, perhaps even a scent. You might choose a small
three-dimensional shape, such as a pyramid, or something more complex such as an image Aphrodite rising from the sea or a ripe apple.
After studying it thoroughly, close your eyes and see the object before them - just as if your eyes were open. Don't look at the object again with your physical eyes but with your magickal imagination - with your powers of visualization.
When you can hold this image perfectly for five minutes, move on.
Exercise Three: This is more difficult, and is truly magical in nature. Visualize something, anything, but preferably something you've never seen. For instance, let's use a vegetable from Jupiter. It's purple, square, a foot across, covered with quarter-inch green hairs and half-inch yellow dots.
This is just an example, of course.
Now close your eyes and see really see this vegetable in your mind.
It's never existed. You're, creating it with your visualization, your magickal imagination. Make the vegetable real. Turn it over in your mind so that you can see it from all angles. Then let it vanish.
When you can hold any such self-created image for about five minutes or so, continue on to the next exercise.
Exercise Four: This is the most difficult. Hold a self-created image (such as the Jupiterian vegetable) in your mind with your eyes open. Work at keeping it visible, real, a palpable thing. Stare at a wall, look at the sky, or gaze at a busy street, but see that vegetable there. Make it so real you can touch it. Try having it resting on a table or sitting on the grass beneath a tree.
If we're to use visualization to create changes in this world, not in the shadowy realm that exists behind our eyelids, we must practice such techniques with our eyes open. The true test of visualization lies in our ability to make the visualized object (or structure) real and a part of our world.
When you've perfected this exercise, you're well on the way.
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Imagine if I began a blog post by quoting some writer who expressed some negative thoughts about homeschooling in a post that also talks about how awesome public schools are and how excited the writer is for his children to board that yellow school bus.
Now imagine that I said the following:
"If you want to use the public schools because you think these schools will suit your children well and they will benefit from it, then God bless you."
"If you have to use the public schools even though you don't want to because you have no viable alternatives at this time, then God bless you even more."
"If you are going to use the public schools because you have been stewing in a steady stream of sensational horror stories about homeschooling and homeschoolers, because you've been convinced you're not smart enough to homeschool, because you are convinced that all Catholic homeschoolers are secret wannabe Amish-like end-times preppers and you would never do anything that would keep your kids from fitting in with the mainstream, or because your children are still so undisciplined that you break out in hives at the thought of spending more than a few hours a day with them and because you're still trying to teach them basic civilization (let alone reading, writing, or math) and think you're doing pretty well because so far you've managed to postpone sibling cannibalism, please think again. Good decisions are not born of terror and disgust and disdain."
It wouldn't be very fair of me to say any of the above, would it? It wouldn't be very nice or very just for me to assume that many or most of those Catholics who send their kids to public schools are doing so because they hate and fear homeschoolers and homeschooling, would it? It wouldn't even be nice of me to assume that there are" enough" Catholics who send their kids to public schools who think this way to write a scolding, warning, nagging sort of blog post about it all, would it?
Well, would it?
If you clicked on that link and read Simcha Fisher's post, you'll notice that she's using Matt Walsh's piece here as her jumping-off place. I don't know much about Matt Walsh, but having read through the piece I see a passionate criticism of public education of the sort that I see all the time, even from people whose kids are currently enrolled in public schools. There is nothing wrong with deciding that the system is broken; there is nothing inherently incoherent in deciding the system is broken and yet that in your small town or relatively sane state the damage done by federal education mandates and weird educational ideologies has been kept to a minimum. Both may be true, and if the second is true than your decision to make use of the local public schools is perfectly logical, if that's what works best for your family.
However, the fact that Catholic bloggers are even debating whether the Little (Weird) Town on the Homeschool Model of Catholic Education or the Lord of the Flies Public School Model of Catholic Education (with supplements by the parish religious ed. department) is better is proof of one big truth that tends to get overlooked: neither of these models would be necessary were it not for the sad failure of diocesan Catholic education in our times.
When I was a sophomore in high school, my parents committed an act of great sanity and lucidity by pulling all of their children out of our Catholic schools and commencing upon the grand adventure called Catholic homeschooling. They did this for one simple reason: as good Catholics, they had been brought up to believe that Catholic kids went to Catholic schools, full stop. Even with the rising costs of education, even with several moves across and around the country, even with a family that eventually grew to include nine children, my parents made tremendous and even heroic sacrifices to educate our family in the Catholic schools-only to learn, at a rather late date, that the schools in question were no longer authentically Catholic at all.
We didn't learn history or literature from a Catholic perspective. Religion class was weak and spotty, sometimes scheduled less frequently than gym. Our school Masses were few and far between, and we went whole years without being offered the chance to go to confession in our schools. Our science courses were taught from a secular humanist perspective that crossed the line from pure science into ideology all the time (some texts poked open fun at the "ancient" people and their "superstition" that a Divine Force was involved in setting the mechanisms of creation going). Our high school health class included lessons on how to use contraception and what kinds to buy-and when a few of us actual Catholics objected, the "Catholic" teacher snapped, "This is health. Take that stuff up with your religion teacher."
And for all that, my parents were doing without on a shoestring, one-income budget; and their money invested in "Catholic" education was fraudulently swindled away from them by these hucksters and harridans who handed out scorpions and screamed at us to call them bread.
I didn't choose to homeschool because I hate and fear public schools. I chose to homeschool because I take my duty as a Catholic parent to provide my children with a Catholic education very seriously. Perhaps Catholic schools are improving (though the stories I hear from those who use them aren't encouraging), but they remain ridiculously expensive where I live. Had I chosen, instead, to make use of the public schools my life would be harder, as I would have felt the need to create my own supplements to give my children a Catholic perspective in the humanities as well as supplemental Catholic ethics (especially in high school) to combat the dehumanizing sex education and the forays by the science texts into areas that properly belong to philosophy and about which science ought to keep its arrogant mouth shut. And that's "BEFORE" we even talk about the necessary entanglements with parish-based religious education programs, a subject which makes some Catholics weep openly and gnash their teeth, but which is properly saved for another blog post.
So for me, the easiest, simplest, best and most affordable way to make sure my kids are getting a Catholic education (not just an "education") was to homeschool them. Other people will choose the "public school and supplement" model. Still others may have actual not-horrible not-heretical Catholic schools in their areas to choose from, whose tuitions don't require Mom to stash the youngest kids in day care and get a full-time job in order to be able to afford the price. It's just not fair, though, to admit on the one hand that public schools are hardly perfect, are not a panacea, and do not fulfill, on their own, a parent's serious obligation to provide his children with a Catholic education, and then to insinuate on the other hand that many or most Catholics who homeschool make the decision out of disdain, disgust, and fear. Most of us are making that decision for the same reason the public-school families make theirs: the Catholic schools have failed us, and in the vacuum left behind, we're all still scrambling for workable solutions to the failed, but once-great, model of diocesan Catholic education.
Credit: http://magick-keys.blogspot.com
