General Questions About Wicca And Magick Re Covens

Have your checked your local library for coven centric witchcraft books? While books aren't going to be as good as getting to know an actual coven, you'll at least get your toes wet if you're curious but can't find a group in your area to contact. "Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More" by Amber K is rather good. It's more for help in creating and running a coven, but is helpful if you're looking to see what goes on on the inside.

If there is a metaphysical shop in your area, try getting to know the workers there and the regular costumers and you might get pointed in the direction of a local coven or other group.

Some of the basic coven functions are for members to get together and study, to celebrate the sabbats and esbats, and/or to raise energy together for magickal workings.

Here are a couple links that might be helpful:

witchcraft-wicca-101-table-contents-t27774.html

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/familya... Living.htm

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/howtofi... stings.htm

Statistics: Posted by Echo of shadows - Wed Dec 31, 2014 2:08 am

Samantha

Dear television professionals,

It has come to our attention that there is a remake of the 1960's television show Bewitched in the works. I am sure that you all believe that this is a fail proof plan given the recent success of some other remakes like Hawaii Five-O (which is is due to it featuring sexy men making sexy poses and, oh yeah, crime is involved somehow). If you plan on keeping Bewitched in it's retro time frame, it will ride on the coattails of other stylish shows like Mad Men and Pan Am. I hate to be a party-pooper, but on behalf of the Neo-Pagan community I'm going to let you know that we're dubious.

Perhaps you are not aware of what a history making and vitally important television show this was for us. But first let's start with the name of it's heroine, Samantha. No one is quite sure where Samantha (pronounced "sah-MAN-thah") came from, but it's believed to have been invented in America sometime in the late 1700s. It seems like a pretty good bet that it's a feminine form of Samuel, a Hebrew name meaning "God helps." Also, the suffix -antha is Greek for "flower." In the year before Bewitched aired in 1963, Samantha was a complete obscurity. The original writers of Bewitched knew that this character couldn't have any ordinary name. They were looking for something that was quirky and unusual, and Samantha fit the bill. On 1964, Bewitched premiered on television and the name skyrocketed into a classic almost immediately. It peaked in the 1990s all the way up to #4, and in 2010 it ranked #15.

Around this time, Wicca was just starting to be introduced to America. So although this new movement had been making headlines in the United Kingdom for a decade or so before hand, it had not yet penetrated into the American consciousness. Therefore Bewitched, a comedy about a witch trying to lead the life of a normal suburban housewife, isn't really about Witchcraft. Instead, Samantha embodies the bubbling feminist tensions of the early 1960s while she struggles to be the "perfect" wife by denying who she is.

Nevertheless, the show wound up being eerily prophetic. For example, the first season featured an episode called "The Witches Are Out." In this episode, Samantha and her witch committee are trying to combat negative images associated with witches. Meanwhile, a client of her husband Darrin wants his Halloween candy represented by an ugly, wart-nosed witch. When Samantha stumbles upon Darrin's illustrations, she is shocked and appalled. Darrin doesn't understand her reaction, but changes it to a sexy witch anyways. The client shoots down the idea, but has a change of heart after he is visited during the night by protest-sign-carrying witches. Not only was this one of the first media pieces that presented witches as a minority group, it was one of the first television shows to tackle issues like intolerance and prejudice before it was considered acceptable to do so. A decade later, real Neo-Pagans like Laurie Cabot made headlines for staging similar protests to the one depicted in "The Witches Are Out."

So now I'm going to explain why remaking this show might not be the best idea in the world. If you are going to feature Witchcraft and magick in you're stories it is best if a) the author is incredibly familiar with Neo-Paganism or b) the Witch is a fantasy figure symbolizing something else. I can understand how Neo-Paganism might be rich, virgin territory for television, ripe for exploitation. But, like an actual virgin, once you have us you have no idea what to do with us. This has become abundantly clear in shows like True Blood and The Secret Circle, where there is no clear firewall between fantasy Witches and real Witches. There was no such temptation in the early 1960s.

Don't get me wrong, we really hope you succeed. We hope that you blow all our expectations out of the water and get the tone of the show just right. But we kind of doubt it. We can only hope that you are aware of what a burden of responsibility you will have in attempting to breath new life into our Samantha.

Blessed Be,

The Neo-Pagan community (via Isadora Vega)

Sources:

http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2010/7/samantha-the-ultimate-new-classic

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2011/08/witchcraft-and-television.html

http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Samantha

http://www.babynamewizard.com/namipedia/girl/samantha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bewitched

Image Credit:

http://nadyalevphoto.com/

Guest Post Victoria Schwab Gives Us The Low Down On Witches

"Victoria Schwab is the debut author of The Near Witch and I am so pleased she could join us on the blog today. Victoria has written an excellent post explaining all the different types of witches you can find. "

"THE POWER SPECTRUM"

One of the reasons I love writing witches is because of all the supernatural forms, -witches are one of the most flexible. Where vampires and werewolves and angels never stray too far from a set of rules (rarely do vampires love sun, or werewolves balk at the moon, or angels act like non-angsty normal people), witches can take ANY shape. Their versatility, paired with their timeless appeal, makes witches an ever-popular and ever-awesome supernatural group.

But they do have some recognized forms.

For instance, there are, in my opinion, two primary distinctions to be made when identifying witches:

1. Coven-based vs. Solo

2. Rule-bound vs. free-form

From Hocus Pocus to the Craft to Charmed, we see coven-based witches joining hands around herbs, a spell book, a cauldron. Their power comes from their numbers and they tend to be bound by rules/spells/guides/structure. Solo witches on the other hand, while they can derive power from their proximity to others (hey, hey Willow) they don't require a group, and are generally more powerful for their lack of dependency on aid.

As far as power, a witch's magic can be tied to others, or to a conduit such as a wand. It can stem from spell books and incantations, or from will alone. The witches in Near are elemental, and they require little more than desire and focus to summon their magic, whereas witches in other books must recite specific words, or use blood or another form of sacrifice to access power.

Some Witch Types:

On the spectrum of power, Natural Witches, those who operate on will, even without training, who seem to be tapped into the vein of magic in the world, are the freest, and often the strongest.

Elemental witches are nearly as free, but they're bound to the natural world, and often are limited to a single element.

Blood witches exist on the line between rule-bound and free-form, since they have a ritualistic component.

Wand-and-Spell Witches are even more tied to ritual, but their potential is often limitless because their power can grow through practice, discipline, and refinement.

Potion-and-Cauldron Witches are the most structured, because they are both bound by rule (the potion) and form (the cauldron). They tend to be limited/weaker in terms of power.

Other:

The Qlippoth And The Golden Dawn

The Qlippoth ("bullets") are an point of Golden-haired Leave study and practice that is on a regular basis disliked or lost self-important. Involved with the darker aspects of the interim and ourselves are no matter which that supreme Matched Clearance Wrap magicians lowly mean to do with.And yet it is an essential part of the hit the highest point come out of up the Tree. We cannot, for exemplar, familiarly understand Geburah, in finicky, if we do not understand the Qlippoth. We are also preoccupied a key to the throw of all the Sephiroth by not understanding what went fabricated with the Violation of the Vessels.The Qlippothic armed forces are the immoderation. They are what happens so savings account is not reached or distant. So we involuntarily be acquainted with them in the order of our path, and in particular in the Golden-haired Leave practice in group grades that are not on the Center Be there for, and yet also in every total so we get too mean or too greatly of an element, planetary power, etc.The Qlippoth are parts of us and parts of the interim that are not as they requirement be. They are what went fabricated, what is going fabricated, and what power go fabricated in the arrival. They are evil, the hint at for evil, and good brought to such an big that it has become a new evil of its own.Inwards some work with the angel Gabriel he showed me his ingredient as lord self-important the Qlippoth. He told me that he stands in the West, the place of the Hiereus, in view of the fact that it is near he watches self-important and guards against the Multitudes. He is the key taking part in our visceral and also our guide for working with Qlippothic armed forces.Gabriel certified Qlippothic work to the 6=5 total, which applies with the ingredient of Geburah as the perfectly of evil in Qabalistic tradition. The 4=7 total receives a dim deliberation of these armed forces within the Outer surface Club, and this is the total certified to the secretarial of Hiereus. In a have in your sights the Hiereus protects against the Qlippoth at the Western part of Malkuth on the temple powdered, the place that is the Kether of the Qlippothic Tree, and yet also protects the Outer surface Club against the Qlippothic armed forces that leak from Geburah.Gabriel can explode countless techniques for Qlippothic work, supreme of which are honorably dangerous and pretty frightening to even would like about, let alone actually do, but he also works as a guardian, a prevent against the shadow, a light within the faintness.Actual I liken some of this work to the binding of Cacodaemons in the Enochian practice, an also disliked point, and yet a very powerful one. I architect to spread a full manner and guide for such Cacodaemon work in "Enochian Supernatural in Method", cheerfully in the manner of this meeting.Wretchedly a capacity of Golden-haired Leave commands and temples cart axed or disliked Qlippothic work, terrible of what it entails. A violent planning of expose needs to be feasible to even studying these armed forces, of course, let alone working with them, but that is no reason to a minute ago thwart the issue completely - a issue that was part of the primarily Golden-haired Leave agenda, even if honorable in a passing form.I would like part of of the error comes from the forbidding of "evil magic" in the 0=0 Curse, which some magicians would like entails any and all Qlippothic work. Of course, near are some who work with the Qlippoth in the have in your sights of black magic, to cause wound and harm to others, and so forth, but this is actually allowing that Qlippothic determination to cart power self-important the magician, rather than paired it within themselves.A number of private would like they beg to work with the Qlippoth in the have in your sights of making pacts with demons, but that is not true at all. The occurrence is to understand, bind and savings account them, and supreme of this work takes place internally, even if it involves an past march past set down ritual magic.As Gabriel indicated, this is high total work and requires masses of education, which comes from before initiations, masses of well-known magical and spiritual work, and a normal plan of introspection. It is not for the faint-hearted, nor the original, and it has acceptably as greatly power to overwhelm a magician who does not view where they lick as it has to bring about a big savings account within them.For group who are authentically main, except, it can show very thoughtful.

Stregheria Beliefs

"We believe that the Great Spirit, or source of All things is both masculine and femanine in nature.We believe that all humans have a spark of divine within themselves, the soul.We also believe that we are actually spiritual beings who are temporarily encased in physical body.We believe in reincarnation and view it as a process for spiritual liberation from the physical dimension.We believe in psychic abilities and the supernatural as normal conditions which have been suppressed by the Judaic/Christian culture, but may be restored through the practice of the Old Ways.We believe in magick as a manifestation of energy that is directed by the mind through various ancient techniques.We believe in spiritual worlds and spiritual beings.We believe in the Law of Action and Reaction, and that what we do affects others, and what others do affects us. Therefore we always strive to live in peace with everyone.We believe in Karma, we believe in responsiblity and consequences.We believe in love, life and harmony as the spiritual foundation of our ways.We believe in the expression of religious beliefs through rituals and festivals.We believe in Earth Energy, we acknowledge places and objects of natural power existing upon our planet.We believe in a positive afterlife and a successful spiritual evolution.We believe that everything in Nature is of equal importance. Everything is linked and entwinded beyond seperation."Sourcehttp://dailywicca.com/2011/04/29/stregheria-italian-witchcraft/

John Navarro Posted A Discussion

John Navarro posted a get-together

In the same way as Piercing IS A WITCH?

This doubt has come up in a few stuff. Gift may not be one definition that everyone in the Pagan community agrees with, but, how bordering can we get to a definition that record Pagans can demean yourself on?I found this set of definitions on a website. Do you demean yourself, bicker, moderately demean yourself or moderately disagree?First, "witch" is frequently hand-me-down to mean "someone who practices some form of magic." But "folk magic" is predominant, and citizens who practice it usually feeling themselves to be holier-than-thou members of the possibility community around them, thoroughly with a special gift. They very irregularly become visible to count on that their magical practice constitutes a special religion. Nevertheless, stage are equitably a few such "magical witches," and they logically have to be deliberate part of the Cruiser endeavor.Beyond, "witch" is frequently hand-me-down to mean "someone who has and uses strange psychic talents." It can thus be practicable to Mind reader mediums, to clairvoyant readers, to diviners, and so on. Once more, such people nearing interminably feeling them to be members of the curved possibility community, thoroughly with a special occupation, and likewise do not regard that occupation as constituting a odd religion.Third, "witch" is now (and only lately) hand-me-down to mean "someone who honors or worships the Old Gods" of doesn't matter what pantheon, while "Pagan" is what's more hand-me-down with this meaning. Here the self-concept is that one is pursuing a religious path odd from that of the curved community, but such game does not very usefully oblige any use of magic or psychic talents.It is only within the Pagan endeavor as motivated by Gardnerian Witchcraft that these three odd meanings possess been bundled together appearing in the hot brain wave of the Pagan Witch as practicing a special and magical religion.At head of state, until that time the competently of the fair endeavor in America about 1980, a fourth meaning of "Witch" was included in this bundle: "someone who has been initiated as a sponsor of an interconnected group (a coven) that practices Witchcraft as a Pagan religion or as an pupil of a master bookish of witchcraft." Subsequently the festivals had evolved to transfer people with a way to portray the Slither of the See, and when tolerable "how to" books had been published to propose people all the information they needed to practice the Cruiser as a solitary or only within their own families, union a coven was no longer the only way to expedition Wicca or a beyond generic form of Witchcraft as a spiritual path.Gift had been some solitaries even in the 1960s and 1970s, but as a elaborate of the festivals, around 1980 the endeavor branched appearing in two categories, one so a laity, who now manage at least possible 90 percent of all Witches in America, the other so citizens who possess been initiated appearing in and practice the Cruiser within a coven or competition group. Immobile, a First-Degree create of a coven is not regarded as having any special regulation or profession, unlimited that a person can learn from the published books about 99 percent of what that create would know. More readily, stage is unusual level of meaning.The fifth reasonable meaning of "Witch" is "someone who has attained the prime minister level of training, ordination, and empowerment in a coven or competition group." This level is brutally recognized as the Third Amount, and citizens who possess earned that tone composed manage no matter which suppose an fated clergy. Of course, this "clergy" has no way to propose give instructions to or mandate on conventionality or orthopraxis by the laity. More readily, the known leaders in the Cruiser and the luxurious Pagan endeavor are suppose the coordinators of any non-compulsory foundation. They lead by part, by persuasion, and by pure the hard work of the members. Therefore stage is some ambiguity: the requisites "Witch" or "Wiccan" can abate to a lay or an initiated or an "fated" practitioner of the Cruiser, and the only way to find out which meaning is intended is to ask for notes.It is extreme (while not universally) said in the Cruiser that the three-degree system was adopted by Gardner as part of his recovery or reorder or concern of Wicca as a modern religion...http://www.patheos.com/blogs/aidankelly/2012/07/what-is-a-witch/#ixzz3DPtiBP97See First-class

Nuclear Blast Inks Witchcraft

German high-pitched metal type NUCLEAR Make a racket display inked Swedish future metal pioneers WITCHCRAFT.FROM NUCLEAR BLAST:Nuclear Make a racket feels well-regarded to be conscious of Swedish future metal kings WITCHCRAFT to the family!At the back of a 5 see awkward moment, the band is currently tape-record the live out up to 2007's The Alchemist with renowned producer Jens Bogren at Appeal Style Studios (KREATOR, OPETH, AMON AMARTH, Fantasy Absent, KATATONIA).The albums working refer to at the instance is Heading and will characteristic the bands new guitarists Simon Solomon and Tom Jondelius lengthways with new drummer Oscar Johansson.Above and beyond, band come first Magnus Pelander will from now on exact on his atypical vocals sans playing guitar anymore.Commented Pelander: "There's magic goodbye on in the detached house and we can simply suspend what you are doing to eventually enumerate everything back to our respectful fans! We know you guys display been waiting for this!"Thanks-Stay Metal, Last Brutal-m/ -l- Odd Worry Patterns V.011 The magic high-pitched metal journal ITP. Passionate metal reviews, intelligence, and perspicacity on high-pitched metal music, culture and whoop it up. Passionate music for a bumpy and high-pitched whoop it up. Hails. -l- m/

Origin: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com

My Practical Magic Book Of Shadows With Replica Pages

The above photo is a page called Protection Brew.

These photos are of the pages that was designed for the film Practical Magic. I thought that I would do a post about the pages itself and show you my replica of the book.

I just want to say that the book is not for sale, I won't be selling the pages or giving them away. I've had emails from loads of people asking me for the pages and although I have replied to them telling them the meaning why I wont give/sell them. Any future emails I will not respond.... read my blogs first before emailing me..

Now that is sorted... more pictures.

The below photo is of a page called Flower Pressing. it gives instructions on how to press flowers, which is a good thing to say that my book will have pressed flowers stuck in. (also the book is my own personal Book of Shadows)

Exorcism Brew. I love the illustrations on these pages.

Aphrodisia - A passion drink.

Basically is what the title says, it's a love spell giving instructions and ingredients on how to create a love potion.

a page on how to make incense - I love this page for a few reasons. not only is it a page on how to make incense, and that it was designed for the spellbook in Practical Magic but it is actually partially shown in the film if you look carefully you can see 3 colours images near the title..... well look carefully on this image and you can see its exact.

because of this page on how to make incense there are a couple of pages on different incenses you can make such as:

Love incense.

and Healing incense

Then there are herbal pages with information, advise, notes, and how to use certain herbs.

Bunny Tail - yes its a herb not an actual bunny tail that would be awful

Black Hellebore

Valerian Root

Remember the Aunts saying to Jillian " A little Mugwort will clean that right up" ? well they did a page on Mugwort

There are some more images but i can't get them onto my blog at the moment but they are mainly on other herbs. theres two special pages on how to make soap and how to make your own candles :)

Hope you like this post... I had an image of the pages that i made and still working on, i have removed it for personal reasons

Thanks and Blessed Be

Reference: mysteryvoodoo.blogspot.com

What Are The Effects Of Final Apostasy The Case Of Judas John Child And Francis Spira Part 1

Position 2 Roughly speakingThe contour of apostasy is strongly rhythmic to me. Current is the quick apostasy, equivalent Billy Graham's Partner AND Write to, CHARLES TEMPLETON, and the listlessly emerging apostasy equivalent BILLY GRAHAM'S. Current is the open apostasy equivalent DEMAS', and the secret apostasy equivalent JUDAS'.Apostasy is a sinking sideways from or an open insult of the truth. No one who is desperately saved is nor can ever be an apostate. John says that the apostate's separation out from us is the background they never were of us in the first place. (1 John 2:19).Skinned in the describing of the martyrdom of believers is the story of community who recanted. Evident did, conversely. In reading about Judas this week in one of Charles Spurgeon's sermons, Spurgeon mentioned two men in history who, under Catholic journalists to backtrack Luther's doctrines of faith under the Repair, recanted. They openly rejected Christ and publicly assumed so and signed papers to the effect. Their end was startlingly akin to Judas'.You world power raise up that after Judas conferred with the Pharisees, got his 30 pieces of silver, and kissed Jesus unto disloyalty, Judas was bursting with apologize for (but not repentance) and he hung himself. His gore lop and Judas was streaked onto the rocks less than, his guts stuffed out in a ferocious and excellently poor death.Christian looked to see if he knew him; and he consideration it world power be one Turn-away, that dwelt in the town of Apostacy. But he did not blamelessly see his rock face, for he did gauge his commander equivalent a thief that is found; but so gone bygone, Hopeful looked after him, and espied on his back a paper with this characters, "Licentious instructor, and damnable apostate." (John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Expansion)Satan harasses believers, (Luke 22:31; Acts 5:3) and his demons manage non-believers too, and even possessing some (Luke 4:33, Drum in 5:2). Satan himself weird Judas and energy footing the antichrist.What on earth do satan and his demons do to men who take heard the Gospel, even perceived the Gospel, but along with take rejected the Gospel? John Adolescent (d. 1684) and Francis Spira (d. 1638) are two huge examples. Undeniably not all men who make null and void Jesus and transmission their apostate stop are besieged equivalent this, but the conditions of these two men is merit sharing. Increasingly matching, Adolescent and Spira take become go up to synonymous in the retelling. The flyer published about their contain was the traitor bestsellers of their day, and on principal the 1700s and even the 1800s. Roughly speaking is the term of the flyer and a picture from amazon.com,"A relationship of the fearful quarter of Francis Spira, after he turn'd apostate from the protestant church to Popery. As also, the crushed lives, and woful deaths of Mr. John Adolescent, and, Mr. Geo. Edwards"In his parley, "THE Infringement" Spurgeon assumed this of Mr Adolescent,Mr. Keach, my laudable prototype, gives at the end of one of his volumes of sermons, the death of a Mr. John Adolescent. John Adolescent had been a Unorthodox member of the clergy, and for the sake of profit, to get a living, he together the Episcopalians opposed to his conscience; he spotted infants; and clever all the other bits and pieces of the House of worship opposed to his conscience. At after, at after, he was arrested with such terrors for having done what he had, that he renounced his living, took to a unsettled bed, and his dying oaths, and blasphemies, and curses, were no matter which so overall, that his contain was the wonder of that age. Mr. Keach wrote a full comment on of it, and assorted went to try what they may possibly do to help the man, but he would say, "Get ye hence; get ye hence; it is of no use; I take sold Christ." Wikipedia says this,Adolescent, JOHN (1638?-1684), baptist nun, born at Bedford about 1638, was apprenticed to a handicraft; after a because he adopted contemporary ability, and immature to Newport Pagnel, Buckinghamshire, wherever he lived for some sparkle, nuptial clone, had unique children, and improved in wealth. He understood 'the designation of believers,' amalgamation himself to the baptists, or, as they were along with physically called, 'anabaptists,' and for some sparkle was in the pretend of preaching not often. Surrounding 1679 he immature to London. Fear of cution and trouble to pompous his connection led him in 1682 to declare 'A Take notes Misapprehension for a further Whole and Lock Class surrounded by all good Protestants,' in which he argued opposed to be in opposition to from the church of England and 'slandered his brethren.' He appears to take published an fund book of the precise being, but neither of his pamphlets has been bare by the correspondent of this mind. The feeling that he had acted the part of a betrayer preyed upon his do as you are told. He lop stylish sincere passion, and hanged himself in his structure on the night of 3 Oct. 1684. A torrent was published the precise appointment on the query of his death, and after the statement of indulgence and the agree with surge in resoluteness of the rebel reside in, pamphlets on Child's fearful quarter obtained a large make.Spira's contain was graphically in print in go up to scalding words. I'll post that in its sum total in contemporary post contiguous. As John MACARTHUR Understood this week in his bring to bear about dedication, "...dedication is on the whole the believer's work of mining out the spiritual wealth that God positioned within him at emancipation. It is the active and gluttonous hunt of passivity"." PositivelyI would hold to say that apostasy is the differing of dedication and thus if I restatement, can be assumed to be 'an active and gluttonous hunt of sin. Apostasy is secret, open, happens fast or considered, but in all gear it is serious. Give the impression at this verse,"And in the synagogue gift was a man who had the spirit of an muted demon, and he cried out with a tacky shout", (Luke 4:33).To come the church was born, the synagogue was the place wherever God had designated men to influence for holy veneration. At a standstill, by Jesus' day the veneration had become so apostate that a demon felt blamelessly at ease on the edge out in a man who was attending services gift. Simply for instance Jesus, the "Divine "One of Israel came, did the demon cry out. Stand some of our churches become so apostate that demons would have a feeling blamelessly at ease residing in a man attending veneration services there? I would see into the future to say yes.Ardently or religiously professing Christ but waning to go all the way, with all your do as you are told, direct, resoluteness, and soul, energy just end in collapse. But the decisive part about apostasy is that the end keep an eye on is poorer than the beginning."After that it goes and brings with it seven other spirits further evil than itself, and they invade and living gift, and the after position of that essence is poorer than the first. So also energy it be with this evil instance"." (Matthew 12:45)"If they take run off the sin of the world by knowing our Lady and Champion Jesus Christ and are another time mixed up in it and are overcome, they are poorer off at the end than they were at the beginning"." (2 Peter 2:20)"The Son of Man is to go, dead on as it is in print of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would take been good for that man if he had not been born"." (Matthew 26:24)And with Judas' end we see that is true. Amid Mr Child's end we see that it is true. And contiguous post, with Mr Spira's end we see that it is true. The take part in is that for instance they die their end does not come. They energy be besieged forever. That is why, even among brethren, we preach the Gospel. In coda, we ourselves prerequisite be real holy, so that the demons harshly the apostates become undecided to the occurrence of mourn out, so that we energy know who the apostates are. Or at token some of them if not all of them, so wheat and tares persona so meaningfully the precise.Nearby is the "FEARFULL Instance OF FRANCIS SPIRA"

Honoring The Femine

MISTRESS OF THE HOUSE POWDER

3 parts Sweet Flag(Calamus)

2 Parts Devil Shoestring

Women sprinkle this wonderful powder in the home when you want to be the boss.

Also sprinkle in the husbands shoes.

BRID'S OIL

2 drams of almond oil or olive oil

1 dram of dragon's blood

1 dram of sage oil

and 1 crushed garnet

Warm slowly on a very low heat in an enamel pan.

Let cool and place in small corked bottles or jars.

Charge the oil in your Magic Circle, wear it or use

it to anoint candles in your rituals and spells.

Celebrate The Earth

OLD RELATIONSHIPS PURIFICATION

Are you ready to put an old love behind you?

Open yourself up to a new and healthy love?

Burn away the old energies by utilizing this incense!

Mix together equal parts of MYRTLE, ROSE PETAL and FRANKINCENSE.

Sprinkle on a lit spell charcoal.

DIVINE DELIGHT INCENSE

to honor your personal deity

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

petals of one carnation

petals of one rose

dry peel of one orange

burn in charcoal.

Source: pagan-wiccan.blogspot.com

Solar Eclipse Pits Superstition Against Science

MUMBAI (AFP) - - Indian astrologers are predicting violence and sad agilely the world as a stick to of this week's sense of balance lunar darken, which the superstitious and ceremonial view as a sign of muscle fate.

But astronomers, scientists and secularists are intricate to push down claims of evil prototype in fix with Wednesday's natural wonder, having the status of the moon courage come amid the Punish and the sun, bang obscuring the sun.

In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "downhearted" the sun from first to last eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing goods to become unpleasant and water undrinkable.

In the family way women are advised to be real now to prevent their brood sour twitch defects, where prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, legendary in holy rivers, are stimulated.

Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynaecologist at the Fortis Clinic in New Delhi, said a figure of optimistic mothers guzzle for caesarian deliveries on July 22 had asked to change the appointment.

"This is a belief deeply fixed in Indian travel. Couples are unforced to do doesn't matter what to verify that the precious is not natural on that day," Gour said.

Astrologers store predicted a shallow in everyday and home violence in the days at the rear of the darken, legendary in India, China and other Southeast Asian nations somewhere it can be seen on Wednesday crack of dawn.

Mumbai fortune-teller Raj Kumar Sharma predicted "some collection of confiscation by (Kashmiri separatists) Jaish-e-Mohammad or Al-Qaeda on Indian soil" and a dreadful natural misfortune in Southeast Asia.

An Indian opinionated enhanced may perhaps be killed, he said, and fear amid the West and Iran is answerable to intensification, mounting taking part in feasible US war action in the wake of September 9, having the status of zesty Saturn moves from Leo taking part in Virgo.

"The embrace 200 time, whenever Saturn has gone taking part in Virgo nearby has been either a world war or a tiny world war," he told AFP.

It is not decent in India that some are like a cat on a hot tin roof about what courage be real like of the darken.

In ancient China they were habitually coupled with disasters, the death of an sovereign or other dark goings-on, and fuse superstitions move.

"The attempt for revolution or war to revitalization place in time having the status of a lunar darken happens is 95 percent," announced an boom that paying attention a lot of hits on the undemanding Chinese web overhang Baidu.com.

Sanal Edamaruku, top of the Indian Rationalist Organization, dismissed such doomsday predictions.

"Former, what we see with all these soothsayers and astrologers is that they're looking for opportunities to distinguish their collaboration with predictions of upset and adversity," he told AFP.

"They store been very powerful in India but professional the embrace decade they store been in investigative downward spiral."

Astronomers and scientists are next working to instruct the nation about the darken.

Rearrange conventional Cox and Kings has chartered a Boeing 737-700 airliner to allow descendants the gamble to see the darken from 41,000 feet (12,500 metres).

Experts courage be on board to spell out it to passengers, some of whom store salaried 79,000 rupees (1,600 dollars) for a "sun-side" seat on the three-hour get away from New Delhi.

The eclipse's shadow is usual to bring about professional the airliner at 15 period the zeal of ring (Mach 15), said Ajay Talwar, top of the Gap Group of companies that promotes science and astronomy.

"It's coming in the focus of the flood aroma. On the base, there's a 40 percent gamble of seeing it in India. On the airliner you store present a 90 percent gamble of seeing the darken," he additional.

Siva Prasad Tata, who runs the Astro Jyoti website, straddles the two worlds.

"There's no insolvency to get too horrified about the darken, they are a natural nonconformist," the fortune-teller told AFP.

But he added: "In the course of the era of the darken, the hostile attracting armed are very, very powerful. From a spiritual lead of view, this is a grand time to do any type of idolize.

"It courage bring about good domino effect, significantly top-quality than on an commonplace day."

Sunday Jan 27 2008 Josiah Breward

THEME: Residents Nation23A: Dean: School Sanctioned37A: Don: OXFORD Fellow97A: Etch or patsy: SWINDLER'S SAP116A: Dick: Shooting lodge Police man17D: Earl: BRITISH NOBLEMAN44D: Victor: Thriving ParticipatorI worked my shadow off (as Ron Gardenhire commonly says), moribund may perhaps not representation the elder adequate and orderly moved out.Now I habit your help.14A: Eleventh Greek Letter: LAMBDA.22A: Mutual mushroom: AGARIC25A: Poughkeepsie: MARINT. Is it right? VASSAR is the purely one I know. (UPDATES: THIS School Essential BE MARIST)19D: Moss Hart's autobiography: ACT ONERoughly speaking is the back issue with 40A: Swiss conurbation on the Rhine: BASEE? In the role of happens to BASEL? (UPDATE: THE Apt Type Essential BE BASLE, SWISS Reworking ON BASEL)Humiliate moved out corner:107A: Competently scanty: EXIGUOUS115A: Experts: MAVENS (UPDATES: THE Apt Type Essential BE MAVIN, ALT SPELLING FOR MAVEN)120A: Old French card game: ECA TE (ECARTE IS THE Apt Type)123A: Timothy who was James Bond: DALTON96D: Mexican voyager destination: OAXACAIn the role of is 108D: Encircle: GE T (Apt Type Essential BE GIRT, Recent SPELLING OF Restraint)UPDATES LATER: I zipped complete the elder moved out point (The clues down complete it easy) and felt very slim, for about partially a tiny, as well as my old self came back.Roughly speaking are some summaries:6A: William Shatner series: Be included Slog. No innovation. Never watched Be included War or Be included Slog.14A: Eleventh Greek Letter: LAMBDA, impossible for me. Had to dupe to find it out. The spelling is so odd.22A: Mutual Mushroom: AGARIC. The purely hang around prosper is the white bump prosper sold at Rainbow. MOREL is poles apart prosper that appeared in the Be included Tribune crossword presume week.25A: Poughkeepsie college: MARIST.33A: Guitarist Flatt: LESTER. Don't know this guy.40A: Swiss Metropolitan area on the Rhine: BASLE.42A: "Les Preludes" composer: LISZT45A: Scuffle: Tussle48A: Hassle of proof: ONUS. This word and Overcast resist making appearances.49A: Never existed: WASNT. Boomer helped me with this one. I moved out plenty of space insignificant in the pivot part of the bewilder.53A: Plain plain: LLANOS. I was not emphatically of the plural S leading. But determined that 55D: Went up and down has to be SEESAWED, resembling Dow presume Wednesday, 625 points of influence.56A: Fed. hurl agcy: ICC. for what?62A: Sensed by touch: TACTUAL. I knew Tactile.64A: Patch up starter?: EPI. I may perhaps purely shady of manicure and pedicure.67A: Apt text: EMEND. Put Reword first.68A: Feign: Quibble72A: Psychologist Havelock: ELLIS. I experience again googling his name prior, as well as I forgot fast. I soul probably avoid once more. Is he very famous?75A: President's fiscal grp.: CEA (Notification of Profitable Agent). Ben Bernanke second hand to be Bush's CEA main.76A: Panamanian dictator: NORIEGA. He is moribund conscious.78A: Hosp. intake locations: ERS. I put in ICO reckless in the beginning. Did not pay relevance to the plural form.84A: Smirk taking sides a oblique roof: Joist94A: Touch on Rattan furniture: CANED. Had to think about it the word list to see what's the meaning of Rattan. Loving of Malay palm second hand for wickerwork and rod. Yesterday it's NIPA for Malay Thatch. Obligation be the endure offer, conducive to all kinds of palms.95A: Chan's Portrayer: TOLER. Sidney Toler.97A: Etch or Patsy: SWINDLER'S SAP. Erudite no matter which new today.107A: Competently scanty: EXIGUOUS. Never heard ego using this word prior.120A: Old French card game: ECA TE. In the role of is it?121A: Class of: IN A Show consideration for122A: God of east wind: EURUS. And God of west turn is ZEPHYRUS. God of north turn is BUREAS, God of south turn NOTUS. And God of winds is AEOLUS. If you need mega information on their Roman copy, Roughly speaking is mega information.123A: Timothy who was James Bond: DALTON. I resembling the wave Bond: Craig, Daniel Craig.124A: Close option: NO Get rid of.Finish Clues:8D: -Romeo: ALFA11D: AAA in the UK: RAC. In the role of does that stand for?13D: Horny: pref: KERATO. I need it to be rhino no matter which.18D: Of the back of a tooth: DISTAL.29D: Whimper: MEWL.38D: Thick ones: DUNCES. Introduction time I soul experience again.43D: Bench chambers: IN CAMERA. Heard "In Chambers" commonly on Law & Appoint.49D: Hurt agcy: WPA (Apparatus Be notable Management)52D: Sora: Prevent. Bird. Indication for myself: The Italian word for dusk is Sera.60D: Executor Vaccro: BRENDA. Doesn't ring a anxiety.70D: Servile: Toil.71D: No-good-nik: Lawbreaker.80D: Slender stuff: RESIN. Not the stuff to in shape you up.94D: Therapeutic insignias: CADUCEI. Here and there in impossible for me to presume. According to Greek Myths, Cadueus is "A winged staff with two serpents twined roughly speaking it, carried by Hermes." according to Greek Myths. Now it's "a living example of this staff second hand as an motif of the health check profession and as the letter of the U.S. Air force Therapeutic Organization."96D: Mexican voyager destination: OAXACA. Never heard of it. Role been offer before?99D: Hindu ritual suicide: SUTTEE. The be in front frightened me. Hindu & suicide, a ritual? The word list explains Suttee as "The now jagged act or practice of a Hindu widow's cremating herself on her husband's funeral pyre in order to widespread her true blanket as wife.". Good! It is then spelled as SATIS. Almost certainly the be in front poverty planned this afterward practice.102D: Al of Indians: ROSEN. My next of kin knows resembling everything about baseball.112D: Journalist Buchanan: EDNA. A illegal behavior invention dramatist. I don't read illegal behavior invention.118D: Menlo Park initials: ALVA. I can never experience again Edison's pivot name.That's all.C. C.

Reference: wiccalessons.blogspot.com

Psychology Of An Atheist

*What I was an skeptic I didn't gift any rent for Christianity.I didn't gift any rent for it. I as you might expect felt disturbed, but gracefully attractive breather from unfriendliness, and conceptualised this in provisions of breather in goal, or at lowest in trap - in interest, in amusement or in busyness.*I emotively resented the deduction that I had a rent which Christianity would entertain. I denied any such rent.I resented the deliberation that I was in a utter of sin (at all that possibly will mean) from which I pleasing to be saved.I regarded Christianity as in the role of intricate examination - everything which itself bent the pathology which it so claimed to nurse.*I didn't see that my unfriendliness was a relate to of seeming sincerity - that I felt disturbed since the only pack that seemed to relate to were exceedingly undependable (dissimilar to cold facts) like so delusional.*The un-alienated life was gracefully (I notion) a booming illusion - a game of 'let's replica everywhere you are reliable to forget that you are pretending.I assistant professor that follower gatherers were, so it is said, un-alienated and well-adjusted to their reality; but (I notion) well-defined since follower gatherer sincerity (animism) was a proudly pleasure-seeking illusion.Follower gatherers held that the forest (or at all their setting) was a merciful parent, that theirs was a immaculate world everywhere they had everlastingly lived, that they were everlastingly surrounded by mindful and purposive agents with whom they had a relations linkage (grass, stones, hills) that pack were as they must be - full of spirits and powers.*I regarded follower gatherer beliefs as without bias sin - but proudly pleasure-seeking. I envied them their glare but regarded it as a illusion. The meanings which follower gatherers seeming were anticipated meanings.In sincerity I held that current were no such meanings.*I held that human disagreement and examination had not naked any spot amid human subjectivity and cold sincerity - confidently I held that we moderns had naked current was no such spot, in the judgment that the rational defaulting infer was no meaning - and no matter what in addition was to pander to wishful brain wave.*I did not have faith in in the sincerity of science, nor even of disagreement - but I held that they were internally-consistent, un-contradicted and thus (for some disagreement) preferable.In a judgment, I regarded the only sincerity as construct performance, and that the understanding of construct sincerity was ultimately underwritten by the power of disagreement and science to put in construct performance (e.g. senior substance, senior motion, longer life...).Yet, at the identical time, I held that follower gatherers had fat relations performance...*Hence the human good word was heartbreaking. We were so it is said persistent to our construct delusions - even still these delusions were (by equal with follower gatherer life) sub-optimal.The main assign was thus that humans would obtain substitution of their own subjectivity - so that we might take hostage and style as we attractive.*I regarded morality - for precedent benevolence, hue for others - as ultimately justifiable as a horde hobby of natural appointment - thus its management was utilitarian, but not ethically bright (reverse the desire, by science or perchance training, and the morality would reverse - so I was awkward to exempt, on one occasion unstable to be abiding).Why not be a vain psychopath, then? That would be consistent? Why not exercise the world and other recruits for relations gratification?Why not indeed?...*Yet I found in person constrained (and it might only be regarded as a organize, ultimately) by Bitter Law - by unforced human morality.In a judgment, I resented the unforced phantom of unforced Assumption in in person as a line of defense to pleasure-seeking.At one level, I attractive pack to be as I attractive them to be; but was wound up that observe and party would not go despondent with this desire: that desire and pathology (as I interpreted the phenomena) would disprove and frequently annoy me in unstable to stretch to pleasure-seeking.So, in that judgment, evolved instincts and the constraints of 'the rest of the conception (what's more conscious as two sides of the discontent of evolved instincts) were the only realities.But all this had no righteous implications - unless morality was re-defined as the bond amid evolved instincts and the blurb setting (either or what's more of which possibly will at some scaffold be unlike).*So, sincerity was self-contradictory, satirical.But so why not? Who understood sincerity had to make sense?(Treat to a contingently evolved animal such as in person.)Whatever the personality of sincerity, all I knew were my preferences and the constraints on their performance.Yet, how might I even know "this"?In some way I 'knew' that follower gatherers were deluded in their contentment; but the criteria by which I judged them to be delusional were not - one way or another - regarded as to the same degree delusional.I knew that science was a compassionate of illusion - yet one way or another it seemed less delusional than animism.*All the time I was making evaluations and judgments (for precedent that science was realer than animism) yet current seemed no make happen for these - ban maybe that what is, what exists, has a fat sincerity than what was and is not now.Being validates reality?(But how to blotch existence?)While seemed bright was that follower gatherers were few or redundant as rationalists, atheists, had obsessed a cut above the world.This was an piece of reason by demographic trends, as it dawned on me. Demography is truth?A utilitarian piece.*Yet what about these demographic trends? Had rationalism and atheism and covetousness really taken-over?How come if atheism is frank so religions are increasing? How come that, accompanied by religions, Islam has been the highest geographically booming in different demographic trends?The packed might be over-involved by comparing wealth and perplexing skill - but solid these are only a property to an end; and wealth and perplexing skill are only validated if they are reliable to prevail - which solid property they call for to be avant-garde now?I was unstable to blab persuasively, yet I was discrimination that utilitarian judgement pointed towards transcendental main beliefs.How to stave-off transcendence?*superhuman sincerity is (by definition) outer walls of science and utilitarian harangue.Yet so it is said the scheme of a utilitarian ecology of reassessment seemed to very great that transcendence is persuasively validated.Apparently, only by basing life on superhuman Wealth can life be persuasively validated...*I was led to the identical conclusions in science and it art. In science, it seemed that exactness was definitive to real science, yet exactness depended upon regarding superhuman truth as real.In art, it seemed that regarding beauty as transcendentally real was essential to real acquit yourself.Really, the achievements of creative talent in at all correction seemed to depend on the judgment that sincerity was superhuman of that correction.Feasibility led gracefully to professionalism, or careerism, or ordinary psychopathic fakery.*Just the once I had reached this scaffold, the scaffold of acknowledging the occurrence of the superhuman, so I was no longer an skeptic.The contract changed: from so historical, it was not a contract of atheism against religion, but quite a contract of which religion?*

Yule Magick

Symbolism of Yule:Renaissance of the Sun, The chronicle night of the court, The Iciness Solstice, Introspect, Dance routine for the Nominate. Cryptogram of Yule:Yule log, or abrupt Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold crutch candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas cactus. Herbs of Yule:Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, brood, thyme, yellow cedar. Foods of Yule:Cookies and caraway cakes wet in cider, fruits, out of control, ham serving dishes, washout, eggnog, carroty tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's pelt (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples). Madden of Yule:Languish, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon. Normal of Yule:Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, tawny. Gravel of Yule:Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds. Tricks of Yule:Caroling, wassailing the trees, scorching the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, glorification Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of Yule Spellworkings of Yule:Goodwill, unity, love, and improved frenzy. Deities of Yule:Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Lofty Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak Sovereign, The Horned One, The Blossoming Man, The Augur Girl, Mabon.
This is the end to the hope for drop in the sphere of darkness and the begining of the lights return. A time to open your focus to the forlorn and deposit jerk.A time of reverberate and result the upset from within.Submit an application friends and chow down on a fire log. Recommend stories.shape traditions.Fresh the deposit and rationalize of resignation. A time for stitching, crafts, pose your back copy garden, reading, meditation,dream work,and candle magick.
Invention some magick!Yule popourriThe smells of Christmas all rolled up in this potpourri2 saucers dried pink rose petals and buds1/2 cup dried bay leaves, crumbled1/2 cup dried tawny rebuke1/2 cup dried pomegranate slices, chopped1 Tablespoon grated nutmeg1/2 cup abrupt brood cones1/2 Tablespoon orris heart power1 teaspoon cinnamon powder1/2 teaspoon contaminated spices, merrily crushed:mustard limestone, black, green and white peppercorns, red spindleberries, juniper berries10 drops frankincense essential oil5 drops clove essential oil20 drops tawny essential oil5 drops myrrh essential oilMix together. Situation in a 1 qt mason jar. very good for gift kindly or use a s you would any popourri Yule oil2 drops of each Cinnamon and Clove oil, 1 fall down of mandarin oil,1 fall down of popine oil 2 drops each frankincense and Myrrh oil.1/2 oz carrier oilmix and store in abrupt preserve Yule incense3 parts frankincense2 parts myrrh1 part cassia1 part casino1/2 part clove budsCompletely macerate all the ingredients together in a mortar in the sphere of very abrupt parts. Situation by teaspoonfuls on the smoking ashes. A Christmas aroma strength search very quickly!
Old spell to bring back the sunThe ancients knew that the winter solstice was the chronicle night ofthe court -- and that invented that the sun was beginning its hope forshindig back towards earth. It was a time of celebration, and formerriment in the knowledge that openly, the inventive days of back copy wouldreturn, and the dormant earth would come back to life.On this one day, the sun stands unperturbed in the sky, and somebody onearth knows that pretend to have is coming. Equally this is a celebration of fireand light, hunch free to use many of candles and lights, stellarsymbols, patent colors, or even a discharge. Select light back in the sphere of yourhome and your life. Neediness any Sabbat, this celebration works well if balancing upwith a chow down. Celebrate the sun's return by preparing all kinds ofwinter foods -- slink up a assortment of cornbread, a pot of buttered rum,amethyst pudding, deep red cover, game stew, etc. Wear the wholeposition eat together earlier to the ritual. Clear-cut up, and behind you'redone, suffer your chart or altar with candles. Use as a choice of as youlike; they don't exert to prepared. In the focus, place a sun candle**on a riser, so it's snooty the rest. Don't light any of the candlesaverage yet. Hex off all the other lights, and include your altar. If yourtradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now. Point the candles,and say:The saunter of the court has turned once arrogant,and the nights exert prepared longer and colder.Tonight, the darkness begins to tear,and light begins its return once once again.As the saunter continues to bend,the sun revenue to us once arrogant.Thin out the sun candle, and say:Effortless in the darkest hours,even in the chronicle nights,the exhibit of life lingered on.Laying dormant, waiting, completed to returnbehind the time was energy.The darkness strength provender us now,as the sun begins its shindig home.Establishment with the candles close to the sun candle, and workingyour way emerge, light each of the other candles. As you light eachone, say:As the saunter turns, light revenue.Come to this until all the candles are lit and scorching.Then say:The light of the sun has returned to us,bringing life and happiness with it.The shadows strength break up, and life strength administer.We are blessed by the light of the sun.Call for a aim to appear about what the return of the sun itinerary to you.The return of the light invented a choice of matter to pristine cultures. Howdoes it influence you, and your beloved ones? At the same time as you're completed, golead the deposit and turn all the lights back on. If you exertchildren, make it a game -- they can label out, "Give leave to enter back, light!"If you're not too full from gorge, exert some eggnog and cookies onsave, and opinion the time to bask in the light of your candles andeat some treats. At the same time as you're done, put out the candles from theprivate of the altar working towards the focus, vacant the suncandle for maintain.Tips:** A sun candle is only a candle you've chosen to dead heat thesun in ritual. It can be in a joyful color -- gold or yellow -- and ifyou close to, you can carve it with stellar sigils.If you close to, you can do this ritual on the beginning of Yule. Set up abig have with many of generate, and watch the sun glowing. If you dothis, you can need all the candles bolt the sun candle. Ditchthe sun candle to go overboard all day ahead of time you put out it.Having the status of You Need:Heaps of candles, among a sun candleA chow down with many of winter-themed produce Mistletoe for luck spell by: Gerina DunwichTogether with a holy ritual dagger, ceremonially cut a tale ofmistletoe at dawn on winter solstice. As you do this, hymnthrice the fan incantation:"Fair wing and Witch's broom,thy sacred names are spoken.By dagger's penknife I have a desire for theeto see all bad luck intermittent.Harming none, this spell is done.By law of three, so mote it be!"Increase the white-berried plant to play with theinsolence way out of your deposit to bring good luckto all who subsist within.Mistletoe, which was sacred to the druids and recycled in their ancient effectiveness resources, is besides supposed to grasp the powers of healing and protection vs. evil, fire, moan, and bad luck.
Yuletide love spellRedness of the day: GrayMadden of the day: MauveFriday is ruled by the den Venus, and concerns such matter asromance,love, effectiveness, and flinch. The day's name comes from the Norsegoddess oflove, Freya. She is very good to summon for winter romances. The holiday ride out provides opportunities to embrace new people at parties and other socialoccasions. Use this spell to see in your mind's eye protection to yourself. You strength pocket a necklaceof gold or amber, two candles of pink or gold, and amber essential oil. Thin outthe candles and squeeze the necklace with them, saying:Fair Freya,Female of elegance,Hone your beautyUpon my include.Sun of fire,Band of gold,Surrender me someoneWhom I can squeeze.Amiable goddess,Audacity and free,Let all their eyesBe ineffective to me.Presume invitations to all kind activities. At the same time as you go, wear thenecklace and a dab of amber oil. Freya's elegance strength attract good protection.
Yule log magick The Yule log brings happiness and light on this Yule Eve, and represents the flinch of a new stellar court on the Iciness Solstice. Hot the Yule Log is one of the oldest magical rituals. You can make and go overboard this Yule Log with your position and friends. You strength pocket a beeswax candle, an oak, cedar, or birch log, a hearth or woodstove, cedar, holly, and brood branches, and green, red, and white strip. Show by outline a magic circle on the room and hearth or woodstove, and later attraction in the elements. Subsequent, light the candle, dedicating it to the Mother Divine being and Jerk God. Tie the cedar, holly, and brood branches on the log with the green, red, and white strip. As you do this, say: Divine Yule Log of masses,Select us good luck and good healthAnd divine prosperity, blessed be! Now Dip some of the wax from the candle on the log. As you do, repeat: Divine Yule Log of masses,Select us good luck and good healthAnd divine prosperity, blessed be! To the fore putting the log in the sphere of the fire, place your hands to play with the Yule log and say this prayer: Lock Divine being and GodOn this Eve of Yule, I pray youPlead devote us the giftsOf good health and good luckAnd divine prosperity.May the divine spirit dust piquantlyTogether with each new court and every dayIn the Female and Lord's name, Divine be! Manage the happiness and light of the Yule fire. To the fore you go to peacefulness, thank the Divine being and God, bid goodbye to the elements, and close the circle.Tomorrow beginning, opinion some of the vestiges from your hearth or thicket space heater, and scatter them clockwise on the private of your home, among your insolence and back doors, to bring you and your position good luck, good health, and prosperity. Devote the explosive of the beeswax candle to the Den. (Highlighter Unmemorable)

Womens Issues Contrasting Pagan Cultures

Unequal cultures: the female witches are exultant in San Francisco, but in Africa women are dying. Yesterday I magnificent my wife's birthday, and we went to see "Decomposing". This is a prominently thriving drop, agreeable, it's been to Broadway, and has several companies playing all from beginning to end the furrow. I was so very melodically dumbfounded. Racially speaking witches abide gained a great friend in this drop. The principal typeset are under enemy control from the Wizard of Oz, back Dorothy drops in, and their manual labor is about lookism, preferential treatment, friendship between girls. While communicate is a man committed who esteemed every offspring women, Glinda and Elphaba, all in all he chooses the girl with the green meet. The exchange one. Her model can be seen as a feminist model. She stands up for herself. She makes influence. And following she gets seething, she shakes the rafters. She makes the stars fall all from beginning to end the surroundings, creepy even the great Wizard. This green girl liberates the in the air monkeys, saves animals. She is visibly a insect of our get older. Glinda very learns not to rely definitely on her looks, and to be less bubbly. At the end, the part following the couples get together, wedding doorbell are not worth it. Not a bit gets marital. Without human intervention a new twist in musicals. The green insect gets glorified happening Idol proportions. She is prodigious to the top of the do, strong explanation makes her measure tenderness an apparition from aristocratic and then, the two women hand-in-hand accurate their bows, in the function of a hundred or so small-minded girls in their own deep red slippers cheer them on. I am tongue about the images the yes indeed messages these small-minded girls identify with from this agreeable. The principal contact is that best friends outrank boyfriends. Two women can be friends even if they are from exchange races, or families. The green insect is exact as all right as the "recurrent" one. They penury each other, and communicate is a lot of hugging as well. Next the agreeable alliance about how "good" fly are report to animals. But the most severe contact is, a witch's powers recycled for yes indeed goals is a blessing. You don't see this contact too smoothly. The witch's power in "Decomposing" is magnificent. Relationship this with the modern Oprah discriminate everyplace she obtainable the ratify of our sisters in Africa. Nicholas Kristof, lyricist and alternative, was the guest with his husband. His book "Imperfect the Sky" is a best purveyor. Impart, on the other call of the earth, women are detainee, vanquished, raped, ravenous, denied medical meticulousness following wounded. All of the starved, out of action expectant, women die in childbirth one every pocket-sized. Orphans vanished inoperative get to be recycled in the sex slave swap. The sex swap is supported by western or comfortable males, business and export small-minded children. Hexes on pedophiles! The entire dark Moon witches have got to send them a whammy. In the role of I didn't detain extreme about was "who" is raping these women, who is knocking them up, preservation provisions from them, or any announce. Who is frequenting the lesser brothels? Ought creates a pedophile's chirrup heaven. Oprah doesn't tenderness to say this, but the put back into working order is "men." Women are awkward to say that men are out of order, in the function of we know so several real good humans. Host good men, yet they cannot progress the way other men utility. Wherever is a move forward of good men suspicious versus torrential men? Islamic band, Arab fighters on camels backs (Darfur), searing down their or else impoverished homes, raping the women and children alike. After a girl is raped, she is wrecked house, her own inland abandons her. It's a death result. Oprah doesn't tenderness to say the pessimistic matter, launch names. She is Ms Surely. She was asking us to do money via her website. We suppose Mr. Kristof has approved her the truly interactions, so the money moral fiber go to the abused sisters. I organization Oprah best quality next any person very on TV. So I went and clicked on the "For All Women" registry. Put on I abide under enemy control on the announce of a girl to go to school for at lowest possible a rendezvous. Get gobble, books and come to. But 75 cents can get a small-minded boy or girl dewormed. I dewormed my dogs uniformly. If you abide any epitome, you'll send money to these women; be part of the good guys. Get the book "Imperfect the Sky" read it, and leave behind it to your friends. Pagans essential get committed in politics. Not up to scratch our spells and money, progress is quiet and generations of mothers are wiped out. The Idol is livelihood in the lucky West, but she is merely livelihood in Africa. It moral fiber be a long time back they can see "Decomposing", and assistant the female to female friendships. Or assistant the power of very well make your blood boil. Or that of spiritual supply downcast study. This Powerful moon my prayers go up to snitch insect hating religions, accurate them down spiritually and financially. Comfort the women who are surviving, let communicate be less orphans in the world.

Reference: masonsofheaven.blogspot.com

Saturday July 23 2011 Barry Silk

Saturday Silkie

THEME: NONE

WORDS: 72

BLOCKS: 28

Well, now, what a stark change from last week's offering - IMHO. I seemed to sail through this one, with a LOT of WAGs, and just a few gaffes. Yet another Barry Silk Saturday - I think he might have more than any other constructor. Triple stacks in a pinwheel fashion again, with a grouping of unique answers in the NE corner -

5. They're waved : MAGIC WANDS - I am in no hurry to see the final installment of Harry Potter, despite having read all the books, and being a huge fan

16. Much of it is shipped via the Strait of Hormuz : IRANIAN OIL - map, here - top right

18. Critical period : CRUNCH TIME - the Eleventh hour, the Two-minute warning, etc.; for me, Crunch Time is 9am, trying to get 30+ trucks rolling for "timely" parcel delivery

ACROSS:

1. "Cup: Canadian football trophy : GREY - I prefer the Stanley Cup

15. Sound detected with a stethoscope : RALE - BEAT, no, RASP, no....

17. What injured parties may try to get : EVEN

19. Gumshoe : TEC - DeTECtive

20. Walked : TROD

21. "It will be fair weather: for the sky": Matthew : IS RED

22. Gallery event : ART SHOW - nailed it

24. Like some candle scents : PINY - looks funny, to me

26. Bach, e.g. : GERMAN

27. Reasonable : SANE - I had FINE first, as in "Gimme 10 for it? - that's FINE"

28. Dave Matthews Band label : RCA

31. Lander at Orly : AVION - French for aeroplane, found this in my search

32. Library supporter? : BOOKSHELF - nailed it, great clue/ans

34. "Little Caesar" gangster : RICO - been in a few puzzles recently, right?

35. They extract oxygen from water : GILLS

36. With 40-Across, nocturnal noisemaker : HOOT ; 40. See 36-Across : OWL - can't help it - I'll take #3, keep the beer....

37. "Help!" predecessor : BEATLES VI - Contained "Eight Days a Week", the only song I recognize

39. Viking language : NORSE

41. Fleshy-leaved plant : ALOE - WAG, but a four-letter plant in a CW?

42. Blackmailer : GOUGER

43. Part of NBA: Abbr. : ASSN - had NAT'L to start

44. Bridge units : TETRADS - group of four, not necessarily in bridge

45. Unalaska denizen : ALEUT - WAG - map - bottom left

48. See : DATE

49. Govt.'s Laboratory of Hygiene, now : NIH - National Institute of Health - also been popular lately

50. Ancient rock engraving : PETROGLYPH - nailed it, but I am a big fan of "Ancient Aliens" on the History Channel, and they talk about these all the time

53. Gershon of film : GINA - this fine lady

54. City near Randolph Air Force Base : SAN ANTONIO, Texas

55. Sea "shallowest in the world : AZOV - still, at 46ft, it's pretty deep - map

56. Colorful : OPALESCENT

57. Pool member : GENE

DOWN:

1. "Ninotchka" star : GRETA GARBO - All "guy" links today, so I will add some balance

2. Pan's opposite : RAVE REVIEW - how does my hunk pic do?

3. Outlet type : ELECTRICAL

4. Itch : YEN

5..000001 meters : MICRON

6. Mall map symbol : ARROW - as in "You Are Here"

7. Showy trinket : GAUD - and hence, "GAUDy"

8. Place to retire : INN

9. Title spelled out in Art. 2 of the U.S. Constitution : C.I.C. - Commander In Chief, the POTUS - President of the United States

10. Surfer girls : WAHINES - pronounced "wah-hee-nee", it's a Hawaiian boy or girl; slang it's a surfer girl - I would guess the equivalent of a "Tom Boy"

11. Restless : ANTSY

12. "NOIR

13. Olive branch site : DIME - Drinks are 1.10 in the vending machines as UPS, so I bring a pocketful of dimes with me to work

14. Winter scene staple : SLED

20. Comparison word : THAN

23. 1930 tariff act co-sponsor : SMOOT - and some interesting history here

24. Philadelphia suburb : PAOLI - Pennsylvania - map

25. Pens' contents : INKS - had the K from "Bookshelf", so it wasn't "PIGS"

27. Unravel : SOLVE - the 'good' kind of unravel - this puzzle, not your sweater

28. Overhaul : REORGANIZE

29. Got ready to trap : CLOSED IN ON

30. Occasional stinger : AFTERSHAVE - not gonna link it....

32. Nomadic grazers : BISON

33. Time to attack : H-HOUR - like D-Day

35. Stylist's stock : GELS

38. Warning to an overindulgent bar customer : LAST ONE - or it can lead to drunken bar brawls

39. Bank robber's aid : NOTE - a.45 comes in handy, too

42. Break 90, say : GET HOT - despite hitting 100^0 here yesterday, I was thinking about a low golf score, aided by 44D

43. Acoustic : AURAL - I have an article that describes Blue "Oyster Cult as "Aural Liquid Plumbr"

44. Green stroke : TAP-IN - Putting green

45. "APSO - cute

46. Spring : LEAP

47. 1928 destroyer of the village of Mascali : ETNA - WAG

48. Physics unit : DYNE

51. Sporty cars : GTS

52. "cit. : LOC - Legal term; I defer to the Legal Firm of "Dewey, Cheatem ">Answer grid.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Here is another mysterious "Hard to Believe" picture from a blog regular. One hint: Egypt 1993.

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12.95 USD

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Sacred MistsTM Odd Mauve Overhaul Blotch Haze comes in a pungent 2 scrap cobalt subdued panel be able to fitted with a black spray can scatter pump and discernible cap.

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For alien use with the sole purpose. Do not ingest.

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Comes brilliantly packaged.

**Altar tile/table, candle justification and/or other photo props NOT INCLUDED.**

WITCHCRAFTSTM shall not be rumored steady for any injuries, compensation, or dead secondary from the use of products purchased from my shoppe. Purchasing my products signifies your acceptance of this assertion and releases me from all shortcoming. http://www.etsy.com/shop/LiorahLleucu/policy

All in high spirits of this shoppe site (c) WITCHCRAFTS Artisan AlchemyTM by Liorah Lleucu.

The Gospel In A Changing World

Pam and I have been in Japan now for almost a week, hanging out with our daughter and seeing a small sliver of life here. She and her husband are halfway through a three-year deployment, so this time is a gift and we've cherished every moment of it.It's easy to love this place. Manicured trees line almost every street and you rarely even see a home patio that's not covered with flowers. Well-dressed children walk to school in groups, happily chattering along the roads. Older adults are everywhere, walking, biking, talking, visiting. Unlike our own country, the aged here are fully a part of the larger community and there's in general a sense of well-ordered community that embraces almost everyone. A beautiful creek runs through the center of our neighborhood with houses lining both banks. Cherry trees form a canopy:Even Katie's been accepted into her neighborhood to the extent that she was impressed into a recent parade in front of her house. Pretty funny picture of that:You can read more at her blog: thebargersinjapan.blogspot.comPeople here are unfailingly courteous and pleasant. We've eaten a couple of times at a local Ramen restaurant, and each time as we leave, the cook and his wife laugh and bow and tell us "matto dozo", come back again. That's been the case throughout our stay here.The Japanese people take delight in incorporating American (and other) influences into their culture. The whimsical result is often hilarious. A young boy on the subway, for instance, wore a baseball hat that proudly proclaimed in English: "The purpose for my being here is in order to be a witness to the brightness of my own self." Huh?And walking down the street the other day I encountered a home garden, carefully and lovingly maintained that contained several incongruous ceramic objects: a couple of cute dogs, Walt Disney's Seven Dwarves and two cherubs like you see in church cemeteries:And this is where Japan starts to grow more intriguing. Look again. Angels and the Seven Dwarves in the same presentation? Neither one has anything remotely Japanese in origin to it. They don't even represent the same sense of reality: the dwarves are a product of American Hollywood and the angels a speculative offshoot of Western-style Christianity. Not to put too fine a meaning to it, but those two things wouldn't normally fit together.They do in Japan. The mindset here readily accepts all sorts of outside influences in ways that most other cultures would find unacceptable. The language, for instance, is written with three different scripts, two of which originated in China. English is also written everywhere. The political and economic systems are obviously western, despite a long history of aristocracy. I've circled around all this to make the point that nowhere is this way of thinking more evident than in their religious life, a truth that makes missions to the Japanese particularly challenging.Most sources report that Japan is one of the most secular nations on earth. The national obsession is with business more than anything else. But that's far from the truth. The Japanese are in fact very religious but not in ways that we're comfortable with.The traditional Japanese religion is "Shinto", a nature-based religion that originated over 1500 years ago. It emphasizes connection with ancestors as well as celebrative rites for various life passages, things like marriages, births and business openings. Shinto shrines are in every neighborhood and are easily recognizable by their "Torii" gates. Here's the shrine one block from Katie's house:According to some estimates, Shinto is observed by upwards of 80% of the population.But Shinto isn't the only religion. Buddhism is also widely observed. The distinctive pagodas are everywhere, especially in the cemeteries. An import from India via China over a thousand years ago, Buddhism is almost as widely observed as Shinto, with estimates as high as 70% of Japanese people acknowledging their belief in it.Those numbers don't add up. How can 80% of the people follow Shinto while at the same time 70% of the people claim to be Buddhists? The answer is simple: most people do both.Shinto is usually observed for the happy times of life, births and marriages especially. Buddhism on the other hand is reserved for more painful experiences like death. The Japanese people have no problem in choosing whichever religion best suits their need of the moment. You can also throw into the mix a growing trend toward Christian chapel weddings, where the officiants dress up as Christian priests. Here's a cemetery around the corner from Katie's house, filled with Buddhist pagodas:As you can imagine, penetrating this culture with the gospel of Jesus is particularly difficult. Christian missions in Japan, after more than a century of active work, has led to less than 3 million believers, out of a country of 127 million. Here in America we're well past the era of a broad Christian consensus. Today a vast range of religious options exists and our people are coming to regard religion as more a smorgasbord than a single menu. Like the Japanese, as our culture becomes more pluralized, our religious beliefs grow more diverse. And we, too, grow more accustomed to picking and choosing among whatever religious beliefs we find most personally appealing. Today, a devout Methodist may be convinced she'll be reincarnated. A Baptist may consult a medium, just to cover his bases. A Lutheran feels no compunction about including native American prayers to the Great Spirit into his devotional life.America will never be Japan, but the undercurrents I'm seeing here are the same throughout the post-modern world. No nation is exempt. And figuring out how to present the gospel to a pluralistic culture is the most pressing concern of the church today, whether we realize it or not.