Samhain Sleep Protection Pouches

Samhain Sleep Protection Pouches

Old Souls

Photo courtesy of http://www.jessefurner.com

To me, an old soul is a person who is born having more knowledge than the average Joe. They are wise beyond their years. They have a certain understanding of the world that is not typical of a young person. It is also said that old souls are those who learn psychic and magical skills quite easily, due to them having learned them in lives passed.

As a child, my grandmother once talked to the Ouija about reincarnation. The spirit board told her that we come back to earth until we learn what we are supposed to learn in life. This makes sense to me. As a child, I was often told that I was an old soul. As I grew, and moved away from home, I went to places where I knew things that I should not have known.

For example, in S. Texas we were out looking for Indian artifacts. I told my friend that I had a feeling we should go to a particular spot and we walked that way, stopped and began to dig. We had a huge score of artifacts there. I did that on more than one occasion and still have many of those artifacts to this day. I had an uncanny ability to find our way home when I lived in that area. To this day, I believe that I had been in that area in a past life.

I had similar occurrences through my life, until I hit about 27. After that, I've never had that deja vu of an unknown sort. Now when I have deja vu it is from dreams I have had. Perhaps back then I had dreams that told me these things, but I was not yet well practiced enough to recall them. If not that, then perhaps I died quite young. I suppose I'll never know for sure, but I do find it interesting. :-)

Seven Levels, or Planes, of Being

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

It is said that the seven planes originated from the time of creation. When God exploded into existence, he spread out, and fell into, the seven levels of existence. These seven planes are not definitive, but rather, conceptual. These seven planes are:

The physical: where we experience physical form and sensation

Emotional: where we experience emotional feelings

Mental: our experience of thought and abstract concepts and understandings

Astral: where we create our existence and its conditions

Soular: the development of those traits that make a unique part of Deity

Mondaic: the part of us that is divine but is separate from the whole of Deity

Divine: where we are one with all existence

We too pass through these planes. We are at any time working within any of these planes and may be at other times working on more than one at a time. It is our way to learn and grow. Each plane has its special lesson. Since we are all of Goddess, these lessons are of great importance for our souls.

Out of the Broom Closet... Or Not?

Hmmm... today I am contemplating the topic of coming "out of the broom closet". My online persona "Lillie" is obviously out. loud and proud. My personal life is another thing. I've "come out" to my husband and my sister, but neither were entirely surprised. They both know me quite well and both have said it made sense to them to take the step to move towards "official study". 

My sister and I spent hours talking about how our upbringing geared us to being Pagan and/or Wiccan. My husband has been so supportive that he has helped me make things that I wanted to make. He is even building me a cabinet to store my herbs & supplies. He's been very supportive to say the least. 

This made me feel empowered and good. Both are quite supportive. It seems my personality and beliefs are a good fit for being Wiccan for those who know me. I've obviously had my beliefs for a lifetime. Close friends weren't surprised and friends who I learned had similar beliefs were welcoming as we all need people who are "out" to have a supportive circle of friends. 

It's those in the business world that I wonder about. Should I TELL them I am Wiccan or Pagan? I'm thinking, 'nah, what's the point' is the answer I most lean to. I live my life the way I do, why do they NEED to know that I am Wiccan. I'm sure they Know I am Pagan at the very least. Who can hide that?

The pros of them Knowing would be that I represent that Wiccan's are good people too. I'd think this would be the main benefit. Many people ostracize Wiccans and Pagans as they see them as 'evil' or 'not of god'. Although I live my life to exude good intentions, what benefit would it have for me to 'come out'? 

From this perspective it would bring many more cons to the forefront. I work with kids and most of the parents, from what I can tell, have a Christian background. My fear is that I would be seen and judged in a negative light if people were certain of my spiritual beliefs. It is one thing to think someone is something and another all together to know. 

I have only shared with two people that I am certainly Wiccan. One because she told me her beliefs first and that I reciprocated information. The second, because I was asked point blank and I just don't like to lie. I must also admit that it still made me nervous to share the information, although both are good people and I don't think it will be an issue in the long run. But there is the other side of me that wonders... What if the first woman decides she no longer is interested in being a Wiccan? What if she decides to hold that information against me? This makes me nervous and I sometimes think about that. It's too late to take that information back, but sometimes I wish I hadn't shared. 

I have to have faith that Goddess put me in these situations to force me to overtly take a stand. I have to trust that by taking that stand I will not be penalized. I am pretty certain that the second woman would not do anything to hurt someone. I have known her for 11 years and she is very kind-hearted and fairly non-judgmental although she is a Christian. She asked me point-blank after having known her for 6 years. She was doing research for a book she was writing and asked me as it occurred to her that I was Wiccan. Once I admitted my background, she used me for research on her book. When I typed that, it caused me to laugh. You know, she still hasn't published that book... 

Vangelo Delle Streghe aka The Gospel of the Witches (Creationism Story)

The Vangelo Delle Streghe is an Aradian Wiccan scripture which contains: the creation story, the Charge of the Goddess and a collection of myths from Italian Witchcraft. Although it is a bit difficult to understand, it is an interesting read. Written in AD 1899, it is considered the cornerstone of Wiccan thought. I found a copy of it at sacred-texts.com and thought someone might be interested in reading it. Have a look below. 

This is the Gospel (Vangelo) of the Witches:

Diana greatly loved her brother Lucifer, the god of the Sun and of the Moon, the god of Light (Splendor), who was so proud of his beauty, and who for his pride was driven from Paradise.

Diana had by, her brother a daughter, to whom they gave the name of Aradia [i.e. Herodias].
In those days there were on earth many rich and many poor.
The rich made slaves of all the poor.
p. 2
In those days were many slaves who were cruelly treated; in every palace tortures, in every castle prisoners.
Many slaves escaped. They fled to the country; thus they became thieves and evil folk. Instead of sleeping by night, they plotted escape and robbed their masters, and then slew them. So they dwelt in the mountains and forests as robbers and assassins, all to avoid slavery.
Diana said one day to her daughter Aradia:

p. 4

Translation.

'Tis true indeed that thou a spirit art,
But thou wert born but to become again
A mortal; thou must go to earth below
To be a teacher unto women and men
Who fain would study witchcraft in thy school
Yet like Cain's daughter thou shalt never be,
Nor like the race who have become at last
Wicked and infamous from suffering,
As are the Jews and wandering Zingari,
Who are all thieves and knaves; like unto them
Ye shall not be....
And thou shalt be the first of witches known;
And thou shalt be the first of all i' the world;
And thou shalt teach the art of poisoning,
Of poisoning those who are great lords of all;
Yea, thou shalt make them die in their palaces;
And thou shalt bind the oppressor's soul (with power); 1
And when ye find a peasant who is rich,
Then ye shall teach the witch, your pupil, how
To ruin all his crops with tempests dire,
With lightning and with thunder (terrible),
And the hall and wind....
p. 4

And when a priest shall do you injury
By his benedictions, ye shall do to him
Double the harm, and do it in the name
Of me, Diana, Queen of witches all!
And when the priests or the nobility
Shall say to you that you should put your faith
In the Father, Son, and Mary, then reply:
"Your God, the Father, and Maria are
Three devils....
"For the true God the Father is not yours;
For I have come to sweep away the bad,
The men of evil, all will I destroy!
"Ye who are poor suffer with hunger keen,
And toll in wretchedness, and suffer too
Full oft imprisonment; yet with it all
Ye have a soul, and for your sufferings
Ye shall be happy in the other world,
But ill the fate of all who do ye wrong!"Now when Aradia had been taught, taught to work all witchcraft, how to destroy the evil race (of oppressors) she (imparted it to her pupils) and said unto them:

Translation.

When I shall have departed from this world,
Whenever ye have need of anything,
Once in the month, and when the moon is full,
Ye shall assemble in some desert place,
Or in a forest all together join
To adore the potent spirit of your queen,
My mother, great Diana. She who fain
Would learn all sorcery yet has not won
Its deepest secrets, them my mother will
Teach her, in truth all things as yet unknown.
And ye shall all be freed from slavery,
And so ye shall be free in everything; p. 6
And as the sign that ye are truly free,
Ye shall be naked in your rites, both men
And women also: this shall last until
The last of your oppressors shall be dead;
And ye shall make the game of Benevento,
Extinguishing the lights, and after that
Shall hold your supper thus:

---

Footnotes

4:1 Legare, the binding and paralysing human faculties by means of witchcraft.

Sources

Lewis, Donald (Rev.). Witch School First Degree. Woodbury: Llewellyn, 2010. Print.

The Gospel of the Witches. Web. 18 Oct. 2012.  <http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/aradia/ara03.htm>

Willowroot, Abby. Aradia Maidne Moon. Web. 18 Oct 2012. <http://www.sacredsource.com/Aradia-9-statue/productinfo/MWG/#.UIDD52_A9Y5> Photo. 

Personal Deity & Universal Deity

A personal deity is that which speaks to you and you acknowledge and connect to on a personal level. A universal deity is one that everyone knows of but does not necessarily talks to or worships. It doesn't make them any less valuable, it just means they are not the deity that you connect with on a personal level. 

A good example of a universal deity is the Christian god. This is a deity that many connect with but for me it just doesn't click. Granted, for most Christian's, god is a personal deity as well. For Wiccans, the universal deity would be Goddess as all worship her on some level, but many will have a specific, personal deity as well. My personal deity would be more along the lines of Mother Nature. In Greek mythos this would be Demeter, the Aztecs called her Toci, and the Celts Anu. 

I have always been drawn to nature. I would rather live in the country and be isolated than to live in a big city. Even when I have lived in the city, I have sought out natural areas, had patio gardens and many houseplants. I would go camping constantly, all to be closer to nature. 

It is essential for me to have nature around me. Without it I literally feel lost. As a child, when I had issues at home, I would escape to the woods and creek near my home. I always felt better after a walk in the woods or playing with the frogs and crawdads in the creek. Nature is my home. Without it I am nothing. I am lost. With it I am whole. I am grounded. I am happy. 

Feedback on the Exercise Process

I wanted to take a few minutes and share with you how I am feeling about my progress on the exercises. I am now working on lesson 5 in the Correllian First Degree. I have spent every evening doing the exercises for the past 10 weeks. 

I have found them to be very helpful. I can feel them working and love the results. I have been very successful in keeping my aura strong and in ensuring that the negativity of others does not make it into my psyche. This is VERY relevant to me. I have had a habit of owning other peoples issues. It is a HUGE thing that I am not taking on their negativity and that I am actually better equipped to help them work through their issues. 

I love the feeling of cleansing. Now, I get tingly when I am cleansing. It starts at my head and moves into my fingers and toes. I feel when my psyche is cleansed. I feel it when I am grounding. I actually feel the aura growing stronger rather than just imagining the bubble getting stronger. When I do my chakra work, I feel it in each area. I feel it open and I feel it close. Although the chakras are a bit more difficult, I find some of my challenges becoming less pertinent. My communication has increased. My love for others has increased. My ability to think a variety of things through and communicate them clearly has increased. I have done nothing to change these things except to complete my assignments and work on creating positive energy while resisting negative energy. 

I've really enjoyed my journey thus far and look forward to the next 42 weeks. It's made such a difference already that I cannot imagine what things will be like then. Blessed be all. May Goddess bless you!

My Handmade Besom

So today I made my very own besom! I've wanted one for years, but since I've been working a lot with energy I felt I needed one for certain at this point. It was really quite easy and turned out to be very pretty, just the right height, and thickness! Too boot, it was a family affair!

Since today is the New Moon and the first one since my dedication ceremony, so I wanted it to be a really special day. I asked for that this morning during my prayers and guess what! I had a very special day so far! First, I ended up having the day off because I will be working a 16 hour shift Friday night to Saturday morning. Then, when I went to make the 2 tools I suddenly had undefined free time for my animals and husband got involved!

So here's how you do it... I started the day with cleansing, charging and shielding. Then off to WalMart to find the hemp cord. Lucky me, they had exactly what I wanted and cheap ($5 for a 133 yards)! I already had broom straw from a pagan festival I went to about a month ago. I paid $10 for a nice bundle of it. I just needed a stick. I had been searching for a stick for days because I wanted it to have a bend in it and be as natural as possible. I didn't want to use a dowel, but you could. The dog and I went looking for one the other day and had no luck on a 3 mile walk, lol.

When I got back from store, I decided to walk around the yard and have a look. The dog and the outside cat joined me. After walking the acre, we ended up in the big stick pile we keep in the very back corner awaiting chipping or decomposing, whichever comes first. As I stood looking at the pile, I eventually found my stick, lol. It was about an inch and a half in diameter and had a perfect little crook. My husband kindly made the cuts to the end of the Ash branch (what luck!) where I asked and I set about to work.

So to paraphrase, your supplies are:

- 4' stick or dowel, about an inch and a half in diameter
- Broom straw
- Hemp cord
- scissors
- extra set of hands is very nice

I began by cutting a three foot strip of hemp (start it from the center or you'll be sorry) and tied it to the stick, at the bottom. I then took a bundle of broom straw and placed the ends to the end of the broom stick, with the top of the straw facing up. Yes, that is counter-intuitive, but it really works!

I then wrapped the hemp cord around this one bunch (1/4 - 1/2 inch bundle) three times. As I made this broom I was very gracious minded and thankful for the supplies and the experience. I know that sounds kinda silly, but I want this besom to work very well so I wanted the entire process to involve Goddess.

I continued to add one bunch at a time, with the ends to the end and the tops to the handle, and wrapped the hemp three times. When I was nearing the end of the string, I simply left 3-4 inches on the end and tied it to the beginning string. I added a new 3' section of string and carried on adding straw and wrapping.

Once the first layer was wrapped evenly around the broom, I tied it off and got my husband to hold the bundle around the broom handle for me while I tied and wrapped a 3-4 foot piece around the entire broom, wrapping it until it was time to tie it off. Then I sat down and added a second layer of the broom straw around the entire broom, again one at a time, wrapping three times, and doing all with good intent.

Once the second layer was finished, I again had the husband hold it tight while I tied it and wrapped it again.

I then moved to the top of where the straw was no longer solid pieces and tied a second line of wrap to ensure stability. You need to be sure you have two tied off areas. One towards the bottom of the stick and one where you want the straw to bend over at. I wrapped it until I liked how it looked, being generous with the hemp.

Then, cut a 3 foot piece of hemp and tie it to the broom straw around the hemp that is already there. This should be at the top, where the straw will bend and you should tie it so that one side is short and one is nearly three feet long again.

Now begin bending the straw so the top of the straw is now at the bottom. Only take a quarter to a half inch of the straw at a time. Do this lovingly to avoid breaking the straw You will break some, but you want to be careful not to break many! Once it is bent over, again wrap the cord three times, with good intent. Continue this pattern, going around the broom, carefully. You have the cord wrapping technique down by now, so just keep going around the broom until all is finished.

Tie it off tight. Now, go down the broom a bit and wrap a new row of string. I did it until I liked how tight the top of the broom felt. I then went back to the top and wrapped over the ugly string until it was pretty, keeping it tight and ending it tight.

This is how it turned out... I'm quite happy with it! Knowing me it will adapt over time, but this is a very satisfying beginning. I wish I had done a step by step pics, sorry about that. I'll do that next time for sure! Now to finish my happy day!

Shielding Revisited

I talked about shielding a bit as my very first blog post. In that article, I explained that shielding is the art of strengthening your boundaries to prevent the absorption of negative energy. I thought I’d elaborate on the importance a bit more in depth this time around.

Negative energy is all around us. We may pick up negative energy at any time and from anyone. This could be moods or emotions seeping into our psyches and making us feel irritated, tired, sad, or depressed. Essentially, you pick up whatever negativity they have flowing out.

By shielding, you build a figurative wall that will act as a barrier for any negativity. Taking just a few moments each day will ensure you keep your aura healthy, your boundaries strong and allow you to only experience your own energy.

Shielding is a simple exercise and you will feel more empowered every day you complete the exercise. I prefer to do this in the morning, to be prepared for my day, but you may do this at any time of day.

(From this point on, is straight out of page 8 in Rev. Don's book.)

To begin, you should be in a comfortable position. Release all tension and anxiety.

Visualize a ball of white light floating above you. Focus on the energy of the ball; know that it is full of love, strength and peace. You really need to focus on this. You need to feel that this ball is full of love, strength and peace.

Now, let the energy from the ball flow down into you. The energy is a beautiful, pure, clear white light. No matter how much light comes into you, the ball will remain equally strong, as it originates from Goddess and is a source of boundless spiritual energy. Let the energy pour into you and flow through you. Let it flow through your arms, fingers, legs and toes.

Let the light expand beyond your body. See the light expand just a bit outside of your body. Allow it to grow little by little, until it forms a large oval around your body. Concentrate on the beautiful, oval of white light being full of love, strength and peace. Allow it to expand to a full six foot oval.

Now, in your mind affirm:

There is one power in the universe and

I am a perfect manifestation of that power.

As such, I will that the boundaries of my aura

shall be strong and healthy,

repelling all unwanted energy

while remaining open to positive and healing energy.

Safe within these boundaries, nothing can harm me,

for I am filled with the strength of the Goddess.

By my will, so mote it be – and it is so.

Now, let the visual image of the light dissipate, but know that its protection and strength remain with you. Finally clear and release all excess energy.

Reference:

Lewis, Donald (Rev.). Witch School First Degree: Lessons in the Correllian Tradition. Woodbury: Llewellyn, 2010. Print.

Demeter as the Mother

The Greek Goddess, Demeter is the Goddess of the harvest. She presides over agriculture, grains and the fertility of the earth. She also presides over the sanctity of marriage, the sacred law and the cycle of life (and death). Demeter is often seen as Mother Earth, as her name represents.

When her daughter was kidnapped, Demeter became depressed and winter came to be. There was great suffering as the plants withered and died. Once Persephone was once again found, it was agreed that she should spend part of the year with Demeter and part of the year in the otherworld. While Persephone is in the otherworld, winter returns to the earth. In order to ensure that animals and humans did not perish during the winter Demeter gave us grain and the knowledge to grow and preserve it.

When attempting to determine where in the trinity Demeter falls, without just considering her name means Mother Earth, one should consider what it means to be the Mother, Maiden or Crone. The Maiden is the young Goddess of the spring. She is about new beginnings, self-expression and creativity. She is represented by the waxing moon. The Mother is about growth, the gaining of knowledge and fertility. She is the sustainer of the universe. The Mother Goddess is the source of bounty for all who are open to receive her gifts. She is represented by the full moon. The Crone is the wise woman, the Goddess in her aged form. She is represented by the waning moon. When taking these into consideration, it can be seen that Demeter mainly represents the Mother as her stance amongst the Gods was one of substance and great giving.

Sources used:

Demeter (In Rome Ceres). Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.goddessnames.net/demeter.html>

Demeter. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. <http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Demeter.html>

Demeter. Myths and Legends of the World. 2001. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Demeter.aspx>.

Lewis, Donald (Rev.). Witch School First Degree. Woodbury: Llewellyn, 2010. Print.

The Greek Goddess Demeter. Web. 11 Oct. 2012.  <http://www.essortment.com/greek-goddess-demeter-55129.html>

Wigington, Patti. Maiden, Mother and Crone - The Triple Goddess. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccanpaganhistory/a/MaidenMotherCrone.htm>

Clergy Status: Child Abuse & Neglect

I absolutely agree with the state mandates which make Clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse and sexual molestation. It is our duty, as human beings, to report anyone who may possibly be a child abuser, regardless of our stance as Clergy members. It is our responsibility to protect our children, to ensure they are safe and have an opportunity to grow into responsible and supportive adults.

As a member of Clergy, you do have a unique opportunity to have information that a common person may not have. This is a bit of a quandary; however, the ultimate goal is to ensure that all people are safe and have equal opportunities, right? Perhaps I am a bit naïve here, but I have been a mandatory reporter for 11 years. I have no issues reporting cases that I feel are questionable. I truly believe that it is my responsibility to put children first, then families, then individuals. I hope that doesn’t hurt my stance as a clergy member!

In the state of North Carolina, which is where I currently reside, Clergy is permitted to keep secret cases of suspected child abuse or neglect based on the fact that it is privileged information. Unfortunately, this is true in six states!  As you can see below, from the childwelfare.gov website, there are many states that require reporting. Sadly, there are states (8 + Puerto Rico) who do NOT address this issue in their laws.

	Privilege granted but limited to pastoral communications	Privilege denied in cases of suspected child abuse or neglect	Privilege not addressed in the reporting laws
Clergy enumerated as mandated reporters	Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin	New Hampshire, West Virginia	Connecticut, Mississippi
Clergy not enumerated as mandated reporters but may be included with "any person" designation	Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Utah, Wyoming	North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas	Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, Puerto Rico
Neither clergy nor "any person" enumerated as mandated reporters	Virginia, Washington5	Not applicable	Alaska, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, New York, Northern Mariana Islands, South Dakota, Virgin Islands

I feel this is very wrong. ANYONE who knows that a child is being abused should be required to report. Children do not have the power, and possibly not the voice, to protect their selves. I am very much pro-reporting. I love kids, I am a child advocate by profession, and I believe it is every adult’s responsibility to report child abuse and neglect.

All in all, if I am a Clergy member, I am fully ready to report any issues as necessary. If it jeopardizes my stance as a Clergy member, then so be it. I cannot imagine the Goddess and God having an issue with me protecting children. I believe they feel the same that I do. Children are innocent, precious and unable to advocate for themselves. 

As Above, So Below

Neuse River - October 2012

This week's assignment comes out of Lesson 1 in our First Degree lessons. The assignment was to explain what the phrase "As Above, So Below" means. In the magic world the phrase “As above, so below” refers to the belief that all things together contribute to the divine plan. Nothing is too big or too small to be a contributing factor as all things are originated from Goddess, through God. This includes the beliefs held in the mundane world. If we live the belief “As above, so below” we will be better able to care for the smallest things which will influence the largest. In other words, if we care for our small piece of the world, we have a big influence on the larger world. 

The Divinity of Nature

Today’s assignment was to take a walk in a natural area, to observe and connect with the Divinity of nature. I chose to go to my dog’s favorite park and take the long trail. This place is great. It is very beautiful and full of life.

At the start of the orange trail, there is a very old cemetery that has been restored. The view walking up to the cemetery is quite beautiful. As you venture up you notice the beautiful old trees which are covered in English Ivy. 

Once you arrive at the cemetery, the very first thing you notice is the old oak which is growing around, and taking over, the iron fencing.

On this particular day, I grew frustrated with the sound of 4-wheelers from the ATV Park across the river. While still at the cemetery, I grounded and shielded and asked the Goddess for patience to allow me to enjoy our walk. Thinking back, I am quite happy that I took the time to do so. I don’t recall hearing them during the rest of our 2 hour excursion! We were able to enjoy the peace of being in nature.

As Teak, my 15 year old dog, and I moved up the trail we enjoyed the view of the forest floor. We observed the trash that piled up along an embankment during a flood. 

We took in the smells of the forest. Sweet Goldenrod was in its full autumn bloom, with its rich sweet smell filling the air. There were tiny purple wildflowers in bloom, of whose name I am not sure. Teak liked them a lot though, as she spent a lot of time sniffing those throughout our entire journey.

When we reached the large White Ash tree, we took a break as usual. As we sat under the tree, we watched the Cardinals play in the China Berry trees and listened to them sing. As I got the camera ready, the male moved twice and I finally got a shot of him as he got ready to move once more. When we moved on, I was lucky enough to find an Ash branch that I picked up to use to make a wand. I was excited, and took a moment to thank Goddess and left the Ash a hair offering in exchange for it.

Once we reached the half way point, we are at the river bank. This is Teaks favorite part of the journey. It was 84 degrees outside so by this point she is ready to get in the water. As she walked out and got a drink, I took a few photos of the river. The sun was shining bright and the river was beautiful.

We continued along, enjoying the smell of the leaves decomposing on the forest floor. A little further along, I saw an old bottle buried in the clay. I attempted to dig it out, but I did not have my tools to do so and the piece of pottery I found was not very effective in the compacted clay. I left it dug a bit and decided to come back after the next rain to try again. I’ll be sure to bring my tool kit next time.

As we neared the end of our trail walk, I spotted a beautiful tree whose roots were showing and it was still healthy and alive. How beautiful the art of nature is. The sky was its perfectly beautiful blue. The air flowed comfortably and allowed us to enjoy the sound of leaves rustling above. From time to time we witnessed a procession of falling leaves that was exquisite.

How blessed we are to experience a beautifully warm day at the beginning of October. This walk was a bit of a different experience as the intent was to write this. I have often enjoyed this journey but the experience was a bit different because the intent was a bit different. The most interesting thing that occurred, thinking back, was that the sound of the ATVs disappeared even though I know they were still plowing through the trails. Thank you, Goddess, for allowing me the opportunity to make this journey in perfect peace. 

Favorite Method of Divination... Including a Particularly Moving Experience

My favorite method of divination is using Tarot Cards. I like that they leave room for many interpretations and that one must think about what the cards are saying and work it into their situation in life. Some may think that Tarot is a bit general, but I think if it is used correctly, it is actually very able to give some great advice, through the eyes of the subject at hand. I bought my first, and only, Tarot deck in the first metaphysical store I ever stepped in. I was in Alpine, CA in 1993. I was 19 years old. This deck is very well used. I have thought about replacing the deck, but have used it for so long that we have a great partnership that I am quite akin too. 

I also enjoy the art of palm reading. I find it very interesting how our palms show so many attributes without really having any input besides the lines and their meanings. It amazes me how accurate palm reading seems to be. I once ran a palm reading booth at a school’s Halloween carnival fundraiser. My booth raised the MOST money and the line was the longest, all night long. The towns people were a bit odd with me for a while, but they were are very respectful and even though some bad things came true, they were kind and some even thanked me for preparing them for the outcomes. I never did that again. I just really had no idea that it would happen as it did.

Early in my life, I experienced Ouija boards. Due to my experiences with them, I no longer touch them. My first experiences with Ouija boards were as a very young girl. I would watch my mother, her sisters and my grandmother use Ma’s Ouija board (Ma is my grandma, who did not like being called grandma). They would use it as a way to communicate with dead family members… or so it seemed at my ripe old age of 8, lol. (The one in the photo below is just like Ma's board. BTW, in the end she didn't like it very much either.)

Moving forward a bit… at about 12 years old, I had a Halloween themed slumber party. Early in the evening, my mom told the guests that spirits liked to enter the house through the basement door (she wasn’t serious, I promise). The girls all laughed and we went about entertaining ourselves using Ma’s Ouija. The girls asked questions and used it as the game they thought it was. They were okay until it said I would die at 18 and named 2 girls who were present and 3 who were not, as dying with me. That freaked them a bit, but I laughed it off and we went down to eat some grub.

Later that evening, my mom, 2 aunts and a cousin did a séance that my guests watched. This was my first séance. I saw a candle move on the mirror, in a circle. My mother stopped the séance before it really progressed any further (later admitting that she felt heat coming into her and freaked out about it a bit). As I helped my Aunt pick up the room, the basement door opened. We both got a bit freaked, but shook it off and went on with the party.

That night, I saw my first shadow in a mirror. I know, that sounds crazy, but it was there, I swear. Over the next few months, I spent my time avoiding the mirrors in the house. Essentially, I ran from the mirrors.

Finally, Ma called my mother and told her to bring me over. She feared that I was going crazy. She didn’t want Mom to have to institutionalize me! Oh My!!! Mom and Ma got on the Ouija and talked to it about this Bubba that first came through. They got out of the board that Bubba was trying to get through to my mom, but she was ignoring him. Ma asked him to leave me alone.

After that night, I no longer saw shadows in mirrors. Granted, I was still nervous about them. Honestly, I had an “interesting” relationship with mirrors for at least 10 years after this experience. But, my mom had something happen that made the family accept my experience as real rather than crazy… thankfully.

Mom went to work one day and was down in a tank doing x-rays. She was an x-ray technician who inspected gas tank train cars. She was getting ready to go back out of the tank. She had shined her flashlight on the manhole exit and read “Bubba was here” around the hole. She got freaked a bit and got out of the train car. She asked around the shop who Bubba was. No one knew anyone named Bubba except an old friend of hers who used to work with her at another company a few years ago. It turns out that one of their co-workers from there had died just before my party. And guess what? His nickname was Bubba.

On my 18^th birthday two friends of mine threw me a grand party. I was quite lucky to have friends who were older than me and that loved to throw parties! One of my friends invited a cop, which made me nervous because my teenage friends and I wanted to partake in some smoking, which would have been problematic. So, we took a cruise. As we drove along Rt. 6, smoking it up and heading towards Camelot Bowl (the teenage handout at the time) I recalled the names of the people that the Ouija said would die with me on my 18^th birthday. Everyone piled into that car was on that list. Just as I began to panic and insisted that we pull over, a semi truck came at us, head-on. My friend, pulled off the road and we all got out of the car. They were all laughing at me, except one (who was at my party that listed everyone in that car). Once I got a grip, and smoked some, we piled into the car and went the rest of the way to Camelot. Needless to say, I did not physically die that night. My “no fear” attitude did die. I no longer played with things I did not understand. I no longer took my life for granted. I was thankful that I had lived to tell this crazy tale!

The point of this assignment was to state my favorite form of divination and to express a particularly moving experience I have had with divination. My experience with an Ouija board and séances has been my most moving experience to date. I will not even be around this “game” as they make me quite nervous and I have never attempted a séance since. I realize that many people to do not see the Ouija as a divination tool, but my experience has taught me a bit differently.

I hope I didn't bore you to death with this accounting! If you actually read this far, thanks for sticking with me and I hope you got something of value out of it! Blessed be!

Comparing & Contrasting: Karma & The Law of Three

Karma tells us that for every action there is a reaction… This always makes me think of Newton’s law of motion that states “for every action there is an equal, but opposite reaction”. But, I digress. Karma pretty much says if you do good things you get good in return. If you do bad things you get bad effects in exchange. This may happen in our current life or in a future life. Of course, rather than just experiencing bad, you must learn from it. Essentially, you will experience bad until you actually learn a lesson from it… even if it takes more than a single lifetime.

The Law of Three is a belief that most Wiccans own. Essentially, if you do good you get more good back. If you do bad things you get multiple instances of bad in return. Like Karma, this will occur until you actually learn something from the experiences. Correllian’s do not take the Law of Three literally. Instead the “Three” is seen as multiple occurrences. Often meaning that if you learned from the first instance of bad, you may have more bad coming just to be sure you get it that it was wrong to do in the first place.

There is no balance beam here. We must learn from these experiences before we can move onto new experiences. If you do something bad, bad things will continue to happen until you finally own it and learn that what you did was bad and that the forces are sure that it will not occur again.

To me, these concepts are nearly the same. Of course, Karma seems to be a balance beam of sorts. An eye-for-an-eye of sorts whilst the Law of Three may give you more than you actually dished out to ensure the lesson is learned. In my opinion, the big difference is that Karma carries into future lives, while the Law of Three seems to stick to the current time of existence. The other difference is that Karma originates in Dharmic religions while the Law of Three is found in Wiccan beliefs. 

Grounding, Releasing, and Psychic Shielding

Grounding, releasing and psychic shielding is very important for those of us with empathic abilities and it is beneficial to conduct Grounding, releasing and psychic shielding both before and after spells and rituals. It is also beneficial to conduct these both in the morning and at night to keep our minds clear and our spirits strong.

Emotional empaths are those of us who have empathy, who sense how others feel, often, who absorb energy from others without even trying. I have this issue. If there are people who are full of negative energy around me, I find myself being negative even if I have no reason to do so. This works the same with positive energy, but I never mind having a bit of a positive charge given to me by others!

Since I learned how to Ground, Release and Shield I have noticed that I do not take on those negative aspects quite as easily. Grounding and Releasing is the art of clearing the negative from your aura. Shielding is the art of strengthening your boundaries to prevent the absorption of negative energy.  Grounding, Releasing, and Psychic Shielding also allows you to clear yourself both before and after rituals. 

I noticed after a ritual that my cat interrupted not too long ago that I was anxious and distracted. These feelings went on for hours before it occurred to me what may be the problem. I took a few minutes to Ground, Release and Shield and was nearly instantly better focused and less anxious. Perhaps it was “in my head” but whatever it takes to be better in my head is good enough for me!