Day: March 1, 2011

Daily Horoscopes for 3/1

 

General Daily Horoscope
We may feel as if anything is possible today as the Moon’s entry into futuristic Aquarius encourages us to cut our ties to the past. Alluring Venus forms a cooperative sextile to radical Uranus, attracting us to new experiences. Venus, too, enters Aquarius, further detaching our desires from our emotions. Anticipation can set us on edge and a lack of self-restraint may empower us to overreach our limits and take risks we might normally pass by.
Aries Horoscope
Aries Horoscope (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Think twice before doing something that you might quickly regret. It doesn’t really matter if your intentions are good; you are so wrapped up in your needs that you could hurt someone’s feelings without even realizing what you did. Just because a plan makes immediate sense to you doesn’t mean that others will share your perspective. Talking things over with those you love will help in more ways than one.

 
Taurus Horoscope
Taurus Horoscope (Apr 20 – May 20)

Even if you have been extremely cautious about expressing your needs, today you could strike like lightning and, in a flash, tell someone exactly what you want. Unfortunately, this could be a case of sharing too much information too quickly. Your ability to conform to social norms is impaired by unconventional Uranus’ sextile to your key planet Venus. Just because you want to color outside the lines now doesn’t mean that others will want to join you.

 
Gemini Horoscope
Gemini Horoscope (May 21 – Jun 20)

Although you may be out to have some innocent fun, others could see your behavior as unnecessarily contrarian. Your expressions of individuality make you appear argumentative today, but you cannot be responsible for other people’s feelings, especially if they are so sensitive that they take offense to everything you do. Consider the consequences before you cross the line of good taste. Respecting everyone else’s boundaries is always a smart idea.

 
Cancer Horoscope
Cancer Horoscope (June 21 – Jul 22)

Others around you seem to be enjoying the day, yet you are challenged with a familiar dilemma. You are being asked to choose between holding on to the status quo and making changes that will cut you loose from your past. Although you are eager to find a progressive solution, it’s not easy for you to let go of what you have now. Thankfully, you won’t have to turn your life upside down to move into the future. If you start by taking one small step at a time, you can reach your goals sooner than you think.

Leo Horoscope
Leo Horoscope (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

It’s difficult for you to act with moderation, and your desire for extreme emotional interactions could stir up trouble today. You don’t see why you should have to curtail your desire for fun. You know what makes you feel good and you’re willing to involve others in your plan to find pleasure. Unfortunately, more is not always better. Figure out where your limits are before you go beyond them.

Virgo Horoscope
Virgo Horoscope (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

Sharing all your feelings may not be the smartest thing to do today because you could shock others with your true desires. Surprising someone with what you really want may not be the worst thing in the world, but your intentions could be misunderstood. In fact, even a warm smile might be misinterpreted as an act of aggression. You don’t think you’re being too pushy, but your intensity can make others uncomfortable. Moderate your approach by asking for less while consciously softening the tone of your voice.

 
Libra Horoscope
Libra Horoscope (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Your ruling planet Venus receives an electric shock from lightning-like Uranus today, zapping your personal life with possibilities that may be very destabilizing. Perhaps someone from work tries to distract you with an exciting invitation. Saying yes sounds like a good idea, but your involvement could create more trouble than fun. Give yourself permission to play, but don’t take it too far. If you overdo it, instant karma just might get you.

 
Scorpio Horoscope
Scorpio Horoscope (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

You are able to speak and act with the power of your convictions now. Your originality can be more persuasive than you realize. Just make sure you know when to ease up in your approach. If you appear too aggressive today, you can ruin your chances for success. However, practicing flexibility and patience enables you to make the progress you desire.

 
Sagittarius Horoscope
Sagittarius Horoscope (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Your hopes loom so large now that it feels as if you can reach out and touch your dreams. But everything is exaggerated these days, making it difficult to judge the real importance of your goals. Your current excitement warps your objectivity and clouds your common sense. If something looks very attractive today, wait a day or two before making any final decisions.

 
Capricorn Horoscope
Capricorn Horoscope (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You may feel relieved now that you get to have some fun. However, it’s challenging to keep it all in perspective because you can see that life will become serious again in the weeks ahead. You want to let loose, but you can’t shake the gnawing feeling that you should be doing something else that will prepare you for what’s ahead. It’s still a smart idea to enjoy yourself when the chance is presented; you’ll accomplish more at work if you also make time to relax.

 
Aquarius Horoscope
Aquarius Horoscope (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

A lovely surprise could brighten your day in a way that’s totally unexpected. Nevertheless, you get to decide how to respond. Sweet Venus forms a supportive sextile with your key planet Uranus today, turning up the volume on your desires. Although you may have a hard time balancing all the variables, you don’t want to miss this special opportunity. Remember, a little moderation will save your day — taking on too much could spread you too thin.

 
Pisces Horoscope
Pisces Horoscope (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Sexy Venus is flirting with wild Uranus in your sign today, tempting you to say yes before you even know where you’re going. You may be seeing green lights, but keep in mind that things could change instantaneously if you don’t stay aware of everything that’s happening around you. Avoid any unpleasant surprises by focusing on the present moment throughout the entire day, instead of always thinking about what’s next.

How to Choose A Good Magickal Name

How to Choose A Good Magickal Name

Author: Bronwen Forbes

There’s a standard joke in the Pagan community that, at a gathering, if the loudspeaker were to announce, “Will Raven, Morgan, and Rhiannon please come to registration?” half the attendees would show up, and that the Ravens at least would be split pretty evenly between males and females.

Like most good jokes, it has a lot of truth in it.

So rule number one of how *not* to choose a good magickal name is: pick one that’s already been used to death.

Rule number two of how not to choose a good magickal name: pick one that’s unpronounceable. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times people with magickal names like Aistiranpaistinfionncoinini have gotten really annoyed with me because I can’t pronounce their name. If you must*have a name longer than ten letters, do your friends, fellow coveners and community a favor and allow us to use a nickname. “Aistir” would work for my example. It means, “star” in Irish Gaelic.

Now that you know what not to do when picking a magickal name for yourself, what doyou do?

First, decide whether or not you really need one, or if your legal first name will work just fine. Back in the 1980s (when I first realized I was Pagan) , most of us had a special name we used in the community. Even though we were on the cusp of the 21st century, we still felt the need to hide our legal identity in order to protect our jobs and our children.

If you have a career, a potential career (if you’re still in school) , children that might be in danger because of where you live or who you’re divorcing, or a work situation that could be jeopardized if people outside the community knew you were Pagan, you might want a magickal name for public community use.

Also, many groups and traditions only use their magickal names when they’re in ritual – it’s another way to move them into ritual space, just like putting on robes and lighting the candles do. For these folks, the privilege of knowing and using their ritual name indicates that you are “family” to them. The rest of the Pagan community calls them Lynn or Bob, i.e. their legal names.

If you still decide you want a magickal name, it’s best to pick one that a) tells the Pagan world something about you, b) is a reflection of your path, or c) invokes something into you that you feel you lack. A really good magickal name will fill all three criteria.

Let me explain. When I joined my first coven, I was required (as were all members) to choose a name from Tolkien’s made-up Elvish language. I was a theater major at the time, and was intrigued by the comedy-tragedy masks that not only summed up the human condition, but also in the balance implied by the smiling face and the sorrowful face. After some reflection, I chose Nienor Lailaith, which, loosely translated, means “sorrow joy.”

I was called “Nienor” in the community for roughly my first year. It definitely told the Pagan world that theater was sacred to me, which was something I wanted everyone to know. The coven I was in used a lot of symbolism from Tolkien’s works, and when I met people and used my Elvish name, there was no question in their minds what coven I was in and what path I was on.

Finally, I was twenty-two years old. “Balance” was not in my vocabulary – but I knew it needed to be. I remember thinking that maybe a nice, balanced name like “sorrow joy” would help me learn how to better juggle my schoolwork, home life, and coven responsibilities. As magickal names go, Nienor Lailaith was a pretty good one.

So in case you’ve accidentally or deliberately misplaced your copy of The Silmarillion, how do you pick a good magickal name?

Here’s what I did when it was time to retire Nienor and find something else. I took a piece of paper and a pen and started writing down every word or name that I liked from my favorite books — fiction and non-fiction — my favorite movies, mythology – Greek, Roman, Celtic, Slavic, Norse, plus plant and tree identification books, baby name books (they’re not known for historical accuracy, but they do have some names you might not otherwise think of) , animals I particularly liked, zodiac correspondences, birds, history… every source I could think of until I had a list of about thirty names.

I then started to cross off the ones I liked the least until I had two left. One, not surprisingly, was Bronwen. I liked the sound. I liked the spelling – there are several ways to spell “Bronwen, ” more if you want it to look exotic. I played around with what little I know about numerology and discovered that Bronwen spelled with an “o” and an “e” (as opposed to, say, “Branwyn” or “Bronwinn”) was a one, a number that balanced my birth number very nicely. So, Bronwen it was.

(On a side note, I legally changed my first and middle names in 1994. “Bronwen” is now my middle name. You don’t have to go as far as legally changing your name. In fact, considering all the expense and annoyance of changing all one’s legal documents, including driver’s license, social security card, medical insurances cards, etc. I strongly recommend you have at least one major compelling reason to do so. It’s really a pain to do!)

Whatever you do, don’t use one of those Pagan name generators on the Internet. They’re a joke. They’re meant to be funny. They are not for real! You’d think everyone would know that, but I’ve run into about one too many “Lavender Mermaid of the Sand” who got her “special” name from one of those sites and took it seriously. In fact, I just now played with the Pagan name generator and got Ariadne Bard Dragonfly.

Hmm. I think I’ll stick with Bronwen, thanks. But if Ariadne Bard Dragonfly works for you, feel free to take it!

Responsible Witch

Responsible Witch

Author: Donna Caldwell aka Scarlette Winter Rose
What is a witch? Is it, as by common definition, a sorceress, a person bent on evil doings, who casts spells and worships the devil? Is it someone to fear and therefore ostracize, imprison and execute? My answer to these questions is both yes, and no.

Why am I qualified to answer these questions? Because I am a witch, and have been all of my life.

So let’s get those questions answered.

First, a witch is many things. She, or he, as men are witches too, may or may not be a sorceress. Some witches practice no spell craft, but choose only to focus on the worship of nature, and the Goddess and God, providers of all that we are blessed with on this earth.

There are those like myself, who practice sorcery, or magick. And you will find that among witches, those terms, along with numerous others, intertwine for many, while some insist that the term sorcery only applies to black magic. I do not agree, because to me there is no “black” or “white” magick. There is only magick, and it is the intent of the practitioner that determines the direction of the energy used.

When one decides to follow the path of the witch, they are making a commitment that holds many responsibilities, and will find that there is much to learn before any actual casting of spells should be approached.

To quote High Priestess Ly de Angeles, from her book “Witchcraft Theory and Practice”, “Once initiation has occurred, there is no turning back…you will quest all of your life; it is not a thing to do thoughtlessly.”

This is, in part, because our spiritual path, unlike others, states that we are immediately responsible for all of our actions and the results that follow. We cannot lay blame elsewhere for our harmful deeds, whether toward ourselves or to others.

Witches do not believe in the devil, so the idea of our worshipping one is meaningless. If we have acted in a baneful manner, we will not be judged after our body dies, before a single god, but will reap the sowing of our intent while in the present life, and sometimes beyond it, in accordance to the laws of the universe.

This is known among witches as the Threefold Law. It states that any one baneful act by a witch shall be returned upon them three times.

Some, myself included, do not hold strictly to the Threefold Law, but believe that negative use of witchcraft returns upon those liable however many times the universe deems necessary, in order to teach that which must be taught to the practitioner. Think of the old saying “What goes around comes around.”

So witches do have rules? Hell yes!

We abide by that which is known as the Wiccan Rede, a hefty list of guidelines. The most basic and important of these is “And it harm none, do what thou wilt.” Now, just what does that mean?

It means a lot.

We must take care with everything and everyone on this earth, be it the people, the animals, nature, and the planet itself. All is a gift from the Goddess. We must not lie, steal, cheat, or raise war, either with nations, or other people who would condemn us for our beliefs because they differ from their own.

We must work magick responsibly. This means we must prepare for ritual with great thought and patience, being precise, and making sure our efforts do not impose upon another’s will, as that would be baneful.

We must not use mind-altering drugs of any kind before or during ritual. To do so would be against the Rede, as we could bring harm to others and ourselves due to our lack of clear focus.

There are strict rules for summoning energies or “watchtowers”, as we in the Craft refer to them. They are called upon to join and assist in ritual, and must be dismissed at the ritual’s end, in a certain way. Failing to do this can, and most often does, result in negative occurrences long after the ritual is over and those in the circle have gone merrily on their way.

Being in a drugged state would leave those practicing within the ritual circle completely vulnerable to the energies and spirits that have been summoned. To perform spell work correctly, successfully and safely, one must have complete control over their faculties.

Now, how about our reputation?

It has taken hundreds of years for witches to partially recover from the labels placed upon us, and whether we like it or not, our chosen path is one which is looked at by others who still hold to the opinion that we are not following a true spiritual path, but one of pure evil. We must show them differently.

We must act responsibly, respectfully, and never fall into the trap of believing that we are “right” and others “wrong” in their differing beliefs.

We must not boast of powers, or play upon another’s fear of us, thus falling prey to the ego and thereby promoting our own demise, either through personal fault, or by those who would seek to destroy us.

As for that last question, I think I’ll let you, the reader, decide. You have heard from me, a practicing witch, concerning some or our basic beliefs and ways in which we live our lives.

So, what do you think? Should I be feared? Ostracized and imprisoned? Executed?

Some would still answer, “Yes.” My neighbor is one. She has stated on more than one occasion that anyone who practices witchcraft, or her idea of witchcraft, should, in fact, be burned at the stake, twenty – first century or not. With the giant wooden cross she has erected in her front yard, I guess she is preparing for her own ritual….

There will probably always be those who will hate us, out of ignorance and fear. Or perhaps just because we have the courage some of them lack, to follow our own path rather than go along with what is most acceptable in society for the sake of fitting in.

As for myself, I shall continue on the journey my Goddess has provided me, and I shall remain a responsible witch.

Happy, Happy Tuesday!

I think, it is Tuesday isn’t it??? Hubby is still laid off. He made my day recently when after a month we finally got our first unemployment check. We actually got 2 because the government is so screwed up. He says I am money hungry. I surprised the hell out of him, I brought him one of the checks back. He almost fell out in the kitchen, lol! “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you need it?” all sorts of questions. But the downer was when he told me he was only supposed to be laid off for a month and the month has come and gone. No phone call to come back to work. I had it in the back of my head that he had been laid off where the government wouldn’t have to make him a permanent employee and I was right. I guess for those that haven’t worked for the government or know someone who has, they would never believe some of the crap that gets pulled. You can bust your butt for them for eleven months but Goddess forbid if you get to work that 12th month. Working that 12th month means you would become an annual employee with full benefits, retirement, paid sick days, paid vacation and holidays. Now who on earth would want that? I just get pissed when I stop to think about the government. The truth is the government is broke and that’s that!

Now for the lighter side of life out in the boonies, lol! At one time, I had a hybrid wolf dog when we moved out here. I had to have her put to sleep about 2 years ago. She was 15 years old and had lived all those years with me. It was like losing a child. I get sad every time I think about her. I loved her beyond words. Before her, I had another wolf hybrid and he was poisoned at 6 months old. I never found out who did it but I always thought my neighbor next door did it. He had a horde of pit bulls and before I got my first hybrid. The guy would bring the male pit bull over to my house. He told me he wanted the dog to get use to me. Supposedly if the dog was use to me, it wouldn’t bother me. YEAH RIGHT! I went to the grocery one night and pulled into the driveway and didn’t think a thing about that dog. I got to close to the fence, out of no where came this dog running as fast as he could and foaming at the mouth. I turned to get back in the truck and when I did, he caught my long sleeve sweater. If it hadn’t been for that sweater, he would have torn my arm off. I screamed and screamed for someone to help. The man next door came out, my father-in-law and my hubby all came running. None of them could pry that dog off my sweater. My father-in-law went to the trunk of his car and got a pistol. He told the man next door if he didn’t get that dog off my arm he was going to kill it (lovely family I have). The man kept hitting the dog in the head while hubby ran in the house and got the scissors. Hubby cut the sleeve out of my sweater were I could get away from that dog. Well after all this crap, a girl I worked with told me she had some hybrid pups and they were wonderful with kids, very protective of the family and just great to have around. Also if that pit bull got loose, the hybrid would protect the kids. So she brought three of the little pups to work. If I could have taken all 3 I would have. They were beautiful. We named the pup Rocky. I took him to the vet for all his regular shots, fed him the best foods and he grew like wildfire. At 6 months, he weighed 75 lbs., so if he had lived he was going to be a big dog. But unfortunately he didn’t. I told my husband that is the problem with being a witch. You know who does this stuff but you have no concrete proof. I can guarantee you one thing and I will let you make up your own mind if I was in the wrong. But after Rocky died, that man’s life next door wasn’t a bed of roses to say the least. So that is how I feel in love with the hybrids. I told my husband if I ever had the opportunity to get another one, I would jump on it. The next door neighbor with the pit bulls moved out. Well here comes another bunch that just has to have animals. I have no problem with anyone having animals, just take care of them.  This bunch is where I got my last hybrid from (Mocha). She was five months old when I got her. The dumb SOB had her chained in his backyard during a thunderstorm. I went over and got her and brought her home with me. He came over all pissed off and everything, he wanted his dog. Unfortunately I had to give her back. Well a couple of days passed and I didn’t see her in his back yard. I didn’t think much about it, I figured he had her in the house.  I went to take the garbage outside and the cat came flying out from under the house and there was the darndest noise coming out from under the house. I went over and took the cover off and there the dog was. She had been shot. I called him and he picked her up and took her to the vet. She stayed in the hospital for about 3 days. After getting her out of the hospital this dumb idiot came over to the house and wanted to know if I wanted her. I would either take her or he was taking her to the pound. I told him to give me all the medicine and stuff from the vet and then leave. The vet didn’t remove the bullet from Mocha. He said it was in a place were it wouldn’t bother her and the surgery would be much worse so just leave it. I had the only dog in Kentucky that couldn’t go through a metal detector, lol!

So now comes the point of this long post, lol! We have all sorts of wildlife out here. One I would never have believed if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, a wolf. Hubby thought I was crazy till one of his friends told him about the government (here we go again, you tax dollars hard at work) bringing some wolves out in this area to try to repopulate them. Great! My first encounter with this wolf was when I took Mocha outside to go to the bathroom. So far out on our property you run into a brush line and I kept watching it. Something was moving in the brush and it was moving pretty darn fast too. By this time Mocha had seen it too. I was trying to reel her in and she didn’t want to come. Out of the brush, jumped the biggest wolf I have ever seen in my life. Mocha was ready to fight, she stood up on her back legs and when she did I grabbed her and run for the door. I tossed her butt in the house and I was right behind her. The wolf stopped halfway in our yard. But the whole time Mocha was alive, I got to play with the wolf. I hadn’t seen him for a year or better, I could hear him in the distance but he didn’t come around till the other night. I pulled up in the driveway and I seen him running from the porch area. I had adopted a bunch of wildcats and I hadn’t seen any of them recently. I told hubby I was wondering if he has ate them or he has marked his territory and they aren’t coming around. My daughter got me the cutest little Pomeranian for Christmas (she decided I didn’t need a big dog anymore, lovely). So every place I go, she goes. And she was with me when I saw the wolf again. The wolf jumped the brush line and then stopped out in the field just watching. All I could think of was getting little Kiki in the house. I grabbed her and stuffed her under my coat and took off walking fast as I could. I got to the top step and I fell. I bumped the side rail when I did, Kiki yelped. You bet your britches, the wolf heard that. He started walking back toward the house. Well I had put Kiki on the porch and I was down on my hands and knees. I was yelling for hubby and saying every cuss word in the book. Hubby heard me, he came running. It scared him when he saw me on the porch. I told him forget me, get Kiki in the house. He looked up and saw the wolf, he opened the door and she went running in. I think she thought the heck with me, let me in the house it’s safer there. But this wolf, I don’t believe is the same one that was here before. He would be too old for starters and this looks like a younger one. I have had more experiences with this one than I ever did with the other one and that bothers me. I was taking the trash out and from the top of the porch I got to see his back and he is huge. One good thing, when I went to the garbage he still has his fear of humans. He took off running. Then he has been coming up on the porch late at night and sniffing. Kiki has been going to the kitchen and barking and the motion sensor is on. I don’t have to look out the window, I can hear him sniffing at the door. I don’t know how to describe the sound but it chills the blood that’s for sure. Then he left a huge paw print at the truck. He was even kind enough to put one on the door for us also. I just don’t understand it, why is he having so much contact with us. I know when Mocha passed, I prayed and prayed for a wolf cub. There were even people on the internet looking for wolf hybrid or wolf pup for me. But I really don’t believe this wolf is a pup. If he is, he is one of the biggest ones I have ever seen. Kiki has been barking and acting strange in the house (not because of the wolf). She always alerts me when there are spirits or things that are here that shouldn’t be. I remedy that by going outside at midnight or later and blessing the house. I got everything yesterday I needed and was going to do it last night. But as soon as I opened the truck door, the wolf howled. I turned into potty mouth witch (not out loud I didn’t want the neighbors to hear me). I been thinking how on Earth am I going to do anything outside with that wolf around. I always do rituals and spellcrafting during the Full Moon. Then the house blessing I do during the Full Moon. This has got me baffled! I can see it now, shotgun under one arm, ammo in hand, the other side has my wand, salt and various other items. I wouldn’t shoot the wolf I would shoot above him to scare him off. Only as a last resort would I harm him I love wolves too much. But it is puzzling why he is getting this close to us. I know animals can sense where a safe place is and they can really sense where a witch is, perhaps that’s it.  All I know, if the wolf and I don’t make peace with each other, I will be looking like Annie Oakley doing spells and rituals come next Full Moon, lol. 

I know I just figured it out, I need to write more. Hopefully that way I wouldn’t talk your ear off. Have a great day and a blessed week!

Lady A