Category: All Regular Daily Posts

Your Daily Horoscopes for Wed., November 13th

We wake up today feeling as if it will be a whole new ballgame, but as the day wears on we realize it may not be as easy as we think. The Moon’s shift into enterprising Aries at 2:39 am EST reminds us that we can accomplish nearly anything if we believe in ourselves. But the Moon’s challenging aspects to indulgent Venus, unpredictable Uranus and unforgiving Pluto could put a damper on the evening unless we loosen our grip on the reins of control.

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Your enthusiasm may spell trouble today because the Moon returns to your active sign, inspiring you to take on the world. But it’s tricky to find the right amount of intensity because you might push so hard that your plan backfires. On the other hand, you could set yourself up for failure if you don’t try at all. Ultimately, you can increase your chances of being happy by scaling back your goals just a little bit and then taking a giant leap of faith.

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

You might not be able to discover the source of your irritation today as the Moon’s presence in your 12th House of Invisibility hides something from view. It feels critical to find out what you’re missing, but the most significant information could be elusive to your watchful eye. Instead of pushing for the truth, try accepting what you already know while you wait for the rest to surface. Time spent alone can give you a chance to find the answers within.

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

You may be offered a professional opportunity today that’s too good to turn down. But it’s difficult to stay focused at work now with the Moon visiting your 11th House of Friends. There could be an element of surprise when erratic Uranus flips things upside down, making it tricky to know how best to respond. Don’t abandon your responsibilities just because a social event sounds so exciting. Instead of planning your escape, show everyone you’re up for a challenge by turning a new project into a game and playing for keeps.

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

There’s no reason to wait for marching orders from your boss today. Take a chance and trust your intuition; you probably already know what he or she wants from you. Nevertheless, you must exercise some caution or you might jump to an erroneous conclusion. Don’t make your move too quickly because an incorrect assumption could cause you to waste precious time. A more contemplative approach is likely to earn the respect of others and increase your chances for success.

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

Moderating your enthusiasm is no easy task today. Even if you’re able to envision exciting adventures ahead, it’s possible to take a plan so far that others tire of your outrageous ideas. Talking less and doing more is the smartest way to demonstrate that you are not all hype. Delivering the goods is just as important now as having a positive attitude. Actions speak louder than words.

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

Your uncharacteristic desire to be different from everyone else today might make your interactions with others more intense than usual. You may become frustrated because you’re attracted to someone who seems as if he or she would make a close friend or intimate partner. However, you don’t necessarily like the idea of changing just to make the interpersonal dynamics work. Be willing to walk away from a relationship if you cannot be yourself in it. Your integrity matters more than anything else.

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

A friend or coworker might shock you by doing something totally outrageous today. You may be caught off guard by the intensity of the emotions being expressed, but it’s wise not to show your surprise or offer any negative judgment now. Instead of being overly reactive, stick to your current position and maintain your balance in spite of the chaos around you. Find your inner center and hold on tight.

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

You may be secretly attracted to someone at work today, yet this won’t be your typical romance because you want your freedom now as much as you want love and affection. You might not be clear about what you’re willing to give up in order to obtain what you desire. Don’t struggle too hard as you try to find a comfortable middle ground. It’s possible to remain curiously excited without actually acting on your feelings. Wait and see how things develop before making your move.

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You are tempted to write yourself a permission slip today and then sneak off to play. Although this might sound like a great idea, you need to fulfill your obligations first. Thankfully, you have the ability now to approach your job with an entirely different mindset that enables you to have fun while doing your chores. There’s no reason to be frustrated by your desire to escape; instead, express your creativity by exhibiting a high level of enthusiasm all day long.

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You feel like you have too much to do now, especially if you are needed by a close friend or family member. You might think you can postpone your domestic responsibilities because you’re so busy at work, but this isn’t a wise strategy to pursue. Instead, make your personal commitments top priority while you let your professional obligations slip a little. It will be much easier to fully concentrate on your job tomorrow once you have taken care of those you love today.

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

You might want to shake everything up today, but change isn’t always the best idea — especially if your life seems to be working well. It’s one thing to try doing a task in a new way because you’re searching for more efficient methods. But doing it differently now just because you’re bored may not be the smartest strategy. There’s no need to fix what’s not broken; channel your excess energy toward more productive endeavors and watch what happens.

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Lots of new ideas about making money are popping into your head now, but they may not be practical enough to turn them into reality. Nevertheless, you’re sure that you can accomplish more if you just work faster. However, your new approach to your job could be unsettling to your coworkers who would rather maintain the status quo. Don’t be afraid to rattle some cages by trying something different. You can always go back to your old ways in a few days if it doesn’t work out.

Neptune Direct – Life gets hazy as nebulous Neptune moves forward

Neptune Direct

Life gets hazy as nebulous Neptune moves forward

Tarotcom Staff Tarotcom Staff on the topics of neptune, astrology

A fog is rolling in. You see, nebulous Neptune is the planet of illusion and confusion, and it’s been retrograde for the past five months. During this time of clear sight, life has felt all too real. But now, when Neptune goes direct on November 13, 2013, we’ll be able to dip back into that lovely fantasy world we prefer to reality.

What are we talking about?

See, Neptune is the planet that protects us from reality when it’s too harsh. Neptune gives us faith, spirituality and dreams. So when it’s retrograde we see things very clear and find it harder to escape. Sure, we may get more accomplished, but it’s a bit uncomfortable.

Neptune Direct, on the other hand, gives us a break. It’s sort of encouraging us to live in denial and ignore the nagging fears we don’t feel quite ready to deal with. But that’s OK, because it does inspire our imaginations and gives us faith.

There is a dark side to Neptune Direct, as there is any time you choose fantasy over reality. And that is we may take our escapism too far and delude ourselves into doing the wrong things — like staying in bad relationships or jobs. But if we try to think a little bit more objectively during the next five months we can avoid that pitfall.

Use this time instead to appreciate your ability to dream and the expressions of compassion you meet. Neptune wants to show you the ideal beauty in the world, and this is your chance to let go and feel your way through it with all your heart.

Daily Cosmic Calendar for Wed., November 13th

Strange forces are definitely on the prowl after the recent stations by Jupiter (November 6) and Mercury (November 10), and a Grand Triangle in water signs — composed of the Sun, Moon and Jupiter — yesterday morning. Now it is Neptune’s turn to heavily influence humanity by stopping its retrograde cycle at 3 degrees of Pisces (10:43AM) and gradually beginning to turn forward. [Neptune stays direct until June 9, 2014 when it stops again at 8 degrees of Pisces and then goes retrograde until November 15, 2014 — pausing to go forward at 5 degrees of Pisces.]  All Neptune themes — imagination, psychic sensitivity, idealism, dream and visions, film-video work, cameras and photography, the fine arts, music and dance, spiritual and mystical studies, bodies of water, but also confusion, chaos, nebulosity, illusions, fantasy, lies, fanaticism, and being hooked on drugs, alcohol and other detrimental substances — are powerful at the exact time of the Neptune station and all-day long as well. Therefore, accentuating crystal clear communication and staying on target with your plans is one way to avoid cloudy conditions that are causing widespread uncertainty across the globe.  Uranus and its potency as a catalyst in awakening higher intuition and genius can be part of today’s rescue team as the Moon unites with this alarm-clock like planetary body in fiery Aries at 4:06PM. Tune into advances on the cutting edge of science, medicine and metaphysics. Check out the latest gizmos and gadgets at high-tech stores or online resource centers.  Steer clear of temperamental individuals who may be losing their cool as the Moon parallels the red planet Mars (7:56PM). Be a warrior for creating world peace if you feel the need to fight for something that will help humanity on its evolutionary arc in the cosmos. [Note to readers: All times are calculated for Pacific Standard Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]

Calendar of the Moon for November 13th

Calendar of the Moon

Reed Month

Color: Blue-green
Element: Water
Altar: Upon cloth of blue-green place a vase of reeds, a single blue-green candle, a great bowl of water floating with wetlands plant leaves, and a knife.
Offering: Recycle something useless into something useful.
Daily Meal: Vegetarian soup and sandwiches. Only water or herbal tea to drink.

Ngetal Invocation

Call: Now is the time of the bleak cold.
Response: Now the reeds whisper in the swamp.
Call: Now is the time when we see the growing dark.
Response: Now is the time when we begin to shiver.
Call: Now is the time of bare trees.
Response: Now is the time of rain and wind.
Call: Now the rain fills the wetlands to overflowing.
Response: Now the swamp overflows into our lives.
Call: We feel our feet dragged down into the cold waters.
Response: Yet the wetland is the source of greatest life!
Call: We feel ourselves pulled into the unfamiliar.
Response: Unfamiliar to us, but no less of value.
Call: The damp cold begins to reach our bones.
Response: We must welcome its touch.
Call: We must keep it far away with fire’s warmth!
Response: We must welcome its touch.
Call: Why should we not ban it from our lives?
Response: For this, too, is a Mystery of water.
Call: Not the deep mystery of the Ocean…
Response: Not the running flow of the river…
Call: Not the crystal of snow and ice…
Response: But the secrets of the still waters.
Call: From the still waters springs the greatest number of lives!
Response: And it is this that we must honor.
Call: Welcome into ourselves the song of the whispering reeds!
Response: Welcome into ourselves the oncoming winter.

Chant: Cold as stone
Marshes heart
We will own
What is apart

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for November 13th

Calendar of the Sun

13 Blutmonath

Fontinalia

Colors: Blue and clear
Element: Water
Altar: Set with a blue cloth, a large earthenware bowl of spring water in which has been placed several stones, an earthenware chalice, a dipper, and possibly a small fountain.
Offerings: Coins, to be tossed into the fountain or bowl afterwards. These should then be added to a charity fund.
Daily Meal: Nothing to drink but spring water all day. River fish. Watercress. Lotus root.

Invocation to Fons:

Hail, Spirit of the Fountain,
Spirit of wells and springs,
Gift of the Earth!
So much of our world is water,
So much of our bodies are water,
So much of the air we breathe
Is laden with water,
And yet so little of it
Will quench our thirst.
Let us never forget the generosity
Of the Earth beneath us
Who gives forth blood
In a form that we can drink of.
Hail, Spirit of the Fountain!
You who are the pure water
Blossoming forth from the Earth,
Let us remember how purity
Can come forth from that
Which is made of cold stone
And that which rotted into the mould.
With every taste of water,
We will remember your gift.

Chant:
Born of water, cleansing, powerful, flowing, healing, we are….

(Let one who is chosen to do the work of this ritual ladle out the spring water into the chalice, and pass it about to all present, and then pour the rest back into the bowl. After the meditation is over, the water should be returned to the Earth as a libation, and the stones set aside until the next year. One stone should be added each year thenceforth.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Current Moon Phase for Nov. 13th – Waxing Gibbous

Gibbous Moon

(waxing/76% of Full)

Distractions from the outside begin pressing into your world. Analysis is favored, reevaluating all the various factors you are dealing with. It’s a time to process information and effectively integrate your aims with the people in your immediate environment. This is a good time for organizing things. This Moon phase is suited for synthesis: coming up with a practical plan for getting from point A to point B. Adjustment is required.

The Witches Magick for November 13th – Psychic Herb Jar

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Psychic Herb Jar

A Psychic Herb Jar is an herb jar to enhance your powers physically and mentally.

Fill on jar with the following:

Cinnamon (for dream magick)

Nutmeg (for good luck)

Allspice (healing)

Ginger(lunar magick)

Basil (protection)

Fennel Seeds (spiritual healing)

Garlic ( spiritual purification)

Marjoram (protection)

Sage (spiritual purification)

Cloves(protection)

Mustard Seed (protection)

Before you do any scrying of any kind inhale the scent deeply and shake the jar gently.

Let’s Talk Witch – Energy, It’s Everywhere!

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Let’s Talk Witch – Energy, It’s Everywhere!

Energy is flowing all around us. Magick spells and rituals, when done with the proper concentration, allow us to harness that energy to attract what we desire.

There are three main sources of energy in the Universe. It’s important to know what kinds of energy we are talking about when we start to cast spells.

The first kind is personal energy. This is our own personal life force. We take in energy from the Sun, Water and food, and we release it through exercise, movement, and even as we exhale.

The second type of energy is Earth energy. This is the energy from our planet. Each natural element has its own power which can be used in magick: Earth, trees, stones, wind, fire, and crystal are some examples of Earth energy.

The third, most powerful type of energy is Divine power. This is the energy that makes up the entire Universe. This is  higher power energy, life–whatever you want to call it. It’s the Universal power source, and it’s what we tap into when we perform magick.

Celebrating Spirituality 365 Days A Year – Juno—The Feronia

magick89

November 13

Juno—The Feronia

Feronia was a Goddess of Spring flowers and woods (also associated with Flora) and, although this day was named for her, it became a day of recognition for Juno, Minerva and Jupiter. The celebration took place on the Capitoline Hill where all three were enshrined. Juno was the sister-wife of Jupiter, forming a triad with Minerva. The festival would have included an animal sacrifice and an evening torch light processional.

The Witches Correspondence for Wednesday, November 13th

Tools Of The Craft

The Witches Correspondence for Wednesday, November 13th

Magickal Intentions: Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear,Loss, Travel and Money Matters
Incense: Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea
Planet: Mercury and Chiron (though this is a moon of Pluto)
Sign: Virgo
Angel: Raphael
Colors: Orange, Light Blue, Grey, Yellow and Violet
Herbs/Plants: Fern, Lavendar, Hazel, Cherry, Periwinkle
Stones: Aventurine, Bloodstone, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite
Oil: (Mercury) Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalytus, Lavender

This day is governed by Mercury. Wednesday’s vibration adds power to rituals involving inspiration, communications, writers, poets, the written and spoken word, and all matters of study, learning, and teaching. This day also provides a good time to begin efforts involving self-improvement or understanding.

The Witches Almanac for Wednesday, November 13th

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The Witches Almanac for Wednesday, November 13th

Wednesday (Mercury): The conscious mind, study, travel, divination and wisdom.

Festival of Jupiter (Roman)

Waxing Moon

The Waxing Moon is the ideal time for magick to draw things toward you.

Moon Sign: Pisces

Pisces: The focus is on dreaming, nostalgia, intuition and psychic impression. A good time for spiritual or philanthropic activities.

Moon Phase: Second Moon 5:08 pm

Moon enters Aries 2:39 am

Aries: Good for starting things, but lacks staying power. Things occur rapidly, but quickly pass people tend to be argumentative and assertive.

Incense: Marjoram

Color:  Yellow

Oh, Mighty Mother

topperdivider

Faith is the Dark Moon
Unseen in the night
We know it is present
Yet long for the Light.
 
Faith is the wind
That whispers around us.
 
We cannot touch it
And must take it on trust
Faith is the soft voice
Of the Goddess of Old
Who warms us in the Winter
And wards off the cold.
 
Let my heart feel the warmth
Let my soul hear Her voice
Let me find faith in the Darkness
And my Spirit rejoice.
 
Let me find She who is my all
Let me find my Divine Mother
Let Her love and comfort fill
My soul during the darkest Winter
Nights and the coldest Winter days..
 

So Mote It Be.

Wishing You A Very Blessed Wednesday Morn, Dear Brothers & Sisters!


Good Wednesday Morning, my dear, dear family! Do you know how precious you are to me? I would say I am going to start saying that every day but half of you would run, lol! So maybe once every week or so, how’s that?

This morning I realized how precious everything I have is. How I have been blessed by the Goddess. What I have taken for granted. You might be wondering what made me come to this realization, it was a TV news story. The story shattered my heart. It was about a man who had been out of the country when the Typhon hit the Philippines.  He had no communication with any of his family. He didn’t know if they were dead or alive but he was on a train on his way home. What awaited him, he didn’t know? Thank the Goddess, all his family survived. But they had no place to live they were homeless.  As I watched the tears roll down that man’s face, it hit me. That could easily be me or you or any of us. I live on the New Madrid fault line. I cannot imagine an earthquake destroying everything here and I am trying to get back home to my family. The horror ran through me. Not knowing if my kids were alive, not knowing if my husband was alive, not knowing if I had a place to call home.  What horror!

The Goddess did touch my heart this morning. I experienced all the feeling the man on the train had and I also experienced my searching for my own family. I cried like a baby. Needless to say, it is our time to start taking some responsibility or at least mine. I know one of our foremost missions from the Goddess is to help mankind. The people in the Philippines need our help. They are in a very desperate situation. We must step up. And we are. You will notice the Raffle items this month are expensive items, very expensive items. I did that on purpose to raise money to send to the Red Cross for their relief effort in the Philippines. 75% of all money received will go to the Red Cross for that exact purpose. I have found a very trusted corporation that is directing money specified for that purpose alone. I trust this company or else I wouldn’t be doing this. I wish I could send a 100% of all the money we collect this month but we have to survive ourselves. I hope you will contribute to the Raffle because this month it is for a very worthy cause, life, human life, what could be a greater cause.

This is only the start, I would like for anyone that knows the address of their local food banks, homeless shelter, etc., to send them to us. We are not going to desert our own people. We would never do that. From now on, every Raffle that we have, 75% of the money raised will go to a food bank, a homeless shelter or some other needy and worthy cause you can think of. Perhaps we can start making a difference in this world. And by doing so, we will be helping our fellow man and the Goddess’ children.

Please help by donating to the raffle, I will provide a receipt were I have donated the money to the Red Cross. Also if you have the name and address of any food banks or homeless shelters in your areas, I want them. If you have any ideas or organizations that need help, let us know.

Thank you and May the Goddess Bless You Threefold,

Lady Abyss & The WOTC

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for November 12th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

At night sometimes the world seems so topsy-turvy and you’re so weary of doing things the same old way. Then nothing seems to please….You try desperately for something new and different, something that doesn’t seem so much like you. Why? Tonight you are different.

One cannot expect the world to be top side up all the time. Such perfection does not come so easily to human nature. And always there is a search for something new and different. A change of pace….that thought that I don’t want to be me today, to think my thoughts and do my daily chores. I want to make a complete change now, to know a whole new way of life. And it is good to leave behind the many daily situations that sometimes stand too closely to be seen clearly, but to be wise enough to know which things should be left behind.

There have been clean sweeps that have left behind the dearest things….and have taken along the same dreary, dark unhappy things of the mind that should have been left behind.

A line from the prayer of serenity is “The wisdom to know the difference…..” And wisdom, says Samuel Taylor Coleridge, is common sense in an uncommon degree. If one has the wisdom to wait a bit, wait until morning – or several mornings – that uncommon degree of common sense will give us the wisdom to know the difference.

______________________

Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com

Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – November 12

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – November 12

“I don’t think that anybody anywhere can talk about the future of their people or of an organization without talking about education. Whoever controls the education of our children controls our future, the future of the Cherokee people and of the Cherokee Nation.”

–Wilma P. Mankiller, CHEROKEE

The world has changed in the last 50 years. It will change even more in the next 50 years, and it will change even faster. We must educate ourselves to ensure our future generations will maintain the language and the culture of our people. We need to be concerned about our land because when our land goes away, so will our people. We need to be concerned about leadership, our families and about alcoholism. We need to be concerned about what’s going on around the world. We can only do this by being educated. Then we can control our future.

Great Spirit, please guide our children; let me know how I can help.

November 12 – Daily Feast

November 12 – Daily Feast

Misery seems to justify making someone pay – but there is sweet revenge in finding our own inner spirit can expand quickly to push out unfairness and bitterness. Who doesn’t have the right to be bitter? A hard thing to forget, a mountain to overcome – but such peace follows. Peace spreads like warm honey across a hot biscuit and permeates all the little places that capture and hold it. The heart lifts its hands in praise for relief from the darkness of bitter memories. All of us can do it – all of us must if we are to be well and have something to share. Just let it go. Life will balance the books, it always does.

~ While living I want to live well. ~

GERONIMO – CHIRACAHUA APACHE

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II’ by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Daily Motivator for Nov. 12th – Embrace responsibility

Embrace responsibility

Don’t blame others, don’t blame the situation, and don’t blame yourself.  Instead of wasting your energy on assigning blame, empower yourself by accepting  responsibility.

The way you experience life is no one’s fault. It is your choice.

Fully accept and embrace responsibility for all that surrounds you, and  something amazing happens. You gain the power to make a positive difference.

If you run from the troubles, they grow stronger and chase you more and more  relentlessly. Yet the moment you take responsibility for those troubles, you  begin to have some control over them.

If you merely wish for your dreams to come true, they won’t. Yet when you  step up and take responsibility for bringing those dreams to life, they begin to  take on real form and substance.

Responsibility is the key that gives you access to all the best life has to  offer. Embrace responsibility in all things, and unlock the great value that is  yours to live.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Divorce with Grace

Divorce with Grace
A Life-Altering Decision

by Madisyn Taylor

If you are divorcing, look to your inner heart for guidance and surround yourself with loving friends.

Like the act of marriage that binds two people together, divorce is the result of a life-altering decision. It is the dissolving of a relationship that we believed would last our whole lives. We may not even be able to articulate how we got to this place, yet we may also feel we have no choice but to sever this tie. Whatever we feel, we need the support of the friends and family who will stand by us no matter what we decide. At some point, we may need to be challenged to look deeper inside ourselves as we make this very important decision, but what we need most of all is unconditional love and loyalty.

Divorce is a process that, once in motion, becomes difficult to stop, and this can be painful if we find ourselves having second thoughts. We may feel that we should do more to save the marriage, or we may wonder if there is something about ourselves that we could fix or change instead of going through with this painful separation. On the other hand, we may be seeing in hindsight that our marriage was truly only meant to last for a short time so that we could learn something we needed to know. Whatever the case, we need friends who will allow us to linger in confusion when we don’t have the answers and who will support us whether we find ways to reconcile and stay married or whether we walk away.

Of course, the most essential ally we have lives inside our hearts and speaks to us from within. We can trust this inner guide to help us choose people who will support us in kind and loving ways as we navigate the rough terrain of confusion and loss. Sometimes all we can do is look to the horizon, remembering that we will get through this time, and no matter what happens we will once again feel whole.

The Daily OM

Embraced by the Goddess

Embraced by the Goddess

Author:   Elwin Shadowstrider   

Originally I was planning to place this in my Book of Mirrors, as you see; I changed my mind for many reasons. Some were to let others know of a beautiful life-changing event that forever changed me. I felt that to some it may help, for others maybe just to remind them of when they first set their own two feet on their Path.

Without a short background some of this will not make any sense at all, I will not go into gory detail. Some things are very tragic, some of those things I draw a great deal of strength from. However, my childhood was beyond horrible, abuse was prevalent, both physical and mental abuse. A great deal seems to come from Stephen King’s worst nightmares.

I have been asked many times by those who know me well how I did not become badly damaged goods…I attribute that to strength of will. I refuse to give up, especially when I know there are greater things out there than what I have to experience at that moment in time then. In time, I proved myself right, as you will see.

I was forced as a child to attend church; I really had no interest in going. They never could answer my questions to my satisfaction. The usual Cain slew Abel, then where did his wife come from if there were only four people on this planet at that time? Many explained that it was more than likely his sister, which I went up in flames then. Letting them know that only last week we were told that was forbidden to lie with your sister or brother. Or was it just holier then than it is now? You get the picture; I was seven when this took place.

My parents were begged not to bring me back to Sunday school. They said that I asked questions that no normal seven year old should ask, and that I should take more on “faith” and to be still and be quiet when the teacher was talking. I felt they were legitimate questions and still do, no pastor or otherwise could ever answer what I asked.

Many referred me to so and so apologetic pastor or seminary college since I was so questioning within the “faith”. Faith, no, I wanted clear concise answers as to WHY these things I was to take on “faith” had to not be asked. Too many holes within their stories and parables, I wanted straight facts that they were not equipped to give.

My teen years were pretty much the same; I was honestly kept as a house slave or servant, I was allowed no bed of my own, any furniture, and the least expensive clothes they could find and was told that it was “good” for my soul.

That got really old really quick, I grew up in Miami, Florida, and I had no air conditioning in my room either. The rest of the household had everything; this is just to give you an idea. By now, I had finally begged and cried to this “god” for deliverance, anything, just I wanted out of this household.

I begged for many years, all I got in return was silence…no answers.

I thought at first maybe I was “imperfect”, a “sinner” and god wanted nothing to do with me; just like everyone else in my life then. My despair began to grow to stellar heights, just what was I supposed to do? I left my Dad’s house when I was sixteen; I refused to put up with it any longer.

As the years passed as years will, I occasionally begged “god” for help, by now, I have been begging for years, still, no answer. I sought “help” from pastors; I got the usual praying over, and one even suggested performing an exorcism on me to cast out any “evil spirits” that might have taken up residence within.

Being that my family is from central Ireland we were brought up to trust and believe the clergy. Mostly Catholics, a few Protestants, was what ran in my family. I never could understand just how they could take so much on faith and let it go at that.

I was the one who always read everything, but my favorites still to this day is the “Sword and Sorcery” type epics that I learned so much from. I was the cast off, the one who believed that the Elves still existed and Dragons were around the next corner; during what free time I could steal away I walked the woods, searching for something, just what I never knew then.

What I didn’t know was that our beloved Green Man was whispering to me all that time. There were days I could almost hear what He was saying, almost; but not quite getting it.

Often, I just shrugged my shoulders and continued on, learning what so many just didn’t see. To learn of beauty, to know some small peace in my life. To see animals as more of my friends than Man, to know trees, to breathe in what I needed. In these times I didn’t feel lost at all, I felt at home then.

Here I will leave the past behind, these memories are very painful in ways, but I learned how to be what many never do, Human. To know the fullness of sorrow, anger, and hatred is something I do not recommend to anyone. Better to not know the fullness of what those emotions can do to a person, the hardness in can put in place of what should be someone’s heart.

This is when I looked back on my life, and wanted to know why, just why, “god” never answered me. Why my life was, so far, was so cold inside, why can’t I be happy like so many others here in this world?

Despair grew yet again, yet despair this time was very deep. It lasted for many months instead of just a few days.

I once again went to begging “god” for answers, help, anything; just one answer is all I required, just one. It never came, that answer. Finally, I broke down, after thirty-six years of fighting I broke down.

I gave up, entirely. I had nothing else to believe in.

Yes, I do have a wife and son; I do have family of my own. I love them both very dearly. I wanted faith. I wanted faith to believe in myself, to believe that when this path here on earth is over there is something other than nothing. As I said, I broke down, I wanted nothing anymore, and I gave up.

With that, I began the soul wrenching crying that signified total defeat; “god” wasn’t there. I was truly lost, and that’s what broke my heart more than anything. I was lost.

During this time of defeat, a PRESCENSE is the only way I could begin to describe it. Something unbelievably beyond me, something that radiated Love, I really gave in then. I felt as if I should know who this was, but for some reason I didn’t.

Then in a voice that was VERY female, soft, full of understanding and infinite Love spoke to me, ” Why do you weep? Why is your heart so heavy within your breast? Where is the laughter that I love to hear from you? Where are your smiles?”

I was dumbfounded, I could only answer, “I am lost, god doesn’t answer me, I am alone here, and I want faith in the universe around me.”

She laughed, not a mocking laughter, one full of understanding, and Love. “I have known your ancestors, the Celts, I know you. Why is it you don’t know me?”

I answered, ” My lady, I don’t know you I wish I did, I am tired of not knowing anything.”

She answered, ” So you shall, you are my child, none other’s, you are my son. Love shall be yours.”

At that moment, all the years of hatred, anger, sorrow, animosity, and narrow-minded beliefs fell away, replaced by Love. I fell to crying out of sheer joy and happiness.

At that, she laughed again, full of mirth, and joy that I did remember who She was at last. As I lay there my Goddess embraced me, not in the spiritual sense, it was very physical, yet I couldn’t see Her.

Her embrace was like nothing I have ever known in my life, for just one moment here on this plane of existence, I knew what it was like to Love all, to realize that Love was all my Goddess wanted from me; that and my laughter, my happiness.

Since that day, the Wiccan Rede is indelible upon me. I will harm NONE. I became a vegetarian; I refuse to harm anything, even so much as a bug outside.

My son (Goddess Bless him) came to me not two weeks ago and asked what was making me so happy, why I laughed at nearly everything now. I want to tell him, he’s only eleven, and I won’t alter his Path in life. When he gets a little older and he asks again, then I will tell him.

Just three days later, flying in the face of tradition, I gave myself to my Goddess. It’s been only five weeks from that wonderful day. I oath bound myself to Her, and laughed with Her when she accepted me as her child.

After the turn of events in the beginning of my life I had indeed proven myself right, that there are greater things out there. You just have to look in the right place sometimes.

There may be a few others out there who may have experienced something like this. I do not know, I do not claim to know. I know what gift was given to me, and that gift will be cherished until I see my Goddess yet again.

Please understand I have no hatred for the Christian religion. I have left hatred behind, and that is no longer who I am. I have many friends who are Christians; they know that I am a Witch, a Wiccan. They also know that I will never turn away from my Goddess; they know I will lovingly tell them that I have found my Path if they begin to preach at me.

I have also lost a great deal of friends who were too judgmental and walked away from me. Some of those were indeed painful, many were very good friends. Their children played with my son quite often, now I have yet to see them again.

I am at Peace with their choice; they too have a Path they must follow. As any Pagan, I just send them my Love from time to time. Many of my relatives also have nothing to do with me now, that too I have taken in Peace.

It is somewhat difficult to convey what exactly has happened to me. My life was filled with so much negative energies that I never believed that something such as this could really happen. Life has truly begun for me, to feel Love as never before, to Love all that I see. To feel the sense of the Spirit’s whisperings in all that is around me, to know and see indescribable beauty in all that my eyes behold.

The most fun part is to finally hear the Green Man’s laughter, to hear His dancing steps, to know His Love for all things that grow. I know who He is as well, no longer just whispers that I can’t quite catch, to hear His voice is truly wonderful. To also hear God’s voice in laughter with the Goddess’ laughter as I take my first tentative steps in Life, my heart is full.

There are days I wonder if I can really Love more than the day before, the answer is yes. Goddess, YES! Tears of true joy fall these days; the Goddess has embraced me. I have just scratched the surface of what I will know before I must return to Summerland.

I also no longer fear to die, I actually look forward to the day when I can return to all that knows me, to see those whom I know. To find so many there waiting for my return. I will also state I don’t think I will return to Mother Earth, I will stay in Summerland.

I know that I may return if I wish, however; I will stay. There is work to do there as well.

In closing, yes, I am indeed VERY new to Wicca; I have learned what Wiccan Pride is truly all about. I have learned what Love really is, what Peace, true Peace really is.

I have also learned what Magick is all about. Magick in one word, WOW! I had no real idea of what can be done; it’s real, and its mind blowing of what we can do with it.

I will leave you Sisters and Brothers here, know that one more Wiccan has joined your ranks. Thanks for taking the time to read of my experience with the Goddess. Know that She Loves us all; no matter what Path we take.

Merry Meet, Merry Partings until we Merry Meet again.

Abundant and Brightest Blessings to all,

Elwin Shadowstrider ) O (

Confessions of a Former Otherkin

Confessions of a Former Otherkin

Author:   BellaDonna Saberhagen   

I’ve been contemplating this article for a while, but someone’s response to The Chicken or the Egg prompted its necessity. I was going to make it a less personal piece, however, I think it comes off as less judgmental when explaining my own experiences rather than appearing to tear into others’ beliefs.

Karl Marx stated that ‘religion is the opiate of the masses’. I love being Pagan, I love the gods, and I love being me. Sometimes however, Pagans become deluded; their brand of Paganism seems to have become a wild LSD trip. They refuse to face facts or accept reality at all. These are, unfortunately, the ones who yell the loudest and get the most media attention (making people unfamiliar with our religions assume we’re all wackos) . Those Pagans who speak out against these claims (such as myself on some forums) are called closed-minded and bigoted. But must we be so open-minded that our brains fall out?

Want to know a secret? I used to be one of them. SHHH! Don’t tell anyone! I’m going to take you back to when I was a fairly new Pagan. When the world was all shiny, my friends weren’t just witches and shamans…they were werewolves and dragons and angels and gods. What was I? I was a fairy.

I say I was fairly new because I hardly count my high school days of having two Cunningham books hidden away and being active in my parents Church (and still wishy-washy about which way I wanted to go) as being an active Pagan or Witch. I still hid when I was at home on break, but my closet was non-existent on campus. Sometimes I was too ‘out and proud’ for some of my friends.

The culmination of my personal ‘delusion’ really was the fall semester of 2001. That semester, our group believed we were being psychically attacked by a blind lizard druid (a side note: this guy was actually dangerous; he choked one of my friends) . My boyfriend (at the time) believed we’d always been together in past lives (and that we were the real-life inspiration for Gomez and Morticia Addams in a past life) …he also stalked me when I broke up with him (and I almost beat him upside the head with a Sobe tea bottle. We’ll call him Stalker Boy) . Before I broke up with Stalker Boy, my roommate (henceforth called Dragon) , another friend (henceforth called Angel) , and a third person decided to implant the idea in my head to tell Stalker Boy I loved him by waking me up and pretending to be the Fates. Since when I’m woken up, I’m actually AWAKE, it didn’t work.

Dragon really thought she was a dragon. When her aura got too dirty (as it did from time to time as she was dealing with a bad break-up and the rest of that semester’s insanity; September 11th certainly didn’t help) , it got scaly and had to be cleansed. When it got scaly, she supposedly could not physically move. After the crazy events of 2001, she either stopped being Pagan or stopped practicing as those same events scared her from delving any further. Our friendship ended in May of 2003.

Cleansing was done by our shaman friend (who set himself up as our leader long before this, and either thought he was a werewolf, or was so intimately connected to his totem that his aura could shift against his will) . This was before the term ‘therian’ was used (or at least, if it was, our group remained ignorant of it while we were together) . I’ll call him Wolf. Wolf and I had an odd connection. He set himself up as my teacher, and honestly, I rue the day I saw him as such. The relationship I had with him kept me in my little bubble much longer than I probably would have been otherwise. Whenever I doubted my fey-ness, he would be there to re-affirm it and keep me in the fold. Luckily, I escaped his influence in May of 2004.

Angel is more like me. We have remained friends and laugh about those old days. She still feels a strong connection to heaven, but I don’t think she believes she’s an angel anymore (at least not as far as I am led to believe) .

I can’t say I really knew anyone who professed to be a god from myth reborn in human form. However, in our state, my friends and I saw certain gods in acquaintances. We were wise enough not to tell them, though. We confirmed their godhood through pendulum use (which is a very subjective form of divination, but it was our favorite at the time) . Stalker Boy’s pendulum was a glow stick on a string, which, looking back, hung crookedly, so it couldn’t be properly balanced to work as such. However, I will take this chance to state that this is the most harmful form. Look at cult leaders who tell their followers they’re Jesus Christ. Yes, it’s the same kind of thing. Even if the person claiming to be a god fails to have the charisma to be a cult leader, they (at the very least) have delusions of grandeur and are being extremely rude to those that worship that god.

I’m not saying that a god could not choose to become incarnate for a human lifetime, but I am dubious as to any real reasons why they would choose to do so. Why would they abandon those who believe in them by limiting their perceptions to those of a human being? It just makes no sense to me. Even if they could somehow get the actions of the faithful (prayers, circle castings, and I’m not even sure how invocation would work) fed into their limited human brain, they would not be able to manage… have you ever seen Bruce Almighty? It would be like that but without a computer to help manage it.

In one of the most profound visionary experiences I ever had, I shared some portion of my consciousness with Cernunnos, and it was overwhelming just to feel the forest directly surrounding me in all of its processes for even just a moment. I refuse to believe that such consciousness is maintainable as a human and that therefore being a human would be a viable option for a god.

What does all of this have to do with anything? Well, I outgrew my personal delusions once I left a crowd that fed them. By refusing to allow others like me to call someone on some of these behaviors, we make it impossible for them to escape that cycle and face reality. We create a community that consistently feeds and reaffirms the beliefs of such people. Sadly, the Internet can be blamed for a good bit of the inability to escape that cycle. Even when I was involved, otherkin forums began appearing, though, as with ‘therian’, the word did not seem to exist then.

So how crazy was I? I believed that I not only had fey blood, but a fey soul. I believed I had wings that simply could not manifest due to there not being enough ‘magick’ in the world. I believed that Stalker Boy, Dragon, Wolf, and myself were the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, that we were to tear open the ley line intersections at places such as Stonehenge on December 21, 2012 to bring about the new age of magick into the world. I was crazy. I was deluded. I was insane. Now, I am not.

I’m not saying that to be Pagan, you have to believe exactly as I do, but there is a line of sanity. Some Pagans cross that line.

And guess what? You don’t have to be a god to be an effective magician. You don’t have to be a fairy to work with them or be a powerful Witch. You don’t have to be a dragon to have a hoarding problem. You don’t have to be a therian (wolf or otherwise) to be a wonderful shaman. You are MAGICKAL ENOUGH without giving into delusions.

So why do you need to be more ‘other’ than Pagan? Being Pagan automatically puts you into society’s ‘other’ category.

I felt different from most of society because spiritually, I was different. I wanted something different to feed my soul than what I saw as the obvious options. Maybe that was why I felt so disjointed and jumped to the ‘I must not be human’ thought; maybe that’s why most of those who see themselves as such do this as well. I can’t speak for anyone else. I can speak for me. I can say that having moved beyond that particular period that there were rocky times; there were times when I felt disconnected and lost my faith. I think I purged too much of the ‘good’ of my faith when I purged the ‘bad’ and am now fighting to get some of that back. But it does not mean I really am a fairy in denial and that that denial caused the rockiness of more recent years. I think I am afraid, knowing my propensity for becoming deluded, and I second-guess my spiritual findings too much. That is my own lesson to learn.

At the very least, otherkin claims should be understood to be Unverifiable Personal Gnosis. Not everyone will believe you, or has to believe you because you’re Pagan and they’re Pagan. It doesn’t necessarily have to be part of your religious experience at all. You can have had a vision that King Arthur is really a dragon god and it could be really meaningful to you. That does not mean that everyone (or anyone) else has to accept that vision as well. It is yours and yours alone.

So, if you think you’re (insert otherkin here) , it might be wise to keep it to yourself until you’ve vetted the group you’re entering. They might not want to encourage you and you shouldn’t feel they have to. I would highly recommend that if you do think you’re otherkin to really examine why. If spirits came to you and told you such, examine those spirits; see if they had your best interest at heart (often many like to mess with the human mind, and some definitely do not have our best interest at heart) . If a sensitive told you, examine how accurate he/she has been about other things… and how flighty or grounded he/she is in his/her own life. If you just feel ‘other’ somehow and don’t know why, check for any variations on your sexual orientation or for any forms of gender dysphoria. I couldn’t accept my own bi-sexuality until I acknowledged and accepted my humanity.

Even if being otherkin isn’t a ‘delusion’, there are reasons not to focus on it. You may have been a fairy or a dragon in a past life; but for whatever reason, your soul chose to be born as human now. There are some lessons that are best learned by being human and you cannot truly be human if you’re constantly trying to recapture the magick of your past incarnations. You’ll stagnate and be stuck in a form your soul is not entirely comfortable with… over and over and over again, until you learn to be human.

There might be trace amounts of holdover DNA, however, just as I doubt you could find any of the Cherokee or Italian markers in me that are supposedly a part of my family’s genetic heritage, you will never be able to verify it through science. And I would have to think, just as there’s a ratio cap on your bloodline for being able to call yourself a member of a specific tribe or nation (my 1/64th Cherokee doesn’t get me in) , that fairies and dragons would think similarly and laugh at you for calling yourself ‘Fairy” or ‘Dragon” like you’re a full-blooded member of their camp.

So if you find yourself caught between needing to learn this life’s lessons and being so infinitesimally related by blood that being recognized by full-blooded members of those species is unlikely, you might want to just give it up and be human.

Humans are magickal and that should be enough for any of us.