Tag: Books

Self Meditation for Daily Life: Perfection

Self Meditation for Daily Life: Perfection

 As a spiritual being, you are inherently perfect, whole and complete. So why not incorporate this wisdom into a self meditation for daily living. We often  think something is wrong with us. Truth is, nothing is wrong with you. In the Divine Plan everything you are and do is exactly right. Does this seem rather  far-fetched? It isn’t, really. If we were to assume the viewpoint that there is a Divine Plan for your life, and that all you needed to do was to be  yourself in order to fulfill it, then who and what you are is Divinely Right.

Regardless of the condition of your body, you as a soul or spirit are perfect. Spirit is unchanging. If Spirit was right once, then It is always right.  You are made in the image and likeness of that always right Spirit, this is what you as a spiritual being are.

This doesn’t leave much room for shame, guilt or regret. You may have been ignorant or uninformed at the time that these conditions arose, but it  doesn’t negate the fact that you are still perfect. In my opinion, our unknowingness of the Divine Plan and our part in it brings up these negative  emotions. There is something that can be done about it however, and this can bring a great deal of relief to the soul.

Acceptance that we are included in the Divine Plan whether we are consciously aware of it or not can alleviate much of the emotional pain that we carry  around. Staying clear with ourselves that we are part of this, encourages us to stay in alignment with the purity of our inner selves. It is this inner  purity or authenticity which can ensure that we stay on track with the Plan for our lives. Not to emulate some saint somewhere, but to be as realistically  ourselves as we can manage.

From a high level perspective, one may argue that it doesn’t matter what we do, that the Divine Plan unfolds no matter what. This may be true, but can  you live with yourself in the meantime? To bring about peace of mind, I’ve found that it is much easier to promote a sense of being the reality of Self  consciously. This helps us to “tune in” to right action for us, that is, what encourages us to live our lives more fully.

Allow yourself to accept that you really are part of the Plan, always have been and always will be. You are perfect, just the way you are. As you meditate  daily on the concept of perfection in all things, you may find your daily life meditation opens up new levels of acceptance.

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Daily OM for February 3 – Redefining health

Redefining Health
Throw Away Your Scale

by Madisyn Taylor

No matter what our weight, we can use the cues from our physical and mental selves to judge how healthy we are.

Health is not a numerical concept and cannot be defined using statistics. Human beings, however, tend to want to quantify well-being into easily understandable figures. We feel compelled to ascribe numbers to every aspect of wellness, from the qualities of our food to our f

itness levels to the physical space we occupy. As a consequence of social pressures, we turn our attention away from health and focus instead on the most contentious of these figures—weight—checking our scales to see how we measure up to our peers and role models. Yet each of us is equipped to gauge our relative healthfulness without any equipment whatsoever. When we have achieved a state of wellness, we feel buoyant and energetic. Some of us are naturally slim, while others will always be curvy. No matter what our weight, we can use the cues we receive from our physical and mental selves to judge how healthy we really are.

When you throw away your scale, you commit to a lifestyle that honors the innate wisdom that comes from within your body and within your mind. It is logical to examine how you feel while considering your health—a strong, fit, and well-nourished individual will seldom feel heavy, bloated, or fatigued. If you have concerns regarding your weight, remind yourself that at its proper weight, your body will feel buoyant and agile. Movement becomes a source of joy. Sitting, standing, walking, and bending are all easy to do because your joints and organs are functioning as they were meant to. When you are physically healthy, your mind will also typically occupy a place of well-being. Mental clarity and an ability to focus are two natural traits of whole-self health. Surprisingly, promoting this type of easy-to-discern wellness within yourself takes no special effort outside of satisfying your hunger with nourishing, wholesome foods and moving your body.

The numbers you see on the scale, while nominally informative, can prevent you from reaching your healthful eating goals by giving you a false indicator of health. You will know when you have achieved true health because every fiber of your being will send you signals of wellness. When you choose to listen to these signals instead of relying on the scale, your definition of well-being will be uniquely adapted to the needs of your body and of your mind.

Daily OM

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Today’s Quiz: Who Is Your Guide?

Who Is Your Guide? Quiz

Each one of us has powerful inner guides to help us find our way along the  path of our life-journey. These guides bring gifts for us and offer very  specific help. When we connect with the guide we need in the moment, our journey  becomes smoother, we feel supported, and we can make swift soul-progress.

Is your present guide a powerful Shaman King, spirit-centered Priestess  Queen, questing Knight, or youthful Child? Find out with this quiz:

Make note of the numbers of the following statements that are TRUE  for you.

1. I need to make wise plans for my future and set better boundaries and  limits.

2. I would like to feel more safe and secure.

3. I feel out of connection and as if I’m living superficially–but I know  there’s more to my life than this.

4. I am hungry for nurturing, passion, deep feeling, and/or inspiration.

5. I feel as if I have lost something important that would improve the  quality of my life.

6. I need to feel more galvanized to go after what I need.

7. I need more playtime in my life: everything feels like a chore.

8. Old, painful memories and feelings have started to surface in my life and  I am sick of repeating my old patterns.

9. I feel completely unsure of where I am at the moment, sort of lost in the  fog–as if I know nothing at all.

If you answered TRUE to 1 or 2, the Shaman King is the guide who will help  you now. Look to this grounded, wise, powerful part of your Self to help you  feel stable, safe, and able to plan and protect yourself. Collect images of  mature and stable power to keep with you. Give your Shaman King a name. Imagine  being filled with his strength and certainty.

If you answered TRUE to 3 or 4, the Priestess Queen is your guide. This part  of you can help you to feel more deeply connected to All That Is, deeply  nourished and alive to the wonder of living. Find pictures of this archetypal  helper to keep where you will see them and feel supported. Give your Priestess  Queen a name. Visualize her walking beside you, sharing her qualities of  spirit-filled grace and dignity with you.

If you answered TRUE to 5 or 6, the Knight can help you to find what you  seek. This questing part of the Self is a great helper when you know there’s  something you need. Visualize a bold companion who knows every step of the  journey that leads to what you most deeply desire. Give this companion a name.  Imagine him or her beside you as you venture into unfamiliar territory.

If you answered TRUE to 7 or 8, the Child will help you to reconnect with  your playful inner child-self, who knew exactly what she loved to do. She can  show you what you need to do in order to heal from old wounding and create  healthier new patterns for yourself. Collect old photos of yourself and imagine  asking that child-self for her input.

If you answered TRUE to 9, your guide is the Mystery. Difficult though it may  be, you need to trust that you are not meant to know–AND that it is alright not  to know right now. Eventually, things will become clearer. Right now, see if you  can enjoy being in the place of not-knowing.

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Dream Moods

dream dictionary 

Symbols are the language of dreams. A symbol can invoke a feeling or an idea and often has a much more profound and deeper meaning than any one word can convey. At the same time, these symbols can leave you confused and wondering what that dream was all about.

Acquiring the ability to interpret your dreams is a powerful tool. In analyzing your dreams, you can learn about your deep secrets and hidden feelings. Remember that no one is a better expert at interpreting your dreams than yourself.  

To guide you with your dreams interpretations, we have interpreted over 5800 keywords and symbols and over 20000 different meanings in our ever expanding dream dictionary. These meanings are in no way, the final say in what YOUR dream  means, but hopefully it will inspire you to explore and offer a suggestive starting point for understanding your own dreams. There is no “one dream interpretation fits all.” 

Every detail, even the most minute element in your dream is important and must be considered when analyzing your dreams. Each symbol represents a feeling, a mood, a memory or something from your unconscious. Look closely at the characters, animals, objects, places, emotions, and even color and numbers that are depicted in your dreams. Even the most trivial symbol can be significant. This dictionary, along with your own personal experiences, memories and circumstances, will serve to guide you through a meaningful and personalized interpretation. With practice, you can gain an understanding of the cryptic messages your dreams are trying to tell you. 

Very fascinating site, check it out for yourself, link below:

dream dictionary

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‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for November 27th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’

By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

It doesn’t seem that a simple thing like going fishing could have such excellent results when the world suddenly seems too much. It is a very difficult thing to worry about when your mind is fixed intently on a little red and white plastic float bobbing in the water.

Just taking one’s mind off the general routine of living even for a short time is like a much needed and appreciated vacation. We seldom recognize the need for getting away from the monotony of following each day with another day exactly like it. We lose the value of the hours and minutes and lump them all together and plod along expecting miracles to come someday and save us.

The effort we have to give is in releasing the problem and concentrating on something beautifully simple and uncomplicated. Living doesn’t seem so ominous when we can go fishing for a little peace and quiet, and sidetrack the things that weigh so heavily on our minds.

Good health is such a blessing. We don’t all realize how much we aid or harm our own health. In fact, we give much more thought to being careful not to get wet than being careful not to get angry. And it is said that anger can lower resistance to colds much quicker than getting wet.

It is a proven fact that to feel love builds a resistance to illnesses while resentment and hate can destroy both mind and body.

Longfellow once wrote that joy, temperance, and repose would slam the door on the doctor’s nose. There’s no doubt but that most doctors’ noses are safe. But they, too, would be glad if more patients would exercise their abilities to lift themselves out of mush of their ill health by knowing some measure of joy rather than self-pity, some healthy thoughts and less thoughts of self.

We lower our resistance to ill health in many ways, but none works against us as surely as worry, anxiety, and care, plus our inability to recognize the fact that we are our own greatest enemy.

__________________________________

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

The Daily Motivator for Nov. 26th – Inner state of being

Inner state of being

Anxiety is not created by your situation, or by what you must do about your  situation. Anxiety is the result of your attitude and your perspective on the  situation.

To be free of anxiety, you don’t necessarily have to change the situation or  avoid doing anything about it. What you can do is change your attitude, your  perspective and your expectations.

In fact, your attitude ultimately is not dependent on your circumstances.  Your attitude is whatever you choose it to be.

As surely as you have learned to react to certain things with anxiety, you  can teach yourself to respond instead with peaceful confidence. That response is  just as realistic, and much more positive, healthy and enriching.

Keep in mind that it is because of your choice that you become annoyed,  frustrated, angry, fearful and filled with anxiety. Keep in mind that you always  have another, more positive choice.

Make it your intention to choose peace, positive purpose, confidence and  generous, effective action. Your inner state of being is always your choice, so  always make it the very best, most empowering one.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Nov. 15th is The Journey

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Journey

While physical travel may be involved, The Journey represents an individual’s spiritual trek from one point to another. The Journey is represented by a sailboat gliding across an open sea. Like those traversing the ocean The Journey requires that we move off the firm ground of our present state and strike out for a new destination. The trip itself may well be full of adventure and challenges. There may be times when we lose sight of where we came from and possibly not even know where we’re going. Storms may crop up without warning. Diversions may slow our progress to our destination down. While it’s good to have an idea of where you want to go, it’s equally important to remember that often it’s the getting there and not the destination that is the most rewarding. To take such a spiritual voyage takes courage and conviction that direction in which your are moving is right for you.

As a daily card, The Journey indicates a time in which you are likely to derive insight and spiritual growth by moving off your everyday path. Although the time span is short, this movement may have a profound and enduring effect on your life. Indeed you may be on the verge of experiencing a revelation, or enjoying a period of self actualization. Be open to new paths and you may well end up with some very positive changes in your life.

Daily OM for November 1st – The Death and Rebirth of Self

The Death and Rebirth of Self
Life Transitions

 

by Madisyn Taylor

 

Sometimes a part of us must die before another part can come to life.

 

Sometimes a part of us must die before another part can come to life. Even though this is a natural and necessary part of our growth, it is often painful or, if we don’t realize what’s happening, confusing and disorienting. In fact, confusion and disorientation are often the messengers that tell us a shift is taking place within us. These shifts happen throughout the lives of all humans, as we move from infancy to childhood to adolescence and beyond. With each transition from one phase to another, we find ourselves saying good-bye to an old friend, the identity that we formed in order to move through that particular time.

Sometimes we form these identities in relationships or jobs, and when we shift those areas of our life become unsettled. Usually, if we take the time to look into the changing surface of things, we will find that a shift is taking place within us. For example, we may go through one whole chapter of our lives creating a protective shell around ourselves because we need it in order to heal from some early trauma. One day, though, we may find ourselves feeling confined and restless, wanting to move outside the shelter we needed for so long; the new part of ourselves cannot be born within the confines of the shell our old self needed to survive.

We may feel a strange mixture of exhilaration and sadness as we say good-bye to a part of ourselves that is dying and make way for a whole new identity to emerge in its place. We may find inspiration in working with the image of an animal who molts or sheds in order to make way for new skin, fur, or feathers to emerge. For example, keeping a duck feather, or some other symbol of transformation, can remind us that death and rebirth are simply nature’s way of evolving. We can surrender to this process, letting go of our past self with great love and gratitude, and welcoming the new with an open mind and heart, ready for our next phase of life.

Daily OM

 

 

 

Daily OM for October 23 – Unveiling The Soul’s Vision

Unveiling The Soul’s Vision

Medicine Wheels

Though stone structures have been a dominant element of human history, few have done as much to bridge the gap between the physical and spiritual realms as the Native American medicine wheel. Wholly non-intrusive, these simple configurations of stone blend into their environments, becoming objects of ritual, meditative, and ceremonial importance to those who perceive their deeper meaning. An outer ring is linked to the center of the medicine wheel by spokes that echo the four sacred directions (north, south, east, and west) and their corresponding colors (white, red, yellow, and black).

Creating our own medicine wheel can be just as profound an experience as visiting the site of an ancient wheel, for the mere presence of it changes our relationship to the universe, opening us to new depths of insight.

No matter what the configuration, the wheel represents the circular path of being. It illustrates the journey of all Mother Nature’s children, encompassing cycles of life, death, and that which lies beyond. When we walk the outer edges of a medicine wheel, sleep in its spokes, or lay our hands upon the center cairn, our inner vision is enhanced. We recognize ourselves as a vital part of a larger whole—a product of the universe as well as a force acting upon it. Peering through the lens of the medicine wheel, the harmony that unites disparate elements of the universe reveals itself to us. Each living entity will visit every spoke of the wheel in its lifetime, honoring the sacred directions and colors. However different we may be, there is no reason we cannot find peaceful concordance in our similarities.

Whether your goal is to internalize the wisdom of the self, nature, society, or soul, the transformative energy of the medicine wheel will help you attune yourself to the interconnectivity of all reality. It can consequently serve as a powerful communication tool for groups in need of channels of understanding, for the universality of the wheel’s significance facilitates bonding without asking disparate peoples to sacrifice their individuality. Your energy and that of those who accompany you will mingle with the universal flow at the focal point of the medicine wheel, reminding you that all beings are equal, and all are fated to travel round the great loop of existence until the end of time.

The Daily OM

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for October 17th

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Some of the dearest moments ever spent are those on the road I didn’t want to travel. And some of the most magnificent doors I’ve ever passed through are where before there was no way.

Some of the kindest people I shall ever know are the ones I didn’t want to meet. And the greatest abundance I’ve ever received came from a pittance I wanted to withhold.

Tears I have wanted to shed have turned to happiness because for a moment I could see beyond them. And hope has saved everything when I wanted most to give up in despair.

And suddenly I realize how great my progress could be if I could get myself and my emotions out of the way. How hard I push against the door that opens inward – inward, where faith and hope and trust abide.

There’s not enough ambling done any more. There are too many deadlines. Time for a favorite TV show, time to take pills, time for appointments, time to catch a plane. Life is one continual alarm clock.

Never a gentle gait, but always at a dogtrot to meet those deadlines. It seems that dawdling along or staring into space is a waste of time, as the ambitious, eager for superiority, move dangerously ahead.

Many great people have known the wisdom of safeguarding their health and security by taking time to analyze, not in the role of fact sifting, but by allowing the mind to amble, to drift openly from thought to thought. This sitting idly on the sidelines and fishing quietly in the mind can catch many a solution that casting would never hook.

After a period of creative silence, attacking any deadline is made simple. The mind has had time to lay down the brittle aggressiveness and is ready to operate efficiently. Even physical weariness passes and the goal ahead isn’t far in the distance.

When there isn’t time to go fishing, remember the words of American author William Mathews, “Knowledge is acquired by study and observation, but wisdom cometh by opportunity of leisure. The ripest thoughts come from a mind which is not always on the stretch, but fed, at times, by a wise passiveness.”

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

“THINK on THESE THINGS” for October 2nd

“THINK on THESE THINGS”
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Aim high, even though it seems at the moment you’ll never reach that cherished dream. It is your duty to lift yourself above mediocrity. And if you’re afraid your dream will sound foolish, then don’t talk about it, work for it.

Some dreams have gossamer wings, too fragile to discuss. We can be so zealous about our plans that we talk away the mystery and lose interest in the things we’ve begun. Zeal can burn itself out in one, quick, bright flame, or it can be nurtured into strength that is the basis for greatness.

If dreams have substance, then they may well come true. And if they are in line with the law of good, then there will be someone who wants to help. To have the desire to do something that will benefit others, the desire to serve, is to have a dream with solid possibilities.

The aims, then, must be deserving as to become duties. It falls to certain individuals to develop a gift and to use it in helping other people. As German philosopher Immanuel Kant has written, “What are the aims which are at the same time duties? They are the perfecting of ourselves and the happiness of others.”

*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

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

A Word From The Witch

Book & Candle Comments
I will make my message as brief as possible today. My soul is drained and my heart is very heavy. I started once to go back to our old group on September 11 and see what I had to say then. But I didn’t. No matter what I said then or say now words will not help those amongst us who are hurting today.

 

I have lost loved ones myself and no words spoken to me ever healed the hurt. And no words ever will. It is extremely hard to deal with when your loved one is suddenly took from you. It takes a very long time to adjust to the fact they are gone forever. Even as witches, we are not granted the power of knowing when someone’s or our own last day will be. I believe we are not meant to know.

 

When our time comes, we will be taken from this plane to the next. It leaves the ones we love behind to cry with the loss and the heartache. But really there should be no crying because our loved ones have gone home to be with our Great Mother, the Goddess.

 

There are times I stop to think about my mother and sister. I begin to cry. Then I imagine my crossing over the Rainbow bridge and in the distance I see two figures. These figures are running to me, they are my sister and mother. The tears of sorrow are now tears of joy. We hug, we kiss, we laugh, what a beautiful day it will be to see them again. Just think what a beautiful day it will be to see all of our relatives and loved ones that have gone before us.

 

Today let’s take those tears of sadness and loss and turn them to tears of joy. Take the loved ones that you have here with you, hug them so tight and tell them how much you love them. Tell them not only today but each day of the year. Let them know how special they are to us.

 

For we know not when our time will come but it will come….

The Witches Magickal Correspondence for September 11th

Book & Candle Comments

The Witches Magickal Correspondence for September 11th

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, Lavender, Hazel, Cherry, Periwinkle
Stones: Aventurine, Bloodstone, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite
Oil: (Mercury) Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, 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.

Wonderful Day Wishes to Everyone At the WOTC!

 

Well the Raffle is over. And nobody won, lol! Just kidding? Everyone was marvelous to say the least. We raised enough money to buy our lawnmower. YES! Lady A isn’t going to jail now, lol!  In case you are wondering about the jail part. Lady A wasn’t going to pay the fines, thus you get go to jail. I have stopped to think about it. They probably would throw here out on her ear.

Now what you have all been waiting for…….

The Winner for one of those Beautiful Books of Shadows is…..

Lucille Cali

We are sorry we had to use your real name. But we didn’t want to give out your email addy. Now Ms. Cali, please email us and let us know which BOS you would like.

thewotcstrustfund@yahoo.com

Congratulations Again, Hun!

Daily Motivator for Aug. 23 – Your awareness

Your awareness

Life can wear you down, or life can lift you up. It all depends on how you  choose to see it and live it.

The primary component of weariness is not age or infirmity or circumstance.  It is attitude.

The main ingredient of enthusiasm is not youth or comfort or good fortune. It  is your attitude, based on your awareness.

What do you look for, think about, focus on and expect? That is what you will  experience.

Focus the bulk of your awareness not on transient trivialities, but on what  truly matters to you, to your dreams, and to your values. Pay much less  attention to the fears and frustrations, and much more attention to the positive  possibilities and opportunities.

Sincerely see life as beautiful and fulfilling, and you will make life  beautiful and fulfilling. Your awareness has awesome power, so use it wisely and  lovingly.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Spirituality and Magic – Don't Sell Yourself Short

Spirituality and Magic – Don’t Sell Yourself Short

 Author: Friendly Spirit
I’ve read some informative and highly interesting articles on Witchvox recently and wanted to share a perspective that perhaps may help some in their dealings with their own spirituality. This includes rituals where many find sources of enlightenment but also includes just about anything else, eclectic or traditional, in the general areas of spirituality, magic, ethics, etc. My comments do not center on promoting my own beliefs. Rather I’d like to comment on keeping a bigger picture in mind no matter which path or paths you choose.
The bigger picture is, what are you really and how does what you are relate to which practices you use or follow in seeking spiritual enlightenment? I’d also like to suggest a few simple things to keep in mind when choosing a path or religion.
Which Path/Religion to Choose?
I don’t think that anyone but you can say which exact path or religion is right for you. And I’m not sure most can tell if they don’t try things. I guess the “right” one is the one that works for you. Try things and see what helps you improve your spiritual life. Does it help you to be a happier person or live a better life or feel more spiritual or does it not?
It’s a simple question really but then things should be simple.
But how do you know what to try in order to see what works best for you? Well, I guess many will try different paths before they find out but I can offer here some very simple guidelines in helping eliminate any while conducting your search. These guidelines work very well for me but, if they are something that does not work for you, then don’t use them:

  1. Does the path/religion preach that you are small or insignificant and it offers you a way to improve? I say reject that  path/religion because it is based on a lie. The lie being that you are small and insignificant. You are not. You are an immortal, spiritual  being.
  2. Does the path/religion depend substantially on faith, fear of gods or such things as damnation, etc? I say reject that  path/religion as it is based on a lie. Your goal in spiritual enlightenment should not be based on fear, mysteries that you cannot comprehend,  etc.
  3. Does the path/religion suggest not harming yourself and others and does it have at least some system of ethics against  doing the above? I say look into it. Ethics are logic, really. They are things that just make sense if you truly want to expand spiritually or in any other  way. It makes sense because you the immortal being are good and you will hinder your own growth when doing harm.
  4. Does the path/religion hold firm beliefs that are contrary to your own, even though your own harms no one including  yourself? I don’t suggest getting into it unless you yourself are trying to change your own beliefs, as you feel they are incomplete or somehow  wrong.
  5. Does the path/religion involve the use of drugs, hypnotic suggestions, invalidation or evaluation of you by others? I say  reject it, as real spiritual enlightenment depends on you either regaining or otherwise obtaining a personal spiritual improvement which, in the end, depends  on you and not the invalidation and/or evaluation of others.
  6. Does the path/religion promote kindness and things loving? If so, this is a good point as such things as kindness and love  are completely natural to a spiritual being. Those times you could not be more mean or tough in a situation were not really signs of weakness. But the times  you could not be more kind were signs of weakness as, again, kindness and love are natural in a spiritual being who, when itself, is truly good.

So What is The Bigger Picture to Keep In Mind in Any Path or Practice?
Keep in mind what you yourself really are verses what is being dealt with in your practice. I feel this is most important in order to obtain the maximum benefit of any path towards spiritual enlightenment.
What you are is very different than what you are being. For example, in this life you may have a female body, be a mother, a wife, an office worker and a Witch. Those are all identities you have assumed as you progressed in life while your body developed from the stage of its birth to where it is now.
Can a good spiritual path help you to be a better mother, Witch, neighbor, wife, etc? Sure it can. It can assist you in being anything you want. But, here again we are addressing what you are being in this lifetime, not what you are.
So, you’re not that body you have, right? I mean, for example, if you lost one of your hands in a car accident does that change that loving thing that is “you?” That thing that loves your children, arts or music? Is your body that thing that soars to wonderful music or what you consider beautiful in nature or otherwise? No, it is not.
I was in a Pagan chat room recently and in it this wonderful lady talked about children and other things, which was a great chat. She was obviously a kind and caring person but she stated that we all love our children because of a genetic imprint that makes us feel nurturing, defending, and so on. I loved her but I wanted to scream out, “YOU ARE MUCH MORE THAN THAT!” Yes, human bodies and animal bodies do have a “life force” and a genetic line that does provide for caring, nurturing, etc. (or else there would be no real continuation of a species), and when you take on a body you tend to be affected by it and the genetic line BUT you are so much more than that.
It was not appropriate to argue in that room nor did I feel a need to argue, but I really wanted her to realize she was SO much more than some sort of “genetic imprint” connected with a body…
Yet science often stops at just that point in trying to measure what you are. The physical universe can make a great “playground” in which to play and bodies can be a “calling card” spiritual beings use to identify and play with each other.
So if you are not your body, are you your mind? Again, you are selling yourself short if you agree that you are your mind. Here is a simple exercise you can do as you read this right now that might help you conclude you are not your mind:
Read these next two paragraphs and then close your eyes and think about it
Pick a pet or other animal you have with you or had with you once. Was it in your house? What color was it? Size? How did it look? When you think of a time with it, do you see it in your living room, outdoors or what? What was it doing then?
You can do this exercise with a child, a friend, whatever. Close you eyes now and do it and, when you are done, open your eyes and continue reading this.
Okay, so I am going to assume you just did the exercise. Who was looking at the picture(s) of that pet, animal, child, friend or whatever after you closed your eyes? It was not your body as your eyes were closed. Was it your mind “looking” at that? No, in fact it was YOU looking at it. And what you were looking at was a part of your mind (the pictures and things you saw).
My point is, you are not your mind. You are an immortal spirit that currently has a mind and a body.
Your body is located in time and in space (for example, here on Earth) and the pictures that make up your mind are locatable as well. But you yourself are not so located except by your own considerations and your agreement with the considerations of others.
While this is a subject that would take up a great deal more writing space than is available here, my whole point is if you want to get maximum spiritual enlightenment from any path you choose, please keep in mind what YOU are and never get confused with what you are not (a body, mind, tools of magic, etc.).
For example, the idea of using crystals, stones and other physical things to produce energy or other effects could really work but not for the reason many think. Matter (physical things) are just solidified energy and if someone figured out (by accident or otherwise) how to “tap it, ” lots could be produced. Some physical things like crystals perhaps store more energy than physical things like granite. I believe that different paths and people of older traditions have discovered a lot of that.
But what’s most important is that it’s NOT something bigger than you (the spirit). You’re tapping into something that can be amazing in terms of what is generally agreed to be possible BUT it is comparatively nothing to what YOU (the spirit) could produce. If it helps you to tap the energy and magic that is “sleeping” inside of you then by all means do it.
If people could practice such things with the bigger picture of what they really are in mind, to the point where they at least don’t worship such things as the tools of magic, then it could really be something special.
Just because we spiritual beings may use bodies and other physical things in order to communicate with each other, does not mean that we must be limited to that or to what is commonly agreed to be the limitations of bodies in order to perceive or communicate.
You know, you have many agreements in place automatically all the time with regard to your body and mind. Such agreements as human eyes see only certain hues, human ears hear only certain sounds, words are important to communication, you must breath air, and so on. If a spiritual being had the body of a cat for a lifetime, it likely would go into agreement with what a cat sees, hears, senses and the like. Same with any other body type. But they are only considerations you have agreed with and you yourself as a spiritual being are not restricted to such limits. If actions taken in rituals or otherwise in different paths help you to simply “disagree” on all those limits to perception, then they are probably good actions if they lead to your own spiritual enlightenment. And they are probably good things to do until some day you will be able to bring all the magic and abilities out of yourself without need of any tools.
Spiritual enlightenment is a matter of rehabilitating the spirit’s (your) abilities so that YOU may make a better life for yourself and others. Don’t be impatient and expect yourself to go from where you are to perfection overnight. If in any way you find yourself improving any aspects of your life (you feel better, you’re no longer depressed, some things come easier now, you feel more love for others, etc.) then by all means be happy as your effort on your path is working. Keep it up. It gets better and better as you grow spiritually and realize more of your own potential.
Just keep in mind that it is you the spiritual being that is awakening and that all the magic there is, is in you now. And if some path helps you find it within yourself for the improvement of you and others then it is a wonderful thing indeed.
You don’t HAVE a spirit. You ARE the spirit. Remember that and I believe you will get much more out of your practice.
Final Comment:
I have made no attempt here to comment on a god or goddess or anything else besides you. I believe that subject is very highly personal and that the more you expand spiritually, the more you understand such things. I only want to point out that you are something very, very special and much more than most people or even many religions let you believe.
Personally I have a very deep affinity for the Goddess. Every time I even reflect on that subject I feel wonderful. I do not categorize her in ways that many others have done. I personally don’t feel her under the many names people have given her in the past. Nor in temples dedicated to her in the various forms that might have been real to people at the time they gave her a name or a temple. Rather, personal to me, I see her everywhere, especially at times where I feel more enlightened. I reflect on her every time I see the love of a mother for her child, when I see anything nurturing, when I so much as see a spore fly in the wind and settle on the ground, knowing some day it may grow to be a plant.
I feel all that at times when I see kindness, love, the good in others. I see her when I see what in many lifetimes I’ve perceived as spirituality, courage, caring, wisdom, magic, strength and all things good. I think of all these things when I think of true “femininity.”
I don’t believe you have to roam anywhere to see her and the best evidence of her is within you now.

Working With Colors In Candle Magick – White

White

Can be programmed. White light contains all colors, so therefore can be used for all purposes. Can energize, harmonize, heal, and expand capabilities, clarity, brilliance, light, ice, endless potential, ever-changing, purity, spirituality, greater attainments in life, truth, power of a higher nature, wholeness, sincerity, spiritual undertakings / guidance, direction to the right paths, calmness, becoming centered, seeing past all illusions, the Goddess, higher self, purity, peace, virginity.

Working With Colors In Candle Magick – Green

Green

Relaxing, cools fevers, relaxes muscles, calms emotions, physical healing, strengthens heart and ability to love, earth energies, generosity, prosperity, nurturing, cooling, calming, marriage, relationships, practical creativity (particularly with the hands), balance, fertility, growth, Mother Earth, tree and plant magic, personal goals, abundance, money, good fortune, wealth, success, renewal, heart, areas that need cooling, Corresponds with the chest, and 4th chakra.