Tag: Earth

NASA Image of the Day for November 7th

Astronaut McCandless in space

McCandless Orbits in Jetpack

On Feb. 12, 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless, ventured further away from the confines and safety of his ship than any previous astronaut had ever been. This space first was made possible by a nitrogen jet propelled backpack, previously known at NASA as the Manned Manuevering Unit or MMU.

After a series of test maneuvers inside and above Challenger’s payload bay, McCandless went “free-flying” to a distance of 320 feet away from the Orbiter. This stunning orbital panorama view shows McCandless out there amongst the black and blue of Earth and space.

Image Credit: NASA

Space Clearing: A Fresh Look at a Classic Tradition

Space Clearing: A Fresh Look at a Classic Tradition

Author: Tess Whitehurst

Clearing physical clutter out of your space is like taking a wrecking ball to everything in your life that isn’t working, and to any obstacles that may have been holding you back from living your greatness and manifesting your dreams. Space clearing, on the other hand, could be compared to airing out a stuffy room, steam cleaning a carpet, or tuning a piano. It removes lingering negative and/or stuck energy from your space while lifting and fine-tuning vibrations in order to summon positive energies and conditions into your life.

For most of the time that humans have been alive on this planet, we’ve lived outdoors, or in temporary or natural shelters. Nowadays, our indoor areas are raised above the earth, which naturally absorbs negativity; from water, which washes away negativity; from a free flow of air, which blows negativity away; and from full sunlight, which purifies and disinfects negativity. Negativity accrues not only from our negative thoughts, words, and feelings, but also from the stagnation that’s a natural byproduct of modern indoor spaces. This is why all spaces can benefit from regular space clearings.

To keep your vibes clean and clear, to feel happy and harmonious in your home, and to feel completely safe and protected, I suggest doing this simple visualization every day:

Sit with your spine straight, take some deep breaths, and relax. Call upon Divine White Light to powerfully enter your home as a huge vacuum tube of white light. See it moving around the entire interior of your home, simultaneously burning and suctioning away all dark, heavy, stagnant, or negative energy. See it penetrating all the darkest corners rapidly and effectively.

Once this feels complete, ask the Light to fill your home completely. See it extend outside, under, and above your home so that your home is completely encompassed in and surrounded by a huge sphere of Divine White Light. Ask the light to raise the vibrations of every item and area in your home to a very high and clear degree.

After that, ask for a circle of angels to surround your home, preserving this sphere of light and directing the positive energies of love, serenity, and happiness inward. Then, ask for another circle of angels to surround the first circle of angels, and ask them to face outward, directing all negative energy outward and keeping you and the other inhabitants totally safe and protected. Thank the Light and the angels, and open your eyes.

(Please note: instead of just calling on the White Light, you can call on a divine being such as The Goddess, Merlin, or Archangel Michael to cleanse and encompass your space with the White Light if you prefer.)

For us magical folk, space clearing is important because we have to create the space for magic and miracles to occur in our lives. Before we go around doing money spells and such, we must make sure we have a clean, clear, magical space to do it in. We have to release the energies and conditions we don’t want in order to make the space for the energies and conditions we do want. Not to mention, clearing clutter and space clearing alone, when done with intention, can often be the most powerful magical acts we could possibly perform when it comes to creating joyful and harmonious conditions in all areas of our lives.

And, one of the cool things about starting a regular space clearing practice is that it’s a very effective way to begin to exercise and strengthen your psychic and intuitive abilities. Most people, whether they think they’re psychic or not, can pick up on “vibes.”

You know, we say things like, “the place had really good vibes, ” or “I got a weird vibe from him, ” etc. Space clearing is a way of clearing out bad vibes and creating good ones, so when we notice this happening, we’re actually using our sixth sense: and every time we use it, it gets stronger.

While the visualization above is great to do every day as a maintenance measure, it’s also good to do the methods I’m about to describe on a regular basis to really keep the energy healthy and vibrant in your home. You might do one or several of them every couple weeks or so, as you see fit. They can be done alone for a quick clearing, or in combination with each other.

I’ll begin by discussing each one individually, and then give you some ideas for how to put a few of them together if you want to do a more thorough clearing.

Please note: cover food and beverages before you begin to clear so that the negativity does not enter them. (Water and salt are particularly absorbent.) Remember to do so for pet food as well.

Oh! And make sure to drink water before and after.

Clapping

Clapping is a quick and easy way to break up and dissipate stuck or stagnant energy with sound. Simply move around the perimeter of each room and area in the space, clapping loudly. Pay special attention to corners, areas behind doors, or anywhere else where you might imagine that energy would stagnate. (Think of energy as flowing like a brook or a stream though the space. Areas where energy might get stuck would be the areas that would accumulate leaves or trash on the surface of the stream. Areas that are usually dark are also spots with slow-moving or stagnant energy.)

If you clap a few times in an especially stagnant area, you can usually hear the claps getting clearer as the energy dissipates.

White Sage

Burning white sage powerfully removes negativity and lifts vibrations to a very high and clear level. To do this in your space, open the windows and light a bundle of dried white sage so that it’s burning like incense.

As you do this, say, “Spirit of Air, I call on you.” Move around the perimeter of each room/area, letting the smoke move around the space. (Carry a dish under the bundle to catch ash and embers.)

When you’re finished with the room, move the smoke around your personal energy field to cleanse away any negativity that you might have absorbed. Then, thank the Spirit of Air and extinguish the bundle by sealing it in a jar.

Fire

Have you ever felt a bad vibe in a room with an actual wood fire burning in it? Probably not. This is because fire powerfully burns away negativity like old, dead wood. If you don’t have a fireplace in every room (which I don’t assume you do) , you can place a large red candle on a plate (ideally soy or vegetable wax) , and surround it with a ring of sea salt.

Place the candle near the center of the room or area and light it as you say, “Spirit of Fire, I call on you.” Close your eyes and visualize the fire from the candle filling the room, burning away all negativity. When the visualization feels complete, carry the plate with the salt and lit candle to the next room or area and repeat.

When you’re finished, extinguish the flames as you say something like, “Fire, you were a great help to me, and I thank you.”

Sea Saltwater

Salt water powerfully neutralizes negativity. Fill a clear glass with spring or well water and dissolve one teaspoon of sea salt in it. Hold the water in both hands and visualize very bright white light coming down from above, entering the crown of your head, moving down to your heart, out your hands, and into the water.

Visualize the ocean as you say, “Spirit of Water, I call on you.” Pour the water into a mister (it’s okay if it doesn’t all fit) . Now, move around the perimeter of each room or area, spraying the mist lightly throughout. If you like, you might imagine a powerful ocean wave moving through your house as you do this.

When you’re finished, pour the remaining water down the drain and say something like, “Spirit of Water, you were a great help to me, and I thank you.”

Table Salt

A dish of non-iodized table salt, placed in a central location in a room, is a great negativity absorber. To cleanse your entire home with salt, get a dish for each room and area and fill each with a substantial (yet not necessarily large) amount of salt.

As you pour the salt, say, “Spirit of Earth, I call on you.” Then place one in each room or area. Each time you place a dish, hold your hands over it and empower it with the intention to draw all negativity from even the farthest corners of the room. Leave the dishes for 12-24 hours.

Then, thank the Spirit of Earth, flush the salt down the toilet, and wash the dishes thoroughly.

Quick Clearings

It’s good to perform some sort of clearing at least once a week or so, and any of the above methods can be done independently or paired up for a quick and informal clearing. But to perform my favorite quick-yet-effective space clearing, just clap and then burn sage. You might want to finish with a quick prayer or visualization to empower the space with harmonious energy: just ask for or envision all the conditions and feelings you’d like to experience in the space.

Thorough Ritual Clearing

Once a year or so, and during special circumstances like when your home changes residents or you move into a new space, it’s good (and fun!) to do a thorough ritual clearing. This is a great one.

Begin by creating an altar in a central or otherwise convenient location. This can be on a table, desktop, or countertop, or, if you already have an altar, you can use that area if you like. On the altar, place a mister of sea salt (created as above) , a dish for each room and/or area, non-iodized table salt, a plate or large candle holder with a large red candle on it, and a bundle of dried white sage. Also place an incense holder on the altar, and any kind of incense that you like.

Now, sit or stand in front of the altar and take some deep breaths, relaxing every muscle in your body. Feel the weight of your body on the earth and focus on this until you feel really grounded and solid. Close your eyes, hold your hands in prayer pose, and say a prayer.

Acknowledge/summon any helpers or deities you’d like, or just pray in order to clearly state your intentions to yourself and the Universe. Pray from your heart, and state in simple and clear terms what you’re about to do. You might say something like:

“I now ask for the help of my guides and angels as I perform this space clearing. It’s my intention to clear all negativity from this space in order to experience sparkling vibrations and harmonious conditions, and to create the space for happiness, joy, love, abundance, success, and all the desires of my heart to flourish. Because I have asked for divine assistance in this endeavor, I know that I am perfectly receiving it now, and for this I give thanks.”

Light the candle and the incense to signify that the ritual has begun. Begin to clear the energy by clapping loudly in each room and area as described above.

Now, light the bundle of sage so that it’s smoking like incense. Face east and say, “Spirit of Air, I call on you!” Now, cleanse with the sage as described above.

As you do so, continually chant, “With the help of the power of Air, I cleanse this house.” Extinguish the sage, or if it’s only smoking a little, you can let it continue to burn as long as it’s in a jar or somewhere safe.

Next, light the candle and surround it with a circle of salt. Hold the lit candle and plate in your hands, face South, and say, “Spirit of Fire, I call on you!”

Cleanse with the candle as described above, and as you do so, chant, “With the help of the power of Fire, I cleanse this house.” When you’re finished, place the still-lit candle back on the altar.

Pick up the saltwater mister. Hold it in both hands as you face west, and say, “Spirit of Water, I call on you!” Mist each area as described above while chanting, “With the help of the power of Water, I cleanse this house.” Set the mister back on the altar.

Put some of the table salt in each dish as described above. Hold one dish in your hands, face north, and say, “Spirit of Earth, I call on you!” Place a dish of salt in each room and area while chanting, “With the help of the power of Earth, I cleanse this house.” Return to the altar.

Put your hands in prayer pose and empower the space with your intentions by chanting aloud all the conditions you’d like to experience. You might say: “Love, Harmony, Success, Abundance, Peace.” As you vocalize each word, envision the energy of the word resonating throughout the house, shifting the molecules to match its vibration.

When this feels complete, face north. Say, “Spirit of Earth, you were here, and I thank you!” Face west and say, “Spirit of Water, you were here, and I thank you!” Face south and say, “Spirit of Fire: you were here, and I thank you!”

Face east and say, “Spirit of Air: you were here, and I thank you!” Now thank any of the forms/facets of the Divine that you summoned during the opening prayer. Then, say “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Blessed be. And so it is.” Extinguish the candle and incense to symbolize that the ritual is complete.

Now, I am really serious about this: immediately after the ritual is complete, you must lie flat on your back on the ground. (If you have a private yard area where you can lay outside on the grass, this would be best, but if not, the floor to your house or apartment will work just fine.) This is because space clearing rituals raise and shift energy in such a major way that you have to get your equilibrium back ASAP. Even if you think you feel fine, please do this. It’s important for re-establishing rhythm and coordination in your mind, body, emotions, and immune system.

Once you’re lying on your back, envision/feel/imagine your personal energy field. It will naturally have a lot of excess energy in it. Imagine also that you’re lying on the earth, and allow the excess energy to grow heavy and fall downward where it’s absorbed by the earth like rain (even if you’re not on the ground floor, this will still work) . Your personal energy field will remain, just the excess will move downward into the ground.

Once this feels complete, get up and eat something nourishing and substantial like some sort of grain or a root vegetable. This will help to integrate you and restore your balance and connection to the physical plane.


Footnotes:
Kingston, Karen. Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui (Broadway 1999) .

Kingston, Karen. Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui (Broadway 1997) .

Lin, Denise. Sacred Space (Ballantine Books, 1996) .

How To Dispose of Ritual Tools

How To Dispose of Ritual Tools

By Patti Wigington

Sometimes, for whatever reason, you may decide that you have a ritual tool you no longer need. Perhaps you’ve got three athame too many, or someone has gifted you with a new chalice and you’re tired of the old one, or maybe something just doesn’t speak to you the way it used to. Whatever the reason, it can sometimes be a bit of a dilemma as to how to dispose of your ritual tools.

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Varied

Here’s How:

  1. Pass It On

    If you’ve got a particular tool that still has a good feeling to it, or that has some sort of sentimental value, and you’ve decided it’s time to get rid of it, why not pass it along to a friend? You’ll be happy to know your item has gone to a good home, and your friend will be happy to receive a new magical tool. Before you pass it along, you may want to hold a short parting ritual to separate yourself from the object. Once your friend has the item in her possession, she can re-consecrate the tool to make it her own.

  2. Into the Wild

    Some items seem to like being released into the wild, like animals. If you have a magical tool that came from nature — a wand made from a branch, a special stone, a bottle of sea water — then put it back into nature. While you may not be able to return it to the place you originally found it, you can always find a quiet place in the woods to leave it. Another option might be to toss it into a creek or river, as long as it is indeed a natural object.

  3. Release by Fire

    Sometimes, you might have an item you don’t want any more, and you don’t want to give it to anyone else. You might not want to leave it out in the wild where someone can dig it up, either. In this case, the best thing to do is use fire to get rid of it. Burning a magical item doesn’t have to be complicated – build a fire and place the item in it. If you wish, say a few words to separate yourself magically from the object, and then allow it to burn.

  4. Burial

    Another good method of getting rid of old ritual tools is burial. Typically, you’ll want to select a place that isn’t going to be disturbed later on — if you have property of your own, you can bury the item in your yard. If you don’t have your own land, or you’re going to be moving soon, you may want to find a remote spot somewhere that you can bury the object. Use good judgment before digging on any public property.

BANISHING SPELL TO STOP HARM

This will protect without causing the person bound any harm.
It is not a dark spell but a very potent protective one.
You may use a different oil if you wish to use as a banishing oil.
Rosemary may be substituted for Rue.
Materials: 1 black taper or image candle (gender depends on who you are trying to bind) nail
black cloth a large piece of black cloth red ribbon cotton needle and thread
Banishing oil loose tobacco A small mirror that can stand by itself
If you can obtain hair or nail clippings from the person or a picture, you can use it in this spell.
Fold the felt in half and cut out a rough shape of the person you want to bind.
Make the figure large enough so that you will be able to stuff it after you have sewn it together.
Sew the pieces of the poppet together, leaving a hole through which you can stuff the poppet.
Fill it with cotton and tobacco, and if you have the hair or nail clippings of the person, add those to it.
Once it is filled, sew the opening closed. If you have a picture of the person,
staple or sew it to the front of the poppet.
Next, care the name of the person onto the black candle with the nail and add these runes:
Thuraz, Isa, Eihwas, a dark filled in circle to represent the dark moon,
bars like you will see in a jail, and a widdershins (anticlockwise) spiral.
Anoint the candle and the poppet with the oil.
Cast a circle, invoke the elements, God or Goddess you are working with.
Light the altar candles.
Light the black candle and adjust the mirror so that flame is reflected in the glass.
Hold the poppet out in front of you and say:
“Creature of cloth thou art,
Creature of flesh and blood you be.
I name you (name of the person you are binding).
No more shall you do me harm.
No more shall you repeat false tales.
No more shall you interfere in my life, nor in the lives of my loved ones.
By the power of the Gods and by my will, So mote it be!”
Draw an invoking pentagram over the poppet.
Now take the ribbon and begin to wrap the poppet like a mummy,
leaving no space unwrapped. Say:
“I bind your feet from bringing harm to me.
I bind your hands from reaching out to harm me.
I bind your mouth from spreading false tales to harm me.
I bind your mind from sending energy to harm me.
If you do so continue, let all negative energy be cast and reflected directly at you!”
Tie off the ribbon and hold the poppet in front of the mirror while you visualize all negative
energy this person has sent to you being reflected back at them.
Wrap the poppet in the black cloth and tie with another length of ribbon. Say:
“Great Mother, I have bound this person
from harming me and my loved ones.
By the powers of three times three
By Earth and Fire, Air and Sea
I fix this spell, then set it free
Twill give no harm to return to me
As I will, So mote it be!”
Let the candle burn out while the poppet sits at its base, then take the poppet
and the remains of the candle far from your home and bury it deep in the ground
or toss it in the ocean and walk away without looking back.

TO BANISH ILL HEALTH FROM ANOTHER

This is a very short, quick and simple spell to do.
It can be done anywhere at any time (though during the waning period of the
moon is best as that is the time for banishing magic).
All you need is yourself, an intent, a person in mind (it helps to have a picture of
them if it is difficult for you to visualize them) and your finger ( I’ll explain).
Draw a banishing pentagram in the air with your index finger. This is done by drawing a five
pointed star backwards (the opposite direction you would normally draw it, not upside-down)
Draw it while saying:
Let this pentagram banish all ill health and negativity from (the persons name).
There is no specific number of times you repeat this process, it becomes as
many as you feel is enough.

ANGER BANISHMENT SPELL

The following ingredients are needed

One onion

This is the banish anger from yourself.

Take your onion and wash it in fresh spring water (purchased also from the witches’ friend, the local supermarket). This spell is best performed during a waxing moon. Wear earth colors to ground you and, if you wish, burn some sandalwood oil or incense. By the light of a black candle (black absorbs negativity, remember!) peel your onion at midnight. As the tears_come, take away a layer of the pain you are feeling with each layer of the onion that you peel away. Onions represent Mars, which represents war and feelings of angst and anger at our enemies, so peeling through the onion will open the heart chakra, allowing you to experience the feelings you have been hanging on to, and layer by layer, release them. This spell is all about not wishing to get even, or to obsess any longer over those who have harmed you. After you have peeled your onion, place the peels on a plate (stainless steel or silver) and put on a window ledge in the kitchen where overnight the moon’s energy will draw away the negativity banishing it from your environment for good._complete this simple spell with a long, languid bath into which you have emptied three handfuls of sea salt. This will purify, protect, and strengthen you further. As you lie there, think of how much better you feel now that the desire to get back at someone has dissipated.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – November 4

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – November 4

“The honor of the people lies in the moccasin tracks of the woman. Walk the good road…. Be dutiful, respectful, gentle and modest my daughter… Be strong with the warm, strong heart of the earth. No people goes down until their women are weak and dishonored, or dead upon the ground. Be strong and sing the strength of the Great Powers within you, all around you.”

–Village Wise Man, SIOUX

The Elders say the Native American women will lead the healing among the tribes. We need to especially pray for our women, and ask the Creator to bless them and give them strength. Inside them are the powers of love and strength given by the Moon and the Earth. When everyone else gives up, it is the women who sings the songs of strength. She is the backbone of the people. So, to our women we say, sing your songs of strength; pray for your special powers; keep our people strong; be respectful, gentle and modest.

Oh, Great One, bless our women. Make them strong today.

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

10 Things About Being Wiccan

Witchy Comments & Graphics

10 Things About Being Wiccan

1) No conversation or recruitment is necessary…
Wiccans have no insecure compulsion to convert everyone to their way of thinking. People come to Wicca when and if they are ready/interested. Furthermore, you are not required to accept or do anything that you’re not comfortable with.

2) No artificial code of morality…
Out of all of the creatures of this Earth, only humans are forced to live under unnatural moral codes. Wiccans believe simply: “An It Harm None, Do As Ye Will”.

3) Progressive Reincarnation…
Wiccans believe we are here to learn and to progress, not suffer eternal damnation if we ‘slip-up’ in someone else’s eyes.

4) No Discrimination…
There is no such thing as being the ‘right’ race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin to be Wiccan; ALL are welcome!

5) No middle man (or woman)… Once you know all of the basics, you can be your own ‘minister’ or ‘priest’ you need never bow before (or rely upon) some religious dictator for spiritual guidance, you go straight to the source.

6) Be yourself…
By sharing a common interest with others in Wicca, you do not lose your identity as an individual. You are unique and can and should stay that way without becoming a blob in homogeneous mass.

7) No repression…
Wiccans are not forbidden from reading, learning, eating, drinking, or saying anything. You can actually even disagree with someone without being ‘excommunicated’.

8) Contribution…
NO! Not money, but knowledge. The craft has always , and will always, be an experimental religion. If it works, we use it. Then share it so that all in the Craft many benefit.

9) No rigid Dogma…
Wiccans DO NOT believe that their path is ‘The One and Only Path’. The only ‘True’ path is the one that works best for you. All paths are valid as long as they Harm None.

10) Self-empowerment…
Wicca allows you to truly feel your own power, if you will, and a true sense of self. You are ‘allowed’ to be the best person that you wish to be with all of the love and support that you can possibly hope for. Wicca allows you to take your hopes, dreams, and most heart’s desires and manifest them in this reality. All is possible. All is real.

The Wiccan Garden

~Magickal Graphics~

Everyday Water

Everyday Water
by Link

When you think of “Water” what comes to mind? A tranquil lake, gentle rain, or raging sea? Whether magical element or just a simple cup of tea, water can be a very special part of your life.

Water Spirits

Every body of water is an entity. Each lake, puddle or pool has a unique life-force all its own. It can be as vast as the sea, or as small as a two-sip potion bottle – any body of water has a personality just a little bit different than any other. Can you feel the personality of your bath? Can you feel a certain comfort within a place where you swim regularly? Try to sense what makes each body of water different than another.

Water at Home

A home is a very special place. It holds all the elements, and surely combines them into spirit. Water is an integral part of your home, like any ecosystem. The bathroom, the kitchen, the plumbing surely are temples for your own home’s personal aspect of water. When you visit the home of a new friend, make an effort to drink their tap water to take in a bit of the unique personality of that place. It may help you get a better feel for where you are, and all that resides there. Perhaps it is no accident that one of the first things someone offers a guest is something to drink. This concept is not limited to someone’s home. Going on a sales call or job interview? Grab a quick drink when you get there!

Healing Waters

Water is used in a variety of healing rites. Most magical people are quite aware of healing energies in teas, brews and baths. Next time you use one of these devices, try specifically addressing the water aspect within your magic. People often focus on the herbs used in their potions. But don’t forget the water spirits within your hot cup of tea that washes these herbs into your steamy Circle. Magic is often the chemistry of mixing things, thus mixing the energies they possess. Together, water and herbs make something very special, more so than either could do alone. Employ the water you drink to help swallow an aspirin; see the “liquid” in your cough syrup. Most over the counter drugs come in both liquid and tablet form. Perhaps this choice can help fit your magical need? When might a liquid work better than a solid, or vice versa?

Water Divination

Some people scry as a means to foretell the future or answer questions. Scrying is the act of gazing meditatively into a shiny nebulous surface, like a crystal ball. Fill your cauldron with water and see what shimmers on its surface — whether by moonlight, candelight or just bathroom nightlight. Oh, you don’t own a $200 cast iron genuine witchy cauldron to fill? Try any household vessel, perhaps one that fits your specific need. For example, if you seek financial guidance, try using the jar you store your loose change in. A new beginning? How about your morning coffee cup. Love? Perhaps a vase you might use for a dozen red roses.

For divination, you may want to try saving water to re-use over and over again each time you scry. Perhaps this water, just like you, will become more adept at scrying with practice! You might experiment with the specific type of water you want to use. When might water from the ocean work best? The rain or morning dew? Try collecting waters from the special places in your life, the stream where you picnic, the lake where you camp. Use your creativity here. Is there enough room in your freezer for a chunk of the first snowfall?

Another form of water divination might be to merely spill it on a flat surface. Which way did it run? Towards a specific direction? What does this direction mean to you? Try dropping something magical into a pool of water and count the ripples it makes. Four? Five? Do you find meaning in this number? Water is a very flexible thing. What new ways can you create to divine with water?

Your Own Waters

Perhaps the water we are closest to, but notice the least, is the water within our own bodies. Each of us carries around gallons that we borrow from our surroundings via the moisture within food and drink. We store it for hours, days, maybe even weeks, and carry it around like a little magical charm. Remember this the next time you share a drink during a special moment. A bit of that moment stays with you within the water you drank. Magical people instinctively feel the magic within their own waters. Ever notice how some people put a little something extra into licking and sealing a special envelope? It becomes a magical act!

Matter can be charged with your own personal energy, like the way a chair becomes warm when you sit on it. Water is especially receptive to storing energy. What energies does water hold within your body? Note that just about every emotion is expressed with water. Our water enables release, catharsis, getting it out of our system – whether tears of joy, a nervous sweat, or acts of love and pleasure. When we get too sad, too happy, too excited – water is what we often cast forth.

When you drink in water, take in what you need from the world. Ask for new things, new benefits, new wisdom and experiences. Just drink them all in like making a toast! And when you expel water, casting it out of your body, think what you’d like to cast out into life’s magical currents. Taking in, then sending out. What could be more magical than that?

The West

One popular belief assigns each element to a direction, with water corresponding to the west. My guess is that this began in England where the ocean actually is in the west, where the storms blew in from, thus fitting the geography and beliefs of the people who created the system. When members of the modern Craft community came to America, they continued the custom of looking to the west for water, even though the nature and geography around them was actually quite different. Water is one example of the choice whether to follow tradition, or modify our customs to fit the unique situations around us. I live on the east coast of North America, where the Atlantic Ocean is only 60 miles to the east. Yet most people I know turn their back and face west for water. Experiment with what direction feels most like water; try sensing what works best for you. You may find that the direction really doesn’t matter much. Someone I consider quite wise once reminded me that “water is where you feel it.”

The Water Cycle

Can we learn from the cycle of Earth’s water supply? Water vapor rises from the ocean, crystallizes to form a raindrop, falls to the Earth, runs its course through life’s rivers and streams, returning to the ocean, its source, to vaporize once again, perpetuating water’s cycle. Are we any different? Even today, Pagans sing about a drop of rain flowing to the ocean, returning to its source, the source of all life. This song even tells where we come from, and reminds us that we shall return. Think about the words. (Z. Budapest; 1971, Spring Hill Music.)

Look at the branching shape each tiny stream has as it feeds a larger brook, which then feeds a mighty river. Now look at the veins in your own arm. Perhaps it is the nature of small things to flow together, forming something larger. What other parts of life work the same way? What small things flow into you? And what do you join with to form something greater?

Like us, water also has many lives. The same H20 molecule that sits upon your sweaty brow today may have once been a teardrop in a lover’s eye or raindrop in a raging storm. It may even have once been part of an icy comet that hurled to Earth ions ago after whirling round the galaxy.

Water Magic

Perhaps the most common water magic is washing away something unwanted; we wash things to cleanse. Often the physical act of washing can have a magical component as well. When you shower, do you sometimes wash away more than just the grime of the day, making your stress-relieving shower a magical act? Have you ever rinsed out a glass or piece of clothing for a special occasion, and visualized the desired outcome of that occasion? When I wash my car, I pray for safe travel. (From the bathroom, the bedroom, and even the garage — Kitchen Witchery exists in every room of the house!)

I know someone who has slept on the same waterbed for a decade. This person respects (and actually talks to) the water within this bed as something sacred, like a magical familiar. Why not? Just imagine the energies this water holds. It becomes warmed by your body heat, hears a decade worth of dreams and passion. It provides the bliss of restful sleep. No other body of water can ever be that intimate.

Like anything magical, water is multi-dimensional. Make a list of properties you associate with water. Which aspect fits your magical need? Not only does water wash, but it nourishes and helps things grow. (Perhaps it is no accident that our first meal of Mother’s milk comes in liquid form.) Water is the place where life started, creating a new beginning for primordial Earth. What new beginnings do you yearn for? Water is the ink in your pen, the wine in your clinking glass. It freezes solid, yet steams away into vapor. Water makes ripply splashy noises, and swirls round and round into spiral whirlpools. Forget what you heard when you were nine years old – please do play with water!

Link
6538 Collins Avenue # 211
Miami Beach, FL 33141
AnthLink@aol.com

Everyday Fire

Everyday Fire
By Link

It is around us every day. We see it, touch it; we are sometimes burned by it. It is the warmth of a comfortable place to sit, and the roaring blaze that devastates an entire village. It burns within every beat of our heart. Fire.

 

Fire is Change

Fire is around us everywhere. The energy of Fire is often quite obvious, but sometimes can be tricky to spot. Do you have a special piece of jewelry? Most times we look at an object and see its earthy solid form, what it looks like today. But the metals in your jewelry took their present shape by being forged at temperatures higher than we might imagine. And as long as they retain that shape, they retain the impact of Fire. Fire is energy. Energy has the power to change things. In fact, the symbol for Fire (a triangle pointed upwards) is a Greek symbol called Delta – which means change. Think how the energy of events in your own life have “forged” you, changed your life and shaped you into what you are today.

 

Fire is Light

Much of the work and play we do is aided by Fire. Reading uses Fire, since it requires light, usually either Sunlight or electrical light — both very Fiery indeed. Next time you read something, give a special “thank you” to the light energy which carried its joy off the page to the gleam in your eye. Take note that whatever change in the world caused by reading – every classroom, every election booth, every love-letter – comes to us via the light of Fire.

 

Fire is the Sun

What else depends on light? Photosynthesis: the act of turning Sunlight into food. Plants do this everyday. All our food, our incense, our herbal medicines, our wooden homes, all contain the Sunlight stored away over the years by plants. Feel it? Recognize the Sun’s stored flame next time you hold an object made of wood. When wood burns it actually releases this solar energy into a fiery glow. Feel the warmth of the sun next time you enjoy a camp fire, fireplace, or simple votive candle. There is something very primal within Fire. From cave-times to today, people huddling around an open flame regard it as something special.

Without question, people notice how Earth’s agricultural breadbasket nourishes us. But what nourishes the Earth with enough energy to create such delights? The sun! Mother Earth contains the solid materials, the building-blocks ready to construct this bounty. But Sunlight provides the energy to ignite life, turning the fields green and growing.

Sunlight also charges people with a special glow. Try soaking up the Sun on a hot summer day. Store it within you. Whether you feel it or not, the Sun’s energy changes you a bit, like the way a glow-in-the-dark watch shines after you hold it up to the light. Feel the Sun’s flame within you. Is there a special part of your body that reacts to the Sun more than others? Maybe after hours of soaking up its energy, you have Sun-hair, Sun-skin, Sun-eyes? Do more intense things happen to you after you’ve been in the sun? Do people treat you different? Perhaps they sense a little bit more radiance within you.

 

Fire is Magic

We often recognize the magic of water and herbs when brewing our magical teas, but the heat in our hot steamy cup also contains Fire. Next time you seek healing energies from a cup of hot tea, direct the Fire energy within its heat to work for you as well. Ask it to speed your recovery. You might find working with all the elements within your cup works better than any single one alone.

Your home is well-charged with Fire. I often look to my heater’s pilot light as a perpetual candle flame that always stay lit. A home is rarely without Flame. Its lights, its electrical devices all breathe Fire’s life throughout your house, transforming it from a cold dark place into a warm happy home.

People often find special magic within color. Fire burns with a variety of colors. Copper burns green; silicon (like sand or glass) burns yellow. If you like working with Fire, and color, try creating a Flame that matches the color of your desires. But be ecologically aware – whatever you burn ends up in the air and the ground where its ashes remain. Try to keep it simple.

People work with Fire in many ways. Ever notice someone trying to start a difficult car? They make facial expressions, utter words of encouragement; they even do some rather interesting rocking motions – anything to crank electricity from the car’s battery to the starter and into the engine!

Gotta light? Ever notice the way someone acts when they light a cigarette for someone else, someone they desire? Its like they communicate right through the flame as it is passed from one person to another.

 

Passing the Flame

Try passing a flame from one place to another, like lighting a candle or incense stick from somewhere special on your altar. I like to pass flames from one candle to another, thinking about how one candle gains the gift of life from another. If you use a candle in magic, when might you want to light its flame from the Goddess candle on your altar? The God candle? Or perhaps the candle of a particular direction? Is there a particular source of flame that might work best for your intent? If you own a car, what type of special work might you do with the flame from your car’s dashboard lighter? From your kitchen stove? What fires await within that matchbook you took as a memento of a special place? For some fun, try lighting a Fire with a magnifying glass, starting your flame with nothing but the light of the Sun!

 

Fire is Divination

Fire can be used for a variety of divination techniques. We’ve all heard of scrying into tea leaves, but what about scrying into the ashes left behind by a small fire, perhaps in your trusty cauldron, or maybe in that same heat-resistant mug you use for tea. Instead of pouring water on your fragrant leaves, light them aflame! Try burning special woods or herbs, parchment, photos, old pay stubs, the daily news. What might work best to answer your particular question? Besides looking at the ashes, did you notice anything unusual about the flame? Did it peak in any particular direction before going out? What does that direction mean to you? For a new experience, take a blank piece of paper and wave it over a candle flame, close enough to leave black soot marks, but not close enough to ignite. Interpret these sooty shapes and designs the same way you would a cloud in the sky. Do you see a pair of lips? Perhaps a bunny rabbit? What do these shapes and symbols mean to you? (“Faerie Realm,” Ted Andrews, Llewellen Publications.)

 

Fire is Alive

Each flame is a unique life form, a unique spirit unlike any other. It has life and breath, it is born, consumes, grows, then flickers out, leaving behind an empty shell. Ashes to ashes. Are we any different? Try sensing the spirit in the flames you encounter. What makes “this” candle just a little bit different than the other? Try communicating with the engine spark that moves you from one place to another. Acknowledge the energy that warms your bath, rings your phone, gives you a tan or just keeps your heart going one beat to the next. Try whispering softly to even the bathroom nightlight. Some of these flames might just answer you back!

Link
6538 Collins Avenue # 255
Miami Beach, FL 33141

AnthLink@aol.com

Everyday Air

Everyday Air
by Link

 

We breathe it in every day. It surrounds us, fills us, yet often we don’t even notice it: Air.

Of all the elements, Air is perhaps the most illusive. It can be the most difficult to describe, but can also be one of the most vibrant. Air brings us the light sensation of a cool breeze, the sudden rage of a storm, and the sweet smell of every scent we experience.

 

An Airy Aura

Think of what Air actually is: a layer of gases surrounding our Earth. When we visualize Planet Earth, we usually focus on a solid object, the round Earthly globe. But in reality, our world rests in the center of a gaseous atmosphere 560 miles high. Rather than a mere solid alone, Planet Earth is a solid object surrounded by a glow of gas. Likewise, many of Earth’s creations are also solids within their own special gassy glow. Think of the way a fresh-baked apple pie fills your kitchen with its cinnamon-scent. The actual pie itself is only a few inches wide, but its Airy glow expands to fill the entire room! Perhaps it is the nature of solid things to be surrounded by a less-tangible outer cloak, an atmosphere of sorts. Knowing this helps us recognize things at their first blush, before they appear with full force. Just like we can smell the pie before actually touching it, we can sense many things around us by being aware of more than just their physical aspect.

People too have their own Airs about them. Our bodies have a natural scent that surrounds us like an aura. It changes uniquely from person to person, from day to day, even from mood to mood. As we expend more physical energy, our scent reflects that change and becomes even stronger. Don’t underestimate the power of scent. When you are close enough to share a whiff of someone, it is as personal a gift as giving a lock of hair or a drop of blood. Your scent is a part of you; it may be even more personal than a solid gift. For example, if someone gave you a coin or stone or “lucky charm” you may merely put it in your jacket pocket. But the gift of scent is breathed in, actually taken deep inside you.

Air is one of the ways you can bond with a special place. You may eat its fruit, drink its waters, but you can also take time to smell its roses and breathe in a part of that place! You’ve heard the expression “you are what you eat?” Well, you are also what you drink, see, hear, feel – and yes, breathe!

 

Communication

Magically, the element of Air is often associated with communication. How fitting! Look how things in nature communicate with each other, how animals sense one another or flowers share pollen. We often augment ourselves with perfumes and oils, enhancing our personal scent to create the desired “atmosphere.” Is this also a form of communication? Remember communicative Air the next time you hear someone whistle – an act performed how?

As a historical form of Airy communication, in the 17th century women used hand-held fans as a means to communicate romantic intent. According to the Harris Farmer’s Almanac, fans fluttered in a certain fashion signaled the desire to be kissed and romanced. Held another way, fans meant “back off – this woman is engaged to be married,” a similar gesture to the way someone today might wear a ring to ward off over-eager suitors.

Air wraps around the entire surface of the planet. It links all things together, tucked under the same sky like a big comfy blanket touching each and every one of us. This connection sounds like a very powerful medium for communication. On a more practical level, mass media like TV and radio travel through the Air to millions of people each day. Perhaps it is no accident we describe the act of broadcasting as putting something “on the Air.”

In the cycle of life and death, all things die (and eventually smell dead too). Ever wonder why? Perhaps death’s odor is an Airy signal within nature’s food chain, alerting some little hungry creature to come along and enjoy a meal! Whether sensing a predator, a food-source, or a mate, smell is often the key way one part of nature communicates with another.

 

Air Spirits

We can find Air Spirits all around us, just like we’d find other elemental Spirits in rippling lakes, the woodsy Earth, or dancing candle flames. Know that Air Spirits are nearby; try to feel them as individuals. Pick one out and just listen to it – whether a howling nightwind or the gentle whirring fan within your PC, household appliance, or the tingle of windchimes.

A family member of mine spends much of his leisure time boating, and has learned to sense sudden danger at sea with his sense of smell. As a storm blows in, he actually recognizes the scent of fresh water (rain) replace the usual scent of salty sea Air. I have witnessed this with my own eyes (and nose) seeing him pull up anchor in time to sail us to safety just minutes before a nasty squall hit! This may work well for sailors, but what about your own surroundings? If Air communicates, what aspects of your own surroundings might you want to learn? In what ways can you open yourself up to simply “breathing in” the messages you need to hear? Not sure how? Just follow your own nose!

The Air in your yard, your home town (and all across the world) is a unique mix of the scents, gases, and breath of all its inhabitants. All the tiny Airs around us – from the aroma of our incense to each breath we let out – all become part of the Air, like the way each drop joins to make up the entire sea. Air is a mix, a mosaic of many different things swirling together. Perhaps the lessons of Air apply to other mosaics – like diverse society, an ecosystem, or any other magical mix you might be a part of in your everyday life.

 

Air Magic

Want to try some Airy magical fun for children, even us big ones? Get a supply of colored balloons. Pick a balloon colored to fit your wish. Take in a big-big breath of the magic that surrounds you, and breeeeeeeathe it into the balloon. Whoosh! When your balloon is full, take a magic marker (yes, we do call them magic, don’t we?) and write your wish upon the balloon. Or maybe draw and create a magical “balloon friend” with a specific job to do for you. Have fun with your new magical tool. Rub it on your hair or wooly sweater; stick it to the wall. Tap it with your finger back and forth, back and forth ad nauseum. Drag it around on a string like an imaginary pet on a leash. Be creative. Then with a sudden burst, break the balloon and release the energy stored up inside. (With balloons, the magic usually happens by being both creative and destructive. Pop!) A school teacher friend, someone wiser than I when it comes to kiddies, once taught me this type of balloon magic. Try it and see what results you might find for yourself. What lessons can you learn from a simple balloon? What else in nature might work the same way?

All out of balloons? Try just the simple act of breathing as a magical device. Inhale. Take in from your surroundings. Gather the energy around you. Take in as much as you can handle – your own body will let you take no more, and no less. As the seconds fly by, your body is absorbing millions of tiny oxygen atoms which the blood in your lungs will send to every cell in your body. Feel it change you; feel its magic become yours for just a moment in time. Then exhale… Release your magical breath out into the Air currents all around you. Send it forth with a sigh, and let the winds carry your wish wherever it needs to go. This can be a quiet meditative moment, or a loud joyous one filled with gasps of laughter and song. Remember Air magic next time you blow out your birthday candles and make a wish!

To understand the sheer power Air has compared to other elements, remember that we can survive weeks without solid food, days without water – but only a few minutes without Air. Paramedics do Air magic whenever they give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. They may breathe mere gases into a dying person’s lungs, but they charge that Air with their healing intent and will. Their intent says “C’mon – breathe. Live!” Air magic is used for the simplest, or the most vital of intents. Remember this. (If you smoke, what intent does that action have?)

Sharing breath doesn’t have to be the life-or-death act that paramedics experience. Try passing a single breath back and forth as a bonding experience with a loved one or magical partner. Work your way up to it, perhaps from a distance at first, then move closer until your lips meet. Exhale into your loved one’s lips as they inhale deeply. Then reverse. Back and forth, breathing can be one of the many intimate rhythms of life shared with those you love.

Whether we do so purposely or not, all things on Earth share breath. Through the windy currents and chemical reactions that happen around us every day, the same molecule of Air that was a sea breeze yesterday, might be a baby’s first breath today, or end up as car exhaust tomorrow.

Gases are less material than Earthy solids, so Air can be symbolic of that which does not exist on a material plane. Ideas, dreams, hopes, desires, fears, thoughts and wishes. These things are not flesh and bone, but they are certainly very real. Perhaps Air reminds us that something exists, even if you can’t see or feel it. In the Zodiac, the fixed sign of Air is Aquarius – and just think of this sign’s detachment from Earthly limitations! In the Tarot, Air is depicted as the Wand – quite a magical tool.

Air. Breathe it in…

Link
6538 Collins Avenue # 255
Miami Beach, FL 33141
AnthLink@aol.com

Everyday Earth

Everyday Earth
by Link

When you think of “Earth” what comes to mind? Perhaps you feel the stable element of solidity and grounding. Or maybe you see Earth as the third planet from the Sun. Or for you, is Earth the rich brown soil in your own backyard? Earth is all these things and more. (One of the great things about “poly” theism is the ability to look at many aspects of an idea.) We often see Earth in vague macro terms, but we should not ignore the simple parts of everyday Earth that we see and touch each day. You may find that all these different sides of Earth – the element, the planet and the everyday things around us — all fit together like a beautiful mosaic.

 

Earth as an Element

Earth is a term we use to describe one of four very basic forces in nature. We call these basic forces “elements” since they are the building blocks that make up just about everything around us. (Think about it — you learned the basics in “Elementary School.”) While Earth is a very personal thing for each of us, it is usually thought of as being very stable. Tangible. Steady. Someone who might wish to maintain status quo or slow down change in their life might think of the element of Earth. Earth might also be used to strengthen something, making it solid as a rock. Think of the three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. While watery liquids may slip through your fingers; airy gas might float beyond reach, but something solid is easy to grasp. Earth can be the malkuth of tangible actions, where the rubber meets the road in deed not just words or thought. For example, if you wanted to use the element of Earth to build a museum, you might take physical, tangible action — actually lay the brick – rather than merely signing a petition or dreaming about a plan. See the difference? Fire sparks the idea; air thinks about how to do it; water greases the wheels – but Earth actually makes it take real form.

Elements are rarely pure. For example, our own bodies are solid, but also mixed with fluids, combined with both the breath and spark of life in order to survive. We are a mix. What role does Earth play in your own body? How is this like other parts of nature? Can understanding your body teach you about other parts of life, like how the trees grow together or how rivers flow?

Elements are not stand-alone concepts; they combine and react with one another. In the early 1500s Agrippa wrote that elements can be transformed into one another, like the way salt dissolves in water or a wooden log burns away. Can we apply this principle to magically transform our own situation? Are there obstacles in your own life you’d like to dissolve? Are there problems you’d like to just burn away? Is there something flowing past you so quickly you wish you could freeze it still – just for a moment? Perhaps elemental magic works no differently than the things we see around us every day. See this transformation as you strive to change a few extra pounds into a few extra push-ups. Feel it as the warmth within your own heart melts away even the coldest barriers between you and someone you love.

People react and combine just like Earth, Air, Fire and Water. You may even find that we pass through elemental phases as we grow up along life’s path. This may help you better understand why some people are blown from place to place with the wind until they mature, become more rooted and stable in their ways. Can you see the elements in your everyday interactions with people? Can this help you understand what makes people tick?

Some magical systems look at the elements in a hierarchy, where we are their master and they are our magical servants. I disagree. To me, elements are aspects of Deity. My own personal view of the Divine is the sum total of everything – all the piece-parts – past, present and future. To me, this makes Earth, Air, Fire and Water aspects of the Goddess and God. Next time you are in ritual, notice whether people greet the elements with reverence, or command them in booming voices, like calling a pet from the yard. How do you see the elements? How does Earth differ from the others?

We use symbols for Earth in a variety of magical tools. In the Tarot, the suit of Pentacles or Coins represents Earth. While both Pentacles and Coins are round circular objects that might symbolize the Earth merely in shape, lets look further. A Pentacle is an interesting choice, since the five-pointed star is often described as symbolic of all four elements, plus a fifth – Spirit. This is a wonderful description of the diverse Earth, since our world’s land, sea, air and flame contain all of these forces!

The Tarot’s use of Coins as a symbol of Earth may date back to agricultural times, where wealth and abundance came via the harvest as financial support for the village. A simpler idea is the Rune symbol Fehu, which also is a symbol of abundance, and comes from the same root as the word “fee.” Some might say Fehu’s F-shape represents the horns on a head of cattle. Cattle as a symbol of Earth? Just look to the Zodiac, where the fixed Earth sign is Taurus the Bull! If you were creating your own symbol for Earth today, what would it be?

In ritual, we often associate directions with elements. For many, Earth is North. Why? My guess is that elemental directions probably fit the geography and beliefs of the people who made the system up. These people looked around and developed a system that felt right. (And ever since, other people have merely followed this tradition, repeating what they were taught.) To me, in my own geography and beliefs, I live on the east coast of North America. When I look to the West, I see 3,000 miles of continental land. Guess which direction I associate with Earth? The point is, you don’t have to use any direction just because you are taught that way. There may be times when Earth feels like facing the place you consider home, or facing the Rocky Mountains, or maybe facing that big ol’ Oak tree you’ve always loved. What works best for you? To paraphrase the Japanese philosopher-poet Basho, (1644-1694) “Seek not to follow in your elders’ footsteps. Instead, seek what they sought.” You may one day feel that it really doesn’t matter which direction is which.

Likewise, in ritual we often assign colors to the elements: Green for Earth, green like things that grow! Perhaps you see Earth as a different color? Brown like the soil, or yellow like the daffodils, or sea-blue like the way Earth would look from space? Our planet is a very colorful place; feel free to use whatever hue best suits your magical palette! (Remember this the next time your favorite nine-year old artist colors a purple horse.)

 

Earth as a Planet

We sprang from this planet and are nourished by it, so we use a maternal analogy and call Her “Mother Earth.” Every bit of food we eat, every drop of water we drink, every breath we take – and all we leave behind – are parts of Earth’s ecosystem. As a planet, the Earth is also a grand elemental mix. Our world contains not just “solid” Earth, but the blue oceans, rivers and streams. Besides solid and liquid, Earth also holds fiery volcanoes, fierce and virile, building great pressure over time until they cannot be contained. They erupt suddenly, shooting their molten streams of lava and fire…and then settle down to rest. A wise friend once reminded me that as a planet, Earth constantly moves and flows. Its fault-lines naturally quake; its winds naturally whirl and storm with great motion. Like any living breathing being, the Earth by no means is stationary.

When thinking about the Earth, don’t limit yourself to seeing just the sphere. Remember to include its gaseous aura, the Earth’s atmosphere, which surrounds our planet. Just like you have an aura glowing around you, the Earth wears a gaseous cloak around itself. What can we learn from this? Perhaps it is the nature of things to have a primary object in the middle surrounded by a sort of ethereal glow. Remember this the next time an aroma from your fresh-baked apple pie fills your entire home. Things often stretch out beyond their shell.

“Atmosphere” is not limited to airy things. It can be anything that glows, like the warmth of a campfire felt by the people that orbit around its flame. Even the visible light that things reflect is a type of glow. Because of the visible light reflected, I can see the mountain-tops for miles! (Now that’s atmosphere!) The physical object sits where it sits, but its glow shines out much farther. What “glow” do you project? What glow can you sense from others and from your surroundings?

In addition to its gaseous atmosphere, the Earth wears an electrical cloak as well, called the “magnetosphere.” This electromagnetic field is generated by the Earth’s two-fold core. The outer core is liquid, made of molten iron and nickel. But due to immense pressure, the inner core is solid. As the liquid swirls around the solid core, it generates a magnetic charge creating Earth’s electrical aura. This too is quite dynamic. Even the magnetic North Pole is not a single fixed point, according to the Canadian Government’s Commission Geologique, but rather the pole moves up to 15 kilometers each year!

An aura, an outer crust, a mid-layer mantle, inner liquids, and a solid core… Perhaps Earth shows us that the nature of things often comes in layers. Does this sound like anything else? An egg? An orange? Perhaps a city with a busy downtown, surrounded by the suburbs and rural countryside? Do the Earth’s layers resemble your own body — complete with your magnetic aura, your aromatic aires, an outer skin (upon which your furry forest might grow), a warm fleshy middle, with a solid core right down to the bone? What else comes in layers? Getting to know someone? Understanding complex concepts? Looking at one thing in nature can remind us that other things often work the same way.

Our own bodies have chakras or special energy centers. Does the Earth? Perhaps our world has special sites that buzz like chakras. Can that explain why we feel some places are high-energy? The poles? The Rain Forest? Sedona? Mount Everest? The shore? I have often wondered if there is a connection between the fact that the same small patch of desert in the mid-east that gave birth to many of the major religions (i.e. Christianity, Islam, Judaism) is the same place where we get the majority of our energy from fuel oil.

What chakras can you see in your own personal surroundings? Is there a focal point within your community? Does your own home have certain unique energy points? In the kitchen, bedroom, or nursery — perhaps the “altars” we use most often are not the ones with statues and chalices upon them. Magic happens most often in very everyday places!

What else can we learn by looking at planet Earth? Our home is the third planet in a system of nine worlds. (And you wonder why things often come in threes?) All these worlds orbit the Sun; most have their own moons also in orbit. Perhaps it is the nature of small things to orbit around greater things. If so, this can help us understand a great many parts of life where small things circle around larger ones — from education, to economics, to group dynamics, and even religion. What great things do you orbit around? And what revolves around you?

If planet Earth has a Spirit, do the other planets have Spirit too? If so, how do they interact with the Earth, and with us? What chemistry exists within this pantheon of planets circling the same Sun? Perhaps the chemistry between planets is one way to view the influence of astrology.

In the children’s book “Planet Earth” (Martyn Bramwell, Franklin Watts Publishing, 1987, New York) the chapter on our solar system is entitled “The Sun and its Family.” Children’s books often make valid points in the simplest terms and may be the most magical books you will ever read! You are part of your family, and your family is part of society as a whole. Likewise our solar system is one of many in this galaxy, one of many galaxies in a very vast universe. And we — you and me — are part of it all! Each of us is connected to this grand whole, like the way your little finger is connected to your arm and your arm is connected to your whole body. It’s a part of you. And likewise, you are a part of the vast “Family of All Things.” Seeing this might offer comfort in times where you feel isolated, alone and cut-off.

Don’t be scared by the vastness of “all things.” You don’t have to think about it all at once. Start by noticing that familiar feeling you have when you sleep in our own comfortable bed. Know what I mean? It just feels like home, a part of you. Try looking at how you feel connected to sentimental objects, old jewelry, keep-sakes, photos or whatever items you consider most sacred and magical. If you are connected to these items, can you feel some way you are connected to other things too? All parts of this Earth are linked to you — every branch, every leaf, every ant upon the hill.

All things are alive. Talk to your house, your yard, your car, your dinner — and listen just in case they talk back! Try it with not just your own sentimental items, but with strangers you encounter along your path, new places, new things. If you can find a connection to all things in some way, nothing is beyond your reach! You already have a link to every goal, every dream, every person, place and thing you could ever imagine. Use it.

We often say that modern-day culture has forgotten its connection to the Earth. If that is true, then such a culture will certainly feel disconnected from the cosmos! But over time, things are changing. Our culture is shifting to seek harmony with nature. More and more each year, people are drawn to things that help reconnect them to the Earth, such as today’s Paganism and other forms of Earth Spirituality. Other reconnections might be as subtle as popular trends towards natural food. Think about it. What makes you feel more connected to the Earth – a fresh crispy carrot from your garden, or a polysorbate-hydrogenated-yellow # 3 cheese-flavored doodle from a plastic bag?

Since we all spring from the Earth, perhaps it is no accident that the Old ways are making a come-back now – when the Earth’s ecosystem is under attack. Living things often change to seek balance, to adapt. We sweat to cool ourselves down; we shiver to warm ourselves up. Does the Earth do the same? If so, can these changes explain why society changes over time? If we are of this Earth, perhaps we go through seasons of change no different than the leaves on the tree. If you believe in an Earth Religion, how has this spiritual path influenced the way you treat the world? Its living creatures? Its natural surroundings? Do you see recycling as a religious act? Conserving? Voting? If so, why? How are your own everyday actions – your job, your homelife, your love for others – part of the Earth?

Perhaps social trends are part of Earth’s own metabolism, rising and falling within the Earth’s own cycles. If so, our wish to care for the environment might be like Earth’s antibodies fighting the disease of pollution. Perhaps culture reflects the Earth’s cycle between creative periods, followed by destructive ones, creatively renewed again over time. Why not? This isn’t far off from other cycles. If you see society linked to Earth’s own cycles, does this give you a new perspective on history — including both our shining accomplishments as well as our darkest misfortunes? Can it help us understand cultural beliefs that might differ from our own? All people — whether naughty or nice — are Children of the Earth. If social trends are part of Earth’s cycles, we might even use history to predict where we as a people are headed! Look back over the last thousand years. What parts of history speak to you? Where do you think we will be in five years? Twenty? A hundred? What signs make you feel this way?

 

Earth in Your Everyday Life

Revering the Earth, in all its forms, is not limited to your religious practice. All parts of your life can be sacred and magical! The Earth is your breakfast, your back yard, your neighbors. Is there anything you might touch that is not part of the Earth?

We are most familiar with the parts of the Earth closest to us. See the Earth in your own “village” and even in the patch of ground upon which your home is built. When you eat from your garden, you take in a bit of the specific land upon which you reside. If you don’t have a garden, you can still enjoy locally grown produce. Where I live, we pride ourselves on local corn and tomatoes! What does your region have to offer? Is your bay filled with fresh crabs? Do you live near where steers are raised, or maybe where the salmon swim? Experiment with the geography in foods. Get to know your local delicacies, but also reach out across the globe. We live in an age where we can sip Italian Chianti squeezed from grapes grown on the same land where Leonardo Da Vinci dreamt of great flying machines or where Michelangelo chiseled great works of art. We can enjoy Earth’s olives picked not far from the ancient Greek temples of Aphrodite. We can pour rich dark ale brewed on the same isle as Stonehenge. Near or far, Earth is a wonderful place!

Gnomes, faeries, elves et al. We have age-old tales of Earthly spirits inhabiting the woodlands. While I do not believe in little green men, nor winged Tinkerbells – I do feel the Dear Ones that bring a wooded place to life. During a recent walk in the woods, someone dear to me shared her own definition of Earth Spirits. She explained to me that the forest is made up of unique individual beings – each tree, each flower – is as unique a life as I am. I often forget that individual Spirits reside in the very place we spread our picnic blanket. I often forget that the wooden beams in my living room, or even my kitchen table, once came from something alive, a specific tree, one that may have even had a name given to it by local tree-climbing kiddies at play.

And like we have our own by-gone ancestors, each tree and flower sprang from its own individual set of genetic parents, and grandparents, and so on… We live and walk upon the brown Earthy humus of past life forms. Perhaps it is no accident that the word humus, the rich outer layer of soil where plants grow and later decompose, comes from the same Indo-European root as the words human and humility. This reminds us that we too are of the humus.

Earth can be found in the language we use everyday. Next time you hear the phrase “down to Earth” think about the words and what they mean. Other languages are just as Earthy as our own. For example, in Holland the Dutch use the term Aard Appel to describe a potato. This term literally means “Earth Apple.”

The Old English/Germanic word Earth is unique since it is the only planet not named after a Greek or Roman Deity. Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry, authors of “The Universe Story” (Harper, 1992, San Francisco) marvel at the idea of naming planets after Deities since the creation and actions of planets are still quite a mystery to science! But our planet has many names. The Norwegians call it Jorda; the Finns call it Maa. (Ma? How maternal can you get!) In Russian, Earth is Zemlja; in Latin it is Terra. Since Latin is familiar to us, we can see that words like territory, terrace and terrain all have Earthy roots. But so does the word terrier, which describes a dog prone to digging holes! Even the word mundane is rooted in the Latin word mundus, the world. (See, mundane things really are magical after all!)

The Hopi Indians wrote a song called “The Earth is Our Mother, We Must Take Care of Her.” An interesting concept! In what specific way did the “Earth” give birth to you? In my case, Mother Earth is a kind-hearted woman with lovely green eyes, who met my Father in a small-town roller skating rink. This particular aspect of Mother Earth bore two girls and two boys; I am the youngest. If you revere the Earth as your Mother, can you revere your own Mother as the Earth? As the Hopi say, we must take care of her.

How else can Earth be seen in everyday terms? We often ritualize a form of libation, where we might reverently spill a sip from the chalice onto the ground, or maybe return a morsel of food back to the Earth. What if we did that not just in Circle, but on other occasions? Next Thanksgiving, pass a small plate around the table and ask each person to contribute a taste from their own dish. Take your collection and place it outside in the yard. Any meal can become a ritual, whether a simple crumble from your lunch-bag sandwich, or a romantic gesture during a candle-lit dinner for two.

 

Conclusion

Earth, like most broad Spiritual concepts, can have many meanings. So do Air, Fire, Water – or just about anything else you might see as magical and sacred. Try to step back a bit from traditional teachings and cultural norms. (You may find that a mosaic becomes a bit clearer when viewed from a distance.) Look at things from a variety of angles. Look for how these magical forces manifest in very simple ways within your own surroundings. Often we draw the boundary between magical and mundane; nature does not.

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2012- A Witches View of Life and the ‘End’

2012- A Witches View of Life and the ‘End’

Author: Fayte Ravencraft
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have undoubtedly heard of the phenomenon that is 2012. The calendar of the ancient Mayan civilization ends on December 21, 2012, and many believe that it spells out disaster for our planet. Others think that it will be a time of transformation and spiritual rebirth. Here is the opinion of one humble Witch:

I won’t lie and say that the whole ‘2012 hysteria isn’t a little scary. I mean we have several extremely rare celestial occurrences, which also coincide with this exact date, which seem to add to the possibility of strange or catastrophic events occurring. The Earth and the Sun will be perfectly aligned with the ‘Great Rift, in the center of our galaxy, and this alignment is said to occur only every 21, 000 years or so. The Sun will also reach its solar maximum, the peak in its level of sunspot activity. Scientists have noticed recently that the Sun has been alarmingly weak for this point in the cycle — the lowest in over one-hundred years according to one article—, which may mean, in my own opinion, that when the Sun activity does pick up, it may cause a little trouble here on Earth.

The Sun’s own magnetic poles are supposed to switch in 2012 as well, which may cause further issues here on earth. These are simply the facts. Not even the most brilliant among us can truly say what they mean because it has never happened before in recorded history, and all theories are just that: theories. I encourage you to do your own research before coming to any assumption, and do not panic about the ‘approaching disaster, ” because there is not necessarily anything to be worried about. You do, I’m sure, remember the same mass hysteria about the supposed apocalypse in 2000, which never occurred.

I say all this simply so that you, the reader, may come to your own conclusions as to what the future may hold, and so that you know just what everyone is causing all the commotion about. I have listed as many Internet sources as possible so that you may further research them if you wish.

It is my personal feeling that December 21, 2012 will be a time of extraordinary power, a time when the veil between the worlds will be at its absolute thinnest. The Great Rift in the center of our galaxy has always been symbolic of the creative power of the Goddess, the ‘Great Womb, so to speak. The fact that the Sun, the symbol of the Lord, The Great Rift, a symbol of the Lady, and our Earth will be aligned will have a significant meaning magickally. There will never be a better time in our lives to perform magick of all types especially that of the divinatory type.

I do feel like it is a significant milestone in the history of human kind, and that, for those of us who are enlightened and willing, it is the perfect time to reach the maximum of our potential. Being a time of great power, it is also a time when we can make a powerful commitment to change things, both within and without, and to decided just where it is we want to go with our lives. Any energies set to work during this rare alignment are going to have extraordinary results, so why not use this as a time to heal the Earth, and with it, all of mankind. The Maya knew that this would be a time of immense power, and both feared and respected it.

We have a great thing here on our planet, and we too often take even the air we breathe for granted. The gifts we have received from the Universe have been greater than we could ever ask for, and it is time now to realize that. I am not convinced that 2012 marks the end of our world, but I certainly hope it marks a great change within the heart of mankind. We must learn to be grateful for all that we have; our lives and this astoundingly beautiful planet, or we might as well have never been here. I hate to say it, but if by some chance the world truly does end in 2012, I am just glad that I’ve had the blessing of spending this life on this beautiful planet. If it doesn’t end, I hope we all do our very best to be more appreciative; we have a good thing going on here, and we get too caught up in the daily grind of things to realize it sometimes.

While I do not feel that the world is truly about to end, I do think that we need to start living as though the end of the world were today, because it very well could be. We have never been guaranteed any amount of time here, and should view every second, the good and bad, as a gift. If we could truly follow ‘In perfect love and perfect trust, ” and have that love and trust towards ourselves and our fellow man, we would truly be making the absolute best of our time here.

As the great Henry David Thoreau said:

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Let us learn all that we can in this life so that when the end comes, we will have the satisfaction of knowing that we have done something that few ever have: Truly lived. If we can say in all honesty that we have lived a full life, then we cannot possibly grieve at its ending. We were lucky even to have one day here, let alone an entire life of loving, laughing and learning! The Great Cycle will continue eternally and we are all but small parts of the infinite cycle. When we embrace the entire cycle, life, death, and rebirth, then there is absolutely nothing to fear.

Nothing is ever truly destroyed, simply changed; and change, my friends, is a very good thing. Embracing change is embracing life.

Blessed Be,
Fayte Ravencraft

Footnotes:
Interview with NASA Solar Scientist

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/sthttp://www.witchvox.com/vu/fms/farticle.htmlory.php?storyId=128268488

http://www.interestingfacts.org/fact/2012-interesting-facts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4JuoBD56HQ

Earth Science Pic for November 3rd

Balloon Flight Over Central Italy with Blue and Black Sky

November 03, 2011

Stratospera3-highest-small (2)

Image Created By: Francesco Bonomi; Francesco’s Web site
Summary Author: Paolo Amoroso; Jim Foster

The photo above was taken onboard a high-altitude balloon flight (StratoSpera 3 — the Italian StratoSpera Project) above Tuscany, Italy on September 10, 2011. The altitude is 129,892 ft (39,591 m). This photo is perhaps the highest ever captured from a non-scientific balloon. The view here is toward the south – the Tyrrhenian Sea is at top center and Lake Bolsena is at the upper left.

Note the blue color of the sky along the Earth’s limb and the black above it. This blue color is due to scattering of white sunlight – Rayleigh scattering. Scattering by very small particles (molecules of air) is greater at the violet end of the electromagnetic spectrum than at the yellow or red portions of the spectrum. Because our eyes aren’t as sensitive to the violet wavelengths as they are to blue colors, the sky takes on a bluish hue. At sufficiently high altitudes there are simply too few air molecules to effectively scatter sunlight and the sky is therefore mostly devoid of color. Passengers riding in the Concorde, altitude of 60,000 ft or (18,000 m), were able to observe a mostly black sky during daytime trans-Atlantic crossings.

Astronomy Picture of the Day for November 3rd

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

Tails of Comet Garradd
Image Credit & Copyright: Gregg Ruppel 

 

Explanation: A good target for binoculars and small telescopes, Comet Garradd (C/2009 P1) now shines in planet Earth’s evening skies, a steady performer but just below naked-eye visibility. Telescopic images like this composite from October 15 can find the comet with a lovely green coma, sporting multiple tails, and lingering against a background of faint stars. The field of view spans over 1 degree or about 2 full moons within the southern boundaries of the constellation Hercules. Now around 16 light minutes (2 astronomical units) away, P1 Garradd is an intrinsically large comet, but will never make a very close approach to Earth or the Sun while sweeping through the inner solar system. As a result, the comet will likely stay a sight for telescopic eyes only, moving slowly through the sky and remaining in Hercules during the coming months.

Honoring Yourself

Honoring Yourself
By Artemisia

Most of us know that Samhain is the time of year to honor Mother
Earth with gratitude for the food she has provided us this harvest,
and many of us remember that at Samhain the veil between the worlds
is thin, and that we should honor our Ancestors and those who have
passed over. Many of us honor our loved ones during the holiday
season that follows Samhain, at Thanksgiving, Yule, and Christmas, by
cooking, throwing parties, buying or making gifts, and by attending
gatherings, but how many of us remember to honor ourselves this time
of year?

Just as the moon cycles through its phases thirteen times a year,
from waxing to full to waning to dark again, so do the sun and earth
cycle through their phases together in one year. Beginning at Fall
Equinox, for us here in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun enters the
waning phase in a noticeable way. The days begin to get shorter and
the nights get longer. There is a lot more darkness (and cold
depending on where you live). Samhain marks the point where the
darkness really takes hold and Yule, the winter solstice, is the dark
moon of the solar year.

What does this waning into dark phase mean to us and how can we use
this time to honor ourselves? Well let’s think about the waning moon
for a moment. This time of the month energetically corresponds to a
woman’s cycle just before her bleeding time begins. During this
period, we can become extra sensitive or angry because we are no
longer able to put up with things in our lives that make us unhappy.
We no longer hide our emotions. In fact, we can’t keep them from
coming out. This time of the month is about letting go of old,
negative thought forms or self-talk which hold us back and don’t do
us any good. It’s about speaking up for yourself and communicating
what you need from others around you and how they should treat you.
It’s also a time of letting go of emotional attachments to extraneous
material possessions, projects and people that drain our energy, and
of clearing space in our lives for the transformation and healing
that comes when we finish bleeding and/or the moon breaks from the
dark into the new.

In the bigger, solar picture, during the waning and dark parts of the
year, we can honor ourselves by taking time out of our hectic
schedules just for us. Make time and space to be alone and reflect
upon the past year. What is no longer of use to you? What needs to
change? Get in touch with your heart and find out how you truly feel
and what is really important to you. Once you are clear about what
is holding you back and what needs to be cleaned out, make the time
to release it. You can do this through physical acts like a thorough
housecleaning or a new haircut or symbolically through ritual or
meditation. Whatever it is you need to release, honor yourself by
taking the steps necessary to clear away the excess baggage. After
you have let it all go, take time to enjoy, celebrate, accept and
love the new, lighter you.

I’d also like to encourage you to honor yourself during this busy
season by tending to your body in addition to your spirit. The
fresh, seasonal foods this time of year are very tempting: bright
orange pumpkins, multi-colored squashes, red and yellow apples,
purple and green grapes, yellow and golden pears, pink pomegranates,
dark leafy greens, brown nuts of all shapes and sizes, red juicy
cranberries. Nourish yourself by taking part of Mother Earth’s
harvest and celebrating the mystery and magic of the growth cycle.
As it gets colder and darker, keep yourself warm with bright,
cheerful, herbs and spices in your drinks and cooking such as ginger,
cayenne, curry, garlic, cinnamon and pepper. This time of year,
especially when we are so busy, it is easy to neglect our bodies.
Take time for yourself to stretch and move around joyfully to keep
your inner healing fire burning. Perhaps even consider learning tai
chi, yoga, pilates or meditation to access the healing power of your
breath and bring yourself peace and calm in the midst of the most
hectic season of the year.

Whatever you do, make sure that it feels good to you. The easiest
way to honor yourself is to live a joyful life.

Many Blessings for a Loving Holiday Season!
..
About The Author: Artemisia is studying to become a Priestess of the Order of the White
Moon. She is a graduate student in Natural Health and a Holistic Lifestyle Counselor

Today’s Tarot Card for October 29 is The Magician

The Magician

This Tarot Deck: Winged Spirit Tarot

General Meaning: Traditionally, the Magus is one who can demonstrate hands-on magic — as in healing, transformative rituals, alchemical transmutations, charging of talismans and the like. A modern Magus is any person who completes the circuit between heaven and Earth, one who seeks to bring forth the divine ‘gold’ within her or himself.

At the birth of Tarot, even a gifted healer who was not an ordained clergyman was considered to be in league with the Devil! For obvious reasons, the line between fooling the eye with sleight of hand, and charging the world with magical will was not clearly differentiated in the early Tarot cards.

Waite’s image of the Magus as the solitary ritualist communing with the spirits of the elements — with its formal arrangement of symbols and postures — is a token of the freedom we have in modern times to declare our spiritual politics without fear of reprisal. The older cards were never so explicit about what the Magus was doing. It’s best to keep your imagination open with this card. Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by evolutionary forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul.

Today’s Tarot Card for October 27th is The World

The World

This Tarot Deck: Oswald Wirth

General Meaning: What has traditionally been known as the World card points to the presiding intelligence, called “Sophia,” or Wisdom, which upholds life on this and all worlds. A more precise title for this card might be “the Soul of the World,” also applicable as a symbol of personal empowerment and freedom. In most Tarot decks it is a female figure that has become our standard World image. She originates in Hebrew, Gnostic and Alchemical lore, and stands between heaven and earth as the Cosmic Mother of Souls, the Wife of God and our protector from the karmic forces we have set loose upon the Earth in our immaturity and ignorance.

Where the Empress energy secures and fertilizes our terrestrial lives, the goddess of The World invites us into cosmic citizenship — once we come to realize our soul’s potential for it. Just as the Chariot stands for success in achieving a separate Self, and Temperance represents achievement of mental and moral health, the World card announces the awakening of the soul’s Immortal Being, accomplished without the necessity of dying.

This card, like the Sun, is reputed to have no negative meaning no matter where or how it appears. If the Hermetic axiom is “Know Thyself”, this image represents what becomes known when the true nature of Self is followed to creative freedom and its ultimate realization

Methods of Cleansing

As with any method of cleansing, intention is the key–before you begin, you need to be focused on the process of cleansing. So as you cleanse your crystal, think about what you are doing and how this action is releasing unwanted energies.

BRUSHING:  A soft brush such as a makeup brush or a paint brush is good for removing dust that can build up on surface and delicate crevices of the stone.

PHYSICAL CLEANSING:  A little mild detergent mixed with water in a bowl, followed by a thorough rinse in clear water, will make crystals sparkle. (Don’t use water if they are water-soluble crystals!)

RUNNING WATER:  Hold your crystal under running water for a few minutes. It may need longer if it’s been working hard or hasn’t been cleansed for a long time. If you feel that it needs a lot of time, place the crystal in a bowl of water in your sink and let the water run into the bowl for as long as necessary.

MOONLIGHT:  Leave the crystal in moonlight, especially in a full moon, or leave it out during a new moon.

BURNING INCENSE OR SMUDGE STICK:  The smoke from frankincense, sandalwood, and sage is cleansing. You can burn either incense or a smudge stick (A small bunch of dried herbs burned during Native American cleansing rituals.

EARTH:  Bury the crystal in the earth–when you unearth it a week or more later, it will be born anew. Different traditions round the world apply this technique in varying ways. One method is to bury it during a Full Moon and unearth it on a New Moon.

CRYSTALLINE ENERGIES:  Place the crystal on an amethyst bed, on a quartz cluster, or inside a geode and allow the crystalline energies to cleanse and clear it. A large amethyst bed can be like a vacation for your crystals.

The question of how long you should leave them is a little open-ended. Crystals are like people–how long do you usually need to refresh and revitalize yourself? To know when a crystal is ready to work again, use your intuition–also, look for brightness and color returning to the crystal, which should no longer feel “clammy.” Once you are used to working with crystals, you will find it easy to know when they are ready to go back to work.

SOUNDS:  Chanting, drumming, or playing Tibetan bells or cymbals can clear unhelpful vibrations.

SUNLIGHT:  You can cleanse your crystal by leaving it in sunlight and also dry your crystals in the sun after washing them (Caution: Quartz crystals, especially crystal balls, will focus the sun’s rays and so can be a fire risk take appropriate precautions.)

BREATH, LIGHT OR REIKI:  Breathing over your crystal helps to cleanse it –focus your mind, heart, and being through your breath, connecting your inner being to the outside. Reiki an also be practiced on crystals, and a meditation technique involving a visualization of light can be used, too. Still your mind and picture a bright light flowing from your brow chakra to the crystal in your hand, washing over it then filling the crystal. When it completely glows with light, slowly bring your focus away from the crystal and back to our surroundings.

Mirror Magick

I believe sometime in all of our lives, we believe someone has casted the Evil Eye our way, cursed us or hexed us. This might be because of a streak of bad luck, a feeling of negativity or just down in the dumps and nothing goes our way. We don’t know who could have possibly done such a thing to us. If this is the case, then it is time to employ a little Mirror Magick.

The mirror is one of the most commanding items in the witch’s protective tool kit. Gather together as any small mirors as you can find and place one facing outward in every window of your home. (If you have multipaned windows, there is no need to place a mirror in every pane; one is quite sufficient.) The mirror will reflect any negative vibes, bouncing them right back to where they came from so they don’t interrupt the balance of your life again. It will create a protective force field to keep you free from trouble and strife. Keep the mirrors in place at all times, only removing them for a quick dusting before putting them right back.