Tag: Religion and Spirituality

Wiccan Shamanism

Wiccan Shamanism

by Selena Fox

typed by Lewis for P.A.N. 508-795-7628

Shamanism exists in tribal cultures around the world and has done so for centuries. Yet, in reading most anthropological texts on Shamanism, there is  little, if any reference made to shamanism in Europe. However Shamanism has existed among the peoples of Europe not only in ancient times, but also through  the present day. During the Middle Ages, the Old Ways largely disappeared from public view because of persecution. Yet they were not eradicated but took a  more underground existence. Today, there are some of us of European ancestry that are bringing Shamanic ways rooted in pre-Christian Europe back into the  light.

Wiccan Shamanism is a term I began using several years ago in an attempt to describe my own path of magick and spirituality in relation to the other forms  of Shamanism on the Planet. Wiccan Shamanism draws on the Old but it is not simply an attempt re-construction and revival of the Old Ways of tribal Europe.  Wiccan Shamanism blends both the Old and the New to suit the modern times in which we live. Although emphasis is on European symbology and traditions Wiccan  Shamanism is multi-cultural, incorporating ways of other healers and magick workers from many places and eras.

What follows is a glimpse into Wiccan Shamanism as I know it and practice it. While Jim, Dennis, and others who help with various aspects of CIRCLES work  may share many of these concepts, I speak here only for myself – for at the heart of this spiritual approach is the idea that each person must seek their own  connection with the Divine, within their own Self, rather than having me or anyone else do this for them. This is not a path of a leader with followers, but  a path where each becomes their own leader.

I call to the Powers of the Four Quarters — to Earth in the North which is the Realm of the Physical Body and Material Plane, to Air in the East which is  the Realm of Thoughts and Intellect, to Fire in the South which is the Realm of Will Power and Action, and Water in the West which is the Realm of Emotions  and Intuition. My Medicine Wheel is the Magick Circle which connects the Four Quarters. The sacred places I frequent include a high rock, a crystal clear  spring fed pool n a hidden valley and a circle of stones in a grove of Oak and Birch on a mound.

I am a channel between Planet Earth beneath my feet and the Heavens above my head. I become the World tree when I Shamanize, linking the transforming Dark  of the Underworld with the Awakening Light of the Upperworld.

I am the Crystal LIght that is at the Center of the Circle and is the fifth Element Spirit. I seek always to act out of MY own Inner Self which is at the  enter of MY being, for my Inner Self in the Balance of all the Elements, of my Female and Male sides, of my Lunar and Solar natures of my intellect and  intuition my Inner Self is my doorway into the realm where All is One.

I see the Circle of Life from the Center. I watch the Seasons change as the Wheel of the Year turns and I celebrate the 8 sabbats. I connect with the  dance of Night and Day, of Fair and Stormy Weathers, of the Waxing and Waning Moon. I see the cycle of Birth, Growth, Maturity, Death, and Rebirth in all of  Nature. I examine the cycles of my own life and of the lives of those who seek healing aid from me.

I am the traveler between the World of Daily Life and the Otherworld which is the land of Dreams, visions and Spirits. I am a Consciousness Explorer. the  Otherworldis as real and as important to me as the Day-to-Day World. I bridge the Worlds rather than seeking to dwell solely in one or the other. I journey  into the Otherworld for a reason — to bring back healing and knowledge to apply to Daily Life, helping others, myself and the Planet.

I see the Divine in all things. My friends and allies include not only humans but also plants, animals, rocks, winds, waters, fire, stars, and other life  forms. I commune with the Source some call “God” as both Mother Goddess and Father God, for both aspects are necessary for the Unity.

The main focus of my Shamanic work is Healing. I was called to this path as a young child in dreams and Out-of-Body experiences, but I didn’t begin my  work until my adult years when I started Healing myself. To do this I journeyed alone into the Pit of my Shadow Self and came face-to-face with my problems  and hang-ups; my doubts fears, disillusionments, rejections, angers and hurts; with all MY false self images. Words can not begin to express the misery, the  utter despair the powerlessness I felt during this time. Yet coming apart was essential; it enabled me to break through the barriers which I had formed and  let others form in my psyche that had kept me from being one with my True Self. In the deepest Darkness, I felt the Light of my own Inner Self beginning to  shine through. I focused on the Light and slowly emerged from the Pit, stronger and more integrated than ever before and with the power to heal others as  well as myself. As a result of this transformation process, my life’s work became clear. I now help others from their own pits of negativity and become  whole again.

Yet my work also extends to more than Humankind; it involves bringing Healing to the Planet as a whole. In my communing with the Land, I have heard the  cries of the Earth Mother, sorrowing over the self-centered, greedy, intolerant, and destructive behaviors of many of Her human children, who are polluting  the soils, water, and air; who are playing power games with nuclear fire; and who are polluting the spiritual atmosphere of the entire world with their  narrow-mindedness and hate. I am deeply concerned about survival — not of the Planet Herself for all the humans in the world can not destroy Her even with  all their weapons; She is too strong and powerful for that to happen. What I am concerned about is the survival of the human race. — will we annihilate  ourselves and many of the life forms around us, or will we wake up in time to see the larger picture, find and implement creative solutions to the worlds  problems, and enter a New Age of expanded consciousness?

The Balance of Life can be restored on Planet Earth; Harmony can be restored between humankind and other life forms; Love consciousness can increase and  be prevalent on the Earth. I, along with numerous other healers and ministers from a variety of spiritual traditions around the world today have responded to  the upset of Mother Earth by dedicating our lives to this Planetary Healing Work, each in our own way. It is this Great Work that underlies all the healing  and other things I do. It is the Heart of Wiccan Shamanism.

First published in fall 1984 “Circle Network News”;   © 1984, CIRCLE, Box 219, Mt. Horeb WI 53572 USA.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Daily Feng Shui News for Feb. 4th – ‘World Cancer Day’

It is my humble honor on ‘World Cancer Day’ to share Feng Shui Grandmaster Lin Yun’s teachings on how to augment and reinforce all appropriate medical treatment from the perspective of this tradition. If you or someone you know is fighting this insidious disease, it may behoove you to investigate this adjustment. Professor Lin Yun recommended that the patient meditate daily on the Feng Shui ‘Six True Colors,’ transmitting their auspicious color sequence to the cells afflicted by cancer. The exact sequence of the ‘Six True Colors’ is white, red, yellow, green, blue, and black. This is considered to conjure increased spiritual and healing powers.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Enhanced by Zemanta

Your Charm For Tuesday, February 4th is The Cross

Your Charm for Today

The Cross

Today’s Meaning:    

This is probably the most popular of charms. You will be protected in this aspect. No one will be able to harm you or your state of being.

General Description:  

The Cross has always been a favorite device. It was used by the sun-worshippers as a symbol of the sun, and their warriors carried the Cross upon their shields. In olden days kings and nobles, when they could not write, used the sign of the Cross. That sign was used in breaking spells and for protection from evil spirits. In the East the Cross has been used as a talisman from time immemorial. The Eastern Cross as illustrated was worn as a charm against sickness, accidents and witchcraft, also to attract good fortune. Sentences from the Koran were often inscribed upon the small pendants to make the charm still more potent.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Today’s Tarot Card for Feb. 4th is The Devil

The Devil

Tuesday, Feb 4th, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What has traditionally been known as the Devil card expresses the realm of the Taboo, the culturally rejected wildness and undigested shadow side that each of us carries in our subconscious. This shadow is actually at the core of our being, which we cannot get rid of and will never succeed in taming. From its earliest versions, which portrayed a vampire-demon, this card evoked the Church-fueled fear that a person could “lose their soul” to wild and passionate forces.

The image which emerged in the mid-1700’s gives us a more sophisticated rendition — that of the “scapegoated Goddess,” whose esoteric name is Baphomet. Volcanic reserves of passion and primal desire empower her efforts to overcome the pressure of stereotyped roles and experience true freedom of soul. Tavaglione’s highly evolved image (Stella deck) portrays the magical formula for harnessing and transmuting primal and obsessive emotions into transformative energies. As a part of the Gnostic message of Tarot, this fearsome passion and power must be reintegrated into the personality, to fuel the soul’s passage from mortal to immortal.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Let’s Talk Witch – Your Sacred Clothing

Witchy Comments & Graphics

Let’s Talk Witch – Your Sacred Clothing

Many practitioners will not enter or use their sacred space unless they are cloaked in a special garment created by their own hands and consecrated for spiritual use. This robe is unique and special to each person who desires to honor their beliefs in this fashion. A cloak can be consecrated for specific purposes. So you can have more than one cloak, depending on what type of ritual you will be conducting in your sacred space.Self clothing isn’t the only garments you want to consider for your space. An altar cloth is also called for. You can use more than one cloth in varying colors and patterns, depending on the work at hand. But consider the use of the cloth before you cover the altar. If you are going to be mixing herbs, or creating spiritual objects such as handmade candles, smudge sticks or spiritual tools, then you want the cloth to be inexpensive and practical. If however, you are conducting a ritual to celebrate a holiday, then you might use a more formal cloth, anything from crushed velvet to black satin.

The cloth should reflect your personality, your beliefs and one that you feel comfortable with using. A male Witch for instance, may not use Victorian lace when casting spells for compassion, healing or love. Rather he might use something that strikes an essence of romance in his heart such as red silk. Whatever you chose to use, the cloth should be large enough to cover the entire altar and fit the work at hand.

Enhanced by Zemanta

The Importance of Basic Techniques

The Importance of Basic Techniques

Author:   Luna 

Since I began earnestly looking into Wicca and magickal practices, some of the most emphasized concepts were visualization and psychic hygiene. And, as I think about this now, I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t emphasize them. Much of my own successful magick has been worked with strong visualization of my goal, and I’ve had many a worthwhile meditation session with strong visualization of where I was going, whether I was dancing through a forest in the astral or finding a cave in a waterfall with a shrine to Brigit. Along with that, psychic cleansing and grounding cannot be stressed enough in magickal and ritual working. I know I’ve had many a time when I’ve tried to work some kind of magick or focus in a ritual when I managed to cleanse myself beforehand, and I found that that time I took before and after to cleanse myself of excess energies would often make all the difference in how successful I was in my work.

So where am I going with this? These are all basic techniques that all Wiccans, Pagans and other Earth-based spiritualities hopefully come to in their magickal and ritual workings. These two concepts of visualization and cleansing (along with psychic shielding, which I’ll get to later) were things I drilled into my head before I started doing my magickal workings. They’re some of the most important things a Pagan learns, depending on the tradition. These days, even before I do something as simple as yoga practice, I cleanse myself of excess energy because it’s become such a habit. And I feel it’s a good habit to get into, if only because of my experience of how cleansing and visualization helps me in my life.

However, just a couple months ago, I had an encounter that reinforced the importance of these basic techniques, and, having been granted permission from the friend I shared this experience with, I’d like to share it with you.

Towards the end of my January term at college, I invited my friend Max over to my dorm room, ostensibly to show him a fun video game I thought he might like. I met Max just last semester through our Taiko drumming group here at St. Olaf, and we hit it off immediately. Both of us were from the Twin Cities areas, both of us were involved in marching band in high school, and both of us were interested in spirituality and Mind-Body-Spirit. In fact, Max is a member of the Mind-Body-Spirit organization here at school, and he not only practices Qi Gong but is also interested in studying herbalism and Chinese medicine after graduation.

I should make one thing clear before I go any further: Max is not Pagan. Despite his considerable knowledge of new age techniques and spirituality in general, he tends to relate more to Asian religions and philosophies than to Wicca or Pagan religions. However, he understands a good deal about Paganism and Wicca and has shown great respect for them, enough that I never have any trouble talking to him about it. Despite our rather huge age gap (I’m about to graduate while he’s just finishing his freshman year) , we’ve become good friends.

So, back to the story!

After I’d shown Max the video game, we got to talking about a variety of topics, eventually coming to Max’s Qi Gong class. At this point, he mentioned an exercise they had done in class, something that he hadn’t been able to replicate outside of his class. I asked him to describe what the exercise was. As soon as he did, I remember doing the same exercise myself, and I’m sure many of you will also remember trying this exercise at some point. Max had his hands apart and was trying to project his energy into his hands to create a ball of energy and even make that ball grow. However, without his teacher’s guidance, he hadn’t been able to feel that ball of energy when he tried the exercise outside of class.

Recognizing the exercise, I asked Max if he had tried visualizing the ball of energy between his hands. This was something he hadn’t considered, so I took him through the exercise again as I knew it. Now, I didn’t try to re-explain the exercise entirely, because he already knew it. Instead, I explained to him how, when I tried it, I visualized a bluish-purple ball of light forming in my hands. While the ball wasn’t visible to my naked eye, I knew the ball was there and visualized it as strongly as I could. Max tried the same thing, and he finally understood what I was talking about. He was finally able to replicate the exercise the way he had felt it during class.

So why did Max have trouble with the exercise before he tried it with me? It’s not because of my teaching skills (I honestly doubt I’ve explained the exercise to you properly) . It was because he hadn’t tried to visualize the ball of energy there before. As spiritually and psychically capable as Max is (even more so than I am) , without that visualization, I doubt he would’ve been able to get the same result. It’s not enough the just project the energy into the space between your hands and hope it works. Visualizing the ball of energy, no matter what it looks like or feels like to the individual, is an important step to the success of that energy. I don’t mean to sound preachy or anything like that, but, just speaking from personal experience and from working with Max on this, visualization is an extremely important skill in magick and meditative work. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Pagan or not.

So after having success with that exercise in energy play, Max and I began to talk more about visualization in psychic and meditative techniques. Eventually, he mentioned how he always felt like he had so much energy. Now, Max’s energetic and enthusiastic nature is definitely one of his strong points. In my opinion, it’s made him very strong in Taiko drumming. However, there are many times when Max has too much energy or puts too much energy into his playing, so much so that he often gets asked to back off a little bit when playing so that he doesn’t go overboard. Hearing him say that he didn’t know how to get rid of the excess energy, a thought occurred to me. It reminded me of a YouTube video I’d watched when I was first getting into Wicca that was my introduction to the basics, and, after explaining to him, we decided to watch it.

The video is called Wicca First Degree course Lesson 1 Exercises and the video itself is presented and narrated by Reverend Donald Lewis-Highcorrell of the Correllian tradition of Wicca, who also authored the Witch School series of books. For those of you who haven’t seen this or any of his YouTube videos (which I believe are excerpts from the Witch School DVDs) , even if you don’t consider yourself a Wiccan, I encourage you to check them out. They’re extremely informative, and I often find they’re a valuable resource in magickal practice. If you have the time, please give them a look. Anyways, in this particular video, Reverend Donald introduces the viewer to exercises in psychic cleansing or grounding and psychic shielding. For the purposes of this story, I’m going to focus on the cleansing exercise, as this directly relates to Max’s situation with excess energy.

In the video, Reverend Donald, with the help of some beautiful animations, gives the viewer examples of how to visualize this cleansing, talking them through a visualization of a column of pure white light moving through the body and letting the excess energy flow out of the body with the white light. As an alternative to this, he also describes another visualization of a river flowing through the body and the excess energy as detritus such as twigs and leaves that flow out of the body with the river. These are the two he finds works the best, but he encourages the viewer to find a visualization that works for them. After this point in the video, Max and I having done the exercise along with the video, I paused it and asked Max how he felt. He told me he felt a lot better, not having that excess energy in his body, and we began to once again discuss the power of visualization and these basic techniques and how important they are for anyone attempting psychic or meditative work.

But why am I telling you about all of this? Why did I even bother going into all of that?

Well, that discussion and practice with Max served as a reminder, for me at least, of how important those basic techniques are. It doesn’t matter whether you are a devout Pagan or are simply interested in new age philosophy and practice. Visualization and cleansing, along with other basic techniques, play a key role in all psychic, meditative, ritual and magickal work. And I feel that sometimes we forget how important and integral these basic techniques are. Plus, I see it as an example of the power of these techniques even when used by those who don’t practice a Pagan faith. The fact that these techniques worked as well for Max as they did for me is something I find fascinating, and it’s something I wanted to share. After all, there’s something to learn from every experience, no matter how trivial or groundbreaking, whether it’s your own experience or that of someone else.

Thank you for hearing me out on this, and, for your own future workings, I wish you an enthusiastic Blessed Be! ^_^

___________________________________________

Footnotes:
“Wicca First Degree course Lesson 1 Exercises” by user MagickTV, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQRyIYr3DZM

Enhanced by Zemanta

The Nine Virtues

The Nine Virtues

Author:   Kalynn Osburn   

In some way or another throughout the ages, there have been sets of attributes that have been deemed by both society and individuals to define the quality of a person’s character. From the Ten Commandments to Sanatana Dharma, from the Noble Eightfold Path to the Wiccan Rede, each comprises cultural appreciation of upright action and thought. Many of these hold the same tenants as one another, with values such as honesty, kindness, generosity and honor at the top of the lists. It is in this line that I have comprised what I feel to be the Nine Virtues, a series of considerations to which I think one should aspire in their life time.

In no way do I mean to say that this is the definitive list of ethical behavior! Nor do I want anyone to believe that I have an infallible moral compass! Far from it, in fact. These are simply the traits which I think are lacking in this era and should be given due consideration. While they include several from what is considered both warrior and maidenly virtues, I have done all I can to remove the gender considerations herein and I advise seeing them more as human virtues rather than belonging to one gender or the other.

The goal here is to strive towards these traits and to do your best to keep them in mind as you act throughout the day. I have listed them in order or personal importance (1 being the most significant to me) but these are not really quantifiable as more or less significant.

HONOR

Honor is among the most difficult to define of the virtues, and yet to me it is one of the most important. Many define this concept as a definition of a man’s duty or loyalty to one’s betters or higher ups within a military code of conduct. For women the term was historically used in reference to their virginity or the price a mate would have to pay in order to wed them. Honor can mean loyalty to duty, but it can also mean to act in a way that conveys dignity and rightness. Refusing to be goaded into a fight or not allowing your character to be falsified. Taking the protecting and care of your family upon yourself and working for their good at all times. Not allowing your friends to hurt when you have the means to prevent it. It comes down to looking at the situation and doing everything in your power to work through it with rightness of thought and deed. Honor also ties in strongly with other constructs such as: Integrity of the self, Accountability for your actions, and Respect for yourself and others

COURAGE

Courage is often misinterpreted as a lack of cowardice or fear. In reality, Courage is being afraid, terrified even, but pushing forward anyway. There are two types of courage: physical courage, which could be defending someone from attack or pushing yourself to the limit, and moral courage, which would be keeping to your moral or ethical code despite potential ridicule and ostracized. It can be difficult to remain courageous without becoming reckless or displaying an excess of bravado. In my experience the truly courageous are quiet, steadfast people who one would never suspect of being capable of such bravery. The one who rushes into a burning building to save a child and then disappears before the news crew can get a shot of them. The truest form of courage is in those whose names will never be known, but who take it upon themselves to act in defense of others.

MERCY

Mercy is often portrayed as the powerful showing pity to the weak. This is often emphasized by the Christian concept of a merciful God, one who wields incomparable power and yet exercises with caution or consideration for those under their influence. But to put this on a more relatable level, one could compare mercy with humanitarian efforts such as giving your time so that other’s might live life with greater ease, even if only for a moment. Through acts of kindness and charity, such as donating your clothing to homeless shelters, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or being a counselor for a youth group, one hopes to achieve a human connection as well as a greater understanding of compassion. To quote the Bard: “The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”

HONESTY

Honesty is not always as simply as just telling the truth. In this case, the virtue has more to do with being of straightforward character. It can be difficult to weight honesty with brutal, unfeeling truth, but it is important to remember that honesty does not give one the right to be callous. You should always consider how your answer would affect the other person’s state of mind. At times a gentler hand may be called for, but sometimes we must be direct in our approach. A good thing to keep in mind is to never do anything you know you are going to have to lie about later. With this thought, Honesty is more about acting truthfully and without deceit intended than it really is about telling your friend you like her dress when it looks awful.

CUNNING-

One could find it very amusing that I chose to put the virtue of Cunning right after that of Honesty, seeing as how the two so often seem to be at odds. But in this case it is to establish a balance between the two that I include cunning among the virtues. Cunning is not about lying, but about displaying keen insight or a knowledge of something that might baffle others. You could also term this as being clever or witty about a particular subject (such as witchcraft) . It is, above all else, using your intellect to solve problems and find new solutions to old issues. Brehons might be the best example of such folk, as they had to navigate their way around the law without denying the rights of everyone involved.

ENDURANCE

Endurance is the unique ability to keep going long after others have quit. There are two kinds of endurance: physical endurance, such as a woman in labor or a man running a triathlon, and mental endurance, such as that shown during studying final exam or sensory deprivation. One could also consider life to be an endurance trial, as we face hardships and difficulties one has to show the endurance and fortitude to overcome them. Life is hard, but not without it’s joy, and sometimes weathering the hard times creates more joy in the easy times. Being tenacious and sticking to your set goals without fail shows great endurance.

SPIRIT

Spirit is the belief and understanding of an innermost self, a soul or essence, which comprises you as an incorporeal being. It is a connectedness to a larger self and an understanding that there is a pattern and weaving to existence that you are a part of. This could also be termed Piety, though I would not include religious devotion as the explanation. Rather you strive to see the big picture of life, not only in terms of you and yours but also in terms of the universe as a whole. Someone who has the virtue of Spirit is confident, but without the danger of hubris and arrogance that so often comes with the idea of a higher spiritual understanding. As Albert Einstein said “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”

INTROSPECTION

Introspection is being aware of your own needs, desires, flaws, virtues and state of mind. It is a conscious effort on the part of a person to fully consider their actions and thoughts and to consider the ramifications both to themselves and to others. It is the consideration of one’s own mind, or meta-cognition (thinking about thinking) . One could consider this like having a psychologist inside your own mind. You try to break down your own though process, questions yourself and answer honestly. It is not the same as doubting yourself or seeing your own advise as invalid, it is simply exploring your own motives and knowing where they come from.

TRANQUILITY

Tranquility is maintaining a state of calmness and levelheaded thinking. It is in allowing yourself to move beyond the hectic frustrations and troubles of the moment and not letting them interfere with your thought process or course of action. One could also add into this the feeling of contentment with your life as it is right now, without giving thought to the future or past. You become at ease with the reality of the world and life in general and accept your current state of being. Inherent in this is the ability to move past what may be happening at the moment and focus on what must come next.

Enhanced by Zemanta

The Ordains – The Witches Laws


Witchy Comments & Graphics

 The Ordains

(The Witches Laws)

1.   And ye harm none, do as ye will.
2.   If you know the Rede is being broken, you must work strongly against it.
3.   Watch, listen and withhold judgment; in debate you your silences be long,
your thoughts clear and your words carefully chosen.
4.   Never boast, or threaten, or speak evil of anyone.
5.   Be truthful always, save when speaking would lead to a great harm.
6.   Keep clean your body, your clothes, and your house.
7.   Should you take a task upon yourself, work hard and well to accomplish it
properly and in good time. Always do the best you can.
8.   Do not haggle over the price of your ritual tools.
9.   Witches know that there are no absolute truths.
10. Witches understand that the universe consists of perfect balance; therefore,
everything has an opposite.
11. Witches realize that for every action there is a reaction. (The Law of
Three).
12. Witches know that we are all one, we are all connected.
13. Never lie to yourself for this is the ultimate act of deceit.
14. Witches understand that the ultimate act of spirituality is the act of
positive creation through love.
15. Witches realize that the energy created through worship and rituals
manifests as a circular stream of positive energy.
16. Witches should never close their minds to knowledge.
17. Never practice a magickal system that you don’t fully understand.
18. Do not set a price on your magickal work.
19. A Witch uses the magickal circle as a physical and non-physical
representation of a temple on the earth plane.
20. Witches use the energies around them to assist in raising power.
21. Witches use common sense and do not share their mysteries with fools.
22. A Witch who knowingly breaks the Law (Ordains) will not be permitted to
incarnate on Earth again.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Your Animal Spirit for February 3 is The Hawk

Your Animal Spirit for Today
February 3, 2014

Hawk

Hawk flies into your reading today to bring you an important message. It may come in the mail, e-mail, a casual remark at the grocery store, a randomly selected page in a book, or even a phrase heard on the radio. Be alert, as hawk messages can sometimes be delivered in a subtle fashion.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Feb. 3 is Evil

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

Evil

At its extreme Evil indicates a life force that embodies pure malevolence.  Fortunately Evil in the extreme is very rare. Generally Evil suggests actions taken that challenge our morality and without regard to the harm that may be done to others. The appearance of Evil signifies a time in which someone is acting out of rage, selfishness, ignorance, or, sadly, sating a mean spirit.

As a daily card Evil is a warning that you or your group are the focus of someone’s malice. This is time for you to be very wary of the motives of those who haven’t earned your trust. It is likely you have something they want and they are willing to go to extremes to take it from you

Enhanced by Zemanta

Today’s Tarot Card for February 3rd is Temperance

Temperance

Monday, Feb 3rd, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is traditionally known as the Temperance card is a reference to the Soul. Classically female, she is mixing up a blend of subtle energies for the evolution of the personality. One key to interpreting this card can be found in its title, a play on the process of tempering metals in a forge.

Metals must undergo extremes of temperature, folding and pounding, but the end product is infinitely superior to impure ore mined from the earth. In this image, the soul volunteers the ego for a cleansing and healing experience which may turn the personality inside-out, but which brings out the gold hidden within the heart. (This card is entitled “Art” in the Crowley deck.)

 

Enhanced by Zemanta

January 31 – Daily Feast

January 31 – Daily Feast

Sensible people do not get ruffled easily and are known to be reliable in a crisis. We want these stable people with us as friends and team members when the game is terribly important. We have heard the calm voice and felt the strong hand when our knees wobbled and our hands shook. It is easy to recall those who sustained us with their words, their caring. And sadly, we remember those who did not. Whatever common sense is, the heart has it, not the head. It is having the right priorities, knowing what is important, and giving as much as, or more than, we have received. Indians of old has this stalwart strength to stand like straight arrows to give support. They reached out to lift someone before they stopped to think whether he deserved it. The price is the same now as then – patience, love, loyalty – those things that seem so scarce.

~ I learned many English words….could recite some of the Ten Commandments….I knew how to sleep in a bed, pray to Jesus, comb my hair, use a toilet….I learned that a person thinks with his head instead of his heart. ~

SUN CHIEF, 1890

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

Enhanced by Zemanta

So Exactly How Do Witches Celebrate the Sabbats?

Imbolc/Candlemas Comments
So how does a Witch celebrate the Sabbats? Hmm, we always take for granted that each of automatically know what they are suppose to do on our Sabbats. Well, at least I did to recently. I was talking to a dear friend and I asked them how was your Yule. Did you do anything special? The reply was, well we did whatever Pagans are suppose to do, whatever that is! It didn’t dawn on me till a few days later. Perhaps we aren’t doing the job I thought we were doing. I decided to make a commitment to all of you. The commitment is before each Sabbat (over a few days) we will give your morning prayers, rituals, spells, activities, the correspondences and the Deities of that Sabbat. You will have the information to celebrate that Sabbat correctly.

I am very glad that my dear friend made this comment. I believe there are others that might be saying or thinking the same but have never told us. So now, we are going to provide you with everything you need. There will be no more wondering what Pagans/Witches do on the current Sabbats as the Wheel turns.

I hope you enjoy the information. If you ever have any questions or concerns about any issue, please contact us. Because if you don’t contact us, we won’t never know where we are lacking in our service to you.

Lady A & The WOTC

Enhanced by Zemanta

Prayer for Imbolc

Imbolc/Candlemas Comments
Prayer for Imbolc

On this Imbolc day, as I kindle the flame upon my hearth,
I pray that the flame of Brigid may burn in my soul,
and the souls of all I meet today.

I pray that no envy and malice,
no hatred or fear, may smother the flame.
I pray that indifference and apathy,
contempt and pride,
may not pour like cold water on the flame.

Instead, may the spark of Brigid light the love in my soul,
that it may burn brightly through this season.
And may I warm those that are lonely,
whose hearts are cold and lifeless,
so that all may know the comfort of Brigid’s love.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Daily Feng Shui News for Jan. 31 – ‘Inspire Your Heart With Art Day’

Today’s ‘Inspire Your Heart With Art Day’ offers the perfect excuse to share information about Feng Shui and art. This modality says that having abstract art in your immediate environment can be distracting at best and depressing at worst. Rather, this tradition says to hang art that symbolizes unlimited possibilities, like fields of flowers, horizons, sunsets, things soaring in the air (birds, balloons, rocket ships), or whatever else that makes you feel like anything is possible.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Enhanced by Zemanta

Your Charm for January 31 is The Buckle of Isis

Your Charm for Today

The Buckle of Isis

Today’s Meaning:   

Someone who will, or has told a lie about you regarding this aspect will be discovered and the truth will come out. They will suffer for their injustice and you shall prevail.

General Description:   

The blood of Isis, the virtue of Isis, the magic power of Isis, the magic power of the Eye, are protecting this the Great one; they prevent any wrong being done to him. Thus reads a portion of the 156th chapter of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was engraved, often with other invocations, on the Buckle of Isis amulets. Great faith was placed in the magic power of this buckle, or tie. It was believed that the wearer would be protected and guarded from every kind of evil for ever and ever.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Jan. 31 is The Owl

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Owl

The powerful Owl easily makes its way through the darkest night on muted wings. Often it is only their haunting call echoing across the land that lets us know The Owl is near. Because of its amazing night vision, many cultures have attributed wisdom and the ability to uncover even the deepest secrets to the enigmatic, noble Owl. The Owl’s nocturnal prowess has lead many to see them as a messenger between the material and spirit worlds. Cultures as distinct as the African Zulus and ancient Celtics have ascribed magical powers to The Owl made them a revered companion to shaman and wizards.

As a daily card, The Owl marks a moment when wise decisions and actions must be made based upon information known to only a few, or possibly only you. It marks a time when your vision is likely to be clearer, more acute than of those around you. Spiritual revelations may be made. Secrets may be revealed that demand decisive action.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Let’s Talk Witch – Ouija Boards

Let’s Talk Witch – Ouija Boards

The Ouija board is what many believe can be used to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Although there is no scientific proof to support this belief it should be pointed out it is not a game and many people have suffered many psychological problems. This is not to say that it is purely in the minds of those that have been exposed to Ouija boards as always the power of the mind and its’ capabilities are still as yet unclear when dealing with spititual matters.

The name “ouija” comes from the French and German words for yes, “oui” and “ja.” There are many different types of Ouija Boards all have different layouts and are made from different materials. The board usually consists with the letters of the alphabet, 0-9 in numbers and the words, “Yes” and “No.” The user or users of the board then lightly touch a pointer (sometimes called a planchet) and the pointer moves and spells out the answers to questions asked of it. Usually this pointer is mounted on castors to help it move freely about the board.

They became very popular in the 1960’s being sold in many countries as a board game although they were eventually withdrawn from main shopping outlets because of the stigma that was attached to them by the media.
Some believe that the Ouija offers proof as to life after death. Others, though, believe that the answers to the ouija come from the unconscious mind of one or all of the sitters. In a similar type of way in which Tom Lethbridge argues that dowsing works.

It must be stated that persons of a nervous disposition can be frightened easily when using a ouija board and it is suggested that they should therefore avoid them. It must also be pointed out that there is no scientific proof that they actually work, although there have been many claims over the years. The Ouija board is not a game and should be treated with care, preferably there should be a medium/psychic who has experience present at all times.

Enhanced by Zemanta