Monday, August 16, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
self-quake
Hve you ever felt disoriented by a shift in perspective that came out of no where and threw you off your plate?
I mean, when you are standing some place you've stood hundreds of times before and it's just not the same but you can't tell why.
When a front porch becomes a play pin. When the grass between your toes is suddenly crawling with snakes and spiders. When a country road becomes an unexplored wilderness. When a murder of crows becomes a flock of black feathered messengers from another dimension. When the clouds in the sky become chemical threats and your water is toxic sludge. When your car becomes a time capsule or another world completely cut off from it's surroundings and shooting you through time and space like some kind of futuristic vehicle of transportation.
What is real? Sometimes I wonder how much perception creates our entire reality. It makes me doubt reality exists and it throws me into a panic.
I mean, when you are standing some place you've stood hundreds of times before and it's just not the same but you can't tell why.
When a front porch becomes a play pin. When the grass between your toes is suddenly crawling with snakes and spiders. When a country road becomes an unexplored wilderness. When a murder of crows becomes a flock of black feathered messengers from another dimension. When the clouds in the sky become chemical threats and your water is toxic sludge. When your car becomes a time capsule or another world completely cut off from it's surroundings and shooting you through time and space like some kind of futuristic vehicle of transportation.
What is real? Sometimes I wonder how much perception creates our entire reality. It makes me doubt reality exists and it throws me into a panic.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
5 mothers' issues I am NOT okay with
1) Abuse. The physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse of ANYONE, particularly women and children, is never okay. I don't care if they hit you first, called you names, anything. NEVER is it okay to hit a child or a woman or anyone smaller or weaker than you are. EVER.
2) Over medication of children. Whether it be for ADD or depression, young children with emotional *abnormalities* need to be attended to more carefully, physically and mentally. An ADD or ADHD child need more one on one attention and affection, and a personalized plan of attack when concerning education and discipline. Expecting medication to make your child *normal* is just horrific and an insult to their unique personality.
3) Circumcision (of girls AND of boys). I am not okay with any form of physical alteration of a child that is not medically necessary. It takes away their autonomy and sexualizes an otherwise perfectly made part of a tiny infant, which sickens me.
4) Abortion. This one is touchy. I am okay with the abortion of a child if the mother is at risk for death. I am okay with an early abortion in cases of abuse. I am not okay with abortion as a form of birth control, and never am I okay with late term and second trimester abortion. When you have sex, you know it makes babies. Life and death is not something that should be in the realm of human control when it involves other living people.
5) The use of induction and cesarean in woman that are pregnant and have no medical reason for either. This kills mothers and children, and ruins the birth experience. It's sad that birth has become a business and not a life altering and beautiful event.
2) Over medication of children. Whether it be for ADD or depression, young children with emotional *abnormalities* need to be attended to more carefully, physically and mentally. An ADD or ADHD child need more one on one attention and affection, and a personalized plan of attack when concerning education and discipline. Expecting medication to make your child *normal* is just horrific and an insult to their unique personality.
3) Circumcision (of girls AND of boys). I am not okay with any form of physical alteration of a child that is not medically necessary. It takes away their autonomy and sexualizes an otherwise perfectly made part of a tiny infant, which sickens me.
4) Abortion. This one is touchy. I am okay with the abortion of a child if the mother is at risk for death. I am okay with an early abortion in cases of abuse. I am not okay with abortion as a form of birth control, and never am I okay with late term and second trimester abortion. When you have sex, you know it makes babies. Life and death is not something that should be in the realm of human control when it involves other living people.
5) The use of induction and cesarean in woman that are pregnant and have no medical reason for either. This kills mothers and children, and ruins the birth experience. It's sad that birth has become a business and not a life altering and beautiful event.
Binding Spells, Protection, and Ethics
Recently a friend of mine came to me with an overwhelming issue. My knee jerk reaction was to offer advice and help on binding and protective magick for her. I have since decided against the binding, and have offered her information on protection.
What is binding?
Upon doing a little bit of internet research to see how my knowledge of the subject stacked up against the general consensus, I realized that, as usual, my interpretation of a basic concept is not quite typical. I hold that any beliefs I have about magick and what it is or is not are perfectly relevant as I am of the opinion that it is all about energy and psychological manipulation on a cosmic level, but anywho...
My definition of binding is that it is a kind of magick used to bind someone (or something, but generally someone) to something (or someone) else. This can be a physical thing or person, or an idea. Your most common binding would be a hand fasting, or marriage ceremony, where you offer yourself fully and from the soul out to another, whether for life or for a year and a day, whether by the Lord and Lady or with fear and trembling under God. This is a ritual, and you are pledging your immortal soul (as you understand it) to another person. A Christian might not call it *magick*, per se, but the idea of divine retribution is there if you are unfaithful to your marriage. When you tie your soul to something magickally, you have created a divine contract with the gods or spirits or karma that says should you stray, there will be consequences, and it will be painful.
Something a little less intense, but considering magick and that we cannot honestly fathom the ideology, if it exists, of the gods, is the binding of another. Binding them FROM causing harm (like tying a dog to a tree), or binding THEM to YOU without their permission. It is arguably a very common form of black magick. How on earth can keeping someone from hurting you or another be bad?
Let's take a look at ethics and the loosely used term "black magick"
Black magick is in Wicca and many other versions of pagan spirituality is pretty much sloughed off as wrong wrong wrong and unethical. You immediately begin to imagine black masses and witches eating babies and voodoo dolls (which is funny, because that last one can be not all that bad, lol). Black magick is more simply put any kind of magick that interferes witht he free will of another. When you look at it this way, pretty much any magick affects the free will of others and of the Universe itself. Pretty heady all the sudden, right? Healing could be considered black magick in this context because you are interfering with the divine plan, if there is one.
The important thing to remember, in my opinion, when deciding whether or not to do any kind of magick or spell is this; are you willing to face the consequences of your actions? If you pull someone off of their path, you will have a butterfly effect on all the people around them and an entire web of karma. Is that okay to you? Is it worth it? If so, by all means, dabble. It's your karma... right?
I don't have answers to those things, you just have to consider them for yourself.
When presented with a potentially violent person or traumatic situation, consider what you might GAIN... and then consider and attempt protection magick, which is 100% personal and pretty much out of the grey area (the reach of which is... well, a grey area).
ritual, spell, meditation for protection.
Useful tools for this could include:
sage for smudging
an orb stone, I prefer a desert rose
black candles to absorb negative energy, and white to reflect and inspire positive energy
thorny or poisonous herbs or vines
roses
start the meditation by smudging yourself and your space. If you are using black candles, they will be buried, and white will be lit.
Seat yourself comfortably (but not so comfortably you will fall asleep. Hey, it happens!!). Begin to breath in and out, focusing in on your breath until you are able to focus only on your breath. Feel the air pull inwards and move through you. Then feel it rush out. I personally imagine it like lapping waves. When you are well into your breath, you can move inward and find your heartbeat. Feel your life force, your breath, you beating heart. Your heart's rhythm will fill you. You will hear it in your ears. You will feel it in your bones. This is as it should be. From your heart begin to expand your focus to your spirit body. You will see yourseld in your mind, featureless. You will probably see yourself in a color, but maybe not. Your psychology and attatchment to physical interpretation of the metaphysical will rule your interpretation of the spirit. This is okay. You will likely see dark spots in your glowing self. Lightless spots, or thick black splotches. Begin to see your breath as a white energy, moving into you and filling you. Breath in the white, and breath out the dark. You will begin to mentally scrub these dark places with your cleansing breath. When you are filled with this energy, scrub until you are comfortable moving forward. In with the fresh, out with the gunk. From here you will move forward into the next stage. You will imagine yourself as a tree, or any sort of rooted and limbed thing. Imagine your roots digging deep into the earth. Through cool black soil, through thick grey clay, into hard chunks or stone... deeper and deeper until you find your roots dipping straight into the molten energy of the earth's core. You are traveling down with each breath out. When you are in that center, each breath in will bring that hot energy closer to you, until it reaches your toes, and fills your body with each breath in until you are filled with it. Remain attatched to this center. Then push your limbs upwards toward the stars. Up with each breath out, up up until you can tangle your branches amongst the stars. Again, each breath in invite that ethereal and silver energy to trickle downwards, and then fill you. You will notice that it feels unusual when it meats the hot energy from the earth. I think it's weird that the stars are probably hot as hell, but the energy is much more cool and refreshing. Whatever I say! lol. Anyways, when you are full of this energy, begin to surround yourself, above and below and around, with golden light, so that your spiritual body is surrounded by a golden orb. You will then begin to cover your orb with a thorny or poisonous plant. You do not want to be pricked or poisoned, but you want to protect yourself from unwanted advances from predators. I like to imagine my hair as a rose vine, creeping outwards and growing and blooming all over my golden protective energy. This will invite pollination from positive sorces, while presenting a barrier to unwanted company. When you are thickly bound in your protective layer, you want to seal your magick with some sort of physical representation that you can keep with you. I use the desert rose crystal. You will reverse your earlier absorbtion or energy by sending access energy first back into the skies, then deep back into the ground, which will also help you ground yourself. Become one with your body, then your heart, then your breath, and open your eyes. Bury your negative tokens if you used them, and EAT!!!
Good luck!
What is binding?
Upon doing a little bit of internet research to see how my knowledge of the subject stacked up against the general consensus, I realized that, as usual, my interpretation of a basic concept is not quite typical. I hold that any beliefs I have about magick and what it is or is not are perfectly relevant as I am of the opinion that it is all about energy and psychological manipulation on a cosmic level, but anywho...
My definition of binding is that it is a kind of magick used to bind someone (or something, but generally someone) to something (or someone) else. This can be a physical thing or person, or an idea. Your most common binding would be a hand fasting, or marriage ceremony, where you offer yourself fully and from the soul out to another, whether for life or for a year and a day, whether by the Lord and Lady or with fear and trembling under God. This is a ritual, and you are pledging your immortal soul (as you understand it) to another person. A Christian might not call it *magick*, per se, but the idea of divine retribution is there if you are unfaithful to your marriage. When you tie your soul to something magickally, you have created a divine contract with the gods or spirits or karma that says should you stray, there will be consequences, and it will be painful.
Something a little less intense, but considering magick and that we cannot honestly fathom the ideology, if it exists, of the gods, is the binding of another. Binding them FROM causing harm (like tying a dog to a tree), or binding THEM to YOU without their permission. It is arguably a very common form of black magick. How on earth can keeping someone from hurting you or another be bad?
Let's take a look at ethics and the loosely used term "black magick"
Black magick is in Wicca and many other versions of pagan spirituality is pretty much sloughed off as wrong wrong wrong and unethical. You immediately begin to imagine black masses and witches eating babies and voodoo dolls (which is funny, because that last one can be not all that bad, lol). Black magick is more simply put any kind of magick that interferes witht he free will of another. When you look at it this way, pretty much any magick affects the free will of others and of the Universe itself. Pretty heady all the sudden, right? Healing could be considered black magick in this context because you are interfering with the divine plan, if there is one.
The important thing to remember, in my opinion, when deciding whether or not to do any kind of magick or spell is this; are you willing to face the consequences of your actions? If you pull someone off of their path, you will have a butterfly effect on all the people around them and an entire web of karma. Is that okay to you? Is it worth it? If so, by all means, dabble. It's your karma... right?
I don't have answers to those things, you just have to consider them for yourself.
When presented with a potentially violent person or traumatic situation, consider what you might GAIN... and then consider and attempt protection magick, which is 100% personal and pretty much out of the grey area (the reach of which is... well, a grey area).
ritual, spell, meditation for protection.
Useful tools for this could include:
sage for smudging
an orb stone, I prefer a desert rose
black candles to absorb negative energy, and white to reflect and inspire positive energy
thorny or poisonous herbs or vines
roses
start the meditation by smudging yourself and your space. If you are using black candles, they will be buried, and white will be lit.
Seat yourself comfortably (but not so comfortably you will fall asleep. Hey, it happens!!). Begin to breath in and out, focusing in on your breath until you are able to focus only on your breath. Feel the air pull inwards and move through you. Then feel it rush out. I personally imagine it like lapping waves. When you are well into your breath, you can move inward and find your heartbeat. Feel your life force, your breath, you beating heart. Your heart's rhythm will fill you. You will hear it in your ears. You will feel it in your bones. This is as it should be. From your heart begin to expand your focus to your spirit body. You will see yourseld in your mind, featureless. You will probably see yourself in a color, but maybe not. Your psychology and attatchment to physical interpretation of the metaphysical will rule your interpretation of the spirit. This is okay. You will likely see dark spots in your glowing self. Lightless spots, or thick black splotches. Begin to see your breath as a white energy, moving into you and filling you. Breath in the white, and breath out the dark. You will begin to mentally scrub these dark places with your cleansing breath. When you are filled with this energy, scrub until you are comfortable moving forward. In with the fresh, out with the gunk. From here you will move forward into the next stage. You will imagine yourself as a tree, or any sort of rooted and limbed thing. Imagine your roots digging deep into the earth. Through cool black soil, through thick grey clay, into hard chunks or stone... deeper and deeper until you find your roots dipping straight into the molten energy of the earth's core. You are traveling down with each breath out. When you are in that center, each breath in will bring that hot energy closer to you, until it reaches your toes, and fills your body with each breath in until you are filled with it. Remain attatched to this center. Then push your limbs upwards toward the stars. Up with each breath out, up up until you can tangle your branches amongst the stars. Again, each breath in invite that ethereal and silver energy to trickle downwards, and then fill you. You will notice that it feels unusual when it meats the hot energy from the earth. I think it's weird that the stars are probably hot as hell, but the energy is much more cool and refreshing. Whatever I say! lol. Anyways, when you are full of this energy, begin to surround yourself, above and below and around, with golden light, so that your spiritual body is surrounded by a golden orb. You will then begin to cover your orb with a thorny or poisonous plant. You do not want to be pricked or poisoned, but you want to protect yourself from unwanted advances from predators. I like to imagine my hair as a rose vine, creeping outwards and growing and blooming all over my golden protective energy. This will invite pollination from positive sorces, while presenting a barrier to unwanted company. When you are thickly bound in your protective layer, you want to seal your magick with some sort of physical representation that you can keep with you. I use the desert rose crystal. You will reverse your earlier absorbtion or energy by sending access energy first back into the skies, then deep back into the ground, which will also help you ground yourself. Become one with your body, then your heart, then your breath, and open your eyes. Bury your negative tokens if you used them, and EAT!!!
Good luck!
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