Read more!

Taking a deep breath

Taking a deep breath every now and then allows us to focus on what is important,
and the task at hand. Many times we forget this simplistic measure and panic,
which leads to rash and sometime illogical decisions. For thousands of centuries
wise men and monks have taught us that by breathing in through the nose and
exhaling through the mouth, can not only reduce our anxiety but also detoxify
our bodies from harmful viruses and energies.

By bottling up our emotions and stress, we block our receptors,
thus leaving us unchanging and stagnate. We move through our daily lives at the
speed of light, never taking even a single moment for ourselves. We are the
judge, jury, and executioner of our own well being.



To many times we bog ourselves down with stress when we don't have to. Worrying
about how the bills are going to get paid, how dinner is going to be placed on
the table, what happens if I or one of the kids get sick, work. Is worrying
about that upcoming bill going to get it paid any quicker? Is worrying about it
going to make money appear to pay it off? Is wondering how your going to buy
clothes for the kids going to put new shirts on their backs, and shoes on their
feet? NO! All stress does is speeds up the already hanging sword of Damocles,
causing it to swing lower and lower.

Are they legitimate fears and worries, of course. But why stress
yourself out? All this does it causes sickness, and tires you out, making you
more bitter, and angery. This can and usually crosses over into the workplace,
and sometimes even into our romantic lives. It is said that we hurt the ones we
love most, and this is so true when fighting over something as stupid as money,
or bills.

BREATH. Close your eyes and try to forget about the stresses of
our day to day. Breath in through the nose and allow your whole body to expand
with this life giving air. Allow yourself to loosen up and feel the clean
positive energies flow into you. Now exhale through the mouth, and visualize
yourself blowing away all of the pinned up anger, frustration, and stress.

I sometimes find it easy to 'blow up a balloon' allowing your negative air to
inflate it. When you are ready just pop it and watch all of your fears, stress,
and anxiety disappear.

Taking at least 2-3 minutes a day to do this, be it in the
shower, at a red light, in an elevator, take time to do this for yourself and
everyone around you. You will not only start feeling better, you will notice a
new out look on life. And if you ever need some one to talk to about these
things, please call me at the below number. I can help you weed through these
thing, and read the cards to see what is coming down the pipeline.

1-800-ASK-KEEN
(275-5336), extension 03732137

 

-Mr. Overon

Read more!

Spiritualism & Feminism – Changing Humanity Together

What do Spritualism, séances and the first wave of feminism have in common? According to Janet Hosmer, the Spiritualist movement that began in the middle of the 19th century might have played a supporting role in the battle for women’s rights.

Spiritualism & Feminism – Changing Humanity Together
by Janet Hosmer, Ph.D.

The religion now known as “Modern Spiritualism” officially and literally burst through to the world in the small village of Hydesville, New York, late in March of 1848. The phenomena that began when young sisters Maggie and Kate Fox reported “rapping’s” on the walls of their home, has grown into a religion that currently, according to the International Spiritualist Federation, has both individual and group members in over 35 countries worldwide. The National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC), describes the religion on their website as follows, “Spiritualism is the science, philosophy, and religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the spirit world. Spiritualism is founded upon a Declaration of Principles, nine in number, received from the spirit world by means of mediumship. They provide a firm and tangible foundation on which to base the knowledge of Spiritualism.” Although not listed as one of the top ten religions of the world, there are many who have a belief in spirit communication, even though they are not a registered member of the Spiritualist religion. The number of believers, understandably because of the fraud found in this particular discipline, is difficult to ascertain.

Now back in 1848, and not twenty five miles away from the initial rappings heard in Hydesville, the feminist movement had their first Women’s Rights Convention at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York on July 19 and 20 – just a few short months after spirit began communicating with women in that same geographic area. From the handful of women who began to stand up for themselves grew a cohesive network of individuals who were committed to changing society in the United States by demanding rights that were equal to those of their male counterparts in all areas. A group of strong and outspoken women who were regular attendees at séances given by the many mediums in the area, were pivotal to the beginnings of a movement that ultimately led to a woman’s right to vote in this country.

Is it coincidental that these two major events in the history of the United States occurred at the very same time? Did women finally find their voices and the strength to use them only after counsel with spirit? Did the readings from the Fox sisters, and readings from other women who found that they also had mediumship qualities, give the women of that era the strength to finally stand up for equality in that Victorian male dominated world? Although the women’s uprising in most circles is attributed to “Renegade Quakers,” a deeper look reveals that it was indeed spirit communication that played a key role in the unprecedented social change events taking place in the mid to late 1800’s in upstate New York, and throughout the world.

The United States in the mid to late 1800’s was in cultural and spiritual upheaval after the Second Great Awakening in the early part of the century, which consisted of renewed personal salvation, and participation in revival meetings. The revivals were instituted by the various religious sects, as the people had been questioning their interpretation of God for many years. Understandably, this was a time of abolitionists, suffragettes and radical religious groups. SkepticWiki, which defines itself as “the encyclopedia of skepticism, science and reason,” describes the era like this, “It was an environment in which many people felt that direct communication with God or angels was possible, and in which many people felt uncomfortable with notions that God would behave harshly – for example, that God would condemn un-baptized infants to an eternity in Hell.”

Judith Wellman, when talking about the women’s movement in The Road to Seneca Falls (2004), portrays the time as follows, “In July 1848, revolution was in the air. As Americans confronted dramatic economic and social change, they had to redefine old values to meet the demands of a new world.” Society, especially in the United States, was definitely changing and changing rapidly. It was like the prelude to a big storm – you know something’s coming, but you’re not aware of how powerful it can be. Ann Braude says in Radical Spirits – Spiritualism and Women’s Rights in Nineteenth Century America (1989), “Spiritualism was a religious response to the crisis of faith experienced by many Americans at mid-century.” It seems clear to one looking back at those tumultuous times, the stage was certainly set for spirit to break through the veil between planes and be heard.

The events in Hydesville in 1848 are marked as the beginning of what is now known as Modern Spiritualism, however spirit communication had been present in various forms since before biblical times. Eastern religions that are thousands of years old have beliefs based in the fact that the soul exists long after the body has fulfilled its mission, and communicates back to the physical world. Even the Christian Bible makes reference to mediumship and spirit communication in many places. Todd Jay Leonard in Talking to the Other Side: A History of Modern Spiritualism and Mediumship (2005) states, “The Bible, according to Spiritualists, has numerous examples of mediumship which they believe lend credibility to their movement.” He continues, “At the very least, however, enough references to mediumship-like occurrences are found in the Bible which certainly does, in part, offer the serious researcher and scholar points of reference to explore further.”

When speaking of Spiritualism in more modern times, Arthur Conan Doyle thoroughly describes in The History of Spiritualism (Echo Library 2006), how the Swedish seer Emanuel Swedenborg, the Scottish born Edwin Irving, and New York’s Andrew Jackson Davis communicated with spirit and had paranormal experiences before the rappings were heard by Kate and Maggie Fox in 1848. It was the Fox event however, and the brashness and shrewdness of Leah Fox Fish, Kate and Maggie’s older sister and manager, that forced humankind to finally listen to what spirit had to say.

Margaret and Katherine Fox were fourteen and eleven respectively when they woke their humble Methodist parents because they were hearing noises in the walls of the small wooden shack they called home. The noises really shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise, since the rural house they had lived in for only a short twelve months was reportedly haunted and had been evacuated by the previous tenants. The noises and pounding went on for weeks, terrorizing the children and the family before young Kate challenged the rappings by asking the entity they called “Mr. Splitfoot,” since they believed the spirit to be that of the devil, to repeat the snap of her fingers. To everyone’s amazement each time eleven year old Kate would snap her finger, a single rap was immediately heard. If she snapped twice, two raps came back. Communication with the beyond was established at that moment!

The “beyond” happened to be the spirit of a peddler, Charles B. Rosna. Mr. Rosna, who was murdered on the premises and buried beneath the house, was the first of many spirit entities to quickly come through as it turned out. (As a side note, many years later human bones were found when the foundation of the house was being torn up, collaborating the girls’ story). Neighbors began to rush from all around the area to the small wooden house, and after days of communication, someone suggested a code in order to get questions answered. Now they had language with which to really communicate and ask questions. Maggie and Katie Fox became the initial spokespersons for the spirit world, and with their sister Leah leading the way, brought their first messages to the world at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York.

There is little information regarding the content of the messages received by those attending the numerous séances that where held in Upstate New York in the months following the first communication from spirit. While the young girls broadened the scope of their travels to far away places, and news of this uncanny communication ability spread, increasing numbers of women were finding that they too could receive messages from the spirit realm. Arthur Conan Doyle states, “In one of the early communications the Fox sisters were assured that ‘these manifestations would not be confined to them, but would go all over the world.’ This prophecy was soon in a fair way to be fulfilled, for these new powers and further developments of them, which included the discerning and hearing of spirits and the movement of objects without contact, appeared in many circles which were independent of the Fox family.” He continues, “In an incredibly short space of time the movement, with many eccentricities and phases of fanaticism, had swept over the Northern and Eastern States of the Union.” The phenomena indeed was becoming quite widespread.

At that time, abolitionists who were Quakers were having a difficult time with their faith, as it supported slavery. Many left the Quakers and formed a group that they called the ‘Congregational Friends.’ Wikipedia corroborates the connection between Spiritualism and the women’s movement with the following entry, “Amy and Isaac Post, Hicksite Quakers from Rochester, New York, had long been acquainted with the Fox family, and took the two girls into their home in the late spring of 1848. Immediately convinced of the genuineness of the sisters’ communications, they became early converts and introduced them to their circle of radical Quaker friends.”

Trish Wilson writes on the website, Feminista: The Journal of Feminist Construction, “Women and children of the Victorian era were considered the legal chattel of fathers and husbands. Spiritualism provided them with a means of obtaining their own power and financial security.” In a similar vein, Ann Braude tells us in Radical Spirits, “What distinguished spirit mediums from other religious women who rose to public roles at certain moments of enthusiasm within their religious communions was their commitment to women’s rights.” Braude also states, “At a time when no churches ordained women and many forbade them to speak aloud in church, Spiritualist women had equal authority, equal opportunities, and equal numbers in religious leadership. While most religious groups viewed the existing order of gender, race and class relations as ordained by God, ardent Spiritualists appeared not only in the women’s rights movement, but throughout the most radical reform movements in the nineteenth century.”

In Other Powers – The Age of Suffrage, Spiritualism, and the Scandalous Victoria Woodhull (1998), Barbara Goldsmith writes, “By the 1850s, a group of female trance speakers were among the first women permitted to speak in ‘promiscuous assemblies,’ which meant gatherings of both sexes. Speaking with the authority of the spirits but without personal responsibility for what they said, these women could not be censored for their statements. Since the spirits were guiding them, they had courage, for they spoke the truths of a greater power. Women, no matter how ill-educated, could now transmit the wisdom of spirits as diverse as Socrates and Benjamin Franklin: Not surprisingly, the rights of women were very much on the minds of these great thinkers.” Robert Egby, in an article found on his online Parapsychic Journal entitled, “The Footsteps of the Foxes,” states the following, “The events at the Corinthian Hall promoted the cause of Spiritualism and clairvoyants and mediums who had been quietly working in private came out into the open adding to the growing power of this fledgling religion – Modern Spiritualism.” And as spirit continued to speak, women began to speak as well. They learned to trust their own feelings, and stand up for the equality that they felt was their right.

When talking about the women’s movement, Todd Jay Leonard in Talking to the Other Side says, “From the very beginning of the movement, Spiritualism has served to empower women to be independent and has given them a platform in which to pursue a professional life as clergy, mediums, and businesswomen. The movement has always treated women equally, and many Spiritualism women were instrumental in demonstrating to get the right to vote for women during the Suffrage Movements in the United States.”

Nancy Rubin Stuart tells us in The Reluctant Spiritualist – The Life of Maggie Fox (2005), “Several Quaker abolitionists had gathered first at the home of Jane and Richard Hunt and than at the M’Clintock’s fine brick house in Waterloo. The organizers, who included Mary Ann McClintock, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Matilda Wright, formalized their ideas for women’s suffrage around the mahogany parlor table where the raps would later reportedly be heard.” She continues, “The subsequent meeting at the Seneca Falls Universalist Wesleyan Church on July 19-20 would ignite the women’s suffrage movement, setting the stage for a seventy-two year battle that resulted in the 1920 passage of the Twenty-First Amendment. Among the hundred men and women who ultimately supported its resolutions, some were already sympathetic to Spiritualism – Amy Post, Sarah Post Hallowell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Ann and Thomas M’Clintock, and Sarah Burtis.” The name that is most associated with regards to the women’s movement in later years is of course Susan B. Anthony. Although not a Spiritualist herself, she was a close friend of Elizabeth Cady Stanton for years, and was a frequent speaker at women’s conventions in LilyDale, New York, a Spiritualist community founded in 1879.

Additional confirmation of how spirituality and spirit communication played a large part in the women’s movement is found in Judith Wellman’s The Road to Seneca Falls. She writes, “In their search for wholeness, the M’Clintocks and several other Congregational Friends went beyond worldly concerns. In the new spiritualist movement, they explored the permeability of boundaries between life and death. As early as 1841, they had experimented with ‘animal magnetism,’ a kind of clairvoyance which transported them to other places within this world. Now impressed by the rappings heard by the Fox sisters outside Rochester, New York, they began to hold regular séances in their home. Other women’s rights supporters, especially among the Quakers, also joined this movement. Isaac Post, Amy Post’s husband, collected testimonials from people who had attended the Fox sisters’ séances and concluded that, indeed, the rappings they heard came form the spirit world. By 1851, Isaac Post himself had become a medium.”

Interestingly enough, information on the Women’s Rights National Park website makes no reference to Spiritualism or spirit communication, although many of the names listed on the site as leaders and visionaries in both the women’s movement and the anti-slavery movement in that time were regular attendees at séances, if not mediums themselves.

Unfortunately, the dark shadows that were cast upon Spiritualism at that time, and even in current times, are more than likely the reason. We do know that Kate and Maggie Fox were interrogated and tested over and over again to prove the legitimacy of their supposed communications with spirit. From their first public demonstration in Corinthian Hall in Rochester, the two young girls – led by their older sister Leah, were continually sought after for readings and at the same time harassed and tested relentlessly by those who believed they were frauds. And the public had good reason to worry. The greedy and less than honorable of the people of the time saw an easy way to prey on those who had recently lost a loved one and wanted to believe in proof of the afterlife.

In later years, Maggie, after living an adult life plagued with alcoholism and harassment, told the world that the rappings heard in Hydesville when she was just a child were all a charade cooked up by her sisters and herself. She later recanted her admission of fraudulent behavior, but the damage had already been done. It all started out with disagreement among the sisters after alcohol abuse had become a part of their lives some thirty years after the initial spirit communications from “Mr. Splitfoot,” the atmosphere during those years of turmoil where blame-casting and revenge, and a break in the family finally ensued. Much like any family quarrel, each of the women wanted only peace for herself. Arthur Conan Doyle states, when referring to how the women behaved throughout the more difficult times, “Let it then be clearly stated that there is no more connection between physical mediumship and morality than there is between a refined ear for music and morality. Both are purely physical gifts.” What Doyle meant, I believe, was that the women’s public embarrassments had nothing to do with their ability to transmit spirit communication.

Regardless, even though Spiritualism claimed to have two million followers by the late 1800’s, it was condemned by leaders of organized religions, and there were attempts to get laws passed to prevent mediums from practicing. Todd Jay Leonard in Talking to the Other Side writes about the troubles encountered, “Many mediums were ostracized by family and friends, mainly because of the religious ban. Starting in the late 1850’s in Great Britain, and in the 1880’s in America, investigators began looking into and exposing the many fraudulent mediumship schemes that were operating in both countries, further sullying Spiritualism’s image.”

It’s understandable that historians wanted to keep any connection to spirit communication limited or completely out of our history books and classrooms. Most always the strange happenings occurring during that time in our history were attributed to the craziness and religious frenzy of the era, or just plain fraudulent behaviors and fame seekers. It is truly unfortunate however, that spirit isn’t given more credit for having had such an integral role when making these great strides in equality for humanity. Strides not only based on gender, but on race and creed as well.

We’ll never really know what went on inside those dark séance rooms in upstate New York in the mid 1800’s. Were the attendees only asking to communicate with loved ones who had passed to the other side, or were they asking for advice from powers that they realized were greater than themselves? Were they made aware of “who they really are” and given the confidence to move forward? Were those Victorian women led by the spirits of women who had gone before them and wanted to share their own voice as well? We really don’t know.

But, we do know that Amy and Isaac Post, strong in the anti-slavery movement with a busy house on the Underground Railroad, and signers of the Declaration of Sentiments in Seneca Falls, were close friends of the Fox family, and brought the girls to their home regularly. We also know that Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a strong voice in the movement, a regular at séances, and a good friend of Susan B. Anthony, one of the most prominent leaders of the women’s movement. And we know that the M’Clintocks, also very active in both the women’s as well as the anti-slavery movement, were many times found around a table in a darkened room waiting for spirit to speak. Putting all of the pieces together certainly suggests that spirit and Spiritualism, although not totally responsible, can be touted as a considerable catalyst in the movement that gave women the right to vote in this country.

And where are Spiritualism and Feminism now? Some religious scholars believe that a Fifth Great Awakening, (the Third and Fourth happening in the 1880’s – 1900 and 1960’s – 1970 respectively) is imminent in the foreseeable future, as these periods of heightened spiritual activity are typically seen during times of social unrest and confusion. There is a growing list of events occurring simultaneously at this time in our history, all of which, unfortunately, are too extensive to be covered fully here. They include, but certainly are not limited to, the ongoing translations and interpretations of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in the middle of the 1900’s; the uncertain role of Mary Magdalene in Christian history – and Christian history itself – based on recently uncovered gospels; the massive changes to our planetary environment through global warming and the depletion of its resources; the discovery by Quantum Physicists that there is indeed an unseen controlling force at the very core of our being; and the predictions of the changes to come in 2012 by the ancient Mayans. Without a doubt, the time is definitely ripe for an awakening. And, interestingly enough, as we move into 2009 we’ve already had a female candidate for the office of Commander in Chief of these United States. The women who fought hard and long for their equal rights in 1848 must be so very proud. Who do you think will hear their rapping this time?
Read more!

Get Live Advice from Mr. Overon

I know that from time to time we all feel lost and just need that extra guiding light, or that outsiders view point. Let me help you, when you feel that no one else cares enough to.

I have experience that will help ease any decision that you have. I can even read your cards to help influence these decision's or just give you more insight to what is coming down the pipeline.

Call 1-800-275-5336 x 03732137 or by clicking this button This button will let you call me directly from this page or by calling the number with the provided extension. New callers who click on it will get 3 free minutes to spend with me!

Call now, let me help you!
Read more!

Contact us via Yahoo Messenger!

Hi would you like to contact us, we are now using Yahoo Messenger under the screen name mroveron
Now you can talk to us when ever you like.

Dont have Yahoo Messenger? Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com to download your copy today!
Read more!

Please take a minute

Read more!

Hiya my name is ~Overon, and I just wanted to let you know that I am a Wiccan Blogger and I wanted to share my blog with everyone http://ping.fm/7Dbav please take a look at it and give me your imput.
Thanks and Blessed Be!
Read more!

Fiji freemasons held for sorcery

Fiji freemasons held for sorcery



Masonic symbol of square and compass
Fijian villagers are not the first to puzzle over Freemasonry’s rituals

A group of freemasons have had to spend a night in jail in Fiji, after local villagers complained they were practicing witchcraft.

The 14 men, including eight Australians and a New Zealander, had been holding a night-time meeting on Denerau island.

The New Zealand man told reporters he had spent a “wretched” time in jail, and blamed the mix-up on the actions of “dopey village people”.

Police also seized wands, compasses and a skull from the freemasons’ lodge.

Freemasonry is a centuries-old club that practices secret rituals and has more than five million members worldwide.

‘Nothing sinister’

The New Zealander, who did not want to give his name, told the New Zealand Herald that Tuesday night’s meeting was “interrupted by a banging on the door, and there were these village people and the police demanding to be let in”.

Nothing sinister was going on, he claimed, but “such is the nature of life in Fiji” they were taken to a nearby police station.

The freemasons insist they had a permit for the meeting and were released after spending an uncomfortable night there.

Police director of operations Waisea Tabakau told Legend FM News in Fiji that the group was being investigated for “allegedly practicing sorcery”, the Fiji Village website reported.

The New Zealand man said that when they were freed the following morning, they were told their release was on the orders of the prime minister’s office.

Emergency regulations imposed by Fiji’s military regime allow police to detain people for up to 48 hours without charge.
Read more!

The Real Witch of The Scarlet Letter

The theme of witchcraft is woven into the fabric of The Scarlet Letter. The introductory “Custom-House” chapter includes an appeal by the author to remove any witches’ curses on his family. Once he takes us back to the Boston of the 1640’s, he frequently hints about the cohorts of the “Black Man” who meet in the woods beyond the town. But if the reader understands the classical meaning of the word witchcraft such as used in the Bible and other classical works, then we understand that Hawthorne had something more in mind than the sad cultists like Mistress Hibbins. The real witch of The Scarlet Letter was a far more sinister character, a personality who makes a significant statement about the nature of man.

The Greek New Testament and Septuagint on Witchcraft
Witchcraft occurs only once in the King James New Testament and sorcery twice–Galatians 5:20, Revelation 9:21 and 18:23. The word in the Greek New Testament in all three cases is pharmakeia, derived from the word pharmakon (”drug”), the source of the English word pharmacy and its cognates. The standard koiné Greek-English Lexicon translates the word as “sorcery” or “magic,” but its cognate “sorcerer” (pharmakous) used in Revelation 21:8 and 22:15 is translated “mixer of poisons” as well as “magician.” The root of both words, pharmakon, literally means “poison” or “drug.”1

A few key Old Testament passages about witches which are often associated with the puritans such as Exodus 22:18 (”Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”–KJV) use pharmakous in the Septuagint–the word translated sorcerer in Revelation 21:8 and 22:15.2 The Greek New Testament and the Septuagint version of the Hebrew Scriptures use different words such as mageia (”magic”) when other types of occult practices like calling on spirits or using curses are meant. In English such words are usually translated “wizard,” “necromancer,” or some other appropriate word or phrase. Because of the Greek word chosen in each case, it appears that the New Testament authors and Septuagint translators understood the idea of witchcraft in terms of the use of drugs or poisons.

Finding the Witch according to this Definition
Now there is a character in The Scarlet Letter who would be convicted of witchcraft, Mistress Hibbins. She characterizes the witch of New England folklore such as we see in “Young Goodman Brown.” Typically, Hawthorne treats her ambiguously. She may be a mildly tolerated eccentric, an insane busybody, or an anti-Christian cultist. She functions in the novel as the kategor or accuser. She emulates her Black Man friend, the devil, who is called “the accuser” in Revelation 12:10. The Greek word used here is normally used in a legal sense, assigned to the person bringing charges such as the way Satan appears in the Book of Job “before God’s tribunal.”3 Mistress Hibbins talks about the Black Man’s book, chortles over Hester’s sin and Pearl’s illegitimacy, but, unlike a pharmakous, we know of no associations with potions or poisons.

There is another character more in line with the New Testament understanding of witch. He was associated with Simon Forman, a “philtre-vendor” who poisoned a nobleman in a notorious English scandal.4 He was seen with savage Indian priests, “powerful enchanters, often performing seemingly miraculous cures by their skill in the black art.”5 One of the authorities he refers to is Kenelm Digby, British occultist and botanist.6 He is a gatherer and mixer of herbs. He uses “European pharmacopoeia” not just for medicine, but to control another man emotionally and avenge himself.7 He is seen gathering nightshade, dogwood, and other plants associated with magic and witchcraft.8 That character is, of course, Roger Chillingworth.

The Nature of Roger Chillingworth
According to Galatians 5:20, pharmakeia is a “work of the flesh.” So we see how Chillingworth has turned from the spiritual to the carnal. Though of Puritan background, he confesses to Hester that he has “long forgotten” Christianity. He refuses to forgive, thereby denying the working of grace. He questions, if not denies, the existence of the soul, thereby denying the eternal nature of man. Chillingworth’s fleshly nature, separated from the spiritual, transforms him. He is first seen by the people of Boston as a blessing, but as time goes on they notice how his eyes flash red, and they consider him a fiend. Indeed, he loses all reason for living after Dimmesdale’s confession. The cleansing virtue of Dimmesdale’s repentance triumphs over Chillingworth’s drive for revenge and control. The herbalist has become a pharmakous who, according to Scripture and Hawthorne, has no place in the Kingdom of God.

In the Book of Acts, the apostles encounter several sorcerers or magicians–but the Greek uses different words for them. However, one sorcerer may be of some interest to the reader of The Scarlet Letter. Acts 8:5-25 tells of Simon the Magician who is rebuked by the Apostle Peter for thinking he can buy the free gift of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture here gives a clue to what motivated Simon to delve into magic. In Acts 8:23 Peter describes as being “in the gall of bitterness.” Similarly, Chillingworth seems to be motivated by bitterness– bitterness at Dimmesdale for having his wife, bitterness at Hester for being unfaithful, and at himself for thinking he could win the love of a young woman like Hester. While Mistress Hibbins is also described at one point as “bitter-tempered,” when Chillingworth first comes out of the forest into Boston he is said to speak with “a bitter smile.”9

Literary Allusions and the Classical Understanding of Witchcraft
Hawthorne’s allusive style may make us think of related figures in literature. Hawthorne compares himself to another customs agent, Geoffrey Chaucer,10 whose ruthless physician in The Canterbury Tales cites pagan authorities and denies the existence of the soul. Others have pointed out the similarities between Hawthorne’s “eminent doctor of physic, from a German university” and Faust.11 Indeed, Marlowe describes his Dr. Faustus as a skilled pharmacist

“Whereby whole cities have escaped the plague,
And thousand desperate maladies been erased.”12

The New Testament and Septuagint were written in Greek. It is worth noting that the classical idea of witchcraft contemporary to these writings also emphasizes the mixing of drugs or poisons. Ovid’s Metamorphoses tells us of two witches, Medea and Circe. Medea uses drugs to help Jason overcome the bulls and dragon which guarded the Golden Fleece and to rejuvenate Jason’s elderly father, Aeson. She tries to poison her stepson, Theseus. She prays to Hecate, the same goddess acknowledged by Macbeth’s witches, and she mixes a potion at least as grotesque as theirs. She flies through most of the known world in search of herbs for her potions. Circe is seen gathering herbs in the woods, just like Chillingworth.

Just as Chillingworth is motivated by a purposeless revenge, both of Ovid’s witches viciously torment those who love men that they love or once loved. Medea left Jason to marry someone else. Nevertheless, when she hears that Jason is remarrying, she returns to wreck the wedding. She murders her two sons by Jason and poisons the bride-to-be and her father. Similarly, Circe becomes infatuated with Glaucus, a minor sea god who loves the maid Scylla. In jealousy Circe puts some herbs in Scylla’s bath and turns her into a monster with six heads.13

Missing, presumed dead, and never claiming to have had any of Hester’s affection, Chillingworth likewise makes life miserable for Dimmesdale. Like Medea and Circe, he is motivated by jealousy and revenge. His conversations with the minister torment him. His medicines seem to aggravate his patient’s symptoms. In fact, Dimmesdale is perfectly healthy until Chillingworth moves in with him.

Chillingworth the Trust-Breaker
Chillingworth is sinister in a manner similar to these mythological witches because of the element of betrayal. Chillingworth acted like a trusted friend and confidant to Dimmesdale. So one of Medea’s potions was supposed to rejuvenate the elderly uncle of Jason but she deliberately killed him instead. So Circe appeared to be hospitably welcoming Odysseus’ men by offering them wine. In reality she was turning them into swine.

Hawthorne’s Biblical and Classical Background
There is little question that Hawthorne would have been aware of the Biblical and classical view of witchcraft. He researched both the Puritans and witchcraft and would have known of the Bible’s use of the term. The prescribed course at Bowdoin College in Hawthorne’s day “included a heavy concentration in Greek and Latin.”14 In 1821, the year Hawthorne entered college, admission required knowledge of the Greek New Testament. Greek and Latin writings made up half the curriculum until the senior year.15 Stories such as his Tanglewood Tales and Wonder-Book for Boys and Girls show that Hawthorne knew the Metamorphoses.16 The Scarlet Letter itself contains at least one allusion to a story from the Metamorphoses when it mentions Cadmus and the dragon’s teeth.17 Hawthorne noted the connection between heartless evil and herb-medicine a number of times in his work including “Rappacini’s Daughter,” “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” “The Birthmark,” and his unfinished Elixir of Life or Dolliver Romance. It appears to be one of the most common motifs in his work.

The Author’s Purpose in This
Using Chillingworth, Hawthorne may well have been making a point about science and technology–if people exalt the material realm and deny the spirit, they become like the classical witches, heartless and manipulating. Hawthorne wrote in his notebooks:

The Unpardonable Sin might consist in a want of love and reverence for the Human Soul; in consequence of which, the investigator pried into its dark depths, not with a hope or purpose of making it better, but from a cold philosophical curiosity,–content that it should be wicked in whatever kind or degree, and only desiring to study it out. Would not this, in other words, be the separation of the intellect from the heart?18

He may have also been making a point about the colonial witch trials–that the real witches according to the Biblical and classical understanding of the term were people like Roger Chillingworth. It may even heighten the feminist aspect of Hester Prynne’s persona since the worst sinner neither was she nor, unlike most of the convicted Massachusetts witches, was he a woman at all.

Most important, though, Hawthorne is interested in the human heart. We see a detached and heartless experimental horror in “Ethan Brand” or “Rappacini’s Daughter.” Hawthorne’s notebook in 1842 contemplated a story with the unpardonable sin as “separation of intellect from the heart.”19 So Chillingworth betrays the physician-patient confidence and becomes a study in malevolence. He is not only no longer a Christian, but no longer a man.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn expressed concern that the people who made a living by torturing the prisoners in the Gulag were “departing downward from humanity.”20 Likewise the author of The Scarlet Letter notes: “Old Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of man’s faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will only for a reasonable space of time, undertake the devil’s office.”21 The herb-gathering and drug-mixing amplify this inhuman quality:

[Hester] wondered what sort of herbs they were, which the old man was so sedulous to gather. Would not the earth, quickened to an evil purpose by the sympathy of his eyes, greet him with poisonous shrubs?…Did the sun, which shone so brightly everywhere else, really fall on him? Or was there, as it rather seemed, a circle or ominous shadow moving along with his deformity, whichever way he turned himself? And whither was he now going? Would he not suddenly sink into the earth, leaving a barren and blasted spot, where, in due course of time, would be seen deadly nightshade, dogwood, henbane, and whatever else of vegetable wickedness the climate could produce, all flourishing with hideous luxuriance? Or would he spread bat’s wings and flee away, looking so much the uglier, the higher he rose towards heaven?22

Roger Chillingworth had become a witch, a pharmakous like Medea, suggesting the devil himself. The Biblical and classical understanding of witchcraft as an evil, carnal practice involving the mixing of herbal drugs to gain power over others should make us think of the actions of Roger Chillingworth. Both in practice and in spirit, he is the real witch of The Scarlet Letter.
Read more!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer slaying church attendance among women, study claims”

London, UK – The report claims more than 50,000 women a year have deserted their congregations over the past two decades because they feel the church is not relevant to their lives.

It says that instead young women are becoming attracted to the pagan religion Wicca, where females play a central role, which has grown in popularity after being featured positively in films, TV shows and books.

The study comes amid ongoing controversy over the role of women in all Christian denominations. Last month its governing body voted to allow women to become bishops for the first time, having admitted them to the priesthood in 1994, but traditionalist bishops have warned that hundreds of clergy and parishes will leave if the move goes ahead as planned.

The report’s author, Dr Kristin Aune, a sociologist at the University of Derby, said: “In short, women are abandoning the church.

“Because of its focus on female empowerment, young women are attracted by Wicca, popularised by the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

“Young women tend to express egalitarian values and dislike the traditionalism and hierarchies they imagine are integral to the church.

“Women’s ordination, as priests and now bishops, has dominated debate and headlines – but while looking at women in the pulpit we have taken our eyes off the pews, where a shift with more consequences for the church’s survival is underway.”

Her research, published in a new book called Women and Religion in the West, cites an English Church Census which found more than a million women worshippers have left churches since 1989.

Over the past decade, it claims, women have been leaving churches at twice the rate of men.

In addition, the census is said to show that teenage boys now outnumber girls in the pews for the first time.

Dr Aune says the church must adapt to the needs of modern women if it is to stop them leaving in their droves.

She believes many women have been put off going to church in recent years because of the influence of feminism, which challenged the traditional Christian view of women’s roles and raised their aspirations.

Her report claims they feel forced out of the church because of its “silence” about sexual desire and activity, and because of its hostility to single-parent families and unmarried couples which are now a reality for many women.

But it also says changes in women’s working lives, with many more now pursuing careers as well as raising children, mean they have less time to attend church.

Dr Aune believes churches must now introduce services and activities that fit in better with modern’s women’s schedules, such as Saturday morning breakfast clubs.

She said: “Gone are the days when the mother was at home during the day and had time to visit the church’s coffee mornings and mother and toddler groups.

“With the pressures women face, churches must adapt to make themselves more accessible.”

Christina Rees, chairman of the pro-women bishop campaign group Watch, said the report highlighted the damaging effect that traditionalist attitudes within the Church of England are having on women.

She added that the introduction of female bishops will lead to a renewed interest in the church among young people and women in particular, despite the opposition to the historic step from Anglo-Catholics and conservative evangelicals who believe scripture and tradition teach that bishops must be male.

Ms Rees told The Daily Telegraph: “What this research reveals is that a lot of people are put off by traditional stances and attitudes. We still have a long way to go before women, particularly young women, feel as included in the church as men do.

“I’m absolutely convinced that when we have women as bishops that it will send out a very clear message that women are as valued as much as men.”

The Church of England declined to comment.
Read more!

The Changeling

The Changeling by Henry Fuseli

Changelings are rather popular ones, they often appear within various works of fiction to reference an impish or mischievous child, or sometimes to just indicate a child who seems to have something otherwordly about them.

Changelings are a type of fae, but I can assure you, they are no Tinker Bell, and they are not the popularized modern conception of what a fairy is, as we have already discussed various different fairy types from Irish myth particular, but other cultures as well, that shed a darker light on just what fairies are all about.

Changelings come out of Britannia myth. Many may be familiar with the story of the changeling. It is a common trait among the traditional myth of the fairy for fae to be portrayed as thieves of children. Even in the old beloved tale of Peter Pan (the original by J.M. Barrie not the Disney version) we see instances of fairies stealing children away. In the myth of the changeling in order for a fairy to steal a child they must leave in its place either a carved wooden substitute, or an elderly, feeble fairy that is to play the role of a human infant.

As they age Changelings become notorious pranksters, hence why mischievous children are so oft linked to them. While it is difficult to determine if ones child is a changeling, in some culture such as England, Hungary, and parts of Africa, it was thought that children who were born with teeth were sure to be changelings. If one suspects their children is a changeling the parent might try and trick them into revealing their true identity.
Read more!

"Enfant Dit Sorcier" ("Child Accused of Being a Witch")

Film Addresses Children's Rights in the Congo
"Enfant Dit Sorcier" ("Child Accused of Being a Witch")
In 2003, Internews produced a video to raise awareness of the plight of Congolese children accused of witchcraft. The video was part of a project funded by the United States Agency for International Development that trained journalists from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to report on peace talks (The Inter-Congolese Dialogue) and social issues. A music video was also produced, featuring the musicians of L'Orchestre Lachytoura, co-funded by Search for Common Ground.

There are an estimated 20,000 street children in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC. Many were forced from their homes by parents accusing them of sorcery, usually because of a family misfortune such as unemployment, an accident or death. Many such children are beaten and tortured during violent "exorcisms." Local sources suggest some have been killed. Legal redress is infrequent.

A widespread belief in witchcraft, the harsh economic conditions and strong evangelical influences in DRC all combine to create a social climate where children accused of demonic possession are often swiftly disowned, meaning one less mouth to feed at home.

"Enfant Dit Sorcier" ("Child Accused of Being a Witch") is a documentary featuring interviews with children accused of witchcraft, an evangelical pastor who accuses them, adult ex-street children and other relevant sources. It was presented at a Kinshasa workshop for 150 local media professionals, to encourage them to address the problem objectively.

The video was filmed, directed and produced by Angela Nicoara, former Internews Rwanda Country Director, and Mike Ormsby, former Internews DRC Project Director.

more about ""Enfant Dit Sorcier" ("Child Accused ...", posted with vodpod
Read more!

Close Encounters of the Giant Kind

How awesome. Tell me that the creatures of the deep aren't beautiful

more about "Close Encounters of the Giant Kind", posted with vodpod
Read more!

Witch Heal Thyself

With the over per-scribed medications that are available to us today, we have a pill for everything that could possibly be afflicting us. We have pills to enhance our sex life, to make us happy, to make us thin, to make our head not hurt, to keep us from pooping to much, ect.
We have walked away from our natural ability to heal ourselves. We take so much crap that is over the counter that we have forgotten how to use what the earth has provided us with to heal ourselves. We relay on the pharmaceuticals, instead of our own inner spirituality and the herbs that many of us have either in our backyard and within the neighborhood.

Read more!

Great site

Check this place out, they have great resources


Read more!

Witchcraft according to the bible

Witchcraft according to the bible:

1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV) "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft..."

Those Nasty Witches

With all the warnings in Scriptures about witchcraft, you would think it was a major problem in life. But "witchcraft", as we generally think about it, is hardly appealing to most people, so why the emphasis? Is God "out of touch" with what we are really tempted with? Or are we deceived about what witchcraft really is? Do our ideas come from Hollywood or Scripture?
Isaiah 1:2 (NIV) Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me."
Read more!

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy

Ever wonder what scents help you out with things like anger, depression, and even anxiety? Well below is a compiled list of what can and will help you with this.

Read more!

Conflicted

Conflicted

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="photo by www.redbubble.com"][/caption]

I know that we are always supose to do the right thing. But how do you do the right thing when someone has wronged you time and time again? I know that the Reed says "An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will" but does that include their feelings when you are tired of being talked down to, and walked on, and used?
Read more!

A Lesson For Us All

Read more!

Bill Schnoebelen Intreview: REALLY?

I watched this 2 hour long interview with a gentle man named Bill Schnoebelen who claimed to be an Ex-Vampire, and Reformed Occultist, now born again Christian.


Bill Schnoebelen
Read more!

The Power of Words

The Power of Words: The stress and emotions they create.

Anger, Stress, Ego, Dead Lines, Money, Religion, Bills.....

Stringed together these words invoke different reactions, and feelings within each of us. Some words cause our blood pressure to rise, and even make our blood boil. But why is this?

Read more!

The Wonderful Hat: Symbology and power of the Witch's Hat

The Wonderful Hat: Symbology and power of the Witch's Hat.

We all have at one time or another seen a witch's pointy black hat, which has invoked images of some old woman riding a broomstick across a full moon. Giving her that 'evil' look. But really it was an ingenious symbol of creativity.
Read more!

Magical House Work?

Magical House Work?

No I am not talking about waving your wand and the broom and vacum come alive and starts cleaning your house. That would be nice. No I am talking about making every sweep of the broom a magical working.
Read more!

Facing discrimination

In their nature
Facing discrimination, Wicca pagan followers learn to turn the other cheek.

Original Print from www.columbiatribune.com

By ANNIE NELSON of the Tribune’s staff

Published Saturday, November 3, 2007

That members of local Wicca and pagan groups made a point to introduce themselves as regular people during a discussion panel Sunday - "Which Witch is This?" - was noted and quickly brought up by the audience.

Nick King photo
Rose Wise, right, high priestess of Ozark Avalon Church of Nature near Boonville, talks about Wicca and paganism as Victoria Chance, who is also known as Taz, listens Sunday at the Columbia Public Library. They spoke to a group of about 20 people.

"I moved here from Eugene, Ore., where paganism is very accepted. When you introduced yourselves, you all said, ‘I’m a normal person,’ " a woman said, asking whether pagans experienced discrimination in the Midwest.

The five members from Ozark Avalon Church of Nature, Hearthfires and Mid-Missouri Pagan Pride took a collective breath before beginning to relate some prices pagans have paid for their beliefs in Missouri. They spoke before a crowd of about 20 people in the Friends Room of the Columbia Public Library.
Read more!

How do you proceed?

We all know of the Wiccan Rede which states:

Bide the Rede we must
in perfect love and perfect trust
eight words the Wiccan Rede forfill
"An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will"
least in thy self defense it be
ever mind the Rule of Three
Merry we meet, and Merry we Part

Read more!

Vlog from Witchschool

Wicca First Degree Lesson 2 Burning Spell - Click here for another funny movie.
Read more!

A boy and his mother

I was in a local occult shop the other day and there was this boy and his mother, and they were buying his first wand. She had no idea of what she was doing, only that her son wanted to know more about wicca and the craft and she wanted to nuture him in his developments.
I introduced myself to them and talked to the mother for a few minutes and she explained to me that her son was really intrested in the whole aspect of wicca. I suggested a few books for her to read, and told her some websites to check out and got her email and sent her in a list of different sites and things for her to check out and what have you. I also took sometime to tell the little boy about the rule of 3 and how it is his responsiblity to do good things and make good decisions. I asked him who his faviorite super hero was and he just happened to say Spiderman. I said 'ok you know in the movie when spiderman was talking to his uncle? What did his uncle say to him" and the little boy said 'i dont remember' and I said 'his uncle said "with great power comes great responsibility" So you want to be careful because sometimes you may want to cast a spell on someone when you are mad, but dont do it because if you hurt them you are only going to end up hurting yourself, and that isn't what Spiderman does is it? He doesnt hurt people he tries to help them." He was excited and told his mom that he would never ever hurt anyone with his powers. I just so happened to have a mini wand that I made and I gave it to him and said "think of it as a gift from a big brother, who just so happens to be a witch too!"
The mother was excited and happy to gobble up any info that I had to share with her and her aspiring witch.
Made me feel kinda good, because the lady who owned the store was watching and I applied for a job there. LOL!

Anyways that was my little bit of magic for the day!
Read more!

Just a bit to help out

So lately I have been working on trying to get things together because I want to try and write a book on wicca. And I have also had people asking me what I knew about it and where they can find information about it, and I didnt have just one source so here it is a posting with just some general information that I have collected:

General Information & Supply Shops

 --------------------------------------

http://dapc.bravehost.com

http://www.half.com

http://www.13moons.com

http://www.dragonmarsh.com

http://www.paganparenting.com/

http://www.witchvox.com/xparent.html


www.musicforthegoddess.com/parent


www.crystal-forest.com/paganparenting.html


www.oakdancer.com/parenting.htm


www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/pagan_parenting


www.paganparenting.org

www.glasstemple.com/parents/


www.moondragon.org/pagan/pppfam.html


www.amazon.com/Pagan-Parenting-Spiritual-Emotional-Development/dp/1567184928


http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/religion/pagan.htm


http://paganismwicca.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_four_keys_of_pagan_parenting


www.ecauldron.net/bkpp.php

www.webring.com/t/Lytl-Wytch-Pagan-Parenting


www.associatedcontent.com/article/111695/a_pagan_parenting_tip_your_childs_first.html

 --------------------------------------------------

Information on Stones and Rocks and Color

www.tween-the-shadows.com/magick/gemstone_crystals_magickal_uses_goals.php


www.rampant-griffon.net/paganplace/basics/colors.html

----------------------------------------------------------

The Pagan Law and history of the craft
(these laws are something that you really want to harp on because it is universal and not only wiccan/pagan in nature)




www.paganspath.com/magik/3foldlaw.htm


www.religioustolerance.org/wic_burn.htm


http://wicca.timerift.net/burning.shtml






 

Read more!

My Familer

This is my Familer Scrappy. She is an American Coon. She is very skittish, but loves being around for all the witchy workings.
Read more!

Teaching the young/beginner Witches

Ok so I have been a teacher for many years, yet time and time again I find it difficult when faced with the daunting task of taking an oral tradition and making it black and white. I have so many different things that I want to teach the young/beginners, but get all garbbled up with the bats flying around in the ol' bell tower lol. So here is a syllabus that I have put together and I am thinking about impelmenting it into my circles out reach program. Any and all comments and addition/subtraction ideas greatly welcomed. I ask that this list please not be copied and reused without the proper consent by me first, thank you:

Syllabus

1.) Spell Crafting

a. beginning
i. usage
ii. formation
iii. history
iv. verbiage
v. rhythmic sentence structure
vi. creation
vii. application
viii. demonstration

b. intermediate
i. energy
ii. timing
iii. correspondences
iv. phases

c. advanced
i. high magic
ii. leadership through ritual
iii. spellbinding
iv. application
v. demonstration

2.) Tool Creation (expanded if needed)

a. talismans
i. history
ii. creation
iii. empowerment
iv. practical usage

b. divination
i. history
ii. creation
iii. practical usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

c. wands
i. history
ii. creation
iii. practical usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

d. buying smart
i. duel purpose
ii. thrifty shopper
iii. creation
iv. application
v. demonstration

3.) Magical Alphabets
i. usage
ii. history
iii. practical application
iv. demonstration

4.) The Book of Shadows (expand as needed)
i. Importance
ii. History
iii. practical usage
iv. creation of personal BOS

5.) Lessons (expand if needed)

a. herbology
i. history
ii. role
iii. practical usage
iv. Application
v. demonstration

b. god/ess
i. the pantheon right for you
ii. your personal god/ess
iii. correspondences and attributes

c. know your craft
i. to learn, to know, to keep silent
ii. keeping cool under pressure

1. teaching the unenlightened

2. debunking myth
iii. living with non-pagan people

1. how to coexist in a non-magical house hold

2. how to live in a Christian world
iv. basics of the craft

1. what is a witch

2. “harm none”

3. law of three

4. charge of the god/ess
v. a witches circle/coven

1. what a circle/coven is

2. history and operation

3. hierarchy structure

a. their roles within the coven

vi. the elements

1. earth

a. correspondences
b. quarter call
c. attributes

2. air

a. correspondences
b. quarter call
c. attributes

3. fire

a. correspondences
b. quarter call
c. attributes

4. water

a. correspondences
b. quarter call
c. attributes

5. spirit
a. correspondences
b. quarter call
c. attributes


6. grounding and centering and other meditations

a. drawing down the moon
b. centering
c. grounding
d. meditations on earth
e. meditations on fire
f. meditations on air
g. mediations on water
h. meditations on spirit
i. astral projection (expandable)
7. visualization
a. ball technique
b. aura sensing
8. energy
a. energy formation (expandable)
b. energy sensing
c. energy push and pull
d. energy manipulation
e. energy visualization
f. energy empowering
g. using/creating catalysts
h. using natural energy
i. using environmental energy
j. redirecting energy


9. the wheel of the year

a. practical usage

b. sabbaths
i. how they are celebrated
ii. correspondences
iii. attributes
iv. history
v. ritual creation
vi. ritual dedication
vii. application

c. esabbaths
i. how they are celebrated
ii. correspondences
iii. attributes
iv. history
v. ritual creation
vi. ritual dedication
vii. application

10. History of modern day Wiccan/Witchcraft (expandable)

a. Gerald Gardner
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

b. Doreen Valentine
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

c. Scott Cunningham
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

d. Isaac and Ivanna Frost
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

e. Raymond Buckland
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

f. Aleister Crowley
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

g. Covenant of the Goddess (C.O.G)
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

h. The Black Forrest Clan
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

i. The American Council of Witches
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

j. Zsussana B. Budapest
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

k. A.E. Waite
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

l. Madame Blavatsky
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

m. Dion Fortune
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

n. Anton LaVey
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

o. Dorothy Clutterbuck
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

p. Marie Laveau
i. who are they
ii. what was their role in our history
iii. what was their contributions and legacy

11. Color Magic

a. Red
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

b. Green
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

c. Blue
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

d. Orange
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

e. Yellow
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

f. Black
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

g. Purple
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

h. Sliver
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

i. Gold
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

j. Brown
i. attributes
ii. correspondence
iii. usage
iv. application
v. demonstration

12. Planetary Correspondences

a. how do the planets play a role in magic
b. what are their correspondences
c. what are the zodiac signs
i. what are their correspondences
ii. what is your sign and what does it say about you
d. planetary hours what are they and how do they relate to your magical workings
e. application
f. demonstration

13. Potions

a. what are they
b. how do they work
c. what are their practical usage
d. application
e. demonstration

14. Psychic Defense

a. what is it
b. how to use it
c. visualization techniques
d. application
e. demonstration

15. The Magic Circle / Scared Space / Cone of Power
a. what is the magic circle
b. what is scared space
c. what is the cone of power
d. how are they the same and how are they different
e. visualization techniques
f. creation of spell, ritual, and or formula
g. application
h. demonstration
Read more!

Dreams of War and things to come (with a hint of ranting lol)

Many thousands of moons ago when I was studying under a coven by the name Eclaysha (dont know how to spell it so spelt it out it sounds, as you will notice in many of my writings) I came across some ancient texts while in an old library that contained manuscripts about a war that was supose to happen between "mortals and immortals."
Now before your raise your eyebrow to far up, it later explained that these terms were given to persons who were enlightened and those who were not.

It explained that there was a terrible war that was supose to take place, much like the Civil war of Northren and Southren state here in America, it was a war of views, misunderstandings, and of spiritual design. In the bible it takes about the war that brings about the end of days, and how it starts in heaven and the ripples spred and the battle pours out among the earth. However, I think that this 'holy war' is more of a metaphore.

When ever someones believes are question they are ready to die in battle to protect them. In this case I believe that its more of a spiritual/governmental war. I will later explain what I mean by this. I have had dreams, visions, or what ever you may wish to call them about a great upcoming battle. Let me make some key reference points to kinda back up what im hinting at, and maybe im just reading to much into it but maybe not and I would value others view points on this subject.

In the ending of of the 18th century going into the 19th the Witch Hunts stopped and witchcraft went underground for the most part. Fast forward a few hundred years to the late 20's eairly 30's when it started making a come back. You had people like Gardner and Crowley who became mainstream occultic practioners and were not really quite about it. You have the formation of the Golden Dawn, and the formation of Wicca, and the rebirth of the witchcraft in a sense.

During this time Crowley began creating and using high magics and was feared by many within the pagan community. When the egos of Crowley and Gardner went to blows you have the famous fights where Crowley using his knowledge of the ancient arts, angelic magic, themelatic, and demonology whipped the crap out of Gardner thus leading to the splitting of one of the greatest colleges of witchcraft at the time.
You had Hitler who was using the occult to try and take over the world, and the various occultic testings that he underwent trying to find away to gain ultimate power.
Then you had people like Cunningham, Valentine, Frost, Buddahpest, Boneiwitz, and Buckland as well as others that just kind of went their own ways.

Lets now go into the media of the 60's and 70's where we start to see an increase of programs ran in primetime about witches and witchcraft/occult, Bewitched, and I Dream a Genie. These were simplistic ways of reintroducing young america (not american's) to the idea that witchcraft was still alive and presented it in a none threating manner. You then see an increase of published works showing up on shelves. Lady Gadiva published her Book of Shadows as mainstream reading material, and was greatly looked down upon for having done so.

Soon afterwards you have 100's of books coming out about Psychic development and the "new age" and mind expanding lessons. Enter the hippies. They were probably the closest things to our Pagan image that we now have today, but back then were viewed as freaks and wierdo's. They were 'children of the earth' who promoted peace and tolerence. From their movements we now go into the 70's where movies like the Exercist and Omen have come out exposing us to the devil, and once again creating a witch craze and almost histeria again.

And in the lighter notes of it we have programs like The Adams Family, and the Munsters, which at the very core of them delt in directly with the occult and its history, even taking from popular books and characters, ie frankinstine, dracula, the wolf man, and witch doctors. In the beginning of the 80's we have the imergence of TV programs like V, War of the Worlds, and teenagers with fathers who are space ailens who communicate through a crystal, and she having the ability to stop time. Movies of physic phenomon and hauntings and spirits like The Entity, Poltergiste, The House, Elvira, The Witch's of Eastwick, and Nightmare on Elm Street, Childs Play, and Labryinth (which delt with demonic spirits, and lucid dreaming) which lead into the 90's with such movies as Warlock, Spellbinder, The Craft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Charmed, which brougt the rise of New Age spiritualism to mainstream america.

During this time in our community 70's-90's we are having earth shaking movements like The American Council of Witchs who come together at Witchstock and create a basic guide line and docterin of what is and isn't in terms of witchcraft. You have the emgerences of your local mediem's, tarot card readers, astrology reading and chart making, and the invention of the Ojia Board, which allows home dabblers to start contacting the otherside and conversing with spirits like the modern day Witch of Endor. People holding seances in their homes, again many of them dabbeling with forces that they had no idea existed let alone how to control.

We for the longest time expeienced a huge flux of energy both physic and spiritual, as we began to accept that magic isn't only in fairytales and we as a whole began to AWAKEN. As the 90's began and moved forward we started seeing more and more the acceptance of witchcraft and finally it was deemed a recognized religion, a huge step from the intolerance that our ancisters faced. Then a very intresting trend came about in the name of Gothic Lifestyle, which became the newest subject of devil worship, much like the punk rockers of the 80's and Rock n Roll of the 50's.

It then became a 'fad' that kids were going through and much like anyone else through out history corporations took advantage of it and we had singers with thier 'dark lyrics' and companies like HotTopic and Spencers who took advantage to make a buck off the fad. This lead even further into the emergence of the craft as another 'fad'. However, we didnt look back at the trends that were set in place throughout history.
We slowly allowed it back into our lives, either through the Cartoons of the the 80's and 90's or through the other outlets of media. Now after my 12 hour rant about this we come to my dreams and my thoughts about an impending battle.

I have had like i said several dreams (or visions) where there had been themes of battle and use of energy (used in place of the word magic) and I will recall them in secssion for you.

1.) (this is the very first memory or vision that I ever had when I was about 4 or 5 and has stayed with me all this time) I was sitting in a wooded area and it was smokey. About 4 or 5 leauges away from me was a huge building. I was summoned to come to it. I got up and slowly moved toward it, where i eventually went in. I noticed that there was smoke all around like fog or clouds on the ground, and when i steped inside it turned grey and black. There were staduim seats that went on forever on either side of me with hundreds of thousands of people who were all whispering to themselves as they saw me enter.

Off in the distance was this bright light with winged beings flying around it. A voice spoke and said "do you know why you were summoned from the wilderness?" I looke up at the light and said "yes I am aware" the smoke cleard a large circle where I was allowed to look down and I saw the earth war struck, and heard the voices of countless millions crying out. I saw the earth broken, scoreched and burning, and large explosions. I looked up at the light and said "why is it that I of all gathered here, have been asked to undertake this mission" the voice said nothing.

I gazed again upon this grim vision of what was below me. I knew that a vast amount of time had spand for this to be seen as it was now. I looked back to the light and said "will I remember? Will the I who stands here now be intact?" the voice said "no, you shall relearn as they, you shall come to see as they, you will stand as they, and have the voice of NOT, for your words shall be spoken in a way to show your age and creed to those who have none. You will lose a great deal in this trial, but you shall have that which is lost returned."

I looked around to the countless sea of faces that looked upon me, and I said "if I should forsake thee, and turn from you then what of the I who now stands, will transgressions be forgiven as I will be made to forget, made to learn as they, for you say that which is lost shall be returned?" all that was spoke was "aye" and with that I stepped into the circle and fell from the sky, my large grey wings ripped from me, covering me in blood and causing pain which I had never known. I landed into the body of a child that was being born, forcing the soul of that child to leave the body, after being smacked on the butt I awoke as a four year old child in bed.

that was the very first dream/vision that I had

2.)I am about 30 and on a battle feild going over schematics there is a war around us. My men and I speaking in code, and I giving out my orders on how to advance. Mind you I am not a US military person just a Commander giving out orders. There is something in a large containment unit behind me, and it speaks in a way that causes the others to bleed from their eyes and ears and it says "do you actually think that you can win?" the men look at me and it, noticing that I have not be adversly affected by this creature and I say to it "if I could best you, the rest are nothing to me but pebbles in my garden, for I am a god among insects and you my bug have been squashed" then a bolt of white light came from my hand killing the being that was locked up. I awoke.

3.) I was sitting on an old tattered couch with my sisters father (who had passed away a year before this dream) on a dirt road. To the right was a war and a burning city, in front a plane that went from desert to green grass, behind me a barbed wire fence with a baren feild. I noticed a large percession of animals all with large teets full of milk walking slowly and sadly from the war zone.

I didnt notice a single male in the bunch. Two very large deer come up to the barbed wire fence and begin licking my sisters dad, and he begins loving on them. I watch as the creatures before me walk toward the green feilds. I turn to him and say "We dont kill the females do we..." and he looks to me and says "no they are needed for us to survive" from this I woke up

4.) Me and a group of friends were running through a forest and we came up on a large old mansion with high fenced walls all around and a heavey lock on the gate, we jumped effortlessly over the wall and ran to the back of the house, where there was a grouping of other houses that looked like a small village that you would see in some 3rd world country, and a dog tied up to a huge thick oak tree with a chain so large and heavy that the dog couldnt move nor stand just lay there and bark. I entered the house through that back door and was taken back by how lush it was inside in compairson to the grounds outside.

I noticed a locked door at the top of a stair case on my right that had red carpet leading to it and a blue light was shining under the door. I heard giggling coming from the parlor of this house and I moved cautiously to it where I hear the ancient raspy voice of some old man speaking. When I came around the corner I saw a row of people from a small baby in dipers all the way up to what looked like a young man in his 20's or 30's and the old man was telling them a story in front of a large fire place. When he noticed me he said "isn't that right Michael" and all the people turned and looked at me. They were all me, from birth to the age I am now and the old man was me too just as I would be at 70 or 80. I woke up

5.) Me and my friends were running from something that was chasing us. We were running through some vineyard trying to get to a shack that was there. All I knew was that we would be safe there and that there was something inside that these creatures that were chasing after us couldnt get ahold of. We got to the shak and I locked them inside and I drew a line in the dirt and said "you shall not pass" and I clapped my hands and at that point all the things that were chasing us jumped out at me and a huge force feild bubbled up around me and the house and knocked back all the things that were trying to get at me and my friends.

I began shooting energy balls from my hands and causing lighting to strike the ground and a huge wind storm blew away everything, all the trees, vineyard, and the creatures so that all was standing was me and the shack with my firends in it. I woke up

6.) I was standing on top of a hill and an explosion happened in the middle of the city I rushed down the side of the hill and ended up at a junk car lot and my sisters dad was walking through there as an old man with a white beard and a walking stick and the junk yard was covered in snow and there was a large apple tree in the middle of it, and I saw something fly over head and another explosion and screaming. He said "you can take care of this, your strong go before you cant" and I went to the other explosion.

There was peopel all dead and some that were badly hurt. For those who were hurt I waved my hand over them and said "all is well, and well is all" their wounds heald and they went running away. A man who looked like my father began running towards me as I heard a shot from a gun being fired I looked up at this 3 story building and saw a man all in black holding a riffle shooting down at us, and one of the bullets hit my father and he fell, I looked up and said something but the whole 3rd story of that building exploded. This green stuff was oozing out of my fathers wounds, I told him to repeat some words after me and he didnt want to and I told him that it was the only way for him to live through it, so he did and while doing so the bullet casing exited his body and fell to the ground.

3 more guys from across the street began firing at us and I waved my hand and the building exploded but they excaped. I told my dad to draw a square in the air with his index finger and told him what to say and when he did a window opened that was showing us where these guy were and where they were running to. I told him to stick his hand into the fire of a reckage that was next to him and think of it like he was picking up a ball. He argued with me that he would get burnt but I told him to trust me and he did so. And he was holding a fire ball and I told him to throw it at the squar and when he did it set the guys on fire and they burnt to ashes. I looked at him and said "do you believe me now, see it isn't all make belive." from that I woke up.

I have about 10 others but I dont feel like typing them up right now. SO what do you all think? Do you think that they are post war, or what. I have felt like they were very important and have written them down in my dream journal. I just wanted to share them with you all. I do believe that there is a battle that will sooner or later happen. I do believe that its going to be a spiritual one, but how soon it will be who knows. What are your thoughts on it?
Read more!

Do you think that Charging for your craft cheapens it?

Do you think that by charging for your craft or talents be it making items to sell that are of witchcraft/wiccan in nature, or charging for your magical workings cheapens your craft making you a sales person rather than that of a naturalist or witch.

Or do you feel that its ok to charge for items that have be crafted like wands, altar tiles, ect because you have taken the time to create it, therefore it should be given as a gift of love? Or is it ok to charge because you have spent a little of your money to buy the material it took to make it and you are looking for compensation of what you spent plus maybe a little on the side?

Say that someone sees one of your works and really likes it and wishes to 'hire' you to create something similar to it for them. If you accept the job, do you charge for it or do you do a barter? Or do you just make it for them and expect nothing in return?

Remember I am posting this question as a Witch not as a Wiccan. I do understand that Wiccan Laws say that you are not suppose to do magic for personal gain. And that you are never suppose to charge for your craft but if you do that you are suppose to charge a fair and equal amount of energy in exchange for the services rendered.
Read more!

What's your fave way to ground and shield?

If I want a strong shield I will envision arms wrapping around me erecting a wall, and then I will envision a circle around me with mirror coating on the outside and focus all of my energy to create another bubble inside of the circle and i will then expel my energy like shards piercing my attacker.
Other times I will not shield myself, and will feed off the energy of the other person or spirit/ect. that is attacking me leaving them dried up and in a spiritual attack dead. Then I filter the energy taken from that person/thing and cycle it through the earth and draw it back into me. Other times I will feel an attack and with my will say "NO" and see/feel like the energy is crashing around me and circling back onto the sender.
I LOVE spiritual warfare and enjoy being attacked because not only does it allow me to try out new things, it also gives me a chance to 'flex' my magical muscles lol. I know it sounds weird, but I really do.

What is your faviorite way to shield?
Read more!

Welcome to the DAPC Blog

Hello and welcome to the offical blog of the Dark Angels Pentacle Coven other wise known as the DAPC. The content of this blog will be mainly over flow from our Twitter account at www.twitter.com/dapc however there will be additional information from time to time that is posted here as well.

We maintain a website at http://dapc.bravehost.com for any one who is intrested in learning about wicca and witchcraft. We also belong to an online group at www.wiccantogether.com which provides alot of great information too http://www.wiccantogether.com/profile/LordOveronAlburtisMagnus this is my profile at this online group which also includes some of the information that I have posted there.
If you have any questions regarding this blog or the dapc please feel free to email me at bubbagoo2@yahoo.com as this is my personal email address and I check it daily.

Thanks and see you around

~Overon Alburtis Magnus!
Read more!