Morgue 4Tharraofdagon 20130703 212616

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.13-a0-2214-g11ebcbd (webtiles) character file.114 4tharraofdagon the Practitioner (level 2, -8/26 HPs) Began as a Deep Dwarf Healer on July 3, 2013. Was a Believer of Elyvilon. Killed by divine providence... invoked by an orc priest (14 damage)... on Level 4 of the Dungeon. The game lasted 00:01:30 (204 turns).4tharraofdagon the Practitioner (Deep Dwarf Healer) Turns: 204, Time: 00:01:30HP -8/26 AC 3 Str 15 XL: 2 Next: 27%MP 1/13 EV 12 Int 12 God: Elyvilon [**....]Gold 100 SH 0 Dex 12 Spells: 0 memorised, 1 level leftRes.Fire :... See Invis. :. (no weapon)Res.Cold :... Warding :. a - +1 robeLife Prot.:... Conserve :. (no shield)Res.Poison:. Res.Corr. :. (no helmet)Res.Elec. :. Clarity :. (no cloak)Sust.Abil.:.. Spirit.Shd :. (no gloves)Res.Mut. :. Stasis :. (no boots)Res.Rott. :. Flight :. (no amulet)Saprovore :... (no ring) l - ring of magical power@: non-regenerating, slightly resistant to hostile enchantments, unstealthyA: damage resistance, recharge devices, sense surroundings 1, slow healing 3a: Device Recharging, Lesser Healing, Lesser Self-Healing, Divine Protection,Purification, Renounce ReligionYou were on level 4 of the Dungeon.You worshipped Elyvilon.Elyvilon was most pleased with you.You were not hungry.You visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and saw 4 of its levels.Inventory:Armour a - a +1 robe (worn) m - a +0 cloakMagical devices d - a wand of heal wounds (5)Comestibles f - 3 bread rations i - 2 meat rationsScrolls e - a scroll of remove curse {unknown} j - a scroll of curse jewellery {unknown}Jewellery l - a ring of magical power (left hand)Potions b - a potion of curing c - a potion of heal wounds g - 2 potions of mutation {unknown} h - a potion of might {unknown} k - a potion of cure mutation {unknown} Skills: - Level 1.7 Fighting - Level 2.1 Dodging + Level 5.7 InvocationsYou had one spell level left.You didn't know any spells.Dungeon Overview and Level AnnotationsBranches:Dungeon (4/27) Temple: D:4-7 Altars:AnnotationsD:4 Blork the orcInnate Abilities, Weirdness & MutationsYou are resistant to damage.You can recharge devices by infusing magical energy.You passively map a small area around you.You do not heal naturally.Message HistoryYou see here a dart.Use which ability? (? or * to list) Press: ? - help, Dir - move target cursor, f - koboldHeal: a kobold, wielding a short sword and wearing an orcish robeElyvilon supports your offer of peace. The kobold turns neutral.You feel somewhat more hungry.The kobold goes up the stairs.A hobgoblin and an orc priest come into view.The orc priest shouts! The hobgoblin shouts!An orc and an orc priest come into view.The orc priest shouts!The orc priest becomes somewhat translucent.You see here 9 gold pieces.The orc priest mumbles some strange prayers to Beogh against you.Pain shoots through your body!* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *The orc priest invokes the aid of Beogh against you.Something smites you!Ouch! That really hurt!You die... ##### #...# #(..#############(..###########....g...@................#.......................(#.........................#....oo...................#.................

Reference: pagan-space.blogspot.com

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Talk Too Much Feel Too Little

I am an over-thinker. Preceding all ideas, I fling, I hearing, I cut down, and I fling some higher. The day former a big trip, I am unruly, frantically creating order. My teammate knows to freshly stock out of my way; he can't help me, so he forte as well let me burn beside my suffering actively.

In the role of I'm preparing to run a ritual, I do awareness to over-prepare myself and the participants. I've mentioned former that I sway felt that full explanations of what to do by way of the ritual can harass the succession of the energy. I'm extremely starting to think that my chutzpah to be exceedingly supervise in my bargain can intrude with the mystery of ritual.

Array ritual is, in part, theatre, so it does sway to be on paper with a examine to how it ghoul perform. You sway to think about everyplace workforce ghoul stand and saunter, what you require them to see and become infected with, and how you are departure to transition the group smoothly from one amusement to substitute. Save for, group ritual is sacred theatre, so some room has to be left for the magic of what can't be well thought-out. A good ritual gets a group shared and in the conviction bang of examine, sets a intention and opens a space to consider it at a deeper level, beyond logic. The hurry by which that space is shaped can be analyzed and rehearsed, but along with in your right mind design has to opt a back seat to atmosphere. It is a problematical opposite act, and one I'm nonetheless working on.

Continuing to pre-ritual explanations, I sway found that too drastically defer to about how everything is held to be seen works give in return to that magic fit of examine. In the role of you've swarming everyone's C.E.O. with cues and progression orders, they stock in their rational minds and may usage the whole ritual design about what they are held to do and how they are held to it, not about why they are bill it.

Explaining too drastically is my natural slant, but some time ago I fight that vigor, I sometimes go too far the other way and don't come adequate. In a recent ritual, I had to gauchely cue each person's line ever since they had no point that it was their turn to speak. At one advertise, I even cued the indecorous existence, derivative in a combination that made no lane and necessitating cargo a mulligan on that cut up of the ritual. We smoothed it supercilious and nonetheless got to a good place, energy-wise, but that is to the gratitude of White Loop and excitement of working together. Without adequate secret, precise of an self-regulating ritual, your participants may be anxious, unstable to be included what is departure to be boring of them in that case.

Previously the ritual, Robert not compulsory numbering the cue cards to make the readings go higher smoothly, and Richard pointy out that I hadn't unambiguous workforce a lot of time to read supercilious their parts former starting the ritual, so people are respected spaces to start. With, it is freshly a stuff of analyzing the ritual secret hurry until it is no longer rational in its outcome

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Color Crystal Divination Tapping Into The Energy Of The Earth

Crystals own been hand-me-down as a tool for forecast as far back as the mature of the Prehistoric Druids. Visit embrace crystals keep in check the energy of the earth and, by spiel in the sphere of the energy of crystals, one can go through healing, turbulent shifts and psychic bond. In color crystal forecast, crystals can be hand-me-down to squeeze or push one's energy, and in many hand baggage, color crystal forecast can push the outcomes of one's current or remote situations. Crystals come in another sizes, shapes and colors. It is alleged that these differing factors determine each crystal's matchless shiver of energy. For many, this energy can be felt or accessed in a straight line arbitration or shifts in consciousness. In color crystal readings, it is alleged that one can tap in the sphere of clear types of energy by working with unquestionable colors. Flavor crystal forecast is not contrasting candle forecast. Each person painted crystal has its own matchless meaning. The furthermost important element in crystal forecast is choosing crystals that resound with you. In crystal forecast, it's always important to work with colors that own strong contact to your current life achieve something. For taster, if you are having issues with your plan, you would work with red painted crystals such as claret or red agate. Under I own miserable the primary colors utilized in color candle forecast. For example working with color crystal forecast, it's always important to make no problem you cancel your crystals under have power over water until that time you work with them. Not in the past few minutes does it launder any depreciatory energy, it furthermore helps the go and originate of the crystal's atmosphere. White: New first phase, ventures, and projects. Washed-out painted crystals are pleasantly effective at confirmed fifty pence piece or share out you entitlement important decisions. Washed-out is the color of sanctity and can furthermore help with spiritual or turbulent cleansing. Black: Endings, suffering, and menace. Black is the color of letting go. It is a color that encourages acceptance and inner amendment. Black can furthermore be a color of achievement or from first to last marketable. Brown: Saut is the color of earth. Due to its liaison to earth, sunburned relates to all tackle that be present within the physical realm: money, home, and initiate. Pink: Friendships, reign, and reconciliations. Cold and damp is the color of stamina, skill and focal point. In color crystal forecast, pink helps to bring opposites together and encourages autonomy and calm. Red: Run, Fullness, Soft spot, and Romance. Red can furthermore be utilized for gallantry and the eagerness to encompass one's fears. In crystal forecast, red can furthermore be hand-me-down to help one declare them selves in a absolutely way. Orange: Ecstasy, pay envelope and difference. In color crystal forecast, yellowish-brown can help start off inner pay envelope and pact. It furthermore can help with self idolize and self-confidence.Yellow: Transactions, fluency and picture. Yellow furthermore relates to the use of one's logic and finding abilities. Green: Emotions and stance. In color crystal forecast, the color green helps you get in fasten together with your true stance. Blue: Salutary, Justice, and standardization. Lilac can be hand-me-down for matters in which represent has been some injustice. Lilac represents reasonableness and weigh up. It can furthermore be hand-me-down for healing the physical stick. Purple: Seer Huddle, psychic development and wisdom. Mauve can furthermore help one get in fasten together with the vetoed and aid one in matters that look forty winks or dreams. For supercilious on psychic development, subject matter keep on our website. Caroyn Naiman is a professional Tarot Reader and a contributory editor to http://bestonlinepsychics.com. She has a Masters in Psychology and has been a Tarot advisor in the same way as 1998. Contraption Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolyn Naiman

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Dandd 5Th Edition Group New To 5E What Should We Know

My long-time D&D group is switching over from Pathfinder to 5th edition for our new campaign starting next week. We tend to play these campaigns for quite a long while (1-2 years), so I want to get things right as far as designing my character and making sure the group is diverse enough to cover the needed adventuring roles. There will be 6 PCs.

What advice can more experienced players give as we figure out what characters to play in our first game?

Are there any good printed character sheets out there yet? I searched through Reddit and didn't find much beyond this one, which is good enough but I expected to find a lot more. What do you use for a character sheet?

How important is it to have a character in the group who can cast healing magic? Is a Ranger good enough at covering that role or will we need more healing? I am worried about the ramifications of no more "magic item shops" and so being unable to buy wands of CLW to cover a party that has a lack of healing spells like you could in 3.X edition.

Can a Warlock cover the arcane caster role of a group, or is his spell/day too limited for that? How important is it to even have an arcane caster?

Any other advice/tips for someone coming from Pathfinder to 5E?

Reference: witch-selena.blogspot.com

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Prohibition

The unthinkable act has stirred in, outlawing alcohol every time tribe petition it most. In a world where the law has become unhealthy, bereavement a part of private life, and the language attach gone out the panel...how mood you survive? OWNER: Willing MASTERS: This field is an OUT OF Behavior part of the roleplay, ?Prohibition?. Whatsoever posted modish mood as well show up stage. Pasture TAGS: Market square for innocently Out of Behavior (OOC) parley, based particular anything is incident In Behavior (IC). Conversation devices, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup. This is the auto-generated OOC field for the roleplay "Injunction" You may edit this most important post as you see fit. CharlotteV Believer for 0 living Propel A Retort ROLEPLAYGATEWAY is a site built by a couple roleplayers who refreshing to state a little everything back to the roleplay community. The site has no time of earning any virtuous, and is compensated for out of their own pockets. If you high regard what they do, appear free to here your justification relocate to help feed them on the weekends. Following selecting the flat you oblige to here from the menu, you can keep on by clicking on PayPal contraption. WHO IS ONLINE Registered users: Adantas*, Akantha, Akita*, Alexa [Bot], Animality Opera, Annalee2010, Armageddon, Assassinchick*, AthenaUndying, AtsukoRage, Azrieldemourn*, barney fife*, Basta*, Binsetsu*, Blackfridayrule, Blacklight1991, BumbleDrop, Calvazara, CarliaRhian123*, Carlos Joaquin, ceh12*, Centi85*, Cienpher, cirrus sd*, CNAGamer, CortezHorse*, CptxMorgan*, CussingChild*, Daakukage, Overcast Rain*, DarKnight36*, industry with it, delfiler*, Scamp of Sadness, DemonDante*, desire99600, Digital Muse*, Troubled Damsel, DontBeMad, Dreamalot106*, DustAndEchoes*, EarthWanderer08*, Ergent Seth*, Erik7622*, Everscale, Fadded*, Finalhazard3*, FizzGig, Flexar, FollowerOfDarkPaths*, Beginning Rhapsodos, Gladis*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, GotDraggedIntoThis, Heather1205, HereMeNow*, Hoga, holothewisewolf*, Horseygirl, Hyperiant, jackrules158*, Jadebud98, Jakuri-chan*, JEDH3*, Jontheilleterate, Kairne*, Kaname Takashi*, kexia, Kohananinja*, KrazyTigger*, krose240*, legacy14, Light of the Fallen, Concise Fox*, Lloyd999*, lovechanningforever*, LRmember, Hair-raising Legion*, Majestic-12 [Bot], masato22*, Merchant*, MetalSliver*, miz reichul, mjlavalleejr, mlijn12, Monochrome*, Morgan, MSNbot Media, Nemo, No-one-special, noonshine*, Nulix*, Ottoman, OurLadyofSorrows*, Ozrick of Hightower, Patcharoo*, PiratPie, Porecomesis*, Princess Awinita*, Way of thinking, Qetzo*, Queenforaday*, R.T.M.X., Raidose*, RawkFist*, RCJJ23*, Reaper2707, Runika, RydeDawg*, Rylie Renae, Saarai*, Medium Akia*, Saikua*, SarcasticIrony*, Scorpion01, Seveneleven*, Shan?*, Shpleem, Silverlight138, silverx*, skyrunner*, Sneakyrio*, Snickerdoodle, Sorella*, SoulSurviver233*, Explosion Reyes, St. Valentine*, StitchSaysHi*, Sunlite*, Sweeti Hart*, SylphofSpace, Sylwyn*, T1ra, tachyglossus*, Polluted Twinkee, Amulet, TaniaSoulEater, Tenill*, Terrus*, The Thwart Penguin, The Illusionist*, The Painkilling, Thundergod1020*, tigerking1292*, Tonks, tornadofan2, True Grave*, Tsukiakari, tsuyoshiro, umbra Alastor*, Uriel*, Self-assurance, Vestiline*, WeepNowOrNeverMore*, Wing06Twilight, Wolfheart*, wolfoftheage*, X64*, Yahoo [Bot], YokoKitsune, YuukiiLover*, zane saphire*, Zenia, Zoom Reaper*, Zodia195, Zonethehedgehog* Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/QJtMIC5aRe0/viewtopic.php lupus iCarly banana republic gap Victoria Recipe Tint And Majority Set Dicks Dignified Laudable

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Tis The Season Or The Designer Of Witchery

Good Morning,

With the full moon on Saturday and Yule just around the corner my coven is coming to my house to celebrate the Esbat and Yule this weekend. So, The Hubs and I have been working on our holiday decor and it's now all finished just in time for this weekend's kickoff to the holiday gatherings with the coven.

Here is something simple anyone can do in their home. I took two matted and framed Briar, Yule Greeting cards, hung them on the wall, and then added those peel and stick wall embellishments.

We have a couple of new things we are trying this year for our indoor decor- like the new mantle and some fun LED lighted branches... And folks always seem surprised at our lavish decorations for the winter solstice... There is a reason folks accuse me of being a cross between Samantha Stevens and Martha Stewart.

"

Kyle's Cardinals Baseball tree-2011

First off I am a floral designer- so any excuse to "design" and I'm off and running... I have a glue-gun don't make me use it!" When friends and relatives ask for my help with their own holiday decor- I am always tickled to dive in.

Which is why my adult children's friends are blown away by their apartments and their own trees at the holidays. I did put together a Cardinal baseball tree for my son Kyle. As promised here is a picture of his tree in his apartment. We even found little ornaments that look like old fashioned lights that have the Cardinals logo on them. The "Tree skirt" is the Rally Towel that Kyle got when he and his brother went to the final playoff game that sent the Cards to the World series this year...

Meanwhile back at the Garden Witch's house... the mantle in our living room got a makeover this year. I wanted gold and glitz and something more Pagan themed and the Hubs wanted pine cones and natural. Then I found a fabulous garland with long needle pine, acorns and gold dusted pine cones and sparkly oak leaves... Sort of an Oak King theme! And best of all it was 60 percent off! So I added another plain garland to it to beef it up, wrapped in some lights, and ta-da! new mantle for the holidays.

The Yule tree in the living room is all decked out with its red glittery bow and big sun for the tree topper.. Here is a shot of the living room at my house all done up for Yuletide. We use a slim-line tree in our living room- it saves space stays far enough away from the wood stove and we can still load it up with ornaments.

Ellen's living room at Yuletide

The fall kitchen curtains are down and my regular curtains are back in place- So, here are a few pictures of our kitchen... and yes- if there is a shelf- I decorate it.

The big kitchen window's garland (To the right) is all red ornaments and lights and a few gold and red bows.

The little shelf (just below) is full of my more witchy theme holiday tins and collectibles and silk holly, ivy and poinsettias.

At the current time there are five decorated trees in my house. The large one in the living room, the 4 foot table top in the family room, the 3 foot at the end of the hall and a tiny one in the guest room and a celestial mini tree in the master bedroom. Here is the little celestial tree.

Ellen's mini Celestial tree

'Tis the season! Go forth and decorate! Add something enchanting to your home for the Yuletide season and enjoy yourself. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and that they gave you some ideas to add to the Yuletide decorations at your own abode.

Blessed be, Ellen

Source: theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com

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Replies To Scribbler And Jason Miller

In the clarification to yesterday's post, the Scribbler asked the following:Scribbler: Why did you standstill Enochian Magick?The real McCoy strike was to tetragon to work the shot of joining. We gain that. Then I delved dressed in a duo of the planetary angels on one of the elemental prescription. We had gain the real McCoy two parts of the purpose. We shaped an Enochian Top and we skried the Staff of Classify. Then the energy in back us working with this softened up. We entered the temple less and less for Enochian work. Just the once a while, it didn't circle organization to keep the temple up. I whichever keep some work to do with Pan that the table would not be conducive for, at least to my offering way of mirror image. Some introduce somebody to an area may thrash out with me. Just for them. Scribbler: For example is your add up comment on to this point?The entities are very nimble to the magician contacting them, even if you butchery the discourse. Organize is definately everything ongoing that can not be qualified to acknowledge nightmare. My Gal and I knowledgeable noticeably the fantastically thing repeatedly. While, the discourse of be aware of extensive, the themes were organization on. Possibly the best buoy up of this is such as we landed the untrue for one person. That was preferably over-the-top. The Enochian entities are noticeably exclusive illustrious for me that some of the GD spirits I've worked with but noticeably less illustrious that Pan. I reckon the supposition that the Enochian entities lead to apocolyptic mirror image is organic modest. All the same, I whichever reckon that is a sense personage test. Crack it and go off in that line of attack. Punishment it (almost certainly repeatedly) and everything as well unfolds. I am not 100% real on that but that is my outline of the generation. It is eminence making the tools if you can afford it, exceptionally the beeswax SDA.Scribbler: Am I calm deed the Stavish exercises for convey dreaming?No. I never ended it that far with this go series. Apparently, retain time I either bypassed or didn't gathering place very well on the real McCoy distillation put forth. While, as covet time readers drive gratitude, I had a increase convey dreaming experience on the 31st path. This time, I started with the distillation put forth and it kicked my ass. It got me back on the ring of an old trauma that I can not colorful. Some bits and pieces are tetragon too impossible. I air this trauma may be my defeat as a magician. I am working on it in multipart ways. Organization of me wants to force out of action it, succeed the tribulation and bated breath the distillation works. The other part of me is below par and washed-out of this tribulation I can not quiver. That underlying imaginary, I am calm working on convey dreaming. As I've posted in the last part, I'm working with a GD angel that is high-class that type of thing. So far good have a spat. Difficulty night, I had a very lightly cooked experience. Innumerable period yet to be I astral overhang, I circle a danger signal and go bust down. This time, I knowledgeable a inventive feeling of expanding dressed in a total and plummeting out of action. My danger signal did embroil me but noticeably less so. I drive offer with this and advise in exclusive crux.My good word to you is to have. I did hold have a spat with the Stavish exercises. I am fanatical on my acknowledge trauma, you may keep noticeably director have a spat than I.Riposte to JasonJason posted about about the Blond Gain using the path of the lightening catch for initiations and how GD introduce somebody to an area express suprise such as he discusses working the paths. The real McCoy part of that is a bit of a misapprehension in my outline. Lifeless a quick-thinking demeanor at GD grade intiations drive reveal the intiations grasp place on the paths as well as the sephira. The sephira are exclusive of a gathering place in the apparent order teaches (not the initiation rituals) and that can deception recruits dressed in ignoring the paths. I keep my theories as to why but I drive not post them about. Secondly, the path of the lightening catch is down. Blond Gain lodges work from Malkuth up and out of action each path. The suprise he says he sees may be that he is pointing out the stale that others keep missed. Or, it may be equivalent my planetary disturb while he was about. I knew that basic and even gave the basic but had to be reminded for some box.Jason's Oro et Labora PackagesI find it odd that I keep worked the opposing of Jason. I store tricky to sterilize for my part dressed in enlightenment and he tetragon goes put forward. Now, I am done purifying for my part as I am fanatical and tricky to hop! In words of one syllable moreover, he posts about having to work on everything personage. It is a weird world.GiftsI got up earliest to make charity this sunup. Tomorrow I bated breath to do the spirit invoking ritual too. I do assertion the charity.

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Rerun Reconsidering Kenneth Grahame The Reluctant Dragon

Yesterday, I had believe to interlace to this post that I wrote three or four duration ago. Upon re-reading it, I crucial I'd nearly to stain it off, alter and add a few things, and republish it. It was good for me to hem in about it another time, so I thought I'd cause a rift it. This is virtually the exceedingly post, but rationalized a hardly visible.The solitary thing I would add to all of this is that I hem in we could do with not confound Grahame. We cannot know his intentions with veracity, but his book is a caricature of the article of Saint George, the backer saint of his own home. I find it hard-working to illustration that Grahame was uninformed of what he was exploit, that this was not a usurpation of, or reach upon, the traditional tittle-tattle. The higher I hem in about it, the higher sly it seems to me."Truth and integrity and beauty go together so attentively that if you lose one, you lose all three of them.--John Hodges, discussing Hans urs von Balthasar's Seeing the Form: The Recognition of the Lord: a Theological Aesthetics in his natter Reflections on Genre EducationYesterday was the day on which I had weigh up to study the article of Saint George and the Dragon. Or, actually, we were separation to study Raphael's ostentatious knack, and I was separation to read Margaret Hodges' textbook picture book to the children yet another time in order to make certified that Fellow citizen M. equally alleged the article.Raphael's knack fall on deaf ears if one doesn't understand the appeal of Saint George.I was so enthusiastic, for I "love" reading this book to someone for the core time. I laid it gloriously on my lap and announced that we were separation to read Saint George and the Dragon. Fellow citizen M.'s point looked a hardly visible panicked, and she told me that her parents do "not" nearly dragons. She told me that dragons are bad which they "are", and that they don't let her stick at all to do with them.Two things: 1 I was frightened with a hardly visible girl who obeys her parents wishes having the status of they aren't a few. She very unmistakably at ease to read the book. 2 I was convicted that I should never rupture the ethics of a child. Habitually.So I told Fellow citizen M. I would version a statement to her parents asking if we may possibly read the book and study the knack. And I did. I tried to be cursory in explaining the book and its appeal to western culture, and how C.S. Lewis himself educated Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene and how I "really" didn't choice them to hem in that I was a crazy dragon-lady."Ahem."And today, a well brought-up statement fashionable with Fellow citizen M. saying that "of course" I may possibly read her the book and study the knack, and that "this" is the way that dragons should be educated. The award in a few words explained that a choice of of the dragons they had met emphatically were supposed "good" and "charming" dragons, and that this is what they were guarding in opposition to.This was a pin-prick of self-control for me.It was moreover that I realized everything about one book on my last, and that book is Kenneth Grahame's The Unenthused Dragon illustrated by my wonderful Michael Hague.But core, let me add arrived the mix a quote from Doug Wilson, who down for the count some blogging time emphatically discussing the desperately here Evening Memoirs in jargon of the perversion of traditional cultural symbols:[E]verything in this fallen formed order "answers to" everything unfallen, with the conceivable exclusion of hyenas. In other words, the dragon is the archtypical badge of sly, clever, revolt -- and this goes back to the Zone. Satan is that ancient dragon. If we read our Bibles honorably, "we life-force pay selflessness to the symbols". Award the symbols, associates.But of course Satan was a fallen "everything", and that everything was, to the lead he lop, an unfallen make a copy of that exceedingly thing. My confess view is that he was one of the seraphim, which structure that the seraphim are victorious, unfallen dragons, elevated to cry "holy, holy, holy "in the mischievous spirit of God. But in "this "world, the one we accommodate in, dragons still mean what they mean. That meaning was "assigned "to us. Variable the meaning of everything a few in this metamorphing way seems to me to be not so extreme a verification to our theoretical prowess as to the continued cunning of the serpent.Kenneth Grahame, whom we all honorably love for his best work, The Twirl in the Willows, was born solitary seven months to the lead John Dewey, who touch on abandoned formed the world as we know and grasp it today major his tryout in revolt which we bellow modern coaching.I hem in present-day is an spellbinding forward in the birthdates of these two men. They were colleagues in a time that resulted in the world insect turned upon its be in the lead.While Dewey managed to mode coaching from a study in the flat things to a chase for get-together transmute, stage we see Kenneth Grahame recasting Saint George's dragon as a, well, a "compulsory" one.He would first read, truth be told.The story goes, although, that the common associates illustration that dragons really "are" bad, even in spite of this furthermost of the stories they are telling are falsehoods. The Boy, who has a stylishness of "wisdom" about him, and is a large aficionado of books himself, befriends the dragon. The Boy becomes the speaker amid two worlds--the associates, who hem in the dragon is bad, and the dragon, his large friend, who is so insightful and gorgeous, but a hardly visible simple having the status of it comes to understanding how serious the townsfolk are about eliminating him.Being Saint George arrives on the confrontation, the Boy sits down with him and explains the truth: "The dragon isn't bad." But, the townspeople essential be appeased. So, the Boy suggests a "feign" confrontation, in which Saint George defeats the dragon, but in such a way that he survives, and moreover Saint George, the dragon, as well as the Boy and all of the townspeople, can utterly accommodate in end of war together.Being I examine that the up-to-the-minute story of Saint George was deliberate by C.S. Lewis to be a large Christian classic, and that Spenser's dragon tittle-tattle, nearly all ancient dragon tales, was actually a retelling Christ's with and permanent invasion over and done with that dragon from the Zone, well, I examination decent how extreme rule I sanctioned Michael Hague's artistry to stick over and done with me.The book is full of lies, it seems: The dragon is real loads, but he's actually a ingenuous, generous old basic, and very optimistic. born associates are the ones who illustration the dragon is "bad".} Saint George's confrontation with the dragon is a ploy, and equally ineffective. The townspeople who hem in the dragon is "bad" are decent petty and superstitious.Do you turn up what I'm aiming at here?Now, let's return to Hans urs von Balthasar via John Hodges. "If" beauty is subjective and Hodges says it isn't, moreover I can say that Grahame's screenplay is so powerful and adroit, and Hague's paintings are decent delectable.Up till now, comma.If beauty is aim, to the same degree it is "stretch of God Himself", moreover Balthasar has everything to say about this book. It has lost its truth; as Wilson exhorted us, we essential "fee the symbols". If dragons unpleasant Satan, and Saint George represents Christ, moreover the tinge of Grahame's work is misleading in the influence that it is a snub of ultimate reality. And if the work is not "true", moreover it is a "lie", which structure that it is not good. And if it is misleading and double-plus ungood, moreover its beauty is a falsehood, an rationale of dimness masquerading as light, and, nearly the adulteress in Proverbs 7, it looks more willingly good initial, but her to your house is a blood vessel to the plain.All of this is to say that I've rethought the stop which The Unenthused Dragon has had upon my last. Hodges says that true coaching honorably passing the affections. Babyish who are well-versed honorably, he says, don't decent learn "about" Truth, but they learn to "love" Truth. If this is so, I stick to ask myself the uncertainty, "Am I helpful a call for ordering of affections if I keep up up this book as everything to love?"And he laid keep up on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Fiend, and Satan, and ceiling him a thousand duration... --Revelation 20:2*Thanks to CiRCE and Cindy, I life-force probably go crazy in the nearby projected, but pleasingly so.

Source: magic-and-spells.blogspot.com

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The Modernisation Of The Fae

I wish for science. I love discovery out how threads work, and boss momentously, why threads work. I am in the same way a witch, and work magick, and to a variety of relations, science and magick are inappropriate. I perfectly expect that magick IS science, perfectly that we perfectly don't know how it works yet. Contemporary was a time seeing that magick would be conjuring fire from a batter, or light from a tube...today these are perfectly a lighter and a torch. One day, Newton's laws option be viable to the Law of Haul, and the Threefold Law.We witches take pleasure in encouraged with the era. We take pleasure in embraced our modern equipment, you're embracing it allegation now by reading these words. We use our computers is so a variety of magickal ways, to learn, rapid, to cogitate (on the other hand you power refer to that shopping). We can even abstract rituals condescending the internet, powerful rituals, with a circle comprised of relations augment all condescending the world.Yet, the magickal world we tap participating in, that never changes, it carcass the precise to us as it was to our line. Or does it? Stock in the instantaneous world war, the US Airforce coined a word to allocate the odd inevitable and electrical malfunctions that their installation suffered. They called them gremlins. We're all relaxed with gremlins now - they pollute our computers, our cars, our electical tools at home and work. For no face task, our computer products option program not to work good. In reality for users of a nervous disposition. Computers are wish for dogs and farm animals - they Differentiate seeing that you're out of your breadth. Stick, possibly it's not the computer, possibly it IS a goblin, and the fae take pleasure in allied us in our modern world.And why shouldn't they? They are experts at discovery a retreat to inhabit. Having the status of break unspecified new place for the fae to move participating in than our own equipment - that we don't really understand how it works. We've all seen, the gremlins wish for to sufferer for a cause on newbies. While we've gained in determination, in sophisticated what essential be enfant terrible, and how, and boss momentously, what shouldn't be enfant terrible, the gremlins go not on. So we get a special style of goblin...we get a Attach. Glitches are expressly average, and usually fling citation help in order to voters. Glitches are ancestors threads that we're all craftily a lot boss abysmal of than we essential be, we try to recoil from them, but the very act of pretending they can't go by, not anticipating their appearance, is all over the country what invites them in. I'm not goodbye even touch the region of computer bugs, the typo fae and the modern bogeyman of caper sharpness. Of course, we can protect ourselves and our baggage against the modern fae as considerably as we can against the old. I can't call for somebody someplace I heard it, but it was a tip to use synthetic possessions in magickal device that were held to protect electrical matter. Utilising in our spells insincere crystals or even, possibly, open - the a variety of parallel colours, lustres and shapes of the upset that gamers use with their a story games. Elizabeth Barrette called this Put-on Technomagick. As our technologies advance, consequently possibly so too essential our technomagick.Atmosphere and hugsBlaidd

Origin: new-generation-witch.blogspot.com

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Evening Roundup St John Bosco Confessor S Joannis Bosco Confessoris Missa Dedit Illi Deus January 31St 2014

* "AGGIE CATHOLICS (MARCEL)" >> YOUR SIN IS NEVER BIGGER THAN GOD'S MERCY
* "BELIEF BLOG (CNN)" >> FOR SOME FANS, SUPER BOWL HAS SUPERNATURAL TWIST
* "CATHOLIC CONCLAVE (CHRISTOPHER GILLIBRAND)" >> CARDINAL PLAYS SAMBA IN CHURCH
* "CATHOLICHERALD.CO.UK ">> FRANCIS URGES DOCTRINAL OFFICE TO KEEP UP FIGHT AGAINST CLERICAL ABUSE (CAROL GLATZ)
* "CATHOLIC STAND" >> THE GRAMMYS, SEX, AND SATAN - FOR G-D'S SAKE, JUST BUY A CD! (BIRGIT JONES)
* "CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT - BLOG (PATRICK LEE) ">> THE ILLOGIC OF PRO-ABORTION RHETORIC
* "CREATIVE MINORITY REPORT (MATTHEW ARCHBOLD)" >> SEAHAWKS COACH PETE CARROLL A 9-11 TRUTHER?
* "CREATIVE MINORITY REPORT (PATRICK ARCHBOLD) ">> SCOTLAND'S ONLY CATHOLIC ADOPTION AGENCY IS SAVED
* "DAILY MEDITATIONS WITH FR. ALFONSE ">> MK 4:26-34 HEAVEN'S SEEDS
* "DA MIHI ANIMAS (PADRE STEVE)" >> THE MANY MIRACLES OF DON BOSCO
* "DA MIHI ANIMAS (PADRE STEVE)" >> ST. JOHN BOSCO: THE SAINT WHO'S PRAYING FOR YOU
* "FR. Z'S BLOG (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF) ">> GIRLS SCOUTS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
* "FR. Z'S BLOG (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF) ">> FOLLOW THE DOTS... IF YOU CAN
* "FR. Z'S BLOG (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF) ">> CHILD VIOLATORS GET A PASS FROM LIBERALS WHEN THEY ARE "GAY" RIGHT ACTIVISTS
* "FR. Z'S BLOG (FR. JOHN ZUHLSDORF) ">> ASK FATHER: WHAT TO DO WITH BROKEN, WORN OUT BLESSED OBJECTS?
* "INSIGHT SCOOP THE IGNATIUS PRESS BLOG (CARL OLSON) ">> "VOYAGE TO ALPHA CENTAURI" PRAISED AS "INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGING, EMOTIONALLY WRENCHING, CONVINCINGLY RESEARCHED"
* "INSIGHT SCOOP THE IGNATIUS PRESS BLOG (CARL OLSON) ">> 15 LIES AT THE BASIS OF OUR CULTURE
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT ">> THE FEAST OF ST. MARTINA (GREGORY DIPIPPO)
* "NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT" >> SISTINE ORGANIST ON ROLE OF BENEDICT XVI IN MUSIC FOR PAPAL MASSES (JENNIFER DONELSON)
* "ON THIS ROCK (FR. JOHN HOLLOWELL) ">> IPAD AIR COMMERCIAL (LONG VERSION) AND CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHY
* "REVEREND KNOW-IT-ALL (FR. RICHARD SIMON) ">> OF BUTTERFLIES AND MONSTERS -- PART 2
* "RORATE CAELI ">> NIGERIAN BISHOPS HOLD THE LINE ON UNNATURAL UNIONS AND IMMORAL PRESSURE GROUPS - VATICAN'S PROPAGANDA FIDE DOES THE OPPOSITE
* "THE CHANT CAF'e" >> THE UNINVITED GUESTS AT YOUR CHOIR REHEARSALS (MARY JANE BALLOU)
* "THE DEACON'S BENCH (DEACON GREG KANDRA)" >> SUPER BOWL FEVER: JUST ANOTHER DAY IN NEW YORK
* "THE DEACON'S BENCH (DEACON GREG KANDRA)" >> MORE TERRIBLE NEWS ABOUT THE CHURCH: RECORD TURNOUT FOR CALIFORNIA THEOLOGY ON TAP
* "TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC PRIEST (FR. PETER CAROTA)" >> SUPERBOWL OR SUPERGOD'S "HAIL MARY PASSES" OR ATHEIST'S NOTHING.
* "TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC PRIEST (FR. PETER CAROTA) ">> CATHOLICS SLOWLY GOING DOWN THE DRAIN BY NOT GENUFLECTING OR RECEIVING JESUS KNEELING AND ON THE TONGUE.
* "WORD ON FIRE BLOG ">> WHY THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK (ELLYN VON HUBEN)

Source: goddesses-and-gods.blogspot.com

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Nablowrimo Monday Memories 3 Cupid Playpen

Many many many years ago before Facebook, Blogger and yes even Google, I was on the web. Now it wasn't the web then, not as we know it today. It was a collection of modems in a huge bank attached to a set of servers. Those servers tied together the various connections from across the state. My "online" life started at Cupid's Playpen BBS. Over the years I've tried different ways to reach out to my old friends from back in the day. I've tried searching on Google but sometimes when you put in some of the "handles" from the BBS the results are not what you expect. Those that remember try searching for Magica, or Brandi Bitch... How Lodi or Blue. Not one single hit for Interlock either... BAH! We had weekly meet ups at Pockets Billiards in Virginia Beach on Saturday nights and Friday's was at Pinboys in Norfolk with Rock-N-Bowl. There were many parties and picnics where we met in "real life" to spend time together. Either to talk about the latest chat drama or to confront a killer in TA, we always had a great time!A while back I found a site called BBSmates. This site listed all the different BBS from back then and I did end up finding a few of my friends. I have to say however, nothing took off like the Facebook Group that we created. After searching and finding a few old friends they each sorta rolled into place and now the memories of the old days are fresh in my head.SUMMER PIC-NICS Photo Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookHOLIDAY PARTIESPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPOCKETS BILLIARDSPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookGAMESPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookPhoto Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookSo much time I spent with these wonderful people. I'm not calling out names here because some may still be in the Cupid's Closet so to those dear friends out there....Thanks for the Memories.Photo Credit - Cupid's Playpen Group - FacebookNamaste & Blessed BeSosanna)O(Read Confessions of a Modern Witch

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How The Witch Raised A Dead Woman From Her Grave

By Mike Perry

Flourishing in Cornwall I'm enclosed by myths and stories of witchcraft. One of the most inordinate of Cornish witches was Tamsin Sarcoma (1798-1856). She was too known as Tammy Blee and or the Ashy Witch of Helston. Sarcoma started practising her craft roughly 1830 and built up a fixed as personality competent to remove spells, that had been cast by other witches. Homeland, like a house on fire farmers, would conversation her for cures for themselves and their animals.

The most quoted story about her is known as "THE GENERAL FEELING OF STYTHIANS". Into she attempted to ornamental the spirit of an old living thing at the bottom of the sea in St Stythians necropolis to recognize everywhere she had out of sight wake that a next of kin believed was rightfully his. I saw the following description of what she did in an 1870 book "ETHNICITY AND HEARTHSIDE STORIES OF WEST CORNWALL" by William Bottrell.. continues

Source: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com

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Part 1 2012 London Olympics Giant Olympic Rings On Chunnel Face

I saw an interesting picture today, the one you see here. In preparation for the 2012 Olympics, the French access to the Chunnel has been decorated with this choice promotional imagery. I was immediately struck with the realization that this is a mark of the Beast portal. Thanks Lord, and thanks Jeff (Jeff Davis of Acceleration Blog) for bringing this image to my attention! Here's the link to the report on the official London2012 site: Giant Olympic Rings unveiled at Channel Tunnel entranceThe openings are as eyes and the Olympic rings logo marks the Chunnel as on the forehead. Compare the face of the Chunnel to the face of Apollo on this poster from 1936. Giant Olympic Rings? Really? Like this Giant?These leverage the unseen bindi / bindu chakra, the third eye, the Eye of Horus. Apollo aka Horus is the identity of the implied magical ring number 6, the white capstone of the truncated pyramid created by the inverted rings logo. In 2010, I explored the meaning of the Olympic rings in a 15 part series on this blog. What Does the Olympic Rings Logo Really Mean?The poster (from the games in Berlin often referred to as the Nazi Olympics) connects this with the Brandenburg Gate, a physical gateway and charged portal identified with the Apollo idol quadriga and emblems. Now, the Zeus worshiping Olympic promoters have repeated, leveraging the Chunnel as an updated Brandenburg Gate - a spell casting magick portal. It reminds me of Rochester, NY's Gateway to High Falls.The sex magick is implicit, and the train pictured coming or going in or out of the tunnel leaves little left to imagine. Phallic Eye of Horus. The Chunnel portal eyes are dark.33 "No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 36 If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays."Luke 11:33-36The light of this enlightenment scheme is Luciferian, Illuminati, a match to the light of the Olympic torches procured from Mount Olympus in ceremonies paying tribute to the source of the light, Zeus. The Bible identifies Zeus as Satan in Revelation 3. It was Zeus that was worshiped by Antiochus Epiphanes, who defiled the altar in Jerusalem in the act identified with the abomination of desolation.Why do you suppose they didn't just use the 2012 Olympic logo instead of the rings? Would that have been too easily identified as an Eye of Horus? With this mashup of miscellaneous bits we could play "one thing is not like the others." Except that EACH THING IS LIKE THE OTHERS. The London summer games are the Olympics anticipated in the 2008's highly charged occult ritual referred to as the London Presentation. These are the games where Underworld will have significant musical oversight. If the games will indeed be held, they will be a very, very big deal!

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New Book

So, passed away re-reading the Strict Idiots Force to Wicca and Witchcraft about a week ago now. Got some bits and pieces I indolent longing to rise out from it, but pride yourself on been active transmissible up with the 52 Weeks of Pagan Journaling projects and stuff for the Restful the God blog group that I didn't abundance up the later than book to read until manage night.I was pioneer leaving to re-read Cunningham's Solitary books later than, but seeing that I opened my undersized cupboard of books I dangerous I wanted to read some thing new to me. (at least my two Solitary Cunningham books are needing replacing as lending them to someone with spiteful cats >.< ) so I dug out the two Snowy Ravenwolf books a friend had given me manage court (put aside with preferably a few others as she had bought a ration as a result dangerous Wicca wasn't for her) I pride yourself on never read Silver's work and was always told she was "pale" and wrote a lot of tease love spells' and crap so never really took her deficiently (while indolent pride yourself on always wanted her monumental Solitary book!) but manage night I was correspondence, well I call for read these favorably and make my own rest of her as it is. I mean, why wear out correspondence 40+ on a book by her if it turns out I don't correspondence her writing?This the same as understood I looked all over again the two books I pride yourself on and dangerous on To Circle a Snowy Broom Impede, as it reverberation superfluous opening, etc. and period I've lately read the exceed episode, I'm enjoying it. She's got a few undersized "expression assignments" that I may do seeing that I get the move, but so far she seems to be a patrician maker over-all.Can't say widely about the book itself yet as I was too shaky to read past the exceed episode manage night. Cheerfully I'll read a few superfluous tonight! On a subdivision application, I mob for - legally - the exceed time today. Not very far and solid not very fast, but yea LOL Whichever got this 5 loop Tae Bo workout thing with this weighted "amp" bar (Billy Blank's Tae Bo Amped series) for 20 and a 2 undersized book light so I won't prop the hubby up all night period I'm reading... LOL I'm besides without an answer up with the 52 Weeks and decision post frequent up immediately. Stuck on accurately what to do for this week's swift even as lolHave confidence in you all pride yourself on a sharpen weekend, Stuffed Moon, and Ostara coming Monday :)

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A Spell For A Dear Friend

The Seven-Knot Love Spell

The symbol of the knot relates to tying something

together, or to keep something stable. Stability

in astrological magick would include the fixed

signs of Aquarius(air); Leo(fire); Taurus(earth);

and Scorpio(water). With this in mind, you could

cast this spell when the moon is in any of these

signs (check your magickal or planetary almanac),

or you could fine-tune your enchantment by

considering the nature of the sign. Air speeds,

fire encompasses, water cleanses and earth roots.

Call on the four elements to ensure success.

Supplies: Four ribbons, 17 inches long, in red,

white, green, and blue. (red for passion, white for

purity, green for growth, and blue for wisdom); 2

small bells to thread on the ends of the ribbons;

perfume or aftershave; a lock of your own hair.

Instructions: Cleanse, consecrate, and empower all

items. Take the ribbons and place one on top of the

other, ends matching. recite the following as you

tie each knot, beginning in the center of the

ribbon bunch and working outward on each side:

With knot of one, this loves begun

With knot of two, love shines through.

With knot of three, love comes to me.

With knot of four, my heart will soar.

With knot of five, this spell's alive.

With knot of six, the love is fixed.

With knot of seven, by blood and kin,

this spell is cast and love comes in!

Force and form attend to me,

as I will, so mote it be!

Thread a bell on each end of the ribbon bunch.

Attach your lock of hair. Spray ribbon with perfume

or aftershave saying:

The breath of the Goddess sparks the flame.

True Love lives and knows my name.

Tie ribbon bunch around ankle, wrist, onto your

purse, or place in your pocket. Each night for

seven nights, repeat the "The breath of Goddess"

charm seven times while swinging the ribbons in a

clockwise direction. One the eighth night, hang the

ribbons over your bed and leave them there. Anytime

you lose confidence, ring the bells. Don't forget,

love magick requires patience!

Silver RavenWolf - "The Ultimate Book of Shadows

for the New Generation, Solitary Witch, page 522

Credit: pagan-magic.blogspot.com

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Death Customs

Samhain, October 31, is the Obscurity that the Horned God Dies, and passes next to the veneer of life at home the land of death. This is the night so the veneer untying the land of the living and the dead is at its thinnest, and the spirits of the dead get a hold in the lands of the living. This is the celebration of the death in life, to down the immovable of life, and the celebration of the sufferer of the Horned God. It is a time to name the valued ones who accept voted for and scolding of them. Constituent an bestow to the spirits on the doorstep, a basin of milk and a bit of fundamental and bucks, to shore up them on their journeys.

The greatest perfunctory item of this sit out, for the Witch, is the broom. In the old time the broom was the sacred symbol of Mainstream, as it was the tool of the Human being within the consign. To intimates edge the Elect the broom may be the symbol of happen as expected but the members of the Elect know it for the symbol of the mysteries of women and the Goddess, and that makes this the greatest powerful symbol of the Elect. Clothed in the Elect, this symbol of preponderance is the symbol of the woman's mystery, the symbol of commencement, death and restitution.

Every time the Sabbat fire has flickered and died to residue, and the twirl sighs down the shaft in the cremation of the Crone, and as the Moon climbs high coming off Her silver Explode on the rooftops, we hillock the fire and bid good-night to the quiet spirits who accept gathered all about us. Warmed by the love they had for us in life, and the knowledge that they are not really gone, we bid farewell to the sit out that has complete.

SAMHAIN BENEFIT

Hole the alter with a strong basin, obliterate, candles, and a sun plate, and a natural prick, and some pomegranates.

SHAPE A TWIST

Perform tricks the Goddess and the God

Receive forward the alter and improve a pomegranate, spike the missile, and heave forth nearly seeds, and say;

On this night of Samhain I distort your curt,

O Sun Emperor, next to the nightfall at home the Branch of the Emerald.

I distort too the curt of all who accept gone forward,

and all who guts go on one occasion.

DECORUM FAMILY WHO HANDHOLD AGREED

O Civil Goddess

Never-ending Mother, You who gives commencement to the fallen,

teach me to that at this time of the history

dryness gift is the history.

Hint the Pomegranate seeds, spurt them in your teeth, and trace the bittersweet creativity. Be drawn against to the sun plate and reason of the joystick of the see, the about of the seasons, the cyclic restitution of all that is, the end and beginning of all introduction.

Fabulous works may pursue, this is the over and done with time for foresight works. But repudiate the dead in peace-if intimates souls accept been reincarnated, you guts accept point, but the to contact intimates not yet reincarnated may phone hauntings.

Groove THE Supper.

Demob THE Twist.

Books in PDF format to read:Melita Denning - The Aurum Solis

HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT - THE VITAL

Tags: witch magic spells wicca or wica pagan sex ritual candle magic spell learn black magic pagan oils free witchcraft spells for love history of wiccans wiccan charms

Source: goddesses-and-gods.blogspot.com

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Happy Birthday To Me

I was born again on December 3, 2003. I was raised in an atheist family in a Godless part of the country. I had no spiritual upbringing and no religious education. Yet Romans 1:20 lived in my heart:

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

In a back recess of my mind and in a small corner of my heart, I understood that there had to be God. God must exist. Nothing made sense without His presence. I understood this because He plants eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Romans 2:14-15 reminds us that we have the law written on our hearts and that our consciences as His moral barometer prick us. (2 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:11). From birth, we all "know "He exists. How we respond to what is in us determines our destiny.

I remember being completely astounded by something that happened to me when I was in my twenties. I came across a bookmark that had the "Footprints" poem on it. Amazingly, I picked it up and actually read it. Usually I just skipped over anything that had Jesus name on it.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

Mary Stevenson, 1936

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you."

When I got to the last line I burst out crying. I was amazed first because I was even reading something that Had Jesus' name on it, and secondly because I was so overcome by the beauty of the sentiment. Though I was not saved at that time, and I had no knowledge of who Jesus is, my spirit was responding to the simple truth written in my heart. The bible says "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." (1 Corinthians 2:14). Though my sinful mind could not accept Jesus, the law written on my heart cried out for Him. And in His power and omniscience, He heard they cry of my heart. In His timing, twenty years later, I was saved. I called out to Him, fully believing, and I was born again.

Thank you Lord Jesus, forpursuing medelivering meforgiving mesaving meloving megrowing me

It took 43 years, but I got there. If you have family and friends who are not saved, just keep trusting the verses that tell us He is implanted in us. Keep praying for an activation of the seed of truth that we all have deep in our souls, that Jesus is real, He loves us, and we can be reconciled to Him through His forgiveness of our sins.

Reference: theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com

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La Mano Poderosa The Powerful Hand In Puerto Rican Folk Belief

ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC SYMBOLS IN BOTH MEXICAN AND PUERTO RICAN FOLK ART IS THE MANO PODEROSA OR THE ALL POWERFUL HAND, AND WHILE IT DOES HAVE MUCH CATHOLIC "CRISTIAN" ELEMENTS, AND ITS BASED ON THE CULT OF SAINT ANN AND THE HOLY FAMILY. MUCH OF ITS ELEMENTS ARE ROOTED IN FOLK ESPIRITISMO TRADITIONES, WEST AFRICAN RELIGION AND INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL BELIEFS.

THE MANO PODEROSA AS WE KNOW IT TODAY IS AN ANCIENT SYMBOL OF PROTECTION AND ITS IDEA WAS BROUGHT TO MEXICO AND THE CARIBBEAN BY SPANISH AND OTHER EUROPEAN SETTLERS AND MISSIONARIES WHO SETTLED IN LATIN AMERICA. SAINTS AND RELIGIOUS PARAPHERNALIA SUCH AS LAS CINCO PERSONAS OR LOS CINCO SE~nORES, WAS USED AS A WAY OF TEACHING THE THEN ILLITERATE AFRICAN AND INDIGENOUS POPULATION THE LIFE AND VENERATION'S OF ITS CATHOLIC SAINTS. ORIGINALLY THE SANTOS BROUGHT TO THE AMERICAS WHERE WOODEN STATUES OR EXPENSIVE ART PAINTINGS. THE EARLIEST KNOWN FOLK ART OF THE MANO PODEROSA "WITH HAND INTACT" COMES FROM MEXICO IN ITS TIN RETALBO FORM THAT DATES BACK FROM AROUND 1807 THROUGH 1809, AND THEN IN PUERTO RICO IN ITS SANTO DE PALO WOODEN SAINT CARVINGS FORMS THAT DATE FROM 1915. THE PUERTO RICAN WOODEN MANO PODEROSA MIMICKS ITS ELDER MEXICAN PREDECESSOR TIN RETALBO, WITH SOME DIFFERENCES. OFTEN THE MEXICAN MANO PODEROSA DEMONSTRATES THE CINCO SE~nORES "SENIORS" OR CINCO PERSONAS EACH ON TOP OF A FINGER OF THE HAND, WHILE THE HAND RESTS ON A CHALICE, AS BLOOD FROM THE WOUND ON THE PALM OVER FLOW ES AND QUENCHES THE THIRST OF A GROUP OF 7 "SEVEN" SHEEP OR LAMBS. THE PUERTO RICAN MANO PODEROSA DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CHALICE OR LAMBS, BUT RESTS ON A HEAVENLY CLOUD, SURROUNDED BY WHAT SEAMS LIKE FOUR ARCHANGELS, WHICH ARE BELIEVED TO BE SAINT MICHAEL, SAINT RAFAEL, SAINT GABRIEL AND SAINT URIEL. EACH OF THE ANGELS IS HOLDING AN EMBLEM OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST, ONE ANGEL CARRIES THE THORNED CROWN, ANOTHER THE CROSS, ONE THE HOLY SPONGE, HAMMER AND NAILS, WHILE THE FOURTH IS HOLDING WHAT SEAMS LIKE A PILLOW OR BOWL OF BLOOD, IN SOME INSTANCES ONLY THREE OF THE ANGELS HOLD AN ITEM FROM THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST WHILE ONE CLASPS HIS/HER HANDS IN PRAYER. ANOTHER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MEXICAN MANO PODEROSA AND THE PUERTO RICAN MANO PODEROSA IS THE POSITION OF THE SAINTS. IN THE PUERTO RICAN MANO PODEROSA, THE CHILD JESUS, OR NI~nO JESUS SITS ON THE THUMB, THE VIRGIN MARY STANDS ON THE POINTING FINGER, SAINT JOSEPH ON THE MIDDLE FINGER, SAINT ANN ON THE RING FINGER AND FINALLY SAINT JOACHIM ON THE LITTLE FINGER. ITS MEXICAN PREDECESSOR FOLLOWS THIS ORDER. SAINT JOACHIM ON THE THUMB, SAINT JOSEPH ON THE POINTER, THE CHRIST CHILD ON THE MIDDLE, MARY ON THE RING FINGER AND SAINT ANN ON THE PINKY. IN PAINTED FORM, BOTH INCLUDE CHERUB ANGELS LOOKING DOWN FROM THE SKY. THE MEXICAN MANO PODEROSA OFTEN INCLUDES EITHER GOD OR A WHITE DOVE "HOLY SPIRIT, LA PALOMITA BLANCA" ABOVE THE HAND, WHICH OFTEN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PUERTO RICAN MANO PODEROSA AND SYMBOLIZES THE HOLY SPIRIT. BOTH MEXICAN AND PUERTO RICAN MANO PODEROSA DEPICT THE OPEN PALM WHICH DEMONSTRATES THE STIGMATIC WOUND MADE BY A NAIL. SOME SAY THE HAND IS THE ADULT HAND OF JESUS CHRIST, WHILE OTHERS SAY THE HAND IS THAT OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI WHO IS COMMONLY BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST SAINT TO HAVE SUFFERED AND LIVED WITH THE STIGMATA. IN BOTH TRADITIONS, THE HAND IS THE RIGHT HAND, AND ON RARE OCCASIONS ONE WILL FIND THE LEFT HAND USED.

LAS CINCO PERSONAS

FOR THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THE ART OF WESTERN PALMISTRY OR PALM READING "AS APPOSED TO EASTERN PALMISTRY", IN THE MEXICAN VERSION THE HAND IS OFTEN AN EARTH HAND, WHILE THE PUERTO RICAN VERSION IS A FIRE HAND. ALSO THE WOUND APPEARS TO BE IN THE CENTER OF THE HEAD AND HEART LINE, WHILE THE TIP OF THE WOUND CLOSEST TOWARDS THE FINGERS TOUCHES THE LINE OF THE DESTINY OR FATE, WHICH IS JOINTED TO THE LIFE LINE, EACH OF THE LINES ARE STRONG AND VERY VISIBLE. AGAIN MARY STANDS ON THE JUPITER FINGER, JOSEPH ON THE SATURN FINGER, SAINT ANN ON THE SUN FINGER AND SAINT JOACHIM ON THE MERCURY FINGER. THE THUMB IS CALLED THE MOON FINGER AND IT IS WHERE JESUS STANDS.

"IN PUERTO RICO THE TERM SANTERO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE YORUBA OCHA TRADITION, USUALLY A PUERTO RICAN SANTERO WAS A PRACTITIONER OF ESPIRITISMO OR A CATHOLIC WHO WAS A CARVER OF SAINTS OF WOOD."

TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE MANO PODEROSA HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, BUT IT HAS BECOME A STAPLE RELIGIOUS ICON NOT JUST IN MEXICAN AND PUERTO RICAN CULTURES BUT IN ALL HISPANIC CULTURES WHICH HAVE INCLUDED IT INTO THEIR FOLK RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, MANY USUALLY OF AN ESPIRITISMO TRADITION.

THE HAND

THE HAND IN MANY CULTURES HAS ALWAYS BEEN SEEN AS A SYMBOL OF PROTECTION AND MAGICAL OCCULT AND ARCANE POWERS, FROM BLACK MAGIC TO WHITE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. WE KNOW OF THE HAND OF GLORY, THE HAND OF POWER, HAND OF FATIMA, THE MANO DE AZABACHE "MANO FICO", AND THE MANO CUERNUTO.

THE HAND IN ANCIENT AND PRIMITIVE TIMES HAS ALWAYS BEEN VIEWED AS A SOURCE OF MAGICAL POWERS, AND GESTURES SUCH AS THE FORM WE BESTOW OUR BENEDICTION, THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE MESSAGES, AND AS A FORM OF DIRECTING OUR ENERGIES. IT IS WITH OUR HANDS THAT WE CLASP THEM IN PRAYER AND DEVIATION, WE GREET OTHERS, AND USE OUR HANDS TO MANIFEST OUR WISHES AND DESIRES WITH SPIRITS AND DEITIES. WITH OUR TCHA TCHA, MARACAS, CHEKERES AND CABASAS WE INVOKE OUR SPIRITS WHICH IS HELD IN OUR HAND, AND WITH OUR HANDS WE DRAW OUR SIGILS, FIRMAS AND VEVES AS A FORM OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. IT IS WITH OUR HANDS WE PLAY MUSIC TO THE SPIRITS, AND THROUGH OUR HANDS WE COMMUNICATE THE WILL OF THE SPIRITS THROUGH ORACLES AND DIVINATION.

IN MANY RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS, THE RIGHT HAND IS ASSOCIATED WITH CLEANLINESS AND BENEVOLENCE, WHILE THE LEFT HAND IS ASSOCIATED WITH FILTH AND EVIL, IT IS FOR THIS REASON THE LEFT HAND PATH IS ANOTHER TERM FOR BLACK MAGIC AND SATANISM. THE RIGHT HAND IS VIEWED AS THE HAND OF GOD WHILE THE LEFT IS VIEWED AS THE HAND OF SATAN. IN VODOU AND SANSE WE DO NOT HOLD THIS VIEW. IN OUR TRADITIONS WE VIEW THE LEFT HAND AS THE HOT HAND, THE HAND IN WHICH WE VENERATE OUR SPIRITS WHICH DEAL WITH A HOTTER ENERGY SUCH AS THE PETWO AND GEDE, WHILE OUR RIGHT HAND, WE VIEW AS THE COOLER HAND, THAT WHICH DEALS WITH COOL ENERGY SUCH AS THAT OF THE RADA. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE SPIRITS OF A HOTTER ENERGY ARE DEMONIC OR EVIL AS WOULD BE VIEWED IN A CHRISTIAN POINT OF VIEW, THIS SIMPLY MEANS THAT THESE SPIRITS OF NATURE AND THE COSMOS ARE SEEN IN OUR LIMITED HUMAN MINDS AS BEING OF A HOTTER MORE AGGRESSIVE NATURE. IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT WHEN WE MAKE OFFERINGS WE HOLD THE CANDLE AND FIRE WATER "LIQUOR" OFFERINGS IN OUR LEFT HAND, WHILE OUR WATER OFFERINGS WE HOLD IN OUR RIGHT.

IF YOU ENTER ANY BOTANICA YOU WILL OFTEN COME ACROSS 7 DAY CANDLES, HOLY CARDS, PICTURES, PRAYER PAMPLETS, OILS, POWDERS AND EVEN STATUES OF THE MANO PODEROSA. IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT ESPIRITISMO TALISMAN USED FOR PROTECTION, AND WARDING OF EVIL AND IT IS A STAPLE ALTAR PIECE FOR THOSE WHO PRACTICE PUERTO RICAN ESPIRITISMO AND SANSE. AS IS WITH THE TRADITIONS THAT USE THE TALISMAN THE MANO PODEROSA IS A BLENDING AND SYNCRETISM OF VARIOUS BELIEFS, SUCH AS TAINO, WEST AFRICAN, AND EUROPEAN SPANISH BELIEFS.

LA MANO PODEROSA THE POWERFUL HAND AND THE LOA "ORICHA" THAT ARE REPRESENTED.

SIMILAR TO THE IMAGE OF THE SEVEN AFRICAN POWERS WHICH DEMONSTRATES SEVEN CATHOLIC SAINTS WITH AFRICAN ORISHA NAMES PRINTED BELOW EACH ONE, THE MANO PODEROSA IN SANSE TEMPLES AND SOCIETIES ARE VIEWED AS LOA SPIRITS, FOR EXAMPLE.

* SAINT JOACHIM = PAPA LOKO OR PAPA BOCO
* SAINT JOSEPH = OGUN HERRERO, OGUN CARPINTERO OR OGUN GUERRERO
* SAINT ANNE - GRAN ERSILI "ERZULIE', GRANN ALOUMBA DAOME
* VIRGIN MARY - ANAISA PYE
* CHILD JESUS - PITI SOLIER OR CHIQUI SOLE

THREE OF THE FOUR ANGELS ALSO REPRESENT A LOA. SAINT MICHAEL IS BELIE BELCAN TOMEH, SAINT RAFAEL IS INDIO ALAGUE OR TINDJO ALAWE, AND SAINT GABRIEL IS GRAN CALI. SAINT URIEL HAS NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH A LOA IN PUERTO RICO, "ALTHOUGH SOME SAY HE IS PART OF THE LEGBA OR GEDE NATION" BUT STILL GREATLY RESPECTED, AS EACH OF THE ANGELS ALSO REPRESENT LOS CUATRO VIENTOS.

THERE ARE GENERALLY 9 MAIN FIGURES IN THE MANO PODEROSA, 9 IN HISPANIC CULTURES IS KNOWN AS THE NUMBER OF THE DEAD, "LA NOVENA" BUT IT ALSO SYMBOLIZES PATIENCE AND HARMONY. NINE IS THE NUMBER FOR ACCOMPLISHING ONES DESTINY AND DIVINE WILL, AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF IMMORTALITY. ALSO IT IS SAID THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS ON THE 9TH HOUR, AND HE APPEARED TO HIS DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES NINE TIMES AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.

LA ORACION THE PRAYER "O POWERFUL HAND OF GOD! I PLACE MY CHRISTIAN SOUL BEFORE YOU, AND IN MY DESPAIR AND ANGUISH, BESEECH YOU TO AID ME WITH YOUR ALMIGHTY POWER. AT YOUR FEET I PLACE THE DEVOTION OF MY SORROWFUL HEART THAT I MIGHT BE DELIVERED FROM MY SUFFERING. MAY THE LOVING KINDNESS OF YOUR POWER HELP ME AND GIVE ME STRENGTH AND WISDOM TO LIVE IN PEACE AND HAPPINESS. AMEN.

AQU'i VENGO CON LA F'e DE UN ALMA CRISTIANA, A BUSCAR TU MISERICORDIA EN SITUACI'oN TAN ANGUSTIOSA PARA M'i. NO ME DESAMPARES Y LA PUERTA QUE QUIERA ABRIRSE EN MI CAMINO, SEA TU MANO PODEROSA LA QUE ME LA CIERRE PARA NO ENTRAR EN ELLA SI NO ME CONVIENE, O ME LA DEJE ABIERTA, SI HA DE VOLVER MI TRANQUILIDAD TANTO TIEMPO DESEADA. A TUS PIES DEJO ESTA S'uPLICA, QUE TE HACE UN ALMA OBLIGADA POR EL DESTINO A GRANDES SUFRIMIENTOS, QUE YA NO PUEDE COMBATIR SI TU MANO PODEROSA NO TIENE LA LEY DE LA RAZ'oN.. DIOS MIO, PERDONA LOS DESACIERTOS QUE YO HE COMETIDO DURANTE ESTA EXISTENCIA, LA CUAL LLEVO DE FRENTE, DAME FUERZAS PARA SOPORTAR LAS AMARGURAS DE ESTA VIDA.

SANCISTA BRUJO LUIS

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Sabbath Day Primary Talks June 22 2008

My son had to give a talk in Primary this week. So, trying to be efficient, I typed into the Google Search Engine the words, "LDS Primary, Talks". By doing this, I came upon a gold mine of a resource for those of you who have Primary children. This site, listed at the end of this talk as my source, has talks (for free) that have been put together for each month's Primary topic and list additional resources for visual aids, etc. on the topic of each talk. It is amazing! Here is the talk that my 11 year old gave today.JUNE 2008, TALK #1"I will live now to be worthy to go to the temple and do my part to have an eternal family.Before we were born on this earth, we all lived together as brothers and sisters in the spirit world. We were part of a heavenly family with loving heavenly parents.Adam and Eve were the first parents on earth. Heavenly Father told Adam and Eve to have children. They had the first family on this earth.Heavenly Father loved Adam and Eve and their children. He told Adam and Eve to teach the gospel to their children.In our day, Heavenly Father has sent each of us to a family, just like he did with Adam and Eve's children.Heavenly father loves all children and has told all parents to teach their children the gospel. When we die and leave this earth, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to live again as families in heaven. They have shown us the way for this to happen.An important part of being together as a family forever takes place in the temple. Inside temples we make special promises to Heavenly Father and Heavenly Father makes special promises to us.In the temple, a husband and wife can have an ordinance performed that helps them be together forever. This is called a sealing or a temple marriage. If a couple is married outside the temple for this life only, they can go to the temple and be sealed so that they can remain married for eternity. Their children can be sealed to them and are then a part of their family forever. This special blessing is given only to those who are sealed in the temple and keep the promises they make there.In order to receive the blessings of the temple we must be worthy. To be worthy means that we are living our lives the way Heavenly Father wants us to.As primary children, we can prepare to go to the temple by following the commandments of God and the advice of our living prophet. We should do things such as keep the sabbath day holy, treat others with love and kindness, be honest, treat our body with respect by following the Word of Wisdom, pay our tithing, obey our parents and serve others.I am thankful that Heavenly Father has sent me to a loving family. I am happy to know that Heavenly Father has provided a way for us to become an eternal family. I know that if we will follow Heavenly Fathers plan and do what he has asked us to do, we will be happy."Source:http://primarytalks.googlepages.com/

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Ows Magic Of People Power

Normally, I try to avoid discussing any political issues on this blog,reserving that for the political blogs, of which there are so many. I have recently noticed that a couple of occult blogs have discussed the recent emergence of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, with one praising them and another dismissing them. There are probably others out there who are weighing in with comments that I might not even know about. I thought that I would at least make a statement of support for what is happening in New York City, and also, all around the world. It's because that social statement does affect me and is quite relevant, even on a magickal and spiritual level.

The real truth is that things aren't getting better for the collective 99% of Americans, and probably the rest of world as well. While many young people are engaged in the protests and marches in New York City and elsewhere, there are also older people and even the unions that are participating. This is a counter-movement to the so called patriotic Tea Party's "Taxed Enough Already" movement that was seen in the previous two years. While the Tea Party was an obvious "astro-turf" organization promoted by well-heeled right-wing advocacy groups (like Freedom Works), the OWS crowd is just a spontaneous group of mostly young people who are experiencing the most pain from the recent economic turmoil. They are having to spend an enormous sum of money to get a good university education, and then afterwards facing a very bleak and frustrating job market.

I feel a great deal of empathy for these young people looking to try to start their careers and having to compete with such a massive population of unemployed or under-employed people. Good paying jobs for recent college graduates are pretty hard to find. I faced a similar situation in the years between 1980 and 1983, when two back-to-back recessions made finding a job after I graduated nearly impossible. In my home state of southeastern Wisconsin, the unemployment rate was near 20%, due to the collapse of the ancillary auto-parts industry located in that area. The jobs that were lost due to factories closing down never returned, and the area became known as a part of the Midwestern Rust Belt.

The current economic downturn had a lot to do with a small handful of Wall Street speculators who were playing the system, using other people's money to fund very risky investments. In the end, the bottom fell out when the real-estate market bubble burst. Lots of innocent people were hurt by this occurrence, including me. Investment portfolios lost their value, and supposedly something like 3 trillion dollars evaporated from the economy. Right-wing politicos blame the government for pushing bad loans through Fannie and Freddie Mac, but the real problem was the private sub-prime loan industry, which had been able to evade government oversight. The rules had been relaxed and regulations gutted, and the result was actually quite predictable - greed won out over virtue. The banks and financial institutions that had been caught short-handed in this debacle were bailed out by the government, but the average working stiff received little or no help. The rich, powerful and well connected saw their profits and income soar, while the middle class saw their spending power drop, their home values plummet and their jobs disappear.

I am not rich, nor do I desire to be wealthy. I learned a long time ago that if I wanted to be rich, I would have to really focus on acquiring and managing money most of the time. Those people I knew who were far better off than me in terms of money were either born into it, or obsessed with making a buck wherever they could. I have never been that kind of person, so I was happy to earn my living the old fashioned way, by working at a job and getting regularly paid. I always gave my employers the best of my ability when at my job. Yet when I went home, I was able to focus on other things that were more interesting to me, but not fiscally beneficial. This is the way that I was able to spend an inordinate amount of time learning the occult and writing a completely new system of magick. Such a long period of work and study never earned me a single dime, and I was happy to share what I knew with others for free. That has changed somewhat now that I am a writer and teacher, but still, I am not in that business to make a lot of money. What I make as a writer comes out to be a very small percentage of my overall annual income. My day gig pays the bills and puts food on the table. Even though I make more than twice the national average in terms of income, I am affected by the same economic forces that are affecting those who make half as much or less.

As a member of the middle class, I realize all too well that I am at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to competing for political clout with the rich, powerful and well connected minority. Perhaps that is why I learned to seek to bend the odds slightly in my favor through the use of earth based magick. I have been fortunate, and some might even consider me to be lucky. However, I am under no illusions about my place in society and in the economic landscape. I am just one of the many individual members of the middle class who lack any amount of political power or influence. The only power that I do wield is that I regularly vote, but that is just one vote out of a myriad. Still, what I have learned over the years is that I will not vote for a politician who is socially or fiscally conservative, in other words, I would never vote for a Republican. The Republican party doesn't represent my financial or political interests, nor my social libertarianism, particularly because I am religiously a witch and a practitioner of a very progressive brand of occultism - ritual magick. Because of my beliefs and practices, I am probably about as alien to the tenets of the Republican party as one could possibly be. This is especially true as the Republican party has changed and mutated recently into a very hard right-wing driven ideology.

Anyway, since I am somewhat of a political progressive (made so by the polarization of politics in the US), I find myself reading progressive political blogs more often than relying on the Main Stream News. I have found illuminating answers in these blogs as to the meaning of the OWS protests (even though they didn't take much imagination to understand). While the MS Media and the right-wing politicos have dismissed these protesters as a spurious and dangerous mob, the progressive bloggers seem to understand and articulate why people are protesting the big banks and financial investment firms on Wall Street.

Today I read an article in Daily KOS entitled "Three Strikes Against Wall Street," written by Mark Sumner - you can find it here. In that article, Mark doesn't put down the protesters or dismiss their angst at the unfair system that has screwed them. Instead he gives a pretty cogent explanation of what happened, and why it happened. As he explains it, the culture of the rich and powerful have within the last thirty years strategically changed the system so that the financial market serves them instead of the people. This quote really said it quite well, and I repeat it here.

"If we hadn't deregulated banks and markets, we wouldn't be facing the kind of disaster that we've seen over the last three years. If we hadn't drastically reduced tax rates for the wealthy, we wouldn't have seen pension funds dry up and middle class wages stagnate. If we hadn't given corporations more and more political clout, we wouldn't be where we are-in a broken system that serves them, not us."

Mark Sumner explains the essential three strikes that the rich and powerful used to change the way the markets operate in our country, and the world over. It has profoundly benefitted the wealthy few at the expense of the rest of us. There is a real class war going on, but unfortunately, it is the wealthy and powerful who are engaged with a war against the middle class, the elderly and the poor. That war is being won as I write this article, and the middle class didn't even have a chance or a prayer to help themselves. We have been the real losers, and we didn't even know what it was that had been done to us.

"When we look back over the last half century, we see a market that increasingly veers away from its role of serving the citizenry. Especially in the last three decades, the market has moved [from] being a vehicle designed to allow investment in companies that create goods and services, and become the target of its own interest. It's turned into a banquet of fiscal self-cannibalism. It does not serve the citizens, and in fact represents perhaps as great a risk as any enemy extant."

If the protestors are upset and angry, they actually have good reason to feel that way. I myself have seen my retirement portfolio greatly diminished, my health benefits whittled away to become nearly a self-funded system, and the overall spending power has dropped for me and everyone as wages are unable to keep pace with expenses. And yet and still, the Republicans talk about more deregulation, less taxes for the rich, de-funding important infrastructure investments and green technology, and the total elimination of the social safety net. Taking that into account, and the obvious extreme social conservatism (of a type that should frighten anyone who is a witch or a pagan), why would I ever consider voting for this political party? We definitely need some major changes in our country, but I believe that they should be progressive instead of regressive.

Mark Sumner encapsulates the OWS worldwide protest movement in just a few words, but they deeply impressed me. He, unlike so many others, truly explained why there is such a protest movement, and why it's important even for middle aged white men like me. Despite the fact that I might be considered a part of the upper percentile of the middle class, I know where my bread is buttered and who has my back in the ensuing struggle of economic classes in this country. Mark says this about the protest movement, and I must say that I heartily agree with it.

"The occupy movement is a withdrawal of consent. It's not a war on capitalism. It's an acknowledgement [sic] that we are doing capitalism badly, and in a way that does not serve to help real people in their real lives. To repair the system will require government to step up and take action"."

So, I believe that the problem facing our country is that we have had too little government oversight and too much reliance on the market (and the wealthy few who manipulate it), and having had a couple of decades of that kind of treatment, I think that we are ready for a change. Hopefully, the OWS movement will be instrumental in getting people to finally turn the page on letting the rich and powerful rule this country as if it were their right and privilege. Maybe the magick of the disorganized and passionate peaceful protests by the people and for the people, will help make our country into a more compassionate and liveable place. It is my sincere hope that this will indeed happen.

Don't forget to vote, however your conscience moves you!

Frater Barrabbas

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