Saturday, January 12, 2008

Saturday Spell: Anti-anxiety chant

Every Saturday I write down a spell that I find on the internet and I write down my results. The following spell I found on Bewichingways.com

Anti-anxiety chant

Nervous anxiety, you are dead.
Lord and lady, soothe my head.
Bring me to your calming peace
as i will so mote it be.

Results: So far, this spell hasn’t worked for me. But Ill try it again. If it doesn’t work, then I’ll cease to use it.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Labels: A Further Discussion

People go by labels such as Pagan, Deist, Christian, and Atheist to describe their beliefs in one word. When I used to be a Deist, I wore out that label. Even though I now consider myself a Pagan first and foremost, I still hold some Deist views. I've learned two things when it comes to these labels. The first thing I've learned is that I can't over use these labels as I did before. The second thing I learned is that when you go by one label all the time you may be restricting your beliefs and views without even realizing it. Some people will avoid labeling themselves all together which makes sense. I personally don’t restrict myself to one label, and sometimes I avoid labeling myself all together.

When it comes to a higher power, I keep rotating between calling myself a Pantheist, a Polytheist, and a Deist. I’ll admit, I don’t have clear concept, understanding, nor definition of what a god is (not that I see anything wrong with that). But. When it comes to the existence of deities/entities such as Jesus, Allah, Zeus, or Thor, I'm an Apatheist. In other words, I'm not interested in accepting or denying any claims for the existence of these gods. These are just some examples of labels I may go by. While these are just some of the labels that I may go by, I still have views and beliefs from other religions and philosophies.

Deists believe that God reveals him/her/it self through nature, and not by scriptures. Deists don't believe in prayers, magick, and miracles. I personally believe that God (for lack of a better term) reveals him/her/it self (or their selves) through nature and not by scriptures. I also don't believe in miracles. However, I do believe in Magick and prayers. I believe that Magick doesn't always work and prayers are almost never answered. I also believe that prayers work as a form of meditation. So while I may hold some deist views such as the ones I've mentioned, I'm not a Deist. Just like the Christians, I believe that stealing, killing, and cheating are wrong, but that doesn't mean I'm a Christian. These are just some examples of beliefs and views that I hold that may or may not fit under the labels that I may put on myself.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Saturday Spell: Anger Teas

Every Saturday, I will be posting spells that I've taken from other websites and I will results. This spell was taken from Bewitching Ways.

Anger Teas

Make a cup of your favorite tea. While it is seeping, chant:
Fiery anger, go away.
Calmness come and with me stay.
Soothe my mind so I can think,
Steep peace of mind within this drink.

Results: When I did this spell I felt pretty relaxed. But that spell didn't work for me. Here's what happened. Earlier that day, I bought a plastic cup with pentacles on it. I was just what I wanted for an alter. Later on that night, I put that cup too close to the edge of my computer desk and it broke. I was aggravated throughout the rest of the night.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Rant About My Parents

My parents are hypocritical. They tell me that I can believe in anything I want, but when it comes to me actually expressing my beliefs, they get all holier than though. I didn't tell them I'm a Pagan, but awhile ago I did tell them that I didn't believe in their god. My parents were all like "What did God do to you?" Also, on Christmas Day, my dad was getting all holier than though saying that it's God's birthday. I ask him "which god are we talking about? Jesus, Horus, Dionysus?" Once again, my Dad got on his high-horse and he said to me "This is a catholic house, I will not have you talking about all these gods!"

I know that this looks like a blog entry written by a 12-year-old but to be honest, when it comes to expressing myself and basically thinking for myself, my parents does treat me like a 12-year-old, so I often feel like one. I mean, it's absolutely retarded for my Dad to yell at me and tell me to act my age, and I'm 19-years old. Like I said, I'm moving out of my parents house within the first two months of 2008.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Witches' Creed

The Witches’ Creed
By Doreen Valiente

Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny’s pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.
Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will and keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and witches are seen
At Lammas, and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe’en.
When day-time and night-time are equal,
When the sun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
Again witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven's array.
Thirteen times as Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power was passed down the ages,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame or power,
Its compass between the two worlds lie,
In Land of the Shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it,
And world beyond will tell naught,
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magic is wrought.
For two are the mystical pillars,
That stand to at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces divine.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess,
Of this did our ancestors teach.
By night he’s the wild wind’s rider,
The Horn’d One, the Lord of the shades,
By day he’s the King of the Woodlands,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,
They dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Til Elphame's fair land shall receive us,
In peace at the end of our days.
An Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it in Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By Magick of old, be it done.
Eight words the Witches’ Creed fulfill:
If it harms none, do what you will.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

One Retarded Bill

The H.Res. Bill 847 - Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith is a bill that was passed on December 11th, 2007. In short, this bill favours Christianity above all other religions and secular groups in just about every way, shape, and form. But why wouldn't that bill favour Christianity? After all, the majority of Americans managed to convince themselves that the their own country was founded on Christian values, so I guess it must be true, right? Even though I live in Canada, there are three reasons why I'm writing about an issue that affects all non-Christian U.S citizens. The main reason why I'm writing about this issue is simply because I can. The second reason why I'm writing about this bill is because it affects my Pagan friends who live in the U.S. The third reason why I'm writing about a retarded bill that has passed in another country that isn't mine is because I'm all about equal rights. Here's a piece of an article that I found on Pagan Space.

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;
(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;
(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

My points shall follow:

(1) How can ANY religion be recognized as being a "great religion of the world" when the word "great" itself is determined only by ones own perspective? I for one think that haggis is great, but does that mean that it is a "great food of the world" and should be considered so to the entire planet as dictated by the U.S. Government? Yes, a large portion of Ireland still thinks haggis is great, but Ireland is but a small portion of planet Earth.

(2) How can the House express continued support for Christians when there was no support in the first place? When did the House vote on the initial support of Christians in the United States and worldwide? It didn't happen, because it would be a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment and Separation of Church and State just as this bill is a violation.

(3) What are the criteria being applied here to the word "religious and historical importance" and who wrote and voted on those those criteria? And what does Christmas have to do with Christians anyhow. Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem when the shepherds had their flocks in the fields. They would have turned to sheep-sicles in December. Christ was most likely born around April, with September being the last possible month with enough warmth.

(4) How absurd! The US was founded on religious freedom. That doesn't mean religious freedom as long as it is a Christian denomination. It means FREEDOM to choose whatever religious path fits your spiritual needs period.

(5) So we Pagan and other non-abrahamaic folks can continue to be attacked by bigots and persecuted for our beliefs, but the House will defend any Christian from bigotry and persecution. What a wonderful bill and resolution this is.

(6) American Christians and Christians throughout the world are deserving of the House's deepest respect, BUT THE REST OF US AREN'T?! I will be back shortly to finish this article. I think I smell smoke, probably from the hordes burning down my house! The one I own and pay taxes on! How can the House not equally extend respect to all religious preferences?


Click here to read the full article.

Okay, now here are my points that I would like to make regarding this retarded and illegal bill:

(1) Just because a religion has more followers than other religions doesn't make it great.

(2) If this bill is going to support one religion, it should support all religions and secular groups.

(3) If this bill is going to acknowledge "the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith" then it should also acknowledge the international religious and historical importance of all religious holidays and all faiths. For example, that bill should acknowledge the international religious and historical importance of the Winter Solstice and the Wiccan faith.

(4) As already stated in the above article, the U.S was founded on religious freedom. Most of the founding fathers of the U.S were either Atheists or Deists. However, maybe one or two of them were Christians. There were plenty of non-Christians that played a role in the foundation of the U.S and the formation of western civilization. Of course, when I say western civilization, I'm talking about all of North America, Europe, and any other continent and piece of land that's considered to be apart of western civilization.

(5) This bill will protect Christians (and maybe Jews and Muslims) from discrimination and yet, the fact that this bill is favouriting one religion over all others is DISCRIMINATING!! Talk about irony!!

(6) People of all religions and secular deserve equal respect.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The Charge of The Goddess and The Charge of The God

The Charge of The Goddess

Written by Doreen Valiente

Whenever ye have need of anything,
once in the month and better it be when the moon is full,
then shall ye assemble in some secret place,
and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all witches.

There shall ye assemble,
ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet have not won its deepest secrets;
to these will I teach all things that are as yet unknown.

And ye shall be free from slavery;
and as a sign that ye be truly free,
you shall be naked in your rites;
and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love,
all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and mine also is joy on earth;
for my law is love unto all beings.

Keep pure your highest ideals;
strive ever towards them,
let nothing stop you or turn you aside.
For mine is the secret door which
opens upon the Land of Youth,
and mine is the cup of the wine of life,
and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Vessel of Immortality.
I am the gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.

Upon earth,
I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
and beyond death,
I give peace, and freedom,
and reunion with those who have gone before.

Nor do I demand sacrifice;
for behold, I am the Mother of all living,
and my love is poured out upon the Earth.

I am the beauty of the green earth,
and the white moon among the stars,
and the mystery of the waters,
and the desire of the heart of man.

Call unto thy soul, arise, and come unto me.
For I am the soul of Nature,
who gives life to the Universe.
From me all things proceed,
and unto me all things must return;
and before my face, beloved of gods and of men,
let thine innermost divine self be enfolded,
in the rapture of the infinite.

Let my worship be within the heart that rejoicest,
for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
Therefore, let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.

And thou who thinketh to seek for me,
know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not,
unless thou knoweth the mystery;
that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,
thou wilt never find it without thee.

For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning;
and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

(Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft - By Raven Grimassi)

The Charge of The God

Listen to the Words of the Horned God,
Who was of old called among men:
Adonis, Tammuz, Dianus, Herne,
Bran, Beli, Lugh, Gwyn,
Dionysus, Osiris, Cernunnos, Pan,
And by many other Names.

O Secret of Secrets,
That art hidden in the being of all that lives,
Not Thee do we adore,
For That which adoreth is also Thou.
Thou art That, and That am I.

I am the Flame that burns in the heart of every being,
And in the core of every Star.
I am Life, and the Giver of Life,
Yet therefore is the Knowledge of Me
The Knowledge of Death and Resurrection.

I am alone, the Lord within ourselves,
Whose Name is Mystery of Mysteries.
I am the Horned God.

I am the Lord of the Universe,
The Father of all living,
The All-Devourer and the All-Begetter.

I am He Whose Seed lies strewn
As glittering Gems across velvet darkness
Within the Womb of the Mother.

I am the Lord of the Shadows
In the darkness of the Underworld,
For I am the Midnight Sun.

I am the Light of the Stars,
And the Spark of the Spirit Eternal,
For I am the God Within.

I am the Horned Leader of the Hosts of Air,
The Leader of the Wild Hunt,
The Judge of Gods and of Men.

I am the Hidden God,
Who ever yet remains,
For I dwell within the secret seed.

I am the seed of grain,
I am the seed of flesh,
I am the Seed of the Stars.

I am the Lord of the Heights,
I am the Lord of the Depths,
God of forest, of flock, and of field.

I am the Hunter and Hunted,
I am the wolf and the Shepherd,
I am the vine and the grain.

I am a Guiding Star above you,
I am a bright Flame before you,
I am a smooth Path beneath you.

I am the Light of Life.
I am the Flame of Love.
I am the Horned God!

(Cerridwen’s Retreat)