Pagan Parentingmagickal Sand Painting And Bath Salts To Make With Your Little Witchlings

Sleight of hand Tenacity Drawing Dream Finish I realized the Magickal applications, and began to utilization them for in person.So, it was no surprise, in the role of one day I was racking my look out for contemplation to sway my environmental kids occupied; that I remembered the joy of sand sculpture. Other than, because colored sand in expensive and a route to make, I be attracted to to use the briny flex. Nevertheless, the briny has better uses than the sand.We crowded two Magickal projects at home one, and finished healing have a wash salts, as gifts; and a carefree home spell at the incredibly time! The route is simple, but can be finished as highbrow as one requests. The sand sculpture can be hand-me-down as a part of a bulky working. I restrain with read and heard of race collecting special sands from their arrangements for such rituals, or even robust gemstones to unite the stones for this ambition.We used:~Epsom Saline~Food Tint~Lavender Most important Oil~Sweet Orange Most important Oil~Sterilized Starbucks Frappuccino Bottles~A production of Ancient Road sign Point[This jut can with be done on a clean rout, swept up at the rear the ritual, and stored it a clean, white cloth as a Charm.]Display are numberless symbols, runes and pictures that one possibly will imaggine; but we unfriendly it simple, as the kids were 3 and 7 respectively.Inventive, we dirty our salts with the colors, and scents in extreme Ziploc gear. (The kids love this part!)For that reason, we charged each bag for the purposes of health. (the depression colored, Lavender odorous briny); and bliss,(the fair colored, Prosperous Orange odorous briny.)We satiated the bottles, for the have a wash salts.For that reason finished our pictures on the poster board by snipping a hole in the nitty-gritty notice of the gear to track.I drew the carve of our house; and my daughter and son finished a carefree veneer voguish.We blessed the have a wash briny bottles and the briny sculpture with sprays of mist for the River Division, incense seethe for Inflame and Air, and agreed a quartz crystal to spare them all for Lair.For that reason we as well as danced re to a faint small amount chant that I finished up about supervision us extremely, carefree and dependable.The whole route took about 15-20 minutes; which is reproduction for small amount kiddos with very unhelpful attraction spans.Subsequent to you do it by yourself, it is manner to hammer your time and make a real meditation out of it.Subsequent to we were ready, I capped the bottles, and funneled the briny from the poster board picture at home their have a wash. That way they got to try out their have a wash salts, and they sympathetic the healing, humid energies from the ritual.They esteemed it. And we gave the have a wash salts to the grandmas with labels on them eloquent what they were, and who had finished them. All in all, it was a very manner jut. Very, I guess it is one we have got to repeat soon!The purposes can be in sync for close to doesn't matter what, as can you found assorted chants to go with it. It can be to remove whatever thing, alter whatever thing, protect whatever thing or even to become aware of whatever thing. The possibities are as everlasting as your inventiveness. Enjoy!
CRAFTY'S CUP

READER NOTE

Hey everyone~I restrain a Homemaking and Organizing post that I would be attracted to to quantity with you. I wrote it for Cunning Chick's Retro Nothingness. It is part of a new series that I am separation to add to that blog, called the Kin Divinity Documentation. (But for th item, I am better of a Kin Divinity in training, myself! The time-honored overwhelm in Faction. Ha!)If any of you guess it is whatever thing you dominance be informed in, demand consume on by and reassess it out. Cunning Chick's Retro Nothingness at http://craftychick1221@blogspot.com/. Bye all, and restrain a enhance day. ~Danae

Fortean Alternative News Exorcists Needed Royal Wedding Ufo And Psychic Buried Alive

CHURCH LEADERS CALL FOR MORE EXORCIST TRAINING AGAINST EVILcatholicnews - A call to arms -- to take up the weapons of the rosary and prayer -- rang out at a recent international conference on exorcism in Rome.The church needs more training of both priests and laypeople in fighting the influence of the devil and bringing spiritual healing to those in need, attendees said."This is warfare. We've gotten way behind. We've lost the concept of spiritual warfare," said Msgr. Marvin Mottet, the official exorcist of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa.The 80-year-old retired priest said that about once a month he sees a serious case of possession and "tons" of cases of demonic influence in which people are being "bothered or attacked by evil spirits." Those kinds of cases, he said, are "a daily thing."Msgr. Mottet was one of 60 people attending a course on exorcism and Satanism at the Legionaries of Christ's Regina Apostolorum University in Rome March 28-April 2. The annual event is co-sponsored by the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments and the Congregation for Clergy.The course, which does not train people to become exorcists, attracted many people who were already familiar and experienced with exorcism; 10 were from the United States. The majority of participants were priests, but some were lay doctors, psychologists or parishioners active in prayer ministry.The course looks at the theological and spiritual elements of exorcism as well as the psychological, sociological and criminal aspects of demonic cults, sects and Satanism.During the breaks and question-and-answer periods, priests eagerly shared theories and "war stories" of strange or difficult cases of possession -- all of which could have made fine fodder for a Hollywood screenwriter's brainstorming session.Msgr. Mottet and other exorcists said just as there are different levels of the devil's influence on a person, so there are different methods to counter it -- with exorcism being reserved to priests who have their bishop's permission and are certain the person is experiencing real demonic possession.The more common problems of temptation and general demonic influence or activity, they said, can be resolved by receiving the sacraments, especially the sacrament of Reconciliation, or prayers for healing and deliverance, which trained lay Catholics can recite.A parish priest should discern when a person needs medical, psychological or pastoral care and when a session of healing or deliverance prayers, rather than exorcism, is needed, they said."We shouldn't overwork the exorcists. The parish priest should be training laypeople to do deliverance," Msgr. Mottet said.Father Gabriele Nanni, an exorcist for the Diocese of Teramo, Italy, and an expert on the history of the exorcism rite, was one of the speakers at the course.He said fasting and reciting the prayers for the dead or invoking the Virgin Mary are extremely effective in freeing people from demonic influence.But Father Nanni warned that priests and the faithful should never look at the prayers and rites of exorcism as being "a magic formula."He said too much debate over which prayer or rite is better risks taking attention away from the fact that the real power at work in healing is the infinite mercy of God, not which kind of prayers are used to invoke that mercy.People involved in healing have to really believe the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ "broke ties of the devil's power" over mankind, he said.Father Nanni and Msgr. Mottet said it's not the priest or the person praying that is doing the work of liberation, it is God, Mary, Jesus or the saint being invoked. "The power is in the name of Jesus, not your voice; you don't have to yell," said the monsignor.Some participants and speakers said they're convinced demonic influence has increased drastically, in part because of the growth of "La Santa Muerta" in Mexico and other cults, voodoo, witchcraft and Satanic practices, as well as increasing secularism and lack of connection with God and the sacraments."The devil 'needs' us," Father Nanni said. The devil "is like a sophisticated car or tool without fuel, without energy, and through the sin of man" he gathers strength "and uses us like a battery to recharge," he said.The devil has more power today precisely because there is more sin, he said.But when there is more holiness, when people begin to forgive others, choose the good and be merciful, that's less strength for the devil and all of humanity benefits, Father Nanni said.People think that if they remove God from their lives, they will be freer, said Conventional Franciscan Father John Farao, a prison chaplain in the Diocese of Monterrey, Calif."But there is no neutral space. There is light and there is dark. If you leave the light, you open the door to darkness," he said.Father Farao said, "People are afraid to believe there is a devil who can seriously affect their lives." Even Catholics "want to see the kind, gentle shepherd and not look at the demons," he said."Few people want to face the fact that we're in a spiritual battle. People don't want conflict," he added.Pope Benedict XVI has often spoken about the existence of the devil and, at the start of Lent, urged Christians to make a commitment to "take Jesus' side against sin" and "engage in spiritual battle against the spirit of evil."Going to church regularly, taking part in the sacraments and having "a strong spiritual life is the greatest protection against Satan's interaction in our lives," said Father Farao.
FLOTSAM FROM JAPAN'S TSUNAMI TO HIT US WEST COASTkirotv - John Anderson has discovered just about everything during the 30 years he's combed Washington state's beaches - glass fishing floats, hockey gloves, bottled messages, even hundreds of mismatched pairs of Nike sneakers that washed up barnacled but otherwise unworn.The biggest haul may come in one to three years when, scientists say, wind and ocean currents eventually will push some of the massive debris from Japan's tsunami and earthquake onto the shores of the U.S. West Coast."I'm fascinated to see what actually makes it over here, compared to what might sink or biodegrade out there," said Anderson, 57, a plumber and avid beachcomber who lives in the coastal town of Forks, Wash.The floating debris will likely be carried by currents off of Japan toward Washington, Oregon and California before turning toward Hawaii and back again toward Asia, circulating in what is known as the North Pacific gyre, said Curt Ebbesmeyer, a Seattle oceanographer who has spent decades tracking flotsam.Ebbesmeyer, who has traced Nike sneakers, plastic bath toys and hockey gloves accidentally spilled from Asia cargo ships, is now tracking the massive debris field moving across the Pacific Ocean from Japan. He relies heavily on a network of thousands of beachcombers such as Anderson to report the location and details of their finds."If you put a major city through a trash grinder and sprinkle it on the water, that's what you're dealing with," he said.As to whether any of the debris might be radioactive from the devastation at Japanese nuclear power plants, James Hevezi, chair of the American College of Radiology Commission on Medical Physics, said there could be."But it would be very low risk," Hevezi said. "The amount that would be on the stuff by the time it reached the West Coast would be minimal."Only a small portion of that debris will wash ashore, and how fast it gets there and where it lands depends on buoyancy, material and other factors. Fishing vessels or items that poke out of the water and are more likely influenced by wind may show up in a year, while items like lumber pieces, survey stakes and household items may take two to three years, he said.If the items aren't blown ashore by winds or get caught up in another oceanic gyre, they'll continue to drift in the North Pacific loop and complete the circle in about six years, Ebbesmeyer said."The material that is actually blown in will be a fraction" of the tsunami debris, said Curt Peterson, a coastal oceanographer and professor of in the geology department at Portland State University in Oregon. "Some will break up in transit. A lot of it will miss our coast. Some will split up and head up to Gulf of Alaska and (British Columbia).""All this debris will find a way to reach the West coast or stop in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch," a swirling mass of concentrated marine litter in the Pacific Ocean, said Luca Centurioni, a researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego."The dispersion is pretty large, so it's not like a straight shot from Tokyo to San Francisco," said Centurioni, the principal investigator for the Global Drifter Program funded by NOAA. The program deploys about 900 satellite-tracked drifting buoys each year throughout the world to collect sea surface temperature and other data.Much of the debris will be plastic, which doesn't completely break down. That raises concerns about marine pollution and the potential harm to marine life. But the amount of tsunami debris, while massive, still pales in comparison to the litter that is dumped into oceans on a regular basis, Ebbesmeyer said.Ebbesmeyer and retired NOAA researcher Jim Ingraham are using a computer program to plot the path of debris from March 11 tsunami to add to growing knowledge about ocean currents. The modeling relies on weather data collected by U.S. Navy, and the researchers are waiting for the monthly release of that data to make their first projections.Ingraham developed the program to figure out the effects of ocean currents on salmon migration, but the two also have been using it plot the path of a multitude of floating junk.Ebbesmeyer first became interested in flotsam when he heard reports of beachcombers finding hundreds of water-soaked shoes in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. An Asia cargo ship bound for the U.S. in 1990 had spilled thousands of Nike shoes into the middle of the North Pacific Ocean. He was able to trace serial numbers on shoes to the cargo ship, giving him the points where they began drifting in the ocean and where they landed.The oceanographer also has tracked plastic bath toys - frogs, turtle, ducks and beavers - that fell overboard a cargo ship in 1992 in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and were later found in Sitka, Alaska.Anderson says he constantly scans the beaches watching for something that catches his eye. He's found about 20 bottled messages, mostly from schoolchildren, and the several hundred Nike sneakers, which he cleaned up by soaking in water and eventually gave away, sold or swapped."In two years, there's going to be stuff coming in (from Japan), and probably lots of it," he said. "Some of it is bound to come in."
TV PSYCHIC BURIED ALIVE AT DUDLEY CASTLEbirminghammail - A television medium is causing tremors across the psychic world - by being buried alive for seven days at Dudley Castle.Ian Lawman was lowered underground in a bespoke coffin last night at the 11th century castle, with medics, bodyguards and his wife Julie watching on.His efforts will raise funds for a charity set up by Stafford-born PC David Rathband, who was blinded after being shot by crazed gunman Raoul Moat last July.The Blue Lamp Foundation supports emergency services staff who have been criminally injured at work.Ian, from Scunthorpe, was buried under two tons of soil at the castle - which is reputed to be haunted - but can keep in touch with the world above ground via a glass panel at the head of the coffin.A round-the-clock webcam inside the coffin allows viewers to keep up to date with his time underground.Before entering the coffin, he said: "This link means I will be able to liaise with the outside world, and allows people to discover my thoughts and feelings, both emotionally and paranormally."It will be an immense challenge, and will mean pushing the boundaries of human endurance, but I am determined to see it through."The coffin also has two breathing pipes. Ian's daily intake of food will consist of just four capsules offering 2,000 calories - a dietary technique pioneered for use in space travel and military campaigns.Dudley Castle spokeswoman Jill Hitchman said: "Ian has a long-standing relationship with the site, which has a hugely rich history of paranormal activity - indeed his coffin will be buried along the ley lines that run throughout the courtyard."His quest has attracted worldwide interest and we will be watching his progress, as he explores even deeper phenomena from across the centuries, with great interest."NOTE: UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE GOING TO DIG HIM BACK UP...LON VIEWER SEES POSSIBLE UFO NEAR SUFFOLK, VA - VIDEOA viewer sent a strange piece of video to WAVY.com of what he believes is a UFO.On Wednesday around 6:34 a.m., 22-year-old Brandon Sears said he was driving on Carolina Road just outside of Suffolk and spotted a mysterious floating object hovering in the sky.He said it was holding steady above a few houses for at least 10 seconds.Sears said there were three extremely bright lights side by side on the object.He said as he got closer, it moved over the road and flew past him.Viewer sees possible UFO near Suffolk: wavy.com RETIRED AIR FORCE MAJOR PREDICTS UFO SIGHTINGS AT ROYAL WEDDINGThe upcoming royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton is expected to be viewed by more than a billion people worldwide -- and possibly a few extraterrestrials, according to at least one former military officer.George Filer, a retired Air Force major, runs the National UFO Center and says it's common to see UFOs around important events."The craft seem to have an interest in anything important," Filer told AOL News. "They've been sighted recently over Libya and near the Japanese tsunami."Some UFO researchers hope that Prince William and Kate Middleton will use the occasion of their April 29 wedding to announce what the British government knows about UFOs.Filer says his center averages more than 1,000 sightings a month, and he expects to get a few UFO reports from the area surrounding Westminster Abbey, the site of the April 29 wedding. Continue reading at Retired Air Force Major Predicts UFO Sightings at Royal Wedding

Saint Theodore The General As A Model For Our Lives

Holy Great Martyr Theodore the Stratilatis (Feast Day - February 8)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

Saint Theodore the General lived during the reign of Licinius (late 3rd and early 4th century). He was from Euchaita in Galatia and lived in Heraclea near the Black Sea. He was an officer in the Roman army and was distinguished for his bravery. He had the gift of speech, which he used in the best way, since it was a tool that helped a lot in sowing the word of God. With the fiery missionary zeal that distinguished him he preached the word of God with boldness and courage and attracted many who were well-intentioned to the faith of Christ.

Licinius admired the bravery of Theodore, together with the gift of speech he had, and expressed a desire to meet with him and speak, despite being informed he was a Christian. Saint Theodore met him at the main gate of the city and Licinius suggested they go to the pagan temple to pray and sacrifice to idols. Saint Theodore asked to entrust to him the gold and silver statues of the gods he brought with him, in order to pray at his house. The Saint prayed to the true God and broke the statues into tiny pieces and distributed them to the poor. When Licinius was informed of this he ordered that he be harshly tortured. The Saint endured with patience, inner peace and joy during the terrible torture, imprisonment and crucifixion, glorifying God who healed him of all his wounds, but He also sent angels to take him down from the cross. When Licinius saw the Saint before him totally healthy he ordered that he be beheaded, and in this way he handed his holy soul "into the hands of the living God".

His life and deeds give us the opportunity to highlight the following:

The Word of God, with a capital "W", is Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. And the word of God with a small "w" is whatever God says to His people, His exhortations, promises and precepts, which were communicated to the people by the Prophets, and are "words of eternal life", as the Apostle Peter responded to a question of Christ. That is, Christ had asked His Twelve Disciples if they wanted to distance themselves from being near Him, as others had done, because His words seemed difficult to accept that referred to the partaking of His Body and Blood, and the Apostle Peter responded: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (Jn. 6:68). In other words, the words of God are not new words, but they hide life within it. It has energy and Grace, as well as the power to renew man and lead him to communion with God. When the word of God finds listeners, who have the disposition to implement what they hear, then they bear fruit, as the seed has fallen on fertile ground. But the fruition of the word of God does not only depend on the audience but also on preachers of the divine word, who should try to teach and inspire mainly by example. Besides, as Saint Seraphim of Sarov says, the best evangelism is that which takes place with "the intensity of prayer and example".

The words of a teacher of the Church, who has the blessing to speak and to comfort the faithful, must be words of God and not words about God. This means that his words must be empirical words and not reflective and philosophical. That is, they should convey to the people what they saw and heard from God, like the Prophets, who preceded their speech with the words: "Thus says the Lord." Listen well, for since the Prophet says that these words are not his words, but are words spoken to him by God to speak to the people, that if they obey or disobey they will have to answer to God and not him.

Preachers of the divine word must do the same today, namely Bishops, who are the predominant teachers of the Church, as well as Presbyters, Catechists, etc., who teach the word of God with the blessing of the Bishop. And if they don't have personal knowledge of God, then they must rely on the experience of the Holy Fathers, who participate in the glory of God, and therefore their words are not the result of reflection, but are empirical words, the words of God. And, of course, there is a big difference between empirical and reflective speech, because the former has the power to regenerate man, while the latter is empty human reasoning, without regenerative power. Saint Diadochos of Photiki calls the words of the Holy Fathers "spiritual words" which satiate the soul, while the intellect reflects and philosophizes about God, and is considered more impoverished than anything in the world. He urges the preacher of the divine word to pray and seek illumination from God before he speaks. Of course, the same should be done by those who study or hear the word, that God may enlighten them to understand correctly, and then make it a part of their life.

The words of God are "pure words", according to the sacred Psalmist, which makes man wise, illuminates the mind and entirely sweetens the heart. It is mighty like an earthquake, but gentle like a sprinkling of rain. It is spiritual water that refreshes, but also solid food that supports and strengthens the faithful and helps them exceed daily problems, maintain inner peace, and have a joyful disposition before God and people.

Source: "Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi", , January 2012. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

Iain Mcgilchrist The Master And His Emissary

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"The Master and his Emissary: the divided brain and the making of the Western world. "

Iain McGilchrist, Yale University Press, 2009.

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If you are interested in the brain and consciousness, this is one of the best books ever written.

Indeed, it is "such" a good book of its kind (philosophically-informed science) that it reveals with great clarity the limitations of the kind of book this is - the limitations, in other words, not only of science but of philosophy.

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I will not try to summarize the book - suffice to say it is about the right and left hemispheres of the human brain.

Further information (and excerpts) are available at http://www.iainmcgilchrist.com/

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Indeed, although I have been dipping-into and stepping-away-from the book for more than a year, I still keep coming across sections that jump out at me as if I hadn't seen them before.

Today I noticed on page 137:

"If one had to characterise the left hemisphere by reference to one governing principle it would be that of division."

"Manipulation and use require clarity and fixity, and clarity and fixity require separation and division. "

"What is moving and seamless, a process, becomes static and separate -" things". It is the hemisphere of either/ or: clarity yields sharp boundaries. "

"And so it makes divisions that may not exist according to the right hemisphere. "

"Just as an individual object is neither just a bundle of perceptual properties 'in here', nor just something underlying them 'out there', so the self is neither a bundle of mental states or faculties, nor, on the other hand, something distinct underlying" them"."

"It is an aspect of experience that perhaps has no sharp edges. "

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You won't find better quality scientific writing this side of Erwin Chargaff!

And for the sheer number and density of insightful and suggestive points, there is little else in this league.

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Indeed, "The Master and his Emissary "is "so" good that you recognise where the book falls short of timeless greatness (although there is still time for a revised version which might scale this ultimate height).

As it stands, "The Master and his Emissary "is a brilliant and beautiful "set of essays" which is not unified due to a reluctance to ground its arguments in the metaphysical. It goes, that is, as far as science can go, and then as far as philosophy can go; but does not take the next step - which would be metaphysics, and indeed an explicit statement of religion.

The solution is pointed-at, implied, but not itself stated; not because a solution "cannot" be stated, but for whatever reason it is not stated.

It is, as a matter of fact, unstated - or at least not stated "here".

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The book is like a hemispherical dome that lacks its capstone - and therefore the book resembles a series of incomplete "arches" - each of which (because the dome is incomplete) requires substantial "buttressing" with the end result that the book needs far more 'building material' (words, evidence) than would be the case were the dome completed and self-supporting.

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In other words, the component arguments are necessarily elaborated beyond what could potentially be an achievable level of clarity and brevity.

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"However", if "The Master and his Emissary "had indeed been capped-off with its implicit key metaphysical and religious statement, then it would probably (in these corrupt times) have alienated both publishers and many sympathetic readers.

So it is quite understandable that this was not the case.

Nonetheless, it is a wonderful achievement, especially for the time and place it was published - very much an old style piece of scholarship, written from the heart by a man of exceptional brilliance and erudition who expended two decades of his best efforts on the task..

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Circle Time Plans Term 3

I've been working away at my Circle Time plans. I'm a little behind because of the company we've had, but I only needed to plan eleven weeks. We have squished one week of basic work into and around our various visits of last week and this week, and that'll do.

This term is going to look a lot like last term, but I've added some things. The word "generous" comes to mind. As I've been reading and rereading Charlotte Mason's works, I find myself having the urge to broaden our horizons a bit, especially when I combine that with the fact that one of my children is waking up to the world and seems extra hungry for mental, spiritual, and intellectual nourishment these days.

This term we'll be reading through a book of fables. We'll read one {original} fairy tale each week. I'm moving away from manners {formally taught, anyhow} for a term, and we'll be reading through all of the basic Bible stories in Genesis, except the Tower of Babel, which we read this past term. I am pondering buying the book Discovering Jesus in Genesis to use this summer. By the end of the term, the children should have a decent grasp of the flow of Genesis, and this might prove exciting for them, to see how God's covenant works from the very beginning of time. This book was written by the Hunts, and we were quite pleased with their Big Truths for Little Kids. My understanding is that Discovering Jesus in Genesis continues with the characters Cassie and Caleb.

Term Two didn't go as well as I had hoped. Frankly, we caught a lot of bugs this winter, and I was too cheap to take us all to the doctor, so we fought it out at home. This went fine, except that it took us longer to get over it. In the process {as Mommy got more tired}, we dropped Latin, and then the folk song, and ended up at the Bare Minimum.

I am thankful we have a decent Bare Minimum.

Now, we're feeling good, and my three-year-old, whose favorite time of day is Latin time, is begging for us to start again, so I'm putting it into Circle Time to make sure we do it. Now that the weather is wonderful, it is hard for me to get certain children to stop playing once they begin. We'll have to hammer it all out in the morning hours, or we'll never do anything except enjoy the sunshine.

Not that enjoying the sunshine is a bad thing.

This term I was also going for "famous." I am at a point where I want to make sure that my oldest is understanding the many literary references he is surrounded by. So we're going to read famous poems, such as "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" and so on. For fairy tales, I picked the most popular, culturally speaking, even though I plan for us to go back through and read those with less name recognition.

I added Catechism back in. The little ones are ready. I'm also going to have them sit through parts of Ambleside Time, if they respond positively to the suggestion. I thought they would enjoy a couple of the readings this term.

We are still plugging away at John Lord's Beacon Lights of History. My oldest completely adores the readings, but we only do five to ten minutes at a time because it is a lot for a little guy to take it. He is getting a deep look at some of the most important Hebrews, such as Moses, Elijah, and so on, so it is all worth it.

Here are the official {I think} Circle Time plans:

Circle Time Weekly Schedule 2009-2010 Term 3

RESOURCES

"Books:"

The Pilgrim's Progress

Song School Latin

Arnold Lobel's Fables

The Oxford Book of Children's Verse

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Wynken, Blynken, & Nod

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales

The Jesus Storybook Bible

Beacon Lights of History

"Music"

All Creatures of our God and King

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy

Here is my Term Three Average Day Chart:

Average Day Chart 2009-2010 {3}

The end.

Wiccan Jewelry Is Beautiful And Mysterious

With such a wide offer on the market of accessories, you never know what to choose. The decision to buy a jewel only takes a woman very little time, exactly the moment between seeing a jewel matching her taste and the next. Lately, a new trend conquers women all over the world, the Wiccan jewelry. The Wiccan jewelry inspired creations are related with the Wicca religious movement and are promoted by PR specialists using the ideas of mystery and paganism, ideas that appeal to many.

Wicca is a pagan religious movement from the 20th century and it developed in England. Apparently, this is considered a witch cult and witchcraft and this is what attracts masses. The marketing strategy used to promote the so called Wiccan jewelry works perfectly and a lot of people are more and more interested in this duo theistic religion that worships a god and a goddess. This religious movement also involves magic, so Wiccan jewelry creations are considered not only extraordinary beautiful but also invested with magical powers that help the one wearing them. The Wiccan jewelry is inspired from the stories about the triple goddess and the horned god, many of the items bearing their symbols. So, if you are curious about this new and wonderful designs, you should know they use original Wiccan jewelry symbols like a pentagram, a triskelion, a triquetra, and a triple moon. Of course, the items displayed right now in shops in the whole world and promoted using the concept of mystery surrounding the Wicca religion are only inspired from the original Wiccan jewelry.

The real Wiccan jewelry is hard to find, the Wicca adepts keeping their religion a secret because of the negative image it had in the time it was associated with witchcraft. Of course, the jewel manufacturers were attracted to this and created items inspired from the Wiccan jewelry and marketers speculated women's love for mystery and drama and are promoting the new so called Wiccan jewelry lines without shame on every possible way. And their efforts pay off, the collections of Wiccan jewelry have a great success among fashionistas.

Reference: 33witches.blogspot.com

World Best Photos Of The Day Part 1

Faith is spiritualized imagination.Henry Ward BeecherFaith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.Martin Luther King, Jr.Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.Saint AugustineFaith, to my mind, is a stiffening process, a sort of mental starch.E. M. ForsterFaith: not wanting to know what is true.Friedrich NietzscheHave faith in God; God has faith in you.Edwin Louis ColeHe who has faith has... an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well - even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly.B. C. Forbes A child too, can never grasp the fact that the same mother who cooks so well, is so concerned about his cough, and helps so kindly with his homework, in some circumstance has no more feeling than a wall of his hidden inner world.Alice Duer MillerA friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.Elbert HubbardA friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely.Pam BrownA man's growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends.Ralph Waldo EmersonA single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world.Leo BuscagliaA true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.Arnold H. GlasowAn insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.BuddhaBe courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.George WashingtonBut friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.Thomas JeffersonContempt is the weapon of the weak and a defense against one's own despised and unwanted feelings.Alice Duer MillerDon't ever dare to take your college as a matter of course - because, like democracy and freedom, many people you'll never know have broken their hearts to get it for you.Alice Duer MillerFear makes strangers of people who would be friends.Shirley MacLaineFriendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.AristotleFriendship is one mind in two bodies.MenciusFriendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.C. S. Lewishttp://picwar.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/http://picwar.blogspot.com/feeds/comment/

Some Basic Pagan Beliefs

"Please note: these beliefs are generally held in Paganism but because Paganism consists of many religions and is so individualistic, beliefs vary. The beliefs summed up here are by no means the only beliefs there are and some Pagans may have different views than these."

BELIEF IN DEITIES

Pagans believe in the existence of Gods and Goddesses that affect our lives. Paganism tends to be polytheistic (belief in more than one Deity).

Individuals often follow a specific pantheon such as Celtic, Norse, Greek, etc. Some Pagans worship the whole pantheon while others choose to direct their worship to a few or even one of the deities. Some Pagans consider the deities to be aspects of reality or personality, which helps them to focus on specific attributes of life or the self such as strength, learning, or love. Other Pagans consider the deities to be external beings who embody certain traits again such as strength, learning, or love. Pagans have very Personal relationships with their deities and so how they perceive them is very personal and individualistic.

REINCARNATION

Most Pagans believe that after death, the spirit is reborn in another body. Again, a belief in exactly what happens and whether or not you are punished for you wrong doings in this life or the next vary.

MAGIC

The ability to use your will to effect real and positive changes in your life is Magic. You do not have to practice Magic to be Pagan but many Pagans do practice Magic in one form or another (actually, much of today's modern medicine was once considered to be part of Magic until science explained how it worked). Magic is, of course, controversial. Magic, and the fear that it caused (and still causes in some situations), is what led to the persecution of Pagans.

RITUAL

Like the rituals in most religions, Pagan rituals mark changes and events in human life: birth, death, marriage, and so forth. Ritual can be a ceremony of celebration (as in the holy days) or a way of honouring the Gods and Goddesses and thanking them for their blessings. Offerings made to the Gods and Goddesses often include things of beauty, flowers, art, stones, crystals, or things of art made by the practitioner, poems, songs, and dance. These offerings demonstrate the level of dedication and devotion of Pagan worshippers.

SABBATS

There are usually eight major holy days, or holidays, in the Pagan calendar. All are agrarian, four relate more to plants (planting, harvest, etc.) and four relate more to animal husbandry (cycles of fertility).

SO WHAT DOES "EARTH-BASED RELIGIONS" REFER TO?

Earth-based religions are religions that view the Earth (and nature as a whole) as being the source of universal consciousness and energy. However, it is important to note that each religion has its own unique views as to the importance of the Earth and to what roles it plays in our everyday life.

Source: http://pagansa.org.ohio-state.edu/index.html

THE PAGAN TRADITIONS

Not all Pagans are Wiccans, and not all Pagan paths are the same. From Asatru to Druidry to Celtic Reconstructionism, there are plenty of Pagan groups out there to choose from. This list is but a few of the many paths to paganism, so I have tried to include some of the better known movements. And like Paganism itself, these individual paths can also have their own various forms.

A note about the sourcing: I was originally going to use my various books to put this together. Unfortunately none give you a simple break down of the individual traditions and so I would have been at this a year from now. So to save time I have visited various sites for the following information. I have also included a link to each of these.

N.B: If you own any of this work and are not happy for us to use this, please by all means PM me and I will remove the segment.

ASATRU ">

"Some Odinists consider themselves to be 'Asatr'u, while others do not, nor are all 'Asatr'uar Odinists. 'Asatr'u is a polytheistic religion and the gods and/or goddesses that one chooses to worship or dedicate to among the Elder gods is a matter of individual choice and conscience. Odinism is included in the presentation of 'Asatr'u although not considered to be exactly the same thing. Heathen is another term that you will come across and refers to religious groups which are based on Northern European pre-Christian Pagan beliefs while Paganism is an even more general term. "

"Asatru is the modern rebirth of the pre-Christian indigenous faith of the Norse peoples -- the ancestors of the Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, and Icelanders. This faith honoured many Gods and Goddesses, some of whose names are still familiar to us today, such as Thor, Odin and Freyja. The indigenous faith of Scandinavia, upon which Asatru is based, fell into shadow after the year 1100, with the advent of Christianity in Northern Europe. The modern Asatru faith practiced by Gladsheim is part of a revival which began in 1973, when the Asatru Free Assembly was founded in the United States. The same year, Asatru was granted official recognition in Iceland, becoming the second recognized faith in that country, alongside the Lutheran Church."

Source: http://www.irminsul.org/as/asr.html

DRUIDISM:

Druidism, or Druidry as it is often called, is for some a spiritual path, for others a religion, and for others a cultural activity.

As a cultural activity, Druid ceremonies provide part of the context and pageantry for the National Eisteddfodau of Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.

As a spiritual way or philosophy, Modern Druidism began to develop about three hundred years ago during a period known as the 'Druid Revival'. It was inspired by the accounts of ancient Druids, and drew on the work of historical researchers, folklorists and early literature. In this way Druidry's heritage stretches far back into the past.

Source: http://www.druidry.org/

CELTIC TRADITIONALISM/RECONSTRUCTIONALISM:

This may not be a familiar term to many people, it consists of trying to reconstruct the beliefs and practices of the original Celtic people, as opposed to Druidic learning, this tradition focuses more on the beliefs of the average Celtic man or woman.

Celtic Reconstructionist paganism, is a more culturally specific and historically based path which seeks to recreate, to the best extent possible in the modern world, the religion of the ancient Celtic peoples of Western Europe and the British Isles. Like Wicca, and like the Celtic culture upon which it is based, modern Celtic paganism embodies a strong reverence for nature.

CELTIC SHAMANISM:

A shamanic path that is based on the Faery Faith of the Celtic peoples of Western Europe and especially of Britain, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Cornwall, Isle of Man and Brittany.

Source: http://13thdruidofavalon.tripod.com/druidplanet/id88.html

HEATHENRY:

Heathenry is the term preferred, in the UK (and increasingly elsewhere), by many followers of Germanic paganism or Germanic neopaganism as the name of their religion. While some practitioners use the term as equivalent to Paganism, others use it much more specifically. It is used by those who are re-creating the old religion and worldview from the literary and archaeological sources, who describe themselves as "Heathen" in part to distinguish themselves from other pagans whose rituals come from other sources. Some North Americans use Heathenism with a similar intent.

Heathenry in the UK differs from Asatru in North America in being generally more rooted in the landscape (Blain, 2002a, Harvey 2006 forthcoming), and in this may possibly more akin to 'Asatr'u in Iceland and similar religious expression in Scandinavia. Heathenry draws on ideas of a living landscape, close to some expressed by indigenous religions elsewhere. Heathenry, therefore, for many adherents, is about creating a connection between humans and landscape, through the acknowledgement of land- and other wights, ancestors (spiritual and cultural, not necessarily physical) and other beings; it is therefore an animist religion drawing on (for instance) the Old English healing charms, the Icelandic Eddas and Sagas, and folklore elements in creating a religion from today from these and other resources. Shamanic or shamanistic elements are evident and practitioners may use seid and galdr, or shamanistic magic and sung magic, in rituals.

Heathenry relates to both the practices and worldviews of Heathens and to the practitioners - thus Heathenry can mean people who are Heathen, or what they do. In general, Heathens consider that people are called to the religion, perhaps by the gods or by the landscape, regardless of their ethnic origins. In this sense, Heathens are "new-indigenes" (Blain and Wallis, 2002).

Source: http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Heathenry/id/491729

CEREMONIAL MAGIC:

"Followers of this Tradition uses a great deal of ceremonial Magic in their practices. Detailed rituals with a flavour of Egyptian Magic are sometimes a favourite, or they may use the Quabbalistic Magic"

(From "To Ride a Silver Broomstick")

Ceremonial Magic calls upon the aid of beneficent spirits and is akin to religion. Ceremonial Magic is based upon a blend of doctrines of Plato and other Greek philosophers, Oriental mysticism, Judaism and Christianity and currently is divided into three forms : Enochian, Thelemic and Eclectic. Enochian Magic originated with John Dee and Edward Kelly in the 16th century and communication with spirits involved the Nineteen Calls (or Keys): incantations in the Enchonian language, a complex language of unknown origin. This system of Magic was revived by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and studied at length by Aleister Crowley. In turn, Crowley developed the Thelemic Magic system from his studies and Ceremonial Magicians have since expanded to develop Eclectic Magic systems based on a variety of different systems, inclusive of Alchemy, Egyptology, Kabbalistic doctrines, Chaos Magic etc...

Ceremonial Magic requires a rigorous discipline and has an intellectual appeal, the mage derives power from God (the Judeo-Christian God) through the successful control of spirits, usually demons, which are believed easier to control than angels. Demons may be good, evil, or neutral. In its highest sense, Ceremonial Magic is a transcendental experience that takes the mage into mystical realms and into communication with the Higher Self, is also known as High Magic, Ritual Magic, Theurgic Magic and Theurgy.

Source: http://13thdruidofavalon.tripod.com/druidplanet/id88.html

GOLDEN DAWN:

"The Golden Dawn system of magic is not a religion, although religious imagery and spiritual concepts play an important role in its work. The Golden Dawn was designed by its founders to be an Hermetic Society dedicated to the philosophical, spiritual, and psychic evolution of humanity. It was also designed to be a school and a repository of knowledge, where students learned the principles of occult science and the various elements of western philosophy and magic. Tolerance for all religious beliefs was stressed, and symbolism used within the G:.D:. came from a variety of religious sources. Today, people from many diverse religious paths consider themselves practicing Golden Dawn magicians--including Neopagans, Gnostics, Jews, and Christians."

Source: http://www.hermeticgoldendawn.org/index.shtml

GRECO-ROMAN:

"Hellenic Neopagans worship the Gods and Goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome. Although some followers are Greek or of Greek descent, many come from other ethnic backgrounds, yet all consider themselves Hellenic (or Graeco-Roman) Neopagans."

Source: http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/pagantraditions.html#asatru

GREEN WITCHCRAFT:

"The central Green element of all Craft expression is the Goddess as undying, threefold, and associated with the earth, the moon, and the living (sacred) waters, and the God as undying, threefold, and associated with the earth, the sun, and the sky. As God of grain and solar phases, he is also the willing sacrifice who "dies" and is "reborn" in the Goddess in the yearly cycle of the seasons. God the Gatherer, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is that concept of the Trinity dating back some 30,000 years to Shiva as the Threefold God. He is both the seed and the eternal energy of life.

'Green' is a somewhat generic term for the elements that can be found in herbal, natural, traditional, or family traditional Witchcraft, and it has great flexibility and variety. The Green elements can be adapted to those Ceremonial aspects you find appealing, and it forms the foundation level of the Odinist tradition (which is very restrictive on what elements are acceptable - Kabbalah and Tarot not being used, as an example.) The key to the Green Facet of Witchcraft is to be attuned to nature and the natural forces surrounding you."

(Taken from "Green Witchcraft" by Ann Moura (Aoumiel)

HEDGE WITCH:

Hedge Witchcraft, also called "hedge riding" or "hedgecraft," is vaguely based on traditional European witchcraft popularised by Rae Beth, Nigel Jackson, Eric De Vries and others. It emphasises solitary working based around nature, as well as shamanistic practices and herbalism, with hedge-riding referring to traveling to Otherworlds.

Some practitioners claim it to be the continuing practices of the cunning folk and wise-women, while others say that it draws from such sources but is a modern tradition.

Critics have pointed out it has many similarities with Wicca. Certainly, many books published about Hedgewitchery are based upon Wicca, and actual practitioners claim that hedgewitches can come from any religious or spiritual background, and that simply most modern hedgewitches choose to base their practice around Wicca. Some main differences between hedgecraft and Wicca is a significant loss of the formality of Wiccan ritual, the lack of initiation into a Wiccan Coven, and the solitary nature of hedgecraft, with some following a Cochrane based tradition.

According to Rae Beth's 1992 book "Hedge Witch - a guide to Solitary Witchcraft", Hedge Witches worship the Triple Goddess and the Horned God. They celebrate the eight "sabbats" of the Wheel of the Year.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedge witch#Hedge witchcraft

WICCA:

Wicca (pronounced ['wk]) is a neopagan, nature-based religion It was popularised in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant, who at the time called it a "Witch cult" and "Witchcraft", and its adherents "the Wica".

Wicca is the largest of the Neopagan religions. Wiccans have great reverence for the Earth and for their Goddess and her consort, the horned God. Their main rule of behavior is the Wiccan Rede which forbids them from harming people, including themselves, except in some cases of self-defense.

Wiccans, as followers of Wicca are now commonly known, typically worship a Goddess (traditionally the Triple Goddess) and a God (traditionally the Horned God), who are sometimes represented as being a part of a greater pantheistic Godhead, and as manifesting themselves as various polytheistic deities. Other characteristics of Wicca include the ritual use of magic, a basic code of morality, and the celebration of eight seasonally based festivals.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca

WITCHCRAFT:

Most Wiccans call themselves Witches but not all Witches practice Wicca. There are many, many witches who consider Witchcraft and Wicca to be totally separate religions.

"Witchcraft is a broad term used to describe many faiths. Also known as "wise craft" or "craft of the wise", Witchcraft is a peaceful, nature-based faith or path. Practitioners of Witchcraft or "witches" are often accused of devil worship due to the prevalence of misconceptions within the general public."

"The witch was usually a midwife, healer, herbalist and/or wise-woman or man who fashioned their way of living around nature and the seasons. Most witches were skilled in the use of herbs and were quite adept at healing those that were ill. Today, modern witches seek the vast knowledge of the ancient wise women and men to return to a nature-focused way of life. "

[Sourced from Witch Wisdom - http://witchcraft.simplenet.com/ THIS SITE NO LONGER EXISTS]

St Michael Angel Of The Balance

Michaelmas have been subject for shifting dates, varying from the fast in honour of the Cross in the Orthodox Church spanning from the 14th to 27th of September and until 11th of October as was the day of the Old Michaelmas. Legend tells that on this day Satan was thrown out from heaven and landed in brambles, hence the blackberries should not be collected after this date as Satan defecated upon the berries on this day and made them poisonous. Other stories of probably East European origin informs us that the bramble and blackberry was formed by the Devil as his response to grapes, hence its praise name as The Devil's Grapes.

Henry Corbin in his brilliant presentation of Ishmaelite Sufism comments that the Balance represents the four pillars of the Temple of the Ka'bah supported by the four archangels Seraphiel, Michael, Gabriel and Azrael, each one of them being conceived as the heart of the four main prophets, Adam, Abraham, Jesus and Muhammad. The four pillars guard the throne where the Black Stone is set. This provides intense dimensions to Michaelmas in the guise of the equinox of the Sun's entrance in the sign of the Balance, the Black Stone being the heart of Venus.

Michaelmas is today related to the equinox of spring or autumn, depending on which side of the equator you find your habitat. The changing seasons in either way is born from the path of the Sun entering the sign of Libra or the Balance. Libra is ruled by Venus and is the bane of Venus the Sun now enters. The triad of stars used as a belt by Orion the hunter is called the three Mari's is reflections of Venus as she moves from love to war through ecstasy.

On this day the Great Hunter establishes the Balance between the interior Hell and the interior Eden, hence the rhythm, of perfection moves the staff of the Upright to be established so yet again the Path Direct can appear from the bewildered forest of thoughts and deeds. Yet again we can set the scales, they be of heart and feather, sulfur and mercury or truth with lie and renew the path towards self upon the Compass of Venus, in St. Michaels cloak carrying the double edged sword of true perception.

So on this day, let us bring forth the rose of resurrection, flanked by the Grapes of Eden and the Grapes of Hell and place here the dagger that cuts both ways as three lamps cast its golden light over the mystery of the Balance. Pour milk and honey over the stone of beginning so the memory of the light can again flash out upon the world of Mari under the watchful gaze of the Hunter, under the sword and cloak of St. Michael; let the worlds of promise sprout and blossom. With this let us raise the burning sickle and praise the land, the heavens and the steps taken that led us to this holy juncture! With this I raise my glass, the wine red with oath and blood and I bow in gratitude as I give thanks in the moment I cease myself in you, He and She! Amen!

More about Michaelmas in Meanderings of the Muse

Reference: about-world-religions.blogspot.com

Gingerbread Spell For Overeating

For this spell you motivation demand to bake gingerbread cookies. The cookies are completed the familiar way, with the resistance of one eclectic cookie with a hole cut out of the stand for (into the future oppressive). Seeing as crashing out and corrosive the cookie shapes, utilization time thought about what it is that you are uncooperative so spiky to untidiness up with nourishment. Is at hand an uncomprehending place focal point you, a place of lack and hunger?

Seeing as the cookies are oppressive, find a red or gold collar hunger lots to tie disclose your wrist.

Last the cookies are dull and iced. Develop the cookie with the hole in the stand for, market it gently in your hands and say the sponsor charm:

There's a eclectic uncomprehending place

In me I can't untidiness

I ask now the God and God

If they motivation

The same as lots is lots

The same as arrogant isn't devoted

petition untidiness me somewhat

with love mock and light

And put forward me exposition what is enviable

To move show the way the day

In the very maximum doable (magical, powerful, wonderful... etc) way." Eat the cookie in stages, discrimination the moistness. Tie the collar disclose your wrist to help you observe the scrumptiousness of the little. Repeat the charm multiply by two arrogant. Say the words in stages and mean every word.

Now link the rest of the cookies with line, friends, and wildlife. The same as that uncomprehending sixth sense comes over, and it motivation, earn market of the collar, and run through the charm, thanks the scrumptiousness of cookies and the joy of partition, opening yourself over to the God and the God.

Era by: Madame Fortuna

Reference: theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com

Witchcraft Wicca And Politics

I keep a news feed open just for Wicca. I don't many stories on the subject. I read about them because I find the Wicca movement disturbing, but not in threatening way. And as cults go, they are kind of cute, what with all their skyclad rituals (NSFW picture). I mean, who gets naked out in the bush for their faith beside Wiccans? I stumbled across a post on The Wild Hunt titled The Witchcraft-Obsessed Bush Administration. In a weird d'ej`a vu type moment, I realized that I've read this post several times before, except the word Witchcraft was replaced with the word Atheism. "TRY IT:" "...it also seems to confirm a sneaking suspicion among modern Pagans that Bush and his administration had a unique obsession with Witchcraft and the occult." "...it also seems to confirm a sneaking suspicion among modern Pagans that Bush and his administration had a unique obsession with Atheism and pastafarians." Who knew we were brothers-in-arms? Technorati Tags: Atheism,Wicca,Politics

Origin: crafty-witch.blogspot.com

The Constitutions Of The Freemasons 1734

BOOK: THE CONSTITUTIONS OF THE FREEMASONS 1734 BY JAMES ANDERSON

This is an online electronic problem of the the head of state Masonic book stamped in America, which was fashioned in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin in 1734, and was a reprint of a work by James Anderson (WHO IS Accepted AS THE Screenwriter IN AN P.S.) stamped in London in 1723. This is the shaping work of American Walls, reduced and published by one of the organization fathers, and of outermost importance to the stand up of colonial friendship and the formation of the Republic.

The work contains a 40-page history of Masonry: from Adam to the manage of Ruler George I, in the company of, surrounded by others, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Hiram Abif, Nebuchadnezzar, Augustus Caesar, Vitruvius, Ruler Athelstan the Saxon, Inigo Jones, and James I of England. In attendance are lengthy descriptions of the Seven Wonders of the Handiwork, viz. 1) the Convincing Pyramid, 2) Solomon's Crest, 3) the Metropolitan area and Hanging-Gardens of Babylon, 4) the Important or Coffin of Mausolus, Ruler of Caria, 5) the Lighthouse of Pharos at Alexandria, 6) Phidias's statue of Jupiter Olympius in Achaia, and 7) the Colossus at Rhodes (At the same time as A few Watch over THE 5TH IS THE OBELISK OF SEMIRAMIS).

It is a celebration of the science of Geometry and the Magnificent Art of Architecture, as adept from ancient become old until the then-current rejuvenation of the Roman or Augustan Side. "The Charges of a Free-Mason" and the "Prevalent System" objection set of laws of contain for public and of authority for Lodges and their officers. The work alike includes five songs to be sung at meetings, one of which-"A New Air"-appears in text for the head of state time and may have the benefit of been collected by Franklin.

The document suggests that Walls, in its modern Anglo-American form, was fixed in Old Testimonial exegesis ("SO THAT THE ISRAELITES, AT THEIR Abandonment EGYPT, WERE A Unspoiled Kingdom OF MASONS, Asleep THE Rent OF THEIR Remarkable MASTER MOSES") and in pristine Protestant ethics of desirable quality, value, and fan equivalence.

Download James Anderson's eBook: The Constitutions Of The Freemasons 1734

Keywords: recommended reading vedic prophecies cutting edge brahma sutras philosophy akhnaton king alleged satanism mirror alchemy graecae magicae texts fire techniques natural en route for fundamentals astrology evaluate satan egyptian tarot

A Conversation With Debut Mystery Author Lee Mims

with Lee Mims We are delighted to welcome debut mystery author Lee Mims to Omnimystery News today.Lee introduces geologist and amateur sleuth Cleo Cooper in Hiding Gladys (Midnight Ink, January 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats).We recently had a chance to chat with Lee about her new book. -- -- Omnimystery News: Why did you choose to write a mystery with a recurring character?Photo provided courtesy ofLee Mims Lee Mims: As a writer of a mystery series, it is my intention to develop my main character, Cleo Cooper, over the course of three books. Therefore, the need for flaws. After all, each of us has flaws; there are no perfect people. With that in mind, Cleo's tendency to risk everything -- both financially and sometimes with her very life -- in the hope of a high return is perhaps the flaw I most often use to get her into situations that test her resolve. For instance, who could walk by a well and not gaze down into it? And, provided there's a rope reaching down into the water below, who could resist pulling on it to see if it's attached to a bucket? What if you couldn't reach the rope? Do you have enough dare devil in you to lean out just a little further? I do but then I'm rather like Cleo myself and end up learning life's lessons the hard way. We do something stupid, we learn and grow. I know I did and so will Cleo. Cleo's constant desire to do everything herself, to ask for help from no one is another character trait that could be considered by some as a flaw. While it might be understandable, given the fact that she was married at the tender age of 20 to a somewhat older, very wealthy man with an inclination to overprotect, it's still the catalyst I use to place her in challenging predicaments. It may be that over time, she'll look back on having someone to lean on as being not so bad. Or, maybe she'll evolve further into a loner, a woman who having finally attained the self-respect she craved by standing on her own, cherishes it all the more. Only time and two more books will tell.OMN: Would you characterize this mystery as a cozy?LM: I think of my books as medium-boiled mystery/thrillers. At the beginning of each one a body shows up. How the victim died and who killed them lingers, hopefully as a tantalizing question until the end. I add "thriller" to my categorization because I love action with a dash of the fear factor thrown in for good measure.I'm not a marketing expert, just a writer, really, but I think for my Cleo Cooper series, marketing to fans of mysteries and thrillers is definitely an advantage. These readers are a devoted group and if I am lucky enough to gain their approval, I feel I can count on them to keep me on my toes with all the details that must go into writing a mystery that really works. OMN: Did you incorporate any of your own personality or experience into Cleo Cooper?LM: Of the three books, Hiding Gladys, will probably be the one with the most personal experience backing it up as I actually worked in the field doing much of what Cleo does. I have a Masters in Sedimentary Petrology. That is, I have the underpinnings of a petroleum geologist but since I never worked in that field, I wouldn't call myself one. So, my second book, Trusting Viktor, relies heavily on research. Moreover, the world of oil exploration is entirely closed to anyone not in the industry. This is so not only because of the proprietary nature of the knowledge they acquire at huge expense, but because they are so often maligned by the press. Having said all that, the internet has made knowledge in any area of interest under the sun accessible with the click of a mouse. I spent literally months on the computer researching the technical information I needed for Trusting Viktor and this, coupled this with actual trips to the Gulf to interview people in the industry, gave me enough knowledge to, hopefully, make my readers feel they're actually aboard a drillship. I don't know about you, but the books I enjoy the most are those in which you can experience another place as though you were really there. James Hall's Thorn novels come to mind. When you read them, you are transported through his prose to seedy backwater bars with a gritty floors deep in the Mangroves of central Florida or to lonely stretches of beach with sunsets that take your breath away. Mr. Hall is able to do this not only because he is a master writer, but also because lives in and obviously loves Florida. Similarly, I want my readers to experience eastern North Carolina from country roads cutting through farmland to maritime forests and backwater marshes to the beaches and even to some of my favorite restaurants. Since these are the places of my heart, the places where I lived and played for most of my life, I hope my books will accomplish this. OMN: Tell us about your writing process.LM: Long before I was a writer, I was an artist. I've painted literally hundreds of paintings over many decades and I can tell you this for sure: the creative process for writing and painting is very similar. Both start with a sketch and with an overall mood or atmosphere in mind. And, for me, both writing and painting are done in layers. My writing sketch consists of a very rough synopsis which I never hold myself to, which is a good thing, because as the story progresses, invariably I find a better way to go to make the story stronger. Often -- and this is the most amazing part of writing for me -- as I write, the story goes off its own and even I am surprised. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you're laboring along at your computer, thinking you know where you're headed and then: boom! A thought flies into your head that changes the whole tale for the better.I liken the layering technique I use with my oil painting layers to layering in my writing in the following way: I start with an primer color and a rough in. At this point you absolutely have to let the paint dry before you add a new layer. In this way, you can leave some areas untouched and add to others to get the feeling of depth and inner glow all artists strive to achieve. Similarly, my novels begin with an initial rough draft. Then, like letting the paint dry, I let my books "cool off" before my first rewrite. This cooling off period needs to be at least a few weeks. Then the hacking begins. Following another few weeks away from the book, I rewrite again, this time tightening and adding more color and detail. I do this as many times as my deadlines permit before I send it to my editor who refers to herself as my hired gun because at that point, each sentence in the story is getting to be an old friend and killing them off is not something I don't do well. When all the revisions are done, the story, like one of my studio paintings is the result of may layers of thought.OMN: If a studio adapting your book was casting for the role of Cleo Coyle, who would be your first choice to play the part?LM: I definitely write my story with a mental image of Cleo that I arrived at by writing from the perspective of my own physical attributes such as height, weight, strength, etc. So, if by some miracle of a semi-religious nature, a major motion-picture studio wanted to turn my series into a movie, I can't think of a better actress to play the part than Cameron Diaz. She, like me is 5'9", has an athletic build and blond hair, and in some of her movies, appears to be quite strong. Important note: I don't look like Cameron Diaz. Oh, the pity! Anyway, she's the almost the right age, too. She's 41 and Cleo is a indefinite age somewhere past mid-forties. I never say for sure because that adds to her mystique. -- -- Lee Mims is and always has been a North Carolina farm girl. She played outdoors from dawn to dusk, built forts, drank water from garden hoses and ran with sticks. And for 25 years, she raised and trained Quarter Horses.She was often sick as a child, and it was while staying home with her mother that Mims learned the beauty of words. Together they read endlessly: short stories, fairy tales and adventure novels.Because of her love of the great outdoors, she later earned a master's and bachelor's degree in geology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and worked as a field geologist. And as a popular wildlife artist, Mims owns her self-named studio where she does both portrait and fine art oil paintings.Books never escaped her, and her geology background inspired Hiding Gladys, the first of the Cleo Cooper Mystery Series.You can learn more about the author and her books by visiting her website at LeeMims.com or finding her on Facebook or Twitter. -- -- Hiding GladysLee MimsA Cleo Cooper Mystery (1st in series) A rock fortune inspires family betrayal and murder Cleo Cooper is either about to strike it rich or lose it all. Discovering a huge and rare granite deposit is a geologist's dream come true. The multi-million dollar quarry deal will also benefit Cleo's friend Gladys Walton, who owns the rural North Carolina property. So what could go wrong? Finding a dead body in Gladys's well, for starters.A hitchhiking rattlesnake and a near-fatal accident during the drill test convinces Cleo that someone is dead set on scaring her -- and halting the project. The two likely suspects? Gladys's greedy, grown children, Robert Earle and Shirley, who try every dirty trick in the book to cash in on the granite-rich land. But are they nasty enough to resort to murder?Between romps with a hot geologist, Cleo devotes every fiber of her being to keeping Gladys safe -- and keeping her dream alive. Omnimystery NewsOriginal Content Copyright (c) 2013 - Omnimystery, a Family of Mystery Websites - All Rights ReservedGuest Post Content (if present) Copyright (c) 2013 - Contributing Author - All Rights Reserved

Why A New Religion

I have thought a lot about whether or not to discuss my change in religion on my blog. At the time I made the change it felt very personal, and knowing the internet as I do, I just wasn't sure I wanted to open myself up to the possible attack. But it's been a while now, and I've had people ask. Especially since I've always incorporated my faith into my blogging. So, here's my best attempt to explain what changed and why.Maybe some of you don't know that I first came to Paganism in High School. I had been victimized as a child, and Wicca seemed a path that offered both personal power and freedom. I was also very frustrated with mainstream Christianity. I grew up as a choir director's daughter. Church at that time felt like a show. It was produced. And it was always full of drama. Usually behind the scenes. Churches are full of gossip. My front row seat as a witness to what people could do to each other, people who went to church "every "Sunday, soured me a bit. And Wicca at that time was as much a slap in the face to what I had been raised with as it was a genuine religious change. A few years later, I came back to Christianity. I felt lost and broken, and Jesus promised to be my healer and my guide. This time I was going to do it right. I was going to devote myself to being a good Christian. The kind who was righteous. I don't know what I thought would happen if I got it right, but I knew I didn't want to get it wrong. When Sarah died and I dealt with that internet shit storm on top of my grief, it was the first big huge crack. If I could not accept that I had to be actively dying to end my pregnancy, what else couldn't I accept? Well, that answer turned out to be really simple. I couldn't accept that my Gay and Lesbian friends aren't entitled to the same rights I am. I couldn't accept that they were "intrinsically disordered". I struggled with how to be true to a faith that taught me such a thing. I continued to argue theology and scripture with people on the 'net. Some of these people opposed women going to college, driving cars, using "any "form of birth control, or even ending an ectopic pregnancy (one of the leading causes death among pregnant women in the first trimester). I was fighting with people of my own faith, about things that were serious and important. And they often didn't even see me as a sister in the faith. I felt like I was falling down a rabbit hole, and it was all about being right. One day I'd stand before God, and if I hadn't been right, I wasn't going to heaven. But I couldn't be right about everything. I just couldn't. I realized that I was drifting farther and farther from the faith. I took a break and began to study. I read a lot. Buddhism, Ancient Christian texts, Pagan authors, Twilight (What? I can't read serious books all the time!). I remembered what it was like to experience faith and the Divine, and to have that "experience "be what matters, as opposed to what is right. Faith is supposed to make us better people. But Christianity had been making me judgmental and small. Which, I should point out says more about me than the faith. For many people, Christianity is a beautiful thing, and they become transformed by it. For me, it simply wasn't working. I rediscovered Wicca. No longer feeling the need to stick it to Christianity, I could embrace this faith as a true adult. I could experience the connection with the Divine forces of the Universe. I could see it reflected in nature, in the people around me, and in my children. I could embrace the people I loved as true equals. I believe that this faith makes me a better person. I still worry from time to time about what people with think of this decision. But ultimately I have to do what I think is best for me and for my family. Embracing Paganism has brought a peace to my family that was simply not there before. For more about what Wicca is, here is a very basic description. I'm an eclectic Pagan, but Wicca is sort of my jumping off point as to what feels comfortable for me. I prefer using the term Pagan because it is sort of a larger umbrella which encompasses more of the community. As always, please, feel free to ask me questions if you have any.

Not Your Bird

At hand are two bald eagles prepared imperially on the annoyed at the top of a charming tower. They are posed picturesquely wary the short sky, seen merely by those, expensive me, who watch at billows. Traveling exact the stand streets on a multinational twilight, I come tangentially an extreme sight: hundreds of crows in the plants, on the streets, and on the lawns. The sky fills with black wings as the adjacent crusade temporary emigration at my persona, and the conflict is on the subject of intimidating as they foothold to each other higher my leader. Walking to work one crack of dawn, a crow swoops suddenly at my leader, shattering. She doesn't hit me, but flies so compress I live through her passing, as a result wheels in the air mega me and comes back towards me in unlike harebrained plummet. I run to a come close to accommodation and hug the wall, the same as she dives certainly down the edge as significantly as she can, disallowed to get me such as of the toughness of the wall. I move quietly nap the wall, crow shattering mega me and cyclists and other pedestrians opinion, until she gives up and flies to the left. If I report any of these stories to people of a multinational mystical convex, they force inform me what eagles and crows symbolize and what these encounters mean about me. They may inform me that next "an eagle appears, you are on removal from office to be brave and frank your perimeter. Do not character the tribute quo, but more readily administer higher and become even more than you purloin you are beneficial of ". In the same way as the eagles were on a annoyed, sure my goals essential be spiritual in skin. They may inform me that crows are all about "prescience and precognition", and that a big group of them depth signal an major magical inside coming up and that the bomb is about me struggle my bend forward or instincts. I worked in a new age store for atypical years; I heard these kinds of interpretations all the time (moreover the being who was calm that her most of it ex-boyfriend was haunting/stalking her in the form of pigeons, common merely such as she began unhappy about it on the store stall). I know the truth, conversely. The eagles are a mating pair that nests in a come close to harden. They expensive the tower for its high 360 next to view of the sphere, to outstanding stain swear extract. The hulking mound of crows occurs nightly, the justification time changeable with the tang, as the beyond measure meet of crows that consume their days in Stanley Podium annoyed the public obliquely to their twilight nesting sphere in a harden in Burnaby. And the crow who attacked me: I maybe walked too compress to a office, and it is downright at all that I was tiring a hat solid to someone who is terrified of natural world and sometimes throws rocks at them. All very explainable; if I were to purloin already, I would initiative to get higher for my part. It isn't all about me. In my study, significantly of modern Paganism has an anthropocentrism consideration. Well-nigh, this is the belief that whatsoever beings are the limit major kind and that reality can merely be whispered in requisites of our object, ethics, and experiences. At hand are thousands of rituals based on this: attack suddenly is about canker, so what, symbolically, are you planting and up-and-coming this spring? I've fashioned a fair list of those rituals for my part, as they are easy to collect yourself and are keenly whispered by a group. All the same, I convey felt for my part starting to reason a very small at the contraption that all our Pagan rituals - all our nature-worshipping, earth-honouring ceremonies - end up woman about us. We encourage back from skin next we fit Her stories merely as symbols to be practicable to our lives. What on earth it all reminds me of is next someone is telling me a story that reminds me of whatever thing that happened to me and I portend to ding in and inform them about that. Neat conversely I give up from actually interrupting, my carefulness is not on what they are actually saying anymore, but on what I'm separation to say. Their words are merely major for how good or life-threatening a lead-in they are for my story. I try to stall focused, but I don't portend to yearn for my counter, so I am rehearsing my words and opinion for an opening. I can strike them, but I am not listening. If we see every story in skin, every bird and plant and tang, in requisites of what they metaphorically mean to us, we are not listening to skin. And if our deities are to be found dowry, we are not listening to them either. We are spoils their words and using them as excuses to chops about ourselves. Now, I force conceed that if you purloin in deities as dense beings, they may piece of work natural world and other natural be unable to believe your own eyes to send messages to you. I personally purloin that such messages would be unprocessed - why would a god interfere with a real animal to inform you whatever thing that can be conveyed in a dream, intention, or meditation - and that they would be marked by a evident loss from dull behaviour for that animal. I purloin no one is attainment true divine messages from the crow migration such as it happens every evening; that I requisite merely mess up upon it considering in a the same as does not regulation the fact that it has zero to do with me. If we are to exaltation the scope and self of the other beings with whom we measure this earth, we cannot concurrently cast them as props in our lives. The crow cannot convey moreover overtly elected your tree to foothold from and be dowry as a symbol for you to interpret, and if asked to choose, I force reliably have faith in the crow's free force. Justification as someone with a disability is not about to be your manipulate, the crow is not about to carry out you meaning. They convey their own lives and loves and requests, and it is isn't all about us, as group or as a society. I know I am asking a lot of for my part and my guy Pagans about. The culture that surrounds us, at tiniest in North America, is anthropocentric to the crux. Everywhere we try to carry out natural world voices, we intelligence to exemplify them, subsequently silencing them make higher. In fact, as a society we silence convoy in roomy othering of other humans, so it seems an not worth it basis to board the othering of natural world, animals, and bug. But I purloin in Paganism's accomplishment to shape new culture based on new values; that's the form of magic I purloin in. I rumored in exchange that I would convey to get higher for my part were I to purloin the eagles and crows were dowry for me, but I'll crusade that a encourage make higher. I ruminate Pagans requisite make an complexity to get under and beside themselves; to in essence get outside of themselves to try to catch a glimpse of non-humans anywhere and how they actually are. We may not reliably cause somebody to - in fact, we may never cause somebody to - but the complexity itself is consequences the same as. Further READING: Paganism's Messiah Obscure by Traci at "A Guts of Frozen". Important Anthropocentrism by Alison Leigh Lilly at "Saintly Irrepressible". Anthropocentrism and Magic by Taylor Ellwood at "Magic Experiments".

Source: witch-selena.blogspot.com