A section from my pagan book.

Finding your place in the World...

 One of the biggest questions that  we face is what your place in the world around you is.  You  can look  around and everything is so  darn big  and complicated, that  it  can make you feel  small  and powerless. But I  can tell  you  that is the furthest from the truth. Once you see the world , well in fact the universe, as I  do  everything changes.

We have to understand the whole not as this large complex machine but  as thousands of smaller machines that  affect each other. The analogy that I  love to  use is the old fashioned Swiss watches.  If you ever looked on the inside of one you saw all  these small  gears and somehow they  worked together to  tell  time.  Each  gear was round and went around on its own special frequency and put together with other gears they  went at different speeds, but they  made a specific speeds for the second, minute, and hour hands for the watch  to  function properly.

And what  does this have to  do  with  the world and your part of it ? You  are a gear, you are unique and you just have to  find your proper location in world and  everything  will run perfectly.

Let’s go large scale and work smaller.  The center of the Solar system is the Sun,  around  the sun  are several planets and other  large bodies. These bodies orbit the sun at  a set speed that  forms a unique  dance.  Tiny  Mercury is going the fastest, and the slowest is Pluto ( I  still  consider as a planet).  Each  has a gravitational  field and they  balance with  the sun. The Sun is not a fixed point, it wobbles depending on where the other planets are located  around the sun. 

The Sun’s gravity is so  large as well  that it plays with  the Earth’s oceans.  The Earth ‘s tides are created by  the sun and the moon ,  the various orbits  create regular intervals in the tides.  These tides affect the ocean life in many  ways, certain animals patrol the shore at low tide for an easy meal.

The moon’s orbit is a fixed gear as well. It has a 28  day  cycle that  affects the life on this planet.  The word Lunatic  is a reference to  the belief that  a full  moon makes people go off the deep end.  Human females generally have a 28 day  menstrual  cycle that is believed to be connected to  the moon cycle.

It takes the Earth 365  daily rotations  to  circle the Sun one time.   The Earth completes 365 rotations or 365  days to  complete one year.  Each Planet has their own day span and year span. Such as Mars that  has a day  just a little longer than the Earth day. However it’s year is almost  twice as long as our year.

Due to  Global  tilt, the Earth experiences 4 season in a year.  The seasons are inverted when  you compare the northern and southern hemispheres.  Each season is roughly 91 days long, and they  maintain this rhythm  because that is how the Earth’s gear works. As the seasons change ,the climate changes and the way life reacts to  these changes is unique to  each  specific species. Some animals hibernate, some migrate, and some grow extra think fur, some have a short life cycle and just die.

Each species is a gear on the earth,  the earth is like that  large Swiss watch.  When all the species work  in balance and rhythm the world is a wonderful thing.  The Wolves and the deer are an excellent example of connected gears. In places like the Yellowstone National park there is a battle of survival and balance every year.  The Deer and the Wolves must be in balance. If there were too many  Wolves they  would kill off too many  deer, the following winter would cause a food shortage for the wolves and they  would starve.  If there was very many  wolves the deer population would grow too much  for the vegetation to support.  And  then when fall  and winter would come around, the deer would starve.  Thus a cycle  is created with the proper balance. As long as that  balance is there the two  gears will spin together easily.

We as humans and residents of this planet are gears as well.  We must find the proper balance with  the outside world to keep our gears spinning.  As long as humans keep  expanding and altering the world around them , their gear is growing and affecting the way other gears operate.  Humans have cause the extinction of many  animals, we have destroyed that gear, causing  a gap in the Earth Mechanism,  and disrupting other gears from working together and properly.

Inside the huge Human gear there are over 6 billion smaller gears that try to  function together.  Each  gear is a person, you are one of those gears.  There are vast areas of  non-functioning  gears,  thus causing the large human gear from turning freely.  You  can look  at this huge gear in many  different ways.  You  could look at it  with  money perspective , where those who  are established are larger than those in need. You can perceive it in a theological  sense,  that  group of gears is for the Christians, and a different  grouping is the Muslims, both are working against each other achieving nothing.  In small  clusters and in single units there are gears working  hard to move forward, those could be pagan  people trying to work for the world.

In the Business sense of the large Human gear there are massive gear groupings like Wal-Mart and Microsoft.  These business grouping are a collection of its employees and customers.  If a group goes on strike or there are economic troubles, each  grouping can cause other groupings to  have troubles.  Wal-Mart is a massive collection of gear systems , each  being a store,  the store is reduced to its employees and the gears they  represent.   When you look  at Wal-Mart in that manner, it no longer is huge. You  are not being hired by  The Wal-Mart CEO, you are being hired by  the Store manager that is smaller gear, just like you.

Now take that  and look  at  the world around you.  You  are a part of the world now, you  didn’t have to  do  anything special  to  achieve this.  This is no  test to find some special  placing after you die, you are already a gear spinning making other gears move.  You  have to  decide where you should be placed for  a better functioning  you and world.

You  don’t have to  change the world around you, you only have to  change the corner of the world that  you live in.  See where there are gears that  aren’t working well,  you might be the gear they  are in need to  resolve a situation.   There could be a family in need, and you can work  to  gather  items they need to get back on their feet. In that situation you connected people in need with  people that  can help and  you were able to  get the family’s gear to start turning again.

Being Pagan is like  a gear as well, all  situations can be viewed as collections of gears.  As Pagans we honor the earth and the many  cycles of life.  We celebrate the changes of life and death, and when we understand all these cycles , our life fits in smoothly and starts to turn easily.  We develop a relationship  with  the world and our lives become less complicated. 

I  want to  share with  you a special  moment in  my  life.   I  was raised a Christian, but had many issues with  staying Christian. Thanks  to  the internet and freedom of being a single guy, I  did  a lot of research about my  Scot/Irish roots.  I  needed to  clear my  thoughts and figure out what I  was going to do.  I  went to  Springbrook  State park  and walked on one of my  favorite trails.  I  was thinking out loud trying to remove what  didn’t make sense to me. I  removed  many  of the principles of Christianity from my list of logical  thinking.  I  then decided that I  could not be a Christian anymore because it didn’t make any  sense to me.  And that  I  would walk the path of Paganism, everything changed that moment.  With  Christianity I  was to  keep myself separate from the world,  because this life was just a test.  At that  moment I  considered myself as a part of the world and universe and I have been happier ever sense.

I  considered myself an animal just like those in the woods, lake, and elsewhere.  I  realized my  actions affected the world around me. I had to  take responsibility for my  actions. I  now finally found my  purpose,  to make the world a better place. 

Just an update....

So I  have officially  started writing my first pagan book. I have working at it  for roughly a week and I  am making some good progress to  the book.  I have made myself some goals and deadlines and working very hard to  achieve them.  While I  don't want to  destroy the project with  poorly written material,  I  have made a 5,000 word a week quota.  I  am wanting to  have at least an 80,000 word count book  to  publish.

Once I  realized how to make seem like an not so big task, the fear left me. 80,000 words is a lot to fill. However once I  decided to just work on all  the smaller topics on an individual basis, it became  easy. Like  in a couple of weeks I  will  be writing about the sabbats. If I  do one a night it will  take me just over a week and I  will have used a large portion of the words for that  section of the book. I  have roughly 4,000 words written so far.

The title that  I  am working with at the moment is "Pagan Journey" . I  am blending in parts from my journey with  a general introduction to paganism and Celtic traditions.  To  be different than most pagan books that  focus strictly on learning, I  am also  talking about the social aspects of being a pagan in a mixed culture society.

I have just over 200 likes on The Pagan Learning Open Circle. I am pretty proud of that number, it is a good start for my other projects. I  even have 170 subscribers on my YouTube account. Before I  started the Pagan Learning open Circle I only had  roughly 40 subscribers.  So  things are starting to form nicely.

I  want to  wish  everyone a Blessed Yule and a Happy New Year. Take good care of yourself and be at peace.

Conduct and manners... where did they go?

     I  have been watching the slow and continual erosion of personal conduct and manners of society over the years.  With my  actions in many  groups on Facebook , I have seen a massive plunge in these cherished abilities. It seems that  most people don't even attempt to put the effort out anymore. With  their under-educated mentality they post their few worded statements and that is it.  And they  expect to receive anything and everything they want. We have to stop  this trend and start forcing people to try harder.

    In one group a guy  posted " I  need more spells". Where is the please? And where is the Why? There was no explanation on why he needed more spells, he just wants more. I  could send him a 'love spell', when he needs a banishing spell. How in the heck is anyone supposed to know what this guy needs or his intent.  And I wish  I  could say  this was a rare thing, but it isn't.

     Many people don't put forth  an effort to  explain themselves or give information of themselves anymore. The Instant Gratification Society has been growing and it is driving me insane. So many more people are using their text message lingo  as a way to communicate on social networks. And when they are asked to use English, they say  that this is just the internet and that it doesn't matter. If you are going to make a request , then you better present yourself in a better manner than... " I need powerful luv spell."   Tell me why  you need this powerful spell.

      If you are going to  ask  me and others a question, then also include your point of view. " Has any1 done any  energy work?"   That is just a general  term and could mean many  different things.  I have rewired my garage while the power was on, so yes I  have done some energy work. I have done some energy to  burn off some extra energy so  that I  can sleep.  Again energy work.  But if this person could have stated it better.... "Has anyone done any  energy work? I have been  trying to focus my  energy so  that I can see my aura."  That is clear and easy to understand. I  would then  tell  the person about a couple different ways to  see your aura.

     In a different group, there was a young man that  wanted to know how to make wands.  So he was told how he can make his own wands. A few days later, he posted  that he was selling wands for $5.00 .   SO  this was a rude and of very poor taste,  how dare you throw something together and then try to sell it. Where is that  young man's pride and desire to do better?  I feel like putting a warning about him out. How can you ethically do such a thing? It would be like me grabbing a tarot deck  and the next day try charging $30.00 for a reading.

     And who do I  blame for all of this? Everyone including myself. is at fault for this behavior continuation to this level. I  am forced by  admins from other groups to  be nice and allow others to  be stupid.  I have been removed from groups when I  ask someone to use 'English"  on their next post.  I have been called a hater for telling others that  their usage of the English  language is substandard. My  favorite expression that I  want to use more and more is " I  am sorry but my English to Fucktard Dictionary is on back order."  That  statement is used for those that refuse to even try to use English in any  way  that  makes sense.  Most of the blame goes to  the parent that  doesn't try to teach  their kids how to behave and conduct themselves in public.

     And what  should we do  about  this? I  think  that  we must start turning those away  that  refuse to try conduct themselves and present themselves in a decent manner. We would and should give leeway for those that  are not from this nation, and don't know how to  speak  English very well. I  was so  happy when one lady  told  the guy in the first example that he was out of line. I  saw two posts from ladies telling a person THAT  TYPING LIKE THIS IS YELLING AND VERY RUDE. There are some people that  actually do try and need to  be supported in their actions. For those that aspire to  be leaders we also  must be teachers and work  to have a better community.

Pagan Leadership... an Oxymoron

     I have been interested in being an advisor, spiritual guide, teacher, counselor, or a leader in the pagan community. And that is quite a challenge to attempt. I have been able to  help others with the Pagan Open Circle Learning project.  I  am wanting to do more and help out the pagan community. There are so many  areas to help and so much  to do , it will  be no small task.  But Pagan leadership is like Military Intelligence, it is an Oxymoron. An oxymoron is saying two words that  don't usually go together to mean something specific.   Such  as Christian scientist and Military Intelligence.

     Pagan leadership is as futile as herding 20  cats.  Pagans are like cats because they  are all unique and view the world in their own reality. Cats do  things in a singular style that is almost impossible to understand. The only way I  can herd my 3 cats is when I have just opened a can of cat food. And it is impossible to offer "pagan food" 24 hours a day to get a group of pagans to work together.

     So  why  would anyone want to do such a task? For me it is about getting Paganism to be more accepted to  the greater world out there. By getting more people to understand  and accept Pagans as normal everyday people. I  don't want to  be a single leader standing out in front of cameras telling people to look  at me. Yes, I  do love making my YouTube videos, but  those are tools for the purpose not self portraits to  gain attention.

     I have been involved with  many discussions about pagan leadership, and I  usually walk away wanting to scream.  There always seems to  be this small group of pagans that  want a "den mother" as a leader.  They want someone that is kind and supportive and never raises a voice or says an unkind word.  I see this as  a rather foolish concept. A good Leader must be able to speak openly without ever being afraid of offending someone, and this leader must be able to make decisions that are not always well liked.

     Voicing an opinion about something you find bothersome should be allowed. It is interesting that  the same people that  tell  you  that  you are wrong about voicing an unsupportive opinion are posting an unsupportive opinion. They  are being hypocrites.   You, me, and everyone else should be able to speak freely, and all opinions about what is discussed should be also spoken freely.  I  was told that  the way I  presented myself was mean and crude. So I  can't be me, because I have to present myself in a politically correct manner.  I  want to converse with  people that  can speak freely and honestly. When we have to make our statements politically correct and non-aggressive we also lose some of the emotion involved.

     I  am not a "Den Mother" type of person.  I know through history, good leaders have to make some decisions that  they  don't like, and some decisions that  a majority of the peop0le don't like. But  these decisions are made for the greater good of the group. My political hero is Winston Churchill, He was popular and also hated by  the people of  Britain. 

     What  are the qualities of a good leader?

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.
Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.

Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the company. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.
Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god.

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others' ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.

Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, "What if … ?" Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, "I know this is a dumb question ... ".

Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.

A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie.

     I  believe that I  have many of those qualities, some need a little more work  than others.  Most leaders have some traits that  stand out. Other leaders show a lacking of a certain quality. As for me, I  do  need to work more on my sense of humor.

     Since Paganism is such a broad term it has a major problem. Try to  get all of the pagans to agree on one thing. You  can't please everyone at the  same time. Someone is going to be left out. And for Pagans this is a major thorn. We can see a person's 100 point plan to  better paganism as a whole. But if one point doesn't agree with a pagan, that is all  they  are going to  talk  about. They  can't get past this one point and that is when the pagan community falls apart. If a person tried to please the Eclectic Wiccans he could be ignoring the  Odinists, and vice versa.

     This causes that small percentage to scream and moan about  what  you are speaking about. You  will here comments like  "How dare he try to  speak  for me!!". " You  are not a Wiccan, you shouldn't be allowed to talk  about Wiccans"   It is these attitudes that  show the reality of all religious groups, there are going to  be those that  take a hardline.  What is a good leader supposed to  do? It would be wrong to ignore them, but  you can't lose time trying to please everyone.  You are forced to take in everything and accept the fact that  someone is not going to  be happy.

     So a good leader also  needs to have a thick skin to handle all  the barbs and insults that  are thrown at him/her. A person that is trying to  be a leader has to decide very  early if they  are willing to handle all  the stresses and responsibilities of the task ahead of them. Then they  have to  ask themselves why  they  want to  do it.  Do you want Fame, money, power, to help others, what is your driving force?

    And then there is something that I  think is overlooked by many pagans.  A pagan leader doesn't hold any legal power over anyone of anything. It is a temporary figurehead that  can be ignored at anytime you like.  Just because I  want to be a leader and help paganism get more exposure to  the  rest of the world doesn't mean that I  actually represent everyone.  I  can only lead those that  are willing to listen, and they  will only go as far as they  are willing to  travel.  Only those that  can agree with my points of view will have me as some form of leader.  Thus I  can have a group of 7 followers or 10,000, it is up to  the individual  to decide. 

     So  then the final  thing a pagan leader needs to decide is ... What  are his/her goals and how should they  be achieved?   

Sinning in Wicca.... thou must conform.

     Many of us pagans were Christians at one time in our lives. One of the main reasons most of us left was the judgmental ways of the church over everyone else. You  know what  I  am talking about, how  the Christian church and its followers  viewed everyone that  didn't follow the group line as second class citizens.  People that  broke the church  cannon were called sinners.  There were  the minor sins and the major sins, but  they didn't care, you went against accepted church  doctrine and you must be punished.

     Every  church  had a slightly different view on everything , but  they mostly agreed with  the church  down the street. And it is those little differences that  caused other Christians to  be called sinners.  I  remember when I  left Christianity , and in my favorite chatroom, I  could say  that  I  was no longer a sinner. Because since I  left Christianity the bible  no longer was my rulebook  and thus I  couldn't sin.

     So we left Christianity and  found our paths in paganism. We were so happy not to  have all  that  dogma and judgments hanging  over our heads. We grew as individuals , building  our beliefs with freedom and  pride.  Our only guides  was our mind, our heart, and what  we found in historical accounts.

     Every time someone tried to build a structure to unite  pagans together, the rebellion would start. How dare that person try to  tell  me how to follow. Or That  person doesn't know what I  believe, I will  not let him/her represent me. We were stubborn to  the core about being free to  be who  we wanted to  be.  And while it was a great thing it did  have it's drawbacks.  I  would love to  see a more united pagan community, so  that  we could be taken more serious by  the Abrahamic groups.

     But  that has changed now, Wicca has one unwritten law that must be honored.  If you are a wiccan you must be supportive of anything that another wiccan says, even if they are factually wrong.  You  are required to  sit in silence if you can not say  anything supportive of another person's statement. If you state anything that is not supportive you are called negative and considered a sinner to Wicca. 

     How  can I  say this? well you can thank  Facebook  for  this situation. I  am a vocal  person by nature. I will  tell others how I  feel  and I  will  correct fallacies when I  see them.  I  am against people making false claims  with paganism. Because I don't want those new to paganism to  get the wrong impression of paganism.  I have been banned from a few groups on Facebook the last  couple years. This  last  week I  was banned from two. Why ? Because I  was being negative.  I  wasn't being hostile and insulting other members with  foul  names, I  gave unsupportive statements and stood by  them. I  was called negative and exiled from the group.  I  committed the unwritten sin and was exiled.

     In this one group I  was seeing some rather irrating spell  request posts. Besides the normal love spell  requests, there was a spell  request to  change eye color, and a second to stay out of jail. So I  posted how this is silly. If you break  the law, you should face the consquences. To  change eye color use the tinted contacts or  deal with it.  I  told people that it  was not only the people making the spell  requests but  the people that  supported that  type of behavior. I  thought that  more of the members need to  read a book about magic.

     But it  even gets worse, then a lady  posts a spell request for a "rare powerful fertility" spell. She just had a miscarriage and wanted a spell  so  that  she can have a baby soon.  I  told her that  she should  get checked out with  a doctor first, meditate on what  issues  that  could be affecting her. In other words, I  didn't go 100% supportive in the way  she wanted.  I was targeted by  comments about my not-so-nice comment , but I  stood my  ground. ( I sinned).  people were getting hostile toward me  because I  explained why I  did  what  I  did.  I  told the members of the group  that I  would have given the same exact advice to  a family member as I  did with  her.   I  was told that  I  didn't know her ordeal. Well  the lady  didn't post very  much information  to know more.  Comes to find out, the lady with this spell  request already  had many  kids from 19 to 2 years old.  She didn't need a fertility spell.

     Then I  commited an even bigger sin, I  countered the comments from everyone else. I told them that  I  have been in relationships that had miscarriages and so  that I  knew the  plain that  eats away  at a person when you lose a child. I  told them about my  brother almost dying, so I  gave this lady solid advice based on the experiences I have went through.  I  never called anyone a name or used profanity.  I  seen that  there was a comment after my  post, so  I  checked on it.  It  said that  I  was "being negative."  . I  tried to  write a response, but  I  was banned from the group before I  could post it.

     In the other group there was a guy  that  was posting misinformation,  He was saying that  he was a wiccan priest of a 4,000 year old witchcraft. I  tried to  explain to him that was impossible. Wicca only being around 60 years can't  have a witchcraft that is older that itself. He could have said that  he was a witch of a 4,000 year old  path.  Because Wicca is a collection of different traditions assembled into one new tradition.  It could have parts of the 4,000 year old tradition, but other things have been added or replaced parts of it.  I  was using facts. Well I  was told that  I  was attacking his beliefs. He then also  told me that  Wiccans do not argue. That  all  wiccans listen and learn.  I  tried to  explain that  we as humans are going to  disagree. But  he stood his ground and said that  Wiccans don't argue. moments later I  was banned from that  group.

     So  there is this unwritten rule in Wicca and is overly enforced in so many Wicca groups. You  can't disagree with someone or you will  be removed. You  will  be called negative and banned. Being different is a sin. So  these wiccan group leaders are enforcing this unwritten rule. As soon as someone else calls you negative , a sinner, you can be removed from a group.  This is like the Christian church, you have to  follow a certain line of conduct or you will  be considered a sinner and unwanted element of the community.

     So all  these love and light eclectic wiccans that  shun anything dark are able to control and manipulate the community.  So  we have reached the area I have feared.  Pagans that have no  balance or guidance are  calling  anyone that bothers them a bully and getting them removed.  This goes against nature's law of survival.  In the first group I  was posting my YouTube videos trying to  help  the new pagans. I  was answering questions trying to  be helpful.  But because of one thread that I  was very  passionate about didn't sit well with  a select few, I  was removed.

     I  can't allow all  these new pagans be blinded by  such  sugar coated pagan concepts. I  watched a pagan YouTube video  tonight that  told  others that if you want to  be an Eclectic pagan find the parts that  you like most from other beliefs and add them to your path.  Cherry picking paganism, that  misses any balancing and furthers the light  and love wiccan's course of self destruction.

     But I  can't teach  those that  don't want to  learn about the hardships and darkness that balances out paganism. They  will  continue to  think  as the 'hag' aspect of the goddess to  be of death  and evil.  They  will  treat the god like pokemon, only using them when the need arises.  They  will  continue to call  those that  don't fit their  happy world negative and exile them.

     Wicca is becoming just like the Christian church is now.  I have told you about the judgments toward others that  don't agree with  them. I see many of them  using the rede a form of Dogma.  Wicca has become goddess oriented and treats male aspects as supporting cast,  the polar opposite of the Christian church, but  still  supporting one gender over the other blindly.

     Has wicca changed so much  from Gardner's vision, that it is no longer wicca, but something else?

Working on my first book

I have been working very hard to  get my  house livable and everything looking good. I have currently been kicking butt on the garage. In the last  couple weeks I have re roofed the garage, painted it, rewired it, built a storage bin for my long handled tools, got my tinkering desk built, and made a storage self for Cindy. The garage was white with  more exposed wood than actual paint on it. But this is what it looks like now.

 

 

 

So with  all of this accomplishments I have decided that I  needed to expand my horizons even more. I  have been writing  many  pagan oriented  topics for a video series that I  wanted for YouTube.  However I  am enjoying the small  success I  am having with  my "Pagan Learning Open Circle" project.  I  have had quite a few thanks for the videos that I  have made. So I  am going to  devote the YouTube  channel for  the PLOC project.  I  currently have 41 videos made for this project.  Plus many  others that  have pagan themes.

 

 

So I  am going to collect all of my writings and build an E-book.  I  have decided on the title already.... "Pagan, Don't save me."  This will  be a book for people that  have left Christianity, thinking about leaving Christianity, or for family members that  are Christian.  Topics covered will  be.

 

1. Why  we leave Christianity
2. Attacking Christianity
3. attacked by  Christians
4. How to  defend yourself from Christians
5. Scars of Christianity
6. Basics about Paganism
7. Lies of Paganism
8. Paganism in Christianity
9. Building a relationship between religions

 

 

This book will  talk  about some of my encounters and dealings as I  have went from a Christian to  a pagan.  With the goal of making of  the transition for others easier. Now that I  have a nice den with  a writing desk. I  can easily make this dream finally come true.

 

 

Take care everyone, and be at peace.

Update on me...

Well my life has been going forward very  nicely. I have bought the house that I  was writing about. For the last  two months I have been remodeling and moving into my new house.  I has been an amazing journey.  A very stressful and testing journey. I  didn't know how good of a person I  would be doing everything, but I  can stand tall  today  and say I  did this.

The house that I  bought was an "as is" needing work done to it house.  That  put  the house in my price range. I  took out an extra 5, 000 loan and went to  work on the house. I pulled 2 rooms and a stairway of old 70's carpet. This opened up  the hardwood floors. I love hardwood floors. Cindy worked on peeling 3 rooms of old 70's wallpaper. 5 rooms have been re painted. Electrical work has been done. That is one thing I  am very  proud of, I  am not and electrician, but I  replaced 6 lights, rewired a plug-in, and never went to  the basement to flip a breaker.

I have selected most of the paints in the house. Only have had one glitch in the paints. I  believe in supporting local  business whenever I  can,  and so I  go to  the local lumberyard for everything that I  need.  They  sell Valspar paints. So I  went to  the Valspar website to  pick the right colors that I  wanted. Well the Valspar website supports is for Lowes or Home Depot, not  the local lumberyard. I  wrote down all  the color names and numbers so  that I  can get my  paints.  But  they  didn't match  with  anything my local  lumberyard had. So I  had to  pick the colors all over again right there. I  was wanting a light burgundy color, this  was for the living room. What I  ended up  with was a pink, and it was a Pepto pink. When the lights are off it has a wonderful purplish hue to it. When the lights are on, its pink. So I  am going to  be repainting that in the near future.

The yard was full of troubles. There was the redneck  tree fort and the rusty metal  shed. Both of them were removed in the first week of buying the property. I  have also  reopened the back porch.  The previous owner put metal  siding over a screen porch, it was ugly on the inside.  Siding and screen is gone, so  there is a back  porch that will have a utility purpose.

My  garage is still  a work in progress. I have removed all  the unwanted constructs from inside of the garage. I  have to  haul off some sheet metal  from the garage yet. In a couple weeks my dad and I  are going to  repair the roof of the garage. Then  after I  remove some saplings and retrim the garage, I  am going to  paint it a dark  blue.

Through all of this work, I  have become a better man. I have learned a little in patience, being colorful, planning everything through, commitment, and so much more. I  will be posting pictures will  later updates. Stay happy and safe.

Thinking of my future home.

     I  am in process of buying a home, as long as the bank is willing to work  with me.  The house has one thing that I am looking forward to so  eagerly. Right next to  the alley is a garage. It is a small  single car garage that I can use for anything, except for storing a car.  I  know  that  sounds silly of me, but I  want a work  area so  badly I  can taste the desire.

     I  have to  do some work on  the garage.  It  needs a good coat of paint. I  am so  tired of living in white houses and having white walls. I  am going to  paint the outside navy  blue, then I  am going to  paint the inside a pale light blue.  I  might have to  do some roof work  to  the garage, but  that is fine by me.  I  didn't walk inside the garage when I  walked the house, but  there shouldn't be any  surprises.

     Once that is done I  am going to  paint a Celtic cross on the floor of the garage. I  will  build a work  area so  that I  can be creative with  all  my  tools. I  will  finally be able to  permanently mount my heavy vise to something so  that it  can be used  properly. Along with  the work  area I  will have a table  and 2 chairs with  a small book  shelf.  I will install  proper lighting, so  that I  can do  some YouTube videos out there.  I  am also  going to  try to find an old pot belly wood burning stove and see if  I  can install it into  the garage.  Then I  would be able to  use the garage basically year around.

     The purpose of the garage is to  be my  outside man cave.  My  better half will  be using it as well, but I  am going to  be the primary user.  I  can be so  creative in this  building and be able to  relax it  just sounds like a piece of paradise.  Pagan functions can be done in the garage when the weather  is allowing.

     The other thing that I  like about this house is the many  trees, I  counted 5 medium sized trees in the yard. There will  be gardens and a very strong bond with  nature on this yard. The biggest tree in the back yard will have wind chimes and bird houses in and around it. I  will  be also  be building a few more bird feeders.

     We are wondering about one other feature to the house,  the city funeral home will  be across the alley. I  honestly wonder how much  activity there would be in such a place.  Then across the street is the parking area for the funeral  home. So that  reduces neighbors greatly.  I  like my privacy and looks like I  will  have it here. I  am writing about the house in hopes to be sending out positive energy to  get the house.  Take care everyone.

Rethinking the Book of Shadows

If you are new to  Paganism  and you have watched "Charmed" you  want to have the book of shadows. I have done some research on the Book of  Shadows and it is a new age creation.  I  was reminded of the dark  ages and all  the danger involved for that  time period.  Most people couldn't read or write, so  having great great great grandma's book of shadows is practically impossible.  People had to  hide anything that could be used as evidence if they  were ever accused of being a witch.

Book of Shadows is a different way  to  say  book of magic. I  do like the concept, and so I  created a book of shadows for myself.  But it didn't take too long for a guy like me to  fill up  the binder with  information that I  was collecting. I  am a self appointed druid. I like to  learn and I like to  store my  information. I  am getting ready  to  buy  a house, and there is going to  be a library if I can work it out.

I need something more,  So I  threw away the concept of a single book  to  hold my  information. I spent the money and I  have built a set of binder with  themes to  store the information I gather and feel is valuable. I  would like to  suggest that  to  everyone.  We should never stop learning and so  we should never stop  collecting information.

Here is my  list of Binders:

• Combat Binder. Talks about the whats, why, and hows to  fight in personal combat.  plus discussion about wars and warfare.
• Pagan Learning Open Circle Binder:  This is my log  for my  video series that I  am working on.
• Politics Binder
• Magic Binder, Holds information on magic  rituals, attributes, set-up, and results log.
• Language Binder,  Used to  refresh my English  skills,  and hold poems, short stories, and notes on the Gaelic Language.
• Celtic Religion Binder.  All  Celtic religious material  goes in here like my listing of Celtic gods and goddesses.
• Math  Binder.  I use math more than I  thought I  would, and I  want to expand my knowledge of math so  that I  can understand Quantum sciences better.
• History Binder:  that is Obvious
• Philosophy Binder
• Science Binder, holding science information on biology, Earth science, and Physics.
• Code of Ethics:  A collection of Personal laws
• Art Binder.  Store information on important artists and a collection of my  artwork.

I  feel  handling information this way would create a collection of information that I  can pass on to other and assist them in understanding Paganism  and life in general. Why limit yourself to a single book, be creative and build something grand.  I  am building a personal collection of Information that I  can easily reference whenever I  want.

Witch or Wiccan? Knowing the difference.

     One of the questions that I  am having to  deal  with  since I  started my paganism lesson videos is: Is there a difference between Wicca witches and traditional witches? And the answer is Yes most definitely there are many  differences.  And I  would like to  discuss them with  you now.

     Wicca is a branch of paganism that  was created by  Gerald Gardner.  Gardner was a witch  that  was inducted into a coven and decided to  write about it.  He had the idea of making his beliefs better known and accepted. Which I  do  find very admiral in concept. Gerald brought in a lot of different concepts from other religions and organizations mixed those with  what  he learned in the coven and created Wicca.  There are two primary traditions in Wicca Gardnerian and Alexandrian. However with  the fast spread of Wicca many  eclectic traditions were created.

     Wicca has a one piece of dogma, the wiccan rede.  The one most used part is about " As long as you harm none, do as you will."   This is viewed by many  wiccans as a rule or law to follow. And that is not the case, 'rede' is Anglo-Saxon for 'advice".  meaning that  they  advice you to  not harm others if you have the choice.  Traditional  Witches have no such  law. They have a better understanding of the ways of nature. Witches follow a more nature path, they know that  there are times to  fight and a time to be peaceful.  In nature animals die everyday  so  that  other animals can live. That is the balance of nature , everyday  life is born, life consumes, and life dies.  If a person or persons is a threat to you family, land, or beliefs they must be dealt with. And a traditional witch is more adept into  doing just that. Many wiccans embrace a view of 'Love and Light" seeking a positive outlook of the universe. This concept is easy to understand by many of the urban wiccans that have never lived the hardship of nature , or refuse to see the darker side of life. These wiccans view the earth as a loving mother in which evil doesn't exist. But Mother nature is cruel at times.

     Wiccans have some concepts that  have no  historical merit in traditional  witchcraft.  Karma is an Indian/ Hindu  concept.  Traditional witches believe in fate.   Karma is a concept to  guilt people into  doing or not doing a certain act.  The three fold law is another concept that is not found in European  beliefs and traditional witchcraft.  The threat of the christian hell  was replaced with  the three fold law.  There is no proof that  what  we do  will rebound back on us three fold.  If you attack  a person, then that person and there family  might get even with  you, and that  would be over three fold. Look  at  all the people that  harm nature and how they  can walk  away from it. 
    
     Wicca is an overly structured belief system, brought over from the churches and masons by  Gardner.  In Wicca there is a degree system and title such  as  "high priestess" .  I  have seen ads for witch classes with  various  wiccan teachers for a 2nd degree.  I  seen one set of classes  for a week  cost $400.  You  can  advance in degrees quickly with  a book. So time has very little importance with Wicca. Traditional  witchcraft  doesn't have a system of rank  and titles. Progress in traditional  witchcraft is measured with  experience and  initiations are based on personal  events , not a year and a day. Covens are formed with  a certain one or two people in charge of the group. traditional  witches  form an open circle and work in a community mentality.

     Wiccan rituals are very  formal  and detailed.  Ceremonial magic is effective because the more time you spend  building up to  a moment , the more energy you can pool  and focus. Wiccan rituals need you  to  cast a circle ,  call  the quarters, perform a certain series of steps  to  accomplish a ritual. Traditional  witches work  more simple rituals with  little structure to  them. They  believe in casting spells as needed , where needed. Traditional witches see that  the intent why you do something is more important that  how you did the spell.  Wicca requires you to make a sacred space to cast a circle , traditional  witchcraft doesn't. The traditional  witches view all of the earth as already  sacred.

     Wiccans have a "Book of Shadows" or BOS.  This is not historically correct either. I  say  this  because most people in the dark ages and such  couldn't read or write, so  they  couldn't  write down  magical information.  99% of all  traditional  witchcraft knowledge was pass down orally.  The second thing you have to  remember is that  witchcraft was illegal  and people were killed for being a witch. So  if your home was searched and a spell  was found, you  would have been killed.  I  do  have a book of shadows, I  use it to  keep information that I  think is important.  Humans forget  most of what  they  learn if they  don't use it frequently.

      Views of god worship is one of the most  hostile topics. Eclectic  Wicca has turned  deity's into  a mix and match  purpose only collection that lacks theme. A coven could say that  they  follow the Celtic gods but  will  recite the "Charge of the God".  They  lack  the respect and honor of any  culture. This is a new-age creation, historically people honored their culture. One must learn to  embrace all of a culture and not only the parts you like. Integrity is build from understanding and learning of a single culture while on your path.

      The main reason that  wiccans do  this is because they   have a new age concept that  all  gods are one god and all goddesses are one goddess. A duo theism that  transcends into  monotheism when they give the divine  a view of oneness.  Traditional witches and the pre-christian beliefs of Europe were polytheists. They  believed in many  gods and goddesses, each  was unique and special.  There was no  specific witch  god or goddess. A witches culture  usually determined which  pantheon they  observed.

    Wicca has 8 sabbats, every 45 days , as the seasons change wiccans celebrate a  sabbat.  Different cultures didn't celebrate these events.  According to  the Celtic seasons there was  only 2 seasons not 4.  Traditional witches followed the holidays of the culture that  they  were in. The Celts had 4 main holidays, the equinox's and solstices were not honored by  the Celts. Gardner  brought in the8  fold calender from other influences. Like what  the Christians did to convert the early pagans to Christianity. He collected holidays  from different cultures and made them wiccan. So  that  the new wiccans  wouldn't be bored with  their new beliefs and convert back  to  Christianity.

     Tools are another interesting  difference. Wicca has a list of specific tools each assigned an element and a gender aspect. Traditional  witches use a different collection of tools.  Some traditions use a knife, but  without all  the ceremony.  Besoms, cauldrons, stangs, and  cords are most often used by traditional  Witches compared to  the Cup, athame, staff, and pentacle of the Wiccans.  Some traditions for both witches and wiccans  can use a mixed collection of tools or no  tools at all.  In Ray buckland's Scottish  Witta, he kept everything very simple.

     Now I  know that  you will  think I  might be  attacking Wicca. I  am not trying to  do  that  at all. There are differences and they  need to  be defined and understood. Both  group  call  themselves witches, and  how you  define it will  determine if you think  you are yourself a witch or not.

      Celtic views and Wiccan views differ greatly as well. And many  people love to  mix Celtic paganism with  Wicca.  Gardner did a lot of borrowing from Celtic traditions and thinking.  But  that  doesn't mean that  they  are that  closely similar. Wicca has  nature divided into the 4 elements.  The Celts viewed nature into  3 realms, the sky, land, and sea.   Shamanic Witchcraft also  views those same realms.

     Now I  hope that  you  have learned something from this post.   We need to understand the differences between the two, to understand and grow with  the forms of witchcraft. Labels are only bad if they  are used to negatively  label someone.  You have to  give yourself a label if you want to  find other people that  are like you.

St. Patrick's day , a Lesson in Terror

     I  am one of those people that tries to  look at the bigger picture of things.  I  think  that  most modern holidays are terrible. And the next holiday is called St. Patrick's day.  Now the customs and traditions of this event are simple enough. A person must wear green,  you try to  talk  with an Irish accent, you drink  green beer, and you get loud.   It is used as an excuse for millions of people to  get stupid. Something that I  am not a fan of.

     So  what  made this St. Patrick  guy so  dang special? He was a catholic missionary that  wanted to  stamp out paganism. He is said to  have drove all  the snakes from Ireland, those snakes being Celtic pagans. This was done during the time of the great spread of Christianity. St. Patrick  caused great trouble in Ireland during his crusade against pagans. The story I  remember most is about the Irish King's fire.  On this day all  fires across Ireland were put out, then the king would lite a large bonfire and from this fire all fires in Ireland would be re lit.  However on an adjacent hill  St. Patrick  lit a fire before the Irish King to  cause trouble.  St. Patrick  insulted the king and Irish tradition.

     When Christianity was converting the Irish  from Paganism, the Christians were adapting Irish  traditions and trying to  pass it off as christian. The female saint of Ireland is St. Brigit. The Catholic church  realized that  this goddess was so  beloved that  they  couldn't tell the pagans to shun her.  So  they  adapted the story and turned  a goddess into  a saint. There are stories that  Brigit was the handmaid of the virgin Mary  at Jesus's birth.  I  find such  actions and lies to  be very  disturbing.

     One of the most common misconceptions of the Celts is that  they  didn't write anything down. There are were a few druid books. Caesar stated that  the Gauls were using Greek  and Latin script.  The Ogham that  is linked to  the Celts  was mostly in Ireland and was meant for tree and stone inscriptions. St. Patrick is said to  have burned druid books.  I have done some research  that  says laws and judgements were recorded, and maybe that is what  St. Patrick  burned.  If you can remove all historical proof of something, it will fade into memory. And that  was the goal of St. Patrick.

     St. Patrick is given credit for the creation of the Celtic Cross.  It was written that  to  help in the conversion of the sun worshipping pagans that  he started to impose the sun on the christian cross. That is why there are 2 types of Christian crosses. The  cross with 3 equal length arms and a longer  base with a circle at the intersection is a christian Celtic cross. However, the  cross with  4 arms of equal length with a circle the intersection is a true pagan Celtic cross.  And it is that  symbol that  the pagans used originally to  represent the sun.  Another case of Christians  adapting pagan themes.

     Maybe Pagans were like snakes during this time. I  say  this because snakes will hide deeper if threatened. It would have been impossible for everything pagan to  be destroyed or removed by the christian church.  Paganism survived at great loss, but it  did survive. St. Patricks mission was not a complete success, for which I  am very happy.

     I  call  this  event St. Hatred's day.  I see the hate that  the christian religion and it's followers have for other people's life style and beliefs. I  think of all  the missionary work  that  the christian religion has done all over the world. How many other cultures has it wiped out? To me this is just like Thanksgiving day  to  the Native Americans.  People are honoring a person that was full of hate and hostility toward others.   I  know many  other people that  call  it "bring  back  the Snakes" day.  The snakes never completely left Ireland.  We need to use this terrible salute to  remind people what  they are actually promoting.

     I find my example to  be very  extreme, but I  do  want to mention it, so that you have a concept on how terrible this event actually is.  St. Patrick's day is used as an excuse for millions to  drink. But why do you need a reason to  drink?  Do these people look for an excuse to be louder and possibly more destructive?  Then why  don't they  celebrate  date of other people that sought the destruction of  human cultures.  April 20th is Adolf Hitler's birthday  and he tried to  remove the Jewish culture from the planet. They  could call it swastika day.

     We as a people need to rethink  of who we honor and why. There are great minds and history is full of people that have done wonderful  things without oppressing anyone to  achieve their goals.  Why  not have Winston Churchill day  and drink  a couple pints of warm ale.  Then there is Maria Curie who is called the mother of  Modern Physics, you can eat polish sausages and drink  vodka.  If we are going to  honor someone, make it a worthy person.

Dreams

Dreams are an amazing part of the human life. Dreams have inspired us to  do  many  wonderful  and  disgusting things. They  are a part of who  we are and they  guide us on future events. We have hundreds of songs about dreams,  We have movies about dreaming as well. An Icon of movies is Freddy Kruger that enters people's dreams to torture them.

So what is a dream? According to  the dictionary:A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.  Studies have shown that  we have 4-5 dream states  on average for an 8 hour sleep  period. These periods are called REM sleep , which  stands for Rapid Eye Movement.  Our Brain wave pattern changes as we get into  a deeper zone of sleep, as our conscience mind  slows down our sub-conscience mind  takes over. With our subconscious mind more active we enter  the dream world and leave the mundane world.

Why  is learning about our dreams so important? because the subconscious is full of information , and for those that  are gifted they  can see things that are yet to  be.  I  can only talk of my  personal  experiences, I have experienced dreams that  were full of details , these were short little dream segments only lasting 10-15 seconds.  but  they have came true in my mundane life withing a few months.  I  have also  have had dreams about family members dying and I  have been accurate with  those dreams as well. Unfortunately we forget most of our dreams the moment we wake up. And we forget about those dream fragments  within hours. This is why it is very important to  keep  a dream journal.  Just keep  a notebook and pen handy  by  the bed and write down any  dream segments that  you remember.

Dreams are full of images and general  themes. These could mean something to you. There are many  books that  explain what  certain images mean. I own 10,000 dreams explained to  help me out. It is like reading a tarot card spread, you take all  the images and themes and figure out what  the possible meaning could be. 

But we also  must always remember that  like omens not all  dreams are special messages to  us. Some dreams are just the sub-conscience entertaining itself and unwinding from a stressful day. certain foods and affect dreams and what  we dream.  Thoughts and dreams are electrical impulses and they  can be influenced by  chemical interactions in the brain.

When we dream we enter the dream world, a realm that is not bound by  the laws of physics. We can do  anything. We need to  remember this because as we get older and get conditioned into  the "That is not possible" reality, it will  also  affect of thinking and dreams.  We can do  anything, and that opens the doors for other gifts to open up.

I astral  traveled the first time in a dream.  I  dreamt that I  was with  a girl I  had a crush on in this white house that  was 2 miles  out of the town.  I have never been to  that  house before. It was on a gravel road that I  never drove down.  A few months later  some friends of the family wanted to  go  bike riding in the country to  get some exercises.  We went  down this road  for a change of pace and we went past that  house. I dreamed it perfectly, it was a freaky experience. 

There are random dreams and then there are dreams that  we have over and over again. These dreams do  contain a message that  we must take notice of. Make sure that you do  write these down. It is a message so  strong that  it refuses to  go  away. It might want you to  go somewhere or do something. But you are in need to  take action to  resolve this dream.

Nightmares are dreams with upsetting actions occurring in them. A majority of these are the mind entertaining itself, but  some do  carry a message as well. Something could be wrong with  your lifestyle, friends, family, or work. And the sub-conscience is trying to make it loud and clear that  you need to  address this situation.

Why  would the mind need nightmares to  entertain itself? because some personalities use scary movies as a way to  relax.  It would be horrifying to  be in a Zombie Apocalypse , but look at  all  the zombie  video games and movies.  Both our sub conscience and conscience minds never stop working. We are always thinking about something. You  didn't hear your boss telling you what to do  because you were thinking about something else.  This is why  you can never clear your mind of thought, you can only focus on something that would calm you down.

What  I would like you to  do is to  start your dream journal.  Remember that  this is a personal  book like your Book of Shadows.

Fox News shouldn't be taken seriously

     If you are a dedicated pagan you were probably upset with  the recent rant about wiccans on Fox news.  And I have to  admit I  was a little ticked off myself.  So  I  did  my standard research, and I  came to  a rather different conclusion as many  other have. Fox news is to be looked at as a source of poor humor and nothing else.

    If a famous comedian was to  make a comment about all of  pagan holidays , which  there isn't that  many. and  said something to  the effect that he needed a few more days off during  the summer, most of us would have laughed with him. Why because he was saying this with an intent of humor.   So  why  are so many  so  ticked off.. because it is fox news. 

     Fox news, has this history of making outrageous comments that  offend people in some way  or another. They  have commented about presidents, senators,  liberal  activists, and anyone else that  liberals and moderates can associate with.  I  know of a TV program that  does something like that  on a weekly basis, Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. The Only difference is that  fox news never ends, it  is 24 hours a day  of non-stop show with poor comments meant to  entertain certain people.

    As I  said I  did  my research, if you go online and research the fox news written report on the University of Missouri  Religious Holiday article.  It is accurate, they  mention that  Wicca has 8  sabbats, not the 20  that  the anchors mentioned.  So  this would have to  mean that  Live action fox news is not reading and researching fox news articles. They  are being told to  ab lib the news and add a conservative christian twist to  the news.  They  are there just to  entertain the conservative christians  not actually deliver the news.

     I  remember  a few months ago an article that  stated people that  don't watch  news programs were better informed than people that watch  fox news. SO  this  should tell  you again that  fox news is a 24 hour a day conservative christian version of SNL's Weekend Update.  Something that  we should never take serious.  Don't get angry at them, laugh  at them. Fox news if taken serious is the worst source of information on current events.

     So  why  would Fox news hire such  buffoons to  be on TV if they  are trying to  be a form of entertainment?  They  are following the Will  Ferrel model, someone that is a terrible actor and comedian.   Look  at  the movie "Night at  the Roxbury" or "Elf"  . Will  Ferrel's comedy is poor, he usually plays a stupid bore that  only entertains by  saying or doing something stupid.   Something stupid is a way  to  describe the  Fox News TV personalities.  Will Ferrel  has had limited success in movies, and thankfully nothing that has ever created a sequel. They  must be looking for the bottom half  of the journalists that  graduate from christian colleges to  be part of their network.

    I  would defend my  opinion with  Bill O'Reilly.  We have all seen Bill O'Reilly get mad and have yelling fits about  anything.  Bill O'Reilly is the Angry Comedian, going on his rants about stupid topics to entertain others.  Bill O'Reilly is Fox News Answer to George Carlin.  George Carlin had style, character, and a good punchline. George Carlin was better because he used facts in his rants, which  goes against the Bill  O'Reilly 'No  Spin Zone' mentality.

     What  do  comedians do  when they  get successful? They  go on tour, traveling from city to  city  telling as many  people as possible their comedy routine.  And Fox news did  they  same exact thing. Do  you Remember Sarah  Palin's bus tour across America? What  did  she talk  about ..... the constitution, something she has never read.  And didn't we all have a good laugh at  everything that  she got wrong.  Fox news was there to  cover every little bit of it.

      Look  at the special  guests that  Fox News has on every week, these are just like the SNL special  guests. They  are meant to  keep the ratings up  and join in on the conservative christian ramblings meant to  entertain people that  don't  use empathy  and intuition.   Mike Huckebee,  Karl Rove, and Ann Coulter deliver such  outrageous comments to  get ratings. It  would be too  boring if they  deliver facts, so  they  are going to  lie.  It is entertainment.

     And then watch  the ladies of Fox News,  they  are all  skinny little toothpicks  wearing miniskirts. And if you go online you can See images of these ladies is some skimpy clothing. When they  are sitting down on those extra wide chairs,  you can see the ladies butt.   You  know they  were hired because of their looks and not their brains. Again to  target the guys out there that  think with  the wrong head.  They will  agree with  anything  coming  from a tall  slender blond in a mini-skirt. And why  do  they  do  this? Because they  are in the entertainment business not the news business. Lets face it, Tina Fey is a beautiful woman and they  have to  compete against her.

     So  what  would make Fox news better? Better script writers was my  first idea. I have also thought that  maybe just maybe someone  should put the bible down  for a couple of hours and actually read the news from a secular view point. 

     Next time those buffoons from "False News"  say  something stupid, don't get mad, laugh  at them. Tell  them that  you found the discussed topic funny and full of silly mistakes. Then tell  then the facts that  they  got wrong.  Ask  them when there comedy  routine is going to  be in your city, and that  you want tickets.  Don't give them your energy,  take their energy by  making them look as silly as they  are.

Walking away from feminism

     I  have been looking at the world and studying the way  things are changing. Feminism was a thing that  was catching my  eye alot. Over the years I have fought for women's rights and defended ladies actions when needed. I have also  criticized actions of some women over the years as going to  far.  And I  have reached a point that I  can't say  that  I  am a feminist anymore.

     Now I haven't stop fighting for women, that  part hasn't changed at  all.  But I  want there to  be equality with  the male and female genders. I want to remove the walls placed to  separate the male and female aspects.  I want equality and that is what I  fight for.

     Feminism has developed into something I  don't like. Feminism is now a qualification to  be associated with  certain groups. Feminism is being pushed into  non-associated groups and changing the original  groups mentality. I  don't like it and I  think  someone has to  speak  about it. And that  someone is going to  be me.

     Wicca has always had a large female base to it.  thanks impart due to  the catholic church  refusing to  let women preach.  Women needed to have their personal  beliefs expressed and this  was a way to do it.  And then it turned into a cause. Dianic wicca is a women only group.  What about equality? Dianics started to  do  to  men what  was done to  them. Revenge became a driving force in this group. Their coven's name is the "Susan B. Anthony" coven. Named after a historically important woman that  fought for women's right to  vote.

     Recently at a wiccan event, a dianic leader  placed a sign forbidding transgendered men from entering her women's only  spiritual event.  I  think  this put  paganism in a bad light.  Are you so angry with men that  anything male is rejected from your group.  Just as bad as the Vatican leadership  being of men only.  What is gained from this action? Nothing absolutely nothing.

     AT  a free-thinkers meeting some women were calling themselves "Secular feminists". Why  did these ladies have to  add feminism to being secular? This was an atheist free-thinker meeting. And I know quite a few Atheists that  fight for equality between the sexes. Atheists are generally more open minded about sexuality than most religious people.  These ladies were also  pushing for rules and regulations in how people conducted and represented themselves.  Some rules that  were not needed, were being pushed. They  were telling people not  to  wear fake jewelry. How  can any  decoration worn on the body be considered fake jewelry is beyond me.  So  these select feminist women were trying to  enforce a dress code.  Sounds like Catholic schools and uniforms to me.  What  about freedom of expression?  They are free thinkers.. but are being told that  they  have to  follow certain guidelines.  I  believe that  to  be counter productive.

     Back  to  paganism,  I  have been seeing the continual  obsession of  going back  to  the 'goddess'. Hold on, what  about the god? Am I  to forget about  Cernunnos? Has paganism become so  female driven that  it has lost it's way? Have they  forgotten about  balance? Have they  forgotten about fighting for equal rights? Have they  forgotten that  the female needs a male to  have a child?

     I  am trying to  find more male pagans, and it is hard to  do. I  want to  reach out and balance paganism with  men that understand the need for balance. Men that  know women are equals and partners in life. But yet I  can go down and list of pagans and it is over 80% female. 

     This morning I  was reading a book review and it mentioned feminism 4 times in the short introduction of the book.  4 times....  And this has made me start thinking about how feminism has seemed to lost its way. Has feminism overtook paganism and started to  affect how  many  women  see the world.?

I  am no longer a Feminist seeking women's rights. I  am an Equalist seeking equal rights between the two  sexes.

Removal of the zero-tolerence mentality

     When  you hear  that  a school or business is installing a zero-tolerance policy  over something, you think  that  they  are going to  crack  down on a certain problem. When I  was a kid, I  thought that  when the US government was establishing a zero-tolerance policy on  drugs, I  was thinking that it  was a great thing. But now I have experienced life more and been reading the news of stories about children and my  opinion has changed about zero-tolerance policies.

    Recently a little girl was talk  to  her friend about a 'bubble gun' at  school. The little girl was suspended from school because she was going to  shoot her friend with  a pink  plastic hello kitty bubble gun. The little girl  had to have a two  day mental  evaluation , of which  she was found to  be a typical little girl.  The gun comment was placed on her school record.  Her parents couldn't switch  schools because of the gun incident.

     I am stunned that  this girl was considered a threat to others because she talked about a bubble gun. She didn't even own one. This was purely a school employee hearing something and going to  the extreme. I  don't care if the country is still recovering mentally from the Sandy  Hook school shootings, it doesn't mean that any and all  gun talk should be taken seriously.  Thinking things through completely before acting upon a situation is always best.

     In this  zero-tolerance mentality, any  and all  possible violations of a law are given the same exact treatment.  So  under this concept the little girl is just as dangerous as the Sandy Hook  shooter.  Stop  and think  about that for a moment.  A little girl talks about taking her hello  kitty bubble gun and spraying her friend with it, and she is considered as dangerous as any  mass murderer.  Zero-tolerance was meant to  close some loopholes and help  enforce laws.  Zero-tolerance  was never meant to  stop  people from thinking.  Billy forgets his cap gun in his coat pocket from the weekend. Monday he discovers it at  school, by Monday  afternoon he is in police lock-up, the school is still in lock-down,  counselors were called to assure the students and teachers that  everything is alright.  The media get attention of the story and little Billy's life is over before it started.  Why  because zero-tolerance and zero-thinking turned a student into  a cold hearted killer.  The teacher couldn't access the situation and take Billy's cap  gun away and call  his parents.

     I  think  that  this mentality is starting to  affect  society,   people are losing their ability to  judge a situation.  Yes you have to  look  at  the full  picture. What is worse, calling a little girl a threat or allowing a killer into  the schools? I understand that, but what  about the price of freedom?   When you can't talk  openly or act freely with  your friends and peers because something might classify you as a threat. Could the company's zero-tolerance drug policy  result in your desk/locker getting searched because you have talked about legalizing marijuana.  Are the Schools going to have to  tell  the little boys that  they  can't play  cowboys and indians because it involves making gun gestures?

     What  makes each  and everyone of use unique is not just how we look, but  how we think as well.  A person's view of the world and the desires they have make them unique as well.  I  feel  that  this zero-tolerance mentality is oppressing some of the creative aspects of humanity.  We should have the freedom to  talk openly, and what  type of world are we living in when a little girl is threat like a killer because of her desire to  play with  a bubble gun.