McCarthyism is alive and well.

McCarthyism is alive and well on social media. And it is time to bring it to and end. Joe McCarthy was an American senator that used the red scare to position himself in a place of power. He seen the fear of communists in the people and lied to the nation about the dangers the US was in. Over a thousand people were forced into hearing by HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee. Wild accusations that lacked any form of evidence was thrown at people across this nation. Teachers, actors, businessmen, anyone could be called a communist and be forced into this ordeal.
People didn't dare oppose McCarthy, because of the fear of being labeled a Communist sympathizer. Hollywood was hit hard. If an actor or actress was resistant to the McCarthy witch hunts, they would be blacklisted, and they could get any jobs in Hollywood. SO I look at the people out there that demanded Collin Kaepernick to be fired because he did something that was Un-American. McCarthyism is alive and well.
If you refused to work with the hearings you could charged with contempt of court and thrown in jail. There was seldom any evidence, so your rights to fair trial were removed. I see people demanding that they throw away the keys on "Nazis" that haven't even went to trial. I have read far too many opinions that the marchers at Charlottesville should lose their rights as Americans. McCarthyism is alive and well.
Journalist and government officials had to take loyalty oaths and sign papers that they aren't and would never join the communist party. Online petitions are thrown around on every topic. Sign this we need 50,000 signatures to declare the KKK as a hate group. As I see it, those petitions have really no value, those are the modern loyalty tests. You have to sign the petition to show that you support your social group. McCarthyism is alive and well.
Freedom of Speech was limited during the red scare. Group were looking at everything seeing if any person was loyal enough to be allowed to work in various fields of employment. In judicial affairs, for example, support for free speech and other civil liberties eroded significantly. This trend was symbolized by the 1951 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dennis v. United States, which said that the free-speech rights of accused Communists could be restricted because their actions presented a clear and present danger to the government. Accused communists, so you could lose your rights to speak freely if someone accused you of being a communist. The far-left groups of Antifa and BLM wish to silence opposing views, their counter protests are aimed at no-platforming others. McCarthyism is alive and well.
One of the greatest journalists is Edward R Murrow. He was one of the only people to stand against McCarthyism. Murrow was accused of being a communist sympathizer. McCarthy took anything that could be communist and tried to claim that Murrow was a communist. Murrow told the world that just because he knew communists, that it doesn't make him a communist. Murrow had a friend that was communist and didn't try to convert Murrow, but respected Murrow for telling the truth during his reporting during the war. During the last few weeks, I have devoted much time to search for and tell the truth. I remembered the legal rights of the individual and stood my ground. For this action, I have been called a Nazi or a Nazi sympathizer. McCarthyism is alive and well.
The old adage is that people that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That is very true, and it is repeating itself now. And the newer added part to that old saying is also coming true. There are those that do learn their history, and they have to suffer as they watch the idiots repeat that same bit of history.
The "truth" is a concept that is being placed up for attack by some, and ignored by many more. The truth is a goal to understand and further humanity. Truth is said to be all about perspective, I disagree , what is right and wrong is all about perspective, but the truth is factual and can't be twisted. When people tell you the truth, one must question and challenge what is being said. But once tested does it remain? If so, then it is the truth.
The truth is that I oppose McCarthyism, it violates what I hold dear. I oppose the far left and the far right ideals that include violence. Violence should be the last resort not the first response. People have the right of peaceful protest, not violent mob rules.

Unethical Hatred

In our society, we live in a world full of hate. So many people have become polarized in so many ways, it is sickening. Hate takes on many forms and it is growing fast. How we let hate come in and rule over our lives speaks volumes for us as individuals and as a group.

Hate is not a universal wrong. While it would be a wonderful world to have no hate. That is one utopia we can't afford to have. Hate is a primal emotion, it is required to survive and thrive in this world. We become hateful when we feel endangered. Most animals have a fight or flight mentality. Both men and women are equally capable of becoming enraged.

We have a concept that hate is negative and should be shunned. Why people are hateful must be learned. People are generally good, and so there needs to be a reason why. Anger is considered to be the same as hate, but there is a difference. Being angry is when you are disgusted with a situation or person. This feeling is generally short lived. Anger is a temporary event. Hatred is different, hate is a grudge that you feel. It is a long lasting and has its roots into each individual's backstory. Think about some of the simple hates you have, such as a type of food. Maybe you hate Zucchini because your mom made you eat it as a child. Events and influences in our backstory cause these hates. Ignorance and ms-information are the main sources of hated. Children are not born racist, they are taught to be racist.

Prejudices are taught through biases about the roles of different groups. Every single Political, racial, civic, and sexual piece of discrimination is a form of hatred. People tell how we shouldn't trust blacks, because of some stupid reason. Strictly religious people tell the masses how homosexuality is an abomination. Those that are devout with those religions are taught to hate those that are different from their standards. Political viewpoints have become extreme in current times. Party lines and hot topics create hate by dividing people against each other.

How do we combat this hate? Compassion and understanding are the first two keys we need to get past this hate. We need to understand their perception. Understanding a perception doesn't mean that you agree with it. Finding their perception tell us why they feel and act the way they do. This can lead to opening up communication. That is part of the other two keys we need in resolving hate.

Communication and education are very necessary in ridding the world of hate. Blurting facts won't make a bit of difference. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. If someone believes that Hispanics are crossing the border and smuggling in drugs, just posting crime statistics for the last 50 years is going to do nothing. An open dialog with people where they can also give their opinions and information is needed. This interaction lowers defenses and allows information to be processed. We have to be patient and show understanding to stop the hate.

“No Platform” is a form of hate as well. It is an extreme view of absolutism. You must agree with me or you will be silent. This is one form of unethical hate that I see coming from both sides of every battle. We may not agree with another person's views, we might even call them hateful. But each person has the right to think for themselves as they wish. It becomes unethical when you broadcast your views, but deny a;ll other perspectives. It is believing that you have the right to say whatever you wish, but if anyone says anything opposing you are offended and you have the right to silence them.

On social media the demand of absolute loyalty is tested with every post. People will remove you from groups for the wrong use of words. Standards are enforced to fit into any group. Are you faithful enough? They will scan every post to test and police you. You could openly support the LGBT community, but one wrong word or statement could turn that LGBT group against you. This mistrust breeds hate as well. They refuse to use compassion and understanding.

Most social media types are thin skinned as well. Any opposing view or view that doesn't fully support a post is viewed as an attack or “trolling”. Posting a moderate well worded viewpoint on an extreme viewpoint post is usually viewed in this manner. These extremists are so hateful they view all differing views as attacks and build a 'cult of personality' around them and opposing them. These cults fester in hate and distrust. Feminist Anita Sarkeesian is a prime example of this cult of personality and hate. Her one sided videos incite fellow feminists to hate and mistrust men. This creates the counter culture of men arguing back. Some men use reason and compassion and others use Anita's level of spite. Anita does “No Platforming”, which doesn't allow dialog and promotes hate.

Ethics are important , they are the rules that we live by. Ethics are the core of knowing what is wrong and right. Each person has their own unique code of ethics. These ethics are built just like our hatred and prejudices. Every decision and action molds our ethics. Our education and civil interactions also shape our ethics. In every religion and culture there is a set of ethics and they are placed on us. One of these universal rules is Doing onto others as you would have done to yourself.

We get angry at undefined events and make rash unethical demands of vengeance. When Collin Kaepernik refused to stand during the National anthem, the outrage was instant and the outrage was unfounded. People demanded that Kaepernik be fired, they claimed that he was being unpatriotic. Doesn't Mr Kaepernik have the right to protest and have freedom of expression? Well According to the constitution, he has that right to protest exactly the way he did. All that hate is from people that refused to respect the constitution. And ironically, mandatory patriotism like what all these demanded, is what they do in Fascist/communist nations like North Korea. Their ignorance on other people's rights created a hate that should not have happened. These people lacked the compassion and understanding needed for the events that occurred.

Civil rights protests and the counter protests are growing more and more violent. This hate grows on both sides of aspect. But the violence could be stopped with some understanding and patience. People have the right to assemble and protest if they want. When we act to block, we only incite the hatred more, because they are feeling oppressed. Tempers will flare and hatred will lead to violence. Counter protesting is an action of hate as well. This action is a physical form of “No Platforming” . The other side is offended that an opposing group is voicing their views. So they form a protesting body in direct opposition. It doesn't matter what the cause is, the counter protest group is guilty of creating an atmosphere that promotes violence. They could have protested elsewhere or at a different time, but elected to go against another group of people. And just like the social media, a verbal barrage of opposing views escalates and creates more rifts and more hate.

This escalation is dangerous, in every group there is a zealot, a radical. This person is overwhelmed by emotions and will do something horrific. As I write this statement , yesterday a young man drove a car into a crowd of people that he was in opposition with. He killed one lady and injured several others. He tried to drive away, but he was apprehended. It was his lack of compassion and understanding that lead him to ignore his ethics and take a life. When the cause is more important that the people, you are dangerous.

This is one of the reasons for this statement. We as a society have lost our ability to reason and moderate with others. Hate has been able to grow unchecked in so many areas. Conservatives attack liberals. Feminists belittle Male aspect of society, The religions seek to silence that that believe differently. So many take the radical approach and close dialog with anyone that thinks differently.

Unethical hate has one more foul twist. People attack others without regard to any limitations. They feel so passionate about a topic that any means to achieve victory is allowed. Actions that you would protest if they were done to yourself, you do without concern. When you forget that you are dealing with another person, and just view them as the enemy, you have become an instrument of hate. All things that you have worked for and virtues that you claim are worthless.

The neo-nazi/white supremacy protests are something I disagree with. Their ideals are in opposition with what I believe in. But today I found myself defending the individuals attending that protest, but not their ideals. Like Mr. Kaepernik, they have the right to protest even when I disagree with the reason why. And people have the right to disagree with the protest as well. What I saw were memes of the protesters asking if you recognize them, and if you were their employer. I see this as an unethical hateful move. If the person was part of the march but committed no acts of violence, why should he be fired? This is a personal attack, and the people that are supporting this action would be upset if someone did the same thing to them. Yes, they have different views, but people have the right to express those views. They are ignoring their own ethics to attack a person they don't even know. They are lacking the compassion, understanding, and decent morals.

Hate has overran our society. It has blinded and divided people. We go by labels and groupings , seeking to find our space to be safe and accepted in. Ignorance and fear has turned people against communication and diplomacy. I find it so hard to communicate with others because they can't or won't understand my viewpoint. I give you this statement to inspire you to encourage compassion, understanding, patience, communication, and education. To stop hate, we must overcome the ignorance that created the hate. We must fill that void with knowledge and kindness. The journey will be long and hard worked, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Should Pagans Preach?

Should a Pagan preach? There are hundreds of people willing to be teachers of magick and witchcraft. But there are little or any pagans that try to preach. Now the subject matter here is what is important. No pagans are supposed to go around and try to convert people to Paganism. What about p5reaching aka talking about how to present oneself or act in the world.

We know that certain things are right and wrong, but we don't have anyone telling the world how we feel and view things. There are a few people that  talk  about how racism has entered some of the Norse pagans groups.  But people outside of the pagan world only see what  they  can easily find or what  is thrown in front of them.  We know that  there are a slight few Norse groups that  have neo-Nazi members, and they  use those beliefs as a shield or excuse to  act the way they  do. A vast majority of the Norse focused Pagans are anti-racism , and are disgusted with  these actions. 

We are all  told to "be silent".  We shouldn't ruffle feathers and get the ire of sensitive Christians that  can't handle anyone believing differently than themselves.  Being Silent, be scared, and being kept hidden has also  kept us from forming a community and a voice.  Saying that  our  Pagan Community is fragmented is being nice.  We lack so  much from being a community, we are our worst enemies.  We are over-protective of our personal beliefs and we will  go  against anyone that  would try to  lead us because somehow he doesn't understand you perfectly. How dare that  Strega tell a Celtic what  he should do!!  This is also  due to  our past history with  the Christian church, we don't want anyone to  tell us how and what  to  believe.

So how do  we get past this? We won't never really get past this.  I  was talking to  a friend yesterday  and she mentioned that  most Pagan groups last about 3 years and then  everything falls apart and then a new group or groups form from the wreckage.  This is a continuing struggle with  this.  We are so  distrusting of others when it comes to  our beliefs that  we will  destroy the group to  protect ourselves. We think  that  we are right on everything, that  we can't allow someone that  doesn't think  like you to  be in control for long. 

What  the Pagan community needs is someone, but better yet some people that  would be willing to  take the blunt of the opposing attitudes and rise up  to  show what  a Pagan community could be.  I  have been focusing on the Roku  channel  for Pagans.  It is a two  sided sword with  electrodes connected to  it.  This could give the Pagan community a voice that  could be heard around the world.  A platform that  any  opposing group couldn't take down.  one whole category could be Pagan news videos.  SO  people on the east coast would know what  is happening on the west coast, and vice versa.  It would be a way to  let solitary  practitioners that  they  aren't alone.  Categories can be used by  predominant pagans on YouTube adding interesting content  and educating others about what  Paganism is and isn't.  But toes will  be stepped on, people that  aren't comfortable that  anyone was speaking about Paganism, will  be enraged. The thick skin required to  stand up  would be amazed and draining.  If a group was to  stand up,  everything they  do  would be over analyzed and twisted against them.  SO  a You tuber that  joined the group of people speaking about Paganism could face a public out lash that  could ruin a Pagan You Tube channel, but it could also  energize it as well.

What  does this have to  do  with  Preaching?  EVERYTHING.....   I  am going to  continue the research  and structuring of this Roku Pagan channel idea.  I  am wanting one category to  be about spirituality and ethics. I  personally would not allow a hell fire and brimstone  video on the channel.  But a set of videos talking about Pagan ethics and spirituality would work  to  explain to  the world how we Pagans think and practice.  There would be a category devoted to  education.  SO outsiders looking in could learn what  the difference is on so many  traditions.  This channel  would be about the spirituality of Pagans.  Not about converting, but  promoting understanding about Paganism in its many  forms.

How would I  preach  about spirituality of Pagans?  I  would start with  talking about ethics. There is this concept about  "Character Counts". 6  pillars used to  being a better person.  Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.  Pagans focus on the divine and the magic , but little is focused here.  But I  believe that  we need someone to  focus on the character of Pagans to  show us in a better light.  Citizenship is about being part of a community, but  so many  of us are loners or very  distrusting.  If we can't have citizenship, we can never have a community.

I  would then continue talking about different aspects as they  relate to  other traditions.  Now one of the reasons I  am  motivated to  do  this is the also  educate some of those that  oppose Pagans,  some of those people are open to  reason and so  reason must be used.   Look  at how they  relate all  pagans as devil worshippers that  perform ridiculous rituals.  Have a video  showing how the wiccan rede makes those claim mute.  Of course that  would only cover the Wiccans, but they  are a part of the Pagan community. 

Would you as part of the Pagan community speak  for or against someone that  stood up and refused to  be silent.? Would you give that  person a chance before condemning that  person?  Are you wanting to  be part of a bigger community?

Pagan Roku Channel

     Recently I  have upgraded my streaming options with  Roku. A marvelous little device that  more than triples my viewing pleasure. I  discovered that  in Roku  they  have a "special interest" section. In this special section you can have custom made channels of any  theme that you wanted.  Well this section had 1298  channels, 99%  of them were Religious channels. I  went through the channels one by  one looking for something that  I  might like. 95%  of all  those religious channels were Christian. With  the majority of the civilized world being Christian, I  understood why  it would be that  way. I  found about 40  channels that  were Islamic in theme. I  found roughly ten channels for the Hindu  and Jewish  faith each.  I  found an Atheist channel, which  shocked the heck  out of me, and I  subscribed to it. Near the bottom I  even found Buddhist channel, I  added that  to  my  list. But  I  never found a single Pagan themed channel, and that  bothered me greatly.

     So I  did  some research  and I  learned that  anyone can create a Roku  channel. It is a free service to  create.  After all, the more channels that  Roku  can claim the better it does in promoting itself. I  thought that  I  could create a Roku  channel  along with  my youtube channel,  I  can use the URL's from YouTube as the links for the Roku  channel.  I  spent a couple days  dwelling on how to  handle this and the bigger picture. The Pagan community doesn't have a voice that  can be streamed across the US or the World.  I  decided to  figure out a plan to  build a Streaming network that  could  give the Pagan community at large a voice.

     I  really want this to  work, and so  I  decided that  I  was going to  need a lot of content and money to  back  this up.  I  hate this part of my  idea because there are so many  frauds out there. I  have been watching a lot of Roku streaming and most channels have roughly 10  categories for programming.  Such as the Comedy, Sci-fi, horror, classic TV, and so  forth. I  could sell 7 slots of the channel to  people that  do  many  YouTube videos that  have a strong pagan focus and following.  I  would want two  slots for myself, one for random Pagan videos, and the other for a Pagan teaching video  set that  I  am working on.  The remaining slot would be open for various YouTube Pagans that  create videos at  a slower pace or for important news affecting the Pagan communities.  The last  channel  could be used to  broadcast videos from Pagans that  are passed away but have a large following such as Scott Cunningham.

     How much money? I  don't know, honestly I  am still working on the requirements to  maintain and update the channel before I  give a price.  I  don't have a timeframe either,  but  it shouldn't take long to  set-up  the accounts with  Roku.  The price can be reduced by  adding commercials to  the channel.  It would go under Google AdSense.

     This brings up  many  topics that  have to  be covered. What  is allowed and what  isn't. As long as it has a Pagan theme and it isn't a long commercial for a person's witch shop,  I  think it should be allowed.  I  have seen too  many  YouTube videos where the person references her online store 3-4 times.  How long will the video be available? I  have to  see what  the storage limits are on  these channel services. My  favorite streaming channel  gives each category 200 options. If this holds true, until you submit your 201st video, all  other videos will  be available.

     But the Biggest concern that  I  have is a simple one. Would you watch a Roku  Pagan channel ? If one was created to  have popular content, remain fresh with  new content,  and give the community news, would you support it? Honesty is needed, if you wouldn't watch it, please tell me. No reason to  make this if nobody turned it on.

    How would I  get the money?  Well I  was thinking of a Kickstarter campaign. Thus people can donate what  they  want.  I  was thinking about how the rewards would work.  A small donation would get your name and a Link  to  you posted on a thanks video. Another level would get a video of your choice(as long as it was pagan themed) posted on that  community category  that  I  described.  The last level would be for purchasing of a category.  Like I  said the money part hasn't been figured out.  But lets say  that  I  set a level as any  donation over $300.00 would buy  a category on the Pagan channel.  And thus guaranteeing  you having a category on the Pagan Roku  Channel.

I  need opinions and criticisms.  I  have a lot to  work  out before I  can provide a more structured presentation.  But I  need to  know if this is a good or bad idea. Thanks for your time.

Expanding the Tarot Deck.

      For those that  have watched my blogs and videos. I  am a traditionalist.  I  tend to  stay away from the eclectic concepts that  I  believe are tainting paganism.  But I  can't help  what  I  dream at night. Well this morning I  have a thinking dream, well that  is what I  call  them.  These are dreams that  I  have around 3:00 in the morning and I  plan things out.  Well  this dream was a dream about the Tarot deck.  In my dream I  was telling myself to  expand the Tarot deck by  creating new cards for the minor arcana.

      First one was a "General" card.  every nation in modern times and in history has had a military leader that  stood out and represented that  nation or kingdom.  The military  leader wasn't always the king/queen.  And when you think  about the Tarot deck suits representing the changing seasons, we must remember that  nature can be forceful.  SO I  was thinking that  the "General" card would represent the brutal aspect of a season or suit. 

      The next card that  I  thought needed to  be made was a "Princess" card.  In most tarot decks there is a King/Prince duo. But the Queen lacks her duo partner.  The "Princess" would represent the innocence and gentleness of the season or suit. She won't be the damsel in distress, but the aspect of a younger queen that  is still leaning about the world.

     So  that  would make a total of  eight new cards in this concept that  I  had. What  do  you think  of this idea?  I  would love to  hear some feedback from everyone.

My Roses, a story about life.

     Beauty and inspiration can come in many things and take on many  forms. All you have to  do is open your eyes and look  around you. This year's inspiration comes from my roses. They  are an epic story of struggles, lose , and rebirth.

    I  bought this property four years ago. it was a fixer upper. 40 year old carpet, 100  year old wallpaper, and a yard that  needed love.  I  remember quite well the first things that I  had to  do  to  the yard to  get it looking better.  they  half buried a claw foot tub in front of my  bay window.  but  they  did  nothing to  maintain it, after all  this was for many  years a rental  property.  The next step  was to  remove all  the sapling trees growing next to  the house.  SO I  was digging and cutting out maples, walnuts, and elm trees from all  sides of the house.  But on the East side of my  house there were also  roses that needed some love as well.  I  also  had two  full  grown maples of the east side of my property, those roses were not getting the sunlight they  needed.  SO  the first year they never bloomed.

     The next year I  moved the roses away from the house , placing them by  my garage, where they  would get more light, but it wasn't going to  be a permanent spot.  Roses are delicate plants and they  looked like they all  died.  SO  I  left them alone and worked on the many  different projects  that  I  had to  do.

     But the following year, they  showed life and so  I  trimmed them up and decided to  give them a permanent place to  grow.  I  placed them a foot away from my driveway.  I  tilled the dirt a little deeper and took more time transplanting them.  Some responded very well, but they  all  survived. They finally had a location where they  can get all the sunlight they  needed and not crowded in by  other plants.

    This summer they  grew nicely, and I  could see roses finally  start to  form. SO I  went inside the garage and grabbed some string and short posts and staked the roses. with  all  the new growth  they  needed to  be supported so  that  when the new growths stiffen up  they  are growing upwards, not on the ground.  I  was so  excited over seeing a few rose buds, but loving the sight of half the roses having multiple buds on them.  Today  was a sweet day, when I  went to  get the lawnmower, I  saw that  the first  groups of roses were blooming.  A nice deep  red with  subtle beauty.

     So  how does this make a story of life?  These roses faces  strong odds of never flowering. But the power of life and desire lasted those rough years and now  they  can shine.  We also  face hard times, moment when we think  there is no hope.  We are left to  fight for ourselves, but given a chance , we learn about ourselves, continue to  fight and when the time is right, we shine our inner spirit for the whole world to  see.  It is  going through the hard times that makes our journey even sweeter.

     And like my  journey repairing this house and yard, there were times I  wanted to  scream.  But I  took on the responsibility and I  pushed on.  I  have those moments where I  can be very proud of myself.  And through this journey I  have found inner peace and strength to  become a better person.  Now every year my spirit will  shine every time I  see those roses bloom.

    

Rebooting Pagan Learning Open Circle

One of the best things I  did for my  Pagan path was creating the Pagan Learning Open Circle.  This is a Facebook  Page that is linked to  my YouTube channel.  I  created several videos  trying to  teach  those new to  Paganism about the basics of Paganism.  I  learned more about Paganism  when I  did my research.  I  read a few messages from people that  were thankful for the videos and made a few new friends. When this project was started I  was in a different state of mind.  I  was more aggressive and confrontational then.  While I  still far from being a pacifist, I  am no longer the rabid grizzly bear looking for reasons to  pounce on people.

So why  the Reboot, this isn't a movie.  Change has occurred in so many  ways that  I  felt  it was necessary.  I  have changed in personality in many  ways. I  am more patient and calmer in handling  issues.  But there are still  so many  battles to  fight, and those might require the meaner side of me to  appear.  I  am not  a wiccan,  I  am not bound by  those rules.  I  am a  teacher, Warrior, healer, and leader.  The situation will  determine which part of me comes out.  My  path has changed as well.  I  believe that  we must constantly challenge our beliefs,  I  have done research that  required me to  rethink  how I  was walking my  path.  A change in perspective is a good thing, if your beliefs can remain strong, then you know your path  is true.

The quality of my video  has changed as well.  When I  first did these videos I  was renting an apartment and doing the videos in a small room. I  have bought a house, and have one room dedicated as the computer/video  room.  I  purchased a  video  editor program that  allows me to  use green screens.  On my east wall I  have a 10 foot by  10  foot green screen installed.  thus I  can have colorful and always new backgrounds. Recently I  bought a dash  cam and have been using it to  get new background videos.

And finally I  want to  change the format a bit.  The whole idea is still  to  teach people about Paganism. I  want to  tighten the aspects of what  I  teach. The first series was very open to  all paths. I  made references to  other paths and how they  are different.  This time around I  want to  focus more on the Celt ways and what  I  follow.  By  reducing the scope of the videos, I  can give more detailed answers and guidance.  Stress what  is important and talk about issues in the pagan community.

I  am also  going to  focus on the spirituality of Paganism. There are so many people that  teach about spells and witchcraft, I  am just going to  stay  away from it for a while. SO  many   groups are heavy into  wicca and witchcraft that  they  forget the spiritual side of paganism.  I  have 40  videos subjects  planned right now. I  will  be open to  video  requests.  And I  am  going to  expand the total  number of videos I  am going to  do  on Pagan Spirituality.

So  what  type of  video  would you like me to  make next?

Required to be a witch....

There is this mentality that  anyone can be a witch, and that  is far from true. A witch  is a profession or a set of job skills.  There are tasks that  people are just not any good at. Not everybody can be anything.  So not everyone can be a witch.  There are mental characteristics that  you need to  be a witch and many  people don't have those characteristics.  This modern day  everyone is a winner mentality is counter productive to  being a witch.  Just like you can do  whatever you want in your Pagan path is utter bullcrap.  Not everyone can be a witch, that  needs to  be realized first and foremost.  Life is full  of difficulty and so is witchcraft. Paganism is like a rose it has beauty but it also  has thorns. There is this little grey area that  causes some troubles for many.  Wicca might mean witch  in old English,  we no longer speak old English.  So  Wicca  is just a proper name for one of many  Pagan denominations.  Just because you follow Wicca doesn't make you a witch,  it only makes you to  be a Wiccan.

Being a witch  requires you to have a great deal of inner strength to  handle all of life's challenges and ordeals.  Being shallow and unable to  handle a different point of view is a sign of weakness.  I  commented on a few YouTube videos that  a couple ladies made.  They  didn't like my opposing comments because it challenged their views.  How did they  handle the situation? The disabled the comments on the videos.  One video  told people to  make comments, but she disabled all comments after I  questioned her qualifications.  We gain strength through adversity,  but instead of responding to  my  comments they  took  the easy  way out and disabled comments.  This is called "Non-platforming" remove the ability of others that  think  differently than you to  express themselves.  This is an attack of Freedom of speech. Now witches and pagans love our freedoms,  so it is a hypocritical move.  And when you act in opposition in how you feel it takes away  from  who  you are as a person.

The ability to  see all  sides of a topic are vital in magic  and life.  We must be able to  view each  situation and goal from different perspectives to  make sure everything is well thought out and our intent is correct.  Weakness in character is also  about taking that  adversity and  handling it with  mature actions and understanding.  On wonderful facebook, I  believe that  if a topic is open to  discuss ,  I  should discuss it openly and honestly.  Some people take any  and all  opposing views as an attack. If I  post a well worded comment without any  insults or threats,  you should be able to  respond in kind.  Far too many  of these self-declared witches  make claims that  they  are being harassed or trolled because someone didn't agree with  them.  If you are too  thin skinned to  handle an opposing view, you are too  thin skinned to handle magic. Think  about this, you are willing to  post to  the public your views on a subject, someone decided to  talk  about their point of view and you act as if they  attacked you.  If you are making claims to the public but can't handle the concept of someone disagreeing with  you, you are too  weak to  do  magick. Take the Goddess Cerridwen,  she is known for being an in your face demanding goddess. She is powerful and very wise.  If you can't handle someone disagreeing with  you, how in the heck  are you going to  handle a goddess that  is way  more demanding.

Ethics are important to  being a witch, a pagan , or just a person. You  have to  have a personal  code that  you live by.  You  must develop these codes of laws  for yourself and the people in your life then  uphold them.   You  can't demand that  nobody will silence you, but  you will  demand only those that  agree with  you can speak out.  If you want freedom to  speak,  you must be willing to  give it and defend it for others.  The only time that  you can stop defending others right to  speak is if they  try to  take your rights to  speak  away  from you.   If something is wrong to  do, then it is wrong for all  people to  do it.  There can't be exceptions to  the rules.  We have people that  declare that  they  have this code of ethics, but when it comes to  friends or family, they  never try to  enforce it.  Every time you allow someone you know to  do  something that  is declared wrong by  you, you are taking away  from yourself. You  are showing weakness.

Discipline is a major factor in being a witch,  a pagan, or a good person.  How can anyone really trust you if you can't develop the discipline to  invoke trust.  That  same discipline will  determine your ability to  focus your energies when performing spellwork.  Being a witch or a pagan is a personal path that  only you can walk. If you can't walk  the path as you claim to  follow or refuse to  follow,  then you can't walk  the path on being a witch  or a pagan.  It doesn't matter if you have 4 friends or 4,000 friends, if you can't be true to  them or yourself you will fail in being a witch. Eclectic Wicca has told you that  you can add anything to  your path, well  you got lied to.  Everything in life has limitations. Some things don't fit into  an earth based religion that  honors the changes in life.  It is like a recipe, you can make a few substitutions to  a recipe, but you have to  remain true to  the recipe as best as you can or you will  end up with something different.

Doing it the easy way...  That  is one of the biggest issues that  I  have with  eclectic Wicca.  So many  people want to  do it the easy way. If something is worth doing it  is worth  doing right.  There are challenges that  we are meant to  face to  gain strength and test our abilities.  We can't just cherry pick what  we want to  know and ignore the rest.  Being a witch demand a level of commitment. Just like many  forms of Paganism require a initiation ceremony, many  different forms of witchery require an initiation.  Many  schools in Paganism and witchcraft  use a year and a day to  measure your required duration in advancement.  You  can't just ignore days 76-81.  So it is time to  show growth and going the tougher route and seeing what  needs to  be seen.

Education is important in life. You  can not go  around living a life of being out of the loop.  Do  you want people to  respect you for your good qualities or laugh  at you for your bad?  Recently I  have seen many  YouTube videos were people are taking that  easy route and giving poor information to  everyone.  I  am not perfect, but I  try to  research  a topic before I  post about it.  One guy  was talking about his magical  crystals.  Not every polished stone is a crystal.   Crystals have a specific structure that  repeats throughout the object. That  is why  quartz is a crystal , you can easily see the crystal  structure.  If you are refusing to  educate and question what  you read, you will  never have the mental  strength to  perform magick.  Magick  can be very demanding in its structure.  Without clear concise meaning and intent, you spellwork  can and more than likely fail.  I  was told of the lady  that  thought she needed plastic surgery to  look  prettier,  she performed a rushed ritual trying to  get her plastic surgery.  She  was in a car wreck  and got burns on her face, she got her plastic surgery.

There is being a witch. you are capable of doing great acts of good or evil. It just depends on what  your intent is. Stop  with  the white and black  magick whining.  There are times where you have to  get a little dirty to  do  the right thing.  Harming none is important to  you, cool, but are you going to  let that  rule your life.  Harming none and doing the right thing are to  different things.  There are times were you have to  pick  up  the sword and defend those that  can't defend themselves.  Because it is the right thing to  do.  Harm none means you run away and let those that  can't defend themselves suffer.  Life is not always beautiful, life can be so unkind to  you and others. and unless you are willing to  life in harmony  and balance with  those difficult moments, you are not living in the world around you able to  harness the energies of the world around you.

Asking for  help is a part of life, there are times where we need a helping hand.  Some people can be so  stubborn and refuse to  accept help  when they really need it.  However the opposite is true as well. So  many  people are asking for this healing energy or a spell  to  do  blah  blah  blah.  If you can't do it yourself, shut-up  and change it.  This weak minded crap  has to  end.  For magic to  work  some simple things are required  such  as a name, or a picture of the person.  We have to  focus and shape  the energy. Telling me to  send healing energy to  your third cousin's best friends daughter who  has a cold is stupid.  There is no  connection for  others to  work  with. There is no  name, picture, or location to  work  with.  But I  see this stupid act done multiple times a day.  If you ask for yourself, then we can  picture the person,  know the name and location.   People that  claim to  be witches don't stop  and think  on how spellwork  is performed.

So  as I  said, not everyone can be a witch.  You  have to  have an inner fire and a strong mind to  develop the abilities and understandings to  be a witch.  It isn't easy,  there will  be times where it is boring learning about the structure or purpose of certain procedures. But they  are there to  protect you or others.  Such  as washing your hands before you cook,  sounds  simple and boring, but it has to  be explained to  many  people everyday.  So are the steps in casting a circle.   You  can't skip  the boring and not fun parts. You  can't  do  and say the easy things and expect people to  respect you  or to better yourself.

As Robert Frost stated.  'I  choose the road less traveled and it has made all  the difference.' If you can't handle the rough road, you can't handle being a witch.

Seeking Pagan spirituality as a community.

It is my nature to  want some kinship in my  spiritual path. Not like minded copies of my own beliefs.  I  seek  conversations and points of view to  ponder on. People to  share activities with  that  are level headed in their thoughts. I  am unique , just like everyone else. Unique in looks, personality, history, and demeanor.  There is only one me and only one you.

The issue  here is that  Pagans are so  guarded in our private path  that  we keep  people at  arms length. So  many  are in a constant state of 'fight or flight" mentality. Sharing personal  paths is an endeavor to  walk  on eggshells . Any  difference of opinions must be internalized so  that  no  slight offense  ever occurs.

We value our individuality so much that  we are willing to  throw friendship away  for the smallest digress. We build these small  cliques of  spiritual  friends  to  maintain a feel of control.  making sure that  nobody else can enter and shift the focus in anyway.  We tend to  be solitary  practitioners just so  that  nobody can tell us to  do  something different. We are so  scared of being outed or ridiculed in our hometowns and work, that  we could work  with  a fellow pagan, and never know it. Cities both small  and large with  unknown pagan populations  refusing to  reach  out for others.

How can we change this? We need to  grow levels of acceptance for Pagans internally and externally. Internally is the harder of the two. Because nothing will  effect the external  until  we change what  is on the inside of each  and every Pagan. So  we have to  stop  being so  damn guarded and be able to  welcome those that  are different spiritually in our lives. It is sad that  most pagans are hypocrites in this manner.  They  can adopt and adapt their beliefs to  fit with  other Christians  in this Christian dominated society. Such  as celebrating Halloween instead of Samhain.  But these same Pagans won't budge for a fellow Pagan with  a different point of view.  Most will  runaway and hide if a Christian calls them satan worshippers,  but they  draw a line in the sand if a fellow Pagan offers a conflicting aspect of belief.

Where is the Pagan leadership to  help  with  this change? Nowhere and everywhere, we have Pagans with  limited leadership roles for small groups, but lack the ability to  close these gaps. SO  we need the old Pagan leadership to increase their efforts or get out of the way so  that  others can try.  But I  already  know the result if  anyone would try to  unite the various Pagan communities. They  will  be attacked and insulted for their actions.  Because Pagans will  not budge for other pagans that  don't follow their own beliefs exactly.  Pagans are blocking Pagan unity.  Let that sink in for a bit.

Why  would they do this? Well it is quite simple. There is a rebellion against any  dogma and anyone telling them how to  be a pagan.  If you look  at  the Wiccan rede, you will see a dividing point in Paganism. Some people say  that  it is only for the wiccans,  then there are wiccans that  try to  push it on all of Paganism. A challenge is to  write a document that  can create a bond between pagan groups, something that  can unify and be respectful to  all  Pagan groups.

I  have seen Pagans unify under a single banner on short lived occasions. They  need a massive push  to  cause this solidarity.  That  is the problem as well.  I  have seen Pagans and Pagan magazines  unite when a small  group  of people tried to  rewrite the "13 Principles of Wiccan belief".  Pagans worked hand in hand to  figure out that  what's and whys. But as soon as the threat was gone they  disbanded again.  The most recent event was the "witches around the world binding Donald Trump" event.  Sadly this last  event reflects how badly we need to  grow closer and of new leadership.  Isolated pockets of witches from across the world, mostly in the US, worked out of sync to  face a "threat" from Donald Trump.  There was infighting in the Pagan communities in the how's and whys people should do it.  In the end it was chaos and side A was mad at side B.

We have to  look  beyond our small  groups and covens and build a better Pagan community for the betterment of all  pagans.  We have divided and conquered ourselves into  this position. We must heal  our wounds and become stronger. In Christianity they have Baptists, Lutherans,  Methodists, and so many  more denominations. But they  can rally together as a Christian community quickly. Something that  we can't do.  That  has to  change for our beloved communities to  be closer and stronger.

We don't need a church  and a hierarchy. Churches are just buildings, any  place that  we feel  secure in would work.  We don't want a hierarchy to  tell us how to  walk  our path. We need people to  make sure that  we can walk  our path.  We need people that  can move beyond the spirituality and religious aspects and look  at  the community as a whole.  Instead of being priests and priestesses, they  would be administrators. Knowing that  only when the whole Pagan community is healthy that any  portion can be health.

So  what  is missing is the bond between Pagans. A spirituality  of kinship and respect. So  we have to  find all aspects that  we share to  build a mutual  spiritual document. Thus we have to  define and set a couple very general limitations on Paganism. Even the 13 principles of belief had very  vague limitations.  Pagans is Latin for Country Dweller.  It is a reference to the people that  worked the with  the earth and monitored the solar cycles.  It was a word to insult the farmers from the city living Christians.  I  want to  throw away  the old Christian dictionary definition of Paganism: "Any  belief that  is not of the Abrahamic beliefs".  There are many religions that  are stand alone beliefs and should be treated in this manner out of respect.  Now I  define Paganism as this: " Any  earth based  belief systems that  predate the Abrahamic beliefs and originate in the European and Mediterranean Sea. Thus leaving Hinduism, Buddhism, Native American beliefs and so many as stand alone religions.  Again , I  do  that  out of respect to  these religions.

Thus Paganism is an Earth/Sun based religious group.  We should write  a document  that  reflects these points, and with  it  create bonds to  unite not separate Pagans. Last  night I  written a brief  open ended poem  that  reflects that  goal. Just to  give an idea that  might work.

Our home is the Earth
it protects and it provides
Full of life and wonders
An Amazing beauty that  we can't deny.

In the Sky  is the Sun,
The provider of heat and light.
Showing us what  beauty we have
All we must do is open our eyes.

As the Earth does its dance
Life on the planet changes
Bound by  the cycles of life.
We honor them as they  change.

We live with  harmony in life
Taking only what  we need to live
Showing respect of all life.
We are one with  the world.

We go  by  many names and labels
Each sees the world uniquely inside.
We are Pagans, Heathens, Wiccans, and more
We are many  things, but just one people.

The next step is to  build  that  bigger Pagan community that  many  dream about.  But that  is only a dream if we can't transcend our differences. So I  shall  start with  myself.  I  am a solitary  Pagan, I know many  pagans online but few in close at hand.  I  shall  respect you, your beliefs, and our differences, please do  the same for me.  I  shall  not ask you about your beliefs to  criticize you.  I  will  ask  to  learn and understand you better.  I  may  place a label on you, but it isn't to  divide us but  to  understand you as a whole person.  Give me a chance to  see the world through your eyes.

Our Pagan communities are fractured and fragile.  So many  people demand 100% loyalty and acceptance. The slightest variant from this absolutism is met with horrific hatred and malice. A question or a different point of view is treated as an attack and being trolled.  An honest question by  someone being sincere can result in ridicule  by  many.  Pagans seem to  distrust or resent the outside world full of views that  don't conform to  their specific ideals.  And this will  be hard to  fix until we learn to  be better people.  How Can we be a spiritual  group when we are a house divided upon itself. How can we know of our amazing spiritual energy, when we can't open our eyes and hearts to  our fellow Pagan.

Please share this blog with  others and leave any  and all  comments below.

Pagan Spiritual Warfare. Be a Spiritual Warrior.

As I continue my focus on the Pagan community and what  I  feel is missing. I  want to  mention Spiritual Warriors,  how we have so  few and there is no organization. Look  at  the attempt to  bind Donald trump, what  resulted was a maelstrom of chaos and bickering. When I  see Christians and Muslims call for spiritual warriors they  have something to  fall  back on and thousands are able to  rally around a single cause.

Frist off we have to  define and know what  a spiritual warrior is. And according to  Wikipedia the definition is this:The term spiritual warrior is used in Buddhism for one who combats the universal enemy: self-ignorance (avidya), the ultimate source of suffering according to Buddhist philosophy. A heroic being with a brave mind and ethical impulse."  SO  a Spiritual  warrior go  around and teaches others about many  thing , not just religion.  I  am rather fond of that concept, and I  guess I  do  spiritual  warfare on that  level with  my  blog and videos.

I  am now going to  refer to  Paradigm.com  to  express some points.  In my last  blog post I  talked about adding a warrior spirit to  your path in some aspect. That   being able to  defend yourself is a part of survival.  They had a great statement on the difference of a warrior and a soldier.  I  am a warrior, not a soldier. http://www.1paradigm.org/spiritualwarrior.html      There is a difference between a warrior and a soldier. A soldier is trained to follow orders, to respect authority, and to subjugate their individual thinking process and will to the command hierarchy. A warrior, in contrast, is more autonomous and independent. A warrior engages in battle out of personal choice rather than because of obedience to orders. A warrior is capable of making moral judgments and acting accordingly. A warrior is flexible and adaptable; able to act independently as well as be a team player. A warrior takes responsibility for his or her choices and actions. A warrior is a person of compassion who understands pain and the consequences of action. A warrior understands the horror of war and does not seek it. A warrior understands that glory is only for fools who bask in their own illusions. A warrior, however, when engaged in a righteous cause, fights with such skill, passion, intensity, and brilliance that victory is assured.

I  am not wanting an army  of soldier,  but a group  of  warriors that  know when the proper time to  fight is. Those Christian and Muslims are soldiers they  follow orders and are told to  follow their leaders blindly. Being a "Spiritual warrior" means a life commitment. It means the embrace of discipline, study and long intense training sometimes at the sacrifice of comfort and convenience. Being a Spiritual warrior also means understanding your principles and not compromising them. It is easier said than done.

When more people have learned and devoted to  be spiritual  warriors, they  can stand up  and fight when they  are needed.  Think of the mass binding action against Trump,  with  more people  understanding the battle, disciplined to  now how and when to  fight, working together  not as separate forces. 

But the definition talks about educating others, the battle to  stop ignorance.  These spiritual warriors can also  double as teachers and help  those learning or having difficulties.  This would weed out those that  are only going through the motions.  With  the strength that  this would also  give the Pagan community, it would help  it grow by  being able to  stand for itself better.

A Warrior in a Garden...

     Merry  Meet, the title  above is from something my better half said to me. The full  quote goes like this. "It is better to  be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war."  I  think it is very  profound.  A warrior can easily adapt to  gardening, instead of striking a practice dummy, the warrior learns the ways of plants and life.  To  be a gardener you have to  have patience and tend to  the garden as needed,  swift action is not needed.  They are polar opposites but they  can't trade jobs equally. 

     In paganism,  there is such  a focus on building tranquility and harvesting a better life.  One of the popular descriptions of an individuals spiritual  path  is "walking the path",  another is  "tending your garden of spirit".    There is such  a strong push for pacifism that  it is turning unhealthy. Like any  diet, you have to  balance it out to  maintain a healthy lifestyle.    Pagans are the gardeners and refuse to  accept the warriors virtue.  Warriors are given a mantle of aggressive hate.  Warriors fight for one thing , survival of the whole.  They  fight, so  the gardener doesn't have to. But I  also  see two-faced dialog that  bothers me greatly.  There are so many  pagans that demand the "Harm None"  notion, but also  promote themselves as badass witches.  There are pagans that  talk  about removing negativity and don't welcome warrior types in their social  groups.  This has to  end.

     I  believe that  we must learn to  accept the warrior spirit into  our practices. As I  have stated many  times that  nature is not as peaceful as many  believe.  That  life continues through the consumption of  death on this planet and the universe.  So  the Warrior spirit is not  evil when it is used to  protect the innocent.  Love and Pearce are the goal, but  like freedom, they are not free and have to  be earned.  The conflicts throughout the history of life on this planet have never stopped. And I  am not talking about the wars of mankind, the war of survival between animals and with  man have been going on and will continue.  But then there are these pagans that  insist on being gardeners while wars are fought  in different scales around them.

     You  can't shun these battles, and you can't let life  fall apart with  you standing on the sidelines. You  are a multifaceted creature, you can change and adapt to  fit the conditions around you, but many  will  choose to  do  nothing.  Bringing the warrior aspect into  your beliefs will  not taint what  you believe in.  For there to  be a shadow, there must be light first.  You  must have something to  compare to  measure the purity of anything.  SO  a light worker can't claim to  be of 'light' when they  hide in the darkness, so  that  they  are not seen when difficulties arise. A warrior can't be called hateful when he puts himself in front of children, to protect them.  You  can't call  yourself a follower of earth based religions when you stand idle against  people throwing litter out the windows and doors.

     Christianity claims to  be a religion of love and peace, but yet it  has aggressive tendencies.  I  have seen the bible camps were they train children into  be "Spiritual  Warriors for Jesus".  There are organized groups of people across the US that  declare themselves as "Spiritual Warriors" in Christianity.  This is what  we face as pagans.  Last month's  "Binding Trump  Mass spell effort" reflects what  we lack in the pagan community.   We don't have a warrior spirit or code in paganism, we have this pacifist mentality that  keeps us under control.  And as long as we accept this mentality of "Harm none" and stay  hidden we will  never be taken serious and allowed to  follow our beliefs openly. We were the rebels in Star  Wars facing the organized and trained empire.

     Spiritual Warfare is still  warfare. And a vast majority of Pagans out there are gardeners in a war. You  are told to  stay  away from dark  energies,  shun people that  don't follow this party line.  There are wiccans demanding the wiccan rede be used by  all  pagans.  This is the pacifist mentality that  I  dislike.  We have to  learn the ideals of Spiritual  warfare.  Now I  openly endorse the Warrior spirit as part of my  beliefs.  I  can believe that  the same person that  raises a sword in one hand, should be able to  lift a hand to  aid a person just as easily.  Warriors have a code of ethics. Just like how our spirituality  guides us in life,  we can have a spiritual code in how and when we fight.  I  want to  share with  you two pieces of wisdom that  I  use in my  warrior code.

To  be a Great warrior one must learn three things:

1. Learn to  rebuild the buildings lost from war

2. Learn to  heal  those that  were injured from war.

3.  Learn to  kill

Learning to  kill  is the last thing you need to  learn,

after learning the first two, hopefully you don't want to  kill

There are many  things worth fighting for.

There are things in life worth killing for

There are fewer things worth dying for.

But there are only a few things in life worth living for.

    It has to  be taught not to  rush  into  battle and spill  blood that  doesn't need to  be spilled. A warrior  is a defender of his people and his ideals.  I  see Pagans get mad and spouting off whenever some other pagans  makes  claims about paganism that  don't exactly agree with  their own beliefs.  We are willing to  block, unfriend, belittle, shun, and more anyone that  claims a different view on Paganism.  But we refuse to  stand together and defend people that  agree with  us on different aspects.  There is this foolish mentality of demanding people to  agree with  you and never posting a different opinion.  We are divided amongst ourselves,  we are weak because of this.

     Bringing in a warrior aspect to  your beliefs will  help  bring an end to  this destructive behavior.  The code of the warrior will  make us understand tolerance and look for other avenues to  handle a situation. Because  Warriors must depend on strategy, they will  look beyond the small  battle in front of them, and see the larger battle that  needs to  be fought.  The petty squabbles will end and more unity and peace will  grow.

     This Spiritual  warrior concept is needed because of the embarrassing actions with  the "Trump  Binding effort".   SO  many  pagans don't know how to  fight a spiritual  war because they are not trained.  There is no  unity and too  much  dislike placed on anyone that  decides to  fight for what  they  believe in.  I  looked at  this event as  packs of hamsters attacking Rottweilers.      Maybe some of those bites would hurt. but the rotweillers  can easily take out many of these hamsters with  one swipe of their paws.  Christian and Pagan Spiritual warriors defended trump.  While these pagans acting against Trump  was a noble act of fighting for what  you believe in.  They  lacked a warrior spirit in many  cases and organization.  These were the gardeners that grabbed pitchforks to  fight mechanized forces.

    There are many  ways to  bring in the warrior spirit into  your practice.  Study and meditate on why  warriors in the past did what  they  did.  Find a picture or two  of warriors that  represent your culture or  spiritual grounds.  As for my  love of Celts I  have a picture of the Statue of Vrercingitox, the Gaulic Celtic Warrior that  stood against Rome.   Learn why  they  fought the battles and wars.  Try to  see their point of view. and see if those ideals can be put into  play  in your spirituality and life.  Buy  an archaic weapon and add it to  your practice.  I  have a sword and staff in my practice.  When the weather  allows I  go outside and practice various forms with  them.   I  also  have a homemade shield.  It acts as a spiritual  and mundane shield in my practice.

     I  am very  happy that  you have read this far. If you are a pacifist and still  disagreeing with  what  I  have to  say, I  want to  tell  you about one more person.  There were Pacifists in the US Army.  During World War 1, there was a pacifist in the deadly trench  fighting.  One day  there was a brutal battle where many  American men were getting killed.  In this unit was a pacifist, that  didn't want to  kill  anyone.  But after seeing so many  men die he grabbed a weapon and attacked the Germans single handedly.  After the battle he was asked if this went against his pacifist ways. And his answer was no.  In his kind he saved more lives by  going after the germans, than if he would of sat and did nothing.   Look  up  Sgt York in World War 1.  You  can still  love peace and be a warrior at the same time.

What is Paganism? Take away the magic.

     There are so many  people these days  declaring that  they  are Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches. And with  this declaration, I  feel  that  the blurred lines are growing and causing people to  not see the truth of Paganism.  Now Paganism is the collection of pre-Christian earth based religions found in the European and the Mediterranean  areas. So  we are talking about a large area full  of differences and similarities in cultures and beliefs. Paganism is a belief system of a majority of these pre-Christian beliefs.  We modern era followers are neo-pagans, because we try to  follow the old ways with  modern views and concepts.

     Witchcraft is also  an umbrella term , but for people that  use a set grouping of skills. These skills involve the understanding of the spirits in nature. One such name used in this umbrella is "shaman".  The Dictionary defines shaman as:A member of certain traditional societies, especially of northern Asia and of North and South America, who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.  In villages there were people calling "Cunning folk", which is defined as: Folk healers, in England also known as cunning folk or (more rarely) as white witches are practitioners of folk medicine, folk magic, and divination within the context of the various traditions of folklore in Christian Europe

    Under these definitions , witchcraft is a skill or profession. A person can be of any  belief system and be a person that  performs some of the various forms of witchcraft.  Tis should be a very  simple concept to  understand, but alas it is not.  Under the pagan umbrella of belief systems is 'wicca', a very  modern form of Paganism with  a high focus on witchcraft.  "Wicca" literally does mean witch. So  there are large volumes of people that  classify themselves as "witches" because of wicca, but have a rather limited view of witchcraft due to  their limited views created with  Wicca.  Thus there is this massive grey  area created between  belief system Wicca (witch) and the Skill/profession witch.  Magick  is using energy to  cause subtle change, there are rules to  this magick  just like every other skill  we have. How it is done varies based on the individuals desires and ethics.

     The difference has to  be established early and with  some vigor.  Take away  magic and what  do  you have left in your beliefs?  If you remove the concepts and rules of magick  and you have nothing left, you are a witch  of skill with   undefined beliefs.  But if you remove witchcraft and you have a  practice of earth worship and honoring life, then you are a pagan and a witch.  If you call  yourself a Wiccan , but by  removing the use of magick  from it, you have nothing left, you are a witch of skill and not a pagan of belief.  honestly Witchcraft is not limited to  pagans, you can be any  religion and be a witch.   Thus just because you cast a circle, doesn't mean you are a pagan.

     So  what  are the principles of belief. Back in 1974 , a group  of pagans got together and worked out a rough list of principles of wiccan/pagan beliefs.  Here are those 13 principles....

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility towards our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that is apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called "supernatural", but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity-as masculine and feminine-and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magical practice and religious worship. ₂
5. We recognize both outer and inner, or psychological, worlds -- sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. -- and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7. We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it -- a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.
8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch -- but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature. ₃
9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it.
10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way," and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the origins of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Christian tradition. ₄ We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

      I love the 13 principles because they  talk  about ethics, philosophy, responsibility, and harmony. It didn't mention  about casting a circle on every full  moon.  It talks about other realms, but not how to  visit these realms. Paganism is the belief system in understanding the world and universe around us in many  different perspectives.   But #8  is important because it state, calling yourself a witch  doesn't make you a witch.  Time, commitment, practicing, and learning are the 4 pillars in making a person a witch.

     SO I  have to  ask  you this important question. What  is the definition of witch  and pagan that  you are using?  Are you a witch  because you declared it after reading a book  by  Silver Ravenwolf?  Paganism goes beyond magick, it gives you a picture of the world and the ways we should interact with  it.  Paganism  should give you inspiration to  live your life better , and not just for yourself, but the world around you.  

     Paganism should help  you learn how to  live every day  of the year. Not the focus on the 8  days of the sabbats.   Paganism is not the focus of divination with   Tarot decks.  Divination is a skill  and used to  see a possibility  in the future.  Thus divination can be a part of you, but it is not a core part of paganism because  Christians can use a tarot deck. And also a simple fact that  they  were adapted playing cards from years gone by.

     So  for me, Paganism is a belief system that  shows me how to  find my place in the world and fit in to  do  the best that  I  can do.  I  want to  make the world a better place for me and those around me. I  learned to  work  with  others with  similar goals to  achieve even better things.  Through the history and thus a part of Paganism, I  understand that  it can be hostile and thus I  sometimes have to  fight and do  what  is needed to  protect what  is worth  protecting.  Harmony  doesn't mean at  peace.  Harmony  is working with  all  the waves in life to  create a productive future. Think  about Beethoven's Famous 5th symphony ... "Dunt  Dunt Dunt Daaaaa"   Well that is a harmony. sharp , strong, and loud, but still  a harmony that  builds a beautiful  piece of music.  I  am a small cog in a larger machine called life, when I  am in the right spot, I  make everything run smoother and better.


     So  do  you classify witchcraft with  being a Pagan?  Is it because you can't be a Christian and cast a circle?  Prayer is a form of magic.  When you prey , you are collecting , focusing and shaping energy, which  is what  witchcraft  is.  Those rosary beads are magical  tools. Communion is a ritual  performed for spiritual  growth, just like casting a circle.  DO  you ever notice that  only older men are called 'brothers', and that  there are church elders. Well  that  is just like the magical covens ranks systems.

     Wicca might mean witch  in old English,  we no longer speak olde English  on daily conversations.  The Brits might call a Flashlight, a torch,   but we understand the differences in the words meaning due to  distance. Why  can't others look  past the old English version and remember that  speak  modern English.  Words lose and change means over time and distance.  So  an American "flashlight" doesn't change its composition because one group calls it a 'torch'.

Limits on Magick

We live in a world that  is bound be rules and laws.  This time I  am not talking about the laws of a government,  the universe is bound by  the laws of physics. Such as gravity, resistance,  and energy. These laws effect us daily in how we use technology and stay  alive.  But I  see so  many  people forget about these laws when it  comes to  magic.  Magick is a paranormal effect, which  means that  it is currently beyond science.  We can't measure and reproduce the effects of magic repeatedly to prove it exists scientifically.

So  I  took  one of those IQ tests a while back  and it told me that  I am a Spatial Mathematician. I  am apply to  conceive  volumes and distances in my mind better than most people.  I  Also  used to  play  the Rolemaster Roleplaying game a lot  when I  was younger. Old school  roleplaying requires the use of a lot of numbers and paper.  But what  does this  have to  do  with  magick? Absolutely everything, because  it is in polar opposition to  the current magick view point.  Today  people view magick  as a can do  anything and without limitations.

1. Energy levels,  To  cast a spell we need to  summon , pool and focus energy.  But there is a limit to  the amount of energy that  we can muster at one time.  A person is a battery  of energy, well when you are just starting out you are a "AAA"  battery.  Learning proper form and exercising energy pooling will increase the amount your body  can  hold and focus.  Most people can't just meditate for 2 hours to  gain extra energy. The mind will lose focus at some point and the  energy level will max out.   In the RPG that  I  played they  assigned a character power points per level based on the PC's  stats Self Discipline, Reasoning, Presence, Intuition, and Empathy.  These power points equaled one unit of power to  cast a spell. So  the more pore points you had the better. Then for every level you went up, you number of power points went up  as well.   So  if a level 1 monk leveled up,  her  would go  from 6 power points to  12 power points.

2. Range of spells. How far can we cast spells is something that  is sorely not discussed. we have no  scientific proof of a limit of range on spells,  but surely we can't think  that  spells are without range limits. Magick is energy and while energy can't be destroyed it can be worn away and absorbed by other forces.  Lets look  at the power of the Sun. The earth is the perfect distance from the sun to  maintain life.  If the Earth was as close to the sun as Venus we would die due to  excessive heat. But if we were on mars, we would freeze to  death  because it is a -85 degrees.  The sun's massive energy fades as the light spreads apart and away  from the sun.   Even lasers have range limits. the standard laser pointers that  you can buy  only have a range of average 100  yards. 

But spells are energy, so  they  are bound by  some laws of physics as well.  SO  this range can affect the focus of the energy that  we cast out.  Just like the flash light, it is a small beam of light up-close,  but you triple the distance and it is much  larger and not as bright.

3. Area of effect.   almost as bad as the range of spells,  people have this concept that  the spells can cover large vast areas.  Sure if you have the experience and  knowledge , yes your spellwork could effect a large area.  But if you are just starting out, you shouldn't expect a spell to  change the weather on a grand scheme.  It takes more energy to  effect a larger area.   That  is like assuming that  a 20  watt  bulb can equally light up  a small  room as it would light up  a football field.   It takes more energy to  produce the more light required to  light up  the football field.   SO  we can't expect the neophyte witch  to  produce and focus enough energy to  bring in a thunderstorm,  they  might only be able to  channel  enough energy to  bring in a few clouds.

4. Multiple targets,  With  the attempt to  bind President Trump, I  saw another limitation.  The writer of this spell was talking about effecting all  the people that  abet to  trump as well.  that  would require the energy that  you send out to  be divided many  times.   With  the energy  reduced because you are wanting to  effect 10  different people, that  would mean that  Trump's binding spell against him was less powerful.  So  you tried to  bind him with  a rope to  prevent him from doing more harm. Because you weakened your spell, you are now using a shoestring.   Now if you can clearly picture the targets you want then you can retain more focus , but something so  open to  interpretation, the focus is lost.

5. Timing of Spell work  and range.  The error  with  the Trump  binding spell was that  it was so  poorly timed.  There was no  one unified time to  cast this binding spell.  Midnight on the East cost is 11:00 PM  central  time.  So  from the US mainland alone Trump received 4 weaker  spell waves instead of one united spell wave.

  Time zone map  of the US.

So  how do  we get more power from the small  batteries to power the large devices?  We add multiple batteries and form a circuit for more power output.  So  if the event was done at the same time and compensated for the time zones. The power from 9:00  west coast would join 10:00 mountain time zone, move with  the Central  time zone at 11:00, and unite at the target at 12:00 Eastern Time Zone.  While the West coast energy would be weaker, because it is assisted with  the Mountain time zone, it keeps more of its energy.

6. Duration. Spells are energy and energy loses potency as it progresses. Unless it can get a power boost, the energy behind the spell will disappear and slowly things will return to  they  way  they  were before the spell was cast unless your spell was fast acting and there is no  way to  return to  normal.

I  know this sounds like a buzz kill on magick, but  it is meant to  be the opposite.  By  trying to  understand the principle and figuring out some form of limitations, the neophyte student won't be disappointed by   the results of his/her actions.  Someone could be very  gifted in magick, but trying something to  grand to  expect obvious results so  quickly.  Having a student learning that  they  must start small  and  learn to  build-up  their abilities will  strengthen them and improve the focus of their work.

Could I  cast a binding spell on Trump, yes I  could.   I  have the experience to  summon, focus, and channel  the energy at  my target.   I  have practiced for  a long time on how to  use my hands and shape the energy.  But I  see that  something more positive would be better than a binding spell.

We don't know many  things about spiritual  energy. How much  can the average witch  summon? What  type of range does spiritual  energy have? What  forces effect it?  How much  energy is required to  stop a set amount of spell energy to block  a spell? 

When you think  about the paranormal investigations, there are many  reports of batteries going dead, drain of their energy by  spirits, so  there is some similarity between  electrical energy and spiritual  energy.  Our thoughts can be measured on medical equipment,  and it is our thoughts and emotions that  are channeled into  spells.  We are learning so much  every day , who  knows what  tomorrow will  hold.  I  just believe that  a mathematical  approach  to  magic might  shed some light on the abilities that  witches have in the world.