tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22169778842778056182024-03-18T20:39:32.585-07:00Green WitchThe Exploration of a Feminine HeartPagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-24772865243911479812009-02-11T11:51:00.000-08:002009-02-11T23:10:14.830-08:00Heaven SentGazing at my baby girl<br />Watching her sleep<br />I realised I had once been so perfect<br />I had been so precious<br />And I knew, as every mother knows,<br />This fact could not be changed<br />As my daughter would always be<br />So was I<br />And then I whispered in her ear<br />"What's it like in Heaven?"<br />And added with a little sob "I've forgotten."Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-82435018867726039712009-02-05T14:18:00.001-08:002009-02-05T16:08:57.944-08:00Enlightenment for a Stay at Home Mom?What I really want to know is, has any woman with four children aged six and under, ever achieved enlightenment?<br /><br />I'm sorry to be blasphemous, but the prince who meditated under a tree to find enlightenment had to leave his wife and child to do it. As a woman and now a mother, I have never been impressed with that story.<br /><br />And Jesus, well he had no children at all.<br /><br />I can't go to the bathroom with the door shut. I live in my place of work. And it doesn't help that we live on the exact opposite side of the world from both sets of grandparents. No babysitters, no helpers at all!<br /><br />I am not even impressed when I hear a story of a person who has one child. I always say, and I am sorry if this offends you, that having one child is like having no children, compared to having two. (So there, Martha Stewart!)<br /><br />Of course when I had only one child I felt totally overwhelmed. But looking back, I can't believe the things I was able to do! The biggest jump is two. After that, you might as well keep on going...<br /><br />But I digress.<br /><br />Yes it was my choice to have children, but I wasn't on any real spiritual search until after I had them. And now, when I need it most, I can't escape to meditate in a cave, not for fifteen minutes!<br /><br />I am aware of the resistance in me towards people who do not have children. It is my own issue, my own excuses. My husband, who is so much more dedicated than me, and can spend hours a day meditating, even if it means getting up extra early. He always says to me, you <span style="font-style:italic;">make</span> the time.<br /><br />But <a href="http://feminineheart.blogspot.com/2008/03/cost-of-sleep-deprivation.html">sleep deprivation</a> is an awful thing. And hard to recover from. And many times when I sit to quiet my mind (after the baby's down- late night) I fall asleep.<br /><br />Another experience for me... to learn compassion??!! <br /><br />I know that this time does not last forever, that it will pass, but in the meantime my children live with a stressed out ogre. And I have four voices screaming and demanding (five if you include my DH) all day and night. Well that's not completely true. But not having agreed upon work hours, I can't plan anything. I do not have evenings and weekends off. What snatches of time I do have, I end up here! And this is so therapeutic. But still...<br /><br />Sometimes I envy prison inmates. With nothing to think of but themselves. So much solitary time. A person could easily become enlightened in jail!<br /><br />But even if I did manage to get myself committed (insane asylum or jail, both look rather appealing from here!) would the excuses end? Or would I find more?Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-54948656094263518662009-02-01T23:34:00.000-08:002009-02-02T20:37:57.350-08:00I Choose LifeIt has taken me many years to be able to recall my first experience of childbirth with any positive emotion at all, let alone gratitude. However, life is how one chooses to look at it, and I choose Life.<br /><br />Reason for gratitude # 1: My husband was there, the father of all my children. He was there for all eighteen hours and beyond. He physically held me up when none of the midwives could do it. He held me even as I was tearing the flesh from his arms with my nails. At the time, and for years after, I felt as though I had been abandoned by god. But I was not alone. I was never alone.<br /><br />Reason #2: Sutures. It took me half an hour to push my child out, and half an hour for them to stitch me up. I lost so much blood that days later I had difficulty breathing and walking at the same time. Had this been a hundred years ago, or in a developing country, I probably would have died. I don't want to sound dramatic, because childbirth mortality has been so greatly reduced in developing countries it's not something we even think about. But it is still, a near-death experience for women. (And did I have post-natal depression? Oh yes).<br /><br />Reason #3: My son was nearly nine pounds, strong, beautiful (as every mother will tell you about her own child) and perfectly healthy. Within minutes of birth he was trying to lift his head to look around. He is now tall for his age, still strong and beautiful (well, I tell him handsome). <br /><br />I had no pain relief. I have given birth four times and I have never had pain relief. (Excepting a little gas and air). I can't say I'm grateful about that, but at least I am neutral. Which is better than being bitter. <br /><br />I have to laugh at myself, because I know there are worse stories than mine. I had no interventions, no emergency c-section. But before this I didn't know what pain was. I had never had a stitch, broken a bone. <br /><br />But I am grateful. Grateful to join the common experience of womankind. What good would I be to a world that suffers pain, if I had no understanding of pain?<br /><br />All is well in my world.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-13601941013756165332009-01-01T01:22:00.000-08:002009-01-12T15:57:19.869-08:00If I had No Fear<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOFihcN5DhJ3gdAdN6r7FqyPj8KExQAlCbj46pQcb_TmQ0wwhgtHrNRvcOZc5mk4YjNHVCebDPi9jRH_ob3RGDCxmZ_OeB8PPy855mBwMfyFL5oKZzz-J9SboqPH09l7gx6LLz_276uA/s1600-h/DSC01478.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOFihcN5DhJ3gdAdN6r7FqyPj8KExQAlCbj46pQcb_TmQ0wwhgtHrNRvcOZc5mk4YjNHVCebDPi9jRH_ob3RGDCxmZ_OeB8PPy855mBwMfyFL5oKZzz-J9SboqPH09l7gx6LLz_276uA/s200/DSC01478.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290560618355946242" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />If I had No Fear, <br />I would never shave or wear a bra.<br />I would sing every day at the top of my lungs<br />Until I became good at it.<br />I would weep loudly, and not stifle my cries of ecstasy<br />I would not apologise for my existence<br />Or the existence of my children<br />If I had no fearPagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-90289935548932008122008-12-31T08:15:00.000-08:002008-12-31T08:25:19.756-08:00At The CrossroadsIn 2008 I discovered some things about life and about myself. A few truths that I have been searching for in this life's journey.<br /><br />I found a peace and strength that does not depend on the knowledge of language or dogma, but on the knowledge of myself and who I AM.<br /><br />It doesn't matter what the name of IT is... or the perception which one has of it. It does not matter whether or not one subscribes to a particular set of beliefs, or can recite a particular mantra. It isn't neccessary to try to be 'good' or dutiful. It doesn't matter if I am volunteering for worthy organisations, giving to charity or attending religious worship. (Things I have been compelled to do, by myself or others, all my life.)<br /><br />All that matters is that I AM. I have heard the saying before, by people who I am not certain even know what it means: Be a Human Being, not a Human Doing.<br /><br />All is well in my world.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-84424771562205014042008-12-21T19:24:00.000-08:002008-12-22T14:14:49.412-08:00Happy Módraniht<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE5glzTvxSOu8ZrlFCiXBWwEq-YxaAWEEseyVi0EIZCeq5E-T_s_7SBKxYx6FTgAEy3ymyKFH7AEIRkFOPkIxQv_f8llS7Jixwv92DNHIhirnxk0kq6m8EqZ4PBaXRXaH4T31GX6XUzU/s1600-h/triple-goddess.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE5glzTvxSOu8ZrlFCiXBWwEq-YxaAWEEseyVi0EIZCeq5E-T_s_7SBKxYx6FTgAEy3ymyKFH7AEIRkFOPkIxQv_f8llS7Jixwv92DNHIhirnxk0kq6m8EqZ4PBaXRXaH4T31GX6XUzU/s320/triple-goddess.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282741406852375090" /></a><br /><br /><br />Tonight I am celebrating Módraniht- Mothers' Night. The night the new year is born. We will be feasting on Chinese food... from a new place that just opened in town, supposed to be really good. And I shall be baking a cake using my grandmother's recipe. <br /><br />Tonight is the festival of the disir, the tribal soul-mothers. The mothers who have gone through and past death to become sources of wisdom and soul-might for their living folk. I think of my grandmother, who passed away four weeks ago. I am grateful for the wisdom she passed to me while she was alive, and tonight I will remember her as I make the cake she made with me, and for me, so many times. She lives on, in my soul.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-54534999363790112682008-11-17T15:50:00.000-08:002008-11-17T16:26:15.757-08:00It's God, Jim, but not as we know it..Why is it that when I tell Xtians I don't follow their religion, they assume I don't believe in God? <br /><br />I told a neighbour that I was not a Xtian- her response? 'Oh well, I can't believe there isn't a god out there that doesn't care about us.' Well honey, you're in the wrong religion!<br /><br />Of course I know that intelligent mind... that sustaining life-force, infinitely encompassing and yet intimately knowable. <br /><br />Now deep in my heart I know that I am no religion. I am not a Xtian, I am not a Pagan. I just am.<br /><br />However, for years people tried to tell me who I was, I was even NAMED after their god. I was given an identity that did not tell the truth about who I am.<br /><br />I am all these things, and I am none.<br /><br />Currently I prefer to identify myself as Pagan. It distances me from the false identity I was given as a child. It helps me remember the truth.<br /><br />I am an expression of Divine Consciousness. Of course I know God. Just not as you know Her.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />How sad to be a woman--not to know<br /><br />Aught of the glory of this breast of snow,<br /><br />All unconcerned to comb this mighty hair;<br /><br />To be a woman and yet never know!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Were I a woman, I would all day long<br /><br />Sing my own beauty in some holy song,<br /><br />Bend low before it, hushed and half afraid,<br /><br />And say "I am a woman" all day long.<br /><br /><br />- Rubáiyát of Omar KhayyámPagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-69158245697131530482008-11-11T22:22:00.000-08:002008-11-11T23:25:08.838-08:00Remembrance DayI remember Remembrance Day... a time to remember the horror and suffering caused by Patriarchy. If xtians truly believed a word their so-called god-man Jesus said, Churchill would be no more a hero than Hitler. The Jews were terribly oppressed by the Romans, but Jesus didn't pull a Dresden on them. No, he surrendered. In fact, that's the meaning behind the xtian sacred symbol- the cross of death, of surrender. Jesus taught surrender. In fact, if you want to follow Jesus' teachings, try Buddhism. You won't find as much in a modern-day church.<br /><br />No, I simply cannot call ignorance heroism. Although my grandfathers and great grandfathers were veterans of wars, I do not see them as heroes for their part in the killing. I pity them. But I am almost angered to be expected to pay in my time or money to extoll our war veterans. In history I was taught about the perception of war at the beginning of the last century, as noble and heroic. Men were desperate to get into battle... any battle. Does anyone know the point of WWI? So tragically pathetic it was made into a succesful comedy 'Blackadder Goes Forth' with very little fiction needing to be added to the scripts.<br /><br />I willingly admit that I am a coward. But I do not applaud anyone who has taken up arms against another human being. No, my heroes are elsewhere. Maybe I'll start my own Remembrance Day, to recognise the true heroic examples set in this world by Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama. Theirs is a courage so far above what most of us understand, that we call anyone who admires them 'New Age.' Their followers do not go out to fight. They go out to die.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-10437510829883302372008-11-02T15:28:00.000-08:002008-11-05T20:26:07.127-08:00I'm So GorgeousAfter six years of having babies, I am done. And now I truly have my body back (no pregnancy, no breastfeeding) I feel fantabulous. The last time I felt like I looked this good, I was seventeen. <br /><br />Now I can't believe I was made so beautiful for no reason. I was made to be enjoyed, to be worshiped. I <span style="font-style:italic;">want</span> to be worshiped. <br /><br />If I could just get over my fear of receiving love, of receiving pleasure. I was raised on the message of self-sacrifice. I am a good giver. But I am a poor receiver. I am embarrassed by compliments, feel guilty accepting gifts. <br /><br />It could be a result of being taught as a child that I was born fundamentally flawed, inherently corrupt, naturally bent to evil.<br /><br />Now as a mother, I know that is a lie. My babies are perfect. They were born perfect. It's only the fear they've learned from me that corrupts them.<br /><br />Now I reject those lies I was taught (by people themselves almost totally controlled by fear). Stress, depression, anger... all come from fear.<br /><br />But how do I scrape away the residue of those lies? The fear that still grips me? How do I learn to fly, to be free?<br /><br />How do I remain in the constant awareness of the truth... that I AM?Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-35773433406916528882008-11-01T12:28:00.000-07:002008-11-01T13:00:30.053-07:00HerstoryIt's harder to trace women's history. Even now it is the culturally accepted norm for a woman's family name to be erased when she enters a monogomous relationship with a man.<br /><br />Astarte and her consort Baal, Asherah and her consort El. Both female and male aspects of divinity worshipped together, until patriarchy stamped out the feminine divine. History is written by the conquerors, so I wouldn't believe a word written about the 'vile' worship of the feminine principle. Particularly by a group of people who believe it's OK to slaughter a city of women, children and animals. (How is that better than the so-called child sacrifice these victims were accused of?)<br /><br />Because my god is right, your god is wrong. I'm the winner, you're the loser.<br /><br />However, women are great story tellers. Women preserve their family history, through scrapbooks and photo albums. Woman is the heartbeat of the family, keeping the strands together, keeping the relationships between generations and between her children.<br /><br />And whether or not history is true, does not matter.<br /><br />I know my truth, because I am. This is my story. Herstory. I will write new myths, because a myth after all, only helps to explain a truth. The truth remains. The myth can be re-written.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-28828412673207431172008-10-28T19:15:00.000-07:002009-01-26T18:26:46.264-08:00To the CrossroadsTo the crossroads I must go<br />To find a world unseen<br />Fear and wonder will I know<br />And be a bridge between<br /><br />Come away my human child<br />To find the world unseen<br />Know the hearth and know the wild<br />And be a bridge between<br /><br />Come away oh human child<br />Come take me by the hand<br />To the water and the wild<br />Into another land<br /><br />You will shed no human tear<br />And hear no human cry<br />You shall in beauty dwell<br />And you will never die<br /><br />~Anon (I love this poem so if anyone out there knows the author, please let me know!)Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-13632967399158350712008-10-25T21:38:00.000-07:002008-11-01T13:01:06.909-07:00What's Wrong With Patriarchy?My father, a staunch defender of the xtian faith, asked me this question and I was too choked to respond. Since then however it has been like a mosquito bite in my mind, irritating me and flaring up now and then.<br /><br />What's wrong with Patriarchy? What's wrong with hierarchy? What's wrong with slavery? What's wrong with the status quo, god's order in the natural world?<br /><br />I found a confederate-supporting website with 'quotes' from slaves who reminisced about the 'good old days' when the 'kind master' took care of his poor negroes. I have even read that some Russians look back with nostalgia to the days of communism, when they knew their basic needs would be met by the state.<br /><br />What's wrong with Patriarchy? My first thought was 'Nothing, if you're a man!' But that is not true. Patriarchy hurts men. White supremacy hurts whites. Slavery hurts slave owners. We are all part of the whole, and when one suffers, we all do.<br /><br />Any goddess knows that.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-24249414817647385022008-10-25T15:08:00.000-07:002008-10-25T15:10:56.398-07:00The False SelfWe are all engaged in the task of peeling off the false selves, the programmed selves, the selves created by our families, our culture, our religions. It is an enormous task because the history of women has been as incompletely told as the history of blacks.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- Anais Nin</span>Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-44128140278665184872008-10-25T00:53:00.000-07:002008-10-26T19:16:20.582-07:00The Goddess in MeI want to worship, and be worshipped.<br /><br />I see the divine in you, and want to reveal the divine in me.<br /><br />To love with body, mind and soul.<br /><br />To be present in every part of my physical being.<br /><br />To radiate light and love: no barriers, no limitations.<br /><br />Just to be.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-31815191676497683072008-04-22T02:18:00.000-07:002008-04-22T02:27:53.974-07:00Self-realization<span style="font-style: italic;">Self-realization is the knowing in all parts of body, mind, and soul that you are now in possession of the kingdom of God; that you do not have to pray that it come to you; that God’s omnipresence is your omnipresence; and that all that you need to do is improve your knowing.</span><br /><br />-Paramahansa YoganandaPagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-83929576002306601212008-04-11T23:06:00.000-07:002008-04-15T14:36:54.207-07:00I AM GODThe Great Lie that Jesus came to free us from, has, ironically, been perpetuated by Christianity.<br /><br />The lie is this: You are separate from God. Therefore, if you want to be like God, you must do something.<br /><br />The tempter in the garden was the first, then there were the Pharisees, then there is the modern day Christian Church.<br /><br />This is their 'Good News': You are cut off from God because of your sin. Because of this, you deserve to die. However, because someone died in your place, all you have to do is follow the One who died, and you will be re-united with God.<br /><br />Then men come along and tell you their interpretation of the One who died, what he said and did, what he meant, and what 'following Him' entails.<br /><br />This is not Good News! This is exchanging one death sentence for another.<br /><br />Jesus did not say 'because of my faith/sacrafice, you are healed.'<br /><br />No! He said: 'because of <span style="font-style: italic;">your</span> faith you are healed.' (Luke 18:42, 8:48 etc)<br /><br />Jesus said: 'God said to certain leaders of the people, I say you are gods!...those people, who recieved God's message, were called gods.' (John 10:34-35 NLT)<br /><br />Jesus' life and death demonstrated that we are one with God throughout our life and death.<br /><br />His purpose wasn't to die. His purpose was to show us <span style="font-style: italic;">how</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">we can live</span>, even after death.<br /><br />God's presence was always accessible to all- even before Jesus' death. (Moses, David etc)<br /><br />We don't have to 'invite God in.' We have to realise God has always been there.<br /><br />Jesus didn't 'make us right with God.' He reminded us we <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> gods. (Psalm 82:6)<br /><br />He wasn't the Great Exception. He was the Great Example.<br /><br />This is the Good News.<br /><br />I AM.<br /><br />The separation is a lie. It's the TRUTH that sets us free, not the sacrafice.<br /><br />Anyone who knows the TRUTH knows God. That is why Jesus said He was the way. Not because it is an elitist system whereby only Christians can know God. But because those who know God, know the Truth. Because we are in God and God is in us, just as God is in Jesus and vice versa. We are all one. If you know God, you know everyone who is in God. We recognise each other by our fruits (Luke 6:43) not by our fish stickers or WWJD bracelets.<br /><br />Then when we know, there is NO NEED for a priest, a minister, a church, or even a Holy Book. These are external things that detract us from the SOURCE, who is within us.<br /><br />We need only to quieten our minds to listen to it. Then it doesn't matter what anyone else says, or how they interpret what is right or wrong. Because we are gods.<br /><br />If only we knew it.<br /><br />Ultimately it is fear of surrender, of dying to our false identity that holds us back. We think we are our sin- and we think that sin is an object. It is BELIEVING that our sin has cut us off from God that separates us, not the sin itself!<br /><br />Sin is merely an action that causes an undesirable effect in our lives. If we only knew the truth about ourselves. The part of us that is TRULY us, is the part that has no sin, no separation from God. If we acknowledged that, we would know that we only sin when we move out of that 'knowing.'<br /><br />If I remain, abide, in that state of realisation, as Jesus told us to (John 15:4) we would never sin! And all the residue of our past sin would evaporate. In the East, permanently abiding in this state of awareness is called 'enlightenment.'<br /><br />Even before we reach permanent enlightenment, when we do stray from the truth, and thereby sin, all we have to do is REMEMBER WHO WE ARE and get right back to that awareness again. Don't be guilty, don't make penance through self-punishment. Just ABIDE, ABIDE, ABIDE!!<br /><br />If I am part of God, I need not fear. I always was and always will be. I do not need to act. And if I do, it will be GOOD actions.<br /><br />NO ONE can tell you how to act. When you are enlightened, you may do things that even appear to contradict Jesus' message of 'turn the other cheek.' When Jesus went into the temple with a whip, did he look like he was 'turning the other cheek?'<br /><br />He must have scared the pants off them! And everyone who knew the scriptures (Pharisees) thought he was always flaunting them! But it didn't matter.<br /><br />Because HE KNEW he was God, and he answered to NOBODY BUT HIMSELF.<br /><br />So when you know God, you will answer to no-one else. Things you say and do may shock Christians. You may appear to be a heathen. But only those who are also enlightened, will know. They will not judge. They will simply see your fruits- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self-control. The rest doesn't matter.<br /><br />SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS!!!!<br /><br />God is not on my side. God is on OUR side.<br /><br />God cannot be found in Christianity, Islam, Paganism. God can only be found in YOU.<br /><br />Just shut up and listen to Her! (Or Him, if you like.)<br /><br />You will never be the same. Once you've tasted it, YOU CAN'T GO BACK!!<br /><br />'The last obstacle, is believing there is an obstacle.'<br /><br />-AnonymousPagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-12291842079629881512008-04-11T11:46:00.000-07:002008-04-11T11:52:34.195-07:00I AMI have grasped the truth that I AM.<br /><br />The first and only lie is that we are separate from God.<br /><br />We have never been separate from God. We never could be. We simply believed we were, and acted accordingly.<br /><br />I AM because YOU ARE.<br /><br />I am perfect, holy, without sin. I have no guilt, no shame. I am whole and complete. I never needed to do anything to achieve this state, other than accept it. In this moment I have all the power, all the grace I will ever need. I just need to abide in it!<br /><br />So mote it be!Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-995480208181531652008-04-11T01:36:00.000-07:002008-04-11T11:46:42.410-07:00Enlightenment<span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">There are basically two movements of consciousness: Love and Fear. Love is allowing what is and fear is resisting it.<br /><br />-Nirmala<br /><br /></span>O SERVANT, where dost thou seek Me?<br />Lo! I am beside thee.<br />I am neither in temple nor in mosque: I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash:<br />Neither am I in rites and ceremonies, nor in Yoga and renunciation.<br />If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at once see Me: thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.<br />Kabîr says, "O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath.<br /><br />-Kabir (1440-1518)Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-37462058240992999842008-04-10T14:37:00.000-07:002008-04-10T23:29:56.714-07:00Ignorance vs Understanding<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The original meaning of sin was simply to fall short of or "miss the mark" of spiritual perfection. A sin is not a thing, it is merely an activity that produces an undesirable effect in our lives. In other words, we are punished by our sins, not for them. </span><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">(From the United Church of Religious Science website)</p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Ignorance is a sin. I know I am suffering from it. Sometimes I even acknowledge it. But often I find I am attacked for having this condition, rather than recieving any compassion. At least I am aware of my ignorance, and sometimes able to be aware of the ignorance in the person attacking me (because attacking an ignorant person <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> ignorance! If you really knew someone was ignorant, you would have compassion for them, unless you were evil!)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We adopted a puppy eight weeks ago. We have never had a dog before. We thought now was a good time because we have the space (half an acre) and getting it while the kids were young would truly make it part of the family.</p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We spent a lot of money on a crate, blanket, toys, collar, leash, having vaccinations, de-worming, and buying the 'best' dog food from the vet. We have been keeping 'Bongo' on the deck and the fenced area below, because the rest of our yard doesn't have a fence yet. He was mostly inside when we first got him, but was peeing everywhere including his bed (even after being outside for half an hour- he would come in and pee on his bed immediately!) With four kids I couldn't keep on top of it, so we decided to postpone it until he has been neutered next month.<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">He does bark outside, but when we moved in, before we had a dog, our neighbour's two dogs would bark all night long. It drove us crazy until we got used to it. So we figured no-one would mind about Bongo! They bark at each other, appearing to have conversations.<br /></p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Bongo has not yet had all his vaccinations, and we have been advised by the vet not to take him for walks until the course of vaccinations is complete. But we know this is only a temporary thing.</p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Imagine our surprise to receive an anonymous letter yesterday signed 'several families in the neighbourhood,' accusing us of dog abuse! This letter said we were neglecting our dog by not giving it any attention or taking it for walks, and allowing it to bark in the night.</p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We were shocked. I immediately went to two different neighbours to find out who had sent it, in the hopes of discussing it like a good neighbour (not a coward who sends cruel anonymous letters!) One was not home, the other denied knowing anything about it. I explained, regardless, that we had only had the dog eight weeks, it did not have all its shots, and we were planning on keeping him inside when he had been neutered.</p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The neighbours I spoke to have two dogs in a small fenced area that are able to go in and out of their garage through a dog flap. They bark in the night frequently and I have never seen them taken for walks.</p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">On the other side, the neighbour has a dog but no fence. This dog stays inside most of the time (I assume, because I don't see it) except for when it is allowed to wander all over the neighbourhood, pooping in other people's yards (including ours!) We have seen the owner sometimes take the dog for a proper walk, and watched him allow his dog to poop on other front yards without scooping it!<br /></p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We have no neighbours behind us, so I can only assume one of these two dog owners sent us the letter accusing us of neglect.</p><br />The mind boggles.<br /><br /><br />It reminds me of the many times childless strangers have made comments to me about my children in public places. Once, in the Army and Navy, a woman told me I wasn't keeping close enough to my kids who were buckled in to a double stroller. She grabbed the stroller and pulled it towards me. I didn't have a chance to explain that the aisle was too narrow and once the girls were in arm's length they would grab everything off the rails.<br /><br />Goddess help me to remember, if I see someone appearing to neglect their kids or dog, to act in a kind and compassionate manner!<br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p>Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-54514366229571219362008-03-31T14:35:00.001-07:002009-02-23T20:10:42.934-08:00Love Songs for My HusbandDedicated from Me to You, with Love x x x<br /><br />Nora Jones <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBKcKQHZXks">Come Away With Me</a><br /><br />Snow Patrol <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfZUxPF7AMI">Chasing Cars</a><br /><br />Darren Hayes <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiXWoWtLex4">Insatiable</a><br /><br />Dinah Washington <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFJK052E7M8&feature=related">What a Difference a Day Makes</a><br /><br />Nat 'King' Cole <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JErVP6xLZwg&feature=related">L.O.V.E.</a><br /><br />Coldplay <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjYeDh7Qkqs">Yellow</a><br /><br />Sixpence None the Richer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBwaybs2K8c">Kiss Me</a><br /><br />Eva Cassidy <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmjNuG9oe6I">I Know You By Heart</a>Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-52506407704277313322008-03-27T12:32:00.000-07:002008-10-26T19:17:05.346-07:00Science and MagicI see science as male, and magic as mystery, as female.<br /><br />The two complement each other, and a knowledge of science can enhance magic. Together they can be spiritual. But science without magic is no longer spiritual.<br /><br />However, magic can be spiritual without science. It has been so, long before the existence of modern science.<br /><br />To me this is an illustration of how Goddess is complete in herself. The Divine can be acknowledged as either male or female. But religion without the Goddess is no longer spiritual.<br /><br />Even in Christianity, the Spirit is Ruach HaKodesh, female. When she is no longer acknowledged, Christianity is no longer spiritual, just religion. Without Ruach HaKodesh, one can never reach true union with the Divine.<br /><br />Without Her, it is just religion. Religion without spirituality is empty. It becomes destructive, as we have seen in Fundamentalism. It is religion for religion's sake, not true union with the Divine Creator. (Enlightenment).<br /><br />It is neccesary to have the Spirit to commune with God. It is not neccesary to have a knowledge of Jesus. The Native Americans knew the Great Spirit. They knew God. They were close the Earth. Christians believe that their understanding of God is enhanced by a knowledge of Jesus, but even Christians I know acknowledge that people who haven't heard about Jesus can know God. That is because of Her.<br /><br />I believe that equal representation of men and women in religious leadership isn't neccesary. As long as there are women in leadership, it doesn't matter if there is an equal amount of men.<br /><br />I love men. I am married, I love my husband, my son and my father. What I am saying is not anti-male. It is pro-humankind.<br /><br />It may sound a little extreme, and I am not saying let's get rid of Jesus. I am saying let's acknowledge Her how She needs to be acknowledged, for the sake of saving the human race, the Earth, and everything in it.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-39963856208426483612008-03-24T13:22:00.000-07:002008-03-24T13:56:36.613-07:00Women Rule The World<span style="font-style: italic;">They say that man is mighty</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">He governs land and sea</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">He wields a mighty sceptre</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">O'er lesser powers that be</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But a mightier power and stronger</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Man from his throne has hurled</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For the hand that rocks the cradle</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Is the hand that rules the world.</span><br /><br />William Ross Wallace<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Woman is the salvation or destruction of the family. She carries its destinies in the folds of her mantle.</span><br /><br />Henri-Frederic Amiel (1821-1881)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We bear the world, and we make it....There was never a great man who had not a great mother- it is hardly an exaggeration.</span><br /><br />Olive Schreiner (1855-1920)<br /><br />I used to think these were pretty words, but, if they were true, and women are so great (which I think they are) why is the world such a mess? Either these words are patronising, and women have no real power, or these words are true, and women are devils.<br /><br />I now believe that these words are true, and the problem is that women need healing. The healing of Earth will come through the healing of Womankind.<br /><br />A woman who does not know how to love and heal herself cannot give love and healing to the world. She who does not love and respect herself will not attract a respectful and loving partner, and the next generation of that union will suffer from that legacy.<br /><br />The last quote by Olive Schreiner is interesting. Churchill, Eisenhower, Edison and many more have all attributed their success to their mothers.<br /><br />This is not to say that a woman's place is limited to 'behind the scenes', unless she chooses it. But it does reinforce the first quote, that ultimately 'the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world.'<br /><br />This is why women's healing and empowerment is so vital. We are the first teachers, spiritual guides, healers and leaders of humanity. If we are broken, humankind is lost.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-72801327231450064952008-03-22T20:00:00.000-07:002008-03-22T20:27:02.020-07:00Witches and Scapegoats<div id="igDpn"><p>By <a href="http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://z.about.com/d/atheism/1/7/L/0/3/SalemWitchTrial-e.jpg&imgrefurl=http://atheism.about.com/od/christianityviolence/ig/Christian-Persecution-Witches/Salem-Witch-Trial.htm&h=345&w=500&sz=79&hl=en&start=27&um=1&tbnid=pZvmsR2Lq-r0SM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwitch%26start%3D18%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN">Austin Cline</a><br /></p><p>Jews and heretics were often treated as scapegoats for other social problems and witches ended up no different. Regions with the most social and political unrest also happened to be those with the greatest problem with witches. Every social, political, and natural problem was blamed on witches. Crop failure? Witches did it. Well gone bad? Witches poisoned it. Political unrest and rebellion? Witches are behind it. Strife in the community? Witches are influencing people. </p><p>Lest anyone imagine that the persecution of witches has been relegated to the distant past, it must be noted that witch hunts -- and killings -- continue well into our own "enlightened" times. The church's creation of witchcraft and devil worship has exacted a heavy and bloody toll on humanity which still has not yet been fully paid. </p><p>In 1928, a Hungarian family was acquitted of killing an old woman they thought was a witch. In 1976, a poor German woman was suspected of being a witch and keeping familiars, so people in the small town ostracized her, pelted her with stones, and killed her animals. In 1977 in France, a man was killed for suspected sorcery. In 1981, a mob stoned a woman to death in Mexico because they believed that her witchcraft incited an attack on the Pope. </p><p>In Africa today, fears of witchcraft cause the persecution and death of people on a regular basis. Parents who fear that their children are possessed or are witches either kill them or turn them out into the streets. Government authorities have tried to put a stop to such nonsense, but they haven't had much luck. Both traditional African religion and Christianity contain enough to feed people's superstitious fears and this leads to others being harmed. </p><p>It's not just allegations of witchcraft which causes people to behave like this. Many other things can become the object of hysterical persecutions and prosecutions. Sometimes the alleged threats are genuine and sometimes they are not; in either case, the threats are magnified to such a degree that people no longer feel bound by traditional standards of justice or morality in order to confront their enemies. The consequences are almost always violence and suffering pursued in the name of good and God.</p></div>Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-66922643561494826122008-03-13T23:17:00.000-07:002008-03-14T13:17:24.929-07:00The Cost of Sleep DeprivationThe 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tank disaster in Alaska, the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion, and the 1986 nuclear plant explosion in Chernobyl have all been attributed to sleep deprivation.<br /><br />The mate at the helm of the tanker was severely sleep deprived and was therefore unable to respond to simple navigational directions. Two of the three top managers responsible for Challenger had had less than three hours of sleep for the 3 consecutive nights before the launch and performed poor last minute evaluations. The engineers at Chernobyl had been at work for 13 hours or more, and totally missed or were confused by the warning signals on their control panels.<br /><br />Mood shifts, depression, increased irritability, loss of sense of humour, stress, anxiety, loss of coping skills, disengaging from the outside world, are all symptoms of sleep deprivation.<br /><br />In the first year of your baby's life, his primary caregiver stands to lose 700 hours of sleep.<br /><br />According to a Salary.com survey, stay-at-home moms work a 92-hour week, with more than half the workweek spent in overtime.<br /><br />As I write this, it is midnight. My baby is kicking me and pooing in her diaper while I balance the laptop on my knees. I cannot sleep, though I am desperate for it. I do not know when I will finally be 'allowed.' Could be another hour, maybe two.<br /><br />I will probably be woken again to feed baby at about 6:00.<br /><br />And my other kids NEVER ever sleep beyond 8:00.<br /><br />So I am writing this to remind myself that I am not an evil person, although I feel like it. I am simply suffering acute sleep deprivation and I no longer recognise myself. And I understand very, very well, those mothers that lose it with their kids. They are victims too. Do not EVER judge anyone, till you have walked a mile in their shoes (or lost 700 hours of sleep in a year).Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2216977884277805618.post-68842987605734623432008-03-11T01:40:00.000-07:002008-03-11T13:15:55.447-07:00The ShackI recently read 'The Shack,' a novel about God by a Christian author named William P. Young. The book encourages its readers to go to the website and contact the author, which I did. Here is my e-mail:<br /><br />Hello,<br /><br />I was given a copy of 'The Shack' by my parents for my 30th birthday. I have long rejected the patriarchy of Christianity and my father, who is a very committed Christian, thought the book might change my view.<br /><br />Although I did appreciate your comments regarding hierarchy and male rule, I am afraid I found the story to be a little paradoxical. It appears that you have made an attempt to disassociate the Christian God from the religion of Christianity, while defending it at the same time<br /><br />One example is Papa's explanation for having emphasised himelf as a father. This is apparently because true fathering is 'much more lacking than mothering.'<br /><br />Now if it is true that fathers have done such a poor job, it would not make sense for God to reveal himself as a father. He only associates himself with 'good' things such as lambs and doves, not snakes and dragons. The real reason, is of course, that it is partiarchal society who has chosen to acknowledge God as a father. Why would God take responsibility for that? He is not sexist! The creator <span style="font-style: italic;">has</span> revealed himself as mother and father- but not in the Bible, as interpreted by Jews and Christians.<br /><br />I guess what I would like to say is that Christianity, as revealed in the Bible, is patriarchal through and through. It is refreshing to see God portrayed as women, but at the end of the day, you have proven that partiarchy and Christianity can't be separated. That is, not without challenging the infallibility of the Bible.<br /><br />I also have to say that I was amused to see the following quote by Eugene Peterson on the front cover:<br /><br />'<span style="font-style: italic;">This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's </span>Pilgrim's Progress<span style="font-style: italic;"> did for his. It's that good!</span>'<br /><br />John Bunyan famously attacked the Quakers for their non-hierarchal beliefs, including allowing women to participate equally in religious meetings. I certainly hope that this generation isn't affected by you as John Bunyan's was by him- by emigrating to find religious freedom!<br /><br />I have only seen positive reviews for your book on Amazon, and on your website, so I am sure Christians love it. But I am no longer Christian, and your book reminds me why!<br /><br />Best wishes,<br /><br />Etc.Pagan Green Witchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375654549929722473noreply@blogger.com0