Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Ordained


I know that a lot of people look at ordinations through the Universal Life Church, because it really does only take a second, a little weirdly. However, I applied for ordination because I truly feel it is a step on my Life Path towards my True Will calling. I am happy to be a minister of a church that accepts all people of all faiths, all creeds, all customs.

Love and Light

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Metamorphosis Coaching Session with Mette Muller


Saturday, I listened to/watched a webinar called “5 Steps to Creating Your Sacred Business” by the Metamorphosis Coach Mette Muller. The webinar went along with some other things I’ve been reading and working on in regards to Sacred Business, Sacred Money, Sacred Economy and trying to figure out where I stood in this concept and where my business stood in it as well.

The webinar was amazing and if you hurry you can also get a download of the webinar HERE before it closes on Wednesday. If you have missed it, there is another webinar by Mette on Feb. 28th about Inner Work and Healers and their businesses.

While I really want you to go and listen to the Webinar if you can, I also want to share some of the key points that really stood out to me:
First, I love the term Spirit-prenuers. It makes me think of Spirit-pursuers, which I think is what we all are, in a way. Mette also defines Sacred Business as “Spiritual-based, Purpose-driven Business.” I LOVE That!

A little later in the Webinar she talks about the 4 Freedoms and one of those that really stood out to me was Freedom of Following My Intuition and Inner Guidance.

This was a matter that came up at my last 9-5 job that didn’t work out. A customer came in, and we got to talking. Turns out this man has cancer. I don’t know why he felt the need to tell me this (I was working at a Lighting Gallery so it wasn’t like I was in a shop where cancer was a common theme). I think he told me this because I  had something to tell him. I told him I had studied natural cancer treatments and I gave him a few sites to go to and people to look up. He was so GRATEFUL to have met someone who could talk to him about his cancer that didn’t automatically pity him or look at him like he was already on his death bed. Instead he met me, a person who gave him an idea, a direction when even his own doctors were giving up on him – and I was a Stranger, a receptionist in a lighting store!

I mention this because my Intuitive Guidance here got me into trouble that day. I was pulled aside by a higher up and reprimanded for “standing around” and “chit-chatting” with a customer. I felt horrible! I felt like not only were they saying it wasn’t ok for the customers to talk to me or me to talk to them but that the store could care less that their customer was a sick man who was simply looking for something to help him out. It was a painful notion.

It was then that I knew I wanted to work somewhere where my intuition and inner guidance was valued. If I needed to step aside and talk to a customer or a friend-to-be about what is going on with them, I wouldn’t be reprimanded, I was would acknowledged that my actions and words were helpful and appreciated. So this Freedom is one that really stuck out to me in the webinar.

The rest of the webinar all stuck out to me and spoke to my core. Mette give a roadmap to creating a business structure that really gets you where you need to go with details that I haven’t even seen in books on business building. She talks about fears and emotions around money and work, childhood and parental imprinting, and how we can be our own worst enemies when it comes to success.

I relay this webinar, not only because I think it is so helpful and has really set me towards the path I need to be on business-wise or purpose-wise, but because it was also how my day, today was set in motion.
After the webinar, Mette offered a 45 minute free business coaching chat with a select number of people who apply. She would read over the application and decide from your message whether or not you could or would be aided by a session with her. I filled it out, only half believing that she would accept it, and went on about my day with her words zooming around in my head.
I was accepted! I would be chatting with her February 25 at 11:30pm Alaskan time! I think I posted my enthusiasm twenty times on Facebook and Twitter ^_^

I woke up on the 25th to some issues in my apartment, dealt with them, then went back to bed. I didn’t want to literally wake up on the wrong side of the bed, so I went back, did some quiet meditation, checked my mood and made the decision to not let the aggravations of this morning effect the rest of the day. I snuggled the blankets and pillows, drew a card from my Fantastical Tarot deck and took a deep breath.

My card? The Queen of Wands. This was super significant as the Queen of Wands, especially in this , my favorite deck, is a card that I feel represents me. It is MY card. Today, this card came to me to remind me not to lose sight of who I am, my True Will, my Purpose in Life. What a beautiful card for today!

Around 4pm I did a meditation called Visualize a Message led by Holly Burger of Lightworkers Alliance and before I could even settle down in that meditation I got a message that I would need my agate with me. Confused but not willing to ignore that message, I stopped my meditation, got up and grabbed my agate off the bedside table where it sits with some petrified wood and my Buddhas and my Ganesh. I held the agate and did the meditation, I got some messages from my Higher Self and my Guides mostly about abundance and my Life Path, which I thought fitting for the things I’m dealing with now.

After the meditation I looked at my Agate and was asking myself, why did I need you? I looked at one of my crystal correspondence sheets, which had a TON of correspondences for agate but one by itself really stuck out to me. So I kept it in mind and held my agate and asked it if this was why I needed it near and it said yes. - Strengthens mind & body, provides courage. Assists one in recognizing truth and accepting circumstances. An amplifier of other crystals, especially during healing.
Just what I need right now!

So with all these messages I went forward to the voice chat with Metta Muller, excited and primed for change. 

I'm not gonna share every babbling word of the hour with Mette, only the key points. 

My Outer Work
These are the things I need to work on my business on the outside
1.) I need to find my Niche, what is is that I really want to focus on and where do I belong?
2.) I need to create a product that focuses on the end point, not the means of getting there

My Inner Work
These are the thought processes and mind sets that I need to work on
1.) My Relationship to Money 
2.) Self-Doubt
3.) Self Worth and Inner Value

Part of my Inner Work, I created a Crystal Grid to help me with Self-Worth and all these changes I'll be making and I decided to share it here. Sorry the video is wonky and choppy, I'm new to this and no idea about editing ^_^


Monday, February 25, 2013

Make Every Day a Ritual – Evening


Human’s need rituals. This is the conclusion I’ve come to after years of studying religions, faith, people, psychology, cultures, and just watching people in all settings, in all walks of life.

Now, let me clarify that by ritual I don’t necessarily mean a religious rite or sermon. By ritual I mostly mean a habit. Daily rituals are good, healthy, fulfilling habits done every day that help your emotional, physical and spiritual growth. This could be as simple as a cup of chamomile tea after a long day at work or as elaborate as every weekend you create an at-home spa for yourself, shut down all technological outlets, and just relax and detox from negativity.

Here are some daily rituals that I have and I want to make clear that I’m not posting these to tell you that you should do them – NOT AT ALL! You should make your own rituals, ones that are unique to you! I post these only to inspire you and better explain how important these small acts are to me.
Also, be sure to check out my Morning Blessings and Mid-day Offerings

Evening Revelations

Evenings are family time for me. It is the time when I go to my girlfriend’s derby bouts, visit with close friends, eat dinner together (even if we’re all having something different), snuggle up together, or just lounge and be together.

Evenings are also the time in which my brain goes into social mode. I am on Twitter, Facebook, my blog, Pinterest, Witch School and Temple Illuminatus chat, and so on. I’m catching up with what was going on in the world that day, posting on my blog to share my own insanity, answering e-mails and forum posts. If there are any new videos posts on YouTube from my subscriptions, I watch them. I read the blog posts that I follow. I connect with the world around me. This all usually happens while the three of us play a movie in the background, which may be noise pollution or mental anxiety but it is something that can draw us out of our online world even if it is just a moment to laugh together or discuss something that just happened in our peripheral vision.

This is also the time I do readings, if any are ordered. I retreat to the bedroom and lay out my cards, take pictures, spend time writing up the reading so that I get exactly what I need to get across and send them out to you, my readers.

I usually end my day with a bath or shower. This is my time to visualize any irritations, negativity, non-beneficial energies being washed off of me like so much dirt and spiraling down the drain to reconnect with Mother Earth who will transform them to something more beneficial in the long run. Sometimes I do another Reiki self-treatment in the shower, this one a shorter one that usually focuses on the upper body and major chakras.

I come out of the shower, fresh and warm; drink a mug of tea; finish up my day if I have any loose strings; prepare for bed with my lovies.

Concluding my Rituals

These are all my rituals that get me through my day. They are by no means anything I recommend for others. Please find rituals as unique as you are. They are by no means set in stone. They can change from week to week, month to month, year to year. I may no longer drink a pot of tea a day just as I no longer drink 3 pots of coffee a day. I might start using flower essences and ethereal flowers instead of crystals and reiki in my water. I might start showering of a morning for rejuvenation instead of in the evening for relaxation. I may magically become a morning person…not likely…but I might.

I seriously don’t expect to have these same rituals AT ALL if/when we move, have kids, have financial or employment changes, etc. That all is in the future and, while I plan on it like the Sagittarius I am, I am not bothering to change my rituals for it just yet.

The point of these posts is to show you what I do. Now I want to see what you do. If you write a Make Every Day a Ritual post, please share it with me here in the comments or post it on Twitter with #EveryDayRituals

I can’t wait to read all of your sacred rituals.

Love and Light
HedgeWife

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Meet my Crystal Companion Aysu

Make Every Day a Ritual – Mid-day


Human’s need rituals. This is the conclusion I’ve come to after years of studying religions, faith, people, psychology, cultures, and just watching people in all settings, in all walks of life.

Now, let me clarify that by ritual I don’t necessarily mean a religious rite or sermon. By ritual I mostly mean a habit. Daily rituals are good, healthy, fulfilling habits done every day that help your emotional, physical and spiritual growth. This could be as simple as a cup of chamomile tea after a long day at work or as elaborate as every weekend you create an at-home spa for yourself, shut down all technological outlets, and just relax and detox from negativity.

Here are some daily rituals that I have and I want to make clear that I’m not posting these to tell you that you should do them – NOT AT ALL! You should make your own rituals, ones that are unique to you! I post these only to inspire you and better explain how important these small acts are to me.
Be sure to check out my Morning Ritual, which also has a link to a whole book of Morning Rituals for Morning Goddess!

Mid-day Offerings

My mid-day may not be your mid-day. I usually wake up late, around noon, as I am a night owl. So, my mid-day is usually starts at 1-3pm.

These rituals are not as set in my body’s memory as the morning ones are. My mid-day changes depending on what is going on in my reality. It is the most hectic part of the day or it can be the most calm part of my day.

If my lovies are out or at work, it is quiet. I walk to dog, I snuggle the cat. I make myself a pot of hot water for tea (spicy chai with vanilla soy milk in winter, lemongrass green tea with honey in summer). Tea is an important part of my day. I used to be a caffeine addict. I drank 3 pots of regular coffee a day, energy drinks, Mountain Dew, you name it. Slowly and with many care towards headaches, I worked my way off my addiction. Now, I enjoy my tea with a little sweetening and lots of love.

If I have homework or an essay or exam I work on that at this time. I turn on the music and get to work on our huge couch, window open beside me to let air through (in winter and summer) and the cat and dog curled up around me.

If I’m motivated, I might do some belly dancing. This usually consists of an hour of listing to Faun or Shiva in Exile and practicing basic belly dancing moves or just slipping into sacred dancing and letting inspiration and spirit guide me. This usually gets the dog and cat into a fun frenzy and wanting to play and snuggle afterwards as I gulp down more crystal/reiki water.

If my lovies are home, and we have not current plans, we use this time to talk about anything that needs discussion. This can be as simple as what do we want for dinner, do we need to get anything at the store today, are the library books due soon. This can be as elaborate as relationship processing (a must-do for poly-families), month-long event planning for super busy months, and financial meetings. I like doing this at mid-day because we’re all three awake and usually in a better mood. If it is postponed till later, the processing has a tendency to go south.

I also take a moment at Mid-day to figure out what I’m going to do later. If I don’t have any tasks set (an exam, an event, dinner with friends, etc) then I make a plan. It is a loose plan because I never know what my lovies will bring home for me to mentally/emotionally process. Plans like this might include crafts like crochet or beading, reading a library book, making a big dinner (usually only if I KNOW my lovies are coming home with no other plans), making a crystal grid or even doing a tarot reading for myself or to surprise someone I care about with.

This is probably my most productive part of the day. Even if I’m not at home – I’m getting something done out in the big world.

(Looking back on what I just wrote – that was a lot of if’s. Haha. As you can see, there’s nothing set-in-stone or concrete about my days and really, that’s how I love them even if I am a planner.)

What does your day consist of? Write about it, link back to here, post it on Twitter with #EveryDayRitual I can’t wait to read them!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Why Yes Doctor, Great Advice


I try not to do photo-only blog posts but I've seen this on Facebook a few times, I have no idea who made it, but I absolutely love it and the message it has. This is more than just a funny cartoon picture - this is the truth.

My Favorite Tarot Deck

A Rant on Apathy and Intolerance

My first YouTube Video!

Make Every Day a Ritual - Mornings


Human’s need rituals. This is the conclusion I’ve come to after years of studying religions, faith, people, psychology, cultures, and just watching people in all settings, in all walks of life.

Now, let me clarify that by ritual I don’t necessarily mean a religious rite or sermon. By ritual I mostly mean a habit. Daily rituals are good, healthy, fulfilling habits done every day that help your emotional, physical and spiritual growth. This could be as simple as a cup of chamomile tea after a long day at work or as elaborate as every weekend you create an at-home spa for yourself, shut down all technological outlets, and just relax and detox from negativity.

Here are some daily rituals that I have and I want to make clear that I’m not posting these to tell you that you should do them – NOT AT ALL! You should make your own rituals, ones that are unique to you! I post these only to inspire you and better explain how important these small acts are to me.

Morning Blessings
I wake on my own in the mornings, usually. This is a luxury of self-employment that has slowly become necessary on most days. I’ve found that waking up to an alarm clock only sends me into panic-mode, anxiety-driven mornings that end up with a Grumpus looking back at me in the mirror and in the eyes of those I live with. Since I wake up on my own, I am usually the last out of the bed – having never been an early-riser.

The first thing I do of a morning is my Reiki self-treatment. This is a full-body treatment from head to toe and takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Since my loved ones usually leave the bedroom door open and can hear me stirring as I wake, I have caught them a few times either peeking into the room to ask me something or hear one calling to me from the kitchen while the other, on the couch that has a view into the bedroom informs the one calling that I’m “doing my thing.” This is usually understood as I’ll be “doing my thing” for the next five minutes or so, after that I’ll answer your question or see what is needed of me. I am so blessed to have two beautiful people in my life that understand this about me.

Once I’m out of bed (and have dealt with whatever my lovelies need of me first thing – which is usually just answering what I want for breakfast or if I’ll be attending them to whatever event or practice they’re going to that day) I’m in the bathroom attending to hygiene fun. I post this here not because I don’t see this as something everyone does (I hope they do) but because of a book I read – Prakriti by Dr. Robert E. Svaboda is a book about Doshas, Ayurvedic medicine, and how to live a health lifestyle full of consciousness. Svaboda recommends being mindful of your hygiene in the morning as everything from using the bathroom to the condition of your tongue on waking are clear indicators of where your health is at in this moment.

From here, if I have the motivation/time or just remember to, I try to get some gentle yoga stretches in. This is mandatory on days I wake up stiff and sore from sleeping in an awkward position (usually my husband’s doing as he likes to play King of the Bed with my girlfriend – which is not as kinky or fun as it sounds). If I don’t have any specific kinks or aches to work on, I usually do Salute to the Sun (who is already high in the sky unless its dead winter).

Travel Tea Infuser
After that I pour myself a glass of water in my handy-dandy thermose with crystals in the tea-strainer-cup…thing. The crystals are usually rose quartz for unconditional love, amethyst for health and clarity of mine, and either clear quartz or whatever other gem I feel I am in need of. I then reiki this water and sip it throughout my morning. This is my go-go juice, much more powerful and better for me than any energy drink or coffee ever was.

With crystal-reiki-elixir-goodness in hand, if I am not out the door, I grab my computer and get to work writing. If I had a fun dream (I usually have this on hand in a dream journal by the bed that I’ve jotted down quickly before my self-treatment), sudden inspiration, a project I’m in the middle of, etc. this is the time in which I work on it. Everything else (e-mail, twitter, facebook, pinterest, bloggery) can wait.

For more inspiring morning rituals please read MorningGoddess – a compilation of rituals by Leonie Dawson. 

Friday, February 22, 2013

Emotional Chakra Healing: Root of the Problem



I recently read that the Root or Base chakra develops in the womb. This is a mind-blowing, world-changing concept because of connotation that this statement creates. The Root Chakra develops in the womb.

If you study Chakras or Chakra healing, you know that the Root Chakra is the focus of not only physical health but the basis of self-aware existence. Maslow’s Pyramid is built on the same concept of the Chakras (whether Maslow intended it to or not) and the bottom foundation of the pyramid is made up of all things people need in order to sustain themselves on this physical plane – food, water, shelter/safety, sex; the basic rights to all living creatures. Now, take that in relation to the Root Chakra – the basic rights of living creatures are developed in the womb.

When I was reading about this, some examples of basic rights that the Root Chakra stood for, one thing stood out to me – the Right to Exist. I was just struck by the concept. The Root Chakra, the Right to Exist (or at least the concept of the Right), was developed in the womb.

As I pondered this concept, which took the better part of a day, I made a connection that put me on the path of healing my own closed and imbalanced Root Chakra. It all came down to an If-And-Then equation.

If the Root Chakra represents the Right to Exist, 
and the Root Chakra develops in the womb, 
then children born to parents who do not want them are born 
without the concept of a Right to Exist.

Now, I’m sure many of you are thinking – how did you conclude that? How in the world did this help you with your own imbalance?

Our Root and Sacral Chakras are directly connected with our birth-mothers, because we existed as a part of her Root and Sacral Chakra for 9 months. Because of this connection, our birth-mothers have a direct B-line to our inner-selves, our whole Chakra system (and we have this connection to them as well). When our mothers have deep, emotional reactions during pregnancy, our growing and developing bodies react to them as well.

Pregnant mothers know this to be true. Any time her heart starts pounding, her adrenaline or other emotional chemicals start pumping, her baby feels it and reacts by kicking or moving or squirming.
Now, consider the ways a mother’s emotions could affect the development of the Root Chakra at this important stage if her emotions affect her baby. Consider how certain thought forms could travel down into her womb and imprint themselves on her child.

Now I want to give you all an example of a beautiful thought form that could imprint itself on the baby and help it grow and develop in a good way:

I have always wanted you! You are my Miracle! I love you! I cannot wait to see you and meet you!

Beautiful huh? Imagine how it would feel if someone you were soulfully connected to said that to you. You would feel so loved, right?

Now, I’m going to write a thought form that has the opposite effect and can stunt the development or imbalance it:

I never wanted you! You are a Mistake! I wish you had never been created!

Wow…right?
This is a thought form generated by thousands of mothers who become pregnant on “accident.” I say accident here in quotations because I think its and odd phrase, “accidental birth,” because, to me, an accident is falling down or making a bath too hot – not having sex and creating a child in a world full of forms of contraceptives. One does not “accidentally” have sex. This is not meant to be snarky in any way, it’s just my thoughts on an odd turn of phrase that is popular in today’s culture.

I am an “Accident”

My mother, like many mothers today, was a teenager when she became pregnant with me. She was unprepared for the responsibility of having a child and, while my grandmother supported her financially, there was very little emotional support for her in a time and place when unwed mothers were frowned upon and in a small town where everyone knew everyone’s business.

I wasn’t fully aware of it until I was fourteen, but my mother did not want me. She considered having an abortion but was pressured out of it by a family that was Pro-Life. When I was born she was unable to cope with the idea of giving me up for adoption, though I’m sure the family had some say in this as well. She suffered from postpartum depression, like many mothers do.

I soon developed colic and, from what I was told, I continued to have colic the majority of my first year until it was finally learned that I was lactose-intolerant. During this time, my mother’s depression was being medicated but not under control. From what I was told at fourteen, my mother left me alone one day to scream my colic out in the bedroom and left the house. She broke down crying and prayed, something that, at that time, she hardly ever did. She told God that if He wanted “this baby” to live, He would have to take care of me Himself.

After this my mother left me in the care of my grandmother while she went to get professional help and, then later joined the military so that I didn’t have my biological mother in my life full-time until I was almost a teenager.
I also later learned that she became pregnant again and had an abortion.

I remember thinking at fourteen years old, very clearly, 
“She should have aborted me.”

Looking back on that time in my life now, ten years later, I just can’t help but think, Wow. How could that thought cross my mind? How could I wish to not have ever have been born? Looking at my life now, my husband and my girlfriend, my friends and my loved ones, even by mending relationship with my mother, I just can’t feel that way and it is even hard to recall the emotion I had just 10 years ago.

Now that I’ve studied reiki, chakra therapy, and other forms of healing, I can start to wrap my head around what was going on from a different and therapeutic angle. I was able to take a step back and remove myself from the problem for just a moment to think about it with a rational mind unclouded by the emotions surrounding the subject before going back in to fully experience the situation and the healing that needed to be done.

My depression and negative thought forms were a result of imbalances in my energy system, most emphatically in the very root of that system, the Root Chakra – the Right to Exist.
My Root Chakra had been directly affected by my mother’s thoughts during pregnancy, most notably, the thoughts that centered on an unwanted pregnancy. I was then born without the concept of the Right to Exist. This absence of concept led me to, fourteen years later, to when my throat chakra was developing, to put into words this lack of right – I should not exist.

Now that I knew the problem and its source, what do I do? How could the healing begin?
I was in so much pain, and hadn’t even realized it. I just wanted it to stop at first. Then, I through my herbal studies, I learned that suppressing the issue by stopping the pain was not a cure. I was suppressing the symptoms of my emotional issues by developing an eating disorder, by separating myself emotionally form other people, and by shutting down in other chakras and their emotions. I was stunting myself and I needed help.

Help came, slowly, over the years. I would pick up a meditation here, a lesson there until it all came down to reading that simple phrase – The Root Chakra develops in the womb. Eureka!

No, I didn’t go back to my mother and accuse her of any of my own emotional problems. That most certainly would not have fixed the problem. Instead, I had to work on myself and my own view of the situation. I had to heal that part of myself connected to her so that it could not only never hurt me again but so that it could be used to perhaps help others in my situation and, maybe, help my mother too as she still suffers from time to time from the decisions she made regarding my birth and upbringing.


Forms of Root Chakra Healing

Meditation

A particular meditation helped me in this situation and it is one that I learned from an interview or video (can’t remember exactly) of Angela Stokes-Monarch. This meditation can also be used to aid or heal the Heart Chakra as well.

Settle yourself in your normal meditation stance. If you’re new to meditation, simply find a comfortable position sitting or lying down. If you need music, play something soothing and quiet in the background. Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Then, visualize yourself as a baby, a small pink fetus in your mother’s womb. The womb is warm and comforting. See your umbilical cord, your connection to your mother. Imagine it filling with bright light as you make your connection to her. Now, state the following in your mind or out loud, “I love you. I thank you. I am sorry. I forgive you.” Say this over and over and as you say it, imagine the words and their emotions traveling from your body, through that umbilical cord and into your mother. Keep the mantra going until you start to feel that bond between your mother and yourself mend and fill with love and light.

To use this meditation for easing familial karma, further it by visualizing your mother in your grandmother’s womb. Send the mantra again to mend that bridge. Then do the same with your grandmother in her mother’s womb. Go back as far as you can. In each mediation session, those bonds will better mend and grow stronger in love and you will be able to go back further.

Affirmations and Decisions
As I dealt with depression from my Root Chakra imbalance, I started making choices. One of those choices was to not seek medical help (please do not take this as advice for you not to seek help). In making that choice, I had to make other choices. The most important choice is one I make every single day upon waking. I consciously make the decision to be happy. I tell myself I will be happy today. I will not let myself wake up and go about my day letting the emotions, actions, attitudes of others or even myself effect how I act.

My Affirmations:

I am a child of the Divine. I am a daughter of the Goddess. All that she created is perfect. I am perfect.
I will be happy today. I will not repress my emotions. I will not let them decide how I will treat others. I will not let them decide how I treat myself.

Other decisions I have to make through the day vary. One of them is in relation to my eating disorder. When I find myself in the kitchen, I turn inward and ask myself why I am there. Am I hungry? When was it I last ate? Am I eating for emotional reasons rather than physical ones? What else could I do right now in order to spend this emotional energy rather than eat?

Sometimes life is just full of decisions like this. Other times, these decisions are so much of a habit that they are ingrained into my being – I don’t even realize I’m making that choice.

Grounding Exercise

Stand erect with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes a little in. (Take your shoes off so you can feel the floor under you.)

Push into your feet as if you were attempting to push the ground apart stuck between your feet. You will feel a firmness come into your legs as you do this. This arrives from pushing down into your feet.
Once you can experience that strength, you are prepared to start on the exercise.
Breathe in extremely and bend your knees, letting your belly rest.

Now breathe out and push into your feet s-l-o-w-l-y, approaching as you did before and let your legs to gradually straighten. Do not let them unbend all the way, but bend them once more and breathe in as you go downward into your legs.

Push another time in opposition to the floor as you breathe out, pushing your power downward through your body.
Do not entirely unbend your legs, keep inhalation, and be in motion unhurriedly.

If you are doing this in the approved manner, you will begin to feel a deliberate vibration in your legs as you thrust in opposition to the floor. This vibration is the reflection of energy is in motion through your legs and into your first chakra. It can be used to push out blocks, to augment your intelligence of communication with your body, or to plainly make you feel conscious and revitalized.

It is likely to get charge too much; however, so work out caution in how long you keep this up. If you get overcharged and experience uneasiness, put your feet in a heap of cushions or stir your body, or let out what on earth feelings are taking place.

Energy Healing

Use Reiki or Sekhem healing directly on your Root Chakra. Energy healing can mend imbalances in the chakras, set them spinning in the right direction, and even give them energy boosts when needed.
This can be done by a Reiki or Sekhem Professional Practitioner or by yourself if you have at least Level 1 attunement. If you are attuned and, rather than doing the full self-treatment, you would like to focus healing on the Root Chakra, practice the following positions:

Place hands on hips, finger tips pointing down between the legs without touching the sex organ. Your hands should be in a V-shape. Send energy into the body. This hand position aids the Root and Sacral Chakra.
While siting, place hands on/under the bottom, near the tail bone. Send energy into the area around the tail bone – this sends the energy directly into the Root Chakra.

If you would like to use Reiki symbols, “write” with your finger on your palms Cho Ku Rei, Sei He Ki, Cho Ku Rei. These will aid in empowering the Chakra and in the emotional healing of the imbalance.
If you practice Sekhmet Sekhem, I highly recommend this energy for Root, Sacral, and Solar Plexus healing and balancing.

Crystal/Flower Energy Healing

Crystals that aid in the development and balancing of the Root Chakra are Hematite, Garnet, Onyx (black), Red Jasper, and Tourmaline (black)

  • Hematite - Balances yin-yang energy. Treats nervous disorders. Transforms negativity into love. Has Grounding properties. Hematite helps you to realize that the only limitations there are, are those you create for yourself.
  • Garnet – Protects by sealing the aura and reflecting negative energies whilst at the same time, filling the aura with Universal force. Self-empowering. Aids those who feel they do not have the strength, ability or knowledge to fulfill their spiritual path. Overcomes disempowered states of being. A plentiful, energising crystal. Balances the sex-drive and provides emotional support whilst doing so. A crystal for calm people as it can enhance angry moods. Black Garnet is especially good for the Root Chakra (as opposed to Red Garnet).
  • Onyx – Soothes edgy, nervous people. Excellent for those who worry too much. Onyx, according to Scott Cunningham, is a projective stone (rather than being receptive), meaning that the stone sends out an emotion or energy rather than drawing one in. It sooths and balances by discarding, rejecting, and banishing non-beneficial energies.'
  • Red Jasper – A grounding crystal. Some people find hematite too strong. Red Jasper is the perfect alternative. It soothes and brings information from deep within. Brings hidden problems to light before they get too big, helps to find new coping strategies, provides insights to difficult situations. Steers wearer through mid-life crisis to aid getting back on track; aids in changing insecurity into security.
  • Black Tourmaline – Grounding and protective, powerfully deflects negative energy from within or without. It is used for grounding/centering purposes and to represent the Earth. Tourmaline is a unique stone in that it can become polar (one end attracts and the other repels) so that even Ethereal Tourmaline has these properties that it both attracts and repels – in this case attracting protection and balanced energy and repelling negativity and non-beneficial energies.


‘Flower Essences for the Root Chakra:
Mustard for deep gloom for no (known) reason
Rock Water for self-repression
Pine for blaming yourself for other people’s mistakes
Willow for resentment

Effects of Healing on Root Chakra
You may feel a very slight burning or tingling, or a cramping, like you have been riding a bicycle for too long, to begin with. Once it is working properly, you will feel a gentle pulsing or throbbing between your legs, at the site of the chakra.

The importance of starting with the Root Chakra when healing yourself of Chakra imbalances, even emotional ones, is that the Root is the Base Chakra, the Base of the Chakra System. It is the Foundation for all Chakra healing to come. 

Fox News Situation Update

Hello readers,

I just wanted to post an update to the Fox News Situation for those following my blog and interested. (To read my initial post about the Fox News Report, CLICK HERE). There has been so much outcry from the Pagan and Wiccan community over this that it is both good and bad. The good is that the Pagan community as a whole has come together asking for equal treatment to any other religion and anything that brings people together is cool in my book. However, there have also been some people in and out of the community that have used this situation to create further conflict not only between the Pagan and Christian communities but within the Pagan community itself.

I think Tip Tow Chick put things very concisely about some backlash she got from the Pagan community about a video she did in response to Fox News called Pressures of Conforming. I think she has a good point in telling Pagans not to be so critical of other Pagans about what they believe. We cannot expect understanding and kindness from others if we do not practice it ourselves.

That all being said, I've seen some amazing blog posts and video posts in response to this situation.
I think one of my favorite videos is from Hibiscus Moon in her Fox News Response to Wiccan Holidays Report who calls Fox News out on their bullying and use of a situation to send a message out that it is somehow ok to make fun of a minority group because they are small in number.

Tucker apologized to the Pagan and Wiccan commpunity on twitter for his nasty remarks made on the show.


Tucker Carlson @TuckerCarlson
To Wiccans and pagans: Sorry for my pointlessly nasty remarks. Your holidays still confuse me, but you seem like nice people.
10:45 PM - 19 Feb 13

While this is a step in the rigth direction, I do still think it would be appropriate for Fox News to at least state that they did not research their "facts" for the show, that the news anchors obviously did not even read their own article except for the head line or maybe only watched the Tammy Bruce segment. While I didn't expect an apology at all - which was actually decent of Carlson to make (even if it was only on Twitter) - I do think that a News channel should at least hold their anchors to reporting just that, factual news.

I hope everyone who is keeping up with this keeps in mind what is important - that this isn't about Pagans vs Christians or Liberals vs Conservatives, this is simply about the right for Pagans to be treated as any other followers of any other religion.

Love and Light
HedgeWife

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Upcoming Tarot Reading Sale

Hello everyone!

Ostara Tarot Reading Specials

As many of you may know, Ostara is coming up and I wanted to give all of my readers a  heads up on a sale I will be doing in honor of the holiday.

For Ostara all 3 of my tarot readings offered on Etsy will be marked down.
This includes my newest reading offered - the Baby to Be Reading!

Baby to Be Reading - marked down to $15
10 Card Celtic Cross Reading with the Thoth deck - marked down to $15
and
9 Card Wheel of the Year Reading (this time starting at Ostara) will be marked down to just $9!

If you've been wanting to get a reading from me, March is the time do to it!

Don't forget that my 3 Card Past Present Future reading with the Faeries Oracle by Brian Froud is currently only $5, which is great for testing out how you like my reading style.

How do my readings work?

Once you order a reading through Etsy, send me your name and e-mail address through the comments section. I will do your reading as soon as I receive the information and take pictures of the reading to send to you along with the information gleaned.

Video Readings

I am currently testing out doing readings on a video. Right now, if you would like a video of my readings, let me know. I am offering free video readings to anyone who lets me post their video on my blog and on my upcoming YouTube channel. I will not use your name and I will keep to my promise of confidentiality. You'll just have to deal with me saying "You" a lot.

Rose Quartz Attunement

Currently 10% of my Rose Quartz Crystal Attunements will be going to the Universal Church of Light and Love to build a fund for free reiki healings, classes, group events, and more.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Fox News video on Wiccan and Pagan Holidays




I'm sure many of you have seen the Fox News video about University of Missouri's including Wiccan and Pagan holidays in their course schedule and asking teachers to not have exams on those days.
I first wanted to share the video with its corresponding article -


The reason for the share is for the article. Please read it as well as watch the video. The article itself shows many of the incongruousness in the words spoken in the video - most distinctly that the holidays are not all Wiccan. Holidays in the schedule include Rosh Hoshanah, Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Samhain, and the two-day festival celebrating Krishna. Also, the University itself says there have been no complaints about the suggestions in the schedule of how to adjust exams and papers to accommodate students celebrating these holidays.

The part that does ruffle the feathers of many pagans and wiccans is the statement made by Tammy Bruce that the inclusion of these holy days is merely an excuse to not get any work done. In a society that favors the concept that school is merely to prepare people for the work force, I'm sure this is what UM is doing. However, to those people who see life as more than work and more than exams in order to obtain a degree to do work - this is not "societal nihilism" its faith, religion, belief all celebrated.

I would also like to point out, without trying to sound snarky, that these pagan holidays are usually only one day with a request not to give an exam on that one day. However, universities all across the US all give whole weeks off for Christmas, a presumably Christian holiday. If we were trying to ensure a worker bee keeps his or her nose to the grindstone, shouldn't the goal be to shorten this vacation? I personally think that it would be silly to do so, but I was just wanting to make that small point.

That being said, I would like to move the attention from the article to the video that is supposedly about the article, or at least the article topic.

The biggest issues many Wiccans are taking with this video, according to many of the comments I’ve read on the topic on various blogs and articles, are the following:

Using the term Wiccanism – the correct term being Wicca, not to be confused with Paganism
Going from 20% of the holidays viewed by UM are Pagan, to 20 Wiccan holidays – the holidays listed were not all Wiccan, there are in fact 8 Wiccan Sabbat (you can read about them in my essay on the Wheel of the Year). Also, unless there are exactly 100 holidays listed by UM, 20% does not necessarily equal 20 holidays.

The argument that following those following a Pagan faith only do it for the holidays is disrespectful to pagan faith and very similar to saying the only reason people are Christians is so that they can receive presents at Christmas and chocolate bunnies at Easter. People follow a chosen religion, whether it is Wicca or Christianity because (hopefully) they feel that this religion is True, they believe in its concepts of faith and Deity in their heart, and they find happiness and hope for the future (on earth and after death) in it. I hope that people do not join a religion for its presents or chocolate or days off of exams because, while those things are surely very nice, there is so much more the religions of the world have to offer.

The biggest offense Wiccans and Pagans are taking with the video is the suggestion that our population is not only small and therefore insignificant, but that the majority of its followers are Dungeons & Dragons players (with the assumption that D&D players are immature older men or children with no social concept and letting their imaginations skew reality – when in fact I know some very pleasant people who play D&D and some of them are Christian, Pagan, Athiest, Agnostic, Jewish, etc) and middle-aged divorcees with cats and incense.
I honestly do not know how large the Wiccan population is, how many of them play D&D, how many of them are divorced, how many of them are women, or how many of them own cats. I will says that the ones I know are single or married and not divorced – that some own cats but many own dogs – that only 3 that I can count have ever played D&D – oh, we do all use incense though, haha.

I am a Wiccan – I am married, 24 years old (and if that’s middle aged then I will sadly only live to be 48), I do own a cat, I have never played D&D, I celebrate the 8 Sabbats as well as Christmas, New Years, St. Valentines Day, St. Paddys Day (well…actually my Husband’s birthday is on that day so more or less), birthdays and more. I do not expect special treatment because of my faith or its celebrations – only equal treatment to anyone else whether they are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Satanist, Taoist, Buddhist, or any other faith.

As I’ve said on Facebook and in various chats discussing this topic –

If you have read this article and watched this video and – like me – feel a need to respond either on a blog or by writing a letter to Fox News, please do so calmly and with kindness. We do not want to respond out of fear and anger and hate. This will only fuel the fires of ignorance and fear and hate.  We cannot hope to change the minds of people who refuse to open their eyes and look beyond their own reality. Instead, with kindness, educated those who have watched this video and read this article, who do not know anything of our faith, and let them know what the truth is. Show them who we really are – People who have a faith and love, who celebrate it with joy.

Thank you.
Light and Love

Saturday, February 16, 2013

The Airts: Water and its Herbs

I hope you enjoyed my herbal correspondence posts for the Airts: Fire-South and Air-East. 

Water
West
The element of emotion

Blue or mauve flowers or autumn flowers such as lavender, delphiniums, Michaelmas daisies or water flowers like lotus and water lily.
Trees showing the fruits of autumn such as oak and beech
Scents and oils such as lavender; incenses such as myrrh

Water Herbs I have already covered in my Basic Magical Herbalism posts:
Belladonna
Chamomile
Datura
Foxglove
Hemlock
Thyme


Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham lists:

  • Adam and Eve root
  • African Violet
  • Aloe
  • Althea
  • Apple
  • Apricot
  • Aster
  • Avocado
  • Bachelor's Buttons
  • Balm of Gilead
  • Banana
  • Bedstraw
  • Belladonna
  • Birch
  • Blackberry
  • Bladderwrack
  • Bleeding Heart
  • Blue Flag
  • Boneset
  • Buchu
  • Buckthorn
  • Burdock
  • Cabbage
  • Calamus
  • Camphor
  • Caper
  • Catnip
  • Chamomile
  • Cherry
  • Chickweed
  • Club Moss
  • Coconut
  • Coltsfoot
  • Columbine
  • Comfrey
  • Cowslip
  • Cucumber
  • Daffodil
  • Daisy
  • Datura
  • Dittany of Crete
  • Dodder
  • Dulse
  • Elder
  • Elm
  • Eucalyptus
  • Euphorbia
  • Feverfew
  • Foxglove
  • Gardenia
  • Grape
  • Groundsel
  • Heather
  • Hellebore
  • Hemlock
  • Hemp
  • Henbane
  • Hibiscus
  • Hyacinth
  • Iris
  • Irish Moss
  • Jasmine
  • Kava-Kava
  • Lady's Slipper
  • Larkspr
  • Lemon
  • Lettuce
  • Licorice
  • Lilac
  • Lily
  • Lobelia
  • Lotus
  • Maidenhair
  • Mallow
  • Mesquite
  • Moonwort
  • Morning Glory
  • Myrrh
  • Myrtle
  • Orchid
  • Orris
  • Pansy
  • Passion Flower
  • Peach
  • Pear
  • Persimmon
  • Plum
  • Poplar
  • Poppy
  • Purslane
  • Raspberry
  • Rose
  • Sandalwood
  • Scullcap
  • Solomon's Seal
  • Spearmint
  • Spikenard
  • Strawberry
  • Sugar Cane
  • Sweetpea
  • Tamarind
  • Tansy
  • Thyme
  • Tonka
  • Trillium
  • Valerian
  • Vanilla
  • Violet
  • Willow
  • Wintergreen
  • Wolf's Bane
  • Yarrow
  • Yew


Zodiac Herbal Correspondences

Cancer - Calamus, Eucalyptus, Gardenia, Jasmine, Lemon, Lemon Balm, Lilac, Lotus, Myrrh Resin, Rose, Sandalwood, Violet









Scorpio - Allspice, Basil, Clove, Cumin, Deerstongue, Galangal Root, Gardenia, Ginger Root, Myrrh Resin, Pine, Vanilla Bean, Violet










Pisces - Anise, Calamus, Catnip, Clove, Eucalyptus, Gardenia, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Lemon, Melissa/Lemon Balm, Mimosa, Nutmeg, Orris Root, Sage, Sandalwood, Sarsaparilla, Star Anise, Sweet Pea

Wiccan Ethics: You get what you Pay for

This Wiccan Ethics post is something that I personally had problems with for years.

If Divination/Healing/Cleansing/etc are gifts of the Divine...why do certain people/witches charge for them?

Picture from Divine Playground
I asked myself this when I was first taken under the wing of my Tarot mentor, June Wright.
June was charging for her tarot readings as part of a service she provided at her small shop on Main street. I had nevr received a reading that I had to pay for before and was a little uncomfortable with the idea at first. Wasn't divination, including Tarot readings, intuitively and divinely inspired? If we do not have to pay the Divine for the gift of reading, why charge others for also receiving the gift.

The same questions can be asked of Reiki, Sekhem, laying on of hands, and other forms of healing. Reiki and Sekhem are both divinely given to the original teachers and yet it costs a good bit of money to be trained in either form as well as charging for healing services.

Answers to these questions came gently and over time, just like they were needed.

My lessons in Reiki explained that originally Reiki lessons were not charged for in a sense. Instead, the teacher (Dr. Usui for example) stayed with the student and the student would provide such menial things as food, shelter, a bed, and so on. Today in our society, such a student/teacher relationship would be unlikely and probably unethical in many cases.

By paying for Reiki instruction, the student is doing the same as before. Instead of buying the food and providing the shelter, he or she is paying money to the teacher so that the teacher can provide those things for him or herself.

Goddess Leonie explains what she calls Sacred Pricing beautifully with a conversation she had with friends of hers in a goddess circle:

“You must charge for your art. In everything – everything – there needs to be an exchange of energy. An equal one. One that fills me up. One that fills you up. If I give you a massage that nourishes and sustains and relaxes you, I ask you for money to nourish and sustain my life too. We must both be involved in the exchange, otherwise it is one sided. We must both be invested, so we both receive value. If I do not allow you to pay money for my service, I do a disservice to myself, but also to you. You must contribute too, in order to be fulfilled. You will value the things you pay for more. And my life will be better because I have helped your life be better. And your life will be better, because you have helped my life be better too. Everything – everything - must be an equal exchange of energy. It is sacred. Money is the manifestation of energy. Money is sacred too.”


In the end, I learned that
1. Everything has a price - an exchange of energy. This doesn't have to be money. Energies can be bartered - reiki healing for a crystal, tarot reading for an evening out and dinner.
2. The exchange of energies needs to be fare. Pricing does not need to be too low or too high. By under-pricing, you undercut your own energies and their worth. By overpricing, you use others.

Friday, February 15, 2013

D is for Drunkenness

While you might be confused, I will explain that this blog post for the Pagan Blog Project could have easily been delayed to L is for Libation but I wanted to take it in another direction...

The third path of the Gardnerian 8-Fold Way is the path of Drugs, Wine, Incense.

Drunkenness is a part of this path in that many cultures use alcoholic libation as a part of rituals to celebrate, incite frenzy, relax, sedate, and subdue the participants and the deities and spirits they are working with.
Alcohol dates back to the beginnings of civilization. The Egyptians commonly drank a beer-like substance made from grain and honey. Christian monks are said to have perfected the art of fermentation in making ale, mead and beer as well.

Drunkenness in Rite

Many rituals even call for alcohol. When I received by attunement to Sekhmet Sekhem, the ritual called for an elixir made from my beer of choice blended with pomegranate pips to stain it red (thought I'm sure a red beer in itself would have worked just as well). The beer was necessary in order to satiate and sedate Sekhmet and her fury.
Alternatively, my Anubis Seichim attunement did not call for libation but if it had Laughing Dog beer has one in His name.

The traditional offering in a Wiccan rite is cakes and Wine, though many covens substitute the wine for grapejuice, there are many who hold to the tradition of using actual wine. The wine itself can vary on the type of ceremony. Red wine for Mother Goddess or for the Sun God and White for Lunar rituals. Also, there are some wines that lend themselves by brew or name. For harvest festivals like Lughnassadh or Mabon, consider a wine off this list of Autumnal wines. Sometimes even the name is helpful as in Menage a Troi for a trinity celebration or even a 3 person handfasting ritual.

While many covens may frown upon drinking before, during or even soon after a ceremony, ritual, spell, etc (especially those who have adolescents or AA members in their group) if you coven does welcome or tolerate this, be sure to tell them that you have been drinking if you are part of their ceremony - its always good to be courteous.

Ceremonial Potions or Libations from the Crone's book of Charms and Spells

Solar Libation
1 oz brandy, 2 oz sweet white port, 1 tsp honey

Lunar Libation
2 oz anise cordial, 1 oz vodka, 1 tsp white sugar syrup

Love or Passion Libation
1 oz cherry brandy, 1 oz peach brandy, 1 tsp honey, sprinkling of cumin powder

Libation for Renewed Vision or Intellect
1 oz mint cordial, 2 oz white gin, 1 tsp sugar syrup

Libation for Beauty of Mind and Body
1 oz apricot brandy, 2 oz sweet Madeira wine, 3 drops almond extract

Libation for Triumph over Death
1 oz blackberry brandy, 1 oz sweet red port, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Health Libation
1 oz apple brandy, 2 oz apple cider, 1 tsp honey

To fight drunkenness

Amethyst
It is said in gem lore that wearing or carrying amethyst will protect the bearer from excessive drunkenness. Because of this, it is the gem of those who belong to Alcoholics Anonymous and other rehabilitation groups.
The very word Amethyst means "Not Drunk"
There is a ancient myth about Bacchus turning a young maiden to stone, and in remorse, he poured wine on the statue, staining it purple and creating amethyst. Goblets of Amethyst were said to prevent the drinker from being overwhelmed by the drink’s spirit.
The stone brings calmness and clarity to a mind otherwise clouded with confusion or libation.

Ivy Wreathes

The ivy wreath, like the amethyst, was associated with Bacchus, and the ancient Romans thought that wearing this wreath could prevent intoxication.


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Be My Valentine

The True Origins of St. Valentines Day by Wendy Brinker
Io Lupercalia! Happy Valentines Day!

For most pagan blogs, this one included, it almost feels mandatory to make a post regarding the origins of many secular holidays, especially when those origins are pagan (which they usually are). 

Rather than bore you with a history lesson that you probably already know (and if you don't I invite you to check out any other pagan blog today or simply read the well-written article by Brinker I've linked to above), I thought I would share a Lupercalia memory with you. 

In high school I was rather nerdy. My language of choice was Latin and through the four years of my study I was also part of the Latin club called Junior Classical League...not only part but eventually President of the club. 
One of our favorite things to do...or, I should say, one of my favorite things we did was dress up in our Roman regalia (usually consistent of a tunic and toga for guys and a tunic and stolla and palla for girls) for the day. Whenever we saw another person in Roman attire we would shout over the crowded hallways or across the classroom "Io Lupercalia!"
The KY state Junior Classical League in our roman regalia (I'm the one in front with all the purple)
This tradition was not only relegated to Lupercalia but Saturnalia and any other Roman holiday. 
In Latin class, when we were all gathered and dressed we often would also bring food, sit or recline on the floor and be Romans for an hour (without the segregation of sexes or discrimination of rank and race of course).
Our teacher was never one to have an "off day" by playing a movie (though, the rare times this did happen we usually watched Harry Potter and had to write down the translations of the Latin spells and any reference to Roman mythology we heard) she did allow us these days as long as the discussion remained on Roman cultural topics. 

I know this isn't exactly a romantic post, but it is a happy memory of the day for me spent with friends and others of like minds. I can only hope that you, my readers, have many memories full of the same happiness on this holiday.

Io Lupercalia,

HedgeWife

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Sekhmet Rosary



Since being chosen by Sekhmet and dedicating myself to her as my Matron Deity, I decided to honor her and my connection to her by creating a pagan rosary.

The rosary contains 34 beads (not counting seed bead spacers)in a variety of reds, golds, oranges, and yellows with a central chunk of citrine and a fang pendant. Numerologically 34 is 3+4=7.
Sekhmet’s numbers are 7 and 5 so I did a series of beads in those numbers leading around to center on the citrine and fang. 5 red beads separated by 5 seed beads followed by 1 orange bead then 5 read beads then a yellow bead all ending in a yellow foil bead at the top.

Citrine
Citrine was one of the stones used in the breastplate of the High Priest.  In ancient times, it was carried as a protection against the plague, skin problems, snake bites, and evil thoughts. Gives physical aid in treating: Heart, kidneys, liver, digestive tract and muscle problems.  Balances thyroid; stimulates thymus.  Helps in overcoming depression, fears and phobias.
Solar Plexus Chakra.
Optimism. Confidence. Energizing, recharging. Promotes creativity. Mental clarity. Problem solving. Abundance ("The Merchant's Stone). Self-esteem.
Citrine is also associated with the Zodiac sign Leo, another association with Sekhmet.

Sekhmet’s Mantra

Sa Sekhem Sahu

(From Working with Sekhmet)

Sa: The Breath of Life
The Sa is the life force, the Breath of Life that comes into the human body at conception.

Sekhem: Power
The word “sekhem” is associated with power. This word has also been associated with energy, particularly the energy associated with the Indian concept of Kundalini. Sekhem is the power that animates the Sahu; it is the power that leads one to spiritual consciousness.

Sahu: The Spiritual Body
Sahu is the spiritual body, one of the Five Bodies of each human according to Egyptian cosmology. Sekhmet is associated with the awakening of the Five Bodies, particularly the Sahu. The Sahu is made conscious through spiritual practice. The awakening of the Sahu is the last stage of the integration of the Five Bodies, the final stage in becoming a Realized Human.

Other Mantras

Bless you for your anger
It’s a sign of rising energy
Direct not on your family
Waste not on your enemy
Ono, Yoko. “Rainbow Revelation,” from her album Star Peace, 1985.

Oh! Sekhmet, Eye of Re, Great of Flame, Lady of Terror, who surrounds her creator.
-Temple of Edfu

Monday, February 11, 2013

Event Tarot Readings


Last night I went to a party hosted by some friends and while I was there I did four tarot readings for friends who had never had their cards read before. While I didn’t charge for these readings, I saw this as an opportunity to read for people that would 1. Give me their honest opinion of the reading and 2. Take this experience to do a little free-advertising for me (which I saw at the party after).


The deck I used was my favorite, the Fantastical Tarot. I was a little wary of bringing and using this deck at first because the art is a little dark, sometimes too dark for some people. However, it is my favorite deck and I wanted to use something I had a bond with when reading for people who are skeptical.
I read for three of four of the querents in a cabin just outside the main house where the party was being hosted. I’m glad for this because some of the issue that showed up in the cards were personal in nature and not something I would have wanted aired to a room full of people.

The first reading was for one of my closest friends who has always wanted her cards read but never did because most people seem to want a lot of money for something she was skeptical of anyways. Despite her skepticism, she was very excited about the reading. While I’m not comfortable sharing what was told in the reading, I will say that I think a lot of good advice was given from the cards for her.
Her husband was another of the querents and he seemed genuinely impressed and helped by what was said during his reading. While I think both of them were aware of what was going on and the advice given, I think its always good to hear it from an unbiased party and that the readings helped them sort this through.

The other two readings I wasn’t expecting at all.
One was from a person I had never met before but, turns out, we have a lot in common in that we are both in training to become officiates in our pagan paths and that we both have a connection to Sekhmet. This even came up in the reading and gave me chills.
She truly enjoyed the reading and was encouraged by some of what the cards said to her.

The last person I read for was my most nerve wracking reading. It was in the main house and therefore we had a few onlookers, one of which was the host of the party who seemed super skeptical of what was being said…which made me even more nervous and my nerves probably effected my readings badly, for that, I apologize to my final querent.
Despite my nerves, I was able to get across what the cards were saying in regards to her business and personal goals which was apparently something she really needed to hear. After I read, and she took notes on her phone, she confessed that up until 3 months ago she was a hard core Scientific Athiest and ever since she has carved out a space in her mind for spirituality. She has even been gifted a deck of divination cards and bought a deck of tarot cards which she is now studying.
We talked about spirituality briefly and that I am also practicing Reiki. She seemed excited about this prospect and we are in the process of setting up a Reiki session for her to experience.

All in all I’m very glad I decided to do this and in a public venue as it has gotten me back into the swing of things since I haven’t read at an event since 2009!
I also learned a lot too – mostly not to get nervous just because someone is a skeptic. This is my chance to show them what the cards can really say and if they continue to be a skeptic after that, it is most likely that nothing I would have said or done would have changed their mind anyways.

Love and Light,
HedgeWife

Friday, February 8, 2013

Wiccan Ethics: Is it a sin to Kill?


I was very hesitant to write about this subject because, well, it’s a hot button for almost anyone who follows any religion, whether its Wicca, Christianity or Buddhism.



Is it wrong or sinful to Kill?
This is a topic that came up in the Temple Illuminatus chat room the other night and I added my two cents there, so, if my readers are from that chat, I’m sorry if this seems redundant but my points here might be a bit more clear now that I’ve had time to think them through.
Many people when reading this question will say YES, killing is wrong. A Wiccan will call upon the rede of Do as you will an HARM NONE.

I want to point out the fallacies in this statement and why it is too simplistic.
First is that many people will say this until they are in a situation of Kill or be Killed. Maybe you would not kill another person to save your own life, perhaps your religious beliefs are so far ingrained that you feel as though that killing a person, even if they are going to kill you, is simply two wrongs not making a right. What if that person was going to kill someone else? What if that other person is your husband or girlfriend, son or daughter, mother or sister or brother or nephew? Could you hold onto the idea that killing is wrong even in that situation? Would you still kill the would-be killer?

What about in situations of death row? Is it wrong to kill a serial killer, a mass murderer, a serial rapist, a pedophile? Does your compassion go so far as saying it is wrong to kill these people?
Now, I want to point out that in Wicca and many Earth-based religious beliefs, all things have life. If it is wrong to kill, is it wrong to kill all living things? Do animals count? Are you a vegetarian or vegan who believes it is wrong to kill any living thing? What about plants? Scientists have proven that plants actually fear being harmed or killed even though we cannot hear their screams. Is it wrong to kill them? Should we simply stop eating or building homes from trees or even walking on the grass for fear of killing any living thing?
By the way, these are just things to think about…

Now take it in another direction.
Go back to those people on death row. I bring forth the idea of a man who is a pedophile who killed three children after abusing them. Does he deserve to die?
Now, for the many of you reading this who believe in reincarnation and that we all choose the life we live in or at least the lessons we are supposed to learn in this life before we are born, that our actions in our past lives effect the events of this one.

Those three children knew, before they were born, that they were making a choice in this life that would have an equal outcome. They had past-life relationships with the man who did this to them.
This concept comes from a book I read by Dick Sutphen. In this book he did a past life reading of a woman who wanted to know why she was in an abusive relationship with a man who, turns out, raped her daughter as well. Turns out the three of them had a past life in a similar situation in the middle east during a time when it was common for men to take on the daughters of his harem as wives even at a very young age. The man brought this idea over into this life, whether he meant to or not along with the idea that women are beneath him. The daughter, in this past life was abandoned by her mother so in this life she decided she would make the choices necessary to force her mother to stay with her and care for her – the rape and abuse she suffered ensured her mother’s nurturing care.

You may have an issue with this idea but, what if the three children made the choice to settle some sort of karma with the man who killed them? How can we know whether or not the children were not murderers in a past life? For all horrible people were children once – Hitler, Stalin, the Virginia Tech murderer, were all once children.

Another change in direction
What about soldiers? Are they committing a wrongful sin by killing people who could pose threats to their country, their freedom, and their families?
Are they evil for killing?

I once heard that soldiers carry with them the karma of their killing. Many soldiers were soldiers in their past lives and continuously live out this lifestyle in each lifetime. A soldier in the Roman legion dies at the hand of a Gaul. He is reborn in WWII as a Nazi soldier killed by an American bullet. He is then reborn as an Afghani fighter who is kills himself for his religion, country and family.
This is a cycle that can only be broken by the conscious choice to turn away from that path and find a new purpose.

I propose that killing is not wrong or evil in a sense. Killing is simply a decision. It is an action that has a reaction. Those that live by the sword or gun or noose die by the sword… Those that harm others will, in turn, be harmed by others. This is karma. It does not depend on whether or not others deem or judge it wrong or a sin, it simply is.

If you do not want to be involved in the karma of killing, do your best not to kill. It is up to you as to how far you go in this decision whether it simply means not joining the military, voting against a politician who is pro-death penalty, becoming vegetarian, or even wearing softer shoes so that when you walk on the grass it does as little damage as possible.
Life is full of these karmic choices and it is part of experiencing life to think about them, decide on them, live them.

I know this post is going to anger and upset a lot of people. I want to make it clear here that this is merely an argument that saying it is wrong to kill is far too simplistic a statement.

Azure Green

AzureGreen- Celebrating All Paths to the Divine