The Perpetual Debate on the Definition of "Marriage"

For some reason, my daughter has formed an obsession with going to church. So yesterday we gave in and went to church so she'd leave us alone. During the Homily, the priest veered off topic and noted the recent decision made by the US Supreme Court on "Gay" Marriage, and that in God's eyes, marriage is meant to be between man and woman for the purposes of procreation.

I took issue with this comment. You pretty much diminish the concept of marriage when you reduce it down to nothing more than a vessel for procreation. You don't need to be married to procreate. It's painfully obvious in our society. You don't even need to be a full adult to procreate. Look at all the teenage parents out there!

Marriage is an agreement between two people to remain committed to each other and only each other. When you reduce marriage down to nothing more than a reason to procreate then it loses meaning. You don't need to be married to procreate or have children. Two people get married because they want to be together and want a formal declaration before all their friends and families.

Marriage wasn't invented by Christianity, despite Christianity wanting to claim it is. Marriage existed centuries before Christianity was even a thought. And it was done between varied people, both homo- and heterosexuals.

Marriage is far more than a means of creating children. And to constantly press that this is the only reason for marriage brings its meaning further and further down. Such a so-called "sacred" sacrament in the Christian religion is basically meaningless outside the production of children.

Life and Blogging

Everyone knows life gets in the way of the things we want to do. I want to be able to go shopping for needs every few days but ultimately life gets in the way and I can't go get what I need for my home. Usually it's my son (Goddess bless his adorable little heart). It's frustrating to have to carry him to the car, put him in a seat he dislikes, buckle the thousands of buckles carseats continuously come out with, then have to undo it all once I get to a store where I only need one thing, then have to do it all again to go to another store for two things and go through it all again.

But that's the life of a stay at home mom. How about those who have to go to work for a living? Sometimes life there gets in the way of regular blogging posts. And when bloggers don't post for a while, their followers start asking questions. If there's still no posts...say for a week or two, it can start a riot from impatient people.

People. Bloggers have lives too. Just because you have a few minutes to read a post that can take 5 minutes to read, it can take days to just get it on the board. Not necessarily because of the hectic lives of bloggers, but because topics can take days just to get sorted out. I have numerous blogs that aren't posted yet because I don't have the information or the pictures up to post it.

For example, I have to go to Kingston Ontario on Thursday. Having maybe four posts on the go I won't be able to finish them until after (and even then I might not get them up for a while). And god forbid any of my readers who might get impatient from lack of posts discover in July I haven't posted for almost a month...whoa! I'll be busy living and taking a break with my family on our first MAJOR family vacation.

If readers can't understand that bloggers have lives OUTSIDE blogging, then they need to sit back and take stock as to WHY they are so hostile towards bloggers who neglect their blog for a few days. The problem doesn't lie in the blogger's lack of posts, but in the impatient reader.



I'm not saying MY readers are the impatient ones...but some bloggers have had to make a point now and then of explaining an absence. I'm almost positive (considering the amount of bloggers who are out there) there have been some hostile readers and comments made now and then. I just want to make it known that we do have lives, and at times it WILL get in the way.

The Zombie Obsession

I think...and I might be stating the obvious here, people are obsessed with the idea of a zombie invasion because, during an invasion people can beat, kick, and kill the shit (pardon my language) out of anyone they hate and be justified for it. It's the ultimate fantasy!!! Hate your boss? He turns into a zombie and you can smack him in the head with a blunt object; hate your neighbor? Turn loose your lawnmower. Sick of the Fuzz? Well, they always have something interesting in the trunk.

Like I said it's the ultimate fantasy. It's an excuse to beat the crap out of all the stupid people like you want, but because they're already dead and are in "zombie" mode you don't have to feel guilty.

Stating the obvious? Probably, but it can be fun, if not therapeutic to think about.

I can admit I think about the zombie apocalypse (not that I can really help it considering how obsessed my husband is about it...I just hope if one happens, it's not until my kids are fully grown so I don't have to worry about them so much). Mostly I think of how I'd handle myself, how I'd build the ULTIMATE apocalypse vehicle, etc. I'm not really interested in the killing of zombies. I'd be more worried about the survivors.

"As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up reasons to kill one another" -- The Mist

Yup. The survivors would be the ones to worry about because it's not enough that there are dead, hungry, walking things out there trying to kill you, the survivors are trying to remain survivors, at the cost of the living. They want what you have, regardless of what it is and will kill you for it. It brings to mind a scene from Titanic where the priest, flailing in the water, is trying to stay alive by using Rose as a floatation device, even though she's a human and he was drowning her. At least HE'D stay alive.

We all want the stress relief of our day to day headaches. A more practical idea of relieving that headache might be breaking items, instead of killing zombies. Isn't there a place in like China or someplace where you can pay to break fragile items? I saw it on a show once. People paying good money to break vases, glass panels...just about anything fragile. They were given a stick and told to have at 'er. I would LOVE to go to a place like that. I so need the stress relief lol.

You've Got to be Kit-ding Me

A soliciting blog post got me thinking...why do people think we need pre-made kits for everything? Essentially this seems more like a ploy to get people to spend money on useless things. For instance...a "Beltane" Kit. Really?!?!? A BELTANE Kit!? What would someone need a Beltane Kit for, and more importantly, what would be IN a Beltane kit? Most likely items you already have OR can obtain for much cheaper at a mundane store.

Come on, people, you don't need to go out and purchase kits for everything. I can understand a starter kit for your altar. I mean, who out there can just luckily find a double-edged knife? I mean, I was lucky my husband had a black double edged boot knife I kinda stole (he knows it's in the house, just doesn't know where *wink wink*). I love this knife. I have from the first time I set eyes on it (but then I'm a knife nut).

But really...kits for this and kits for that are just money making ploys to dupe novices. They look around online stores and see a kit for Beltane and thing OMG Beltane's coming up! I need this kit! meanwhile it contains everything you can get at Walmart for a fraction of the price.

Ok, it's alright if someone wants to sell things they've created, but if you're going to sell you creations, perhaps think of the TRUE practicality of what you're trying to sell. I make jewellery. People wear jewellery all the time. That's a practical product to sell and it can be easily personalized. I also make blank books...another practical item. Not only can it be used for a book of shadows but it can be used for dream journals, notes, spell books or just to jot down every day thoughts...it could EVEN be used for date books and other mundane uses. I'm sorry but I just don't see the practicality of a "Beltane" kit. From what I see...it can contain a candle, some herbs, maybe oils and a scroll with a Beltane ritual on it, all for the low, low price of $35.

For $35 I can buy large bulk quantities of herbs to create my own unique Beltane herbal/incense blend, buy half a dozen candles, a couple bottles of oils and/or print out 500 Beltane rituals.



The point is...you don't need to go out and buy a Beltane kit, or a Samhain kit, or a Birthday kit. You don't need to buy these kits. Buy your favorite herbs and create your own incense blends, or determine the herbs that are associated with the Sabbat you want to celebrate and again create your own incense. Candles are a dime a dozen in most places...holders are just as cheap. There's no need to spend um-teen amounts of dollars on specialized things. It's just like the "practicality" of specialized Wiccan stores. I've maybe set foot in one out of curiosity but never have I purchased anything from a specialized store, neither online nor in a brick-and-mortar store.

**THINK WISELY BEFORE YOU SPEND**

"There's One in Every Family"

...and people don't think Wicca has it's extremists or fundamentalists. I present to you "Elle" (aka: "Silver") and "JJ"

https://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20141101155127AA1kxqV

A quick look at their comment (you don't even have to read the entire thing) is enough to tell you these people (if they're not the same person) are fundamentalist to the point that they have no room for expansion. How closed minded.

See, there's one in ever "family".

Recent Goings-On

I went out today. My initial reason for going was to get the water from my hot tub tested (yes, I'm lucky enough to have a hot tub, however it's more work than most people think). Once I had finished with my initial task I thought I would take some time for myself and do a little window shopping. I went to the mall and started at the book store. I think I found a couple books I might want to purchase. One is like a Witch's Complete book. More or less a book of shadows, but I found it interesting. I also saw a beautiful leather bound journal with a leather strap holding it closed. Not sure if I'm going to get it or not because it's about $47 (that's a bit much for me). I also found some beautiful journals with intricate designs on it...and HINGED CLASPS!! The clasps are kind of small but beautiful nonetheless. I'm almost thinking of buying two...one for straight spells and one for straight rituals. I haven't decided completely on purchases yet, hence why I was window shopping. These are items I would like to purchase. Whether I do or not will depend when pay day comes.

My next stop was to two health food stores. The first I went looking in for some essential oils to start putting to practice what I learned in my course (my exam is tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous about it. I really hope I do well). Unfortunately, they were out of lavender (lavender being an almost all-purpose aid oil), and said they might not get any in for a couple days. So I'll wait. The second store I went to also had no lavender (lavender seems to be a very popular oil). Well, actually they had a 15ml bottle of lavender oil, but nothing was really priced there, so I didn't know how much they wanted for the 15ml bottle, so I didn't get it.

I was also a little giddy to see they were selling homeopathic tablets. Unfortunatly again they were not price labelled so I couldn't tell how much they were. Payday may involve some communication with store staff should I decide to purchase some homeopathic remedies and oils. I'm really looking to start being the guinea pig. Kinda almost wish I still had my narsty cold, so I can see how long it would take for me to recover from it, on homeopathic remedies vs. leaving myself be. Typically it takes about 2 or 3 weeks for me to recover from cold. I also seem to be suffering from some dermatitis. I was hoping to obtain some lavender and jojoba oils and applying it to my dermatitis to see how well it does.

I hate not having funds when I really need it. BUT...I think funds will come when the universal forces think I'm ready for it, so I'll remain patient. I'll just keep dreaming of things I'd like to purchase lol.





Ma’iingan

"Whats everyone doing for the Full Moon, New Moon, Blue Moon," etc

Why do people feel the need to do something for EVERY celestial event that happens in the course of a year. Isn't it enough that there are eight Wiccan Sabbats people participate in not to mention the other dozens of other non-Wiccan Pagan holidays other people celebrate, as well as many secular holidays people participate in...why does EVERY event that happens, have to be "celebrated"?

Someone asked "What's everyone doing for the Blue Moon?" Really??? In all honesty Im going to sleep. I'm not going to have some major celebration or elaborate ritual for this moon. A blue moon happens at least once a year. If I miss this one, it's not like it's going to be the last one in my life time. Typically I'd have a full moon ritual, however, I have even less privacy for myself now that my sister-in-law and her daughter have moved into my home, so I don't have enough time or privacy to hold such a ritual (that, and the two of them make me EXTREMELY tired...along with my two hyper-active children, and stressful husband).

I'm not going to make a big deal out of a second full moon in one month. If anything, it's simply just another full moon. Yes, I understand the importance of the moon and what it does for our planet, and I do celebrate it when time allows. However, I just don't have the energy to celebrate EVERY event that happens in our universe.

Hey, what's everyone doing for the Mars Retrograde????





Ma’iingan

Forgiveness vs. Reincarnation/Summerland

There's a girl whose dating a Christian. They have a conversation that leads to religion, and the boyfriend asks the girl what happens when we die. She says that people go to "summerland" and are reincarnated. He asks why, and she says "to try to right all of our wrongs in the next life that we made in our past lives." He comments that the forgiveness level in Wiccan deities is low, because s/he makes people pay for their bad karma.

This is a true story discussed in a forum. Firstly, both parties in this story have naive ideas about the afterlife. For one, NO ONE knows whats going to happen after they die, for all anyone knows we blink out of existence. Two, the Christian (naturally) has a distorted idea of a deity that is not his own.

How is one to learn a lesson if all they have to do is say "sorry" for what they do and automatically get admitted into heaven? How does one determine that they've done anything wrong if they automatically get a "get out of jail free" card?? That's what the so-called "forgiveness" factor is. A "get out of jail free" card. No learning anything here, just say you're sorry and you're off the hook.

Reincarnation (at least as I see it), is a way of learning about life. You can't learn about life if you do something then are automatically forgiven, without facing the consequences of your actions. Christians often say that God punishes people because he loves us. Eternal lake of fire seems a bit much for punishing those you love, but, think of it, Pagan deities would punish their followers for just the same reason (well, some of them anyways)...out of love. Those who are parenting figures (mother/father deities) would want their "children" to learn the hard lessons of life. If it means going through one life correcting the mistakes made in a past life, then so be it. No "get out of jail free" cards here. You made the mess, you better believe "'mom" and "dad" are going to make you clean it up...you can't learn anything if "mom" and "dad" clean it for you. From the "boyfriend" above's belief in deity, that's exactly what his "God" does...cleans the mess you made so you don't have to learn anything.

Personally I like the touch of the Pagan parent-deities...making us clean up our messes; lie in the beds we've made, so to speak.

The deities are not ALL about "forgiveness". The deities are all about making us face our choices and the consequences that follow. They don't coddle us like some others. They'll rub your nose in it if you shit on the carpet.





Ma’iingan

"Strange Horn Sounds"

Ok, yeah, old news...but I just NOW decided to see what all the fuss was about. Yep...they're creepy sounds, ranging from varied places around the world; from Europe, Mexico and even in my home province of Ontario. Even my home TOWN has been hit with these weird horn type noises. But what are they?

Who knows, but I'll share my opinion (because that's what I'm all about). Given the options of what these sounds could be (i.e. Jesus' return, Aliens approaching, GRAND, and ELABORATE advertisement for an upcoming movie, etc), the most LOGICAL explanation that I deem makes the most sense would have to either be, the large Hadron Collider (or HAARP) in Switzerland, OR, electromagnetic fields.

Think about it. Let's start with the electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetic fields DO create sounds (as all vibrations do). Given the right circumstances, atmospheric proportions, cloud cover, etc...it could entirely be possible for those electromagnetic fields to make a large sound that could be heard from almost every part of the world. Hard to prove though, but makes a lot more sense than the heralding of Jesus' return with trumpets.

As for the Hadron Collider, could also be possible. Who the hell knows what they're doing in that place. Not only creating miniature black holes to perhaps determine how the universe formed, but what other experiments are they doing, and trying to prove? These sounds could perhaps be the after effects OF those experiments.

Perhaps EVEN still, a combination of the two...sound effects as a result of the Hadron Collider, rising up into the atmosphere, and colliding with electromagnetic fields in the atmosphere to create loud, strange noises.

Conspiracy theory, perhaps...but sometimes I like me a conspiracy, just to make life fun.





Ma’iingan

Online Ritual/Spell Provisions

I see a number of sites that put out spells and rituals willy-nilly. If people come to my site looking for spells and rituals they're going to be sorely disappointed.

Sure, spells provided online are a quick and easy way to get what you're looking for, but remember, you get what you pay for (or in this instance what you don't pay for). What's Judge Milian's favorite Spanish saying on the "People's Court"..."El barato sale caro" or the cheap comes out expensive. You look for the quickest and easiest spell online and it can lead you into trouble...1) spells given out on sites like "spellsofmagic.com" (or whatever it is) or other sites like it are generic. It's best to use spells created for SPECIFIC purposes, which is why Witches will tell people that it's always best to write your own. 2) You craft a spell that comes from some generic place, you don't know the intent behind what's written. You are starting the ball rolling. You've begun a goal, now you need to set it in motion.

You write your spell, using whatever items or means you feel works best for you, and cast it in the way you've studied and trained (for best results). If you choose to take the easy route, by using a spell provided on some bunk website, are you 100% sure that it's going to turn out the way you want? The goal behind writing your own spell is to ensure 100% that what you want to happen WILL happen. If you use a generic spell written by who knows who, you're not in control of the outcome.

It's better to do your own work, and create your own spells.





Ma’iingan

Dwindle, Dwindle...

I've noticed quite the decline in interest these days regarding Pagan topics online. My usual stomping grounds have yielded very little activity, leaving me quite bored, and starved for topics to write about.

On the up side, I suppose, it's giving me the opportunity to do some mundane tasks. I've taken a number of courses throughout the years, and have decided that, since my printer is out of commission, I'll hand write out the courses in a spiral bound notebook. I actually enjoy doing this. I feel a great sense of accomplishment with it, and it allows me to re-read the courses and re-learn everything at a slower pace (I have a bad habit of rushing through my classes wanting to get them done as fast as I can, though I usually do well anyways).

If anyone is bored, I think I suggest doing this. It may not be as fun as BoS work, but it's still good for memory refresher...AND...you can make the book just as creative as your Book of Shadows.

Here is my class book. I made the cover myself using black thin card, and a silver pen. Simplistic, but I think it looks great. Many people like to store their classes in their BoS, however, if you have a BoS like mine, you have absolutely NO room whatsoever to accommodate classes you have taken. So my classes are going in a completely separate book.

Now this book is for the classes I have taken at the "Firefly Academy". It's a good school, with good teachers, and I think I have the link on the sidebar for online schools I recommend. I'm going to do a whole new book for WitchSchool and Magicka as well. But that's further on down the road and I'm not there yet.

Anyways...thought I'd ramble on about absolutely nothing today, because there are no topics for today lol. Enjoy the rest of your day!! :)

New Addition to Blog

My sidebar seems to be continually growing. I have put up for all of your enjoyment and education, YouTube channels with Pagan themes that I enjoy. I also put up a featured Channel that I enjoy and view most often.

These are highly recommended, not only by me but a number of people in the Pagan community. I do hope you enjoy them as much as I do. They have given me a wealth of knowledge...a wealth I'm willing to share :)

Miscellanea

Just thought I'd show off a few other things I have around of which I work with:

Here are my bottle sets. The 11 smaller bottles in front and to the left were from my local dollar store. They were filled with different colored sprinkle beads, but I emptied them so I can use the bottles for either herbs or oils. The rest are from a set I bought at Michaels (craft department store). I have plans for either the tall wide or smaller fatter bottle, but the other bottles I'm not sure yet.

These are a few of my essentials. In the front left part of the picture is a porcelain bowl (with an elaborately designed lid (not shown)) filled with white sage. The taller corked jar in behind is filled with rosemary, the diamond shaped corked jar is filled with salt (a material i use a lot of), the five teeny containers are filled with various herbs ranging from sage to cloves, the small bottle in front with the clear liquid is my blessed water used for space cleansing, and of course the last bottle on the right is my offering herbs that I had just made.

This is my altar in it's box. I only take it out when I go to perform a ritual. In it are my two altar candles, my bell, a decanter for wine (currently empty), a small glass to serve as a candle holder (should I decide to perform a spell), inside it are two clear quartz crystals, a medicine dropper for whatever oils or water I use in ritual or spell work, a vial of blessed water, a vial of salt, my cauldron, athame, my statue representing Hecate, an offering dish (it's actually an incense censer, but I don't use incense in my rituals, the smell is too strong, and my husband has breathing issues), and a pack of matches. Interesting how much I can fit into such a small space.

Just a peek into my small, witchy world.