Amethyst's Offerings

Been thinking past couple days after seeing some comments, posts etc about just what the universe will and will not do for you, so it got me to thinking and this is a list I came up with.

1. Life is not fair..It doesn’t matter how much you whine and wail, that is just the truth of the matter.  Someone, somewhere will invariably look like they have things made to the max while you are on the edge of nothingness, an yet..you do not have advantage of their perspective, so have no clue as to the truth  of that image.
2. People lie.  It’s human nature to want to hide things from others.  I’m sure it’s gone on since the dawn of time, it’s been spoken/preached on ad nauseum about how Eve lied to god about what she had been up to, never mind that she had examples from god himself when he said to not eat from the tree of Knowledge “lest they die”..OK, they didn’t immediately die, which was the implication, so maybe a half-truth?
3. People will take things that belong to you.  It may be plagiarizing something you’ve written, taking your personal belongings, or your identity.  Small or large, it makes you feel sick to your stomach because you have been violated.
4. NOBODY knows everything.  I know that we’ve all seen people who speak with such knowledge that we might feel that they are a wealth of knowledge..and they probably are…on that subject.  I have yet to meet someone who is omnipotent or omniscient.  Buddhists feel that Buddha reached the level of true enlightenment, and while that is an admirable goal, I feel if he were truly enlightened, then he would have found a way to attain god status and retain the love and family he left by the wayside in his journey.
5. What you do has a reaction.  It’s called “cause and effect”, not karma…If you do something like leave your shoes out in the floor then trip over them, I guess you learned to put them away.  Sometimes you may get caught up in others shit, and while its not really your fault…if you had removed yourself from the situation, you might not be covered in shit when it hits the fan.
6. Not all people who claim to practice magic really do. Some talk a good game, but its all illusion.  some try to differentiate it by being pretentious and adding a “k” to the word..sort of like Crowley, who also did that to let people know the difference between real magic and sleight of hand, although he was known to have once stated that witches are great illusionists because they make you see what you think you see ..some do..those who make a buck or two off readings, spells for sale etc.  The “I can remove that curse for 1500.00” group is alive and well in many paths.
7. Readings are for guidance only.  No matter how many tarot cards you pull, runes you peer at, bones you throw…whatever divination you use…it’s all guidance and not set in stone.  It’s not like throwing dice over and over again hoping for a 7 or 11 only to get snake eyes.  You and you alone have the ability to change things in your life.  The cards or reader can give you insight, but that is all it is.  Death does not mean literal death..stop freaking out..it’s change..not always physical.  Learn to be fluid in those readings, and never pay a reader who only wants to ask you 1001 questions because they are just siphoning off from you..they aren’t really reading.
8. Yes there really are people who can suck all the energy out of a room. They don’t always know they are doing it..it’s just how they are.  If you don’t shield enough to keep from being exhausted by spending time around them..learn to avoid them.
9. Family will always make you crazy. It’s in their nature.  Sometimes we are frustrated by wanting better for them, and they repeatedly screw that up.  Sometimes they kick us out of their lives because they are too selfish to know that family is what gives one roots, yet wings to fly.  We just have to shrug and let it go. It just pulls us to their insane level trying to figure it out.

10. Life is filled with love and beauty if we just take the time to see it.  Friends come into our lives that fill it with laughter, and insight, and that is a great thing to be thankful for.

Now I am sure that there are a great many other things that the Universe does not clue us in about, so feel free to add your own to the list..but this were the ones that made my top 10.

Peace Out

Meditation is an internally invoked personal practice.  One can use a variety of items to use for focus.  There are a great many different styles, and it varies according to beliefs, and personal practice.  the history of meditation is bound up in a myriad of religious practices, even in prehistoric civilizations rhythmic chants and offerings to appease the gods were used dating back to 500 B.C.  In 500-600 B.C. the Taoists in china and Buddhists in India began to develop meditative practices.

I am a firm believer that meditation can calm the spirit, help on center and regain balance, and believe me, some days I need it more than others.  I also have taught my little people to use it as well.  My oldest Grandson, Trey, was diagnosed with ADHD(kids diagnosed way too much for that imho).  the doctors suggested medication for his outbursts.  In reality, his parents were in the middle of a divorce at the time, and he had no way to express his frustrations with the adults in his life. This is where I step in.  One particularly trying day, he came and sat beside me on a lounger out in the back yard..”Nana”, he says..”I try..really, but nothing works”..”C’mere angel boy”, I say..”lets do this”.  So he lies beside me and we close our eyes.  “I want you to take me to your favorite place” I tell him..”and describe it for me”…Trey is quiet for a minute, calm breathing, then he speak”we are walking to a secret garden Nana…we are walking up a hill to where there is an iron gate.” “Is the gate locked or open?” I ask.  “It’s locked ” he says.  “Can we open it?” I ask.  “I can open it”, says Trey.  We go inside the garden.  “Tell me what we see Trey”, I whisper gently.  He smiles and says “there are flowers Nana”…lots of flowers, of all colors.  Some like yours here in the yard, some like we saw on the show about the rain forest”.  I smile…”smell the perfume of those flowers Trey..let them waft around you, fill you with peace”.  He smiles the most beautiful smile.   “We can sit on the bench by the pool over there” says Trey..”let’s do that then”, I say.  So we walk to the bench he has placed there in the garden.  “I think I will curl up in your lap Nana, like we are now”, he says…”great, I tell him.”you know Trey, that you can come back here any time you need to…it’s a safe place for you to come and chill out..a place to regain some calm”.  “I’d like that” he says.  We sat this way for quite some time until Trey was ready to leave his sanctuary, and retraced our steps with him locking the gate behind us.  He was considerably calmer, able to see things clearer, and continues to use this technique even now that he is older(he is almost 12 and pre-teen angst can make ANY day a “bad” day).  For myself I like to walk to a cliff overlooking the ocean, sometimes walking down a path to sit on the beach below.  My time with Trey was a guided meditation, allowing him to focus his mind on a safe place to be filled with calm and serenity.  It does not have to be some big production in which we have to find special positions, music etc..although I have found that certain scents and music does help when I have had a particularly rough week.   I’ve heard people say they cannot still their minds for “that long”..How long is that?  I have been known to take a 5 minute break at work to go and quiet my mind when it gets crazy..can they not do that for 5 minutes? I think that they feel they have to have some profound experience, when in reality it can be as simple as Trey’s garden…something quiet, beautiful and with a sense of peace…whatever that is to you.  There are even places online that offer free guided meditations, for those that need a voice to help them focus.  I’ve used them when I am stressed and have trouble in focusing.  I will provide you with links at the end of this if you are interested in trying some of them out.  We all need peace in our lives, a way to recenter and find balance, or we soon get so stressed with the day to day that it affects us physically, mentally and spiritually.  So why not give it a try..what have you got to lose except a few minutes?

 

Free meditation sites:

www.learningmeditation.com

www.meditationcenter.com

www.myinnerworld.com (they also have a facebook page)

 

Peace out

 

 

 

One could wonder what PB & J would have to do with anything, but it was “suggested” that I write a blog about it, so this is my attempt after mulling it over today.  I was first introduced to this comfort food at a young age by my Great Grandmother.  Her peanut butter tasted much different than the processed ones of today because she made it herself.  the closest that even comes near it would be the Jiff crunchy kind, so if I’m buying, that is what I choose.  My grandfather,her son, grew crops and always had peanuts as well as other vegetables an fruits, so she had a supply to parch and make into peanut butter.  It’s actually healthier, because it has many of the beneficial nutrients found in the skin and because it is not refined, also helps with cardiovascular diseases(hmm..might have to look for a peanut grower and make my own now that I think of it).  It also has couple of special nutrients in it called resveratrol an antimicrobial(also found in red grapes)that wards of potential bacteria and fungi.  All of this from one little legume.  who knew when George Washington Carver encouraged people to grow peanuts it would expand to include of of the best comfort foods of our youth.  Now many people add peanut butter to all types of cooking(I especially love it in Thai food), but many prefer the old staple of jelly, which I also enjoy.  that too was first experienced at my Gran’s table with her homemade jams and jellies..blackberry, grapes from their vineyard, blueberry, raspberry, plum from the tree by her front door…All on freshly baked wheat bread.  She got the flour from bartering with a neighbor who grew wheat..he got eggs, and fruit in return if I remember correctly..love that barter stuff between neighbors..was truly a more simpler time.  The thing is, we all have foods that just the thought of them at times take us back to a time where we were content.  I remember well sitting at that big table speaking with my Gran who always accepted me for who I was. “Shae”, she said…”always be who you are meant to be..don’t change for others because then you will have lost part of who you are”.  A very wise woman was my gran. When I would have problems with my parents, I would walk up the hill to her home and we would talk about things that bothered me.  “Stand tall” she said. Growing up in a military home, I only got to see her during the summers so that time spent with her was a special, magical time..tending the flowers, weeding the garden..not my favorite chore, but hey, want to eat, then got to work, right? But mostly talking with her and hearing her perspective on the world and how people should be treated.  So in her honor and the smile its put on my face remembering time spent with Gran, I think I will go and enjoy a PB&J sandwich ..

Peace out

Here’s the deal. Lot of talk has been happening lately about curses, superstitions, and such.  Often people do whatever it takes to avoid superstitions even if they claim to not be superstitious.  Superstitions,  are a credulous belief not based upon knowledge or reason.  There are a great many…  Don’t let a black cat cross your path, don’t walk under a ladder, or break a mirror, Friday 13th is” bad” day.  Even pagans have their own set of  freak outs when things occur.  A whole candle seems to go WHOOSH! into a puff of smoke when it was to burn for 3 days, The flame seems to grow or dance when one is working, working magic during a void in the moon or when Mercury goes into retrograde.  One could say that you shouldn’t tempt fate..We by nature are afraid of things we cannot explain.  Someone, somewhere had something happen by coincidence of any of those listed above, and so the urban myth grew. Personally I don’t mind working in a void, it’s great for a darker magic,and I don’t mind the retrogrades.  I just take more care with them because of others reactions.  I’ve broken mirrors on purpose, and the other things don’t bother me at all.  So why do we feel the need to attach something negative to all these happenings?  Why the need to feel cursed and attaching it to your life?  I knew someone who felt that he had been cursed by someone who was jealous of him.  Was it possible?  Sure..anything was possible, but in truth, they already had friction, so anything that happened was going to invariably attributed to the other person.  So what happens when one attributes everything ‘bad” in their life as to being cursed?  What do you do?  Find a shaman or someone to remove said “curse” or do  you look a little deeper perhaps and sit back and see what is the real truth.  I choose the latter.  Things happen sometimes just because.  Sometimes its because of something we did to cause it, other times its someone’s else’s shit that cause the ball to roll downhill.  Does that mean that there are no such things as curses…~smiles~, I know some who would disagree with that.  After all those explorers who opened the tomb of Tutankhamen all met oddly timed and surreal demises afterwards.  Was it because of said curse placed on the tomb?  Perhaps.  Do I think witches can curse?  I know some who have no problem with it if that is what is called for.  Do I think people should go around living their life thinking that everything that befalls them is because someone is projecting onto them or cursed them?  Absolutely not…to do so would almost certainly require the need to seek mental help…persecution complexes need assistance.  Yet all of us to some degree have this “fear” or belief that causes us to pause.  I myself, have a pent and jade in my car..its for protection…I believe it has merit, I placed that protection around me as I drive..so far so good.  I know people who place some sort of talisman above their door  for the same purpose..I remember the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, when Jimmy Stewart came down the stairs and touched the top of the banister for luck…People have been doing such things since way back in the day.  Does it help?   They help Peace of mind maybe..if one believes they work, they do..its the same as being cursed..it’s a mind set kind of thing.  The guy who thought he was cursed had everything fall apart because he expected it to fail.  We give it power…it is our intent that helps things along.  So the next time something happens that seems a little odd..check and see if maybe, just maybe there was something you did to cause it, ..chances are, you just might have.

Many people toss that line ‘in perfect love and perfect trust”around in the wiccan /pagan circles.  Mostly its when they feel someone is being too “mean” so remind them about perfect love…just what does it mean really? Where did it come from?

Well in truth, nobody knows exactly.  It is suggested it appeared in Gardner’s early BOS, but nobody actually knows that for sure.  It did appear in 1975 in Gwen Thompson’s “REDE OF THE WICCAE”.  In the poem it states,

The past couple days have had me off center, which I hate. I am little OCD about order and balance.   Work after almost 3 weeks off was more than a little draining, not to mention having to be there without missing time to claim holiday pay…yeah if you’ve never worked in a garment factory for piece rate..think Norma Rae and sweat shops and you get the idea.  Anyway, got out of there in 3 days of hard work.  Life at home is complicated…I live with my ex… Don’t ask…that is a complicated situation.  He and I were done, but he got seriously ill, nobody to take care of him, handle all his medical issues, so..I step in…I don’t know if I’m a glutton for punishment, but I do know that I seem to to the “right” thing about family matters.  It’s just something I’ve done. He lives here, in my house, along with one daughter and her husband, and our princess.  There are days when I want to run away, but obligations hold me …even if I did manage to carve out some time for myself, I would worry, so why bother trying.  Also this week,I’ve been dealing with a contentious person .  We’ll just agree to disagree I guess, but am through trying to deal with the situation…It’s not worth my sanity nor the crap.  Poof!  Done.  I’ve had friends who need someone to listen to..I do…always have..but wonder sometimes where is that release for myself?

So things are quiet, the princess and Robert are sleeping,  daughter is at work, and I have space to breathe.  What to do with some newly found “me” time?  I light some candles, set up some incense to relax the space and listen to some music.  All to quiet my soul. And now I am able to write, which is my release.  A friend has graciously provided the space so that I can release what needs to be..some I publish, others I don’t, but the space is there.  All the time growing up, I have written down my thoughts.  sometimes in poems, other times like this, as a journal of sorts.  Either way, it has provided a way to be able to put out to the universe what needed to be said, a way of releasing emotions that if said to others might not be interpreted correctly.  Not that words on paper can’t be misinterpreted,but I don’t see ones expression as you read, and definitely not in range of something physical happening…yeah that’s history, but it no longer has the power to cause the pain it once did.  I’m grateful to that teacher way back when who recognized that writing was my outlet, my salvation of sorts to help keep me centered to tolerate life in the shadows.  I’ve learned to like the shadows actually..they kept me out of sight, away from harm and provided sanctuary..but as I’ve written and published some of these things, its pulled me out more to the light.  so I stand here blinking from the sudden glare and wonder what I’ve opened up(another can of worms ).  Sometimes what I say can benefit others, sometimes like this one, its just to put my thoughts on paper and release all the bottled up emotions from the week.  We all need a way to decompress…to find a way to set our feet back down on the ground, and let the stress of life (or something akin to that) slide right off.  I’m going to listen to the music, chat with some friends and then sleep, maybe dream, who knows…and start over again tomorrow with a fresh outlook, more balance and less worry than I had today..that is the ultimate goal…new beginnings.

There are many on pagan paths who will not practice witchcraft, and that’s fine for them I guess, but I feel that for many who came from another path, its more of a holdover from a christian perspective.  After all, their dogma says  witches are ‘evil”.  There are also those who only practice witchcraft without any spiritual path connected, and that works for them too.  My path incorporates both, because it reflects who I am.  But as in all things…there is always the debate on where to draw the line.  Do you hex?  or heal? Personally, I feel one has to be able to do both because its a balance.  As for those who subscribe to the “harm none”..I say I am pagan..doesn’t apply to me. My personal line in the sand says I have to leave them breathing(and even that is open to debate depending upon the situation).  I will protect what is mine at all times..”Don’t start none..won’t be none”…It’s a personal perspective for everyone.  I’ve seen people offer up spells to just anyone, and authors write books for the masses, and give no thought to those who might buy it, using them without knowing anything.  As for those who spout “harm none”..how does that fall within that frame?If one truly believed in that, would you not have some sort of ethics that made sure nobody was harmed?  In these times, its all about making paper…or prestige, or a lot of other ego boosting things, with no thought to how it may affect others.  I have real problems with that.  A lot of authors out there spew fluff..things so seriously silly that one with a little knowledge has to read more than once in disbelief, and yet those seeking have no idea that its garbage and takes it as truth.    I know that as humans, being the fallible things that we are, sometimes egos get in the way, and ethics get tossed by the wayside, but if one is following a spiritual path, then should not one try to incorporate that into the path?   Like the showing/teaching of various terms used interchangeably by wiccan/pagan alike such as the Merry meet, merry Part, and blessed be routine.  First…MM, MP..should only be extended to those in like paths.  It implies membership in ritual settings, covens in other words.  Blessed be is full five fold kiss..also done in a ritualistic setting…so to hear people throw those around because they assume  that is how its done or someone told them or showed them that is troubling.  The one who passed on” knowledge” did a disservice to others..”harmed” because they didn’t teach the truth.  So to see it done by those online is laughable certainly, since they did not go and seek truth, but its more than a little sad, because 1.  they didn’t seek truth, and 2. that they come off looking like fluff.  Or the calling of others  one meets(especially online) in pagan settings, i.e. social networks, chats, etc…”sis/sister”, Bro/brother”..Seriously?  First, let me get my personal rant out of the way…I am a solitary witch..that means I don’t have any affiliation with any type of coven setting..DO NOT give me any of the above mentioned greetings, and DO NOT EVER call me sis/sister.  We aren’t related, majority of ya’ll I have never met, do not speak with on a regular basis, and are not family..so I have real issues with this.  With that being said, if you and your friends want to do this, who am I to say stop..it’s not like it’s hurting anyone really..it just is a little more than pretentious is all,lol.  Are there people outside of a familial setting I consider to be family?  Yes..because when I needed them to be there..they were, expecting nothing in return. I hope to return that favor as they need it.  My own personal code of ethics..treat others with respect, to receive that in return and help as I can.  I take issue with those who hold things as some great mystery…ok, some paths have a long ass lineage..but in truth, things can be learned by the seeking out history from a great many sources , including teachers. Just don’t make it seem like fluff by wanting to charge others for what they could easily learn for themselves.  So if you truly want to walk a wiccan or pagan path, decide where your line in the sand is.  Learn where and how your path started..do you want it to be spiritual for you, or just hit the witchcraft ..and there are those who practice it as a ritualistic form….but learn from ethical teachers…People who teach truth and history of things..not some ego trashed ignoramus who just wants to make a buck (or thousand three or four) and take advantage of those who don’t know any better.

Peace Out.

I’ve spoken before about shadow work and how beneficial it has been to me, so I though I would share some of what that entails.  Shadow work, as I use it, is to focus on past fears, tragedies, and put them into a more manageable form in order to heal myself.  It’s a form of NLP(neuro-linguistic program developed by Richard Brander and John Grinder).  This program was developed to help overcome phobias, depression, habit disorder among other things.  It has various ways of being used, but here is how it works for me.  I sit in a darkened room with candles lit and incense going.  I try and use a relaxing scent such as lavender or jasmine.  I then close my eyes and watch the movie of my life. I see that scared child and the traumas.  Only as I watch the scenes play out before me ,  I am removed from the pain and fear.  I sit and watch and see where things could have been changed, It’s by seeing things as they were, am I able to realize how they can be now.  I am no longer that person, full of fear, dreading the future growth  of self and path.  It takes a bit to be able to get past the emotions and may take several attempts as it does anything else one tries, but I have found that without work, then one loses center and everything about your path suffers.  Truthfully without  learning to find that release, everything suffers, but I am speaking pathwise today since we have discussed other aspects of life in other blogs.  Take the time to ferret out those memories that hang us out to dry in the most inopportune time, spend some time watching the “reels” and let it all go…it’s worth it…

I invite you to a world where there is no such thing as time
And every creature lends themselves to change your state of mind
And the girl that chased the rabbit drank the wine and took the pill
Has locked herself in limbo to see how it truly feels

To stand outside your virtue
No one can ever hurt you
Or so they say

Shinedown

We all are familiar with Lewis Carroll ‘s book of Alice In Wonderland, as well as turned on a new generation with the movie.  Alice is bored with life so goes chasing rabbits.  Amazing how we often go chasing wild hares ourselves metaphorically in life.  We often seek things to fill up that place inside us that seems to be lacking.  Some use drugs,  religion, others use sex, still others harm themselves by cutting, etc.  At first it is almost orgasmic in the fulfillment, but then as the glory fades, it gets to be a vicious cycle trying to end the pain of the mundane .  We believe the things said about us, see what they think they see in our mirrors, and in the end…we are cheated….because we are caught up in the cycle of pain and need that we cant see how things could be if we allowed it.  We give others the power to sway the way we think and feel about ourselves.  We fall into the trap of trying to be someone we aren’t and it just causes more confusion, anger and hurt..in the end..more pain.  I see bright, beautiful people still trying to live up to other’s expectations, because that inner voice inside has not been kicked to the curb.  It takes a lot of shadow work on ourselves to be able to kick those inner demons that told us we were less than perfect.  And sometimes even in the oddest of moments and time, they rear their ugly heads yet again.  I’ve seen people fall to pieces in the strangest of places and situations because of something from the past that colors the perceptions of the present.  So how to deal with this?  I wish there was one simple answer, but in the long run, one has to stand up, look at the person in the mirror and take back your power.  Learn to like and respect that person staring back at you.  Learn that nobody is perfect and that life is not fair…some days you are the bug, some days the windshield.  Realize that not everybody is going to like you for various reasons..and that’s ok…we don’t have to like them either. It is our power as a human being, worthy of respect.  We have value and substance to offer the universe..never let anyone try and convince you differently.  They too have those voices…some just like to pretend they don’t…and its those who try and usurp power from others to try and make themselves feel better.  That too doesn’t work..and so they have to keep trying to up it even higher..can get pretty nasty.  What to do?  Run the hell away from that mess..it is so not worth the trouble, and pat yourself on the back for an escape well done.  Be who you are meant to be,live as you are meant to live, answer to NO ONE!!! You and you alone are the one in charge of your life…reach out and grab hold  of that lifeline and go for the ride of your life.  Life is for the living..otherwise its just existing.

 

I’ve been thinking about labels today and how we as humans like to hang them upon ourselves.  They have a purpose of course, for the most part, because they give us a point of reference in which to start.  We get started on this from an early age…school teaches us ..”which of these is the same”…shoes match, clothes..etc..So that is a surface label.  Then of course, it becomes societal, as far as ethnicity, religion, class, are concerned.  We all use labels.  For better or worse, we get stuck with them sometimes.  It’s when we try and label ourselves that we get into trouble at times.  I mean the “I am the mage of whateverfuck village and I’m here to make your life resplendent with glitter and pink unicorns” is a little much don’t you think? Someone seriously needs psychotropic drugs or they need to cut back on whatever in the hell they’re smoking.  I know that is a little extreme in labeling, but in truth, I have seen some go that far.  So what is the purpose of labeling ones self?  To stroke ones ego..well that goes without saying…to gain respect…maybe if you find someone gullible enough to believe you are what you say you are.  Prestige? Money? Power? Maybe to all three if you again find those that do not see the truth in who you are.  So again..what is the point?  Why try and hang a label that you have not earned, or made up around one’s neck?  It’s like placing a “kick me” sign on your back and inviting everyone to do just that.  Those with knowledge will not accept who you are, will not listen to you even if you make sense(which is highly doubtful if you’re labeling yourself).  Those seeking will wonder if what you promised to do for them does not materialize.  So in reality..the label becomes a millstone.  One with which to carry and hope like hell a flood doesn’t happen or you will drown under the weight.  Funny thing about labels..they are a bitch to get rid of.   You get labeled something growing up and see how 20 yrs down the road people still think of you that way even if it isn’t true.  Same as the label you gift yourself with.  Try and change your mind about things later and see how many people remember that just last week, you were something else.   So maybe in the long run.. maybe we should just stick with who we are, however imperfect that may be.  It sure would make life easier than to have to admit maybe we were wrong about labeling ourselves “perfect”.

Peace Out