Just sharing another article on the Basics of Witchcraft:
"As I touched on in the previous lesson, each plane has it's own laws that work harmoniously together. As the Farrar's say: "Where they appeared to contradict each other, the scientists knew it was because they had not yet perfectly understood them."
As an example, most societies only focus on material (and occasionally spiritual) planes. Communism is the only society that accepts the Theory of Levels, but unfortunately it only believes that additional planes are just a reflection of the physical planes.
As you continue practicing Wicca, if you have not already, you will be able to learn how to get in touch with the other planes. You will use multiple as you experiment in the Craft. Utilizing the way the planes interact is how magic occurs. As I said, it's nothing supernatural by far, simply placing energy in a purpose using multiple planes to aid in your will."
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
"And you don't want to hear about how I am getting on"
I recently started reading the Journals of Sylvia Plath. I have always loved her work and her journals only make her more of a visionary.
I'm going to share a few of my favorite passages so far:
"I may never be happy, but tonight I am content. Nothing more than an empty house, the warm hazy weariness from a day spent setting strawberry runners in the sun, a glass of cool sweet milk, and a shallow dish of blueberries bathed in cream. Now I know how people can live without books, without college, When no one is so tired at the end of a day one must sleep, and at the next dawn there are more strawberry runners to set, and so one goes on living, near the earth. At times like this I'd call myself a fool to ask for more..."
"Yes, I was infatuated with you; I am still. No one has ever heightened such a keen capacity of physical sensation in me. I cut you out because I couldn't stand being a passing fancy. Before I give my body, I must give my thoughts, my mind, my dreams. And you weren't having any of those."
"Now I know what loneliness is, I think. Momentary loneliness, anyway. It comes from a vague core of the self- like a disease of the blood, dispersed throughout the body so that one cannot locate the matrix, the spot of contagion."
"If they substituted the word "Lust" for "Love" in the popular songs it would come nearer to the truth."
"Perhaps some day I'll crawl back home, beaten, defeated. But not as long as I can make stories out of my heartbreak, beauty out of sorrow."
I don't intend to report on my eating habits on a daily basis, but I will definitely post every Monday for my weigh-ins.
I have been getting smashed by my friends and family about veganism. And how it's NOT healthy.
Oh contrare! Do the research. If you do veganism correctly and with much attention it is among the healthiest diet choice out there. Naturally I have to supplement with B-12 and Vit D but I had to do that even when I was consuming meat, so that point is quite irrelevant for my particular body. I already take a daily vitamin a day anyway.
Here are a few links for information: Is Veganism Healthy? | Veganism is taking root, but is it healthy? | WebMD Vegetarian Diets
So please, stop bashing what you don't understand. I don't tell you how to feed yourself, and expect the same respect. Just like any other food choice, you need to do it responsibly, and as you can tell by the last post I am monitering my nutritional needs daily very well, including my calcium, B vitamins, and iron through SparkPeople.
Trust me here, I'm not a complete idiot.
Also, wanted to share a lesson I wrote up for my coven, it's about the basics of witchcraft:
"While a lot of people hear the word magic and picture the Witches of the movies, Witches understand magic in a whole different sense. You will find most Witches to be very in tune with scientifical evidence to support their beliefs.
As humans we have been blessed by the Lord and Lady to have the power of reasoning and a concious decision-making mind. We easily identify with animals and give them human characteristics because like them, we do have instincts.
With this amazing gift comes a massive responsibility. Through this Gift the Lord and Lady have given us a sense of control over the resources and life on Earth. Witches tend to be more environmentally concious than the average citizen, and this is one of the common grounds we have as Wiccans.
Though this responsibility is not ignored, a lot of people are simply out of tune with the Earth. Instead of using a combination of the heart and mind, we've gotten into the habit of only using the mind. This has led to a lot of Earthly destruction by our race's hands.
Wicca contains a framework that requires both the heart and mind to work together coherently. And for this reason it is a growing religion, and has been growing steadily since it's foundation by Gerald Gardner in the 1950's.
Wicca's belief system relies heavily on the Theory of Levels and the Theory of Polarity.
What is the Theory of Levels? This is the belief that there are several realities in our world, including the physical, mental, spiritual and more. We recognize each level has it's own set of laws, just as physics and traffic have seperate laws. Though these levels are seperate, they work harmoniously in their interactions. Using the same example of physics and traffic, you may not be obeying the laws of physics conciously when you're driving your car but they sure are happening around you. If you get in a car crash, your car stops when it hits the poll, but everything else in the car continues at the speed you were driving because objects in motion stay in motion until friction or other means stops them.
What is the Theory of Polarity? Essentially, it's the belief that everything has two opposite sides. Examples are light and dark, and male and female. As the Farrar's say "polarity is not a conflict between good and evil, but a creative tension like that between the positive and negative terminals of an electric battery." The example of the battery is the perfect way to describe elements of polarity.
So how do these two theories work together? Theory of Levels is essentially how the universe operates, while the Theory of Polarity is what the universe does. These two theories explain how the universe works, at least according to the Wiccan mind.
Let's delve deeper into the Theory of Levels. The Scientific Revolution caused us to turn our eye to the laws of the physical, thus where our current inventions and innovations have arisen. Unfortunately, we ignored research and innovations on any other realm of reality after seeing much success. We seem to have forgotten that any other even exists, and if we're lucky people accept the spiritual plane as a possible other plane, but that is it. Therefore, "every phenomenom MUST have a PHYSICAL explanation to be plausible." This is what you learn in our schools."
I'm going to share a few of my favorite passages so far:
"I may never be happy, but tonight I am content. Nothing more than an empty house, the warm hazy weariness from a day spent setting strawberry runners in the sun, a glass of cool sweet milk, and a shallow dish of blueberries bathed in cream. Now I know how people can live without books, without college, When no one is so tired at the end of a day one must sleep, and at the next dawn there are more strawberry runners to set, and so one goes on living, near the earth. At times like this I'd call myself a fool to ask for more..."
"Yes, I was infatuated with you; I am still. No one has ever heightened such a keen capacity of physical sensation in me. I cut you out because I couldn't stand being a passing fancy. Before I give my body, I must give my thoughts, my mind, my dreams. And you weren't having any of those."
"Now I know what loneliness is, I think. Momentary loneliness, anyway. It comes from a vague core of the self- like a disease of the blood, dispersed throughout the body so that one cannot locate the matrix, the spot of contagion."
"If they substituted the word "Lust" for "Love" in the popular songs it would come nearer to the truth."
"Perhaps some day I'll crawl back home, beaten, defeated. But not as long as I can make stories out of my heartbreak, beauty out of sorrow."
I don't intend to report on my eating habits on a daily basis, but I will definitely post every Monday for my weigh-ins.
I have been getting smashed by my friends and family about veganism. And how it's NOT healthy.
Oh contrare! Do the research. If you do veganism correctly and with much attention it is among the healthiest diet choice out there. Naturally I have to supplement with B-12 and Vit D but I had to do that even when I was consuming meat, so that point is quite irrelevant for my particular body. I already take a daily vitamin a day anyway.
Here are a few links for information: Is Veganism Healthy? | Veganism is taking root, but is it healthy? | WebMD Vegetarian Diets
So please, stop bashing what you don't understand. I don't tell you how to feed yourself, and expect the same respect. Just like any other food choice, you need to do it responsibly, and as you can tell by the last post I am monitering my nutritional needs daily very well, including my calcium, B vitamins, and iron through SparkPeople.
Trust me here, I'm not a complete idiot.
Also, wanted to share a lesson I wrote up for my coven, it's about the basics of witchcraft:
"While a lot of people hear the word magic and picture the Witches of the movies, Witches understand magic in a whole different sense. You will find most Witches to be very in tune with scientifical evidence to support their beliefs.
As humans we have been blessed by the Lord and Lady to have the power of reasoning and a concious decision-making mind. We easily identify with animals and give them human characteristics because like them, we do have instincts.
With this amazing gift comes a massive responsibility. Through this Gift the Lord and Lady have given us a sense of control over the resources and life on Earth. Witches tend to be more environmentally concious than the average citizen, and this is one of the common grounds we have as Wiccans.
Though this responsibility is not ignored, a lot of people are simply out of tune with the Earth. Instead of using a combination of the heart and mind, we've gotten into the habit of only using the mind. This has led to a lot of Earthly destruction by our race's hands.
Wicca contains a framework that requires both the heart and mind to work together coherently. And for this reason it is a growing religion, and has been growing steadily since it's foundation by Gerald Gardner in the 1950's.
Wicca's belief system relies heavily on the Theory of Levels and the Theory of Polarity.
What is the Theory of Levels? This is the belief that there are several realities in our world, including the physical, mental, spiritual and more. We recognize each level has it's own set of laws, just as physics and traffic have seperate laws. Though these levels are seperate, they work harmoniously in their interactions. Using the same example of physics and traffic, you may not be obeying the laws of physics conciously when you're driving your car but they sure are happening around you. If you get in a car crash, your car stops when it hits the poll, but everything else in the car continues at the speed you were driving because objects in motion stay in motion until friction or other means stops them.
What is the Theory of Polarity? Essentially, it's the belief that everything has two opposite sides. Examples are light and dark, and male and female. As the Farrar's say "polarity is not a conflict between good and evil, but a creative tension like that between the positive and negative terminals of an electric battery." The example of the battery is the perfect way to describe elements of polarity.
So how do these two theories work together? Theory of Levels is essentially how the universe operates, while the Theory of Polarity is what the universe does. These two theories explain how the universe works, at least according to the Wiccan mind.
Let's delve deeper into the Theory of Levels. The Scientific Revolution caused us to turn our eye to the laws of the physical, thus where our current inventions and innovations have arisen. Unfortunately, we ignored research and innovations on any other realm of reality after seeing much success. We seem to have forgotten that any other even exists, and if we're lucky people accept the spiritual plane as a possible other plane, but that is it. Therefore, "every phenomenom MUST have a PHYSICAL explanation to be plausible." This is what you learn in our schools."
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
"So you don't want to hear about my good song?"
This is a post regarding my weight loss resolution for the year. I don't need to hear that "I'm fine the way I am."
I am not ashamed to post how much I weigh right now. I'm at a solid 142 lbs. But you need to keep in mind that this is 35 pounds more than I weight at the end of my senior year in 2006.
I used to be very thin, and looking back I had a pretty "perfect" body. Ever since I got my drivers license my weight has gone downhill from lack of exercise.
Let me explain why I KNOW I'm overweight. Your weight class is determined by your Body Mass Index range, not how you look.
If it were based on how you look, then I've got a serious problem. I have cellulite and rolls in places I never dreamed I would have, especially at age 21.
My current BMI is a 26.8. My healthy weight range is between 18.5-24.9. So I'm not even a little overweight, I'm right smack dab in the middle of overweight and theres the scientific math to prove it.
My goal is to not only get back to a healthy BMI, but to get back to the weight I felt I looked best at. I would like to ideally be a skinny lady at an 18.5 BMI but my goal is at a 20.8 which would put me at about 120 lbs. If I got to my ideal of 18.5, I would be at my junior high (and still healthy BMI) of 98 lbs.
I'm not going to get my hopes up for losing 44 lbs, because it's best to be realistic.
I feel like I look okay, but I'm definitely not allowed to wear clothes a normal 21 year old SHOULD be able to wear. I'm talking about the mini skirts, skinny jeans, etc.
I'm at a size six right now, and I'd like to be able to fit in my size two's again.
You could say that I'm on a diet, but it's a little more complicated than that. I'm on a lifestyle change. I'm not becoming vegan to lose weight, I'm doing it to become healthy. I've set some rules for myself, such as no eating after dinner is done, and cutting down my portion sizes. I also question whether or not I'm really hungry, or if I'm just bored or thirsty. My snacks are all healthy and vegan as well (or at least thats the goal!) and I've not gone hungry yet.
I have plenty of unflattering "before" pictures, but I will save it for the before and after reveal that I plan to have in July, which is when SparkPeople projects my weight will be shed.
I weighed in for the first time on Monday, and I will continue to do so every Monday until July. It's been a few days and I'm already feeling a lot better and more alert. Water and REAL food does the body good.
My exercising is going better than I thought it would, and I've had no problems getting it all done everyday (except Sundays).
Right now I aim to do my strength training on Mondays and Fridays, and my cardio Tuesday through Thursday. Saturday's are going to be my Yoga day. I placed holds on some exercise videos at the Library so I hope to use those soon too.
I'm feeling very motivated, especially after reading the Skinny Bitch book, I have placed holds on all those as well and I reccomend them for anyone who wants to stop eating crap and look fabulous.
I only wish I had a buddy to do this all with, it's lonely not having anyone to talk to about it who gets what you're going through.
Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast - 1 organic apple, 2 cups water
Lunch - 1 cup whole grain brown rice, 1/2 cup organic lightly steamed broccoli, and 2 tbsp soy sauce for taste, 2 cups water
Snacks - 1 cup natural orange juice, 1/2 cup David's Dill Pickle Sunflower Seeds, 1 slice wheat toast with 1 tbsp natural almond butter, 6 oz. cherry soy yogurt
Dinner - Amy's Kitchen Organic 3-Bean Pasta Soup
TOTAL CALORIES: 1,275. I met all requirements for calories, fat, and carbs, but fell a little short of protein so I need to work on that.
Exercise: 1/2 mile walk, 2 hours heavy cleaning = approx 650 calories (with a daily goal of 315)
I think to celebrate my first 100% vegan day I'm going to stay up a little late and treat myself to a movie... Hard Candy by Ellen Page. I also think I'm gonna cheat a little hand have some chocolates from Christmas =)
I hope everyone has a good night. Blessed be!
I am not ashamed to post how much I weigh right now. I'm at a solid 142 lbs. But you need to keep in mind that this is 35 pounds more than I weight at the end of my senior year in 2006.
I used to be very thin, and looking back I had a pretty "perfect" body. Ever since I got my drivers license my weight has gone downhill from lack of exercise.
Let me explain why I KNOW I'm overweight. Your weight class is determined by your Body Mass Index range, not how you look.
If it were based on how you look, then I've got a serious problem. I have cellulite and rolls in places I never dreamed I would have, especially at age 21.
My current BMI is a 26.8. My healthy weight range is between 18.5-24.9. So I'm not even a little overweight, I'm right smack dab in the middle of overweight and theres the scientific math to prove it.
My goal is to not only get back to a healthy BMI, but to get back to the weight I felt I looked best at. I would like to ideally be a skinny lady at an 18.5 BMI but my goal is at a 20.8 which would put me at about 120 lbs. If I got to my ideal of 18.5, I would be at my junior high (and still healthy BMI) of 98 lbs.
I'm not going to get my hopes up for losing 44 lbs, because it's best to be realistic.
I feel like I look okay, but I'm definitely not allowed to wear clothes a normal 21 year old SHOULD be able to wear. I'm talking about the mini skirts, skinny jeans, etc.
I'm at a size six right now, and I'd like to be able to fit in my size two's again.
You could say that I'm on a diet, but it's a little more complicated than that. I'm on a lifestyle change. I'm not becoming vegan to lose weight, I'm doing it to become healthy. I've set some rules for myself, such as no eating after dinner is done, and cutting down my portion sizes. I also question whether or not I'm really hungry, or if I'm just bored or thirsty. My snacks are all healthy and vegan as well (or at least thats the goal!) and I've not gone hungry yet.
I have plenty of unflattering "before" pictures, but I will save it for the before and after reveal that I plan to have in July, which is when SparkPeople projects my weight will be shed.
I weighed in for the first time on Monday, and I will continue to do so every Monday until July. It's been a few days and I'm already feeling a lot better and more alert. Water and REAL food does the body good.
My exercising is going better than I thought it would, and I've had no problems getting it all done everyday (except Sundays).
Right now I aim to do my strength training on Mondays and Fridays, and my cardio Tuesday through Thursday. Saturday's are going to be my Yoga day. I placed holds on some exercise videos at the Library so I hope to use those soon too.
I'm feeling very motivated, especially after reading the Skinny Bitch book, I have placed holds on all those as well and I reccomend them for anyone who wants to stop eating crap and look fabulous.
I only wish I had a buddy to do this all with, it's lonely not having anyone to talk to about it who gets what you're going through.
Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast - 1 organic apple, 2 cups water
Lunch - 1 cup whole grain brown rice, 1/2 cup organic lightly steamed broccoli, and 2 tbsp soy sauce for taste, 2 cups water
Snacks - 1 cup natural orange juice, 1/2 cup David's Dill Pickle Sunflower Seeds, 1 slice wheat toast with 1 tbsp natural almond butter, 6 oz. cherry soy yogurt
Dinner - Amy's Kitchen Organic 3-Bean Pasta Soup
TOTAL CALORIES: 1,275. I met all requirements for calories, fat, and carbs, but fell a little short of protein so I need to work on that.
Exercise: 1/2 mile walk, 2 hours heavy cleaning = approx 650 calories (with a daily goal of 315)
I think to celebrate my first 100% vegan day I'm going to stay up a little late and treat myself to a movie... Hard Candy by Ellen Page. I also think I'm gonna cheat a little hand have some chocolates from Christmas =)
I hope everyone has a good night. Blessed be!
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