1=3/3

(3/3)/3=1/3

1/3=.3333(extended)

(1/3)3=1

(.3333(extended))3=.9999(extended)

1=/=.9999(extended)

Math is flawed.

Sorry, had to.

The act of, or how it's performed?

Act of - People pick whatever strikes their fancy. Be it their heart, their head, or their nether regions.

Performed - On a most basic of levels a possible choice gets a list of points, good and bad. Whichever outweighs the other usually is what's chosen.

And are we talking about conscious or subconscious choices?

Which is true, but positive things give positivity, same as with negative. I classify defense as a neutral action. However, I do speak of defense only. Retaliatory measures I frown upon.

If it's dealing with direct physical abuse, call the cops. If it's just somebody trying to mentally or emotionally degrade you, feel free to get creative. You don't have to put a binding spell on them. You could instead put one on yourself to be more confident and resistant to mal-aligned energies. Which is essentially, just defense. A strong spiritual immune system.

If you subscribe to the big bang theory, everything was once only one thing. This being so, we can only know the portions of one thing, which is essentially, all things.

Even if you're not a fan of the big bang theory, the idea that one has to have knowledge of a precursor to have the current knowledge would either lead to knowing the unknown/choosing the unknown at some point, or back to the idea that there is only one idea.

Plus we don't really know anything. We only know the forms of things, which are the illusory perceptions of what something truly is. The shadows in the cave, if you will.

Accepting that "better" is an opinion, one can only know of "better", and not know "better". Because to know "better" implies that one can know "best". When "best" is just a hypothesized action to attain an outcome for a certain situation.

If you have enough people, and enough pianos, and enough time, it's possible. Monkeys and Shakespeare. Yes, our general basis of thought has to revolve around things that we know of, but choosing things you don't know of isn't an impossibility.

When we are first born into the world, we don't know of anything. Unless you were to subject the idea of a priori, which would be self-defeating. We have to learn of things we know nothing of. We are forced to learn of the unknown and become conditioned to accepting what "is". The only logical argument I could perceive to this would be that these things were already known, and, as such, cannot be classified as unknowns. But then we would progress back along the time-line to whenever that which is became that which "is". Without people, money is just colorful pieces of paper with associated values based on a societal economic standpoint.

We, as a race/species, create things out of nothingness. We don't even have to know why something works to make something new or more effective.




I think this is an ample argument for the idea that we are our unconscious mind. We are our most basic reactions to situations that present themselves to us. Can the conscious mind have influence over these most basic actions? Of course it can. The unconscious is who we are, but the conscious mind has the control.

An animal is how it is without being cognizant. We couldn't say that the animal is not just because it doesn't think as we do. It runs off of base instincts and learned reactions to its surroundings.

When you're trying to figure out who you are, the most important question to ask yourself is why do I do ___? This is the unconscious mind at work. When we know why we are, we can change who we are by interrupting the unknown patterns put forth from our innermost being.

What about a symbiotic relationship? There's always compromise. Though I think it's more about finding a combination of what you need and of what you want in a partner.

But you know what's both fun and depressing? Doing calculations based on religion, age, intellect...etc. and finding about how many of the people on earth you would even consider for marriage. Based on generalities, I've got about a 1 in 10000 chance. That means I'd have to date a woman a day for the next 28 years.

I'm totally screwed.

You're lucky he gave it back to you instead of taking it to the land of vanished socks.

Well said. It kind of reminds me of (was it) Confucious who gave the example of walking down the road with two men. And what fun is it if you can't pick up a partial and run with it?

The Law of Attraction states, that you too, can has cheezburger.

That. Is. Epic.

This is important because it works one way and not the other. Every athame is a knife. Not every knife is an athame. Every gazing crystal is a rock. Not every rock is a gazing crystial. So on and so forth.



I wasn't, but my mind is the only thing I for sure know to exist... but let's save that one for another time, because that is one ferocious can o' worms.

What I mean is, if you hadn't of asked the smithy for horseshoes, they never would have been made. Now, if we want to get all up on that statement, let me first say that I believe that my current thoughts can (not necessarily do) have a causative effect on the past.

Which would mean that if you called a chair to you, that chair was made for you. Even if it was manufactured before you were born. I'll probably regret these statements. Then I'll have to make my own post about how I see the entire workings of everything... and more importantly, no-thing.

::sooo lazy::

Does anybody else find this ironic?

I know we're supposed to hate christians and all , but I can't really blame them anymore. Now I just blame the people in power, and the people who aspire to that power. They're the ones pulling the wool over most peoples eyes.

It's pretty much just a rip off of our and egyptian religion. Not to mention that it's mostly just astrology. Sirius, being the brightest star in the east, is said to be followed by the three kings. The three kings, being Orion's belt, follow the star in the east, to locate the place of the sunrise on Dec. 25th.



They're worshiping the same thing we are, and don't even know it.

Ah, but by sending the outgoing waves, you are also creating the incoming waves. Because if not for you, they would not exist.

Which I know is like asking the smithy for some shoes for yer horse. Sure you didn't do the forging, but it wouldn't be if not for you. So technically, you've got as much to do with the forging, if not more.



I disagree. I think that witches create moreso than attractionists. We tend to call upon things (elements, gods & goddesses, spirits...etc.) to imbue items with some form of potency. Thus we make things more than they are. A knife becomes an athame, a cup a chalice, a rock a gazing crystal.

Attracionists simply call things in existence to themselves.

A spell is just a more complex form of attraction. Rituals are unnecessary. They are, however, more powerful. Things not just of your will being implemented towards some common goal.



Well, if you believe in the theory of relativity, Energy = Mass x (Speed of Light)Squared.

Science can tell you either where an electron is, or where it's going. Not both at once.

And of course science can tell you what rubber is. It's some lengthy compound comprised of various elements that I'm too lazy to go cut and paste. Science can even tell you what a "ball" is, or what "rubber" is. Linguistics is a science too. What you're describing is pretty much just the physics aspect of science.

Unperiod.

I almost feel bad interrupting the current tranquility.



Well, probably the easiest (which probably also makes it the worst) example I can come up with is having an affinity for things. Like, for instance, Taco Bell's Double Decker. you're hungry, and short on cash. So you decide to fill your belly with beany, beefy goodness. It's just sort of happenstance.

Intent would be a thought somewhere along the lines of "Self, you have not filled your belly with beefy, beany, delicious firey goodness in quite some time. I believe that we need to take a drive a little later this evening."

I hope that kind of gives the gist of it. Sorry, I had a good one when I was first writing the post. But alas, I had to go to work, and it has thusly slipped from the recesses of mine mind.



John? I don't know about that. Some feathers were rattled, and there was a point where I could have made fire from the heat. But I know everybody's nearby with their buckets of water.




Well, it taught me to be peaceful, that anger is harm. Granted, I didn't have it nearly as bad as some people did... but for a while I was a very unhappy person. Then I learned that only you can make you happy. To be completely honest, I'm GLAD that I got what most people would consider the raw end of the deal. As far as the not trusting adults thing goes, you're partially right. That's probably the reason why I still look towards things with a child's sense of awe and curiosity. Why I'm still an idealist. Otherwise, I probably would have given into the evils that beset the world. Because, and let's all be honest, crime pays (if you don't believe me, look at the government).

You used the word deserve. That's a very victimized word. "Well, I probably deserved to get beat because I did ___. I should have known better because dad doesn't like ___." No, he beat me because he had a sh*tty day, and I just happened to be nearby. That's fate. Wrong place, wrong time. Thinking the contrary would have made me the definition of victim mentality. You think like that and you saturate yourself with fear. It's unnecessary, and unwelcome.

Was I asking for it sometimes, sure. When you use their religion and ask "if they want the other cheek", you just get hit again. Was it totally worth it, yes.



I wouldn't doubt it, actually. Had I not turned myself around, I'd probably have been a serial killer.



Well, spirits are eternal. That's considerably different than the human condition. And hell, maybe I'm not here to learn. Maybe I'm here to teach, and just happen to be learning while I go. I'm also sure there's a lot that *I* know, that I don't know.

That withstanding, I don't believe that my eternal self, and your eternal self, are the same self. I believe that they are separate entities, each with their own ego. The eternal ego can learn an infinite amount more than we, as physical beings, ever could.

I can't wait to meet my true self, or god, or whatever you want to call the mysterious controlling force in life that isn't my doing. I've got some questions. I want to laugh with myself. Strange, I know. I also intend to call me a sob and an *ssh*l*. All in good spirits, of course. And I have to thank me, for having me be me......



Who said anything about 100%? That's what fate is for. But by not attracting or intending, you're leaving yourself open to the will of others. And I have to thank Rush for this little tidbit...

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."

I can feel your anger...

Whooee. This place seems hostile.

The point of knowing that you brought something upon yourself who be so that you could understand why you would do such a thing. What purpose was there in said experience? What can you learn from in that?

Because I have to agree. I don't want to be assimilated. Even then, if we were to completely discount the afterlife and spiritual realm from this debate, is not the purpose of being human to learn and to enjoy life? If I had never learned anything of worthy value, how could I enjoy life? From the onset of life, it is rare indeed that anyone can appreciate all things.

Though I too, am a fan of quantum randomness, it only holds true when it isn't being observed. Which is really kinda the whole tree in the forest thing. But, as far as it goes for our current discussion of why some things happen; fate.

However, gravity is only a law because its effects are constantly replicatable. We have no idea of its cause, other than that like things attract like things. One day I truly plan on becoming more like the sun, moon, stars, and clouds enough to fly without propellant (aside from my own will).

I also think that there is a difference between attraction and intent. Attraction being a (somewhat passive) conditioned response. Intent being an active response, or even a pre-action forced decision.

I'll argue. I loves to agrue (though really, I prefer the term discourse).

Essentially, yes. It doesn't even have to be a current thought process. Reincarnation and karma and whatnot. Maybe the children were the abusers at some point.

Besides, it's just about influence. It's necessary to believe because it signifies that thought turns into existence. And who said anything about random chance? Also, I believe it was you who wrote about the person who focused on their disease when doing spells instead of being well. Not thinking about it nets you nothing, unless someone else has some intent directed at you. Misaligned intent can leave you worse off than when you started. Good intent can lead you or others down the path of enlightenment.

Why can't you feel bad for people even if it is their fault? My ignorance has put me on my *ss a great number of times, but I cannot know everything. If I could I'd be relaxing in the summerlands with the god and the goddess.

Plus, they could have attracted a warm, kind-hearted person to help get them back on their feet.

I don't know, but in my book, there's mainly just the law of attraction (which is really just gravity, seeing as to how gravitrons are theoretical particles) and fate. Maybe the guy needed to be homeless to learn a lesson. That's only their fault for agreeing to play the game. Because they agreed to let fate shaft them, so that they could become a better person. Maybe, they got shafted because they hated homeless people. The universe had to teach them a little bit of empathy.

Oh, it wasn't meant as an insult, just as an observation. I actually love the Tao Te Ching. I suppose you could say it was also the beginning of my cocoon. It was the first philosophy book that I ever bought, and I've read it quite a few times. I even happen to agree with most of it's basic principles. Water overcoming rock and the emptiness being what makes certain things useful. It's just that point of being the valley for everyone means that you have to be looked down upon. I think that you should lead by example, so that people have someone to look up to, not down towards.

Instead of rebuking my standpoint, he just chose to dismiss me as an ignorant buffoon. Or at least unaccepting of others' beliefs. What I was hoping for was a rebuttal as to how that's not really what Lao Tzu meant. Because I can most definitely see where he was coming from, but that doesn't make my statement any less pertinent.

And I do like the fact and the metaphors that have come up. Though I happen to be a moth fan. I like to think of them as butterflies of the night.

To Smiless: Yes, just about anything in the occult CAN be accomplished by the layperson. It takes practice and work, just like anything else. But you have to realize that not everything that you read is going to coincide with what your intuition is telling you. You shouldn't try and force yourself to see what it is that someone else wants you to see. Take the general concept and aligning ideas and run with it. You should also be glad to have so many people willing to be test subjects as you're learning. While you're on tarot, you may want to look up palmistry and auras as future endeavors. Oh, and anyone that tries to tell you that only certain people can do these kinds of things is probably a fraud and a charlatan. Certain people are more easily attuned to such things, yes. But they are not sect exclusive powers.

I'm interested to see if this guy has anything to say that I haven't heard before, but to be honest, I don't think that his 6th sense is anything but an understanding that there is someone/thing with intent. Which is just the most basic form of his named 7th sense. Or, just the manifestation of using what he has defined as the 5 astral senses in the vicinity of your person. Though I suppose it's the thing he's been talking about that I use the most. I'm sure it happens, but 9 times out of 10, if someone comes into my room while I'm asleep, I am immediately awake and alert. It's not that I'm a light sleeper either. If I fall asleep on the couch, you can have the tv on and be going to and fro as you please. Plus, I sleep with my door open. And I catch my flatmate peering in on me some mornings. Hell, most mornings, that *ss.

Him - "Hey, you're up. Now you can make me pancakes."
Me - "Pissoff." ::goes back to sleep::

I'd say it's kind of annoying really. Though I guess it'll be useful if I ever start receiving death threats from somewhere.

Most people use a cell phone, or something similar, since there isn't a whole lot of actual bells ringing. It's just a reminder to stop what you doing and become the moment.

Those things must have cost you a crap ton and a half. If not, where did you find them?

Oh, and I was wondering if there's anything in that Shamanism book of yours that might contain juicy tid-bits about dream-catcher making? (not necessarily a how-to, but the types of feathers and stones most often used in their creation) My roommate asked me to make one for his girlfriend for Christmas. But it's the first request I've ever had from a non-witch for help.

Plus, it seems like Ruth might be able to use one.

I already know that the wood most often used was birch. Most people however, tend to like the look of wrapped suede.

Once you've been there, it's a hard place to forget.

Ruth, have you heard of the mindfulness bell?