Not for my life would I let an animal out tonight.

It was an actual dream, but the dream was far more involved. There was actually quite a bit more happening in the dream than what I wrote about. That's one thing about dreams, they can be so complex at times that it can be hard to remember all the details and write about them clearly. That dream also took place a couple of nights ago so my memory of it may have been tainted with further imaginings. They say that this is a common thing for the mind to do. I should have written it down as soon as possible, but that's not always convenient.

Other things that might be important to write in my book of mirrors are things that I didn't include in the story here.

For example, the character who appeared as the Horned God also reminded me of a very wise uncle of mine. So much so it was like my uncle was indeed the Horned God.

This wouldn't be meaningful to other people so there was no sense in writing it in. I might also ad that my father died when I was 9, and the uncle I'm referring to here lived next door to us as was in a sense my pseudo step-father. So I guess I was subconsciously viewing the Horned God as a fatherly figure. I think also, the imagine of him constantly hitting me over the head with the bloody leg had to do with the fact that my uncle was always poking fun at me for being stupid, when in reality he was actually just telling me that I know better than to have done a lot of the stupid things that I've done.

In my dream also, I sensed that the witch was my mother. Or maybe I should say that I sensed that my mother was playing the role of the witch in the dream.

So in the dream the old witch and the Horned God, were kind of like the parent figures.

The Goddess herself was a mystery. I didn't identify her with anyone that I had previously known. I sensed that ulimately she was in charge now, and she was very concerned with taking good care of the earth.

The old witch and the Horned God were totally behind her in anything she wants to to. But at the same time they have their jobs of doing dirty work which is part of the overall picture.

I mean, for example, I noticed that the old witch was associated with ogres who were assisting her. Yet she seemed to be a very well-meaning person. My mother was an extremely well-meaning person. But for some reason these "evil" ogres are a necessary part of the whole picture.

Even as the Goddess sends her power to those who are requesting it by sprinkling her faerie dust on the world, she knows that the old witch is working behind her with the ogres to assist those who choose to do evil.

It's like she's totally comfortable with this because she understands that everyone needs to make their own choices, and if they didn't have the ogres to choose from, then they wouldn't have any choices at all.

I also got an intuitive feeling that this whole dream is merely a snapshot in time. And that eventually the girl who is currently the Goddess will eventually become the old witch, and the Horned God will also be replaced by another Horned God. But it doesn't matter who plays these roles because they all do it precisely the same way. One the things that I sensed profoundly from all of these characters it that while the Goddess, and Horned God, and the old witch may be played by anyone, whoever plays them will take the responsibility of that particular role very seriously. It's like you simply don't get to play those roles unless you're ready to play them right. So no matter who plays the roles, they will always play them within the rules.

I guess maybe this 'interpretation' of my dream is what I should truly be writing in my Book of Mirrors.

Maybe it's kind of a lesson saying that whatever role in life you have, you should play that role to the best of your ability and not try to change the role from what it's supposed to be.



This Book of Mirrors might turn out to be quite useful.

Maybe it's a good thing that I posted this dream here. By just explaining my interpretation of it I have more to put in my Book of Mirrors. Owl just copy and paste this post over to my journal file.

The other thing too, is that when the Goddess told me that things are not as they seem to be, the witch cackled wildly, but with a genuine belly laugh, not an evil haunting laugh. In other words she was sincerely laughing at how silly it would be to take all this stuff literally.

Abra is the one who should write a book.

If I had been writing books over the past few years instead of posting on the forums I could have several written by now.

I have at least four books that I'd like to write.

One on pure mathematics that I should have written years ago.

One is a novel called Hooved Angels. Although, I think I could write that one so much better now. I wanted to have the girl in that story be some interesting religion. At first I was going to make her interested in goth. But now I think she would be perfect as a witch.

I'd also like to write a book on tarot. Actually several books, and a new tarot card deck.

And now I'd like to write a book on Wicca, even though I'm such a newbie. The point of it is that it would take me at least a year or so to write the book, so what the book would utlimately be is my journey into Wicca. And I would present it as such. So it's appropreate that I should start writing it now so I can include things like these early dreams and see how they change over the course of my growth in Wicca.

I've been studying techniques on how to get a handle on the powers of magick through visulization techniques in particular and I have much to write about that also. It's quite fascinating.

And the book on positive incantations would be cool too. If I buckled down and start writing these things I could potentially have an explosion of publications in about a year from now.

"Hooved Angels" huh? The first thing that came to my mind was "Equus" I actually just watched that movie a short time ago and it was quite disturbing though I was riveted to the screen. Pathological religious/sexual fascination with horses is really hard to get out of your brain. Joan of Arc supposedly had some kind of leaning in that direction also.

Yes the book is about horses and the girl who eventually owns them. I've decided to make her a witch (or Wicca actualy).

The story takes place from 1955 to 1960. So since Wicca was introduced formally in 1940 I guess it will work into the picture quite well.

This is actually perfect, so maybe it was meant to be. The girl also has a much older half-sister who is Catholic. So the intereaction between her and her sister might be kind of fun to play with.

Yeah it sounds interesting. I heard that Catholicism is actually very closely linked with Paganism when viewing it from a historical standpoint. The Catholics made a strong effort to try to actively combine the Virgin Mary into the Goddess and retain many facets of Paganism and Earth based spirituality to get the Pagans on board. Honestly I think thats why some of the other denominations are annoyed with them. Im just guessing though. It just seems like the Catholics are the "least removed" ya know?

Well that and Blood Mary (Mary the 1st) in England stringing up Protestants left and right. Those two go way back.

Early Christians did the same thing to the Greeks. They pretended to work the Greek Gods into the religion in the early going to methodically attract those worshipers. It was pretty underhanded proselytizing actually. The Greeks didn't have a chance because they didn't try to manipulate people. They just thought that the religion would automatically take care of itself.

I my story, Kathy would be the witch. She's a young girl of only 12 years old when the book starts out. Her older half sister is 20 at the time. The grandmother owns a horsefarm, and the grandmother is also a witch (this is where Kathy gets it from). Kathy's mother, although raised by her grandmother actually fell for the more mainstream beliefs and married a Catholic man who already had a daughter previously.

Of course none of this is the focal point of the story, but I originally I was having difficulty trying to figure out how to portary Kathy religiously. Now I know.

She'll be Wicca, and it fits the story perfectly! I actually did have her being somewhat magickal anyway but now it fits like a glove.

Maybe this is what was holding me back from writing it originally.

She eventually meets a veterinary doctor who's a naturalist and thinks along panteistic lines, so it's perfect.

Perfect, perfect, perfect!

Where's my Bat's Blood Ink, I need to start writing this story out.

WAwaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Yeah it sounds interesting. Witchcraft is supposed to run in families very often. Not necessarily Wiccan but more traditional Witchcraft. Like you might have a relative that was condemned as a Witch or a practitioner or harboring Witches or protecting them. It happens. People were wrongly accused of being Witches of course but some actually were practicing Witchcraft or they just were adhering to what they had been taught as children. Very sad. Just old practices.

Well it sounds interesting as a novel or it could even be a screenplay but then you just need to adapt it to be 100% visual which can be trickier than first anticipated.

It was practicing and studying traditional Catholicism that led me to paganism.

That would certainly make sense Ruth. I personally feel that most Catholics are a hop skip and a jump from being Pagan. Well maybe not all but I think you would have better luck speaking with a Catholic about Paganism than say a Protestant or Baptist. Primarily because a lot of the imagery that is depicted in Catholic churches looks NON Christian. They very often have gardens outside devoted to Mary, I mean come on.

That's quite interesting.

In my apartment I still have a framed picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mary), St. Therese, a crucifix, Miraculous Medal, green scapular and my rosary. These symbols, especially those of the Blessed Virgin Mary and some of the saints are still an important part of my spirituality.

There is that comparison made also to Isis and Horus (or Osirus?) I always get confused on who is who but here is a photo comparing them with Mary and Jesus.

http://www.quangduc.com/khoahoc/80davinci-1isis_and_baby_horus_mary_and_baby_jesus.jpg

Thanks, I really like being able to see the pictures side by side like that.

The ritual of the Tridentine Mass, the rosary, the saints, the traditions, the novenas....all beautiful and steeped in Paganism. I don't care so much for the Novus Ordo mass and the post Vatican II church in general as it has become very much like Protestantism.

Im watching "The Headless Horseman" and its right at the part now when Ichabod Krane is on his way home on Sleepy Hollow Road. Its really good. My guess is it was Brohn impersonating the horseman in order to scare off Ichabod because he wanted to marry that woman. But then I guess he claims it wasnt him and he was never out that night. Crazy Yanks.

In a very real sense I'm glad that I don't have TV antenna or cable. I do watch videos, but if I had regular TV I might be tempted to over-watch it.

I was reading more of Scott's book on Wicca tonight. I was reading the chapter on Ritual Design. I really can't say enough good things about how Scott presents this stuff. I really like his abstract approach. I'm about to begin reading his Standing Stones Book of Shadows which constitutes the entire rest of the book.

It's going to be quite some time before I feel up to actually casting my first circle. I'm shooting for the Winter Solstice, but may not be prepared by then. I might begin by just going through the motions at that time anyway. I'm not sure if owl ever be fully prepared.

I have been going through other rituals already though. And one of them is the bathing rituals. In fact, I'm slowly implementing rituals into my life of many forms.

For example, I was out chopping firewood earlier today. I became seriously fatigued during the process. At on point I was about to surrender to the fatigue and come indoors to rest. But instead I decided to hug a tree.

This was entirely a 'made-up' ritual that was spontaneous in the moment. Well, it was partly due to things that I have read about exchanging energy with trees.

I asked the tree to bestow me with some of it's mighty energy. It was an oak tree. I hugged the tree close and 'let go' of my own frequencies. I allowed the tree to absorb me and I became attuned with the tree. I could feel it's energy flowing into my body. I stood there for a while absorbing the energy from the tree.

After only a few minutes I felt that I had absorbed sufficient energy. I thanked the tree for its generosity and then returned to my task of splitting firewood.

Now some might think it strange to be asking a tree for energy when I'm chopping up one of it's dead cousins. But I assure you that I only cut down dead trees to use as firewood. So it's not like I'm a tree murderer.

Anyway, that actually worked. The tree replenished my energy and I was able to finish what I had originally planned on doing.

I think this is another thing that I'm getting from Scott's explanations of Wicca. It's not always necessary to call upon the Gods directly. The Gods were kind enough to place energy in everything. They did this on purpose so that we would have a source of energy to tap into at all times. Of course all energy comes from the Gods ultimately, but the point is that magick can be performed without necessarily invoking the Gods directly.

This is something that Scott seems to have picked up on and something that I also tend to advocate. So I'm slowly working with rituals on a daily basis. And these experiences are all going into my Book of Mirrors.

The actual rituals that I perform will go into my Book of Shadows. Requesting energy from the trees may truly become one of my standard practices and will therefore deserve to be written up as a specific ritual.

This is another thing that Scott suggests as well. One of the things that we can give back to Wicca is indeed writing up our own Book of Shadows and then publish it, or at least pass it around freely to share with others.

This was the incantation I chanted to the tree:


O Mighty Oak
share with me your power
fill me with vitality
to help me through this hour

Resonate in harmony
with the pulsing of my soul
infuse me with your energy
and help to make me whole



It worked.

In case you're interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

I have been trying to get an oak tree for a few years. Last year I bought about ten trees and two of them were oak trees. One of them is a giant oak. I planted it on the corner of my lot. It will get very large, but it grows very slow.


Uses of the Oak and Acorn
The magic and wisdom of the oak tree



The Oak tree is tied with culture and magic back to the beginning of mankind. Tall and majestic is the tree, hard is the wood of the oak, and acorns provide sustenance. These are reasons the oak has become a very important tree across many lands. This article provides some insight and lore about the ancient oak.



Many cultures come to revere the oak tree as a magickal tree, potent and full of energy. Because early man derived many resources from the tree, acorns for food, wood for fire, and in some cases even the trunk for shelter; there has been a long relationship between man and the tree.



Native American children used to play "tree tag" where touching a tree provided the person safety. Traditionally this safety tree was the oak tree. Many Native Americans viewed the oak tree as a symbol of strength with many supernatural powers. In fact, the tradition of "knocking on wood" is said to be of Native American origin in order to avert the failing of a boast or hopeful prediction. The tradition believes that it is bad luck to boast, claim victory, or predict bounty; in today's culture we would consider it to "jinx" a situation and therefore knock on wood to avert the failing.



Because of the tendency for the oak tree to be struck by lightening many cultures related the tree to the gods of the sky. Native Americans related it to the sky god, Nordics related the tree to Thor, and the Greeks related the tree to Zeus. Hercules is often depicted carrying a club, staff, or wand made of oak. And to him the tree was sacred because of its tendency to attract lightening.



A tradition that may date back to the times of the Celts and the Druids is the ashes from oak wood fires were deemed to be magical. These ashes were said to protect the bearer from lightening and fire. Burning the leaves of the oak will purify the atmosphere, and alternative to some incenses used today. Some used the ashes as magically talismans and in spell weaving for good health and longevity.



Oak groves were very sacred to the Druids and Celts in kind. Druid legend says that embracing the tree within a sacred grove can provide answers to question previously left void. Serpent eggs, the odd growth bulbs of oak trees were used in magickal charms. Wands of potent magic were made of the oak.



As a method of divination the druids would listen to the wrens in the oak trees or the rustling of the oak leaves for messages and whispers of things to come.



Druids taught that using oak with spell magic would assure success. Druids also focused a marriage ceremony around the tree to assure a long and sustained union, based on the oak trees symbiotic relations ship with mistletoe. Oak being of the male God, and mistletoe being of the female Goddess, it symbolizes the eternal union of both.



Druids also taught that during the time of Yule all fires were extinguished. Then the Yule log made of oak wood was set ablaze to start the year anew. And people of the area would start their fires from this source.



Acorn was a base in magicks used to assure fertility, being a symbol of the seed. And such, because the acorn also represents immortality, there is a strong association and using the acorn during the sabbet of Samhain. Part of the decorations, eating the acorn, and centering the ritual upon the acorn is such uses.



Because the oak is of the polarity of the male qualities, it is an excellent source for making magickal tools like athames, staffs, and specific wands. Magickal properties of the oak include longevity, stamina, prosperity, presence, will, and liberation.



Gypsy tradition tends to hold the same truths about oak, as did the Druids. The oak groves are sacred and spell weaving in a grove assured success of that spell. In these same groves it was possible to commune with the fairy realm, for the oak is home to many a Fae. Many warriors used oak as a protective talisman, as their armor was "padded" with oak not only for the strength of the wood, but because the wood is magickal. Wonderful gypsy traditions include a child's game during the fall to catch the falling leaves of the oak; each one that is caught assures a surprise during the winter moons. Plant an acorn during the waxing moon and it is said to draw gold to you.



Other lore, legends, and uses of the Oak include:



Tradition says that acorns are gathered by the light of the day, while the wood and leaves are harvested during the light of the moon. Pour fertilizer, water, crystals, or wine on the roots to thanks the tree for their sacrifice.



Acorns should be placed in the window to ward evil. Also acorns hung in the window from the sill are said to bring prosperity and luck to the home.



A handful of oak leaves in a bath will cleanse the water, allowing rejuvenation of body and spirit.



White oak bark teas can break up congestion. Acorns are said to treat constipation. Teas made for the oak bark in general are said to provide relief for hemorrhoids.



Oak wood fires are said to draw off illness and disease.



Some old scripts purport of a charm made of three acorns, the casters hair, bound and tied, blessed under a new moon and a full moon, for a full year, will provide a charm to last a lifetime.



Nordic and other legends also say that the Oak tree is the gateway to the three worlds of the Shaman.



Wearing an oak leaf on the chest next to the heart is said to protect the wearer from lies and deceit.



Other deities that are considered related to this tree are: Herne, Wodin, Perkunas, Jupiter, Cybele, Rhea, Pan, Erato, Hecate, Dianus, Janus, and Brighid. The oak is the tree of Dagda, Chief of the Elder Irish Gods.



Legend says that King Arthurs Round Table was made from a Giant Oak Tree.



So remember the Mighty and Majestic Oak the next time you prepare a spell, ritual, or focused meditation. The tree has much to offer as we make our journey in this realm.

http://www.squidoo.com/oaktrees

I live in a predominantly oak forest. White oak, Red oak, and Scarlet oak.

There is also cherry, maple, and beech, along with a sprinkling of other species.

Also, at the other end of my property is a Pine forest, mostly White pine and Hemlock. So as a woodworker I have a lot of different woods to choose from.

No Willow though.

Willow is the tree of the Goddess.