Well that's true. You'd know before hand and could prepare for the occassion.

It's not going to be an issue for me, I seriously doubt that I will particpate in a Wicca ritual with a group anyway.

I see no reason why spiritually needs to be a group event anyway. I've never innately felt that. I guess I'm just a loner at heart. I'm a hermit and that's what I am. Period.

Awwww....what a good kitty!

No need for a coven or group ritual at all for many people. Its a very personal decision.

Right. I was teasin. You can do whichever you feel best with or most confident. Solitary or find a Coven. I notice that people seem to seek out Covens once they have been lone practitioners for a period of time and then want to invoke something specific or feel they need help.

Absolutely.

In fact, Scott makes it very attractive via his acceptance of abstraction and strong encouragement to do you own thing.

And this is indeed an important issue, because if instead of Scott's book you had recommended reading something like the Gardner book of shadows I wouldn't have gotten very far at all before putting it down and just saying, "This is definitely not for me".

And this is also why I would be very hesitant to tell anyone I'm a 'Wicca' because I have no clue that that word means to them.

I'm not prepared to support Wicca because I have no clue what I'd be supporting.

All I know to do is write my own book of shadows, make it into a spirituality that works for me, and then publish that for anyone who finds it to their liking.

I do agree with Scott that we should 'give back' what we get out of it, and that may simply be sharing what it meant to us personally.

I'm not even sure if I'd want to call it 'Wicca', but Scott certaintly called his book "Wicca", and a lot of site I've been too recommend his book.

None the less I can see that Wicca ranges the full rainbow just like Protestantism does, from the Amish, to the hardcore fundamentalists who drive around in big limousines thumping their Bibles whilst their on their cell phone with their financial agent.

I'm too confident to ever feel that I need help.

I'd rather turn to books and just pick and choose the parts that work for me.

Although, I suppose that there probably are covens around that are pretty flexible and open to abtraction too.

I'm not saying that it couldn't be possible. It's just not likely. I've been a loner too long.

Loners are the most powerful because they are anti- social and have those tendencies. Focus on those incantations. The power is dripping off you.

My sister is a social worker and she bulks at the word "anti-social". She told me to never use that word to describe myself because I'm not anti-social at all.

Technically the term "anti-social" actually mean "Against-society". Or opposed to it in some way.

I'm not against society, nor am I opposed to society. (although in some ways I am opposed to many modern social ideals such as an economically-driven society, a competitive-driven society, and possibly some other things.

But my sister says that 'anti-social' people are considered to be a danger to society.

So she says to never use that term.

She said instead I just refer to myself as a recluse, or simply someone who enjoys self-sufficiency and doing thing independently.

So I'm an independent self-sufficient reclusive hunk of pure masculine energy who can satisfy the deepest cravings of the most wicked wanton witch.

But I'm not anti-social.

I know I was being silly. I just meant that you were a "non-conventional" gentleman. I would personally classify anti-social behavior myself as falling in the range of real psychotic or sociopathic.

Sociopaths have an inability to exhibit empathy for anything other than themselves. That is why we can actually spot this behavior mounting in youngsters. Children even as young as 8-9 should begin to identify themselves as separate entities that can manipulate the world around them and part of that is the understanding that other living creatures, dogs, cats, bunnies, hamsters, any little pet they might come in contact with feels pain and suffering just like them.

A child exhibiting the signs of borderline personality disorder will not recognize that other living creatures have feelings and needs beyond themselves.

Bad news for law enforcement potentially.

Sociopaths can NOT feel empathy.

James you are a sweetie pie. I was kidding Im sorry If I said something wrong.

No you didn't say anything wrong. I used to refer to myself as 'anti-social' too when my sister told me to quit using that term because in professional circles anti-social means sociopath.

I'm just a home-oriented person who prefers to keep to myself. Although it's also true that I've very family-oriented and always have been.

Although, it's kind of hard to be family-oriented when I no longer have a family.

Yeah, well the need for family would not fall in line with sociopath anyway, they must constantly fulfill an overwhelming need to feel satiated completely which is different.

You might be better off with a girlfriend or a chick to go out to the movies or dinner with. A woman that is annoying yet not to the point of new lock installation. Just a friend.

That's interesting because I never thought of the term "anti-social" as being anywhere near the range of psychiatric disorders.

I think (please dont quote me on this) but "anti-social" can fall into a range of behavioral disorders. It doesnt necessarily mean that someone is a sociopath or going to kill people. No. There is a range. These characteristics can be difficult if not impossible to diagnose with any certainty but since there has been so much research done over the decades with well known criminals such as the likes of Jeffrey Dhalmer and Charles Manson, and Ted Bundy, there has been "some" degree of classification though it is difficult. They arent unlikable people. Not at all. they can be affectionate and VERY persuasive and almost loving and emotionally manipulative. The common denominator seems to be this "lack of empathy" feature which is not compatible with normal human development so they seem to rely on that very often when diagnosing.

A sociopath will always ask " why me"

A non sociopath will feel guilt and shame.

A distinguishable difference in emotional response and behavior.

That makes sense. I know narcisists (sp) never take personal responsibility for anything either. They blame everyone else for their problems.

Right right. A similarity. Where most people seem to be capable of taking responsibility (at least in part) for their actions, a sociopath WONT. Not EVER. They view the world in terms of how it effects them ONLY and acquiring whatever they need. Humans are viewed as commodity or how they can be used in order to acquire or sustain them or further their criminal endeavors. The end justifies the means in ALL cases. They will also use people emotionally and they lie and manipulate with impunity. This is why they are hard for law enforcement to crack They can even beat lie detectors.

I think the point that my sister was trying to make is that a social worker would never label me as 'anti-social'.

Just because a person tends to be a homebody and has little or no interest in socializing doesn't automatically make them 'anti-social' as it is defined professionally.

A social worker would ask me further questions and discover that I actually like people and get along with eveyone I meet, and that I'm family-oriented.

So based on this information they would neve officially label me as 'anti-social'.

So my sister doesn't like me just using that label arbitrarily because people might think that I mean that I was actually given that label by a doctor or something. Which isn't true.

In other words, they would think that I had actually been diagnosed as being 'anti-social' based on the professional definition, which my sister claims would never happen because any shrink that interviewed me would easily see that I don't have the traits that are professionally associated with that term.

I'm not sure if 'anti-social' automatically means psycopath, but it's not good in any case.

So it's wrong of people to arbitrarily label themselves as 'anti-social' just because they tend to be homebodies. The term 'anti-social' isn't the same thing at all (It means something negative on a professional level).

Alright. I feel bad for bringing it up. James I was never insinuating you were sociopath. I myself am very "anti-social" and I dont like party atmospheres in general. Im sorry. Lets just move on to Wicca/Witchcraft.

I actually took an interest in the subject a few years back and that is how I learned to distinguish a bit. A sociopath is a DIFFERENT animal and they are actually rare thank the Goddess.

But when you get them, man are they unstoppable bad news.

Kind of early but Yule is fun so I thought I would post this:

"The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule. This is in no way an adaptation of Christianity. The Winter Solstice has long been viewed as a time of divine births. Mithras was said to have been born at this time. The Christians simply adopted it for their use in 273 CE (current era)."
(from "Wicca - A guide for the Solitary Practicioner" by Scott Cunningham)
space


"This is the time of death and rebirth of the Sun God. The days are shortest, the Sun is at its lowest point. The Full Moon after Yule is considered to be the most powerful of the whole year. This ritual is a light festival, with as many candles as possible on or near the altar in welcome of the Sun Child."

How Ancient Pagans Celebrated: After the Norse brought Yule into prominence it nearly replaced Samhain as the date of the New Year, and many modern Celtic covens still honor Yule this way. The Nordic-influenced Celts celebrated Yule with many of the trappings we associate with modern Christmas observances; decorated evergreen trees, wreaths, holly, mistletoe, feasting, and dancing.
They also believed that on this night the Holly King, as the God of the waning year, would battle the Oak King, the God of the waxing year, and lose. Often Yule coven rituals have members reenact this fight."

No need to feel bad. I never took your comments as being negative. I knew how you meant it. Besides I often state that I'm a hermit living alone in a cottage in the woods so I can't complain if people say I'm 'anti-social'.

I was just relaying information I got from my sister for the sake of interest.

I never took your comments to be derogatory in any way.

So no worries.

Alright, good.