I am only going after my Stone of Sovereignty because of you, James. You have paid me back 10 times over.

Isn't sharing great when everyone benefits?

I was almost ready to toss in the towel and accept that atheism is probably the dismal truth of reality. Both Cunningham, and now Penczak (as well as other authors I've been pointed to by them) have now all made spirituality seem almost undeniable.

The exercises and rituals are very meaningful.

I think the real problem was that books I had read on witchcraft prior to these were way out there in left-field. They were more about casting curses on people and protecting against 'demons'. Like the kind of sci-fi crap you'd expect from hollywood. Maybe they were fiction and I just wasn't paying attention.

But Cunningham, Penczak, and the other authors they point to take the religion quite seriously and quite intelligently. In fact, Penczak is extremely pragmatic. About as pragmantic as any spiritual priest can be and still be a spiritual person too boot.

And besides, if things like Catholicism can take seriously their Holy Water and their priests waving their smudging insence around to spiritual 'cleanse' the area and drive away evil 'spirits', then why not take the concept of positive and negative energies just as seriously.

Nothing that Penczak describes is all that different from what traditional religions do. Not in the least. In fact, the way Penczak describes witchcraft it actually makes far more sense!

Just eariler today I was resting in bed listening to the Folk Show on NPR radio. They were having a spiritual special and folk singers were singing their folk songs. I was half-way in a meditative state as I was resting in my meditative posture and had actually entered into a light shamanic state whilst listening to the songs in the background.

I actually had a vision during one song. The woman was singing that she was part Catholic, part Jewish, part Baptist and part Episcopalian too. Lots of lyrics, but it came over in the song really cool.

Anyway, these spiritual songs got me started on a light shamanic journey into a church. I was sitting in the pews with the congregation and the priest was up at the altar performing the rituals having the congregation repeating his incantations as he chanted them. He was making Holy Water and stiring it with an athame

Anyway, it was so frustrating because I felt so detached from the ceremony. I was thinking the whole congregation needs to be up there with a huge vat and everyone needs to dip their own athames into the vat and actually take part in the ritual!

Sitting in the pews just watching some priest conduct the ceremony actually felt like I was being robbed of my spiritual essence.

Spiritual rituals are meant to be conducted by the indivdiual. They aren't meant to be stolen by an authoritarian church who refuses to allow the 'common people' to participate in the rituals.

I laid there thinking about my vision and realized how religion has actually been 'stolen' from the people. The people have been isolated from the gods by the priests and church rather than encouraged to actually become spiritual themsleves.

Penczak is right in his last two books. Everyone should become a priest or priestess even if only for their own sake. But the purpose of any priest and priestess should be to help others find that same destiny.

And yes, everyone should become a priest and preistess in this sense. I sincerely feel that this is what 'true' religion is all about. It's about participating in ritual and actually communing with the gods and spirits. It's not about having someone else do it for you.

Oops! Well, there I go with yet another ramble.

I'm just glad to hear that you're going after your own Stone of Sovereignty. Because, in truth, no one else can go after it but you! That's what true religion is all about. Any religion that isn't based on do-it-yourself has totally missed the point, IMHO.

Religion = Ritual

Isn't it interesting how much those actions and rituals do make sense when explained from a Pagan viewpoint? Catholics insert much Paganism into their rituals, but they try to explain it from their religion. And, it just doesn't make much sense. I always knew intuitively that they were onto something with their ritual. But, they try to explain it based on Christian theology and it all just falls apart.



This need by the people to be a part of the ritual is why Catholicism has changed so much since the 1960's. It is why the ritual now involves the priest facing the congregation and the altar has been moved to the front of the stage rather than kept far back. And, the congregation is encouraged (in some churches) to join in in the words of consecration. Of course, this gives the traditionalists a complete heart attack.



I couldn't have said it better myself.

Autumn Hugs & Good Morning All

Good morning, LV!

Hi {{Ruth}} How are you hon?? Loving the new place??

Yes, very much! I'm doing okay other than some health issues right now. But, I would imagine they will clear up soon. How are you?

Hello beautiful witches and druids. I hope all is good. I have a witch who will soon post in here. I met her from the game I am hosting lately.

I have over 18 players thus far gathered from different sites.

The Green Dragon's Inn is in business again.

GOOD LIZARD PEOPLE/BAD LIZARD PEOPLE

I have memories of a time and place very diffrent from this world, I don't know to explain it. But when I was very young and was dieing of Cancer I was given a choice by an Dark shape that stood behind me in the Hospital ward of 3B. I knew I was walking in the spirit world as I saw all the lovely children I had met over that year die and there souls go to the otheir side with angel like beings. Ever since that day I have seen, heard and felt thing in this world and not of this plane. I know I have been harmed by lizard people as I am a great threat to them, well the ones that intend to distroy what the creator made for the human race. I do not fear what I see coming in 2012 on dec 21, or my part in this.I know their are bad lizard people out there but the way I see it, there can be bad and good in any race, Even I have done bad things in my past life but I do not think of the negivite time but the good and the light I did then, now and to come. I have met a good lizard person, tho he was suffering as his human mother had cancer and it made him very sad. I could see the pain and suffering in his eyes.

http://www.lighthink.com/new_page_14.htm

Makes me feel like singing!

http://users.csonline.net/designer/ideas/gdi.mp3

No grindin' here!

Well, it concerns me a little. But, only a little. I'm not good with change.

Hey let me sing along with you! Nice to hear from you James.

Hello everyone.

I'm just so happy today. Things are really coming together for me in terms of my newfound "religion". I almost said, 'newfound spirituality', but I've always been a spiritual person, so clearly this is a 'religion' that I'm excited about, and of course, religion = ritual and it truly is a structured set of rituals that I've found so appealing lately. And I'm sure you all know that the traditions I'm talking about are witchcraft and shamanism specifically as described by authors like Scott Cunningham, Christopher Penczak, and even Deepak Chopra, even though Deepak might not prefer to be associated with witchcraft and shamanism he teaches very similar things that are in perfect harmony with what Cunningham and Penczak teach.

In any case, I'm excited especially today because things are truly 'coming together' on a large scale. This has much to do with the fact that I've read all six of Penczak's books. Not to imply that I necessarily follow Penczak's preferences, but I got to hand it to him, he truly covered the topic from head to toe, both figuratively as well as literally. So now I feel like I have a genuine overview of the big picture and I find that very helpful.

Recently I've been worshiping Malkuth. This is because I can see that this is where I need to start (something I couldn't "see" without this big picture). It's not that I'm necessarily in love with Malkuth above other gods. After all, Malkuth is as much a conscious mindset as it is a "god", and so when I say that I'm 'worshiping' Malkuth, what I really mean is that I'm meditating and living in the consciousness of Malkuth.

Moreover, Malkuth is not alone (none of the gods are). They play together in groups. By focusing on Malkuth I also find myself being introduced to Gaia in very intimate ways, as well as Inanna, and Hecate, and others. They are all related. They are also intermingled with other consciounesses such as Yesod, Hod, and Netzach, for example.

So by worshiping (or focusing on the consciousness) of Malkuth I'm automatically experiencing the consciousness of all these other realms.

Where the "big picture" helps, in many ways, is that it ties these realms altogether in a myriad of meaningful ways.

For example, in book 5 of the Penczak series "The Living Temple of Witchcraft vol. One" (The Goddess Book), he describes the mythical decent of Inanna into the UnderWorld. The journey is actually a journey into the Chakras.

After having read that book I see the connections between the chakras and these various 'gods' (or states of consciouness).

Penczak makes the following relationships between the chakras and the consciousnesses of the Qabalah as follows:

Root Chakra - Consciousness of Malkuth
Belly Chakra - Consciousness of Yesod
Sacral Chakra - Consciousness of Hod and Netzach
Heart Chakra - Consciousness of Tiphereth
Throat Chakra - Consciousness of Geburah and Chesed
Brow Chakra - Consciousness of Binah and Chokmah
Crown Chakra - Consciousness of Kether

This is very exciting for me because it makes a lot of sense.

In fact, it fits in perfectly with a Chakra Balancing Kit that I have by Anodea Judith who described the Chakras from an a point of view of the Vedic of Ancient India. Her descriptions actually fit this picture of the Qabalah that Penczak relates with amazing precision, even though Anodea Judith's presentation has nothing at all to do with the traditions of witchcraft. Or at least not directly.

Originally I was intuitively wanting to associate Yesod with the Brow chakra because I thinking of Yesod as being the source of creativity (i.e. imagination). But that was actually wrong thinking. Yesod is the source of manifestation not creativity. This is important to understand, at least for me. Because Yesod is the machinery of how manifestation actually works. So it's important to understand this, especially if I want to become masterful at manifestation which his what the art of witchcraft is all about.

So I've been making great strides here recently. Not only in my understanding the traditions and archetypes of witchcraf, but also in the understanding of my own power to manifest. I'm learning how to manifest things and the results of these manifestations are becoming vividly apparent. Magick is begining to manifest all around me. And that, in and of itself, gives me a feeling of great power.

So I guess I'm feeling powerful today.

May the force be with you James

I often wonder if the Jedi stir their holy water with light saber swords.



Just a thought.

I had a really nice Full Moon Ritual Sunday night. It felt good to do the full ritual. I meditated for quite some time. I was told by whoever was leading me around that I wasn't having enough fun in life and that I need to make room and time for more fun.

too funny

Over here in Miami the beach is full with celeberation everytime there is a full moon.

I am happy you feel good

Hugs & Good Morning All

While I may not be here much "physically", wanna let you know that you are all always with me in my thoughts & prayers.