Thanksgiving is a celebration of giving thanks for a good harvest, which is what is being celebrated in the US in the coming week.  And we're looking into what makes a bountiful spiritual harvest.

Taking refuge is one of the more important things you do to insure a good spiritual harvest.  And to see what's involved, there is no better example of taking refuge than the Three Refuges Of Buddhism.  Go to almost any Buddhist handbook and you will find them:

A bit of basic knowledge of Buddhism will give you a grasp of what these are.  And do you know what?  They, or their equivalents are found in almost any spiritual path.  And do you know what?  The cluster of paths which we follow have them in abundance, and at all of the levels you can imagine!

In refuge, we find comfort, reassurance, nurturing, strengthening, and all else we need to follow our spiritual quests and deal with the mundance world at the same time! 

And with that and what we discover, we can really have a major harvest!

Blessed Be!

Your inner vision.  That is probably one of the most powerful of the so-called basics.  Even the most mundane of the mundanes recognize its power, and some actually fear its power, especially the inner visions of others.  After all, the inner visions of some people have grown to the point of founding empires, or destroying them.

Your inner vision is what you see for yourself in the future.  Some people might have more than one inner vision, but there is usually one inner vision in a person which dominates the rest.

It is said that Walt Disney decided to see what he could make out of a mouse.  More than one big name known in the world of retail began with a vision of owning a store - that is, one store.  And when that store prospered, then the inner vision began to include more stores.  They can even break through challenges, such as the hardware chain whose first store had its grand opening on the very day of the stockmarket crash which heralded the Great Depression in the US.

To have an inner vision work for you, there are some factors that need to be considered.  Is it long-term?  What will fulfill it?  Will it adapt to its first fulfillment, or will it "expire" at that time?  What will it accomplish?  How long will its effects last?  And so, let's look at a couple of examples.

If the inner vision is so central to the success of so many non-magickal people, imagine what it can do in the hands (and minds) of those who are magickal!  It is the thoughtform of spellwork and meditation, transformed into a template for the future!

And this is just the beginning!

Blessed Be!
 

Veterans' Day, November 11th in the United States, will happen in the coming week.  As usual, I have something to say about that.

We also had a tragic shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.  That's the physically largest military installation in the country, and also home to the Fort Hood Open Circle, one of the best military Pagan groups you'll find anywhere.  I don't know if any of their members was directly involved, but having lived and worked on military bases as much as I did, I can say that the mere fact that it happened on their base means that they're involved and affected.

I'd like to offer you something to think about, and it is something that might not have occurred to you.

And it kind of ties in with one of the main points I was already prepared to make, but the news of the day underlined the point far beyond anything I could accomplish.

If you are looking for learning, there is plenty in the news today that qualifies as learning for The Craft (or whatever you call what we do).  And part of the learning process is to recognize where a lesson might be found.

Blessed Be!

It's Samhain!  For many of us (including me) it is the biggest, most important, most major Sabbat (and holiday, for those who choose to differentiate) of the year, especially from a spiritual standpoint.

This is the time of year when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest.  Because of that, this is the time of the year when it is easiest for us to reach across the veil - and for those on the other side of the veil to reach out to us.
It is also the time for celebrating endings and beginnings (as well as beginnings and endings).  And with that, there are many wonderful opportunities!

It has been a while since there has been a ritual celebration on this podcast, and this time it is extra special because it is a "simulcast" with our companion video podcast "Uriel's Gifts/ Mass For The Shut-Out."  But of course, there are things which can be done with audio that are not as easy to do with video, and so here we get to "see" the crowd that comes for this celebration and have a major celebration in a major temple.

And that's one of the wonders of Samhain.  This is the time when we can use all I've mentioned here to harness our inner vision and see what we can build from it!

Blessed Be!

Samhain will soon be here.  In fact, it is close enough that we can begin making use of its power now!

Samhain presents us with some special opportunities.  It is a celebration of ends and beginnings and beginnings and ends.  After all, you won't have an end without a beginning, or a beginning without an end.  An end to something is the beginning of something else.  The  beginning of something is the end of something else.  It is also the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest.  It is a time when we can reach out to the people on the other side of the veil, and they can reach out to us.  Two aspect of one basic fact.

Add to this, the inner vision you have for the future.

And here is the opportunity to conciliate past, present and future.  It can also  be an opportunity to clear up any unfinished business with someone on the other side.

It's not that these are impossible at any other time, but now is when it is easiest to do so, and that means that the energy you might have expended in the work itself can be used to harness the result.

All this and more awaits you at Samhain!

Blessed Be!

"Little Hitlers" is a term coined in Germany during the Third Reich to describe those lesser functionaries whose egos exceeded their authority, and who did not let their lesser status keep them from exercising more power than they were actually entitled to.  And, in the Soviet Union, there was the assortment of "apparachniks".  And don't think that we can't find them where we are living today.

They take many forms.  They can be civil servants; assistants to actual or purported bosses; glorified clerks with "manager" or "engineer" in their title; people in the office, neighborhood or church who cannot mind their own business, and sometimes even clergy.  And as to the latter, no denomination has exclusive right to that distinction - or exemption from it.

It's important to recognize what they are up to.  It is also important to know how to deal with such people.  Some of them are in a position in which it might not be a good idea to confront them.  But to do nothing would be to surrender - and you probably can't afford what you'd lose by doing nothing. 

But what do you do?

I've been speaking about challenges in the tinme leading up to Samhain for a reason, and Samhain is nearly here. 

Let's see what can be!

Blessed Be!
 

This is an episode that someone does not want you to hear!  No kidding!

Personal responsibility is something which some people just don't like.  For them, personal responsibility means that they can't blame as much of what goes wrong on other people, other things, or even The Divine!  Most of us
know someone who points to a traumatic event in their past and blames the sad state of their life on that.  A few of us have even heard someone claim that a shortcoming was because of something in their ancestry, their culture, or the way life was like at sometime before their own birth.  And, most of us can think of the time we heard someone talking about something which happened being "God's will."

Have you ever noticed that such responsibility-shifting is so often accompanied by logic that does not survive close examination?

And here I will freely admit that you will never have control over everything that happens in your life.  But, it might be surprising (to some) how much you can control of what follows in such an event.

And here we harness a basic principle:  with responsibility comes authority.  And so, taking personal responsibility means that you take on personal authority. 

And with that authority will come even more!

Blessed Be!
 

"Character" and "character building" have to be among the least-understood and often-misused terms in the English language.  And perhaps intentionally so, because they contain some powerful secrets for the benefit of those who wish to learn.

Those of us who have experienced time in military service and/or a few other experiences have experienced the mis-use of the term "character-building".  That's what we were told when we were assigned tasks which were demeaning, thankless and sometimes even outright pointless.  But then there are also those experiences which do indeed build character and they sometimes on the surface can seem similar to the ones which seem to be mostly degrading.  Can we see the difference?

And how does character get built?  What would make the difference between Mother Teresa and Charles Manson? 

How can a door be opened, especially for someone who hasn't seen many open doors in a while?

And in guiding our own character, what can we look for?

With this, we can find some wonderful surprises - and at the same time we can blow away some folks' pre-conceived notions!  Yes, it is true that it might not be easy, but it can have its fun times and lights of happiness.  You'll see,

Blessed Be!
 

It's one thing to describe how something might be done, it is another to actually succeed in doing it.

Conciliation (and reconciliation) seems to me to be a sufficiently hot topic that I felt it necessary to devote a second episode to actually getting it done.  After all, it is easy to say that something can be done, or that it should be done.  But in this case, it seems to me that you deserve more than just sayings.

After all, some of the principles and polarities which deserve conciliation or reconciliation are some of the same ones which inspire closed-mindedness on both sides of the issue - regardless of the issue.  And, there will be those who will refuse to believe that there can ever be conciliation.  But for the rest of us, there's something to be learned, discovered, and appreciated.

A good starting point is that eternal source of strife, the argument between evolution and creationism.  I have resolved the issue within myself to the point that I no longer see the need for disagreement between the two.  But, on the one side you'll have your creationists who do not wish to be confronted with facts beyond the scope of their narrow interpretation.  And on the other side, there are those whose replacement for The Divine is nothing more than "random coincidence."

Of course, if we go down this path, we are going to discover some other concepts which we might not have thought of, such as how to have unity without homogenzing ourselves!

Just how much might we be able to find conciliation or reconciliation for?  If we do, we can expect some good things!

Conciliation?  A revolution?  Of course, especially if you take a look at it!

Most of us have been dealing with the conflict between the higher and lower since we can remember, especially those of us who listened to such people as our Sunday School teachers, preachers, and some others.  Some of them made it seem as if it were wrong to have nice things if others didn't.  Many of us had that "guilt trip" imposed on us as children.  That's not the only example of higher versus lower, but that was the first one that came to my mind when the subject came up.

OK, so what if there were no real argument between them?  What if they could be brought into harmony with each other, so that they worked together?

That's what we're talking about here.  It's not simple, except perhaps in the minds of those who aren't involved.  But what a quest!

And the result is something perhaps more powerful than most people can imagine.  And it's waiting for you, for me, for each and every one of us.

Come, take a look.

Blessed Be!

Of all of my experiences as a cadet, none made quite as much of an impression as a training session in the subject of combat first aid.  The centerpiece of the training was an Army training film which summed up the initial first few steps into three basic steps.  And it was done with a form of expression which etched the three steps indelibly in my memory.

That was for physical first aid, and it was designed for a combat situation.  The principles of spiritual first aid are similar.  Of course, their is one difference.  In combat first aid, most people who are wounded know that they are wounded.  In combat first aid, it is likely that you will know who and what caused the wound.  Where spiritual first aid is concerned, it can sometimes take a while for someone to realize that they have indeed been wounded. 

But just like in combat first aid, the initial response once the wound is known can make all of the difference in the world!

Blessed Be!
 

I recently watched a re-run of an episode of Bishop Fulton Sheen's show "Life Is Worth Living" from the 1960's.  In this particular episode, he spoke about "rivets", which in this case is a term he used to describe the "anchor point" or focus (or foci?) of an endeavor.  I realized how right-on he was, and how his talk gave emphasis to some of the concerns I've expressed over the last few years.

It has to do with tradition.  You've heard me say that if you have a tradition, follow it.  If you feel the need to go a different way, then please do so, but don't disturb the people who continue to follow the tradition you're leaving.

Done the right way, it can be of benefit for both sides.  In fact, that's part of why we have such customs as "hiving off."  And there are many similar examples throughout history. 

Done the wrong way, it can be damaging.  In fact, it can bring down the whole thing.  That's why we hive off rather than letting those with a new way take over.  And done right, both can be strong.

And might it just be that if your path and mine are not the same, perhaps it might be because the world needs both of them?  See what you think!

Blessed Be!
 

Almost every episode has touched on this issue, but this time we're dealing with it by looking it in the eye.

Some of you wonder how spiritual things happen, even if they happen for you every minute of the day.  And some of you simply wonder if they can actually happen.

Some of us have known the frustration of Sunday School.  Whether it was those pseudo-kids in the Sunday School filmstrips or the stories of saints which Sister Whoever would tell, you'd wonder how they rated such neat things happening and you didn't. 

Later on, even on a path which your parents never heard of, you still can find yourself asking.  Especially after encountering a High Priestess or High Priest whose rituals crackle with energy and whose spells always seem to work.  Or simply the person who seems to see and feel so much more than you. 

How do they do it?  It's as if a big door opened for them, and you wish that you could open it for you.

You can.  It's waiting for you.  Not only that, you have the key.

The trick is to find it, and then turn it so that the door opens for you.

Let's see just how much we can do!

Blessed Be!

Whether you are talking about ritual, prayer, meditation, or whatever else you might be doing spiritually, they can all go under the general term of "workings".  That will cover everything from a Wiccan Sabbat to the Pope saying Mass to a Jewish Sabbath to a meeting in a Quaker meetinghouse.

And what is the most powerful?  Even if we break them all into three categories which I discuss in this episode (three with the option to break up one into two, which would make four), one stands out.  Each has its own strength, and with the exception of one, all have the ability to pack a whallop of spiritual power.  But one stands out above all of the others.  And the reason for that is the fact that what you do by yourself has the greatest potential for letting your energy reach its full strength.

There are many reasons for this to happen, and we'll discuss them.  Above all else, let's see why.  And let's see just how much might be able to be done.

And we're just barely opening the door to a whole mew world here!

Blessed Be!

You've heard me say it ever-so-many times before: the apology is the only commodity cheaper than a politician's promise during an election campaign.

Michael Vick was recently released from prison after serving his sentence.  He's made statements about how remorseful he is about hurting and killing those dogs he forced to fight.  And when I think of what he did, and I look at the gentle creature at my feet (whose best buddy is a 3-month-old kitten), and I think you can imagine my thoughts about such a person.

Just this Thursday, it was announced that not only was Michael Vick returning to pro football, be was going to join the Philadelphia Eagles!  That means that he is coming here, where I live and work!

Speaking as someone who lives in the Philadelphia area and works right in the middle of Philly, I can tell you that you won't find many people who don't have very definite opinions about Michael Vick.

As for me, I see this in terms of applied theology.  And there's a lesson we can all see here.  What exactly the lesson will entail depends upon Michael Vick.  What do I mean?  Listen to the podcast and find out!

Blessed Be!

Sometimes, the most important lesson from a Sabbat is learned by looking back towards it.  And we're doing just that.  Lammas was last week.

I've said before that there is an element of each Sabbat in every other Sabbat, and that no Sabbat is "over" until the Wheel Of The Year has turned all of the way to the next year's iteration of the same Sabbat.  And so, some of the most powerful learning to be gotten from any Sabbat is to be gained by looking forward and backward from that Sabbat to the others. 

And, we had a ritual at the Lammas celebration.  It included many things, but one stood out in my mind:  naming the seeds which we may have planted but which we did not want to harvest. 

Even the most Pollyanna of "fluff-bunnies" will admit that that is a real issue.  So much so that there was even a classic sci-fi movie which was aimed at exposing a threat of which most magickal folk are only too aware.

And we're going to face that.  And maybe we can see how to claim victory over such a "thing".  Perhaps the most difficult thing is realizing that you actually can do that!

Blessed Be!

Dan Brown has transformed another one of his books into a major Hollywood movie.  And I cannot help but wonder if there is going to be the same sort of stir created by "Angels and Demons" as was created by "The DaVinci Code."

First off, one thing needs to be understood: in both cases, he appears to have had the intent of writing a fiction novel to entertain us.  But there are those who took it too seriously, as if it were a documentary revealing something.  And then there were those who took it too seriously, as if it were revealing a proprietary secret which they are supposed to guard.  And there are those who don't take it seriously enough, as if there were nothing there.

If we do explore this, what do we do?  The same thing as for any other exploration.  First off, you get past what's completely fiction.  An organization with a purported history going back centuries before its actual founding is as useless as the cowboy movie "hero" who manages to shoot 25 shots from a six-shooter without reloading!

Get beyond that, and we know what is worth looking for.  Once you find that, then the exploring can really begin.  And this is where you can have some spiritual excitement!

Blessed Be!
 

I was working on something different for this show, an episode in which we might look at decoding Dan Brown and his writings.  But on Tuesday, July 21st, One of my very best friends wrote a new chapter into my life, and opened my eyes to see far more than I intended to ever see.

For all that I'd been through, this was the first time that I'd been with someone at the time they crossed over from this life to the next.  Death is something which some people prefer to not discuss.  Nevertheless, it is the one life-event which each and every one of us will face eventually.  And he made an effort to share his with me. 

His name was Lionheart.  He was a cat, of the variety some people call "American shorthair," or what some people call "tuxedo" because his coat made him look as if he were in such formal attire.

He came into Lady Stormy's life about three years before I did.  She literally rescued him off of the streets, saving him from a crowd of kids who were abusing him.  I was known to refer to him as Lord Pan's "vice president".

He and I became close the moment we met.  Then again, that would be expected from the way he introduced himself to me. 

And at the end, he held on until I was there.

And I think there was much that he was trying to tell me.  And yet the most profound lesson I learned was both subtle and obvious.  I'm hoping you can see it in what I offer here. 

I offered the story of Dave Carrol last week in some comments about the news, and since then I've seen even more of the story.

And I could not help but think of the stories such as the one about David and Goliath.  I slept through ever-so-many tellings of that story in Sunday School!  The story wasn't so bad, but it was presented in the manner of the stories of how some parent or grandparent had to go miles every day through so many feet of snow to get to school....  But Dave Carrol made it suddenly take on relevance.

Goliath was a big warrior, and an airline is usually a big corporation.  There was a shepard boy named David who accepted Goliath's challenge.  Dave Carroll was a relatively unknown country singer who got fed up with how an airline treated him when their baggage handlers damaged his guitar. 

And there is where we begin to see the lesson in the stories.  And perhaps it is a lesson that might not be obvious unless one tale is shown in parallel with another that is more contemporary which we can relate to.

See what I mean!  It's part of the reason we get to say "So mote it be!"

Blessed Be!
 

And here, I offer a salute to some of the dearest friends I've ever had.   I'm talking about my four-footed friends.  And yes, there are those who do not have four feet who would fit in this category, but my experience has been with the ones who do in fact have four feet.

Give them broad enough horizons, and I am not sure just how much they might be able to do.  But I do see their level of understanding.  At any rate, the level of understanding in the ones which Lady Stormy and I have as our "kids".  They not only have names and personalities, they have tastes. 

It is also amazing the respect which they show to things spiritual.  And to our altar.

Having them around definitely has its rewards, even if there is the fact that we know that they are not immortal and their lives are shorter than ours.  And the rescued ones seem especially special.  All of ours are either rescued or descended from someone who was rescued.  The gratitude can be said to extend to their childrens' children because Apollo is the grandson of a cat Lady Stormy rescued many years ago.

Whether they bark, meow, or something else, here is a special moment for our four-footed friends, familiars, and fellow travelers on this road.

Blessed Be!

PS:  The "news and comment spot" will tell you of where you can see just how much power this new media can have - check it out!

Perhaps the most under-rated and under-appreciated of spiritual practices is the mantra.

The matter gets complicated by the number of people who think they don't use mantras when they actually are, and the number of other folks who think that they are using a mantra when they actually are not!

The mantra is probably one of the most ancient forms of spiritual expression.  It is also potentially the most powerful.

So, let us explore what makes a mantra powerful.  And let's see how you might be able to make some good use out of mantras.

It isn't quick, so don't think that overnight you'll master something which others work with for years.  But you'll make a beginning and make progress. 

Some things about mantras you'll know from your own experience, and others you'll discover along the way.  Perhaps the most important discovery along the way is what works for you.

Blessed Be!

Your book of shadows is unique.  No other book can ever be as much of, by, and for you as your book of shadows.

Other paths have books which purport to be for similar purposes, but they are collections which were collected by someone else, and often with a "one size fits all" approach.  And, most of them are available for sale at bookstores.  The only challenge in obtaining one is knowing which bookstore has which books.

Your book of shadows is different.  It is as personal as your toothbrush, and as private as your underwear.  Nobody else has to approve what you put in there, and nobody needs to see it, either - unless it is with your permission.

You can even think of it as a living thing, because it almost is.  One thing that it does do is that it grows with you.  And so, make provision for that growth.  Your child will not be wearing the same shoes at age 20 as he or she did at age 2, and so it is with your book of shadows, because it is that way with you.

And so, let's explore how a book of shadows comes to be, and how you can nurture its growth.

Blessed Be!

Is greed the real evil?

You have no idea the work that went into figuring out a title for this episode.  In fact, when I was making the show, I was still calling it "Is Greed The Real Satan?" but then I had to fact the fact that for so many of us, there is no real satan or devil.  But, I believe we can all agree that there is real evil.

And here we come to an issue which I felt the need to address.  And, I felt the need to address it now.  There were certainly a number of other topics I could have chose, including/ especially Litha.  But this one subject stood out as if it were begging me to say something.

And, I can understand why.  This is a subject about which the preachers and teachers of certain notable other spiritual paths go spinning around in circles about.  They'll talk about evil and/or "the devil", sometimes to the point that I wonder whom it is that some of them are actually worshipping!  But for all of the wind expended from so many pulpits, there has been little actual effort to define it, or figure out what to do about it.  And it's apparent why this has come to be. 

Come follow me in this exploration.  You'll find it interesting.

Of all of the apparent contradictions having to do with the spiritual, perhaps none is as dramatic or pronounced as that having to do with the effectiveness of prayer. 

Some will say that prayer has a major "kick" to it and is one of the most powerful things they do.  Others see prayer as being ineffective, perhaps even counter-effective.  Over the course of my spiritual quest, I've been on both sides of this divide, and I haven't found many opinions that lay between those two poles.  It's basically one extreme or the other.

So, if one group says that their prayer really does big things and another thinks of prayer as a cop-out for people who don't want to do anything, what is it that gives these two groups the basis for feeling that their opinion is justified?  Might it be something to do with how the praying is done?

And so, we can go into the ways that some folks might pray.  We can also see what makes prayer weak.  And from that, we can see what makes strong prayer really have a major effect.

And from all of that, we can see how to make prayer the most powerful thing we do.

Blessed Be!

Every form of endeavor has its dangers and pitfalls, and there are some dangers and pitfalls to which priestesses and priests are especially vulnerable.  
If you don't think this is about you because you don't see yourself as clergy, think again.  Each of us is our own priestess or priest for the sake of meeting our own needs.  We don't need to hire a "broker" to deal with The Divine for us.  But, of course, there are times when even clergy are in need of clergy.  And I'll be touching on that, too.

Some of the most potentially productive (and even spectacular) spiritual paths can have snares.  And, some of those snares are subtle enough that they might not be extremely obvious.

Some of the pitfalls might seem obvious, but I'm sure that at least one might cause you to have some thought.  And, some of them might not look like what they are until you're in the middle of a situation.  That is, of course, unless you have your eyes open all along.  That might not be a guarantee of prevention, but it will indeed help.

And there is one word which encompasses most of the solution.  Seek it, and most of the answer to these pitfalls will be in your hands.  The full answer might not always be so simple, but the simple solution takes care of most of what might try to tangle your feet.  And what is that "one word"?  You might have guessed it.  Download this episode to see if you guess was right!

Blessed Be!

PS:  Sorry for the delay.  I had to do an all-nighter at my day job, and came home too exhausted to put out a coherent show.

Just like what happened last time, once more we're looking at something that some folks will consider to be a trite platitude.  And once again, we cna discover that there is actually something important and exciting within it.

The saying this time?  "Take time to smell the roses."

There are those people who will hear that and accuse whoever said it of trying to keep them from getting ahead.  But there are also those who go from the beginning to the end of their journey and have not learned anything along the way.

You've seen such people, and people who are becoming just like them.  In the "Dilbert" comic strip recently, there were some about an MBA who had just joined Dilbert's company.  What that particular MBA lacks in knowledge, he makes up for in buzzwords and jargon.  And if you think that "Dilbert" is just a comic strip, ask someone who has been accused of leaking stories to the comic strip's author.

In some lines of work, people who are making a career in the field will speak of "paying your dues."  Those who have "paid their dues" have smelled the roses.

Each rose has a gift for you.  You'll see.  You might not understand the gift today, but the day will come when you will - or someone will recognize you because of it.

Each gift from each rose which we smell along the way will make us that much wealthier when we get to where we're going.

Blessed Be!

We all have our teachers.  And some of our teachers are great teachers.  I can name quite a number of teachers I've had, some I've mentioned to you and some have names you'd recognize if I dropped the name. 

But there are other teachers, too.  And some of them turn out to be great teachers, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.

There are the power-trippers, there are the people with an agenda, there are those who are over-devoted to a faction's party-line, there are those who cannot mind their own business, there are the greedy, and so many others.  I might call it a zoo, except that I do not want to insult my four-footed friends who are above such behavior.

And, they get in your way.  There is something which you feel that you are supposed to do, and they do their best to keep you from that.

But, do you know what?

The joke can be on them, if you want it to be!

Blessed Be!

We spoke about The Witches' Pyramid last time.  This time, we're talking about how to get the most if its (and your) power.

So often, new students ask questions that begin with "What's a good spell to do...?", or "how would you use magick to...?" and so one of the first things I usually do with those who learn from me is make a comparison between someone who cooks burgers at a local fast-food franchise, and a top chef.

The burger-flipper knows how to follow instructions in preparing pre-manufactured ingredients into something you and I are supposed to be able to eat.  Most openings for such jobs do not have too stringent qualification requirements, and pay starts somewhere in the neighborhood of minimum wage. 

It takes years to make a chef, and a chef knows food well enough to create recipes as needed, and make variation as required by occasion, need and availability.  While a shortage of some key ingredient will inspire the chef to be creative to meet needs in spite of the shortage, the burger-flipper might only know that there's no point in asking if you want fries with that if a potato shortage means that fries are not available.

Likewise with a Priestess or Priest.  It is entirely proper that learning begins with learning how to do something from someone who already knows how to do it.  But eventually, this learning creates an assimilation of principles which will give you the ability to create on your own.

And this is when it gets good - when it's uniquely and specially yours.  You'll see.  It's here.

Blessed Be!

Perhaps the biggest misconception about The Witches' Pyramid is that it is exclusive to Witches.  Not at all!  In fact, the principle is basic to almost any spiritual path in which The Divine has an active role in people's lives. 

And, in fact, it is the corruption and perversion of The Witches Pyramid's principles which give some paths such strange concepts as "God's will", especially when they claim that their allegedly loving god can will suffering.

Think of The Witches' Pyramid as having four walls.  Each wall is a principle.  Brought together, they create energy and power. 

Let's look at each of the four principles, and see how they apply.

Used effectively, they bring with themselves more than merely what you want and/or need.  And what is especially amazing is how much they bring with them.

Four basic principles, and the beginnings of great things!

Blessed Be!

Now, why would I pick a comparison like that - comparing Beltane to a Bar Mitzvah?

Perhaps because it's appropriate!  And perhaps because one gives perspective to the other!

At a Bar Mitzvah, the boy arrives at the synagogue with mom and dad.  But of all that goes on in that major rite of passage, the focus is on the moment when he announces "Today I am a man!"  While the parents will still have a role in his life, the character of his life changes at that moment, and more emphasis is placed on what he does, and less on what is done for him or to him.

And it is the same for the God, who was the Divine Child born at Yule, whose growth and childhood we celebrated at Imbolc and Ostara.  Today he steps into his maturity and begins that part of his life's journey in which he is the one responsible for doing the traveling.  And from this day forward until his funeral at Samhain, we'll be seeing what he does.

And so, yes, Beltane is indeed the God's Bar Mitzvah.  In so many ways.  And it's one more way in which we can relate to The Divine.

Blessed Be!

Pathworking is something I enjoy tremendously.  In fact, I enjoyed pathworking for longer than I've been a Wiccan.  I say that because of some other spiritual exercises which amount to pretty much exactly the same thing, but they are conducted in the context of other paths.  More than one, but there was one I came to know and love because of the visions.  And I'm so glad to have them now.

Of course, pathworking does take a time and a place that is set aside, preferably with people knowing not to disturb you.  But we can take the principle and adopt it elsewhere.

It's kind of like taking a vacation.  For a vacation, I'll take a week or two and forget that the office exists.  But I also need evenings, weekends and an occasional holiday in addition to the vacation time.  Otherwise, I'd be a basket case by the time I had vacation time coming to me.  And in this case also, there is something basic that I can take with me and apply it with what appears to be the everyday.

Begin with finding The Divine when you are in a very mundane situation.  When you are being spiritual is a good time for this, especially in the beginning.

And what are you doing?  You're adding more dimension and depth to your own spirituality.  Not only that, you're developing a way to see the divine in every aspect of your life.

And from there, you can really grow!

Blessed Be!

Unity?  Unity?

There probably are fewer words which have a definition more slippery than "Unity".  Especially where religion and spiritual matters are concerned, "unity" is one of those words batted around in some circles almost like patriotic words on a holiday that is patriotic in origin.  The problem is, "unity" seems to be a word that can have any number of meanings, depending on what is going on in the mind of the speaker.

So, what is unity?  Does it mean giving up your spiritual path for some supposed "greater good"?  Does it mean nitpicking, laughing at, and ostracizing those whose paths are at variance with the "authorized way" until they get themselves in line?  Does it mean "cafeteria spirituality" where you pick and choose which aspects of a path you will do?  Of course not!

As a matter of fact, if you have a tradition, you need to follow it.  That's one reason why some things might be all right if one person does it, but not if another does.  I am on a path that says that there are many paths, and so I say so.  Someone who is on a path in which there is supposed to be only one path is under a different set of rules.  Which does not mean that we can't give each other's paths mutual respect in the degree we would like to receive.  And there is the beginning.  And we can build from that.

And once we figure that out, there is no limit to what we can accomplish!

Blessed Be!

Last week, we celebrated this podcast's third anniversary.  This week, we look forward to see where it's going.

This is something that we all need to do from time to time:  look back to where we've been, and look forward to where we're heading.  There are a number of reasons for this, one of which is to insure that we are in fact on the course which we set out on initially.  We have all probably seen people and groups who have forgotten to do so.  I can think of a church that became so much of a social agency that worship services were neglected.  I can also think of a military unit that seemed more focused on social engagements than they were on being a military unit.  And, there was the savings and loan association in which people were much more focused on how people were dressed than they were on anything resembling what an "S&L" supposedly did - which might have something to do with why that particular savings and loan association is no longer in business.

To share this concept with you, I broke one of my own personal rules.  Where computers are concerned, I generally don't tell many folks what I am up to until it is done and in-place.  But I felt the need to make an exception because there was a need to do so. 

There's also something to share here about what we're here about.  And that, I am glad to say, has not changed. 

And there is more to come.

Blessed Be!

Yes, it has been three years that this podcast has been coming to you, and there are 159 episodes (including this one) to prove it!  It was in April of 2006 when the first one came out.  As I recall, it was my oft-repeated question as to why we can't get along.

Much has happened since then.  The first that comes to mind is that Jerome Birnbaum, who trained and ordained Lady Stormy and then me, finally had a Pentacle-inscribed veteran's headstone for his grave.  And people seem to be becoming more aware of Tempest Smith's tragic story.  Lord Pan, the four-footed patriarch of our little family here, crossed over into the Summerland.  I'm not claiming credit for anything other than these were some of the things we've shared over the past three years. 

It might be said that it began with my own hunger and thirst.  And when I found myself not only spiritually hungry and spiritually thirsty but also spiritually abandoned, I looked for a new home, new food and new drink.  And it seemed right that while I should not proclaim this food and drink to be the only ones, I would be remiss if I did not offer them to those who might wish to avail themselves of them. 

It might also be said that it grew from what I learned and discovered.  Imagine us as a thread in a beautiful and infinite fabric.  The problems come when we find a thread which thinks that it is the entire fabric!

And so, let's take a moment and celebrate that we've made it through these three years, and let's have a vision of what lies ahead for us. 

I'm looking forward to it. 

And thanks for sharing these three years with me.

Blessed Be!   

With Ostara, we finished a significant sequence of events within the Wheel of the Year.  We begin with a death at Samhain, and see a birth at Yule.  But what was born at Yule is only an infant.  At Imbolc, what was born is beginning to have some strength.  And at Ostara, the one who was born at Yule is seen as being really back to life in every sense.

In many ways, it's like a graduation.  And you can look back and see where you've been.  And perhaps more importantly, you can look forward and see what lies ahead.

Ancient lore from almost any spiritual path (including that which we share here) will tell you what lies between death in one lifetime and re-birth in the next.  And there are many points which all of them seem to have in common.  Of course, people who purport to speak for a particular path will lay claim to certain embellishments as if they were true.

And somewhere, there is reality.  How to tell your own reality?  There are a couple of basic facts which can make a great deal be abundantly clear.

I'm not going to give you answers, but I will show you where to find answers.

Blessed Be!

At Ostara, there is a story.  Ostara, Easter, Spring Equinox, whatever name you give it, there is a story that gets told.

A story you've heard before, or is it?  If you hear the story from another path, can you recognize it for what it is?  And if groups of people who probably had little idea (if any) of each others' existence come up with the same lore, should we take time and ask why this would happen?

It might well be that the slightly-different stories have a truth in common.

And here is a message at Ostara that some folks miss.  Does it occur to anyone that if another path has the same lore as yours, that means that the paths corroborate each other.  Neither one is an adaptation of the other, but they share the same truth!

Something that I pointed out when remembering Tempest Smith is appropriate to mention again.  In one path, there is a writing in which someone said that he had "sheep which are not of this fold," but he did not say how many other sheep or how many other folds.  And if two paths share a truth, then their respective followers will do well to share respect with each other. 

But in this case, the shared truth means something even bigger than that!

Blessed Be!

---

I was listening to some music the other day, and I heard an old favorite: Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence."  I have been known to say that my definition of great writing is one which reveals new things to the reader no matter how many times you read it.  By that measurement, this is one of the greatest!

There is a story in the words to that song, and the story brings with it some powerful verbal imagery.  And it leads us to one of the truths which we all need to confront.

What I see revealed here is a basic truth about ourselves and our nature.  And as a result, it seems the obvious conclusion is that there is one thing which none of us will ever do.  Not a one of us is capable of doing it. 

The irony is that there are many people whose own belief system is such that they are sentenced to living their lives in denial of this truth, but it is there nevertheless.  And by what I say that they cannot do, it implies that there is something that they are doing, because what they cannot do is to avoid doing it.  They might do it on a different basis, but they do nevertheless.

A puzzle?  Not if you know what it is that we cannot do. 

And because we cannot do that one thing, there is something else which takes on even greater importance as a result.  And it is something which you probably are doing.

And it's what makes things exciting.  And it begins with knowing what it is that you will never do.

Blessed Be!
 

Barrier Busting!

We all face barriers.  There are enough of them in our mundane lives, but on out spiritual paths, they can be formidable.  And they need to be dealt with, one way or another.  Some of them were put up for you by other people (or circumstance), and others are barriers you put up for yourself.

There are two kinds of barriers which we all have to address.  The first kind of barrier is the kind that's there for a good reason.  One example would be the things you don't do because of vows you've taken.  Another example might be things you don't do because you feel it's more risk than it's worth. 

But there is another kind of barrier, and that is the barrier which keeps you from something which you want or need.  Prejudices can be the basis of this kind of barrier, but they are not the only way these barriers come to be.  Sometimes fear can bring about an unnecessary barrier, such as a person who refuses to fly in an airplane. 

And a useful role of discernment is to help you know the difference.

And in this, there is another key which can open doors.

Blessed Be!

We've spoken much about what gives you power, and how to avoid that which costs you energy.  And so, now is a good time to step back for a while and take a good look at how to construct a ritual.  In any endeavor, it's worthwhile to occasionally take a step back and remember the basics.  Then again, we're talking about a form of endeavor in which the advanced stuff is nothing more than application of the basics anyway.  It's much the same as in mathematics - all of the fancy stuff is nothing more than sequences of the basic operations.

And so we come here, to see what it takes to put a ritual together.

And please understand, it does not have to be a fancy ritual at a permanent altar.  You'll also have plenty of opportunity to do them when you don't have set-aside facilities.  In fact, there might be occasions in which you might need to do one in which nobody around you knows that you're doing a ritual.

And the most important mortal in your ritual is, of course, you.  Don't worry, Mrs Broadbeam, Sister Sweathog and Pastor Platepass who tried messing with your spirituality before are no longer around to bother you, so don't worry about them.

And, armed with the right basics, there is no telling just how much you might be able to accomplish.  Do not be surprised if you surprise yourself!

Blessed Be!

---

"Mass For The Shut-Out", Temple of Gaia's video cast, can be seen at http://www.veoh.com/search/videos/q/lordaidan

This was intended to be an on-line ritual, but there were enough words to say that they deserved their own episode. 

Tempest Smith died on February 20, 2001.  She died by her own hand because she could no longer deal with the daily harassment and bullying she was receiving from her classmates.  At her funeral, there were numerous statements from those who should have been her friends about how sorry they were.  Well, words are like arrows:  Once they've hit the mark, how much good does taking them back accomplish?

And in her honor, some words of warning, and words of promise as well.  And they come right from the Christians' own Bible.  They might not be verses which some folks know, but they are there, waiting for those who want to learn.  Three words of warning and promise, in plain sight.

If The Divine is as infinite as if must be, there is a whole lot which we simply do not know.  But, we can begin by knowing that we do not know everything.  And we can know that what we grasp of The Divine is one small part of one small corner.  And that's regardless of what name or names we use for addressing The Divine.

And when our minds are grown to the point that we might be able to grasp more, then we'll see things differently.  And things that seemed so terribly important today will become so terribly trivial!

And the warnings contain promises of what can be ours if we grasp the lesson to be found in Tempest Smith's story.

Blessed Be!

In a town in Illinois, there is a protest going on against the environmental education program going on in their local elementary school.  It seems that some of the grownups don't like the idea of children being taught such concepts as recycling, global warming, and environmental responsibility.  One person called it "environmental indoctrination"

It reminds me of when I was growing up in Oregon, and some of the grown-ups didn't appreciate the idea that the schools were teaching us kids that people whose skin was a different color had the same rights as everyone else!

There will always be those who stand in the way of what's right, but the fact is that the truth is being taught.

And then there is Chase Utley, second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies.  I am not a sports fan, but I am a fan of his.  For all he does for our four-footed friends, I'll cheer for the Phillie so that he will have success.  And I first heard of his efforts because of a story of a much-abused dog.  And I've noticed that since he's made such an effort, more and more big-name people are rescuing animals from shelters.  The man is making saving a life the "in" thing to do!  Those who have heard me tell any of Yuengling's story know why that would mean so much to me.

And so, we see positive.  Children are learning the right things, and a role model is taking the lead in caring for animals. 

And this comes together in magick!

The negative is always easy to find.  The positive is sometimes more difficult to find, but it can be found anywhere.  Not only that, but when the positive is found within the negative, it makes the positive shine even more.

And what does this have to do with magick?

As you will see, it has everything to do with it!

Blessed Be!

There is a time for critical self-examination.  The trick is, once again, to maintain balance.  Don't be so over-critical of yourself that you judge yourself to be beyond redemption, but also don't make excuses for yourself, either.  There can be a danger here of a downward spiral similar to that experienced by some folks who experience bullying or a smear campaign. 

One prime example of this is the issue of prejudice.  Prejudice begins with a dichotomy, two facts in opposition to each other.

Everyone has prejudices.  There are more causes of prejudice than I've got time or disk space to list.  But the chief causes include what you learn from parents, friends, classmates, and your own experience. 

Look at the word "prejudice".  "Pre" means "before".  "Judice" means "judgment".  So, it's judgment in advance.  Jumping to a conclusion before the facts are all in.  And we all do it.

And so, let's look at it.  And let's see what we can do about it.  And if it's unavoidable, can we make some use of it?

And that's one of the secrets in plain sight!

Blessed Be!

---

And so, we have Imbolc!

This is probably the most obscure of the Sabbats, especially for those of us who have spent our lives in temperate climates.  But it is well known to Norse, Celts and others who live in the northern lands.  On the news a few days ago, it was mentioned that the folks at Barrow, Alaska got to see the sun for the first time since November!

It's still winter, but the sun is returning.  And for those who are watching, the first of the most hardy shoots are beginning to stick their heads out of the ground.

A promise was made at Samhain.  Another promise was made at Yule.  Or, you could say that the promise made at Samhain was repeated at Yule.  At Imbolc, we have a sign (or a token of pledge) that the promise is going to be fulfilled - and in fact it is in the process of being fulfilled.

And underlying this is a basic fact about The Divine.  It is a fact which might not sit well with those who speak of "God's will." 

And maybe it tells us something about The Divine (by whatever name or names we address our deities).

And it might even offer a healing for some, along with fulfillment of the promises made at Samhain and Yule.

Blessed Be!

A thought occurred to me during a recent ritual.  One of my favorite magickal tools does not get as much discussion as it might deserve.  I'm talking about music in your own rituals.  I'm not really talking about anything involving a group.  What I'm looking at more is the kind of ritual like I do when it's me and The Divine.

That's also the time when I can, as the saying goes, sing like nobody's listening and dance like nobody's watching. 

In its most simple and basic use, it can be a wall of audio between you and the rest of the world.  It can also aid your focus and vision, and make the thoughtform even more alive and real. 

Of course, there are a few cautions.  One of the most basic, for instance, is that if you are using another language, have some idea of what the words mean.  That does not mean you need to be fluent in the language which you are using.  But it does mean that you should make some effort to insure that someone who knows the language doesn't embarrass you when they announce what you've been chanting.

The music you use can take any number of forms and combinations.  It might include singing, any number of forms of chanting, a musical instrument, or recordings.  The means and method are not as significant as what they achieve.

Some don't use it at all, and some make it a major part of their magick.  And you won't know until and unless you explore and try.

It might add some new dimensions to your magick.

Blessed Be!

Now, we begin to walk forward.

In the last few months, if there has been any kind of recurring theme in my podcasts it would be that of putting any obstacles out of the way. 

So then, you ask, what now?

Now, you begin to move forward toward your spiritual goal.  It's your turn now.

There are stories about others, but this is your turn.  Who is to say that what worked for someone else is going to work equally well for you?  But, we can learn from the stories.

First, of course, we need to separate the spiritually successful from the successfully sanctimonious, at least for purposes of this exercise. 

Some of the successfully spiritual were very simple people.  Not much education, not much money, and in some cases considered to be not terribly smart. 

But others who were successfully spiritual (and spiritually successful) had very powerful intellects and knew how to use it.  So, what would they have in common with the simpler folk?

I offer an illustration which, I believe, brings out the point.

And with that, a journey begins.

Blessed Be!
   

Last week, I spoke of the Principles Of Wiccan Belief.  There are 13 principles in that 1974 statement, and each one could command its own episode on a podcast like this - or even more.

But Number Eleven stands out in my sight, because it deals with a principle so basic.  Yet it is a principle which is so often forgotten: 


As far as I know, every spiritual path known to humankind faces its detractors and debaters.  But does it accomplish anything? 

I recall in college, it seemed that every wanna-be "intellectual" felt the need to debate whether Yeshua Bar-Joseph actually was an historical individual.  Some anti-Jewish and anti-Israel groups are trying to claim that King David never existed.  But I find it really upsetting to see Wiccans and Pagans engaging in such debates, especially when they make such debates with other Wiccans and Pagans. 

I've said before why I consider challenging another person's spiritual path to be spiritually dangerous.  I would also point out to any debaters that if it's not your path, what's it to you anyway?

I try to make as few exceptions to this as possible, and those exceptions have to do with basic morality.  Beyond that, I'll even give The Flying Spaghetti Monster the benefit of the doubt for now.  If it's not my path and it doesn't bother my path, what business is it of mine?

For some folks, certain things are so basic that they don't even require mention.  For some others, it might just be a secret in plain sight.

Blessed Be!

This episode might get me in trouble with some folks.  But that might not be so bad, because a number at least equal to them will be glad that I measured my tent and they see that it is large enough to include them with no big issues.

In 1974, the American Council of Witches adopted a set of 13 points which they declared to be the Principles Of Wiccan Belief.  I was barely aware of Wicca's existence in 1974, and the American Council of Witches has since disbanded.  But their Principles Of Wiccan Belief are an important legacy which has been passed down to us. 

When the Internal Revenue Service or other government body looks at a religious group and tries to decide if it constitutes a "church", one of the documents which they look for is a basic set of distinguishable beliefs.  This is ours.  We do indeed have a debt of gratitude to those who wrote it. 

And going through it, I find answers to some of the questions which seem to plague so many of us - and really bother me.  What, or who, is or is not Wiccan?  "Wiccan" encompasses a broad range of spiritual paths.  And by virtue of these 13 principles, it can be said that it encompasses more than many people are willing to admit.  Some Wiccans will be reluctant to recognize that certain other people are in fact Wiccan.  Then again, some other people will be reluctant to admit that they are Wiccan.

There are basically three kinds of people, as I see it, who are not Wiccan regardless of their claims:
And the point of all of this? 

When we get this point and put it to use, wonderful things can happen!

Blessed Be!

If I repeat a point, it just might be because it's an important point which folks will do well to remember and use.

One advantage we have over the more mundane folk is that while their holidays end at the stroke of midnight on the day of the holiday, each of our Sabbats can be seen as never being really over until the same Sabbat of the next year arrives.  Yule of 2008 will be with us until Yule of 2009, and we will see it not only in every other Sabbat between now and the next Yule, but in each and every single day - if only we look.

And Yule's big gift to us, the one I spoke of last week, is ours to cherish the whole year.

And here is where I find the need to take off the figurative gloves.  I am known to be not only tolerant but generally accepting of other spiritual paths.  But in one place I draw the line and I will not move that line.  I find it impossible to accept, believe in, or follow a deity whose would constitute abusive behavior if one of us mortals did the same thing. 

And within this is a gift from The Divine, and it is a gift which we can indeed cherish and nurture each and every day. 

And herein is the greatest gift of Yule, and the one we can really put to use all year!

Blessed Be!

It's Yule! 

Yule is one of my favorite times of the year.  So many spiritual paths converge at this time of year, whether they want to or not.  Why?  Because there is something special at the root of all of the celebrations at this time of year, and it is something special that everyone needs, whether they want to admit it or not.  As for me, I admit that what I've found at the root of all of these celebrations is something that I do need.

Now, what could Yule, Christmas, the birth of Mithras, Hannukah, the Winter Solstice and some others have in common?  Why do so many of them include the exchange of gifts and feasting in their celebrations?  Could it be that there is a gift at the heart of this?  Could it be that these celebrations, especially at the root which all of them have in common, have this gift in common?

And what is this gift? 

The gift begins with a promise.

Go back to the beginning, when our ancestors were first trying to make sense of the world in which they found themselves.  Peer out of your cave at this time of year, and what do you see?  What would you be wanting?  What would you hope for, and what promise would be the most precious right about now if you were living back then - and knowing only what they knew?

Know what?  That gift is still there, still waiting for each of us - including you!  And for some of us, it is even more precious today.  Claim your gift, and join in the celebration we offer on this wonderful Sabbat!

Blessed Be!
 

From how many wells may you drink?  The simple answer would seem to be that you may drink from as many wells as are necessary in order to quench your thirst.  But what about drinking from spiritual wells in order to satisfy a spiritual thirst?

How many spiritual wells may you drink from when you are seeking to quench a spiritual thirst?  This is one of the toughest questions you will face in your spiritual quest, and you will indeed face it.

In the beginning (or re-beginning, if you are seeking a path after losing a previous path), you need to find a tradition that meets your needs.  That means building a relationship between yourself and not only a tradition but also (and especially) its deities.  That will be enough to keep you busy for quite a while.

Later, you may want or need more dimension and/ or depth, such as noticing an affinity to some deity, discovering a need, or the call of ancestors.  You might also want to come to peace (not necessarily reconcile, but come to peace) with a former path.  For these or other reasons, you'll have grown to the point where you find yourself  needing to drink at more than one well to satisfy your spiritual thirst.  How do you deal with that?

There are all kinds of answers.  Some incorporate a fact which makes the followers of some paths cringe.  Nevertheless, there is only one answer which is valid for you, and you need to know where and how to find it.  And that's what this is about.

Blessed Be!

A time to be selfish?  Yes!

The problem with selfishness is that most of the time when someone is talking about it, they're talking about its excess or abuse. 

The fact is that a small, healthy dose of selfishness is not only not wrong, it is healthy and necessary.  Without it, we become doormats.

It might be unreasonable to expect folks to make a big deal of every little thing you might do for someone, it is extremely reasonable that you should at least expect that a reasonable effort not be insulted or snubbed.

We have become what we are  because we help each other.  We each also have our own boundaries.  We need to know where the line is.  We need to know what we're going to do if someone steps over that line.

You've heard me speak of the need for balance before, and none quite so much as here. 

While we reach our potential by helping others, we must also look out for ourselves.  And in this episode we explore that.

And armed with this, we can explore even more.

Blessed Be!