Category Archives: Spirituality

Special Sale ~ The Spiritual Feminist

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Just in time for Christmas!  Note:  This book was published by Moon Books, and I have no control over the sale and promotion… I do not know how long this special will last!

Special Price ~ The Spiritual Feminist (was $24.99, now $5.29…paperback!) The Spiritual Feminist empowers today’s woman through the Goddess ~

click  HERE

“So many people throughout my life have told me who I am, what I must do, what I can’t do, what I have to complete, and what I will never be able to accomplish, and then I met the Goddess.” (From The Spiritual Feminist) …The Spiritual Feminist empowers today’s modern woman through the Goddess, connecting her to ancient matriarchal divinity and spiritual practices which invoke this energy.

 

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Spiritual Feminism ~ What’s it all about?

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What’s it all about?… It’s about embracing the feminine divine.  It’s about matriarchal divinity and the mysteries revealed.  It’s about connecting with the feminine aspect of Spirit.  It’s about connecting with 45 goddesses from around the world!  — Cultural Appropriation… Bring it on!  I’m an American; I’m a blend of numerous cultures and peoples with every generational step back I take… from parents, to grandparents, to great-grandparents, great-great grandparents, and beyond.  It’s all about learning how to incorporate Spirit into our lives; it’s about learning to love ourselves and feed our egos with healthy affirmations.  It’s about self-empowerment; it’s about learning to empower and support each other!

Listen to the following radio interview for an in-depth discussion on these topics and more!

//percolate.blogtalkradio.com/offsiteplayer?hostId=313501&episodeId=8010665

You’ll find all of this and more in my book,

The Spiritual Feminist

CLICK  HERE

 

The Jesus Dilemma ~ What do you say to them?

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First, I want to start off by saying that I respect ALL religions.  I want to start off by saying that there is no one true right path.  I want to start off by saying that each individual has the right to choose their spiritual path and the beliefs that they adhere to, and they deserve this right to be respected by the world community without coercion, ridicule, or prejudice.

I have nothing against Christianity or Jesus.  I have dear family members who follow this spiritual path as well as individuals close to our family circle, and I would not think of interfering with their decision, or degrading their practices, beliefs, and dogmas.  Among my own immediate family circle, we are a wide and diverse group.  My seven children include, not only Christian practitioners, but Buddhists, agnostics, Wiccans, atheists, and more.  Apparently this is something that makes us unique as a group of people that are close knit in spite of our varied and often conflicting spiritual beliefs.

It’s all good.

The ONLY thing that I find offensive about Christianity and the Jesus cult is the hard-core Christians who have a very obnoxious attitude of “My way or the highway”; their incessant domineering insistence that you must believe what they believe; and their often disrespectful attitude and response to people of other spiritual paths.  Sometimes this is very over-bearing and “in your face”, and other times it’s very subtle with biting quips and off hand remarks.

How should non-Christians respond when confronted by disrespect regarding our spiritual paths, practices, and deities without being disrespectful to someone elses’ spirituality?

It’s a conundrum.

A brief note to Christians determined to convert the non-Chrisitian ~

1.  Just as grounded and passionate as you are about your Christian faith, we are just as grounded and passionate about our faith.

2.  “But the Bible says…” — You are assuming that everyone in the world views the Bible as a divine work from the spirit world.  Not so.  I can’t speak for other non-Christians, but I view the Bible as a piece of literature written by men, from a male perspective, over the course of centuries, and modified much through various translations since then.  (Although the original was bad enough.)  There is nothing divine about it to me.  As a matter of fact, as a woman I find it very insulting and reflective of the negative attitudes towards women that prevailed back in the day, and even survives to some degree in modern times.

What the Bible says does not impress me.

3.  “You need God in your life…” — I’m assuming as in “god” you are referring to a super-natural entity of a high vibration.  If this is the case, I call this entity “Goddess”, and She indeed enriches my life and life experiences through my connection with Her and the daily spiritual practices I use to connect with Her energy.  I can only speak for myself when I say that I view divinity as a universal consciousness expressed around the world through a variety of pantheons, spiritual practices, mystical stories, and archetypes.  However you personally connect with “Divinity”, it will be a unique and blessed experience.  Just because your experience is different from my experience, it does not invalidate my experience, or the higher vibrational entity that I connect with on my spiritual journey.

4.  “I’ll pray for you…” — Under certain circumstances, this can be a positive statement to hear.  For instance, you’re facing a problem or a decision and close friends or family who are of the Christian faith want good things to happen for you.  It’s like saying, I’m on your side, or I’ll add my energy for a positive outcome, or I’m concerned about you and I want to help.  But when this comes from the lips of someone who is trying to convert you, someone who has pestered and preached to you about your spirituality, someone who has been at you to try and convince you that you are wrong in your beliefs… Then this statement can be chilling.

All thoughts are energy, no matter who they come from or what they consist of.  The energy that these people will be sending out into the universe will be very negative and conflicting with your soul and your connection to divinity.  Personally, I view this as the ultimate insult.

I like to respond without being negative or rude if at all possible.  I usually say, “Well, while you’re praying for me, I’ll be casting a spell for you.”  This generally brings about a very shocked reaction.  Maybe they never considered that you would reciprocate in kind, or that this was even an option.

5.  “It’s heaven or hell…” —  Actually, this is inaccurate.  The non-Christian has so many other options.  First, I have to say that the idea of “hell” came from the Bible, the book that was written by controlling domineering males who wanted to intimidate and frighten people, which would make it so much easier to control people.  So we can just let hell go all together.

Other spiritualities have a variety of beliefs in what happens to us after death.  I can only speak for myself.  The following perceptions were typed out randomly, as they came to mind, in no specific order:

I believe in life after death; I also believe in reincarnation.  I believe that it’s possible for some very enlightened gifted individuals to connect with the spirits of those who have passed and communicate with them.  I believe in the Wiccan idea of  “The Summerland”.  I believe that certain soul connections are so strong and indomitable that they reconnect through many life times.  I believe that the soul is set free of the physical body at death.  I believe we have spirit guides to help us through major transitions in life, which includes death.

 

 

The Witch’s Corner ~ May Magick!

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“…Thank you to all the people who sent me their true Ouija Board Experiences! It was fascinating hearing about what you went through and how it has affected you. I enjoyed reading your stories, and I’m betting the viewers will enjoy hearing them! Again, thank you for taking the time and effort to send them to me. You’ll find the Ouija Board Stories in this month’s Newsletter Video…scroll down.

The “Special Offer” for this month’s newsletter ~ When you purchase a 3 card audio tarot reading, you’ll receive a FREE crescent moon pendant. (While supplies last). This offer expires on May 31st, so you’d better scroll all the way down to the bottom of this newsletter and use the Paypal widget found there.

Check out the section, Spell-a-Day: Monday-Friday Magick, for some magickal inspiration and some pretty vibrant and major magickal candle spells. Included in this section are the following spells ~ Spirit Guide Protection; Goin’ to the Chapel; Loosin’ the Pen; Goin’ for Broke; The Goddess in Me.

There’s also a special video section this month with some inspiration from some amazing Youtube women. Kudos to them! I hope you enjoy their videos as much as I do!

You’ll find all the usual sections on herbs, stones, and moon magick… I hope you enjoy browsing this newsletter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have a wonderful, happy, magickal May!…”

http://www.thewitchscornernewsletter.yolasite.com/may-2018.php

 

 

Amazon Ranking!

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My book The Spiritual Feminist is ranked #170 in the Goddess category at Amazon right now… Not too shabby! Woot!

https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Feminist-Amythyst-Raine-Hatayama/dp/1782799699/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

I stumbled upon this information by accident today when I was updating my FB pages.  The numbers at Amazon are in a constant state of flux and change, so I don’t really keep track of this information intentionally, but I might pay closer attention now.  This book has its own Facebook page (as all of my books do):  https://www.facebook.com/thespiritualfeminist?ref=hl

“So many people throughout my life have told me who I am, what I must do, what I can’t do, what I have to complete, and what I will never be able to accomplish, and then I met the Goddess.” (From The Spiritual Feminist) …The Spiritual Feminist empowers today’s modern woman through the Goddess, connecting her to ancient matriarchal divinity and spiritual practices which invoke this energy.

 

What’s it all about? ~ Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way

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You can purchase this book, and my other books, at Amazon.
My Amazon Author Page ~
https://www.amazon.com/Amythyst-Raine/e/B004NMWMX4
Amazon/France ~
https://www.amazon.fr/-/e/B004NMWMX4
Amazon/Germany ~
https://www.amazon.de/-/e/B004NMWMX4
Amazon/UK ~
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amythyst-Raine/e/B004NMWMX4/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

A Snippet from “Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way ~

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A snippet from “Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way”.

The section: Questions & Answers.

 The Question: Do witches worship Satan?

 Part of the answer: “It would be a little difficult for witches to worship something they don’t even believe in…Satan is a newbie, an invention of genius by the early Christians to control a population through fear and intimidation. He’s the boogie man of the Christian bible, the friction needed for a good story– good versus evil. He adds drama to the novel.”

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Magick-Gray-Witch-Way/dp/1973564351/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

 
 
 
 
 
 

New Book Release! ~ “Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way”

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Good morning, World! I’m starting the day off with some Great News ~ I have a new book that will be launching the end of this month with AMAZON: “Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way”.  It’s available in paperback.

Watch my Amazon Author Page where you can purchase Your Copy!…

Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way explores the magick and mystery of old world traditions from a unique perspective, that of the Gray Witch. While the modern world and everything in it are often viewed as either black or white, ther…e are those magickal practitioners who recognize a more realistic normality ~ that shady gray area where the lines are blurred, and the adventuresome practitioners will discover that witchcraft can consist of power and justice, as well as love and peace. And in this realization comes an epiphany, one is not so different from the other. Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way is an excellent companion book to The Gray Witch’s Grimoire.

https://www.amazon.com/Amythyst-Raine/e/B004NMWMX4

Edit:  This book just went LIVE at Amazon! Woot! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1973564351/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RX5971G44AC28DC1P39Y

 

 

The Voodoo Kit ~ available at The Witch’s Corner

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This box includes:

1.  a wee voodoo dollie

2.  candles

3.  sea salt

4.  cemetery dirt

5.  straight pins

6.  coffin nails

7.  a small bottle of uncrossing oil

8.  incense

The Voodoo Kit

$15.99

click  HERE

The incense (3 cones) are not shown in the photo above.

 

My Magick Box

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A special gift box to set someone
on their magickal journey.

One-of-a-Kind Item!!
(only one available)

Here’s a peek inside My Magick Box,

Follow this link,

http://slide.ly/gallery/view/06d200304945bc50372c536c8773d14b

 

 

  This box is loaded with magickal goodies for the new witch, and would be the perfect “Starter Kit”.  This box would also be just the thing for the seasoned witch who wants to add some new items to her magickal cupboard.  It is the perfect Yule gift!
1)  Candles ~ 3 white votive candles, ready to set with any intention; and three black votive candles ready to disperse negative energy, uncross crossed conditions, and to provide protection2)  Oils ~ uncrossing oil; money oil; love oil; protection oil; black cat oil

3)  Herbs ~ rosemary, sage, mint, cloves and rose petals; for beauty/blessing, cleansing, money/prosperity, protection, and love

4)  Incense ~ 12 Nag Champa cones

5) One rose quartz pendulum in a black velvet bag ~ the perfect divination tool

6)  Four stones ~ one for each of the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire, Water

7)  Voodoo Dollies ~ red, for love; green, for money or health; black, for protection.

8)  Book of Shadows ~ a pink leather bound journal (pen included)

9)  Other items included:  straight pins; ribbons…white, red, green, black; 8 white gauze drawstring bags; sea salt; cemetery dirt; coffin nails

My Magick Box

$175.99+ postage

click  HERE  and scoll down

A Few Magickal Things

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             Yes!  This is MY cup of apple cider.

It’s in the mid-to-upper 40s here this morning; and even though it’s a bit chilly, that didn’t stop me from going outside on the back porch in nothing but my nightgown to get some cold apple cider from the kettle-that-is-way-too-big-for-the-fridge. It was exhilarating! (both the cold and the cider) 

I have discovered this morning that my Samhain Apple Cider is as good cold as it is hot; it’s rather refreshing cold (remember, along with lots of the usual spices, I add peach tea bags to mine). Yum.

                                                                                                           These are mine…they could be yours ~
These are a beautiful set of chakra pendulums. I’ve had them for some time now, priced as a set (I won’t break the set up); and they’re being offered at a price which breaks down to about $10 a piece. I won’t go any lower, and I probably should have gone higher. I’ve now put a time limit on them…if I don’t sell them by January 1st, 2018, I’m taking them down, and they will permanently be mine!
https://amythystraine.blogspot.com/p/pendulums.html
This photo is a hot love spell that was underway for a client. I’ve always said that I don’t do spells for people, but maybe that’s not entirely accurate. I have a Candle Altar Service, traditionally called “Setting the Lights”, and I will dress and burn a spell candle for you for your particular intention. I prepare this on a tray, as you see in the photo, with additional herbs, stones, and sometimes some very interesting items added to it. When all is said and done and it’s burned down, I use the remaining candle wax, along with the herbs from the tray, as well as extra herbs and things, and create a mojo bag from the spell remnants that I mail to you. This has been very successful, and I’ve received enthusiastic emails from very happy clients.
PS ~ the stuff I add to the mojo bag will definitely not include the statue that you see in the photo! This has a place of honor on my entertainment center, and it’s raised more than a few eyebrows from guests of varying ages and spiritual backgrounds. If you can’t see it clearly, it’s a couple caught in the rapture of a sexual pose. It’s proven quite effective in spells to produce not only love but some major physical passion as well (she says with a smile).
https://amythystraine.blogspot.com/p/candle-altar-services.html

A Woman’s Path to The Goddess

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“So many people throughout my life have told me who I am, what I must do, what I can’t do, what I have to complete, and what I will never be able to accomplish…and then I met the Goddess.”

~ Amythyst Raine

This book can be found @ MOON BOOKS ~ http://www.moon-books.net/books/spiritual-feminist ;

AMAZON ~ https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Feminist-Amythyst-Raine-Hatayama/dp/1782799699/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472387298&sr=1-4&keywords=amythyst+raine ;

BARNES & NOBLE ~ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spiritual-feminist-amythyst-raine-hatayama/1121063544 ; or any fine bookstore near you.

The Magick Box ~ A Special Gift Box to Set Someone On Their Magickal Journey

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This is what’s up on the Home Page at The Witch’s Corner. It’s just a bit of magick to get someone started on that special journey, or a bit of inspiration for someone who’s been traveling these parts for a while now. This is a one-of-a-kind item, and when it’ sold, it will quietly disappear.  Again, one of those “first come, first serve” opportunities.  If you’re interested, follow the link:  http://amythystraine.blogspot.com

Special Gift Box
full of Magickal Treasures

(one-of-a-kind-item)
9″ long X 8 3/4″ wide X 5 1/2″ tall
This beautiful box contains the following items:
1.  3 taper candles/white
2.  3 scented votive candles/white, pink, red
3.  1 pink BFF Voodoo Doll
4.  Moonstone Pendant
5.  3 Magickal Oils ~
Prosperity
Protection
Queen’s Oil/Cups
6.  Hematite Bracelet
7.  1 spiral journal/floral
8.  Body Products ~
Bath Gel/Lavendar Serenity
Bath Salts/Lavendar Serenity
Body Lotion/Lavendar Serenity
The total price for these items, if purchased separately, comes to $167.94.  As part of the gift box, most of the items listed are being sold at half-price, which brings this entire purchase to $90.94.But I’m offering an even bigger deal on our “Summer Magick” gift box, and that’s an extra 20% off the Half Price!

You get this beautiful box filled with magickal items for the special sale price of ~

$71.96

 The following items are part of this magickal package ~

Affirmations ~ Time for Reinforcement: Physically, Spiritually, Mentally

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The following blog post is an excerpt from my book, The Spiritual Feminist.  This book was a journey.  It was not just a writing process; it was self-therapy, it was revolutionizing new thoughts, it was hindsight recorded for my daughters, it was a journey through my life at so many points…until I suddenly realized that it was a journey through life for so many women with so many common factors, questions, doubts, and fears.

I hope you enjoy; and I hope there’s something here worth taking with you ~

Affirmations:

The Physical Aspect
This is my body…No one shall touch this body without my express permission. No one shall impose upon my body a physical action, intention, criteria, procedure, or judgment, that I have not expressly approved. This is my body, created by the Mother Goddess in all the glory of her likeness. Whether this body be large or small, fit or weak; whether this body align with the cultural views and norms of my society or not: My body is beautiful and will be respected as such.

Questions for Introspection
The Physical
1. What is my best feature?
2. What are two things about my body I’d like to change?
3. What would I have to do to make these changes?
4. Realistically, would it be possible for me to do this, and if I could successfully make these changes, who would I be making them for?
5. Am I able to accept my physical body in it’s beautiful natural state; am I able to embrace myself as I am?
6. Is my body healthy?
7. If not, what are my health issues?
8. What do I need to do in order to correct these issues, or just generally improve my health, strength, and endurance?
9. List three things you know are not healthy for you but you do anyway.
10. List three things you do for yourself that contribute to your physcial well-being.
11. What do I love most about my body?

The Spiritual Aspect
I will connect with the universe through the Divine Feminine, and through that connection with my ancestors and the root of all that is me…For centuries the Divine Feminine has been ripped from the heart and soul of womanhood, shrouded in stories of evil encompassing snakes and apples, betrayal and guilt. Womanhood needs to wrestle its freedom from this lie, to regain its strength and equilibrium through the power of the Mother Goddess.

Through the youthful exuberance of the Maiden, the fertility of the Mother, and the wisdom of the Crone, we have to pass on to our daughters the beauty of the feminine mystique, impressing upon them the reverence and respect that is its due. While the world still revolves around the decisions of men, it is women who harvest its bounty through their children, their art, their writing, their dreams, and their strong sense of nurturing. It is woman who builds up; and through her spirituality and connection with the Goddess, woman can repair the damage of previous generations, building new futures and opportunities for her children.

With our strong and renewed sense of connection to the Feminine Divine, the most important thing we can do is to impart upon our fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons the strength, beauty, wisdom, and power of womanhood at its most pure. We can lead them back to the Goddess, who is, after all, their Mother too.

Questions for Introspection
The Spiritual
1. Do I feel a strong connection with Feminine Divinity?
2. How has the Goddess touched my life?
3. Do I feel free to embrace Goddess Spirituality openly?
4. If not, what are the obtacles to doing so?
5. Realistically, can these obstacles be overcome?
6. What do I do each day to connect with Spirit?
7. How has my connection to the Goddess and my spiritual practices enhanced my daily life?
8. List three things that you think impede your spiritual growth.
9. List three things that have inspired you during your life.
10. What do you love most about your spirituality right now?
11. Is there a woman you know who would benefit by learning about the Mother Goddess?

The Mental Aspect
I will not allow other people’s opinions to form the image I carry of myself…Whether these opinions are formed and passed on to me by friends, family, or foe. If these opinions are filled with negativity, if these opinions are laced with jealousy, spite, judgmental prejudice, ambiguity, cruelty, or ignorance, I will disregard these opinions. These opinions will be shed as a snake sheds its skin, leaving renewed vitality and beauty beneath, exposing my true nature, in tune with the Goddess and a healthy ego.

Questions for Introspection
The Mental
1. Do I expect too much of myself?
2. Do I feel like I have to be responsible for everyone?
3. Is there a lot of stress in your life right now?
4. If so, what are the main causes of this stress?
5. Realistically, can the circumstances or people causing this stress be resolved or dismissed from your life?
6. If so, what steps must you take to correct the issue?
7. Do you give yourself time to daydream?
8. When you are sad, what makes you happy?
9. What makes you laugh?
10. What makes you cry?
11. What are you afraid of?
12. Do you have someone in your life with whom you can share your deepest thoughts?

The Source for this blogpost is ~

THE SPIRITUAL FEMINIST

order your copy HERE

Updates from THE WITCH’S CORNER!

The following are new products that can be found at
my website ~

Amethyst Pendants:  Click HERE

Zen Gardens:  Click  HERE

Magickal Bath Salts:  Click  HERE

Money Wash:  Click  HERE

 

New services offered at THE WITCH’S CORNER ~
Spell Consultations
Do you want to cast a spell, but you’re not sure how?  Do you want to cast a spell, but you’re not sure which herbs, candles, oils, etc. to use? You don’t know how to dress a candle?  You don’t know how to cast a circle?  You don’t have anyone around you to ask?Is there some specific magickal working you need information, advice, or help with?  I offer 30 minute spell consultations to give you the information you need to successfully cast spells.

 click  HERE
Featured Tarot Reading for April ~
 Desires & Fears
1. this is where you came from
2. this is where you are going
3. this is what is difficult for you
4. this is what makes sense
5. this is your ultimate goal
 Audio Reading
Desires & Fears
$15.00
click  HERE
 
 THANK YOU so much for visiting my blog today!  I hope you take away something special from your visit.  This is my “sacred space”, so to speak, my private journal; my therapist; and my joy.  It’s taken years to build, and it is as treasured as if it were a tattered leather-bound keepsake full of secrets and revelations.
 Blessings, Amythyst

A Lotta’ Drama ‘Bout Nothing

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“I Offered the Wrong Fruit to This God!”…”I set up my altar wrong!”…”My Life is Falling Apart!”, they wail.

I love this! (In a warped and twisted way.)  People, mostly youngish people that I’m finding (mostly), have gone over-the-top insanely fixated on practicing their paganism from a strictly Historically Accurate context. We all know that this is impossible, those of us old ‘uns who’ve been around a while and tread the path from various perspectives and dimensions.

I sit back in quiet amazement watching the high-drama…”I’ve insulted Zeus and Cerridwen !”(Greek god; Celtic goddess, for those who don’t know, and that’s ok).  They either set an altar up “WRONG”, or put the wrong offering out, or put the opposing altar with the opposing deities from opposing pantheons and cultures up too close together, or on the wrong day, or with the wrong intention…on and on and on and on.

These kiddos make me tired, just watching them.  They must be expending an enormous amount of energy on the how and why, the “historical accuracy” of an ancient deity, the who and when, how much, how often, worrying about repercussions from the G’awds above if something isn’t done the way it was a bazillion years ago.

And in doing so, they are missing the point completely.

They are missing the blessing of any divine insight because they are so wrapped up in our physical world and fanatical practices, and totally consumed with worry about DOING IT WRONG.

How can Divinity get a message through all the dramatic over-the top cadder-walling going on, both verbally and in their mind.  You have to be still, and preferably calm and peaceful, to connect with that inner voice, the voice that most often winds up to be the spiritual world trying to reassure us, or give us a message, or direct us in some way.  You can’t hear that voice when you’re all hot and angry under the collar because you are trying to reconstruct an ancient practice that has left no witnesses, and you’re all mad that no one understands what you’re trying to do, and you’re even more angry that some people are telling you it’s not only impossible, it’s unnecessary.

How can anyone connect with the Divine through all that?

The biggest negative to come out of all this, that I can see, is that these people are blaming everything that goes wrong in their life on the fact that they might be worshipping a deity incorrectly, and it’s the mad wrath of the god or goddess coming down on them.

Bullshit.

You’re not that important in the big scheme of ancient deities.

Your life is falling apart, if indeed it is, by the decisions you make, your own personal choices; the people you choose to associate with; the life-style that you choose to live.  Your life is falling apart because of personal fears, personal weaknesses, personal demons.

Your life is falling apart because of all these things and maybe more.

It’s time for you to grow some kahoonas and take responsibility for the mess your life is in instead of blaming some ancient deity for your personal predicament.

You can’t fix it, repair it, or rebuild it by going bat-shit fixated crazy trying to worship some ancient god or goddess in an “historically accurate” way; and then getting yourself all messed up because you feel you’ve failed this in some way.

And then there are those people who just LOVE DRAMA, and they’ve found the perfect foible with which to feed this appetite.  I’ve seen desperate posts by people simply hungry for attention, with all kinds of crazy stories about how they did something to bring down the wrath of the gods upon them.

And, you know, they generally get the attention they seek.

Again, I’m amazed.

They get patted on the back, blessings sent, hugs and kisses, because some big-ass old god is angry that they set up an altar the WRONG WAY, and now they are VICTIMS.  Of course, the people who respond to such nonsense in this way are enabling this victim mentality, and it will go on and on and on and on.  This won’t stop.  It feeds too many emotional, psychological, and mental needs on such a wide variety of levels, both for the “victim” and the enabler.  It’s not going to go away.

The saddest thing is that a true Divine Connection will never be made, experienced, enjoyed, or accepted for what it is.

Be still.

Find peace.

Sit with the sun on your face.

Stand with the moist earth beneath your bare feet.

Listen to birds.

Pet cats.

Pick a bouquet of wild flowers.

Watch a sunrise, or a sunset…

And know that you’ve just DONE IT RIGHT.

Historical Accuracy & the Modern Practicing Pagan

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Historical Accuracy ~ There is a deluge of internet blogs on this topic, and I’ve read many of them in open-awed wonder at the closed-minded, in-the-box, impossible silliness of all the rhetoric.  Historical Accuracy, really?  You want “Historical Accuracy” in your practice?  You want to do things 100% the way they were originally done centuries ago?  As one charming witch put it, “…Well then, how’s your Human Sacrifice coming along, and when was the last time you led livestock to a bog?”

And let’s get one thing straight before we go any further ~  “Historical Accuracy”, trying to replicate the precise practices of ancient people who no longer exist towards an ancient deity with no fully documented information is not the same thing as respect for modern indigenous people and their active spiritual practices.  (In other words, I won’t be holding a Lakota Sioux ceremony in my backyard anytime soon.)

But when I’m told I need “permission” to set up an altar to Kuan Yin in my home, it gets my blood riled.  Ask permission?  From whom?  The Chinese government?…they’re communist. If you want to nitpick at “rules” for your spirituality, look at it this way– I’m not breaking any laws.  Under our American Constitution I’m expressing my “Freedom of Religion”.  I doubt that my home is going to be deluged with spiritual police carting away my Kuan Yin statue like some sort of illegal contraband.

Too many people have way too much time on their hands which they’ve spent in some sort of fruitless pursuit of a “Perfect Spiritual Practice”.  It’s time for the Historical Accuracy Bandwagon to park itself.

I’m including in this blog post a video by Molly Roberts on this exact topic.  She puts it way more eloquently than I can ~

Elephants, Elephants, Elephants…My Journey to Ganesha

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It started about 16 years ago, honestly, I can’t believe it myself!  My fascination with elephants began as I was extricating myself from a 16 year marriage with a control freak, leaving an emotionally unhealthy situation.  I was so drawn to elephants in any form…artwork, statuary, jewelry…that my house is full of elephants, literally, almost every room carries the energy of this animal.  It was as if I’d never noticed elephants before; and I was puzzled as to my infatuation, because as a living animal, they were not a creature that I felt connected with.  It went somehow strangely beyond the living animal, but I didn’t understand how or why.

The next phase, be patient!

My daughter bought me a beautiful statue of Ganesha…and no, I very blindly did not see the connection.  From my vantage point today, I find this amazing!

Several more years passed, and I was in my “tattooing” stage and loving every moment of it.  I decided to get a tattoo on my chest, just beneath my right collar bone, and I was inexplicably drawn to a beautiful image of the moon and the sun interlocking with each other.  I was told that this was actually an image of the Hindu god and goddess, Shiva and Shakti, and represented their sexual union…No, I did not realize at the time that Shiva and Shakti were the parents of Ganesha.  In fact, I was not aware of this until very recently!  Again, the synchronicity is amazing, and what makes it even more so is my naiveté and blindness to it all.
Flash forward to the very recent present time ~ I wound up working somewhere that I had not expected to work (Next Millennium, http://magicalomaha.com).  It was a fluke, something I had not thought about, an offer that was totally out of the blue, which played in amazingly when the job I had in Fremont folded.  I was literally “semi-unemployed” for one day and jumped right in from 4 days a month at Next Millennium, to 5 days a week at this amazing shop!  It is no less than “magickal”, how this all worked out. (This event, this connection, is crucial to this story.)

 

Next synchronistic event ~ I like turning Youtube videos on while I’m getting ready for work in the morning, and on a very recent morning I tuned in to Joanna Devoe, to this video, and heard her talk about Ganesha…time stamp 3:17

 

 

Finally, as I was listening to this delightful lady talk about Ganesha, something in my brain went “click”.  I was at least tuned in, if not yet totally connected.

 

Next synchronicity ~ at work.  I suddenly noticed that the ladies I was working with were making references to Ganesha.  It was like a door was slowly creaking open.  Simultaneously, his image popped up in orders at the shop, and even on my computer at home.  I would bring something up or turn around to take a sip of coffee, and when I turned back, there he was.  He also appeared in many other bizarre and unexpected ways throughout the day that were like quick flashes.

 

And then, unexplainably, in one astounding lightening bolt “Aha!” moment…I connected!!  I connected all these years long synchronistic events.  It was almost a feeling of “Good grief!  All this time this is what was trying to communicate with me, and I kept putting it off!”

 

I am so excited!…And I thank the universe and all the hints and clues it was throwing my way all these years; and I thank the amazing ladies I work with, and the wonderful Ms. Devoe, for finally throwing this door wide open!

 

The connection is complete…at last!