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Archive for January, 2010
Tonight: Year’s Biggest Full Moon, Mars Create Sky Show
Saturday, January 30th, 2010New Moon Formation Theory Proposed
Saturday, January 30th, 2010Researchers are now suggesting that the moon may have formed during a nuclear explosion within the mantel of the Earth. In scientific terms it sounds rather dry, but if we put this concept into a mythological format, it might sound something like “In the beginning, the Earth was alone and later the Earth gave birth to the moon.”
While the most popular theory for moon formation is that it was formed after the Earth endured a massive impact from an object in space, a new theory, which is really a much older and long-ignored theory, has now come into light: the fission hypothesis.
The impact hypothesis is not without its complications. According to simulations, the moon should be made of 20 percent Earth and the remainder should be impactor material, but this is not the case. Isotope ratios of heavy elements and light have discovered that moon rocks are literally identical to Earth material. A nuclear explosion however, can better explain the commonalities between Earth material and moon material; the fission hypothesis, an idea that is over a century old and that was set forth by the son of Charles Darwin in the late 1870s, suggests that the earth and moon were first a rapidly spinning molten rock mass, that somehow the moon became dislodged, and the result is a planetary body that orbits the earth today.
The reason that the long time theory remained ignored is because a key element was missing; the answer to the question, “what dislodged the moon from its “gravitational embrace” with the earth?” According to Rob de Mijer from the University of the Western Cape and Wim van Westrenen from VU University in Amsterdam, as the earth and the moon spun around, the centrifugal forces would have concentrated elements like uranium and thorium on the equatorial plane and at the core-mantle boundary of the Earth. With high concentrations of radioactive elements, it could have produced a nuclear chain reaction that ultimately exploded; the molten mass that would eventually become the moon dislodged from the “gravitational embrace” as a result.
Read more on the moon fission hypothesis.
Area for Wiccan Worship at the US Air Force Academy
Saturday, January 30th, 2010The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) has announced in a recent press release its plans to create an area of worship open to pagans. According to the news release on January 26, the Colorado Springs-based Air Force Academy will be establishing a special area for earth-based religious worship including Druidism and Wicca.
The academy intends to dedicate a hilltop area on March 10th of this year; a stone circle will be created for the use of outdoor worship, and the area will be open to air force service members, cadets, and the inhabitants of the area. At this time, Muslims, Buddhists, Catholics, and Protestants have a special worship area at the academy. This news comes following air force guidelines established in 2005 to accommodate more religious belief systems.
The Air Force Academy chapel will add a worship area for followers of Earth-centered religions during a dedication ceremony, which is tentatively scheduled to be held at the circle March 10. The circle is a circle of stones that is positioned overlooking the USAFA’s Visitor Center and the Cadet Chapel. This new area of worship has been established by Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier who is in charge of the Academy’s Astronautic laboratories. Longcrier worked along with the existing chapel at the USAFA in order to establish the place of worship.
Longcrier states: “Feel free to check the site out, but treat it as you would any other religious structure.”
The stones that have been used to construct the inner and outer rings of the sacred circle were at one time positioned by the Visitor Center. Viewed as a safety hazard, the stones were purposefully moved to the hilltop by the 10th Civil Engineer Squadron. According to the press release, the chaplains at the USAFA have been very supportive about the creation of the sacred space at the Academy.
Sergeant Longcrier became a pagan shortly after arriving at the USAFA in the year 2006 and he feels that the tolerance for other religions on the base has improved tremendously since his arrival. In 2005, allegations surfaced that suggested the Academy had illustrated religious intolerance. In 2006, air force cadets that had earth-based religions had no place of worship and nowhere to gather. Now they are meeting each Monday, they have the opportunity to go on retreats, and they have a stone circle erected where they can worship.
A circle of worship was also established in 1999 by the Sacred Well Congregation (SWC) at Fort Hood in Texas too. Unfortunately, since that time, the circle was vandalized four times. The worst vandalism occurred in October of 2000 when a large limestone altar was destroyed. One member of the SWC, in response to the act of vandalism wrote the following words: “If we speak together, we are a chorus to be heard. If we whisper alone, we are but a sigh in the dead of night.”
Blessed be.
You can read the US Air Force Academy Press Release for more information.
http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123187157
Wiccans Are Merely Charming Eccentrics
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010So, I’ve found a place to put my morning rants. This morning I a came across an article in the Langley Advance entitled “Witch hunters are still with us,” by Matthew Claxton. Of course, the title grabbed my interest so I figured I would have a quick read. The author was clearly attempting to explain that the act of modern day scapegoating and witch hunting still exist, but his opening to the article was a bit, shall we say, unnerving. While the author did a great job of pointing out that premodern and modern day witch hunts are caused by ignorance, superstition, and fear, the article is incredibly misleading when it comes to depicting the practitioners of witchcraft today. At the outset I knew the article would be problematical since it starts with the author’s idea of humor:
“Witches are handy to have around. They’re useful in plays about doomed Scottish kings, they can change the weather if it’s boring you, and they know lots of interesting demons. They also float, so if you’re on a sinking ship, lash two or three together and use them as a makeshift raft.”
Now, I have a really good sense of humor and I can take things pretty lightly when I need too, and maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for a bit of dark or sarcastic humor. Perhaps I’m irritated because it is due to silly statements like the one shared above, that misconceptions about Wiccans still run rampant in society today. Yes, a joke is a joke, but some jokes are in very poor taste. Still, I think it’s the next section of the article that really began to strike a nerve:
“No one believes in witches anymore. There are a bunch of charming eccentrics who are more likely to call themselves Wiccans or Goddess worshippers, but they very seldom wear pointy hats.”
First of all, stating that “no one” believes in witches anymore is tad amount to making a huge, generalized sweeping statement about what people believe. How does the author know that no one believes in witches anymore? Has there been a worldwide survey conducted that I don’t know about? It seems like a very small world view, if you ask me. It’s nice that the author points out that there are Goddess Worshippers and Wiccans, but what’s the point in doing so if we, as witches, don’t exist? To identify us as “charming eccentrics” of course. Really? “Charming eccentrics?”
Let’s define eccentric here; to be eccentric a person has to be “deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice,” and the term suggests that an eccentric person is “irregular, erratic, peculiar, or odd.” The term eccentric also suggests that a person has an “unusual, peculiar, or odd personality, set of beliefs, or behavior pattern.”
So, with a matter of a few words, Wiccans have been identified as people that are odd or that have odd beliefs and behaviors. My question is; what’s so odd about our behaviors? What is it about our belief system that can be deemed eccentric or unusual? To suggest that Wiccans and Goddess Worshippers are charming eccentrics is to infer that our religious system is not something that should be taken seriously or that anyone that identifies themselves as a Wiccan is simply behaving erratically. At least we are “charming,” which suggests that members of society can easily tolerate our eccentricities, even if we are “so unusual.”
So what is it that makes Wiccans and Goddess worshippers eccentric? Is it because we have rituals that honor the divine in all creatures, people, and beings? Is it the fact that we revere the earth and we try to live our lives in balance? Is it because our temples are in our hearts and the earth is our sacred temple? Is it our belief in a divine feminine force that balances the masculine divine? Is it our belief in the power of the mind, in the power of words, in the power of human intent, and esoteric understandings? Are our “charming eccentricities,” derived from something more mundane than that?
Why is it that the word Wicca conjures up the notion of being eccentric, bizarre, or that a Wiccan is someone that stands on the fringe of society? George P. Hansen, in his book, The Trickster and the Paranormal, explains this notion as marginality. Because Wiccans live a lifestyle that includes the attempt to walk in the mundane world and the esoteric world, we are viewed as liminal beings. Admittedly our lifestyle is very different, and this automatically forces us into a position where we are wrongfully stereotyped and perceived; there must be something wrong with us if we don’t conform to society’s view of what’s normal. I, for one, have taken a long look at what society, as a whole, feels is normal, and I am very glad I don’t easily slip into the category of what it is to be normal.
Oh well. If being a Wiccan has to make me a charming eccentric, I’ll wear the badge proudly. Maybe I’ll make a T-shirt that says: “Ask me why I’m a charming eccentric.” Then I’ll make up a few t-shirts for my kids that say “I’m with the ‘charming eccentric,” with a little arrow on it so the shirt can point in my direction. Then I can tell everyone who asks me: “I am a very proud Wiccan, a witch; you know, the type of person no one believes in anymore.” Oh, and by the way, I’ll be wearing my “little pointy hat,” my conical hat, when I say it. At least I won’t be viewed as insipidly boring.
Perhaps I’ll start a whole line of “Charming Eccentric” products so that all Wiccans can get in on the deal. We can get bumper stickers that say: “Watch out, charming eccentric behind the wheel,” or we can make up “Charming Eccentric” key chains, pendants, posters, and pentacles. That way, we’ll be easier to identify when we are out and about in public. That way, maybe we can get people to believe in the reality of witches again since “no one believes in witches anymore.”
You can view the article in the Langley Advance here.
Pagan Told to Hide Macabre Toys from Her Child
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010This must be the week for me to spot news articles that are annoying. An article on The News (www.portsmouth.co.uk) entitled, “Paganist protests as health visitor tells her to move items,” posted by Chris Broom, was my first news read for this morning. I should probably start making a habit of hitting the coffee pot first before I read, although I doubt it will do little to minimize my aggravation. I am beginning to be pleased with the fact that we’ve started a regular blog here on ISIS were we can use the format as a sounding board, a place to share ideas, and as a place to occasionally vent frustrations.
In the article, a 29 year-old-woman named Jemma Hawkins was at a home receiving services from a mental home treatment team when she was asked by a health visitor to put her religious items away because the individual feared the affects that Hawkins’ religious items would have on Hawkins’ ten year old son. Hawkins’ is, of course, pagan. The article revealed that Jemma often got visits from the treatment team to help her deal with her bipolar condition, and the worker asked her to remove her “pagan images and accessories,” from her own living room! Hawkins’ was terribly upset with the worker and who could blame her.
The way I see it, when you step into my home you step into my sacred temple and I purposefully surround myself with things that are religiously meaningful to me. My children know that I am Wiccan and fully appreciate my religious values. They find nothing scary or terrifying about any pagan items, artwork or pieces I might display in my home. If you walk into the home of a pagan you have absolutely no right to ask him or her to hide their things or to change who they are. Imagine if the roles were reversed and a pagan walked into the home of a Christian friend or a friend of any other religion for that matter. Would it be appropriate to say, “Hey, can you tuck away all your icons of Christ,” or “Do you mind not flaunting your religious beliefs in front of me?” No, of course it wouldn’t, and it is not okay in this case either.
The worker was talking with Hawkins’ casually about her health and then began committing on Hawkins’ belongings. Then she told her that her pagan belongings may have an effect on her son’s well-being and that she should put them away. Hawkins’ had told the reporter what angered her most is that the worker didn’t even recognize Wicca as a religion. Thankfully, Hawkins did not acquiesce to the woman’s request; she told the woman that she has been a practicing pagan for six years and that her son has never had a problem with her belief system.
Of course, there is another side to this story and there may have been a problem with the worker’s ability to recognize Hawkins’ idea of religious symbolism. The worker had come from the HampshirePartnership NHS Trust and the organization states that the worker had been referring to some dolls Hawkins’ had in her home called Living Dead dolls. You can see samples of these dolls here (http://www.mezcotoyz.com/store/ldd.aspx).
Now, I’ve seen these dolls and while the dolls are unique and probably pretty cool to collect, especially if you are into horror movies and the like, I’m not a hundred percent sure what they have to do with being pagan. I’ve checked out a few of the dolls myself, and loving horror books and movies of all kinds, if I were going to collect any of them, the Beetlejuice doll and the Freddy Krueger doll would probably be part of my own collection. Of course, being a pagan, I don’t know if I would attach religious significance to them, although I would find them morbidly adorable. But, that’s just me, and that could be where the worker got confused and the health worker simply found the dolls too macabre. Now, this notion can be stretched; what happens when someone has gargoyles, dragons, mythical statuettes and other figurines in and around the home that may hold some religious significance? Is it okay to tell the person that they may have a detrimental effect on children, put it away?
It’s not like the woman had a real machete on her coffee table, now is it? Where do we draw the line? What one person finds meaningful, another person doesn’t. What one person appreciates, another may not. Whether the dolls really had a religious significance or not, does a home mental health worker really have the right to make suggestions about how your belongings are displayed in your home? While this may not be a clear cut case of religious discrimination, when would be an okay time for someone to come into your home and tell you to move your belongings because they are offensive or they may be “psychologically harmful to your children?”
The worker asked Hawkins if she felt the dolls should stay in her bedroom instead of her living room, and the organization that employs the worker argues that their workers would not give parenting advice unless a parent was doing something very wrong. The bottom line is this; when a person enters a home, they are doing so willingly. If objects in the home are offensive to the visitor, unless it poses immediate undue harm to the visitor, it’s better to keep one’s opinion to one’s self. You never know what kind of religious or sentimental value someone might attach to their personal belongings. Finally, if the objects are really that offensive to the visitor, then perhaps the visitor should get up and walk right back out the door that they came through.
You can read the write up offered by Chris Broom here.
A Response to an OUTRAGEOUS Article on Wiccans
Monday, January 25th, 2010Okay, so I encountered an article this morning that made my blood boil before I even had a sip of my morning coffee. This usually sets me right in gear to offer up a response. The article was printed in the Jacksonville Christian Living Examiner entitled “Wicca –gotta serve somebody,” by Victoria Thomas Poller. After reading the article, I’ve got a few things to say to Ms. Victoria Thomas Poller and all people that think the same way. Unfortunately, the comment box on the site did not give enough room for me to properly respond to the outlandish, prejudicial, and judgmental accusations that Ms. Thomas Poller presents in her article. Let’s take a look at the article more in depth here, so that I can properly respond. It’s disgusting to see that even today misconceptions about Wicca are so rampant. Let me make it very clear that my words are not an attack on Ms. Thomas Poller, but a response to a written attack on Wiccans and the Wiccan lifestyle made by Ms. Thomas Poller.
First, the article begins with the following quote, which already indicates that what would follow would not be very good:
“…It may be the devil or it may be the Lord; but you’re gonna have to serve somebody”, by Bob Dylan”
The very first quote in the article suggests that Wiccans worship the devil, and you don’t have to read very much further to find out that this is precisely what Ms. Thomas Poller believes. Ms. Thomas Poller starts off by saying:
“Wicca is a religion (or a lifestyle) that is being adapted by our youths as a “New Age” way to ‘have it all’ by doing “your own thing” and not having to pay homage to anyone or anything; because you’re ‘all that and a bag of chips’.”
There are several things wrong with this passage. First off, Wicca is a religion AND a lifestyle, not one or the other. What kind of religion would it be if one didn’t live its principles each and every day? Now, Ms. Thomas Poller also claims that “youths” are adapting this “New Age” method of having it all. First of all, if anyone understands the principles of Wicca, the faith system is not about having it all, rather it is about being at one with the ALL. It is not only young people that are drawn to the principles of the craft, but adults too, and they are attracted to the craft because they seek the inner peace that can be found through its teachings. Wicca is a lifelong journey, one that involves the endless search for self, for self understanding, for an understanding of the divine, and it involves a never ending learning process. We seek to know our role in the universe and how we can become better people.
It becomes screamingly clear that Ms. Thomas Poller has been poorly educated on the Wiccan faith. Wicca is not about “doing your own thing,” but about walking in peace in the world and in balance however that can be achieved. There are many ways to walk in this world, at peace, with all living things. Wicca is about doing things to make the world a better place to live in, about loving one another, and about creating a community of trust.
As far as paying homage to nothing, again, Ms. Thomas Pollers’s bold accusations are incorrect. We revere EVERYTHING because we see the divine as existing in all things and all people. We believe that ALL GODS ARE ONE GOD, and our religious system is hardly absent of a divine being. We revere the divine in every person, in every creature, and in all the earth and universe. I’ve been a practitioner of the craft for many years now, and I’ve yet to see a true Wiccan who walks around acting like their “all that and a bag of chips.” In contrast, Ms. Thomas Pollers’s article takes on the air of having an author that is fulfilling the very accusations she is making. I wondered to myself as I read the article what made Ms. Thomas Poller wake up on the day she wrote this article to start slinging baneful accusations loaded with inaccuracies around. Why does she believe that she’s “all that and a bag of chips?”
Sadly, the article continues:
“Wicca deceives a person into believing that if you do well to “things” and wish no evil, then you will obtain all your hearts desires. What Wicca doesn’t tell you is that the ‘deity’ that you trust in is dependent upon someone or something else to keep ‘them’ or ‘it’ self-sufficient.”
Really? I know that our ONLY COMMANDMENT is “If ye harm none do what ye will,” but I might be missing the words that say our hearts desires will be fulfilled here. We seek to walk on the earth without causing harm and, Wicca is not about fulfilling material desires. It’s not about merely “wishing no evil” on others, it’s about working everyday to make the world a better place. It’s about respecting others and their right to fill their heart with whatever religion that fulfills them spiritually. There’s nothing deceptive about Wiccan practices whatsoever. Here, Ms. Thomas Poller clearly argues that Wicca is a religion that is supported by the devil, a concept that Wiccans do not believe in. Unfortunately, Wiccans are forced to argue again and again that we are not deceived, we are not in league with the devil, we don’t worship a devil, and we are not evil. Still, the ignorance about our religion marches on despite the thousands of books on the craft that clearly explain our principles and understanding, and despite the many proud Wiccans that serve as fine examples of what being Wiccan is all about.
Ms. Thomas Pollers’s argument continues:
“The trees, candles, fire, earth, water, air and herbs are all created and maintained by God (read the beginning of Genesis in the Bible) and not a god or a goddess (read Habakkuk2:18-19).”
Never have I heard a Wiccan say that trees, candles, fire, earth, water, air, and herbs are not created or maintained by God. Okay, candles are created by humans, and I’ve read the bible and I’m confident in saying that the passages in Genesis don’t mention “candle making” as part of the creating the universe process. I can also say that Wiccans don’t argue against the case that “God” has made everything. We simply have a different concept of God which is a force that is equally feminine and masculine. We revere the divine as this equal force that flows through all things and in our eyes, a god and a goddess have created all things. Interestingly, Ms. Thomas Poller then points her readers to the biblical passage Habakkuk 2:18-19 from the King James Version of the bible:
“What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.”
Now how can Ms. Thomas Poller argue that candles, trees, fire, earth, water, air, and herbs are created by God in one passage and then argue that the very things God created are graven images? We honor that which has been made by our understanding of god, and the four elements, herbs, and candles are hardly graven images. By the way, if candles are graven images, perhaps they should be removed from all church altars and should be further banned from all church rituals.
Ms. Thomas Poller continues:
“Because of some hypocritical people in affluent places – many young and ever older people, who profess Christianity, have been confused by what they’ve seen or heard in the “Church.” This confusion has led some of God’s sheep astray to a self-created, self-centered doctrine of the Wiccan society.”
Wicca is not a self centered doctrine. The lifestyle does involve knowing oneself only so that one can be in better balance with all things. As I read the article, I wondered about “what hypocritical people in affluent places” Ms. Thomas Poller writes of; is Ms. Thomas Poller asserting that some churches are incorrectly teaching the Christian doctrine? Is she really arguing that the Church is pushing good Christian people to become Wiccans? Why can it not be argued that people have free will and the right to choose their religious affiliations? Wicca is not a system that attempts to convert others and draw others in and no one has to be “pushed” to become Wiccan. It’s a free choice made on the part of the practitioner.
Ms. Thomas Poller continues:
“People are not infallible; they make mistakes. They are not God. Jesus Christ has given each of us a road map, a savior, and the free-will to decide which way we want our lives to go. Do we want to live a Christ-centered, fulfilling life on this earth and also in a life to come, or are we willing to sacrifice our lives to ‘something’ that draws its powers from natural things? Who created us anyway? We did not “poof” into existence nor did we reincarnate from another life form. We were created by God.”
I’m glad Ms. Thomas Poller at least recognizes that people are not infallible, and perhaps she should take a long look at her article to ascertain its fallacies. I don’t think there is a single Wiccan, at least that I’ve encountered, that believes people “poofed” into existence, but we do believe in reincarnation. We do believe we were created by God, but our understanding of what god is differs. It’s interesting that Ms. Thomas Poller asserts that Wicca draws its power from natural things. She should have gone as far as to ask herself “WHO created the natural things” that Wiccans honor.
Ms. Thomas Poller continues:
“If you were to face a Wiccan, would you be able to identify them? Would you be judgmental or compassionate? Could you help them to the truth & the light which is through the one, true God, Jesus Christ? If you still have questions, or you need to help someone to the ‘truth’ then read “What’s the Deal with Wicca” by Steve Russo. As for me and mine – we’ll stick with our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Trinity), but that’s another story. Trust – Believe – Receive!!!”
Now, this passage suggests that Wiccans have some identifying markers that will automatically scream, “Hey, I’m a Wiccan.” It also suggests that we are something that should be avoided and feared. That’s stereotyping and I’m curious as to what markers Ms. Thomas Poller feels every Wiccan should have. She then asks her readers if they would be judgmental or compassionate. Judging by the article offered by Ms. Thomas Poller, I’m guessing that anyone that would buy into her arguments is leaning toward judgmental. Ms. Thomas Poller also argues that Wiccans need to be saved. I’m here to argue that we don’t and we would prefer if you simply let us live in peace as we desire to do. As far as Steve Russo’s book, if it’s selling arguments like those posed by Ms. Thomas Poller, then this is probably the first book I have ever encountered in my lifetime that I would give serious consideration to burning. As for me and mine – we’ll stick to the Maiden, Mother, and Crone, and the Father, Son, and Sage, the God and the Goddess, and that’s our only story. “Love, Light, and Peace.”
Originally, I had a lengthy post I wanted to offer in the comment section of Ms. Thomas Poller’s article, but the comment box only allows for so many characters. Go figure; I guess it’s necessary to curb some of the sentiments that people want to share. Therefore, I’ve decided to share what I wanted to share with Ms. Thomas Poller here in full. Here is what I originally wanted to post:
First, allow me to say that I whole-heartedly respect your right to believe as you desire. If your faith fills your heart and keeps you strong you are very blessed. Now, as a priestess of the Wiccan faith for many years and a teacher of the craft, I find your article highly offensive. First, let me start by telling you that we worship no devil and do not believe in the devil. The devil is a Christian concept, not a Wiccan one so you are incorrect on this point. Secondly, Wicca is both a religion and a lifestyle; what kind of religion would it be if you didn’t live its principles each day? This factor might be something you should think deeply about. Jesus teaches principles of “kindness,” does he not? That being the case, what is so kind about the judgments and stereotypes you present here?
Despite the word “New Age,” Wicca is based on far older principles, and we don’t seek to have it all, but instead, we seek to be at one with all. We honor nature, the earth, and all creatures and beings. Our ONLY COMMANDMENT is “If it harm none do what ye will.” As far as not paying homage to anything, again you are sadly mistaken. We revere the balance of the masculine and feminine in all things, the divine polarity of all, a god and a goddess, and we believe that ALL GODS ARE ONE GOD. A god and goddess are merely constructs for us to understand the divine better. As far as thinking “we’re all that and a bag of chips,” I must ask you where you are coming up with such a judgmental accusation? Have you ever met a REAL Wiccan? I don’t believe so based upon the nasty commentary you have offered here. Didn’t you know that “people that live in glass houses should not cast stones?” What made you wake up and want to target and entire community of people who have done nothing to you?
As far as reading the bible, it’s something you may want to do more closely. You may want to pay particular attention to the teachings of Christ and how you should treat others. Perhaps you should read the bible verses from John 8:1-11 “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.” With this simple phrase, Jesus silenced an angry crowd ready to execute a woman caught in adultery. His words challenged them to judge themselves before judging others.”
May your life be blessed.
Dayna Winters, devoted Wiccan
You can find Ms. Thomas Poller’s, full length, infuriating article here.
FIRE GODDESS Dish for Candlemas
Thursday, January 21st, 2010Here is a spicy dish for Candlemas celebrations submitted by our team member Justyn Staley. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
1 (7-ounce) package red beans and rice mix
3/4 pound of ground beef
One can of black olives (optional)
Sliced jalapeño peppers (optional)
Preparation:
In a heavy skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic with the ground beef that is 90-93 percent lean in olive oil until crisp and tender. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT red beans and rice mix, and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes to blend flavors.
Prepare red beans and rice mix as directed on package and add in the tomato and onion mixture. Simmer for 3-5 minutes longer, and then serve. Sliced black olives on top are “optional.” You can also use jalapeño peppers as a topper if you desire.
Recipe Notes: Ground beef is an excellent addition, but it is also optional for any vegetarians out their celebrating Candlemas. Spice the dish to taste. All of the above ingredients like the onion and black olives and even the garlic along with the ground beef are not needed, yet they are just there to enhance the dish to taste. Not everything is meant for everyone and this is a recipe that you can prepare based on your preferences.
The Sabbat Candlemas and Celebratory Practices
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010Candlemas, commonly celebrated on February 1 and 2, is the next upcoming sabbat for practitioners of the craft. This sabbat is a high holy day and is known by a variety of different names. Candlemas is sometimes referred to as Imbolg, Imbolc, Oimelc, the Feast of Torches, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Feast of Waxing Light, the Snow Drop Festival, Brigid’s Day, or The Festival of Light. This sabbat is one of the four greater sabbats, a fire festival, and it is the time of year when practitioners revere the earliest stirrings of spring and the slow return of the sun. When practitioners are celebrating Candlemas in the Northern Hemisphere, those practitioners living in the Southern Hemisphere are celebrating Lammas.
Since fire is considered an element that purifies, this sabbat is identified with acts of purification and preparation as we clear away the old and prepare ourselves for new beginnings. This sabbat is an ideal time for purifying oneself mentally and spiritually, and for ridding oneself of baneful habits. It is also a time of dedication, initiation, and reaffirmation. This is a time to spring clean and bless the home and it is an excellent time for home clearings.
Since Candlemas is associated with the first stirrings of spring, it is a sabbat that is associated with the Maiden aspect of the Goddess: the virgin, the Holy Bride. It is the earliest moment where we are preparing to transition out of winter’s dead season and into the vibrant season of spring. The mother earth goddess has slumbered during the winter months and now she prepares to awaken: this is often symbolized by the snow crocus which begins to grow beneath the earth and which will emerge from beneath the snow.
Goddesses Associated with Candlemas
Candlemas has long been associated with the fire goddess Brigid; this goddess is associated with the fires of inspiration and thus, Candlemas is an excellent time to seek out inspiration for creative endeavors of all kinds. Other fire goddesses associated with Candlemas include the Hawaiian goddess Pele, Freya the Norse fire goddess, the Greek fire goddess of the hearth Hestia, the Egyptian fire goddess Sekhmet, the Roman goddess of fire Vesta, and the Japanese goddess of fire Fuchi, among others. Goddesses in their maiden aspect or virginal aspect like Athena and Artemis are also goddesses associated with this holiday.
Gods Associated with Candlemas
Fire gods associated with Candlemas include the Roman god of fire Vulcan, the Greek god of fire Hephaestus, the Vedic god Agni, the Slavic god Svarog, the Akkadian god Girru, the Japanese god of fire Kagutsuchi, and the Celtic god Belenus, the Celtic god of fertility and animals Cernunnos, the Egyptian God Osiris, and the Greek god Pan.
This is the time period when the Goddess has already given birth to the Sun God (occurring on Yule), and Candlemas marks the recovery of the Goddess, and the slow returning of light. Mother earth begins to awake, to stir, and to come to life as is witnessed by the spring’s earliest stirrings of life. The Sun God, at this time, is still a very young child.
Candlemas Traditions
This sabbat is often celebrated with the making of candles, with the burning of candles, and with the burning of sacred bonfires. It is also a common tradition to take up the besom or witch’s broom which can be used to magickally sweep away negative energies in and around the home. Some practitioners begin planting seedlings indoors which can later be transferred outdoors when the weather permits. This is an outstanding time to assess the contents of your witch’s cabinet too in order to ensure that you have all the supplies you will require for your magickal workings throughout the year.
If you are decorating your altar on Candlemas to correspond with the sabbat and season, gold, crimson, magenta, red, scarlet, yellow, and white are excellent color choices. On the altar you may want to place different stones associated with the element of fire like rubies, garnets, bloodstones, amethyst, turquoise, onyx, and sunstones. This day is also an excellent day for initiations or self dedications since it is a day marked by new beginnings and change.
Incense selections for the holiday include things like cinnamon, dragon’s blood, ginger, basil, myrrh, sage, vanilla, and angelica. Adding a few indoor crocuses to your sanctuary will help beautify the room too. White flowers, yellow flowers, Heather, Violets, Daffodils, and Wisteria also make wonderful floral arrangements for the holiday.
Cautions: If you are using candles to honor this holiday, please be cautious and do not leave candles unattended at any time. Make sure you light all candles on a fireproof surface and that you extinguish the candles when you are through using them. It is not recommended that you burn a candle throughout the night since an unattended candle is hazardous. Instead, snuff out the candle until another time and relight it when you can monitor the candle and allow it to burn safely in your presence.
Other Activities
Some practitioners like to make candles from scratch right before Candlemas or shortly thereafter. This makes for an excellent time to restock the witch cabinet with needed magickal supplies, to re-consecrate tools, and to clean and re-consecrate one’s altar too. It is a time for planning of projects, and it is also a good time to start or launch new projects since Candlemas marks the season of fresh beginnings. Some practitioners like to make acorn wands this time of year, and it is common for some practitioners to position their besom (witch’s broom) by the front door to keep negative energies at bay or in an effort to symbolize the clearing away of the old and the welcoming of the new. This is also a wonderful time to make a brand new besom if you need one, or to purchase a new witch’s broom if necessary. Since the moon will be in its waning phase on Candlemas in 2010, this is definitely a powerful period for clearing away old energies.
Making Brigid’s cross is also another tradition that some practitioners partake of, which can be later hung in one’s home to keep the home protected from baneful, un-welcomed energies. Since Brigid is a fire goddess, it is believed that Brigid’s cross also helps to keep a home protected from fire. The cross can be made out of plastic straws, or it can be crafted out of two sticks that are crossed and tied together, and the “God’s eye” of the cross can be crafted out of different colored yarns. Once completed, the Brigid’s cross can be hung in the home as an amulet for protection.
The Unnecessary Use of Provocation in Paranormal Investigations
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010What happens when investigators go to sites where paranormal events are reported and the investigators decide to irritate or provoke a spirit into acting out, into manifesting or they try to force a spirit into showing itself through provocation? The short answer to this question is that the consequences of provocation will vary depending upon the spirit or entity being dealt with or it will depend upon the source of the activity and how irritated the entity becomes. It seems to be a growing trend among some investigators when it comes time to investigate a location to make an effort to provoke a spirit into action through harsh or vulgar words and taunts.
First of all, it’s important to realize that when you are “rattling the cage” of some unidentified spirit, you really have no idea what this spirit may be capable of doing. Even if you conduct a full interview with a client and find out about activity that has been going on in the home, you can’t know for sure how a spirit or entity will interact with you on site, especially if you provoke it to anger. To provoke something means to literally stir up or arouse the spirit/entity in an effort to incite resentment or anger, to irritate, to abrade, to aggravate, and to vex the spirit/entity.
What happens after investigators have concluded their investigation and they head home? If the spirit/entity remains at the location, chances are the investigators have now left the clients with a pretty aggravated spirit. Then what? How will the client deal with the rapid increase of activity and the acceleration of potentially violent activity if the spirit has been provoked? It seems somewhat callous to stir up trouble just to get a spirit to manifest so that investigators can gather information or so that they can witness activity on an active site only to leave the client’s with a potentially troublesome paranormal mess later on.
The truth of the matter is, provocation is unnecessary in a site where there is legitimate paranormal activity. If a client is already contacting you and complaining, a good percentage of the time the activity has been going on at a location for quite a while and has reached the point where it is either accelerating or simply spiraling out of control. To provoke something that is already causing chaos is not only unnecessary, it’s plain foolish and unwise. At minimum, a client’s paranormal problems may multiply; at most, the spirit responsible for activity may attack investigators or the people living in the home or the spirit or entity may decide that the individual’s that have provoked it make for an excellent target.
Angering a spirit is not the way to collect evidence, to get proof that paranormal activity is occurring, or to force the source of the activity to prove itself. It is far better to behave in a fashion that is totally respectful of the forces that are being dealt with than it is to stir up the anger of an entity. A good thought to keep in the back of your mind at all times are the wise words of Confucius: “When anger rises, think of the consequences.”
Paranormal Activity Being Blamed for a Bad Basketball Game
Monday, January 18th, 2010In a recent news article on Southcoasttoday.com, a story reveals how some of the team members of the Knicks were disturbed, not by the team they were playing against, but by some paranormal activity they experienced during their stay at the Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City. The game between the Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunders ended with the Knicks losing to OKT 88 to 106.
The news article reports how several team members were affected by paranormal activity and how some of them didn’t get enough sleep at night because they became convinced that the hotel they were staying in was haunted. Jared Jeffries, signed by the Knicks in 2006, is cited as saying that he definitely believes the location is haunted and the hotel was scary to stay in. The news report also tells how Eddy Curry, a center for the Knicks, only managed to get a total of two hours of sleep Sunday evening, the night before the game, because he couldn’t stop obsessing about the possibility of unseen entities roaming around in the halls of the Skirvin Hilton. Curry was so disturbed that he ended up spending the majority of his time in Nate Robinson’s hotel room, and Curry sincerely believes that the hotel halls are haunted.
These reports are not new reports for the Skirvin Hilton since guests have commonly reported having strange experiences, sightings, and hearing unexplained noises in the hotel. According to some tales, it is believed that a woman committed suicide at the hotel in the 1930s and that she jumped from the tenth floor of the hotel with her baby in her arms. In contrast, some stories suggest that the woman jumped off the 14th floor after being kept hostage in the upper levels of the hotel by the owner of the hotel who got her pregnant and wanted to avoid a scandal. Common reports by guests include hearing screams of a female, items being moved by something unseen, the sighting of female apparitions, and males staying in the hotel have reported hearing the voice of a woman propositioning them. Some reports include seeing a woman in the bathroom, and one guest once reported seeing a female apparition in his bed when he awoke. The female that committed suicide along with her child are also reported apparitions seen at the hotel.
Herb Williams, the assistant coach for the Knicks, teased Curry and Jeffries about believing in ghosts and believing that the hotel was haunted, but Curry didn’t find the situation something to laugh about. The team ended up blaming the game loss on the lack of sleep they had the night before and the uncomfortable two days that they spent at the hotel. It should be duly noted however, that Curry, as well as Robinson, have both been benched by the Knicks coach, Mike D’Antoni until this point. So was it a lack of sleep, paranormal disturbances, and ghostly activity or a lack of time out on the court that is responsible for the lost game played against the Oklahoma City Thunders?
According to Dan Gordon, one of the authors of Haunted Baseball: Ghosts, Curses, Legends and Eerie Events, published in 2007 by The Lyons Press, it is not uncommon for athletes on the road to complain about experiencing paranormal activity. Gordon co-authored the book with Mickey Bradley, and the authors explain that there are a number of hotels across the nation where professional athletes stay that have reports of ongoing paranormal activity. Gordon explains that for a professional athlete that is on the road, tired, exhausted, and away for home for months at a time, the thoughts of dealing with paranormal activity are doubly disturbing.
The Skirvin Hotel has been mentioned in books like the book Ghostlahoma written by Tammy Wilson and Tonya Hacker. The two authors conducted research on the hotel for a period of two months before writing about it. The research revealed a number of unexplainable events that were not necessarily frightening but that could suggest ongoing paranormal activity in the location.
The Skirvin Hotel was originally opened in the early 1900s, and the building was later renovated in 1925 when a new wing consisting of 12 storeys was added to the establishment. More renovations were conducted in 1930 when the three wings of the building were leveled with an add on to each wing giving the three building wings 14 floors each. The hotel is located at 1 Park Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in downtown Oklahoma city on the corner of North Broadway and Park Avenue nearby the Cox Convention Center. In the 1970s the hotel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Additional renovations occurred in 2004, and after several years of being closed, the hotel was reopened to the public in mid-2007.
