Magick @ MindSay

MAGICK IS MORE THAN GETTING WHAT YOU WANT,  IT IS MORE THAN BEING MATERIALISTIC, ,IN MANY WAYS ITS ABOUT,CHANGING AND TRANSFORMATION OF OURSELVES INTO WHO WE NEED TO BE, WHO WE WANT TO BE, AND HOW WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD AROUND US BY CHANGING OURSELVES. CAN WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE CAN CHANGE? CAN TRANSFORMATION REALLY BE DONE BY OURSELVES? IS THIS LIKE PLAYING GOD? WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE TO THINK THAT WE CAN CHANGE OUR NATURE? I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS WHAT OUR MOTHER AND FATHER CREATOR WANTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN, TO GROW UP AND BE THE CO-CREATORS THAT THEY INTENDED US TO BE, AS PARENTS, THEIR GOAL IS TO RAISE US UP FROM BABES TO ADULTS, AND AS WE GROW , LIKE OUR  HUMAN CHILDREN , IT IS EXPECTED OF US TO MATURE, AND STAND ON OUR OWN 2 FEET EVENTUALLY, AND BE AND DO AS THEY WOULD HAVE US BE AND DO. WE SHOULD NOT EXPECT AS A GROWING CHILD TO ALWAY BESEACH OUR PARENTS FOR WHAT WE NEED, THERE COMES A TIME WHEN WE MUST GROW UP AND BE WHO WE BE, CHIPS OFF THE OLE BLOCK SO TO SPEAK , WE ARE TO BE LIKE OUR PARENTS AND BRING INTO THIS REALM WHAT WE NEED TO BE ALL THAT WE ARE TO BE, AND ONE WAY IS THROUGH THE USE OF OUR WILL AND INTENT, AND ONE OF THE WAYS TO DO THIS IS CALLED 'MAGICK'.WE MUST NEVER BE CONTENT  TO REMAIN AS WE ARE, BUT LIKE HUMAN CHILDREN WE MUST GROW UP AND BE INDEPENDANT OF OUR PARENTS,(GOD/DESS) ,NOT THAT WE NO LONGER NEED THEM, BUT ,WE MUST NOW BECOME LIKE THEM IN MATURITY. OUR PARENTS , OUR MOTHER/FATHER GOD/DESS WILL FOREVER BE OUR ELDERS AND WILL FOREVER HAVE THE RESPECT AND HONOR DUE THEM, BUT WITH THEIR HELP AND GUIDANCE WE MUST EVENTUALLY GROW UP INTO WHO WE ARE TO BECOME.

 

ONE ASPECT OF WHAT WE CALL MAGICK, IS TO CHANGE OUR PERCEPTIONS, OUR FALSE IMAGES OF WHO WE ARE, ITS ABOUT USING 'TOOLS' TO FOCUS OUR MINDS ON 'SYMBOLISMS' THAT PERTAIN TO OUR GOALS, THEY HELP US TO BE ABLE TO 'SEE' INTO THE SPIRITUAL REALMS WHERE OUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ARE, AND HELP US BRING THESE THOUGHTS AND IDEALS INTO MANIFESTATION, FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD BEGAN IN SPIRIT, MAGICK IS ONE OF THE WAYS TO HELP FOCUS OUR MINDS AND OUR INTENT , FOR A PURPOSE, AND TO AID US IN MANIFESTING THAT PURPOSE IN THE 'REAL' WORLD. MAGICK LIKE PRAYER IS A MEANS AND A WAY TO DO JUST THAT.

THE VIEWS OF JEFFERY PIERCE ON PRACTICING THE 'OLD RELIGION' ARE EXCEPTIONAL AND I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE  HIS BLOG:

BLESSINGS,

 

January 19, 2008

"Pillar Candles" - photographed in Salem, Oregon (January 11, 2005)

When pagans think of magick, we almost instantly think of Circles and spells, wands and incantations. At its heart, magick is the intentional manipulation of energy to effect a change in the world around us.

What we tend to forget is that spellwork is not the only way to do this.

Every time you show compassion to someone in need, when you turn away a harsh word with kindness, when you take a difficult situation and turn it into something positive, you're working magick. It may seem an odd way to consider this at first glance, but you are intentionally manipulating energy - in this case, emotional energy - to change a situation.

There is also magick in changing our own energy. Lighting some candles and letting go of our stress. Soaking in a long, hot bath. Listening to music. Dancing. Talking with a good friend. Each of these are something that shifts our energy - and those of us who know ourselves well will utilize these tools to change the situation we're in for the better.

Each step we take toward manifesting love in our lives also brings us a step closer to the divine. It may seem odd at first glance, but magick is one of the paths toward a more sacred life.

So one of the very lovely people i've become close to over the past few months has suggested i read the Satanic Witch by Anton Lavey (Founder of the modern Church of Satan).

I havent read it, but i bought it and its currently sitting in my locker at work (And so shall be discovered by those in search of free smokes <theifs!> and lighters)

 

Now it shouldnt bother me, but I am too well aware of the idiocy of people.

See the word Satan, and you're a scary devil worshiper. God forbid you even flaunt it.(I know. I got pissed off at an ex cos he flaunted his hairy Satanic ass, and it was just annoying. He was consumed with selfishness. Worst part is, i'm probably no better. But the optimistic dreams of a bipolar teen are quickly banished by the cynical reality of the selfish)

 

But my issue is, I dont believe in Hell. I don't believe in Satan. I dont believe in there being white or black magick. I believe that is a modern invention. Magick is just magick, theres lesser and higher. Not good or bad. nothing is really good or bad inherently. It just is. Like life Just is, Magick Just Is. Its something we employ and name, a name that replaces the meaning of our power as individual items of a collective whole. I mean, its obviously not nice if you sit there and curse someone because they bug you. But white magick invented a way of making yourself feel better, by saying, you know. this person is an asshole, so im going to nicely ask the gods to give them what they deserve. but because you are judging this person to be bad, or wrong, are you not delving into an area of gray magick? Because even though you put it into the hands of a higher power that "knows better than you", you're still doing it for the selfish satisfaction of watching them pay for their deeds.

 

A judgement that is still not yours to make. No matter what. They have their own reasons for being jerkoffs, and if you dont like it then you dont have to look at it. Just deal with the fact there needs to be jerkoffs to balance your holiest self, filled with the pompous, idyllic right to judge them as jerkoffs.

 

But this is besides the point. I havent come here to judge the way people twist lore to suit their selfish selves.

 

I've come to deal with the issue of reading a book by a satanist, when i have no belief. Really its just a written assurance of my beliefs, and understandings of this books.

 

From what little i've read, it talks about a women's "Pact with the Devil". I got to thinking, if i dont believe in the traditional devil, how can i seriously take this book?

 

After much thought, i realized, the Devil is just the materialistic world. its the world of selfishness, lust, materialism, envy, sex, and all the boo-hoos of the christians that wanted to rule the masses (and might i say, successfully have, and still do)! And i realized, the pact with the devil is a womans acceptance of her traits and ability to use this world to her advantage.

 

Yes it's selfish too, but without one there cannot be another. I am a giving sort of person but i realize too the importance of being selfish. That way i dont lose my job. i dont lose my ability to progress through life, i don't get into or stay in unhealthy relationships too long. Selfishness is a way of self preservation, and i'm okay with that.

 

But even more than that, i realize this is a book of self discovery and acceptance. If you can accept a book like this, then you will rise from the ashes of what could have been a great civilization, one thats riddled with women in the wrong role, a role less effective than that which nature planned for them.

 

So i willlingly go forward and read this book, accepting what it has to tell me. I'll be reflecting on it in here, i assume. I will admit, i find it hard to swallow, only because of the mindless lore thats been drilled into my head all these years of my life. but we will see how my perception changes, how much broader it becomes. Part of me is still worried about the darkside, even though i'm very practical and aware that there is no such thing. It just is, like everything else in this world.

 

Whats good to you, can be bad to another.

 

And i've really thought about this.

There's a video that, upon first watching it when I was fourteen, scared the crap out of me: "Adult Education" by (of all people) Hall & Oates. I was never a big fan of this duo, but this song in particular hit home for me because I was at the age when I was first discovering and exploring my sexuality. Yet that's not the only reason why this song still gets to me. It was the video!

First, some back story... The spring of 1984 (the time when this song hit the top ten on the charts and was getting a lot of air play on the radio) was at the hieght of a Satanist hysteria in the Midwest and the South. Not only did we have The Bomb that could bring about the end of the world at any moment to worry about, families were being warned that there were Satanist groups out there preying on children. For some reason Satanic Ritual Abuse was running rampant. People were going through therapy claiming that they were abused as children by Satanists. And, for some reason, anyone could be a Satanist. Dressing all in black could mark you as a possible Satanist. So, the perfect way to rebel in order to get attention (plus get sent home from school), was to dress in black, wear gaudy jewlery, and carry Dungeons-n-Dragons material with you where ever you went. I lived in the buckle of the Bible Belt (Springfield, Missouri, the headquarters of the Assembly of God church) and it was not a friendly place to be for an imaginative, rebellous teenager in the 1980's. I have to admit, however, that some of the scare tactics people used at the time to convince us that there was this Satanist threat, really did a number on me. Until I learned that it was just another bull shit way for adults to get children to behave, I developed anxiety over seeing any kind of symbolism as something seemingly demonic -- basically anything that was unusual, artsey, or culturally different was experienced as forbidden and, therefore, felt forboding. Still being a child, I was prone to follow suit and make up my own fantastic lies about The Satanic Threat. At the time I didn't know shit about Satanism, never met anyone who was a Satanist, and was totally ignorant about real magical ritual.

Well, all that innocence changed after my mother sent me to a cult deprogramming camp for a week in May of 1984. After I was caught sneaking out late at night to play Ninja with my friends (and, of course, we were all dressed in black -- we were pretending to be Ninjas, afterall!) my Mom was convinced I had been seduced by the Devil. I don't want to go into the gory details of my supposed "deprogramming" but what I want to tell you is that it taught me how to lie and pretend to be someone I wasn't just to please my Born Again Christian mother. I had not been in congress with The Beast nor was I out drinking goat urine nor was I performing Satanic rites with the neighbors. I would've never known ANYTHING about Satanism or magick at all if it hadn't been for that fake deprogramming experience. So later in life I became the very thing the community feared; a Witch. But that's a whole 'nother story...

When I hear or see the video for this song, I am reminded of those times, and how I used my first initial negative reaction to the video as a way to scare the beejeezus out of my community! I first thought the video was a recording of a Satanic Wedding! I considered the old fart with the baseball cap to be a Satanic High Priest. The cave that they're in, I was convinced, was an underground temple where bloody sacrifices were made and virgins were deflowered in the name of Lucifer! Weeks later I learned the truth; I saw Hall & Oates talking about the video on MTV, how it was a symbolic experiment on the part of the director, Tim Pope. Everything was, innocently enough, made up as a metaphoric emotional journey of old man passing on his adult wisdom to a young teenage couple about to copulate for the first time. Instead of showing a stereotypical class room scene, the musicians and actors are seen in the womb of Mother Earth -- a place where all things begin and where life is nurtured. In the first sequence, the symbol for Leo is shown on a paper lantern. In another opening sequence, there's a lighted disco floor with six symbols for food, fertility, time, the seasons, and the elements. When the couple is standing before the old fart, he holds a makeshift Statue of Liberty before them and he seems to be blessing them with it. John Oates later said the video resembled the "Survivor" TV show on acid. What I got out of it? A great music video that I could use to add fuel to flames of the Satanic hysteria around me.

I later regretted boldy claiming that I knew it was a portrayal of a Satanic Wedding. It got me into more trouble for watching it, plus I was barred from listening to pop music for a long while and my mother tore apart the posters of Duran Duran in my bedroom (that made me weep like a baby for that). Now, as an adult, I can laugh about those earlier times, and laugh at myself for being such a silly girl! I now know REAL Satanists and they are nothing like what I was taught to believe about them. Satanists don't abuse children or themselves, what they're about is rebelling against conformity out of the common sense of post modern American Atheism practiced with ritual psychodrama (a group working method, in which each person becomes a therapeutic agent for others using strong elements of theater, often conducted on a stage with props and masks). In fact, as I've gotten wiser in my later years, I've grown to realize that the true abusers of children are often people with Christian backgrounds -- people who sacrifice their teenagers to God and forbid them from engaging in their natural instinct to explore their sexual feelings. When you're taught to regard your genitals as ugly or dirty, everytime you have sex later in life, you're going to fulfill the prophecies of your God-fearing, body-hating parents.

I know, I know, this is a lot to swallow, all inspired by me looking back on a memorable music video from the '80's! But it serves to show that, even now, as an adult I can still learn from my past and can appreciate things I didn't know about then as an adult now. Does that make sense?

 

Here's the video in its full glory. Watch it and tell me what you think about it.  I'd be interested to see what a newer generation has to say about the song and the accompanying video (I still like it and count it as one of my favorite songs from the '80s):

Adult Education

It's afternoon in the homeroom they're about to let you go
And the lockers slam on the plan you had tonight
You've been messin' around with a boyfriend maybe better left alone
There's a wise guy that you know could put you right
In the lot the boy that's idling by doesn't rev your heart
Cause it's only lonely spots he shares with you
The long halls not the grey walls are gonna split apart
Believe it or not there's life after high school

The student body's got a bad reputation
But what they need is Adult Education
Back to school it's a bad situation
But what you want is an....Adult Education

The teacher don't know about how to deal with the student body
And the underclassmen are flashing hot and cool.
All you girlfriends care about the watch and wear and talkin' about it
Believe it or not there's life after high school

They're calling it a preparation
You're waiting for a separation
You're nothing but another odd number
Memories you won't remember
So you got a little education
And a lot of dedication
But you want a little nite school
Maybe some of it'll rub off on you
The boys are busy in the mirrors
Trying to imitate their heroes
You make it with false surrender
More memories you won't remember
The seniors with the Junior Miss' ah
I wonder what the junior wishes
That she could graduate to adult
That she could graduate to adult kisses.

Howdy Howdy all!

 

One of my Best friends will be here in November for a visit and I am very very excited to see Him again. He did a tour of duty in Afghanistan and then another in an undisclosed location in the Middle East. He is back in the states for a bit and is making a special trip to visit yours truly...aint that sweet! Just when I was thinking that I needed somebody to say something or do something nice to/for me. You know how sometimes you just need attention that you can't come out and ASK for.... and then--- BAM a blessing from the Goddess-to whom I give thanks.

 I can't wait to see you Sarge!

 

Well the weekend is over and it is back to school on the morrow. Learning Latin is a lot easier than I thought. Anyway...I have just completed a purging ritual and whew do I feel a lot better. I have recently put some issues behind me Never to be visited again and I am more focused than ever on my myriad of goals. Sunday was a great day for this and here is how you might wanna do your own purging ritual in order to exorcise some demons as well as cleanse the body...Before the ritual right down some goals you want to achieve some feelings you want to work through...You will need a sage bundle and a source of fire to light it, a white candle and sage essential oil for annointing it (the candle).

 

Wake up naturally (No alarm clock)

See to your morning needs (face, teeth, shower )

Down a Large Glass of water with lemon (you should be able to taste the lemon well)

Light Sage bundle(some may light Patchouli if they like) set in fire proof dish (a mini cauldron works well)

Make a smudge on your candle with the oil and light the candle.

In solitude and silence sit quietly with your thoughts on those issues that plague you(you can read directly from your list).

Take deep breaths (inhale for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 4).

 

Sit as long or short as you like and after you reach the natural end of your meditation burn the list (safely of course).

 

for the next three nights light the candle and meditate for a while on your list of issues to banish. Try to take a moment daily to think of ways that you can transcend the issues that plague your existence. Put one into effect each week and note any improvements in a weekly journal (I say weekly because daily is just too time consuming for many of us).

 

Well that is all for now. I would like to announce that I will return to my old format to a large degree. I will be concentrating on all things Pagan-herbal and once again vegetarian (including fish though) eating. Some notes on sustainable living and environmental issues and volunteer activities.

 

The reason for this is that I have been focusing on things that have not/will not be fruitful. It has come to my attention (I had a rather vivid dream actually) that I have been focusing on things so far outside of the way I want to live and so far away from my longterm goals that although I achieved one goal (Grad school) I have been stifled in others and that is unacceptable to me.

 

Don't worry, I will be Keeping my Retail Rants and the miscellaneous photo/video posts of me and my friends at the Richmond Arms but I am purging the negative and living in the present and future of Environgirl-ville, come on along and join me ya'll there is room for all manner of positive friends and lovers of our beloved MOTHER, Lady Nature!

 

How about some Poetry...here goes...(Doll...there is always, always, always room for you, of course)

 

Song

Love thou thy dream
All base love scorning,
Love thou the wind
And here take warning
That dreams alone can truly be,
For 'tis in dream I come to thee. --Ezra Pound

 

Goddess Bless

This past weekend Environgirl and I hung out with one of our dearest friends, Lady T. It had been a year since we last saw her and it felt good to get together like old times.  As I mentioned before, the three of us were a fierce trio when it came to hitting the clubs and partying. It has been said that magic works in threes and I feel the three of us together are magic! LOL! We had the best time this past weekend and we hated for it to end.

 

 

 

Here's a picture of the three of us together at one of our favorite hangouts, The Richmond Arms. The guy standing up in the background was hillarious.  He is from Manchester, England and he kept asking the DJ to play U2. "Play U2 mate! U2!!!!"

 

 

 

Here I am looking a little buzzed. I thought I was cute when I took this picture, but when I finally saw it, I realized I don't pull off "drunk chic" very well.

 

 

 

Here's Lady T with one of the guys we met that night. He and his friends are chefs.  Notice Lady T's Lynard Skynard shirt! LOL!

 

 

 

More chefs.

 

 

 

Zoiks! This is another bad picture. I was actually trying to show Lady T and Environgirl that I can indeed finish an entire drink. They always call me a lightweight when it comes to drinking.  This picture should actually be part of a public service announcement, "Friends don't let friends drink and pose for pictures."

 

 

 

Before leaving for our luxurious hotel room at the Hilton, (That's right, we left the menfolk at home) I was a naughty girl. I carved our initials, TMT, into the table. There were so many things carved on that table that I figured our initials wouldn't make much of a difference.

 

 

 

The next morning, even though I was slightly hungover, I put extentions in Lady T's hair.  She wanted to look like Rogue from the X-Men.  This picture was taken at my house.

 

 

 

Here's a picture of Lady T and her husband before they left for Austin.  They make such a cute couple! How did I do with the Rogue look?

 

Diva Weekend was a blast, but I confess I can feel the difference between partying at 25 and partying at 33. We didn't even do an all nighter like we used to do. Monday I slept until 1:00 PM!