Messages In This Digest (25 Messages)

2a.: We Are Stardust

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:23 pm (PDT)

We Are Stardust

During ancient times, people of various cultures believed that the sky was
made of stone. This idea is not as far-fetched as it may seem. The earth
itself is a large rock hurtling through space, and we can still see stars,
meteorites, comets, and other heavenly bodies falling from the sky to earth.
In fact, as the earth is in outer space along with the rest of the luminaries
and planets, can't we conclude that we are from outer space too?

Star Dust

Objects from space fall from the sky and shower the earth with crystal
stardust. When meteorites fall from the sky, they take on the appearance of
fire. Meteoric iron, or any part of the meteor, manifests the power of
lightning, or electrical fire from the sky. Wind and rain shift the earth's
covering, helping the stardust, or sky-fire, to seep underground, where it is
transformed into the higher mineral forms that go into the making of the
elements we call fire, water, air, and earth. These elements gather around
the fiery central core of space minerals to create life as we know it. All
around us, hidden within all creatures and things, is sky-fire in earth form.
The Sun, the Moon, the planets, and the stars, which are always vibrating
and moving, are bound together and made to appear static to the naked eye by
the sky-fire that lives in all of us--our consciousness.

Star Magic

Star magic, the mind-fire or conscious awareness that enables us to be the
intermediaries between earth and sky, is our gift from the heavens, but we
cannot live in harmony with nature until we learn to balance our star-borne
abilities. This is difficult when we are surrounded by the chaos and flux on
our planet--the endless round of war, disease, and death brought about by the
unfortunate condition of world affairs today. However, we must remember that
sky-fire develops at varying degrees and stages in all of us. When we are
awake to the magic of the stars within, we can move beyond the appearance of
limitation presented by the wily world of form and our straight-line mental
constructs. Our awareness can move mountains if we dare to believe. We have
within us the star-magic empowerment to heal the earth, but we cannot do this
until we are willing to heal ourselves first.

Earth Alchemy

Earth alchemy is a process whereby we can change our bodies and our
personalities to reflect the union that exists between the mind-body
connection and the cosmos. We can easily recognize this restorative process
in an ancient myth, such as when the Bone Goddess raises the "dead," a
metaphor for those who are asleep or unconscious, in order to recreate the
cosmic human, a being who is a re-membered whole. Mexican Indian lore speaks
of La Loba, the she-wolf goddess; Sumeria gives us the rejuvenated Ishtar;
Russia speaks of Baba Yaga the Witch; and Egypt provides us with Isis, the
goddess who restored Osiris to life. All of these earth goddesses are
alchemists, shamans, and healers, releasing a magical elixir that is made of
medicinal elements from the stars: air, the mind-fire or mediator; fire,
the personality or spirit healer, and water, the body or star medicine.

Elemental Healers

Air, fire, and water are synonymous with the alchemical principles of mercury
(the mind), sulphur (the spirit), and salt (the body). When it comes to
recreating wholeness, all three alchemical principles or elements of the body
must work together. The mind should be vital, intelligent, and open to new
ideas. The spirit should be passionate, active, and filled with the desire
for life. The body should be flexible, mobile, and able to function in its
highest capacity.

Sky-fire requires a form to work in and through, so it is up to us to provide
our bodies with optimum care, compliments of the stars. When stars explode,
they release countless elemental healers, the trace minerals that are
necessary to sustain life.

Star Medicine

All the necessary star medicine minerals are found in fresh fruits and
vegetables, especially dark, leafy, bitter greens such as kale or arugula.
We can also find star medicine in crystals and gemstones, because tissue
salts are actually meteoric mineral crystals in a natural chemical matrix.

One particular gemstone that comes as a gift from the stars is moldavite, a
silica or salt-based stone. It is colored a beautiful, translucent olive
green, reminiscent of deep, verdant earth. Moldavite is empowered with
electrical energy, and literally embodies fire from the sky because it is a
rare type of meteor formed over fifteen million years ago. We may all
benefit from this stone tonic as it quiets the senses and increases our
understanding of our relationship as mediators betrween heaven and earth.
Carry moldavite on your person, in a pocket, or a small pouch fashioned from
a natural substance, such as leather, silk, or cotton.

Finally, remember to embrace the entire cosmos while re-membering your unique
wholeness, for we are stardust.
by Marguerite Elsbeth

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

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3a.: Finding Sacred Spaces in Wild Places

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:34 pm (PDT)

Finding Sacred Spaces in Wild Places

Most people who use the outdoors for adventure or recreation stress the
external part of the experience without necessarily paying much attention to
the more sacred aspects of the journey. They yearn to climb the highest
peaks, ski the steepest slopes, and kayak the most treacherous rivers. This
ego-strengthening behavior may boost self-esteem and increase self-mastery,
but it frequently takes us away from a sense of the revered.

Apart from being a wonderful place to recreate and restore our burnt-out
psyches, nature can also be a sacred space and a powerful inner tool for
facilitating self-awareness and self-discovery. Only when we are aware can
we draw nearer to a deeper sense of being or to our higher self. Ancient
philosophies have told us that we have to go beyond ego in order to reach for
self. The ultimate goal of mystical philosophies is to leave the duality of
everyday existence and reach a state of oneness. Ego is the biggest barrier
to this realization.

Even without any esoteric practice it is easy to appreciate a feeling of
unity and the interconnectedness of all things when one has been out in
nature for some time. "Wilderness rapture" occurs because nature makes us
humble and facilitates contact with our higher self, our soul, or our divine
or Buddha nature. When we experience self we become one with nature's sacred
space.

In the West, we have created a separation between ourselves and wilderness.
Wilderness has become something to be conquered rather than a sanctified
space, and this ethos lies deep within our culture. We look at wilderness as
being remote, an area to be approached with preparation and trepidation. We
take all sorts of workshops and survival courses to help us face what nature
may present. However, when people are taken into wilderness, this reality,
mainly based on fear, may reverse and the desire to control or conquer
vanishes. It is replaced with a sense of harmony and a feeling of letting
be, a release from this duality that we are "here" and wilderness is out
"there."

Luther Standing Bear said, "It was only when the white man came that
wilderness existed. The Native Americans recognized the earth as their
sacred mother." The basis of the Native American vision quest is that when
one is in wilderness for a sufficient time, in a certain way, and with the
appropriate intention, an altered state of consciousness ensues and the
seeker's sense of duality disappears. It is then that a special dream, sign,
vision, metaphor, archetype, power, or totem animal will appear as a sacred
message to that individual to guide him or her in life's purpose. This
"fusion" between the quester and the sign occurs in an altered state of
awareness.

Nature, by allowing access to spirit or self, can be a way to access our
divine nature and our special purpose on earth. Many of us who love nature
and use it as a form of spiritual practice acknowledge it as a sanctuary or a
sacred place. Those who go into the wilderness to achieve or conquer are
less likely to connect with the sacred because of an almost adversarial
attitude toward the Earth Mother. Many of the terms used in the wild
outdoors are almost militaristic. We may mount an assault on a peak or
attack a particular wilderness challenge with great gusto. Other
descriptions sound egocentric and imply that we have control over wild places
and the elements when we do not. We "bag" peaks we don't own, and "run"
rivers that are actually running us. These descriptions seem to exclude a
dialogue with the sacred. To connect with the Earth Mother in a consecrated
way we should remember she is feminine and receptive and does not take kindly
to aggression.

Joseph Campbell described the essence of the hero's journey. "The hero
ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural
wonder. Fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won.
The hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow
boons on his fellow man." Implicit in this journey is the entry of the hero
or heroine into a sacred space of supernatural wonder. Since the space is
sacrosanct the hero cannot remain, but must return to his or her people with
the grail that only this space can provide.

Anatomically speaking, the left brain is more masculine, intellectual, and
goal-oriented. When we achieve, we feel good about ourselves, and therefore
this side of the brain connects us more with the ego. The right or feminine
part of the brain is more receptive and intuitive and connects us to the
higher self. Certain places may also be described as masculine or feminine
depending on their special features and energies. Mountains engender a more
feminine, intuitive, and softer mode of being, whereas jungle and bush areas,
by virtue of the physical challenges and dangers that abound, are more
masculine, harsh, and cognitive. It is much easier to just "be" in the
Sierras than in the Amazon jungle. Similarly we can get much more cerebral
and technical about how to be safe and comfortable in the African bush with
all its predators than when just trekking in the Rockies. Certain regions
are more distinctly masculine or feminine, and therefore connect us more or
less strongly either with ego or the self.

Peak experiences of awe, oneness, harmony, and inner peace are common in
wilderness. According to Abraham Maslow, the peak experience is a change in
consciousness during which there is transcendence or at least partial
transcendence of the ego. This event may occur when a hiker sees an animal
or a vista and for a brief, blissful moment in time there is no separation
between him or her (the observer) and that object (the observed). In Eastern
traditions, a more profound description of the same event would be called
"samadhi," or nirvana. The peak experience is like a mini-samadhi when
observer, observed, and process of observation fuse into one--unity rather
than duality. The adept mystic is able to induce samadhi at will and remain
in that state as long as desired.

To most of us, however, the peak experience is usually a transient,
unpredictable occurrence. When we are mesmerized by a splendid site in
nature we develop a special feeling or emotion inside our body. The minute
we begin to analyze the experience so that we can hold onto it, it escapes
and we lost the wonder of that instant. The cognitive left brain gets in the
way of our most intense inner moments. There seems to be a point where an
intuitive, empathetic, right-brained fascination that has no ulterior motive
becomes a left-brained goal or rationalization and the balance is disturbed,
taking us out of the sacred.

The key to entering hallowed space and having wilderness rapture is the
ability to balance various polarities. There is no adequate
neurophysiological explanation for this sensation and the best we may be able
to say about it is that it hinges more on a right, rather than a left-brain
phenomenon. It is more of an emotional, intuitive, receptive event than an
intellectual or cognitive experience.

There is a certain core truth that we need to take with us if we wish to
access the sacred in nature more deeply. This universal belief can also be
appreciated by studying ancient energy systems such as the yoga chakras and
nadis or the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. These same principles are embraced by
the polarities in shamanism and also our modern day neurophysiological
concept of left and right brain, the balance of which leads to a "whole"
brain experience. To reach rapturous heights in wilderness safety, both left
and right or whole brain function are necessary. The left brain keeps us
safe in nature by honing our technical skills, the right brain allows us to
enter the "softer" dimensions of the wilderness experience. The Yoga model
shows the need to balance the Sun and Moon polarity and the Tree of Life
demonstrates the idea of equilibrium in the left, or feminine, and right, or
masculine, sides of the Tree.

Wilderness rapture occurs when one is in harmony with the different
polarities, and nature has countless opposites to help us achieve balance.
We cannot have light without the dark, we appreciate food much more after
being hungry, we need to be wet to enjoy being dry, there is no rose without
a thorn--hence the magic in nature.

To enter the sacred we need to just "be" and our usual Western ego bolstering
behavior will neutralize our best efforts unless we remain diligent and
aware. Intention and receptivity are key, and when these are directed
inward, expanded states of awarness prevail and admittance to the archetype
of the Garden of Eden becomes possible.

Some places in the wild are more sacred than others. We may go into a valley
and find it dark, foreboding, and anything but holy, and then climb up to a
peak that we find uplifting, inspirational, and celestial. Places may appear
sacred because of a certain spectacular beauty, a special energy that
pervades the area, or because something eventful may have happened there in
the past. It may be deemed sacred by others for generations or just by
ourselves because of our own peak experience with a sign such as a rainbow, a
spectacular storm or sunset, or the appearance of an unusual animal. The
ultimate expression of a sacred space occurs when duality disappears and
oneness or divine nature and experience the sacrosanct directly.

The importance of polarity is highlighted in the physical characteristics of
sacred space. Where high and low, deep and steep, open and closed, dry and
wet meet there is an affirmation of the core truth of the importance of
opposites, paradoxes, and contradictions. Desert regions can be sacrosanct
by virtue of the polarity inherent in sand and sky.

Nature reinforces the fact that in the balance of the opposites we find our
center, our equilibrium, and our sacred space. In these areas of contrast,
aboriginal peoples were inspired to perform acts of wilderness art. The
rocks of the planet are decorated as testaments to the sacred, and when one
visits them there is something palpably different in the energy of these
sites. The Nazca lines in the southern desert of Peru are an example of a
sacred site where, for lack of rocks or cave walls, the art was rendered on
the crust of the earth.

If we can balance our masculine and feminine energies, our Sun and our Moon
channels, the left and right sides of the Tree of Life, our light and our
dark aspects and our yin and yang forces, we will more easily appreciate the
distinct polarity and the sanctity of these unique sites.
by David Cumes, M.D.

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

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4a.: Ring Things

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:39 pm (PDT)

Ring Things

Almost everyone wears some kind of ring or another. Rings come in all shapes
and sizes, from decorative finger rings to the customary high school rings,
from engagement rings to wedding bands, and from eyebrow rings, nose rings,
and bellybutton rings to toe rings.

The perfectly closed circle of rings represents constancy, flow, unity,
wholeness, and eternity. Sometimes the ring takes an animal form called
ouroboros--the snake biting its tail. Other times it is a ring of fire, like
the one surrounding Shiva as he performs the cosmic dance of life. The
twelve fixed stars, known as the constellations or zodiac, also comprise a
ring, and the planet Saturn has rings around it.

Rings are said to offer protection against demons, ghosts, and other evil
spirits. People of certain cultures believe that the soul escapes through
the natural round oprnings of the body, especially the mouth and nostrils,
which is why it is a Hindu custom to snap the fingers whenever someone yawns
or sneezes. Others believe that rings may be used to bind and hamper
spiritual, mental, emotional, or physical activities. We have all heard the
expression "love knot"--this once had a magical significance indicating a tie
that was binding forever. The symbolism of rings, in other words, is very
extensive.

Ring History and Lore

There are many fascinating stories regarding the magical and medicinal
properties attributed to metal rings or those set with jewels and precious
stones. This idea is based on sympathetic magic, which induces a physical
reaction caused by vibrations we can instinctually sense from a neighboring
vibrating object that is in natural harmony with our tastes, moods, and
disposition. If we can absorb the properties of whatever it is we are
attracted to, we can inherit its essential energy. Therefore, material
objects such as a ring comprised of certain metals and set with particular
stones, or a copper bracelet inset with magnets, will affect the person with
whom it comes in contact, thus relieving the symptoms of illness.

Around the middle of the third century, massive rings which included stones
wider than the finger were considered fashionable among Bedouin women, and
the stone selected usually denoted personal power, wealth, or protection.
Sometimes large rings of this nature were worn on each finger! This trend is
back in style today, as Bedouin-style jewelry known as a kaff or glove--which
consists of five rings, one for each finger connected to chain links to a
decorative patch on the back of the hand and secured to a bracelet. Cache
rings, the kind in which one can hide away talismans, perfume, or other
secret things, were and are popular, too.

The ancient Romans wore several slender rings, each set with a different
stone which they united into one. The Pope annually blessed rings to ward
off digestive and reproductive upsets up until the seventeenth century, a
practice most likely based on the Greco-Roman myth of how Jupiter, the father
of gods and men, bound Hercules to wear an iron ring set with a piece of rock
from the Caucasus Mountains following his rescue of Prometheus, who stole
fire from the gods.

The use of iron to comprise a ring was not relegated to the West; in the
Orient, a mother would attempt to cure her sick child by attaching iron rings
to the child's ankles and hanging an iron chain around the child's neck as a
way of preventing an evil spirit from entering into the little one's body.
The Phillipine Bagobos placed rings of brass on the wrists or ankles of their
sick for the same reason.

Meanwhile, the people of the Carpathus Islands in Greece were always careful
to remove all the rings off the bodies of the deceased, for fear the fingers
or toes of the one who had passed would trap the spirit inside, thus
detaining its otherworldly travels. The pregnant women of Tyrol never took
off their wedding rings, for they believed that to do so would give the
spirits power over them. The Lapland person who was about to place a corpse
in the coffin always received a brass ring from the husband, wife, or
children of the deceased, which was fastened around the right arm until the
corpse was buried as a way of protecting the pallbearer from harm.

How To Wear Your Rings

Chiromancy, or palmistry, is a divination system which ascribes the planets
and fixed stars to various areas on the hand. We can use chiromancy to
determine the appropriate fingers and toes upon which to wear our rings.
When metals and stones are used together in this way, they induce an
electromagnetic influence on the cells and organs of the body; for example,
wearing a ring made of tilver and tin, and set with lapis, may calm the
nerves and settle digestive disturbances as well as heighten instinctual
perception. Rings worn on other bodily parts may affect our physcial,
emotional, mental, and spiritual health for the better through the meridians
or ley lines, which channel life-giving energy to the vital organs.

Wear rings corresponding with the Sun sign, Moon sign, stars, and planets
that relate to fingers or bodily areas you wish to heal or empower, as
follows:

Thumb, Big Toe, Head, Genitals

Planets: Aries, Mars, Scorpio, Pluto

Metals: Iron, Sulphur

Stones: Carnelian, Garnet, Ruby

Effects: Muscles, Reproductive Organs

Keywords: Initiating, Energizing, Transforming

First Finger and Toe, Navel, Thighs

Planets: Sagittarius, Jupiter

Metal: Tin

Stones: Cat's Eye, Aventurine

Effects: Liver, Pituitary Gland

Keywords: Enlivening, Expanding

Second (Middle) Finger and Toe, Skin

Planets: Capricorn, Saturn

Metal: Lead

Stones: Obsidian, Smoky Quartz

Effects: Gallbladder, Spleen, Teeth, Bones

Keywords: Evaluating, Concentrating

Third Finger and Toe, Spinal Column

Planets: Leo, Sun

Metals: Gold

Stones: Citrine Quartz, Topaz, Pyrite, Yellow Fluorite

Effects: Heart, Thymus Gland, Circulation

Keywords: Revitalizing, Loving

Fourth (Pinky) Finger and Toe, Chest, Arms, Hands, Ankles

Planets: Gemini, Mercury, Virgo, Aquarius, Uranus

Metal: Silver or Platinum

Stones: Golden Beryl, Peridot, Clear Quartz

Effects: Brain, Lungs, Circulatory & Central Nervous System

Keywords: Communicating, Neutralizing, Discriminating, Inspiring,
Electrifying

Throat, Lower Back

Planets: Taurus, Venus, Libra

Metal: Copper

Stones: Malachite, Emerald, Opal

Effects: Kidneys, Lumbar Region, Parathyroid

Keywords: Enduring, Balancing, Creating

Breasts, Stomach

Planets: Cancer, Moon

Metal: Silver

Stones, Moon Stone, Moss Agate, White Coral, Abalone, Pearl

Effects: Female Reproductive System and its functions, Esophagus, Liver,
Gallbladder, Bile Ducts, Pancreas

Keywords: Feeling, Remembering

Feet, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth

Planets: Pisces, Neptune

Metal: Platinum

Stones: Aquamarine, Chrysoprase

Effects: Thalamus Gland

Keywords: Imagining, Dreaming

The Ring of Love

There is an old Hindu tradition which says you can attract the person you
want to marry, or test your compatability with the person you love, by
wearing a ring attuned to his or her astrological Sun sign. The ring of love
must be worn on the third, or ring, finger of your left hand, because this
finger has a delicate nerve that connects directly to the heart. Do you want
to get to the heart of the matter regarding your love interest? Try the ring
of love spell on for size to know if your heart will be content:

First, you must acquire a particular stone. The stone you choose has to be
from this particular list, which is quite different from any other:

Aries: Bloodstone Taurus: Sapphire Gemini: Agate

Cancer: Emerald Leo: Onyx Virgo: Carnelian

Libra: Peridot Scorpio: Aquamarine Sagittarius: Topaz

Capricorn: Ruby Aquarius: Garnet Pisces: Amethyst

Next, bring the stone to a jeweler and ask to have it set into a simple gold
band. Note any changes that occur in your personal life as well as in the
relationship from the moment you begin wearing the ring. The stone will seem
to change the wearer into the kind of person who can attract and hold the Sun
sign person.

One woman had a ring made to attract a man she was interested in, and the
ring proved that the relationship would be impossible. Initially the stone
fell out. She had the ring repaired. Then, the band hurt her finger, so she
brought the ring back to the jeweler. He damaged the stone while mending the
band! The ring was telling her that the relationship would be difficult.

Another woman tried the spell to see if her lover would remain with her on a
more permanent basis. As soon as she placed the ring on her finger, he began
to visit her more frequently. One day, her little boy pulled the stone from
its setting. Shortly thereafter, the man called to say that while he cared
for her deeply, he just wasn't ready to have a child in his life.

Finally, there is the story of a man who replaced the ring of love with a
wedding band, when the woman of his choice asked him to marry her several
weeks after he placed her Sun sign ring on his finger! See if you won't tie
the knot with a little ring of love magic!
by Marguerite Elsbeth

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
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5a.: Astrology--Part 1

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:43 pm (PDT)

Astrology--Part 1

Some folks say that Earth is a school--a place to learn, take tests, and earn
our degrees. They say that each of us is born at a selected moment, when all
conditions are right for an evolutionary lesson to begin. In other words,
we're planning our trip even before we arrive. We don't jump onto the
Evolution Express until All The Right Stuff is in all the right places.

What stuff? Well, Cosmic stuff. Our universe is chock-full of all kinds of
amazing energies. Astrology allows us to interpret these energies. It's not
a religion--so we aren't required to start or stop believing in anything, and
we don't need to believe in it for it to work. (That's Tinkerbell, not
Saturn....) Astrology blends science and intuition, magic and mathematics,
cycles and symbols. There's no hocus-pocus involved. Astrology focuses on
planets and their seasons, and planets are real. In fact, they're so real
that their movements are consistent and recordable. Astrology allows us to
draw parallels between the orbits of heavenly bodies and events down here on
Earth. It allows us to surf the cosmic waves by glancing at our own "tidal
tables," or planetary ephemerides, and by figuring out how to get the best
ride from the tide that's en route. It validat! es our hunches and supports
what we already know. Astrology is a language, a symbol set, and a guide to
understanding the world, life, and the cosmos.

What's in a Horoscope?

Your astrology chart or your horoscope is your personal map, calculated using
the date and time you were born from the perspective of your birth location.
From that information, a circular, clock-shaped diagram emerges that shows
where every planet, star, asteroid, and comet was located at the moment you
made your debut. Your chart is a cosmic snapshot that freeze-frames the
universe exactly as it was from your perspective. You carry that same
percpective around with you throughout life. The horoscope chart is your
blueprint--your cosmic backpack, an owner's manual that shows what you packed
into your "tool-kit" for this lifetime and how best to use it. It's the
circular lens that colors the way you see what's Out There. Everybody's got
one, and no two are ever the same, which is pretty amazing. But there's
more--since the chart is a map, everybody's got one of everything.
Every! body's got a Venus, a Moon, and a Pluto. Everybody's got a bit of Virgo
in there, and some Sagittarius, too.

The Four Astrological Building Blocks

Each chart is composed of the same elements, rearranged. I like to think of
them as the four astrological building blocks: planets, signs, houses, and
aspects. Each block represents a different level of human existence.

The planets (the eight other planets in our solar system, along with the Sun
and Moon) are actual physical bodies. They represent urges or needs we all
have by virtue of our decision to take up residence inside our physical body.
Chiron and the asteroids also fall into this category.

The twelve signs of the zodiac (which correlate loosely with the twelve
constellations) are sections of sky--30 degrees each--that act as filters or
flavors for planets' energies. They describe the style of behavior a planet
or house will use to express itself. They've also been compared to an
actor's costumes.

The twelve houses in a chart--the twelve "pie-wedges" which divide the
circle--describe the area of life or set of life circumstances in which our
planets, dressed in their sign costumes, will come to life. Houses represent
the twelve sides of our personalities, each of which comes out during the
life situation that calls for it.

Aspects are angles. When we freeze-frame the planets in their orbits to
create a chart, some of those planets will be positioned an exact number of
degrees apart, forming angles to one another. The angles we use in astrology
are most often those that divide a circle into equal parts. For example, 180
degrees, an opposition, is a circle divided by two. A square is 90 degrees,
and divides a circle by four. A trine is 120 degrees and divides a circle by
three, and so on. Aspects show which planets are "hot-wired" or engaged in
constant dialogue with one another. The particular aspect that joins them
describes the nature of their "conversation." Not all planets will aspect
all other planets, but those that do have a very specific relationship.

The First Building Block: Planets and Asteroids

First, we'll look at the planets. Each of these heavenly bodies represents
an urge you must express or something you need to do. Each planet acts as
the director of a department in a very busy corporation. The corporation, of
course, is you. You have a Communications Department, run by Mercury; A
Love and Appreciation Department, run by Venus; and an Abundance,
Generosity, and Growth Department run by Jupiter. So when you have an urge
or need to express yourself, you call on your Mercury; when you want to show
love, you reach for your Venus; and when it's time to risk, extend, or grow,
you use your Jupiter. Let's meet each of the planets individually and take a
closer look at which job duties fall under each planet's jurisdiction.

We'll go right to the top and start with the big boss: the Sun.

The Sun
Every corporation needs someone at the helm--a head honcho who makes all the
final decisions. In other words, an executive director. The executive
director of your corporation is the Sun. Just as the Sun itself is the core
of the solar system, the source of heat and light around which all the other
planets revolve, the Sun in your chart is your core, your reason for being,
your true self. Although each of the planets in your chart is important in
its own right, they all take their orders, figuratively speaking, from the
Sun.

Everyone's Sun has the same inner goal: to shine. The Sun's spot in your
chart shows where you really want to do good, where you want to be
appreciated, loved, and patted on the back. The Sun is where you keep your
supply of pride and confidence, where you store your identity and hold your
ego. The Sun is you at your creative best, enjoying life to the fullest. If
you never, ever again had to do anything that you didn't want to do, if you
could spend the rest of your life pursuing only those activities that give
you joy, you'd be acting out your Sun freely. To get in touch with how the
Sun "feels," think of how you feel on your birthday, when the Sun returns to
the same degree as when you were born and gives you a double dose of Sun
energy. It's your day, a day when, whether or not you admit it, you really
feel as if the world should treat you special. Well, that's the way the Sun inside us feels all the time. The Sun corresponds with gold, the rich, royal
metal that adorns kings and queens. In the physical body, the Sun rules the
heart, the back, and the circulatory system. On a daily basis, the Sun acts
like a flashlight of sorts, illuminating each degree of sky it passes
through. The Sun shows the focus of the moment, where the world's attention
will be directed on that particular day. In fact, horary and electional
astrology--the two branches that pertain most to timing and predictions--the
Sun represents the day, the Moon the hour, and the Midheaven the moment.

The Moon

Let's meet the Moon. First off, to "feel" the moon, go stand by a body of
water on a clear night when she's Full. Let your gaze shift back and forth
between the Moon herself and the reflection she casts on the water. Whether
you're looking up at her, or that silvery patch she creates as it shivers and
dances on the water, take a deep breath and allow yourself to be still. Take
it all in, and you'll feel the Moon. In truth, when the Moon is Full, it's
hard not to look up at her--she invites us to look. She hypnotizes us
silently, makes us sigh, and brings back memories. She's the soft inner side
of each of us, the side that cries, fears, and dreams.

She's the head of the Department of Feelings, and the bringer of "moods"--a
great Moon word. She's a lovely lady in silver who circles our planet
protectively in her monthly orbit. We see her subtle power in the tides as
she calls the ocean to her and sends it away. We feel her influence ebb and
flow through the ever-changing moods we experience, both en masse and
individually, as she appears and disappears. She's the place in our chart
where we keep our instincts, emotions, memories, and abilities to express out
feelings. She is the ultimate feminine energy, the part of us that points to
how we were nurtured and how we nurture. She's got a lot to do with out
mothers, since our first emotional impressions of the world came through
their bodies during the nine months they carried us. The Moon's the side of
us that decides what's safe and what's not, the side that shows how we'll
cope w! hen we're hurt, the piece of us that responds to the outside world.
The Moon corresponds with the silver color she creates. In the body, the
Moon has jurisdiction over the breasts, ovaries, and the womb, all necessary
for creating and nurturing life. She also rules our body fluids, the
internal ocean that keeps us alive.

Mercury

Remember Mercury back in the ancient days, when gods and goddesses were
thought to be in charge of the affairs of humanity? Back then his job title
was Messenger Of the Gods, and his duties included carrying messages back and
forth between immortals and mortals. Although his official title has
changes, his job description hasn't. He's now the head of your Department of
Communications, and he still carries information back and forth. The only
difference is that now he's known for being the "tool" you reach for when
it's time to get information from out there to here. He's the computer
that's at work inside you twenty-four hours a day, constantly feeding you
data about the world. Whatever you're aware of, you're aware of it because
of Mercury. He's the side of you that shows how you'll think and reason and
how you'll express yourself to others. You'll recognize him in your speech
! patterns, your handwriting, and in the way you walk. He operates through
your five senses and your brain, and makes you conscious of opposites--light
and dark, hot and cold, up and down. He's what you use when you have a
conversation, exchange a glance or gesture, and interpret a symbol.
Mercury's specialty is the Here and Now. He's the side of you living totally
in the present, your automatic pilot mechanism, the part of you that has the
world mesmerized and can perform routine tasks without stopping to think
how--tasks such as blinking, swallowing, answering the phone, or writing your
name.

In the body, Mercury also acts as a messenger--he transmits messages for you
physically through the central nervous system. He is the "internal
switchboard" that lets your eye and your hand collaborate. He corresponds to
the metal named for him, and if you've ever tried to collect Mercury after
it's escaped from a broken thermometer, you've had an irreplaceable lesson on
Mercury. Just as your Mercury never stops collecting data, those tiny beads
you tried so hard to collect didn't come back without some information on
their own--they brought back a bit of everything they contacted: dog hair,
crumbs, and grains of dirt.

Venus

You know the warmth that spreads across your chest when you're looking across
the room at your significant other, asleep in the Sun? The same feeling you
get when you look at your new car? You know how warm and happy you feel when
someone leaves an "I love you" message on the answering machine? All of this
is due to the Lady Venus, the part of you that describes who, what, and how
you love. Whenever you're pleased, satisfied, content, it's your Venus who
made you feel that way. Anything or anyone that you come incontact with on
the outside that makes you feel just great on the inside--well, that makes
Venus happy. She's a very sensual kind of planet. She's the head of the
Department of Nice. Supplying your favorite people, places, and things is
her job. If you want chocolate, music, flannel sheets, or the co-worker
you've got a mad crush on, it's your Venus that tells you how ! to get it.
Venus shows how you act when you're out to attract what you love, especially
people. When you're being charming, whether by using your manners or by
adorning yourself because you want something, that's Venus, too. She loves
doing things with soemone and being with a partner. She's in charge of all
behavior that is pleasing to others--light chit-chat, polite small talk,
smiles, hugs, and kisses. The Lady is an expert at drawing others to you.
Since money is one of the ways that we draw the objects we love to us, she's
also in charge of finances. Copper is the metal that correlates with Venus,
the metal that mixes most easily with other metals, and the one that wears
pastels--in other words, changes to pink, and green, and purple when it's
heated. Copper is a perfect "alloy"--which sounds an awful lot like "ally,"
doesn't it? In the body, Venus relates to the sensory ! organs, the body's
receptors--which makes sense, because these are the spots that tell us what
feels good and what doesn't.

Mars

Mars is one tough planet. He's the head of the Department of Self-Defense,
Aggression, and Action. He's your sword, the warrior who fights back when
you're attacked--your own personal SWAT team. This is the side of you that's
brave, courageous, daring, and downright fearless. He describes how you act
on your own behalf. He's not concerned with anyone or anything but you, and
he doesn't consider the size, strength, or abilities of whomever or whatever
you're up against. He's totally spontaneous, the side of you that initiates
all activity. He's in charge of how you assert yourself, and how you express
anger. In fact, one of the best ways to get in touch with Mars is by
thinking of all the ways we describe anger. Examples are "hot under the
collar," "seeing red," and "all fired up." The color red, fire, adrenaline,
muscles, blood, and action are Mars' words. Remember! , he's the ancient god
of war, so he's not for the faint of heart. At best, he's what you use to be
passionate, adventurous, and bold. At worse, he's violent, accident-prone,
and cruel. Wherever he is in your chart, you need constant action to keep
him "fed." Just as Venus attracts, Mars pursues. He charges through
situations. He shows how you take action, how you do anything. He's where
you're competitive and combative, where you're not afraid to take a stand on
your own behalf. the metals that correspond to Mars are iron and steel, both
used to make weapons, tools, machinery, and automobiles--things we use to
enforce our will over that of another or over our environment. In the body,
this headstrong planet corresponds to the head, the blood, and the muscles.

Blessings,
Lady Nightshayde

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
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6a.: Astrology--Part 2

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:44 pm (PDT)

Astrology--Part 2

The Planets (continued)

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, so large in fact that all
of the other planets could fit inside him. He's been called "The Greater
Benefic" and "King of the Gods" since time began. Jupiter is also the head
of the Department of Expansion, Growth, and Incorporation. He's the side of
you that's ultra-positive, optimistic, and generous to a fault--the
astrological equivalent of Santa Claus. He's where you keep your supply of
laughter, enthusiasm, and high spirits. Whenever you try something new, take
a risk, or hear yourself say, "Oh, what the heck"--that's Jupiter. This is
the side of you that's always ready to boldly go where you have never gone
before. He prompts you to travel, take classes, get involved, and meet new
people because he wants you to grow through new experiences. He's a big fan
of networking, so wherever he is in your chart is a place where you'll ha! ve
an extensive network of friends and associates. On the other hand, your
Jupiter is also what you're using when you find yourself being excessive and
wasteful, and when you're being extravagant or blowing something out of
proportion. As a result, Jupiter is also the side of you that will probably
have terminal "grass-is-greener" syndrome and will never be satisfied with
what you've got. Words like "too," "very," and "most" are the property of
Jupiter, as are "more" and "better." In general, this planet loves to make
things bigger. Jupiter corresponds to tin--a most malleable, expandable
metal. In the body, Jupiter works with the liver, the organ that filters
what we take in and rids us of excess. Jupiter also handles the growth of
the physical body.

Saturn

As much as Jupiter represents the urge or need to expand, risk, and grow,
Saturn is the side of you that withholds, contracts, refuses to take chances,
and resists change. Saturn is the head of the Department of Walls,
Boundaries, and Rules, the honorary principal wherever he goes. Saturn is
where you build walls to keep change out, where you may segregate yourself at
times, where you'll be most likely to Just Say No to just about anything.
Your Saturn is the critical parent inside you, the spot where you may delay,
inhibit, or stall yourself throughout life. Because your fear of failure is
so strong here, you'd often rather not act at all than act inappropriately or
incorrectly.

This is the planet that prefers just the facts, ma'am, that likes reality
delivered with a capital "R." This is where you are keenly aware of what's
socially acceptable and what's not. This planet teaches you to respect your
elders, follow the rules, and do it right the first time. Wherever Saturn is
in your chart is where you'll feel respectful, serious, and conservative, and
where you'll never embellish the facts or act until you're absolutely ready.
In Saturn, you'll never expect something for nothing, and you'll be keenly
aware that you earn what you get. Saturn is also where you're at your most
disciplined, where you'll teach yourself the virtues of patience, endurance,
and responsibility with another capital "R." In fact, your Saturn is well
aware of concepts like doing the right thing, listening to your conscience,
and being decent and respectable. Because this planet is so fond of!
boundaries, it's also the planet in charge of structures and guidelines. In
the physical body, Saturn correlates with the bones and the skin--the
structures that keep your body together. The metal that correlates with
Saturn is lead, which is dull on the outside but quite shiny when it's
polished and worked.

Uranus

There's a spot in everyone's chart where independence is the order of the
day, and where rules are made to be broken regardless of the consequences.
This is where you're at your rebellious best, and where you'll surprise
yourself at the things you'll say and do. Meet Uranus, the head of the
Department of One Never Knows--the place in your chart where surprises and
suden reversals are regular fare. As much as Saturn is the technology you
use when it's time to conform and act appropriately, Uranus is the side that
you take out when it's time to do the unpredictable and erratic. Remember,
this is the planet that just can't stand "shouldn'ts," and considers "no" and
"don't" invitations to act. Of course, life provides plenty of situations
where we can't act as we really want, but your Uranus is the piece of you
that can only hold back for so long and that breaks you out of your rut and
sets you free.

This is the side of you that delights in breaking tradition and shocking the
masses. the more sudden and surprising your behavior is when you use your
Uranus, the more restricted, captive, and repressed you've been feeling.
Uranus loves suddenness--everything from lightning and tornadoes to winning
the lottery. He's also a computer wizard, the planet who's most involved in
mass communications. Here is where you'll have genius potential, where
you'll be bold enough to ignore the old way to solve a problem and instead
find a whole new way--maybe even invent something in the process. Major
scientific and technological breakthrough like the space program, the World
Wide Web, and the Information Superhighway were all inspired by Uranian-type
genius. In the body, Uranus rules the circulation and the involuntary
nervous systems, as well as all the automatic functions our bodies are
constantly perf! orming, such as breathing, blinking, and digesting.

Neptune

Next time you hear yourself sigh or feel yourself slip into a daydream, think
of Neptune. This is the planet in charge of romance, nostalgia, and magic.
She's the side of you that delights in glamour and illusions, the side of you
that's wistful and that wishes and believes dreams will come true. Neptune's
place in your chart is a fuzzy, vague spot where you keep your pink smoke
machine, where you're equally capable of fooling all of the people all of the
time or of being fooled yourself. You're a psychic sponge where Neptune is
in your chart, and here you will have an amazing ability to infiltrate your
environment and be infiltrated as well. This is where you're capable of
amazing compassion and sensitivity for creatures less fortunate than
yourself, and where you'll be drawn into charity or volunteer work because
you realize that we're all a part of a bigger plan. Since sensitivity and
ha! rsh reality don't always mix too well, this may also be a place where
you'll try to escape--seeking anything that takes you away from the real
world. Sleep, meditation, and prayer are the highest uses of Neptune's
energies, but alcohol and drugs are also under her jurisdiction. Any time you
"leave" the planet, whether by losing yourself in a movie or just refusing to
see the truth, you're using your Neptune. Neptune in your chart is where
you'll always be tempted to believe that whatever you want is already just
exactly the way you want it to be. The problem is that when reality does
arrive with its sharp edges, Neptune's where you're vulnerable to
disappointment.

Although her official title is Head of the Department of Altered States,
Reality Avoidance, and Fantasy, Neptune's also one of the most creative
energies you own. This planet is a well of receptive energy that helps you
cast magic onto other folks. In the body, Neptune and the Moon co-rule the
fluids. Neptune is connected with the body's immune system and with poisons
and viruses that invisibly infiltrate our bodies.

Pluto

Of all the planets in your corporation, Pluto is the one with the most
unenviable job description. He holds the dubious distinction of being head
of the Department of Death, Destruction, Decay and other unavoidables. He's
the side of you that handles these topics and others not usually heard around
the dinner table--sex and reincarnation, for example. He's also in charge of
recycling, regeneration, and rejuvenation, but nobody sticks around much to
hear those parts of his job duties after they hear about death and
destruction. Yes, Pluto has a tough job, but a necessary one. He's not a
planet that handles "maybes." Pluto is in charge of anything that absolutely
has to happen. He disposes of situations that have gone past the point of no
return and where the only solution is to let go. As we humans are
notoriously bad at handling total, complete, and unavoidable change, so
Pluto'! s spot in your chart is where you'll necessarily learn to firewalk,
where intense and inevitable circumstances will teach you about agony and
ecstasy. He's a planet of extremes, where you'll always be in a state of
turmoil or evolution and where there will be a constant shedding of skin.
When it's time to end a situation, whether it's because you've lost a
relationship or a job, or because someone dear to you has died, your Pluto is
the tool you reach for. This is the side of you that realizes life goes on
after tremendous loss, and that will reflect on your losses down the road and
try to make sense of them. It's also here that you'll crave intense
experiences --from horror movies to deep, soul-baring conversation, and
physical intimacy. Most importantly, since Pluto rules life, death, and
rebirth, here's where you'll understand the importance of process. You'll be
amazingly strong where your ! Pluto is--he's a well of concentrated,
transformative energy. In the body, Pluto is associated with the
reproductive organs, since here is where the invisible process of life and
death begins. He is also in charge of sexual maturity and puberty.

Chiron

Chiron is a huge comet that makes a 50.7-year orbit between Saturn and
Uranus, occasionally nipping into Jupiter's orbit. Discovered on November 1,
1977, by Charles Kowall of the Hale Observatory in Pasadena, California,
Chiron was originally thought to be our newest planet. He was named for the
great centaur who foster-parented such heroes as Hercules, Achilles, and
Aesclepius, and so, immediately after his discovery, astrologers began to
work with Chiron. In 1981, Chiron was classified as an asteroid, and was
discussed as a "maverick" or sorts, since he'd chosen an orbit apart from
most of the other asteroids that circled the Sun in the lane between Mars and
Jupiter. However, once it was classified as a comet in 1988, Chiron's
problems began. Many astrologers were skeptical whether comets counted.
First of all, there are millions of them--how could we study them while our
sky already had ! eight planets, the Sun and Moon, millions of fixed stars, and
more than 5,000 asteroids? However, Chiron's shape-shifting attracted
attention. The fact that he changed form several times fit beautifully with
his myth, and, later,his astrological meaning.

According to the story, Chiron was born from a union between the sea nymph
Philyra and Chronos-Saturn. It seems Saturn, though married, saw Philyra one
day and became rather smitten with her. She did not feel the same, however,
and changed into a horse to escape Saturn's advances. Not to be put off,
Saturn changed himself into a stallion, chased Philyra down, and raped
her--Philyra becoming pregnant as a result of the encounter. Naturally,
Philyra was horrified when she saw her child and thought she was being
punished for her "sins." She begged the gods to allow her to escape from
this monster child, so they let her change into a linden tree. Chiron, a
tiny half-colt, half-human, became an orphan, deserted by his father Saturn
and abandoned by a mother repulsed by his physical form.

Rather than concentrate on his problems, however, Chiron studied all kinds of
things--music, poetry, hunting, war, healing, even astrology. In time, his
talents became famous, and the gods and goddesses began to send him their
children to foster. He spent his life teaching until he was wounded by a
poisoned arrow as he handed it to Hercules--it was a poison of his own
creation. Since his father was a god, Chiron didn't die from the poison,
living instead in agony from a wound that would not heal. After trying to
cure himself, Chiron gave up and asked Zeus to allow him to die. Zeus
agreed, and Chiron exchanged places with Prometheus. He was elevated to the
constellation Centaurus, in honor of all he'd done.

Many themes in Chiron's myth will play out in our lives according to where
Chiron is located in a chart. The main theme in his story is the incurable
or unsolvable wound, a physical defect that may make us feel as if we are
"different" from others. We handle this wound in one of three ways: by
becoming The Healer, The Wounded One, or The One Who Wounds. Our choice
depends on whether we choose to recognize our wound consciously, project it
onto others, or refuse to admit we're hurt and turn on others when they get
too close. Chiron is our "sore spot," a place where we often feel prejudiced
or stigmatized by others.

Chiron in our charts also points to a place where we feel as if we are
handicapped, disabled, or "broken" in some way, or where we may find
ourselved dealing with people or animals who have been injured or abandoned.
Chiron's correlation with the concept of being handicapped also shows quite
well through the similarity of his symbol (similar to a key) and the
Handicapped Symbol of Access--a symbol which was adopted in 1968 when Chiron
was just crossing over 0 degrees Aries, the first degree of the zodiac that
corresponds with birth. This symbol tells a handicapped person (particularly
someone using a wheelchair) that they can be free to conduct their business
independently, without fear of being blocked by architectural barriers. This
definition in itself is amazing, since Chiron is the bridge between Saturn
and Uranus, linking the limitations of the past to the freedom of the future.
As with the other! planets, there are a variety of "symptoms" you'll find in
Chiron's spot in your chart: healing others but not yourself, dealing with
addictions, avoiding problems by running away (as Chiron's mother did),
feeling as if you have a "tragic flaw," and coming to terms with a physical
imperfection. While Chiron's placement is a very tender spot, remember that
here is where we're quite gifted--we are capable of deep compassion where we
are hurt. We cannot heal what we have not experienced.
by Kim Rogers-Gallagher

Blessings,
Lady Nightshayde

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
http://groups.yahoo/group/NightshaydesNews

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
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7.: Re: Comparison of Macbeth and Lord of the Flies

Posted by: "Keelty_Sage" walksalone2004@yahoo.com keelty_sage

Thu Sep 8, 2011 2:11 pm (PDT)

I know you well enough to know you would not steal anothers work. but sometimes you can see something that will make the ole lightbulb come on in the brain that gives you an idea. I just read it then reread it in a sing song way and thought, "that is how you could call the Guardians"

Funny part is I love Shakespeare and have read Macbeth, and totally forgot about that passage with the witch. So doing something for someone else can sometimes reward the doer as much and the receiver. :).

--- On Thu, 9/8/11, Gaia D <gaia_d@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Gaia D <gaia_d@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Comparison of Macbeth and Lord of the Flies
To: "Keelty_Sage" <walksalone2004@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, September 8, 2011, 2:10 PM

Great idea -- Always steal from the Best!

(In light of our recent conversation, perhaps I should add that of course, i'm kidding about that)

~Gaia~

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8a.: Re: Family Updates

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 2:28 pm (PDT)

Thoughts and prayers are always appreciated. I sometimes feel, with
as accident and illness prone as we are, as though we ought to have a
whole brigade of angels (or at least bubble wrap and goose down
pillows) assigned to us.

Fran, your's and Dee's tenacity continues to amaze me. No matter what is thrown at you, you find a way to get through it. Both your names remain on the healing list. I know you have your Guardians watching over you. Both of you are always in my thoughts and prayers.

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady N

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8b.: Re: Family Updates

Posted by: "Lady ckrystal Hawk" ladyckrystalhawk@yahoo.com ladyckrystalhawk

Thu Sep 8, 2011 6:41 pm (PDT)

Merry Meet,
Beef Bones, any bones for broth is very good. Lots of mineral will be released from it. I remember once reading if you add a touch of cider vinegar to chicken bones, lots of minerals will be released. It's great you're taking a vitamin.
You are so lucky to have a Cajun friend who will cook for you.
Sorry, you are feeling tired. I have heard that Chemo kills good and bad blood cells. Does your Dr. do a blood test on you when you are feeling tired to check on your iron levels?
I have a friend with Lupus and she was having blood trans. every month because of iron levels being to low. She was also, so very tired.
Frankly, I wouldn't want to lose weight because I'm sick. Be carefull on how much weight you are losing weekly.
Blessed Be
Lady Ckrystal Hawk

Someday
We will look back
Be humble like a Hawk
Stretch your Golden Wings
Fly high
To the Sky Above

From: Fran Wolfe-Johnson <tygermoonfoxx@gmail.com>
To: 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, September 8, 2011 4:54 AM
Subject: Re: [13Witches] Family Updates

On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 10:32 PM, Lady ckrystal Hawk
<ladyckrystalhawk@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Blessings being sent to all. Will be lighting a candle for everyone.
> Chemo does ruin your appetite. Eat what you want to eat. Even if it's a little, it's something.

I'm morbidly obese so instead of treating my worries about food
consumption seriously, the doctors all said, "Yay, you're losing
weight. What are you complaining about?"

I already take a full vitamin complement, designed to make up for
deficiencies in foods (there are some things, like greens, I can no
longer digest, and others for which the nutrients just aren't used).
Right now, I crave very lean barely cooked meat and legumes. My
girlfriend is Cajun so she makes excellent beans and rice and lentil
recipes. However, the effects of the chemo are such that after I've
been given the shot, I can't really keep anything solid. I live on
Gatorade and homemade vegetable and beef bone broth for about two to
three weeks. Sometimes bread.

I hate the tiredness. I have things to do but no energy with which to do it.

--
"Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and
numbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote
wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy."

-- Hamlin Garland

Fran Wolfe-Johnson (WalkerTXKitty)
FoxHeart Acres, FL

http://www.myhappytrails.net

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9a.: Re: Update: on whoever is playing with my daughter.

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 2:44 pm (PDT)

I took ur advise I asked him or her to show herself to me, only because I wanted to know who was playing with my daughter. I didnt ask them to leave because if it is someone in my family i dont want them to leave. Well tuesday I went and got put to sleep to get 2 teeth pulled. Let me tell you it was wild. All i remember is seeing all white and then my sister kellie coming and saying its me. the next thing i know I was waking up. So Im assuming it is kellie playing with her. =). Please give me ur input let me know what you think.

Sometimes strange thing happen when you are under sedation. When I had a hysterectomy, I experienced things, good and bad, and it seemed like a dream that lasted a year or more. I interacted with spirits of departed friends and relatives and experienced things that may have been in an alternate reality. It is entirely possible it is your sister since she came to you and told you it was her.

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

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10a.: healing circle

Posted by: "hrokr8" hrokr8@yahoo.com hrokr8

Thu Sep 8, 2011 3:24 pm (PDT)

Could you put my name in your next healing circle, please?

Blessed Be,

Merletta Rut

(I'm having problems with ear congestation, etc.)

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10b.: Re: healing circle

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 3:31 pm (PDT)

Could you put my name in your next healing circle, please?

Blessed Be,

Merletta Rut

Merletta, your name has been added to the list for the next Healing Circle.

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

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11a.: Re: Pagan Pride! K.C.

Posted by: "SeleneRati@lunalushede.org" SeleneRati@lunalushede.org selenerati

Thu Sep 8, 2011 5:12 pm (PDT)

Gary, I am HPS of Luna Lushede and we have been conducting open
rituals in the Kansas City area for 15 years. I taught Wicca 101
classes through Communiversity for 10 years, having recently
turned them over to one of my students (now HP of his own coven).
I have three covens that come out of Luna Lushede here in KC. For
the last four years we have been running the Pagan Pantry helping
families with food and other basic needs. We were doing that
before once a year, and decided to make it a more year-round
opportunity to reach out to those in need. I've also been
involved in HSA (Heartland Spiritual Alliance) for the past 16
years helping to put on the Heartland Pagan Festival at Camp
Gaea. I'm sure we know each other in some way. Be sure to come
say hello at PPD. If you have a hard time finding me, ask the
sound guys, Patrick or Mac. They will be easy to find and both
know me. -------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [13Witches] Pagan Pride! K.C.
From: Gary Reese <hyperreal69@yahoo.com
<mailto:hyperreal69@yahoo.com> >
Date: Thu, September 08, 2011 12:05 pm
To: "13Witches@yahoogroups.com <mailto:13Witches@yahoogroups.com>
" <13Witches@yahoogroups.com <mailto:13Witches@yahoogroups.com> >

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Where do I know lunalushede from? You may offpost me if you wish.
Gae P.S. I will be there, may be late as I have classes on
sat....yes on sat :( I might skip!
From: "SeleneRati@lunalushede.org
<mailto:SeleneRati@lunalushede.org> " <SeleneRati@lunalushede.org
<mailto:SeleneRati@lunalushede.org> >
To: 13Witches@yahoogroups.com <mailto:13Witches@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 8, 2011 1:56 PM
Subject: RE: [13Witches] Pagan Pride! K.C.

I will be there!! The Pagan Pantry which is the beneficary
of the donations this year is my creation and exists in the
basement of my home. Please come out and enjoy the fun, mingle
with those of like-mind and bring along a couple of cans to
donate. Thanks!!! -------- Original Message --------
Subject: [13Witches] Pagan Pride! K.C.
From: Gary Reese <hyperreal69@yahoo.com
<mailto:hyperreal69@yahoo.com> >
Date: Wed, September 07, 2011 11:26 am
To: undisclosed recipients: ;

A little late...I am busy, but if you are in or around K.C. this
weekend, come on out and meet everyone for Pagan Pride Day!
Please copy and paste the link into your browser to find out
more! http://kcpaganpride.com/ <http://kcpaganpride.com/>
Brightest Blessings, Gae

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11b.: Re: Pagan Pride! K.C.

Posted by: "Carly Griffith" carloo62@yahoo.com carloo62

Thu Sep 8, 2011 5:51 pm (PDT)

I don't mean to but in but I live in KC too! What a small world. I'm involved with sacred grove, if you've heard of them before. Hope to see you both at PPD.

Blessings
Carly

On Sep 8, 2011, at 7:12 PM, <SeleneRati@lunalushede.org> wrote:

> Gary,
>
> I am HPS of Luna Lushede and we have been conducting open rituals in the Kansas City area for 15 years.

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12.: Fabulous Pictures

Posted by: "P.Williams" barny_cat@yahoo.com barny_cat

Thu Sep 8, 2011 6:10 pm (PDT)

I don't know if any of these are photoshopped, but I enjoyed them anyway!

P-

I have no special talents. I'm only passionately curious. ~Albert Einstein

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13.: Something to Enjoy On the 45th Anniversary of Star Trek

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 6:11 pm (PDT)

Star Trek Guide to Neo-Paganism

Gene Rodenberry went to his grave telling stories that, although they
supposedly happened light years away, were relevant to our every day lives. From
the beginning he claimed that the characters and races in Star Trek were parallels
for people here on Earth. Little did anyone know that the characters were
actually taking on traits of Neo-Pagan sects across the country! Was Gene Pagan?
Who knows, but sit back and enjoy this little trip, where no Pagan has gone
before....

Wiccans: The United Federation of Planets

The Federation means well. They let just about everybody into their little
social club, so long as they agree to play nice. They don't talk about rules
much, but keep referring to one Prime Directive that all other laws are based
on.
That said, they frequently violate that rule when the need suits them.

Asatruar: Klingons

Obsessed with honor and combat. Have no qualms with eating meat and eat it
with obvious relish. Insist they did everything first ("But Hamlet is so much
better in the original Klingon.") And who wants Klingon opera, when you can have
Wagner's Die Neibelung?

Ceremonialists: Vulcans

Have you ever heard someone say, "Excuse, I was reading this and wanted to
tell you: anal retentive has a hyphen in it." Everything is very orderly in
their universe. No room for untidy things like emotions.

Druids: Bajorans

(with special guests: the Tuatha de Danaan as The Prophets)

You cannot separate the Bajorans from their faith. Religion permeates the
very air they breathe. Although this should be a unifying force on their
devastated environment, they are constantly fighting with one another. Like many
other races, they are subject to charismatic leaders.

New Agers: Betazoids

Profoundly psychic when you don't want them to be. Dense as a rock (crystal)
when you actually need some help. Spend an awful lot of time talking about
"vibes" and are perpetually concerned with how others feel. If they weren't so
damn cute, you'd just want to smack them. You only see the women of this race.

Numerologists / Kabbalahists: Binars

Numbers are everything, don't you know. Can loudly pronounce a given number
(93!) and have people laugh at it like it was a punch line. Draws all sorts of
really interesting links between things based on their numerological
significance. Socially uncouth. The only difference between the Binars and
numerologists is that Binars have mates that understand them.

Setians / Satanists: The Skin of Evil (the oil slick that killed Tasha Yar)

A long time ago, a race decided to slough off all their evil, mean and nasty
emotions. They physically excreted these emotions into a big pile of black
ooze. The race bailed off the planet, leaving the ooze which, over time, became
sentient--sort of-- and delights in causing fear and pain in others.

Dianics: The Women of Angel One

Imagine a planet where women are in charge! It is a wonderful, peaceful
place. Everyone gets along all the time and no one ever goes hungry. Yeah,
right. Behind the facade of perfect love and perfect trust and gyno-unity, there is an
iron fist in that velvet glove. And, surprise, surprise, the gynarchy is
subject to the same power struggles and in-fighting that the rest of us are.

Chaos Magicians: The Children of Tama (Damok & Jilad on the ocean)

I know I'm speaking English, and I know that THEY are speaking English.
However, sometimes, you just can't seem to understand what these souls are
trying to tell you. Although they have something valid and wonderful to share with the
Federation, what they have to say is mired in a language that excludes more
than it includes. Fnord.

Llewellyn Publications: The Borg

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Your history and beliefs will
become part of the Borg Collective, where they will be watered down and spread
out evenly between everyone in our race. Lower your shields and hand over
your money: resistance is futile.

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
http://groups.yahoo/group/NightshaydesNews

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
http://groups.yahoo/group/NightshaydesNews

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14.: Lunar Ritual

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 6:12 pm (PDT)

Lunar Ritual

Way back in the last Ice Age, long before modern civilizations flourished, prehistoric man carved notches on the bones of reindeer and the tusks of mammoths to represent the phases of the Moon. It is hard to imagine the awe and reverence these early people likely had for the heavens and its cycles. Shamanic rites and rituals were performed in concordance with the movements of the stars, and although we know little of these early ceremonies we know they formed the basis of religious philosophies in subsequent centuries.

As civilizations grew, ancient cultures in Babylon, Egypt, and Greece studied the stars and observed correlations between the movements in the skies and the patterns of human behavior. The planets became associated with gods and goddesses, and elaborate rituals and ceremonies were held according to astrologically judicious times to honor these deities and seek good favor. Alongside these ceremonies, the folk practice of honoring the solar and lunar holy days developed as well. Solar rituals, known as sabbats, take place on the equinoxes, the solstices, and the midpoint days between them. Many of the sabbats are also well-known to us today in their Christian form--Easter has replaced old Spring Equinox celebrations, and Christmas has replaced the Winter Solstice, or Yule. Often, sabbats are times when the greater community gathers together to celebrate, give thanks, and ask for blessings.

Lunar rituals also have a long history and an ancient association with magic, witchcraft, and spellwork. Rituals with the Moon are deep and intimate. They are often done privately or with a small group of close friends such as a coven. Rituals according to the Moon are known as esbats. New Moons are associated with times of death and renewal. Waxing Moons are associated with strengthening, nourishing, and building energy. This would be a wonderful time to help someone who is frail or weak build and gain health. Full Moons are times of fruition and great planetary energy. This makes them a perfect occasion to conduct many rituals, cast spells, empower tools, and make magic. Waning Moons are a good time to let go, lose weight, kick a bad habit, and banish negative energy.

Along with knowing the phase of the Moon, it can be very helpful to know what sign and element the Moon is in at any given time. Each sign and element is correlated with particular themes. By knowing these themes, we can augment our magical work by performing a ritual according to astrology. For this article I will focus specifically on the New and Full Moon times for lunar ritual. The New and Full Moons are like the sunrise and sunset of the month. They represent times when powerful transformation can happen. The New Moon is the seed point of the month, when we can set intentions and pray for our plans to take root. The Full Moon is a time of abundant power and energy that we can work with to transform our lives. Each time we honor the New and the Full Moon, we develop a relationship to the natural rhythm of our environment. Like the tides that roll in and out according to the Moon's pull, we have times of increased power and times when we feel less whole. Women have a more keen sense of this as their menstrual cycles and hormonal levels mimic the ebb and flow of the Moon.

Once we know what Moon times are associated with certain signs and elements, we can then formulate rituals that incorporate astrological factors. In this article, I will focus on the elements and their correspondences. When we conduct a ritual, we may have certain things we are working on such as finding a job (earth), looking for love (fire/water), increasing our creativity (fire), or assisting our health (all elements depending on the part of the body). In the table below, I list a number of correspondences between the elements and daily life.

Elemental Correspondences

Earth

Season: Winter

Time of day: Midnight

Holidays: Yule (Winter Solstice), Imbolc

Direction: North

Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Planets: Venus, Saturn

Colors; Brown, green

Physical correspondences: Stomach, spleen, bones, intestines, teeth, skin

Ritual objects: Stones, salt, drums, animal fur and figurines, plants

Associations: Work, nourishment, grounding, center, money, gardens and crops, stability

Season: Winter

Time of day: Midnight

Holidays: Yule (Winter Solstice), Imbolc

Direction: North

Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Planets: Venus, Saturn

Colors; Brown, green

Physical correspondences: Stomach, spleen, bones, intestines, teeth, skin

Ritual objects: Stones, salt, drums, animal fur and figurines, plants

Associations: Work, nourishment, grounding, center, money, gardens and crops, stability

Air

Season: Spring

Time of day: Dawn

Holidays; Ostara (Spring Equinox), Beltane

Direction: East

Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Planets: Mercury, Uranus

Colors: Yellow, sky blue, white

Physical correspondences: Nervous system, lungs

Ritual Objects: feathers, knives, athame, bells, wind instruments (flutes)

Associations: Vision, sight, communication, language, thought, breath

Season: Spring

Time of day: Dawn

Holidays; Ostara (Spring Equinox), Beltane

Direction: East

Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Planets: Mercury, Uranus

Colors: Yellow, sky blue, white

Physical correspondences: Nervous system, lungs

Ritual Objects: feathers, knives, athame, bells, wind instruments (flutes)

Associations: Vision, sight, communication, language, thought, breath

Fire

Season: Summer

Time of day: Noon

Holidays: Midsummer (Summer Solstice), Lammas

Direction: South

Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Planets: Sun, Mars, Jupiter

Colors: Red, bright yellow, gold

Physical Correspondences: Heart, blood, liver, circulation

Ritual Objects: Wand, candles, pipes, incense

Associations: Playfulness, passion, sex, self-expression, creativity, dance, joy, laughter

Season: Summer

Time of day: Noon

Holidays: Midsummer (Summer Solstice), Lammas

Direction: South

Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Planets: Sun, Mars, Jupiter

Colors: Red, bright yellow, gold

Physical Correspondences: Heart, blood, liver, circulation

Ritual Objects: Wand, candles, pipes, incense

Associations: Playfulness, passion, sex, self-expression, creativity, dance, joy, laughter

Water

Season: Fall

Time of day: Dusk

Holidays: Mabon (Fall Equinox), Samhain

Direction: West

Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Planets: Moon, Neptune, Pluto

Colors: Blue, blue-green, silver

Physical correspondences: Lymph glands, fluids in the body besides blood, immune system, reproductive system, urinary system

Ritual Objects: Bowls, water, cups, cauldrons, shells, silver, bodies of water, sea creatures

Associations: Dreams, intuition, imagination, psychic work, trance, death, love, emotions, intensity, transformation

Season: Fall

Time of day: Dusk

Holidays: Mabon (Fall Equinox), Samhain

Direction: West

Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Planets: Moon, Neptune, Pluto

Colors: Blue, blue-green, silver

Physical correspondences: Lymph glands, fluids in the body besides blood, immune system, reproductive system, urinary system

Ritual Objects: Bowls, water, cups, cauldrons, shells, silver, bodies of water, sea creatures

Associations: Dreams, intuition, imagination, psychic work, trance, death, love, emotions, intensity, transformation

Setting Up A Ritual According To Astrology

Setting up a ritual according to astrological conditions can be fairly easy. One way to do this is to honor the current element associated with the Moon by putting out associated objects. If the Moon is in Cancer, a water sign, then use sacred objects associated with water on your altar or in your ritual space. It is helpful if these objects are personally meaningful; for instance, a picture of a nearby waterfall mixed with small sea creature figurines and a bowl of water can set the mood for a water ritual. Light a few blue or sea-green candles to encourage a peaceful atmosphere. Work on emotional issues, boundary problems, or immunological disorders.

The ritual space that you set up should be meditative and encourage transformation in the appropriate areas of your life. A ritual when the Moon is in a fire sign can add a needed burst of vitality, confidence, and energy. A ritual when the Moon is in an earth sign is grounding and assists in practical matters. A ritual when the Moon is in an air sign can help us connect to the community and speak from our hearts more clearly. Each Moon time is an opportunity for transforming our lives and strengthening our body, mind, and soul in a variety of ways.

To prepare for the ritual, take some time to clean the space you will be working in. This means literally sweeping the floors (if the ritual is done inside), taking out the trash, and arranging the furniture. Cleaning helps prepare a space for new energy and vitality to come in. Next, take a bath and put on fresh clean clothes as a way of honoring this special time. It can then be helpful to smudge or light incense in the space as a way of clearing the energy and preparing it for magical work. During the ritual, it can be helpful to honor the element that you are working with by incorporating prayers to the element.

By incorporating astrology into lunar ritual, we add an additional tool that can be helpful for augmenting and transforming our lives.

We connect to a tradition that is ancient and we integrate ourselves with the movement of the Moon through the zodiac that surrounds us. In the end, working with astrology and the cycles of the Moon will broaden and strengthen our magical practice.
by Jonathan Keyes,

Setting up a ritual according to astrological conditions can be fairly easy. One way to do this is to honor the current element associated with the Moon by putting out associated objects. If the Moon is in Cancer, a water sign, then use sacred objects associated with water on your altar or in your ritual space. It is helpful if these objects are personally meaningful; for instance, a picture of a nearby waterfall mixed with small sea creature figurines and a bowl of water can set the mood for a water ritual. Light a few blue or sea-green candles to encourage a peaceful atmosphere. Work on emotional issues, boundary problems, or immunological disorders.

The ritual space that you set up should be meditative and encourage transformation in the appropriate areas of your life. A ritual when the Moon is in a fire sign can add a needed burst of vitality, confidence, and energy. A ritual when the Moon is in an earth sign is grounding and assists in practical matters. A ritual when the Moon is in an air sign can help us connect to the community and speak from our hearts more clearly. Each Moon time is an opportunity for transforming our lives and strengthening our body, mind, and soul in a variety of ways.

To prepare for the ritual, take some time to clean the space you will be working in. This means literally sweeping the floors (if the ritual is done inside), taking out the trash, and arranging the furniture. Cleaning helps prepare a space for new energy and vitality to come in. Next, take a bath and put on fresh clean clothes as a way of honoring this special time. It can then be helpful to smudge or light incense in the space as a way of clearing the energy and preparing it for magical work. During the ritual, it can be helpful to honor the element that you are working with by incorporating prayers to the element.

By incorporating astrology into lunar ritual, we add an additional tool that can be helpful for augmenting and transforming our lives.

We connect to a tradition that is ancient and we integrate ourselves with the movement of the Moon through the zodiac that surrounds us. In the end, working with astrology and the cycles of the Moon will broaden and strengthen our magical practice.
by Jonathan Keyes,

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
http://groups.yahoo/group/NightshaydesNews

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
http://groups.yahoo/group/NightshaydesNews

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
http://groups.yahoo/group/NightshaydesNews

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15a.: Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 6:15 pm (PDT)

Although there are many things I don't like about this article, I am sharing it. I will send my response to it in another e-mail.
Lady N

Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft

Some differences

Although some people use the terms witch and wiccan as if they were
synonymous, there are significant differences. Many wiccans seem to want to
appropriate the terms witch and witchcraft for themselves - but this is akin
to members of the Church of the Nazarene appropriating the term Christian,
and defining its meaning and use only in their own terms.

Some differences between Wicca and Witchcraft are discussed below. Pointing
out the differences does not mean that I am condemning anyone who holds
Wiccan beliefs, or doubting their sincerity. However, blanket statements of
the type "Witchcraft is..." and "All witches believe...", which are found on
far too many Wiccan websites, mislead many people, and exclude the distinct
beliefs of Traditional Witches.

ORIGINS: Wicca
Despite claims to the contrary, Wiccan beliefs and practices date back only
to the middle years of the Twentieth Century. The writings of Margaret
Murray, who authored The Witch Cult in Western Europe and The God of the
Witches, formed the foundation upon which Wicca was built. These books
suggested that a pre-Christian religion had survived throughout Europe in
the centuries following 313 A.D., and that believers in this cult were
persecuted and nearly exterminated by the Christian Churches during the
"Burning Times" (circa 1450-1792). While some of what she suggested is
reasonable, she was able to present little documentary evidence to support
her thesis

On this base, Gerald Gardner formulated Wicca, first in a 1949 novel High
Magic's Aid, and later in Witchcraft Today , which purports to set forth the
rituals and beliefs of a traditional coven that Gardner may have joined in
1939. Gardner however had connections to Alester Crowley and was involved in
late 19th/ early 20th Century occultism and much of what he presents as
being ancient is common to Freemasonry, OTO, the Golden Dawn, and other
groups.

Essential to both Murray and Gardner's positions, however, is that Wicca is
a religion.

ORIGINS: Witchcraft
There are as many sources of Traditional Witchcraft as there are human
ancestors. Witchcraft grows out of hundreds of individual, traditional
practices and beliefs. Many of these are widely known and contemptuously
dismissed as superstition, or at best as folklore and folk ways. Among
certain families, these beliefs and practices emerge as a coherent
phenomenon; and this phenomenon is known as Witchcraft. Within some families
these beliefs and practices are auxiliary to a more formal "religious"
belief but, in other cases, they exist as a separate thing -- being a
religion unto themselves. In addition, due to fear and distrust, a family of
Witches will often have an "outer face", or public religion as well as their
crypto-tradition.

TERMS
Many Wiccans call themselves to be Witches and their beliefs Witchcraft but
fewer traditional or hereditary Witches use these terms. Often they use the
terms Seeker, or the Cunning Man/Woman -- the latter nearly always applied
to someone other than the speaker -- when speaking about practitioners.
Their beliefs are simply the Old Ways, or Our Traditions.

The term Witch has always been essentially negative but, in the Twentieth
Century, many words with formerly negative connotations have been reclaimed
by groups wishing to "come out of the closet". As Traditional Witches become
more open they are also claiming this label for themselves. Those who do
tend to be militant about it and exclude Wiccans when speaking about Witches
and Witchcraft.(Wicca is, after all, a perfectly good term, and specific to
the beliefs and practices of Gardner's followers. "Witchcraft" and "Witch"
are more generic, and handy terms to cover the divergent family Traditions
which are followed.)

Wiccans claim that the term Witch comes from Wicca, which they claim means
"wise one" or the like. In fact, Wicca is the masculine form of the
Anglo-Saxon (Old English) word wicce, meaning witch. Although the derivation
of this word is uncertain, it seems likely to come from a word meaning "to
bend or deform" not from wise.

WITCHES
Most Wiccans belive that either one can be born (or reborn) a witch, or that
curious people can "initiate" or "self-dedicate" oneself. This is something
akin to a Christian baptizing him or herself, or a Jewish man performing his
own bris. Confusingly, within covens there are different grades of
membership which, depending on the coven, may or may not be open to all.
Traditional Witches, while they are frequently born into families with a
long history do not belive that mere birth "makes" a witch, although it may
predispose one to Witchcraft. Traditional Witches often serve long
apprenticeships, learning much lore and history, before they are initiated
into their Tradition. However, once initiated there is no hierarchy in most
of the traditions I am aware of. All witches are equal, although those of
longer practice and greater learning are often called on to initiate new
Seekers.

COVENS
For many Wiccans the ideal coven is 13, lead by a priestess. In fact this
notion is derived from the witch hunting manuals and witch trial records of
the Seventeenth Century. There is little evidence that Witches met in groups
for regular worship or ritual, and none that they ever used the term coven.
The term is actually a variant of the word convent and it's widespread use
in English to describe a group of Witches seems to be nothing but
anti-Catholic propaganda (the height of the hysteria in Britain coinciding
with the dominance of the virulently anti-Catholic Puritans).

Most Traditional Witches practice as solitaries, occasionally working with
one or two others. In some families there are a group of elders who meet to
decide important matters, but this is known by various terms. In most
traditions men and women are equal, so the leader of a family is just as
likely to be male as female.

WARLOCKS
The term warlock comes from an Anglo-Saxon (Old English) word meaning
"traitor" or "oath breaker". After the adoption of Christianity, it was
applied to the fallen angels, who had rebelled against God and were thus
oath-breakers and traitors. By extension it was also applied to witches, who
it was commonly believed were worshipers of demons. Hence this term has
always been one of abuse. Both Wiccans and Witches rightly reject it and it
is one of the few things they agree on.

ETHICS: Wicca
For Wiccans their ethics can be summarized under the headings of the
so-called Wiccan Rede, the Three-fold Law, and Not working for Personal
Gain.

Rede means counsel or advice -- King Ethelred was not Unready but "unrede",
or "poorly advised". The Wiccan Rede is essentially a negative reformulation
of the Golden Rule. It is derived from Aleister Crowley's Law of Thelema
which reads "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Love is the
law, love under will." Since Crowley nurtured a reputation as "the wickedest
man in Europe" I'm not sure that his words constitute good advice, however
Gerald Gardner adapted the first portion of the law of Thelema into the
Wiccan Rede.

There are several long versions of this, usually in doggerel verse, but the
gist of them is "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." In recent years many
Wiccans have suggested that "Do what thou wilt" refers to ones True Will,
and that one cannot act against this. One does, therefore what one must
do -- so much for free will and choice! When I first learned about Wicca,
more than 20 years ago, this was never suggested and I am unsure as to where
it comes from. How such advice serves as a basis for moral decisions is
unclear.

The Three-fold Law is the oft stated belief that whatever one does returns
to one three times as much. This seems to be a particularly Wiccan take on
Karma, the belief that all our actions have consequences which cannot be
avoided. It certainly seems to violate the laws of thermodynamics on this
plane so, presumably, this means it works on a spiritual or future-life
level. Opinion seems divided as to whether the Three-fold Law applies only
to the evil that one does, or to the good as well.

Not working for personal gain as part of Wiccan ethics got a big shot in the
arm from the television show Charmed. The general consensus seems to be that
spells, etc. do not work when applied to oneself, that one should stand to
gain nothing by one's acts. Such a principle in ethics sets up a logical
conundrum: If I preform a spell, presumably I am interested in the outcome.
If I am interested in the outcome then, if it works, it is, at least partly,
for my gain. Therefore, none of my spells can work, since if they worked I
would gain something.

In essence, Wiccan ethics boils down to "Be nice!"

ETHICS: Witchcraft
This is a little misleading since Traditional Witchcraft is not a single
thing. Some Witches subscribe to Judeo-Christian ethical systems, others to
the ethical systems of their community. However most Witches have far more
concern with ethical balance than other people. Good and Evil, Black and
White, the Five Elements, Here and the Otherworld all must be kept in
Balance. Therefore any actions which tip the scale in one direction or other
must be redressed.

Historically, Witchcraft has often been used to redress the grievances of
the poor and disadvantaged. A curse placed on the house or property of a
grasping and oppressive Lord was an effort to redress the balance. The Witch
might either be solicited to do this by one who was wronged, or might act
independently. Since the Witch's independent judgement might not be in
accord with that of the rest of the community, such actions have often lead
to problems and persecution.

In most Traditions certain types of spell and curse may be forbidden, but,
for the most part, the Witch is free to chose to work as she will. However,
Balance must always be maintained, or it will assert itself. Sometimes this
may happen slowly, or only after a delay of many years, but the balance will
be restored one way or another. Such considerations are always in the mind
of a wise Witch.

In regaining Balance, there is no possibility of a three-fold return, either
of good or of ill. "What goes around comes around", but it does not come
back and back again.

THE GODDESS AND THE GODS
Wiccans tend to worship either the goddess of many names, or the divine
pair. There is a strong tendency to syncretism in Wicca - all female deities
are seen as aspects of a single goddess, all gods as aspects of the god.
Such an eclectic belief system tends to shoehorn things which do not belong
together into one. While such assumptions were not uncommon in the pagan
past (among the Romans for instance), they do little honour to the variety
of divinities the world has produced.

In many Traditional families there is no "worship", per se. In those where
Witchcraft is more of a religion than a way of life, a variety of goddesses
and gods are worshipped. In few, if any, Traditions is there an attempt to
see all the gods as one god, or all the goddesses as one. Most pagan witches
tend to appreciate the diversity and distinctiveness of the various powers
which are worshipped.

THE FORCES OF DARKNESS
Wiccans tend to be reluctant to admit that any evil power or powers exist.
Largely, this seems to be an outgrowth of the moral ambiguity of the Wiccan
Rede. However a World in which there is only Good is a world without
balance; a World of moral relativism is a World in which no course of action
can ever be preferred over any other.

Most Wiccans firmly believe that spirits of evil and demons are Christian
constructs. This is an historically indefensible position, but it has
emerged as one of the Wiccan dogmas. In fact, evil spirits tend to emerge
into the history of religion as early, and in many cases earlier, than the
gods. Witches know this, and do not need monotheists to tell them that evil
is real, and that there are agents of evil in the world.

If there are good beings in the World, then it stands to reason, and to our
own experience, that there are also evil beings. As the chain of existence
extends in both directions from human life, there are both greater and
lesser beings, and among them both good and evil. Do Witches worship such
beings? In some Traditions it is considered wise to propitiate the forces of
evil, but in most they are eschewed entirely.

WITCHCRAFT, BLACK AND WHITE
The practice of Witchcraft is the manipulation of personal and cosmic
energies to create balance and harmony in life. Witches use their affinity
for the various powers and spirits to attain those goals.

The practice of rudimentary Witchcraft is familiar to everyone; anyone who
has a "lucky charm", or avoids doing things which bring bad luck has
attempted to manipulate the forces of the World. Our ancestors moved beyond
such relatively passive folk ways to more proactive workings, and each
Tradition passes on a heritage of those techniques which worked.
Within each Tradition self-reliant, harmonious, aware action is prized. It
forms the basis of protection, and of the various arts and skills we posses.
In common with anyone who lives in the real World, Witches believe that
sometimes the best defence is a good offence. Curses and other forms of
magical defence are used, but whether these are Black Witchcraft can only be
answered by the one who works them.

Unlike Wiccans who teach and believe that anything done returns three-fold,
Witches know that there is a pattern and cycle in human affairs. Sometimes
the mighty fall; sometimes the weak conquer. Witchcraft may be used to
attain these ends, or to help them along. In attaining this balance, in
restoring this harmony, what is Black to one may be White to another. Just
as in real life, it is the intent behind the act, the motive, which
determines if the act was good or evil.

To the Traditional Witch only those workings are Black which go against the
harmony of the World, only those actions are White which restore balance.
Actions motivated by greed, envy, malice and spite cannot restore balance.
But the angst that Wiccans feel, the worry "An it harm none..." , these are
not issues for the Traditional Witch.

THE BOOK OF SHADOWS
This Wiccan term -- a book written in the hand of the Witch, to record
spells and rituals -- is found in many permutations on the internet. Once
again, this is something which does not exist in Traditional Witchcraft, at
least not in such a formal way. There are, of course, compendia of spells
and lore, but most of the of the former rarely take the form they have in
Wicca. Most of the latter are, at least in part, known under other names to
the public.

The reasons against such books existing are, as was mentioned elsewhere,
that such information would have been beyond the ability of most people to
record prior to the middle of the 19th Century due to widespread illiteracy.
Secondly, the possession of such a document would have been a prima facie
case against anyone accused of Witchcraft until such laws were struck down.
Grimoires and Manuals of Necromancy did circulate throughout the High Middle
Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation periods. But for the most part
these were scholarly works, often penned by bored priests. The Traditional
lore of Witches rarely makes an appearance in these pages, although there
are some exceptions.

Many Traditional Witches have learned much lore, and the rudiments of many
spells by memorizing Rhymes of Lore. Many still distrust writing such
information down, though this is increasingly taking place as society
changes. But, just as the Rhymes of Lore are not shared with outsiders, and
were protected by the most solemn oaths, so to with Books of Lore, whether
they were written yesterday or descend from the past.

RITUALS
"Everyone" knows that Witches cast circles, call the quarters, draw down the
Moon, and keep the eight Sabbats and the monthly Esbats. But as with most of
the knowledge based on Wiccan practice, these things often do not apply to
Traditional Witches.

Within some Traditions, circles are cast for specific spells and special
workings, but often this is done by dance, not by the techniques of
visualization, or following the prescribed nine-foot circle and pentagram
form favoured by Wiccans. While some Traditions call on Guardians, Ancestors
or Keepers before they begin working, the form of invoking Watchtowers used
by Wiccans is derived from the Enochian rituals of John Dee and is loosely
connected, if connected at all, to Traditional Witchcraft.

To many Traditional Witches the idea that it is necessary to "draw down" the
moon is more than slightly humorous. The power of the Moon is evident in the
World. While He may be invoked in order to honour Him or make offerings, He
does not need be reminded of His functions.

Another Wiccan inspired misconception is that Witches work "skyclad" (in the
nude). This fantasy was derived from the licentious minds of witch hunters,
but except for certain specific rituals (e.g. rites of passage) was never
much of a feature of either ancient paganism or Traditional Witchcraft. Most
Traditional Witches work in their everyday clothes; some wear robes, but
these tend to be fairly modest. Of course nude or scantily clad priestesses
make for media attention, but most Traditional Witches don't want that.

CRAFT NAMES
Wiccans tend to like highly artificial, "antique" craft names and titles.
Every Wiccan website seems to have a guestbook or BBS with posts from Lord
This and Lady That. To these people these craft names obviously serve an
important function -- perhaps adding a note of drama to otherwise dull
lives, perhaps marking their transition from one level of initiation to
another.

In Traditional Witchcraft however, craft names tend to be very private,
known to few if any, and never used in public. A craft name is often the
name of an ancestor. In some Traditions, where a spirit quest or similar
ordeal takes place during rites of passage, it is often taken from the name
of the totemic animal seen during the quest.

Traditional Witchcraft general take the position that names carry power, and
that revealing one's true or craft name is foolish.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Wicca devotees often spend a great deal of time and money assembling various
paraphernalia for their craft. Traditional Witches on the other hand tend to
use those things which they already have in their homes as implements. The
Wiccan practice is certainly related to its base in ceremonial magic and
necromancy; the Traditional practice is related to the historical fact that
most Old Ways come from the people who, until recently, did not have the
wealth to assemble large collections of stuff with only a ceremonial use.
In Addition, Witchcraft was and is part of the Witches life, not something
"extra". Being part of her or his life it is natural to incorporate those
things used in our daily life within it.

A good example of the differences between Wicca and Witchcraft can bee seen
in the Athame. This dagger, often black handled, has many purposes to the
Wiccan, but is never used for cutting. To the Traditional Witch this seems
somewhat absurd knives and daggers are intended for cutting and stabbing.
Similarly, many Wiccans spend hundreds of dollars obtaining an Athame or
sword which is elaborate to the point of fragility. A Traditional Witch is
more likely to use a practical kitchen or hunting knife, or perhaps a knife
inherited from one's ancestors.

The Wiccan will also engrave or etch occult symbols and runes upon the blade
of the Athame. Once again Traditional Witches eschew such public displays. I
have seen knives marked with runes and occult symbols, but these were marked
on the tang and hidden under the handle, not in public view.

Some Wiccans also have collections of chalices, wands, censers and the like,
all dedicated to their religious observances. There is, of course, nothing
wrong with this. But such props are not a necessary part of Witchcraft and
the distress felt by many young Wiccans in being unable to secure such
implements, or keep them safe from prying parents, makes Traditional Witches
shake their heads in wonder.

Eolas Pellor, 2000

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

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The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

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16.: Fun Friday--My Coffee Mug--It holds 24 ounces

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 8:39 pm (PDT)

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagickalMeals/
http://groups.yahoo/group/NightshaydesNews

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
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17.: Fun Friday, 9/9/2011, 12:00 am

Posted by: "13Witches@yahoogroups.com" 13Witches@yahoogroups.com

Thu Sep 8, 2011 8:42 pm (PDT)

Reminder from: 13Witches Yahoo! Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/cal

Fun Friday
Friday September 9, 2011
12:00 am - 12:00 pm
(This event repeats every week.)

Notes:
Send in something funny to get the weekend started on a great note.

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18.: Remarks about the 'Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft' Article

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 8:53 pm (PDT)

Greetings, several things bothered me about this particular article. It basically
states that Traditional Witches don't bother with ritual, tools, ethics,
yada, yada, yada, and that Wiccans just preach "be nice."

For the record, I am a Traditional Witch. I am also an initiated Gardnerian, although
I don't practice within that tradition now. So you might say I am a combination of both.
And you know what? I believe that Wiccans and Traditional Witches are more alike
than different.

While Witches pass down certain things through their families, as time
progresses other aspects are incorporated into these beliefs, spells, etc.
My family had a "Book of Shadows," although it wasn't formally called that.
We just called it "the book." Some of the pages were so old as to be
crumbling. Each branch of the family that carried on the magickal traditions
had their own "family" version, plus the individual ones that each Witch
kept. I have a family Book of Shadows, a personal one, and one on a computer
disk, as well as a Coven Book of Shadows. My family used tools, cast circles
and performed rituals. I spent much of my early years in New Orleans, so I was also
exposed to the Voudon traditions as well.

Do I, as a Traditional Witch, proclaim my heritage with haughtiness?
Absolutely not. I think that by differentiating between Witchcraft and
Wiccans, we have created a notion that one is somehow better, or more
legitimate, than the other. While I have kept family traditions alive, I
have become more of an Eclectic Witch, as I incorporate aspects of various
traditions into my workings, especially concerning Astrological
correspondences, as do many other Witches and Pagans.

The Wiccan belief systems are based on the ancient traditions, so there are
more similarities than differences, in my opinion. And as for the Wiccan
Rede, when you stop and think about it, is there any real difference in
intent between the concept that was introduced 2000 years ago, "Do unto
others as you would have others do unto you" and "An it harm none, do as ye
will"? Whatever words you use, if everyone behaved in the
spirit of either of the two statements, no laws would be necessary. "Do unto
others...." has been detailed into so many laws that no one can possibly
count, and people still don't seem to "get it."

This article would have one believe that Traditional Witches have no morals,
so to speak, and don't follow the "rule of three". While some proudly
proclaim "I don't follow the Wiccan Rede," I can only say, What are your
moral standards? Whether Witch or Wiccan, most everyone I know takes those
words or similar ones seriously and strive to live by a personal set of
standards. The teaching of personal responsibility rather than rules works
better in the long run.

It should be noted that "harm none" applies to self-destructive behavior, as
well as to harm directed to another. The most emphatic aplication of "As it
harm none..." is in regard to the practice of magick. The more adept you
become in techniques of mental focus, projecting your will, raising and
moving energy, or whatever else you'd like to call it, the greater your
responsibility grows. Whether Wiccan or Witch, the ultimate no-no is the
intentional use of magick to harm another. You may do what you will for
yourself, but to manipulate another person in the process is morally
wrong.

Wiccans and Witches are keenly aware of the energies they are creating in
their lives, and they take responsibility for their creations. If things are
not going as they would like, they examine what they might be doing or
projecting or thinking that they could change, rather than looking for
someone else to blame.

"What goes around comes around." Without even going into the areas of karma
and reincarnation, you can prove the truth of this idea in many small ways in
daily life.Try this on anyone. Scowl and be grumpy and impatient and see how
you are treated. Or, smile and be gracious and polite, even if others are
grumpy, and see how the atmosphere changes. Most anyone who has ever
consciously thought about it, and tried it, will tell you that you do indeed
get in your life pretty much what you are willing to put into it and what you
expect from it, whether Wiccan or Traditional Witch.

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
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19a.: The Rite of Balance

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 8:54 pm (PDT)

The Rite of Balance

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) is probably one of the
most common techniques for preparing sacred space that you'll encounter.
Often in the course of magical working or day-to-day life we have use for
methods of grounding and centering. While many of us learn the LBRP as a
traditional technique for this, as well as many other purposes, the LBRP is
not exactly the most obvious expression of Wiccan theology of philosophy. It
is compatible, but why not use something that is derived directly from a
Wiccan outlook and expresses a distinctly Wiccan philosophy? Here is one
alternative technique that is based on a Wiccan approach to the same task.
Below is the basic form of this rite, which can easily be adapted to suit
your particular tradition or style.

THE RITE OF BALANCE (Basic Form)

Face north. Reach upward and feel yourself making contact with a powerful,
brilliant source of light beyond the Sun, Moon, and stars. Say:

"From the heavens above I call down the light. Cleanse me and purify my soul
that I might enter the circle."

Pause. Feel. Reach down to the Earth below and extend yourself into the
core of the world to touch the heart of the planet. Say:

"From the depths below I call upon the spirit of the land. Fill me with
vitality and strength that I might serve the old gods."

Close your eyes and look deep within. Extend your right hand toward the
east. Say:

"With my right hand I reach out to the new dawn and welcome the wind to walk
with me, that I might know the Mysteries."

Extend your left hand toward the west. Say:

"And on the left, I reach out to the crashing waves of the sea, mother of all
life, that I might dare to dance with life's tides."

Pause. Feel. Breathe. Say:

"Behind me, I acknowledge the flames of my passions and drives, the forces of
ecstasy and creativity, of rage and chaos that have shaped my life. Now I
begin to shape their influence upon me, as I will."

Pause. Feel. Breathe. Say:

"Before me is the dark, fertile soil of my future. I stand upon a foundation
built by my ancestry. I am a child of the Ancient Ones, and I would bring
life, light, and love into the world whether through my words, my deeds, or
my silence."

Pause. Feel. Breathe. Say:

"I stand between wisdom and understanding, that I might pursue truth. I
share the gifts of compassion and discipline, that I might respect myself and
others. I embrace sensuality even as I pursue knowledge, that I might truly
taste and partake of life in its fullest. In my heart I seek beauty and
glory, that I might create balance and harmony in all that I do."

Pause. Feel. Breathe. Open your eyes and proceed.

Simple, yet effective, the Rite of Balance is useful for grounding and
centering in a group context, preparing for ritual work, or even after
driving home in rush-hour traffic. The words can easily be replaced with
others of similar intent. Ideally, you should modify this rite to be more
appropriate to the way you do magic. Think of it as a framework on which to
create your own, unique structure.

Once this basic form has been mastered, you might consider adjusting and
elaborating on it to create a wide range of special versions specifically for
self-purification, consecrating tools, performing spell-work, or in healing.
Use your intuition and imagination. More advanced forms of this Rite could
be used in initiations and special observances such as eldering. Again, take
what works and run with it--an it harm none; do as you will!
by Jim Garrison,
copyright 1998

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

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20.: You Are Being Watched!

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 8:55 pm (PDT)

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhisperingWitches/
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21.: Fun Friday--Adorable Animals

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 8:56 pm (PDT)

Baby penguin meeting a baby dolphin

A firefighter giving a kitten oxygen

This baby owl

A polar bear with a road cone stuck on its head

A turtle the size of a grape

This cat wearing a sweater

An embarrassed walrus

A dog trying to high-five a cat

A cat with a permanent top hat

A pug with pug slippers

A baby hedgehog taking a bubblebath

An otter showing you its baby

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
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22.: Quotes by Thomas Jefferson

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 8:56 pm (PDT)

If there is one principle more deeply rooted in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest.
--Thomas Jefferson

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
--Thomas Jefferson

The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.

Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/13Witches/
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joi, 8 septembrie 2011

[13Witches] Digest Number 7561

Messages In This Digest (25 Messages)

Messages

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:13 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:23 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:34 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:39 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:43 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 1:44 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "Keelty_Sage" walksalone2004@yahoo.com keelty_sage

Thu Sep 8, 2011 2:11 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99

Thu Sep 8, 2011 2:28 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "Lady ckrystal Hawk" ladyckrystalhawk@yahoo.com ladyckrystalhawk

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