A BASIC CANDLE BURNING RITUAL
From: Doreen Valiente's Natural Magic
Best: Do last thing at night then go to bed with the thought that the ritual
will succeed. Select a candle of an appropriate colour. The candle should be new
and never used for any other purpose.
Anoint the candle to impress your thoughts on it and to consecrate it to your
purpose.
Before starting get clear on what you wish, then write your wish on new paper.
Put this paper under the candle holder.
Lower or turn off other lights. Rub the anointing oil on your fingers and gently
rub it onto the candle.
Light the candle and sit in quiet concentration upon your wish. Above all
visualize the thing you want.
Use the burning candle as a focus of concentration.
When you feel that you have concentrated for long enough take the paper and burn
it in the flame of the candle, with the thought that you are now projecting your
wish into the beyond to find fulfilment.
Say this invocation.....
Invocation:
Candle shining in the night
With your flame enchanted,
By the powers of magic might
May my wish be granted.
When the candle sheds its gleam
At the mystic hour,
Let fulfilment of my dream
Gather secret power.
Flame of magic, brightly burn,
Spirit of the fire.
Let the wheel of fortune turn,
Grant me my desire.
One, two, three - so mote it be!
Allow the candle to burn itself out.
Credit: ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com
A reader writes:
Jimmy could you please tell us about the origin of the word "Christmas? What did the first Christians call what we today know as Christmas?
Is writing X'mas okay? As in today's language X means "nothing." I know that X is the 22nd letter of Greek alphabet known as "chi". This "chi" is the first part of the word chirios or expanded to Christos, which means to anoint.
Thus we say that "Christos" the Christian faith is founded on Christ's Resurrection, which is at the root of the proclamation of the Gospel and gave birth to the Church. Therefore being Christian means living in a Paschal manner, letting ourselves be involved in the dynamism that originated in Baptism and leads to dying to sin in order to live with God (cf. Rom 6: 4).
Hippolytus of Rome, in his commentary on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, written in about a.d. 204, was the first person to say clearly that Jesus was born on 25 December....
For Christianity the Feast of Christmas acquired its definitive form in the fourth century [General Audience, Dec. 23, 2009].
3) IS WRITING "XMAS" OKAY?
Yes, it is "okay" to write "Xmas." It's just an abbreviation, and there is nothing sinful about abbreviating a word, even one containing the term "Christ."
In fact, the earliest Christians "did" frequently abbreviate sacred terms. Scholars studying early Christian manuscripts are familiar with a phenomenon known as the "nomina sacra" ("sacred names"; singular = "nomen sacrum") in which terms like "God, Jesus, Lord," and "Christ" were "regularly abbreviated precisely because they were sacred."
This happens in our earliest manuscripts of the New Testament documents. Thus, "God" (Greek, "theos") was abbreviated with a "theta" and a "sigma" (its first and last letters in Greek), "Jesus" ("Iesous") was abbreviated "iota-sigma", "Lord" ("Kurios") was abbreviated "kappa-sigma", and "Christ" ("Christos") was abbreviated "chi-sigma".
The appearance of the "nomina sacra" is one of the ways that we date when a Christian manuscript was written, because this practice characterized the early centuries.
Similar abbreviations have appeared later, though. Concerning "Xmas," the Online Etymology Dictionary says:
XMAS (N.)
"Christmas," 1551, "X'temmas", wherein the "X" is an abbreviation for "Christ" in "Christmas", English letter "X" being identical in form (but not sound signification) to Greek "CHI", the first letter of Greek "Christos "Christ" (see "CHRIST"). The earlier way to abbreviate the word in English was "Xp-" or "Xr-" (corresponding to the "Chr-" in Greek "), and the form "Xres maesse" for "Christmas" appears in the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" (c.1100).
At the same time, I understand the squeamishness many folks have about the abbreviation, particularly if they don't have this background info.
4) DO WE ACCEPT THE TERM "MESSIAH" AS WELL AS "CHRISTOS"?
Whether "Christ" or "Messiah" is used depends largely on the language one is speaking. The New Testament is written in Greek, and so it normally uses the term "christos", though it does use "messias" (a Greek version of the Aramaic "mshiha") in John 1:41 and 4:25.
The prominence of "christos" compared to "messias" in the Greek New Testament is the reason that in much of Christendom the term "Christ" is used more frequently than "Messiah," though in languages like Aramaic, Arabic, and Hebrew (which are all related to each other) variations on "Messiah" turn up more frequently.
Since the terms mean the same thing, they are both used, and which is used in a particular case is a matter of custom.
5) WHAT ABOUT "YULETIDE"?
"Yuletide" is simply a contraction of "Yule" and "tide" (i.e., time), meaning "Yule time" or "the time of Yule."
When we dig deeper than this, the answer becomes more complex. You "will" find sources out there that say Yule was a pre-Christian pagan holiday in Scandinavia.
Unfortunately, lots of what gets said about pre-Christian holidays is absolute bunk, and so such claims are not to be simply accepted. They must be tested.
When you do that, the claim that Yule was a pre-Christian holiday starts to appear shaky.
What seems certain is that the term "Yule" was used to refer to a "an extended period of time" (e.g., a month or two months), but it is not at all clear that it referred to any particular holiday in pre-Christian times.
British historian of paganism Ronald Hutton states:
In the eleventh century Danish rule over England resulted in the introduction of the colloquial Scandinavian term for Christmas, 'Yule', which provided an alternative name for it among the English.
It became popular with them in the next century, and in the thirteenth is first recorded in Scotland, where it had become standard in vernacular speech by the end of the Middle Ages.
In Old Norse it is "jol", in Swedish "jul", and in Danish "juul".
THE DERIVATION OF THE NAME HAS BAFFLED LINGUISTS; it is possibly related to the Gothic "heul" or Anglo-Saxon "hweal", signifying a wheel, or to the root-word which yielded the English expression 'jolly'.
NOTHING CERTAIN, HOWEVER, IS KNOWN, AND THERE IS EQUAL DOUBT OVER WHETHER IT WAS ORIGINALLY ATTACHED TO A MIDWINTER FESTIVAL WHICH PRECEDED THE CHRISTIAN ONE ("Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain", p. 6).
Regardless of the origin of the word, IT'S JUST A WORD. What matters for what a word means is how it is presently used, not where it came from. (Thus "nice" means nice, it doesn't mean ignorant, even though it came from the Latin word "nescius", which means not knowing).
Sounds do not carry "evil vibrations" from how they may or may not have been used before.
Today, in English, "Yule" refers to Christmas, and "Yuletide" refers to Christmas time.
That's what counts for speakers of modern English.
Also, Yule and Christmas (both) have nothing to do with Saturnalia, which was a Roman holiday, not a Norse or Christian one.
MORE HERE.
In my travels outside of NYC over the holidays, people have asked me if OWS is still going on now that Liberty Square (Zuccotti Park) has been evicted. The answer is YES! YES! YES! While no tents are allowed in the park and people can be arrested for sleeping there (people are at risk of arrest for even reclining in the park), Occupy events are indeed still happening all over New York City, and elsewhere.
If you visit NYC and want to check out the current movement, working groups are meeting every day at 60 Wall Street, in the atrium. People are still regularly gathering and rallying in Liberty Square. If you go there, expect some moderate-heavy police presence.
UPCOMING STUFF!
Occupiers around the world are calling for candlelight vigils on the JANUARY 15TH HOLIDAY IN HONOR OF MARTIN LUTHER KING. These vigils will take place at 7:00 p.m. in each respective time zone. To quote the event listing: "Wherever we may be, whether in our homes, in city squares, online, Occupies, or at work, we lift a beautiful message high above the political dialogue. We light the dream of a more equitable world in our hearts. We can overcome!" It doesn't seem like much of a coincidence that this candlelit event is coming up so close to Imbolc/Candlemas? We as Pagans know the power of light, of flame, and of gathering in spirit. Look for your local event and try to join other brothers and sisters in the spirit of solidarity. If no events are listed in your area, start one! J15 Worldwide Candlelight Vigil for Unity
JANUARY 17TH will mark the four month anniversary of Occupy. Demonstrations will be happening all over. Now with this NDAA nonsense in the mix, normally icy January has the potential to be very heated, indeed.
Protests specific to NDAA are being called for on February 3rd.
As always, occupywallstreet.org has a listing of events in all areas.
If you go to protest.
remember that violence is NOT in the interest of this movement. Peaceful resistance IS. Raise your voices loudly, make your presence known, but be careful in the crowds and act with peace and compassion.
Many blessings and well wishes to our brothers and sisters in Hurly, WI who are Occupying to retain their basic human rights of clean water. We are with you-in NYC and everywhere!
In love, light and solidarity,
Courtney
PROTECTIONS FOR CONSERVATIVES WERE "INSUFFICIENT"
November 21, 2012
By Tom Sutcliffe
voted for women priests in 1992 and I am in principle keen that we should have women bishops in the Church of England. But I voted against the Measure being proposed for final approval yesterday. I had two main reasons for voting no.
The Provision is not sufficient
It simply is not true that it made appropriate provisions for the two minorities of less than a third of Church members who cannot accept the ordination or consecration of women as being consistent with their understanding of scripture and tradition. It may well be that traditionalist Anglo-Catholics could have lived awkwardly with the Measure as proposed had it got through. But conservative evangelicals would have been severely affected and in an impossible position. THE REST
ADDED:
CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN CRISIS: ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY ATTACKS MEMBERS FOR VOTING AGAINST WOMEN BISHOPS
The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a scathing attack on those within his own church who voted down legislation to approve women bishops accusing them of being "unrealistic".
In an impassioned speech at the General Synod this morning that vividly illustrates the depth of the current crisis facing his organisation, Dr Rowan Williams admitted that the Church of England loses credibility every day it fails to approve women bishops.
GETRELIGION: ON WOMEN BISHOPS: WHO VOTED "NO" AND WHY?
To the shock of legions of mainstream reporters, the Church of England fell just short of approving the long-debated step of raising women to the Anglican episcopate.
The issue that seems to have some reporters stumped, a bit, is why the laypeople who cast these votes didn't go along with this latest evolution in Anglican orders. Take, for example, the PRETTY SOLID REPORT FROM REUTERS, as offered by "The Huffington Post". Here are two summary passages that contain the key material...
ALBERT MOHLER: THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND VOTES AGAINST WOMEN BISHOPS - WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
"This is a train crash," said one frustrated priest. Yesterday was a decisive day in the history of the Church of England, but it was also a deeply divisive day. After 37 years of controversy and turmoil, the church's General Synod turned down a proposal to consecrate women as bishops. The proposal required a two-thirds majority in all three houses of the General Synod in order to pass, and it failed to receive that vote among the laity...
Reference: invocation-rituals.blogspot.com
"In your day, surround yourself with people who love you, motivate you, encourage you and just make you feel good about being You."~ Bridgette Nicole"
Have you heard or read this saying >'You become the average of your closest friends'? Because of the impact your friends have on your success, it is important to analyze whom you are surrounding yourself with. Do your friends uplift you or drag you down? Are they positive or negative? Are they constructive or destructive? Do they encourage or discourage your growth and success?
WE ARE ALWAYS INFLUENCED BY THOSE WITH WHOM WE ASSOCIATE
If a man keeps company with those who curse and complain, he will soon find curses and complaints flowing like a river from his own mouth. If he spends his days with the lazy- those seeking handouts - he will soon find his finances in shambles. Many of our sorrows can be traced to relationships with the wrong people.
Anytime you tolerate the average in your friends, you become more comfortable with the average in your own life. If laziness "isn't" an irritation to you, it is a sign that you have accepted it as a way of life.
ITS EASIER TO THINK that your friends don't have a major influence on you and that you still make your own reality, but you have to recognize that "they are part of that reality". As hard as it may seem, sometimes you need a friend-ectomy(Process of removing a friend, who has become too agonizing, from your friends list).
You need to start to surround yourself with the type of positive people you would want to become, and you "will" begin this transformation.
TO ILLUSTRATE THIS POINT FURTHER, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT AN INTERESTING STUDY. A FEW FRIENDS, GARY HAMEL(MANAGEMENT EXPERT) AND C.K. PRAHALAD(CORPORATE STRATEGIST) WROTE ABOUT A STUDY CONDUCTED WITH A GROUP OF MONKEYS:
Four monkeys were placed in a room that had a tall pole in the center. Suspended from the top of that pole was a bunch of bananas. One of the hungry monkeys started climbing the pole to get something to eat, but just as he reached out to grab a banana, he was doused with a bucket of cold water. Squealing, he scampered down the pole and abandoned his attempt to feed himself. Each monkey made a similar attempt, and each one was drenched with cold water. After making several attempts, they finally gave up.
Then the researchers removed one of the monkeys from the room and replaced him with a new monkey. As the newcomer began to climb the pole, the other three grabbed him and pulled him down to the ground. After trying to climb the pole several times and being dragged down by the others, he finally gave up and never attempted to climb again.
The researchers replaced the original monkeys one by one, and each time a new monkey was brought in he would be dragged down by the other before he could reach the bananas. In time, the room was filled with monkey who had never received a cold shower. however, None of them would climb the pole, but not one of them knew why.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS SAME THING HAPPENS IN OUR LIVES. We surround ourselves with people who for whatever reason pull us down when we try to climb to new heights. "DON'T LET OTHERS STIFLE YOUR SUCCESS." Surround yourself with people who will help you grow and excel.
A SIMPLE WAY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE:
Take out a sheet of paper and make a list of the people you associate with regularly. Next to their name put an arrow going^ UP if they are people who encourage and lift you - people who are positive, optimistic, and solution-oriented. If they are negative people who whine and complain then put an arrow goingV DOWN. The people with the up^ arrow are the group that will fuel your success. Those that have a downV arrow are stifling your progress.
Choose whom you surround yourself with wisely. Probably more than any other influence, your friends will impact the results you desire.
If there are friends that bring you down, then YOU try to lift them up. I'm in no way saying, that you stop friendship with these people...all I'm saying is be very careful as to how they are influencing you. Try to add more to the going up list, which will eventually balance out the going down list.
We really do become the average of our friends.
DO YOU AGREE? HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THE INFLUENCE, THE RIGHT OR WRONG KIND OF PEOPLE CAN MAKE IN YOUR LIVES? SHARE YOUR INSIGHT AND EXPERIENCES IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.
PLEASE NOTE: This is the FIRST PART in the "SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVITY SERIES" of articles where we went deep into the kind of people you need around you to be positive. IN THE NEXT PART we will talk about how and what you can do to actually add positivity to your life...yup, from closet/home/office positivity to heart and mind positivity...all will be happily revealed in this series. "WITH IMMENSE LOVE ">"~ZEENAT~ "
Counseling Psychologist/ Spiritual Counselor
Motivational Speaker/Naturopath
Holistic Healer/Writer
Dungeon Sprint DCSS version 0.12-a0-67-gcf389e5 (console) character file.
200 COCWYRM the Bringer of Law (level 1, -17/19 HPs)
Began as a Deep Dwarf Priest on Aug 15, 2012.
Was the Champion of Zin.
Killed by an exploding giant spore (36 damage)
... set off by themself
... in the Dungeon (Sprint VI: "Thunderdome").
The game lasted 00:00:50 (22 turns).
COCWYRM the Bringer of Law (Deep Dwarf Priest) Turns: 22, Time: 00:00:50
HP -17/19 AC 2 Str 16 XL: 1 Next: 0%
MP 3/3 EV 11 Int 12 God: Zin [
]
Gold 200 SH 0 Dex 11 Spells: 0 memorised, 0 levels left
Res.Fire :... See Invis. :. a - +0 quarterstaff
Res.Cold :... Warding :. b - +0 robe
Life Prot.:... Conserve :. (no shield)
Res.Poison:. Res.Corr. :. (no helmet)
Res.Elec. :. Clarity :. (no cloak)
Sust.Abil.:.. Spirit.Shd :. (no gloves)
Res.Mut. : + Stasis :. (no boots)
Res.Rott. :. Ctrl.Telep.:. (no amulet)
Saprovore :... Levitation :. (no ring)
Ctrl.Flight:. (no ring)
@: non-regenerating, confused, not resistant to hostile enchantments, very unstealthy
A: damage resistance, recharge devices, sense surroundings 1, slow healing 3 a: Device Recharging, Recite, Vitalisation, Imprison, Sanctuary, Cure All Mutations, Renounce Religion
You were in the Dungeon.
You worshipped Zin.
Zin was exalted by your worship.
You were not hungry.
You visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and saw 1 of its levels.
You collected 200 gold pieces.
You donated 20 gold pieces.
Inventory:
Hand weapons
a - a +0,+0 quarterstaff (weapon)
Armour
b - a +0 robe (worn)
Magical devices
c - a wand of heal wounds (5)
l - a wand of fire (10)
Comestibles
d - a bread ration
Scrolls
j - 4 scrolls of blinking
k - a scroll of unholy creation
m - 3 scrolls of fog
Potions
e - a potion of curing
f - 4 potions of heal wounds
g - 4 potions of speed
h - 2 potions of magic
i - a potion of berserk rage
Skills:
+ Level 1.7 Fighting
+ Level 2.6 Staves
+ Level 1.1 Dodging
+ Level 6.0 Invocations
You couldn't memorise any spells.
You didn't know any spells.
Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations
Branches:
Dungeon (1/1)
Altars:
Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations
You are resistant to damage.
You can recharge devices by infusing magical energy.
You passively map a small area around you.
You do not heal naturally.
Message History
Get ready!
You start searching.
ROUND 1! FIGHT!
You start searching.
A giant spore comes into view.
You start searching.
The giant spore waves its rhizomes.
Use which ability? (? or * to list)
You haven't enough magic capacity.
Enter note: oops
Read which item? (? for menu, Esc to quit)
Okay, then.
Unknown command.
Enter note: poops
You sock the giant spore!
The giant spore explodes!
The explosion of spores engulfs you!
You are confused.
Ouch! That really hurt!
You die...
.,.
....
.#....#.
..........
*..#.*.#.., *
,..###..,,,
,,,, *#...#,
,,,, #.@.#
,, * #...#,,,
,,..###..
,..#.*.#..,, *
,.....,.....
.#..,,..#. *
..,..
*.,.
*
There were no monsters in sight!
Notes
Turn Place Note
0 D COCWYRM, the Deep Dwarf Priest, began the quest for the Orb.
0 D Reached XP level 1. HP: 19/19 MP: 3/3
0 D Acquired Zin's second power
0 D Acquired Zin's third power
0 D Acquired Zin's fourth power
22 D oops
22 D poops
22 D Killed by an exploding giant spore... set off by themself
Credit: about-world-religions.blogspot.com
Are you an Unbeliever? Existing may be a "church" for you.It is conventional not to imagine the carillon that ring on Sunday emerge. But at churches, synagogues and mosques not far off from the globe donate are some for whom that religion is lost. This group is part of America's disbeliever minority.Nevertheless Christians, Muslims and Jews can honor their beliefs, and fellowship in the being there of others in churches, mosques and synagogues, wherever can non-believers find a spiritual home?One arrange lies in Palo Alto, Calif., if you moment the sign by the roadside. It's at the Humanist Native, wherever for a few hours every Sunday the humanists, as they characterize themselves, come together in what one intensity characterize a discussion. It even has its own Sunday school.Short church carillon, but with music, this group of humanists put on in a lot of ram - but God isn't one of them. They get together and, with lectures for the older congregants and stories and games for the younger ones, pick up the tab not their have confidence in, but the opposing of have confidence in -- the notion that truth arises from lawsuit, from science, from free disruption."I be devoted to to enfold from outside, but at a standstill I can really enfold from outside whenever I daydream rash I enfold put from outside is good," aimed eight-year-old Jane Kovak, one of the humanists' younger congregants. Jane's parents, John and Kimberly teach in the community."I don't put on donate is a God," Jane continues, "but donate is a try that donate can be. I don't really enfold donate is."I'm dying to know what my atheist/agnostic flow thinks of this. Not to skew or fall the replies I get, but my own rash is: "This is dead beat as hell."Gate zee rest.UPDATE: Extra ABC News protest says the following:Existing are an physical 20 to 30 million atheists in the Fixed States these days, and some of them say they flamboyance be devoted to a mistreated minority."Atheists are surge vilified. And it's OK," says Kelly, an disbeliever who works touching Brian and besides asked that her remain standing name not be recycled."It's actually OK to hate atheists," Kelly aimed. "We are be devoted to the remain standing group that contest terribly impair that it's OK to hate us, so there's an absurd slanting of skepticism out donate."No, atheists: the "remain standing group that contest terribly impair" is OK to insult is "fat contest." Consent me-- I know. Ha ha!Switching gears: I hadn't realized donate were so spend time at atheists in the US. The manager stat puts atheists at about 7-10% of the extreme US population. I compel the be incorporated (and fate) to manner.
