The Mysteries of the Unknown

I have to steal a quote from a user over at Ravelry.

"I don't like to use the name 'God' because the very act of personifying the mysteries of the universe strikes me as an act of hubris. It suits me to let the mysteries remain mysteries and to just concentrate on remembering in my day-to-day life that the world is much, much bigger than me."

When I read this in a post I just happened to be skimming through, it reminded me of something out of The Mist (that new Steven King movie; saw it last weekend with friends). The crazy lady they ended up killing said something to the effect of how we are not intended to unravel certain mysteries. (Doing so is what lead to the ultimate, and for a few untimely, death of many in the story. The mililary had found a way to connect with another dimension, and all sorts of horrible things that didn't belong here crossed through to our world. They were just big bugs and creatures doing what they do, eating and hunting. We were no match against them. They were not out to conquer us deliberately. They were just doin' their thing.) It just reminds me that sometimes we might think something is OK but makes me wonder if it really is. The heretic went off on a tangent at one point about the kinds of things we're doing in the world today that God had spoken to her and told her that we shouldn't be doing. Stem cell research was one of the things on the list. I bet she wouldda added artificial meat production to the list too. It really freaked me out because what if she's right? I've learned to listen to my inherant instincts more often than not (6th sense, after all, imho, is partially subconscious at play, along with being observant and paying attenion (having some friggin' common sense)). And I was having a conversation with Shon recently about artificial meat. He was promoting to me the pro's of it. I at first said I just felt it wasn't right. He doesn't like the idea of killing animals to eat. I couldn't put my finger on why I felt it wasn't right and eventually allowed his reasoning to pursuade my opinion in the direction that it really wouldn't be a bad plan, after all, if the US or the world or whoever sells the meat would start selling lab-raised meat instead. But now I'm not so sure. Maybe that's one of those mysteries we're not intended to meddle with.

Whenever I look up at the night sky and think about the universe and what lies beyond it, how it got there, etc., I always used to get that same feeling: the one that told me that some things we're just not meant to know. And when I watch those shows on Discovery that explain it all, they really make it all seem so logical, but I still feel that I can't totally wrap my head around it all. Maybe we won't ever be able to find out all the mysteries. But sometimes we just might get dangerously close. Not that I think advancements are a bad idea. We need to continue to advance and explore. It's how we grow and adapt and built. There's just a fine line there somewhere that crosses over into the mysterious side of the unknown that needs to stay there, I'm thinking.

Now don't get me wrong - I'm not saying it's like we need to stay young and not grow up by finding out about Santa Clause, or anything like that. I don't really know what I'm trying to say. I'm not trying to convince a point, just getting this idea out of my head because it has been in there for a while now.

Are there mysteries that we're not meant to unravel? Are they going to keep evolving and changing away from us the closer we get to figuring them out, just so we won't ever really be able to?

Explanation of Evil

I have to thank Derek for posting this on Myspace. This describes something in a way that I was having a problem getting a grasp on.

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A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

Recycling

So, now that I've been recycling for a while, I've had time to consider some adjustments. Apparently it is not as resourceful to recycle plastic due to the energy it takes to recycle it as opposed to making new. Aluminum is still a good resource to recycle. Paper... it's bio-degradable and a renewable resource. Therefore, I'm going to recycle a little bit less. I still don't use any disposable items at work when I can help it (I still take my own utensils and coffee cup to work with me every day), but now I guess I will just be recycling the cans I drink from, and my cat food cans, which are also aluminum.

Bee-Friendly Benches :D

I really didn't want to make a boast about this, but I *seriously* doubt anyone reads this anyway, and I just wanted to write it down as it is a personal accomplishment, so here is where it goes. I guess that's okay, as this is a place for my internal thoughts to come out anyway.

So at work, I have been doing my part to do what feels right to me. This includes NOT using styrofoam cups for my coffee every morning (I bring my own cup), or plastic utensils (I bring in my own fork), and I recycle my cans and the plastic cartons my frozen dinners come in, as well as my co-worker's too now. ;) I don't feel this has a huge impact on the environment but it just feels right for me to recycle as much of my own as is convenient (there's a plastic place very nearby, and my dad's church takes all the cans). Maybe I'll find the metal recyclers around here one day too for the other cans I've been saving...

Well, anyway. Every spring I have noticed that the bumblebees would come out and try to bore nests into the wooden benches along the walkway going into my building. And the maintenance team would be called out regularly to poison them because they would really swarm around a lot and it fel harassing to people trying to walk by, me included! I wrote to Associate Resources with a plea and it was heard. I asked if they could replace them with something non-wooden, to both save the bees, and the cost of maintenance (I knew that'd get 'em hehe). They just replaced them with metal benches. I am so thrilled!!! :)

Wind

Tonight I had the insatiable desire to go outside for a while, so I sat down. I sat and listened, and the wind spoke. I was thinking that when you hear the wind, except for when the wind is really strong or fast (like how it howls when it's blowing very hard, or how it sounds like a train when a tornado is coming), it's not really the wind you hear, but really the sound of things that the wind strikes, like the leaves which rustle softly, whispering as the wind caresses them. Or perhaps you hear the soft tinkling of wind chimes as they clatter in the breeze. There was a nice, soft gentle breeze whispering through the night as I sat, enjoying it, until the desire felt fulfilled. So now I'm journaling it, because I feel this event will corelate with something in the future, while at the moment I really can't think of any significant correlation.

Same-ole' same-ole? I think not.

For a while, I thought that maybe I was just boring... listening to the same music, over and over... enjoying the same game, for years at a time... etc, etc. ... Does that make me sound complacent? Perhaps a bit, but I am not unadventurous... I finally put it into words tonight, when the Wizard of Oz came on tv. Yes, I've seen it several times before. Sometimes just in parts - the beginning, or the end or whatever, but I know the story well. This time, I looked at it with a whole new perspective. I understood a new meaning that I had not thought of before, or at least not in the same way.

I realized that life is much the same way. There's little in this world that has not been done, said, seen, or felt before. But even if we are creatures of habit, things are ever changing. We are not as boring as we might think we are sometimes. If you look for it, you'll find new meaning in even the smallest of places in your life, every single day.

4-letter word..... Love

Love, sexuality, companionship. Whatever you want to label it. This is a 3-fold process.

Mental, physical, and spiritual.

It is a combination of all 3. Without all 3, it is not whole, complete, or fulfilling.

Actions & Reactions

Yes, everything happens for a reason. But it's not for some great, grand scheme pre-planned by a divine entity. Every action is a reaction to some other action. We hold the power to shape the outcome of our own domain by influencing it. We will always do this anyway, so why not do it in a positive and beneficial way? Even NO action causes a reaction. So mold your own path, shape your own future, and take control over your own life. After all, not only you hold this power. Make it what you want it to be, not what it becomes because of the results of others' actions.

A lesson for the day, on day 29
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Do not be afraid to exercise wisdom. Reach out; act on things. Don't wait for life to happen. Make life happen for you. You have more power than you may realize to shape your future, and change your path, if you desire. Set your goals and work your way towards them. Don't dress for the job you have: dress for job you want to have. Apply this to your life. Take the wheel . . . and drive.

Now. Remember not to become so self-sufficient as to live in isolation!

Like the Yen and the Yang

Without Winter, there would be no Summer.
Without night, there would not be day.
Without darkness, there would not be light.
I pondered this thought deeply one day last week, as I was gazing at the moon. I remembered that the moon could not shine upon us if it weren't for the sun, shining upon it. Really, the moon is just shining the sun back on us. So, without the sun, the moon would not shine its face down upon us. They work in harmony. Each planet needs each other in some way: if not for warmth and light, then for balance and support.

In this way, they remind me of the Yen and the Yang: two integral parts that make up our night and our day.

Without death, there would be no life.
Is this statement true? If it is, it lends a most intriguing idea to my mind to ponder. Does this mean that, perhaps, there could be more spirit, life... soul.. within some people than in others? Or is it perhaps an endless, or overly abundant, resource?
If this was true, it would explain to me why I feel like so many people are so... well, mundane, if you will. One of the things I am working on is to try and feel more connected with such people, and perhaps to discover why I feel this way. Perhaps this is it. I'm not sure, but it's one theory.

A Year And A Day: Day 1

It was very nice until I had to go running, yes running, inside due to ants stinging my foot. Grrr! At first I thought maybe my glasses were playing tricks on me, but I saw the aura of the moon and the trees. I wish I could have sat there longer. The moon is so full and beautiful tonight.

Musings of the Day

I was talking with a co-worker today, and she shared some of her beliefs. I compared them to my own, of course. I think a lot of religions overlap beliefs, in ways they may not even realize, or want to acknowledge. And some of them just flat out refute anything that's not of their own - now those are the ones I have issue with.

Anyway, she is a Jehovah's Witness. I found it interesting to learn that she does not believe in a Hell, but does believe that there is a Devil. After death, some shall inherit the Earth, while only a few will reside where God does.

In comparison, this to me could be the same idea as reincarnation: by inheriting the earth, a spirit would be able to return to the earth with different lessons to learn, all the while being given its gifts. Only those who ever fulfil their cycle would move on to a higher plane of being, if they wished.

It bothers me somewhat to think that after death, my knowledge will be passed on, reabsorbed into the whole that is, yet I as I am right now will cease to exist forever. We are meant to enjoy life, grow and change and develop, and move beyond that which we could just muddle through life with. I feel like I have SO much life left to live. I may have found my purpose, in helping others, but I'm not entirely sure where that is currently integrated, or where it needs to be integrated, into life around me. I help people, but is it in the right ways? Do I help people challenge themselves and expand and grow? I don't know, but sometimes at least I do. I'd like to find a way to do this more. Help people help themselves. Did you know I selected Psychology as my first intended major in college? Heh. Even then, I wasn't sure where I was supposed to go. I ended up in technical support, and have stuck with Helpdesk work for the past 6 years, because it fulfils that need to provide help. I always find myself more fulfiled behind the scenes somewhere, helping things to more smoothly work together. A GM in the game environment instead of a player, but not the leader, though sometimes folks might feel like a GM is their leader. So taking on that makeshift role once in a while works too. Sometimes, if you lead, they will just start following. People are like sheep, and I don't say that just to be joking. Sometimes a situation needs somebody to just cut through the crap and find the bottom line, and point it out. That's me. If that means I am the one to do something about it, then so be it, though that's not the role I would otherwise voluntarily choose. :) Well, that's enough ramble out of me for one night.

Just an update

So, what am I doing differently now than I was before? Not much, really, except for recycling. (And that feels good!) I am about to do one thing I've wanted to do for quite some time: start an herb garden. I bought a book called "Mastering Herbalism" and have really enjoyed it. Food is the nourishment of life, and spices and seasonings bring such wonderful flavors to it. I can't believe what a difference the pinch of just the right thing, cooked the right way, makes! What does this have to do with spirituality, you might ask? Well, like I said, food is the nourishment of life. We consume plants and animals and transfer the energy from them to ourselves. That makes it pretty darned sacred to me.

I have fallen in love with Amazon.com. I have gotten quite a few new books lately, and am really enjoying reading them, and looking forward to getting into my newest arrivals!

PS. Plants are pretty amazing. Just look at all the wonderful things they can produce, out of just a bit of dirt and water. The only thing we can turn water into is pee. hehehe

These Words Are My Own (like 'em, or lump 'em)

I think I've found the meaning of life. The meaning of life is that everyone's life has its OWN meaning, and we have to discover it, and fulfill it. What, you didn't think the answer would be THAT simple, did you? The hard part is finding your purpose, your nitch, and living it. Do what you love, love what you do, and love every minute of it.

And here's a continuation on another thought I once posted. The thing with afterlife, I think, is this: when you die, your mind and body will cease to be... they'll be reabsorbed back into this physical world. Your soul doesn't; it's reabsorbed back into a greater whole. Your mind is that which connects the two. It's what gives you hints at what your life was like, or what you were like, or how you should have been.

I love it when things come together, naturally, on their own.

Many people seek out religion to fill a void in their life. But it's not like that. That only leaves me later feeling like I'm a square, crammed into a circular box, or something. I wasn't planning to seek out spirituality; it just found me, when the time was right. I had to become comfortable and confident with who I am, first. But I'm not seeking religion. Spirituality, to me, is entirely different. Rituals and practices are all great, but they're not what make people in tune with the spirit world. Some people need them to attune their thoughts, and that's fine. I just see such a division between needing to/having to, and just wanting to, because it's a way to celebrate how you feel. It's like going to church all the time, but you could only just say you were physically there, making the motions, but were not really being in tune with God.

On a related note, I watched the Mists of Avalon the night before last. I have been tempted to read the copy of my book, or watch the movie, so many times before, but for some reason I never did. Now I know why! It was not time. I had no idea about its Neo-pagan storyline that runs alongside the Camelot one. I always thought it was just about Camelot. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised! But more so at how I just felt the time was right. You have to learn to trust your insticts. I've said that for years.

One last thought that decided to spew out of my head (eww) while I was writing. :) When it comes to religion, I honestly feel that it doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you truly believe in something, and believe that it's right. If you just refuse to acknowledge or think about it or pretend to be something you're not, then you probably really haven't thought about it. If you have, then you're doing good. If you believe in accountability, then this should fit: I don't think you could ever be held accountable for believing in something and holding to it firmly, if you were mistakenly born into the wrong religion, lead down a different path, etc. You did what you thought was right, based on your life experiences, personal knowledge, and research of the various possibilities.

It's not just the little things

My last post was rather fragmented, and unfinished. This one might be too, but none the less, it's a continuation of the last:

It's not just the little things, either. I don't feel that we should live our lives to give up things, wait for some greater fate to guide our actions, or live in constant regret and apologies. I have said, for a long time, "Live or be lived." "Drive, or be driven." Are you in control of your own life? I accept that I have the ability to shape and form my own life and future, into whatever I want it to be.

I accept that there is just as much life and spirit in a plant, as there is an animals. For this reason, you won't ever find me as a vegeterian or vegan. I am just as thankful for every plant that I consume, as I am animals, because of the life within each. Haven't you ever marveled at the wonder of plant life? Didn't you ever sprout one of those little butter beans in a cup in grade school? Well, if you weren't too bogged down in memorizing all of the plant parts, you, like me, may have been fascinated at the life that springs fourth from that little seed into a plant, and the cycle of life that ensues thereafter. I love the trees, and the grass. They smell good. They feel good. They have a different kind of life than animals, but special none the less. Even water is a miracle. Aren't you grateful for a glass of that which our bodies are primarily composed of when you're thirsty?

Making a Choice to Move Forward

I want to write now about why it is that I think I am/want to be/should be a Wiccan. Sometimes I start to read books and things and start hearing the name Witchcraft, and start thinking about spells and circles and things, and my head begins to spin. So I like to stop and look at why I am looking.

First of all, obviously it's a lot more than rituals and practices. It's a way of life and a spirituality from within. When I look at what it means to be Wiccan, I feel that I already am.

I have always had a sense of consciousness about the earth and nature around me. I have always enjoyed being outdoors because of the feeling I get, and being around plants and animals. Sometimes I wonder if, as a kid, I would have been happier as a trout in a stream because I loved playing in the water and the dirt in the backyard (the ditch became a wonderful 'stream" after big rains!). In fact the only lifestyle change I have felt compelled to make was to begin recycling. It has always bothered me a lot *not* to, and I have not been able to find anywhere locally to take recyclables to. But I decided that it didn't matter - even if it means occasional inconvenience, I was going to start doing it, and afterwards I found a place that has begun taking collections locally! I couldn't be happier.

I had already began to consider alternate possibilities (from those which I was taught originally) such as life returning to the earth upon death, feeding back the knowlege we gained while here and going on to some other purpose. In fact the movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within really made me think about this a lot. I have never seen ghosts or experienced spirits, but others claim they have, and though I'd have to see to know and understand what it was like, I don't discount things of this nature. I don't begin to claim to understand why or how, but I accept that it is true, at least, that spirits exist in this realm, sometimes. I feel there is a lot that we will never know until after our life here ends, and aren't meant to necessarily, though we have our own opinions that probably aren't far from the truth. I do most certaily feel that there is something beyond our life here and now. Life itself is too much of a mirical to be a freak accidental placement by some big boom. Maybe the planets got here in a big boom - who knows how deity would create? I don't think I *need* to know or understand that. But the delicate, intricate, extraordinary creations upon our planet, our very planet itself, and our planet's place in the universe, to me, were unmistakably set into place by something greater than and beyond myself. So, I feel the call to this something, and I call it deity.

It's hard to consider this, when your first place to try and build fundamentals is in a Christian church, but I have felt for quit some time that the Bible is not necessarily the best source for information. I'm sure it was a divinely inspired book, and that it may still hold many truths, but men are prone to corruption, and I am sure that governments, kings, and men over the course of time caused words within this book to become astray. Besides that, times have changed, and it has not. So I think it should be taken with a grain of salt... or several. I don't like the idea that I should base my religion on a writing that man wrote. I feel the truths should come from within, after exploring and experiencing on your own.

Like anything in life, it takes the contrast between various things to come to your own conclusions. Accepting the defalts you are given, without thought or regard to other options, is the result of either not knowing, or not caring. Now that I know other avenues of spirituality, I could not possibly stay upon the same one I used to be on.

I find that, in the things I have been reading, that the basic fundamentals are the closest thus far to how I feel. I still have some things to think over, of course, to find what feels right to me, but I feel as though I have already been on this path for several years and just didn't know I was heading here. But, that's usually the way things happen, isn't it? What matters is to know where you want to be, and to work towards being there.

A Beautiful Moon

couldn't help but notice tonight how much the moon, large and golden, resembled the sun. At one point the clouds drifted past it in such a way to make it look even more so. A symbolic moment I captured on camera, though it really looks like crap. ;) All the same, wanted to post it to remember.


(click to enlarge)

Amazing things right in the back yard

I took 1/2 day off work today to go get my toe X-rayed. I whacked it last week and it still hurts. I've figured it was just bruised and didn't want to sound like a whiny cry-baby, but 10 days later and still tender to the touch, so I wanted to be sure. I don't like to take chances with my health or body.

So, I had the afternoon off.. whee!! Luckily for me, they were actually on time *gasp* or even early at the doc (shocking, I know!) and it's less than 2 miles from home, soooooo.... I have had time to do all those things that you know you put on the "I will do this when I get time someday" list, but are always too tired or busy to do. My pets are well tended today, lol! And I went out and around my house a bit because the temp was so nice today and I found the most excellent little nook I never even thought about exploring! I've been back there before, but never *in* there....

Then I found another little treasure in my front yard, hovering around the pond. A dragonfly! :D! I adore them so. It's not the first time I've seen one around there, but I was able to go out and snap some pics today. I even found a couple to add to my Scenic Gallery. :D



(click it to enlarge)


Just to show you how close this is to my house, lol. And for size perspective.

And if you care to see what lies beyond my little nestled island of trees that almost makes me feel like I'm in the woods, click here and go to the last pic that shows the lastest construction monstrosity. :P


(click it to enlarge)

A co-worker nick-named me Sunshine today. *giggles*

the end!

Ritualistic and Overstated, or Simplistic and Meaningful

I have been reading Cunningham, who puts things in a much more simple, down-to earth (so to speak) manner that got me to thinking, again. Now this is another one of my neophyte opinions, but bear with me, if you will. Another matter of much contention, from my bird's eye point of view, is that between the Coven Witch, and that of the Solitary Witch. Covens appear to believe that those on a solitary path aren't really following the real path. I guess you could compare it to how in Christianity, some feel you haven't truly accepted Jesus as your savior until you get baptised. Those Wiccans do not feel that the Wiccan solitaire is truly a Witch until they have accepted a certain path or following. To me this sounds too much like other organized church conventions that drove me away from them in the first place. I don't want to think that just because I don't do it one way, that means I'm doing it the wrong way. I also don't want to think that anyone can do anything at all they very well please and be doing everything right. Each person knows if they're doing what they feel called to do or not. But the under-educated person may be doing what they *think* is right just because they do not know enough yet. So I can see both perspectives. But the thing with Wicca is that it is no longer in the "broomcloset." It's right out there on every town's corner, right there in the bookshop on the shelves in that cute little section back behind all the other religion books, on the internet when you hop into the book shopping section, and a multitude of other learning sources I have yet to discover. It's not a big secret. You don't have to be in a coven to know the spiritual meaning that Deity wish to convey to you. But let me also say this, in the same thought's wave. In people, no matter what religion, it takes more to help some attune themselves to spirituality. For me personally, I feel that so much gets lost into the religion, and that the spiritual feelings are then not as strong, when one filters their spiritual life through so many big ceremonial rituals. This is why I never went to church when I was still trying to be a Christian. What they had to sell me wasn't what was in my head. But, I knew when I listened from within. You do have to take in enough information from the outside in order to form your own opinions and thoughts, and know how you feel. It does take some contrast in order to find the right definition. But for me, it takes a little less than it does for others. :)

The Goddess and the God

In all the "vast" (I say in jest) sum of my neophyte knowledge, I have a few thoughts to share. Actually, I often feel that someone who has not yet become fully immersed in any one path of anything, but has some knowledge, can have a lot of perspective on things that may otherwise have already become influenced by other factors in many. And.. some thoughts may be way off the path. ;) Either way, here are mine.

This subject seems to be a matter of contention amongst Wiccan readings that I have come across thus far. In the beginning, I read that both the Goddess and the God are really more of two aspects that represent one, sometimes referred to as "the All." I think this can be both confusing, and misleading. Humans were created in the image of deity, and this is of both female and male form. The two, put together, do make a whole. In the beginning, I took this to mean that the two were more like aspects of the one: it really seems to be an easier, more palpable way for the human mind, especially that of a newcomer, to get a grasp on duality when it comes to their God. But if the two form one whole, then really, those two halves are it: there IS no seperate one who these two represent. They are it.

Independance, Indeed.

I guess you could say that right now, I am a Seeker.

I found Wicca somehow after finally deciding it was time to satisfy the curiosity I've had about what it is. It is said that things happen when they should, and this was the case. It wasn't until recently that I finally decided to put together the ideas that I have come to believe throughout my life, on my own, through hearing thoughts of others, listening to what a few different Christan churches had to say to me, and listening to what I feel to be true.

I know that a person can't just ad-lib and make up faith as it suits them in their current life just because it's convenient. To do so would really not be following a religion at all. This is one reason why I feel it is important for me to identify with a religion again, and not just remain in a spiritual only, non-religious state as I have been, now that I feel I have found what speaks the truth to me. Also, I feel that it may not matter so much, in the greater scheme of things, if what we believe is 100% correct, because with so many paths to follow, how could only 1 be right and all the rest wrong? I think that what truly matters is that we seek for what feels the most right, and we adhere to it, and we truly live it and be it.

This path is the closest thing that seems to match what I feel. I believe the spirit of deity is within every person, and every living thing, and that spirit returning to the greater whole upon death. I really was not certain about the whole God/Goddess idea until more came to me. Humans were created in the image of God (and in saying God I mean as in the All). A man or a woman alone are really not complete without their mate to make them whole, down to their very souls (I can feel this one for myself). Therefore, I conclude that we constitute both the male and female aspect of God, the Lord and the Lady. The Father and the Mother. The Lord God our father, and Mother Nature herself, the Goddess of life. Also in regards to the bible, I am sure that it was written by an inspired hand and mind, but I sense much corruption of what the book may have originally said, by corrupt men and governments who intended to control and instill malleability and fear of not doing as instructed into people. I feel there are many outdated things -- it's actually safe to eat pork now, for example, thanks to the modern world's inventions -- and it can't all be followed as literally as it is, so I cannot follow a religion who follows this text in whole without leaving any room for question or doubt. Translations and who knows what else changed words over time before the integrity of data was protected in such ways as it is now (presumably).

These are my thoughts for the moment. It feels nice to be free of mind and spirit. I am thankful to be able to go out and buy books on alternate ideas such as these to learn from. I have a lot of reading to do, so goodnight! :) Time to go hit a chapter, or three.