Today's Cards

Oracle Card: "Positive Change" Meaning: Although your likes and dislikes have changed, it's a positive thing and will allow for spiritual growth (from the Ascended Masters Oracle Deck)

Tarot Card: the Seven of Swords Meaning: Hidden plot and gossip — be aware! (from the Tarot of the Holy Grail)

Wiccan Rede and the Witch's Creed

I've been studying both of these documents as my Week #2 assignment. In my opinion (and isn't that what this blog is, really?), these documents are a way of remembering the lessons/items that are important. For example, one of them speaks so much of the wind directions. Without the rhyme/poem style, I'm not sure I'd ever remember which is which.

The final line in each document, though, is probably the most important. "An ye harm none, do what you will" is the last line of both the rede and the creed. In my opinion, that's the line we as humans need to live by anyway.

Week #3, here I come!

13 Goals of a Witch

Week #2 of the Christian Witch Class deals with the Wiccan Rede, the Witch's Creed, and the 13 Goals of a Witch. Each item is copywritten and because of that I'm not going to put any of those documents here. I am, however, going to discuss what I think each of them mean.

The 13 goals of a witch are simplistic. They are the things you want to do to be a better person. If I were to write a list of goals for MY life, this would be it. Same with most of the Christians I know. (Ok, theirs might say "Honor God" instead of having a reference to a Goddess.) The items about exercising and eating right, the are the same! The ones about keeping pure words and thoughts, same! Learning, knowing your "craft" and yourself? All the same!

So, are they really the goals of a witch? Or are they the goals of a human? The goals of a person who is striving to be more spiritual? The goals of someone who is working toward a path of enlightenment and is curious as to where that path is headed?

That's what I think.

Today's Cards

Oracle Card: "Meditate" Meaning: Your path, body and soul are calling for quiet time to reflect, think and receive insights. (from the Ascended Masters Oracle Deck)

Tarot Card: from the Lovers Tarot the Three of Swords Meaning: inner turmoil and tension

My Epona Project

I had a lot of trouble deciding what to do or create in Epona's honor. As I've stated, I'm not much of a "horse" person. I do, however, have a new puppy, so I opted to honor Her through the dog. I knit a dog toy with Red Heart yarn on size 4 dpns. I got the pattern from the Spring/Summer 2006 issue of Kint It Magazine.

Which pagan altar tool best suits you?

You scored as The Censor. A censor is a container which is used to ignite and burn incense for rituals or spells. Some say that the smoke of the incense carries your prayers up to the Gods where they are heard. Others use a censor to burn certain combinations of incense for spells and magic. Many Pagans and Wiccans will use a censor, containing burning incense, to cleanse and consecrate their circles and/or other sacred spaces. An Athame 83% The Censor 83% The Pentacle 75% The Chalice 75% The Wand 67% The Book of Shadows 58% The Candle 50% The Scourge 42% The Besom 42% Which pagan altar tool best suits you? created with QuizFarm.com

The Goddess Epona

I don't care much for horses — and most of the information regarding Epona has to do with her role as a Goddess of horses. Because most sources cite her symbol as the cornucopia, there is some thought that she also a fertility Goddess and I'm not at that stage of my life either.

By digging a little deeper, I found that Epona was also a protector of animals. Since I received a puppy earlier this week, I have a new-found need to learn about Epona and how She can help protect my pup (http://findagoddess.com).

Another source suggests that Epona will help people reach their dreams (http://www.goddess.com.au). According to this site, she rides her white mare to bring the dreams to you and will manifest the dream if you accept her assistance.

Goddess Epona, I ask that you watch over this pup. Protect him from harm. Keep him from wandering and allow me to create the home he will not want to leave. This is my wish, so mote it be.

Christian Witch Course Week #1

I've decided to take the Christian Witch Course through yahoogroups. I'm going to use this forum for the assignments. (By the way, this is my tattoo. It's a tribute to my life as a writer and to my spirituality.)

Is there a Divine Being? Yes. I believe there is.

Is it male, female, both, or neither? I think neither. The Bible says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) That tells me that God created men and women in an image, but how can both sexes be God's image?

How does the Universe work? Honestly? How should I know? I'm a small cog in the universe! I know that if you put something out there, then it will come to pass. How that happens, though, I have no idea.

Are there angels? Yes.

Are there ghosts? Yes. I've seen them.

Are there demons? Yes.

Is there a Satan? Yes.

Do you believe in good and evil? Yes. I don't think you can have one without the other.

Do you believe in sin? Yes. The original meaning of "sin" was to "miss the mark." We've all missed the mark at some point in our lives.

Do you believe in Karma? Yes. It's why mostly good things happen to those who are good and eventually something bad will happen to those who are butts. (Job 4:8; Proverbs 11:18; Proverbs 22:8; Hosea 10:12; and of course Galatians 6:7-8)

Do you believe that Yeshua (Jesus) existed? Yes.

Do you believe that he should be worshipped? I'm not sure. He was God's son and the Messiah. Yes. That I believe. Do I think we should pray to Jesus? I don't know. Exodus 20:5 says "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God...." Maybe we're to worship God only. If that's true, how can we then worship Jesus?

Do you believe that he is the Messiah? See above.

Do you believe that you must believe that Yeshua is the Messiah in order to go to Heaven? Yes. The Bible says no one will get to the Father except through the Son. (John 14:6)

Do you believe in Heaven? Yes.

Do you believe in Hell? Yes. Back to that "you can't have one without the other" thing.

Do you believe in an afterlife at all? Yes.

Do you believe that there is a soul? Yes. The laws of physics state that energy can't "disappear" it needs to go somewhere. I think the energy that is "us" is our soul.

What is the soul? Oops. See question above!

How is the soul connected to our mind? I think our mind is a "section" of our soul.

Are we fated or do we have a choice in our direction in life? Both. There is a plan. There are lessons we must learn. If we select not to learn them the first tim (our choice, right?), then they will keep showing up until we do. Kind of like how a woman can keep attracting the wrong guy until she makes the CHOICE to select something else.

What is the meaning of life? If I knew *that* there would be nothing else to learn, would there?

Is there reincarnation? I'm not sure. There are good arguments for both sides of this one.

Is there only one true religion? Any way that you get to God (which, I believe is through the Son) is correct. If you get there by believing Jesus was a fantastic prophit, that's fine. If you get there by being a devout Christian, that's fine, too.

OK, so there's my "Week #1" assignment. On to week #2!

Today's Cards

Oracle Card: "Mother, Wife, Sister, Daughter" Meaning: Pay attention to the women in your life -- you might learn something from them. (from the Ascended Masters Oracle Deck)

Tarot Card: from the Gilded Tarot the Six of Cups Meaning: understand how the past can effect the present.

What color is your psyche?

Your Psyche is Green

You radiate love, empathy, and acceptance. You are able to relax almost everyone you meet. You are naturally comforting. Balanced and flexible, you only seem perfect! When you are too green: you are jealous, manipulative, and deceptive When you don't have enough green: you feel sluggish and out of sorts

What Color Is Your Psyche?

Today's Tarot

Oracle Card: "Birth" Meaning: Get ready for a new experience from the Contemplation Cards Deck

Tarot Card: from the Housewives Tarot the Fool Meaning: confusion, indecision, beginning a journey

Today's Cards

Oracle Card: "See the Other Person's Point of View" Meaning: Let go of defensiveness in relationships from the Ascended Masters Oracle Deck

Tarot Card: from the Shakespearian Tarot the Nine of Crowns Meaning: a happy ending

Blessing the garden

So I've been busy.

Today was spent blessing the area where my herb garden will be. I asked the Earth Spirits to bless it and help the herbs grow. It will be a Kitchen/Culinary garden and I'm really looking forward to starting the planting. Unfortunately, I should wait another week or so to make sure the weather will hold.

I've also decided to take a class online that is in-line with my chosen path. I'm taking the Celtic and Norse Goddess course from the Magic Circle School. Started tonight and need to learn about the Holy Queen Epona and then do a "project" that relates to her. I'll also need to get a notebook or binder, I think to keep track of all this information. I also am thinking of taking an online tarot course, but who knows. I have so much on my plate right now that maybe I only need to do one class at a time.

My path

I got into quite a "to-do" on one yahoo list recently when I shared my beliefs. What are my beliefs, you might ask. Here goes.

1. Jesus is God's son. Period. No other way around it.

2. Jesus rose from the dead.

3. God gives us each spiritual gifts.

4. Those gifts include some crazy things! Including seeing and hearing spirits, being able to communicate with them, knowing the outcome of future events, and all kinds of other wacky, crazy things.

5. If we don't use those talents and gifts, or if we use them for the wrong reasons or the wrong way, we will lose them.

6. There is one God. And a bunch of Goddesses and minor Gods (angels? spirits? ) helping God out. God is not male OR female. God just is.

7. God loves us all.

New Tarot Decks

I've been going Tarot crazy. I would love to read professionally (a goal I've had for some time) and have started to collect some beautiful decks. Maybe I'll use this space to review a few of them.