Friday, July 29, 2005

One Million Reasons


Top Ten Reasons to end the occupation of Iraq... and more!

1. Military occupation is making things worse in Iraq, not better.
2. The death toll is mounting daily.
3. Most Iraqis want the occupation to end.
4. Six out of ten U.S. citizens want the troops to withdraw.
5. The war is draining resources from critical social programs in the U.S. and abroad.
6. As occupier, U.S. standing in the world is diminished.
7. The invasion was unjustified and illegal and so is the occupation.
8. The U.S. military is perpetrating war crimes against the Iraqi people.
9. The ongoing war is destabilizing the region.
10. U.S. military and political strategies are provoking civil war in Iraq.
11. The U.S. military presence is fostering terrorism & strengthening Al Qaeda.
12. Without foreign troops and contractors, Iraqis can begin rebuilding.
13. A planned exit is far better than a forced exit.
14. It is time for Iraqis to control their own sovereignty.


CODEPINK: onemillionreasons.org

May they all return home safely.

So, what's a podcast, anyway?

From the New York Times: In One Stroke, Podcasting Hits Mainstream

...A podcast, as anyone under 25 can tell you, is an audio recording posted online, much like a short radio show. ('Podcasting' is a pun on 'broadcasting,' implying, of course, that you listen to it on your iPod or another music player.) The beauty of a podcast is that it's free and you listen to it whenever you like. And there are more than 7,000 podcasts 'on the air' right now, on every conceivable topic. Their quantity and variety already dwarf what you can find on regular radio.

What makes podcasting a national dinnertime conversation these days, though, is that anyone can make one. You just need a microphone, a sound-recording program, and the tutorials that have already appeared at many points on the Web, including apple.com/podcasting.

Yes, some are corporate broadcasts, repurposed shows from traditional radio shows. But the real fun is finding the homemade ones, the amateur attempts made in somebody's basement with a laptop and a microphone. These can be unpolished and quirky, with plenty of dead air and 'ums,' but that's their charm. Podcasts, in other words, are the audio version of blogs - the Web logs, or daily text postings, that made up last year's hot dinnertime conversation.


So, how about some of those Pagan podcasts?

I must admit, my favorite so far is Lance and Graal. Hosted by Jeva Singh-Anand, this is a quirky and engaging hour of Pagan talk and music.

There are a few production bits I don't care much for with Lance and Graal. For one, Jeva introduces music as a way to break up the talky bits. Good strategy (and good music!), but sometimes he's kind of abrupt, or breaks up the talk in odd places. Another thing that could be improved is that Jeva uses an echo effect in some places that makes it difficult to understand what is actually being said. I noticed it more in his early podcasts.

But those are my only real complaints. He keeps a schedule for one thing... love that! He's got a quirky, fun attitude and voice. He's not afraid to say what he thinks. Basically, I like him and what he has to say. News, interviews, music... Jeva promises that he plans to "...bring Paganism to the mainstream...kicking and screaming if necessary!" Give it a listen... you don't need an iPod. Just go to the site, and you can stream the cast right over your desktop.

Witches Weekly: Classes

Witches Weekly: Classes

Witches Weekly for the week of July 17, 2005

This weeks questions donated by: Lizz


What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

I've taken bellydance in the past, to help me learn about being in my body and how to express worship through dance. I haven't taken any bellydance in a while, but will probably go back to it at some point. I've also considered taking voice lessons, to enhance my ability to use voice in ritual (leading trance, invocations, singing, chanting, and toning).

Right now what I'm really excited and passionate about studying is knitting. I'm a self-taught knitter, and have never taken any knitting classes. But after six years of knitting, I'm ready to hone my skills. So I joined The Knitters Guild Association, and am taking a correspondence course through them. I'm starting with the "Basics, Basics, Basics" course, to really work on my basic skills and to have my knitting evaluated for the first time. The Basics, Basics, Basics course is three lessons. I have the first lesson in hand, and have to work five swatches. I've finished one swatch, and have worked the second swatch a couple of times. Hopefully I'll be able to get the second swatch done--to my satisfaction--tonight or tomorrow. We'll see.

As far as how it helps me, that remains to be seen. I expect it will help me learn to push myself more, to really develop skills and be really good at something. I'm good at many things, but excellent at few. I want to excel at knitting.


If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be? How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?


I would teach an "Astrology Basics for Witches" course. I don't think all Witches need to be astrologers, per se, but I do think understanding the symbols and basic energies of astrology could be really valuable for Witches. It's a whole other language we can use to understand ourselves and the world around us.

I would want to teach the "alphabet" first: the planets and signs, and the symbols for them. What energies each carries. How the planets work in and through the signs. Basic aspects... the big ones like trines and squares. Let's not muck it up with semiquadrasextiles and the like. (That is a made-up aspect, btw).

This would be helpful in timing rituals, understanding what's going on energetically in the universe, and in drawing on planetary energies to give our work a boost.

Also, I would want everyone in the class to get to know more about their sun, moon, and rising signs. Those are, in my opinion, the big three everyone should know about themselves.

If you know that my sun--the core identity--is in Taurus, that tells you something about me. It might tell you that I don't miss many meals, or that it's tough to get me out of the house, or that I can be both slow in actions, and stubborn once I've chosen my direction.

If you know that I have Taurus rising--the face we show the outside world--as well, that might tell you that what you see with me is basically what you get. I'm not much for hiding my true self.

If you know that I have a Virgo moon--the moon representing the emotional life--that might tell you that I have a desire to help others. It helps me feel more emotionally fulfilled. I can also be a perfectionist (although I manifest that rather oddly sometimes.)

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Silly knitting quizzes

You are Mohair
You are Mohair.
You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with others, doing your share without being too weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely refuse to change your position once it is set, but that's okay since you are good at covering up your mistakes.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I happen to love knitting with Mohair, so this is a rather nice result for me. After looking at all the possible results, this one really does fit me the best. Merino wool, which I also love, would also have been reasonably accurate.

Also from Quizilla, I've moved from being a Knitting Novice (last year) to being a...


Knitting Adventurer
You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer.
You are through those knitting growing pains and feeling more adventurous. You can follow a standard pattern if it's not too complicated and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've started to experiment with different fibers and you might be eyeing a book with a cool technique you've never tried. Perhaps you prefer to stick to other people's patterns but you are trying to challenge yourself more. Regardless of your preference, you are continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as well you should since your non-knitting friends are probably dropping some serious hints, these days. (http://marniemaclean.com)


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Shifting direction

I recently mentioned that I thought this blog might need an overhaul. Well, here it comes.

When I started this blog, its purpose was to chronicle my path to initiation in the Reclaiming tradition. I wanted to keep the blog as anonymous as possible, so that I would feel free to write whatever I wanted to. The topics were to be strictly those that related to my tradition of Witchcraft. I've talked about politics some, but in Reclaiming tradition, that is related to Witchcraft!

But I think we should open this up some more.

As my personal and initiation work becomes increasingly integrated into my everyday life, and my life becomes more a part of my work, I find that I want to write about more. I want to talk about all my passions here.

So, now that the blog has a new design, it's time for a new name, some new links, and a new attitude.

Blessed be!

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Discovering the Podcast


For the winter holiday last year, my husband got me an iPod. It was the only thing I really wanted, and it was just as great as I thought it would be. I love it.

Recently, I've discovered podcasts. I'd heard about them before, but iTunes recently added podcast support to iTunes, so it's much easier now to subscribe and listen. My current favorite is KnitCast, but I also listen to World of Warcast and Morning Sedition. The Pagan podcasts I've found so far have been:



I haven't listened to all of these yet, but will try to offer reviews of them as I do. If you know about other Pagan podcasts, please let me know!

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Beauty and Truth


I really love Free Will Astrology by Rob Breszny. Now there's a guy striving to live in beauty and delight.

Recently, Rob published his new book, Pronoia is the Antidote for Paranoia, and lately he's been including excerpts in his weekly newsletter. I like Rob's work and intend to buy this book, so I want to give him a little plug here. Here's the excerpt I received today, along with my always inspirational horoscopes.

WHAT IS THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH LABORATORY?

The Beauty and Truth Laboratory is an ever-expanding web of think tanks and mystery schools devoted to exploring pronoia. Since I launched the prototype in October 2001, 12 other branches have sprung up in basements, barns, and bedrooms all over the world: eight in North America and others in Amsterdam, London, Florence, Italy, and Sydney, Australia.

All of these, including my own in Marin County, California, are similar in spirit to pirate radio stations. They're not registered, incorporated, or licensed, and Goddess forbid that they should ever become the canonical hubs of a franchise.

That doesn't mean I eschew power, authority, and wealth. My own branch of the Beauty and Truth Laboratory is stationed in a garage next to the house I rent on the seedy outskirts of suburbia, but I'd have no problem moving to a more expansive location, like say, a conference center on a 100-acre compound in an idyllic place that the original inhabitants of this continent regarded as a power spot. And I'd love it if this book sold a million copies, or if Beauty and Truth Laboratories were as common as 7- Elevens in 10 years.

On the other hand, I'm happy with whatever blessings life conspires to bring me. If it's to my and your ultimate benefit that this book reaches no more than 10,000 wise guys and riot grrrls, I will celebrate that outcome.
And my garage-based laboratory is fine just the way it is, with its sloping floor and row of tiny windows darkened by the exuberant persimmon tree outside. The modesty of its structure is a constant reminder that the most important aspect of my work is building the Beauty and Truth Laboratory within me. As I prod my imagination to nurture ever-more detailed visions of love, compassion, joy, freedom, beauty, and truth, I'm better able to spot and name all those good things in the world around me. I also become more skilled at creating them.

My humble headquarters brings another advantage. It encourages me to regard everywhere I go as a potential extension of the Beauty and Truth Laboratory. My experiments aren't confined to the hours I spend in the solitude of my ivory tower, but also spill out into the fertile chaos of daily life.

On one epiphanic occasion, an eight-lane highway at rush hour turned into a temporary Beauty and Truth Laboratory. It was just a few days after my return from the Burning Man festival, where the dream of the Laboratory had hatched. I was driving on 101, the artery that bisects Marin County just north of San Francisco.

As I cruised at 65 mph between Larkspur and Corte Madera, a blonde in a Jaguar convertible with the top down passed me on the right. Perhaps distracted by the chat she was enjoying on her cell phone, she suddenly zipped in front of me. After hitting my brakes to avoid rear-ending her, I honked my horn to express my annoyance.

In response, she careened back over to the lane she'd been in before cutting me off, then slowed down and waited for me to catch up. I avoided eye contact at first, but finally looked over. Quaking with agitation, she was flashing me a middle-finger salute and a mad face as fierce as a Tibetan demon. Her car was veering closer to mine. I wondered if she might she actually crash into me on purpose . . . .

To read the rest of "WHAT IS THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH LABORATORY," excerpted from PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia, go here: Beauty and Truth Lab. You can't buy the book directly from Rob, but can purchase it from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or my favorite independent bookseller, Powells.com.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Witches Weekly: Pagan Clergy

Pagan Clergy

Witches Weekly for the week of July 03, 2005

Questiond donated by: Malory

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?

This is a challenging question, because to me, paganism always seemed to promote a view that YOU are the clergy you seek. We don't have the same divide between clergy and laity. Yet we do also need advisors, teachers, mentors... that is the clergy role I find most relevant. I hope it's obvious to most pagans that unlike other religions, we don't need clergy to intercede with or interpret the Divine for you.

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?

I'm lucky in that there is a pagan temple in my community, although it is for women only. I used to spend a lot more time there than I do now, but men are now a more important part of my spiritual life than they used to be. What I mean by that is that I coven and study with men now, and am less comfortable in a space that does not welcome them. It would be nice to have a temple that welcomed all members of the local Pagan community.

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?

Yes, and in fact, as I learn and experience more as a Witch, I find I would be most comfortable with a pagan counselor. In fact, I was recently challenged to seek counseling about some personal issues (ie, my relationship with my mother), and am planning to see a counselor of my own tradition. Lucky that I can find that in my community!

Monday, July 11, 2005

London

I wanted to share the statement from United for Peace and Justice regarding the tragic attacks in London last week:

United for Peace and Justice is horrified by the senseless death and destruction caused by the bombings in London on July 7, 2005. Our hearts go out to the people who have lost loved ones and those who have been wounded, as well as the countless people whose lives have been forever shaken by these events. UFPJ opposes terrorism - acts of violence against innocent civilians - in all its forms: bombs on public transportation in London, planes flying into buildings in New York City, or the armies of the United States and Great Britain waging war on the people of Iraq.

As we write this statement, there is no certainty as to who who is responsible for the London bombings. UFPJ hopes that as those who committed criminal acts are brought to justice there is no rush to judgment or assumption of guilt. It is in these moments that smear campaigns against individuals and whole communities can easily take hold, often shaped by and feeding racist stereotypes. We must counter those who will claim that the bombings reflect the supposedly violent nature of Muslims or the religion of Islam.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's comments that this was an attack on our values and way of life echoed much of the language George W. Bush used to justify his war on Iraq. We were told by the Bush Administration that our nation had to go to war in Iraq in order to fight terrorism, to make us and the world safer. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, none of us is more secure since the Bush Administration launched its so-called war on terror. The war on Iraq and the military occupation of that nation has certainly not made the Iraqi people any safer, nor has it lessened the risk of future terror attacks elsewhere around the world. Instead of feeding the cycle of killing it is time for a new direction in our policies. It is time for the U.S. to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, time to end U.S. support for Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, time to stop supporting repressive regimes in the Middle East and other places, and time to remove U.S. military bases from oil-rich countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Just as we mourn the loss of life in London, we mourn the daily loss of life in Iraq. We use this occasion to re-commit ourselves to doing all that we can to end the war in Iraq, including building a massive anti-war march in Washington, DC on Sept. 24th. We will also be vigilant in ensuring that this new round of violence is not used by the Blair and Bush administrations as an excuse either for new military attacks in foreign lands or for domestic policies that scapegoat Muslims, immigrants and people of color.

Service

Please consider a donation to Mercy Corps, CARE, Oxfam, or any of the other partners in The ONE Campaign: The Campaign to Make Poverty History .

The ONE Campaign Declaration:

“WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty. WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional resources for basic needs – education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans – would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget. WE COMMIT ourselves - one person, one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all.”


You can also offer your time. Find an opportunity to serve at VolunteerMatch.

Busted

OK, here's the comment left at my last post.

Tania said...

I don't really see what all the fuss is about with Tom Cruise. It's my opinion that most people who are bagging him out are simply being sucked into the media hype.

The witch's creed is harm none and by taking in the crap the media put about that's a whole lot of negative energy you're buying into.


Fair enough. We could get into how it's not about the media for me, it's about Tom Cruise acting, well, nuts. Or we could get into just what the "creed" (Rede) really means and whether it's possible to harm none or whether I'm harming Tom Cruise with my little bit of judgement.

But, when it's all said and done, my post was really just about me making a petty little joke about something that really doesn't matter that much. Except Tom making nasty comments about antidepressants, which really help a lot of people, myself included. Yup, I take Paxil, 20mg per day, and have taken it since 1997. I did take a six-month break from it a few years ago, but that only proved to me how much the medicine was really helping me.

Anyway, maybe my TC post was out of place here. So my next post will be something helpful instead.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Pure, unadulterated dish

I can't help it. It's true: Tom Cruise Is Nuts.

Oh but my religion's weird?!? Hehehe!

My Moonster

I found this new project via a podcast website this morning: My Moonster. I've signed up for the email Moonletters, and look forward to receiving them beginning in September. Check it out, and I'll let you know what I think when the letters start coming.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Freedom and flowers

So, I had an excellent 4th of July weekend. Except for the part where our neighbors, the Assclown Family, were hooting and hollering and shooting off what must have been thousands of dollars worth of legal and illegal fireworks all freaking night. The police finally came and shut them down about 3 this morning. I think that was after the fire in the street.

On the other hand, the weather was lovely all weekend, we had some of our favorite friends over, barbequed some steaks and had a great dinner on our front porch. I also had some time to plant a few more things in my devotional garden. I planted lilies last fall, and have now added heliotrope, ageratum, and nicotiana. The nicotiana is perennial, the ageratum is an annual, and the heliotrope is a perennial that is usually treated as an annual. Not at my house, though. I'm too lazy a gardener to mess much with annuals. I am fond of the ageratum, though.

ABC Drops Show After Complaints by Civil Rights Groups

I heard that the new ABC reality show "Welcome to the Neighborhood" had been dropped for being completely offensive and breaking fair housing laws last week. One of the families featured on the show was Wiccan... I didn't learn that until this weekend. Very Fiona Horne, if you ask me.

It's offensive enough that we are expected to be a freak show for mainstream America, but I always wonder... who are these people anyway, willing and eager to be the freakshow?

Friday, July 01, 2005

Happy Blogiversary!

I started my blog one year ago today. Hooray!

I'll be going through some updates and changes here. Some of them have already begun, with more to follow soon!

O'Connor retires

Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court, has announced her retirement. I fully expect Bush's appointment to be a mess. Get ready for a fight.

In the meantime, here are a few things The Interfaith Alliance thinks we should be asking about a nominee.

Does he or she:

· Acknowledge and abide by the constitutional provisions of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause that guarantee religious liberty and protect the rich religious pluralism that characterizes this nation;
· Demonstrate a commitment to vigorously defend the Constitution, even if a conflict arises between the dictates of their religious views;
· Abstain from points of view that would prove harmful to all religions in the nation;
· Refrain from using his/her position to establish or favor a particular religion or religious doctrine?

Going to the Chapel...

Woohoo! Spain legalizes gay marriage. I'm telling you, it's just a matter of time until gay marriage is legal everywhere. As it should be.

There are now four countries that recognize gay marriage. Five, if you count the U.S. because of Massachusetts. The L.A. Times offers us A Look at Gay Marriage Around the World.



Oh, and Mark Morford explains why the entire nations of Canada and Spain are goin' straight to hell!

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