A Common Thread!

I borrowed this book from my friend by Grimassi called "Spirit of the Witch" and let me tell you one thing right off the bat in Chapter One, I was struck by a ton of bricks! Grimassi says this about different religions, traditions and denominations;

"The differences we find in rituals that exist in different cultures lie in the way things are done, and not the reason. The beliefs we find differ little as well, bearing different labels and descriptions for essentially the same tenets. Despite this, the need seems to exist among humans to not only create different religions but also different denominations within a specific religion. As a species we seem to expend a great deal of energy focused on what separates us from one another rather than what unites us".

The author further states that the issue is we are all attempting to reach the same spiritual goal(s) but it is a matter of looking at it from a different perspective or viewpoint, we may take a different path to get there but we are all trying to achieve pretty much the same thing! He tells this folk tale to illustrate his point which I will site here but am unsure of its author:

Many centuries ago their lived a women who was a great spiritual teacher. She drew many seekers of the teachings she revealed, and around her formed a group of devoted disciples. After many years of study her disciples left and journeyed to other lands, hoping to spread the teachings they have learned.

The years went by and one day the disciples returned and sought out their old teacher. Once the found her, the disciples posed a question to the master. "We have," their spokesperson remarked, "travelled to many lands, and discovered many different teachings that are unlike the ways you have taught us." The master calmly nodded in acknowledgment, and the disciple continued, "Therefore we are confused, so can you tell us what is the true religion?"

The master looked up with a patient smile and replied, "All of the religions in the world are like individual pearls. Each of them formed around a different grain of sand, in different waters, under different conditions." Then the master looked directly at the spokesperson and spoke softly saying, "But if you ask me which is the true pearl, I will tell you none of them are the one true pearl. Instead, the truth is the thread that runs through, holding them together as a necklace, and that is the one truth you seek!"

I thought this rather profound because it is another testament if you will that if we spend more time looking for a 'common thread' there would be a lot less strife in the world around us!

Blessed Be ~ Bia' Aletheia

*** Truth is in the thread that unites us!

Word count ~ lol just kidding!

Congratulations!

Spence, you were a worthy opponent... but I have conceded. I think 46 consecutive posts is pretty good! I will not stop blogging! Thanks to Phoenix Projects for having this contest, and to all my competitors, thank you! I learned so much from you all, and I hope I was able to inspire or teach, even if it was just a little bit.

Word count... Oh, who cares anymore!

Feeling A Little Better Today

Beside the fact that my Computer Laptop needs some technical support work and may have crashed I am feeling a little better today! I am luck to have a home base computer to so that’s why I can still blog or currently I would have been in big trouble. The anxiety is dull today and I had my confrontation at work yesterday it did not go as bad as I thought it might! First of all one of my bosses, not the head honcho, and more like the second in commend came to me and said not to worry … I guess he saw the anxiety on my face like my freckles and felt my rapid breathing. He ironically got me to calm down which was pretty unique in of itself because sometimes he too can be one of my triggers for the anxiety I have been experience at work! He had shared with me that he believed it was a misunderstanding and that the terminology my staff used in front of the new medical contract personnel was taken out of context and he would try to get to the bottom of this. We had sat down to talk to the staff involved who made the statement that caused the issue in the first place and this is what he said … but before I repeat this here let me tell that my spiritual warrior came out in full force shortly after and if I had a spear in my hand like Athena I would have smite him … yeah what he said pissed me off because the whole thing could have been avoided in the first place … so this is what my staff said …

“Oh that’s not what I said and what I said was taken out of context, and not to mention I was only joking … ‘cheese-n-rice’ from now on I will just keep my ‘family friendly’ mouth shut”!

My boss and I looked at him in amazement. A joke you say, a family friendly joke! A friggin frackin joke! If my nerves were shot you would have not known then I puffed up like a peacock and told him ‘you will give me a statement to that fact and you will need to watch what you tell people especially if you know it’s not true’! Meanwhile I was imagining smiting him with Athena’s spear! All that worry and all that stress and the sleepless night and the really bad anxiety attack because of a joke or taking what he said out of context! I was beside myself; I felt like I got ran over by a Mac Truck and drained of all my energy. Can you believe this? How can some folks be that stupid and that asinine that they can be so careless as to say things that they consider to be a joke when they know that some folks don’t take highly to certain jokes, and especially when your dealing with youth and other high liable stuff in a juvenile facility! What the Hades was he thinking? He knew I was pissed and kept away from me for the most part of the day … it was wise of him yes indeed very wise!

So I guess one could say I am feeling a little better today but am still upset how a few words said can cause so much trouble and anxiety … I need Karma to kick in now and do Her best!

Bia’ Aletheia

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Anxeity Sucks ...

I sometimes get bad anxiety … and I really don't recall as a child having all that much anxiety. Is it possible that when one grows older it becomes more difficult to deal with certain stresses. I believe this to be true. Most of you who know me, already know that my job is pretty stressful. I have blogged a little about the personality types we have at work and some of the crazy stuff people say and do there that lately has gotten under my skin even though I try to to put my best game face on to overcome some of the difficulties I happen to come to. Things have been going pretty smooth at work and then … bang … an other untrue rumor surfaces … and all of sudden without asking the party involved if this is true, it is assumed to be true and then 'wham' implications are made that job losses could be involved. In todays economy it is not a good time to be without a job even though I am really starting to dislike mine! Well no thats not 100% true I love working with the troubled youth and making a difference in their lives but what I can no longer tolerate is folks telling untruths and starting gossip that can cost folks there livelihoods. If I was 15 yeas younger I would approach this person who may have started the rumor and tell them where to go and how to get there. I find myself not liking confrontation these days because it upsets me. Also if you don't know this about diabetics, which I am one emotions are running high all the time if you sugar glucose levels are off the charts. Combine these factors and I just want to plant my head in the ground like an Ostrich and let the world past me by sometimes. Last night and today is one of those days. I have not had a real bad anxiety attack in some times and between last night and today it feels like my heart is going to race out of the rib cage and I am having trouble catching my breath because I know that confrontation will be inevitable. I don't like it but it has to be addressed, this person is messing with my job and further more adding to the already hostile environment that many of us feel we work in. I hate the dread I feel because physically, emotionally I am a wreck. I will have to pull from my spiritual warrior to let this person know that you have to stop this crap now you are hurting people and why do you feel you need to do this? There are some folks that like misery and the person I need to speak to today is one of those who likes to stir the pot because he is so damned miserable. Why do miserable people have to make other folks feel miserable? I can't stand that if everyone tried a little happiness once in awhile what a world this could be? Anyhow the issue is my anxiety right now and I don't know if you folks have ever experienced the kind that makes you feel sick, to your stomach, trouble catching your breath and ache with tension. I do have medicine for these types of anxiety attacks but I do prefer a more holistic and natural approach of working through them. I am sometimes ashamed of the anxiety because it makes me feel like a coward and I am everything but a coward. This is not me when I was younger I could take on the world, or so I felt! How do you work though your anxiety? Some of the things I try to do are:

1.Listen to relaxing music
2.Do some deep breathing exercises
3.Meditation and Visualization
4.Hot bath or shower
5.Drink some herbal calming tea
6.Write about it and keep a journal (in this case I blogged about it)
7.Try to remain calm and avoid irrational thinking
8.Exercise or go for a nature walk
9.Escape by immersing yourself in a good book of movie flick
10.think positive and say some positive affirmations

Any other ideas, suggestions and recommendations from you all are welome!

Bia' Aletheia

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Trying to do Things for the Pagan Community

Okay I seem to be having some writer block issues today! Maybe I am in shock that Amanda conceded yesterday. Know that you are a worthy opponent and I look forward to doing this again sometime! Now Spence is going to be quite the challenge as far as I can already see … rain or shine, he seems to be able to write just about anything and from anywhere. I envy that! Just how in the heck did you manage to blog from the Midsummers event? You folks got skills! Well I guess from here I will talk about the amazing weekend I had and some of the interesting things we have done!

Well you all know about Wendy Rule and going to see her in concert at Witches Brew, and what a fantastic little place that was in Palm Harbor. I will definitely be going back. I got to also hear Hecate's Wheel and they were a great local group I might add! But what you may not know is the night after we hosted a GOSH (Gathering of Spring Hill) Coffee event on Saturday evening at Starbucks on Hwy Fifty (50) towards Brooksville. We had quite the turn out there was 10 of us. I know that might not seem like a lot to you Phoenix Council folks or the Pasco Pagans but there could have been a few more folks there as well but were out for the count due to illness and other important issues. We tried the coffee thing here locally once before one a month and Dunkin Donuts on US 19 and there were times there were only two folks who showed up. Spring Hill and Hernando county are a little backwards we can not even have our own occult and/or metaphysical store because of backward laws on divination and stuff. There is a lot of city ordinances and laws to fight! Anyhow, once upon a time an acquaintance of ours while trying to meet us at Dunkin Donuts a day too early had approached a group and asked them if they belonged to the Spring Hill Pagans group and the response he got was “We are a Christian Meeting Group” and then he got some pretty cold stares. Needless to say when I hear stories like this I get a little put off about meeting in public places … and I know I should not feel that way but I worry and I know a lot of my pagan friends do to!

Okay so on to this Saturdays Coffee meet there were ten of us and five new folks we have not met before and we are so glad that we did. First of all I need to say thank you to Dan who lives here in Spring Hill / Brooksville area and belongs to the Pasco Pagans as well. He met some folks at Wal-Mart and told them about our coffee meet up. He also gave me some sound advice at last Yule, he said keep the events going do not loose heart because eventually ...they will come! Sounds like a movie plot don't it, but in all actuality Dan is right consistency does pay off. As for the new folks who came they were so excited to be with like minded adults and to learn about our event it made me happy that we can do something like this for them in our very own community. So Dan thanks for the advice and it is a Blessing to be part of something that is important to the Pagan Community, and it is for this reason I will try not to worry to much about being in Public. Even though there was this one couple who could not help but stare at us this Saturday we did not let them dampen our spirit. We have just as much right as anyone else to be out there and drink coffee and socialize don't we? By the way Wind your musical chairs idea was great but darn it if we didn't end up sitting next to the same folks but only at the other end of the table! It was fun though! We will be looking forward to see you all next month at the Coffee Meet & Greet, Hernando County will just have to accept us thats all!

Wow I guess my block is not as bad as I thought I guess the trick is to start writing!

BB ~ Bia' Aletheia

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Summer Solstice & The Sun God Lugh

Summer Solstice is almost upon us and I am sitting here trying to think of ways I can celebrate it and pay homage to the dying Sun Gods. As we all know this is the time where the longest day of the year produces the most light. The Sun Gods will return to the Earth to be reborn again at Yule and be childlike and grow with the changing seasons. Maybe one day I can be standing in the middle of Stonehenge too to celebrate the turning of the year on this special Sabbatt with my fellow brothers and sisters! This would be so great! I hope that all the folks at Midsummers enjoyed their celebration with the Night Among the Fey! This is the time of year to leave offerings for the Fey and ask for harmony and balance. Which is also something I intend to do! I do wish I could have joined them but I had too many things going on but perhaps next year!

Well I decided to do some research on the Sun god Lugh in Irish tradition and found out some very interesting things about Him. He is kind of the equivalent to Mercury in the Roman pantheon and Apollo in the Greek pantheon. Lugh was known as the God of skill and and the distribution of talent. Lugh was considered a warrior because of his skill on the battle grounds. What I also learned about this God is that his name stands for 'oath', and he resides over contract making. He would be a good God to call upon if you are doing any 'oath taking'. There is one famous story that involves him arriving in Tara at the the hall of the high kings of Ireland so that he may join in on the festivities. A guard at the gate tells him that only one person will be admitted with a particular skill -- one blacksmith, one wheelwright, one poet, one bard, one sorcerer , one hero and the list goes on. Lugh tells the guard of all the great things he can do, and each time the guard says, "I can't let you in here because we already have someone who can do that." Finally Lugh tells the guard , "Ah, but do you have someone here who can do them ALL at once"? The guard could not argue with this logic and granted him entrance to the hall!



Now traditionally speaking this God is celebrated at the time of the Harvest on August 1st since Lugh is honored with corn, grains, sheafs of wheat, bread, and other symbols of the harvest, but he has also been depicted in the Victorian Age as the God with Solar Energy. Most of his images depict him surrounded by Solar Light and one of his epitaphs in Irish Mythology in the known as the 'Shining One'! I think it would be equally appropriate to say a prayer to him during Summer Solstice and make an offering to him. He is also associated with the element Fire and since the Summer Solstice is about balance between Water and Fire again I think calling on him and paying your respects is appropriate.

Some suggestions for ritual if you are celebrating Summer Solstice and in honor of Lugh one could place upon their alter a stone representing fire and one water such as:

Sunstone for Fire (energy, health, willpower, sexual expression)
Blue Aventurine for Water (friendships, love, reason, communication)

Or choose a stone with other properties you would like to draw from. Don't forget to make a fairy offering and libations to the Gods you call upon! One could also inscribe the Rune Sigil for the sun upon a stone in honor of the Sun Gods!



Festivities to celebrate the Sun festival could include singing, dancing, archery, and poetry reading. One could watch the sun come up and merry make and eat a meal together with foods associated with the Sun. I hope everyone has a wonderful Summer Solstice!

Blessed Be ~ Bia' Aletheia

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Wendy Rule ... Rules!

Yesterday some friends of mine and I went to a little place in Palm Harbor called the Witches Brew. A little unique spot right next to Oak Trail Books, which offer 'Metaphysical Books' and supplies. The book store has a really good supply of stones and crystals offered in both the rough and tumbled states. The bookstore is under the same ownership as the little cafe called the Witches Brew. This cafe not only has a unique menu with items like the 'Purple Witch' (Blueberry smoothy with Soymilk), a Green Goddess Salad, and Wraps and Sand Witches! They also offer some specialty Spirits of beer and wine like Wytchcraft Ale (this bottle is the equivalent of two beers in one and has witches embossed in the bottle), Hobgoblin Ale, Bloody Witch (a wine based Bloody Mary), and other neat wines like of yeah and very yummy Chocolate Raspberry Wine! Thats right folks they have a “CH' food category of Spirits just for me! The cafe also has all the modern conveniences as well as free INTERNET capability like Wi-Fi and have coffee too! The atmosphere is really cool too they have all kinds of withcy decorations and and the color is vibrant and the yellow brick road painted on the floor, a wall dedicated to the best witches on the movie and TV screen. The best part of this little cafe is they host events there and offer an array of entertainment. Besides their open Mic night and annual Witchstock they have concerts in the side yard and patio where you can chill and enjoy the tropical landscape and listen to the entertainment being offered to you!

Yesterday it was all about Wendy Rule and the reason for the tip but we had an extra surprise there as well. Hecate's Wheel was there opening for Wendy Rule a local pagan group and let me tell you they are good! The way they harmonized not only gave me goose bumps but they made me cry! I wish I have heard of them sooner! I believe in supporting local artists and entertainers. The singers of the group are Vicki, Amy and Luann and all have beautiful unique voices and together they sound that much more awesome! These Goddesses were super friendly and a joy to meet! Hecate's Wheel has gotten themselves a new fan! I am equally glad we went because I do intend to visit the Witches Brew again because this place was fun and a neat little gem! As for Wendy Rule let me say I think she RULES! I was fortunate to see her play at Samhain 2008 at FPG ands her haunting voice is mesmerizing. My friend SpiralLeaf got to see her for the first time and this was one of the biggest joys for me last night because she missed out on FPG. She misses out on a lot of stuff and she really deserves so much more. I was happy she got to come and even more happy that Wendy Rule seemed to be singing directly to her because she chose to sing most of SpiralLeaf's favorite songs. It was as if Wendy psychically knew what my friend needed to hear those songs (hey would one witch really know what another witch needs … I think the proof was in the pudding)! Wendy sang Shine, Deity, and Night Sea Journey. We were very fortunate to hear Shine because its a song Wendy admitted herself she doesn't play all that much in her concerts! Wendy sang her Horse song one of my favorites as well as her Hail to the Moon! We got to hear one of her new songs Radiant dedicated to her son Reuben, this brought a tear to my eye because you could feel the love she has for her son and it was a joy to hear and see this up close and personal! I was glad to also share this experience with some of my best Witches and buds and other folks whom I come to adore in our local communities. The concert was good witchy fun!

BB ~ Bia' Aletheia

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