What Am I?

--Yeah, I already posted this once...like, months ago. But I revised it, and wanted it to be at the top so people would read the new version :) I have to keep revising this, because what I believe keeps changing. As I grow, so does my understanding of the world--

I am a Wiccan, and I am proud of it!
I was raised in a Baptist home, learning and living the word of God. I started reading about the Wicca 2 years ago, and something about it seemed...right.

I believe there is a supreme God and that he sent down Jesus as a messenger. I believe the Bible is full of made up stories, meant to be taken as lessons, not as actual occurrences. I believe nature should be protected, and that it is in itself magickal.
Yes, I believe in magick. If you ask, and you deserve, you will be given. Natural health (physical and mental) remedies do work, on a medical level. Preforming spells and such bring a sort of peace to me, and they are used to bring good things to the world. Black magick has nothing to do with Wicca.

My Goddess (or God. Truly, I use them interchangably. Who is to say what sex he is?) is Libra, the Goddess of Balance. I believe everything is balanced. EVERYTHING. Nothing disturbs this balance. For everything good you see, there is something bad. For everything bad you see, there is something good. For every bad thing you do, you are punished and must to something good to makeup for it and restore balance inside you. For every good thing you do you are rewarded, and makes up for bad things you have done/inevitably will do. Light and Darkness aren't at war with one another. They are Sisters, both working in perfect harmony to keep our world working. Notice, Libra's simble is the scales. The world, and our lives, is balanced, like a set of scales. Too much good, and we tip over. Too much bad and we tip over. There must always be balance, or there is only chaos.

All people are equal; all people are equally good and bad. All people are essentially good, only influenced by the temptation of the devil. The only time we can be ourselves and be the basically good people we are is when admitted into heaven. I don't believe in a hell. If we are all made in God's image, why would we be evil? Why would God make a being that is all evil? No. We are balanced on earth. The only way Earth and Life can work is if there is Balance. When we die, we leave Earth and go somewhere else. We go to Heaven, where there doesn't need to be balance for it to work. There is only good. That is why our souls are perfect and pure. No one can ever taint his soul. If you do something bad, you are punished on Earth. Simple as that.

So, why aren't we all sitting around a table in Heaven right now? Why must we live on Earth before we go to Heaven? Well...ask God. I haven't died yet, so I don't know all the answers.

It is my theory that we are all on Earth to both learn a lesson and complete our mission. The mission we must complete in order to teach the lesson to others. The lesson is perhaps simply so that we become wiser.

So, if we are perfect, why does there need the be a God? Well, someone has to be in charge.

Your soul is a wonderful, perfect thing that will one day be accepted into Heaven. Dying isn't a punishment for doing something wrong, it is natural. It's God saying you did your part. Heaven is the reward! I don't cry when people I know die, I didn't cry when my dad died. I was happy! And yes, people avoid me and call me crazy when I tell them I'm happy when people die. But it's true! They completed their mission and now get to go Home! How could I be sad about that? Sure, I don't get to see them anymore. But I will some day.

I am proud to be considered a Wiccan and a Pagan!  I don't care what anyone else believes. As long as your happy, believe what you will. I'm not out to convert people to what I believe, and I certainly don't wish to be converted to another religion.

Be proud in what you believe.

Falling Into Me

I am falling, and there’s no one to save me.

The thrill seeking reader will read this as if I’m in danger. The romantic reader will read this as if I have found new love. Well, this is neither of those things.

I am falling, and there’s no one to save me; I don’t want to be saved.

This isn’t a thriller, romance, horror, fiction, historic fiction, or…well, anything like that. This is simply a plain and simple religious nut, writing about just how nutty she is becoming.

I am falling, and there’s no one to save me; I don’t want to be saved. I’m so happy with who I’m becoming!

Just what is it I’m becoming? I don’t know. I guess I will find out when I get there.

What am I now? Well…I’m nothing, and I’m everything.

I’m a Wiccan, through and through. I am everything, for I am Wiccan. Libra is everything thing, and so I am everything. I am nothing, for I am just one other soul working to learn her lessons in life; I will die, and I will be gone. For this, I am nothing, and yet, I am everything. I don’t care what anyone thinks about that. It is who I am; it is my path in life. My life is lit by the Goddess inside me.

God…Goddess…I use them interchangeably. I am monotheistic, I just don’t place sex on my God; he is neither. He is the ultimate Soul; he is the Balance by which all things are kept together, he just is.

When people ask me who I worship, I tell them “the male persona of the personified Libra”. Try saying that five times fast… It’s the easiest way to try to describe what I believe to an outsider. Truly, I just believe what I see. I see balance everywhere. I see Libra everywhere. (Libra is Balance, by the way). I don’t really know what to say when it comes to worship. Libra is my God, and I am devoted to what I believe and what I am meant to be doing in my life. But…worship? That sounds far too Christian. Christian’s follow a strict set of rules that shut them out from their Home and their God; they portray their God as being petty and…I just don’t like it. I’m not perfect, and I don’t want to have to try to be. I just want to be me. Wicca lets me be me.

Honestly…that’s all I want.

Wicca isn't just a religion. It's a way of thinking, and a way of life. Wicca is a very harmonious, peaceful, and balanced way of thinking and living. It allows free thinking and free living. Wiccans do not believe they will be sent to a fiery hell if they have sex before marriage (or some other "sin"). It is up to the Wiccan to decide if it is morally wrong or not. And if she or he has hurt someone, then they will be duly punished in life. Not death.

Wicca incorporated a lot of appreciation towards the wonders of nature, such as animals, flowers, and etc. People who follow the Wiccan way also learn the knowledge of witchcraft, and use it in a practical way. Witchcraft is about healing, and bringing love, happiness, and peace to the world.

Not so long ago, Wiccans were hunted and persecuted by the Church, as part of making Christianity more popular. Wicca was subjected as the work of Satan by the Church, to keep people away from it. They placed the evil, mysterious, and generally worthy of wariness archetype upon witches and Wiccans (and really, and other Pagan). They did this in an attempt to convert everyone to their own religion.

Wicca is not about teaching people the truth. It's about finding your own truth, and allowing other's to find what makes them happy. It doesn't matter who's right, all that matters is that your happy in what you believe.

I'm proud to call myself a Wiccan, and a Pagan. I'm very proud! :)

Blessed Be

~Ink~

Witch's Circle

A Witch's Circle is used for rituals and ceremonies, or to commemorate something; a holiday, a celebration, and death or birth, etc. It can be done by one's self, or as a group/coven. This is how you do it:

First, the placing of the candles: Yellow (for Wind) to the bottom right; Red (for Fire) to the bottom left; Green (for Earth) to the top right; Blue (for Water) to the top left; and Purple (for Spirit) in the center.

Candles are lit in each of the five directions as the element is called. The following colours are used for the candles” Air-yellow, Fire-red, Water-blue, Earth-green, and Spirit-purple.

Begin in the East and call forth Air. Hold a yellow candle, face the east, and repeat the following “Air, of the subtle and the strong. Air, of the wind and the gale. Air, I call you to this Witch’s Circle!” Then light the candle. Place it on the table that is holding the other candles, back in it's place.

Repeat the process with each candle, moving clock-wise (or deosil) around the circle.

•       Air-East: “Air, of the subtle and the strong. Air, of the wind and the gale. Air, I call you to this Witch’s Circle!”
•        Fire-South: “Fire, of the warm and wild. Fire, of the spark and the blaze. Fire, I call you to this Witch’s Circle!”
•         Water-West: “Water, of the flowing and the fast. Water, of the drop and the flood. Water, I call you to this Witch’s Circle!”
•        Earth-North: “Earth, of the fresh and new. Earth, of the dirt and the life. Earth, I call you to this Witch’s Circle!”
•        Spirit-Middle “Spirit, of the Balance of Life and Death. Spirit, of the center Force. Spirit, I call you forth to complete this Witch’s Circle!”

To close the circle, thank each of the elements in turn as you move counterclockwise around the circle, ending where you began in the east with the element air.

•          Spirit: “Spirit, I thank you, for lending your Force.”
•         Earth: “Earth, I thank you, for lending your Strength”
•         Water: “Water, I thank you, for lending your Rhythm.”
•         Fire: “Fire, I thank you, for lending your Energy”
•         Air: “Air, I thank you, for lending your Purity”

It is important to remember to maintain a focused mind and positive thoughts during the Witch’s Circle casting and closing, and to ground yourself with food, drink, and relaxation afterwards.

Blessed Be,

~Ink~ 

Accept Me

A few months ago, I had a little issue with one of my Christian friends when I converted. It was easily resolved, and we speak now :) So I guess you could say this is really the first time I have had a real issue with people not accepting me due to my religion. Which is kinda surprising, considering where I live (everyone around here is Christian, or at least pretends to be).
Well, I had this teacher. She was such an epic teacher, too! And she moved away, to get a higher degree, but we stayed connected through facebook. Well, I'm going to europe this Summer with People2People (EPICLY PSYCHED ABOUT THIS!!!). To pass my interview, I need three recomendation letters, two of which have to be from teachers. So, I decided to fax her the letter thingy and get her to fill it out. She said that would be fine, but...then never responded. Until last night.
I was at a party with my best friends, and I got her facebook message on my phone. She said she gave me her dad's fax number, sense she didn't have one. He got the fax okay, but she couldn't write the letter cause he ripped it up. She was talking to him about me while they were waiting for me to send it, and she happened to mention that I'm a Wiccan. She said I was the first she had taught. He is a Christian minister...
He ripped up my letter. Said he didn't want my "filthy Wiccan BS contaminating his office".
Ya, I burst into tears when I read that. She told me I could just snail mail it to her...but I kinda don't want to. I mean, I know there's gonna be close-minded, judgmental people in the world. I just didn't expect that kinda pain to be delivered by my teacher! *sigh* sadness :(

--Ink--

What Am I?

I am a Wiccan, and I am proud of it!
I was raised in a Baptist home, learning and living the word of God. I started reading about the Wicca 2 years ago, and something about it seemed...right.

I believe there is a supreme God and that he sent down Jesus as a messenger. I believe the Bible is full of made up stories, meant to be taken as lessons, not as actual occurrences. I believe nature should be protected, and that it is in itself magickal.
Yes, I believe in magick. If you ask, and you deserve, you will be given. Natural health (physical and mental) remedies do work, on a medical level. Preforming spells and such bring a sort of peace to me, and they are used to bring good things to the world. Black magick has nothing to do with Wicca.

My Goddess (or God. Truly, I use them interchangably. Who is to say what sex he is?) is Libra, the Goddess of Balance. I believe everything is balanced. EVERYTHING. Nothing disturbs this balance. For everything good you see, there is something bad. For everything bad you see, there is something good. For every bad thing you do, you are punished and must to something good to makeup for it and restore balance inside you. For every good thing you do you are rewarded, and makes up for bad things you have done/inevitably will do. Light and Darkness aren't at war with one another. They are Sisters, both working in perfect harmony to keep our world working. Notice, Libra's simble is the scales. The world, and our lives, is balanced, like a set of scales. Too much good, and we tip over. Too much bad and we tip over. There must always be balance, or there is only chaos.

All people are equal; all people are equally good and bad. All people are essentially good, only influenced by the temptation of the devil. The only time we can be ourselves and be the basically good people we are is when admitted into heaven. I don't believe in a hell. If we are all made in God's image, why would we be evil? Why would God make a being that is all evil? No. We are balanced on earth. The only way Earth and Life can work is if there is Balance. When we die, we leave Earth and go somewhere else. We go to Heaven, where there doesn't need to be balance for it to work. There is only good. That is why our souls are perfect and pure. No one can ever taint his soul. If you do something bad, you are punished on Earth. Simple as that.

So, why aren't we all sitting around a table in Heaven right now? Why must we live on Earth before we go to Heaven? Well...ask God. I haven't died yet, so I don't know all the answers.

It is my theory that we are all on Earth to both learn a lesson and complete our mission. The mission we must complete in order to teach the lesson to others. The lesson is perhaps simply so that we become wiser.

So, if we are perfect, why does there need the be a God? Well, someone has to be in charge.

Your soul is a wonderful, perfect thing that will one day be accepted into Heaven. Dying isn't a punishment for doing something wrong, it is natural. It's God saying you did your part. Heaven is the reward! I don't cry when people I know die, I didn't cry when my dad died. I was happy! And yes, people avoid me and call me crazy when I tell them I'm happy when people die. But it's true! They completed their mission and now get to go Home! How could I be sad about that? Sure, I don't get to see them anymore. But I will some day.

I am proud to be considered a Wiccan and a Pagan!  I don't care what anyone else believes. As long as your happy, believe what you will. I'm not out to convert people to what I believe, and I certainly don't wish to be converted to another religion.

Be proud in what you believe.

Recipe Sites

Recipes gallore! I am in a cooking frenzy! With birthday parties, multiple holidays (ah, the struggles of living in a home full of different religions...), school, and parties, I am constinantly in the kitchen now a days! I love it so much, though :) Cooking is so much fun! Lately, I have decided to keep a cook book full of favorite recipes I have collected. Here is a website with a few that I have tried and love! <3
http://www.magicspells.in/wiccan_recipes_for_samhain.htm
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/halloween/halloweenpartyrecipes_drinks_raspberryandrosepetalpunch
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/halloween/halloweenpartyrecipes_food_ricepuddingswithcaramelgalaapples
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/halloween/halloweenpartyrecipes_food_cookies_gingerbreadskeletons
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/halloween/halloweenpartyrecipes_food_soup_greengruelwitheyeballs
http://www.catholichomeandgarden.com/all_saints_day_recipes.htm
http://elainefindlay.suite101.com/halloween-seed-cake-recipes-a144337
http://www.unc.edu/~reddeer/recipe/rec_imbolc.html
happy cooking! :)

All Hallows

The night of All Hallows is fast approaching, and I for one can’t wait! A night of pure magick! All Hallows is by far my favorite holiday! So you could easily imagine my shock when I learned that my fellow non-Wiccan friends had never even HEARD of All Hallows. I was appalled.

All Hallows is a holiday Pagans celebrate. It means something slightly different for each religion, but I am not going to go look up what All Hallows is to each and every one of them. Instead, I shall just explain why All Hallows is important for my religion, monotheistic Wicca.

All Hallows is on the 31^st of October. It is a wonderful, but serious holiday. It is a day for giving thanks to God for his protection and love. It is also a day for celebrating being a Wiccan. This is a time of reflection and coming to terms with the things in life we cannot control. It is a time to forgive and forget, as the saying goes. We must remember not to think ill of the people who judge us, hate us, or fear us due to our religion; those people are simply uneducated as to what Wicca really is, or are too afraid of the wrath of their God to accept us. Tis not their fault, they cannot be blamed for society’s hatred of the unknown.

On this night, the separation between the physical and spiritual realities is at its thinnest. The veil is semi-permeable, meaning demons are at their strongest and spirits can visit. Protection spells are wise, to protect oneself from demon influence and trickery. The spirits are granted one night a year to visit Earth and mingle with the living, and this day is All Hallows. They are given this day so that they can see both the wonders of life on Earth, and the horrors. It is another way by which God keeps us from falling after death, like the Devil did. The spirits cannot harm anyone; they are pure and innocent, they wish you no harm. The demons, whoever, can be very harmful. Demons are the Devil’s creations, and their influence can cause some nasty side effects.

All Hallows is in some ways a serious holiday, a time to remember dead loved ones and serious thinking about one’s life. But it is also a happy holiday, a time to embrace Wicca and magick! All Hallows is, in my opinion, the most magical and important holiday there is, (this is not to say the rest does not matter, of course!) if only for the fact that there is so much to celebrate and remember!

Generally, black is worn on All Hallows. Black is dramatic, committed, serious, mysterious, containing potentials. It is a colour that represents the power behind a Wiccan, our power to be proud of whom we are, even when surrounded by judgmental, prejudiced people! It shows how committed we are to our beliefs, and how serious we take them. It shows that we are a people never to be understood by another. Only a fellow Wiccan can ever understand how it feels to be a Wiccan; no amount of theological research will ever make another understand. It shows that we are forever learning and perfecting ourselves, delving deeper into our religion and increasing our understanding of the Universe, the Balance, and by doing this increasing our power to help the world.

Other common colours to be worn include purple (for self-esteem, spirituality, transformation, nobility, and enlightenment.), white (for purity, divinity, and simplicity), and red (for excitement, passion, vigor, and strength. It stimulates, warms, and cheers.)

All Hallows is also called Samhain, Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, and of course Halloween.