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.

Stability

This spell is used for emotional and mental health and stability. The rose hip seed oil is for healing, the bay oil is for insomnia, and the light blue candle is for healing, happiness, and battling depression.
Rose hip seed oil
Bay oil
Light blue candle
Dress the candle in the oils. Burn the candle down. While dressing and lighting the candle, and really just as many times as you feel needed, chant:
Let health and happy reign my soul,
Let all good things be.
Let weak and sadness end their toul,
Let strengthen harmony!

Book of Shadows

I recently began making my own Book of Shadows, which is a type of journal filled with a Wiccan's beliefs, spells, rituals, thoughts, and life lessons. It is actualy rather fun to do! And very easy. I just picked up a big hardback journal book from Biglots and started writing! I jot down things I have learned, the meanings of certain things, useful spells, and stuff like that!
A lot of Wiccans keep there Book of Shadows online for the benefit of other Wiccans. Also, depending on you type of Wicca, the Book may be keep public becouse its a clan work. I chose to keep mine private. I don't know why, I just feel it's easier to pour myself into the book if it isn't read by others. Besides, Wicca is supposed to teach us how to find our own Truth. Reading mine may be useful, but it won't necessarily teach you how to find your own Truth.
Thats one of the reasons I made this blog. I want to contribute to the Wiccan world, but I don't want to make my Book of Shadows public. So this blog is a collection of things I wish to share!
I will share my Book one day. I will pass it on to my future daughter or son. If I do not have any children then I will give it to one of my reletives. Preferably a child of my brothers', or one of my brothers so that they may put it on the internet for all Wiccans to use. I know I must pass on what wisdom and knowledge I have learned on Earth, I feel it is my duty to do so. So one day this will happen.
I have only just start out, and I am already finding that it is likely that my Book of Shadows will be many books. There is just so much information! I am having fun putting it together though :)
Blessed Be,
Domina Atramentarius

Vegan

I am a strict vegan. This means no meat, no eggs, and no dairy. I am also lactose intolerant, so definatly no milk! I also prefer to eat foods that are gluten free, sugar free, fat free, low calerie, and high in good-for-you stuff! Yes, I am a real health nut. Nothing makes a person feel great like healthy food! A lot of people think it's complicated to eat healthy, or that you would be giving up taste, but that is not true! Here are a few recipes that are super good for you, and super tasty! (Well, some of them I havn't tried yet, but they sound good and I do plan on trying them!) Some of the recipes are from my own cook book, but some of the are from http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/healthy-recipes/gluten-free/main.aspx

Gluten-free peanut butter cookies, yummmyyy!! :D Eating nuts tends to make me feel a bit sick, sense they tend to be somethered in salt (I can't have much sodium, it makes me realy sick). And recently, I got braces. So no nuts for me! But I have always loved peanut butter cookies! Here is a great recipe for healthy peanut butter cookies, super tastey and a great way to get some energy and protein in the middle of the day!
2 cups organic peanut butter
2 cups organic rapadura (powdered sugar cane juice. its yummy, but you can use any subsitute for white sugar, substituting 2 cups)
1 cup mashed organic banana (or your chosen egg substitute, substituting 4eggs)
2 cups gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, vegan chocolate chips (http://thefrugallyrichlife.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/gf-gluten-free-dairy-free-sugar-free-vegan-homemade-frugal-chocolate-chips/) optional
1) preheat over to 350 degrees. grease cookie sheet
2) combine peanut butter, egg substitute, and sugar substitute and mix until smooth. mix in the chocolate chips, if desired. spoon dough by tablespoons onto cookie sheet (depending on what you use, the dough might be oily, but thats okay)
3) bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. let the cookies cool for about 5-10 minutes before transfering to a dish. (depending on what you use, they may cook dramaticly faster/slower than 10-12 minutes! I recomend watching closely!)
This taste OMG SUPER YUMMYLICOUS!! I made a batch of them for a friends birthday party (she isn't a vegan btw), and didn't tell her they were so healthy. She is always avoiding my vegan meals, becouse she thinks vegan food is nasty. She tasted one, and immediatly fell in LOVE! When I told her they were vegan and gluten free (and dairy-free, mostly sugar-free and soy-free) she absolutely denied the possibility!

Florentine Artichoke Dip sounds realy good! I have never had it, but I love artichokes! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/florentine-artichoke-dip/detail.aspx Substitutions: make sure everything is organic, use vegenaise (http://www.followyourheart.com/) or some other mayo substitute, cream cheese substitute (http://veganbits.com/cream-cheese-alternative/), and cheese alternative (http://www.veganstore.com/product/960/vegan-cheese-and-dairy-alternatives)

By now your probably thinking "wow...that's a lot of trouble just for healthy food!" Well, fine, be that way. I could preach on and on about how wrong it is to harm animals, how icky it is to eat animal products, or even about how much more yummy these substitutes taste! But I won't. I only have 3 words that make it all worth while, and made my friend decide to become a vegan. 3 little words. 20. Inch. Waist. My cousin wore a size 4XL, switched to eating vegan, and now (1 year later, though I don't recall how fast she lost the weight) she has a 20 INCH WAIST. Trust me, the time and extra money is worth it!
Here are some more recipes, some I have had and realy love! Go to this sight (http://www.veganstore.com/category/vegan-food-items) to get ideas for substitutes, but they may not have every substitute. I trust you know what should be substituted (anything diary, meat, or egg)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amys-cilantro-cream-sauce/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-guacamole/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemony-Quinoa/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cranberry-sauce-ii/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/garlic-green-beans/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-garlic-mashed-potatoes/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Gluten-Free-Ginger-Honey-Crunch/Detail.aspx (I made this for my brother has a snack while he was at ROTC camp, he LOVED it!)
Happy Eating! :D