The Secrets In Plain Sight!

Once you have a relationship going with your deity or deities, certain people will want to "help" you.  Some might be offering genuine help, but you need to beware of the others.  There will be those who do not have what you have already gained, and envy and jealousy has taken over them.  And they will want to "set you right".  Some of them have not even tried.  As you walk through a door, they haven't even tried the knob! There are also those who will not agree with what you are doing because it does not precisely match their own path, it does not match with the words of their favorite TV preacher, or they simply don't know any better.  One particular movement in parts of one particular path is evidence of people acting out of ignorance, or having an agenda. If you wonder why some of us harp so much on the basics, this is why!  You need to be grounded in the basics so that you don't get mis-guided.   Blessed Be!

If you want to open communication with your deities (or deity), here's a good starting point.  And, it can be the start of building something substantial. No deity needs anything from us.  They were here before us, and they will be here long after anyone here remembers any of our names!  But, that does not stop them from caring about us.  And, they do like it when they see that we know them and when we thank them for something that they have done for us.  In fact, they outright enjoy it! Thanking them for what they do, as well as celebrating what they have done, can go a long way toward opening lines of communication.   Blessed Be!

One of the most hilarious happenings in life comes when you discover that two people who are arguing passionately against each other are actually for the same thing.  They simply don't want to admit it!  Not only does it happen in schoolyards, it also happens when religion is being debated! Looking at a variety of scriptures and revered writings, I am amazed at how similar so many stories are.  How many gods had sons who died from treachery?  How many of those sons will return during the end times?  And nothing is more interesting than comparing flood/ark stories.  Can you actually picture penguins from Antarctica and kangaroos from Australia walking all the way to wherever Noah had his ark?  And then they would have to walk back home afterward?  More credible would be the idea that they would have been saved from a more local flood by a more local hero. But it also gives us cause to wonder if perhaps there is good reason to respect other mythologies and lore.  Especially if they might actually interface with our own!   Blessed Be!

One of the decisions which nag at each of us is how much "in" or "out" we intend to be about various aspects of our lives.  And even in this supposed era of religious freedom, in the United States at least, there are those who seriously question whether they can afford to be open ("out") about their religious faith, or whether they will have to be secretive about it.  Some Wiccans and Pagans refer to that as being "in the broom closet". There are many factors that can come to bear on such a decision, and sometimes it can seem to force a decision.  But one truth remains.     Blessed Be!

Each one had stood in the way of something which I considered important, even vital, at the time.  Each one was so far in the wrong direction at the time that I considered them to be disgusting.  This isn't just about politics, and it isn't just about religion.  It has to do with how we regard each other.   A President of the United States who inspired me to no longer pursue a military career.  A Speaker of the House whose actions were so contrary to his claimed religious views that I considered him an apostate.  A senator whose antics made me ask questions about him.  Each of them had a confrontation with reality, and the result was worth noting! I can only hope that they will continue to do so well, and follow Former President Carter's example.     Blessed Be!

Most of us have had the need at some time to turn up the volume of a television, radio or stereo player to be able to hear what was being offered in spite of the distracting noises and talking around you.  Some of those distractions might not be within your control.  And, you are not trying to drown out those other sounds, so much as you are trying to focus and concentrate on what you do indeed wish to hear!  Similar can and does happen in prayer and meditation. So, how do you focus on something spiritual with the mundane world all around you?  By focusing on something that resonates and allows the spiritual to respond!  By using whatever combination you need of visual, sound, aroma and whatever else needed to let that happen. The trick, as usual, is finding what works for you, individually! Blessed Be!

Once you have a grasp of what prayer is, does and can do for you, the next logical step in the growth of your spiritual life probably is meditation.  Please understand that you don't have to wait until you've mastered prayer, because very few mortals have ever actually mastered prayer, even if a few might claim to do so.   The number of methods, books and tools available for learning meditation is too great for me to list them here.  I don't have the time, and you don't have the disk space.  Even limiting to your own single spiritual path, much is offered. Meditation is one of the most individual things you can do spiritually.  It is also a process of growth.  Don't let initial disappointment slow you down!   Blessed Be!

Before you drive your car, do you have a man walk in front of it carrying a red flag?  It used to be the law in several places, and one US city has it still on the books for women who drive!  It was within the time of my adulthood that a certain city required inter-racial couples to have a copy of their marriage certificate with them at all times.  In our spiritual lives, it is not uncommon to find people with similar hang-ups based on teachings. Many of us have heard of people using the trappings and regalia of Norse and Germanic traditions as a pretext for racism.  The truth is that the Aesir and Vanir tried to get along with each other and everyone else, with there being ample proof of that in the Havamal and other written lore.   Similarly, some Christians keep citing scripture which Jesus specifically said went out with the coming of John The Baptist.  As we do when we deal with issues such as the "guru" who claims to have a "spiritual herb", we need to know the truth about our own path, and each other's path.   Blessed Be!

Prayer is the primary of the three means to open a door to The Divine, and it is certainly the most significant way of communicating with your deities.  The other two are meditation and contemplation and just about anything else falls within the definition of one of those three.  The main problem with prayer is how much wrong information we've been given and the personal agendas of some who would be teachers. From rote recitation of prayers without learning their meaning to list of things that you are not supposed to pray for to such barriers as "God's will" and "God's time", there is much standing in the way of the full truth about what prayer can do.  But if you can still see and feel the truth beyond that, then you are ready for the full wonder and power of what prayer can do!   Blessed Be!

Much has been said about forgiveness, but little seems really understood.  Forgiveness is a key element in the process of healing, because it assigns the hurt its proper place in the past, and makes it stay in the past.  This can involve individuals, nations, or any size of distinguishable groups of people in between. The course forgiveness takes will depend on the situation and those involved.  It is possible to cite numerous cases in which the result was not just reconciliation, but the building of something better and stronger than before.  I have also known cases in which the person forgiven became part of someone's past and remained there out of sheer necessity. As much hurt and division as has been created, as well as excuses and pretexts for even more, we need to look to forgiveness as a way to get ourselves to move forward. Blessed Be!