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Tiimes T m es USA Centtrall -- 7 pm USA Cen ra 7 pm Easttern -- 8 pm Eas ern 8 pm Westtern 5 pm Wes ern 5 pm Austtralliia ((Mellbourne)) Noon Aus ra a Me bourne Noon Wendsday Wendsday UK --1 am UK 1 am

Herbs wiitth Herbs w h Susun Weed Susun Weed

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Meditation class
Yhursdays Yhursdays Tiimes T m es USA Centtrall -- 7 pm USA Cen ra 7 pm Easttern -- 8 pm Eas ern 8 pm Westtern 5 pm Wes ern 5 pm Austtralliia ((Mellbourne)) Noon Aus ra a Me bourne Noon ((Friiday)) Fr day UK --1 am UK 1 am

Tiimes T m es Centtrall -- 6 pm Cen ra 6 pm Easttern -- 7 pm Eas ern 7 pm Westtern -- 4 pm Wes ern 4 pm Mounttaiin Tiime 5 pm Moun a n T me 5 pm Austtralliia ((Mellbourne)) 11 a Aus ra a Me bourne 11 a UK -- Miidniightt UK M dn gh

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To reach 2012 with a Higher Consciousness and Enlightenment

Posted by Marjabella Le Fey
There are many people living in despair at what the future holds. The information is so life changing, allowing you to test the thinking and seeing things. So many people want to know what the future holds for them in terms of money, marriage, children, occupation, death, love, life, etc. When individual information of what is possible for the future, the identification information on the basis of their current situation. If a person wishes to maintain a living situation that is now called the burrow and sees life in a limited field of vision and inspiration. If there is no inspiration or phrase in the life of an individual, he/she begins to wonder why the same conditions that exist. People do not understand that he/she/you has the ability to change the future, changing that he is and how it works with others or how it relates to the current situation. If you decide to change their situation had changed without asking how. The question now is: If you do not like how life is treating you, what do to change what is life insurance? For someone to change, we must give them time and space to change. Youre the only one who can change what you get in life. Not present or future. So what is this higher consciousness and higher energy levels of the Enlightenment? Higher level of conscious energy and allows better to increase your ego, fear, insecurity go. They begin to see life from a new perspective on love, compassion, understanding, integrity, respect. Wall of protection are higher in our anxiety and fear imposed upon us For a million people realize a higher level of energy and improved lighting Aware will change the world as we know it. Change begins with each individual to make it a true self. These changes occur without damaging or harmful to the individual.

Trees: Teachers and Guardians

Posted by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)
Trees: Teachers and Guardians Hold aloft the sky, Patient companions. Knit the world together, With your roots. Whisper forgotten tales As your leaves move. Dance in friendship With our love. The above poem is one that came to me while I was sitting underneath some Trees, communicating with them, and looking for information and/or inspiration for these web pages. Trees are a great source of creativity for me, and I do my best to spend as much time with them as I can. I believe that most people can develop intense relationships with Trees, and do so at some point in their lives. Watching children play around Trees is informative. It's almost as if they are making the Trees part of their games, and they often talk to them, and love to climb them and sit in them. I had a favorite Tree when I was a child, and those of us who were lucky enough to be around Nature when young, will undoubtedly remember that special Tree we went to to dream under, to share thoughts with, and to feel protected when vulnerable. Much of this "essay" will be anecdotal, because I'm basing a lot of it on my experiences with Trees, and what small teachings I've been privileged to learn from them. Therefore, all of this is directly linked into my actual experiences with Trees - if yours differ, that's great! I'm not trying to say that I have the "Truth" about Trees - I leave that to them. In her wonderful book on the healing properties of various Trees, Jacqueline Memory Paterson says, "A Tree is a memory bank, just like humans and the earth itself. All store by various means data from life as it is lived around them. By working with Trees, their memories emerge, in a process somewhat akin to telepathy." (Tree Wisdom, 1997, p 5) This brings us to the first question: how do Trees "talk"? Modern culture is fixated on the visual and the audible experiences that can be verified. Trees communicate more on what I would term an emotional level. In order to understand them you have to be willing to take things at their pace. Sit underneath a Tree, relax, smell the earth, grass and leaves around you, watch the way the sun (or rain!) plays through the branches, listen to the wind move the Tree and clear your mind.

Allow yourself to slow down - especially your thoughts. Trees view time differently from us, they are much more in tune with the seasons, and the cycles of the climate. Individual days or hours may mean nothing to them. When sitting underneath a Tree's branches you are directly within their energy field - which can be quite large as it encompasses the space taken up by the interaction between their branches, the trunk, their roots, and slightly beyond. So, when you are relaxed and receptive, a Tree can communicate with you. Another useful way to communicate with a Tree is to try and see it's Spirit, or essence. Some people can actually "see" a Tree Spirit, though certain circumstances make this easier. One way I've found useful is to bring a sketch book, or writing pad with me when trying to communicate with Trees. Sit down, relax and really look at the Tree in its entirety. You might see some formation of bark, shadows and light which draws your eye. Pick up your pencil and draw it. It doesn't have to be accurate, and don't concentrate on making it pretty - go with your feelings. I have some talent for drawing, but I don't consider myself an artist. Anyone can do this, no college degrees required. It's a very good way to train yourself to view things differently. Eventually you won't need the paper and pencil anymore, though you may still enjoy sketching them. What I meant earlier about Trees communicating on an emotional level is that you probably won't hear a "voice" in your mind. Trees communicate in a holistic fashion, I believe. That is, the way the leaves sound, the way the shadow patterns of the branches change, and the other interaction of animals and birds around them can be part of their communication. Trees are host to an amazing amount of other life - birds, animals, plants, and fungi are all to be found within their environs, and they seem to form an important part of the Tree community. Often a "sense" of something, like a vague feeling of deja vu, might come over you. We are far too liable to dismiss such things as fanciful or just an idle thought. Act on your instincts, learn to trust them. The more you work with Trees the easier this will become. Part of the reason we find it hard to imagine that anyone could relate to Trees as another, different but equal, race, is that we have been taught that Trees are not "alive," that is to say, that they do not possess "consciousness." Many early cultures had an animistic approach towards Nature - I.e., they believed that everything (including rocks, plants, animals, etc.) had a Spirit, and therefore we could communicate with them. This would be a common Shamanic belief, and one I share. Modern society views such a belief system as idiotic and backward, which makes discussing it in a meaningful fashion very difficult. The idea that humans somehow have dominion over the Earth, plants and animals is a Judeo-Christian one, which was propagated by successive rulings in the Christian Church (Council of Arles in 452, and the Council of Thars in 567) which made it heretical to venerate "objects" like stones or Trees. Moving to this kind of mindset would have been difficult for many so-called "primitive" societies, including the Irish.

Trees were highly regarded within Irish culture. Brehon Law had a hierarchy of fines that had to be paid if anyone cut down a Tree without sanction. Dr. Dithi hgin suggests: "The general reluctance to cut down Trees, except for some very good purpose, stems from the veneration of them in ancient Ireland. The old literature, indeed, speaks of many a great old Tree (called bile), which acted as a kind of protector of the landscape." (Irish Superstitions, p 49). A fascinating story about the importance of Trees to the Irish, is that of the five great Trees of Ireland who divided and protected the land. This is mentioned in several sources, such as the Dindsenchas and Senchas Mor. There was the Oak of Mugna, the Yew of Ross, the Bile Tortan, the Bile Dathi and Craeb Uisnig. Each was planted in the centre of the district that they governed - one for each provence, and the Great Oak of Mugna in Co. Meath to represent the centre. Therefore, we can see that sovereignty of the land was guarded, marked and bestowed, by Trees in Irish culture. According to one of Taliesin's stories, the decline of pagan Ireland was marked by the cutting of the Yew of Ross in Leinster. All the Trees were "hidden" from sight, but one monk managed to somehow see through the illusion and decided to cut down the Yew of Ross for his church. It is said that a chip from the first cut into the Tree flew into the monk's eye, and he was blind in that eye from that day forward. However, after two days chopping the great Tree fell, to much mourning by its guardians. A great convocation of poets was called, who fasted for nine days and nights while chanting a great spell. The four Trees were then cut down, but in a way so that the spirits of the Trees were unharmed. The Spirits were then taken into the Otherworld from where they had originally come. Taliesin, quotes a poem about the Oak of Mugna, which is worth repeating: (Matthews, The Song of Taliesin, p 139) Tree of Mugna: King's Wheel, Prince's right, Wave's thunder, Finest creature, Firm, straight Tree. Banba's truth, Power of victory, Origin's judge, Scion of sages, Noblest Tree, Glory of Tara, Life's vigour, Knowledge-spell Tree of Mugna!

Trees were so important to the Irish that they were even classified into different ranks. There were the 'Chieftain' Trees: oak, hazel, holly, yew, ash, pine and apple; the 'Common' Trees: alder, willow, hawthorn, mountain ash, birch, and elm; the 'Shrub' Trees: blackthorn, elder, spindle-tree, white hazel, aspen; and the 'Bramble Trees': fern, bog-myrtle, furze, briar, heath, ivy, broom and gooseberry. (Matthews, Taliesin: Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries, p 234-5) As mentioned above, there was a fine imposed for cutting down of any of these Trees without permission. The higher the rank of the Tree, the greater the fine. There are numerous traditions about Trees in Ireland. For instance, the hawthorn is considered a fairy Tree, and to this day in Ireland, few farmers will cut one down, considering it highly unlucky and fearing the wrath of the slighted fairy folk. Even in these days of "scientific reason", they often have ribbons, flowers, and corn dollys hung in them as 'offerings' to the Sidhe. So, what can Trees teach us? A whole range of things, but again, you have to be willing to learn at the pace they wish to set. Sometimes they may not want to "say" anything, and just enjoy your company. Trees love people, so it's unlikely they will ever get bored of you. Other times you might be hard pressed to take in, or digest, everything they tell you. They can communicate in two ways: on an individual level - person to Tree as it were; and as a group. Each Tree is an individual and they all have different characters. Therefore, not all Oak Trees might act the same way, so it's best not to imagine you know everything about Oaks just because you've formed a relationship with one. Each Tree, like each person, has their own role or destiny to fulfill. Some are teachers, some are guardians and others watch. Once you get to know a Tree, or a group of them, their purpose, and how you can help this, will unfold. As I said earlier, Trees love people. They especially love singing and dancing, and despite what you might imagine, they are not static - especially when there are within a forest or wood. This is where you can encounter "group" communication. While each of them is an individual, they can also act collectively without any diminishing of the Self. Sometimes I have dreams in which an entire forest speaks to me expressing their opinions and feelings in a very powerful way. When walking in a forest you can pick up on this background murmur, until you feel the urge to focus on any particular Tree. For a long time I saw my relationship with Trees as one where I was the party who had to give, to aid, and to heal. However, recently on a day when I was feeling vulnerable and upset, I felt drawn to sit underneath them. There they made it clear that they were there to help me at times - that our relationship was to be one of equality. They enjoyed supporting me when I needed it and urged me to allow them to comfort me. Trees can a fantastic source of healing - without even using any part of them for medicine. I'm not going to go into the complexities of the healing properties of various Trees. I don't have the qualification to do so, and there are plenty of good books out there you can read.

So, what have Trees got to do with Shamanism? As mentioned in my other article, the Tree has been the classic symbol of the cosmology of the Shaman - the branches connecting to the Upper World, the trunk being the Middle World, and the Roots reaching into the Lower World. Many people when journeying use the image of the Tree as a starting point, and travel to the various Worlds upon It. Trees are also very grounded, while being magical at the same time. They perceive the world differently from humans, and so they can teach us a lot about how to access multiple realities while maintaining balance between them; no mean feat. In many mythologies, Trees are seen as Oracles, or bestowers of wisdom. For example, Odin, the Norse Shaman-God, hung upside down from the Great Ash Tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nights when he was gifted with the runes which are used for divination. Another alphabeth/divination system, Ogham, is closely connected to Trees also. Each letter is assigned to a particular species of Tree, and the first thirteen of them are assigned to months in the calendar as well. There is much debate about the exact order of them, but their association with Trees is not denied. As mentioned above, Trees often function as protectors, a job most Shamans fulfill also. Finally, Trees can be a kind of alarm system - sensing changes in the climate, and energy fields; therefore they can be an invaluable indicator of future changes. All these things they can teach us, if only we are inclined to listen. So, the next time you think the leaves whisper to you, take heed... To finish up I would mention that Trees and humans need each other, and it is good to remember how much they sacrifice of themselves for us to exist - we build out of them, burn them, pulp them and eat of them. Always respect your uses of Trees and the products that come from them. Never take anything from a Tree without seeking its permission, and never cut into them or plant foreign items (such as crystals) without asking first. Trees cannot understand malice and spite, and our ill-treatment of them is a great source of confusion to them. A little bit of respect, and love is not much to ask for the many services - mundane and otherwise - they give to us.

Balancing The Elements

Posted by Brenda Tenerelli
According to alchemical teachings, it is not possible to change other people, circumstances,or the world, but by changing the Self, significant change may be brought into the world, even the universe.* The macrocosm is represented by the Universe and all of its infinite parts. Man or woman, as an individual, represents the microcosm, a tiny reflection of the whole. When the microcosm moves into greater harmony, the Universe must reflect it. This axiom, as above, so below, is found in the Hermetic Emerald Tablet. The study begins by first balancing your energy, and then by learning to direct the energy into the world through two acts: increasing ones ability to love and a devoted practice of imagining ones desires. Both states are achieved through the presence of the True Self. Alchemy teaches that we are composed of the 4 elements of fire, air, water, and earth. Fire represents the soul; air represents the mind; water represents the emotions; and earth represents the body. Through practice of this exercise, we learn to balance and replenish the elements of our being. The Seven Breaths (You may practice this exercise as many as 3 times per sitting.) Read through this exercise carefully before practicing. Practice visualizing the colors at least once before putting all of the parts of the meditation together. Be sure you understand which parts of the body to focus on in each section. BE SURE to dissolve the color and feeling after completing each series of breaths. 1. HEALTH the Earth element, a loamy brown, gives sustenance to the body. Focus on the area from the pubic bone to the feet. Feel a loamy brown color filling every pore in lower body. Breathe energy UP from the ground into the lower body. Repeat for a total of 7 breaths. 2. CALM the Water element, a beautiful blue-green, lends serenity to the emotions. Focus on the area approximately 1 to 2 inches below the navel to just below the rib cage. Imagine the blue-green light filling the abdomen with cool, calm emotion. Repeat for a total of 7 breaths. 3. CONTENTMENT the Air element, a cool blue like the sky, provides tranquility for ones mind and thoughts. Focus on the area from the bottom of the rib cage to just below the collarbone. Imagine cool blue light filling this area (the lungs) with contentment. Repeat for a total of 7 breaths. 4. SUCCESS the Fire element, a fiery red, brings about success in all endeavors. Focus on the area from the base of the throat to the top of the head. Feel the warm, red energy fill the head with warmth and success. Repeat for a total of 7 breaths. Each of the four earthly elements has its natural place; the earth at the centre of the universe, then water, then air, then fire. When they are out of their natural place they have natural motion, requiring no external cause, which is towards that place; so bodies sink in water, air bubbles rise up, rain falls, flame rises in air. The heavenly element has perpetual circular motion. By Sarah Biermann The Energy of the Four Winds - consists of the energies of the Northwind / element Air / Archangel Raphael, of the Eastwind / element Earth / Archangel Uriel, of the Southwind / element Fire / Archangel Michael and of the Westwind / element Water / Archangel Gabriel

A story of how Christmas come around and other things

Posted by Blazing Eagletree
I. A. When was Jesus born? Popular myth puts his birth on December 25th in the year 1 C.E.

B. The New Testament gives no date or year for Jesus birth. The earliest gospel St. Marks, written about 65 CE begins with the baptism of an adult Jesus. This suggests that the earliest Christians lacked interest in or knowledge of Jesus birthdate. C. The year of Jesus birth was determined by Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian monk, abbot of a Roman monastery. His calculation went as follows: a. In the Roman, pre-Christian era, years were counted from ab urbe condita (the founding of the City [Rome]). Thus 1 AUC signifies the year Rome was founded, 5 AUC signifies the 5th year of Romes reign, etc. b. Dionysius received a tradition that the Roman emperor Augustus reigned 43 years, and was followed by the emperor Tiberius. c. Luke 3:1,23 indicates that when Jesus turned 30 years old, it was the 15th year of Tiberius reign. d. If Jesus was 30 years old in Tiberius reign, then he lived 15 years under Augustus (placing Jesus birth in Augustus 28th year of reign). e. Augustus took power in 727 AUC. Therefore, Dionysius put Jesus birth in 754 AUC.

f. However, Luke 1:5 places Jesus birth in the days of Herod, and Herod died in 750 AUC four years before the year in which Dionysius places Jesus birth. D. Joseph A. Fitzmyer Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of America, member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and former president of the Catholic Biblical Association writing in the Catholic Churchs official commentary on the New Testament[1], writes about the date of Jesus birth, Though the year [of Jesus birth is not reckoned with certainty, the birth did not occur in AD 1. The Christian era, supposed to have its starting point in the year of Jesus birth, is based on a miscalculation introduced ca. 533 by Dionysius Exiguus.

E. The DePascha Computus, an anonymous document believed to have been written in North Africa around 243 CE, placed Jesus birth on March 28. Clement, a bishop of Alexandria (d. ca. 215 CE), thought Jesus was born on November 18. Based on historical records, Fitzmyer guesses that Jesus birth occurred on September 11, 3 BCE. II. How Did Christmas Come to Be Celebrated on December 25?

A. Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the weeklong celebration. The festival began when Roman authorities chose an enemy of the Roman people to represent the Lord of Misrule. Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week. At the festivals conclusion, December 25th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman. B. The ancient Greek writer poet and historian Lucian (in his dialogue entitled Saturnalia) describes the festivals observance in his time. In addition to human sacrifice, he mentions these customs: widespread intoxication; going from house to house while singing naked; rape and other sexual license; and consuming human-shaped biscuits (still produced in some English and most German bakeries during the Christmas season).

C. In the 4th century CE, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians.[2] D. The problem was that there was nothing intrinsically Christian about Saturnalia. To remedy this, these Christian leaders named Saturnalias concluding day, December 25th, to be Jesus birthday.

E. Christians had little success, however, refining the practices of Saturnalia. As Stephen Nissenbaum, professor history at the University of Massachussetts, Amherst, writes, In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the Saviors birth by assigning it to this resonant date, the Church for its part tacitly agreed to allow the holiday to be celebrated more or less the way it had always been. The earliest Christmas holidays were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets (a precursor of modern caroling), etc.

F. The Reverend Increase Mather of Boston observed in 1687 that the early Christians who first observed the Nativity on December 25 did not do so thinking that Christ was born in that Month, but because the Heathens Saturnalia was at that time kept in Rome, and they were willing to have those Pagan Holidays metamorphosed into Christian ones.[3] Because of its known pagan origin, Christmas was banned by the Puritans and its observance was illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681.[4] However, Christmas was and still is celebrated by most Christians.

G. Some of the most depraved customs of the Saturnalia carnival were intentionally revived by the Catholic Church in 1466 when Pope Paul II, for the amusement of his Roman citizens, forced Jews to race naked through the streets of the city. An eyewitness account reports, Before they were to run, the Jews were richly fed, so as to make the race more difficult for them and at the same time more amusing for spectators. They ran amid Romes taunting shrieks and peals of laughter, while the Holy Father stood upon a richly ornamented balcony and laughed heartily.[5]

H. As part of the Saturnalia carnival throughout the 18th and 19th centuries CE, rabbis of the ghetto in Rome were forced to wear clownish outfits and march through the city streets to the jeers of the crowd, pelted by a variety of missiles. When the Jewish community of Rome sent a petition in1836 to Pope Gregory XVI begging him to stop the annual Saturnalia abuse of the Jewish community, he responded, It is not opportune to make any innovation.[6] On December 25, 1881, Christian leaders whipped the Polish masses into Antisemitic frenzies that led to riots across the country. In Warsaw 12 Jews were brutally murdered, huge numbers maimed, and many Jewish women were raped. Two million rubles worth of property was destroyed. III. A. The Origins of Christmas Customs The Origin of Christmas Tree

Just as early Christians recruited Roman pagans by associating Christmas with the Saturnalia, so too worshippers of the Asheira cult and its offshoots were recruited by the Church sanctioning Christmas Trees. Pagans had long worshipped trees in the forest, or brought them into their homes and decorated them, and this observance was adopted and painted with a Christian veneer by the Church. B. The Origin of Mistletoe

Norse mythology recounts how the god Balder was killed using a mistletoe arrow by his rival god Hoder while fighting for the female Nanna. Druid rituals use mistletoe to poison their human sacrificial victim. The Christian custom of kissing under the mistletoe is a later synthesis of the sexual license of Saturnalia with the Druidic sacrificial cult.

C.

The Origin of Christmas Presents

In pre-Christian Rome, the emperors compelled their most despised citizens to bring offerings and gifts during the Saturnalia (in December) and Kalends (in January). Later, this ritual expanded to include gift-giving among the general populace. The Catholic Church gave this custom a Christian flavor by re-rooting it in the supposed gift-giving of Saint Nicholas (see below).[10]

D.

The Origin of Santa Claus

a. Nicholas was born in Parara, Turkey in 270 CE and later became Bishop of Myra. He died in 345 CE on December 6th. He was only named a saint in the 19th century.

b. Nicholas was among the most senior bishops who convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE and created the New Testament. The text they produced portrayed Jews as the children of the devil[11] who sentenced Jesus to death.

c. In 1087, a group of sailors who idolized Nicholas moved his bones from Turkey to a sanctuary in Bari, Italy. There Nicholas supplanted a female boon-giving deity called The Grandmother, or Pasqua Epiphania, who used to fill the children's stockings with her gifts. The Grandmother was ousted from her shrine at Bari, which became the center of the Nicholas cult. Members of this group gave each other gifts during a pageant they conducted annually on the anniversary of Nicholas death, December 6.

d. The Nicholas cult spread north until it was adopted by German and Celtic pagans. These groups worshipped a pantheon led by Woden their chief god and the father of Thor, Balder, and Tiw. Woden had a long, white beard and rode a horse through the heavens one evening each Autumn. When Nicholas merged with Woden, he shed his Mediterranean appearance, grew a beard, mounted a flying horse, rescheduled his flight for December, and donned heavy winter clothing.

e. In a bid for pagan adherents in Northern Europe, the Catholic Church adopted the Nicholas cult and taught that he did (and they should) distribute gifts on December 25th instead of December 6th.

f. In 1809, the novelist Washington Irving (most famous his The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle) wrote a satire of Dutch culture entitled Knickerbocker History. The satire refers several times to the white bearded, flying-horse riding Saint Nicholas using his Dutch name, Santa Claus.

g. Dr. Clement Moore, a professor at Union Seminary, read Knickerbocker History, and in 1822 he published a poem based on the character Santa Claus: Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in the hope that Saint Nicholas soon would be there Moore innovated by portraying a Santa with eight reindeer who descended through chimneys.

h. The Bavarian illustrator Thomas Nast almost completed the modern picture of Santa Claus. From 1862 through 1886, based on Moores poem, Nast drew more than 2,200 cartoon images of Santa for Harpers Weekly. Before Nast, Saint Nicholas had been pictured as everything from a stern looking bishop to a gnome-like figure in a frock. Nast also gave Santa a home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of the good and bad children of the world. All Santa was missing was his red outfit. i. In 1931, the Coca Cola Corporation contracted the Swedish commercial artist Haddon Sundblom to create a coke-drinking Santa. Sundblom modeled his Santa on his friend Lou Prentice, chosen for his cheerful, chubby face. The corporation insisted that Santas fur-trimmed suit be bright, Coca Cola red. And Santa was born a blend of Christian crusader, pagan god, and commercial idol. IV. The Christmas Challenge

Christmas has always been a holiday celebrated carelessly. For millennia, pagans, Christians, and even Jews have been swept away in the seasons festivities, and very few people ever pause to consider the celebrations intrinsic meaning, history, or origins. Christmas celebrates the birth of the Christian god who came to rescue mankind from the curse of the Torah. It is a 24-hour declaration that Judaism is no longer valid. Christmas is a lie. There is no Christian church with a tradition that Jesus was really born on December 25th. December 25 is a day on which Jews have been shamed, tortured, and murdered.

Many of the most popular Christmas customs including Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas presents, and Santa Claus are modern incarnations of the most depraved pagan rituals ever practiced on earth.

Many who are excitedly preparing for their Christmas celebrations would prefer not knowing about the holidays real significance. If they do know the history, they often object that their celebration has nothing to do with the holidays monstrous history and meaning. We are just having fun.

Imagine that between 1933-45, the Nazi regime celebrated Adolf Hitlers birthday April 20 as a holiday. Imagine that they named the day, Hitlerday, and observed the day with feasting, drunkenness, gift-giving, and various pagan practices. Imagine that on that day, Jews were historically subject to perverse tortures and abuse, and that this continued for centuries.

Now, imagine that your great-great-great-grandchildren were about to celebrate Hitlerday. April 20th arrived. They had long forgotten about Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen. They had never heard of gas chambers or death marches. They had purchased champagne and caviar, and were about to begin the party, when someone reminded them of the days real history and their ancestors agony. Imagine that they initially objected, We arent celebrating the Holocaust; were just having a little Hitlerday party. If you could travel forward in time and meet them; if you could say a few words to them, what would you advise them to do on Hitlerday?

On December 25, 1941, Julius Streicher, one of the most vicious of Hitlers assistants, celebrated Christmas by penning the following editorial in his rabidly Antisemitic newspaper, Der Stuermer:

If one really wants to put an end to the continued prospering of this curse from heaven that is the Jewish blood, there is only one way to do it: to eradicate this people, this Satans son, root and branch.

It was an appropriate thought for the day. This Christmas, how will we celebrate?

AUTHOR: LAWRENCE KELEMEN

The Craft
Discussion night with Foxxy
This Class is Weekly Classes Every Tuesday, the class is taught in a live chat box and it is a time for people to share and learn. Basic Topics taught each week and then a time of Q & A after class is finished. All classes are then written up and put up in group for all group members to read over. Please come along and join in this is an amazing chance to learn with others

COME ALONG TO THIS LIVE CHAT EVERY

Tuesday NIGHT
USA Central - 7 pm Eastern - 8 pm Western 5 pm Australia (Melbourne) - Noon (Wednesday) UK -1 am

Connecting With Your Soul Group

Posted by Janet

Do you feel that there is a group of souls on the planet, that you are supposed to meet as part of your greater destiny? The group could be you, and one other person, or several people, who are all on your frequency. You sense each other's presence. They may be other aspects of your soul wanting to come together.The Internet has been instrumental in bringing soul groups together. But this feeling goes beyond the Internet. It is a feeling in your soul, you sense these people, often living in areas not near your home.The people who share our journeys vary as we learn and move on.If you feel that is time to meet them, and they too are in readiness, synchronicities will reunite you. You must feel this tugging in your soul. Many people want to have metaphysical adventures, but they have no free time - work, school, family, or other obligations fill up their time. When you are ready, you will make time, and it will be amazing. You need amazing in your life. There is nothing more fun that meeting someone on the same path....you speak the same language...often the written word is not needed. You realize that you are going through something together that will make you more aware when you are finished...like taking a voyage.If you sense these souls....just relax your mind and body...clear your thoughts....see yourself as a beacon of light....send out a message...they will hear you.They may come in to help with healing and clearing, or for something beyond. You will recognize each other and move forward. You never know who may show up. by Ellie Crystal

AM I A VISIONARY~
Posted by Vlada

Sui Generis

There are those among us who are born with a gift, a gift that lets them see the world in the way few mortals ever could, in a way that eyes alone can never begin to comprehend. These people, these few but proud people, take a look at our world and see not the mass of humanity and objects that exist, but what can exist. They don't see what is, but rather, they see what could be. That, as they say, is a power beyond belief. Where most people take a look at a blank sheet of paper, an empty building or a human problem and offer it only passing thought, men and women blessed with the visionary touch see a world of possibilities, an infinite number of chances to create, improve and contribute. Visionaries literally drive our world forward, they solve the problems we face, they create the products we use and they build the future for us, a future realized one dream at a time. But for their contributions, how are these people treated? They are browbeaten, denounced as heretics even called insane. Many are cast aside by a blind society and history is littered with tales of men broken not by their visions, but the backlash to them.

However, just because one person can see something another cannot, does not make him insane. Reality is not still nor stiff, but flexible and constantly changing, shifting with every thought and every action. Visionaries realize that and build upon it, bending reality to meet their dreams, in the process shaping our world in ways that we can't even imagine. But these people, who come from all races, all belief systems of all backgrounds, do more than just change our universe, they change our hearts and our destinies. In the same way they build monuments and great works of art, they build hope, they build pride and they build life. Without visionaries, life itself would stagnate and stagnation always means death. We are a species kept alive solely by our own inertia and without the visionaries to push us, steer us and guide us, we would fall by the wayside the same as countless species before us. Now I don't claim to be a visionary, though I do have my own visions, that is a judgment for the history books and the world at large to reach. However, I do consider myself a supporter of visionaries and their dreams. Be it an artistic, scholastic or something more tangible, I support the dreams of others, lending a hand whenever I can. Because, even if I can't share the vision, I know how important it is, if not to the world, than to the person holding it. With that in mind, if I can help in some small way, I share the dream and it's by sharing the dreams that the world changes and twists. After all, no visionary has changed the world alone. He/She has always had those that have shared the vision and that's why, as important as being a visionary is, it's equally important to share and support the dreams of others. After all, the support is what separates us from a society of achievers and creators from a society of idle dreamers. And the latter, of course, is a society no true visionary would ever want to live in. ~Vlada~ aka Rayvhenwing

RITUAL TO HEAL AND HONOR THE CRONE SELF

Posted by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)
This ritual is best performed at midnight, at the dark of the moon. Be sure that you are completely alone and undisturbed. Fill your cauldron with dried sage for burning. Sage is an herb of wisdom and appropriate for crone rituals. Dress all in black, drape your altar in black and use a black candle. Carve Hecates pentacle into the candle.Before the ritual, spend a few hours, and if possible, a full day and night in total solitude or if that cannot be accomplished, in total silence of speaking. Eat a meal by yourself, savoring the peace and the food. Meditate upon Hecate, the dark side of your nature, the sorrows and fears you have known. Keep notes in your journal and record all significant realizations. Go out and find a crone stone for your altar or you can use obsidian, jet or any other black stone. Light your candle at night and seat yourself before the altar. Light the sage and inhale some of the smoke, letting it pass over you and fill your aura. Sage is also good for your psyche and trance work. Do some deep breathing and let yourself go into a trance; close your eyes. See yourself entering a cave and descending down into long dark passages into the bowels of the earth. See the Crone, Hecate awaiting you beside her cauldron of wisdom and transformation. She helps you into the cauldron where you are bathed, healed, liberated, renewed. She gives you three gifts: a crystal for insight, a sickle blade for cutting and a dried snakes skin for transformation. You tuck these into your robes saying: "Hecate, Dark Moon Mother, wise one, who knows the secret ways I receive the gifts in joy and in solemnity. Always will I treasure these Always will I remember their teachings Many thanks. Blessed Be. Hecate embraces you, kisses you and with her gnarled fingers, invokes the pentacle upon you and embraces you one more time, and sends you on your way. See yourself ascending up through the passages of the earth, out under the night sky and back to your position before the altar.When you open your eyes, sit in silence for a bit, gazing upon the candle, the flame, the image of Hecate. Take the image into yourself, become one with her. Open yourself to any insights or prayers that may come. When you feel complete, ground the energy and snuff out the candle.

Heirloom Tomato Cornbread with Cheddar Cheese

Posted by Blazing Eagletree

The cool air of fall is returning like an old friend, tickling the nose and making me long for a warm, comforting dish that will wrap its solace around me like a blanket. I know it hasn't been that long since I posted about the caramelized onion & jalapeno cornbread, but one of the commenters on that post described a tomatoey cheddar cornbread that sounded like just the nourishment I was looking for. All of my tomatoes are getting quite ripe and I took it as the perfect opportunity to whip up another batch of one of my favorite foods. Yep, cornbread. I would say cornbread, kalamari, and custard are my top three favorite things to eat. A weird mix, but they've definitely got the taste/texture/savory/sweet spectrum covered. Or maybe I just have a thing for foods that start with "kuh" sounds. The universe is a mystery, y'all!

Delicious cornbread? Or a physical manifestation of my subconscious obsession with foods that start with "kuh"? Anywho, lets get to the cornbread checklist. Crusty on top from the cheddar cheese? Check. Roasted tomatoes on top both sweet and savory? Check. Cheddar cheese mixed into the batter as well to make it nice and gooey inside? Check. Well there you have it, folks, everything that can enhance what is already a delicious stand-alone bread has been added. Now go whip up a batch and treat yourself to this ray of corn & tomato sunshine amongst the coolness of fall. Ingredients: 3 Small Heirloom Tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices 3/4 Cup Cooked Corn Kernels 1 Cup Corn Meal 3/4 Cup Sour Cream 3/4 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded 2/3 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Flour 1/4 Cup Sugar 6 Tablespoons Butter, melted 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium-sized bowl mix together the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly blended. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together the milk, sour cream, corn kernels, and butter with a paddle attachment at medium-slow speed until blended. Then add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Turn off the mixer and stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese.

Scoop the batter into a well-greased cast iron skillet (mine is about 7.5 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep) and sprinkle half of the remaining cheese over the top. Place the tomato slices on top of the cheese, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over them. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, placing a sheet of tinfoil over the pan at the 40 minute mark to help keep it from over browning on top. The cornbread is done when a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out relatively clean (aside from gooey cheesy goodness). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Chats with Susun Weed

~ Third Monday of every month ~ Please join us with Susun Weed every month as she discusses different Herbal topics. Very informative and helpful to all. Check the dates below and time sand hope you can come by and visit and check out some of Susuns classes

November 19 - Saw palmetto December 17 - Chaste tree scheduled time for all chat sessions: Eastern - 7 pm Central - 6 pm Moutain Time - 5 pm Western - 4 pm Australia (Melbourne) - 9 am UK - 12 am

My essay on MS
From lillie watcher
Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the nervous system, were the immune system attacks the nervous system by destroying the Myelin sheath that protects the nerves. Which leaves the nerves exposed and become damaged It often leave people with a vast variety of symptoms. Multiple sclerosis can have many different symptoms. Some early common symptoms can include, tingling ,numbness, loss of balance, weakness in the limbs blurred and or double vision. some less common symptoms include: slurred speech, sudden onset of paralysis lack of coordination, and cognitive difficulties. As the disease worsens other symptoms can appear including muscle spasms , heat sensitivity, dizziness, impaired thinking, vision problems, Abnormal sensation ex pins and needle sensations, speech and swallowing problems, tremors and difficulty walking. Some rare systems include breathing problems and seizures. On top of a variety of symptoms there are also four different progressions of multiple sclerosis. There are four different types of Multiple Sclerosis the first is Relapsing-Remitting. This type of multiple sclerosis has clearly defined attacks then periods of time of full recovery or partial recovery, about 85% of people are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis fit into this category. Second primary- progressive Only about 10% of people diagnosed fall into this category. It has clearly defined ups and downs but very slow progression of the disease it self. The third types actually usually start as relapsing remitting then progresses into secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Symptoms worsen with or with out occasional flare ups. Before disease- modifying medication 50% of people with relapsing- remitting developed this form of multiple Sclerosis. The fourth is called progressive- relapsing the disease progressively worsens with clear attacks but little to no improvement in between. There are many different forms of therapies that can help individual symptoms.

There are two kinds of categories besides conventional medicine. There is complementary and alternative therapies the difference between complementary and alternative is that complementary therapies is used in conjunction with conventional medicine. And alternative therapy are used to replace convention medicine. Conventional medicine is used by doctors, only doctors can prescribe and diagnose. Stress can play a major role in flare ups multiple sclerosis there are many forms of relaxation therapies. As a Reiki practioner I recommend any thing that relaxes your body and mind, as it allows the body time to relax and repair its self, spa massage, reflexology , Reiki and color therapies are all great relaxation therapies. Also breathing exercises, yoga can be a great way to deal with stress well being a great exercises with low impact. Low impact exercises is a great way to exercise with out elevating the bodies temperature which can lead to flare ups if the body temperature rises to much or to quick. Taken care of your body is of great importance, trying to avoid overheating can help with flare ups. Some thing that can also help with flares ups is avoiding allergies I would recommend talking to your doctor about getting checked for mild allergies. There are also many dietary recommendations that I have found such as an organic diet which limits the amount of chemicals that are put in the diet as while as short term fasts and cleanses to remove toxins built up with in the body, which should be done under the supervision of your doctor, also high fibre diets, herbal teas, and herbal supplements such as alfalfa with is a source of vitamin k. dandelion, Echinacea and st. john wart are great for detoxifying the body valerian root is also great for relaxing the nervous system. I highly recommend consulting a doctor before start any supplements. Even over the counter supplements and drugs. Water intake is also very important drinking 8 8oz class of water a day, also avoiding meat and dairy and only using cold pressed oils. In conclusion to all that has been written so far taken care of your body and reducing stress is a very important part of treating multiple sclerosis as there is no cure as to date. More research is needs in the line of defence to deal with it. Taken care of the nervous system and immune system can help deal with the symptoms but cannot cure it. The dieses its self varies so much as do the treatments and therapies used for it. It so important to consult with your doctor about alternative and complementary therapies. And most of all taken good care of your body. And taken time to allow the body to relax.

White flakes
By Saille Stormcat
Putting on my warmest clothes I walk carefully into the backyard As the white flakes of snow Slowly make their way down to earth Settling on the wet ground The icy breeze blowing the icy Flakes towards me Memories of snow fights And snowmen, from long ago. As the coldness seeps through My many layers of clothes And my breath turns to frost I turn then to make my way inside Where I curl up inside my quilt cover And watch the snow continue to fall, In its cold white flakes. Saille

Soul Groups, families mates: my experience

Posted by Foxxy
I have absolutely no doubt in the existence of soul groups! I have long said that we have more than one soulmate for just this reason. Its more than just a mate, it's more like families. Nor is this restricted to a single family/group. A book I read recently written by Michael Newton, a "past lives psychologist, went a long way in confirming what I had long believed. For anyone doubting or curious about this concept, I strongly recommend reading either Destiny of Souls or Journey of Souls or both. I found soul'mates' long before high school. Betsy Allen was the first such - in kindergarten. Richard soon followed. Both have been lost by relocation and occurred long before the internet. Two of my cousins fall into this category, tho we have never investigated how we were previously related. Since one is a Christian minster, it is unlikely we will. In High school JPW Sandi, Carol and I developed a bond that went beyond anything our common church could explain, and it still exists despite the fact we were an hours drive or more from each other then, and even further spaced now. Since I began walking this path, members of certain soul groups have 'come out of the woodwork', so to speak. My life in 9th century Ireland has been especially rich, having found not less that 30 who shared that life with me. Four have served as elders, having found the path sooner than I. A few have touched my life briefly, and been lost do to the vagaries of the net and finances. But the majority are still close and have lead me to others we have shared lives with, including my 'soul son' (yes, that's even closer tie than heart son). Some of the current relationships are simple: others are very convoluted. But the past ones are easy to define. My eldest son was my son, a toddler at his death. Younger son was my younger daughter's mate. Both my elder and younger daughter from that time are known to me, along with my then father, brother, both husbands and a co-wife. Several warriors in the household are still friends, although one recently crossed the veil. The best weaver and seamstress in the community is again a friend (and now married to a past elder), as well as the captain of the ship with whom we most often traded. Other local tradesmen, and extended family members and friends and enemies from then have also surfaced over the last 20 years. A good number of these same people were also 'with' me in 10th century Belfast, some neighbors and friends, some the vikings that nearly destroyed the town. Herm was then the local (Christian) Priest in Druid clothing serving as a bridge between the two sets of beliefs. (This was not our only shared life, by any means.) A significant number of those who have been our students shared that lifetime with us.

I may be unusual in as much as I have 'discovered' the past life connections of so many. But I am not alone. For me role play was instrumental in facilitating these re-connections. The activity of role play blurs the 'line' between conscious and unconscious thought. On one hand you have to be aware enough to type, on the other, you are mentally immersed in the character you 'play' thinking and acting as this (usually) fictitious person. I say usually, because sometimes you 'play' yourself/soul from another time in place, as I have. Occasionally for most, often for me, this puts you in situations that "spill out" of past lives, and you suddenly stop long enough to ask "Have we done this before?" Often the answer is yes, and further RP, meditation or dreams will bring the connection into more focus. As much as some dispute the value of role play, in many respects its not only an ongoing mutual story, but acts like a waking visualization, bringing to the surface memories, circumstances, situations and solutions - as well as relationships - you would not otherwise encounter. It is not the only way by any means, but RP absolutely puts you in the mind set for such encounters to be available and recognized.Without the internet it would not be possible to 'find' as many as I have, including those I have found here in the forest. If you have ever encountered anyone for whom you felt an immediate antipathy, or with whom you have felt an immediate connection, odds are they are part of one of your soul groups. We tend to swap roles between lives, as well as genders. Someone may have been your grandfather in one life, your sister in another, you mate in a third, as you both journey towards your souls' goals. Some will have grown, some will have stagnated, as yet unable to learn the crucial life lessons that allow a soul's growth. I have encountered both types. One gal I knew a decade ago has suicided 19 times because she keeps making the same mistake, and takes the 'easy' way out. Few are that deeply in a rut, but they do exist. All you can do is offer support to them while they unravel the knots that have bound them there. But don't be surprised if they take the 'easy' way out yet again. On the other hand there have been successes, Kharmic debts repaid, the scales balanced, for both our sakes. I have told you about 2 soul groups I 'remember' and with whom have lived, worked, played and loved in the past and in the present. I have several others. It seems, at least for me, that for every group there is a different 'goal.' I have no doubt for one it's about healing old wounds. Another is to repay a 'kharmic debt.' Some I have no clue about, although I am sure that after I cross the veil, those causes and lessons will become clear. I just hope I have done most of what I needed to do with each. All we can do is TRY our best - Fortunately that's all our gods expect of us.
Caveat: I still strongly discourage digging into past lives by any means except solo meditation or rp. What you need to know will come to you how and when you need the information. The rest is not currently necessary and can be downright dangerous!
Blessings, Foxxy.

PLEASE JOIN US..WILL BE A CHAT PLACED IN THIS GROUP BEFORE EACH CLASS!!! THANK YOU AND ENJOY USA CENTRAL - 7pm EASTERN - 8pm WESTERN - 5pm AUSTRALIA(MELBOURNE) Noon Friday UK - 1am With Blazing Eagletree

TRAPPED BETWEEN TWO WORLDS THE GATEWAY TO IMMORTALITY..

Posted by Vlada Sui Generis

They say that man is a creature of two worlds, the world of the living and the world of the dreaming. In the world of the living, we are all simply people, people roaming the planet doing jobs, paying bills and living our lives. In the world of dreams, we are all writers and musicians who create art, write masterful stories of fantasy and though we may be victims of nightmares at times, we are still able to express ourselves and enjoy ourselves with a kind of child-like freedom never to be found in the waking. But while these two words are great, each in their own right, neither is the greatest of all. For while reality finds it's beauty in practical things and dreams in unabashed freedom there is a third word, an in-between world if you will, that has found a way to master the beauty of both.This in-between world exists neither in sleeping nor waking but in the giant chasm between the two worlds. As we humans drift aimlessly through the night we are caught, even if only briefly, in this wonderful space. It's the only place where the two worlds touch, the only place where you can talk your problems over with the creator ET's or a unicorn, practice your dance moves with a dragon or discuss how your friends treat you with a Cyclops.

It's the only place where ideas flow as free as water, where the limit to the answers one can grasp is limited only by the reaches of one's imagination and it's the only place where man is still sober enough to remember his problems, but still drunk enough off of the wine of dreams to answer them with super-human creativity. It is truly the most perfect place imaginable. But it is never a place you can go to.without entering the void and knowing the key to the doorway of the other existence Because unlike dreams or reality, it is not a destination, but rather a corridor. We are nothing but passengers through this strange land. All we can do is look out the windows of our carriage and watch as the two words collide and their fringes mingle to become a patchwork quilt made up of the fibres of both our worlds. That is why we never spend more than a few precious moments here, a few moments as we go from awake to asleep at night and back again in the morning. If we as mortals set foot in this land, we would taint it like we have our others. This land is pure and pristine still and any nightmares or troubles occurring here are reflections we bring with us from our trips beyond, not a problem with the land itself. Its waiting to be inhabited with humanity.. So as I fall asleep tonight, I fall asleep neither for the comfort of dreaming or the thrill of awaking the next morning, but rather for the few precious moments in between. I know that without those moments the ideas I cherish and the creativity I so need would never be mine. Much like the air we breathe or wood to a fire, these few precious moments are what fuel me and propel me forward. Without them I would stall and die, but with too many of them I would rocket into oblivion, pushed far beyond the edges of insanity, and never be heard from again. That is a risk I will never take my friends, not in a thousand years of questioning nor a million years of answering. So no matter how much I love my trip through this place. I could never slow my trip through it; to do so would be fatal. Fatal to my mind, fatal to my body and fatal to my soul. Because you and I dear reader are mortals, and this world was not made for us. Unless your the chosen few by the Master Creators of Higher Intelligence who sent you here... It is our corridor, our passageway and nothing more. If you respect that it will yield you many great things. If you don't, it may possibly kill you. It's really that simple my friends....Make change in this Universe and the New World of existence will be opened up to you... ~Vlada~ aka Rayvhenwing

Uplifting Each Other On This Journey

Posted by Lady Moonheart

Conscious Evolution: Being Aware is the First Step

Awareness is the first step to creating change in any situation, without it, there would be no desire for change. Life is a journey comprised of many steps on our personal path that takes us down a winding road of constant evolution. And each day, we are provided with a myriad of opportunities that can allow us to transform into our next best selves. One moment we are presented with an opportunity to react differently when yet another someone in our life rubs us the wrong way; on another day we may find ourselves wanting to walk away from a particular circumstance but are not sure if we can. Eventually, we may find ourselves stuck in a rut that we can never seem to get out of. We may even make the same choices over and over again because we don't know how to choose otherwise. Rather than moving us forward, our personal paths may take us in a seemingly never-ending circle where our actions and choices lead us nowhere but to where we've already been. It is during these moments that awareness can be the first step to change.

Awareness is when we are able to realize what we are doing. We observe ourselves, noticing our reactions, actions, and choices as if we were a detached viewer. Awareness is the first step to change because we can't make a change unless we are aware that one needs to be made in the first place. We can then begin understanding why we are doing what we are doing. Afterward, it becomes difficult not to change because we are no longer asleep to the truth behind our behaviors. We also begin to realize that, just as much as we are the root source behind the causes for our behaviors, we are also the originator for any changes that we want to happen.

There is a freedom that comes with awareness. Rather than thinking that we are stuck in a repetitive cycle where there is no escape, we begin to see that we very much play a hand in creating our lives. Whether we are aware of them or not, our behaviors and choices are always ours to make. Our past and our present no longer have to dictate our future when we choose to be aware. We are then free to move beyond our old limits, make new choices, and take new actions. With awareness, our paths can't help but wind us forward in our lives while paving the way for new experiences and new ways of being. It is through awareness that we can continue to consciously evolve. This is why I created this group, so we may evolve in positive ways for the future. We are all creating this new beginning by our very thoughts. Fear is never a good foundation to begin anew.

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War drums fear

Posted by Foxxy
How far do war drums travel on a cold dark winters' night? How far do war drums signal of another kingdom's plight? I watch our men gather I watch our women weep I watch b'wildered children wakened from their sleep How fast the warriors gather, how deep the mothers sigh How far away this battle, even as ravens fly? The warriors know the rhythms that call them back to war and ask the clans own drummer "How far?" "How fast?" "Who for?" How quickly horses gather and saddled for this chore As groomboys whisper twix them "Who be goin' off t' war?"

Elders aid our warriors pick out the needed gear, Youth fumble along side them, excited and in fear The know they cost of battle What price each house may pay

The rider's cup is given once they are a-mount A drink for strength n' courage, with love their is no doubt Fem tears are still hidden 'Til the the riders are away The know they cost of battle What price each house may pay They're gone. The women gather, their tears now free to flow For warriors who will not return, nor their newborn's hold Pressed close, the women huddle for the support the have to share as they hold and comfort those who worrys weight must bear. Back to bed we eventually go, but many nights to come will find their sleep undone for brothers, mates, or sons with worry, fret, and care "Be he warm? Be he safe? Be the trek too much to bare?" And pray they return alive. So holds the warrior's womans fate, in ancient times or now To wonder if her man returns, and if he does so, how. Will his body be intact? What about his mind? Our hearts seem stalled Until answers we can find.

Its not the end of the world

Posted by Willow Raine
The closer we get to Dec 21 the crazier it will become. Those of us in touch with Mother Earth are wise enough to sit back and watch the show because our hearts tell us what to believe. Me? Im not worried. Im more worried about things like Global warming and other environmental issues that truly hurt our planet. Saving and preserving what we have because we cannot change the past and a species goes extinct every single day. Anyways heres NASAs view on this 2012 business. We are going to survive..sorry if you think otherwise!

NASA scientists took time on Wednesday (Nov. 28) to soothe 2012 doomsday fears, warning against the dark side of Mayan apocalypse rumors frightened children and suicidal teens who truly fear the world may come to an end Dec. 21. These fears are based on misinterpretations of the Mayan calendar. On the 21st, the date of the winter solstice, a calendar cycle called the 13th b'ak'tun comes to an end. Although Maya scholars agree that the ancient Maya would not have seen this day as apocalyptic, rumors have spread that a cosmic event may end life on Earth on that day. Thus NASA's involvement. The space agency maintains a 2012 information page debunking popular Mayan apocalypse rumors, such as the idea that a rogue planet will hit Earth on Dec. 21, killing everyone. (In fact, astronomers are quite good at detecting nearEarth objects, and any wandering planet scheduled to collide with Earth in three weeks would be the brightest object in the sky behind the sun and moon by now.) "There is no true issue here," David Morrison, an astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center, said during a NASA Google+ Hangout event today (Nov. 28). "This is just a manufactured fantasy." [End of the World? Top Doomsday Fears] Real-world consequences Unfortunately, Morrison said, the fantasy has real-life consequences. As one of NASA's prominent speakers on 2012 doomsday myths, Morrison said, he receives many emails and letters from worried citizens, particularly young people. Some say they can't eat, or are too worried to sleep, Morrison said. Others say they're suicidal.

"While this is a joke to some people and a mystery to others, there is a core of people who are truly concerned," he said. Not every 2012 apocalypse believer thinks the world will end on Dec. 21. Some, inspired by New Age philosophies, expect a day of universal peace and spiritual transformation. But it's impressionable kids who have NASA officials worried. "I think it's evil for people to propagate rumors on the Internet to frighten children," Morrison said. Myths and misconceptions NASA scientists took questions via social media in the hour-long video chat, debunking doomsday myths from the rogue planet Nibiru to the danger of killer solar flares. In fact, said NASA heliophysicist Lika Guhathakurta, it's true that the sun is currently in an active phase of its cycle, meaning electromagnetic energy has picked up. Large solar flares can impact electronics and navigation systems on Earth, but satellites monitoring the sun give plenty of warning and allow officials to compensate for the extra electromagnetic activity when it hits our atmosphere. What's more, Guhathakurta said, this particular solar maximum is the "wimpiest" in some time scientists have no reason to expect solar storms beyond what our planet has weathered in the past. Nor are any near-Earth objects, planetary or otherwise, threatening to slam into our planet on Dec. 21, said Don Yeomans, a planetary scientist who tracks near-Earth objects at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The only close asteroid approach on the horizon is forecast to occur on Feb. 13, 2013, when an asteroid will pass within 4.5 Earth radii to our planet (for perspective, Earth's radius is 3,963 miles, or 6,378 kilometers). The asteroid is not going to hit Earth, Yeomans said. Other rumors that the Earth's magnetic field will suddenly reverse or that the planet will travel almost 30,000 light-years and fall into the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy were also dismissed. (A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, or about 6 trillion miles, or 10 trillion km.) One popular rumor that the planet will undergo a complete blackout from Dec. 23 to 25 earned a "What?" and blank looks from the panel of scientists. Ultimately, concerns about Earth's fate would be better focused on slow-acting problems such as climate change rather than some sort of cosmic catastrophe, said Andrew Fraknoi, an astronomer at Foothill College in California. Mitzi Adams, a heliophysicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, agreed. "The greatest threat to Earth in 2012, at the end of this year and in the future, is just from the human race itself," Adams said.

Returning From Exiled Consciousness

Posted by Vlada Sui Generis

"Love is the beacon for alignment, an activation to a greater gestalt."

The individual is always empowered to choose freedom and love by recognizing their inner grandeur. Stop evaluating, stop judging, stop defining and begin to recognize the music of all that is that resonates within. As the individual begins to sing along to that music you shall recognize loving symphony of life. Then, all becomes possible, as you perceptions continue to broaden, and you begin to witness as your rubrics of understanding begin to expand; in this space of resonance it becomes revealed that Source is so far greater than you ever perceived, then you could ever imagine.

Enchanted Forest News

WE NEED THE MEMBERS HELP!! WE NEED THE MEMBERS HELP!! Pllease hellp us make the forest the top of Niing and The Pagan Networks.. P ease he p us make the forest the top of N ng and The Pagan Networks Thiis wiillll onlly take a few seconds.. Th s w on y take a few seconds Pllease VOTE FOR US - the banners are on the front page P ease VOTE FOR US - the banners are on the front page ITS SIMPLE ITS SIMPLE Clliick on the "VOTE FOR US" BANNER ON FRONT PAGE (MIDDLE C ck on the "VOTE FOR US" BANNER ON FRONT PAGE (MIDDLE LEFT OF FRONT PAGE) AND THE NING 100 TOP NETWORKS LEFT OF FRONT PAGE) AND THE NING 100 TOP NETWORKS Then Clliick on the ENCHANTED FOREST BANNER Then C ck on the ENCHANTED FOREST BANNER Thiis shoulld take you back to the siite Th s shou d take you back to the s te THATS IT - Siimplle THATS IT - S mp e You can vote for us as many tiimes as you lliike (the more the better) You can vote for us as many t mes as you ke (the more the better) encourage allll your friiends on the siite to do the same.. Lets see how hiigh we encourage a your fr ends on the s te to do the same Lets see how h gh we can get can get Many Thanks Many Thanks The Enchanted Team The Enchanted Team

Invite your friends to the Forest

To iinviitte your ffriiends tto tthe Enchantted Forestt go tto tthe INVITE TAB att tthe ttop off tthe page.. You can To nv e your r ends o he Enchan ed Fores go o he INVITE TAB a he op o he page You can INVITE allll your ffriiends ffrom eiitther your hottmaiill,, gmaiill or yahoo accountt by siimplly entteriing your INVITE a your r ends rom e her your ho ma gma or yahoo accoun by s mp y en er ng your emaiill address and password ffrom your messenger accountt tthen clliick IMPORT ADDRESS BOOK ema address and password rom your messenger accoun hen c ck IMPORT ADDRESS BOOK tthiis wiillll lliistt allll your messenger accountt conttactts sellectt allll tthe conttactts you wiish tto INVITE tthen hsw s a your messenger accoun con ac s se ec a he con ac s you w sh o INVITE hen sellectt SEND.. se ec SEND To INVITE your ffriiends by EMAIL siimplly sellectt entter EMAIL ADDRESS and entter tthe person you To INVITE your r ends by EMAIL s mp y se ec en er EMAIL ADDRESS and en er he person you wiish tto INVITE emaiills address ((Separatte mullttiiplle addresses wiitth commas)).. And SEND iitts tthatt w sh o INVITE ema s address Separa e mu p e addresses w h commas And SEND s ha SIMPLE !! SIMPLE !! Tellll everyone aboutt The Forestt and hellp iitt GROW Te everyone abou The Fores and he p GROW Iff you have any probllems wiitth tthiis or have any questtiions pllease conttactt any member off tthe tteam -I you have any prob ems w h h s or have any ques ons p ease con ac any member o he eam who wiillll be ablle tto hellp you who w be ab e o he p you

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Enchantted Forestt Team Enchan ed Fores Team

Whatt woulld you lliike tto see iin tthe Forestt? Wha wou d you ke o see n he Fores ? Thiis iis your chance tto llett us know whatt you woulld lliike tto see iin tthe Forestt -- Letts here your iideas Th s s your chance o e us know wha you wou d ke o see n he Fores Le s here your deas Allll appreciiatted A apprec a ed The Enchantted Forestt The Enchan ed Fores Thiis iis your siitte !!!! Have a llook around -- iiff you have sometthiing tthatt you wiish tto share wiitth tthe siitte Th s s your s e !!!! Have a ook around you have some h ng ha you w sh o share w h he s e add a BLOG or jjoiin a GROUP.. Iff you dontt see a group tthatt iintterestts you WHY NOT START YOUR add a BLOG or o n a GROUP I you don see a group ha n eres s you WHY NOT START YOUR OWN.. Iff you need hellp wiitth tthiis or jjustt wantt iideas ttallk tto eiitther Shadow or Breeze and we can hellp OWN I you need he p w h h s or us wan deas a k o e her Shadow or Breeze and we can he p you !!!!!!!!!! you !!!!!!!!!! We hope you have ffun here and spend some ttiime wiitth us iin tthe Enchantted Forestt We hope you have un here and spend some me w h us n he Enchan ed Fores Att tthe Enchantted Forestt we ttry and maiinttaiin an "open polliicy" wiitth tthiis iis miind we ask tthatt allll A he Enchan ed Fores we ry and ma n a n an "open po cy" w h h s s m nd we ask ha a Groups creatted by members are creatted and open ffor allll -- No groups shoulld be sett tto priivatte.. Thank Groups crea ed by members are crea ed and open or a No groups shou d be se o pr va e Thank you allll ffor your conttiinued supportt and iinputt iin tthe Forestt.. you a or your con nued suppor and npu n he Fores The Enchantted Forestt Team The Enchan ed Fores Team

You have and Article, Poem Short story or Wise words of Wisdom for the Magazine?
Do you have sometthiing you wiish tto share wiitth allll tthe members,, and friiends of Do you have some h ng you w sh o share w h a he members and fr ends of tthem ,, we are llookiing for poems,, arttiiclles,, piicttures,, quottes and sttoriies (no hem we are ook ng for poems ar c es p c ures quo es and s or es (no llonger tthan one A4 llong).. onger han one A4 ong) We are iintterestted iin anytthiing tthatt woulld offer some iinsiightt tto peoplle and any We are n eres ed n any h ng ha wou d offer some ns gh o peop e and any arttiiclles of knowlledge.. ar c es of know edge Thiis iis a llearniing siitte - and we wellcome your iinputt tto tthe magaziine.. Th s s a earn ng s e - and we we come your npu o he magaz ne Send arttiiclles tto tthiis addy:: Send ar c es o h s addy:: ttheenchanttedforestt@lliive..com heenchan edfores @ ve com

If you have nott seen tthe magaziine before.. iitt can be viiewed or downlloaded iin If you have no seen he magaz ne before can be v ewed or down oaded n eiitther tthe Magaziine Group or diirectt lliink e her he Magaz ne Group or d rec nk att httttp:////www..scriibd..com//EnchanttedForrestt a h p: www scr bd com Enchan edForres Pllease feell free tto downlload tthiis and giive iitt tto your friiends tto read.. P ease fee free o down oad h s and g ve o your fr ends o read Allll arttiiclles for tthe magaziine shoulld be sentt tto ttheenchanttedforestt@lliive..com A ar c es for he magaz ne shou d be sen o heenchan edfores @ ve com and shoulld allll be iin for 26 May (tthe earlliier tthe betttter).. and shou d a be n for 26 May ( he ear er he be er) Allll piicttures for tthe magaziine shoulld be submiitttted iin a jjpeg formatt pllease sttatte A p c ures for he magaz ne shou d be subm ed n a peg forma p ease s a e tthe name you wiish crediitted for your submiissiions when sendiing iin your he name you w sh cred ed for your subm ss ons when send ng n your arttiiclles.. ar c es Thank you for your ongoiing supportt Thank you for your ongo ng suppor The Enchantted Team The Enchan ed Team