Why Would I help Him?

In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.-
Dalai Lama

The other night after working on packing 34,000 books and putting them in three different locations at my ex's house. I got home and mother asked why would I help him. I told her that he helps others and does a lot in the Order of the Roc a lot. She then tells me that he took my washer and dryer. I am thinking why is she getting snotty over something that I wanted put to rest when I made the claim to my ex himself. She makes the ridiculous claims of the other side that makes me just wonder about her sanity. Besides her yelling through the phone for me to pick up when I am trying to find the phone. I tell her this because we have three working phones in my house and I can only find one. Where we put them I don't know. Getting back on topic, I was confronted this by my mother and I could not tell her this reasoning for what I do for my ex because I was tired and was suffering from a lack of sleep and lifting so many boxes that I just shrugged it off and went to bed. The next morning the topic was fresh in my mind and I was able to think about it. The reasoning behind my actions with my ex is this, He has helped people a lot in the past he helped me out when I needed it the most even when we were dating. Whenever my back was messed up, even after we broke up, he would fix it and still would. Despite him kicking me out and to tell you the truth I really did deserve it. I did lie about getting a job to him and I am working on trying no to lie like that anymore. He really doesn't deserve to be kicked out of my life because me and him have the same friends. I belong to a martial arts group that deals with medieval and a modern style of chivalry and we are some what friends there so in realization we can still have a civil discussion while beating each other. He is not a bad guy, even though my mother says that he is the devil, if there was a devil. I don't see it, and I try to forgive others for what they did, doesn't mean you can't forget what they did to you. I am still a little mad but as someone who sees things in different perspectives I know what I did was wrong. So it's a win win situation, and I am now passed that. My mother on the other hand, doesn't see it, so I am not going to beat it in to her if she is that thick. I am not going to kill myself in trying!

Thanks for reading

Bright Blessings

Candace

What I have been crafting

Well for a few days I have been in a frenzy trying to find my camera to take pictures of these lovely beaded bookmarks that I have been telling my twitter followers. Guess what? I found it in my car...it was right on top of the various newspapers that I seriously need to recycle soon. So now that I have my camera and that the camera faries haven't taken it for their use, I will show you my new creations.

Enjoy!


Buddhas


Ankh


Penticle and Fairy Jar


Fairy

I hope to make more for birthdays and such for my friends.

Bright Blessings

Candace

Dreaming of Anubis

I found myself laying on some soft bedding facing a wall. I wonder where I am, I try to move and my body is immobile. I can't speak, all I know is this room and with only one eye open. I try to twist and turn and open my second eye, not noticing a presence in the room my focus is on why my body isn't moving. A man comes in he is of average height, gray and with small beard. He tells the presence that they are ready. He then addresses the presence as Anubis. I look at the wall where the shadows are trying to get a good look at who he was. And his shadow emerges like the jackal headed shape and a man's body I know from myths I read. I wonder why he is here and what is going on, trying to make sense of it all, but can't because all I am is confused at that moment of what they are going to do. After a couple of minutes of him giving over me and doing something my dream shifted to another and I don't remember anymore.

Anubis in Egyptian mythology is the jackal headed god that judges souls in the underworld by using a scale and a feather of Ma at. A feather that is light enough to determine who goes on to a peaceful rest and who's heart gets devoured by a beast of the underworld. He resides over burials and mummification's guiding souls to the afterlife. In other ways people also find him the gatekeeper of the spirit world. Why he was in my dream seems to be not much a mystery but a experience.

I have heard that when Anubis enters your dreams one of many things may have taken place. One of course is judgement. When Anubis confronts someone in a trial like setting it means that the person who committed an act is judged according to what they did and why they did it. This also goes for self judgement. Sometimes when Anubis is in your dreams for the face of you wrongly accusing you self of other's misdeeds and if the out come resides on him telling that you are innocent it' shows you to not be so judgemental on yourself. Sometimes Anubis also can give harsh critism in dreams to where he judges you to harshly. This is a step back to where you may be too judgemental on others or too judgemental on your self.

Anubis is can also be a gatekeeper of the spirit world. As some people may have suggested that when people work with spirits and the spirit world some may run into Anubis along their path. You may be surprised that he may be willing to help you with certain problems. Anubis seems to be the middle god, meaning that he is neither good or bad, he helps those who are he sees fit to be helped.

He is also god of funerals and burials so in a sense if you are expecting someone to die he will visit you to give you a message of death. People who are near close to dying may see a deathly like figure in their own belief system and sometime some may see a jackal like figure in which case an be a sign of passing on. Not many experience this though, and those who do know it is time.

There are many interpretations of what Anubis means. These are a few if what I consider my interpretations of why some people may experience Anubis manifest in their dreams. Don't take this harshly these are my own thoughts.

Thanks for reading

Candace.

Candace's Guide for Baby Pagans (newbies)

Candace's Guide for Baby Pagans (newbies)

Here is a list of things that I feel that new people coming into paganism should consider.

1. Don't just read one book. There are other authors out there that give their version on the same subject. I you want your dose of witchcraft, there are various forms of the craft so it's best to research as much as possible.

2. Don't just read 101 books but read other things, like history, philosophy or other things that interest you other than the 101 collection.

3. If you are joining a group/coven/grove/temple do your research. Ask to meet the leader in a public place and try to get to know him or her first before you make your decision. You will find that a lot of those groups might not seem right for you.

4. Try to avoid the very complicated spells, rituals and other forms of various magic. As a baby pagan you are just learning and growing. Try not to summon Cthulhu just yet!

5. Try to go to your local pagan pride day. I know it may be scary at first but you will realize that there are pagans that won't judge you on the lack of knowledge. You will find that they may teach you a few new things that aren't in your 101 books. Plus you might find the workshops fun and educational.

6. Don't be surprised that in books they want you to choose your “magical name”. Don't worry about this because you really don't need one just yet. Eventually it will come but not right now. I have been pagan for almost 8 years and I haven't had a magical name. This also goes for the gods you choose. If you do choose a name try not to go all out, I think that Lady Raven Unicornfairybuttdust will make the gods laugh. Just saying, just saying!

7. Don't worry about trying to do ritual on every sabbat, esbat, every new moon or every occasion you get because sometimes you need to skip Yule or Mabon probably because you are working or maybe other things come up. The gods aren't going to punish you because you missed a sabbat and knowing that it's Yule says that you acknowledge it's that time of year. This goes for non-newbies too.

8. You don't need to buy every tool that is mentioned in a book to put on your alter. Sometimes the best items are the ones that work for you and sometimes the best tools are the ones you make yourself. I have had almost every tool on my alter given to me or made by myself. It's cheaper and It has my energy put in and as you can tell I encourage crafting.

9.. Try to make your own spells. Sometimes the best spells is made up by the individual and not from another source.

10. Sometimes in the craft you might have to get dirty. Any path isn't all about love and light and sometimes you might have to turn to other means. Just reminder that if you do there might be consequences!

11. Remember the best tool for every thing happens to be the mind.

I hope this helps for new people. Remember paganism isn't for everyone so if you feel like you want to take up another religion it's completely fine as long as you are on a path worth choosing for the individual and not what others want.

(If anyone wants to add anything on please feel free to put it in the comments, thanks)

Bright Blessings.

Candace

Solitary Witch

Why I am a solitary witch some may ask. Well it all started with stories of people who get into a coven and after a while is thrown into a drama infested world which sets me off to a whole new view of reason to stay where I am when it comes to my craft. In the community there is talk of some of the people that go off being snobby and self-centered. Even some elders in the community today seem not to want to bother with training newbies because in their minds eye, there is so much information about Paganism/Wicca/Druidry/etc. These are some stories that I heard so don't yell at me and note the word SOME. I went to a bookstore the other day and I seen so many books on one subjects. I get why some older people who have been in the craft longer then they can count, can tell someone to read stuff on certain subjects, but yet sometimes lack the understanding that young people look up to older people in the craft for more information other than what is in books. It does sadden me to think of this. Years and years ago when we didn't have so much information on these subjects we did look for teachers. I think that when it comes down to it young people turn away from covens and revert to solitary practice and online information of the craft because it's more handy than a “teacher” telling you to do your research before they can start you on the craft.

I have been pagan and a witch for 7 going on 8 years now and I have heard all the stories from people who turned to solitary work because of claims of misuse of authority and the mistrust of “teachers” who claim to be your only hope in learning the craft. Some times I wonder if I should start doing what others haven't and that is teaching others what the craft is all about, instead of all this nonsense and garbage yet I remain solitary.

Last reason why I am solitary is that I like to do things my own pace when it comes to learning about the craft. See I have aspergers and it's hard to learn with other people so the anxiety of a coven (crowds) will get the best of me. The level of anxiety of being in a crowded room has gotten better over the years but will not gone since I am a Aspie.

Here You Can Have My TV!

As I was flipping through my TV today and there seems to be nothing on I was thinking that I might as well give away my TV. Why do I say that well because all we have is reality TV and not enough good programing these days. Yes there are still good shows out there, such as Sanctuary, Merlin, and The Walking Dead and yes these are some of my favorite shows out there. On the other side there are horrible shows such as Jersey Shore, Dancing With the Stars, and other shows that display much drama that makes me want to just shut down the cable and watch my favorite shows off of Netflix or buy the boxed sets for cheap off of Amazon. Might as well most of the time I don't even turn on the TV anymore and a low monthly fee seems reasonable. Even the news seems to be about who is doing what, and what is the latest scandal. Yes I am talking about the recent “Weinergate” scandal which I don't care about it done lets all get on with the real news. By the way I really don't care about who is pregnant. I would hate to be famous and have to deal with all of this crap from the media. Most of this country has very voyeuristic tendencies, it really makes me sick because there is a camera in people's houses filming their "interesting" lives. Me personally I really don't want a camera in my house filming me eating a sandwich and filming me doing a private circle for a sabbat. It would really feel awkward to have a camera in my face when all the time.

Now I know that other people have this as a gateway out of everything that is going on in their life and I get that's why a lot of people watch it and that's alright but I really don't need to see it so that is why I don't watch most of the crap that is out there. Drama free life please!

Bright Blessings

Candace

I have not died

Greetings

People probably have wonder where the hell I have been for months. I know I didn't have much in the way of blogging but life kind of took me for a ride.

I broke up with my boyfriend which made me all sorts of down. I don't like down but sometimes when you know someone and they do the unexpected it kind of hurts. Him and I are still on a speaking level.

I spent most of my time for a while finding a job. I did find one for about two months until the company that I worked for had a policy that I broke. It was a stupid one too. There policy states that If I am over two dollars that I automatically get penalized. If I do this more two times that I get terminated, which I did. I got terminated over something stupid and it wasn't like I got into a fight with the manager either, it was Candace had a bad day and Candace made a mistake. Now you're wondering why couldn't they just take the amount out of my paycheck and I have wondered that myself. I was a great worker and yet this had to happen. I enjoyed myself there too. I worked for a widely known dollar store and some of the policies these people have are the dumbest I have ever heard. So now I am at square one trying to find a job once again.

I am wondering if the universe is laughing at me and the gods are giving me a hard time. It's a mystery that I can't answer and I like a good mystery once and a while.

I have been reading quite a bit lately. I just got done with American Gods by Neil Gaiman and I am now on the last set of Mary Stewart's Arthurian series Wicked Day. I have been also reading a bunch of pagan blogs and I have now have new pagan podcasts on my iTunes podcast feed. So I am always looking to listen to new podcasts so If you have any suggestions that you think I haven't heard yet please feel free to post it.

Thanks for reading
Bright Blessings
Candace

This was written while listening to iPod Witch: Episode 58.