Now Playing: The Cranberries - Empty
I can feel myself going through a change. There are still some things I need to research and a few finishing touches to add to the ritual, but the change is coming. I welcome it. For too long I have been stuck in a rut. Unable to move forward very far, and often being pulled back. My path is clear and I am seeing it with fresh eyes. I had a dream last night, and I believe it was telling me to make sure that this is well thought out. There will be those who don't understand, or even abhor my personal decision, but it has already been made. Hopefully this will also help to alleviate some irritation I've been having. I pray that the path regarding that little issue will also soon be made clear.

Now Playing: John Lennon - Imagine
I now have, in addition to my tarot deck, a deck of Spirit Animal cards. Very interesting. Their purpose it to help you regain balance in your life through their wisdom. I have not used them yet. I am still connecting with the cards and familiarizing myself with their meanings. I am looking forward to utilizing them. I have always had an affinity for nature and the animal kingdom, and some of the things I have learned so far have served to strengthen my respect for our animal friends.

Now Playing: Queen - "Radio GaGa"
Even though the a/c-heater unit has been out of order for almost 6 months, I've been trying to see the good in all of this, and I have. For the first time since I've moved here I'm actually experiencing the seasons. Not only that, from extreme heat to cold, I'm also learning in a hands on way how my path is intertwined with the seasons. I was thinking how simple it would be to pray to the Sun God to bring heat, then it occured to me that this time of year he is dormant.
I am, however, learning the importance of fire. We usually have tons of candles lit this time of year anyway, and now I'm thinking that it really has some roots in necessity. Though, I suppose, in those days before central heating most people had fireplaces. This is still an alternative for heat.

Now Playing: Billy Joel - Uptown Girl
I've been thinking a lot about this dream I had last night. Not specifically, but elements within it. Like the fact that it took place in a school. Namely a college. No particular college, just a dream school, I suppose. I'd say about 80% of my dreams take place in a school of some sort. They're always different buildings, but I can tell it's a school because of the classrooms. Whenever I happen to enter a classroom, it always seems to be a different subject. Last night I happened into what appeared to be something like "Historical Physics" or something. It was more of a lecture (like an extra-curricular lecture) than an actual class. Sometimes it's history, sometimes math or literature. Don't think I've ever popped into an elective type course, though. Like art, music, foreign language. Just core classes. It's hard to say, I'd say maybe half the time I'm an actual student at the school. Most times I'm just wandering around. I know for a fact, though, that last night I wasn't a student. I ran into a bunch of people that I used to know and I said, "I HAVE to go here." Still not entirely sure what I was doing there in the first place.

Now Playing: 10,000 Maniacs - Because the Night
All I do, I try to keep Spirit in mind. As I clean, I am clearing the way for free-moving energy. As I cook, I am nourishing my family. Now, as I lose weight, I am fine tuning the vehicle in which my conscious mind resides. Not only that, a healthy body will be better able to store and project energy. Mind, body and spirit are all connected. I'm striving for balance in these areas. Of course, I'm not trying to deny the hint of vanity behind my endeavor. I want to look good, as well as feel good. Yet, even confidence has it's role in spirituality, especially as it pertains to spellwork. Every little milestone is something to be celebrated. An "I can" attitude can destroy roadblocks such as "what if I'm not doing this right" or "this probably won't work anyway" or even "what makes me think I could do this in the first place".

Now Playing: Aqua - Dr. Jones
Had another wierd dream. In this one, someone was going around switching bodies with people and we had to jump back in different bodies in a certain order to get back to our own. Not sure what it means, if anything, but it was kind of disturbing.

Now Playing: John Lennon - Imagine
Balance exists everywhere in nature. Night and day, the seasons, even the food chain. Yin and Yang, feminine and masuline, hot and cold, wet and dry. Some say this also extends to "good" and "evil". That without evil in the world we could not recognize those things which we concider to be good. I disagree. I don't believe that we need murderers and rapists and abusers to know that a helping hand is something to be cherished. I don't believe that we need poverty to be able to appreciate what we have. Why would we need war to recognize peace? Or hatred to recognize love? We wouldn't. We would feel it and know. All of this about "needing" evil to recognize good is just an excuse.

Now Playing: Pink Panther Theme
Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory. Just the whiff of even some laundry detergent can take us back years, with amazing clarity. Also, the mind is very easily programmed. It does not take long before a repetitive task becomes habitual. I think, for magickal application purposes, these two things could be utilized together in order to make the transition from mundane day to spellworking atmosphere so much easier.
A scent that is pleasant, but not often worn, I feel would be best for this. Either in the form of an essential oil or cologne. This way, when you are beginning spell/ritual/divination work, you are annointing yourself with a trigger scent. You smell it and you're immediately put in the mood and setting.

Now Playing: Christy Moore - Burning Times
Yesterday I got some free samples of acupuncture needles in the mail. This got me to thinking. When using a voodoo doll/poppet for healing purposes, using accupuncture needles in place of stick pins or cactus thorns would really help to solidify the healing imagery you are trying to create. Next time the opportunity comes up I'm going to try it out. Possibly good also for emotional healing, such as mending a broken heart.

Now Playing: Phantom of the Paradise - The Hell of It
I remembered that word from my dream. It was "genualness". Like a mix between genuine and usual.