Pheonix Rysen

 I am an avid follower of Thorn Moony and her blog on Patheos.com/pagan, so naturally when she published a book it is in the must read column for me even though we do disagree an quite a few things.  Thorn set out to write an updated book for those seeking to join the Gardnerian Tradition, so they had an idea of what to expect. To this end she has mostly succeeded if you are looking for a sales pitch...  As people who are all long time members and learned witchcraft from the Gardnerian Tradition, Thorn is still dismissive of those who are not in her tradition in her writing. This dismissive attitude goes both ways really. Those not in a Tradition dismiss because "all the secrets" are on the internet. Thorn and those in the Tradition dismiss because without their way of doing things, initiation, elevation etc. they claim you are not getting all the secrets. Really that sounds like the Tradition brain washes people....  anyway ... It is rather hilarious that just rece...

 I am reading the pdf book "Advanced Goddess Theology" by Esra Free of the Cosmic Goddess Coven which is approximately 104 pages long.  The first thoughts that I had about the book was that this was/is a High Priestess I will either get along famously with or have some serious heavy debates with, but either way someone I would want to meet.  This book is an excellent one for delineating exactly the differences between the Wiccan point of view and the Middle Eastern point of view on deity. As Above, So Below is to be kept in mind for all things. Meaning that just as we would remove troublesome things from our bodies, so to will the Goddess remove troublesome things from herself. The other way around in regards to things that benefit. So to live "Correctly" according to this is to live in a manner that is a benefit to the Goddess. (I am using quotations on "Correctly" as everyone will interpret it differently based on their life experience and I am not wanti...

 Just a little ramble that entered my head. Just what is the difference between keeping confidence or keeping a harmful secret? My opinion is in the words themselves. A secret is bad when it causes harm. However different people have different concepts on what is harmful, which causes no end of confusion. All I can do is share my go by. If it is not my story it is not mine to share

 Since the move and start of a new job ... all the new. I have noticed a few new (to my awareness anyway) things. I tend to forget more when I am overwhelmed. I go into this automatic mode. Things that I do regularly still function as everyone is accustomed to, but higher thinking does not happen. The first sign of it is I stop daily journaling and start eating the same foods. I also tend to be more of a people pleaser during an overwhelmed mode, saying yes to things I wouldn't normally or forgetting about things that would conflict with my ability to fulfill prior obligations or the new request. I am drawn to art more and want to create. Yet when it comes to the actual creation of art I either shut down completely or become overwhelmed to the point of tears. I don't know why. It is an improvement over prior, but still ... I don't have words. Dramatic art pieces or strong emotional music will bring tears to my eyes or cause a shut down. Best I can guess is something long br...

 Basics of Religion In many religious traditions, the emphasis is not on belief, but rather it is on participation in ceremonies. Ceremonies are often about community, about bringing people together and reinforcing the heritage that binds them together. [2] Religion may best be understood as an evolved complex of traits incorporating cognitive, affective, behavioral, and developmental elements selected to solve an adaptive problem. [4] Structural Functionalism  Structural functionalism, in sociology and other social sciences, a school of thought according to which each of the institutions, relationships, roles, and norms that together constitute a society serves a purpose, and each is indispensable for the continued existence of the others and of society as a whole. In structural functionalism, social change is regarded as an adaptive response to some tension within the social system. When some part of an integrated social system changes, a tension between this and other parts...

 This is a conversation that I have had many times with various people; how Dungeons and Dragons' Character Alignment applies to life. Recently the conversation about how it applies to leaders and/or business owners has come up. You see the vast majority of the people out there are actually in the Good realm with some in the neutral realm, but to be a business leader you have to have some evil. After all every decision you make will ultimately impact someone some where negatively. With out the inclination or openness to evil you will eventually destroy yourself, not to say that evil doesn't find its own way to destroy itself, but with the evil inclination you will sleep better at night. What is interesting to watch is the Politicians of the country trying to make business / leadership into an area that Neutral or Good classifications can work and possibly succeed. Or give the appearance of this; which is in reality creating more Lawful Evil Character Alignments with high charis...

 What they don't tell you about Initiation and Blood Magic. Everyone goes on and on about how wonderful their Initiation is/was. I have no doubt theirs was. Mine; however, was a nightmare waking. Due to the nature of mine I have a ... no words to describe it... different perspective of things. There are undoubtly differing opinions on why mine was such a ... experience. One I have been told was that I was not ready. At that time I had much to shed from prior life experiences, so possible; however the entire purpose of initiation is to birth a new person, so not quite buying it. It is a definite that the things I needed to shed contributed to some of the difficulties experienced; however I had help in making it the nightmare waking. But I am not here writing to expound on things I have written on prior, so back to the topic at hand. Blood Magic Blood Magic is the use of blood in magic; in short.  In many Wicca initiations the taking of a measure is common practice. ON this meas...