modern day witchcraft?

So here's one of my current thoughts about witchcraft... are we too politically correct for witchcraft?

When you think of witches the first thing that probably pops into your mind is pointy hats, riding broomsticks and a old hag bent over a cauldron.

And what is in those cauldrons? Eye of newt. Snakes. Toads. That's some serious stuff.

In one of the books I am reading about witchcraft right now it talks about short cuts and modern day variations that you can use.

Now, I'm not advocating going back to the old ways, I'm simply raising the possibility that the reason you don't hear about witchcraft really working nowadays is that people have taken away its power by not doing it correctly.

For example, it used to be that you used to have to have a male priest initiate a female candidate and a female priestess initiate a male candidate. Nowadays people think that is sexist and stupid and have decided that it doesn't matter. But what if it DOES matter? What if there was an important reason for doing it that way and THAT is why it was always done that way? Just because we don't know the reasoning behind something doesn't mean that it doesn't matter. Is magic something that you can change to fit modern thinking?

To be initiated into the third degree involves a special ritual. It can be actual intercourse between a committed couple who are undergoing third-degree initiation together. Or you can just do a symbolic representation of sexual intercourse by using a chalice and athame to represent the male and female. It goes on to warn you not to fall prey to anyone demanding sex in return for your initiation. I obviously know next to nothing about this... I just find it hard to imagine that banging a chalice and athame together would have the same sort of effect as actual intercourse.

Again, let me state for the record that I don't advocate doing this, but there was one myth that witches used baby fat as an ingredient in the flying ointment that helped them fly. What would the modern day equivalent of that be? Rub your broomstick against the baby's head?? Well, of course you aren't going to be able to fly if you dumb down the spells.

I am opposed to killing babies. Even if it did mean I could fly. I am opposed.

My point is simply that it is presumptuous of us to think that we can go around and change spells and things that were done certain ways for hundreds (thousands?) of years and expect them to still work the same way.

quote of the day

"To expect a man to retain everything that he has ever read is like expecting him to carry about in his body everything he has ever eaten." -Arthur Schopenhaer

I like that. Yet, at the same time, we do retain it. Just like we process our foods and turn it into energy to help our bodies work and grow, so too do we take everything we have ever read and process it. We may not have it all memorized to be quoted at will, but the things we read become part of who we are. They become our thoughts and values and morals and dreams as well as our fears. They become the things we know. The base of all our knowledge that we judge the world against. And in that way, we do retain it.

vegetarian

I was a vegetarian for a couple of years back in my early twenties. Oh god, how old am I that I can talk about BACK in my early twenties?!? Sigh.

Anywho, I wasn't a super strict vegetarian. If I felt like eating meat, having a bite of my boyfriend's steak when we were out to dinner or whatever, then I would do it. But I was mostly vegetarian. And it was really nice.

You just FEEL better when you are a vegetable-terrorist (that's what my carnivorous friends used to call me.)

Meat is tasty. I don't deny that.

But I think I am going to have to go back to being a vegetarian.

There are lots of reasons to be a vegetarian but the main one for me is probably not one that you would think of...

I have always had super vivid dreams and unfortunately, lots and lots of nightmares. As I've started paying closer attention to it over the past couple of months I've come up with a startling conclusion... I seem to have really bad nightmares only when I eat meat (beef is the worst) for dinner. And when I don't eat meat for dinner, I don't have nightmares.

That's crazy. At first I thought it was just a fluke, but after weeks of observing it, it really seems to be true.

So I could stop having nightmares and feel better in general and probably lose weight? This seems like a no brainer to me.

au naturel

It's a small thing, but I have to admit that I am a little annoyed by the fact that Jessica Simpson is getting press for going "au naturel" for a photo shoot for Marie Claire magazine.

The fact that she is taking the photos without make-up or touch-ups is great. I have no problem with that. My problem is the way she had her hair totally styled and strategically placed and has amazing lighting.

Have her take her picture with her hair up in a ponytail and in a dressing room with fluorescent lighting and then I will be impressed.

college newsletter revisited

Around this time last year I blogged about my college newsletter. Back then I had a dilemma. I wanted to contribute but I didn't know what to write. I felt like I didn't have any big announcements that were worth sharing. And ultimately, I ended up not sending anything in.

This year I didn't have any of those qualms.

I am so much more comfortable in my own skin. I kept my entry short and sweet and didn't go into too much detail because I didn't want to be like one of those people on Facebook (we all know one) who blabs the most intimate and inane details of their life for everyone to read.

One of the major things that I wanted to write (but didn't) was that I've survived two winters without being sucked down into the hellhole of depression. That means more to me than any other achievement.

But people don't need to know that.

Do they need to know that I checked out six books on witchcraft today? People think I am weird enough as it is, I don't need to add any more fuel to their fire. And why was I getting out these books? Research for my novel. Hmmm, I also didn't mention that I was writing a novel.

What on earth DID I say? Mainly that I am working at my dream job in Chicago and am enjoying life.

But going back to the books for a second... can I just say that my public library rocks!?!? I love books. And I did a search and found over thirty books about witch craft. I didn't even have to send off for them, they were right there. Which reminded me of an article that I had just read about the census. Have you filled out your census form? Apparently ten years ago the Chinese in China town here in Chicago didn't do a good job of filling out their census forms and as a result weren't represented and so their public library over there is piss poor and students have to study on the floor because there aren't enough desks for them and there is always a huge wait for computers. Gotta fill out those forms, people!!!

ex-communicated

I really, really like my family. I mean sure, I love them, but I also really like them.

Which has got me thinking today about a facebook friend who is ex-communicated from her family. I don't get that.

What would I have to do to get to the point where my family wanted nothing to do with me?

I'm not sure which I find harder to imagine... me doing something that would cause my family to not want me or my family ever getting to the point where they didn't want me. Sure, I'm a worthless pain in the ass, but I'm THEIR worthless pain in the ass.

Anyways, it just made me feel extra grateful for my family today. Love you!

lesson learned

I suppose it doesn't really matter how much water you drink, you are still going to be hungover if you drink seven glasses of wine. There's just no getting around it.