Credibillity of Psychics. Your take on it...

Oxygen -

Merry Meet, m'lady!

Thank you for the lovely comments, you've given me my warm fuzzy for the day :)

I firmly believe that each person should, and really needs to find their own path where spirituality is concerned. Our brains function best with symbols - from the words we speak to the art we make, to the religions we follow, it's all based on symbols. Since symbols vary from culture to culture, it seems absurd to me to say there's only ONE way to find the spiritual "truth". For example, a raised middle finger in one culture may be an insult, in another culture it could be a come-on. Is one wrong and the other right? Preposterous!

I am glad you have found a path that works for you, Oxygen! Spiritual fulfilment is a wonderful thing. Just don't forget to keep growing and learning. :)

Tablariddim - that's awful, what your friend did! Sounds like his poor feline friend had a bit of trouble, so he abandoned him like a sack of garbage. According to my beliefs, your friend will have some heavy karma to deal with stemming from that, if he hasn't already. I can't imagine doing something like that! Communicating with another beast on such a level is a precious gift, and he threw it away. Literally!!

I also know someone that has healing hands. Intense heat, just as you said, radiates from her hands. Oh, talk about a marvelous massage... I have a little of that - I don't get the heat like she does, but when I touch someone, I can tell where they hurt. By concentrating I can see it in their aura's too, but I usually have to be touching the person's skin. That's more of an empathic kind of thing though. I can't heal as well as she can, though.

I think healing hands is a pretty common thing - I have heard of several other people with that particular gift, though I haven't met them all. The girl I do know, it seems to run in her family - both her mother and aunt also have the ability. Her mother is a midwife and I hear she is VERY popular with new mothers - I guess having someone able to pull pain away from you would be handy while giving birth! :)

I must away again. Luna calls for me, she must want a treat.
 
Tab' - Ouch, I agree with Lady, here. Your friend ought to be dumped off in a forest somewhere! Sounds like Kitty had a bladder infection to me. :( Poor little one!

Do you know if your friends could audibly hear the animals? Or was it something through a trance/meditative state? I've heard of people communicating through a trance or whatever, but not actually hearing them with their ears. Of course, I guess I could be mistaken about hearing them - maybe it WAS a 'telepathic' or similar communication and my brain just interpreted it as actual sound. I wish I could have somehow had a tape recorder going or something. Sigh.

Lady - Thanks for the scoop on familiars. You've given me some food for thought. You didn't mention the Gods & Goddesses, though. What's their story? I mean, why do they grant wishes or spells or prayers, or whatever? What's their interest in us? Why should they care? If they aren't good or evil, they wouldn't feel obligated towards us, or feel like doing good deeds, right? I've found a lot of literature about the god/esses but nothing clarifies my questions. Sorry if I'm pestering you, but this is kinda the one 'hanging' point I have in following any religion - I just can't bring myself to believe in some superintelligent superpowerful being(s)... And, hey, thanks for answering my questions without TELLING me how things work. I appreciate your feelings that each person must find their own path - it sits very well with me. :) Give Luna a cracker for me!
 
SkyeBlue,

I'm with you on the Gods & Goddesses thing. I have also been very interested in Wicca, but deep down inside I'm just not a religious person. I mean, I really don't feel that I'm capable of worshipping anyone or anything, if it ever comes to that, not to mention that I have a hard time even believing in the idea of Gods and Goddesses. I prefer the idea of communicating with whatever spirit presents itself to me that I find agreeable, as a student might communicate with a respected teacher. But worship is simply out of the question for me. That is the one "hanging point" I have with every religion I've flirted with so far.

But I also agree that there is a strong draw for me to Witchcraft and there has been for many years (for nearly as long as I can remember). For awhile, I even felt there was a spirit of some sort in my home who was letting me know he was there and waiting to help me whenever I was ready. I just never reached that point, I guess. I haven't heard from my "spirit friend" for many months now. It may sound odd, but I really do miss feeling his presence, and even the little things he occasionally did to let me know he was around.

Lady, do you have any ideas about this? The most blatant thing my spirit friend ever did to announce his presence to me was to turn on a light about 2 seconds after I had just turned it off - and it came back on with an audible "click". I think he did it to get my attention and let me know that instead of hitting the snooze bar on my alarm clock, I had accidentally reset it. I would have been late for work that morning if he hadn't gotten my attention that way. At any rate - whatever his intentions, as soon as the light came back on, I wondered if he was trying to tell me something, and that was all I could think of - and as it turned out, that's exactly what had happened. There were many other incidents, but that was the boldest thing he ever did. I was also very often able to feel his presence, usually as if he were standing just behind my left shoulder. Does that mean anything to you?

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www.indigenousrocks.com
 
Mmm, ah, oh. Merry Meet, good morn' to all!

Searcher & SkyeBlue, you're right, I did skip the God and Goddess in my last post. Mea culpa!

The God and Goddess, and the other "minor" gods and goddesses are probably the most tricky part of it all. I'll try to explain my thoughts on the subject, but keep in mind this is only MY interpretation. :)

The gods and goddesses don't need to be worshipped, per se. I think there are perhaps multiple meanings to the word worship, depending on your faith. When *I* say I am "worshipping" a god or goddess, I use that phrase to mean I am asking for their help, or thanking them for thier help. It's not the "oh, great goddess, you're so wonderful and powerful...". That's just sucking up, to my eye! ;)

I don't think they're all-powerful or all-knowing, either. They're tainted by humans - they aren't the pure power that runs the place. They're just the lightbulbs that the electricity makes glow, if I may use a clumsy analogy. They can make mistakes, they can be lazy, they can get angry, get flattered, all the same stuff humans experience.

I beleive the gods and goddesses were formed by human thoughts - our minds grab onto that pure power and try to shape it into something we are more able to understand and relate to (symbolism!). The more minds creating the same shape, the more distinct that shape becomes, and the more power it gets. That's why I call to the "christian" god sometimes in my spells - there are a lot of minds shaping that particular god, he must have quite a bit of power. I usually call on him when I am asking a favor for one of my Christian friends - that person might get best assistance from the God they praise is my hope.

BUT, if you aren't comfortable dealing with the gods and goddesses, guess what? You don't have to! You can try to influence the pure power all by yourself. It might be a little more difficult, because you will have to do so much at once - pull the power down to a useful level, shape it to your intentions, and then direct the power to your will, but it certainally can be done. Remember, it's all about the symbols. If the god/desses aren't symbols that you are comfortable with, you are probably better off not using them. If you wish, you can try to create your own power, your own god/dess. That's essentially the same as trying to deal with the pure power, only you are adding a symbolic presence to the power, which might make it easier for you to relate to. Or, you can deal with the 'lesser' powers - animal spirits, magical herbs and stones, etc.

As always, I suggest doing what feels the most natural to you. Your mind already knows what symbols are powerful to you, just clear your mind and use what comes to you. That's the most effective way to find your path that I can think of. Searcher - you sound like you already do this - whatever spirit presents themselves to you is the one you should run with, be it a god, goddess, animal spirit, or anonymous helper.

Searcher - your spirit friend is very interesting! I notice you call it a 'him' - I think that's important. I think there's probably been a lot more communication between you two than you probably realise. I can't know why he stopped visiting you, perhaps you needed a little guidance for a time and that need has passed, or perhaps he feels you are aware of him and he doesn't need to present himself so blatantly to you anymore. I have a feeling he'll come back to you if you need him and ask for him to. As to what exactly he was, well, that's a hard one. Could be a minor god, could be an animal spirit, could be a human spirit that hasn't integrated back into the power yet. I think if you meditate on it, and ask him who he is, he might tell you. Or he might not. Some of these guys are tricksters, and he might enjoy giving you this little mystery. Interesting that you always felt him by your left shoulder. What does "left" mean to you? Are you right handed? The spirits deal in symbols, he might have been trying to tell you something by 'touching' you on that side, or, maybe that's just where he felt most comfortable.

I'm sorry, I think I'm not being too helpful. But I think YOU are the only person that can answer those questions. The symbols are in YOUR subconcious, and none but you can 'read' them.

Okay, it's way to early for me. I must away. Merry Part, my ladies. :)
 
Lady -

Wow, this is good stuff here. I don't think I've heard them explained quite that way before. Let me see if I'm understanding...

They (gods & goddesses), might or might not help us, depending on if they feel like it, or are moved by our wishes/spells/prayers? I guess if humans did 'form' them, maybe some are formed more helpful than others... They exist because we made them, mmmm. Gotta think on that, but I can't object off hand. It certainally is easier to think of them as symbolic forms of power - I agree humans are symbolic thinkers. I have crazy dreams that prove THAT to me! :) What do you think of dream analysis, by the way?

I have to say, when you talk about making your own god, it reminded me of that Depeche Mode song "Personal Jesus". ;)

Oh, crud. I gotta go back to work. More later, from me.

Lady, I have to say I'm sure glad you joined our little group here. You have such a great view on things, I feel like I'm learning a lot from you. :) Thank you!
 
Lady,

You do have some interesting ideas - and I like them! "Sucking up" would be exactly how I feel about what goes on in church - that's what I can't stand about it!

As for why my spirit friend seemed to be on my left side most often, I have no idea myself. I am right-handed, and the "left" can mean a number of things - one can be left-brained (more mathematical and logical), or lean to the left politically (more liberal); the heart is one the left side; in dog-training, the left side is the submissive side; the left hand is less important than the right hand (to a right-hander, that is)...that's about all that comes to mind right now. I'm not sure what it means to me - I'll have to meditate on it a bit more, I guess. But at least you've given me some new things to think about!

You are a breath of fresh air here, Lady! I hope you'll stick around awhile. :)

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www.indigenousrocks.com
 
Tab'- Heh, heh, I used to try to wiggle my nose like that when I was a kid. Never got the hang of it. I can't wiggle my ears, either. :(


Searcher - Isn't the word "sinister" derived from the latin word for left? Not that your spirit-friend seems sinister or anything, he actually seems pretty cool.
 
SkyeBlue,

You're right! Sinister is derived from the Latin "sinestra", which means "left". And do you remember the cartoons with the devil on one side trying to talk the cartoon character into doing something wrong, while the angel was on the other side trying to talk him into doing the right thing? Which side was the devil on? Wasn't it always the left side?

You may have a point there, but I never felt my friend was evil (only because he never did anything I could interpret as being evil). But now that you mention it, I do remember asking at one point that if there were any evil spirits around me that they be on their way. That might have been what did it, you think? That's a disappointment - I really liked the guy!

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www.indigenousrocks.com
 
Tablariddim -

:) No, no, I can't wiggle my nose like that. And unfortunately the noises that come out of my nose aren't "ding aling aling" noises!

Searcher & SkyeBlue-

:) Thank you for the compliments! I love sharing my views with all of you! In the past, I have been called 'student' and I have been called 'teacher', but who learns the most, the person listening, or the person explaining? I think perhaps I should be thanking all of you for helping me to examine the craft again, through fresh eyes!

Searcher -

On to your question...since you didn't list "evil" or "sinister" with your original list of left-associations, I don't think that's a valid symbol for you. This makes me think that your friend appearing on your left side was not symbolic of evil for you.

Whatever the image of evil was in your mind when you made your wish is what would likely be effected by the wish. So if you said "evil leave me" and pictured as evil anything that would cause malicious harm, that's what would be included. If you pictured anything that was strange or unknown as evil, that is what would be affected. So, it is really dependant upon what you were envisioning when you made your request. Could you have accidentally included your friend? If so, it sounds like you just asked them to leave, perhaps you can invite him back.

If you did shoo him off accidentally, he might be a little brat when he first comes back though. Don't be surprised or nervous, I've known many a spirit to throw a temper tantrum, but they always have come out of it. And they seem to be grateful for a little understanding afterwards. Sheepish, even! :)

SkyeBlue -

:) I had that song in my head when I wrote that, as well.

Dream analysis...I do believe in it, but I am always skeptical of anyone who claims to be able to interpret OTHER people's dreams. I don't trust those "dream dictionaries", they might be okay for getting a broad sense of a dream, assuming the author and the reader share the same cultural environment. I think dreams are our conscious mind and our subconscious minds merging. Like the phrase "sleep on it" - I think our subconscious minds are much more clever and thoughtful than our conscious minds are. I call it 'hindbrain' and 'forebrain'. Our hindbrains are always aware of the details - I think that's why hypnosis works so well for crime witnesses and the like. I believe our hindbrainds are more richly symbolic, and I think the hindbrain accounts for the bulk of our personalities. I think that's a big part of learning witchcraft; teaching our hindbrains and forebrains to communicate on command. Not always an easy task, especially if you are scared or angry or otherwise upset while trying to cast a spell. Training and practice help overcome that, though.

But, I digress! SkyeBlue, yes, you are understanding what I am saying. I think our spells help compell the God/desses to our bidding, but they can refuse. BUT, (and you'll get sick of hearing me say this) you need to find out what they mean to YOU, if they do indeed hold ANY meaning for you. A meaningless symbol is like a cobweb drinking vessel; it won't do you any good to slake your thirst even though it looks pretty! (Hey, that's pretty clever, I'll have to remember that one!) ;)

Merry Part lovies, I am between computers and borrowing a friend's - my PC caught a virus that ate my hard drive. :( That's okay I wanted a new computer anyway. (At least that's what I keep telling myself.)
 
Lady -

Sorry to hear about your computer! Mine has been acting up as well. I sure hope it gets all straightened out for you!

I really like your cobweb drinking glass analogy. I'll have to remember that one. Mind if I use it now and then?

You know, Lady, it's so wonderful, all this witchcraft. I have believed for so many years things that are so, so close to what I keep reading about withcraft. I always wondered if I'd find a religion that matched my beliefs, and now I kinda feel like I have. I believe in science, and witchcraft is a perfect blend of spirituality and the clockwork of the universe.

I told my husband last night that I wanted to study witchcraft seriously. I had a strange rush of energy when I said those words, and I think this could really be something powerful for me. I expected him to poke a bit of fun at me, but he didn't. He was concerned at first, but I began to explain what it REALLY is about, and soon he was nodding his head at what I was saying. :) He understood it quite easily, and perhaps soon he will begin to study it too? Anyway, we went shopping last night and I picked up Silver RavenWolf's "To ride a Silver Broomstick". It seems to be on every "must read" list for new witches, so I figured it would be a good place to start.

I have figured out my interpretation of the God and Goddess, too. It came to me this morning, as I was driving here to work. I love nature, I love the moon, I love the sun, I am a literal tree-hugger. (If I'm ever angry or upset, hugging a tree has always had an amazingly peaceful effect on me, I don't know why.) So, I realized this morning that I have always spoken to the Green Mother. I have always spoken to the moon, and the sun. So, to me, the God is the Sun and the Sky - the Gold Father, the Blue Father. The Goddess is the Moon and the Earth - the Silver Mother, the Green Mother. That might sound really obvious to you, but for some reason I didn't ever realize that what I was doing was speaking to a God and a Goddess. :) So, I feel like they already know me, I've been asking them for balance in my own life for some time now!

I'm excited even though I know I have a long journey of study ahead of me, a lot of discipline I will need to learn if I ever want to cast an effective spell (which I do!), and a lot of inner truths to find. I have been doing a lot of the inner searching for a long time though, so I feel like I'm well on my way. But, I will be patient, and thourough. I will learn, and learn, and learn. As always. :)

Anyway, I do have to get to work. I'm just so glad to have made this decision, it was a long time in coming, and I'm confident that it's going to turn out to be the right decision for me. I just wanted to share it with you, Lady. I hope you get a computer soon, I can't wait to hear from you again!
 
I only have a second, so this must be brief.

SkyeBlue -

Congratulations on your decision to "Pick up the broomstick" so to speak. I hope you find many new truths in your journey. I recommend keeping a log of your thoughts and anything new you learn. Go back to earlier entries and add to them as you add to your knowledge. I am here for you if you wish to ask any questions! Just remember that I may not use the same parts of the power you do, take everything I (and anyone else says) with a big fat grain of salt. :) Use what comes naturally to you, and you will not go wrong.

Merry Part, I must away. My new computer is somewhere out there in the world, I have to go find it. ;)
 
There are far too many happy faces on this page..

Just an observation..



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(Midnight@golden.net)
(Ouch.my.head)
(http://home.golden.net/~midnight/)
 
Sigh, I am still borrowing a computer, so this will be brief, again...

How can there EVER be too many smiley-faces??

SkyeBlue -

You absolutely have it right when you say you will have a lot of studying to do. I think I mentioned before that I took over 2 years before I felt like I was a 'real' witch. Most will recommend a year and a day as your training period before you dedicate yourself. (You know the difference between initiation and dedication, yes?) You should take exactly how long you feel is right for you. I have a friend that took a mere 3 months before dedicating himself, and he is perhaps one of the most powerful tarot card readers I have ever met. So, don't rush, but don't wait if you feel you are ready. You will know when the time is right.

Are you going to choose a craft name for yourself? I am curious to see what you will choose. I notice you are using at least part of your real name as your identification here - it is perfectly okay to use your real name as your spiritual name, of course, but I personally thought it was nice to choose a new name to refelct my dedication, my new way of life. I have been criticized by other witches for adding "Lady" to my name, as I am not a high priestess, but I decided to keep it anyway. I am a lady, I follow the green path. In essence, the great Lady is a part of me anyway, so the "Lady" in my name could be percieved as acknowledgement of the one-ness of all. Additionally, as a solitary witch, I am my own high priestess!

"To Ride a Silver Broomstick" - I haven't read that particular book, but I have heard good things about it. I also would recommend Scott Cunningham's works - he has written several books ideal for the solitary witch. I was at a mainstream bookstore just yesterday, and I found shelves and shelves of books pertaining to solitary practice.

Sigh, I must run! Merry Part!
 
Hmm, I thought I posted a reply yesterday... Oh well.

Lady - Yes, I do plan on finding a magickal name for myself. I'm not worrying about it or rushing it though, I have a feeling the right name will come along when I need it. I've been making lists of possible names and their meanings, but nothing really jumps out at me so far.

I think there's a lot to names, and I've been fascinated with them for a long time. I was given 5 names when I was born, only one of them is a "normal" name. (It's a family name, passed down from grandmother to granddaughter). When I got married, instead of ditching my old last name, I just bumped it over and kept it as a middle name and tacked my new last name on to the list.

Most of my pets have 3 to 6 names as well. When I first get them, they get a name, and usually a short version of that name as a nickname. This is the name that goes on their pet tags & vet records & such. Then they get a middle name if I know something about thir family history (for example, my cat Harris had kittens with the neighbor's cat. So his son has a middle name Harrisson; Harris-son). If I don't know about their family, I usually will allow a friend to pick a middle name for them. (That's how my dog ended up with "Lumpy" as a middle name.) Then they get what I call "pre-names" as I get to know them better, those are 'secret' or 'personal' names that only I use with them. I don't know why I do this, but I've done it ever since I was little - I always had secret names and middle names for the famliy pets.
 
Hey Skye',
'Ourania' is a magical sounding name and it actually means, 'heavenly' or 'the skies of god'.It was also my Gmothers name but don't let that put you off!
 
Neat, Tab', I like it! I'll add it to the list. Do you know what language that is?

Is the proper pronunciation "oh-rain-ee-ah"? Or more "ooo-rain-ee-ah" (long or short 'o')? I'm kind of a stickler about pronunciation, I can't stand to say things the wrong way. :)
 
Yo' Skye',
it's Greek and it's pronounced,
(short) oo,ran,e,ah (emphasis on the'e'). It rhymes with, ooh maria!
It may interest you to know that it's the female equivalent of Uranus (oo,ran,oz),as in the planet and which actually means Sky!
 
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