tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74921717853486321592024-02-20T15:20:41.723-08:00Magick, Murder, & SexSkye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-54940712049580479762013-06-20T18:07:00.004-07:002013-06-20T18:07:33.852-07:00Summer Solstice or Midsummer
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year.
The Sun King has now reached the highest point in his journey through the
heavens. In 2013, we celebrate Midsummer on June 21, when the sun enters 0
degrees of the zodiac sign Cancer (at 5:04 <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">A.M. </span>UT). This is a time of abundance, when
the earth puts forth her bounty.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzNO8cv4BJgXul14joMiWPqqLffAUpkXtNUxwvgg1chqis61nb8yRKZgG2kE0Nf7oc1_z3-xZLYL53Ad0WSB5Putt541x3rji9yB5-bJ0xhO7vWhDMv_Pm091_80AzH0Vc8hhS8wAoE3c/s1600/summer_solstice_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzNO8cv4BJgXul14joMiWPqqLffAUpkXtNUxwvgg1chqis61nb8yRKZgG2kE0Nf7oc1_z3-xZLYL53Ad0WSB5Putt541x3rji9yB5-bJ0xhO7vWhDMv_Pm091_80AzH0Vc8hhS8wAoE3c/s320/summer_solstice_pic.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The
Holiday’s Significance</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
early agrarian cultures, Midsummer marked a period of plenty when food was
abundant and life was easy. Our ancestors celebrated this joyful holiday with
feasting and revelry. At this point, however, the sun has reached its pinnacle
and begins its descent once again. Celtic pagan mythology depicts this as the
end of the Oak King’s reign as he is overthrown by the Holly King, who presides
over the waning part of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Folklore
says that at Midsummer earth spirits abound—Shakespeare’s delightful play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Midsummer Night’s Dream</i> was inspired
by this belief. Apparently, life on every level rejoices in the fullness of the
season. If you wish, you can commune with the elementals and faeries at this
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Ways
to Celebrate</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just
as people have done for centuries, you can celebrate the Summer Solstice with
feasting, music, dancing, and thanksgiving. Remember to share your bounty with
the animals and birds, too, and to return something to Mother Earth as a sign
of gratitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Midsummer
is also a good time to collect herbs, flowers, and other plants to use in
magick spells. Some say that if you wish to become invisible, you must wear an
amulet that includes seeds from forest ferns gathered on Midsummer’s eve. Do spells
for success and abundance on the Summer Solstice, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-31974056636047031482013-03-17T09:32:00.003-07:002013-03-17T09:32:38.236-07:00Ostara/Spring Equinox<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Spring Equinox marks the first day of spring and the start of the busy planting season in agrarian cultures. Farmers till their fields and sow seeds. Trees begin to bud, spring flowers blossom, and baby animals are born. Ostara, therefore, is one of the fertility holidays and a time for planting seeds—literally or figuratively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Ways to Celebrate</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Ostara, sow seeds that you want to bear fruit in the coming months. This is an ideal time to launch new career ventures, move to a new home, or begin a new relationship. If you enjoy gardening, start preparing the soil and planting flowers, herbs, and/or vegetables now. Consider the magickal properties of botanicals and choose plants that represent your intentions. Even if you aren’t a gardener, you could plant seeds in a flowerpot to symbolize wishes you hope will grow to fruition in the coming months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Witches connect each plant—herb, flower, and tree—with specific magickal properties. Sage, for example, is used for purification rituals. Mint and parsley can be added to prosperity talismans to attract wealth. White snapdragons ensure protection and roses play an important role in love magick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">Some popular Easter customs have their roots in Ostara’s symbolism. Eggs represent the promise of new life, and painting them bright colors engages the creative aspect of this sabbat. You might enjoy decorating eggs with magickal symbols, such as pentagrams and spirals. Rabbits, of course, have long been linked with fertility. In an old German story, a rabbit laid some sacred eggs and decorated them as a gift for the fertility goddess Ostara. Ostara liked the beautiful eggs so much that she asked the rabbit to share the eggs with everyone throughout the world.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fce5cd;">(Excerpted from <i>The Everything Wicca & Witchcraft Book</i>)</span></span></div>
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Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-84186231171234847392012-01-29T09:30:00.001-08:002012-01-29T09:32:28.345-08:00Brigid's Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEiGla1SW_psColrTuirTXh94iwZ7tVzrZi-k68XPB_AwJ4j_R4F28nDnFnz6HTLIGuJYBXG0cbMNecELPpuGL6sOOfbuBhCB7i2kN9eNbs9rDej_SXWANADndS_M9zjQHAo4QXqnR_lu_/s1600/Brigid.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 94px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEiGla1SW_psColrTuirTXh94iwZ7tVzrZi-k68XPB_AwJ4j_R4F28nDnFnz6HTLIGuJYBXG0cbMNecELPpuGL6sOOfbuBhCB7i2kN9eNbs9rDej_SXWANADndS_M9zjQHAo4QXqnR_lu_/s400/Brigid.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703107751398987234" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); line-height: 20px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >For most Americans February 2 is Groundhog's Day, but for Pagans this is Brigid's Day (also known as Imbolc and Candlemas), the holiday or<i>sabbat </i>that honors the Celtic goddess of poetry, healing, and smithcraft. So beloved was Brigid that the early Celtic Pagans refused to abandon her when Christianity became widespread in Ireland and the British Isles––the Church responded by naming her a saint.<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >This fiery goddess is often depicted with flaming red hair, tending a bubbling cauldron over a blazing fire. This image symbolizes inspiration and creativity, which are Brigid's gifts to humanity. Imbolc means "in the belly" and the cauldron, representing the womb where creativity is nurtured, is one of her tools.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Pagan sabbats follow solar cycles and Imbolc is the first one celebrated after the Winter Solstice (the shortest day of the year). Some Pagans mark Brigid’s Day around February 5, when the sun reaches 15 degrees of Aquarius. Daylight is increasing now in the northern hemisphere, winter is on the wane, and spring's renewal is promised. Thus, Imbolc is a reaffirmation of life and a time for planting "seeds" that you want to ripen as the year matures.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>Celebrating Brigid's Day</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Fire is the central feature at Imbolc and a ritual celebration often includes lighting a sacred fire. In Celtic Pagan tradition, this fire burns the wood of seven of the trees considered to be sacred––ash, oak, holly, yew, alder, hawthorn, elder, rowan, and pine. If you are celebrating the holiday with other people, give each person a candle. Form a circle around the fire (or a large pillar candle set on an altar if building a fire isn't practical). Also place a cauldron filled with sand or earth on the altar.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Each person in turn lights his/her candle from the central flame. When all are lit, one person begins by stating a "seed" wish for the coming year. Go around the circle, letting everyone affirm for what s/he wants the year to bring. As smoke from the candle flames rises toward the heavens, it carries these requests to Brigid. Songs or prayers of thanks may also be offered at this time. You may wish to read poems written by the members of the group. When you are ready to open the circle, place the candles upright in the cauldron and allow them to burn down completely.</span></p><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITL4Zxzeok6PD5M2W9Yld42LBAauj-gvrcN88XTFJGxPqiK8TBGwhjEWm-QaJe91dkHQn32iNOmohn9wJ5IQp_1s9HWYxUwfJJpWOLpxwDXoWJmJVUaJPrQG9estEspZedmE0mGKQN7pv/s320/cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703106334909405122" style="padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 320px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Because Brigid is the goddess of inspiration and creativity, you honor her by firing your imagination. I always spend her day engaged in some form of artistic activity, usually writing or painting. Some friends of mine bake, some play music, others fashion wreaths of greenery and pinecones. If you possess smithing skills or healing powers, this is the perfect opportunity to use them. Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, Brigid's Day is a time to give your imagination free rein, to share your ideas and vision with others, and to lay plans that you want to materialize during the year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >(from my book <i>Magickal Astrology, </i>published by New</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > Page Books/Career</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > Press)</span></p></span>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-62815394269593396622012-01-13T10:36:00.000-08:002012-01-13T10:38:47.146-08:00Sex & Spirit: Part Two<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHDYHd-2H0sghaggZLqdUOC1ZHiYeR8BfXds36NPwANuJ20iA89yR1zLbOMaKsEIUS9xdJU44YXPRp8WBm8tZ7kLNtwqFZjoNJCqRBG4KIfm8K6vdN33-5m9ER53pMObb0kKJYJ9Mshrx/s1600/Conversation-S%2526S.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 95px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHDYHd-2H0sghaggZLqdUOC1ZHiYeR8BfXds36NPwANuJ20iA89yR1zLbOMaKsEIUS9xdJU44YXPRp8WBm8tZ7kLNtwqFZjoNJCqRBG4KIfm8K6vdN33-5m9ER53pMObb0kKJYJ9Mshrx/s400/Conversation-S%2526S.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697187511677629026" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#ffcc99;">Part Two</span></u></b></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-size: -webkit-xxx-large; margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span><u><b><br /></b></u></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-size:100%;" ><span><u><b>Kathleen:</b></u></span><span> Well, there seems to be a popular sentiment among a lot of people that the problem with contemporary sexuality is that, as they put it, we “forget our animal nature”. I've heard this argument from a lot of people and I find it ridiculous and an excuse for some very destructive and hurtful behavior but the attitude persists.</span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-size:100%;" ><span>Your comments about my attempts at writing erotica reminded me of the story about how Anais Nin came to write </span><span><i>Delta of Venus</i></span><span> and </span><span><i>Little Birds</i></span><span>. A patron offered to pay her per page to crank out titillating prose and he instructed her to “leave out the poetry” but she couldn't.</span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-size:100%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlF5nQQyH9vG5WvxlvG4Nmbszf4Vkg2wQ-dlU-K3Mq6jdw1cSG8qKKuc5Ae0uc-U9DZJlbcO9HM0Nae7JoQJilfqLfDHnsq9Xm9cHXRgwg7U2nv9B3hk6OmGC0_AG3Do33q0OLA87t9tWp/s200/OMT-200px.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697177445078535618" style="padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 200px; " /></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">Toward the end of</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); "> </span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); "><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Old-Mermaids-Tale-ebook/dp/B0012AARA0/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 153, 204); text-decoration: none; ">The Old Mermaid's Tale</a></i></span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); "></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">there is a scene between Clair, who is a s</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">e</span><span>nior in college and is struggling with her overwhelming desire for the man she loves and the need for both of them to move for</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span>ward with their lives. She is talking to her advisor who has just returned from India and brought with her some small statues of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span><i>apsaras</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span>, the beautiful little Hindu nymphs that represent “unrealized potential”. Clair's advisor tells her that the Hindus believe that not everything we imagine is meant to be and that the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span><i>apsaras</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span> honor the erotic longing</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">s of the human heart. I found that deeply moving and highly instructive. I think we in the west have the attitude that we should be able to have everything we want but w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">e don't always understand that sometimes those energies need to be channeled in other directions. For me personally, creativity, and especially writing is a form of divine communion – a form of sex, if you will. Maybe that's why I hate to see it profaned through careless sexuality that is all sensation with very little emotion.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">I wrote a short story called</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); "> </span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); "><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Old-Mermaids-Tale-ebook/dp/B0012AARA0/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 153, 204); text-decoration: none; ">My Last Romance</a></i></span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); "> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">in which a woman turning sixty suddenly encounters a reminder of a man she had an incredibly passionate affair with when she was young. The affair ended abruptly and she eventually went back to the man she was with before she met her wild, impetuous lover. Now, decades later, all those feelings come flooding back and she comes face-to-face with what really happened. I still find that story can make me weepy because I think a lot of us spend much of our lives longing for something that would have been a disaster if we had actually acquired it.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><u><b>Skye: </b></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">I'm intrigued by the concept of <span><i>apsaras</i></span><span>––which I’d never heard of before you discussed it––and the idea that they “</span><span>honor the erotic longings of the human heart</span><span>.” Sex magic would say that we </span><span><i>can</i></span><span> have anythin</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span>g we want, but we must be able to envision what we want, open ourselves to it without reservation, believe we’re worthy of it, and direct our creative (sexual) energy toward attracting our desires. That’s a fairly simplistic explanation, and admittedly it’s easier said than done. But to </span><span><i>honor our longings</i></span><span>…to me seems to show compassion toward ourselves (and others) when we fall short of accomplishing what we aim for––and that in itself might be an act of forgiveness, which as I understand it, has the power to bring peace, healing, and balance to the world.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">But back to the idea of spirit as an essential component of sex, I want to relate an experience I had a few we</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">eks ago. I spent a day with two people (one man, one woman) who by their own admission had each had sex with more than 1,000 partners. But by age 50, they were so bored and disillusi</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">oned that the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">y’d basically given up on sex altogether. I felt incredibly sad for both of them. They’d spent decades searching for meaning and connection––the transcendent experience we’ve been talking about that exists in sacred sex––but erroneously sought it in new lovers, new sex toys, new kinks. Interestingly, both had been brought up in strict religious environments they’d rejected––he as a Catholic, she as a Mormon––and refused to see the connection between sex and spirit.</span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuL5skW4xa8x-1SkT1fJjCrl65oFsHHAJ9y2Q7UuCn7203DsJ4Kle7Os5TBGR9V1shop30Z6P-22pE-x1aXXtplSNiUYHs1g4tusSxNBrsFx3dzQBzs-Y5txvNl-HnTVcYM6uXMlmHk_yf/s200/Sex+Magic+4+Beginners3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697177282905377602" style="padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">In my way of thinking, the so-called “sexual revolution” that began when you and I were young women </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">was well-intended, but it destroyed the mystery. It took the bubbles out of the champagne. Giving yourself permission to have sex with anyone who piques your interest at the moment may be “liberated” but it’s not likely to lead to a genuine, fulfilling, meaningful, loving, and truly erotic experience. Passion, joy, and magic are inherent in sex––why else has sex fascinated us for millennia? Even our most enduring symbols, including the cross and the Star of David depict the union of masculine and feminine forces (a topic too lengthy and involved to discuss here, but perhaps in the future).</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><span>You mentioned the idea that contemporary people “forget our animal nature” when it comes to sex. We’ve all seen those National Geographic animal programs on TV that show animals copulating, and frankly it’s pretty perfunctory––I doubt most of us would choose the wham-bam type of sex lions engage in. “Animal nature” may include sacred dimensions, if you accept that all life is sacred. But I can’t help recalling the line from one of my favorite movies, </span><span><i>The African Queen</i></span><span>, when Katherine Hepburn says “Nature is what we were put on earth to rise above.”</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><br /></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">I believe that viewing sex as a sacred experience allows you to see yourself and your partner(s) as embodiments of the Divine. In so doing, you perceive the glorious truth of yourself. You aren’t separate, you’re one––with your partner and with All That Is.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><u><b>Kathleen:</b></u> Yes, I definitely see “honoring our longings” as an act of forgiveness and also an act of compassion for self. Especially as I'm getting older I'm seeing that there are things I always thought I wanted that I now know are just not going to happen – for me it has</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">become about priorities. There aren't enough hours in the day, or days in the year, for some of the things I once longed for but I still want to honor the part of myself that once loved longing for those things.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxqVAKNj9sBPSzZu0DQF_MF6V8NUFvF1LhWVaYqOAiqVTuqcJXZQYjIkkZbvRwtrgCK-BWoec_yLwHVKKuk8g_DdyDL1SlLGGpWWWT1K5bApt2ZHDnVT7vl-BThEv0FGd4GQaXQEjd4SJ/s200/EAB-200px.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697177374865482658" style="padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 200px; " /></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;">I totally agree with you about how our sexual liberation contributed to destroying the mystery, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">mostly because people didn't understand the connection between body and spirit. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span>I vividly remember guys who took advantage of that by telling young women they were attemp</span>ting to seduce that they were “up-tight” or “hung-up” if they didn't want to have sex. I think a lot of people of both sexes went along with swinging and multiple partners because they didn't know how to say “no.” We lost so much of our spirit by letting ourselves be bullied into sexual acts we thought we were supposed to want but didn't really. It's still going on for a lot of young pe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">ople who have been seduced by the “hooking up” mentality. I'm still hoping that people will start honoring their spirit and reclaim their sexuality. When I was creating the priest Father Black for</span> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Each-Angel-Burns-ebook/dp/B002YK45UK" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 153, 204); text-decoration: none; ">Each Angel Burns</a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "> I read a lot of writing by some of the great Catholic mystics and I became quite enthralled by their concept of “erotic celibacy.” Much as we all know how wonderful sex can be, there is a lot to be said for reclaiming your sexuality, and channeling that energy into creativity and communion with the Divine. Personally, I cannot ever imagine being in a sexual relationship with someone who was only interested in the sensation of sex but who ignored the spirit. If that means being celibate, I'm fine with that.</span></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">By the way, Skye, yesterday I bought your book</span> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Among-Us-Incredible-photographs/dp/071533851X" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 153, 204); text-decoration: none; ">Angels Among Us</a></i>.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">It's a beautiful book and I enjoyed what I read last night. I understand you have a book on mermaids coming soon. We should have another conversation about the angels and mermaids since we have both written about them.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7J4rsWv1N0tVfrEODy-Wqn3d0Ht_1wLaCHZ5wqwgyecENUpm4Cq-VYQBxIVd3b2G7g5O08whCE2Fc2fLU6DJguD380ocPuEf2CCPzVQiVlrcel_EXmj4P2HU_SXIvo2yDIVZUTKNDp8W7/s200/AngelsCover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697178109521428226" style="padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 172px; " /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><u><b>Skye:</b></u> Thanks for buying my book, Kathleen. Yes, I’m quite pleased with the production quality. I’m glad you liked it, too. Did you notice that I included an inspiring story of yours and an amazing photo in it? I felt so touched by that and by the stories and angel photos other people contributed to the book.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">I love your priest Peter Black in</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); "> <i>Each Angel Burns</i>.</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">I especially like the way you cast him as a handsome stud, before he took his vows. People often think of priests as either nerds, mama’s boys, or pedophiles. Father Black’s pre-priest experience gives him greater depth and takes him out of the realm of stereotype. Ecstasy and eroticism can certainly be experienced in sex (and hopefully will be), but that’s not the only venue, as you discovered while reading the writings of mystics. And, as you and I have both lamented, ecstasy and eroticism are too often absent from our sexual experiences.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">Margo Anand, in her book <i>The Art of Sexual Ecstasy</i>, writes, “When the sacredness of sexual union is felt, it is possible to experience your connection to the life force itself, the source of creation. This connection lifts your consciousness beyond the physical plane into a field of power and energy much greater than your own.” As a sex magician, I’d say that from this place of power anything and everything is possible.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">That’s not to devalue the sensory pleasure of sex––quite the opposite. As we’ve been discussing, physical delights are heightened by the infusion of spirit. When I was doing research for</span> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Magic-Beginners-Easy-Attraction/dp/0738726370/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 153, 204); text-decoration: none; ">Sex Magic for Beginners</a></i>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">I was intrigued by the writings of an eighteenth-century Hasidic master named Reb Hayim Haikel. He proposed a different way of viewing sex and spirit, and suggested, “Creation was for the purpose of lovemaking. As long as there was only one-ness, there was no delight.” In other words, we emerged out of the realm of spirit into our physical bodies <i>precisely so we could enjoy sex</i>. An interesting thought …</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">Kathleen, this has been a most enjoyable and inspiring conversation––thanks so much for proposing it. I hope other people who read this will share their thoughts about the ideas we’ve posed. And we will definitely have a conversation about angels in the near future––and one about mermaids after my new mermaid book comes out in the spring (don’t know the final title or pub date yet). If other writers are interested in participating in these conversations, perhaps we can make this an ongoing forum.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><u><b>Kathleen:</b></u> <span>Your Haikel quote reminded me of the Rumi quote I used at the beginning of </span><span><i>Each Angel Burns</i></span><span>, </span><span>“</span><span><span><span style="text-decoration: none; "><span>At night we fall into each other with such grace. When it’s light, you throw me back like you do your hair. Your eyes now drunk with God, mine with looking at you, one drunkard takes care of another.” I think that about sums it up – finding God or Spirit or Universal Oneness by taking care of one another. This has been great, Skye. I look forward to our next discussion and I, too, would like to invite other writers to join us.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span><span><span style="text-decoration: none; "><span><i>Skye Alexander is </i></span></span></span></span><span><span><span style="text-decoration: none; "><span><i>the author of more than thirty fiction and nonfiction books, which have been translated into a dozen languages, and is best known for her work in the body-mind-spirit field. Her stories have been published in numerous anthologies internationally. </i></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span style="text-decoration: none; "><span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">Her web site is</span><a href="http://skyealexander.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 153, 204); text-decoration: none; ">SkyeAlexander.com</a>. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); ">Kathleen Valentine is the author of three novels, many novelettes and short stories, as well as books on knitting lace and a cookbook/memoir of growing up Pennsylvania Dutch. Her web site is</span> <a href="http://kathleenvalentine.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 153, 204); text-decoration: none; ">KathleenValentine.com</a>.</i></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></span>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-55923291830087564642012-01-12T14:09:00.001-08:002012-01-12T14:09:39.424-08:00Sex & Spirit<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRUN62STQvaHS3GlElFZ9kOJUfPwJjnszKQjxQ3I1FkI49nJsXWxLTf6Aoer_Tr548pKAL_1DYbD06-e11W8Y-gFtO2HByIWNqYg_wtg986bdtjce0bl6ZcjV7in4A5VSp_DGQz_ggEO5/s1600/Conversation-S%2526S.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRUN62STQvaHS3GlElFZ9kOJUfPwJjnszKQjxQ3I1FkI49nJsXWxLTf6Aoer_Tr548pKAL_1DYbD06-e11W8Y-gFtO2HByIWNqYg_wtg986bdtjce0bl6ZcjV7in4A5VSp_DGQz_ggEO5/s400/Conversation-S%2526S.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696802797793146866" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 95px; " /></a><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#cccccc;">This is the first in an ongoing series of conversations between writers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ff9966;">Part One</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;"><b><u>Kathleen: </u></b>Skye, you and I have known each other for quite a few years now and, though what we write about is very different,</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">we deal with a lot of the same themes. I recently read your book <i>Sex Magic for Beginners</i> and, even though I'm not entirely sure how I fee</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">l about the subject, I was struck by the way you link the power of sexuality with the spiritual. I don't mind telling you I've gotten a lot of criticism over the strong sexual and spiritual themes in my novel <i>Each Angel Burns</i>. There are a lot of people who find strong sexual and spiritual themes incompatible.</span></span></p><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvA494ax4o5wuDjliUVNcW8udncxHX8RjCY2WYN2I5eoM6CFgrYi2VMPr2eFuvu2ioo4ZCaj2wRBTzmlg7VM6VOxaR75mIXWR92F6u9XTBt95vKbgu11eYevjcS7e-bY5qQVkyjrwHFVQB/s200/Sex+Magic+4+Beginners3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696802947811164194" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><u>Skye: </u></b>Ov</span>er the centuries, sex-negative religious forces have tried to separate body and spirit. In the proce<span class="Apple-style-span">ss s</span><span class="Apple-style-span">ex was robbed of its sanctity. But this wasn’t always the accepted view. <span>Tantra, which began in India some 6,000 years ago, is the mystical path of ecstasy and its rituals glorify sex as the union of </span></span>the Hindu deities Shiva and Shakti. The ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Celts, and many other cultures also incorporated sex into their spiritual practices.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Sex magic, as I discuss in my new book, merges mind, body, and spirit. Although people perform sex magic for a variety of pur</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:medium;"><span>poses, one reason is to assist spiritual enlightenment. </span>It’s my opinion that our sense of isolation and our longing to reunite with Spirit is the root of human pain and suffering. During sex, we reconnect for a short time with the cosmic pulse of life. We glimpse our divine nature and our union with all that exists in the universe.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;"><u>Kathleen:</u> I think those are beautiful ideas but I often wonder how many pe<span class="Apple-style-span">ople are in the kind of relationship that can support that. I know you have a secti</span><span class="Apple-style-span">on in your book on solo sex but for people already in a relationship, how do they deal with this if their partner isn't interested? In my experience the biggest problem where sex is concerned is the all-too-human desir</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">e for emotional connection with the partner and an on-going relationship. In my novel <i>The Old Mermaid's Tale</i> one of the characters, an older woman, tells a younger woman, “Never give your body to anyone who doesn't love you with all his heart. It kills the soul and robs you of your beauty and yo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ur dreams.” I think that is especially important to consider now in the era of “hooking up” and “casual sex.”</span></span></p><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWHAf3-M67d1VfhWPqO4J6-KC0pYs4d7WEZcEdDJxpowLq9LdESeM6q9mXhpSIqniUW4NUrfyHgxeI5atLdgnVHVzB5bjizu9nGZGy1sxnWs4Mnlb5xkV0pAgzmi9I8COz-KqzgA26cZv/s200/OMT-200px.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696803450779420530" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 200px; " /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">Is it possible to “glimpse our divine nature,” as you put it, when sex is so loaded with emotion and fraught with worries?</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b><u>Skye: </u></b><span>I agree with your character in <i>The Old Mermaid’s Tale</i>, which BTW I think is a terrific book and one I hope we can discuss in future conversations. In my opinion, the difference between casual sex and sacred sex is like the difference between a McDonald’s hamburger and a chateaubriand. I’ve never eaten a fast-food burger and I’ve never had a one-nighter. Unfortunately, most people opt for quick-and-easy rather than quali</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ty, and settle for far less than they could have. Our contemporary, blasé attitude toward sex renders meaningless the most potentially powerful and magical experience </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">human beings can know. Casual sex is just as destructive as the Victorian era’s restrictiveness. Both squeeze spirit out of the picture, and prevent the possibility of genuine intimacy, joy, and transcendence.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">From a magical perspective, the drawbacks are even worse. Keep in mind that sex is inherently a creative force. Sex magicians believe that with each orgasm you create a “magical child” in the etheric world, whether or not a flesh-and-blood baby results. The thoughts and emotions you hold at the moment of orgasm plant a “seed” in the cosmic womb, and that seed materializes based on your thoughts and feelings at the time. What were you thinking/feeling the last time you had sex? What kind of “child” would result from that?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ffffcc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">There is a scene toward the end of <i>Each Angel Burns</i> where the two lovers, both of whom are in their fifties, have a highly intimate encounter, that brought down the wrath of quite a few reviewers! I got a scathing review on Amazon over it and one popular Christian reviewer said it was appalling that I spoke of sex “in sacramental terms.” I wonder how you view non-explicit love scenes that are infused with the sacred and how they compare or contrast to most popular erotica.<span class="Apple-style-span">Kathleen, you</span>’re right that many of us aren’t in relationships that support the sacred nature sex––our partners may not even realize such a thing exists. We’ve been taught that love, intimacy, and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">vulnerability equate with weakness and we’ve learned to hide our feelings. Many men, especially, have also been trained to see sex as conquest, a mark of their prowess, but that sense of one-up</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-family:arial;">smanship prevents the balance that’s inherent in union. Opening ourselves to true intimacy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">––not only with our partners, but with ourselves and with the Divine––is essential to fulfillment.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:medium;">Even if you’re in a relationship that doesn’t recognize the spiritual dimensions of sexuality, you can personally approach sex as a sacred, ecstatic, transcendent, loving, and joyful experience for yourself. Or, you can find another partner who shares your perspective. Solo sex can generate magical results, just as any sex act can, but it won’t keep you warm at night. Sometimes you can encourage or entice a lover to follow your direction, </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">but be aware that fear of letting go, of trusting the unknown, and of being </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">vulnerable may intrude and block your efforts. The choice is really up to each individual.</span></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7z63erK1QRbVvyXIKdYKFApu7JU2dNQ51n12gk74Gg5XPJus7qE-FpK-9j-nZkWCNLgXlk1xfN1HmLWnNPjptedg2mXwCmEi6I4fPECVdJGZpANuzaMLMwOwOzyrA8C2Ozzgpc3XXaRB/s200/Tarotica+cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696867894600409154" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 200px; " /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><b><u>Kathleen:</u></b><span> Sex is such a loaded issue for most people. Even people who profess not to follow a particular religion or spiritual path have a lot of trouble dealing with it. I know that you w</span>rite erotica, I've read parts of your<i>Tarotica</i> book, and, as you know, I've tried writing erotica but I just have no gift for it. I think it is because I <i>do</i> regard sex as a sacred and powerful force that I find most erotica to be counterproductive to that. I struggle with it because I love writing sexy, romantic scenes––I've had people tell me the scene between Clair and Pio in the backseat of the Thunderbird (in <i>The Old Mermaid's Tale</i>) is one of the hottest scenes they've ever read. But it's not explicit. It's more about what the two people are experiencing than putting Tab A in Slot B, so to speak.</span></p><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8yyXyeG-3ef3wRDI_Slv9xFZmiaWNWDNqy9_vnbgZndXP5EzT86TFO8G62IK0AcBUsZpkR5R49rc6qCGE4bxo_QnFDn9FN0u9rjZCBLwaXdTGVG00xLpzNxGSEbwtemFlVuGongcHA9H/s200/EAB-200px.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696804328317954114" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><b><u>Skye: </u></b><span>I think one of the reasons sex is such a loaded issue for most people is that it touches on what’s real and profound and, yes, sacred in all of us. It brings us into dimensions beyond what we normally confront. It connects us with our vulnerability and our power––two sides of the same coin––and that can scare us silly. Sex, if you let it, takes you out of the mundane world and catapults you into the mystical realm––and that can be unnerving for many people. Sacred sex brings you up close and personal with the real deal, and it truly does rock your world.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><span>Kathleen, I love that scene in your book <i>Each Angel Burns</i>, for several reasons. First, it shows that sex and passion don’t end in middle age––in fact, they can become more joyful, genuine, and intense later in life. I’ve always admired your ability to express these sentiments through your characters. Second, I think it’s more erotic if the writer doesn’t tell all and instead allows the reader to project his/her own emotions and fantasies into a situation. Holding back can heighten the experience. Remember that beautiful erotic scen</span><span>e in <i>The Age of Innocence</i> where Newland Archer kisses the wrist of the</span><span style="font-family:";">Countess Olenska? Within the strict confines of their Victorian culture, this daring foray is far more sensual than any X-rated film today.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">I don’t know if I can speak intelligently about popular erotica today––it’s such a broad topic, and in the publishing world it has a multiplicity of subsets. I don’t agree that you have no talent for erotica––quite the contrary. I’ve read some of your erotic literature, including “Gone Fishing” which was published in Ravenous Romance’s <i>Green Love Anthology</i>––a highly underrated collection of erotic fiction––and found the story sensitive, sexy, and real. Our ideas about erotica are highly personal, and they keep evolving. Today’s erotica is yesterday’s hard-core porn. An old question asks what’s the difference between erotica and pornography? Answer: Erotica is something you find sexually enticing. Pornography is something another person finds sexually enticing, but you find disgusting. It’s all personal perspective.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">But to answer your question, I think most popular erotic literature lacks the sacred dimension, and for me, that leaves it flat and mechanical. Sex is inherently magical. Sex is a sacrament, perhaps the holiest of all acts. Without it, none of us would exist. Maybe it’s no surprise that your reviewer missed this, but our ancestors were very aware of the sacred power of sex and they honored it in multiple ways. We can still do this today. I hope we will.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#cccccc;">To be continued...</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><br /></span></span></p>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-32780657760327449722011-12-26T10:22:00.000-08:002011-12-26T10:25:01.336-08:00What Can We Expect in 2012?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1V6z587yEJCCpDGvs_opdUcshQmeeoyDcqqhyphenhyphenGdF58UmmMTkKvWbt2ubXLTS4gG8tipIywZfN4fhkmcNejuV19x9Ewy6c5EVa9VxCkqQy_fEfvc736sbNlsAAN3xn2v-_WkXIxbHMhw21/s1600/mayacalendar.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1V6z587yEJCCpDGvs_opdUcshQmeeoyDcqqhyphenhyphenGdF58UmmMTkKvWbt2ubXLTS4gG8tipIywZfN4fhkmcNejuV19x9Ewy6c5EVa9VxCkqQy_fEfvc736sbNlsAAN3xn2v-_WkXIxbHMhw21/s200/mayacalendar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690504462072510258" /></a><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">You’ve heard the dire predictions for 2012, supposedly based on the Mayan calendar which doomsayers tell us predicts the end of the world on the next winter solstice. But how accurate are they? What can we really expect in the coming year?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">First of all, astrologers don’t believe the Maya meant that the world would end on December 21, 2012. Instead, their ancient calendar pointed to the end of an astrological age. Each age, according to their calculations, lasted about 25,500 years. This corresponds to what astrologers call the precession of the equinoxes, meaning the amount of time it takes the spring equinoctial sun to move backward through the zodiac and arrive again at the same point from which it started. (Of course, the sun doesn’t really move, but that’s how it appears to us from our vantage point here on Earth.) Thus, 12/21/2012 signals the true beginning of a new age: the Age of Aquarius.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><b>The Number 11</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">It’s interesting to note that 12/21/2012, from the perspective of numerology, is an “11” day––the number of Aquarius. Aquarius, as you may know, is the eleventh sign of the zodiac, but there’s more to it than that. When you add the digits of the date (1+2+2+1+2+0+1+2) you get a sum of 11. Numerologists consider 11 to be a “master number.” Master numbers resonate with intensity. They offer increased possibilities for growth, awakening, and accomplishment. They demand more from you and require you to function at a higher level of awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ffffcc;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Eleven is the number of the visionary, the avatar, the inventor, the person who leads by offering a positive example. It’s also linked with humanitarianism, equality, balance, truth, and integrity. In the Tarot's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">major arcana</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">, the Justice card is number 11.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">When we’re under the influence of the number 11, we may experience lightning-like bursts of insight or situations that propel us to act quickly, drawing on intuition as well as intellect. The repetition of 11s, as in 11:11 or 11/11/11 (a date we experienced last month), can be seen as a portal into other worlds or realms of consciousness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">What all this suggests is that in the coming year we’re likely to witness conditions that will require us to think outside the box and to address problems with a more elevated and expanded vision. We’ll have to be more honest with ourselves and others, and behave with greater integrity. We’ll be called to make changes that benefit humanity and take into account the good of all, not just a few. We’ll see continued efforts to right wrongs and establish more balance between the haves and the have-nots. In short, 2012 sounds a wake-up call for all of us and offers us an opportunity to usher in the long-awaited Age of Aquarius.</span></span></p>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-57390849398915915102011-12-15T10:32:00.001-08:002011-12-15T10:33:56.992-08:0099-cent E-books<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PMn7ZhmciUafO-x9H1DA2wkmSlcUXjIFmqvSp13Ag9k6TclmkeK4gf3VduQOa3ThdGykusnv1ayflUfu5NOtC1BXrBtCOButabq-lq-Ym46DeJRsOjKJzp7QfgAjPmeqPtdVTiVNxU9f/s1600/HA+jpg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PMn7ZhmciUafO-x9H1DA2wkmSlcUXjIFmqvSp13Ag9k6TclmkeK4gf3VduQOa3ThdGykusnv1ayflUfu5NOtC1BXrBtCOButabq-lq-Ym46DeJRsOjKJzp7QfgAjPmeqPtdVTiVNxU9f/s320/HA+jpg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686424960503540690" /></a><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-add-space:auto; mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">By now, many of you have heard of Amanda Hocking, the 26-year-old who self-published her e-books on Amazon and soon became a bestselling author. In January 2011, she sold nearly half a million books! Like many writers, Hocking tired of the long, discouraging process of trying to find a traditional print publisher to take on her novels. So she did it herself––like many writers before her, including <span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-language:EN-US">Benjamin Franklin, Gertrude Stein, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Virginia Woolf and, more recently, Stephen King, Deepak Chopra, and John Grisham. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-add-space:auto; mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-mso-bidi-language: EN-US">E-books and Amazon’s Kindle program offer writers of all types to speak directly to readers, without going through the middleman. In 2010, </span>20 million people read e-books. Not only are e-books convenient, cheaper than print books, and instantly available, they’re environmentally friendly, saving trees and waste.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-add-space:auto; mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">One of Hocking’s keys to success is her price point. By selling her books for $.99 to $2.99, she encouraged readers to take a look. She’s not the only author to utilize this method––or the only one to succeed. When you sell your e-book on Amazon for $.99 you only receive $.35 in royalties per sale. That’s not much, but if you sell 500,000 copies it adds up to big bucks. And in case you’re wondering, many authors only get about that much from the sale of a traditionally published paperback.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-add-space:auto; mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">So, I decided to give it a try. My mystery <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hidden Agenda</i>, which in print form won the Kiss of Death Award (given by the Romance Writers of America’s mystery chapter), is now available as an Amazon e-book for $.99. A mix of murder, magic, astrology, and romance, the novel has gotten great reviews, both online and in print media. I hope you’ll choose to read it. Please share your thoughts with me if you care to do so. And please consider writing a review on Amazon.com if you feel inspired.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-add-space:auto; mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#ffffcc;">By the way, you can still purchase signed, first edition trade paperbacks from my website for $9.99 (quantities limited) if you prefer. </span><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-mso-bidi-language:EN-US;font-family:Geneva;font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-78906212769080420702011-12-09T19:13:00.000-08:002011-12-09T19:41:14.355-08:00Erotica or Porn?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdJRLzgqD8jtKhd3sD7yIfOuJ64Keo31ZzdolUM-ajkagx8e3gAhDh4MMqLRv2ejpf0JtKY6c3Gqx4aUaNBkHlhMYUWceAYODxyy30T1XHXAQg8BBClp7zYg0NoyYJp_EgEio1VQMf2C6/s1600/Tarotica+cover.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdJRLzgqD8jtKhd3sD7yIfOuJ64Keo31ZzdolUM-ajkagx8e3gAhDh4MMqLRv2ejpf0JtKY6c3Gqx4aUaNBkHlhMYUWceAYODxyy30T1XHXAQg8BBClp7zYg0NoyYJp_EgEio1VQMf2C6/s200/Tarotica+cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684339688859687602" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;">What's the difference between erotica and pornography? One definition says that erotica is something you find sexually stimulating, whereas pornography is something another person finds sexually stimulating and you find disgusting. Truly, it's in the eye of the beholder. And our perspectives change over time. What would have been considered "hard core" only a decade ago is lunch-time fare for many modern readers. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;">Still, many writers of erotic literature still publish under pseudonyms. Some of us don't want our bosses, kids, parents, and neighbors to know we get into this sort of thing. Other authors who write various types of books find it avoids confusion if they publish nonfiction titles under one name and erotic fiction under another. That was my reason for publishing my erotic mystery "Tarotica" under the pen name Amber Austin, because I'm best known for my nonfiction books in the fields of holistic health, self-help, and metaphysics.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;">I'm pleased to announce that "Tarotica"––originally published as an e-book by Ravenous Romance (and still available in that format)––is now available in print through Amazon.com. This unique X-rated thriller is both a risky and risqué road trip across the US and an esoteric journey through the major arcana of the Tarot. Coffee Time Romance reviewed it as "one of the hottest books I've ever read." Crave More Romance praised it as a "five-star mix of magic and real world." </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffcc;">If you're interested in the Tarot, mysteries, sex, and/or erotic romance, I hope you'll enjoy this original and colorful interpretation of the Tarot's major arcana. Each chapter relates to one card and contains plenty of steamy sex. I've worked with the Tarot for many years and written several nonfiction books on the subject, including "The Everything Tarot Book," "The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need," and "10-Minute Tarot." Interpreting the ancient oracle into a lusty thriller was a lot of fun, and I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.</span></div>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-51531056258831715382011-11-23T09:23:00.000-08:002011-11-23T09:25:48.111-08:00The Secret of Sex Magic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzFCLUaNnbiZ9uUUCbQhBgJJSa0QnKSqlvo1riMjH8FCtPW99VGCpJdL2q9Cf8Ch3XqztsPeoUzw2Pk2MgkdXqKm_VgDlPv1Nr5mLQZ4zBznpYx5WMeGrInhGhBvdAxaH6MsFyRcepbJu/s1600/Sex+Magic+4+Beginners3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzFCLUaNnbiZ9uUUCbQhBgJJSa0QnKSqlvo1riMjH8FCtPW99VGCpJdL2q9Cf8Ch3XqztsPeoUzw2Pk2MgkdXqKm_VgDlPv1Nr5mLQZ4zBznpYx5WMeGrInhGhBvdAxaH6MsFyRcepbJu/s200/Sex+Magic+4+Beginners3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678243701529617666" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%">What would you think if I said you can have everything you want? What if I said you already have everything you think? Once you understand that both are true, you’re on your way to becoming a magician.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%">Now, what if I told you that you don’t need to work long and hard in order to attract the good things in life? Money, success, love––anything you choose––are yours for the asking. All you have to do is make mad, passionate love as often as possible. That may sound too good to be true, but magicians around the world have known this secret for thousands of years, and they’ve used their sexual energy to reap all sorts of benefits. You can, too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Most people want to lead better lives. We want to be happier, healthier, wealthier, or whatever. We’d like to take control of what happens to us, instead of being at the mercy of chance, fate, or other people’s agendas. That’s why most magicians do spells in the first place. Magic enables you to harness the raw energy in the universe and direct it to produce the outcomes you choose. Magic lets you attract what you desire in life and protect yourself from pitfalls. Although you can do this with any type of magic, sex magic is an especially effective way to accomplish your objectives.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%">Maybe you’re saying to yourself, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">my sex life is pretty good. But I’m still in debt and struggling to make ends meet. What’s the deal?</i> The simple answer is, you’re not doing it right. No, I’m not talking about what goes where. I’m sure you know how to fit tab A into slot A. What I mean is, you think sex is just something that feels good and makes babies––and that mindset is limiting your possibilities. You don’t realize sex has much more to offer you. You haven’t yet learned to mobilize this powerful attracting force that abides within you and utilize it to shape your world. My new book <i>Sex Magic for Beginners, </i>just published by Llewellyn, tells you everything you need to know to start changing your life and attracting whatever you desire.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-71790957881432600352010-02-09T15:52:00.000-08:002010-02-09T16:08:08.454-08:00The Elixir of Love<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 122px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt8h-HK6UHBk0dOKpz5KrBzIPbtZXchv1IeA3JfVF7X29aKG8VTIWLJIXEQtAhKGbuBSnOeD62gRuBRJVMRHea-X4A2GwUfqH5WSH66VIGBktAGhvy7r3r_ZxHO9ijqSNT9WnAAYUAtqF/s200/NaughtyNiceSpell1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436399441540061890" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Perhaps you've heard the term "elixir." In some magickal circles, elixir has a special meaning. This spell, excerpted from my book </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Nice Spells/Naughty S</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">pells</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> (published by Adams Media) explains one way you can use the elixir of love to enhance a romantic relationship. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Best times to perform this spell:</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">During the waxing moon</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">When the sun or moon is in Taurus, Libra, or Scorpio</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">On Tuesdays or Fridays</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Ingredients or equipment needed:</span></span></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">A chalice or goblet</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Wine or apple cider</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Male and female sexual fluids</span></span></span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 98px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPy_AgvCd-70sSE9v7-Il1i_PqGStNp8yvT7eU4b1lTZPDc85gwDu7eS8OJB9ZEGBUY712i60XOJGkhoG_m333FsgxOgSf0J29PX5q2g12si4NJOHakgMzHRN9unDQ5bzFUx5CKK9Yi7eg/s320/chalice.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436399180535781650" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Engage in sexual intercourse. Afterwards, pour some wine or apple cider in a ritual chalice or goblet. Add a few drops of “elixir”––the mixture of male and female sexual fluids––to the chalice. Focus on each other and your love while you drink the “potentized” wine (or cider) together. </span></span></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-30772544254443266222010-02-01T10:18:00.000-08:002010-02-01T10:25:22.754-08:00Brigid’s Day, Imbolc, or Candlemas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAXSnq-qSHn1768Svkkqb6UNKrdXHf0xRAVkmaz1aPY-2Tqhll2b-6Rg7H_J5STymUIKU9xtlBkMlfzkT_eOBv_HFM2Eda9sfUUD7b8eIZ0VokoMEqRCKp2xIBD6pRsdKiIzIEEHAc_yE/s1600-h/Brigid.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 94px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAXSnq-qSHn1768Svkkqb6UNKrdXHf0xRAVkmaz1aPY-2Tqhll2b-6Rg7H_J5STymUIKU9xtlBkMlfzkT_eOBv_HFM2Eda9sfUUD7b8eIZ0VokoMEqRCKp2xIBD6pRsdKiIzIEEHAc_yE/s400/Brigid.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433341435017111570" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">This sabbat honors Brigid, the beloved Celtic goddess of healing, smithcraft, and poetry. A favorite of the Irish people, Brigid was adopted by the Church and canonized as Saint Brigid when Christianity moved into Ireland. Her holiday is celebrated either on February 1 or around February 5, when the sun reaches 15 degrees of Aquarius. In the Northern Hemisphere, daylight is increasing and the promise of spring is in the air. Therefore, Imbolc is celebrated as a time of hope and renewal.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); ">The Holiday’s Significance</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Brigid is one of the fertility goddesses, and Imbolc means “in the belly.” This holiday honors all forms of creativity, of the mind as well as the body. Illustrations of Brigid sometimes show her stirring a great cauldron, the witch’s magick tool that symbolizes the womb and the receptive, fertile nature of the Divine Feminine. As goddess of inspiration, Brigid encourages everyone, regardless of gender, to stir the inner cauldron of creativity that exists within.</span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOJrUfrDfd-IlVQ2GhkH7xx8l0FmLzrf3HgyF7cGOGpj130OCxOFs92Bai-otFU9Mco0iDC3Ti6bbyuZTKX9J1gt-yZ_yE4KWX11EzXhc44cikjaEOBJB83tYXj5n5k6HxSb33-3EYmKS/s400/celticcauldron.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433341504518329138" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Brigid goes by many names, including Lady of the Flame, Goddess of the Hearth, and Bright One. Her feast day is sometimes called Candlemas due to her association with fire. In magickal thinking, the fire element is believed to fuel inspiration and creativity.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Although Brigid is an aspect of the Divine Feminine, her day falls under the zodiac sign Aquarius, a masculine air sign in astrology. Her blazing hearth is both the metalsmith’s forge and the homemaker’s cook fire. Thus, she represents mind and body, a blend of yin and yang energies, and the union of polarities that is necessary for creation.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Ways to Celebrate</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">On Imbolc, the Sun King’s chariot ascends in the sky; the sun’s rays grow stronger and days grow longer. Witches celebrate this spoke in the Wheel of the Year as a reaffirmation of life and a time to plant “seeds” for the future. You may wish to build a fire in a magick cauldron to honor Brigid. On a piece of paper, write wishes you want to materialize during the year, then drop the paper into the cauldron. As the paper burns, the smoke rises toward the heavens carrying your requests to Brigid.</span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmq5kBXrzuU5EbY4omtUCz9m0ZWrUrSDVpzEQp0l6f16UiK6VWL7u89Vv_n0NPvM2sZak3SuwdkhXJFdLesX0VAspMDgPT0Pmr2ZOw4uywpfDiSa_Sh-2n7IGlTBoyaLiUtNelXrq7EIH/s320/EV+Wicca+cover..jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433341667639038658" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">In keeping with the holiday’s theme of fire, many people light candles to honor the Goddess. Candles are the most common tool in the witch’s magickal toolbox, used in all sorts of spells and rituals. Engrave words that represent your wishes—love, prosperity, health, etc.—into the candle’s wax. Then light the candle and focus your attention on its flame, while you envision your wishes coming true.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">Excerpted from my book </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">The Everything Wicca & Witchcraft Book</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">, published by Adams Media, copyright 2008. To order this or my other books on magick, please click the link to my website <a href="http://www.skyealexander.com">www.skyealexander.com</a> and go to the books page.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-38483694593529923442010-01-14T10:19:00.000-08:002010-01-14T10:25:29.143-08:00Magickal Mini-Mystery<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">This is the second in a series of mini-mystery stories with magickal themes––see if you can solve it, just for fun.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Librarian's Discover</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">y</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The library was moving to new quarters and her job was to pack up the old books in the west wing that no one ever read anymore. As she removed several moldy texts from the top shelf, she accidentally knocked an ancient leather-bound volume onto the floor. The book fell open to a page illustrated with a peculiar-looking diagram.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The librarian climbed down off her stool and picked up the book to examine it more closely. No title or author's name appeared on the cover or front matter; only a caption under a strange diagram identified it as "a map of the journey to the soul." </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Intrigued, the she read on. "The journey to the soul is a winding route indeed, yet if you follow it faithfully you cannot become lost. Seven paths lead to the center, but all are one. The journey leads in and the journey leads out, yet you’ll only find the way in and the way back out by walking in circles. Turn left and right and left again, and you will reach your goal. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Each path is governed by a celestial body; therefore the map of the journey to the soul is a map of the heavens. Each path resonates with a single note; therefore the map depicts the musical scale. Each path is aglow with a single color; therefore this map describes the visible spectrum. Each path is aligned with one of the body's energy centers; therefore the map shows the way to health and harmony."</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">QUESTION: What is the strange map?</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-85053899776620356492010-01-03T18:36:00.000-08:002010-01-03T18:50:39.048-08:00Magickal Mini-Mystery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73ptXKK_0USbNm4kFB3-N8IMqgOgYms3u1WaPlCLYbV8bOiK_-6BE_AHgs_RhyphenhyphenOsvgkeDpzsvTfka6LfUiX-1TLeaZpTXdAq_jteDk0lsh-KmXxD2EakMoAqGn6Ebg8I9T-bqC9gtDo2K/s1600-h/IAMwisdom.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73ptXKK_0USbNm4kFB3-N8IMqgOgYms3u1WaPlCLYbV8bOiK_-6BE_AHgs_RhyphenhyphenOsvgkeDpzsvTfka6LfUiX-1TLeaZpTXdAq_jteDk0lsh-KmXxD2EakMoAqGn6Ebg8I9T-bqC9gtDo2K/s320/IAMwisdom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422709487728681170" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">One in a series of short puzzles with magickal themes, just for fun.</span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span><!--StartFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> </span></span><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">The Old Astrologer's Secret</span></span></span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Sadly, the old astrologer gazed up at the sky. The stars told him that soon his art would be vilified and many like himself would be put to death for practicing it. A new ideology was dawning; its proponents would attempt to destroy the Knowledge of the celestial bodies and how they influence life on earth.<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">So the old astrologer set out to preserve the Knowledge for future generations. To keep it safe, he knew he'd have to hide the information about the four elements, the thirteen lunar months, the fifty-two weeks of the solar year, and the two archetypal forces in the universe (masculine and feminine) someplace where antagonists wouldn't recognize it. But he also wanted the Knowledge to be easily accessible to all who sought it.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The old astrologer thought and thought, until finally he came up with a clever solution. He'd hide the Knowledge in plain sight!</span></span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Thousands of years later, this ancient Knowledge is still with us. Nearly everyone in the Western world has touched upon it at one time or another, without realizing it. The secret Knowledge is hidden in millions of homes around the world––probably in yours––where it is available to young and old alike.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">QUESTION:</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Where did the old astrologer hide the Knowledge of the heavens?</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-27297515096549679792009-12-27T10:11:00.000-08:002009-12-27T10:20:18.056-08:00The Secret Meanings of Celtic Symbols<span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S7biDubDuRIG0yFsoUN4__9ewkzEE0PwphuSTmOYdcGZMmNBZjYNFp1t2myw9aqmqKK04NsKglJtRiURZSaqSK-0XNcD4kdChW2soXpSobqZhQTSuMyZclEzOnZ3GaKR0Jry8ghMDEYG/s1600-h/celticknotframe.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 110px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S7biDubDuRIG0yFsoUN4__9ewkzEE0PwphuSTmOYdcGZMmNBZjYNFp1t2myw9aqmqKK04NsKglJtRiURZSaqSK-0XNcD4kdChW2soXpSobqZhQTSuMyZclEzOnZ3GaKR0Jry8ghMDEYG/s200/celticknotframe.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419980980794691106" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Like all symbols, those found in Celtic art, literature, jewelry, architecture, and decorative objects contain deeper spiritual and magical significance. The four most popular symbols used today--knots, serpents (or dragons), the cross, and spirals--can be found on artifacts dating back to the eighth century B.C.E.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Although exquisitely beautiful as design motifs, Celtic knots are not purely decorative. Knotwork symbolizes the continuing cycle of life, death, and rebirth––and the many twists and turns along the way. Celtic knots also represent the path to the ancestors, one's inner self, and divine inspiration--much as the labyrinth does.</span></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4lCIdZiAmexrqX0ZPYuEFYPBAautgnZjnkuh2-_-TNIiPfSTeQncbjCQjSwsMQMX-Bia6e64VNg9BXlslFGa1pyLwYwelIXN2xqwE9MBO1HoGv9QfhnVPMzWefLrJoeLOKlBTNlZMh_i/s200/celticcrosstombstone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419982061445495570" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The cross is a poignant symbol to both Pagan and Christian Celts, but its meaning in the two traditions is somewhat different. To Christians, the cross represents the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To Pagan Celts, the cross depicts the junction or union of two polar energies. The horizontal portion signifies the earth; the vertical symbolizes the heavens. In both viewpoints, however, the the cross signifies eternal life, a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Serpents and dragons depict wisdom. In Celtic spirituality, as in many other traditions, the snake represents the life force as well as hidden (or occult) knowledge. Dragons are seen as keepers of secrets, as well as the gatekeepers to other worlds. The spiral shape depicts the path inward and outward, as well as the flow of life energy.</span></span></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjF1XI5n8VG9P_HN9xTepRyXYWanqy6TEuRIaj5Q0e8kqSN8Q2bbeZh_h9DosxgvlkJaOGsCL5hNr96zzOixrQjG5WgaP737_3SXZUiy_VQ5FWZaw61HIZ1nlwDjHjbGRoNlhZyyoeXPru/s200/Celtic+Dragon+(1766).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419981378753752866" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-60829152800879736262009-12-16T13:59:00.001-08:002009-12-16T14:01:19.398-08:00The Winter Solstice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-ISy-4OLUjOGxkZBrQCHUNAEI6mGXB12l2Xl8wdXjmFvXVCh9KCdZcqBFwq99ByHg-HuV9P3u6_Db9tNQqoNPsKcjsBT5IPnLGG5WgyQiQc4ucA4LrnHf5xsbZKDuUaBfMruYqjoJGGw/s1600-h/Solstice.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-ISy-4OLUjOGxkZBrQCHUNAEI6mGXB12l2Xl8wdXjmFvXVCh9KCdZcqBFwq99ByHg-HuV9P3u6_Db9tNQqoNPsKcjsBT5IPnLGG5WgyQiQc4ucA4LrnHf5xsbZKDuUaBfMruYqjoJGGw/s320/Solstice.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415957269948795202" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">The Winter Solstice marks the sun ingress into the first degree of the zodiac sign Capricorn, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This year the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21 (although it can vary a day or so from year to year). </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">In pre-Christian Europe, Britain, and Ireland the Winter Solstice celebrated the birth of the Sun God. This holiday of good cheer and festivities, also known as Yule, commemorates life over death and the return of the sun. The turning point in the year, it heralds increasing sunlight as the days grow steadily longer for six months. The holiday was so important to Pagan cultures that Christianity adopted this joyful season to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Like the Sun God, Jesus is said to bring light into the world during the darkest time of the year.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">A Pagan custom was to build a fire from wood of the nine sacred trees (some people say seven) as part of the Winter Solstice ritual. An oak log, known as a Yule log, served as the fire’s centerpiece and represented the ascendancy of the Oak King, who would rule until the Summer Solstice. (A small piece of the Yule log was saved for next year’s fire.)</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">After the fire burned down, anyone who wished took ashes from the ritual fire and wrapped them in a piece of cloth, along with a pine cone. Then they placed their packages under their bed pillows to solicit nightly guidance and angelic advice about the coming year.</span></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-24289052438038449882009-12-08T20:03:00.000-08:002009-12-08T20:25:37.941-08:00The Golden Cord<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >This sex magick spell combines your creative energy with a partner’s to attract prosper</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >ity.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >Best times to perform this spell:</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >During the full</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" > moon</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">;<br />w</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >hen the sun or moon is in Taurus;</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> o</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >n Thursdays</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >Ingredients or equipment needed:</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >A gold-colored cord</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">; </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" ><br />12 candles in rainbow colors;</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" ><br />12 </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >candleholders;</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >matches or a lighter</span><br /></div><br /><a style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigivBLVd4o1OPRdMmz-X6L4hv2EyIWrj7pNX1WXLqZGdug1PXZoHeB5EIwZCn2aPCk6ovDfaAjT7AtlBUzJiUgXCGcT9E5knNTE7LCGiBV03RIpAwp08tYvdg-KX7A4vpUaJXGG9zOsw74/s1600-h/light-cord.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigivBLVd4o1OPRdMmz-X6L4hv2EyIWrj7pNX1WXLqZGdug1PXZoHeB5EIwZCn2aPCk6ovDfaAjT7AtlBUzJiUgXCGcT9E5knNTE7LCGiBV03RIpAwp08tYvdg-KX7A4vpUaJXGG9zOsw74/s200/light-cord.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413082857534760082" border="0" /></a> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >Acquire a gold-colored cord that’s as long as you are from the tips of your toes to the tips of your fingers when your arm is fully extended above your head. Arrange the candles in a circle around the space </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >where you will perform this spell.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" ><br /></span> <div style="text-align: left; font-family: arial; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Enter the circle with your partner, bringing the golden cord with you. Light the candles, beginning in the east and continuing in a clockwise direction until all are burning. Make love, coordinating your activity so that one person reaches orgasm first.<br /><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >As one person reaches orgasm, the other ties a few knots in the cord. When the second person comes, his/her partner ties a f</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >ew knots. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >Throughout the entire experience, focus your minds on the objective: to attract money. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >Your intention and energy are tied into the knots.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />When you’re finished, snuff out all the candles. Any time you need money, </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >open one of the knots and release the energy.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >(Excerpted from </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" >Nice Spells/Naughty Spells,</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);font-family:arial;" > by Skye Alexander, published by Adams Media; copyrighted material.)</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE5h260542pO20oC5HQi-Liexow4mRjNjYGMscPEPD-A9GBjxk0L7ZOHoV387fhLQLGbXDp9FQicVBq3wKdeTNO8qzd41mYlbPhK8nxyJ3pf-z3t4BXQj3l2A1oe1CjF4Z8m06FUyNsf3/s1600-h/NaughtyNiceSpell1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE5h260542pO20oC5HQi-Liexow4mRjNjYGMscPEPD-A9GBjxk0L7ZOHoV387fhLQLGbXDp9FQicVBq3wKdeTNO8qzd41mYlbPhK8nxyJ3pf-z3t4BXQj3l2A1oe1CjF4Z8m06FUyNsf3/s200/NaughtyNiceSpell1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413085495729185458" border="0" /></a>Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-41491407074446275752009-11-30T16:00:00.001-08:002009-11-30T16:07:29.028-08:00Simple Candle Magick<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDp6s7dFaxgVw0Q8CIb4waHGfiRiAmDtzx5TLYRGjGraJMPqifVzHh_lBxfy2IOS-T2fOHYSycJvpg_06NdKXM-dh7OUVpfvSkfWi1zRSTBc5bkZvAPlEiMRtj4qjM5W0egou52Kxfr3x/s1600/singletaper.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 114px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDp6s7dFaxgVw0Q8CIb4waHGfiRiAmDtzx5TLYRGjGraJMPqifVzHh_lBxfy2IOS-T2fOHYSycJvpg_06NdKXM-dh7OUVpfvSkfWi1zRSTBc5bkZvAPlEiMRtj4qjM5W0egou52Kxfr3x/s200/singletaper.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410051064462371954" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span></span><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The word “candle” comes from the Latin </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">candere</span></span></i></span><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> meaning torch. Candles play roles in many of our favorite religious and secular rituals, as well as magickal ones. Blowing out candles on a birthday cake, for instance, is a popular tradition –– but it’s also a simple magick spell, intended to make a wish come true and bring good luck in the coming year.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Candle magick may be the most common and widespread form of magick, spanning many if not all magickal traditions. In the practice of magick, candles represent the element of fire and the spirit or life force. This tool can be used as a focusing aid or for scrying. Candles may also represent people or higher powers, and serve many other purposes in spells and rituals.</span></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 74px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCA_M1XJM7iKe6FqFoFD-GfHOgKUuv2JfazqDB3xprTDVJLELNINdXvGBDfLfLT_7I4ZXMmXjpIqcMaEjkS1iPksa1LY3jaB1m_rLioR_SZLsCuaXVXAI_9OChxUB5a58pzlCInSGUL0S/s200/candlerose.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410051285855067746" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Often magicians inscribe candles with words or symbols that relate to their intentions. If you were doing a love spell, for example, you might carve a heart or the word “love” into the candle wax. As the candle burns, your intention is dispersed into the Universe and set into motion. You can even get creative and form candle wax into a symbolic shape, which is often done in the practice of sympathetic magick.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The candle’s color can contribute to your spell, as each color contains certain properties and characteristics. Many candles today are also available scented with essential oils, which combine magickal qualities with sensory and psychological benefits. If you prefer, you can “dress” candles yourself by anointing them with essential oils appropriate to your spell or ritual. When you incorporate color and scent into your spells, you involve several senses in your work and enhance the power of your magick.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); font-family: arial;">(Excerpted from <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">1</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">0-Minute Magic Spells</span>, by Skye Alexander, published by Fair Winds Press, copyrighted material.)</span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6W22qyR5R9ohgEuzPXbGOaHFSDGcvqFeyoHLnpDAt4MZdQcZ3UTyEkIMLEdTw87c7X0RBHA6fNxGrl-YlWSMUiAF6qsMlE0J5x3O0292eonAYc73-RG9DJcWTBsNaOWQEMNi4d3y6oqV/s200/fouryellowcandles.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410051674666252754" /><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-40550813161838976832009-11-22T10:10:00.000-08:002009-11-22T10:19:19.905-08:00Sex Magick<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgHqglNziC1tN7h-QbQMbHBxkat8YJE326FmT875okMetX8_13_yjnrOgOqwQgBASAMY7OBjB22_Ghd16rx9TTESywa1OIIYPAGcq5j46FvICx9sVCuI2XVFirhGQ4vrfoDhXNMbIaK1y/s1600/EV+spells+cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgHqglNziC1tN7h-QbQMbHBxkat8YJE326FmT875okMetX8_13_yjnrOgOqwQgBASAMY7OBjB22_Ghd16rx9TTESywa1OIIYPAGcq5j46FvICx9sVCuI2XVFirhGQ4vrfoDhXNMbIaK1y/s200/EV+spells+cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406992279494732066" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span></span></span><!--StartFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Mystical rites, rituals, and ceremonies involving sex have been practiced in numerous cultures, East and West, for longer than anyone can document. Early Celts engaged in sexual activity, particularly during the spring planting season and on Beltane, as a form of sympathetic magick to encourage the land’s fertility. Temple priestesses in ancient Greece combined sex and mysticism. Tantric yoga channels sexual energy toward spiritual goals and also promotes health and longevity. Early Jewish mysticism contained sexual components in its rituals and spirituality. In Wicca’s Great Rite, a couple invites the God and Goddess to enter their bodies during sex, and the act is considered sacred.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Western sex magick has links to the teachings of the Sufis, who supposedly shared their knowledge with the Knights Templar during the Crusades in the Middle East. The Templars brought these practices back to Europe, where they were incorporated into other mystical and occult philosophies.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Magick’s notorious bad boy, Aleister Crowley, did much to promote and influence the course sex magick has taken in the West. Crowley learned sex magick while traveling in India and Africa, and he emphasized its practice through the organization he headed, the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO).</span></span></span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 73px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDwRPDOoq2EUEwL4DzLoG9_R2XsvQ5IDI92baDo9EqetEQ020kgcbCHOGwL5o67NIcvML9WTJtjRRHtrjB7DfFyUDP5x5U4cYgRIhHJ5T56t3ap2wKZBOcv-OKzYE6cB5wCqD6nmDHPGo/s200/nude+woman.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406993231512215570" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Like other types of magickal work, sex magick’s objectives are varied, ranging from healing to spell-working to spiritual enlightenment. Franz Mesmer used sexually induced trances to facilitate various types of healing. The British poet William Blake, a Freemason, wrote about a facet of sex magick that involves sexual activity between humans and spiritual beings. In kundalini yoga, sexual energy is raised and directed throughout the body to nourish the charkas and encourage healing on every level. Because sex magick’s power comes from blending male and female energies with divine forces to produce wholeness, it can also be an effective way to consciously create virtually any circumstance you desire.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Tapping Creative Energy</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Sex magick taps the powerful creative force inherent in sexual activity for specific purposes other than human reproduction. According to sex magick’s tenets, this creative force, which is responsible for all human and animal life, can be directed to create abundance, success, healing, and so on.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIw97PLfyXoYT3M70JUnctuO4quxeLmtcuS3WNb9lu79JaDF1Kk0A5rF__WrvB1SZsFwUM3mtHXb-CCcn2AKfFltwdMfWuYdYGFtFu5Pgh4fJ09pjYH8QT16UT5jB9vy38pm1pZT17KDB/s200/EV+Wicca+cover..jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406992759221788098" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Sexual energy can provide the fuel to propel all forms of manifestation. The result of magickal coupling is known as a “magickkal childe.” This means an effect is imprinted on the spiritual plane that will eventually materialize in the physical world. As in other types of magick, the participants mentally create an image of the intention they wish to bring into being. Then they engage in sex while holding this image in their minds. At the moment of orgasm, the image is released into the cosmos to be acted upon by divine forces and finally “birthed” on the material plane.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">This is only one of many sex magick practices, but it’s a relatively easy and effective method. Other forms, such as tantric yoga and astral traveling during sexual trance, require more extensive mental, physical, and spiritual expertise.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Charging Charms</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The creative energy raised during sex magick can be used to empower charms and other magick tools. The easiest way to do this is to fashion a talisman or amulet in the usual manner. Then keep the charm near you (or wear it) while engaging in sexual activity. Remember to hold your intention clearly in your mind throughout the act.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">You can also charge charms with a mixture of male and female fluids (called elixir) generated during magickal sexual activity. Anoint a talisman or amulet with these fluids, just as you might anoint a charm with essential oils. The creative force permeates the charm and imbues it with additional power. Magicians sometimes use sexual fluids to charge magickal tools, too.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">(Excerpted from </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">The Everything Spells & Charms Book</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">, by Skye Alexander, published by Adams Media. Copyrighted material.)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> </span></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-47346022365261058102009-11-15T11:32:00.001-08:002009-11-15T11:37:56.790-08:00Timing Money Spells<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsWQpjsm-pxYFJqBYNrqvVr3hg2wAgZ4dWHv29-LoFfU7qRkJC5azx28QqYgFT4d3eMVCHzIp8L4rOA2Cuz-urK0Qm29A0fZ2rA0Ul7SpUqBgGF9FDxKdTFy28Ubf2ELmme5vQFYqHD_S/s1600-h/Magickal+Astrology.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 113px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsWQpjsm-pxYFJqBYNrqvVr3hg2wAgZ4dWHv29-LoFfU7qRkJC5azx28QqYgFT4d3eMVCHzIp8L4rOA2Cuz-urK0Qm29A0fZ2rA0Ul7SpUqBgGF9FDxKdTFy28Ubf2ELmme5vQFYqHD_S/s200/Magickal+Astrology.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404415814784377106" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Jupiter, the planet astrologers connect with growth and expansion, rules on Thursday. If you’d like to increase your income or business opportunities, do prosperity magick on a Thursday. However, if you want to stabilize your finances, limit spending, or manage your money better, Saturday is a better choice because Saturn supports discipline and responsibility.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Partnerships fall into Venus’ domain, and Venus reigns on Friday––work spells to improve a business partnership or attract financial backing on a Friday. People who earn their livings in creative fields can also benefit from doing magick on Friday, as Venus rules the arts, or on Sunday, for the Sun is linked with self-expression.</span></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 89px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIiee2AN_bEuQUhQXKn_iRIFfFLkm_U3uGVkqg9xxCEGlFOzRbZPV_gXmWz5nygl-D0FlinTxdIxnAHfBOXd9CARaUmG0R1lAkLUQH77awnF8Fl_FfMf_K1LXIvNgg7GsqI94hS8bH_ro/s200/black+cat+w:+moon.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404415961369358738" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Pay attention to the moon’s phase, too. Perform spells to attract money, enhance investments, improve your public image, or help you get a job or promotion while the moon is waxing. Plant “seeds” for a new venture on the new moon. As the moon’s light increases, so will whatever you started during this auspicious period. The full moon helps bring projects to fruition. Examine your progress during the full moon and, if necessary, make any adjustments.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Don’t overlook Mercury’s retrograde periods, which occur every four months and last for three weeks at a time. (You’ll have to consult an ephemeris or astrological calendar for this information.) From our vantage point here on earth, Mercury appears to be moving backward in its orbit when retrograde.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Investments or ventures begun during this planetary cycle can be problematic. You may not understand all the details, a situation may not turn out the way you’d planned, or an undertaking may take longer than expected. Because we don’t think as clearly while Mercury is retrograde, it’s not usually a good time to work magick––you may miss something important or get your signals crossed.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-75041116608097788382009-11-08T11:27:00.000-08:002009-11-08T11:39:03.604-08:00Shades of Gray<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Let’s get one thing straight––there’s nothing wrong with doing magick to get what you want. In fact, that’s the reason most of us perform spells. You can use magick just as you use your abilities to improve your lot in life. But if you injure someone else in order to achieve your own objectives, you’re crossing the line from gray to black magick.</span></span></span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 87px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIuwZ123po59_f5zXCzlNnqk3kwuB9laR0lCiPCS46LXOXunNYWCvFkSBHSG6JBXCu7IGTx7KeX1JrEAWoJuXRMmWa5f1INvPug-HaH2rPajsjX5LUWR_hyphenhyphendmCLZOoBKqEE6Davyh52wW/s200/pentagram.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401817402476843090" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Wicca, the spiritual path many modern-day Western witches follow, puts it concisely: “Do what you will, but harm none.” Now that seems plain enough, doesn’t it? A spell designed to kill your business partner so you get total control of the company and your joint assets obviously falls into the black category. A spell to steal your sister’s husband? Black again.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">But what about doing magick to get a job that your best friend also wants? Or to win the heart of that really cute guy you met at a party Saturday night (the one who didn’t ask for your phone number)? Now we’re talking shades of gray.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Some spells fall at the “silver” end of the spectrum, others at the “charcoal” end. But sometimes it’s kind of hard to tell. Even well-intended spells may infringe on another person’s free will. Here’s an example. Let’s say your brother is sick and you decide to do a spell to heal him. Sounds like a positive use of magick, right? Well, maybe yes, maybe no. Perhaps your brother has been pushing himself too hard and needs a rest big-time, but the only way his body can get him to slow down is to send him </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">to bed with the flu. His illness is actually serving a good purpose; therefore, doing a get-well spell could be interfering with his body’s natural protective processes. See what I mean about gray areas?</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Many spells are considered “bad” because they’re manipulative. Let’s talk some more about that cute guy from the party. And let’s say you know for a fact he’s not involved with anyone else. Isn’t it okay to go for it? Again, the answer is </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">maybe.</span></span></span></i></span><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> In situations like this, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. One, if he isn’t interested in you, are you manipulating him (i.e., interfering with his own free will) by doing a spell to snag him? Two, do you really want someone who’s not that into you or would you be better off with someone else? </span></span></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 98px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7F_mWf8FyVvcxkoo__n8Q3RjzbLoNcZpfjvCt4xGWyH0b02zUrqFlnkZexmQTLtOqVaSsUexKf26DEWHtdDfEUw65fgESNbyea8FtrYHYPMs8bFjzT5fR8wbCvt7_kLkRqfEC54ACrVry/s200/chalice.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401817715365275522" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Okay, I admit, this is a toughy. Love spells are the ones people most often misuse. The best way to handle this dilemma is to add a “disclaimer” at the end of your spell, something like “if this is for our highest good.” This allows the Universe to make the final decision and take responsibility for the outcome. You’re off the hook––if the relationship isn’t right, it won’t happen. An even better approach is to do a spell to attract a partner who is right for you in every way. Don’t specify who that might be, let the Universe send you the perfect lover. </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">How can you decide if the spell you’re doing is naughty or nice? Consider the possible consequences––are you willing to accept what happens? Would you advise your best friend to do it? Trust your feelings––if you don’t feel right about it, don’t do it.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="New York""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Often, your intention is the only difference between one category and the next. Before you do a dark spell, consider whether you can produce the same result using a slightly lighter touch. Remember, the choice is always yours.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">(Excerpted from Skye's book </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Nice Spells/Naughty Spells</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">, published by Adams Media; copyrighted material.)</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-14288987195852985162009-10-23T18:27:00.001-07:002009-10-23T18:39:42.513-07:00Which Witch Is Which?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFUd62X_nRETyoYLWlGSiSv74XiMnn6bX-KF7tbYwJ4mx6cPeOQcoBIvWAVCjvBPCURh2juWzxtsFiwGCo0lO9_pJWDi58ncx6oWQALgKLkL2QVm1JDn9VPdAUcOYGLyKk_NeCKR6PaVs/s1600-h/crystalballwoman.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFUd62X_nRETyoYLWlGSiSv74XiMnn6bX-KF7tbYwJ4mx6cPeOQcoBIvWAVCjvBPCURh2juWzxtsFiwGCo0lO9_pJWDi58ncx6oWQALgKLkL2QVm1JDn9VPdAUcOYGLyKk_NeCKR6PaVs/s200/crystalballwoman.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395972224234906626" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Despite the ugly face that’s been put on witches, historically most have been concerned with helping individuals and communities. Of course, there are some “wicked witches” just as there are greedy evangelists and pedophile priests. It’s important, however, to remember that fear and misunderstanding underlie the misconceptions many people hold about witches. Once you get to know them, witches are pretty much like everyone else––the person who cuts your hair or repairs your car might even be a witch.</span></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 54px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h26G-O060NKxU5c-gbp8b0AML4gTGVXvRmqbtKRx_gbKD9UWeg-uTdgGVRDujsK8ezgMD3UW15TM5hkAJ21__9Bc1QCCuWDy1ffQG6_Rk2ZxL01MCuVrt23ATHPe57WIUkgzzfQt-JVZ/s200/trimoon.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395972377323335266" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The word </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">witch</span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> comes from the Anglo-Saxon term </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">wicce</span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> meaning “to bend or shape.” The Old English word </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">wiccacraeft</span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> meant witchcraft.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">In the past, many witches learned their art as part of a family tradition in which they were carefully trained. Villages had their honored cunning folk to whom people turned for all kinds of help, from encouraging crops to grow to fixing a broken heart. Healing comprised a large part of th</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">e witch’s work, and many witches </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">were</span></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> herbalists and midwives.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Witches learned their skills as a craft, just as someone might learn carpentry or masonry. Religious constructs weren’t linked with the practice of witchcraft itself, though individual witches may have followed the beliefs of their families or culture. Witches do not need to believe in divine beings in order to use magick, although many do recognize higher powers and attempt to work with them. Nor do witches need to adhere to a particular dogma in order to perform their work, just as computer programmers and auto mechanics don’t have to be members of a particular faith to do their jobs.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">For the record, witches are not necessarily Wiccan. Witchcraft implies a methodology (for example, the use of magick), whereas the word Wiccan refers to a person who has adopted a specific spiritual philosophy. Wicca is a religion, one that even the U.S. military recognizes. Wiccans practice specific rituals and moral codes just as people of Christianity, Judaism, and other faiths do. Witches can follow any religion, or none.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">However, the lack of an ethical or religious construct does not mean witches are without ethics or religion. The use of magick is simply a means to an end and is, in itself, morally neutral. Ethics get involved only in how magick is wielded.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEbTcM4zJ0e6WYwO_sBewfETQkn3-WCnNoRgupaXujMFCJ8TBJvoxaOpbPb6BM0CMcnC-TAsewelOspgSrkEPi1Hg3CfzaxzqHnIGIUxTZ2LtiqZhG4xmN2JUIZNKLeg3BS0gW8YsGlwD/s200/IAMwisdom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395973277595824354" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">By the w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">ay, a male witch is </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">not</span></span></i></span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> called a warlock. He is a witch, too. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Warlock</span></span></i></span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> derived from an Old English </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">word for </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">oath breaker</span></span></i></span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">; later, during the mid-1400s, the word came to mean </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">liar</span></span></i></span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> (whether the person was male or female). So to call a male witch </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">a warlock is a nasty insult. </span></span></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The words </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">wizard</span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> and </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">sorcerer</span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> can be used for a man or a woman. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Wizard</span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> derives from a term meaning “wise,” and </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">sorcerer</span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> means “witch” or “diviner.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.2pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The word </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">magician</span></span></i></span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.2pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> is also appropriate for both sexes and refers to someone who practices magick, reg</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: -0.2pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">ardless of his/her religious beliefs. (The “k” at the end of the word </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">magick</span></span></i></span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.2pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> differentiates it from stage magic or illusion). Many magicians are adept in astrology, sorcery, or other magickal arts. Magicians come from various cultures and ethic backgrounds, belief systems and schools of thought. Most witches and Wiccans practice some type of magick, but not all magi</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: -0.2pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">cians are witches or Wiccans. Shamans, ceremonical magicians, feng shui masters, and many others engage in various forms of magick. According to Aleister Crowley, perhaps the most famous magician in modern times, “</span></span></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Every intentional act is a magickal act.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERDMInextSLMppQH3hAXeqmGoWwJYRjsJKq2R9NdlgJAEBttfYS0A7jjcX31Ct2JPjGoulyvvIWJAVesNRIz9LZVZtgOg-v6yaYR1vd15UldedLDgRQ8oaTyFdqcCs_0Y5ZqBPqmcsZM_/s200/IAMmagick.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395972940134038658" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">If you choose to follow a magickal path, as a witch, Wiccan, wizard, sorcerer, or other practitioner of the magickal arts, you’ll notice that everyone you meet is your teacher. In turn, you’ll teach something to everyone you meet. You’ll also discover that magick exists everywhere, all the time, and that you are part of the magick.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">(Excerpted from my book </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">, all material copyrighted.)</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-68126863442439447142009-10-17T18:32:00.000-07:002009-10-17T18:51:49.599-07:00Halloween Facts and Fallacies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqxhLSundBfujs6YY6WgVeahBON48BgWsu0qS1MPgpyNh-21-0XFb8icisarU7_Q-QMo6Oh8t_jokmGx21rAGbAVEkrtdvz8ETPeWHs2pgXCe_fPBTUai1gVFL83-zrVJEE1HhDF2cNnQ/s1600-h/celticsamhain.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 147px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqxhLSundBfujs6YY6WgVeahBON48BgWsu0qS1MPgpyNh-21-0XFb8icisarU7_Q-QMo6Oh8t_jokmGx21rAGbAVEkrtdvz8ETPeWHs2pgXCe_fPBTUai1gVFL83-zrVJEE1HhDF2cNnQ/s200/celticsamhain.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393748426618021170" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">As Halloween approaches, we are once again subjected to lots of misinformation and downright foolishness regarding witches, paganism, and the occult in general.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Unfortunately, this ancient holiday's true meaning has become lost in a muddle of macabre sensationalism. Each year we read stories of children eating tainted candy and teens using Halloween as an excuse for bad behavior. In some places, conservative Christian groups try to get the holiday banned, believing erroneously that it has something to do with satanism.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Also known as All Hallows Eve, Hallowmass, and Samhain (pronounced SOW-een), Halloween is a holy day for witches and many other pagans. It is the witches' New Year, a time for reflecting on the past and looking ahead to the future. Originally, the custom of wearing costumes on Halloween was a way to visually demonstrate what you wanted to be in the coming year and to project that image out into the world. (No one who knew this would choose to dress up as a ghost, skeleton, goblin, or hobo!)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Halloween is also a solemn time for remembering friends and relatives who have passed on––consequently its connection with death. However, the dead don't rise up out of their coffins and walk around as ghosts or zombies on this sacred holiday. Witches may enact rituals or light candles to honor departed loved ones. Some believe heaven and earth are close together on Samhain, and that this is the best time to make contact with entities on the other side.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVdoeBEVHN65Dy1sx_WMLB4ple-qelMZIZw4ADrAPfSkgoqOZeUMxVx_-N1BE_jJ7SVFwy6fKyXTLz_DAGh2hrQBlzvx23oEscIOXNJezchFd_D0-OZyXJASYFQbWRBC8l6ZbNiqDe9BE/s200/witchcauldron.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393748573737654114" /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">No belief system has been so maligned as witchcraft and no group has been so persecuted for so many centuries as the followers of pagan traditions. It is important to remember that before the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Goddess religions predominated for millennia throughout Europe and many other parts of the world. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, a period known as the "Burning Times," millions of women and children (the most famous being Joan of Arc) were accused of being witches and massacred by Christian zealots. Although most of the violence was levied against females of all ages, astrologers, homosexuals, and other assorted dissidents were also put to death. And we all know what happened in Salem, Massachusetts, a city that now capitalizes on its darkest hour and enjoys a brisk tourist business during Halloween.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Wicca is a Goddess-based religion––one of the few in a world where patriarchal belief systems prevail. Despite the fact that our male-dominated culture still denigrates witchcraft and paganism, many women (and some men, too) today are rediscovering these ancient traditions and finding a form of spirituality they can relate to, one that respects the feminine.</span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiuIM5OWzlfP15MAKbc0KS3df4WTsMcB7jsJcfCbpU6xX7Wfl3oLqBv0eDNie4c8_pt2enCsT900Ri7GZiOxtGxkHWhOQIhISckBrTbAJddS0sHCZaIHVUunwtDfzFG7jModU_ci3ux7x/s200/SamhainVista.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393751080194245986" /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">For the reco<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">rd:</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Witches do not put hexes on people, fly around on broomsticks, snatch and/or eat children, or perform animal or human sacrifices. They do not believe in Satan (he's a Judeo-Christian conception). They do not deny the existence of God or the male principle. Most of them are not cackling hags (although the "hag" is one of the three manifestations of the Goddess: the older woman, representing wisdom). They do not hate men and have no desire to overthrow Christianity or any other religion. Not all pagans are witches; paganism is a general term for various spiritual belief systems that honor the earth, nature, and the cosmos. Many of the rituals, holidays, myths, and practices now connected with Christianity derived from the earlier Goddess-based traditions.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:18.0pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Fear and ignorance are dangerous forces. They are at the root of racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, jingoism, and other forms of violence and hatred. This Halloween, let us put aside our prejudices and uphold one of the principles this country was founded on: religious freedom.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-60629035045350501982009-10-12T15:08:00.000-07:002009-10-12T15:29:47.315-07:00It's in the Cards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmMQm-UfqKirNxQ3wZmJRoi8UB8palFKqA8dZcnsiKR-niIBtlr6His6pFDqtL-5mpOTQ8RSeJVnOf3Y6LzjU1GxCqKPzWmLj72hzaktNjbxxZ2dv0Et_rQtN1cO_KjnW5fGwbBA2CfjG/s1600-h/3+of+cups.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmMQm-UfqKirNxQ3wZmJRoi8UB8palFKqA8dZcnsiKR-niIBtlr6His6pFDqtL-5mpOTQ8RSeJVnOf3Y6LzjU1GxCqKPzWmLj72hzaktNjbxxZ2dv0Et_rQtN1cO_KjnW5fGwbBA2CfjG/s200/3+of+cups.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391843394321195682" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /></span><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Can you really see your future in the cards? I’ve used the tarot––and other oracles including the I Ching, runes, and astrology––for many years. Whenever I have an important decision to make, seek clarity or direction, or just need a different perspective, I turn to my trusty tarot deck for guidance. It never fails to amaze me. (Here's the 3 of Cups from the tarot deck I'm creating.)</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Nobody knows how old the tarot (pronounced tar OH) is or where it came from. The earliest tarot deck that still exists today was created in the mid-nineteenth century. We do know the tarot became popular during the Renaissance, especially in Italy. But tarot scholars believe this beautiful and mysterious oracle is much older, perhaps dating back to ancient Egypt. Some sources say gypsies brought the first tarot decks to Europe hundreds of years ago and used the cards to tell fortunes.</span></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88ZN1lUurUoyGh0sImQUccTM1A0ScD9ksODxzkZcmFBp1eEmynInOPmATxmnKbJWkQ2IVU304V-EBPVHB5cqEefB95DhEr6A3YeKJbkUrniLd57nLBCmL8n8LylpLXfQyZ0N6tGX5l5a1/s200/Tarotica+cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391843602778182306" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">I was thrilled when Ravenous Romance’s Holly Schmidt invited me to write TAROTICA, my just-released erotic novel based on the tarot. The book is one woman’s lively, lusty journey of self-discovery as she travels cross country, meeting a colorful cast of characters who teach her the secrets of the 22 cards in the tarot’s major arcana. Here's how it starts:</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">"Some people believe the ancient, mysterious, beautiful oracle called the tarot holds the secrets to life.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Miranda Malone isn’t sure. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">But she’s about to find out.</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">..</span></span></span></span><span style=""><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> "</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">One of my favorite tarot artists, Lori Walls, creator of the fascinating Tarot Erotica deck, called TAROTICA “a ripping read which works surprisingly well on a number of levels. I love your characterizations of the trumps, the interpretation of the Path, and of course, the erotic element.” </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Coffee Time Romance and More </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">review</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">e</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">d TAROTICA as</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> "one of the hottest books I have ever read....a journey not to be missed."</span></span></span></span></span></p><!--StartFragment--><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">You tarot enthusiasts out there, I hope you’ll check out Lori’s card deck –– and my book! Go to www.ravenousromance.com and you'll find TAROTICA listed under my pseudonym Amber Austin. In a future post, I'll excerpt part of the second chapter "The Magician," which depicts a scene of sex magick in a secret pyramid. Stay tuned!</span></span></span></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7492171785348632159.post-83289116233179487502009-10-02T20:42:00.000-07:002009-10-03T10:02:59.681-07:00The Magick of Art and Writing<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">We live in a magickal universe––we’re all magicians, performing magick all the time. Science tells us that everything is energy, and things that appear solid are really collections of mobile molecules. Quantum physics has demonstrated that when you focus on those molecules, your attention influences how they behave. What this means is that through the power of your mind, you cause results––whether or not you realize you’re doing it.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Art and writing are some of the most potent forms of magic. To work magic successfully, you create a vivid image in your mind, then empower it with emotion. The more real you can make your vision––and the more feeling you can get into it––the better. That’s exactly what we writers and artists do. Which is why what we write or paint often transpires, metaphorically or literally. I know a writer who wrote about a house she later lived in, and another who wrote about blindness shortly before her retina detached. Twice I’ve drawn hot young guys by writing spicy love stories––they actually turned up on my doorstep.</span></span></p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jAjopgtCxpY536U74CvaeRI1zLHC33visXkCSZWibh09jZOlERgHi8kUxYHDzPOCDD7FnEBWMY2Z9BvlrmKPHzOPKTDDmUY-SKU3WWz8R-Gh2bafTSysa19BAaiwo62LnvNDQg_T2KX7/s320/fire+goddess.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388214794260832050" /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">A couple weeks ago, I made this collage––the image seemed so empowering to me. Then last week I attended a wom<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">en’s retreat where, unbeknownst to me in advance, a class in the Polynesian art of fire spinning was being offered. I got to dance with fire, like the woman in my collage––I even performed before a crowd o<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">f people, and the experience was indeed empowering!</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXreCm9ayRlXaAs1zFkDPB2bq6KGfk2rdq0O4O7OLnmqQP3-BDGr2lMLE_9AAuP0i-IfoZaXSXFZbll_BW8yChIvXS-Ip2-8UyingmfKjvZbevYBClnH9aF1Kh14Su-2Iwrq7xLpvN-Gf/s320/firedancing-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388418936051184722" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">I do believe we create our own realities, as all those inspirational speakers such as Wayne Dyer and Jack Canfield keep saying. The trick is to do it intentionally, so we make things come out the way we want them to. Through writing and art, I’m design my own destiny. Fellow writers and artists, have you ever done this? I’d love to hear about your experiences.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> <!--EndFragment-->Skye Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11418454320829976819noreply@blogger.com2