Blog Buttons: Yay or Nay?

A pic, just because I like it. :)

~Magickal Graphics~

When I first began blogging I looked up some advice on how to have a successful blog. One of the suggestions was to have blog buttons. I ended up making my own and figuring out the code required to make the little grab box thingy. It seems to work as far as bringing some traffic, so when I see a blog I really like I grab their button.

I was doing a little blog maintenance tonight because I noticed some broken links in the buttons. Then I went back and started to add a few blogs I've only started to follow recently. The problem is I see a lot of bloggers that don't have buttons at all.

So what is your opinion of blog buttons? Useful or useless?

Btw, if you wanted your blog button to be added just let me know in the comments below.

More Dreams...More Wierdness.

So the other day I talked about a weird dream I had. I didn't know the meaning of the dream and still don't. However last night I had another dream, but there is always a re-occurring theme. I dream about fish - carnivorous fish to be exact.

It's always my job to take care of the fish tank they are contained in. However they often escape the tank. In the past the fish were "swimming in air", or they'd grow legs and walk. This time the fish were just hopping on the floor.

The species of fish vary often. Tonight it was an Oscar fish. Now I've owned this type of fish in the past. I had a 200 gallon aquarium with an Oscar fish named Psycho. Psycho earned his name well. I'd give him feeder fish once or twice a week. The thing is, he didn't just eat the fish. He would hunt them. His favorite game was "scare the ever loving daylights out of them". He'd come up behind them, bump them on the belly and make the fish swim away as fast as they could. Then when they got too tired to run he'd chomp the heads off and leave the body for me to clean up. Again, I say he earned the name Psycho!

But back to the dream. This Oscar fish was in the tank at first and I had to clean it. I wasn't looking forward to sticking my arm in there. For some reason I felt he'd chomp it off. Then I noticed that the fish had jumped into another tank where he was eating all the docile fish. So I had to catch him and put him back in the other tank. He kept running away from my net though.

So then he jumps on the floor and starts going after my toes. I couldn't get a hold of him. I wake up then so I have no idea if he ate my toes or not.

The fish dreams are never the same, yet it's always fish in aquariums. The species of fish change, but the majority of them are carnivorous. Some species I've dreamt don't even exist in real life. If you hadn't guessed I suck at dream interpretation.

So what could fish dreams mean?

Two Years Ago Today

Two years ago today, I was allowing a stranger to cut me open. I remember that day very vividly. My nurse was an older lady and her expert manor had a calming affect on me. As I was positioned at the edge of the operating table, I focused on her beautiful eyes while they inserted a spinal. I was then laid out on the table. I remember feeling like I was about to be a pig bound for slaughter.

My husband came in and sat by my head while they cut me, and at exactly 9 AM my baby boy was born.

Happy 2nd Birthday Wyatt! 

Cake and ice cream equals a very happy little boy!

How do you like his cake I baked?



 

We've also successfully breastfed for 2 years now! Wow I didn't think we'd ever breastfeed for so long. When I first began I said my goal was 6 months. Then I changed it to 1 year. Then changed it to 2 years. I suppose that goal will be changed to 3 years next. :)

2 Years successfully breastfed! Yay. :)

Below is Wyatt on his 1st birthday. My how he has grown! 

Check out the post from his 1st birthday. Click HERE

PBP: "An it harm none..."

~Magickal Graphics~

Prompt: "An it harm none..." 

Posted by Ivy

 

Today's prompt is about the Wiccan Rede. What do you think of the rede? Do you follow it? There are about a billion ways to interpret that last line, "An it harm none, do as thou wilt". What does this personally mean to you? Does this mean as long as you aren't harming anyone...you're good to go? What constitutes harm? Does it carry over into animal rights? Does it cover even commonplace things like ear piercings or tattoos? YOU are included in the "harm none" clause, so does this mean you should hold yourself to a healthy lifestyle that doesn't harm your body?
What do you all think?

~Magickal Graphics~    

 

What does this personally mean to you?

This is a very good question and one I gave a lot of thought about in the past. "An it harm none" is such an ambiguous statement that I don't believe there are any wrong answers here. For me it just means living a moral life in both mundane and magickal ways. Though at one point I did argue that it had more meaning when applied to magickal workings. I suppose at times I need more guidance during magickal workings. So I apply this moral code more when doing craft work rather than in my mundane life. 

Does this mean as long as you aren't harming anyone...you're good to go?

I think as long as you are leading a moral lifestyle that you are good to go. Just because you follow the rede doesn't mean you are a moral person. 

  

What constitutes harm?

Harm is negative energy or action directed at yourself or others; especially against some one's will.

Does it carry over into animal rights?

That depends. We certainly shouldn't go out of our way to hurt animals needlessly. However even our animal brethren kill when hungry or defending themselves. We can do no less. 

 

Does it cover even commonplace things like ear piercings or tattoos?

If it is done willingly, no. Now if you are holding someone down to give them a tattoo or ear piercing that they haven't consented to, yes. This is one of the reasons why I am against infant ear piercings. They cannot give consent. 

 

YOU are included in the "harm none" clause, so does this mean you should hold yourself to a healthy lifestyle that doesn't harm your body?

Ideally yes. I believe our energy is healthier when we are physically and mentally healthy. However I am very guilty of not being as healthy as I should be. That doesn't mean I'm racking up negative karma points. It just means I'm not the best that I can potentially be. 

 

Dreamtime Weirdness

These past few days I've had some weird dreams, but they usually don't involve rituals. I woke up to remembering I was chanting in a circle while riding a horse to "expel" a bad spirit within children.

Freeway. My childhood horse. (Medicine Hat Gelding)

Maybe my kids were just getting on my nerves more than usual yesterday? lol I do remember we were in the same place I grew up. I was a child myself in the dream.

I rode a medicine hat (all white with brown or black "hood" on his ears) pony. We were playing in a field when some threat started to come toward us. I remember other riders in my group jumping on their pony's and running away. I started to go with them.

Other kids that had no horse of their own were left and were being attacked by this entity. So I went back to help them. I started riding in a circle around the kids, who had been possessed by this entity, while chanting. Some of the other riders came back and soon we were all riding in a circle and chanting. We had a double circle going so some riders were on the inside circle, I was in the outer ring. I don't remember what we were chanting.

I have no idea what this dream could mean. Perhaps my brain was just bored. lol


Do you believe dreams have meanings? 

If yes, do you believe all dreams have meanings or just some?

What distinguishes between a meaningful dream, and one that has no meaning?

A Little Mama Pampering

I don't often wear makeup. However when I do I always hate that in pictures my eyes look really small. So I decided to ask some ladies on Cafemom's private group, Alternative Moms, for some help. They had a few suggestions such as reducing the black eyeliner, adding some white around my eyes and brow, etc...

Here is the result.

P.S. It doesn't help that I squint in every picture! I can't stop myself. 

Before

After

Happy Mothers Day!

~Magickal Graphics~  

I just want to wish all you mothers out there a great day. Baby dust to all those women who want to be mothers too. 

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.

Inspirational Quotes on Mothers Day by: Tenneva Jordan

My daughter and son. From the way she watches over Wyatt, I know she'll be a wonderful mom someday.

Me and my son Wyatt. May 11, 2012