Don't Abuse Dogs!

Most of the time I mind my own business. Especially where I live. I haven't made many friends and I like it that way. Today was a warm day and I decided to take the kids outside to play. Wyatt was wanting to play but a puppy was outside and making that impossible. It was likely a German Shepherd pup. I know he's going to grow way bigger than what our apartment complex allows. The limit here is 25 lbs. He kept nipping my son and Wyatt was having none of it. He cried and was scared of the dog.

So I took the dog back to the owner and asked could they please keep him in their area. The woman then turns around and starts smacking the poor dog in the mouth.

My dear readers, as much as I love to keep my nose out of other peoples business, I couldn't walk away. So I spoke up. I told her to stop hitting the dog.

Her excuse? She doesn't want the dog to bite her daughter so she's "teaching" him not to bite. That is about the dumbest statement ever. I feel sorry for this dog. So sorry that if it happens to wonder near my area again, it just might disappear.

I have owned and trained dogs my entire life. Dogs do not learn by physical punishment. Smacking the dog in the mouth is about the one thing you can do to ensure that eventually it's going to bite someone. I tried to keep my cool, but I was seeing red. There are a million other things I wish I had said to her. But all I said was, "Dogs don't learn by physical punishment. Please don't hit the dog."

Then I walked away. I knew if I didn't I'd start a fight. She wasn't willing to learn anyway, so it would have been pointless to try. But oh I feel sorry for that poor dog.

My Support to the Pagans of Pahokee

~Magickal Graphics~    

Some of you may have already heard about a Summer Solstice festival in Pohakee, Florida that is being held by Indigo Crescent Metaphysical shop. It's brought a lot of attention by some residents who are trying to infringe upon the rights of these Pagans to hold a Summer Solstice Festival.

I wish I could say I was surprised at the reaction from the Christian population. However I am not. It seems like this is usually what happens when you try to have a festival in small town America. 

A friend of mine who had something similar happen. She held her first annual Beltane festival in Shelbyville, KY and some of the residents were not happy. Christians stayed outside the ritual area and prayed for the Pagans, while the Pagans did the same for the Christians.

Eventually Shelbyville residents tolerated, if not accepted, the Pagan presence in the town, but my friend did eventually move her store to another city because of the hate and bigotry she encountered in Shelbyville.

Freedom of Religion does not mean freedom for ONE religion. It's never acceptable to try to stop a festival just because you feel it is wrong. 

If anyone is in the Pohakee, Florida area, contact the Indigo Crescent to lend your support. You can also contact them on their Facebook page.

If you're like me and not in the area, you can still get the word out. Share or re-blog this so this festival gets a great turnout!

Honoring Ancestors Through Media

So in my last post I pondered the question of media on the Internet and our descendants.  Hopefully in the many years to come we will still have the Internet, and then there comes the point where we have media stored from generations past.

Today I'm honoring my ancestors.I would want my own descendants to know that I have worked to create a better future by improving myself, my surroundings, and instilling the morals I believe will carry us into a better future. I would want my children to know that I love them and will look over them. I'd have them know me, not just for the dates of major events in my life, but the small details that make up who I am. In generations past we did this through stories past down from father to son. Yet so often those stories are lost, changed, or simply forgotten. That is why the Internet is going to change the way the new generation will connect with their past. Never before have we been able to look back 200+ years and see a video of our ancestor alive and well.

How do you think our social media will change future generations? 

Will they trace their ancestry through social media? 

What would you say to the generations that follow?

In Honor of Memorial Day: Family Tree

Today I've spent a large portion of my day researching my family history. I use to do this all the time. I'd get info on one ancestor, that opened up more information on another ancestor and before I knew it I had 20+ new people on my family tree. I just love that!

Ancestry.com gives you the option to pay for their service, but there are plenty of free websites also. Find A Grave.com is a great service. I've been comparing Find A Grave's information to my info on Ancestry.

Since today is Memorial day, I think it's fitting that I found a lot of war veterans in my family tree.

        

The Smiley Family was awarded an armorial ensign, by the Crown of England, based upon the courage exhibited by Thomas in battle. The motto translates as "Valor in Arms" or "Virtue with Power".

          The first war vet I found today began with Thomas Smiley, my 9th Great Grandfather.

Birth 1660 in South Lanarkshire, Scotland

Death 1689 in Londonderry County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Thomas was a Williamite Defender during the Siege of Derry.  He died during battle and was awarded an armorial ensign by the Crown of England. Thomas had three sons - William, John (My 8th g-grandfather), and Francis - who sailed to America and served in the Revolutionary War.

Of course I found a lot of weird, funny, and sat facts as well. For one, couldn't they think of other names besides William, John, Francis, and Mary? When they did think of unique names, could they not think of something better - Archibald?! Really?

Then there are the infant deaths. So sad. :( Of course there's the large families. Two brothers had 9 children each.

And the discoveries that they were a bit naughty, such as a birth less than 9 months after the marriage. Hello hanky panky. ;)

I found a few who married their 1st cousins. That was pretty common really but the website always alerts you when that happens.


~Magickal Graphics~
Anyway, as I was going through this info and adding it in I began to wonder, in 100 years, is my descendants going to be adding facts about my life and death and wonder what kind of person I was? Because of this blog and other social media, will it be possible to actually get to know me through Youtube, Facebook and other media outlets? What will they think? Once digital information is out there it is rarely lost. Unless some mass deletion or apocalypses that crashes the entire Internet, I think what we put out there will (or at least could) last many lifetimes. Perhaps I'll make a video talking to my descendants and tell them a bit about me, and what I want to manifest that will change their way of life.

Have you created your family tree? 

Have a wonderful Memorial Day everyone! 

 

Donald K Smith. WW2 Veteran and my grandfather. Me pictured right.

 

Magickal Graphics

Robin's Cinnamon & Raisin Bread

My house smells yummy right now. I decided to make Cinnamon and Raisin Bread. So I'll share my recipe with you. I'm far from a Kitchen Witch, but a little baking with love always makes me happy; especially when I get yummy results!

I apologize for it being half eaten before the picture was taken! lol We could not wait.

Ingredients

• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 packet Yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp oil. (Olive oil or Veg. oil.)
• 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Nutmeg
• 1 cup Raisins
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks Butter

Directions

1.  In a measuring cup, 1 cup warm (not hot and not cold) water. Add 2 tbsp sugar and the packet of yeast to the water. Wait 10 minutes or until the yeast proofs. You'll see little bubbles and a foamy action at the top. If your yeast does not proof, its no good. Start over with different yeast. 
2. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp oil. I used olive oil for this, only because it is healthier. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and the contents of the measuring cup. 
3. Mix together so the flour and yeast mix is all worked in. You can use a mixer with a dough hook if you want. 
4. Add 2 tbsp Cinnamon and Nutmeg. 
5. After the dough is formed in a ball, flour your counter surface and place dough on the counter. Put a little extra flour on top. You may wish to flour your hands too. Kneed dough for 10-15 minutes. Dough should be pliant but not sticky. Don't work too much extra flour in or your loaf will be dense. 
6. In a bread pan, oil the bottom with 1 tsp oil. Place loaf in pan and flip it once or twice to coat it with oil. Place in a warm area and allow to rise. If you have a gas oven or an oven with a warm setting, this is a perfect place to allow to rise. Should take 1-2 hours. 
7. After bread has risen, in a separate bowl, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 stick of butter. I added more cinnamon as well. I didn't measure, but it was about 5 tbsp. I like a strong cinnamon taste, but you can change the amount if you wish. Microwave a few seconds to melt the butter. Mix well. 
8. On your floured surface, roll out the bread dough. Place raisins along the top and pour the sugar mixture over top of that. I had some left over that I reserved for later. 
9. Roll the bread up. You should have enough for two loaves. Cut in half and place in oiled bread pans. Pour a little more of the sugar mix on top. Allow to rise another 1-2 hours in a warm place. 
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. If you tap the top of the bread and it sounds hallow, it's done. 
11. Transfer your loaves to a serving dish. I stacked one on top of the other, but you don't need to do this. Arrange them as you wish. 
12. In a saucepan, 1 stick butter, and either the sugar mixture you have left, or make more. Heat on high until it reduces to a glaze. 
13. Pour glaze over top of the bread. Allow to cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Teens & Exploring Spirituality

I think that during your pre-teen and teen years it's natural to start deciding what you believe. It's a time of self-discovery and naturally spirituality is a part of that. However there is conflict when a parent doesn't agree with exploring alternative religions. I think every Pagan has been there. We are contacted by a young 14+ something teen who is hiding his or her beliefs from their parents. They beg us to help them.

I am a child of nature.  Image Source

I feel a bit sorry for the teen who has to hide just to practice his or her faith. I was never in a situation where exploring alternative religions was taboo. If I wanted to have an altar in my room that was fine. If I wanted to go to a Pagan gathering, as long as it was chaperoned, it was all good. I was one of the lucky ones. I had a mother who was more open to alternative thinking.

Not everyone is so lucky, and so I've been there when I had to decline teens the help they seek. It's not that I couldn't help or didn't want to. As long as they were being true and not just seeking attention or rebelling, I wanted to help them learn. However I can't go against a parents wishes. This is why I will always deny anyone under 18 religious counsel. It's also why I do not share many rituals (except for, A Year & A Day).


If you were exploring religion as an adolescent, were your parents supportive or did you have to hide?

What did your parents say when you finally told them about your Pagan beliefs?

PBP: Fate & Destiny

Prompt: Fate / Destiny

Posted by Shauna Lane

 

"Everything happens for a reason."
"What goes around comes around."
Karma
The Threefold Law

These are the things we hear about every day, in good times and bad.  But is everything pre-planned, and everything we experience for a greater lesson?  Or do we decide our own fate with our choices?  Take these questions into consideration while writing your blog entry this week.

I look forward to seeing what every one's views are on this one.

~Magickal Graphics~     Everything Happens For A Reason  

I say, "everything happens for a reason" often. I truly believe that it does. But this idea pisses a lot of people off. I get where they are coming from. It seems abhorrent that a child or loved one would die just to teach us a lesson. Take the recent tornado tragedy. Is there a reason the tornado targeted Oklahoma and not some other place? In my opinion, yes. Those that died were meant to die. Their deaths forever changed the people who cared and loved them. Now that change can be for good, or it can be for ill. That is THEIR choice. 

 

Take for instance a mom who loses her child from cancer. That mom can go on to help raise awareness about childhood cancer and change many lives. Or she could wallow in pain and never do anything with her life - her choice. We can either learn from our experiences or let those experiences batter our psyche so much that we lose ourselves to pain.  

 

Is everything pre-planned, and everything we experience for a greater lesson? Or do we decide our own fate with our choices?

 

I don't believe everything is pre-planned. I do believe we have the choice to avoid positive or negative situations. Take for instance an Oklahoma resident who happened to choose to go on vacation just before the storms. They would have chosen to avoid the tornado that ripped their house apart. Our choices are like ripples in water. Each choice sets off different ripples that creates an inevitable result.  

 

What Goes Around Comes Around 

 

Karma is something I very much believe in. I remember in second grade our teacher had a saying painted high up on the walls that read, "Do unto others as you would have do unto you." She preached every week about being nice to others and if you wasn't, to expect others to not be nice to you. This is sort of the same thing. What you put out returns to you. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but eventually it will come back to you. As someone who understands how energy works, this is just one of those basic laws of energy you can't ignore. Energy is never-ending. It's a circuit and will come back to you.