Normally, when I add text to a QOTD, it is just to support my own answers or, to show why the question is interesting. Today is different. You really need to read the article (only 1,100 words) before answering the question. So solly.
If you are a Holy Roller, try not to bust a vein, puke, pray to Jeebus for my damned soul, or faint. For once in your little lives of closed-loop thinking, try to see things with an open mind, and from the perspective of the “other”. It won’t kill you if you do that for 5 minutes, I promise. If not possible, read it anyway, then maybe you can quick go find a Safe Space.
Stucky Pre-Emptive Strike (Shock and Awe) : AWB, Ditchner, and bb can go ruminate on the ample-sized urinary tool of an unhealthy Equus Asinus.
Now with that out of the way, just one more thing before we begin. As you read about each one of these highlights, ask yourself – “In and of itself (apart from the greater context) is this particular thing good, bad, or neutral?” You might even want to keep track on a piece of scrap paper.
WICCAN BELIEFS (numbered for easy reference if/when commenting)
1)- It is the fastest growing religion in America …. average annual growth rate of 143% in the United States between 1990 and 2001. Link here
2)- It IS a religion, as ruled by the Supreme Court. (“Cult” is a term used by others to denigrate, minimize, humiliate, and shut down conversation. It is like calling someone “racist”.)
3)- The word is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word wicce. It simply means to shape nature to your service. (This is no different than when God told Adam&Eve to “subdue” the earth.)
4)- As such, it has absolutely nothing to do with Satanism.
6)- However, they do consider themselves Pagan. That “loaded” word simply means they follow a “nature” religion … where god is manifest in all of creation. (Just like this; “The heavens declare the glory of God.”)
7)- Someone put it quite beautifully this way;
“If you take the Christian Bible and put it out in the wind and the rain, soon the paper on which the words are printed will disintegrate and the words will be gone. Our bible IS the wind and the rain.”
8)- Wiccans hardly ever congregate in soul-less, mind-numbing, people-alienating stadiums. They prefer to form and meet in small groups called covens, groves, etc. (Christians call their small groups ‘church’.)
9) So, what do Wiccans Believe? There are many possible answers because Wicca is extremely decentralized. Many Wiccans develop their own beliefs, rituals, and other practices, which are often not known to people other than the solitary practitioner or to the Wiccan coven to which she or he belongs!
— Wiccans can believe in a God, or Goddess, who manifest in forms familiar to us in mythology, and/or established traditions … including Jesus Christ.
— Some believe in a supernatural reality of the Deity.
— Some view Deity as archetypal forces within the human mind.
10)- Wiccans love a good party. They love their festivals of eating, drinking, making merry, and celebrations. (Just like Christians have Christmas and Easter).
11)- Yes, they can have rituals which are shrouded in mystery, highly symbolic, ritualistic, magical, and may even involve blood. (In Christianity, it called The Eucharist / Communion.)
12)- Most Wiccans do have One Big Beautiful Rule: — “If no harm is done, do as you will“. (This is no different than the Christian Golden Rule; “do unto others as you would have them do to you”)
13)- As you can see, Wicca embraces many possibilities — including sharing many similarities with Christianity. This may be confusing to people, because most people desire a more solid structure, they need to be told what to believe. As such, here is a very nice summary which encompasses the religion, as told by a Wiccan master:
“We see the divine manifest in all creation. The cycles of nature are our holy days, the earth is our temple, its plants and creatures our partners and teachers. We worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess and father God, who together created all that is, was, or will be. We respect life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of all creation.”
14) However, despite some of the similarities with Christianity, there are also major differences. They ARE two different religions, after all. So, in the Wicca religion;
— There is no need for salvation from a pissed off god.
— The Deity has never killed anyone. Not. Once.
— There aren’t a thousand and one rules to follow.
— YOU aren’t an evil SOB who deserves to be tortured forever.
— You don’t have to get in everybody’s face and tell them how great your coven is. It is a non-evangelistic religion.
— There isn’t a hierarchy of priests, ministers, bishops, Popes, deacons, and ilk et all to rule over you for the rest of your life. You pretty much get to rule yourself.
— And, best of all, the Deity doesn’t need or want your money!
——————————————————– –
FOOTNOTE: You can pretty much ignore all Biblical references to witches. Like this one; “A man or woman who is a witch among you must be put to death.”
— First of all, the book of Leviticus has 232 reasons to kill people, none of which were ever followed.
— Second, the word witch used 2,500+ years ago bears no resemblance to the 2017 word used in America.
— Third, the OT uses it to describe people (usually women, but not always) who uttered spoken curses to injure people or, destroy their property.
The Bible refers to this kind of witch.
I’m talking about this, witches which are wonderful.
=======================================================
******************* Finally, the Questions: ********************
Q1: You now actually know a little Truth about WICCA. Don’t you think it’s just a beautiful religion, with much to offer? Or, what?
Q2: America is so damned dis-united. Almost hopelessly so. Don’t you think that WICCA is America’s last remaining hope … that it has a little something for everybody and, as such, can unite us? Or, what?
Q3. I am thinking of forming an internet-based TBP-Wiccans, Inc. I will be in charge; “The Facilitator For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of TBP”. Will you join my coven? Or, what?
=======================================================
Me? I was leaning towards becoming more familiar with Deism. But, this Wicca stuff seems really, really appealing! Truly so. All 13 points above were either positive, or neutral.
So, where are the negatives?? (Except maybe … that in some alternative universe, this stuff might piss off that particular Jeebus. I can see that.) Other than that, I think it’s all-systems-go.
Wiccai has all the positive aspects of Spiritual Life but, without all the negative burdens of organized religiosity. In that sense, Wicca does trump Christianity.
See you in my coven. Hopefully, soon.
P.S. Today is Ms. Freud’s birthday! Not kidding. I baked her a DEVIL’S Food cake? this morning. I think she might become my first “convert”. Hallelujah!!
BLESSINGS! :})
.
.
Q1: The world was created by a goddess her name is the Aeon Sophia
Q2: No, Hange the banksters
Q3: I will join if you require that all women members of the coven should attend meetings “skyclad”
Stuck, I’ll try this attachment You Tube thing again, after failing Sunday night.
If the link doesn’t post to this thread on my 2nd attempt,
do a search on YooBoobTube under “Jehovah’s Witnesses parody”
Topics: Religion, British humor…cuz, damnit, I live to laugh at all costs, and share accordingly.
[img]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnVpmMQ4HyU[/img]
UPDATE / EDIT…I’m apparently missing some technique here. Tried Copy on the vid’s URL, then
Clicked TBP’s link by Leave a Comment that says I can “add images to content by clicking here”
Sigh….Fail X (2)
Any tips?
Thanks, Rob.
LGR
I see now what you are doing wrong. Don’t put the link where it says click here.
That is only for images.
The videos you can copy and paste right into where you type the comments
[img
[/img]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjf6D1AS0Yc
I am trying, once again, to answer this in a thoughtful way. I can’t remember the exact words, but I know the author was Langston Hughes. In a short story describing being at a revival meeting where the preacher demanded all the little lost lambs come forward to the altar to be welcomed by Jesus and be saved, the child in the story comes forward to the front, but refuses to fall to his knees and be declared saved. When asked why he refused to drop, he very simply and honestly says that he just didn’t see Jesus there. He’d been told again and again that he would see Jesus if he really tried and since he didn’t see anything but the other children kneeling with heads bowed and he supposed that since they saw Jesus and he did not, Jesus must not be ready to save him.
If people seek God in Nature, they will find Him. If they seek Evil in Nature, they will find that as well. I personally believe God is a Supreme Being capable of fulfilling all the belief systems mankind can throw at Him. As a woman, I have no problem with God’s masculine nature, nor do I believe that masculinity manifests in a sexual way, though the sexual nature of mankind suggests sexuality has some divine quality.
Now, Wicca. Father Sky, Mother Earth, Children of the Natural World. Sure. A young lady I knew briefly in college mentioned in class that her family were practicing Wiccans. Since I knew her father (Air Force connection), I suspected she was making it up, but I did a bit of research and discovered she wasn’t inferring they gathered at midnight under a full moon in robes. I thought the Wicca religious looked a bit Eastern with the chakra references (linked below) and it is very similar to the Mystery Religions of Ancient Greece. That is the class she and I attended together — Ancient Greece: History, Philosophy and Literature. I thought she was trying to impress the teacher, but since I learned the term Wiccan did not mean cauldron stirring witches, I decided against poking fun at her.
Back from my walk and not interested in this topic any longer. I have my own shitfest to tend to.
I will include, along with the pretty Chakra image, the following:
The Wiccan Rede
(Full Version)
Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.
For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.
Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again.
Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.
When the Lady’s moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart’s desire seek.
Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.
When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.
Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.
Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God’s
insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.
Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.
Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.
Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.
Elder is the Lady’s tree burn it not or cursed you’ll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.
As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it’s now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.
When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magick rite.
Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.
In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached it’s height time for Oak and Holly to fight.
Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you’ll be.
Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you’ll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.
With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.
Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.
(And, the short version)
These Eight words the Rede fulfill:
“An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will”
[img
[/img]
Apropos of this thread I share my thoughts on the sacred.
The most well known dentist in the world is most likely L. D. Pankey. The competitors are G V Black and maybe Wilmer Eames. Dr. Eames was one of my professors at Emory – I shook Dr. Pankey’s hand in 1977 when I attended a weekend seminar session at his Miami Institute. I attended with two fellow classmates from Emory. They both worked nights with me in the blood bank and lab of Emory Hospital. As we were accustomed to working through the night, we stayed up till 4 in the morning reading everything in the Pankey library, each going through a book or paper treatise. There was nothing present that was not in Emory’s curriculum. However the lasting effect on me is Pankey’s “philosophy”.
I was raised protestant, by Air Force Chaplains mostly. When I lived in Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico, the base chaplain lived next door. His son was my age so I hung out at the church with young Martin frequently. I worked hard to get those Sunday School attendance pins handed out by the church. Martin told me about the machine gun nest in the church’s steeple and that it was not a sin to hit, smash or deface the bible for Catholics, unlike as it was for protestants. At least this is what I recall from those days.
Dear dad was not religious but insured we attended church off and on when we returned to the states. During college in So Cal I do not recall attending any services (I do not count lectures from the Jesuit from Claremont College) but most likely made it to an Easter service or midnight mass a time or two. While at Emory I would attend church services at Glenn Memorial Church occasionally . Emory’s Methodist mission was present in many professors’ lectures. When the head of the law school lectured us I had an epiphany about the nature of laws. He asserted that the basis of Western law came from Greece and their logos. And basically laws arose to protect children. I even went up to him after the lecture to confirm my interpretation of his words.
In one of my father’s text books from the Industrial and War College in DC was a tome with a red paper back and cover. I think it was titled A History of Western Civilization. In it was a chapter on religion. They showed a drawing of Jesus and one of Mohammad. The faces looked very similar to me, only Mohammad had a darker beard and hair. So it was I carried an image of Mohammad with me later in life. I once told a Turkish oral surgeon I had invited to see the base dental clinic that he looked like Mohammad to me. He gave me an odd look of course. I told him when I first read the history book I mostly looked at the images. Hence my image of Mohammad stuck in my brain. Later when I read the text of the book, it said the pictures of the two prophets were only idealized images of what they might of looked like, as no one has a true likeness recorded of the two men. Today I believe Islam’s aversion to images of Mohammad stems from centuries of abuse handed to them by image-toting warriors and relic worshippers.
Which brings me to the Pankey Cross. As I developed my marketing skills to promote my practice I came upon the idea to use the Pankey Philosophy in my logo. As I thought the Christian cross Pankey originally used to illustrate the 4 main tenets was too provincial, I applied the ‘rules’ to a watch face and placed each tenet at the ordinal points: 12, 3, 6 and 9. A compass would work equally as well. I liked the idea that a watch/clock face works well with the idea of having balance in one’s life. Time spent in each sector is necessary to lead a well rounded life in my opinion. I break the zones down to: 1, work (do something of value for others), 2, worship (study and practice the sacred), 3, play (recreation- recreate the good things of your life) and 4, family (where we hopefully learn about love)
Here is a link to a nice image of the 4 tenets displayed graphically. I am deficient in the skills to show them on this post . I also like the poem at the bottom of the page that was used by Dr. Pankey. I selected the page at random.
http://dcf.e-handbills.org/dentists/pankey.php
I have written poetic about this but I will spare you my informal stricture and musings for now.
Get the hell off my thread you wrinkledcunt.
This crappy story telling is no different than Spam. I guess I don’t have the right to ask that this whore’s IP be banned. NOOOO, we gotta let every cockroach with fingers spew their drivel.
BTW, I suspect this POS could be a regular poster being an asshole.
Parables Stocky, parables Have they ever been used for good?
I apologize for being nice to KSusie, thinking IT was a HER. Obviously the twat doesn’t know I’m the ramblin’ rose on this platform.
Forum rules prevent me from illustrating your other ad hominem directed to me…
“POS” first time I saw this it meant ‘parent over shoulder’
The first time I heard the word nerd I was at the Ice House in Pasadena maybe 1967. I was there with gf as her sister was singing at amateur hour. After the shows we went to a smoky bar where a lounge lizard posing as a muscian was hitting on the older female. When he said it I asked him what it meant. He said: “you know, like a short, pot bellied jew with salmon pants and shiny shoes” The meaning has morphed.
While there Steve Martin was exercising his comedic skills between shows and after shows. I watched him through two sessions as he displayed his lame sight-gag jokes. NO ONE from the audience EVER gave him even a look. I felt he was totally ignored and abandoned in his efforts. So I made my way as he slouched along with some kind of robe on. I stopped him, engaged his eyes and told him he was great and he would make it.
True stories
Empower women and protect children
Anyone hanging with Hollywood and D.C. won’t get much respect around here.
now now stucky,
you’re not displaying a very wiccan attitude here are you?
Seriously! WTF! Now I remember why I have less than six books written by women in my book collection.
Dance Macabre Group
Diogenes
That you KNOW. A well-published author friend (24 novels, 2 how-tos, a couple of screen-writing credits) uses a male name for her science fiction stuff. And I’ll never tell her real or fake name here.
Keyser is my female hollywood incarnation. My earliest hollyhood male incarnation is George Malley. So George has her back sort of speak. I bet I can string this thread out to break records. What is the count for “good”
word counts and comments?
I forget seems to hold KeeslerSuexxie in some regard. I regard the moran’s input as garbage. He does make you appreciate the bard of the backwoods barrio; that dauntless trailer trash heroine, BW. Machine guns in the steeple, really? I think you have bats in your belfry. You should cut back on the laughing gas, Gojira lips.
You would not believe how much I made when I employed a coven of 12.
Keeslersuzie: Something Wicca this way comes.
See, Stuck, why we can’t go willy-nilly delving into the occult?
TBP may be the first blog to require an exorcism.
Anybody got a twisted cross?
Hankey Pankey cross?
Anything?
Bueller?
Damn Straight! Exorcise these long winded nonsensical witches from this thread. Holy Sophia! KeyserSuzie makes Billah’s Wife look like a fucking intellectual giant. Mental illness must be a bitch.
Yours in Odin,
Diognes
but you do not object to Stucky’s shield image? The four tenets have no place on that shield.
how about applying the tenets to a time piece face, an analog one at that. Or use the rhumb line image. Or are those satanic also to you?
I think Suzie is actually Chelsea Handler.
Netflix kicked her to curb and now he is looking for another gig.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi95e4j6skU
200+ comments! Oh, wow! Too bad that most of the commenters don’t understand the irony that their freedom to express themselves was provided by a Christian nation.
Good luck to all those who seek a post- Christian culture. It won’t end well, but they might take solace in the fact that they weren’t the first fools in history to be deceived.
Solzhenitsyn and others have already reported on what a post-Christian society brings.
End Times, baby! Gird your loins.
And most of the 200+ comments were organic. We amazingly stayed on topic throughout, and it was interesting and lively with all the various viewpoints ….
…. until that dick sucking maggot KeistetSuckjob came along.
But some are so committed to NO CENSORSHIP that they willingly allow such buffoonery.
Hey, KeistetSuckjob ! I hope you have the balls, or whatever hardware you own, to spew your stinky shit on a thread but Admin. Let’s see how long you last.
The real irony is that not one single Christian has the faintest trace of a clue America was made possible by the reaction against the supernaturalist / mysticist paradigm (in its most pernicious manifestation as Christianity) by the naturalist / rationalist paradigm, and its current putrefaction is a consequence of the counter-reaction.
Huh?
Some do take me seriously. I pitched Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan) about the Dooley Corp and Section 8 when he lectured here at the Institute of Human and Machine Cognition, he was on board. Few know of his involvement with the Defense Department. They may have his lecture online from IHMC.
Trivia quiz with sexually gratuitous answer. Where does the name Steely Dan come from?
still looking for a few good humans for my cause.
It’s the name of a dildo mentioned in a William S. Burroughs novel.
Hmmmm I smell government troll. I’m going to ignore you just like your husband does (If you are married) when you start talking.
I laid the egg about George Malley. Its the shit truth, only I did not die obviously. It is a highly exaggerated and dramatized version of my life in Cal. Wiki has some of it right and some of it wrong. I know it sounds delusional but that is my story and I am sticking to it. I cannot verify the facts of that movie but I can verify Keyser Söze, only I won’t because I can only say I was there and not name names. Dats da rule. If you had acesss you could find me on file in every G-20 AND NK. I have reading material from Claude van Muyden in my possession – he was the Swiss diplomat/banker who brokered the Korean armistice.
It will drive you nuts when I tell you about a newly shingled lawyer I enlisted long ago. I could see in a Malcolm Gladwell blink he would be a valuable aide in my missions. He is a chameleon in the vein of Newt Gingrich. When I met him I asked him if he was running for office. He said no (but you know how politician lie). I told him to run for Representative from the Florida’s First Congressional District. I told him he would win. And the newcomer did exactly that. He parleyed his position to MSM after a few talk shows locally; sponsored by the law firm the University of Florida’s law school is named after. We keep in touch now and then.
Though you may puke at the mention of his name, you cannot disagree that he empowers women (especially one daughter of an advisor to several presidents) you may wish he and her would die….
I will let you work on that one.
But back to topic, my experience with witches. This opinion came to me after dating a young woman who is a doppelgänger for the white witch in the opening statement. She is the grand daughter of one of the richest sports figures of the last 60 years. Her ersatz father was a physician at Emory while I was there. I rubbed shoulders with him in the night quarters. I stole his French shampoo he left in the showers. The sports figure grand father was one of my heroes growing up. The other grandfather was a famous AF pilot who flew George C. Marshall around Europe. The sport figure passed last year. She is a bit of a savant, with some minor autistic features. I came to understand what a witch is after falling in love with her and dating her for over a year. I visited with her in DC while I stayed across the street of the White House in 2006 while she was doing research at John’s Hopkins where her father was tenured. I counseled her earlier how to reconnect with her estranged father she had not seen since she was two years old. That story is another 2000 words.
She was soooo smart. She cruised through the Univ of West Florida while earning more money than I did as a successful dentist. She was secretive about her origins and business dealings. I found when ever her story would crack, she would double down on her prevarications and obfuscations. And she was very convincing and charming. As I see it, a witch is a female so smart she can win any argument with logic and if that fails, the charms and guile win you over to make you doubt yourself. Kinda like a salesman who can close any deal.
That is why some women are branded a witch. It cuts across most cultures. It usually used to denigrate females or punish a strong woman. Some are venerated because they are smart and can manipulate the minds of those around to good ends. Good witches and evil witches, depends on your perspective – like wizard of oz witches.
In the extreme I can think of a scene from Schindler’s List and of a Jewish witch/bitch accusation with horrid results. In the right light, a good witch could be called an angel. But here is the ugly video on how labels can dehumanize and be evil.
Hence, which (witch) way is reality?
Who is this KeyserSusie person taking up such space but saying nothing?
He’s a Walter Mitty type, a retired dentist who misses his former captive audiences. He’d like it if we would all assume the position; lie back, stuff wads of cotton and assorted Dremel tools in our mouth until all we can say is gah, gah! to anything he talks about – his goiter, his first victim, his admiration for Ted Bundy and Hitler, filching lunches from Hollywood rapists..He likes to use obscure words he picked up watching Star Wars knockoffs, words like coprolite and anthropophagus that he loves since they describe him to a T.
EC
“his admiration for Ted Bundy and Hitler,”
Sorry you have missed my message. But you do bring up a man I have met personally and I am filled with the deepest regret for the meeting. Evil men sometimes appear to be likable.
But it does sorta lead to a parable like story.
It was 1976 or early 77. I would have to check the internet for the exact dates but I am loathe to revisit an event I wish had never happened.
I had just started an association with the largest group dental practice within 200 miles. I rented a small duplex apartment on the redneck side of Pensacola. One week end night I went to a redneck county and western bar on the west side of town. It was a lonely event and there was not much action and I am not really into drinking.
I met a man who engaged me with conversation. We chatted a bit. He told me he was looking for nice and beautiful females, as was I. So to string out the conversation I told him I knew where there was some beautiful sorority sisters waiting for me in Tallahassee.
When I was 16 years old I was returning home in my parents car down the long road through the woods bordering Eglin AFB’s vast reservation. Sunset Lane. I came to the only curve in the road and there was a woman looking plaintiff beside a car on the side of the road. I could tell her car was stuck on the sandy side of the asphalt road. She told me she had been collecting pine cones for decorations and could not extricate her car from the side of the street. As I learned to drive on dirt roads, sand and clay I had some skills. I simply got in her car and rocked forward and backwards in the vehicle that had no positraction rear differential. In less than 10 seconds I had back in business.
She was very impressed and appreciative of my simple trick. She told me she was a sorority house mother in Tallahassee. I was impressed as I only knew of two college females at the time. Both were way above my league. And certainly I did not know of any sorority girls. She went on to invite me to visit her at FSU. Flattered and slightly bewildered I asked her what if she was not there? She said no problem, just come in the door and pass her office and go down the hall to meet the sisters. I saw her a few more times in Shalimar Fl. She repeated the invitation to me when I confirmed the invitation.
So I told the clean cut man next to me, they were waiting on me to visit and all I had to do was come in the front door of Chi Omega.
It was maybe a month later when I saw the news. I again, was at the seedy bar right after that when I recalled my conversation. There was a cop there that night. I told him that the perpetrator had been in the bar recently and I gave him a spot on description of the man. I have no idea what he did with the information. Ted was eventually apprehended a few miles from where I had the encounter, much later on.
I suppressed thoughts about it until my niece was thinking about joining a sorority at FSU. My niece is special. She would go on to become the youngest person, male or female to be admitted to FSU’s business school. She had a summer as a model in NYC with several national appearances in print and tv.
As time dims memories, especially repressed ones, I was slow to share my recollections of FSU sorority opinions. I suggested to her, as part of her sorority decision to go to Chi Omega’s house and inquire for me, if there had been a house mother from Shalimar at one time. So she did and reported back to me in the affirmative. Then, as I choked up, as I am now, I told her of my tale.
Sorry, I had to take a break and puff on my cancer sticks to anesthetize my feelings and refocus.
I encouraged her to join Chi Omega and make it her mission to safeguard women and learn how to effect security for women. And she did. And she is now employed with a company that specializes in traffic control and security.
On a lighter note I once asked her if there was a class on how to make music videos. She said yes so I gave her an idea for one to pursue. I was prompted by music playing at that time that had a trance like melody. Medicine men shows once used banjo players to attract attention to their products. The same mesmerizing rhythm can be heard in casinos if you listen to the jingle of slots making music. I told her to make a video featuring Taj Mahal and the song Honky Tonk Women using stock photos from FSU’s photography department. The video features my niece in a pose I suggested for one of her classes. She appears at 3:50.
“As I see it, a witch is a female so smart she can win any argument with logic and if that fails, the charms and guile win you over to make you doubt yourself. Kinda like a salesman who can close any deal.”
Hey Stuck,
It seems KS plays Moriarty to your Sherlock Holmes. There is truth in his lies and mirth in his eyes. Although, all and all, quite harmless.
http://en.gravatar.com/buddyclaude
In all seriousness …..
For the last time, my sole REASON for the article was the Drudge story that Wicca is the fastest growing religion amongst American teenagers. I decided to do some research because I knew virtually nothing about the religion. My MOTIVATION in framing the questions was to stimulate lively discussion … sometimes known here as a “shitfest”. As to the questions ….
Q1. It is a serious question.
I truly wanted to know how folks viewed the religion.. There were some great answers. There were also knee-jerk reactions ….. “Satanists!! God haters!!!’ … esp from Holy Rollers (as expected), or people whose knowledge of Wicca comes from watching teevee shows.
I’ve concluded — granted, based on a few days research — along with SteveC that it seems like a “nice religion”.
“Nice” because elevating nature is ancient, and simple. Venerating something I can SEE vs an invisible Sky Daddy? The former makes more sense to me. And “nice” because of its free flowing nature. It fits MY nature …. I loathe following excessive rules, regs, doctrines, etc.
Q2. It is a semi-serious question.
More of a “thought experiment”, actually. I’ve said it many times; at this point in time, i don’t think there’s anything that can unite America, least of all a Nature religion. Not to mention that “unity” may be an irrelevant goal.
Q3. Not serious whatsoever. (Wasn’t it obvious?)
I am NOT a leader. Never wanted to be, never will be. I have zero desire to boss people around. Y’all know my temperament … I would make a TERRIBLE leader. No thanks. Anyone who would follow me is a moran.
I am NOT a follower either. I am as loathe to follow as I am to lead. I have rejected authority as far back as I can remember. That will never change. As such, it would be a cold day in hell before I decided to “lead” a coven.. in fact, I can’t imagine any circumstances where I would join a religion ever again in my life.
I am Stuck ….. somewhere in No Man’s Land. Neither this, nor that. A lone voice crying in the wilderness. Its not a “fun” place to be. Gets quite lonely at times. But, I ain’t changing my wicked ways. It is what it is …
But it sure was fun watching some of you STMs getting yer panties all tied up in knots! ?
Yo YO YO.
To keep on topic this story includes a bad witch. Hillary. I could smell her aspirations in Bill’s first term. I am sorta partial to wild bill. When he retroactively increased my income taxes after I had filed by 5 g’s I did not like him. However, following that hike, we did balance the budget, or came close, closer than we have been since. Most was due to the internet boom I believe.
The question posed is do I have any revisionist stories about Germany, where my father administered to the war crime trials as a Lt. And where my sister died (poisoned by my calculations). Dad worked closely with the gypsies. I have written about it elsewhere on this site. I have somewhere a booklet with many photos and descriptions of the horrors of Baden Baden and the camps around Nuremberg from his collection.
So I have been a casual student of the Holocaust history. I have spent time in Germany in the 70’s. I have slept and ate at some hotel in Berchtesgaden where Gestapo’s wined and dined. I have hiked alpine ways. My Austrian ski instructor was a former Nazi. Karl was an amiable kraut lover.
Fast forward to 2002 or so, maybe 2003. I was dating my half Vietnamese gf with kinky papolo hair from her half Portuguese father. She hailed from Hilo and was a drug courier for her fathers pot farm when she was a pre teen. The wife bought a bar on Waikiki Beach with the money and then absconded with the money to Thailand. She resurfaces when she marries an engineer from Westinghouse (nuclear division) and then marries a man with a machine shop. I have no love for the woman but she was a damn fine cook. I have said my suspicions about her elsewhere onTBP. I traveled with both women to Viet Nam in 2002. The Caravelle is a lovely place. We stayed mostly at the mother’s home where I met many relatives.
Anyway, I went with my hula girl to a local flea market. We were just passing a weekend close to my home. As we strolled one vendor caught my attention. In his display cabinet was a switchblade knife with orange plastic covering the body. This caught my eye as I recognized it as the knife issued to SAC crew members. On the original, the plastic eventually shrunk – a lot – rendering the knives ugly. The vendor had one of the second editions where the plastic was changed. I wanted that knife so I asked him about some other item, so as to not show my hand to the itinerant salesman. Eventually I bought the knife and it started a conversation about many things.
I have referred to him before. I said I thought he was FBI, or some kind of special contractor for government jobs. He told me he was kicked out of Boston by some mob boss when he messed the the gangster’s daughter. Did Whitey B. have any daughters? I came to call the man Gypsy as he did move around. He was living in a trailer at the flea market. We immediately hit it off. He sensed me as a good mark I imagine, and I eventually purchased thousand$ of items from him. HIs collection of military stuff was amazing. He had volumes of photos and memorabilia from post war Germany. I mean personal stuff from Göring and shit.
So, after we completed the knife deal he invited me to his truck to see some private stuff in his possession.
Before I tell you what he had for me I have to tell you the night before when I had a vision, an inspiration, while doing some of my writings. It came stream of consciousness, much like the lyrics to “Killing The Blues” dream of mine that became a Grammy winning song. The words came flowing from my unconscious. I wish I still had the verse but it is lost in my old Dell computer. So forgive me for telling you what it was about without my poetic voice. The poem was about a woman dancer. Who danced with grace to great effect to ease the pain of life in a prison like place. The subtle ending referred to her legs being venerated and hinted at cannibalism. Gruesome I know. But it flowed from my hand to the paper with unconscious ease.
The flea market gypsy showed me some holocaust art. He said it came from the money hungry children of someone who had died, who had been in post war Germany. He said the bones had been part of some kind of display. You could see some adhesive on the end of the sawed bones where they had been attached to something. They were two femur bones about 10 inches high, cut on both ends. Carved into the bones were images of a dancer, both nearly identical in appearance. The dancers had arms raised in a dramatic image with a flowing dress. Also there was an image of what looked like to me, of pomegranates adoring the bones. When I saw them I was gobsmacked and immediately thought of my words from the night before. I was almost moved to tears.
I did take them from him. I did not buy them as sale of human parts are illegal. But I did make the gypsy a new set of false teeth eventually – for free. I showed the bones to the wife of the county coroner. Both of them were clients. The physician was also a fishing buddy of mine who took me out often on his 46 Viking. She said it best if he did not look at them because he would be required to make a report. So it was I came to possess the bones. I was unsure what to do with them. I can have human parts as part of my surgical and medical research.
Eventually I went online to seek help with the proper disposal of the items. AOL was big in those days. There were chat rooms for every taste, where in no time you could meet someone who wanted to sell you insurance or solicit you for money somehow. I went to an open chat room about Judaism. I asked if anyone had knowledge of the holocaust. Well, someone with the handle of Uncle David (clever star of david reference) responded. I went into detail about my new possessions. He listened. I sent him the verse and photos of the bones. He told me he was from Hillary’s district in NY. He seemed to imply he was politically connected. Perhaps just braggadocio. His response was kind of hush hush when I pointed out the cannibal symbolism. Now never in MSM is the eating of human flesh mentioned in holocaust history. But I know when parents see their children starving, they will do almost anything.
Uncle David tacitly acknowledged my opinion. And he said it is best never to speak of such horrors and that it was a crime tantamount to what the Germans did.
He went on with me as he sensed a sympathetic soul. He told me a story about the last days of the Reich. He told me of a group of young boys taken from school, maybe from Poland or Hungry, some place. They were among the last to be sent to the chambers. There were tales of all night praying by the boys etc… And how the evil Nazi camp commander relished his job of gassing the victims. And lo and behold by a miracle they were spared by an act of Göd or some kind of event meant to villain-ize the komander and eulogize the kiddos. They went on to become rabbis and stuff. A well told story meant to command sympathy for the Jews.
I am pleased the boys were spared, really happy for them. I wish more had been spared.
I have long sensed MSM is controlled by you know who. It does not take too much critical thinking to see the aim of books and movies. You can ferret out the motivations with a little knowledge. I absolutely believe Jews are the best story tellers (and comedians). I mean they have a written language in use longer than any other I am aware of. They have absolutely mastered the art of a story. Praise be. It became more evident to me by watching news of Israel for over 30 years. EVERY news bit would vilify the Palestinians. Every damn one. Not once did I ever see something sympathetic to the Palestinians. I pointed this out to a cut out of mine as I educated her about some things. Sortly after that I did some some positive media released with something humanitarian about the Palestinians. (you would not believe my story about my cut out but maybe one day – she was a Christina Applegate doppelgänger ….)
I have gleaned from this site – knowledge about the 60 million killed in Soviet history. Where has this news been? I guess it may be part of hidden history. I take no pride in the history of US doings. I do my best to make amends where I can. And I am grateful for this site.
Hehe, the above post has 1,555 words. Triple Nickel strikes again. I am proud of this country. I did not want to mess with the word count so I left it alone.
And FYI the bones were transferred to the man who kept an OSS military coin in his pocket.
Final word
Isaiah 45:5
“I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God I will gird you, though you have not known Me;
I stopped by my corner redneck bodega today to pick up a pack of smokes. The short young woman who weighs 160 at least, with nose piercings and purple dyed hair; two days ago she said would order my brand as they have been out for two weeks. She did her job and is always cheerful when I drop by. She wore a pentagram pendant on her necklace. I asked her if she is wiccan and she replied yes with a smile.
Ditto for my favorite bank teller. She is much more decorous in her dress and appearance though equally weight challenged. She too wears a non descriptive pendant on a chain necklace. I once asked her about it and she kindly told me it was a wiccan charm.
I have been aware of wiccan beliefs for ever it seems. Most of everyone I know is aware too. I am surprised by your innocence Stucky. And I applaud your efforts to educate us.
Stucky, I am curious what you think about my 4 tenets. Or other shitflingers weigh in too. Do you see conflict with the wiccan values you espouse? Do others see it as not being in conflict with other religious practices. How could they be improved?
It is the worship deal that can be troublesome. Study the sacred! That means all of them. I have studied them. I PRACTICE the remnants of Christianity fused with other religions except Islam. I even include tenets from Carlos Castaneda. The key is to emphasize the practice of your religion without coming into conflict with other sacred views. I pray Islam could make that transition but I know it will not happen in my lifetime.
Of note to me is, that to practice a faith, most require you invite the deity into your life. Christianity is that way. The Teaching of Don Juan instructs the same with shamanism. I have found if you are faithful in your beliefs, it will change the world, for you at least, and maybe for others too.
A thought on prayer. As the poly addicted rocker Jim Morrison said, “You cannot petition the Lord in prayer”.
The big book (you know, not the bible one) it says very clearly how to pray. I have 1000 Alanon meetings under my belt. And 1000 AA meeting, but not for Etoh, nor any substance. I started the first Naranon meeting in the State of Florida (ex wife deal) Step 11 says “Sought though prayer and mediation to improve our conscious connect with God, as we understand him, praying ONLY FOR KNOWLEDGE of his will for us and the power to carry it out.
break down: God as we understand him, or her or it or that fat cat I feed every day. It could be anything…no limits
I spell and think of God as ‘good’. The ultimate good I can imagine with my limited brain. I am imperfect. God has one all seeing eye, the o in the middle of the word. See the dollar bill obverse. Good has two o’s representing human eyes. No human can see the ultimate good. It is always selfish good that rises to the top of thoughts usually.
So to follow the thought train, in prayer you ask for knowledge ONLY – knowledge of what the ultimate good could be, and what your actions should be once you receive, or think, or believe the ultimate good is. Never is a request for selfish things appropriate. Even that your aunt Jinny should live another day. Who are you to question God’s will? “Tidal waves don’t beg forgiveness” Your job is to perform gods will. And that comes from mediation and asking deep questions about yourself. Few understand how to do it appropriately. I have had professional training daily for three months, and not in some foreign ashram, though one could do worse to learn the skills. It is a skill not commonly found among people.
Again, how could the 4 tenets be improved?
KeyserSuzie needs his own blog. Maybe he and YoBo could go in together.
I will deal with Keyser Susie at a time and place of my choosing. I must say that I am giggling at his ability to get under Stucky’s skin.
What the heck–waking up with her would give a man religion after he gnawed his arm off and then went to AA to sober up,so I’ll post this here.
[img]http://webmail.earthlink.net/wam/MsgAttachment?msgid=95360&attachno=2[/img]
Maybe if I asked a question like: what do you call an animal who eats their own shit? I might get an answer. Warren keepers are exempt from answering.
I’m here for more than festive coprophagic insults
But I do appreciate a good turn of words
https://www.texasobserver.org/our-lady-of-the-underground/