TSC - Trip to the vet

I went to the vet today to get my 1 month shot and to get checked for icky stuff like worms. I was scared of the lady in the white coat but Mom was there the whole time. I have to take some medicine but I'm otherwise in good health. Although, there was some talk about spades. What do playing cards have to with the vet??


Pawfully yours,
Samus

Mother's Son Moon

Thoth's Day
LuniSol - Moonth 7, Day 17
Metonic - Year 17, Lunation 205, Day 5
Dreamspell - White Cosmic World-Bridger (13 Cimi) - Kin 26
Mayan Tzolk'in - 5 Cauac (Blue Overtone Storm) - Kin 239
Mayan Ha'ab - 2 Zec


Waxing crescent in sidereal Cancer


On the Mother's Son moon, we continue to examine our early nurturing relationships, but this time we need to pay closer attention to what didn't work out... If we didn't "fit" with members of our family for some reason, we probably got the message that parts of our basic natures were unacceptable and should be repressed or changed....How did we change ourselves to please the people we were dependent on? - Moon Phase Astrology by Raven Kaldera.


I remember my mother told me this story about my father, how she would get an idea but let him think that he came up with it. My father didn't go to high school; he only finished junior high (9th grade). My mother finished high school. She took a college prep course. My 1st husband was not bright. I hated having to dumb myself down. This was a recurring theme in all my relationships. Now, I don't profess to be a genius or anything. But there is  nothing like conversing with someone on your level.


My mother also told me that as a child she told I was standoffish. She and my sister are closer to being extroverts, while I'm an introvert. As a Jehovah's Witness, I was not allowed to be friends with people that I connected with if they were not JW as well. So Mother picked my friends for me. When I didn't like them, I was "standoffish". Today, I find it difficult to make friends (in person). Very hard for me to become more outgoing. The social aspect of my personality has been repressed and is hard to develop as an adult.


Did you have to change yourself to fit in with your family?

Pagan Blog Project - M is for Moon

I love the moon. As a woman, I feel especially drawn to Mother Earth's only satellite. The word month is derived from the word moon. However, months today are no longer associated with the moon.

Astronomical Facts

• A sidereal month is about 27 1/3 days. This is how long it takes for the moon to appear in the sky against the same starry background, i.e., 0 degs on the ecliptic.
• A synodic month is the time between the same phase (new moon to new moon) and is about 29 1/2 days.
• The moon is slowly getting further away from the earth.
• The 8 phases of the moon are new, waxing crescent, 1st quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, 3rd quarter, and waning crescent.
• Earth's moon does not have an official name like the moons of the other planets.
• Eclipses occur when the moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic. These intersections are called lunar nodes.

Moon and Paganism

• The moon has both day and night rulership of Cancer in astrology.
• Esbat is a gathering occurring on a moon phase.
• Many pagans celebrate at least 1 or 2 esbats (new and full moons); others add the 1st and 3rd quarter. I recognize all 8 phases. Each esbat corresponds to a sabbat in the Wheel of the Year.
• Some Buddhist sects celebrate uposatha which occurs weekly on the main phases of the moon.

Other Stuff

• Monday is of course the day of the Moon.
• Islam uses a complete lunar calendar. This is why their holy days drift during the solar year.
• One way to merge the lunar month with the solar year is to have 13 months of 28 days. This leaves 1 or 2 extra days. I believe this is the true meaning of "a year and a day" that you hear many witches talking about.

What interesting trivia do you have about the moon?

Little Brother's Moon

Set's Day
LuniSol - Moonth 7, Day 13
Metonic - Year 17, Lunation 205, Day 1
Dreamspell - White Solar Wind (9 Ik) - Kin 22
Mayan Tzolk'in - 1 Men (Blue Magnetic Eagle) - Kin 235
Mayan Ha'ab - 18 Zotz

New Moon in sidereal Gemini

On the Little Brother's Moon we indulge our curiosity...There is a nervous energy about the Gemini Moon...Concentration is difficult; perhaps this is a better time to go out with some (preferably wild and crazy) friends rather than work late at the office. - Moon Phase Astrology by Raven Kaldera.

Well now - I can concentrate more since it's nice and cool after installing the new AC system. Been in this house for 3 yrs and have had just as many major purchases. I guess this is part of the joys of homeownership.

No longer under the JW sanctions of not thinking for myself, I've done lots of research previously before coming to my current spiritual path. I'm curious about my reader(s). How did you come to your current spiritual path?

Father's Day

My son wished me happy Father's day although I haven't been a single mom for over 10 years. My own father died years ago. I wish that I was able to know him as an adult and without my mother's bias. My son's father is apparently too busy to take a call from my son. This has me wondering - why the deadbeat fathers? I mean it must be nice to (barely) write a check weekly and continue on with your life.

I met this guy the other day who has twins. He gets his children every other weekend. While he is doing something involving his kids, I couldn't help wondering what that would be like. You see, I had to beg for a babysitter back in the day. Why should I complain though? These were my kids, my responsibility. Must be nice to be a parttime parent.

Granted, I wouldn't win Mother of the Year. But it really grinds my gears when I hear non-custodial fathers bragging about visitation and paying child support. Do you want a cookie? These are the things that you are supposed to do. And you get NO brownie points if there is a court order involved. Any thing less than joint custody does not impress me.

Anyway, enough negativity. The only beer I remember my father drinking was Pabst Blue Ribbon (bleeeech!). He did have a thing for Pepsi though.

Here's to you, Dad.

Pagan Blog Project - L is for Litha

Sekmet's Day
LuniSol - Moonth 7, Day 9
Metonic - Year 17, Lunation 204, Day 27
Dreamspell - White Overtone Mirror (5 Etznab) - Kin 18
Mayan Tzolk'in - 10 Chuen (Blue Planetary Monkey) - Kin 231
Mayan Ha'ab - 14 Zotz

Litha or summer solstice will occur June 20th, 7:08 PM EDT for North Hemispherians. Not sure where the name Litha came from but it may be an old name for the month corresponding to June and July in the old days. Litha is also known as midsummer. Why midsummer and not the secular 1st day of summer? When I was a kid, it made no sense to me for the 1st day of summer to be the longest day of the year followed by days progressively getting shorter. Back in the old days, the equinoxes and solstices marked the the middle of the season, not the beginning. The 1st day of summer was Beltane or May Day which would make Litha midsummer.

Colors for this sabbat are fiery colors like reds, oranges, and yellows. I'm not sure about the other correspondences since mine aren't the traditional ones. Ancient Egyptians marked the summer solstice with the annual flooding of the Nile. Tropical astrology has the sun at 0 deg Cancer.

I don't know about you but I get a little sad around this time. Knowing that the days are going to get progressively shorter depresses me. I'm trying to combat this feeling. Having a pagan outlook on things helps me to look forward to the different spokes of the Wheel of the Year. Each spoke has a purpose. Meanwhile, it's time to plan for the Litha cookout next week.

Pagan Blog Project - L is for Lotus Sutra

Sekmet's Day
LuniSol - Moonth 7, Day 2
Metonic - Year 17, Lunation 203, Day 20
Dreamspell - Blue Spectral Monkey (11 Chuen) - Kin 11
Mayan Tzolk'in - 3 Kan (Yellow Electric Seed) - Kin 224
Mayan Ha'ab - 7 Zolz

The Lotus Sutra is believed to be the last teachings of the historical Buddha. The complete name of this teaching is Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma and includes 2 other sutras called Innumberable Meanings and Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva. Together, these are known as the Threefold Lotus Sutra.

The Lotus Sutra itself purports to be the most important of all the sutras. Only certain sects of Buddhism such as Nichiren Buddhism believe this to be true. I personally believe that all of the Buddha's teachings have merit. One of  the main points of this sutra is that the Buddha uses skillful means to teach. For example, he may have told farmers one thing and merchants another. Is this contradictory? No. He taught each group according to their understanding. Reminds you of anyone you know? (*cough* Jesus *cough*)

There are many parables and fantastic imagery in this sutra. It is not an easy read and you cannot take many things literally. I recommend the translations by Burton Watson (ISBN 9780861715718) and Gene Reeves (ISBN 9780231081610).

Sparlock, the Warrior Wizard

So the JWs will be releasing an animated DVD series aimed at small children. In Lesson 2, Caleb brings home a toy wizard named Sparlock that one of his friends gave him. Caleb's mom proceeds to tell Caleb that magic comes from Satan and to keep the toy would make Jehovah sad. At this point, I urge you to view the video for yourself. The JW org may have removed the clips from youtube but I guarantee that you will find it elsewhere on the 'net.

I watched the video and was sickened. Thank Goddess I was able to break free and my kids can still enjoy their childhoods.

If you did not grow up JW or as a fundie Christian, you may not even care about Sparlock. Many exJWs have embraced Sparlock as our mascot. You see, being raised in a strict religion meant nitpicking every.single.thing to see if the bible disagreed with it. I was not able to watch shows such as Smurfs, TMNT, The Simpsons, & and no R-rated movies. I had an Indigo Brite doll and had to throw away her sprite friend. (Incidentally, my mother continued to drink Sprite.) When I trying to return to JW some years back, I made my son throw away his YuGiOh & Pokemon cards. I plan on buying some more for him.

The problem with nitpicking is where does it end? The days of the week are named after pagan gods. Do fundie Christians have their own weekday names? What I would like to ask Christians is - what's the difference between magic and miracles? I'm thinking of the story where Moses and Aaron turned their rods into snakes and the magic-practicing priests of Egypt did the same thing. Didn't one of the prophets go visit the witch of Endor? But I thought witchcraft was bad and from Satan.

There are lots of products with pagan names. I can't find it now but there's a list by a Christian group of all pagan-named products. If you find it, please post in the comments. Now if you excuse me, I'm gonna put on my Nikes and listen to Pandora.

TSC - I got my hair did

So Mom takes me to Petsmart to get prettied up. Well, I'm already pretty but Mom says I need a good bath so she can cuddle with me. I was scared at first but Mom was outside watching me. My fur was too badly matted so it all had to come off.

And so it begins...

Right side all done

Zero-suit Samus

I can see!

Mom said it will grow back *sigh*

The nice lady put bows in my fur. Don't you just laaaahve me daaaaahling?

Pawfully yours,
Samus