Richard's blog

The Spiritual Classifications Of The Wolf

PAGANW0LF — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:37:05 UT

As you can tell by my Shamanistic name, the wolf is VERY important to me personally. It's also one of the more common animals that people want to associate with as an animal guide. So I have composed this posting based on my experiences and the teachings of my tradition for those wishing to work with the Wolf.

First thing to learn before working with their spirit and magik, is what their spiritual purpose is. Each wolf comes to this plane of existence with a special gift of knowledge, just as we humans do. But unlike us, they (and most animals in the universe) are much better adapt to living within the balance of nature and with the flow of natures energy.

To work with the wolf, one needs to understand how the universal energy is connected to each wolf and move forward from there. The following is a brief explanation of this concept of magik and the right use of energy.
Wolves are considered by many to be the highest animal in the spiritual plane. They represent the teachers and guardians of balance in nature within the Divine Universe. They are the spiritual messengers in animal form, between the Divine force and incarnated beings.

Depending on their colour, they teach different lessons and share different energies with those they watch over and walk beside. Coloring is used as a means of spiritual classification for one basic reason. Energy, all energy contains several properties or traits. It has a sound that can be recoded, a 'energy level' that can be measured and a color that can be photographed.

For instance, place your hand on a stereo speaker and play a song. Do you feel the speaker vibrate with different variations based on the note being heard? Watch the flames of a fire. The intense or hottest part of the flame is white, or very light blue. The "cooler" portion of the flame is more red or orange.

Attaching an energy or purpose to an object, or an animal based on their color is not a new concept. It's as old as time.

Within the wolf community, each breed shares a lot of common energies, as outlined by Ted Andrews in his book Animal Speak. But learning the specific energies for the individual guides within the pack are also helpful when working with wolf magic.

* The White Wolf:
Known as the phantom, the white wolf lives in the spiritual and physical dimensions simultaneously. They teach the lessons which help to bring both these lives into balance. The help us learn how to build the bridge between the two worlds so that we might learn the underlying purpose of events and issues in our life.
* Brown Wolf:
They teach the lessons of health and healing. How to use the forces of nature in conjunction with the earthly knowledge of medicine to maintain a balance between the mind/body/spirit connections.
* Grey Wolf:
The hidden lessons, reaching through the veil of sight into the realm of spirit. The gray wolf is the teacher of spirit connections and communications. How we can balance our path with information from our spiritual teachers and guides.
* Red Wolf:
They are the keepers of earth and nature. They help us communicate with our surroundings, with the earth, with those around us and with nature in physical or spiritual form (such as in dream or meditation). They are the teachers of communication, both in word and gesture. When you see an animal cross your path, and you're unsure of it's message, the Red wolf can help you decipher the communication.
* Black Wolf:
The teachers of the physical. The black wolf helps us to bring balance into the physical natures, desires and expressions of our daily lives. They keep us focused on the issues of this plane of existence where our spiritual lessons and karmic experiences help us evolve and progress to the next spiritual level.

These primary colors govern all shades of the wolf kingdom. Light colored wolves, would fall into the White Wolf category and so on.

SCIENTISTS INVENT DILDO THAT CAN REMOVE SPIDERS

PAGANW0LF — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:56:41 UT

MEN were declared obsolete last night after scientists finally perfected a dildo that can remove spiders from a bathtub. The invention, described as the 'Holy Grail of dildo technology' will come with a free scrunchy and a bag of synthetic sperm and be in the shops in time for a man-free Christmas.

Inventor Professor Holly Brubaker said: "Upon discovering a spider the woman simply points the dildo at it and presses the big, pink button marked 'icky spider'. "The dildo will emit an ultrasonic pulse and the spider will then run as fast as it can for the nearest available exit." She added: "The woman can then return to pleasuring herself by candlelight while eating a big bowl of chocolate buttons and reading about the fat parts of all the celebrities she watches on Living TV."

News of the breakthrough has led to a wave of nostalgia among women for the men they will soon be chasing down the garden path with one of their own golf clubs.

Emma Bradford, from Peterborough, said: "I think what I'll miss most is being spoken to like a child by someone who thinks he's the cleverest person in the world because he read the answers to all the Trivial Pursuit questions when he was 15." Jane Gerving, from Hatfield, said: "I'll miss living with the funniest man in the universe. He's just so very fucking funny. All the time." She added: "And of course, I'll miss the farts. The unrelenting tsunami of God awful, eye-watering, gut-wrenching farts."

Tom Logan, a pointless unit from Doncaster, said: "I got rid of a bat once. Can your dildo get rid of a bat?"

Scientists now predict the last man will have the last wank sometime in 2093

Les Paul, Father of the Electric guitar dies

PAGANW0LF — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:05:03 UT

New York, NY…August 13, 2009…Les Paul, acclaimed guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away today from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He had been receiving the best available treatment through this final battle and in keeping with his persona, he showed incredible strength, tenacity and courage. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for the thoughts and prayers from his dear friends and fans. Les Paul was 94.

One of the foremost influences on 20th century sound and responsible for the world’s most famous guitar, the Les Paul model, Les Paul’s prestigious career in music and invention spans from the 1930s to the present. Though he’s indisputably one of America’s most popular, influential, and accomplished electric guitarists, Les Paul is best known as an early innovator in the development of the solid body guitar. His groundbreaking design would become the template for Gibson’s best-selling electric, the Les Paul model, introduced in 1952. Today, countless musical legends still consider Paul’s iconic guitar unmatched in sound and prowess. Among Paul’s most enduring contributions are those in the technological realm, including ingenious developments in multi-track recording, guitar effects, and the mechanics of sound in general.

Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist by the age of 13. So clear was his calling that Paul dropped out of high school at 17 to play in Sunny Joe Wolverton’s Radio Band in St. Louis. As Paul’s mentor, Wolverton was the one to christen him with the stage name “Rhubarb Red,” a moniker that would follow him to Chicago in 1934. There, Paul became a bona fide radio star, known as both hillbilly picker Rhubarb Red and Django Reinhardt-informed jazz guitarist Les Paul. His first recordings were done in 1936 on an acoustic—alone as Rhubarb Red, as well as backing blues singer Georgia White. The next year he formed his first trio, but by 1938 he’d moved to New York to begin his tenure on national radio with one of the more popular dance orchestras in the country, Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians.

Tinkering with electronics and guitar amplification since his youth, Les Paul began constructing his own electric guitar in the late ’30s. Unhappy with the first generation of commercially available hollowbodies because of their thin tone, lack of sustain, and feedback problems, Paul opted to build an entirely new structure. “I was interested in proving that a vibration-free top was the way to go,” he has said. “I even built a guitar out of a railroad rail to prove it. What I wanted was to amplify pure string vibration, without the resonance of the wood getting involved in the sound.” With the good graces of Epiphone president Epi Stathopoulo, Paul used the Epiphone plant and machinery in 1941 to bring his vision to fruition. He affectionately dubbed the guitar “The Log.”

Les Paul’s tireless experiments sometimes proved to be dangerous, and he nearly electrocuted himself in 1940 during a session in the cellar of his Queens apartment. During the next two years of rehabilitation, Les earned his living producing radio music. Forced to put the Pennsylvanians and the rest of his career on hold, Les Paul moved to Hollywood. During World War II, he was drafted into the Army but permitted to stay in California, where he became a regular player for Armed Forces Radio Service. By 1943 he had assembled a trio that regularly performed live, on the radio, and on V-Discs. In 1944 he entered the jazz spotlight—thanks to his dazzling work filling in for Oscar Moore alongside Nat King Cole, Illinois Jacquet, and other superstars —at the first of the prestigious Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts.

By his mid-thirties, Paul had successfully combined Reinhardt-inspired jazz playing and the western swing and twang of his Rhubarb Red persona into one distinctive, electrifying style. In the Les Paul Trio he translated the dizzying runs and unusual harmonies found on Jazz at the Philharmonic into a slower, subtler, more commercial approach. His novelty instrumentals were tighter, brasher, and punctuated with effects. Overall, the trademark Les Paul sound was razor-sharp, clean-shaven, and divinely smooth.

As small combos eclipsed big bands toward the end of World War II, Les Paul Trio’s popularity grew. They cut records for Decca both alone and behind the likes of Helen Forrest, the Andrews Sisters, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Dick Hayes, and, most notably, Bing Crosby. Since 1945, when the crooner brought them into the studio to back him on a few numbers, the Trio had become regular guests on Crosby’s hit radio show. The highlight of the session was Paul’s first No. 1 hit and million-seller, the gorgeous “It’s Been a Long, Long Time.”

Meanwhile, Paul began to experiment with dubbing live tracks over recorded tracks, also altering the playback speed. This resulted in “Lover (When You’re Near Me),” his revolutionary 1947 predecessor to multi-track recording. The hit instrumental featured Les Paul on eight different electric guitar parts, all playing together.

In 1948, Paul nearly lost his life to a devastating car crash that shattered his right arm and elbow. Still, he convinced doctors to set his broken arm in the guitar-picking and cradling position. Laid up but undaunted, Paul acquired a first generation Ampex tape recorder from Crosby in 1949, and began his most important multi-tracking adventure, adding a fourth head to the recorder to create sound-on-sound recordings. While tinkering with the machine and its many possibilities, he also came up with tape delay. These tricks, along with another recent Les Paul innovation—close mic-ing vocals—were integrated for the first time on a single recording: the 1950 No. 1 tour de force “How High the Moon.”

This historic track was performed during a duo with future wife Mary Ford. The couple’s prolific string of hits for Capitol Records not only included some of the most popular recordings of the early 1950s, but also wrote the book on contemporary studio production. The dense but crystal clear harmonic layering of guitars and vocals, along with Ford’s close mic-ed voice and Paul’s guitar effects, produced distinctively contemporary recordings with unprecedented sonic qualities. Through hits, tours, and popular radio shows, Paul and Ford kept one foot in the technological vanguard and the other in the cultural mainstream.

All the while, Les Paul continued to pine for the perfect guitar. Though The Log came close, it wasn’t quite what he was after. In the early 1950s, Gibson Guitar would cultivate a partnership with Paul that would lead to the creation of the guitar he’d seen only in his dreams. In 1948, Gibson elected to design its first solidbody, and Paul, a self-described “dyed-in-the-wool Gibson man,” seemed the right man for the job. Gibson avidly courted the guitar legend, even driving deep into the Pennsylvania mountains to deliver the first model to newlyweds Les Paul and Mary Ford.

“Les played it, and his eyes lighted up,” then-Gibson President Ted McCarty has recalled. The year was 1950, and Paul had just signed on as the namesake of Gibson’s first electric solidbody, with exclusive design privileges. Working closely with Paul, Gibson forged a relationship that would change popular culture forever. The Gibson Les Paul model—the most powerful and respected electric guitar in history—began with the 1952 release of the Les Paul Goldtop. After introducing the original Les Paul Goldtop in 1952, Gibson issued the Black Beauty, the mahogany-topped Les Paul Custom, in 1954. The Les Paul Junior (1954) and Special (1955) were also introduced before the canonical Les Paul Standard hit the market in 1958. With revolutionary humbucker pickups, this sunburst classic has remained unchanged for the half-century since it hit the market.

“The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today. I cannot imagine life without Les Paul. He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone’s face. His musical charm was extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “We will dedicate ourselves to preserving Les’ legacy to insure that it lives on forever. He touched so many lives throughout his remarkable life and his influence extends around the globe and across every boundary. I have lost a dear, personal friend and mentor, a man who has changed so many of our lives for the better.”

“I don’t think any words can describe the man we know as Les Paul adequately. The English language does not contain words that can pay enough homage to someone like Les. As the “Father of the Electric Guitar”, he was not only one of the world’s greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world,” said Dave Berryman, President of Gibson Guitar. “I have had the privilege to know and work with Les for many, many years and his passing has left a deep personal void. He was simply put – remarkable in every way. As a person, a musician, a friend, an inventor. He will be sorely missed by us all.”

"Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be, he was so vibrant and full of positive energy. I'm honored and humbled to have known and played with him over the years, he was an exceptionally brilliant man." Said Slash.

Joe Satriani said, "Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar hero, and the kindest of souls. Last October I joined him onstage at The Iridium club in NYC, and he was still shredding. He was and still is an inspiration to us all."

Keb’ Mo’ said, “He’s a guy who played right up to the end, that’s what we all want to do! With his brilliant playing and invention of multi track recording, Les Paul changed the face of music history.”

With the rise of the rock ’n’ roll revolution of 1955, Les Paul and Mary Ford’s popularity began to wane with younger listeners, though Paul would prove to be a massive influence on younger generation of guitarists. Still, Paul and Ford maintained their iconic presence with their wildly popular television show, which ran from 1953-1960. In 1964, the couple, parents to a son and daughter, divorced. Paul began playing in Japan, and recorded an LP for London Records before poor health forced him to take time off—as much as someone so inspired can take time off.

In the 1977, Paul resurfaced with a Grammy-winning Chet Atkins collaboration, Chester and Lester. Then the ailing guitarist, who’d already suffered arthritis and permanent hearing loss, had a heart attack, followed by bypass surgery.

Ever stubborn, Les recovered, and returned to live performance in the late 1980s. Until recently Les continued to perform two weekly New York shows with the Les Paul Trio, even releasing the 2005 double-Grammy winner Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played, featuring collaborations with a veritable who’s who of the electric guitar, including dozens of illustrious fans like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Joe Perry. In 2008, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid tribute to Les Paul in a week-long celebration of his life which culminated with a live performance by Les himself.

Les Paul has since become the only individual to share membership into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Les is survived by his three sons Lester (Rus) G. Paul, Gene W. Paul and Robert (Bobby) R. Paul, his daughter Colleen Wess, son-in-law Gary Wess, long time friend Arlene Palmer, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A private Funeral service will be held in New York. A service in Waukesha, WI will be announced at a later date. Details will follow and will be announced for all services. Memorial tributes for the public will be announced at a future date. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Les Paul Foundation, 236 West 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10001.

have you ever........

PAGANW0LF — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:45:38 UT

Found out that your priorities are wrong? this is not because of a person but me, by the time i'd done on here, facebook, myspace, paganspace and all the numerous sites i'm on, half the days was gone and I was loosing focus. So, thats why i've been away, I have missed being here but I needed to create a better balance between work and leisure, anyway, i am back, recharged, refreshed and ready to catch up.

fondest regards

Rich )O(

Whoops

PAGANW0LF — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:16:47 UT

Big oops guys, I have had a minor mishap with backing up the phone, if you had my number before, can you re-send it along with a name so I can get my act together

Thanks

Rich

Beltane

PAGANW0LF — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:12:30 UT

Beltane: (Bealtaine, May Eve, Valpurgis) - April 30th/May 1st

Incense: Lilac, Frankincense
Decorations: Maypole, Flowers, Ribbons
Colours: Green

The Fire Festival of Beltane

This festival is also known as Beltane, the Celtic May Day. It officially begins at moonrise on May Day Eve, and marks the beginning of the third quarter or second half of the ancient Celtic year. It is celebrated as an early pastoral festival accompanying the first turning of the herds out to wild pasture. The rituals were held to promote fertility. The cattle were driven between the Belfires to protect them from ills. Contact with the fire was interpreted as symbolic contact with the sun. In early Celtic times, the druids kindled the Beltane fires with specific incantations. Later the Christian church took over the Beltane observances, a service was held in the church, followed by a procession to the fields or hills, where the priest kindled the fire. The rowan branch is hung over the house fire on May Day to preserve the fire itself from bewitchment (the house fire being symbolic of the luck of the house).

This is a holiday of Union--both between the Goddess and the God and between man and woman. Handfastings (Pagan marriages) are traditional at this time. It is a time of fertility and harvest, the time for reaping the wealth from the seeds that we have sown. Celebrations include braiding of one's hair (to honour the union of man and woman and Goddess and God), circling the Maypole for fertility and jumping the Beltane fire for luck. Beltane is one of the Major Sabbats of the Wiccan religion. We celebrate sexuality (something we see as holy and intrinsic to us as holy beings), we celebrate life and the unity which fosters it. The myths of Beltane state that the young God has blossomed into manhood, and the Goddess takes him on as her lover. Together, they learn the secrets of the sexual and the sensual, and through their union, all life begins.

Beltane is the season of maturing life and deep found love. This is the time of vows, handfastings and commitment. The Lord and his Lady, having reached maturity, come together in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust to celebrate the joy of their union. This is a time to celebrate the coming together of the masculine and feminine creative energies. Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desired the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms and unite.

Beltane Fire FestivalThe flowers and greenery symbolise the Goddess and the Maypole represents the God. Beltane marks the return of vitality and passion of summer. Another common focal point of the Beltane rituals is the cauldron, which represents the Goddess. The Welsh goddess Creiddylad is connected with Beltane, often called the May Queen, she was a Goddess of summer flowers and love.

May Day

May Day has long been marked with feasts and rituals. May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal point of old English village rituals. Many people arose at dawn to gather flowers and green branches from the fields and gardens, using them to decorate the village Maypoles.

The May Queen (and often King) is chosen from among the young people, and they go singing from door to door throughout the town carrying flowers or the May tree, soliciting donations for merrymaking in return for the "blessing of May". This is symbolic of bestowing and sharing of the new creative power that is stirring in the world. As the kids go from door to door, the May Bride often sings to the effect that those who give will get of nature's bounty through the year.

In parts of France, some jilted youth will lie in a field on May Day and pretend to sleep. If any village girl is willing to marry him, she goes and wakes him with a kiss; the pair then goes to the village inn together and lead the dance which announces their engagement. The boy is called "the betrothed of May."

)O(

The Hexham Wolf

PAGANW0LF — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:48:59 UT

The Hexham wolf?

At the turn of the 19th Century, Hexham, Northumberland, had a typically English countryside feel. Near to Hadrian's Wall, the busy market town prospered, and many people worked either on the land or at nearby factories. Around the town the wheels of progress were not yet in motion and the woodlands were still thick with trees. It was a place of scenic beauty and quaint rural happiness. But on 10 December, 1904 the town awoke to the local newspaper, the Hexham Courant, running the headline;

"Wolf At Large In Allendale"

Local farmers from the village of Allendale, very near to Hexham, had reported the loss of their livestock, so serious that many sheep were being stabled at night to protect them. A shepherd found two of his flock slaughtered, one with its entrails hanging out, and all that remained of the other was its head and horns. Many of the sheep had been bitten about the neck and the legs - common with an attack made by a wolf.

Hysteria soon set in. During the night, lanterns were kept burning to scare away the wolf, and women and children were ordered to keep to the busy roads and be home before dusk. The 'Hexham Wolf Committee' was soon set up to organise search parties and hunts to bring down the beast using specialised hunting dogs, the 'Haydon Hounds', but even they could not find the wolf. The Wolf Committee took the next step and hired Mr W. Briddick, a trained tracker. But he was also unsuccessful, despite searching the woods of Allendale and Wooley1.

Through December and over Christmas, the hunt for the wolf continued. Livestock was still being attacked, and on the 29 December the wolf was witnessed jumping a high wall. The next day it was seen running down and killing a black-faced ewe and apparently emboldened, the creature even got close enough to a group of local boys and young women, but it was frightened off by their shrill yelling and screaming.

Crying Wolf

Then, the body of a wolf was found on a railway line in Cumwinton, Cumbria, almost 30 miles (48km) west of Hexham. Had the Allendale wolf been found and killed? On 7 January, 1905 the Courant reported that the wolf on the railway line wasn't the one terrorising the Hexham and Allendale areas. The Wolf Committee had further evidence that there was a wolf still roaming around - with footprints, more carcasses and eyewitness accounts. Some locals believed that there wasn't just one wolf, but a whole pack living in the nearby woods. Further ideas suggested that the town had its very own werewolf!

However, come 21 January, 1905, the Courant was concentrating on the news of the Russian surrender to the Japanese at Port Arthur, during the Russo-Japanese War. The wolf was relegated to the back pages, with a description of a further hunt taking place with hounds, but later called off due to bad frost. And then, the attacks stopped. The sheep were safe, and although there were occasional reports of a large dog being seen in the woods, nothing more was said of the 'Wolf of Allendale' for decades to come. Until 1972.

The Hexham Heads

In February, 1972 the Robson boys were weeding their parent's garden not 10 minutes walk from where the 'Wolf of Allendale' stalked the woods. The pair soon unearthed two carved stone heads both about the size of tennis balls. A few nights after the discovery, neighbour Ellen Dodd was sitting up late with her daughter when both of them saw what they described as a 'half-man/half-beast' enter the bedroom. Although both mother and daughter screamed in terror, the creature seemed disinterested in them and walked off down the stairs. It was heard to be 'padding down the stairs as if on its hind legs', and the front door was later found open. It was assumed it had left the house in search of something else, but what no-one knew, or indeed was inclined to find out!2

Professional Interest

Soon, Dr Anne Ross took an interest in the apparently Celtic carved stone heads and took possession of the Hexham pair. She had several others that were similar and wanted to compare them, believing they were at least 2000 years old. Dr Ross lived and worked in Southampton at the time, and had heard nothing of the strange goings-on and apparent return of the 'Wolf of Allendale' associated with the carved heads. A few nights later at around 2.00am, she woke from sleep feeling cold and frightened. Looking up she saw a strange figure in the doorway of her bedroom;

It was about six feet high, slightly stooping, and it was black, against the white door, and it was half animal and half man. The upper part, I would have said, was a wolf, and the lower part was human and, I would have again said, that it was covered with a kind of black, very dark fur. It went out and I just saw it clearly, and then it disappeared, and something made me run after it, a thing I wouldn't normally have done, but I felt compelled to run after it. I got out of bed and I ran, and I could hear it going down the stairs, then it disappeared towards the back of the house.

Scared, but intrigued, Anne simply put the event down to a nightmare, but when she later returned home with her husband, archaeologist Richard Feacham, they found their teenage daughter, Berenice, distraught and in tears. After some coaxing she managed to explain the reason for her state, and Anne suddenly realised perhaps she had not been dreaming the night before. As Berenice later told, she had returned to the empty house at 4.00pm and opened the front door with her key. As it opened she saw a large shape rushing down the stairs toward her. Halfway down, the thing suddenly stopped and vaulted the banisters, landing with a soft thud like a heavy animal with thickly padded feet. Needless to say Berenice was terrified by the incident.

The End?

Eventually Anne Ross decided that the stone heads were the source of the problem, and promptly disposed of her whole collection. The Hexham finds were soon passed into the hands of other collectors, including the British Museum, where they were displayed to the public for a short time until reports of eerie occurrences forced them into storage. A dowser by the name of Frank Hyde attempted to find a paranormal link with the heads, and using copper mesh was able to apparently lessen their strange effects. Hyde later became uncontactable, and the 'Hexham Heads' fell out of favour.

Later on, there were claims that the heads were made in the late 1950s by the previous owner of the Robson's house in Hexham as toys, and had been lost in the garden - however the myth had taken root. They were also reportedly examined at Southampton and Newcastle Universities for proof of their age, but for now the artefacts have disappeared from public knowledge and their current whereabouts are unknown - just like that of the 'Wolf of Allendale' and the strange half-wolf/half-man.

Soap operas and reality, a real oxymoron

PAGANW0LF — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:52:52 UT

So the world is still going to hell in a hand basket, We are going to be under the greatest tax burden in History and yet all the papers are banging on about some girl on Eastenders who got knocked over by a car. Now I don't know about you, but having my testicles nailed to a railway sleeper with a rusty 9" nail is more appealing thatn having to endure these mind melting spirit killing farces.

So, Never afraid to put his life and sanity on the line for you, my good friends, yon Wolfie has been doing a bit of research into these programmes, and has noticed a trend between them all whether they are on ITV, BBC or the Jeremy Kyle Channel.

Now bear in mind, that these programmes are reputed, (by the pundits on GMTV) as ultra realistic and a snapshot into modern life, (so If that's the case, how come no-one in Coronation Street ever stays in and watches Eastenders and if they are an accurate slice of modern life, then in short, we're screwed aren't we?

So Just a few questions before I come up with my idea for a revolutionary (and far fetched) soap.

How come, in Eastenders, there are Mercedes, Jaguars, BMW's parked outside yet no bugger has a washing machine?
The amount of time that some one is asked to 'watch the stall' defies belief, can anyone remember who actually owns and runs what stall?
Is Albert Square a Prison, I mean, no bugger ever sods of to Asda for their shopping do they? that corner shop must be minting it and they sell everything!
Considering that there are an estimated 60m people in this country, isn't it coincidental how far flung family members always end up as partners?
Now, How many rooms does the Queen Vic actually have, I mean, according to the BBC, at one point, it was home to 14 people?
Now, I',m buying my fags from the corner shop in Coro, the prices haven't gone up in ages and although i don't like them, 20 Benson at £4.10 looks good to me.
Now, Considering that both the Rovers and the Queen Vic are the hubs of these places, why are they looking so run down.

fuelled by these questions, It took two minutes to find the biggest reality fuck up there is and it's in that bastion of British farming life, Emmerdale, and the Question is this.

for two weeks, the 'Kings' (whoever the fuck they are!) were threatening the Dingles (where I come from, an expression for someone from Wolverhampton) with evicting them from their Garage, Now.......allegedly, the Kings are bankrupt, so here is the question, what are they doing claiming rent, all assets would be in the name of the creditors.
And while we're on the subject of incredulous mind sapping belief, have you ever seen a farm where the kit is spotless, where the tractors are wax cleaned and polished? and no one ever gets up at 4:00 am do they?

So here is my idea for a soap, far fetched maybe, but a novel concept.

At Christmas, no-one dies, no affairs are aired, people wake up, get pissed, have a great day and fall asleep in the early evening
At weddings, No-one dies,, no affairs are aired, it's a great day, every body has a blast and great auntie gets pissed and falls asleep in the early evening.
When they go on holiday, no-one dies, no affairs are aired, everybody has a blast, they get drunk and fall asleep in the early evening
When a couple get together, they don't have kids who they surrendered many years ago in a small orphanage in outer Mongolia and have mysteriously ended up renting the room next door, and they have a great time, they go out, do normal things, no one dies, no affairs are aired and they get pissed and fall asleep in the early evening.
Every morning, there is the sound of the populace cringing when yet another fucking dozen pizza menu's pop through the letter box, (a sound missing from the two major soaps, evidently, pizza is new to the east end and Manchester)
People have a steady and reliable job, they leave the house in the morning, do a good days work, and come home, with no arguments, hence no-one dies, no affairs are aired and they fall asleep in the early evening.
When asked if they are going to the local, people might after washing up (a new concept) or doing the ironing (another novel concept) or even loading this thing called a 'washing machine' thus allowing the launderette to become a kebab house (see real world again), heavens, they may say no, as they're watching Coro FFS!
Not every girl under 16 gets pregnant and those that do get a fucking verbal arsekicking, nor do they surrender the kid to show up at the most inopportune moment 20 years down the line.

And best of all, it would mean an end to the reality of the four air heads sat outside my local discussing this mind melting pap lke it was real life!

now to erase all traces of these searches, i do have a reputation to uphold after all

Moon Cords

PAGANW0LF — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 08:16:13 UT

The idea behind moon cords is to embrace and preserve specific attributes of moon power which are available during a specific moon phase. These attributes are directed into a length of cord and held there byknots; thus the attributes are available to the witch at any time. For example: you may wish to perform some magick which is appropriate to the waxing moon.
Ideally, you would be wisest to wait until after the moon is new to utilize the most compatible energies for your work. But what if you have good reason not to wait, and what if in linear time the moon is actually waning? No problem, if you have prepared a new moon cord, you can draw upon the new moon power at any time of any month. You can prepare a cord during each phase of the moon, and thus, have available to you the power of each phase. However I strongly suggest that you use the cords only when absolutely necessary, and try to work with the phases of the moon in the sky whenever you can.

TO PREPARE A MOON CORD:
Use a length of colored wool, or embroidery thread about two feet long. You can have five different colors if you prefer and prepare five cords: new, waxing, full, waning and dark. Or you can simplify matters and use three colors for three cords: new and waxing combined, full ( alone ),waning and dark combined. I find it sufficient to work with three. To prepare a cord during the appropriate Moon phase, Light your goddess candle and sit at your altar or work table- or go outside. State alignments, and call on that aspect of the goddess who rules the phase you wish to put into the cord. This is called charging the cord. Thus for the new and waxing call upon Diana; for the full call upon Selene, for the waning call upon Hecate. It's a good idea to use your athame for this, as the process is related to drawing down the moon. In a sense, you are drawing her down for each phase to enter your cord, so you may draw a pentagram over the face of the moon, or over the candle flame which represents her, and trace a line of power from the moon or flame into your cord, stating words of power.

"By the one power.
Working for and through me
I hereby call upon you, Diana,
To enter this cord with your power
to charge this cord
enter this cord
for the good of all
and according to free will
for the work of positive magic only
To aid me in my work
at the appropriate times,
According to your will
as these knots are tied."

Then tie nine knots in the cord, placing them equidistant from one another and use the ninth knot to tie the cord into a circle. then add:" So mote it be". Place this circle on the altar encircling your Goddess candle, and leave it there for awhile, meditating if you wish on the phase of the moon with which you have charged the cord. When you feel your work is complete, wind the cord into a compact little entity and enclose it in a tiny pouch or box. This is kept on the altar. It is best kept near your own tools. When you work with a moon cord either hold it in your hand or place around your goddess candle, as you do pecific magic for which you need it's aid. When you are finished, put it back in it's holder. You may take it out and hold it under the moon during it's name phase, to recharge it, but this is not absolutely essential. There is no drain on moon power, such as with a battery. The power is in the moon cord to stay.

)O(

Lunar Moons

PAGANW0LF — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:01:39 UT

THE WOLF MOON
The fearsome nocturnal animal represents the "night" of the year. Wolves were rarely seen in England after the 12th century. To each Lunar month the ancients assigned a name in accordance with the nature of the activity that took place at that time. The Moon of deepest Winter is the Wolf Moon, and its name recalls a time when our ancestors gathered close around the hearth fire as the silence of the falling snow was pierced by the howling of wolves. Driven by hunger, wolves came closer to villages than at any other time of the year, and may have occasionally killed a human being in order to survive. The wolf in northern countries was at one time so feared that it became the image of Fenris, the creature of destruction that supposedly will devour the world at the end of time. The Christian version of the myth would leave it at that, but the myth continues. Like the wolf in the fairy tale of Little Red Riding hood, which preserves the full idea of the myth but is used only to frighten children, the wolf is slain; and the grandmother, like the world, is brought forth once more. As the light of the new-born year slowly increases and the Wolf Moon waxes full, it is a good time to look back upon that which has just ended and learn from our experiences. Bid the past farewell and let it go in order to receive the year that has just been born. Learning to let go of that which we would cling to is one of the greatest secrets of magick.

STORM MOON
A storm is said to rage most fiercely just before it ends, and the year usually follows suit. The Moon following the Wolf Moon is the Storm Moon. Whether you meet with a coven on the night of the Full Moon, salute Her in a solitary ritual, or simply blow Her a kiss, bear in mind the magick of this night and the nature of the storms of February. Unlike the boisterous storms of the light half of the year, which are accompanied by the clashing of thunder and the flinging of lightning bolts, the storms of February come in silence. They blanket the world in coldness in keeping with the nature of the dark half of the Wheel of the Year. But beneath the blanket of cold and silent snow, Nature rests, as we do when in the realm of the Spirit that is called death; and like those in the world of Spirit, Nature prepares for life anew.

CHASTE MOON or SEED MOON
The Antiquated word for pure reflects the custom of greeting the new year with a clear soul. The Moon following the Storm Moon is the Chaste Moon. Like Diana, chaste Goddess of the Moon, all of Nature at this moment is pure potential waiting to be fulfilled. The Goddess has many forms:

The maiden pure and lovely as the snow of February, The seductive enchantress of the night, The Crone ancient and wise.

As the Goddess can change Her form according to the Moon or according to Her will, ever renewing Herself, ever beginning again, se can we, Her children, always begin again by discovering new potential within ourselves. When you cast the Circle of the Chaste Moon, when the candles have been lit and the incense burned, look deep within yourself to discover what potential lies there waiting, like the Maiden, to be fulfilled. As it is the time for the planting of seeds on the material plane, so may it be time to do so on the psychic planes as well. On the night that the Seed Moon (another name for the Chaste Moon) of March is full, cast your magick Circle. Then before the rite has ended, select the spiritual seeds you would like to plant. They may be seeds of wisdom, seeds of understanding, or seeds of certain magickal skills. Then by an act of will, plant these seeds in the fertile soil of your subconscious mind with the firm commitment that they will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lie ahead, so that they will grow and flower and bear fruit.

HARE MOON
The sacred animal was associated in Roman legends with springtime and fertility. As the Hare Moon of April waxes full, observe the rabbits leaping and playing, carefree in their mating and joyful in their games, and as you cast your Esbat Circle and joyfully dance the round, feel within your heart the carefree nature of the wild creatures that are also children of the Old Gods.

DYAD MOON
The Latin word for a pair refers to the twin stars of the constellation Castor and pollux. This time of the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess is the Dyad Moon, the time when the two become one, when all things meet their opposites in perfect balance and in perfect harmony. As you cast your Circle this night of the Dyad Moon, adorn it with apple blossoms, and light candles of white. When the sacred round has been danced, sit a moment and reflect. Seek harmony in all things. As the dark half of the Wheel of the Year balances the light, as heat balances cold, recall the words of the Goddess,
"Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence, within you."
And then before the rite is ended, if it is appropriate, become one with your working partner, physically as well as spiritually.

MEAD MOON
During late June and most of July the meadows, or meads, were mowed for hay. After the spectacular flowers of May have passed and the bees have gathered their pollen and nectar, the hives are filled with honey that is waiting to be gathered. In ancient times much of this honey was made into a drink called mead by a fermentation process similar to that of making wine. The "Moon in June" is the Mead Moon.
Mead has been considered to have magickal and even life-restoring properties in many of the countries of ancient Europe, and it was the drink of many of the great heroes of legend. The legendary figure Robin Hood, who is accepted historically as being a composite of several peasant leaders during the reign of King Richard I, is also generally accepted by Pagans as being one of us. One reason is that Robin was a popular Witch name, and also because he was always described as being dressed in green, symbolic of the Green Man of Sherwood Forest. Lincoln green, which is made from woad, the dyestuff used by the Picts of ancient Britain and the Druid priestesses, is also a color that symbolizes, historically, the Pagan peasantry. Among the articles robbed from the rich by Robin Hood are "met and met." This probably means "meat and mead." In the myth of Odin, one of His quests is for the Poetic Mead of Inspiration, which He returns to the realm of the Gods where it belongs, but a few drops fall to Earth, and this may be had by anyone who can find them. On the night that the Mead Moon waxes full, after the Circle has been cast and dancing done, fill the cup with mead (if it is available), sweet wine, or an herb tea sweetened with honey. Sip the sweet drink and sit quietly and make yourself a vessel ready to receive the inspiration of the higher realms. Become a mead cup ready to be filled, not with the brew of everyday life but with the clear, bright liquid of illumination. Every time this ritual is performed, even if there are no immediate results, you are becoming a more perfect vessel for divine inspiration. If the night of the Mead Moon is very close to the Summer Solstice, the results of this exercise can be very powerful. If the Mead Moon is full on Midsummer Night, then the priestess into whom the Moon is Drawn should be prepared.

WORT MOON
When the sun was high, the worts (from the Anglo-Saxon wyrt plant) were gathered to be dried and stored. As the Wort Moon of July waxes full, this is the time for gathering of herbs. The word wort is old Anglo-Saxon for "herb." When the magickal herbs have been gathered and hung to dry, the time of the Wort Moon is the time to give thanks to the spirits who dwell in the herb garden, and to leave them an offering. Perhaps as you place an offering in the moonlit garden, they will whisper to you other secrets of herbal magick.

BARLEY MOON
Persephone, virgin goddess of rebirth, carries a sheaf of barley as a symbol of the harvest. One day at mid-month we realize that the robins and wrens that were nesting nearby have simply vanished. Their lovely songs have been replaced by the shrill calls of the bluejays, who were so silent during the nesting season. As August progresses the days are still hot but nighttime temperatures are beginning to cool, and the late afternoon thunderstorms that bring the cooler air also bring about the ripening of tomatoes.
In the fields and meadows and along roadside snow there are wild herbs to be gathered. There are goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, and milkweed - all awaiting the natural dyer who can extract from them tan, green, and bright yellow respectively, for dyes and for natural inks for talismans. Among the medicinal herbs to be collected at this time is boneset, which does not help broken bones to heal but is a febrifuge that was used as a remedy for "Breakbone Fever" in the 1840s. Milkweed pods with their silken fluff, goldenrod, and wild grasses and grains gathered now will be dried in time to adorn the altar at the Autumnal Equinox. As the aromatic herbs begin to fill the rafters in the dry heat of the attic, and the braids of onions and garlic fill the cool darkness of the root cellar, the golden grain and yellow corn ripen in the fields under the waning August Sun. To the Ancients this was the Barley Moon, a time to contemplate the eternalness of life. Just as we are descended from the first woman and the first man, who descended from the Gods, so is the grain of the bread that we eat descended from the first grain ever gathered. By ritually eating the Lammas bread we are participating in a chain of events that stretches back through time to the Gods themselves, And here before us in the ripening fields is the promise of the future. Everywhere there is abundance in the herb garden, the vegetable garden, the field, and the orchard.
The pantry shelves are lined with glistening glass jars that are filled with colorful fruits and vegetables preserved for Winter days; quarts of red tomatoes, cucumbers in slices or spears, dark red beets with cloves and cinnamon sticks, the yellow of corn, the orange of carrots - a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. The house is filled with delightful aromas as pickling spices are added to crocks of brine and exotic chutneys simmer on the stove. But the time of abundance is drawing to a close.
The fireflies of June and July have given way to katydids, whose scratchy calls to one another fill the evening air of August with the promise of frost in six weeks.

HARVEST MOON or WINE MOON
The moon nearest the Autumnal Equinox brings a feast from the yearly harvest to the table. Since wine was, and is, such a sacred fluid, the Pagans of old naturally named this Lunar month the Wine Moon.
As you celebrate the night of the Full Wine Moon and dance the magickal round in the moonlit Circle, pour some white wine in a silver cup. Before the rite is ended, if possible, catch Her reflection in the liquid, then take a sip. As the Moon-blessed wine casts its inner glow, sit quietly and feel your own spirit, of which the wine is a symbol. As the body is stilled and the spirit soars, feel on this night of magick a sense of the kind of transformation that takes place during true spiritual initiation. Today the term Harvest Moon is applied to the Full Moon nearest to the Autumnal Equinox. This is because, it is said, in other times when harvesting was done by hand, as the days grew shorter farmers were able to work into the night in the brightness of Her light.

BLOOD MOON
Marking the season when domestic animals were sacrificed for winter provisions. At this time of year the abundance of fruit and vegetables begins to slow. It is a time when our ancient ancestors gathered what they could store and then supplemented their Winter diets either by hunting wild animals or by slaughtering domestic ones. So this Lunar month is called the Blood Moon. As you cast the Esbat Circle on this moonlit Autumn night and fill the cup with blood-red wine, know that you will be joined in the sacred dance not only by the unseen presence of departed friends and family so close at this time of year, but also by the spirits of animals as well, perhaps of those that have died so that we may have food.
In this age of assembly line slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants, it is especially appropriate that on this night of the Blood Moon we who are on the Pagan path ritually ask the understanding of our animal sisters and brothers, bless them, and bid them merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.

SNOW MOON
Time heralds the dark season when the Sun is at its lowest and the first snow flies. As the Winter Sun wanes and the Snow Moon waxes full, cast your Circle in the warm glow of candlelight. Salute the Moon in Her snowy whiteness and breathe in the coolness of Her light. Become as still as this Winter night, and know that the activity of the warm light months is behind us. Ahead are the dark months of the year. The Spirit is most active when the body is most still.

OAK MOON
The sacred tree of the Druids and the Roman god Jupiter is most noble as it withstands winter's blasts.
The Full Moon nearest the Winter Solstice is the Oak Moon, the Moon of the newborn year, the Divine Child. Like the Divine Child who is born to die and dies to be reborn anew, the ancient Oak has its trunk and branches in the material world of the living, while its roots, the branches in reverse, reach deep into the Underworld, symbolic land of the Spirit. As the roots probe downward into the grave-like darkness of the Earth, its branches grow ever upward toward the light, to be crowned by sacred Mistletoe. At this most magickal time of the year, as the light of the old dying year wanes and the Oak Moon waxes to full, cast your Circle wearing Mistletoe in your hair. Let this token remind you that like the Oak, we too dwell simultaneously in two worlds - the world of physical matter and the world of Spirit. As you invoke the Goddess of the Moon, ask that you become ever more aware of the other side of reality and the unseen forces and beings that are always among us.

)O(

Being Dead

PAGANW0LF — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:44:00 UT

Being dead used to be ever so easy. They’d put you in a box, lower you gingerly into the ground and let you rot in peace. Or, if the ground in your town was full, they’d throw you on a fire and let you spend the rest of time in a vase, on your mother’s mantelpiece. Now, though, in the same way that you can get married underwater or during a parachute jump, you can choose how you wish to be disposed of when you have done dying. Just this week, for instance, a former navy diver called Derick Redfern was attached to the nose of a torpedo, which was then detonated on the sea bed off Plymouth. This means that now, and for all time, Mr Redfern is a part of the Gulf Stream. Meanwhile, in Spain, officials at the Catalunya circuit near Barcelona announced on Monday that motor-racing fans can now be laid to rest at the track. Quite how this will work I don’t know. It’ll certainly be a big nuisance for Lewis Hamilton next year if he skids in the final corner on Geoff Simmons of Batley. Perhaps they mean that a dead person can be used as part of the tyre wall. Or maybe to soak up oil spills. Some may argue that if you are used as a crash barrier or detonated on the sea bed, some of death’s dignity is lost. I’m not sure this is so, because I don’t see much dignity in lying in a box with your eyes leaking out of your face either. Far better, surely, to use your liquefying body as a soft landing for racing drivers. And if you wind up in the Atlantic conveyor, at least you get to see the Caribbean once in a while – something that’s not possible if you are lying under 6ft of earth.

I’ve always said that when I die I want to be buried, because the summerlands will be hard to enjoy if I’ve been cremated. Seriously, you’re never going to pull one of the Goddess's handmaided if you look like the contents of a Hoover bag. It’s for this reason I’m nervous about donor cards. I don’t think it’d be much fun in the land of milk and honey with no liver.

However, now that it’s possible to make all sorts of odd requests, I’m reconsidering my Post-Reaper strategy. This needs serious thought. I know this because I have watched people try to scatter the remains of their loved ones off the old Viaduct at Millers Dale. It sounds lovely, but because it’s always windy, the bereaved family normally ends up going home with bits of their dearly departed dad in their hair. This means that, far from ending up on a lonely rocky outcrop, he winds up being washed down the plughole amid much sobbing, wailing, gnashing of teeth and herbal essences.

Space is tempting because there’s no wind, and it doesn’t change, and I’m delighted to report there is indeed a company that will blast your ashes into orbit for just £250. A word of warning, though. While the company managed to get bits of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, into orbit, it made a bit of a hash of things when it came to getting the Enterprise’s chief engineer up there. The first time it tried, the rocket crashed and Scotty ended up not in the Andromeda Galaxy but just outside Santa Fe, in New Mexico. Happily he was found, and earlier this year he was launched again from a Pacific atoll. But that went wrong too when the rocket exploded, sending the Canadian actor into the sea, where, one day, he will probably crash head-on into Derick Redfern.

Man arrested for ‘plotting to overthrow Government'

PAGANW0LF — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:25:40 UT

Westminster was left reeling last night, as Leader of the Conservative Party, Mr David Cameron, was arrested by Westminster police on charges of conspiracy to overthrow Her Majesty’s Government. Mr Cameron is now believed to be being held in cells at an undisclosed London police station where it is alleged, he has already fallen down the stairs on more than one occasion.

Police have given few details of the alleged plot by a shady organisation apparently calling itself ‘the shadow cabinet’. However, sources close to the investigation have revealed the detailed planning behind the Conservatives’ attempt to seize power. ‘They had recruited a network of people sympathetic to their opinions throughout the country’ said one source who had viewed documents confiscated from Mr Cameron. ‘The plan was that on a certain day in 2010, they would appeal to people to declare their support for Cameron – but only in private. Based on this clandestine approach, which they were referring to as a ‘secret ballot’, the Conservative Party would then declare Labour as overthrown, and announce David Cameron as the new leader of the UK.’

Gordon Brown and Jacqui Smith have refused to condemn the police action while watching the arrest on C.C.T.V. but there has been criticism of the Speaker Michael Martin for calling 999 and requesting armed response units, dog units and anti terrorist officers when he witnessed David Cameron say that the Prime Minister ‘was not very good.’ But one Met insider said that David Cameron had got off lightly with just an arrest. ‘If he’d gone into Westminister tube station, we would have followed agreed government protocol and had four armed officers ready to pump thirty bullets into him.’

Sarah Palin, breaking the law and unaccountable

PAGANW0LF — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:11:39 UT

http://www.eyeonpalin.org/

(March 18, 2009) The Palin administration considerably escalated its aerial wolf killing spree this past weekend, with full details only becoming clear in the hours after the killing initiated. At least 58 wolves have been killed in the Upper Yukon/Tanana area of Alaska over the past 4 days by Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff, which indicates that their target of approximately 250 wolves will be easily met.

The key ingredient is the decision by the governor and her appointed Alaska Board of Game to use helicopters as part of the state's wolf killing program in this region. The Board of Game approved the use of agency helicopters and personnel at its most recent meeting, which ended March 9, 2009, but those new regulations are not yet in effect, making the current helicopter wolf killing program in the Upper Yukon/Tanana region illegal. It is on these grounds that the board now faces a law suit, filed today by Defenders of Wildlife calling for an immediate injunction on the aerial wolf killing occurring in this area

“While the media obsesses over Governor Palin’s private family life, she is getting away with illegally slaughtering large numbers of wolves from the air,” commented Defenders Action Fund president, Rodger Schlickeisen. “The governor is even encouraging the killing of wolves that reside and den mostly on federal land, which belongs to all of us, not just Alaskans. There is no biological emergency in Alaska that warrants such measures.”

The ADF&G gave the National Park Service just a few hours notice before the killing began and as of Tuesday morning, at least 58 wolves were already known to have been killed, in addition to at least 27 that had already been killed by private hunters. According to the National Park Service’s March 15 briefing statement (attached), if ADF&G is successful in reaching its goal, “this would leave one-to-two wolves per 1,000 square kilometers in the Upper Yukon Wolf Control Area, approximating the lowest known wolf population densities in Alaska.” Upon learning of the state’s plans, the Service requested a no-wolf kill buffer zone around the preserve, but the state refused, putting at risk many of the members of seven wolf packs that reside mostly within the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, many of which are part of an ongoing wolf study conducted by the park, at federal taxpayer expense.

“The Palin administration has created the least scientific Board of Game in the state’s history and this board will stop at nothing to reach its arbitrary and overblown goals for moose and caribou populations. They don’t even play by their own rules!” continued Schlickeisen. “Removing such huge numbers of predators from a region will do untold damage to all the wildlife that depends on that habitat. Governor Palin is recklessly pursuing policies that could turn America’s last frontier into nothing more than a large game farm.”

During the recent spring Board of Game meeting, the board also approved a proposal to allow to the use of gas bombs to kill wolves and wolf pups in their dens. The consistently unanimous votes for unprecedented and increasingly extreme methods of killing wolves have caused many to question the make up of the board and the magnitude of their vendetta against wolves. Each of the seven members have been appointed or re-appointed by Governor Palin, who has consistently chosen her appointees from the hunting lobby, excluding all other interests from the board.

Get out of my life

PAGANW0LF — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:50:09 UT

Ah, I remember the day i first saw you. I was stunned by how great you looked and I counted the days until I could hold you. That first day was magical, and yet, as the months went on, I noticed a change, you became more and more unreliable, I found it more and more difficult to turn you on or even to talk to you and you were unwilling to accept any time or attention lavished on you. Simple requests were ignored while you went ahead and did your own thing. It had got to such a stage where you became so unreliable, I had no choice but to let you go and move on.

Yes my Nokia 6500, you have been nothing but a pain in the ass and i'm glad to see the back of you!

You call it Easter, we call it Ostara

PAGANW0LF — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:04:43 UT

Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre (the origin of the word "east" comes from various Germanic, Austro-Hungarian words for dawn that share the root for the word "aurora" which means " to shine" ). Modern pagans have generally accepted the spelling "Ostara" which honours this goddess as our word for the Vernal Equinox. The 1974 edition of Webster's New World Dictionary defines Easter thus: "orig., name of pagan vernal festival almost coincident in date with paschal festival of the church; Eastre, dawn goddess; 1. An annual Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, held on the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21." The Vernal Equinox usually falls somewhere between March 19th and 22nd (note that the dictionary only mentions March 21st, as opposed to the date of the actual Equinox), and depending upon when the first full moon on or after the Equinox occurs, Easter falls sometime between late-March and mid-April.

Because the Equinox and Easter are so close, many Catholics and others who celebrate Easter often see this holiday (which observes Christ's resurrection from the dead after his death on Good Friday) as being synonymous with rebirth and rejuvenation: the symbolic resurrection of Christ is echoed in the awakening of the plant and animal life around us. But if we look more closely at some of these Easter customs, we will see that the origins are surprisingly, well, pagan! Eggs, bunnies (hares? ), sweets (candy), Easter baskets, new clothes, all these "traditions" have their origin in practices which may have little or nothing to do with the Christian holiday.

For example, the traditional colouring and giving of eggs at Easter has very pagan associations. For eggs are clearly one of the most potent symbols of fertility, and spring is the season when animals begin to mate and flowers and trees pollinate and reproduce. In England and Northern Europe, eggs were often employed in folk magic when women wanted to be blessed with children. There is a great scene in the film The Wicker Man where a woman sits upon a tombstone in the cemetery, holding a child against her bared breasts with one hand, and holding up an egg in the other, rocking back and forth as she stares at the scandalized (and very uptight!) Sargent Howie. Many cultures have a strong tradition of egg colouring; among Greeks, eggs are traditionally dyed dark red and given as gifts.

As for the Easter egg hunt, a fun game for kids, I have heard at least one pagan teacher say that there is a rather scary history to this. As with many elements of our "ancient history, " there is little or no factual documentation to back this up. But the story goes like this: Eggs were decorated and offered as gifts and to bring blessings of prosperity and abundance in the coming year; this was common in Old Europe. As Christianity rose and the ways of the "Old Religion" were shunned, people took to hiding the eggs and having children make a game out of finding them. This would take place with all the children of the village looking at the same time in everyone's gardens and beneath fences and other spots.

It is said, however, that those people who sought to seek out heathens and heretics would bribe children with coins or threats, and once those children uncovered eggs on someone's property, that person was then accused of practising the old ways. I have never read any historical account of this, so I cannot offer a source for this story (though I assume the person who first told me found it somewhere); when I find one, I will let you know! When I first heard it, I was eerily reminded of the way my own family conducted such egg hunts: our parents hid money inside colourful plastic eggs that could be opened and closed up again; some eggs contained pennies, were my siblings and cousins and I mimicking the treacherous activities of children so long ago?

Traditional foods play a part in this holiday, as with so many others. Ham is the traditional main course served in many families on Easter Sunday, and the reason for this probably has to do with the agricultural way of life in old Europe. In late fall, usually in October, also known as the month of the Blood Moon, because it referred to the last time animals were slaughtered before winter, meats were salted and cured so they would last through the winter. Poorer people, who subsisted on farming and hunting, would often eat very sparingly in winter to assure their food supply would last. With the arrival of spring, there was less worry, and to celebrate the arrival of spring and of renewed abundance, they would serve the tastiest remaining cured meats, including hams. This also marked a seasonal end to eating cured foods and a return to eating fresh game (as animals emerged from hibernation looking for food), and no longer relying on stored root vegetables, but eating the young green plants so full of the vitamins and minerals that all living beings need to replenish their bodies in spring.

Modern pagans can observe these same customs by eating the fresh greens and early vegetables abundant now: dandelion greens, nettles, asparagus, and the like. There are some Witches who believe that fasting at the Equinox is very healthy and magical: it clears away all the toxins stored over winter, when we eat heavier foods to keep warm, and can create an altered state of consciousness for doing Equinox magic. By eliminating all the "poisons" from our diets for a few days (including sugar, caffeine, alcohol, red meats, dairy products, refined foods), and eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, we not only can shed a few pounds and improve the appearance of our hair and skin, but also improve our health over the long term. The overall benefit to health from an occasional cleansing fast helps strengthen our immune system, making our bodies more resistant to illness, and help us feel more alert and energetic. Try it! Be sure to "break" your fast slowly, reintroducing your normal foods one at a time, instead of going from several days of fruits, grains and herbal tea to a feast of steak, potatoes and chocolate cake! The breaking of the fast can be incorporated into the cakes and wine portion of your ritual, or at the feast many Witches have afterwards.

Speaking of food, another favourite part of Easter for kids, no doubt, is that basket of treats! Nestled in plastic "grass" coloured pink or green, we'd find foil-wrapped sweet eggs, hollow chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, marshmallow chicks (in pink, yellow or lavender!), and of course our Mum always included one of the beautiful ceramic eggs she painted by hand. Like that other holiday where children are inundated with sugar (Hallowe'en), no one seems to know precisely where, when or how this custom began. And why are the baskets supposedly brought by a bunny???

There are some modern Witches and pagans who follow traditions that integrate the faery lore of the Celtic countries. It is customary to leave food and drink out for the fairies on the nights of our festivals, and it is believed that if the fairies are not honoured with gifts at these times, they will work mischief in our lives. Certain holidays call for particular "fairy favorites." At Imbolc/Oimelc (February 2nd), for example, we leave gifts of dairy origin, like cheese, butter or fresh cream. At Lammas/Lughnasa (August 1st) we leave fresh grains or newly-baked bread. At Samhain, nuts and apples are traditional. And at Ostara, it is customary to leave something sweet (honey, or mead, or candy)--could this be connected to the Easter basket tradition? Perhaps a gift of sweets corresponds to the sweet nectar gathering in new spring flowers?

To refer again to The Wicker Man, the post office/candy shop where May Morrison works (she is the mother of Rowan Morrison, the young girl who is supposedly missing and who Sargent Howie has come to Summerisle to find) offers a large selection of candies shaped like animals. When Sargent Howie says "I like your rabbits" Mrs. Morrison scolds him saying "Those are hares! Lovely March hares, not silly old rabbits!" And when Howie goes to dig up the grave of Rowan Morrison (who it turns out is neither dead nor missing) he finds the carcass of a hare, and Lord Summerisle tries to convince him that Rowan was transformed into a hare upon her death. Clearly this is an illustration of the powerful association with animals that many ancient cultures have (Summerisle being a place where time has seemingly stood still and where the pagan pursuit of pleasure and simple agricultural ways define the way of life). The forming of candy into the shape of rabbits or chicks is a way to acknowledge them as symbols; by eating them, we take on their characteristics, and enhance our own fertility, growth and vitality.

For clearly the association of rabbits with Easter has something to do with fertility magic. Anyone who has kept rabbits as pets or knows anything about their biology has no question about the origin of the phrase "f*** like a bunny." These cute furry creatures reproduce rapidly, and often! Same with chicks, who emerge wobbly and slimy from their eggs only to become fluffy, yellow and cute within a few hours. The Easter Bunny may well have its origin in the honouring of rabbits in spring as an animal sacred to the goddess Eastre, much as horses are sacred to the Celtic Epona, and the crow is sacred to the Morrigan. As a goddess of spring, she presides over the realm of the conception and birth of babies, both animal and human, and of the pollination, flowering and ripening of fruits in the plant kingdom. Sexual activity is the root of all of life: to honor this activity is to honour our most direct connection to nature.

At Beltane (April 31st-May 1st), pagans and Witches honour the sexual union of the god and goddess amid the flowers and fruits that have begun to cover the land; but prior to that, at Ostara, we welcome the return of the spring goddess from her long season of dormant sleep. The sap begins to flow, the trees are budding, the ground softens, ice melts, and everywhere the fragrance and colour of spring slowly awakens and rejuvenates our own life force.

I have always thought this had a lot to do with the tradition of wearing newly-bought or made clothes at Easter, in pastel spring colors. Wearing such colors we echo the flowering plants, crocus, lilac, forsythia, bluebells, violets and new clothes allow us to feel we are renewing our persona. How many of us feel sort of "blah" after winter ends? Along with the fasting practice mentioned earlier, this is a time for many of us to create new beginnings in our lives: this can apply to jobs, relationships, living situations, lifestyle choices. But since the Equinox is such a potent time magically, and often (as it does this year) falls in the period when Mercury is Retrograde, starting a new endeavour at this time can be problematic if we do not take care. One good way to avoid catastrophe is to engage in small, personally-oriented rites or activities: a new haircut, a new clothing style or make-up, a new exercise program, the grand old tradition of spring cleaning, a new course of study: all of these are relatively "safe" ways to begin anew without risking the weirdness and unpredictability of Mercury Retrograde.

This is a very powerful time to do magic, not only because of the balancing of the earth's energies, but because of the way our own beings echo the earth's changes. We are literally reborn as we emerge from our winter sleep, ready to partake of all the pleasures of the earth, and to meet the challenges we will face as the world changes around us daily. As we greet and celebrate with our pagans brothers and sisters of the Southern Hemisphere (for whom the Vernal Equinox more closely resembles the beginning of autumn, in physical terms!), we remember that Spring is not only a season; it is a state of mind.

Blessings )O(

The rite of Spring

PAGANW0LF — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:35:42 UT

March 20, 2009, is a date that most of us recognize as symbolic of changing seasons. As we welcome spring, people south of the equator are actually gearing up for the cooler temperatures of autumn.

What Happens at the Equinox?

Far from being an arbitrary indicator of the changing seasons, March 20 (March 21 in some years) is significant for astronomical reasons. On March 20, 2009, at precisely 7:44 A.M. EDT (March 20, 11:44 Universal Time), the Sun will cross directly over the Earth's equator. This moment is known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. For the Southern Hemisphere, this is the moment of the autumnal equinox.

Equinox Means "Equal Night"

Translated literally, equinox means "equal night." Because the sun is positioned above the equator, day and night are about equal in length all over the world during the equinoxes. A second equinox occurs each year on September 22 or 23; in 2009, it will be on September 22 at 17:18 P.M. EDT (21:18 UT). This date will mark the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the vernal equinox in the Southern (vernal denotes "spring".

Reasons for the Seasons

These brief but monumental moments owe their significance to the 23.4 degree tilt of the Earth's axis. Because of the tilt, we receive the Sun's rays most directly in the summer. In the winter, when we are tilted away from the Sun, the rays pass through the atmosphere at a greater slant, bringing lower temperatures. If the Earth rotated on an axis perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, there would be no variation in day lengths or temperatures throughout the year, and we would not have seasons.

Rituals and Traditions

Modern astronomy aside, people have recognized the vernal equinox for thousands of years. There is no shortage of rituals and traditions surrounding the coming of spring. Many early peoples celebrated for the basic reason that their food supplies would soon be restored. The date is significant in Christianity because Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. It is also probably no coincidence that early Egyptians built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising Sun on the day of the vernal equinox.

The first day of spring also marks the beginning of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The celebration lasts 13 days and is rooted in the 3,000-year-old tradition of Zorastrianism.

Me, in short, up close and personal

PAGANW0LF — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:01:52 UT

Well the last 48 hours have certainly been interesting, It seems that people are seeing facets in me they never thought before purely because of a few pics so in short :-

Dress : I dress normally when I choose, I have ceremonial garb for both NA and witchcraft Sabbats but I must admit my robes haven't seen the light of day in years, Yule at -3 in a robe is no fun, I wear berghaus for that sort of thing. I have clothes and adornments for Native American rituals which were made for me on the reservations. There are no pics as I am invariably solitary for these rituals.
I dress like a goth at times, I do because I am as near as damnit one. I like the styles of clothing and if you have looked at the last set of uploaded pics in the goth set, you'll see I find the gothic style clothes on a woman and the way they look and dress...........yeah, 'nuff said
I don't dress like the archetypical guitarist from the eighties, you know tight jeans and shirt etc, on the few events I play live, It is jeans, shirt and waistcoat, and I need a waistcoat to put the plectrums

Music: I am a musician so listen to anything I'm like that appeals, just because right now, I am listening to stuff like within Temptation, does not pigeon hole me, when I want to relax, I listen to Mozart and anything inbetween that suits. As I type this, i am listening to George Benson so just because I have long hair, does not make me a pure 'metalhead'

Pictures and Art: I like Don Breckans railways pictures as well as Victoria Frances for the gothic style imagery, Luis Royo and Roger Dean for Fantasy type imagery and yes, I do find Fetish / BDSM and erotic imagery appealing but again, because I have these images, It is insufficient for the invariable assumptions I am either a Sub, switch or Dom. I have experience of the scene from years ago so speak from experience, albeit limited and my proclivities are mine alone and only the closest of friends see beyond the door. and to put the record straight :-

BDSM and Erotica is not pornography. If you see Fet style porn, it is porn dressed as Fet, not the other way round

My Car(s) : Just because I have a Jaguar does not mean I have money, if you have an old Jaguar or an old car of any sorts, you'll know that money is not something you ever see. I have a hearse, big deal, it is purely for the Whitby Gothic weekends, It won't come out any other times is it is too big to manoeuvre safely at speed, too heavy on fuel (it has a 6.8 litre) to use every day and would be a bugger to get fixed if hit especially with the assumed 1,000,000 uninsured motorists doing the rounds at the moment.

Me: I'm a complicated person, I have many aspects to me that those who have known me the longest have seen. I am not stand-off-ish, I just don't preach about who and what I am. If you want to know, just ask, again those who have known me a while will know I have no secrets and carry trust in me in great respect so it is not abused. I back my friends to the hilt, I bury my enemies where they stand. I devote to my partner 100%

now....shall we get back to normal and leave the Pm's alone

)O(

If i hold out my hand

PAGANW0LF — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:06:01 UT

If I held out my hand
Would you take away my fears
Would you hold me close to you
Would you wipe away these tears

Would you mend this breaking heart
And show the love you have
Would you teach me what you know
Would this broken man you'd save

Would you listen to these words
And hear my words so true
And not be offended when you hear
That I can't write anymore for you

I cannot say more than you already know
You know me to be true
And now it is your decision, yours alone
Our future is up to you

So please my love, just take a thought
And make a final choice
Take me back or let me go
But let me hear your voice.

)O(

Northern Star

PAGANW0LF — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 21:29:29 UT

Raise my soul to the gardens of night,
Where the Northern Star shines above
To the rose that is about to be dispersed
In the moon-lit woods, eternal love

The Northern Star shines brightest of all
Leads me, shows my way
Catches the sound of hushed foot-fall
Gives light until the day.

)O(

Everything

PAGANW0LF — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:03:44 UT

Every dream is filled by you
Every day time thought
Every second so it seems
Every moment caught

Every thing I say or do
Everthing I write
Every single note I sing
Everything is right

Every chord i ever play
Every passing hour
Every moment, every day
Every blooming flower

Every heart beat stole by you
Every moment shared
Every thing I say or do,
Every secret bared

Every tear you wiped away
Every wound you bathed
Every thing i'm humbled for
Every single day

)O(

Nightingale

PAGANW0LF — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:14:54 UT

Sometimes i've been missing you just sometimes,
Looking through the clouds into your heart,
Sometimes I been thinking 'bout you sometimes,
At first you made me fly right from the start.

After all these years I'm sad and lonely,
Guess that all my towers lost control,
yesterday you were the one and only,
Today i'm going under in this hole.

(Loving), i'm diving, i'm diving!
(Love ain't around)
(Loving), I'm coming I'm coming!
(coming around) All that I've know.

On the run, on the wings through the night, of a nightingale,
I've been all alone, on a long distant flight, why do lovers fail?
Lovers have to fail!

Another shipwreck captain of the airways,
Another lonely burning butterfly,
The sun is much to close, my radars broken
The mission blamed, it's time to say goodbye!

(Loving), i'm diving, i'm diving!
(Love ain't around)
(Loving), I'm coming I'm coming!
(Coming around) All that I've know.

On the run, on the wings through the night, of a nightingale,
I've been all alone, on a long distant flight, why do lovers fail?
Lovers have to fail!

On the run, to the sky into space, to eternity,
I've been all alone, I will never escape from your gravity

Nightingale

Nightingale

On the run, on the wings through the night, of a nightingale,
I've been alone, on a long distant flight, why do lovers fail?
Why do they fail?
On the run, to the sky into space, to eternity,
I've been all alone, I will never escape from your gravity.

Music and Lyrics : Artist copyrighted

Anam Cara / Soul Mates

PAGANW0LF — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:29:44 UT

According to Celtic wisdom, our souls begin their journey together as one being that becomes broken apart. Through this, two souls emerge and move on into their journeys.

Throughout time, we unconsciously seek to rejoin our Soul mate; That which was created as our perfect match.

Between the two Souls, there is a world of understanding that often does not even need to be shared through spoken word. Soulmates can even reach a level of psychic communication, such as identical twins share.

Physical union of the souls reaches heights of awareness beyond common intimacy. Sharing each other's bodies becomes exactly that... "Sharing". Mutual love and satisfaction can be achieved with this mate to your Soul.

Anam Cara is the Celtic word for "Soul Friend", and throughout our lifetimes we also unconsciously search for people who are our Anam Cara. Often we find relevant qualities in others that make us feel an Anam Cara with them. Truly touching the Soul of another and sharing allows us to become Anam Cara. This is a level that can be reached with people you mentor, revere, need, or enjoy in your life.

Your Soul mate however, reaches beyond the soul sharing of Anam Cara, and becomes a state of completion between the two Souls. The search should never be rushed or sought after; for in desperation
you may overlook and rush past the very Soul that is your match. Don't worry that your life path seems to be leading you astray, for sometimes that is exactly the place you will find your Soul mate. Adversity to your Soul can create openings that allow your Soul mate to find you, and thus allow the two Souls to join together. Tumultuous times and periods of adversity often lead to enlightenment, and new beginnings.

When you meet your soul mate, this person will have an immediate affect on you. A Soul Mate is someone who makes your knees go weak and you will want to catch your breath. With a single glance they lessen your burden and a smile warms your heart. You will feel a connection with this person.
They will touch you so deeply on so many levels, you will want to share your inner most secrets.
Once you have met your Soul Mate your life will never be the same. The one thing, which makes this unique, is the sense of a significant spiritual experience.

Normally it is several months, weeks or days before physical intimacy occurs. But when you meet your Soul Mate something happens. The pull, the drive to become physically intimate overwhelms and you will find it happening in the initial meeting. There's a sense of security with this person. You knowingly let go of your defences, as an empathic bond is formed. Unlike other relationships in the past, there will be no game playing or hidden agendas, which plagued you in the past. There is something about the passion that you share with your Soul Mate. Its breadth goes beyond just "body parts". For a moment in time you two are the only ones who exist in the universe. Hearts beat in rhythm as your souls entwine themselves becoming one. Your personal energies meld and you feel the flame of creation move through you - like a wave of the ocean in a tempest. Soon you begin to lose track of where you begin and your partner ends. From within the depths of your raw passionate union, your Soul Mate will know how and where to touch you. It will be different, intense and more gratifying than lovers of your past.

They will look into your eyes and you will feel your soul open wide. There is a rush. All the love, all the passion, all the need, will surge forth from your soul. At this moment you will know what it means to get lost within someone's eyes. You will experience a touch you have never felt before and your passion will rise to new levels. Your Soul Mate will be able to make love with you in ways no one else will ever be able to match or be allowed.

Most of us know the basic meaning of the words Soul Mate and some even know the myth... I don't remember the full story but it basically goes that at one time in history, souls were neither male nor female but a combined spirit, completely happy and fulfilled. The part I don't remember is why, but due to someone or thing's jealousy, these souls were split into male and female. After the separation, both parts of the soul realised that they weren't as happy and fulfilled after the separation and so went in search of their other half. This search is repeated over many lifetimes and sometimes the two halves do not ever find each other.

When they do find each other the result is true love.

Broken Wings

PAGANW0LF — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:48:03 UT

Help me mend these broken wings
I've been grounded far too long
Help me reach unto the skies
Help me find my song

Help the sun shine on me again
Help grey skies turn to blue
and from the ashes of what went before
Life will start anew.

When i fell, you broke my fall
You picked me from the ground
You bathed my wounds, you carried me
strength through you I found,

without you there, to be my friend
I never could have coped
a gentle word, a soothing smile
above all, gave me hope

And as the sun breaks through the night
The dawn of a new start
A new beginning, a fresh new day
Mended wings and mending heart

)O(

Does this love lie dying

PAGANW0LF — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:54:36 UT

Does this love lie dying
on a bedded crown of thorns,
within the thorns, i still glimpse the Rose
and soon will you be gone?

Each day the sun lies hidden
and the grey clouds fill the sky
and tears and rain are falling
and you're the reason why

So, One last time I'll call to you
a simple yes or no
and then please take me by the hand
or simply let me go

)O(