Air Date: Nov. 23, 2008

What is a bail out?

With Special Guest: Stephen Hall,E.A.

tax and financial advisor

See below for more information on Stephen

Would you say that you or we as a

whole are in a state of Economic Crisis?

A crisis is-a turning point. A decisive time, moment. A time of suspense.
Let’s look at what is happening:
• Banks are folding!
• The Treasury Secretary Paulson Does not want to bail out the banks with the 700B Even though 3 weeks ago he stated it was critical to take care of our economy.
• People are not spending; Starbucks profits are down 97%
• The Detroit BIG 3 (automotive industry)- What is going to happen??

We need a turning point in our world to grow in responsibility, depth and as humanitarians. Greed and selfishness has been our recent past behavior as a way of finding our "selves" from the master / slave mentality. As usual the pendulum swung too far the other way and now we are looking for understanding and balance. The greed and selfishness was a reaction from the generation before of suppression, denial, and a master/slave mentality.

Can this be an opportunity in your lifetime? In so many ways, yes.

I often wonder if Rome and the legend of Atlantis...... grew too fast economically and intellectually without wisdom and responsibility of the heart and soul.

Could we be the generation that makes our minds connect to our own and each other’s hearts and souls so we do not achieve, destroy and implode as history has done?

Keys to learning and growing in our "Economic Crisis"

or shall we say........

"Our Suspenseful Turning Point"?

Spiritually, find the truth and own it with no shame. Know your worth is inside not in your achievements and financial wealth. Not that you can't have wealth. Understand your own and other’s hurts and mistakes and open up to recover without added guilt, shame and punishment.

Mentally, catch old tapes of brain washings that you no longer can agree with if they are built on lies, guilt, manipulation, addiction, disconnection, and judgment of yourself and others. No more bigotry for differences.

Emotionally, do not judge feelings as bad, ridiculous or crazy... for you see, that is what will cause crazy. Let your feelings out in exercise form and hear their message from a state of understanding. Many times, feelings are messengers and metaphors and stem from memories or blocked instances that you do not feel ready to deal with. Be nice to yourself when the feelings are active, but do not necessarily lead or make decisions from them, just understand them like you would a child.

Physically, be healthy and nice to the home (body) that which carries your mind, heart and soul.

Financially, have boundaries and keep learning what is real and true and be aware of the "more" monster !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! More is the black abyss where there is no end to its hunger.


An economic bailout is when a bankrupt or nearly bankrupt party (like Lehman Brothers) is helped by another party (like the US government) giving them asset, that can be easily converted to cash. This infusion of liquid assets frees up the troubled party to meet its short term obligations. In return, the helping party will often receive controlling interest.

So, when you hear that AIG has 1 trillion dollars worth of assets, you may wonder why they need a bailout and ask “Why don't they just sell their own assets"?

The key word when you are talking about assets is liquid (available cash). The companies in crisis have illiquid assets (no or little money). An illiquid asset is not readily saleable due to uncertainty about its value or it lacks a market in which it can be traded. In other words, no one is going to buy mortgage company assets because the value is uncertain and there are not buyers for the troubled loans, where they are most often worth less than what is owed.

When a large company is on the verge of a failure that will have vast long term effects, the government views this as “too big to fail.” They will step in for a bailout in order to stop wide spread economic repercussions and panic that result in depressions. What the U.S. government is proposing to do in the mortgage bailout will be the largest since the Great Depression.

95% of homeowners are paying their notes on time. 5% that are in trouble are in a bind because most bought something that they couldn't pay for.

I am so sad we have to sometimes hurt to learn. Personal responsibility is a part of life at every age. This stinks I know, but we can survive and be better in the long run if we grow, learn and change our beliefs and habits.

The sentence truth above feelings and desires is so important.

Small Business could be the Economic Bailout

Small business is the economic backbone of America and certainly the path to any economic bailout, we need to acknowledge that fact as well.

While large businesses have lost more than 170,000 jobs over the last six months, small businesses are seeing their employment sector grow. Over 200,000 small business jobs have been created in that time. New data shows a continuation of this trend.
How small business makes money, who they serve, when and where they work has little to do with the Dow Jones Index - which is made up of just 30 companies.

What is short selling?

Short selling is the borrowing shares of a company and then selling them in hopes that their value will fall. When that happens, short sellers buy the shares back at a lower price to repay the loan and reap a profit.

If the value falls, financial companies loaded with bad debt had become prime targets for short sellers. The SEC said it had become concerned that this practice "may be causing sudden and excessive fluctuations of the prices of such securities in such a manner so as to threaten fair and orderly markets".

IS THIS A DEPRESSION OR A RECESSION?

Let's use Target as a picture of what's happening.
A little over $150 million, of average receivables (meaning Target customers are not paying their Target charges) have two missed payments or more leading to an account of $225 million. Bad-debt expense is killing the retailers as well as their being no money available for loans. Bad debt has more than doubled to $314 million from a year earlier as more customers default on credit-card bills.

American Express Co. had its highest monthly increase in credit-card delinquencies on record in October as jobless claims rose. American Express has been battered by rising delinquencies and higher funding costs. The New York-based company became eligible for government funds when it won Federal Reserve approval to become a commercial bank on Nov. 11 as frozen credit markets choked off affordable financing.

First came the crisis over bad paper.
Now the crisis could get worse because of bad plastic.
At the same time, it's becoming harder to get new credit.

Americans have almost $1 trillion of credit card debt outstanding. Defaults are rising.
A lot of mortgage loans had no boundaries from the beginning. Therefore loans between organizations are not bound in truth. Evaluations by ratings agencies were not thorough.

Obama is now the next president:

How will he affect your money???

According to Obama’s team- he will help all Americans that earn under $200,000 those that earn above $200,000 your taxes will go up! But there are still tax benefits to you as well!

Steven says… About Obama and Health Care, to revise Health Care in his first year could be political suicide. To touch that right now will create higher taxes. Every country worldwide that has nationalized health care has taxes over 50%. Right now the average American pays under 20% in taxes!! This topic may be a second term presidential issue.

Financial Check list:
Buy assets wisely!
Buy Stocks and Real Estate – Come up with a systematic game plan to be a part of the real estate adjustments that are finally affordable in your area!
If you are feeling the pain of what is going on- Do not worry! There is relief out there!

• The Government is forgiving the taxation of a foreclosure if you are losing your primary residence.
• If you have a bad loan- or if you are not sure you have a bad loan- you can possibly modify your loan.
• If you have massive credit card debt and do not know where to start- we can help – there are solutions out there!

How can you work in this economy?
1. Save money for a down payment on your new home and/or rental property.
2. Save money for retirement- start aggressively funding your 401K and Retirement Plans- Put the money in a Money Market fund for now!
3. Look at your loan documents and find out what kind of loan you have!
4. Get ready for the biggest sale of assets in our lifetime!

The market is going to get worse before it gets better: here is why: Just like physical illness, you can get weaker, have a surgery to help mend and then heal and be stronger in the long run. Right?

How can we learn to live?

Ask yourself questions of need before purchasing anything, including groceries.

Don’t use credit cards.

Watch you gas.

When shopping, take the specific amount you plan to spend, and stick to it.

Practice saying "no" to things like a self parent.

Clearance items are usually not necessary.

Pack a lunch: you can easily save $40-$60 per month, just by bringing items with you.

Shop at consignment shops: Try cutting your family's wardrobe budget. Designer clothes in excellent condition can be purchased for about 20% of their original cost. If second hand clothes are not for you, at least make it a point to shop from the clearance rack. It can make a huge difference.

Have a "no-spending" weekend: It is necessary to take a break from our usual routine in order to get our budget back on track. Try making it through an entire weekend without spending any money. It really can be done! For entertainment, you can watch old movies, play at the park, or go for a family bike ride.

Trim Your Grocery Bill: Eat less meat. It is a proven fact that it takes longer for your body to digest meat than any other food anyway. Give your body and your budget a healthy break by having one or two meatless meals per week.

Compare sale ads: Most weekly specials can be checked online. Go to a different store for the sales. Comparing sales may take a bit of time, but if it saves you $25-$50 with each weekly shopping trip, it is certainly worth the effort.

Buy the store brand. Yes, it's true that sometimes the generic brand is really the name brand just labeled as the store brand.
Buying Groceries: Buy your produce from the farmer's market. Most towns have one, even if they only set up one day per week. During the fall season is usually when the farmers market is around. Check your local paper to find one in your area.

Gas: Gas prices have come down. Now let's learn some gas saving tips so you'll be prepared for a hike before it arrives.

Junk in the Trunk: Remove roof racks and extra cargo from the trunk. Your trunk is not a storage unit. Extra weight causes reduced fuel efficiency. Unused roof racks can cost you a whopping 2-4 miles per gallon because of the wind resistance they cause.

Slow down! Every 5mph that you drive over 60mph can reduce gas mileage by 10%. Leave the house ten or fifteen minutes earlier.

If you’re not out of a job or on the verge of having your house foreclosed, please hold a center. Do not pick up others issues or fears. You are no good to yourself or others in fear that is not true for you.

So....history is our teacher of what to do and not to do. Can we come out of this, if we listen and own our addictions and desires and see it as the fuel of this fall?
Can we surpass history from the inside and out?

Can poverty, abuse, and bigotry heal, as we learn, we are all in this together and everyone had their hand in the cookie jar in some way, shape or form?


Hugs and strength to all of you!

Mona

More about Stephen E. Hall, E.A.

Tax Accountant, and Real Estate Entrepreneur

Stephen Hall is a graduate of U.S.C. and a dedicated tax professional with over 11 years experience. Steven is the second generation president of a family tax consulting firm. He is successful in the real estate field, purchasing and selling on small and large scale projects. As an accountant Stephen is current in all new laws pertaining to real estate and a good advisor for your needs.


ROBERT HALL & ASSOCIATES Tax Consultants

Robert Hall & Associates is a recognized leader in the tax and tax planning field. In business for over 35 years, we provide a wide range of services to individuals and businesses in a variety of industries.

Whether you need individual tax planning or complex tax planning for your business, we guide our clients through a full range of tax planning and preparation decisions with strategies that minimize your tax liabilities. Our, experience, analysis and research allow us to optimize financial opportunities to be found in existing as well as recently altered tax laws.

Call our office today at 888-808-1040 and email us at becca@roberthalltaxes.com and ask for a free report on the ten items to save on taxes in this wild ride!

Show Air Date: 11/16/2008

Are you Funny?

Do you have A

Sense of Humor?

With Special Guest:

David Goldman, CEO Comedy Time

Comedy Time has been ranked as the 7th most watched channel on mobile devices by Nielsen and we are the leading producer of short-form comedy for mobile and broadband. We are on every major phone carrier deck in the US and Canada (Sprint, Verizon, ATT, Rogers, Telus, Bell Mobility) and appear as a branded channel on most major broadband portals including Hulu, AOL, Youtube, MySpaceTV, Yahoo and MSN.

See Below for more information on David and Comedy Time

So the Bible Says......

Book of Proverbs. Proverbs 17:22: "A merry heart doeth good like medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Humor in Relationships

Humor has it Hands Down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is there laughter in your relationship?
Here are the rules:
1. No hitting vulnerabilities (areas where someone is insecure or hurting).
2. No personalizing (know there is no bad intentions. When someone is on a roll and hits vulnerability it's usually an accident. Please don't get hurt. But later on, talk about the boundaries so you don't step on that subject matter again.).

Good Communication and Understanding is A Must!
3. Be a free infectious laugher.
4. Be able to be "stupid" with no self beating (shame) laugh at yourself.


If laughter is missing... the relationship looks like what?
Remember introducing humor to a humorless relationship might take some time. You need to practice this muscle. Start slowly by working on your own inner child by being light with a fun loving attitude. Remember that laughter and fun are contagious.

Humor can be learned, not just inherited.
• Look for humor everywhere. When something feels funny, enjoy it. Let laughter flow. Then remember it, feel it and laugh again.
If you judge yourself for being joyous or forward, you will kill it!

Humor Chemically

Psychoneuroimmunology and Humor

There is, now, so much evidence that your thoughts, moods, emotions, and belief system have an amazing impact on the body’s health and healing mechanisms.

Whether or not you get sick depends on your body’s ability to fight off infection and disease. In 1980, prior to the discovery of the AIDS virus, the departing editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Franz Ingelfinger, estimated that 85% of all human illnesses are curable by the body’s own healing system. We now know that building a positive focus in your life plays an important role in supporting the body's ability to do this.

The body’s healing system responds favorably to positive attitudes, thoughts, moods, and emotions (e.g., to love, hope, optimism, caring, intimacy, joy, laughter, and humor), and negatively to negative ones (hate, hopelessness, pessimism, indifference, anxiety, depression, loneliness, etc.). So you want your mind set to process through negativity and change your attitude by changing thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behaviors to keep the body in condition to handle whatever life dishes out.
Truth is not always pretty but how you handle it is what really matters.


The key is found in complex molecules called neuropeptides. Peptides are found throughout the body, including the brain and immune system. These neuropeptides are the means by which all cells in the body communicate with each other. This includes brain-to-brain messages, brain-to-body messages, body-to-body messages, and body-to-brain messages.

The mere fact that you feel better after a good laugh is enough for many to conclude that humor must be good for you. But new evidence confirms what our grandparents knew all along. Your sense of humor not only enriches life, it also promotes physical, mental, and spiritual health.

This information is portrayed in the movie www.whatthebleep.com

Reduction of Stress Hormones

When you're under stress, your body undergoes a series of hormonal and other body changes which make up the "fight or flight" response. This is actually a behavior from fear.

When negative or fearful, your body still goes into these reflexes even though there is no physical threat to your life. If you're under stress day after day, this preparation for a vigorous physical response (which never occurs) begins to turn inward on itself and threatens your health! Anything which reduces the level of stress hormones in the blood on a regular basis helps reduce this health threat. Stress weakens the immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to illness.

In the shows; Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs "Whistle While You Work" or "Whistle a Happy Tune" (so no one knows that I am afraid) from the King and I tell us to Try it!! "My Favorite Things" (fear of the thunderstorm from The Sound of Music.)

Immunoglobulins

The greatest amount of research to date has focused on immunoglobulin A, a part of your immune system which serves to protect you against upper respiratory problems, like colds and the flu. Our saliva contains IgA, and this is often referred to as the body’s first line of defense against upper respiratory, viral, and bacterial infections. Several studies have shown that watching as little as 30 or 60 minutes of a comedy video is enough to increase both salivary IgA and blood levels of IgA. This has been shown for both adults and children.

Immunoglobulin’s M and G have also been shown to be enhanced as a result of humor/laughter. Laughter even increases levels of a substance called Complement 3, which helps antibodies pierce through defective or infected cells in order to destroy them.

Researchers conducted a study of Israeli soldiers in war-like conditions. Soldiers, who joked, told funny stories, or clowned around more were judged by both their peers and commanders to be coping better with the highly stressful conditions of combat training. The researchers concluded that the humor initiated by the soldiers increased their feeling that they were in control of whatever situations came up, and that this enabled them to perform at a higher level.





"Humor does put you in a good mood. Usually when people are sick, or have something wrong, they get depressed. They can't do this; they can't do that (Helpless /Hopeless). But if you start to laugh, it will change your mood. This affects your thinking and feeling and then behaviors. It's a feeling of 'I can, I can,' instead of 'I can't.' Because depression is 'I can't,' and laughing is I can."

The studies say, young women in different phases of their menstrual cycle were asked to select from among comedy, drama, and game show programs for an evening of television viewing. Premenstrual and menstrual women preferred comedy over the other choices to a greater extent than did women mid-way through their menstrual cycle. The researchers conducting the study concluded that this choice was due to "a desire to overcome the hormonally-mediated noxious mood states that are characteristically associated with premenstrual and menstrual phases of the cycle."

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Concerns and Cautions About Using Humor in Health Care Settings

Professionalism with humor can still be professional but it has a lighter style of interaction. This is referred to as “good bed side manner.” Humor does not replace compassion.
Be intuitive and aware if people are responding positively or negatively to humor. Don't force humor or laughter if she or he is not open to accepting it.
That's like a comedian yelling at the audience to laugh at his jokes.

Homework for humor

1) Spend the next week or so laughing more often and more intensely than you usually do. Force yourself to laugh more in situations where other people are laughing. You'll feel self-conscious about this at first, but you will gradually become a more natural belly laugher.
2) Spend more time around people who are good laughers, use their laughter to boost your own.
3) Listen to comedy audiotapes (many libraries have comedy tapes) while driving to and from work, and force yourself to laugh more when you find a segment funny.
4) Try faking laughter when you're angry or anxious this still affects you and your outlook.
Humor not only entertains, but shows perspectives to change political views as well as change beliefs. Humor can become a miraculous tool to love life and accept its challenges. Humor is a pervasive feature of human life which crosses racial, cultural, sexual, and class divisions.

Dangerous humor / sarcasm on vulnerability

“Two things people throughout history have had in common are hatred and humor. I am proud that I have been able to use humor to lessen people's hatred.”
—Richard Pryor

One of the biggest comedy traps is making careless and cruel comments about others.

Why is this popular form of entertainment and communication?
When someone puts someone else down, it is a way of feeling better about you for a minute.

All this toxic energy is from a judgmental point of view. If you go down I go up. I call this the See Saw Game. Then if I think you are wonderful with my judger voice alive and kicking, I am down. Now, if I do this under the disguise of humor it doesn't count...I just say “I'm kidding” and put you down again for being overly sensitive.

I have been guilty of this myself. Years ago I hosted many shows and comedy venues and the more I roasted someone, the more attention, and money I made. This made my stomach hurt. I couldn't understand why I felt sick. I wasn't doing anything "wrong"? I hurt a couple of my celebrity friends when I was younger by the humor points that were vulnerabilities, but everyone else was doing it too. See…? I wasn't alone. Therefore it's ok, right?

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! (By the way, my celebrity friends have never heard any of my "humorous cracks" that, today, I believe are NOT FUNNY! I decided it hurt them and live apologizing to them internally.) I left the field and began working on myself; I became more self sensitive regarding my own vulnerabilities. Funny doesn't hurt.

How we treat others is simply a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. When we value ourselves, we cannot devalue others. Secure people do not put other people down or themselves. They accept themselves and others as is and hold understanding for all qualities. That does not mean I can't laugh at myself or others as long as I and others are secure with the subject matter.

Intuitively understanding people and situations, and knowing when and when not to act or speak is crucial. There is a vast difference between judgment and intuition.

Intuition discerns and understands the truth. Judgment, on the other hand, is a critical assessment stemming from fear. It's cold, calculated, and limiting.

"Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me".
Not true. Emotional scars can go deeper and be more painful than physical pain.

Critical humor hurts; “I was JUST KIDDING” after someone felt hurt is not ok?

Certain types of racist humor actually feed racial, sexual, and cultural stereotypes.

This is not about freedom of speech. It's about verbal abuse! Humor is a fantastic communication tool is used for understanding or harmless play.

So............ now what does funny mean to you........... How is it in your everyday life?

I'm waiting.................

About David and Comedy Time:

We just launched a new comedy brand aimed at women called “ChickComedy” www.chickcomedy.com Real Networks has been running it on their Superpass home page. Hulu, YouTube and Yahoo have just picked it up and it is also running on Verizon’s VCAST service. We also have a Latino brand “Comedy Time Latino” and an Urban brand “Comedy Time Urban.”
You might recognize the attached clip from us that women forwarded to each other all over the world and is amongst the most popular internet clips ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o

We also won Media Week’s “Media Plan of The Year” award for a branded programming campaign we did for the DVD release of Saw III. http://www.comedytime.tv/view_video.php ... e8d6f0fed3

You can see more of our content by going to www.comedytime.tv or www.youtube.com/comedytimetv

DAVID GOLDMAN BIO
CEO And FOUNDER, COMEDY TIME

David Goldman is the founder and CEO of COMEDY TIME, a market leader in the production, licensing and distribution of short-form comedy content for mobile and broadband applications.

Goldman began his entertainment career at the William Morris Agency where he represented directors, actors and musicians. He was vice-president of the motion picture department and head of the motion picture director's division. He later served a similar function at competing agency ICM. His agenting clients included Will Smith, Mick Jagger, Kurt Russell, Roland Emmerich, Renny Harlin, Billy Idol, the Beach Boys and David Lee Roth.

Goldman is a graduate of UCLA and UCLA School of Law

Email: david.goldman@comedy-time.com
Phone: 310.287.1617
8737 Venice Blvd, Ste. 101
Los Angeles, CA 90034

Show Air Date: Nov. 9, 2008

Journey of an American Sangoma

w/ my special guest: Gretchen Crilly McKay

The word shaman originated from a word in Siberia and eventually came to be applied to all medicine men and women of indigenous cultures who's practice includes the flight of the soul.

Shamanism is not a religion, unless you want to make it into one. It has been and is being practiced by people of many religions, from Christianity, to Judaism, to Hinduism. You will find shamanic practitioners of every faith.

So what then is shamanism? It is a direct experience of spiritual knowledge.

Paganism was influenced by shamanism, as reflected in the stories. Some of the shamanic practices of the Greek religion later merged into the Roman religion. The repression of shamanism continued as Catholic influence spread with Spanish colonization. In the Caribbean, and Central and South America, Catholic priests followed in the footsteps of the Conquistadors and were instrumental in the destruction of the local traditions, denouncing practitioners as "devil worshippers" and having them executed. In North America, the English Puritans conducted periodic campaigns against individuals perceived as witches. A similarly destructive story can be told of the encounter between Buddhists and Shamans.

The symbols on the shaman's costume and drum can refer to animals (as helping spirits), or the rank of the shaman. “Mutually opposing symbols”, are used to distinguish “white” shaman’s practicing at day contacting sky spirits, and “black” shaman practicing at night contacting evil spirits for bad aims.


These series of opposing symbols referred to a world-view. Symbols are a form of communication used like grammar is used in arranged words which form a cognitive map.

Initiation and learning

A shaman may be initiated by:
• a serious illness
• by being struck by lightning and dreaming of thunder to become a Heyoka
• a near-death experience
• follow a "calling" to become a shaman

In many South American shamanic cultures there is the use of psycho-active substances

(peyote, fly agarics, psilocybin, etc.)

In the Lakota culture pain is often used instead of psychoactive plants. While a Siberian shaman would use “Fly Agaric” (Lakota medicine man would do a sun dance).

The Lakota medicine people have some bias against the use of psychoactive plants. The majority of shamanic cultures use repetitive sound to enter the shamanic state versus the use of psycho-active plants or pain.

Shamanic illness

Shamanic illness, also called shamanistic initiatory crisis, is a psycho-spiritual crisis, usually involuntary, or a rite of passage, observed among those becoming shaman. The episode often marks the beginning of an episode of confusion or disturbing behavior (that lasts for a limited time) where the shamanic initiate might sing or dance in an unconventional fashion, or have an experience of being "disturbed by spirits". The symptoms are usually not considered to be signs of mental illness by interpreters in the shamanic culture.

Underlying beliefs of practice

Many shamans have expert knowledge of the plant life in their area, and an herbal regimen is often prescribed as treatment.

They are often considered a type of homeopath.


Generally, the shaman traverses the axis mundi and enters the spirit world by effecting a transition of consciousness, entering into an ecstatic trance, either autohypnotically or through the use of entheogens.

Some of the methods for affecting such trances are:
• Tobacco (improves concentration, but is not psychotropic)
• Drumming
• Dancing
• Singing
• Listening to music
• Icaros / Medicine Songs
• Vigils
• Fasting
• Sweat lodge
• Vision quests
• Mariri
• Sword fighting / Bladesmithing



"Power" or "master" plants used as incense or consumed to heal or attain altered states

(please do very thorough research before using them, and always consider using it with guidance from an experienced person):

• Psychedelic mushrooms - alluded to euphemistically as holy children by Mazatec shamans such as María Sabina.
• Cannabis
• San Pedro cactus - named after (St. Peter), guardian and holding the keys to the gates of heaven, by the Andean peoples; Quechua name: Huachuma
• Peyote
• Ayahuasca - Quechua for Vine of the Dead; also called yage
• Cedar
• Datura
• Deadly nightshade
• Fly agaric
• Iboga
• Morning glory
• Sweetgrass
• Sage
• Salvia divinorum - sometimes called Diviners' sage

Shamans will often observe dietary or customary restrictions particular to their tradition.

For example, the diet followed by shamans and apprentices prior to participating in an Ayahuasca ceremony includes foods rich in tryptophan (a biosynthetic precursor to serotonin).

They also avoid foods rich in tyramine, which could induce hypertensive crisis if ingested with MAOIs such as are found in Ayahuasca brews.



In the shamanism it is believed that part of the human soul is free to leave the body. The soul is the axis mundi, the center of the shamanic healing arts. Shamans change their state of consciousness allowing their free soul to travel and retrieve ancient wisdom and lost power.

Because a portion of the soul is free to leave the body it will do so with out of body experiences. The soul can leave while dreaming and the soul can leave the body to protect itself from potentially damaging situations be they emotional or physical.

(If you talk to hospice people they will tell you of these stories as people are passing all the time)

In situations of trauma the soul piece may not return to the body on its own, and a shaman must intervene and return the soul essence.



There are various reasons for Soul Loss. If a person was in an abusive situation, part of one's soul may leave to protect itself from the abuse. Sometimes as a child, fighting parents may prompt the soul part to hide because the child is scared.

(This is called Disconnection or Disassociation in psychological terms)

If a traumatic accident is about to occur such as an impact or accident the soul would leave so that it wouldn't be affected by the force of the accident. If a loved one is lost, the soul part may go until the person is ready to deal with their grief.

All of these are very healthy mechanisms of protection. In some cases the soul part will return on its own. But if it does not realize how to return, or if it does not know that it is safe to return - the shaman may need to assist the return of that missing piece.

Another way to lose ones soul is to give it to someone. When two people are in love, or when they are in a family, it is sometimes occurs that they will give portions of their soul to their loved one. A mother may give some to her child because she wishes to protect him or her. This type of soul exchange may seem acceptable because of a person's desire to share themselves with another, but it is generally not a good idea. An individual can't use another person's soul, because simply: it is not their soul.

(This is called codependency in psychological terms)

It is important to know that no one can take your soul / internal energy without your consent. If someone has stolen your soul you have in some sense given it to them or allowed them to have it. If you feel for some reason that someone is tugging at your soul or inner essence, make a firm decision within yourself that they cannot have it and they will not be able to take it from you.



Soul loss would be comparable to the psychological concept of disassociation. Some of the symptoms that would indicate soul loss to a shaman include:
• Depression
• Feeling of incompleteness
• Inability to move forward on some issue
• Lost memories
• Feeling like your not in control of your life
• Someone says: I felt like part of me died when...
• I feel like so and so stole my soul

Soul loss is often accompanied by a feeling that something is missing from life.

Once again, the language of our society refers to soul loss,
• I lost something when I lost my job,
• I never felt the same after my accident...

A coma is a situation of extreme soul loss, where more of the soul is out of the body then in.

As with the other protective feature of soul loss, this can be very appropriate. If the body is in a great deal of pain, or if the soul needs time to consider its situation a coma provides needed time.

Shock is another symptom of soul loss, where the individual's soul hasn't returned yet or hasn't fully re-entered the body.

Occasionally, a person having suicidal thoughts may be because of a desire to reunite with one's lost soul pieces.


Don't overlook the importance of having someone perform a soul retrieval for you because you feel you must do it on your own.

When performing soul retrieval the shamanic practitioner will create a sacred space for you, one where you are held in a container of love, and one that protects you from interferences of the outside world.



Shamans work with the spirit / soul along with all sources of energy. In the case of shamanic extraction they are working with misplaced energy. No energy is truly bad from a shamanic perspective. If energy is misplaced or it isn't in accord with the environment (the human body, or the body of land...) it will bring illness.

(This is similar to Quantum Physics talked about in the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know” )

Where does misplaced energy come from?

We all are aware that emotional states can affect health. Stress is acknowledged to cause backaches and ulcers. Shamans believe that your emotion takes the form of energy and can be stored throughout the body and eventually lead to illness. So you store your stress or anger in your stomach, or you get angry and send your anger out at someone. We can see this if can remember a time when someone's anger or sadness seemed to have an effect on a room: "her anger hit me like a blow" "you could cut the tension with a knife."

The energy that can be stored in the body does not have to be from anger but could be from other reasons as well. In the shamanic mind there is no distinction made based on where the energy came from. The shaman can see that the energy does not belong there and removes it.

The Extraction: Finding and Removing the Misplaced Energy

Sound instruments may be used, such as a rattle or a drum, to increase the power or the energy of the "magnet." A magnet represents the attraction and repelling of energy within yourself or with others. The shamanic practitioner may sing to maintain her or his shamanic state, or to increase her/his power during the process.

(This is how we all use smells/ incense, music, light or a dark room to focus and/or concentrate)



If you want to be proactive in avoiding misplaced energy in your body there are various thing you can to. To protect yourself from outside energy you can imagine yourself surrounded by protection. One commonly used method is to envision yourself surrounded by a blue translucent egg that allows only positive energy in and allows energy back out. This can surround you as you go about your daily life. If the environment is severe, or someone is combative you may wish imagine a brick wall for that time.

When you are feeling negative emotions it is important not to ignore them so that they will be stored in your body. They need to be expressed and allowed to leave your body. You do not want to send them to others either, so you can request that as you express your emotions they are transformed into more neutral or healing energy by the universe or your guardian spirits.

There are stones which transform and lighten energy such as selenite, calcite, and quartz. A dark purple amethyst may make a good protective stone.

(Is this where the idea of a purple heart comes from?)


In the shamanic belief every thing is alive and carries with it power and wisdom.

This is also a similar belief in Buddhism.

Power animals are an essential component of shamanic practice. They are the helping spirit which add to the power of the shaman and are essential for success in any venture undertaken by the shaman. They use animals like many other religions use guardian angels or prophets.

Each power animal that you have increases your power so that illnesses or negative energy cannot enter your body. The spirit also lends you the wisdom of its kind. A hawk spirit will give you hawk wisdom, and lend you some of the attributes of hawk.

(Even if this was just visualization, it can affect your energy if you see and feel it)

A popular website: http://www.animalspirits.com

Article:

Blessings of peace, love and light,
Gretchen Crilly McKay
www.ancestralwisdom.com



My love affair with Africa began many years ago. When I made my first trek to Africa, in 1994, I knew my soul had returned home. In 1999 a consultation with a Zulu Sangoma (shaman) changed my life.

Throughout Africa traditional healers hold an esteemed and powerful position in society. Their role is that of physician, counselor, psychiatrist, and priest.

African people share a common understanding of the importance of ancestors in daily life. When they have lost touch with their ancestors, illness may result or bad luck. Then a traditional healer, or sangoma, is sought out who may prescribe herbs, changes in lifestyle, a career change, or changes in relationships.

Master healers believe that we are here for only one purpose, to heal through love and compassion.

A sangoma is a traditional healer of southern Africa who is “trance-possessed” by his or her ancestors, or amadlozi. The sangoma is a mediator between people and their ancestral spirits. These healers must learn how to prepare herbal medicines, how to interpret dreams, incorporate spirits, diagnose illness through divination with bones, and heal both physical and spiritual illness. Through the ritual use of muti (herbal medicine), steaming, purification, dreaming, and dancing in a trance-like state to drumming, the initiate becomes bound to his or her ancestors who have chosen her for this work.

A sangoma may not cause any harm. The calling requires that the healer use her gifts only for good.

I had been practicing shamanism in the United States for several years. Everything I was instructed to do in Africa was focused around prayer, ritual, and ceremony. There were morning rituals followed by the unfolding of daily activities: chores, going to town, work for the ancestors. A morning and evening ritual of eating bubbles (herbs that are the food of the ancestors) and daily steaming were also a regular routine. The Purification ceremonies and the using of animal sacrifices were performed to initiate me into the work with my ancestors.

I then began to learn an African divination system called “throwing the bones.” Throwing the bones is an ancient African divination tool for diagnosing illness and problems connected to ancestral issues. When the bones are thrown onto a mat, they create a story that the practitioner must “read” and share.

Traditional Doctor Mntshali told me that he must teach my ancestors to wake up, to give me their unlimited sight. The first step in achieving this was dancing with my ancestors.

Through these exercises the ancestors were teaching me their way of communicating for the purpose of locating illness within a client of mine.

(Don't Christians Speak in Tongues?)

Thus began the first phase of aligning my ancestors within myself. I am opening up my mind and energy to remembering their lives and the gifts passed on to me through them.

(Isn't it true, the different Bible's and studies of our family trees, show us the gifts and difficulties of our ancestors so we too, can learn and grow and remember who we are through our family traits and gifts? Is it not true the sins of the forefather’s shall be passed down through generation to generation?)

The beheading of the chickens for my ritual was sacrificed and eaten in a ceremonial way. Please note nothing is killed for the sake of being killed.

It was one of the most amazing, sacred experiences of my life!

© Copyright 2007 Gretchen Crilly McKay. All rights reserved.

Gretchen Crilly McKay is a sangoma and shamanic practitioner who has studied traditional healing methodology with master teachers in the United States and Africa. She has a private shamanic practice in Southern California where she sees clients and offers workshops and shamanic training.


For more information or to contact Gretchen:
www.ancestralwisdom.com
gcmckay2@mac.com

Air Date: November 2, 2008

Click here to buy the book!!

The Meaning of Light: Let’s personalize this definition. Let’s Insert “I”, “Me” and “My” into dictionary phrases and create a new Paragraph.

When I am in the light I can naturally be an agent to make things visible. I am a window that is bright and pale yet not dark. This creates little weight in my life and I am gentle. I am easy and life requires little effort. I have a fire (my passion and my pain) inside.


When you've been in the dark for a long while, and a light comes on, it can be uncomfortable and actually hurt your eyes at first. Your natural impulse may be to squint and try to block some of the light. This is also true of spiritual, mental and emotional light, or otherwise known as truth.

As I have become clearer and let my self-beat go, I can “see” people with my spirit’s eyes, instead of using my ego’s judgments. My ego compares. My spirit connects. My ego judges! My spirit understands!


Self-discovery is letting go of the ego. That means letting go of money, family, careers, desires. Experiencing opposite lifestyles, releases judgment. It is through the dropping of the judgment of others that we stop judging ourselves and can see ourselves in truth..... good, bad and ugly, talented, smart with no ego drive, but with curiosity and a willingness to know and understand more and evolve out of where we are in the NOW!

Do you know the difference between inspiration and drive?

Do you have a desire to find a path of understanding and depth for everyone, not just for yourself?

Can we begin to search for a meaningful process rather than a momentary high or replacement of suffering with more suffering?

Is suffering a state of mind?

Do you live in a world in a superficial existence? What does this actually mean?

What is it like living in denial or self unawareness, unenlightened of the soul? The body, for this lifetime, must have something to learn from the body. So both body and soul should be cherished. Our spiritual and human characteristics should be celebrated, not denied.



Do We Need to Lose Everything in Order to Know Anything?

Universal Fear is the experience of loss, confusion and darkness. It is a hopeless feeling and loses insight and therefore sees no way out. Stubborn enters trying to give you a sense of self, but it’s a false self because it is derived on righteousness versus understanding and truth. This puts us in a survivor’s mode living to escape in addiction, obsession, crime, fights, rape, over spending and then mentally living in blame with no change from our own thinking, feelings and actions. The goal of blame is to hide from truth and destroy understanding.

Now suppose Universal Faith enters? That means we start honoring and embracing differences without judgment and projection of our beliefs. But in our over busy, addictive, controlling minds do we fear peace? Is Peace boring?

Deprivation often does enable people to “let go” of judgment, self-beat, and ultimately, control. For example, some people learn how to “let go” while passing through a near-death experience. Why?

Experiencing deprivation takes away egotistical desire and, therefore, the need for control. It is a way to “kill” the ego. It may only be a kind of egotistical death, but it is an experience of death. The “near-ego-death” experience of deprivation does show people how to let go.


A monk has been taught to thoroughly understand pain. Knowing and understanding pain so clearly, the monk had been able to achieve peace of mind from inside himself. No earthly experience could change this. If he was living in his spirit energy, possessing no ego desires, he becomes immune to the loss of integrity that we often experience with physical pleasure and pain.

The more our psyche understands our animal side, the deeper inside us the soul can “see” and understand itself.

Siddartha said:
All human life is suffering (dhukka).
All suffering is caused by human desire.
Human suffering can be ended by ending human desire.
Desire can be ended by following the Eightfold Noble Path:

Let’s personalize this word Suffering. Add “I”, “Me” and “My”.

Suffering means undergoing or sustaining myself as I’m experiencing life. I endure what I permit.

So does suffering mean “to experience?” The question is: How are we experiencing and perceiving what we are experiencing?


Desire means what I wish for; I am requesting and longing for because I have an appetite for.

So does it matter if desire is feeding your ego or spirit?


Being Right means to be comfortable with a justice and morality in accordance with the truth. If I am appropriate and most favorable. I am satisfied with my condition. So I am in good health because I have order.

Doesn’t right sound like having an “acceptance of truth as we are creating of in the body, mind, heart and soul,” aligning yourself in order of your realms? (Realms Video on the web site and in the book, Invisible Warfare.)
So let’s restate the Buddhist principles in light of these understandings and clear it further:

1. All human life is an experience.
2. Learning experiences are caused by ego drives and spiritual inspirations.
3. Suffering is a perception of ego drives or failures. The acceptance of all truth aligns with the order of your realms.
4. The egotistical life can be ended by following the Eightfold Noble Path with truth and acceptance added:


• Acceptance of truth creating clarity from understanding.
• Acceptance of truth creating clarity of thought.
• Acceptance of truth creating clarity in speech.
• Acceptance of truth creating clarity of action.
• Acceptance of truth creating clarity of livelihood.
• Acceptance of truth creating clarity in our effort.
• Acceptance of truth creating clarity for mindfulness.
• Acceptance of truth creating clarity for concentration.

Dharma consists of the duties, such as those in the Eightfold Path, that are required by the Hindu code of behavior. Living according to Dharma involves trusting that the way things are right now are the way things will always be in the universe and in nature. In other words, “What is, is.”

From a metaphorical standpoint, everything in the universe is connected. Everything has energy and has an effect on everything else. Nature, animals, air, people, and inanimate objects are all made of energy and each has an impact on the other. Truth of nature cannot change; nothing in essence ever really changes. Therefore, the idea is that energy just moves around. Could this be what the yin/yang concept is saying as well?

The idea was to live with no care and no worry, and to let go of the insecure and arrogant battles of the ego by living and loving the truth through the understanding of all truths. But, because truth is a “God-word,” we need.......

An Awakening of the Soul's Energy

Rules:

1. Wake our inner selves from a shutdown and inner sleep.
2. Choose to “see” all truths without judgment.
3. Stimulate our confusion and become comfortable with not knowing.
4. Awaken from our personal trances.
5. Break patterns.
6. Feel and process rather than avoid.
7. Know our past and present selves.
8. Know our spirit and animal selves.
9. Rinse. (feeling release paper)
10. Think and speak in questions; then answer each question, only to ask another question.
11. Stop repeating untruthful and unloving thoughts, feelings, words and actions.
12. Change our self-talk and beliefs with conscious awareness.
13. Stop punishing and condemning ourselves and others.
14. Own.
15. Connect to our psyche, intuition, and telepathic minds.

1. Can failure be a part of leadership? How?
2. How have you failed in the past? How did it make you feel?
3. What did you learn?


So much empowerment is in these choices. People living in poverty, shame, guilt were often too beaten down spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, sexually, and financially to understand the concept of empowerment. They knew about the powerful/powerless dynamic, and that was it. What is empowerment?
Did poverty mean failure? Shame? Why? Does a person's beliefs, integrity and deeds matter?

When compassion and wisdom mix with inner strength through the acceptance of truth, anything and everything becomes possible.

Can you communicate through acts of centered resistance? Can you believe in truth, love, and understanding and not condemn or “fight back” as others had attempted in the past?

When you "own" and refuse to fight back, others are forced to “see” themselves and their own behavior. You have nothing to prove or teach.

When anyone participates in a fight, the “good guy” “bad guy” images become distorted. Everyone fighting begins to look the same. Who is right and who is wrong is blurred by all the pain and fighting. When truth surfaces, love re-emerges. When the fight is over, all that remains hopefully is understanding.


Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Asking Questions


Asking a question instead of making a statement opens us and those we are communicating with to think and feel from within ourselves. It keeps control and projection out of the conversation. For example, instead of saying to yourself, “I feel depressed,” ask yourself “How do I feel?” “Why do I feel this way?” “When did this start and why?”

A question creates a way for people to “check-in” with themselves. A statement can cause arguments, defensiveness and debate.

Questions cause a check-in of thought and feelings for the purpose of understanding if your energy is open and not aggressive.

If you would like to be understood by someone, remember, that person must understand him—or herself first. Don't ask questions of someone until you have rinsed and checked-in with yourself and can hold a center in case the person answering your questions attacks or hurts your feelings. Careful!

If I am looking in the mirror and you stand in front of me, who am I seeing? You, that’s who. If I am to see and understand myself, get out of my way and let me see myself. Every time you are reactive or controlling, I cannot see myself, I see you.


Many rich, powerful and famous people feel alarmed and cautious concerning the word“limelight.” The limelight brings out the “See-Saw Game.” The light turns green because of the unevolved, egotistical perception of adoration. Judging, self-beating, selfless and envious people will judge the “limelight” person as the limelight person may judge him- or herself as being someone inferior or superior. This creates great pain for all involved. People who judge are not owning their issues, feelings and behaviors or they would not judge so harshly. Neither would they so adoringly praise themselves or others.

Lime = green and envious
Light = seer

Being in the limelight means to be “seen” with green envy.
It is very easy for this light to be used in egotistical ways.

How are you using the “Light”?

When a person first starts to think that he or she has won the battle between spirit and ego, ego is still in control. This opinion creates moral superiority.


Let’s put these two definitions together, and personalize them with the word “I,” “me” and “my.” Ready?
When I am moral I perform the right conduct or duties. I’m ethical, virtuous, and chaste because I’m discriminating between right and wrong with a verified reason or probability that I know the underlining meaning of mine and everyone else’s story or fables.

And if I am superior, I am higher in place, position, and rank than everyone else. I am of quality, surpassing others. I’m above because I go beyond. I have power to influence, and I’m too dignified to be affected by anything. This creates snobbery.

Still want to be moral or morally superior? The desire is clearly ego-driven, and the attitude is that of a controller. Because we feel powerless inside, we act powerful on the outside. Fear is the motivator of arrogance and high ego. And don’t think it doesn’t show.

We can’t fight darkness.
We can’t conquer darkness.
We can only understand how darkness works
and allow the fear around the darkness to dissipate.

If someone in the darkness challenges you and you play into his or her pain and defense mechanisms, his or her darkness will follow and manifest within you. Standing “in” your truth with boundaries lets you understand that person and yourself. This is all the strength you need. Believe me, this is easier said than done. Try it.



Do not let people who are off center throw you off center. If you hold your center, you give them a chance to find their own center. This is called holding the “light” while someone is triggered and in the “dark.” We all need this support sometimes. If you do this consistently, it’s amazing how many people will be able to do it for you as well. They learn by watching you, not obeying you. They do not learn when you preach or shove it down their throats.


I am grateful for Moses, Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi and Mohammed because each of them challenged the worlds previously held perceptions and helped us to “see” beyond what we “know.”






Being in the “light” is seeing truth effortlessly. When the light of truth is seen there is no struggle. There is clarity. If you mix this clarity with your psyche, you can subconsciously develop clairvoyance, the ultimate of “seeing” truth in all time zones, past, present, and future.

In the beginning stages of an awakening, you will see and feel what you do not like or understand. That is the journey. Just know this is a stage, it is not forever. Anyone understanding an awakening of a soul knows this journey.

For balance, our reflex is to flip from one side to the opposite side. Two opposites of the same are still out of balance. You must understand and unite these opposites to find the middle balance. It is through the understanding of yourself and your opposites that you will have the “in-sight” to find the middle for your own balance.

Move through an earthly struggle by holding onto truth with no reactions or judgments. How brave, yet simple. Happiness is not the goal here. Freedom from judgment by understanding all perceptions of truth is the goal. Happiness is an outcome, not the goal.

Truth, even if masked as failure, is guiding you through life’s lessons to arrive at your soul’s purpose if you don't quit and lose faith along the way.

Asking questions, openly with no control, creates deep understanding and wisdom. This vision is enlightening, “My being (spirit) is in the light, so I can “see,” rather than judge and project.

Poverty is violence because it changes you to a state of survival that can process and overwhelm you, turning you into someone you abhor. Could poverty have been the culprit of abuse in the beginning of time?

If anger, fear, guilt, shame or jealousy hit the light, it becomes a limelight consisting of an invisible vibe and warfare between low and high egos. This sets up moral superiority and religious or righteous teachings. A spiritual leader attaches no ego to truth, wisdom and insights. A spiritualist just “is” and sees “what is.” No judgment, care, worry or control allowed!

Show Air Date: October 26, 2008

With Special Guests:

Jymie Darling

&

Richard Carradine

Jymie is an Occult Expert and Owner of Panpipes Magikal Store
(See below for more information on her store)
She is an expert in the fields of occult philosophies and will explain the terminology of Occult (belief in the unknown). So the word Occult is a blanket umbrella term for any and all religions. Jymie has a specific understanding in Paganism, another blanket term that refers to any religion outside the five mainstream religions. This is a chance for, you, the listener to ask any questions that you may have regarding pagan religions.

Richard is the co-founder of Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles (GHOULA) and has investigated ghosts from all over the world, (Canada, Scotland, England, Wales, Austria, Czech Republic, and Slovenia) and throughout the United States (Florida, California, New York, Louisiana, Virginia, and Montana). In California alone, he has investigated over 200 haunted locations, including all 23 missions. (See below for more information on Richard)





Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was the end-of-summer festival. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.

Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery; mysterious means there is a subject matter or a person not understood logically and this often leads us into hysteria creating additional fear factors.

Magic is an illusion or an actual substance that's base comes from invisibility or non-understanding sometimes showing itself visibly, sometimes not.

What about superstition? If I can get you to believe that a black cat will bring you bad luck, then you will lose inner confidence and I can control you through your loss of self just by placing a black cat in your path. "Hear me screech right about now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Superstition is often mind over matter based in fear and the sense of being out of control.


There are several origins to this concept, again mostly Irish. An old Irish peasant practice called for going door to door to collect money, bread cake, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples, etc., in preparation for the fall festival.

Yet another custom was the begging for soul cakes, many people would offer things for one’s self – for the exchange for a promise or wish, prosperity or protection against bad luck.

Notice the superstition belief system creating rituals for the feeling of control when people were in a situation that they didn’t understand therefore felt out of control.

It is with this custom the concept of the fairies came to be incorporated as people used to go door to door begging for treats. Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visited on the owner of the house.

P.S. Since I gave treats why did my friends still pull practical jokes on me? Maybe that’s why I got rid of them in my life. Miss you old friends! Ha ha ha

The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next year’s crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.

See the ritual developed as a way to self soothe the fear from the unknown. Most don’t understand the soul dimension because it is again, invisible, and hard to prove.

When people wanted to feel close to deceased relatives and friends they would set places at the dinner table for them. Leave treats on doorsteps. Along the side of the road they would light candles to help their loved ones find their way back to the spirit world.

Sometimes it just feels better to do something when you have such big feelings with so much hopelessness attached. It is through the understanding of Death and Darkness we all will understand how to truly live and be in Light. Avoiding, denying, being afraid of these energies does not make them go away.



Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.

Jack o’ lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

Pumpkins also come in white, blue, and green. Great for unique monster carvings!

Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance, and tell fortunes.

Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.

Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.

Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers. (See the word belief followed by a ritual for a self soothing action.)

The Ouija Board ended up outselling the game of Monopoly in its first full year at Salem. Over two million copies of the Ouija Board were shipped.



See some more rituals for self soothing regarding the invisible world and many other things we do not understand. We have been taught to look out for soothing and help, not in.

Garlic (Allium Sativum) has been used as a charm against evil and dates back to Ancient times. The ancient Egyptians believed in a Vampire-like ghost that killed sleeping children by sucking up their breath. (Could this be infant death syndrome or a cat?) The protection that was used against the attacks of this murderous monster was a wreath of garlic.

The use of garlic is known all over the world, not only as a tasty accent to foods, but also in places such as China or Malaysia, Romania and in the West Indies where people smear the forehead of their children with garlic to protect them from Vampires. Garlic is used as a means of protection against the evil practices and Magical Spells of Witches and Sorcerers.

If a deceased person was thought to be in danger of becoming a Vampire, one common protective measure was stuffing some pieces of garlic into the orifices of the corpse, especially the mouth. This was done in order to prevent evil spirits from entering the dead body.

In some cultures people would simply wear a necklace of garlic cloves for protection against evil. Any way you look at it.... garlic is believed to be a major source of protection from evil.

Now I am going to tell you about another belief of garlic.
How about taking odor free Garlic tablets every night before going to bed? Maybe taking garlic at night would be a good idea so you do not worry about burping up garlic during the day. Garlic boosts the immune system...

Garlic can lower your cholesterol and unclog your arteries. It will shrink cancerous tumors and keep cancer out of your body. Now don't wait till you get sick or have cancer to start taking it..... Start now! And see you life improve.

Here are the benefits that are shown from studies:
• Lowers blood pressure a little.
• Lowers LDL Cholesterol a little.
• Helps reduce arteriosclerotic buildup (plaque) within the arterial system. One recent study shows this effect to be greater in women than men.
• Lowers or helps to regulate blood sugar.
• Helps to prevent blood clots from forming, thus reducing the possibility of strokes and thromboses (It may not be good for hemophiliacs).
• Helps to prevent cancer, especially of the digestive system, prevents certain tumors from growing larger, and reduces the size of certain tumors.
• Helps to remove heavy metals such as lead and mercury from the body.
• Raw Garlic is a potent natural antibiotic and, while far less strong than modern antibiotics, can still kill some strains of bacteria that have become immune or resistant to modern antibiotics.
• Has anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.
• Dramatically reduces yeast infections due to Candida species.
• Has anti-oxidant properties and is a source of selenium.
• Probably has many other benefits as well.
So is Garlic really for warding off evil spirits or the out of balances in our systems?

Halloween Ritual!

All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, Christians celebrate on November 1st. The Catholic Church honored saints on this designated day.

Saints are souls that are of the dead too. Saints are meant to help us from the other dimension to feel safe and aid us. The Spirit World and praying or chanting to the dead is a ritual in most if not all religions Don't we all have different rituals for death or celebrations of life when someone passes?

Is the Spirit World only associated with the idea of witches? The fact is many religions pray or do rituals to connect to acquainted souls or Ancestral spirits or souls known as leaders according to their belief system? Careful Catholics, Christians, Muslims and many others, you too, believe in this other dimension of life. How many times have you prayed to saints, the Virgin Mary, Jesus, Mohammed, or The God in the sky? Let’s understand this to release the fears and judgments of rituals that we have not ever even visited. The question is… who is holding the power regarding the rituals and prayer? Is your heart of light and love or domination and slavery under righteous one way thinking?

As the Christian debate goes on, whether Halloween is an evil holiday, Halloween is often celebrated with no reference to pagan rituals or the occult.

Just as Money is not dangerous but whose hands the money is in could be dangerous.

"Witchcraft, or Wicca, is considered part of the occult, but has little relationship to Satanism. Wicca is pagan (pre-Christian, as opposed to anti-Christian) and is currently gaining popularity."

"Witches do not worship the devil...Witches are more interested in magical arts and the divinity of nature...Wiccans are considered pagans because they worship several nature gods instead of a single god."

This is similar to African tribe worship and Native American shamanism. It is nature that affects most people living off the land so that is where they try to connect through studying the environment, worshiping in prayer while using rituals to control, or align themselves. So can you see where this feels like God to them?

If the belief is of rewards and punishment and this attaches to nature then the acts of nature becomes a loving or angry god. These cultures and tribes are the very people that began some of the best holistic healing remedies known to man.


One view of Black magic would be to invoke to kill, injure, to cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences to others.

As a term, "black magic" is normally used to describe a form of ritual that some groups or persons do but does not mean it is approved of. Not everything that is called black magic truly has evil intentions behind it. Actually, some see the study of Black magic or darkness the path to Light and Healing.

Through the understanding of the dark or black magic lies the first step to dropping the fear of Darkness and the beginning of understanding “It’s” existence and purpose. Through this understanding we evolve into depth and wisdom.

(The Ocean is dark because it’s deep you know.)

It is through the study of Black magic that they find antidotes for killing off diseases or pests. It is their form of scientific study to see what antidotes work or not. Don’t modern medicine labs use rats and other animals for this same goal?

Black magic or dark magic is a form of sorcery that draws on malevolent powers. It may be used for dark purposes or malevolent acts that deliberately cause harm in some way. It is alternatively spelt with a 'k' (magick). This term is also known as the dark arts of magic and the dark side of magic.

All as One: All forms of magic are evil, or black magic.
This view generally associates black magic with Satanism. The persons that maintain this opinion include those belonging to most branches of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism.

Gnostic Luciferian: Dark Magic and Dark Arts refer to work involving the estranged, twisted, and forgotten aspects of nature and of our inner self.

(In other words finding and processing our lost or disowned parts that reside in every individual.)

If every good man knew he was bad and every bad man knew he was good, would we find harmony and peace through the understanding of both dark and light?

An evil intent is not necessarily present in the Dark Magician. The Dark Arts are also a set of methods for pursuing genuine self-knowledge and mental emancipation. In modern language there is a book called The Dark Side of the Light Chasers. This books goal is to teach the understanding of each human beings dark side to go through the valley of darkness to find the Light. Not under it, conquer it or avoid it!

Dark Doctrine: Black magic refers to the powers of darkness and its opposite white magic. This depends again on the belief system of the leader otherwise known as the sorcerer. If the sorcerer's acceptance of dualism is with truth and compassion and not power or domination, this doctrine is similar to the Eastern philosophy of yin and yang.

Formal Differences: The forms and components of black magic are not the same due to the different aims or interests of those casting harmful spells than those of white. Harmful spell casting tends to include symbolism which seems hazardous or harmful to human beings, such as sharp, pointed, prickly, caustic, and hot element(s) combined with very personal objects from the spell's target (their hair, blood, mementos, etc.). This distinction is primarily observable in folk magic, but pertains to other types of magic also.


pa•gan (pgn)
1. One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, especially a worshiper of a polytheistic religion.
2. One who has no religion.
3. A hedonist
4. An Outsider
5. Hick or country bumpkin (which resembles my lineage)

Each of our religious or cultural terms has so many meanings that they often cause misunderstandings wherever they are used.

Unfortunately, most people do not know this, and naturally assume that the meaning that they have been taught is universally accepted. A reader must often look at the context in which the word is used in order to guess at the intent of the writer.

Before you judge really go and understand the person or situation you are judging with a goal to understand. Don’t try to understand while cynical.

Traditions usually have a practical explanation for its existence.

To be Wiccan is to worship the Goddess which is the Earth. Don’t we call The Earth “Mother Earth”? This Goddess has a companion the Horned God. The Horned God represents the Sky and therefore Father. In many religions Sky represents God. Wiccans follow the philosophies, ethics, and practices of the Old Religion.

Originally rooted in Paganism. Wicca existed long before Christianity and long before the Church was founded.
Wild of nature is their spiritual Father “the Horned God”. Which means that they esteem nature and the planet on which they live as their source of energy and power?

If we, as an evolving world, stopped fearing and judging some of the religions and cultures different than our own, would we be better with the nurturing of the Earth and each other as individuals, honoring these differences that could teach us more about ourselves?

Mean, hateful, hurtful practices of any culture or religion are not to be tolerated but that is not what the original intent is in most practices. It is when we abuse each other for being different and not understanding these differences that we invoke the vindictive, reactive, protective retaliations. So are our judgments the very thing that feeds and creates the Dark?

Would we be more respectful of life in general? Everyone and everything has a message. But when we are judging and frightened we miss the depth of the message. These religions originated as some of the best healers using what they know of the meditative mind and earth’s natural agents. If they are of pure mind and heart they venture not to harm anyone or anything. They see everyone in the world as their brothers and sisters with an equal right to exist. Wicca is a tradition that works to harm no one in thought, word, or deed. Therefore, anyone who says they are a witch, but works otherwise should not be considered an authentic Wiccan practitioner.

Witchcraft is still the only spiritual tradition that raises the female above the male, in contrast to patriarchal religions such as Christianity and Judaism. They venerate an almighty male deity, with little positive mention of the female at all. This is why God is represented by Goddess.

The moral values are associated with feminine spiritual powers – this is a metaphor for such things as love, peace, and joy – rather than the more masculine religious attitudes of domination, strength, and authority. Witches work by peaceful means, seeking to unite rather than to divide, to be of service to our communities, and to be the healers, counselors, and guides of all life on Earth. This is because they see themselves as the children of the Goddess and the Horned God that they honor.

Wiccans have been persecuted throughout the ages, as well as thousands of innocent people. The Salem Witch Trials were arguably the most well-known trials concerning witchcraft. So many innocent people died due to fear of the unknown. People are afraid of someone having power over their lives as we are constantly dominating each other in every culture anyway. Yet, witchcraft is not a religion based on power, nor does it try to seize control over or turn other people to their way. Many of these witches are homeopaths and holistic healers who believe in the Earth and its resources to heal all of mankind.

Witches and accused witches were persecuted for hundreds of years, until, in 1951, the law in England was rewritten because of a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald B. Gardner. While employed as a civil servant, he decided to declare his religious preference – Witchcraft. He demonstrated a ritual to the Parliament and explained the nature of his worship so they would realize that his religion was not about demons, destruction, and sacrifice. Wicca was portrayed in its nature: the peaceful worship of the Goddess, Earth, and Sky in all living things.

Earth, Humanity, Animal, and Life beings are to be treated fairly and equally.

The Parliament declared Witchcraft a legal religion. In 1953, Gerald B. Gardner petitioned his right to coven, and that right was also declared legal.

The Taoist philosophy of yin and yang, and "embodiments of a life-force manifest in nature. The God is sometimes symbolized as the sun, and the Goddess as the moon. Wicca is essentially an immanent religion, and for some Wiccans, this idea also involves elements of animism. A key belief in Wicca is that the Goddess and the God (or the goddesses and gods) are able to manifest in personal form, most importantly through the bodies of Priestesses and Priests via the rituals of Drawing down the Moon or Drawing down the Sun. This is a type of channeling. This too is in most religious rituals.

Many Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of eight virtues mentioned in Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess,these being mirth, reverence, honor, humility, strength, beauty, power and compassion. These are the beliefs of many religions, are they not?

Handfasting is another celebration held by Wiccans, and is the commonly used term for their weddings. Some Wiccans observe the practice of a trial marriage for a year and a day, which some traditions hold should be contracted on Lammas (Lughnasadh), as this was the traditional time for trial, "Telltown marriages" among the Irish. A common marriage vow in Wicca is "for as long as love lasts" instead of the traditional Christian "till death do us part".

Wiccaning

Infants in Wiccan families may be involved in a ritual called a Wiccaning, which is analogous to a Christening/Baptism. The purpose of this is to present the infant to the God and Goddess for protection. Despite this, in accordance with the importance put on free will in Wicca, the child is not necessarily expected or required to follow a Pagan path should they not wish to do so when they get older.

In other words, they are disowned and free to follow their inner self.

Book of Shadows

In Wicca a private journal or core religious text known as a Book of Shadows is kept by practitioners, similar to a grimoire used by magicians. In lineaged groups, such as Gardnerian Wicca, the Book's contents are kept secret from anyone but the members of the lineage concerned (i.e., those initiating and initiated by a particular coven). However, several proposed versions of the Book have been published. Sections of these published versions, such as the "Wiccan Rede" and the "Charge of the Goddess", as well as other published writings about Wicca, have been adopted by non-initiates, or eclectic Wiccans. For many eclectics, they create their own personal books, whose contents are often only known by themselves.

Triple Goddess symbol of waxing, full and waning moon

Symbols

Various different symbols are used by Wiccans, similar to the use of the crucifix by Christians or the Star of David by Jews. The most notable of these is the pentagram, which has five points, each representing one of the five classical elements in Wicca (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit) and also the idea that the human, with its five appendages, is a microcosm of the universe. Other symbols that are used include the triquetra and the triple moon symbol of the Triple Goddess.

Sacred texts

In Wicca there is no set sacred text such as the Christian Bible or Islamic Qur'an, but there are various texts that were contained in Gerald Gardner's Book of Shadows. Many of these texts he claimed to have at least partially rewritten, since the rituals of the group into which he was initiated were fragmentary. The most notable among these is the Charge of the Goddess, which contained material from Charles Godfrey Leland's Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches (1899) and the works of 19th-20th century occultist Aleister Crowley. Other texts which are important to Wiccan beliefs and rituals include Eko Azarak and the Wiccan laws.

Casting the circle may involve the invocation of the "Guardians" of the cardinal points: East (Air), South (Fire), West (Water) and North (Earth). This use of the classical elements is a key feature of the Wiccan world-view. Once the circle is cast, a seasonal ritual may be performed, prayers to the God and Goddess are said, and spells are sometimes worked. Spells are based on tangible things with prayer thoughts that mixed together and meditated upon and sent in chants out into the open air. Similar to incense, prayer, song from monks, Muslims and Hindu chants sent out into the air. See????????? It’s about mind over matter and the art of Karma or the the very well known Law of Attraction as taught in “The Secret”. These concepts are also based on witchcraft/magical principals.

Many Wiccans use a special set of magical tools in their rituals. These can include a broom (besom), cauldron, chalice, wand, Book of Shadows, altar cloth, athame, boline, candles, crystals, pentacle, and/or incense. An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are placed and representations of the God/Goddess may be displayed. This has similar qualities of Christianity, Catholism, Judiasm and many others.

Before entering the circle, some traditions fast for the day, and/or ritually bathe. After a ritual has finished, the God, Goddess and Guardians are thanked and the circle is closed.

Do Witch Spells Really Work?

An understandable question! As for someone new or unfamiliar with witchcraft, it can seem all very daunting and mystical. And witches do like to keep an air of mystery. (In fact it has also been necessary to keep a low profile due to the misinformation and misunderstanding about true witchcraft aka WHITE witchcraft).

Witchcraft spells can in fact originate from many different cultures. Most do not realize that there is some form of witchcraft in just about every culture and religion - ancient and modern. For the modern day, and a lot of the self help, personal development techniques are in fact witchcraft spells. It's just for many it's more palatable to hear the word 'self help' than 'witchcraft'. This is all useful background for you to become more comfortable with the idea of witchcraft. This group is in hiding because of threats to hurt them. This hiding keeps witchcraft more upsetting and scary. True Witchcraft only comes from an open, loving heart space. It adheres to the number one principal of 'and harm ye none' and NEVER divines against another’s free will - meaning that you do not cast a spell to make someone do what you want. Witchcraft works with the energies of the universe - based on the principal of like attracts like. (The Secret, Karma, and Heaven and Hell )

You cast a spell to attract into your life the experience you want to have. This could be called manifestation.

The "Triangle of Solomon" also known as the "Triangle of the Art”

The Triangle of Solomon is used in conjunction with the Magic Circle. It is used in the Conjuring of the Demonic or Celestial/Angelic spirits. It is in this Triangle that they will appear and are forced to obey. Because it has 3 Sacred names of God - Tetragrammaton, Primeumaton, and Anaphaxeton one on each side and it has the name (Archangel Michael) which is split into 3 sections MI - CHA - EL. This contains the spirit from escaping and compels them to obey. This does not mean in every case they are going to obey you. Fresh Blood of a Sacrificed animal in the Triangle to attract the Demon kind, like a vampire. The Triangle can be found in the Manuscript "The Goetia" also known as "The Lesser Key of Solomon the King". Once again it is one of the most important tools in the Conjuring of Spirits. Those whom have not developed this ability will have no success. This takes much practice to develop your Astral Vision and Psychic Senses.




The Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path are a dichotomy between two opposing belief systems.
Modern definitions of "Right-Hand Path" elevate spirituality, the strict observance of moral codes, and the worship of deities.
Conversely, the "Left-Hand Path" belief systems value the advancement and preservation of the self, as well as the pursuit of terrestrial goals.

The term Left-Hand Path originates from Hindu Tantra.
Throughout history, many cultures have regarded left-handedness as evil. The left hand has often symbolized the rejection of traditional religion.

It is possible that this division also derives from the practice of using the left hand for purposes of personal hygiene after defecation in some cultures, rendering the left hand "unclean." The two paths are viewed by Tantrists as equally valid approaches to enlightenment.

Some see the two Paths as equally valid approaches to truth, whose relationship is akin to the balance between Yin and Yang, while others criticize the Right-Hand Path as being too restrictive.

According to the latter view, the Right-Hand Path's imposition of formal dogmas and codes of behavior impede individual decision-making, making it possible for one to avoid responsibility for one's own life, with a consequent loss of individuality.

Right-Hand Path belief systems generally share the following properties:

• Belief in a higher power, such as a deity.
• Obedience to the will of a higher power.
• The belief that there is an absolute definition of good and evil that applies to everyone.
• Esoteric belief in a supernatural mechanism like Karma, divine retribution, or the Threefold Law, which entails the assessment of moral decisions made in one's lifetime.
• Eschatological beliefs, resulting to salvation for some and to damnation for others.
• The ultimate goal of merging the individual consciousness into a greater or cosmic whole.

Left-Hand Path belief systems generally share the following properties:

• The conviction that individuals can become akin to gods. The ultimate goal is separating consciousness from the universe, rather than being absorbed by it.
• The conviction that there is no such thing as a selfless act. Fulfilling one's desire is acknowledged to be selfish, at the least reaping an individual sense of satisfaction. Altruism is considered self-deception, created, and fostered by conventional religions.
• An exoteric interpretation of concepts like karma, divine retribution, or the Threefold Law, resulting in flexible rather than rigid codes of morality.
• The conviction that the individual is preeminent, and that all decisions should be made with the goal of cultivating the self (though not necessarily the ego).
• The conviction that each individual is responsible for his or her own happiness, and that no external force will provide salvation or reward actions which do not advance one's own happiness in this life.
• The conviction that the forces of the universe can be harnessed to one's personal will by magical means, and that power gained and wielded in such a manner is an aid to enlightenment, to self-satisfaction, and to self-deification.
• A Platonic view of deities as "first-forms." If deity is perceived as having consciousness, then all relationships with the deity are in the form of a partnership, or an alliance which does not require subservience. Some practitioners of Left-Hand Path belief systems summarize this concept with the statement that "prideful deities like prideful partners."


The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to "knowledge of the hidden".One of it’s meanings is "knowledge of the paranormal", as opposed to "knowledge of the measurable". Usually referred to as science.

The term is sometimes popularly taken to mean "knowledge meant only for certain people" or "knowledge that must be kept hidden", but for most practicing occultists it is simply the study of a deeper spiritual reality that extends beyond pure reason and the physical sciences.

Occultism is the study of occult or hidden wisdom. To the occultist it is the study of "Truth", a deeper truth that exists beneath the surface: 'The truth is always hidden in plain sight'. It can involve such subjects as magic or magick, extra-sensory perception, astrology, spiritualism and numerology.
Occultism is conceived of as the study of the inner nature of things, as opposed to the outer characteristics that are studied by science.

The word has negative connotations for many people, and while certain practices considered by some to be "occult" are also found within mainstream religions, in this context the term "occult" is rarely used.

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Haunted???

Request an Investigation

In addition to RICHARD CARRADINE's work with the Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles (GHOULA), he also maintains a website (Ghostswanted.com), where he investigates haunted locations based on e-mails received, and then posts the results.
His approach to each case is academic. Proving or disproving the spiritual activity of a certain spot isn't what motivates this ghost hunter. Instead, he is more interested in collecting the stories and eyewitness accounts, and archiving them, not only as a means of getting a glimpse into that place’s past, but also as a means of recording them for future studies into these unusual phenomena that clearly affect so many seemingly unconnected people.
For More Info:
www.ghostswanted.com
www.ghoula.org