We need help. I don’t want to write this. In fact, I’m writing it under protest. I hate to beg, but the situation has gotten critical. I owe $900 to our landlady. Stephen owes about $2000. Here’s the situation. I get about $785 per month. Rent is really $500 per month, but if I paid her that, I would have no discretionary income left after I paid rent, phone, and my share of the house bills. That means no money for my prescriptions or for food, and the stuff we get from the food bank does not come close to taking care of my nutritional needs.
I’m writing this under protest for two reasons. One is that I don’t like to beg. Also doing this may be against the rules of some of the places I’ll be posting this blog. Also chances are, not only will you not donate anything, but several of you will post unkind things under comments. Well, if you do, may you soon be in similar financial straits to the ones we’re in.
But if I’m wrong, message me, and I’ll give you the contact numbers.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Why Stephen Can't Come to the Computer
Stephen wants me to tell you that he can’t be on the computer because he is overwhelmed by housework and yard work. Of course, he isn’t exactly slaving away at it constantly either. He works during the commercial breaks. Today SyFy was running an “All Saints’ Hospital.” marathon Of course, if you ask him, he thinks that he is slaving away under the merciless searing hot sun.
I had my first check up on my ankle with my podiatrist yesterday. Dr. Van Voris exclaimed with delight over how well my ankle was doing. I got my first real cast, a non-weight-bearing cast. I got a purple case because purple is my favorite color, and as a Royal Grand Duchess, I have a royal dispensation that I may wear that purple. I know that there will be those who will jokingly accuse me of deliberately breaking my ankle just so I can wear purple. I have an answer for them. I shall simply ask them if they realize what a hassle it is to have to be asking for help all the damn time, and not be able to go certain places in the house because the doorway isn’t wide enough to accommodate my wheelchair. And not to be able to take a shower and wash my hair because I can’t get my cast wet.
My social worker is no help either. The county is so backed up that I can’t have any household help for 6 whole months. By then I’ll be up and around. Yesterday all kinds of strangers helped me at the hospital. A couple helped me to the place where I had my appointment. A man held the door of the restroom open so I could go in there. When I was done, and my ride was in front, one of the valet parking guys helped me into the car and folded up my wheelchair. And lest I forget there was the guy next door who came along as we were struggling to leave, folded my wheelchair and stowed it in the back seat for us. If any of you is online I want give you my heartfelt thanks and say those were real mitzvahs you performed yesterday. The wheel of karma is on your side.
Right now I’m waiting for my physical therapist to arrive. My regular one is on vacation so a substitute is picking up the slack. I wonder what she’ll teach me today. Three weeks ago when they operated on my ankle, I was not put out. I was given a spinal, which is a lot like an epidural, in that you’re awake, but numb from the waist down. I decided to think about something else, one of my stories or something our groups. I have the power of dissociating at will. I know others have this power as a result of abuse, but I acquired it via a less violent route. I would do it in class whenever I was bored, which was quite often. I would snap out of it if the teacher asked a question. Then I would play another game. Knowing as I did that the teacher wouldn’t call on me, but on some dumb boy who wouldn’t know the answer, I would continue to act as though I were not paying attention. I drove my teachers crazy, and they never caught onto what I was doing.
Back to the operation: I came back to the present, the here and now, and heard dome clanking noises. I realized that they were still working on my ankle. They finished putting in the plate and sewed me up. They put me in a temporary cast, and wheeled me to the recovery room. Then after a little while, they wheeled me to the room where I would be until Wednesday afternoon. During the wheeling about, we made a lot of Disneyland jokes (Keep your hands inside the ride at all times!) Nobody brushed off my attempts at humor, or told me that I should be serious because this is a serious situation. Everybody joined in the joking. They all seemed to realize that I went to humor because this is how I stay alive. In fact, they seemed to enjoy having me around. Stephen told me that the times he’s gone to the ER they’ve handled him rather roughly, or at least I got that feeling from his description, and general attitude towards hospitals in general. But they treated me gently. I think it’s because they took offense to his political stance, which he makes no secret of. It might also be because he reeks. Also, I was at a private membership hospital. They have to treat us nice. I think that getting on Kaiser again was the best thing I ever did. I’m working on getting Stephen on Kaiser too. Kaiser is the oldest HMO in the nation, and the most experienced.
Well, I think I’ll wind this up and post it. The upshot of all this is that Stephen would be online if he could. Personally, if I were he, while my phone charges, instead of reinstalling “Pirates!”, I would be online renewing my relationships, but he says he needs kill therapy, so that’s the way it is.
I had my first check up on my ankle with my podiatrist yesterday. Dr. Van Voris exclaimed with delight over how well my ankle was doing. I got my first real cast, a non-weight-bearing cast. I got a purple case because purple is my favorite color, and as a Royal Grand Duchess, I have a royal dispensation that I may wear that purple. I know that there will be those who will jokingly accuse me of deliberately breaking my ankle just so I can wear purple. I have an answer for them. I shall simply ask them if they realize what a hassle it is to have to be asking for help all the damn time, and not be able to go certain places in the house because the doorway isn’t wide enough to accommodate my wheelchair. And not to be able to take a shower and wash my hair because I can’t get my cast wet.
My social worker is no help either. The county is so backed up that I can’t have any household help for 6 whole months. By then I’ll be up and around. Yesterday all kinds of strangers helped me at the hospital. A couple helped me to the place where I had my appointment. A man held the door of the restroom open so I could go in there. When I was done, and my ride was in front, one of the valet parking guys helped me into the car and folded up my wheelchair. And lest I forget there was the guy next door who came along as we were struggling to leave, folded my wheelchair and stowed it in the back seat for us. If any of you is online I want give you my heartfelt thanks and say those were real mitzvahs you performed yesterday. The wheel of karma is on your side.
Right now I’m waiting for my physical therapist to arrive. My regular one is on vacation so a substitute is picking up the slack. I wonder what she’ll teach me today. Three weeks ago when they operated on my ankle, I was not put out. I was given a spinal, which is a lot like an epidural, in that you’re awake, but numb from the waist down. I decided to think about something else, one of my stories or something our groups. I have the power of dissociating at will. I know others have this power as a result of abuse, but I acquired it via a less violent route. I would do it in class whenever I was bored, which was quite often. I would snap out of it if the teacher asked a question. Then I would play another game. Knowing as I did that the teacher wouldn’t call on me, but on some dumb boy who wouldn’t know the answer, I would continue to act as though I were not paying attention. I drove my teachers crazy, and they never caught onto what I was doing.
Back to the operation: I came back to the present, the here and now, and heard dome clanking noises. I realized that they were still working on my ankle. They finished putting in the plate and sewed me up. They put me in a temporary cast, and wheeled me to the recovery room. Then after a little while, they wheeled me to the room where I would be until Wednesday afternoon. During the wheeling about, we made a lot of Disneyland jokes (Keep your hands inside the ride at all times!) Nobody brushed off my attempts at humor, or told me that I should be serious because this is a serious situation. Everybody joined in the joking. They all seemed to realize that I went to humor because this is how I stay alive. In fact, they seemed to enjoy having me around. Stephen told me that the times he’s gone to the ER they’ve handled him rather roughly, or at least I got that feeling from his description, and general attitude towards hospitals in general. But they treated me gently. I think it’s because they took offense to his political stance, which he makes no secret of. It might also be because he reeks. Also, I was at a private membership hospital. They have to treat us nice. I think that getting on Kaiser again was the best thing I ever did. I’m working on getting Stephen on Kaiser too. Kaiser is the oldest HMO in the nation, and the most experienced.
Well, I think I’ll wind this up and post it. The upshot of all this is that Stephen would be online if he could. Personally, if I were he, while my phone charges, instead of reinstalling “Pirates!”, I would be online renewing my relationships, but he says he needs kill therapy, so that’s the way it is.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
What's Up with Me
Stephen tells me that you folks have been wondering what has happened to me since last I was here. Well, the short answer is “Life.” More immediately, I’ve been struggling with gallstones. I’d been having what I thought were Gerd attacks, but what I now believe to be gall stone attacks. During the most severe ones, the pain will get so bad that I’ll black out. This has happened to me three times. Once I had a sandwich, and had a bad attack. I gave up eating raw onions after that, believing it to be a GERD attack. The other two times, it resulted in a broken ankle, 2 years ago my left, this last time my right ankle. I’m kind of angry at the surgery scheduling department because if they’d scheduled me in a timely way, I might not have had the attack that led to my broken ankle. When I called the number I was given, I couldn’t even leave a message in Jennifer McCleary’s box because it was full. I’m so angry right now that I’m going to see what I can do to get her at least reprimanded for neglect. And I’m naming names. So if anyone reading this knows her tell her she’s been neglecting her job.
In other news, I’m working on a story at the behest of my psychotherapist. I started on it about 3 years ago, but didn’t get started on it then. When my therapist expressed an interest in it, I decided to go ahead and do it. Right now I’m doing background notes.to set up the story & the characters.
The cats have been a great comfort. They always know when one or the other of us is ailing, and will come and try to comfort us. Well, turn about is fair play, because when the twins, Dr. Livingston, and Pyewacket were spayed, I comforted them when they gpt home from being picked up. Oh, sure, we laughed at them when they were wobbly, but I comforted them too. This consisted of holding them, scratching or stroking them, and saying nonsense things to them in a tender voice. It doesn’t matter what you say, because they can’t understand Human anyway. The important part is the tone of voice you say it in. It should be a soothing tone.
The Renaissance events to which I have gone have been very interesting. At the most recent one, the 19th and 20th of June, There was a wedding of a couple of friends of mine. Queen is out and about. There came a man wearing the flag of a foreign land. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. For some reason, HRH finds this to be offensive to his sight, and so it is a drubable offense. I became quite imperious, and said,
“Arrest that man!” One of the MacDonalds caught up to him, and brought him into court.”
“You, sirrah, are wearing the colors of a foreign land. The penalty for this is drubbing.”
“
I grabbed the water pitcher at my right hand, descended the dais, and had the man kneel. I then poured water over his head, not touching the offensive shirt at all. Then I gave him a pardon, and a favor. When HRH and HRM returned, I told them both that I had done a drubbing, and they were both delighted for me. HRH was especially delighted. I told him,
“If it please Your Highness, I’ve tasted power and I want more. Oooooh, but that was fun!”
HRH and HRM both chortled and said, “We hope you get to do more.”. .
After that event, I spent a week house-sitting and forging a bond with a funny little dog who acts like a cat except that she comes when called, which no cat will ever do. .I came home, and started in on my story. All was proceeding well until July 4th , when I had that fateful gallstone attack. I finally heard from Jennifer today, so I’m a little mollified, but not completely. Now that I’m resigned to losing it, I want to get it done and over with. But I suppose that August is soon enough, given that I just had surgery less than 2 weeks ago. I was conscious, but surgery is surgery, and not to be undertaken lightly.
We’re planning on doing a post for one of our groups here (Grove of Ogham) and then going to MySpace. We’re hoping you’ll follow us there.
In other news, I’m working on a story at the behest of my psychotherapist. I started on it about 3 years ago, but didn’t get started on it then. When my therapist expressed an interest in it, I decided to go ahead and do it. Right now I’m doing background notes.to set up the story & the characters.
The cats have been a great comfort. They always know when one or the other of us is ailing, and will come and try to comfort us. Well, turn about is fair play, because when the twins, Dr. Livingston, and Pyewacket were spayed, I comforted them when they gpt home from being picked up. Oh, sure, we laughed at them when they were wobbly, but I comforted them too. This consisted of holding them, scratching or stroking them, and saying nonsense things to them in a tender voice. It doesn’t matter what you say, because they can’t understand Human anyway. The important part is the tone of voice you say it in. It should be a soothing tone.
The Renaissance events to which I have gone have been very interesting. At the most recent one, the 19th and 20th of June, There was a wedding of a couple of friends of mine. Queen is out and about. There came a man wearing the flag of a foreign land. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. For some reason, HRH finds this to be offensive to his sight, and so it is a drubable offense. I became quite imperious, and said,
“Arrest that man!” One of the MacDonalds caught up to him, and brought him into court.”
“You, sirrah, are wearing the colors of a foreign land. The penalty for this is drubbing.”
“
I grabbed the water pitcher at my right hand, descended the dais, and had the man kneel. I then poured water over his head, not touching the offensive shirt at all. Then I gave him a pardon, and a favor. When HRH and HRM returned, I told them both that I had done a drubbing, and they were both delighted for me. HRH was especially delighted. I told him,
“If it please Your Highness, I’ve tasted power and I want more. Oooooh, but that was fun!”
HRH and HRM both chortled and said, “We hope you get to do more.”. .
After that event, I spent a week house-sitting and forging a bond with a funny little dog who acts like a cat except that she comes when called, which no cat will ever do. .I came home, and started in on my story. All was proceeding well until July 4th , when I had that fateful gallstone attack. I finally heard from Jennifer today, so I’m a little mollified, but not completely. Now that I’m resigned to losing it, I want to get it done and over with. But I suppose that August is soon enough, given that I just had surgery less than 2 weeks ago. I was conscious, but surgery is surgery, and not to be undertaken lightly.
We’re planning on doing a post for one of our groups here (Grove of Ogham) and then going to MySpace. We’re hoping you’ll follow us there.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tes, We Still Need Help
Yes, we still need help. We need help with paid gigs. Stephen not only does readings and classes, but also does yard work for locals at the rate of $20/hour. I can do readings, and classes Stephen’s skill set, where this is concerned, is larger than mine. But I can write. Should I make a sign that says “Will write for money”? As always, readings or classes are $32 each. You can get one of each for $60. You can select from a wide array of decks and divination tools. Between us, we probably have about 800 decks and divination tools, with some overlap. I have some decks/tools that he doesn’t have, and he has some decks that I don’t have. One such is the Ancestral Path Tarot.
For the classes, you can select from a wide array of topics in the wide field of magick. One such example is aspecting, also known as “drawing down the Moon/Sun,” or “assuming the godform”. Our partner, Julie Maahs, is going to be helping Stephen and me with banners for:
1. Her book
2. Gallery 14
3. Walt’s art & music
4. our Tarot readings & classes
5. Stephen’s yard work (I don’t do yard work)
And the work on the site for Abbott’s Inn International School of Magick continues. . Of course, I only mentioned one of many many classes we teach. Another is classes on divination such as: Tarot, Runes Ogham, Native American Medicine Wheel,Tibetan Tattwas, .and the Goddess Oracle.
In political news, Arizona has just enacted a very fascist law. In an effort to stem the tide of illegals coming from Mexico, police are permitted to do what amounts to racial profiling. They can stop the vehicle of anyone who appears to be Hispanic, and demand to see citizenship papers. You’ve heard of “driving while black”, well then this is “driving while brown.” We are asking you to join the boycott on all products from Arizona. Yes, that includes “Arizona Tea”. Some Hispanic legislators are heading up the boycott. Please join us, won’t you? Of course, I’m sure that the law get voided by the Supreme Court, but in the meantime, please join the boycott. Thank you.
It turns out that letter in which our landlady demanded additional deposits of $200 per cat, is not a legal eviction order, since she did it on the cheap, and did not file it with the court. But we are still leaving. It’s that now the time pressure isn’t there. But we still need around $3000 to move. You too can help. If you can’t afford $32 for a reading or a class, send me $5 and I will send you one of my ebooks. Send me $20, and you get all five. Please send all donations to either (me) tezra.reitan@gmail.com or (Stephen) abbottsinn@gmail.com at Paypal.
This past weekend, I did a reading with my Touchstone Tarot. I was right. It was and is perfect for reading at Renaissance events. I thought it might be, because the paintings on the cards are all painted in Renaissance garb. The cards were accurate, too. I don’t remember who published the deck, but I got it through One Spirit, a book club I belong to. One Spirit is a book club like “Crafter’s Choice”, and the SciFi Book Club. The Sci Fi Book Club finally got wise, and realized they’re not going to get paid for books that people didn’t order, but that just got sent to them automatically. It would be nice if the other 2 book clubs I mentioned followed suit. I’ve gotten a number of nice things from “One Spirit” over the years. I got the Legacy tarot from them, too. Stephen is currently borrowing the Legacy Tarot, but when I get it back from him, I’ll do more readings with it too. Stephen thinks that it’s one of the best decks out there. The pictures are not the usual ones. Their use of color is unique. He finds it awesome, and wants to get a copy.
Beer’s is Stephen’s favorite book store. It’s totally unlike the chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. It’s a rather funky place I like it. I could drop a thou in there without half thinking about it if I had a thou that wasn’t earmarked for moving, or didn’t have a roomful of books I have yet to read. Speaking of books, I may have mentioned it in our post to the Hedge Craft group, but I’ll mention it here as well. I am halfway through “Hedge Witch”, and man does that book inspire me. In the very first chapter, I got a technique for manifestation that I have since used every day. We have scored the TV set in the living room, and I have scored Windows 7 for my laptop. All I need now is the extra RAM for it.
I’m fasting right now, because after group, I’m going to the other Kaiser to let Dracula’s Disciples take some of my blood for a cholesterol screening. That’s what I jokingly call the phlebotomists. It isn’t due until 2012, but my dr. wants to be ahead of the curve. I wonder if Kaiser retains a nutritionist/dietician. If so, I’d like to see if one can design a diet for me. Fasting is required for all blood panels. Fasting is a feature of the spiritual disciplines of many cultures. Muslims fast during the day at Ramadan, some Catholics fast during Lent, Jews fast during Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Some magicians fast during certain magickal workings. I fasted the week before my 1st Degree Wiccan initiation. Hindus fast during some of their festivals, then feast after the rituals. With Wiccans and Thelemites, we fast when we Will to. A fast is used to focus. Boy, was I focused today. I was focused on getting my blood drawn so that I could eat. After the blood was drawn, I was focused on eating. I had chicken noodle soup. Man, was that good. It’s like I couldn’t see straight until I got that soup in me. My “Dracula’s Disciple” laughed when I told him what I call phlebotomists. He thought it was just awfully funny. I got the idea from an indie film that was made about 30 years ago about a priest who is made a vampire, then decides that Jesus and the saints were also vampires. It was a very interesting film.
The section of “Hedge Witch” I just finished had to do with stitchery. RavenWolf supports my assertion that stitchery is very soothing to the soul. The repetitive action of needle in cloth then out again is extremely meditative in nature. This, like stroking a purring cat, tends to put the human mind into the alpha state. I love either conversing, or watching a movie whilst stitching. Add a purring cat, and I’m in paradise. By the way, the word “paradise” is from the Persian for walled garden. I love finding out the histories behind words. It’s weird, I realize, but then I’m weird. Stephen would say that this penchant of mine is just part and parcel of my being the Phonetic.
Remember, if you go to a Ning network, and they ask for money, walk away, and don’t look back Refuse to pay anything. If you have networks, and Ning demands money, either find other places to put your sites, or leave them behind. A cent per month is too much. If we all stick together and boycott these sites, Ning and the greedy so-and-sos who are trying to charge us for using their networks will go under and learn their lesson. . This is going to be a huge sacrifice for me, because I had blogs on almost 200 networks.
You may have heard about the planetary shift.of the poles. Well, the poles have not moved more than 5 degrees in the past 200 million years. Stephen thinks they may have shifted not physically, but in a way only a shaman would recognize.
I was looking on Amazon for the Ancestral Path Tarot deck, with a view to perhaps ordering a copy from them, but they want at least $116 for it. Forget it! No deck is worth that much. You spend that much on a deck, and then you’re afraid to take it out of the box and use it. It’s like having a diamond necklace that you’re afraid to wear. Jewelry should be worn and enjoyed. A tarot deck is a tool that is meant to be used and enjoyed. If you have this tarot deck, and want to get rid of it for a more affordable price, please let me know. By “affordable,” I mean under $50, including shipping and sales tax. Please let us know as soon as you can, as we’re planning to do something special with it. This deck has specific cards in it that have ritual significance. Stephen likes that there are the princes and princesses instead of pages and kings.
Teaser alert!!! Teaser alert!!! We will soon have the banners I mentioned above, so look out for them! It is May, so soon we will be gathering at their office to do this thing. I will have a clipboard with paper on it and pens, so I can take down what Julie says. Soon we shall also have libations. Libations are sweets we have, click together, and say affirmations over. Stephen is slowly getting the hang of affirmations. It takes a lot of doing to get anything through that thick skull of his. He kept putting his affirmations in the future tense, and it was only with difficulty that I managed to get through to him that affirmations are always always always in the present tense. You say you already have it, and that convinces your Younger Self to bring it to you. We use the Secret with this. Now to us magickal people, the Secret is in reality no secret at all. It is quite simply the Law of Attraction which is at once the first law of Sympathetic Magick, and the first law of Hermetic Philosophy, which was promulgated by Hermes Trismegistis or Hermes the Thrice Great of Khem. The Law goes: “Like attracts Like.” As you think, so shall it be. The Christians say it this way: “Ask and ye shall receive, believe, and it shall be granted unto you.” So if you’re thinking all the time about how poor you are, you will remain poor but if you have an attitude of gratitude, and think about how rich and fortunate you are, you will get rich and fortunate. The key is belief. Do you know what the opposite of faith is? I can hear you saying “Disbelief”, but you’d be wrong. The opposite of faith is despair. I should know. That’s where I was in March. March was a hard month for both of us. Then in early April, I got a phone call that turned my head around, and got me thinking about the Secret again, and how it works. Ir’s always on. Whether it works for you or against you is up to you.
That phone call which I got was my adopted sister asking whether I might be interested in going to Tartan Day at Ardenwood. I had the time of my life there, and an even better time last weekend at Woodland. It told me why I stay in Renaissance year after year, even after the guy who introduced me to Renaissance died. I feel such love there. I was informed by my “brother” (my adopted sister’s real life brother) that the guild would help me move again. If any of you lives in the Sacramento area, you are cordially invited to join us. There will be pizza and root beer for all who help us move. That’s what part of the $ 3000 goes towards. It’s a minor part, no more than about $60, but it really helps. Buying pizza and soda for the workers is traditional. I like root beer because it is caffeine free. With such traditions, moving becomes a family affair. Moving should not be so stressful if you use this formula. It should be an activity of comrades. Participants should know that someday their day too will come when they are called upon to be there for the other individuals. We talk about moving here because we’re trying to show that Wicca is not just a family affair, but a community affair.
There are many Pagans and Wiccans in the armed forces. Even though we don’t support the wars they are currently fighting in, we support them to the hilt. One of these is a friend of Stephen’s. Wiccans and other Pagans in the armed forces have been going on for awhile. The idea of Wiccans in the military goes back to the Vietnam era. Stephen went to demonstrations to support the Wiccan veterans, anf Wiccan soldiers. Today you can find many Wiccan military groups on the internet on such places as www,paganspace.net. This seems to be a recent phenomenon, possibly because of the two wars our people are on now, and the prevalence of the internet.
Welcome to DruidWicca Coven 7! We’re certainly glad that you could make it! We strongly urge you to check out the other DruidWicca Coven groups on other networks. If you haven’t joined any of the other six DruidWicca Coven groups, let us tell you what it is about. A few years ago Phillip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and artist Bill Worthington created an absolutely drop dead gorgeous Tarot deck called the DruidCraft Tarot . We were so inspired by the deck that we created this group to celebrate it. You could call it the Celtic Tradition of the Craft of the Wise. Know what you’d call it if the Mafia ever went Wiccan? You’d call it “Craft of the Wise Guys”. Seriously though, we are glad to see you, yeah, even you in the corner twiddling your thumbs.
This desire to be both Druid and Wiccan was shared by not just us, but also others. Since you joined this group, we’re guessing that you share it too. Both of us came from the idea, and the deck was a revelation to both of us that this was true, that Druidry and Wicca could be combined quite successfully. Basically, this would be the Celtic tradition. Of course, if you are ADF, it can be any Indo-European tradition, including Vedic (Hindu) I regaled the ADF Grove I belong to with my experience of attending Sri Ramadhni (Rama’s birthday) celebration the last four nights of the celebration last month. It was about the only good thing that happened in March.
First we shall talk about the similarities of Druidry and the Craft, then the differences. They are both Pagan religions. Neo-Druidry and Wicca are both co-ed. Druids wear robes, as do Wiccans, if it isn’t a skyclad coven. They both use fire. They both use cauldrons for fire. Both Druids and Wiccans have feasts after the rituals, and at times, within the ritual itself. Both Druids and Wiccans love chocolate, and weird flavors of herbal teas.
One difference between them is that Druidry is mostly solar in nature, whilst the Craft is mostly lunar and stellar. .Modern day Druids are obsessed with hating circles, whilst Wicca is dependent upon circles. It’s mostly an ADF hatred of circles. Wiccans go skyclad, whilst Druids are scared shitless of anything sexual. Wiccans use magickal tools. Druids mainly just use the staff. ADF mainly does sacrificial worship, whilst the Craft does magick. With these differences and similarities in nature DruidWiccans take the best of both worlds. It’s a marriage between the two traditions, uniting the two in harmony.
As it stands today, Stephen feels that Druidry is weak and inferior to the Craft. He mostly has the ADF in mind. I disagree with him, feeling that Druidry is not either superior or inferior to the Craft of the Wise, just different. We encourage diversity within DruidWicca Coven; that is, diversity within faith with understanding of tradition. Stephen and I disagree about modern day Druidry. He says that it has gotten too structured and leaves no room for magick or any kind of spontaneity. This may be true of the ADF in a certain way, but can we really lump Henge of Keltria and White Oak in with them? I tried to explain to him, but in vain, that the ADF’s approach is simply different from the NRDNA. ADF does sacrificial worship. Stephen finds it boring. Stephen thinks there’s too much politics in ADF. I disagree with all of this. If the officers of the grove were a clique, how did I, a new-comer, manage to get into the “clique”? Stephen’s just resentful that his star in the grove fell, whilst mine rose.
Mine rose and his fell for one very simple reason. I am in learning mode. I was gung ho to participate in all activities of the grove. Stephen didn’t bother to participate. He felt he had no more to learn. I’ll take that attitude when I’m dead. Or maybe I won’t I can just see myself wandering all over the Summerland, interviewing people. I’ll interview all my dead friends, including Doc, then ask them to introduce me to other people that I can interview. You can tell that I’m not a female Stephen-clone. We disagree violently on this issue. I do NOT feel that Druidry is either asexual or conservative. Just because every other word they say isn’t profanity, he thinks they’re right wing fascists. The ADF has to be a bit antiseptic because there are families with young children who belong, and they have to feel that it’s a safe place for them and their kids. Zane is three, and I’m sure his parents don’t want him to be spouting blue language. The phrase “little pitchers have big ears” is a cliché because it’s true. Kids are big imitators and mimics. It’s how they learn. A good parent takes care to make sure that the only words his kid hears and picks up are good words.
I’m pretty excited. I tried out a technique I learned from the book I’m reading called “Hedge Witch” by Silver RavenWolf, and she has really redeemed herself from “Solitary Witch:. I hated “Solitary Witch”, which is the only book of hers I didn’t like. It just had too many errors. But “Hedge Witch” is another kettle of piranha altogether. One of Silver’s friends got an old fashioned telephone that he was going to add to his wife’s retro décor. But he didn’t hook it up to the telephone system. He was having home insurance troubles, and getting the run around from his insurance company. He dialed 911 and stated the nature of his emergency. Within 48 hours, he got the policy he wanted from a new agent. When I got home, after going to the missing persons’ room (a very popular place), and pouring myself some pink lemonade, I asked Stephen for his old phone. He gave it to me. I made two calls. I used primal language. I smiled. I concluded my “conversation” by saying “It always works” and “Always a blessing.” Now I’m just occupying myself to see what happens. I’m calling it the “manifestation telephone.”
The technique is as simple and profound as the Secret and Law of Attraction. You have to believe. Mainly, you have to get your subconscious lined up with your conscious mind. Nothing’s going to happen if they’re at odds with each other. I do it by playing 3 CDs every night, two on the Law of Attraction, and one on the Secret. The Secret is the Law of Attraction. I think Silver believes in it too, because her whole book is on how to attract abundance, great health, and harmonious relationships into your life. You also have to smile, and phrase your requests in simple direct language, the language of feelings and direct images. She calls it “the primal language”, which is what the universe understands. I hope it makes as much sense to you as it does to me.
There is a little “trigger” spell I got from “Instant Magick” by Chris Penczak. You use a trigger, which is a mudra done with the fingers. I visualize the bus of my choice coming, and repeat the number of the bus over and over in my mind, kind of as a mental chant. And the bus comes. I get on it, and show the driver my day pass. You have to back it up with mundane actions such as paying your fare, and showing your pass to the driver. But it works for me. It can cut half an hour of waiting out of a bus trip. Everyone has their own trigger or mudra. What little (or big) techniques do you use? They can involve any tool, no matter how mundane, or no tool at all except your brain. Sorry, had to say that, because it rhymed. I’m a sucker for such word manipulation tricks as alliteration, and rhyming, if you haven’t guessed before. One reason is that they make things easier to remember You may think of more reasons to like alliteration and rhyming. Please submit them here. One other reason for liking rhyming spells is that they entertain the Mighty Ones, and make Them that much more likely to grant your request. Another reason is that the Younger Self (mine does, anyway) likes rhyming, and it’s the Younger Self who does the magick. Please tell us your reasons. Inquiring minds want to know.
Rhyming spells are a strictly Wiccan/Witchcraft technique for magick, Stephen says. “Druids are utterly devoid of magick.” I retorted that Ian Corrigan is quite the magician, I’ve heard. “Sieera Madrone Grove is utterly devoid of magick They’re strictly devotional.“ But I replied “I’ve been present when magick happened. It isn’t planned.”
Today was a case in point. I went to the Sierra Madrone Grove Beltaine ritual today We raised power during the Opening of the Gates section. I came to the conclusion that Stephen blocks the power somehow or he’s anesthetized. I figure that unless he can get laid or pick up some bucks from doing readings, he’s not interested in a ritual that just celebrates the Gods and Goddesses. But I picked up on the magick we raised there today. I’m starting to think Stephen isn’t the magician he thinks he is.
I received a piece of sad news this morning. It seems that Robin Goodfellow came home yesterday from the NROOGD ritual last night, lay down, slipped into a diabetic coma and died. Gaia did just what I did after Doc died, got on the phone to notify some people. Robin and I had had a fling back in the 70s but it wasn’t serious, not on my end, anyway. We stayed friends, though. When I met Gaia, I was happy for both of them, because I knew they’d be good for each other. I was proud to call him friend. Whenever I’d run into him at either Himalayan Fair, or Pagan events, he always had a joke or a funny story. I’m a little angry at him because he persisted in drinking beer, even though he was diabetic. He favored Rainer Ale because it came in 16 oz. cans instead of the skimpy 12 oz. cans of most beers. Drinking alcohol is strictly verboten for diabetics because alcohol is fermented sugar, and so it screws up your sugar insulin balance. One time he went into insulin shock at my place because he’d taken insulin and not eaten afterwards. I cured him with a chocolate chip cookie. Robin made a great Horned God in rituals. We were all pretty concerned when Robin had a heart scare, and landed in the hospital in the early 90s. We all did healing rituals for him. But nobody was prepared to do a healing ritual for him on Saturday, and so he slipped away from us. Gaia Wildwood, his widow, is in our thoughts and prayers.
Stephen knew Robin most of his adult life, from age 20 on. Robin was one of the first California Pagans he met. There used to be a Pagan event in Berkeley where they’d parade a golden calf down Telegraph Ave. Robin and Stephen were both a part of it. Robin was one of the chief organizers, and had a newsletter about it. “The main thing about the Order of the Golden Calf was decadence, comedy, Paganism, and theatre.” In the 70s, Robin mainly concentrated on NROOGD. Somewhat later, in the mid-80s, Robin started teaching “A Course in Miracles” at Sunrise Books. They also spent a lot of time at Shambala Books. Gaia was Stephen’s therapist, so the three spent a lot of time together. The two men spent time together at NROOGD events, Ancient Ways, and Annuvin, Gwydion’s land in Greenfield Ranch outside of Ukiah in Mendocino County. It was Robin Goodfellow who got Stephen interested in the Cthulhu mythos. They used to go to the Mediterranean Coffeehouse on Telegraph, and discuss Paganism. They kept in contact when Stephen moved to El Sobrante, and Oakland. They remained in contact, even when Stephen moved to San Jose, and from there to Sacramento.
Here’s the situation: Jason Rosenthal, probably a Christian Republican, the new CEO of Ning, intends to put the Ning networks on a paying basis. That means no more free networks, no more joining other people’s networks for free, either because you know that the owners of the paying networks are going to pass their exorbitant costs onto us. What do you say to that? Make a noise, make a big noise. Make a noise so big and loud that Rosenthal can hear it. The next noise he’ll hear is the thundering of many footsteps as we all leave. We have to fight for our rights. We can’t let assholes like Rosenthal dictate to us. This kind of fascist BS should not be allowed to happen. We should do a letter writing campaign to fight this a-h. We have to fight this biotch. This fascist crap cannot stand. We have to get going right away. If everyone protests, it’ll make him go broke and he’ll be fired. We got support for our position from an unexpected quarter. A friend of mine, whom Stephen can’t stand, both because of his politics and his lovestyle (he’s a Reagan Republican and a Gorean) said that what Rosenthal was doing in phasing out the free services was a bad business decision. “People would be coming to him from the free services to get the premium paid services, but he’s cut that part of his Market out. He should keep both.” Let’s boycott Ning, and any of the networks that cave-in to his Gestapo tactics. If any network says you must pay to play, just say no, and get all your friends to say no too. Spread it around, tell everyone you know. Don’t keep it a secret. I have been sending my blog to all the Ning networks I’m on. “We have to stop this neo-Ning fascism,” says Stephen.
We need at least $3000 to move. 916-455-2267 is Stephen’s number for multimedia readings. Just 93.75 readings would do the trick. Don’t stand by and figure that your neighbor or your friend will do it, so you don’t need to. We need your donation too. Every little bit helps. Don’t forget that you can donate to Stephen’s Paypal account. abbottsinn@gmail.com. Also call 1-800-ASK-KEEN and ask for Stephen6580. Or call 1-800-280-8496.Stephen 1580 Stephen now has.$250 in his account which is not enough to pay rent.
One of the psychic reading services that Stephen works for has changed hands. Zodiac (Celebrity Psychics.com) has changed hands and names. It is now Psychic Power. They are recruiting new readers. Stephen gets $50 for anyone who signs up and $100 for someone who signs up and racks up 500 minutes.
Stephen’s done it. He’s gone over to Chase with me. It came to a head because an agent at Bunko de America told him that he had enough money to write $900 in checks to our landlady to pay off his back rent when he didn’t have the money. Now you should understand that Stephen is even more math challenged than I am. He was sick for 5 days with asthma symptoms and wasn’t able to call them to ascertain his balance, or he would have caught the error sooner. They charged him $900 in overdraft charges, and paid everything except for the Rhapsody charge, and his porn. Now I can understand why they wouldn’t have paid the porn one, but the Rhapsody? Why didn’t they pay that one? He just called Bunko de America, and they still won’t own up to any of their responsibility in this. SSI plays a role in this whole thing too because they toyed with him for two hours, letting him think that they were going to cut him an emergency check, then reneged on him. Now folks, this is two hours when he could have been doing readings, and getting his overdraft down. And they turned around and called the sheriff on him. So maybe now you understand why Stephen is so depressed and angry. I realize that you’re probably all out of compassion. I know I am. But the need is real, and the need is dire. He is no longer suicidal, but another setback could send him over the edge again. Of course I have a plan of action now if he turns suicidal again. I’ll call 911, and have him go in on a 5150. In this state, that’s the code for in danger of harming himself or others. This way he’ll get the help he needs.
Now I’m in need of readings too. I need to put in my share of our moving money. My PayPal account is tezra.reitan@gmail.com. For a donation of $5, I’ll send you a copy of one of my books, and for $32, I’ll give you a reading by phone. For $20, I’ll send you a copy of all five of my books. 916-457-7476 is my number. I can’t give you a multi-media reading, because I don’t have my webcam and headset hooked up yet. For that, you’ll have to call Stephen at 916-455-2267.
Our friend Julie Maahs has a book out called the Serpent and the Stag. It can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10619. I urge you strongly to buy a download, and tell your friends. She is publicizing it through viral marketing; or what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising. She’s directing the book towards a Pagan audience. It’s a murder mystery with nice contorted twists and turns. When I read it, I saw it as though it were a movie and I was the lighting director/art director. If you review books, contact her at julie@your-taxes.com and she will send you the free coupon code so you can get a free download. She wants a copy of the review, so send her a copy. I sent her a copy and also posted it on Blogger.
We’re sorry that we haven’t been around much, but March was a really bad month for both of us. There’s been a lot of stress around here. The putties have been expressing it by either barfing or eliminating everywhere except where they should. Stephen has been getting his sick migraines. I just recovered from a bout of walking pneumonia and the boogie woogie blues.and high blood pressure, in spite of the blood pressure med I’ve been taking the past year and a half. I still have a nasty cough that makes me sound as though I have what used to be called consumption. At least I’m no longer either whooping or gasping for breath like I was for a few days. I’m sure I got this illness because my immune system was down from all the stress I was under. At least I can function through it better than when I got it 32 years ago, when I would come home from work, eat something, and plop into bed until the next morning. Then, during that attack of pneumonia, I had body aches and a fever. My skin hurt. But in this bout I’m not as sick. It’s just that Dr. Jones wasn’t happy with the amount of air my lungs were taking in. She asked me if I were wheezing. Not this time around. At least I didn’t notice any.
We still don’t have a house-mate, but because I re-ran that ad in the SN&R last Thursday, I expect some nibbles soon. The very people we want to attract as a house-mate are scared to live here because of the neighborhood. Well, I’ll tell you about neighborhoods. Every neighborhood is at risk now because gangs have wheels and money. No neighborhood is safe anymore. I’m a woman, and I feel safe on this street. One of you must know someone in Sacramento who needs a congenial cheap place to live. We have an 11,000 volume Pagan/magickal library, a long slender backyard, a fire circle, and a cauldron. We have satellite TV too and a workshop where you can pursue your craft or artificer dreams. Stephen just renewed his craigslist ads today, and I’m going to do it tomorrow.
There are five putties we need to give up. Ordinarily I would’ve said “free to good homes,” but a very wise friend told me this past weekend that we should charge something for them so that the prospective owner demonstrates that s/he has enough disposable income to care for a pet. The real reason is that people in the dog fight game get cats for their dogs to practice being vicious on. The really twisted ones bring their kids, and have their kids pick out the cats and kittens.So we’ll charge the nominal $10. We’re looking for people who love cats as much as we do. .
I received a piece of sad news this morning. It seems that Robin Goodfellow came home yesterday from the NROOGD ritual last night, lay down, slipped into a diabetic coma and died. Gaia did just what I did after Doc died, got on the phone to notify some people. Robin and I had had a fling back in the 70s but it wasn’t serious, not on my end, anyway. We stayed friends, though. When I met Gaia, I was happy for both of them, because I knew they’d be good for each other. I was proud to call him friend. Whenever I’d run into him at either Himalayan Fair, or Pagan events, he always had a joke or a funny story. I’m a little angry at him because he persisted in drinking beer, even though he was diabetic. He favored Rainer Ale because it came in 16 oz. cans instead of the skimpy 12 oz. cans of most beers. Drinking alcohol is strictly verboten for diabetics because alcohol is fermented sugar, and so it screws up your sugar insulin balance. One time he went into insulin shock at my place because he’d taken insulin and not eaten afterwards. I cured him with a chocolate chip cookie. Robin made a great Horned God in rituals. We were all pretty concerned when Robin had a heart scare, and landed in the hospital in the early 90s. We all did healing rituals for him. But nobody was prepared to do a healing ritual for him on Saturday, and so he slipped away from us. Gaia Wildwood, his widow, is in our thoughts and prayers.
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For the classes, you can select from a wide array of topics in the wide field of magick. One such example is aspecting, also known as “drawing down the Moon/Sun,” or “assuming the godform”. Our partner, Julie Maahs, is going to be helping Stephen and me with banners for:
1. Her book
2. Gallery 14
3. Walt’s art & music
4. our Tarot readings & classes
5. Stephen’s yard work (I don’t do yard work)
And the work on the site for Abbott’s Inn International School of Magick continues. . Of course, I only mentioned one of many many classes we teach. Another is classes on divination such as: Tarot, Runes Ogham, Native American Medicine Wheel,Tibetan Tattwas, .and the Goddess Oracle.
In political news, Arizona has just enacted a very fascist law. In an effort to stem the tide of illegals coming from Mexico, police are permitted to do what amounts to racial profiling. They can stop the vehicle of anyone who appears to be Hispanic, and demand to see citizenship papers. You’ve heard of “driving while black”, well then this is “driving while brown.” We are asking you to join the boycott on all products from Arizona. Yes, that includes “Arizona Tea”. Some Hispanic legislators are heading up the boycott. Please join us, won’t you? Of course, I’m sure that the law get voided by the Supreme Court, but in the meantime, please join the boycott. Thank you.
It turns out that letter in which our landlady demanded additional deposits of $200 per cat, is not a legal eviction order, since she did it on the cheap, and did not file it with the court. But we are still leaving. It’s that now the time pressure isn’t there. But we still need around $3000 to move. You too can help. If you can’t afford $32 for a reading or a class, send me $5 and I will send you one of my ebooks. Send me $20, and you get all five. Please send all donations to either (me) tezra.reitan@gmail.com or (Stephen) abbottsinn@gmail.com at Paypal.
This past weekend, I did a reading with my Touchstone Tarot. I was right. It was and is perfect for reading at Renaissance events. I thought it might be, because the paintings on the cards are all painted in Renaissance garb. The cards were accurate, too. I don’t remember who published the deck, but I got it through One Spirit, a book club I belong to. One Spirit is a book club like “Crafter’s Choice”, and the SciFi Book Club. The Sci Fi Book Club finally got wise, and realized they’re not going to get paid for books that people didn’t order, but that just got sent to them automatically. It would be nice if the other 2 book clubs I mentioned followed suit. I’ve gotten a number of nice things from “One Spirit” over the years. I got the Legacy tarot from them, too. Stephen is currently borrowing the Legacy Tarot, but when I get it back from him, I’ll do more readings with it too. Stephen thinks that it’s one of the best decks out there. The pictures are not the usual ones. Their use of color is unique. He finds it awesome, and wants to get a copy.
Beer’s is Stephen’s favorite book store. It’s totally unlike the chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. It’s a rather funky place I like it. I could drop a thou in there without half thinking about it if I had a thou that wasn’t earmarked for moving, or didn’t have a roomful of books I have yet to read. Speaking of books, I may have mentioned it in our post to the Hedge Craft group, but I’ll mention it here as well. I am halfway through “Hedge Witch”, and man does that book inspire me. In the very first chapter, I got a technique for manifestation that I have since used every day. We have scored the TV set in the living room, and I have scored Windows 7 for my laptop. All I need now is the extra RAM for it.
I’m fasting right now, because after group, I’m going to the other Kaiser to let Dracula’s Disciples take some of my blood for a cholesterol screening. That’s what I jokingly call the phlebotomists. It isn’t due until 2012, but my dr. wants to be ahead of the curve. I wonder if Kaiser retains a nutritionist/dietician. If so, I’d like to see if one can design a diet for me. Fasting is required for all blood panels. Fasting is a feature of the spiritual disciplines of many cultures. Muslims fast during the day at Ramadan, some Catholics fast during Lent, Jews fast during Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Some magicians fast during certain magickal workings. I fasted the week before my 1st Degree Wiccan initiation. Hindus fast during some of their festivals, then feast after the rituals. With Wiccans and Thelemites, we fast when we Will to. A fast is used to focus. Boy, was I focused today. I was focused on getting my blood drawn so that I could eat. After the blood was drawn, I was focused on eating. I had chicken noodle soup. Man, was that good. It’s like I couldn’t see straight until I got that soup in me. My “Dracula’s Disciple” laughed when I told him what I call phlebotomists. He thought it was just awfully funny. I got the idea from an indie film that was made about 30 years ago about a priest who is made a vampire, then decides that Jesus and the saints were also vampires. It was a very interesting film.
The section of “Hedge Witch” I just finished had to do with stitchery. RavenWolf supports my assertion that stitchery is very soothing to the soul. The repetitive action of needle in cloth then out again is extremely meditative in nature. This, like stroking a purring cat, tends to put the human mind into the alpha state. I love either conversing, or watching a movie whilst stitching. Add a purring cat, and I’m in paradise. By the way, the word “paradise” is from the Persian for walled garden. I love finding out the histories behind words. It’s weird, I realize, but then I’m weird. Stephen would say that this penchant of mine is just part and parcel of my being the Phonetic.
Remember, if you go to a Ning network, and they ask for money, walk away, and don’t look back Refuse to pay anything. If you have networks, and Ning demands money, either find other places to put your sites, or leave them behind. A cent per month is too much. If we all stick together and boycott these sites, Ning and the greedy so-and-sos who are trying to charge us for using their networks will go under and learn their lesson. . This is going to be a huge sacrifice for me, because I had blogs on almost 200 networks.
You may have heard about the planetary shift.of the poles. Well, the poles have not moved more than 5 degrees in the past 200 million years. Stephen thinks they may have shifted not physically, but in a way only a shaman would recognize.
I was looking on Amazon for the Ancestral Path Tarot deck, with a view to perhaps ordering a copy from them, but they want at least $116 for it. Forget it! No deck is worth that much. You spend that much on a deck, and then you’re afraid to take it out of the box and use it. It’s like having a diamond necklace that you’re afraid to wear. Jewelry should be worn and enjoyed. A tarot deck is a tool that is meant to be used and enjoyed. If you have this tarot deck, and want to get rid of it for a more affordable price, please let me know. By “affordable,” I mean under $50, including shipping and sales tax. Please let us know as soon as you can, as we’re planning to do something special with it. This deck has specific cards in it that have ritual significance. Stephen likes that there are the princes and princesses instead of pages and kings.
Teaser alert!!! Teaser alert!!! We will soon have the banners I mentioned above, so look out for them! It is May, so soon we will be gathering at their office to do this thing. I will have a clipboard with paper on it and pens, so I can take down what Julie says. Soon we shall also have libations. Libations are sweets we have, click together, and say affirmations over. Stephen is slowly getting the hang of affirmations. It takes a lot of doing to get anything through that thick skull of his. He kept putting his affirmations in the future tense, and it was only with difficulty that I managed to get through to him that affirmations are always always always in the present tense. You say you already have it, and that convinces your Younger Self to bring it to you. We use the Secret with this. Now to us magickal people, the Secret is in reality no secret at all. It is quite simply the Law of Attraction which is at once the first law of Sympathetic Magick, and the first law of Hermetic Philosophy, which was promulgated by Hermes Trismegistis or Hermes the Thrice Great of Khem. The Law goes: “Like attracts Like.” As you think, so shall it be. The Christians say it this way: “Ask and ye shall receive, believe, and it shall be granted unto you.” So if you’re thinking all the time about how poor you are, you will remain poor but if you have an attitude of gratitude, and think about how rich and fortunate you are, you will get rich and fortunate. The key is belief. Do you know what the opposite of faith is? I can hear you saying “Disbelief”, but you’d be wrong. The opposite of faith is despair. I should know. That’s where I was in March. March was a hard month for both of us. Then in early April, I got a phone call that turned my head around, and got me thinking about the Secret again, and how it works. Ir’s always on. Whether it works for you or against you is up to you.
That phone call which I got was my adopted sister asking whether I might be interested in going to Tartan Day at Ardenwood. I had the time of my life there, and an even better time last weekend at Woodland. It told me why I stay in Renaissance year after year, even after the guy who introduced me to Renaissance died. I feel such love there. I was informed by my “brother” (my adopted sister’s real life brother) that the guild would help me move again. If any of you lives in the Sacramento area, you are cordially invited to join us. There will be pizza and root beer for all who help us move. That’s what part of the $ 3000 goes towards. It’s a minor part, no more than about $60, but it really helps. Buying pizza and soda for the workers is traditional. I like root beer because it is caffeine free. With such traditions, moving becomes a family affair. Moving should not be so stressful if you use this formula. It should be an activity of comrades. Participants should know that someday their day too will come when they are called upon to be there for the other individuals. We talk about moving here because we’re trying to show that Wicca is not just a family affair, but a community affair.
There are many Pagans and Wiccans in the armed forces. Even though we don’t support the wars they are currently fighting in, we support them to the hilt. One of these is a friend of Stephen’s. Wiccans and other Pagans in the armed forces have been going on for awhile. The idea of Wiccans in the military goes back to the Vietnam era. Stephen went to demonstrations to support the Wiccan veterans, anf Wiccan soldiers. Today you can find many Wiccan military groups on the internet on such places as www,paganspace.net. This seems to be a recent phenomenon, possibly because of the two wars our people are on now, and the prevalence of the internet.
Welcome to DruidWicca Coven 7! We’re certainly glad that you could make it! We strongly urge you to check out the other DruidWicca Coven groups on other networks. If you haven’t joined any of the other six DruidWicca Coven groups, let us tell you what it is about. A few years ago Phillip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and artist Bill Worthington created an absolutely drop dead gorgeous Tarot deck called the DruidCraft Tarot . We were so inspired by the deck that we created this group to celebrate it. You could call it the Celtic Tradition of the Craft of the Wise. Know what you’d call it if the Mafia ever went Wiccan? You’d call it “Craft of the Wise Guys”. Seriously though, we are glad to see you, yeah, even you in the corner twiddling your thumbs.
This desire to be both Druid and Wiccan was shared by not just us, but also others. Since you joined this group, we’re guessing that you share it too. Both of us came from the idea, and the deck was a revelation to both of us that this was true, that Druidry and Wicca could be combined quite successfully. Basically, this would be the Celtic tradition. Of course, if you are ADF, it can be any Indo-European tradition, including Vedic (Hindu) I regaled the ADF Grove I belong to with my experience of attending Sri Ramadhni (Rama’s birthday) celebration the last four nights of the celebration last month. It was about the only good thing that happened in March.
First we shall talk about the similarities of Druidry and the Craft, then the differences. They are both Pagan religions. Neo-Druidry and Wicca are both co-ed. Druids wear robes, as do Wiccans, if it isn’t a skyclad coven. They both use fire. They both use cauldrons for fire. Both Druids and Wiccans have feasts after the rituals, and at times, within the ritual itself. Both Druids and Wiccans love chocolate, and weird flavors of herbal teas.
One difference between them is that Druidry is mostly solar in nature, whilst the Craft is mostly lunar and stellar. .Modern day Druids are obsessed with hating circles, whilst Wicca is dependent upon circles. It’s mostly an ADF hatred of circles. Wiccans go skyclad, whilst Druids are scared shitless of anything sexual. Wiccans use magickal tools. Druids mainly just use the staff. ADF mainly does sacrificial worship, whilst the Craft does magick. With these differences and similarities in nature DruidWiccans take the best of both worlds. It’s a marriage between the two traditions, uniting the two in harmony.
As it stands today, Stephen feels that Druidry is weak and inferior to the Craft. He mostly has the ADF in mind. I disagree with him, feeling that Druidry is not either superior or inferior to the Craft of the Wise, just different. We encourage diversity within DruidWicca Coven; that is, diversity within faith with understanding of tradition. Stephen and I disagree about modern day Druidry. He says that it has gotten too structured and leaves no room for magick or any kind of spontaneity. This may be true of the ADF in a certain way, but can we really lump Henge of Keltria and White Oak in with them? I tried to explain to him, but in vain, that the ADF’s approach is simply different from the NRDNA. ADF does sacrificial worship. Stephen finds it boring. Stephen thinks there’s too much politics in ADF. I disagree with all of this. If the officers of the grove were a clique, how did I, a new-comer, manage to get into the “clique”? Stephen’s just resentful that his star in the grove fell, whilst mine rose.
Mine rose and his fell for one very simple reason. I am in learning mode. I was gung ho to participate in all activities of the grove. Stephen didn’t bother to participate. He felt he had no more to learn. I’ll take that attitude when I’m dead. Or maybe I won’t I can just see myself wandering all over the Summerland, interviewing people. I’ll interview all my dead friends, including Doc, then ask them to introduce me to other people that I can interview. You can tell that I’m not a female Stephen-clone. We disagree violently on this issue. I do NOT feel that Druidry is either asexual or conservative. Just because every other word they say isn’t profanity, he thinks they’re right wing fascists. The ADF has to be a bit antiseptic because there are families with young children who belong, and they have to feel that it’s a safe place for them and their kids. Zane is three, and I’m sure his parents don’t want him to be spouting blue language. The phrase “little pitchers have big ears” is a cliché because it’s true. Kids are big imitators and mimics. It’s how they learn. A good parent takes care to make sure that the only words his kid hears and picks up are good words.
I’m pretty excited. I tried out a technique I learned from the book I’m reading called “Hedge Witch” by Silver RavenWolf, and she has really redeemed herself from “Solitary Witch:. I hated “Solitary Witch”, which is the only book of hers I didn’t like. It just had too many errors. But “Hedge Witch” is another kettle of piranha altogether. One of Silver’s friends got an old fashioned telephone that he was going to add to his wife’s retro décor. But he didn’t hook it up to the telephone system. He was having home insurance troubles, and getting the run around from his insurance company. He dialed 911 and stated the nature of his emergency. Within 48 hours, he got the policy he wanted from a new agent. When I got home, after going to the missing persons’ room (a very popular place), and pouring myself some pink lemonade, I asked Stephen for his old phone. He gave it to me. I made two calls. I used primal language. I smiled. I concluded my “conversation” by saying “It always works” and “Always a blessing.” Now I’m just occupying myself to see what happens. I’m calling it the “manifestation telephone.”
The technique is as simple and profound as the Secret and Law of Attraction. You have to believe. Mainly, you have to get your subconscious lined up with your conscious mind. Nothing’s going to happen if they’re at odds with each other. I do it by playing 3 CDs every night, two on the Law of Attraction, and one on the Secret. The Secret is the Law of Attraction. I think Silver believes in it too, because her whole book is on how to attract abundance, great health, and harmonious relationships into your life. You also have to smile, and phrase your requests in simple direct language, the language of feelings and direct images. She calls it “the primal language”, which is what the universe understands. I hope it makes as much sense to you as it does to me.
There is a little “trigger” spell I got from “Instant Magick” by Chris Penczak. You use a trigger, which is a mudra done with the fingers. I visualize the bus of my choice coming, and repeat the number of the bus over and over in my mind, kind of as a mental chant. And the bus comes. I get on it, and show the driver my day pass. You have to back it up with mundane actions such as paying your fare, and showing your pass to the driver. But it works for me. It can cut half an hour of waiting out of a bus trip. Everyone has their own trigger or mudra. What little (or big) techniques do you use? They can involve any tool, no matter how mundane, or no tool at all except your brain. Sorry, had to say that, because it rhymed. I’m a sucker for such word manipulation tricks as alliteration, and rhyming, if you haven’t guessed before. One reason is that they make things easier to remember You may think of more reasons to like alliteration and rhyming. Please submit them here. One other reason for liking rhyming spells is that they entertain the Mighty Ones, and make Them that much more likely to grant your request. Another reason is that the Younger Self (mine does, anyway) likes rhyming, and it’s the Younger Self who does the magick. Please tell us your reasons. Inquiring minds want to know.
Rhyming spells are a strictly Wiccan/Witchcraft technique for magick, Stephen says. “Druids are utterly devoid of magick.” I retorted that Ian Corrigan is quite the magician, I’ve heard. “Sieera Madrone Grove is utterly devoid of magick They’re strictly devotional.“ But I replied “I’ve been present when magick happened. It isn’t planned.”
Today was a case in point. I went to the Sierra Madrone Grove Beltaine ritual today We raised power during the Opening of the Gates section. I came to the conclusion that Stephen blocks the power somehow or he’s anesthetized. I figure that unless he can get laid or pick up some bucks from doing readings, he’s not interested in a ritual that just celebrates the Gods and Goddesses. But I picked up on the magick we raised there today. I’m starting to think Stephen isn’t the magician he thinks he is.
I received a piece of sad news this morning. It seems that Robin Goodfellow came home yesterday from the NROOGD ritual last night, lay down, slipped into a diabetic coma and died. Gaia did just what I did after Doc died, got on the phone to notify some people. Robin and I had had a fling back in the 70s but it wasn’t serious, not on my end, anyway. We stayed friends, though. When I met Gaia, I was happy for both of them, because I knew they’d be good for each other. I was proud to call him friend. Whenever I’d run into him at either Himalayan Fair, or Pagan events, he always had a joke or a funny story. I’m a little angry at him because he persisted in drinking beer, even though he was diabetic. He favored Rainer Ale because it came in 16 oz. cans instead of the skimpy 12 oz. cans of most beers. Drinking alcohol is strictly verboten for diabetics because alcohol is fermented sugar, and so it screws up your sugar insulin balance. One time he went into insulin shock at my place because he’d taken insulin and not eaten afterwards. I cured him with a chocolate chip cookie. Robin made a great Horned God in rituals. We were all pretty concerned when Robin had a heart scare, and landed in the hospital in the early 90s. We all did healing rituals for him. But nobody was prepared to do a healing ritual for him on Saturday, and so he slipped away from us. Gaia Wildwood, his widow, is in our thoughts and prayers.
Stephen knew Robin most of his adult life, from age 20 on. Robin was one of the first California Pagans he met. There used to be a Pagan event in Berkeley where they’d parade a golden calf down Telegraph Ave. Robin and Stephen were both a part of it. Robin was one of the chief organizers, and had a newsletter about it. “The main thing about the Order of the Golden Calf was decadence, comedy, Paganism, and theatre.” In the 70s, Robin mainly concentrated on NROOGD. Somewhat later, in the mid-80s, Robin started teaching “A Course in Miracles” at Sunrise Books. They also spent a lot of time at Shambala Books. Gaia was Stephen’s therapist, so the three spent a lot of time together. The two men spent time together at NROOGD events, Ancient Ways, and Annuvin, Gwydion’s land in Greenfield Ranch outside of Ukiah in Mendocino County. It was Robin Goodfellow who got Stephen interested in the Cthulhu mythos. They used to go to the Mediterranean Coffeehouse on Telegraph, and discuss Paganism. They kept in contact when Stephen moved to El Sobrante, and Oakland. They remained in contact, even when Stephen moved to San Jose, and from there to Sacramento.
Here’s the situation: Jason Rosenthal, probably a Christian Republican, the new CEO of Ning, intends to put the Ning networks on a paying basis. That means no more free networks, no more joining other people’s networks for free, either because you know that the owners of the paying networks are going to pass their exorbitant costs onto us. What do you say to that? Make a noise, make a big noise. Make a noise so big and loud that Rosenthal can hear it. The next noise he’ll hear is the thundering of many footsteps as we all leave. We have to fight for our rights. We can’t let assholes like Rosenthal dictate to us. This kind of fascist BS should not be allowed to happen. We should do a letter writing campaign to fight this a-h. We have to fight this biotch. This fascist crap cannot stand. We have to get going right away. If everyone protests, it’ll make him go broke and he’ll be fired. We got support for our position from an unexpected quarter. A friend of mine, whom Stephen can’t stand, both because of his politics and his lovestyle (he’s a Reagan Republican and a Gorean) said that what Rosenthal was doing in phasing out the free services was a bad business decision. “People would be coming to him from the free services to get the premium paid services, but he’s cut that part of his Market out. He should keep both.” Let’s boycott Ning, and any of the networks that cave-in to his Gestapo tactics. If any network says you must pay to play, just say no, and get all your friends to say no too. Spread it around, tell everyone you know. Don’t keep it a secret. I have been sending my blog to all the Ning networks I’m on. “We have to stop this neo-Ning fascism,” says Stephen.
We need at least $3000 to move. 916-455-2267 is Stephen’s number for multimedia readings. Just 93.75 readings would do the trick. Don’t stand by and figure that your neighbor or your friend will do it, so you don’t need to. We need your donation too. Every little bit helps. Don’t forget that you can donate to Stephen’s Paypal account. abbottsinn@gmail.com. Also call 1-800-ASK-KEEN and ask for Stephen6580. Or call 1-800-280-8496.Stephen 1580 Stephen now has.$250 in his account which is not enough to pay rent.
One of the psychic reading services that Stephen works for has changed hands. Zodiac (Celebrity Psychics.com) has changed hands and names. It is now Psychic Power. They are recruiting new readers. Stephen gets $50 for anyone who signs up and $100 for someone who signs up and racks up 500 minutes.
Stephen’s done it. He’s gone over to Chase with me. It came to a head because an agent at Bunko de America told him that he had enough money to write $900 in checks to our landlady to pay off his back rent when he didn’t have the money. Now you should understand that Stephen is even more math challenged than I am. He was sick for 5 days with asthma symptoms and wasn’t able to call them to ascertain his balance, or he would have caught the error sooner. They charged him $900 in overdraft charges, and paid everything except for the Rhapsody charge, and his porn. Now I can understand why they wouldn’t have paid the porn one, but the Rhapsody? Why didn’t they pay that one? He just called Bunko de America, and they still won’t own up to any of their responsibility in this. SSI plays a role in this whole thing too because they toyed with him for two hours, letting him think that they were going to cut him an emergency check, then reneged on him. Now folks, this is two hours when he could have been doing readings, and getting his overdraft down. And they turned around and called the sheriff on him. So maybe now you understand why Stephen is so depressed and angry. I realize that you’re probably all out of compassion. I know I am. But the need is real, and the need is dire. He is no longer suicidal, but another setback could send him over the edge again. Of course I have a plan of action now if he turns suicidal again. I’ll call 911, and have him go in on a 5150. In this state, that’s the code for in danger of harming himself or others. This way he’ll get the help he needs.
Now I’m in need of readings too. I need to put in my share of our moving money. My PayPal account is tezra.reitan@gmail.com. For a donation of $5, I’ll send you a copy of one of my books, and for $32, I’ll give you a reading by phone. For $20, I’ll send you a copy of all five of my books. 916-457-7476 is my number. I can’t give you a multi-media reading, because I don’t have my webcam and headset hooked up yet. For that, you’ll have to call Stephen at 916-455-2267.
Our friend Julie Maahs has a book out called the Serpent and the Stag. It can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10619. I urge you strongly to buy a download, and tell your friends. She is publicizing it through viral marketing; or what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising. She’s directing the book towards a Pagan audience. It’s a murder mystery with nice contorted twists and turns. When I read it, I saw it as though it were a movie and I was the lighting director/art director. If you review books, contact her at julie@your-taxes.com and she will send you the free coupon code so you can get a free download. She wants a copy of the review, so send her a copy. I sent her a copy and also posted it on Blogger.
We’re sorry that we haven’t been around much, but March was a really bad month for both of us. There’s been a lot of stress around here. The putties have been expressing it by either barfing or eliminating everywhere except where they should. Stephen has been getting his sick migraines. I just recovered from a bout of walking pneumonia and the boogie woogie blues.and high blood pressure, in spite of the blood pressure med I’ve been taking the past year and a half. I still have a nasty cough that makes me sound as though I have what used to be called consumption. At least I’m no longer either whooping or gasping for breath like I was for a few days. I’m sure I got this illness because my immune system was down from all the stress I was under. At least I can function through it better than when I got it 32 years ago, when I would come home from work, eat something, and plop into bed until the next morning. Then, during that attack of pneumonia, I had body aches and a fever. My skin hurt. But in this bout I’m not as sick. It’s just that Dr. Jones wasn’t happy with the amount of air my lungs were taking in. She asked me if I were wheezing. Not this time around. At least I didn’t notice any.
We still don’t have a house-mate, but because I re-ran that ad in the SN&R last Thursday, I expect some nibbles soon. The very people we want to attract as a house-mate are scared to live here because of the neighborhood. Well, I’ll tell you about neighborhoods. Every neighborhood is at risk now because gangs have wheels and money. No neighborhood is safe anymore. I’m a woman, and I feel safe on this street. One of you must know someone in Sacramento who needs a congenial cheap place to live. We have an 11,000 volume Pagan/magickal library, a long slender backyard, a fire circle, and a cauldron. We have satellite TV too and a workshop where you can pursue your craft or artificer dreams. Stephen just renewed his craigslist ads today, and I’m going to do it tomorrow.
There are five putties we need to give up. Ordinarily I would’ve said “free to good homes,” but a very wise friend told me this past weekend that we should charge something for them so that the prospective owner demonstrates that s/he has enough disposable income to care for a pet. The real reason is that people in the dog fight game get cats for their dogs to practice being vicious on. The really twisted ones bring their kids, and have their kids pick out the cats and kittens.So we’ll charge the nominal $10. We’re looking for people who love cats as much as we do. .
I received a piece of sad news this morning. It seems that Robin Goodfellow came home yesterday from the NROOGD ritual last night, lay down, slipped into a diabetic coma and died. Gaia did just what I did after Doc died, got on the phone to notify some people. Robin and I had had a fling back in the 70s but it wasn’t serious, not on my end, anyway. We stayed friends, though. When I met Gaia, I was happy for both of them, because I knew they’d be good for each other. I was proud to call him friend. Whenever I’d run into him at either Himalayan Fair, or Pagan events, he always had a joke or a funny story. I’m a little angry at him because he persisted in drinking beer, even though he was diabetic. He favored Rainer Ale because it came in 16 oz. cans instead of the skimpy 12 oz. cans of most beers. Drinking alcohol is strictly verboten for diabetics because alcohol is fermented sugar, and so it screws up your sugar insulin balance. One time he went into insulin shock at my place because he’d taken insulin and not eaten afterwards. I cured him with a chocolate chip cookie. Robin made a great Horned God in rituals. We were all pretty concerned when Robin had a heart scare, and landed in the hospital in the early 90s. We all did healing rituals for him. But nobody was prepared to do a healing ritual for him on Saturday, and so he slipped away from us. Gaia Wildwood, his widow, is in our thoughts and prayers.
.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
We Won't Pay!
This blog has to do with keeping Ning free, no matter what those greedy corporate people who run Ning want to do. In the next three months they will take away our free services. They want to put the Ning sites on a paying basis. We pay enough for our Internet, whether it be DSL or cable, without the companies on the Internet trying to get more money out of us.
Here I change tack, addressing Ning directly. Why don’t you just get your money out of the ISPs the way they do on cable or satellite TV, or sell ad space the way the commercial cable networks do, or like you have done the last several years? It’s grossly unfair to take our free networks away from us. If you wanted to make money from it, you should have charged us from the beginning, like GoDaddy! did. Of course people wouldn’t have bought your product, but that’s the breaks of the commercial game. It’s one of the risks you take when you start a commercial enterprise. You’re acting like the drug pusher who gives away his product until people get hooked, and then you start charging them an arm and a leg for your “service”. It’s mean and grossly unfair. Many of your customers are disabled who live on very limited incomes, and just barely manage to scrape together the $25 per month for DSL service, and the Internet is their only outlet.
I wish we could sue you, Ning, for breach of contract. But I predict what will happen. You try to charge us, and people will vote with their feet, or rather, their fingers. We will walk away, and your only customers will be a bunch of greedy merchants who will blame you for taking their client base away and stop paying for sites or ads.. You will all go broke, and no one will shed a single tear over your demise as a going concern, because we’re shedding our tears now, in anger, because you’re taking our ning away.
Don’t do it, Ning, you will regret it. I was chatting with an old friend of mine, who is a Reagan Republican, about the situation, and he surprised me. I had expected him to take Rosenthal’s side, but he said that Rosenthal made a very poor business decision in taking away the free services while concentrating on the paid services. The free customers are more likely to come over to the premium services if he retains both. This way he’ll lose a lot of his premium customers, and won’t gain the new ones he expects to come over from the free side. Let’s prove my friend right, folks. Boycott the site of anyone who breaks with us, and buys his services, unless Rosenthal decides to change his mind. Boycott both Ning and anyone who buys his services. Go, Ning, go away, because we won’t pay! I was going to have you email me about the time frame in which they’ll commit this travesty, but it turns out that they’re going to be doing it during the next three months. Find out Jason Rosenthal’s address, either snailmail, or email, and pelt him with letters and emails. I do not recommend death threats, as angry as you may justifiably be at him. Just state how evil he’s being for doing this. When you find either his email, or his snailmail addy, let me know in comments on this blog. I wanna write him too...
Here I change tack, addressing Ning directly. Why don’t you just get your money out of the ISPs the way they do on cable or satellite TV, or sell ad space the way the commercial cable networks do, or like you have done the last several years? It’s grossly unfair to take our free networks away from us. If you wanted to make money from it, you should have charged us from the beginning, like GoDaddy! did. Of course people wouldn’t have bought your product, but that’s the breaks of the commercial game. It’s one of the risks you take when you start a commercial enterprise. You’re acting like the drug pusher who gives away his product until people get hooked, and then you start charging them an arm and a leg for your “service”. It’s mean and grossly unfair. Many of your customers are disabled who live on very limited incomes, and just barely manage to scrape together the $25 per month for DSL service, and the Internet is their only outlet.
I wish we could sue you, Ning, for breach of contract. But I predict what will happen. You try to charge us, and people will vote with their feet, or rather, their fingers. We will walk away, and your only customers will be a bunch of greedy merchants who will blame you for taking their client base away and stop paying for sites or ads.. You will all go broke, and no one will shed a single tear over your demise as a going concern, because we’re shedding our tears now, in anger, because you’re taking our ning away.
Don’t do it, Ning, you will regret it. I was chatting with an old friend of mine, who is a Reagan Republican, about the situation, and he surprised me. I had expected him to take Rosenthal’s side, but he said that Rosenthal made a very poor business decision in taking away the free services while concentrating on the paid services. The free customers are more likely to come over to the premium services if he retains both. This way he’ll lose a lot of his premium customers, and won’t gain the new ones he expects to come over from the free side. Let’s prove my friend right, folks. Boycott the site of anyone who breaks with us, and buys his services, unless Rosenthal decides to change his mind. Boycott both Ning and anyone who buys his services. Go, Ning, go away, because we won’t pay! I was going to have you email me about the time frame in which they’ll commit this travesty, but it turns out that they’re going to be doing it during the next three months. Find out Jason Rosenthal’s address, either snailmail, or email, and pelt him with letters and emails. I do not recommend death threats, as angry as you may justifiably be at him. Just state how evil he’s being for doing this. When you find either his email, or his snailmail addy, let me know in comments on this blog. I wanna write him too...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
We Still Need Help
This is the 3rd plea I have sent out. I hate doing this, but I must. You who know me know that I am a proud woman. I don’t mind asking my therapist and other social agencies for help, because that is their job. But I hate asking individuals for money. Yet I must. Stephen is standing over me right now dictating what to write. All right. I realize how tough it is when everyone has his hand out asking, in some cases, demanding money. But the need is dire. We need over $2000 to move, and we only have 48 days before the sheriffs come. Sixty-two and a half readings at $32 per reading would do it. Now I know many of you are just scraping by. You manage to pay your rent and your DSL, and that is about it. But others of you are better off. For $60, you get either both of us doing the reading or a reading and a class. If any of you lives in the Sacramento area, you get to get your reading/class in person. If I am not feverishly working on one of my WIPs, you’ll get 2 perspectives on the reading or class, not just one.
If you read the blog before then that, then you know that it’s about the cats, or as Stephen calls them, the putties. If a putty has ever owned you, you know intimately what they do for you. They lower the stress level with their comical antics, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you have one on your lap, purring. It’s gotten so that my moments of deep contentment take place when Bailee is in my lap, I am watching a Netflix movie, and doing my embroidery. Studies have shown that when a human is stroking a cat, and the cat purrs, the purring lowers the human’s blood pressure. I have an unproven theory that the deep buzzing also puts the human mind into an alpha state. Maybe it’s my ignorance, but I don’t know of a study that proves this. If you know of any please let me know. I’d like to find out. That’s why I pity those who are allergic to cats. They don’t know what they’re missing. Back before Doc died, when we’d go visit our friends and fellow coven members, I’d have what I call “fried brain syndrome” often I’d have been working on a manuscript, getting it ready either for publication, or for submission. When I do this, I get kind of a tunnel vision, where I barely acknowledged the existence of anyone else. I acknowledged Doc, of course, but he was only home in the evenings, and when he had a lodge meeting, he wasn’t home even then. So it was just me and my computer, totally focused on getting my book finished. I’d turn it in to my editor, pack, and wait until Doc got home, packed and we’d take off. When we arrived, the kids would pile kittens on me. They’re the best treatment for FBS. Their simplicity and sweetness soothed me. At this time, I didn’t have any cats of my own, since they’d all died on us. There’s nothing like having 3 or 4 several month-old kittens piled on you. It’s a sensation that’s difficult for even a wordsmith like me to describe. Imagine your lap being occupied by 3 or 4 small squirming furry bodies. You stroke their fur and a low buzz starts. When they’re all purring, it’s either in a 3 or 4 part counterpoint, or in unison. You scritch and scratch behind their ears and the purring gets louder. At times you raise them up to do the “Tooty Dance”. Back to the present. Our putties have learned certain tricks such as opening doors. Fortunately, they haven’t been able to open the sliding door to the back porch room.
If you live in the area, and need a cat, we have 5 available. I would have said before “free to a good home,” but a friend very wisely told me this past weekend that we should charge something because that will demonstrate that you have the income necessary to take care of a pet. So I am going to charge the nominal fee of $5 per cat.
So call for your reading today. I don’t have my webcam or headset hooked up yet, so for a multimedia reading where you can see the cards, call Stephen at 916-455-2267. You can have your multimedia reading on Yahoo IM, Windows Msgr, AIM AOL Instant Messenger), or Skype. I can do phone readings at 916-457-7476. $32 for a reading or class, $60 for both a reading and a class. For an extra $5, I’ll throw in a copy of one of my 5 books, for $20 I’ll email you all 5.
I have decided to pursue the mundane sources that are available to me, and use the Secret. It’s hard not to think poor when the evidence is all around me, but I have to, or I’ll never get anywhere. Here’s a riddle for you: What is the opposite of faith? The answer is not disbelief, but despair. Think about it.
If you read the blog before then that, then you know that it’s about the cats, or as Stephen calls them, the putties. If a putty has ever owned you, you know intimately what they do for you. They lower the stress level with their comical antics, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you have one on your lap, purring. It’s gotten so that my moments of deep contentment take place when Bailee is in my lap, I am watching a Netflix movie, and doing my embroidery. Studies have shown that when a human is stroking a cat, and the cat purrs, the purring lowers the human’s blood pressure. I have an unproven theory that the deep buzzing also puts the human mind into an alpha state. Maybe it’s my ignorance, but I don’t know of a study that proves this. If you know of any please let me know. I’d like to find out. That’s why I pity those who are allergic to cats. They don’t know what they’re missing. Back before Doc died, when we’d go visit our friends and fellow coven members, I’d have what I call “fried brain syndrome” often I’d have been working on a manuscript, getting it ready either for publication, or for submission. When I do this, I get kind of a tunnel vision, where I barely acknowledged the existence of anyone else. I acknowledged Doc, of course, but he was only home in the evenings, and when he had a lodge meeting, he wasn’t home even then. So it was just me and my computer, totally focused on getting my book finished. I’d turn it in to my editor, pack, and wait until Doc got home, packed and we’d take off. When we arrived, the kids would pile kittens on me. They’re the best treatment for FBS. Their simplicity and sweetness soothed me. At this time, I didn’t have any cats of my own, since they’d all died on us. There’s nothing like having 3 or 4 several month-old kittens piled on you. It’s a sensation that’s difficult for even a wordsmith like me to describe. Imagine your lap being occupied by 3 or 4 small squirming furry bodies. You stroke their fur and a low buzz starts. When they’re all purring, it’s either in a 3 or 4 part counterpoint, or in unison. You scritch and scratch behind their ears and the purring gets louder. At times you raise them up to do the “Tooty Dance”. Back to the present. Our putties have learned certain tricks such as opening doors. Fortunately, they haven’t been able to open the sliding door to the back porch room.
If you live in the area, and need a cat, we have 5 available. I would have said before “free to a good home,” but a friend very wisely told me this past weekend that we should charge something because that will demonstrate that you have the income necessary to take care of a pet. So I am going to charge the nominal fee of $5 per cat.
So call for your reading today. I don’t have my webcam or headset hooked up yet, so for a multimedia reading where you can see the cards, call Stephen at 916-455-2267. You can have your multimedia reading on Yahoo IM, Windows Msgr, AIM AOL Instant Messenger), or Skype. I can do phone readings at 916-457-7476. $32 for a reading or class, $60 for both a reading and a class. For an extra $5, I’ll throw in a copy of one of my 5 books, for $20 I’ll email you all 5.
I have decided to pursue the mundane sources that are available to me, and use the Secret. It’s hard not to think poor when the evidence is all around me, but I have to, or I’ll never get anywhere. Here’s a riddle for you: What is the opposite of faith? The answer is not disbelief, but despair. Think about it.
Friday, April 2, 2010
We Are Effectively Being Evicted
We are effectively being evicted. That greedy Buddhist bitch our landlady wants to charge us $200 for each cat. Why do landlords think their tenants have all this money?
My landlady at the place in Cupertino was the same way. She demanded $3200 from me for breaking the lease. If I had as much money as our landladies think we have, I’d never be evicted because I’d own my own home free and clear. Is this something they tell themselves to justify to themselves gouging their tenants for all they have? If one of you is a rental property owner or manager, please explain it to me because I want to know. I moved from Cupertino to Sacramento because I couldn’t afford to party $1630 a month in rent. If I couldn’t cough that up, how was I supposed to cough up $3200 for breaking the lease? The logic is just beyond me. If I could’ve stayed in the Cupertino/San Jose area, I would have. I knew my way around. I have friends down there. I miss that place terribly. But I guess landlords and landladies are pretty much the same no matter where you go; gougers, people whose sole mission in life is to milk their tenants for all that they have, and still not be satisfied, demanding more, more, more all the time, like blackmailers. It’s kind of a jesoid thought, but right now I’m wondering which circle of the Inferno Dante Alighieri assigned to landlords.
I thought of hurting myself last night. I couldn’t find my therapist’s card, and I sat there with my picture of Doc, a knife in my hand, and tears running down my face, wishing I could be with him in the Summerland. I’m serious you guys. What’s it gonna take to knock you guys out of your smug complacency? Am I gonna hafta go all Oral Roberts on you and say that the Goddess is calling me home? If that’s what it takes, so be it. If we got 6 million, that would take care of the problem. The way the housing market is right now, we could get a nice house for part of it, and live rather well on the rest. Then neither of us would need SSI. We could tell them to go screw themselves.
Want to help? Can you? It’s gotten to the point, as it always does, where those who want to help can’t, those who could help won’t, because they’re rich Republicans, who believe in social Darwinism. For them, you don’t exist unless you’re making at least a quarter million per year. Well, why don’t you just line us all against a wall, and shoot us then? It would be far more merciful than what you are doing; permitting this huge underclass of misfits and degenerates to live, just because you lack the courage of your convictions. Of course everyone knows that unless you own your own home, have at least 3.5 cars, a TV in every room, and a cabin on Lake Tahoe, you’re not really a person at all. Why do people gouge the poor? Is it because we’re here and vulnerable? Do you enjoy squeezing blood from a stone? When a government needs to make budget cuts, what are the first cuts they make? 2 places: services to the poor and education. The poor don’t count as people, and kids can’t vote. They’re only useful as political pawns. When a government wants to start a witch-hunt, “it’s for the sake of the children.” But when it comes to providing quality education for them, they’re strangely quiet. Oh yeah, and don’t suggest we sign up for any social services either. People have tried to help us with that, and there’s no help available. California is broke. The city and county of Sacramento are broke. So save your breath. It won’t do any good.
But I digress. If you are both willing and able to help, here are the numbers to call for readings and classes: Me: 916-457-7476 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. I can give you readings over the phone. I don’t have my webcam and headset set up yet, so can’t give you a multimedia reading or class as Stephen can. His number is 916-455-2267.24/7. He doesn’t have a bedtime. He just kind of takes catnaps all through the day. Plays havoc with his health, let me tell you, but he won’t change. $32 for a reading or a class. If you live here in Sacramento, you can come by the house for a reading or class in person. Since we’re leaving, I’m not going to advertise for a housemate. All donations/fees to go to our Paypal accounts: tezra.reitan@gmail.com or abbottsinn@gmail.com. For a donation of $5, I will throw in one of my 5 ebooks.
. .
My landlady at the place in Cupertino was the same way. She demanded $3200 from me for breaking the lease. If I had as much money as our landladies think we have, I’d never be evicted because I’d own my own home free and clear. Is this something they tell themselves to justify to themselves gouging their tenants for all they have? If one of you is a rental property owner or manager, please explain it to me because I want to know. I moved from Cupertino to Sacramento because I couldn’t afford to party $1630 a month in rent. If I couldn’t cough that up, how was I supposed to cough up $3200 for breaking the lease? The logic is just beyond me. If I could’ve stayed in the Cupertino/San Jose area, I would have. I knew my way around. I have friends down there. I miss that place terribly. But I guess landlords and landladies are pretty much the same no matter where you go; gougers, people whose sole mission in life is to milk their tenants for all that they have, and still not be satisfied, demanding more, more, more all the time, like blackmailers. It’s kind of a jesoid thought, but right now I’m wondering which circle of the Inferno Dante Alighieri assigned to landlords.
I thought of hurting myself last night. I couldn’t find my therapist’s card, and I sat there with my picture of Doc, a knife in my hand, and tears running down my face, wishing I could be with him in the Summerland. I’m serious you guys. What’s it gonna take to knock you guys out of your smug complacency? Am I gonna hafta go all Oral Roberts on you and say that the Goddess is calling me home? If that’s what it takes, so be it. If we got 6 million, that would take care of the problem. The way the housing market is right now, we could get a nice house for part of it, and live rather well on the rest. Then neither of us would need SSI. We could tell them to go screw themselves.
Want to help? Can you? It’s gotten to the point, as it always does, where those who want to help can’t, those who could help won’t, because they’re rich Republicans, who believe in social Darwinism. For them, you don’t exist unless you’re making at least a quarter million per year. Well, why don’t you just line us all against a wall, and shoot us then? It would be far more merciful than what you are doing; permitting this huge underclass of misfits and degenerates to live, just because you lack the courage of your convictions. Of course everyone knows that unless you own your own home, have at least 3.5 cars, a TV in every room, and a cabin on Lake Tahoe, you’re not really a person at all. Why do people gouge the poor? Is it because we’re here and vulnerable? Do you enjoy squeezing blood from a stone? When a government needs to make budget cuts, what are the first cuts they make? 2 places: services to the poor and education. The poor don’t count as people, and kids can’t vote. They’re only useful as political pawns. When a government wants to start a witch-hunt, “it’s for the sake of the children.” But when it comes to providing quality education for them, they’re strangely quiet. Oh yeah, and don’t suggest we sign up for any social services either. People have tried to help us with that, and there’s no help available. California is broke. The city and county of Sacramento are broke. So save your breath. It won’t do any good.
But I digress. If you are both willing and able to help, here are the numbers to call for readings and classes: Me: 916-457-7476 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. I can give you readings over the phone. I don’t have my webcam and headset set up yet, so can’t give you a multimedia reading or class as Stephen can. His number is 916-455-2267.24/7. He doesn’t have a bedtime. He just kind of takes catnaps all through the day. Plays havoc with his health, let me tell you, but he won’t change. $32 for a reading or a class. If you live here in Sacramento, you can come by the house for a reading or class in person. Since we’re leaving, I’m not going to advertise for a housemate. All donations/fees to go to our Paypal accounts: tezra.reitan@gmail.com or abbottsinn@gmail.com. For a donation of $5, I will throw in one of my 5 ebooks.
. .
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monty Python & the Holy Hoopla
Welcome to the Dead Parrot Fan Club 6! We’re glad you could make it. Be sure and check out the other Dead Parrot Fan clubs on other networks. This group, as you may know, is dedicated to the Monty Python, possibly the best British comedy group since Beyond the Fringe in the late 50s-early 60s. My mind was totally warped by their antics in the early to mid 70s. We used to watch it on the public education channel, the same channel that showed Sesame Street. The picture for the group shows my favorite sketch, the picture of the British FreeMason. I looked all through the Monty Python images to find that picture. I hope you like it. Stephen was exposed to the Monty Python practically from their inception. It was October 1969 when Stephen was incarcerated in the Cook Country jail for his participation in the Days of Rage. The two most watched shows in the dayroom were Dark Shadows and Monty Python Flying Circus.
The prisoners took these two shows very seriously. One day a prisoner tried to change channel to a rerun of Ironsides with Raymond Burr. He was beaten down severely. After getting out of jail, Stephen continued to watch the Monty Python in Columbus, OH on the education channel 9, just as it is in the Bay Area.
Dylan Cook, our partner-in-crime, has put a poll on the original group’s site, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deadparrotfanclub. Be sure and go there and vote for your favorite sketches by the Monty Python. I’ve already mentioned my favorite sketch being the British FreeMason. After that comes “Nudge nudge wink wink.” Then come the Spanish Inquisition sketches. Dylan’s favorites are the “Dead Parrot” sketch, “How to Annoy People,” and the “Argument” sketch. What is your favorite Monty Python film? Mine is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Stephen’s is too. Of course, I also like The Secret Policemen’s Other Ball. Another favorite is Jabberwocky. I loved the Jabberwock. He was so great.
Who is your favorite member of the Monty Python? Mine is Terry Jones. I’ve always been fond of the name Terry, and he’s Welsh, which is my favorite nationality after Scotsmen.. The other one I like is Terry Gilliam, and he’s from Boston; he’s the American. He’s a talented animator, that’s why I like him. Stephen’s favorite is Michael Palin. Terry Jones is another favorite of Stephen’s. I’m guessing that Dylan’s favorite was Graham Chapman because he was gay. That was Dylan’s second favorite. His favorite is John Cleese. Among the three of us that covers all six of them. Oh, and I also like Carol Cleveland, the one genuine woman who at times appeared on The Flying Circus.
One thing about the Monty Python was that it was a lot easier to “get” if you were high, especially on sacred herb. It was very interesting to note that the Monty Python and Cheech and Chong both thrived during the same time period, late 60s, to the early to mid 70s. This topic comes up now because Lords of the Revolution: Cheech & Chong is on. I read about Terry Jones and Michael Palin, and how the Monty Python came to be working together. They ran from 1966 until 1974. They were imported to the States somewhat after that, and their episodes ran on American TV on public and educational stations into the early 80s. From time to time some educational stations still run the episodes, even into the 21st century very late at night or very early in the morning, what I like to call o-god-o’clock in the morning.
The Monty Python was at the cutting edge as far as the legalization of marijuana and other hallucinogens was concerned. They were also at the cutting edge of the sexual revolution and gender bending were concerned. Of course, you must realize that transvestites are a commonly occurring theme in British music hall. This dates back to pantomime and Renaissance theatre. The Monty Python were almost obsessed with transvestitism. There was a consciousness of freedom with the Monty Python. Graham Chapman made no attempt to conceal his homosexuality. They poked fun at bigwigs in British politics. The main one who did this was Terry Gilliam, the animator, who is, strangely enough, an American. Stephen thinks that they would have been really good Pagan Sympathizers, or as we like to call them, Pague Symps. The Monty Python also poked fun at the Royal family. Stephen always considered the Monty Python to be working-class based. They had no love for the ruling class.
What are the guys with the knotted handkerchiefs on their heads called? Stephen thinks they’re working-class; I think they’re middle class. Who is correct? Please post and tell us. When the Secret starts to work for me, I intend to get the complete boxed set of the Monty Python Flying Circus in DVD. Then we’ll be able to answer all those burning questions that plague us about the Monty Python. They were also always talking about “buggering” this and buggering that. Were they speaking figuratively or literally? Of course, maybe in Graham Chapman’s case, it was literal buggery. He was gay, after all. Many of their bits go back to the British public schools, which are in reality private schools. What we here in the States call public schools they call “government schools”. A lot of what later developed into homosexuality started in the public schools.
Their songs were extremely evocative. My favorite of their songs was “The Lumberjack Song.” But then, there’s also “Sit On my Face” and the “Spam Song.” The whole concept of “vaudeville occultism” probably had its origins because of the Monty Python. In case you don’t know, vaudeville occultism is where you burst into song at random moments. Much of their influence comes from British music hall, which is different from American Broadway shows. But with such shows as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” or “Rocky Horror” the line between American musicals and British music hall gets kind of blurred. Stephen thinks that the “Carry On” series is connected to the Monty Python. I think it’s just because British humor is pretty similar, no matter who does it. For example “Blackadder” with Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, and Brian
Blessed Blackadder, like the Monty Python Flying Circus, dealt with social issues by lampooning them the way that the Monty Python did.
What do you guys think of the sketch where Terry Jones is playing the piano while naked? Stephen says it’s hilarious.
.
Just 30 readings would get Stephen out of this mess. Don’t stand by and figure that your neighbor or your friend will do it, so you don’t need to. We need your donation too. Every little bit helps. Don’t forget that you can donate to Stephen’s Paypal account. abbottsinn@gmail.com. Also call 1-800-ASK-KEEN and ask for Stephen6580. Or call 1-800-280-8496.Stephen 1580 Stephen now has $65 dollars in his account. He still doesn’t have money to pay his share of the rent, SMUD, or AT&T. .
A SMUD guy was here today threatening to shut off our power until Stephen paid $200.. Our HEAP request remains unanswered. It’s a post-dated check, so we need your help to make the check good. Please, please, PLEASE help make his check good. If we lose power we are literally DEAD, kaput, finished, deceased, bought the farm. How can I be more clear? This bill mounted up so high because our late unlamented ex-house-mate refused to pay his share of the house bills, and in fact threatened physical violence whenever Stephen approached him about them. So much for Christians’ claim that they worship the “Prince of Peace”.
One of the psychic reading services that Stephen works for has changed hands. Zodiac (Celebrity Psychics.com) has changed hands and names. It is now Psychic Power. They are recruiting new readers. Stephen gets $50 for anyone who signs up and $100 for someone who signs up and racks up 500 minutes.
Stephen’s done it. He’s gone over to Chase with me. It came to a head because an agent at Bunko de America told him that he had enough money to write $900 in checks to our landlady to pay off his back rent when he didn’t have the money. Now you should understand that Stephen is even more math challenged than I am. He was sick for 5 days with asthma symptoms and wasn’t able to call them to ascertain his balance, or he would have caught the error sooner. They charged him $900 in overdraft charges, and paid everything except for the Rhapsody charge, and his porn. Now I can understand why they wouldn’t have paid the porn one, but the Rhapsody? Why didn’t they pay that one? He just called Bunko de America, and they still won’t own up to any of their responsibility in this. SSI plays a role in this whole thing too because they toyed with him for two hours, letting him think that they were going to cut him an emergency check, then reneged on him. Now folks, this is two hours when he could have been doing readings, and getting his overdraft down. And they turned around and called the sheriff on him. So maybe now you understand why Stephen is so depressed and angry. I realize that you’re probably all out of compassion. I know I am. But the need is real, and the need is dire. He is no longer suicidal, but another setback could send him over the edge again. Of course I have a plan of action now if he turns suicidal again. I’ll call 911, and have him go in on a 5150. In this state, that’s the code for in danger of harming himself or others. This way he’ll get the help he needs.
Now I’m in need of readings too. I have to get refills for some of my meds, and don’t have the money for them, if I don’t get one of them, well, I’ll put it this way, it’s an antipsychotic. I don’t like to speculate on what will happen if I run out of those. Lately I’ve been wishing I were with Doc in the Summerland, or could go back to June 2nd 2008, before all this mess. My PayPal account is tezra.reitan@gmail.com. For a donation of $5, I’ll send you a copy of one of my books, and for $32, I’ll give you a reading by phone. 916-457-7476 is my number. I can’t give you a multi-media reading, because I don’t have my webcam and headset hooked up yet. For that, you’ll have to call Stephen at 916-455-2267.
Our friend Julie Maahs has a book out called the Serpent and the Stag. It can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10619. I urge you strongly to buy a download, and tell your friends. She is publicizing it through viral marketing; what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising. She’s directing the book towards a Pagan audience. It’s a murder mystery with nice contorted twists and turns. When I read it, I saw it as though it were a movie and I was the lighting director/art director. If you review books, contact her at julie@your-taxes.com and she will send you the free coupon code so you can get a free download. She wants a copy of the review, so send her a copy. I sent her a copy and also posted it on Blogger.
The past four nights we had quite an experience. It all started when I went across the street to ask our neighbor what “swagatom” meant. It means welcome in either Hindi or Sanskrit. Our neighbor explained that it was the celebration of Sri Rama Navidam, the birthday of Lord Rama. Lord Rama was the 7th avatar or incarnation of Vishnu the Preserver, one of the great trinity of Hindu gods. Kumar our neighbor invited us to the celebration that night. I was there at 7. It started at 7:30. The priest was trying with some difficulty to get the camcorder to point at his place. I told him, “Sometimes the gods foul up our electronic devices because They want us to record the rituals in our hearts not on tape or hard disk.” He smiled, and went back to trying to adjust the vidcam. I got into the spirit of it, and even joined into some of the hymns. Then I did puja, which consisted of swinging the bowl in a circular motion over the altar, which made me gasp with its beauty. Stephen came in at the beginning of the feasting. But he came in time for the ritual the other three nights. We stayed for the singing, and were introduced to an interesting drink called kava. That stuff can get to be addicting, if you don’t watch it. Its effect is sort like an herbal version of XTC. It gives you a good genial feeling about the people you’re with. It numbed my lips and tongue. It doesn’t taste very good; Tuesday night I thought it was going to make me barf. I hate when that happens. It would’ve made a mess of the temple, as well as insulted the good food I had just consumed. Once I consume food, I like to keep it down. Bulimia is not my thing at all.
Stephen’s recollections are similar but different. We exchanged phone numbers with the people and became friends. I got the feeling Stephen kind of bored them. But he didn’t pick up on the social cues I picked up on. They had two organ-like instruments called harmoniums. They also had small cymbals tied to short rods wound with brightly colored yarn, red predominating. They also had open crescent- shaped tambourines and drums. They had an interesting way of singing. It was neither a major nor a minor scale. Even though we couldn’t understand what they were saying because it was in Sanskrit and Hindi, and we knew maybe 5 words. We knew “Namaste” and the names of the deities, that were called upon. We had to keep a sense of suspended disbelief because of the language thing, but could tell the different sections of the ritual, and they were similar to what we do as Pagans. After all, why not? We’re Indo-Europeans. The main difference is that their people went east to India, and ours went west, to Europe Like us, they travel on their stomachs in that they fast all day and then feast after the ritual. We both loved the food. The first night they had curry and this wonderful red stuff, garbanzo and spinach balls, and this flat bread that Stephen absolutely fell in love with. When we parted company on Tuesday night, I had a take-out box full of chow mein, and he had his full of the round flat bread thingies. Stephen’s thought when he did the thing with the bowl with the fire was how much it reminded him of Druid rituals in that it “gave adulation to the Powers.” Feelings of peace and serenity went through Stephen as he sat watching the rituals. He also had the feeling that he belonged there, with those people. He really appreciated the singing and the kava ritual. Yes, it is a ritual, the way the dipping bowl stirred around, mixing the ground root powder into the water, and how you had to drink it in one go.
We’re sorry that we haven’t been around much, but March has been a really bad month for both of us. There’s been a lot of stress around here. The putties have been expressing it by either barfing or eliminating everywhere except where they should. Stephen has been getting his sick migraines. I just learned today that I have both pneumonia and elevated blood pressure, in spite of the blood pressure med I’ve been taking the past year and a half. I had been complaining about a sore throat, cough, and sneezing for at least three days. I nabbed the bottle of Echinacea/Goldenseal from the bathroom. I’m sure I got this illness because my immune system was down. At least I can function through it better than when I got it 32 years ago, when I would come home from work, eat something, and plop into bed until the next morning. Then, during that attack of pneumonia, I had body aches and a fever. My skin hurt. But in this bout I’m not as sick. It’s just that Dr. Jones wasn’t happy with the amount of air my lungs were taking in. She asked me if I were wheezing. Not this time around. At least I didn’t notice any.
We still don’t have a house-mate, but because I re-ran that ad in the SN&R this morning, I expect some nibbles soon. The very people we want to attract as a house-mate are scared to live here because of the neighborhood. Well, I’ll tell you about neighborhoods. Every neighborhood is at risk now because gangs have wheels and money. No neighborhood is safe anymore. I’m a woman, and I feel safe on this street. One of you must know someone in Sacramento who needs a congenial cheap place to live. We have an 11,000 volume Pagan/magickal library, a long slender backyard, a fire circle, and a cauldron. We have satellite TV too and a workshop where you can pursue your craft or artificer dreams.
You will hear more about these experiences in future posts. .
The prisoners took these two shows very seriously. One day a prisoner tried to change channel to a rerun of Ironsides with Raymond Burr. He was beaten down severely. After getting out of jail, Stephen continued to watch the Monty Python in Columbus, OH on the education channel 9, just as it is in the Bay Area.
Dylan Cook, our partner-in-crime, has put a poll on the original group’s site, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deadparrotfanclub. Be sure and go there and vote for your favorite sketches by the Monty Python. I’ve already mentioned my favorite sketch being the British FreeMason. After that comes “Nudge nudge wink wink.” Then come the Spanish Inquisition sketches. Dylan’s favorites are the “Dead Parrot” sketch, “How to Annoy People,” and the “Argument” sketch. What is your favorite Monty Python film? Mine is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Stephen’s is too. Of course, I also like The Secret Policemen’s Other Ball. Another favorite is Jabberwocky. I loved the Jabberwock. He was so great.
Who is your favorite member of the Monty Python? Mine is Terry Jones. I’ve always been fond of the name Terry, and he’s Welsh, which is my favorite nationality after Scotsmen.. The other one I like is Terry Gilliam, and he’s from Boston; he’s the American. He’s a talented animator, that’s why I like him. Stephen’s favorite is Michael Palin. Terry Jones is another favorite of Stephen’s. I’m guessing that Dylan’s favorite was Graham Chapman because he was gay. That was Dylan’s second favorite. His favorite is John Cleese. Among the three of us that covers all six of them. Oh, and I also like Carol Cleveland, the one genuine woman who at times appeared on The Flying Circus.
One thing about the Monty Python was that it was a lot easier to “get” if you were high, especially on sacred herb. It was very interesting to note that the Monty Python and Cheech and Chong both thrived during the same time period, late 60s, to the early to mid 70s. This topic comes up now because Lords of the Revolution: Cheech & Chong is on. I read about Terry Jones and Michael Palin, and how the Monty Python came to be working together. They ran from 1966 until 1974. They were imported to the States somewhat after that, and their episodes ran on American TV on public and educational stations into the early 80s. From time to time some educational stations still run the episodes, even into the 21st century very late at night or very early in the morning, what I like to call o-god-o’clock in the morning.
The Monty Python was at the cutting edge as far as the legalization of marijuana and other hallucinogens was concerned. They were also at the cutting edge of the sexual revolution and gender bending were concerned. Of course, you must realize that transvestites are a commonly occurring theme in British music hall. This dates back to pantomime and Renaissance theatre. The Monty Python were almost obsessed with transvestitism. There was a consciousness of freedom with the Monty Python. Graham Chapman made no attempt to conceal his homosexuality. They poked fun at bigwigs in British politics. The main one who did this was Terry Gilliam, the animator, who is, strangely enough, an American. Stephen thinks that they would have been really good Pagan Sympathizers, or as we like to call them, Pague Symps. The Monty Python also poked fun at the Royal family. Stephen always considered the Monty Python to be working-class based. They had no love for the ruling class.
What are the guys with the knotted handkerchiefs on their heads called? Stephen thinks they’re working-class; I think they’re middle class. Who is correct? Please post and tell us. When the Secret starts to work for me, I intend to get the complete boxed set of the Monty Python Flying Circus in DVD. Then we’ll be able to answer all those burning questions that plague us about the Monty Python. They were also always talking about “buggering” this and buggering that. Were they speaking figuratively or literally? Of course, maybe in Graham Chapman’s case, it was literal buggery. He was gay, after all. Many of their bits go back to the British public schools, which are in reality private schools. What we here in the States call public schools they call “government schools”. A lot of what later developed into homosexuality started in the public schools.
Their songs were extremely evocative. My favorite of their songs was “The Lumberjack Song.” But then, there’s also “Sit On my Face” and the “Spam Song.” The whole concept of “vaudeville occultism” probably had its origins because of the Monty Python. In case you don’t know, vaudeville occultism is where you burst into song at random moments. Much of their influence comes from British music hall, which is different from American Broadway shows. But with such shows as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” or “Rocky Horror” the line between American musicals and British music hall gets kind of blurred. Stephen thinks that the “Carry On” series is connected to the Monty Python. I think it’s just because British humor is pretty similar, no matter who does it. For example “Blackadder” with Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, and Brian
Blessed Blackadder, like the Monty Python Flying Circus, dealt with social issues by lampooning them the way that the Monty Python did.
What do you guys think of the sketch where Terry Jones is playing the piano while naked? Stephen says it’s hilarious.
.
Just 30 readings would get Stephen out of this mess. Don’t stand by and figure that your neighbor or your friend will do it, so you don’t need to. We need your donation too. Every little bit helps. Don’t forget that you can donate to Stephen’s Paypal account. abbottsinn@gmail.com. Also call 1-800-ASK-KEEN and ask for Stephen6580. Or call 1-800-280-8496.Stephen 1580 Stephen now has $65 dollars in his account. He still doesn’t have money to pay his share of the rent, SMUD, or AT&T. .
A SMUD guy was here today threatening to shut off our power until Stephen paid $200.. Our HEAP request remains unanswered. It’s a post-dated check, so we need your help to make the check good. Please, please, PLEASE help make his check good. If we lose power we are literally DEAD, kaput, finished, deceased, bought the farm. How can I be more clear? This bill mounted up so high because our late unlamented ex-house-mate refused to pay his share of the house bills, and in fact threatened physical violence whenever Stephen approached him about them. So much for Christians’ claim that they worship the “Prince of Peace”.
One of the psychic reading services that Stephen works for has changed hands. Zodiac (Celebrity Psychics.com) has changed hands and names. It is now Psychic Power. They are recruiting new readers. Stephen gets $50 for anyone who signs up and $100 for someone who signs up and racks up 500 minutes.
Stephen’s done it. He’s gone over to Chase with me. It came to a head because an agent at Bunko de America told him that he had enough money to write $900 in checks to our landlady to pay off his back rent when he didn’t have the money. Now you should understand that Stephen is even more math challenged than I am. He was sick for 5 days with asthma symptoms and wasn’t able to call them to ascertain his balance, or he would have caught the error sooner. They charged him $900 in overdraft charges, and paid everything except for the Rhapsody charge, and his porn. Now I can understand why they wouldn’t have paid the porn one, but the Rhapsody? Why didn’t they pay that one? He just called Bunko de America, and they still won’t own up to any of their responsibility in this. SSI plays a role in this whole thing too because they toyed with him for two hours, letting him think that they were going to cut him an emergency check, then reneged on him. Now folks, this is two hours when he could have been doing readings, and getting his overdraft down. And they turned around and called the sheriff on him. So maybe now you understand why Stephen is so depressed and angry. I realize that you’re probably all out of compassion. I know I am. But the need is real, and the need is dire. He is no longer suicidal, but another setback could send him over the edge again. Of course I have a plan of action now if he turns suicidal again. I’ll call 911, and have him go in on a 5150. In this state, that’s the code for in danger of harming himself or others. This way he’ll get the help he needs.
Now I’m in need of readings too. I have to get refills for some of my meds, and don’t have the money for them, if I don’t get one of them, well, I’ll put it this way, it’s an antipsychotic. I don’t like to speculate on what will happen if I run out of those. Lately I’ve been wishing I were with Doc in the Summerland, or could go back to June 2nd 2008, before all this mess. My PayPal account is tezra.reitan@gmail.com. For a donation of $5, I’ll send you a copy of one of my books, and for $32, I’ll give you a reading by phone. 916-457-7476 is my number. I can’t give you a multi-media reading, because I don’t have my webcam and headset hooked up yet. For that, you’ll have to call Stephen at 916-455-2267.
Our friend Julie Maahs has a book out called the Serpent and the Stag. It can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10619. I urge you strongly to buy a download, and tell your friends. She is publicizing it through viral marketing; what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising. She’s directing the book towards a Pagan audience. It’s a murder mystery with nice contorted twists and turns. When I read it, I saw it as though it were a movie and I was the lighting director/art director. If you review books, contact her at julie@your-taxes.com and she will send you the free coupon code so you can get a free download. She wants a copy of the review, so send her a copy. I sent her a copy and also posted it on Blogger.
The past four nights we had quite an experience. It all started when I went across the street to ask our neighbor what “swagatom” meant. It means welcome in either Hindi or Sanskrit. Our neighbor explained that it was the celebration of Sri Rama Navidam, the birthday of Lord Rama. Lord Rama was the 7th avatar or incarnation of Vishnu the Preserver, one of the great trinity of Hindu gods. Kumar our neighbor invited us to the celebration that night. I was there at 7. It started at 7:30. The priest was trying with some difficulty to get the camcorder to point at his place. I told him, “Sometimes the gods foul up our electronic devices because They want us to record the rituals in our hearts not on tape or hard disk.” He smiled, and went back to trying to adjust the vidcam. I got into the spirit of it, and even joined into some of the hymns. Then I did puja, which consisted of swinging the bowl in a circular motion over the altar, which made me gasp with its beauty. Stephen came in at the beginning of the feasting. But he came in time for the ritual the other three nights. We stayed for the singing, and were introduced to an interesting drink called kava. That stuff can get to be addicting, if you don’t watch it. Its effect is sort like an herbal version of XTC. It gives you a good genial feeling about the people you’re with. It numbed my lips and tongue. It doesn’t taste very good; Tuesday night I thought it was going to make me barf. I hate when that happens. It would’ve made a mess of the temple, as well as insulted the good food I had just consumed. Once I consume food, I like to keep it down. Bulimia is not my thing at all.
Stephen’s recollections are similar but different. We exchanged phone numbers with the people and became friends. I got the feeling Stephen kind of bored them. But he didn’t pick up on the social cues I picked up on. They had two organ-like instruments called harmoniums. They also had small cymbals tied to short rods wound with brightly colored yarn, red predominating. They also had open crescent- shaped tambourines and drums. They had an interesting way of singing. It was neither a major nor a minor scale. Even though we couldn’t understand what they were saying because it was in Sanskrit and Hindi, and we knew maybe 5 words. We knew “Namaste” and the names of the deities, that were called upon. We had to keep a sense of suspended disbelief because of the language thing, but could tell the different sections of the ritual, and they were similar to what we do as Pagans. After all, why not? We’re Indo-Europeans. The main difference is that their people went east to India, and ours went west, to Europe Like us, they travel on their stomachs in that they fast all day and then feast after the ritual. We both loved the food. The first night they had curry and this wonderful red stuff, garbanzo and spinach balls, and this flat bread that Stephen absolutely fell in love with. When we parted company on Tuesday night, I had a take-out box full of chow mein, and he had his full of the round flat bread thingies. Stephen’s thought when he did the thing with the bowl with the fire was how much it reminded him of Druid rituals in that it “gave adulation to the Powers.” Feelings of peace and serenity went through Stephen as he sat watching the rituals. He also had the feeling that he belonged there, with those people. He really appreciated the singing and the kava ritual. Yes, it is a ritual, the way the dipping bowl stirred around, mixing the ground root powder into the water, and how you had to drink it in one go.
We’re sorry that we haven’t been around much, but March has been a really bad month for both of us. There’s been a lot of stress around here. The putties have been expressing it by either barfing or eliminating everywhere except where they should. Stephen has been getting his sick migraines. I just learned today that I have both pneumonia and elevated blood pressure, in spite of the blood pressure med I’ve been taking the past year and a half. I had been complaining about a sore throat, cough, and sneezing for at least three days. I nabbed the bottle of Echinacea/Goldenseal from the bathroom. I’m sure I got this illness because my immune system was down. At least I can function through it better than when I got it 32 years ago, when I would come home from work, eat something, and plop into bed until the next morning. Then, during that attack of pneumonia, I had body aches and a fever. My skin hurt. But in this bout I’m not as sick. It’s just that Dr. Jones wasn’t happy with the amount of air my lungs were taking in. She asked me if I were wheezing. Not this time around. At least I didn’t notice any.
We still don’t have a house-mate, but because I re-ran that ad in the SN&R this morning, I expect some nibbles soon. The very people we want to attract as a house-mate are scared to live here because of the neighborhood. Well, I’ll tell you about neighborhoods. Every neighborhood is at risk now because gangs have wheels and money. No neighborhood is safe anymore. I’m a woman, and I feel safe on this street. One of you must know someone in Sacramento who needs a congenial cheap place to live. We have an 11,000 volume Pagan/magickal library, a long slender backyard, a fire circle, and a cauldron. We have satellite TV too and a workshop where you can pursue your craft or artificer dreams.
You will hear more about these experiences in future posts. .
Thursday, March 18, 2010
This May Be the End
All right, people, this is the situation. It’s past crunch time. My housemate Stephen and I are beyond desperate. I am $200 in the hole with my landlady, and Stephen is a total of $3000 in debt. We need a housemate DESPERATELY. Get the word out. I know you don’t live in Sacramento, but you might have friends who do. We need a housemate 5 months ago. The rent is $400, utilities run about $80 per month. If you like ghosts, we’ve got one, a friendly playful ghost named Tina.
I can’t afford to pay $500 a month in rent. I have other bills to pay. I only get $858 a month and that has to go for phone, utilities, food, prescription refills, and bus fare. That does not include clothing because I have enough clothes for now. I don’t pay for cat food because Stephen insists on feeding the outside stray cats, and I refuse to do that.
I need to do readings, $32 for a reading, your choice of deck, or a class on some topic in the area of magick Just $60 for both a reading and class. How perfect is that? I can give you the reading, then teach you how to read Tarot yourself.. Call 916-457-7476 for details and a reading. I can give the reading on Yahoo IM, Windows Msgr, or Googletalk. Send donations and fees to my PayPal account at tezra.reitan@gmail.com. For a $5.00 donation I will include a copy of one of my 5 books. For just $20, you can have all 5.
Please help us before we do something desperate. I don’t want to die because I have a daughter, but the Summerland is looking pretty good right now.
I can’t afford to pay $500 a month in rent. I have other bills to pay. I only get $858 a month and that has to go for phone, utilities, food, prescription refills, and bus fare. That does not include clothing because I have enough clothes for now. I don’t pay for cat food because Stephen insists on feeding the outside stray cats, and I refuse to do that.
I need to do readings, $32 for a reading, your choice of deck, or a class on some topic in the area of magick Just $60 for both a reading and class. How perfect is that? I can give you the reading, then teach you how to read Tarot yourself.. Call 916-457-7476 for details and a reading. I can give the reading on Yahoo IM, Windows Msgr, or Googletalk. Send donations and fees to my PayPal account at tezra.reitan@gmail.com. For a $5.00 donation I will include a copy of one of my 5 books. For just $20, you can have all 5.
Please help us before we do something desperate. I don’t want to die because I have a daughter, but the Summerland is looking pretty good right now.
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