Good for you... seriously... overcoming addiction is a very hard thing... I know from personal experience. I too have overcome addiction... yet still struggle with other addictions. As for peace... no one ever has true peace... not even a Christian. I know what I'm talking about. I too was a Christian. Peace doesn't come util you're dead.

Whiskey, Women, Men.. keep the Weed... been there done that... outgrown the use of illegal drugs.

What planet do you live on? It doesn't matter how sweet or mean a Pagan, Witch, or Wiccan is... to most Chistians they all worship the devil and are going to hell because they don't accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. So don't blame me or anyone else for most Christians religious intolerance. Also What I posted about Imbolc did NOT put any Christian "on Blast" as you put it. It was factual information about the origins of the holiday. Yet here you are b!itching at me for posting factual info about the holiday that you alledgedly celebrate! Then you turn the thread into the damn Dating Game. And I'm not supposed to be on the deffensive?! Go back to making googly eyes at Jim. Geeze! Leave the real religious discussions to those who actually care.

If this was meant for me, please familarize yourself with my profile. There you will find my relationship status.

I didn't quote Marilyn Manson to "scare" you sweetheart! Manson doesn't scare me either. However, he does intrigue me because in spite of outward appearances he is an extremely intelligent man. I quoted Manson because I completely agree with those particular quotes. Oh by the way... you my dear have some power over life and death. You can help create a life and you can also take life away with your very hands or weapons made by your hands. So give yourself some credit, you are not all powerful like your God but you are not powerless either.

Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices as well as a hierarchical organization initially created by American speculative fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard developed Scientology teachings in 1952 as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics. Hubbard later characterized Scientology as an "applied religious philosophy" and the basis for a new religion. Scientology encompasses a spiritual rehabilitation philosophy and techniques, and covers topics such as morals, ethics, detoxification, education and management.

Hubbard also laid down the foundations and the policies for the establishment and management of the different Scientology organizations with the first Church of Scientology being established in December 1953. Today Scientology organizations form a complex network geared towards introducing Scientology into society. Religious Technology Center owns the trademarks and services marks of Scientology. These marks are licensed for use by the Church of Scientology International and its affiliated organizations. Organizations such as Narconon, Criminon and Applied Scholastics are licensed by the Association for Better Living and Education.

Today there are more than 4,378 Scientology churches, missions and groups worldwide on 155 countries.

TO READ MORE GO TO... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology


I don't believe that Scientology is a "religion" as we would traditionally think a religion would be. However, the followers of Scientology are so dogmatic about their beliefs and practices that I guess in a sense it is indeed a religion.... it's a religion made up by a man named Ron Hubbard. You know if we actually were able to dig deep into their beliefs we might find that we actually agree with a lot of their philosophies. In my studies of many religions I've found that I agree with many different aspects of many different religions. Take what is good for you personally and leave the rest.

I never really hated the ONE TRUE GOD
But the GOD OF THE PEOPLE I hated
by Marilyn Manson

But I'm not a slave to a god that doesn't exist
But I'm not a slave to a world that doesn't give a sh!t
by Marilyn Manson

I guess you are someone who believes that all religions and spiritual beliefs other than your own are "of the devil,"... your devil from your religious beliefs that is... "are cults,"... even though one of the very definitions of the word "cult" describes every religion including Christianity... and "are not the way to God"... your personal God that is.

I agree. however, I have to admit with raising 3 kids and taking care of an entire household I sometimes fail in practicing mindfulness. My mind is constantly busy thinking of the next thing I have to do, the next person I have to care for, the next appointment I have to be at, what I'm fixing for dinner, ect. As a mother I have to constantly think like this to keep ontop of things. However, I've seen first hand what practicing mindfulness skills can do for me. Occassionally I pick up any of the books I have by Thich Nhat Hanh and read it to help ground myself and get back into mindfulness mode.

Oh wow... I didn't know that. Now I'm wanting to know more. I found the following... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_holidays can you tell me if the info is pretty accurate? I'm going to continue to research and study this subject of Satanic holidays. If you know of any websites that would be of use to me please let me know.

Ok let me get this straight. I get b!tched out by this fluffy bunny pagan all because I share facts and information about Imbolc in her thread on Imbolc. Yet this same fluffy bunny Pagan comes back into this thread and plays the dating game with Big Jim. How in the hell does talking about your little MySpace comments help this conversation along about Imbolc. Why don't you just stick with... how did you put it, Lily... "Can't we just say, Blessed Imbolc or Candlemas or whatever" and leave the dating game conversations in Private Messages and in MySpace Comments? LMAO!

Lily didn't write it... Doreen Valiente did.

So now you speak for every person that comes to Religion Chat of JSH?! So now you speak for every religion/spiritual belief that is represented here on Religion Chat? WOW! That's amazing! When were the elections held for the President of Just Say Hi Religion Chat Forums? I know I haven't been coming here as often as I normally do in the past couple of weeks but dang, I'm pretty sure I would have heard about something as important as you being elected as the President of Just Say Hi Religion Chat Forums. Hells bells I guess congrats are in order!

Listen, you are one person with one opinion. For as long as I've been here, no one has b!tched at me the way you are doing about anything that I've posted. And even if anyone else did b!tch at me for what I've posted, do you really think I'm the type of person that gives a sh!t? Look at my profile closely. Do you really think I give a sh!t what you or anyone else thinks of what I post? The only person I have to please on this whole website is the owner of this website.

Now am I an angry person? In some respects yes I am, but you my dear have no f@cking clue as to why I'm angry. It has nothing to do with this silly little message board or anyone who comes here. Let's just say years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse as a child and an adult will do that to a person. However, therapy and psychotropic medications work wonders when a person is willing to work on their issues. Now I'll tell you one time only, do NOT tread in waters where you don't know what lies beneath the surface little girl. Got it?

Now I will tell you one last time, if you do not like my posts skip over my name when you see it come up. Otherwise quit yer b!tching.

Have a nice day everytone!

Spiritual Diversification
Expanding Your Sources of Growth

There are numerous fountains of spiritual knowledge, though many choose to drink from only one. While delving deeply into one discipline can lead to a strong core of knowledge, there are innumerable benefits to gleaning information from many sources. Truth can be found in anything and spirituality is a thing of many dimensions. Personal growth should involve individual awareness, testing theories, and learning through others. Because of this, much can be learned by experiencing a wide variety of faiths, rituals, practices, and individuals. In doing so, you may find aspects of various sources of knowledge that appeal to you, empowering you to customize your method of spiritual growth.

Nothing is lost when you embrace multiple paths, and much is gained. You can explore without having to immediately adhere to rigid guidelines and limit yourself to one practice. You also open your soul to finding inspiration from a great cache of locations, individuals, texts, and methods. That openness can help you both achieve an elevated sense of awareness that eclipses narrow-mindedness and be more content and accepting of the unexpected. Maintaining a dialog with multiple teachers can lead to fresh approaches and vitality in your spiritual growth because you will always have access to multiple solutions to any problem. Learning from a variety of sources involves listening to others without prejudice, welcoming new ideas, and seeking out guidance from novel sources. You may also want to experiment on your own to develop your own spiritual techniques in terms of meditation and practices.

There are many orientations and many belief systems in the world, each offering numerous viewpoints and paths to enlightenment. There are thousands of teachers and texts from which to learn. Use your ears and your eyes, but also use your heart in choosing the sources from which you draw knowledge. Never forget that you are entitled to take the time to find your own unique path and in fact it can be very empowering.

From http://www.dailyom.com

"Human beings are on earth to work; and when I say work, I mean to work first on themselves, to make the effort to transcend their limitations, to surpass themselves. People go off to work every day, of course, but their efforts in this respect are mainly aimed at ensuring their livelihood, their well-being and their material security. They are not particularly prepared for the mental work that would make them master of all situations. They count on an easy existence where nothing painful or unfortunate will ever happen to them. The Lord himself must protect them, give them peace of mind and good health; that is even why they pray to him. As for non-believers, they expect to be assisted and protected by society. But no, humans must understand they will never be totally protected or beyond harm's reach. They are on earth to learn and develop, and their difficulties and ordeals are there precisely in order to get them to do this; there is no escape. So, instead of running in all directions with their demands, protests and complaints, each one must do some inner work, for they will find the remedies, comfort and hope they need within themselves first."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Elder's Meditation

"It's very hard to do things in the right manner, but as long as we do things right, we are in turn with the Great Spirit." --Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

When we are right with the Great Spirit, we are right with all things. It is impossible to be out of harmony with anything or anybody when we are in harmony with the Great One. So, if during the day a problem crops up and someone makes us mad, the best thing we can do is talk to the Creator first, ask for His help, then continue our conversation with the other person. In this way, our emotional nature will keep aligned with our thoughts, and we will always stay right with the Great Spirit.

Great Spirit, I ask You to guide me on the Red Road today.

From http://www.whitebison.org

The Goddess Companion

How beautiful Sarah is! Her long soft hair
her bright eyes and her radiant face, her full breasts
and her delicate hands, her round hips and her thighs!
There is no woman more beautiful than Sarah,no woman who ever stood under the canopy
to be wed to a good man. Excellent is her beauty,
fair is she under the wide sky. Yet this is not
why she attracts our love: it is her wisdom,
her prudence, and the graceful way she moves her hands.
~Genesis Apocryphon and Jubilees

The Hebrew matriarch Sarah is one of the most renowned of the heroines of that nation. She was nearly a century old when she bore her child, who transformed the nation. But it was not her motherhood that made her great and beloved. It was her wisdom, based on inner strength and knowledge.

Wisdom is a quality that is not, today, often acknowledged. Yet in ancient times a woman's wisdom - gained through years of watchful awareness and inner searching - was important for the health and happiness of all her family and, beyond that, of her entire people. We must reclaim that wisdom, finding it within ourselves and sharing it fearlessly.

From "The Goddess Companion" by Patricia Monaghan

Today's Goddess: SHIRATA
Bean-Throwing Day (Japan)

Themes: Luck; Protection; cycles; Happiness
Symbols: A Snowflake; Beans; White

About Shirata: This Japanese Goddess embodies the first snow, where she glistens and shines with incomparable beauty until she freely and joyfully gives herself to spring's warmth and melts away. By doing so, Shirata reminds us that while the year has only just begun, the wheel of time is ever-moving, and that we should make the most of every moment.

To Do Today: For happiness, cut snowflake a pattern out of a quartered piece of paper and carry it with you in your wallet as a charm. Make sure to visualize the snowflake being filled with brilliant white light, like that which is seen when the sun shines off new-fallen snow.

In Japan, this day is a time to chase away any malevolent influences that might hinder Shirata's joyful nature within us. People scatter beans and make loud noises to banish evil and carve lanterns with wishes to light the way for a better tomorrow. For our purposes, scatter seeds on the ground or plant beans instead so something beautiful as Shirata can replace any negativity in your life with abundant growth.

To internalize Shirata's happiness, prepare any white beans and eat them as part of a meal today. If you hold any rituals, use beans to mark the magick circle, scattering them counterclockwise to banish any unwanted influences.

From "365 Goddess" by Patricia Telesco

The Day the Music Died (February 3, 1959), was the day of the plane crash that killed three popular American rock and roll musicians. Early that morning, at approximately 1:05 AM Central Standard Time, a Beechcraft Bonanza airplane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, crashed in a farmer's field en route to a concert near Fargo, North Dakota, killing all three performers as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The phrase "The Day The Music Died" was coined by Don McLean's 1971 song about the crash, "American Pie".

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But february made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

So bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock ’n roll,
Can music save your mortal soul,
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you’re in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym.
You both kicked off your shoes.
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died.

I started singin’,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Now for ten years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone,
But that’s not how it used to be.
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
And a voice that came from you and me,

Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The jester stole his thorny crown.
The courtroom was adjourned;
No verdict was returned.
And while lennon read a book of marx,
The quartet practiced in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died.

We were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Eight miles high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
`cause the players tried to take the field;
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

We started singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Oh, and there we were all in one place,
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again.
So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil’s only friend.

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
No angel born in hell
Could break that satan’s spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite,
I saw satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the sacred store
Where I’d heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play.

And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died.

And they were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

They were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die."

Do Satanists celebrate Imbolc?