tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63989411744865943442024-03-05T18:52:23.040-08:00Amy Alice Christensen, The Every Day WitchMagic is a way to harness imagination in order to make conscious choices. I use magic to empower my decisions and create possibility in order to manifest change.Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-23716618337405637632019-01-07T18:30:00.000-08:002019-01-07T18:30:15.454-08:00Book Spotlight: The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries By W.Y Evans-Wentz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am very proud to report that I have finished this tome of collected folklore! It is a collection of testimony and essays, so it can at points be very...very dry, but if you can push through and re-read those passages where you zoned out you will be gifted with the most comprehension collection of eye-witness testimony of true believers in the fae beings of the Celtic lands.<br />
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<h4>
What Drew Me In</h4>
<div>
1. Pages and Pages of testimony from a host of different people living in the Celtic lands who had a personal experience with an intelligent spirit they believed to be of the otherworld - a fae or a fairy.</div>
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2. While the author admitted that he had never had an encounter himself, he was sure of his sources and believed that the wild world had intelligences of non-human origin.</div>
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3. Additionally, there are many essays presenting anthropological theories for these intelligences.</div>
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<h4>
How I Think I Can Apply This Magically</h4>
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1. I was introduced to various practices to entice and placate the fae. </div>
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2. It helped me come up with my own theories on the subtle differences between fae, ghost and spirit.</div>
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<h4>
If you like this post, you may also enjoy: </h4>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/11/book-spotlight-underworld-by-chris.html">Book Spotlight: Underworld by Chris Allaun</a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/book-spotlight-alchemist-by-paulo-coelho.html">Book Spotlight: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho</a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/05/introducing-fairy-fortunes-with-puer.html">Introducing Fairy Fortunes with Puer the Pooka</a></div>
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Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-8313377763225740852019-01-05T06:11:00.000-08:002019-01-05T15:25:01.111-08:00Breaking the Silence with the Signs of SuicideI work for a large police department. We opened our new year with news of our first fatality. One of our officers had taken his own life. I did not know him personally, but I knew his job. I know what it feels like to work long hours for the greater good. I know how it feels to disappoint your family and friends when those long hours infringe upon them. I know how angry and scared family and friends can become. He was going through a divorce - I know what that feels like too. I didn't know this officer personally, we worked in different stations on different shifts. I wish so badly I had known him. I wish...I wish I could have helped him.<br />
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People want to believe that suicide is a silent killer. That it just appears out of the blue, out of nowhere, and that there is nothing you can do to prevent it. People want to believe it's like a random lightning strike. But I know that it is not. The reality is that it stalks a person for days, and months and even years. There are signs; and they aren't that unnoticeable. Suicide isn't silent. If there is a silence though it comes from the people who aren't being stalked by it. It is very uncomfortable to talk about suicide, it feels more comfortable just to stay in the silence. <br />
<br />
I want to break the silence. People who are stalked by suicide are not in a position to speak, they are too overwhelmed by their internal pain. I think I know why its so easy for the people in their lives to keep silent though. I know there that been times when I have seen someone in pain and I have been afraid of adding to it. I can appreciate that if I ask them about their thoughts on suicide that they will be upset. If I ask them about suicide, I may embarrass them. I may anger them. The potential confrontation is such an obstacle. What if I am wrong? What if I accuse someone of being suicidal and they are not; and I just embarrassed them and they get angry and they never speak to me again? I know this fear, I do.<br />
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But I'm at that point now where I would rather break the silence, and have that relationship end, than stay silent all the way to the funeral.<br />
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Suicide itself stalks, but it is NOT silent. It's LOUD. The problem is, I think, that people do not know what to look for. We are waiting for our depressed friend to say "I want to kill myself!"<br />
The truth is, rarely does anyone really say, “I want to kill myself!” when they want to end their life permanently. This phrase is usually a cry for attention (still important!) rather than an actual commitment to ending one’s life.<br />
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<h2>
These are some true warning signs that someone is seriously considering permanently and irreparably ending their life: </h2>
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1. <b>Sudden changes in baseline emotions.</b> This is not necessarily sadness, hard life events trigger very normal periods of grief and depression. But if I have an Eeyore-type companion who switches to Tigger over-night, this is serious cause for alarm. It can indicate that they are feeling the euphoria that can come from making a big decision. Or, they can be on the high of executing their bucket-list, as they engage in their last hurrah of life.<br />
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2. <b>Total isolation for lengthy periods of time is a warning.</b> I know that If someone HAS experienced a hard life event, it's important to stay tuned to them. I must check in with them, and make them talk to me. I must make them allow me into their space.<br />
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3. “I want to kill myself!” isn't likely to be said, but <b>an obsession with death</b> is a tell-tale sign that someone is being stalked by suicide. A friend who off-handedly muses over how life would be if they were dead is in serious trouble. Someone who mentions a specific trigger is also in trouble - as in “If this happens I’ll slit my wrists or shoot myself, or etc.” This is no less than a DEFCON 2 level of alarm. This is because they are communicating a potential plan, one they have considered at length, or even come to the very brink of using.<br />
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4. <b>Look for grooming.</b> Are they showering? Shaving? Combing their hair? Do they normally enjoy makeup and suddenly stop wearing it? Have the stopped eating? These are alarm bells.<br />
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5. <b>Look for injuries.</b> Their hands might have tears from pounding walls or fighting. Their arms and legs might have cuts. Often these injuries are an attempt to use physical pain to distract from the internal pain.<br />
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I cannot be silent if I see these signs. One sign is enough to lose someone to suicide. Two or more and the person is in extreme danger!!!<br />
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I know that it's going to be an uncomfortable conversation, but I know that the opening is simple. I'm going to ask, “How are you?”<br />
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But I am not going to let them pass with “I’m fine.”<br />
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<h2>
This is what I'm going to say to someone exhibiting suicidal signs:</h2>
1. “Hey you’re completely different, tell me more about this new can-do attitude...<br />
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2. “Hey I haven’t heard from you since your loss, talk to me for a minute. I know that you are fine, but I am not. I really need to talk to you. I'm missing you. Please let me just be with you for awhile..."<br />
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3. “Tell me more about slitting your wrists over that thing you mentioned.”<br />
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4. "I have this new beauty mask I want to try. I'm coming over to use you as my guinea pig. I haven't had a chance to be with you and this will give me a chance to catch up with you."<br />
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5. "Tell me about those cuts. No big deal you say? That must be a story! If they didn't hurt what did it feel like when you got them?"<br />
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Most importantly, I'm going to keep saying “Tell me more...”<br />
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I'm not interesting in fixing them. I just want to listen and bare witness to their pain and prove to them that their pain MATTERS to me.<br />
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<b>I will not compare their pain. </b>I know that reminding someone of all the things they “should” be grateful for is one of the worst thing to do to someone in pain. I don't need to remind them that children are starving in Africa. They already know this, it is part of the reason that they feel they are unworthy of life.<br />
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I know that a conversation with a person I believe is being stalked by suicide is always going to be uncomfortable. <b>Because eventually, I may have to ask, “Have you made a plan to kill yourself?”</b>
The more detailed the plan the more dangerous their situation is, and I know I may have to take them to a hospital, by force if necessary. If my friend was having a heart attack or stroke, and I knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt, could I justify allowing them to tell me they were "fine" and leave them to die? I know I could not. And so I will not leave my friend alone with their stalker, and leave them to die. I won't. <br />
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However there is one thing I am painfully aware of as a police officer: <b>a gun owner does not need a plan.</b> This is why police suicide is high. Because they always have access to a lethal solution for a finite problem.
Someone else considering suicide has to slow down, they have to make a plan, they have to execute the plan. Sometimes within that planning phase, they will encounter something or someone who will change their mind. <b>But someone who owns a gun can just skip directly to the execution.</b><br />
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I won't be responsible for leaving another one of my co-workers to die. I will not be silent.<br />
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For more information on suicide please visit<br />
<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml">The National Institute for Mental Health</a><br />
<a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/">National Suicide Prevention Lifeline</a><br />
<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201304/are-married-people-less-likely-kill-themselves?fbclid=IwAR1cLLHgmF6q31Fy4rEN-xcamy5hkjUldGCcVbboZTRMG5ITErRg9a74sB4">Are Married People Less Likely to Kill Themselves</a> by Dr. Bella DePaulo<br />
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<br />Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-29102439238412922262018-12-31T21:07:00.001-08:002018-12-31T21:07:12.720-08:00Divination - Deluxe Geomancy Reading for 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1. This first figure in a geomancy reading refers to the self, and the attitudes the person is bringing to the table. In my case, I have Tristitia as this figure. Tristitia means “sorrow” in Latin and often is looked upon with trepidation. However, for me, this is an interesting figure, because Tristitia is I think my favorite of all the geomancy figures. Sorrow is a natural emotion that should not be hidden or avoided. It is the emotion that I believe teaches the most important lessons about wisdom, compassion and healing; and these are exactly the qualities fortune telling should provide. Additionally, the pictograph of Tristitia is like a stake, suggesting something to be driven in and rooted – much like a tent stake! Taking all this into account, I see Tristitia as a sign that Fairy Fortunes will continue to grow, not without challenges, but instead of finding my mistakes discouraging, it seems I am open to learning a great deal in 2019.<br />
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2. The first pointed geomancy shape is called the Shield Chart, and these readings are not read linearly. So, the second figure I normally read in the Shield chart is in a position that is given the name The Right Witness. This figure also relates to the self. Here, I have Fortuna Minor, or as I like to call her, The Fairy Princess. This is generally considered to be a good figure. It represents good fortune, but it is considered “minor,” usually because there isn’t an element of maturity. Without, self-analysis and constructive criticism, long-term gains cannot be maintained. The Fairy Princess also usually requires some outside help – she needs teachers, advisors, and her Queenly mother to help her. This is an interesting figure to see here. I’m not very good about asking for assistance, I think the appearance of this figure is reminding me that it is not a sign of weakness to seek out people with more seasoned knowledge. I also have been thinking of doing more collaborative videos on the Fairy Fortune YouTube channel, so I’m taking this as a sign that collaboration is a direction to pursue.<br />
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3. This position is called the Left Witness and relates to the question at hand, in this case, “What can I expect for Fairy Fortunes in 2019?” This figure is Via, which translates to “road” in Latin. I’ve been thinking that I would like to do more traveling and do more festivals in 2019. I’m seeing this as an omen that wish is very likely. Coupled with the first figure of Tristita, representative of a tent stake, I’m seeing that 2019 is very auspicious for this desire.<br />
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4. This figure is very important in the Shield Chart. The name of this position is called the Judge. When paired with the other figures and patterns, it can suggest a final summation of the question. This position generally concludes whether an outcome will be favorable, or unfavorable. In this case I have Fortuna Major, or as I call her, The Fairy Queen. There are only a few limited circumstances where the Fairy Queen is view as unfavorable, as this figure implies success and good luck. I also find it interesting that the Fairy Princess embarks on a path to become the Fairy Queen. I could interpret this to mean that I can expect Fairy Fortunes to do very well in 2019, but I will have to be willing to take risks, and be willing to accept some failures and heartaches (Tristitia’s message). If I am prepared to learn from my mistakes, and preserve, ultimately, I will enjoy great success.<br />
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5. Not all of the figures are necessarily read in the Shield Chart. After figure 4, I look for any reoccurring patterns. However, in my case, there aren’t any. That can be a good sign, as reoccurring patterns can reflect bad habits or trouble spots that need to be addressed. The lack of reoccurring patterns in my case may be a warning to keep things simple. I tend to over think things a great deal. Perhaps this reading is a message to acknowledge the face value of my circumstances when it comes to Fairy Fortunes.<br />
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That said, there is a near similar pattern that I think is worth looking at. Figure 5 is the Fairy Queen, coupled with Via in Figure 6, with the Fairy Princess in Figure 7. These three figures form what is called a Triplicity and this far left position represents people. Given my ferociously independent nature, I think this pattern conveys that I have a strong ideal for Fairy Fortunes. I know what I am trying to accomplish and my mission and purpose are not only clear, but worth pursuing. However, my weakness is my tendency to overthink things, and one thing I can obsess over more than anything is criticism. I’m seeing this pattern here as a warning. While collaborating with others and seeking advice from seasoned travelers will be to my benefit, I will have to take care that I ask for specific advice, but steer clear of people who want me to change my mission for Fairy Fortunes. Changing the mission, and the core elements would not be a step in the right direction, but instead, a regression.<br />
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Now I will move on to the square shaped casting – this is called the House Chart. It begins with Tristitia again in the House of Self. Tristitia appears again in the House of Money, and also in the House of Pleasure. Especially in a yearly casting, I believe that reoccurring figures suggest that there is a connection between these life areas. Tristita is not necessarily a bad figure for money, as it has the connotation of grounded-ness. However, it does not suggest that Fairy Fortunes will be making a ton of money. Tristitia suggests stability, but probably nothing to write to Forbes about.<br />
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I do think it’s interesting that Tristitia appears in the House of Pleasure. Because, when I first came up with the concept of Fairy Fortunes, it was less about Fortune, and more a way to express myself. It incorporated my love of performance, my singing ability and my intuitive gifts, all in one.<br />
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There is an additional curiosity In the House of Communication. When a figure repeats directly in neighboring Houses, such as Tristitia does in the House of Self and House of Money, this is called a “walking figure.” Trisititia then is “walking” to the Head of the Dragon in the House of Communication. This suggests that a great deal of Fairy Fortunes longevity and stability may be dependent on Communication. In the business world this would likely correlate to advertising. I will need to get creative on promotion for events, the YouTube Channel and the business in general it seems. The Head of the Dragon suggests that opportunities abound! So, I need to be open to many possibilities and perhaps be willing to consider events or opportunities I feel are a bit of a stretch, or outside my comfort zone.<br />
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Puella rests in the House of Home. I’m not surprised to see her here because if my business goals for 2019 come to fruition, I’ll be doing a lot more travelling in 2019, and Puella’s flighty nature is not a bad sign in this house.<br />
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Albus is the figure in House of Service. This I feel is also auspicious is that I believe that the service I provide as a fortune teller is being receptive to others – which is the nature of Albus.<br />
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The Fairy Queen appears in the House of Partnerships and again in the House of Friendship. My plan is to do more collaborative videos on the Fairy Fortune YouTube channel. It would seem that if I hound my personal friends to appear on the channel, those videos will be particularly successful and may have the added bonus of deepening those friendships causing them to thrive!<br />
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I love the shock value of the House of Death. There is nothing I love more than announcing the title of this house in a loud and melodramatic voice. That said, death, in the context of a geomancy House Chart refers to change. The reality I must face is that for something new to be born, something old must die. I really never much cared for travel before Fairy Fortunes, maybe Via’s appearance here (she means “road” in case you’ve forgotten) means I’m moving away from my need for my homebody lifestyle.<br />
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Now to continue with the travel theme with the House devoted to that topic. Populus is a bit unfocused. She definitely goes against my desire to plan every element of my daily life. I like routine. In fact, I get upset if something out of my control causes me to adjust my plans. It would seem that some events are going to be last minute and I’m going to have to adopt an uncharacteristic ability to go with the flow…or be upset…I’ll probably be upset.<br />
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The Fairy Princess appears in both the House of Career and House of Trouble. Hmm….telling…it is for this reason that I like to do both Shield Chart and House Chart in the Deluxe Geomancy reading. This coupling I think repeats the message of the triplicity in the position of people. Collaboration and asking for advice on specific subjects will be necessary in 2019, but I need to be wary if people want to change the core elements of Fairy Fortunes. I know I want to incorporate a music element to my readings, I know I want to keep my prices low, I know that I have strong fae characters representing my oracle deck - these are core elements to Fairy Fortunes and I must remain determined to keep them.<br />
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The center square is a reminder that I can expect success for 2019 if I am willing to seek help and advice along my journey when an issue comes up. But it is crucial to remember that the mission of Fairy Fortunes is sound, and those core elements that are important to me do not need to be changed, even if a well-meaning person suggests that they do.
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Visit <a href="http://www.fairyfortunes.com/">www.fairyfortunes.com</a> for more information on geomancy and Fairy Fortunes.</span></div>
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<h4>
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like</h4>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/divination-is-art.html">Divination is Art</a><br />
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/divination-with-runes-uruz.html">Divination with Runes - Uruz</a><br />
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/10/weekly-divination-1-fairy-card.html">Weekly Divination - 1 Fairy Card - Acquistio the Alicanto</a>Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-53118779207866030842018-12-28T18:19:00.000-08:002018-12-28T18:54:43.989-08:00Money Magic Part 3 - Battling BudgetsI'm back with more on Money Magic. If you missed <a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/financial-fiasco-fundamental-needs.html">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/financial-fiasco-fundamental-needs.html">Part 2</a>, you may want to read those articles first.<br />
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A lot of young witches make the mistake of gathering up exotic ingredients for their spells. They burn some sage, cast a circle, and release their spell into the universe. Sadly, when their spell doesn’t work, they start giving up on magic. I learned that magic has little to do with eyes of poor little newts and everything to do with will. Will – as in – “<b><span style="color: red;">What am I willing to do to make a change?</span></b>” The universe, the Gods, the magic itself is very willing to help, but the person who has to do the actual work is most certainly <i>the witch</i>. When I found myself buried under a mountain of debt I knew I needed a very mundane action plan and probably some tools that were a little more associated with money beyond my magic wand.<br />
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When it comes to money, the first tool that many people think of are budgets. I had tried budgeting in the past. It hadn’t worked for me. Every month I broke the budget on multiple categories and not only did it put my bank account in the red, I felt like a total failure. My income was exactly the same every month, my expenses…rather, my Fundamental Needs, fluctuated. Not only did I <b>not</b> know how much gas was going to cost each week, it was hard to predict sometimes just how much I might need.
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Budgets, in my opinion, are a lot like diets. I had been on lots of diets. My parents had tried one that I can remember when I was a child. My one-time husband had tried many. Despite my athletic physique, I wasn’t given the option not to be on those diets. In each case, neither my parents nor my husband had lost a significant amount of weight. I, on the other hand, <i>was left starving</i>. These diet foods did not have enough calories to balance my physical life <b><span style="color: red;">and the food tasted bad</span></b>. The only thing diets dwindle in my experience is positive attitudes, not waistlines.<br />
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Diets work on the premise of deprivation. The theory is that if you remove certain foods from your life, and carefully calculate calories, you will lose weight. Budgets work from a similar position – you will only allow yourself to spend a certain dollar amount in set categories and when you reach that point, you will simply deprive yourself of anything more in that category. More often than not, deprivation just leads to frustration and then to hopelessness, hence the reason why most budgets and diets fails.<br />
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In my case, no matter how I much I tried, there was never enough in my paycheck to spread out to all of my expenses. Something always had to suffer. Well what was ultimately suffering was me – anxiety at the grocery store, sleepless nights, and a lot of tears. Getting a second job was out of the question. I had already gone over the advantages and disadvantages of getting a second job and the disadvantages heavily outweighed the advantages. There weren’t any expenses to be cut either. I hadn’t had a haircut in years, and I certainly wasn’t visiting Starbucks daily. <i>I didn’t have expenses, I had Fundamental Needs I had to figure out how to pay for.</i><br />
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When my son brought home his homework assignment of his Fundamental Needs I couldn’t recycle it. I loved it so much that I actually still have it to this day.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPg1X7thItNTDKZsiljvAKRnrP2iAX3fNcSkg7-GRDvGE_J51BJsV9HwSOTywUvDnjVnmn1wZHDflT9z_YefIQ2XAcKWnV_ewBUBFEq-lhDRh1pcq8QRTWnIYVvwuUpAl-cipxdlr41Z5H/s1600/FN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPg1X7thItNTDKZsiljvAKRnrP2iAX3fNcSkg7-GRDvGE_J51BJsV9HwSOTywUvDnjVnmn1wZHDflT9z_YefIQ2XAcKWnV_ewBUBFEq-lhDRh1pcq8QRTWnIYVvwuUpAl-cipxdlr41Z5H/s320/FN.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son's Fundamental Needs Chart</td></tr>
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I had even made my own fundamental needs chart, although it was less exciting without all the colorful photographs of my son’s chart.<br />
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Fundamental Needs<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Material Needs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Transportation<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Defense<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Shelter<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Clothing<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Food<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Auto Fuel<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Medical<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Water Bill<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Child Clothing<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Groceries<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Car Maintenance<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pet care<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mortgage<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Personal Clothing<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dining out<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I-pass and Tolls<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Child care<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Home Maintenance<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Work Uniforms<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Parking fees<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cell Phone<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Electric<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alternate transportation<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Internet<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Gas<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Registration<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Insurance<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cleaning Supplies<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Gym Membership<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Office Supplies<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 467.5pt;" valign="top" width="623"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Spiritual Needs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Culture<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Religion<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Vanity<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Outings<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Debt repayment<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Kid’s Activities<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Vacation<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Education<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Costumes<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
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Mementos<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fees<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gifts<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Taxes<o:p></o:p></div>
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Donations<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Makeup<o:p></o:p></div>
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Personal Care<o:p></o:p></div>
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My chart did make me feel a bit better about spending money, but it wasn’t making magic happen. Some element from my own chart was missing. There was something magical about my son’s chart, so I compared them to see if I could figure out what it was (beyond those colorful pictures) that made my son’s chart special.<br />
<br />
My son had chosen to place transportation first on his chart. That could have been completely random, but for a child of divorce living in two households, transportation is a pretty big deal. I could make the argument that transportation was probably the most significant event my son regularly dealt with. I could understand that so clearly, and I appreciated why my son had arbitrarily chosen to place transportation first on his chart. I wondered what the other children in his class had put first on theirs. <br />
<br />
I knew what I would put first, I thought - Food.<br />
<br />
It was food. That was what was most important to me. It was so important that I gave myself a panic attack at the grocery store every time I went. The question that haunted me at night was “How am I going to feed my child?” And for me, food was more than nourishment for the body. When I thought about the cakes I made with my son, that time being together was nourishment for the soul. Moreover, I attributed the health my son and I enjoyed to the food that we ate. I wasn’t succumbing to the lure of fast food on my crazy schedule and shoestring budget, I was actually cooking at home. It was so important to me I served “dinner” at lunchtime, so I got to prepare the biggest meal of the day and left the sandwich making to the babysitter when I went to work at night. Food was my most significant event.<br />
<br />
But when I tried to budget my groceries, I always felt like a failure. Food prices, just like gasoline, fluctuated all the time. I couldn’t predict it accurately. However there was one glaring issue that I had never considered, I waited to go grocery shopping after I paid bills, usually leaving almost nothing (and sometimes <i>actually</i> nothing) to make food purchases. I couldn’t even be tempted by the seemingly low prices of fast food, there wasn’t anything in my account to pay even the clown.<br />
<br />
But if food was so important to me - my personal most significant fundamental need - why on earth was it the last thing I bought with my limited income? It simply didn’t make sense to do that. My reality was simple: I had a very fixed income that wasn’t going to change and I had a number of expenses that fluctuated but were also unchangeable. Something else I had to face was that I had more expenses than I earned in income. This was my reality and there was little that I could do about it. But I was so tired of the panic attacks at the grocery store, they were exhausting and they wasted so much of my time.<br />
<br />
So, I made a radical decision. I decided that before I paid a single bill, I would go grocery shopping first.
When payday rolled around and there was money back in my account I would buy food. I would buy anything I thought I needed. If it was food and somebody was going to eat it, it was going to be purchased. <b><span style="color: red;">And whatever the price on the sale receipt, I would pay it and I would simply stop freaking out about it. </span></b> Because if I went shopping first, I would not be turned away for lack of funds. I also knew that food would be eaten. It wasn’t going to languish or rot in my refrigerator, I knew I was going to cook it, and feed healthy food to my child. I was absolutely sure of that. When it came to food at the grocery store, I knew with certainty, that I had nothing to feel guilty about.<br />
<br />
Defense as a whole was the next category that was obviously important to me. I filed a number of things under defense that perhaps wasn’t an obvious fit to someone else. But this was not about what was obvious to other people, this was about what I needed. Both my son and I had chronic health conditions, I in particular, required daily medication. So, I decided that the first bill I would pay after going to the grocery store would be medical bills. I could do a payment plan to make them manageable. And as an added bonus, this was not necessarily a regular expense.<br />
<br />
The health and well-being of my child was always at the forefront of my mind and that was largely the reason for the category of defense having a number of expenses listed there. The babysitter’s payment was what I decided I would pay next. She was my son’s caretaker and protector when I was unavailable to fill that role.<br />
<br />
Next, was the mortgage. Having food was priority number 1 for me, protecting my child was obviously number 2, but if I didn’t have a place to keep and serve the food or to house the child and the babysitter, that would be problematic. I had two mortgages which did not make that an easy feat to tackle. I had to get a little creative here. What if I broke them up? What if I paid the smaller 20 percent mortgage early, at the end of the month? Then I could pay the larger 80 percent mortgage after payday on the first of the month. The mortgage company would hardly balk at getting their money early. Most of my smaller bills were due at the end of the month anyway, so I really only had to worry about groceries and the larger mortgage payment at the first of the month. That would make things a little bit easier. My anxiety lessened.<br />
<br />
I took every expense I had and ranked it. Defense was very important to me, but the car insurance which was filed under defense would be useless if I didn’t have gasoline to power my transportation. Both my work uniforms and regular clothing were filed under clothing, but I wasn’t growing like my son was. In fact, I’ve been the same size my entire work career. I knew there would be times that an unavoidable tear might require me to make an emergency purchase, but as a general rule, clothing could take a backseat to other fundamental needs.<br />
<br />
Culture was very important to me but as I was looking carefully at what I spent my money on I had to give myself some kudos here. I was pretty creative. I regularly searched the internet for fun (and free!) events happening in the city. My local library had passes for free entry to many museums for children and their caretakers too. I was always expanding my son’s world with culture (Not such a bad mom after all!). So, I was able to push culture to a lower quarter of my financial priority list without feeling like I was depriving myself and my child.<br />
<br />
That allowed me to address some other shelter needs; like the utilities. I decided that gas was more important than electrics. Gas powered my stove which tied it to the all-important food, but I decided that if the electric company cut me off, well, I’d use an ice chest and camping stove if I had to.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
The Moment Magic Happened</h3>
<br />
It was at that moment – choosing to pay the gas bill before the electric bill – that the magic started to take root. Because, I had foreseen a possible consequence to my action, and I decided I was willing to live with it. It was at that moment that I stepped beyond the role of victim, and into the role of a survivor.<br />
<br />
Being a victim, sometimes is inevitable. It isn’t karma, sometimes bad things happen to good people and there isn’t a reason or a purpose to it at all. It’s a happening, and it is tragic and terrible. Being a victim is nothing to be ashamed of. However, getting stuck in that role, as I had for nine years, is a terrible place to live. In fact, I believe I’ve already stated, it’s not living, it’s dying - every day - for the rest of your life. <b><span style="color: red;">For me, the difference between a victim and a survivor, is one simple thing: choice.</span></b> A victim cannot choose. They are unfortunately at the mercy of their attacker and abuser and that is not their fault or their karma. A survivor though, gets to a place where they make choices and regain control of the path their life takes.Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-64591813801435414572018-12-03T15:26:00.000-08:002018-12-03T15:26:31.970-08:00Magical Moment - Diana in Las Vegas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOOitNeUqLg-Gwsn_fgD0fglPGlyvGTdbCs79ycXX8Hqhe1rzCXP5VfDWrS7vpGwV98qMI0VfCu3W1UqJkqrENCvg8r35wtNsfAocXYgz9JGjolKdtATrHWmg8TBJlYG2RLXq0zRcYW8c/s1600/IMG_3437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOOitNeUqLg-Gwsn_fgD0fglPGlyvGTdbCs79ycXX8Hqhe1rzCXP5VfDWrS7vpGwV98qMI0VfCu3W1UqJkqrENCvg8r35wtNsfAocXYgz9JGjolKdtATrHWmg8TBJlYG2RLXq0zRcYW8c/s320/IMG_3437.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I love taking a mundane meander through the world only to encounter one of the "old" Goddesses. They never left us. They just had to find another way to share their stories with us. And if their messages were no longer relevant, I don't think I'd find them so often.<br />
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<h3>
If you liked this post you might also enjoy</h3>
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<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/10/magical-moment-hello-sister.html">Magical Moment - Hello Sister!</a></div>
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<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/magical-moment-dance-of-trees.html">Magical Moment - Dance of the Trees</a></div>
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<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/magical-moment-goddesses-of-agriculture.html">Magical Moment - The Goddesses of Agriculture and Industry</a></div>
Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-40006763584303275532018-11-19T15:19:00.000-08:002018-11-19T15:19:06.868-08:00Book Spotlight: Underworld by Chris Allaun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStsmS58p5yTM7m1ZezSr0Sceu8IuBwJHOFXPG9EbVzO1Uw89RT5AM8Bzxo8tBa9gFil1iBRTL-nzwXxe16LO2IXmFUM01oHx2SGyVnJQhPXYpPYlg9e0q2e2MRHdPkXeRJgBt_59VzcYc/s320/51ZtSxUIiiL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="213" /></div>
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I am very fortunate to have been a student of Chris Allaun. I was very pleased to see his magic come to fruition and be able to own an autographed copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Underworld-Shamanism-magick-Chris-Allaun/dp/1906958769">Underworld: Shamanism, Myth, Magic</a>.<br />
<br />
I do think that this book does requires some prerequisite work. In order to get the most out of this work, you should have some working knowledge of some magical system - preferably with some kind of astral journeying work, and you should be familiar with the concepts of Underworld, Mid-world and Upper-world. If you live in the Chicago Area, applying for private lessons with Chris Allaun would be the perfect supplement to this volume and his following books. You can contact him through his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chrisallaun.author/">Facebook page</a> if you this is an option for you. <br />
<br />
If you have never explored the concept of ancestral work and the Underworld, I would suggest <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Twilight-Path-Gothic-Book-ebook/dp/B003U8AB58/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542667181&sr=1-1&keywords=michelle+belanger+twilight">Walking the Twilight Path</a> by Michelle Belanger as a starting point and then moving into the work of Chris Allaun. <br />
<br />
<h2>
What drew me in:</h2>
<div>
<ol>
<li>One of my favorite things about this work is that it reads much like a memoir. There are many descriptive narratives of the author's personal travels through the Underworld. </li>
<li>I appreciate that he describes frightening beings that you can sometimes encounter in your Underworld journeys as "chaotic" rather than evil because things that make us afraid can be great teachers. Good and evil are very subjective. Hilter, for example, thought he was saving his country.</li>
<li>I really loved his commentary about myth and story. Imagination is a gateway to personal gnosis and myth and story engage the imagination.</li>
</ol>
<h2>
How I think I can apply this magically:</h2>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>I mentioned that I was fortunate to be Chris Allaun's student. I have used the techniques in his book to explore the Underworld and I had some interesting revelations there.</li>
<li>I am constantly trying to be the best person that I can be. I thought this book very much resonated with my personal mission to "have courage to be who I <i>could</i> be."</li>
<li>I was fascinated by his descriptions of the Kabbalah and Qliphoth and is something I would like to explore more.</li>
</ol>
<div>
I would also like to announce that Chris Allaun will be making a guest appearance on my alter ego's YouTube channel in the very near future. Please visit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdSOP7XQdqlHWwNYDrfxbw?view_as=subscriber">Fairy Fortunes by Ruby Ruse</a> on YouTube, subscribe and hit the notification bell so you will notified of this interview release!</div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
If you liked this post, you may enjoy some of my other book spotlights:</h4>
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/book-spotlight-psychic-protection-by.html">Psychic Protection by Ted Andrews</a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/book-spotlight-alchemist-by-paulo-coelho.html">The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho</a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/book-spotlight-art-and-practice-of.html">The Art and Practice of Geomancy by John Michael Greer</a></div>
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Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-26210037119203721862018-11-16T17:22:00.000-08:002018-11-16T17:22:51.412-08:00I Have Cursed Someone. Maybe You Should Too.Talking about magic is still a bit of a tricky subject in our world that is so driven by technology. It has, however, become perfectly acceptable to say (virtually, via technology) to a friend in stress, or ill health, “I’m sending positive energy your way!” There does seem to be a belief that this imagined energy can somehow help the friend despite no actual evidence. I’d argue that there is evidence, because most times, the friend appreciates these imaginary positive waves and they really do feel magically better. If only because they know that they are in people’s thoughts. Negative energy or <i>curses</i> though…that can be a downright taboo subject, even for people who believe in magic, cast magic spells under the full moon, and call themselves witches.<br />
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
An It Harm None vs. “Don’t Be A Jerk” </h3>
I think part of the taboo comes from the pervasive Wiccan Rede: An It Harm None. This touches a cord in even the Non-Wiccan, magical practitioner. Talking about negative energy is frowned upon.<br />
<br />
I get that avoiding harming people is a good general guideline to go by. I’m not Wiccan, however my son and I have our own version of the Rede. We say, “Don’t be a jerk.” To elaborate, this means, don’t be jerk because you’re afraid of getting in trouble or because you are expecting something in return; but be helpful, be kind, because it is the <i>right</i> <i>thing to do</i>. That is how I try to live my life.<br />
<br />
But sometimes no matter how helpful and kind I am, I find that some people are still jerks to me. Repeated interactions from the same jerks can be so demoralizing that I’ve lost myself in depression over it. I’ve known too many people who have committed suicide because of the jerks in their lives. I can appreciate their pain, because it feels hopeless. A jerk isn’t necessarily a criminal. You can’t take someone to court for emotional abuse. So, you just have to endure it - over and over again. Because the reality is, sometimes you can’t escape your jerk.<br />
<br />
Let’s say you’re married to a jerk. He doesn’t hit you. He does, however, criticize your cooking. You could be a size 2 in clothing, and he will tell you that you are fat. He tells you that you’re lousy in bed. He compares you to every other woman he knows. Nothing you ever do is ever good enough, ever.<br />
<br />
What are your options here? You could take a cooking class. You could hit the gym hard. You could read every single sexual help book you can find and watch a lot of porn. You could listen to the comparisons to other women, treat it like feedback – start dressing like his young coworker, dye your hair the same color as his boss, take up tennis like his sister…or you could get divorced.<br />
<br />
In my case, I was served the divorce papers.<br />
<br />
You would think that my suffering would have diminished, because my former husband made it expressly clear that he was leaving me; but it was only the beginning. The parenting agreement was refused because it didn’t have a motorcycle clause (for the record, I have never, nor will I ever, own a motorcycle. I don’t have any intention of ever riding on one, so why on earth would I place my toddler on one?). I asked for absolutely nothing, but the divorce dragged on in ugly battles for over a year.<br />
<br />
He called me for every single little thing. It was driving me so crazy, I went to see a therapist. She suggested that I not answer, then listen to the voice mail, decide on a course of action, and then calmly respond – preferably by text. Except there were no voice mails. He would call me on my cellphone and if I didn’t answer, he immediately called the hardline phone. If I didn’t answer that he then would call my babysitter, demanding to know where I was, where our son was, and why I was such an irresponsible and stupid mother.
Any engagement with him would end with him screaming at me two inches from my face.<br />
<br />
But he never once hit me. And he never threatened to hit me. There was absolutely <i>nothing</i> to take to the courts. And he was, legally, a decent father. He was gainfully employed, he provided for his son, had a better family support system than I did, and he was under no circumstances a physical abuser. But more importantly, my son loved his father. He loved him, period. And I was hell bound and determined to make sure my son had a relationship with his father if that’s what my son wanted. Hell bound would be a pretty precise word for what I was going through to accomplish that though. It got so bad, I almost gave up on joint custody, and handed over my son. But my former husband didn’t want to be a full-time parent. And more importantly, my son loved me too, and he needed me just as much as his father…maybe more…<br />
<br />
So, what could I do? I could not escape this jerk. There was no justice available to me. Well, for nearly nine years I did nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. I pleaded. I attempted to explain. I repeatedly promised to do better. I did a lot of crying. And I believed that I was a worthless person. I believed that I was such a terrible wife that I had been discarded and replaced. I believed that I was a terrible mother and my son may in fact be better off without me. And I lost a great deal of myself for nine years.<br />
<br />
One day after a co-worker witnessed me take a phone call that he couldn’t help over hearing for all the shouting on the other end; he asked me, “Why do you let him do that to you?”<br />
<br />
And I said, “I’ve endured it for nine years, I can take it for another nine.”<br />
<br />
My co-worker did not respond, but the horror on his face truly shocked me. My world was not normal, and something needed to change. This was not living, it was dying, every day, for the rest of my life.<br />
<br />
But there was no court of law that could help me. What could I do? I did the only thing I could, I wrote a curse. Instead of positive energy, I used all nine years of negative energy and I mixed in all of the trauma from the eight years of marriage, and I sent the whole bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, dark and foul brew to my former husband via virtual express. For the record, no newts lost any eyes in the making of this curse. I did, however, know exactly what I was doing. There was nothing kind or helpful about that energy. Imaginary or not, it was absolutely harmful. I had very personal experience with precisely how harmful that energy was.<br />
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Garbage In, Garbage Out </h3>
I think another part to the taboo concerning curses is that in magic, it is believed that what comes around goes around. Or in technology terminology: garbage in, garbage out. People often don’t need to be cursed with magic by someone else, because they generally do such a fine job of cursing themselves. If you’re a jerk, the people around you will eventually figure that out, and they will handle you accordingly. Or, much more dastardly still, if you are a jerk, there will always be a part of you that assumes everyone is a jerk – someone who wants to harm others, and only doesn’t because they might get in trouble. What a truly terrible life to live. It is terrible yes, but a jerk, in my experience, is not very likely to suddenly see the light and stop being a jerk.<br />
<br />
“Don’t be a jerk,” for me just sums up things so much more succinctly than “An it harm none.” Because the reality is, we can cause a lot of harm with our most helpful and kind intentions. “An it harm none,” does not leave much room for self-defense either. “Don’t be a jerk,” implies that if someone hits you, you don't sit there and patiently let them hit you again, you hit them back and harder.<br />
<br />
When I read Charles Godfrey Leland’s <u>Aradia or The Gospel of Witches</u>, I got the impression that Mr. Leland believed that witches were people without legal status or real power and that their witchcraft was a way for them to believe they had some control (without affecting any real change in the balance of power). I would agree that magic, and especially curses, can come from the person who is suffering an egregious imbalance of control and power. Magic may be imaginary, but I would argue that one can experience very tangible results.<br />
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
The Role of “The Victim” </h3>
When I finally launched my curse, one of the results I experienced was that I stopped being “the victim.” That is a very real change in the position of power. A victim is trapped in a state of helplessness, always waiting for someone to save her. There is no hope for the victim, because a victim’s only option is nothing. Do nothing. My curse was <i>something</i>. I was giving myself another option over helplessness. Imaginary or not, that new found status and balance correction did wonders for my mental health.<br />
<br />
However, there are a few things, even my very adept therapist found a bit hard to explain.
After I held my ritual to unleash my curse, the phone calls from my son’s father stopped. They just stopped out of the blue. Now, if he has a question, he sends me a short text. He calls occasionally but his tone is calm and respectful. My son’s step-mother invited me to share their Christmas Eve dinner with them last year. I accepted and it was actually quite pleasant. My son continues to enjoy his relationship with his father and he is happy, thriving and well-adjusted.<br />
<br />
Something else quite miraculous happened too. I started thriving as well. I started singing, and writing, and laughing…I hadn’t done any of that in nine years.
Part of my curse was that my former husband would not get what he wanted most; but he has a lovely condo, a charming wife, a very cute new baby, and he’s still gainfully employed and doing well. And I'm glad about that, because my son is happy and I really kind of like my son's step-mom. It dawned on me though, that maybe what my ex-husband wanted most, was to be a jerk to me and for me to suffer for it. That, I think is, much scarier than me using a curse.<br />
<br />
Beyond short briefings before parent-teacher conferences, I don’t think about my former husband much anymore. Truth be told, I wish I had cursed him sooner, we all would have been better for it.
<br />
<br />
<h4>
If you enjoyed this post you may also like</h4>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/01/so-what-about-that-desk_23.html">So What About That Desk?</a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2017/05/why-do-we-keep-broken-things.html">Why Do We Keep Broken Things?</a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/financial-fiasco-fundamental-needs.html">Financial Fiasco + Fundamental Need = Money Magic (Part 1)</a></div>
Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-8045203148360654822018-10-22T16:01:00.000-07:002018-10-22T16:10:23.326-07:00Weekly Divination - 1 Fairy Card - Acquisitio the Alicanto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIi18tHLdvJXjLjCj_smO3o8ERRGLIKpYgpLh7oAgQCenq5emcyjJ2LrAuGOdV0rLT5utfuRyDdLhlhA_O_gEnT0EbjtnMgoQuyCyfIj0q8cRC2CJVvCNRMCxdA-4DwLes_j3iBWC0qn5/s1600/IMG_1946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIi18tHLdvJXjLjCj_smO3o8ERRGLIKpYgpLh7oAgQCenq5emcyjJ2LrAuGOdV0rLT5utfuRyDdLhlhA_O_gEnT0EbjtnMgoQuyCyfIj0q8cRC2CJVvCNRMCxdA-4DwLes_j3iBWC0qn5/s320/IMG_1946.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A show is Acquisitio </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A gluttonous Alicanto </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The more she procures </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The less she endures </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The weight of her fate in escrow. </i></div>
<br />
Are you thinking of making a major purchase? Perhaps buying a home? Acquisitio the Alicanto says get off the fence and go for it!<br />
<br />
It can be difficult to take a risk and make a big investment, and not even the fairies can say if it will make you rich in the end. However, if you have done your research, it's time to trust your gut and put your plan into action. If you haven't done any research, well then it's time to use your favorite search engine to find some real estate agents.<br />
<br />
The only thing that is guaranteed is that if you continue with your inaction is nothing. You will risk nothing, and lose nothing; but you will gain nothing.<br />
<br />
<h4>
If you enjoyed this post you may like some of my other divinations:</h4>
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/10/weekly-divination-1-fairy-card-rubeus.html">1 Fairy Card - Rubeus the Redcap</a><br />
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/divination-with-runes-uruz.html">Divination with Runes - Uruz</a><br />
<a href="https://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/divination-is-art.html">Divination is Art</a><br />
<br />
If you would like more information about these Fairy Cards, visit <a href="http://www.fairyfortune.com/">www.fairyfortune.com</a>.Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-50619769190773496892018-10-17T17:37:00.000-07:002018-10-17T17:37:39.096-07:00Magical Moment - Hello Sister!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QybBWDuJ2uf4oLxkjl_ygtZie9xrf33wXtEFxJtyWYeWMtPHHF-VHOWJVilXmessUkNIf7JjpgbF6fCS_Qxc9otwc8rdQBwyh5IbrBFWeuBbsOYe-NIrJ7xFUNt-rq3tYqKaMoHA5qg5/s1600/IMG_3271%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QybBWDuJ2uf4oLxkjl_ygtZie9xrf33wXtEFxJtyWYeWMtPHHF-VHOWJVilXmessUkNIf7JjpgbF6fCS_Qxc9otwc8rdQBwyh5IbrBFWeuBbsOYe-NIrJ7xFUNt-rq3tYqKaMoHA5qg5/s320/IMG_3271%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: My son, me, MY SISTER! and my brother</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
While one of my three brothers and I are fairly close, we just don't call one another. We have a hang up about using the phone...it's a thing. So when he called me out of the blue one morning I answered in a rushed panic, "Who died?"<br />
<br />
"Well," he said, "nobody died...somebody was born...in 1952."<br />
<br />
My brother then began to explain that he had taken an <a href="http://ancestry.com/">Ancestry.com</a> DNA test. It was mostly for fun, because he already knew a great deal about his genetic profile. In addition to our large family stretching over multiple generations, I have done some extensive research on our family linking us directly to Captain Myles Standish of the Mayflower. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Genealogical-History-Descendants-Joseph-Peck/dp/1296495124/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539822199&sr=8-2&keywords=Peck+book+genealogy">There is also a book written about the Peck branch of our family which can be purchased on Amazon.com</a>. So when my brother released his DNA for research and gave his consent to be linked to relatives, he was fairly certain he would know everyone he connected to, even the 3rd and 4th cousins. And he did know the connections for the most part...<br />
<br />
Except...a woman in Hawaii had also released her DNA for research and she had given her consent to be linked to relatives. She certainly wasn't a 3rd or 4th cousin, no, she shared more DNA with my brother than our niece (she'd taken an Ancestry DNA test too). What did this mean?<br />
<br />
I consulted my research on Ancestry.com which has linked census records and military records. There were two men on my mother's side. Census records placed her father in Missouri and her brother in Michigan in 1951. <br />
<br />
There were five men on my father's side. Poor farmers from Iowa did not generally fly off to Hawaii in the 50's not to mention that the Korean War would have made travel even more challenging. I could easily account for 4 of those five men - they were of course in Iowa. In addition to census records though, I had access to military records. My brother and I knew that our father had served in the Navy during the Korean War. I even had the name of his ship PC-1172 (it wasn't given a "name" until after the Korean War). Well, it just so happened PC-1172 spent a great deal of time in Hawaii in 1951.<br />
<br />
What did this mean? That much of a DNA match might mean niece, but the lovely lady in Hawaii was older than my brother and I. That much of a DNA match might mean Aunt but the two grandfather's were accounted for. That could only leave one possibility, our Korean War veteran father must also be her father. I stalked her Facebook page and one click was all it took for me to see the resemblance. If you look at the picture above you will see matching jaw lines, identical noses and similar eyes. There can be no denying that we are all significantly related. Even strangers who encountered us as we gallivanted around Las Vegas this September were sure we were family. They had no idea that we had just met! We felt an instant connection. We just all clicked, like little cogs on a mystical machine falling into place. <br />
<br />
One memorable highlight from our interaction was that I admitted that I don't really answer to my name of Amy Alice because my brothers and my parents always called me "Sister." What a coincidence to discover that her brothers in Hawaii also called her "Sister" and she doesn't really answer to her given name either!<br />
<br />
And she doesn't like talking on the phone...so random...<br />
<br />
DNA is science but what stops it from being magical? Especially when it offers the chance to give you the gift of a sister? It's a rhetorical question of course, but if you must have the answer, then it is nothing. Nothing stops science from being magical. Magic is simply those unseen connections that simply exist whether or not we know they are there. Sounds a lot like the science of DNA to me.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
_______________________________</div>
<br />
<br />
Have you had a DNA Magical Moment? I hope you will share your experience in the comments.Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-92091594338825348712018-10-01T16:57:00.002-07:002018-10-01T16:57:54.334-07:00Weekly Divination - 1 Fairy Card - Rubeus the Redcap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uPMZ4SQNNC0L8zP6zkbkxzMX4dnxhKdjGZ1acRb_p_KziMdhohKNyg3QN2gXuS4F_0f7R873NZ-iPAhE-vkJ6GaPAqSuWq55ioojHTFzwbZsAcUTYsiP8leguCWb0MFNlleY7Z_b__zU/s1600/IMG_1798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uPMZ4SQNNC0L8zP6zkbkxzMX4dnxhKdjGZ1acRb_p_KziMdhohKNyg3QN2gXuS4F_0f7R873NZ-iPAhE-vkJ6GaPAqSuWq55ioojHTFzwbZsAcUTYsiP8leguCWb0MFNlleY7Z_b__zU/s320/IMG_1798.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>When Rubeus Redcap appears,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He'll force you to face darkest fears.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>There's danger ahead</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>But go forth in dread.</i></div>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Or live your regret in arrears.</i></div>
</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Many people make the mistake of asking me if I'm white witch. In my opinion, magic does not have a color; it simply is. And it can be used to be helpful or harmful in equal measure. Many people want to believe healing magic can only be "good" but it is nothing short of rape if this "healing" is done without permission.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
This concept of magic being neither good nor bad is largely why I felt moved to create a divination system that incorporated the energy of the fae (to learn more about my system visit <a href="http://www.fairyfortunes.com/">www.fairyfortunes.com</a>). The fae are spirits of pure magic and likewise, they are neither white nor black, good nor evil, seelie or unseelie. Court structures are human facades that are not recognized in the realm of the fae. Magic, and the fae simply are. They are helpful when they feel inspired to be helpful and they are vengeful when they feel moved to be so.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Are the fae evil?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Are you?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
I'm sure that we have all done things that we regret later when the wisdom of hindsight gives us time to reflect. Sometimes we regret what we have done. Yet humans especially often regret what we did not do. In my lifetime I am more apt to regret those times where I tempered my vengeance. Would that my make me evil in your judgement? </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
The message of Rubeus Redcap is that each of us must act in accordance with what we feel is right in the moment. If you feel you have made an error later, then diligently make amends in that moment of discovery. Action is what is important - action in the moment. But be careful that you don't mistake action for a judgment. No human I've met cares for judgments, the fae I'm sure would find a mortal's judgment simply laughable. Rubeus the Redcap would probably warn you to dole your judgments out sparingly.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
If you like this post you may enjoy some of my other divinations:</h4>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/divination-with-runes-uruz.html">Divination with Runes - Uruz</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/divination-is-art.html">Divination is Art</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/weekly-divination-1-card-draw-fairy.html">Weekly Divination - 1 Fairy Card - Amissio the Alfar</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-56611544289873814222018-09-19T16:41:00.000-07:002018-09-19T16:47:52.672-07:00Magical Moment - Dance of the TreesThe leaves are starting to turn. I think that's my favorite part of fall.<br />
<br />
When my son was little, I made up our own little myth about why the leaves change color in the fall.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMi8oJxDMYQCItZoF8pCn8GW-0cg3dmj8yuPyKisAg-g7SnnJr5erLRztpVu4ThFHLBbIm49BayCOmlDurEAqBnR8_JQn2F-DSCOVm_pACQKG0n0iTONFhNMq6w1syHli78-ag_A_xn8-/s1600/IMG_3259%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMi8oJxDMYQCItZoF8pCn8GW-0cg3dmj8yuPyKisAg-g7SnnJr5erLRztpVu4ThFHLBbIm49BayCOmlDurEAqBnR8_JQn2F-DSCOVm_pACQKG0n0iTONFhNMq6w1syHli78-ag_A_xn8-/s320/IMG_3259%255B1%255D.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<i>Dance of the Trees</i></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Before the trees take their winter rest </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They get dressed in their very best </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With a curtsy to the wind they take this chance </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To dance </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Down the street, across the lawn </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They dance until their leaves are gone </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Leaving us to rake their messes </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The traces of their lovely dresses </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The apple dons a cheerful yellow </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With pleasing fruit she flirts with fellows </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She’s as light as a sprite </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Her dance a delight </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>But beware </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Do take care </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She might have a sour bite </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sassafras prefers hers pink </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She’ll turn your head with a sassy wink </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Her steps are sharp and precise </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Her twirls will entice </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>There she goes </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Tickling your nose </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>But it’s so nice your let her do it twice </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Before the trees take their winter rest </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They get dressed in their very best </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With a curtsy to the wind they take this chance </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To dance </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Down the street, across the lawn </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They dance until their leaves are gone </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Leaving us to rake their messes </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The traces of their lovely dresses </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Maple’s choice, a pretty coral </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She claims her space with her ample laurel </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She a sight to be seen </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With her lovely careen </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I believe
She’ll be the last to leave </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Not keen to convene the scene </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Oak’s gown, a majestic scarlet </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She’s the most adored, a regal starlet </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She’s the belle of the ball </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Queen of them all </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Let her dreams be sweet </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>When the dance completes</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>She'll enthrall us all next fall</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Before the trees take their winter rest </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They get dressed in their very best </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With a curtsy to the wind they take this chance </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To dance
Down the street, across the lawn </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They dance until their leaves are gone </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Leaving us to rake their messes </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The traces of their lovely dresses
</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
If you liked this post, you might also enjoy</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2016/04/a-song-for-beltaine-music-in-meadow.html">A Song for Beltaine - Music in the Meadow</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/magical-moment-goddesses-of-agriculture.html">Magical Moment - The Goddess of Agriculture and Industry</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/magical-moments-crowley-cat.html">Magical Moment - Crowley Cat</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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</div>
Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-16205949913264202632018-09-17T16:08:00.002-07:002018-09-17T16:08:52.776-07:00Divination with Runes - UruzWhile Geomancy is my preferred method of divination, I still am quite drawn to the Scandinavian Runes. They really resonate with me because I feel like they connect me to my heritage.<br />
<br />
I'm starting a new position at my day job, so I was curious to see if the energy associated with my ancestors had any images of wisdom to impart to me. I did a one rune draw and was presented with Uruz. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAcA4zSA8kJf4IRLBB3C6Hg1el5xrC4Pa540mu2ZfpqbZX7ntiiCJgYZuJt8amjX717wmFDzqfWSMccCFjy6vHmMH_LLzkBGyzfuLpCoAGoohoUqkwIhiCy0KWvFjclDK2HyAqvqivPQl/s1600/IMG_3264%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAcA4zSA8kJf4IRLBB3C6Hg1el5xrC4Pa540mu2ZfpqbZX7ntiiCJgYZuJt8amjX717wmFDzqfWSMccCFjy6vHmMH_LLzkBGyzfuLpCoAGoohoUqkwIhiCy0KWvFjclDK2HyAqvqivPQl/s320/IMG_3264%255B1%255D.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I allowed myself to meditate on this symbol. The first thing that came to mind was the weights I use on my canopy when I attend events for my <a href="http://www.fairyfortunes.com/">other business</a> outside of my day job. In my meditation I was transported back to Fort Wayne, Indiana just a few weeks ago from this post when I used these weights for the first time. It was raining and the winds were strong, but the weights on my canopy made everything so stable. I remember feeling really secure with those weights on my tent. I was so proud of myself for purchasing them. Uruz is associated with strength, and to me stability is a quality associated with strength.<br />
<br />
As I was meditating my son was chatting with me from his room. I noted that I did not have to completely abandon what I was trying to do to address his question. <br />
<br />
In a similar vein of distraction, Crowley Cat touched my arm. Without opening my eyes I knew it was her, and not one of my other cats. I observed the gentleness of her touch and the calming affect it had on me. It occurred to me that the rune symbol of Uruz is associated with the once powerful wild oxen - the aurochs. In my meditation it occurred to me that wildness does not have to be violent, it can also be gentle.<br />
<br />
I did drift off topic and my thoughts started running on a divination class that I want to write and teach. But when I redirected my focus back to Uruz, I felt like the message it was trying to convey to me concerning this new position I'm going into at work, was tied to redirection and regaining focus. I need to remember not to abandon what I'm working towards. I need to remember not to give up just because things get chaotic. I also think Uruz was suggesting that I will be able to bring some stability to this position at my work. I may be a gentle and calming element.<br />
<br />
I have been rather anxious about this change at work. But this divination helped me see some possibilities and gives me some hope. That is precisely why I love the practice of divination. <br />
<br />
<h4>
If you like this post you may enjoy some of my other divinations:</h4>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/divination-is-art.html">Divination is Art</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/weekly-divination-1-card-draw-fairy.html">Weekly Divination - August 27, 2018</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/weekly-divination-1-fairy-card-draw.html">Weekly Divination - August 13, 2018</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/deluxe-geomancy-reading.html">Deluxe Geomancy Reading</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-92007445979453178602018-09-15T19:29:00.002-07:002018-09-15T19:49:19.959-07:00Book Spotlight - Psychic Protection by Ted Andrews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowdLH7uZn1avWLhMFXEWfmrNAHQgvM9HCdzBE5k_4LRrLDodmGOuJNolXSbAveodIO0UyRPdCkB5LhXs-GQWqEe6v3XEPf6qPu7iqNK7WE3I7mxYTMA0BpC0NR_cxhnv2AqMBB5sYWY12/s1600/41H-27e-oHL._SX321_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowdLH7uZn1avWLhMFXEWfmrNAHQgvM9HCdzBE5k_4LRrLDodmGOuJNolXSbAveodIO0UyRPdCkB5LhXs-GQWqEe6v3XEPf6qPu7iqNK7WE3I7mxYTMA0BpC0NR_cxhnv2AqMBB5sYWY12/s320/41H-27e-oHL._SX321_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
I have read other books on the topic of psychic defense, but Ted Andrews' work, in my opinion is one of the very best.<br />
<h2>
What Drew Me In</h2>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Ted Andrews has the intention of making the spiritual pragmatic and more importantly obtainable. He doesn't cloud everything in secrecy. He wants you to clearly understand how the psychic works.</li>
<li>Instead of mystically ruminating about the reader's gifts being tested, he instead offers that it is the student who should test their teachers. He points out that a true teacher will not be offended, because a true teacher understands the need for confirmation and validation.</li>
<li>Exercises like the <a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-magic-of-meditation.html">Cleansing Fire Vortex</a> were laid out in an easy step by step process.</li>
</ol>
<h2>
How I Think I Can Apply This Magically</h2>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>The Cleansing Fire Vortex has become one of my favorite meditation practices.</li>
<li>Sheltering my own energy was something I took for granted. This book helped me be more aware of how the people I associate with and my environment affect me.</li>
<li>This book suggested that psychic and magical abilities are skills that can be improved and practiced.</li>
</ol>
<h4>
If you liked this post you may also enjoy some of my other Book Spotlights</h4>
</div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/09/book-spotlight-alchemist-by-paulo-coelho.html">The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/book-spotlight-art-and-practice-of.html">The Art and Practice of Geomancy by John Michael Greer</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/book-spotlight-your-money-or-your-life.html">Your Money Or Your Life by Vicki Robin</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Are you on GoodReads? <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/69223507-amy-christensen">Let's be friends!</a></div>
Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-31119865228979806392018-09-14T18:07:00.001-07:002018-09-14T18:07:30.688-07:00Financial Fiasco + Fundamental Needs = Money Magic Part 2I am finally able to continue my story about my journey from financial ruin towards a money magic. If you missed Part 1, you can read it <a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/financial-fiasco-fundamental-needs.html">here.</a><br />
<br />
<h2>
The Great and Powerful Witch</h2>
I am very flattered by my friends and others in the magical community. I am often told that I am a powerful witch. My spells do work, and largely the way I intended. The only unexpected results from my spells usually are added bonuses that continue to pay forward after the spell has come to fruition. I know, because I track the results. I <i>meticulously</i> track the results; and I would attribute my magical success largely to my particular attention to the tiniest of details.<br />
<br />
I keep a detailed grimore, but unlike the witches of old, my grimore is digital. My spells are all written in Microsoft Word. And my spell template (yes, I have a spell template) is four pages long. Once I complete writing a spell, it can easily be over six pages and will continue to grow as I track its progress. It usually takes me more than one day to compose a spell before I cast it and it is not unusual for me to spend a week designing. It is a lot of work, but if I am the powerful witch that my friends proport me to be, it is probably due to my meticulous planning.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Learning from Magical Mayhem</h2>
Of course, I have had spell malfunctions and failures. They are great learning tools which in turn helped me fine tune my spell template to consider as many probabilities as possible. <a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2016/10/it-is-easier-to-get-what-you-want-than.html">One of my most malignant magical mayhems</a> I dealt with was another money spell. So, I wanted to make sure that this spell with the Fundamental Needs did not go as haywire as that one did. That meant that I would have to do some serious research into my personal habits before I even so much as looked at a wand or cauldron.<br />
<br />
The first thing I did was open up my bill spreadsheet (yes, I have a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet where I list my current bills – I’m noticing a distinctly anal-retentive theme here). If I truly didn’t have expenses to be cut, but Fundamental Needs I had to figure out how to pay for; then it was time to figure out what Fundamental Need I was buying with each of my bills.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPg1X7thItNTDKZsiljvAKRnrP2iAX3fNcSkg7-GRDvGE_J51BJsV9HwSOTywUvDnjVnmn1wZHDflT9z_YefIQ2XAcKWnV_ewBUBFEq-lhDRh1pcq8QRTWnIYVvwuUpAl-cipxdlr41Z5H/s1600/FN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPg1X7thItNTDKZsiljvAKRnrP2iAX3fNcSkg7-GRDvGE_J51BJsV9HwSOTywUvDnjVnmn1wZHDflT9z_YefIQ2XAcKWnV_ewBUBFEq-lhDRh1pcq8QRTWnIYVvwuUpAl-cipxdlr41Z5H/s320/FN.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son's Fundamental Needs chart from his Montessori Education</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Under the first half of the month I had listed my two mortgages, my car insurance, the babysitter, a few of my credit cards, my loan from my mother, and the electric bill. Under the second half of the month I had listed my internet provider, the gas company, more credit cards, and my cell phone.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Shelter</h2>
The mortgages were an easy fit – shelter, of course. After thinking a few moments, it was easy to place the electric bill and gas under shelter too as they both provided power to keep my son and me warm and dry. This is pretty easy! I thought, and I merrily continued down the bill spreadsheet.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Defense</h2>
Next was the car insurance and because it had the word “car” in front of it, I started to list the insurance under transportation. But then I stopped. Insurance really had nothing to do with getting somewhere. I wasn’t purchasing transportation with that, so what was I actually buying? I decided that I was buying peace of mind. If I was in an accident, financially, I’d be okay. With that in mind I placed my car insurance under the heading of defense. It dawned on me that my internet access was less about entertainment, and also more about defense. I paid my bills online, communicated with my babysitter service through the internet, and it was my lifeline to information. That spiraled my thought process. My babysitter was also defense, because she protected and cared for my child when I was unable to do so. And my cell phone was my connection to her and my child when I was not with them; that meant the cell phone bill was also purchasing defense.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Religion</h2>
That left the loan from my mother and all of my credit cards. What the heck were those? What was I buying when I paid those bills? Were they actually needs? Well, I couldn’t stop paying them, that was going to add to my financial problems. I decided that if I needed to pay them, then they had to some kind of need and not an expense I could just cut from my expenditures.
I remembered when I had gone to see a financial counselor at my credit union. I felt utterly hopeless when she told me to declare bankruptcy. I felt like she just wanted me to give up. I didn’t want to give up. I had already bought things with that money, I felt it was morally my responsibility to pay back my debts. Morality sounded an awful lot like to Religion to me, so I put my loans in that category.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Considering the Fundamental Needs</h2>
As I was looking at my actual bills they seemed so small. My monthly bills – those checks I sent out every month only covered shelter, defense, and religion. I realized that there were quite a number of things not on my bill spreadsheet. The water bill was irregular and medical bills were too, hence they were missing from my monthly spreadsheet. The gas I purchased for transportation, clothes I needed to buy, and the groceries that caused my anxiety to soar like no other expenditure, were not on my bill spreadsheet. And what about culture and vanity? I decided that if they were Fundamental Needs, they could not be ignored or cut out of my life.<br />
<br />
I went back to the fundamental needs. Using my son’s homework assignment as a template, I created my own chart. Gasoline obviously fell under transportation. Were there other expenses that fell under this category? How about car maintenance (also not on the bill spreadsheet)? What else belonged under defense? After thinking about it I decided that Medical bills belonged under defense. I was protecting my son’s and my body with routine checkups and was healing illnesses with medication. Likewise, pet care fell here too. I had cats, and I was responsible for these creatures’ well-being. <br />
<br />
Shelter was pretty straightforward, but I added the utilities and then after some consideration, I added cleaning supplies and office supplies. Yes, those were things I usually bought at the grocery store, but they weren’t food. I often tried to sacrifice them, but I couldn’t. I needed stamps to mail bills, and pens to write checks and I certainly wasn’t going to live in a filthy house.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Vanity</h2>
I made a change from my son’s chart when it came to clothing. I made the decision to file the expenditures for the costumes I made under Vanity. This was because I was very proud of those one-of-a-kind costumes and the process of making them brought a lot of joy into my life which was otherwise full of financial anxiety. I also filed under Vanity the gifts I gave to my son and other people in my life. When I did that, placing the charitable donations I tried to make into the category of Vanity made sense too. It went back to that day I watched my son attach that picture of his chess trophy to his Fundamental Needs homework assignment and then watching him proudly carry the project into school. For me, selecting gifts for people I cared about and giving to those less fortunate than myself had that element of passionate effort that I had so admired when I watched my son with his project. This led to a bit of an epiphany of compassion. Because when I added makeup and personal care to the category of Vanity I realized that getting my haircut and making the occasional purchase of a tube of mascara was not something to berate myself for or to be ashamed of. The giving of gifts, even to oneself, was not a frivolous want, it was a part of being human.
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Material Needs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Transportation<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Defense<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shelter<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Clothing<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Food<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Auto Fuel<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Medical<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Water Bill<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Child Clothing<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Groceries<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Car Maintenance<o:p></o:p></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pet care<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mortgage<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Personal Clothing<o:p></o:p></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
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Dining out<o:p></o:p></div>
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I-pass and Tolls<o:p></o:p></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Child care<o:p></o:p></div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Home Maintenance<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Work Uniforms<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Parking fees<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cell Phone<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Electric<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alternate transportation<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Internet<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Gas<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Registration<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Insurance<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cleaning Supplies<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Gym Membership<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Office Supplies<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.5pt;" valign="top" width="125">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td colspan="3" style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 467.5pt;" valign="top" width="623">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Spiritual Needs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Culture<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Religion<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vanity<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Outings<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Debt repayment<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Kid’s Activities<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Vacation<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Education<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Costumes<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mementos<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fees<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Gifts<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Taxes<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Donations<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Makeup<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.8pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 155.85pt;" valign="top" width="208">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Personal Care<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
This was a start. This was certainly some much needed perspective on my financial situation. But this wasn't quite magic, not yet. I will be back with the magic in another article.<br />
<br />
<h3>
If you like this post, you may also enjoy:</h3>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/financial-fiasco-fundamental-needs.html">Financial Fiasco + Fundamental Needs = Money Magic Part 1</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2016/10/it-is-easier-to-get-what-you-want-than.html">It Is Easier To Get What You Want Than To Know What You Want</a></div>
Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-23167685179067759332018-09-12T16:11:00.000-07:002018-09-12T16:11:12.613-07:00Magical Moment - The Goddesses of Agriculture and Industry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had the opportunity to be walking downtown in my home city of Chicago just recently. Although I've been a resident for two decades now, I was struck that day, with awe and appreciation for the beauty of my city. <br />
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My attention was captured by the statues devoted to Agriculture and Industry which hold vigil near the Chicago Board of Trade.<br />
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The statues demonstrated so aptly for me that the Goddesses of old never left humanity. They continue to guard us and care for us even if we fail to recognize Their divinity. They are content to live as stories and as art. Our belief is of less importance than Their presence. <br />
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<br />Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-28681558524687288362018-09-05T14:47:00.000-07:002018-09-05T14:47:12.486-07:00Magical Moments - Crowley Cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am a near hysterical fan of the TV Show <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural/view-in-app/">Supernatural</a>. I had originally turned my nose up at the 13 season show, so arrogantly sure that it had all the occult lore wrong. But my son talked me into watching it on Netflix and...we binged it... Lore aside (although they weren't that far off actually), it was a great piece of television.<br />
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This show gave me hope when I thought I had lost it. I had the opportunity to tell Jared Padelecki, (the actor who plays my favorite character Sam Winchester) just that at a fan convention in the summer of 2017. <br />
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The next day after that convention, I came across a little being who needed me to be her hero. But I think I might have needed her even more than she needed me. She helped me discover even more hope and reminded me of the things I really felt were important.<br />
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And, one of my Animal Spirit Guides is a black spirit cat named Trickster. I wanted his partner in my physical world - a black cat to be my...cliche. Crowley is all black, except for a small tuft of white fur on her chest. That incidentally is the description of the Cait Sith a fairy cat from Ireland. Even better, a fairy cat for a fairy woman. <br />
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<h4>
If you liked this post you may enjoy:</h4>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/magical-moment-deer-in-daylight.html">Magical Moment - Deer in Daylight</a></div>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2017/01/animal-spirit-guides-of-chakra.html">Animal Spirit Guides of the Chakras</a></div>
Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-13043096124676958922018-09-03T16:40:00.002-07:002018-09-03T16:40:52.803-07:00Divination is Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I was very excited to learn the practice of Geomancy Divination from <a href="https://www.ecosophia.net/">John Michael Greer</a>. At his class, I sheepishly presented by already battered copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Practice-Geomancy-Divination-Renaissance/dp/1578634318/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536017912&sr=8-1&keywords=art+and+practice+of+geomancy">The Art and Practice of Geomancy</a> for him to sign. When I showed embarrassment over the dog-eared pages he told me he was thrilled to see it in its condition because clearly, I was using his book. He signed it and I was thrilled.<br />
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Then I promptly lost the book. I was devastated. <br />
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If you bring up my image of the Geomancy chart I calculated to find that book, you can see that I was still struggling with the art and practice of Geomancy. But let me tell you the results. <br />
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The book came back to me. A co-worker (actually the term we use in policing is "partner") found it in a squad car and brought it directly to my home. The book came to me. <br />
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So now that I have more experience, I would interpret this chart differently. Look at the bottom square - this is called a House Chart. The figure in the triangle marked number 1, is Fortuna Minor. This figure represents success but unstable. This position in this first triangle is representing me - a perfect figure because I lost the book, no one else was to blame for that. So yep, unstable - I lost it, no one took it. But this figure also suggests the book may return. Now my original notes say that my answer should be in the second triangle or ninth triangle. Ideally Fortuna Minor should repeat in that triangle to give me a definite YES! But it didn't. This was not entirely hopeless, in Geomancy, there are a few ways a yes can be indicated. Fortuna Minor did repeat in the fifth triangle. But at first I was confused because that had nothing to do with my question, "Will I find my Geomancy Book?"<br />
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Fortuna Minor repeats again in the sixth triangle. John Micheal Greer called this pattern a "walking figure" and the symbol in the triangle it "walks" to is also very important. Conjunctio (the 'X' like symbol in the 7th triangle) is a figure known to be favorable for finding lost things. In addition to that, another figure, the one in that 9th triangle as a matter of fact, also walked back to Conjunctio in that 7th triangle. That seventh triangle actually represents the astrological House of Marriage.<br />
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And what pray tell, do we often call spouses? How about "partner?"<br />
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Also interesting to note is that Fortune Major, which means assured success, appears in triangle 10. This represents the astrological House of Career. <br />
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The figure in that ninth house that went "walking" is called Albus, a figure of passivity. <br />
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The chart was trying to tell me that I had lost the book at work (I didn't know that when I made this chart incidentally) but not to worry. I did not have to do anything, the book would find it's way back to me through my partner. <br />
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Which is exactly what happened. I happily use that autographed copy of the Art and Practice of Geomancy to this day. I was so delighted to have it back. This chart taught me a great deal about divination interpretation. Divination has rules, but interpretation is more than just following the rules. You have to allow the symbols to tell you a story - you have to allow for creativity in your interpretation. <br />
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So if you want to learn a divination. Practice. Track results. Keep learning. <br />
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<h4>
If you liked this post you might also enjoy: </h4>
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/deluxe-geomancy-reading.html">Deluxe Geomancy Reading</a><br />
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<br />Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-80336602248504465812018-09-01T20:11:00.001-07:002018-09-01T20:13:42.795-07:00Book Spotlight - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am aware that The Alchemist by <a href="http://paulocoelhoblog.com/">Paulo Coelho</a> is a work of fiction, but fiction is the the imagination made manifest and if that's not magic, then I don't know what is.<br />
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What Drew Me In</h4>
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<ol>
<li>Not only is this a fictional tale, it is almost a fantasy for adults. There are mysterious kings, frightening bandits, and of course, the Alchemist.</li>
<li>The flow of this tale is so powerful, you simply are swept away. However, within the fantasy, I felt the connections to the mundane. The boy, the hero, gets comfortable and I could see how it would be so easy to succumb to the seductive normalcy in his life.</li>
<li>But the boy does not succumb however, he lives his personal legend. I loved that concept - the idea of a plain sheep herder living a personal legend.</li>
</ol>
<h4>
How I Think I Can Apply It Magically</h4>
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<ol>
<li> I like comfort a little too much. This book reminded me that everyone has the potential to be extraordinary. </li>
<li> I started thinking about my life purpose. What would my epic personal legend be?</li>
<li> Mistakes are difficult, particularly magical ones. It's so easy to dismiss magic as fake when my spell go wrong. Dreams can be misleading but it doesn't mean that they don't possess truth.</li>
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<h3>
If You Liked This Post You Might Enjoy Some Other Book Spotlights</h3>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/book-spotlight-art-and-practice-of.html">The Art and Practice of Geomancy </a></div>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/book-spotlight-your-money-or-your-life.html">Your Money or Your Life</a></div>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/06/book-spotlight-conscious-dreaming-by.html">Conscious Dreaming</a></div>
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Are you on GoodReads? <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/69223507-amy-christensen">Let's be friends!</a> </div>
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Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-70333804063023460472018-08-31T15:59:00.001-07:002018-08-31T16:05:18.677-07:00Financial Fiasco + Fundamental Needs = Money Magic (Part 1)In 2006 I had been served divorce papers. The financial climate of my marriage had never been exactly sunny; and that divorce was one of the first snow storms in what became the avalanche of my financial demise. One money crisis I had to face in my new status of mother and now single mom was securing housing. As a city civil servant, I am required to live in Chicago proper, but I could not afford a two-bedroom apartment. So, I applied for an 80-20 military loan and received one. However, it was a dangerous adjustable-rate mortgage with a high interest rate; it did solve my housing problem, but really was more than I could comfortably afford. Another crisis was my work assignment to midnights and the afternoon shift. This meant find overnight child-care, or quit my job and risk homelessness and the loss of my child. I chose overnight care with an au pair service that allowed me to pay by credit card (which I maxed out). I maxed out two more credit cards and borrowed from my elderly mother in Arizona to pay my divorce lawyer. It turns out, lawyers tend to sue you if you don’t pay them within a couple of weeks.<br />
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By 2013, I was struggling badly. I had gotten myself into a horrendous amount of debt. Every single month, checks were bouncing, and the balance in my bank accounts were in the red. I was behind on those two mortgages I had. Debt collectors were constantly calling me demanding their money. I was desperate and depressed. Particularly when I went to the grocery store. I calculated every single dollar in my head and made myself so anxious, I was actually shaking at the checkout. My credit union was advertising free financial counseling, so I made an appointment to see this financial planner. She told me to declare bankruptcy. Even the financial planner had no hope for me. I was in ruin – a financial failure.<br />
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My financial salvation came not from Bankruptcy but from a most unlikely of sources. My son’s father was begrudgingly paying for private Montessori education for our son. He had argued to the courts to no avail to force me to pay for part of the tuition, but the courts agreed – I simply did not have the funds. So, it was either public education, or his Dad would have to pay for the private school alone. My son’s father has no idea how grateful I am that he fronted the bill for the Montessori education. Public education has its merits, I’m sure, but it does not have the <a href="https://www.montessoriservices.com/ideas-insights/the-fundamental-needs-of-humans">Montessori Fundamental Needs.</a><br />
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The Fundamental Needs is a learning tool within the Montessori educational system that allows students to analyze and learn about culture. The basic premise is that all cultures share some basic concepts – fundamental needs that reoccur throughout all humanity. These needs are first broken down into two main categories: Material Needs and Spiritual Needs. Material needs are readily identifiable; under this umbrella are the needs of Food, Shelter, Clothing, Transportation and Defense. Applying the word “spiritual” before “needs” is likely to bring out the skeptics, however if you think about the study of culture, Spiritual Needs are often readily identifiable as well. Under the Spiritual Needs are Religion, Culture and Vanity.<br />
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I learned about these Fundamental Needs from my son as he prepared a homework assignment. The assignment had a simple premise: in order to understand and connect to other cultures, one first has to understand their own culture. He had to look at his own world and assemble a chart with photographs of him and by him that captured the essence of what he thought these Fundamental Needs meant in his own personal environment. As he began the assignment, I was fascinated with how personal and unique his choices were.<br />
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My son chose to begin with transportation. In a split family, that makes sense, transportation between households is such a frequent and prominent event. He defined transportation with a photograph of my car but he also wanted to include an airplane and a picture of a boat ride we had once taken. I was surprised by the boat ride, because I was unaware that it had made such an impression on him. But it was also interesting because it was an indigenous mode of transportation in our city of Chicago.
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Defense was next. For this he chose some pictures of his martial arts class. He apparently associated defense as a physical idea. Not all of the children in his class thought this way. I realized that I take physical health and strength very seriously and I had imparted that to my son. Not that it was bad, it was just an interesting observation of our microcosm.<br />
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Shelter was a no brainier for my son. He took a picture of our house; but that had a telling backstory though, because he did not include a picture of his Dad’s apartment. Perhaps it was a simple oversight, but maybe not. Maybe the concept of shelter to my son was the permanence and consistency of a house rather than the more mobile life of his father.<br />
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For clothing my son photographed his favorite t-shirt. It had some cool cartoon characters on it that he liked but more importantly, it had a hood attached with long sleeves that matched. He loved that thing. Another unique observation was that he included his last Halloween costume as well. It was a very glamorous vampire costume with a vest of red fabric with diamond buttons and of course a velvet cape. He sported a dapper top hat as well. All of it I had sewn myself to his specifications. Clothing for him was about customization.<br />
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Food was what you might expect from a seven-year-old – pictures of pizza and spaghetti (what young child doesn’t like pizza and spaghetti) but he also included a picture of a birthday cake that I had made for him. I like to bake, so it wasn’t a box mix, and it was a shared process – he got to stir and more importantly – lick the spoon. To him, food wasn’t just nourishment, it was family time.<br />
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You might think that the subcategories under the spiritual needs would stump a 7-year-old, but my son knew immediately how he would define them. He placed culture first. He chose pictures from outings to his two favorite museums: The Chicago Children’s Museum and The Museum of Science and Industry.<br />
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Religion was next. He had drawn a classic pagan pentacle long before this project, labeling each spire of the star with the elements. He knew he’d be the only Pagan at school, but it wasn’t an issue for him. Children, if left alone, are far more accepting than adults give them credit. They are really only judgmental if an adult has diligently taught them to be so. That reality was probably beyond what my son was trying to convey, and yet was clearly part of the statement he made with his religious symbol.<br />
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Finally, for vanity, he chose a picture of himself with a chess trophy he had won. He was one of the youngest in the chess class and it wasn’t a participation trophy. He had meticulously collected the necessary points to place first in the class. He was proud of his accomplishment and he really liked chess. That was vanity to him – passionate effort and pride. I have to say, I think I admire that definition most.<br />
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The truth was, I admired his whole assignment. I still have it to this day! When he brought it to school I watched him carry it in with that clear passionate effort and pride on his face. My son was so confident in our little world. He was walking into school with a huge poster of proof that all of his fundamental needs were being met. Meanwhile, I was shaking at the grocery store checkout. Did that mean that my needs were not being met?<br />
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I thought long and hard about that. I began to think that maybe I was missing a few needs and I wondered if there was anything to be done about that. Money, was not on the fundamental needs, but money was my obsession. Didn’t money fund the needs? Certainly, I needed money to purchase food and pay the mortgage. But when my son assembled his homework project, at no time did he struggle, for him money was not an issue, it was irrelevant to his Fundamental Needs. It dawned on me that many of his depictions of his Fundamental Needs had cost me nothing. I had used library passes for the museums, the costumes and the cakes were more labor than dollars - I was actually pretty savvy and frugal when I thought about it. My son was in fact getting all of his needs met, some with no financial cost at all. Was money as important as I had made it?<br />
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So often I laid in bed awake with my stress and worries over money, or my lack of it. I had always thought that if I could just find a way to make more money that my problems would simply vanish. But making more money wasn’t so simple. Overtime at my current work was somewhat available for me to work but working overtime came with even more problems. Overtime meant overtime for the babysitter – extra hours were not allowed by the service I was using. That meant hiring a second babysitter and since I was already borrowing money to pay for the first, it didn’t seem realistic to borrow more to work overtime. But more importantly, overtime meant sacrificing time spent at museums and baking cakes with my son. My son lived in a world where despite his mother’s money issues, all of his fundamental needs were being met. Did I really want to sacrifice his needs for overtime dollars? No, I simply did not.<br />
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I went back to my worries and I lost more sleep. I replayed in my head the advice given from so many well-meaning people that I should cut back on my expenses. What expenses could logistically be cut? I was already dangerously stretching our food supply. I bought almost all of my son’s clothes second hand and I hadn’t purchased new clothing for myself possibly since my son was born. Canceling my car insurance was reckless and irresponsible. There were just no expenses to cut! Did that mean that bankruptcy really was my only option? But I just couldn’t see how bankruptcy <i>was</i> an option. Bankruptcy wasn’t going to buy food, clothing, gas or any of the fundamental needs. That was just it, I didn’t have <i>expenses</i> to be cut, I had <i>fundamental needs</i> I needed to figure out how to purchase without going further and further into debt.<br />
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In addition to all the anxiety and depression I was frustrated at myself! My friends and people in the magical community kept flattering me by telling me over and over again how powerful a witch I was. I was the real deal apparently, my spells worked. I had results I could not only articulate, but I had tracked tangible results. I suddenly knew I needed to write a spell, but it had to incorporate the Fundamental Needs which had been taught to me by my seven year old son.
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I will be back with another article with details from that spell.<br />
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If you enjoyed this post</h2>
You may want to read more of my backstory on my Money Magic Journey: <a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2016/10/it-is-easier-to-get-what-you-want-than.html">It Is Easier To Get What You Want, Than To Know What You Want.</a>Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-60126142427214194142018-08-29T14:41:00.001-07:002018-08-29T14:42:26.625-07:00Magical Moment - Deer in Daylight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A little while ago, I was on my way to work when I randomly turned down a street that was not on my usual route. At first I was really annoyed with myself and I scolded myself for not paying attention. How silly I was to turn onto the wrong street when I've been going to work on the same route for years!<br />
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But then, I saw this beautiful graceful deer wandering down the road. She didn't look stressed or lost, she just seemed like she was exploring this human street while there were few humans around to spook her off her adventure.<br />
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I began to wonder if perhaps my accidental turn off routine was not an accident after all. I wondered if maybe the universe thought that I needed to see this deer having her adventure. Maybe I was so lost in my routine I was missing hidden beauties that were just a small turn off my rutted path. I was so grateful I had this opportunity to share a moment of this brave deer's adventure.Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-61253728737931506042018-08-27T17:07:00.000-07:002018-08-27T17:09:22.330-07:00Weekly Divination - 1 Card Draw - Fairy Fortunes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Amissio Alfar is wise. </i></div>
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<i>Her beauty and voice mesmerize. </i></div>
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<i>Desire she gives, </i></div>
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<i>A true love that lives. </i></div>
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<i>You'll find yourself lost in her eyes. </i></div>
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We cannot always choose who we love, but we can choose who we are with. This week, you may find yourself struggling with an important relationship, if that is the case, you may want to ask yourself some hard questions.<br />
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We cannot coerce someone to change their behavior. It is nearly impossible for us just to change ourselves! So one hard question to ask is "If this person does not ever change, am I alright with that?"
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This is particularly true if your feelings for this person are more intense than what they feel for you. Another hard question to ponder is "Am I willing to accept what they are able to give me?"<br />
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What is important to know that if either answer is no, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. It is difficult to lose important relationships, but sometimes the best way to show appreciation for another is to let them go their own way alone.<br />
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If you liked this post, you may enjoy some of my other weekly divinations:</h4>
August 13 <a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/08/weekly-divination-1-fairy-card-draw.html">Weekly Divination 1 Fairy Card Draw</a><br />
July 9 <a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/deluxe-geomancy-reading.html">Deluxe Geomancy Reading</a><br />
July 2 <a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/weekly-divination-fairy-fortune-1-card.html">Fairy Fortune 1 Card Draw</a><br />
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To learn more about Fairy Fortunes visit <a href="http://www.fairyfortunes.com/">www.fairyfortunes.com</a>Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-64422830895629878152018-08-13T06:09:00.000-07:002018-08-13T06:09:13.047-07:00Weekly Divination - 1 Fairy Card Draw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>A Vila like Via loves change.</i></div>
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<i>Her home any road she can range.</i></div>
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<i>A whirlwind this sprite</i></div>
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<i>Her weakness is spite.</i></div>
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As you face the open road. It can be a daunting vision; to look before you and stare into the unknown for as far as your eyes can see. However, as you begin to put one foot down in front of the other and propel yourself forward for another step, and then another, your vision may allow you to see the possibility within the unknown.</div>
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It is natural to be afraid that we don't know what we are doing or where we are going; but we do know where we are going - forward.</div>
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Forward is good! It is better than stagnating or drowning in the swamp. So be brave, and boldly go forward. Courage does not mean that you are without fear, courage means you move forward with your fear with you.</div>
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If you liked this post, you may enjoy some of my other weekly divinations:</h4>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/deluxe-geomancy-reading.html">Deluxe Geomancy Reading</a></div>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/weekly-divination-fairy-fortune-1-card.html">July 2 1 Fairy Card Draw</a></div>
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Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-20268599264687036102018-07-12T16:14:00.001-07:002018-07-12T16:20:11.863-07:00Book Spotlight: The Art and Practice of Geomancy by John Michael Greer<div style="text-align: center;">
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I absolutely love practicing geomancy. I would describe it as mathematical art. </div>
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What Drew Me In</h2>
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<li>This text is very well organized. Each step in casting a reading is explicitly laid out and explained.</li>
<li>Later chapter suggest advanced magical techniques - such as creating magical sigils with the geomancy figures. </li>
<li>I had the opportunity to take a class from Mr. Greer himself, his book is a thorough as his in person demonstration. </li>
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How I Think I Can Apply It Magically</h2>
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<li>When do I not apply this magically? This is my favorite resource book I have ever owned.</li>
<li>I use this nearly every day in my daily divination studies.</li>
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If you'd like to see one of my Geomancy castings, I posted a <a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/deluxe-geomancy-reading.html">Deluxe Geomancy Reading</a> here on this blog. </div>
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Please visit <a href="https://www.ecosophia.net/">John Michael Greer's Website</a> for more information. <br />
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If you liked this post you may be interested in some of my other book spotlights:<br />
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/book-spotlight-your-money-or-your-life.html">Your Money Or Your Life</a><br />
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/06/book-spotlight-conscious-dreaming-by.html">Conscious Dreaming</a><br />
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/06/book-spotlight-option-b-by-sheryl.html">Option B</a><br />
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Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-82448389259890207792018-07-09T17:58:00.001-07:002018-07-09T17:58:40.913-07:00Deluxe Geomancy ReadingGeomancy is a form of astrological divination that was popular in the Renaissance but lost popularity in later eras. The Golden Dawn breathed some life back into the practice and it is enjoying a fringe resurgence in modern times largely thanks to author John Michael Greer. I had the privileged of learning Geomancy from Mr. Greer himself.<br />
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This is a Deluxe Geomancy reading to be applied for Tuesday, July 10, 2018. Key figures for Tuesday are Acquisitio, Puer, Conjunctio, and Via. These figures suggest that Monday will bring in some extra money to you. It would be worth your while to donate some of it to a favorite charity, but you should consider spending most of it on yourself. To do so will recharge you batteries and uplift your spirits. Conjunctio suggests that you head to your favorite restaurant! You don't need a partner for that though. Via the Vila suggests that this date be for you alone.<br />
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What kind of divination do you like to practice?</h4>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><b>If you enjoyed this post you might like to see another one of my divinations:</b></span><br />
<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/07/weekly-divination-fairy-fortune-1-card.html">Fairy Fortune 1 Card Draw</a>Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398941174486594344.post-81538527050853459522018-07-05T18:02:00.000-07:002018-07-05T18:02:08.627-07:00Book Spotlight: Your Money Or Your Life by Vicki Robin<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Fully Revised and Updated for 2018 by [Robin, Vicki, Dominguez, Joe]" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51cQNXKpQcL.jpg" /></div>
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Vicki Robin has composed a non-magical book that I think works magic. <br />
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What Drew Me In</h2>
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<li>Actually charting my money on a daily basis was enlightening. I <i>say</i> that healthy food is important to me and yet why was I spending so much money on fast food that I don't even like to eat? It gave the expression "food for thought" a whole new level of meaning.</li>
<li>I've never been a fan of budgeting, it didn't really work for me. This book offered me the idea to graph my expenses and income so I can see where I've been and make a reasonable hypothesis on where I might be going.</li>
<li>There is a whole lot of financial hope in this book - I don't know anyone who wouldn't appreciate that.</li>
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How I Think I Can Apply It Magically</h2>
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<li>What is a magic spell but a detail plan with a dash of faith? If you're looking for a money spell a charm from the Renaissance may not work, but this book lays out a practical and doable plan.</li>
<li>Many of the antidotes from people describe their financial transformations as "magical." I believe that they are.</li>
<li>This addresses a bit of the emotional and spiritual aspects attached to money. Magic isn't just about practicality, it also is very much about feelings and faith.</li>
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Have you ever done money magic? What worked for you?</div>
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Other Book Spotlights You Might Enjoy</h4>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/06/book-spotlight-conscious-dreaming-by.html">Conscious Dreaming</a></div>
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<a href="http://achristensenmusic.blogspot.com/2018/06/book-spotlight-option-b-by-sheryl.html">Option B</a></div>
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Amy Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961487592178560687noreply@blogger.com0