Requiem Of An Unlived Life With A Wild Wolf Spirit: Living With A Wolf Spirit Inside

Let Your Wild Wolf Spirit Grow and Expand

There are many in the world today and many in the world of the past who have felt they have not lived a "full" life. The below poem is about such a person that has a wild spirit within that is caged by the limits of the mind and body.

Many times a reevaluation of what we consider to be an unlived life, as described within this poem, will reveal that we have, in fact, lived a pretty full life. We will find that there are blessings there and experiences there that are very unique to us and us alone.

Many have that wild wolf spirit contained within. Learning how to unleash it will vary from person to person. At times our expectations of how to release this wild wolf spirit could be misleading. Again, evaluate things more closely. Look for avenues to release that wild wolf spirit that is within the grasp of how you are living your life at the moment. It is possible!

Tribute to the wolves - Freedom

My eyes are filled with unshed tears

I stand alone and try to weep

To mourn the passing mist of time

But they do not fall and still I keep.

My screams locked away within my chest

Along with the spirit young and free

Wild as the unchained winds of time

That unclaimed, lost, wild part of me.

I long to have a warrior’s heart

To roam this world as an unchained one

But I look back upon my life

And see so much still left undone.

I live a life vicarious

I live a life of rules and laws

A wolf soul lives within my heart

But with weak and blunted teeth and claws.

I live the life of others

Safely caged in walls of ink

For I fear to live a life unbounded

Lest like a stone I fall and sink.

Into a lake of unmourned ones

And pass without the tears of friends

And so my life slips softly by

As was my beginning so shall it be my end.

I live a life of safety

Held within myself

Without the courage to drain the world

Of all its beauty, joy and wealth.

I will live forgotten

And I will die unknown

To the world beyond my sphere

Of my job, my friends and my home.

Who will mourn my passing?

Who will shed a tear?

At the passing of a meek, chained one

Who lived his life awash in fear?

I have not lived my life

My life has not lived me

And I will pass into the void

Of dark and silent obscurity.

Perhaps I will not ever unchain

The wild wolf spirit inside me.

Freedom is what the Wolf's Spirit is all about.

The Story of Two Wolves courtesy of Esta Weiss, Pagan and Proud of It Art

Vampires or Vampyres: The Immortal Ones

Vampyre From Myth and Lore

They walk in the dark spaces, between the shadows and are never here,

They do as they wish, with no fear, regret or care of who you hold dear.

They are the warriors from ancient times past,

The ones who live for ever more and beyond.

Dark souls filled with immortality

Hunters of humanity....

Dealers in sorid tragedy.

Vampyre straight from myth and lore.

They live with heightened passion, hot and pure ecstasy divine,

No care for you or self, loyal to kindred only for all time.

Blood is their fuel and breath of life,

Loyalty to kin being their only law.

Intrigue is their pleasure and delight,

They kill at their leisure with no thought in sight.

Your fate is their treasure.

Vampyre straight from lore.

They walk amongst the world of humans, seen, but never there.

Sanguine or the psychic arts, they really have no care.

Reality and fiction combine creating sublime,

Did you feel their touch last evening, dark and cold?

Feel safe as you walk the path mundane,

Once you meet one you will never be the same,

We are the only ones able to play the true game.

Vampyre. Down to the core...........

This is my thoughts on Vampires, or with the popular and trendy spelling of Vampyres. I write and share this without any first hand knowledge of ever knowing a vampyre or vampire. My insight comes from various movies, television shows, numerous books and talking to others.

Often times I have wondered how it would be to be a vampyre or vampire. To live to never die, well that is a nice concept. However it would seem that one would eventually get tired or bored. I mean after about 500 years, there would not be a whole lot more you could experience one would think. Of course history always offers new experiences, so I may have to rethink that one.

I would not mind the blood thing if it was not human blood..well I think anyway, if it meant immortality. I know that I have heard of some vampires/vampyres that drink animal blood. I would reason this would not be much different than eating a very rare steak and such.

However, at this time, I do believe that I will simply continue life as a mortal and just let my imagination play with the thoughts of vampires and or vampyres.

Conceit Can Be An Author's Downfall

Don't Let Success Inflate Your Ego By Being Rude To Others

For years I have been writing and publishing articles under various "pen" names. Many have been very successful, shared and referenced by others. Others have been used with permission in books, studies and in schools.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not get numerous emails regarding my articles. Of course I am impressed and do pat myself on my back. But one thing I DO NOT do is act conceited towards others. That encompasses in comment, in email, in articles or in my profile that I may have anywhere. You will never find where I have put myself up on a pedestal, posing as being above any other being on this planet.

However, I see authors daily, who have become successful, and then they put themselves up on a pedestal as the "all knowing" person, and post such things about being arrogant, grumpy, and how they have no time for others unless they are respected for being the All Knowing Author. They will further be short and rude in comments on articles and in community forums. They try to leave the thought that you should feel privileged that they took their "valuable" time to read your material and commented with their negative comment.

You will find them in all online communities. I have yet to find one community where this group of the All Knowings do not exist. Maybe they belong to an All Knowing Author's Union, the AKAU of the Universe or something similar.

I will say this, when these Kings and Queens of the All Knowing stop by and leave such garbage on any of my articles, wherever they may be found, I will do several things no matter what stats you show on your profile. I will delete the comment, unfollow you if I follow you, and unlink to any of your articles I may have referenced in any of my articles. I will further block you on the site, Facebook, Twitter, etc., or wherever else I may have you. I refuse for you and your "success" to piggyback on myself or my material.

Now I am sure that this will raise some hairs being I am posting this on a site filled with authors, however, I was going to post this on my personal site, but wanted to share it where it would get more viewership, and I feel that HP offers that.

Don't get me wrong, I am always open to constructive types of comments, and please do point things out. I learn from all comments with the exclusion of what I have referenced in this hub. I enjoy responding to all comments, emails, and all communications and am well known to take the time to respond to all. This does not come out of conceit, but out of compassion and the love of doing so.

Please note I never specified any community, site or forum by name, nor will I. This is just a heads up for all who pop in from all over the web and read this along with my articles wherever you find them.

How To Store Herbs For Year Round Use: Various Preserving Methods

Herb Preservation and Storage

For many of us that use various herbs throughout the year for herbal remedies and spices, we like to have a large variety on hand at any given time. It is important that herbs be stored properly.

We can obtain herbs by growing them, trading for them or purchasing them. An alternative that I enjoy is going out into Nature and harvesting wild herbs and edible plants which are discussed more in detail here: What Wild Plants Are Edible?

If your choice to obtain herbs from a local seller or even an online seller, learn where the herbs are grown, what kinds of insecticide are used along with how they are prepared before sales.

Of course herbs come in various parts such as the roots, the stems, berries, flowers and the whole plant. Out of these choices, you need to decide which part you want to use, which is normally based on what the intended purpose of the herb is.

When purchasing, you can buy the whole plant or the harvested parts of the plant. Yarrow, for instance, is often sold as a whole plant, however, many simply want the flowers, so that is what you would look for or specify.

One must use caution when some herbs that are low growing are bought simply because some pickers will not be careful with such things as ragweed which could possibly become mixed with the herb and create an allergic reaction to some.

Preserving the color and strength of herbs is very important when considering storage. One way to keep fresh herbs, as well as dried herbs, safely is in your basic brown paper bag, labeled of course. If you choose to store your herbs in jars or bottles, be sure to use amber or dark ones as this will block any light they may be exposed to. Some herbalists will recommend strongly to use only cork stoppers and not to use metal lids. However, in my instance, I use both. It is hard to store a large volume of dried herbs in a single jar that you will find a cork to fit. Of course, plastic lids would be better than metal.

According to many, herbs will remain potent for up to a full year when stored properly. Again, I don't agree or disagree, however, I have stored herbs for well over that period and they were still potent. The focus is on "proper" storage for a longer potency life.

If you are growing your own herbs, harvest them when they are at their peak, as they will have all the needed liquids in abundance.

Any flowers that you may harvest, you want to make sure that they are at a full bloom point, open, and that they are dry...Early morning is NOT a good time to harvest flowers due to dew.

With most other herbs, you want to follow the same guidelines, harvesting after any moisture is gone for the day, and a nice sunny day is best. Cloudy and dreary days are usually humid days, and there will be more moisture in the air.

There are various ways to dry herbs, and some examples are in the pictures in this article. One picture that is lacking is using the electric herb dryer/dehydrator . That is what we use here at home. It is round, plastic and has stackable trays so we can do quite a large variety or amount if needed, or just one or two trays for a light harvest. This suits our needs well due to the fact we are currently residing in a small apartment with no yard to dry things in the sun.

Hanging herbs are very popular as well as spreading them on white sheets or paper and letting them dry.

Happy harvesting, drying and storing your herbs for use year round!

Hanging method of drying herbs courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Valentine's Day Is A Pagan Based Celebration

Valentine's Blessings!

February 14th is a special time of year. Valentine's Day is celebrated worldwide with many spending large amounts of money in celebration of a holiday named after the Catholic Saint Valentine.

Hidden from most is the actual Pagan origins of this day, that far predate Valentine's Day. The Pagan festival is Lupercalia, which began actually on the 15th of February. The 14th was a day that the love lotteries took place in Pagan Rome. This holiday was a devotion to the Queen of the Gods, Juno, and the patroness of marriage. On this same day, girl's names were written on pieces of paper and tossed into jars that would then be picked out by boys. The pair joined by this drawing would then be partnered for the whole celebration of Lupercalia. Many times this partnership developed into long lasting relationships.

Lupercalia has quite a history, and was celebrated until the end of the reign of Anastasius I in 491-518 CE. Pope Galesuis dedicated the Eve of Lupercalia to the deceased priest Valentine of Rome. It was at this time that the lottery was banned due to it being deemed un-Christain. The un-Christian ties to fertility were also not taught or mentioned any further by the Church.

In recent times, there has been many Christians that have attempted to ban the celebration of Valentine's Day as they have come to learn its true orgins had nothing to do with honoring a long deceased saint, but had everything to do with Pagan heritage.

A common figure in the modern Valentine's Day celebrations is Cupid who is the God of desire, affection and erotic love in Roman mythology. Cupid is thought to be the son of the Goddess Venus (goddess of love) and Mars (god of war).

To be shot with Cupid's arrow meant you would be filled with uncontrollable desire.

A thought in closing, when you mention to that girl or that boy to be your Valentine, you are engaging in a fertility rite that is very ancient and Pagan. To top it off is that you are throwing in some Pagan magic as well.

Cupid and Psyche courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

The Sacred Gift and Our Spiritual Core

Sharing Of Our Spiritual Journey - Giving and Receiving

Through out the years I have undergone many spiritual changes that have come to me through the experiences that life has thrown my way. I have always believed that there is a part of us a spiritual core inside each one of us that holds the blueprint of who we truly are irregardless of the the decisions that we have made in our journey's towards godhood.

A building is only as strong as the design in which it was made. Reinforcements can and often are added along the way to further improve the structure, but changing the core itself is a strenuous and often difficult task which can take a lengthy amount of time.

The Spiritual core that we all carry embodies the patterns in which we in this life and in past ones have developed for ourselves. Modifying these things can take an extreme amount of energy and will. A need for survival, a traumatizing experience, the level of intensity to change the core can be immense in some people.

Light Pathers as well as Dark Pathers, those that seek to be freed from conditioned bonds, will have some limitation concerning them due to the core of who they are. Often when others might touch upon these things and see in them these aspects about them, these are critical areas that border on sacred. These things can be shared and in my experience they are probably the most intimately revealing things presented to those of worth, trust, or for some other extremely important reason. Gifts of the most critical sort because from a Light or Dark Pather the self truly is the most important aspect about existence.

To allow someone an insight on you like this leaves a vulnerability in countless places. Thus I have found in myself an ability to speak yet still maintain security in being closed on important issues. A cloak or shroud is spoken and acted with. Red herrings are placed in the efforts of leading on those that are naturally curious to different directions.

Friends, loved ones, and even some allies, will more than likely be given small portions of these intimate details in order to further connect. A trust is given, this being as said quite sacred, woe be to those that take advantage of this and use that information against the gift giver. It might end up that the wrath they have towards that traitor will be of no insignificant threat. Those that accept and return this approach however may find in that relationship a meaningful and important relationship that will aid them in whatever perils they face in the future.

Focusing some on the Spiritual Core, I am one that believes that intuition is the catalyst for our spiritual core, the driving force and the voice. One I "finally" acknowledged that it was intuition that was speaking to me, and started paying attention, it was then that my spiritual core became more solid and a foundation was created that supports my spirituality today based upon that realization and acceptance.

Relying upon intuition and "trusting'' in intuition is something that I recommend to all, no matter what spiritual path they may find themselves traveling at this point in their life journey. Recognizing intuition is simple...it is that "little" voice that always pops up when we encounter the need to make a decision. That first thought or little voice, is usually the best guide one can find.

Mind, Body, Spirit courtesy of Esta Weiss, Pagan and Proud of It Art

The Perfect Magic Mechanical Machine - How To Practice Magic In Balance

Fine Tuning Your Magical Practices

In my experience on The Path one thing to be cautious of is a need to over complicate things. When starting out with a system of magic or energy work I have seen all to many paths going into the finer details of how their system tries to define everything about how it works. In reality we don't need to know so much at the beginning as we do need to find out more about it when we advance later.

For instance, when I learned how to ride my bicycle as a child. My father did not point out each and every mechanical instrument that the bike was made up of. He didn't tell me that the spokes were connected to the wheel to keep the circular shape that the tire was composed of. He didn't tell me that the chain was on the gears and would be powered by the pedals. I was shown how the brake worked without going into the aspects of why.

No, I was told to get on the bike learn how to balance and pedal. Before I crashed my first time I was shout at to hit the brake. The ability to ride the bike was deemed and I feel correctly so as more important at the time than learning why the bike worked as it did.

There are a number of theories why magic(k) works as it does. That is less important than finding a system that does the trick for you. When you have reached a boundary and you cannot go past it is then that you might want to see what is stopping you. What are the mechanics on your bike that need to be improved or modified in order for you to once again progress.

I don't believe that anyone has the whole or complete picture of how things work. Therefore trying to find all that before you practice isn't liable to improve your abilities in that area. When learning a martial art improvements are drastically made at first by the mimicry that you do when seeing the other instructors or advanced students. The why isn't so important so much as the form that you practice is improving.

Another important aspect in this is that the higher you go you end up seeing the impossibility of understanding everything. Each little mechanical piece of the bike is underwritten and composed of an infinite number of other mechanical pieces. The farther you delve into it the more lines of code you become aware of.

Thus advanced practitioners of magic, though they might have an understanding of a number of areas, usually focus on a few areas and devote their time to those. Delving farther into the selected area you are more than likely going to be able to transcend into the next level.

What is helpful in this is that energy if it must be looked at as on the whole, it must be remembered it is the perfect magical mechanical machine. The error comes not from it not working but our mimicked build of it when we seek to use it and tap into that power.

Magical Setting courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

The Soul's Call

Listening To And Knowing The Soul: A Native American Perspective

Upon the wings of night,

What dreams enter our heart,

Who can hear? Who can hear?

Our hearts as big as the Universe,

Our Souls as wide as time.

Proclaimed in many spaces,

Calling unto our shells,

Hear me! Hear me!

For all the truths you follow outside,

They are but lies in the sun.

Truth is in the heart of the soul,

Bestowed on all, bestowed in all,

A great gift, oft untouched.

Then why so many abandoned hearts?

So many give way the soul,

Every ounce of control,

To concrete and ivory towers,

That darken the skies before it is night,

That darken the waters,

No longer reflecting light.

Why can you not see me here?

Hear me. I call unceasingly,

I speak in the winds,

From the four directions I come.

Sense me from the East,

I inspire you,

In my illuminating fire.

Touch me from the West,

I draw you to reflection,

In the deepest caves.

Feel me from the South,

I play tag with you,

In waves of love.

Know me from the North,

I open you, to Me,

The eyes of wisdom.

The heavy eyes of Wisdom.

For once seeing, the world changes,

never the same again.

I am of the Sun,

I heal you.

I am of the Moon,

I guide you.

Know me in fire,

The inspiration of your heart.

Feel me in water,

The flow of your soul.

Know me in air,

The wings of your mind.

Feel me in earth,

You are Me in flesh.

Hear me, I am White Buffalo,

Who's Sacred Wisdom,

Is knowing the ways of peace.

I am Golden Eagle that dares you to fly high,

To touch your dreams,

To heed my call to freedom.

Hear me I am the Ancient Owl,

The eyes of many realms.

I see thru all realities,

With eyes that penetrate darkness,

With inner light.

Hear me, I am the Bear,

I call unto you,

Come unto me, that you might understand

who I am.

I am Soul,

A dolphin seeking the waters of your heart.

I am the Red Deer of gentle dawns.

I am Spider,

Weaving the sacred threads of this life.

You will never find me in some defined place,

or theology.

You shall never find me on some distant shore,

or place of any kind.

Fear, drives me away.

Anger stills my voice.

Unkindness brings me tears.

Judgment weighs heavy upon times sands.

Bitterness turns the heart cold,

Leaving no place then to rest my head.

For I am Soul, and we are one.

Silence is my resting place.

When chaos lifts its head,

And peace can not be heard,

Drowned out by noisy Crows.

Crows in the Head.

Crows in the world of the dead,

Closed hearts, broken dreams.

Come, I am Raven fly with me,

Into the Void of Silence.

I am the potential of all thou art,

A dream of Great Mystery in the making.

I am the place of knowing.

I am the very Core of you.

When I walk the world,

I gather what others scattered,

And scatter what others gather.

Look as you may,

You shall never see me on the path of waste.

You shall only find me amongst the creations of life.

Only there you will find me.

Only there will we meet.

Together we can create a world of peace.

Together we can build a rainbow bridge,

Dropping along the way,

Dream stones of many colors.

As one by one the bridge takes form,

Others will pick them up,

and if they listen,

The stones weave ancient stories of memory.

For in memory shall they come,

In dreams they shall remember.

And when they do,

The bridge shall be there waiting,

to cross over to the other shore.

Shaman's Walk - Healing the Soul

Courtesy of Esta Weiss, Pagan and Proud of It Art

What Is The Cost Of Magic and Mystical Arts?

Expectations for Mystical and Magical Services Rendered

There is a practice that those of the mystical arts have in a great many of paths. This practice is known as taking payment before a working, spell, direction of energy, or anything else that it is called is worked for the "client." There is a reason that so many paths and individuals in both light and dark paths work in this method.

When payment is received up front there is no lasting bond or agreement. The client has got what he or she has paid for. Thus they can go on their way without feeling indebted to the crafter for the work that was done for them. The crafter has gotten payment and no longer needs to worry about getting something in equal value for the energy they put forth for the Client.

Those folks that work on trades usually work on the assumption that they are dealing with people of honorable and noble intentions and that on a later date that a favor of some sort will be given back. Understandably however, once the crafter has finished his work for the client, the client already having his reward more likely than not will forget the service done for them or the expense in which ought to be paid for what they have already received.

If you are dealing with a crafty or malicious leech as the crafter, they might try to ensnare one of noble intention to feel indebted to them and try to raise the price continually on the working that was done for the honorable one in the past.

As a Wiccan High Priest myself I know all too well the need for benefit in committing myself to certain agendas for others. I know that others like me who may or may not have the sense of morals that I choose to live by may or may not make good on the deals that they make. Thus leading to a tentative place of trust a type of probing, a small gift is given and payment or another gift is given back. You may then wish to try to grow upon that relationship by making larger deals.

An acquaintance of mine in the past used to talk to me about what we called the Dark Witch of the Woods aspect.

There are those without an ability to do for themselves in the ways of energy, mentality, or even action towards some objective, will come to those of us that have those specific abilities and seek assistance from us. Often they come alone, without telling a soul of what they intend to seek out from us.

Often the service is done for very little in reference of benefit for those types. Simply because word of mouth will come about that there is one within the forest that can grant them certain advantages in the rare times that the topic might come up. They remember however not very often except when there is need for us again in whatever mostly petty concerns they might have. When the service is done usually they leave, joyous that they have gotten something. They forget about us until their next time of troubles, or when someone they know has encountered something that one of our skills can easily handle. Then for the most part after that we are forgotten, unknown, and we lay in waiting till the next episode comes along which our attentions are turned to.

Two entirely different aspects about payment in regards to the practices we provide for the masses. Usually I like to think that if my services are up to par then folks will know that they can trust me with particular problems. They should also understand that there is a price for the things that I do for them. Nothing is free folks, this lunch will cost you.

In most case scenarios, I choose to work on a donation basis as long as I don't find out that I have been taken advantage of. In other words, if you are limited, then donate in a limited manner for services provided. However, if you are gifted more financially, then the donation should be a reflection of such. The donation aspect was taught to me by "Chief Two Trees - Healer and Man of Wisdom Remembered." He did not physically teach me or guide me verbally, he taught me by the way that he worked and that was by donations. I witnessed "donations" in action, and feel personally, that this was the best solution for me as well versus "charging" a set fee for services rendered.

Mystical Spirit courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Understanding Magic or Magick

The question! What is, "magic" or "magick"? 

Many have wondered what the proper definition of "magic" is. In this article, the meaning will be discussed.

To define the word "magic", we will start with what it is. Magic is actions taken and energies focused to cause change to happen. This would focus on the use of our will to implement the change. Energy is focused by our will and change happens.

As we progress in magic we gain the ability to harness the mind and work with intuition creating visualization. We seek to use some of our brain, or unconscious that we normally do not use. Much of our brain is never used in the course of day to day actions.

The energies focused when using magic are unseen usually. Using these subtle energies allow us to create change.

To tune the art of magic we implement different techniques, depending on the practitioner and circumstances. Meditation, voice work, exercise, visualization, ritual and breath control name a few. These will help sharpen our mind and give us balance needed to work with the perceived energies and wield them properly and to the best of our ability.

Will is a key factor as well in the art of practicing magic. The above techniques will also help us to create balance in our will and increase the strength of our will. The energy comes from our will.

As you continue to work with magic, you gain strength in all areas of your life and are able to overcome the guilt thrown at you by society. Those preconditioned guilt fillings about sin and such disappear. Inhibitions as well as stigmas will be removed from our lives. This allows the releasing of our energies to increase our strength in our practice.

Physical efforts done by the practitioner will also allow energy to flow more freely. The tension that we build act like body armor, holding in energies and preventing us from accomplishing magic at our peak levels. By exercising, such as doing yoga, dance or even massage will allow this shield to drop and the flow of energies to increase.

Magic in itself is not a spiritual path. It is what is incorporated into many different paths. You can find magic practiced anywhere in the world, by all sorts of religions, spiritual groups, individuals and societies.

Symbols are used very often in magic. These allow us to create stronger focus therefore increasing our energy flow. Associations with the use of symbols would be like perfume to attract a lover, and the use of copper in a necklace or bracelet could be used. These are associated with Venus who is associated with love. This is making change by working with items or symbols that are linked to what you are intending to change.

I have seen magic abused many times through the years. By that I mean magic being performed for greed in the process of personal change. There is nothing wrong with wanting love, sex, and to be rich, but magic tends to be focused on you gaining only what you need. So instead of getting rich beyond your wildest dreams, you will find you will be allowed to live comfortably. You will not always get what you feel you have to have.

Magic is about power. But this power is not over other people. It is personal power that you gain by raising energy levels within that grow and create positive change.

Commitment is a vital aspect of magic as well. You have to develop strength, perseverance and determination, ridding yourself of rigidity allowing you to be open to change. As you develop these you grow and reach your highest potential. This opens the doors for working in harmony with the universe allowing change within yourself as well as your environment.

Now for that question that many people ask. "Why is there a "k" on the end of the word at times?" The "k" is added to "magic" to set it aside from what magic is. Magic is the art of illusion. Change appears to happen but does not actually happen. Magick is not about illusion, but about real changes taking place. So the "k" is added to allow the difference to be known. "K" is also the eleventh letter of the alphabet. Eleven, when used with the power of ten, symbolizes the unseen and hidden energies. Eleven is the number of magick.

The benefits of working with magic over time are gained discipline, balance, harmony, spiritual growth, mental growth and allowing one to see the beauty of life fully enjoying it with unconditional love.

Magic Wiccan Altar courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons