I Am a Solitary Wiccan! (Part 2)

Hola my peoples! What is up?

Sorry- I know it’s Wednesday. Things were hectic Monday and yesterday, let me tell you. But since my first class was cancelled, I can update now.

So I promised you guys more info about Wicca. But first, I must make this disclaimer: Though I wish I could, I CANNOT speak for everyone when I’m talking about this. Everything does not apply to everyone. I am only talking from my experiences, people I have encountered, and what I have learned along the way… now that that’s out of the way, let’s begin.

I chose to convert to Wicca because I felt that my beliefs did not align with the Christian way that I was born into. I believe in reincarnation (not the same as eternal life in the Bible, right?), spirits (seen/felt a few), the sixth sense (clairsentience, clairvoyance, clairaudience, etc.), and healing through meditation, stone and crystals, and chakra cleansing. And then there’s magic. I believe in that too.

By magic, I am not talking about Harry Potter-type magic- that stuff is Hollywood inspired. Real magic (usually spelled “magick” to avoid confusion with camera tricks and slight-of-hand magic, as seen with magicians) consists of working with nature and the universe in order to influence people or situations (generally in a good way- once again, can’t speak for everyone). For instance, the five points of the pentacle represent earth, air, water, fire, and spirit (no place in there for Satan- imagine that. Haha!).

And we do spells. Not like, “bubble, bubble, toil and trouble,” with a cauldron and bat wings. Spells are basically prayers and affirmations. And I’ll just say this now- I do not believe in using love spells! I’m sure with the right amount of influence, they would work like any other spell, but influencing someone against their will is not good. Which brings me to this:

“An it harm none, do what ye will” and the Three-Fold Law. The first is the Wiccan Rede, which basically states do what you want, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone or anything. And the Three-Fold Law is similar to karma- everything you do has a consequence, which can be good or bad. If you do something bad (mostly on purpose or for personal gain), it will come back to bite you in the butt three times as powerful (this has happened to me, not with magick but with relationships). If you do something good (especially when you’re doing it out of goodness and not for personal gain) good things will come to you (I’ve also experienced this). So basically don’t hurt anyone or anything for personal gain, you’ll be fine.

Also, being a “solitary” Wiccan, well… the meaning is obvious- solitary practice. It means that I do most or all of my worship and practices by myself. However, I am a part of my college coven here. We just get together to celebrate holidays, but I wasn’t able to make it for the only one so far. For Yule- which is basically Christmas for us- I celebrated by practicing astral projection, the ability to project my mind and body into the astral plane while my body remains motionless on the physical plane. I did this because it was a special day and I usually do not have the time to take some time and practice, due to being too tired or too restless. So it was a special day, even though I was not celebrating it with a group of people. And as I said before, it’s different for everyone- some feel comfortable practicing with a group, others like doing it in private. I’m one of the latter.

Alright, that will be all for now. I’m sure I’ll be coming back to this soon enough- there is so much to say about this subject. If anyone has any more questions or wants details from someone more experienced than I am, I recommend watching videos by Cara:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cutewitch772

She is a video blogger that talks about Wiccan matters and more, from celebrating Samhain and Yule to working with stones and crystals (my personal favorites). Later guys, and thanks for reading (as well as being so patient for this post)!

Adding a touch of love (potion) and understanding to the world,

~H.P. Echo~

I Am a (Solitary) Wiccan!

What’s up my peoples?

So last week I was tackling bisexuality. This week, I’m tackling the religion that goes along with this symbol:

Picture of pentacle from netplaces.com

 

And that, my friends, is Wicca.

Now I know that at least one or two people who read this have probably been raised to think that this is an evil symbol and an evil religion- the path toward the devil himself.

While I can’t un-teach you, alter your beliefs or perhaps- heaven forbid- shake your faith, I can do a little teaching of my own and bust some myths for you.

When faced with someone who is Wiccan in your life- and actually, this goes for anyone who is different from you, religion-wise, sexuality-wise, politic-wise, etc. – here are basic ways to approach them respectfully:

Rule 1: If they are wearing a symbol that you feel offends you or you don’t quite understand, ASK THEM ABOUT IT. Ask them questions, but be nice about it. Instead of “aren’t you afraid you’re gonna go to hell?” ask “What does that symbol/phrase mean to you?” Phrasing matters.

Rule 2: Remember that these people are not just the symbol they are wearing or what the symbol represents. They are also friends, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, co-workers, mothers, fathers, students and, overall, human. Even if you two do not agree in the area in question, you both are human and therefore are similar in that way and maybe some other ways as well. Treat them as you would want to be treated or as you would treat another family member, co-worker, human, etc.

Rule 3: Taking this old-school- what your parents or family members might have told you as you grew up- “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” If you truly feel that you cannot find anything nice to say about whatever the person “is” or the path that they are on and feel is right for them, don’t say anything. Remember- you’re not perfect either and it is likely that people in your life have also tolerated an aspect that is a part of who you are.

Rule 4: It is possible to remain friends with (or related to) someone who lives differently than you. See Rule 3. Even if you don’t agree with your friend’s lifestyle, religion, sexuality, whatever, you can still be friends. And anyone who is different in your family is still your family. If anything, you don’t even have to address it all the time. After all, this difference isn’t the only part of them. Also keep in mind that if they are only recently coming out, they need support now more than ever.

And finally Rule 5: Keep in mind that every person is not the same! Reasons for changing an aspect of a life varies from person to person. What the subject at hand means to them also varies. Also, people’s decisions and lifestyle choices do not ultimately determine what they are like! I have met rude Christians, friendly Christians, friendly Wiccans, shy Wiccans, shy homosexuals, abrupt homosexuals, loud Hindus, quiet Hindus, etc. So ignore the stereotypes and get to know the person before deciding your feelings about them or (worse) spreading rumors.

So those rules aren’t just for when you meet someone who practices Wicca, those can be applied to for many things and to anyone who is different from you.

Since this post is getting kind of long, I’ll end it here. I’ll make this a multi-post because I’ve got more to say about this. Part two- in which I’ll explain what this symbol means to me, the basics about Wicca in general, and some myth-busting- will be up next Monday! Thanks for reading!

Nox,

~H.P. Echo~

I Am Bisexual!

Hey guys! Sorry I didn’t blog yesterday. I usually try to post every Monday (I’ve actually been thinking about posting more than once a week) but classes started yesterday, so I was gone most of the day. But since my schedule says I’m free now, it’s writing time!

So because you guys have been so patient, I will share something with you guys that few people in my life know: I am bisexual.

Now quite frankly, I’ve been questioning for years. I thought that being bisexual meant that you have an equal preference for men and women. Then I learned about this thing:

A colorful table  of the Kinsey Scale from Tumblr.com

This little wonder is called the Kinsey Scale. Being a zero on the scale means that you’re exclusively heterosexual, and being a six means that you’re exclusively homosexual. Everything else in between is basically where bisexuality, pansexuality, and etc. are (Except asexuality- that’s kind of a league of its own). I actually first learned about this in my women’s studies class. Since I was still questioning at the time, I took a couple of tests- one given to me by my instructor and one I found online- and came up as a 2, which seems about right. I have a preference for men, but I’m not exactly against liking/dating girls. But ultimately it’s on you- tests can be wrong, you know. But I do feel right about being a 2 on the scale.

Myth-busting time!

1. Being bisexual does not necessarily mean that we are up for threesomes! Trust me- I don’t like them. Quite frankly… I don’t like sharing my partner, you understand. Haha.

2. Being bisexual does not mean that I’m struggling to play for one team! I know that I am not strictly heterosexual or strictly homosexual. Yes, some people in those categories use bisexuality as transition into the other. I am not one of those people.

3. Being bisexual does not mean that I’m desperate! I’ve had a boyfriend and girlfriend at this point (not at the same time, see #1 above). I know that love is patient. Bisexuality technically doubles your chances at finding love but at the same time it does not. There are many factors that would make this difficult.

Those are my three truths for you. If I think of any more, I’ll either write them in or put them in another post; I’ll be coming back to this subject again because I’ve searched- there are not enough books, movies, or even write-ups like this by bisexuals, for bisexuals, about bisexuals. I want to make this kind of information more available to people like me who are out there and were as confused as I was.

That said, for my bisexual (or questioning) amigas, I recommend this site here: http://www.shybi.com/

This site has a lot of information and other bisexuals who know what they’re talking about. If you guys want to ask questions or just mingle, join the forums (listed along the top of the page). I’ve been signed up for a couple of weeks now- there are plenty of topics to talk about, and the ladies on the forum are pretty empathetic, friendly, and helpful- with all problems and such, not just stuff about sexuality. Definitely beneficial for those who are still in the closet. You’ll also find that a lot of the ladies on there also rank as a 2 on the Kinsey Scale.

For my bisexual (or questioning!) guys, here is the brother site to shybi: http://www.shybi-guys.com/

Because I’m not a guy, I haven’t really explored the site or the forum (listed on the left-hand side of the page), but if it’s anything like the ladies’ site, then it’ll be equally beneficial for you guys out there.

Alright this is a long post… so I’ll cut it now. I’ll being this back be coming back to this (*edit: my brain stalled when I was writing the part that's crossed out- ignore that) later. Thanks for reading people! Drop me comments and questions if you have any!

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyyy sexy lady (or gentleman)!

~H.P. Echo~

*Update*: There is a fantastic new book about bisexuality called Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Eisner! It includes topics such as what bisexuality is, biphobia, passing, bisexuality while being trans* and more. If you want to further educate yourself- or if you have a paper to write, I recommend checking it out!

I Am Resolving for the New Year!

Hola my peoples!

How are those New Year Resolutions coming along? Hitting the gym? Eating healthier? Being a better friend? Husband? Wife? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Overall better person?

Now, I don’t usually do resolutions at New Year’s, since my year revolves around school and January is only the halfway point in the school year. So if anything, I make my resolutions at the beginning of each school year (toward the end of August).

I wrote these down as my resolutions and goals back in August to be done during my first year of college:

1. Get to know/ get along with my roommate- first and foremost

2. Make friends on my own [especially with my R.A (residential assistant) and the food servers in my dining hall]

3. Run at least a few times a week

4.Do projects at a productive rate (aka don’t procrastinate)

5. Check out the martial arts club

6. Check out the religious groups

7. Remain single for (at least) the first semester (hopefully all year)

8. Continue finding and working on scholarships

9. Remember: “Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none” (Benjamin Franklin)

10.Remember, in times of anxiety: “Peace, quiet, tranquility” (Starfire from Teen Titans)

11. Speak (my mind), be the “new” person I am inside and let her shine, and do something I thought I’d never do

 

Definitely a long list. But I’ve actually completed a few of them already; the ones that aren't highlighted have been completed (although obviously they’re all a work in progress). I’m pretty satisfied that I’ve done so many of these already.

But this year, I want to do something that I realized have not done in years, and I decided to make it my New Year’s Resolution since I had my “epiphany” just before Winter Break. And my resolution is this:

1. Treat myself better

I need to take care of myself and pay attention to my needs and feelings more. I do not mean this in a conceited way. I’ve been focusing on doing things with my life for the good of others before doing things for myself for so long. And the things that I thought I did for myself were really for other people and, to make it worse, those favors that I did only did harm to me, making me feel like crap. I want 2013 to be the year that this changes. I have a new college, a new start, a new life- now the only thing that I need to change is me and how I treat myself.

This means that I have to start putting my needs first before even thinking about helping others. Because if I can’t even help myself, how can I help others? I’ve been asking myself that question since August, and I want to get to the point where I do not have to ask this of myself anymore.

Seven days into the new year, I have already taken care of a few things- bought clothes and supplies for myself, tended to this blog and my art, and taken some time to just sit down and read books and watch my favorite shows and YouTube videos with my family. It’s a good start- but the real test comes next week when I am back on campus.

What are your resolutions? Do you make them for the new year or throughout the year and do you complete them? I hope you guys are doing the same and changing things for yourself to improve your life- not just at New Year’s but year-round. Don't just plan it- do it. Thanks for reading guys!

Resolving to end this post,

~H.P. Echo~

P.S- Since I’m not going to do the video thing, I’m thinking about putting together a little treat for you guys by animating a video. Don’t expect it to be anything fancy- I’m just playing around with DeviantArt Muro and randomly free-drawing right now because I need another flash-drive to put my pictures and videos on, and it will take a while, but it's for fun and I think it’ll be worth the time.