The latest IBD poll is interesting.
From the website-
John McCain is trailing presidential rival Barack Obama by just two points heading into Election Day, according to a new tracking poll released Sunday by Investors Business Daily.
Overall, McCain trails Obama by 2.1 percentage points 46.7 percent to 44.6 percent, with 8.7 percent not sure in the tracking poll released Sunday by IBD and its polling partner, the TechnoMetrica Institute of Policy and Politics (TIPP).
The latest numbers continue a tightening trend that shows McCain steadily gaining while Obama's support around 47 percent of respondents is holding firm.
Independents who'd been leaning to Obama shifted to McCain to leave that key group a tossup, according to the IBD pollsters. McCain also pulled even in the Midwest, and moved back strongly into the lead with men. He is padding his gains among Protestants and Catholics, and is favored for the first time by high school graduates.
The newest poll shows that McCain has made steady gains in the West, up from 37 percent of respondents to 44 percent. He still leads Obama in the South, 50 percent to 45 percent, and he is tied in the Midwest, 45 percent to 45 percent, with 12 percent still not sure.
In terms of age group, McCain still is virtually tied with Obama with respondents in the categories between 25 years of age and 64. Some 9 percent are still undecided. He leads among voters 65 and over by 2 points, 45 percent to 43 percent. Obama has a commanding lead only among the young respondents, those 18 to 24. But that group's reliability on Election Day varies tremendously.
Among party faithful, the poll shows that McCain is holding onto Republicans by an overwhelming margin � he has 89 percent locked up � and is winning now among self-described independents, 45 to 43 percent.
McCain also has a 15-point lead over Obama among voters who earn at least $75,000 a year, and now holds a 54 percent to 40 percent edge among male voters, up from a 4-point lead just several weeks ago.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent. IBD said its polling partner, TIPP, has been the most accurate pollster during the 2004 election season.
Note that the IBD poll has been the most accurate during the last two election cycles and you cans see there is definitely reason for hope among McCain supporters. Still, he has a huge task ahead of him. The following states are states McCain can't afford to lose-
Virginia, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, and Colorado. You might as well say that, in addition to all of these, he can not afford to lose BOTH Nevada and New Mexico, unless he picks up New Hampshire.
McCain could of course pull off an upset in Pennsylvania which would negate the loss of Virginia so long as he holds on to all the others, but that seems even more an unlikely proposition.
Based on the way things seem to be going so far, if I had to make my best prediction it would be something like
Obama- 50%
McCain-49%
Others- 1%
Those "others" might well be the key, as it depends to a large extent on who those others are. If it does stay at one percent, the Libertarian Party led by Bob Barr will undoubtedly be the main beneficiary, and his votes will come from McCain. However, don't discount the possibility of Independent candidate Ralph Nader pulling a solid one percent as a national average. This could skew the election in McCain's favor in places like Colorado, Nevada, and even Ohio and Florida. He might also poll well in Minnesota and Michigan, but probably not enough to make a difference.
Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party, as well as his polar opposite, Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party, will probably be doing good to poll .20 % between the two of them when all is said and done. Where they do best will probably likewise not make a difference.
The key of course is the undecided voters, which according to IBD is around the eight percent mark. Most pundits assume these will go eighty percent for McCain, but I wouldn't bet the farm on that. I wouldn't bet too much money on them voting at all, or not voting third party.
Pay close attention to Ohio and Virginia. These are the most likely Obama pick-ups, along with Florida. If any of these go for Obama, the election is over. I am fairly certain McCain will hold North Carolina and Missouri, and even more certain Obama will hold Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
Don't be surprised if the election isn't decided in Colorado, or possibly Nevada. Once those states are in, we'll all know the outcome. I just can't believe Montana and North Dakota will go for Obama, and I would be almost as surprised if Indiana did.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Everybody's Changing
Like the preceding post, this song by Keane is another one I can't seem to get enough of, and it along with this accompanying video seems right for Samhain. This song was also in an earlier post, but didn't come in until after four minutes into the video of people talking about their grief at the loss of loved ones. I thought I would include this one with just the song. It makes for a perfect ending/beginning to this Halloween/Samhain series of posts. Watch this video as you listen and note the changes that take place among the band members.
All I Want
I'm not really sure why, but this song and video by Toad The Wet Sprocket strikes me as perfect for Samhain. One of those tunes I could listen to over and over again.
Samhain Tarot Card-The Nine of Swords
Tarot Card for this day of Samhain is one that certainly seems to fit the current mood of the country, and for that matter pretty much the whole world, but especially the US.
The Nine of Swords is a card that advises against falling prey to unfounded fears. Like I said, it fits us here in the US and a few other Western nations better than it does a great lot of the rest of the world, whose fears are not so unfounded.
People in the US never seem to catch on to the fact that, in a market-based capitalist economy, there will be downs as well as ups. A bull market will often produce a bubble, which will only serve to heighten the effects of the unavoidable bear market adjustment.
Further problems have been created due to the increased amount of investors, which in all too many cases amount to people who simply don’t know how to play the market, and who were easily manipulated by unethical brokers. After so long, many of the biggest names in the banking and Wall Street brokerage firms fell prey to their own con game, fueled by petty mid-level managers looking to pad their commissions.
Over regulation was the cause of this, and yet at the same time, under-regulation due to lack of needed oversight was an equal contributor. In other words, it’s the fault of everybody involved, and now the world is paying a heavy price.
Because of this, consumer confidence is at an all-time low resulting in declining sales, further leading to decreases in the GDP.
But hey, oil prices are plummeting, and gas is back near two and a half dollars a gallon, so there is that silver lining. Furthermore, home values are plummeting, which is good for those looking to buy homes if of course you can get the loan to buy one. If you can, my advice is to do it quickly before the government manipulates the housing market and prices back up toward artificial levels again. Just be careful what you sign. If you take out a loan or a mortgage, make sure it is at a fixed rate.
All in all, this is probably the largest overall worry in the world, combined with concerns on how the coming new Administration will deal with this problem and others, whether it be Obama or McCain.
Will McCain prove adequate to handle the economy, and will he increase military involvement overseas? Will Obama usher in a new era of big government spending and bring us further over towards socialism? These are all things of concern to the opposite camps involved, and to some in both, or neither. What effects either candidate, if successful, will have on the future make-up of the Supreme Court, the likely effects on health care, the environment and global warming, jobs and the economy, national security and the war on terrorism, immigration policy, guns and gun control, Pro-Choice versus Pro-Life issues, and education-all of these comprise a witches brew of worry. For now, the economy seems the main ingredient of concern, especially the banking-Wall Street-Housing fiasco, and concerns over the long term results of the recent Bailout Bill passed largely against the wishes of the American people.
The Nine of Swords suggests that this will work itself out in time, or would if we use common sense, moderation, and patience in our approach. Otherwise, we end up deepening and extending the crisis, the usual result of acting out of fear and emotion. Unfortunately, it seems our politicians need to follow this advice more than the American people do in general.
On a personal level, try to realize that your fears for the coming year regarding how this one has ended might be greatly unfounded or exaggerated, and that even if they are not, you do yourself no good by succumbing to fear or panic. Take a deep breath and try to approach your problems rationally. Try to adopt an inner feeling of calm, no matter how difficult it might seem to attempt to do so. Once you have achieved this calm, you can begin to think things through more clearly.
Thanks to Tarot Girl for the card. Incidentally, check out her latest post regarding her new spread to help develop the five senses and the sixth sense to its greatest potential.
Samhain Power Animal-The Tortoise
The power animal of Samhain is the tortoise, and that seems to corroborate the previous Tarot reading, as inappropriate as it might seem for Samhain at first glance. The tortoise, however, does not imply that we should walk calmly towards the “death” of the economy, but instead suggests that we should accept the fact that things have profoundly changed, and make our way, slowly and yet with steady determination toward a new day. It will take some time to work our way through this mess, but with the power of the tortoise, we will get there eventually. It’s just going to take a while.
In the meantime, let’s be thankful that this shitty year is about to come to a close. There sure hasn’t been much to celebrate. I started to say the year’s political campaign is about to meet its “death”, but that would be an overstatement. Politics never dies; it just metamorphoses into a new form of bullshit. If McCain wins, his campaign will die only to be replaced by the myriads of others who will jockey to head the Republican ticket four years from now. The same in the case of Obama. Whoever wins in fact will become the head of one long, never-ending political campaign, augmented by a carnival of freaks aiming to position themselves for the 2010 mid-terms.
American politics is reincarnation in action for all the country and the world to see and at which to stare in amazement. Most people are just numb to it by now and only seem to be roused to interest during the last two months of one period of what is, after all, a never-ending and vicious political cycle.
On a personal level, you may find it hard to achieve the goals you set out for yourself in the face of the setbacks you might have experienced, but attuning with the Turtle as your power animal will give you the dogged determination, strength, and forbearance to make it slowly yet steadily toward your goal.
Learn to see the disruptions in your life not as a permanent end, but just as a bump in the road along the way. Yes, things have changed. Yes, they might be harder than what you think they should be. Yes, it might be that you have to make some painful yet necessary sacrifices.
Know that you will make it there eventually.
Click here for the Power Animals site.
Peanut Butter Candy
I guess the day calls for a candy recipe, and the only one I can think of is luckily among the easiest to make.
Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
Two cups sugar
Two thirds cup evaporated milk
One cup Peanut Butter
One cup Kraft Marshmallow Cream
One teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a large saucepan, combine sugar and evaporated milk, allow to come to a rolling boil for five minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly yet gently, not too briskly. After five minutes, remove from heat and add first the peanut butter, and then the marshmallow cream, and finally the teaspoon of vanilla, taking care to mix each ingredient thoroughly before adding the next.
Pour into a margarine a butter lined cake pan and allow to cool uncovered at room temperature until candy is firm, which usually takes no longer than an hour.
This is a variation of the popular chocolate fudge recipe that is included on every jar of Kraft Marshmallow Cream and is every bit as delicious wile not being quite so rich. However, it doesn’t make quite as much candy as the chocolate version, so if you want to make a large batch you might want to consider doubling the ingredients.
Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
Two cups sugar
Two thirds cup evaporated milk
One cup Peanut Butter
One cup Kraft Marshmallow Cream
One teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a large saucepan, combine sugar and evaporated milk, allow to come to a rolling boil for five minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly yet gently, not too briskly. After five minutes, remove from heat and add first the peanut butter, and then the marshmallow cream, and finally the teaspoon of vanilla, taking care to mix each ingredient thoroughly before adding the next.
Pour into a margarine a butter lined cake pan and allow to cool uncovered at room temperature until candy is firm, which usually takes no longer than an hour.
This is a variation of the popular chocolate fudge recipe that is included on every jar of Kraft Marshmallow Cream and is every bit as delicious wile not being quite so rich. However, it doesn’t make quite as much candy as the chocolate version, so if you want to make a large batch you might want to consider doubling the ingredients.
Dead People Of The Year
I list Heath ledger first, because his role of the Joker in the Batman movie The Dark Knight should be one of the most popular Halloween costumes this year. His death is also perhaps the most tragic of all notable deaths for the year, coming as it did at the height of such a successful acting career.
Others of note include-
William Buckley-one of the founders of the modern conservatism movement in America and the founder of the National Review, who might well this night pay a visit to his son Chris Buckley. Chris should leave all the lights in his house on tonight.
Tim Russert-I used to criticize him for being so obviously in the tank for the Democrats and for John McCain for the Republicans. I'm just sorry he didn't live long enough to see Sarah Palin named as McCain's VP nominee. That probably would have done him in.
Bob Fossett-I never could wrap my head around this. If I were a billionaire, I would spend my life trying to do good, but I would damn sure make sure I kept myself safe while I was doing it to the best of my ability. I would also enjoy my life to the fullest. I guess you could make the argument that Fossett was doing precisely that by putting himself in constant danger. When poor people do that kind of stuff, it's generally referred to as a "death wish". When wealthy people like Fossett do it, they are "pioneer adventurers". He finally got it by smashing an experimental plane into the side of a mountain. It took a year to find the crash site in the California mountains. There was no conceivable way he could have survived.
One of my favorite lines in a book is from The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy, and one of those lines, paraphrased, sums up Fossets life and death-
"You only got so much good luck in life and you've used up all yours on stupid shit."
Quincy Jones-Not much of a fan of his, but his influence on the music world is undeniable, and he will obviously be missed.
Benazzir Bhuto-I think was this year, or maybe just this Pagan year following the last Samhain. She was the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, who was deposed and at one point run out of the country, yet returned and seemed on her way back to an easy election to a return performance that in all probability would have amounted to more of the same. I consider her one of the leftist world's most beloved corrupt politicians, a pickpocket on an international scale. She built up a cult of personality in a country that almost assured eventual martyrdom.
There are others of course. The lead singer of the Four Tops, for example, as well Arkansas news anchor Anne Pressley, whose assault and eventually resulting death I blogged about. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the brutally tragic and senseless deaths of the mother, brother, and nephew of actress-singer Jennifer Hudson at the hands of an in-law who seems to be a habitual criminal offender with a violent past.
Although I don't have his name handy, one of this years deaths was that of a man who might well have been the last surviving World War I veteran. If he wasn't the last, he was certainly one of the very few remaining. He had entered the war by lying about his age, a mere fifteen at the time, and though he saw no action to speak of, he was there, and his passing certainly marks at least the final approach of the end of an era.
As of now, so far as I know, cult film director Kenneth Anger is still alive, though he predicted his death would happen this Halloween. He says he is dying of prostate cancer, and it could well be he is planning a doctor assisted suicide. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it doesn't become a film, maybe starring himself and Jack Kevorkian, which would probably mark it as a probable Halloween prank.
It would probably feature one of his patented typically shitty musical scores.
Communing With Ancestors
When it comes to a person's ancestors, you can never learn too much. More often than not, the truth is never as fanciful as we would like to imagine. For my own part, I surmised pretty quickly that I was more than likely not related to the Confederate General John Hunt Morgan, nor to President George Washington, although both of those myths have been current in my family for generations. I am also equally unlikely to be descended from the Plantagenet Kings of England.
It's a curious aspect of human life and it seems common among mountain folk to imagine such illustrious ancestries, probably as a mechanism for imparting some meaning into their humdrum existences and to give their own children an ideal to which to aspire. The irony is, it wouldn't make a dime's worth of difference if it were true.
It's actually unfair to your ancestors to try to paint them as something they were not. A second irony is that this is equally true of those ancestors who circulated these fanciful tales with for the most part the best of intentions.
One of my ancestors, I know for a fact, was, at an advanced age, a two year Kentucky legislator in the Kentucky House of Representatives in the early twenties, having been handpicked to replace another elected representative who for some unknown reason became incapacitated. He served his two years in obscurity during the Presidency of Warren G. Harding, and then retired into even greater obscurity. He was in his eighties at the time and established himself as one of the more unimportant notable bench warmers in the Kentucky legislator. But, he was there.
The rest of them consisted of a few rogues of various stripes, various soldiers of the Revolutionary War and both sides of the Civil War (one was a ferrier for the North), but for the most part, basically farmers. One owned land in Oklahoma and had the reputation as being quite the mean ass. One uncorroborated story relates that he beat a man to death with a board on election day. The exact term used for his weapon of choice was "fence post", which seems unlikely, if not impossible. I'm not sure to what party he belonged, but most of them were Republcians, though it seems I heard he might have been a Democrat himself.
Of course I have already related how yet another was an accused "witch" which in those days legitimately meant devil worshiper. This too however is unproven and may be more legend than fact.
Anyway, the point to all this is that your ancestors are a part of you, and to some degree or another helped to shape the person that you are. Their experiences culminated throughout the generations, passed down in ways subtle and not so subtle, until you became the end result. Everything about you, both good and bad and every shade of in-between, is traceable to an extent to them. This of course does not negate your own personal responsibility. You still have choices in life and must make the best of them or suffer the consequences. But it helps to know where you are coming from.
There are many genealogy websites of various degrees of worth, many of which charge a fee. The Mormons have quite an extensive list of records they have culled through many generations, and they can and will assist you in any way possible for a nominal fee. There are also generally genealogy sections at your local libraries, or you can turn to your local historical society for aid.
It is interesting and addictive to learn about your genealogy. If I were to dress up for a Halloween Party, I would feel more inclined to dress up as an old time Kentucky farmer. It wouldn't be much of a costume, but it would be yet another way of attuning with one's ancestors, at least in the privacy of ones own home. If you could happen across some old period clothing from the time in question of a particular ancestor you might have in mind ao much the better.
Another manner of attuning with them would be to extract some dirt from the gravesite of the ancestor of particular interest, place it in a pot, and carefully grow some plant suitable for indoor growth. Use the growing plant as a mean of attuning with the spirit of the ancestor under the glow of a white or light blue candle. It might help to leave an offering of food at the gravesite. I have a relative who lost her father, and leaves a candy bar on regular occasions, along with written notes. She never quite got over his death, and this amounts to a coping mechanism, of course, but it is probably helpful to her. It helps her feel connected.
Some people believe the spirits of the ancestors in some cases hover around us and provide guidance at necessary times. Still others believe they reincarnate, and that wee ourselves might in fact be such an incarnation.
Although it has become an article of faith with most Wiccans and other Pagans, I have had serious doubts of late about the potential for reincarnation. I think that if it happens at all, it happens rarely, and is not something to aspire to. It is in fact a natural event, not at all spiritual or "supernatural", but based on attachment to the world you just can't bear to leave behind.
If you hold to this idea, you are far from alone. In fact, some among the ancient Greeks believed that on certain nights, the spirits of the dead walked among men, much as we believe the veil between the lving and the dead becomes thin on the night of Samhain. During these periods, they believed the spirits entered into beans which, if eaten by a woman, would potentially lead to the spirits rebirth into the material world.
I don't advise leaving a bowl of pinto or other dried beans out overnight on the night before Samhain and eating them the next day as a means of giving birth to a reincarnated soul, but it might be a good manner of communing with the dead. Any ritual energy expended toward that end would be a legitimate method of communing with ones ancestors.
Of course, the main goal should be your own personal growth in the here and now. It is far too easy to get drawn into some fantasy world of the past and lose yourself in the process, thus missing the point all together.
Of course, some people really do believe in vampires too, so what the hell.
It's a curious aspect of human life and it seems common among mountain folk to imagine such illustrious ancestries, probably as a mechanism for imparting some meaning into their humdrum existences and to give their own children an ideal to which to aspire. The irony is, it wouldn't make a dime's worth of difference if it were true.
It's actually unfair to your ancestors to try to paint them as something they were not. A second irony is that this is equally true of those ancestors who circulated these fanciful tales with for the most part the best of intentions.
One of my ancestors, I know for a fact, was, at an advanced age, a two year Kentucky legislator in the Kentucky House of Representatives in the early twenties, having been handpicked to replace another elected representative who for some unknown reason became incapacitated. He served his two years in obscurity during the Presidency of Warren G. Harding, and then retired into even greater obscurity. He was in his eighties at the time and established himself as one of the more unimportant notable bench warmers in the Kentucky legislator. But, he was there.
The rest of them consisted of a few rogues of various stripes, various soldiers of the Revolutionary War and both sides of the Civil War (one was a ferrier for the North), but for the most part, basically farmers. One owned land in Oklahoma and had the reputation as being quite the mean ass. One uncorroborated story relates that he beat a man to death with a board on election day. The exact term used for his weapon of choice was "fence post", which seems unlikely, if not impossible. I'm not sure to what party he belonged, but most of them were Republcians, though it seems I heard he might have been a Democrat himself.
Of course I have already related how yet another was an accused "witch" which in those days legitimately meant devil worshiper. This too however is unproven and may be more legend than fact.
Anyway, the point to all this is that your ancestors are a part of you, and to some degree or another helped to shape the person that you are. Their experiences culminated throughout the generations, passed down in ways subtle and not so subtle, until you became the end result. Everything about you, both good and bad and every shade of in-between, is traceable to an extent to them. This of course does not negate your own personal responsibility. You still have choices in life and must make the best of them or suffer the consequences. But it helps to know where you are coming from.
There are many genealogy websites of various degrees of worth, many of which charge a fee. The Mormons have quite an extensive list of records they have culled through many generations, and they can and will assist you in any way possible for a nominal fee. There are also generally genealogy sections at your local libraries, or you can turn to your local historical society for aid.
It is interesting and addictive to learn about your genealogy. If I were to dress up for a Halloween Party, I would feel more inclined to dress up as an old time Kentucky farmer. It wouldn't be much of a costume, but it would be yet another way of attuning with one's ancestors, at least in the privacy of ones own home. If you could happen across some old period clothing from the time in question of a particular ancestor you might have in mind ao much the better.
Another manner of attuning with them would be to extract some dirt from the gravesite of the ancestor of particular interest, place it in a pot, and carefully grow some plant suitable for indoor growth. Use the growing plant as a mean of attuning with the spirit of the ancestor under the glow of a white or light blue candle. It might help to leave an offering of food at the gravesite. I have a relative who lost her father, and leaves a candy bar on regular occasions, along with written notes. She never quite got over his death, and this amounts to a coping mechanism, of course, but it is probably helpful to her. It helps her feel connected.
Some people believe the spirits of the ancestors in some cases hover around us and provide guidance at necessary times. Still others believe they reincarnate, and that wee ourselves might in fact be such an incarnation.
Although it has become an article of faith with most Wiccans and other Pagans, I have had serious doubts of late about the potential for reincarnation. I think that if it happens at all, it happens rarely, and is not something to aspire to. It is in fact a natural event, not at all spiritual or "supernatural", but based on attachment to the world you just can't bear to leave behind.
If you hold to this idea, you are far from alone. In fact, some among the ancient Greeks believed that on certain nights, the spirits of the dead walked among men, much as we believe the veil between the lving and the dead becomes thin on the night of Samhain. During these periods, they believed the spirits entered into beans which, if eaten by a woman, would potentially lead to the spirits rebirth into the material world.
I don't advise leaving a bowl of pinto or other dried beans out overnight on the night before Samhain and eating them the next day as a means of giving birth to a reincarnated soul, but it might be a good manner of communing with the dead. Any ritual energy expended toward that end would be a legitimate method of communing with ones ancestors.
Of course, the main goal should be your own personal growth in the here and now. It is far too easy to get drawn into some fantasy world of the past and lose yourself in the process, thus missing the point all together.
Of course, some people really do believe in vampires too, so what the hell.
Life, Death, And Resurrection
That last YouTube post was a little hard, I know, especially if you watched and listened to it all the way through to the beginning of the Keane video. Let’s face it, though, there’s nothing fun about death. Even people who actually want to die do not do so joyously. If you could figure out a way to eliminate the fear, agony, and regret from the experience of death in a way that did not involve pharmaceuticals or other such artificial mind-altering tactics, you might well become the world’s first trillionaire. However, the individual’s grief ends with his last breath-or so we like to think. The bereaved surviving loved ones, the friends and families of the deceased, are a different matter. Some people never get over the death of a loved one.
I think this might be one of the unspoken reasons for the objections to Halloween from some quarters. It is too easy to make the devil a convenient scapegoat, when in reality it is possibly in some cases a reaction by those who have never come to grips with a personal tragedy.
Not trying to be a downer here, but remember, Samhain and its Christian counterparts, All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, or Halloween, was originally all about remembrance of the dead and respect for the spirits of ancestors.
In my own case, as in many other pagan traditions, we have extended it beyond that to the process of ritually “dying”. Put another way, we allow some aspect of our lives to “die”, to descend into the underworld of the subconscious to undergo transformation into a more positive form. This can be some inner part of our natures, such as a habit or a long-held attitude, possibly in some cases a destructive part of our natures. It can entail letting go of some aspect of the past, from things as profound as personal tragedies to something as relatively simple as the end of a relationship or the loss of a job or position. It is never easy to undergo such an undertaking to say the least, nor is it always successful to put it completely at rest.
It does give you a clue into the nature of dying, because in a very real way, a part of you is indeed dying. Samhain, while honoring the symbolic death of the Sun God, enables us to attune with the spirits of our ancestors and draw on their strength as we embark towards our own inevitable journey to death.
Halloween and Samhain though does have its more joyous aspects, and it is not good to minimize them any more than it is to do so with the more somber aspects. In fact, the ritual celebrations are a kind of wake-a recognition and a celebration of the past while we strive to look forward to a new beginning. However, it is a hollow celebration without that drive towards transformation, which should actually be an on-going process. Samhain should actually mark the final death, and the beginning of the grieving process, and this requires some guidance. At the same time, the Wake of the celebratory aspects makes for a necessary coping mechanism.
Coven members-those involved in true covens-probably have an upper hand, because they constitute a unique kind of intimate support group that a solitary practitioner cannot hope to realize. They can help to ease the individual through the dying process, and assist in strengthening him towards his approaching “new life”.
Without this, then life becomes a never-ending vicious cycle of living death and constant guilt, anxieties, and recriminations, mostly self-imposed. The person who strives to face these cycles in their lives and become part of the regenerative and transformative properties inherent in the process will not have an easy life, but they will have a far easier end of it. They will know they did the best they could do. It won’t eliminate the natural fear of death, but it will ease the pain and suffering and bring some degree of contentment, satisfaction, and even happiness.
That is the end of a truly successful life. And that calls for a wake.
I think this might be one of the unspoken reasons for the objections to Halloween from some quarters. It is too easy to make the devil a convenient scapegoat, when in reality it is possibly in some cases a reaction by those who have never come to grips with a personal tragedy.
Not trying to be a downer here, but remember, Samhain and its Christian counterparts, All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, or Halloween, was originally all about remembrance of the dead and respect for the spirits of ancestors.
In my own case, as in many other pagan traditions, we have extended it beyond that to the process of ritually “dying”. Put another way, we allow some aspect of our lives to “die”, to descend into the underworld of the subconscious to undergo transformation into a more positive form. This can be some inner part of our natures, such as a habit or a long-held attitude, possibly in some cases a destructive part of our natures. It can entail letting go of some aspect of the past, from things as profound as personal tragedies to something as relatively simple as the end of a relationship or the loss of a job or position. It is never easy to undergo such an undertaking to say the least, nor is it always successful to put it completely at rest.
It does give you a clue into the nature of dying, because in a very real way, a part of you is indeed dying. Samhain, while honoring the symbolic death of the Sun God, enables us to attune with the spirits of our ancestors and draw on their strength as we embark towards our own inevitable journey to death.
Halloween and Samhain though does have its more joyous aspects, and it is not good to minimize them any more than it is to do so with the more somber aspects. In fact, the ritual celebrations are a kind of wake-a recognition and a celebration of the past while we strive to look forward to a new beginning. However, it is a hollow celebration without that drive towards transformation, which should actually be an on-going process. Samhain should actually mark the final death, and the beginning of the grieving process, and this requires some guidance. At the same time, the Wake of the celebratory aspects makes for a necessary coping mechanism.
Coven members-those involved in true covens-probably have an upper hand, because they constitute a unique kind of intimate support group that a solitary practitioner cannot hope to realize. They can help to ease the individual through the dying process, and assist in strengthening him towards his approaching “new life”.
Without this, then life becomes a never-ending vicious cycle of living death and constant guilt, anxieties, and recriminations, mostly self-imposed. The person who strives to face these cycles in their lives and become part of the regenerative and transformative properties inherent in the process will not have an easy life, but they will have a far easier end of it. They will know they did the best they could do. It won’t eliminate the natural fear of death, but it will ease the pain and suffering and bring some degree of contentment, satisfaction, and even happiness.
That is the end of a truly successful life. And that calls for a wake.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I Want A Hematite Ball
Yo if this ain't the perfect accompaniment for the Halloween-Samhain season what is? Hematite, which is an iron oxide, is the perfect scrying instrument in any polished shape or size-though of course the bigger the better, and this perfectly rounded orb is a real beauty.
Of course if you can't find one of these, or if you can't afford one, a regular old polished hematite stone is good enough. They are also relatively cheap. Michigan is practically saturated with the stuff. So is, it seems, the planet Mars. Well, let's just assume the recent Mars expeditions didn't just accidentally happen on one of the rare deposits on the planet.
Meditate over your hematite stone through Samhain and continue on a daily or nightly regimen on through to the coming Yule, when the Sun will be ushered into the New Year (the Wiccan-Pagan Yule, around the 21-22 of December) in conjunction with the dark, mysterious, powerful, disruptive and cathartic Pluto. Mars should be in close proximity as well. What does the future year hold in store as this one fades into the background and vanishes? What lesson have you learned from the past year? What do you need to let go?
Discern what it all potentially might mean to you personally by meditating on the hematite under the glow of a white candle annointed with anise essential oil, as you attune with the elements and become as one with the natural order of the cosmos, distilled unto the universe of your own little world, and all that good shit.
Be careful with your hematite stone, in whatever form you acquire it. It is a hard but brittle stone and easily damaged, so keep it in a place of protection, covered with a cloth, and cleanse it regularly, both psychically under the glow of the moon and with the elemental powers of earth, air, fire and water. Gently and cautiously, of course. Don't subject it to direct heat. The warming glow of a candle at a comfortable distance and for a brief period is sufficient.
Have you figured out yet this is one of my favorite stones?
Astrological Guideposts For Samhain
Ruh-roh!
Strange things are in the skies over our pointy little heads for Halloween night, and I wonder what it all portends. For example, we have the generally beneficent aspect known as ye Trine, which is when two planets are four signs apart separated by nine degrees or less. In this case, Mars in Scorpio is in Trine with Uranus in Pisces in an almost perfect trine. This is augmented by a sextile involving Mars with Saturn in Virgo, which hints that the night of smooth sailing offers potential for great possibilities, if we only know how to patiently and determinedly reach for it. Of course, there is an inherent problem here with Uranus in opposition to Saturn, but this as well heralds the potential to tap into great reserves of power.
So far so good, but then we are hit with the aspect of Jupiter sextile to both Mars and Uranus and trine with Saturn. This makes a good aspect even better. But of course, no night is not without its share of potential problems.
This brings us to the influence of Neptune, which is squared Mars, warning of the potential for deceit and manipulation, especially when paired with the trine Neptune will enjoy with Mercury which is at the 22nd degree of Libra, which is-yikes-from where it had just started to go retrograde during our last reading, during Mabon. A perusal of the news of that day might be in order, as well as the news of events that might have occurred during the sixth-seventh of this month (when the Sun came into inferior conjunction with retrograde Mercury).
More important than the national news, this might be a time to reflect on the personal events of ones own life during these periods, in addition to the period from around the 14th through the 18th. What of importance has been relevant to your life during these periods on a consistent basis? It could all congeal tonight into an answer of personal importance.
One other aspect to take special note of is that of Venus which at fourteen degrees in Sagittarius is in conjunction with the lunar node. This might be the night to meet a new love, or to become reacquainted with one from the past. However, since there are no other aspects to this pairing, it might not be apparent at first.
The Sun, at roughly seven degrees of Scorpio, stands alone, as does the Moon as it traverse the first twelve or so degrees of Sagittarius, drawing to a close conjunction with Venus’s node enchantment by about midnight on Halloween.
When the Sun god dies this year, he dies alone, apparently, though the Goddess watches his departure and urges him gently on from afar, while Pluto also stands alone in wait to greet him, only to herald and hasten his return to the land of the living at the onset of Yule.
Strange things are in the skies over our pointy little heads for Halloween night, and I wonder what it all portends. For example, we have the generally beneficent aspect known as ye Trine, which is when two planets are four signs apart separated by nine degrees or less. In this case, Mars in Scorpio is in Trine with Uranus in Pisces in an almost perfect trine. This is augmented by a sextile involving Mars with Saturn in Virgo, which hints that the night of smooth sailing offers potential for great possibilities, if we only know how to patiently and determinedly reach for it. Of course, there is an inherent problem here with Uranus in opposition to Saturn, but this as well heralds the potential to tap into great reserves of power.
So far so good, but then we are hit with the aspect of Jupiter sextile to both Mars and Uranus and trine with Saturn. This makes a good aspect even better. But of course, no night is not without its share of potential problems.
This brings us to the influence of Neptune, which is squared Mars, warning of the potential for deceit and manipulation, especially when paired with the trine Neptune will enjoy with Mercury which is at the 22nd degree of Libra, which is-yikes-from where it had just started to go retrograde during our last reading, during Mabon. A perusal of the news of that day might be in order, as well as the news of events that might have occurred during the sixth-seventh of this month (when the Sun came into inferior conjunction with retrograde Mercury).
More important than the national news, this might be a time to reflect on the personal events of ones own life during these periods, in addition to the period from around the 14th through the 18th. What of importance has been relevant to your life during these periods on a consistent basis? It could all congeal tonight into an answer of personal importance.
One other aspect to take special note of is that of Venus which at fourteen degrees in Sagittarius is in conjunction with the lunar node. This might be the night to meet a new love, or to become reacquainted with one from the past. However, since there are no other aspects to this pairing, it might not be apparent at first.
The Sun, at roughly seven degrees of Scorpio, stands alone, as does the Moon as it traverse the first twelve or so degrees of Sagittarius, drawing to a close conjunction with Venus’s node enchantment by about midnight on Halloween.
When the Sun god dies this year, he dies alone, apparently, though the Goddess watches his departure and urges him gently on from afar, while Pluto also stands alone in wait to greet him, only to herald and hasten his return to the land of the living at the onset of Yule.
Drinks For Halloween And/Or Samhain
It's hard to come up with the perfect Halloween drink, or one for Samhain for that matter, but it's especially difficult to come up with one that might be appropriate for either one, or both. I think I might have hit on a couple of ideas that might do the trick as well as the treat.
Strega, known in America simply as "The Witch" is good as a dessert drink in it's own right. Add it to taste to a mug of steaming hot coffee and you can't go wrong. Flavored with numerous aromatic herbs and spices, it's a witches brew of great power.
Add it to coffee and you have "Witch's Coffee" or, as it is known in some circles "The Kennedy Assassin". The poster to the left, by the way, is an old Strega poster from the fifties, a collector's item among aficionados
Another coffee drink of note is the Monkarita, made up of a delicious and wildly popular regional coffee liquor from Kansas known as The Evil Monk. Named after Rasputin, it is made of a secret recipe inspired by the classic Black Russian drink. Unfortunately, being a regional product it is only availiable in Kansas and parts of Missouri, so in order to appreciate the full effects of this drink, you might have to make some adapatations should you decide to make-
The Monkarita
One part Evil Monk
One part Cherry Vanilla Coke
Drink from a Margarita glass (or any other kind, for that matter) after lining the rim of the glass with sugar and cinnamon.
Advisory-The Evil Monk advertises itself as having more caffeine and potency than Red Bull Energy Drink, so as you can see, this would be the perfect accompaniment to a night of Halloween hi-jinks, or would provide sufficient energy for a coven ritual gathering for Samhain.
In the unfortunate event that The Evil Monk is not available to you, substitute Kahlua Coffee Liqueur, and add just a dash of flavored vodka. Or, just enjoy Kahlua for its own special character.
Naturally, no Halloween list of drinks would be complete without the mention of chocolate. Luckily, there are many chocolate liqueurs available. This, or an anise based licqueur, such as Ouzo or Anissette, would also do well mixed with coffee.
This Year's Halloween Joke
This guy decided he was going to the neighborhood Halloween costume party, and worked hard at assembling the various items he would need to win the "Halloween Costume Prize".
Finding a can of black shoe polish, he set it off to the side as he sucked on one lemon after another, until his lips were swollen to more than twice their normal size. He then applied the black shoe polish until his face was black as pitch.
He then found some white greasepaint and applied it around his eyes and lips. He then applied red lipstick to his swollen lips. He then picked up an old raggedy banjo he found at a flea market and headed to the contest, dressed in his baggy pants with a rope tied around the waist and an old worn out pair of tap-dancing shoes.
He knocked on the door and, when the door opened, he started strumming the banjo and, to the horror of the party's host at the door, he began tap dancing.
"What in the hell are you doing?" the man asked. "Are you trying to be a smart-ass or something?"
"Why, Nawssuh," the young gentlemen replied with a broad grin. "I'sa jess lookin fer my friend Razmus. We's a' spose to go get us some watermelons to have for dee-sert after our fried-chicken and chitlins dinner."
A crowd gathered at the door, trying to get a peek at the commotion, but the doorkeeper motioned them away.
"Young man, I don't know what you're trying to prove, but we don't tolerate racist stereotypes at this party. I'm going to have to ask you to kindly leave, or I will call the police."
Dejectedly, the young man turned and walked away as the door-keeper and host of the party shut the door in obvious disgust, only to turn to meet the questioning gaze of his wife.
"What was that all about?" she asked. "Who was that?"
"Oh, it was just some smart-ass racist kid dressed as a racist stereotype," he replied.
"What was he dressed as?"
"A socialist."
Monday, October 27, 2008
Vincent Price's Halloween Special
This Saturday Night Live sketch is a hilarious send-up of television holiday specials. In this one, the ghost of Vincent Price hosts a Halloween Special with "guest stars" the ghosts of James Mason (played by guest-host John Hamm), Gloria Swanson, and Liberace. One of the funniest skits I've seen in a long time.
Possum Kingdom
"I promise you I will treat you well
My sweet angel
So help me Jesus"
What better way to start off this years Halloween/Samhain season than with a kick-ass song about a psycho-sexual serial killer.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA
My sweet angel
So help me Jesus"
What better way to start off this years Halloween/Samhain season than with a kick-ass song about a psycho-sexual serial killer.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA
Friday, October 24, 2008
Anne Pressly, Little Rock News Anchor Beaten, Near Death
UPDATE-Anne Pressly has died of her attacks, after a brief period of seeming recovery. The swelling in her brain had gone down considerably, which the doctor's took as an encouraging sign. Her pain medication was lowered, but unfortunately, she never regained consciousness or communicated with anyone. Obviously, she was unable to identify her attacker, who the police suspects was a burglar. There is evidence that whoever the perpetrator was used her credit card Monday at a gas station a few miles from her home.
The following is taken from the KATV news website. Pressly was a popular local morning news anchor for the station, and recently had a small role in the recently released Oliver Stone film W, in which she portrayed conservative pundit Anne Coulter.
Little Rock - A Little Rock police spokeswoman says detectives still haven't been able to speak with a television anchorwoman critically injured in an attack earlier this week.
Sgt. Cassandra Davis says Anne Pressly's medical condition still stops investigators from asking who attacked her and what happened at her home. Pressly's mother found her daughter battered and bleeding early Monday morning in bed at her home.
Davis says investigators have "no idea when we'll be able to talk to her."
Davis says detectives continue to search for the blunt object used to beat Pressly, 26, around her head and upper body. The sergeant wouldn't say what evidence officers recovered from Pressly's home or searches of her neighborhood near the Little Rock Country Club.
Could be any number of things. A tire iron, baseball bat, hammer, or even a pistol. One thing is for sure, whoever did this wanted to make sure that Pressly was either incapacitated, dead, or disfigured, or any combination thereof. Since everyone who knows her insists that she had no enemies, nor so far as any of them know, any stalkers, it could just be a simple matter of an amateur burglary that got out of hand.
It seems unlikely to have a connection to the movie, although her status as something of a celebrity in the area, and the fact that she lived alone, might have made her something of a target.
I also doubt there is any connections to any news stories she worked on, as she basically just reported the news, which in her case for the most part consisted of restaurants and events, and other kinds of human interest stories. In the picture above, she is seen with a co-worker and wrestling legend Ric Flair.
She did however interview Dick Cheney after meeting him by happenstance, as described here, from the station's website profile page.
Anne Pressly has had more job titles than she can count at KATV, but the one she loves most is Reporter. In her years at Channel Seven, Anne has covered everything from former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee’s run for the White House to Toad Suck Daze in Conway. She has traveled to farthest corners of the Natural State, and has interviewed such notables as Bill Clinton, Maya Angelou, and Alberto Gonzalez.
One of her most memorable interviews happened by chance. On the return trip from a news story in Humphrey, Arkansas, the highway was blocked in front of waterfowl outfitter Mack’s Prairie Wings in Stuttgart. Turns out, Vice President Dick Cheney was inside shopping. He allowed Anne to interview him while he was on the ammo aisle. Cheney told Channel Seven he loves Arkansas. Not as much as Anne does.
Naturally, there is speculation that this might be a hate crime connected to her movie role and, while that seems unlikely and even far-fetched, it does seem strange that it has received little notice in the national press. That hasn't stopped some on the left from speculating that it might be a right-winger angered at her appearance in an alegedly anti-Bush film, nor has it discouraged some on the right from theorizing that it might be a leftist wanting to lash out at a symbol of the despised Coulter.
Neither would seem to make much sense, but on the other hand, neither does the assault, for whatever reason it occurred.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Electoral Magical Mischief III-Obamabot Temper Tantrum
I have to thank Mr. Beamish of The Crank Files for this beauty. A pretty accurate depiction of an Obamabot. Do you really want these people to have their way? If not, send this video to everybody you know, and just remind them how much fun it will be to listen to them whine like this if Obama loses.
No ritual required, in fact it might be superfluous.
No ritual required, in fact it might be superfluous.
Bonewitz Banishing Magic-Censorship And Making Money Disappear (From Your Wallet To Theirs)
Due possibly to some complaints from the predominantly leftist pagan blogosphere, or maybe just because he can, Isaac Bonewitz has censored my last two comments from his blog, both here and here. In the last case, he left his own reply to my previous comments, where he says-
They don’t mind if they purge some of their own, as long as most of the folks they purge were likely to vote Democratic.
This was his response to my statement that, since according to him the election officials were supposedly planning on purging Democratic voters from the roles, and since I myself am a registered Democrat, I should call and let them know ahead of time that I intend to vote McCain-Palin, as it would be most ironic were they to purge me from the rolls.
In the meantime, Bonewitz is spreading the malicious rumors of a widespread racist assassination plot against Obama, and urges all the little leftist pagans to cast protection spells. Actually, I think I'll have to pass, as I'm too busy these days casting protective spells against the sexist and unfair attacks aimed at Sarah Palin and her family, which many of them and others have engaged in with such vicious glee since the Republican convention.
In his latest post here, he is heading off to Amsterdam and, as usual, asks for contributions for his trip. For such a successful witch this guy sure does seem to have a hard time making it. I guess you could call him and Phaedra the Jim and Tammy Faye Baker of Paganism.
At any rate, it seems the crux of Bonewitz spell-casting abilities revolves around censoring dissenting voices on his blog, and bumming money. I think I'll follow suit by excluding him from my new blog roll. Nothing much there anyway.
If you need a reminder of what it is he felt (or maybe was convinced by others) should be censored, here it is reproduced and expanded on in an earlier post from this blog.
No cussing, though admittedly somewhat of a smart-ass response to what was, after all, a silly post to begin with. Typical leftist attitude, and just a small example of what we'll have to contend with if the Democratic Party wins this election. Censor dissent while hypocritically ranting about freedom and democracy, and in the meantime try to get your hands in peoples wallets any way you can.
They don’t mind if they purge some of their own, as long as most of the folks they purge were likely to vote Democratic.
This was his response to my statement that, since according to him the election officials were supposedly planning on purging Democratic voters from the roles, and since I myself am a registered Democrat, I should call and let them know ahead of time that I intend to vote McCain-Palin, as it would be most ironic were they to purge me from the rolls.
In the meantime, Bonewitz is spreading the malicious rumors of a widespread racist assassination plot against Obama, and urges all the little leftist pagans to cast protection spells. Actually, I think I'll have to pass, as I'm too busy these days casting protective spells against the sexist and unfair attacks aimed at Sarah Palin and her family, which many of them and others have engaged in with such vicious glee since the Republican convention.
In his latest post here, he is heading off to Amsterdam and, as usual, asks for contributions for his trip. For such a successful witch this guy sure does seem to have a hard time making it. I guess you could call him and Phaedra the Jim and Tammy Faye Baker of Paganism.
At any rate, it seems the crux of Bonewitz spell-casting abilities revolves around censoring dissenting voices on his blog, and bumming money. I think I'll follow suit by excluding him from my new blog roll. Nothing much there anyway.
If you need a reminder of what it is he felt (or maybe was convinced by others) should be censored, here it is reproduced and expanded on in an earlier post from this blog.
No cussing, though admittedly somewhat of a smart-ass response to what was, after all, a silly post to begin with. Typical leftist attitude, and just a small example of what we'll have to contend with if the Democratic Party wins this election. Censor dissent while hypocritically ranting about freedom and democracy, and in the meantime try to get your hands in peoples wallets any way you can.
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