What Music Means

Ok, so I know this has absolutely nothing to do with Paganism, ok, it actually does, but still. I am writing about this after a comment I saw on Youtube aimed towards the group "Black Veil Brides".

Someone on Youtube posted that the group "is not a real band and people who listen to it need to get some real music."

Now then, who are people to tell other's what kind of music to listen to? Music is music as long as it appeals to others and the singer has faith in it and puts their soul into it.

People need to give other's a break. If a singer is able to put their soul into doing something, then that is something. Not many singers now can do that.

Some singers who do put their soul into music does include Black Veil Brides, Taylor Swift (yes), and many others.

It really doesn't matter how bad they sing, mostly, but as long as they have a soul put into music then they are a good musician in my book.

Haven't been posting much lately

So I haven't been posting much lately and I apologize for that. I have been busy with this college stuff. I basically enrolled into Kaplan and I've been there for two weeks and I absolutely hate it. I am trying to withdraw but I cannot get my adviser on the phone anymore. So I'm thinking I may just have to stop going.
This is the complaint I issued on ripoffreports.com:


-----Kaplan University is a very big scam. I just signed on for the first term a couple weeks ago. I am still in the free 5 week program, but I emailed my adviser and said that I wanted out. Haven't heard from her yet. 
The classes are very pathetic. I was learning the stuff they are teaching in my Comp 1 class at Kaplan in my Freshman English is high school. It was ridiculous. When I asked the professor, he said that "High school English classes will overlap with your courses here". So basically he just said that I shouldn't have busted my butt in high school to make good grades and pass AP tests? That seems suspicious. 
Also, the discussion boards! Ohmigosh, the people on there have such bad grammar and I cannot stand to read the posts. One student put up one day in a seminar, "Prof, we read dis paper now?" I'm like "Dude, where are you from and how did you get into college?" Then I realized that they just let anyone in. 
The skills held by the professors who are supposed to be "very qualified in their fields" are not even close to what my high school teachers had. I actually TAUGHT the professors something that my HIGH SCHOOL teachers learned in college, but the professors had no clue what I was talking. I often times ended up teaching the students on the discussion board. Like writing a good essay? I taught 3 students the words that should never be used. 
I also got snoopy and looked at the professors' Facebook pages, I found them because their names are not very common. One teacher is not only very "homely" looking, but his profile pic is of sitting in a chair in a very bad looking look shirt and he looks like he's missing a few marbles. Not the kind of person I want teaching me. (Did I also mention that he is the English teacher who got a degree in Mythology?) The other teacher, a Legal Skills study teacher, has a profile picture of herself partying. Are you serious?! I know that it's a personal Facebook, but profile pictures are supposed to be professional if you work in a professional job. 
I had a perfect 100% grade until this past week. (Yes, I know it was only the first week before, but still). Then I check my grade in my Comp class to find that I now had an 88%. So I scrolled through only to find that I had been docked points on a discussion and given a 0/10 on a Journal entry. So I emailed the professor and asked what was up with the journal. (I didn't need to ask about the discussion board, since it was explained when I clicked on the grade.) He replied 2 days later, (mind you, I emailed him in the middle of a seminar WHILE HE WAS ON HIS EMAIL), with "Maybe you didn't cover the topic well enough or you went off topic." I did not want a MAYBE, I wanted a real answer as to why I was given a 0 on something that I worked for 30 minutes on. (For those who don't know, the journals are just 1 paragraph about whatever topic they give.) I have decided that I am just not going to go back to class. 
The advisers are not good at all. I have called and she has lost my file because it was transferred without her knowing it and she has also put me on the line with several other advisers because she wasn't going to be in. Once, she even called and put me on the line to finish enrollment and then the guy I was talking to said I needed my diploma first and my adviser goes "oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you didn't have your diploma." Later when talking to financial aid, I had to strain so hard to hear the guy that it wasn't even funny. He talked so low that I had to even turn the fan off, it was making too much noise. 
The books suck horribly. 1) they are written solely by the college. and 2) they are all online. I cannot stand them all being online, I get a headache staring at the screen. Not only that, they are poorly written. They have more color than my sketch book from high school. (Yes, I am being very serious.) The reason I mention the color thing is because I have read from college level books before and never once have they EVER had pictures except maybe a small drawing on the side to point to something important. It is very unprofessional. 
The seminars (lectures) are pointless because half the time the students have a completely different conversation going on to the side while the professor is talking. Not only that, I bring up again "how did you people get into college", one student did not know first person, third person, second person and another did not know the difference between Martin Luther and Martin Luther King. 
That brings up another problem. In this past seminar, which was Thursday June 21, 2012, the professor had us stop to look at a paper written as a sample essay. What do I notice first-hand, the sentence structure. It was very poorly put together if you ask me. It was filled with contractions, which I have been taught since Freshman year in high school are not what you put in a college-level essay. AND it switched verb tenses between past and present. He was writing about Martin Luther, and in the third paragraph he said "this IS a courageous action"--really, so it is still going on? No! It should say "this WAS a courageous action". And this was written by the English professor. 
Now, could that have been a mistake? Yes, it could have. If he wasn't trying to show us what a college level essay looks like. He also told us in the beginning that if he is in a bad mood, OUR GRADES WILL SUFFER FROM IT! That is not right on so many levels. 
Once my adviser calls, I will tell her that I am going to withdraw early from the 5 weeks. If she doesn't call, then I will fail out. But I'm not a complete student yet anyway. It says so on the paper. During the first 5 weeks of classes, the Kaplan Commitment program for those who don't know, you are not responsible to pay anything and you are not considered a complete student. If you choose to stay, then you will be considered a complete student. If she doesn't call by Monday, I will call someone there and tell them I want to withdraw and that is final. I may even call them out on the game they are playing.
If anybody is considering Kaplan, DON'T! It is not accredited by your local state college or a University you will plan to go to. If you want an online college, I suggest going to an actual on-ground college and speaking to them about online-courses. Many offer these now-days.-----

Has anybody else had any problems with these for-profit colleges such as Kaplan? If you have, please let me know what you have had to deal with. 

Litha (Information taken from twopagans.com)

It is officially Litha. Typically celebrated on June 21. Also known as Midsummer.

"History of Litha (MidSummer)

Also known as Summer Solstice, Litha, Alban Hefin, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, Vestalia, Thing-tide, St. John's Day

In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year, and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats', or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer Solstice is one of them.

Litha is usually celebrated on June 21st, but varies somewhat from the 20th to the 23rd, dependant upon the Earth's rotation around the Sun. According to the old folklore calendar, Summer begins on Beltane (May 1st) and ends on Lughnassadh (August 1st), with the Summer Solstice midway between the two, marking MID-Summer. This makes more logical sense than suggesting that Summer begins on the day when the Sun's power begins to wane and the days grow shorter. The most common other names for this holiday are the Summer Solstice or Midsummer, and it celebrates the arrival of Summer, when the hours of daylight are longest. The Sun is now at the highest point before beginning its slide into darkness.

Humanity has been celebrating Litha and the triumph of light since ancient times. On the Wheel of the Year Litha lies directly across from Yule, the shortest day of the calendar year, that cold and dark winter turning when days begin to lengthen and humanity looks wistfully toward warmth, sunlight and growing things. Although Litha and Yule are low holidays or lesser sabats in the ancient parlance, they are celebrated with more revel and merriment than any other day on the wheel except perhaps Samhain (my own favourite). The joyous rituals of Litha celebrate the verdant Earth in high summer, abundance, fertility, and all the riches of Nature in full bloom. This is a madcap time of strong magic and empowerment, traditionally the time for handfasting or weddings and for communication with the spirits of Nature. At Litha, the veils between the worlds are thin; the portals between "the fields we know" and the worlds beyond stand open. This is an excellent time for rites of divination.

Those who celebrated Litha did so wearing garlands or crowns of flowers, and of course, their millinery always included the yellow blossoms of St. John's Wort. The Litha rites of the ancients were boisterous communal festivities with morris dancing, singing, storytelling, pageantry and feasting taking place by the village bonfire and torch lit processions through the villages after dark. People believed that the Litha fires possessed great power, and that prosperity and protection for oneself and one's clan could be earned merely by jumping over the Litha bonfire. It was also common for courting couples joined hands and jump over the embers of the Litha fire three times to ensure a long and happy marriage, financial prosperity and many children. Even the charred embers from the Litha bonfire possessed protective powers - they were charms against injury and bad wwweather in harvest time, and embers were commonly placed around fields of grain and orchards to protect the crops and ensure an abundant reaping. Other Litha customs included carrying an ember of the Litha fire home and placing it on one's hearth and decking one's home with birch, fennel, St. John's Wort, orpin, and white lilies for blessing and protection.

The Litha Sabbat is a time to celebrate both work and leisure, it is a time for children and childlike play. It is a time to celebrate the ending of the waxing year and the beginning of the waning year, in preparation for the harvest to come. Midsummer is a time to absorb the Sun's warming rays and it is another fertility Sabbat, not only for humans, but also for crops and animals. Wiccans consider the Goddess to be heavy with pregnancy from the mating at Beltane - honor is given to Her. The Sun God is celebrated as the Sun is at its peak in the sky and we celebrate His approaching fatherhood - honor is also given to Him. The faeries abound at this time and it is customary to leave offerings - such as food or herbs - for them in the evening.

Although Litha may seem at first glance to be a masculine observance and one which focuses on Lugh, the day is also dedicated to the Goddess, and Her flowers are the white blossoms of the elder."

Silver Ravenwolf

*sigh* I hate to bring this topic up, but I guess it had to be done.
Ok, Silver Ravenwolf is controversial due to how she presents Wicca to the young teenagers that read her. In one book, she tells kids to lie to their parents about what it is and say all they are doing is studying angels. The problem with this is that they are lying. They should not lie to them.

Many people disapprove of the way Ravenwolf presents Wicca. It is often referred to as being "fluffy". Basically meaning she dumbs it down and also presents the good part.

Some people like her, many being teenagers. Some elder people also like the way she will present the information.

Silver Ravenwolf presents her information in a way that is easily understood to many people. She uses smaller terms to present this. She has written many books:

Many of her books are aimed for teenagers. This is another reason why she is controversial. Many people do not appreciate her aiming her books for teenagers, especially young ones, because many people do not believe that young Pagans are good. Often times, they are in it for rebellion. I have not read many of her books, but I do know that she does not like Christianity at all and will put it down. 

You can find her books on Amazon. She also has many items for sell. 

Now then, I personally do not approve of the way she chooses to approach Wicca and Paganism. I think that she is mainly gearing it for curious teenagers because she knows that she will make the money from that. One thing that I did not approve of that Ravenwolf will do is in her book "Teen Witch", she says that she has lost many job opportunities because she will tell the manager straight up that she is Pagan. I do not feel the need for this to be said. Unless she is taking a job at a church or something like that. But just going to the local Wal-Mart for a job interview and walking in and saying "Hi, I'm Silver and I'm Pagan" is not the way I would do anything. 

Hope this helps anyone! 

Blessed Be

Three-Fold Law

Also known as Karma.

The Three-Fold Law is the most known law to nearly everybody. But in Paganism and Wicca, it is something that we live by. Because it decides our life practically.

No, I don't mean it's fate.

I mean that with it, we choose how everything will play out. In short, it is basically saying that whatever you do will come back on you three-times.

If you do something good, it means that it will come back on you 3-times better. So if you help a little old man cross the street, you could end up with something good happening to you. I don't mean like you'll wake up tomorrow and be rich, but something could happen like the tv that has been broken for days may work again and such.

If you do something bad, like steal, then something bad will happen to you. Like you may lose something you need for your interview or something like that.

This is why many Pagans do not harm others or nature.

Hope this helped a little.

Blessed Be

God Hates Goths

For anybody who ever finds this site, I'm just telling you now that the site is bogus.
It says so in the disclaimer. It was made as a satire and the church nor the preacher exist. Please, do not take this site seriously as many other people have done.
Blessed Be

What exactly is a coven?

A coven is a group of people that may or may not practice the same path, but still get together. Covens are typically made up of 3-13 people, depending on the Father, or leader, of the coven.
Covens are not made to have very strict rules set in them. They may have a few, like don't show up drunk or don't practice sex magic with anyone unless you are dating them, but those are mainly to help with the drama that can come from it.

How do I find a coven?
---Many covens are difficult to find because they do not make themselves well known. They often stay in the background of everything to avoid causing problems between people who do not know what Pagan is. Some covens will come out openly, but not many.
If you are looking for a coven, try WitchVox.com. Many covens will list their group here hoping people will see it.

What if I'm underage? Can I still join?
---Not many covens will allow a person that is underage into their coven. This is simply because of the law. Somewhere out there, there is a law stating that your parents have all rights to you until you are 18, this includes your religion. I personally find it to be a very dumb law, but you know, whatever.
Some covens will allow you to join, but they are taking a very great risk at doing this. They could get into serious trouble.
Many teens have also made groups that other teens can get together in. Many times, these are not organized as well as a coven is.

I've been practicing for years, will the coven accept me? 
---Of course they will. Don't get discouraged though if they make you an apprentice first. If they have not known you for years and know how well you can do something, they may choose to make you an apprentice first to be sure that everything you do is right. I don't mean like you're doing spells wrong, but some covens don't want anyone in that practices Blood Magic or anything dark. So they would use that time to see what is going on.
Some covens may let you in as a full member straight off. It depends on the leader and his counsel.

When is the best time to start talking to a coven?
---My suggestion would be to start talking to them about 5-6 months before the next joining they are having. If you talk to them too late, they probably won't let you join at that joining because they do not a lot about you.

I thought apprenticeship was to let them learn about you?
---It is, but by this, I mean that some covens may only want certain people in it. I know one that only wants people of Druid blood in it. The leader can tell if you are Druid blood too. (This means that either in their past lives or in the family line, someone was a Druid.)

If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.
Blessed Be all