Ask Anora

Reasonably Blogged: Daily Fail: Terminator

2014-06-22T21:31:00.001-07:00

Reasonably Blogged: Daily Fail: Terminator i dont know that two right arms are okay.... lol thats funny

Let's Not Forget our WWII POW'S

2013-02-19T07:04:00.001-08:00

My husband came home the other day from work and was telling me about a man he met who had been a POW in the Japanese POW Camp during WWII. It's amazing because out of 20,000 prisoners only 200 were left at the end of the war. The following is a link to their stories.

WWII Japanese POW Camp Fukuoka #17- Omuta

Monas Hieroglyphica

2013-02-18T09:03:00.001-08:00

Monas Hieroglyphica (or Hieroglyphic Monad)is an esoteric symbol designed by John Dee, who was the court magician to Elizabeth I of England. The word monad itself was used early on to mean "one" or "ultimate". As a philosophy, and this is a very simplistic explanation as the philosophy itself is much more complex, it is an indivisible or impenetrable substance that is the basis for all reality. (And yes, that is my very simplistic view of it which I state up front).

What led me on this search was a symbol I saw in the advertisements for a new movie coming out in which the symbol looks remarkably similar to Dee's Monas Hieroglyphica. From what I have read for myself Dee's symbol is a combination of the cross, moon, sun, and Aries. Interestingly when the numerology is done for this particular symbol, according to Catherine Beyer, you get the number 7 the number of God or favored by God. Though as we know there are 72 names for God.

It is for me something I am still studying but it is an interesting symbol none the less. For my ceremonial magicians I know this description is very short and does not due justice to the work of Dee.

Anora xx

Golden Seal

2013-02-16T18:25:00.000-08:00

It can be daunting when standing in the market looking at rows and rows of herbal supplements. For certain, I've had my share of dazed moments where I was so overwhelmed, taking a supplement seemed like too much work. The more I began to research online the more confident I became in approaching the lifestyle of using herbal supplements to help with ailments. Golden Seal is a must have for anyone's cabinet. It's mother nature's antibiotic. My first exposure to Golden Seal was when my six year old came down with pink eye and we were without insurance. I did a quick check online to see if there was anything we could do though I was skeptical because as a teacher I knew just how quickly this spreads from child to child at the elementary age. I came across a description of how to make a Golden Seal eye wash. Well, when you are without insurance and need a child well enough to attend school it was worth a shot. The worst that could happen was that it would not do a thing other than maybe take away some of the discharge. We followed the instructions for making the eye wash which amounted to boiled distilled water mixed with two capsules (emptying the capsules into the water to dissolve), letting the water cool to room temperature, and washing out the eye with three drops in each eye. The excess could be kept in a sterile container in the refrigerator for follow up washes. Four to perhaps six doses later the eye was completely cured in two days. He has not had an issue with pink eye since then.

As for using it for other ailments when the winter flu was going around I took Golden Seal using the recommended dose and kept away from the flu bug this year. I am allergic to the flu vaccine so I will say that this helped me a great deal.

As with any herbal routine always check with your physician first or consult with an herbalist or herb certified page.

Attract Money-Bay Leaves

2013-02-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

A very simple way to attract monies is to simply carry a charged Bay leaf in your wallet where you keep your money.

Blessed Valentine's Day

2013-02-14T08:59:00.001-08:00

"Rose Garden" Fresh Cut Flower Bouquet - Mixed Bouquets (Google Affiliate Ad)

Blessed Valentines Day my loves. Do not forget to let your special someone know that you love them. Flowers hold a great many messages and each has their own special message. Of course, my favorite are Orchids which symbolize death but death is not often a bad thing. In the tarot it symbolizes a rebirth, an opportunity for change. Be love today and always my dears.

Anora

Welcome to 2013 & Happy Year of the Snake

2013-02-13T15:15:00.001-08:00

Blessings my dear readers! We are now in the Year of the Snake and prosperity is abundant as we are also in the influence of Venus. It has been a busy year already in this witch's hearth. In the last months my transformation into yet another facet of my life has come to fruition and the magickal workings in this hearth are many. I'll be sharing spells, rituals, and motivational tid bits over the next few months, though as always you my readers are first and foremost with your questions so do not hesitate to write in with questions and I will do my best to find the answers to them, or at least point you in the right direction!

Blessings,

Anora

New Year's Resolutions

2012-12-31T06:11:00.001-08:00

I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Resolutions. This time of year we always see people stating "I’m going to give up this" or "I'm going to do more of this", and then as the month of January passes those goals slowly are forgotten and eventually the end of the year arrives with yet another list of goals. Perhaps it is because the goals set are always so large that they cannot possibly be dealt with, or perhaps it is that people do not know how to break a goal down into tasks, and perhaps it is because the goals are not truly believed in, they were just made because "That's what you do".

If you are going to set a goal and are new to goal setting my advice is to set one you can break into manageable tasks. Have a plan of attack as to how you're going to meet the goal, but also how you're going to track your progress. Write check in dates on your calendar so that you know when to check in. Keep a daily or weekly log of your progress toward the goal, including changes you make along the way toward your goal. You’ll want to map out all of your steps before you begin to ensure success. So making a goal, in short, is more than just saying you are going to do something, it is making a plan to do so.

Now, as it comes, not all goals stay the same and sometimes they simply take longer to achieve. By keeping a daily journal or weekly journal you’ll be able to decide which the case is. If a goal changes mid-stream that is ok, this occurs in teaching all of the time. It simply means that the first goal was perhaps not the best fit at that moment in time. If the goal takes longer than expected it simply means that at this time in your life this is the pace you are able to progress. Do not be hard on yourself and allow the goal to progress at the pace it is meant to progress.

My final advice is that you need to be patient. You need to allow the goal to blossom in its own time. Many of us are stuck in that fast foods get it now mindset and we forget that the best things come to those who wait. It doesn’t mean you are not working. The farmer works daily and yet waits patiently as his crops blossom. Your hard work will pay off in its own time.

My thoughts on criticism of education

2012-08-20T16:11:00.002-07:00

I've given this a lot of thought today and here is my answer as a teacher to all those who decide to go around saying that our schools are worthless, only teaching conformity, rote memorization, that truth only comes from authority, only rewarding conformity, and punishing noncompliance. Take your child out of school both public, private, and charter.

Teach every single subject to your child yourself. Make sure that your child can pass the state mandated tests, because they will check on you. Make sure that you yourself are the expert on each subject taught, and that you can answer all questions your child might have about said subjects. Make sure that you can teach said subjects every day so that your child is always learning, and not just sitting in front of the computer or television. Make sure the environment is stimulating with pictures, posters, art, interactive stations as they relate to each given subject. Make sure that you have all of the tools necessary to work with your child should they have a learning disorder or speech disorder.

The moment your child states that 1+1=3, not 2 praise him for being a nonconformist. The moment your child questions why you asked them to read for 15 minutes praise them for questioning your authority and let them do what they wish to do. The moment they say they don’t want to memorize their sight words or periodic table praise them for knowing that memorization serves no purpose. When your child begins to conform to grammar rules, reading rules, and math rules punish them for being a conformist. Tell them that only those who do no conform to any given rules, laws, theories, or what not are successful. When your child who suffers from a speech disorder mumbles that they do not wish to know how to speak to be understood tell them it is ok because it does not matter, it would be conforming to speak to be understood.

I’ve been an educator for twelve years now and though I may still make my own mistakes in grammar, math, and many subjects I still value education. I realize and have realized since day one that our public, private, and charter education system is still lacking in many areas. I do however know from personal experience that there are many wonderful educators in their various subjects at various levels of education. It is very easy to criticize. I find it sad when I read statements as I mentioned at the start of this note. It is a sad reflection on society in general. It is also a true slap in the face to some of the best educators that exist or have existed. The best educators I have had were those who taught me to think for myself, and most of them do teach that way. The best were also those who taught me the value in the subject they taught. It’s funny because some of the people complaining about the education system are those who on the other hand state that we should be scientific thinkers, etc. How on earth than can you state that memorization is not necessary? There are some scientific basics that just do not go away. Laws of Physics though tested, pushed, explored, still have a foundation that must be memorized in order to go forward. There is a tremendous amount of mathematics involved in science and even if you believe it is a conformist attitude of nothing but useless memorization it does pay to remember what the formula HCl stands for before you decide to test it by drinking it.

The very system accused of creating a group of mindless drones is the very system that has educated those persons who have made great strides and changes in our world; Dr. Martin Luther King Junior to Bruce Lee. Yes, the education system in the United States has many flaws, and do not be naive to think that educators do not see them or do not care. We care that funds are pulled each year making it more difficult to teach our given subject. We care that older persons in the community do not care anymore because their children are long gone so they fight us on taxes. We care that people criticize us daily. We care that children’s minds are being polluted by the media and politics. We care enough that we actually work daily to teach those children in our charge how to think critically and how to question. We also care enough that we teach them why said subjects exists, how they exist, and how they work. It does not happen all in one year though, and most schools are not year round. Typically teachers must, as a service to their students; work on reviewing what was learned the previous year so we can set up the stage to acquire new information. Most adults know that if you do not use something you lose it. It does not matter what the skill is, I have personally heard this from many adults in many fields. So educators do care enough to review things we have already gone over so as not to punish our children.

Education is a difficult profession just like any other, but it is often the one most criticized. My solution is that if you are not willing to help work to make education a better place than you simply remove yourself from it in all areas of your life. Remove your student from school because it will take care of the overcrowding that leads to teacher/student ratios being horrible. Do not complain when you realize how difficult teaching your child actually is, and if you really don’t like it then take you and your child off the grid so we as a society do not have to deal with the ignorance and plain out stupidity that is going to occur without any sort of education. In regards to the child with a speech issue (and I include this because as a SPED teacher I love and respect my speech pathologists because I am not skilled in that area), do not complain when your child cannot obtain work and has to live with you for the rest of their life because no one can understand the words that come out of their mouth. If you really feel that education is worthless then stop participating all together. This means if you teach or are taught in anything that you stop it immediately and stop conforming.

Does this sound absolutely preposterous to you? Does the idea of giving up your swim, aerobic, karate, knitting, work related education, and so forth sound ludicrous to you? Does it sound silly to say that holding your breath under water stupid and conformist and you won’t do it because it’s a “rule”? This is what the people who speak out about education sound like though. The people who say that education/schools are worthless, only teaching conformity, rote memorization, that truth only comes from authority, only rewarding conformity, and punishing noncompliance sound like the simpleton who decides he is going to be a nonconformist and prove that he can breathe underwater like a fish (without the aid of dive equipment) and dies doing so.

Thank you to all of the educators in the world who strive daily to bring the best to their students.

Blessed Solstice My Readers

2012-06-20T15:28:00.003-07:00

A very blessed Winter/Summer Solstice my dearest friends. May you enjoy this longest day/longest night of the year in quiet reflection of all that is mystical, wonderful, bountiful, and blessed about your life. May you be blessed in kind with all for you are Divine.

Live Your Faith

2012-06-12T14:51:00.002-07:00

I've been seeing a host of quotes lately that though I very much support the net for sharing of ideas I am led to think that more is done offline for your neighbor in order to "show your faith". You know, that bum you pass by because you think he'll use your monies for drugs or alcohol. The prostitute you sneer at because you are some how better than her because you've hidden your dirty little sex affair. The gay man or woman you say doesn't belong in a holy marriage even though you've been married several times. So I'm reminded of this quote from The Book of Eli (very good movie): "In all these years I've been carrying it and reading it every day, I got so caught up in keeping it safe that I forgot to live by what I learned from it."~Eli

'Green Acres' character actor Frank Cady dies

2012-06-11T08:10:00.001-07:00

'Green Acres' character actor Frank Cady dies

Beets

2012-06-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

In reading a friend's daily record of using beets in her smoothies I was reminded of an episode of Untold Stories from the ER in which a doctor is trying to diagnose a woman's problem with what appears to be bleeding from the rectum, followed by paralysis of her voice box. Turns out, thankfully before they almost rushed her to emergency GI surgery, that it was because she overdosed on beets that morning. Now, I cannot find any literature at this point in time to support the loss of one's voice, but I did find the following two articles that do warn about discoloration, and a few other minor side effects. Beets-WebMD Beets-Living Strong

Help Us Adopt Lenny

2012-05-17T13:37:00.002-07:00

Help us adopt Lenny, a gorgeous cocker spaniel-springer mix who is deaf. He needs us and we need him. You can request a tarot reading or simply donate. We need to raise $300, currently we're at $30 thanks to a friend! XXOO Please feel free to share or direct friends to help. We thank you all and so does Lenny.

Adoption

2012-05-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

Our family has submitted our application for a special needs dog. We're hoping we get approved and can come up with the necessary payments for him. We've already been walking him week, and today he had his ear surgery. He's still coming out of GA but seems to be doing well. We thank everyone in advanced who has helped us along the way with support both with love and financially. It means a lot to us. Anora

2012-05-03T18:37:00.001-07:00

The following is a great article on MSN on tips for inexpensive gifts for mom this Mother's Day. Check it out! Gifts For Mother's Day

Blessed Moon Day

2012-04-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

Blessed Moon Day my friends. May the blessings be strong today and for those in need may your needs be met. May those who transgress against the innocent with lies and deceit be punished severely.

International Women's Day 2012

2012-03-08T09:45:00.002-08:00

To all the women in my life enjoy a beautiful International's Women's Day! I hope that you are told by all how very special and important you are and that you're voice matters!

Weight Loss Encouragement

2012-03-07T13:12:00.003-08:00

I found a page with a calculator for more than just weight/height, it adds in your waist measurement. Now as I'm always confused as if they want our natural waist or over the belly button (as women measure their waist differently for clothing) I've done it both ways. In my natural waist I'm at 24% body fat but still considered obese at a 39 BMI. If I measure over my belly button which is now mostly a skin pouch (sorry to be grapic gentleman) it still keeps me at tghe 39 BMI but moves me to 37% body fat. My guess is that I have excess skin that could be removed if I had insurance and monies for such an operation and without it of course I'd be a few pounds lighter but even if I stayed at the 25% body fat that's actually in between what is considered acceptable body fat (14-31%). Just some inspiration for other women in my predicament that more we work out the more muscle we gain, we start to slim out but still have mommy skin, and unfortunately the BMI scale just doesn't account for that. : ) Embrace your measuring tapes ladies!

Don't offer if you are not committed

2012-02-27T12:59:00.001-08:00

Don't offer to do something if you're not committed to doing it. It is best to say that you are willing to try to attempt it but are not sure if you are going to be able to do so, than to promise or say you are able and find yourself lacking.

Lupercalia Blessings

2012-02-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

Lupercalia is the Roman festival from February 13-15 that was celebrated as away to get rid of evil spirits and purify the cities. It is believed to have stemmed from the she-wolf Lupercal who took care of Romulus and Remus. So blessings as we celebrate Lupercalia.

Anora

The New Year

2012-02-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

My dearest readers and friends,
I'm afraid that the Yule has come and gone, along with the Imbolc and now we are coming upon Valentine's Day followed by the glorious Ostara. This time away has been a time of cultivation and growth for me. I needed a down time to recharge my own spirit, so that I might be here for my readers. My humble blessings be with you and yours as we all come out of our hibernation and begin to enjoy the beginnings of spring.

Anora

Does it really matter?

2011-12-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

I’ve been reading a great deal online, as I have given up watching the news on television as it is an entirely too much of a drain, about the various issues coming up this year regarding the winter holidays. I do not say winter holidays to be politically correct or to avoid offending someone, it simply is the way to encapsulate everyone who celebrates a Holy time during this part of the season, and that season would be the end of fall and the start of winter as marked by the solstice on the 21st of December and conveniently stamped onto every calendar. I have a growing concern as a spiritual person that perhaps all arguments are beginning to infringe upon the purpose of each of our celebrations. People seem to be spending so much time this season saying what is correct, what is not correct, that they take away from their own celebrations.

Unfortunately the largest outcry I have witnessed has been by Christians. Do not get me wrong, I was a Catholic for much of my life, later Baptist, and have a great fondness for the story of Christ and his teachings. However, that said, one of the reasons I sought my own spiritual path was because the teachings of Christ were getting lost in the argument of “We’re right, everyone else is wrong”. And when it came to Christmas/Yule the arguments were so strong, so thick, that I wondered if even my fellow Christians at the time understood what was happening to their own walk.

Most who read my column know that when I use a label now, though I don’t feel they are necessary, that I use the term Pagan. That said I’ve spent the last several years researching, reading, and finding out the origins of said Yule time myths. I did not do this so that one day I could sit here and say “Oh look at you, you’re all wrong”, but so that my own understanding of the season would be personally enriched, so I might understand my fellow mankind better. So even though I know that this type of writing does come across as it does, it is not meant to do so. It is meant only as a little light back to what we all want, peace and love during the year and to remember the Light at this time of the year.

Recently I read about an elementary school who took out a word of a popular carol. I then read several varying statements across the last week of how the real season is for Christ and how Santa has taken over the season. What I find interesting about both of these commentaries is that so many simply do not know the origins of their own myths and beliefs. They have never been taught, never listened, or simply chosen to ignore them. I do not claim to be the expert of folklore, but I do know many experts have written about them and are happy to explain to explain them. I can only share what I do know in the hopes that perhaps we can all celebrate with gladness.

For some time, I suppose since the dawn of Christianity, there has been debate of what is the “right” way to celebrate. Early Christians were still clinging to either Pagan or Jewish beliefs and trying to live the best of both worlds. I summarize this for brevity but in short over the history of religion in general people have tried to get the best of both worlds. In America, as we’re quite young, we’ve gone from hard core purist to easy go secularism over a short 200 years. Does this make one better than the other? Does it make us less spiritual?

In my own humble opinion nothing can make one more or less anything unless one wants to be so. However, if it is the belief that for example celebrating Santa makes one forget the season than the answer is to simply not partake of said custom. Though the custom originates with a Saint, spiritually inclined (but human), it does not mean one has to celebrate it. It also does not mean that said abstinence is right for all. In the Christ myth the baby was given three gifts. Something I did or at least encouraged with my older children was the lesson of three gifts. Of course, in order to do so one must be able to put a halt to overly zealous relatives who may or may not agree with your chosen path. It does not though make them any less spiritual because they believe or do not believe in the spirit of Santa.

When I think to the teachings of Christ, especially the Sermon on the Mount, I think that it is something that should be done all year, but it is something that we especially take to heart during the Christmas season. As a pastor stated in his article recently, it is about giving. Instead of running around yelling blasphemy to every Santa, holiday lighted house, perhaps one should be out doing what Christ would have done. He wouldn’t have been running to Macy’s for the latest gift, or standing in long lines for a two dollar waffle iron. He would have been out feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, sitting with the poor and out of luck. Even I admit, there is a bit of irony when those who cry out the most about how Christmas is losing its meaning are the first to the stores, have trees up inside, hang stockings, give out handfuls of gifts, and cry if they don’t have the perfect Christmas dinner.

Let us look to the secular side of things for a moment. In researching the song held in contempt the words were added later in America, or so they have been thought to have originated as the original was simply a melody without words. It reminded me of the indifference of many that we now say Happy Holidays at schools, etc. instead of Merry Christmas. If we knew the origins would it really matter? Society’s issue today seems to be that most of us are caught up in the storm of saying what offends us that we forget to live what we believe. We have created an environment in which we want to sit here and point out “That word now means something different. It is offensive”. “That belief offends me”. “That person is ruining my holiday”. Yes, I’m well aware that my own articles could be said to be the same, yet there is a part of me who hopes that by pointing out a few of the arguments I’ve heard recently, that we can all come to the conclusion that it doesn’t really matter what our neighbor is celebrating or how they are celebrating. What matters is how are we celebrating, does it go along with our own beliefs, our own path, and does it make us a better person, and have we helped our fellow sentient beings in doing so. If it does not, then perhaps it is time to check, but it is to check with one’s own self, not to blame others for our own choices.

Anora

Home Made Yule/Christmas Ornaments (Support the 99)

2011-12-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

I grew up watching the Hallmark holiday commercials and still continue to find them rather enduring, but I've come to realize that they are not selling the spirit of the season, but rather simply profiting from it. This year instead of giving into the corporate processing of cheap plastic or glass ornaments, make ones that will endure generations of love.

One of the most precious ornaments on my tree is one my third daughter made me when she was in kindergarten, and it still is proudly hanged each year. It is two cd discs glued together with a red bow. On one side is Merry Christmas in glitter paint, and on the other side is her picture from that year. Don't know what to do with those scratched discs that cannot be salvaged? Turn them into priceless family keepsakes.

Another project that I grew up making alongside my mother was egg carton ornaments. Simply cut out Styrofoam egg cartons so that you have just the cup remaining. Spray the inside of the cup with spray glue, or you can simply use clear drying Elmer glue and sprinkle with gold or silver glitter. Once dry sew decorative light weight fringe to the edge. Once that is done glue in a miniature of your choice. You can find small enough miniatures at any Michael's or JoAnne's craft store. You simply want a piece that is small enough to glue inside the egg cup. You can then sew a hanging string into the top of the ornament. These fragile but precious ornaments make fun family projects and precious gifts.

A slightly more challenging project but one that is fun is beaded ornaments. There are many patterns out there for various types but one that I like involves simply using plastic beads (found in any store in the craft department)and threading them on wire to form a cross. You can create the cross by tying the string in the center (two pieces of string tied in the center) or if using wire you can simply wrap the wire in the middle. You can do any color design, and bend or tie the wire or string off at the end of the cross. Simply put the hanger on one end of the cross and hang.

Stain glass ornaments are also very pretty. An easy way to accomplish this is to use wax paper and shaved crayons (everyone seems to always have a handful of old crayons hiding out in odd places around the house). This project requires adult supervision because it uses an iron. Simply cut out the shapes you want your sections of stain glass to be (you want two pieces), then place the colored shavings into each piece. The adult should then use an iron on low to rub over the wax paper to melt the crayon in between. Once dry you can then hole punch the top and hang to the tree. If you want to create a Yule picture you can use construction paper to frame around each section.

Decoupage is another wonderfully creative way to make a classy home made ornament and you can do this with virtually anything! I find that anything from glass ornaments to spaghetti tops work well. Simply select the pictures you wish to create the piece, glue them down, and when dry shellac them.

Anora

Scrooge Need Not Apply

2011-12-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

It's a scam. They are just lazy. They will just use the money for drugs/liquor. Sound familiar? This time of year it seems to scream louder but it is a sentiment that seems to be there year round. The moment someone is approached by someone needing help there is a great deal of skepticism and sometimes false accusations that occur quite unfairly.

Oh, I'm in agreement that there are those who do have quite the tall tale, but I'm human enough to know that most people in need are genuinely in need. So during this time of year when we see more families in need of food, shelter, clothing, and a Yule experience let us all think about our own journey first before we pass judgment. Was there a time we needed help? A time we struggled?

Keep this thought throughout the year, and perhaps we will change the world. Anora