taylor swift - willow (official music video)

Why We Should All Be Keeping Coronavirus Journals

Keeping a journal in these uncertain times may prove to be so important. The world has been turned upside down, sometimes only the bad drop out. Keeping a diary will help us remember the good and bad times along with the gratitude we have towards each other.

While social media is fighting about the who, what, where and how. It seems our feelings can get in the way of what's rational. We suppress our feelings just to shelter each others feelings. Those feelings have to go somewhere, chronicling our feelings may help us through these times. A journal it can be factual, original and soul searching at the same time.

These are interesting times the medical field will spend the next decades studying this coronavirus and COVID-19. Epidemiologists, doctors, researchers and even hospital administrators are already busily studying how this pandemic has happened, what it is doing to our bodies and how to respond.  But historians, while busy now putting current events into historical context, will not begin actively studying our times for another 30 years or so. And they will need our help.

Wolf leather blank book w/ latch

While most of our Facebook debates will likely be lost to time, at least some of our tweets will be saved by the Library of Congress for posterity. But these public sources will be just snippets of our present. Historians will need other sources to be able to understand, and learn from, our times. They will need more to ensure that the stories that are so often lost to the past are told. Oral histories and personal journals will be vital tools to take their understanding beyond the headlines.

One of the most famous talked about diary's  is The Diary of a Young Girl, also known as The Diary of Anne Frank,  the diary was written while she was in hiding for two years with her family she wrote about her feelings and frustration of her situation.  One passage in her diary, reads: "I'm afraid they'll mock me, think I'm ridiculous and sentimental and not take me seriously". 

Her last know extract:

Anne Frank

Dearest Kitty,

"A bundle of contradictions" was the end of my previous letter and is the beginning of this one. Can you please tell me exactly what "a bundle of contradictions" is? What does "contradiction" mean? Like so many words, it can be interpreted in two ways: a contradiction imposed from without and one imposed from within.

The former means not accepting other people's opinions, always knowing best, having the last word; in short, all those unpleasant traits for which I'm known. The latter, for which I'm not known, is my own secret.

So it seems that Journaling our personal thoughts, our highs and lows can be very therapeutic and historically important.

Mystic Aura journal

sources
Anne frank House
nytimes
Wikipedia

Ostara buns/Hot Cross Buns

Ostara buns and Hot Cross Buns

BY MOTHER GOOSE

Hot-cross buns!

Hot-cross buns!

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot-cross buns!

If you have no daughters,

Give them to your sons;

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot-cross buns!

I loved singing that nursery rhyme from my youth, I would sing this rhyme while waiting for these delectable pastries to come out of the oven. "Hey it was better then saying "mum aren't they ready yet"😊


There are a number of English traditions revolving around hot cross buns. It is believed that if you bake yours on Good Friday, they will not spoil or grow mold.
Another custom says that sailors should take a hot cross buns on their travels to prevent shipwreck.

The cross on the bun comes from a superstition that marking the bun so would prevent the Devil from getting into the baked goods. Interestingly, it’s possible that breads with crosses on top were baked by the ancient Greeks, which makes the whole idea pre-Christian anyway.

If you are weary of Hot Cross Bun's this might renew your taste buds. Think of it as a Celtic Cross, the four equal armed cross of balance within the circle. You have two Equinoxes crossed by the two Solstices, the four seasons, the four Sacred Directions of North, East, South and West and the five elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water with Spirit at the Centre. The circumference represents the cycle of the year, the circle of life, with the still point of balance at its centre. (Brazenly lifted from Glennie Kindred's book of 'Sacred Celebrations'). 

                      Hot cross bun recipe

Ostara Buns

4 cups pastry flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 tube almond paste
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 eggs, slightly beaten

Icing
1 cup confectionary sugar
1/4 teaspoon almost extract
1 tablespoon soft butter
4 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 375*F.  Combine bun ingredients in large bowl until a medium-soft dough forms.  Add a little flour as needed for consistency.  With your hands, shape biscuit-size balls.  Slightly flatten the balls when you place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  Cool.  Beat icing
ingredients together until smooth.  Frost buns with large cross (+) with icing.  Great for an Ostara breakfast

Video shows passerby freaking out over fake Clark Griswold display

World War II's 10 Weirdest Paranormal Mysteries

Military history and haunted history are intimately connected, as Death + High Emotional Intensity = Ghosts. So, would it stand to reason that the greater the conflict, the greater the stories of supernatural occurrences? Matthew L. Swayne, author of Haunted World War II, presents a list of the top ten weirdest tales that help stake the war's claim as history's most haunted conflict.

Five Ways to Use Essential Oils for Emotional Wellbeing

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years, from enhancing religious rituals to promoting wellness. And, they're easier than ever to procure. But, actually using them can be a daunting task. Here, Essential Oils for Emotional Wellbeing author Vannoy Gentles Fite provides five easy, everyday ways we can use essential oils to heal our emotional and spiritual needs.

What Are Ghosts? And Why Do We Believe in Them?

History has shown us that ghosts and the paranormal appear to be almost commonplace, all across the globe. But, ghosts take on so many forms, from a poltergeist to a sound to a visible being. So, what exactly is a ghost? And why do we believe in the? Haunted Castles of England author JG Montgomery explains.

The Moon and Other Planets

The moon in astrology represents the instinct to fulfill our emotional needs. Yet, a thorough understanding of our Moon in a sign and house is not complete without the context of its relationship to the rest of our natal chart and the other planets. In this excerpt from Llewellyn's Moon Sign Book, Amy Herring discusses the power of the moon and its planetary aspects have on our emotions.

Backwards Tarot: Stop Memorizing and Just Read Your Plain Old Life

Most people think that reading the tarot is simply about memorizing the meanings of the cards. But, what if reading the tarot was not about memorization, but by understand intuitively what a card means to you? T. Susan Chang, author of Tarot Correspondences, illustrates how applying the tarot cards to our everyday lives can transform your reading from divination into magic.

The Magic of Cats

The association between cats and witches goes back centuries, and modern days witches often find themselves drawn to cats, even if they don't use them in their magical practice. Little Book of Cat Magic author Deborah Blake details why cats are so magical, and how we can perform magicandmdash;with them and for them.

4 Resolutions to Help Your Relationship Grow Healthier, Happier, and Higher

We all want to know a love that's whole and true, through-and-through; a relationship that never fails to renew itselfandmdash;and us. Why, then, is this type of relationship so difficult to find, if it is what we desire? Guy Finley, author of Relationship Magic, provides four resolutions we can all make to make our relationships happier and healthier.

When Supernatural Creatures Feed On Us

Paranormal entities that feed on our energy can be found in more formsandmdash;and placesandmdash;than you might think. Here, Paranormal Parasites author Nick Redfern details a few of their forms.

Using the Tarot to Understand Your Self and Your Divinity

Arthur E. Waite, as it turns out, was using the tarot as a mapping tool to express the nature of divinity when he created his famous deck. Here, Llewellyn's Complete Book of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot author Sasha Graham describes why these twoandmdash;tarot and divinityandmdash;make the perfect pair.

Carl Llewellyn Weschcke: The Magickal Life of the Man Behind Llewellyn Publications

Books provide us with fresh thoughts, fresh inspiration, and fresh experiencesandmdash;and this is especially true when viewed through the eyes of Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, pioneer of book publishing and the New Age. Melanie Marquis, author of Carl Llewellyn Weschcke: Pioneer and Publisher of Body, Mind, and Spirit, explores Carl's zest for life, and his hope that the books he published would help us become more than we currently are.

20 Questions That Will Help You Discover (or Rediscover) Your Magic

We are all magical, but popular perspectives in our culture can cause us to question our magic. So, how can we discover (or rediscover, if we've become disconnected) our personal magic? Tess Whitehurst, author of You Are Magical, provides 20 questions to get us started.

8 Self-Care Practices for Magical Activists

Our current political climate has spurred many of us to become magical activists, a spiritually demanding job that can easily take its toll. So how do we ensure that we stay balanced and charged? Michael M. Hughes, author of Magic for the Resistance, provides 8 self-care practices for magical activists.

Know Yourself as Eternal, Non-changing and Absolute

As we walk through life we see the constant change around us as everything follows its natural life cycle.  Our body is no exception; it is constantly changing growing and evolving.  Yet the person within the body, that silent witness to all we experience, has an eternal quality of something much greater and more permanent that who or what we think we are.

In our quite moments when we are walking or sitting with nature, our feelings reach out and connect and touch a deeper layer of our heart and soul.  We become in union with that hidden force that orders the whole of creation.  We can be one with this field of love, this presence of the divine, which is within us and surrounding us in each moment of our lives.

All we need to do is just be present and our awareness will naturally settle and become one with its divine nature.  We leave behind our physical nature and connect with that presence of love that underlies the physical.  We connect with our true Self the silent witness to our life and experiences.

That which was never born can never die.  Our true self is the eternal continuum of life itself.  What happens in our life is here just for a few moments; we are connected to the whole of life.  We can choose any experience we wish to have in each moment, just by choosing that experience with the next breath we take.

You have come to earth for a divine purpose, to have an experience and to create your dreams with your imagination.  Next time you are out in nature take the time to reflect on what your dream is?  What you have chosen to create in this lifetime. Ask yourself what your true nature is?  Like any plant in the garden we are all unique.  We have come into this world with a specific DNA a blue print for life.  A rose can only grow into a rose, a daisy a daisy.  What is your nature?

We surround ourselves with a loving nurturing atmosphere.  We are here to grow and develop just
 like the plants in the garden.  We have been allocated a life cycle, just like the plants.  This is not a dress rehearsal it is life itself.

What is your dream?  What is your passion? What difference do you want to create and express in this lifetime?  We are all different we all have a different nature and a different dream to live.

We are not here to copy anyone, we are here to express our nature and live our dream and be the finest example of who and what we wish to create in this lifetime.

So next time you are feeling connected to your soul and at peace with the whole Universe.  Allow your higher Self to guide you, on your path to your true destiny.  Dream your dream, and live your life expressing your joy and blossoming into your full nature.

By: George Lockett

Why Our Life on Earth Affects Us in the Afterlife

The Other Side can be split up into three sectors: Heaven, Hell, and the In Between (often referred to as Purgatory). But what can we expect of each? And how does our life on the earthly plane affect us in the afterlife? Kristy Robinett, author of Journey to the Afterlife, explains what the departed have told her.

Divine Healing

We are all here on earth to heal each other.

Every time we speak, all the things we do, all the words we say, every person we meet...
Let it be such that healing happens.

Whenever we heal others we are also healing ourselves.

By surrounding ourselves with love and energy,
By remaining in a state of gentleness and calm,
By being forgiving to the stupidities, follies and malicious behaviour of others,
By being kind hearted and concerned of others,
We are getting qualified to receive Divine Healing from the Cosmos.

Suddenly you will find that in a world full of diseases and all sorts of illnesses, you are spared and blessed with good health. You are lucky enough to not have to go through any illness, sufferings  and pain.

The reason is nothing but your good deed and kind acts of selflessness.

You have healed so many people through your love and caring, your kind words and attention. Your thoughtfulness to others lives.

This gives you the Divine Powers of Healing.

You can also use the magical mantras of Lord Vishnu - the preserver.

By chanting this very powerful magical mantra, especially after midnight when all people have gone to sleep and hence there is no collective mind pollution, you can cure any disease and illness.


Aum Namo Bhagvatey Vasudevaya

Aum - Hari Aum - Hari Aum - Hari Aum - Aum - Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna

So - Hum

Aum - Hrim - Arham - Namah

By: Pankaj Sampat

Through Space and Time, We Hold the Power to Our Own Greatness

We live in a world of distraction, where our mind is occupied most of the time. In the Western world in particular, we have built a lifestyle that embraces both a shortage of time and a focus on doingandhellip;rather than being. All this prevents us from remembering our magnificence. We are remarkable beyond our wildest dreams, beyond our greatest expectations, and in ways that defy imagination. It is difficult in this human form to touch our magnificence, though it is possible. We simply need to do two things. First, we surrender "time" as we know it to be, and then we surrender our idea of "space."