I Have Issues with the Bible

My issues with the bible started when I was about 15 years old. I had a friend who was very ill, and many people told me that if I prayed, it would surely help. Indeed, there were prayers for the sick in the bible, and I diligently said them many times a day. Needless to say, my friend's condition worsened and she eventually passed away. 

The bible ended up in shreds, and I became an instant atheist. 

A few years after that I became acquainted with a born again Christian who suggested that I read the whole bible instead of being in a bad place about my friend's passing. 

So I did.

I have an open mind if I have anything, and I certainly liked the idea of giving God and the bible another shot. I had a funny, positive feeling about her suggestion. I felt I would read this book and have many revelations (no pun intended). 

And I did--but not the kind I thought I would have.

Instead of learning that God is a loving and kind being that the priest told me about when my mom could still get me to go to church on Sunday, I read that God is pretty vengeful and tricky.

For instance, he created man in his image, and gave him free will and the ability to choose. He also gave him original sin, although I do not understand why. So then he didn't like what his creations were doing--and destroyed them all! What? God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because he did not like what the people in the city had become? The bible said its inhabitants were "depraved". So instead of helping and fixing things (he was right there waiting!) he "rained down sulfur from the heavens." And he had already done this once before with Noah--not with sulfur, but with a terrible and all encompassing flood. Hmmm....

Sounds like a bad father to me...

Deuteronomy has plenty of He-Man Woman Haters Club quotes that not only make me angry, but make me feel I want nothing to do with the Christian religion. (I AM Christian, Russian Orthodox to be exact, but do not practice).

For example:

Deuteronomy 22:13-21 states that if a woman is not a virgin on her wedding night she must be executed. (No mention of men here...)

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 tells us that a virgin who is raped must marry her rapist.

Deuteronomy 25:11-12 warns that if a woman stands up for her husband in a fight by grabbing the other man's genitals then her hand shall be cut off and no pity shall be shown to her.

What the hell?!

God could not have said these things...could he?

And speaking of God saying things, why is it he was talking up a storm back then, but we hear nothing but a resounding echo of our own voices when we talk to him now?

Back to the bible...

Remember when you were in school and kids got picked on by bullies? The bullies said they would beat you up after school, or tell you to do something mean to another unsuspecting victim or else they would beat YOU up. Awful kids. Well, remember what God said to Abraham? He told him to take his only son Isaac and kill him. Abraham was ready to do it. Suddenly God said nope--it was just a test. I would not care if I were offered eternal life, a home in heaven, feathery wings and a solid gold halo--if someone or something told me to kill my only son I would cordially invite him to go fuck himself. I don't see much difference between this God and the bullies in school. Here is a chart that supposedly explains what God meant:

God told Abraham to kill his son

Why do I need a chart to explain this? Why does Jesus speak in such confusing language? In Mark, Jesus says he speaks in parables to confuse people so they will go to hell :) Again--what?? When Jesus was asked why he spoke in parables, he told his disciples they would be shown the mysteries of heaven--but not the others. So basically you had to believe BEFORE you were shown any of the truth.

Sigh. I don't like his methods.

Again--I would not hang around with this person in school and would not want him as a friend--why would I want to consider him my heavenly "father".

Old Testament, you say? True. But the new says in Matthew 5:17:

Jesus strongly approves of the law and the prophets. He hasn't the slightest objection to the cruelties of the Old Testament. 

I also don't care for the fact that we are told we can't do anything without Jesus--and we are nothing without him. That is very much contradictory to what I want my son to know. He should know that you have the power inside to run your own lives, and the decisions you make are what will shape you.

And why did Jesus need to kill a fig tree? A fig tree that he was mad at for not bearing fruit--even though it was not fig season...ah...he did it to show how much God hated figs, because he wanted figs and could not find any. This sounds like a petulant three year old who is told they can't have a lollipop.

Of course there is the part that says "true" Christians can cast out devils, speak in tongues, take up serpents, drink poisons without harm, and cure the sick by touching them. Nope. Just not true. Another radical Christian lost his life this past February after handling poisonous snakes and refusing medical treatment after he was bitten.

Yes, I know people go to church and feel Christianity and the bible show them the "good and proper" way to live, and I have nooo problem with that, if you are actually using it to be a better person. If you are a believer who condemns others, looks down on certain lifestyles, judges anyone who is not a believer in Jesus, or harms others because of your beliefs, then maybe you should find a better way to be a "good" person.

To sum things up, the bible is too contradictory to make any sense as a guidebook for my life. There are too many cruelties and atrocities and I would rather not follow a guide who condones that mindset.

Although I can't prove there is NOT a God, the book that tells me that I must believe in one or I will forever burn in a fiery pit of hell is not the kind of book for me.

The Anti-Valentine Post

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I'm not sure I like it.

Everyone knows relationships are not easy.

The beginning is lovely: hot, blurry, and fast, with not a whole lot to worry about.

Reality sets in relatively quickly, some moving into a comfortable and safe haven of support and familiarity. Some follow a different path.

Some fall out of synch--the passion they once felt passes and they realize they have nothing in common. Others need a change of pace, or haven't found the "one". Unfortunately there are those that cheat, and aren't up front enough to inform the partner the relationship is done. Whatever the case may be, breaking up is hard to do...most of the time.

Of course there are clear-cut situations where the relationship should end, but what about those cases where you are not quite sure what to do? Maybe you don't really talk that much anymore, maybe you have grown apart, maybe you are too comfortable in the situation and ending it just seems like too much of a big deal.

Many self-help books tell us that we deserve to find a relationship that will fulfill us and satisfy our every need. But the older I get the more I wonder if this exists. Is there really such thing as a relationship that keeps its spark? Where the partners are passionately in love--after 20, 30--50 years?

Match.com and eHarmony have become a popular way to meet a mate, or at least find someone to date. They ask us questions and allow us a window into the lives of potential new friends. Do you like sports? Reading? Pina coladas?
 

Although I DO think it is a good method to find someone with similar interests, and I know many people who found partners through these services, I'm not sure they really get to the heart of who we are. I have different interpretations of the answers to these questions that translate into scenarios that occur later in the relationship. For instance:

* I love sport turns into--I will not be available most weekends during football season (in other words, 27 weeks of you include probowl, preseason and the Superbowl--more than half a year). Then there is baseball season, from April through October--well--you get the picture.

* Loves children--seems to be a potentially scary way to covertly say clock is ticking--wants kids...maybe ASAP.

* Loves books--many long, quiet nights ahead--in the house.

* Free-spirited--this is a big one that could mean they don't have a job, or they don't shave (male or female), or they are disorganized. Don't look for a spotless house. (I speak from experience with this one...)

* Loves cats--well--I like them too, but not enough to announce it to the world. Potential cat person. You will only be fed AFTER Pooky, Dusty, String Bean, Kim Kat-dashian, DeeDee, Marshmallow, Daryl Dixon and Jelly Bean.

Any of these are fine if you know what you are getting yourself into--I just think sometimes the meanings are lost in translation. But back to relationships...

I see many relationships that sort of fade into a vanilla ice cream kind of happy--not bad--but could use some sprinkles or chips. Maybe that is all we can ask for--someone to be there, laugh with, and maybe even understand us a little. I personally do NOT think the Prince Charming scenario exists, but at this time in my life I even wonder if anyone truly stays in love.

I would love to hear what you have to say about this.

Happy Anti-Valentine's Day! <3

Experiment Results ~ Do Our Thoughts Create Energy?

My last post asked for volunteers for a Reiki experiment. The brave souls who accepted the challenge ranged from 30 years old to almost 60 and were all female, including the one Bernese mountain dog. I am related to two of the volunteers, and very close to another. Several of the others I do not know. All names have been changed to protect the innocent.

If you read my last two blog posts, you know that the experiment started because I received Reiki when feeling under the weather. After the session I felt terrific. The practitioner and I were in the same room, and the session lasted a little under an hour. Although I have been certified in Reiki for years, I never used it, but the session made me reconsider. I looked up Reiki on the web, and pulled out my old information to refresh my memory. 

My brief searches showed me information on energy, homeopathy, water memory, and ultimately the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto and his mystical work that brings science and spirit together in his book The Hidden Messages in Water...but more on that later. 

The Reiki in my experiment was done remotely, using a power symbol that acts as a bridge between the practitioner and receiver. I won't show you the symbol because as a practitioner I was instructed to keep the Reiki power symbols private as asked by Usui many years ago. The first volunteer, Pearl, allowed me to do Reiki three separate times. The first time I did not tell her what time I would be sending, and she asked ME about the time, and was accurate.

(Hey! Did you try some Reiki on me last night some time between 10 and 10:30?)

Actually--I had.

I asked her if she felt anything, and this is what she told me: Some point in that time frame(in bed trying to fall asleep)... All of a sudden I was surrounded by green (healing) energy. It was just there. When I do my own version of healing work I have to put some effort into it so I knew it wasn't me. It was a different shade of green--it was super neat!

This was very exciting to me! It seemed to be working, and she asked me to do it again the next night--here is what she told me:  Ok. This was a little different from last night. First I felt warm. Not uncomfortably so, just like the sun had come out and I was lying in a sun beam. Then I felt(?saw?) a half cylinder of white energy descend over me. As it came down I could see bands of green and dark blue(indigo?) and blue green ripple through it.

The cylinder "landed" and everything washed out green for a bit. Then some dark blue/indigo/purple washed down over my head. Next everything washed out to white and I felt like I was hearing some one say "peace" several times. As that faded, I thought about you and how grateful I am to have you as my cousin and I got a burst of yellow. I had been lying on the couch...when I got up I felt motivated? rejuvenated? I guess able to take the energy that had been getting channeled into stress and redirect it into productive things. Whatever the colors mean, this works for me! Thank you!!

I was of course excited about this, but I wanted to remain skeptical because there were many others in the experiment that could say not a thing occurred. This was one person, and we are related and could have some type of connection that allowed this type of thing to happen more easily. Pearl and I ended up chatting for a while as I told her what my impressions were as I sent the Reiki to her. There were several places on her body that seemed to need help, so I told her. Yes--she confirmed--the places I had mentioned were troubling her. It seems the Byosen* scanning that happens during a Reiki session helped me see the areas that needed help. We talked more and I sent more Reiki later that week to a meeting with her son's school that she would normally feel very uncomfortable about. She said not only did the meeting run smoothly, but the participants listened to her and seemed to have open minds. She was surprised and again I was happy.

Participant number two was Diamond the Bernese mountain dog. She had extensive surgery on her leg the day before, and seemed to be in pain, was shaking, and could not find a comfortable position to rest. Her owner was concerned because she had the surgery on the other back leg two years before and had a very hard time. I sent Reiki and her owner called back almost immediately and said she stopped shaking, walked in a circle and promptly fell asleep.

Next on my list was Silver. I spoke with her earlier in the day and was told she felt awful and doubted anything would help. She told me:  I'm just beginning to show the earliest signs of menopause and sometimes feel like I'm going to start my period but it's not happening...like my body is struggling to do so. I loved having her in the experiment because she would have no problem telling me if not a single thing happened. I gave each person, including her, ten minutes worth of Reiki. When I called her she said she felt much better, and told me at 1:25 her period came--almost exactly in the middle of the session.

Another interesting thing happened as I was "beaming" her Reiki, I felt like I wanted to turn around, and send the Reiki in another direction. I also wanted to cover my eyes with the back of my hands while sending.

Silver also said I could continue my experiment, and send Reiki at random times and see if anything changed or felt different. One of the sessions had her feeling antsy the next day, and very restless--feeling like maybe it was a purge. The next day she felt fine.

Another volunteer was Goldy. She was out while I was sending. When I asked her how she felt she told me: You know, I actually do feel really good. Went to the chiropractor today (actually just got back), and I was like bouncing...and told her that I have no pain at all...! I think it worked!! LOL We're doing 2 week appt's now instead of weekly...so thank you!!!

Emerald, another volunteer, was having extreme pain in her knee. She called me DURING the session and asked: What did you do?! I told her I was sending Reiki as we spoke, and she said the pain was GONE. (Two weeks later the pain is still absent.)

Topaz could not sleep for several nights before the session. She was feeling a great deal of stress during the day also. During her biology class the next day I began sending her remote Reiki. She finally fell asleep--during class! (sorry)--but managed to get all the notes she needed. She feels she continued writing even as she slept.

I beamed Crystal after I got her permission, and heard she had no problem waking up in the morning the next day--which is normally a terrible time for her.

I wish I had more people to continue this experiment. I felt this would help me either debunk the idea of Reiki, or give me more insight into it. It has done even more. It has made me believe that energy and intention can truly affect us, and that we need to change the way we are thinking.

Dr. Emoto, who wrote the book I mentioned briefly earlier in the blog, also feels the same way. His amazing experiments show how thoughts and intentions have a direct impact on something as simple as water. He labeled a jar of water with the words LOVE and GRATITUDE and another with YOU FOOL. When this water was frozen, crystals formed and he took pictures of them with a microscope. The crystals that formed from the LOVE jar were beautiful, NO crystals formed at all from the YOU FOOL jar. In another experiment the water exposed to the phrase YOU MAKE ME SICK formed no crystals, and looked very similar to a man holding a gun.

Dr. Emoto feels words are an expression of the soul. He writes that in Japan "it is said that words of the soul reside in a spirit called kotadama, or the spirit of words, and the act of speaking words has the ability to change the world."

The water in these jars were exposed to no spoken words, but the intention behind the words was clear, and the energy of the intention affected the water in the jars. Dr. Emoto's book is beautiful and I hope you read it.

I feel Reiki works in a similar way.

Although the energy that is sent during Reiki is from a universal source, I hope I am sending good and pure intentions that will help the recipients. :)

*Byosen scanning: a method of scanning a person in their energy field, done with palm towards body, starting at the crown, and running downward over clients body. Areas of "dis-ease" may be felt as heat, cold, tingling, or just something different from the rest of the body. These areas may need to be treated with Reiki.

Psychic Experiments--Your Participation Wanted

I've been thinking a lot about "energy" since I had a Reiki session last week. I had been feeling poorly and could not figure why. The Reiki session made me feel considerably better and energetic for a brief time, but by the next morning I felt unwell again. The general feeling of discomfort eventually became a pain in my tooth, and after a dental appointment was told I had an abscess and needed a root canal or extraction.

Of course there was some pain, but oddly enough I needed no medication through the whole weekend until the appointment on Monday. I did not take any antibiotics, but I DID get Reiki several times during the weekend.

I wonder, did the Reiki actually help keep the pain at bay, or was it a case of a placebo effect--mind over matter.

I love to think that we can send energy or prayers to loved ones when they are in pain and make them feel better and help--but I can't help but have a healthy dose of doubt whenever I think about it.

So I want to do an experiment. I would like to have some volunteers to either think of something and try and transmit it to me, or I can think of something and transmit it to you--though "energy". Another thing that can be done is you can tell me what part of your body is in pain or uncomfortable and I can send Reiki long distance, since it is taught that you can send it miles and miles away with the same effects, (I am a certified practitioner) and see if any relief is felt.

I am not trying to see if I have any psychic abilities, I would like to see if we can cause energy to move with our minds.

At 1:30PM EST today 1-17-14 I will be sending Reiki to anyone who interested in taking part in the experiment. Please leave your name below to join in and a comment if you like--I will be very interested to know what you experience, if anything. Thanks ahead of time for your participation!

I'm excited! I'm looking forward to the images I receive from you!!

P.S. I heard that cigarettes, caffeine, fluoride, GMO foods, and being around negative people can squash our abilities to use our own psychic energy. Good luck avoiding those--and stay away from those psychic vampires!!

Art and BRAINS!

Art has been a big part of my life since I was very young. I loved Paul Klee as a child because he drew a big lovely cat with a little tiny bird that I could copy. I loved the Disney cartoons and going to Disney World to see the art being created before my eyes.

Lately I have been practicing my art quite a bit because I will be doing storyboards. This style of drawing is unfamiliar to me. It is like the art in comic books. Much of my art is more freestyle and I have been self-taught for the most part.

From practicing this new style I realized that I am not excellent at perspective, and have been taking classes with Bob Budiansky of Transformer fame, and another comic artist named Daniel Rosa to help me with my weaknesses.

To say the least, these guys are amazing.


Daniel recommended a book to me called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I had my doubts about this book because it seemed like many other art books I had seen...here do these lessons and copy this picture and you will get better at drawing. But this one is different. The lessons, at least in the beginning, are focused on helping the artist to wake up and use the right hemisphere of the brain.

The left side of our brain, once considered the dominant and more important side, is the verbal, analytical, logical and linear side...and can get in the way of the intuitive, holistic and nonverbal right side when drawing.


The book tells us there are ways to shift from left brain thinking to right brain. The first way told us to draw a picture upside-down. To be exact, to look at a picture that is upside-down, and to recreate it starting at the top of the page, which would actually be the bottom of the image. Here is the picture from the book; a drawing by Picasso of Igor Stravinsky:

Here is my drawing turned right-side up:

Another method to induce the shift is to draw with your left hand. I am slightly ambidextrous so I had a bit of an advantage with this one:

The final shift-inducer was to draw a picture of your hand without ever looking at the paper. The urge to peek is almost overwhelming at times...your left brain is trying to straighten things out. Here is my hand drawn on a taped down piece of paper...and I did NOT peek.

These lessons are taught to help us improve our art and to draw with more ease and freedom. Then just when you can feel that shift happening on its own when you draw, you need to in corporate that linear left side back in for perspective.

Looks like I need all the help I can get.

If you do any of the lessons please feel free to post them or send them to me, I'd love to see them!

Evil Experiments~Tea Magic

Tea is on of the most popular drinks in the world. Over three billion people drink tea every day. There are flavors to please almost everyone.

Earl Grey, a lovely black tea with bergamot, Chamomile, a delicate, green flavored tea which helps us relax, Cinnamon Sunset, a hot, sweet, and spicy tea tastes a bit like Dentyne gum and needs no sugar because it is made with sweet cloves, and hundreds and thousands of others.

Tea is delightful with breakfast, tea time in the afternoon, or to calm you down before bed. With lemon and honey it makes our sore throats feel better. Choosing the perfect cup is almost as fun as drinking the tea!

Some believe that certain teas can help us see into the future, or help another fall in love.

For instance, if you add lemon balm, mugwort, eyebright and rosehips to black tea, you might get a glimpse of what is behind the veil. If you add damiana, chamomile, mullein, and rose hips to black tea and sip very slowly during a full moon, a vision of your true love might appear in the dark. Please visit this site for even more magical tea spells:  http://www.wicca-chat.com/magicktea.htm

Some use tarot to see into the future, some the Ouija board, and others read tea leaves.


Tea leaf reading, or tasseography, has been practiced since medieval times as a form of divination.

Cups have been designed to make it easier for the reader to decipher the signs left by the leaves.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to reading the leaves; using the traditional symbols passed down from generations, or use intuition. For example, if the reader sees an S shape at the bottom of the cup, this could be read as misfortune if using traditional symbols, but the reader might not feel a negative at all, and interpret the S as something completely different.

Set up a lovely area for yourself, and turn off anything electric, cell phones, TV, etc. Say a prayer of protection of doing a reading for someone else.

Reading the leaves is very simple. First, the tea is brewed, preferably in the traditional method with a pot and loose tea. If only tea in bags is available, the tea can be make by breaking the bag into a cup, or making a regular cup of tea and then breaking the bag and adding a pinch or two to the cup. Use a light colored, sloping cup. Use a tea that has a special meaning to you, or one whose scent has a spiritual meaning.

Before the tea is sipped, there are a few things to look for in the cup according to Serena, who has been reading tea leaves for generations.

Bubbles on the surface of your tea means that money is on its way.

If any tea leaves are floating on the surface, then visitors are imminent. The number of leaves shows how many days away they are.

If two teaspoons are accidentally placed on a saucer, then you can expect news of twins soon.

If a teaspoon is placed upside down onto a saucer then you will hear news of the ill-health of a close relative.

Then the tea is enjoyed. This is an important part of the ritual because you calm down and your thoughts are not erratic. While sipping, three questions can be thought of if there is no specific purpose for the reading.  Leave a small amount of liquid at the bottom, and swirl the remains three times clockwise. Now pour the liquid into the saucer, and look at the leaves left on the bottom of the cup. Some say if there are only a few leaves that your life is orderly and planned.

Some say it means you are not living your life to the fullest. If there are many leaves you are busy, hurried, but fulfilled. Some say it could mean you are doing too many things, and should slow down.

Now turn the handle toward yourself. Here is a list of the "zones" according to Wiki: 

Zones from top to bottom may represent either "distance" or "weight" of the omens. Images near the top (rim) are close while images near the bottom are distant. In terms of time, the distance from rim to base represents approximately 6 months. However, "distance" may also refer to relationship to a person or goal. The other way of looking at it is that images at the base of the cup can represent a "heavy" (ill) omen and, as they come nearer the rim, are "light" or joyful omens. The context will determine which is applicable. Context and symbolism are most important. Trust your instincts.

The handle of the cup is known as the "domain" and images near the handle are images related to home life and family. The further from the handle an image is the more "outside" the omen. Symbols opposite the handle relate to work or strangers, somewhere in between might relate to non-immediate family or "a friend of a friend." Images to the RIGHT of the handle indicate something coming TO the querent while images to the LEFT of the handle represent things coming FROM the domain.

A big clump of tea leaves with no discernible image might augur trouble on its way. If it is opposite to the handle, the trouble will likely be not of your making but if it is under the handle, it is considered to be of your making.

If there remains a drop or two of liquid tea that didn't come off with the draining, these are considered to be tears. It might indicate past or future sadness, dependent on the context of the rest of the reading.

Now you can begin looking for symbols. Apples, spiders, candles, and more have traditional meanings, but going with your intuition is always a great idea when reading the leaves.

Look here for a complete list of symbols and their meanings. http://www.readingtealeaves.info/asymbols.html

Reading can also be done with coffee grinds or the sediment left over from wine.

Here is my reading: There were some drops of tea left of the bottom after I drained the cup.

Great Gramma reading leaves and bones

These are known as "tears" and mean I will probably experience sorry. Or maybe it means I already did! I also noticed the leaves on the right near the handle looked like a cat, and on the top away from the handle is a little flag. On the bottom there is a dancing person and smiling kid or face. OK let's see...Oooo!! The flag is danger from wounds inflicted by an enemy! Great. And yikes! Since it the left of the handle it is FROM me!! The cat...difficulties caused by treachery!! WTH!! And it is close to the handle so it comes from home. Finally! The smiling face is pleasure and love and the little dancing figure means a pleasant omen of coming pleasure and gratification, good news, happiness in love and friendship; it also means that you will receive an unexpected invitation.

I hope you will read tea leaves today and tell me what happens, or tell me if you ever had your fortune told.

 

**Scroll down for the Candle and Mirror Experiment, Evil Writing, Weakening the Veil, Manifestation and MORE!

 

FIFTH EVIL EXPERIMENT of the COFFIN HOP ~~ MANIFESTING

Welcome to Day 5 of the COFFIN HOP!


When I was in my late teens I read a book called Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Being 19, I remember hating the book, but I became interesting in energy and perseverance and manifestation.

I meditated a little and used certain energy practices to help with my school work and blossoming career.

I also tried an experiment back then: I thought of something I wanted to manifest. I though of this thing many times a day and consciously focused on this item. It was a blue feather.


I don't remember why I chose the blue feather or if it held any special meaning back then.

I just remember the intense focus. I could see the feather as clear as a bell--the details of the soft downy sides and the Tiffany blue color.

Although I should have focused on something I needed or wanted, the blue feather probably seemed slightly magical and unusual.

By the end of the day I probably thought of that feather 100 times. I was very disappointed--no signs of a blue feather.

I went to sleep and woke the next morning to the sound of the paper being delivered on the front porch.  Reaching down to get it I noticed a small blue feather on the concrete next to the welcome mat. I picked up the feather and stared at it for a good long time. I kept it in my jewelry box for years. It unfortunately vanished about the time I moved into my new home.

Was this a coincidence? Probably. Or maybe not... I can't discount anything anymore. It could be one of those situations where you start thinking of something, for instance a white Acura because you are thinking of buying one, and for the next week the only car you notice is a white Acura.

I may have seen that blue feather the day before on the porch and made the experiment work in reverse...but there is no way I'll ever know. SO I am going to do it again starting now: I am going to think of something but I want YOU to tell me what to think of. I will choose from your suggestions and think of that thing for 24 hours and then see what happens. I hope you will try the Manifestation Experiment too. Then tell me what happens.

**Scroll down for Day 1 and the Candle and Mirror Experiment, Day 2 for Evil Writing, and Day 3 for Weakening the Veil.