Musings of Gnwmythr

Tuesday, 7 January 2014

Post No. 507 - My excuse for the occasional typo ...

On a light-hearted note, I'm going to claim this as the reason I make the occasional typo :)

Post No. 506 - I may have to host this blog elsewhere

Google appears to have made it impossible to add photos unless they have been preloaded into Google Drive, so I may have to find another site for this blog - and their feedback option appears to be inoperative as well.

I hope this is just a temporary glitch, but will let you know what happens.

Update
No - the problem is that No Scripts doesn't like what Blogger tries to do: I can stay here if I am content to do "unsafe reloads" ...

Hmmm

Post No. 505 - Lessons from the past: the film "Kamchatka"

Last night we watched the Argentine-Spanish film "Kamchatka" [2], made in 2002 CE about the "Dirty War" of the 1970s, which only really ended after the junta lost the Falklands/Malvinas War - so, perhaps some good came out of the violence of that war?

As I am inclined to do after such films, I did some research on it, and that led me to some interesting pages on authoritarian personality types (see also here, here, and here [3] ). I hope to use that information to fine tune the work I am attempting to do in order to better the world, but a point that came out of this period of history was an initial impression - from my reading - that the excuse for the coup d'état was tied up with the social chaos, including violence of left and right wing groups, and the thought which came to mind was a view attributed to the main character in Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Heartlight", that the effect that attempts to violently impose change have is to only create conditions which are a breeding ground for fascism.

Argentina's history shows, perhaps, that such a view could be a simplification, but I am hard pressed to find an example where physical violence has been an unqualified or even much of a success:

the war against Nazism (where violence and social chaos led to the Nazis taking power - see here), Fascism and Japanese Imperialism of the Second World War was well justified, but its execution was flawed (e.g., see here, here [which was something Australia's highest scoring ace, "Killer" Caldwell admitted to doing], here [which was a response to the Malmedy Massacre, - and my favourite Uncle, Clive, who was one of the choco's in New Guinea, once said to me that prisoners weren't always taken back to base - see also here], here, here, here, here [although a small scale incident, records on this have been sealed for 75 years ... ], here [note the comments about legalities ... such 'niceties' are perhaps moot ... ] and here [4] [5] ), and led to the Cold War;
the USA's War of Independence is perhaps an example, but the USA has done much to blot its copy book since gaining independence - for instance, its treatment of native Americans, and invading/destabilising various countries such as the Philippines, Iran, Chile, and Nicaragua, and undertaking actions when then create later problems - such as supporting the mujahedin against Russia in Afghanistan.

Of course, having made that last comment, what nation can truly hold its head up high when considering its history? My nation, Australia:

has an appalling history in terms of our indigenous peoples;
had a White Australia policy which had a major influence on the formation of South Africa's notorious apartheid policies;
did nothing to stop the Indonesian annexation of West Papua or invasion of East Timor (despite the massive support given to Australian soldiers by East Timor during the Second World War - oh, and while we're on the topic of Indonesia, that nation has probably been the most successful in the world in seeking to counter terrorism in the last decade, and has made massive improvements under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, - I consider our recent stupidity in relation to spying on Indonesia and trying to stop asylum seekers to be completely unacceptable);
behaved appallingly in relation to treaties with East Timor (although our actions when East Timor became free were good and other nations I've mentioned have also done acts that are 'good'); and
has supported some questionable European and American wars - see here, here, here, and here, for instance.

Most disturbing of all, in relation to war, is this recent article I read ...

The solution, I consider, is for all people everywhere to raise themselves above such methods of dispute, and commit to being the best that they can. War is inherently violent, and thus, since the means shape the end, can never, ever lead to an unflawed outcome, even at the best.

This is a lesson that people may have to learn over time - for instance, Gandhi's opposition to violence appears to me to have crystallised in around 1920. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohandas_K_Gandhi#Noncooperation:

The spark that ignited a national protest was overwhelming anger at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (or Amritsar massacre) of hundreds of peaceful civilians by British troops in Punjab. Many Britons celebrated the action as needed to prevent another violent uprising similar to the Rebellion of 1857, an attitude that caused many Indian leaders to decide the Raj was controlled by their enemies. Gandhi criticised both the actions of the British Raj and the retaliatory violence of Indians. He authored the resolution offering condolences to British civilian victims and condemning the riots which, after initial opposition in the party, was accepted following Gandhi's emotional speech advocating his principle that all violence was evil and could not be justified. [78]

As another example, despite his later work for peace (acknowledged, for instance, by the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize), Nelson Mandela was instrumental in moving the African National Congress away from nonviolence in 1961 (see here).

Sometimes we need to learn lessons the hard way ...

[3] I must point out that people can actually valid reasons for feeling insecure - for instance, job insecurity, lack of personal validation from others/not being listened to or respected, being on death row, etc.

[4] According to this page [2], the Second World War killed the greatest absolute number of people in history: 40 -71 million, which equates to a range of 1.7 - 3.1% of the world's population. Other conflicts have higher percentage of the world population killed (30 million killed by the Mongols in the period1206 - 1368 CE, 30 million / 6.7% of the worlds population in 1340 - 1369 CE when the Ming dynasty established itself in China, 25 million / 4.8% when the Qing dynasty conquered the Ming over the period 1616 - 1662 CE, and between 20 and 100 million, or 1.6 to 8%, during the Taiping Rebellion). The point of this is that humans have, sadly, been quite capable of bloodthirsty savagery for a long time: therefore, it is not the just the weapons and rules of conflict that need to be managed, it is the flaws of human character which make such horror possible.

[5] Given the scope of atrocities by the Nazis, is this too hard a line to take? I don't consider it is - especially not if you claim to fighting for "what is right", but I also consider the example set by Gandhi in stopping the independence movement in India when it started to become violent (for a different view on Gandhi, see here).

[1] BPLF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Light Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix Lux? Morinehtar? Would-be drýicgan ... )

My "blogiography" (list of all posts - currently not up to date) is here.

I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "pagans for peace" project (and join me at 9 PM on Sunday, wherever you are, to meditate for peace), and here for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend learning how to flame, ground and shield, do alternate nostril breathing, work with colour - and see also here, and be flexible.

One size does NOT fit all.
Don't be mediocre - seek to excel.
Gnwmythr's Stropping Strap: Occam's Razor only works if the simplest solution is actually recognised as being the simplest, rather than the one that best fits one's bigotries being labelled 'simplest'.
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
Ban the dream interpretation industry!
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
Housework is for ensuring a home is comfortable to live in, not competing to outdo or belittle others.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
Expertise at intimacy and emotional happiness is generally not the same thing as spiritual growth.
"Following the crowd" is not "going with the flow".
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." and/or "Everyone knows ... " and/or "they can ..." and what Bruce Schneier [2] calls "security theatre" on one side, and perspicacity and the understanding that the means shape the end on the other. Indolence vs. perspicacity, and expediency vs. honour.
The means shape the end.
As words can kill, the right to freedom of speech comes with a DUTY to be as well-informed, objective and balanced as you can be.
My favourite action movie of all time is "Gandhi", although I've recently come across "Invictus" and might put that one in to that category. However, I loathe the stereotypical action movie - and, for similar reasons, I loathe many dramas, which are often emotionally violent, more so in some cases than many war films.
All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]. JOHN F. KENNEDY (who was quoting 19th century Episcopal Bishop Phillips Brooks)

Jesus loves you. Odin wants you to grow up. (Facebook meme, according to John Beckett)

Females, get over 'cute'. Get competent. Get trained. Get capable. Get over 'cute'. And those of you who are called Patty and Debby and Suzy, get over that. Because we use those names to infantalise females – we keep females in their 'little girl' state by the names we use for them. Get over it. If you want to be taken seriously, get serious. JANE ELLIOTT

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." EINSTEIN

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW

Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, and the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change." SENATOR ROBERT F. KENNEDY (US Attorney General 1966 Speech)

Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product ... if we should judge America by that -- counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. ... Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile." ROBERT F. KENNEDY 1968

Tags: about me, growth, nonviolence, peace, society, violence, war,

First published: Tysdagr, 7th January, 2014

Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Tuesday, 7th January, 2014

Sunday, 5 January 2014

Post No. 504 - House clearings

I did another house clearing last night - well, it was a flat, actually, but same sort of thing :) - and thought I would put down a few comments about how I like to work on these.

For a start, I use my personal protection, as always (see here for information of flaming, grounding and shielding, and here for example opening and closing prayers), but usually do all the requests mentally, to avoid unsettling those whose home I am working on (unless they know about psychic stuff :) ). Actually, the start is normally when I do as much pre-clearing as I can before I get there, including sending positive energy to fill any psychic vacuums created. I think of that sort of work as a little bit like digging a deep hoe: if you don't support the sides of the excavation, you may well find the hole collapses and you've got a lot of soil there again. In fact, if I am working on a place or person who has a lot of negative energy (and that isn't necessarily their "fault", remember - it could be due to psychic attack, or circumstances) I often visualise an excavator [2] or a bucket wheel excavator made out of gold light digging out the negative energy for removal and dissolving in light - and that may have to be done for days, or longer.

Going back to last night, though, the other preparation I was able to make was to have someone (hello, Cariad [3] *mwa) there to give me a check on how each phase was going. This work is quite exhausting, makes me very hot, and the standing can aggravate my back problems, so there can be a desire to finish before the job is properly done - and, if one is not so experienced, that can also occur due to simple errors in the checking one is doing. So someone who can check can be invaluable in terms of making sure the job is done properly. Having someone who can also share in the work is a double bonus.

In terms of protection, I also use my Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram derived banishing and invoking rituals, which I then use a modified version of to invoke the energies of Kether. The banishing pentagrams are drawn thus:

and I start at the top and keep working clockwise to draw the pentagrams for invoking (other people use different techniques).

So, in terms of the work itself, the first step is to clear the negative units (links, astral objects, energies, etc - including doing spirit rescue if needed) using the techniques I outlined here and here. It helps to be creative with this (for example, see here), and I also find using Tibetan singing bowls helps to break loose and break up negative energy patterns.

Next, I combine my alternate nostril breathing technique with flaming-type visualisations to build up positive energy - until the checking confirms that we have done at least as much work as we are meant to. This is the step that is missing from many I seek to both reduce negative energy, AND increase positive energy, as a result of every working that I do. It's hard work, but if enough people did this, eventually the world would be a much nicer place ...

So, after setting up protection, I do the banishing and invoking rituals, clearing and generation of positive energy for each room, checking that the work in each room is complete before moving on to the next.

The final step is to seal this with protection (see here for a few other thoughts on this). I generally use rune chants, more pentagrams, and invoking Yinepu (known to most by the Greek name Anubis).

Finally, ground and close.

This takes me about two hours the first time I do a house: last night, for a flat, took a little under an hour. In all cases, the first time clearing is mostly about previous residents' energies.

[3] This is the Welsh word for darling, not a name.

[1] BPLF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Light Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

Love, light, hugs and blessings

One size does NOT fit all.
Don't be mediocre - seek to excel.
Gnwmythr's Stropping Strap: Occam's Razor only works if the simplest solution is actually recognised as being the simplest, rather than the one that best fits one's bigotries being labelled 'simplest'.
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
Ban the dream interpretation industry!
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
Housework is for ensuring a home is comfortable to live in, not competing to outdo or belittle others.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
Expertise at intimacy and emotional happiness is generally not the same thing as spiritual growth.
"Following the crowd" is not "going with the flow".
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." and/or "Everyone knows ... " and/or "they can ..." and what Bruce Schneier [2] calls "security theatre" on one side, and perspicacity and the understanding that the means shape the end on the other. Indolence vs. perspicacity, and expediency vs. honour.
The means shape the end.
As words can kill, the right to freedom of speech comes with a DUTY to be as well-informed, objective and balanced as you can be.
My favourite action movie of all time is "Gandhi", although I've recently come across "Invictus" and might put that one in to that category. However, I loathe the stereotypical action movie - and, for similar reasons, I loathe many dramas, which are often emotionally violent, more so in some cases than many war films.
All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]. JOHN F. KENNEDY (who was quoting 19th century Episcopal Bishop Phillips Brooks)

Tags: checking, energy work, house clearings, Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, obstacles / barriers, pain, pentagram, protection, Yinepu ("Anubis"),

First published: Sunnudagr, 5th January, 2014

Last edited: Sunday, 5th January, 2014

Thursday, 2 January 2014

Post No. 503 - The Senkaku/Diaoyu/Tiaoyutai islands

One of the problems of times such as this, in various cultures, is that people may become so consume in celebrations that they forget to spare a moment to think about what is happening in the rest of the world. Well, I've made an effort to keep an eye out, as have others, and, the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu/Tiaoyutai islands continue to a potential trouble spot. To get some background on this, have a look at the following:

I've been lighting candles along the lines of the following, with the aim of preventing an escalation of the situation:

may all decision makers and influencers in China, Taiwan and Japan realise the economic damage and suffering to their peoples that physical conflict would cause (and that it could be greater than any economic gains from oil fields), along with the fact that damage to political standing worldwide WOULD far outweigh any nationalistic/jingoistic gains and that finding a diplomatic solution – as was found over Syria’s chemical weapons - is far more likely to lead to political and economic gains.

But there is far more that can be done. Every person reading this could chose to clear negative links they have formed in this, or previous lives, that may be contributing to poor decision making, or preventing a BPLF inspired resolution - most probably indirectly: see my post on the six degrees of separation, and here and here, for more on the techniques to use. You could also clear any negative energy or units you - with help from your Patron Deities or BPLF Guides - can detect in the disputed area, or around the decision makers/influencers in these nations.

Then, when you have done that, there's South Sudan ... see http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/01/south-sudan-talks-kiir-machar, for instance, and the Central African Republic, and myriad other places ... and then, I'll "see" you on Sunday at 9PM to help generate positive energies.

[1] BPLF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Light Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

Love, light, hugs and blessings

One size does NOT fit all.
Gnwmythr's Stropping Strap: Occam's Razor only works if the simplest solution is actually recognised as being the simplest, rather than the one that best fits one's bigotries being labelled 'simplest'.
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
Ban the dream interpretation industry!
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
Housework is for ensuring a home is comfortable to live in, not competing to outdo or belittle others.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
Expertise at intimacy and emotional happiness is generally not the same thing as spiritual growth.
"Following the crowd" is not "going with the flow".
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." and/or "Everyone knows ... " and/or "they can ..." and what Bruce Schneier [2] calls "security theatre" on one side, and perspicacity and the understanding that the means shape the end on the other. Indolence vs. perspicacity, and expediency vs. honour.
The means shape the end.
As words can kill, the right to freedom of speech comes with a DUTY to be as well-informed, objective and balanced as you can be.
My favourite action movie of all time is "Gandhi", although I've recently come across "Invictus" and might put that one in to that category. However, I loathe the stereotypical action movie - and, for similar reasons, I loathe many dramas, which are often emotionally violent, more so in some cases than many war films.
All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]. JOHN F. KENNEDY (who was quoting 19th century Episcopal Bishop Phillips Brooks)

Tags: energy work, peace,

First published: Thorsdagr, 2nd January, 2014

Last edited: Saturday, 4th January, 2014 (corrected the wording of the candle message)

Post No. 502 - New Year's Reading

G'day, hello, howdy, hi, zdravstvujtye (some of my work colleagues are Russian, including an absolutely invaluable administrator who has recently taken maternity leave - may she and young one and family be blest), guten tag (where I have connection owing to a recent past life), sveiki, czesc (I have friends, not just colleagues, at work who are Polish), bonjour (colleagues at a former workplace were French, and we practised and tried to extend my woeful and limited range of this language), selamat pagi (one of the best junior engineers I ever worked with was Malaysian, and she taught me a few words), annyeonghaseyo, pryvit, bitaem, como vai (a friend of mine a few years ago, although not Brazilian, had Portuguese ancestry), ¡Hola (a former work colleague and friend, a VERY talented artist - with a Mexican sensibility to her artwork, particularly around the Day of the Dead - used to teach me Mexican Spanish), Selamat pagi, ni hao (ah, my work trips to Asia, and the many wonderful, wonderful people I have met there - and some excellent work colleagues and friends here, as well), bongiorno (my current home city of Melbourne has lots of Greeks and Italians, who have made our culture far richer - and made us coffee snobs :) ), hoschakal, hejsan, ciao, no japolt kivanu, chào bà, chào ông, yiasou (from the city which has, I understand, the largest collection of Greek people outside of Greece), ceau, salam wa aleikum, sawas dee ka, dia duit, hoi.

I'd like to begin this set of readings links with a thought about Bilbo Baggins and the ring he carried in Lord of the Rings. I had a conversation recently where we both agreed that, at times, it was frustrating watching Bilbo's struggles with the ring, and there was a tendency to want him to "just get a grip and get on with it". Well, the ring was a powerful, malevolent psychic influence (I find it difficult to comprehend that some people can be so stupid as to wear a replica): Bilbo's struggles with that, and our reactions to his apparent floundering, were a perfect example of the struggle people may have with depression, and lack of understanding and impatience of those around those people.

I quite like the longer perspective in this, and it is very appropriate for this time of year (I am working on a topic - suggested to me - for a belated new year's post, by the way, but I do most of the reviewing and resolving other people do at this time of year at my personal new year: my birthday): http://www.thorncoyle.com/blog/2013/12/30/setting-intentions/ (found via The Wild Hunt);

and on this time of year, consider http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jan/01/money-corrupted-us-understand-worth and http://www.theage.com.au/business/darwinian-model-of-economics-flawed-for-firms-20131227-2zzns.html and http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/01/pope-francis-cry-for-peace-vatican;

http://wildhunt.org/2013/12/rooted-in-the-body-a-new-anthology-gives-a-voice-to-disabled-pagans.html (found via The Wild Hunt);

http://quakerpagan.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/toward-pagan-commons-conversation.html (found via The Wild Hunt);

http://bansheearts.com/2013/12/ritual-theory-for-polytheists/ (found via The Wild Hunt);

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/asenseofplace/2013/12/the-logic-of-disenchantment/ (found via The Wild Hunt);

I found this article arrogant, as the author assumes that what he likes to relate is what other people will relate to: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/25/teenager-sets-record-for-fastest-trek-from-antarctic-coast-to-south-pole;

the first example here is actually a clash of values (length of life vs. indulgence), not a cognitive dissonance: http://www.incitingariot.com/2013/12/cognitive-dissonance-armchair-activists.html#more;

I disagree with some of this, and urge you to keep your thinking caps on: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mariana-caplan-phd/spiritual-living-10-spiri_b_609248.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false;

nice summary - I would have liked to have this when I was starting out and trying to find my way through the Northern-Hemisphere-bias of almost everything: http://thepaganveil.com/forum/topics/southern-vs-northern-hemisphere;

http://druidsdownunder.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/a-year-of-two-life-cycles.html;

interesting for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere: http://druidsdownunder.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/x-mas-and-three-ancestors.html;

for those in WA: http://scotif.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/information-for-seekers-in-western-australia/;

http://enchantedfeydream.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/midsummers-eve-so-very-soonfaery.html;

interesting: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/24/atheism-richard-dawkins-challenge-beliefs-homeless;

is self evident and should be true, in my view - is a key part of the problems I've tried writing to politicians about: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/26/when-you-buy-a-house-you-shouldnt-buy-the-neighbourhood-with-it;

http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/dec/18/why-anarchist-cookbook-author-william-powell-off-shelves;

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/04/richard-dawkins-stereotypes-male-female-brain, http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/dec/07/brain-science-ditch-male-female-cliche, and also http://theconversation.com/new-insights-into-gendered-brain-wiring-or-a-perfect-case-study-in-neurosexism-21083?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+5+December+2013&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+5+December+2013+CID_5256d6848fe3a8266cd7ac25e7e7762c&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=New%20insights%20into%20gendered%20brain%20wiring%20or%20a%20perfect%20case%20study%20in%20neurosexism, all of which is in response to http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life/no-battle-of-the-sexes-our-brains-just-wire-differently-20131202-2ylpp.html;

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/try-a-new-approach-on-sex-crimes-and-justice-20131219-2znu3.html;

http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/are-you-a-girls-girl-20130701-2p735.html;

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/dec/18/jennifer-lawrence-fat-shaming-illegal-barbara-walters-hunger-games;

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/dec/28/why-shouldnt-children-have-mothers-surname;

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/fourth-wave-feminism-rebel-women;

http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2013/jun/20/why-i-started-a-feminist-society;

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/09/the-afl-is-great-at-tackling-racism-but-what-about-sexism;

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/07/anonymous-problem-with-feminism;

it took me some time to track down what this actually means, since the author doesn't actually say what it is, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersectionality helped me, and I like this as it seems very close to my view that the problem is the bigotry that underlies all bigotry - rather than chasing each particular 'ism (racism, sexism, etc), we should chase and transform the underlying problem of bigotry which has just been looking for different forms of expression: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/23/in-defence-of-intersectionality;

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/17/peter-otoole-hellraisers-celebrities;

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/19/losing-your-job-is-not-a-liberation-tony-abbott;

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/18/the-ndis-scheme-should-be-referred-to-as-an-investment-not-a-cost;

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/19/whos-less-free-andrew-bolt-or-children-in-detention;

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/24/edward-snowden-channel-4-christmas-day-message.

[1] BPLF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Light Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

Love, light, hugs and blessings

One size does NOT fit all.
Gnwmythr's Stropping Strap: Occam's Razor only works if the simplest solution is actually recognised as being the simplest, rather than the one that best fits one's bigotries being labelled 'simplest'.
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
Ban the dream interpretation industry!
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
Housework is for ensuring a home is comfortable to live in, not competing to outdo or belittle others.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
Expertise at intimacy and emotional happiness is generally not the same thing as spiritual growth.
"Following the crowd" is not "going with the flow".
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." and/or "Everyone knows ... " and/or "they can ..." and what Bruce Schneier [2] calls "security theatre" on one side, and perspicacity and the understanding that the means shape the end on the other. Indolence vs. perspicacity, and expediency vs. honour.
The means shape the end.
As words can kill, the right to freedom of speech comes with a DUTY to be as well-informed, objective and balanced as you can be.
My favourite action movie of all time is "Gandhi", although I've recently come across "Invictus" and might put that one in to that category. However, I loathe the stereotypical action movie - and, for similar reasons, I loathe many dramas, which are often emotionally violent, more so in some cases than many war films.
All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]. JOHN F. KENNEDY (who was quoting 19th century Episcopal Bishop Phillips Brooks)

Tags: attitudes, depression, disability, discrimination, gender, greed, inspiration, materialism, peace, religion, rituals, seasons, sexism, understanding, values,

First published: Thorsdagr, 2nd January, 2014

Last edited: Thursday, 2nd January, 2014

Sunday, 29 December 2013

Post No. 501 - Being organised

When I was a kid, I catalogued my books the way my primary school library did, and then tried to charge my friends 20 cents to borrow them - mercenary intentions, I know (I wanted money to buy more books), but I was too soft a touch and don't think I got any money from anyone :) What was more to the point, though, in the context of this post, is that it was the beginning of my attempts at being organised.

I've run several cataloguing systems with my books, and the old card index system I had was probably, in many ways, the best, but I do have to admit the advent of affordable personal computers (not the ones that initially came out, costing around $5k a pop) has made life easier - mainly because of the search function. All I have had to do is get to grips with what search functions won't do, and develop a minimalist system to cater for that.

This also applies to my day job, where it is often more important to know where to get information, than to try to become a walking, sitting and coffee guzzling encyclopaedia of knowledge ... and just managing (up to a score or so, for me) work assignments can be an issue in itself, and I've tried whiteboards on my desk, formal calendar systems, etc, before finding that entries into the spreadsheet I use to record my hours so I can enter my timesheet each week probably the most effective.

In terms of my spiritual life, remembering things like Sabbats and Esbats is easy enough, but finding the time and energy to actually do something about them is more of an issue ...

As far as this post goes, what I wanted to cover was how I keep myself organised in terms of lighting a fortnightly cycle of candles (on the nshrine site). As for that, I basically have a Word document where I have headings for each day in the fortnightly cycle (e.g. first Monday, Second Wednesday, etc), and then under each day heading I create sub-headings for the purpose or destination of candles, and then under each of those I write the text I wish to use and a hyperlink to the shrines I wish to paste that into.

So, for example, the index looks like this:

and a particular entry may look like this (without the actual words, which range from personal and/or sensitive through confidential to sacred):

I used to have entries for each goal, but that wound up having far too many candles to be lit, so I collated them under the candles I would light for each rune, for instance, which helped enormously, and them more recently added the hyperlinks which made another major improvement in reducing the time required to do this.

This is all fairly trite, but it is worth thinking about how to organise one's practice to be efficient and effective, I suggest.

[1] BPLF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Light Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

Love, light, hugs and blessings

One size does NOT fit all.
Gnwmythr's Stropping Strap: Occam's Razor only works if the simplest solution is actually recognised as being the simplest, rather than the one that best fits one's bigotries being labelled 'simplest'.
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
Ban the dream interpretation industry!
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
Housework is for ensuring a home is comfortable to live in, not competing to outdo or belittle others.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
Expertise at intimacy and emotional happiness is generally not the same thing as spiritual growth.
"Following the crowd" is not "going with the flow".
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." and/or "Everyone knows ... " and/or "they can ..." and what Bruce Schneier [2] calls "security theatre" on one side, and perspicacity and the understanding that the means shape the end on the other. Indolence vs. perspicacity, and expediency vs. honour.
The means shape the end.
As words can kill, the right to freedom of speech comes with a DUTY to be as well-informed, objective and balanced as you can be.
My favourite action movie of all time is "Gandhi", although I've recently come across "Invictus" and might put that one in to that category. However, I loathe the stereotypical action movie - and, for similar reasons, I loathe many dramas, which are often emotionally violent, more so in some cases than many war films.
All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]. JOHN F. KENNEDY (who was quoting 19th century Episcopal Bishop Phillips Brooks)

Tags: about me, professionalism,

First published: Sunnudagr, 29th December, 2013

Last edited: Sunday, 29th December, 2013

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Tuesday, 7 January 2014

Sunday, 5 January 2014

Thursday, 2 January 2014

Sunday, 29 December 2013