New Wicca Life at Center of the Elemental Spirit

Wicca on the radio?!?! What a cool way to learn Wicca.

2010-06-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

It was really strange. I got a call last week from an old friend who is now one of the hosts of World Wiccan Pagan Radio. Who knew there was such a thing. I remember years ago being suprised to learn there was a site like Witchvox. To say we have come out of the closet is an understatement. We have kind of stormed our way out. And the cool thing here is it gives a great way for people getting involved to learn Wicca.

So, I was invited to be on the program for the Summer Solstice show. This was an amazing experience. We chatted about what Summer Solstice means and how the wheel of the year still relate to today's society. We talked about community and building relationships. We discussed where the elements came from and why they have the properties they do. And before you know it, we had an hour program where people could learn Wicca in a whole new way. It was amazing.

I really feel the face of our religion is changing for many people. More information is available every day and people are finding the information easier and easier. Groups are available for those who would like to meet in person. Anyone who wants to learn Wicca is just a mouseclick away. We are not just a religion that is growing fast. We are a religion that is changing fast as well. I love that technology is keeping up.

So, this Friday night, June 25th at 11:00 pm CST tune in to Cyber Station USA and take a listen. Let me know what you think. Also, what do you think of technology and Wicca? Leave some comments below and let me know.

2010-03-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Day 1. Spirit is lavish, unfailing Abundance, the rich omnipresent substance of the Universe. This all providing Source of infinite prosperity is individualized as me — the Reality of me.

Learn more here.

40 day prosperity plan

2010-03-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an awesome event we had. Here is the video for those who missed it!

Our first try at USTREAM

2010-03-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to be honest. The quality has a lot to be desired and I really didn't know what I was doing, but it does have some good information for those who make it through.

Freedom of Religion. Is it possible?

2010-02-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

Well, that was quick. A few days ago I posted that a Wiccan Circle area was being dedicated at the Air Force Academy. Now there is an article that it has been desecrated already. Someone has placed a cross on it. To some this may seem like a small thing. But as the article points out, this would be like placing a pentacle inside the Christian Chapel. I wonder if Freedom of Religion will ever be a reality. It starts with respect for all beliefs and a realization that we all hold the same fundamental spiritual values.So my friends, what are some of your thoughts on this? Is it possible to eliminate fear and hatred when it comes to Religious Beliefs? Do those who are reading this hold anger toward other faiths? Could something happen to change how you feel? Please comment...

Click here for the article.

Emergence of the Divine Feminine

2009-09-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Emergence of the Divine Feminine

a multi - arts festival october 1- 31

Part of Chicago Artists Month 2009

Please join us for the Opening Reception of the Emergence of the Divine Feminine visual art show. Enjoy refreshments by A La Turka Turkish Kitchen and music provided by Faebotica.

Emergence of the Divine Feminine explores the female aspect of God or the Divine. This exhibit, featuring the work of over 20 artists from throughout the US and UK, is spiritually uplifting, inspirational, healing, transforming, and connects the viewer to the experience of the Divine Feminine. Manifestations of the Divine Feminine are often expressed as, but not limited to: Goddess, Great Mother, Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Divine Mother of the Universe.

Life Force Arts Center is Chicago’s space for spiritually based visual, literary and performing art. The Center presents dance, theater, music, performance art, authors and visual artists who work in traditions such as shamanic, goddess, earth-centered, visionary, angelic, yogic and other spiritually uplifting paths.

Life Force Arts Center defines spiritual art as

1) art that flows from spiritual practice,

2) art that strives to connect the audience with Spirit, or

3) art that creates spiritual healing, transformation or awakening.

Location : Life Force Arts Center, 3148 N Lincoln, Chicago 60657
Contact : 773-327-7224 or info@LifeForcearts.org

Conference Call - 7 Steps to a Wiccan Ritual

2009-09-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

Creativity and Going Green

2009-08-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

Internet advertising pioneer Andy Hobsbawm is the European chair of Agency.com. He founded the first international Internet agency in 1994, and was a founder of Online Magic, a firm that merged with Agency.com in 1997.
Merging his passions for ads and the environment, he's a cofounder of the website Green Thing, which shares seven fun, punchy little (and big) ways to go green, using clever video and graphics to get across a message of accessible greening. He also keeps an interesting, if a bit sleepy, blog around a book project called Small Is the Next Big Thing.

Great creativity. In times of need, we need great creativity. Discuss. Great creativity is astonishingly, absurdly, rationally, irationally powerful. Great creativity can spread tolerance, champion freedom, make education seem like a bright idea. (Laughter)

Great creativity can turn a spotlight on deprivation, or show that deprivation ain't necessarily so. Great creativity can make politicians electable, or parties unelectable. It can make war seem like tragedy or farce.

Creativity is the meme-maker that puts slogans on our t-shirts and phrases on our lips. It's the pathfinder that shows us a simple road through an impenetrable moral maze. Science is clever, but great creativity is something less knowable, more magical. And now we need that magic. This is a time of need.

Our climate is changing quickly, too quickly. And great creativity is needed to do what it does so well: to provoke us to think differently with dramatic creative statements. To tempt us to act differently with delightful creative scraps. Here is one such scrap from an initiative I'm involved in using creativity to inspire people to be greener.

Video: Man: You know, rather than drive today, I'm going to walk.

Narrator: And so he walked, and as he walked he saw things. Strange and wonderful things he would not otherwise have seen. A deer with an itchy leg. A flying motor cycle. A father and daughter separated from a bicycle by a mysterious wall. And then he stopped. Walking in front of him was her. The woman who as a child had skipped with him through fields and broken his heart. Sure, she had aged a little. In fact, she had aged a lot. But he felt all his old passion for her return. "Ford," he called softly. For that was her name. "Don't say another word, Gusty," she said, for that was his name. "I know a tent next to a caravan, exactly 300 yards from here. Let's go there and make love. In the tent." Ford undressed. She spread one leg, and then the other. Gusty entered her boldly and made love to her rhythmically while she filmed him, because she was a keen amateur pornographer. The earth moved for both of them. And they lived together happily ever after. And all because he decided to walk that day. (Applause)

Andy Hobsbawm: We've got the science, we've had the debate. The moral imperative is on the table. Great creativity is needed to take it all, make it simple and sharp. To make it connect. To make it make people want to act. So this is a call, a plea, to the incredibly talented TED community. Let's get creative against climate change. And let's do it soon.

A Wiccan Elemental approach to overcoming challenges

2009-08-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

Just had a new article published on Witchvox. Click here to check it out.

Post a comment or two below and let me know your thoughts.

Also, don't forget this Saturday at Center of the Elemental Spirit the talk is "If Nature is Abundant, why am I broke?" Click on the meetup.com link in the sidebar to get all the details.

Blessed Be,

Marty

Magic and the Mind

2009-08-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

This is an awesome video from TED tv. The magic is psychological and absolutely amazing. Watch to the end to see one of the freakiest magic tricks I've seen in a long time.

So, here's the question. Is the manipulation of a person's mind magic or just trickery? Would love to hear people's thoughts.

Fire and Water, what an awesome mix.

2009-08-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

If you are in Chicago, check this out. It should be a cool evening!

The acclaimed French troupe Ilotopie has created waterborne theatrical wonders on the Thames in London and the River Seine in Paris. Audiences of all ages will be enchanted as Ilotopie makes its American debut, transforming Lake Michigan into a world where cars drive on water, heads burst into flames and a 12-foot-tall lady glides by on a penny-farthing.

WATERFOOLS
A waterborne theatrical spectacle performed on Lake Michigan,
off the east end of Navy Pier

August 21 – 22, 2009 at sundown (9:15 p.m.)
A World’s Stage Production from France

A Wiccan Elemental Approach to Overcoming Challenges

2009-08-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

I went to the Doctor yesterday. I kind of consider it a victory when she doesn’t give me a referral to a specialist for an autopsy. It means I’m winning. Now I don’t know how often you go to the doctor, but I go every three months. I have one of those conditions that warrants very regular follow up. See, about three and a half years ago I was pretty focused on loosing weight. I was doing a lot of ritual work toward that goal and it was working. I started to drink lots of water and the pounds were dropping off. Now, you would think this was a good thing. For me it fell in the “careful what you wish for” column. Let me give a little back ground here. I was not trying to loose weight for health reasons. I had a physical 3 months before I started to loose and everything was exactly perfect. In fact, the only thing my doctor said was “you should try to loose weight”.

She didn’t say why. She just knew that was what she should tell me. All her training told her overweight people are unhealthy. I believed the same thing. Even though the results from my own body were telling me I was in perfect health, I believed that I needed to loose weight in order to be what I already was, healthy. I should also say that my Grandfather, for as long as I can remember was well over 350 pounds. He lived in to his 90’s. But still, in order to be healthy I had to loose weight. So, that became my focus. And it was working. Now about this time I went on vacation with one of my best friends who is also my High Priestess. Our birthdays are 4 days apart and we went to Galena for a long weekend to celebrate. My friend is in the health care industry. She did not see a healthy person who was loosing some weight.

She saw someone who was drinking over a gallon of water a day and was still thirsty. She saw someone who was loosing too much weight to fast. Things I thought were just a nuisance, she was worried about. I had leg cramps. I was always thirsty. I was having some vision problems. Well, she knew if she suggested anything serious was happening, I would avoid my doctor like the plague. So, she said, “I think your potassium might be low. Maybe you need a banana or two in your diet. Why don’t you get a blood test and see?” So, I went to my doctor. She drew blood, told me she would have the results within a week and would call me with them. Her nurse called the next day. She said the doctor wanted to see me. I asked when I could schedule an appointment for. She said they needed me to come in right away.

Well, that kind of makes you nervous.

So, let me give a little background here. I’m sure everyone here has heard of Diabetes and that it can be serious. Diabetes is when the blood has too much sugar. A normal blood sugar level is between 70 and 140 milligrams per deciliter. My blood sugar was 612. This level typically puts someone in to a comma. There was so much sugar in my blood I have no idea how it was fluid enough for them to even get a sample.

Now, when there is that much sugar in the blood, the sugar tries to dilute itself. It does this by literally sucking the water out of your cells. That’s why you drink so much. Which is why you loose so much weight which of course was my goal. Go me!

So, we spent the next 4 months getting my blood sugar levels back to normal with some very high doses of insulin. What I want to point out at this time is that Medicine was attending to the immediate need. At the same time I was attending to the long term. This situation was at the least a challenge. But I began the spiritual work to make changes. And it worked. Within a year and a half, I became the 6th person my doctor has ever taken off insulin in her 30+ year career in medicine. And I have never needed it again. As evidenced once again by yesterdays follow up, it’s as though I never had the disease.

This is an extreme example of a challenge. We all have extreme challenges in our life. We also have small challenges.

The way we handle them as Wiccans, as Spiritual beings, as Metaphysicians is a process. That process is what we’re going to talk about today.

So, where do we start? Well, everything in life starts at the same place, in Air. If we think of the start of the day, it starts with the Sun rising in the East. The day starts with Air. When we are born, our life starts with our first breath. Our Air.

I don’t often take quotes from the Bible when I teach, but John 1:1 is right on target here: “In the beginning was the word”.

So, what is a word? A word is the spoken or written expression of an idea or thought. So, everything starts with Air, or thought.

You see Air and Thought are connected. Not because we say so, but because Spirit designed it that way. Do you know that everyone that has ever lived, everyone who is alive right now and everyone who will live dies of the exact same thing? Does anyone know what it is? It’s lack of oxygen to the brain. The cause of this may be as different as there are people: Gunshot, Heart Attack, Cancer, Drug Overdose, the list goes on. However, we all die because Air and our brain are no longer joined together. So, even before the first human walked the Earth, Spirit or God and Goddess predetermined that Air and Thought would rely on each other. They would be one.

So, the first step in overcoming a challenge is to think about where the challenge is coming from. To “think clearly”.

We tend to face challenges with a reaction rather than thought. The first think we think about is who can take the blame beside ourselves.

“Take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.” -Erica Jong (American writer)

You see, if you blame someone for your challenges you give them the power. I was ready to blame anyone. Why didn’t my doctor see this coming? Why didn’t my parents teach me to eat better? Why does this disease even exist? But when I moved away from blaming people and took the responsibility, I took back the power. Now a lot of times it will feel like someone deserves the blame in a situation. Maybe we have parents who are controlling. Maybe we have teachers who “just hate us”. Maybe we have a boss who takes all the credit for the work we do. But once we choose to take responsibility, we choose to understand why our parents want to control us. Is it their own insecurity about raising children? We understand why a teacher seems unfair to us. Do they see that we have more ability and potential than we are choosing to use? We see why the boss is taking credit for our work. Do they feel threatened by us? Once we take the responsibility and gain the power back, we can see and think far more clearly about a situation.

But, if all we do is think nothing gets done. We need to take action. We need to move from Air to Fire. We need to burn with a passion to overcome the challenge. Napoleon Hill said every millionaire started with a “burning desire” to accomplish what they set out to do.

My challenge with getting my meetup group started was that I wanted to over think every aspect of it. It was when I took action, found a location, set the date that it happened.

“Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction.” – Will Rogers

I spent two years earning my living full time as an actor. In other words I didn’t have a day job. All I did to support myself was acting. During those two years my bread and butter was TV commercials. I was in several of them, along with having speaking parts on TV shows and some local spots on a few of the morning shows. Here’s the thing, I was going on between 5 and 20 auditions a week. This averages out to about 10 auditions a week.

So, over 2 years I was on well over 1000 auditions. To get cast 22 times. That’s about a 2% success rate. That is a 98% failure rate if you want to think about it like that. But here’s the thing, when you get a commercial, they pay you every time it airs. So, those 22 commercials can make a nice living. I still get checks today for TV shows I filmed 10 years ago. Friends of mine are on both extremes. 2 very good friends of mine worked in LA for years. Between them they had guest starring roles in over 200 TV shows and movies. And they had thousands upon thousands of auditions for parts they didn’t get. These are guys who worked with Bruce Willis, James Earl Jones, all the Golden Girls, Tim Allen and countless others. I also have friends who have been on 5 or 6 auditions and just gave up. I bring this up because making a living as an actor is a challenge to say the least.

The screen actor’s guild has over 200,000 members of which I am one. You have to earn just under $14,000.00 a year to get health insurance through the union. Currently about 17,000 members are at that level. That’s 17,000 out of 200,000. That’s just over eight percent. It is a challenging industry to say the least. The way I had success here was massive action, in the form of over 1000 “no’s”. The way to change your life, once you have an idea is to go out and keep “failing” as many times as it takes. Because the success is in the action. If you take no action, you won’t fail but you won’t succeed either.

Now, here’s the problem. Fear. We can often be paralyzed with fear. This moves us to water. Water is our emotional self. There are two primary emotions from which all the others come.
They are love and fear. If we hate some one, it’s often because we fear what they can do or we fear what they will make us do. If we are jealous it is often because we fear feeling inferior to someone. We think of fear as being one thing, but there are two separate parts to it. There is the feeling that comes over us, which is happening now. And there is the event that is causing this emotion, which has the potential to happen in the future. Let me give an extreme example. If someone were holding a gun to your head you would feel fear right now. But the gun is not what you are afraid of. It’s the potential outcome of what would happen if the gun fires. Everything we fear is the future potential of an event, so, when we understand that nothing we are experiencing now warrants fear; we can work toward a positive outcome of any challenge.

So, what is a positive outcome? It’s one that makes us feel safe. It makes us feel grounded. It makes us feel at home. This is our Earth.

“Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul.”
Thomas Merton

So, when we are faced with a challenge and have thought through it, taken action, overcome fear, we now allow Earth to take over, two plant the seeds of the work we have done and to let it grow. In this way a challenge is overcome.

The last thing we realize is that we are Spiritual Creatures and the element of Spirit has no concept of obstacles.

“The initial action must be that of the Originating Mind upon Itself, in other words, Self-contemplation. At this primordial stage neither Time nor Space can be recognized, for both imply measurement of successive intervals, and in the primary movement of Mind upon itself the only consciousness must be that of Present Absolute Being, because no external points exist from which to measure extension either in time or space. Hence we must eliminate the ideas of time and space from our conception of Spirit's initial Self-contemplation. This being so, Spirit's primary contemplation of itself as simply Being necessarily makes its presence universal and eternal, and consequently, paradoxical as it may seem, its independence of Time and Space makes it present throughout all Time and Space.” -Thomas Troward

So, what does this all mean? Well, when we think of Spirit, we often think of ourselves as a part of Spirit. We think of ourselves as having a “piece of Spirit” within us. What Mr. Troward points out is that before there was anything, there was Spirit. Spirit had nothing to measure itself against so there was no time and no space. Therefore Spirit exists in its entirety in every point of time and space. So, in reality we are not a part of Spirit. We are the whole of Spirit. Now think about that. The whole of the power that created and maintains the universe is within you in its entirety. We literally have the power within us to do anything without limitation. So, why do we have obstacles? Because we allow ourselves to.

We believe this to be our reality and this infinite source of creative power makes it so. How do we change that? That is our ongoing purpose as embodiments of Spirit.

6 ways mushrooms can save the world: Paul Stamets on TED.com

2009-08-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

Mycologist Paul Stamets studies mycelium and lists 6 ways that this astonishing fungus can help save the world. Cleaning polluted soil, creating new insecticides, treating smallpox and maybe even the flu ... in 18 minutes, he doesn't get all the way through his list, but he has plenty of time to blow your mind. An audience favorite at TED2008. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:44.)

I love a challenge, and saving the earth is probably a good one. We all know the earth is in trouble. We have now entered in the 6X -- The sixth major extinction on this planet. I often wondered if there was a United Organization of Organisms -- otherwise known as U-O (pronounces it "uh-oh"), (laughter) -- and every organism had a right to vote, would we be voted on the planet or off the planet? I think that vote is occurring right now.

I want to present to you a suite of 6 mycological solutions using fungi, and these solutions are based on mycelium.

(graphic of Earth from space, growing a halo of mycelium; then photo of someone holding up a strand of mycelium pulled from the soil; then photo of mycelium growing on wood)

The mycelium infuses all landscapes, it holds soils together, it's extremely tenacious -- this holds up to 30 thousand times its mass. They're the grand molecular disassemblers of nature, the soil magicians. They generate the humus soils across the land masses of Earth. We have now discovered that there is a multi-directional transfer of nutrients between plants, mitigated by the mycelium --

(drawing of trees with soil cross section, showing mycelium connections)

so the mycelium is the mother that is giving nutrients from alder and birch trees, to hemlocks, cedars, and Douglas firs.

(photo of Dusty Yao walking through northwestern rainforest)

Dusty and I, we like to say, on Sunday this is where we go to church. I'm in love with the old growth forest, and I'm a patriotic American because we have those.

(photo of giant mushroom silhouetted against the sky)

Most of you are familiar with portobello mushrooms. And frankly, I face a big obstacle when I mention mushrooms to somebody. They immediately think portobellos or magic mushrooms, their eyes glaze over, and they think I'm a little crazy. So I hope to pierce that prejudice forever with this group. We call it mycophobia, the irrational fear of the unknown when it comes to fungi.

(series of shots of mushrooms growing on a hunk of organic medium)

Mushrooms are very fast in their growth. (series of cuts illustrating speed of growth, ending with shot of mature mushrooms) Day 21, day 23, day 25.

Mushrooms produce strong antibiotics.

(shot of big mushrooms rotting in the wild)

In fact, we're more closely related to fungi than we are to any other kingdom. A group of 20 eukaryotic microbiologists published a paper two years ago erecting Opisthokonta -- a super-kingdom that joins Animalia and fungi together. We share in common the same pathogens. Fungi don't like to rot from bacteria, and so our best antibiotics come from fungi. But here (refers back to photo) is a mushroom that's past its prime. After they sporulate, they do rot. But I propose to you that the sequence of microbes that occur on rotting mushrooms are essential for the health of the forest. They give rise to the trees, they create the debris fields that fuel the mycelium.

(photo of yellow mushroom on the floor of the forest, exuding spores)

And so we see a mushroom here sporulating. And the spores are germinating,

(photo of a patch of mycelium on the forest floor, dissolving into the undergrowth, with Stamets' foot in photo to show scale)

-and the mycelium forms and goes underground. In a single cubic inch of soil, there can be 8 miles of these cells. My foot is covering approximately 300 miles of mycelium.

(microscopic movie of mycelium growing, branching out and thickening)

This is photo-micrographs from Nick Read and Patrick Hickey. And notice that as the mycelium grows, it conquers territory, and then it begins the net.

(final microscopic shot of fully netted mass of mycelia)

I've been a scanning electron microscopist for many years, I've thousands of electron micrographs, and when I'm staring at the mycelium I realize that they are microfiltration membranes. We exhale carbon dioxide, so does mycelium. It inhales oxygen, just like we do. But these are essentially externalized stomachs and lungs. And I present to you a concept, that these are extended neurological membranes.

(close up of one of the mycelium nets)

And in these cavities, these microcavities form, and as they fuse soils, they absorb water. These are little wells. And inside these wells, then microbal communities begin to form. And so the spongy soil not only resists erosion, but sets up a microbial universe --

(shot of starscape with mycelium superimposed on it -- "The Opte Project")

-that gives rise to a plurality of other organisms.

I first proposed, in the early 1990s, that mycelium is Earth's natural internet. When you look at the mycelium, they're highly branched. And if there's one branch that is broken, then very quickly, because of the nodes of crossing -- internet engineers maybe call them "hot points" -- There's alternative pathways for channeling nutrients and information. The mycelium is sentient. It knows that you are there. When you walk across landscapes, it leaps up in the aftermath of your footsteps trying to grab debris.

So, I believe, the invention of the computer internet is an inevitable consequence of a previously proven biologically successful model. The earth invented the computer internet for its own benefit, and we, now, being the top organism on this planet, is trying to allocate resources in order to protect the biosphere.

(article on dark matter with rendering of "Cobweb of dark matter")

Going way out, dark matter conforms to the same mycelial archetype. I believe matter begets life, life becomes single cells, single cells become strings, strings become chains, chains network. And this is the paradigm that we see throughout the universe.

(photo of Earth from space)

Most of you may not know that fungi were the first organisms to come to land. They came to land 1.3 billion years ago, and plants followed several hundred million years later. How is that possible?

(electron micrograph of mycelium holding mineral crystals)

It's possible because the mycelium produces oxalic acids, and many other acids and enzymes, pockmarking rock and grabbing calcium and other minerals, and forming calcium oxalates. Makes the rocks crumble, and the first step in the generation of soil.

(slide of chemical models of oxalic acid (C2H2O4; HOOCCOOH) and calcium oxalate (CaC2O4))

Oxalic acid is two carbon dioxide molecules joined together. So fungi and mycelium sequester carbon dioxide in the form of calcium oxalates. And all sorts of other oxalates are also sequestering carbon dioxide through the minerals that are being formed and taken out of the rock matrix.

(photo of geologist in the field, examining a large fossil of Prototaxites)

This was first discovered in 1859, this is the photograph by Franz Hueber, this photograph's taken 1950s in Saudi Arabia. 420 million years ago, this organism existed. It was called Prototaxites. Prototaxites, laying down, was about 3 feet tall. The tallest plants on Earth, at that time, were less than two feet. Dr. Boyce, at the University of Chicago, published an article in the Journal of Geology this past year determining that Prototaxites was a giant fungus. A giant mushroom.

(Artist's rendering of Devonian landscape with towering Prototaxites)

Across the landscapes of Earth were dotted these giant mushrooms. All across most land masses. And these existed for tens of millions of years.

Now we've had several extinction events, and as we march forward, 65 million years ago -- most of you know about it -- we had an asteroid impact. The earth was struck by an asteroid, a huge amount of debris was jettisoned into the atmosphere. Sunlight was cut off, and fungi inherited the earth.

Those organisms that paired with fungi were rewarded, 'cause fungi do not need light. More recently, at Einstein University, they just determined that fungi use radiation as a source of energy, much like plants use light. So the prospect of fungi existing on other planets elsewhere, I think, is a foregone conclusion. At least in my own mind.

(satellite photo of the Pacific Northwest)

The largest organism in the world is in eastern Oregon. I couldn't miss it, it was 22 hundred acres in size. 22 hundred acres in size, 2,000 years old.

(overhead shot of forest landscape in eastern Oregon)

The largest organism on the planet is a mycelial mat, one cell wall thick. How is it that this organism can be so large, and yet be one cell wall thick, whereas we have 5 or 6 skin layers that protect us?

(electron micrograph of mycelium mass)

The mycelium, in the right conditions, produces a mushroom,

(photo of mushroom poking through a parking lot)

-- it bursts through with such ferocity it can break asphalt.

We were involved with several experiments. I'm going to show you 6, if I can, solutions for helping to save the world.

(photo of scientists working on experiment described below)

Battelle Laboratories and I joined up, in Bellingham, Washington, there were 4 piles saturated with diesel and other petroleum waste. One was a control pile, one pile was treated with enzymes, one pile was treated with a bacteria, and our pile we inoculated with mushroom mycelium.

(photo of oil getting captured by mycelium ring)

The mycelium absorbs the oil. The mycelium is producing enzymes -- peroxydases -- that break carbon-hydrogen bonds. These're the same bonds that hold hydrocarbons together. So the mycelium become saturated with the oil, and then, when we returned 6 weeks later, all the tarps were removed, all the other piles were dead, dark, and stinky. We came back to our pile, it was covered with hundreds of pounds of oyster mushrooms --

(photo of their pile, covered in mushrooms)

-- and the color changed to a light form. The enzymes re-manufactured the hydrocarbons into carbohydrates -- fungal sugars.

(photo of giant & healthy mushroom on the pile)

Some of these mushrooms are very happy mushrooms. They're very large. They're showing how much nutrition that they could've obtained.

But something else happened, which was an epiphany in my life. They sporulated, the spores attract insects, the insects laid eggs, eggs became larvae. Birds then came, bringing in seeds, and our pile became an oasis of life.

(shot of their pile with grass growing on it)

Whereas the other 3 piles were dead, dark, and stinky, and the PAH's -- the aromatic hydrocarbons -- went from 10 thousand parts per million to less than 200 in 8 weeks. The last image we don't have -- the entire pile was a green berm of life. These are gateway species. Vanguard species that open the door for other biological communities.

(photo of man holding burlap sack full of mycelium)

So I invented burlap sacks -- "bunker spawn" -- and putting the mycelium, using storm blown debris,

(diagram of how to bury sacks for waste cleanup)

-- you can take these burlap sacks and put 'em downstream from a farm that's producing E. coli, or other wastes, or a factory with chemical toxins, and it leads to habitat restoration.

(photo of woman and other workers laying down burlap sacks in a field)

So we set up a site in Mason County, Washington, and we've seen a dramatic decrease in the amount of coliforms, and I'll show you a graph here-

(somewhat illegible graph showing results described below)

-this is a logarithmic scale, 10 to the 8th power, there's more than a 100 million colonies per gram, and 10 to 3rd power is about a thousand. In 48 hours to 72 hours, these 3 mushroom species reduced the amount of coliform bacteria 10,000 times. Think of the implications. This is a space conservative method that uses storm debris -- and we can be guaranteed that we will have storms every year.

(Dusty Yao, posing with mushroom)

So this one mushroom, in particular, has drawn our interest over time. This is my wife Dusty with a mushroom called Fomitopsis officinalis -- Agaricon. It's a mushroom exclusive to the old growth forest, that Dioscorides first described in 65 A.D. as a treatment against consumption. This mushroom grows in Washington state, Oregon, northern California, British Columbia, now thought to be extinct in Europe. May not seem that large -- let's get closer.

(Stamets holding Agaricon, it's as large as his torso)

This is extremely rare fungus. Our team, and we have a team of experts that go out -- We went out 20 times in the old growth forest last year, we found one sample to be able to get into culture.

Preserving the genome of these fungi in the old growth forest, I think, is absolutely critical for human health.

(series of micrographs of mushroom spores)

I've been involved with the U.S. Defense Department BioShield program. We submitted over 300 samples of mushrooms that were boiled in hot water, and mycelium harvesting is (sic) extracellular metabolites -- And a few years ago, we received these results.

(table showing activity of mushroom strains against pox virus)

We have three different strains of Agaricon mushrooms that were highly active against pox viruses. Dr. Earl Kern, who's a smallpox expert of the U.S. Defense Department, states that any compounds that have a Selectivity Index of 2 or more are active, 10 or greater is considered to be very active. Our mushroom strains were in the highly active range. There's a vetted press release that you can read -- it's vetted by DOD, if you Google "Stamets" and "smallpox" -- or you can go to npr.org and listen to a live interview.

So, encouraged by this, naturally we went to flu viruses.

(table of "Highly Active Mushroom Strains Against Flu Viruses" showing reactivity of various species)

And so, for the first time I am showing this. We have 3 different strains of Agaricon mushrooms highly active against flu viruses. Here's the Selectivity Index numbers -- against pox, you saw 10s and 20s -- now against flu viruses, compared to the ribavirin controls, we have an extraordinarily high activity. And we're using a natural extract within the same dosage window as a pure pharmaceutical. We tried it against flu A viruses -- H1N1, H3N2 -- as well as flu B viruses. So then we tried a blend, and in a blend combination we tried it against H5N1, and we got greater than a thousand Selectivity Index. (applause) I then -- I then think that we can make the argument that we should save the old growth forest as a matter of national defense. (applause)

(photo of array of Petri dishes containing spores)

I became interested in entomopathogenic fungi -- Fungi that kill insects. Our house is being destroyed by carpenter ants. I went to the EPA homepage, and they were recommending studies with metarhizium species of a group of fungi that kill carpenter ants, as well as termites. I did something that nobody else had done. I actually chase the mycelium when it stopped producing spores. These are spores -- this is in their spores. I was able to morph the culture into a non-sporulating form.

(two Petri dishes with new cultures)

And so the industry has spent over a 100 million dollars specifically on bait stations to prevent termites from eating your house. But the insects aren't stupid, and they would avoid the spores when they came close, and so I morphed the cultures into a non-sporulating form --

(photo of dish sitting beside a wall, holding new mushroom culture)

-- and I got my daughter's Barbie doll dish, I put it right where a bunch of carpenter ants were making debris fields, every day, in my house,

(photo of ants devouring mycelium)

-- and the ants were attracted to the mycelium, because there's no spores. They gave it to the queen. One week later, I had no sawdust piles whatsoever.

And then, a delicate dance between dinner and death --

(dead ant covered in mycelium)

-- the mycelium is consumed by the ants, they become mummified, and boing --

(ant with a mushroom growing out of it)

-- a mushroom pops out of their head. (laughter and moans of disgust) Now after sporulation, the spores repel. So the house is no longer suitable for invasion. So you have a near-permanent solution for re-invasion of termites.

(shot of exterior of house w/ construction equipment, followed by shot of patent form)

And so my house came down, I received my first patent against carpenter ants, termites, and fire ants,

(photo of more Petri dishes and spore prints, followed by another patent form)

-then we tried extracts, and lo and behold, we can steer insects to different directions. This has huge implications. I then received my second patent -- and this is a big one. It's been called an "Alexander Graham Bell" patent -- It covers over 200 thousand species.

This is the most disruptive technology, I've been told by executives of the pesticide industry, that they have ever witnessed. This could totally revamp the pesticide industries throughout the world. You could fly a hundred PhD students under the umbrella of this concept, because my supposition is that entomopathogenic fungi, prior to sporulation, attract the very insects that are otherwise repelled by those spores.

(photo of "Life Box," "The Way to Re-Green the Planet", then photo of someone opening one)

And so I came up with a Life Box. 'Cause I needed a delivery system. The Life Box -- you're gonna be getting a DVD of the TED conference,

(photo of empty cardboard box in a dish being sprinkled with soil, then being watered, finally shot of spores growing on cardboard)

-- you add soil, you add water, you have mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi as well as spores, like of the Agaricon mushroom. The seeds, then, are mothered by this mycelium.

(photo of mycelium rich soil in box with trees sprouting in it)

And then you put tree seeds in here, and then you end up growing -- potentially -- an old growth forest from a cardboard box.

(photo of path in a forest)

I want to re-invent the delivery system, and the use of cardboard around the world, so they become ecological footprints. If there's a YouTube-like site that you could put up, you could make an interactive Zip Code specific -- where people could join together, and through satellite imaging systems, through Virtual Earth or Google Earth, you could confirm carbon credits are being sequestered by the trees that are coming through Life Boxes.

(shot of UPS guy handing a box of shoes to girl)

You could take a cardboard box delivering shoes, you could add water -- I developed this for the refugee community --

(shot of someone watering soil filled box, which then fills with plants)

corns beans and squash and onions -- I took several containers, my wife said if I could do this, anybody could.

(shot of back porch garden, before and after planting)

And I ended up growing a seed garden. Then you harvest the seeds -- and thank you, Eric Rasmussen, for your help on this --

(graphic -- "Harvesting the seed garden" -- photo of two girls harvesting garden -- "Time from germination to seed harvest: approximately 4-5 months", then photo of Dusty Yao harvesting the corn)

And then you're harvesting the seed garden,

(photo of kernels encased in mycelium, about to be wrapped around cobs)

Then you can harvest the kernels, and then you just need a few kernels, I add mycelium to it,

(photo of wrapped/inoculated cobs, one side beginning to grow mushrooms, the other side starting off empty)

and then I inoculate the corn cobs. Now, three corn cobs, no other grain -- lots of mushrooms begin to form -- too many withdrawals from the carbon bank. And so, this population will be shut down. But watch what happens here.

(points to formerly empty side -- series of shots showing the mushrooms growing on the cobs)

The mushrooms then are harvested -- but, very importantly -- the mycelium has converted the cellulose into fungal sugars. And so I thought, how could we address the energy crisis in this country? And we came up with Econol.

(photo of vial of "Econol" with burning wick)

Generating ethanol from cellulose using mycelium as an intermediary -- and you gain all the benefits that I've described to you already. But to go from cellulose to ethanol is ecologically unintelligent, and I think that we need to be econologically intelligent about the generation of fuels so we build the carbon banks on the planet, renew the soils -- these are a species that we need to join with. I think engaging mycelium can help save the world. Thank you very much.

Jim Rohn INSPIRATIONAL Quotes w/music by U2

2009-08-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

Inspiration by Jim Rohn - Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own by U2 - Inspirational and Motivational Video

Wicca News, Stories of Interest to Pagans and Wiccans

2009-07-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.NewWiccaLife.com Click the link to the left to visit or blog for more info. Top 10 environmental scholarships: http://www.mnn.com/family/education-activities/stories/top-10-environmental-scholarships China offers big solar subsidy: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idAFPEK12570920090721 Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/martycouch

Druid Documentary Trailer

2009-07-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

A documentary about the nature of modern druidry, its historical origins and spiritual message. Public broadcast licence available from the Holistic Channel www.holisticchannel.org.uk

The Longest Solar Eclipse of the Century

2009-07-22T22:52:00.000-07:00

Hey. I just read that the recent eclipse was the longest of the century. Click here for the story and to see some pretty cool pictures.

The Magic of Being one with Nature, what Wicca is all about

2009-07-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful video about the magic of going back to nature. I hope you enjoy.

Transforming my life through my Wiccan path

2009-07-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Here is the talk from the Saturday, July 18th 2009 "Center of the Elemental Spirit". I hope you enjoy.

Please post any thoughts or comments and I would love to hear from you.

Also, feel free to join us Saturday, July 25th, 2009 at 2:00 for "An Elemental Approach to Overcoming Challenges".

Transforming my life through my Wiccan Path

My partner Dan had eye surgery this week to correct a cataract. He had his left eye done 2 years ago and this time it was for his right eye. Now Dan is only 38 years old. When we told people that he had to have cataract surgery everyone had the same response. “But he’s so young”.

This made me think back to when I was about 20 years old. Every few months my foot would swell and I couldn’t walk on it. It was like I had broken my foot. I would go for x-rays and tests and by the time we had the results the foot was just fine. One day when this happened, I went to a doctor who I still go to today. She took one look at my foot and promptly announced, “You have Gout”. Again, being in my very early 20’s people said, “That’s so strange that it would happen when you’re so young”. In fact, I believe most of the other doctors missed this diagnosis because of my age. It never even crossed my mind.

As I was thinking about these things this week, it suddenly occurred to me that not only were people commenting on how strange it is for young people to be ill, but how normal it is for older people to become sick in some way. You see, as a society we expect that as we grow old we will grow ill. And if we stay healthy, we are simply lucky.

But is that really the case, or is it just our expectation?

Eli Khamarov said, “The best things in life are unexpected – because there were no expectations.”

So, when we least expect something is when great things begin to happen.

This was proven to me just yesterday. I had done some consulting work a few months ago that was never paid for. I chalked the loss up to “the economy” and had no expectation of getting paid from this client. Now I could have sent letters, made countless phone calls, threatened to sue and so on. But this is someone who has been a very good client and friend in the past and as things “pick up” will likely be a good contact for the future. So, I just forgot about it. I put it out of my mind. Out of the blue, I got a call yesterday asking to make sure my address was the same so he could send a check.

It was when my expectation for not getting paid was forgotten that the unexpected happened. Have you ever had this same type of thing happen in your life?

I was invited a few weeks ago to watch a movie of the life story of Mother Theresa. It was a wonderful film and incredibly inspiring. One of the scenes showed Mother Theresa giving food to a group of children. She promised them they would have more tomorrow. The Nuns asked her how she could be sure and she said, “God will provide”. Sure enough, the next day people were donating food so the children she was helping could eat. What happens in our lives? Do we ever have situations where God, or God and Goddess or Spirit doesn’t provide? If so, what are we doing wrong?

Well, often we do work in ritual toward a goal. But rather than leaving that goal to the Gods to fulfill, we map out everything that will happen on the way to that goal. So, the first time something doesn’t go “as planned” we give up on the entire thing. Our expectation becomes “this won’t work.”

What does all this have to do with transforming our lives through our Wiccan Path? Well, every religion has its ways of learning. For those of the Jewish Faith it’s the Old Testament. For Christians it’s the New Testament. For Muslims, it’s the Koran. For Buddhists it’s the Tao.

As Wiccans we don’t have a book. We may have a teacher, an elder or even a coven. But ultimately they are sharing their own experience. What we have is The Earth. Nature. We learn from the Mother herself about life and all the lessons are there.

So, how does transformation happen in nature?

There are two ways that this typically happens? It happens through growth and through metamorphosis. Growth is the one we are all familiar with. From the moment we were conceived we have been growing in body. From the moment we were born we have been growing in thoughts and ideas. As a child, before you could even speak, you grew. You had no expectation of growth. You were merely following your nature. When a seed is planted the tree is already the natural outcome. The seed doesn’t need to be convinced to grow in to a tree. It only has to follow its nature to do so.

We have been hearing a lot about the economy lately. We are bombarded with unemployment data, credit and foreclosure issues and the insecurity of the financial future. We are being convinced to expect lack. But is there less money today than there was 5 years ago? Are there fewer things that can be bought? Or do we just have different expectations?

There are no fewer blades of grass this year than last year, or the year before or 5 years ago. There are no fewer leaves on the trees. There are no fewer animals with offspring. So, nature is unaware that there is lack. Nature doesn’t get CNN. The Earth hasn’t been told “you might want to save some grass for a rainy day.” Trees have not been told, “Don’t make so many leaves because you never know when you will need them.” Animals are unaware to “put off having children until the economy is better.” So, why have we been able to convince ourselves to expect what nature isn’t even aware of?

In simplest terms, words when they fall upon fertile ground become the definition of a spell. What has literally been happening is the casting of spells upon people and people are willing to accept these spells and allow themselves to be effected by them. We are falling away from the harmony we have with nature into the discord of these words.
It is changing our thoughts, feelings and actions. This is by definition “black magic”.

Thomas Troward in his book The Creative Process in the Individual said, “It is necessary for the Universal Spirit to be always harmonious with itself.” So, there are truly two states of being in the Universe, that of harmony and that of discord. Spirit is always in harmony with itself, so how do we know if we are in harmony with spirit? Well, we must first understand that we are spirit as much as we are any other element. We are spiritual children of the God and Goddess. We are of the same substance that Universal Spirit is. How do we know this? Well, let’s start with an example in music.
When we hear 3 people sing in perfect harmony, it makes our body and soul feel good. We enjoy the sound. It can change us even at the emotional level. But when they are off key, or in discord the sound is unpleasant. We have the inherent ability to tell harmony from discord.

Here’s another example. Have you ever complimented someone and seen them smile? How did it make you feel? Did you stay happy all day? On the other hand have you ever “snapped” at someone? Gotten angry for what later seemed like no reason at all? How did that make you feel? Kindness is in harmony with the Universal Spirit. Anger is in discord.

So, we have discussed growth. Now let’s talk about metamorphosis. Complete change. The most striking example of this is the butterfly. It starts out a caterpillar and goes through a complete change.

Even more dramatic is the tadpole. Through a metamorphosis it becomes a frog. This is more than merely growth. The tadpole grows 4 legs that were not there before, grows lungs that were not there before, it’s gills close, its tail shrinks and disappears, it goes from eating vegetation to a carnivorous diet. This is an amazing transformation. This is what we believe took fish hundreds of thousands if not millions of years to accomplish. Now it happens in weeks.

It is this transformation, or metamorphosis that lead many people to Wicca. We don’t just agree with some ideas or think it would be cool to worship in a nature centered way. We are transformed by the sense of spirituality we discover. We are willing to leave behind our old beliefs and greet new expectations of what it is to be a spiritual being.

Marcel Proust said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

So, how do we begin the transformation of our life? What do we do to start on our new journey? First and foremost we realize that our words matter. Our words are spells.

One of the first things to look at is what “fertile ground” these words, or spells fall on. We normally refer to this fertile ground as the subconscious mind. In understanding the subconscious mind, we must understand that the subconscious mind does not realize anyone exists in the world besides you. In his book The Power of your Subconscious Mind, Dr. Joseph Murphy states “Do not think ill of another for to do so is to think ill of yourself.”

Once we realize that negative thoughts, ideas and words are actually negatives spells we are casting and that our subconscious mind is casting them for ourselves, we realize where many of our struggles that we deal with even today are coming from.

By the same token, any positive thoughts, ideas and words we have are also positive spells we cast on our own life. When we understand and live this, we will begin to transform our lives.

Chicago Pagan Unity Ritual caught on Video

2009-04-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Magickal Tools in Wicca and Choosing a patron God and Goddess

2009-03-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

The following is an response I wrote for questions about which tools to use and how to select a patron God and Goddess. The question was initially posted on wiccantogether.com. I hope you enjoy.

Well, the wonderful thing about Wicca and Paganism is that there are as many ways to practice our religion as there are people who are involved. The double edged sword to this is that it gives many the freedom they have been looking for to build a more personal relationship with a higher power (Gods and Goddesses, Elemental Spirit, Etc.) while at the same time leaving a lot of partial or incomplete information out there. This has been more and more the case as time goes on and our community is favoring online research and moving away from covens with strong histories. The good news is the information is more readily available for those who seek it than ever before.

In answer to your first question about tools, all of the tools we need are contained within us. We have the Element of Air in every breath. We have the Element of Fire that is our life force. We have the Element of Water that makes up over 70% of our bodies. We have the Element of Earth in our bodies as well. The Element of Spirit permeates it all. The purpose of any external tool is to help us get in touch with the internal equivalent. An external alter helps us in developing our internal alter. An Athame helps us learn to focus energy and becomes an extension of us. All the tools are to assist us in developing ourselves as a magical person. Often upon meditation you will gain a feel for which ones are appropriate to use at any given time for you in your work.

As far as a patron God or Goddess is concerned, this again differs greatly when you speak with people who practice Wicca. My suggestion is to begin with calling to the God and Goddess in the masculine and feminine qualities you seek to align with. You will know the presence of these Dieties when they join you. As you develop further, you will find that they often "introduce" themselves to you. This can occur when you are reading a book and suddenly realize the God or Goddess being described is the one you have been working with. It can come as a vision in meditation or a dream while sleeping. It could be that you are speaking with someone and they tell you the God or Goddess name of the Diety who has been with you.

One of the most important things to learn on this journey is to trust your own inner voice. That is often the voice connected directly to the Element of Spirit. Spirit will always be a more important guide than any one person. Though Spirit may also put those people on your path.

I hope this information is helpful to you on your journey.

The Spirit in me recognizes the Spirit in you.
Center of the Elemental Spirit
Blessed Be,
Marty Couch

For a limited time, get "It's Elemental My Dear Wiccan: Understanding and Using the Elements to Empower Our Lives" for FREE by clicking here.

Oberon Zell Ravenheart on Wicca and the Wiccan Community

2009-03-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Wiccans and Pagans and Voodoo, oh my!

2009-03-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a very empowering day for the Pagan and Wiccan Community in Chicago. The Earth Spiritualists of Chicago held the Chicago Unity Ritual at the Life Force Arts Center. This amazing event featured many of the groups in the Chicago Pagan and Wiccan community leading various parts of the ritual.

The event culminated with a Water Sharing Ceremony facilitated by Oberon Zell Ravenheart. It was truly empowering to have all these people together in one ceremony, all adding parts of their own practice. I hope other events like this will be held in the future, not just in Chicago but all over the country. Still energized from the evening!

The Elements Turn 2600

2009-01-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

The following is an article published at www.witchvox.com. I hope you enjoy.

As we head deeper in to the dark (and cold) half of the year, it seems each day I am feeling more my age. But even feeling on the older side myself, it can boggle the mind how old the stuff we are made of (or were thought to be made of) is. So, when we talk of the elements, it seems fair to ask how these ideas came about. And when. Well, fasten your seat belts as we hit the way back machine (Wow, I am old!)

Just as a note, the information in this article is specific to the elements typically used in current Wiccan practice, those of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. This article does not cover the traditional Eastern elements such as the Chinese Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water or the Buddhist Void, Water, Earth, Fire and Air. It is important to note that all these concepts came about at primarily the same time and for the same reason, the learned thinkers of the time were trying to answer, “What exists?” For the purposes of our discussion, we will talk about the emergence and acceptance of the European beliefs in the elements.

So, how far back does this go? Well, let’s go all the way back to Greece, say around 600 B.C. The city of Miletus was a prominent center of trade. Because of this, the scholars of that city were likely to have been exposed to some of the philosophies of the East as well as their goods. So it started them thinking. What makes all this? What are we formed of? One of the first to answer this question was Thales of Miletus. He concluded that every thing in the Universe was created from and resolved itself back to Water. Well, there might have been a couple holes in his theory. First, if this took hold we would be saying “River to River, Lake to Lake” instead of “Ashes to Ashes…” But there was an even more critical error in his thinking, according to others of the time. He was not attributing anything that was created to any of the Gods. Hmmm…It should also be noted he never committed any of his theories to paper. Probably a good idea.

So, along comes Anaximander, also of Miletus. He reasons that everything comes from indefinite substance which he termed The Boundless (sounds a bit like Spirit, huh?) and that this substance when acted on produced the other four elements. When it was hot and dry, it was Fire, when cold and wet it was Water, when hot and wet it was Air and when cold and dry it was Earth. Ultimately he reasoned that everything was of this source as opposed to the idea of independent elements. Many, such as Plato and Aristotle had their input, but the one who declared that everything was made of a combination of the four main Elements was Empedocles. Plato was the first to use the term Elements in connection with these four primary building blocks. And the idea really took off. Hippocrates used the Elements to develop his concept of the human body and medicine. He did this by discovering and treating the four humors.

So, mystery solved. Everything in the entire Universe was made of these four Elements. Case closed. We could now go on and no longer question it. Actually, that really is what happened. Through the Roman Empire, the teachings of Christ (when he was just a Rabbi) , the rise of Christianity, The Renaissance, The Hundred Year War, The Black Plague, Wars of the Roses, The Spanish Inquisition, Christopher Columbus, all the way up until 1669. That was the year that a merchant in Germany by the name of Hennig Brand was trying to make a Philosopher’s Stone. The idea was that this stone would turn metal in to gold. Well, accidentally discovered Phosphorus, the first recorded element of the current periodic table.

Now, let’s think about this. For over 2200 years, it was accepted fact that everything was made of some combination of the four elements. This was not a passing fancy. This is what the most advanced scholars of the time were learning and accepting as complete fact. The Alchemists of Europe relied on these principles. The Roman Catholic Church supported some of these concepts. As Wicca and Witchcraft grew in Europe, these concepts were utilized in ritual practice.

This is not small. Our very lexicon is based on this (he is an air head, she has a fiery temper, he is flooded with emotion, etc.) So, why is this so important to us today? Well, have you ever felt a ritual was lacking something? Maybe unbalanced? In need of more power, more energy? When we realize in our ritual that we are not just invoking the Elements because that is what we learned, but rather that we are invoking a philosophy, a belief, a truth over 2200 years old, we are gaining a power to our ritual that is beyond measure.

The reality is, we practice an ancient Religion in a modern time. What was thought of as fact only 340 years ago is thought of as “out there” thinking. But think about it. 340 years ago means our great grandparents parents may have lived when the four Elements were the accepted reality. Many people reading this may have met their great grandparents. This is only 1 generation removed from our current reality. To truly use these ideas and energies in our ritual today is not as big a “leap of faith” as some might believe.

Next time you invoke the Elements for your ritual, take a moment. See these great thinkers and experience the reality of the Elements as it hit them. Feel the connection with these Elements in what you are doing at that very moment. Don’t think of them as abstract concepts, but as real sources of power and energy that have outlasted the ages. Then see if there is a difference in the work you are doing.

In future articles we will be looking at the Elements individually as well as seeing how they still hold power today. Until next time…