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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #101 -- June 2009 A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.net/ message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/ social network: http://ecauldron.ning.com/ newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.net/cnc/ Please DONATE to Support our SERVER http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?page=62 In this Issue: [00] Editorial Notes [01] Cauldron News * TCN: The Cauldron Network Major Changes * Phyllis Vega's New Book: Erotic Astrology [02] Interesting Recent Cauldron Discussions * Wicca and Witchcraft are NOT the same thing... * Human Nature? * The "when and why" of magick? * How do you find time for Spirituality? * Dealing with Resentment * Playing music during candle magick? * Your Balance of Elements * Ignorance * What is UPG? * Can Religion Lead You to Error? [03] Phyllis Vega's Tarot Talk: Tarot Spells [04] Flamekeeping: Ideals and Reality [05] Articles * The Top 10 Ways To Improve Psychic Abilities * Transits by the Outer Planets-Your Windows for Growth [06] Support The Cauldron with Donations [07] Support The Cauldron with Assistance [08] Newsletter Information (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ LOOKING FOR PAGAN SUPPLIES? Visit The Cauldron's Pagan Supply Store http://www.ecauldron.net/esesf.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [00] ========= ========= EDITORIAL NOTES ========= Welcome to the May 2009 issue of Cauldron and Candle. You are receiving this issue because you subscribed. To learn how to unsubscribe, see the last section of this newsletter This issue contains news of an important change for The Cauldron community online. TCN (TC's relatively new social network) has moved from Kickapps to Ning. Ning has better "social network" stuff and lacks the spammers who ruined TCN on Kickapps over the last few months. There's more info in the Cauldron News section. I'd also like to congratulate Tarot Talk columnist Phyllis Vega. Her latest book, Erotic Astrology: The Sex Secrets of Your Horoscope Revealed, has just been published by Adams Media. You'll find more infomation and a brief review later in this issue. As usual, I'd like to invite everyone reading this to come by our message board when you get a chance. You can read our discussions without registering, but if you want to post you will need to register a member id. Those who haven't been by don't really know what they are missing. http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php Randall Sapphire Editor and Publisher, Cauldron and Candle Co-Host, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum [01] ========= ========= CAULDRON NEWS ========= by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum Staff ========= ===== ===== TCN: The Cauldron Network Major Changes ===== The current version of TCN: The Cauldron Network (TC's social network) is being replaced by a new TCN. The old version on Kickapps has been somewhat popular, but it has turned out to have a couple of major disadvantages: 1) The Cauldron's Hosts selected it as a place to store member pictures, not as a social network. It's a great place to store pictures, but it is not much as a social Network. 2) It has become a spam magnet over the last couple of months with random Spammers creating profiles to link spam their web sites. The Hosts have been deleting an average of three spam accounts a day there -- and have probably missed some. The new TCN is set up on Ning and is much more like what you are expected if you were expecting a social network. The members who tried the beta love it -- as have members who have moved to the new service since it was announced on our message board on June 18th. The new TCN is a closed network. Only members of The Cauldron's message board will be accepted as members. When you sign up, you will have to give your TC membername and a staff member will have to approve your membership before you can do anything but look around. While this procedure is a bit of a pain for all concerned, it will stop the spammers in their tracks. You can reach the new TCN at http://ecauldron.ning.com/ -- it will replace the link to TCN on the menu bar in the next day or so. The old TCN will remain available (at http://tcn.ecauldron.net) for a week or so current members can grab anything off of it they wish to. It is closed to new members as of now, but the new TCN is open now at: * http://ecauldron.ning.com/ You can add a "Latest Activity" feed to your feed reader with this link: * http://ecauldron.ning.com/activity/log/list?fmt=rss If you would like to discuss this or if you need more information or if you have problems with the new social network, you can discuss them in this thread on our message board. * http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9313.0 ===== ===== Phyllis Vega's New Book: Erotic Astrology ===== Long time friend of The Cauldron (and the Hosts thereof) and author of this newletter's Tarot Talk column, Phyllis Vega has just had a new book published by Adams Media: Erotic Astrology: The Sex Secrets of Your Horoscope Revealed Publisher's Description: Virgos are suckers for roleplaying fantasy games. Cancers crave good food and great sex -- but not necessarily in that order. No wimps need apply for the job of Scorpio's lover. In this wickedly informative book, noted astrologer and tarot card reader Phyllis Vega reveals how the moon, Mars, and Venus affect our heavenly human bodies -- in and out of bed. Part One is all about sex, and how the Sun and Mars together determine our sexual personalities and rule our sex drives -- for better or for worse. Part Two is all about love, and how the Moon and Venus influence and illuminate our love natures -- and what that means for us sexually. You’ll also learn how to: * Find true love and lasting passion by the light of the stars * Determine their Venus, Mars, and Moon signs * Please any and all lovers, sign by sign * Decide if they are sexually compatible with their partner * Experience sexual ecstasy day in and night out, no matter what their sign Thanks to this book, you will enjoy a sex life that’s out of this world! Phyllis was kind enough to send me a copy of this book. It only arrived yesterday so I haven't had a chance to do more than thumb through it. However, this has been enough to discover that the book is easy to use, easy to understand and, most importantly, that the descriptions in the book are fairly accurate -- at least for LyricFox and myself. While a copy of your natal horoscope would be helpful for use with this book, Erotic Astrology's tables will allow you to determine the information you need without a full natal horoscope. The tables produced the same information as my chart does -- and should for most people, only those born on a day when Venus, Mars, or the Moon is changing signs may need the more accurate one gets from a well-prepared natal chart. Erotic Astrology: The Sex Secrets of Your Horoscope Revealed by Phyllis Vega Trade Paperback, 256 pages Adams Media, July 2009 ISBN-10: 1605500569 ISBN-13: 978-1605500560 List Price: $12.95 Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncbook.php?asin=1605500569 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ PAGAN-FRIENDLY WEB HOSTING http://www.ecauldron.net/web/zdreamhost.php Dreamhost offers high-quality, low cost web hosting with a dedication to free speech. Pagan sites are welcome! 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Visit Dreamhost for Affordable, Pagan-Friendly Hosting http://www.ecauldron.net/web/zdreamhost.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [02] ========= ========= INTERESTING RECENT CAULDRON DISCUSSIONS ========= Recent Discussion Topics on our Message Board ========= In an average month, over 200 new discussion topics are started on The Cauldron's message board. Here are a few of the more interesting recent discussions. It's not too late to join in. Thanks to Feedburner, you can now receive an email every night on days we post new site news items to the main page of The Cauldron's web site. These emails contain a link to the new item and the first couple of lines of the news text. You can sign up for Feedburner's free news delivery via the form at the end of the site "News and Updates" section of The Cauldron's main web page. ===== ===== Wicca and Witchcraft are NOT the same thing... ===== I'm just cruising around on the web reading various things, and I keep seeing the terms "Wicca" and "witchcraft" being used interchangeably. IT DRIVES ME NUTS. And "Witchcraft" being referred to as a religion, even so far as to call Wicca a DENOMINATION of the RELIGION of witchcraft. Are you freaking kidding me??? Personally, the two are very separate paths. Witchcraft is not a religion, its a magickal art that may or may not include religion depending on the practitioner. Wicca, is a religion, and may or may not include a magickal practice. Again, depending on the practitioner. *sigh* I just want to take a 2x4 to some of these people who start websites dedicated to this topic and feed people bad information. Your thoughts? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9291.0 ===== ===== Human Nature? ===== What is Human Nature? I see many claims made about it, both positive and negative (e.g. resentment, rationality, capacity for love, etc.), but rarely a clear explanation of why or how something is universally a component of the homo sapien makeup. Part of this is probably that I parse 'xyz is just human nature' as 'all homo sapiens share quality xyz (to some degree). My question is what makes something 'human nature'? What sort of things are included and why? Does saying that something is human nature mean that all humans exhibit it? Are those that don't in some way abnormal? (I'm sure you get the drift.) * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9269.0 ===== ===== The "when and why" of magick? ===== In wandering through this section, I noticed a recent post in which someone who was looking for a magickal "fix" for a problem got upset when responders also suggested some non-magickal ways of dealing with it. This got me thinking that, as we grow in our own practice, we also begin to gradually evolve our own ways of deciding when to use magickal means to get something done, when to use mundane means, and when to use both. I've seen similar issues pop up on many other sites and in many other contexts. Sometimes it's just a "Why won't you just give me what I asked for!!??" tantrum. But it also occurs because notions of what magic is for, and how it works, differ greatly from questioner to responder. And this is something newcomers generally have to struggle with on their own. While it seems like most beginners' resources (good or bad) make at least some mention of the moral issue of using magick on a particular problem, few of them address the pragmatic issues of when and where magick is likely to be an effective approach to that problem. I'm sure this subject gets touched upon constantly over at the advanced discussion board, in the back-and-forth of regular conversation. But I'm wondering if this board might also be a good place for a little specific discussion-and-sharing of how we find our way around these kinds of questions. Such as: Do you have a "practical philosophy" of when to use magick, or to recommend that someone else use magick, versus focusing on taking action in the mundane world? Do you see magick as being separate from mundane action, or as being inextricably intertwined with our everyday actions and decisions? Do you see a danger in depending on magick to address any particular type of issue, to the exclusion of mundane action (say, for a problem involving health, personal safety, or relationships)? How do you figure out where your own most effective and useful sphere of magickal practice lies? Do you feel that this varies from person to person? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9258.0 ===== ===== How do you find time for Spirituality? ===== I am active duty military, married and have a 2 year old. We're up at 5am, and are winding down around 8pm. Its very difficult to find time for what I would LIKE to do in a daily practice. So far, I'm good if I get to do my mediation, book reading, journaling and nightly ritual maybe 3x a week. Those of you with crazy schedules, how do you fit your spirituality into your daily routine? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9242.0 ===== ===== Dealing with Resentment ===== I've been thinking about resentment lately, and realized that I have a fairly good running tally of everything I resent about most people I know. I don't let it go...I remember it as evidence of behavior patterns. It doesn't make me happy. I have recently started looking toward my faith as a way to deal with this resentment and nudge me towards forgiveness. How does your your faith help you deal with your own resentments? Is the model of a specific deity helpful to you? An aspect of the life philosophy of your faith? The ever present other? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9237.0 ===== ===== Playing music during candle magick? ===== I read that it is bad to play any music while a charged candle is burning, because it takes away from the energy of the spell. However, I find that playing music while the candle is burning brings a wonderful energy to the room and, if anything, would help the spell. Your thoughts and opinions? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9226.0 ===== ===== Your Balance of Elements ===== I've recently had some spirit journeys suggesting that I should connect more with the element water. Fire seems to be dominant in my psyche, so I'm looking for ways to balance them out. Does anyone else feel that specific elements are dominant and others are neglected/repressed? Does anyone work to connect more to an element you have neglected? Has anyone found a way to a balance of elements? Or do you think one should rather be focused on one element than have a balance? Any practical suggestions to connect to elements you neglect? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9125.0 ===== ===== Ignorance ===== Something I keep encountering in discussions is a behaviour that I am interested in Cauldron feedback and perspectives on. Everyone is ignorant on at least some things. Some people are what we commonly refer to as willfully ignorant on at least some things. People's awareness of their ignorance on any given thing may vary widely or be nonexistent (i.e. they may know they don't know, suspect they don't know to some degree, or not know that they don't know). There are a lot of possible combinations here and a lot of possible ways of engaging them. The one I see that strikes me as counterproductive and possibly irrational is to assume that an ignorant person knows that they are ignorant and that they are willfully so. Comments? Thoughts? Observations? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9177.0 ===== ===== What is UPG? ===== Unverified (Unverifiable) Personal Gnosis (UPG) is a basis of many of the posts that are on TC and indeed of many of the perspectives put by pagans in other settings. My question is what do we mean by UPG? Is it the same as just saying 'this is my opinion' with a twist of 'don't challenge me I don't really understand what I'm saying'? Or, are there particular things that we are talking about here (dreams, visitations, revelations, manifestations, etc.)? Where do we draw the line and what do we really mean. This is important to me because if we are to grant UPG the place that we currently do, then I think we need to understand its limits if it's not to simply degenerate into a cheap way of presenting unjustified personal opinion as divinely based fact. To approach it in that way seems to lead to threads where there is a long list of 'my UPG says...', but with very little critical discussion or progress on the topic. Essentially it becomes not so much a conversation or discussion as a group of individuals stating positions with little reference to each other. What do others think? What is it and does it actually matter? How can we examine statements of UPG critically without causing unwarranted offence (and should we)? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9115.0 ===== ===== Can Religion Lead You to Error? ===== On another forum I frequent, one dedicated to, of all things, text-based adventure games, a discussion arose in which thread drift caused it to focus on whether or not religion was bad. Bits of the Christian bible were quoted with the claim that such passages seemed to encourage everything from rape to genocide, and the statement was made that atheism, which has no beliefs, cannot lead people to action. The following is one of the responses, and with Crat's permission, I'm re-posting it here. We've had some recent threads on the subject of 'evil', but what I found interesting here was the suggestion that religions, with their embedded systems of ethics, provide "a necessary control layer on a population". Do you believe Crat's premise? Does your religion provide ethical guidance? If not, what guidelines do you use for moral behaviour? "Religion is bad" Religion is bad in the way that books and cars are bad. Thousands are killed as a result of their use, but in themselves they are just tools for a legitimate purpose. "Religioners are weak" My parents love Jesus. They're really smart people and I treat this Jesus thing as an amusing idiosyncrasy, like veganism or republicanism. Folks very often need to affirm the meaning of their lives by identifying with a thing larger than themselves. It's probably a positive trait. Tends to lead to survival. It doesn't make my parents weak, it just means they recognize a specific biological need and accommodate it in a relatively harmless way. "Religioners are crazys" Some people are crazy. Crazy people with religion are crazy with religion. If you're handling snakes or denying adults their civil rights, your opinion of invisible pink unicorns is irrelevant. You're now real life roleplaying where it's a hazard to you and/or others. That doesn't mean religion is at fault. It means you have difficulty distinguishing roleplaying and real life. We know a few people like that, don't we? I think that nobody knows what's going on, nor what, if anything, it means. It can be very very hard to establish your own set of principles for correct behavior. Generally speaking (unless you concentrate on the silly bits of their scripture), religions provide a convenient set of crib notes for what's ok and what's not. Overall I think it's not only a plus, but really a necessary control layer on a population. Without it, people without the skill to develop a socially assimilable ethics of their own would tend to generate a practical hazard to themselves and others through fairly subtle but long-term deeply destructive means. For more clever people, religion provides a right-shaped peg for an empty slot. It doesn't have to make sense. Making sense isn't the point. It's plugging that slot. The best example I can provide is my crazy cousin. He used to think he was a chicken, and would make a real nuisance of himself. Guests would ask us why we didn't have him institutionalized, but we'd wind up having to admit "We can't. We need the eggs." Religion is strange and nonsensical and sometimes scary, but we need the eggs. -Cratylus * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=9064.0 [03] ========= ========= PHYLLIS VEGA'S TAROT TALK ========= Tarot Spells ========= by Phyllis Vega ========= [Editor's Note: To view these spell layout accurately, switch to a monospaced font.] Call them spells, prayers, affirmations, programs, rituals, visualizations, or mediations. It matters not what name you give to your magical machinations. The real magic comes from your ability to focus your personal power, infuse it with your desire and intent, and then release it out into the universe. When I work spells I like to use the tools I know best: candles, quartz crystals and tarot cards. I use the cards to represent the people and circumstances involved in the situation that I wish to create. I use the candles to help invoke the goddesses, gods, entities, or guides that I will appeal to for help in reaching my goals. I use the quartz crystals to augment my personal power and direct it outwards. In tarot divination, the beautiful artwork, rich symbolism, and archetypal images portrayed on the cards help the reader bypass the limitations of the individual conscious mind and dip deep into the collective subconscious for impressions about the past, present, and future. A similar principal holds true when the tarot cards are used for spell work. Since the tarot is universal in scope, the complete spectrum of reality is portrayed by the symbols on the cards, with every conceivable scenario of experience represented. The first step, whether you are personalizing an existing tarot spell or creating one of your own, is deciding exactly what it is that you want to accomplish. Next, assemble the tools you’ll need to complete the spell. Create a proper atmosphere for spellcraft by preparing yourself and your altar or work area as you would for any sacred ritual. Set out the various items for the spell. Center and ground yourself with several deep breaths or a few moments of quiet meditation. If your spell calls for candles and incense, light them and then invoke your deities or guides. Study the cards that represent your desired outcome. Always speak the words of the spell clearly and with conviction. Focus on the outcome as if it has already been accomplished, and then release it out into the universe. As you snuff out the candles and incense, thank the attending deities for their assistance. The secret to success in spellcraft lies in your facility for visualizing your goal as clearly as possible and directing your energy toward it with total concentration. After choosing cards that portray what you want to achieve, focus your attention on the tarot’s images. Make up a story based on the scenes depicted on the cards. Infuse your intent with desire and let it go. Trust that it is working. If you are using your tarot cards for divination, spellcraft, and personal development exercises, you’ll definitely need to own several different decks. Some spells specify that you should leave the cards out where you can see them, place them in a spell box, or carry them around with you for a period of time. Others may require that you write on them, sew or bind them together, or even burn, tear, or bury them. Moreover, you may not want to perform readings with the same cards you’re using for your spell work. Fortunately, most popular tarot decks are relatively inexpensive. Also, you can usually find used tarot decks for sale on eBay, at garage sales, or in used bookstores. Another idea is to scan or photocopy your deck, and use the printouts or copies instead of the actual cards in your spell work. The most important thing to remember when performing any spell is that you need to believe in what you are doing for it to work. Although tarot cards and other tools are extremely helpful when performing a spell, the real magick comes less from the spell’s elements than from your own power and belief in a successful outcome. Whenever possible, you should also take action in everyday life to help your spell along. === === Lost Pet Spell === Use this spell to help find a lost pet or entice a runaway to return home. In the following example “A” is the signifactor, a woman whose pet cat has run off. The woman and her cat are represented by the Queen of Wands. The cards used to bring the cat home are: 2) Six of Cups – nostalgia, renewal of old ties; 3) Strength – overcoming obstacles; 4) The Star – hope, healing, progress; 5) Ten of Cups – home, family, happy reunion. Candle #1 symbolizes attraction and is pink Candle #2 symbolizes healing and is white “B” is an herb – in this case catnip The crystal is rose quartz for love (candle #1) (candle #2) A 2 3 4 5 B (crystal) === === About Phyllis Vega === Phyllis Vega is a professional astrologer and tarot reader. She is the author of two popular tarot books, Romancing the Tarot and Power Tarot (with Trish MacGregor), with a third book, TarotCraft: How to Use the Cards for Divination, Creative Visualization, and Meditation currently in the works. Contact Phyllis via email at pvega@bellsouth.net or through her website at http://phyllisvega.geocities.com/. Tarot Tarot columns and other works by Phyllis are archived at http://tarottalk.ecauldron.net/. Phyllis Vega's Tarot Talk copyright (c) 2009 by Phyllis Vega. All rights reserved. [04] ========= ========= FLAMEKEEPING ========= NURTURING OUR FLAMES ========= by HeartShadow ========= HeartShadow is following her own religious path. She calls it FlameKeeping. This regular column will present articles on FlameKeeping, many taken from HeartShadow's FlameKeeping blog at: http://flamekeeping.blogspot.com/ ===== ===== Ideals and Reality ===== We all hold things in our mind as ideals. Things we want, ways we view the world. It's how we think we see things. And then there's reality, which frequently has nothing to do with these ideals. The problem is not that ideals and reality don't match, though. The problem is finding a way to have a good balance between them. Ideals are how we think the world should work. They're necessary for us to function in this world, to actually thrive instead of just surviving. We look at the world and think of how we think it should be instead of how it is. We imagine how we would change things given unlimited power, what we'd remake reality into. And while they often have nothing to do with reality, this kind of imagining is not only not harmful, but actually helpful if done right. However, one needs to take that ideal into the real world. And while the actual end-state of the ideal may be impossible, and certainly should remain up for revision, one should use that ideal to try and do what one can to bring reality closer to that ideal. Throwing up one's hands and choosing to do nothing because the difference is too great is not an answer, it's an abrogation of responsibility. If the ideal is not only impossible, but also has no relation to reality, then there's a problem of ideology. Reality changes in steps. We take our ideal and hold it up against the choices we have available, and we take the best option. With some choices, like a choice of mate, we choose that none of our options are close enough to our ideal, and we choose to take nothing. And that's good, because while reality never holds up to fantasy, we must also accept that going with what is available is sometimes a worse choice than staying with the status quo. We have the power to change reality around us. Not merely in the simple things, like mate and job, but in the big picture. We change reality by voting, by being activist, by writing letters and speaking out. (Note: I do not speak here of being activist in any particular direction. While I have my own ideals, I also believe we all must question our own inner being to find what those ideals are). When we do nothing, when we sit silent and let things go in ways we do not like around us, that is also a choice. It is saying that reality as it is is close enough to our ideals that we're going to leave well enough alone. If that is not what we want to say, then we have to act. And while we cannot change everything everywhere, all change began in the mind of one person that looked at a problem and said "I think I can make this better." ===== ===== Questions: ===== * Where does reality seem lacking to you? What would you change? What can you make better? * Where have you compromised on your ideals? Was it worth it? * Where have you stopped thinking in terms of ideals and just given up? What questions are you most afraid of asking and why? [05] ========= ========= ARTICLES ========= ======= ======= THE TOP 10 WAYS TO IMPROVE PSYCHIC ABILITIES ======= by Sharyce Arciaga ======= Psychic mediums all start off like everyone else because we all have dormant psychic abilities waiting to be unleashed. The key to developing psychic abilities is through training and development of our psychic powers. This can be accomplished in numerous ways. This is contingent upon acquiring an ability to remain in a comfortable, and most importantly, relaxed state of mind and body that facilitates concentration on the subject or question at hand. Psychic abilities are no less a skill to be honed than any other skill or talent that we have to train for. Therefore in the following paragraphs you will find 10 Ways To Improve Your Psychic Abilities: 1. Meditation -- As mentioned earlier, a relaxed state of mind and body is required. The first way to improve your psychic ability is to implement the regular practice of meditation. Psychic ability, at it's core, is attuning to the spirit. It is important here to train yourself to reach your center without much effort. This will increase your psychic contact with the universe. 2. Take Psychic Classes -- Psychic abilities are not just for the gifted ones. Psychic classes developed by Certified Professional Psychics offer classes where you can train at home at your own pace. There are a lot of psychic classes that are offered on- line. They cover a myriad of subjects and with a little research you will be able to find one that suits you. 3. Take Care Of Your Body -- Your diet, exercise, and overall physical condition affect your psychic ability. Keeping in a good state of health will help to improve your psychic ability. That includes no smoking and no consumption of alcohol. Implementing some type of exercise program would go a long way in helping to improve your psychic ability. 4. Hypnosis -- Psychic ability is enhanced while in a hypnotic state. Hypnosis is a powerful tool that can be used to release ones full potential. It is a modified condition of consciousness whereby the brain's activities are lowered. Hypnosis itself is a very powerful technique and is extremely effective because it doesn't rely on 'willpower'. It is a process of speaking to the subconscious mind rather than the conscious mind, in order to achieve a goal or change views on an idea. 5. Belief -- Psychic ability increases when you take chances with your perceptions. Believing in them such that you boldly state them. You can do this by using affirmations on a daily basis until you feel that you have accepted the fact subconsciously that you indeed have psychic abilities and are capable of implementing them successfully. 6. Opening Your 7 Chakra Centers -- You can create a better future for yourself by developing a spiritual understanding which gets you close to your divine attributes. A part of developing psychic ability is opening up your chakra's. Opening up your third eye is very beneficial and can be accomplished with some practice on opening up your chakra centers. If you encounter problems opening up the fifth chakra it could indicate that you may have problems with the thyroid gland, ears (hearing included), sinuses, throat and teeth. 7. Train Yourself To See Auras -- Another beneficial extra would be to train yourself to see auras. Especially if you are in the healing profession of if you happen to work in the area of sales and marketing and/or promotion. You don't have to be born with the talent to see auras as with any other psychic phenomenon, but this is another talent that can be developed with time and patience. Some people after practicing a few days, may see auras and colors right away and others may take months to see them. Others may take years to see them or may not ever see them at all. The most important particular to seeing aura's is keeping your chakras clean. 8. Using Psychometry -- Implement the practice of psychometry which is the practice of reading a persons energy by touching a personal possession. Touch objects that belong to someone that you know and try to see if you sense any impressions of that person. This type of interaction will go a long way to help increase or improve your psychic abilities. This is a practice that can be implemented immediately and you may be surprised at how fast you begin to receive impressions. 9. Dowsing -- Dowsing rods and pendulums are easy to learn and help improve psychic abilities. Learn about the tools you'll use: angle and divining rods, pendulums, wands - even your own hands and body can be used as dowsing tools. When you dowse you are involved in a dialog between your higher self and spirit guides who are helping you get the information to a question that you have asked. 10. Keep A Dream Journal -- Become aware of your dreams. Your dreams are a doorway to the subconscious and you can keep a dream book diary/journal that will lead you to answers that could unlock the mysteries of your daily life or even future events. Make sure that you pay attention to your dreams to see whether or not your dreams come true. Psychic abilities are one of the greatest gifts of nature. They enable us to sense something beyond the realm of our existence. They are abilities that everyone happens to possess to some extent, although, most of us go through life not realizing the vast potential that lies with us. These abilities are more normal than the traditional modes of communication that we attribute to the spirit and which are limited through the five senses of the body. All of the methods listed above, like any talent or skill, requires that you work on them in the same vain that you would work to develop any other talent or skill. === About the Author Sharyce Arciaga from The Spiritual Arc (http://www.thespiritualarc.com/)is the Author of this Article. This is a discussion site for spiritual awareness and transformation. Because each person's journey through spirituality may take them on various paths we offer many varying resources. Stop by and leave your free listing on our Business Directory now. ======= ======= TRANSITS BY THE OUTER PLANETS-YOUR WINDOWS FOR GROWTH ======= by Donna Cunningham, MSW ======= Note: This is an excerpt from a longer exploration of transits in Donna Cunningham's ebook, An Astrological Guide to Self- Awareness, available at http://www.moonmavenpublications.com/astrologybooks.html. It appears here with permission of the author. When you go for an astrology consultation, you're likely to hear a great deal about your transits--that is, about how the current positions of the planets affect those in your birth chart. Transits by the slow-moving outer planets--Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto--are powerful ones with lasting effects. They mark deeply meaningful periods in which we make profound shifts in our surroundings and ourselves. Outer planet transits represent truly significant connections with our universe, the ones that lift us out of day-to-day routine and catalyze personal, vocational, and spiritual development. Astrologers of the old school generally had a gloomy, fearful outlook on these transits, viewing the accompanying events or conditions as done to us by power¬ful, malevolent external forces. In the modern perspective, a transit by an outer planet is a challenge and an opportunity to grow and evolve. It often exaggerates patterns represented by the same planets in our natal chart and brings the same old issues up for resolution all over again, so that we have to deal with them in a new way. By studying the birth chart, we can find out what the pattern might be and work with the transit rather than against it. Opposing change generally means having to learn the hard way, which can be exhausting and needlessly painful. The outer planets move very slowly, yet long exposure to their energies is sometimes necessary because their lessons are diffi¬cult to learn. Pluto and Neptune transits to a natal position are the slowest--lasting as long as two years off and on--and are also usually the most challenging. Folks who follow astrology are fond of moaning, "I went through a terrible time when Pluto crossed my Sun, but I'VE REALLY LEARNED MY LESSON!" These avowals of spiritual progress used to impress me, until I began to notice that many of the people who made such claims hadn't changed at all. They might avoid the original situation that caused them so much misery, but then they would plunge into a similar one that was just as self-destructive. I finally concluded that "I've really learned my lesson," was all too often just a bit of karmic chic or a New Age way of saying, "How I've suf¬fered!" We make real progress in a long-standing and recurring pattern only when we carefully evaluate our part in the situation--why we got into it, what needs it met, where we made mistakes, and how such difficulties can be avoided in the future. Our potential for the future only truly changes when we learn from past mistakes. Blaming others rather than seeing our own role is a sign that we haven't really learned anything. Blaming the planets for our problems is another way of not taking responsibility for ourselves and the ways we contribute to our difficulties. We will transcend the past when we learn from it. The notion that we are being buffeted by Uranus or held back by Saturn is shortsighted. We attract events, conditions and people to ourselves because of our own inner conflicts, needs, beliefs, and attitudes, whether they are conscious or unconscious. Misguided patterns of thought and action are at the root of most of our self-created troubles. Start examining your thoughts, actions, and emotions in the more difficult areas of your life to see how you provoke the "mistreatment" you get from the planets. Suppose you hate your job and just can't pull yourself together in the morning, so you keep getting to work later and later. Then one fine day Uranus squares your Midheaven, and the boss lets you go. Do you blame that awful Uranus? How about blaming yourself for all the times you decided to sleep just fifteen minutes later? Don't pass the buck to the transiting planets. The responsibility for our lives as adults rests on our own shoulders. Saturn is called "the Reaper," but to some extent all the transiting planets indicate that you have to reap what you've already sown. If you've sown diligently, you'll doubtlessly reap the benefits. During a transit to a difficult part of your birth chart, you may be faced with an all-too-familiar situation related to that aspect--perhaps the same types of gnarly difficulties that have cropped up time and again over the years in that particular area of life. Let's say that you have Venus and Neptune standing together in your birth chart, and a transiting planet is setting it off. One pattern related to that combination might be that in the past, you've gotten involved with one person after another who "coincidentally" turned out to have an addiction problem. The new transit might well bring another such heartbreaker into your orbit or else might represent a crisis in longstanding connections with one or more significant relationships that fit the old, dysfunctional pattern. With the added asset of astrological awareness, however, you do now have the choice to stop relating in old ways by seizing the opportunity to explore the neurotic appeal of codependent ties and to heal the sources of such a painful pattern. Only then is there the possibility of a healthier relationship in the future. Without getting to the roots of the pattern, even if Prince or Princess Charming did magically show up, you'd take yourself and the same misguided strategies along as you entered a new commitment. Before you knew it, that prince or princess would be croaking just like all the frogs that went before. Studying our transits is a great stimulus to growth. They are an irreplaceable tool to help us become more conscious, insightful and evolved, as well as more aware of our usual responses to important challenges. Following transits intelligently and responsibly can bring any situation into focus and help you to analyze your part in it. A chart reading of current and upcoming transits can help you discover the right windows for taking action and can suggest sources of support and healing. Rightfully, the chart should be used for study rather than fortune telling. Transits can be understood as useful information, rather than as disruptions by malevolent external forces. Would you like an in-depth interpretation of your own transits and the range of possibilities and challenges they represent? If so, ask for a session with an experienced professional astrologer--preferably one who takes a psychological approach. === About the Author Donna Cunningham, MSW, is internationally-respected for her many books, articles, and columns on astrology, flower essences, and other metaphysical topics. She teaches writing by teleseminar and correspondence course, as well as a correspondence course and seminars on astrology. Order her books at http://www.moonmavenpublications.com/astrologybooks.html and visit her award-winning blog at http://skywriter.wordpress.com. [06] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON'S SERVER WITH DONATIONS ========= As mentioned in the October 2008 newsletter, we now need over US$60 in donations every month to keep the server online. No donations, no server. No server, no message board. Well, not really "no message board" as there is always the free backup board, but the limitations of the free backup board drive staff and many members nuts. Your donations are needed to keep The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's message board up. We now have two ways you can donate. 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(Unfortunately, Randall has to answer general "Tell me more?" type questions with a request for a more specific question. He's not trying to be rude, he just can't think of anything general and useful to say that isn't said here.) [08] ========= ========= NEWSLETTER INFORMATION ========= (Including how to subscribe and unsubscribe) ========= Cauldron and Candle is a free publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. The Cauldron intends to publish this newsletter once a month and often actually succeeds in doing so. We tried to publish it twice a month for a while, but real life interfered too often. This issue of Cauldron and Candle as a whole is copyright (c) 2008 by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. Copyrights on individual items in this newsletter are retained by their author, please contact the editors if you need to contact an author for permission to reprint an article and the editors will do their best to put you in touch with him or her. 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You are also welcome to forward a copies of this newsletter to interested friends and associates provided you forward the entire newsletter. ===== ===== SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME ===== Don't forget that your suggestions for this newsletter are always welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to LyricFox (lyricfox01@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com) or Randall Sapphire (rssapphire01@.ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com). Typos are, as usual, courtesy of the Goddess Eris.

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