Through The Mists

Festival

Tokata — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:40:57 +0000

I’ve been thinking about going to a festival for the first time ever. No idea which one, maybe the Gathering For Life in BC. I don’t think my shyness will take a full weekend there though. So torn. I know there are a lot of good festivals, just getting to them is difficult and more importantly, coming out of the closet that I’ve lived in for so long. I think I must be missing practicing with others, even if it’s just for a ritual rather than all the time.

Ireland

Tokata — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:17:04 +0000

For all of my life (as far as I can remember) I have had a huge draw towards Ireland. I’ve been all over the world but for Ireland and a few other (though major) areas. In talking with others apparently this draw is pretty common. This in turn has me wondering why? What is it about Ireland that makes so many want to visit, feel that they are coming home? It was my intent to go there this year but that has been delayed again. Maybe next year.

Peter Pan Theory

Tokata — Sun, 04 May 2008 04:30:45 +0000

So a friend of mine and I have been talking about the soul, spirit and what that means. I’ve been trying to lead her into her own thoughts rather than influence her answers with my opinions. This worked really and brought up a theory/thought I had not heard of before… the Peter Pan theory ( at least that’s what I’m calling it). The PPT is the idea that when Peter Pan loses his shadow and is searching for it it is really his soul/spirit that he is trying to reconnect with. Normally said entity would be attached at his foot and always with him. The idea is that when it became disconnected it was upsetting for him because it was his soul and not just a shadow.

I like this idea, think it has some good merits and is an interesting take on something that I had never thought of before.

The Challenge with Being Green

Tokata — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:55:29 +0000

I’ve recently been reading a lot of information about ‘green’ products, organic options etc. It seems to my cynical self that not only are consumers being confused by the options but are being deliberatly mislead by labels. Just because a label states the product is Organic does not mean that all ingredients are all natural. The same goes for products listed as being ‘green’ manufactured, that doesn’t mean the product is any better than before.

My recomendation therefore is to do a lot of research, find the most harmful ingredients in the products you use and replace them. Personally I started with cleaning products, I don’t want to be walking on something that has been washed with a chemical close to anti-freeze nor do I want to inhale carcinogens in my daily cleaning. So what is the list? For a good list do a search online for harmful ingredients, remember though that unless you are going to write them all down to compare when you go shopping you may come home with something that is on the list.

Another good way to tell if something has harmful chemicals is by checking the labels for any Warnings, Poison symbols etc (with a warning being the least toxic and Poison being the most). I know for myself I have bought products that say they are natural then picked up a book and found out that they are indeed full of toxic chemicals. It is highly irritating that again big companies don’t feel the need to divulge all ingredients and seemingly set out to fool the consumer. It’s even crazier that some of the ingredients in products that are meant to help a particular problem will actually cause it in the first place (eg: Dandruff shampoo).

Good sites for more information: http://www.healthy-communications.com/harmfulingredients1.html

http://www.commonsense-nutrition.com/harmful.htm

http://www.non-toxic-n-natural.com/harmful.htm

Just be prepared for a lot of reading and label checking. At least you won’t be paying to hurt yourself or your family. And now I feel the need to start a column dedicated to this crazyness.

A Very Brief Look At Tarot Cards

Tokata — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:18:53 +0000

I’m relearning about Tarot cards, looking for new meaning etc so…where better than here to analyze the cards I say. Today is an overview of what I’ve learned about Tarot cards so far and I stree overview, the information about Tarot cards is a lifelong process in itself….

Tarot decks are typically divided into two major catagories, The Major and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana consists of cards 0 through 21 inclusive. The Minor Arcana consists of 4 suits – Pentacles, Wands, Cups and Swords though sometimes refered to by different names. Each suit goes from Ace to King and represents a different element.

The oldest surviving decks are from the 15th century. For divination, the earliest records appear to be from the 18th century. Prior to this cards were used for games rather than fortune telling.

As time goes on I will go through the entire deck (or at least that is my intent currently). For more information past this brief overview (I’ve not really done it justice) look online, there are tons of great sites out there with a plethora of information for the curious.

Reincarnation

Tokata — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:25:50 +0000

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and we came upon the topic of Reincarnation. My friend (I will call him X) just naturally assumes that reincarnation is real. Oh to have such certainty, or is it just blind truth. You know what happens when you assume something right? Well, anyway, we were talking about this idea and how it may be possible and if it is even feasible. X stated that when he was near me he felt like we had been here before, in a teaching role that is and that perhaps we had met before. While I can easily agree to this I didn’t want to taint X’s experience or the discussion by leading his answers so I let most of what I wanted to say go.

The thing is this: how many people out there think they were Queen or King in some far off country? There is no way we could all have been a king or a queen. Why do people have a hard time believing that they could have been a stable boy, a prostitute, a slave or anything in between? Since so many people tend towards the King or Queen idea does that just add to the idea that Reincarnation is not real? Is it just a way for unhappy people to give more meaning to their lives? But I digress…

Personally I don’t always know what to think. I’m a definite believer but it can be hard when some questions simply can’t be answered. For the record I do believe X and I have met before and walked on a spiral path. In what country, religion or era I can’t even begin to guess. I don’t suppose it really matters though. The fact that I can meet X and recognize him is enough for me. I wonder if one day he will be able to say the same thing.

Lost

Tokata — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:08:06 +0000

I feel so lost. I’ve been a pagan for more than 10 years now and suddenly I am lost. I make promises I don’t keep, I honour gods that I don’t know, I am trying to teach someone about spirituality and have no words to describe what I mean, no means to reach the end. What happened? Where am I going? How did I lose my way? Spirituality has always been the center of my being. I am a Pagan, I am a woman in that order. The tides run in my blood, the earth speaks through my feet and the wind is a song to my ears but there is no denying, I am lost.