Jennifer Renee's Posts - RealPagan- Paganism for the Real World

Finding my Goddess....

2011-03-27T03:24:13.000Z

Last summer when I started my Spiritual quest to find a path that would reach deep into my soul, I was pretty convinced that it would be of the witchcraft variety. As I read and read and read some more....and meditated and pondered and contemplated and eventually tried to force something magical to happen, all I managed to do was overwhelm myself and cloud my mind with all kinds of doubts... so I stepped back from that whole spiritual concept all together.

Somewhere within that time period I discovered Taoism and Buddhism and began to explore Eastern philosophies and I started to feel that spiritual spark again and it felt good and right...eventually I steered toward Hinduism, more specifically Shaktism (Goddess worship). The funny thing was it kind of found me. Well, lets just say that she found me...my Goddess! All those months that I could just not wrap my mind around the concept of Goddess to save my life! I saw a picture of her online and started to read about her and it was like pure magic!! It was like I had come home...I kid you not! It actually made me cry...I love everything about her...Maha Lakshmi. She is everything that is beautiful and good and right in Godliness. She is one aspect of the Divine Mother. She is sweetness and harmony and beauty! She brings profound happiness where ever she is present...like an intoxicating bliss. When I perform japa (mantra) to her in devotion, every time I come away feeling the most rapturous feelings of intense joy. I have no doubt that she is with me and hears my prayers.

I was told that we often bind ourselves to the Devi that we most identify with...since the ultimate desire and goal is to see Devi (Goddess) within ourselves. I know that she is all that I wish to aspire to. That I might strive in my personal life to live by the qualities that she holds dear to her is the greatest desire of my heart... It pains me greatly when I feel that I have fallen short of that, and I do so very often. It am so grateful every day when I gaze upon her image and come to her in meditation and devotion and feel her Divine presence in my little sacred space called home. I finally feel that I have found the spiritual path that will continue to lead me to enlightenment over and over again... and it is through my Divine Mother Lakshmi... who will always be a Mother, a Friend, and a Sister to me...

Om Shreem Hreem Shreem

Kamale Kamaleyai Praseed Praseed

Om Shreem Hreem Shreem

Sri Mahalakshmi Devi Namaha

Namaste,

Jennifer Renee

Selflessness.....

2011-03-26T00:39:00.000Z

Selflessness

Whether it's sugar or poison, how sweet is

selflessness!

You grab a hat, you have no head. How sweet is

selflessness!

When you fall into its trap, and try to get out but

find no escape...

when you take just a sip of its wine, how sweet is

selflessness!

Face your fear and be a man; you're alive, so be in

motion.

Abandon gold for a heart of gold. How sweet is

selflessness!

You spread yourself like freezing rain. Experience the

miracle of melting.

Don't be sad about this material world. How sweet is

selflessness!

Don't complain that you're trapped, that your cup of

life is full to the brim.

Find new life even in old age. How sweet is

selflessness!

How can you stay sober in this ocean of wine!

Surrender your skepticism! How sweet is selflessness!

When those black curls of Hers appear, ambergris

seems less than worthless,

but what musk, what fragrant ambergris is this sweet

selflessness!

Come on to the rose garden, friend, join the

gathering of the drunks,

A glass in every hand! How sweet is selflessness!

See the Power truly present, witnessing each and

every soul,

far beyond even selflessness. How sweet is

selflessness!

Divani Shamsi Tabrizi

Rumi on the Heart's Journey

Some Rumi goodness:-)

2011-03-24T22:13:35.000Z

There is a life-force within your soul, seek that life.
There is a gem in the mountain of your body, seek that mine.
O traveler, if you are in search of that
Don't look outside, look inside yourself and seek that.
Rumi

Namaste,

Jennifer Renee

Remember those who are suffering in Japan.....

2011-03-11T15:07:56.000Z

Please remember to say a prayer or light a candle for those suffering at this time in Japan and around the world from the terrible quake and tsunami...

Namaste,

Jennifer Renee

Lakshmi Devi....My Beautiful Goddess!!

2011-02-28T16:29:01.000Z

Lakshmi – Goddess Of Wealth Sri Lakshmi Devi
Lakshmi is the Hindu Goddess Who Governs All form of Wealth and Success and the Paths, Means and Results of all forms of Prosperity. Mother Lakshmi is often depicted in several colors: Pink, Gold and White. When Lakshmi’s skin color is Pink, She is the Divine Mother. When Her skin is Gold, She is the Universal Shakti and when Her skin is white, She is Mother Earth.

As the the Consort of Lord Vishnu (Narayana), who is the God of Preservation, Lakshmi Devi is the Goddess of Health and Beauty. Sri Lakshmi embodies Sublime Beauty, Siddhi, Peace, Strength, Balance, Auspiciousness, Opulance and Wisdom. Because Lakshmi possesses all of these good and noble qualities, She embodies infinite wealth~ symbolizing that good and noble qualities are the only wealth we can keep.

Lakshmi Devi is always depicted sitting or standing on a lotus with golden coins flowing in an endless stream from one of her hands~ symbolic of when the lotus of wisdom blossoms, the wealth of good and noble qualities appears and Lakshmi’s blessings are present.

On Valentines and Vulvas....excellent article!!

2011-02-14T15:43:21.000Z

From the beginning, women were exalted as the image, the echo, the counterpart companion of the Goddess. Their access to ecstasy was imbued with spiritual significance. As priestesses, they tended the fires and fanned the generative flames from Her sex, the seat of Her power.

Paleolithic carved figures refer to woman as matrix, as creatrix, to moon cycles and menstrual magic, and resonate profound reverence in their rendering. Grandly voluptuous female forms, their sturdy stature commanding confidence and authority.......

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-henes/on-valentines-and-vulvas-_b_821437.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=1182573,b=facebook

Lover's Day is almost upon us...feeling all super sappy ;)

2011-02-11T16:46:08.000Z

~I want to see you.

Know your voice.

Recognize you when you
first come 'round the corner.

Sense your scent when I come
into a room you've just left.

Know the lift of your heel,
the glide of your foot.

Become familiar with the way
you purse your lips
then let them part,
just the slightest bit,
when I lean in to your space
and kiss you.

I want to know the joy
of how you whisper
"more" ~
Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi

With Much Love,

Jennifer Renee

The Great Longing...

2011-02-04T18:10:27.000Z

Here I sit between my brother the mountain

And my sister the sea.

We three are one in

loneliness, and the love that binds us together

is deep and strong and strange.

Nay, it is deeper than

my sister's depth and stronger

than my brother's strength, and stranger

than the strangeness of my madness.

Aeons upon aeons have passed since

the first grey dawn made us

visible to one another; and though we have

seen the birth and the fullness and the death

of many worlds, we are still

eager and young.

We are young and eager and yet

we are mateless and unvisited, and though

we lie in unbroken half embrace,

we are comforted.

And what comfort is there for controlled desire

and unspent passion?
Whence shall come the flaming

god to warm my sister's bed?

And what she-torrent shall

quench my brother's fire? And who is

the woman that shall command my heart?

In the stillness of the night my sister

murmurs in her sleep the fire-god's

unknown name, and my brother calls afar

upon the cool and distant goddess.

But upon whom I call in my sleep

I know not.

Here I sit between my brother

the mountain and my sister the sea. We three

are one in loneliness, and the love

that binds us together is deep and strong

and strange.

~Kahlil Gabran~

Namaste,

Jennifer Renee

Vulnerability...

2011-01-25T18:29:43.000Z

~What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.~ Brené Brown

I love this quote...it is a wonderful thing to me when one is truly revealed to one's self...there is a beauty in vulnerability that cannot be matched, even by strength...it is actually a strength unto itself. When one can accept and own their vulnerabilities and see them clearly they are viewing their 'authentic self' and there is nothing more breathtaking in life than to truly see one's self!

Namaste,

Jennifer

Just a Note:)

2011-01-21T18:18:51.000Z

~What you set your heart upon, surely shall be yours.~

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Namaste,

Jennifer…

Be yourself today...

2011-01-17T16:40:19.000Z

~The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.~ Socrates

Many of us live our lives trying to please other people or live up to their expectations and in the end we seem to fall short. What does it serve us to live in this manner, but to create self-doubt and disappointment? Remember: ~We don't get to control our reputation; we only get to shape our character~

Ask yourself this today, are you focusing too much on what other's expectations of you may be? Are you concerned too easily with their judgment of you? If you are then shift your focus to what you think and feel about yourself. Are you someone you can be proud of?

Namaste,

Jennifer

Say it isn't so???

2011-01-13T22:17:10.000Z

According to this I am no longer an Aquarius???? But I'm a solid Aquarius!!!!

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/13/horoscope-hang-up-earth-rotation-changes-zodiac-signs/

Life is a Balancing Act...

2011-01-09T19:10:28.000Z

Balance…such a simple word, it just rolls off the tongue with such ease. So let’s see…what does this word actually mean? Well let’s look at the dictionary’s definition.

Here are just a few definitions for the word Balance which I will enhance upon.

1. “A state of equilibrium or parity characterized by cancellation of all forces by equal opposing forces.”

2. “The power or means to decide.”

3. “A stable mental or psychological state; emotional stability.”

Balance…for such a simple word, it is probably the single most difficult thing for we, humans to achieve in life. It actually appears as if it goes against the grain of human nature…we are a species who are constantly out of balance within ourselves, yet constantly striving to achieve it. So how do we achieve it? That is the magic question! I don’t know that we ever actually achieve it. I like to think of Balance in terms of a journey of sorts. The journey to perfect balance is a life long endeavor and quite possibly many life times;)

For someone like me, who prides themselves on being rather Hedonist, I especially struggle on the journey. I love so many things and want to give my attention to them all, all the time, all at once…sigh…well even the thought of trying throws me completely off-balance! So I am going to focus on just a few simple things that can help us along the journey to self-actualized balance:

1. Take a Risk!

It is only through a leap of faith that we truly find balance. It is only through testing the limits that we find out if we are capable of achieving. So get out of the status quo and take the leap...learn how to nurture your own needs by stepping outside your comfort zone and trying something new. Take a yoga class, go back to college, jump out of an airplane for crying out loud! Just stop thinking too much about it and take the plunge. You will be amazed with how good this can be for a more balanced life.

2. Find a Focus.

I like to use the term Mindful Balance. Giving concentration to the mind is a wonderful way to minimize distractions that throw us off-balance and further away from our goals. There will always be other distractions and mundane commitments present in our lives, but if we don’t take the time for self-care we will constantly find ourselves off-kilter both mentally and physically. Learn to meditate, practice regular ritual, do physical fitness. The key is consistency. If you do something long enough it will becomea habit. Do not waiver from giving to yourself each and everyday...this is one thing you cannot skimp on and expect to find balance.

3. Lighten up!

I like to say ‘staying in the present’…it is rather my new motto in life. Learning to accept whatever may come and not judging it. No we cannot control everything! So why try.Trying is a sure fire way to throw your self completely out of balance. If you haven’t read my blog post about the 90/10 Principle you really should, this is a perfect formula for lightening up. A good example of not lightening up: For many years I suffered from what you would call ‘road rage’, I most especially despised tailgaters and I would deliberately yell and scream and brake just to make my point that I despised them, and of course my stress level would rise to an all time high. It has taken me some time to get to a point where I no longer have ‘road rage’, and lots of mindful ‘letting go’. I have come to accept that I in no way have control over other people’s actions, but I do have control over how I choose to let them affect me and that has made me a much happier and balanced womanJ Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed, when you find more balance too!

4. Embracing the Fall.

The key to a well-balanced mind-set is recognizing that the effort is every bit as important as the end result. Give yourself a break! Balancing is hard and we will all fail at it sometimes, if not a lot of the time. Accepting where we are today is half of the balancing act. Progress will come with time, patience and practice. Some days we will fall more than others, but we can certainly do it with more style. So next time you feel the urge to mindfully berate yourself, just step back, smile, and embrace the fall. You will find more balance in accepting than you can even imagine!

5. If You Fall, Get Yourself Back Up Again!

Perseverence. I love that word! You should learn to love it too. Don’t every give up the attempt, when it may just be the next one that brings you success. Have you ever come across someone in your life that seemed to have it all together? I guarantee that if you were to see the process by which they have achieved that togetherness, you will find that it was with perseverance and many failed attempts. It is that mind-set that creates success in balance. It may take you a day, a week, a month, possibly a lifetime of falls to create the balance you so desperately want; when it all comes together is when you see the value in the attempt.

Balancing is hard work! It is through the courage, focus, acceptance, and perseverance that make it all worthwhile, when we feel the inner peace and happiness that comes from hat effort we know it is always possible to find balance so long as we never stop taking steps forward on the journey.

Namaste,

Jennifer

Be brave today.....

2011-01-07T17:36:54.000Z

Today if you question yourself, doubt yourself, or otherwise feel down on yourself, remember: everyone does, but the moment when one of us finds the courage to stand strong, it has a ripple effect on everyone else. The question remains: which ones of us will be brave enough to love who we are today?

Namaste,

Jen

35 Simple Ways to Be Beautiful!!!

2010-12-30T05:10:58.000Z

I just had to share this link! What a great way to start out the New Year!

Brightest Blessing,

Jen

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/35-simple-ways-to-be-beautiful/

The 90/10 Principle.....

2010-12-27T22:49:54.000Z

What a great lesson for life!!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Brightest Blessings,

Jen

Time to be honest with myself....

2010-12-20T23:24:08.000Z

So here I am....I am at a major crossroads on my spiritual journey...I am beginning to see that this is going to be a long long process for me in figuring out what my path should be....for months now I have read and reflected deeply on witchcraft and 'wiccan' concepts and no matter how hard I try to make these ideas and concepts resonate with me, they just don't....all I have heard along the way thus far in my seeking is how we should not try to force ourselves to believe something that just doesn't ring true or speak to our souls...and I see now that that is exactly what I have been doing. Well, it is time to be brutally honest with myself and admit that it just is not working...

I find that as time has gone on I have begun to put aside the witchcraft books and have begun to focus more on a more holistic spiritual approach...for some reason this seems to resonate more with me. I am drawn to meditation and just connecting spiritually to the universe and I seem to identify more with just the concept of a Supreme Being rather than Pantheons....I have been reading about the Wisdom of the Tao and Buddism and some Hinduism and I just feel something with these spiritual concepts that I have tried forcing myself to feel with witchcraft...it doesn't mean I don't believe in the craft, because I most certainly do, but maybe it isn't right for me to practice it. I think I am doing what I do so often in life and that is trying to please other people...I don't want anyone to be disappointed in me.

So here I am...still trying to figure out what is the best path for me...My husband has found Asatru and he has embraced it with all of his heart and I am so very happy for him...I would give anything to be able to just find something that I could embrace that whole-heartedly...I crave it desperately...sometimes at the point of being obsessed with it...but this is a huge step for me to admit how lost I still feel spiritually here on this forum...am I just trying too hard? I wish I had the answers, but I can see that I do not and it will more than likely take me some time to find the answers that will give me the spiritual fulfillment that I so desperately crave...but I will never give up! I will continue to study and search and listen....listen for that still small voice inside me that will eventually lead me to the spiritual peace that I seek.

Connecting with Divinity...

2010-12-01T19:30:00.000Z

This morning I awoke earlier than usually and lay there pondering all the things I needed to do today...then a thought came into my mind. What have I done for myself spiritually lately...I've been reading so many books and even doing some pretty effective mindfulness meditation, but what have I done to connect with the God and Goddess? Being an Aquarius, it seems to be in my nature to connect on an intellectual (mind) level to my higher self, yet struggle to connect emotionally (heart) or spiritually. This has been weighing on my mind heavily as of late. Yesterday I happened to watch a youtube video from one of my favorite vloggers Charmingpixieflora that got me to thinking about this very thing. She suggested that the best way to connect with Divinity is to just get out in nature...feel it all around you, touch it, smell it, experience it! So that is exactly what I decided to do this morning.

I put on my jogging shoes, bundled up, and headed out. Mind you, I am extremely fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful areas in the country, the magnificent Pacific NorthWest! I live on an old Naval shipyard right on the Puget Sound in Washington State in a very old neighborhood called Officer's Row...It looks out over the Sound and is quite breathtaking. As is not so frequent here in Washington in the winter, the Sun God decided to grace me with his presence...what a treat! So of course as I walked I just soaked him up! It just made me smile:)

As I walked I found myself taking deep breaths of the cold air and it felt good in my lungs...I could feel Old Man Winter all around me, from the chilly stillness in the air to the dense fog that had settled on the water. I could just see the rise of the pines above the fog across the Sound. Wow! I just marveled in the beauty of it...This may sound odd, but it actually touched me deeply...or it somehow touched my soul on a deeper level. I think this is what Flora was talking about. This immense feeling of peace and gratitude came over me in a wave and I felt intense joy. Even though it was cold enough out for me to see my own breath I felt incredibly warm as if I was covered in a downy blanket...Oh how I thank the Goddess for letting me feel her warm arms embrace me with all her glory surrounding me and for the God to shine is light down upon me! I am truly blessed!

Blessed Be!

Jen

30 Posts of Truth...Day 7 ...Someone who has made your life worth living for....

2010-11-27T03:25:23.000Z

I have really been putting this off, but here I am...yes I could say my husband, but having already mentioned him in several other posts, I decided to choose someone else...that would be several someones who have made my life worth living for. My children are the greatest gift I have and have given me more purpose in life than any other single thing could. Bekah 20, Jarred 18, Lauren 17, and Benjamin 15....They are each so unique and amazing....I am so proud and honored to be their mother. Bekah, next to my husband, is my very best friend in the world. She is just like me in so many ways, opinionated and passionate, yet kind and giving. Jarred has such incredible love and devotion to family. He has been the man of our family so many times when his dad has been away for long periods of time. He can be such a clown and make me laugh with his warm and charming demeanor and he is not too embarrassed to dance with his mama. Lauren is my free spirit. She loves animals and accepts all people for who they are. She has taught me the most about tolerance for others. Benjamin is my baby boy, what can I say..lol...he is the apple of my eye! He always has been able to get whatever he wants out of me...He is so intelligent like his daddy. I just love his sensitive nature. I live for these kids...no doubt about it! They are what unconditional love is all about. When my husband and I left our Christian roots behind...it was these four individuals who were there for us the most...They are remarkable human beings who I am so proud and honored to call Friend.

30 Posts of Truth...Day 6....Something you hope you never have to do..

2010-11-24T02:58:12.000Z

I really DO NOT like this question...who wants to talk about things they never hope to do..so let's just get this one out of the way...I decided that anything having to do with death is off the list because that is a given and frankly, I am not writing down anything anywhere that has to do with THAT subject...the whole Law of Attraction thing and all...I don't want any awful manifestations coming about as some weird result of what I wrote here. (some pun intended)

There is one particular thing I hope I never have to do....although I have already done it....over and over and over again....so let's just say Something I hope I never have to do AGAIN....and that would be..ANOTHER VERY LONG MILITARY DEPLOYMENT SEPARATION FROM MY HUSBAND!....I am sooooo done with it! I am ready to have a full time husband again...no more lonely days and even lonelier nights...no more not having my best friend around to talk to and laugh with...no more watching my children missing their father...no more being a single parent....and the list goes on....so when he does finally return....if I can help it this will be it...I will no longer be the 'other woman' in his life...when the sea once again sounds her siren's call, it will be my voice he answers to.......

30 Posts of Truth...Day 5...Something you hope to do in your life.

2010-11-22T00:00:00.000Z

I woke up this morning and the next question for the 30 Posts of Truth popped into my head...I lay there for some time thinking about something that I hoped to do in my life....It seems like these questions get harder and harder to answer...of course there are many mundane things I hope to accomplish, but accomplishing many of those things hinged on where I am spiritually....so this is what it boils down to and this is my brutal honesty kicking in...

I WANT TO BE A REAL WITCH!....a goodness to honest Witch...there it is...that is what I want to be when I grow up! So.....hmmmmmm...how to get there...now that is the real question??

So I have decided to devise a short list of things I could do that would get me closer to accomplishing my goal... I wouldn't want anyone to think me simple-minded, so mind you this is the over-all plan at a glance...of course I am in no way taking this lightly and realize that this will not be an easy path to follow....but one I feel is well worth!

1.Study of the Craft....that includes reading, researching, scrutinizing, pondering, reflecting, asking and all of

that good stuff

2.Desire and Intent......meaning I gotta wanna be a Witch with all my heart...Total belief in the Craft is essential

....not a half-hearted approach

3.Practice.....as they say 'Practice makes Perfect'.. Not just reading about but putting into action those

concepts of which resonate within me

4.Living the Craft....to me this means embracing it in every aspect of my mundane life...not just when it is

convenient....Living the Magical Life in thought, word, and deed!

So there it is....Four goals that I believe will help me to accomplish the thing I desire and hope for most in life..to be a REAL WITCH, in other words to be living a Magical life..some of these goals are short-term and some are long-term and most will take a lifetime to accomplish, but I am up for the challenge....the desire and intent are already there and I am determined to succeed!

Blessings,

Jen

Fairy Tattoo!!!!

2010-11-21T21:38:33.000Z

Pointless Blog I know but I have to share this fantabulous art by Anne Stokes I want as a tattoo!! I looooooove fairies and Autumn!!! Perfecto mundo!!!!! A few alterations and I can soooo see it...brunette fo sho!!

30 Posts of Truth...Day 4...Something you have to forgive someone for.

2010-11-21T01:30:00.000Z

I actually woke up this morning pondering this question....you know there are people who have offended me for various reasons throughout my life..but I just am not someone who holds a grudge for long...I may get raving mad for a short while, but then it passes and it can be as if it never happened. There is one thing I guess I could say is something I need to forgive someone for....but frankly I don't want to forgive it...the person who committed this offence toward me is my son's girlfriend...do I have any feelings whatsoever for her...well no...except for the feelings of "I hope you fall off the face of the earth and out of my son's life"...I can think of few things worse than disliking the people your children chose to bring into their lives...This young woman is all pretty and shiny on the outside but is deceitful and manipulative on the inside and she will stop at nothing to get what she wants and right now that is my son....and the thing is she is succeeding in manipulating him...and it is sad for me to see, knowing that he does not truly love her, but he doesn't like to be alone; so he continues to keep her around.

Well, while pondering this question this morning, I had an epiphany...with all the mental anxiety that I have been exerting over this and all the angry thoughts and words that I was putting out toward her I was just reflecting that energy back back on myself....I am a firm believer in the Law of Attraction...like attracts like...so all I was really doing was hurting myself with negative energy. I also believe firmly in Karma and the Threefold Law if you will.

Getting back to my epiphany...I figured that if her motives are not pure then she will reap whatever she sows...and my son is old enough to make his own choices and can live with whatever consequences his decisions will bring him. I am not the one who has to live with her or her manipulation...I have decided to just wash my hands of it mentally and emotionally so to speak...I will be here when my son needs me...I can pray for him and send positive thoughts and energy his way and hope for the best for him...and I will be here to pick up the pieces also if need be...see, I love him unconditionally. So let's just say that I am choosing to let go of something I NEED to let go of rather than forgiving something...letting go of unwanted and negative feelings and energies is incredibly liberating...I would suggest anyone try it...holding onto negative things that are completely out of your control is damaging to the soul...so just let go...it feels great!

Blessings,

Jen

30 Posts of Truth...Day 3...Something you need to forgive yourself for.

2010-11-19T23:37:20.000Z

I was dreading this post...like you have no idea...because I know the answer is something deeply personal...so I will try to explain without divulging too much information....This is it in a nutshell...I betrayed the person I love most in life and lost a complete trust that I enjoyed for a very long period of time....I honestly believe that the lost of trust in any relationship is the worst possible thing a couple can go through and if they can gain the trust back between them then they should count themselves lucky indeed...because trust is not something that can general be gained back or at least not so easily....I know that I have been forgiven...but knowing the pain I have caused my loved one is sometimes more than I can bear and I am finding it very hard to forgive myself for that pain....I feel a need to constantly be proving my devotion to him....he deserves that from me....I do believe that self-forgiveness is part of the healing process...so I feel that the way I can find forgiveness for myself is accepting that I am not perfect...no one is...it is impossible to be perfect...but what I can do is strive to be a better person...a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, a better friend.....a better woman....a woman who is worthy of love and has divinity within her.....

Blessings,

Jennifer

30 Posts of Truth...Day 2....Something I love about myself....

2010-11-19T02:16:44.000Z

Hmmmm....you would think this would be a no-brainer....there are probably many things I like about myself but what do I loooooove about myself...after some pretty deep contemplation on the matter.....

well...I would have to say probably the thing I love the most about myself is my capacity to inspire and lift others up...This is very hard to put out there because I actually do consider myself a pretty humble person so in many ways I feel as if I am bragging...but the whole purpose behind this challenge is total honesty right? So here it is...I don't know how I do it or if I even try very hard but when I am happy myself and feel positive the energy that I put off tends to be incredibly contagious...people tend to gravitate toward me for my upbeat personality and vivaciousness for life...even my husband said that that is the main thing that drew him to me. I have an incredible zest for life...I always see the brighter side of things...even though I do not think I look at life through rose colored glasses...I am a realist, but a complete optimist at the same time...you will rarely see me without a smile...most places I go and have contact with others I generally get complimented for my smile and what great energy I have....people warm to me very quickly...you can check out my facebook to see that I make friends very quickly no matter what background or culture....it is funny that most people can tell instantly when something is wrong with me because it is so out of character for me to be down or at least show it.

I love having a positive effect on others...It makes me incredibly happy to inspire another person to want to change their life for good...I love to smile and have the ability to see the glass half full...no matter what I am faced with that has always been a strength for me and I am very pleased that this character trait in myself lifts and inspires other.....so there it is....now let my get down off my pedestal.....

Brightest Blessings,

Jen

A Witch's 10 Commandments...by Marian Singer

2010-11-18T04:41:13.000Z

I am currently reading this book...over half way through...and I must say I am absolutely loving it!!...She uses the biblical 10 commandments to frame the 10 tenets a Witch should live by....I personally feel that every new seeker could benefit from this book as well as any seasoned Witch...great add to any Pagan library in my opinion!

Brightest…

The 30 Posts Challenge....Day 1..Something I hate about myself.

2010-11-17T21:15:38.000Z

Wow, hate is such a strong word...so I think I will reword that and say something more a long the lines of: I strongly dislike about myself...hmmmm... let me think...this is a no-brainer for me...PRO-CRAST-I-NA-TION!

Ugh! I put off everything! I do manage to get things done..of course when I'm not putting them off. I am what you would call a daydreamer...I dream of everything I want to do and be but struggle to bring it to fruition. I wait until the very last minute to make dinner, do laundry, make important phone calls; and the list goes on and on and on... I sometimes wonder if I would even be cut out to be a witch because I would probably be late to my own personal circle! Well, I must say that PROCRASTINATION is the thing that I dislike the most about myself. So I am putting it out here for the world to see.....I Jennifer Renee' Teasley am a PROCRASTINATOR and I absolutely abhor this about myself....Whew!... there I admitted it...in all of its ugliness....but being the optimist that I am I DO NOT intend to let PROCRASTINATION defeat me...okay..you heard it here folks...I am now on the hook to overcome this dreaded disease of PROCRASTINATION....and being someone who never likes to let anyone down....I am on a mission!

The 30 Posts of Truth Project...

2010-11-16T23:10:42.000Z

Here is a little fun project spreading around the blogging community...at least the ones I frequent. I thought I would share it here for anyone who would like to take the challenge. It can be done daily or weekly, which every you prefer. The key is to really put some thought and heart into your responds and you may be surprised to learn a little truth about yourself that you weren't aware of ;)

The 30 Posts of Truth

1. Something you hate about yourself.

2. Something you love about yourself.

3. Something you have to forgive yourself for.

4. Something you have to forgive someone for.

5. Something you hope to do in your life.

6. Something you hope you never have to do.

7. Someone who has made your life worth living for.

8. Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.

9. Someone you didn't want to let go, but they just drifted away

10. Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn't know.

11. Something people seem to compliment you the most on.

12. Something you never get compliments on.

13. A band or artist who has gotten you through some tough times. (Write a letter)

14. A hero that has let you down. (Write a letter)

15. Someone or something you can't live without, because you tried living without.

16. Someone or something you definitely could live without.

17. A book you've read that changed your views on something.

18. What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?

19. Or views on gay marriage.

20. Your views on drugs and alcohol.

21. (Scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident. You got into a fight an hours earlier. What do you do?

22. Something you wish you hadn't done in your life.

23. Something you wish you had done in your life.

24. Make playlist to someone, and explain why you chose those songs.

25. The reason you believe you are still alive today.

26. Have you ever thought about giving up on life. If so when and why?

27. What's the best thing going for you right now?

28. What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?

29. Something you hope to change about yourself and why.

30. A letter to YOURSELF...tell yourself everything you love about yourself.

This could be a very enlightening little project of self-discovery...Have fun with it but make sure to be brutally honest! You are free to share your responses in your blog or keep them private..but if you choose to share, who knows if someone could learn a thing or two from you:)

Blessings,

Jen

Project Pagan Enough......

2010-11-16T17:22:59.000Z

This is a very worthwhile project indeed!

http://www.incitingariot.com/p/project-pagan-enough.html

Pagans are on the March- but are they harmless eccentrics or a dangerous cult?.....interesting article indeed!

2010-11-15T19:30:00.000Z

I thought I might share this article I came across....I'm seeing more and more of these kinds or stories in the press...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1328968/Pagans-march--harmless-eccentrics-dangerous-cult.html