Atwater Vitki

Yep...one of the many, many things that lit my radar as well. "Danger Will Robinson, danger!"

With an operating budget of $2.3M ($95/mo per member) and his salary a part of that ($9.73/mo per member) it sounds like no big deal...on the surface. When you extend the books out the "10% theme" seems to follow through on numerous angles. What he does for that salary is another question. Like the "friendly note" from the church secretary reminding my folks of the "suggested honorarium" to the Pastor of$75 per visit to my Dad while he was in the hospital (10 visits over 2 years)...I could've choked that they even had the nerve to send that, but my Mom sits in astonishment that I question that....say what?? A long list of like things that simply baffle me for the leader of a flock to do. There is at minimum another $25-30k per year of expense accounts and charge-backs for the pastor there. Yes, it is a "Good Ol' Boy" network of brown nosers and nepotism that would defy logic to any outside observer. Somehow, much of the Membership has lost sense of common reality and replaced that with "I'm gaining my Seven Crowns in Glory of gold brick paved streets of Heaven" sheeple mentality. It honestly defies logic. Basically 2000+ people are being reassured by the pastor that "they are indeed going to Heaven" as long as the status quo of this organization is not interfered with. Way back when, "God" told Sven and Inga that The Evangelical path is the only "right" one and that's that, end of subject, believe it or eternally die, period. You both bring up great observations about this 501( c ) (3) institution. Going back to its inception in the 1950's, the "Church Board" has carefully sought out, recruited and hand selected for Membership various influential people within the media, seminary, local government, medical and policing agencies. My Dad sold mutual funds for awhile (1964-68) for Waddell & Reed, a very hoity-toity investment firm with a specialty department just for 501c3 status organizations, which is where he was pigeon holed. This purposed the "expansion and growth" of select congregations for new sanctuary building funds. As a young sprout, I recall the hours and hours long dining and luncheon experiences...in other words, bored out of my mind... with my folks, the membership "Powers that Be" at MCC* and of course the Board. Even as a kid I could tell that every move made towards an investment was meticulously crafted for the benefit of W&R and MCC. My Dad quit due to the underhanded and often "over the line" terms and contracts" he would be responsible for by his signing the "deal" into being. There were many, many late night arguments between the folks during this period as Dad had a conscience that would not allow him to put greed and profit above his own credibility...there's a long story behind it all, but trying to keep it short. The bottom line to it is the understanding I gained by witnessing the "inner circle" at work made me hate "religion" based on these experiences straight out of "Dallas" or "Peyton Place". There's absolutely nothing wrong with any business, 501c3 or not, making sound financial decisions concerning their growth, that is only smart. But when the lines of Right and Wrong are blurred deliberately, well that's a whole other story. However, it's how those financial decisions come to fruition that often comes into question. When a for-profit business makes borderline decisions that verge on inappropriate shenanigans, everyone gets up in arms over it. A 501c3, usually has more of an image to protect. However, a church, an organization that is supposedly responsible for guiding you through the moral and ethical conundrums of Life, well, IMHO, they should be of the highest moral and ethical standing and act accordingly. If they are willing to blur the line of their finances, how can we expect them not to do the same with our Eternal Life?? Blessings of Peace, *Modesto Covenant Church Just last night when talking to my Mom, (my "bi-weekly Mom-call") after a 45 minute grilling about the doctors and our "health" there just had to be that ending conversation of the ULC and how I must be careful "not to be dragged away from my Rightful teachings". No, Mom does not acknowledge my ULC Doctorate or Reverend status in any manner what-so-ever. She is convinced wholeheartedly that anyone, except a member of Evangelicals, including the Pope, will not see their Seven Crowns and Rightful Place in Heaven. It's not just my own mother, but the whole clique over there that holds this opinion, regardless of what the Bible says. Out of the Evangelical crowd only, will the 144,000 be chosen to honor "God" with their presence...and that's not even one of the tenets of the Evangelical cannon, just what these folks in that synod have cooked up! Just makes me wonder how my sibs and I survived this sort of upbringing because it sure isn't "Right" if ya ask me. Anyone that may question why I am a bit cynical about organized "religion", maybe that will give you a bit of understanding. And one last thing...I don't simply "pick on" Modesto Covenant" for the sake of picking on religion. I am privy to certain information due to the charity of that church, which was very much appreciated by me an Kay when we came back from Maui. Our computers had been destroyed in shipping and Dad's buddy at MCC was nice enough to donate to us an "old" desktop computer, (2003 model Dell in January of 2006...old?) It was the one from the accounting office and somehow they "forgot" to clean the hard drive of all church business. That 150gb hd had all the membership info, correspondence, bulletins, pastoral journal and financial records from Jan. 2001- Dec. 2005 on it. I did call and ask if they were aware of this and wanted the info to wit I was told "No, do as you wish. we're sure we can trust you to remove it".

I sense you have very "wise eyes" then. Blessings to you brother, blessings.

Over the past couple of months, our orange tabby, "Hemet", has started a very bad habit. He stands while he does his business in the litter box, especially "p'ing". Naturally we've had the vet answer our questions and we've found out it's not that uncommon for feral cats to adopt some rather "interesting" potty habits. You would think after 4 years of doing it right this wouldn't come up, but it does. Anyway, after several very nasty, not to mention frustrating, clean ups of the mess he's created outside the litter box, (wall/drapes/closet door/floor) we finally hit on the answer! 2 good things came out of this little adventure, we found yet another Made in USA product and daily clean ups are easier than ever before. "Hemet" and "Turbo" are 15 and 20 pounds respectively, yes our little darling "Turbo" turns a year next week and is now the Big Bubble Belly Boy of the clan. At these sizes the covered litter boxes available at PetSmart™ and other retailers just were not big enough for the comfort of our little beasts. We thought of a "igloo" style dog house enclosure, but at $65++ paydays never seemed to allow for such luxury. On a whim, I stopped by Lowe's Home Center© and there was the answer! A 30 gal storage container that was big enough and made in the good ol' USA. It did take a full 40# box of litter to fill it 3" and that was $12 for the ExquisiCat™ (unscented*), PetSmart™ brand, (best we've found for odor control, clumping and above all $) but oh well, enough sand and big enough for five cats! Total cost of project <$25.00 with an additional storage container for other stuff. Anyone else having a mess problem, (even "Moki" dug more out of the box than covered his business most of the time and dirty litter, even on linoleum tile floors) with an unsanitary cat box situation may want to give this a whirl. I'll be happy to send you pictures of the construction process and detailed instruction, if you should need them. (It's awful darn easy just cutting a hole in the side of the storage box) Blessings of Peace and Loss of mess, The company info for the box is: Cenrex Plastics, LLC Findlay, Ohio 45840 Item #341054 30 gal. At 2 for <$20.00, ya can't beat the price either! (Lowe's item HERE) *our vet has informed us that "unscented" litters are better for your pet's health. The scented materials used in the sand can cause allergies and sinus problems in cats.

The fact that my brother read it and clicked the "forward button" was cause enough for celebration here. In his accompanying e-mail he mentioned the "author unknown" and his friend got it from a long line of forwards dating back to 2006...the e-mail was one of those friendship candle pass along things attached. Anyway, I'm certain it has indeed been around awhile and that many folks here probably have seen it before. However, whether new or old to, like you said Pastor Dave, it does tug at the heart. Blessings,

Dear Members, I wish I had written this story as it really struck a chord in my heart, and while the author is anonymous, I hope you find value in it like I did. After not hearing anything from my brother in quite awhile, I was surprised to get this story attached to an e-mail he sent me just a bit ago. Surprising what a Sunday afternoon will bring a person. Blessings of Peace, The Wooden Bowl A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult.. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.' So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. On a positive note, .... that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. .... that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day,the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. While making a note about my observations, I also realized what else I've learned. I've learned... .... that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life.' .... that life sometimes gives you a second chance. .... that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back sometimes. .... that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. .... that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. .... that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. .... that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. .... that I still have a lot to learn. .... that you should pass this on to everyone you care about. I just did!This is to all of you here on the forum, young and old, friend and not yet met, newbie and long term, because you truly do mean something to me, I pray that each of you find happiness in Life.

One of the things that inevitably comes up at our Rune-Gild and Ásatrú Folk moots (gatherings) is the public conception of the Pagan. Too many churches and even individual ministers/pastors, even the well meaning ones, seem to have a lack of info on just what a "Pagan" is in our contemporary society. What the vast majority of Neo-Pagans are not, are "devil worshiping, animal sacrificing, sex orgy participating" anarchists. Most Pagans, that you work, shop and enjoy outdoor recreations with, you probably are not even aware of their Beliefs. Your average "Pagan" is no different than anyone else of religious Faith or the myriad of belief systems adhered to by the public mainstream. We don't have horns, cat or reptilian eyes and have to hide our tails. Normal, everyday folk, period. In a survey completed in 2010, over 80% of those people that label themselves "pagan" do not even congregated with others of similar beliefs. In the same survey, nearly 70% thought it was the duty of the organized body, rather than the individual to "spread the word" or to try and get people to understand Paganism. Anyway, I hope that you will do a little research on your own, rather than take the word of someone else, as to what we Pagans are really about. I firmly believe that if you do you will find that much of the ballyhoo you've heard in the past is exactly that...ballyhoo! One of the most profound misconceptions is the belief in the various pantheons of deities found among the differing groups. To quote from the American Neo-Paganism site; We chose deities and myths from among the historical and contemporary pantheons of the world’s religions that are particularly evocative to us. For us, these deities are symbolic personifications of the forces of nature and of our own deeper selves. I hope that puts one misconception to rest. I'll let you decide for yourself just how other thoughts may effect you on a personal level. You can put "paganism" or "neo-paganism" into your search browser and find many more links. I've added these just to get those who don't have "favorite sites" saved away yet to get you going. http://www.neopagan....ansBelieve.html http://www.americann...com/beliefs.htm http://www.blue-moon-manor.com/religions/neo-paganism.html Blessings of Peace,

A lot of folks are big on the separation of church and state, and our Federal and State Income Tax Rates have been a bone of contention for well over 225 years here in the USA. So how is it that "the church", defined as any organized and recognized religious body, gets OFF of the IRS tax ledgers? Myself, agree with the non-taxable income on church income, but only up to a certain amount. Tax liabilities could indeed crush many small churches yet allows for the mega-churches the same umbrella of protections. The "Crystal Cathedral" comes to mind in fairly recent news. Tens of million$ siphoned off to the Scheuller's personal accounts under this umbrella. I mean most ULC ministers are single entity individuals that perform officiant duties for nominal fees. The little "extra" many of us make merely helps to make ends meet...a whole different beast than that of the mega-church in any neighborhood. I'm not sure just exactly where to draw the line of income but conventional "pastorship" has become big business today. A few years ago I talked about the pastor at Modesto Covenant making $167k/yr and this past year he received a 30% increase putting him well into $225k range and the church itself has an operating budget of over $2.3M/yr...in either case...that seems an excessive amount of tax free monies going to an individual or church and this is a small church (2000 members) in the grand scheme of things. Membership has decreased over 15% while operating expenses have increased 25%...seems to me, someone isn't doing his job very well. Any taxed CEO of any major corporation would be out on his ear if the same report got back to shareholders. Basically, when we're talking about the average ULC minister it's a whole different ball game than the 4-6yr seminary college, 2-4yr residency, ordained minister of mainstream theologies and conventional church bodies. Since ministering, like medicine, has become more and more business orientated why should a Baptist, Methodist or Catholic priest/pastor/minister be given a free ride on taxes while a Baptist, Methodist or Catholic doctor or surgeon be made to pay taxes? They both have a (usually) loyal following, "save" lives and are so-called leaders of the community so it's title more-so than qualifications or job description that separates the two. I'm all for giving the "little guy/family" every break possible to simply survive, but when it comes to the business end of religion, well there is certainly a lot of gray area between the black and white of what is Right. Just a thought.... Blessings of Peace,

I must have missed it in the archive search and some other material...is there a source for these, and hopefully others? Thanks,

DO YOU REPORT THE MONEY YOU RECEIVE FOR YOUR SERVICES? (weddings, funerals....seminars, speaking fees) Yes HAVE YOU RECEIVED ENOUGH THAT IT IMPACTED YOUR FINANCIALS? Not in any one year, but every dime has been reported and accounted for HAVE YOU BEEN AUDITED, QUESTIONED BECAUSE OF YOUR ORDINATION IN RELATION TO TAXES? Not specifically on my ordination, no HAVE YOU ESTABLISHED A WAY TO HANDLE FUNDS RECEIVED BECAUSE OF YOUR ORDINATION (separate checking account, consulted with an attorney or accountant)? SHOULD YOU? Yes, a very simple record. The Feds are fairly cut and dry, but each State has variations of allowable deductions if you have to travel or stay over night etc for the particular event. I grew up with a father that despised the "Infernal Revue Service" so I had a tainted view for many years. However, I agree 100% Von, every time I've had contact, a handful of times, the IRS has been nothing but helpful, courteous and polite. Even the personal notes from the agent on the "Post-Its®" stuck here and there in the forms packet helped me greatly. Kay and I also worked with the wife of an IRS Auditor for a couple of years and he was a super dude. While it may be a bit old school, a simple 3-4 column ledger book (lots of nice ones at 99¢ stores) kept strictly for your officiant service and duties will help keep track of the funds received for your work. Spread sheets on the 'puter are nice, and are great as a back-up, but nothing like the ol' hands on accountability...in my book. Ledgers don't "crash" either and are easily kept out of harms way and there shouldn't be anything so complicated in keeping your officiant records as to require more than basic accounting. Yes, nearly all monies received, whether charged by the officiant or not, will be cash. I guess that's really tradition more then requirement, but you never know who may report what. Honesty, after all, is what one does when people think other's aren't looking, right? Blessings of Peace,

Great points Raincloud. This is why even within the various Nordic groups I belong to we have myriad "sub" groups. Those, such as myself that are extreme Nordic history buffs try as best we can to piece together the Old Ways, more as a hobby or specialty than any real "need" to do so. We also have crafts people that do strictly ancient constructs and those that do only contemporary and re-purposing. It basically falls into where our modern folk have the greatest interests. There are even those among us who can not figure out how anyone can condone following the "White Christ" (a misnomer most certainly) or "Yeshua" while also studying/following the Nordic pantheon. This is exactly why many of us elders try to get folk to understand the huge difference between emulation and worship. Emulating the many attributes of an ancient pantheon vs. worshiping in a modern manner a millennium old Faith have things in common as well as a tremendous number of differences. Mostly though, two of the groups I'm a member of, do our best to concentrate on the similarities and leave the at odds differences to those who enjoy the controversy. Ya know, my "pride and joy" as it were is my old robe, which was made from the wool ($450.00 at a reenactment fair) spun by hand from an aurochs, the ancient beast of uruz the second rune of the Elder Futhark. However, the most comfortable and best all around one I usually wear at events and during harrowing is my modern day muslin robe I sewed myself. (In avatar pic) Not so "traditional" or "Old Ways" but special, to me none the less! But at the end of the day, no matter what our intentions are or how much we would like to think we know, there is simply no way any of us know with 100% accuracy, just what it was like to live in 350BCE, 970 CE or during the Inquisitions. It's difficult enough remembering what I was doing at the last moot I went just a few years ago!! I agree with you about its all really our relationship with "The Creator" (God) in all the various aspects (pluralism) today. Beyond that we can only do our best o represent the best, and sometimes even the not so "best" of our heritage and cultures. I see that as merely a method of recognizing and honoring our Continuum of ancestors, everything else is simply a personal like or dislike. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion and I appreciate everyone input. I hope as we go along here we all learn something about each others deepest thoughts and feelings regarding their own, personal path and Spiritual Journey...whatever that may be! Blessings of Peace,

It's always such a mixed bag of emotions when we see similar pets to one's we've lost. We have a neighbor with two cats we could swear were our Gizmo and Hershey...not them, but wow, every time we see them, our day is filled with over whelming loss. Those two were something "special" in the pet world. Never had retriever cats like that. Gizmo, (from Molokai) taught Hershey, (Hemi and MeShell's sister from SoCal) to put the ring in our hand. Oh the memories of those "training days"...too cute!! Remember Milo with Love! (As I'm certain you do) Blessings of Peace,

I am reminded of the diamond expression here where the Universe and/or Love itself are one complete entity, yet each facet thereof represents a different and unique shining of the Light through the whole. The complete and whole with the individualized and very different facet. Interesting concept Foxcedar of which I hope you'll express more. Great concept and wonderful topic. Blessings of Peace,

Dan, see panpareil's post...and I meant it in the loosest of terms just meaning "one for all and all for one" type connotation. Carl, myself as like one would an ancestor...was once alive and in the physical form and now "up there" in Asgaard (Heaven) watching us over along with Grandpa and Uncle Johan. Other folks makes them more real, here and now and yet others place them in an eternally ethereal position to my understanding. I stick to the existing pantheon but there are groups that develop new deities based on modern culture, but I find the Old Ways pretty astute at covering the bases even for modern invention like the computer, car and missiles etc. I hope other Pagan's here will chime in on their personal beliefs and understandings. Any time I give a "lesson" it is strictly from my personal practices and understandings based on the Nordic Pantheon. Panpareil, yes the Trinity has always perplexed me if we go by the strict definitions of mono/polytheism. In one manner, I could think of it as multiple personalities, same physical manifestation with multiple facets/aspects to the same Being. Mark, in reality, which came first? I always go back to our 6th grade youth group at Modesto Covenant...teacher grilling me and a couple others who answered a test question when we marked the Eastern's listed as "religion" instead of "non-religious"...the only two choices. Naturally these "test" were always designed to make Evangelical #1 and when questioned as to the technical correctness, usually meant extra homework or worse. Yes, there are groups that refer to the Goddess, meaning Giana or one of her many manifestations, names and spellings, depending on association and group. There is a large group that insist the Christian "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" come from the pagan trinity of Father (Heaven's), Mother (Earth) and Son (Humans/Creation). The Nordic Pantheon of course puts Odhinn, The All-Father at the pinnacle of the pantheon...(Oden, Odin, Othin, Wodan etc) My own Evangelical Covenant/Lutheran upbringing is basically what drove me away from those very concepts. Even as a kid I could see through the thinly veiled "us good" and everyone else "bad/wrong" in sermons, youth group and Sunday School. Perhaps if they had just stuck to what made them think and teach the way they do, without all the attention put on detailing other's wrongs or incorrectness in belief, I'd never had noticed....just a thought. Blessings of Peace,

Several months ago I posted a similar topic that got very sidetracked. It was decided to close that topic. I have recently been asked about some of content of that Topic Post and felt reposting in a different manner may answer the questions recently brought up. I hope this time things will not go so awry....and thanks for the interest, you two know who you are!! In our contemporary society the term “Paganism” has taken on a bit of a different meaning than it did in ancient times. Our advances in science, education, natural phenomena and Spirituality have dictated a completely new understanding of things quite mystical and unknown to our ancestors. While a formal definition of Paganism from a dictionary may read something like: pagan- anyone not of Judeo-Christian or Islamic beliefsthis does not take into account recognized formal religious affiliations such as Hindi, Shinto, Taoism or Buddhism. Even though the Vatican may not recognize these last four listed as religions, their counterparts practicing and instructing in these spiritual endeavors certainly do. In ancient times, the word paganos simply referred to someone that lived in the country or foothills surrounding established metropolitan areas. “Heathens” on the other hand referred to people who practiced various forms of paganism in the heath-rows, a large, prickly hedge-shrub that was commonly used to separate individual properties or land tracks. In our modern cultures and societies, Paganism can best be described as any number of nature based forms of soliciting and honoring traditional, ancient pantheons. The theologies of the various forms of Paganism are as broad and varied as the number of groups, congregations and even in some cases cults, that practice non-religious forms of deity emulation. The type of Paganism I follow is called Ásatrú Folk which is based on the Nordic Pantheon of gods and goddesses. The Nordic pantheon is in turn based on the older Germanic form of paganism with only a handful of deities specific to the Scandinavian culture being the most significant difference. One of the most important aspects of Ásatrú Folk Paganism to understand is the difference between “worshiping” and “emulating” our pantheon of deities. To further define this for you: wor·ship (wûr'shïp) n. 1. a. The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object. b. The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed. 2. Ardent devotion; adoration. (1) and em·u·late (em'yu-lât') tr.v. em·u·lat·ed, em·u·lat·ing, em·u·lates 1. To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation: an older pupil whose accomplishments and style I emulated. 2. To compete with successfully; approach or attain equality with. (1)To most Pagans the above definitions are the crux of our belief system and what truly gives the esoteric or internal, hidden, inner most air of protected secrecy to the very definition of esoteric. It is an inner part of our being while traditional religious forms of worship describe an exoteric or external form of acknowledging their deity. The nature, or natural, aspects of Paganism acknowledges in every manner the creations on the Earth, commonly known as Gian or Giana, “The Mother” under the Heavens generally referred to as “The Father”. When the elm, yew or ash tree is venerated or the oceans or lakes are called upon for a bountiful harvest of fish or the heavens asked for the gift of rain, there is no “worship” going on at all, rather more of a petition. In essence, the Pagan is asking that nature recognize their dutiful allegiance to a particular way of living and honor their request. For the most part contemporary Pagans are naturalist in that they do their best to treat “mother earth” with respect. In our modern society that is by leaving as small of a footprint as possible through recycling, non-polluting and organic means of survival. To some of you “Tree Hugger” may come to mind, but I assure you there are many religious folks that proudly carry that label. My particular “sect”, as it were, is called Runic in that I firmly believe in the associated power of the ancient form of writing known as the runes or runestaves. If one were to take a tour of Norway, Sweden or Denmark, relics of the many centuries old rune monuments still stand along the road sides, besides buildings and in farmers fields nearly everywhere. The vast majority of these hand chiseled stone monoliths are National Monuments and are registered as such in the various countries of origin. Specifically there are numerous forms of runes but those such as Ogham, Elder and Younger Futharks are the most familiar to the majority of pagans following a runic path. My specialty is in the Elder Futhark, which derives its name from the first six runes; fehu, uruz, thurisaz, ansuz, raidtho and kenaz. The term “vitki” that I use in my display name is simply an old Norse word meaning the equivalent of “learned” and/or “shaman” in this particular formalized title The runic system and the practice of paganism are two distinctly different ends to a means. I happen to be a pagan that has furthered his belief system incorporating the majikal aspects of the runes. I would say the vast majority of contemporary Pagans have little or no understanding what-so-ever of the runes as it is most certainly an archaic and unnecessary part of Paganism as a whole. However, to me, the runes encompass an ideology that serves many means to an end. There is a direct or “majikal” method that is recognized and practiced through varying forms of spell casting, scrying and incantation of invocations. Then there is also the intellectual forms of practice which delve into the inner most core of the Self-awareness of who and what we are as living human beings. I would also like to point out the variances of the “majikal” and “magical” forms of which I speak. The two spellings merely differentiate the many differences between the personification of esoteric knowledge produced in our wyrd (core essence) and the traditional slight of hand tricks one may see at a magic show by some showman. There is little difference between “prayer” or “ceremonial rite” of the religious person and producing majik by Ásatrú Folk that participate in such things. The religious person will pray to “God” under any number of circumstances while the Ásatrú Folk will invoke a majikal rite for the same means to an end. To further indoctrinate the uninitiated into pagan practices I would like to offer the following list of descriptions offered by the Bay Area Pagan Assemblies(2) or BAPA. Here they give what I too considered to be the essential practices and Beliefs of a contemporary Pagan. Many Pagans tend to: * Be polytheists, believing in more than one deity or more than one aspect of a single deity. * Be pantheists, seeing the God/Goddess force represented in everything around them. * Recognize the divinity of the feminine as well as the masculine, not seeing masculinity as a superior force. * Believe that the life force is sacred, and that nature, as a vital representation of that force, is divine. * Believe that all life forms are equal, sharing an equal claim to the earth as a home. * Believe that each individual is solely responsible for his or her actions. * Believe that the forces of nature can be shaped in ways commonly called magical. * Believe that magical acts designed to bend one to another's will are manipulative, and not encouraged. * Believe that whatever actions a person takes, magical or mundane,good or bad, come back to him/her, sometimes threefold. * Believe that there is no single path to spiritual fulfillment, and that the individual must determine the spiritual expression most appropriate to him or her. * Believe in reincarnation, or some form of life after death.One of the other admirable and common traits that I find representative of most modern or Neo-Pagans is a tolerance for people of any belief or non-belief system. As the above list is not in any particular order of relevance, I believe the second from the bottom, ...that there is no single path to spiritual fulfillment..., would be the first if listed in order of priorities. This is something that many Pagan have the most difficulty in understanding; why so many people of religious Beliefs must “convert” or “save” other people and not simply allow others to find and have their own Belief structure. Tolerance is something society as a whole uses as a common measuring stick around the world to determine their place within this mass populace upon the Earth. Democracy, which granted has its good and bad attributes, and has become the foremost sought after form of governance is suppose to be based on tolerance and the majority opinion. To deny this to the individual is in reality against the very teachings of The Christ of Christian Beliefs and even in some regards to the teachings of Mohamed, though I personally find it to be a bit linear in his interpretation of the very word tolerance itself. When we have parts of a society that still obsesses over their particular Belief being the only “right” belief we have not progressed much beyond the most dismal and clouded actions of any Religion recognized throughout history. As a modern Pagan I would hope that my peers and fellow travelers on this planet would define me as Tolerant above all else. I realize I have strong opinions concerning many things and people along this journey called Life, however, allowing those things to be as they are and to flourish in their own means is something I adamantly support. I do not believe religion is about being 'perfect' or fitting into some predestine classification, rather, about how we view our Self-awareness and define Self. There is a common expression; “I'm not religious, I'm Spiritual” in today's culture. While I firmly believe we are indeed Spiritual beings experiencing a physical reality I also think that having a Belief in a Creator makes us something more than merely a living and breathing concoction of carbon based atoms in a mostly water based meat-sack. I believe it is our conscious recognition of our conscience that defines us as hu-man. Whether a person's Beliefs and/or religion may be Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindi, Shinto, Taoist or Buddhist, which are typically the seven recognized “religions” we share, or Pagan, Heathen, Atheist or any number of other descriptions regarding Faith and Beliefs, we are all, above all else, Human. Some of us are comfortable being a part of organized religion while others are not so inclined. Some believe in absolutely nothing as far as deities go and yet others would probably be best described as agnostic, not sure if there is isn't any validity to religion. However, humanity would not exist in this flux of unknowns if anyone had a certain proof of the existence of “God”, “The Creator”, “The All”, “The Collective Conscious”, “The Source of All things” or myriad of other descriptions of that little spark within that makes us all wonder and strive to find out. I've held the opinion for years that perhaps there are some things we are simply not suppose to know, and “God” is one of those things. If we knew for sure, without any doubt or wonder, would we really be better off? Or is it in reality the quest for an Almighty that makes our journey here on Terra Firma worthwhile? Perhaps we have found “God” and s/he is expressed through the many facets of our diverse expressions of his/her Divinity. Perhaps no one, but all of our diverse Faiths are what make “God” who and what s/he is. I think if we were to take the very best attributes of all religions and sum them up into one belief we would have a most admirable group of followers as well as the most respectful and inclusive description of “The Creator-God.” Maybe, just maybe “God” really is Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindi, Shinto, Taoist or Buddhist as well as Pagan, Heathen and Atheist, but being Human, we're just to arrogant and intolerant to believe that. Maybe? Over the following weeks, I plan on providing some more specifics on my Spiritual Path, but I thought I would start it off by giving a very basic summary first. I welcome all thoughts and commentary and look forward to a continued dialogue with those that wish to participate. Blessings of Peace, “Atwater Vitki” References and bibliography: (1)http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ (2)http://www.sacred-te.../bos/bos627.htm

Ah, the sweet sounds and sights of a BBQ dinner at my son's in-laws.... haven't been back since, beings I almost pulled a Presidential Maneuver the last time watching the animals family eat. Man all that good training down the drain as my son has lowered himself to standards he certainly was not raised with. Oh and yeah, the "serve from the left thing", it may be a Scandinavian thing, but Mormor always taught from the left and she was a Domestic in high class home when she first came over from Sweden...governor of Connecticut, friends of Getty's are the only two I remember so I believe what Dorian said is right, without looking it up.

Exactly, as with 99% of all "problems", the educating and example begins in the home. When I was a toddler, my Grandparents babysat me while the folks worked. My "Mormor" and Poppy" were in their late 60's then as were most of their friends, or even older. Whether it was an afternoon "tea" or evening Bible study, when I was around that group - that all loved me to death btw- it was "Yes sir" and "No Thank You Ma'am" at all times. Not a single cuss word was used and those adults that smoked pipe, cigar or cigarette went outside on the screened in porch regardless of season. We always passed right and served left (Scandinavian) at the dinner table, and while the ladies and kids cleaned up afterwards, the men always adjourned to the living room for coffee and conversation...etc etc...I simply didn't know any different as it was this way at every house I went to. This is the other thing that is missing in today's world...continuity...it simply didn't matter who's house you were in, the rules were the same within limits of course. Overall though no matter where you went, the same etiquette, table manners, language and basic societal acceptances were adhered to. This world has grown so fast and in such diverse ways that it's impossible for kids to really understand the differences between right and wrong, good and bad anymore. I say understand because there is a big difference between "knowing" and "understanding" these things, due to what was mentioned above about the definitions of the wide variety of people's actions. I don't mean the basics, killing, harming people and so forth, but the mannerisms and social etiquette things, but even those lines can be blurred at times. My ex, for instance, has no problem "conversing" in the same room with a TV blasting, stereo blaring and kids screaming and would sit there with a "What?" deer in the headlights look when I'd simply stop talking and demand some quiet. I absolutely agree that the home is where the education begins for our youth. That's why in the summer I offer an art class for kids over at the park, across the street from us, as many of them don't even have paper and pencils at home (poor neighborhood area) and some of them have zero clue as to what even basic manners are. Last year (long story but I'll make it short) I had parents admonish me for making their kids ask for the snacks we provide with a "it's there for them too isn't it?" These were two kids, 8 and 10, that simply grabbed and stuffed their mouths (cupcakes Kay made) standing over the plate, dropping crumbs (out of their mouths) all over the other treats and wouldn't move to let other kids have any...ridiculous. These parents wouldn't "let" their kids be involved where there were those kinds of "restrictions" as the mom said. The 8 year old changed his ways, day one, well two, and would sneak over for the drawing (and of course snacks) but always asked with a "Please and Thank you," thereafter! Good little boy by himself that wasn't going to let a few words get in his way. Blessings of Peace,

Von- when you post a reply, at the bottom right of the reply box there's two buttons, one says "Post" the other "More Reply Options", click on "more", even if you've started to write, then at the bottom of that reply box you'll have the "Preview" option that will show your To Be Posted response above your edit box. Hope that helps. Blessings, Al