Raincloud

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Everything posted by Raincloud

  1. Hi Hearthwitch. Yes, 2017 for me was full on intense personal, mystical and supernatural encounters with a Goddess. Just looking at the replies here, it seems this is not the place to reveal too much info. It won't satisfy the atheist skeptics/Christians double sided coin. But yes, 2017 was full on for this Wiccan.
  2. I have recently engaged the services of a life couch. Mainly because she is a friend, starting her business, and I saw the need to 'give it a go' because I do need to improve things in my life. I am taking a positive mental attitude towards it and hoping to get great benefits from it.
  3. It all depends what branch of witchcraft you are studying/practicing these days. In some circles Traditional Oath-Bound Wicca stuff has lost it's influence. In my opinion it's because a lot of it doesn't translate well today. People are choosing different types of witchcraft with different original sources. (ie Traditional Witchcraft variations that draw on Folklore)
  4. Hey Scott. Sounds good man. I've only heard good stuff about those guys. Cheers RC
  5. I think of it as an expression that: Ordination is free and open... but it's up to you to do the work of ministry. Here it is, the ordination... now what? Well the what is: Being the clergy. In whatever capacity you want. I think it eliminates the use of titles as an Ego thing. Drop the ego, show me 'the fruit'.
  6. I think everyone would lose their cool after 22 minutes! To me, it's anger, at perceived (by me) injustices. I often need to back off and let it go. Not fight everything.
  7. UGH. That sucks. I've had people like that in my life, and you can get used like a doormat at first. They are the true psychic vampires. Sucking your energy. Once you are financially okay, I suggest moving. Since you have a car, perhaps you can drive to a nearby nature reserve to go for long walks?
  8. Universalism is always under attack from binary thinking. It is up to us to expand minds.

  9. I echo Brother Kaman's response. It's fellowship with other Ministers that at least respect the right of an individual to choose their beliefs. No extreme Christianity or Atheism being pushed. And I think with the rise of the corporate funded, CIA infiltrated Moral Majority, it's about the right to have faith and not being required by peer pressure to vote for the war mongers in the Republican party. I can't find a Christian forum that isn't driven by right wing lunatics.
  10. Getting angry at other's perceived stupidity never profits me.

  11. She needs to pray.That's all she can do. the process of prayer can help. and.... this might be a spiritual life lesson for her that she has to work through. No one else is his Mother. This is her lot, whether she likes it or not. My Brother is an addict. I understand the circumstances. Really, not much more than get her to regularly pray and send him healing energy.
  12. I am happy for churches to be tax free. Making them taxed. Makes them exactly no different than large corporations. It also empowers them to have all the influence that large corporates have. Large corporates can do far more in society than any church. Why are all the Atheists focussing on Churches, yet say nothing about the large corporates who give massive subsidies and who pay little tax (through evasion)?? It's because the Atheist lobby seems to have little grasp on business and Economics. If people think taxing churches will dis-empower them, they are surely mistaken. Give the money to the elderly? The tax becomes the government's money. Last time I checked Republicans work full time to cut welfare and pass subsidies and tax breaks along to..... Corporations (that are taxed).
  13. I think it matter most what you do, not what you call yourself. The Pagan/Witch community, to be honest is not worth much lately. Best to spend your energy with witches/warlocks/pagans that accept you no matter what. Ignore the rest.
  14. Oh.. you're also a climate change denialist. How boring.
  15. I wish for your mother positive healing energies. Close to 90 is a 'good innings' as they say down under.
  16. Yeah Minister is another name for a clergyman/woman. Of course in Christendom it used to be priest and bishop.(and still is for the majority of Christendom).
  17. I'm curious Dan. Were you ever the victim of bullying growing up? Because your understanding of bullying seems to be the opposite of mine and the Dictionary's. The privileged bully is not usually labelled the victim. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bullying
  18. I think it's just another controversy that American right Wing conservatives latch on to, in order to play their culture war game. I believe that the motive collectively is malice itself. I honestly don't think Conservatives care that much about Biblical teachings. I just think they like 'sticking it' to a repressed small minority of people who already struggle in life. It's bullying, on a massive scale. It's the opposite of Christ's actual commandment to love your neighbour and love your enemy. It's malice the opposite of love. I'm not sure why a rich old white multimillionaire is so threatened by gay people? All Bullies are cowardly and afraid. There is not much love or bravery here. There is not much mercy, which is what Christ desires.
  19. I had no idea that he was a minister, or that by slurring a groups of people based solely on their sexuality alone as identifier, was walking the walk as a minister. Usually I would join you in defence of the persecuted, but I was unaware that an old white hetro male multi-millionaire in the USA was the characteristic of a defenceless persecuted person. Matthew 19:21-24New International Version (NIV)21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
  20. It is my belief, that whilst we can study other people's religions and faiths that aren't our own, we have no right to police what those people do in their religion or... more important to this topic, what they decide to call themselves. As long as my neighbour obeys the laws of the land, I should have no official say in his religion or faith or labels. For example I should not tell Joe down the street that he's not a real Christian because he's a member of a certain church that doesn't practice what I believe is true. You can agree to disagree with each other. But when I start getting up in his face demanding that he stop calling himself a Christian, then I have crossed a huge boundary. There is a worrying trend in the pagan community where people are saying uninitiated Wiccan aren't real Wiccans. What is your opinion of this concept in general?
  21. Merry Christmas Guys! Have a Blessed Yule! or for those of us in the sexier Hemisphere, have a happy and safe Summer Solstice (Litha).!
  22. I think this is a very good question. Religious organisations usually define what the duties of it's ministers are. So they defines the word minister as it pertains to them. The ULC is a product of American culture and the American notion of freedom of religion, freedom from a state authority controlling religion. So this is why you can have a conservative Christian ULC minister and a Satanist Minister. They are their own authority and decide how they should minister and what a minister should do. Being a ULC Minister is more spiritually important than most people give us credit. For those of us, who the responsibility is a spiritual one, beyond being able to marry, we see this 'freedom of religion' as a core part of our practice as spiritual beings. We learn to get along with other ministers who we may disagree with on fundamental levels. A true spiritual calling, is best accepted voluntarily. I had a friend basically insult me because of my ULC membership. He said he trusts his Christian minister who is properly trained and properly ordained. I don't really talk to this friend any more. He's happy with his mega church, prosperity gospel, looking down on non-believers faith. As a Wiccan style minister, the best I can do is focus on learning more, putting energy into my faith, and helping other Wiccans who may choose to come to me for advice. What little I can offer. The greatest thing any of us can do as ministers is to walk our talk, and set an example with our actions.
  23. Discovering the true extent of your own selfishness. I spend a lot of time pointing out the wrongs of other people, but I've had a peak behind the veil tonight at how my life has been going and I am not happy with it at all. Consumed with my own problems, creates a spiral of selfish decisions and lashing out in anger and despair. It's hard to see what little I've done, when I have been given so much. I guess this is why people start again and change course.