ashes

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About ashes

  • Birthday 07/08/1976

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  • Marital Status
    Married
  • Location
    West Valley City, utah

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  • Interests
    Theology, first and formost. After which in varying degrees you have: History, metaphysics, the preternatural, the natural world, hunting, fishing, camping, beer and wine making, farming, dog training, reading, writing, graphic arts, more reading, meditation, teaching, martial arts, ranching, offroading, poetry, music, dancing, philosophy, couseling, tinkering, building, demolishing, debate, working out, working in, cooking, baking, grilling, herbalism, holistic healing, Magick, spellwork, ritual, prayer, survival, and so on and so on and so on.
  • Doctrine /Affiliation
    Pagan

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    Spiritual Advisor / Graphics Designer
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    http://

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    padre_ashes

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  1. Well for myself I generally speak to those getting married and ask what they want me to highlight. After that I most always have come up with the words on my own. I am almost never poetic in the sense that I speak in verse or anything. I tend to say what I feel needs to be said at a wedding. I might grab a few quotes from poems or plays, or perhaps snag an idea or two from a religious text, but I find that it is just easier to come up with things on my own. It gives the ceremony a touch of intamacy that most wedding that are gained from a book do not have. I posted a really short and dirty version of one of my weddings on the board a while ago. http://ulc.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=91823 That is just a short example of one of the ones I did recently. Hope it helps. ashes
  2. Hey all, here is a couple of books that you all might enjoy. Living Buddha, Living Christ - by. Thich Nhat Hanh Explores the similarities in the spiritualism of Buddhism and Christianity. Wonderful book. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - by. Richard Bach and Russell Munson Just plain good. A book about excceding yourself and expectations. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten - by. Robert Fulghum Funny and thoughtful letters. A really fun yet easy read. Generally enjoyed more by the older crowd. Pick up those if you are looking for something interesting to read. I enjoyed them greatly. ashes
  3. I Love your posts and I'm always blessed by your words. May all your works be blessed. Kat

  4. Hmmm.. Without being there it is hard for me to say what would be the way to handle it. I will give you some quick and dirty ways I have done in the past. Please ignore if paganish things scare/annoy you. There are many, many ways I have come across with dealing with spirits in the home. Most of the time when they are ignored they tend to go away, however, there are times that they do not. Here are a few ways to deal with "something in the house". 1: Cleansing This is VERY simple. Take a smudge stick (a small bundle of sage) and light it. Walk from room to room while waving it paying special attention to windows, and door ways. Start at the back of your house, leaving the front door open, and do this from room to room ending at last with the doorway. then close the door and it is done. 2: Barring entry Get some salt. Pour some in the entryways (doors and windows). 3: Burning the house down Ok, I am kidding about that one, but it is hard to haunt something that is not there. 4: Telling the spirit to leave. This is my opinion works the best. This is your home dammit, tell the spirit that, and mean it. The law of threashold is true to this day. Command the spirit out and it should be done. Barring that however, if it does not send me a message and I can tell you more and more complex ways to get rid of a spirit. I think though that most people tend to be scared of nothing when it comes to beings of the other side. If it is not hurting you do not worry about it. About the only thing my basement ghost does is turn on the T.V. now and again. Does not hurt me at all. Well other then the mild heart attack I got when the T.V. turned on out of no where while I was asleep on the couch after seeing the ring. ashes
  5. HEH! One does what one can. I have thought many times of writing a book on wedding ceremonies for all denominations just to see what is used. More then likely though no one would publish so I would have to do it, then self prmote it and I am just too damn lazy for that. Ashes
  6. Yeah, I also do a few ceremonies that have no referance to deity. Though most people who ask me want some refferance to deity when they ask me. The best ones, and easist are when atheists ask me to. ashes
  7. Hey all, I have decided, by popular demand, to post one of my wedding rituals on here, I hope everyone can enjoy, use, or modify however they please. In Utah whenever I run a wedding I tend to have a whole mixture of religions there and finding something that will please all involved has been trying but I have found that this is a very simple pagan wedding, without the whole ritual, that usually offends no one and makes the couple happy, so please feel free to use if you want. Though I do find that the couple tends to like it better if you cleanse the sacred space before everyone arrives. Of course I have many variations including other symbolisim, but this is the shortest one I use, though I will probably post others later on. Now onto the ceremony. <after bride has arrived> Joyously we come together in the presence of those we worship to join <name> and <name> in the bonds of marriage. Blessed are those who in the eyes of deity come together in love to share all that they are, and blessings we ask for them. Now please <name> and <name> face each other and take each others hands. <optinal> <name> and <name> have written words they wish to say to each other. <allow them to finish then continue> <to the male> <name> do you freely and without doubt take <female's name>, to build hearth and home, in joy and in trial, foreswearing all others? <after he agrees ask him to place the ring on her finger> <to the female> <name> do you freely and without doubt take <male name>, to build hearth and home, in joy and in trial, foreswearing all others? <after she agrees ask her to place the ring on his finger> <retrive a cup or wine or some such from the altar behind you> As you drink from this cup you do so pledge your love to one another, before family, friends and deity. From a single cup you drink to symbolize how you both become one in purpose and life. <allow them to drink> Before family, friends and deity you have pledged your love and life to each other and with the blessings of family, friends and deity we now welcome you into the world as man and wife. You may now kiss the bride. <end> As I said it is the short and dirty version of that ceremony. I hope that helps some out you out there and please let me know what you think. Both good and bad. I am always looking to improve. Ashes
  8. Ah the eternal ritual question, what to use where and why. Book 1 tells you one thing while book 2 tells you another and book 3 tells you that you must spend more money on better items or you offend the gods. The simple fact of the matter is this. All elements come into mind differently to everyone, as with what tools mean what. The best way to tell what is the best for a certain task to to think on it, meditate, or better yet ASK DEITY! Though if you need a simple list, I can give you one. Blade = Fire Wand = Air Cup = Water Cauldron = Earth At least that is the most common I have run into in all my studies. The sad thing about most rituals is that the ones who create them love to believe that just because it works for them that it is the best, or even worse, the ONLY way to do it. That is actually the reason I left the coven I founded years ago. Instead of working together to establish better understanding of the Gods and Magick most people spent the time playing politics and arguing about the "best" way to do a certain ritual. If you are really interested in ritual magick though the best place to start would be your local occult shop. See if there are any hermetics in your area, or followers of Crowley. If anyone does ritualized magicks it is them. Though Gnostics are another good one. Ever watch native americans dance, yet another ritual. Dianics are also pretty ritualized, but if you lack mestrual blood you may feel a bit left out of a few of the rituals. (Yes, that was a poke to all you dianics out there.) There are thousands of books out there but nothing give you a feel for it like being there. However, for the love of all that is holy, please stay away from anything by Llewellyn Publishing, with the exception of Scott Cunningham. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions, I love to help, when I can. Ashes
  9. Actually I have found Merciful Jehova as a good opener with JW's. Though Heavenly Father works well. My basic philosophy is though that you cannot please everyone, in a ceremony there are only two people you need to please, those getting married. If those attending do not understand that then it is their problem. I have offended MANY people in some of the ceremonies that I have done, the problem is not mine it is theirs. Ask the bride and groom what it is THEY want and follow that. Always remeber though nothing rounds out a wedding like a good brawl. (or maybe that is just the rule for us pagans, especially the asatru) Ashes
  10. Tell me when you have it d/led so I can remove from the server. I try to use the message service but I do not think my PM's are working. Stupid PM's. Ashes
  11. The B, Here is what I came up with really quick. If you feel like using please do, or you can request changes. Jpg and PSD are in www.graymanmedia.com/ulceast Tell me what you think. Ashes
  12. No problem at all. If you want anything else just give me a hollar. Or if anyone in the forum wants anything at all just give me a hollar. I do it in my free time so it may come fast or slow, just gives me something to do. Ashes
  13. Hey blackthorn, Nice site and good luck in your ministry. I spent last night doing some work for you if you want to use it, if not that is fine. Just tell me what you think. The dang forum would not let me post on your post in links so here you go. You can d/l the psd file and jpeg from my site, but let me know as soon as you have decided so I can take off my site. Here is the url. http://www.graymanmedia.com/enlightened%20souls/ Ashes I hope below is an attachment of what it looks like.