Pulling out Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as some sort of ultimate template for societal change is the tool of the ignorant? Nah.
There could have been no change nationwide for the dove's policy without the equal presence of the raptors. There were MULTIPLE activists during that time, and the fact that you focus only on him shows that you're only interested in listening to dead leaders who let themselves be bloodied, stabbed, and beaten without defending themselves. That means that that's what secretly gets you off, seeing more suffering of the oppressed being the crucible you require for access to humanity.
It ain't just Christians, either. Almost half a century of programming has taught you how to couch all those inconvenient psychological disguises for your bigotry. Grouping your hate by political affiliations, slurs, regions, and more is a tool. You've learned from your forebears and friends how to imply without losing the veneer of deniability when called out for baiting and sweeping prejudicial diatribes. It's all smokescreens.
Those screens mean nothing. The fires of your zealous ,and perverse, need to glorify the actions of the brutalizers of Dr. King as the underground narrative of your dreams is clear. When you pull out his images and quotes like some demonic talisman, clutching your pearls and giving guns to your footsoldiers with a wink, you fail to realize it only reveals the hypocrites and cowards of conscience you are. You don't give a teaspoon of a damm about humans in oppression who share his struggle. You just want to make sure you're not inconvenienced internationally to the point that the economy could be affected.
Why do I say this? Because it was the economy that was the keystone in centuries of propaganda to ensure a class division for a permanent enslaved, and later, underclass without a voice.
Get that man's ghost off your lips. Spirits attract other spirits. You ain't ready for the ones already being unleashed.
Clients come and go, but some of them stay with us. The ones that are the hardest are the ones that follow us home. Not literally a client accompanying us to our domiciles, no. I am referring to a case that just won't let us go on with our days without thinking back to it. Some part of it just seems to worry at us and we cannot let it go.
Self care and the ability to shut the book on the day is a big part of what it is to be a balanced person, and a successful magical vendor/worker. You come into contact with hundreds of people throughout the year. Taking home spiritual contamination, and the worries of the world, will not allow you to be healthy and whole and effective. You must draw the line, or be drawn down into an abyss of your own making. As we do in this series, let us look at a scenario that speaks to this point.
The less healthy way to process this case
Ajanay W. has come to you with a serious problem. She began a working over a month ago, under the advice of a friend with a book. She did not do a divination, so was completely surprised that her life has now imploded. Not only has she lost the objective she sought to keep, but she has suffered a huge personal set back. Your heart bleeds for her and you begin to work together on her options, and select some appropriate tools and plans.
In this particular case, she decided to go for a the job position of a
coworker. She felt she was better qualified for the position. Ajanay
W. did a petition spell and accompanied it with lamp magic.
Unfortunately for her, she did not word it correctly. She also did not
put in a way to undo what she had done. She has now lost her job, been
offered a job for half the pay at another company, and is seen as a
troublemaker at her old one.
Ajanay W. has
come to you to try to fix her situation. Not only did she not follow
her friend's advice, you strongly suspect that she will not follow
yours. You try to make sure you explain clearly what she needs to
correct and wish her well.
For the next week, you find yourself thinking about Ajanay W.. You wonder if she is using the tools she purchased correctly. You ask yourself if you could have added anything. You replay your conversations in your mind and second guess yourself. Even after knowing you were correct in what you did, you still keep worrying about her and her progress. You even think of her at home. You cannot let it go, and decide to just let it work its way out of your thoughts naturally.
A way that may be a better for your well being
Ajanay W. has come to you with a serious problem. She began a working
over a month ago, under the advice of a friend with a book. She did not
do a divination, so was completely surprised that her life has now
imploded. Not only has she lost the objective she sought to keep, but
she has suffered a huge personal set back. Your heart bleeds for her
and you begin to work together on her options, and select some
appropriate tools and plans.
That night, you find yourself thinking a lot about Ajanay W. You find yourself bothered by recurring thoughts of her welfare. You recognize this is not the way you can maintain your separation from your business life. You decide to create an affirmation that you repeat several times that ends the day for you.
Example: And now it comes, the end of the day. The cares of work are put away.
Short and sweet, but it is still effective. Yours may be a lot longer. For people who do ongoing work for clients, it will have to be customized to suit your situation. But the idea is the same.
You cannot pour energy from an empty cup, and in order to not leak, you must hold yours upright. This means not letting others concerns tip you off balance. Work time is work time. Let the laborer rest when the work day is complete.
Today we will examine one of the encounters where the client is doing work a family, or friendship, in a crisis situation. Special handling comes into the fray when doing this work. Especially challenging are the times when betrayal has occurred and the client is conflicted about what they really want to happen.
As a professional, you have probably encountered the very real situation of a client breaking down into a sobbing wreck in front of your counter. The grief and misery so pervasive in their aura spread through the atmosphere like oil atop water. Being the stone in storm at this moment will give your client a clear sounding board that will allow them to make focused decisions in their purchases and intentions.
Tears clouding the vision
Pasha A. comes to your shop looking for a way to get over a betrayal of her wife and her best friend. They caught completely by surprise that morning with a earth shattering set of announcements. Firstly, that they are in love. Secondly, that her wife, Florise A., is divorcing her. Finally, she was then informed that since the house is in Florise A.'s name, she must be moved out within 48 hours. If she does not comply, they will destroy all of her property and set the ruins outside while she is at work.
Pasha A. is in emotional trauma mode. She still loves her wife, and is confused by the turbulent emotions she has toward her former friend. She wants to make it all go away. Anger, hurt, and panic are all swirling in her life right now. She has come here for some emergency magickal measures.
You look at Pasha A. and tell her that if she buys a reconciliation kit that all will be well. There is nothing else you could recommend. You also remind her to hurry up and make her purchase, since she has to start packing. Transaction completed, you go back to your day as she walks slowly out of your shop. After all, not your problem, right?
Facing the storm with empathy for the client
Pasha A. comes to your shop looking for a way to get over a
betrayal of her wife and her best friend. They caught completely by
surprise that morning with a earth shattering set of announcements.
Firstly, that they are in love. Secondly, that her wife, Florise A., is divorcing her. Finally, she was then informed that since the house is in Florise A.'s
name, she must be moved out within 48 hours. If she does not comply,
they will destroy all of her property and set the ruins outside while
she is at work.
Pasha A. is in emotional trauma
mode. She still loves her wife, and is confused by the turbulent
emotions she has toward her former friend. She wants to make it all go
away. Anger, hurt, and panic are all swirling in her life right now.
She has come here for some emergency magickal measures.
Pasha A. is in a compromised mental and emotional state, thus is not thinking clearly. What you sell her now may line your till, but ethics here should come into play before you just foist any thing at hand on her without thinking.
ENGAGE THE CLIENT WITH PROFESSIONALISM TEMPERED WITH EMPATHY
You take both of her hands into yours and flood her with calming energy. You need her to be able to focus on the here and now. Magick is not instantaneous when it comes to major workings, and you explain this to her. It can help, but like anything else, it can only do what it can do with time. Something that she has very little to spare.
You begin to ask her questions regarding her situation. Is she safe right now? Has she contacted the police regarding her rights as a spouse? You advise her to do this after when she leaves, because the sphere of opportunity is a major part of magick. If she wants the spiritual to work, she has to do the mundane work as well.
You make a mojo hand for her containing High John, and other items, for her to carry during this situation to remove anything standing against her. You also sell her some Low John to influence the police, courts, and everyone else that will be called into this matter. A bag of magnetic sand is added to the order as well as a single dram of rose geranium oil.
Petition work is advised by you, and you also give Pasha A. some emergency numbers on a small card to call. Having these resources on hand is a good practice.
In regard to the two women causing affliction for Pasha A., choices must be made. They may not be made in this moment, or they might be. How to handle them will come up in this scenario.
Depending on the morality of the client and the worker, you have some options. She may decide to banish them from her life. She may bind the other woman and try to reconcile the marriage. She may decide to punish one or both of them with enemy work. Or she may just leave it in her deity's hands. But if it is a magickal working, you must decide if you can accommodate her desired request for resources in accord with your own practices and mores.
Pasha A. decides that dealing with her present situation is more pressing and decides to put off dealing with their punishments later. And yes, she has decided to punish them, at least for now she has. She leaves your shop with her purchases, instructions, phone numbers, and some breathing room. And you have just correctly assisted your client with excellent customer service.
Detroit is full of hearty people. Yes, I said hearty, because we have a lot of heart. Although many in the fundraiser entitled Mutual Aid for The People-Detroit Food Not Bombs/Not Class Collective fly under your radar, they are doing the absolute loving most to help. Many Witches and Pagans not only benefit from their good works.There are some of us deeply involved in charity works as part of our Paths, so this resonates. Right now, they need a little help.
Public Facebook Photo Detroit Food Not Bombs and Food Not Class Collective
What do they need help to accomplish? They help the poor, the needy, the in transition, and the jeopardized folks in Metro Detroit with food, hygiene, and more. Let’s hear it from them.
We are a collective who provides mutual aid for the homeless and working poor. We feed folx biweekly at the 2 main transit centers in the city, averaging 80-200 people per serve. They also receive clothing, toiletries, hygiene products, boots, winter gear, medical equipment, whatever we get we give for free. We will begin doing geurilla food drops in the neighborhoods, have work shops on self sustainability off the grid education, street medic trainings, and other free school topics. We will offer free wellness checks, free rides, free protection support when needed. However, we are limited for a few reasons.
Public Facebook Photo shot for fundraiser by Daria Mann
Right now, the Midwestern Mitten is enduring crippling cold temperatures. Rescue missions are filled to capacity, and cities have even opened more temporary warming centers. But a single night in the warmth does not solve the issue. People need a hand up to help them survive long enough to rebound. A warm heart can heat more than just the body.
Pagans in Michigan are usually at the forefront of contributing goods, labor, and money for outreach. From helping with the Street Store, to contributing to public gardens, it is just how we are made. Well, it is my belief that there are a lot more giving hearts out here in these streets.
One day, when people do research outside of Google, they might learn that Section 8 was not designed to undermine the Black family. That's an old and tired lame excuse for other factors that were imposed that did lead to the removal of the Black men from our society.
Section 8 was where people went after they were gone, caught up by the systems put in place and skewed place to add them to the prison industry complex. Maybe people need to stop repeating what they heard others say and read for themselves.
Nothing in the Great Society programs was designed for this end. The twisting the application and guidelines by oppressive agenda pushers led to the twisted results we see now.
Stop letting popular media, and revisionist history pieces, raise your children and feed your mind. The mythos of Black on Black crime bring a "thing" separate from crime was a single book that was patched into by perverse racist elements been in pushing a bigoted narrative. There is only crime.
The introduction of drugs into the communities in order to undermine political advocacy, enfranchisement, and societal agency was the big picture goal. The power lies in the ability to make, enforce, and elect leadership that sustains and reform laws. Without communities being to focus on generating those who can do this, due to the drug crisis, we saw the destruction of the progress made by the Black Freedom Movement (aka the Civil Rights Movement).
Make no mistake, this policy of death by little bites effective. Then add to this the actual dumbing down of content in not only the schools, and entertainment, but the also the devaluing of the tradesperson. Erasure of images of common folks living noncaricatured existences only increased as we worshipped the and electronic screen success stories.
Somewhere along the line, the goal became that everyone went to college..... But forgot that college not only is for getting a job, but for the ability to learn to think and reason. It's a party, but not the only path. There people who look down on trade school graduates are often the same ones who pat themselves in the back for getting MBAs or Computer skills, ignoring that there are also trade educations. And the division that marked Booker T. and W.E.B. continues, the irony lost that it still hasn't been resolved despite all this posturing.
Current pundent writers the Diaspora take shits at the old guard leadership without acknowledging that there is no one other than entertainers and athletes who command enough space to take their places IN GENERAL. Or they worship any leader but with a slick website, the right PC buzzwords, and enough material to fill infomercial. These cults of Personality and anti Personality are not only counterproductive, but dangerous to the fights ahead of us to preserve the actual focus on the preservation of our rights as humanity in the Western World.
I SAY ALL THIS BECAUSE FOLKS ARE MISSING THE POINT.
Stop focusing only on the losses, success comes from studying successes with the same gravity. Learn the differences between strategy and tactics. Create your own support networks and stop viewing every person of another race as your automatic enemy. There are enough real ones that it is foolish to create them from our own arrogant, and probably narrowly, informed opinions.
Working with others is how things get done, but before that can happen you have to know what you are working to achieve. The hold on Black Freedom Movement initiatives, that some of our allies have intoxicated us with in the name of false claims of intersectionality, has not helped. To be intersectional, you need to identify your sections. That means that when it's time to talk about race, we do. When it's time to talk about issues within that issue that affect certain groups, we do, but never at the expense of silencing the overall points of bettering conditions for humanity and out right to be recognized as human.
You can't do that without the ability to think, and minds need food. Read. Read and write your own thoughts out on paper or on a tablet, not in a tweet style bite. Learn to hold a thought more than for five minutes past exiting a tab.
Do not be a parrot. Think about how things may come this point from different points of view, even your enemy's.
Do not be a wage slave. Sell your labor by the hour, not become an employee in fealty to another person's dream. Remember that you have your own dreams and are the dream of your ancestors. Don't become a nightmare.
Conduct yourself with honor. Take self responsibility for your actions and ideas. Know when you are facing systemic oppression, or when you're facing the result of your own choices. There is a difference.
It starts with simple things. The brush of a breeze across the skin that reminds you of simpler times. The sound of a child's laugh when it sounds in a corridor. Even the smell of lipstick from an older company catching your notice.
All these are simple moments of unimportance. Each is contained in its own world of insignificance in our day. But for some of us, those of us in grief, they are like tinkling bells calling us to remember.
The strike of tonal memories and scent awareness. They resonate through us. The evocation of captured vignettes that are echoed in the current timeline of others.
I lost my grandmother on April 29, 2017. But in actuality, I lost her again that year. The second time was worse than the first.
The first time I lost her was when I was cut off as an unofficially adopted child. The cognitive dissonance, and continuous emotional damage of being caught between houses and factions in my younger years led to a custody struggle of three sides. My biological parent, my foster parents, and my grandmother.
In the war, my grandmother lost. She kept tabs on me, I believe. Communication between my foster mom and my grandmother was somewhat regular. I will never know.
Years passed and eventually through tragedy, displacement, and the total upheaval of my world, I found myself back in her presence again. I say with certainty of the soul, she was the only one in the entire world of heaven or earth that truly understood me, other than my foster father.
If I could have made a bridge between them both and sat upon it, I would have done so. A place to be seen, a place to be held, a place that we could have lived in a mutual set of worlds. But that was not to be.
She passed last year, exactly one week after my birthday at the age of 100 years. That is a lot those eyes have seen, yet the thing I remember most about them was their acceptance, kindness, and the understanding that I have never seen anywhere else in this life for me. She was my rock, my refuge, and my only advocate in life.
I have no true sense of belonging anywhere. I never have had one except in her presence. That is the only memory I have that means family to me. The moments like the ones where my foster father and grandmother were in the same room while I played with a toy house my biological mom bought me.
My foster mom was at home, or work, or somewhere else. I don't remember. But that memory is the most solid. My biological father was in jail, as always.
The second most real memory was when I was in her bed, 10 years ago. I was tired, broken, and sad. So, she let me sleep in her bed. I slept for the first time in a very long while without being sad. The room full of dolls who were like silent guardians.
Of course, she made sure to let me know I was fat. She was worried. But she also meant no harm by it, and never hurt me when she said it.
Her favorite phrase was, "I would rather make you mad than hurt your feelings".
She never made me mad. She was my grandmother. And from those days, til her last days, she always had my back.
Now, the first year since she has gone is almost done. The truth remains as full then as now. She was the only one who truly meant family to me, even more than my foster father.
So here I find myself alone. At least when she was here, I felt that there was a bit of grace and love that still tied me to something in this world that loved me wholly, not just for what I could do. Everyone needs a grandmother.
Everyone needs a grandmother.
I dedicate this to her, because though our faith was not the same, she would have liked this.
Metro Detroit Pagan Community Statement of Concern
2018
METRO DETROIT, APRIL 12, 2018 — Actions and circumstances have
necessitated, in the view of this body, an official statement regarding
our position on several matters. Over the last year, the rise of “witch
hunts”, “witch wars”, and what appears on its face to be a power
imbalance are of concern to us.
Multiple organizations in the region are in internal and external
crisis. Leadership positions are no longer based on community visions.
The previous culture of service, vision, and upliftment is now one
infected with backroom negotiations and breaches of promise. Rumors and
hearsay are used to destroy character, without chance for rebuttal, in
the public eye. The torches are lit and we see missteps, mistakes, and
ignorant actions no longer being times for education, but times for
total annihilation by social media attackers and mercenary courtiers.
Michigan moved from presumption of innocence, and subsequent actions
against those who commit physical harm. Now the community punishes, with
great zeal and relish, any perceived infraction no matter the relevance
to the person’s position. Personal slights are magnified into full on
reputation assassinations. The drive to foment conflict and cause
factioning is in full swing, and we fear it has not yet reached its
amplitude.
Of primary concern are the following:
The hyperbolic reactions and consolidation of personal and
organizational harassment against persons during a crisis without a
community sit down meeting.
The penchant for the total destruction of leadership without thought to restorative measures considered to the community.
The removal of persons from positions of leadership based on non-public and personal relationships and affairs.
The insidious climate of a McCarthy type marginalization of people
based on differing ideas, tenets of spiritual practice, and political
views.
The fostering of conflict in what seems to be a premeditated path to an underground purge of said persons.
We urge our peers to step back a moment and consider their actions
very carefully. How you proceed in the next year will set the stage for
an incoming generation. Now is the time for open and honest public
conversation and transparent airings of accusations and grievances.
For at least three in our community, they are hamstrung by this
shift. Their character and actions were cast aside to rot, good works be
damned. That is the risk of public service, though. However, usually
the public is not swayed by private agendas so easily. How many stakes
will be needed to feed your witch hunt fires? If this continues, when
will you take your place in one next?
“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.” – Grantland Rice
The G.L.W.C. of Michigan was founded in 2012 to To Facilitate
Workshops, Events, Classes, Community Outreach, and a Forum for the
Magickal and Magickally Interested Communities.
Media Contact:
Kenya Coviak
rzrrvn@yahoo.com
G.L.W.C. of Michigan/Great Lakes Witchs Council
We return to our series for the Pagan practitioner with another PBN Blues Series installment. Did you miss us? We missed you.
*We would also like to remind you, Flint, Michigan still does not have clean water.
There are time when the only way to break a streak of bad luck is to
shake it off and seek new places and faces. Changing the mind can change
the world. But if roots are being done on you locally, booking a flight
or hitting the road, may be the answer, if viable. In these
circumstances, clients are known to come for insight and work to prepare
their route and “traveling mercies”. As a business person, you want to
retain clients, but you also want to be of service to them as well. How
you handle referrals is delicate and important. Traveling on, but not without baggage Curtis L. comes to you with his “I just
quit another job” shirt on his back, pressed and fresh. A customer from
your early days of business, he has stuck with you for 20 years.
Traveling where the work will take him, he drifts from town, and state
to state. His flashy watch matches the shine in his eyes, and you
anticipate new employment status, and newer lady friends, in some place
at the other end of a tank of gas. You mentally prepare to gather his
usual assortment of spell components. Curtis L. surprises you this time, though.
He tells you that this is probably the last time you will see him for
some years. It seems that he has a job up in Michigan, and a plethora
of opportunities. He is asking you not for his usual small kit, but
simply a travel protection root bag and the name of a good shop or
worker in Detroit.
Now, Curtis L.has been as dependable as
the rains in fall, and the earth underfoot. His regular business has
often meant the difference between being able to be in the black at the
end of a month, and counting a loss. His word of mouth also keeps a
steady stream of wealthy ladies finding your shop and lining your cash
register drawer. Even his church friends come for blessed Seals of Moses you get from Sleeping Gryphon. Yes, indeed, Curtis L. is a valued customer.
For this reason, you decide to sabotage his move. In your opinion,
the relationship is too beneficial to both of you. You decide to fill
the order, but nullify it with your own work. You then set lights for
his job to fall through before he has been there a week. You will break
this man for both of your sakes. In your view, no other worker can look
after him like you, anyway.
You smile, and lie through your Fashion Fair coral lipstick and tell
him you know not one authentic practitioner, sorry. You wish him well
and watch him walk through your door, knowing he will return a broken
man. But you also know you will then keep Curtis L.
just healed enough to ensure your prosperity for many years to come.
With this decision, you now have changed the course of your practice,
but you are fine with that.
Fond Farewell, with some stories to tell Curtis L. comes to you with his “I just
quit another job” shirt on his back, pressed and fresh. A customer from
your early days of business, he has stuck with you for 20 years.
Traveling where the work will take him, he drifts from town, and state
to state. His flashy watch matches the shine in his eyes, and you
anticipate new employment status, and newer lady friends, in some place
at the other end of a tank of gas. You mentally prepare to gather his
usual assortment of spell components. Curtis L. surprises you this time, though.
He tells you that this is probably the last time you will see him for
some years. It seems that he has a job up in Michigan, and a plethora
of opportunities. He is asking you not for his usual small kit, but
simply a travel protection root bag and the name of a good shop or
worker in Detroit.
Now, Curtis L.has been as dependable as
the rains in fall, and the earth underfoot. His regular business has
often meant the difference between being able to be in the black at the
end of a month, and counting a loss. His word of mouth also keeps a
steady stream of wealthy ladies finding your shop and lining your cash
register drawer. Even his church friends come for blessed Seals of Moses you order from Sleeping Gryphon. Yes, indeed, Curtis L. is a valued customer.
You will feel the loss of Curtis L. both
emotionally and financially. His custom and referrals contributed to the
success and popularity of your business. He sees you as a trusted
fictive family member, and you are honored to be held in such esteem.
You hold his trust sacred, and it is with this in mind, you prepare with
care his last package.
You are a member of the Pagan Business Network,
so you know the way to find the people he needs to know and how to
place him in touch with them. You also know that a quick free divination
will aid him to avoid any unforeseen trouble with the new employer. You
give him this free of charge.
With a final goodbye, you send an email to the businesses you
recommended, with his permission, with an introduction. He will never
forget you, and will no doubt continue to sing your praises. Word of
mouth on social media makes his continued referrals very probable for
local clients. Curtis L. sends you a chat message three
months later. He is doing very well. That last parting gift of Boss Fix
was just what he needed to foil a coworker’s plot to undermine him. His
new local worker has a great relationship with him, and you and she
often refer clients to each other for online customers. His reviews on
both your sites is like honey to bees. Your choice to give a hand up
instead of a pulling back, lifted you both.
Looking at Life
Your honor and business reputation are your most bankable asset.
Without them, you have nothing. There is no lesson greater than this.
Rescue of her family from second floor used with permission
Sometimes the bough breaks. Sometimes the Broom of the Fate is brutal, and its straws are made of pain and destruction. They destroy all we had and leave us with little else than the accounts of love and esteem that we have contributed to with our goodness and kindness and honor. It is in these darkest of times that our way is lit out of them by the glow from the stepping stones our friends lay upon our path. Such a time is here for Fae Laume.
You know her. We know her. She is us. We see her at ConVocation. We see her on social media. We know her laugh. We light up with her smile. Her steps in the community leave happiness in their wake.
But not today.
Fae lost everything. She lost her momentos. She lost her cherished memory holders. She lost her belongings. She lost her sense of safety. She lost her household goods. She lost her intact home. She lost her secret joys that all of us have, things kept in drawers, photo albums. She lost her books, her Book of Shadows, her besom, and her supplies. She lost her floors and walls.
Public Image, "Issues and Events in Midland Michigan"- Facebook Public Post
Eleven, a number of illumination. Eleven, the number that is just so much more than the end of a sequence in our base ten world. Eleven, the number of feet of water that swept away and destroyed the physical world and home of a remarkable woman.
Fae is us. Fae is any one of us. She is living that nightmare we hush in whispered fear, in the backs of our thoughts, that we could be the next news story.
Fae lost it all. But she did not lose us. Now, what are we all going to do about it?
To help, send donations to https://www.paypal.me/laumephotography or to specifically help with reconstruction so the family can use the downstairs of their home again... email is faelaume@live.com for home depot or lowes Egift cards
On Monday, I experienced something that seems trivial to others, but was a profoundly moving experience to me.
A woman requested free tickets to the festival I am running. She asked
because I have posted on the event there is a limited amount of free
ones available to the community for hardship. Well, she asked, so she
got. Closed mouths don't get fed, you know?
I dropped them off at
her home, and she introduce me to her son and her infant daughter. The
boy is 13, and wants to study Reiki. He was also interested in learning
to lay hands. Well, that is at the event, so cool. The mother was doing
Psalm work, and practicing herbal crafts.
Her eyes were so large
and her spirit so happy when she found out she was not alone. She had no
idea there is a community of magical folks and was so happy that the
event was in a place that is just off the beaten track enough that she
can maintain her privacy from her neighbors.
Meanwhile, the whole way home, my eyes were filled with tears. I mean, lay my face in my hands, tears.
Why?
Because it filled my heart so deep and hard with how much I miss seeing
my people, seeing other brown faces, breathing the same air as I do as
we speak of things that make the impossible happen.
It struck me
like a bell. I have never been to an event in Detroit like this event
will be. I thought I made this event for several reasons, but maybe it
was really about reunion. A Black magical family reunion.
The
city is so spread out now. The only spaces and faces that gather
together that I travel are filled with good and honorable people. But
there are so few that are like mine, that when I see them, it is like
filling a cup and drinking deeply when you didn't even know you were
thirsty.
I find that my heart hurt so much, but was so glad, at
the same time. Because I know the legacies of why we are so segregated
here, I am not surprised it is this way. But it doesn't mean that an
arbitrary mile road stops the flow of our magical folks on both sides of
the 8 Mile border.
For those who are not from here, yes, 8 Mile
is really a thing. It is the Michigan Mason Dixon line. We have others,
as well. Going downriver has its own divisions.
But that simple
moment, that act of connection, when my brown eyes met her brown eyes,
all the memories came into my breath. As I shared what became, for me, a
sacred moment in time, I was overwhelmed.
She did not know that
as we talked and I smiled, that my chest was filling up with emotion.
She did not know that I had been so happy to see a Detroit address. She
had no way of knowing that with every block, my childhood of sitting
cross legged on the porch and listening to my friend's Mother's blues
records came back to me.
I had memories of hair being oiled, and
the smell of Ultra Sheen and Pink Oil on Creole hands and African
hands. I remembered looking through glass cases, filled with Anna Riva
books and brown paper bags stained with conjure oils. I heard the voice
of my mother in her kitchen, and felt the hands of my father as he put a
new set of lodestones in my palm.
As I sat in my car, I turned
on the Curtis Mayfield "Diamond in the Back" as I turned South from 8
Mile rd, that I felt like I was riding on a cloud. I played that song 7
times on the way there. On the way home, Al Green led my way back up,
up, up to a home in a city where I would have taken my life in my hands
if I had been caught there after dark in my childhood.
I no
longer believe that this festival was just my idea from my own mind. I
am not divine messenger or anything. I walk the path of the Sacred Fool,
and make more mistakes than I can remember. But maybe, just maybe, in
this moment, I found the reason why this had to happen. Maybe this will
be the beginning of a bridge.
Or maybe, it will be just a good day in a park.
But in any case, this I believe. Magic is a thing, and cannot be
contained by borders, cities, races, or nations. It lives and breathes
and travels and is passed on as it wills.
And on this day, I felt it pass onward, to share with a younger set of brown eyes....like mine.
As the broken bodies of children are recovered in a savage bomb attacks in Manchester and Bangkok, a car bomb in Syria, across the ocean the Maute Group waged a full out assault on the city of Marawi in the Philippines. Flames and gunfire occupied the streets as homes, businesses, and schools suffered arson and destruction by the group. After releasing prisoners en masse, attackers set ablaze the jails. Their havoc included burning down
MANCHESTER WAS BOMBED YESTERDAY. NOW MARAWI, PHILIPPINES UNDER ATTACKED BY ARMED MEN WITH ISIS FLAGS. BURNED DOWN A CHURCH. #PrayForMarawipic.twitter.com/Y2MUpKw9Rx
The black flag of the group rose above the city early this morning. Pledging allegiance to Daesh (ISIL), they seek to create a stronghold. Horrified residents reached out on social media with real time distress and messages. President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in effect on the island of Mindanao.
THEY ARE CURRENTLY BURNING DOWN SCHOOLS AND BUILDINGS. where tf is the philippines. why isnt news talking abt this rn?? #PrayForMarawipic.twitter.com/tgGkmXzN7s
The President returns from his trip to Russia, originally slated to end on May 25. He was to meet with President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. This trip was to usher in a new level of working together for trade and other enterprises for the two nations. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, revealed his change in plans in wake of the fighting in Mindanao.
Cayetano, who was recently appointed as chief of the Department of
Foreign Affairs, said that Russian government officials understood the
situation and the need for Duterte to fly back to Manila as soon as
possible to oversee government operations against fighters of the Maute
Group, a local terrorist organization allying itself with the so-called
IS. - PhilStar
Constant unrest moved President Duterte to warn of Martial Law in the past. Increasingly bold attacks culminated in this offensive on Tuesday. The order now is in effect across the entire island.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella issued the statement on his behalf as follows:
In order to suppress lawless violence and rebellion and for public
safety, it is necessary to declare Martial Law in the entire island of
Mindanao, including Sulu, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi for a period of 60 days.
The government is in full control of the situation and is fully aware
that the Maute/Isis and similar groups have the capability, though
limited, to disturb the peace; these have shown no hesitation in causing
havoc, taking innocent lives and destroying property. - Republic of the Philippines, Presidential Communications Operations Office, Malacanang, Manila
U.S. Citizen Emergencies During Office Hours
+63 (02) 301-2246
U.S. Citizen Emergencies After Hours
+63 (02) 301-2000
acsinfomanila@state.gov
Military forces face this action within the same month as their completion of Balikatan 2017. This year's special emphasis training on counter terrorism and humanitarian response is expected to be implemented in this situation. This year saw the U.S. infuse $400, 000 USD into "emergency readiness equipment and aid" to the nation. This annual training hones the skills of both nation's forces.
By Cpl. Anthony Ward Jr - https://www.dvidshub.net/image/392424, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39244485
The Republic of Philippines is also currently in negotiation with the Ukraine regarding weapons systems, military controls, and increased cooperation in technology. This same month, the government announced it would no longer be relying on the European Union for these concerns. This week saw meetings going forward toward new policy
The potential for the military and technical cooperation between Kyiv
and Manila has been discussed during the talks with Secretary for
National Defense of the Philippines Delfin Lorenzana during a working
visit of First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense
Council of Ukraine Oleh Hladkovsky to the Philippines, as well as
meetings with the country’s top military leadership, the press service
of state-run foreign trade enterprise SpetsTechnoExport reported. - KyivPost
It is unknown if the recent tack in course that sees closer ties to the enemies of terrorists in the vein of Daesh (ISIL) was, in any way, a catalyst toward the increase in violent actions. The increased pressure on these radical terrorist groups has seen violence before now. The next 60 days will set the stage for what comes next, as the expiry of the Martial Law order is set to expire or be renewed.
It is happening. Humans beings beaten, tortured, detained in camps
and prisons, and murdered by strangers and families in the Republic of
Chechnya. Here is a quick break down of what is going on in the Chechen
world regarding the systematic campaign to exterminate and entire
portion of the human population. The facts are grim.
The seeds of this reign of terror started to bloom in the early days of this March, when an application submitted by the group Caucasus, members of the GayRussia.ru project.
The request was denied. However, this gave the authorities the impetus
to begin their move toward the eradication of an entire segment of
people.
In all, a total of four marches in North Caucasus Federal District.
This notice of intent struck the chord. Though it is doubtful that the
projected 300 marchers was an accurate reflection of the actual amount
of attendees that would risk such a public demonstration, the
government’s response seemed based upon a literal acceptance of the
veracity and accuracy of this number.
Government.ru
In a letter on Russian social media platform VKontakte , the horror that was unleashed under a wave referred to as “honor killings” makes it plain.
MESSAGE FROM VKONTAKTE
(Original spelling and punctuation) ” Salam alaykum all! I never thought that I would write again here but now, when the
topic of one chain and substituting one is being tortured as long as it
does not pass, and still others it may concern, and I think it would be
right if I warn. There often appear posts about the bases ( refers to provocations to identify people of homosexual orientation -. Approx. EM )
and I some time ago trying to find these victims of the bases. When you
do not find one, I thought it’s not true. Now I understand why I could
not find one, which was framed in Chechnya. Unfortunately, many killed. Killed not just young children and even grown men who are over 50 years old. Among them are well-known personality in Chechnya. At various events, television releases, participated in the
contest. I do not want to call them names. Most mladschemu 16 years. He
was our village. Just the other day he was brought all beaten, just a
bag of bones. They were thrown into the courtyard and said that he was
killed. He still say he came to himself and hardly come. I do not know
how they explain why they do so, they will be asked to present proof
that our son or brother is. In Chechnya, because strictly defame anyone whatsoever without
tangible evidence. It is possible and to remain without pants.
Especially to lay hands on the guy, and accuse him of homosexuality is
generally a disgrace for many centuries. I do not know how they explain
it but it’s crap happens. Source middle, military cousin of mine who
just this morning told me about it. I was wrong when I said here and
wrote that of the bases there. They never have and how they are now free
hand. Be very careful and remove its dubious connection. Importantly, do not remove the daily rent is probably all
realtors are forced to put the camera in the apartments and in this way
they get the dirt on the victims. And realtors with Chechnya will do
anything just to avoid losing their business and who would dare to
object to our military. Be very careful please. This is my last post
here. ” –
https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2017/04/01/71983-ubiystvo-chesti
The republic is semi-autonomous, and has its own laws. In theory, the
sanctioning of murder of persons completed an anal sex act is
officially suspended, though codified by law in article 148 of the
Chechen penal code. The penalties include caning in the first two
instances, then execution upon the third. This same article has a
history of being used to punish practitioners of alternative faiths.
In practice, it continues to rise. The current head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov,
maintains a very supportive stance of honor killings and the view that
persons of genders other than heterosexual males being rightfully
subjected to the practice. The following actions occurred at the
beginning of the following month.
On and before April the 1st, men were rounded up, it was
coined a ‘prophylactic sweep’ in Chechnya. At first, the region’s
officials denied that any such roundup and detention was “lies and
misinformation”. A spokesman for the leader of Chechnya, said to the
Interfax news agency –
Rachel Denber,Deputy Director, Europe and Central Asia Division, American Magazine
On April 3, mass rally expressed outrage at the reporting done by news agency Novaya Gazeta’
on the current situation. Kadyrov made clear his hostile stance toward
media coverage of the current human rights situation in his country,
even going far enough to declare them “enemies of our faith and of our
motherland.”
Retribution was promised, with stress being on the lack of limitation
for the time period that might be necessary to exact such reprisals.
The news outlet lost two reporters to murder in the past years, and Investigative Journalist Elena Milashina is in hiding following death threats for covering this story. http://google-maps.pro/satellite/Argun.Chechnya.Russia#43.293028,45.891570,17
“Any homosexual Chechen can tell the story with the bases – if it happened not with him, then with his friends. One of the acquaintances of the interlocutor of the RS, Grozny businessman, sold the car to pay for the silence…” –Sergey Khazov-Kassia, Chechnya: The Gay Outcome, Radio Liberty, http://www.svoboda.org/a/28417768.html
The 10th of April saw the international media begin to use the term
“concentration camps” for the alleged detention centers in which
detained gay men were housed. Stories of torture, and killings in wooded
areas, or by families emerged. The world turned its eyes toward the
very real consequence of living as a gay person in the nation, and its
fatal implications.
“If such people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement
would not have to worry about them since their own relatives would have
sent them to where they could never return.” – Ramzan Kadyrov
In the United Kingdom, there came the declaration that a protest
would take place near to the Russian Embassy in London. This took place
on the 11th. Protests would continue to proliferate throughout the
world. Outcry from human rights organizations and activists were high. https://www.facebook.com/events/876760675796386/
A separate rally followed on April 22. Named “UK Rallies Against Homophobia in Chechnya” https://www.facebook.com/events/675146246011541/ , it sought to “get this extremely under-reported story in the news. They are peaceful demonstrations“.
Amnesty International puts the number of suspected missing and
detained at approximately 100, numbers confirmed by Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/04/04/anti-lgbt-violence-chechnya . Amnesty International created an urgent action petition,
Chechnya: Stop Abducting and Killing Gay Men
against these acts. This is the English Version for download.
International pressure is rising for Russia to act. The continued
lack of movement on the situation is a cause of moral outrage. The
United Nations called for action in April.
It is crucial that reports of abductions, unlawful
detentions, torture, beatings and killings of men perceived to be gay or
bisexual are investigated thoroughly – VOA News http://www.voanews.com/a/russia-urged-end-torture-killing-gays-chechnya/3809377.html
In Sochi, Russian president Vladimir Putin met with German chancellor
Angela Merkel. She expressed her concerns regarding the human rights
crisis in Chechnya, and the climate in Russia, for humans who are gay or
minorities. Her alarm over the human rights violations being reported
motivated her to speak out against the actions of the regime. She asked
the Mr. Putin to use his status to ensure greater protections for the
rights of the people of Chechnya, particularly those being affected by
the current actions of the government there.
“I asked President Putin to use his influence to protect these minority rights,” – Chancellor Merkel
A body that comes in with grass root material action in this situation is the Rainbow Railroadhttps://www.rainbowrailroad.ca/.
They are assisting the situation by aiding those fleeing persecution
and by extension seeking to save lives. They are working to facilitate
the escape of persons at risk for torture, death, and worse. Currently,
they count two completed “navigations” to safety, and have 30 more in
process.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named them as one of the
organizations the Canadian government with whom work is being done in
the effort to protect humans who are lgbtq. Their efforts help to gain
asylum. They are literally a life-line pipe-line.
Here in the United States, a group known as American Friends of Rainbow Railroad Inc set up a fundraiser to assist their efforts. The Facebook based campaign page is Helping Gay Men Flee Chechnya. The
donations are to be aimed toward assisting the Rainbow Railroad with
airfare, legal services, and temporary housing while the men are
awaiting the granting of asylum in Canada.
As Pagans we often ask how we can make a difference on a local and
world scale. The suffering of a single person is the suffering of
humanity. By spreading the news of this atrocity, we can become a
catalysts for action. Pagan activists are called to rally around this
crisis. Whether a vigil, a prayer, a petition, a donation, or protest,
all things are possible. All things are needful. All things make a
difference.
DISCLAIMER: ALWAYS USE CAUTION WHEN IDENTIFYING PLANTS. USE YOUR
FIELD GUIDES AND LEARN YOUR LATIN NAMES. WHEN IN DOUBT, FIND AN EXPERT.
NO ARTICLE IN THIS SERIES IS INTENDED TO GIVE MEDICAL OR ANY OTHER
ADVICE IN THE HEALING ARTS OTHER THAN THAT OF A LAY PERSON.
This article will talk about that beautiful and fleeting bloom that
graces the garden in clusters of heavenly hues known as the common lilac
or syringia (Syringa vulgaris). This flower means a lot to me, as it is
one of my quintessential flowers for mourning. Indeed, I lost my
Grandmother this last week as the sea of its colors are flooding the
Michigan landscape. She was 100 years old, so I shall take a special
moment to write on this flower in memory of her. We shall all wear
purple in her memory, as she was our queen.
The lilac is identifiable by its cluster of blossoms, four petals
each. A common folk belief among those from Ukraine and Russia is that
if you find a lilac with five petals, it is very lucky, like a four-leaf
clover. There are many hybrids, but all belong to the Syringa family.
Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris), as the name implies, is the best
known of all the lilacs in the United States. This shrub can be as tall
as 20 feet, and the flowers are fragrant and usually
lilac-colored,although they can be of other hues. Leaves are somewhat
heart shaped and smooth. –
For the graceful gourmand, this is the time to gather your fleeting
flowers. A simple sugar made from the bruised petals is a wonderful
treat for spring teas. Lilac butter on scones is tasty, as well. But I
believe that for many, the syrups are the best known.
For the more adventurous, might I suggest a little bit of a nip? Holly and Flora have an intriguingly easy recipe for a drink called Lilac Haze. Imagine a spring mixer with this unusual refreshment. Perhaps it could be the highlight of the Mother’s Day afternoon brunch.
Those who know me personally, know I make herbal honeys. It is a
sweet way of remembrance of springtime. I shall make a honey for my
Grandmother to remember her, also. I shall also include it in what I
place in her coffin. Sweetness among the sorrow. Here is a simple recipe
at Feral Botanicals.
True story: Grandma was a bit of a germ free person. You had to
wash your hands all the time, boil her water before she drank it, and
so on. However, when my daughter, Brenna, gave her an orange mint honey
she made as a gift, Grandma stuck her finger right in and ate it. She
doted on her great-granddaughter that much. It was her favorite gift
from us. So honey shall be my gift to her. She was very fond of honey.
She even used to feed a pet Raccoon from its own honey pot, as a child.
My honey jars – Kenya Coviak, All Rights Reserved
For our healers, the lilac has been said to be a good massage oil
infusion. Especially for those prone to redness. It allegedly also helps
with rheumatism. Making an infused oil would be a great addition to
your healer’s kit. But remember, always check for allergies. There are
other uses as well, and a naturopath could be a source of training in
these.
Lilac leaves can also be used for fever treatment and numerous
children diseases, liver congestion, weak digestion and diarrhea, cough,
bronchitis, increased body temperature, kidney stones, high blood
pressure. – Health Tips Source
Ok, now folklore is out there. It is not hard to find the story of Pan chasing a nymph
named Syringa who changed herself into the lilac. She was not having
any parts of Goat God Boy. When he thought he was grabbing her, he wound
up holding a bunch of reeds.
He sighed then, and when the sound of it merged with the wind in
the reeds, it made music. Hermes suggested he make an instrument, and
this became what we now call the Syrinx, or Pan pipes. You probably have
guessed what hollowed out wood is traditionally used for them by now.
Yep, the lilac.
You can also carve other things out of lilac wood, you
know.
Here is a sweet article on the lilac by Olga Ikebanova at Frangrantica. It
is not surprising that in aromatherapy, the scent of lilac is also used
to treat depression. It is often through stories and allegories that we
remember the properties of a herb, flower, plant, or tree.
Let us speak of magick now. This is an interesting plant. On one
side of its story, it is used for flirtation, beauty, and love. On
another face, it is used for protection and banishment. Still another
property is that of transitions from life to death, remembrance, and
dealing with ghosts. This sweet shrub is truly a precious gift.
Jennifer Shepherd at the Lipstick Mystic shares
some useful insights in the use of this shrub for protection of the
home. I know a witch who planted it specifically at her home due to a
ghost problem, so it seems to be a tried and true measure against
unwanted energetic invasion. It can also be made into a wreathe for a
ward (that is my suggestion).
Because my Grandma was a lover of dolls, I shall share with you an
activity for this flower. Take it as you will. I give it freely here, in
memory of her.
Gather up two pillow cases full of the flowers. From one, boil the
blooms until they reduce to half in a large pot of water. Then use this
liquid to dye a white pillow case. The color will surprise you.
Reserve a small saucer of the flowers from the other pillow case to
make into an oil. Fill a small glass jar with them and cover with
grapeseed oil, or some other oil without a heavy scent. Let sit for
about 2 weeks. OR place into a double boiler on low for a few hours
until the scent is strong in the bottle.
Next, dry the other blooms until brittle. Do this in brown paper bags. That way the moisture will wick away.
Now, get out your sewing kit. cut a simple doll pattern from half
the pillow case, a front and back, and sew it together – leaving the top
open. Stuff the doll with the dried flowers, which you will scent also
with the oil.
Make an apron, or dress, and a bonnet for it from the rest of the
pillow case. Now give it to a child, or keep it yourself. This is a good
protection against unwanted dreams. It is also a pick me up from
sadness. Enchant as you would any other object, with good energy and
wishes.
Here is a lovely rendition of a “Lilac Wine” cover performed by Miley Cyrus.
This piece is dedicated to the memory and life of Earlene Bentley North-Horner (1917-2017).
DISCLAIMER: ALWAYS USE CAUTION WHEN IDENTIFYING PLANTS.
USE YOUR FIELD GUIDES AND LEARN YOUR LATIN NAMES. WHEN IN DOUBT, FIND AN
EXPERT. NO ARTICLE IN THIS SERIES IS INTENDED TO GIVE MEDICAL OR ANY
OTHER ADVICE IN THE HEALING ARTS OTHER THAN THAT OF A LAY PERSON.
Time to get your feet a little wet. If you live near a shallow
wetland, marsh, or even a soupy suburb with a good amount of
juxtaposition with wet ponds, you may have seen this little fella. The
Broadleaf Arrowhead, or Duck Potato is a good friend to the hungry
forager. Looking suave and pronounced, this plant has some heavy
history here as a food stuff, medicinal remedy, and a bit of a folk lore
as far as magickal usage. WILD FLOWERS OF NEW YORK Memoir 15 N. Y. State Museum Plate 1
First, you may have noticed that this plant is known as a duck
potato. No, ducks do not toss it around after it gets hot in the
sunshine as a game. It is not that kind of potato. But it IS wild food.
But be careful. Looking for this food to eat could lead to you being
food to eat. What I mean is, where there is water, there could be
leeches. So be careful before you just go wading into the wetlands. I am
drawn to this plant due to my Creek heritage making this a plant my
ancestors probably ate. (No, I do not have a Tribal Enrollment. No, I am
not trying to appropriate anything. My Grandmother is 100 yrs old, and
if she says we are Creek, we are Creek. We have been Creek since slavery
times according to our records.)
This plant produces a tuber that can be roasted and eaten. It is a
perennial, so once you find a patch, you can balance your harvesting so
that you can come back and get more next year. You can find it in
Michigan and all the way down through Mississippi. Gosh, you can find it almost everywhere, actually.
Did you know you could actually dry it and grind it up to use like a
flour? Hmm. I wonder how that would taste, and would a duck eat a duck
potato pancake? Sounds like a children’s story to me. I found that out
from Mount Pisgah Arboretum. 2004 à 17:59 fr:Utilisateur:Bouba
IT IS VITAL THAT YOU MAKE SURE YOU IDENTIFY THIS PLANT PROPERTY.
MICHIGAN WETLAND PLANT MISTAKES CAN BE DEADLY. DO NOT MISTAKE ARUM FOR
THIS PLANT. USE A GOOD GUIDE, LIKE AT THE USDA NRCS.
For our healers, this plant can be a storehouse of use. It has a
long, respected application on this continent. In Curious By Nature’s
entry, they share that various uses by different nations such as the
Maidu, the Chippewa, Navajo, and Ojibwa. It has been used for topical
treatment for fever, as well as an antiseptic and laxative. As always,
though, get some education from a bonified practitioner of the herbal
arts before just heading off and setting up shop as a duck potato
expert. I WILL drag you for filth (that means I will talk harshly about
you with great contempt).
Now, let’s talk about the murky part. No, not the water. I mean the
legends behind its usage in magicks and mysteries. I cannot verify or
really push the legends that this plant is a defense against witches. I
cannot really verify it is used to make a witch by drinking its tea in
conjure or in indigenous societies. Why? Because I have no one to verify
this. I am just presenting that this is part of its folklore. I am not
going to just run around talking out of the side of my neck like a
twisted duck.
BUT, I will say this. I have been told unofficially that this may be
true regarding its use in ceremonial rites. I cannot prove it. Do your
own research and ask around. Don’t just repeat what I say. You could be
quaking up the wrong pond.
Here is a song about duck hunting. Because I married a hunter, that’s why, and it is about ducks.
