A Personal Dilemma

A personal dilemma has come up for me in the last 24 hours.  And since it concerns religion, I figure the blog might be the perfect place to explain and ask for advice.  (Since this concerns family, no names or identifying characteristics have been used.)

I got a letter yesterday from my family.  The letter turned out to be from my younger brother (allegedly from him–I’m thinking it’s probably my very religious, evangelical stepmother who really wrote it) asking for money for a trip to Peru this summer.

Normally, I’m all for supporting travel.  I think it’s important to travel around the world and see different cultures and places.  It’s a very eye-opening experience.  However, this trip my brother is planning is not a fun lets-learn-about-culture kind of trip.  No no, this trip is a missionary trip organized, I assume, through their church.

Here’s my problem: I want to support my brother.  If it weren’t a missionary trip, I would have forked over money without hesitation.  But it is a missionary trip, and spreading the word of God is the main focus.  He says in the letter that the group will take part in serving a needy community and reaching out to children in need by providing children’s programs the kids can attend.  But he also says that they will organize and fund a group of local students to travel through the mountains to spread the word of God with them.  “I’m very excited to be able to help children far less privileged than me by spreading the word of God.”

And that is the crux of my problem. How can I support something I very much disagree with, even when it’s my own brother?  I don’t agree with missionary organizations or people, and I cannot agree with or support their goals of spreading the word of God, especially when they do so while ostensibly giving aid to others.  In my opinion/belief, aid to these communities should be offered freely and from all for all, without any strings attached.  I believe it is the duty of all to help those in need, not for ulterior financial or religious motives, but from the goodness of our hearts and because it is the right thing to do.  It shouldn’t be a requirement or hurdle that in order to receive aid, you also have to put up with preaching and proselytizing.  And to proselytize to children strikes me as reprehensible and shudder-worthy.

I admit that not all missionaries are bad.  Some are very good people who genuinely want to help others.  They can bring much needed aid, supplies, and so forth to poorer communities, and not all of them inject extraordinary amounts of religion into their interactions with the communities.  But others are rather despicable and withhold aid unless the people convert or otherwise express a religious affiliation with the missionary.  Some missionaries take pains to turn a community against the non-believers in their midst in order to gain more followers.

It is possible that I’m being too close-minded about this.  I don’t have a very good opinion of missionaries, and I freely acknowledge that.  The idea that my brother might be turning into that type of person makes me cringe.  But I don’t think my brother is really into this.  I think he just wants to go to Peru, and is doing the church trip because it makes his mother happy and gives him the opportunity to travel.  Still, I have a serious personal conflict with giving money in support of such a trip with the goals that it has.

And I don’t know what to do about it.  Not contributing something means likely causing a family uproar once my stepmother finds out I didn’t send something. She will hold it against me and use it against me at some point.  She is that vindictive (some Christian she is).  I thought about writing to my brother and explaining why I won’t contribute toward the trip, but I don’t have his number or email, and he doesn’t have Facebook–so my only option is mail, and I don’t want his mother to open the letter, which she might very well do.  But saying nothing seems wrong; I don’t want him to think I don’t care or something like that.

And now I’m doing that Virgo thing where I over think things and look at all the different possibilities…

What do you all think?  What would you do in a situation like this?

Question of the Week: Questions About Paganism

I’m a bit late in posting the question this week, but I hadn’t come up with a good one until this morning after I read yesterday’s Wild Hunt article on the Pagan bubble. (It’s a very interesting and thought-provoking read, I suggest checking it out.)  So this week’s question is geared for those people who have questions about Paganism in general.  You don’t have to be Pagan, or a certain subset of Pagan, to ask questions and receive an answer here.  Although my blog is written primarily for those who are involved with some kind of Pagan or metaphysical path, I encourage interfaith involvement and activity here as well.

Do you have any questions about Paganism?  What about a subset of Paganism, such as Wicca or Asatru? 

Post your questions in the comments section below!

(Or, if you’re shy and would rather ask a question privately, email awitchylife@gmail.com)

Pathways Natural Living Expo

Today, I spent most of the day at the Pathways Magazine Natural Living Expo in Bethesda, MD.  It’s not a Pagan expo by any means, but since it’s New Age/metaphysical, I thought some of my lovely readers would be interested in hearing about it.

This was my first time attending the expo, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I don’t attend many conferences/fairs/expos, etc., though I plan on changing that in future (I’m going to Karmafest in May, for example).  What I found was a lot of booths offering metaphysical services, natural products, jewelry by the bucketload, gemstones, clothes, and aura photography.  There were also 80-something workshops throughout the day.  I chose not to attend most of the workshops so I could roam the tables more, but I did attend a 1:00 meditation.  More on that later.

The aura photography was one of my favorites.  I was literally the first customer for it, I was so excited.  The last time I’d had my aura photographed was in Sedona, AZ in 2011, so I was curious to see how it had changed.  I was rather surprised by the result.  It’s very red now, when before it had been red with a mass of yellow.  This seems like a huge change to me, and I’m not entirely certain of what it means.  Because of the large line that had already formed behind me, the photographers couldn’t offer very much insight beyond a quick look at the picture and a few words of their initial impressions.  That’s fine, I understand that at an event like this, everything is going to be more abbreviated than a normal session.  If you’ve never seen what an aura photo looks like, here are two of mine:

My aura photos. The one on the left was taken at The New Age Center in Sedona, AZ in 2011. The one on the right is from today at the Pathways Expo. I’ve covered my face for privacy purposes.

The picture above isn’t very good, since I took it with my crappy cell phone, but you can clearly see that my aura today was very red with a hint of pink at the top. And it’s much smaller than it was in 2011 (pic on the left).

I’ve always believed in the existence of auras, but the aura photography has seemed a little more sketchy at times.  I’m a skeptic by nature, so it’s a bit of a habit to doubt things.  However, this being the third time I’ve had my aura photographed, my skepticism has (mostly) been laid to rest.  Especially since the first two times were done by the same reader in Sedona, but nearly ten years apart, so there was no way she could remember me.  She gave me a lot of the same information the second time as the first, but more than that, what she saw confirmed a number of things about my personal life and helped me get clear on a direction to follow.  Anyway, while I know there are frauds out there (as there are in just about everything), I think aura photography is a fun thing to do and share.  I don’t necessarily think that if a photographer tells you they see disease or something like that in your aura that you should take their word for it, but perhaps consider going to the doctor if you’ve had any symptoms, etc.

[By the way, I apologize if this is a bit rambling.  I'm rather tired from spending the day in a crowd of mostly unshielded people.  It's always draining for me, and the meditation I attended didn't help in that respect.  So I'm a bit tired!]

After the photography, there was a table of polished, raw, and geode stones.  I was in heaven. I adore stones.  I’m always happy to go through stones and feel their differences and just appreciate these natural beauties.  This particular merchant, Mahalo Minerals, had a lot of different stones on display, and very reasonable prices.  I found a table of celestite geodes for very decent prices, and I ended up buying one.  It’s so happy to be home with me, and I’m so happy to have it!  Celestite is one of my favorite stones, for both its beauty and its properties.  Mahalo also had a number of beautiful stone spheres, some very clear.  They had spheres of selenite, which I had never seen before, and I ended up buying one of those as well.

Luckily that was the only money I spent!

After that, it was one booth after another.  My particular favorites were Sranrom Urban Wellness and Melissa Feick’s table.  At Sranrom Urban Wellness, they make natural products such as hand lotions, body cream, room mists, candles, etc.  They don’t use animal ingredients, parabens, glycol, petroleum derivatives, or synthetic colors or fragrances.  I tried the hand lotion and wanted to buy some on the spot.  It left my hands feeling so moisturized and soft without the oilyness that usually happens with other products I’ve tried.  And it lasts a long time–it’s been seven hours since I tried the hand lotion, and my hands still feel super soft!  Sadly, by that time, the representative had already sold out of the lotion, so I didn’t get to buy any, but I am definitely wanting to get my hands on some of their products.  They also have a men’s line, if any male readers are interested.

Melissa Feick is an excellent reader, and I was so happy to meet her in person today.  I’ve had two readings with her in which she connects to my guides and passes to me the information they have (and answer my questions, of course).  Both readings I’ve had with her have been spot on, and I would definitely go back to her in future.  She teaches a number of classes and workshops, and also runs a webinar about ascension.  I had never met her in person–my readings had been done over the phone for convenience, but she is such a warm and loving person, I felt immediately comfortable in her presence (and that doesn’t happen easily for me!) and just felt so welcomed by her.  She’s a lovely person and I have great respect for her work.  If you’re looking to go to an intuitive reader for a reading, I can suggest no one better and encourage anyone interested to explore her website. As I said before, I attended a meditation workshop this afternoon that she led, and the meditation she guided the class through was excellent.  It’s difficult to do in that sort of setting because people want to come in and out, and I have to say, there were a number of rude and inconsiderate (and pushy!) people at the expo today, who thought it was acceptable to try to come into a meditation workshop more than halfway through the hour.  I don’t understand people like that.  Anyway, I’m glad I went, because I felt clearer and better at the end than I had been feeling when I went into it.

I should’ve taken more pictures through the day, but I was too busy looking at everything.  The amount of jewelry was phenomenal, and I nearly spent more money than I had budgeted for the event because of the jewelry alone!  Clothes too, but I just stayed away from those booths.

I can’t wait for next year’s expo!  This was fun and exciting, and it was lovely to be surrounded by so many like-minded people who just want to live a better life, reach their individual potential, and share their experiences and learning with others.

Color Series: Yellow

Some of the attributes of orange overlap with yellow, because orange is a result of red mixed with yellow.  However, yellow has more associations with the mind and with intellect than orange does.  While red and orange are stimulating to the body, yellow is stimulating to the emotions and the mind.  It’s a very visible color and grabs the attention as much as or more than red and orange do.  Yellow is a color of joy, optimism, and happiness.  It often is uplifting and inspiring to those who see it, although yellow is a love/hate color.  Like orange, many people either love yellow or hate it.  Different shades of yellow may be more appealing than others to different people, and different shades can have different effects.  Pale yellow is softer, gentler, and less overwhelming while deeper shades can become overpowering.

Although red is the main color for fire, yellow is often associated with fire as well.  The coolest-temperature fires are yellow–just look at a candle flame–and the sun appears to us to be yellow rather than red because of the earth’s atmosphere.  And what is the sun but a gigantic ball of burning gases?  Yellow is the color of light and illumination, most likely because of the color of the sun’s light.  Even though it is often placed with fire, yellow is more commonly equated with air and mental faculties.

Various religions use yellow as part of a belief system.  In traditional Christian variants, yellow is the color for Greed, one of the seven deadly sins.  During the medieval period of Western Europe, and so a part of medieval Christianity, there were thought to be four humours used in medicine.  The humours were main bodily fluids, and were thought to have an effect on the body and personality.  Changes in humour were thought to be the source of sickness.  The humour associated with yellow was yellow bile, which was thought to cause bad temper and a touchy temper when out of balance. The theory of humours has now been discredited by  modern medicine, but it was very important to medieval and ancient medicine.

In many different variations of Paganism, Wicca among them, yellow is the color of the East quarter and Spring.  This color is generally thought to be the color of childhood and youthfulness.  Yellow is often associated with the Maiden Goddess and the Litha and Imbolc holidays.  For ancient Greeks, many goddesses were described as having golden hair, probably because it gave the goddesses a distinct look different from the typical physical characteristics of a Grecian.  Buddhist monks wear saffron yellow robes, and yellow is a sacred color for Hindus.  In Islam, yellow is the color of wisdom.

In the United States, yellow is used for school buses.  The particular shade of yellow used on school buses was proven to be the most visible color to the human eye compared to all over colors in the visible spectrum.  Since we want kids to be safe, it makes sense to use the most visible color to paint their transportation.  This color may also be associated with monetary wealth since gold is a shade of yellow.  For the Aztecs, yellow was the color for food since their most abundant food source was corn, which is yellow. Yellow is historically a very important color in China.  It corresponded with the earth and was the color of Ming and Qing dynasty emperors.  One emperor, Huangdi, is also called the Yellow Emperor and is commonly considered the founder of modern Chinese civilization due to the large number of inventions and technological advancements made during his reign.

For Greeks, yellow signifies sadness, while in France yellow is the color for jealousy.  In India, yellow is the color of spring and is worn during the Festival of Spring.  It is also the color of the Vaisya caste, which includes farmers and traders.  During 1930s and 1940s Germany, the Star of David on armbands and labels given to Jews was yellow.

Of the chakras, yellow is the color for the third chakra, the solar plexus.  The solar plexus is located at the midsection above the navel.  This chakra is commonly thought to govern willpower, self-esteem, and self-worth.  If the solar plexus chakra is closed, it probably means you feel a lot of fear, anxiety, and negativity toward yourself.  People with a closed or insufficiently clear solar plexus chakra tend to be passive, somewhat timid, and indecisive.  When it’s balanced, this chakra indicates a high self-esteem and a high regard for the self.  You are in control of yourself and your actions, and you are able to have confidence and appropriate assertiveness in group situations.  Too much of this chakra (meaning when it’s overactive) can result in aggressive and domineering behaviors.  Also associated with the stomach, liver, small intestine, and pancreas.

Uses

Like red and orange, yellow is not generally the best color to use for healing.  It excites the mind especially, and many people need rest and quiet in order to heal.  So I would not recommend the use of yellow for any healing purposes.  However, a touch of yellow in a room can help to lift a person’s mood and make them happier.  Taking yellow flowers to someone in a hospital, for instance, can help them heal by lifting their mood.  Yellow used in small doses can help a person to heal, but too much can be overwhelming.

Yellow can be used to enhance or activate memory.  Looking at the color yellow while studying could aid memorization and learning.  It can also spark creativity and raise self-esteem.  Yellow is associated with feelings of self-worth and high self-esteem.  This color can help to raise one’s self-esteem levels and improve a person’s opinion of themselves.

Yellow is an energizing color, so wearing a yellow shirt or jacket can help improve one’s energy level.  Yellow also works well as a compliment with other colors.  It can tone down overwhelming reds and oranges, and can add energy to the effects of blue, purple, green, and other cool shades.

Too much yellow can cause irritability, fear, depression, cowardice, and irrational thoughts or behavior.  Like the other warm colors, red and orange, too much yellow can overwhelm a person and cause anxiety or fear.

Associations
Element: Air, Fire
Emotions: joy, optimism, happiness, warmth, confidence, anxiety, fear, cowardice, deviousness
Animals: cheetah, canary, chickadee, golden retriever, (baby) ducks, bees
Astrology: Taurus, Air signs
Chakra: solar plexus
Flowers: yellow tulips, yellow roses, buttercups, sunflowers, black-eyes susan, daylily, coreopsis, yarrow, daffodil, marigold
Foods: bananas, lemons, corn, squash, curry, saffron rice, pineapple, apple, pepper, honey
Metals: gold
Stones: amber, citrine, flourite, topaz, cat’s eye, calcite
Season: Spring, Autumn

Resources About Yellow

http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-yellow.html


http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/introduction.php


http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour/yellow.php


http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours


http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/yellow.htm


http://www.color-wheel-artist.com/meanings-of-yellow.html

Question of the Week: Springtime Approaches!

Hey all!  It’s the last week of February.  March is when spring truly starts to come back and make an appearance.  And I can’t wait, I’m ready for some warmer temps and that nice spring feeling in the air.  It’s invigorating and wonderful.  Aside from the pollen and my allergies, spring is probably my favorite season.

So who’s excited for spring to get here??

Post a comment and answer!