How Nihilistic Has Our Society Become?

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I were sitting on the couch watching Ugly Betty and surfing the net. Yes, we're a household of multi-taskers. Anyways, my boyfriend stumbled upon an article about Steven Hawking's views on God. Recently, Mr. Hawking has come out of the closet about his new-found belief in atheism which he bases on the fact that spontaneous creation exists in nature and therefore, can account for something as complex as Earth's life cycle.

Now, I'm not much of a science person so I'm not going to attempt to comment on a process I know nothing about. However, I highly doubt that spontaneous creation, even if this is an actual scientific process, accounts for something as vast and complex as the universe which -- took billions of years of evolution to develop as it is now.

Even though I'm not a science person, I've always admired Sci-Fi -- especially the good series like Star Trek. All I can really think about when I hear the phrase spontaneous creation is an image of Q snapping his fingers and bringing about tangible changes in the world around him. Obviously, people can't do that and the genre is called Sci-Fi for a reason. Because it's fiction.

But Mr. Hawking is not asserting that people have brought this process about. The universe, he says, is capable of this process all by itself. However, this is problematic too. How much do we really even know about the universe? What published evidence is there to support his outrageous claims? And the bigger question is: Why on earth would anyone take spiritual/theological advice from a high-level astrophysicist? That's like taking cooking advice from someone who's never cooked.

The sad thing is that there are a lot of people who will believe this man. They will come to the conclusion that life is all just some silly, happy accident. This kind of thinking leads to nihilism and nihilism will be the undoing of the human race. As Nietzsche said over a hundred years ago, mankind has not found anything to replace the concept of deity. In the 21st century, people think that science is the answer to everything. But science is limited to what we know about the world and therefore, cannot be a valid replacement for deity. The Dalai Lama commented on this in his book "Ethics for the New Millennium".

As a proud pagan, I will be the first person to tell someone to do what they feel in their heart is right, to follow their own path and to make their own decisions in life. However, when we limit ourselves to a spiritually devoid world where nothing exists but matter that we can see, hear, feel, taste, and smell -- we have given up our position as human beings and placed ourselves lower than animals. We have, in this century, given up our higher selves in pursuit of answers that we will never find. We must accept the fact that some questions will never have answers and that some questions will have answers that we may not like.

This world that we've created is honestly quite depressing. The world the New Atheists want: no deity(ies), no spirituality, no unconditional love, no solid friendships/relationships, no forgiveness for being human and making mistakes. When you cut out deities or spirituality, you inevitably place human beings on an impossible pedestal. You expect too much from them because you "deitize" them. You base your relationships on merit and not on kindness, love, or compassion. You become a mean and bitter person. This might explain why many of the "hardcore" atheists I've met are honestly sad and pathetic people. They hold stupid grudges. They think the world owes them something for their so-called "suffering". They are spoiled and rotten to the core.

The world we live in is so nihilistic that we have background checks for everyone and everything. Are you really so fearful of the world that you need to background check someone you're dating, without any solid reasoning behind it? Do we really need background checks for min. wage, crap jobs? Do we really need to drug test people for jobs that pay like crap? Do our partners have to be rich, from good families? Do they have to be perfect? Do our friends have to always live up to our standards? Can't they just be our friends? Do you really need that stupid expensive Apple product? Really? (Okay, I hate Apple so I just had to throw that in there.)

The point is that the reason we've become so hard on each other, the reason we expect way too much out of people, the reason why everything is so fucked up is because society is run by a bunch of nihilists in suits. Seriously. And I won't be taking spiritual advice from a scientist. I hope you don't either.

The Truth About Hexes and Hex Removal

An Arid Desert Wasteland: Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/3815834866/sizes/m/in/photostream

Hexes can be troublesome. More than simply an "evil eye" or "bad luck", they can dramatically affect the way that you go about your life. Many go away on their own but some or so serious that they require white magick in order to remove. Think of these kind of hexes like a tumor -- if it isn't cut out -- it can kill you or drastically shorten your life. Fortunately, there is no type of black magick that cannot be undone. If you suspect that you or a close family member is the victim of a hex, seek help immediately. If there is no one that can help you within your local vicinity, then there are several spells that you can do yourself to remove the hex. Learn how.

Determine What is a Hex and What Isn't

First, let's get one thing straight: not every misfortune in your life is the result of a hex. Many people who believe that they are hexed are wrong. However, there is a way to be sure whether or not you are hexed. Look out for the following signs:

• Continuous bad luck, regardless of what you do, for months or even years at a time.
• A feeling of exhaustion even when you haven't had any physical activity.
• Depressed or angry feelings even if you've had no history of depression or similar mental illnesses. 

Of course, these are only a few signs. Ultimately, only you will know if you are hexed. A great way to make sure is to ask the tarot cards. If you don't know how to do tarot readings, go to someone who does and ask them to use the cards to see if you or a loved one has been hexed. Websites like keen.com offer several talented tarot readers with reviews so that you can know for sure if you are getting the right advice.

What to Do Next

If you or a loved one is the victim of a hex, then you'll need to work to remove it. This usually involves some sort of hex removal spell. Don't worry, this isn't an exorcism; no one is going to start walking up the walls or hanging from the ceiling. Many people confuse hexes with demon possessions; a potentially fatal mistake. Hex removal removes a man-made curse while exorcism removes a demon from within a person's body. This web page has an excellent hex removal spell that I have tried personally. However, the wording of the chant is a little awkward so I changed it. Remember, you are not at fault if someone has hexed you. You haven't done anything wrong. Therefore, it is highly recommended that if you use that spell you replace the words within the chant as it was traditionally used to undo a curse that a witch had cast upon someone else. However, the purpose is still the same. Also, it's best to perform this spell on the night before the full moon instead of the night after. The moon gains more power as it is waxing and the odds of beating the hex are greatly increased. You should wake up in the morning feeling renewed. If you do not have a bathtub, then try a spell that doesn't use bath magic. 

Atheism & Spirituality: Is there such a combination?

With a growing number of people becoming dissatisfied with organized religion, its no surprise that many former Christians are now atheists, pagans, or both. Many people believe that atheists have a belief in nothing outside of what can be seen or proven and that they only believe in the here and now. On the contrary, there are some atheists whom partake in some type of spiritual path, usually paganism. 

What is atheism?

Atheism is the absence of a belief in deity(ies). Most atheists believe that there is nothing outside of what our physical senses or advanced technology can detect. They often think in terms of logic and reason. Some praise the enlightenment period (the beginning of the Age of Aquarius) for helping to create a less superstitious society in the West.

However, there are some atheists that believe in magick or "forces beyond human knowledge". These atheists are usually pagans. They don't believe in any pagan deities but they believe that there's more to life than meets the eye such as energy. There are also atheists who believe in extraterrestrials or life beyond the earth. While there has been some soft evidence of the possibility of former life forms (usually bacterium) on certain planets that we've explored, hard evidence is still lacking.

My Thoughts

I'm not an atheist so I can't speak for them. I am actually a kabbalistic witch so I practice ancient Jewish and Pagan witchcraft and rituals. However, some of my very close friends are atheists or pagan atheists and I applaud those who have an open mind and don't judge.

Psychic Vampires: What they are and how they live

Psychic Vampires, also known as psi vamps, energy deficient, or psychic vampyres, are humans that lack an energy center and are unable to produce their own energy or are only able to produce small amounts of energy on their own. This deficiency can have negative physical consequences if the person does is not aware of their condition and does not "feed" or borrow energy from others on a regular basis.

Contrary to popular belief, psychic vampires look and act like ordinary people. This is because they are ordinary people. The difference is that they are hypersensitive to the energies around them and if they are not careful, can absorb all of the energies from their environment -- positive or negative. They are not "evil" but their nature is predatory.

Thoughts, Beliefs, and Misinformation


It is no surprise that psychic vampires are thought of as evil in Western society as the dominant Judeo-Christian world view teaches people to see only black and white and to polarize and classify everything as good and evil. Psychic vampires are aware of their condition and the ethical ones will go out of their way to feed without causing harm to another individual. Despite a great deal of literature to the contrary, psychic vampires are not "out to get you". The only time a psi vamp can harm a person is if they feed off of that person too much for too long. Obviously, this is unethical and the practice is not supported by the greater psi vamp community.

Psi vamps understand that negative does not equal evil and that positive does not equal good. Likewise, darkness does not equal evil and light does not equal good. Positive and negative and light and darkness are the forms that energy and magick can take on when they are being used for a specific purpose.

Psychic vampirism is not a religion. It's a condition of the spirit -- nothing more and nothing less. Psychic vampires who are aware of their condition go on to follow any religion of their choosing, with some of the most popular being Christianity, Buddhism, Hindu, New Age, Wicca/Paganism, and Spiritualism.

Am I a Psychic Vampire?


Individuality and following one's own path is greatly encouraged by the community so only you will know if you are one. However, there are a few good ways to tell.

• Do you hate being alone, even for just a few days?
• Does eating regular food and sleeping at night not give you the energy that you need?
• Are you naturally a night owl? Do you prefer to be awake during the night than rather than during the day?
• Are your eyes and your skin incredibly sensitive to sunlight and heat?
• Are your hands and feet often colder than the rest of your body due to poor circulation?
• Do you feel exhausted if you are forced to spend extended periods of time alone?
• Do you often find yourself attracting unwanted attention? Are people intimidated by you?
• Do you find yourself taking on someone else's personality for a short period of time after you've been around them, even for a short while?

If you answered "yes" to most of those questions then you could be a psychic vampire. There are other tell-tale signs of this condition and if you feel as though you are, you should visit a supportive online community that can help you understand yourself. These communities help the newly Awakened psychic vampires find hope, comfort, and guidance. The website PsychicVampire.org was founded specifically for this purpose and their members are very friendly and helpful. 

The Psychic Vampire's Codex is a highly comprehensive and authoritative book on the subject. It contains everything you'll ever want or need to know about psychic vampires. For those who lack funds to purchase the book, a free, online version is available here -- though it does not contain everything. 

The Difference Between Karma and Justice

I was using my special angel deck to do a reading with a former friend of mine a short while ago. When I discovered the justice card in the reading, she asked me what it was because her deck did not have a justice card. She has a druid deck and the druids do not believe in absolutes, such as justice. I had trouble explaining the meaning of the justice card, for I didn't quite know what it was myself. We both assumed it was similar to karma.

After taking the time to ponder this information, I came upon the realization that justice is not karma. I do not believe in karma but I do believe in justice. There is actually a huge difference between the two. With karma, everything that you put out physically or mentally comes back to you regardless of your intent. However, with justice the intent matters more than the action. Did you do something questionable or harmful for a good reason?

Now, here is where it gets tricky. Most people are unsure of when it is okay to break rules or laws in the name of justice. Perhaps, some of the best modern examples are the prominent figures of the civil rights movement, such as Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. Dr. King's intention was to bring racial equality to America and he succeeded because he broke the laws that were perpetuating the negative cycle of racism. Rosa Parks broke the law by sitting in the front of the bus but she did it with purpose. If your intentions are to do good, then you will see the positive side of justice regardless of how anyone else views your actions.

The justice tarot card is interesting because, like the death card, it is dramatically misunderstood. The death card usually implies a major life change or a metaphorical death, so to speak. The justice card has to do with the tricky process of balancing the scales. Did you steal to feed your children? Did you lie to save someone's life? Do you disable someone who was going to harm you if you had not? All of these actions are about intention. Of course, I always say, do everything you can to do something the right way.

God usually gives us doors to walk through, even if they aren't easy to reach. However, only when someone is given no other option but to do a certain deed in the name of justice or the greater good must they carry out that deed. Therefore, justice is not always a form of punishment. It can be a revelation of someone's intentions or their true character. It symbolizes the balancing of the scales.

Have you worked hard for a long time only to receive very little in return? Seeing the justice card in a tarot reading in this instance can symbolize that you're finally reaping the seeds you've sown.

As a judge carefully reviews each case before making his or her final judgment, so too does the divine review our cases before giving us what it is we deserve. The difference is, of course, that God knows our intentions whereas no human judge can.

Photo credit: rememberthrough at Flickr. URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/estenh/4163978077/

Twin Flames: A Nice Concept or a Real Phenomenon?

Imagine visiting somewhere that you've never been, yet you remember it as if you've been there a thousand times or more. Imagine meeting someone who not only gains your attraction but fulfills you in every way imaginable: physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. This is the power of twin flames, also known as soul mates or twin souls. The saying "I've met my other half" was most likely derived from this very concept. But such a concept arouses an array of questions that aren't simple to answer. Does everyone have a soul mate? Can a soul mate be the same gender as you? How would I recognize such a person if I ever met them?

Naturally, as humans our understanding of the metaphysical world is incomplete. No matter how much time we spend in study, we will never know all there is to know. However, this is the beauty of the quest for knowledge. The sheer fact that it can never be completed is, in and of itself, thrilling and brings about a thirst for more information. The same can be said for the quest to find one's soul mate. The desire to find our perfect mate was naturally ingrained into our psyche, our biology, and our spirits. No one is meant to walk the earth alone.

Whether you refer to them as soul mates, twin flames, or twin souls, they are very real and everyone has one whether they know it or not. While many people will say that gender exists in the form of energy, I personally dismiss this concept. Gender is taught or learned. It is a behavior and a biological status, nothing more. Therefore, it could be quite possible that two twin flames are of the same biological gender, though this is incredibly rare. It won't take any special effort on your part to find this person. You two will find each other naturally, as such meetings cannot be forced. However, there are things that you can do to aid the process. Be receptive, open, and willing to let love enter your life and you will find your soul mate.

A Lesson in Acceptance

Recently, I was required to read a letter written by Dr. Martin Luther Kind Jr. for a literature class. It made me think about a lot of things, primarily my own ignorance towards racism and how it is still a prevalent obstacle even in today's world. Contrary to popular belief, racism still exists and it affects people more heavily than one might think.

I grew up in a suburban home in central Florida as an adopted minority child of two loving, white parents. I didn't like where we lived. I hated how everything was so separate, yet so mixed in. I couldn't stand the old men who wore speedos while roller-blading down the beach, nor could I tolerate the steroid-pumping cops that patrolled the neighborhood nearby. Mainly, I couldn't stand the large white, redneck population that made life for minorities a struggle.

Until the age of 16, I was completely blind to racism. Growing up in a family full of wonderfully color-blind people made me color-blind too. However, going to public school made that slowly disappear. The black girls would often ask me questions such as "Why are your parents white?". It was awkward and frustrating. I'd often just ride the bus rather than have my parents take me to avoid the grueling interrogations. I just wanted to be left alone. The white students at my school seemed just as color-blind as my family and I so I sought comfort with them. Even though I was half white, half African American I always identified myself as a white person. I stayed out of the sun to stay light-skinned and made a special effort to act as all of my white peers acted.

However, I could not escape the questions. Because the other black girls in my school sensed that I was uncomfortable with discussing the subject, they teased and harassed me. Some were even physically violent. As a result, I became more and more skeptical of half of my race. I disliked them. They were mean, loud, violent and unfriendly while the white girls were always warm, friendly, and welcoming.

Then everything changed. In high school I met a girl named Artesia. She was the only black girl I'd ever met who felt the same way I did. She'd endured the same teasing because of her willingness to be color-blind. She hated the prominent "ghetto mentality" that was so prevalent among the black girls in our school and sought to just be herself. One day I was placed in one of her classes on an assignment for one of my teachers. I peered into the window and saw the white male teacher passively give out student assignments. The boys in the class were touching her breasts and when she repeatedly told them to stop and complained to the teacher, he simply dismissed here.

For the first time in my life, I'd seen oppression in its most awful form. This sweet, innocent young woman who wanted nothing more than to finish high school and not get sick of it and drop out like the rest of us was being sexually harassed and the one authority figure who is supposed to take the matter seriously, did nothing. You can rest assured I had a few heavy words for that man.

I left home at 16 and lived with a white man. I was attracted to white men. It was just a personal preference. However, this man was incredibly abusive and evil. During my time with him my eyes opened. I learned to recognize who was racist and who wasn't simply by a glance and the tone of their voice. I started understanding why I couldn't get a job in crappy, central Florida - the redneck heaven of the South. I understood the meaning behind the old white woman's pursed lips and the young punk's cold grimace. Everything made perfect sense now.

Sometimes I wished I'd never opened my eyes. I liked being color-blind. I liked thinking everyone was the same. The truth is, everyone is the same. Unfortunately, society does not treat us that way. Color-blindness is not a skill -- it's a gift from above. When one is truly color blind, one can see the world from an objective and fair perspective. The world needs an infection of color-blindness. My loving adoptive parents have shown me that such a trait is a necessity in this world and that the color blind person is a gift to mankind.