Contrary to what we expected, much of our life has changed. New things to learn, such as Sigalerts, drivers who don’t know about turn signals (even more so than in the Midwest), the absence of Mountain Dew from restaurants, and the general tension and distrust that exists between groups of people in LA (frequently on racial lines).

The biggest change is the effect on our lives of the pregnancy of our fourth child, who is still on the way and due to arrive in late January 2009. Most of Bella’s energy goes to the baby. I work half from home and half from the office to help watch the other three kids.

This journey is teaching me a lot. I have learned to focus more on my family than before. As a Capricorn, I focus on achieving things, especially at work. So such a change has been significant for me. I immensely love my children, but am still learning to balance their needs with the needs of our family’s finances and the needs of my company.

This period of my life is one of a major transition. From the look of it, 2008 is turning into a year of transition for both our family and the world’s economic system. The internal changes have increased since Mabon, and the internal changes are the most difficult and create the most enduring results.

As a result, I have not had time or creative focus to post to this blog in a while. Unfortunately, I cannot promise that this will change soon. My hope is that I will be able to pick it up more late in the year or early next year, but such changes cannot be strictly scheduled.

I continue to read other’s blogs (and suggest you check out all of them in the list on the right).

Thank you to my readers for sticking with me and I will continue to post here as I can.

May the Gods bless you, protect you and shine their light of Gnosis upon you all.

My better half wrote another hymn in the Orphic format, this time to Lady Persephone. She was kind enough to let me share it with you.

Hymn to Persephone

Hail Persephone, Lady of darkness
Silent you sit, silent you watch
Now and at the hour of our deaths
Lady of Shadows, you have the power
To see within, to rip away all illusion
To sacrifice you are no stranger
You know fear, horror, and also danger
You gave away that most dear to you
Your innocence and childhood naivety
Lady of mysteries, you access transformation
Emblazoned phoenix of darkness, fire within
Maiden of Treasures, Crone of wealth
To you Hades is ever generous
As long as you eat his fruit
Queen of the Leap of Faith
You challenge us to reach further, find a new path,
Cut the web, face the wrath
You are both towering mountain and minute pebble
Ever brooding, you seek new ways to penetrate the depths
Lady of Spirit, we ask for your blessing in
Passage through Darkness and Trials of the Soul

—Rev. Lady Bella Sundancer

Many people are learning about transition from a time of plenty to a time of loss and hardship. The credit markets are hemorrhaging and causing extreme volatility in the financial markets worldwide. I find it entirely appropriate that the worst week of stock market volatility in many years happened during the time of the Autumnal Equinox. Like others, I had a difficult time not losing money and I thank the Gods I fared better than some others by the end of the week.

On a personal level, my family’s life became more volatile over the Equinox weekend when someone hit our minivan on the 210 Freeway. None of us were hurt, but the van took significant damage. It was towed and we had to get a taxi to take us home. Too bad this is Los Angeles and not New York or Beijing. Getting a taxi was quite a job, as you need to phone for one instead of just holding your arm out. Then it takes an hour to arrive.

When we finally got home late in the evening, we found that my key no longer worked to open the deadbolt to our condo. It was dark and we were locked out. And my cell phone went dead while talking to a locksmith. Luckily, our neighbors were home and willing to let us use their phone. It was 11:00 pm by the time we got into our condo and we were out $380 cash for the locksmith. Naturally, I’m asking the landlord to reimburse since the cause of the problem was that the deadbolt was 26 years old and worn out.

All of this happening together near the time of the Autumnal Equinox made me think about the volatility and transition that happens during Eqinoxes. I previously wrote about this in Storms of Balance and Storms of Balance: Part II. The difference, though, is that now it is the time of the Autumnal Equinox which is a time of decline, at least in the northern hemisphere.

When a cycle such as this turns toward decline, it is a sign that excesses need to be trimmed and we are reminded to know the difference between wants and needs and to know what we truly need to be happy. Many think that they must have certain things or their world will come to an end.

They think they need to have predictable growth in their retirement investments. Their career needs to progress in a predictable and upward fashion. And their income. They think they need their large house, and the next one must be larger. Same with the cost of their car.

After experiencing such a time of growth and plenty, we forget that all things happen in cycles. After the good times come the bad. But the bad times are not the end. Instead, they are the times that builds us as people. They force us to question our values and decide which still hold true. It is the tragic collapse of the Tower that releases us from the bondage of the Devil to provide us the healing and hope of the Star.

Americans need to remember how to live as part of the world, instead of living as if we were above all others. This doesn’t need to be done with socialist government programs, but will happen naturally through periods of decline such as this. Unlike what the politicians say, the markets are not broken; they are working exactly as intended. When we live in a way that is unsustainable, the Gods and the spirits will help us return to sustainability, as they are starting to now.

I highly recommend that you take stock of your life and your situation. What is important to you? What can you do without and what must you have? Write it down. The tide of prosperity has lifted most Americans, so as the tide goes out, most will fall. Know ahead of time what you can give up so you don’t need to do it in a panic.

Use this time to improve your faith in the spirits and the Gods. Know that they will provide what you truly need. If you lose something, ask yourself if you needed it, or was it just baggage that slowly weighed you down. Even fun baggage is still baggage.

And thank the Gods for this time of hardship. It teaches important lessons that cannot be learned when you have a comfortable life.

The human system of economics is a reflection of a larger universal system of exchange. Essentially, the study of economics is simply the study of trade using relationships. Everything has a relationship with everything else. For example, you have a relationship with every plant, rock, animal, person, spirit, deity, etc., even if you are not aware of it. Naturally, the vast majority of relationships are latent, where it is not developed or even consciously known by either party. This system of infinite relationships allows for such things as the “Butterfly Effect” and is a universal source of immense power.

Relationships and Trade

In order to receive something from a relationship, you must give something to the other party. That offering (or sacrifice) needs to be something they want to receive. All beings wish to receive pleasure. You need to offer something that will give the other party pleasure. The key (and the challenge) is to know what gives each being pleasure.

Physical beings frequently wish to receive physical things in trade. For example, when trading with other people, money is normally desired so they can trade for what they want. When offering to animals, an excellent offering is food they enjoy. Some spiritual beings, such as fairies and lower spirits, also like physical foods as treats. Milk, cheese, alcohol, tobacco and other things are appreciated by them.

Most higher spiritual beings are not as attached to physical objects, so the offering needs to reflect that. Gods and other higher spiritual beings do appreciate incense and similar physical offerings that give off smells or tastes they enjoy. Prayers, worship, positive energy and adoration are also greatly appreciated by these higher beings. When a physical offering is given to a higher being, it isn’t the object itself that they accept, but the energy from the offering. The physical object is just a shell for that energy and they leave it behind, where it may be consumed by lower beings like fairies, animals, or even the people who gave it depending on the situation.

Developing Relationships

The key to using universal economics for your benefit is to learn about and develop your relationships with beings at all different levels. Developing relationships always takes time and effort, both with incarnated and spiritual beings. It is something that should be done every day and you should be conscious of it at all times. The best way to do this is to not go into it with an idea that you will gain something from the relationship. If you do, your self-centered nature will be obvious. This turns off all beings that would truly help you and it will attract others who are also self-centered, which is not the type of friend you want.

Instead, start relationships with a sincere offering of assistance. By helping others, they learn that you desire a sincere, two-way relationship and they will be willing to help you. This goes for both relationships with people and with other beings.

Some suggestions for developing good relationships with spiritual beings include daily devotional rituals, daily prayers and hymns, offering daily incense or food offerings and conversing with the being on a regular basis.

Using the Universal Economic System

A spell is designed to bring a desire you have from the highest planes down to the physical plane, where it can manifest. Different beings work on different planes and influence other planes in different ways. As a result, it is best to develop relationships on all levels and on all planes. The more solid relationships you have, the easier it is to find someone who can help you (and who you can help as well).

The universal economic system is everywhere and rules relationships on all levels, so you cannot escape using it, even if you’re not aware of it. I’ll describe how you can effectively and consciously use it to get better results.

1. Know what you want. If you’re not 100% sure this is what you want, don’t put energy into it. If you don’t know your will yet, I recommend working to discover it. When you know this is what you want, make your intention as specific as possible.
2. Make sure you remember to maintain your intention, sincerity and faith throughout the whole process, or you will be putting out negative energy that will operate against all of your work.
3. Start with a request to the universe, describing the end effect you wish to receive. This is the highest level you can work, and is the most vague. Most things requested at the universal level do not make it all the way down to the lowest plane of physical manifestation without further assistance on lower planes. The only offering needed at this level is that of the energy of your sincere intention and faith.
4. Next, make your request to the appropriate Gods, generally in a prayer. It is best to work with Gods who have domain over the area of what you desire. Keep in mind that Gods who you work with regularly will have a much stronger relationship with you. As a result, they will frequently be more inclined to help you, similar to how you are more inclined to help a good friend than a stranger. It is good to offer the God(s) appropriate offerings they enjoy in trade.
5. If you wish, you can offer your request to mid-level spiritual beings, such as angels. Make sure you know which ones will help you and it is best to have previously developed a relationship with them individually. I recommend researching angels before working with them, as it pays to be specific with which ones you work with. Good resources for this include Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels by Gustav Davidson and The Encyclopedia of Angels by Rosemary Guiley. Appropriate offerings in trade are highly recommended with angels.
6. To bring your desire lower into manifestation, you can work with appropriate fae beings. Again, make sure you know which ones you’re dealing with. You may not know them individually, but you need to know what kind, such as brownies, gnomes, etc. Excellent resources for learning about these beings including, A Complete Guide to Faeries and Magical Beings by Cassandra Eason and Faery Wicca - Book I and Book II by Kisma K. Stepanich. Giving something in trade is essential with fae, or else they will ignore your request or, at worst, they will come after you for not paying.
7. Animal spirits and totems also work close to the physical plane, so they can help your desire come into fruition. One resource for learning about animal spirits is Animal Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small by Ted Andrews. Like physical animals, animal spirits and totems require an offering, like a treat they enjoy.
8. The final major step to getting your desire physically manifested is to work on the physical plane yourself. If what you want requires money, then you need to actually work to get that money. You can do many things at this point. You can use your human relationships to help you get a better job or start a side business. You can take on a part-time job. You can tighten your budget to save money for it. There are an infinite number of things you can do to help with this, including performing another spell for the money and repeating this process to get aid from your relationships with higher beings. I just recommend highly that if what you want requires money that you pay cash for it. Buying on credit simply is a way to dodge the hard work on the physical plane and the interest you pay is more than just the finance charge.

The universe is abundant and able to provide anything you want and need. It is just a matter of developing strong relationships with many beings on different levels, paying proper respect and honor to all others (both human and non-human), and helping others receive what they want to the best of your ability. It is hard work at each step, but once you master it, you can fulfill your dreams by taking full advantage of the universal economy.

To pass the love on:

1. The winner can put the logo on her/his blog
2. Link the person you received the award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours
5. Leave a message on the blogs nominated

Here are seven of my favorite blogs:

1. Pagan Dad - By Patrick McCleary. An excellent blog written by a Pagan father, which seems to be a rare thing. He inspires me with his interesting Pagan things to do with children and recipes, and sheds further light on many theological issues.
2. The Gods are Bored - By Anne Johnson. An entertaining and light-hearted window into her life as a Pagan mother. She always makes me smile.
3. The Wild Hunt - By Jason Pitzl-Waters. Essential daily reading to keep up with the latest news affecting Pagans.
4. The Sacred Space - By R.E. An insightful blog about various aspects of Pagan spirituality and religion in daily life.
5. Owl’s Wings - By Beth Owl’s Daughter. An enlightening blog that digs into topics in greater depth, such as the Muses. Also offers a weekly tarot card with good descriptions, which can help better understand the tarot and divination.
6. Magic in These Hills - By Livia Indica. Interesting blog that discusses many aspects of spirituality, including essays, poetry and Kahlil Gibran.
7. The Self Sufficient Urbanite - By Nathaniel Martin. Not exactly Pagan, but an excellent blog by a man living in NYC offering interesting how-to information about living sustainably. Perfect for those who wish to learn to do many things themselves.

Essentially, the Hero’s Journey is a journey to an Otherworld, whether it be the Underworld (which it frequently is) or another world completely unlike where the hero previously lived. This journey has a critical role in a person’s spiritual development. One main result of this journey, if successful, is the gaining of faith.

The journey can start either by an external event happening to the person, such as the tornado that took Dorothy off to the land of Oz. Or it can be started through a self-initiation, such as when someone chooses to go on a cross-country journey. We saw many hitchhikers like this on our journey from South Dakota to California, especially in the open spaces of Wyoming. Regardless of how it is started, the journey normally is started spontaneously and the outcome is unknown to the sojourner, even if they think they know where it will go.

If you’re like most people, the Hero’s Journey probably isn’t a big geographical journey, unless you join the Peace Corps or the military. You may have a job, family and regular life preventing you from doing that. Like most people, the journey to the Otherworld for you may be one more of the mind and spirit, rather than geography. You grow restless in your mundane existence and wonder if there is anything else in life.

You seek new adventures. This may take many different paths, possibly including researching new religions and religious groups, experimenting with new forms of sexuality or drugs, taking larger risks in areas of finance, job or investment, or trying something else new. This will probably not appear to be the start to a journey to another world. You probably will just dip your toes in it a bit and dabble. And then dabble a bit more. And a bit more, as the intrigue and wonder increase their lure. Then, you suddenly find yourself in over your head.

Sudden significant changes happen to you that appear to be unrelated to the initial interest. You might find yourself on the edge, or over the edge, of bankruptcy. Or your marriage becomes significantly strained, possibly ending up with separation. You may lose their job, possibly for reasons seemingly unrelated to your other life changes. Sometimes, all of the above may happen to you and more.

The journey to an Otherworld gets it’s initiatory power from you being completely removed from all that makes you comfortable. Comfort brings stagnation. The biggest cure to stagnation and being comfortable is another world, where nothing is familiar. You lose all of your normal sources of earthly strength. You become completely drained of your own strength and resources as the journey becomes more and more expensive, with no end in sight.

Naturally, the end of the journey comes to many people in chronic depression they never grow out of or other “mental” illnesses. This is what happens when you fail the test of the journey. Persephone had a choice of staying in the Underworld with Hades or returning for a time to the upper worlds. Many people choose to stay in the Underworld. This is what happens when one becomes comfortable in their Otherworld. I recommend 1998 movie, What Dreams May Come, for a visual example of someone who failed the journey and chose to remain in the Underworld.

There is another choice, though. And it is a choice. You may find yourself completely without any means to support yourself and without any strength to move on. The Gods will ask you, in many ways, a single question. That question is this: “Do you choose life or death?”

If you choose death, you remain in the Underworld. If you choose life, they will lift you up from the ashes, as a phoenix is reborn. It is something that you cannot do yourself, no matter how strong or smart you are. It can only be done by the Gods, if you let them.

You tell them you choose life. You give yourself up to them, surrendering yourself completely and on all levels. You are but a leaf in the wind. They lift you up, but they lift you up only to the door back to your regular, mundane world. They show you the way and they give you the key. Then they ask you again, “Do you choose Life or Death?”

To choose life, you must take the key, insert it into the door, open the door and walk through. You must cross this threshold yourself using your own strength. This strength is from faith.

When you allowed yourself to be carried by the Gods, you opened yourself to faith. Prior to this, you lacked faith because you fought the downward spiral of the journey. You fought to keep your possessions, your pride, your dignity and everything else you cherished. When you lost all of these and more, you realized that you are simply not strong enough. You are only human. You are not a God.

Faith is the knowledge that the Gods will take care of you if you let them. They are your foundation, which gives the strength to do what you need to do. True faith is such a basic piece of wisdom that you do not worry anymore. You know that you can lose all and still survive because the Gods will help you. This is something that nobody and nothing can remove from you, without your permission.

Faith is something that cannot be taught. Children may go to Christian Sunday School, Wiccan sabbats and esbats, or Muslim or Jewish religious classes, but they will not be taught faith in them. Religion can be taught, but faith can only be gained by taking the personal journey to an Otherworld.

The Hero’s Journey to the Otherworld is the ultimate journey. Since everything happens in cycles, a person will undertake this journey multiple times in each life, if they choose. Each time, their faith is tested and through that test, strengthened. Therefore, this journey is one of the central pillars to spiritual development that all people are presented with, each within their own religious tradition.

Other Synchroblog Contributions

Here is a list of the other contributions to this synchroblog:

1. Faith and the Hero’s Journey (Hawk’s Cry: The voice of a witch)
2. Journeying to Otherworlds: Access Denied (Between Old and New Moons)
3. Lions at the Door (Quaker Pagan Reflections)
4. More Than These Words (Aquila ka Hecate)
5. Journeying to Otherworlds (The Dance of the Elements)
6. Mythology Synchroblog 4: Children’s Story for Mabo (Pagan Dad)
7. Underground Ruminations (Gorgon Resurfaces)
8. Synchroblog: Journeys to the Otherworld (Bubo’s Blog)
9. Otherworlds Synchroblog: Olympus (Paleothea: the Ancient Goddess)
10. Symbolic Saiho-ji and Otherworld Journeying (Symbolic Meanings)
11. Becoming Pagan in America - an otherworld journey (Executive Pagan)
12. The Wheel’s Hub: The Axis Mundi in Tolkein’s Middle Earth (Druid Journal)

Here is a simple, yet powerful, exercise I came up with to balancing your chakras. I’ve had good results with it, so may it help you too.

Getting in Touch

Many people have difficulty in finding their chakras and connecting with them. They may have a good connection they can find easily with one or two chakras, but the others are more elusive. This exercise will help you find all seven and become more familiar with each.

You should have an uninterrupted period of thirty minutes alone available for this exercise. You can do this in a group, but I recommend performing it alone. I also recommend performing this exercise skyclad, though this is not a requirement. You can do it in bed or in a bathtub if you prefer. If you wish to do it clothed, I recommend very light, loose clothing.

You can have some soft, slow instrumental music playing if you wish. Your eyes should be closed.

1. Start with the crown chakra (Sahasrara in Sanskrit) at the top of your head. Touch the very top of your head. Understand that this chakra is technically above the top of your head, but for the purpose of this exercise, you can use the very top of your head. With your index and middle fingers together, rub a small circle at this point in a deosil (clockwise) direction. Use moderate pressure, where it does not tickle and does not cause pain. This point is your most direct connection to the divine and helps you hear and understand the Gods. While rubbing this chakra, imagine a white light. Notice how it appears and how you feel about it. Keep rubbing for a few minutes, paying close attention to what other sights, sounds and sensations occur.
2. Move on to the third eye chakra (Ajna), located on your forehead between your eyebrows. Rub a small circle at this point with your index and middle fingers, just as you did with your Crown chakra. This chakra allows you to see what is really there. Your normal eyes don’t see everything. They only see what is physical. Your Third Eye allows you to see what is non-physical as well. With it, you see spirits, fairies, energy and all else that is really present around you. Initially, visualize the color purple when you rub this chakra. Be open to what sensations, sights and sounds you receive and pay attention to them.
3. Next, continue with your throat chakra (Vishuddha), right at your Adam’s Apple. Lightly rub a deosil circle while visualizing a blue color. This is the chakra of your sense of expression and communication. If you have difficulty in saying what you mean in an assertive manner, you may have a blockage in or near this chakra. Pay attention to what you hear, feel and see, just like the others. If you feel the urge to make noises yourself, feel free to do so. You are alone, so don’t worry about others hearing. If you become overwhelmed, simply take a break and move on to the next chakra.
4. The heart chakra (Anahata) is next. Rub a deosil circle in the middle of your chest, right between your nipples. Visualize green initially, but remain open to whatever sights appear. You may feel strange emotions, either positive or negative. Don’t fight these emotions, simply allow them to be. When you are ready, you can move on to the next chakra.
   
5. After the heart, move to the solar plexus chakra (Manipura) and repeat. This area is your power center, where your inner strength comes from. Visualize the color yellow when working this area. If you have a tendency to feel powerless, circling this chakra as you have with the others can produce either a great sense of inner strength, or it can awaken strong fears of weakness. If you feel weakness and powerlessness when rubbing this chakra, it is being blocked. Exercises, such as this one and others, can help remove this blockage. Removing such blockages does not happen right away. Daily practice can remove them over time. Again, if the feeling becomes too much, feel free to move on.
6. The next chakra is the sacral chakra (Swadhistana). To work this area, rub a circle in the area immediately above your genitals in the area between your lower stomach and the top of your genitals. Visualize an orange color initially. Since our culture is very sex-phobic, do not be surprised of this awakens feelings you have suppressed. Old fears that you have not completely resolved sometimes reside here. It is your creative center, which gives you the loving, creative energy to accomplish your goals. Your sacral energy drives the creation of all that you make, from your artistic works, your professional creations, what you create spiritually, along with what you may create biologically. Ideally, you should feel warm loving feelings that expand outward while working this area. It should feel deeper in your body than regular sexual play.
7. The root chakra (Muladhara) is the last of the seven main chakras. Rub a deosil circle on your perineum, located between the bottom of your genitals and your anus, while visualizing a deep, blood-red color. This can invoke strong primal emotions, ranging from joy to fear to anger. It is where your foundational earth energy of existence comes from. It strongly affects your basic sense of security in your home, in your skin, in your neighborhood. It connects you to the earth as the crown connects you to the sky. If you feel squeamish about working this area, that can be resulting from blockage. Our society plants a lot of fears with this area because it is the most difficult to control. It is your connection to your animal nature and is the core of your survival instinct. If you are chronically anxious for no apparent reason, your root may be weak or blocked. As you work it, you should feel a strong surge of energy from the earth as your root opens more to it.

After getting in touch with all seven of your main chakras, you will feel a stronger sense of completeness and balance. Over time, this feeling will increase. You will also find that throughout your day, your thinking will be clearer and your emotions more appropriate to the situations. You’ll find yourself becoming less distracted by unhelpful emotions and petty issues that come up.

You may find that some chakras produce virtually no sensations or sights whatsoever. This is the result of blockages that have been there so long that you’ve lost your connection to that chakra. Rubbing it in this manner while visualizing the color associated with the chakra will help you to reconnect with it. This reconnection may be slow, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work for a while. Just keep practicing and have faith that it will happen.

Hymn to Iris

Hail Iris, Lady of many colours
The rainbow is your path, your playground,
Your slide, your road to happiness
You nurture our feelings, define our emotions,
Encompass our moods, broaden our natures
As messenger, you run fleet-footed
From Olympos to Earth and back
And forth and back and forth
Hermes would find you no stranger
So similar are your duties to his
Both of messages, both of travel
Both of laughter, both of marvels
Yet you are the rainbow, Lady of dew-drop splendour
You descend from the mist and clouds
To bring us the word of the gods
You are she of the playful smile
She of the welcome winsome ways
You are herald and harbinger
Bringer of all news
Words fall from your stately mouth like rain
Wherever the gods send you will go
Traipsing gently down to give the message
Lady of many hues, we ask for your blessing
In things that can be sent, messages, travel, and emotions

—Rev. Lady Bella Sundancer

Eberhardt wrote an interesting article on Living Within Mother Earth - Breaking the Bottled Water Habit that made me think a focus more on some thoughts I’ve had recently. He wrote about how bottled water is negative on us and the earth in many ways, along with how regular American city tap water is more regulated, safer and cheaper than bottled water.

Our family drinks tap water that is run through a Brita filter, which makes it taste better and makes it even cleaner for a negligible cost per gallon. We do buy bottled water when we’re traveling for the convenience and the bottle. Our kids work very well with the smaller Evian bottles because they have a cap that is easy for small children to drink from without spilling. As a result, we frequently wash and re-use those bottles until the covers on the caps break off. If you’re concerned about the “hazards” of re-using those disposable PET water bottles, I suggest reading an article on debris.com that shed some interesting light on this urban myth.

These thoughts about water usage got me thinking more about how people in America live in many different climates, but try to pretend that they are all in the same climate. For example, Las Vegas is in a desert. Try telling that to the people who live there. When we traveled from South Dakota to California, I found it very strange that the Nevada cities of Mesquite and Las Vegas both looked very much like they were in Florida. They had palm trees and lush lawns. All in a desert.

When we owned a home in south Minneapolis, I wanted to grow wildflowers native to that area in the yard. I was rather naïve about these plants’ life cycles and how they really looked as they developed. I planted a lot of mixed seeds in April and May. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that these wildflowers all look like overgrown grass for their first year, instead of the colorful flowers I expected. It was definitely uglier than I anticipated.

Like most municipalities, there is a city ordinance that states that grass cannot be higher than eight inches in Minneapolis. So, at the end of August, I received a threatening letter from the city about my “grass” being too long and requiring that I cut it. I suspected that the city officials are not sympathetic to residents returning native plants to their yards, so I decided to save my energy and not fight them.

The blessing I received from planting these native flowers was that the local bee and other insect populations grew considerably in my yard, an indication that the spirits were pleased. I also found that some wildflowers had established themselves enough before the mowing to come back and bloom the next year. Many didn’t make it, so I had empty spots to fill, but quite a few returned.

Since then, I saw people in South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California all trying to grow the same grass lawns that people try to grow in Minnesota. Those grasses don’t grow well in Minnesota without significant watering, so they take even more in these drier western states. It is this way all around the country.

We live in the Los Angeles area now, which has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. So why is so much of the Los Angeles area covered with grassy lawns? Such huge amounts of water are wasted here in the Valley just on lawn and garden irrigation.

I am a firm believer in living within your climate. If you live in a desert, have a yard with desert plants, like cacti and desert-loving grasses. If you live in a Mediterranean climate, grow evergreen trees, shrubs like myrtle and laurel, along with Garrigue vegetation and sweet-smelling herbs, such as rosemary and thyme. If we owned our home in Los Angeles, this is what we would be replacing the grass lawn with.

If someone does not like having native or acclimated plants in their lives, they should seriously consider moving. If you like palm trees and lush lawns, move to Florida. Don’t try to force the land around you to conform to what you wish it to be (or what your neighbors think it should be). That is disrespectful of the local spirits.

Instead, change yourself to live in harmony with those spirits and that land. In Los Angeles, we have become more conscious of water conservation, since it is not as plentiful in the summer as central Minnesota or even South Dakota. For example, I wash my car with using only about 1 gallon of water without using a hose. There are waterless car washes available, but Los Angeles is not a desert.

We do not need to apologize for living as humans, as some people suggest. We don’t need to eliminate our “carbon footprint” or reduce the resources we use to zero. We are as much a part of this earth as any other organism. We have the right to use reasonable amounts of water, electricity, petroleum, etc. We need to understand that if we waste, we hurt ourselves in many ways. Mother Earth has been here and prospered long before humans existed and will still be here when we are but mere fossils.

We need to acknowledge that we are a legitimate part of this earth and that we live in a particular climate. That climate gives us certain things in abundance and other things are scarce or rare. We need to accept that situation and live within it if we want to delay the time we become fossils and distant memories in the Akashic record.

When I travel the country, I hope that someday I will be able to identify about what part of the country someone’s house is in by the look and vegetation of their yard. It would save immense amounts of resources, especially water, time and energy put into maintaining plants in areas they are not meant to live. The people would be living in harmony with the land and its spirits around them. And this would open their eyes to all the beauty that is naturally around them and help them to abandon the idea that a beautiful yard has only one appearance.

I have previously written about using prayer as part of an act of daily devotion, for thanksgiving and to help yourself and others. This week, I would like to offer a method for writing your own powerful prayers that will help you grow and prosper.

There are a few Pagan and Wiccan prayer books published, including Be Blessed, Dewdrops in the Moonlight, A Book of Pagan Prayer and The Wiccan Prayer Book, that can help when you don’t have time available or your emotional state prevents you from writing your own prayer. The best prayers are ones written by you, as they contain everything you need and nothing extra. They are more heartfelt when they are your own words, which makes them more powerful.

Basic Ingredients of a Prayer

There are a few important ingredients to an effective prayer that connect your mind, heart and spirit to your prayer in a “package” that is sent to the Gods you specify. This connection is important, as you must have your whole being connected to your prayers. Tying these three ingredients together into a prayer makes it a complete package that is sent to the Gods and spirits and is returned to you when your prayer is answered.

1. Intention. What do you want to happen as a result of your prayer? It can be anything from healing of yourself or others to a stronger connection with the Gods through love and devotion. This ingredient puts your mind into your prayer.
2. Sincerity. It is important that your heart be intimately connected with your mind. Your intention must be backed with sincerity or else your intention is not really an intention, but a daydream. The Gods want to know that you truly want what you’re asking for, so They look for sincerity in your prayer. Sincerity connects your heart to your prayer.
3. Faith. Intention and sincerity are a powerful combination, but they lack the power to transcend this plane without faith. Faith is the rocket booster that pushes the prayer beyond the limits of time and space into the realm of the Gods. Understand it might not be answered in the way you thought. Part of having faith is knowing that your prayer will be answered in the best manner possible as the Gods see fit. Faith ties your spirit to your prayer, making it a complete package that will be answered.

Common Prayer Outline

In addition to these essential ingredients, here is a common prayer framework you can use as a basic outline. This is not as essential as the three ingredients of Intention, Sincerity and Faith, but it can help give a framework to make it easier to write a prayer. Feel free to modify this basic outline to your needs.

1. Address the prayer. Specify which deity, spirit or other entity you are addressing your prayer to. You do not need to address Him/Her by name, but you may address Them by their attributes, myths, or any name you know Them by. It is good to also mention what the entity has done or what They are like.
2. State your intention. What is it you would like the entity to help you with?
3. Say why you are asking for the intention. This is one way to show your sincerity.
4. Close the prayer. This can be done in many ways, including a very simple, “So mote it be.”

Example Prayers

Here are a few brief examples of prayers that illustrate the above outline. Feel free to use these as a starting point to writing your own prayers.

1. Dear Lord and Lady. You have made all there is, infusing it with Your divine spark so that all are connected and a part of You. Please help me see myself as an extension of You with strength and confidence so that I may feel empowered and without fear of failure. So mote it be.
2. Almighty Mother Hera and Father Zeus, who are the Great Parents of us all. Please help me become more patient with those who are different from me. Help me to understand that though they may think and feel differently from me, they are also Your children. Remind me that they are part of my family through You so that I may feel love toward them, as You so love me. I pray for this so that I can help make the world around me more harmonious and loving. So mote it be.
3. O Gods and spirits of friendship, who help friends find each other. Please help me be more friendly and open to other people. Help me to open my heart to others so that I may have more friends. Help me to show others who I am inside so they can see how we can be friends together, without fear that I may be misunderstood or hurt. I wish to have more friends and not be so lonely. So mote it be.
4. Patron and Matron Gods, who have helped me with so many things. I am here offering thanks for all You have done. Please accept my love and thanksgiving. My devotion to You is undying and I am grateful for Your wise counsel and assistance. Blessed be.

When sending a prayer to the heavens, it is common to give an offering or sacrifice to the Gods or spirits. This is not required but it is something I suggest when the occasion is appropriate. A small offering of incense, milk, alcohol (such as vodka), water, or anything else that seems appropriate for the deity or spirit would show Them that you are willing to give something to get something. It also shows Them respect and gratitude for their hearing your prayer and helping you, which you know through your faith will happen.

Prayer is an important part of all religions, including Paganism and Wicca. Though there are some great books that contain pre-written prayers, it is best if you write your own whenever you can. The prayers will be custom to your needs and will contain an extra sense of sincerity and faith that is directly from you, making them more powerful.

The most important thing to remember when writing or ad-libbing a prayer is to speak from your heart and know that the Gods and spirits will hear you and help you in the way that is best for all.