Appreciating Differences

I remember shopping at a local flea market a few years ago looking to buy a book on Jewish culture for my Wiccan friend as a Yule gift. I saw a used book stand and confidently walked up to the saleswoman and said, "Good day! I was wondering if you would happen to have any books on Christmas? I have a friend who wishes to learn more about his Jewish heritage." Of course, after I misspoke I immediately realized my "slip of the tongue." But before I had the chance to correct myself, she very sternly replied, "No, no it's Hanukkah, my de-ah, Hanukkah!" I promptly apologized and we both shared a little chuckle, deservedly so, at my expense.

The friend whom I am referring to is my very dear friend and our long-time solitary group member, Matthew.  When it comes to witches, some of us are what are considered to be a hereditary witch - meaning a witch who can trace his or her bloodline back at least three generations. Some of us are natural witches and some of us are even mixed with another faith.  Such is the case with my friend Matthew. He is a Wiccan; however, he also chooses to acknowledge his Jewish roots.  Traditionally in the Jewish religion, it is the mothers' side of the family which determines the faith of the next generation of children. Even though Matt's mother does not choose follow the Jewish faith, his grandmother did.



It is interesting to note that the six-pointed Jewish Star of David was originally a Pagan symbol known as the Seal of Solomon. In fact, the menorah, which is also associated with the Jewish religion, is often used by many Wiccans (myself included) during esbat rituals. The main reason for this is because of the number "9" which has long been considered a magickal symbol. Furthermore, as my Wiccan High Priestess friend of the 'Coven of the the Silver Moon Circle' Lady Sabrina Rhiannon, and my Reiki Master adds,  "If you view it in 3D. It is the Merkabah of Metatron. With deep meditation and breath patterns and learning its rotation pattern, that it can assist with personal ascension."

To me, one of the most beautiful things about Wicca is its' open-mindedness and willingness to learn from others. It is not solely a matter of education; however, it is also a case of appreciating eachothers' differences - whatever our heritage.

"Shalom lecha, ahavti, my friend, and a Blessed Yule to all!!!

TBT: A Matter of Faith

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As a Wiccan, I faithfully celebrate Yule and the Winter Solstice. As a daughter; however, I still spend the Christmas holidays, church aside, with my Christian family. There may be a few of my fellow Wiccans who might believe that in doing so, I am in conflict with my Wiccan beliefs. As I see it, I, myself, am not celebrating Christmas - I am merely respecting the fact that my family does.  I love spending time with my family and friends and since that does not interfere in any way with the fact that I am Wiccan and celebrate the sabbat of Yule, I certainly do not see any problem with it. 

For example, my husband is agnostic, but he has always respected my decision to be a Wiccan. Even though he does not actually participate in our circles and sabbat celebrations, he is still there with me and he helps me in any way he can.  He has always stood by me and supported me throughout these many years. The fact that he does not follow my own personal religious beliefs, does not mean that he can not be accepting of them.

As a Wiccan Priestess and teacher, I am also a strong advocate of religious tolerance, and as such, I truly believe in “practicing what I preach.” After all, it is a road which runs both ways.  It is important for us to remember that, ultimately, we all breathe the same air and we are all a part of the same universe – regardless of our various faiths and diverse religious beliefs.

TBT: Pennhurst State School & Asylum

Admittedly, I had planned a rather different 'Throwback Thursday' post for today; however, I was reminded of this particular subject a couple of days ago when I saw a really disturbing and (for me a pretty despicable) advert for an up-coming 'Ghost Tour' of Pennhurst State School & Asylum on FB's homepage. So, I decided to re-post this instead.

(Originally posted on October 19, 2014)

Pennhurst State School & Asylum

Last night,  my husband & I went to the "untouched" section of Pennhurst State School & Asylum located in Spring City, PA ... NO actors, NO set ups, NO props. Let me tell you, my friends, THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED - haunted by the poor souls who onced resided there and experienced the events which took place during its' tenure.

Sadly, it has a rich history filled with accusations of torture, abuse and neglect. A history of mental patients chained to the walls in dark tunnels, children left for years in cribs, sexual abuse by the staff and even murder. All this happened behind the walls of Pennhurst State School.

Pennhurst was constructed and opened in 1908 as a state school for the mentally and physically disabled. Pennhurst's property covers 120 acres and was built to house over 10,000 patients at that time ~ making Pennhurst one of the largest institutions of its kind in Pennsylvania. Half of Pennhurst's residents were committed by court order and the other half were brought by a parent or other guardian. It was devoted strictly to the care, treatment and education of the disabled. Originally named Pennhurst Home for the Feeble Minded and Epileptic, it was finally just called Pennhurst State School.  Pennhurst employed a large number of staff to help assist in maintaining the facility. This staff included a board of trustees, medical staff, dental staff, and specialists in psychology, social services, accounting, and various fields of education. 

The grounds of Pennhurst included a 300-bed hospital, which had a full nursing staff and two surgeons on call at all times. Others at Pennhurst included members of the clergy and farming experts who grew most of Pennhurst's food . Pennhurst was an essentially self-sufficient community, its 1,400-acre site containing a firehouse, general store, barber shop, movie theatre, auditorium and even a greenhouse. The buildings of Pennhurst were named after towns in Pennsylvania such as Chester and Devon. The original buildings were designed by architect Phillip H. Johnson. All of Pennhurst's electricity was generated by an on-site power plant. A cemetery lay on the property, as well as baseball and recreational fields for the residents. Many of Pennhurst's buildings were strictly for storage; however, the majority were dormitory and hospital-style living quarters for the residents. Many of the buildings had security screens that were accessed on the inside, to prevent patients from escaping, or jumping to their deaths. Most of the stairwells had security fences to keep patients from jumping over the railings. Many of the buildings are linked by an underground tunnel system designed for transportation of handicapped patients to and from the dormitory, recreational buildings and dietary. 

 Pennhurst Campus in 1934

Pennhurst was often accused of dehuminazitation and was said to have provided no help to the mentally challenged. The institution had a long history of staff difficulties and negative public image. For example, a 1968 report by NBC called "Suffer the Little Children" documented the travesties which surrounded Pennhurst State School and it was closed in 1986 following several allegations of abuse. These allegations led to the first lawsuit of its kind in the United States, Pennhurst State School and Hospital vs. Halderman, which asserted that the mentally retarded have a constitutional right to living quarters and an education. Terry Lee Halderman had been a resident of the school, and upon release she filed suit in the district court on behalf of herself and all other residents of Pennhurst. The complaint alleged that conditions at Pennhurst were unsanitary, inhumane and dangerous, that these living conditions violated the fourteenth amendment, and that Pennhurst used cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth and fourteenth amendments. After a 32-day trial and an immense investigation, prosecutors concluded that the conditions at Pennhurst were not only dangerous, with physical and mental abuse of its patients, but also inadequate for the care and habilitation for the mentally retarded. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also concluded that the physical, mental, and intellectual skills of most patients had actually deteriorated while in Pennhurst. 

And so, in 1986, Pennhurst was ordered closed, and began a program of de-institutionalism that lasted several years.  Once the buildings were closed, they began to rapidly deteriorate from lack of heating, moisture invasion and vandalism. Consequently, Pennhurst fell into complete ruin as the complex was shut down. Buildings were abandoned as they were, with patient’s clothes and belongings scattered everywhere. Furniture, cabinets and medical equipment were left to decay as if someone had just got up and walked out the front door. 

Another part of the building is an area that has suffered a moderate fire. Door frames and headers are charred, and the smell of burnt wood is still perceptible. The area that was burned housed two sound proof cells; small rooms where patients could be locked away and their screams could be totally muffled. The floors, walls and ceilings are 6” thick with heavy insulation stuffed between the studs. The interiors are lined with sound proof tiles, and the exterior is sheathed in another layer of sound proofing. Even the doors are 8” thick and insulated. As you walk into these rooms, you can feel the air get heavy, the sounds deaden and you can imagine how the patients felt being locked up in the pitch dark with no one hearing your screams. 

It is no wonder that Pennhurst is really haunted. Featured on the Travel Channel, the Ghost Adventures crew have recorded many strange voices, noises and unexplained movement and documented this in their shows. The Pennhurst Ghost Tours open to professional and amateur ghost hunters with recordings, photos and accounts of physical contact throughout the Pennhurst complex. 

Just an added note, we were not allowed to enter the cellar nor the upstairs floor as I am assuming that due to the rather hazardous conditions of the building's deterioration, it would be far too dangerous and a huge liability issue as well!

While walking through the museum portion of the tour, I personally experienced an overwhelming feeling of sadness and confusion. And, as we continued throughout the many different abandoned rooms, I could literally feel the temperature getting much colder. Although I was not at all scared, I was extremely saddened by it all. On the way home in the car, my hubby told me that one of his distant family members was once a patient at Pennhurst many years ago. Without speaking further to any other family members, we know very little at this time about this relative other than they were admitted because they were born "mongoloid" (Down Syndrome). In fact, my natural grandmother was diagnosed with schizophrenia a couple of months after my mother was born and, she herself, spent her entire life in a mental institution where she had passed away at the age of 86.

To watch "Ghost Hunters" - Season 7, Episode 2, click on this link:

https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/pennsylvania-asylum/umc.cmc.5ykx44by3uq7su5hku2827maq

TBT: Our Trip to New Hope

Yesterday hubby, my sister Aurora Skye, her husband, and I took a lovely little day trip to one of our favorite spots ~ New Hope, PA. This was Aurora's hubby's first time ever visiting there and we had a simply beautiful fall afternoon!

Of course, we had to stop into the village witch shops where I found some great stuff ...

"Gypsy Heaven"

A cool candy dish

A celestial pendant

A Green Man pendant 

 

And, "Mystickal Tymes" where I not only picked up a couple of more sweet items, but had also gotten the chance to see their gorgeous mascot (and shop owner Eric's beloved kitty) Morganna who is an amazing 20 years old!

A taper candle holder which I plan on using in my next Beltane ritual.

A Mermaid Chalice

A Mermaid Tea Light Holder

Mermaid Statue

'The Gang' posing outside of "Gypsy Heaven"

  

As always, there are plenty of cool things to see and do ...

Year-round rail road trips

The Bucks County Playhouse 

"Christmas Past" 

  

Throwback Thursday

Makin' Whoopee

 Dr. John:   Another bride, another groom

                  Another sunny honeymoon

                  Another season, another reason

                  For makin' whoopee

Rickie Lee Jones:   A lotta shoes, a lotta rice

                               The groom is nervous, 

                               He answers twice

                               It's really killin' that he's so willin'

                               For makin' whoopee

Dr. John:                It's just your little love nest, 

                               Down where the roses swing

                               It's still that same sweet love nest

                               That ain't what the years can bring

Rickie Lee Jones:   He's washing dishes and baby clothes

                               He's so ambitious he even sews

Dr. John:                So don't forget folks

                              That's what you get folks

                              For makin' whoopee

(musical break)

Rickie Lee Jones:  Another year or maybe less

                              What's this I hear?

                              Well, can't you guess?

                             She feels neglected

                             And he's suspected 

                             Of makin' whoopee

Dr. John:             She sits alone most every night

                           He doesn't phone, he doesn't write

                           He says he's busy

                           And she says ...

Rickie Lee Jones:  Is he?

Dr. John:               He's makin' whoopee

                             He doesn't make much money

                             Only five thousands bucks

                             Some judge he thinks he's funny

                             Says you pay six to her

                             Now he says judge, suppose I fail?

                             Judge says Bud, rot in jail!

                             You better keep her

Rickie Lee Jones: Yeah, I think it's cheaper

Dr. John:               Than makin whoopee

Rickie Lee Jones:  Than makin' whoopee

Dr. John:                Than makin' whoppee, hummmm

TBT: Twin Souls

They say that everyone has a twin soul. Sometimes we are lucky enough to meet that person and sometimes can live out our entire lives without even knowing who that person is.  In the book, “Reincarnation: Remembering Past Lives,” by Genevieve Lewis-Paulson & Stephen Paulson, the authors describe a twin soul as:

“… very similar and usually the same sex. Sometimes their astrological charts are so closely aligned they will do the same thing at the same time. They might not even be aware of the other person for many years. If one twin develops and grows, the other twin’s growth is automatically enhanced. There is usually a strong past-life connection with twin souls and they have gone through a number of difficult situations together, thus building a trust level. When these persons meet, they immediately have a common trust and a common understanding. The organization of their lives would be similar.”

Twin souls can be friends of the same sex, but twin flames are the opposite gender. While many use the terms twin souls and twin flames interchangeably, it is important to note that there are certain differences between the two. Twin souls are essentially two souls who are destined to be together throughout lifetimes.

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I met my twin soul many years ago. Her name is Judy (a.k.a. Rhiannon) and we met back in 1990 while working for an insurance company. She was being interviewed by my supervisor at the time and I ran into her in his office. The first thing we literally said to each other was, “I know you from somewhere!” We both remembered feeling as if we had met before, but couldn’t figure out how or where? As we got to know one another, we found out several interesting similarities between us. Our birthdays are a day apart and our astrological charts are very close, our mothers even knew each other because they worked for the exact same employer in the same department, we both have scars on our right knees and  have a right front chipped tooth from when we were children, we were both diagnosed with amenorrhea in our early 20’s and we both have artistic abilities, to name a few. We have been best friends throughout these many years - some 30 years or so give or take.  Oddly, we had both noticed that things had gotten extremely chaotic for us on the rare occasions that we were not in each others’ lives. Frankly, we were both quite miserable. It was as if, karmically speaking, something wasn’t right.  Could all of these things be a coincidence? We think not.

Both my sister's Aurora Skye and Judy (Rhiannon) were my  Bride's Maidens in my wedding in 2001 (above) and the three of us are posing for a pic at one of our past Beltane Celebrations ...

Singing together ...

A few past pics with Judy and her son Rich ...

Birthday pic - 2009 (above) and some sabbat celebration pics (below) ...

Like many close friends, we have seen one another through good times and bad, marriages and break-ups, life and death situations. To this day, we still seem to go through the same exact situations at the same time. In fact, sometimes we are so much alike that it is scary – lol! There are only three people in this world, other than my blood family, that I trust implicitly and she is one of them. Whether you believe in a twin soul or not, there are definitely some things in this universe that are hard to explain. Personally, I feel that the Goddess brings certain people into our lives for a reason and if there truly is such a thing as a “twin soul,” I was fortunate enough to find mine.

A few years ago, Judy wrote a beautiful poem about our friendship and framed it as a personal wedding gift for me when Brett and I got married. I’d like to share it with you ...

“Twin Souls”

I feel your gladness, I feel your pain

I feel your sunshine, I feel your rain

We are sisters of the craft

and of Neptune, too

We are sisters of the deep blue sea

And of the soul, too

We are sisters of the heart,

Whether near or far,

We are never apart

Like the Moon guides the stars

May our powers blend and combine,

Like twin souls, we are one mind -

Because to me, we’re more than “just friends”

May the God and Goddess bless our friendship always and forever!

“So mote it be”

TBT: Thanks, Ehstemai!

(Most Wiccans in the U.S. practice alone, though they congregate in large gatherings to conduct rituals and learn from one another.)

Late last week, I received an e-mail from a very nice Wiccan Priestess named Ehstemai. She happened to come across one of my old poems which I had posted on Witchvox called, "Earth Sisters."

She told me that she believes her readers would really love it and asked my permission to post it on on her site, "What is Wicca?" 

 Earth Sisters

In fate they so did meet

In friendship they so stayed

Neither realized the kind of bond

That yet was to be made

Judy so shy and quiet,
Kim with Pisces eyes
Both are kind and caring,
Free spirited and wise

As years went by so quickly
Their lives seemed such a mess
Always striving to move forward
But growing so restless

Until one day they finally found
A love they both could share
In the precious Lord and Lady
Who are always everywhere

They chose their craft name wisely
One Rhiannon, one Caer
And thus respect Natures powers
Of Fire, Water, Earth and Air

They worship now in perfect trust
As they give back to the Earth
And where they once felt unalive,
They now can feel rebirth

 With each passing day
Their sisterhood grows strong
As does their love of music
Which they share in dance and song

They know someday the time will come
The question not where but when
As Merry Meet, merry part
And Merry they'll meet again

~ Lady Caer Morganna 

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