The Lwas: Marassa:

"Twins are sacred because they are living representations of the balancing forces found throughout Vodou belief. Together, they represent both the human and the divine, the mortal and the immortal. They form a connection between the physical world and the world of the spirits, and they live in both worlds. Some practitioners of Vodou believe that they are even more powerful than the lwa because of the union they symbolise."

The Voudou view of twins makes me think of the Feri Divine Twins.  Like the Divine Twins, Marassa represent opposites.  It is interesting to think of twins as both human and divine, mortal and immortal.  Feri teaches that "self is god and god is self and god is a person like myself."  We are each both human and divine, both mortal and immortal, just like the Voudou twins.  We live in both worlds.  Each one of us is the Divine Twins.

FFF
~Muninn's Kiss

In Feri Tradition, the world began with the Star Goddess, who brought the world into being through her lust.  She is God Herself, neither male nor female, but both and something beyond.

The Star Goddess gave birth to twins.  They are her consort, her son, her husband.  They are one with her yet separate.  They are one, but two, brothers, lovers, enemies, allies.  They are male and male, male and female, female and female, female and male, and yet still male and male.  Ever changing, ever moving.  They are the lemniscate gods, six gods male and female, an infinitium of gods and goddesses, six, infinity, two, one.  Ever changing, ever moving.

The Divine Twins can be seen as a snake and a bird, a serpent and a white dove.  Together they are Quetzacoatl, the winged serpent of the Aztecs.  They are seen in the eagle holding a snake, marking the location for the Aztecs to build their city.  In Christianity, Jesus says to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.

The serpent is seen twice in two different contexts in the Jewish Tanakh.  First, the serpent is who tempts Eve and thereby Adam into eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Jewish and Christian belief shows this as the fall of man.  Other groups see this as the rise of man to an enlightened state.  The second serpent is the golden serpent, raised up in the wilderness to protect the people of Israel.  In the Christian New Testiment, Jesus is equated with the golden serpent.

In the Tanakh, we first see the dove when Noah sends the dove out to find dry land.  The dove represents hope here.  In the New Testiment, the Holy Spirit comes on Jesus as a dove.  The Shekhinah, the feminine presence of G-d equates to the Holy Spirit.  In many Middle Eastern belief systems, the spirit of the gods comes upon the prophet in the form of a dove.

So, we can see Jesus and the Holy Spirit, or Moshiach (Messiah) and Shekhinah, can be seen as the serpent and the dove, as the Divine Twins.

FFF
~Muninn's Kiss

Blogs » flabbergasted » Covenspace - a Pagan social network:

I woman in North Carolina went into a lawyer's office to get help because her ex-husband was harassing her about her religion, Wicca.  Instead of politely declining to represent her, he cussed her out and told her to get out of his office.  I included the link above to her story about it.  I think people have the right not to represent someone if they have issues with their religion.  I wouldn't want someone representing me in her situation who was that against my religion.  But his actions were uncalled for and unprofessional.  If you have issues with this lawyer's behaviour, please sign the petition below.

Help stop religious discrimination! - The Petition Site

FFF
~Muninn's Kiss

Today is Purim...

Judaism 101: Purim:

Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.

The story of Purim is told in the Biblical book of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.

The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech that is all too familiar to Jews, Haman told the king, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's, and they do not observe the king's laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them." Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.

Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.

The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of G-d. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to G-d. Mordecai makes a vague reference to the fact that the Jews will be saved by someone else, if not by Esther, but that is the closest the book comes to mentioning G-d. Thus, one important message that can be gained from the story is that G-d often works in ways that are not apparent, in ways that appear to be chance, coincidence or ordinary good luck.

Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, which is usually in March. The 13th of Adar is the day that Haman chose for the extermination of the Jews, and the day that the Jews battled their enemies for their lives. On the day afterwards, the 14th, they celebrated their survival. In cities that were walled in the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, because the book of Esther says that in Shushan (a walled city), deliverance from the massacre was not complete until the next day. The 15th is referred to as Shushan Purim.

In leap years, when there are two months of Adar, Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar, so it is always one month before Passover. The 14th day of the first Adar in a leap year is celebrated as a minor holiday called Purim Katan, which means "little Purim." There are no specific observances for Purim Katan; however, a person should celebrate the holiday and should not mourn or fast. Some communities also observe a "Purim Katan" on the anniversary of any day when their community was saved from a catastrophe, destruction, evil or oppression.

The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre.

The Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther's three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king.

The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the reading of the book of Esther. The book of Esther is commonly known as the Megillah, which means scroll. Although there are five books of Jewish scripture that are properly referred to as megillahs (Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations), this is the one people usually mean when they speak of The Megillah. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle gragers (noisemakers; see illustration) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The purpose of this custom is to "blot out the name of Haman."

We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordecai," though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is. A person certainly should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill. In addition, recovering alcoholics or others who might suffer serious harm from alcohol are exempt from this obligation.

In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos (lit. sending out portions). Among Ashkenazic Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (lit. Haman's pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman's three-cornered hat. My recipe is included below.

It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests. I have heard that the usual prohibitions against cross-dressing are lifted during this holiday, but I am not certain about that. Americans sometimes refer to Purim as the Jewish Mardi Gras.

Purim is not subject to the sabbath-like restrictions on work that some other holidays are; however, some sources indicate that we should not go about our ordinary business on Purim out of respect for the holiday.

I found mention of the Housel Rite on a Traditional Witchcraft website. The following is all I could find about Housel:

Housel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Housel was, until the Reformation, the name of the Eucharist in the English language. The meaning of the word is "sacrifice," and hunsl appears in the Ulfilas Gothic version of Matthew 9:13: "I will have mercy and not sacrifice."

The word's etymology is uncertain. The New English Dictionary connects it with a Teutonic stem meaning "holy," from which is derived the Lithuanian szweñtas, and Latvian swéts. Skeat points a connection with a root meaning "to kill," which may connect it with Greek kaínein.

FFF
~Muninn's Kiss

So, I have taken lupabitch's advise to approach Leopard Seal using this guided meditation:

More About Animal Totems

The first time I approached Leopard Seal, s/he just wanted me to scratch hir throat. S/he wouldn't talk to me.  The second time I approached Leopard Seal, s/he told me s/he wanted to get to know me more.   I tried several more times and couldn't talk to hir.

Looking on Wikipedia about the Leopard Seal, I found the following:

Leopard Seal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The leopard seal is bold, powerful and curious. In the water, there is a fine line between curiosity and predatory behavior, and it may 'play' with penguins that it does not intend to eat.

Curiosity is something I have plenty of, but boldness and power are things I lack.  Maybe with contact with Leopard Seal, I can learn these things.

I also approached Raven, my primary totem.  There was no conversation, but I saw Raven giving me a sword.  It was rounded, almost like a rod or metal wand with a guard.

FFF
~Muninn's Kiss

TradWitch.com - Re:When is a witch not a Witch? - TradWitch.com Forum:

"Q: When is a witch not a witch? A: When they are a pagan. This was probably the first lesson that Robert Cochrane taught us when we joined his group. In the whole time I worked with him he tried his hardest to get this message over, unfortunately with very little success. This is not to say that he belittled paganism in any way, but he accepted it for what it was - something very different from the Craft, even though in the past both had shared common roots.

"So what is so different about them? According to Cochrane's definition, paganism is a religious pantheism, an understanding that nature is a reflection of the Hand of God and that god is nature total and complete. Whereas with witchcraft you have an occult science with its own distinct and separate traditions and philosophy. Unfortunately, in its lower stages, the Craft can and very often is confused with paganism. ...

"I suppose that if one had to define the true nature of the witch the most accurate picture would be that of an unlicensed practitioner of the mysteries of witchcraft ...

"To quote Cochrane: 'In other words, there is only one way of finding a witch, judge them by their works and by their silence - unless there is a need to speak out. ... Now what do I call myself? I don't, but witch is as good a word as any. Failing that, perhaps "Fool" might be a better name ... '"

- The Roebuck in the Thicket: An Anthology of the Robert Cochrane Witchcraft Tradition, Chapter Eighteen, Will of the Gods, pp. 152 - 153; By Evan John Jones & Robert Cochrane, Edited by Michael Howard, Chieveley U.K.: Capall Bann Publishing, 2001, ISBN 186163 155-3

The following is my description of Traditional Witchcraft which I posted on the Traditional Witchcraft Forums:

To me, Traditional Witchcraft is Witchcraft passed down from teacher to student and experienced through rites and invocation. It is a process of learning from the ancestors and from each other the secrets of the world we live in and the gods or spirits we interact with. Unlike Wicca, it is not a fertility religion, though it can contain fertility elements and symbolism.

FFF
~Muninn's Kiss

Tools of The Trade:

Ritually, the coven cauldron is symbolic of the cauldron of inspiration found in the castle of Celtic myth. Traditionally guarded by nine maidens, this is the cauldron of the pale faced Goddess. Within the cauldron are contained all knowledge and inspiration.
To drink from it is to gain that knowledge and understanding.

Evan John Jones

כו וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ; וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל-הָאָרֶץ, וּבְכָל-הָרֶמֶשׂ, הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ
כז וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ: זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, בָּרָא אֹתָם
כח וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם, אֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְכִבְשֻׁהָ; וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם, וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבְכָל-חַיָּה, הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל-הָאָרֶץ
כט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ פְרִי-עֵץ, זֹרֵעַ זָרַע: לָכֶם יִהְיֶה, לְאָכְלָה
ל וּלְכָל-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֶת-כָּל-יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב, לְאָכְלָה; וַיְהִי-כֵן
לא וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וְהִנֵּה-טוֹב מְאֹד; וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי

26 And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
28 And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
29 And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food;
30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so.
31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

As we conclude the sixth day, we come to the eighth act of witchcraft. Six is the letter Vev, the Hook, the word And.  Man is the great And. G-d had the desire for an And, for a help-mate.  It wasn't good for G-d to be alone. We are that And, that help-mate. That's the secret of Vev.

This is the eighth act. Eight is the letter Chet, the Fence. Chet represents the Bridge between the physical and the spiritual.  That is what Man is, the Bridge connecting the physical and the spiritual, for Man exists in both.

The first thing to notice about this passage is that G-d made Man is his/her image. Man is created Male and Female.  Both are in G-d's image. This has a obvious meaning.  G-d is not just Male, nor is G-d just Female.  G-d is both.  G-d sometimes manifests as one or the other, but is ultimately both.  G-d is just as much God the Father of Christianity as the Star Goddess of Feri Witchcraft.  Anything that sees the Creator as one or the other only sees half the story.   In Kabbalah, the Male gives and the Female receives.  This is why G-d is often seen as Male.  He gives to us as his Male manifestation.  But when we worship, we see the Shekhinah, the manifest presence of G-d.  The Shekhinah is Female, because G-d as Shekhinah receives worship, the Female side of G-d.

Also, G-d created us in his/her image. G-d is shown in Genesis as the first Witch, the Witch-God, performing nine acts of witchcraft to bring the world into being.  If we are in his/her image, we are Witch.  As G-d caused change, nine times, so we can cause change ourselves. G-d created a race of beings able to cause change, to perform witchcraft.  G-d created the race of Witch.

The next thing to notice is that G-d gives a command.  "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth."  First, be fruitful and multiply.  G-d wants a fertile race.  Second, replenish and subdue the earth.  There are two parts.  First, replenish.  We aren't just supposed to subdue the earth, but also replenish it.  This means we are to work to better the earth, not pollute and damage it.  Second, subdue.  We are given dominion over the earth.  We are to be rulers over all the earth, but rulers who are benevolent, who better the earth.  The third point is dominion over the animals. We are given rulership over all the animals.   Once again, we are to be benevolent rulers, looking out for the good of the animals.

Finally, we get to the plants.  Plants are given for food to both Man and the animals.  Notice that the animals are not originally given for food.  To begin with, but animals and Man were vegetarians.  They ate only plants.

And, G-d did not find it good after the creation of Man; G-d found it very good.  Man is the culmination of creation, the reason that it is very good.

And so ends the sixth day.

~Muninn's Kiss

Red Thread:

There is a story told that one of the nine mothers of the human race created the race of “Witch” using the human race as its foundation. I have no intention of putting the details of this story into the written word. To do so would allow it to be manipulated for the ends of others, who would then do with it as they will. It is enough that it is known to exist, and with its existence comes the ability to affect the dreams of those known as “sleeping witch”.
The Red Thread exists as a physical entity.

Tools of The Trade:

The Stang

The horse. It is the supreme implement. It represents the middle pillar Yggdrasill, the Ash at one end, the Rowan at the other. Its roots are Malkuth or the Gateway, that is physical
experience, and at its top is the highest mystical experience. It should be forked at the top and
bound at its base with iron. It is called the Gateway because it is phallic and presents Hermes the Guide, the Moon because it is the path to the mysteries, the foundation of wisdom and spiritual experience. It is love because it is beauty, the child of Wisdom (Horned Child). It is Death, the transformation. In other words it is the single path of enlightenment.

Robert Cochrane

Tools of The Trade:

The Noose

This is the feminine tree and should have five and three knots with a noose at one end.
Traditionally, it should also be comprised of many materials, but hemp will do. The five knots are the round of life. The three knots are the moon triad. It represents the feminine aspects of the knife, among other things, and the noose is the traditional sign of subjugation to Hecate as the End and Beginning of life, umbilical and a hangman's noose in one. It has many magical uses, most of which will come with intuition. One part of its use is to create mystical intuition by hanging: obvious reason, to overcome the flesh a la Tantric's.

Robert Cochrane

Tools of The Trade:

The Knife

This is the masculine tree. It represents intellect, Will, and represents the actual search for wisdom, experience and knowledge. It is also Choice, Love physical and generosity, Victory and conflict, also courage.

Robert Cochrane

Tools of The Trade:

The Cloak

The cloak represents the concealment of the mystery and Night the hider of Light.
Also Humility, Poverty and Charity which equals magical Power.

Robert Cochrane

Witchvox Article:

( Read more... )

Hod is spelled Heh, Vev, Daleth.  Heh is the first Breathe from which G-d gives life, and the Window through which we can see clearly.  It represents the clarity and truth found in the intellectual Hod.  Vev is the Hook and And.  It is about coming together, binding things together.  This is seen in Hod as the embracing of hardship.  Daleth is the Poor Man, receiving from the Rich Man, Gimel.  It is also the Door, through which we receive.  Hod is part of the feminine Pillar, which represents receiving.  Hod is about embracing hardship, receiving from G-d, and seeing clearly.

Hod is 5 (Heh) + 6 (Vev) + 4 (Daleth) = 15.  15 is the gemetria for Pride and Lamentation.  Pride can be both good or bad.  Pride allows us to stand up for what we believe in, and to do a good job in our work.  It takes Pride to embrace hardship and overcome it.  But Pride can also be a great obstacle, for sometimes Pride gets in our way and keeps us from embracing that same hardship.  Over-due or excessive Pride is the issue.  Lamentations are all about hardship.  When the burden seems too great, we call out in Lamentation.  But this is when G-d steps in and helps us to overcome.  Both Pride and Lamentation are phases of Hod.  15 reduces to 6, which is Vev once again.  As I've said, both Pride and Lamentation are involved in embracing hardship.  They are held together with Vev.

I have seen Desolation and Murder listed as the Qlipoth of Hod.  I think a better one would be Compromise.  It is embracing the enemy and giving up your own values in the process, rather than staying true to who you are while embracing the hardship.  Compromise has both a positive and negative connotation.  The positive is giving way in one area to come to an agreement.  I'm only referring to the negative here.  When we compromise our values and beliefs, we end up losing whether we win the prize or not.  The word I'll use for this is Panah, to turn, for Compromise is to turn away from your beliefs or values.

Do you see clearly?  What is clouding your thinking or your understanding?  Are you embracing hardship or avoiding it?  It's not always necessary to suffer hardship, but if you avoid it, you avoid the blessing at the end.  Are you willing to receive, or does your pride get in the way?  Do you allow yourself sufficent pride to do what must be done?  Do you have too much pride?  Are you at a place of Lamentation?  Are you willing to cry out, or are you too proud?  Do you compromise your beliefs and values to get what you want, or do you hold onto them and ebrace the hardship this might bring?

~Muninn's Kiss

First letter to Norman Gills:

- Gills knows old High Magic.  Can cast the Mound and the Skull?
- Mystery of the Broom.  Basic magical and mystical practice, corresponding to Kabbalic middle pillar.  Air in place of Fire of Mystery of St. John.  Practised every day is pathway to 7 Gates of Perception, what it is all about.
- Faith has three parts, know two.  1st Masculine mysteries, Holy Graal, basis of Arthurian legends.  Order of the Sun, Clan of Tubal Cain.  Learning, teaching, skill, bravery, and truthfulness.  Male clan lead by woman who was priestess and chieftain.  Legend of Robin Hood, Old Testiment, Christianity - both Jesus and Moses preached version of Masculine mysteries - Mithraism, Plantaganet Kings (Devil's Clan). Effect on world: Commerce, Lawmaking, Law-giving, Parliament, Universities, Craftsmen's guilds, surveying, sciences such as metallurgy, astonomy.  Direct creators of modern civilization.  Conducted by woman.  Mysteries: javelin, cockerel upon a pillar, ladder, flail, 12-rayed sun, ladder of 8 rungs, sword or battle ax.  Control over three elements, especially Fire.
- Start with fundamental practice, correct way to approach an altar.
- Kundalini - sexual energy.  Broom - sexual energy transmitted into energy of sensation, feeling, thought.  Perambulates around seven-sided ring to call upon seven stars.  Stops at exact centre of ring, back to altar, balancing upon one foot, begins first principle of broom, Kabbalic Malkuth.  Before greeting altar, first prepares ring by imaging bright star far away and above head.  From star waves of light, getting nearer, you getting nearer to it.  Light enters body through right sholder, spirals downward, emits through left foot when stopping to greet the altar.  Ring, having been censed and purged, is charged, becomes well of wisdom, water of life.  Take body in anti-clockwise spiral until reaches base of spine, Malkuth, earth, anus & genitals.  Foundation, seat of all transmutation, super-physical power.  Broom stick riding, rode staff to activate area between anus and genitals, transmuted by mental power to ascending snake.  Broomstick anointed with Holy flying ointment.
- Begin with movement, end sitting still.  Run about, emotional release, sexually released.  Meet before the Knot number of days devoted to Goddess awakened, then upon Knot, invoke Goddess through dark of night and evening star meeting together, in an uneasy chair above Caer Ochren.
- Spinning without motion between three elements in Long Compton, Shropshire, Lanchashire, Isle of Man.  Informant old man, understands both Broom and Sword.  Star of David, Sword and Broom.
- Impossible to teach.  Must be demonstrated.  Cad Goduie and Predui Annwn by Gwion, gateway, answers all ruled and laid out for the eye of the seer.
- Two mirrors:  Lady holds by very old piece of wood, speaks of the eight trees of the forest, and between my eyes, speaks of Tides that is still to come.
- Where does witch wear her garter?
- Hare, Owl, and Pussy Cat...

Second letter to Norman Gills:

- Thanks for calendar, crossed owl feathers, Life, Love, Wisdom, Flags, Flax, Fodder.  Theban script:  365 days of happiness.
- Witch ointments on empty stomach and with dandelion stems.
- Vision:  Awarded sword.  Gate of Fire, Serpent of Earth, Rake brings two together.  First admission, Water and Air.  Second, Fire and Earth.  Air and Spirit last.
- Eastern Gods verses Old Ones.  Eastern Star verses Mill.  Walnut and Almond verses Rowan, Oak, and Blackthorn.  Craft coming back but in different form.  Old Forces stirring in the mountains, Lady come down to earth once more, begin all over again.
- In Craft love deeper, since walk close path together in strange half-world only Crafters know and understand.  Craft born or given in love, no going back, once a witch always a witch, there forever.  Witch's heaven is in setting sun.

Bali literally means animal sacrifice from what I can determine.  Kakka means Crow.  I'm guessing Bali Kakka means crow that is sacrificed to.

Crow - New World Encyclopedia:

In Hinduism, it is believed that people who died will take food and offerings through a variety of crows called "Bali kākka." Every year people whose parents or relatives died will offer food to crows as well as cows on the Shradha day.

Shardha:

Shradha is derived from shraddha, meaning 'faithful, true, loyal, believing'. Shradha, or the ritual of the manes, refers to a series of ceremonies performed at various times of the year and during one's lifetime as homage and salutation to one's ancestors. These ceremonies can be defined, as offerings of food to one's pitras, by feeding Brahmins or even certain animals, like dogs, cats, crows and snakes.
Sharadha

Shradha is performed on many occasions, like pilgrimage, during an eclipse (see Rahu-Ketu), birth (see Jatakarman), investiture of the sacred thread (see Upanayanam), marriage (see Vivaha), after performing funeral rites (see Antyeshti), or during the dark fortnight of Bhadra. It serves to remind one at important times throughout one's life that death does not severe the link between the present and the past, between the living and the dead. It is also performed at times like during an eclipse to seek protection from the dead, who are given a divine status and are believed to have the power to protect mortals from supernatural forces.

Shradha ceremonies are usually associated with funeral and post-funeral observances. However, they are not considered inauspicious like the funeral rites (see Antyeshti).

The main feature of the ceremony is the offering of pinda or balls of cooked rice (pindadana) to one's ancestors. After a person's death, these rice balls are offered to him for 10 days, starting from the day of his death. It is believed that in this period, his soul is in the process of forming a body. The pindas provide nourishment at this time. After the tenth day, the soul is believed to have formed a body. It is then provided food for its journey to the next world. For this purpose, shradha is performed on any day from the eleventh to the thirtieth day after the death, usually on a large scale. This ceremony is called Ekodishta because it is performed specifically for one person and not all the manes. In this ceremony, the pindas are offered to the preta.

After the Ekodishta, the Sapindikarana, or the ritual of uniting the preta with the pitra, is performed. This ceremony takes place either on the twelfth day, three weeks, or a year after the death. Until the Sapindikarana is performed, the deceased is not elevated to the status of a pitra.

On the day of the Sapindikarana, four pots are filled with water, an aromatic substance like camphor and sesame seed. Three are offered to the pitras and the fourth is offered to the preta. Then, the contents of the fourth pot are poured into the other three. With this, the preta now joins the ranks of the pitras.

After this, shradha is performed once a month, or every three months, for the first year after the death. It is then performed on every death anniversary. If shradha is performed on any other occasion, it is not usually such an elaborate ceremony, nor spread over so many days. Brahmins and relatives are invited to participate. For the ceremony, the gods are first invoked and then the pitras. Each offering is made in the name of a pitra. The food is then served to all those present. It is believed that by feeding the Brahmins, the manes are being fed. The remainder is offered to the fire (see Agni) and given to the crows to eat. It is believed that the pitras take the form of crows to eat the offerings made to them. The Brahmins are given gifts and money. The Brahmanda Purana has specified both the food and the utensils to be offered in shradha. It rates the pindas as most important. The food cooked during shradha should be saltless and free of all adulteration and impurities. According to the Matsya Purana, the manes, gratified by the offerings of food, bless their descendants with a long life, happiness, wealth, learning, progeny and moksha.

Various kinds of shradha are mentioned in the Markandeya Purana, like nitya or usual and naimitya or occasional, performed on death anniversaries. The Kamya Shradha is performed on one of the 15 days in the dark fortnight of Bhadra to pay homage as well as to fulfil a specific desire. Each of these 15 days signifies something different. For example, shradha is performed on the first day if one desires a beautiful wife, on the eighth day if one desires wealth, and on the fifteenth day if one wishes complete gratification. In addition, there are other days considered auspicious for performing shradha. Special merit is received if the ceremony is performed at holy places or pilgrimage sites, Tirtha such as Gaya, Allahabad, Kurukshetra and Siddhpur.

At sundown today, Rosh Hashanah started.  Literally, Rosh HaShanah means "Head of the Year", Rosh HaShanah is also called Yom HaZikkaron (Day of Rememberance) and Yom Teruah (Day of the Sounding of the Sofar).  It is a time to remember both of our faults and of G-d's providence, Kingship, and all he's done for us.

Numbers 29:

א וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם--כָּל-מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם

1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing the horn unto you.

Judaism 101: Rosh Hashanah:

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. Click the shofar above to hear an approximation of the sound of Tekiah Shevarim-Teruah Tekiah. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Rosh HaShanah - Three Prayers of Rosh HaShanah - OU.ORG:

We recognize that Hashem is above Time, and the idea of "forgetting" does not apply to Him, nor is He limited in "understanding" the inner thoughts of His creatures. Nevertheless, we ask that He "remember" only the "good" in our behalf when He Judges us.

For all of humanity, for the whole world is Judged today, we ask that He "remember" the faith of Noach who endured taunts and threats for 120 years while he built the Ark, and tried to explain its purpose to his wayward generation.

For the Jewish People in particular, we ask that He "remember" the early loyalty of our People, who followed Him as a bride, as He said "I remember your youthful devotion, the love of your bridal days, how you followed Me through the desert, in a barren land" (Yirmiyahu 2:2) and later as a precious child, "Is it because Ephraim is my favorite son, my beloved child? As often as I speak of him, I remember him fondly. My heart yearns for him, I will have pity on him, says the L-rd." (Yirmiyahu 31:19)

Most of all, we ask that He "remember" the supreme act of devotion performed by our fathers Avraham and Yitzchak, where Avraham suppressed his natural feelings of mercy towards his son, and was prepared to sacrifice him at the command of G-d, and Yitzchak was prepared to be sacrificed, thereby suppressing his natural feelings of self-preservation, in fulfillment of G-d's command. So should G-d suppress, so to speak, His Midat HaDin, His Attribute of Strict Justice, which would require that we be punished for our misdeeds, in favor of His Midat HaRachamim , His Attribute of Mercy.

~Muninn's Kiss

Netzach is spelled Nun, Tzaddi, Chet.  Nun is the Moshiach (Messiah), the Kingdom and the Heir.  It represents Moshiach's Victory over the world.  Tzaddi is hunting for the sparks, bringing Victory over the Qlipoth.  Chet is the Bridge from the Physical to the Spiritual, and back.  This represents the Victory of Nun and Tzaddi being manifested in the physical world.

Netzach is 50 (Nun) + 90 (Tzaddi) + 8 (Chet) = 148.  148 is also the gematria for "to withdraw, retire".  This seems the opposite of Victory, but sometimes the only way to win is to step down.  We need to remember that people are not the enemy.  Sometimes we need to withdraw from a fight to shine G-d's Light into the darkness, bringing Victory.  148 reduces to 4, Daleth.  Daleth is the Poor Man, showing Shiflut.  This reflects that withdrawing.  It takes humility to walk away from a fight.

The two names I've seen given to the Qlipoth for Netzach are Theft and Death.  Neither fit for me.  I believe the Qlipoth is Conquest, Victory for power's sake.  The Hebrew word I think best fits this idea is Baqa' (בקע).  Sometimes translated as to win or conquer, Baqa' means to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.  Victory leads to building, while Baqa' is the breaking apart of something.

The difference between Victory and Conquest is the goal.  Netzach glorifies G-d, forwarding the Kingdom.  Conquest glorifies and forwards the individual, the person leading the army.  In our own lives, if we seek to have Victory over someone else--for instance, winning an argment--because we want to look good or feel better than them, it is Baqa', not Netzach.  If we want to win to show G-d's glory, to shine Light of the Truth, it is Netzach.  But it's easy to lie to ourselves, to convince ourselves that we are wanting to show Truth when really we want to feel better than the other person.  If there is any doubt, it's better to withdraw, than to win for the wrong reasons.

How do we know if we are in the Sephirah of Netzach or the Qlipoth of Baqa'?  Netzach brings together.  Baqa' divides.  Look closely at the battle or argument.  Will winning bring people together or divide people?  If it brings division, it goes against G-d's nature, so is probably Baqa'.

~Muninn's Kiss

Tipherah is spelled Tau, Pe, Aleph, Resh, Tau. Tau is the Seal of Creation. Pe is the Oral Torah. Aleph is the first emanation, and the Beginning. Resh is the Head and the Beginning. The second Tau is the completion of Tipherah. It is also the indication of a plural word. Tipherah incorporates both the Beginning and the End, Resh and Tau, Aleph and Tau.

Tipherah is 400 (Tau) + 80 (Pe) + 1 (Aleph) + 200 (Resh) + 400 (Tau) = 1081. 1081 is also the gematria for "Creation of the World". This relates to Resh and Aleph as the beginning of creation and Tau as the completion of creation. 1081 reduces to 10, Yod, which is the seed from which all of creation comes. Yod, in turn, reduces to 1, Aleph, the first emanation.

Grief and Cruelty both have been put forward as the Qlipoth of Tipherah. Neither seem to work for me. Tipherah as Joy and Love have these two as the opposite, but I see the reflection being most likely. One description of Tipherah is Sacrifice. The mirror of Sacrifice is Denying. Sacrifice is giving up something for the Divine. Denying is giving up something for image or to feel better than someone else. The Hebrew word I'll use Mana' (מנע) meaning to withhold, hold back, keep back, refrain, deny, keep restrain, hinder.

The way to avoid this Qlipoth is to focus on G-d instead of self and others. The secret is Shiflut, having your relationship to G-d as the central focus. Nothing you can do can make you better or worse than anyone else, for we all are nothing compared to G-d. How spiritual you look becomes irrelevant.

~Muninn's Kiss

Geburah, Might, is spelled Gimel, Beit, Vev, Resh, Heh.  Gimel, the Rich Man, has all he needs.  His riches are a type of strength and Might.  Beit, the House, is the stronghold of a family, the place they should be safe.  Vev represents that family.  Resh, the Head, is the stronghold of the mind, the House of the mind, you could say.  Heh, the Window and the first Breathe, represents the Understanding of Binah coming down to direct Geburah.

Geburah is 3 (Gimel) + 2 (Beit) + 6 (Vev) + 200 (Resh) + 5 (Heh) = 216.  216 is also "lion", "the middle gate", "oracle, sanctuary", "dread fear", "profound", "anger, wrath", and "latitude".  Geburah is a combination of negative (dread, fear, anger, wrath) ideas and positive (oracle, sanctuary, profound, latitude) ideas.  It is about choosing when to withhold Mercy.  It is the Lion of Judah, both destroying the enemy and protecting the rest of Israel.  216 reduces to 9, Tet, a letter of contrast.  Tet is both the serpent, leading us astray, and Tov, Good.

Geburah is also Din, Judgement, spelled Daleth, Yod, Nun.  Daleth is the Poor Man, who stands in Judgement under the Gimel of Geburah.  Gimel must choose whether or not to have Mercy on Daleth.  Yod, the Hand, is the seed from which all things come, including G-d's Judgement.  The Hand can either come down as a fist, declaring the accused to be guilty, or reach out open in Mercy.  Yod is the intrument of Judgement as well as Mercy.  Nun is the Fish, the Kingdom, and the Heir to the Throne, Moshiach (Messiah).  The Judge is the King.  It is from G-d and the Heir that righteous Judgement comes.

Din is 4 (Daleth) + 10 (Yod) + 50 (Nun) = 64.  64 is also "shine, glow", "a sigh, groan, deep breathe", "golden waters", "prophecy", "serenity", and "stocks".  Stocks are obvious, being a form of punishment.  If you don't do something to bring down judgement upon you, Serenity comes easy.  Judgement lead by Prophecy is best, for only G-d can Judge accurately.  The Golden Waters are Mem, the Sea, in Binah, the Supernal Sea, pouring down on Geburah/Din, bringing Understanding to help Judge.  The Deep Breathe is taking the time to think before passing Judgement.  The Shine and Glow are Moses coming down from talking with G-d, for only from contact with G-d can righteous Judgement come.  64 reduces to 10, Yod.  The Hand giving Judgement and Mercy is the most important concept.  Yod reduces to 1, Aleph, Strength, which brings us back to Might, Geburah.

The Qlipoth of Geburah is Destruction and Rage.  Destruction is Judgement, Din, without any Mercy.  Rage is Might, Geburah, without any Mercy.  The balance of Mercy is needed to keep us in the Light.  Destruction is Shamad (שמד) meaning to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.  Rage is Chemah (חמה) meaning heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.  The Poison element especially shows the dangers of this Qlipoth.

G-d can show Judgement and Might without Mercy and be righteous.  He knows when Mercy isn't what is needed.  We, however, cannot make that decision unless he leads us.  Without Divine inspiration, it is easy to slip into this Qlipoth.  It is possibly the easiest one to slip into.  There are two ways to stay out of it, and to escape it and return to the Light.  First is to error on the side of Mercy.  The more Mercy you put into your decisions, the less pull this Qlipoth has.  Second is to have Divine Inspiration.  This means a closeness with the Divine.  This is the harder path, but the more rewarding.

~Muninn's Kiss

Chesed is spelled Chet, Shamech, Daleth.  Chet, as the union of Vev and Zayin, represents the loving kindness that is supposed to exist in marriage.  Samech, the Circle, represents the everlastingness of G-d's Mercy.  Daleth, the poor man, represents us, who G-d gives his mercy to.

Chesed is 8 (Chet) + 60 (Shamech) + 4 (Daleth) = 72.  Other words with the same gematria mean "in the secret", "and they are excellent", and "revolving".  The Mercy of Chesed is what makes us excellent, and comes from the secret place of G-d.  Like Shamech, Mercy revolves, coming back over and over forever, for G-d's Mercy endures forever.  72 reduces to 9, Tet, the Serpent.  Tet represents Tov, Good.  The Goodness of G-d's Mercy is represented by this.

I have seen both Greed and Waste.  Neither fit as a reflection to me.  I think the Qlipoth of Chesed is Burden.  Mercy is giving out of love.  Burden is giving out of guilt.  A Hebrew word for this is Cebel (סבל), meaning "load" or "burden".  Mercy is about looking for a need and filling it out of love.  Cebel is about feeling obliged to help some one, feeling a guilt, and acting on it.

The only way to overcome Cebel, is to stop giving into the guilt.  Don't let yourself be burdened by it.  If you're doing anything out of guilt, doing it will just take you more into the darkness.  Take a step back and look at the guilt.  Where is it coming from?  If you eliminate the source, you can move on and find true Mercy, and shine that light into the darkness to let other people get past the guilt and move on.

~Muninn's Kiss

Binah is spelled Beit, Yod, Nun, Heh.  Binah is the mirror of Chokmah, reflecting its Light.  This can be seen in the letters.  Chet, representing Marriage, reflects at Beit, the House, representing Family.  Kaph, the Palm of the Hand reflects as Yod, the Hand itself.  Mem, Water, reflects as Nun, the Fish swimming in the Water.  Heh stays the same, a perfect reflection.

Binah is both Understanding and the Mother.  This is reflected in Beit, the House.  If the Father is the Strength of the House, the Mother is the Soul of the House.  The Hand, Yod, is used to grasp something, just as Understanding is the grasping of a concept.  As the Mother, Binah is Shikhinah.  Nun is Moshiach (Messiah), the partner of Shikhinah.  Heh, the Window, is still the Breathe, giving life to the Understanding.

Binah in gematria is 2 (Beit) + 10 (Yod) + 50 (Nun) + 5 (Heh) = 67.  67 is the same as the spelling of Zayin, the Weapon, which is the Husband crowned by the Wife, just as Moshiach is crowned by Shekhinah.  67 reduces to 4, Daleth.  Daleth is the Door and the poor man.  Binah has no light of its own, but reflects the light of Chokmah.

Some would say the Qlipoth of Binah is Concealment, but Concealment isn't always bad.  It is used by G-d to protect us from what we can't yet handle.  No, Contempt is the Qlipoth of Binah.  Contempt is Understanding with disdain.  When we Understand someone else, but look down on them for it, this is Contempt.  The word I'll use for this Qlipoth is Buwz (בוז), meaning contempt springing from evil, prosperity, or judgment.

Overcoming Contempt requires Understanding Daleth, the poor man.  We are all poor.  We need Shiflut, Lowliness, to Understand that we aren't better than anyone else, or worse.  Contempt requires a feeling of either better than or worse than.

Do you look down on other people?  Do you feel Contempt to those you feel are better that you?  Compare them and yourself to the Divine and you'll find there is no reason for Contempt, only Understanding.

~Muninn's Kiss

Chokmah is spelled Chet (Fence), Kaph (Palm of the Hand), Mem (Water), Heh (Window).  The interactions with Kether are interesting.  If we drop the Resh off Kether, we have Kaph Chet, the reverse of Chet Kaph.  The order retains the same meaning in Kabbalah, so Resh splits into Mem and Heh, the Water and the first Breathe.  Now, Heh connects Kether and Chokmah.  Chokmah is Breathe from Breathe.  One of the secrets of Kabbalah is that of the Breathe, for Breathe is Fire (Heat), Air, and Water.  The Fire rises and the Water settles, leaving Air in between.  Here, we see Water settle out, leaving Fire and Air in the Breathe.

Chet, mystically, means the unity of Shekhinah and Moshiach (Messiah), of husband and wife, of Vev and Zayin.  Here, it shows Chokmah as Self without Other.  At Chokmah, Self is known, but Other is not.  There is still unity, even in the individuality.  Kaph, mystically is a Crown bowing.  Kether is the Crown.  Chokmah is almost the same as Kether, but bows to it.  Mem, Water, is the Womb of Wisdom.  Chokmah is seen as thirteen Mems of Mercy, floating in the Air of creation.  This is Mem in the Breathe, Heh.  Heh is the first Breathe.  Kether is Breathe and Chokmah is Breathe from Breathe.  Heh is also the Window.  Through that Window, we get Wisdom.  It doesn't come through study, like Binah, but in sudden revelation, Light through the Window.

In gematria, Chokmah equals 8 (Chet) + 20 (Kaph) + 40 (Mem) + 5 (Heh) = 73.  73 is also the spelling of Gimel, the Camel.  Gimel is the rich man, chasing after the poor man to give to him.  Wisdom is meaningless if we don't give to others from it.  73 is also "to trust in, to shelter in".  Wisdom is about Trust.  Not trusting true Wisdom is trusting yourself, which is Folly.  73 reduces to 10, which reduces to 1.  10 is Yod, the Seed from which all things, including Wisdom, come.  1 is Aleph, Strength and the first emanation.  Chokmah, Wisdom, gives us strength.  Chokmah is also the first Sephirah to come out of Kether.

The Qlipoth of Chokmah is either Foolishness or Folly.  These seem the same at first glance, but Foolishness is a lack of Wisdom.  Folly is trusting in yourself as Wisdom.  Foolishness is the opposite of Wisdom.  Folly is the dark reflection.

A word for Folly is Nebalah (נבלה).  In addition to Folly, it has a sense of disgrace, for this is where Folly leads.  When we trust in ourselves, it seems like Wisdom to us, but it leads to disgrace, which true Wisdom does not.  The gematria for Nebalah is 86, which reduces to 5, Heh.  Folly is just a Breathe with nothing else.  A Breathe brings life, but doesn't sustain it.  Another Breathe is always needed.  Folly must constantly be maintained to create the illusion of life, but Wisdom sustains itself.  Another word with the gematria of 86 is "to divide".  Folly brings division, while Wisdom brings unity.

To overcome Folly, we have to first identify that it is us, not Wisdom.  The Tanakh says that the fear of G-d is the beginning of Wisdom.  Wisdom exists in Shilfut, Lowliness.  This is why it bows to Kether.  If it makes us feel self-important and doesn't point back to the Divine, it is Folly.  Remember that Soloman's Wisdom came from the Divine, not from himself.  Wisdom is the voice in Hacah, Silence, Elijah's still, small voice.  We must seek that Silence if we want Wisdom.  It is the Window through which the Divine Light shines.

Do you want Wisdom?  Seek Lowliness and Silence first.  Are you Wise, or is it Folly?  Does it glorify you or the Divine?  To defeat Folly, seek the Divine.  This is where Wisdom is found.

~Muninn's Kiss

In my first Meditations on Kether, I discussed the spelling of Kether.  I will repost that and add to it some.

Kether is spelled Kaph (the palm of the hand), Tau (mark or cross), Resh (head).  It is the mark of the palm of G-d on our head.  The letter Koph turned sideways looks like a crescent moon with the points up, which placed on a crown can be seen in drawings of Isis, Diana, and Artemis.  These drawings show the mark of the palm on the head, but miss the light that is Kether.

Kether is equal to 20 (Kaph) + 400 (Tau) + 200 (Resh) = 620.  620 is also the spelling of Chokmah, Binah, and Da'ath, all added together.  Kether is unified, the combination of all things as one.  Hence it includes Wisdom (Chokmah), Understanding (Binah), and Knowledge (Da'ath) all at the same time, not needing the separation of the three.  620 is also "to hide or treasure up", "doors", and "spirits or ghosts".  In Kether, all treasures are hidden.  Kether is so beyond our understanding that it must be concealed behind the other Sephiroth, behind the other 31 Paths, behing 231 Gates.  These Gates and Paths are the doors that conceal Kether.  I'm not sure how to relate spirits and ghosts just now.

620 reduces to 8, Chet, the Fence.  As the Fence, Chet represents the separation between Kether, which is unknowable, from the rest of creation.  But Chet is also the wedding of Shekhinah and Moshiach (Messiah), the union of marriage.  Kether is that union, that oneness before Self and Other.  So, Chet represents Kether separated from that which is below, but also the unity within Kether.

Seen as the opposite, the Qlipoth of Kether would be duality.  In Kether is only unity, so duality is a breaking of Kether.  When we start looking at opposites, at dualities, we end up in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, not the Tree of Life.

I prefer to look at the corrupted form as the Qlipoth.  The Qlipoth of Kether, the Crown, becomes Arrogance, Tyranny, and Slavery.  Kether is the rulership of G-d, but if we set ourselves up as G-d, thinking we're better than other, forgetting about Shiflut, we find ourselves in the Qlipoth of Kether.  The Hebrew word Zadown (זדון) discribes this well.  Zadown means Pride, Insolence, Presumptuousness, and Arrogance.

When we get too full of ourselves, we start to lord it over others, trying to exalt ourselves further.  This is where bullies come from, and why prizon guards will sometimes do things that never thought they could.  This is why bosses can turn cruel.  This is why slavery has existed and still exists today.  This is where prejudices come from, and why we look for the "monster" to blaim for our problems.  Zadown is an easy trap to fall into.  The only cure it Shiflut, Lowliness.

Shiflut is the Light we must shine on Arrogance to reveal the Divine Spark so we can raise it back up to Kether and brake the back of Zadown.  You can't cure Arrogance by breaking someone's spirit, by forcing them to be humble.  This pulls you down into Zadown.  No, you cure Arrogance by showing Shiflut in your own life, so the person can see the Light shining down from Kether through you.  How do you cure Arrogance in yourself?  By looking up at the Light of Kether.  By seeing the Crown of G-d, you recognize that you are Shiflut, Lowly, and you become Malkuth, part of the Kingdom.  Arrogance can't survive in that Light.  Then, and only then, you can help others find that Light.

Look into the darkness of your soul.  Are you living in Shiflut or Zadown?  Do you recognize the Kingship of the Divine, or do you make yourself the master?  Look up at the Light of Kether.  Recognize the Kingship of the Divine, and you place in relation to the Divine and to all those around you.  We are all equal under G-d, so you aren't better than anyone else.  Nor are you worse.  You aren't the master or the slave, but a citizen in the Kingdom of the Divine.

~Muninn's Kiss

In both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox practice, today is the Feast of the Cross. Other of the older churches also celebrate it.  It is also called Roodmas and Holy Rood Day...

Feast of the Cross - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

This feast is called in Greek Ὕψωσις τοῦ Τιμίου Σταυροῦ (literally, "Raising Aloft of the Precious Cross"). In Latin it is called Exaltatio Sanctae Crucis (literally, "Raising Aloft of the Holy Cross". (The word "Exaltatio" is sometimes Anglicized as "Exaltation", at other times, as in the 1973 ICEL translation, as "Triumph".) In some parts of the Anglican Communion the feast is called Holy Cross Day, a name also used by Lutherans.

The feast commemorates the finding of the True Cross in 326 by Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine I (venerated in the Eastern Church as Saint Constantine) during a pilgrimage she made to Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the cross placed inside it. In 614, that portion of the cross was carried away from the church by the Persians, and remained missing until it was recaptured by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 628. The cross was returned to the church the following year after initially having been taken to Constantinople by Heraclius.

The date used for the feast marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335. This was a two-day festival: although the actual consecration of the church was on September 13, the cross itself was brought outside the church on September 14 so that the clergy and faithful could pray before the True Cross, and all could come forward to venerate it.

Western practices

In Roman Catholic liturgical observance, red vestments are worn at church services conducted on this day, and if the day falls on a Sunday, its Mass is used instead of that for the occurring Sunday in Ordinary Time, what some would call a Sunday after Pentecost.

Until 1969, the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of the calendar week after the one in which 14 September falls were designated as one of each year's four sets of Ember days by the Church in the West. The organization of celebrations of this kind is now left up to the decision of Episcopal Conferences in view of local conditions and customs.

September 14 is the titular feast of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the Episcopal Church's Order of the Holy Cross. This date also marks the beginning of the period of fasting, stipulated in the Rule of St. Albert to be followed by the religious of the Carmelite spiritual family, and ending Easter Sunday.

Eastern practices

In Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic practice, the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-creating Cross commemorates both the finding of the True Cross in 326 and its recovery from the Persians in 628, and is considered to be one of the Great Feasts of the church year. September 14 is always a fast day, even if it falls on Saturday or Sunday, and the eating of meat, dairy products and fish is prohibited. The Feast of the Exaltation has a one-day Forefeast and an eight-day Afterfeast. The Saturday and Sunday before and after September 14 are also commemorated with special Epistle and Gospel readings about the Cross at the Divine Liturgy.

During the All-Night Vigil on the Eve of the Feast, a cross is placed on the Holy Table (altar) where it reposes during the Vigil. The cross is placed on a tray that has been covered with an Aër (liturgical veil) and decorated with fresh basil leaves and flowers, and a candle burns before it. The cross reposes on the "High Place" of the Holy Table, where the Gospel Book normally lies. Those portions of the Vigil which would normally take place before the Icon of the Feast (the chanting of the Polyeleos and the Matins Gospel) instead take place in front of the Holy Table.

One of the high points of the celebration is when, after the Great Doxology, the priest or bishop brings the Cross out of the sanctuary. He sets the cross on a table (tetrapod or analogion) in the center of the temple (nave of the church) as the choir sings of the festal Troparion of the Cross: "Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, granting unto Orthodox Christians [sometimes translated as "Christians of the true faith"] victory over enemies, and by the power of Thy Cross, do Thou preserve Thy commonwealth."

In cathedrals and monasteries, a special "Exaltation" is performed by the bishop or abbot, standing in the center of the church. This consists of his taking the cross in his hands and raising it above his head. He makes an exclamation, to which the choir responds, chanting, Kyrie eleison ("Lord, have mercy") 100 times. As they chant, he makes the sign of the cross with it three times, then slowly bows down to the ground, and stands up again raising the cross above his head as before. This process is repeated four more times to the four points of the compass.

Then, whether the special Exaltation has been performed or not, the clergy and the members of the congregation prostrate themselves on the ground as all sing, "Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify" three times (at the words "Thy holy Resurrection" all stand up again). Then all come forward to venerate the cross and receive the priest's blessing (see Veneration of the Cross, below). During the veneration, stichera attributed to the Emperor Leo are chanted by the choir.

The cross will remain in the center of the temple throughout the Afterfeast, and the faithful will venerate it whenever they enter or leave the church. Finally, on the Apodosis of the Feast, the priest and deacon will cense around the cross, there will be a final veneration of the cross, and then they will solemnly bring the cross back into the sanctuary through the Holy Doors. This same pattern of bringing out the cross, veneration, and returning the cross at the end of the celebration is repeated at a number of the lesser Feasts of the Cross mentioned below.

Armenian Apostolic Church

The Armenian Apostolic Church observes a five-day fast, called the Fast of the Holy Cross from September 10 through September 14, in preparation for the Feast of the Holy Church in view of the Holy Cross, which they celebrate on September 15. September 16 is observed as the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Khachverats in Armenian), a feast which continues for several days thereafter. It is counted as one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church, and the most important of the four feasts of the Holy Cross. According to Armenian tradition, the first one to "exalt" the Cross was the Apostle James of Jerusalem, the "Brother of the Lord". On the Sunday nearest 14 September, the liturgy is marked with an antasdan service (blessing of the fields) during which the processional cross is adorned with basil (a symbol of royalty) and the four corners of the church are blessed as a sign of the sanctification of the world.

On the Sunday nearest September 28 (always two weeks after the Exaltation) the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak (Varaka Khach) commemorating the 3rd century placement of an authentic relic of the cross in Armenian soil. This is a cross feast unique to the Armenian Church.

On the Sunday closest to October 26, the Armenian Church celebrates the Discovery of the Holy Cross (Kyood Khach), commemorating the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena (327 AD).

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of Oriental Orthodox Churches, comemorates the finding of the true cross on Meskerem 17 of the Ethiopian Calendar, corresponding to September 14 in the Julian Calendar (at present September 27 in the Gregorian Calendar) or, in leap years, one day later. The day is popularly called "Demera" in Amharic - meaning Bonfire. The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church lights a large bonfire in Maskal Square, Addis Ababa's greatest open arena, and smaller bonfires are lit by individuals throughout the country. Thousands attend the colourful and vibrant ceremony of religious chantings around the bonfire in Maskal Square, which owes its name to the ceremony, since the word "maskal" means "cross". According to tradition, the bonfire commemorates how Queen Helena found, by where the smoke of a bonfire descended, where to search for the true cross in Jerusalem, or how, by a series of bonfires, she signalled to her son Constantine in Constantinople her success in finding it.

Malankara

In the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church a special offering called panchasarayumanda is made on this day, in particular at the Akaparambu Mor Sabor-Mor Aphroth Church in the Ernakulam District, Kerala.

herbmcsidhe pointed out the following image, also containing the symbols of the three branches of the Faith Cochrane talks about:



The Seven African Powers:

The Seven African powers are the most well-known and celebrated divinities of the Yoruban Pantheon, and are common to all Yoruban faiths, although they are not always considered to be the same deities. In Macumba traditions (Candomble, Umbanda), they are called Orixa; in Vodoun, they are called Lwas (Loas); in Palo, Nkisi. In all of these traditions, the Orishas have many aspects (Caminos), which are often quite diverse.

Yoruba religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The philosophy of Yorùbá (also known as Irunmole, Ifa, Orisha or Aborisha) is that all humans have Ayanmo (manifest destiny) to become one in spirit with Olódùmarè (Olòrún, the divine creator and source of all energy). Each person in Ayé (the physical realm) uses thought or action energies to impact the community of all other living things including the Earth, and so to move towards destiny. As such, one's destiny is in one's hands. To attain transcedence and destiny in Òrún-Réré (spiritual realm of those who do good and beneficial things), one's Orí-Inu (spiritual consciousness in the physical realm) must be elevated to unify with one's Iponri (Orí Òrún). Those who stop improving are destined for Òrún-Apadi (spiritual realm of the forsaken). Life and death are cycles of habitation in physical body and spiritual realms while one's spirit evolves toward transcendence. This evolution is most advanced in Irùnmolẹ (oní irun, of the unique hair that distinguishes humans from beasts; imo, enlightened of destiny, ilẹ on the land)

For most people, iwapẹlẹ (balanced culture), meditation and sincere veneration sufficiently strengthen one's Orí-Inu. One is able to gbadúra (pray) for support of the Egungun (one's elevated ancestors) or the Orí-Òrún for application of the Odu (knowledge of all ages) to one's benefit. Those with strong motivation to manipulate destiny may consult Orunmila through Ifá (divination sciences) and ẹbò (offering). In invoking the Orunmila so directly, care is required to ensure alignment of thought and action. The Orunmila brings into motion either Oríṣà (benevolent or angelic forces) or Ajẹ (malevolent or demonic forces). All communication with the Òrún is energized by invoking Àṣẹ (the essence of Olódùmarè that gives life to all). Àṣẹ is delivered by Ẹlégbara (Eṣu, the divine messenger) who, without distortion or partiality for good or for bad, negotiates communication to the Òrún and navigates Òrún forces to the Ayé.

Concerning more about Orí-Inu and Àṣẹ:

Orisha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Orisha faith believes in a Supreme Being, namely God. Adherents of the religion appeal to specific manifestations of God in the form of the various Orisha. Ancestors and culture-heroes held in reverence can also be enlisted for help with day-to-day problems. Faithful believers will also generally consult a geomantic divination specialist, known as a babalawo or Iyanifa, to mediate in their problems. This practice is known as Ifa, and is an important part of life throughout West Africa and the rest of the diaspora world. UNESCO, the cultural and scientific education arm of the United Nations, declared Ifa a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005. An important part of the traditional Yoruba faith is that the Yoruba believe their ancestor Oduduwa fell from the sky and brought with him much of what is now their belief system. Part of this is the belief that daily life depends on proper alignment and knowledge of one's Ori. Ori literally means the head, but in spiritual matters is taken to mean an inner portion of the soul which determines personal destiny and success. Ase, which is also spelled “Axe,” “Axé,” “Ashe,” or “Ache,” is the life-force which runs though all things, living and inanimate. Ashe is the power to make things happen. It is an affirmation which is used in greetings and prayers, as well as a concept about spiritual growth. Orisha devotees strive to obtain Aseh through Iwa-Pele or gentle and good character, and in turn they experience alignment with the Ori, or what others might call inner peace or satisfaction with life.

Ori is the Godself Feri talks about, the Neshamah of Kabbalah. Ase is the Kami of Shinto, and is Kavanah, Intention.  The Orisha are different manifestations of the Divine.

~Muninn's Kiss

Sixth Letter to Joe Wilson:

- Witch's Law: Do not do what you desire - do what is necessary. Take all you are given - give all of yourself. "What I have - I hold!" When all else is lost, and not until then, prepare to die with dignity. First allows no illusion, second allows little time to self, third keystone of wisdom, fourth basic key to witch personality.
- Faith Three Parts, I know two. Masculine: Holy Graal, basis of Arthurian legends, Order of the Sun, Clan of Tubal Cain. Under it learning, skill, bravery, truthfulness. Lead by woman. Robin Hood, Old Testament, Christianity, Mithraism, Plantaganet Kings. Result: Commerce, Lawmaking, Law-giving, Parliament, Universities, Craftsmen's Guilds. Mysteries: a javelin, a cockerel upon a pillar, a ladder, a flail, a twelve-rayed sun and a ladder of eight rungs and a sword or battle ax. Three of four elements, primarily Fire.
- Feminine: slow tides of creation and destruction, cycle of life and death. Pentagram: Life/Birth, Love, Maternity, Wisdom, Death/Resurrection. Fertility and Sterility, Virgin/Mother/Hag. Unconscious, male conscious. Emotion, sensation, imagery, empathy and intuition. Symbols: a broom, a flask, a cup, a glove, a distaff and a shift. Lead by a man. Both traditions taught together now. Used to be separate except for Nine Knots of the Year.
- People meet once a week. Clans separated under persecution, Mysteries combined. Time to divide.
- French Menhir with all three mysteries: