Heather Obrien April, 2011

Lesson 9: Villanelle

The villanelle is more complicated than the limerick because it not only has a set rhyme scheme but also repeats lines throughout the poem and must be done in such a way to make sense. The rhyme scheme in a villanelle is ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA. The first and third lines of the first stanza are the repeating lines. The first line is the last line in stanza two and four. The third line is the last line in stanza three. Both lines are used in stanza five to close out the poem.

I personally find it easiest to really focus on your topic, and free-write about the topic. Write the repeating A lines first, then spread them through the poem to set yourself up. Then, plug in some of your free-writing ideas to the missing slots to complete the poem.

A In the quiet of the night, softness longing to feel

B Brown eyes looking up, telling what you can’t say

A Proving again and again why this love is so real

A The connection soul deep, it is purely ideal

B A hug or a kiss may be the only way

A In the quiet of the night, softness longing to touch

A Just before bed, when others may kneel

B Meditation for us, sky-clad, but not risque

A Proving again and again why this love is so real

A Meeting my obligations as spoke in the wheel

B You wait at home, feels so far and away

A In the quiet of the night, softness longing to feel

A Wag of the tail, on the lead perfect heel

B High noon, without work, all day to play

A In the quiet of the night, softness longing to feel

A Proving again and again why this love is so real

Homework: Write at least one villanelle.

Tags: magic, magick, spells

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MoraRavenCall April, 2011

Test lesson…

Please go back through all the lessons you have received so far, review the ingredients and what the listing is for what they do.

Compare similarities regarding ingredients and purpose of the teas.

I then want you to take at least one ingredient from each tea and create a new remedy, list the purpose and make.  Taste what you have created and give it a name.

Email me with your tea and its purpose.  moraravencall@gmail.com

Madame Mora’s herbal

This class is designed to show the practical application of herbs to assist with everyday needs.  The lessons printed will not outline “magical” uses for the herbs, but, if questions on this topic rise, please feel free to ask.

Also, please remember, the information in this class is a look at herbal therapies that may show promise as adjunctive treatments to conventional medical approaches, and is not meant to give specific recommendations or advise for the treatment of a specific illness, nor is it intended to be a replacement for good medical diagnosis and treatment.

Tags: herbs

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Alora April, 2011

April Astral Travel Assignment

Review Time!

Reflection is a very important part of this astral travel course. Please use April as the perfect excuse to look back at all that you’ve done in this class and consider where you’ve found your strengths and what areas were difficult. On the surface, this assignment may seem like an easy one, but really take the time to reflect back on all that you’ve done so far.

Submit one positive, one negative, and one projection:

1- What has been the easiest assignment or area of astral travel for you? Or what assignment do you feel you did the best at? (of course you’re always welcome to add more than just one!)

2- What has been the most difficult? Is there one (or more) specific area that you have felt most challenged at?

3- Is there something you would like to have covered in this class that hasn’t been already? Or is there one assignment you’d like to do again?

Tags: astral travel

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MoraRavenCall March, 2011

This class is designed to show the practical application of herbs to assist with everyday needs.  The lessons printed will not outline “magical” uses for the herbs, but, if questions on this topic rise, please feel free to ask.

Also, please remember, the information in this class is a look at herbal therapies that may show promise as adjunctive treatments to conventional medical approaches, and is not meant to give specific recommendations or advise for the treatment of a specific illness, nor is it intended to be a replacement for good medical diagnosis and treatment.

Lesson 5

herbal allergy relief

The following 5 herbs help with the cough and inflammation common to allergic reactions to pollen.

• Chalmomile – Anthemis nobilis – you will use the flowers.  This herb also helps with allergy induced asthma symptoms, headache, mucus, and sore throat.
• Elder flower – Sambucus Canadensis – you will use the flowers.  This herb also helps with allergy induced asthma symptoms, headache, mucus, sinusitis, and sore throat.
• Eyebright – Euphrasia officinalis – you will use the flowers.  This herb also helps with headache, eye’s sensitivity to light, mucus, respiratory conditions, sinusitis, and sore throat.
• Marshmallow – Althea officinalis – you will use the flower or root.  This herb also helps with allergy induced asthma symptoms, mucus, respiratory conditions, sore throat, and whooping cough.  It also make a great eyewash for dry itchy eyes.
• Stinging nettles – Urtica dioica – you will use the leaves.  This herb also helps with allergy induced asthma symptoms, mucus, and respiratory conditions.

You will combine equal amounts of each herb to make a tea.  For one glass you will need a pinch of each, or about ½ a teaspoon.  Once your tea has steeped at least 10 minutes and you are ready to drink, add about a tablespoon of honey made of your local flowers, this will also help ease symptoms.

If you are a chronic allergy suffer and would like to attempt to limit your allergies, have a teaspoon of local honey a day.  Due to the honey being made from the plants in your area, it is thought that you body’s immune system will grow accustomed to the pollen of the flowers in your area and will no long react to it.

You assignment is to make this tea twice a day at the onset of symptoms, until the symptoms are gone.  Once this has been done, email me with information regarding the length of treatment and your thoughts on the effectiveness of the honey.

Tags: allergies, herbs

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Alora March, 2011

The Mirror Exercise

You’ll need a mirror and a notebook (or journal) with pen.

You’ve probably heard of this one before, and may even have tried it. If so, I encourage you to try it again for this class. When you combine this exercise with all that you’ve done so far, you’ll find this mirror exercise to be very powerful.

Stand in front of a hanging mirror (we want the wall to be holding the mirror, not you). Stare into your own eyes. Unlike with meditations, don’t try to clear your mind. Allow all thoughts to flow freely. Don’t judge any thought, don’t quiet any thought. During this time, release any “right” and “wrong” boundaries.

For some, this exercise can get a little spooky. Things may start to look distorted. Give yourself permission to be frightened and know that it will pass. Just don’t look away. The same goes for all emotions. If you want to cry, then cry. If you want to laugh, laugh. If you feel shame or hurt or anger, or any negative emotion just let it happen and keep looking into the mirror until the emotion passes. This is important. Don’t break the stare until the emotion has passed.

Stare into your own eyes for as long as you can. It may be too powerful at first, and that is okay. Go as long as you can and work yourself up to at least half an hour. You have all month to build up so go at the pace that is comfortable for you.

Once you are able to go to 15 minutes or longer, project yourself into your reflection. Look back at yourself. Keep trying! Sometimes you’ll get snapped back immediately, sometimes you can linger. The more you do it the better you will get at it.

When you are done, write down anything that felt important to you, or any flashes or visions you may have had. Did you see someone else in the mirror? Did you hear other voices? What made you cry? What made you laugh? What scared you?

For many, this will be a taxing experience. Spoil yourself after each exercise. Rest, do something that makes you happy.

Tags: astral travel, mirror

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Heather Obrien February, 2011

Tags: limerick, magic, magick, Poetry, spellwork

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MoraRavenCall February, 2011

Madame Mora’s

This class is designed to show the practical application of herbs to assist with everyday needs.  The lessons printed will not outline “magical” uses for the herbs, but, if questions on this topic rise, please feel free to ask.

Also, please remember, the information in this class is a look at herbal therapies that may show promise as adjunctive treatments to conventional medical approaches, and is not meant to give specific recommendations or advise for the treatment of a specific illness, nor is it intended to be a replacement for good medical diagnosis and treatment.

Lesson 4

Detox tea

These will help cleanse your insides of unwanted substances.

• Hibiscus Flower aka Musk Mallow (Hibiscus ablemoschus) you will use the dried flower – demulcent, diuretic, stimulant.  Aids digestion, enhances liver and stomach function, promotes perspiration and urine flow, stimulates menstruation.
• Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza lepidota) you will use the root – anticarcinogen, antifungal, demulcent, expectorant, laxative, stimulant.  Balances blood sugar levels, decrease effects of carcinogens, enhances the cardiovascular, digestive, glandular, and hormonal system functions, as well as the liver, lung, and spleen functions, inhibits production of toxic free radicals, promotes bowel evacuation, purifies blood, restore healthy system functions and normal tone to tissues.
• Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) you will use the leaves – anticarcinogens, diuretic, nutritive.  Balances the hormonal system, cleanses whole system, decrease effects of carcinogens, enhance digestion and food assimilation, nourish and purify blood, promote urine flow, reestablish healthy system function, stimulates menstruation.
• Yucca (Yucca glauca) you will use the root – antifungal, diuretic, laxative, nutritive.  Enhances liver and stomach functions, promotes bowel evacuation and urine flow, purifies blood, and reestablish healthy system function
• Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) you will use the leaf – anticarcinogen, antioxidant, diuretic, nutritive, stimulant.  Decrease the effects of carcinogens, enhance cardiovascular system and liver functions, promotes perspiration and urine flow, restore normal tone to tissues, stimulate menstruation.
• Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus) you will use the leaf – demulcent, diuretic, stimulant.  Enhances bladder function, promotes urine flow.
• Violet (Viola tricolor) you will use the leaf – anticarcinogen, antioxidant, demulcent, diuretic, laxative.   Decreases the effects of carcinogens, enhance cardiovascular system, live, lung, metabolic, and stomach functions, promotes bowel evacuation, perspiration, and urine flow, purifies blood, reestablish healthy system functions, and strengthens the urinary system.
• Marshmallow (Althaea officianalis) you will use the root – demulcent, diuretic, laxative, nutritive.  Enhance immune, respiratory, and urinary system functions, promote bowel evacuation and urine flow.
• Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) you will use the inner bark – anticarcinogen, demulcent, diuretic, and laxative.  Decreases effects of carcinogens, enhances digestive system, reproductive system, respiratory system, and urinary system functions, promotes bowel evacuation and urine flow.

Take these 9 herbs and create a detox tea, drink twice a day, once in the morning and once at night for 1 week.  Email me you findings. (moraravencall@gmail.com)

Tags: detox, herbs

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Alora February, 2011

February Assignment: Black and White Answers

This assignment is rather simple, but effective when done with dedication! At bedtime, go through your normal ritual with a few additions: cover your eyes when you are ready for sleep, even if it is dark out. If you have a phone in your room, unplug it or turn the ringer off. If you can, close the door. Lay on your back. Clear your mind. Silence your mind. Of course, this is always easier said than done so if you are out of practice silencing your mind, take a few nights to get the hang of it again. Don’t rush this assignment, remember that you have a full month to complete it.

Breathe calmly, slowly, steadily.

When your body is fully relaxed tell yourself (remember– don’t ask, rather announce what is going to happen) that tonight you are astral traveling to the Chalkboard Room. This room is as it sounds: one giant chalkboard along all four walls and ceiling.  Your room may have a chalkboard floor, but this usually comes and goes depending on why you are in the room. If you like furniture in your room, allow it to be there.

The first night you go to this room, don’t focus too hard on anything. Just allow yourself to be there. Enjoy the experience and be happy in the room.  There may or may not be stuff written on the boards. If there is, don’t focus on what is written there just yet. Simply acknowledge that you see it and shrug it off.

The second or third time you enter this room, ask a question. Just one. Know and expect that the answer will appear somewhere on one of the walls and that this answer is completely honest. You’ll know where the answer is the moment it appears.
Make your first question a simple one. Be satisfied with the first answer you receive. Ask something like “Which bill will I receive tomorrow?” or “Who will call before noon?” or another that you prefer.

At first, make the point of being in this room, enjoying the room. The Chalkboard Room is a  gift that is available to anyone and everyone who chooses to go inside. On the same note, The Chalkboard Room is personal, made just for you. Love it, connect with it, and again, enjoy it.

After you get the hang of it, ask a question that is less simple. Trust that the answer will be there, even if it is an answer that isn’t currently ideal.

Good luck and safe travels. I am always here if you need me!

Tags: astral travel

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Ian Elliott January, 2011

Principles of Paganism

Mid-Term Examination

The mid-term examination of the Principles of Paganism course covers the first six monthly lessons.  One or two questions per lesson will be askedm ten questions in all.  You must give satisfactory answers to six out of the ten questions, and in addition you must include a one-page, minimum three-paragraphs statement giving your feedback on the course thus far.  The feedback can be positive or negative, but it must be backed up with examples.  In other words, I want constructive criticism.  Include in the feedback page some suggestion(s) regarding what you like to see presented in the second half of the course.  I will try to fulfill your requests.

The mid-term is required for receiving the certificate at the end of the couse, as is the final exam.  The final exam will not be comprehensive; it will cover Lessons VII through XII.  The mid-term should be emailed to me as an attachment no later than February 1^st, 2011.  It will not be accepted after that date.  My email address is; quicksilver101445@yahoo.com.

If you send in your exam early and wish to revise your answers, you may do so, provided you submit the complete exam each time.  I must receive the final revision by the end date of February 1^st, 2011.  If you do not care for such things as certificates, you need not take the exam; but if I receive less than five mid-terms by the expiration date, I may decide not to continue the course.

Please enter your name as you wish it to appear on your end-of-course certificate:

____________________________________

The exam begins on the following page.  If not enough room has been provided for your answers, you are welcome to copy paste the exam into a word document and provide spacing more convenient to you.

Lesson 1: Cosmos and Chaos (1 question)

Name at least two features of creation as seen by pagan religions that differ from the views of modern non-pagan religions such as Judasim, Christianity and Islam.

Lesson 2: Will and Fate (2 questions)

How do pagan ideas of fate make room for a limited play of free will?  What does it mean to say that someone’s fate is sealed?

Lesson 3: Reading Between the Lines and Our Two Souls (2 questions)

Describe paradigm creep, and how it falsifies descriptions of indigenous beliefs.

Name at least two ways in which the life-soul (suld, siela, p’o) differs from the dream-soul (ami, vele, hun).

Lesson 4: Daimones (1 question)

Describe how changing concepts of the gods, from dynamic earthly forces to ethically pure heavenly beings, brought about the demonization of demigods or daimones.

Lesson 5: Why the Hebrews Ceased to Be Pagans (2 questions)

Why, according to Sir Leonard, were there no grave furniture in the ancestral tombs buried under the brick courtyard at the back of the family shrine in private houses in Ur?  Why did Abraham and his family abandon the worship of temple deities when they traveled to the Mediterranean coast?

Lesson 6: Greek Domestic Religion (2 questions)

Why was a Greek house called a hearth?  Why was Hestia considered of central importance in the Greek home?

Please describe, in at least three paragraphs, your experience of this course thus far and how, if at all, you have benefited from it.  Constructive criticism will be appreciated.  Finally, please include one or two suggestions for the direction you would like to see the course take in the second half, lessons 7 through 12.

Thanks for your attention.

Ian Elliott

Tags: midterm

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MoraRavenCall January, 2011

Madame Mora’s herbal

This class is designed to show the practical application of herbs to assist with everyday needs.  The lessons printed will not outline “magical” uses for the herbs, but, if questions on this topic rise, please feel free to ask.

Also, please remember, the information in this class is a look at herbal therapies that may show promise as adjunctive treatments to conventional medical approaches, and is not meant to give specific recommendations or advise for the treatment of a specific illness, nor is it intended to be a replacement for good medical diagnosis and treatment.

Lesson 3

Salve for skin iritations.

?  Aloe – Aloe barbadensis – is a known antibiotic, astringent, and antiviral.  You will use the gel.

It is used to treat acne, bruises, burns, corns, eczema, insect bites and stings, lesions, ring worm, poison oak and ivy, psoriasis, rashes, sunburns, minor wounds, and wrinkles.

?  German Chamomile – Matricaria chamomilla – is a known analgesic, antibiotic, and antifungal.   You will use the flowers.

Used to treat bruises, minor burns, corns, dandruff, eczema, hives, rashes, sore nipples, and minor wounds.

?  Lavender – Lavandula officialis – is a known antibiotic, and insect repellent.  You will use the flowers.

Used to treat acne, minor burns, eczema, insect bites and stings, psoriasis, minor wounds.

?  Rose – Rosa canina -  is a known anesthetic and astringent.  You will use the flower petals.

Used to treat bruises, insect bites and stings, psoriasis, and minor wounds.

Assignment 3:

Use these 4 ingredients to make a salve.  Combine equal parts rose, lavender, and german chamomile with enough aloe to make a paste like mixture.  Apply this to minor skin irritations, such as those listed above.

Email me your findings.

Tags: herbal remedies, herbalism, herbs

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