Note #11...
     This note is going to start a discussion about 'Shielding', and 'Protective Barriers'. What the terms mean, why such things are important, and what ever else I can think up concerning this topic
     Shields are invisible walls of energy, that most people can't see but intuitive entities can fe. Some to be stopped by these walls, others to pass through them. Some walls are meant to for both engs and energies, usually negative; to be stopped. Some shields are so 'tight' as to stop germs an isects. WE set up these shields, WE empower them, and ideally WE maintain them.
     Upon myself I keep lay upon layer of protection, borrowing power from many aspects of the magicl and natural world. About my home and property, is a separate shield, a great Circle. No nook or cany is overlooked, from the place where wires from outside come in through the wall, to the drains omng up from the ground. From around, to underneath and below, to above and over my property. And tis,is what I'm going to endeavor teaching those who read here and wonder about -- Shielding.
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     One of the better books I recommend is 'Psychic Self-Defense & Well Being', a Llewellyn writteny Melita Denning & Osborne Phillips. Though perhaps not a GREAT book, it none the less gets across normation, easily understood by the beginner.
     Now, prevalent among the young Folk is this belief in a war between good and evil. It is a hang-on from their Christian roots and since I don't believe in any such thing, will not be discussing t I will be discussing other negativities, and how to cope with same.
     'The best offense, is a good defense!' STILL good words. And just like belief in a 'curse' willive curse power, and be empowered by your own fear and belief SO TOO will you need to empower and bleve in your barrier. KNOW IT WORKS! Then you will have protection on an emotional level, physical evl, psychic level and into the higher astral planes that people like us often work on.
     Thus, you are protected and aided from things like disease, subliminal messages such are found  advertising, negativity which others strive to adhere you with, to outright psychic attack. And le e give examples...most of you know my health problems these past few months, I should have been unbl to walk great distances as of about 7-8 years ago BUT was walking 15 miles, three times a week; p util this past August. Now, I'm having trouble now, and sometimes using crutches BUT am still notin awheelchair. When all the homes in our neighborhood were being robbed and vandalized, our home wsn't.I don't like physical contact with other people, when I walk through a mall; people clear a pah for e and put Crys and I together; it gets downright ridiculous because a wide 'aisle' opens righ up forus. During one of the worst storms in decades, house damage and trees down, etc. Our home wa untouchd and the satellite dish didn't even need retuned. And since I learned that you could tightn your fild until even germs can't cross, I've not had another case of pneumonia which I'm prone to So you se, Shielding does work, can work in more ways than you thought, and NEXT we get to busines!

Note 12....... PERSONAL SHIELDING!
     I'm going to keep this simple with the beginner in mind but suggest you get & study the book priously recommended:
Psychic Self Defense & Well Being.
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1) You need relaxed and in a somewhat meditative state, breathing deeply and regularly...don't hyperntilate!
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2) I want you comfortable and relaxed. Your heartbeat slowed, your Conscious Mind calmed. Your clothg comfortable and no pinched areas. You might even lock the doors and go skyclad in your bedroom, wee you feel safe. When ready........
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3) Now it's best if you STAND but whether sitting or standing, get yourself 'up straight' so your spe is nice and erect, like Mama always nagged you about! <VBG> This is to help align all the energie oth Mentally and Physically, giving them easy passage. So now, pretend you are a soldier and the 5Str General is walking in front of you.
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4) NOW, we get to the visualization part, and THE ACTION! Start by building energy within you at jusbelow chest level near the bottom of your ribcage (solar plexus chakra), a sphere of power that grosand expands until it is outside of you. Changing shape until from head to toe, this sphere of powe srrounds you, not touching but out away from you like a bubble or like the force field from a StarTre show. Picture yourself in this sphere as it takes on color, an intense blue light, it's brilliat, i completely surrounds you, it's PART OF YOU!  THEN when you have it steady in place, turn your ttenton to the spot just over your head, there is alittle known chakra here also, and in this spot bout 2 over your head picture your Self Spirit, your Highest Form, your Divine Spark and your connetion tothe Divine Unity, the One. FEEL IT TAKE FORM in a blinding white Star of Power! Feel its postivity ad goodness, the rightness of it.  PICTURE YOURSELF in this radiant white light surrounded b brillian blue. Hold that thought as long as you can, give it LIFE and POWER!  MAKE IT REAL!
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5) And when you can no longer properly visualize and are mentally tiring, let it go and fade from yo Mind KNOWING that it's still in reality there in form. It is given form by Self but it is fed by teDivine Energy. KNOW IT!
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     Now, the first time doing this will be more difficult than the next time you do it, which will  harder than the time after that. It will get easy and 'natural' with practice. And if at first youcn't visualize properly, that's alright. Or if you don't feel anything, that's alright, too. Just KEPPRACTICING!
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OOPS! Ran out of note space, hold that last thought for:
 
Note 13....cont... PERSONAL SHIELDING! .
    I suggest you get into a daily routine, of practicing this technique. And remember, this barriers a symbol to your Mental Mind, you won't 'see' it nor will others. Neither will it stop bullets oralow you to jump a building in one flying leap! It will when it reaches your potential, deflect negtiity, protect from unpleasant entities, deflect psychic attacks. It can tell you if somebody has cossd your barrier, and if you don't like them or they are negative; give them nausea or headaches t dowright CAN'T come across!
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     Because our Mind can take the most casual wish and make it reality (Watch what you wish for, yojust might get it!), you can 'fine tune' your protection. Empower it or Program it, so to speak.
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     A second exercise in protection, is just visualizing the brilliant WHITE LIGHT, like a star inse you. It is small, but you feed it energy and empower it...and it GROWS. FOCUS on it! EMPOWER it! ae it REAL and make it GROW! Know it for a protective force of Divine Energy. 'See it' expand and gowuntil it is bigger than you. Until you are WITHIN it's firey protection. And as your mind relaxesthi vision, KNOW that you are PROTECTED! And ORDER it so! Do not doubt it and Mind will make it so!.
     BLUE STAR: part of the Rede in its long poem version mentions:
                  'When misfortune is enow,
                Wear the blue star on the brow.'
Now for those of you who don't know it, your brow is the spot between your eyes and up onto the foread about an inch or so; those versed in Chakra, will recognise this spot as the 'Third Eye'.
     When in trouble, danger is present or some negativity of any type occurs or threatens; some Wites will invoke Power, and with their Projective Hand forefinger (right if righthanded, left if leftaded); they will visualize and trace with their finger -- a Blue Star of Protection on their 'brow' Apentagram. And let me tell you, there is no denying its presence, and it can be a most beautiful eacn to those fortunate enough to 'see' this on another.

Note #14...HOUSE PROTECTION.
FIRST: let me cover something usually missed:
     When shielding your home, DO NOT FORGET UNDERNEATH IT:
including drains, sewer lines, sump pumps, water pipes, gas pipes and any other pipe or hole or ANYtng else that goes out below.
     When shielding your home, DO NOT FORGET ABOVE IT or AROUND IT: such as antenna wires coming in,lectric and telephone wires, doors and windows, vents for stove and bathrooms, and ANY other openin r hole or pipe or whatever that comes through the walls.
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THAT said, let us get down to business...
As with everything else in Wicca, there are as many methods to shield and protect your home as therere apparently Witches. <VBG>  THE MAIN THING - visualize in what symbols work for YOU!  So lets statby saying your goal is the visualization needed for sacred space - your home; and a barrier - the irle you will cause to exist about your home.
Now some will use one method and another something else. I use crystals and herbs for example. Some ve these herbs, or crystals, or little brooms, or 'whatever' over every door and window. But FIRST,yu have to start, and with any ritual I suggest you start, with YOU. Fast (go hungry), opinions var bt I think until you are very hungry and then the hunger passes, THAT is the time. Get a good bathandbe very clean, herbal baths tend to 'set the mood'. But again this is up to you.
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My experience has taught me the following is easy for the first timer:
THEN, in one hand carry salted water (Earth & Water Elements), and in the other hand carry a censor ire & Air Elements). Then starting at the bottom of your house, work EACH & EVERY ROOM, moving Widdrhin (counter clockwise), through the room AND through the downstairs and each level above that. An dn't forget what I said in the first paragraph about openings, make special note of them as you wok yur way!  Saying:
.
'By Earth and Water, by Air and Fire,
  and by Spirit be this Circle bound
     and purified, as I desire!
           SO MOTE IT BE!'
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When the inside is done, I finish by going outside and walking around the house, which of course isn always possible; but walk around three times, Widdershin again; and this time sprinkling out the sled water and then, before the main door end by saying:
.
'Thrice around my Circle bound,
 no evil cross my sacred ground!'
        SO MOTE IT BE!
.
And again I visualize my barriers like those from those old Star Trek Shows, not only going around, t ABOVE and BELOW!
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NOTE #15......Protective Helpers.

PROTECTIVE PLANTS: (thankyou: Cunningham's Ency.of Mag.Herbs, which added so much to my knowledge!) 
Acacia, African violet, agrimony, ague root, aloe, althea, alyssum, amaranth, anemone, angelica, ani, arbutus, asafoetida, ash, balm of Gideon, bamboo, barley, basil, bay, bean, betony (wood), birch,bttersweet, blackberry, bladderwrack, bloodroot, blueberry, bodhi, boneset, briony, bromeliad, broo, uckthorn, burdock, cactus, calamus, caraway, carnation, cascara sagrada, castor, cedar, celandine chysanthemum, cinchona, cinnamon, cinquefoil, clove, clover, club moss, coconut, black cohosh, coton, umin, curry, cyclamen, cypress, datura, devil's bit, devil's shoestring, dill, dogwood, dragon' bloo, ebony, elder, elecampane, eucalyptus, euphorbia, fennel, fern, feverwort, figwort, flax, flebane, oxglove, frankincense, galangal,garlic, geranium, ginseng, gorse, gourd, grains, grasses, hazl, heater, holly, honeysuckle, horehound, houseleek, hyacinth, hyssop, Irish moss, ivy, juniper, kaa-kava, ady's slipper, larch, larkspur, lavendar, leek, lettuce, lilac, lilies, lime, linden, liquiamber, losestrife, lotus, lucky hand, mallow, mandrake, marigold, masterwort, meadow rue, mimosa, mnt, mistleoe, molluka, mugwort, mulberry, mullein, mustard, myrrh, nettle, Norfolk Is. pine, oak, oive, onion,orris, papaya, papyrus, parsley, pennyroyal, peony, pepper, pepper tree, periwinkle, pilt weed, pimprnel, pines, plantain, plum, primrose, purslane, quince, radish, ragwort, raspberry, ratlesnake root rhubarb, rice, root vegetables & foods, rose, rosemary, rowan, sage, St.John's wort, andalwood, slo, snapdragon, southernwood, Spanish moss, squill, tamarisk, thistle, ti, toadflax, toato, tormentil,tulip, turnip, valerian, Venus flytrap, vervain, violet, wax plant, willows, wintergeen, Witch Hazel wolf's bane, woodruff, wormwood, yerba Santa, yucca.
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     Plant tissue is so very easy to use, many of the above are found in the grocery store in the spe department! But you can gather your own, dry it and store in a sealed jar in a dark shelf, for fuue use. Feel free to combine herbs, especially making up something that smells good to YOU, this isArma Magick, too. You can even buy tea, Celestial Seasons is GREAT for this, in the types of herbs ou ant and take the tea from the bag to use. I speak to the herbs and plants I'm using, telling the wha I need, thanking them for their help. I can't say that at this point the dried herbs here me BT it oes help program Unconscious Mind to the needed task...
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Note #16........more Protective Helpers.

PROTECTIVE STONES: this can get more complicated. Your best method of utilizing Crystal Magick is too a 'birth stone' layout incorporating your Sun, Season, Month, Day and Hour stones. Also realize ta there are several Sunstones (Birthstones) per Zodiac sign, not just the one usually known about. Haing this main layout in your bedroom.) This information, I have covered in the 6 Crystal Magick ntespreviously posted under that subject.
...*Can easily repost if anybody requests that data.*...
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     Usually in Crystal Magick, you try to match the problem needing solved to a specific Crystal's tributes. At the same time, being wary of overpowering your system of too much projective or receptv power.
.
     Protective stones of a general nature come in BLACK colors but Cunningham provides more on his st from Crystal, Gem & Metal Magick; so have combined his list and mine for here:
.
agates, alum, amber, Apache Tear, asbestos, calcite, carnelian, cat's eye, chalcedony, chrysoprase, trine, coal, coral, quartz crystals, diamond. emerald, flint, fossils, garnet, holey stones (stoneswth natural made holes), jade, jasper, jet, lava, lepidolite, malachite, marble, mica, moonstone, mthr of pearl, obsidian, olivine, onyx, pearl, peridot, petrified wood, pumice, ruby, salt, sard, dak spphires, sardonyx, serpentine, staurolite, sulfer, Sunstones (stone type not birthstone), tiger' eye topaz, black & red tourmalines, turquoise, clear & red zircons.
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     Now not everybody is going to want to get into this in depth. But the CHEAPEST stones such as pin old coal; and sard which is often that dull black filler in the grab bags at your local rock stoe..are very good protectors when enmassed. Coal gets dirty but you can often wash much of the dust ff After your initial shielding, place stones about the doors and windows. I was very lucky in my crret house, as it was being built, I smuggled crystals in and they are now sealed into the buildingitsef, unseen. Last spring we had cementing redone and so at each door, people now step across my sones hat I sneaked into the cement work. Everything especially balanced so as not to mess up the net peope who live here. And, these stones won't need cleared or cleansed except in my big 'whole houe' cleaing, done periodically.
    If this is still too much work, get yourself a clear jar or a wicker basket, and fill it with vaous types of agates, as many types as possible. Add some quartz crystal shards. And then place thiscntrally in your home, and it will work neutralizing and clearing negativity. It would help to empoerit but even that isn't necessary! Besides being a pretty centerpiece and conversation piece. Oncea mnth run the stones through warm RUNNING water for several minutes to clear them of negativity aswellas dust.
 
NOTE #17... As I went over my previous notes, it began to become clear to me that more needed said. remembered the first time I found the Wicca subjects under Arts. There was no effort to specificall peak to the new person, as I have here. I was Goddess blessed to have found people like Domi and Brd and the other Ladys, to ask questions of and get answered. But then how many have the time I've ad,to sit and think about this and compose postings? But anyway, with these thoughts rattling aroun my ead for a day or so, I now proceed to my 'afterthoughts'....
     By now you've probably decided if Wicca is for you, or not; maybe even self dedicated yourself.erhaps you've done some rituals and dabbled in Magicking. But what next?
FIRST:  get yourself to the library and start READING!
SECOND: get yourself a copy of Cunnigham's 'Solitary Practitioner'. I like this book best, because hwrites without any Trad leanings. My dear friend Lady Jana called him a 'wimp', which he really is u hear me out...
     When the children were little I would make them a dessert called bread pudding. All it was, wasn egg, bread and milk baked. Very bland with little taste, just right for little ones. But as the cidren grew I added more sugar, and vanilla, and nutmeg; making the taste stronger until now I wouldthow in raisins and walnuts.   You see, dear Reader; this is what I hope for you. To get you starte soyou can find your own path, maybe with Cunningham (I like him!) but maybe with a Trad like Gardnrian or such.
     But YOU need to decide what kind of Witch you wish to be?  How 'religious'?  Will it be superfial and shallow, convenient?  Will it be deep, life changing, transforming? Is one worst or better ta the other? YES! If you wish to be deep and practice shallow, or the other way round; making Self nhppy and dissatisfied -- then YES, something is definitely wrong. But only YOU can make these deciion for Self, not me, not friends or relatives or anybody but YOU!
     So I ask you to think about this and decide -- what kind of 'pudding' will you be?  I hope the GHT one for YOU, because that's all that matters.
     Wicca isn't casting spells left and right, nor is it fancy garb. A person might look out over aeautiful valley, give a sigh and say, 'This was made by God.' But I think a Wiccan would sigh and sy 'This IS the God and Goddess'. I think in that subtle switch of thought, lies Wicca, a belief of llthings alive and connected, partnered. It is harmonizing with a personified world and being alive no just with your Physical Body, but with your entire Being. I wish I could say it better, could sare he things that I have experienced. Mere words are not enough.
     When writing properly, one should never end on a negative note, but I purposely am going to do st that so it sticks in your head to be thought about. Wicca is considered by Christians to be Satai. A wiccan can be subjected to physical and mental abuse, their home and person violated, their saet jeopardized. Family may shun you. Society may consider you neurotic and a victim of child abuse,dernged in some manner. A great many will take it upon themselves to 'save you', as though you werea litle lost lamb being led to the slaughter by the big bad wolf. Being Wiccan, won't always be eas, wont always be fun...
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NOTE #18..........more afterthoughts.
     WHY exercise ritual? For one thing, it's fun and enjoyable. And if one's going to have religionI think these are very important traits for a religion, ANY religion to have. To honor the Lord ando Lady, is another good answer. But you decide for your reasons, this decision will help give you fcu. During ritual you cast a Circle of energy. Not to keep the evil boogeyman out <VBG>, but a Magik Crcle is a container. And what it holds, is the energy you have raised. True, the Circle does kee outnegativity, but that is not as important.
     Raising power during ritual can be done in many ways, such as drumming & chanting. I once saw aV interview and the Witches were chanting: 'The Goddess is Alive! and Magick is afoot!'  And their hnting caused power to rise in me. Now sometimes, you see certain definite rituals and chants, doneovr and over AND over some more! These would seem to get as monotonous, as the Lord's Prayer did tome s a kid in school. (Yes, the old days!) So are YOU going to simply recite lines and spells, or ae yo going to put your Will into it, and genuinely and subtly CHANGE?  But how can you tell if you re chnged? If the Power is with you? Sometimes it won't happen at all. And beginner's may not realie chane when it occurs, because it grows slowly, and gains in power and energy with use and practic.
     But when the Goddess is Alive -- your perception altars and widens as your Mind opens up. Your otions are raised and excited. Your voice will raise in volume and the pitch too, changes up or dow.And knowledge will come to you, poetry will flow, and you will be more than, Yourself. THIS is wha ohers talk about, when they say WE are the Goddess!
      And THIS makes ritual and magick worth practicing.
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     But what is ritual and magick and spell casting? Are you sure you know what the answer is? I dot know, not for sure except what it is to me. Somebody on this subject last week said something to h effect, that not all Witches do rituals, etc and that Wicca was a way of life more than a religio. n my strong opinion - how can you be Wiccan and NOT?
     My day starts with feeding & watering my cats, hitting the bathroom, seeing family off for the y and checking my Rune of the day. I light my candle, turn on the computer, and make some tea and mdtate a bit before working files, answering mail and booting to P*.  Later I do dishes, while thinknghow lucky to have food to dirty dishes with, and work to earn money that buys the food. I give thugh to the hungry, homeless and less fortunate. Any cleaning done, my mind again wanders to how forunat to have a home that needs swept, to those who have no homes such as the recent hurricane victis in la. I energize at these times, and where many HATE house work I often am thankful and happy an relaxd.
     NOW -- which of the above is 'ritual' or not?  What is 'spells' or 'magick' or not? Each Readerwill have a different opinion. But to me, a Witch who lives the Rede, follows Threefold Law, LIVES  REATHES MAGICK & RITUAL!!!
            She or he, has no choice.
 
Note #19
      A Solitary works and answers to themselves. They can do things how they feel or when. This is w I practice ritual, but also I have a Circle. This is a loose, less structured group of friends wh et together and talk and learn...a support group and learning lab. Then a Coven is structured withexepted guidelines and rules and ways of doing things. Each Coven makes these rules for itself. Som folow rules already preset, and would be said to be following a 'trad.', which is a Tradition. An xceped way of doing things. When you become initiated, you can do this yourself as do Solitaries; o by aCircle or Coven leader. At this point you are a Priest or Priestess because we do not believe n the eed for a mediator between Self and Divine. Such as the Christian preacher or Jewish Rabbi, watever.Now in groups, you continue to learn and passing tests to become higher degree'd. The top ofthis is igh Priestess and High Priest, they are the most learned and respected. A respected person s called ord or Lady. Some of the kids pop up, calling themselves Lord This and Lady That. They hav not earne respect of others. There are people here entitled to this term but don't use it, such asDomi or Weswind. I myself was reticent on letting my own group call me Lady until assured it was alight from thse whom I respect. But I'm a bit more careful about such things. But DID cheat a little My name is lgal but as I worked it up, I figured I'd use my initials of L.D. then realized if I ad the E. it looed like the license plates that have phono-spelled words... LDE can say Lady. I fear go Self got me n that one! <VBG>
      Anybody can be a Solitary. But not just anybody can join the group of their choice, you have tbe voted in, so to speak. Often, a person allowed to participate will do so for a year and a day tra period before the initiation into membership. This is Covens, and here again...each will work  difeent. For my Circle, nothing fancy, we are too loose with many never having met other members but he onnection is myself. Most Circles won't work as I do!!! Now for Samhain, most of my friends spunoff nto Covens, which was the goal. These are made up of friends.
    So you can see how individualized these matters can be. I hope I've not further confused you.
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 Note #20...THE TRIPLE GODDESS as seen by Laurie Cabot.
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MAIDEN: the crescent moon, viginal and delicate, grows stronger and brighter each night, appearing hher & higher in the sky as it comes to greater fullness. Ancient men & women have interpreted this hse of the moon to represent the young girl growing stronger with each passing day. She's the pure,inependent athlete and huntress, who in Mediterranean Goddess lore was called Diana & Artemis. As se mtures into a powerful woman warrior, or Amazon, she learns to defend herself and the children tht sh will someday birth into existence.
     In some cultures this free and independent Goddess is the Lady of the Wild Things and presides er the hunting rituals. In her hand she holds the hunting horn, taken from the cows and bulls that r her special animals. The horn is shaped like the crescent moon.
Power of the Witch, pg. 26-27.
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MOTHER: The full moon, when the night sky is flooded with light, is represented as a mother Goddess,er womb swollen with new life....
     In the mother aspect of the full moon, the Goddess of the hunt also becomes the Queen of the Haest, the Great Corn Mother, who bestows her bounty upon the earth.....
        In America she was the Corn Maiden, who brought maize to nourish the people......
Power of the Witch, pg. 28
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CRONE: At some point in every woman's life the menstrual cycle ends. She ceases to bleed with the mo. She retains her blood forever, or so it must have seemed to our ancestors. She holds her power, adso she is power-full. She is an elder. She is the wise old crone.....
     The Greek Goddess Hecate, Goddess of Night, Death, and Crossroads, embodied this Crone......
     And so from birth, to puberty, to motherhood, to old age and death, the eternal return of life  intimately bound up in every woman, no matter what phase of her own life she is currently in.....
Power of the Witch, pg. 32-33.
Triple Moon Goddess...the end of 3 parts.

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