The destruction of lust,
The destruction of hatred,
The destruction of illusion,
Is called Nirvana. - The Book of Kindred Saying


Speaking of others' faults can also be a way to distract ourselves from acknowledging our own painful emotions. For example, if we feel hurt or rejected because a dear one hasn't called us in a long time, rather than feel the suffering nature of our attachment, we criticize our loved one for being unreliable and inconsiderate.
Thubten Chodron


Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. -The Buddha

"People only see what they are prepared to see."
Ralf Waldo Emerson

"Don't criticize what you can't understand."
Bob Dylan

"Who ever honors his own sect and condemns other sects... injures his own more gravely."
King Ashoka

Your work is to discover and then with all your heart to give yourself to it. -The Buddha

"Examine your own mental attitudes. Become your own therapist."
Lama Thubten Yeshe

"Much knowledge of divine things is lost to us through want of faith."
Heraclitus

"Home is not where you live, it's where people understand you."
Chr. Morgenstern

"Don't blow up your ego by getting addicted to knowing everything better. Even if you do it's often wiser to keep your mouth shut and give others the chance and time to find things out by themselves."
Hans Taeger

"Love creates an "us" without destroying a "me."
author unknown

"People say 'I want peace'. If you remove I {ego}, and your want {desire}, you are left with peace."
Sai Baba

"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts."
A. Einstein

"When I was born I was so surprised I couldn't talk for a year and a half."
Gracie Allen

Vision without action is a daydream. Action with without vision is a nightmare- Japanese proverb

"I give myself very good advice But I very seldom follow it."
Alice, Alice in Wonderland

"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.".
Cyril Connolly

"To live fully is to let go and die with each passing moment, and to be reborn in each new one."
Jack Kornfield

Astrology- one of my favorite topics.

The mythological stories told by the ancients are way to track the seasons in which certain constellations appeared. Here in North America, we look for "The Big Dipper" in the sky to locate the north star (Polaris).The Big Dipper is an important part of American history, the escaping African slaves from the south used it to guild themselves north to freedom (Follow the Drinkin' Gourd).



Fall Constellations:

Pegasus (the winged horse)-
Pegasus is a beautiful white horse with wings. Pegasus was tamed by a warrior named Bellerophon, and the two had many adventures together. Bellerophon tried to ride Pegasus up to the heavens, but the gods couldnt allow a mortal man to visit their home, so they caused him to fall from Pegasus's back. Alone Pegasus rode up to the heavens where he stayed.

To find Pegasus- face south, look high in the sky for a large square (The Great Square) of four stars. Look to the right of the square for the triangle that forms the horses head and the two lines that form his legs. Best time to view: Sept- Jan

Andromeda (the chained maiden)-
Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of the queen of Ethiopia, who bragged about her daughter's beauty constantly. A group of sea goddess's became jealous and sent a giant sea monster to destroy Ethiopia. The only way to save Ethiopia was to give Andromeda up to the sea monster, so they chained her to a rock in the sea. As the monster rose from the water, Andromeda screamed in terror, and her scream was heard by Perseus, who rushed to kill the monster. After he freed her, the two married and lived happily ever after.

To find Andromeda- face south, look into the sky for the Great Square once again. Look for the top left star that forms the Great Square, this star is Andromeda's head. Look to the left of this star to find the stars that make up her body, arms and legs. Best time to view: Sept - Feb

Who turned the lights on over at the old Spivey house?

I was walking down Church street towards 6th Street and I saw what I thought to be the street light reflecting off a window of the the Spivey place. When I got closer I was so shocked I stopped dead in my tracks. The upstairs lights were on. I've lived in Camden for 17 years and I know everything about this block, but I have no knowledge of anyone living there. That house has been vacant since the Spivey's moved out over 10 years ago, at least I thought so. I walked around the corner to see if there were any cars, but there are none, in fact, the place has no usable driveway. The upstairs lights were on, but I didn't see any movement. Is it possible that one of the Spivey's is staying there? I mean, it's never been up for sale so they must still own it. Although it is possible the bank seized it. Over the summer I saw Ryan Spivey walking a dog through the cemetery here in town at dusk. He smiled at me and said Hi, not his usual behavior from what I know of him. Who is there?

A cable man called Ted came today.


He spent several minutes unplugging the cords in the rear of the cable box below my tv. When the screen went blue he scratched his head in bewilderment. His heavy boots echoed throughout my home as he traveled into the cellar. For thirty three minutes he was silent. Ted tapped on a few wires in the basement, then returned to the tv. He held the box in the air, as if he was confused. His final decision was brief and gloomy. Ted came to the conclusion that the computer was the cause. He marched out the back door, coughing in his own hand.

Oh, cable man Ted, why are you so ineffective? You've left me in a bind, my internet won't work. I sit here considering my options in vain, yet Ted is pleasantly driving home in that time warner cable van he operates.

2012
It's been all over the news and television and now there is a movie. The Maya Calender predicts the end of the world in the year 2012. The whole Maya Doomsday philosophy is not only depressing, it's incorrect. The Maya Calender runs in cycles, and in the year 2012 the current cycle will and and a new one will begin. No global disasters or mass extinctions, just a new phase. The History channel has become a source for all the up to date super disaster predictions. I used to enjoy the history channel until it became known for UFO conspiracies, Big Foot investigations, Nostradamus, old footage of Nazi's and Ice Road Truckers. Apparently human history is so bleak that only poorly written shows about searching for clues to where the Knights Templar hid the Holy Grail are available.

Doomsday prophesies are in fashion these days. The idea that a dead south american civilization has accurately predicted the end is, well, down right silly. Had to get that out of my system.

I believe this woman's name is Harriet A. Taylor. She was born in 1852, but according to her tombstone she is still alive. According to Ms. Taylor, she died long ago but was buried at another location. There are no other stones in the this area of the cemetery.












The groundskeeper at the cemetery likes to drive over plots according to Mrs. Roberts. The stone that has been knocked over reads C.R.K. Mrs. Roberts is angry over the destruction of one of her sons grave. She refers to the groundskeeper as "that slob with that loud vehicle." I do have to admit, the bleach blonde mullet and the over sized monster truck don't help the guy, who lives just feet from the cemetery.










Leonora A. Dragosz
September 24, 1952- January 30, 2009

Leonora stood out because the stone was new and the flowers were freshly planted. Her last name was new to me, apparently it is Slavic. Leonora told me that she had breast cancer.

Florence Waterman Donlon
March 5, 1901- March 25, 1976
Forest Park Cemetery, Camden NY

This is the woman who died in my home in 1976 when it was a nursing home. I have spoke with her in the past, and she seems to be a resting spirit. Her story is of interest due to the fact that the owner of the nursing home run in my house was put on trial for allegedly murdering Mrs Donlon for her inheritance.

Her husband is buried next to her, his name is Arthur Donlon and he died in 1960.

In this entry I will explain my reasons for choosing to represent myself as The High Priestess reversed. The reversal of this major arcana card can be interpreted as a viscous, secretive, cold woman who refuses to share her knowledge. As a general definition this may be appropriate, but when choosing a card to describe yourself you must look at all the possible definitions and find something to relate with.




When I look at The High Priestess in the reversed position, I see a woman capable of great achievements spiritually, yet she is unable to share this with others. She is reclusive, a mysterious loner who often hides her true self behind a mask. There is no lack of knowledge on her part, its just complicated for others to find it. Without confidence in her instincts she finds it hard to trust others. Her higher self and lower self take on their own identities. When her lower self is exposed she appears as a secretive, selfish person who can easily find the right words to hurt others. Her emotions get the best of her and she often seems lost in her own thoughts.



When doing medium work, I picture this card in my mind frequently. You may wonder how she can do all this, but don't expect her to tell you her secrets. Some things are not meant to be shared.

All living beings have aura's made up of many layers and colors. Each of the seven layers of the aura has its own colors and vibrates at a different frequency than the rest. The layers also represent areas of life and the colors of these areas can show how a person feels or thinks. People that have a red aura may be angry, orange represents cleansing or healing, yellow is the color of energy and optimism. A green aura can mean that an individual enjoys nature or helping others. Someone with a lot of blue in their aura may be sensitive, spiritual, loving and calm. Emotional, artistic, intuitive individuals usually have purple aura's. Psychic's can see aura's, some naturally while others have to practice at it.




Being that I am better at mediumship, I have learned that the dead also have aura's. Unlike living human beings, spirits have solid aura's, with no layers. The color that a spirit takes on represents the way they lived. Red spirits are angry souls who blamed others for their troubles. I have met a few red souls in the past, they are attracted to feelings of hatred and impatience. When these spirits visit they can have quite an effect on the living. The room can become suddenly hot, and people tend to feel as though they are being weighted down. It can be a very stressful situation.In fact, some of what I am writing about in this entry actually came from the words of a spirit that had a red aura, this spirit was my responder tonight. A responder is a spirit that communicates through automatic writing or spirit boards. I call them this because one spirit in particular likes to write " I am responding" multiple times throughout sessions.



Red spirits are angry

Orange is not common color in the spirit world and I have heard it is impossible. This makes sense, the dead have no need for cleansing or healing.

Yellow is a special color. Only angels and God's helpers are yellow and white.

Green spirits are very rare, and only "mountain like figures" such as Mother Theresa or Gandhi are green. These spirits are very happy "laughing spirits."

Blue is more of what my responder called a "mundane spirit." They are average souls.

Purple is a color of fear and attachment. My responder pointed to the spirits in cemeteries that emit this color. Many of these spirits feel an attachment to their physical bodies. Old homes that are haunted by the spirits of previous owners may appear purple when seen through the third eye.

Grey is the color that many unhappy or unfulfilled souls. Sinful people usually show up in this category.

Black souls are not so enjoyable. I have seen spirits with black aura's and its never a good sign. These spirits come from the bottom pits of the astral planes (hell), and they are full of negative energy. Most were never alive nor are they human.

Spirits can see the physical world, but they are limited in what colors they see. My spirit responder commented that my head was either red or blue. It explained that colors meant different things for spirits looking at living things. Red means that I think and worry about negative things, which is very true. Since my head is sometimes blue, i can only assume that I am am bored during that time. Brown is a color for life, green is a color of purity and happiness. A pregnant woman's belly would appear green-brown to the dead, the baby would be green and the act of growth would be brown. A red heart means your heart is full of hatred, or you blame others for your misfortune.




Spirits are sensitive to light, they prefer dim lighting. Candles are important, the yellow light shines through the spirit world and attracts them. White light is a sign that a being from the highest regions of the astral planes is descending upon the area. Guardian angels, spirit guides and other divine beings give off a blinding bright light, along with high frequency air vibrations. Animals appear blue to spirits, while inanimate objects are different shades of gray. My responder told me that it likes hair because everyone has the same color.

Apparitions don't have aura's since they are only reflections. A spirit will sometimes project images of itself from its past life in an attempt to catch the eye of the living. If you see a ghost, you are not not actually looking at a true spirit, but know that the spirit is probably close by.

The Lovers is my card according to the horoscope. The keyword for this card is choices. It shows Adam and Eve standing in the garden of Eden. The choice made by Eve to pick the apple is considerably the most important choice to have ever been made. Raphael the Archangel is sown in the sky above the couple, He is the angel that guards the tree of life.
Raphael means "God has healed" in Hebrew. He is the Archangel of marriage, healing, happy meetings, travel and air. Gemini is an air sign. My Chinese astrological sign is the Snake, oddly enough the snake from the story of Eden is shown on the apple tree on this card.




The Archangel Michael is depicted on Temperance. He is pouring the essence of life between two gold cups, representing blending of past, present and the elements. Michael has one foot placed on land, the other above water, balancing between logic (land) and emotion (water). This is the card of balance and harmony.
Michael is the angel of sacred light and the holder of the sword of justice. He has the power to dispel darkness and provide strength for the innocent.
Saint Michael the Archangel
protect us in battle
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.



Judgement is about learning from our mistakes and becoming enlightened. The Archangel Gabriel is shown blowing a horn, below in coffins their are people rising from the dead. After death their sins are washed away and they are reborn. In the end God forgives all. The reborn cheer at the sound of the angels horn and a new life begins.
Gabriel is known as Gods Messenger and represents purity, truth and guidance. He lights our way and shows compassion. Gabriel also gives sound judgment and helps us to see the truth. When Mary became pregnant with Jesus, Gabriel came to her and told her that it was God's child.
The name Gabriel means "man of God" or " God has shown Himself mighty."




Another angel in tarot worth mentioning is Lucifer, one of fallen angels. He was never an Archangel but he plays an important role in Christianity.

This card represents obsession, bondage, fear and harmful habits. This is The Lovers card gone wrong. The choice Eve made to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden led to the couples banishment from the garden. Bad choices lead you to bad places. The devil tempts us to make bad choices. The devil is modeled after pan, an old pagan god of woodland creatures. The word panic comes from the myth of Pan, as he inspired fear in deserted areas. 
I don't think I need to explain Lucifer here. He was once an angel, until he and others rebelled against God and were banished from Heaven. Since then Lucifer/ Satan/ the devil has been tormenting souls and tempting humans to sin.