Simplifying Life - Mark II

mary43

Lula -you could try an ad in your local paper for vinyls - you never know -someone might be out there after them. OH keeps adding to ours and had to create a whole new shelving unit to house them. He'll never play them I know but they were given him and he's never one to refuse a freebie.
Other alternative is a boot fair but to do that you may as well wait till you've emptied out those drawers...............lol (yes I will keep banging on about them till you;ve done them...:rotfl: ) If only I lived nearer I'd happily do the job..........someone else's 'stuff' is always more interesting to do than your own...........I never mind doing someone elses washing up but I'll put mine off till in the end OH does it............lol

Back to the vinyls -depends whether you want to get rid of them to get rid of the memories they have, the space they take up or if you need the money. I managed to sell some of my Dads sheet music from way back when but would have happily given it to anyone who I thought appreciated it - in fact I think I did put some on the Freecycle site. My main thing was to get rid of them before I put them back where they came from and theyd still be a burden to me, daft as it sounds.
Good luck with them. :j

pagangirl

Firework - this may help (haven't figured out how to do links yet)!
PAGANISM 'A DESCRIPTION'
Paganism is a spiritual way of life which has its roots in the ancient nature religions of the world. It is principally rooted in the old religions of Europe, though many adherents also find great worth in the indigenous beliefs of other countries. We celebrate the sanctity of Nature, recognising the Divine in all things; the vast, unknowable spirit that runs through the universe, both seen and unseen. Such belief in the sacredness of all things can be found world-wide. Pagans see this as their heritage, interpreting many of the beliefs and values of our ancestors in forms adapted to suit modern life. These interpretations may be based on folklore, myth or archaeological evidence. What is important is not necessarily the historical validity or political attainability of such visions, but the direction in which such inspirations channel human energy, human potential and human creativity.
Pagans honour the Divine in all its aspects, whether male or female, as parts of the sacred whole. Every man woman and child is, to a Pagan, a beautiful and unique being. The woods and open spaces of the land, home to wild animals and birds, are cherished. Paganism stresses personal spiritual experience, and Pagans often find this experience through their relationship with the natural world that they love. They seek spiritual union with Divinity by attuning with the tides of Nature and by exploring their inner selves, seeing each reflected in the other. We believe that we should meet the Divine, in whatever form we perceive it, face to face and within our own experience, rather than through an intermediary. Although some paths do have leaders and teachers, these people act as facilitators, using their own wisdom and experience to help guide those in their care towards discovering their own sense and interpretation of the Divine. Our rites help us harmonize with the natural cycles of our selves and our world, and so they are often held at the turning points of the seasons, at the phases of the Moon and Sun, and at times of transition in our lives.
There is a great variety of hues within the broad spectrum of Paganism. This reflects the range of our spiritual experience, for we believe that everyone is unique, and so everyone's spirituality must be equally unique. Some Pagans follow multiple Gods and Goddesses, their names familiar to all from the pages of European folklore and mythology; others focus on a single Life Force of no specific gender; yet others devote themselves to a cosmic couple - Goddess and God, or Lord and Lady. We celebrate our diversity for we believe that each person should find their spirituality according to the dictates of the quiet, inner voice of their own soul. For this reason we respect all sincere religions, and do not proselytise or seek converts. From other faiths and from society generally, we ask only tolerance.
In these days of eco-awareness, Pagans are often at the forefront of environmentalism. Pagans of all paths respect the rights of every living soul, whether human, animal, plant or rock. We are ever mindful of the action of cause and effect, whether by thought or deed, upon the creatures of the Earth. Each of us accepts responsibility for ourselves, both spiritually and in the things we do. We encourage free thought, creative imagination and practical human resourcefulness, believing these to be fundamental to our spending our lives in harmony with the rhythms of the natural world. We rejoice that some of our long-held personal beliefs should now be shared by so many other people. These beliefs are the heritage of all people from our distant and common ancestors - they are equally the concern of all our descendants.

And to those who have been touched by the beauty of the
green earth, the white moon and
the radiant sun - to those who love the
magnificence of all Life, we say: you are not
alone.

ceridwen

Yep - that sounds good to me Pagan Girl.:T

firework

wow, thanks for searching that out for me pagangirl. when i read it, it made me feel peaceful. does that make sense? also i did the quiz on beliefnet and my result was neo-pagan (fancy that - lol!).

to describe my beliefs - never really thought about it before as always just declared myself as agnostic. have described myself a few times lately as - "just an old hippie at heart", i know hippie is not a belief - but it 's more of a feeling, another mish masher i think! lol!

i just think there's too much emphasis on materialism these days, it's all work/spend/work/spend and not enough love being spread. i crave a simpler life, with more peace, kindness, love and understanding, and alot less STUFF. (hmm... might check out buddhism while i'm on)....

...goes off for further investigation ......

2cats1kid

Well I just did the quiz and I came out as "secular humanist" (which I just had to go and look up!). I remember once when I was about 16 or 17 my mum asking me what I believed, and the best I could come up with was a "rightness" or harmony. Then when I thought about it I realised I'd pretty much described the Force from Star Wars and felt like a right berk! Apparently George Lucas drew on Taoism for the Force, but a lot of the pagan things sound pretty much like it to me. Just allowing yourself to feel part of a whole and having an influence (albeit very very small) on that whole, without the whole necessarily being anything divine or a creator. Just a balance in the world/universe. Does that make any sense? I discovered the concept of Gaia, and thought that sounded pretty close. I have noticed that in online forums a lot of the people I am drawn to and end up chatting to are pagan/Wiccan.

I do describe myself as atheist as I don't believe in a divinity, whether the God of the Jews or the Christians or the Muslims or the Hindus (or whoever else). And what I hate about the perception of atheists is that that means you have no code to live by and therefore are a bad person. I try to do good where I can, do no damage (or as little damage as I can), and I like to think if I can help another person along the way then I'll do it.


So is that pagan, secular humanist, or just common sense? (Or am I a closet Jedi LOL?)

Sorry, rambling again....

Charis

I discovered yesterday that the Quakers have a new offshoot - or rather have revamped one they have had for some time. Friends' Committee On Unity With Nature (what a quaint mouthful!) is now called Quaker Earthcare Witness. They are a small but select band in the US of A. There are a lot of pamphlets, some of whose titles made me think of Ceridwen. This one (a long but fascinating read) overlaps Pagan Girl's description of paganism. The similarities are amazing, given that one is pagan, the other Quaker. I once read that religions and spiritual beliefs are like spokes in a wheel, fastened to the hub. The nearer they get to the Spirit, the closer together they become. A bit like money saving Old Style?
:A

mary43

pagangirl - thanks for that. Couldn't be clearer. Haven''t done the test yet to see where I fit in or what I am.
Mind a bit pre-occupied with a letter from the hospital requesting I go back for a second examination next Tuesday afternooon following my mammogram the other week so thats a bit of a 'rocking chair' situation at the minute. I keep telling OH not to worry but easier said than done.
I suppose on the plus side it means I have to cancel my dental appointment for the front tooth being taken out and put on my dentures........so I'll not be looking like a witch just yet..............lol

Heavy snow this morning so school closed again, this time until Monday, despite the fact that now the snow is melting fast so tomorrow just might be a clearer day. Our young lad is loving it.........all this time off school and in a weeks time it'll be half term !!

Can't see me getting much simplifying done now till my brains clearer and I can focus on something other than the looming hospital appt. I'm afraid I'm one of those people who always think the worse in these situations..........so whether pagan or not.............can you spare me a thought along the prayer line ? Thanks...............knew you would:A

*moggins*

Mary keep your chin up, it could well be nothing more than them being cautious. I'm constantly being called back for a second look. My attitude to breast cancer has changed completely since I had it, it's more a "just you try and get me a second time you beggar"!! I don't bother worrying anymore unless they tell me I have something to worry about

mary43

moggins - oh thankyou so much for the re-assurance. You're right, I know you are and heavens - in the past I must have had at least 4 cysts removed -each time I was convinced that it was far worse and that was many years ago. My common sense tells me there's no point in worrying about something I can do nothing about and as Aril once quoted
Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair............gives you something to do but gets you knowhere.
How true...............I've never forgotten that quote so I must think more positive.
Bless you:A Pleased to hear you're ok and may you stay that way

Lula-Hula

Mary - all my positive thoughts & energy are directed your way

lula
xx