If You Don't Like It, Don't Do It

I know this isn't a new thing, but it's really getting on my nerves lately.

I'm talking about people trying to tell other people how to live.  This leaks over into every part of life - there are things like gay marriage, interracial relationships, dietary choices or lack thereof, medical choices or lack thereof and most recently, Pokemon Go.

I don't understand this need to regulate other people's lives or even to concern yourself with choices that really have no impact whatsoever on you - except perhaps that it might make you a little uncomfortable.

Who someone is in love with (and what bits they have), what tv shows they like to watch, whether or not they eat wheat or meat, what car they drive, what they wear or what Gods they worship is none of your business.  In no way does it have any effect on your life or your ability to enjoy your life.  What seriously is the purpose in trying to dictate to others that they have to be like you?  Do you get a kick out of making someone miserable just so you can feel more comfortable around them?

Objections on Religious Grounds

If you feel that someone else's life is offensive to your religious beliefs, then why not leave those judgments and punishments in the hands of the Gods?  I'm pretty sure They're more than capable of taking care of things Themselves if something should offend Them.

Personally, I'm not aware of any religion that requires it's followers to make others outside of the religion miserable just to please themselves.  Similarly, I'm also not aware of any religion that asks it's followers to be the most obnoxious, self-important prats who constantly try to make the world over in their own image.

If something is against your religion, then don't do it.  You don't get to tell others that they have to conform to the ideals of your religion.

Objections to Food Choices

If you are vegan or vegetarian (for whatever reason) good for you.  Unfortunately, there's a trend amongst vegans particularly to try and push their lifestyle choices onto everyone else as though it's the only healthy option.  This is usually supported by cherry-picked bad science that also assumes that everyone's physiology is identical and the dietary needs of one person are identical to the next.

If you don't like eating (or wearing) animal products, then don't.  But you don't get to dictate that others have to follow your way.  For many people this will make them very sick.

Since I discovered that I was Gluten Intolerant, I've found it truly bizarre not just how many people have an opinion about it but the range of opinions and suggestions I've had.  I've heard everything from "this gluten-free stuff is all bullshit" to "it's not the gluten, it's the preservatives they put in white bread (which I didn't eat anyway), you need to make your own bread and you'll be fine" to "You're just being a drama queen".

I don't understand how becoming violently ill if I eat gluten affects you enough for your opinion to be something I should take under serious or any consideration.  Unless you're holding my hair for me, I'm going to file you under "dick" in my head.

Objections on Aesthetic Grounds

Unless it's a school which has a dress code or uniform rules or you are employing someone for a job with a dress code or uniform rules, then how someone else dresses, what piercings or tattoos they may have is none of your business.

This whole "dress for the body you have, not the body you want" thing leaves me flabbergasted.  All the social media memes about how low-riding or sagging started in prison to show you were "available" or all the blog posts about "what women over 30 should never wear" are all part of the same thing.  Why does a complete stranger require your approval?  If someone is comfortable and feeling confident and happy in their clothes, then that should be celebrated not condemned.

If you don't like those clothes, those piercings or those tattoos, then don't wear them.   You might not like to see their stretch marks or their ribs, they may be bigger or smaller than you feel comfortable seeing, but you don't know their story, you don't get to tell them what they can and can't wear or what they should be doing about their body type.

Objections because Science

If someone wants to do a detox diet or use homeopathy or restructure their home for good Feng Shui how is this your problem?  Aside from people dangerously neglecting children and pets by failing to seek appropriate medical attention when it's needed or trying to make a cat vegan, anything else is not your problem, it affects you in no possible way and there is nothing useful to be gained by being offended by someone else's choices in these things.

I'm sure you're seeing the theme here.  Decide for yourself what you do, let other people do the same.  Try to understand why you think that others require your approval and why you think your opinion of their choices or lack of choices should matter to them - would their approval or opinion matter to you?

Voicing your opinions about things like this says more bad things about you than it does about them.

Blessings




Debbie

Magic With Jars

I've always been a big proponent of use what you have and find what works.  It never ceases to amaze me how often people feel hamstrung by not having the "right" things for the spell they want to perform.

Let me introduce the humble jar.  It might be a preserving jar, a plastic peanut butter jar or a large fancy decorative jar.  The uses for it are limited only by your imagination.  Below I've provided a few ideas to stir up that imagination.

As with any spell, it's important to be clear and specific about what you want.  Vague spells get vague (or no) results.  Charging, empowering, energising (however you look at it or whatever you call it) is also absolutely essential.  Otherwise, it's no different to the jar on the windowsill that all the little stuff (buttons, pins, paperclips) that might be useful one day gets stored in.

Any of these could be stand alone work or used in conjunction with any other type of spell.

Honey Jar

Honey and Sugar Jars (or bowls or saucers) for sweetening people are common in Hoodoo, Rootwork and American Folk Magic.

Write the name of the person needing sweetening and place it in the jar.  Alternatively, you can combine petition magic with this and write a letter or explanation of the situation that needs sweetening.  Fill the jar with sugar, honey, molasses, syrups, jams - anything that is sweet can work.

Some dress a candle and burn that on top or beside the jar, some do this repeatedly until they get their results.

This can be used for a job spell to make the potential employer favour you, to attract someone to you, to resolve conflict in your favour, in court cases, to soothe someone who is upset at you or to stop or prevent abuse of any sort against you.  Any situation where someone needs a little sweetening up.

Protection Jar (also known as a Witches Bottle or Bellarmine Jar)

This is a well-known and common jar spell used for personal (and family) protection.

Fill a jar with nails, broken glass, sharp and nasty stuff.  Fill it with your own urine, add some blood or hair or other bodily fluids.  Seal it and tuck it away hidden somewhere on your property.  Under the floor, inside a wall or buried in the garden are popular places.

The personal links act as a decoy for you.  Anything sent your way goes to the jar instead of you, then the sharp nasties trap it there and tear it apart.

Money Jar

Any money spell can work in a jar.  Fill it with money drawing components, add a magnet and some coins.  Be specific about how you want money to come to you.  You could add your spare change to this when you think of it and have a magnifying component.  You could write yourself fake cheques from the "Bank of Life".  You could add a money powder or bank statements or something to represent goals that you need money for.

It might help to decorate the jar and leave it somewhere you can see it often.

Leave the lid off or you will block the money from coming to you.

Binding Jar

A jar can work in place of both poppet and thing to contain or bind the poppet.  Put the person inside the jar (photo, personal links, names or a poppet), you could bind the jar, or bind the links inside the jar.

This can also be used to calm someone down when they're a bit over the top in any fashion. I know a lady who "bottles" her husband when his exuberance gets to be too much.

Curse Jar

A curse jar can be a specific one curse only item or for repeated usage.

The jar could be filled with sharp nasties as in the Protection Jar, poisonous or thorny plant matter, animal faeces, toxic or unpleasant insects or their houses (ant hills, wasp nests, spider webs) or any other unpleasant items you can think of.  Add the person's name, photo, a personal link or sample of their handwriting.  You could also add water collected during a thunderstorm or black water from a septic tank.



I'm sure by now, you can see a pattern.  Put your spell components or sympathetic components into the jar, add your target or purpose, charge it up and seal.  This list is only a few ideas that I see or use most commonly, use your imagination for any other uses.

Blessings




Debbie