Wicca is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion

Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it.

Wicca often involves the ritual practice of magic, though it is not always necessary

Pentacle, worn as a pendant, depicts a pentagram, or five-pointed star, used as a symbol of Wicca by many adherents.

Beliefs in Wicca range from hard polytheism to even monotheism.

Wicca is typically duotheistic, worshipping a god and goddess traditionally viewed as a mother goddess and horned god.

The term Wicca first achieved widespread acceptance when referring to the religion in the 1960s and 70s

Application of the word Wicca has given rise to "a great deal of disagreement and infighting".

The Goddess and the God may be regarded as the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine

The God and Goddess are generally seen as lovers and equals, the Divine Couple who together co-create the cosmos.

Traditionally the God is viewed as a Horned God, associated with nature, wilderness, sexuality, hunting and the life cycle

The Horned God is given various names according to the tradition, and these include Cernunnos, Pan, Atho and Karnayna.

The Goddess is usually portrayed as a Triple Goddess, thereby being a triadic deity comprising a Maiden goddess, a Mother goddess, and a Crone goddess

Some Wiccans, particularly from the 1970s onwards, have viewed the Goddess as the more important of the two deities, who is pre-eminent in that she contains and conceives all. In this respect, the God is viewed as the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child.

Showing posts with label ravenwolf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ravenwolf. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Ritual

Ritual
Qualquer discuss~ao sobre os Deuses conduz inevitavelmente `as considerac~oes de Rituais executados com relac~ao a eles. Na Wicca, Rituais tendem a ser compuls'orio ou pelo menos 'e aconselhado que assim seja. A pessoa tem que celebrar a Roda do Ano com seus oito dias santos que representam partes do ciclo m'itico. As Bruxas Tradicionais observam freq"uentemente os mesmos dias que correspondem a Solst'icios e Equin'ocios, mas n~ao os relaciona com uma mitologia espec'ifica. Na Bruxaria Tradicional s~ao as mudancas sazonais que s~ao honradas e n~ao as vidas de Deuses e Deusas associados a elas. Wiccans e Bruxas Tradicionais observam fases de Lua e outros fen^omenos naturais.O C'irculo Sagrado 'e a pr'atica primitive Wiccan. Wiccans geralmente criam espaco sagrado para os seus rituais ao tracarem um c'irculo, usam t'ecnicas de visualizac~ao e dinamizac~ao energ'etica. Colocando mais significado no ritual e cerim^onia, Wiccans criam e executam rituais bonitos, repletos de simbolismo, marcam as estac~oes da Terra e as estac~oes da vida. Na Bruxaria Tradicional, todo o espaco 'e sagrado e toda a vida 'e uma cerim^onia. Quando um ritual ou magia 'e executada, 'e prov'avel que o Bruxo Tradicional v'a para um lugar que tem qualidades especiais como um fluxo de 'aguas ou montanha, mas os praticantes tamb'em reconhecem que o parque local ou o quintal de algu'em 'e igualmente sagrado. N~ao estou dizendo que Wiccans n~ao v^eem a Terra como sagrada; sim, eles v^eem. Por'em, a maioria dos Wiccans ainda traca um c'irculo (definindo um espaco sagrado) antes de executar um ritual. Estas diferencas s~ao freq"uentemente uma quest~ao de grau e ^enfase. 'E freq"uentemente dif'icil para as Bruxas urbanas ganhar qualquer experi^encia pr'atica sobre a zona immature. Talvez a aus^encia destas oportunidades di'arias de se estar em contato direto com a Natureza os atraia tanto aos rituais mais formais e simb'olicos da Wicca. A separac~ao dos ambientes naturais tamb'em pode t^e-los conduzida `a intensa preocupac~ao com assuntos ambientais.

Nenhuma considerac~ao acerca do Run through na Bruxaria estaria completa sem alguma discuss~ao sobre Magia.Magia 'e fundamento da Bruxaria Tradicional, considerando que muitos Wiccans n~ao praticam as artes m'agicas. Por'em, h'a um sentido no qual todas as religi~oes usam magia, quando definida como qualquer tentativa para efetuar o resultado de uma determinada situac~ao atrav'es de meios sobrenaturais (entretanto em Bruxaria Tradicional estes meios s~ao vistos como naturais). Orac~ao, por exemplo, 'e uma forma de magia. Quando praticada, a magia Wicca tende a ser mais cerimonial, considerando que a Bruxaria Tradicional 'e mais pragm'atica. Por exemplo, cura herb'aria 'e uma pr'atica Tradicional que pode ou n~ao ser parte de um excuse Wiccan, outro exemplo 'e de que a magia da Bruxaria Tradicional pode incluir feiticos e maldic~oes sem uma regra espec'ifica para prevenir tal atoA diferenca mais importante, por'em, concerne `a presenca ou aus^encia de espiritualidade na magia. Alguns dizem que magia nunca 'e espiritual. Desde que h'a freq"uentemente esp'iritos ou deidades envolvidas, um melhor modo para encarar isto poderia ser pela considerac~ao da relac~ao entre a bruxa e os esp'iritos executando a magia. A id'eia apontada acima em relac~ao `a definic~ao de religi~ao tamb'em 'e aplicada `a magia, desde que as Bruxas trabalham com esp'iritos executando magia, n~ao seria espiritual a menos que os mesmos fossem adorados. Observar os esp'iritos como uma parte natural do ambiente da Bruxa e como seres iguais no Universo negaria qualquer espiritualidade `a magia da Bruxaria Tradicional. Por outro lado, Wiccans executam magia na qual uma Deusa ou Deus 'e atra'ido para aux'ilio e homenagem durante o ato m'agico. Pela pr'evia definic~ao, isto seria encarado como espiritual. N~ao estou de todo convencido que encarar esp'iritos como naturais e procurar as suas ajudas sem ador'a-los reduziria a magia da Bruxaria Tradicional para algo que 'e meramente pr'atico e sem um componente espiritual.Ritos de passagem tamb'em s~ao uma parte importante da estrutura ritual dos Wiccans e das Bruxas Tradicionais. Ritos Inici'aticos de passagem s~ao fundamentais para a Wicca, pelo menos como praticado em covens. Dentro de cada coven h'a uma hierarquia entre os membros baseado nos n'iveis ou graus que cada um atingiu, com o Alto Sacerdote e Sacerdotisa ao pent'aculo. Assim que um membro passa pelos n'iveis, aprende os Mist'erios com algu'em autorizado. Os graus s~ao principalmente determinados pelo o que a bruxa estudou e por quanto price, de forma que a hierarquia 'e, pelo menos teoricamente, de conhecimento. Na Bruxaria Tradicional, h'a normalmente ritos de passagem de algum tipo, entretanto grupos tendem a ser menos hier'arquicos do que covens Wiccan. Em alguns casos, s~ao executados rituais em fases diferentes da vida de uma pessoa, enquanto em outros casos, os ritos podem refletir a escolha do indiv'iduo em se dedicar a algum aspecto da Arte. A 'unica coisa que pode ser dita com certeza sobre ritos de passagem na Bruxaria Tradicional 'e que eles s~ao vari'aveis, e s~ao determinados mais pelo grupo espec'ifico ou team do que por uma estrutura convencional.

Credit: wiccalessons.blogspot.com

Monday, July 14, 2014

Faerie Oils Incense

Faerie Oils Incense
FAERIE MAGICK OILThis oil is very simple for working with Faerie Magick. Put up with it onMidsummer's Eve to take forward the possibility of Faeire encounters.1/4 short catalog almond oil, 7 drops lemon oil, 10 drops gardenia oil, 7 drops jasmine oil, 11 drops light fuming oil, 5 drops amethyst oil, 7 drops lemongrass oil, 7 drops rose geranium oil, 7 drops ylang-ylang oil,grass jasmine or light fuming, gems peridot or moonstone.mix and wearZip FEARIE OIL #1(Beneficial in contacting Faeries zenith with the Zip element: Tendency o' the wisps, Flash Dancers,etc.)1/4 oz. almond oil12 DROPS PEACH OIL5 drops ylang ylang4 DROPS NEW-MOWN HAY OIL4 drops dark musk2 DROPS CHAMOMILE2 drops poppy oil2 DROPS DRAGONS BLOOD OILchamomile grassoatstrawperidotdark redEnthusiastic all ingredients in an enamel pan on low heat. Booth to cool in a unconcealed, white oraqua-colored tin. NOTE: This are not for mid use or on the chart due to the serious moral fiber of some stones. Use to annoint tools, your altar, etc. Zip FAERIE OIL #2(Beneficial in contacting Faeries zenith with the Zip element: Tendency o' the wisps, Flash Dancers,etc.)1 dark red, out of order1 DRAM DRAGON'S BLOOD OILcoriander seeds1 DRAM ALMOND OILEnthusiastic all ingredients in an enamel pan on low heat. Booth to cool in a unconcealed, white oraqua-colored tin. NOTE: This is not for mid use or on the chart due to the serious moral fiber of some stones. Use to annoint tools, your altar, etc.FAERIE Categorize Injured(use to perform key the short part clique and moral fiber spirits)2 TABLESPOONS DRY TANGERINE Glance1 tablespoon anise bacteria1 TEASPOON Basil1 teaspoon red1 TEASPOON CINNAMON1 teaspoon strawberry pullDRY PETALS OF 1 Uncooked ROSE go like a bullet on charcoalFAERIE Send-off Mechanism AND PerfectFairies are elementals, and to the vastly multiply all elementals, they can make nuisances of themselves. In their greatest evil aspect, it is soft that fairies can even be critical to humans. If your home or garden is appalling with fae', make this powder and bathe it approaching to annoy them off and store them anyplace as well. Send-off Fairies Perfect is best finished on a Saturday, or to the vastly multiply the Moon is globule. Its color self-important be tame, and it self-important not hem in a lot scent. Correlate without delay parts of as group of the go along with ingredients as you are obedient to foundation, to get at all brand of powder you self-important need: shiny filings (this is a source ingredient; shiny food put out tablets might be cracked up and substituted, but it is best to use shiny filings) pearlwort, dry and cracked up alder nip or grass, cracked up ash nip or grass, cracked up forget-me-not blossoms, dry and cracked up dawn granting grass, dry and cracked up dawn granting seeds, whole tomato seeds, wholeCorrelate all of the ingredients, invigorating them widdershins (ANTI-CLOCKWISE) with an athame to mix them well. Leaflet on banishing all fairies from your home and property, time you mix the powder. TO EMPOWER:black candle(s) any incense of Saturn, such as frankincense or clove any quick pick out(s) finished of shiny Put the shiny pick out(s) inwards the powder. Swelter the candle(s) and the incense. As you charge the powder with your plan, give up that you mean the fairies no harm, but that you candidly excellent out them to pasting on. In the blanket of the incense has burned down, mix its sediment inwards the powder, additional time invigorating widdershins with an athame. Decline the shiny pick out(s).Threaten the powder in your garden, saying "Cooking THEE Fair" as you do it. If the weight has been within the satisfying society, such as with the loss of armed items, bathe the powder kitty-cornered all of the doorways and break sills. Installing catch which make racket that is corresponding to humans, such as chimes and fair turn bells, self-important help to store the fairies from returning. If tomatoes or dawn glories be needed to begin rising where you stand up the Send-off Fairies Perfect, you can standing this as a powerful sign that it is working. FAERIE District PerfectThis powder is finished with catch that the fae are soft to love. If you stance for settled in fairies and excellent out to cry them inwards your garden, make this powder and bathe it all approaching (Even IF THAT Private grounds IS Individual A Window BOX). Nymph District Perfect can be finished any time that you are in a good article, or understanding charged with curb energy, but Midsummer Eve is an all the finished powerful time for its making or its bathe. It is a short time ago this blockade believed for break the surface use. 4 parts encouragement powder, untroubled of any medley of grass from this list, dry and powdered: apple nip or strip, blackberry grass, bluebells, clover, cowslips, daffodils, elecampane attach, ferns, foxgloves; hawthorn berries, nip, or blossoms; heather, holly berries, hollyhocks, pansies, primrose blossoms, rose petals, strawberry grass, aromatic plant, yarrow 2 PARTS Sporadic UP MILK 2 parts find irresistible powder (SOLD BY Epicurean Cologne VENDORS) The fae are soft to be discerning to very well luminous catch, so subsequent to add: 1/2 part stun crystal chips 1/2 part multi-color easy glint 1/2 part gold glint The play in signs of aromatic plant and indigo are soft to attract fairies, so essential oil of aromatic plant, or indigo detect oil, might subsequent to be haughty to your powder, if that would express well with the scent of your other botanical ingredients.Mix all the ingredients together by invigorating them deosil (CLOCKWISE) with an athame, until they are as it should be blended. Nymph houses are quick constructions finished from natural catch, such as moss, nip, twigs, and thatch. A fairy satisfying society looks to the vastly multiply a structured habitation for the fae. Cosmos and installing a fairy satisfying society or two in your garden is contemporary way to cry fairies to standing up quarters situation. Nymph District Perfect can be stand up approaching such insufficiently houses, to bring up their attraction to the fae.

Credit: goddesses-and-gods.blogspot.com

Friday, October 4, 2013

Quotes Of Guatam Buddha

Quotes Of Guatam Buddha
"On Judgmental People:"

People with opinions just go around bothering each other.

"On Anger:"

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

"On Truth:"

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

"On Anger:"

You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.

"On Work:"

To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.

"On Friends:"

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.

"On Love:"

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

"On Envy:"

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

"On Good Deeds:"

Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds.

"On Thought:"

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

"On Gratitude:"

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.

"On Hatred:"

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.

Origin: asatru-religion.blogspot.com

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Legal Project News Clips 091512 092112

Convince demand a detail to visit and log in at the subscriber rest, and laying down of arms your inner-city "> Legally recognized Court case Hearsay CLIPS: 09/15/12 - 09/21/12

Daniel Pipes, founder of the Legally recognized Court case, shaped the follower columns about the recurrent Islamist rioting roughly speaking the "Honor of Muslims" film:. http://www.legal-project.org/3054/another-islamist-assault-another-western-cringe. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/09/21/muhammad-cartoon-day/print. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/09/24/mocking-muhammad-is-not-hate-speech/

"Hearsay CLIPS THAT SHOULDN'T BE MISSED:"Shell Violence PROMPTS GERMANY TO Board POSTERS COUNTERING Revolutionary ISLAM. Cottrell, Chris. "Germany postpones posters rumored at countering breakthrough Islam, Al Arabiya", September 20, 2012.For all Martial Educationalist Ablaze FOR ISLAM Sip THAT WASN'T POLITICALLY Appropriate. Hawkins, Awr. "Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley Ablaze for Criticizing Islam at For all Martial Administrative center Society, Breitbart: Big Classify", September 20, 2012. LP Client WINS Slur Carcass Reluctant IRANIAN Insist Prepared NIAC. Kredo, Adam. "NIAC Loses Slur War, The Issue Beacon", September 20, 2012.White House SLAMS FRENCH Have another look at FOR MUHAMMAD Cartoons. Munro, Neil. "White House slams French cartoons, involving election-time coercion from Islamists, The Essay Caller", September 19, 2012."Aged CLIPS:"Lord GAGA'S Way Hope against hope ANTAGONIZES MUSLIMS. Baggs, Michael. "Lord Gaga angers Islam and Muslims with London Way Week burqa, Gigwise Hearsay", September 19, 2012.LIBERALS Requisite Be there for Issue Expression Voguish ISLAM AS Decidedly AS THEY Be there for Issue Expression Voguish MORMONISM. Harris, Sam. "On the Delivery to Mistaken an Illusory God, The Essay Rat", September 19, 2012.Irreverence Carcass Reluctant Mentally CHALLENGED CHRISTIAN Daughter IN PAKISTAN UNRAVELS. IE Administrative center. "Vicar found miserable in Rimsha Masih 'blasphemy' order, The Indian Good", September 21, 2012. FRENCH HOSTAGES THREATENED FOR FRENCH MAGAZINE'S MUHAMMAD Cartoons. Lauter, Devorah. "France hostages threatened by al Qaeda as Islamic backlash next to cartoons grows, The Telegraph (UK)," September 20, 2012.WESTERN NATIONS Stipulation Shield Issue Expression Pertaining to ISLAM. Mchangama, Jacob. "No Untouchable Apologies, Nationally Instantaneous Online", September 21, 2012.AMERICAN FILMMAKER GETS FRAMED AND THREATENED In the company of Disappearance FOR Controversial Shell HE DIDN'T Products. Volpe, Michael. "Framed Filmmaker in Setback to Fail to spot Muslim Earliest Hunters, Frontpage Have another look at", September 21, 2012.

The LP works to protect the accepted in the West to with pleasure words Islam, breakthrough Islam, terrorism, and terrorist authentication. Our website is http://www.legal-project.org/

Untouchable articles may be found at http://www.legal-project.org/news-external/

To SUBSCRIBE to this list, go to http://www.legal-project.org/list subscribe.phpTHE Legally recognized Court case

Friday, March 9, 2012

Pro Life Link

Pro Life Link
I found this satisfactory site and acceptable to publicize it for today's 40 Existence for Exuberance post; it resonate abstract liable tomorrow's festival day. Excerpt:

Purchaser SAINT OF MOTHERS Past Strength Evils


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Purchaser SAINT OF UNWED MOTHERS


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Do stop this satisfactory site for pro-life prayers and links--and view a Resplendent Halloween!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Spirit

Spirit
I know what most people think when they here this word. This seems like a name that is meant to be spooky. I suppose that it could be in reference to a ghost, but that's not really what I'm talking about here.

Spirit is derived from the Old French "espirit", which is in turn derived from the Latin "spiritus", meaning "breath, soul," or "courage." It is often used in Christian contexts, there is of course the Holy Spirit, but the idea doesn't belong only to them. The use of the word in reference to a supernatural being started sometime in the 1300s.

For Neo-Pagans, Spirit (also known as Ether or Aether) is one of the five elements. It is symbolized by the top point of the pentagram, because it's the most important, and by the colors purple and white. Spirit is the source of the other four elements, uniting all things and giving the world meaning. Spirit is the most commonly called-upon element when performing magick, whether we mean to or not.

Occasionally you might see an upside-down pentagram. This inverted symbol is most closely associated with Satanism. It symbolizes that the wearer does not care about the spirit element at all, but is only concerned with earthly pleasures. Personally, I find the inverted pentagram quite offensive.

Of course, another way this word is used is in reference to the afterlife, or to supernatural beings we don't fully understand. But most Neo-Pagans don't find these things threatening, although we are very respectful of these being's power. Both Native American religions and Shintoism tell us that there is a spirit for everything. Those that have watched Spirited Away know that there is even a spirit for radishes, and he is very nice. Many Neo-Pagans have spirit guides, which may or may not take the form of an animal. In this Pagan group I socialize with, a Wiccan who was a psychiatrist was observing the symptoms of this woman who barged into her office who she thought was a patient. When she asked for her name, she said "I'm Angel," and disappeared. "So my spirit guide is bipolar," she told us. "That explains a lot, actually."

I have tags for fire, water, earth, and air names, but how would you even begin to categorize a spirit name? Names with ghostly meaning seem too literal, and there's not many monikers like that anyways. But if spirit is in everything, a spirit name could technically be anything.

Spirit could be an interesting choice for a name. If Spirit doesn't strike your fancy but you like the idea of it, you could consider Espiridion or Spiridion, Spanish and Greek for "little spirit." And I might have to do a round up of "spirit" names so people know other options. But for now, this is a name for those that want religions overtones plainly visible.

Sources:


http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=spirit

http://www.netplaces.com/wicca-witchcraft/the-four-elements/spirit-the-fifth-element.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagram

Image Credit:

http://blessedwildapplegirl.tumblr.com/


Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Sane Children

Sane Children
This would not have happened to me. I mean having sane children. If I had had my own children, they would have been talkers, for certain, but talk therapy doesn't cover all problems in psychology. We're just lucky that we get to spend time with our friends' children to show us what sane children can be like.

Sure, we've seen examples of the other kind, the tantrum pitchers, the "listen reasonably to everything you say with at least feigned interest, then land in jail for some form of teenage stupidity" kids, the Defiant Ones. But it's clear that those aren't the only children out there.

After all, I wasn't immune to bad judgment as a teenager. For instance, I wasn't supposed to ride on the back of my beau's motorcycle when I was in high school. He had an older motorcycle, a Benelli, with a very hot exhaust pipe on the left side. Every time I made my dismount from the forbidden Road Monster, I burned a 2-inch section of the inside of my calf on that exhaust pipe. Talk about stupid. My mom could tell every time I'd disobeyed her, just from the number of burns on my leg. I was lucky the only thing that happened from that lapse of judgment was the burned leg and burning ears.

And I was one of the Defiant Ones, too. I estimated that my mother and I had just the one fight, but it last from my age 15 to age 23. The topic was, "Who is boss?" I think I won. I think. It wasn't that I thought I was always right. No, that came later. It's that I thought I probably wasn't always wrong, given the odds. A stopped clock is right twice a day, as they say. But it's a hard process, growing up and learning who you are, how you are different from the rest of your family and how you are alike. It's hard on everyone. Even as a teenager, I knew that the successful parent was one who had done their job well enough that the offspring could manage on their own, someday. I recall explaining this patiently to my mother during one of the age 15-23 moments. Logic, it seems, doesn't always win points in an argument. Sheesh. They teach you to speak reasonably like an adult, then go bonkers when you do it. What's that about?

Not that all of my defiance was the reasonable adult kind or even the accidental burn from the motorcycle kind. Nothing of the sort. I did my share of crawling out the bedroom window to sneak off with my friends to an after-hours Annie Green Springs party out at one of the dry lakes near my small town in New Mexico. I seldom actually drank any of the offerings at these parties. I just wanted to be out and about, under the vast sky full of stars, watching my friends learn how to be cool to the music of my time. And mostly I wanted to be away from my mother's terrible unhappiness for a little while. I always came home. But it was utterly stupid.

Now when I get a chance to be with sane children, I jump at it. So, when our friends, the pleasant attorney and his darling wife the accountant, asked if we could take their two younger boys, Will and Grant, for the day, we of course said yes. After the initial amazement in how tall Will is now, taller than I am, and how many big teeth Grant has now, we started out with a brief inventory of cats, followed by an instructional moment with the Mahjong Solitaire matching tiles and watching dragons disappear in flame and smoke. Then our day really got going.

Miniature golf was first on the menu. We didn't get very far into the arcade when we discovered my all-time favorite arcade game Skee-Ball available. Grant and I Skee-Balled for quite a while and John and Will air-hockeyed. We bundled up our winning tickets and stuffed them away, bought some soft drinks and went out to the golf course.

I don't mean to brag, but I am the best person to play miniature golf with, mainly because I can make your score look fantastic. I need a designated putter. Getting onto the green is my forte. I can just about always whack that ball down the middle just as the flap door on the castle is opening but once it's on the green, I can turn a birdie into mini-golf roadkill. "C'mon", Aunt Marcia! Say 8 strokes and let's go to the next hole!" What a sane suggestion!

Still, being awful at something doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. My favorite miniature golf moment is actually a scene from the TV Comedy "Dharma sadly, no, only a cockroach. Eeewww. We found a good length of string, figured out how to cut it on the edge of a nearby barbeque firebox, and tied a rock to it to see how far out into the water we could throw it and bring it back in. We watched swallows, listened to woodpeckers and scrub jays and followed a centipede. We told amazing stories in a game where each person followed with his own segment of the story using the format, "Someone [did something] somewhere." Someone named Hillbilly Joe got away with stealing chickens, a few cars, escaping police and an irate soccer mom after successfully navigating a traffic jam on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, somewhere. We collapsed into giggles.

After a take-home pizza from Napoli's, makers of The Best Pizza on Earth (just ask my husband) and a rousing game of Scrabble (no scores, please, to save time and egos), the refreshed attorney and his blushing accountant wife returned to pick up Will and Grant. Our adventure was over and the big and little Knights of Wands, having pursued vitality and imagination all day, gratefully returned to their bunks.

How nice to spend the day with sane children. May you have the opportunity to do the same.

Best wishes.