From The Witch's Desk ~ Spilling the Tea

 

Weathering the Storm

You played hard to get, you made him work for it, that's for sure, and he was more patient about it than most people would be.  He gave you way too much leeway if you ask me, and you did.  

But just as everything seems to fall into place, just as the festivities are planned and ready to proceed, there will be a wrench thrown into the middle of everything, a wrench made up of harmful, notorious words -- this means a shocking revelation; this could mean insults; this could mean that he does have a limit and you have pushed him to it.  

There is also the possibility that a third party is going to step forward, a third party that is looking out for him, and they're going to say to him, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"   And, gawds forbid, they're going to encourage him to stand up for himself; they'll encourage him to stop giving in to your every whim; they'll enourage him to rock the boat and not lose himself in a manipulative relationship.

A storm will follow, yes indeed, it certainly will, because this will all be a new experience for you, someone actually telling you "no".  Tantrums will no longer work, though they obviously did when you were a child, but those days are over.  You are going to have to weather the storm, lick your wounds, and hopefully come away wiser, with some of Life's Lessons to help you in the future.

It's what you're going to lose now, within this present scenario, which is the sad part. But you're so sure of yourself, so egotistical, so self-centered, you don't realize it yet...

Quite frankly, don't get so cocky so fast, you might have won the battle, as they say, but you have lost the war.  You don't think he'll ever leave, you don't think he has the courage to walk away, you think you can rule with an iron fist and he will never leave you.  This has always been your armor, your weapon, your certainty.

You would be wrong.

From The Witch's Desk ~ Spilling the Tea

 

Finding the Key

It didn't work out because you tried too hard and put too much effort into manipulating the situation instead of just letting things happen naturally.  Sad, but true.

This is not your first rodeo with this outcome being the result.  You know this, you just don't want to admit it, or maybe you don't know any other way.  This is what makes it so frustrating for you.

Were your parents manipulative?  Did your mother manipulate your father?  Is this the dynamic you grew up with, and this is what you consider "normal", because this is what you've always seen?

Your defenses are just up like crazy.  It would be easier for someone to break into Fort Knox than get through to your emotional soft spots.  You've got those covered.  You do understand, don't you, that this is going to make it all but impossible to find what you're looking for, because you've already set yourself up to make it impossible.

But there's something else here as well, something buried so deep that even close friends would be shocked, people who mistakenly think they really know you.  They don't.  You have secrets.

Is this one of those deals where you've kept something hidden, or denied it so hard for so long, that you might not even remember it now?  Maybe, maybe not.  You'd have to see a professional therapist on this point, someone with all the right degrees on the wall to let you know how you're doing on the sanity scale.  

You'll have to find the key, and then find the courage to use it, to set things straight, to make things right, to have dominion over your worst fears, to have the freedom to take down those barriers.  This means you'll be taking chances, and this is what terrifies you.

 

Cryptids ~ The more obscure variety

 

Momo...

The Missouri Monster a.k.a. Momo is a Bigfoot-like creature said to roam along the Mississippi River. Momo was first cited in 1971 near the remote town of Louisiana, Missouri, by Joan Mills and Mary Ryan, as they hiked along a remote path. The creature was said to be covered in thick black hair resembling shag carpeting, and it put off a terrible smell.

Over the next two weeks, the creature was sighted nearly 10 times by several different people. The creature's tracks were submitted to the director of the Oklahoma City Zoo for testing and deemed to belong to an unknown primate species.

Skunk ape...

The Skunk Ape is a humanoid cryptid that has supposedly been seen throughout the southeastern United States, but most frequently in the Florida Everglades. Known for its horrible odor, the skunk ape has been described as having dirty black fur and glowing red eyes.

The creature was first sighted in the 1960s following police reports in Dale County, Florida. In the year 2000, the Sarasota County Police Department received an anonymous letter with two photographs of what was believed to be an escaped orangutan stealing apples from someone's porch near the Myakka River. Because of the location, the creature has been dubbed the Myakka Skunk Ape.

Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp...

The Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp is a humanoid cryptid known to live in the swamp lands and sewers of Lee County, South Carolina. These beasts, more than one, are said to stand nearly seven feet tall and are covered in dark green scaly lizard-like skin.

The creature is said to have incredible strength despite only having three fingers and three toes on each hand and foot. The first time a lizard man was sighted was by Christopher Davis in the summer of 1988. Admittedly, the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp is one of the strangest and most unbelievable creatures to make our list, but their originality makes them something to be wondered about. And hopefully, they actually do exist.

Pope Lick Monster...

The Pope Lick Monster makes its home under the trestle bridge on the Norfolk Southern Railway, which crosses over Pope Lick Creek in Kentucky. Those who have claimed to see the creature have reported that it has the body of a man with the lower torso of a goat or sheep. Some people even claim the monster has short horns protruding from its forehead. According to differing reports, the goat-man either uses hypnosis or some sort of siren voice to lure people onto the train tracks, where passing locomotives then run them down. Others have claimed that the goat-man drops down onto passing cars from within the trestles.

So, is this just another legend told to keep people, especially children, away from the potential dangers of the trestle bridge? Possibly, but there have been several deaths on or under the bridge after people scaled the 8-foot high fence to look for this cryptid. Some of these people were involved in “legend-tripping,” a pastime where amateur folklorists and monster hunters go in search of their legends. Trains still use the bridge, even with its advanced age and unaware that cryptid seekers have lost their lives here. So, even if the PopeLick Monster is not real, the deaths associated with this area are still tragedies.

Puckwudgies...

Pukwudgies have been a part of Native American lore of the American East for centuries before the coming of the Europeans. Some Native Americans believe that they used to get along well with humans but that something happened that turned them against humans. One of the stories from the Wampanoag tribe claims they called on Maushop the Giant to remove the Pukwudgies from their lands because they were annoying. The Pukwudgies have held a grudge against humans ever since. Most Native American tribes say it is best to give a wide berth to the Pukwudgies if you encounter one. Their name means “person of the wilderness.” It is said that Pukwudgies have humanoid features with pale gray skin tones, but their fingers, noses, and ears are larger than a human’s. According to some sources, Pukwudgies are the oldest cryptid in North America.

Different tribes had different lore regarding the Pukwudgies. The Ojibwe and other tribes around the Great Lakes area consider them merely mischievous, and while they might play tricks on people, they were not considered harmful. However, the Abenaki and other Northeastern Native American tribes considered the Pukwudgies dangerous to people if they disrespected them. But for the Wampanoag and other tribes in Southern New England, Pukwudgies can go either way, they can be helpful to a human neighbor, or they can steal human children and do acts that cause great harm, such as pushing a human off a cliff. They are considered to be quite capricious.

Frogman...

Loveland, Ohio, has one of the more interesting cryptids in my opinion. The first stories of the Frogman began in the 1950s, when a businessman claimed to have seen multiple large bipedal frogs along the Little Miami River. The first official sighting of the Frogman took place in 1972 and was witnessed by two policemen on two separate occasions. Officer Ray Shockey first saw the creature on March 3, 1972, at 1:00 am. Officer Shockey was driving to Loveland, Ohio, when he saw what he thought was a dog in a field next to the road. However, when it stood up, its eyes were illuminated by his car lights, and he could see that it appeared to be a giant bipedal frog.

The cryptid jumped over a guard rail and slid down the hill into the Little Miami River. The officer got such a good look at the creature he could describe it well enough that his sister could draw it. Officer Shockey went back to the station and brought another officer Mark Matthews to the scene that same night. The only evidence they found was the skid marks on the embankment where the creature slid down into the river. A few weeks later, on March 17, 1972, Officer Matthews had his own experience with the Frogman. He was driving and saw what he thought was an animal in the middle of the road. He stopped his car, got out, and the creature got up and crouched in the middle of the road. Then it stood up and climbed over the guard rail. all while keeping its eyes on Office Matthews the entire time. For some reason, Officer Matthews decided to draw his gun and shoot at the cryptid, but he missed.

The most recent eyewitness account occurred in 2016 by a man named Sam Jacobs. It was mid-August, and he was playing Pokemon Go when he saw a very large frog near Lake Isabella. He claimed it stood up and walked away on its hind legs. He estimated the creature was about 4 feet tall.

The Yowie...

North America has Bigfoot, and Australia has Yowie. Its legend reaches all the way back to the Aboriginal people of the continent, with the Kuku Yalanji tribe claiming to have long coexisted with them.

There are two types of Yowie: one that grows only to 4-5 feet tall and another that grows as large as 10 feet tall. It’s described as apelike, with orange fur that grows 2-4 inches long. Indeed, there is Aboriginal cave art depicting creatures that fit this description very well.

There have been hundreds of reported sightings. There are even organized expeditions dedicated to locating and documenting the creature. They have generated some compelling evidence, including a thermal image showing a human-shaped creature towering above four full-grown men as they search for the Yowie in the woods.

Rougarou...

The rougarou, also called the loup-garou, is a uniquely horrifying monster. With the body of a man, but the head of a wolf, it stalks the swamps of Louisiana, hunting for misbehaving children to snap up in its jaws. It is, essentially, a Cajun werewolf, a human who’s been cursed with a terrible affliction.

Those who carry the curse are said to transform for 101 days. On the last day, the first human whom the rougarou attacks and draws blood from will become the next carrier of the curse. It’s also possible to become cursed by running afoul of a particularly vindictive witch.

The rougarou remains a grim belief for Cajun elders to this day. They use tales of the creature to caution their children and grandchildren against misbehaving, and accusing members of the community of being a rougarou has historically led to bloody conflicts.

Crosswick Monster...

Around 20 miles north of the Loveland Frogman’s territory lies Crosswick, home to the Crosswick Monster.  Although the monster hasn’t been spotted in nearly 200 years, the legend of the Crosswick Monster is still told in the area.  According to reports, two young boys were playing on the banks of a small creek when they were startled by a massive snake-like creature. The monster sprouted arms and snatched one of the boys, dragging him nearly 100 yards to a massive sycamore tree that was assumed to be its den.

The Crosswick monster dropped the child just outside a hole in the tree’s bank.

The 26-foot diameter tree was eventually chopped through by dozens of men from the town and when the serpent creature reappeared, the men noted that it was between 12-14 feet tall.  The monster escaped the men, crashing through a fence before darting into a cavern.The full description from the men read:
  

It is described as being 30 to 40 feet long, 12 to 14 feet tall when erect, 16 inches in diameter, and legs 4 feet long. It is covered with scales like a lizard’s, of black and white color with large yellow spots. Its  head is about 16 inches wide, with a long forked tongue, and the mouth inside is deep red.

Although the Crosswick Monster was never seen again, it is remembered as one of the most believable cryptid experiences in Ohio, as more than 60 men claimed to have witnessed it.

Bessie, Lake Eerie Monster...

Bessie, also known as the Lake Erie Monster or South Bay Bessie, is a legendary lake creature said to inhabit Lake Erie, particularly around the South Bay area. Reports of Bessie, often described as a large, serpent-like creature, date back to the late 1700s and early 1800s, with more frequent sightings reported in the last few decades.

Bessie is typically described as a large, snake-like creature, sometimes with appendages resembling arms or fins. Reported lengths vary, but she is often described as 20 to 40 feet long, and even up to 50 feet.

While sightings are reported throughout the lake, she is most often associated with the South Bay area near the Lake Erie Islands.

 

Minerva Monster...

Yet another Bigfoot-type creature lurks in Ohio, this time near Minerva. The Minerva Monster was first spotted by the Cayton family in the late 1970s, when they followed the sound of their barking dogs to a pit on their property where they disposed of trash.

Inside the pit, they found a massive 7-foot tall 300-pound creature, covered in fur, staring at them as they approached.

The creature returned to the family’s property so often that it was witnessed by several other friends and family members and even investigated by the sheriff.  During the creature’s final appearance at the property, two creatures were spotted after the home was pelted with rocks while the family was inside.

Although sightings continued in nearby counties, none were as detailed as the Cayton families, whose stories remained unchanged for decades.

Sources & Recommeneded Reading:

Top 10 Most Obscure Cryptids
by Altamashattar

medium.com

Top 10 Lesser Known Cryptids
from Around the World
by Ricky Rodson

discover.hubpages.com

Top 10 Cryptids You've
Never Heard Of
by Regina Paul

listversee.com

10 Creepy Cryptids You Might
Not Know Much About

 by Robert Pace

listverse.com

The 11 Most Bizarre Cryptids &
Monsters from Ohio

by Chelsea Wiley

columbusnavigator.com

The United States Cryptids:
A Tour of American Myths & Monsters

by J.W. Ocker

@ Amazon

Freaky Folklore

by Carmen Carrion

@ Amazon

Forget Me Not:
A Tale of Bessie

by Carol Gyzander

@ Amazon

Skunk Ape Files
by Brad Bertelli

@ Amazon

The Yowie:
In Search of Australia's Bigfoot

by Tony Healy & Paul Cropper

@ Amazon

How many ways are there to dream?

 

Let us count the ways...

Dreams come in many forms, from ordinary reflections of daily life to extraordinary experiences like lucid dreaming and prophetic dreams. Common types include normal dreams, vivid dreams, nightmares, recurring dreams, and daydreams. More unique dream types are lucid dreams, false awakenings, and even dreams that seem to predict the future.

The more common dreams include:

Normal Dreams...
These are the most frequent, often reflecting daily experiences and thoughts without strong symbolism or emotional intensity.

Vivid Dreams...
These dreams are characterized by intense realistic imagery and strong emotions, sometimes pleasant, and sometimes disturbing.

Nightmares...
These are distressing or frightening dreams that can cause feelings of anxiety or terror and may wake the dreamer.

Recurring Dreams...
These are dreams that repeat themselves, often featuring the same themes, settings, or characters, and may reflect unresolved issues or anxieties.

Daydreams...
These are conscious imaginative experiences that occur while awake, often involving fantasies or escapes from reality.

The more unique and less common dreams include:

Lucid Dreams...
In these dreams, the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming and may even be able to influence the dream's events.

False Awakenings...
These occur when a person dreams they have woken up, only to realize later that they were still dreaming.

Prophetic/Precognitive Dreams...
These dreams are thought to involve glimpses of future events.

Night Terrors...
These are different from nightmares and occur during non-REM sleep, often involving screaming, flailing, and a lack of memory of the event upon waking.

Healing Dreams...
Some believe that dreams can play a role in physical and emotional healing.

Creative/Problem-Solving Dreams...
These dreams can offer insights, ideas, or solutions to waking life problems.

Epic Dreams...
These are dreams that are particularly vivid, memorable, and emotionally intense.  If you have had an epic dream, you will never forget it.

What is the rarest kind of dream?

That would be a "shared dream".  

Shared dreaming is the rarest type of dream, where two or more people enter the same dreamscape, according to some dream researchers.

I believe that I came close to shared dreaming with one of my daughters.  Although we were not in the dream together, both of the dreams we had on the same night were linked in a rather horrifying way:

The other night, on my way to see a movie with my daughters, I told them about my dream the night before. One of my daughters was intensely excited when I told her that I had a disturbing dream the night before, because she said she did too, and she wanted to compare them. As I began relating my dream to her, she said, “Oh, my!”, and virtually started bouncing in her seat.

My dream ~ 

There was a shadowy beginning part that was dark and ominous, like black and white quickened clips from a horror movie, most of which slipped from my mind, except that it involvd “A Man”. This man had something to do with the second part of this dream, which in contrast is starkly seared into my mind. Some dreams are like that, I believe, because they are more than just an ordinary dream. And this was one of those dreams.

The second part -- there was a knock on my front door. I opened it and heard someone say, “The police want to talk to you.” (Your stomach kind of goes thud when you hear those words.) I went outside, where there was a squad car with two officers sitting in the front seat. I stood by the passenger side, and the officer opened the car door. He was holding a child’s baby doll in his hands. He was crying , and he was retching, and he was trying to get ready to tell me something.

I realized in one sickening moment that it had to be something unusually gruesome and extremely horrific because of his reaction. I don’t think I wanted to hear what he was going to say. I woke myself up, which sounds odd, but I believe that I deliberately pulled myself from this dream.

My daughter’s dream ~ 

My daughter told me that she also dreamed of “A Man” on the same night. She said it was a terrible frightening dark and horrific nightmare. The man kidnapped her, and she said she tried and tried to escape from him, but she couldn’t.

Note:  This phenomenon, where multiple individuals share the same dream, is estimated to occur in only about 1 in 10,000 people.

What are dreams trying to tell you?

“Dreams are often about identity, because we're figuring out who we are and what we need, and the beliefs and perspectives we hold,” says Wallace. “If you feel unfulfilled, undervalued or not the person you want to be in waking life, your dreams will often reflect that."

What types of dreams should you absolutely not ignore?

I've chosen the dreams that strike a chord with me, follow this link for more dreams that may need your attention.

• Being lost or trapped:

Dreaming of being lost or trapped usually signifies uncertainty in a particular life situation, leaving you unsure about the steps to take. These dreams, whether you find yourself lost in a vast building, in the woods, or in a maze, evoke overwhelming feelings of being unable to find a way out. They mirror the complexities and challenges you may be facing in your financial, emotional, physical, or mental aspects of life.

• Falling or sinking

Dreams of falling from a tall building, or sinking into a large body of water like the ocean, evoke feelings of helplessness and being overwhelmed. Contrary to popular belief, these dreams are not predictions of death. Instead, they suggest discontentment or dissatisfaction with your current life situation. They may reflect fear of failure in certain endeavors, or risky choices you have made that are causing difficulties.

• Being chased

This dream is most common among individuals experiencing anxiety. It often involves being chased by someone, an animal, or something else. In reality, it represents running away from a specific situation, or an emotion you are not yet ready to confront, such as a breakup or grief.

• Flying

Dreams of flying are often exhilarating. They signify your readiness to make courageous choices, seeking liberation from the pressures of daily life, whether in relationships, work, or other aspects. 

• Being naked in public

Dreams of being naked in public symbolize a fear of judgment. Putting yourself out there can be daunting, requiring courage. Everyone has a fear of exposing vulnerabilities. Overcoming these negative feelings requires embracing self-acceptance. The dream encourages you to appreciate and love yourself, accepting the reflection you see in the mirror each morning.

What does it mean to dream about a deceased loved one?

This is often referred to as a "visitation dream", and people will often find these dreams comforting, or they will come away with needed information, often inspiration, or a resolution to a problem. 

The following dreams are dreams that my former husband and I had on the same night after his father had passed away.  These dreams were an odd combination of shared dreams, visitation dreams, and lucid dreaming:

My father-in-law passed away in a mid-June. He was a very controlling manipulative man. When he died, my husband and I were estranged from him. In my lifetime, I have experienced contact with people who have passed over. I knew that the spirit of this man would come. I just didn’t know how long it would take him to get a decent bearing in his new plane of existence. I was expecting him.

My dream ~

I and my husband’s family were in some kind of house.  I don’t know if it was a country club (that’s kind of what it felt like), a funeral home, or what. There were large, spacious rooms, people milling about, mostly family. A kitchen area was along side these rooms, a galley kitchen. You could walk in one end and walk out the other.

My husband and I were in the kitchen together for a few minutes. I think we were slightly peeved with each other for some reason. On leaving the kitchen, my husband went into one of the spacious living rooms to watch TV, and I turned to the right and went into another.

Not too much later, I was hungry and thirsty, so I got up and walked through the kitchen, coming out at the other end, where there was a small table of food and drinks sat up.  This table was in a smaller nook at the end of the kitchen, where a dining table sat, and several men were seated around it playing cards. My father-in-law was one of these men.

When he saw me at the small table of food, he gathered the cards up and rose from his chair, coming over to me, extending his hand. I thought he wanted to shake hands, so I extended my hand and he took it in his.

In a flash of a split second, I knew I had made a mistake. He didn’t want to shake my hand. He began squeezing it, gradually, fiercely, the look in his eyes evilly gleeful. He was enjoying what he was doing with unabashed devilish delight.

The strangest thing about this dream is that I knew within that split second that I was dreaming, and I knew, within that dream, that I was going to have to snatch my hand away before he could really hurt me. 

I looked into his eyes, and I said, “You bastard!”  Letting him know that I knew what he was up to, and I snatched my hand away at the last second, just before his grip would’ve tightened, and I wouldn’t have been able to get loose.

My former husband's dream ~

The irony of this dream doesn’t end here. When I told my husband about this dream, and the fact that I was expecting his father’s spirit to manifest here in some way, he told me that he had dreamed of his father on the same night. 

In my husband’s dream, his father is sitting on a bench talking quietly and calmly to him. My husband told me that my father-in-law left a message for me... he said to tell me that he apologized.

Sources & Recommended Reading:

Are Your Dreams Trying to Tell You Something?
www.the-independent.com

17 Common Dream Meanings You Should Never Ignore
by Sylvester Sadua
vocal.media/education

A Beginner's Guide to Lucid Dreaming

by Damian Blair

@ Amazon

Conscious Dreaming

by Robert Moss

@ Amazon

Why We Sleep

by Matthew Walker Phd

@ Amazon

Dream Dictionary

by Tony Crisp

@ Amazon

Crystal Clear ~ a living study in cathartics

 

Crystal Clear Enchantments is a living study in cathartics.  The oddest thing I've noticed about getting old is that all of the sudden memories of something that bothered you at the time pop into your head, and here you may have thought that this was an isolated incident from the past and that it doesn't matter now.

But your sub-concious mind has other ideas.

Being a writer, I started writing down these memories, along with the feelings that they churned up.  And being a writer, I decided that I wasn't going to just write this stuff down and stick it in a desk drawer.  Hell no, I'm going to share it.

At first I was afraid that these experiences and the emotions surrounding them would sound small and petty, and then I thought to myself, what the hell.  If these experiences and the emotions that resulted have stayed lodged in my sub-concious brain, they are important to me.

So here you go, the handful of posts that are up at this new blog right now show-casing experiences that have shaped and molded me into the old crone that I am today.  There will be more to come, I'm pretty sure.  The sub-concious mind is a deep well, and it seems to get deeper with each passing decade.

Read them with patience, empathy, compassion, and understanding.

The Ultimate Oddball

The Ultimate Radio Silence

"I prefer to speak to the owner," he says

The Baby Shower That Wasn't

Introducing:

Crystal Clear Enchantments

This is my new blog that will contain posts and topics that might not be appriopriate or fitting for my other blogs or websites. There are a handful of posts up at Crystal Clear right now, and there will be more in the future.

Enjoy!

The Baby Shower That Wasn't

 

The one explosive moment of absolute clarity that came to me was the knowledge that these women weren’t really my friends.

[Post from Cyrstal Clear Enchantments]

In the good old days (cough), we belonged to a local Home School Support Group. They were a fanatical group of self-righteous women who pretended to be your friend to suck you in so you would accept Jesus and all that crap. To be honest, when we first joined this group the name of the group was not leaning towards anything religious. They changed the name of the group some time after I joined, at one of our meetings around Ava’s dining room table, where they gave me the impression that I had something to say about it and that my input was important. I didn’t, and it wasn’t.

They wanted to change the name of the group from “Fremont Home Schoolers” to “Christian something-something Home Schoolers”. I told them I didn’t think it was a good idea, and that they would alienate people who were not home schooling for religious reasons, because you could opt out of public school two ways, and religious reasons was one of them.

My opinion didn’t matter. It reminded me of how public schools make you think you have a say in your child’s education, but you don’t really. It’s almost like a salesman’s knack of making you think you need to purchase a product when you don’t need it at all.

Anyway, one of the little things that our hostess, Ava, did for the group was to hold baby showers for its members at her house. I had gone to several, joining the quiet and serious group of women oohing and ahhing over each present that was opened.

I was closest with two of the members, Carol and Jane, ladies that didn’t live far from us.

I attended Carol’s baby shower, for her umpteenth baby, and she had many, thirteen I think before she was done. Her husband was an executive with a local company that produced irrigation systems that were shipped around the world. He was a systems analyst, and when they built their grand house — seven bedrooms and five bathrooms — we got the full tour. Afterwards, the little group that attended were quietly stunned. We had no idea they were so wealthy. Carol was thrilled when she found blue jeans for her boys at $2 a pair at the local Good Will. Crazy.

Anyway, after her baby shower at Ava’s house, at our next meeting, she was proudly telling us about all the wonderful things the church members gave her at yet another baby shower. It was big items too, like a playpen and a stroller, and one other equally impressive item that I don’t remember.

Then it was Jane’s turn. We all gathered at Ava’s house one sunny afternoon for Jane’s baby shower and drank punch with a big block of melting sherbert icecream in it and watched Jane open box after box after box, making sure that she showed equal appreciation for each thing. “OOoohing” and “Ahhhhhhing”.

Then I became pregnant with my fourth child.

Mind you, I had three babies up to this point and — I had never had a baby shower.

I was very excited, but at our next home school meeting, while Ava was in the kitchen getting us coffee and tea, Carol started off by saying to me:

“You should tell Ava that you don’t want a baby shower.”

Her reasoning was that there were so many women in the group, and they were always having babies, and it just wasn’t fair to Ava. This coming from a woman who had multiple baby showers for one baby. Why did Carol think I needed to be the designated expectant mom to stop this tradition?

I was floored.

Part 2

Several months into my pregnancy, another home school meeting came around. This time something happened that had never happened before:

Ava called me before the meeting, she said, “Now, you be sure to come to this meeting, okay? Be sure to come.”

Carol called me before the meeting, and she said, “Now make sure you come to this meeting, Okay? Just make sure you come?”

I was SO EXCITED!! I was absolutely 100% sure that they BOTH were calling me to make sure that I come to this particular meeting, because they were planning a baby shower. Ava would do this quite often. At the end of a meeting, she would say, “Okay, let’s clear the table!” And then she would reset it for a baby shower.

I was on pins and needles for days, and when the evening of the meeting came, I loaded the kids in the car and took off, my heart pounding in grand expectation. When I got to Ava’s house, I went in and noticed immediately that there were no tell-tale signs of a baby shower to come, but I thought to myself that she’s going to wait until the meeting is over.

Half-way though the meeting, I go to the kitchen to refill my coffee cup, and I notice that there is not a sign of all the goodies and treats and punch that’s always been served at the other ladies’ showers. I thought this was rather strange, and this burst my bubble, my tummy went “thud”, and I had that sinking feeling. I began to wonder if I had totally misconstrued those phone calls from BOTH Carol and Ava.

“Now you be sure you come to this meeting, okay? Make sure you come.”

I sat back down at my spot at the table, and as I listened to the women’s voices, they sounded tinny and far away. My own thoughts were filling my head, and I was feeling worse and worse, sadder and sadder, and extremely disappointed. Part of me still rebelled and kept thinking — Ava’s going to wait until the meeting is over and pull everything out like she does for the other women; okay, now that they’ve put away these notebooks, now she’s going to surprise me… and so my thoughts went like this for the rest of the evening, and still as I was leaving, all the way out the front door.

I felt absolutely crushed. I cried all the way home.

The one explosive moment of absolute clarity that came to me was the knowledge that these women weren’t really my friends.

If anyone is wondering, I had a total of seven children, and no, I have never had a baby shower.

Introducing:

Crystal Clear Enchantments

This is my new blog that will contain posts and topics that might not be appriopriate or fitting for my other blogs or websites. There are a handful of posts up at Crystal Clear right now, and there will be more in the future.

Enjoy!

Starseeds

 

What are starseeds?

Starseeds, within the framework of some New Age beliefs, are individuals whose souls are believed to have originated from other planets or star systems before incarnating on Earth. They are thought to possess a deep cosmic connection and a unique spiritual purpose related to planetary evolution and human enlightenment.

Basic concepts of Starseeds...

Extraterrestrial Origin:

Starseeds are believed to be souls that have had past lives on other planets or star systems before incarnating on Earth.

Cosmic Connection:

They often feel a strong affinity for the cosmos, stars, and other celestial bodies, sometimes experiencing a longing for a home they can't quite place.

Spiritual Purpose:

Starseeds are thought to be here with a specific mission to help humanity evolve, raise consciousness, and heal the planet.

Forgotten Origins:

While starseeds are believed to possess innate spiritual wisdom, they often incarnate with a veil of forgetfulness, unaware of their true origins and purpose.

Awakening:

 
Starseeds may experience an awakening process where they begin to remember their true nature and their mission.

What types of Starseeds exist?

Various belief systems propose different classifications of starseeds based on their origin:

• Pleiadian: Believed to originate from the Pleiades star cluster, known for their focus on love, harmony, and well-being.

• Arcturian: Believed to come from the Arcturus star system, often associated with wisdom, healing, and technological advancements.

• Sirian: Believed to originate from the Sirius star system, associated with a strong presence and leadership qualities.

• Lemurian: Connected to the ancient civilization of Lemuria, often associated with healing, spiritual knowledge, and connection to the Earth.

• Indigo, Crystal, and Rainbow Children: These categories are often associated with starseeds who are thought to be born with specific traits and missions related to spiritual awakening and planetary healing.

What are the characteristics of Starseeds -- and do you have any of these characteristics yourself?

Feeling different from others, a sense of being an outsider.

Strong intuition and psychic abilities.

Deep empathy and compassion for others.

A desire for knowledge and spiritual growth.

A tendency to question societal norms and traditions.

Starseeds do have their critics and are surrounded by a healthy dose of scepticism.

• The concept of starseeds is rooted in New Age beliefs and is not supported by mainstream, scientific, or academic research.

• Some critics view starseed beliefs as a form of pseudoscience, or a way to feel special and unique.

• There is also the concern that some individuals may use starseed beliefs to justify harmful or unethical behaviors.

Star people, or starseeds, are a variant of the belief in alien-human hybrids in New Age belief and fringe theory. Introduced by Brad Steiger in his 1976 book Gods of Aquarius, it argues that certain people originated as extraterrestrials and arrived on Earth through birth, or as a walk-in to an already existing human body.

Steiger described Star People in his 1976 book on contactees as... "humans who come from a special gene pool linked to visits by extraterrestrials".

They claim to channel human lifeforms and suffer helplessness and total amnesia concerning their identity, origins, and life-purpose. The awakening process claimed to be experienced is described as either a gradual series of realizations over time, or an abrupt and dramatic awakening of consciousness. Through the awakening process, they regain memories about their past, origins, and missions.

Washington Post journalist, Joel Achenbach, interviewed people who said they were starseeds from the Pleiades for his book Captured by Aliens: The Search for Life and Truth in a Very Large Universe, and noted the contrast with ufologists..."the starseeds are precisely the kind of New-age figures the traditional ufologists can't stand. Ufologists look outward, toward the universe, for answers to the alien enigma. New-agers look inward."

Sources & Recommended Reading:

Wikipedia

What are Starseeds & How to Know if You Are One
www.gaia.com

What is a starseed & Determing what type of starseed you are

www.rebeccacampbell.me

Gods of Aquairus
by Brad Steiger

@Amazon

Captured by Aliens
by Joel Achenbach

@Amazon

The Pleiadian Starseed Handbook
by Campbell Quinn McCarthy

@Amazon

 

Indigo, Crystal, & Rainbow Starseeds
by Campbell Quinn McCarthy

@Amazon