Book Review: The Circle Within ? Sage and Starshine

31 May 2011

by Ellen MacInnis in Book Reviews, Wicca Tags: 4/5 star books, dianne sylvan

?The point of Wicca, the real mystery behind it all, is to remember the Divinity within ourselves and all things; to manifest our God and Goddess all the time, every day, every moment; to love as They love, to give as They give; to serve Them in perfect trust, and thus bring Their grace more fully into the world; to understand that we are the embodiment of the Divine love and nurture, and to express that love in the world; to walk as God and Goddess.?

-Dianne Sylvan

I recently re-read Dianne Sylvan?s The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition. The book wound up in my possession on a whim, and I did not expect much given the outer design (an eclipse on black background) and a certain crescent moon present on the spine. Here I must admit to ignoring the age-old adage of never judging a book by its cover (or its publisher, for that matter). The first time I read The Circle Within, I finished it in a single weekend ? impressive for an overworked college student who barely has time for extracurricular reading ? and felt myself smiling for a full week afterwards. Read ahead to find out why I gave this book 4/5 stars.

One of the strengths The Circle Within is that it?s not, in any way, a rehashing of the same eclectic Wicca 101 information that?s absolutely saturated the market. Nor does it come off as preachy, New Age-y, more-persecuted-than-thou, or suffering from Special Snowflake Syndrome. Wicca (at least the public, eclectic sort ? Sylvan makes no claims to be speaking for British Traditional Wicca/Witchcraft) is not presented as some arcane, centuries-old secret society, and nor is it so undefinable as to be whatever the practitioner wants it to be.

What the book is, though, is a wonderfully written, personal guide to incorporating Wiccan spirituality into one?s everyday life. Alternating between humorous and touching narrative that?s part memoir, part how-to guide, Sylvan paints a portrait of the kind of religion I?ve strove for my entire life. Sylvan comes off as wise not because of her ordained clergyhood or because she?s amassed degrees, but because she?s been around the block and has spent the time and effort to build up relationships with her God and Goddess outside ritual settings. Being Wiccan (or any other sort of practitioner ? much of this advice works for all religions) isn?t about the trappings used for the eight sabbats and thirteen full moons a year; those holidays, in fact, should be all about celebrating the joy religion brings us in our everyday life. I personally have a hard time getting and staying connected to the spiritual feelings I sometimes uncover in ritual. I suspect this has part to do with my depression, part with massive trust issues when it comes to myself and the Divine, and part with a natural disinclination towards sensing energy. What I?ve loved so much about The Circle Within is that Sylvan points readers directly towards ?mundane? spiritual acts ? daily meditation and prayer, cultivating spiritual attributes in our lives, finding holiness in our bodies and immediate environments? ? as more helpful in developing a Wiccan life than the most expensive props and ridiculous Craft names used only at sabbat and esbat rituals.

Much of The Circle Within emphasizes returning to the divine connection often forgotten for one reason or another. The best way to remember this connection is by practicing Wicca constantly, the way one constantly practices a new language in order to truly learn it. Like learning a language or instrument, learning to integrate Wicca into one?s daily life is not a task that can be achieved overnight. Sacrifices must be made to dedicate the time and energy required to deepen one?s faith. If you?re reading her book (or this blog, for that matter), you have at least five minutes of time today you can dedicate to your spirituality. No, you probably don?t have time to whip out all the ritual gear and do a 90-minute circle casting, element invoking, God/dess welcoming, power-raising rite every day, but who has the time or energy for that? This ?all-or-nothing? mentality is what keeps many, myself included, from walking their path every day. Sylvan extensively discusses the use of prayer to commune with the divine, a subject which many other books gloss over, ignore, or worse, shove into spellwork. Rather than including an author?s Book of Shadows, The Circle Within has a Book of Moonlight featuring several daily prayers and rituals that I found very inspiring.

When it comes to morality, especially the famous/infamous Rede, Sylvan advocates a moderate approach. Instead of viewing ?harm none? as an absolute (and impossible) command, she suggests interpreting it as a guide for cultivating balance in the world. We should balance the harm we do just by living ? Sylvan brings up the excellent point of killing countless micro-organisms with each breath ? by doing good, healing work and cultivating what she calls ?Wiccan graces.? Instead of asking ?Did I observe every sabbat and esbat last year without fail and in the perfectly ascribed manner??, Sylvan wants us to ask if our lives are filled with love, compassion, humor, gratitude, and joy, among other qualities. I have to admit, I?m rather smitten with the idea of religious graces and virtues. For me, they serve as a checklist of spiritual health and are what religion?s all about. At the risk of speaking for others? experiences, I feel that if religion hasn?t changed you on some fundamental level, if it?s not helping you be a better person or express yourself more fully or, worse, is destructive to who you are, then perhaps you need to ask why you?re practicing that religion in the first place.

Perhaps my favorite parts of The Circle Within were chapters four (?The Temple Hearth?) and five (?Building a Practice?). These are truly the heart of the ?beyond the basics? information I?ve been searching for. These chapters talk about cleansing the self and the home, setting up and caring for an altar, developing a routine of daily ritual and prayer, deepening our connection with nature, and understanding the different conceptions of and needs for sacred space. Sylvan?s very adamant about treating all aspects of our lives and bodies as sacred and giving them due respect. Everything we do, expressly spiritual or not, is connected with everything else in our lives. These chapters also have my favorite quotes of the entire book: ?Our fundamental, self-enforced separation from the natural world is tantamount to ripping a child from its mother?s breast and forcing it to live on Diet Coke? and ?If you can?t remember the last time you touched the bark of a tree, felt grass through your fingers, or sang to the moon, you?re missing the entire point of Wicca.?

There were a few instances in The Circle Within where I disagreed with Sylvan. In particular, when discussing the nature of Wiccan Deity, Sylvan is definitely in the singular God and Goddess camp. Statements like ?Giving a particular name and face to a god is essentially limited that god, penning him or her in to our own standards and making him or her smaller and less powerful? make me raise an eyebrow. Considering the only meaningful deity interaction since I left Christianity has been with named gods, rich with myths, flaws, faces, and favorites, I think I?ll have to disagree that taking a hard polytheistic route is somehow limiting the gods I work with and have come to love. While I understand Sylvan is working within a particular religious framework and is writing for a general audience, I would have preferred more inclusive language.

However, Sylvan reiterates that these are her experiences and this is one approach to Wicca, and I agree with (or at least appreciate where she?s coming from) the majority of the book?s contents. She presents a commonsense, immensely practical guide to deepening one?s spirituality that goes far beyond the deluge of introductory material in bookstores today. With wit and wisdom, Sylvan offers sound advice for those looking to bring Wicca into their everyday life. I award The Circle Within 4/5 stars as a good book you should seek out if you get the chance.

Further Reading

Source: http://sageandstarshine.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/book-review-the-circle-within/

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Endless possibilities of A4 paper

We all need paper, and we can not deny it. Regardless of industry, none of us could take even a day without a sheet of paper. Moreover, we can not discard the fact that much of what we will use every day, or at least made paper would not be possible without a single piece of paper to complete.

Can you imagine what life would be if the card has not been invented? Do you think that could be the great scientists and other thinkers of that time with their brilliant discoveries whichnow an important part of all cultures around the world without the existence of the paper? It could be reached for us and realize what we have now, if not possible because of work?

The kind of life that we enjoy right, is now hard to imagine without paper. What would be a hard and paperless communication would be extremely difficult. Whether we are still students or professionals, we need paper for a million reasons. That's why companies are now making paperMake millions with all forms and types of papers that developed and are now available on the market.

Of all the papers offered in our midst, it must be for us, the type of paper that we really need, choose hard. But do not worry because we have the answer to this question in mind, have activities. The nature of work proves to be more flexible, at home, school or office, the A4 paper. All together we were always mentioning the good old shortBond paper, but as soon as we started with A4 paper, we have seen the difference and was very grateful that we gave it a try.

The A4 is the standard format in the professional and academic uses. The most important office documents and papers of the school must be printed on a sheet of A4 paper size on paper. This will not only make room for uniformity, but also to ensure that our records and documents, life would be long because of the proven quality of the last A4Card.

Apart from the size and quality, color, A4 paper is also something that the average is above the rest. The color should be flexible enough to accommodate any type of document. It would not be overly formal or informal. The color of the paper is correct and would be on any of your paper needs Jive.

Source: http://family-crafts-supplies.chailit.com/endless-possibilities-of-a4-paper.html

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Moving Quote: Dealing with Electronics when Moving | Historic ...

It is a complex and difficult task to move to a brand new household, but this project is only made more tricky when you can find delicate objects involved in the transition. Various folks do not know precisely how to effectively shield electronics and computer objects efficiently when relocating, so it is essential to learn a few aspects before you attempt such a move.

Here are a number of expert tips and hints to consider when you find yourself planning to move with your sensitive objects, so you can help make sure that they arrive at your brand new place without being ruined.

Maybe the initial thing that you should bother about if you are relocating consumer electronics and computers is packaging them so that they are safeguarded. Whilst you are calling around to get a moving quote from any state to state moving companies in your location, you could be seeking for the original boxes that these things came in. Of all the packaging products you will need, the initial packaging is the most critical. These boxes will allow you to provide the highest level of security for the objects that you have invested so much money on.

The next idea that you?ll want to do is find a relocating organization that will suit your finances and give you knowledge in relocating sensitive and effortlessly breakable things. There are actually various qualified specialists to choose from, and every single one of them will bring with them some level of expertise. Make sure that you tell the agents when you phone for an appraisal of the moving cost that you want to relocation a few fragile objects such as computers and electronic devices. This will enable them to prepare also, so that they come with sufficient packing materials to manage the packaging of these things if you should not be in a position to discover the original packaging.

Regardless of where you are moving, it is essential that you safeguard your investments. Moving electronics and personal computers might seem to be like an overwhelming chore, but you?ll find factors that you can do to ensure that these things arrive at your new dwelling without damage. Keep these points in mind while you are preparing your next move, and you can rest convenient knowing that everything you have worked hard for is secure as best as it can be.

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Tags: computers, electronics, mobile tech, moving, relocation, tech, technology

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 28th, 2011 at 7:26 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.historictelluride.com/118/moving-quote-dealing-with-electronics-when-moving/

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Learning Abroad In Madrid, Spain | eZine Articles Headquarters

There are several reasons why there are a lot of students these days that prefer to study abroad. And one of these reasons is that they would like to learn how they can proficiently speak, read and writer in a foreign language. And this is why it is important to make use of a study abroad directory in order to find the best study abroad programs and schools that you can enroll in. But there are a number of things that you need to keep in mind when it comes to studying out of the country in order to learn more about the study abroad programs that you can participate in. First of all, you would have to consider where you are going to study abroad. It is helpful to consider your personality and interests when you are choosing the country that you are going to study in.

And there is one particular city and country where you can receive quality Spanish language lessons if you want to learn the language. If you are looking for the best Mediterranean country to study Spanish in, there are a lot of top quality Madrid study abroad programs that you can participate in. And there are several schools in the city and in the whole country that you can study the Spanish language in. All you have to do is to drop by your college or university?s placement office or student affairs office and inquire about any study abroad programs in Spain that you can be a part of. However, there are still a few things that you have to keep in mind.

First of all, it is very important for you to understand that studying out of the country is a very big decision to make. If you want to Learn Spanish in Madrid, you need to be aware that this would entail a hundred details that you need to attend to even before you get approved for the study abroad program. You also have to remember that studying out of the country requires first and foremost your commitment to making the opportunity work for you. You need to consider whether or not the study abroad program that is offered by your school will include board and lodging or if you are going to provide this for yourself while you are abroad; this is important so you can adjust your budget accordingly.

The author has already provided lots of people study abroad tips and they were significantly satisfied about this. Many individuals study abroad in Madrid and find themselves adoring the area. Those that want to study Spanish in Spain can do so through getting in contact with the author.

Source: http://ezinearticleshq.com/reference-education/learning-abroad-in-madrid-spain

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Larry Ellison Is No Friend of the Majestic Redwood (Updated) [Lawsuits]

Jack Loftus ?Lest we forget that the mega-rich simply do not think like we common folk, take a look at this lawsuit from Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Updated.

Seems a trio of Redwood trees have grown a bit too high for Ellison's liking, to a point in the sky where they're seriously hampering the San Francisco Bay view from his $3.9 million 10,000+ square-foot hillside mega-mansion. He wants them gone.

Chop, chop, right? What's a few massive trees to the super-rich? Well, the problem for Ellison is these three trees reside on the property of Bernard and Jane Von Bothmer, who bought the land and the home situated there for $6.9 million in 2004.

Now Ellison, who maintains the previous owner said the trees would be regularly trimmed and maintained (which the owner denies), is suing to have the trees removed, reports Business Insider:

Larry Ellison has hired an attorney who specializes in neighbor's-trees-blocking-your-view litigation and sued the Von Bothmers to force them to cut down the trees. In connection with this litigation, he has already submitted a 207-page deposition, in which he revealed that, when a neighbor complained about redwoods on his property in the Valley blocking her view, he chopped them down.

Hilariously, the Von Bothmers have found several limbs from the controversial trees in their yard, allegedly trimmed by rogue lumberjacks that Ellison has since denied hiring. An attempt to "top" one of the trees was foiled by Mrs. Von Bothmer when she confronted three of the lumberjacks who were up in the tree at the time.

Rich people?they have petty domestic squabbles just like us!

Update: A source that wishes to remain anonymous but claims to know intimate details of von Bothmer family/case has provided the above picture to Gizmodo showing large trees blocking the scenic view of the home as far back as the 1950s, when the home was built by Alma Spreckels Coleman. Redwoods are a long-living tree, so it comes as no surprise that the controversial three seen today might have been alive and well as far back as 1950. [WSJ via Business Insider]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/1ewlV-Pzc0o/larry-ellison-is-no-friend-of-the-mighty-redwood-tree

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Managed Human Resource in 21st century | Human resource development

Today?s enterprise management provides the human resource function to enroll and execute the human resources program. Human resources provide administration for recruitment, actions, payroll, and some development functions. Literary the word human resource does not mean any ethical or logical development of human spirit, but it suggests to specific business needs and increase individual human worth to the enterprise by engaging people to the enterprises. It is true that science has developed to a pioneer top today but the manual work is just undeniable. So the need of eligible candidates is always high. Some advanced companies try to develop human capital, as they want to increase the human effort to develop their business. They are at a disadvantage because the business is not organized to define specific business needs, to point it out where special capabilities are required in the business, to record the value created in the business through application of human capabilities, and to assess the worth added to human capital through greater result value creation that human capital be identified as specific capital solutions utilized to produce business results, investments be made to develop human capital to increase the value of assigned results, human capital performance be managed against the results produced to increase human worth, and that human reward be a commensurate part of proven human worth to the business.

The enterprise must organize the business to invest in and utilize human and other capital as specific solutions in performance to produce high value and high quality results. Human capital is maintained to be ready to produce results. Human capital is developed as capability solutions to utilize specific business processes to produce specific results. Human personnel and capabilities also are supported with the knowledge needed utilize other capital solutions and to produce specific results. Human personnel capital management produces human capital management results carried over from the existing business. Human personnel capital management also manages periodic human worth assessments to determine and update human capital worth related to performance as human capital solutions and result value added to the business. Human capital worth assessments provide the basis for annual and special rewards and human career planning in capability development and result utilization.

Human knowledge capital may develop and maintain some generally applicable business knowledge, maintained by business subject, but in 21st century business management is to create and utilize knowledge that is specifically applied to the business. Human knowledge capital must be developed as a part of every result-driven capital development project, with the documentation records, to provide the human instructions and other knowledge needed to utilize new solutions to produce specific results. We have only one fundamental problem in 20th century management. The business has never been organized and managed. We organize people into an organization structure that is laid over the business. We then lay more management structures for strategy and planning, account, business processes, performance management, administration, etc over the business. The only solution is to eliminate unsolvable 20th century management problems by organizing the actual business as one business structure through Result-performance Management. The business structure provides the architecture for organizing all businesses in an industry and all businesses in an area or sector of the economy; so the government can manage businesses in an industry, such as the financial industry, and businesses in an economy.

At Kranium we believe that people are the most important resource a company has and they should be nurtured and developed. We understand every aspect of HR and give your company that competitive edge to build an organization of the very best people. We have a strong perspective on human capital and believe it can help springboard your organizations growth. That?s why we adopt a range of latest and innovative techniques to provide high quality HR services and consultancy solutions that are best-in-class and fit the changing needs of industry.

About the Author

Jayraj Menon, a professional with 11+ years of corporate exposure and 5+ years of consulting experience. He is the founder of Kranium HR Services which consults on Performance Management solutions related to Human Resource for organisations. He also manages the HR processes and recruitment processes for various organisations. He is an active advocate of entrepreneurship. To know more about him and Kranium HR Services, please visit www.kraniumhr.com

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Source: http://www.securipool.com/2011/05/Managed-Human-Resource-in-21st-century/

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Yemeni Warplanes Reportedly Strike Islamic Militants

Yemeni warplanes carried out airstrikes Monday on a southern town seized by hundreds of Islamic militants over the weekend, witnesses said, as the political crisis surrounding the embattled president descended into more bloodshed.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has clung to power despite months of daily protests, defections by key allies and international pressure to go, has repeatedly warned that Islamic militants and al-Qaida would seize control of the country if he steps down.

At the same time, he has intensified a crackdown on protesters. Military units loyal to him carried out a fierce assault Monday on the southern city of Taiz, which has been a hotbed of anti-government protests since the start of the uprising in early February. A doctor at a field hospital set up in the city's main protest camp said at least 20 demonstrators were killed.

Saleh's opponents, including some in the military, have accused him of allowing the militant takeover of the small town of Zinjibar to try to bolster his argument that he is a key bulwark against al-Qaida and win back support from countries like the United States.

Fighter jets fired at the southern outskirts of the town, and loud explosions were followed by rising columns of smoke, said resident Ali Dahmas, who spoke by telephone.

"It is also disturbing because the positions the army is targeting are residential areas," he said.

Military units battled the militants in Zinjibar overnight and into the morning in an attempt to clear the fighters from the town, where they've blockaded themselves behind barricades and rocks since Friday.

Shelling killed at least four of the fighters, bringing the death toll there since Saturday to 34, according to an official at al-Razi hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to talk to journalists. The dead included soldiers, militants and civilians, he said.

"The sound of explosions and bullets are rattling the city," said Waleed Mohammed Mokbal, a resident of the town center. "An exchange of gunfire in nonstop."

The Islamists who seized Zinjibar are not members of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is of major concern to the United States. They are former members of a group known as the Aden Army, which fought in Afghanistan against Soviet forces in the 1980s and returned to side with Saleh's government to put down a 1994 civil war with the south. The militiamen demanded payback for their help and were given key positions within security forces or as civil servants.

The same group took over the nearby town of Jaar earlier in the political unrest roiling the country, and there were also accusations then that Saleh had allowed them to do so.

On Monday, the militants moved out from Zinjibar and shot dead four military officers they stopped at fake checkpoints they had set up along the road to the port city of Aden, the official at al-Razi hospital said.

Yemen's unrest has veered dramatically in the past week.

The failure of a mediation effort by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations seeking to persuade Saleh to transfer power gave way to five days of fierce street battles in the capital last week between pro-Saleh military units and armed men loyal to the country's most powerful tribal leader, who has joined the opposition. That fighting killed 124 people.

In Monday's assault on Saleh's opponents in Taiz, hundreds of soldiers from the Republican Guard stormed a protest camp in the southern city, firing on crowds and bulldozing a field hospital set up in anticipation of such an attack.

Security forces first tried to clear the square in Taiz with water cannons, tear gas and loud stun grenades, sending thousands rushing for shelter.

Forces from the Republican Guard, which is commanded by one of Saleh's sons, then moved in before dawn and were backed by tanks, said Sadek al-Shugaa, head of the field hospital at the protest camp.

Republican Guard soldiers along with security forces and armed men in civilian clothes attacked the protesters. Some set fire to dozens of tents used by protesters occupying the square for weeks, and bulldozers ran over hundreds of other tents without checking whether anyone was still inside, two witnesses said.

One of the witnesses, Mohammed al-Zarafi, said he saw tents being set on fire while injured protesters were still inside.

The other witness, protester Boushra al-Maqtali, called the attack "a real massacre."

"The square and the [field] hospital are in ruins," she said. "The tanks took the place of hundreds of tents that were set up there. The artillery units are occupying the whole space to make it impossible for the youth to return to the square," she said.

Troops also attacked the Majeedi Hotel overlooking the square, where journalists were detained, al-Shugaa said. Then snipers took over the top of the building to shoot at protesters, he said. Amateur video aired by Al-Jazeera TV showed masked men with rifles shooting from rooftops at protesters in the streets.

Al-Shagaa said most of those injured were in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head, chest and neck. Several dozen of the injured were dragged away by security forces, he said.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/30/136788284/yemeni-warplanes-reportedly-strike-islamic-militants?ft=1&f=1001

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