"The Earth Path" by Starhawk

"Phantom Parks: The Struggle to Save Canada's National Parks" by Rick Searle

Interesting Links:
Utne Reader
David Suzuki Foundation
New Scientist
Discover Magazine
The Medical Post Online
Ad Busters!
New Internationalist
Mother Jones.com
Salon.com
NOVA On-line
The Book of Zines
Killing the Buddha
London Review of Books
American Council on Exercise
Runner's World
The Great Illusion


Recent reads:
"A Deepness in the Sky" by Vernor Vinge

"Celtic Folklore Cooking" by Joanne Asala

"Power Spellcraft for Life" by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

"Reinventing Medicine" by Larry Dossey

"Wicca: A Year and a Day" by Timothy Roderick

"The Science of the Craft" by William H Keith

"50 Years of Wicca" by Frederic Lamond

"The Magical Life" by Vivianne Crowley

"Which Witch is Which?" by Patricia Telesco

"Perdido Street Station" by China Mieville

"Cyberhenge: Modern Pagans on the Internet" by Douglas E. Cowan

"An Ye Harm None: Magical Morality and Modern Ethics" by Shelley Rabinovitch

"Crystal Ball" by Sibyll Fergusen, revised and expanded by Witch Bree

"Gaia Eros: Reconnecting to the Magic and Sprit of Nature" by Jesse Wolf Hardin

"A Century of Spells" by Draja Mickaharic

"Evolutionary Witchcraft" by T. Thorn Coyle

"Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America" by Sabina Magliocco

"Kundalini for Beginners" by Ravindra Kumar

"Ka: Stories of the Mind and Gods of India" by Roberto Calasso

"Magical Tattwa Cards" by Dr. John Mumford

"WitchCraft Today (Expanded edition)" by Gerald B. Gardner

"Self-Initiation for the Solitary Witch" by Shanddaramon

"The Second Circle: Tools for the Advancing Pagan" by Vanecia Rauls

"Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard" by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart

"Black Magick Woman: The Sinister Side of the Song of Solomon" by Janet Tyson

"Everyday Moon Magic" by Dorothy Morrisson

"Advanced Witchcraft" by Edain McCoy"

"Handfasting and Wedding Rituals" by Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein

"Joing Hearts and Hands: Interfaith, Intercultural Wedding Celebrations" by Rev Susanna Stefanachi Macomb

"Handfasted and Heartjoined" by Lady Maeve Rhea

"Handfasting: A practical Guide" bu Mary Neasham

" Goddess in the Grass: Sperpentine Mythology and the great Goddess" by Linda Fourbister

"Theories of the Chakras: Bridges to Higher Conciousness" by Hiroshi Motoyama

"The Knife Thrower" by Steven Millhauser

"Schizophrenia: A Very Short Introduction" by Christopher Finn and Eve Johnstone

"Schizophrenia: The Facts" by Ming T. Tsuang and Stephen V. Faraone

"A Community of Witches" by Helen Berger and Colleagues

"American Gods" by Neil Gaiman"

"Scherzo" by Jim Williams"

"Goddess in the Grass: Serpentine Mythology and the Great Goddess" by Linda Fourbister

"The Forest of Souls" by Rachel Pollack

"Wiccan Roots" by Philip Heselton

"A User's Guide to the Brain" by John J Ratey, MD

"A Goddess Arrives" by Gerald Gardner

"A Community of Witches" by Helen Berger

"Nature Spirits" Selected lectures by Rudolf Steiner

"Fatal Majesty" by Reay Tannahill

"Myths to Live By" by Joseph Campbell

"The Secret Life of Germs" by Philip M Tierno Jr, PhD

"Adam, Eve, and the Serpent" by Elaine Pagels

"Whiteout: Melt" by Greg Rucka illustrated by Steve Lieber

"Whiteout" by Greg Rucka illustrated by Steve Lieber

"Queen and Country-Operation: Crystal Ball" by Greg Rucka illustrated by Leandro Fernandez

"Tunnel in the Sky" by Robert Heinlein

"The Sex Chronicles" by Zane

"The Black Man's Guide to Good Health" by Reed, Schulman and Shucker

"The Withdrawing Room" by Charlotte MacLoed

"Queen and Country-Operation: Morningstar" by Greg Rucka illustrated by Brian Hurtt

"The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2000" edited by David Quammen

"The Bourne Identity" by Robert Ludlum

"Gerald Gardner: Witch" by J.L. Bracelin

"Queen and Country-Operation: Broken Ground" by Greg Rucka illustrated by Steve Rolston

"The Ferryman Will Be There" by Rosemary Aubert

"Philosophy of Wicca" by Amber Laine Fisher

"Wilderness Tips" by Margaret Atwood

"Origins of Modern Witchcraft" by Anne Moura

Monday, March 17, 2003

Making Time Easier to Come By

Almost everybody I know seems to complain about never having enough time to do the things they really want to do. They complain of spending too much time at work, too much time doing the daily tasks of living like cooking and cleaning, and too much time meeting commitments that no longer bring them pleasure. It’s an unfortunate part of the society we live in that many of us never seem to have time to do the things we really enjoy. Or is it?

We are a society dominated by guilt and need. We are also each individuals that crave acceptance in some way or another. Face it, human beings want to fit in; want to belong somewhere. And it is this desire to belong, combined with sensations of guilt and need, that are often responsible for us often feeling that we don’t have enough time.

Let me explain.

Why do most of us work? Well, to earn money of course. Why do we need money? Because in our society we need money to put a roof over our heads, food in our tummies and clothes on our backs. And if you listen to the pressure of society, it tells us we also need to dress in a certain way in order to fit in, to eat certain foods, to own a home entertainment centre, to have a large house with big rooms, and to have enough money to go out to eat in restaurants, take lavish vacations and experience all those good things in life. As a consequence many of us work long and hard at a job to make sure we bring in enough money to satisfy all these needs, even if it means working extra hours and digging into our personal time.

But do we really need all these things? Are these things really worth sacrificing our hobbies, dreams, and even friendships to obtain? Is obtaining these things really worth the added stressors that they place on us living our lives? Personally I don’t think so. Things don’t make me happy, personal fulfilment does. And I suspect that deep down, many people feel the same way, although they may not realise it since they are told over and over again by society and commercial ad campaigns that happiness comes in a box… with a bow on it… and a designer label inside, and not from 30 minutes spent talking with a phone… or painting a picture… or watching the sunset.

Okay you say, but what about the guilt?

It’s been my observation that many people feel self-guilt when they fail to live up to others expectations. This may be the expectations of society telling you how you should dress, what your home should look like, and how many hours you work etc, and what you need to make you happy. As well as expectations that you place upon yourself, which are often based upon what others expect of you, but not always.

Now I’m not saying that we should lower our expectations and consequentially lower our guilt, but I do believe that we should examine feelings of guilt when they arise and see if the feelings are rational. For example, if you have told a friend that you can come over and visit but have to leave by 8 pm, there is no reason why you should feel guilty when at 8 pm you leave. Likewise if your job description says you should be in the office from 9 am-5 pm, there is no reason why you should feel guilt at leaving the office on time. You shouldn’t feel the need to apologise for not wearing the latest style, or serving the trendiest food at your dinner party, or choosing to spend your money on a book instead of a movie. I believe recognizing irrational feelings of guilt is the first step to examining what is really important in our lives—or rather, realising what is not as important in our lives as we thought—and taking back control over what we, as individuals, want to do with our lives.

I realise that this is a gross over-simplification of putting ‘time’ back into our lives, and that it is not as simple as working less hours and being more assertive or confident enough to make conscious time-altering decisions or changes. And indeed, many people are unfortunately in situations where there are living day-to-day to meet their basic human needs. But I think it is a step. And once an individual realises what they really need, and don’t need, and put priorities on what brings them pleasure and fulfilment rather than what helps relieve the guilt of not achieving ‘false’ needs or expectations, time becomes a little bit easier to come by.

Amanda 12:50 PM
E-mail your comments to: ramblingraven@cosmic-muse.com