Divinely Inspired

Blood.

Let me talk for a moment about blood. I know that blood is something that affects many people in a variety of different ways, but generally, the reaction is not a light reaction. The reaction falls at one end or the other of the emotional spectrum. People either love blood, are obsessed with it, yearn for it, crave it, surround themselves with it (figuratively, not literally); or they hate it, are disgusted by it, become queasy looking at it, can’t bring themselves to see it.

There are different types of blood for me. And I certainly do not fall into the category of those who love blood. I remember a time when my family was driving home from the beach and we accidentally hit a little spaniel. We got out of the car and the poor little guy was lying in the middle of the road, fully conscious, couldn’t move, just staring up at us and darting his eyes around frantically. I was 11 years old and I made the mistake of getting out of the car to have a peek. I was one of those kids who was always helping animals and I just knew I had to be there with this dog.

What I saw will never leave my mind. I cannot tell you who was standing around the dog, I cannot tell you what I was wearing, I cannot tell you if the road was busy. All I remember is looking at that dog, making eye contact with him, his white fur with black and brown spots. And the blood. All that blood. A thick, swirly pool of blood. I always imagine blood to be one solid shade of red, but how I remember it from this particular instance is that there were swirls. It was sort of like vegetable broth, where the little bits of grease separate from the rest of the broth and float at the top. Or the swirls of a gasoline spill. Or spilled paint that hadn’t been shaken properly.

I had never seen so much blood, and I remember thinking, “How did all that blood come out of that little dog so fast? How much blood does he have left?”

The next time I saw a substantial amount of blood was when I cut my own fingertip open (accidentally). My fingertip could literally move back and forth, I almost cut it completely off. The first thing I noticed was the absolute pain, like I’d slammed my finger in the door. When I looked down, literally the last thing I expected to find was blood, let alone so much of it. My blood did the same thing as that dog’s blood. Swirly whirly, unmixed paint, gasoline spills, separated broth.

Those are exampes of the type of blood that make me sick to my stomach: Blood which is shed through severe pain, misery, or injury.

The next type of blood that is more horrifying to me than it is nauseating, and that is the blood shed through self-mutilation. This type seems to be the most vibrant red, almost taunting like, “You’re still alive!” or “Look at what you did!” This type of blood, for me, can be likened to some people seeing terrifying clowns. I do not like this type of blood, especially in large amounts. I had a friend who I once caught in the middle of this and I swear, I had never seen so much blood from a human being before. And the color of it just simply burned into my eyes, and it was like it was laughing at me in some sadistic and fucked up way, like I was in some horribly directed Rob Zombie film (I’m sorry, but I cannot stand Rob Zombie as a director).

The next type of blood that comes to mind is the type of blood that, to me, I feel indifferent. I’m not frightened of it, I’m not made sick by it. I just sort of acknowledge it with an expression of empathy but indifference. This is the type of blood that happens most frequently throughout the daily life of individuals. A hang nail, a nosebleed, a paper cut, a lip that was bitten, brushing teeth too hard. If it’s someone else’s blood, I certainly don’t stare at it, but it doesn’t make me ill. If it’s my blood, I don’t pay much attention to it other than acknowledge that it is a nuisance. This type of blood does absolutely nothing for me.

So as you can see, the kinds of blood that are out there, I’d much rather live without those types. I don’t want to look at it, I don’t want to see it, it creeps me out and grosses me out. Some people are extremely obsessed with it and want to use for things. For me, I’d rather just let it alone. That is not the type of practice I have.

A couple months ago, I started really noticing my changing energies based on the time I’m cycling versus when I’m not. The next type of blood is one that, for me, brings about a feeling of power, of mystery, of womanness, and is in and of itself the symbol of Life iteself as well as the symbol of Death itself. This type of blood is caused without any visible injury, whether it be a severe accident, self-harm, or a small bleeding cut. The blood that comes this way is natural, of the body, the body cleansing itself and renewing. It is a symbol of fertility, a symbol of life, a symbol of death, a symbol of maturity, and a symbol of a connection to all other female creatures. This type of blood is menstrual blood.

I want either video responses or comments and I want you guys to take a look at the categories I described (and if you have others to add, please add them). Tell me about blood and what it symbolizes to you. Does where blood comes from or how it is drawn affect your reaction and acceptance of the blood? Most men I know are absolutely sickened by menstrual blood while most women I know have no visible reaction to it (except for laughing at the men). How do you react to blood brought about by severe accident or injury? How about blood that is from self-harm? How do you feel about blood that is shed due to everyday accidents such as biting one’s nail or accidentally cutting oneself while cutting veggies? And finally, how do you react to menstrual blood? I want feedback!!

Blessings and much love!
Charlie

Hello Beautiful World!! This is just a quick little post to let all of you know that the Green Living Series video I was planning on posting yesterday will be posted NEXT Thursday. I really apologize! Posting with Our Pagan Opinions, all of us were having technical difficulties and at first, I thought my video file was completely unreadable to my editing software but turns out, the next day it worked fine. The problem is that Nozomi and I filmed the video and it’s an hour of footage (because I don’t turn the camera off, even if I’m just bumming around and getting things ready) and that is a lot to go through!

But next week, I have a personal, 100% Charlie-Created recipe for morning facial cleanser (which Nathan has actually taken a liking to and uses it as body wash) and it co-stars Nozomi so please tune in next week for that.

In the meantime, I’ve been incredibly busy! I was told by a couple friends that the movie “I Don’t Know How She Does It” reminds them of me. I haven’t seen it so I don’t know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult, lol. But yes, I will be catching up on filming this weekend and hopefully next weekend as well so that I can post on all my regular days next week. But as you all know, Our Pagan Opinions and the Pagan Perspective obviously take precedence over Divinely Inspired because I view both sort of as a job or positions with a company or brand and I’ve made that committment to them. So…I said I’d keep this brief so I’ll end it here. Just wanted to fill you guys in on what’s happening!

Bright, abundant love!!

I’ve been thinking this morning, during my shower and lingering thereafter.  What composes us?  Not in a physical aspect, but in a very abstract and spiritual sense.  How are we made up?  What actually makes up who we are?  Is it a body of energy?  Is it a collection of memories and experiences?  Is it bits and pieces of those we’ve been in contact with throughout our lives?

This began to come to me after an early-morning conversation with a friend I had not seen in a long time.  The conversation stirred parts of my mind that have been dormant for a while, and now I’m left with a bit of a perplexed, albeit whimisical feeling of contemplation that I have not felt since my compulsive and self-deprecating writing binges of the early 2000s. 

I have a very solid spiritual foundation built around me made possible by these years of anger, resentment, self-pity, and suffering.  But are those experiences truly what has created myself?  Had I not had those experiences in that particular order, what type of person would I be now?  Who would I be? What would I be? How would I be living and experiencing? 

Do we draw circumstances to ourselves subconsciously as we have a subconscious idea of who we’d like to be in the future?  Or do they come at random and the outcome entirely chance?  The particular type of conversation I had with a friend had to do with subjectivity and putting meaning into things that could otherwise be meaning-less. 

Perhaps it is my idealistic personality, or perhaps it is my subconscious perception because at this point in my life, that is the perception I should hold onto specifically because it is the one that will serve me the most.  But the question remains, and I believe that question can never be answered by a human mind with absolute certainty.  If there is one thing I have learned through my life and my practice, through my experiences and encounters, is that nothing is never certain.  But those who are the most successful and well-adjusted are those who, for one, are not afraid to question, and secondly, are not afraid of the unknown, or more correctly of “not knowing.”  It is okay to not know.  It is all right to take comfort in the fact that we do not know.

Here I will leave with these thoughts and at some point throughout the day or the week, hopefully something coherent and fluid will present itself to me as some sort of accessible explanation for this.  For now, I’m left with the kinds of questions that make people think I’m doing drugs, haha!

Brightest peace and blessings to everyone today. 

I’ve been saying for nearly half of 2011 that I felt 2012 was going to be a huge year for me. So far, I couldn’t have been more accurate. What I failed to realize mid-2011 (though I did realize it later in the year) is that 2012 is not just going to be a huge year for me; it’s going to be a huge year for many people! (And not because of that End of the World bullshit, either.)

What I will say is that 2012 is going to be an extremely pivotal year for everyone. What you choose to make of 2012 is going to manifest itself in your life, and you have all the creative power to manifest whatever you wish. Those who sit back idly, on the sidelines? No longer is that something that is accepted. This year, it’s all about being proactive, passionate, inspired, and self-starting. And it’s all about coming together as One Humanity to make sure that some of those idle-sitters aren’t left in the dust.

For the past couple years, I’ve been focusing on several key themes in my life. I’ve really been trying to put that out into the universe and manifest my goals and desires. I knew that 2012 was going to be the year that I saw the most change, but I didn’t think I’d see it this soon! It wasn’t just a solo effort on my part, either. This is also an effort from my partner, Nathan. We want to make a life for ourselves that is fulfilling, rewarding, and abundant in many ways (health, love, laughter, happiness, etc). We’ve really be focusing on that for the past few years, but it wasn’t until this year that we are finally ready for it to come to fruition.

I posted a video a few years ago, chronicling some of the struggles we were going through. Nathan had stated to me that “Good things are coming our way. I can feel it. We’re too good of people for stuff to be messing up all the time.” From there, he had instilled in me such a sense of hope, reassurance, possibility, and ultimately a strong sense of knowing: He’s right. Things will get better.

Simply by changing our perception, we were able to bring about fantastic changes in our lives, and now live comfortably. And now we’re ready to take that next step (no guys, I’m not talking marriage here!) and our future is finally blossoming. But both of us had to experience certain things before this day would come to pass.

Now this day is here, and both of us are sitting here thinking, “Could this be it? Is this the first step to our dream?” And there’s a sense of apprehension (read: ego) and a little bit of doubt. But when the universe takes the energy you’ve invested, molds it, and sends it back to you in the form of an opportunity, you don’t turn your nose up at it. I will tell you this: The Universe works in ways that are unexpected. Don’t sit there looking for your desire to be fulfilled exactly the way you thought it would be. If you do that, you’ll miss the signs of the true manifestations of your intent.

Go out into the world and make a change this year. Really make a difference! Start making a positive impact of the environment, set goals down and achieve them, volunteer at a school and work with kids or help with a nature preservation project. Write to your Representatives. Set the example. Be vocal. Get out there. Be the Change You Wish to See in the World. The Time Is Now.

Brightest abundant blessings to you and your families in this wonderfully transformational New Year!!

Hey guys!!  I know I just posted earlier this evening, but I wanted to let everyone know (since Jay announced it, I think it’s safe to announce, lol) that I am officially your Wednesday host on Our Pagan Opinions.

Our Pagan Opinions is a new collaborative channel on YouTube featuring an eclectic and outspoken bunch of witches.

This is the Line Up:

Mondays: Jay (iHEARTjaywilliams)

Tuesdays: Sami (witchontherocks)

Wednesdays: Charlie (charliesaysgo)

Thursdays: Allison (avalonmoon91)

Fridays: Luke (midnightwiccan18)

Saturdays: Anthoney (wiccagem)

Sundays: Kristen (livingpagan)

I will still post regularly as the Thursday sub on Pagan Perspective (last Thursday of the month) and obviously I’ll still be posting on Divinely Inspired.  But if you haven’t had a chance to scoot over and subscribe, then please do so at Our Pagan Opinions!  And as with all collabs that focus on viewpoints, we’re always looking for topics you guys want us to cover.

I am so honored to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of talented individuals.  Our premier is next week, so stay tuned!

As promised and undelivered thus far, here is a write-up of Color-Charged Water.

I originally heard of this technique from my good friend Alec. Originally, the spell was simply a bottle of water wrapped in cellophane and left in the sun to charge. I expanded upon this idea to suit my own needs, which is really what spellwork is all about. If something doesn’t make sense or doesn’t feel complete, then change it!

Color-Charged Water can be used for so many things. Its uses are extremely versatile. Some things include: charged drinking water to promote health, vitality, wellness, or to induce psychic visions; charged water not meant for consumption but added to spellwork for added effectiveness; scrying; a variation of holy water; topical healing water (for cuts, scrapes, burns); teas; tinctures; basically anything that water can be used for.

My disclaimer would be to check all ingredients used in the water for health, medical, and toxicity codes. Some crystals can be added to water and do not affect the water’s drinkability, while others can leak potent toxins or toxic minerals. Some herbs added to the water obviously cannot be ingested. So before you commit, make sure you do your research on all ingredients you are called to use in your Color-Charged Water.

At the date of posting this video, there was only one other Color-Charged Water video on YouTube, and that video belonged to me. Hopefully everyone finds this technique useful. I used Alec’s recipe for Color-Charged Water and added to it the study of Dr. Masaru Emoto.

Supplies Needed

• Water (living water or dead water, whichever you are called to use)
• Glass bottles or plastic bottles that are free of BPAs and other chemicals (and preferably recycled from your own use)
• Colored cellophane (Others have suggested food coloring, which is fine if you’re called to use it. I personally don’t because of my apprehensions of how it will change the makeup of the water. If possible, I’d choose all-natural food coloring or even dyes you’ve created yourself from fruits, berries, and edible natural items)
• String, twin, rubber bands, or something else to attach the cellophane to the bottle
• Markers
• Scissors
• Crystals, herbs, or coins that correspond with your intent. (Remember to research these!)

You can charge all items individually, one by one, or you can charge the unit as a whole once you’re complete.  I prefer charging it as a whole because it is less time-consuming and, in my experience, just as effective.

Pour the water into your containers, focusing your intent as you do so.  Then add any of the herbs, crystals, or coins visualizing their purpose as part of the water.

Cut a piece of cellophane that will fit around the bottle.  On the cellophane, write words that describe your intent.  For example, if you’re making a water to promote healing, you might write words such as, “health,” “vitality,” “well-being,” “wellness.”  You can also write the words directly onto the bottle itself.  It’s all preference.

After you’re finished, use your twine or rubber bands to secure the cellophane to the bottle.  If you haven’t charged the ingredients individually, do so at this time.  Think about your intent and what you want the water to accomplish.  Decide if it is a solar-driven intent or a lunar-driven intent.  If it is both, you may leave it outside undisturbed for 7 days, or the cycle of a moon, or whatever feels complete to you.  If it is lunar-driven, you may want to only leave it under the moonlight.  Likewise, if it is specifically solar-driven, you may only want to leave it outside under the sunlight.

The next two steps can be done in any order.  At some point, the water needs to be charged under either the moonlight, the sunlight, or both.  And at some point, the water needs to be frozen.  Once both these have been accomplished, allow the water to thaw and use as you normally would.

Rainbow Water

Rainbow water is a technique I briefly touched on in the video.  This is a water that is specifically designed to help balance, open, and align the chakras.  All previous steps would be in place, except instead of one layer of cellophane, you will use 7.

The innermost layer of cellophane will be red, to activate the Root Chakra.  On this cellophane, you’d write words that represent the Root Chakra (1) to you (stability, groundedness, earth, etc).  The next layer would be orange, to symbolize the Sacral Chakra (2).  You might draw a crescent moon on this cellophane or write words such as “sexuality,” “sensuality,” “fertility,” etc.  The third layer would be yellow cellophane and would represent the Navel Chakra (3).  Again, you’d write words that represent the Naval Chakra to you.  You’d progress as follows:

Green: Heart Chakra/4th; Light Blue: Throat Chakra/5th; Indigo or Dark Blue: Forehead/6th/Third Eye Chakra; White, Violet, or Gold: Crown/7th Chakra.

Then you’d proceed to leave the water undisturbed for a period of time that feels complete for your practice.  The water would also be frozen and thawed and then ready for use working with Chakras.  You might feel called to add crystals, spices, herbs, or oils to the water that stimulate each chakra, or you might choose one to symbolize everything as a whole.  As always, research your ingredients if you intend to consume or use on your body at any time.

I hope this was helpful for you!  I know it’s something I take full advantage of in my practice, because water is the elixer of life.

Whew! I am so happy the holidays are over. This is a very short winter in Wisconsin. We barely have any snow and it’s already January. But this winter, I see how dull and drab Earth is while she’s hibernating if there isn’t any snow. Still, I’m not complaining.

This post is a post to bring everyone up to speed on a couple different things. The first is that: I’m taking this week off from YouTube! It was a last-minute decision, forced by the fact that I missed uploading my Monday video and I didn’t want to go the rest of the week without having that video up first. (Not to mention, being out of town on the holidays really fucked with my upload schedule and was frustrating me.) Then I just went with it because, hey, I could use a week off.

Next Monday, videos will continue on as usual. There will be a slight change in the schedule. Normally I have off on Wednesdays, but I was just recently informed that I will be a new addition to Our Pagan Opinions, and I chose to post on Wednesdays. So while there won’t be videos on my main channel, you can still find me on Our Pagan Opinions. I still post on the Pagan Perspective on the final Thursday of the month and plan to work with both Pagan Perspective and Our Pagan Opinions for a while.

The next item of business is that I know I have to get the Color-Charged Water stuff up. I’ve been putting that off. But I can do that this evening, as well as rounding up the days 90 – 120 list of ingredients and tools for the Year and a Day study group.

I am telling you, I have been outrageously busy! But I have a new system worked out, so I should be a-okay.

So tonight: Expect a blog post on Color-Charged Water as well as the supply list if you’re in the YAAD group with me. Whew! Now, off to work!

Much love!

Charlie