Fantasy Religion- World Cycle

Ok. I’m going to attempt to explain the religion I created for my fantasy world. It doesn’t really have a name, because it’s what everyone in the world believes, but I call it Empire Religion, because this world is divided into empires that change with every age (there are 6 ages that I concern myself with so far). This is just a basic overview, and I stayed out of the stuff like destinies and fate, which gets a little confusing- I'm still working on it. All of this information is based on my more recent notes, I have tons of stuff written down, and this newer stuff is the one I go by most of the time.

Some definitions you need to know:

4 Elements- Water, earth, air, and fire. They are part of the world cycle (explained later) in that order. They are the parents of all the sub-elements, and relate with the seasons. Each element has a male or female god to go with it.

4 Seasons- Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. In the world cycle, they each correspond with an element.

God-Goddess- Not truly a being at all, more of a spirit that resides in all things related to it. It’s like a quality, or aura. The earth god is in all that is green in growing, that kind of thing, but it’s not a being, or a living God, like ours in Christianity.

An Elemental- An elemental is basically a vassal of an element god. An elemental has some limited control over their element, this is called a “Gift”

Sub-element- a sub-element is a combination of two elements, kind of like a ‘child’ element. Weather, light, magic, magnetism, stone, natural disasters, and chaos are all sub-elements (there are tons more). Sub-elements ‘fuel’ the immortals, which are creatures who don’t naturally die. A unicorn is an immortal child of light and magic.

Element\season Relations: Water (goddess) goes with Winter (god), Earth (god) goes with Spring (goddess), Air (goddess) relates to summer (god), and Fire (god) corresponds to Fall (goddess)

Ok, to explain the Element\season relationship, is the World Cycle. The world cycle has four stages, each goes with a Season\element pair. The stages are: beginning, growth, thriving, and destruction. Winter is the first and last season of the year, and it relates to water, the first and last element in the cycle. This is the beginning stage, like in the Bible, before God creates the earth. Winter goes into Spring, and water fuels the growth of the earth, this is the growth stage, everything is blooming and becoming alive. The thriving stage is where the earth uses the air to live, and spring falls into summer, the time where things that bloomed thrive. And the destruction stage is when fall comes from winter and air feeds fire, which sheds the earth of impurities for the new beginning. Make sense?
Fire and fall are related, because they both clear away the earth to begin again. Fire is kind of the equivalent of Armageddon in the Bible. It is considered ‘evil’, but it truly isn’t. Destruction is necessary for life, just as winter cannot come until fall passes. Winter is a time where everything has died, like water puts out a fire. Spring/Earth has the most obvious relationship. Spring is when the earth grows out of the beginning, out of winter. And then Summer and air. Summer is the time when everything born in spring thrives. Summer is paired with air because air feeds the earth, but also fire. Summer is a time of thriving, but it’s also when the world becomes ‘corrupt’ and impure for fall.
Magic is the ability to influence the spirits/or gods by using an incantation and energy. A spell is easier to cast with a rune, which is basically a talisman of an element or season. Power stones are also used in magic. They are used as charms and amulets. There are a large number of them, but they cannot be created or destroyed. Each time a magician uses one up; it disintegrates, but is reborn elsewhere. Different stones relate to different sub-elements. Like a pearl relates to the sub-elements of money and luck. Many gamblers where an amulet of pearl for that reason. All birthstones are power stones, as well as many others. Emeralds have power for protection and defense.

(to be continued... this is the overview of why they worship nature, but I'll get to the worshipping part later. I'm trying to decide if I want an overall top diety, over the spirits and stuff. Any suggies? Comments? Complaints?

I Should Be Dead of a Snake Bite, But I'm not.

I like to walk around the farm and think. I usually take a notebook and my camera, just in case something happens. A weird thing happened today. I was sitting there, in the woods, by a ditch (old irrigation ditch, about three feet across, muddy, but no standing water) and I was writing in my little pocket notebook. I was actually writing something about the fact that ever since I started home-schooling, I’ve actually been having to read the Bible and care about what it says, and how it’s done wonders for me, mostly on my outlook on life. I was always very… I dunno, depressed, I guess. Kinda feeling like life was hopeless. But reading through the Bible and actually hanging onto what I was reading kind of helped me out of that. I have no clue why I was thinking about this, but then I began thinking about Christianity in general, and wrote something about believing in God is like having someone there to look after you all the time, and at that, I suddenly looked to my right, for no good reason, and right beside me was this cottonmouth snake. I mean right beside me… like maybe a foot away. I said something to the effect of “Oh God help me.,” out loud, and the snake backed off… it was really weird, and I’m not lying. I have photographic proof. The picture is of the snake going off, after I got a few feet away from it. It’s blurry, because I had the stupid zoom on, but the photo’s not the point I’m trying to make here. I should have a snake bite right now… I should probably be dead or really sick. Nobody makes the sudden movement that I did and doesn’t get bitten- it’s illogical, unnatural, not realistic. I swear something happened there… I have no clue what, but that snake should’ve bitten me. Something made it back off... it was really something different.




There’s the photo. It was a small water moccasin, but it’s the little ones that are the deadliest. They can’t control their poison output, so they put all of it into one bite. You get bitten by a big one, you may have the chance to get anti-venom or something, but a little one… you’re probably going to die. If I had gotten bitten, chances are that I would be dead. But it’s not the fact that I was that close to the snake that really gets to me, it’s the fact that it backed off, and while I was thinking that particular thought too… a coincidence… or something else?

Memories of Gangs, Drinking, and Yester-years

Yesterday, I saw some of my people from way back (ok, it was last year, but whatever) and then from even farther back (from my gangster public school days).
Some of the guys who were in my class last year got tall- as in “I can’t see your face, there are clouds in the way,” type tall. All the midgets from my brother’s class who used to stalk me (for some reason those 5th grade midgets liked to follow me and my friends around- scary ) got older too (and thank goodness most have girlfriends now- those little creeps). So all my old people (I don’t call them ‘friends’ because I did not and will never, fit in with them, like them, or even want to talk to them) have grown up.
And it’s weird, because last night, we went to the Rice Festival at night, and the clientele was predominantly black, and it really brought back all of the memories from when I went to public school and was really being pressured into gangs, and drinking, and especially drugs. I realized exactly how lucky I was to get out of there before I got in too deep… I mean, just looking at the girls my age, with the sharpened nails and knives- I could’ve ended up like that. And believe me, the nails and knives were necessary, if you’ve ever had a knife to your throat, you would get it. And then looking at the boys, especially the ones a little younger than me- that could’ve been my brother. I mean, he’s bad enough already- but it that environment he either would’ve been dead already, or he would be carrying a gun. It brought back bad memories to say the least. So sorry if my trip down memory lane bores you to death, but I feel this ineffeable sense of gratitude to whatever grace pulled me through that, and out of it.

Freedom in America

Hey, had a few seconds so I decided to post this today. Another opinion paragraph... as usualy ready to hear opinions, questions, comments, complains, offers of marriage (long story... inside joke). I wrote it two days ago, but the point it makes is timeless:

On 4/23/07, another religious symbol was added to the list of symbols a military man (or woman) can have on their grave. It was the Wicca pentacle. For me it brought to mind all of the freedoms that this country has regulated. Why can’t somebody put whatever symbol they want on their grave? Especially someone from the armed forces- they gave up their life for you… show some RESPECT. Some of the other things we have regulated are abortion and gay marriage- big issues today.
On abortion, I am pro-choice. I don’t think the government should have any say in the matter, unless it’s threatening the nation. I believe people make mistakes, and we end up with babies that weren’t really… planned on. A lot of the time these babies end up being born and neglected because the mother is not emotionally and financially sound enough to handle a child. The question on this you have to ask you self is: Do I think it is worse to kill a child before it is born and has never seen the world, or let it live with parent(s) that can’t take care of it and let it become a child criminal or get killed needlessly? What ever you think, I believe that it is the mother’s choice. Not the father’s… not the boyfriend’s … not the government’s. We should be free to choose.
The other biggie, gay rights, is harder decided on. I think people should be free to love each other… even if they are interested in their own gender. Don’t get me wrong… I don’t think its right, but that’s my opinion… other people have different ones, but gays and lesbians should choose for themselves.
I know that America is a very free country compared to others, but we could do better. The US has always prided it’s self on being a melting pot of different cultures, religion, ect, but our laws don’t always let everyone in the melting pot do what they believe in. If we are going to be a place where everyone is free, we should be allowed to express ourselves and our opinions freely, and do what we ourselves think is right, not what the people on top of Capitol Hill think.

Greenday Graphics

Had a few extra seconds after school and made these greenday graphics (I love
greenday)... I'm a little out of it, so don't blame me if they stink.















This last one says "Life is short, wear eyeliner and jump up and down." I didn't make that one up... I just thought billie joe jumping several feet in the air was funny.

Update!

Busy day today! I'm SOOO excited about the presidential debate today! I live about a hour from where the debate is, and so for once I'm proud to live in SC today! I'm also trying to get a revolution on neopets, because they totally SCREWED UP THE LAYOUT!!!! I've played neopets for eh... 7 years now? I have three accounts, and the layout has never changed... it's soo screwed up now. No one is going to see this, but if you play neo please please sign my petition at http://www.neopets.com/~revenge254 I have like... eh 7 signers so far... horrible right, but I'm busy. I did neo graphics but now they're all ruined! My guild is so messed up... grr... anyway...
I'm keeping up with debate news, playing neo, doing homework, playing runescape ( today I got on... I'm a lvl 25 and my name is Raven Embers I have 5k rune ess sitting around if someone wants to buy it for 21 gp each), and talking on the phone... oh yeah, and trying to cook dinner! Can't wait for the debate though!

2008 Presidential Candidates!

One of my favorite topics, me and my semi-republican dad argue all the time about this election:

The 2008 presidential race is absolutely crazy already. Especially the democratic race. My favorite candidate so far is Hillary Clinton, a democrat (I consider myself an independent though… I don’t believe in party politics. I think you should support for someone because of their views, not because of their party). I don’t think Obama has the experience to do well in the White House. He is also an ear pleaser… he says TOO much of what people want to hear, and I think this is because of his inexperience (although I do like his foreign policy platform… and his idea to secure all of the worlds nuclear weapons- not that I think it’s as easy as he says). I don’t think he’s all talk and no action, I do think that’s how it would turn out if he was elected. He says this stuff now, but he just lacks the experience to do it. Where I am (an important primary election state this go round) Obama has all of the African American male votes (especially some of the less wealthy ones- he tells them what they wanna hear) and about half of the African American female votes. What annoys me about this is that a lot of people in the slums down here are saying “He’s black, he knows what it’s like.” But he’s a different kind of black. I know, because I’ve lived among black people most of my life. My town has about 200 people in it, all rural, and mostly African American. There were two white kids besides me in my grade at my elementary school. I understand them and can relate to them. Obama- I think- doesn’t know what it’s like here, or doesn’t remember what it’s like.
Hillary on the other hand doesn’t know what it’s like either, but she’s empathetic and I think she understands. I also think we need a little woman’s passion in politics at this time. I think if Hillary ran for president with Obama as her running mate, that would be a great match. Like I said Obama has the drive, but not the experience. I think if they could get over their differences then that would be a winning team.
The poor republicans in the race… If I were a republican, this year, I would run as an independent just to separate myself from the party. I feel really bad for McCain, who I used to like… him and his straight talk bus are driving right into the mud. He’s aiming for the votes of the Christian right, but I don’t think that there is a firm majority there to pull him through. I’ve been saying this ever since he got back on the straight talk bus- it’s too little, and it’s WAY too late!
At least this year, we have huge selection of candidates… people ranging from far left, to far right, to somewhere in the middle… it’s going to be a great race and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Bush, a hypocrit....

Yesterday or the day before, I caught a quote off the news from our beloved *cough* President- Mr. Bush. He said something to the affect of, “I will not have politicians in Washington telling our millitary men how to do there jobs.” This was in a speech talking about the bill that democrats are trying to push through trying to get a phased withdrawal from Iraq. I found this pretty amusing- and hypocritical.
If he objects to Washington politicians pushing around military officers, why the heck did he tell them to go to war in Iraq years ago? Many top ranking military officers told him that it wasn’t a good idea, but he still told them to go to war and then he gave information that had been tampered with to Congress so they would back him up. Please… isn’t that hypocritical (at least a teensy-weensy bit?
I never really liked Bush. In the beginning I thought he did pretty well with what he got, with 9/11 and all… but it went downhill from there. I just hope whoever takes over the white house next is not a hypocritical and as two faced as this guy, and I don’t mean that Bush is a bad person (he reads his Bible everyday… how bad can he be? – That’s another point I’ll make later)… I just think he’s done a horrible job running our country. And I feel sorry for people like Colin Powell and Hillary Clinton who are getting the bad end of it (Colin Powell- left the white house… and his career. Hillary Clinton: My fav candidate so far who actually may lose the election [where I am anyhow] because she used the tampered with information to base her vote for the War in Iraq)
Please just remember… this is all my opinion... a comment with a well versed counter opinion and you may turn the crazy blogger around. Good luck. Politics is one of those things I love to argue over...

Global Warming- what do you think??

This entry got my attention onto the subject of global warming: http://whitegrahamcracker.blogspot.com/2007/04/advertisment.html

My view on the subject:
We know that carbon emissions are damaging, and that they could potentially start this catastrophic global warming process. Now some people say that this is far fetched and there is no threat at all. Critics are saying that the science is incomplete… well I personally don’t want to wait until we know everything about the world to start saving it. The world is a FINITE resource. It will come to an end one day. Global warming activists are saying that human kind is making it come faster and faster, and I ask you… how are they wrong? We are filling the world with dangerous emissions, more people than we can care for, trash, and so many other things… people… if you can’t see that this is going to cause problems SOMEWHERE… please go do some research.
Some people say that this is just a natural occurrence, and it will pass in time, they are more than likely right- partly. With modern technology, we are introducing unnatural things to the environment, which is going to interrupt our natural cycles- that’s pretty much just basic reasoning.
It is scientifically proven that carbon dioxide emissions (among other things) are definitely endangering our environment. You can’t ignore that. Global Warming Supporters are saying that this is going to cause the end of the world… soon- if we’re not careful. Now while I see this as an exaggeration, we do know that we are slowly destroying our planet. Why not start trying to slow down our demise now?

But rather than people tossing links and charts at each other, I’d like to see what people actually think… with out all the research and stuff. I think the most important thing is that people actually see what they themselves believe. I have my opinion, this dude (http://whitegrahamcracker.blogspot.com/2007/04/advertisment.html) has his. I just wish we could all get along (wishful thinking) and do what’ s best for our planet regardless whether or not there’s global warming or it’s just a phase.

My opinion:

Why the heck are we wasting our time arguing about this? We know that we are destroying our planet... why can’t we just shut up and start doing something?

VT Massacre

Well, in the last two weeks, a lot has happened. I found out I'm dancing 7 dances in my show in May... I busted my other knee (I've had this horrible right knee since like 5th grade... it collapses for no good reason, and aches.) the left knee now has this sharp pain everytime I put wait on it. You can tell that's wonderful for dance.
The main event this week has been the Virginia Tech Shootings. I was not directly affected, but I feel great empathy for those who were/are/always will be. Here's a poem I've written for the families:

On April 16, 2007,
32 souls went to heaven.
This horror and tragedy don’t make sense,
How can we find our way through the fog dense?

One misguided soul, just one,
That’s all it took- 32 lives undone.
Is it perhaps that to ourselves we are lying?
Could we have saved those kids from dying?

Candle-light vigils, crying in the night,
Tears fall from my eyes at the very sight.
Young lives halted, so early, so young,
We have yet to discover why the malice sprung.

We cannot comprehend the incomprehensible,
We cannot understand the non-understandable.
We cannot hear the thoughts of the killer that day,
We’ll never know, Cho didn’t wish to stay.

He had to run, and whatever his reasons,
He knew he was committing Godly treasons.
No one seems to love him, even in death,
What could he have been thinking with that last dying breath?

A college grieving, a nation strong,
We must stay together through the dark hour long.
Send on your comforts, send on your flowers,
And the sky will cry with April showers.

But please remember America,
Soon May will shine again on Virginia.
Nothing will be the same, there will be new soil to plough,
The sun will come again, but for now:

We are a college grieving, a nation strong,
We must stay together through the dark hour long.
Send on your comforts, send on your flowers,
And the sky will cry with April showers.

'Ello People

Hi peoples. ‘Tis been a while. I’ve been kinda busy, but I’ve got today off… I figured I’d write something. I’ve been studying stuff for my book, actually trying to create a religion for my people. I’ve come up with some pretty cool stuff. The religion is a cross between a slightly Chinese thing (4 elements), pagan (nature worship), and Wicca (witchcraft/nature worship). I was also looking into some Goth style stuff to toss in, but it didn’t work out. It’s kinda hard to explain, but you have the four elements (water, earth, air, fire) and your four seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall) and they each relate in the cycle of life. The each of the four seasons and the four elements has a God, so there are eight major Gods. You also have darkness, light, and magic in another unnamed category.
I’ve been slightly addicted to my research… let’s see what else… hmmm. That duke university class is almost over… I’m gonna miss it, even if it took up mountains of my time. What else? Oh yeah… I was you-tubeing the other day, I found this, slightly funny: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1XIm6q4r4 … I’ve been singing that silly song now for a while. My family got a solar pool heater installed a few days ago, so I can swim. That’s really it… bye people… drop me a note, or something…