Ultimate and Impalpable Reality
There are more things in Heaven and Earth
Than are dreamt of in your philosophies
At heart I am a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience, or hard evidence that what I have been told is indeed true. More than that, I am a practical, engineering, Newtonian Physics kind of Englishman who does not take charlatans, fools, and knaves kindly. I give no credence whatsoever to alien encounters, flat earthers, or people who believe that the Pyramids were built by men from other star systems.
So what am I doing trusting in such things as divination, precognition, and spooky connections? Why do I have and use a pack of tarot cards, am in constant close contact with my personal astrologer, would walk ten-thousand miles to avoid a ouija board, and believe that kissing a witch in the moonlight is more than just a kiss?
If it comes right down to it, why do I believe that there are such beings as witches?
Well, recently Victoria, my personal astrologer and tarot reader, wrote to me;
You are now venturing on another important evolutionary step on your life path to discover what you are truly capable of, and realizing that you have an immense inner power! Part of your life path is discovering what this power is, unearthing this power from the depths of your heart and soul, and knowing how you can use it in the various areas of your daily existence. ~ Victoria
Not so long ago I would have utterly rejected those words.
Now, I’m pretty certain that Victoria has a gift, and that she knows what she’s talking about.
I’m better at denial than most, and my mind is more closed than even most Englishmen of my generation, but looking back on my life I can see some hard evidence that I have abilities most others do not.
For example; it’s not just that I can tell when people are lying to me, or know when they have falsehoods in their soul….. my ability to read people is far deeper than that, and I used it unashamedly when I worked in banking and finance. And, that’s as much as I’m going to say about my ‘…..immense inner power…..’
What I will tell you is that everyone who reads this blog is a unique individual who deserves to receive much more recognition and respect for who they innately are, and for the good they do in this world.
Some say that they do not feel as much in charge of their own destiny as they could and should be. And, that there are people and situations preventing them from accomplishing all that they deserve and desire. All I know is that everyone reading this is stronger than others believe.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
the ultimate and impalpable strength
of the Divine Feminine
Food on Friday ~ Pot Luck
You can’t get to work on time, but you’re first in line for a pot luck
Usually I like to have some kind of a theme to the recipes I feature in Food on Friday, but today you’re going to get dishes just because I like the look of them. I hope that’s OK will all of you.
All of these recipes will be great for your office’s Halloween Pot Luck lunch.
First for this week, from San Diego girl Averie Sunshine we have this quick, easy, and delicious 15-minute spicy korean skillet chicken. Now, here in my part of England we get hardly any Korean food, but I do so like cooking with a good, heavy skillet. If you don’t have one, then get one.
15 Minute Spicy Korean Skillet Chicken
I promise you that there’s no overriding theme to this week’s Food on Friday, but our second dish is also Korean based. From Chungah at Demn Delicious there’s these delicious-looking Korean chicken kabobs. What a fabulous dish for parties or barbecues.
Korean Chicken Kabobs
Just to prove that I don’t have a Korean theme running this week, from Tieghan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest we have this great looking slow cooker herbed chicken and rice pilaf. This is just the right time of year for us all to pull the slow cooker out of the cupboard. Fabulous!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Well then, perhaps there’s a chicken theme going this week, because next up, from Jessica Merchant at How Sweet Eats I’m featuring this dish of yogurt and lemon marinated grilled chicken. Doesn’t it look fabulous?
Yogurt and Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken
Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes has another great looking dish for warming barbecues or parties on a cold autumn night, these bourbon maple glazed chicken wings. How classic!
Bourbon Maple Glazed Chicken Wings
Last for this week, and we’re back to an Asian themed dish from Heather Christo; asian chicken zoodle soup. How pretty! How healthy! How Delicious! How quick and easy! Zoodle? What a silly name for an ingredient! I love it!
Asian Chicken Zoodle Soup
It turns out that there was an accidental theme this week ~ great looking recipes for chicken.
There have been previous posts all about poultry, for example Healthy Chicken.
~
jack collier
jackcolier7@talktalk.net
sauteed chicken with sage butter
Recovering From Addictions
Every form of addiction is bad, no matter if it’s alcohol or marijuana
In yesterday’s post 10 things successful people do, I said that successful people stay healthy and overcome their addictions ~ well, it’s impossible to stay healthy in the long-term if you have a drugs habit, drink too much, or smoke. Alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking will all kill you, especially if you are prey to all three. Most addicts have multiple addictions. Add gambling into the mix and you will die a horrible death, after you have lost everything you have.
There are NO exceptions to that rule.
You may think that you drink a little bit, use pot or coke just now and again, take a few too many of your prescription drugs, smoke the odd cigarette when you’re feeling stressed or happy, go to Vegas to gamble every once in a while….. It could be you have a problem you’re not admitting to yourself, and lying about to everyone else.
Denial is not a river in Egypt. Denial will kill you.
The very first step in overcoming an addiction is to admit that you have a problem. The first step in all 12 step recovery groups is to honestly admit that you have a problem. Your problem with booze, drugs, smoking, gambling, unsafe casual sex, erotica, pornography, dangerous pastimes, sugar, food….. may not be so bad ~ YET. Let me tell you, your problem will only get worse, unless you do something about it. And what you have to do is STOP drinking, smoking, using drugs, gambling, or whatever.
There is no such thing as controlled drinking, drug abuse, gambling…..
And, if you cannot stop, and if you still lie about it to yourself and others, then you are a true alcoholic, drug addict, compulsive gambler, long-term chain smoker, and you’re going to lose everything you have, and die horribly. Things may only be a little bit rocky now, but that’s ok for you, missing work once in a while isn’t so bad. Let me tell you, it is going to get worse if you do not completely stop drinking, using, smoking, gambling…..
No matter how bad thing are now, they will get worse.
What to do? A good start is to go and see your doctor, and tell him / her that you have a problem. But, the chances are that, unless you have an exceptional doctor, they’re not going to be much help. Do Not just accept more medication from your doctor ~ drugs in any form are bad for you. Also, the chances are that if you have a propensity to addiction, then you also have an underlying psychological problem. What you probably need is ‘talking therapy’ to deal with your underlying Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD……
Admit you have a problem, and talk to people who understand.
From bitter personal experience I can tell you that there are only two things that work when it comes to recovering from the problems of an addiction;
- Completely stop drinking, using, smoking, gambling, binge eating…..
- Talk with people who truly understand. Ask for their help.
If you are an addict, then you will never, ever be cured, all you can do is begin to recover from your addiction. You will never be able to go back to drinking, or whatever…..
Some say that being an addict means that you are a morally weak degenerate lunatic. And, that all addicts are hopeless cases who will just die sooner rather than later. All I know is that it is possible to begin to recover from Borderline Personality Disorder and Alcoholism.
(further reading; The Big Book of AA, The Road Less Travelled, Under The Influence.)
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
addicts are not lunatics,
but they may well have a psychological problem
10 things successful people do
Life can take us down unexpected and difficult paths.
Through painful experience, I have learned that to be very successful in your life, there are some things we must do. Most of them are difficult, bordering on the impossible, but all of these 10 things listed below are actually achievable.
There are two types of people who will tell that you cannot make a difference in this world; those who are afraid to try, and those who are afraid you will succeed. ~ Ray Goforth.
I firmly believe that these are the most important of the rules we must follow in order to overcome life’s challenges, and ultimately win out:
- Stay Healthy. It’s almost impossible to be successful if you’re often ill, spending time in bed, or in hospital.
- Overcome Addictions. Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Gambling, Smoking….. to name perhaps the most dangerous of all possible addictions. If you drink too much you will lose almost everything. If you drink and gamble you will lose everything. If you drink, gamble, smoke, and take drugs, you will lose everything, and then you’ll die ~ horribly
- Stay Within the Law. If you get involved with illegal activities, including taking drugs, drink driving, illegal gambling ~ sometime or other you will have a run in with The Police. A criminal record does your chances of living your dream life no good at all.
- Say Goodbye to Toxic People. Toxic relationships will make you unhappy, corrupt your mind and soul, and prevent you from realising how much better things can be.
- Seek Out, and Take, Good Advice. If you’re physically ill see a doctor, if you’re suffering mentally see a counsellor, and if you’re just struggling seek out your closest and wisest friend. Whatever advice you’re given, really take it to heart.
- Do Not Waste Time or Money. Too many people throw their money away without thought. Almost everyone wastes their time on unimportant activities. A fool and his money are soon parted. Time is the most precious resource we have.
- Stay Romantically and Sexually Faithful. Affairs, casual sex, multiple partners, using sex-workers, are all going to waste your time and money. You will get into trouble, and if you’re married, you will be asked for a divorce.
- Keep Learning. Nobody can know everything, but most people don’t even try to improve their mind and knowledge once they finish their formal education. The internet and a million books are out their, and something you learn may just give you the edge you need to become successful.
- Focus On Things You Can Control. God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. And, don’t let me try to change people, because that never works.
- Follow Your Dreams. Dreams are the fuel for your success. Without dreams there can never be any meaningful and lasting success in your life.
Some very smart people can ignore some of these rules, some of the time, and still be successful. But you can’t ignore all of these rules, all of the time, and still have a hope in hell of making a success of your life. And, never worry about failure, just make certain that you pick yourself up and start again.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Marmaduke is a success,
and he loves Bentleys and Jaguars
Tunes on Tuesday ~ Casablanca
Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman ~ As Time Goes By
~
~
In Casablanca, Rick never said; ‘Play it again Sam’, but he should have
Women can drive a man to remember, and to think
all that may make a guy so take just one more drink
and booze does no good, but his love is treacherous
he can do better, and he will always have memories
I never truly told a friend how much I loved her, and I should have.
~
jack collier jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Monochrome Monday ~ Utah Couds
Grey skies are just clouds passing overhead.
~
~
~
~
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
It’s a big country
The Dear Joan Letter
If you take everything personally and to heart, it will tear you apart.
just
reject
eschew
criticisms
trust yourself
be who you are
have self-awareness
and total self-assurance
display utter self-confidence
try to really know who you are
let all those bastards and bitches
just fuck off to have a really nice day
in their sad dysfunctional relationships
of bad one-time loves and other strangers
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
some relationships are mere transitory financial transactions.
Secretly Sexual
Behind every mask there is a face that tells a story
sex
lust
mask
unjust
unknown
unthinkable
so unattainable
unspeakable love
trying to be unread
needing to be unseen
yet unmercifully unmasked
perhaps she is honest, at last
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
hiding behind the unreal
the girl behind the mask
Road Trip Eclipsed
If you’re always looking back, how can you see the road in front of you.
talking
and laughing
towns passing by
sharing quiet intimacy
marvelling at the scenery
enjoying long roads’ rhythms
discovering unknown real America
driving through the country no one sees
California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming
witnessing the marvel of a dark sun at noontime
knowing those uplifting moments will be long gone
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Marmaduke really likes road trips
and so do I
Tunes on Tuesday ~ dating a witch
Dating a witch is a bed of black roses.
Her voice was a voice that witches have,
that tear at a man’s deepest desire,
she spoke and in that bright flame,
my soul was consumed in her fires.
~
Please listen responsibly.
It seems that I know 3 witches, and they are all wayward. How sweet it is.
A kiss from a witch in the moonlight leads a man forever to his unrequited love’s doom.
Some say that a witch will always have cats. And that a kiss from a witch can enchant a man forever. All I know is that I’d rather date an evil witch than any ordinary woman.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalknet
some say that a wytch will breathe fire
