The Witching Hour Chronicles
My name is Christine and on WHC I will talk all things spiritual!
The Witching Hour Chronicles
A Candid Look at Religion and Spiritual Freedom
What if your path to peace lies outside the confines of traditional religion? Join us in this enlightening episode of the Witching Hour Chronicles as Christine Alright, alongside Toni and Kacie, embarks on a journey to untangle the intricate web between spirituality and religion. With heartfelt anecdotes and spirited discussions, Christine shares how her upbringing, marked by a mother who challenged conventional religious beliefs, paved the way for her exploration into paganism and Wicca. This episode is a candid exploration of how personal spiritual paths can lead to profound wisdom, love, and the freedom to embrace a divine connection uniquely your own.
Unravel the compelling contrasts between spirituality and organized religion as we question the focus on future salvation versus the present peace offered by spiritual practices. Listen as we examine the parallels between karma and the age-old religious principle of reaping what you sow, all while highlighting the lively discourse about the formality of religion against the informal and deeply personal nature of spirituality. Christine, Toni, and Kacie navigate these themes with grace and empathy, offering a space where personal beliefs about God can coexist with the possibility of polytheism and diverse spiritual interpretations.
Feel the energy as we explore supernatural encounters and the profound connections with nature that transcend conventional norms. Whether it's a comforting sign from a departed loved one or a spiritual message carried by an eagle, these experiences offer profound insights into the beauty and mystery of life. Christine recounts her own journey of healing and embracing spirituality amidst life's challenges, emphasizing the power of shared spiritual gatherings and connections. This episode is a testament to the joy of being true to oneself and finding solace in personal spiritual experiences, nurturing a loving community that sees beyond the surface.
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Welcome to the Witching Hour Chronicles. I'm your host, Christine Alright. This week I have Tony and Casey back on, because everyone really loved that last episode we did. Hi guys, hello Everyone really loved that last episode.
Speaker 1:We did.
Speaker 2:Hi guys, hello. So today we are going to talk about kind of like a spirituality versus religion. I don't know how else to describe what we're going to talk about. Yeah, your dog really wants to come down here. Um, I'm going to start with giving you like a little bit of a definition of each and some differences of each, because they're very similar. But, yes, so spirituality is connecting to the divine through your own personal experiences, Primarily concerned with finding, experiencing and embodying one's true nature. Religion is connecting to the divine through someone else's experience.
Speaker 1:Never really thought of it that way, so I'd rather not.
Speaker 2:It's primarily concerned in believing, in believing in following and obeying the rules created by a certain deity or spiritual teacher. I wonder if that's getting picked up. That is not us, that's tony's dog, anyways. So what we're gonna do, like I said, I'm gonna give like kind of comparisons, like differences one believes in this, one believes in this kind of thing and then we're gonna kind of talk about our own beliefs, our own.
Speaker 2:I know this topic can be pretty controversial, but I feel like it's something everybody's interested in one way or another right, I'd agree now I think it would have been really neat to have somebody from every background, not like religion, wise, just like someone who's religious, someone who's spiritual, someone who doesn't believe in anything. It would have been nice to have all those perspectives, but you got us three.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a little variety, so okay, so here's a couple. Spirituality is a personal thing, when religion is more community oriented. Spirituality emphasizes wisdom. Okay, and I did find all this in a like on a website. Like I looked at several different articles. This is where I'm like, down to this little chart. This is where I'm getting it I like it, where religion emphasizes knowledge, but I feel like so does spirituality, I mean in a sense.
Speaker 2:But then I think so you're saying religion represents or comes from knowledge. I mean, you're reading from a book, you're following from a book, you are guided through, whereas spirituality is coming from just your inner person.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Spirituality, the goal is for most love and freedom. Religion a lot of the times it's obedience and salvation. Religion a lot of the times it's obedience and salvation. Well, I certainly see the obedience part well, and everyone wants to be saved. We all know people who are concerned with where they're going after this life. And does Jesus or does God approve of what I'm doing? So I see where that comes in there. Yeah, spirituality is more feeling based. Religion is more thought based. I don't necessarily agree with that. No, I don't either. No, because I, um, both kind of it mingles in both.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree to an extent. No doubt um spirituality focuses on experiencing internal divinity and external divinity. Oh wait, no, it just kidding my, it didn't line up right um. Religion focuses on obeying or devotion to an external divinity, jesus, and that's it. But then there's the like, the catholics, who pray to saints, the rich mary blah, blah, blah well, and then?
Speaker 2:also too, if we're gonna, you know, cover the realm, I would say Buddhism, yeah, and because they're following what well and like with spirituality, a lot of what, okay, I don't. Honestly, for me, I don't know what I believe, if that makes sense. I do follow a lot of pagan beliefs, but I also believe in stuff that you hear about in religion. It's almost like a blending of it all rather than. But if you look at spirituality and a lot of people believe in more than one god, there's a god for this, there's a goddess for that, yes, yeah, which I don't necessarily not believe in that, because it makes sense to me, yeah, well, and if we go back in history and time, right, there is so much of that to be offered. Say, you know, in the Egyptian times there were many, and then Greek godsreek gods. Well, that's honestly, on my way to work this morning, I was like how is this episode gonna?
Speaker 2:go because these are actually what I'm reading right now is the only notes I made because I figured this episode was going to be a lot of us talking like this you know right and I thought well, when I started really, I mean, I've always, since I was child, questioned anything that had to do with religion.
Speaker 2:I never really believed in much of it. I thought it was all a bunch of bullshit. Quite honestly, is there a specific time and moment in your youth that caused you to question? I think I've always questioned it. So you just came to the question but I think my mother was a big influence on me, because my mom's like I don't believe in god I don't believe in anything.
Speaker 2:Um, she was raised as a southern baptist. She got kicked out of church as a teenager, um, and she's just kind of like they're just in it to take your money. They're in it like they want to control you. My mom and I, since I was a kid, have had big, huge, like a lot like this conversations about all of this. Um, but it wasn't till I was probably in my early to mid 30s. I I was and she's going to be listening to this because I was talking to her about it the other day. And you know, when I was a teenager, I had my tarot cards, I had books on Wicca, I had books on just learning about all that. But one day I was on a walk with one of my friends who is one of our coworkers and we and we had been friends for a while and we had never talked about any of this and we started talking about it and I said you know, how do we know that we weren't put here by aliens and we're just one big science?
Speaker 2:experiment how do we know that? I thought we don't know. She said to me and I'll never forget these words you know, most people who are Christian-based think God is the one and only God. She goes. But if it takes a man and a woman to create a child as a parent, what makes us think that we have one God? True, no doubt, and that was very like profound to to me and it really made me think like, yeah, how do we know? Right, I mean, if you look. And so on my way to work, I was thinking this is where this came from on my way to work.
Speaker 2:I was thinking of the greek gods and you have zeus and all of them and they. They had parents, the Titans. Kronos was the father of the Greek gods. I don't know if you guys know much about Greek mythology.
Speaker 2:Well, some, some, and I'd like to say I've had a sprinkling of all different kinds of religions and different thought processes, and history is huge. It wouldn't seem that that would be where a lot of this comes from, but it certainly does, because of the different time phases that we've gone through and how people you know let's just use throw this one out there the, the Salem witch trials. You know the puritanical time frame, the time. I have lots to say about all that. Yes, but those are all portions, it's all collective information and it is history that has taken place and we know that these things have happened. So it brings about many, many questions, if you think about it. Okay, jesus, the son of God, and he was crucified for being a healer, being a prophet, having these gifts that later people were burned at the stake for this is right, rising people from the dead, you know, yeah, all many, many now, these people who are healers, who are all this.
Speaker 2:We call them doctors. You know, I'm sorry, it's just to me, it just I don't know. That's one thing that's always bothered me that he was punished for something that was going on way before his time. You know, you know well, the difficulty with that understanding for many, many people is that Jesus is the form of God in human form form, therefore coming to this planet and purging himself, being something that he already knew was coming and was going to happen. So a little bit interesting, because he pre-understood, you know, whereas we talked about in the dreams. You know, people sometimes know these things prior to coming here to the planet. But people get very carried away not with, but within the whole realm of following and being followers and accepting all things that are placed before you in many aspects of controlled religion, controlled environment. I don't want to say it, but I got to Controlled religion, controlled environment. It is the key word Controlled. I want to put fear in you, to control you.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that's one of the biggest problems I have with it is you can't do that or you're going to hell.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:You can't do this or you're going to hell. You can't do this or you're going to hell. You must I. It creates many conflicts within a person's own soul Because, you know, there are all these different avenues to look at.
Speaker 2:It makes me wonder if people are so conflicted with it because their soul knows what goes on on the other side. I don't think you know. You hear about these people that near-death experiences, oh, it's like. Oh, I saw jesus, I saw this, I saw that, um, but really they don't know, but they can't give you like much. I'm like, or I guess what I'm trying to say is if you were to talk to a psychic and they communicate with spirits on the other side anytime they're asked, what's it like? They never give you an answer because I don't think anyone's supposed to know. Your soul knows and that's why it's conflicted with things.
Speaker 2:However, just to be, you know, throwing some more stuff out there there are many people who have written books, many people who have taken a very long time to write about something that they experienced, and I've I've delved into that and read a few books. My sister-in-law reads books like that all the time.
Speaker 2:Many of them are just really beautiful descriptions, but it's also them coming to terms with who they are and that's dealing with their inner soul and knowing that you know there's a reason why that they've. They've come back, you know, because obviously they came back, otherwise we wouldn't know, right? Uh? But and then there's, you know, things like small children who have had similar types of experiences, and a small child is just going to come straightforward and say, well, this is, this is what I know and I've heard stories of children who, at a very young age, talk about oh, I used to be this, I used to be that.
Speaker 2:That's another thing. If you're a Christian, you can't believe in reincarnation of children and people that have had these life experiences that they have brought with them to the next one, because they still are attached to that and having great knowledge of things that they couldn't possibly know and understanding. So there is so much that goes into all of that. Now I have a question Do you think that those who have had these experiences, would you say that's more on a spiritual path? Because I certainly don't know that I would find that so much in a religious path, because religion really means re-go back your own way. So they want to control you so that you are following, you know, like sheep, and many times in scripture we are referred to as sheep, the flock.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's an interesting thing to say that you know, and they also have referred to Jesus as the lamb. So, what's a lamb?
Speaker 1:Interesting. Yeah, it's a sheep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I never thought about it that way, so it's um totally lost my train of thought.
Speaker 1:I got a text back.
Speaker 2:My son was just trying to call so.
Speaker 1:I'm like sorry.
Speaker 2:When I finished I only got a couple more things on this list and then we could really get back into. Where did I leave off Um, obeying, okay. Where did I leave off Obeying, okay? So spirituality they're more with the present time oriented, that they think heaven is within you now, not necessarily when you die. This is kind of which, and okay, this is religion. It's more future oriented, like heaven or hell is where you're going. Um, I know, I used to. I was terrified of the thought of hell when I was a kid and my mom's like, and I so I was like I don't believe in it, I don't believe that there's a hell.
Speaker 2:Well, if you believe in one, you gotta believe in it. I don't believe that there's a hell. Well, if you believe in one, you gotta believe in the other.
Speaker 1:I don't like to believe that I don't either.
Speaker 2:I really don't, and I well, I'm gonna let you finish because I go off on a tangent on that guy, so I got two more. I know I got a lot of stuff I want to say too, but I'm going to forget about it. By the time we're done with this Peacefulist Spirituality, oneness, we are all one which within, like heaven or hell kind of thing, it's all we're.
Speaker 1:That's the present, that is what we're Right, there's bad, there's good. Yeah, right, so is what we're right. There's bad, there's good, yeah, right.
Speaker 2:So religion is more there's good, there's evil, there's right, there's wrong, there's heaven, there's hell. Does that make sense? Yes, that part does the previous portion well like well, and that's what all inclusiveness is, that what you're trying to say With the spiritual. This is what this list that I found.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:Who the hell wrote that list. I know, I guess that's one thing that's always kind of gotten me because I was, my grandparents were Catholic, not that they went to church. Maybe when I was really really little before I remember they didn't really they went to church on. Maybe when I was really really little before I remember they didn't really they went to church. But after my grandma got sick I never remember them going to church or anything. But I remember heaven, hell, and I was always very concerned, like, with that.
Speaker 2:But then when I got older and I started believing more in pagan beliefs, I thought, well, where do the bad people go? Because I was so that was so drilled into my head. Yeah, like, but I think my personal beliefs and this is just me that yes, there's good and bad and depending we have big believer in karma. So maybe if you're not a good person in this life, in your next one, you're being punished somehow. Karma, yeah, but at the same time I mean I don't. Okay, so I believe in that as well, and karma is a good word, but at the same time in scripture it does say you reap what you sow. So many of these things are very connected in the same thought process and idea, but who? Who feeds you the information? It can be very twisted, yeah, and warned to meet a certain criteria of what the behavior outcome that they want from you 100%, and that's 100% of religion.
Speaker 2:My opinion, spirituality is oneness. We are all one. Oh, I just read that one. Sorry, it's okay. I'm glad you refreshed that because I have a lot to say about that. I'm one drink in. Okay, spirituality is very informal, while religion is very formal. True Spirituality promotes joy, spontaneity, compassion, while religion promotes self-sacrifice, devotion and service to others and suffering Truly. And this is the last one on the list, and then we can be done with the list. Spirituality has very low accountability and religion has very high accountability. I would assume that is in your own personal. Yeah, I would say that. But I also would say in organized religions accountability may be very much so, as in I mean, I could start naming off different churches and things that they do.
Speaker 2:I'm trying really hard not to name a specific one that I'm very well acquainted with. I don't think any of them, listen to this.
Speaker 1:Well.
Speaker 2:I mean, this could be offensive to just about anybody, or it could be very enlightening. Well, you know I said before we did this when I told people about this episode is the whole subject is very controversial, but that's why we're doing it, because it's something that I feel like needs to be talked about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just gotta be open minded about it. Is that your last?
Speaker 2:statement on the Okay.
Speaker 2:So now we can go off, alright. So then I'm gonna start off with a question To each of you, ladies Okay, do you believe in God? So then I'm going to start off with a question to each of you ladies Do you believe in God? That is really hard for me. Yes and no, I mean. I believe, not necessarily in the sense that you believe. I believe there's a God, but I also believe there's more than one, I believe. I thought about this really hard, about how I was going to explain this, and now I don't know if I can.
Speaker 2:That's okay, it's. I believe that, like I was saying earlier, I believe there are many gods. I believe that there are, like what I was told. Why does it have to be one parent that created us? Why can't there be two, just like the Greek gods? They had their parents as the titans. They had so maybe, and Jesus. Here's the thing. Jesus, it's gonna be okay. Maybe in jesus, every okay. Here's the thing jesus. Everybody's always praying to jesus. But you know what? He wasn't god. He had a parent, which was god. So who was god's parent? You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:trippy, trippy, trippy I mean, I feel like why don't people ever take that into consideration? If people are supposed to be praying to God, praying to whatever, why are they praying to Jesus? He was not God. I'm sorry, I'm sorry and I want you, casey to go ahead and answer that. I guess I didn't give you a straight answer no, but many, many good things in there Between Okay.
Speaker 1:I do not believe in God but like I don't know, like what Christine says, multiple gods maybe, you know, I just I don't know, I believe in like the universe or something as God you could say as a whole.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as a whole. I also believe there's not one right religion, because every religion says this is the religion. If you don't follow this, you're going to hell. I feel like if it's right for you, then it's for you.
Speaker 1:Then it's right for you.
Speaker 2:I feel like everybody has their own. Yeah, yes, they do I certainly, certainly agree if you feel that going to a building and congregating at one day a week and praying and worshiping, if that's gonna make you a better person then do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but agreed. I feel like some people do that just to have their sins forgiven and then are stinky the rest of the week. But not everybody. I don't think all.
Speaker 2:I think that people become very accustomed to ritual, yeah, and that is in all aspects of spirituality and, uh, religion, and think of Native American spirits, of how you know, I mean, there are just there's such a plethora of things out there that allow us to explore and understand, um, and each of us to our own you know, However.
Speaker 2:So I asked the question, I will answer the question. Do I believe in God? Yes, I do. What do I think about Jesus? I do think he's the son of God, but the greatest moment in my life that I understood, something that just made things very clear to me, is that Jesus is my brother. Well, right, because he's my brother. Because if Jesus was the son of God, we're all supposed to be God's children.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:So there you go. He's my brother, but, again, I have explored many, many religions and looked into much information over history of things and how people behave, and I find myself to the inclusiveness of the oneness of the universe. However, I cannot go too far from the thought that I need for me personally. I need to have a heavenly father, because it helps me to be the child of God that I am.
Speaker 2:And with that being said, though, I'm an independent agent. I have looked into things, I have researched and I have experienced it, Whereas at this point, no, I'm all about the spiritual portion of that and that universal love. Then I get really annoyed with religious factors or groups or organizations that focus on.
Speaker 2:Satan Groups or organizations that focus on Satan. It's like, no, that is not an energy I care to interact with and I'm not going to. So peace out. You know you can do your thing, Do it Right. Here's the thing with those kind of people.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I don't want to say all of those kind of people because they're not all that way, but you shouldn't say those people I know. Hey, anyways my show.
Speaker 2:Um, it is, thank you. A lot of people who claim to be satanist do it for the scare factor, do it to be able to do shitty things, scare factor. Do it to be able to do shitty things and be like, oh, that's my own religious prerogative, kind of thing. But if you were to look at the saintness bible, it is not a violent religion, right it's. And these people who are out there killing animals, killing people, do it to because their own inner person is just wanting to do that but a true.
Speaker 2:Satanist does not do those things. From what I've heard like it's not a violent acceptance of people. They're more focused on not conforming to the things that organized religion right. So it really bothers me when people start claiming their satanists and shit or whatever and really know nothing about it.
Speaker 2:They just want to something right some people just want to do some evil, right. So with the Satanist thing, I don't give it a lot of presence in my life just because I find it to be useless and I find it to be used in different organized religions as a way to frighten you and the fear factor and I say screw that, yeah, screw you yes, satan, because I'm not about it.
Speaker 2:So I'm not giving you the time of day, but here, if we're going to go with some biblical business, satan was, or Lucifer was, god's brightest angel, and so, therefore, and then he got tired of being told what to do- and said fuck you.
Speaker 2:And became rebellious which is what, if you think about it, any child does and yes, exactly. And so then, if you have people, you know, especially if you have large groups of people who you are trying to pull into, what your belief system is. And it's a congregation. Now it says you know, when two or more are gathered together, you know it once says it's love, but then prayer is also answered in this way. But if we ask of the universe, what do we want to call that? What do us Capricorns do the that?
Speaker 1:What do we do the best?
Speaker 2:Manifestation, exactly, and you will hear more and more about that as time progresses. So it's manifesting things. Well, when you pray, you're manifesting things. Yes, exactly. So there you go. These things are very intertwined with one another. Yes, it's all very connected, all very manifestation. Prayer is the same thing, it's spell work, and prayer is you're still manifesting a certain goal, it's just labeled something different. So is spell work, practicing your spelling actually I think I've seen a post.
Speaker 1:I probably should.
Speaker 2:I think I've seen a post on facebook that says spelling is witchcraft. I mean a spell spelling. You gotta have your words, you gotta put it out there. Um prayer is the same thing, exactly right, and in in any religion. Let's take. Let's just take um islam, because I see that people that I have just seen visually through programmed television or things, that way, you know, they have their prayer rugs, they have specific things, specific times of the day and they're very devoted to it.
Speaker 1:Well, think about it.
Speaker 2:They do it a certain time of day, they face a certain direction. What about spells? You do it during a certain phase of the moon, you do it during, yeah, different, like what am I looking for? The moon.
Speaker 2:The moon phases right the week is a big thing, that yeah time you know, and there are certain times and then, if we want to get this even wider, we'll throw angels in here, spirit guides and I would like to know if either one of you have had any experience with angels. Spirit guides 100, yes, um, just a realm of I I would use, I'm going to use heavenly because that's what's coming to me, uh, but in a heavenly realm of things that caused you a direction, a thought, a dream, I feel like spirit guides and guardian angels are one in the same. You're just labeling them as something different. Yeah, I agree, my guides definitely come to me in my dreams. We talked about that last episode we did together. I have one of my spirit guides. He sends me when he's trying to get my attention, bald eagles.
Speaker 2:So there's my spirit animal as well right and it's connected to my guide, and then that also becomes a part of very native american uh spirit and thought um and just smudging sage is all the things that come together within the realm of all these things.
Speaker 2:So now, if you didn't have people trying to control everything and everyone, what do you think the nature of our spirit would be? That was a really fucking hard question. Well, so now think about this if, with all the understanding that we have at this point in time which certainly a veil has been lifted and that not only covers that covers many aspects of belief systems, and a veil is a remembering, a veil is clarity, a veil is understanding, and so, with all that we are and have in this time in life, I mean, I think we're really we're very lucky to be here and soul and the person that you are and the person that you can be, the person that you'd like to be. So, with all of that, where does that freedom take your spirit? Where does that freedom take your spirit? What does it allow you to see, breathe, feel and understand? I mean, who understands any of this? You know what I mean? Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 1:Life is strange.
Speaker 2:You're asking me hard questions. Well this is okay and this has to become very personal, because each of us are individuals and each of us understands something, whereas each person on this freaking earth.
Speaker 2:Well, and it's really hard to put into words exactly what you feel sometimes. I was asked one day what you asked earlier Do you believe in God and it's like I felt like I was put on the spot. I was prepared for this, though, but I was put on the spot and it was by someone who is very I'm going to throw Jesus in your face every chance I get, and it was just very uncomfortable because I didn't want to say well, I don't know that I believe. I believe, but I don't you know what I?
Speaker 2:mean, yes, I do. And you know, when you, when you run across a person that has I'm going to call this a very zealous person, cause there are many and they just have such strong belief in what they think and it truly comes from love, because they want you to be able to experience the same types of things that they are, experience the same types of things that they are. But that's not always the case, because we don't, none of us are wired the same, okay, so when you are a person who allows yourself to step out and speak what you believe to be your truth, your not the truth, right, your truth and that's the key word there that is the key word.
Speaker 2:It is because, from what I've seen from most religions, it is what they tell you to believe. It is not your truth, it's their truth, exactly. So now back to the very first thing. I don't like being told what to do.
Speaker 2:We all know this she's the boss man but going back to the beginning of this portion of our conversation, of what does that allow you? What does that make you the freedom that you have? Because understanding this is your own truth. This doesn't make it up as you go, this is hardwired into your soul. And I just want to comment on one thing.
Speaker 2:You said something about that's hard to answer and sometimes I don't know, and those words's hard to answer and sometimes I don't know and those words are hard to say. Well, I believe truly and it's happened to me many times, that my soul doesn't know what to say, but I need to express it because I'm connecting with that. So I'm just going to say this Sometimes tears will just come. They're not of sadness, they're not of joy, they're just an expression that my soul is speaking, for sure and in its very own language, if you will, will, and it allows me to embrace it yeah, uh, and it to embrace me in all parts of who I am and I love that and I appreciate that. I think it's hard to answer such questions because I think I've been around a lot of different. You have to believe in this kind of attitudes that when I start expressing myself the way I feel then I start offending people. I don't want to offend anyone, and so a lot of times I just keep it to myself. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's just a bummer that they feel that they can express how they feel. But you can't express how you feel because they feel like it's wrong. But you know.
Speaker 2:Right, I do have family members that well, not it's. I know this person doesn't listen at all.
Speaker 1:So it's a good example.
Speaker 2:Yes, I remember going to I have a friend who's a medium and connecting with my dad's spirit and connecting with my dad's spirit, and then my mom, who was with me, started telling everyone oh look, we got this message from George, which is my dad. And then I had someone say well, you shouldn't do that, you shouldn't, you're? I mean, it's the devil trying to trick you, it's this, it's that. And so I've learned to just but see, that's a joyful noise, right, that's a joyful noise.
Speaker 2:I just because I mean, that's just one example, I have others and that I'm not Joyful noise to be celebrated and that's why your? Mom think about it how free she felt to say, wow, look at this. And, by the way, hi, mom she doesn't listen either.
Speaker 2:She lets him play sometimes, but just to give me a download. But other than that, she I don't think she listens, but it's I, and I think that's. One thing about religion that really puts me off is don't sit there and make me feel bad, yeah, about what I'm doing or what I believe, um, and that's you're not making them feel bad. Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah exactly?
Speaker 2:Have you ever shared things with a we'll call it religious person that was out of their realm of understanding and that they actually got some joy from? No, because Either of you got some joy from no.
Speaker 2:Because no, because I feel like anyone that I know and I know a lot of people who are to the extreme religious and it's just too bad. So when I met my husband, I read tarot, I had books on Wicca. I had all this. I his family is very, very, very religious and I ended up getting rid of my tarot and all my books, all everything, because it's what they wanted and I didn't want them to look down on me for my beliefs and, honestly, I'm just, within the past few years, really getting back into what I believed before. Oh yeah, so I have one question with that and I know some of the answers. But, with that being said, you have shared yourself with these people and do they love you and do you feel love from them and a connection? Love you and do?
Speaker 1:you feel love from them and a connection that is tough.
Speaker 2:That is tough in a lot of aspects, yes, because I'm family and I feel like it's a we have to, and with some people, not all. We have to With some people, not all, because then there are nieces and nephews who are we don't care what you believe, you're my aunt and I'm going to love you anyways. Yeah, and did you ever think to consider that they see your soul, they your spirit, they sense it. Therefore, they are drawn to you and they love you, because I know they do. You have many, many who come to you, um, and they embrace you with love. I do have a lot of them that visit me at work so now there there again is another connection between spirituality.
Speaker 2:So, no, I agree. And the ones that do come see me and all that that you have met, and those are all the nieces and nephews, but their parents are on a whole other level, are on a whole other level. Well, but that's because, as time and the veil is lifted, more and more they see and they understand the truth of who you are. They see it, yeah, whereas maybe you may not be able to convey what that is, but they see it and they're drawn to that because you are a beautiful soul, christy. Why am I arguing with you?
Speaker 1:What the hell Light.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, I'm speechless at this point. So continue, casey. You're next. Casey, you're next. Now, I don't know a great deal about your personal life. I know a little bit, but I also see you interact with people and I see the light and the joy that you bring to us, which is amazing. You bring light and joy to me every time I see you, and many people wish I worked with her more often.
Speaker 1:Right, exactly.
Speaker 2:Because there is this light and joy about you that causes others to just want to be around you and just hug you and love you.
Speaker 2:And so, therefore, in your system of thought and belief, it is quite beautiful, christine, yours is quite beautiful as well. So now, as we are talking about all of these different things, in the realms of it, I see how these things come together and it's about your inner soul and it isn't about all this outside bubble belief and stuff. And when you know I interact with people and I'm going to go with, you know my personal spiritual level, I can sense things immediately about people, and I have to say that I've been truly blessed, and blessed just means happy. That's what it means, as well as without taking the religious perspective of it. But I don't mind God's blessings, I do not. But I also invite spiritual things into my world as well, and I'm going to not ask either one of you how you think about my spiritual or aura or presence around others. I'm going to share with you something that is very, very personal to me and I'm going to keep it brief. So, in the world of understanding of what spirit is, what religion is, what life means, is there before and there's there an after? Well, I believe there's a before, I believe there's an after, but I don't believe before and after. I just think that it's continual. That's how I see it.
Speaker 2:And when I was a very young girl 17, my mom passed away, had a hard time, really hard time. She was my best friend, couldn't get over it. What I'm going to share sounds a little freaky, and it was. I asked, I asked, I prayed for her presence. I just asked her to please be with me because I missed her so desperately.
Speaker 2:I was a young mother and I had an experience, and it was in my basement and I would play music and music is my muse in a way, and it's also my connection to spiritual life for me, and to communicate with others and it's energy. And what had happened was how crying and sad oh, I need this beautiful, beautiful light became swirling around me. I was alone and I knew that it was my mother's presence. She said I can't come to you again, but I'm giving you everything. I got right now and I felt it and it was beautiful and it embraced me and I embraced just the moment.
Speaker 2:And of course, there was music. It's neither here nor there of the song, but that experience was one of the most amazing things, and that was 11 years after she had gone, cause I still couldn't let go and after that moment and I had that embrace of spirit and energy, I was okay to move forward. But I want you to know that it's possible to have and to engage in such things and if you listen, there is energy everywhere, in everything, in all of us, and you just have to hone in on it and you have to go inward versus believe in. You know all the bs you're hearing around you every day, even at this present time.
Speaker 2:There's so much believe and embrace that soul within you that'll take you, because your soul is always, always going to tell you the truth. And if I'm wrong, may I just get struck down right now.
Speaker 1:Oh, stop you do that, beautiful though it's so special.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm speechless after that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my mom's like my best friend, so I can't even imagine losing her. So I'm sorry that you had to go through that so young.
Speaker 2:Well, I will say this. I've been through lots of stuff in my life. However, it's made me the person I am today.
Speaker 1:I was going to say and. I embrace that.
Speaker 2:A very big believer in there's a purpose, why everything happens when it happens, how it happens. Yeah, I like I mentioned on our dream episode that we all have a soul circle and you kind of all all the souls kind of make a plan on what is going to happen. I don't believe everything's set in stone. I do believe you have choices to make, you have. I think the goal is a certain outcome, but whether or not you learn those lessons along the way is whether that goal is going to happen.
Speaker 2:I do believe that you come back and I don't like the whole heaven or hell thing. I don't necessarily believe in that. I believe you're going to keep coming back in this life till you achieve whatever goal it is you're supposed your soul's supposed to achieve. If that makes any kind of sense, I don't know, it kind of makes the whole destiny fate kind of thing. I'm not sure exactly. I do know you're supposed to work towards a certain goal, learn certain lessons in each life.
Speaker 2:I don't know and I will agree with you 100% and I'm going to say that I believe in each life we need to focus on what it is that we're here to learn. Yes, and it will be given to you. If you're listening and paying attention, your soul is going to know. So there are many things that can take us in a different direction and take us off our path. Certain situations, certain certain people, certain relationships, all things, yes, lead to understanding. Yes, and I do believe that before you get here, you kind of have an idea of what you're here for. Yeah, right, and I also believe that, but I believe you can also forget it.
Speaker 1:I believe that.
Speaker 2:I was going to say, fuck, I don't believe. Okay, I do believe we are not supposed to know what happened in a previous life. And I mean, I've had dreams about past lives, but I think it's because I was supposed to know something that would benefit me in this life.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:I'd agree. But we shouldn't know what's going to happen, like what happened in a past life, because that could throw us off the path in this life is what I believe. I also believe that the whole heaven and hell thing nobody really knows, until you're on that other side, what's going to happen, and I don't think we're supposed to know which.
Speaker 2:I was kind of getting to that earlier yeah, we kind of got okay we're not supposed to know what's on that other side, because that could also throw us off right our purpose in this life. Because fear, fear can take over in your world and now allow you to grow and embrace or enjoy yeah, it can leave you stagnant. It can leave you stagnant stuck in place. Yes, um, I definitely believe. Yeah, the goals that you have to. Are you checking the time? We're at 20 minutes on this half.
Speaker 1:We're only at 20 minutes we did 30 something minutes.
Speaker 2:We did take a pause in between. Oh well, good, because we've got a couple more things to cover. Then I can go on. Um, yeah, I think all those mediums and everything that contact spirits and they ask what, what is it like on the other side, what's heaven like? And they never get an answer. But do you believe that people actually have communication with others on the other side? Yes, do you, casey, sometimes I do. I mean, I don't know well, some, because there's some charlatans, right, of course, everybody's, there's people out there to make a buck. But I actually do believe that that is very real and very possible. But I also think people can be taken advantage of, which makes me sad, right, but all right, I'm going to twist this a little. Yeah, okay, I'm going to twist this a little.
Speaker 2:So have either of you ladies ever had a physical experience or a visual and not in a dream experience of someone who has left the planet and has communicated or contacted you or show you something? Yes, physical, yes, um, I've had. Um, I've had, okay, for the most part, I when spirits come and contact me. I don't claim to be a psychic or medium or anything. I do occasionally have a spirit contact me to give a message to a person, and normally it's pictures in my head or I start hearing them talk to me in my head. I start, but I don't hear them, as in I hear their voice, it's my voice. It's almost like I'm having thoughts, right.
Speaker 2:But, it's them. They're communicating with you telepathically, so to speak. But I have had occasions where I am, when I lived before I moved into my house where I was living before I lived with my in-laws and there were times I would walk out of the bathroom and the bathroom was at the top of the stairs, and I'd walk out to go down the stairs to go to the living room and I'd see someone standing there, but it's only for like a split second, um. But then after I see something like that, then I start getting thoughts. Okay, but that has only happened a handful of times. For the most part it's not me actually seeing them in front of me, not a full body deposition, it is just the thoughts and pictures in my head.
Speaker 2:So I definitely 100% believe that there are spirits on the other side of the veil, but I also believe that what is this veil, what is the other side? It another dimension? Are these people? Are these people someone that has passed, or are they alive and we're someone who's passed?
Speaker 1:yeah, like we don't know, we don't know we can I thought about this what if?
Speaker 2:what if we're the ghosts and they're the ones that? What if we startled them? Oh my goodness, do you think this?
Speaker 1:case I do agree with christine. Yeah, holy cow, now I'm not gonna sleep tonight, you guys, I don't know I hate to think that this is the other side, though I think I'd be a lot happier.
Speaker 2:My life would be wonderful. No, I'm not. I'm not saying it's not now. Have you had any of these experiences? Kiss um I just feel like I'll get like, just like a warm kind of sensation sometimes, that I feel like something's there, yeah, to feel as if it's a warm sensation over your whole body or something just touching you, touching your cheek I don't know for sure, like my body and I feel like I've had like something touch me before and I would.
Speaker 1:I think it's like my dad or my grandma.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, so have either of you ever had an experience of seeing something in nature and I'm going to go with that that is so beautiful and you're just like, yeah, that's them. They're talking to me like sunsets for me what is that? It's my husband's spiritual. I was like we're talking about nature it was perfect wasn't it sometimes wow, definitely when I see bald eagles, because that is my. What my spirit guide sends to me is bald eagles, but also, what is it? Owls? I feel like I'm very connected to owls.
Speaker 1:Me too. There's things in nature For me. I feel like it's hawks and birds Hawks as well.
Speaker 2:I feel like birds of prey in general. Really, is an owl really a bird of prey? They eat mice.
Speaker 1:Did you ever?
Speaker 2:see the wingspan on one of those puppies. I've had experiences going through.
Speaker 2:They're scary fuckers. It's like, oh my god, no one's going to believe it because they weren't out here and it was swooped right by my face. I was like, oh my God, no one's going to believe it because they weren't out here and it was swooped right by my face. I was like, wow, there was one time we were in Rocky Mountain National Park and we were driving back and it was at night. The sun had just gone down and we were just getting to Estes Park, like the exit of Rocky Mountain National Park, and a big fucking owl came and landed in front of my car. I had to slam on my brakes. It was a good thing it was at night and there was no one behind me, but yeah, I was. And then it like it had an animal.
Speaker 2:I think it was roadkill it was going for the roadkill and it just sat there in the road staring at me and I'm like what the fuck? Oh, my God, you know, this does nothing to do. I don't know that it was, maybe it was spiritual, I don't know, but I had this little crappy car. We were up visiting the grandparents, you know, at the lake cabin, so it's like an hour drive. We decided to spend the night and then I had to get up early in the morning and make it back to get to work. And here I'm driving and I'm driving. If you don't know me, I'm telling you it's not good tony doesn't drive very far.
Speaker 2:And so I'm driving this old rust bucket and I'm just like, okay, we gotta get there. And it's a little smoldery buggy. I see this huge thing in front of me and I'm like it is a bald eagle. Do you know how big those things are, how big they stand? And if I'd hit that I'd have gone to jail. I was just like, oh my gosh, slam on the brakes. But I'm gonna say that wasn't you know it could have been.
Speaker 2:I never placed anything next to it because I was just like I just got to get home, I got to get to work, but along with you ladies sharing your stories on such things, I had such a good one. Now it's like leaving me um nature animals. We kind of got like totally I know and it was really good, I think that I have had experiences.
Speaker 2:No, I know that I have Experiences with such beautiful things in nature and suddenly, seeing that you know, after a person has passed, and them letting me know they're okay, because I would see their most beautiful thing. Yeah, uh, and I had to share that with the preacher's wife. One day her father passed and she was angry and she was upset and I lived in a place it wasn't rural or anything is in the middle of city but I had a little park across the street from my house and I invited her to come over and she was so upset and I said you know, has your dad contacted you in any way? And she's looking at me like I said, no, no, I really believe he's gonna. You know, let you know something. Oh, it came to me. Uh, we sat on this little bench and there was this beautiful rainbow and she was like she just burst into tears and it was like there it is, there it is now. I just remembered what I was going to say about my personal story.
Speaker 2:So I moved to Colorado two days before my father passed.
Speaker 2:My mom passed when I was 17 and I was in my 30s, so and I was in my whatever thirties uh, and I got out here and, uh, I was just beside myself in a place I'd never been and in a little crappy apartment, you know, with my family, and my kids were at school, the hubby was at his new job and I was just sad. And so then I was just sad, and so then I was talking to God, because that's what I do, and he was telling me put your shoes on and get outside and go for a walk. So I let him direct me where to go and I climbed up this little mountainous area and halfway up I had to stop because that was new terrain for me, and I saw this eagle flying. Now, mind you, I'm terrible at this because I do it a lot.
Speaker 2:Before I had left and my father passed, I said I love you and I will see you when the eagles fly. So I'm walking up this thing and halfway I got to stop, take a break, and I look around and I don't know where I'm going. I don't know any of this. And I see this eagle circling around me and I was like, oh, and then I get to the top and it's not some huge crest or anything, guys, it was just, you know, foothills, but to me it was a crest.
Speaker 1:Hey our foothills here are the mountains.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, I got there and I was like how beautiful and I could see the whole city and everything. And it was just like, oh wow I feel like you're describing um horse tooth. I am, but I wasn't quite in horse. I was by the a I'm that's. If you look it says it's a beginner hike. I'm sorry about killed me.
Speaker 1:I'm like holy shit.
Speaker 2:Well, you know if you're hiking to the falls Right and as I'm standing there, I'm like you know, sometimes you get that feeling of something staring at you and it's like, oh, and I turned and there was this buck. And I'm telling you, it was like a foot and a half away from me and I was just like wow, that was my first experience of that up close and personal and I thought, and I was thinking about my family, my dad, you know, and it was like wow.
Speaker 2:And so I backed up a little bit and, as you should have, I'm still talking to god and god's saying remember, I'm in control of everything, don't worry about it, you're fine and I'm like okay well. So then I came back because he's like come back, you need to look. And I came back and that buck just sauntered by me and I'm like okay alright well, and then there was this little, well, fairly decent gully, and you know, God's telling me go stand over, go over there and look and I'm like no, I really don't want to, because you know no, and I did.
Speaker 2:And so what do I see? That buck is down there and there's this beautiful doe. And in that moment I knew my parents were together. I'm getting goosebumps and I cried and I was like this is so freaking beautiful I can't even Beautiful Like a pure beautiful moment. So then I just stood and looked around for a moment and then I ascended back down Halfway down there was that eagle again and looked around for a moment and then I ascended back down, halfway down there was that eagle again. I was like, ah, you're with me.
Speaker 2:I feel like that eagle was guiding you to where you were going and then going back. It was beautiful. So that was a physical manifestation of love spirit, a little bit of it all.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, and I embraced that with everything that I had and I thought, wow, you know that was, and I knew it was for me. Yeah, I, I, I knew that in my soul, and so that's the beauty of spirituality versus religion, because in religion and I'm going to just say one good thing about it it's when people gather together and we said a little bit about that before, about, you know, when two or more are gathered it's also there is love In spirituality. When more than one gathers, it's a coven.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm sorry, call it whatever.
Speaker 2:I'm kidding. Call it whatever you like, but it gives you energy, yeah. And when you're sitting there, in whatever realm it might be on cliff, in a stone building, yeah, it appear. I'm just going to say whatever you're seeking and two or more gathered, it does cause that energy to build and you may then focus, yeah, and wherever it takes you and whatever you I do have.
Speaker 2:I do have a comparison about the religion and spirituality. Um, when you gather more than one I did say coven, but I was kind of joking, kind of not um, when you pray as a group, I feel like your outcome is more likely because the power of numbers, there's more of you, more energy. Also, if you're doing spell work and you do spell work as or manifestation with more than one person working at a mutual goal, it is a you have a greater outcome because you're working together.
Speaker 1:So there you go there you go.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty insightful sometimes I really like that you know, because when you say words like coven and you know, people tend to be like that because it's a word, however, you know, because people were taught to be scared you're right, you're right, and so I think that is super beautiful. I just have one other quick one. I was going on this trip, uh, with this church that I really enjoyed at the time, um, and it was a mission trip. I call it a trip of a lifetime. I got to go to the Caribbean.
Speaker 2:However, I'd never flown before in my life and I was always very, very scared of flying. And so then there was a gathering the night before and everybody broke off into groups and whatever you want prayed for for you. Uh, you know, go to your. You know, let's do that in groups. So, and then they had little little items that you could choose. I chose an airplane, and the preacher of that church said I'm going to pray for you, and so I had the airplane, and so, you know, and we prayed out loud. It was cool, it was like let's just throw it out there. And I have to say it took four flights to get to the destination and four flights back, and, mind you, never been on a plane before in my life and I was 40 years old, and he prayed for me to be fearless.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh man, I was amazing on that trip and I wasn't scared of nothing.
Speaker 2:How cool.
Speaker 1:I loved it. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:But that was me accepting the beautiful energy that was being sent my way, yeah, and so, no matter how you look at it, if it's a prayer, if it's a chant, yada, yada if you embrace that, yeah, and you know, in a positive way, because you have to be careful don't accept negative. Yeah, uh, there are many negative people in this world and many mean things, but you embrace the positive, yeah, and that light and that energy is coming and whatever energy you put out there, that's true definitely you have to.
Speaker 2:If you're putting negative thoughts out there, if you just think bad, horrible things are going to happen, well then you know what that's going to happen, because that's what you're putting out there, that's what you're manifesting. You have to be positive. It's trying so hard not to do that today. You have to you. You attract what you put out. Yeah, in all aspects, no doubt 100%, and that's why you got to keep a positive thought. You got to keep. I know I tend to start thinking the worst is going to happen and I've been told by people okay, quit being so negative, be positive. And when I am put in check like that, right when I love when I'm loser, when I'm put in check like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I start thinking, it makes me think, and I start change my way of thinking, and then things start turning around yes, yes, what's gonna come?
Speaker 1:you're not like being in the moment. I do have examples.
Speaker 2:I do have examples of it, but I don't know that we have time because we've already been going over an hour.
Speaker 1:Oh, shoot well I mean, this is a good topic.
Speaker 2:I don't mind going over an hour and and so just, oh, my goodness, putting those things out there of of love and light, because love and light are good things, because light helps you to see and love helps you to sustain, yeah, and light always wins over dark.
Speaker 1:I love that I love you ladies we love you.
Speaker 2:Um, I'm gonna wrap this up. Cheers. I've finished mine, but cheers, okay, let's clink that ice this time. Um, let's see, what do I gotta say? I meant to mention on my last podcast that I was going to talk about Mel's business, irene's Cauldron oh, yeah. She made me a candle and named it the Witching Hour Chronicles. She came to me one day at work and said if you can think of what the Witching Hour Chronicles smells like, what would it be? Right away I said lavender, because witches, we love lavender we love lavender.
Speaker 2:And it's my favorite anyways. And then I thought frankincense. Well, I was like something woodsy something, but frankincense really kept popping up to me, interestingly enough, just with this particular podcast. What's the? The biggest people, the biggest thing that people know? Frankincense from church, yeah, church, yeah, and it's the gifts the the three wise men brought jesus frankincense and myrrh. And usually when you're in a church and they're like with their incense, it's usually frankincense sometimes, but frankincense is the main one. Um for sure wait to smell it um. It smells amazing so will you be.
Speaker 2:Will they be for sale? I'm not entirely sure. I think so so. Mel, let us know they smell amazing. I haven't lit it yet. I usually light a candle while I'm doing my solo episodes. I'm gonna do that my next recording. Do I need to sage my house now, once we're done with this episode. No no energy here. Her products are amazing. Yes, they are, you've all as many you've all got your scrub.
Speaker 1:I don't shave often, but when I do like it like my legs kind of hurt, you know. Oh yeah, so I'll put the sugar scrub on after um she.
Speaker 2:She gave me for my birthday an unscented lotion because I've got psoriasis and super sensitive skin and for being unscented, it smells good. Most things that are unscented smell kind of gross, I think, but it's thick. I only have to use it once every couple days. It's amazing. So if anyone wants to check out her stuff, she has great face serum. I use it on a regular and I'm an old hag and I also love her lotion and, uh, the one I use is cashmere. But also her candles are super amazing. They are I'm looking her up good stuff into it and she puts all good energy in everything that she makes.
Speaker 1:She's amazing.
Speaker 2:I'm looking her up right now so people could get on her website if they're interested. It's irenescauldronllc at gmailcom. She's completely amazing. So bath products, candles there's stuff for women and men. It's amazing. But next time I record and I light that candle I'll let you know. I mean I could. My room smells like it and I haven't even lit it yet. So once I light it. I'll let you all know. Bonfire Bliss is my favorite candle.
Speaker 1:Oh yes know, Bonfire Bliss is my favorite candle.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, I had Bonfire Bliss going on Halloween while I was handing out candy. Oh and she has the wooden wick in there, so it looks like a little bonfire actually happening. Oh, it's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Anyways.
Speaker 2:So follow me on Facebook, instagram, tiktok even though I don't really get on TikTok. If you get on my website and hit follow, it tells you all the platforms you can listen on. I just got published on Apple. I was having a hard time logging in because I don't have an Apple device. It finally let me. So I finally got published on Apple. I was having a hard time logging in because I don't have an Apple device. It finally let me. So I finally got published on Apple. If you also get on my website and click the support tab, you can subscribe for as little as $3 a month and that helps keep the podcast going and that would be greatly appreciated. You'll get a shout out on the next episode if you subscribe, and that is uh, witchinghourbuzzsproutcom. That's my website and I think that's it. So peace, love and joy to all of you. Thank you for listening you.