Story Time: That time I Got Attacked by a Ghost.

Do you believe in ghosts and spirits?

When I was little I used to dream, recurrently, that spirits visited my bedroom at night. They would carry my bed around the house. It felt like an amusement park I actually enjoyed it. 

Portrait of a Weary Ghost, by M. Tumulty

These supernatural dreams just stopped one day. And I must confess I sort of missed them. That is until last summer when the events of the story I'm about to tell you occurred:

It seemed like a totally uneventful day, but for some reason, I felt weird right when I was about to go to sleep. So I decided to sleep upside down. By that, I mean that I took my pillow to the other side of the bed. Why did I do that? I don't know. What I do know is that it didn't help, it felt even weirder. 

Anyway, I fell asleep. I'm usually a pretty heavy sleeper so waking up in the middle of the night was strange enough but the first scary thing was that, though my eyes were open, I couldn't move at all. Not even a little. 

I tried not to panic and looked around the room. It was definitely my room. It was not a dream. Yet, I couldn't move. 

My paralysis wasn't the only thing I had to worry about. I could sense a presence. Something invisible, a strange force was there in the room with me. I kept trying to move, to run, but it was in vain. The strange presence grew stronger as if fed by my fear and then it touched me. 

I felt a pressure on my legs. Whatever that thing was it was grabbing me with ease. I was defenseless but I desperately tried to shake the ghost off of my leg. Indeed, all for nothing. I wasn't able to move! It didn't take me long to realize that that strategy wasn't going to work. If I was dealing with an ethereal being, fighting using physical strength was not going to work anyways. So I used my mind instead. I concentrated all my mental energy on getting rid of that thing. I was scared but I also liked the fact that in an extreme situation, like this one,  instead of panicking and crying I confronted the danger and was determined to win. Somehow I freed myself but I was immobile still.  

The presence struck back more violently. It grabbed me by the waist. The thing took me higher and higher into the air. I wanted to scream, in my mind, it was so loud but no-one heard a thing. I don't know how or why but I fell back down to my bed and I regained the ability to move. I ran to my desk, opened the drawer where I keep my crystals and positioned a few in a circle around my bed. I also took my rose quartz pendant and put it on. Then I went back to sleep, ready to defend myself from any ghost, spirit or demon. It had chosen the wrong victim! 

Everything went back to normal after that, no more attacks, no more immobility, nothing. Next morning I thought for a second that it was all just a dream, but I was wearing my pendant and the protective crystals laid circling my bed. 

Nothing like it has happened ever since. Was it an evil spirit? Was it a hallusination produced by what is known as dream paralisis? 

My First Broken Spell.

Guilt, what a terrible feeling. 

If we feel guilty it must mean that we did something wrong. something we are ashamed of. But also that we repent and that we are willing to set things right.

I know I should not have given him the love potion, it was an act of despair. And though he was with me, I could see his mind wasn't there... I'm not entirely sure it was my magic's doing or if it all was going to happen anyways. What I did know is that it was all I wanted but not like that. 

Midnight Snow Songs, by Leonid Afremov

So, on the solstice night, I confessed it all to my sisters. And despite them being incredulous, mad and a little shocked at me for what I did they helped me cast a counter-spell and were very supportive, I am really blessed for having them. 

And I also came clear to him about the whole potion business. He knows I am a witch but he definitely was not expecting that. He obviously got really mad and probably felt betrayed. He has been keeping his distance ever since... I miss him and I hope I can see him again soon. 

I feel sad, but I'm focusing on the little things that make me happy and relying on my family at the moment. 

At least I don't feel guilty anymore. 

Happy holidays everyone!

The Forbidden Potion.

So I did it.

I offered the love elixir, hidden in some homemade chocolates. While he consumed it I looked at him in the eye and kissed him afterwards.

This raises many questions. Was it immoral to do what I did? Would he have loved me anyways without using magic and potions? How would he react if he ever found out?

Purple Wild Flowers, by Pol Ledent.

To be completely honest I am not used to casting this type of spells. Let alone preparing love potions. Don't get me wrong as a witch I am familiar with summoning and setting the protective Circle and I am acquainted with purifying and cleansing rituals, like the ones I host for on the solstices and equinoxes or the monthly re-energizing coven ritual that we do with every full moon phase. 

But I hardly ever perform self-gain based spells. 

Well on my defense I'll say he and I are already kind of dating. Then, I started developing stronger feelings. So I decided to ask him out in a proper formal way. He refused, as he has "emotional issues", whatever that means. But said he doesn't want to lose me. However, I decided to stop seeing him for my own sake. It seemed the wisest thing to do. But he charmed his way back into my life with sweet words and indulging memories, thus arousing old fantasies of a future in common.

So I said to myself "What the hell?", we had dinner, made love and promised to see each other again. But this time I could not let his insecurities gamble with my heart, I am a witch after all, so I waited to the crescent moon, got my rose quartz ready, searched for the Venus' seal, bought the ingredients, set the ritual and blended the potion.  While I was casting the spell, my hands started burning. Not literally, but the strong feeling of heat was unmistakable. That was happening to me for the first time, but I carried on and went to bed. During the following days, I was not myself at all. I acted completely out of impulse, burst into laughter or started singing out of the blue. (Ok, the last one isn't that weird on me, but this time it was different. Trust me.) Even when I was consciously making the effort to keep up appearances, I could clearly feel the eyes of people on me. Was I going crazy? Also, I felt happy, nervous, powerful, afraid and free all at once. 

Right before tempting him with my little present I felt great. Immensely confident. Even my voice changed! And once it had touched his lips and entered his system I felt a great urge to kiss him, and so I did. After that all my previous worries banished. All that "how am I going to make him love me?" doubt disappeared and in its place, I felt peace. He didn't leave me off of his side for the rest of the evening and cuddled me up all night till we fell asleep. 

I hope his love gradually awakes as I asked for in my spell:

"With every kiss, 

with every night we spent together..."

And I really hope I did the right thing here. 

Wish me luck... He hasn't pledged his eternal love to me (yet) but regardless I feel happy. 

Confusion, Secrets and Decisions.

Oops... It looks like I've been quite absent lately, I actually intended to write and publish a post for the summer solstice, but a series of events shifted my whole world. I thought I had things under control, but it seems that I am in a moment of change. 

Bridge of Caos, by Derek K. Nielsen

The guy I was "dating" left me. 

At work, my position was made redundant, so I got fired.

I applied for a uni course, after collecting all the required documentation... it got rejected. 

I had nothing. 

I'm guessing that a normal person would have been devastated but I know that everything is interconnected and I hold the view that everything happens for a reason, so I stayed calm, receptive, decentered and open to the energies. 

Maybe it all even was beneficial, perhaps I needed some turmoil to discover my resilience, I think it's good to treasure this kind of lessons, it also built my confidence up, shortly after losing my job I got a few interviews and landed a job. It isn't my dream job but... oh well it pays the bills. 

And then, unexpectantly, I met someone... We got on like a house on fire and things immediately heated up, after just a few days I won't say I'm in love, but now he's gone and I miss him deeply. Could it be that I am hungry for a relationship? 

Anyway, I'm taking all the above as signs and I have made the choice to change my life dramatically by moving to another country. Crazy? I know, but I don't care. 

Only a few people know the truth, I'm trying to keep it to myself for as long as I can. 

Uncertainty scares me.
  

He has shown signs that he likes me, but I've no idea how our relationship will develop, if at all. 

I'm afraid there is no turning back, and I don't know if I'll adapt there...

But still, somehow, I feel cheerful and optimistic on the inside. Weird, isn't it?

Consequences of Owning the Witch Title.

Considering that witchcraft has this dark misconception about it would you be outspoken about it?

I am. Because only through people recognizing you as a witch, seeing and knowing what you do and who you are will allow for the world to see us as what we are: a force of nature, wise women and men. 

Some witches might be afraid of discrimination or being feared, one of my now ex-boyfriends left me when he found out about my condition. 

Even worst my sister's first boyfriend left her coldly with a letter stating that as she was a "sinful" witch he could not risk his "salvation" by dating her as the "judgement day" was near. (this was 5 years ago by the way).

Circe, by John William Waterhouse

But also good things have comed out of being honest. The owner and manager of the first company I worked at felt it was very mature of me to embrace my way of life and being straightforward about it. I helped people that were raised in closed minded and restrictive cultures / religion to question some beliefs and think for themselves and it also helped people that felt the instinctive call for the craft to ask questions and even start practicing witchcraft. 

Every action has a consequence, but to let fear lead our decisions is not a good idea. Same goes for being gay or lesbian. We might suffer discrimination sometimes as many women do, or people with different racial backgrounds other than caucasian. But you know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

Maybe that's why I've always found women wiser and more reliable. 

Why do we tend to focus on our few differences when the things that unite us are much more deeper and significant? We all feel and bleed. We all share the same sky and the same ground. So basically try not to judge someone before meeting them no matter what color they eyes are, whom they love or what they wear. Love and cooperation are stronger than fear and hatred. So set an example with your actions and be true to yourself. At least that's what I believe and practice.   

Reading the Signs of Nature: Divination.

Crows by Marion Rose 

  Have you heard the phrase: Everything happens for a reason? I am not sure till what point this is true, intuition and premonition are tricky sensations as we are pushed to mistrust them by the current worldview. Nonetheless I have come to learn to trust my intuition over the years. Interpreting the signs of nature and the universe, as witches and shamans have done for generations,  has turned out to be both useful and easier than expected.
  The divination arts have always caused a great controversy, specially since charlatans and fortune tellers go around deceiving people's trust. As witches we believe that the only thing that exists is the present. So what are we predicting then? The answer is something a bit bigger than what the future holds, it's about the destiny we have created with our actions, thoughts and feelings. Basically it's an energy that has already been created but that has not yet manifested in the present. 

   Everyday life is full of examples. Have you ever found yourself thinking about an old friend that you haven't seen in a long time and then, all of a sudden, you meet them or receive a phone call?
 As far as I know the "science" behind  all divination processes lies on what Swiss physiologist Carl Jung denominates as synchronisation, term that uses in his work over the I Ching (a traditional Chinese method of divination), conducted in 1949.

  The synchronisation process becomes aware of events in time and space, revealing a sense beyond mere chance. That is, a specific inter-response between specific events. (As tossing a coin in the air to predict the future like on the I Ching to create a pattern). Synchronisation is found in the heart of all divination techniques, Whenever you lay out a tarot deck, or interpret the future using runes, wax or viscera, a pattern is created which reflects an internal condition that is already forming, or is about to.
To read the signs of nature, and divination through experiences with animals works exactly the same way, with the advantage that is more organic and intuitive than other methods. At the time of your encounter, the pattern is appreciated through the habits and characteristics of the animal, the folklore and mythology as well as the circumstances that surround your experience; the health of the animal, your feelings about the experience as well as any personal idea or association that you might have about the animal.

Intuition plays a fundamental role in divination, especially that related to animals. Socially there are certain attributes traditionally associated with a certain animal such as loyalty in the dog, power in the lion or transmutation and change in the butterfly. But we should by no means limit ourselves to these concepts. We can use them as guides, as bases to develop meaning but, above all, let your intuition guide you.

Most of the time we overlook this signs, even once we've learned how to interpret them. We don't often pay attention to them or decide to ignore them... I went on a date last summer with a lovely guy, I was quite excited and on the middle of the day I found a dead dove on the street, I didn't want to believe it and completely ignored this sign, and guess what, our relationship didn't last more than twenty-something days... The Dove, universal sign of peace and love appears in the art and folklore of numerous spiritual traditions, religions and cultures. I am not suggesting that you put an abrupt end to any relationship just because you found a dead dove. Remember to take into account the context and holism of the situation.

Here are some pointers to help you understand the meaning of your encounter:
1. Consider your initial reaction (you attract animals according to your deepest beliefs about the animal, as well as your way of seeing and understanding the world and yourself
2. When did it happened? Day or night, the hour o the day, the season you are in...
3. If the encounter was in the habitat of animal (less rare) or in a different one (more significant).
4. How did you feel? Usually the emotions are the direct link of the meaning of your encounter.
5. The person or people with whom you were at the moment of the encounter.
6. What activity where you doing?
7. Symbolism and possible meaning of the animal:
TRANSFORMATION - Butterfly, Frog and Snake.
ROMANCE, SEXUALITY and LOVE - Horse, Swan and Rabbit.
MESSAGES - Owls, Dragonfly and birds in general.
LOYALTY and FAMILY LOOSES - Dog, Elephant.
CREATIVITY AND EXPRESSION - Spider and sparrow.
JOY, PEACE, FORTUNE and PROSPERITY - Dove, Hummingbird and Lady Bug.
INTUITION, MAGIC and SHAMANISM - Raven, Wolf and Fox.
SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING - Dolphin, Bee and Deer.
POWER - Bear, Lion.
INDEPENDENCE AND LONELINESS - Cat and Iguana.

Spring Wishes.

As grams says: In with the new and out with the old! Springtime is finally here which means to usher in projects, fresh starts and opportunities.

These are my wishes for the year: I want progress, more balance, and romance.

So as tradition dictates, let's take an intrapersonal look at the things I am most grateful for as well as the aspects I'd like to improve about myself. You can also do this to align your thoughts, feelings and actions with the energy of this day to aid you achieve your goals. And can use my list as an example, if you wish. 

I don't know about you,
but I am feeling 22

I love my happy vibe, especially when people tell me that I brighten up their day just by being there.

On the other hand I think I should  stop avoiding conflict all the time, and be a bit more outspoken.

I am very happy with myself because I have finally come to terms with discipline and have been able to balance my exercise, healthy eating, studies, job and personal life in a responsible manner. And though I've improved a lot, there is still a lot of room for getting more experienced and mature. 

I think it is great that I am honest, assertive and confident. Though I wish I had bitten my tongue on certain occasions. I guess I should think more before spiting words out of my mouth. 

I'm delighted that I have finally stopped falling in the dick sand (that is to forget about yourself and your priorities when any guy pays attention to you just because you don't want to be single.) I have grown a lot when it comes to love and relationships in the last year. Now I can say that I've learned to be single. And I am open to a relationship. But I am not desperate anymore, basically I will welcome love if it knocks on my door but I won't lose my mind if it doesn't. 

I've always been a pretty green person, but I do want to enhance my ecological ways even more, by consuming less processed food and bake my own bread or make my own ice cream, for example. To keep on experimenting with natural cleaning products for both my own personal care (with clay, essential oils. organic natural soaps and vegetable oils) and my housekeeping (using vinegar, bicarbonate, lemon and essential oils.) Also on my clothing, by looking carefully that they are made from natural and responsibly sourced materials.

On the professional area I am quite content with my current position, it is allowing me to save some money before I start university. I just hope I will be able to add that into my personal scheme so that I can balance my studies on top of everything else without stressing out too much.

I believe that is everything for this Spring... I hope all your wishes come true as well. I know they will (if you work for them!) ;)

Lessons Learned About Love, Sex and Relationships.

Love, oh love... As the song goes: All you Need is Love! Everybody wants to be loved, to find that someone special. And yet we know very little about love and everything that comes with it: sex, relationships and romance. How come something so vital, something as basic as love isn't taught in schools?

I believe, if we had more information, everybody would enjoy better, healthier, relationships. Redundant as it might sound, I love love and anything that symbolises it, rose quartz is my signature crystal and I always liked the Greek Goddess of love Aphrodite, named Venus for the Romans. So it's a subject I enjoy getting my hands on.

The Birth of Venus, by Sandro Botticelli

First of all, before looking for someone to live with and start a relationship, I consider essential to know yourself first. And once we are well with ourselves we will have more chances to find someone to build something together. In my opinion, there is a mass false belief that exposes that we are halves who need another being to be complete and happy, that we must find our other-half in order to feel fulfilled. I honestly think such a theory is absurd. It creates feelings of dependence in your partner which can easily lead to anxiety and stress. Each of us are whole and complete people, and are able to be perfectly happy without a partner. One of my youngest sisters (she will turn 17 on September) is quite worried about never finding a partner... Actually, looking back on my teens I felt the same way. Perhaps influenced by the impact the media has over us, or maybe because in the olden times the life expectancy was much shorter and thus people had to have children at a younger age (Romeo and Juliet were 15 and 13 respectively). So let me share some of my experiences concerning love and the things I've learned over these years;

Have you ever fallen in love? I have. The first time; I was 14. I could lose myself in his eyes, and listen to him all day long. He was the first person I though of in the morning and the last one before going to sleep... He was a straight friend from high school, so nothing really happened between us...

But I learned that it is very important to be true to yourself and to let go, despite how painful and difficult it might be, when facing unrequited love. 

Not long from that I met the first guy who ever asked me out, I wasn't interested though. But instead of being clear I played around with him just to get attention, which I regret doing now. I have learned that a clear no. Is much better than a diffuse response or ghosting someone. 

I was 15 when I engaged in my first formal relationship and had my first kiss. It was awful by the way; Really slimy and oppressive. For a good kiss, I think it is important to make sure the other person knows what your intentions are, looking at someones mouth and getting close to their face is a good way to do that. Approach him/her a 90% and let the other person do the 10% left. When it comes to the actual kiss, just go with the flow. Experiment, and be honest, get to know yourself and your partner to find out what you both enjoy the most. 

He was the best-friend of the previous guy (uncomfortable I know) whom talked trash about me, and eventually he cheated on me...

I felt hurt, and lonely so I started going out with the first guy who paid any attention to me. I didn't even liked him on the first place, he did some really weird stuff with a Pikachu plush... and he dumped me once he found out I am a witch. This short, but intense, relationship taught me two major lessons. The first one: never neglect your standards and don't start a relationship out of spite. And second: It is much better to be alone than in bad company. 

Then, at age 16, I met a Spanish journalist, if I remember properly I believe he was 22 at the time. We dated for a year but it was mostly carnal. He was nice to me, but whenever I proposed to do something a bit more romantic he would excuse himself saying he was busy. In our anniversary I got him a poem book I knew he'd like and he got me some lubricant so that we could have even more sex. That was the limit for me and I confronted him about it. He confessed he was only interested in engaging in sexual intercourse. So I broke up with him, I realised how important communication is in a relationship... if only we would have talked about it earlier!

A month before my 18th birthday I met my, to this date, longest partner, he was 25 and despite his obscure and troubled past he had managed to learn five different languages, had a stable job and didn't fell into addictions or depression. He has a very strong and charismatic personality that made me admire him and at the same time he is so vulnerable, I loved taking care of him. And just a week later, I moved in with him. The place wasn't anything extraordinary but it felt like a palace to me. We burned steps way too quickly but even though our relationship lasted around 4 years we were not compatible on some key aspects that would injured the relationship on the long run. We were practically married, I truly believed we would always be together. But no matter what we tried the relationship didn't work. We were just not right for each other. I have learned that we cannot compromise our future emotions and, that in order to to make a healthy, long term, relationship work love isn't enough. It is important to know the character of the other person to know if we are compatible. And if the characters are compatible, it is necessary to have as referents some values in common, so that the coexistence is simpler in the long run, discussing things that are part of our way of thinking will only create remorse and build negative feelings. Sex compatibility is also important, good sex helps build and maintain couples. Having a good sexual relationship, usually leads to consider a more continuous relationship. And most importantly, to have a common project. Sharing experiences is essential for a couple. I believe living in harmony is not only sailing in the same boat, but paddling in the same direction.

The Truth About Witchcraft, Yes I am a Witch.

What would you think if I say that I am a witch? probably that I am evil and worship the devil, that I am crazy and live in a delusional fantasy or that I am trying to fool you. Well guess what, none of the above are true.

Witchcraft and paganism have been misinterpreted both by the state and by the church for so long that no one understands what we do and what we stand for anymore, we have even been reduced to mere fantasies when, in fact, of all the fantastic creatures that populate our legends witches are the only ones that exist and have vindicated themselves as such.

Little Altar,
photo taken by Darius Tubilda.

Our culture (I see it more as a culture or way of life than a religion) has been misunderstood, blamed and feared for centuries. And loads of legends have been made around it, feeding the prejudice and superstitions. When it is, in fact, a culture based around life and the natural balance that comes from it. I could try to explain all the misconceptions and false beliefs about witches, and challenge the ideas that social media has built, Nevertheless I believe it will be even better to explain the bases of our culture and what it does mean to be a witch:

It means freedom, and being afraid of nothing, not even death. 

It is to see, not to look. To listen, and not to hear. To be present and feel beyond our limitations.

Witchcraft is union. Knowing everything is one, and that we are as old as the universe. 

To be a witch means discipline and responsibility, curiosity and contemplation. 

Witchcraft is education, from a young age, about how the Elements of Nature and our bodies work. Allowing us to make better and informative choices about our health and empowering knowledge at a cellular level.

It is trust, to be faithful to your own spirit. It is a home, a lineage; to learn, to practice, to write, to teach, to protect, to nourish, to love…

It means change. Change towards peace, balance and self-steam.

Being a witch is to question everything, to follow your instinct. Transcend time, space, prejudices and identity.

It is… Magic. 

Traditionally the search for meaning has been carried out on the tribal or mass plane. Mass worship remains the norm for religious groups. However, we are inclined towards a more mystical and spiritual quest in which the "great boss" version of the "creator" or "supreme intelligence" is surpassed, allowing instead a personal connection with a higher level of Consciousness, in other words, we put more emphasis on contemplation and meditation than on worshipping. In resume, witchcraft is build through common sense, the nature of things and under a maternal and avid gaze of knowledge. The philosophy of witches is, basically, a different perspective of our world focused, as I said, in Life.

So, I have decided to honour my lineage and go ahead with the truth; It is who we are, we are not criminals so there is no need to hide, to do so would be a way to underestimate ourselves as well as a way of resignation toward the myths and wanderings that surround our figure. The truth is that there are many variants of living and interpreting the world and, in the case of witchcraft, this is no exception, in fact, each Circle or pagan group, is free to interpret life in their own way and the introduction of new knowledge is one of our usual practices. If I had to describe witchcraft using a single word it would be "movement", because it is not a static culture, witchcraft is always evolving. It comes from one of the firstborn cults of mankind: Shamanism. Archaeological evidence, as found by the Norwegian archaeologist Sheila Coulson, attest to this.

Past Lives Stories.

Do you believe in reincarnation? As the curious person I am i have always wondered what happens once we past away. Is there life after death? Maybe... I am not too troubled by this question anymore as I know there is life before death. I will find out at some point anyways...

The woman in red, Indian painting.

So apparently reincarnation is when the soul survives death and comes back, in variable intervals, taking shape into another physical body, with the purpose of development and growth of the soul both wisely and spirituality.

Either way, I got inspired to write this due to a conversation I recently had with a friend from high school, she reminded me of the time we went to get a reading of our past lives.

There was this gypsy lady that could read the future and tell you about your past lives. She had always wanted to consult hers with that woman. But was too afraid to go all by herself. So for her birthday I accompanied my friend to visit the mysterious lady.

I couldn't be more sceptical about the situations, it smelled of falseness all over the place. And the overdose of mystical cliche with the dark atmosphere and her deep steady voice didn't help. Tough my friend seemed quite exited all the time. That is until the gypsy clairvoyant was done with her reading. My friend was quite disappointed (apparently she was a squirrel in her past live).

My past live story, though, was a bit more turbulent. It seems I used to be a sexy Indian dancer that seduced unworthy man with my belly dancing just so that I could poison them. the interesting bit, and that actually made me reconsider the veracity of the hole business, was that I actually know how to belly dance. In fact, I have known since I am very little, I have got my mom as a testimony. Nobody taught me. I just knew...

So what do you think?

Tips on How to Learn Another Language.

I don't know if you can tell but English isn't my first language. I started learning English back in August 2011, and I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I can definitely get by so I thought I'd share some pointers to help you out if you're trying to learn a language, that actually worked for me.

KNOW WHY First of all I suggest you get your priorities right, by that I mean acknowledge where does your motivation come from? Learning a new language is an amazing experience that opens up your horizons and allows you to access new experiences, make new friends, travel and extra knowledge. But it is also a time consuming activity that will require effort and persistence, so make sure you keep up the motivation!

GET ABSORBED  If you really want to learn a language you need to love and breathe it! Travel, or even better, watch TV. Of course, without subtitles. I know, I know... You will probably not understand anything. But you will get used to it eventually. If the subtitles are on, the brain doesn't really focus as much on learning because it is on its comfort zone. It took me months to begin to understand any English, but I watched movies I had seen before, so I already knew what was going to happen. When you are a bit more confident start to read books, even if you only understand half of it. 

TALK Practice even if it is just with yourself. I used to repeat the words I heard on television to myself, it is not like my pronunciation is perfect or anything, but is close enough, to the point that people can never guess where I am from! I know it can be a bit embarrassing, but go on and talk to as many people as you can, nobody learns without making mistakes first, and only a fool would make fun of you for making a mistake.

STUDY Get some basic grammar books, keep a journal and jot down any new words or expressions, the opportunities are everywhere. If English is the language you are trying to learn, probably you knew that "jot down" means to write something down based on the context, so it is always good to annotate these words and/or expressions and look up the meaning if you aren't sure. 

GET HELP Doing something is always more enjoyable if you share it with someone else, whether it is from a friend that learns the language with you and helps you in the low motivation points. Or from a teacher, in fact I am going to recommend Simon, a friend that has always helped me with my English. He is a teacher licensed in English Philology and Literature. I believe he might be available for Skype lessons, so send him an email to simon_carle@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested!

Good luck expanding your horizons! Can you think of any more advice to learn a new language? I am currently studying German, so danke for reading!

In Search for Happiness.

At 9, visiting the acuarium.

When people talk about their objectives or goals in life, most will say something like "I just want to be happy". A lot of people want to become happy; to find happiness, and no matter what they do it always seems far away. This is because happiness is not something you need to get or win. What joy can exist in the present if you can always get a better car, better clothes, be fitter, have a better job, better relationships, etc. So happiness is always away, always in the future. 

Happiness is something you feel, it's within you, here, now. In the present.

Happiness as defined by science, is the absence of serious genetic deformations. Poets think it is beauty itself and philosophers define it as the absence of pain and/or fear. But let's not forget happiness' true nature. An emotion. 

By defining happiness as an emotion, I am suggesting that, like all emotions, it is ephemeral and therefore the first person to reach unhappiness will be the one who intends to be happy all the time. We must change our conscious attitude toward emotions.  We continue to think that happiness or unhappiness, joy and misfortune depend on others. When I believe that the secret of happiness lies within ourselves.

We can actually create more suffering in our lives by trying to avoid or suppress difficult emotions. As the Buddha said "Life is suffering". It sounds horrible I know, but life is not just suffering! It's also wonderful! Personally, I think the Buddha's philosophy is a reminder that life is not, and should't be just easy, comfortable and pain free. We need to accept  that death, heartbreaking, frustration, sickness, disappointment and fear are also a part of life. 

Try to embrace imperfection, to let go of this belief that life should be a certain way. Open your heart to uncertainty. Since I started to do that I don't fight or ignore negative emotions anymore, instead I embrace them, because I know that they are here now, but that they will go. And it's also a healing experience that makes happiness and all the other positive emotions all that much better. And the end result is peace, which stays with me always present, Even when underlined by the chaos of all my emotions.

Story Time; The Intergalactic Portal.

The following story is probably one my siblings and I have retelled many times due to its exciting and unsuspected nature, hope you enjoy it:

So we must have been in our early teens when this happened. It was late evening after dinner, Friday or Saturday cause grams didn't tell us off for not being asleep.

It was a clear night sky, very quiet and calm. Silence was only interrupted by our excited chatter. All of us were cosily curled up in bed, talking about magic, adventures, other worlds... Probably inspired by some movie or TV show. We all had something to say about it. "Imagine how cool it would be to fight monsters and save the world". "And surely we would be granted powers, one does not simply travel to another dimension without gaining superpowers." We were just barging about it. "Oh, and would't you be scared of the bad guys and the evil creatures?". "No, no way! I would cross the portal without thinking it twice."

Microcosmic Portal by Debra Jacobson

And then it happened. Right after I finished my bold sentence, a very weird buzzing noise caught us by surprise. It can't be... can it? We all looked towards the corner of the room the noise was coming from and we literally froze. Alongside the noise, a bizarre sparkling red light took our breaths away. For a minute or two we did nothing, just look at each others eyes in disbelief, or stare towards the weird, noisy, quivering red light. Wondering what it could be. Was it really an Intergalactic Portal?

As I am the oldest I felt it was my responsibility to go on and be the first to approach the mysterious source. The youngest of my sisters gasped with anguish. My heart was pumping hard against my chest, but I was determined. I slid out of the bed slowly, and started walking towards the corner of the room very carefully, my sisters following behind me. 

As I approached, the sparkly noisy light was getting louder and more intense. Magnifying my fear and expectations.

When I was right in front of it, I yelled! I could not believe it!
"What is it?". Asked my sisters at the same time.
"Come and look by yourselves."

And there we were, standing astonished with mixed feelings of relief and disappointment. The magic, mysterious buzzing light was coming from a broken electric extension with a switch!  
We turned off the current, laughed our hearts out, and kept looking at each other without needing to articulate any words. We all new what was going through our minds.

It might not have been an incredible trip to another dimension, but it was lucky we were awake or the room could have burned down, those were some pretty huge sparks!