Dark Angel Bookreport Essays - Angel, Occult Detective Fiction

Dark Angel Bookreport title = Dark Angel Bookreport Dark Angel By: L.J. Smith Chapter 1 -- This story starts out with Gillian Lennox walking home from school. Gillian was going to get ride from a friend but she had already left. When she reached the wooded area she heard crying. She went to investigate. She followed the sound to the creek where she lost her balance and fell in the icy river. Chapter 2 -- She worked her way over to the left bank and grabbed some roots as she went by and she was able to hold on and pull herself out of the river. She was now trying to find a way out of the woods. She had trouble walking so she took off her jacket, but she still kept on falling. She finally sat down and fell asleep, waking up to a girl who was she. Gillian saw a tunnel and rushed toward it. She realized she was dead. Chapter 3 -- Next thing Gillian knew she saw an angel. This angel gave her a choice. He said that it was not her time and that she had the choice on whether to go back or stay. She decided to go back. When she got back to the place she had left, the angel told her which way to go. When she got to the road she waved down the only car on the road it was David Blackburn. He got her in the car and started to drive her home, when she realized she had forgotten about the cries she heard in the forest. She told David to stop but he kept driving. Chapter 4 -- As David got her in the house, he promised her she would never have to walk to school again, he would give her rides. He started to get her a bath and get her undressed when David's girlfriend, Tanya came in and told him she would take care of Gillian. David called the police and got her some chocolate. Tanya asked him how old that he thought Gillian was, he said 13, but she was not she was a junior in the same high school that David and Tanya went to. When Gillian got them to leave, her mother came out and asked what was going on. Gillian just said nothing and went to bed. She fell asleep questioning herself about life and death. Later she woke up to a strange light. Chapter 5 -- But it was not a light it was a presence. She looked in the corner and saw the angel. He talked to her about how he had saved her from freezing. He was also her guardian angel. He knew her desires and told her that he could make David fall in love with her and make the whole school think she was hot. In return all she had to do was trust him. He said to prove that she trusted him, to go get a pair of scissors. She went through with it and got her hair cut, even though in the end it looked terrible. She awoke in the morning, her parents had left but her friend Amy was there. When she saw Gillian she screamed. Chapter 6 -- Amy was surprised at Gillian's new look. So was her mother. Since Gillian's hair was uneven, her mother fixed it. Gillian asked her mom where her dad was, her mom said he left. When she went and got dressed, she dressed differently, almost sexy like. Gillian was going to get a ride with Amy, but David showed up and reminded her about his promise. He also pulled over and almost kissed her. Chapter 7 -- David and Gillian finally arrived at school after saying that it was not right because of Tanya. Many people stared and laughed but mostly the guys stared. In Biology class, she asked the teacher for a book and notes. He had no idea who she was at first. All the guys in the class raised their hands in class to volunteer to share notes with her. Guys were talking to her, asking her to parties. Chapter 8 -- All day through school Gillian was bombarded with letters of offers and help.

Interaction and Communication between parents and babies thr essays

Interaction and Communication between parents and babies thr essays Touch has long been researched but we yet need to know more about it since its effects are of such magnitude. Touch is the most essential communication channel for babies because they sense, understand and experience it more than any other stimulation. Babies need to be touched because it affects their mind and bodies development, health and strengthens their bond with parents resulting in happier family life and facilitated development later in life. The benefits of this interaction are short term and long term if touch is properly administered at this early age. Physiological changes, action readiness, valenced emotions, discrete emotions, and most essential of all, love walong with safety and security, are communicated to babies when they are touched. All parents should take time to learn about touch and use this knowledge to improve their childrens quality of life. Infant massage, the practice of massaging particular areas of a babys body with gentleness and love is well established and taught by many institutions devoted to teaching parents necessary skills for child rearing. The key to successful infant massage is to remember that is it meant to be a pleasure for both parent and child. The setting should be comfortable for both parties. A warm room, pillows, blankets, hand cream to keep the parents hands soft and lots of love are important when preparing (Make Way For Baby!â„ ¢ 1999-2001). Its recommended to perform the massage at least half an hour after the baby has eaten at when he/she is calm as well as the parent (Make Way For Baby!â„ ¢ 1999-2001). The massage itself flows from head to toes with minor pressure. The pressure used should be about the same as the pressure one can put on closed eyelids without irritating the eyes (Make Way For Baby!â„ ¢ 1999-2001). Parents are encouraged to look right into the babys eyes as much as possible and allow themselves to talk freely to t...

Institution of affiliation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Institution of affiliation - Essay Example This statement is open to criticism and can be easily misinterpreted (Marr, 2012). Marr argues that genetic material can be traced back in time, but is arguable that, it reaches certain limit. In essence, it is disputable to imagine that all humanity is in a lineal civilized from the remainder of the world. Another instance, were I find a claim not substantial at all, is the assertion that, the Hom sap wiped out the Neanderthals. The primary cause was mass murder and this attributes to the argument that humans are naturally violent and clannish. I do not subscribe to this assertion, because if that is the case, why then cohesive state control is not regarded as an eternal necessity. In the last three episodes, Marr explains his understanding on revolution, industry and extremes. It is evident that, watching this series a clear mind of Marr is visible. Marr wanted to take the present generation through the evolution process of humanity, then revolution, industrial aggressiveness and f ar reached extremes. Marr expresses the path of revolution as being similar in all the revolutions that have occurred across the globe. For instance, he mentions of idealism, and then follows extremism and ultimately collapse of power into the hands of strong military man (Marr, 2012). However, commentators have repeatedly rehashed the idea that revolution leads to autocracy and attribute the evils of the 20th century to the French revolution. It is evident that Marr’s objective is to malign the inspiration of revolution by refuting that revolutions are not driven by ideas and at the same time asserting that such revolutions keep on rolling because of ideals. I find Marr’s arguments conflicting. They do not add up to indicate his beliefs on then real causes of revolutions. However, my reflection on the overall aspect of revolution is inclined is to the fact that, the initial civilizations were because of being driven to extremes and the response to survive gave rise to revolutions (Marr, 2012). This opinion is subject to criticism. On the same note, Marr fails to give correct account of the Russian revolution. Instead, he delivers piece-wise information, and at the end, the whole scenario result to portraying the Russian revolution as a derivative of the machinations of German imperialism in a bid to conceal the responsibility of the Russian population and Bolsheviks as the real forces that drove the revolution. The question arising is, does Marr imply what he believes in or simply his insinuations are meant to cow people to his selective study? I believe the Russian revol

Onsumer law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Onsumer law - Essay Example If the credit card provider and the bank, which is acting on behalf of the supplier/ Retailer are the same then only the transaction will have effect on only three parties. Consumer Credit agreements: In Consumer Credit Agreement the creditor provides finance to the debtor for purchase of goods and services and such finance shall be within the specified amount. The credit provided by the creditor to the debtor includes Credit sale and conditional sale such the agreements of bank overdraft and credit card, which are also termed as revolving credit or running account. Under these agreements the debtor purchases the goods and or services from the supplier or wholesaler or retailer etc and the creditor makes the payment for the debtor and such credit the creditor shall fix limit, from time to time. The further classification of these agreements are unrestricted credit agreements and restricted use credit agreements. Bank loans fall in the category of unrestricted credit agreements. ... Dealer is an Agent of Creditor: In accordance with Section 56 of the Consumer Credit Agreement a person who makes negotiations of a regulated agreements between the creditor and the debtor is called the agent of creditor, such person includes a dealer in hire-purchase and a retailer who allows the customer to pay through credit card for the goods supplied. This section gives the protection to the consumer by making creditor liable for any breach of contract of sale either due to misrepresentation or due to any reason, and giving liberty to the consumer to sue the creditor for the breach of contract of sale2. Liability of Creditors in Consumer Credit Agreement: Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 provides that the creditor is liable for the default of the supplier and the debtor has a claim against the creditor similar to that of his claim against the supplier in the Consumer Credit Agreements such as hire-purchase, credit sale and conditional sales. The creditor is jointly and severally liable to the debtor. The consumer who purchases the goods from supplier or wholesaler or a retailer using the credit card has right to claim against credit card issuing company, which provides the credit card to the consumer3. Therefore the Section 75(1) and Section 56 of the Consumer Credit Act gives the protection to the consumers against the creditor such as the credit card issuing bank for any breach of contract of sale including implied conditions such as fitness and satisfactory quality as explained in the sale of goods act. This section provides to the consumer who makes the payment of the price of goods through the credit card, to claim against the supplier and also the

Definition Of The Four Factors Of Production Commerce Essay

Definition Of The Four Factors Of Production Commerce Essay Natural Resources sometimes called land consists of all the gifts of nature. This includes mineral deposits, water, arable land, vegetation, natural forests, marine resources, the atmosphere, sunshine and animal life. They are a fixed supply. If we want more of them, their availability cannot be increased. It is possible to exploit some of the resources, for example, minerals. Once the minerals are used, they cannot be replaced. Labour is defined as the exercise of human mental and physical effort in the production of goods and services, where humans are rewarded in the form of an income. The quality of labour is depends on the size of the population and the portion that is able and willing to work. The quality of labour, which is described by the skill, knowledge and health of the workers, is important. Capital is made up of manufactured resources, such as machines, tools and buildings which are used in the production of other goods and services. It is those tangible things that are used to produce other things. These resources do not have an unlimited life. Entrepreneurship is the availability of natural resources, labour and capital is not sufficient to ensure economic success. These factors of production have to be organised by people who see opportunity and are willing to take risks to producing the goods, believing that they will be sold. These people are called entrepreneurs. They are the driving force behind the production. They are the innovators, the initiators, who take initiative. They believe that their ideas will make a profit. 2.1 The Four Factors of Production in the Economy 2.1.1 Natural Resources To improve the use natural resources we can implement regulations to protect the natural resources like forests which will increase tourism; encourage farming to grow vegetables and fruit; the investment to improve the technology to mine minerals; and find ways to improve the usage of our natural resources. 2.1.2 Labour The labour regulations restrict entrepreneurship, enable government sponsor, enable employment, regulate minimum wage, maintain standards of working conditions, and ensure safety conditions. 2.1.3 Capital We can encourage foreign investment, investments in infrastructure to enhance production easier, for example road maintenance and encourage of loans for new businesses. 2.1.4 Entrepreneurship To encourage entrepreneurship the change can start in schools whereby economics can be introduced as part of the curriculum, encourage businesses to have open days for students to learn how the business works, develop and have tools that enhance entrepreneurship. 2.2 The Four Factors of Production in our Organisation 2.2.1 Natural Resources For the organisation, there are no natural resources that are used. 2.2.2 Labour Employing individuals who have the qualifications, the mental effort, knowledge and brain power, to fit the organisations culture and values will enhance the business. Training will empower and enhance the employees to do their job effectively. BankSeta assists in improving and up-skilling employees in the financial sector. It is important to taking care of the well-being of the employees for example, having a canteen for employees where the food is easily accessible and safe and time to go and buy lunch and to ensure employees get the relevant training so that they are efficient in their job. There are two types of physical energies in the organisation Sales and Admin. Sales bring in the business so the Admin can do their job. The organisation is reliant on clients for the business to grow. Admin run the day-to-day admin and they are dependant on the external energy. 2.2.3 Capital In the previous premises, the parking was not easily accessible, the building could not accommodate all the employees, there were not enough working stations and the technology was not up to standard. In the new building the technology and software have been upgraded. The organisation needs to ensure that the systems are suitable for the Banking sector. Suitable working stations are installed, which will enhance the well-being and working environment of the employees. The building and meeting rooms have been built to enhance the clientele and interaction with clients. The building projects the organisations values and culture. The organisations brand and reputation has been built on RMB and it continues to build its reputation through its client services. 2.2.4 Entrepreneurship The organisation encourages innovations. There is an innovations blog where employees can submit their ideas to management where all ideas are taking in consideration. The organisation is flat structured and open plan Managers are open to their employees and provide constant feedback. Employees are empowered and encouraged to take control of their own development. Employees live and believe in the organisations values and culture. The organisation is developing self sustaining systems. The organisation is current implementing the care and growth model which is focused on caring and growing the employees as individuals. 3. The South Africa Foreign Trade (Imports and Exports) In this section of the assignment, I refer to the Trade Report October 2009 submitted. The basic indicators section indicates the trade per capita which is the estimated trade of goods and services over the last three years based on the population. The GDP is measured in nominal terms and with market exchange rates. The trade-to-GDP ratio is the estimated trade of goods and services over the last three years based on the GDP. The real GDP are exports and import of goods and services of data at constant prices. The ranks in the world trade of merchandise and services are defined as members as individual traders and as one trader. In my opinion the percentage drop from 2007-2008 was from the Wall Street financial fall in 2008, which affected the percentage drop from 2007-2008 of exporting of goods and services. As we had the FICA and KYC regulations in place, this protected us. The percentage drop from 2007-2008 of importing of goods and services, in my opinion, reflected the fact that the importers were being cautious and they were concerned that the locals wouldnt ha ve the funds to buy goods and services. Consumer spending per household decreased. The merchandise trade is broken up into three sections Agricultural products, Fuels and mining product and Manufactures. In my opinion the percentage drop from 2007-2008 of merchandise exports was caused by the financial fall of Wall Street. The merchandise imports percentage from 2007-2008 stayed constant. For South Africa, I feel that we have not been as affected as much as other countries. The country felt the recession in 2009. Exporting and Importing of: Agriculture which consists of raw materials and foods such as vegetables, fruit, maize, sugar. In my opinion we export the best grade of our food and sell the rest to the locals. This increases the production of GDP and the economy. We should increase our export of agriculture. We import fewer foods and products into the country. Fuels and mining products which consists of other minerals, fuel and ores and non-ferrous metals. In my opinion we should not export that much. This should decrease. We should rather increase our skills and knowledge so that we can export the end product. This would increase our GDP and the economy. For example, gold: we export most of our raw gold and import the end product because we do not have the skills and knowledge to make the jewellery. The constant decrease and increase of fuel prices affects the economy and people spend. The percentage of imports, in my opinion, is acceptable as this keeps the balance of the economic production levels. Manufactures which refers to steel, iron, chemicals, other semi-manufactures, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, clothing and other consumer goods. In my opinion the percentage of exports should decrease as the country should use these materials to build the economy of the country. In building the status of our country, this would increase our economic growth. For example, building houses. The exporting keeps our foreign exchange inline with other countries. If the exporting decreases, the importing will decrease. In some instances, it is better to import the parts to be assembled locally than to import the end product. For example, in the Operations, Implementation Management and Sustainability, the lecturer gave an example of a company who saved on overall costs by importing the parts and assembling it locally instead of importing the end product. South Africa has very innovative people and we should start believing in what we have. When government or investors do not see th e potential of the innovative ideas, the innovators end up selling their ideas to other countries and end up importing the end product. We should spend more time in investing in these innovative ideas as this will increase our economic growth. Commercial Services Trade, which refers to construction, finance, computer, insurance, communication, cultural and recreational services, information, other businesses, royalties and other fees. In my opinion the percentage of exports and imports indicates that there is a lack of interest, interaction and investment in South Africa from other countries. Transportation in my opinion the percentage of exports is acceptable. The percentage of imports indicates that we lack the skills and knowledge to sustain our transportation. Travel the percentage of exports indicates that locals prefer to travel to other countries instead of our own. We should improve our tourism locally to encourage the locals and foreigners to explore South Africa. This country has so much to offer. Other commercial services in my opinion the percentage is acceptable. We are losing people who have the skills and knowledge in industries like medicine, engineering, technology and construction to other countries. We should be retaining these skills to build a better country. We should be investing in developing in our people, empowering them so that they have pride in themselves and are proud of their country, so they can make it a better place to live. 4. The Banking Sector, Organisation, Department and I The organisation forms part of the banking sector. The banking sector is linked to economic growth through enhancing the access to financial services, and increasing competitiveness of domestic financial markets both of which reduce the costs of financing. The basic role that the banking sector plays in the process of transferring savings to borrowers is risk sharing, providing liquidity, information and improving efficiency. If the financial markets are well developed, they improve the availability of funds to support borrowers and channel the funds to where the rates of returns are higher. Positive effects like this can increase the economic growth by larger capital accumulation with lower cost of financing and increased efficiency. But in some countries, the financial markets are not developed and market failures exist everywhere. By improving the access to financial services and the efficiency of financial go-between, which can reduce the cost of financing the banking sector, stimulates capital accumulation and economic growth. The role of money replaced the barter system. Each person could trade whatever he or she produced for one common thing. Money means a set of common prices can be established. Money is a medium of exchange between individuals and a way to distribute the ownership in society. It is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. Money is used for everyday spending and saving for the future. Saving money for future use is to ensure that the values of the savings do not decrease but increase overtime by through investments and earning of interest. Money helps our economy to work more smoothly, it has three key roles: A medium of exchange A unit of account or a standard of value A store of value for future use The characteristics of money: Durable Not easily produced by people Relatively scarce Not too scarce Easily transported Divisible The organisation needs to ensure that their products are inline with their competitors and maintain the supply of money and borrowing from clients. The Learning Solutions (LS) Department is in the process of becoming a self-sustaining system. We are working well together and have the same focus and goals. At our yearly meeting, we discuss the past year what we have accomplished, what obstacles we came across, how we can improve, what changes we would like to see and what our focus and goals will be for the coming year. We had looked at the functions of the Human Resources (HR) department and determined that there were common areas and functions that the HR department had. The LS department was a closed system and had no interconnections with them. The HR department have three subsystems namely, People Development, Administration and New Recruits. The overlapping of work areas are the new recruits and the people development. Changes needed to be made. The changes that HR department made: Administration is an open and closed system, they have confidential information that should not be shared with other employees (salaries and medical aid) and the employees submit general administration / queries New Recruits is an open and closed system, they too have confidential information that should not be shared with other employees (agreements between the Bank and employee) and information about the new recruits will be shared with the LS department People Development is an open and closed system, they have a good relationship with all the managers and know where employee development is required and this information will be shared with the LS department The changes that the LS department made: Develop a open relationship with the New Recruits team Develop a open relationship with the People Development team In making these changes we are enabling the growth of knowledge and empowerment in the employees. The employees are enabled to be efficient at their job. In being efficient and knowledgeable, they will enhance the growth of our clients and their investments which will assist the growth of the economy. Each individual contributes to the economy. How can I contribute to the economy? I need to understand my financial status and increase my wealth. I need to determine what money I save and invest for the future and invest in my country. I need to sustain my knowledge and personal growth. I need to be aware of the countrys financial status. I need to balance my needs with the available resources. 5. Inflation Consumer Habits and Behaviour The definition of inflation is the rise in prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When price levels rise, the unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. It is an erosion of the purchasing power of money. Inflation occurs when the price increase of goods and services are recorded over a period of time. The general price level is measured by the Consumer Price Index. As the price levels rise, the consumer habits and behaviour are affected. Consumer behaviour is the study of when, why, how and where people do or do not buy goods and services. It is about understanding the consumers buying decision-making process in an attempt to understand peoples wants. Habitual patterns of spending that consumers have over a period of time are the best thing that can happen to a brand. For this to happen there are two conditions that need to satisfy the consumer the brand in question must fall into a product category that elicits a low level of involvement from the consumer when considering purchasing the product and the consumer becomes a satisfied customer when buying the product the brand should deliver on what was promised. For the brand to be a part of the consumers habit, the critical requirement is the delivery of value on the first purchase. Inflation occurs when the demand for goods and services increase and the supply remains unchanged or the increase of cost of production which pushes up the price level. How does this affect the consumer? It is dependant on the affordability of the consumer. For example, in the beginning of the year 2008 I bought 6 chocolate muffins at Woolworths for R10.99. In 2009, the costs had increased to R24.99 for the same product. Due to the price increase, I no longer buy the chocolate muffins. 6. Microeconomics and Macroeconomics Microeconomics is the study of how household and organisations make decision to allocate limited resources. It examines the behaviour affect of the supply and demand of the goods and services which determines the prices which in turn determine the supply and demand of the goods and services. Macroeconomics deals with the performance, structure and behaviour of the entire world. It looks at indicators such as GDP, unemployment rates, price indexes to understand the whole economy functions. If the micro and macro economical performance was sustainably improved, the changes to the consumer behaviour would be: For Micro: Our environment would be more stable There would be overall well-being and enjoyment in individuals, less stress Depending on the individuals mindset, there would be more investment and spending The wealth of individuals would grow Decrease in crime Decrease in immigration of individuals Increase of skilled individuals Downfall is that there would be overspending and more debt For Macro: The economy would be more liquid There would be a growth in external investors The country would be more productive and innovative Increase of tourism Increase of entrepreneurship and resources Increase of the well being of the country Decrease of poverty 7. Conclusion Each one of us on an individual level has an affect on the economy, which affects the organisation, which affects the country. If the organisation wants to grow they need to have good leadership skills and delivery of goods and services. In my opinion the improvement of the economy starts with oneself. I have a good understanding of my own finances and how I can increase my wealth. I have realised that I need to improve my understanding of my organisation and how it affects the economy of the country. I need to improve my understanding of the economy of the country.

Cougars Case

Investment Management Case 1 COUGARS TEAM8: Kun Mao Xiaobin Yang Ruoxi Cao Yang Qiao Jing Liu Riskless zero-coupon bond is the bond bought at a price lower than its face value, with the face value repaid at the time of maturity. The zero-coupon bond is riskless because the investors know exact money they will receive when the bond is maturity. The investors purchase the bond in a lower price and get more money. No coupon is paid before maturity. The investors do not need to pay interest.Besides, because zero-coupon bond is riskless, the bondholders are willing to hold it for long-term investment in order to diversity the portfolio. So it is important in the fixed income security market. If a bond trades at a discount, its yield to maturity will exceed its coupon rate. Zero coupon bonds always sells at a discount. The sensitivity of a bond’s price to changes in interest rates is measured by the bond’s duration. A bond with high durations,its price is highly sensitive to interest rate changes.In other words, the prices of bonds with low durations are less sensitive to interest rate changes. That means interest rates of longer-term bonds are higher than shorter-term bonds’. The term structure of interest rates should be graphed as a curve line of zero-coupon bonds, in fact, it describe the relationship between matures and coupon date. Using the date provided in the case, we can construct the following three yield curves: a. COUGARs Strip Yield Curve This is the adjusted COUGARs strip yield curve that takes the discounted ate (8. 11%) into account. The adjustment is necessary because the prices provided in Exhibit 1 are prices for settlement on December 6, 1983, while Treasury quotes are 20 days before, which is the date of November 16, 1983. The discount factor is 1. 0045, which is calculated as 1+8. 11%*20/360. The yield curve has an obvious upward trend before Nov. 1987 and then the curve keeps flat. To highlight the upward trend, our team s et 8% as the minimum number of the vertical axis. b. Treasury Coupon Yield CurveTo build the treasury coupon yield curve, we select some bonds in the Exhibit2. We have eliminated those bonds with extremely low coupons and with multiple maturity designations. The treasury coupon yield curve also shows an upward trend before Nov. 1987. And then the curve stays flat as a whole and just fluctuates slightly. Also we set 8 as the minimum number of the vertical axis to highlight the trend of the yield curve. c. Implied Spot Yield Curve Because of the lack of data from May 1996 to Nov. 000, we can only build the implied spot yield curve from May 1984 to Nov. 1993. But the incomplete yield curve has successfully reflected the trend, moving upward and then keeping flat. According to the curves, we can observe that Strips yields show the yield of a separate zero-coupon security which is actually converted by coupon and principal payments of the Treasury bonds. Treasury coupon yield, which is t he yield curve based on the treasury quotes, is the stated interest rates of a bond. The rates in three curves should nearly be the same.It is obvious to see that these three curves have the same trend as a whole. All of them go upward before Nov. 1987 and then stay flat. Treasure bond price : (300000000*11. 875%/11. 89%)*[1-1/(1+11. 89%)^20]=267944276 The value of United States Treasure Bond A. G Becker bought is 267944276. Then A. G Becker separated coupons from the principal of coupon bonds then sold the coupons to investors, each of these investments then paid a single lump sum. We can calculate the value of coupon: 300000000*11,875%/2=17812500.The value of coupon in each payment period equals to the face value of each zero coupon bonds. Investors bought the zero coupon bond at a price lower than par value. The fund A. G Becker collected in 1984 equals to sum of zero coupon bonds’ price. The difference between value of treasure bond and capital raised by zero coupon bonds is the value created through COUGARS. Capital raised by zero coupon bonds: 11. 875%/2*300000000*15. 30606=272639193. So we can easily see that the value created by COUGARS is 272639193. 8-267944276=4694917. 8.

Religion: And How it Has Changed My Life Essay

After thinking about it, I thought Wicca hasn’t really changed my life that much, at least not in concrete ways. I’ve always loved the Earth and thought of it as being beautiful and precious. I’ve always been fascinated at the beauty and mystery of the Moon and the starry sky. I’ve always found Nature to be healing in an all inclusive way that encompasses the physical, mental and spiritual realms. I’ve always believed that our minds have the power to accomplish amazing things. I’ve always thought that there is much more to this Universe than what we can see with our eyes and grasp with our minds. I rejected my family’s religion, Christianity, because despite many claims of it being filled with peace and love, I found their holy book to be filled with persecution and cruelty. I was certain that no single culture had a direct-line to the Divine, that there was no â€Å"One Truth†. I became interested in natural remedies. I celebrated the seasons in my own simple manner. In many ways, I am as I always was, and yet discovering Paganism has brought major changes to my life. When I realized that there was an actual religion whose beliefs so closely matched my own, I was filled with happiness and enthusiasm. I literally spent about a year and a half utterly consumed in learning all I could get my hands on: the lore, mythology, magick and ritual. It was fascinating, and all my spare time was devoted to gathering knowledge and attempting to incorporate what seemed true into my life. I know that I will always be learning and growing in my chosen philosophy, but it is more subtle now. I know the â€Å"basics† at a basic level. I am branching out, studying mythology to an even greater depth, using meditation and divination to know myself with ever greater understanding. I am certain that each individual’s path will be unique, but I consider Wicca to be a path more concerned with who I truly am and how I connect with this Universe. These are wonderful concepts to ponder, but how has Wicca actually affected my daily life? As I thought about the question I realized that it has affected me in subtle but myriad ways. It has become a deeply intertwined part of my life. I think it affects every aspect of my day to day existence. The small rituals, that are such a part of my daily routine now, enhance my life and make it more more meaningful and fulfilling. When I wake in the morning I step outside and greet the Sun. I feel a moment of thanks for its warmth and life-giving rays. I read a poem or a meditation about a Goddess/God. My evening routine is similar. I go out and welcome the Night, the Moon and the Stars. I acknowledge the mystery and magic that I find intrinsic in their beauty. I try to spend as much time as possible out in Nature because I realize that such time is necessary for me. I light candles and whisper heartfelt thanks and love to my Goddess and God. But these actions, while important and meaningful to me, are things I’ve added to my life as a form of worship. How has Paganism changed my everyday, mundane existence? As I mentioned earlier, I did not have much respect for Christianity when I was younger. Learning about many different religions has helped me to realize that Christianity can be a satisfying and fulfilling path for many people. It is only in the hands of extremists that it can become a path of hatred–just as with any other religion. Wicca has helped me to be tolerant of other people’s spirituality as long as they aren’t spewing prejudice and hatred for any other religion besides their own. This didn’t happen overnight. At first I was indignant about Christianity’s attempt to destroy Paganism, the cruelty of the â€Å"Burning Times† and the intolerance that some modern day Christians show toward other spiritual paths. As I read and learned and pondered the issues, I realized that even Christianity, with its horrible history and its modern day fanatics, is a valid and rewarding path for most of its adherents. For most it is a path of love and peace. I never was too concerned about keeping my room â€Å"spotless†. I’m a bit of a pack rat, and things tend to pile up. I’m also a procrastinator, it’s easy for me to put things off until I’m in the mood to do them. Now I try to keep it less cluttered and more organized. This is a direct result of Wicca, because I don’t want negativity to gain a foothold in my home. I realize that messiness can affect the feeling of my home if only in subtle ways. I’m far from perfect, but much better than I used to be and improving with time. I often had a terrible time making decisions, especially important ones, sometimes agonizing for days or even weeks over which choice to make. Now I’ve learned several different types of divination. These help me to know my own mind and make the best decision I can without second guessing myself or wondering if I should have chosen a different route. I hardly ever prayed before becoming Wiccan. I connected it with Christianity. Now prayer has become an important part of my life. This was something I didn’t plan. It just developed naturally. Prayer gives me peace of mind at times, gives me an instantaneous response to stressors and lets me have a spontaneous and intimate relationship with Divinity. I have always written poetry. I have become more prolific. Even if my words are only beautiful and meaningful to me, poetry adds a glorious dimension to my life. It is an amazing experience to begin writing and have the words flow onto the paper without any struggle, to realize that, in some very special moments, it is as if you are a conduit to Divinity and the words are a direct connection with God/Goddess. While I don’t believe anyone can know for certain what happens after death, I have accepted reincarnation as my personal philosophy. It just makes sense to me, and it gives me comfort and peace when I am faced with the death of others or my own mortality. I have become more calm and serene. I don’t let things bother me as much as I used to. I live more in the moment now than in worrying about the past or the future. I feel an even greater sense of gratitude for my life, the blessings that I have and the beauty and wonder of this amazing Universe. Meditation has given me much benefit, but the whole philosophy of life, that I’ve embraced in the past few years, gives my existence a deeper meaning and makes sense of things that I couldn’t understand before. I have learned spellcraft and use it to improve my life. I believe that much, of the changes that magick makes, is within ones self. It gives me a confidence and a surety that affects my whole life. I believe that to make outward changes, a person must first change their inner self. That is what magick is to me, the ability to change myself for the better, to live in harmony with those that I love and the natural world around me. It also lets me communicate my desires to the Universe, and if it be for the greater good, I know my wishes will be granted. Perhaps in a way I hadn’t anticipated, but granted nonetheless. Of course I realize I must do the mundane work, and I never ask for more than I truly need. I am not as shy as I used to be. I love writing, but just about 5 years ago, I would have been too reticent to submit my thoughts in this essay or any other something that other eyes might see. I’m in the process of created my own website, I have been for about 2 years. This was a gigantic step for me, but I felt an almost overwhelming urge to honor my Goddess and God in this way. I joined a Pagan message board about two years ago. That was another huge step for me. It took me several months of â€Å"lurking† to get up enough courage to join, but I wanted to be a part of a community of like minded people and join in on those discussions that I found so interesting. This would have been impossible for me without all the small steps I’ve taken in the last few years. You could say that most of these things would have developed anyway as I gain the experience and wisdom that comes from living more than seventeen years. That may be true, but then again it might not. I know others my age who are torn by angst, whose lives seem filled with a steady stream of problems, who are anxious and unhappy and ever searching for what will bring them contentment and fulfillment. Perhaps it’s a matter of personality or temperament. I really don’t know, but I do know that Wicca has been a catalyst for changes that have greatly improved my personal life. My spirituality gives me a satisfaction that I searched for and couldn’t find for a long time. Wicca is an intrinsic part of me now. It affects my every waking moment perhaps not consciously, but at a deeper, more profound level. Wicca answers an abiding need deep within the very core of my being. Because I have accepted and embraced its philosophy, my entire life has been affected. I am a totally different person than I was 7 or 8 years ago, yet I am the same in many ways. I know that’s a contradiction, but I know that it’s true also. We all change subtly with the passing of time. Hopefully we change for the better. Wicca has changed my life in both great and small ways. I believe I am a better person for it.