Spiritual Counseling Courses at StudyItOnline.com

Spiritual Counseling for BeginnersUniversalClass is no longer hosting independent courses, so the Spiritual Counseling courses are now hosted at StudyItOnline.com.  We believe this will be more stable since we own it.  We had just previously stuck with UniversalClass because until recently, there was no good reason not to.

What this means to you is that Spiritual Counseling for Beginners is free again.  Intermediate Spiritual Counseling is still $150 but now this includes the printed certificate.  While it’s still under construction though, it’s all free, so feel free to browse around.

Agate

Agate WandAgate is a type of chalcedony quartz that is usually formed in cavities of volcanic lava.  Banded agates were formed in layers, while some agates crystalize in a nodules while the silica is still a bit soft.  What differentiates agate from other types of quartz is its finer grain and stripes or banding.

It comes in many colors and patterns.  Though most agate is fairly inexpensive, it has a very high sentimental and spiritual value to many.  Just about all faiths on Earth prize a particular type of agate for its energetic properties or symbolic meaning.

It is the mentioned in the Bible as a necessary stone in the priest’s breastplate.  It was said to aid in judgement and to help one achieve the correct mental and spiritual state for their work.  Carnelian agate is prized by many Muslims for protective talismans.  Also, sometimes the bands form the name of Allah in Arabic.  These stones are particularly highly prized.

In American southeastern Hoodoo, agate is commonly used for protection and to “set things in stone”.  Black agate is protective against negative witchcraft.  Blue agate, especially in circular bands, protects against the evil eye.

Different varieties and colors have different mystical properties, but generally, they are for boosting energy or power, protection, healing, and balancing the yin and yang.  They are a power stone for Geminis and can help break the melancholy common in Cancers who fit their astrological sign a little too well.

Because of its combination of hardness and its fine grain, agate is an excellent stone for both mundane and magical tools and jewelry.  It can hold a carved symbol or prayer through years of wear and tear.

These days when many are suffering from being overwhelmed and pollution and misnourishment causes energy problems and chronic fatigue, agate is an essential tool in a crystal therapists’ arsenal.

Seeking Truly Egalitarian Charities

Recently, it has come to my attention that many, if not most, charity organizations engage in gender discrimination.  It is one thing if a charity is labelled specifically for women or men or or single fathers or single mothers.  A person can choose whether or not to donate to them by their own conscience.  Indeed, there are many times when gender specific charities are necessary because of the differing needs of people of different genders or orientations in different areas.  In some places, for instance, Gay men face violent oppression that Lesbians do not, because the latter are considered less of a threat.  In some places, single mothers are stigmatized more than single fathers to the point that their children are harmed or deprived.

I’m not saying that gender specific charities are wrong, it’s just that I want to know exactly who is getting what and why, when I give the tenth of my income that I must, to a charity or spiritual organization.  If I am giving, for instance, to earthquake relief, I want to know that everybody who has been hurt will get care regardless of their gender or orientation.  If anything, the main consideration should be age, not gender.

I want to know that if a teenaged boy has been injured or rendered an orphan and homeless, he is not going to get passed over in favor of a woman with a splinter whose relatives with a summer house in the Bahamas are waiting to take her in.  I want to know that if it was me who was looking for shelter in a war or natural disaster, my sons would be as welcome as my daughters.

So I am seeking charities that are not gender biased.  It is important to me because in a bad situation wherein strong hands and arms and legs are needed to fix a situation or rebuild, men are needed.  I believe that there would be much less looting and other chaos if men are brought into relief efforts instead of being shut out.

If you know of any organizations that are truly egalitarian, please comment.