Hey folks! So yes just what that banner says Earth Magick is going to be providing graphics and themes running along those themes mentioned above. I already have posted a few graphics on the blog which you can see here, mainly which are either banners or wallpapers.

However I will be starting to create themes as well now that I have a new computer. This banner is just a small preview of the new theme for Earth Magick. I’m still working on the theme as well as making a few graphics and at least one theme to be used but the new theme for Earth Magick will be up sometime this week. :)

Here’s another wallpaper. I’ll be making some more graphics this week including more wallpapers and themes. If you have a suggestion feel free to message me. I won’t be doing any personalized themes or wallpapers however as requests take to much of my time but you can give suggestions. C:

Sizes:

1024 x 768
1200 x 900
1280 x 720
1280 x 800
1280 x 980
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200

Okay so I’m changing my majors, from nursing which I never liked but only did because of parents but was never interested in it. So now my interests were in art, history, and english, mainly art and history, and I was thinking of going into graphic design like I originally was going to do. However I’ve recently started thinking on what I wanted to do when I was younger which was to work with animals. Now my passion for wildlife whether it’s plants or animals is huge. My passion for the flora and fauna in the Philippines is even greater. Now I’ve actually been thinking of going into wildlife conservation, as a wildlife biologist, mainly focused on the flora and fauna in the Philippines and South East Asia. As one of the world’s most biodiverse spots with new species being found constantly, it is also saddening how most of the animals and plants are endangered due to destruction of forests and rainforests for farming, logging, illegal poaching from locals as well as foreigners who hunt and capture animals to sell for the black market or for food, and other human caused factors. But that’s a problem in many places isn’t it? However this strikes hard for me seeing as I’m from the Philippines and the awareness for these species compared to those elsewhere is little and even now not much is known in behaviors, population, eating habits, reproduction, etc. on most animals. Most people in the Philippines aren’t even aware of their very own animals, however that has been changing lately especially with the younger generations.

So now I’m stuck here thinking should I stick to graphic design which I wouldn’t mind at all since I also have a passion for art, but looking back and seeing where my main interests and passion since I was a child, which was working with animals, plants, and the environment, I am now opened to being a conservationist and biologist.

Now if I do become a wildlife biologist I have no idea where to begin, from major, degree, school, etc. I want to go back to the Philippines see what my options there are but I have no clue where to start as I don’t know the schools there. Now I actually thought on what if I return to the U.S. with my degree and I’m sure I can transfer that degree here but either way I do intend to stay and live in the Philippines again. The pay might not be as grand but honestly I could care less about money as long as I’m out in nature researching and conserving animals and plants. Besides I plan to have a second job anyway including while I am in school with my small business and possibly writing.

Anyway thoughts, opinions, suggestions, advice? And if you are a follower from the Philippines as I know some of you are, any suggestions for me in finding a good school?

P.S. If you are going to message me about this can you message me through the fanmail? It’s much easier to talk one to one in long messages instead of that text limit on the ask box. I can’t private message you back on this account either since its a sub-blog, but on the fanmail option I can. And again it is sooo much easier.

This Year’s Earth Hour 2012

is at 8.30pm, Saturday, March 3

Celebrate your action for the planet with the people of the world by switching off your lights for an hour, then go beyond the hour.

From its inception as a single-city initiative — Sydney, Australia - in 2007, Earth Hour has grown into a global symbol of hope and movement for change. Earth Hour 2011 created history as the world’s largest ever voluntary action with people, businesses and governments in 135 countries across every continent coming together to celebrate an unambiguous commitment to the one thing that unites us all — the planet.

(Source: earthmagick)

“A wee child toddling in a wonder world…I prefer to their dogma my excursions into the natural gardens where the voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of birds, the rippling of mighty waters, and the sweet breathing of flowers. If this is Paganism, then at present, at least, I am a Pagan.”
- Zitkala-Sa

“If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature’s way.”
Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics

Flick - Photo byGreg Harder

Commended, “Natural Elements”

Photograph courtesy Johnny Haglund, TPOTY

A Sudanese woman braces herself against an approaching sandstorm in this photograph taken by Johnny Haglund, who was commended for the “Natural Elements” category.

Have a Blessed Autumn Equinox/Mabon everyone ! And for those in the South have a Blessed Spring Equinox/Ostara ! ♥

(Source: Flickr / the_evil_one)

With Autumn and Winter coming up, and the time of the year when nature goes into it’s “darkness” and “death”, something like this you just have to face in your life, whether you are human or a bird or any other living thing, it’s a part of life. Now this happened a couple months ago which some already know about who do know me or added me on Facebook where I wrote my status about it.

Well a couple months ago while outside with my dogs I was playing ball with them and went to pick up the ball. At that instant I felt something wrong what I don’t even know but then when I turned around I saw one of my dogs, Jake, start running to one side of my vegetable patch. I didn’t know what he was doing and started to yell at him to get out and then I saw something moving underneath his paws trying to get away. Seeing it was a baby bird I tried stopping him, yelling at him and pushed him away. Unfortunately I was to late because he bit into it’s neck and when I was able to stop any more attacks on the poor thing I realized it was slowly dying. I picked it up and watched it die in my hands.

Afterwords I put my dogs inside so I can bury the poor thing in my backyard. I took some paper towels and wrapped it inside it and buried it under my hollyhock flowers which is right near where it died. After burying it I said a short prayer, blessing it to it’s next life, that it’s with the Mother and spirits of the Earth now.

Once I was done I got up and went inside to wash my hands. When I went back outside I saw and heard a female cardinal chirping loud and quite a lot. It was going around my backyard specifically in the area where the poor thing fell from it’s nest and kept calling out and looking for it’s baby. It went back and forth from that area under the nest, to my cherry tree, to somewhere in my neighbors backyard and back. I felt so bad because it wouldn’t leave and it wasn’t even scared when I approached her. She just looked at me and went back to searching. Soon the father cardinal came by and started doing the same thing, looking for its baby. They both stayed the whole day and the following day just trying to find any traces of it’s poor baby.

Now I haven’t experienced the pain of losing someone yet since no one I know has died thankfully. But death is a part of life that we have to accept. It’s a part of nature and every living thing is born into the world and leaves it. As much as I was upset this baby bird died I couldn’t get mad at Jake not because I adore him but because it’s in his nature to kill small animals. It’s programmed into his mind to hunt and chase and I can’t get mad at him for something he can’t control. Again it’s a part of nature and as saddening death is you just have to move on, live out your life, and accept death when the time comes for you.

Autumn Woods, Germany
Photograph by Jonathan Manshack

A family friend who’s a professional photographer took these picture’s of the full moon and lunar eclipse today. It was night over there in the Philippines and a lot of Filipino’s adore and are fascinated with the moon, the sun, stars, and nature. There’s actually a very famous sea snake/sea dragon like deity in folklore that’s associated with lunar eclipses called Bakunawa. It’s not a harmful deity but basically it is the reason why there are eclipses because he is fascinated by the moon and because of this according to folklore he ate 6 of the 7 moons created by Bathala (Abba in other regions). In the past (and even now in some places) the people would go outside and make a lot of noise such as banging pots, pans, gongs, wooden drums, anything to make a loud noise to scare Bakunawa into spitting back the last remaining moon.

Even today Bakunawa is used and seen in the hilts of many Filipino swords and knives because the deity and snakes in general in my culture are seen as a symbol power and a sacred symbol associated with mandirigma’s (warriors) as well as a our ancestors.