Things not to do with religion

[PepperElf]

my boyfriend had this nice gem for me a while back ...

In one of his religion groups, they had quite an uproar last year. There was a Church facility that was truly multi-denominational. Religious groups could sign up to use the building for various religious events, studies etc, regardless of faith.

All of it was nice and happy for a while until they had a major incident...

Lessons learned at the center:
1) Don't double book the center.
2) Especially if one group is Wiccan
3) But if you really have to do it, please explain to the other group what burning sage smells like, so they don't try call the cops and report that the Witches are smoking pot.

Yeah, the witches were pretty pissed. Thankfully it's resolved now, but they lodged a complaint with the community center about how poorly the situation was handled.

[marasbaras]

Yeah. Another thing to consider: don't book the Klan and the Black Panthers at the same time either. Probably not a good idea.

Someone wasn't thinking.

[Ree]

Well, I doubt those two groups would be booking this particular religious centre, but I know that's not what you meant, and were only going for an easy joke.

[Gothicsmurf]

3) But if you really have to do it, please explain to the other group what burning sage smells like, so they don't try call the cops and report that the Witches are smoking pot.

It does smell a lot like pot when burning. Although the times that I've burned it the pot head on the 3rd floor of my apartment building complained of the smell.

[Sheldonrs]

At my last job, the building was owned by a native american org. and they held ceremonies there several times a month. Burning sage was part of it and you could smell it through the whole building. I actually like the smell but you should have seen some of the drama queens acting like they were trapped in the Towering Inferno, choking and gagging all day long.

[marasbaras]

Well, I doubt those two groups would be booking this particular religious centre, but I know that's not what you meant, and were only going for an easy joke.

Of course I was .. I'm an old, lazy attention whore!

There's something here in the Philippines that people burn quite often. It smells just like pot. I know it isn't (they're pretty strict here about that sort of thing ... they're not scared of the death penalty). But, still ... JUST like it. Nobody seems to know what it is, tho.

[PepperElf]

(off topic - i'll ask my bf. he's half Filepeno, half Polish. if he doesn't know his mom prolly will)

and yeah, i've never burned sage myself but i also had a friend a few years back say that he was burning sage incense in college and the cops got called. even the dogs reacted to the smell.

[myswtghst]

3) But if you really have to do it, please explain to the other group what burning sage smells like, so they don't try call the cops and report that the Witches are smoking pot.

After my work trip to a reservation in North Dakota, I brough home some field-picked and fresh dried sage to burn in my room, similar to the ceremonies we got to participate in on the trip. Not 5 minutes after I started, Dad was in my room, asking me what I was up to, as it smelled like marijuana. After I explained and showed him, he calmed down, but when asked how he knew what pot smells like, he simply replied "hey, think about when I grew up...." and smiled.

[Gothicsmurf]

I actually like the smell but you should have seen some of the drama queens acting like they were trapped in the Towering Inferno, choking and gagging all day long.

Some ceremonies use sage to where it is burned to ward off bad/evil/unwanted spirits and to cleanse and protect the current place (or spirit) of such. That would have had me rolling on the floor for hours. Hmm, my cleansing just warded off one... two... three... four.... this might take a while Oh there's five... six...


See, sometimes us witches do have spells that work.

[Pagan]

It does smell a lot like pot when burning.

See, I don't think they smell anything alike. To me, sage smells clean, and pot smells sicky-sweet. Although I might be a little prejudiced since I'm allergic marijuana.

Some ceremonies use sage to where it is burned to ward off bad/evil/unwanted spirits and to cleanse and protect the current place (or spirit) of such.

See, sometimes us witches do have spells that work.

That's why I run shields. Lots of fun to watch the bad entities bounce off of it!

Speaking of which, I need to sage my place again....especially after our murder-murder-suicide last week!

[Gothicsmurf]

That's why I run shields. Lots of fun to watch the bad entities bounce off of it!

True true! The one girl who helped me smudge my place hasn't come down since, not even for a stick of butter.

Speaking of which, I need to sage my place again....especially after our murder-murder-suicide last week!

Yikes! I need to do the same too. We were evacuated for fires a couple of weeks ago, and then my place was broken into. Didn't take anything, but the broom had fallen.

[Emrld]

some one told me that direct flame burn on dried basil leaf will also create the same smell

there again allergic to actual mary jane . . .so if I go into an attack I know it is the real thing vs . . . just smells like it

I still laugh about my friend coming over to help me move furniture in my apartment.
It was really odd . . .the unit below was lived in by two of three sons . . .the one across the breeze way was lived in by the parents.
Now these sons were @14 and 17. . . and they had some friends over . . .they were all gathered on the patio.
Here comes my friend and he walks up just sniffing away . . .he looks at me and asks where do I think it is coming from . . .I point to below as I am having issues breathing.
So he very loudly says . . ."Gee Emrld I am so glad I am finally off duty - that last bust took forever to document." Yes, he was still in full uniform and yes he worked for a police department . . .we were on the floating staircase (gaps between stairs can see who is on them from underneath - yes, I always glanced down when wearing a skirt) all the sudden you hear "put it out put it out oh crap we are in trouble . . .blah blah blah)
Never did have any more problems with smoking pot on the porch anymore. (they started doing it inside . . .and well it was much easy to turn into mgmt that way)

[Bliss]

Another person who used to have this problem was wonderfull M, my and my bf's acupunturist. It seems many people mistaken her Moxa for pot smoking and sent the cops on her a few times heh

[Broomjockey]

Speaking of which, I need to sage my place again....especially after our murder-murder-suicide last week!

is right!
I'd love to sage my place, but we're not allowed to burn anything in the residence.

[Andara Bledin]

AIM wants to take sage away from everyone who doesn't have an Indian number. I wonder if they've gotten themselves banned from any powwows lately...

I haven't saged the apartment, but I run shields, so I'm not too worried. My mother and aunt, however, pretty much always have a supply of sage on hand.

The shield I'm most fond of I like to call the Somebody Else's Problem shield, which is kind of a 'don't notice me' sort of thing. Back at the house it was a bit over-effective; I would regularly have pizza guys who would be lost, even though the house was extremely easy to find.

^-.-^