Spyrit Dancers' Musings On All Things Wiccan

Are You a Light Warrior?

So many of you are Warriors for the Light and you don’t know it, at least on a conscious level. But on a subconscious level, you definitely are one! You see, there is such a thing as a ‘Peaceful Warrior.’ It does not mean you are out killing people or beings, are violent, are extreme in any way. Nope, just the opposite.

Let’s look to see if you qualify to be a Warrior for the light:

1. If you desire peace over war.

2. Believe that we can all live in coexistence on this planet with everyone and everything without violence/fighting/killing.

3. Are trying not to pollute this planet in myriad ways from large to small.

4. Believe everyone is allowed to believe what they want and respect them for their right to do this.

5. Does not allow FEAR to run/rule you. Understands that FEAR holds us a prisoner not only of ourselves, but others as a group. FEAR keeps the Dark in control.

6. Knows on some intuitive level that LOVE and compassion is the only way out and up from this mess we’ve created on Earth.

7. Works daily to do at least one good thing for others.

8. Has healthy boundaries (or is working to have them) in place so that you are not giving away your life energy to others beyond that line in the sand.

9. Is not a ‘victim’ mentality and knows that you are responsible to do the hard work yourself (instead of whining that you’re not getting a hand out from someone else).

10. That you do not blame others for the choices you are making daily, rather, take responsibility for all of them.

11. Understand that change can only come through you and changing yourself, you can change this world and its vibration to a Higher Frequency and move it into the Light.

12. Meditation, yoga or some other form of ancient tools are practiced by you on a regular basis because it puts you in touch with the Cosmic Love and energy that is always there for us.

13. Understand that harmony and balance must first occur within you. And once you are there, you can turn around and help others find this same exquisite peace. This is a world changing knowing.

14. Do not attach into powerful emotional dramas; your own or others because it is emotional drama that keeps us trapped. You know to detach and work at this daily, but you are still connected–from a compassionate level, instead. And even if you aren’t there yet, you are TRYING and that is all that is asked.

15. You do not practice pity or sympathy. Rather, you are learning to practice compassion–daily–in large and small ways.

16. Visualizes daily, a world at peace, with people happy to be working with one another toward a common, shared goal of harmony. To see poverty, starvation and classism dissolve. This is done through meditation, quiet moments, prayer work or any way that you connect with this desire. To see an Earth that is no longer polluted, that all our relations work in tandem with us, not against us, is part of this Visualization. That we do not see “Man” as the top of the pecking
order; rather, a part of of it.

17. Practices humility and understands that we are part of a much greater fabric of Being, and that humans are not the center of any Universe. That we are all part of a greater cog and wheel and we’re a Mere part of this incredible, miraculous and ongoing process.

18. That our best teachers are inside ourselves, not outside of us. Outside teachers are necessary, but we SIFT or SIEVE through what they tell us and keep what feel right and releases the rest. Teachers outside of us, well intended that they may be, are flawed and human. We are not attracted to Gurus or one leader who knows all (they don’t). Rather, we honor our own knowing. The Guides within you are perfect and will never lie to you. To listen to your own inner Voice / Heart / Intuition is your best resource and guide to the Light.

19. Respect for all life, no matter if human, animal, reptile, organic or inorganic; everything has a spirit within it and energy around it. Treating all life as if it was your relative. Treating all life as equal to your own.

20. Respect for all people, regardless of religion, race, nationality, skin color or gender. You understand that if we don’t share this respect that we do not respect ourselves, either. What is reflected outside of us is a reflection of who we are inside ourselves. Embrace the community of the Earth for we are part and parcel of it, never disconnected from it and that what is reflected is us. And that if we
don’t like the reflection we can change it–within ourselves first–and then it will affect change globally.

21. That all things are made up of energy. That energy can be changed but never destroyed. Understanding that energy can be moved from Dark to Light by simply being in your heart and desiring it to be so, can make it so.

22. Knowing that Dark is as necessary as Light and that we, as a planet, have gone through 13,000 years of Dark but that our DAWN and first LIGHT are going to arrive shortly by 2013. And you want to prepare for this incredible Grace and energy distribution that is free to all who desire it.

23. Do not practice Classism; that one group, gender or person is better than another. We all have a heart, a mind and share the same red blood in our veins; which makes us equal.

24. Stands up and is counted when the Dark descends upon you. It may mean standing quietly in your core for small or large challenges that may arrive in your life / career / family. You know the difference in when to fight, when to retreat and to choose your battles wisely.

25. Understands the use of anger but uses/transforms it into a pro-active energy and action to catapult Light, instead of sinking into the rage which puts us into the firm clutches of the Darkness. Anger is a useful tool, but never taken out to harm others. Ever.

26. Does not envy anyone, is not jealous of anyone and is learning to respect your own inner qualities, skills and who and what you are, instead.

27. Does not lie; will always tell the Truth.

28. Does not tell half lies or half truths or some part of truth you feel you want another to know–but not the WHOLE truth. Truth will out and you know that. You are willing to tell the truth even if it does not get you what you want, even if it humiliates you or shows you to be terribly human. Truth is one of the core qualities of a Warrior for the Light.

29. To recognize and absorb and radiate the beauty that is all around you; large and small. To acknowledge the beauty in others, in yourself, and in ‘all your relations’ that live with you on our planet.

30. To have FAITH when the darkness falls upon you. When you go through the ‘gauntlet’ or the Dark Night of the Soul, as all of us must and do, to know that God or whomever you believe in, is there to hold and support you through this transformative action.

31. To surrender over to a higher power only. You do not surrender to anyone else, for that is giving your power away. Understanding that by surrender, you are placing yourself in the hands of a compassionate energy (be it God or whomever you believe in) who loves you and will take care of you no matter how rough Life gets for you.

32. To understand that “this took, shall pass,” and that whatever harsh Life lessons you are learning now and in the future, that the cycle will stop and complete itself. That you must just persevere, surrender to a higher power and have faith and do the best you can with your test. That is all that is required of you.

33. That you are a unique being here on this planet and that who you are, what you are, is needed and necessary for the Light to dissolve the Dark. Belief in yourself, respect of yourself, is essential as never before. Each person is like a beautiful wildflower–different and yet beautiful in your uniqueness.

34. Honoring your skills, your experiences in life that have shaped and formed you. That what you know is unique and only you have this knowing. These are tools you have developed that can be utilized not only by yourself, but shared with others on a positive level.

35. You treat your body as a temple and as a partner. Giving it nourishing food, healthy food and caring for it as a mother does her baby, comes instinctively. Addictive foods, smoking, and alcohol may be your challenge but you actively work to halt these and make your body an abode that resonates with harmony.

36. Realizing that we are all here on this fragile planet called Earth and that if we do not take care of it–or ourselves–that we will having nothing in the future. And the desire to create a planet as a haven and a new Garden of Eden is a quiet driving force within your heart and spirit.

From the desk of Anyeot GraceWatcher
Dr. Paul E. Jones B.A.M.Div.D.D.

If you would like to read more from Dr. Paul E. Jones, he has books available on LuLu here.

Just took this quiz, and I’m a Prophet Soul

You Are a Prophet Soul

You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone. Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people. Sometimes this faith can lead to disappointment in the long run. No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way. You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle. Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people’s feelings. A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning. You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer. Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

I just saw an amazing video from Dr. Emoto who has filmed water the instant it is freezing.  He showed that your thoughts during the freezing process, influenced how the water looked after it was frozen.  Messages of peace and love created beautiful, symmetric images.  A message like “you fool!” created a blob.

He feels that water is the principal of everything, and if we all have peaceful thoughts, it will influence the water in our life.  May we all send peaceful thoughts to water and to the water in the Gulf to help it heal too.

Amethyst  derives its name from an ancient Greek word amethustos, which means sober.  Although it was first written about as far back as 3,000 BC,  the tale of Bacchus and the nymph Amethyst, might be one of the reasons it is now called the sober stone.

Bacchus was was so mad at Diana over a slight,  he vowed that the next person to enter his forest to worship her, would be devoured by his tigers.  So when the virgin Amethyst entered his forest to worship at Diana’s shrine, and the tigers came after her, she appealed to her goddess for help.  Diana helped her by turned her into a pure white stone.

Bacchus later regretted his actions, and I’ve read two versions of the story…either he poured his wine on the stone, turning it the purple color it is today, or he cried purple tears staining it the color it is today.

The ancients believed then, if you drank wine or spirits from a cup made of amethyst, or had an amethyst stone within it, you would not become drunk.  Although I don’t believe that is literally true, many recovering alcoholics do wear jewelry today that has amethyst stones within it.

Sources
Jewels For Me – History and Lore of Amethyst

gem-meanings.blogspot.com by Forest Harper

My brother collected Birch Branches for me this spring, that were natural dead fall from his humongous Birch tree he has in his backyard.  He collected them during the waxing moon, as I asked him.

I’ve had them since March or April, allowing them to season in my garage.  It is finally time to start making Wands again.

I’ve found two distinct uses for Birch Wands in my research.

1. Cleansing and banishing.  I’ve found references to use of Birch twigs to expel evil spirits.  Birch wands to cleanse sacred areas and sacred spaces.  Some use it to “drive out the old spirits” of last year.
2. Connecting with the Goddess. Birch was associated with the Goddess, and in Celtic lands, it was associated with Brigid.

There are many Goddess references to Birch in various cultures.  The Germanic people identified birth with Bertha, their “White Lady” who was the spirit of spring.

The Norse associated the birch with both Thor as well as Freya. According to their lore, the Lady of the Woods would be angry if her bark was peeled away.  To avoid her wrath, they would wait until the tree was marked by Thor’s lightening before gathering the Bark.

The Celtic saw Brigid in the white branches of birch.

The Native Americans used birch a lot.  As the first tree to seed after the Glaciers receded, its gum was used to glue arrowheads.  Pots were made out of birch, and maple syrup could be stored for a year in the pots. Canoes were made of it, and its wood, bark, fibers, and gum were used for a variety of everyday items.  And birch bark when burned produced an incredibly white light.  Their sweat lodges were made of birch, and when heated, the steam released the oils from the birch which was good for the lungs.

With this long and varied history across many cultures, it is a wonderful wand to use for many reasons.  Healing, as all parts of the tree were used for various healing remedies.  Banishing negativity, evil, and spirits as we saw the ancients believed it to be effective in that.  And finally to honor the Goddess, particularly Brigid and Freya.  I’m so glad that I had the access to some of this wonderful wood to create beautiful wands for my fellow Wiccans and Witches.

Sources:

Sapphiremoon.info Sacred Woods :: Birch
Witch in the Wood Celtic Lunar Calendar
Pagan-Heart – Magickal Uses of Wood
Dragon Oak – Magickal Wood Properties

I don’t know about you, but this witch loves correspondences pages.  Those handy dandy quick reference guides to help plan your rituals.

My first one I posted up was candle color correspondences.  This gives you a quick color guide to choosing candle colors for particular rituals.  It also has color correspondences for chakra points if you are working on a particular chakra.

I plan on posting up more as time goes on, giving you lots of guides you can easily reference, or even print out for your book of shadows.

Brightest Blessings, and I hope this helps you on your path.
Spyrit Dancer

It is, for now, pretty basic, and things I know, but it is always exciting to be going to school. I’m studying first the Correllian Wicca – First Degree course which takes a year to become a First Degree in the Correllian tradition. I like that it has exercises in each section to help with learning to flow energy better…something that every witch can use help with, this one included. All in all, I’m pretty happy and there is a wide variety of courses that I can study almost anything. And you can take up to 8 at a time, (but that is way too many when working full time) but I plan on picking up a few more during the time I’m taking the year long course.

I’ll let you know after I’ve done this for a few weeks what I think.

I love learning, about almost anything.  I’ve two degrees, one in Accounting (yucch) and one in Information systems (yea).  I’ve taken online courses studying wicca, but it was many years ago.

So when searching around Twitter, I found a Witch School online that is currently running a lifetime special that I could afford to take.  I’m seriously considering signing up for it.  After joining their Ning group, I realized they were the old Daily Spell, which I took some free classes from back in 1998.

Being a solitary, and in a town that doesn’t really have an active Wiccan community, my learning is hit or miss.  My rituals are free flowing and heart felt.  Inspiration comes from the Goddess and God.  I also look up rituals in books that I have on hand (many) and write them down in my BOS, but I don’t follow many rituals word for word.  That is what makes the craft special to me.  I’m more into the religious and magick aspect of the craft, rather than the science of the craft.

So, I’m doing a bit more research, a bit of praying to the Goddess about it, but have a feeling I’ll be siging up before the sun sets.

Are you in or out of the broom closet as far as your friends knowing you are a Wiccan?

I thought of this this morning, because my brother will be arriving this evening to visit me for a week. I still remember back in the early 1990s, when I “came out of the broom closet” to him.

He has been an organist for a church, and a regular church goer, for many, many years. To say he didn’t take it very well at first is putting it mildly. Back then, we had some very long letters going back and forth to each other as I explained my point of view, and he tried to grasp it. We didn’t even have email at the time, and I was living in Hawaii, he in Michigan, so it took days for each letter to make it back and forth.

Now though, he has a more accepting world view of religion. Although he is Christan, he feels more like I do…we are all just on different paths to the same universal truth. And he is looking forward to browsing my ritual oils and products when he gets here. (he did mention trying some of my fast money oil while we go gamble. )

How about you, are you “out of the broom closet?” I admit I am to some, to others I’m not. For instance, I have neighbors who are Mormon. They don’t know that on full moons I’m performing rituals. But they do know I’m a vegetarian who is pretty easy going, likes to garden, and a good neighbor.

Some people I tell I walk a Native American path, or I that I sell “metaphysical” products online. Others know I’m a Wiccan. I avoid the word witch for almost everyone, it still has so many negative connotations for many people.

I’ve gone back and forth on having a booth locally at craft fairs, under the name “The Pampered Goddess” and selling my ritual items locally. It would invite criticism, but we also have a new age store that has a booth usually at the events that is received warmly, so it is always hard to say.

My town is odd. Lots of Mormons who tend to be pretty straight laced, yet we have brothels that are legal on the edge of town. Go figure, you’d think the people that settled here, on the whole, would be more open minded.

If you do decide to “come out of the closet” know some facts to help back up your beliefs. Its always better to not just pop off to a friend or family member “I’m a witch” and when their jaw goes back up, and they ask a million questions about it, you don’t know how to answer it. Below is an excerpt from what the Council of American Witches came up with, and is a good fact sheet to print out to tell someone else what your beliefs are.

In 1974, the Council of American Witches in their Spring Witchmeet held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, adopted the “Principals of Wiccan Belief” in an effort to inform and educate the general public, and fledgling Witches. Although the Council disbanded in that same year, other groups and organizations have formed that have adopted these beliefs. Many Witches, including myself, try to practice these Principals in all our affairs – in our Spell Craft, and in our daily living.

The Council of American Witches finds it necessary to define modern Witchcraft in terms of the American experience and needs.We are not bound by traditions from other times and other cultures, and owe no allegiance to any person or power greater than the Divinity manifest through our own being. As American Witches, we welcome and respect all life-affirming teachings and traditions, and seek to learn from all and to share our learning within our Council. It is in the spirit of welcome and cooperation that we adopt these few principles of Wiccan belief. In seeking to be inclusive, we do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of our group by those on self-serving power trips, or to philosophies and practices contradictory to these principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny participation with us to any who are sincerely interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference. We therefore ask only that those who seek to identify with us accept these few basic principles:

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal quarters and cross-quarters.We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment.
2. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than is apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called “supernatural,” but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power of the Universe as manifesting through polarity–as masculine and feminine–and that this same creative Power lives in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sexuality as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of Life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds– sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, the Inner Planes, etc.–and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7. We see religion, magick, and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it–a world view and philosophy of life, which we identify as Witchcraft or the Wiccan Way.
8. Calling oneself “Witch” does not make a Witch–but neither does heredity itself, or the
   collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within him/herself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with Nature.
9. We acknowledge that it is the affirmation and fulfillment of life, in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and to our personal role within it.
10. Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be “the one true right and only way” and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practices and belief.
11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present, and our future.
12. We do not accept the concept of “absolute evil,” nor do we worship any entity known as
    “Satan” or “the Devil” as defined by Christian Tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept the concept that personal benefits can only be derived by denial to another.
13. We work within Nature for that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

I have heard this for a long time, and read it in many books. But this recent article in the digital journal shows that Wicca is growing faster than I thought.

While Jews, Muslims and Christians fight among themselves, one religion has darted in front of all the others to become the America’s fastest growing faith.

The religion of the witch trials becomes religion of the future with the membership exploding, according to experts. This is bringing consternation to believers in the Big Three of faith.

One expert claims that the number of Wiccan experts is doubling every 30 months. A recent book entitled “Generation Hex” by author Marla Alupoaicei declares that it will be the third largest religion of faith by the year 2012. This explosion of membership in Wicca has come about because of social estrangement, loneliness and the need to belong according to Dillon Burroughs co-author of the book. Although the West Coast and Salem, Massachussets is experiencing the most rapid growth, groups can be found all over the country, including the South and Mountain states.

Its about time is all I can say. Like a lot of Wiccans, I attended church regularly when I was younger. I was a member of the Methodist faith, Missionary Church, and have attended everything from Catholic to Pentacostal services. I always believed in more however, I felt that God was everywhere, in every rock, tree, person and flowed in energy that I could feel ever since I was young.

But it wasn’t until I was in an anthropology class in the 1980s, and read about tribes found in the 50s in the Brazalian rain forest that had never had outside contact with other humans that I really questioned Christian religion. How could this tribe, who had its own heirachy of Gods, be dammed to hell by virtue of never having been exposed to Christianity? The God of my understanding wouldn’t do that.

I was lucky, because it was within a few years of this I was exposed to Wicca through, of all things, a sci-fi book. Because of it, I got my hands on Scott Cunningham’s book, guide to the Solitary Practitioner, and my path has been Wiccan/Native American ever since.

I think a lot of people are questioning their faith. They see elaborate, expensive churches, evangelists begging for money on TV. The church getting richer, and the common folk getting poorer. Tithing that is required in some religions, despite incomes dropping. And those same evangelists, pastors, and fathers; who are supposed to be their spiritual leaders; charged with all kinds of sins and crimes.

Then along comes a religion that doesn’t require an expensive church. In fact, it is better practiced outdoors in natural settings. It doesn’t require a pastor or father as a channel between you and God, but shows you how to ask the God and Goddess (and numerous other deities) for help directly. Instead of going to a service and listening to a sermon, you create sacred space and create your own rituals and ask the God and Goddess to come and listen and help.

My God and Goddess are very personal to me. I talk to them on a daily basis, and ask them for help and guidance in all aspects of my life. I don’t eat animals, because my belief is harming none. And I follow the threefold law, and try to treat others as I want to be treated, and not put harm out into the universe, but love and understanding.

I hold rituals in sacred space to better attune myself to the Gods, to concecrate items I sell to other Wiccans, to celebrate the Sabbats and Esabbats, and to honor the Goddess and God.

It is not surprising then that others want to follow this path. It is also not surprising as more and more do, the organized religions of the world might use scare tactics to “bring people back into the fold”, trying to paint Wicca as one step away from worshiping Satan.

Please, I don’t even believe he exists, let alone worship it! I believe Satan was a construct of the church to help bring the pagans of the time “back into the fold” and was based on the Horned God of my understanding, the God of the hunt, fields, and forest. If there is anything even remotely “Satan like” it is evil people who do horrible acts against others.

I think Wicca is here to stay, and I celebrate the fact is is growing and there are more and more people out there that feel as I do. We are all free to worship whatever deity we feel closest too, and do as we will as long as it harms none (including ourself).

Time will tell how this will all pan out, but as our numbers grow, and we become more in the majority, I see mainstream religions having to accept us, or find themselves fading in popularity. Hopefully, we can all learn from each other, and learn tolerate each others beliefs.

I will always remember that word. A local radio station when I was growing up, every Friday the 13th, would have a contest for all the people who suffer Triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number 13 or of Friday the 13th. The 13th caller would win 13 pounds of 45 records (shows you how old I am, lol) which happened to be 169 of them which is (insert spooky music here) 13 x 13.

From the site Wikapedia, the origins are murky.

Some Christian traditions have it that at the Last Supper, Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th to sit at the table, and that for this reason 13 is considered to carry a curse of sorts.

Triskaidekaphobia may have also affected the Vikings—it is believed that Loki in the Norse pantheon was the 13th god. More specifically, Loki was believed to have engineered the murder of Baldr, and was the 13th guest to arrive at the funeral. This is perhaps related to the superstition that if thirteen people gather, one of them will die in the following year. This was later Christianized in some traditions into saying that Satan was the 13th angel. Another Norse tradition involves the myth of Norna-Gest: when the uninvited norns showed up at his birthday celebration—thus increasing the number of guests from ten to thirteen the norns cursed the infant by magically binding his lifespan to that of a mystic candle they presented to him.

The Mesopotamian Code of Hammurabi (ca. 1760 BC) omits 13 in its numbered list. This seems to indicate a superstition existed long before the Christian era. Ancient Persians believed the twelve constellations in the Zodiac controlled the months of the year, and each ruled the earth for a thousand years at the end of which the sky and earth collapsed in chaos. Therefore, the thirteenth is identified with chaos and the reason Persian leave their houses to avoid bad luck on the thirteenth day of the Persian Calendar (a tradition called Sizdah Bedar).

In 1881, an influential group of New Yorkers led by U.S. Civil War veteran Captain William Fowler came together to put an end to this and other superstitions. They formed a dinner club, which they called the Thirteen Club. At the first meeting, on Friday 13 January 1881 at 8:13 p.m., 13 people sat down to dine in room 13 of the venue. The guests walked under a ladder to enter the room and were seated among piles of spilled salt. All of the guests survived. Thirteen Clubs sprang up all over North America for the next 40 years. Their activities were regularly reported in leading newspapers, and their numbers included five future U.S. presidents, from Chester A. Arthur to Theodore Roosevelt. Thirteen Clubs had various imitators, but they all gradually faded from interest as people became less superstitious.

But 13 is also a number that was attributed to Witches, which added to the superstition. Many covens limited membership to 13, because anything larger started to become unwieldy, so they would “hive”. Basically a newly ordained High Priest or Priestess in the coven would leave an start their own. Since witchcraft was only written about by an actual witch after the 1950s however, by Gerald Gardner after Brittan repealed its last witchcraft law, this seems to be a more modern superstition.

For me, the 13th has always been a lucky day. It seems I’ve had more good things happen on a Friday the 13th, then bad. I hope none of you suffer from Triskaidekaphobia and have a very lucky Friday the 13th.