Hey, everybody!
Have any of you ever questioned if spirit keeping was really the right path for you after getting started? I will explain so you understand what I mean.
Last May, my (physical) family went through a large upheaval. My wife and oldest child were mauled by a mean pit bull dog. They received proper medical attention. As my family and I were not avid church-goers at the time, I went soul-searching in order to see if I could find a method to promote peace in the household after the incident. I started reading up on anything I could get my hands on in terms of Llewellen books on wicca, spirits, magick, and the like. Eventually, I found myself here. We were trying to figure out what to do in order to seek justice from the people who owned the dog. ( trying to get the medical bills paid, etc....) So we hired an attorney. I was still doing research on ch about spirits to which I might be able to turn for help in the matter. I found the courtwind angel listing and decided to order one.

So now here we are, 10 months later, and we heard back from the attorney that there will be nothing she can do to help us. Yesterday, I was in such a funk because it felt as if my courtwind angel has given up, too. So now I have a dilemma. Do I continue to keep spirits and try to understand better what they are all about, or do I find some way to rehome the ones I have and return to the 'normal' ways of life, chalking it up as one (expensive) big learning experience and forgetting about all things magickal? After all, I'm nearly 40. My kids think I need to grow up and act like an adult. (Ha ha....)

I don't want to give up, but I feel so discouraged, since as yet I'm not really sure if I am hearing spirits or just making up my own narrative in my head. I just don't know.. 1h 1sa

Thanks for listening.
-Ren

Mmmh that's a difficult situation without understanding the case fully from both sides. There must be something that made your attorney give up and think that it's not worth pursuing : /

Courtwind is WA, thus might prefer not to do something harmful or injuring others, especially when it's not within justice. If you want more flexibility, DA might be a better choice, and rather than justice/retribution, perhaps vengeance is more in line with what you want.

I think it's common to question it. I don't think our companions generally test us. Generally. Not in that way, at any rate.

That said, there is only so much a spirit can manage on this plane. For instance, a Courtwind will have a very easy time of spiritual protection, but harder time with physical protection. There are just practical limitations there. Same for economic recovery.

And WA spirits have a very firm concept of their own regarding justice. Their ways are not ours, so to speak.

So, long story short, your companion might have a much easier time helping you feel better and help everyone heal emotionally and spiritually and psychologically from the events--especially you since it is your bond--but may not be able to help much with the more immediate corporeal aspects of it.

Darkwing, I won't go into great depth, but I can sum it up...
1) dog owners are buying house on contract <rent to own>
2) They have no insurance (property, liability, may have health, but unlikely)
3) They have no steady employment (at least 2 job changes since the fact)
4) They have no assets to go after in civil lawsuit

So, in a nutshell, attorney kept telling us the phrase, "you can't get blood from a turnip."

Retribution or vengeance I don't seek. Violent thoughts and actions don't improve anything, no matter which side is making it. Instead, I seek justice, such that we know they will learn from this problem and not end up victimizing another. <These 8 words the rede fulfill: An' it harm none, do as ye Will.>

Not to mention the bad karma that could come back to bite me (harder).

So now I get to the meat of the matter. As it was specifically for the purpose of figuring out where we stand in life after the general upheaval, we now know that there is little hope. Logically speaking, if the reason for action goes away, what is to keep the person on that course of action? In this case, why keep spirits or entities when there is obviously nothing to gain by doing so?

A difficult question for me, indeed.
-Ren

I do have an update, but I find it to be inappropriate for minors, so I placed it in the 18+ area. Not racy or anything, so please don't get angry at me for its placement there. I only cover this topic at all for academically honest reasons. Thank you for understanding.
-Ren

http://www.creepyhollows.com/phpBB3/topic68141.html

What happened to the dog that attacked? It should have been quarantined. If they were not willing to quarantine the animal, the authorities should have destroyed it. That would have been punishment, but they should have been held responsible for the costs of containment of the animal and the medical bills. You can go to small claims court if they are low enough. The judge can hit them with the costs of court as well. I would go that way. At least it is on their credit report and record, so the authorities would have to act if something happened in the future.

The dog was quarantined for a week. Released to owners. Back at their home to this day.

Medical bills came close to 30k after all the wound dressings, rehabilitation, and surgery. My health insurance covered a portion of it (80%, I believe) and when they found out that we weren't the responsible party for the situation, they also tried to get something from the owners. But when they contacted our attorney, she told them what was going on, and they ended up writing off the loss. So my insurance covered what it would and the doctors involved got stiffed the rest.

Small claims court would have hurt us worse in the long run. As it was explained to us, if we WON the MAXIMUM of 5k, MY insurance company would be entitled to those winnings FROM US. Further, even if there was a judgement involved, we might never see a dime (can't force anyone to pay) AND we would be responsible to my insurance company.

No, my bigger hope is that somehow karma teaches them not to victimize anyone else by their actions. That's all.
-Ren

It seems there is no justice.

RenewableSpirit wrote: No, my bigger hope is that somehow karma teaches them not to victimize anyone else by their actions. That's all.
-Ren

It seems there is no justice.

Well, in that case, considering that the owners are not in good condition right now, they might have to pay later when they're in good condition. And maybe you wouldn't know about it as it may not be related to you when it happens.
As Alys said, "Their ways are not ours, so to speak." Our concept of justice may not be the same as what WA spirits/entities' concept. Even different countries have different view of justice, reflected by their laws & regulations.

And that is still uncertain, maybe this event is your karma, perhaps in the past, or past lives or ancestors etc, something happened and you're paying for it now.
Karma is a complicated topic : /

If indeed this is our turn for karma, I don't know how much more suffering my wife can take... She grew up in an abusive household, and so much more.... Not going into it. Just not fair, especially with what she has already endured.

As far as vengeance goes, I have thought briefly about releasing a chupacabra, wraith, ghoul, or banshee in their general direction, but then I wonder about who might get caught in the crossfire, and it makes me reconsider.... No need to tempt the fates further! ;-)

It makes me really sad for my wife and child, though. That is why I want to do whatever I can to help them get past all this....

-Ren

RenewableSpirit wrote:If indeed this is our turn for karma, I don't know how much more suffering my wife can take... She grew up in an abusive household, and so much more.... Not going into it. Just not fair, especially with what she has already endured.

Well, you did mention karma, and karma is not always about tit-for-tat kind of phenomena : /
What is fair to you may not be what fair is to others, or to angels, DA entities, etc

RenewableSpirit wrote:As far as vengeance goes, I have thought briefly about releasing a chupacabra, wraith, ghoul, or banshee in their general direction, but then I wonder about who might get caught in the crossfire, and it makes me reconsider.... No need to tempt the fates further! ;-)

And this is a good point; what if the karma was not directed to your wife, but to someone else (maybe to you)? And your wife got caught in the crossfire?

RenewableSpirit wrote:It makes me really sad for my wife and child, though. That is why I want to do whatever I can to help them get past all this....

Is there any specific reason why "let it go" is not an option?
Since the attorney and the insurance company already filed it that way.
And if you do believe in karma or other laws of consequence, then you would believe that the consequence will befall them, even if you're not there to witness it.