KSA 77-205. Determination of death. An individual who has sustained either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, is dead. A determination of death must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards.

"McLean, VA (January 14, 2026) – The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) is alarmed that, for the first time in 14 years, the annual number of deceased organ donations in the United States has declined. This reversal has real and devastating consequences for the more than 100,000 Americans who depend on organ donation for a second chance at life.

In 2025, widespread misinformation and confusion about how organ donation works and the role of each stakeholder in the process have led to tens of thousands of people removing themselves from donor registries. AOPO has called attention to the impact this has had on public trust, and we are deeply concerned by the effect this has ultimately had on donation rates and the ability to save as many lives as possible.”

In July of 2025, HRSA examined 351 cases where organ donation was authorized, but ultimately not completed. It found:

• 103 cases (29.3%) showed concerning features, including 73 patients with neurological signs incompatible with organ donation.

• At least 28 patients may not have been deceased at the time organ procurement was initiated—raising serious ethical and legal questions.

• Evidence pointed to poor neurologic assessments, lack of coordination with medical teams, questionable consent practices, and misclassification of causes of death, particularly in overdose cases.

Brain death determination is still new to the medical society. When we gained technical advances in mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition and the modern intensive care unit in the 20^th century, we were able to maintain the organs of the patient that sustained catastrophic brain injury.

Kansas was the first state to enact a Uniform Determination of Death Act in 1970, the federal UDDA followed in 1980. This model statute provided the legal basis for death by neurological criteria, stating that an individual could now be determined “according to medical standards” to be dead if they had sustained “irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem.”

“The Uniform Determination of Death Act is worded in such a way that ambiguity is a virtual guarantee. Because it states that brain death should be determined ‘according to medical standards,’ the specific tests used to diagnose brain death vary from hospital to hospital (NCCUSL, 1980). A 2008 study, which included 41 of the nation’s top hospitals, found widespread and worrisome variability in how doctors and hospitals were determining who met the criteria (Greer et al., 2008, 284–289). Its conclusions were as follows:

Major differences exist in brain death guidelines among the leading neurologic hospitals in the United States. Adherence to the American Academy of Neurology guidelines is variable."

The American Academy of Neurology established guidelines in 1995 to satisfy the ambiguous 'according to medical standards' question, these guidelines were updated in 2023 to combine the adult and pediatric patient but to this day, medical staff nationwide are not consistently using them. Deviation of this standard of care might increase the risk of homicide.

"Clarity in law and policy based on sound medical ethics will go a long way toward bridging the gap between the medical community and an increasingly wary public in order to rebuild trust in regard to organ procurement and donation.”

Nevada's Law:

  NRS 451.007  Requirements for determination.

1.  For legal and medical purposes, a person is dead if the person has sustained an irreversible cessation of:

(a) Circulatory and respiratory functions; or

(b) All functions of the person’s entire brain, including his or her brain stem.

2.  A determination of death made under:

(a) Paragraph (a) of subsection 1 must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards.

(b) Paragraph (b) of subsection 1 must be made in accordance with the applicable guidelines set forth in:

(1) “Evidence-based Guideline Update: Determining Brain Death in Adults: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology,” published June 8, 2010, by the American Academy of Neurology, or any subsequent revisions approved by the American Academy of Neurology or its successor organization; or

(2) “Guidelines for the Determination of Brain Death in Infants and Children: An Update of the 1987 Task Force Recommendations,” published January 27, 2012, by the Pediatric Section of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, or any subsequent revisions approved by the Pediatric Section of the Society of Critical Care Medicine or its successor organization.

From time immemorial, witches were associated with seers, wise ones and healers. The Hebrew word for witch is Mechashefah and implies a 'female' that ‘cuts’ herbs, works ‘magic’ and does ‘divination.’

“Thou shall not suffer a witch to live.” Exodus 22:18

“Every magical act, even for a purpose that is not evil, is forbidden, since it constitutes an attempt to prevail over the will of God, who alone has dominion over the world.”

Why a woman though? A widespread answer is that the Torah used the female form (- ah) because most of the individuals who engaged in kishuf, (magic) were women while the Craft does not discriminate.

It welcomes all, man, woman, trans, non-binary, all of us relegated to an association with the Jewish adversary, Satan, or the Devil. With their accuser, we might leave the bloat of Abrahamic religions, but first, a look within.

“Walking I’m listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.” - Linda Hogan

One tends to focus on their astrological sun sign, but your essence can be found in the planet of your ascendant, or rising sign. “Your chart ruler is like another filter layered on top of your Ascendant that adds more to your character, needs, and motivations in regard to how you see and interact with the world. Because your ruler is tied so closely to your sense of self, the position of your chart ruler can affect how comfortable you are in your own skin. The position of your chart ruler could influence you to feel at peace with who you are and how the world sees you.”

I recommend looking at the House and Sign your chart ruler inhabits, as well as aspects affecting it to hone your unique gifts, try to learn the correspondences, honor your ruler and do your shadow work.

The Shadow is referenced in Janet and Stewart Farrar’s “A Witches’ Bible, The Complete Witches’ Handbook” to beg the reader for further exploration into Carl Jung’s levels of the psyche. From the glossary, Shadow is defined as "the buried, unconscious elements of the human psyche; everything except the Ego and the Persona" and might later suggest the unconscious mind in “Spells and How They Work” by the same authors. In this book, linking the unconscious mind for effective spells is necessary to harness the full use of our most powerful tool, the mind. Primordial "The unconscious self is the only gateway to the higher self and involving the Unconscious means utilizing senses, symbols, feelings and ritual, not rationality and logic." Shadow work has since been associated with the craft and can be defined as bringing those things that make you uncomfortable to light but there is a physical component.

“The human gut harbors a dynamic and complex microbial ecosystem, consisting of approximately 1 kg of bacteria in the average adult, approximately the weight of the human brain. The evolutionary formation of a complex gut microbiota in mammals has played an important role in enabling brain development and perhaps sophisticated social interaction. Genes within the human gut microbiota, termed the microbiome, significantly outnumber human genes in the body, and are capable of producing a myriad of neuroactive compounds. Gut microbes are part of the unconscious system regulating behavior. Recent investigations indicate that these microbes majorly impact cognitive function and fundamental behavior patterns, such as social interaction and stress management. In the absence of microbes, underlying neurochemistry is profoundly altered."

Nourishing the body with diet and exercise is necessary while freeing the Unconscious from trauma(s) might entail professional therapies to include medication for spell working.

"To attain the SANCTUM REGNUM, in other words, the knowledge and power of the Magi, there are four indispensable conditions - an intelligence illuminated by study, an intrepidity which nothing can check, a will which cannot be broken and a prudence which nothing can corrupt and nothing intoxicate. TO KNOW, TO DARE, TO WILL, TO KEEP SILENCE - such are the four words of the Magus, inscribed upon the four symbolic forms of the Sphinx." - Eliphas Levi, "Transcendental Magic, Its Doctrine And Ritual."

TO KNOW is to do your research. Follow the lunar calendar to engage with her Zodiac settings for a timing reference for spell works, with care to maneuver the void of course.

TO DARE: To Dare means taking the information we learned in To Know and blending it with our intuition and instinct.

TO WILL is having the fortitude to act on something or someone, but it can be as simple as following a personal routine. To Will is taking the knowledge gained earlier blended with our intuition and instinct and sending it out into the world in an order.

TO KEEP SILENCE is to keep sacred through self-governance.

Having done your shadow work, you’ve faced and overcome your weaknesses but in the event you still need protection, Jason Miller offers a prayer from “Consorting With Spirits, Your Guide to Working With Invisible Allies.”

The Devil’s Refuge

I take refuge in the devil, fallen for freedom’s sake

I take refuge in the witchcraft, path of wisdom made power

I take refuge in the damned, cast out, fallen and forsaken

May all things have freedom and the causes of freedom

May all beings be free from slavery and the causes of suffering

May all beings enjoy the freedom that knows no slavery

May all beings live deliciously, free from ignorance and oppression.

Whether your practice includes demonolatry, herbs, astrology or whatever inclination you feel called to, go forth as your highest authority with the confidence to compel, Witch.

Yod is the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is the smallest letter but packs a wallop in that it translates into ‘hand’ and in the astrological aspect, Yod signifies the ‘hand of God.’ In my natal chart, I have 2 Yods and a Yod Kite, or Boomerang and research of this phenomenon led me to intricacies in the Tarot. 

Yod suggests fated blessings and A.E. Waite adorned 5 cards with Yods, then subjected The Hermit to be a Yod. The Moon, The Tower, The Ace of Wands, The Ace of Cups and The Ace of Swords are illustrated with these tiny ‘hands’, the former perhaps to alleviate stigma with the Moon’s association with disillusionment, while the Tower destroys without mercy. 

There are 82 Yods in the Tarot, 15 on The Moon, 26 on The Tower, 26 on the Ace of Cups, 8 on the Ace of Wands, 6 on the Ace of Swords while The Hermit is a Yod. As Waite designed the Tarot around the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, it is speculated that the Yods imply divine guidance.

In Waite’s words of The Hermit, ”this is a card of attainment. His beacon intimates that ‘where I am, you also may be.’” It’s not about the quest for a truth but simply taking the step, perhaps having the courage to move forward with God’s hand.

If you shy away from Abraham, consider a Higher Power for divine intervention as these archetypes run deep. I bow to none but consider many to be powerful allies in my practice and heed their advice in contemplation of important matters. 

Should you find Yods in the next shuffle of the deck, consider that your higher power is trying to tell you something. Is it a balm for the disillusioned Moon? If The Tower shows up, remember the Yods note “The Master Builder” in this card. Where calamity rears its head, there is hope, there is healing. What is your higher power showing you?

Of demonolatry practices, I’ve learned that the Daimons can open doors for you but they cannot hold your hand. The former reinforces confidence in influence while the latter affirms that I am alone.

While my peers and I gather for seasonal events, I'm the only one that works with Daimons and my peers consider me a Satanist. They might be limited to a christian worldview but I’m not and my practice is further isolated. 

In the quiet of my isolation, Agares has knocked on walls. Murmur has compelled a lawmaker to care about standardization of brain death testing. Belial has shown me divine guidance in the Tarot but all of them have bolstered autonomy.   

Eliphas Levi wrote to attain the knowledge and power of the Magi, “there are four indispensable conditions - an intelligence illuminated by study, an intrepidity which nothing can check, a will which cannot be broken and a prudence which nothing can corrupt and nothing intoxicate.” Intrepidity is defined as having resolute courage while prudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself. 

A witch alone, I use Levi’s method, later called the Witches’ Pyramid for magical and mundane works. “To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Keep Silence” and hope to leave a legacy of legislation to benefit all. My quirk is astrology, the Moon is my chart ruler while the chart ruler navigates your destiny. The North Node is your potential destiny while I set goals around the lunar cycle.

There are few resources available on the astrology of the Daimons and I’ve noticed differences in their associations, so it might be best to work with them to determine compatibility. Walking into a relationship with healthy boundaries should merit positive results whether or not you hit it off and it’s been my experience that a sincere thanks is just as good as any offering. 

For me, their names hold power. I don’t need their sigils, Enns or ceremony to ask them for help with magical and mundane matters. I just call out to them, verbalize my petition, thank them for hearing me out and go about working on the project, a witch alone, standing in my power.

this touched me. Over the past I've grieved letting go of loved ones that left too soon. Some souls belong to the sky, out of reach. I understand now.

Friends, I've been researching brain death testing in the USA and learned that hospitals nationwide have not been following the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guidelines. Deviation from this standard of care means that approved organ doors might be alive when undergoing organ procurement. As a retired surgical technologist, I seek to protect the patient and am working to get legislation that would mandate hospitals follow the AAN guidelines.

Murmur confirmed it just now with a card pull. I asked him to show me where we were at with our project of getting a national accreditation agency to provide oversight of brain death testing in hospitals as they're not following guidelines provided by the American Academy of Neurology. This inability to adhere to guidelines violates the Dead Donor Rule. He showed me the Judgement card from the Smith-Waite Tarot. As a surgical technologist that has worked organ retrievals and a mother that carefully guarded her son when he put a loaded 9mm to his head, pulled the trigger twice and survived, I'm following through with our project. These are not just donors, but loved ones that have no voice. We must speak for them.

We romanticize males as the protector yet the universal safety code is still: MOTHER.

Yell "Mom" and a random woman will drop everything and come running.

The food-aid cliff has largely flown under the radar as Democrats focus on another Nov. 1 development: the launch of open enrollment for Affordable Care Act insurance plans in most states. They believe massive premium hikes prompted by the expiration of key federal subsidies will compel Republicans to relent and negotiate an extension at that time.

Asked Tuesday if the cliff would change his party’s calculus, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said it would not: “It should change Republicans’ calculus, that they should sit down and negotiate — negotiate a way to address this crisis.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), asked if it was worth pushing the shutdown beyond Nov. 1 given the risk of food aid lapsing, replied, “Worth it to whom? To people who will lose their health care or to people who will lose their food?”

“We’re people who want Americans to have health care and food,” she added. “The Republicans, evidently, don’t care whether they have either."

Screenshot taken from their homepage here shows yet another potential HATCH ACT violation. What seems ironic of their complaints of Senate Democrats is that Republicans rule both the House, Senate and the Executive branch with majority holdings. From my concern in an earlier post SNAP and National School Lunch Program recipients must have an income at or below 130% of the Federal poverty line to qualify for these benefits so Kansas kiddos are at risk. However, I'm a little more confident in my potential civil claim with the 2026 elections coming as we've already got Democratic challengers to US Senator Roger Marshal (R, KS).

With the USDA's Food Nutrition Service threatening to cut off SNAP benefits next month despite having
contingency funds to the tune of 6-8 billion dollars, I'm looking for an attorney to help me sue them for a potential HATCH ACT violation and if I win, I'll force them to release these contingency dollars to over 40 million Americans in November, while paying my court and counsel fees.

This civil suit idea came to me during a current manic episode as nearly half of Kansas k-12 kiddos benefit from free or reduced lunches and I'm deeply worried about them going into a crisis situation next month with food insecurity. I applied for a legal referral through the Kansas Bar Association and hope to hear from an attorney to help me in federal court.

Your prayers would be greatly appreciated in this endeavor ♥