My Latest Tattoo

One more tattoo in my tattoo addiction/collection. This is a Triple Moon, in honor of the Great Maiden. Mother, Crone. With the words to my favorite chant added.This is on the front of my left thigh.

The Wheel Turns......

"Slowly the energy of summer has shifted, and we begin to see signs of the wheel's turning. The earth ripens and grows mellow~we can smell the warm and heavy difference in the air. All around us, plants once stiff with juice are softening and drying, going to seed. Everywhere are signs of the early harvest, with roadside stands and farmer's markets overflowing with produce. The light at sunset grows hazy and golden, and the nighttime insect's lullabye outside our windows are softer and less strident, weaving through our dreams. Summer has passed its prime." Celebrating the Great Mother.

Sassafras leaf turned orange-gold

Dogwood berries call to the birds

Eastern Tent Caterpillars getting ready to come out of their home
Bee Balm gone to seed.

Lammas Blessings

May the blessings of a fruitful harvest be yours on this Lammas Day.

Solstice Pics!

Finally, Solstice pictures from my circle's solstice gathering. This was on Sunday evening, we had our feast on Saturday, but didn't get to the bonfire until then. It was a blast! Everyone had a great time. Sophie enjoyed leading the dance around the Solstice fire. :)

The altar with our little wickerman. ;)

Sophie's own version of the fire dance. She enjoyed herself immensely.

John, our drummer, with a little help from circle sister, Glorymoon. :)

A little faery helps get the altar ready.

David and I dance with the kids.

Our very own solstice faery!

The solstice bonfire in all its glory, thanks David.

Sophie with her drum, she seems to have a natural talent for drumming.

Taking the drummer, John's drum and her own to the circle to begin the drumming.



What a great night! I hope you all had a wonderful solstice. Blessings.

Family Full Moon Wish Spell

Today is the Full Moon. In honor of Her loveliness this night, here is a sweet Full Moon Wish Spell to share with your children.

Family Moon Wish Spell

Time: Any Full Moon

Tools: Bonfire or fire pit (or small cauldron)

Scraps of white paper

Silver and blue markers, pens, colored pencils, or crayons

Herbs: jasmine, rose, lavender & rosemary

1. Set out a bowl of the mixed herbs for each member of the family who will be participating.

2. Gather in a circle around the bonfire or cauldron. Hold hands and meditate for a moment, mentally casting the circle. Have someone call each of the four directions.

3. Pass around the paper and writing instruments. Have everyone write down everything they wish to manifest by the next full moon. Do not hold back on this step, even if it seems ridiculous, put it down.The younger members who cannot write yet can draw pictures or have older members help them. Remember to vigilantly watch anyone younger than ten around the fire.

4. Welcome the Moon Goddess by saying:

Tonight we welcome the Moon

Round as the mother's womb

We send our wishes out into the night

To be heard by the Goddess bright

From full to dark then full again,

Please grant us our wishes by then.

5. Have everyone throw their wishes into the fire, followed by a handful of herbs to seal the spell.

6. Clasp hands again and watch the papers curl and burn. Meditate on the idea of your wishes soon being fulfilled.

7. When you are ready, break the silence and open the circle.Do not forget to thank the Goddess and God.

8. Bring out snacks and drinks and enjoy the fire. Feast and talk.

The Star is Shining

My star/pentacle is finally up! Well, actually, it's been up for several weeks and I have just now remembered to take a photo. Isn't it great! It is in the center of the front of the house. The window on the right is the temple. How sweet!

Building Mother Winter's House

Instead of the usual, generic gingerbread house, consider building a gingerbread house as an offering, thinking of all the gifts of the Goddess you are grateful for and choosing candy and decorations to represent them. The house then becomes a symbol of the abundant wonders we've received from the Mother--and the empty space inside can symbolize the unknown gifts we hope for in the future.

Here is Sophie and her brother's version this year. :)

A great story to read along with making this house is Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root.

In it Grandmother Winter lives all alone with her snow white flock of geese. When she shakes out her downy masterpiece, the flakes begin to fall, sending nature's creatures scurrying for cover. A beautiful book about the nature's seasons.

Here is a lovely version of the story of Mother Winter and the Goddess Holle.

Mother Holle is an old pagan Goddess. She was associated with the darkest nights of winter. She rode on the winter winds, bringing purification to the land. This winter purification caused the land to bear good harvest and brought abundance to the people. Frau Holle name means "Beneficent One." She was the protector of the hearth and was gifted at spinning of flax. Her sacred objects were the distaff, flax, coal, the goose and a feathered quilt. The distaff, a tool of spinners, was used to keep the flax in place before it was spun into wool. Wise women used many times the distaff as a magic wand to create good blessings.

The sacred time of the Old Goddess Holle was winter, when it was time to honor ancestral roots. She could be found in the forest, grottoes, fountains and crossroads. She brought her blessings to the newborn and to the dead that were leaving this world. She flew across the skies at Winter Solstice nights with her spiritual host who rode brooms and carried the harvest sickle, shaped like the crescent moon.

But she also appeared as the Virgin on the holidays of Saint Lucia when young girls dressed in white with a crown of evergreens and candles balanced on their heads. They served sweet breads to their family and neighbors, bringing the light on the shortest days of the year.
The Goddess Holle was known to initiate young women into the mysteries of womanhood. She brought blessings to those who proved themselves from their acts of compassion, generosity and forgiveness.

Grimm’s fairytale connects Mother Holle with the old woman who lives in the forest with her flock of geese. She is associated with Mother Goose and Goosefoot Bertha. When she shook her goose feather quilt, the snow would fly. An old proverb says, “The Old woman is feathering her geese” when the snow falls.

Mother Holle brought blessings to the fields of flax and the Spinner. Goddess Holles' power of Spinning is symbolic for the creation of matter. She weaves the atoms of light that have awakened our Consciousness in this human form. We can also be weavers of light by thinking positive thoughts and using our prayer power to create the life of our dreams.

The Mother Holle is considered a Black Goddess. She teaches us the way of trimming our lives of unwanted habits or belief systems that no longer serve our growth, just as the winter wind releases the leaves of autumn from the trees. Her voice can be gentle when we listen to her closely. But when we ignore the gentle voice of the Dark Goddess, she comes as a strong winter storm into our life experience. Her violent storms remove the dead wood from a tree or the dead wood in our life. Mother Holle is an ancient memory. We can still feel her presence in the coldness of the winter winds on a dark Solstice Night.

Yule Smudge Sticks

I made a lot of these last solstice and gave them as gifts to friends and family. They were easy to do and turned out beautifully. We are using them this year to smduge the house for the holidays. They give a clean, refreshing scent to the air.

Gather and use your own smudge stick

Winter is often a cruel time for the trees; harsh weather causes many of them to fall or snap their limbs and send them crashing to the earth. If your yard, a neighbor's yard, or a nearby natural area has any fallen cedar branches, you may want to try this special way to bring the magic of the living green home with you and keep these valuables from going to waste. Smudge sticks are easy to make and satisfying to look at, and the purifying smoke will make a meaningful addition to your Yule celebrations.

Native Americans have known for centuries that cedar, as well as sage, has special purifying properties, especially psychospiritually; if the atmosphere in your home is tense or unhappy, a quick go round with a burning smudge is one way to clean things out and restore a feeling of harmony. Native people harvest the herbs and branches ceremonially and prepare the smudge bundles with ritual. Cedar and sage are also burned in bulk in large abalone shells, with feathers used to direct the smoke.

If you want to make smudges but your cedar trees are all intact, you could see if any judicious pruning is needed; it doesn't take much to make a smudge stick. If you do this, you may want to leave a special gift to thank the tree. (Check a field guide to make sure its cedar you are taking)

To make your own homemade smudges, find several pieces of cedar branch that are green, full, and well leafed, about a foot long. Cut longer ones to this measure. Arrange the branches in a bundles with the tips all facing the same way; these bundles should be about two or three inches thick at their widest point. Then wind the cedar bundles firmly with thin cotton string (embroidery floss works well) starting at the bottom and working up to the tips, then winding back down again so that the thread crisscrosses. Look at the smudges commercially available to see how much string to use. You can sing a special song while you do this, if you like:

All around, all around

Peaceful, peaceful

All around, all around

Peaceful, peaceful

Spirit of the cedar

Calling me, calling me

Spirit of the cedar

Blessing me, blessing me

All around, all around

Peaceful, peaceful

When you have wound the string up and back down, knot it at the bottom and cut off the uneven ends of the branches an inch or so below the knot to make a uniform length. Allow these smudges to dry before lighting. (This can take a good long time)

To use your smudge, light the tip with a match and let it flame fro a moment, then blow out the flame and allow it to continue smoking for as long as you like. Enjoy!

Yule Countdown

Welcome December! Today begins the countdown to the Winter Solstice, or Yule, as the ancients use to call it. The longest night and the shortest day of the year. In northern climates this is the darkest and coldest time of year. The sun seems weak, even dying, and we fear winter will last forever. But as soon as the solstice passes, the days begin to grow longer again. The Solstice is a turning point on the wheel of the year, when the sun symbolically dies and is reborn from the womb of the Goddess.

As we countdown the days til Solstice this year. I hope to share with you some of the meaning and myths of this sacred time of year. Let's begin.

Clean House

Everyone in the family can help clean house before Solstice. Be sure to sweep under the rugs and shake out any feather beds you might have! When you empty the dustpan or throw out the vacuum cleaner bag, name some of the things you want to get rid of. Then steep some rosemary and bay leaves in hot water and add the scented water to the pail when you wash your floors, to bring protection for the new season.

What inner cleansing do you need to do at Solstice time? What is left over from the past year--what dust lurks in your corners? What would you like to get rid of or leave behind?

Ganesh!

The Ganesh murti that I won from WoYoPracMo, arrived today! How exciting and how beautiful! I love it! It is carved from wood and sealed. Very detailed and beautiful. I have always had a great interest in Hindu deities, and this has prompted me to learn a little more about Ganesh. My new Ganesh is living happily in the temple.

"Revered as the Remover of Obstacles, Ganesh is one of India’s most beloved Hindu Gods.
Ganesh has been a ubiquitous presence in Indian art, philosophy and ritual for many millennia. Now, interest in Ganesh’s symbolism and meaning have taken root outside of India. Ganesh’s image, with an elephant head and a human body, is easily recognizable to many Westerners. However, few outside of the Hindu religion are familiar with what he represents or the traditions associated with him.
For the world’s one billion Hindus, Ganesh is a powerful and majestic deity, said to bring good fortune when launching new endeavors. He is also considered a patron-deity of the arts and the Lord of beginnings. The iconography and history of Ganesh go far beyond his link with good fortune. The imagery associated with Ganesh offers a spiritual map of sorts, his every feature rich with meaning both practical and esoteric."

To learn more about Ganesh, check out this website.

Crazy Quilt Cloak Update

I have been working as much as possible on my crazy quilt 'magical' cloak. I have quite a bit done on the embroidery, the hood is completely finished, unless I decide to add something else.:) The lace patches hold crystals and amethyst, charged on my altar. I am hoping to have it finished by then end of August, that is the ten year anniversary of my beginning the pagan/Goddess path. I hope to wear it at the Harvest Gathering ritual in September. I am really enjoying working on it.

Patchwork Cloak Update

The piecing is finished! All of the patchwork pieces are basted down to the lining fabric, and the hood is basted on just to see how it fits. This was all done by hand. It took me about 8 hours of sewing, I guess, over the past week. Next comes the FUN. The embroidery! I found some fabulous iridescent floss called, "light effects" it shimmers. It's going to make fantastic embroidered stars, spiderwebs, and moons. Oh I am so excited! It may not be finished by my August 10 year 'pagan-versary', but it will definitely be done by September, and the Harvest Gathering. More updates as I progress on the embroidery.

Crazy Quilt Cloak ~ finally!

I finally got started putting the patch pieces on my crazy quilt cloak!!! I am so excited about starting it. I was hoping to have it done by next month, my 10 year pagan-versary. However, I don't think it will happen, starting so late, the embroidery alone will take many hours. The piecing does go a lot faster than I expected though. Watch for more updates as this project progresses. Yeah!

Below is my adorable Egyptian Mau, Cleopatra snoozing on the porch swing. Such a darling.

(This is the middle of the back)

Beltane Celebration~as promised

Last night my circle had our Beltane celebration. It was wonderful with a potluck feast and much socializing, May pole and Beltane fire dancing.

Ribbons in the wind.

Spiral Goddess bread

Table with fresh flower headbands

The children having their feast

Sophie loves her headband

Getting ready to weave the ribbons

Nearly there

Finished May pole ~ lovely

Our Beltane fire

Our drummer ~ yeah ~ thanks John

Fledgling drummer

Beltane dancing

Dancing around the fire