Tea Blessing Meditation

The purpose of this blessing and meditation is to pay homage to Deity and to reflect on the blessings in your life.

~ Tea, looseleaf or bags
~ Cup and Tea Pot
~ Incense
~ Green and White Candle


Place and arrange the pot of brewed tea and cup on the table. Light candles and incense, fill the cup with the brewed tea.



BLESSING OF THE TEA:







Gracious Goddess,
You who are the Queen of the Gods,
The Lamp of Night,
The Creator of all that is wild and free
Mother of woman and man;
Lover of the Horned God, and Protectress of all the Craft;
Descend, I Pray,
With Your Lunar ray of power,
Upon my rite here!

Blazing God,
You who are the King of the Gods,
Lord of the Sun,
Master of all that is wild and free;
Father of woman and man;
Lover of the Cresent Goddess, and protector of all the Craft;
Descend, I pray,
With Your Solar ray of power,
Upon my rite here!

Pour out a cup for all present, including one for Deity and enjoy. Sit before the table and meditate on the blessings that Deity has bestowed upon your life.

Family Traditions

There's a book that I've ordered recently called Circle Round raising children in the Goddess tradition. I first became aware of it a few months ago on Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom's blog where Mrs. B gave it a great review. I have been mulling over this book, checking reviews and putting a lot of thought into whether or not I should buy it to introduce (more in depth) my beliefs with my youngest two children. My kids know that I'm pagan and  have a basic understanding of what that means but I never really taught them exactly what my spiritual path is all about.

When I was their age (after my father passed away), it was not an option to choose which spiritual path I wanted to follow, I was going to go to the catholic church and follow the belief system that my mother thought I should. I began resenting "church" because deep down inside it did not resonate with me. I could not reconcile the belief that people who commit suicide went to hell...sure, my father took his own life but he suffered from manic depression and alcoholism...did god sentence cancer patients and the mentally ill to  suffer fire and brimstone for all eternity... hadn't these people suffered enough in this world? How is that an example of a loving god?

So I made a vow to myself that when I had children, I would raise them to be respectful, conscientious, loving and kind but not shove my idea of spirituality down their throats as had been done to me. I'm very proud of my children (all five of them) and have always supported them in their search for

meaning...which ironically is more earth based than mainstream beliefs and makes me chuckle to think they have a  mostly pagan belief system and they don't even realize it.

However, now that I'm older, I want my youngest two to experience the world with a more grounded view of life and how they fit in, so I finally made the decision to teach them my spirituality on a level that they can understand. I want them to experience the freedom of a spirituality that does not base it's teachings of fear or control..that being who they are is exactly as deity made them to be.... I want them to embrace their gifts and not stifle them as I did.

In this book, there are many activities and things that we can do together that also teach them about the turning of seasons, about the god and goddess and traditions that we can build together that they can pass along that teach and promote a healthy outlook on the  natural world and how it works. I'm so excited to start reading and sharing with them and maybe I'll post our progress in a few entries. I think it will deepen my own spirituality in the process.

Can You Understand Me?

Thousands of years ago,

in the sands of time....

Goddesses were hailed as powerful.

They lived alongside Gods who were both kind and not.

Giving life and happiness to the people of the world.

Today in the present.

We preach tolerance and equality.

But yet.....

Scorned are those who dare claim peace.

Shunned are those who turn to the Goddess.

Hear my plea, I beg you now!

This is not some hollywood silver screen!

Can you hear me?

I'm sure you can.

The way I follow is ancient and powerful.

I find peace in my prayers and knowledge the Goddess brings.

Comfort in knowing I am loved.

The earth is connected to me.

I am connected to it.

everything has a place and all must play a part.

Cast aside your hate that many have taught you.

Listen to me now.....

Can you understand me?

Magic Brownies

With that announcement, I'm assuming I have your attention.  Anyone my generation would instantly recall images of a very strange and thankfully forgotten time called "the late sixties, early seventies." (Boy, today's youth know so little about the culture their parents had to grow up in!)  Anyway...moving on....let me fill your  noggins with a new and positively witchy image as you bite into that next rich and chocolatey brownie.....

( My older children used to roll their eyes and groan at me but I still use this little chant in my kitchen to this day, when I make fudge brownies...)

Lizzie's Chocolate Goddess Invocation

They say that chocolate is the food of the gods...
(But the goddess and I know better....)
I ask that this chocolate we eat today
Encourages happiness and love in my home
In a gentle but effective way.
For the highest good of all with harm to none
By this witches word, my spell is done
So mote it be.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

• 4  (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
• 1  cup  butter, softened
• 2  cups  sugar
• 4  large eggs
• 1  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  cup  semisweet chocolate morsels

Preparation

Microwave chocolate squares in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth.
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
Add flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla and chocolate morsels. Spread batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan.
Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into squares

Fides

I'd like to introduce you to one of Rome's little known civic goddess' Fides. You may recognize her name as the origins of more commonly known words such as fidelity and infidel but her name simply means ...faith. Fides can represent many types of faith like the faith (fidelity) between married couples, faith in a government but more importantly the faith that exists between man and deity. There were sacrifices to Fides and people wore a white cloth around their hands to symbolize their faith and honor.

How do you describe faith actually...? How can it be put into easy to understand terms...? I think that it is more of a concept than a simple definition or word, it describes something that just is. Most of us come to paganism or wicca because of the abandonment we feel towards other faiths... usually christianity or judaism.  

We may feel let down or somehow shoved aside. I know in my experience, there was always something missing but I could never really put my finger on it. I tried very hard for several years but I just felt that I was lacking. I wore a cross, sang the hymns, and for a long time never missed a service...so how come it just didn't seem right? Did I have that little faith in god? Why was it so easy for some people?

It wasn't until paganism found me that I knew I was right where I belonged. It just resonated with me and it felt like had "come home" I wear my pentacle with pride now...I show the world that who I am and the way I choose to live are one in the same, not because I recited the rosary or lit a red candle and went to confession but because I realize that I am a part of deity...I am connected to the universe and everything in it.

My pentacle necklace is my way of showing my faith, of holding true to myself and others that identify themselves as pagan or wiccan. What symbol of faith do you wear...?  How does it represent your faith?

Serenity Sunday

When the dark moon appears, it becomes easier for us to shed unnecessary emotional baggage and free ourselves of people and ideas that no longer serve us or add value to our life. It is a time to cleanse ourselves and create space so that what is new can enter.

For many people, the dark moon is a time to rest, be introspective, and replenish their energy. Powerful, healing dreams have been known to take place during the dark moon, and you may discover that it is during the dark moon that you are most driven to meditate, explore your intuitive abilities, retrieve past life memories, or delve more deeply into your psyche.

One way to harness the energy of the dark moon is to perform a ritual where you light a black candle. First, ground and center...then call forth and visualize the different parts of your life that you are ready to let go of. Through visualization, bind these parts together with light and imagine this bundle moving toward the candle. Watch these old parts being devoured by the flames, and let the candle burn out. Trust that what you've released has left you. Thank the goddess and you are now ready to welcome the new into your life.

New Moon for July, 2009

July 22, 02:35

My List:

1.) My kids

2.) My cats

3.) Harry Potter movies

4.) Fish for the pond

5.) Snuggles and hugs and kisses...oh my!

6.) My Faeries Oracles cards

7.) Homemade burritos

8.) Fudgesicles

9.) Text messaging...It is the twenty first century!

10.) Stargazing with my buddy

Of Pentagrams And Apples

I came upon an interesting tidbit about pentagrams and their association with apples ( a pentacle is the five pointed star and a pentagram is the same five pointed star enclosed in a circle) and believe it or not had never heard of the pagan lore attached to it. As follows is a (not so )brief summary of it's origins in pagan history

Think of an apple... juicy and red and ripe for the picking. When it is sliced in half, it magically shows us a five pointed star formed by the seeds inside. Each of these five seeds contain a symbolism reflecting the spiritual aspects of this universal symbol: idea; sustenance; life, secret knowledge and the hidden mysteries within the earth.

Remember the story of Adam and Eve...? In Christian lore, the apple represented hidden knowledge which was forbidden to human kind and the apple signified that which we should not attempt to know ... and attempts over the centuries to obtain knowledge of the Universe ...and therefore, ourselves... were suppressed. The pentagram in its modern guise as the pentacle was also a target of this subjugation.

The pentagram was originally a symbol of the goddess, Kore, who was worshipped in many countries as widespread as England and Egypt thousands of years ago, but under many different names (i.e. Cara, Ceres, Carnak, Core, Car, Karnak, etc). Kore's sacred fruit was the apple. When cut through its equator, the apple has a near perfect pentagram shape inside, with each point containing a seed. Many Wiccans, Pagans and Roma (Gypsies) still cut apples in this way and the Roma refer to apple cores as Stars of Knowledge

Think of this next time you eat an apple. -spirituality-goddess-symbols

Litha

Summer Solstice (or Litha as it is also called) occurs on or about the 21st of June when the Sun enters zero degrees Cancer. It marks Midsummer for many cultures even though in most of the US summer has barely started and the kids are just now getting out of school. It is the longest day of the year and the shortest night; when the sun reaches his apex in the sky, and the days will now grow shorter as the light begins to wane.

Many legends explain this phenomena as the darkness triumphing over the light. The darker brother kills the lighter brother in these legends, and the brother who dies resides in the underworld until it is time for him to return and slay his brother again, to rule for the next 6 months. The stories of Lugh and Goronwy, and the Oak King and the Holly King are but two of these legends.

Litha celebrates the verdant Earth in summers, abundance, fertility, and all of the beauty and abundance of Nature in full bloom. This is a time of strong magic and empowerment and this time is used a lot for Handfasting ceremonies. It is also used for communication with the spirits of Nature especially the faery folk. This is a time known as the first harvest; Litha represents the pregnant Goddess and honoring the Sun God.

Herbs For Litha and their magical associations:

Basil: Love, Exorcism, Wealth, Protection

Chamomile: Relaxing, Sleep, attracting money, love, purification

Cinquefoil (five finger grass): money, protection, prophetic dreams, sleep

Fennel: Protection, healing, purification

Lavender: Relaxing, sleep, love, purification, happiness, peace

Lemon Balm: Purification and Love

Mullein: Courage, protection, health, love, divination, exorcism

Nettle: Exorcism, protection, healing, lust

Rose Petals: love, healing, divination, luck, protection

Breakthrough

Little by little, over the past few weeks, I have discovered a few rather frightening realizations about myself. While it is true that I carry a lot of baggage, much of it I had always figured that I dealt with it...faced my fears, put them in the light... and examined them under a microscope and came to the conclusion that upon completing this aforementioned process...I was done with them and was ready to move on.

The goddess has a strange way of reaching out and gently (or not so gently, depending on my attention factor) reminding me that although I may have reasoned out that I had made progress, I really had just rationalized this baggage and shoved it neatly back into the file of "Things Yet To Be Dealt With."

Sometimes we are not ready to handle certain issues at that present time until later when we reach a breakthrough point... an "ah ha!" moment so to speak. I've been having an "ah ha!" moment for a few weeks but now as I examine these fears... these little inner demons, it suddenly becomes clear that now is the time that they are ready and willing to be worked through. Patterns that I have been hanging onto out of the fear of change no longer serve me and maybe change is not nearly as scary or insurmountable as I had previously thought.

I have discovered that it is okay to make mistakes... to show that I am human... and that sometimes risking the rejection of another is something I must do in order to live up to my higher purpose and greater good. It may be rocky...as life is seldom smooth sailing but I am now ready to stand up and say "I am ok...This is my skin and I kind of like how it fits." Today, I take my first few wobbly steps into healing old wounds and choosing to become the person the universe intended me to be.

Wiccan Symbols

The Elven Star

The Elven Star or seven-pointed star, is found in some branches of the Faerie tradition of Wicca. However, it has different names and can be associated with many other magical traditions.

The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols, the Elven Star (or Faerie Star) is also representative of the seven stars called the Pleiades. It is also a reminder that seven is a sacred number in many magical traditions -- it is connected with the seven days of the week, the seven pillars of wisdom, and many other magical theories. In Kabbalah, seven is connected to the sphere of victory. Aleister Crowley used a septagram as the emblem of his Order of the Silver Star.

In modern Pagan practice, this symbol can be used to keep information hidden from the prying eyes of the outside world. Use it on your Book of Shadows, to keep the contents safe, or on an amulent to prevent others from reading your thoughts.


Hecate's Wheel


Hecate's Wheel is a symbol used by some traditions of Wicca. It seems to be most popular among feminist traditions, and represents the three aspects of the Goddess -- Maiden, Mother and Crone. This labyrinth-like symbol has origins in Greek legend, where Hecate was known as a guardian of the crossroads before she evolved into a goddess of magic and sorcery.

According to fragmentary texts of the Chaldean Oracles, Hecate is connected to a maze which spiralled around like a serpent. This maze was known as the Stropholos of Hecate, or Hecate's Wheel, and refers to the power of knowledge and life. Traditionally, a Hecate-style labyrinth has a Y in the middle, rather than the typical X shape found at the center of most labyrinths.

Images of Hecate and her wheel have been found on first-century c.e. curse tablets, although there seems to be some question about whether the wheel shape itself is actually Hecate's domain or that of Aphrodite - there was some occasional overlap of goddesses in the classical world.

Elemental Herbs

I moved into this house just about three years ago and started to revamp the yard as it was mostly red rock (super yuck) and weeds. So far the front area is now sporting a thriving rose garden and a majority of the weeds are gone but there's this one really ugly area that I've been wracking my brain to come up with a solution to. It is a raised area that nestles in the corner of where my house and porch meet.

The previous owner had thrown in two monstrous, ugly, stinky, juniper bushes and I've been wanting to remove them, I just haven't had a whole lot of time or energy to apply myself at fixing it. Just when I thought it might have to wait till next spring, I read the page about The Language of Flowers Ritual in the book Pagan Everyday and my little light bulb switched on.

How about if I combine a small water feature with this ritual, the result would be a gorgeous little area that would catch visitors eyes like a magnet! The ritual basically goes like this...I am going to pick an herb that, to me, would signify all five elements...Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Spirit. Air could be Sage and symbolize wisdom or clarity of thought....Fire can be Lemon Balm to symbolize healing...Earth can be Briony for money and protection...Water can be Catnip for love....Spirit can be Bay symbolizing psychic powers and purification.

I'm going to place them in the directions that they correspond to and in conjuntion with the pond I have in mind, with water lilies and koi, I think this is going to be one of those projects that I can't wait to get going on and show off when finished. I think I will like explaining what my little garden represents and how it reflects my spirituality. What better way to celebrate my inner goddess!

A Lost Goddess And My Plague

The last several weeks I have been so busy with appointments to keep, school activities for the children and daily housework that gets squeezed in between everything else, I managed to get myself so rundown and exhausted that I finally knew a trip to the family doctor was something I need to put at the top of the "to do" list. I found out that I have a sinus and respiratory infection on top of the asthma I've dealt with off and on since childhood.

I begrudgingly realized some down time was in order or I would not have a decent recovery by any means so I picked up my book "Practicing the Presence of the Goddess" by Barbara Ardinger and started reading....Wow...the very first pages are all about recovering the lost goddesses of transformation and the very first one that she speaks of is Serenissima...the Goddess of taking care of yourself....my goodness the universe works in mysterious ways, I exclaimed to myself and kept reading... my addled brain drinking in every word.

She goes on to say that when we reach the point that our lives are so filled with obligations and loaded appointment calendars that our little heads are spinning, it's time to call upon this goddess and soak in her blessings of "me time." I am so at that point right now, I sighed and read on...there is the perfect little ritual that she describes to finally get that "me time" and recover from what I like to (not so affectionately) call "The plague"

I plan on starting on this ritual this very evening and look forward to Serenissima's gentle hands blessing me with that sense of peace and refreshing energy that I need, as I take those horrible "horse pill" antibiotics and various medications to aid in my recovery. The first part of this two part ritual is all about finding time for yourself, just one blessed day, to do the second part of it and therefore enjoy that time I have for myself.

I'll let you know in a future blog about how it goes...just thinking about it seems to have removed some of the pressure of daily life that we can so easily get caught up in. Well, on to do some more reading, Bright Blessings to you all and always set time apart just for yourself....trust me!

Beltane Is Coming

Beltane, also known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis Night, happens at the beginning of May. It celebrates the height of spring and the flowering of life. The Goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora. The God emerges as the May King and Jack in the Green. The danced Maypole represents Their unity, with the pole itself being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess. Colors are the Rainbow spectrum. Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.

Fun Things To Do:

*Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in need of healing and caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend.
*Form a wreath of freshly picked flowers, wear it in your hair, and feel yourself radiating joy and beauty.
*Dress in bright colors.
*Dance the Maypole and feel yourself balancing the Divine Female and Male within.
*Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck.
*Welcome in the May at dawn with singing and dancing.

Fried Honeycakes

These cakes are not unlike those made on the night before Beltane by women around the turn of the century. These cakes were left in the garden to please Faery visitors.

*1/2 cup sweet white wine
*2 tablespoons sugar
*1 egg
*1 cup honey
*2/3 cup flour
*1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
*1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
*Oil for frying
*1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat the wine & egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Combine the honey & nutmeg in a small bowl. Heat 1/2-inch of the oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Drop the batter into the oil 1 tablespoon at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip into the honey.

Yield: 1 1/2 Dozen.

The Goddess Caillech

Caillech is the Scottish, Irish, Welsh Goddess of weather, earth, sky, seasons, moon and sun the Celtic hag-goddess of the land and weather on the British Isles. In Old Irish called "the veiled one" now modern in Gaelic means hag. Also called the "Old Woman of the Spells" She is a winter and storm spirit said to denote the year's weather by her actions on the 1st of February.

If it is a nice day and she comes out into the sun it brings bad luck for the year. In Scotland she is a blue-faced hag of winter, a spirit who holds the beautiful young goddess Bride captive inside of a mountain over the winter. At Bride's release on the 1st of February spring comes. She appears to men as a hideous old woman (winter) seeking love if she gets it she becomes a beautiful young woman (spring).

Celtic myth has her gatekeeper dog named Dormarth "Death's Door". Irish bards who could curse with satire were often called cainte "dog".

Something To Believe In

I listened to Ariel's podcast last night and wow...what a great podcast! (of course they're all terrific as well as powerful.) Anyhow, one exercise he spoke of in his podcast on "Building your power base- the Water Body" was to take note of where we are placing our faith, in other words, what do we believe in? What a powerful question..."What do I believe in?" I'm not sure that I've ever paid attention to what I actually do believe in until confronted with a situation that is contrary or challenging to those beliefs. Just where does my faith lie... what are the places that I put my faith in daily, without even realizing it...where does that foundation of faith stem from? My head is spinning just trying to think of my beliefs...so, here it goes...

What I believe in:

~ The sun will rise every day and set each evening

~ There is always an answer, always a solution and always a choice to be made in every struggle

~No matter how dark life can get, there is hope...light at the end of the tunnel

~ The Universal Intelligence ( God, higher power, goddess, god) is around me all the time, present in all living things

~ No matter how long it seems to take....truth has no other option but to surface

~ Children are a privilege not a right

~ All living things deserve respect and compassion...yes, even people too

~ There is wisdom to gain from our elders

~ Most animals make better people than some people do

~ Say "I love you" to your loved ones as often as you can

These are just a few of the things that I believe in...what does that say about my faith? I think it simply reassures me that the path I walk... this journey I take, is the correct one for me. What are some things that you believe in...what foundation does your faith spring from?

P.S.- You can find Ariel's podcasts "The Witches Primer" on iTunes podcasts, I encourage you to listen.

Archaeology And Origins

Archaeological discoveries have revealed that people worshiped a hunter god and fertility goddess during the Paleolithic period. This has been proved by the discovery of cave paintings which are estimated to be 30,000 years old. There is a painting that depicts a man with the head of a stag. In yet another painting, there is a pregnant woman standing in a circle with eleven other people. These relics go to prove that witchcraft is one of the oldest religions in the world. Wiccan view of God and Goddess aspect of the supreme creative force predates thousands of years before Christianity

In the ancient times, Witchcraft was known as "craft of the wise" as the wise persons were those who followed the path of nature and were in tune with its forces, had the knowledge of herbs and medicines, gave wise counsel and were held in high esteem as Shamanic healers and leaders in the village and community. They understood that nature was superior to human beings and that human beings were simply one of the many parts of nature, both seen and unseen that combine to form one whole. As Chief Seattle said, “We do not own the earth; we are a part of it.” They understood that what we take from nature or use, we must return in kind to maintain the balance and equilibrium. The modern man has, however, forgotten this and has paid the price in form of many ecological and environmental disasters.

Modern witchcraft attracts believers from all walks of life and positions in society all over the world. They come together to understand the life, nature, evolution and mysteries of the universe through witchcraft. Witchcraft is the most democratic religion in the world. There is no rigid dogma and no hard-line regime except for a simple premise that we shall harm none and secondly that we should not misuse the gifts of nature by disturbing its balance.