Silly Picture Of The Week

It was so hot yesterday, I caught my youngest cooling off in the pond.

**I've got a real treat in store for this coming Tarot Tuesday, I'll be giving the New Rabbit Tarot a review by Nakisha Elsje VanderHoeven. I'm so excited, I hope you drop by to see!**

Between A Rock And A Sore Spot

The last few days I have been busy unpacking my things, re-planting plants and upgrading my pond and now, it's really starting to look like a home. I hadn't realized just how much stuff I had gathered over time! My altar is all put up and decorated for the Fall Equinox, I have my yard looking spiffy and a pond that wows the neighbors.

About that pond....This is where my trouble began. I bought a pond form rather that put my old liner back so it will be much easier to clean and it's a bit deeper that what I had before so I can put my lily in it and not have to worry about wintering it in the shed....I had nearly all the rocks put in their places when I had the brilliant idea to put just one more  near  the left side so, I picked it up and was in the process of getting it positioned just right when my back decided to go out.

Whoo! Talk about a sudden sharp pain that made me go down on my knees! I kinda hunkered there for a few seconds and promptly decided I needed to lay down and take the huge pressure off my hips. Getting into the house was another story! I took my steps verrry slow and hobbled to the couch and boy did it feel so good to get off my feet. Now I'm on anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers and sporadic ice pack tratments. In my mind I don't FEEL 43 but every now and then my back decides that I need to be reminded!

Pond Ponderings

I was able to finish the water feature in my herb garden yesterday, and I might add that I'm rather pleased with my efforts. I scrounged up some rather lovely pond rocks and put a small bubbling fountain in the center that sends gentle ripples through the water. Now all I need a few water plants and some little fishies in it. Teasdale enjoys the newly revamped herb garden with water feature...Ooo, fresh water, just lean over the rocks!

I'm a bit worn out after planting digging and carrying rocks so today's blog will be a tad short. Tune in tomorrow for Tarot Tuesday.

Bright Blessings!

A Very Witchy Garden

Well, I finally made time to get that herb garden going that I've been thinking about for months. I removed the stinky, obnoxious juniper bushes and went out this last weekend and pretty much bought up the local Fred Meyer herb stock but it's really going to look nice after I finish getting some rocks to go around the pond and a few for the border.

Although they may be small now, once they start growing, all the herbs will blend in to each other and the pond will make a wonderful hidden water feature in the center. I planted two different types of Sage, an Apple Mint, a variegated Pineapple Mint, three types of Basil, two kinds of Rosemary, three kinds of Lavender, two types of Thyme, one Rue, one Lemon Balm an Italian Tarragon, Stevia (a natural sweetener) and Sweet Marjoram. Whew...quite the list! Once it starts growing nicely I'll put in a few pictures to show the progress.

It's very difficult to express how it feels to get down on my hands and knees and dig down into the soil, I like to consider it as something I have to do.... not out of necessity but because it's part of what makes me who I am. I think if I were not able to dig or nurture plants I would probably have a very short life. I put all my energy into my little Eco-projects and the rewards I receive are more than any coin or precious gem can begin to offer.




The Inward Garden

I have found, through years of practice, that people garden in order to make
something grow; to interact with nature; to share, to find sanctuary, to heal,
to honor the earth, to leave a mark. Through gardening, we feel whole
as we make our personal work of art upon our land.


~Julie Moir Messervy~

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!