Attack Magic

Evil eye is a look that is believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury on the person at whom it is directed. The term also refers to the power, attributed to certain persons, of inflicting injury or bad luck by such a look. The idea that the term (which has been around for over a millennium denotes causes many cultures to pursue protective measures against it.)


The concept and it's significance vary widely among different cultures. Belief in the evil eye is ancient and widespread; it occurred in ancient Rome  and is found in Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu and Christian cultures, being particularly prevalent today in the Mediterranean  and Aegean.

 The "curse" is usually thought to be unintentional, although it can be deliberate (in southern Italy it is believed that some people - gettatori - are spiteful and deliberately cast the evil eye on their victims). In  Greece and Turkey  there are  glass blue eye charms to ward against the evil eye are still regularly sold - very often to be pinned on a baby's clothing. A religiously devout as well as superstitious nation, as the Greeks are, they will often wear a protective charm, or mataki, as well as the cross, around the neck.

I'm not too sure about the Evil Eye myself but I do know there are types of attack magic and unfortunately there are those people out there that do not subscribe to the three fold law (and just as unfortunately are pretty miserable human beings inside). One type of attack magic is that of psychic vampirism...I know it sounds silly but have you ever been around someone who after a few hours just makes you feel tired and drained and you just want them to go away? These people (mostly unintntentionally) are needy types and can drain ones energy just by hanging around.

Some people, out of misguided ideas about what witchcraft truly is, seek out to affect others using this technique, so it is always a good rountine to shield yourself from all the harmful and negative energy that surrounds us most of the time. I don't mean you have going around paranoid and suspecting everyone that is around you but a little healthy prevention is always good!

Serenity Sunday

Well, I'm on my way to getting my Green Witch Tea going...so many things to do. I'm keeping a blog about the whole process from beginning right up until I'm ready to advertise my tea ( you can find the link in my sidebar). There are so many things to get in order before then, I didn't realize just how much! There's  tea descriptions to write, prices to decide on, supplies to receive, labels to make, PayPal issues to resolve ( there is SO much reading just to figure out what buttons I need!)...it almost seems like making the tea is the easiest part! I hope to be ready for the marketplace in a few weeks so keep an eye out for an announcement! Any suggestions or constructive criticism is very welcomed!

My List:

1.) My children

2.) My cats

3.) Great friends

4.) Courage

5.) Quiet evenings listening to the rain

6.) Kisses

7.) Walking the dog

8.) The smell of the crisp air in the morning

9.) Hot chocolate

10.) FaceBook

~Announcement~

Hey, if you have a moment...drop by The Domestic Witch and check out her cool giveaway!  The goodies include these great items:

*A sachet of dried chamomile for magical endeavors evolving money, love and purification.


*A sachet of dried lemon balm which comforts the heart and driveth away melancholy and sadness.

*Coal, associated with the North and Earth, and it can be used with any corresponding witchery in that arena. It rules in Winter, Samhain and Yule; at night and in the third quarter to Dark Moon phases. It represents wisdom, the Sage and Crone.

*A homemade lavender smudge stick to smoke negative forces away and attract positive forces, most especially love.

Tehuti Is Just Another Name

The name Thoth is translated as "lord of the holy words" and is the ibis headed god of the Greco-Roman peoples. In Egypt, he is known by the name Tehuti (or Djehuti) and is the patron of science, literature, wisdom and inventions. It is said that he invented the things like arithmatic, geometry, heiroglyphics, magic, medicine, music, surgery, surveying, wind and stringed instuments and writing. You might call him a jack of all science trades!

Thoth's role as mediator is well-documented. It is he who questions the souls of the dead about their deeds in life before their heart is weighed against the feather of MaatHe was even sent by Ra to speak with Tefnut and ask her to return when she abdicated her position and went to Nubia. He is also the great counselor and the other gods frequently went to him for advice.

Thoth is an unusual god and though some stories place him as a son of Ra, others say that Thoth created himself through the power of language. He is the messenger of the gods (and thus identified by the Greeks with Hermes) and the divine record-keeper and mediator.Thoth is considered a lunar deity and is often depicted wearing the lunar crescent on his head. There is a story told of how Thoth won a portion of Khonsu's light, and this may be the reason. As a lunar deity his totem animal is the baboon, a nocturnal animal that goes to sleep only after greeting the new day.

The Irish Goddess Of Personal Power

Today  I want to introduce to you, Maeve... a Celtic goddess.  Maeve is the goddess that defies convention and is "The queen of the moment"... She has a strong personality and often flies in the face of the norm. She is proud  and controlling, caring yet productive and intelligent...she is the very model of the power and hidden potential that lies within each and every person.

She is a goddess to be reckoned with. Her name translates to "she who intoxicates". Indeed, she was reknown for her prodigious appetites for sex, power, and drink. Honey wine, or mead, is named for her. A great warrior queen, she coveted the famous brown bull of Ulster. She schemed and wreaked havoc until he was hers, not to be denied her desires. She embodies obsession, addiction, bloodlust and battle. She is thought to be the progenitor of Maab, the English Queen of the Fairies.

What hidden potential do you have? What are some of your hopes and dreams....goals that you want to see come to fruition in your life? We often have issue with maintaining focus when setting our goals and when we wander off track it can be somewhat disheartening. Here is an activity that I found in the book "Goddess Alive" by Michelle Skye to help focus and encourage us.

Supplies Needed:

* Stylish paper (can be parchment paper or some other fancy paper)
* Colored pens, ( colored pencils and markers can be used too)
* Post-it notes
* Some old magazines or newspapers

When you have your supplies needed, pull a fresh sheet of paper out and write your goal at the top using your markers, pencils or pens. Your goal can be anything like I want to own a bookstore or I want to make and sell tarot bags. No goal is too small or insignificant and worthy so remember, this is you directing your life. After you have your goal written down, take different colors and start writing all the things that you can think of that have to do with this goal. You can write upside down, sideways and even in the margins if your paper is lined. Write it down even if it seems outlandish or silly. When you are done with that turn the paper over and clip out magazine pictures or anything else and make a collage representing your goal.

Now, keep doing this for a week and watch your dream grow...meditate on your goal that week and focus your wishes....is this goal right for me? Take some post-it notes and write down some steps that you can take to make your goal real, like checking out buildings for lease or what types of inventory you would like to order. Each time you accomplish something on your list, tear off the post-it sheet and start on the next thing to do. Continue creating goals and before long they will all be a reality!

Tarot Shadow Work- The Present

I was going to continue with last weeks subject (the past,) but I think that I will forge on and talk about how my shadow affects me in my present day. Keeping in mind that the card I am comparing is The World (Chasing rainbows rather than living in the here and now) and the card in the third position of The Star Of Discovery,  Death.

Now, when most people see the Death card, images begin to flood the mind of a dimly lit little shop with jars of mysterious contents and a very spooky old gypsy reading fortunes and announcing that "There is great trouble ahead..." when in all actuality, Death simply means that one phase  or circumstance in your life is ending and a new one is beginning, bringing with it opportunities and choices that you may not have had before. In the Shadow meaning, Death represents blocking sad feelings, the mask that you wear and show to the world, staying stuck and an unwillingness to experience emotional pain.

Looking at these two cards together, it is glaringly obvious that in the "here and now" I have a tendancy to remove myself from any situation that may or may not cause me emotional pain and choose to occupy my mind with silly  trivial things rather than deal with it, heal and move on. I always chalked it up to my only child status but upon digging deeper, I believe the pattern started as a way to insulate myself from all the trauma and discord in my home life. When things got rough at home between my mom and dad, I often ended up at grandma and grandpa's  so that I could be away from the insanity but I think it may have set me up for a pattern of running away and hiding from emotional situations.

I'm a grown adult now, and I can look back upon those childhood year not with resentment or anger but a sense of "Ah Ha, that's why I react this way or that and I am able to grow and become stronger and more grounded. I don't regret anything I experienced as a kid because without those experiences in my life I would not be who I am today and I feel pretty darned good in my own skin!

Silly Picture Of The Week

Well, that was freshly cleaned and folded laundry.... Hmmm, look...is he smiling...?!

Tarot Tuesday

The Luman Dreaming In Color deck is not a "traditional" tarot or oracle deck but extremely beautiful and surprisingly accurate. Luman is a combination of the words "light" (lumen) and "angel" (angelus) and uses special visual stimulation with color being it's key to unlock the subconscious mind. This deck is designed to aid in ones intuitive capabilities as well as help release negative thought patterns through meditation

* From the Dreaming in color LWB

The card that I had my good friend choose is called "Sacrifice," at first glance the connotations of this word can be pretty negative but after looking closer at it one is able to see a deeper, richer meaning. The message of Sacrifice is a message that is delivered straight from the Universe... it tells us of giving, with no expectations of reward or acknowledgement of that giving. In order to accomplish this we must have empathy, for without it, we cannot feel the pain and need of others.

It has always been my firm belief and practice that giving is something that is simply "the right thing to do" and has benefits that far out weigh any material rewards I may or may not glean from this experience. If I have resources that can make circumstances a little less dark for someone I will not hesitate to help. We are all connected in this world and when one suffers, we all suffer. Empathy is the feeling of joy that comes from within when you give to those in need ( time, resources, a good ear to listen with or maybe just a simple hug or kiss to say I care) and see the burden lift from their shoulders...it brings relief, compassion and most importantly...hope.

Let us all put ourselves in someone else's shoes and feel that empathy, share a little bit of ourselves with others and thank the Universe for the great gift of humanity.

Miscellaneous Monday

Wow, the weekend is over and it was a busy one! The kids are all going back on the school bedtime schedule since it won't be long before my little lovelies will be studying their little hearts out and I will not hear how bored they are, there's nothing to do, she's looking at me, they're touching me, and my all time favorite..why! For some reason, this summer has just seemed to drag...and we're all very ready for the change...until the second week of school! (horrors!)

I came across several new blogs this weekend and they are all pretty darned terrific! I even spent a couple of hours helping out my buddy Chris get his own automotive advice blog up and running called Sharktooth Motor Sports, where he and his son Zack talk about everything that deals with engines, muscle cars and motorcycles. I know the basics of car care but if it comes to anything major, I know I can just walk on over to Chris' and get his advice! (he was the contractor who did our bathroom and it turned out gorgeous!)

On another note...I try to add blog buttons to my page when I come across a really cool blog and I really try to remember to add them to my blog roll but sometimes I "has a dumb" if this is the case and I missed you, please tell me. It's so great to read how other pagans and wiccans look at the world and it's so encouraging to share stories, laughs and sometimes a few tears with those that think like me.

Speaking of blogs near to my heart...I just love the blog Confessions Of A Pagan Soccer Mom, her 12 year old son has PDD-NOS, a mild form of autism and is hearing impaired and my son Conor has a form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome. It's so good to be able to have that support line, because for a long time it was all new territory for Conor and myself and it definately had rocky times. Thank you for your Pagan Parents Of Special Needs Kids Directory! I encourage you all to stop by and spend some time there.

Which leads me to how I came up with the name for my blog...as a matter of fact, my mum, (goddess bless her) would always chuckle at the way I approached life and would refer to it as "Lizzie's Logic" (we won't talk about her other favorite phrase..."Sister Liz of the loose habits" Yes, I was raised catholic and a very disorganized and cluttered teenager!) I really chaffed at those words well into my early thirties... until paganism found me so "Lizzie's Logic" was my way of saying to her that I'm not different.... I was simply a pagan before the world was ready.

Well, that's all for my rambling today, make sure you take time to make it a great week and we shall meet again tomorrow.....

Bright Blessings!

Serenity Sunday

The economy...such a touchy subject lately, politics and the economy has been the cause of struggles, sacrifice, strife and even wars. I've always been a Democrat and been somewhat liberal in my thinking but when it comes to the economy, I suddenly want to be concervative. It's tight out there... real tight...I think my budget needs WD-40 just to get through sometimes!

I even put a PayPal donate button on my cat's webcam page because the price of food, vet bills and internet service just to keep broadcasing the camera has almost doubled! I know so many of my friends and family that have been cut back at work, layed off or just can't seem to find anything over minimum wage... it just makes me cry. This blog is for all of you out there struggling right now....

My List:

1.) My children

2.) My cats

3.) Great friends

4.) Buy one get one free

5.) Piggy banks

6.) Pot roast

7.) Blessings

8.) A shoulder to cry on

9.) My blog readers

10.) Hope

* On a side note...I have added several new and wonderful blogs to my Google Reader and I need to update my blogroll so if you don't see your blog listed, please by all means drop me a line and I'll update it immediately! Bright Blessings!

My Tarot And Oracle Collection

I have a growing collection of tarot and oracle decks and up until now, nowhere to put them other than stack them up on a table in my bedroom. I have been wanting to show them off because I am so proud of my collection. Some of the bags are made by myself and others, like Baroque Bohemian Cat's Tarot come all the way from Prague (Thank you Baba Prague!) I have a special bag for my Tarot of the Magical Forest that was made for me by Sulis in England.

The other day, I was speaking to my good friens about the stack of decks that were starting to take over my table and he spoke right up saying that he has this shelf that just doesn't fit in his house anywhere, it doesn't quite match anything and it would be his pleasure to donate it to me knowing it would be put to good use... my mind instantly screamed SCORE! Now I can put my lovelies out in my livingroom where they look marvelous.

It's so difficult to name a favorite since each one works well with different types of readings like romantic questions ( Robin Wood), questions related to work or career ( Universal Waite) and plain old odd questions (for those I like to use my whimsical Magical Forest Tarot). I'm curious to hear about your collections...What tarot or oracle decks do you have.... Which are your favorites...Do you have special made tarot bags or do you make your own....What decks do you prefer for specific types of readings?

Dark Moon Bath

There are several rituals and spells that can be done on a new moon ( I refer to it as a dark moon) and before any activity like these it is always good to prepare for the event with grounding, centering and a ritual bath before any magical work is done. This is a recipe I came across a long time ago for a ritual bath dealing with the dark moon.

Ingredients:
* 2 cups powdered milk
* 1/2 cup epsom salt
* 1/2 cup baking soda
* 6 drops sandalwood oil
* 5 drops vanilla oil
* 4 drops gardenia oil
* 4 drops orange oil
* Mix, and use 1 cup per bath

This bath smells so good and you could even take one just to refresh and recharge.

Tarot Shadow Work- The Past

This week's Shadow Work was a real brain bender for me...I really had to dig deep and think about my past which was difficult for me due to the fact I had supressed and buried most of my childhood pain and resentments long ago... Which brings me to today's Shadow Cards... The World ..."Chasing a Rainbow -vs-The Challenge of Living in the Here and Now" and Judgement..."Paying the piper -vs-Rebirth."

These are the most loaded keywords that I have encountered to this date! While I completely understand how both of these Shadow Cards apply to me, I find it rather difficult to distinguish one from the other. To me, they are intertwined and to find the end of one Shadow simply leads me to the beginning of another and I feel as though I'm chasing my tail. It's strange to me how they depend on each other but at the same time I realize that if I can unravel the mystery, I can kill two birds with one stone.

As a child of an alcoholic home, dealing with reality (the World) was nearly too painful and almost hopeless as far as my choices went, so I had a very rich imagination and developed the ability and preference to be a "loner." Unfortunately this allowed me to cripple myself when in situations that I needed to relate to others on the same level. (Judgement) I felt and still do , even this day, very detached from others in my peer group.

I related very well to older individuals, because I was always mostly around adults (there wasn't too many kids my age that were close by, way out in the country) and when I turned 16, I made my living as a nurses aide in nursing homes and retirement facilities because it was a comfortable element for me. On a lighter note, I have four children and being an only child, it is near impossible to comprehend that whole sibling rivalry issue... It drives me insane!

Anyhow, back to the issue at hand...The frustrations and emotional losses ( like my father's suicide and estrangement from my mother) allowed me get stuck in loss and remained fixed in that loss as well as being an extremely harsh critic of myself and others rather than have a healthy ability to forgive past actions and being able to appraise myself and others realistically. I am able to look back now and see the past for what it was and within myself, as I work through this book, to forgive myself (and those around me) for real or imagined flaws and reflect that view where I might once have had a very black and white viewpoint.

Today's post was rather long, so I think that I will finish up a few random thoughts on this step next week.

Chicken Cacciatore

I haven't put up a recipe in a while, so while getting dinner ready yesterday, I got the brilliant idea to blog about my version of Chicken Cacciatore I like to add a few things that recipies usually don't have in their list of ingredients to kind of give it a bit 'o flair.

Lizzie's Chicken Cacciatore

*4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil
*1 medium green bell pepper (thinly sliced)
*1 medium yellow bell pepper (thinly sliced)
*1 medium red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
*2 medium onions (red or yellow)
*3 cups diced tomatoes, undrained
*1 large can sliced mushrooms, drained

* 1 large can sliced black olives
*2 tablespoons oregano leaves
*2 tablespoons pesto basil leaves
*3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
*Grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on top just before serving)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

Rinse chicken breasts and place in 9x11 in. pan (I user a glass one), chop onions, bell peppers, garlic, and herbs and place into a large mixing bowl. Next add the oil, diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, salt and sliced olives and mix together. Pour mixture over chicken and let marinate for about an hour, cover with aluminum foil then put the chicken in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake until cooked through. Just before the chicken is done, sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top and serve with a fresh sprig of parsley. Voila...bon apetite!

Tarot Tuesday

I have been smelling the distinct smell of Autumn in the air for the last couple weeks and it just seemed to put me in the mood for my favorite time of year...Samhain! So, in honor of this terrific holiday, I took out my Halloween Tarot and had my buddy draw a card...It was The Six of Ghosts. ( The Six of Cups traditionally)

Now this is a fun card, we can see six whimsical little ghosts floating around the graveyard as if reliving the good times and happy memories. It gives the impression of nostalgia and sentiment of warm thoughts, great friends and chilhood dreams.

Generally, in a reading, this card stands for those times that we find ourselves wandering down memory lane...a discovery from the past (like a long forgotten uncle who I fondly remember, as I was researching a family tree) and meeting friends or schoolmates that we grew up with. The Six of Ghosts can also refer to a gift from an admirer or an inheritance.

The reverse of this card has a more unpleasant interpretation that tells us we may be romantacizing the past as if looking through an old attic window, covered in cobwebs, that obscures our reality of the past. It can be a warning as well that we are living in the illusion of the "good old days" rather than living in the present and making future memories.

Silly Picture Of The Week

Looks like I need a whole other couch if I want to sit down!

Serenity Sunday

I was reading my favorite blogs yesterday and came across a very special post at Domestic Witch about her brother Joe and other troops serving in Iraq who love to getting letters and care packages from friends and family. They put their very lives on the line on a daily basis to ensure the freedoms that we enjoy and it's an absolutely wonderful idea to take just a few minutes to send a letter or care package to brighten a rather grim environment and bring a smile to a soldier's face. I encourage you to drop by her blog and let her know that you'd be glad to be a part of this great opportunity. My thoughts and prayers are with Joe and his comrades...Bright Blessings troops!

My List:

1.) My kids

2.) My cats

3.) Family

4.) Best friends

5.) Freedom

6.) Seedless grapes

7.) Hugs

8.) Hot baths

9.) Digital cameras

10.) Evening walks

Altar Etiquette

In my living room, my altar is in plain view and is a prominent part of my decor. Sometimes it can be irritating to have friends or family come by for a visit and feel compelled to pick up my altar tools and other altar objects. A witch's altar is a sacred space and my tools and other objects are charged with my energy and when someone comes in and handles my things, it interferes with this energy and sometimes I have to charge them all over again. To put it in perspective, it would be like walking straight up to the altar in the local church and start picking things up and oo-ing and ahhh-ing.... not very polite behavior indeed.

Here are some general Do's and Don'ts:

* You don't need to touch anyone's sacred items. Always ask permission.

* Just because the owner of the altar has said yes once, doesn't apply to any other time or place. You are not free to handle things on the altar whenever you choose.

* Interpret any hesitation as a "no."

* And gracefully accept a "no." It may not be anything personal. Some things are simply too private to share.

* Ask before placing things on a group altar. Usually for group work, you will know ahead of time the kinds of things that might be appropriate. But sometimes very specific energy is being raised, and other items may not serve the ritual.

* Avoid talking about their sacred items and spiritual practices with "outsiders." People who don't use them don't understand, and it dilutes that individual's power to share sacred things . Especially if they turn out to be judgemental about it.

Silly Picture Of The Week

Only Mr. Digits can find the most original places to sleep!

(On the roof of the neighbor's shed)

Tarot Shadow Work- Recovery

Recovery- (re·cov·er·y)
1. The act, process, duration, or an instance of recovering.
2. A return to a normal condition.
3. Something gained or restored in recovering.
4 The act of obtaining usable substances from unusable sources.

The next step in The Star of Discovery is all about the process of recovery. We can never try to force recovery from past hurts or rush the process, it takes actively using our power of choice in order for the healing to begin and continue. I know that in a crowded place such as a mall or busy grocery store, I could very easily get wound up and anxious but it is by conscious choice to breathe deeply (and not react with irritability or feel overwhelmed )that I can change the pattern from dread of such encounters to it being no big deal.

Now, the first exercise is to look back to the cards I drew in the first part and select one that frightens or least understood. For me the card would have to be The World which deals with my anxieties and awkward feelings. This is the card that screams for attention from me at this time, The World will now become the basis of the next two through six questions.

I am going to set The World aside and shuffle the rest of the Major Arcana cards (including the ones used in the first Star of Discovery) and concentrate on the lost parts of myself I need to recover. What are the areas in which conflict was not resolved or what unexpressed emotions I may still be holding on to? As I lay the next few cards out into the same star pattern, I will turn them over one by one and pay very close attention to how the spread looks and my overall "gut" reaction. I will be looking to see I am frightened by the spread... or maybe relieved or even pleased with the cards I drew.

Next week I will be going into the second position-The Past... and how The World has affected that area of my life.

Domestic Witch Blog Award

I got a little suprise today, I was reading my favorite blogs and had to look twice as I saw my blog listed on Rue And Hyssop as a recipient of the Domestic Witch Blog Award. I almost had to read it twice as my brain is a bit slow in the morning...

Wow! Thank you so much Rue, I cannot begin to express how flattered I am! I had always thought my mental meanderings were somewhat odd and slightly a little left of center and it's so validating to see that I'm really not that strange after all...Heh, heh.

With this award, I am to:

Include the award in my blog post.
~ Link the nominees within my post.
~ Don't forget to mention the person who gave you the award.
~ Let my chosen winners know that they received The Domestic Witch Blog Award by commenting on their blog.

It was a difficult task to decide who to pass this on to because there are SO many blogs that are noteworthy out there...So, with no further ado, I pass this on to:

A Pagan Tapestry

Confessions of a Hedge Witch

Woodland Witch

Tarot Tuesday

I've had the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling deck for a while but never really used it much ...it's so cute that I thought I would use a card from it for this weeks draw.

The card I drew is #14, the Jack of Diamonds. Now, the Fortune Telling deck is a tad different and I think that is probably why I haven't used it, so bear with me as I muddle along.... The card itself has writing on it, as all the cards in this deck do, and says "The rider is a sign of good news, unless alongside of #6, #8, #11 or #13."

Usually these cards are layed out into a spread where this card might fall next to one of those mentioned but since I am doing this as a single card reading, I will describe it as such.

Diamonds have to do with hard work and affairs outside the home that will be important.... they represent the time of spring and Jacks indicate movement and direction. Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are represented by diamonds so when putting this all together, the Jack of Diamonds could indicate good news about a job or career that involves travel or moving to a new location.

The art of cartomancy is a very unique talent that I haven't really made the effort to learn but in writing my blog I seem to feel that it would be worth my time to explore a little further.

Button, Button

I've been cruising around some very cool blogs lately and noticed one thing they all have in common... way cool buttons that they share and give the code for so you can put it on your blog. I am so very envious because I need a photoshop type program to create my own and can't figure out the bloody program to save my life!

I want a cool button...I can figure out HTML code... I can copy and paste with ease... I can take a pretty great picture with my camera but how do I figure out one these program to make a cool button that I can exchange with the best of 'em? I thought for a minute maybe it's just too technical for me but then stubbornness kicked in and I vowed not to let the Photoshop get the better of me.

I went to Adobe's website...downloaded Photoshop and installed it, then I got ready to make my button. Well, to make a long story short, I ended up uninstalling Adobe Photoshop after about three hours of trying to import a photo and make a button reflecting my blog. It was going to be so cool...with the little witch from my header as a picture with "Lizzie's Logic " superimposed over her...wow, it was a great idea but alas...I have given up.

If anyone can tutor me in the way of button making ...even point me to a program that's more user friendly, I would be eternally grateful!

Serenity Sunday

The Unicorn

A unicorn is a mythical and legendary animal depicted as a beautiful horse with a single strong horn on its forehead. It is believed by many, a unicorn had the hind legs of an antelope, the beard of a goat and a tail of a lion.

In Chinese mythology, a unicorn is known as a Ki-Lin or Chi-Lin. The ancient Chinese believed a unicorn to be represent great and good things and also as a harbinger of good fortune. According to one of the Chinese legends, Chi-Lin would appear at the time of birth of wise men and emperors. They also believed at the time of birth of a Chinese philosopher and thinker Confucius, a Chi-Lin appeared carrying a piece of imperial jade in its mouth. The prophecy of the baby was written on it.



My List:

1.) My kids

2.) My cats

3.) Waterfalls

4.) Garlic

5.) Lazy weekends

6.) Good friends

7.) Romote controls

8.) Lavander fabric softener

9.) Podcasts

10.) Herbal tea

Silly Picture Of The Week

Not sure just what Lilo was thinking but it looked funny just the same!

Elemental Creatures- The Salamander

Salamanders rule the element of fire and hail from the direction South. It's typically agreed they take on a lizard-like form and are said to have taught ancient man how to create and use fire in ancient fables. The elemental concept of and the term salamander was coined by Paraselsus, a highly respected physician of the 16th century.

The lore continues to weave in and out of collective imagination as we learn elemental Salamanders were attributed for the presence of coronas or points of discharge. Commonly known as St. Elmo's Fire, salamanders were thought to produce electric fields of energy, and sometimes great glowing orbs of fire

The mythical salamander resembles the real salamander somewhat in appearance, but makes its home in fires, the hotter the better. Early travelers to China were shown garments which, or so they were told, had been woven of wool from the salamander: the cloth was completely unharmed by fire. The garments had actually been woven from asbestos.

These are a few symbolic attributes of fire:

~Wild ~Bold

~Sultry ~Feisty

~Lively ~Energizing

~Impetuous ~Passionate

~Consuming ~Enlightening

~Illuminating ~Commanding

Tarot Shadow Work

Other Shadow Work Exercises

In the book, after The Star Of Discovery exercise , there are a few things that can be done before embarking on the next step "In The Shadow Of The Star." One such activity is to visualize your shadow. If you are artistic you could draw your shadow, if you like to express yourself in words, try writing a poem or short story about your shadow.

If you could describe your shadow, what would you say about it...? What would it look like....? Would it have a voice...? Shadows are most often the opposite of our own self image....they can be negative and represent those qualities we we have been taught to ignore...we may have even been told that certain subjects are forbidden or must not be expressed.

Another activity mentioned in the Shadow Work book is to watch a sunrise and sunset...Go outside in a quiet place and sit as the day begins to fade away and become night. Watch the sun as it slowly sinks beyond the horizon and the stars light the sky. Try the same exercize at the dawn...watch how the sky becomes illuminated and the orangish purple hues give way the the morning as the sun peeks up from the distance.

Sit and feel the warmth on your face... the birds starting to chirp and other sounds of nature starting it's day. When you see the opposites of the sun rising and setting again... what other opposites are you able to accept...? What opposites do you find that you try to resist...? Now, time to do these exercises myself before I head into the next step in The Star Of Discovery.

Ugly Ducklings

Hans Christian Andersen is fondly remembered worldwide for his fairy tales and one of my favorites has always been "The Ugly Duckling." We are told the moral of this story is that the duckling (who is is persecuted by all in the duck yard)... escapes, perseveres and eventually realizes that he is not ugly at all but a beautiful swan. The tale concludes with the marvellous knowledge that it hardly matters where you are born if you have the right talents.

We are all born into relatively ordinary families....we go to school like all the other children...take family vacations...and do things that everyone does but how many of us fail to be recogized or appreciated by a parent or teacher or even society that we have special qualities that make us creative and free thinking? We grow up, get normal jobs, raise families of our own but somewhere inside we feel like we are somehow apart from the rest of the world.

We continue down this path until one day we meet someone... a witch or pagan or pick up a book about metaphysics or mythology that suddenly opens our eyes to the fact that we were never not ducklings to begin with...we were swans the whole time! We discover our " spiritual home" our niche so to speak and it transforms our lives. We now are where we belong and wonder why it took us so long to get here.

Tarot Tuesday

Today I chose a card from my Gilded Tarot deck, the Ace of Swords. Typically Swords are representative of intellect and the rational mind....ideas, thoughts, reasoning abilities and how we perceive reality.

The Swords suit in Ciro Marchetti's deck is colored blue and the Cups suit is an orangish-yellow which are opposite in most other decks, blue representing emotions (Cups) and yellow representing the intellect (Swords.)

In this card, we can see clouds in the backgound that tell us this is the element of air associated with the Swords suit. Communication is also part of the Swords interpretation and upright, it can be trying to tell you that you have the gift of thought and you should always use it to speak clearly and with focus in order to create a happy, healthy reality.

The Ace of Swords is also warning about having a cutting tongue and razor sharp wit that can cut others' to shreds and used to hurt as opposed to benefit. I happen to be an Air sign, Aquarius, and I know that it can be very easy not to notice how my language or tone can affect others and I manage to step on a few toes now and then without even being aware of it.

A Very Witchy Garden Update

The last couple weeks have been unbearably hot and it's been a bit of a struggle trying to keep my little herb garden from wilting in the sweltering afternoon heat but I've managed to do pretty good.

It wasn't that long ago that I put in my herb garden and pond and looking at the pictures I took right after I planted, I can see just how far they've come!

My cats love to dring the refreshingly cool pond water and have not benn tempted to do any fishing and love to feel hidden amongst all the bushy herbs. I have even been able to throw together a few tasty dishes with clippings taken from my favorites. I still have a few things in mind for appearance of the garden but right now, I'm feeling pretty darned pleased!

Serenity Sunday

This last week has been unbearably hot and the weather station in my back yard read 114.5 degrees (in the shade) last Wednesday. It's supposed to continue to be hot and humid for the next few days at least...... and thunder showers are supposed to appear around midweek.

My List:

1.) My kids

2.) My cats

3.) Best friends

4.) Cheap plastic kiddie pools

5.) Sprinklers

6.) waterfights

7.) Air conditioning

8.) Otter Pops

9.) Lammas blessings

10.) Flavored water

Blessed Lammas!