It Is My Pleasure To Introduce To You....

Today I thought I'd introduce a few blogs that are very good and also full of information and whimsy. Some have beautiful photography and others are more eclectic such as mine. Drum roll please.....

Full Moons &; Black Cats
A wonderful blog by Celestite that researches various aspects witchcraft and magick and a great arena for questions that you always wanted to ask. I love the fact that you do not need to be pagan or wiccan to enjoy this blog.

A Pagan Tapestry
This Blog, also by Celestite, follows the Wheel of the Year, the changing of the seasons, the cycles of the moon. Great informational blog indeed! I like the fact that she is up front when saying this blog is of her opinions and does not try to represent pagans as a whole. We are all degrees of color in a larger rainbow, and we all contribute something special.

28parkave
I just love this blog by Morag Lloyds, her photographs are simply breathtaking!It is diary of her journey's around the Islands of the west coast of Scotland. She is a painter and designer and her subjects come from both her experiences from the sea and her love of different.

Live From The Red Leather Couch
A wonderful blog by Darkly Fey, that deals with everything pagan. Darkly Fey also has a podcast "The Dark Side Of Fey" which I highly recommend that you listen to. I like the down to earth way she discusses topics we deal with from day to day.

Hibiscus Moon
Hibiscus Moon has a great eclectic blog that includes poems, informative content, educational topics and a little bit of everything that appeals to all. She is new to wicca but has a very unique and highly enjoyable viewpoint! She also includes crafts and examples of her artistic expressions.

Barefoot In The Sand
Gypsy has a wonderful blog that has whimsy and and a wonderfully fresh perspective on the world around her as she shares it with us all. Her insight into life is amazing and well worth the read.

I have many more great blogs to list and I think that I will do just that in one of my other posts. I do encourage you all to check out these blogs, they're a great contribution to everyone, involved with magic or not!

Heavy Loads

The Ten Of Wands is an interesting card, in it we see an over burdened little frog that looks as if he might be thinking that he bit off more than he could chew and is really struggling along. In the distance we can see a castle but it's unclear if he is heading toward or away from it's walls. The colors even bring to mind feelings of heaviness and drudgery and it reminds me that any action I undertake must be evaluated as to whether or not it might be just a little too much. Doing favors for people is something that causes most burdens in my life, it's difficult to see one in need and I feel like I ought to offer help but I try to keep in mind, is it really my burden to help carry or is it the results of that person's unwise choices. Life is hard enough and sometimes we just need to let others carry their own burdens.

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.

In A Heartbeat...She was Gone

What follows is a local news story not too very far from my backyard....just a matter of minutes by car. How sad the world seems to be getting when children can no longer live the carefree, innocent life that all children have the right to. They should not worry that they might never see their families again simply because they were walking home...parents should never be seen grieving their loss on national or local television...This should be the best years of their little lives but yet our children are being taken... one by one... day by day and it seems that no child is truly safe. Today... I implore you to hug your children, hold them close and let them know how much they mean to you... teach them of "Stranger Danger" Have them check in often...know their friends...become aquainted with their friend's parents... don't turn your back on them, not even for a minute because they can disappear like a mist in only a heartbeat. The world is not like it was in my youth, a loss we should all be grieving for.

Transient sex offender admits beating Hazel Dell girl after attempted rape

02:07 PM PST on Tuesday, February 24, 2009
By kgw.com Staff

HAZEL DELL, Wash. -- A transient sex offender admitted to police that he violently beat a 13-year-old Hazel Dell girl after attempting to rape her and then moved her body afterwards to "an area where she would be found," according to a court document.
Detectives on Monday arrested Darin E. Sanford, 30, for the murder of Alycia D. Nipp, who was found beaten in a Hazel Dell field. Sanford was arrested on probable cause and charged with aggravated murder in the first degree, based on the confession he provided Clark County investigators.
Some of Nipp’s family members attended Sanford’s first court appearance Tuesday morning.
“They had to look at him and they had to see this monster that did this," Alycia’s aunt, Amber Hager said. “I want to see him sentenced to death, honestly. I think, he took a life and for that he deserves to give a life, his life.”

Post Script~ This very same man was the subject of a news story almost exactly a year ago...he was under arrest at the time for failure to register as a sex offender.

Can You Imagine?

Can you imagine a world without witches,

A world with all people the same?

Where the only known dragons are hiding in books,

And children are terribly tame?

A world without magic would be sad indeed.

I cannot imagine the pain

Of having a world where there's no Santa Claus,

Where wizards are searched for in vain.

Can you imagine a world without spells,

That science and businesses run?

And think of the sadness a unicorn feels

When he no longer plays in the sun

Can you imagine a world without witches,

No elves, and no magical pools?

And can you imagine how dull it would be

If all that we had were the schools?

I cannot imagine a world without witches,

A world with no magical wand.

A world without beauty, or even a dream,

Or a wood sprite of whom to be fond

They say I should grow up and be more mature,

Like a normal adult ought to do.

But I'd rather, at night, go to dance with a witch,

And I'll bet that you feel that way, too.

Can You Imagine?

(For the Child in All of Us)

by Robert F. Potts

Candle Magic

Candle magic is a very old and powerful form of what is called "sympathetic magic," this type of magic is based on the belief that your environment can be influenced through an object ( in this case, a candle) and the focusing of your energy or will. I like to compare it to going into a room with a big smile...sooner or later the smile becomes contageous and others begin to smile too. It is also one of the simplest types of magic to use and a person doing the spell can make it as simple or as complicated as they desire. Fancy complicated rituals are not necessary and once you are familiar with the basics involved in candle magic, it is simple to customize a spell to your needs.

Some of the colors and their correspondences:

* Light Blue - Is a spiritual colour and is helpful in devotional or inspirational meditations. It brings peace and tranquillity to the home and radiates Aquarius energy.

* Blue – Is symbolic of the spirits of the West, and the elements of water. It is used in rituals to obtain wisdom, peace, healing, tranquillity, truth, sleep, prophetic dreams, friendship, physical protection and hope.

* Brown – Is symbolic of the spirits of the North, and the elements earth. It is used for rituals involving animal magic and the home in regards to material increase

* Orange – Is used for creativity, attraction, stimulating energy, legal matters, success, new home, intelligence and mental clarity

* Pink – Promotes romance and friendship, and is the standard colour used for rituals to draw affections. It is used for love, honor, friendship and fidelity.

* Purple – Is used for psychic ability, wisdom, spirituality, success, independence, spiritual growth, power, healing and the feminine divine

* Red – Is symbolic of the spirits of the South, and the elements of Fire. It is used for strength, courage, power, passion, health, energy, vitality, love and will power

* Yellow – Is symbolic of the spirits of the East, and the elements of Air. It is used for charms, confidence, attraction, wisdom, visions, psychic powers, mental powers, activity, creativity and unity.

* White – Is a balance of all colours and is used for meditation, healing, truth seeking, peace, spiritual strength and enlightenment, rituals involving "lunar" energy, purity, protection, happiness, masculine divinity, and may be substituted for any other colours.

Serenity Sunday

I am SO greatful this week to have my bathroom back...well, the kids are pretty darn greatful too since they don't have to run to the neighbor's house any more. Another thing I'd like to say a bit about is the freedom that we all have a share in...the ability to thank a higher power (how ever we choose to see that higher power) and the ability to express that gratitude. Let us not try to judge the differences but be thankful that there are so many colors that make up a rainbow that we call spirituality. Here is my list for this week:

1.) My children

2.) My cats

3.) Cinnamon Creme coffee creamer

4.) A working toilet

5.) The new feather bed mattress I just bought...mmm, snuggly!

6.) The freedom to express my spirituality

7.) My ability to disregard judgements made on me

8.) My fuzzy bunny slippers

9.) Yarn that I make afghans with

10.) Downy fabric softener

I know there are a couple strange things on my list but that's what makes gratitude so wonderful...the ability to take the small stuff that usually gets passed over on any given day and give thanks for it.

Tale Of Two Chariots...

Yesterday, I touched upon the Strength card and the Chariot card as far as soft and hard control and thought it might be fun to compare the Chariot cards from two different decks and how the artists' depiction can subtly change basic meanings. On the left is the Chariot card from "The Baroque Bohemian Cat's Tarot" and on the right is the Chariot card from my "Tarot of the Magical Forest." The first thing I notice is how the BBC Chariot shows a rather dignified kitty, firmly holding the reigns and looking very much in control and in charge but when I look at the Chariot from the Magical Forest, I see a small wide eyed porcupine looking as if he hopes that he is in control but is just unsure enough to look a bit freaked out... to add to it, his oxen don't look any more confident than their driver. It's interesting how both cards have the meaning of control and composure but the differences of artists' interpretation can add a different perspective so that when these two cards come up in a reading, I might say that in the case of the Magical Forest, the individual is feeling somewhat out of control in a situation and might need to step back and reevaluate their position.... with the BBC tarot I would head in an opposite direction and say that there is the feeling that this person is hanging on to their control too tightly and could benefit from loosening their grip a little bit and some relaxation might be in order.

Got Strength?

I drew the tarot card Strength this morning and boy was it a very good indicator of my evening. I had the first stages of my tattoo done and I found myself coming up with all sorts of new and unique understandings of this card that I had not thought of before. I'm pretty much a real weenie when it comes to pain but I must admit there were no tears...which was good since I didn't want to do that in front of a complete stranger. Anyhow, Strength is about trying a soft approach to solve problems instead of the "pell mell down the hill and in your face" like the Chariot card... using kind words and a gentle touch can accomplish so much more than being heavy handed. I liken it to the "catching more bees with honey than vinegar" addage. So, next time things aren't going well, try a different approach and see just what happens.

Elemental, Dear Watson

Wicca is a nature based religion and follows the tides of the moon and the path of the sun in my celebrations. I like to honor the world around me and one of the most important ways I integrate the natural world into my daily life and my expression of this is by honoring the elements. Generally, there are four elements that are recognized by all wiccans, these are Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Depending on the path (or tradition) a person is working like myself, I recognize a fifth element, Spirit. Each element has a different energy and fits into my daily life in its own special way. There are correspondences which focus on the energy of the element that I might be working with. I work a solitary eclectic path ( I do not belong to a traditional coven) and since I am in the northern part of the world, there may be differences in other paths and things in the southern hemisphere are generally opposite of the way I work with them.

AIR...the element of the east in most traditions and is where the sun rises . It is the place of new beginnings and morning is it's time. Air is associated with thought processes and mental working, intelligence and learning... birds, feathers, insects, clouds and the dawn are all associated with air.... its colors are generally yellows and pastels.

FIRE...as the sun moves South, it becomes noon time... the heat of the day. Fire is associated with movement and action, the fires of passion and anger and of our will. Lizards, salamanders, scorpions, deserts, spices, heat and the noonday sun are all associated with fire.... it's colors are reds and oranges.

WATER... is in the direction of the west and is the time of the setting sun, the coolness of twilight.... it is the rain, rivers and oceans and streams. It is the element of emotion and intuition... it's colors are blues and greens, turquoise and aqua.

EARTH... is in the North and is the dark, the time of rest. It is planting and nurturing seeds of all kinds, growth and abundance, but it also signifies the passing (or death) and returning to the earth. Most mammals and earth dwelling creatures are associated with the earth as are plants and trees, stones and seeds. Its colors are greens and browns and black.

SPIRIT... is an element that is difficult to explain and even harder to show. It is the hub of the wheel of the year and wheel of the elements... the top of the five pointed star. It's associations are different for everyone, and some will say purple, gold or white is it's color. I associate it with the manifestation of the goddess and god figure (the spirit evident in all natural creations).

I hope this explains a little of what I incorporate into my life in the form of rituals and spells or even charms. The more people know what goes into my spirituality, the less that there is to be fearful of. I firmly believe that tolerance is a commodity that sometimes falls by the wayside but hopefully, with a little education and understanding we will make great progress in this world.