What a week...

It has been a long couple of days. Really, really excruciating long. I think that my child was suffering from a well known children's disease called post-Christmas lameness. She was being a whiny little turd that would settle for nothing less than trying to crawl up my butt and never give me a moments peace. All I wanted was time to pack our bags for our pending Seattle trip and to clean the bathroom so my friend who is house/dog sitting has a clean pot to sit on. =) According to Jae though, that was FAR too much to ask! *sigh*

Christmas went really well... Jae, like most three year olds, made out like a bandit and I received a beautiful staff that my parents made for me. It's a lovely piece of willow about two inches shorter than I am (and I stand at 65") with a leather bound hand hold and medicine pouch. One of the most amazing parts though, is the hollowed out knot just above the hand hold that my parents put a beautiful piece of quartz crystal point into. Really, it's so amazing!

She practically sings! She hasn't told me her name yet... but we'll get there. =)

Right now, I'm watching an Australia show called Dance Academy. It's actually really cute, and I will likely veg out on the couch and watch a few more episodes until I decide I'm truly tired and will be able to sleep without tossing and turning.

Blessings to everyone and I'll write again soon.

Warning- rant on e-cards.. may offend those that like to use them!

YUP. E-cards. Ok, so I get that sometimes it's nice to send out a fun little "hey I was thinking about you" message... and in these cases, using an "e-card" is acceptable as it's much more fun than just an email. But, let me make something clear, the use of e-cards for birthdays, holidays, anniversary's and the like is just rude. I said it. RUDE. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that everyone in your address book got the same cheesy, "I hope you have a great holiday season. Love, X, X, X, and X" message in the card. I understand that it's the same thing when you MAIL a card to someone, but at least when you mail a card, that means you took the time to actually, with your own hand, write in the card, address each envelope and affix a stamp to it. They may be standard across the board, but at least you took time with each individual one instead of hitting "copy/paste" and "send"after filling in a few blanks to make sure that everyones names are on the card.

The point- e-cards suck and are a very distanced, disjointed way of wishing someone any type of happy holiday. To the person that sent that damn thing (though I highly doubt you'll ever see this blog), take me off your damn mailing list. To everyone else, sorry you had to "listen" to my feelings about these atrocious things.

Back at last

I am so sorry on my month long absence... I've been trying to squeeze in every last drop of family time possible between life, appointments and "oh craps". My hubby has officially deployed and now I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. A lot of stuff has happened that I'm aching to blog about, so you'll have to bear with me as I try to squeeze in blogs between last minute holiday prep and some traveling to help out a few friends in Seattle that are in desperate need of assistance...

So, as it's late and I've been up since 3am making trips to the airport and crying, I'm just going to write a quick outline of things coming up:
1.) Dream Walking with Stars
2.) December Full Moon Ritual/meditation
3.) Yule and the Dark Moon

Those are the big things right now, though I'm sure that I'll add more to that once I settle in for some good, lengthy typing. =)

I hope that you all are well, and I can't wait to get caught up on everyone's blogs!

Blessings to you all this beautiful season!


A parting thought...

Magic, Magic in the air...

Please, before I start, someone tell me that they also "time warp" when doing a ritual! I have no idea how and hour and a half slipped by when I SWEAR it was only, like 30 minutes! ;)

Tonight I performed a new ritual... At the moment, I don't want to go into a full blown detail account, so I'm going to give the "in a nut shell" explanation.

Over time, I have developed some potentially hazardous relationships. At the time, they seamed normal enough, but in retrospect it was a bad road to be walking down and, once I saw that, I ended it. Tonight, I decided that I needed to cleanse myself of these relationships with more than words and thoughts, but also symbolically. I am a huge fan and lover of symbolic actions, and I believe that symbolism has the same power as thought. So, I gathered some paper, a black marker and a "token" (I only had a token from one person, not the two involved, but you go with what you got!) I wrote out the names and spoke my words of power... typically I let these come to me on the spot and often don't write out anything before hand (although I will in a case where it is something big that I have a lot of prep work for). Then I asked for the memories to always be fond but the knowledge that, unless destined otherwise, our paths will remain parted in this life. Then I took my paper and my token and tossed them into the fire (which was ROARING by this point because of the chants and dancing I had done to raise energy) and watched them burn as a reminder to myself of what it costs not only me, but those around me when I do not guard myself, my choices, and lines end up being blurred or crossed (no matter what line or who it was set by) when they shouldn't be. Lessons must always be learned in life, sometimes they just suck more than other ones.

I don't often write out my spell work, and I can't deny being a bit nervous about this post... it's that private side of me. =)

Anyway.. I'm feeling a bit tired now and I think I will go take a nice hot shower and go to bed.

Blessings.

Just a thought...

(here's to a belated Veteran's Day post!!)

I know that times are tough right now, but I would like everyone to give some serious thought to adopting a soldier this holiday season. Being a veteran and a military wife, I understand the hardship of deployment, especially when that deployment falls over the holidays. (hell, I'm gearing up to be in that same situation soon!) Even worse, think about the military members over seas that have no spouses or family to send them things and make them feel remembered and special... heart wrenching isn't it?

Last night I adopted a soldier. I haven't received the information for my soldier yet (takes 24-72 hours) but I can tell you that I have already started putting a box of things together to send off when I do. It doesn't have to be anything big, but something as simple as some snacks and a few letters can make a world of difference for someone protecting our freedoms and going without so we can sleep safely and peacefully at night.

Yes, I know things are financially tough right now... but the fact is that just being home gives us more than those deployed men and women have right now. No, I'm not trying to guilt anyone into this, I promise. =) I do believe strongly in this though, and I hope that you will at least think on it!

If you're interested in doing something like this, here is a reliable site that you can go through- AAUSS- Adopt a US Soldier

Bless to all you! If you decide to do this, I would love to hear about your plans and your soldier! Just remember, please do not post any crucial information, such as exact location, dates of departure/return, or anything else that the enemy could use against us. =) Thanks!

Night of the Full Moon- November

Tonight I held my first solitary ritual since stepping down from my role and leader for the military circle I had run for the past 2 1/2 years. I had forgotten what the solitude of self can feel like, and I must say that I enjoyed it immensely. I will forever love group rituals, but after tonight I am reminded of how important it is to practice alone as well.

Something that I did and haven't done in awhile was take the time to gaze into my scrying mirror. I have tried many forms of scrying- water, stones, fire, etc.- and in all my trials I have discovered that that one method at calls to me and works without fail is my black mirror. It was actually a gift from Stephen many Yules ago, and has been my scrying method of choice since then. Just looking at it for a moment will allow most anyone to see the "waves" within the blackness, just waiting to part so that the seeker may seek. I saw many things in my mirror tonight, some of which I asked for, others came unbidden. I was afforded the opportunity to speak with my guide as well as my totem tonight (two separate things for me personally), and was provided some insight on how to go about this new path that I am on, as, admittedly, I've been feeling a little lost. I know the power is within me, it's just been a matter of finding it and working with it now that my rituals have changed so drastically. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but I at least know what I'm trying to say!

I also made some moon water tonight- something I have neglected to do the past few months. As a dear friend and fellow priestess of mine told me on Samhain while she was acting as messenger for The Morgan, "The Darkness is your friend." Those words have stuck with me since that night (and I apologize for not blogging about it yet!), as the darkness of self is something that I've been learning to recognize and work with, as there can be no light without the darkness. Part of this, going back to the moon water, was also putting a smokey quartz into the water as I charged it with the light of the moon. While the full moon offers illumination at it's fullest, the smokey quartz, to me, represents the darkness that has come over the earth as winter settles in around us (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere). My goal for this winter, as it will just be me do to the needs of Uncle Sam, is to spend this winter in the blessed solitude of my home and of myself, in hope of finding those things within the darkness that are beneficial, so that I may expand upon them, as well as those thing which hinder, so I can learn to control then do away with them.

Now that my circle is closed, I feel Nyx calling me into a blessed sleep where I I hope to be blessed with dreams of meaning that I will remember upon waking. =)

I hope that you all had a blessed night and that you will take time this winter to embrace the darkness and use the night for a good dose of introspect. You may not always like what you find, but ignoring it will do a hell of a lot more damage that confronting it. Besides, not everything that resides within the darkness is negative.

Be Blessed.

Ghosties, Ghosties everywhere... ghosties, ghosties in my-

Daughters room!?

I should start by saying that I've known for some time that there are ghosts in this house... in fact, there is a tree in our back yard, as well as an attic/crawlspace opening in Jaelynn's room that they frequent. The "older" ghosts tend to use the tree, and the "younger" ones, attracted by a child and toys I'm sure, love Jae's room. It's quite amusing to sit down stairs at any point during the day or night and listen to foot steps patter across her floor upstairs when you know that the room, and sometimes house (aside from me), is unoccupied. I've warded the house in a way that will always let the kind spirits passage, but block those that have negativity to them, and I always know when a new young one joins us, as they inevitably will wake Jaelynn up at night on accident. So, when that happens, and after she goes back to sleep, I will go upstairs and have a moment to lay down the house rules, no harm and no waking up the kid. Seems fair to me. In fact, I will forever remember the first child ghost, who has passed beyond now and is also the only one I have had close contact with- his name is Gabriel. My daughter was still in her crib at the time he showed up... in fact it was about two years ago that that happened. When we (my friend Jen and I) "discovered" him, we decided to lay down the law, then we made up the twin bed that was also in Jae's room, and set out a basket of NON noisy toys for him to play with. After that night, I would often hear Jae talking to him or ear footsteps when I knew Jae was asleep. I could often go into her room the next morning and find a toy that had been in the basket, out of it, and it was usually the horse toy that we put in there. I was sad to feel him leave, but happy that he had finally found the strength to move on.
This brings me to the present...
After Gabriel, I stopped actively looking for the ghosts and decided to just settle on knowing of their presence. Let me tell you that I was startled into full awareness this morning when I got up to go get Jae ready for school and opened her bedroom door to find a ghost standing just inside her door. My eye's saw, and my spirit recognized, but in a sleep haze still it took a second longer for my mind to consciously catch up, and by then, she had disappeared from my normal sight and through the crawlspace door. I struck me as funny when I went back to tell my hubby what had happened, as Jaelynn had just told me a few night ago that there was a ghost in her room. With all the Halloween displays at every corner, I chalked it up to the possibility that she was being a normal three year and seeing Casper... After this morning, there is no doubt in my mind that she was referring to the ghost I saw this morning. She was about three feet tall and looking nothing more than a cylinder of white light, but she was clearly female in presence and mind. It was a strange experience and my first of actually TRULY seeing a ghost instead of just feeling and knowing.

Wicked cool... =)

Then, to top all this off, this afternoon Jae decided to put on my slippers and this gaudy pink hat I have. She looked at me while wearing this and said, "Ok mommy, I'm going to be Grandma now." Wouldn't you know that both the slippers and hat had belonged to my grandmother who passed away a year ago last October 1st. See this entry for more info... A Discovery of Death

Now how is that for some crazy pre-Samhain veil thinning?

Halloween Superstitions

I know there is a lot I could write on when it comes to Halloween and Samhain.... However, I was spurred to write on the superstitions based on a little article written in our local "paper" (as a two page print job isn't a real paper) on said superstitions. Hopefully you'll at least get a chuckle and maybe learn something new! And, you never know just how close to the truth some of these may really be...

1.) If a candle goes out on its own on Halloween, it is thought that a ghost has come to call.
2.) A burning candle inside of a jack-o-lantern on Halloween keeps evil spirits away.
3.) You invite bad luck into your home if you allow a fire to burn out on Halloween.
4.) A person born on Halloween can both see and talk to spirits. (Any Halloween birthday readers out there?? I would be curious on your view of this one!)
5.) Seeing a spider on Halloween could be the spirit of a dead loved one that is watching over you.
6.) If you hear footsteps behind you on Halloween, don't look back because it could be the dead following.
7.) Carry a lump of bread in your pocket when walking in the dark to serve as an offering to ghosts.
8.) Don't look at your shadow in the moonlight on Halloween night. If you do, you will die within a short period of time.
9.) When a person lived a good life, flowers will grow on their grave. If they were evil, weeds will grow.
10.) Never slam a door; otherwise, you could hurt a ghost and risk a haunting.
11.) Holding your breath while driving by a cemetery keeps evil spirits from entering your body. (I actually heard this one as a child!)
12.) If a bat flies around a house three times, it is a death omen.
13.) Ringing a bell on Halloween will scar evil spirits away. (not far off on that!)
14.) Knock on wood to keep bad luck away.
15.) A bat that enters a home may have been let in by a ghost.

What superstitions have you heard? Do you know any that are so steeped in truth that you can't help but laugh?

Black cat AND a ladder? Damn we're in trouble! LOL!

The Unseen House Wife Witchery

I have been a stay at  home wife and mother for almost two years now... two years on December 1st to be exact. In those two years I have finished my degree, fine tuned how to manage the house (or how to at least beat it back every now and again), and I'm now getting ready to send my husband to the sandbox for the second time.

Now, while I'm sitting here typing this, I can tell you that there is a load of clean dishes in the dishwasher that need to be put away, laundry that needs to be folded, and a variety of other chores that I could be doing. While these are all part of my "job description" I've decided that if they've been in there for a while already, they can wait a bit longer. =)

Anyway- I did title this entry about house wife witchery, and the specific thing in mind when I started writing wasn't dishes or laundry, but painting.

With Stephen getting ready to leave again, I have slipped into my old ways of going manic on the house, as it keeps my mind and hands busy and not brooding over unpleasantness. My pet project at the current moment is my guestroom. I decided to move some things around so I can set up a comfortable working area to keep my sewing stuff set up without having to move it around and store it constantly. As I'm moving things and cleaning up the general mayhem of my craft shelves, I got to looking at the walls... now, we have painted several rooms of the house, but the guestroom is not one of them. The more I got to looking at the white walls, the more I started hating them. Well, one thing led to another, and next thing I know, I have all these color samples tapped up to the wall. Every time I walked into the room, I would look at them, and over the course of the day, I eliminated the ones that didn't "speak" to me. Eventually, I ended up with a pale, misty blue (called Midwinter Sky) and a golden sand color (called Summer Sandcastle). I went and got the paint this morning. =) As I was standing there waiting for the colors to mix, it dawned on me that my mind, even when I'm not consciously calling forth the magic, settled on the two colors that spoke of peace and calm, while my heart and body are going absolutely crazy and really starting to feel the stress. It helped me to see that, even when I don't feel like I'm doing life "right" or when I'm feeling overwhelmed, my magic is always there, even when it is something as seemingly simple as choosing paint for a room. Talk about comfort right there!

Just thought I would share!

The feeling of Fall...

Two nights ago was one of those great nights where the clouds rolled in, the temperature dropped, and we got some nice fall rain while we stayed cozy inside with a nice fire roaring. I don't wish for rain everyday, but on that day it was the perfect thing.
Our falls here in Western Idaho are fickle... sometimes already cold and sometimes too warm to really be fall. We've been wavering back and forth between crisp, cool days and days in the mid 70's that feel closer to the mid 80's. I suppose that is typical of this place too...90 degree's one day, 30 the next. I don 't think we have too many of the warmer days in front of us. In fact, a quick weather check shows a steady decline from low 70's to the mid to low 50's by Samhain.

Why am I talking about weather? Well, to be quiet honest, it's because it is one of my most favorite things about fall. Watching the leaves change and being able to see my breath on the air when I take Jae to school in the morning is a small miracle to me.

This weekend we will be going on our annual pumpkin liner trip... We get to go on a train and ride the rail by the river before arriving at a cute little set up in the mountains and picking our pumpkins. We've done it ever year since Jae was born, the first being when she was only a month old, and this is one tradition I'll be sad to leave behind when we finally move out of Idaho.

I hope the rest of you on the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying and savoring your fall, as it always seems to go too quickly. For those of you on the Southern side of the world, I hope your days are finally starting to warm up!


This picture made me laugh...

A fond farewell!

Sorry on my absentee status... the family and I were taking a well deserved vacation in the Southern Caribbean. =)

Tonight marked the transition of me stepping down from my position with the circle and moving my "replacement" into that spot. I think the ritual went well... Essentially, everyone showed up and was brought in half way through a ritual already in progress. My replacement and I began our work at 6:30, which consisted of setting up, talking over everything, casting the circle, and spending some quality time in meditation with the elements and the Divine. The meditation was much needed and provided some great insight and triumph, as well as strength and guidance to both of us... not to mention one hell of an endorsement by Gaia and Cernunnos for Bill! Once everyone was brought in, I took about 10 minutes to thank everyone for coming even though they had no idea what was going on, and then to explain that my time with the circle had come to an end and that it was now Bill's turn to take on the leadership role and help the circle and its members continue to thrive and grow. After I finished speaking, Bill said his few words and then he made his oath to me, as well as the circle that he would do right by them, etc. When all was said and done, I had him cut me out of the circle, and after I crossed the threshold, I bowed to everyone, told them I loved them, then I turned around and left without looking back. Oddly, it was easy to not look back. I came home and sent out a quick email to everyone, since not all of our members were able to be there tonight, and now I'm sitting here typing this.

I suppose I will go make some nice pumpkin spice tea and go treat myself to some nice book time.

Love and blessings to you all!

Well, it's a day late, but HAPPY MABON!!

Yesterday is a memory of blurry colors and flying by the seat of my broom stick, so I apologize for not making this post on what is the calender appropriate day. =)

I would like to share the simple ritual that was writing by one of the circle members for our celebration last night, as well as the simple spell we started with once the circle was cast...

Simple Mabon Candle Spell

Created by Mrs. B (from confessions of a pagan soccer mom) Thank you for your lovely words Mrs. B!

Needed Supplies: a candle (fall colors or white)

Paper/Pen

Cauldron

Center yourself and take a few deep, cleansing breaths. Think about the season passing and the one to come. Think of the abundance that you've received and worked hard to obtain. Light the candle and say the following (or words of your own creation):

I light this candle to honor the season and to give thanks for the abundance in my life. I strive to remember these blessings and give thanks for them throughout the entire year. I strive to remember to share those blessings with others not as fortunate as I am, even when I have little to share. I express my gratitude to the Lord and Lady for all my blessings this Mabon, and give thanks for all those blessings that will come to me this glorious fall season. So Mote it be!

Write down your blessings as well as your thanks upon the paper. When finished, fold into a square and light from your candle. Set into the cauldron and send off these words to the Powers That Be.

Mabon 2011

Need: chalice of “wine”; Three candles (white, red, black) set around the cauldron, athame, elemental candles

Creating the Ritual Area:

East: I call upon the Wind, the East, the Power of Thought and Logic.

Inspire us this day as we celebrate Mabon.

Protect us in this time of both Light and Dark.

Blessed Be.

South: I call upon the Fire, the South, the Power of Strength and Ferocity.

Guide us this day as we celebrate Mabon.

Protect us in this time of both Light and Dark.

Blessed Be.

West: I call upon the Water, the West, the Power of Emotion and Intuition.

Bless us this day as we celebrate Mabon.

Protect us in this time of both Light and Dark.

Blessed Be.

North: I call upon the Earth, the North, the Power of Stability and Patience.

Guard us this day as we celebrate Mabon.

Protect us in this time of both Light and Dark.

Blessed Be.

Center: I call upon the Spirit, Beginning and End. Power of Souls and Dreams.

Watch over us this day as we celebrate Mabon.

Protect us in this time of both Light and Dark.

Blessed Be.

High Priest: Mabon is a time of Rest. The harvest has been brought in, and at last we can enjoy the fruits of our labors. The Harvest Lord may lean back and drink from his horn, content in the knowledge that his people are cared for as he prepares to hand over his throne. In this time before Winter, joy and plenty abound.

High Priestess: These are the days when we bid farewell to the Goddess as she prepares for her descent. Persephone goes to join Hades. Inanna prepares to join her sister in the Underworld. These are not a time for mourning, but for quiet farewells and wishes of return. Only in the time of rest can life be rejuvenated. Winter must come for Spring to arrive.

High Priestess: Light the three candles around the cauldron. Say:

We call upon the blessed Lady, queen of the harvest, Giver of life and plenty since before time began. We honor and praise you in your courage and beauty. Bless us with your courage and wisdom to see us through the coming Dark.

High Priest: Salute the cauldron with your dagger or sword. Say: We call upon the Lord of the harvest, sacred King, Giver of riches and protection since before time began We honor and praise your strength and laughter. Bless us with your strength and laughter in the coming Dark. High Priestess: Take the dagger in your power hand, the wine chalice in the other. Say: Always has life fulfilled its cycle and led to Life anew in the eternal chain of the living. In honor of the Gods, We mark the fullness Of our lives and the harvest of this year's lessons.

Touch the dagger to the chalice. All: Walk three times clockwise around the circle, beginning in the east. Chant: The wheel of the year must turn, so too must bounty come.

High Priest: Raise the chalice and speak the following, sip, then pass. To the good seasons that have gone, And to the good ones who will come. Blessed Be! To the Goddess! May she bring peace And fulfillment to all her children. Blessed Be! To the God! May he protect his followers And bring prosperity and happiness. Merry meet, merry part, and merry we shall meet again! Blessed Be.

(It is at this time that any workings you wish to do may be done.)

Center: Powers of Spirit, Protectors whom have watched us. Thank you for joining us this Mabon Day.

Go if you must, stay if you will

Blessed Be.

North: Powers of Earth, Protectors whom have guarded us. Thank you for joining us this Mabon Day.

Go if you must, stay if you will.

Blessed Be.

West: Powers of Water, Protectors whom have blessed us. Thank you for joining us this Mabon Day.

Go if you must, stay if you will.

Blessed Be.

Mabon Day.

Go if you must, stay if you will.

Blessed Be.

East: Powers of Wind, Protectors who have inspired us. Thank you for joining us this Mabon Day.

Go if you must, stay if you will.

Blessed Be.

All: This circle is Open, but shall never be Broken. 

The ritual went really well, and I, personally, felt like I was flying on a hot electric storm by the time we were finished. It was great!

I hope that everyone had a blessed day and is making the most of the fine weekend we've been given!

Holy Dreams Batman!

Ok, so many of you have likely seen my previous post on Dream Walking, and I have to say, since I wrote that post and started really working on my dreaming again, my dream time has been virtually over flowing! In the past week, I have been bombarded with many, MANY faces from my past (high school friends mostly) with varying themes and circumstances. Nothing that has struck me as weird or important, but it's like, in making this deeper connection with the unconscious, my mind is filtering through everything I've ever dreamed about and mushing it into something slightly different. I've been filing all these images and conversations away into on online "diary", so I can better keep track of any reoccurring themes, be it a face, a place, a conversation, or whatever. I've found that free online journals are absolutely amazing. Personally, I can type faster than I can write, so it's easiest for me to sit down, zip it all into a computer and call it good. HOWEVER, if I wake up in the middle of the night from a dream, I do have a journal and pen I keep on the head board that I can write key points in (in the dark of course... always fun to decipher later) so I have better recollection of it when I'm fully awake the next morning without waking my system completely up at some ungodly hour that I would rather be sleeping through. =)

Anywho... just thought I would put all this out there for you!

The End of an Era

As a military veteran, and now a military wife, I have spent the better part of my adult life watching the ways of the military and standing proud and strong as I witness those that I care for be stripped of all the rights that the typical American civilian holds dear. I've lost my free speech, given up my family time in order to meet the demands of the military, and for a time, even gave up my religious freedom while we struggled to make the pagan path a recognized faith that was not treated unfairly or mocked by superiors. While I am proud of my service, and the service I continue to give by my husbands side, there are many things about the military that shame me and keep me praying for better.

Well, now I happily sit here and type that I am PROUD of what the government has done TODAY. Today marks the first time in which the motto and way of life bearing the brand "Don't ask, don't tell" has be repealed. My fellow service members and friends, many of whom have struggled to not lose themselves to the demands of the military, are now free to at least exercise one right that has been freely granted to the "average joe"... the right to be homosexual in the military AND have it acknowledged. I'm sure that there will be protests by military and civilian alike, but guess what guys, these people have been among us the whole time... they do their job, and adhere to the standards set by the government just like the rest of us! The only difference is now you KNOW they're gay/lesbian instead of just "having a feeling" about them. HA! Score one for the underdogs. =)

Congratulations to all the service members out there, regardless of current status (retired, active duty, veteran, etc.) on FINALLY being able to be true to your sexual preference! I applaud you and wish I could raise a glass with all of you to toast this historical day!

Mabon Recipe!

Most sabbats are accompanied by food... it just so happens that Mabon is, to me, an extra special food day! This is a recipe I got off of allrecipes.com many years ago, and it is really fantastic for Mabon (I think). In taking part of a blog hop with The Pagan Mom Blog, I figured I would post this fabulous main dish!

Check back for more recipes soon...

Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin Roast!

Ingredients

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1 cup apple jelly
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon, crushed
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 (4 pound) boneless pork loin roast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• (I pretty much eyeball all the "extras" like garlic, mustard and all that jazz!)

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Combine the cranberry sauce, apple jelly, mustard, crushed bouillon, horseradish, garlic powder, and thyme in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
3. Line a large baking pan with foil. Place pork loin in pan, fat side up. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Use a pastry brush and a small spoon to completely coat the pork with sauce.
4. Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, about 45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with remaining sauce. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). 

Life is like a box of chocolates...

...and biting into one to decided if you like it or not is perfectly acceptable.

 Hopefully my attempt to "make a funny" at least made you smile. =)

Seriously though. How many times has someone said to you, "Well THAT'S not how you do it," or "You CAN'T do it that way." Well, let me tell you something... you can do whatever you damn well please. Now, that's not to say I will approve of your condone actions that violate certain moral laws/ethics, but it's the honest truth... all you have to do is pick up that chocolate, take a bite, and decide whether or not you like it. Sometimes you may spit right out and wonder what the hell you were thinking, other times you may give it a few nibbles, and decide to reserve judgement until a later point. Oh, and lets not forget those time were you try it, love it, and do it all over again. (Yes ladies, you know what I'm talking about!)

What I'm getting at is that who you are and how your walk your spiritual path is entirely up to you. What works for me, may not work for you, but we can still learn from each other and grow on our paths by expanding knowledge and understanding of the self and others. Really, you can never learn too much... for myself, if a day goes by that I don't learn something new, I will consider the day a sad one indeed (good thing I usually learn something new everyday!).

What do you like to do when you're prepping for a ritual or spell work? What's your niche? We know tools aren't a necessity, but often function as an extension of self... do you have a favorite? Something that you always find yourself using or doing?

Me? I love incense. Really. It doesn't matter if I'm meditating, in ritual, dream walking or just doing my night time ritual of thanks. I always have incense. I have two main altars in the house... the big one, which is in my room, and a smaller one in the living room. There is a good stock of incense for both that has to be regularly replenished. And I love candles. Mmmmm... especially ones I've made myself. I have other objects which are sacred to me (like my wand- which was the very first tool I owned/made and came to me from the bowels of the sea), and while they have a place of honor on my altar(s), still, I most frequently use the incense...

The Art of Dream Time

YES! I finally remembered one of the topics I've been wanting to write on... DREAM WALKING!

Dream walking is something that I've been working on (off and on) for the past couple of years. I had a great dream last week which triggered another onslaught of study and work, and so far, I seem to have made great progress. There are certain people that I have always been able to dream walk to... people that I have a really good connection with. There are others that are hit and miss, more often than not due to different sleeping times. =)

However, my dreams are not what I'm here to type on, but more of how those dreams are achieved. Without a doubt, sometimes it is totally random and unexpected, but other times it is a thought out plan, consciously made before heading to bed. I have found that one of the best methods for me starts with playing the dream in my head before I sleep. That is, the dream I want to take someone into. For instance, if I wanted to take my husband into a dream, before falling asleep I would create the entire dream. The location, the color of the sky, time of day, clothing, etc. would be know to me. From there, its a matter of meditating on that dream and letting my body drift into sleep while doing that. Once that happens, it's pretty much like the mind says "Ok, here we are! Let's go find Stephen and have some dreaming fun!". Granted, there are times when that doesn't always work, and also times were I won't remember the dream, but the recipient will (which is super annoying). Something that is also helpful is keeping a notebook and pen by the bed. I have discovered that I tend to wake up after dream walking, and if I don't write my dream down in the time, I will often loose some of the finer details and be left with hazy remnants when I wake up for the day later.

So what works for you? I'm a sucker for incense and some soft music. I even have play lists designed to cater to certain types of dreams. If I'm going into my "dream scape" (which is by a river a nearly lived on in high school) I will play music that reminds me of running water, so on and so forth. If you have never tried dream walking or seem to not be too good at it, I would highly recommend reading Psychic Dreamwalking: Explorations at the Edge of Self by Michelle Belanger. It is an excellent resource!

Well, speaking of dreams, it is time for me to go get ready for bed and see about making some new dreams!

A new blogger!

I would like to ask you all to go check out this new blog:
http://irishrogue13.blogspot.com/

My little sister is new to her path and has started her own blog. As I remember well from when I just started mine, I know she would be thrilled to have some visitors and your kind remarks that you're all always so good with!

Thank you everyone! Brightest Blessings!

It's been one of those weeks...

So, I've started and stopped several posts for my blog this week. It turned into a busy week to one of those utterly stupid weeks that makes you wonder home humanity has managed not to die off yet due to their own stupidity. Really, my faith in man kind has wavered a lot this week.

On a whim, I decided to see what today's Tarot had in store... and I came up with Justice. How fitting!

One hand holds a feather (symbolic of Ma'at and the weighing of the heart), the other holds scales, to show that her judgement will be fair. Justice wears no blindfold - nothing will be hidden from her.
Justice can be cold and implacable, but is scrupulously fair. It is a reminder that there are consequences to all of our actions, and that physical concerns must be balanced by spiritual growth. It can also mean a judgement in your favor, and that a turbulent time is coming to an end.

I don't know how this fits in with everyone elses life at the present moment, but for anyone that has read my blog for a bit, you know that my time with the circle I currently lead is coming to an end next month. The majority of the issues I have dealt with this week have stemmed from circle and this card is reminding me that my turbulent time is quickly coming to an end, and that I must remain fair and consistent until then (as much as I REALLY don't want to sometimes).

Anywho.. this is my little blurb for now. I'm sure there are a million thing I could right about, but all are presently escaping my mind.

Today = Terrible Three's

Well, today is my beautiful, sweet little girls third birthday... and I want to lock her in her room, put on some head phones and take a three hour bath while downing a bottle or two of wine. I swear, over the past week, it's like a switch has flipped and we've gone from having our "moments" to having constant meltdowns, tantrums, and back talking. I mean... HOLY SHIT. Stupid terrible three's.

Great Goddess, bestow upon me your strength and compassion so I do not go postal on my child for pointless and consistent temper tantrums and non-listening ears...

I can see I'll be talking to Kuan Yin and Isis a lot about parenting and how to keep what few shards of sanity I have left. =)

Happy Birthday Jaelynn!

With the End of August comes...

The first real feel of fall.

The weather in Idaho is fickle at the best of times, and this summer has boasted well above the normal high for several weeks... staying in the high 90's to low 100's consistently. Today though... Today was beautiful. I awoke to a crisp breeze in the air- the North-Western Winds are making their presence known, and with them comes the feel of fall and the inner knowing that before too much longer it will be time to take to wearing jeans and long shirts and hoodies when setting out, while watching the beauty of the leaves as they turn and gentle way in which Gaia begins to to settle into the quiet hush of early darkness and preparation for the winter ahead. While packing away my summer things makes me sad, as I know with it comes the bitter cold of this area, I must confess that I look forward to the subtle change of fall and starting the morning out cool with a gradual warming to a comfortable level instead of a searing heat.

How is it where everyone else is at?

Don't worry, by Yule I'll be bitching about the cold and bitter wind storms we get and praying for the searing heat again. =)

Amish Country Love

Well, it's taken me a bit longer to write this particular entry than I was hoping, but better late than never right?!

Early this month, the family and I went to Philadelphia, PA to visit with all my husbands family and friends. We were there for a week and did a lot of things, but the days that stand out most to me are the ones we spent in Amish Country. I've been out to PA several times in the five years we've been married, but never had we traveled into Lancaster County, which houses areas like Ronks, Strasburg, and Intercourse (yes- that is truly the name... I'm also told there are others, 5 total I think, like Blue Ball), Pennsylvania. I digress... We spent a lot of time out there, and several separate day trips. We enjoyed the local cooking, and visited an Amish Village. My favorite though- the Quilt Shops. I had never taken a true interest in quilts. I find  the nice looking, and something I certainly don't have the patience to do myself. However, walking through the shops and looking at the pieces don't completely by hand... not the machine made knockoffs we have out here... has changed my opinion on a large scale. I originally set off on my adventure to find a quilt for my mom, who has always had a fondness for them and has purchased several from antique stores. I want to find a nice throw sized quilt for her... something to snuggle under with a good book during some down time. This is the one I found for her-

This quilt spoke to me in so many ways. This was the ONLY quilt I found in the store with this material and pattern.. really, I was dumbstruck by the beauty and feel of it. After finding this one and deciding to go with it, I looked through the stores section for king size quilts (as I have a king size bed!) I wasn't looking to buy, but I wanted to see. Apparently that nice Mennonite woman who made the quilt I picked for mom has designs and energy that speak to me and resonate within me, as every quilt I picked out was one she had made. Mom's quilt was purchased the first time we went to the Quilt shop, and that night I dreamt of mom's quilt and a king size one I had also looked at... In the end, I did pick a king size quilt and bought it (the one that was in my dream), only to have my mother-in-law give me a check for it as a happy graduation, anniversary, and merry Christmas present. Due to it's size, we had it shipped here, and boy let me tell you how excited I was the day it arrived!

Isn't she beautiful?? The "name" (of the design) on her tag was Hailey's Comet. There is a comfort to crawling into bed at night and feeling the weight of this quilt cocoon my body and keep me warm. I now have plans to buy a new quilt every year when we go back to PA. I think, should the other king size quilt I found and also love not be there, I will get a nice queen size quilt for our guest bedroom. Jae will get one as well... when she's a few years older. =)

There is a magic to these quilts... the love and energy put into them by the designers is a tangible thing. I would highly suggest a trip to Amish Country if you find yourself back east... you may be surprised at the magic you find surrounding your every move.. whether it be in the home style cooking that abounds there, the craftsmanship of all handmade items, or simply in walking through the lush green that rules the area. It is well worth the trip for the soothing calm it gives the soul.

The Simple Magics

While I have many things to write about, I would like to tell you a story of some simple magic that happened this past weekend....

My house is currently under going a face lift.. the entire fence is being replaced. With having four dogs, that ensures a lot of walks. Over the weekend, my hubby and I would each take a dog and walk them, and Jaelynn, to the grassy ball park just down the road. Three sides of it are fenced in, so we can take them down to the far end and let them off the leash to run. On our way, Jae likes to pick a small flower to play with. On this particular trip, she decided to leave the flower for Gaia as we left the park to go home. She very deliberately put the flower in the grass and left it there. Later that afternoon, when we took the first round of dogs back to the park, we stepped into the park to discover that there were wild patches of flowers everywhere! As we had been using the park routinely for sometime, I can say with certainty that there had never been flowers there before. EVER. I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled Jaelynn was that all her flowers were there. I told her that Gaia must have loved her gift and decided that the park needed more flowers. Every time we've gone back since, there have been flowers there for Jae to play with. And every time we go, she picks two... one for her altar and one to leave at the base of the tree she likes at the park.

Let us never forget the beauty of simple magic...

What am I?

Well, let me start by telling you what I'm not.. I'm not any one thing. =)

So, I got to thinking tonight (in the shower of course... my place of deep thought!) about titles and labels and how they apply to the path. Every now and again I get that question... you know.. the whole "what religion are you" question. The question doesn't bother me, but the lack of clarity to the answer. My standard answer for the general public is "Pagan", for those that know me better, I will normally tell them I am a Witch or a Goddess Follower. But, the more I think about it, the more I realize just how inadequate all those answers are. The term Pagan, much like the term Christian, is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of paths and beliefs. Granted, there is a lot more diversity in the pagan scheme of things, but you get the drift! Many people seem to not understand the diversity of that term, and automatically associate it with Wicca. Now, I'm not hating on Wicca, in fact, I follow the Wicca wheel of the year, as well as many other practices. BUT, I'm not a Wiccan. I've used the term eclectic in the past, as that was the only thing I could seem to "fit" into, but I'm learned that the term doesn't suit me.

Now, you're probably wondering why titles and names or whatever mean so much to me... well, to be honest, I'm not sure I can tell you why.... I suppose the need to self express without having to need a prepared speech is always nice...

At any rate... so, I've been thinking and pondering and reviewing my spirituality... all I have been, from what I came from, to everything I am now and the continuing new experiences and places I go. I am Witch, Buddhist, Goddess Worshiper, Naturalist, Druid... There really are a lot of "names" that I fall under, but the need to simplify it is a strong urge for me. All that being said, the only term I can think of is one that has already been coined...

Spiritualist.

Now this word has several meanings, but the definition most commonly associated with it is this: "One who believes in direct intercourse with departed spirits, through the agency of persons commonly called mediums, by means of physical phenomena; one who attempts to maintain such intercourse; a spiritist." (Online dictionary). It doesn't seem to matter what medium (forgive the pun) that I plug that word into, but every search comes back with things about contacting the dead.... interesting, but not what I'm going for here.

So, here is my new meaning for the word SPIRITUALIST...

One who believes in the cultivation of a relationship with the divine or beliefs (in the instance that no divinity is believed in) and does what what is most fulfilling for the spirit and self, without harming anyone; and brings inner peace while promoting peaceful cohabitation with all walks of life.

I've changed my mind. I am one thing- I am a Spiritualist!!

Now, I bid you all good night so I can go finish my tea and head to bed!

Blessing to you all!

"Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings -- that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide." The Buddha

The enormity of being done

Today I took my final for my very last college class to complete my bachelors degree. While I don't have a grade on it yet (it was a written essay on a crime scene), the realization that, as of 11am today, I was done with school as I know it and two and a half short weeks away from officially being a college graduate... the feeling is something that I'm not sure how to described. I have stressed, laughed, cried, ranted, pissed and moaned, and thoroughly enjoyed the last three years of school. Well, technically four years, but I took almost a year off when I got out of the military because I had to wait for the VA to catch up to me. =) Regardless of time, the point is that I have done it. I have started at the bottom and worked, sweat, laughed, and cried my way through a four year degree. Even better? Wait, let me guess, you're wondering how it can get better... let me tell you! I have managed to earn and maintain the GPA required to graduate with honors AND I have been accepted into Alpha Phi Sigma. Yup, it can get better.

I just can't believe I'm done.....

..... for now. =)

"I'm just blessing the candles, Mommy."

On Saturday afternoon, after spending the morning at Goddess Fest and looking through the closing Borders store at our mall, my two friends Trisha and Arrin, my daughter, and I went to the Crones Cupboard- one of our local occult stores. Typically, I buy my chime candles there, so my wee one is use to going to the section to "help" me pick out my candles. As it happened, I wasn't in the market for anything on Saturday, and was just browsing while my friends took care of some business of their own. I walked into the candle area and was checking out a Goddess Brigit candle that they have there, when Jae came up and started man handling all the votive's on the bottom shelf. I looked at her and told her we had to leave them there, as we didn't need to buy any candles today. Then I turned around a looked over a few other items around that area. When I turned around to check on Jae, she was standing next to the candles with a votive candle cupped in her hand and was talking to it. I watched her put it down and pick up a brown one and start the process over again. I couldn't make out everything she was saying, but I was picking up phrases like "mother goddess" and "move the Earth". I asked her what she was doing, and to my astonishment, as well as that of my friends, she looked at me and said, "I'm just blessing the candles, Mommy". She then proceeded to bless one candle of every remaining color before she was ready to leave that section of the store. Even thinking about it now, several days later, I'm amazed at the ability and intuition of my almost 3 year old little girl. She is a force to reckon with, and whoever ends up with those candles are in for one hell of a magical ride!

Why you gotta be pissing in my cheerios?

It's just been one of those damn days. Really, there are a couple people walking around with some severely singed ass hairs that I doubt will be growing back any time soon. If there is one thing that I can't stand, it is people that decide that, if you don't live like they do, or make the same sacrifices as they, that you are a lesser human being that deserves to be belittled and preached out about the need to grow up and be "responsible". To that I say, guess what- no one here is interested in your apparent saint like life.... go tend to your precious volunteer work.

Sorry... I just needed to vent and get that off my chest.

In other news, my yard is going to be sailing in a couple weekends... well, not really, but I'm hoping that the items I put out on it will be sailing away and leaving behind some cash. =) We've decided to have a yard sale the first weekend in August, just to clear out what we have that we know we're planning on getting rid of, and have another one next year after Stephen gets home. It's been forever since I've done a yard sale.. in fact, I can remember the last one.. I was still in high school and mom and I did a sale... M was there with her two kids and I got a wicked sunburn on my scalp because I had the pig tail braids going on and didn't think to put sunscreen on that little strip of delicate skin. Lesson learned- I will NEVER make that mistake again!!

It's another late night tonight, as I'm finding myself wide awake for some unknown reason. So, I'm sitting downstairs typing and watching a show on Investigation Discovery about the top 10 deadliest women. Great late night viewing, I know. =) The number two killer is of extreme interest to me... the kind that give pagans a bad name... 14 year old Catholic raised girl that goes goth and starts dating a "300 year old werewolf" and does a ritual and kills her parents and brother. *sigh* Gotta have one in every crowd I suppose... doesn't make it suck any less.

Tomorrow is Goddess Fest.. our local pagan gathering in we have here. Planning on being up in Boise by 10 so that I'm in time for the opening walk of the goddess. Stephen, unfortunately, has a paper to write, so Jae and I will be heading up to give him a quiet house to work in. I'm looking forward to it- I always have fun there and run into people that I haven't seen in ages. I suppose I should try to go to bed... again... so I'm not out of energy come tomorrow morning. Nighty nite everyone. Goddess Bless!

Sleepless in Idaho...

Well, it's 11:30pm and here I am... sitting in front of the computer because I can't sleep. Yes, I know that 11:30 isn't late for many, but for me, it is well past my bedtime. I decided, since I can't seem to get my brain to shut down long enough to attempt to sleep, that I would come write out everything that is on my mind...

In 30 minutes, millions of people on MST will be enjoying the midnight viewing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 2. Lucky bastards. I remember when I use to be energetic enough to deal with the crowds and madness of midnight showings... it been awhile now. =) As it stands though, I can't wait to go see that movie, which I intend to do next week when it won't be quite so hectic (crowds make me extremely nervous now for whatever reason).

My hubby will be leaving for CST training in just over 3 months, before leaving the states on a six month deployment to the sandbox. He and I have a lot of things happening in the next 3 months... two vacations- one to Philadelphia, PA (1 week) and the other to San Juan (2 weeks), my graduation, his birthday, our daughters birthday, two camping trips, Goddess Fest, sabbats, and a myriad of other things. It is going to be insane. When he gets home next June, we plan on putting the house up for sale... the market is still shitty around here and we would rather the house sell while he is still active duty than us have to sit on a mortgage payment for a year after he retires and we move away. This is largely what has been on my mind... I think that I will go get us a storage room at the beginning of next month, so that we can start packing things and putting them away slowly over the next year, this way the house will be easier to maintain when it is open for walk throughs. I'm also hoping that, prior to his departure, we can finish getting the tile in the upstairs bathroom put on the wall (a decorative border by the tub), though I don't know if time will allow for that... After he returns we will also need to complete the downstairs bathroom remodel, the few minor finishes to the wood flooring we put in, as well as other standard maintenance. At some point, new carpet will also need to go into the few places that still have carpet. I'm so thankful my parents live close by, as my dad is a whizz with house repairs and fix ups! I would like to have a massive yard sale next July/August as well... the less I have to pack up and move, the happier I will be.

My mom and I are suppose to be finding an official location for the bakery this fall/winter as well. The goal is to have the bakery up and running 6 months prior to Stephen retiring... then we won't have to worry about the "in between time". He can retire, and we'll already have an income source without him needing to find a job. He can come be happy and bake, like he has expressed the desire to do. On that note, I am forever in need of guinea pigs when it comes to new baking experiments. If you would like to be one, please let me know. Mom and I want to do mostly cookies, with select pastries, muffins, and other treats. This won't be your sit down barista type of bakery, but the walk in, buy what you need, maybe get a cup of regular coffee, tea, or soda, and head back out. There was a bakery like  that where I went to high school. You could never go there without it be packed. It was still like that when I went back to visit in March. Anyway... the next cookie on my experiment list is called "breakfast on the go". Not like those Oatmeal on the go cookies though... this one will be WAY different, including, but not limited to, having bacon in it. Yup, bacon. YUMMY! I'm looking forward to being done with school and having the time to back something new everyday.

I think that about sums up everything that has been circling my brain... hopefully I will be able to go get some sleep now. Sweet dreams to everyone out there.

Blessings both light and dark.

A Newly Formed Decision

As seems to be the case as of late, I have been absent for a decent length of time. I'm really hoping that, when I finish my final class with school this month, that my "free time" for writing will increase and my stress level will decrease! Now that I'm down to one class though, I'm at least finding my days slightly more manageable then they have been in the past year.

Anyway.. I'm not here to go on about school. Honestly I'd rather not think about it constantly (even though I normally do).

So I have decided, finally decided,that is time for me to step down from my circle. There is finally someone there who is willing and able to take the circle over. I have not confided any of this in the rest of the circle, as I don't want to deal with the - "we don't want to loose you nonsense." The transition will take place around Samhain, as something in my brain is telling me that that is the appropriate time for this. I had an interesting chat with Isis, in regarded to my path and, oddly enough, my name. In the years that have passed since we did the magical name ritual, I have come to realize that who I am is no longer who I was and the name I was given is no longer my own. I was asking Isis about it, when I would know what my name was to become, as a priestess to multiple goddess, and where to go with these new changes. She, in her eloquent way, told me that I would not discover my new name until I freed myself from the role that was no longer mine to have and doing nothing more than holding me back from where I am meant to be. So, yeah, that is where I am at now. In addition to that, I have found myself as a part of a circle in Boise, one was started by a wonderful old crone who left another group after seeing what a load of crapola they were trying to pass off as a goddess path. The two of us and two other women are the whole group, and it is so wonderful and empowering to work with these ladies who are true to themselves and their craft instead of being bogged down by those who are content to be stagnant in their spirituality and more concerned about who has the better story, the funnier joke, or whatever. We typically meet twice a month, once for coffee, talk, and a "business meeting" and again at the end of the month for a goddess ritual. Last month we had a ritual with the goddess Juno, and next month we will be working with the goddess Oya. It's so wonderful and I feel so at home there, something I haven't felt at the base circle in a very long time. I've watched myself become more recluse with each passing month, and I don't like that... It shouldn't be that way, and wouldn't be if I thought circle was of any spiritual benefit anymore. I can say I'm looking forward to Samhain. And to answer a question I'm sure you've wondered at, no, I will not be going back to the circle for any reason. Should the new leader need advise or counsel, that is one thing, but I Will not go back t be a member to the circle after spending the past two years running it, loving it, and hating it.

Now, I'm not trying to bash the circle here, just that it is simply no longer my place. It happens. It will be hard, to be sure, but it is also necessary.

Just thought I would share this!

Brightest Blessings to you all!

Blessed Litha!

Today marks the time of the suns power and strength in the Earth before he begins his ascent again to order to sacrifices himself for the good of mankind and it's continual to survival. We will rejoice his rebirth at Yule, when the morning sun rises and begins to stay with us longer and longer through the day. Take time to reflect on what you have accomplished this year and what is left to be done before the cold roles in again and we move the majority of our workings indoors around the hearth and celebrate our families.

I don't know about other parts of the globe, but today was truly the first real summer day we have had out here in the state of Idaho. It was truly a wonderful time for our circle's Litha gathering and worth a few good laughs as we all realized we were sweating under the kiss of the the glorious sun rays.

Enjoy the warmth and sunshine, and remember to give thanks for life.

Oh Happy Day!

So, this is nothing more than a quick toot of my own horn... BUT...

I have 30 public followers on my blog! YEAH!

Just thought I would throw that out there. LOL!

Good People, Bad People

Last night, as I took my "lobster hot shower" (as my hubby and I jokingly call it due to the extreme heat), I mulled over the events of the day... the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have come to several conclusions that I would like to share with you.
First my quote to sum it all up, "...the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on." (Have I never mentioned that I'm a Harry Potter nerd? LOL!)

Despite my nerd-dom, the above statement is true. There is no defining line between good and bad, right and wrong. HOWEVER, it is up to each and every individual to make the choice that will define their actions as either good or bad. Given that, I beseech each and every one of you to make the conscious choice everyday, for all things big and small, to make the decision to act kindly and remember the 3 fold law, or karma, or whatever you want to call it. I will be the first to admit that I can have a flash fire of a temper, but the last thing I want is to be lumped into a group of vindictive and hateful brats that no one wants anything to do with unless it involves a nice throttle.

Secondly, I am happy to report that my phone has not rang once this morning for any reason other than my hubby calling me to tell me about an appointment he went to. So far there have been no reported disasters, emergency, or other problems to deal with and counsel others through. I'm hoping to have a nice morning filled with school work (which I HAVE been working on as well as this blog!).

Seriously folks?

Ok, so I'm just getting caught up on all this insane "spiritual warfare" nonsense that has been claimed because of Top 25 Mom Faith Blogs contest on Circle of Moms (click here ---> http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/faith ). I'm really dumbfounded. I mean, seriously? So much for reflecting the love of Christ through the actions of self.

So, here's the skinny... I'm not going to repeat the same thing that a lot of other bloggers have already covered, but this is what I have for you in a nut shell....

We live in a big world. HUGE. Guess what...? We all have different beliefs. Yup, I said it. DIFFERENT BELIEFS. The best part- You don't have to like it!! ....but dammit be nice to each other. I don't give a crap if you think you're Satan incarnate and it is your job to consume one of every alcoholic beverage and every drug out there during your life. I also don't care if you believe you are the latest profit of God here to spread the message about how the world was really created. WHO CARES?! Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, just as they are entitled to have those beliefs respected (no matter how much you don't like them or how silly you think they are). So to all my awesome readers (and those that come with an open mind!!), I love you and I pray and rejoice that your path is perfect for you. To all the haters that are more concerned about Faith bashing then actually representing the god(s) you follow, how about you grow up and go do some real good self-reflection so that you may learn from the error of your ways... When you can be serious and act as Christ or whomever (..cause remember WWJD?) would act, then maybe I'll view you as something more than the irritating rock in my shoe. Ignorance is not an excuse. Go learn something about those that you so adamantly despise. You just might learn something about yourself in the process (like maybe being a decent human being to people that don't meet your religious criteria?).

Good night and blessings to all!

What the bloody fuck?

So, it's just been when of those stupid days that makes you think "What the fuck?!". The day started with a phone call from an old circle member who recently moved away. Apparently her school books were mailed to her old address and she asked if I would go pick them up and forward them on. No biggie. Drove by her house and the books weren't there. Wait... the books aren't there?! Yeah- no idea where they ended up, but they were no where to be found. Followed up that whole deal with a bombshell of an email from another circle member talking about how they needed someone to talk to because of marital issues that were going on. Mind, the couple in question are both friends of mine, so that's a not-so-fun position to be put in, but as a circle leader, it's one of my responsibilities. So, listening to my friend talk and discovering that they have been feeling this way for almost five years. Are you kidding me?! So now, I'm chatting with my friend and talking about options. They call their spouse and talk to them for awhile.. then the spouse contacts me. LOVELY. "He just told me he loves me but feels no emotional connection to me!!!" Well shit. So, I asked, "Do you love him?" Of course the answer was yes, so I told her the same thing I had essentially told him (just with a lot fewer words)... if you love him, then work on the problems with him. I have yet to hear back from her, and I think she may be more upset that he spoke to me before her... I don't know. I know that those two have given me a headache. *sigh* Moving on... so, after those two issues, I get a call from yet another circle friend saying that the doctors have ordered an MRI for her because they believe she has a blood clot and/or tumor in her brain. OH MY FUCKING GOD CAN THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE?! Yes, as a matter of fact it can. Stephen and I managed to make it through dinner without any incidents, but the phone rang almost immediately after we finished... now, for those of you who read my last post, you know I was gone all last week to tend to a death in the family. A bit more detail- it was my husband's uncle... one of two on his mother's side. We got back very late on Saturday night. Well, his mom called tonight to let us know that his other Uncle passed away today. Now, you're probably staring at the computer screen in disbelief, because DAMN. But, as much as I wish it were just some sick joke, it's not. My mother-in-law went from having two siblings to being an only child in a two week period. Stephen has told me that for the rest of the night we're not allowed to answer the phone or any emails sent our way because he refuses to let any more crazy into the house. =) Oh, but let's not forget that I got an email from my dear friend (in response to the prayer request I sent out for our friend with the head problem) that she and her husband were feet away from a drive by shooting this week. Oh, and of course, let's not forget the other circle member who ran out of pain meds and was in such pain today that she couldn't move and got into a fight with her wife and told me she might have to camp out with me for a few days. *MASSIVE SIGH* This day just needs to be over now... I think it's time for some migraine pills! And I'm off...

Yet Again

Well my dears, it seems that Death has come calling again, and this Saturday the family and I will be taking off for the Eastern side of the U.S. to attend the funeral of Stephen's Uncle Al. We're going as a family and staying for a week to make the best of it. Most of my hubby's family lives out that way so we will be able to spend some additional time with them (as we were already planning a family vacation out there this August). So, wish us luck as we travel to say good by to yet another family member. (Have I mentioned that I'm tired of death?)

The Response

Hello everyone! I'm sorry on yet another absence... I seem to have school work coming out of every orifice right now. My brain is feeling foggy at the moment, so I'm going to treat myself to a quick blogging excursion.
I've received a lot of responses about that bat shit crazy email I received a week and a half ago, so I decided I would put out the email that was written in response to said email. I sent it out last week after meeting with my circle and spending time talking about what had occurred, working some protection magic, and verifying that everyone was good with me sending out what has simply become known as "The Response".

"I have taken time over the past few days since receiving this email from you to meditate, talk to my circle, and do some research. I have come to several conclusions that I would now like to share with you. First and foremost, my circle and I do not recognize you or anyone else as the High Priestess of Pagan Magic. We are children and followers of the God and Goddess, and therefore we recognize them as our only "authority figure". The Pagan Treaty that you referenced is not available on any public forum that I, or the circle, could find. For this reason, I have no choice but to believe that this treaty does not exist, or it is something for you and whatever circle you may or may not have. Therefore, we also do not recognize the aforementioned treaty. Additionally, circle members have expressed to me that they are all adults, capable of making informed decisions about their life and chosen spiritual path. That being said, my original email clearly states that the spell in question will be discussed in detail when we gather for our weekly circle. The circle has also made sure that I know that they fully support me and know that if they ever have questions, are uncertain of something, or do not wish to participate in anything, they are free to make that decision. I have also been asked to remind you that any actions that you make, or your circle makes on your behalf, are also subjected to the law of three- and I can assure that the Deity’s of those in this circle do not appreciate having their children and worshipers threatened or attempted to be made subservient to another.

On the more mundane side of things, as a military sponsored circle, we are under and entitled to the same rules, regulations, and protections as the military chapel. Emails of the nature in which you sent, with threats of "stripping you and your circle of any magical ability" are considered harassment and hate crimes under military and federal law.  Any further emails from you or any of your associates will be handed over to military law enforcement officials and investigated and handled as a hate crime. In addition to this, any further unsolicited correspondence to myself or any of the circle members in regard to ANY manner will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the military and if found to be harassing in any way, may result in legal action.

 While we are not a coven, but an open circle welcome to anyone, we do still have rules to abide by. One of these rules is that no member is allowed to belittle or discriminate against another member because of their beliefs (or lack thereof). Because of this rule, and the respect of those I practice with, I do not seek to tell anyone else what is "right" or "wrong" on their path, for that is there choice. As a circle leader, I must ask that you bestow that same courtesy upon this circle and its members. Only those who make the conscious choice to join your coven (which you may or may not have) are subjected to the rules you have laid out. As ours is not one of them, I thank you for your concern but ask that you leave us to our path while you follow yours.

Lastly, I would like to leave you with an email that was sent out by one of our former circle members in response to your original email. Though the military forced her to move, she is still a very valued circle member and an even dearer friend. Enjoy.

"It has come to my attention that in the previous days the members of Circle have been the recipients of a letter of concern regarding the Master Key Ritual that had been planned for future dates. I have many, many thoughts about the letter in question, (which was also forwarded to my email address as a former participant of the Mountain Home Circle). First. Let me address with you the matter of the "Ritual" being a curse. The Master Key Ritual does in fact have some background in Houdoun/Hoodoo/Voodoo magics. That is a fact that shall not be disputed. However, anyone who knows anything about Voodoo magic also knows that there are many variations of this type of shamanistic art. The Voodoo genre mixes, matches and blends powerful aspects of many religions; making a sort of primordial 'magical soup' if you will. For example one of the prayers Voodoo practitioners commonly use is Psalm 23 of the Christian Bible, which many an African tribes person learned when the Christians swooped in to conquer and enslave their people; and even before that when the Hebrew people were in constant contact with the Egyptians who enslaved them. Now... Psalm 23 is also used in ONE of the traditional Master Key spells to bless and cleanse the Key at the start of the journey.

We certainly know that Psalm 23 is not Voodoo in origin, it's an ancient Hebrew spell/poem written under the reign of King David. Neither is the "Master Key" Ritual specifically Voodoo in origin. To assume that the Master Key Ritual is a Voodoo curse and nothing more, shows a true lack of research on the part of the author who wrote that reproachful email. Voodoo practitioners did not formulate that spell; they picked it up because it was powerful and worked wonders, much like Psalm 23! Can the Master Key spell be turned into a curse? Of course it can. But so too can the Great Rite; if you were to perform a ritual where the Blood of the Goddess and the Body of the Consort became real factual human sacrifices made to nourish the coven members you would inherently be cursing your victims to be bound to you physically as you consumed their flesh in a cannibalistic rite. Unless the human sacrifices went into the ritual whole heartedly willing, there would be spiritual repercussions. Going back to our Magic 101 lessons... Magic is neither dark nor light, it is purely energy. It is the person who wields it that will determine the end result of its power.

Second. In regards to ritual and your rights as Pagans to practice and learn magic, every ritual EVER written throughout time is a framework for magic and spiritual expression; it is NOT pure magic or spirituality alone. Let me repeat that one more time, ritual is a framework. Modern day magicians and spiritual practitioners are free to take apart, edit, modify and rework ANY of the ancient frameworks of magic and ritual to form new creative rituals of their own. Yes, they must still abide the Rule of Three in their new creations; summoning up nasty energies will have backlash, so be sure if you don't understand a word or a name to research it. Other than that there is no person, group, or rules that can prevent you from writing and naming your own rituals however you like. Spirituality is an art of the soul, there is no copy write laws to govern it. Just because you are doing a modern day ritual based on something called the “Master Key” DOES NOT actually mean you are going to do the EXACT Voodoo ritual itself. For anyone to hear the words “Master Key” and jump to the worst conclusion possible makes them both foolish and unreasonable. For all they know you could be blessing keys over smoke from the root called “Master Key” and meditating. Or you may have come up with a completely different perfectly original Master Key spell of your own that was inspired by the idea you’d heard but has absolutely nothing to do with Voodoo; other than the fact you read a similar spell title in your studies. 

Therefore, whoever is absurd enough to believe they have the right to police you or other pagans via email, simply on the basis of what they ‘think’ they know, should be regarded as an insult to our entire spiritual community. Such a poorly educated person does not take enough time to consider any reasonable explanations, or consider the fact that perhaps they do not have all the information at hand.  Nor does this person bother to do the research to find out whether the historical information about the ritual, which is the foundation of their own accusations, is correct and worthy of pursuing. Which, let me repeat, because there are several Master Key rituals from various cultures, this person’s accusations are NOT at all legitimately founded. The most popular Voodoo Ritual is actually a watered down spin off of an ancient Hermetic Rite (which was designed to access the planes of the tree of life called the Kabbalah in order to understand and gain success and not at all a curse) for anyone who dares to their spiritual homework. Yes, there are some corrupted versions of dark magic Master Keys too, which takes a world of know how to summon some rather interesting gate keepers. But, even those spells are more a bargaining with demons more than a curse aimed towards anyone. So for future reference, anyone instantly assuming that they know what you’re doing is ‘wrong’ and threaten to “strip you of your magical abilities,” shows complete lack of wisdom and magical knowledge and should be regarded as incompetent. Any responsible coven, circle, or religious group does not threaten any person or persons without first learning if there is reasonable and due cause. There is nothing more to their email than factious harassment and unfounded blame. Normally I do not speak so harshly of my fellow pagans, but this particular person has shown not only intellectual ignorance but moral and spiritual ineptitude as well. If these people truly wanted to police dark magics, they should be sending out insulting emails to the Voodoo queens and leaders of various sects across the nation. I'd love to see how well THAT goes over for them. 

Lastly. I would not hesitate to advise everyone take the appropriate legal and magically logical actions to ensure this problem does not persist. I understand that the Circle leaders are hard at work to counsel over the necessary corrective measures. I am again, very, very sorry to hear of the troubles that have befallen your group, which is full of wonderful, brilliant people. I wish you all the best of luck on your spiritual paths. May the Divine embrace you as you find your ways through the ever winding rivers of life."