"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!

Happy Imbolc Everyone!

Today is Imbolc, as well as the New Moon! What a delightful combination, I must say. The sun is out for long periods of time, and even though there is still a chill in the air (a delightful 25 degree's here), you can start to feel the warmth of the coming spring. It is time to clean your house and start de-cluttering it, both physically and energetically, from the long nights of winter. Here are a few fun and simple activities for your Imbolc celebration:
Cleanse your house with sage (air/fire) and salted water (earth/water) and follow by anointing all of the doors and window frames with a blessing oil. As you do this, say:
With the purifying power of Water,
With a clean breath of Air,
With the passionate heat of Fire,
With the grounding energy of Earth,
I/We cleanse this space!

Here is a spell of personal purification that works directly with the Goddess Brigid:

A Spell for Purification:You will need:  3 candles of varying colors,
suggested colors: red, white, yellow --a bath oil of a warming spirit

Suggested place to do spell: Bathtub/Shower
 

Plan the spell for a time when you can be uninterrupted.
Quiet your mind the way you usually do.  Focus on Brigid's flame burning within your heart-center.  With each breathe this flame grows warmer and warmer and fills your entire body.  See, with your mind's eye, the flame from your heart now enveloping you.  Push the flame as far out of your body as you can.  Try to make it fill the entire room.

Once you have captured the image of the flame raised to where you want it, begin focusing on the things you want to bring in to your life now. Imagine yourself receiving these things before the Spring Equinox.  It may help to visualize a calendar with dates
-- be sure to see the numbers 2011!

When you have finished drawing your future with your mental magic-want, begin bringing the flame down and back into your heart.

Thank Brigid with your heart-light. Try to let the candles burn themselves out (never leaving them unattended).

Remember, no matter what you decide to do today, it is a time for new beginnings in all ways of life! So go purify your mind, body, and soul and jump into these new beginnings with a clean slate!

Blessed Imbolc Everyone!

A New Beginning

Well folks, it's already the end of January, 2011. I swear I'm stuck in a time warp. Anywho...


I had a random thought today and decided to start my own pagan, witch-y blog. Yup. That's right. You will now be subjected to my thoughts on the pagan world, among many other things. Buckle your seats folks, it's going to be one heck of a ride!


Today my circle and I celebrated Imbolc together. I few days early, yes, but when most of the group is in the military, weekend get togthers seems to be our best option. So, we met up at 2 o'clock today for ritual and feasting. As always, the feasting was extravagant, with far too much food for the 15 of us that were there, with outrageous stories, good friendship and a lot of laughter. However, as seems to be a theme that is occurring more than I like, our ritual was lacking. That's not to say that it wasn't good, but it wasn't great either. The words written for it were well done, it was a shorter ritual but sweet and elegant. When I sit back and type this out, it seems that anyone who reads this could come up with a handful (if not more) reason's WHY it's like this sometimes. Spare yourself the brainstorming, because I can tell you why... Are you ready for it? Mindset. It seems that some of our members, particularly the ones that have been a part of this circle for many years now, have problems with coming into a ritual with the right mindset. Not only does it drag a ritual down, but it sets a poor example for our newer members. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having a good time and laughing my butt off at a good story, but to me, when a ritual is being started, it's time to dawn the role of Priestess or Priest and take the work of the goddess seriously, not be goofing off in the corner because the circle has been cast and the "serious stuff" is done. Or is that just me being totally off? Our circle has amazing power when it's focused and in tune with itself, it just seems that more often that not, as of late anyway, it's not in sync and stumbling over the hem of it's own cloak.


Anyway! Enough of that!


The husband and I will be having a small ritual of our own on February 2nd. That one is bound to be fun, as I do love working magic with my man. I also have a great story to read to my little one about Brigit's Fire as we celebrate her that day. It's so fun now that she's getting older and starting to understand. We wave hello to the goddess (moon) every morning when we leave for preschool, and say hello to the god (sun) every afternoon when we come home. It really is the simple things in life.


Well, I suppose I'll sign off for now. Keep checking back and I will post the recipes from our yummy Imbolc feasting!