New Alter+Margot Adler Review

Okay so not a NEW alter, basically I found a decent cabinet at Goodwill so I could finally move my alter stuff from the bedside table to an actual space just for my pagan stuff. It's not much bigger than my original alter but just enough to make a few minor design alterations. It also has enough room for me to put my wicca books and all underneath.

BTW, finally finished Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Alder. Took me a little over a week to get through and I'll say that was at about 4 hours of reading a day. (Goddess bless 3 hr toddler nap times!) But what I really liked about the book was it's dedication to it's subject matter. Where as most pagan, wicca and witchcraft books these days are composed of spells, rituals and what you need to buy to consider yourself authentically pagan, this book was written almost like a doctoral thesis. It went in depth and admitted the inherent 'flaws' and accidental fallacies of the invention of our faith. It also pointed out the obvious to which all religions are man made to at least some extent, so is it really taking that big a liberty to largely manufacture one based on the premise of ancient gods, feminism and ecological reform? I don't think so.

I also like how she pointed out that most pagans don't agree on exactly what being pagan constitutes. Some feel it's an act of spiritual enlightenment, others enjoy the aspects of self awareness it promotes, some people see it as reclaiming themselves from a gender standpoint, and still more see it is a vehicle for social, ecological and religious reform. But it does this in a way that still gives all opinions a light of validity and reason. The same can not be said of many other books attempting to explain the vast and complex world of witchcraft.

Another thing that really impressed me was that the book was realistic without being judgmental. There are a fair amount of things about paganism I disagree with, but it's sort of on the same level as my disagreements with Christianity. Basically more to do with it's mainstream perceptions of the religions as oppose to the perception of the individuals involved which can range from fanatical to practical to attempting to achieve the self image of the perfect witch/Christian.

Spiritual Ink

Like many people both pagan and non I feel that tattooing is a spiritual experience. They have many meanings to many different people and usually a lot of symbolism and metaphors are involved. I feel that ink is spiritual to the person and that it's relevance is equally individual. I remember ladyoceanstar  had a particularily beautiful, colorful flower on her shoulder. I admired it for a very long time and originally incorporated the flower into a design that my girlfriend was kind enough to draw out for me many years ago. Since then, my desire for a tattoo has changed many times over. Usually between picking something typical (at least in the imagry involved) to using my limited drawing skills to try and create something of my own. Not a lot of luck there, and after my unspecific requests my girlfriend finally threw up her hands at it. *chuckle*

Mostly, what has prevented me from getting a tattoo in the past was money. Whenever I had the desire and idea we were broke. Whenever we weren't broke the money automatically had somewhere more important it really needed to go. However recently we've been doing alright. What's needed to be paid is paid with a little bit left over for fun. So I've finally laid it down. I have an idea, something that to me is both asthetically pleasing and spiritually meaningful. It is of my own design, though not my own ethnic background. (Which I was surprised to find is equally important and unimportant when it comes to spiritual ink on others) I don't claim to have hand draw this in ANY way shape or form. All I can really say is goddess bless google and goddess bless photoshop.

But I thought I'd show off the design here. The design is comprised of traditional mehndi symbols which I found beautiful and worked together in a way that for me is remminiscent of an passionate emotional state. This is both an expression of how I feel now that I'm returning to paganism and how what I am seeking in my rituals and communications with the divine. I would like the mehndi to be a burnt crimson color (or as my graphic designer girlfriend would say RGB #330002). I have seen black mehndi and though it is pretty I do like a little more color. The typically maroon color is lovely but a little too bright for my skin tone. I intend on getting them done on each hip, so that when I dance I can feel more beautiful knowning their moving with my skin and muscles.

I was debating including more color, but I think it's going to look better if I keep it to a clean design. I can always decide to add color later but looking at this thing x2 (one on each hip) I'm guessing 2-3 hrs minimum in the chair for each side. So likely two sessions. Someone with more tat experience can feel free to correct me on that. I've contacted a few places to ask about pricing information. I'm hoping to do it within a week or so of my birthday (April 8th). Pricing...IDK maybe $200 a side? Probably more.

Ostara Rituals

Like I said, today involved a lot of work. I wanted to include some of the pictures from it so here we go!

These are the Kami Braids. In Shinto practice, these are hung from the trees in the spring to please the spirits of the tree and bring the people luck and good fortune. Typically they are made of rice paper but seeing as how I neither have it or know how to make it I used simple white yarn.I decided on this ritual weeks ago, but now that the Earthquake, Tsunami and resulting impending nuclear disaster has happened, I feel it appropriate to dedicate these to the Japanese survivors and especially the Fukushima 50.

This is how the look as they swing in the tree. Like cute little spirit tails whipping about happily!

These are the seeds I planted in my garden. There really is just a huge collection here including Foxglove, Morning Glory, Poppy, Black Eyed Susan. Columbine...just a massive amount. They will grow up in a few weeks time and my fairy garden will be well on it's way. i also planted Sage, Catnip, Rosemary and Basil in my side garden. There is lavender around my tree and in the pot beside the porch. I want to plant more but it's still early in the season so some plants aren't available yet.

This is the Ostara cake I made for the goddess. It is the sour cream cake with honey drizzled over top. I'll be making little bundt versions of this for my work tomorrow.

And this is my new firepit! *squeels* I am so happy! I have been wanting one of these forever! I will be placing stones under it so as to make it look more formal and this will be my outdoor ritual space. Right out in the front yard. *chuckles* Next door neighbor saw me the other night doing a full moon ritual and he seemed confused and yet curious.

Happy Ostara

Happy Ostara!

This is turning out to be a beautiful day today! I have cakes in the oven baking:

One for the goddess and one for myself!

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 8 tbsp honey

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs; cream at high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Gradually stir sifted dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Spoon in honey and mix thoroughly. Spoon the batter into a greased 9 or 10-inch Bundt pan Bake in a 350° oven for 1 hour. Cool cake completely before removing from pan. Once removed pour honey over top and allow to drip down sides.

OPTIONAL: Top with walnuts!

I'm going to keep this kinda loose and fun today! I want it to be a light celebration. I'll make some Kami braid to hang in the trees. I'll grind up one of the cakes and put it out in the yard for the birds. And then Laura and I are going out to Young's for ice cream and baby goat squees!! *squees*

My full moon ceremony went fairly well. I may have to try and remember everything next time. I kept having to leave the circle to get items I needed. Not to mention the stupid lighter refused to work for the longest damn time. Nothing ruins a ritual like "Damn clickclick stupid frigging click click click click LIGHTER!"

Full Moon

SO I'm running around a wee bit crazily tonight. It will be my first full moon ritual in a very very long time and my very first one done solo. So much to get done. I'll take pictures of it all later and post them up, but wish me luck. I haven't written my own full moon ritual yet. Haven't really had time. XD I'm working on making the house all clean and nice as I believe the house should be clean for any ritual or spell work. I'm even scrubbing my tub down so I can do a full ritual cleansing. This should give some idea of how dedicated I am as I DESPISE bathroom cleaning. Mostly because the chemicals it takes to clean in there drive my asthma crazy. Makes it very difficult to breath and I cough and sneeze a lot. But worth it.
RITUAL BATH
Needs (for shower)
-apricot body scrub
-razor
-shaving cream
-shampoo
-conditioner
-body wash
-floofy body lather thinggy
Needs (for bath)
-hot water (hot as you can stand it)
-clean shaven and well scrubbed body
-oil/bath salt/bubble bath (I prefer a clean scent like eucalyptus, grapefruit, etc.)

For the shower portion I clean myself completely. I shave everything down, use the body scrub and rub myself a little pink till i feel like all the dead skin is gone. I wash my hair and face really well and just in general make myself feel pure in a physical sense.

I let the water re-heat (stupid slow water heater) and then run a hot bath, just as hot as I can which for me is pretty hot. I pour some oil into the tub (actually this time it will be a grapefruit bubble bath I found), close the door, and soak. Sometimes I take in a book and read for a while. Other times I just let myself kinda sink into the tub and enjoy a little sensory deprivation. Sometimes I use candles and turn off the harsh florescent lighting. At any rate, I let myself absorb the events of the day and let them all flow out, good and bad.

By the time I get out I generally feel better all over. More relaxed and at ease.

Tonight I will be accomplishing a lot. Not only is there the actual full moon ceremony, there is:
-book blessing
-salt blessing
-water blessing
-burning my old spirit bag
-consecrating my new spirit bag
-asking for luck in the upcoming Ostara ritual

I found two interesting things today. First of all let me say blessing second hand book stores. Without them I don't think I could afford to read! I found the book Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler. While browsing Youtube I found

Sage

So I wandered Yellow Springs for a bit today and picked up a couple of sage bundles. I need to do some purification on some items this upcoming full moon. I'm still working on getting some items together for Ostara. Turns out I will be celebrating it with a coven. It should be a fairly interesting experience. Like I said it's been awhile since I did anything like this so it may be something I adore it may be something I realize I'm not ready for yet.

Ostara

I'm working rather hard at the moment on creating a suitable Ostara ritual. I am not even really sure what I will be doing for Spring Solstice. I have a friend who knows of a coven that is holding and open ritual and is asking if she may bring me along. I may do that. Or I may do the ritual for myself either in the Glen or out at the local park. Either way I need to have the ritual written so that it can go into my BOS for later.
I went ahead and got some seeds for my fairy garden! I need to look through them and record what I'm planting and why. I got a few herbs but some are more difficult to find. Some of the stores just don't seem to have them yet or sometimes not at all. I want them before Ostara because regardless of solo or group ritual I intend to bless and begin planting that day.

Also I have gotten my girlfriend to agree to be my guinea pig while I practice a few spells! *wicked laughter* Nothing harmful of course. Rather like small experiments to see what works, what effect it has, and if I have any talent in spellcrafting. I feel like being a witch is much the same as being anything else. Some people are good at some parts, others are good at other parts. Not everyone can be a diviner or a charm maker or a spell crafter. So I guess right now I'm learning and searching for my specialty.

Places of Worship

One of the things that irritates me about Springfield is the fact that there is very little wilderness around. There are small patches of forest interceded by large amounts of corn fields, houses,corn fields, cows, corn fields, corn fields and...you guessed it, cornfields. For a pagan it makes you feel a little isolated from anywhere acceptable to worship or go to be in around nature. Objectively I know that nature is everywhere and that there for you can worship at the church of the earth any time any where. But the truth is I WANT to go somewhere that I can't hear cars, trains and the occasional domestic dispute from next door. Maybe that's just me. :)

Knowing that, I find it odd that I haven't ever been to the Glenn in Yellow Springs! It was a pretty nice day out today and I got off work early so I decided to go for a walk. The Glenn is literally right across the street so I took the opportunity.

And pictures.

 

Firepit and Cauldron

This is one of those places where I'm afraid I'm just going to have to suck it up and drop some cash to get what I need.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-and-Gardens-30-Outdoor-Fire-Pit/15524218'=

I've debated digging a fire pit, but I'm just afraid that won't work out too well. Number one we rent the place we are in right now and I'm not sure how they might feel about me digging up a thick chunk of their yard. Second I do want everything to look nice. I wish I lived a little bit more out in the boonies where there was some degree of privacy. It feels awkward getting stuff ready to do a ritual right out in the backyard between two other houses.

Also, WHY ARE CAULDRONS SO EXPENSIVE!? It's like the second anyone tacks the word pagan, wiccan or witch onto it they add $30 to the price tag. Not to mention shipping. My mother-in-law has a small cauldron that she keeps in front of her fireplace. Maybe I can convince her to let me have it. It's small but just the right size for what I'm planning.

Ostara is not far off and I'm working on a ritual for that. It's going to involve spring cleaning both inside and outside, preparing the garden for planting, creating an outdoor ritual space, and blessing some items. I won't be offically dedicating myself till Beltane but none the less it will feel good to get back into the grove of things.

Starting My Book of Shadows

Oh my goddess what have I gotten myself into. These are my basic plans for creating my own Book of Shadows and going more in depth with paganism, wicca and witchcraft. Some of it is going to be about personal theory and practical application, a lot of it is creating a reference book for myself and creating a way for me to learn more.

The Rede and It’s Application 
-the Wiccan Rede, considering how it applies, and other duties to self betterment 
Book Blessing
-a simple blessing to keep your book safe and sacred 
Symbols & Signs
-understanding the symbolism and sigils that appear so often in classic witchcraft 
Omens & Portends
-learning to observe the world around you and read what it is telling you 
Familiars
-animal totems, spirit guides, familiars and working with them 
Magickal Tools
a break down of the items and their purposes 
Preparation
-how to make yourself and your space ready for magickal work 
Gathering Energy
-making sure you are mentally, physically and spiritually ready to preform 
Rituals
-the value of prayer and action in witchcraft 
Spells
-thought begets action begets change 
Potions, Tinctures & Salves
-mixtures to aiding and abetting
Charms & Talismans
-little reminders  
Powering Down
-releasing your gathered energy and allowing yourself to rest 
Wheel of the Year
-the holidays, ideas for celebration and revelry 
Moon Magick
-seeing the goddess in all her forms and aspects 
Sun Magick
-seeing the god in all his faces and personalities
Fairy Magick
-the little people of legend and how they bring health, wealth and joy to your home 
Dreams & Visions 
-learning to interpretate yourself and what your mind is telling you
Divination
-reading the 'future', or just telling people what they need to hear
*REFERENCE*
Herbs
Trees 
Incense & Oils
Traditions & Paths
Glossary
Bibliography

Book of Shadows vs Magickal Journal

I've been thinking about these two things a bit lately and trying to decide if there really is a difference. I've come to think that a Book of Shadows is more a place to compile information together and reference what your doing, where as a Magickal Journal is more for your personal results as observations. Has anyone a different opinion? Any way you use vice/verse?

Allow Me To Introduce...

...my familiars.

Name: Brigid
Age: 8-ish
Bio: She was the runt of the litter who had to be fed by bottle and kept on a heating pad to survive. She's been my familiar since the very beginning. She tends to come around the second the candles are lit and start sniffing and pawing at me for attention. When she sleeps on the bed she sleeps on the side closest to the alter and has been known to occasionally steal flowers from the offering bowl.

Name: Youkai
Age: 1-ish
Bio: We found her outside during last years winter storm (2010) and she came in. Didn't really get a choice. I'm honestly sure she's half ghost or something. We couldn't find her for the first week and she would only come out at nightfall. Even now if she decides she doesn't want to be found, YOU WILL NOT FIND HER! She adopted Sookie when we first brought her in although she's never had a litter herself.

Name: Sookie
Age: Under a year
Bio: Shortly after Laura's cat Salem died, we found this little creature crowing around in the grass, covered in fleas and meowing for somebody to love her. Well we were more than happy to oblige. Of course now we realize we adopted a Maine Coon! She has all the signs and she's now even bigger than Youkai who became her surrogate mommy when she first came in.

Eternally Bad:Goddesses with Attitude

Remember a few days ago I posted an article that talked a bit about remembering the dark aspect of the goddess? Well today I was wondering through the Yellow Springs Library and I saw this book. Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitude By Trina Robbins. Honestly it's a little kitchy, but also a great deal of fun to read. It tells the stories most people gloss over, like how Innana stole all her powers from her grandfather, how Isis poisoned Ra to gain that stature of a goddess, how Freja slept with seven dwarves (a precursor to the lily white Snow White tale) in order to obtain a diamond necklace. Just a really great book about the bad ass in every good girl and the fiery tempered diva in every sacred and righteous goddess.

Meditations

I'm never quite sure how to determine if a meditation was successful or not. I attempted one for the first time images today and I suppose it could be deemed successful in the perspective that I lay still and closed my eyes without really falling asleep and just kinda lay there.

*laughs*

It was calming I'll give you that. Very relaxing after being go-go-go all day long with my classroom and everything. I feel rested and better focused. But I guess the problem comes in that I think and feel like I am supposed to see something. Like I'm supposed to have a vision or an experience while in my meditation.

Perhaps that is just one of those things that comes with practice.

Test Post

This is a test post to see if my new Networked Blogs widget works as it should. *crosses fingers*

The $20 Altar

                As pagans, something we pride ourselves on is our decorative nature. We thrive in bright, colorful environments that reflect our exuberant personalities. We wish to surround ourselves with beauty and life and as such we take every opportunity to reflect this in our dress, mannerisms and especially on our altar. 

                For many practitioners; pagan, wiccan and what have you, certain tools are considered ubiquitous for a standard altar. Everything must be properly represented, every sub-talent of the craft must have a catalyst through which to work. The elements must all have the right color candles and you just can’t go without an athame and chalice! 

                Understand, my intention here isn’t to mock or devalue an alter or the practices of most. But for many of us from the moment we picked up our first beginners wicca book we have been told that there is a very specific way to design and supply your altar. It conforms to the generalized beliefs of wiccans and often involves a lot of..well…stuff! Stuff that includes but is by no means limited to:

-altar cloth
-pentacle
-pentagram (that’s a pentacle without a circle)
   -wand/staff    
-mortar and pestle
-cauldron
-umpteen billion candles (including one for each quarter and an extra for spirit)
-crystals
-chalice
-athame/sword/sickle
-wood
-soil
-feathers
-tarot cards
-scrying mirror/bowl
-spices
-incense
-sage bundles
-statues
-libation/sacrifice
-oil
-grimioure
-medicine bag

By the end of all the purchases, (because very few of us have the time, talent, and knowledge to make everything ourselves), you have not only eaten up potentially hundreds of dollars, but where are you supposed to put all this stuff? I favor the argument of a magickal cabinet, a drawer or chest that exists solely for the purpose of your altar and your supplies. But think about this for a moment. All I’ve mentioned are the items I typically see ON an altar. That’s to say nothing of everything we keep a hold of and stock up on in case we run out or because an Esbat is coming up and we need to have it on hand. 

                To put it bluntly, who has room for this amount of crap? I don’t. I’m willing to bet a lot of people don’t although they may work hard to make room for it all. But what am I really trying to say here? Am I insulting the time and money people contribute to the creation of their altars? No! Am I criticizing wiccan and pagan practice? No!

                I’m making an argument for practicality. 

                To clarify, when I first took up paganism eight years ago, I had the same kind of altar as one would expect. I was obsessed even with finding the right items and making sure they were suitable for a place on my draw. My altar was huge and quite frankly a pain. The cats were always knocking everything down. If the cloth got caught on something it all got ripped off. Not to mention it was a bit tacky and unsightly. You can make the argument that is my fault and I accept it. Doesn’t mean the rest is not true. 

                I had a falling out a while back and for two years I quit any kind of pagan, wiccan or witch craft. I was upset and I was done. But now that I’ve found myself desiring it back in my life again, I had to come to a realization. I’ve grown up. I’m a different person now than an excitable teen just raring for that $50 tye dye altar cloth she just had to get. *eyeroll* Well…at least in some ways.

                I made the decision that I would go simple. I promised myself not to spend more than $20 on my altar. Now mind you that is excluding things like incense and oils. No matter what you do that stuff costs money. So do yourself a favor and simply find the best deal that you can. But on the visible level I was going to spend less and be satisfied with either making or finding what I needed for my magickal space.

                This is what the generic pagan altar looks like:

 

                This is mine:

Earth: Green Candle & Pine Needled ($.50)
Water: Blue Candle & Seashell ($.50)
Fire: Red Candle & Incense ($.50)
Air: Yellow Candle & Feather ($.50)
Wooden Bowl ($10)
Sand ($3)
Offering Bowl (Had it from a serving tray set)
Goddess Figure ($5 for Sculpty Clay)

TOTAL=$20

                This isn’t a boast or trying to say my way is better. What I am presenting is an alternative to the large, ostentatious, and expensive altars people often strive for. In its own way, I feel this sort of alter represents a deeper part of our spirituality. Rather than focusing on the visual, we are prompted to consider what these objects represent to us. Instead of thinking about if the alter cloth matches the goddess statue, we think about how the goddess represents us. Especially if you are ADHD as I am, allowing yourself fewer distractions gives you better focus and determination when you cast or meditate.  

 

                As a final consensus, let me say that if I had room in my house to dedicate to worship, my altar would probably look like the former. But the fact of the matter is I don’t. I have a small bedside table in a small bedroom in a decent sized house that is not mine alone. So I have a small, suitable altar that still conveys the same sense of dedication and intent as far as I am concerned.

Herbal & Fairy Garden

I’m having a bit of trouble deciding what herbs to plant this year. Last year I tried to do a whole garden with fruits and veggies and such, but I simply didn’t have the time to maintain it. So I thought I’d scale down this year and use my side garden to plant some of the herbs I’ll need to dry in the fall. So I’m taking suggestions for excellent magickal herbs.

The flowers you see are what I intend to have in my fairy garden. That will be in the front yard. I'm planning to do this all on the Ostara.

If you have some advise, please leave a comment with the herbs common name, it’s magickal nature, and a picture of what it look like.

HERB	MAGICKAL ATTRIBUTES
Sage	Purification Blessing Cleansing Meditation Inducing Visions Immortality/Longevity Wisdom
Lavender	Young Love Sweet Temperament Mother Worship Sleep Peace Chastity
Mint	Crone Worship Digestive Troubles Peaceful Household
Rose	Romance Offerings Healing Luck Love Divination
Chives	Offerings Hearth Kitchen
Lilac	Maiden Worship Beauty Compassion Fidelity Happiness Joy Meditation
Chamomile	Calming Good Dreams Tranquility Luck Protection from Harm
Foxglove *POISON*	Fairy Magick Good Luck Blessings Joy Protection from Negative Energy
Lemongrass	Lust Psychic Power Cleansing Warding off Negative Energy
Rosemary	Offerings Protection Mental Powers Lust
Catnip	Cat Magick Familiar Spiritual Connection with Animal Dreams
Basil	Love Exorcism Wealth Flying Sympathy Sooths Tempers Courage
Aloe	Luck Protection Against Injury Guards Against Bad Influences Prevents Loneliness

D.I.Y Paganism

 

Remember where I said before hand that I am trying to tone down how much I purchase for my craft? Well part of that is learning how much you can do for yourself. Granted not all of us art artisans, jewelry makers, woodworkers and the like. But sometimes there are ways to get around our little lapses in our education.

This is what I wanted:

This is what I finished with:
 

I’ll be honest. I am so PROUD of myself! *claps hands*

I’m proud with how the large figure turned out save for one small flaw. I didn’t give her a strong enough push and so she bends backwards slightly. It’s not noticeable from the front so I’m not that concerned about it. I used Old English wood polish to give her an aged coloration and then gave her a coat of clear enamel. Once that was finished I gave her her first anointment with sandalwood oil. Once I have everything ready she will go in the middle of my alter.

Same technique with the smaller version, save she's going to come with me in my portable spell kit. *almost can't believe she said those words* I would appreciate comments about their appearance, spiritual iconography and just generally if you like it or not.

BTW they are made from Sculpty clay. I used a necklace to make the decoration on the large figure.

Pagan Prompts

ns_kumiho from Pagan Prompt asks:

How do you deal with possible averse influences in ritual whether from spirits or thoughts/emotions that may distract you?

Well most people make a circle for themselves to protect against outside influences during a ritual. I have heard people simply call the elements, others use salt or sage to cleanse and purify a space. I prefer to use a bell to ward off negative emotions and energy. To me the bell signify the beginning of the rituals. The sweet, pure chime sends a signal out to the welcoming spirits to join me and to annoy and drive away forbidding spirits who might interfere.

In my personal life it's a great deal more difficult. I feel a lot of stress, negative emotions, anger, jealousy and such every day. I try to remind myself to act better even if I can't stop the thoughts. I believe in acting honorably and doing your best to act with pride and joy. Not always possible but part of the trial is the striving and working towards a goal.