About Me

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I am a Solitary Pagan mother of one. I started my path as a teen and have continued to learn and grow as I age. Now in my early thirties I finally start to feel as if I am finding myself. I am a modest, head covering (veiling) Pagan. Who recently just started this practices. I feel that I have finally really started to listen and hear the Gods and Goddesses call. Please remember there is no right path, just the path that is right for you. )0( Blessings

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

12 Years ago today a Whole Generation lost its innocence may we never forget 9-11

I bet most people in North America can Remember where they were this day 12 years ago. I know I will never forget. It is one of those moments in time that will always be drilled into our memories. It seems that I have several of those moments. I will always remember Holly Jones , I was pregnant when this happened and it struck me so deeply.  I will remember SARS as this was also the same time I was pregnant, and hospitals were pretty much shut down when I finally gave birth. I will remember the Berlin Wall, I have a piece of it actually. I will remember The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster which also occurred while I was pregnant. As time goes on it seems more and more world news is being drilled into my head. It seems to be coming at a faster and faster rate. Syria comes to mind right now.
  Most of all I all I think I will remember the War on Terror and the Terror Attack on the U.S.  I remember crying, being afraid wondering if this was world wide, would Canada be attacked. I was at work and did not see any footage until I got home. I was in shock, I couldn't understand how this could happen. I thought of those I knew that lived in the states, would they be okay. In all the confusion I thought our world has changed forever. The sort of safety my generation had grown up with was gone. We had never experienced the fear of an atomic bomb, the major wars that our past generations had. I will always remember this as the moment a whole generations innocence was gone.
In memory of all those who lost there lives on that terrible day, and those who have since lost there lives fighting the war on Terror, and those across the world who have lost there lives since in Terror attacks across the world. 


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

When your kids are sick/Turkey soup

Ah the inevitable first couple week of school illness has hit my house. It never seems to fail, every year. My daughter is home sick today. Sigh!!!! A trip to the clinic last night, an inhaler, a nasal spray, and antihistamines. My poor daughter has my immune system. So it is a chicken soup, turkey soup kind of day.


Recipe for Turkey/Chicken Soup

Boil turkey wings in water until cooked and meat start to fall off bone.
Strain Turkey and water. Make sure to keep the water it will be your broth.
Put broth back on stove.
Add to broth
Garlic I use a couple cloves, in a garlic press,
Celery,
Carrots,
frozen veggies
A can of chopped tomatoes
Use as much or as little as you like or any other veggies you would like.
Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer until all veggies are cooked.
Add, salt, pepper, and poultry spice to taste.
Once the turkey wings have cooled enough to handle pull off all meat from bones cut into bite size pieces, add back into broth.
Leave all this to simmer for a while until all is cooked, and and the broth is infused.
Add noodles, any kind you like, I add alphabet soup noodles when making this soup for my daughter. Once noodles are cooked soup is ready!!!

Other ways to help sick kids:
                              Warm shower, let the bathroom fill with steam and get them to stay in there as long as possible. The steam will help clear out there chest.
                               Herbal Tea if you can get your child to drink it, herbal tea such as chamomile or caffeine free Green tea and honey.
                               Vick's Vapor Rub smells gross but works wonders.
                                Rest, rest, rest this is the one time that I throw on movies or cartoons all day and get her to rest on the couch with out saying enough t.v.
                                Water, water is good for you anyways but double good for you when you are sick.
Last but not least
Hugs, cuddles, and love

Have a blessed day
)0( 

             

Sunday, September 8, 2013

What having a Special needs child means

I wrote this in November 2012 and thought I would share it here. I feel very strongly about this subject as it hits very close to home, as I have a child with a disability that is non-visible.

Whether your child has a visible disability or one that is not visible lots of parents go through similar feelings. You have to let go of the dream you had for your child, it involves a little bit or mourning and grief. Part of that being you know how much more difficult your child's life is going to be. It means resetting your priorities. It means that your child may not make all the milestones on time. It means Doctor Appointments, filling out paper work, school meeting, managing your child's medication, homework and trying to teach them social skills.  It means you don't stop fighting for your child ever. Every school year it means many appointments to make sure the school understand what your child's changing needs are. Some times it means hospitalizations. It means tears coming home from school because she was made fun of. It means stress and dealing with your child's difficulties 24/7. It means crying your self to sleep some nights.Feeling like you are not good enough as a mother or that maybe you did something to cause it.  It means feeling like you are at your breaking point more often then other parents. It means realizing that your expectations of what your house should look like and what you thought changes. It is some of the biggest hurts, at the same time it means some of the greatest joys.
  You cheer more loudly when your child figures something out. You celebrate the days that went more smoothly. You don't focus on the grades on the report card but about all the good things the teacher has to say, and Celebrate even a C. Because you know your child did there best. You laugh more loudly with your child when things are funny. You find what truly interest your child and you develop a love for it because you watch your child absorb ever last thing about that topic. You try not to think to far into the future. You truly have the opportunity to start every day like a brand new one and try to leave the challenges of the day before behind. It means discovering what is truly important and sending every thing else to the way side. You learn who your true friends are and who the toxic ones are. It means discovering your are stronger then you ever thought you could be.



Friday, September 6, 2013

I want my daughter to know.....

  I have a daughter she is the greatest joy in my life, and the best thing that has ever happened. I look around the world and I am sure like most parents I worry. I worry for her being a women, I worry for her future, I just plain worry. Raising a child is difficult, raising a daughter seems even harder. I look at commercials, and the way girls dress, and I wonder what ever happened to kids just being kids? What happened to letting little girls, be little girls and not trying to turn them into women to soon. I look at girls sitting well others play because they don't want to ruin there nail polish or they can't play in there fancy shoes. I look around and see short, shorts, and dresses.
    Maybe I am old fashioned and I guess that is okay, but doesn't seem to fit into the "times". I want my daughter to still play with her dolls and not be told she is a baby for doing so. To get dirty, and not have to worry about adult problems. I want to raise my daughter to not be like me, but better then me. To be strong, knowledgeable, smart, compassionate, kind, but to know that she doesn't have to take crap. To know that it is more important who you are on the inside, then what you look like on the outside. That your weight, hair, features, teeth don't determine who you are. That you don't have to dress provocatively and show off your body to be attractive. I want her to get through life with out knowing the fear of abuse. I want her to keep her sense of humor and know that in life sometimes that is all there is to keep you going. I want her to grow and forget the pains of poverty, but to understand that money can make things easier but doesn't make you happy. To know true love, and have passion for life. I want to guide her and raise her to have enough strength to decide who she wants to be, and not be who the world thinks she should be. Most important I want her to know that home will always be her soft place to land, no matter her age.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

"The Golden Rule"


Religions vary greatly across the world, and we have many differences. Some of these differences cause loads of problems to put in mildly. But we seem to all have a variation of the "Golden Rule".
  • Bahá’í Faith: 
    • "Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not
      have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not.
      " "Blessed
      is he who preferreth his brother before himself.
      "
      Baha’u'llah
    • "And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for
      thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself.
      " Epistle to
      the Son of the Wolf
  • Brahmanism: "This is the sum of Dharma [duty]: Do naught unto others which would
    cause you pain if done to you".
    Mahabharata, 5:1517 "
  • Buddhism
    • "…a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I
      inflict that upon another?"
      Samyutta NIkaya v. 353 
    • Hurt not others in ways
      that you yourself would find hurtful."
      Udana-Varga 5:18
  • Christianity
    • "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men
      should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the
      prophets."
      Matthew 7:12, King James Version.
    • "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to
      them likewise
      ." Luke 6:31, King James Version.
    • "…and don’t do what
      you hate…
      ", Gospel of Thomas 6. The Gospel of Thomas is one of about
      40 gospels that were widely accepted among early Christians, but which
      never made it into the Christian Scriptures (New Testament).
  • Confucianism:
    • "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to
      you"
      Analects 15:23
    • "Tse-kung asked, ‘Is there one word that can serve
      as a principle of conduct for life?’ Confucius replied, ‘It is the word ‘shu’ –
      reciprocity. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire
      .’" Doctrine
      of the Mean 13.3
    • "Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated
      yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to
      benevolence
      ." Mencius VII.A.4
  • Ancient Egyptian:
    • "Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus
      to do.
      " The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant, 109 – 110 Translated
      by R.B. Parkinson. The original dates to 1970 to 1640
      BCE and may be the earliest version ever
      written.
  • Hinduism
    • This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain
      if done to you. Mahabharata 5:1517
  • Humanism:
    • "(5) Humanists acknowledge human interdependence, the need for
      mutual respect and the kinship of all humanity.
      "
    • "(11) Humanists affirm that individual and social problems can
      only be resolved by means of human reason, intelligent effort,
      critical thinking joined with compassion and a spirit of empathy for
      all living beings.
      "
    • "Don’t do things you wouldn’t want to have done to you,
      British Humanist Society.
  • Islam: "None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for
    his brother what he wishes for himself."
    Number 13 of Imam "Al-Nawawi’s
    Forty Hadiths
    ."
  • Jainism
    • "Therefore, neither does he [a sage] cause violence to others
      nor does he make others do so."
      Acarangasutra 5.101-2. 
    • "In happiness and
      suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self.
      "
      Lord Mahavira, 24th Tirthankara
    • "A man should wander about treating all creatures as he
      himself would be treated. "
      Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
  • Judaism
    • "…thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.",
      Leviticus 19:18 
    • "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. This is the
      law: all the rest is commentary."
      Talmud, Shabbat 31a.
    • "And what you hate, do not do to any one." Tobit 4:15
  • Native American Spirituality:
    • "Respect for all life is the
      foundation.
      " The Great Law of Peace.
    • "All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do
      to ourselves. All is really One.
      " Black Elk
    • "Do not wrong or hate your neighbor. For it is not he who you
      wrong, but yourself
      ." Pima proverb.
  • Roman Pagan Religion: "The law imprinted on the hearts of all
    men is to love the members of society as themselves
    ."
  • Shinto
    • "The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there
      your own form
      "
    • "Be charitable to all beings, love is the representative of God."
      Ko-ji-ki Hachiman Kasuga
  • Sikhism
    • Compassion-mercy and religion are the support of the entire
      world".
      Japji Sahib
    • "Don’t create enmity with anyone as God is within
      everyone."
      Guru Arjan Devji 259
    • "No one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my
      friend
      ." Guru Arjan Dev : AG 1299
  • Sufism: "The basis of Sufism is consideration of the hearts
    and feelings of others. If you haven’t the will to gladden someone’s heart, then at least
    beware lest you hurt someone’s heart, for on our path, no sin exists but this.
    " Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, Master of the Nimatullahi Sufi Order.
  • Taoism:
    • "Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your
      neighbor’s loss as your own loss."
      T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien.
    • "The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests
      of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to
      the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is
      also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful.
      " Tao Teh
      Ching, Chapter 49
  • Unitarian:
"The inherent worth and dignity of every person;"
"Justice, equity and compassion in human relations…. "
"The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
;"
"We affirm and promote respect for the
interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part
." Unitarian
principles.
  • Wicca: "An it harm no one, do what thou wilt" (i.e. do what
    ever you will, as long as it harms nobody, including yourself). One’s will is to
    be carefully thought out in advance of action. This is called the
    Wiccan Rede
  • Yoruba: (Nigeria): "One going to take a pointed stick to pinch
    a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts
    ."
  • Zoroastrianism
    • "That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto
      another whatsoever is not good for itself".
      Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5
    • "Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others."
      Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29


    We may all be different but some big things make us similar. We all are human's, we all bleed, love, and grieve. It is important that we all try to learn from each other, and sometimes looking at our similarities instead of our differences is the first step to understanding!


  • "A Person's a Person no matter how small" Dr. Suess

    Have a blessed day
    )0(

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Keeping Spirituality in your everyday life!



Sorry about there being no post yesterday, with it being the first day of school things were a little crazy around here. Now that the first day is out of the way, I thought I would post on how to keep spirituality in yours and your childs everyday life. I know between work, family, school, homework, that being spiritual can get put a little on the back burner. I know it happened to me yesterday! So I thought now is a good refresher for me as well.

    One of the simplest ways is prayer. I know I have talked about prayer in a previous post, but it really is one of the simplest ways to keep spirituality alive. You can pray before meals, or pray before bed. Speaking of meals try and eat as a family. Give everyone a chance to talk about there day and maybe something spiritual happened to them, or they saw something that reminded them of the deities. My daughter saw a raven yesterday and told me it was magical. We also give everyone a chance to talk about what their best part of the day was, and their worst part.
    Go for a walk as a family, I walk my daughter to and from school everyday, so on our walks she chats to me about stuff going on in her life. We also get a good chance to pay attention to the changing season's.
     Try and pay attention to the moon cycles even if it is as simple as pointing out the waxing, full and waning moon cycles.
      Give thanks, or keep a Gratitude journal. This is a practice I have started and it is a good chance at the end of the day to write down what you are gratefully for, and not focus on negativity before bed.
     I get that things get busy and there are loads of stresses in life. I have a habit of negative thinking and only focusing on the negativity I have done this for years, and missed out on the little things. Then one day you wake up and realize that life is passing you buy.
      One more thing keep talking to your kids, be quiet and listen to them, because if you don't listen to the stuff that seems "non-important" to you, they aren't going to come to you with the "big" stuff!! Not really related to the topic of keeping spirituality going in your day to day life. But probably more important.

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans" ~ John Lennon

Have a Blessed Day
)0(


      

Monday, September 2, 2013

Autumn is on its way!

Well we are into September and the season's are changing. Autumn is on it's way and I couldn't be more thrilled. I get to dig out my sweaters, boots, and warm shawls. The leaves are changing, the weather will start to cool off, and a brand new school year starts. All though I love all those reasons my two favourite Sabbat's occur in Autumn. Mabon or the Autumn Equinox occurs this year on September 22nd and Samhain or Halloween which occurs October 31st. 
 Mabon is a time of thanksgiving, when the harvest's are coming in, and a time to stop reflect and count our blessing. When day and night are equal.
  Samhain is a time to honor our ancestors and time of divination. There are many rituals and celebration's that can be done for both Mabon and Samhain. As the time gets closer to each Sabbat I will post an article with greater detail about each, and some prayers and rituals that I do. 
   Until then what is your favourite season? 
   What is your favourite thing about Autumn?


Have a blessed day
)0(


Sunday, September 1, 2013

9 Things not say to someone with mental illness

So today is September 1st, and it's Sunday! So like last Sunday's post stated, I have decided that Sunday's will be a little more of a serious topic. Each Sunday I will try and pick something that matters very strongly to me. Today I am exhausted though. I did not get much sleep last night as my insomnia had kicked in. So being lazy today and tired I thought I would put up an article .  Psych Central 9 Things not to say to someone with mental illness

9 Things Not to Say to Someone with Mental Illness

By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.
Associate Editor

Julie Fast’s friend went to the hospital for a terrible colitis attack. “It was so serious they sent her straight to the ER.” After reviewing her medical records and seeing that her friend was taking an antidepressant, the intake nurse said, “Maybe this is all in your head.”
When it comes to mental illness, people say the darnedest things. As illustrated above, even medical staff can make incredibly insensitive and downright despicable remarks.
Others think teasing is okay.
Fast, a coach who works with partners and families of people with bipolar disorder, has heard stories of people getting teased at work. One client’s son works at the vegetable department of a grocery store. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder and poor social skills. When his symptoms flare up, his coworkers will ask questions like, “Why do the labels have to be so perfect? Why do they have to be in line like that?” They’ve also teased him about being in a psychiatric facility.
But most people — hopefully — know that being an outright jerk to someone about their mental illness isn’t just inappropriate and ignorant. It’s cruel.

Yet there are moments when even neutral words may be misconstrued, because the person is in a vulnerable place, according to F. Diane Barth, LCSW, a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City. “The truth is that it can be complicated to find the right comment to make to someone who is struggling with emotional difficulties.”
This is why it’s so important to educate yourself about helpful things to say. In fact, Fast, author of several bestselling books on bipolar disorder, including Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder, believes that we have to be taught what to say. “It’s not innate at all to help someone who has a mental illness.”
So what makes an insensitive remark? According to clinical psychologist Ryan Howes, Ph.D, “The problems happen when people make statements that imply that mental illness is a sign of emotional weakness, it’s something that can be quickly overcome with some trite homespun advice or they minimize it as a minor issue you can just get over.”
Below are additional examples of problematic statements, along with what makes a good response.
1. “Get busy, and distract yourself.”
“With significant mental illness, [distractions] won’t work, not even temporarily,” Howes said. After a person slogs through various diversions, they’re still left with the same issues. “Ignoring the issue doesn’t make it go away.”
2. “Do you want to get better?”
For mental health blogger Therese Borchard, this was the most hurtful thing anyone has ever said to her. While she knows the person didn’t have ill intentions, it still had a powerful effect. “It implied that I was staying sick on purpose, and that I had no interest in pursuing health, not to mention that I was too lazy or disinterested to do what I needed to do to get better.”
3. “Change your attitude.”
While a change in perspective can be helpful, it doesn’t cure conditions such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, PTSD or schizophrenia, said Howes. And changing one’s attitude isn’t so easy either. “It’s incredibly difficult for a high-functioning person to change their attitude, let alone someone debilitated by an exhausting mental illness.”
4. “Stop focusing on the bad stuff, and just start living.”
According to Barth, “one of the most common mistakes is to tell a person to stop focusing on themselves, or on the bad things, or on the past, and just start living.” Why is this so problematic? It can make a person feel even worse about themselves. “[T]hey figure the fact that they can’t do it is, in their mind, just one more sign of their failure.”
5. “You have everything you need to get better.”
“This is well intentioned, but to me it sounded like an indictment against me for not trying hard enough,” said Borchard, also author of the book Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes. Plus, this might not even be accurate. Sometimes people don’t have everything they need to improve. “Sometimes you need a little assistance.”
6. “You can snap out of it. Everyone feels this way sometimes.”
Everyone experiences a range of emotions. For instance, everyone feels sad occasionally. But sadness on some days isn’t the same as “a hopeless pit of despair where it’s so dark I’ve forgotten what light looks like,” a description of depression that one client gave to Howes. Feeling anxious isn’t the same as having a panic attack, “a terrifying lightning storm of despair, self-hatred and the absolute certainty of my immediate death,” he said.
7. “Just pray about it.”
Prayer is powerful for many people. Centering yourself and feeling support from a higher power can be very helpful, Howes said. “[B]ut this advice alone can minimize the problem, ignore many proven medical and psychological treatments and can even make someone feel like they’re not being healed, because they lack sufficient faith, which adds insult to injury.”
8. “Why can’t you work?”
It’s no doubt hard to watch someone who’s smart and capable unable to work. But telling a person who’s already struggling that they’re lazy, just making excuses or aren’t trying hard enough can be incredibly hurtful, Fast said.
She’s personally heard the following before: “I don’t see why you have such a tough time with work. Everyone works. You need to just get over it and work.” Even just asking a question like “Why is this so hard for you?” can make a person wonder what’s wrong with them. They might say, “Why can’t I work? They are right and I am a failure!” Fast said. “And they will push themselves too far.”
9. “You have the same illness as my ______.”
Years ago, when Fast’s partner Ivan, who has bipolar disorder, was in the hospital, she didn’t know anything about the illness. She told her friend that Ivan had something called “manic depression.” Fast’s friend responded with: “Oh. I know what that is. My grandfather had it and he shot himself.” A person Fast barely knew told her: “My uncle has that, but we don’t know where he is!”
“I remember every minute of Ivan being ill, and I remember those two comments the most — 18 years ago!”

The Right Responses

While reading this piece, you might be wondering if you should say anything at all. “Silence is, in my experience, the worst response, because it’s generally interpreted in the negative,” Barth said.
According to Howes, these are helpful responses:
  • “[S]incerely express your concern: ‘You’re having panic attacks? I’m so sorry to hear that. From what I’ve heard, that can be just awful.’
  • Offer your support: ‘Please let me know if you need anything, or if you’d just like to talk.’
  • Talk to them the same way you did before, which lets them know your feelings about them or respect for them hasn’t changed; your relationship is stable. They’re the same person, just dealing with an issue that is less visibly obvious than a broken arm or the flu.”
When it comes to mental illness, people make everything from insensitive to totally outrageous comments. When in doubt, Howes suggested offering “compassion, support and stability in your relationship and leav[ing] the advice to the psychological or medical experts… [A]ny advice beyond ‘I hope you’ve found good, caring treatment’ and ‘come talk to me anytime’ can be experienced as intrusive and can even cause more problems.”
For more on this topic, read Borchard’s pieces on what not to say to someone with depression and what to say

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Spiritual Doubt



Ah doubt there you are again! Doubt is one thing everyone one experiences at some point in their lives. Whether doubt about a relationship, your abilities, or anything else in your life. Today I am going to talk about when doubts creep up in your Spirituality.
   So things seem to be running along smoothly enough, you have developed a rhythm so to speak in your spirituality. You are learning, reading, chatting. Then you let things slide a little maybe you stop praying, or stop doing rituals. Don't worry everyone is guilty of this even me. So time goes by and you start to think hmmm. Is this for me? What if I don't want to do full rituals for every Sabbat? What if I am not doing "something" the right way? Do the God's and Goddess really hear me? How come it doesn't feel like they are around me anymore?
  Well fear not!! Everyone on on the Journey will ponder, and doubt and wonder. It is all part of the learning experience. So what if you "fell of the spiritual wagon". You can just jump right back on. Lets start with the first question:
 Is this for me? This is a good question to meditate on. Everyone at some time asks this question. Maybe the question should not be is this for me?. Maybe the question should be is this the right Path for me? Maybe you were right into the Celtic Path, absorbing all the knowledge you could regarding the Celtic path. Then it feels like you hit a wall. My answer would be to mediate on this question and to start learning about other Path's such as Druid or Fairy. Maybe you will discover that one of these path's suit you more. Or maybe you are Eclectic and that is why just one path doesn't feel right. Journal, meditate and pray, pay attention to signs around you. The answer may come from the most unlikely place.

What if I don't want to do full rituals for every Sabbat?. The simple answer is you don't have to. Finding a way to acknowledge the Sabbats in a personal way is just fine. You don't have to do full rituals to let the God's and Goddess's know you are acknowledging them. Maybe decorate your alter with something that reminds you of that Sabbat. Have a special meal, share a special story, say a special prayer. Or just thank the God's and Goddess's for the turning of the wheel.

What if I am not doing "something" the right way? What is it you don't think you are doing the right way? Every path and every Pagan or Wiccan has a way of doing something. If you are worried that maybe you are not opening and closing the circle during ritual the right way, it is okay to have notes with you during ritual, especially if you are just starting out. No one has everything memorized. When setting up my alter I still double check from my Book Of Shadow's the Placement of candles, and elements.

Do the God's and Goddess's really hear me? The simple answer is yes they do. But maybe you should ask yourself do you hear them?

How come it doesn't feel like they are around me anymore? I will answer this with a question similar to the previous. Do you hear them? Are you paying attention? They are not some being in the sky who is never around. They are in everything in nature around you. Maybe go for a walk, and listen to the wind, the trees, the birds. Pay attention to the ever changing cycle of nature. Little by little you will notice things again.

I would say pay attention, slow down some. Life runs by so fast that we often loose touch with nature and the Spirit's with in nature. The God's and The Goddess's are often trying to show you something or lead you some way, but it is not likely to be a slap on your forehead. Maybe an image keeps popping up, maybe you keep meeting someone in your dreams. Don't worry you will find your way!

Have a Blessed Day
)0(



Friday, August 30, 2013

Never Stop Learning!



Like everything else in life you should never stop learning! This is true in Paganism as well, I believe you can never truly know everything there is to learn as the information out there is vast. Everyone has an opinion or a variation on a belief. Paganism is an umbrella term for many different earth paths, the only way you are ever going to learn which path is right for you is to never stop exploring. It is always okay to add to your knowledge, and to add new rituals. Paganism is a lot of things but defiantly not boring!
  When learning and exploring your are going to come across stuff that just is not going to sit right for you in your gut. That is okay you are not going to agree with everything. Then one day you will be reading something and you are going to feel it with every fiber of your being that is the right path for you. Your spirit will just know. Some people describe it as a feeling of coming home. It sounds cliche I know but the first time I discovered Paganism and Wicca that is exactly what it felt like. Every time I discover something new that adds to my knowledge you just know that this information is right for you.
   You are going to come across a lot of it "should be done this way", or "don't read that author". I say throw caution to the wind and read what ever you can get your hands on. Read about Paganism history, read about different paths, rituals, prayers, about the many deities, Sabbat's, and about Paganism in the news. Discover different web boards and facebook groups. Ask questions and remember just like any group of people you are going to run across people you just don't jive with, or people that just are not nice. Don't let that detour you from your journey. That's the great thing about Journey's they never truly end.

My Pagan Book shelf:
 I am always trying to add to it so as of the date this is written this is what I have. It is not a lot if you consider I bought my first book when I was a teenager. If you are going to buy a book try and wait for them to come on sale if you can. Your library will probably carry a selection of books on Wicca and Paganism, as well as other Earth Based Religions. A great resource as well is Good Reads here you can look up books, create bookshelves and read reviews on books before you buy them, or read them.

  • The Wicca Book of Days Legends and Lore for every day of the year By Gerina Dunwich
  • Wicca A guide for The Solitary Practitioner By Scott Cunningham
  • The Way of the Green Witch By Arin Murphy-Hiscock
  • Paganism: An introduction to Earth-Centered Religions By Joyce Higginbotham and River Higginbotham
  • The Wiccan's Dictionary of Prophecy and Omens By Gerina Dunwich
  • Goddess in my Pocket By Patricia Telesco
  • The Wicca Spellbook By Gerina Dunwich
  • Simple Wicca By Michele Morgan
  • Wicca Candle Magick by Gerina Dunwich
  • A Witches Bible The complete Witches' Handbook By Janet and Stewart Farrar
  • Yule A celebration of Light and Warmth By Dorothy Morrison
  • Candlemas Feast of Flames By Amber K and Azrael Arynn K
  • The Wiccan Prayer Book By



Have a blessed day  )0(

Thursday, August 29, 2013

What Paganism is and is not, a quick glance.

 What Paganism/Wicca is:
  • An earth based religion in which nature is held dear. That all things from trees to animals and everything is between is sacred.
  • There are many Paths that one may choice to follow
  • The belief in Karma or the rule of three what ever you put out good or bad comes back to you three times. 
  • That there is both a male and female God. The belief that there is polarity in things. Good and Bad, Dark and light, Male and Female.
  • Following the wheel of the year, and the turning of the seasons. 
  • Acknowledge the Sabbat's
  • Following the moon cycle 
  • Believe in the concept of "Harm None"
  • The belief in rencarnation 
What it is not:
  • A cult any more then any other religion is. 
  • We do not sacrifice animals
  • We are not satanists
  • We do not believe in hell
  • Or the devil 
  • We are not like the Girls from the Craft, or Charmed or interest show here
  • We do not go around casting spells on people
  • Or run around naked all the time

I will probably continue to add to this list as time goes on. These are the quick basics of what Paganism is and is not. 

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Symbols

Symbols are a part of every religion, Neo-Paganism is no different. There are loads of symbols!!! So I thought I would go over some of the symbols, not all there are far to many to post here.

Lets start with some of the most recognized symbols.
The Pentacle/ Pentagram is one of the most recognized symbols in Wicca and Paganism. It's meaning : The pentacle is a five pointed star within a circle, the points representing the four elements fire, water, earth & air and  spirit and the circle represents eternity   

The Triple Goddess : Shows the moon phases, waxing, full and waning. It also  represents the stages of a women's life Maiden, Mother and Crone.

Triquetra : As well as also representing Maiden, Mother, Crone it is also a symbol of protection. There are also many other meanings for this symbol. I use it as a symbol of protection. Want to learn other meanings? Triquetra meanings
The Spiral Goddess a sign of life. The spiral represents the ever continuing cycle of life, death and rebirth
The Horned God represents the masculine polarity of the universe. (the male God)



Here are some other symbols that can be used in spell work, ritual, and inscribing on tools.


widdershins-symbol.gif (1467 bytes)
Pagan Widdershins Symbol
yonic-symbol.gif (1429 bytes)
Pagan Yonic Symbol
winter-pagan-symbol.gif (1510 bytes)
Winter Pagan Symbol
witch-pagan-symbol.gif (1454 bytes)
Pagan Witch Symbol
rebirth-pagan-symbol.gif (1437 bytes)
Pagan Rebirth Symbol
pagan symbol
Pagan Blessing Symbol






cause-sleep-symbol.gif (1346 bytes)
Cause Sleep Symbol
crone-symbol.gif (1392 bytes)
Pagan Crone Symbol
deadly-symbol.gif (1400 bytes)
Deadly Symbol
deosil-symbol.gif (1498 bytes)
Pagan Deosil Symbol
summer-pagan.gif (1506 bytes)
Summer Symbol
friendship-pagan.gif (1418 bytes)
Pagan Friendship Symbol
travel-pagan-symbol.gif (1365 bytes)
Travel Symbol
fertility-pagan-symbol.gif (1392 bytes)
Pagan Fertility Symbol
fall-pagan-symbol.gif (1629 bytes)
Fall Symbol
earth-pagan-symbol.gif (1625 bytes)
Earth Symbol
protection-pagan.gif (1606 bytes)
Pagan Protection Symbol
health-pagan.gif (1400 bytes)
Pagan Health Symbol
lose-weight-symbol.gif (1334 bytes)
Lose Weight Symbol
love-pagan-symbol.gif (1390 bytes)
Pagan Love Symbol
magick-circle.gif (1393 bytes)
Magick Circle
magick-energy.gif (1469 bytes)
Magick Energy Symbol
magick-strength.gif (1469 bytes)
Magick Strength Symbol
maiden-pagan-symbol.gif (1393 bytes)
Maiden Symbol
marriage-pagan.gif (1438 bytes)
Pagan Marriage Symbol
money-symbol.gif (1412 bytes)
Pagan Money Symbol
mother-pagan-symbol.gif (1389 bytes)
Mother Symbol
pagan-peace.gif (1362 bytes)
Pagan Peace Symbol
pagan-spirituality.gif (1438 bytes)
Pagan Spirituality Symbol
pagan-spring.gif (1473 bytes)
Spring Symbol
water-pagan-symbol.gif (1443 bytes)
Pagan Water Symbol
pentagram-pagan.gif (1511 bytes)
Pentagram Symbol
protect-child.gif (1457 bytes)
Protect Child Symbol

psychic-awareness.gif (1387 bytes)
Psychic Awareness Symbol
purification-pagan.gif (1371 bytes)
Pagan Purification Symbol


Have a Blessed Day!!!!!
)0(