Merry Yule To All

Hello good people,

I know I haven't written to you in awhile. I'm very busy with my new job and with life. We've had some car trouble lately, but otherwise my family is doing very well. We will actually have a good yule this year. We won't open presents till Xmas though so other family can be involved. How are you? Check in and let me know what is happening in your life.

Robin

Separation of Church and Work Place

Years ago I came to the conclusion that religion and the work place just do not mix. I came to that conclusion because one of my co-workers was spreading lies about me and my beliefs. He almost got us both fired. So from then on I just refused to speak of religious beliefs (Neither my own nor anyone elses) in the work place. I also added politics on there for good measure.

Some of you know that I started a new job recently. I work at the local hospital in the medical records dept. The atmosphere of the office is not the greatest, and that is in part due to one lady whose whole life seems to revolve around her spiritual beliefs. Now I'm all for devotion, but if you must refer to your beliefs in almost every conversation, then it's a bit too much.

I recently asked members of my Pagan Fellowship Group how they deal with co-workers who can't seem to separate their spirituality from their workplace. Here are a few quotes.

I would quote my dad "never talk about sex, drugs, politics, or religion in mixed company its just rude". That usually shuts them up... ~ Chastity

I can be pretty ruthless, but I have a right to peace as much as anyone else. Sometimes you have to play hardball in order for people to get it that it's not okay to bully someone over their beliefs. ~ Kristy

It's best to just work and help each other, and then share beliefs while we break bread with people off-site or at their homes when invited, and try to make friends who care about the person more than their spiritual beliefs.  ~ULC Inter-tribal

 For myself, I have avoided speaking of religion, and that is what I will continue to do for now. But there will come a time when she will ask me a direct question about my beliefs. So, how do you deal with coworkers preaching at work?

It Can't Rain All The Time

Finally, after two years of searching I've found a job. I also think its a keeper. It's in the same field as my previous job, the pay is higher, but so is my commute distance. I was freaking out trying to find child care for my son, but I think I've figured something out. It may be short term, so we'll see.

All I know is that I report to my new job Monday, and I have somewhere for my son to be that day. One day and one step at a time right?

It feels like we're coming out of a massive storm that's just beginning to ease up. Anyway, I haven't time to write this out as eloquently as I normally would try to do. So I'll just give a sigh of relief and hope for the best come Monday.

New Changes

Sparkpeople.com

So last week I had some blood work done and part of it wasn't good. It's not too alarming, but it can change into something bigger if I ignore it. I really don't want to look back in twenty years thinking I could have saved myself a lot of health problems if only I'd lost weight.
So, I'm making some life changes. I'm trying to eat a bit healthier and loose the weight. I am a member of Sparkpeople.com. If you're a member, feel free to add me.

School is in full swing here and with my current weight loss goal and taking care of the kids I am busier than usual. As you know Sierra is in K12 6th grade. We're doing Algebra, and that is by far one of the worst subjects ever! I'm learning right along with her.

I also signed up my son on ABCMouse.com. He seems to enjoy the story time and games. :) So in a way I'm now "home schooling" two kids. Though Wyatt's attention span is short, so he only gets 30 mins on the PC before he's ready to quit.

As far as blogging, I've lost my muse for now. I'm sure it'll be back, so keep watching for more updates.

Blessings, Love, and many light filled days to you.

SWC

New School Year, New Approach

Sierra at recess today.

So today marks the first day my daughter attends 6th grade with K12's Ohio Virtual Academy. This is her second year with them. Last year she came in late, in September, and we were constantly feeling like we were behind. I also had problems with my daughter goofing off behind my back.

Wyatt loves playing at the park.

This year I vowed to not repeat last years mistakes. So we've made a couple changes. First of all, coming in at the beginning of the year is a huge help. I know that if we get our five hours (minimum) done each day we are on track. Today we logged ten hours just because she had completed a few things before the actual school year began that I could not credit till the first day. 

I also blocked all other websites besides educational ones using a program called K9 Web Protection. She needs my password (which she does not know) before she can go to other websites. Less goofing off means we are done earlier in the day, and then both mama and child is happy.

Of course there is the usual first day glitches. Her class connect didn't want to open for us today. After clearing the cache' we finally got it working, and we were able to "meet" her teachers and learn about what is expected of us this year.

For those parents who are interested, or are just starting your K12 journey, do you have any questions I can answer? 

 You can ask them here, or go to my Cafemom's K12 Virtual Academy Group.

Ritual: Wants vs. Needs

Do you do ritual only when you need something? This is kind of the equivalent of someone who only calls family and friends when they want something. I try not to do that, in either case.

Image Source (Not a picture of my bell. It's just similar)

Yet I'm faced with wanting to do a bit of magick in the near future. I'd do it tonight but I'm not fully clear on what I'm doing yet. I have this pentacle with bells hanging from it that I've had in my car for years. I consider it my safety talisman.

We've had some things going on with our cars and stuff related to transportation. Not good things either. A lot of it is our own fault and I fully take the blame. Yet I'm not quite sure how we are going to dig ourselves out of the hole we've made.
So I know I want to bring the pentacle inside and work a little magick with it. It definitely is over due to charge it.

Do you keep something in your car as a safety measure? More than once that bell has rung to remind me to be aware. Usually it was right before some idiot ran a red light or something. If I hadn't been aware, I may have been in their way.

Fully Embracing the Mother

Sorry I've been quiet lately. I just haven't really had anything to say lately, until now. I've been thinking about the three aspects of women; Maiden, Mother, and Crone.

The Triple Goddess

My daughter has become a young maiden. :) She's growing up so fast. It makes me look back when I was the maiden and see how the decisions I made affected my life. I don't believe I would change much. I'd perhaps shake the younger me and tell me to quite being naive. But perhaps the young need to be a little naive to learn and grow.

My son, bless his little heart, is growing up so fast as well. We are nearing the end of our breast feeding journey. He hardly ever wants to nurse now. I still have a little milk, but its not as much as I use to have. This makes me a bit sad, and makes me realize that while I still have many years of parenthood left, I'm getting ever closer to entering the crone stage. It's not that I don't want to be the wise woman. And indeed I think every aspect should be embraced. It's just I don't want to be older. Ah if we all could grab that miracle anti-aging serum. lol

I wanted to do something special to mark my daughters entrance into maidenhood, and of my sons passing from babe to little man. There is something sacred about the milk we give our babies. They call it liquid gold, and indeed it is that. It's life sustaining - a mothers bounty.

So I will express as much milk as possible, and offer it to the Lord and Lady as a symbol of our bounty and love as a thank you for all that we have in our life, and as a symbol for the bounty that we have yet to receive.

The milk of plenty is indeed sacred.

Blessed Be my dear readers.

The Power of Magick & Non-Believers

~Magickal Graphics~

I ran across this article on About.com titled, "Does Magic Have Power if Someone Doesn't Believe?"

I thought this would be an interesting discussion. My thoughts are that magic is energy. Whether it is positive or negative depends on the person sending it out. Someone who has no belief in deity or magic at all still sends out energy. So I think this is evidence that yes, magick still has power over those who are non-believers and that energy does return to them.

However, I do believe because they've closed themselves off to the possibility of magick, that they've also created a barrier that "keeps out" to some extent, positive and negative energy. So basically they've made it harder for the energy flowing to them to manifest a change in their life.

What do you believe? Does magick hold power for non-believers?

Foraging.. and Remembering The Past

The other day I found wild blackberry bushes along the backyard fence line. They may appear to be everyday berries. But these are magic berries! At least for me they are, because they bring back a lot of happy childhood memories for me.

I grew up in a little poor town called Bloomingsburg, Ohio. Where I lived we also had a fence line. All along that fence grew blackberry bushes. In the summer, once they had ripened, my mom would hand me a big bowl and tell me to go fill it up. So my best friend Joey and I would spend all day outside picking these berries. My hands would be stained from the berries by the time I was done. The end result was a yummy blackberry pie my mom baked for us.

Not all of the berries are ripe yet, so I wasn't able to get a whole lot today. That's okay, I wanted just enough to put in the bread pudding I'm making. I just love going foraging and finding sweet things to eat. :)

I did forget that blackberry bushes have thorns. Ouch! My poor fingers. 

What have you done today?

The Powers That Be Smile

Today started like any other day when my Dh is off work. He waits impatiently for me to wake up. Then announces he is hungry. He went to the store for me and when he got back I started cooking breakfast. Today was bacon, eggs, and toast.

The eggs we had are store bought, so imagine my surprise when I got a double yolked egg. I looked up the odds, it's 1 in 1000. So imagine my uber-super surprise when tonight, I cooked more eggs (had egg and bologna sandwiches) and I got another double yolk in the same carton.

Image Source

Then Dh had a butterfly land on his hand. Butterfly's are a sign of transformation and change.

We had to run an errand today, so we ended up missing a call about a job for Lance. We'll call them Monday. So hopefully that isn't too late. Oh I hope this works out. Our errand was about re-doing our certification to be in this low-income apartment. We were just saying today that we couldn't believe its been a year, and that we hoped we wouldn't have to be here another year. I hope that wish is coming true.

Keep all your fingers and toes crossed for us!

Thanks Ender pup for the title inspiration.

Have A Great 4th Y'all

I have to admit I did not even realize it was Independence day when my friends started talking about it yesterday. They just mentioned the fourth and I was asking what was so special about it. I blame it on hibernating at home and not really doing anything. My disconnect from the world is complete when I don't even know the date. lol

We're not doing anything special either. Dh had to work today, and so does his mother and step-father. So it's not really a holiday for me. But for all of you reading this, have a wonderful Independence day.

 

Magickal Graphics

 Here's some fireworks from last year, taken in Chillicothe, Ohio. 

Can You Never Find Good Online Pagan Groups?

I have over 100 people who follow both my blog and Facebook page, but other than blog comments I rarely get to interact with all of you unless you're on my friends list.

So I've decided to create a Facebook group. It is closed so when you comment only members who are in the group will see what you've shared with us.

I'd like to invite all Pagans, or those who want to know more about Paganism, to join.

Click the banner to join!

Does Your Home Have Spirits?

Today I've made a video as a response to Wisteria Witch's question about household spirits. Watch the video and tell me, does your home have spirits?

Here is a picture of the 200 year old house I was talking about in the video. Of course it looked different when we lived there. The overgrowth looks very similar to when we first rented the house though. I still remember pulling vines and mowing that lawn when the stalks of weeds looked more like mini trees!

Photo by michituckygirl

Btw, I think I'm getting the hang of this vlog thing! I'm much less nervous in front of the camera. :)

The "Already Seen" Moments

 What if deja vu meant you lost a life and you are starting back off at your last checkpoint. -unknown

~Magickal Graphics~
Deja Vu is a French word meaning "already seen". Since I was a little girl I've had moments where I knew I've lived through the same things I was doing. Mostly it was a combination of what someone said or a specific movement.

One of the biggest moments of deja Vu is when I knew I was just about to get my ass chewed out by my boss. I knew I had been there before, had heard the same tirade and reacted the exact same way I reacted to the situation. I had made a mistake when working, and my boss wasn't that happy with me.

Mostly though, it's small things. Like the combination of what someone says followed by someone else entering the room. All those things separately may have happened in the past. But none of it was done together until that point. Yet I know I've been in that situation before.

There are many theories on what deja Vu is. *Some scientists believe it's a portent of a mild epileptic seizure. However that doesn't explain why those who are healthy have experienced deja vu. Others believe it is possibly a past life memory. I believe neither of those answers are correct.

What I believe is that we've divined those moments through our dreams. My biggest question, and one I haven't a good answer for, is why would we dream of non-consequential moments? Is it a sign that we are on the right path? I have no idea. Often I have a feeling that the moment is important, yet it seemingly isn't. Such as last night. I had a moment of deja vu when I sat down with food in my hand and turned on the TV to see a specific television show on. None of what I experienced was important, yet it was important enough for me to have already seen it.



Do you have "already seen" moments? What do you believe deja vu is?


*Source

PBP: My Midsummer

Pagan Blog Prompts: Litha

Posted by Ivy

Litha is the summer solstice and happens roughly around June 21-23rd every year. I know this prompt is late (I am posting on behalf of Shauna who is on hiatus), but what did you all do to celebrate Litha yesterday? Do you have any specific traditions? Did you celebrate solitary, with a coven, with friends, with your family?

Enjoy blogging this week about midsummer and what it means to you! 

Magickal Graphics

 

I wanted to wait until nightfall to take a picture of the full super moon. However nature has worked against me. It is cloudy outside and storming a bit. So I unfortunately can't give you a good picture of the moon. 

 

I actually celebrated Litha on the 21st, which in hindsight was a good thing because part of my ritual was completed outside. 

 

So what does Midsummer mean to me? Well quite simply, we are in the middle or high point of the year. This is a time of great energy that can be utilized for just about any type of ritual you want to perform.  My own ritual involved deep meditation. I needed to reflect on my life thus far and ask myself some pretty important questions. I wish I had better answers. But I was reminded that kids only ask questions over and over and expect a different answer. Patience is a virtue that I have not gained yet. 

 

The second part of my ritual was to write a letter to God and Goddess. This is getting back to my roots. As a young girl I remember writing many letters. Back then I wasn't clear on who I was writing to, but I felt compelled to put my words to paper. Writing made me feel like I was conversing with a close friend. The letter was either kept tucked away in a private spot or I destroyed it by fire or burying it. Tonight I chose to burn it, which was the outdoor part of my ritual. 

 

My ritual is simplistic, but effective. Which pretty much sums up my ritual style. 

 

Have a wonderful Litha everyone! 

 

 

 

 

 

Have A Great Summer Solstice

Magickal Graphics

Have a great summer everyone. Sorry I've been a bit silent lately. I've not been in a good mood. Some things have happened in my life. Mostly life took a big shit on us. I can't say I didn't have a hand to play in it though. We are dealing with the consequences. For now though, I want to focus on celebrating the summer solstice. 

I'm trying to grow herbs again. I know, I keep killing plants. I have no idea why. I keep reading websites and getting advice from those green thumb people, but it never seems to help. Hopefully these little herbs will sprout and do well. 

I think my own summer ritual will be private tonight. Over the past few weeks I've felt the strong need for solitude and peace. Its a time I've drawn within myself. It's just my way to heal a bit. 

Anyway, enough about doom and gloom. Go out and enjoy the summer! 

Blessed Be y'all. 

SWC 

World Wide Healing.

Are you in need of physical or mental healing? On Sunday, June 23rd Healing Energy Community is holding an event for a world wide collective of energy healers sending out our healing light. Join in to either ask for healing or be an energy healer yourself.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE EVENT

~Magickal Graphics~     Read more about my energy healing methods HERE.

What I've Been Doing

So I've been pretty silent this week. Once in awhile I find that the world is too bright and too loud so I seek the darkness and solitude. When I was younger my mother was concerned that this habit was a form of depression. In reality it's just seeking distance from the over-stimulation the outside world forces upon me day after day.

So I've stayed in my little cocoon for now. Usually after these bouts of solitude I come out feeling refreshed, invigorated, and ready for new creative adventures.

So what do I do while in my solitude? Various things. This time, I've been playing a game. I use to play World of Warcraft many years ago. I played for about two years and enjoyed it a lot.

WOW, Level 80 DK. Character Name: Sassanach

I left WOW and the gaming community for a long time for a few reasons. Number one, is that I was bored. I use to play with my husband, but he quit the game. I played for some time without him, but it wasn't the same.

Then our finances changed and I couldn't justify spending the fee to play a game I was bored and not playing much.

I remember when I was younger and we had horses, while I was mounted on that horse the thing I loved the most is the solitude. It was just me and the horse. We had sort of a communication without speaking. I no longer have horses, or even access to ones I can pet. So I've been seeking a game that gave the full horse experience. There are not many choices out there that I liked. So when I saw the game Star Stable advertised, I checked it out. While it can definitely use some improvements, it's given me that solitude and peace I was seeking. I'm sure I probably won't play it for very long. I don't see me sticking with it two years like I did with WOW. But for now, it makes me happy.

Star Stable. Level 5. Character Name: Anja Stargren. Horse Name: WinterSong

Do you ever seek the peace of solitude? What do you do to pass the time?

Don't Abuse Dogs!

Most of the time I mind my own business. Especially where I live. I haven't made many friends and I like it that way. Today was a warm day and I decided to take the kids outside to play. Wyatt was wanting to play but a puppy was outside and making that impossible. It was likely a German Shepherd pup. I know he's going to grow way bigger than what our apartment complex allows. The limit here is 25 lbs. He kept nipping my son and Wyatt was having none of it. He cried and was scared of the dog.

So I took the dog back to the owner and asked could they please keep him in their area. The woman then turns around and starts smacking the poor dog in the mouth.

My dear readers, as much as I love to keep my nose out of other peoples business, I couldn't walk away. So I spoke up. I told her to stop hitting the dog.

Her excuse? She doesn't want the dog to bite her daughter so she's "teaching" him not to bite. That is about the dumbest statement ever. I feel sorry for this dog. So sorry that if it happens to wonder near my area again, it just might disappear.

I have owned and trained dogs my entire life. Dogs do not learn by physical punishment. Smacking the dog in the mouth is about the one thing you can do to ensure that eventually it's going to bite someone. I tried to keep my cool, but I was seeing red. There are a million other things I wish I had said to her. But all I said was, "Dogs don't learn by physical punishment. Please don't hit the dog."

Then I walked away. I knew if I didn't I'd start a fight. She wasn't willing to learn anyway, so it would have been pointless to try. But oh I feel sorry for that poor dog.

My Support to the Pagans of Pahokee

~Magickal Graphics~    

Some of you may have already heard about a Summer Solstice festival in Pohakee, Florida that is being held by Indigo Crescent Metaphysical shop. It's brought a lot of attention by some residents who are trying to infringe upon the rights of these Pagans to hold a Summer Solstice Festival.

I wish I could say I was surprised at the reaction from the Christian population. However I am not. It seems like this is usually what happens when you try to have a festival in small town America. 

A friend of mine who had something similar happen. She held her first annual Beltane festival in Shelbyville, KY and some of the residents were not happy. Christians stayed outside the ritual area and prayed for the Pagans, while the Pagans did the same for the Christians.

Eventually Shelbyville residents tolerated, if not accepted, the Pagan presence in the town, but my friend did eventually move her store to another city because of the hate and bigotry she encountered in Shelbyville.

Freedom of Religion does not mean freedom for ONE religion. It's never acceptable to try to stop a festival just because you feel it is wrong. 

If anyone is in the Pohakee, Florida area, contact the Indigo Crescent to lend your support. You can also contact them on their Facebook page.

If you're like me and not in the area, you can still get the word out. Share or re-blog this so this festival gets a great turnout!

Honoring Ancestors Through Media

So in my last post I pondered the question of media on the Internet and our descendants.  Hopefully in the many years to come we will still have the Internet, and then there comes the point where we have media stored from generations past.

Today I'm honoring my ancestors.I would want my own descendants to know that I have worked to create a better future by improving myself, my surroundings, and instilling the morals I believe will carry us into a better future. I would want my children to know that I love them and will look over them. I'd have them know me, not just for the dates of major events in my life, but the small details that make up who I am. In generations past we did this through stories past down from father to son. Yet so often those stories are lost, changed, or simply forgotten. That is why the Internet is going to change the way the new generation will connect with their past. Never before have we been able to look back 200+ years and see a video of our ancestor alive and well.

How do you think our social media will change future generations? 

Will they trace their ancestry through social media? 

What would you say to the generations that follow?

In Honor of Memorial Day: Family Tree

Today I've spent a large portion of my day researching my family history. I use to do this all the time. I'd get info on one ancestor, that opened up more information on another ancestor and before I knew it I had 20+ new people on my family tree. I just love that!

Ancestry.com gives you the option to pay for their service, but there are plenty of free websites also. Find A Grave.com is a great service. I've been comparing Find A Grave's information to my info on Ancestry.

Since today is Memorial day, I think it's fitting that I found a lot of war veterans in my family tree.

        

The Smiley Family was awarded an armorial ensign, by the Crown of England, based upon the courage exhibited by Thomas in battle. The motto translates as "Valor in Arms" or "Virtue with Power".

          The first war vet I found today began with Thomas Smiley, my 9th Great Grandfather.

Birth 1660 in South Lanarkshire, Scotland

Death 1689 in Londonderry County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Thomas was a Williamite Defender during the Siege of Derry.  He died during battle and was awarded an armorial ensign by the Crown of England. Thomas had three sons - William, John (My 8th g-grandfather), and Francis - who sailed to America and served in the Revolutionary War.

Of course I found a lot of weird, funny, and sat facts as well. For one, couldn't they think of other names besides William, John, Francis, and Mary? When they did think of unique names, could they not think of something better - Archibald?! Really?

Then there are the infant deaths. So sad. :( Of course there's the large families. Two brothers had 9 children each.

And the discoveries that they were a bit naughty, such as a birth less than 9 months after the marriage. Hello hanky panky. ;)

I found a few who married their 1st cousins. That was pretty common really but the website always alerts you when that happens.


~Magickal Graphics~
Anyway, as I was going through this info and adding it in I began to wonder, in 100 years, is my descendants going to be adding facts about my life and death and wonder what kind of person I was? Because of this blog and other social media, will it be possible to actually get to know me through Youtube, Facebook and other media outlets? What will they think? Once digital information is out there it is rarely lost. Unless some mass deletion or apocalypses that crashes the entire Internet, I think what we put out there will (or at least could) last many lifetimes. Perhaps I'll make a video talking to my descendants and tell them a bit about me, and what I want to manifest that will change their way of life.

Have you created your family tree? 

Have a wonderful Memorial Day everyone! 

 

Donald K Smith. WW2 Veteran and my grandfather. Me pictured right.

 

Magickal Graphics

Robin's Cinnamon & Raisin Bread

My house smells yummy right now. I decided to make Cinnamon and Raisin Bread. So I'll share my recipe with you. I'm far from a Kitchen Witch, but a little baking with love always makes me happy; especially when I get yummy results!

I apologize for it being half eaten before the picture was taken! lol We could not wait.

Ingredients

• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 packet Yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp oil. (Olive oil or Veg. oil.)
• 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Nutmeg
• 1 cup Raisins
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks Butter

Directions

1.  In a measuring cup, 1 cup warm (not hot and not cold) water. Add 2 tbsp sugar and the packet of yeast to the water. Wait 10 minutes or until the yeast proofs. You'll see little bubbles and a foamy action at the top. If your yeast does not proof, its no good. Start over with different yeast. 
2. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp oil. I used olive oil for this, only because it is healthier. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and the contents of the measuring cup. 
3. Mix together so the flour and yeast mix is all worked in. You can use a mixer with a dough hook if you want. 
4. Add 2 tbsp Cinnamon and Nutmeg. 
5. After the dough is formed in a ball, flour your counter surface and place dough on the counter. Put a little extra flour on top. You may wish to flour your hands too. Kneed dough for 10-15 minutes. Dough should be pliant but not sticky. Don't work too much extra flour in or your loaf will be dense. 
6. In a bread pan, oil the bottom with 1 tsp oil. Place loaf in pan and flip it once or twice to coat it with oil. Place in a warm area and allow to rise. If you have a gas oven or an oven with a warm setting, this is a perfect place to allow to rise. Should take 1-2 hours. 
7. After bread has risen, in a separate bowl, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 stick of butter. I added more cinnamon as well. I didn't measure, but it was about 5 tbsp. I like a strong cinnamon taste, but you can change the amount if you wish. Microwave a few seconds to melt the butter. Mix well. 
8. On your floured surface, roll out the bread dough. Place raisins along the top and pour the sugar mixture over top of that. I had some left over that I reserved for later. 
9. Roll the bread up. You should have enough for two loaves. Cut in half and place in oiled bread pans. Pour a little more of the sugar mix on top. Allow to rise another 1-2 hours in a warm place. 
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. If you tap the top of the bread and it sounds hallow, it's done. 
11. Transfer your loaves to a serving dish. I stacked one on top of the other, but you don't need to do this. Arrange them as you wish. 
12. In a saucepan, 1 stick butter, and either the sugar mixture you have left, or make more. Heat on high until it reduces to a glaze. 
13. Pour glaze over top of the bread. Allow to cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Teens & Exploring Spirituality

I think that during your pre-teen and teen years it's natural to start deciding what you believe. It's a time of self-discovery and naturally spirituality is a part of that. However there is conflict when a parent doesn't agree with exploring alternative religions. I think every Pagan has been there. We are contacted by a young 14+ something teen who is hiding his or her beliefs from their parents. They beg us to help them.

I am a child of nature.  Image Source

I feel a bit sorry for the teen who has to hide just to practice his or her faith. I was never in a situation where exploring alternative religions was taboo. If I wanted to have an altar in my room that was fine. If I wanted to go to a Pagan gathering, as long as it was chaperoned, it was all good. I was one of the lucky ones. I had a mother who was more open to alternative thinking.

Not everyone is so lucky, and so I've been there when I had to decline teens the help they seek. It's not that I couldn't help or didn't want to. As long as they were being true and not just seeking attention or rebelling, I wanted to help them learn. However I can't go against a parents wishes. This is why I will always deny anyone under 18 religious counsel. It's also why I do not share many rituals (except for, A Year & A Day).


If you were exploring religion as an adolescent, were your parents supportive or did you have to hide?

What did your parents say when you finally told them about your Pagan beliefs?

PBP: Fate & Destiny

Prompt: Fate / Destiny

Posted by Shauna Lane

 

"Everything happens for a reason."
"What goes around comes around."
Karma
The Threefold Law

These are the things we hear about every day, in good times and bad.  But is everything pre-planned, and everything we experience for a greater lesson?  Or do we decide our own fate with our choices?  Take these questions into consideration while writing your blog entry this week.

I look forward to seeing what every one's views are on this one.

~Magickal Graphics~     Everything Happens For A Reason  

I say, "everything happens for a reason" often. I truly believe that it does. But this idea pisses a lot of people off. I get where they are coming from. It seems abhorrent that a child or loved one would die just to teach us a lesson. Take the recent tornado tragedy. Is there a reason the tornado targeted Oklahoma and not some other place? In my opinion, yes. Those that died were meant to die. Their deaths forever changed the people who cared and loved them. Now that change can be for good, or it can be for ill. That is THEIR choice. 

 

Take for instance a mom who loses her child from cancer. That mom can go on to help raise awareness about childhood cancer and change many lives. Or she could wallow in pain and never do anything with her life - her choice. We can either learn from our experiences or let those experiences batter our psyche so much that we lose ourselves to pain.  

 

Is everything pre-planned, and everything we experience for a greater lesson? Or do we decide our own fate with our choices?

 

I don't believe everything is pre-planned. I do believe we have the choice to avoid positive or negative situations. Take for instance an Oklahoma resident who happened to choose to go on vacation just before the storms. They would have chosen to avoid the tornado that ripped their house apart. Our choices are like ripples in water. Each choice sets off different ripples that creates an inevitable result.  

 

What Goes Around Comes Around 

 

Karma is something I very much believe in. I remember in second grade our teacher had a saying painted high up on the walls that read, "Do unto others as you would have do unto you." She preached every week about being nice to others and if you wasn't, to expect others to not be nice to you. This is sort of the same thing. What you put out returns to you. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but eventually it will come back to you. As someone who understands how energy works, this is just one of those basic laws of energy you can't ignore. Energy is never-ending. It's a circuit and will come back to you. 

 

 

Blog Buttons: Yay or Nay?

A pic, just because I like it. :)

~Magickal Graphics~

When I first began blogging I looked up some advice on how to have a successful blog. One of the suggestions was to have blog buttons. I ended up making my own and figuring out the code required to make the little grab box thingy. It seems to work as far as bringing some traffic, so when I see a blog I really like I grab their button.

I was doing a little blog maintenance tonight because I noticed some broken links in the buttons. Then I went back and started to add a few blogs I've only started to follow recently. The problem is I see a lot of bloggers that don't have buttons at all.

So what is your opinion of blog buttons? Useful or useless?

Btw, if you wanted your blog button to be added just let me know in the comments below.

More Dreams...More Wierdness.

So the other day I talked about a weird dream I had. I didn't know the meaning of the dream and still don't. However last night I had another dream, but there is always a re-occurring theme. I dream about fish - carnivorous fish to be exact.

It's always my job to take care of the fish tank they are contained in. However they often escape the tank. In the past the fish were "swimming in air", or they'd grow legs and walk. This time the fish were just hopping on the floor.

The species of fish vary often. Tonight it was an Oscar fish. Now I've owned this type of fish in the past. I had a 200 gallon aquarium with an Oscar fish named Psycho. Psycho earned his name well. I'd give him feeder fish once or twice a week. The thing is, he didn't just eat the fish. He would hunt them. His favorite game was "scare the ever loving daylights out of them". He'd come up behind them, bump them on the belly and make the fish swim away as fast as they could. Then when they got too tired to run he'd chomp the heads off and leave the body for me to clean up. Again, I say he earned the name Psycho!

But back to the dream. This Oscar fish was in the tank at first and I had to clean it. I wasn't looking forward to sticking my arm in there. For some reason I felt he'd chomp it off. Then I noticed that the fish had jumped into another tank where he was eating all the docile fish. So I had to catch him and put him back in the other tank. He kept running away from my net though.

So then he jumps on the floor and starts going after my toes. I couldn't get a hold of him. I wake up then so I have no idea if he ate my toes or not.

The fish dreams are never the same, yet it's always fish in aquariums. The species of fish change, but the majority of them are carnivorous. Some species I've dreamt don't even exist in real life. If you hadn't guessed I suck at dream interpretation.

So what could fish dreams mean?

Two Years Ago Today

Two years ago today, I was allowing a stranger to cut me open. I remember that day very vividly. My nurse was an older lady and her expert manor had a calming affect on me. As I was positioned at the edge of the operating table, I focused on her beautiful eyes while they inserted a spinal. I was then laid out on the table. I remember feeling like I was about to be a pig bound for slaughter.

My husband came in and sat by my head while they cut me, and at exactly 9 AM my baby boy was born.

Happy 2nd Birthday Wyatt! 

Cake and ice cream equals a very happy little boy!

How do you like his cake I baked?



 

We've also successfully breastfed for 2 years now! Wow I didn't think we'd ever breastfeed for so long. When I first began I said my goal was 6 months. Then I changed it to 1 year. Then changed it to 2 years. I suppose that goal will be changed to 3 years next. :)

2 Years successfully breastfed! Yay. :)

Below is Wyatt on his 1st birthday. My how he has grown! 

Check out the post from his 1st birthday. Click HERE

PBP: "An it harm none..."

~Magickal Graphics~

Prompt: "An it harm none..." 

Posted by Ivy

 

Today's prompt is about the Wiccan Rede. What do you think of the rede? Do you follow it? There are about a billion ways to interpret that last line, "An it harm none, do as thou wilt". What does this personally mean to you? Does this mean as long as you aren't harming anyone...you're good to go? What constitutes harm? Does it carry over into animal rights? Does it cover even commonplace things like ear piercings or tattoos? YOU are included in the "harm none" clause, so does this mean you should hold yourself to a healthy lifestyle that doesn't harm your body?
What do you all think?

~Magickal Graphics~    

 

What does this personally mean to you?

This is a very good question and one I gave a lot of thought about in the past. "An it harm none" is such an ambiguous statement that I don't believe there are any wrong answers here. For me it just means living a moral life in both mundane and magickal ways. Though at one point I did argue that it had more meaning when applied to magickal workings. I suppose at times I need more guidance during magickal workings. So I apply this moral code more when doing craft work rather than in my mundane life. 

Does this mean as long as you aren't harming anyone...you're good to go?

I think as long as you are leading a moral lifestyle that you are good to go. Just because you follow the rede doesn't mean you are a moral person. 

  

What constitutes harm?

Harm is negative energy or action directed at yourself or others; especially against some one's will.

Does it carry over into animal rights?

That depends. We certainly shouldn't go out of our way to hurt animals needlessly. However even our animal brethren kill when hungry or defending themselves. We can do no less. 

 

Does it cover even commonplace things like ear piercings or tattoos?

If it is done willingly, no. Now if you are holding someone down to give them a tattoo or ear piercing that they haven't consented to, yes. This is one of the reasons why I am against infant ear piercings. They cannot give consent. 

 

YOU are included in the "harm none" clause, so does this mean you should hold yourself to a healthy lifestyle that doesn't harm your body?

Ideally yes. I believe our energy is healthier when we are physically and mentally healthy. However I am very guilty of not being as healthy as I should be. That doesn't mean I'm racking up negative karma points. It just means I'm not the best that I can potentially be. 

 

Dreamtime Weirdness

These past few days I've had some weird dreams, but they usually don't involve rituals. I woke up to remembering I was chanting in a circle while riding a horse to "expel" a bad spirit within children.

Freeway. My childhood horse. (Medicine Hat Gelding)

Maybe my kids were just getting on my nerves more than usual yesterday? lol I do remember we were in the same place I grew up. I was a child myself in the dream.

I rode a medicine hat (all white with brown or black "hood" on his ears) pony. We were playing in a field when some threat started to come toward us. I remember other riders in my group jumping on their pony's and running away. I started to go with them.

Other kids that had no horse of their own were left and were being attacked by this entity. So I went back to help them. I started riding in a circle around the kids, who had been possessed by this entity, while chanting. Some of the other riders came back and soon we were all riding in a circle and chanting. We had a double circle going so some riders were on the inside circle, I was in the outer ring. I don't remember what we were chanting.

I have no idea what this dream could mean. Perhaps my brain was just bored. lol


Do you believe dreams have meanings? 

If yes, do you believe all dreams have meanings or just some?

What distinguishes between a meaningful dream, and one that has no meaning?

A Little Mama Pampering

I don't often wear makeup. However when I do I always hate that in pictures my eyes look really small. So I decided to ask some ladies on Cafemom's private group, Alternative Moms, for some help. They had a few suggestions such as reducing the black eyeliner, adding some white around my eyes and brow, etc...

Here is the result.

P.S. It doesn't help that I squint in every picture! I can't stop myself. 

Before

After