Happy 4th of July

Wishing you a very merry Independence day!

What are your plans for today? I plan to get a little reading and writing done today and then later we'll have a nice family dinner. Not sure if there will be fireworks because the ground is really dry. If you have a chance to see fireworks today show off some pictures of the event! 

Blessings, Love and Light

SWC

Accidental Witchery

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I think that we can all agree that our emotions have a direct correlation with our energy and how it effects outside influences. With high emotion, things tend to go a little wonky. Today was one of those days.

It all started off good. My in-laws were leaving to visit family and they decided they wanted to take my kids with them. OK no problem. I love to have a bit of time to myself. I blogged, I took a semi-long shower. Any mommy can appreciate the novelty of an un-interrupted shower.

I even did a bit of laundry and designed my new writing blog. Just as I was throwing the wet cloths into the dryer, my DD comes in and says, "Mom they didn't put Wyatt in his car seat on the way home!"

My daughter is the most mild mannered person I know. So when something has her angry I know she's serious. Those words immediately set me off too. Evidently it was too inconvenient to cool the car off before they put my son in his seat. So instead, MIL put my 1 yr old son up front with her. Can you imagine a witch about to blow her top? Yeah, that was me.

I immediately went off on her (as politely as I could manage putting it at the time). I told her she can't do that, its a safety issue, CPS could get involved, bla bla bla. She just said, it was hot. I don't give a flying fuck. Put my son in his car seat!

Folks, I feel betrayed. A month or two ago she took my son for a drive 5 minutes away. I didn't know she had even left the house at the time. She didn't use a car seat then. I told her the same thing I told her today. So she KNOWS to use a car seat. I get that she's from a different generation that never used car seats and that's why I gave her a second chance, but just ignoring my wishes isn't going to happen anymore. She is no longer allowed to take my son anywhere.

I had to get out of the house for awhile. So I packed the kids up and went to the YMCA for swimming. Then we visited my DH at his job for a talk about him backing up my new no MIL/baby transport rule, and we did a little shopping before coming home.

Shortly after we came home MIL/FIL left again. Now this is where it gets a little accidental witchy. They went back to the same family they had visited earlier that day. Once out there, the battery on their car died. (Oops. lol). They had to borrow a battery to come home.

When I'm mad, I stew on it awhile. Since my focus was on my MIL and their car as this unsafe missile that could have killed my son, I'm only surprised the engine didn't blow.

I know its a bit uncontrolled of me, but lights tend to flicker when I am very angry, things go boom. All without me meaning to.

Have you experienced anything breaking or odd happenings at high emotional times?

Another Blog: Beating Down The Devil

Hello to all my bloggy friends! So I've been thinking about my writing more and more lately and deciding if I wanted to do this. I figured I'll try and if it doesn't work out that's fine. No harm in trying something new is there?

Beating Down The Devil is about a jaded young divorced woman whose been abused in the past. She's trying to move on in her life but men are the devils and she's having none of their crappy nonsense. She's a no holds bar, tell it like it is in the meanest way possible kind of woman. But she has a soft center if just the right kind of guy would treat her right.

I'd like to invite you to follow me on:

Click image to go to new blog!

Go read the first entry now!

Vagina On My Car Please

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I think we've all noticed many cars with the fish symbol on the back of cars. Its a well known Christian symbol. However like most symbols, its meaning has changed over the years. All symbols seem to be adapted to other uses over time. Usually there's nothing wrong with that.

Christians today use the Ichthys or fish symbol as a sign that the follower has been baptized in the waters of Christs love. However like most other Christian symbols, it has a Pagan origin.

I must admit, till today I didn't know this. We learn something new every day don't we! Nothing wrong with that. So this post is as much a learning experience to me as I hope my readers will learn something as well.

Today I found an intriguing article called Six Famous Symbols That Don't Mean What you Think. 

The Ichthys is actually an ancient fertility symbol of a vagina. I never made the connection till I read that, but I just had to laugh that all these people have a vagina symbol on their car. (Admit it, its pretty funny). I'll never look at the fish symbol the same way again.

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 Atargatis is an ancient Syrian goddess most closely associated with the Ichthys. Her physical form is a mermaid, and her sacred animal is the fish. She is a great mother goddess of fertility, earth and water. Atargatis' worship spread throughout Rome and Greece, so like so many other Goddesses with different names, Atargatis and Aphrodite have been closely linked.


What is something new you've learned recently?

To learn more here's some interesting reading: 

• True Origin of Christian "FISH" Symbol 

• Obscure Goddess Dictionary

Grow my Pretty GROW!

Is it weird if I name a plant? I'm thinking of naming it George. When I was little, probably second or third grade, I had to make a pet rock. I drew a face on it and I had to come up with its personality and life goals and then present my new "friend" to class. Problem is it never occurred to me to name it. So when I stood up in class and the teacher asked what my friends name was I froze. Thankfully a kind girl in the class helped me along by mouthing "George" to me. So my pet rock became George. Ever since that day, any inanimate object is a George.

Am I a George?

I'm happy to report my seeds are sprouting. Every day I can see George is growing very well. I tend to him daily, sometimes more than once. I don't keep watering George but I just pick him up, turn him because after awhile the sprouts start to lean toward the window to get more light. Hopefully all this attention and loving care is helping my babies grow.

Do you name your plants? What are their names?

Magical Herbs, Rants, Moon Magick and Lust

Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham

Isn't it great when the grand design works for us? DH works at the local Goodwill. Today he brought home a book called Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham. This is why I don't believe in coincidence. Out of a small county with the majority of its residents being Christian, someone decided to drop off a Pagan book that my DH knew I'd enjoy because of my new herb growing project. Yay for me. I can't wait to dive into this book.

He also brought along a romance book. You lovely readers know how I love my paranormal romance. This ones about the Fae. and Werewolves. Yay me! Its titled "Not your ordinary Faerie Tale, by Christine Warren." Can't wait to read this one too. Two great books, and no idea where to start. Do I want to read about herbal magick or do I want to dive into love and lust? Decisions decisions. lol

Aine over on the Deepest Well mentioned the approaching full moon and how energetic and restless we might be feeling.  She does mention its a time where we tend to blurt out in a not so nice and confrontational way our feelings. (See rant below to prove that). She also mentions its a good time to focus on goals and exercise. Right now, my goal is to save money. Now that my husband is getting a paycheck I've created a budget. Its all in its initial stages right now since I'm not entirely sure what he'll get on his paycheck. He's also doing a lot of overtime from what his "normal" paycheck will be. So it will be a few months before I can get an average of what he'll bring home. If I've calculated correctly, we'll only be able to save $150 a month. That means I face 6 more aggravating months in MIL's home before we can afford to move out. I wish I could say that I had something to sell or some other way to make more money. If I find a job we'd get more money but so far that search has been fruitless. So here I am, stuck making plans and no real action. Which is why I feel restless and helpless.

Now onto the rant. I try not to rant often on my blog because I hate to bring anything negative to it. This must be said however. I don't believe one single Pagan has not experienced judgement from the non-Pagan community. If there is such a Pagan out there I haven't met them. So it hurts my heart when I see it from a fellow Pagan. Today on a spiritual forum I saw another Wiccan say that you can't be a Wiccan if you cast "Incantations" (her word not mine) for "Money or lavishes" because she considers it to be personal gain and in her opinion, wrong.

Now the rede does warn about not casting for greed. See quotes from the Wiccan rede below.

Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.

Quote

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek.

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Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

Quote

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

Not one word in the Rede says you can't cast for personal gain. That to me sounds like a Charmed TV influence. It does counsel against greed. I just wish people would focus on their own path and not focus on judging others. 

Young Love

Well here it is at 2a.m and I am thinking about my hubby, Lance. He's asleep and I can't join him because a certain daddies little girl has stolen my place. Magaly from Pagan Culture would like us to talk about our relationship beginnings for Art, Passion and Heart-told tales. If I told you everything I'd have to break this into two parts. So here's a shorter version. (I hope).

Lance in his younger years. On stage with his band.

Lance and I grew up together. I am 10 yrs younger than him. He remembers when I was born. He played games with me as a little girl and when I was about six I remember him staying the night with us and me following him around like a little puppy dog. Even then ladies I was in love. He treated me kindly. Though my brother was less than courteous and always telling me to leave. Lance and my brother would go in the bedroom and I'd be left out. So not right for my little puppy dog loving self.

Fast forward a few years and my family moved to Kentucky. I didn't get to see Lance for a few years and honestly, he wasn't on my mind everyday, but I never forgot him. At 14 yrs old, we received a phone call from him saying he had tired of his life in Ohio and wanted a change. He was invited to come to KY to stay with us. We wasn't sure when or even if he'd come. So that day driving home sitting in the middle of the old chevy pickup truck was an exceptional day.

I could see someone sitting in our chair at the front door when we got close to the house. As we got closer, ladies let me tell you my teen heart did a huge throb for this man. When I got to smell him, honey I could have died a happy young lady then. He was the most exciting thing to happen in my life at that point. I knew I wanted to get to know him all over again.

I got that chance for a couple of years. He would date women. Say the name Aimee and I might spew some hateful words. These "ladies" were not worthy of him IMO. Aimee is synonymous with stupid bitch to me. Several women he dated cheated on him and broke his heart. Each time I was there to comfort him and tell him he is loved. Though he hadn't quite realized how much just then.

He went on to date another woman named Cory. Cory was a hippy chick with a couple girls from a previous marriage. Lance may look tough on the exterior, but give him kids and he's just a big ol' teddy bear. He loved those girls and wanted to marry Cory. She was also a Wiccan midwife. Within the year Lance dated Cory, he learned a lot about his own spirituality. He met people in the Pagan community and formed friendships. I'd eventually have to be grateful to Cory for opening up a world that I also belonged to. Though it rankles my hide a bit to admit it. Perhaps she sensed that I was in love with Lance. Or maybe it was truly her selfish reason she gave him, but Cory left Lance. She said she wasn't ready for a man and that she needed to leave KY because of her midwife practice. (Midwifery without being certified is illegal in KY) Whatever her reasons, it opened up a doorway.

That year I was almost 16, and Lance was 26. He was even more devastated than he had been with Aimee. There I was again, picking up the pieces of his heart. I had matured as well. I just ended a 1 yr relationship with my first boyfriend. Our romantic relationship started slowly. Just talking about private things. Then went on to giving sensual massages and eventually even more.

Some people will say, "But you were a minor how could he!". Yes, I was a minor. I was a minor who knew what she wanted and went after it. Believe me he didn't make it easy to get what I wanted. We kept our relationship a secret for a year until my mother (oblivious to the goings on in her household) finally found us out. I'm not going into how it was found out because that is rather too personal, but lets just say I had a warning from a little green praying mantis friend. Being Pagan, I should have taken the warning to heart. I didn't.

Early in our relationship. I was maybe 19 or 20 here.

So here I was, at 17, my mother freaking out and saying one minute she was sending me to Ohio to live with my grandparents and threatening to call the police. I sat her down, and explained to her if she did that she'd not only hurt Lance, but me as well. I'm grateful that I had a mother who actually listened and understood my feelings. So she put some ground rules in place. I wasn't suppose to be "alone" with him. (Yeah right that worked out great. haha). After that, life went on almost as normal. Except now I got to date him out in the open. Finally a real date! We went out every chance we got.

OK when someone says "Kiss" we just can't help but laugh.

On my 18th birthday we moved out of my mothers place. On my 19th birthday we got married. Its almost 15 yrs later and I still feel that heart throbbing feeling every time he's near.

Its been a great time of joy. He makes me laugh and not take life so seriously. Our personalities balance and ground each other. Honestly our relationship is like no other. We don't fight. We've never had a problem we couldn't face together. He's truly the second half of my soul and I'd be lost without him.

The hat on DH's head says "Jingle this". DD's says "Princess". 

Our Family 2011.