Happy Ostara/Easter

I'd just like to wish everyone a happy Ostara or Easter. Whatever you celebrate today I wish you the best! If you don't celebrate anything, well I just wish you a happy day!

Yesterday I took the kids to Yoctangee park in Chillicothe. Enjoy the pictures. :)

Ramblings of a Pagan house wife.

My thoughts are in a bit of a disorganized mess. But I'm going to attempt to put them down here. If this post doesn't make any sense to anyone else but myself, I apologize.

Homeschooling is going well, but I feel like we don't have enough time in our day. I want to add more things to our schedule such as sewing, crochet, and daily exercise. I've been put in charge of a K12 Virtual Academy group on Cafemom. I'm enjoying helping the group become more active. I do this while Sierra is doing her lessons and she is able to work alone btw.  I've thought about getting up earlier but I can't force myself to because I always end up staying up late at night with Wyatt.

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I've been thinking a lot about my maternal grandmother. I never really knew her. When I was about 4 or 5 she died. I think she had heart disease. Which makes me think of my own mother. I haven't seen her in two years. While I'm not the type to cling to my mother, I do miss her. I also miss my dog who lives with my mom.

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I've also had a lot of bad dreams lately. I started to make a dream catcher for myself but of course Sierra has to poke her nose in and want it. So I just gave up and gave it to her. We still have to finish it today as part of her art project.

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Yesterday I wanted to get out of the house so my kids and I went to Inanna's Spiritual Center. The topic of the day was about poverty, which wasn't terribly interesting to me since I've lived in poverty and don't particularly like to think about it.

After the service the temple owner wanted to brain storm on ways to advertise the center for free or low cost. My suggestion was to do trade shows and festivals. So we'll see if she does that. Hopefully she does.

She also mentioned that I should get away, and that she was planning another woman's retreat in a few months. I don't know about going because I honestly don't get along with a lot of women. I'm one of those women who make friends with men before I'll make friends with another woman. But she is right, I need time to just be me. Not mom, not wife, just ME!

What are you up to this weekend? 

Early Morning Thoughts

So here it is at 7:30 on a Saturday morning with no plans because we have no money to do anything. Doesn't that suck?! I know I've ignored my blog all week. Its not that I've forgotten or been busy. I just have felt a disconnect with the world this week. I think its because I haven't been visiting my Pagan friends, doing anything witchy, and I haven't even been crafty. I did bake a pie the other day which made me a little happy. I poured myself into cooking 4 homemade healthy meals this week. I went all out and everyone was happy with what I made. Friday was a hot dogs and leftovers day. What can I say, this heat makes me feel a bit lazy!

Dh's job is going well. He seems to be happy other than it not being a full time job. Who knows maybe once he has more experience they'll give him more hours. I hope so because MIL is driving me batty yet again. I won't go into details though since I don't wish for this post to be a rant.

Little man had a doctors appointment yesterday. His doctor must think I'm a complete idiot or something. I may be on public assistance, but that doesn't mean I'm inept or don't know how to raise a child. He actually asked me if I had baby proofed the house. Well duh! I do have a 10 yr old I managed to keep safe from sticking her fingers in light sockets. I think I got it covered doc.
Anyway, little man got two vaccines, weighed 24 lbs and 30 inches long. Honestly I thought he weighed more than that. He certainly feels like he weighs more than that!

DD joined a summer reading program, and I've been reading more myself. I think part of my problem is that I am not doing any hobby right now. Crochet is kind of a winter thing for me. It just gets too hot handling all that yarn in warm weather.

If your in the Chillicothe area check out Inanna's Spiritual Center. There are a lot of Pagan things going on so drop by or call and ask Lynn what's going on.

My Monday Thoughts

So over the weekend I began to write several blog posts but found halfway through the writing process I lost steam. Not sure what my problem is. Perhaps I was just too distracted or they were just topics I am not particularly inspired by. I'll go back to them eventually. Normally if that happens I just save them as is and read what I wrote sometime later. Usually I can finish, if not I very rarely delete it.

So there's a big hoopla in the blogging world about veiling. First, I'd like to say its not something I'd do myself. I don't work with Hestia which seems to be the common Goddess (Though certainly not the only Goddess) most veiled Pagans are honoring. But I guess its also pounded into my mind that those that veil are either Jewish or Islamic. It's just my first thought when I see a woman with a veil. I do get why they would feel more empowered though. I often wear a circlet with crystals during magickal works. While it's not exactly a veil, the weight of it on my head and hanging into my third eye brings me more power and focus.

But enough of that topic, on to my crafty adventures.

Though I was uninspired by my blog posts this past weekend, I did find the time to work on my fictional writing. Last October I put together a short story named Dragon Love for Samhain. This coming Samhain I'll be releasing the second part to the story. I know its early yet, but I'd like this second part to be a little bit more thought out. I'm just working on the outline so far, but I'm excited to see what my heroes and heroines are up to! I've got my work cut out for me. I think I'll be delving into the Dragon kins past a bit and exploring the origin of the stones used to make the amulets. It's guaranteed to be very witchy and filled with steamy romance.

Over the weekend I visited with Inanna's Spiritual Center. The center opened late last year so there is still a lot of growing to do, but I'm happy to report that the center has ordained it's first members. I was there for the happy event. Congrats to Rev. Darlene Barker and Rev. Kyle Shanks. I know both will do great works for the Chillicothe community.

Lynn, who owns and operates Inanna's has asked for some brainstorming ideas on how to get the world out and raise funds for the center. Unfortunately the storefront isn't doing well. We all know any business in its first year is a make or break year!

There's a lot of things on the docket that will help out. Pagan Pride Day may be hosted by Inanna's this year. But that isn't happening immediately. So I've suggested we do a psychic fair. Lynn loves the idea, and since it is my idea she's asked I help out. Problem is, I've never hosted an event!

I know Lynn is looking into advertising on the radio. She doesn't believe paper advertisement will be effective, though flyers will go around. And of course networking on Facebook.

Any other ideas? I'd love to hear them!

If your in the Ohio area, drop by 

Inanna's Spiritual Center located at 

34 E. Second Street

Chillicothe, Ohio 45601

My your week be blessed with Love & Light

The Good, Bad, and the Pagan Theives

Today I want to talk a little bit about the darker side of Pagan groups. Most people who seek out Pagan gatherings are good honest people who genuinely want to learn and participate in Pagan social events. My friend Lynn who owns Inanna's Spiritual Center is a hard working woman with a Pagan shop. She's also clergy so her store doubles as a temple.

Lately Lynn has been having some issues with theft. This disappoints me and every honest person who attends the center.  Years ago I attended Beltane with the Circle of the Blue Moon. My dear friend Linda is the owner and High Priestess of that group. When she partnered with another coven to do Beltane all was not a happy gathering. Part of the other group started to steal items, including medication stored in my truck that was for my husband. Being the hot blooded man he is, my husband made a speech and formed it as a spell. It's been years ago and nothing was written down, so I can't share the spells exact wording. But in essence it went something like this.

"If you are here for spiritual reasons, you are welcomed with open arms and you are my brother and sister. If you are here for other reasons, you are my enemy, LEAVE."

Most of the other coven left. Quite telling for that coven's dynamic.

So I am in essence going to do the same thing here.

If your intentions are spiritual and you come to Inanna's Spiritual Center to learn and grow as a person, welcome. You are my sister or brother. If you come to Inanna's Spiritual Center for negative reasons, you are my Enemy. Leave Now. If you feel you have made a mistake, we are not without forgiveness. Just bring the items back and apologize. If you attend Inanna's Spiritual Center with intent to take items or harm others, you will feel the urge to leave. You are our enemy and no longer welcome. 

To the thieves, I say this directly to you.

Lynn knows who the thieves are, though there is no hard evidence we can approach you with at this time. Should you be caught, you will be persecuted to the fullest of the law.

So Mote It Be

Finding My Balance

What does it mean to have Balance in our life? There are plenty of other blogs discussing why it is important to have balance in your life. If you don't understand I invite you to read Madame Molly's Balance post. But this isn't about why balance is important. It's about how it pertains to my life. Crafty Sandi recently did a reading for me and her message was about me finding my balance again. I didn't realized I'd lost my balance, but she's so right. I have!

Lance(DH) and I usually balance each other. He's normally the over the top happy (sometimes impulsive) guy who does everything to excess. He's also normally the leader. I'm more reserved, always thinking ahead, never impulsive and always must have a plan woman. I'm not a natural born leader, so I will give my input on important topics, but generally am willing to allow DH to have the final say. Put us together and we balanced each other out.

Now I find we are no longer in balance. My leader refuses to lead. He's no longer happy, nor impulsive or decisive. I know our move to Ohio was the right thing. I've always had a dream that I'd end up in Ohio and we'd be happier and more financially stable. Honestly I felt we could be "rich" in Ohio but not necessarily "in the millions rich." I felt we'd have a comfortable life and be happy.

Grasping that dream has been more elusive. I find that I must step into the leadership role. Yet it's not one that comes easy to me. Honestly, I'm afraid I will lead, and then make a bigger mess than we already have. I suppose that's the fear of any leader isn't it.

My biggest downfall is that I haven't followed my intuition. I've allowed my husband to stop me from doing that. I feel we are meant to live in or around Chillicothe. I know my DH is healthier when we join with other Pagans. We found a lovely Pagan group there. Yet both of us are naturally solitary creatures so it can be a challenge for us to integrate into a group.

I think to find our balance again, I need to step up. I've always said I don't let fear hold me back. Yet that's what I have done. Time to conquer my fears and step forward.

This article is in response to the Pagan Blog Project.

I selected this post to be featured on Ethics Blogs. Please visit the site and vote for my blog!

Update on Job Hunt

So today I did the job interview for the data entry temp. job. The woman seemed impressed with my work history. Overall I think it went well. I have to wait for a call back for a second interview after the company hiring reviews my resume'.

 But that's not really why I'm writing. Though I did want to tell my readers that I might have a job in the very near future, I wanted to tell about my journey to and from my interview.

I am horrible at following driving directions. Which is why owning a GPS is a godsend. However a GPS doesn't know that its sending you into a bad neighborhood, or as in today's case, a gravel road! I knew I'd be traveling country roads, and coming from Kentucky back roads are nothing to balk about. Though I refuse to drive them during winter storms. I'm use to up and down hills, one lane roads, shear drop offs, pot holes, and various animals crossing the road.

I saw all that today. It is beautiful country. But not once in my driving "career" have I saw a gravel road that wasn't just a long driveway - until today! It was a very beautiful country. I wish I had a camera with me to capture it. I'm going to have to get a little mini digital because lately I have saw many places I'd love to photograph but have no camera with me.

I went 5 miles on this gravel road which BTW I could not do over 15 mph because it was so rough. Well I could, but my husband wouldn't have been to happy with me ruining the front end of our car.

On the way back I asked for directions and found state route 35 toward Chillicothe to follow. It still led me to the back roads once I got close to our town. I didn't want to go all the way into Chillicothe or else I'd be backtracking to get home. But the exciting part on my return is that I saw a hawk swoop down into a corn field to catch prey. Hawks have a very powerful symbolic meaning.  They mean vision, intuition, power, energy, leadership, and focus. I think seeing the hawk is a sign that we are were we are on the right track. I really wanted to get a picture of him. He sat there on the ground next to the corn field till I drove past him. I thanked him for his message and drove on so I didn't disturb his hunting.

Have a wonderful Mabon!

To all my Pagan, Witchy, and Wiccan friends, have a wonderful Mabon! Last Saturday we celebrated Mabon with Lynn and the members of Innana's Spiritual Center. We had a lovely ceremony at the Yoctangee park in Chillicothe. Then we had a potluck dinner with good friends and camaraderie. I was going to take pictures of our Mabon tree for this post, but alas I was wrestling a 15 lb baby the whole day and forgot.

I've saw a lot of great posts about Mabon cooking lately. From Pumpkin pies to bread, it all sounds wonderful. I think I'm just going to stick with making sloppy joes for dinner and maybe I'll make muffins or a cake today. I know I could get a lot more elaborate, but I think I'll focus on my writing. :)

So again, Happy Mabon!



~Magickal Graphics~

For those who do not know what Mabon is, here are some informational links.

Earth Witchery - Mabon
Joelle Sacred Grove- Mabon

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How was your Weekend? Happy Monday!

Good Monday morning everyone. So how was your weekend? Mine went pretty well. Normally on Wednesdays I go to the women's group at Innana's Spiritual Center. They are lovely Pagan ladies and we chat about various topics. I skipped last weeks meeting because I wanted to save some gas so I could go to their Mabon harvest celebration on Saturday. I was going to get pictures of everyone and our harvest tree, but alas, I was busy with my 4 month old so it never crossed my mind. I must give a thumbs up for baby wearing in the circle! My daughter was a trooper though, she didn't feel like participating so she held Wyatt for a while so I could be in circle. But at the end she got tired and that's when I popped Wyatt into my Moby wrap and we were good to go.

If your in the Chillicothe Ohio area drop by Innanas for a visit. They have some exciting things happening there. There is a woman's retreat as well as some other things. I unfortunately won't be able to go to some of those. But I continue to go almost every Wednesday and some Saturdays just for some social interaction.

Sunday I wrote a bit more on the All Hallows Grim Blog Party. I have the outline almost complete and I have a couple of paragraphs written. So far I think its going to be more sexy than scary, but that's just my style.

Dh's mom made a fantastic Sunday dinner. She is an awesome cook. She made sweet rolls, homemade chicken noodles and mashed potatoes. Yummy!

Well I hope your coming week is fantastic! Happy Mabon everyone.

Prompt: Solitary Longing

Prompt: Solitary longing...

This week's prompt comes from reader suggestions, and I think it is something we should all think about....

If you are a Solitary, do you ever long for a mentor, coven or friend to learn with, learn from, or practice with? If so, what keeps you from seeking to join with others?

I am solitary but I do have mentors of a sort. First and foremost I have my very best friend in the whole wide world - my husband. He has taught me a lot not just about Wicca but magick in general. There are also others who have influenced me such as Linda Tipton who is the High Priestess of the Circle of the Blue Moon located in Louisville Kentucky. She also owns a pagan store called Moonstruck.  We would join her coven during sabbots from time to time. Or we would just hang out at her store for some Pagan fellowship.

Now that we have moved to Ohio we are looking for other pagans to join up with. I've found Innana's Spiritual Center. While its new, they do have an amazing womens group. The people coming for meetings is ever growing and we really enjoy getting together and chatting.

The reason I like to be solitary is because honestly I am anti-social. Both my husband and I have been hurt in our life by other people so we are not very trusting. We find socialization at a distance is better for us.