Thursday, December 31, 2009

Blue Moon and The New Year

Hi and Merry Meet,
Today is the end of 2009. It has been a big year for me personally. I started on my pagan path this year. I lost a job and then found two. I saw my little brother get engaged to the most wonderful women. My husband changed jobs and couldn't be happier. All in all, it has been a great year for us.

I've set up my altar for my ritual tonight. My Blue Moon ball is ready to go and all the items that I want to put in it. I will do my ritual before we go to a New Year's party tonight. I'm excited about my ritual and my Blue Moon ball!!

I wish all of you a happy and wonderful New Year and enjoy the Blue Moon!!!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Vacation Fun

Hi and Merry Meet,
It seems that every two years to the day I get summoned for jury duty. I have never actually been to the court house. I have to call in and my number has not come up yet. This time, I not only got a summons, but it is a three month grand jury summons! Today was my first day to call in. I'm off the hook for a little while. I don't have to do anything until they send me a letter (most likely next week) and then I start calling in.

So, after learning that I don't have to go to court tomorrow, I am going to visit my mom so we can get some skiing in!! It will be my first time out this year! My parents thought it was very important that my brother and I learned to ski at a young age. They had me out there when I was three. I can't tell you how glad I am that they did that, because if I had to learn now... well, most likely, I wouldn't go. My mom and I have some of the oldest equipment known to mankind. However, I think we make some of the hot shot kids with the newest and most expensive stuff look like they are rookies.

One of the other things that I have been up to learning to quilt. My husband bought me a quilting class lesson for my birthday. I had to choose three colors. A light, a dark and a medium color. I went with all blue tones. It made me think of the element of water. I decided that I wanted to make an element quilt. I got reds, green, and yellow tones for the other three squares. Measuring is really hard for me. It ties into my dyslexia with the sequence/ order of things. This quilt is a big challenge for me. So far, everything has come out the same. I worry that if I do something harder that is not measured in even inches, I'll drive myself crazy with it. Oh well, I cross that bridge when I come to it. I asked the Lord and Lady to help me stay claim and relaxed as I work on this project. Fun things should not cause stress. I'm really excited about how it looks so far. I have a bit more to do before the squares are done. Then, I have no idea how to put it together to make a real quilt!! :) I want to do this as I am thinking that if this works for me, I would like to make one for my brother and his fiancee for their wedding gift, however not an elemental one, but one that would represent their union and marriage.

Tomorrow night after skiing I'll start to prep my altar and scared space for my blue moon ritual.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Monday, December 28, 2009

End of 2009!

Hi and Merry Meet,
It has been a hectic past few weeks! I've been so busy with work and family that I haven't had time to blog much lately!

I hope everyone had a great Yule! I just did a very small ritual and enjoyed the day. My husband and I went home to celebrate the holidays with our families. It was nice to spend time with them and be able to enjoy their company. My mom and I did some major shopping after the holidays. I didn't buy too much, but it was being able to spend a whole day just the two of us that meant the most to me. I also got to see my brother and his fiancee!! I haven't seen them since September. It was nice to have them home even if I only got to see them for a few hours!

My husband and I are preparing to spend the New Year's together. Mrs. B had some great ideas about cleaning out for the new year! Check it out here. I am going crazy cleaning my house before Jan 1. I feel it is important to start the year with a clean house, even if that is the only day of the year it is clean for! ;)

I feel like there are big things coming in 2010. It is just a feeling I have, but I feel like big changes are coming.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Lake Effect Snow...

Hi and Merry Meet,

I live on the western side of New York. Anyone who lives out this way knows what lake effect snow is. Last week, we got pounded with snow. Tonight the lake is firing up again!



I love snow. It is so beautiful and peaceful. I would love to go out and sit and meditate in it, however, snow is not warm. It is cold here! I'm planing a nice walk to enjoy the almost silent world this weekend.



I am working like crazy to get all my holiday gifts done! I've been working on making all my gifts this year. I love handmade gifts. I know how much time and effort goes into making things. I'm knitting slippers and then felting them so that they are warm and solid. I made a pair for myself when we were camping and I have to say I love them! :)


I don't know that I can get all my holiday gifts done. Someone might get the gift bag full of yarn this year! I've threaten in the past, but this year looks like it might really happen!

Blessed be,

Autumn

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Past Week!

Hi and Merry Meet,
This past week was a little crazy. I am adjusting to my new job and balancing my home life with work life. Husband has been great! He's helped me with dinner and laundry. It's been amazing!

My last two Wicca classes have been canceled for now. We'll have the last two in January. I'm kind of glad that we are able to postpone them for a little. I have to study for the quiz that we are having the last class. One of the things that I have to do is fill out a blank altar set up. My altar here at home is so simple. The one that I have to fill out for class has a lot more stuff on it than I do. I have my stones for the Lord and Lady, incense, illumination candles, a chalice, and a bowl of salt. The one that is on the quiz has a few more things than that. I'm worried that I won't be able to remember all the things that are on the paper altar that I have to set up. I love my personal altar. Even though it is simple, it feels so right to me. I love simple.

One thing that we learned about last class was the Blue Moon balls. Our instructor gave us a blue ball that we can fill with a big wish to be completed by the next blue moon. We are supposed to fill it with things that we think will show us what our goal is. I've been thinking about it a lot. One thing that we have talked about is finish our bathroom renovations... we started it four years ago! Or the other thing is that we finish it and find our forever house. This house was supposed to be our starter house. Our plan was to be here for 5-7 years and then move out... next September is 7 years. On the next blue moon we smash the ball to look back on our goal and see if it was accomplished. I love this idea! I'm excited to think about what I can fill my ball with to meet my goal. Of course, I have to pick a goal yet!

Anyway, I hope that everyone has had a great weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Oh Boy!!!

Hi and Merry Meet,
Tomorrow is my birthday. Tomorrow starts my new job. Tomorrow is also my second job right after school. Tomorrow will be a very busy day!

This weekend has been great. Last night my husband's company had their annual Holiday Ball. I love to go to this! It is a black tie affair, and some people have no idea what that means! One of Husband's coworkers and his wife are good friends of ours. We get together for dinners and poker nights a lot. The boys go off to talk to other coworkers that they know while we girls find prime seats and people watch. This is our favorite thing. We rate the dresses, the dancing, and the food. Since Husband's company is in the food business, it is always prime food. The desserts are by far what everyone comes for.

One thing that I love about this company is that they are very family oriented. They have a lot of picnics in the summer and all kinds of family days thought out the year. The Ball however, is definitely for adults only. There is a lot of alcohol going around. If you were at your company's fancy Holiday event, would you get three sheets to the wind and then dance with anything that went by? Most people seem to have common sense... at this ball, not so much.

Husband's co worker's wife, R is fun to get together with at this ball. We have the same sense of humor. One of these years we are going to bring a video camera and capture all the insanity that happens. The boys claim they have never met us when we get giggling. Last year women seemed to think that wearing a prom dress when they have been out of high school for eons was a good idea. Hummm.... no. This year, we had dresses that were too short and too low. Ah, the year of the slut dress. R and I had on similar dresses. Knee length, not too low, and shawl for me, cardigan for her. Compared to most, we were rather prudish. Fun for all!

If I wasn't a teacher, I'd love to be in the fashion world. You can get away with anything and claim it is art. Amazing!

Today, I am off to my Wicca class. I have to present about my broom today. Should be a fun class!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Driving Troubles

Hi and Merry Meet,
My last week of lounging around in my pj's until 1 or 2 in the afternoon is quickly coming to an end! I went to my new school yesterday just to get an idea about where I'm going.

When it comes to going new places by myself, in the car, I have some high anxiety! I will do a "test" drive if I have the time. I need to know how to get there, how long it will take me. and where can I park once I'm there. I'm not sure why I get like this, but I have lost it when I have to get somewhere and I'm not 100% sure where I'm going. Rush hour is a nightmare for me. Traffic and driving in new cities alone is scary. I totally panic about this. I'm fine if someone else is with me, even if they can't understand English and have no idea where we are going (yes, this happens a lot in my life!). If Husband drives or is in the car, then my only anxiety is about being on time. I'm really time anal. I'm either a half an hour early, or I won't go at all! I can't be late to places. I can't imagine walking in someplace late. It totally horrifies me. It is something I've been working on. All of my friends are ALWAYS late to everything. My best bud has always showed up at least 30 minutes after the time we were supposed to meet. Drives me crazy, but maybe that's just want I need to learn to let go of my time control issues.

So, anyway, now you know about my driving neurosis! I'm going to be fine by Monday and my new job! I'm so nervous, but super excited! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

FIRST SNOW!!!!!!

Hi and Merry Meet,
The first 'real' snow happened last night! It kind of tried to snow yesterday, but it didn't stick on the ground, so it was not the 'real' first snow! I love snow. I love cold. I love to run when it is insanely cold. I love that I live in an area where I get cold and snow for many months of the year!!! My husband is not as happy about the snow as I am. Maybe, because I'm a skier and he's not?

Anyway, I'm enjoying the clear blue sky and the snow sparkling on the ground as the sun tries to melt it away. Not too much longer and we will have more snow then we can handle here! :) I might try to get down to the beach today because there is nothing like snowy sand and cold water to welcome the month of December!

Enjoy the first day of December!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Monday, November 30, 2009

Home Again!

Hi and Merry Meet,
I'm back home! We had a great time with family for Thanksgiving. My uncle and I ran in this year's Turkey Trot. That meant that I didn't have to help prep the turkey. I did help with everything else once I got home and had a shower.

I love being able to spend some time at home and relax with my family. For Thanksgiving, my mom hosts both my family and my in-laws. My husband and I are from the same hometown (we were high school sweeties). For Christmas, my in-laws host their family and my family. It makes it easy on us so that we don't have to eat two dinners! My mom and I spend some time just hanging out and it was great!

I drove home yesterday so that I could go to my Wicca 1 class. We are half way though now and I love my class! I have learned a lot and I feel like I have sooooooooo much more to learn! I don't think I'll ever know everything!

I hope that everyone had a good weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi and Merry Meet,
I'm driving to my hometown today for a family filled Thanksgiving! My husband will drive in tomorrow since he has to work tonight. Also, I'm running a Turkey Trot tomorrow morning, and he's not sure that he can get out of work and get me to my race on time!

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Busy Busy

Hi and Merry Meet,
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. This week I got some wonderful news... I got a full time job! I am so excited about it. I will start on my birthday. That is the best gift ever!!!!

Tomorrow is my next Wicca class. I'm a little behind on my homework this week. It's due tomorrow and I haven't started it yet. I'll do it after this post so that I'm ready for class. My tarot class finished up this week. I'm sad that that class is over. I loved working with those women. Our instructor said that she would like to offer another session in the spring.

Husband took me out to dinner tonight to celebrate that I got a job! It was so nice to go out and not have to worry about dishes!! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Classes

Hi and Merry Meet,
I had my second Wicca 1 class today. I am the only original member. My classmates dropped out for various reasons. I do have a new classmate who is really cool. I'm excited about getting to know her. I think that she will stay in class.

This weeks assignment is to look at one pantheon in depth. This week, I got my first choice. My classmate and I are interested in different pantheons, so it works out really well! My choice was the Celtic pantheon and hers was Greek.

I gave my presentation on Reclaiming tradition today. It went well and now my classmate also has to give hers next week. I'm excited to hear about Scared Wheel tradition.

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Crazy!

Hi and Merry Meet,
This week has flown by for me! I had my tarot class Wednesday night and I have a homework assignment from that too! I'm almost ready with my assignment for my Wicca class tomorrow afternoon.

I love my grandmother. She is crazy. She is 83, active and feisty. She volunteers at a local hospital. Not the hospital on her retirement campus, but the large ER local one. Nana is very special. She swears like a sailor, knows her Jack Daniels, and loves to play cards. I think she is amazing and I hope that I have that much love of life when I am her age.

I asked her once why she can't work at the hospital that is walking distance from her apartment. Her answer: "The people there are old! They just shuffle along. I did it for five minutes and I started to feel old." OK, so she drives herself (yes, she drives) to the big ER to work two days a week. She loves it! Nana always loves to tell the bloody, or gross, or weird stories. What I love about it is that since she works there, she gets free flu shots! This is a good thing for her.

When she found out that the hospital had H1N1 vaccines, she decided she had to have one. Once her mind is made up, it is a done deal. So, off she went to find a vaccines. The hospital staff told her they were only giving them out to pregnant women. Nana, being Nana, told them that she was pregnant.

After a good hearty laugh they gave it to her.

I swear, when I'm that age I wonder what I'll come up with to get my way?
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

My Photo Tarot Deck

Hi and Merry Meet,
I had to get out of the house today. It was warm, sunny, and just the perfect day for a walk! My neighborhood is more on the urban side, so talking a nice nature walk is not something I can just set out of my door and do. I drove over to one of the larger cemeteries in the city.

I love walking here. It is quite, peaceful, and there are lots of trees! The cemetery itself is very old. It is a Catholic cemetery so there are lots of angels and huge statues of crosses. I took my camera with me today. Here is one of the paths that I walked down:A tree in full fall foliage:This tree had amazing energy! It just radiated happiness!
As I was strolling along I got the idea that I could find images that remind me of the major arcana from the tarot deck. I found quite a few! Here's what I found:
The fool:The Magician:The High Priestess:The Empress:The Emperor:The Hierophant:The Lovers:
The Chariot:Strength:The Hermit:Wheel Of Fortune:Justice:The Hanging Man: Death:Temperance:
The Devil: The Tower: The Star:The Moon:The Sun:Judgement:
The World:I have to say, I'm pretty happy with how this came out. It was so spur of the moment and just felt like the prefect project for me today. I feel so much more relaxed and happy now that I've taken my walk and reconnected with nature.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Wicca Class

Hi and Merry Meet,
I've had a great weekend so far! Our jewelry show was the best we've had so far. It was huge and there were so many vendors. I was happy with how we did. Most of the booths were selling Christmas stuff. It was so mammoth that if people told you that they would come back later they wouldn't be able to find that vendor again!

We were able to come back early so I could attend the Wicca 1 class. I was so excited to go and meet other people who are learning about this path!! There are three of us learning. I'm excited to get to know my classmates over the next seven weeks. Today was just a get to know you and see what you know about Wicca, Witchcraft, Pagans, and Witches. It was cool to go over our definitions with the instructor. I think that helped her see what our ideas where and what ideas we already have about these words. I was even given homework!

One of my classmates did not know what a tradition is yet. So, since we both wanted Celtic tradition, I was asked to be flexible and learn about something new. I'm happy with that. My instructor asked me to find out about Reclaiming Tradition. Before today, I had never heard of this. See, I'm already learning new things!!

I have to do a short presentation about it next week. My plan is to look it up tonight and then over the week craft my answer to one question each day. I need to find out where it start? Who started it? When it started? Why and how? I also have to find out if they have a pantheon associated with them. I think this is cool because then I can learn about Reclaiming, but I can also learn about two more. One is doing Norse and the other is doing the Celts.

Each week I will have to give a presentation. I'm ok with public speaking, so it should be alright. Besides, it's only three other people listening! :)

Hope you all had a great weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Tarot Class and Other Stuff

Hi and Merry Meet,
The past few days have been kind of crazy here! Yesterday, I woke up to find that someone had rammed their car into the fire hydrant outside my house during the night. I heard it happen, but just thought someone had hit a semi, or a bus... not the hydrant!! It shook my house and all the water pipes reverberated for a minute after. Seriously, I had no idea what really happened! So, when I got up this is what I saw:Yup, that's the hydrant lying on it's side knocked completely off the water pipe. Crazy... I want to know what their car looked like after that! Husband called the city and today they are replacing it.

Last night was my intermediate tarot class!!! I'm so happy that it is back in session. I really missed it. I'm the only one from the original class, but that's cool because the new women in my class are just as amazing! Our instructor encourages us to pick a card and see if we can find that energy in our daily life somewhere. Today my card is The Moon. For the next three weeks I'll pick a daily card and take notes at the end of the day to see where this energy has manifested. She has us do it last go around of classes, but I wasn't so serious about it. I admit, I didn't think it was cool. However, I've been working with one card at a time in meditations and now I'm finding that I do enjoy looking for that energy. It has also helped me connect with my decks more than I thought I could. I'm also trying to rotate though my decks so I'm not dependent on the one that I use for readings with others.

The last time we had classes, our instructor used different decks and asked us to read with them. I found this very difficult as I was stuck on the pictures from my one deck. I've been working with three different decks now so that I can look at them and feel what they mean instead of memorizing what I was taught. This is hard for me! I'm putting in effort and slowly I feel like my effort is paying off. Last night my partner for reading practice used a deck I have never seen. I was able to do a reading and I was pretty accurate with it. It was a cool feeling!

We also learned a few new spreads. This one that I did today is for seeing how to overcome an obstacle:You spread it out in a crossroads patten to see what you direction you want to take. From there, you build the path that you are on. Then you have a mountain and the cards tell you how to approach the problem. I really liked this one. I usually do a very simple daily spread to just get a feel for my day. This one was cool for long range planing.

In addition to the intermediate tarot class, I found out that they are offering a Wicca I course for the next 7 Sundays. I really want to go to a.) learn and b.) meet other people in my area! I think it would be good for me to go. I don't know if I can make the first one as I have a jewelry show this Saturday in another town. I'm not sure if we'll be back in time for me to attend the class. The shop owner told me that if I have to miss the first one, it's ok. I'm going to try to make it back for class! I am so excited to meet and talk with others who are just starting out on this path! :)

Hope everyone has a great day!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Sleepy Card- 4 of Swords

Hi and Merry Meet,
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Samhain!! Mine was amazing! I had such a great day and a very special evening. I just did a very small ritual but it seemed like that was all I needed for that night. I love when you are doing something and you just know that it is the right thing. That's how I felt.

Yesterday was a bit rough, so before bed I pulled the 4 of swords card. I like to think of it as my sleepy card. I find that nights were I feel like I will toss and turn to review the whole days events are the nights that I use this card the most. I just place it under my pillow, ask the Lord and Lady to bless my sleep/dreams, and I find that I can drift off no matter what is gnawing at my conscience. I learned this trick from a women in one of my tarot classes. She said that she didn't want to become dependent on sleeping aids, so she was looking for alternative ways to fall asleep. She came to this conclusion to use the 4 of swords after a meditation on her cards. She asked that all of us in the class try and sleep with this card under our pillows to see what we found. We all had a similar reaction... full night of peaceful sleep. It's kind of funny since before that class I never felt a strong connection to this card. Now, I see it in a new way. I'm glad that she shared this with us as I found it opened my eyes to how I can look at the cards in different ways. I only use it however, when I'm really fretting about something big and yesterday I felt I bombed an interview... so, needless to say I didn't want to toss and turn and think about what I should have said!
My 4 of swords card from my "Divine Tarot" deck.
Do you use your tarot decks in other ways besides just reading the cards?
Blessed be,
Autumn

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Samhain!

Hi and Merry Meet,
I woke up this morning to rain and windy pounding down on us... not the best conditions to run a race in, but I felt that this was also a gift of the four elements coming together in harmony to start my Samhain. The earth was my race course, the wind was the air, rain-my friend water, and the fire was me! It was a very special (wet and a little chilly too! :) start to my day.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful day and that it is everything (and more) than you ever thought it could be! I know it has been for me! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Monday, October 26, 2009

Samhain

Hi and Merry Meet,
As I said yesterday this is my first Samhain. I am very excited about this turn of the wheel because I love the idea of welcome home the spirits of loved ones that have passed on. In Japan, I celebrated O-ban with friends and for them it has a similar meaning. In Japan, they also feel that the veil between the spirit world and our earthly one is also thin on this night... they just celebrate it in August.


In Japan, families go out and tidy up graves and prepare feast of foods that spirit loved ones liked. The light fireworks to help them find their way home for the night. So, I want to spend part of the day tidying up my yard as the graves of my loved ones are not close to where I live now. I think that by just raking up the leaves and making my home look presentable I can achieve the same goal. As long I focus on my loved ones while I'm doing this, I think they will feel the love even if I can't go to where their earthly bodies were laid to rest.


I do plan on making chocolate chip cookies from scratch as they were my grandfather's favorite and I really want his spirit to find his way to my house for a short visit. I'll also put out a bowl of water for my dog that crossed over a long time ago. I feel it is important they they know I remember them. I know that they are happy as they send me messages a lot, but I want them to see my message to them.


As for my feelings on the God and Goddess myth for this holiday I feel that this is a celebration of life and love. I'm celebrating the the God is going into the Earth to rule the shadowy side of life. While, the Goddess is morning her loss, she is still ruling over the living. Grief is just as much as part of life as joy. I don't feel that the God dies, just takes on his next form as ruler of the underworld. For me, it is like the Goddess appearing in her three different forms. I think the God is like that as well. He is born as a child, he is a man, and then in his wise old years he rules the underworld.

I've been using my meditation times to also think about what my spiritual resolutions are. The main one that I want to focus on is working on centering myself in times of stress and connecting with the Divine anytime I feel my emotions getting out of hand. I think that by working on that I will learn to be calm and relaxed even under fire. It is something that I want to change about myself. I have a tendency to get worked up and run myself into the ground worrying and stressing about the wrong things. If I can learn to relax, center, and ground myself I think my emotions will come into the balance that I am striving for.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Samhain!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Time Off

Hi and Merry Meet,
I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long! I needed some time away from my computer. I felt like I was just taking up too much time sitting here playing on it and not plugging into my real life. So, I've taken time to reconnect with real life and get my computer use back into balance.

Some of things that I've been working on in my mini-time out were reading up on astrology. I've always been interested in my horoscope but never really got into depth with it. I bought a great beginner book on and started to read about it. I found a website that would make up my natal chart so that I could really look into it. I'm fascinated by it! I've also started looking into palm reading. My husband has even taken an interest in this. I keep asking to see his hands so I have something to compare to besides my own. I've been explaining what I'm looking at and now he keeps looking at his hands and has asked to look at mine so we can compare our thoughts. It's kind of cool that he is interested in something that I'm learning.

Since I've stepped away from the computer I feel like my daily meditations are taking the extra time that I have in my day without the computer filling my time. I'm happy with that! I enjoy it and it is very relaxing to me. I'm working on tarot meditations. I pick a card randomly from the deck and then focus on that cards energy. I find that it is helping my with my readings and it is strengthening my relationship with individual cards. I've been using my Mystic Farey deck for this work. I am in love with the art on the cards and the colors of the cards. I have had a hard time reading these cards for others, but for myself I find it is no problem. I use this deck in my rituals since it seems partial to workings and not public readings.

Another thing that I've been working on is my definition and feelings about Samhain. Since this is my first Samhain I have a lot of thoughts about, but they are not very organized yet. I want to explore more about this in another post. I also want to look back at my thoughts on elements in my life.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Out My Window Wednesday!

Hi and Merry Meet,
I got up this morning and was sitting here looking at a rainy day... then suddenly the sun peeked out behind a cloud. The light filtered though my front tree to give me this shot (I apologize for my very dirty windows!):I think that's all of the sun I'm going to see today... looks like a nice long rainy day! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Elements In My Life

Hi and Merry Meet,
I've been thinking about how I use the elements in my daily life. Some of them I find I incorporate without thinking about and then others I've had to think about.

Earth- I love to talk to my house plants now that the weather has gotten colder and I'm not out in my garden as much. This is something I do almost every day. I try to get outside no matter what the weather for a few minutes a day to connect with Mother Earth. Even if I only stand outside on my front porch, I feel connected to the land around me. There is something very satisfying about enjoying the world around me.

Air- This one is harder for me to think about how I use this element in my daily life. I sometimes burn incense when I want to relax, but not daily as it sets off my husband's allergies. :( I control my breathing in my meditations and when I'm stressed out I used yoga breaths to relax me. I need to work more on bringing air into my daily life. I'm not sure how to do that yet, but I'm sure I can think of something.

Fire- I talk to my stove when I cook and thank the fire that heats my food. (Yes, I talk to a lot of things in my house!) I also love burning candles as part of my meditation circles. I find that the flame helps me focus my thoughts and prepare to meditate. It also heats my house and I am so appreciative for it's warmth. Winters here can get mighty cold!

Water- After a run, I thank the water that washes off all the sweat! I don't have a dishwasher, so I hand wash all my dishes. This gives me an appreciation for the water that I use. I don't live to far from a fresh water lake. I drive by it everyday and I love to watch the waves roll or the lake laying flat. Watching it is so hypnotizing to me. I could watch bodies of water all day! There is something very special about it.

I've only starting giving thought to this and I think I have more to go. This is only scratching the surface of this topic! Any thoughts?
Blessed be,
Autumn

Monday, October 12, 2009

Happiness Is....

Hi and Merry Meet,
Well, after having some nice weather, I woke up to frost and a very cold day. We've had frost a few times, but now it looks like it could snow! My friends in Japan had snow already, and I think we are not too far behind. That's ok... snow = skiing!!! I love winter, but this time of year is my favorite. Cool/cold days and beautiful leaves. There is something very special about this time of year.

Yesterday my family came to visit us. That meant before they came putting away anything that would tip them off to my religion. I feel sad that I'm hiding it from them, however, I'm not too sure that they would understand. I've post about what I think their reactions would be. I'm not ready for a blow out with my dad. Or my mom crying and sicing all the church ladies on me. Not so much.
However, they did like the shirt I got... they think it is only for Halloween!! Here it is:I thought it was so funny and cute. My husband just laughed. I didn't wear it yesterday, but I did show them. My dad thought it was silly, mom just laughed and asked if I would wear it to work. The answer to that is no. I will however, wear it any place else! :)

Today there is no work, so I can use the day to catch up on things that I let go this past week in my madness with interviewing! I found out that I was the first one to go and that they have two more people to do. I hope that we all have the same observation group! It was a big challenge, but I have a feeling they did that to see how we would react and how we would handle it if it was our job. I'm happy that I don't have to stress over the weekend about it! :)

After I catch up, I want to sit outside for today's meditation. I think it might be one of the last days that I can do it outside with out freezing too badly!

Enjoy the extra day if you have off!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Friday, October 9, 2009

Interviewing and Haircut

Hi and Merry Meet,
I made it though my interview this morning. It was a large group to interview with (23 people!!!!), but I did the best that I could. I was surprisingly relaxed even though I was in the hot seat. I'm please and feel relieved. I even said a little charm that I found in book to relax before an interview.

I also got my hair cut and dyed today after my interview... so nice to get pampered after being stressed out! Here's my new look... a bit emo, but I'm happy with it:I also got a scrying bowl that I have yet to take a pict of! I saw it months ago... it has the three different faces of the goddess on it. I fell in love with it, but wanted to wait until there was a special reason to get it. As luck would have it, it was still there. I think it was meant for me! I can't wait to clean and consecrate it!!!

Tonight, I'm sitting back and relaxing! I think I earned it after interview this morning!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Too Much To Do!!!!

Hi and Merry Meet,
It seems like everything that can happen today has! I've laughed, cried, and almost pulled my hair out. I'm in a calm spot right now... Overall, it has been a good day despite all the craziness!

Turns out I missed an appointment that I planned a few weeks ago... they called me to ask where I was this morning. Oops. I forgot to write it in my planner, so without it being written down I had no idea what they were even talking about! I was so embarrassed. I am very anal about time and being on time. I would rather be an hour early to something than be two minutes late. Drives my husband crazy!

After that hoopla, I got called for the second round of interviews with a job that I really want. The interview is tomorrow and I have to do a demo for them. Oh panic! I have a lot of work to do today! At this point in time I am almost set. I have a plan and some of it put together. I have a few more things to do, but by tomorrow morning, I WILL be ready! :)

I also got a call from my brother who has successfully move to New York City. He is so far away now, but he sounds so happy. I'm really glad from him and my future sister-in-law! My brother is not a big talker on the phone, but today he had lots to say about their move and their place. They were able to get all their stuff in one u-hal, even the dog fit in the cab with them! I can't stay with them because I have allergies to her, but my mom and I are planning a trip to see them and the holiday lights in the big city!! I'm really excited about that trip!

I did take a walk outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. The leaves are just amazing! The weather was warm with a light warm breeze. I needed that time to just enjoy nature and get my thoughts together. Tomorrow will be a busy day for me with this interview, but after I plan on getting my hair cut and colored. I need a change!

Tonight I plan to finish getting all my stuff together for the interview, meditate, and go to bed early!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Out My Window Wednesday!

Hi and Merry Meet,
Today I was busy this morning, so I just took the picture out my window. It's a bit cold and rainy here today. I love the one cloud hovering in today's Wednesday Window shot.Blessed be,
Autumn

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Welcome October and Dreams!!!

Hi and Merry Meet,
It is official October now! I can start to get my house decorated for Halloween! Yeah!!! I love to decorate, but I'm a bit lazy when it comes to taking it down... my nutcrackers from last winter were up until July. I'm just not that concerned with taking stuff down. Well, then again, I do have to get a ladder out to get the stuff put up and down. I'm lazy about hauling that ladder in here from the garage.

The month has started off a bit chilly! I love chilly days! It was also a bit rainy this a.m. but that's ok by me. My favorite weather is the chilly weather because it's perfect for running!!! After a month off, I am back to it. I was very disappointed to not run the half, but shin splints forced me to stop. I'm not about to hurt myself for a run healthy hobby.

Yesterday I started a dream journal. I've always had very vivid dreams. When I was a kid I just to have dreams that where so vivid I thought they were real. Turns out they were. I was dreaming about world events that hadn't happened yet. I dreamed about earthquakes in India, a tsunami in Asia, and hurricanes in the States. I never shared them because I thought that they were just dreams. The events from the dreams came to pass years later. I don't have those dreams anymore. I do still have very intense colors, sounds, and feels in my dreams. I've also always remembered my dreams for days, weeks, months after dreaming them. I think that my dreams are what pulled me to the goddess Epona. Yes, nightmares are associated with her, but I feel that dreams are the other side of them. I feel very strongly about her energy and that is part of why I chose her as my patron goddess.

So my journal is a place that I wanted to start recording all my dreams. I've gone back a few weeks and wrote down the dreams that I had and drew pictures to help bring them into focus better. I'm not a great artist, but just the act of sketching them out is very relaxing to me. Though this process I'm starting to look closer at the things that I'm seeing and the messages that are being sent in them. Looking back on the dreams has also helped me to see patterns in them. I'm very excited about the start of this new journal. I think it is good for me to keep track of all the dreaming and the images that I'm seeing while I'm a sleep.

Do you keep dream journals or just journals of any kind?
Blessed be,
Autumn

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Mad Rabbit!

Hi and Merry Meet,
I know I just posted the Window Wednesday. I had to do that first before I forgot. I just got home from the vet with Chanel who somehow cut herself, so she is now on antibiotics. Oh, my crazy rabbits. If it's not one thing with them, it's another! Here she is in all her glory shooting daggers at me for dragging her to the vet:Gotta love her!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Out My Window Wednesday

Hi and Merry Meet,
I wanted to start a new weekly posting. I tried to think of something that I do that would be cool to post every week. I look out my kitchen window.... and I take picts of the weather! So, from that was born the idea for Out My Window Wednesday! Here is today's shot:
A little dark and cool this morning... the sun wasn't totally up yet.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Back To It!

Hi and Merry Meet,
My Japanese guest left very early yesterday morning. I was so sad to see her go, but I have a sneaking suspicion that she will come back to visit us someday! She wanted to find a guide book on our area, but there isn't one in Japanese because we are too small for it. One NYC and LA get a guide book. I told her that she should write one and that would mean coming back to finish her book! :) I know we will go to visit her again in the future.

The week was packed with fun and adventures. Even my husband took off so we could all enjoy the days together. Even the two nights that he had to work, he stayed awake in the daytime so we could go out as a group. He came home from work yesterday morning and he is still in bed now... I think he was more than bushed!!

Anyway, it's now back to real life. I spent the morning putting my dried rosemary into a container so that it is ready to use. My hands smell like it and it smells so good!!! I love it! I need to harvest my Thyme yet too. It is on my list of things to do today. Tonight Husband and I are off to a party with some former coworkers. I'm thinking that tomorrow I might start to haul all my Halloween stuff out of the basement and start setting it up... I have big plans for decorating this year, so I think I want to start early!

Hope everyone is having a relaxing and restful weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Photos From This Week

Hi and Merry Meet,
Here are a few photos from my Japanese friend's trip to the states!
Niagara Falls with rainbow (on Mabon):The old hydro plant on the Canadian side. I just really like old bulidings that are no longer used for picts!:
Apple picking sign, let me know that I should only pick the red apples.... I thought this was really funny!: Yellow raspberries! I'd never seen them before... so sweet:Today we are off to a winery for some wine tasting and lunch. It has been a great week and soon I'll be back to regular updates! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Happy Mabon and Out of Town!

Hi and Merry Meet,
I hope that everyone had a happy Mabon! I wasn't able to celebrate like I had hoped because my guest from Japan has arrived! I'm so happy to see her.

We did go to Niagara Falls on Mabon, so I said a little prayer while we were there seeing the raw power of the Falls. No matter how many times I see it, it still amazes me! I did take a bunch of pictures and I hope to get them up loaded soon. There are some great shots of a full rainbow over the Falls. My hometown is very close to the Falls, so I've been there a bunch, however, yesterday was the first time I've ever seen a full rainbow like that. It was really spectacular.

Tomorrow I want to take my guest to go apple picking. She has never been and then we plan to make apple pie. What's more American than that??? She loves to cook, so making pie together will be really special.

I will be back to more regular posting after Friday when she returns to Japan. :( I'm glad that she is here!! She has been trying to use the English that she knows (not too much) with my husband and family. However, my brain is very tired right now... translating takes a lot out of a person! :) Hope you all had a great Mabon!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Of Storms and Runes

Hi and Merry Meet,
This morning when I got up it looked stormy and dark. The sky was so dark and then a ray of sunshine fell across the trees. It was so beautiful. I tried to capture it in this photo, but I couldn't get all the beauty and grace that was the real thing:I was feeling very inspired and so I made my own set of runes today! My cousin and I had collected stones from the beach over the summer. I'm not sure what I was waiting for, but today seemed liked a great day to sit and make them. I'm pretty happy with them. I have a lot to learn about them, and I'm looking forward to it. Here they are:
I only have a few days of cleaning left before our international guest arrives! I am so excited!!!!
Hope you have a great day!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Almost Done!

Hi and Merry Meet,
A few weeks ago I started to sand my the table that I was using as my altar. I showed a pict of what it looked like at the time. Today I did the final sanding and I was able to stain it! YAY! Husband helped me pick out stain and pre-stain last night. I picked a stain called Island Waters. I had a hard time picking between the blue and a green one. In the end, the blue stain won out. Turns out, I can't be trusted with stain... it was worse than paint!

Here it is before the pre-staining:
Here it is after the stain:
I still have to put a coat of poly on it to protect it, but after that, I can have my altar back! I'm so proud of it and happy with all the work I've put into it. It has made it a really personal journey to put time and love into making it so special to me.

I also had some time today to go out and harvest my rosemary. This is my first time to garden with herbs. I hung them from my kitchen light to dry out. Husband took one look and laughed at our new decorations:Blessed be,
Autumn

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Pagan Pride Day

Hi and Merry Meet,
Today I went to Rochester to go to the Pagan Pride Festival there. It was drizzling a bit this morning, but I really want to go and meet other pagans that are not too far from me.

I got to talk to a lot of interesting people, got hugged a lot, and got lots of information about different groups around this area. They had different kinds of altars set up so I could see different ways. There were a bunch of workshops, but I didn't go to any. I just wanted to check it all out, however I had to get back home to help Husband with house work. Only one more week until our visitor comes!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Nature Is Awesome

Hi and Merry Meet,
We have been very busy here in clean up mode. My manager from Japan is coming soon!!! We have been trying to get everything in order so her stay is wonderful. Husband and I have been trying to finish up painting, and clean up the room she will stay in. I've stated a pile of stuff that can go on ebay and in a future garage sale. That is something that needed to be done a long time ago!!! I'm feeling great that we are not only bettering our house, but getting rid of unneeded stuff!

Tonight I was greeted by this when I looked out my kitchen window:Nature is so awesome and it was so nice to be reminded is such a beautiful way.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Friday, September 4, 2009

The Books Are Here!

Hi and Merry Meet,
A few days ago I ordered some new books from half.com. I have ordered books from there before and I've never had a problem until this order.

I received one package of books yesterday. I got Buckland' Complete Book of Witchcraft, Tarot Spells, and then one that I didn't order but got was Blood Orange. Hummm, that doesn't look like The Truth About Witchcraft Today. So, I sent the company a nice note letting them know that there was a small mix-up with my order. I haven't heard from them yet, but I'm sure all will get worked out in the end. :)

Tarot Spells is one that the girls in my tarot class talked about a bit. I thought I would get it and see what all the fuss was over since the next class session is in November. I love used books. This one is very used and very well read.... however, there is a funky energy about it. I found the name of one of the past owners as well as some of the spells that he wanted to try out. I think I need to clean off the old energy and start fresh with this one. Here is the old school cover of it:I glanced though the Buckland book this morning. The one thing that I love about all the different witchcraft books is the different points of view! I love that!! Each author's voice is very distinct and clear. I'm looking forward to really diving into this one to see how he approaches the Craft.

Hope you enjoy the long weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Monday, August 31, 2009

Random Thoughts Day

Hi and Merry Meet,
Today my cousin came over to help me prime the hallways for my international visitor coming in 21 days! Four hours later, we had two hallways primed! We did kind of run out of paint....we used every drop to finish, but I think I need to redo the final part that we ended at. It didn't come out so good at the end! That's ok. I do need to figure out how to get all the paint off my hands for tomorrow's interview. I hope to get them actually painted later this week. My cousin promised that she would help me. Husband has banned me from painting when he helps me. I am a walking tornado when there is paint out. Just have an open paint can in the house and I can get paint on me without ever setting foot near it. It is an amazing feat! Husband can't understand how paint is so attracted to me. Lucky me!

I ordered new witchy books last night! I love half.com! I made a wish list about a week ago and I picked out a few that I could get cheap. I finished reading To Stir today, but I haven't finished working though all the working minutes in it. I do like her ideas on meditations. I find meditations to be so fun and relaxing! I love how they make me feel and how loved I feel when Ive finished one.

Hope you are having a great Monday! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Sunday, August 30, 2009

New Toy!

Hi and Merry Meet,
After shattering a candle holder earlier today I realized that for some work I might want to look into getting a cauldron or other true fire proof pot. Husband and I had a bunch of things to do today and we did make a stop at one of the witchy stores in town. It was his first time to go there with me. I was really excited to have him go and support me. He found this cute little cauldron for me:
I love it and now I don't worry about exploding glass everywhere! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Meditations + Rabbits

Hi and Merry Meet,
I got up nice and early today to go for a run only to find it is raining out. Perfect weather to sit on my front patio and sand my altar legs! My hands are really sore, but the effort is so worth it. I am really pleased with the progress I've made on that project!

Anyway, today's topic is meditations and my rabbits. I've noticed a trend that two of my rabbits have been showing up in my meditations. In my sacred space meditation my rex rabbit Chanel showed up when she was sick. She isn't in them anymore and is now healthy and happy. I was surprised by this as she hadn't been there before. I was happy to have her there with me even if she was eating all my plants in my meditations.... Here is Chanel:
Then, last night I tried some new work with the Gates of Light. After I went though the Gate of Healing, my English Spot Nesquick was there. I wasn't surprised to see him there. We have a very special bond. Nes came to us from a shelter. He had been returned to the shelter four times. The last time he was there the man who had him was abusing him. He was baiting his dogs with him to teach the dogs to be more aggressive. Nes is terrified of everything (really, can you blame him?) and it took a lot of work to gain his trust. He has a very gentle soul and I just love him to bits! We got him two days before my birthday four years ago. I was so happy to have him with me and it really comforted me to have him there. I don't know if this is normal (pets showing up in meditations). It was my first time with this meditation and I hope that he is there next time I do it. This is my opera loving rabbit Nesquick:
I hope you have a great Saturday!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Friday, August 28, 2009

Altar Transformation

Hi and Merry Meet,
Today Husband cleaned out the garage... he didn't relax today like I thought he would. Since he was working hard, I made the decision that I would sand my altar down and make it my own! Why didn't anyone tell me I was spelling altar wrong!? I am dyslexic so if spell check can't find mistakes, then I assume they are alright.
Anyway, I broke out the sander to sand down the table I have been using as my altar. Here it is before I started sanding:

You can see where there was a top on it at one point where Husband's grandmother had her TV. That upper part broke off years ago. So, he was using it for an old TV the way it was. The TV that he had on it went out last year to the curb. The left behind table was slated to go to Good Will. After my dedication ceremony I was using a piece of scarp wood for my altar. I wanted to find something better. After a short hunt in the basement, I rescued the former TV table. It's not the prettiest thing, but I love it!! There is something about real wood.

After sanding the hard wood floors last week I asked my husband if I could use the sander on my altar. "Why not?" was his answer. Well, since he was working on cleaning the garage, I hauled my altar outside to start sanding.

I got the top sanded down quickly and it looks so nice! The miss colored parts where the top shelf had been is slightly visible, but after putty and stain should take care of that. I flipped it over and took off the legs and the sides. Here it is in disassemble mode:
I wasn't able to finish sanding the whole thing today. I have three legs left to sand and then I can think about the color I want to stain it. I am thinking that I still want to try to use that wood burning kit on it, but I need to practice before I try it on my altar after all my hard work to make it look nice.
Tomorrow, maybe we'll relax! :)
Blessed be,
Autumn