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
Saturday, October 31, 2009
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
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
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! :)
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
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! :)
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!!!
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
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,
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
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
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