Once In a Blue Moon....

Hi and Merry Meet,
Today is the blue moon. I hope you all enjoy the special blessings that come on this day!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Crossing Over Ritual and Spell

Hi and Merry Meet,
Yesterday was a sad day for us here. Today I thought I'd post the ritual I did for my rabbit as he crossed over.

Supplies:
1 dark blue spell candle
the moon card from a tarot deck
sage
an apple
a votive candle/ tea light candle

Part one- the ritual- to help prepare for a crossing

Casting the circle- starting in the North

"Element of Earth in the North I call to my circle. Ground me and help me to be strong in this difficult time. Hail and welcome Earth."

Facing East

" Element of Air in the East I call to my circle. Give me clarity and and an open mind to see what I need to do in this difficult time. Hail and welcome Wind."

Facing South

"Element of Fire in the South I call to my circle. Burn away my doubts and warm my memories of happy times while I face this difficult time. Hail and welcome Fire."

Facing West

"Element of Water in the West I call to my circle. Help my tears to wash away my sadness and let my emotions be guided by what is best for my pet in this difficult time. Hail and welcome Water."

Face North again to complete the circle. "The circle is cast so mote it be"

Standing in the center of the circle envoke the goddess
"Lady Badb in your crone state you help many to cross over. Please join me in my circle tonight to help me know what is best for my pet. Guide me in this time and help me to remember that in all things there is life, death and rebirth. Hail and welcome Lady Babd."

Light the sage at this time and sit to meditate on the moon card. Let the goddess tell you what you need to know about helping your pet to cross over. Give an offering of an apple or apple juice after you mediate.
Thank the goddess.
"Lady Badb, thank you for your insight and guidance tonight. Crossing over is as much a part of life as any other aspect. Hail and fair well."

Open the circle

Facing West
"Element of Water in the West. Thank you for your blessings. Hail and fair well."

Facing South
"Element of Fire in the South. Thank you for your blessings. Hail and fair well."

Facing East
"Element of Air in the East. Thank you for your blessings. Hail and fair well."

Facing North
"Element of Earth in the North. Thank you for your blessings. Hail and fair well."
With arms raised over head- "The circle is open but not unbroken."

-This is what I did the night we found out that we were going to have to put our rabbit down. I chose Lady Badb as the goddess to use since she is a crone and maiden goddess. She is also a guide to the underworld. Apples were traditionally used as offerings to her.

Before we went to the vet and I did my spell, this was part of the work I did before he crossed. I took one pink lady apple and cut it in half. I sliced one half into five parts. One slice for each of us in the house- 3 rabbits and two people. The whole half I took outside and buried in my garden. This apple was part of Nes' last meal. All of us were connected by eating the apple. When he crossed I told him to find the lady with the other half of his apple. She would help him cross and guide him.

Here is the spell that I used when we drove to the vet for the appointment yesterday.
I anointed the blue candle and lit it as we left. I placed the holder on top of the Moon card that I had reflected on in my ritual. We left that to burn while we were gone. Dark blue is one of the colors associated with Lady Badb. I asked her to help him cross in a peaceful loving way and help him be whole again.

When we got home, I lit a red votive candle for Nes. I will let it burn out. It burned all night and is still going strong today. I chose this red one because it was cranberry flavored and the Lady Badb is a goddess of late fall/early winter. This berry makes me think of fall so I chose it for that reason. Also, Nes really loved things that smell odd. This candle has a great smell, but he loved stinky things- feet were among his favorite.

While I am very sad today, I know he is whole and happy. He came to me in my dreams last night hopping around and bouncing like he did when he was much younger. It made me happy to see him like that. He hopped off with a cloaked lady and I can only guess that she was the Lady Babd. While it was hard to face, I know in the end we did what was best for him.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Good-bye Sweet Boy

Hi and Merry Meet,
We have to say good-bye to our sweet bunny today. May the goddess guide him to happiness and wholeness in the summerland. He will be missed here.

Blessed be,
Autumn

Blue Moon Ritual

Hi and Merry Meet,
I did get a vet appointment for today. The sectary was new and a bit rude. She wanted to know why I thought this was an emergency. I wouldn't have called for an appointment if I thought nothing was wrong. The fact that he can't function like he should is kind of a big deal to me. Really? Sometimes people are just clueless. Anyway, on the bright side, they said I can bring him in later to get checked out. I'm happy about that. I'm so worried about my bunny. :(

One of the things I have to do this week is get ready for the blue moon that is going to happen on Friday! Last time there was one I did a ritual with a blue christmas ball. I filled it with something major that I wanted to change in my life. It was really fun and the ball has been hanging in my witchy room since then. I can look at it often and be reminded of what I wanted to change. This time I have been invited to a mulit-coven ritual. I was really excited when they said that we are going to use blue christmas balls to fill with a big change that we want in our lives. On this blue moon, I am supposed to smash the ball that I filled last time so that I can see how the magick manifested in my life. I don't know if I should take the one I made last time to this group. I don't know if anyone has one to smash too. I might take it and if we don't then, I can do it in a personal ritual at home.

Now, I need to think about what major change I want in my life. It was suggested that it be a big thing- job, house, car, etc. I have a lot of thinking to do. There are a few major changes I'd like to make but I want to pick the one that is a bigger issue. I think if I can get an extra boost from the blue moon's energy it might help me to think that the problem is not so big. Last time the thing I wrote down and added to the ball was pretty big and slowly things have changed on that. It's still a big issue for me, but I can see growth and that is really all I wanted to see. I think this time around I will have a better idea of what things I need to add to the ball to make this working more successful.

Here's what I have to do to get ready:
 take one blue christmas ball (glass is better so you can smash it)
write down what you want to achieve
add things that will inspire the magick (if it's house- a picture of a house, car- same...)
meditate and put them in the ball
 close the ball up and get ready for ritual

That's how I did mine last time. I'm not sure how the group one will do it, but I'm excited to see!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Letting Go

Hi and Merry Meet,
My sweet rabbit is not doing well. I am making a vet appointment for him for tomorrow but I fear that the outcome will be for an appointment to put him down. I know I have to do what is best for him and I have to trust in the Goddess that this is right. Maybe the vet will surprise me and just say he needs some meds. Last time he got sick he has a massive ear infection that caused some nerve damage.

Rabbits are tricky little critters. Since they are prey animals they don't show you that they are sick, hurt, or wounded until it is very serious. My sweet boy had just finished his meds for that ear infection before we went on vacation. My high priestess was the one watching him and the two girls. I knew he would be in good hands with her. Since we have come home, he is just weaker and weaker. I can't watch him like this so we are going tomorrow...  the vet that we go to is closed on Sundays. Yesterday he was dong ok, but by last night he looked weak. He is now dragging his back end and is only able to stand up on all four feet for a few seconds before he tips over. He can't seem to use his back feet to balance. One of them he is using to push himself forward to get to the food bowl. The one he seems to have lost all control over. It's so heartbreaking to me. Until I can get him to the vet I'm doing my best to keep him comfortable. The vet opens at 8, and yes we will be there then! Our vet is amazing. She is allergic to rabbits, but her specialty is rabbits. When our last boy rabbit died unexpectedly she sent us a sympathy card. They are so sweet there and make our rabbits feel safe. That's a big deal to us.

Today's tarot card that I pulled was death. While I know that this dose not always mean a physical death, I think I need to let go and face the fact that my little rabbit is about 90 in human years. We will do what is best for him. I don't want to think about making that call, but I need to focus on him and his needs. He has been with us for 8 years. While he is not my familiar, he really loves magick. He gets excited when he knows I'm working. After I'm done working he will rub his chin all over my hands and fingers (same as a cat rubbing up on you). I've been giving him reiki treatments since we've been home. He seems to like them. I've given him baths to help wash off the grim and matted fur that he is getting on his back end. I know he's not well since he didn't fight me when I tried to dry him with the hairdryer.

We'll see what the vet has to say. :(
Blessed be,
Autumn

Stone With A Message

Hi and Merry Meet,
I saw this stone today and it just called to me. I just love it's simple message. Now I need to do just that.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Dark Moon Ritual

Hi and Merry Meet,
Our vacation finished on a great note. Husband loved kayaking and the view of the cliffs from the water were breathtaking. Our last few days of hiking were relaxing that I feel ready to tackle all the issues that have come up at my job.

Last night I did a dark of the moon ritual. I haven't done one in a few years and it felt great. When I was having lots of problems with my moon time I just felt like the dark crone would be better to work with than the bright shiny mother moon energy. I worked with the dark of the moon for most of  my first year of the craft. I only worked with the full moon maybe twice before my problems started. Another witch who had moon time trouble had said she worked the dark of the moon to still celebrate the goddess but in a different form from the one most people know/work with. For myself, I liked the idea since I wasn't getting my moon or it was sporadic at best. And that was on birth control. After a year of switching kinds my doctor found one that worked like it should. After that first year and my moon time problems working out I started to work with the full moon again.  Then I joined a circle and we as a group celebrate the full moons and the Sabbats together.

Over vacation I started reading about dark moon rituals again and thought about why haven't I done one? Dark of the moon is a lot of shadow work. You are stripped down to what you need to focus on. You take a journey into yourself. The side of you you don't always want to face is the side of you you examen. You can look at your ugly behaviors and start to change them. You find beauty in the dark space of you you didn't know where there. It is very powerful and makes you stronger.

Last night's ritual was no exception. I learned some new things about me and I have a new focus to work on for this month. Since the moon was in leo I'm going to need to have the heart of a lion and the strength of a pride. Moving forward can be scary and hard, but I can do this and I will be better for it.

This photo was from our trip to the cliffs by kayak. Have a great Friday!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Adventure in The Great Lakes

Hi and Merry Meet,
 Yesterday my husband and I went to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. What an amazing park!! Miles and miles of beaches, sand dunes and lakefront. Wow! We started with a hike to a waterfall. Then we saw the sand dunes from a far away as the wind was whipping sand everywhere. Finally, we hiked out to the Au Sable Lighthouse. The path that we hikes runs right along the lake shore so we could see the lake most of our hike.

The wind yesterday was amazing!!  It had whipped that lake into a frenzy! I've lived on two of the Great Lakes my whole life and I have never seen them roll like that!!  Of course, we are far from the lakes that we know and love. Lake Superior has lived up to it's name. It really is mighty. The waves that were crashing on the beach and the sound of the lake rolling was humbling. Shipwrecks dotted the shoreline as reminders of how powerful this place can be. The lighthouse was a reminder that nature rules here and that people need to remember that. Husband and I took a guided tour through the lighthouse. That was fun. We saw the house that the keeper original lived in and then we went up to the top of the lighthouse. I'm not normal upset by heights, but something about the metal steps going up really freaked me out. I did make it to the top and saw the light that they kept burning in the night for ships to see. Once they guided us outside to walk around the top and see the view I was fine again. The view was spectacular. The wind here was even stronger than on the ground! You could see for miles as it was crystal clear. One lady and myself were the last to leave the top. She was even more enthralled with the view than I was! In fact, her daughter who had already gone back to the bottom had to re-climb all the steps to fetch her and tell her it was time to go. My husband and I had a great giggle over that. They were the nicest people and we enjoyed talking to them later in the fog house building. One thing I have to say I love about National Parks is the rangers. The one who took us on the tour was as friendly and kind as all the other ones we have met. They love what they do They love to share what they know with people and they are the most respectful bunch. It is also one of the major reasons I love visiting National Parks. The views are always amazing, but the personal stories that the rangers add always make it so much more fun. They also know the local history of the place and they tell the stories in ways that make you feel like you are there. I told my husband that someday when I'm older and retired, I'd like to work as a ranger in a park. The problem is I don't know which park and I love so many of them! Well, that's a dilemma for another day!

Today we are taking a kayaking trip to see Pictured Rocks from the water. The water is supposed to be calm today. I'm excited to see what this lake looks like calm. I really hope the water is not that rough. We were told that they will cancel if it is. Also, this is my husband's first kayaking experience. I pray that Goddess Yemaya will bless us and let us pass through the waters peacefully. This photo from yesterday with the whitecaps.

I am super excited to go with Husband today on this adventure. Kayaking  is something I've been trying to get him to do for a few years now. I think he will enjoy it since he really enjoyed tubing down the river when we went to Herkimer, NY a few years ago. I didn't think he'd do that, but he did and he loved it!! I know he is excited about this as he is already talking about renting kayaks for the next two days of our trip so we can explore more of the waterways here. We shall see is he loves it as much as I do.
Have a great Monday!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Waterfalls

Hi and Merry Meet,
Since we are on our annual camping vacation, we had to find at least one waterfall. Husband and I love waterfall hunting. Every vacation we seek out those beautiful cascading waters.

This year is no exception. Randomly, we came across one as we were driving to Pancake Bay. It was by far the easiest hike to see up close. Usually, we hike and hike some more and always straight uphill. Not this time! We walked from the truck to the base of it. A very short three minute hike later we were at the top of the falls. It was amazing!

Since I've been dreaming about Yemaya, this was a perfect way to celebrate her. We took time to sit and admire the falls. My husband understands how important nature is to me and he respects my beliefs. Sitting on those rocks yesterday with the one I love just felt so right. We also walked the beach at Pancake Bay. We had the beach to ourselves! It was like something out of a movie! The beach was a fine grain sand and the water rolled with white caps. The sky looked threatening, but it never rained while we were there. The wind was chilly as it blew in our faces. It was perfect! I could have stood there all day admiring the water and beach.

Tomorrow we are off on a waterfall hiking trek. A bit longer hike, but my husband pointed out that there is a brewery at one end of the park. I think we will be stopping there to reward ourselves for a good job hiking. :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tarot Stuff

Hi and Merry Meet,
This past year my husband encouraged me to start reading tarot publicly. At first I was very hesitant, but he and a good friend helped me to start up reading for others. I had been reading for others for a few years now, but not at public functions. I've loved reading for friends and family but that was as far as I would go. I've taken tons of class, been in privet studies and learning groups. My husband has seen how excited I am about and my love of it. 


He has suggested I start small, just get my feet wet and see if I like reading for people I've never met. He signed me up to do a craft show with him. We have been going to craft shows for a few years as vendors. He loves to make and sell jewelry. So, of course I always go too. He said that I should read at the shows since I'm already there and all it would take is setting up a small table and two chairs. I thought about it. I talked to my sister in law when we went to visit them in February. She loved it! She also supported my husband's idea and got me to take it seriously. I told my running partner about this idea. She asked if I could do a home party for her. 


With the love and support of friends and family I did my first craft show in March. I then did my first home party in May. I have since done other craft shows and home parties. Turns out, I really like reading for people I've never met before. My husband is happy that something that gives me so much joy is now something that I can do while he is doing something that gives him joy. It has been a very fun journey. The latest thing with my tarot reading now has been to get on facebook with a page.This was kind of a big step for me. I've done it and now here is it: http://www.facebook.com/tarotintheroc I've been better about updating that than posting here.


I never thought I'd when my friend asked me to take a tarot class that it would have such an impact on my life. I had no idea that my life would change so much just by choosing to learn about cards. It has enriched my life more than I could have ever guessed it would have.


Here is my card for the day. The Ace of swords. New ideas are floating around and  new states of mind are in store. Pay attention to new ideas and thoughts. Break out of old patterns and see old ideas with new eyes. This card is from the Legacy of The Divine Tarot.

Blessed be,
Autumn

Vacation Time!!

Hi and Merry Meet,
This week and next week my husband and I are on our annual camping vacation. This year we have chosen to go to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada and the Upper part of Michigan. We arrived to our camp site here in Canada on Sunday night. We have been enjoying the time together and away from our daily stresses. It's so nice to get away and unwind together. During our real lives time together is very sparse and very precious.  Our annual two week camping trips give us a chance to catch up on everything that we need to catch up on.

My husband LOVES trains. Yesterday, we took an all day train ride to Agawa Canyon. The train was fun, the hike around the canyon was fun (well, for me...  I was geocaching...), and the ride home was beautiful. We saw many crystal clear lakes and untouched forests. It is amazing up here. Today we are going to go to the Bush Plane Museum. That should be educational! :) The photo below is of Trout Lake. It was just one of many we passed on our ride yesterday. I wish I could live there...  it was so gorgeous!

Tomorrow will be our last day in the Great White North. Then we will return state-side to spend some time in Upper Michigan. There is some great hiking up there and we hear that there are some spectacular waterfalls. We do love a good waterfall... hopefully, this year the hike is not more than six miles straight up hill! Last year I thought after I pulled that stunt on my husband that he was going to kill me! What didn't kill him made him stronger, and it taught him to hold onto my GPS unit so I can't trick him with long mileage hikes ever again! Oh well, he loves to hike with meanyways as long as it is shorter distances. :)
Blessed be,
Autumn

Sewing Fun!

Hi and Merry Meet,
Yesterday I was out reading tarot at a graduation party. What a fun family to read for!! Before I left to do that I was working on sewing my robe for circle.

I've been working on it for some time now. The patteren is not to complex. To make it you need some basic sewing skills. A few of the other girls have robes and they look awesome. I've been stuck on the hem. Sewing it together was the easy part. Trying to get the hem right has been crazy. The robe hangs very long. My husband helped me pin the hem for one sleeve and that was enough help as far as he was concerned. I can't pin the hem while I'm wearing it, so finding someone to help had been tough. However, my friend who I roped into helping me had a better way. We measured it and then cut off some of the extra. I think I can finish it now that it's all pinned.

With all my extra material I've been thinking about making poppets. I've never done a spell with them but I'm thinking that I have all the stuff I need I'll just save it for the right time. My robe I'm sewing on my machine. For poppets, I'd like to do some hand sewing.  I've got a basic patteren for them. This would be a good way for me to expand on my spells. A lot of my work right now is simple candle magick or cooking magick. I've done a few bigger things but mostly I stick to low magick. I'd like to start expanding my knowledge of other magicks. I feel like poppets are the next step for me in my learning and my spellwork. Not sure yet when I'll use them, but at least I'll have everything when I'm ready for it.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Goddess Yemaya

Hi and Merry Meet,
Since today is Saturday I started my work with the Goddess Yemaya. From what I could find she and her sister share Saturday as their power day.

My altar for her has a seashell, a blue earthwear bowl that is filled with salt water, and rain flavored incense. Since my altar is stained blue, I chose not to put an altar cloth on as the blue fits better with Yemaya's energy. I also have a hot plate that I put the candle on that my mom had given me. It is made from abolne shells in Hawaii. My mom was going to get rid of it in a garage sale. I asked if I could have it and I've used it for anything burning that is on my altar. It is perfect for this work!

My dreams haven't had the image of the goddess appear again, but almost all of then have had the sea or seawater in them. A lot of them I am swimming or entering the ocean. I looked up what water in dreams means and the answer I found was change. I know big changes are coming, spirit had been telling me for a while. I've started to take steps to go forward with them and it looks like that is what I'm supposed to do. Maybe as I work more with the goddess Yemaya I can learn more about what comes next with these changes.

I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Pathworking

Hi and Merry Meet,
This weekend I've been doing some new pathworking. I've been looking for more information on Yemaya since she has been calling to me in my dreams. The things I've found are really interesting and I love how many aspects she has.

I see a lot of similarities in some of her aspects to some of the other goddesses that I like to work with. In my personal practice I usually work with the Celtic pantheon. Before my dreams this past week I was starting to work with the Morrigan. I've been comparing some of her aspects of Macha to Epona. Both are horse goddesses, both are futility goddesses, and both are warrior goddesses. I've started to do some pathworking with this aspect of the Morrigan. Epona is the goddess that called to me first. There is not too much information on her, but working with her has really been wonderful. Looking at the Morrigan's aspect of Macha I have learned a lot about the goddess Epona.

During this coming week I plan to do some pathworking with some of the different aspects of Yemaya. From the information that I've found it looks like Yemaya has seven different aspects that are associated with her. I want to look over each one's information and start with the one that gets my attention first. I'm looking forward to getting to know a goddess outside of the pantheon that I normally work with. I want to take my time getting to know her and who is the god who is her mate? I haven't looked into that yet, and I want to know what male energy she works with. In my practice I use both the goddess and god energy. A lot of my friends use only the goddess energy. I like using both for the balance that it gives me. That was part of why I left the Christians. They use a lot more god energy with very little of the female aspects. Balance is what I need in my life and I love that I've got more of it now.

I hope you have a great rest of the weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Being Called in My Dreams

Hi and Merry Meet,
The other night I had an amazing dream. I was with my coven and we were going to a workshop on this island. The island was beautiful and mysterious. There was dark stone structures everywhere. We were going to a large amphitheater made of this beautiful back stone (I think it was black marble, but I don't know for sure). As we were walking one of the girls in my coven says to us that there is a famous male witch who knows tons about wicca and witchcraft. Then she says that he is choosing an apprentice at this workshop to whoever can find him first after the workshop. My first thought was that is so easy. Everyone at the workshop will just swarm him as soon as it is done and during the workshop we'll all be looking for where he is seated. I got this was my next thought. 


My coven sister forgot to tell us that this witch is beautiful!! As we were going into the theater, he and his assistance were there greeting people to tell them about his opportunity. This kind of beauty was not one I can describe. He was stunning. Now my thought of getting the apprentice position was even more exciting. We walked in to listen to the workshop and I know we were all thinking about how we would be the first to find him. As I sat down I noticed the man to my right looked like the famous witch's assistant. It was! Next to him, two seats away from me was the famous witch. I couldn't believe my luck! I thought now I've got this in the bag! I'm seated next to him and I can get to him first so that I can get the apprentice position!


As the workshop got underway, the famous witch turned to me and said "if you can find me, you will win. Look by the water."


What? There was no water in this workshop! The guy up on the stage looked like the movies idea of a sorcerer. He had on a purple robe with silver stars on it. He had a blue pointy hat with silver moons on it. He was showing us how to make things appear and disappear out of a purple cloud. Looking out at the audience I could see most were not impressed with the guy's show. Most were looking for the famous witch. As the guy on stage started to wrap it up, I got ready to bolt to claim the apprentice spot. Funny thing, everyone in that room was poised for the same thing. However, at that point, the famous witch disappeared in a smoky purple cloud. His assistant looked at me and said "find the water and the spot is yours."


I left the theater and everyone started going their own way to find the famous witch. I walked away from everyone and as the full moon rose, I found a beautiful lake in the middle of this city we were in. It was on top of a hill, and there were stairs leading into the water. The stairs were a white marble and in the shape of a half moon. Suddenly, I had on the most beautiful white off the shoulder dress on. Oh, I wanted to gracefully walk into the water as I descended the stairs. I felt like a goddess and I looked like one at that point. As I strode down the first stair, I looked beautiful, and then my natural state of grace caught up to me...  I tumbled  right down the other three stairs into the water. Not the graceful entrance I was trying to portray!  Since I was all tangled in my gown, I took it off to swim. After a few strokes, I saw the assistance on the left shore. I knew then that I was the one to get there first. I swam over and sure enough, the famous witch was there too. They helped me out of the water and he congratulated me on winning the apprentice spot. At this point in my dream I woke up.

The next day my best friend from college came to visit. We had a great time hiking and going to the beach. While we were out at the beach I told her about this dream. We have been friends a long time and she is one of the smartest people I know. She use to be wiccan, and has since left for another religion that she feels fits her  better. However, she knows her goddesses. When I was telling her about this dream she asked me a lot about what the dress I was wearing looked like and what did the water look like, and the moon. She wanted me to tell her as many details about the dream as I could. We kind of left it at that as we were leaving the beach, but she said she'd think about what I had dreamed about. She was sure she knew a goddess fit my description, but she couldn't think right then which one.

Later in the day, we were hanging out and I was showing her around our town. One of the places we stopped was at the Santeria shop. I needed to grab some candles and she wanted some healing bath washes. Suddenly, my friend was calling me over to see something that she thinks I needed to see. There was this statue of a goddess in the dress I was wearing in my dream with my dark hair! I couldn't believe it!! My friend turns to me and says "I think Yemaya is trying to get your attention!" I agreed as that was exactly how I looked in my dream when I entered the water. I found a beautiful seven day candle with Yemaya's picture on it and a poem about her on the back.

Since then I've been trying to find some info on her and what I have found is really interesting. I've also been dreaming about her the past few nights now and I know that she is calling to me. I'm excited to work with her energy as she seems to want to work with me. Here's what she looks like and what it looked like in my dream:

Blessed be,
Autumn
    

Tarot Party

Hi and Merry Meet,
Saturday night I had a home tarot party. It was so nice to have a girls' night out! Everyone had a great time and most were happy with their readings. Lots of relationship spreads were cast. Lots of yummy food and giggles too.

Being that I was the reader for this party, I got to learn a lot about each girl. It's been great doing parties. My confidence has really grown by doing readings for live people. I've done a few home parties now. They are so fun and I love reading. This time I made sure to take a stretch break. I brought some clear quartz to clean my decks between readings. That's been something that a friend of mine suggested I do. Since she had been a professional reader, I value her advice. She has helped me go from just reading for friends to reading for clients. Husband helped give me that push to get into it too. I'm glad he did.

Tomorrow my best bud from college is coming to visit! I can't wait.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Working Day

Hi and Merry Meet,
Today I needed to take some time out of my vacation for some time in my witchy room. While it is my favorite room in the house, I haven't been up here as much as I planned on. I've been up here for moons and such, but I've been doing more of my workings downstairs where it is cooler.

Today, I've spent the morning rearranging and simplifing things. The photo is of my very simple altar setup for my work today. My motto today is "less is more". Trying to declutter always makes me feel better. My books are reorganized, candles have been sorted and other supplies put away. It feels so relaxing to sit in here now.

I've also spent time updating my BOS and my dream journal. I added my latest workshop certificates to my BOS. That was a suggestion at one I went to that I really liked. Now all my creditatials are in one spot. Of course, I only put in photocopies of my certs, the originals are in a folder in my bookcase. My dream journal was another thing that has gotten away from me. I've made notes about my recent dreams in my calendar so I can recall it, but not details. I took some time to transfer my scribbled notes to a full written out version of my dreams. One in particular I thought was a warning for someone turns out it was a warning for me. I wish I had seen the signs before, but the lesson that I learned was a good one and real life ended nicer than how the dream did.

Lastly, I'm going to take some time to make a new crystal grid about balance. I need a bit more balance in my life and if my focus for the week is on that then I think I can accomplish so much more!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Happy 4th of July!

Hi and Merry Meet,
I hope you all had a great full moon ritual last night! I hope that today you have and happy 4th of July!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Happy Blessing Moon!

Hi and Merry Meet,
 Tonight is the Blessing moon, the full moon of July. I'll be celebrating later tonight after my husband goes to work. I have a lot to be thankful for and I want to celebrate it.

 All day I have been giving thought to all the blessing in my life. The top of my list is my husband. This month we are celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary. He is my rock. He supports me in everything I do. As for the rest of my list, well... it's full of people I love, all the blessings of heath, and job. I plan to enjoy the evening and recharge with the energy of the full moon.

Tomorrow for the 4th I'm signed up to run a 10K in the morning. After that, I plan to relax at home and then we are headed out to a friend's house for dinner and fireworks!!  Yay!

Enjoy the many blessings of the Goddess and enjoy the full moon tonight.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Herbs!

Hi and Merry Meet,
The other day I was at my coven sister's house. One of the things she is amazing at is growing herbs. She has a massive collection of mint. I think I counted five different kinds in one bed alone. She also has an amazing veggie garden and starting this year she has started a small poison garden.

While I would love to say I also have a huge garden, it would be a major lie. I've tried to grow herbs.... it never ends well. I hear that mint is the easiest thing to grow. I can't understand this because every time I try to grow mint it dies. One time I managed to get it to mold. Another it got bugs. Those are the more memorable ones. Most times it just shrivels up and dies. I can get rosemary and lavender to go. Mint is my downfall.  So needless to say, I was envious of my coven sister's garden.

After telling my group about my problem with mint they took it upon themselves to try to help me. We gathered a few different kinds and we wrapped them to dry. Everyone got a few bundles of herbs. I'm excited since she also was going to cut some peppermint sprigs to start rooting them in water once they are rooted, I can move them here to my attempt at a garden. Maybe this time I can grow it!

Blessed be,
Autumn

Recharging!

Hi and Merry Meet,
Hurray, vacation time! I need a few days of relaxation after all that has been going on in my life.

Friday night I went to circle. We had our midsummer ritual. I love getting together with my circle sisters as just being around them raises my spirits. I find just having a ritual solo our with circle always raises my spirits!

Yesterday, husband and I had a date night. He took me out for sushi and it was so nice to do something we haven't done in a while. It was nice to sit down and just have some time for us. Since he works nights, having dinner together is a luxury.

This morning I took a long walk in the woods. I went by myself and refreshed my soul with nature. Everything is so green and bursting with life. I went to a new park near my house. Appently, frisebee golf is the thing to do there. Lots of our parks around here have courses for it, but this place was hopping! Luckily, the hiking trails and the course don't overlap too much. Just crossing into the trails I had to be more aware of flying objects. I followed a small stream and saw lots of wildlife since I was out early. The frisebee golfers were out early too for the same reason I was, beat the midday heat! The rest of my day will be spent studying for my final in magick class tonight.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Moving Forward

Hi and Merry Meet,
After having my life turned upside down I have been talking with some of the union people here at work. They have been involved in my case since the beginning, but now they are helping me to move forward.

One thing that I asked for was for them to talk to the girl who set this all in motion. Not gonna lie, I might have done a spell to stop her from talking crap about me. She shouldn't have said anything in the first place, so I don't feel bad about asking the universe to make her stop. Since, in my current position, I can't talk to her and I don't want to, I asked that the union talk to her. I want her to know what she did and for her to stop trying to destroy my career. My union rep agrees that she should have a talking to however they want me to wait until next year. I will have a little more protection job wise at that point and then it would be good for it to happen. My friends also think that what happened to me will change a lot of the policies here at work. Someday karma will catch up to her. Maybe not at work, but somehow it will find her. I don't envy her when it does.

Even though what happened never should have, if it means that I can change the way my work deals with suicide and training for the people then it would be all worth it. I never want anyone to go though what I was put through and if I can use this experience to make a good change then I will. I was called a catalyst for change yesterday by a friend who thinks that the only people who can change the system are the ones who have been beat down by it. After this experience, I kind of agree with that. Before all this, I would have said, no anyone can change it if they want to. Yes, I still think that, but now I know that having the first hand experience really helps fuel the fire of change.

Today, I'm just happy it's Friday. I plan to go out to dinner with my husband and have a relaxing weekend with no stress from work. It should be a lot of fun!

Blessed be,
Autumn

Moving Forward

Hi and Merry Meet,
After having some tough weeks at work I've needed some healing time. The one thing that has been good is how my husband has been there for me.

Today, we went out to lunch. It was nice to do something so simple to make things feel right. We also stopped for a quick geocache. I got some seven day candles and planned out some spells to rid my life of major negativity. Tomorrow I'm helping out at our coven's fundraiser.

Now, I'm going for a walk and then enjoying a movie with my husband. Thank the goddess for him. He has been a rock and I've told him everyday I don't know what I would do without his support.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Rough Patches

Hi and merry meet,
I haven't written in way too long. I've been going through some rough stuff and needed some time.

At my job, I was venting to a coworker about a case that has been very fustrating for me. I haven't been supported and was telling her this. She ran to the bosses twisting my words saying I was suicidal. I was asked to stay home for six days, had to have a mental health exam and endless meetings about it. Since I wasn't suicidal I went to my dr to get a clearance. That one wasn't good enough so I had to go to a dr that they choose. I passed that exam too. Now the bosses liked like asses and had to change their tune. I was allowed back to work and told I was unprofessional. My awesome coworker has had nothing happen to her. Mind you, she blew me in five days after we had this chat. If I was truely suicidal you wouldn't wait. The bosses told me over and over that she did this because she cared and it was not retaliation. Yeah, right. I don't know what I did to her but I can tell you she is my least favorite person right now. If the opportunity presented itself for her to feel the hurt and pain I felt....well, someday karma will pay her back.

We've also had to deaths recently. One was my husband's aunt and one was my friend. Our aunt was a very special lady. She had been sick for a while but in the end she left on her terms. I know she is whole and happy again. My friend lost her battle with cancer. She was the most amazing person and I was lucky enough to be her friend. Both ladies will be missed.

I will try to be better about my updates from now on.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Tarot Work

Hi and Merry Meet,
My husband makes jewerly and so most weekends we are at craft shows for it. He has decided that I need another job than just helping him sell his stuff.

He has started to book me a table at shows so I can read tarot. I'm nervous about reading for the public but I've done it for friends for years. I told my girlfriend about it and so she agreed to help me practice. I've booked a home party at her house in May. However, our next jewerly show is in two weeks. So much for practice. I have read for people for years but doing something like this is new to me.

My husband has always been supportive of my tarot readings. He knows I've wanted to read outside my group of friends for a while now. He found a great way for me to do just that. He even helped me make business cards.

Today I've spent the day dissecting my tarot decks. I've been doing a great exercise to make me really dig deep into the meanings. It's been very helpful and refreshing.

Hope you are having a good weekend!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Workings and Cleaning

Hi and Merry Meet,
This weekend was filled with some much needed spring cleaning and small workings.

Yesterday I started to clean the house and remove all the stale energy. I wanted to leave the windows open while I did this however, husband and I agreed that it was too cold for that! I only got my normal weekend chores done before I went to my friend's house for a St. Patty's day party.

Today, however, was a beautiful day to fling open the windows and clean out! The rabbits even got their toe nails cut much to their dismay. I scrubbed, washed and scoured the house! Even my husband noticed how much lighter the house feels.

I had to set aside some time today for a quick spell for this coming week. My job right now has reached a new level of stressful and I want to be as prepared for it as I can. I used the devil card from one of my tarot decks to help me focus. I used this card as the people on it are not as shackled as tightly as they believe that they are. I need to remember that this week. I have choices even when it seems like I have none.

I'm ready for the upcoming week now! Clean house and new focus ready to go!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Running Shrine

Hi and Merry Meet,
In December my friend tried to talk me into running a half marathon with her. I told her I would start to train for it but we'll see about it.

The half is April 29th. I started training lightly back in December. A week before my trip to Colorado the training schedule my friend sent me started. I started training for real.

I have realized that I really want to do this. Copies of my running schedule are posted around the house and at work. I can't miss it. I talked a good friend into running the shorter stuff with me. She even did my first longer run with me last Sunday.

When we were in Colorado, we found lots of shops with hindu gods and goddess in them. I have never really been drawn to that but one of the shops had each god or goddess with their own shrines. They were not all mashed together and they had signs telling you their name and what each one's specialty is. I found a small elephant for the god Ganesh. It said he was the remover of obstacles. My husband wanted to know why I wanted him when normally I follow the Celtic gods. I told him I was called to him and I think he will support my training for the half.

Now in my witchy room I have a small shrine to Ganesh to help me overcome the mental obstacles I have while running. He sits on top if my training schedule and has rice and some jasmine incense near him too. Behind him I place zebra stones which are good for physical strength and body. I placed my shoes that I was going to swap for the ones I have been using at the base of it.

April 29th, here I come!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Back To Reality

Hi and Merry Meet,
We came back from a wonderful vacation last weekend. This past week was busy! This week looks pretty good.

I have been asked to do a workshop on kitchen witches for my coven. After thinking it over, I have agreed to do it. I was told I will present it in April. I have an idea of what I want to share, but it needs some work yet. I'm sure I can get it together by the time I have to share it!

Have a great week!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Breweries

Hi and Merry Meet,
I'm not a big drinker but since we are in the micro brewery capital we have made a stop at one brewery so far.

Yesterday while we were in Denver we found the Great Divide Brewery company by accident. We went to meet an old friend for lunch and after we wanted to see what was in the walking mall. My husband knows how much my sister inlaw and I like second hand shops so when he found one on the map, off we went.

Turns out the second hand shop was not for clothes but for tools! Oh fail. However, I spotted the Great Divide Brewery company. Figuring we had walked all that way we thought we'd get a pint. At the same time as we order our beers they offered a free tour. Touring with our beer was a lot of fun. We learned a lot.

Today, my sister inlaw is planning a brew tour for us! So far she has three planned out. We will be touring in Bolder today. I'm looking forward to another fun day!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Mountain Views

Hi and Merry Meet,
Yesterday my husband, sister inlaw and I ventured to Pike's Peak. We had a blast! Since my brother has to work this week, we are kidnapping my sister inlaw and taking her with us. She hasn't started her new job yet so she has been hanging out at home for a few months.

Pike's Peak was beautiful! The land here is mostly untouched so nature can thrive. Last time I went to Pike's Peak was when I was a kid. My family rode the cog train to the summit. This time we drove. My husband loves to drive roads that are windy and curve. I just love mountains!

Today we are off to check out a few of the micro breweries. Apparently, Colorado is the micro brewery capital of the states. Who knew?
Blessed be,
Autumn

A Mountainous State

Hi and Merry Meet,
Last night we arrived very late in the mountainous state of Colorado. It was a long day of travel but Husband and I made it to my brother's house.

My sister inlaw was telling me all about the beautiful mountains. Being that we arrived in the dark there wasn't much to see. I teased her about it before we all turned in for the night.

This morning I'm the only one up so I was able to greet the day. I was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the mountains. One of the things I miss most about living in Japan was my spectacular view of the Hokkaido mountains. I was so happy to enjoy the dawn and mountains alone.

Today we are spending the day exploring mountains and whatever fun our hosts come up with! We are just thankful we get to enjoy time as a family.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Vacation Time!

Hi and Merry Meet,
Today my husband and I will get on a plane and fly to Colorado to visit my brother and sister inlaw. I can't wait!

Yesterday I went out to lunch with my high priestess. It was great fun and I have been asked to do a workshop on kitchen witches. I gave her a copy of my smoothie spell and then she really had it in her head that I should do a workshop! I've been thinking about it and maybe this summer would be the best time to make something that they could take with them. Maybe some jam would be cool. I have time to think about it.

After our lunch we went on a field trip to the voodoo shop in town. I admit I had never been there before. I was nervous to go by myself. Turns out my high priestess was feeling the same way! We went together and found that it is the coolest place. The women who owns it is super cool and help both of us with what we wanted. I also found they had big cauldrons so I got one to do more fire work with. I also got some protection oil for our trip. I will be going back there and talking with the owner again.

Now some last minute packing and then we are off!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Spells, Rituals and My Class

Hi and Merry Meet,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Imbolic! Friday night my coven celebrated and one of the girls brought dried broom from her garden. I wrapped some ribbons around mine and hung it over my door. See the pict.

Yesterday was my Wicca 2 class. My group was scheduled to do our Ostara ritual but when we got there we only had two of us. Our third was missing. The other group was down two members but they are scheduled for next week so not a big deal. Our instructor decided to have those of us ready for spell presentation to go instead of the ritual.

Only two of us had ours done. I presented my love your self smoothie and my classmate did a banish negativity. The other two girls liked them and added their own flavor to the spells to fit them. I enjoyed this presentation a lot. It was fun to see everyone excited about our spell work and how we can make them fit us.

After that we were surprised by our other group mate showing up! She and the other girl thought class started an hour later due to that was what happened last week. So after a few rushed minutes my group did get to do our Ostara ritual!

It went so well and we got lots of positive feedback from both the class and the instructor. I'm glad that we had to do this as I learned what it takes to make a group of very diverse people work collaboratly together. I think it was a great success and I now have two good  friends in my community! Next week the other group gets to do theirs. I think they are doing Lammas. I'm happy because for the remainder of the classes I get to just sit back and enjoy the others presnetations.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Spells, Rituals and My Class

Hi and Merry Meet,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Imbolic! Friday night my coven celebrated and one of the girls brought dried broom from her garden. I wrapped some ribbons around mine and hung it over my door. See the pict.

Yesterday was my Wicca 2 class. My group was scheduled to do our Ostara ritual but when we got there we only had two of us. Our third was missing. The other group was down two members but they are scheduled for next week so not a big deal. Our instructor decided to have those of us ready for spell presentation to go instead of the ritual.

Only two of us had ours done. I presented my love your self smoothie and my classmate did a banish negativity. The other two girls liked them and added their own flavor to the spells to fit them. I enjoyed this presentation a lot. It was fun to see everyone excited about our spell work and how we can make them fit us.

After that we were surprised by our other group mate showing up! She and the other girl thought class started an hour later due to that was what happened last week. So after a few rushed minutes my group did get to do our Ostara ritual!

It went so well and we got lots of positive feedback from both the class and the instructor. I'm glad that we had to do this as I learned what it takes to make a group of very diverse people work collaboratly together. I think it was a great success and I now have two good  friends in my community! Next week the other group gets to do theirs. I think they are doing Lammas. I'm happy because for the remainder of the classes I get to just sit back and enjoy the others presnetations.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Imbolic

Hi and Merry Meet,
Happy Imbolic! Let the spring cleaning begin.

After work today I plan to weed out items that haven't been used in a year or are just collecting dust. It is time to declutter! I will pack it up and make a stop at the Goodwill.

Tomorrow night I'm going to my coven's Imbolic celebration. I'm think of taking a nice sheep and goat milk cheese tray since that goes with the season.

I hope you have a wonderful and happy Imbolic!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Spell For Class

Hi and Merry Meet,
As was suggested, I should do a spell with food for my class. Seriously brilliant!

I did just that! Here is my Love Yourself Smoothie, this spell is to boost your self esteem and love for your self. Here is what you need:
-frozen/fresh raspberries
-frozen/fresh strawberries
-frozen/fresh peaches
-one small container of vanilla yogurt
-ice
-a splash of orange juice

Blend all the ingredients and drink. As you drink say "as I drink this down, my self love abounds. Blessings of love surrounds, so love of my self I carry around."

Best day to do this would be a Friday and for extra light a pink candle while your making and drinking your smoothie.

All the fruits I chose have a correspondence  of love. Raspberry are love and protection. Strawberry is love and luck. Peaches are for love. Orange is for love too. Vanilla is also love, while yogurt is for feminine energy.

I'll be presenting this spell next week in class. I'm happy with it and excited to see what my classmates came up with!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Soup Success

Hi and Merry Meet,
The great cooking experiment went great! Here is a photo of my chicken dumping soup! Yay!!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Cooking and Class

Hi and Merry Meet,
Yesterday I had my third Wicca 2 class. We are in groups now for our ritual presentations. My group is presenting Ostara. Our one group mate did a ton of prep for it and it is coming together really nicely. They had a few suggestions for my meditation, so I have some editing to do on that. However, overall, we are really close to ready. I think after next class we will be ready to present.

Yesterday's class was on spell work. It was how spells are not only constructed, but also what is your intent behind them. My homework is now to create a spell that I can teach to my group. I have to write it as if they have no knowledge of spellwork. It has to be completely my own. While I have written spells for myself, I have never had to present them to a group. We are not allowed to do any on money as that was the examples the instructors gave us. We also do not actually have to do it for the class, but just have it written out so that if they wanted to preform it at a later time then they could. I have a few weeks before I have to do this, so I have some time to think about it. Right now, I have no ideas what I should write for them. Safe travel? A love spell? House blessings? I don't know.

Recently, since I have left my second job I have been cooking more for us. I have always cooked for us, but the nights that I worked my second job we would just do whatever about food. Fighting for the leftovers or stopping for food was the norm two days a week. Now that I'm not doing that...  well, I'm cooking a lot more. I hated cooking before. Now that I have more time in my life, I am finding that I don't hate it, I don't love it, but I'm starting to enjoy it. I love to bake. Baking is an art since it has to be more exact that cooking or your cake could fall flat, the dough won't rise or any other thing that could go wrong if you don't follow the recipe. My good friend has always been able to cook with anything she has laying around and no need of a recipe. It always comes out good, and she always knows what to add by just tasting it. I've always been envious of this art. However, she can't bake to save her life. My coven is starting to learn how much I like baking. Every meeting I have something homemade to take with me. It's my love and time and I enjoy sharing it with others. Side note, most of the girls in the coven are into heath food and noted that my desserts will be the downfall of those diets that they are clinging to. Ha ha, that's why I bake! Desserts are sweet and full of love. The more I have thought about this the more I think I have more kitchen witch in me than I thought. :-)

Anyway, I'm learning to cook real dinners now. Before, my motto was "if I can't bake it, I can't make it." Hence, everything we eat goes in the oven. I'm not sure why my house even has a stove top range? Isn't that just for putting hot pans from the oven to cool on? This has been my thought for years!!! Now I am starting to take time to cook on that stove top that has been all but decoration for years here. Husband hasn't complained about my food, but I feel like I should venture into new places with my food. Husband, is the one who inadvertently started this whole ball rolling. He didn't do it on purpose. He has no idea what he has done. A few weeks ago, he bought me a turkey breast to cook (in the oven). After we cooked and eat it, he mentioned that we should make the caucus into soup. "Like cook it? On the stop top?" was my shocked reply to that. He laughed at me and said you can't make soup in the oven...  (I didn't point out that I do own a crock pot and know how to use that!). So, with small baby steps I managed a soup on my stop top.

The damage has been done. I am trying to set aside Sundays as stove top cooking day (only because I have time to learn what I'm doing on the weekend). Today I am attempting to make chicken and dumplings. I am armed with Paula Dean's recipe and a prayer to the Goddess that it comes out tasting like real food and not crap. I really want this to taste good....

Maybe, I should write a spell for my class about stop top cooking?
Blessed be,
Autumn

Workshops

Hi and Merry Meet,
Last week I started to attend a Wicca 2 workshop. I like that it is more hands on that some of the other classes I've taken.

It is a 7 week course and we are going to be working in small groups/pairs. Since there are eight of us in the class the group work is two groups of four. The women in my class seem interesting. Most of them have just finished the Wicca 1 class about a week ago. I think there is only one other girl who is like me on that after Wicca 1 I didn't jump into Wicca 2 right away. I took a few years off and have grown in my craft by trying, meditating, and seeing what works for me. I've still read books and I love to read witchvox.com.

Our homework for this week was to start a Book of Shadows. The rest of the class was crazy excited about what book or format they would use. Well that was an easy task as I started my BOS before I ever got near the Wicca 1 class. This week we are learning ritual construction. I am excited to create one special for this group with a few other people. It should be fun to try and blend our different styles. Just sitting at the table you can see we each have a unique view of self and the world.

My worry for this class is the spell partner work. Since many of my classmates are new they kind of want to show off. The sheer amount of pentacles at that table was unbelievable. I own a pentacle, however I choose only to wear it for really special times and I never let people see me wearing it outside of my home. I am still in the closet and a lot of these women are flaunting that they are witches. My worry is are they seriously in this for the long run or are they just looking to rebel and shock people. I'm not. I've something that truly works for me and brings me peace. Maybe when I start getting to know them better I will understand them better.

Tonight I am going to a voodoo workshop with my circle. That should be fun! I'm curious since I don't know that much about it and I want to educate myself so I can disspell any stereotypes I have.
Have a happy Friday the 13th!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Happy 2012!

Hi and Merry Meet,
Welcome 2012! I had a great new years celebrating with some of our good friends. It has become a tradition to go to their house for dinner and then have poker night almost until midnight. It is always fun. Lucky thing we don't play for money because I'm always the first one out. This year they gave me a prize for that. I won a puzzle so I would have something to do while everyone else kept playing. That only lasted a minute as it was a kids puzzle with 48 large pieces. I brought my knitting along for such an emergency.

Yesterday Husband and I spent the day doing projects around the house. My witchy room is put back together and functional again! Just in time as a Wicca 2 class starts this coming Saturday. That is something I'd like to take and now my space is ready for me to do the homework and such.

Last night we did lose power for a while. The wind was really blowing and the howling it was making was unbelievable. Husband and I ate our dinner by candlelight. Dinner was a little cool (temp showed it was safe to eat) since it was in the oven when we lost power. Those winds were blowing all the negative energy of the last year away, that's what I said to Husband anyway!

I hope everyone had a nice transition to 2012!
Blessed be,
Autumn