Coming Up Roses

Hi and Merry Meet,
One of the things I wanted to work harder on this year was using more herbs in my practice.

I've got a few books on the subject, but I haven't put in too much effort recently. Tonight as part of my full moon esbat I gathered roses to dry the petals. I only gathered my red roses since they are blooming in abundance right now.

I took three blooms altogether from two different bushes. Last year I pruned them back something fearsome. This year they are rewarding me with a bounty of blooms. The smell is amazing.

After asking the plant's blessing and cutting them free I made a gift of egg shells to the plants. I read someplace that roses love egg shells so I saved the shells from my dinner preparations.

The picture  is my altar filled with drying rose petals. My goddess stature is watching over them.

Once they are dry, I plan to put them in a glass jar and label them with the date. It is a small step to workung more with herbs, but it is still a step. I have a lot of learning to do with herbs, but I want to start with things in my garden and things I already use. Once I can do that, then I might be ready to branch out. I want to take it slow and learn to use what I have around me and available to me.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Full Moon Esbat

Hi and Merry Meet,
Last night I celebrated the Full Moon with my own written ritual! I also found a small table in the basement that I can use as a altar! I didn't really have one before... I just used a piece of wood to put my candles and stuff on. It was too small, but it was perfect to start with.

The table was from my husband's grandmother. She used it as a TV table and a magazine rack. Husband said that he thinks his grandma would be happy that someone is using it again. The wood had some history! You can feel it when you touch it!! As part of my ritual I cleaned and consecrated it. It now is up in the spare room that I have claimed as my "Witchy Room". I put a card with a picture of the Goddess Epona on it and some tall white candle sticks on it too. I'm very excited about my first real altar. I'm hoping to find some cool material and make my own altar cloth. I'm excited to change it around with the different seasons!

Last night was very special for me since it was my first ritual that I wrote! I hope that everyone had a happy full moon esbat too!
Blessed be,
Autumn

Today's Thoughts

Hi and Merry Meet,
I feel like this past week I have just fallen off the Earth.... my life has been so busy and full that I haven't had time to sit down!

I hope that everyone had a happy 4th of July. We sure did. My husband's coworker invited us to visit his family at his camp for the weekend. We had a great time! It was nice to hang out and relax. I have to admit that the fireworks show was spectacular! It went for over an hour and then when all was said and done, they would find more... it was a very prolonged final. I love it! We stuffed ourselves with Smores and even had a clam bake. Hubby and I enjoy this family a lot and it was a nice way to spend time together.

Tonight is the full moon, but there are no open circles in my area. That's ok, since I have some things I want to cleans and dedicated to my Craft use. It will also be a good opportunity for me to try writing my own Esbat. I admit I've been a bit dependent on books to help me so far. This past week I took a big step and wrote my first healing spell.

Writing my own rituals and spells is a very big deal to me. I've liked using the books for guidance and help, but I think it is time I stood on my own two feet and see what I can come up with. I am still very new at all this, but I feel like I have grown a lot recently. Medications are starting to get easier and I am able to relax more quickly into them than when I first tried. I know that in my daily life, I have become much more relaxed and peaceful. There is still a lot of stress, but I feel like I am handling it differently and not letting it get to me as much as I was.

Tonight might be cloudy and rainy... no outside Esbat for me.
Blessed be,
Autumn

Open Esbat

Hi and Merry Meet,
Tonight was the open full moon ritual that I was so excited to attend. After many phone calls to the shop to make sure that I had all the info that I needed I went.

I went early due to a few things. 1.) I am very OCD about being on time. 2.) the parking lot is very small and I wanted a space. 3.) I get nervous attending new things and so see 1. again.

It was a very small group and they all know each other really well. That's okay, because they were very welcoming! The High Priestess went though the whole ritual for me so that I'd know what to expect when we got to it.

Tonight was about gifts. What gift of myself can I give to the Goddess? We each chose a word that we meditated on. The word I chose was "grace". I took it to mean that I need more grace in my speech. I am quick to say and slow to think. I need to be slower in speech and quicker in my thinking. This is something that I can work on over the course of the next month.

I had a wonderful time and I would love to go back. It was a nice group of people and I felt good about asking when I didn't know something. I am also learning to ask for help or clarity when I need it.
Blessed be,
Autumn