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

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

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

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

Back To It!

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

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

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

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

Photos From This Week

Hi and Merry Meet,

Here are a few photos from my Japanese friend's trip to the states!

Niagara Falls with rainbow (on Mabon):The old hydro plant on the Canadian side. I just really like old bulidings that are no longer used for picts!:

Apple picking sign, let me know that I should only pick the red apples.... I thought this was really funny!: Yellow raspberries! I'd never seen them before... so sweet:Today we are off to a winery for some wine tasting and lunch. It has been a great week and soon I'll be back to regular updates! :)

Blessed be,

Autumn

Happy Mabon and Out of Town!

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

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

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

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

The Cave

Hi and Merry Meet,

Yesterday I was able to get a few of our vacation pictures up. I promised Mammoth Cave picts today. After posting, I realized that I only have two pictures of Mammoth Cave. I was not able to take great pictures inside, so we stopped taking the camera. They also have become very strict on what you are allowed to take into the cave now. We could not take the camera case, but the camera was ok. No purses, backpacks, or anything that the rangers could not see into. I have a clear plastic knitting bag and I have a feeling that it would have been ok to take that. I was bummed that I couldn't take my day pack, but I understand the reason behind it. In an effort to make sure that people are not carrying part of the cave home as a souvenir they have really cracked down on the rules. I'm glad because that means it will be there for future generations to enjoy!

While we were there I was so surprised at how many people also were there. When I visited Mammoth as a kid, it was not a popular park to go to. We were able to get on any tour, and they were not full of people. When my husband and I were on our honeymoon (6 years ago), it also was not very busy. This time.... BUSY!!! Most of the tours that we wanted to go on were sold out. We even tried to get onto tours the next day, and they were sold out! On one very selfish hand I was upset because I didn't get to go on the tours I wanted, but on the other not so selfish hand, I'm really glad because people are enjoy this wonderful natural resource that we have!

The one tour that we did get on was four hours long and talked about how people in the past had used the cave. I was so happy! The energy that is in that cave is so amazing. Earth is my element and being in that cave made me feel so connected! My husband just laughed every time I said "I just can't get over how beautiful it is." I think I said that I about 50 times in the first hour. Lucky him! :)

Another tour that we took was a tour history tour of the natural entrance. We were about an hour into the tour when the guide told us that we might have an extend tour due to the fact that a tornado was forming and could touch down while we were on tour. All the lights in the cave are on the surface's grid, so if the surface power is out, the cave power is out. All rangers have several flashlights and very extensive training (I had to ask what it was... they told me the training is this: "remain claim and you are in charge"). Ah, I love government employee training! :)

The tornado did touch down, about 30 miles from us. We however got a thunder storm. It was so amazing! I love watching Mother Nature at work, but I hope that no one was hurt in the tornado or storm. We didn't hear anything other than that it had touched down. The only thing that we didn't enjoy was setting up our tent in the rain!

So, here are my photos that I did take:

This is the natural/historical entrance to the cave. You can walk down without a tour ticket, but you can only go about 100 feet before you come to the locked gate. Yes, they lock you in the cave when you are on the tours! This was taken after I walked into the cave looking out.

This is the waterfall (I really love waterfalls) that is spilling over the natural entrance to the cave. Today is Litha! I am excited to celebrate tonight. It will be my first Sabbat since my dedication. I hope you all have a wonderful Litha!

Blessed be,

Autumn

PS- Sorry that got kind of long! Wow, I had a lot to say about the cave! :)

Welcome Home!

Hi and Merry Meet,

We made it home safe and sound very late last night from our camping vacation. We had an amazing time. I loved being out in nature and just being able to appreciate it in all it's glory.

Our first stop was a week in Shenandoah National Park. This is one of our favorite national parks because it is so well cared for and the people who visit it really love it. I think it helps that it is not surrounded by lots of tourist towns and that you have to pay a fee to get into the park at all. One of the things we have noticed over our travels is that national parks that are near tourist towns and are free to enter are not as well respected or cared for. Shenandoah is amazing. We love to hike the trails and just see what kind of fun things come our way. Here are some of things we saw:

Deer are everywhere! We saw a lot of them during the week days where we were the only ones in the camp site. On the weekend, it was very noisy and so we didn't see them as much.

We saw the most amazing waterfalls. Here are two of them:

This one is Doyles Lower Falls on the Doyles River Trail.This one is not a "true" waterfall, but it was the rapids on the Rose River Trail.Here are some of the trails that we hiked:
This one is from the Pocosin Fire Road Trail. This one is part of the Rose River Trail. This is my favorite picture from our trip. It just says it all!

I have so many more shots that I could share but that would make this post really long! I'll put up the Mammoth Cave part next post.

Blessed be,

Autumn