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The Lady’s Blessings

May 14, 2013 in Guests, Hearth and Home, Uncategorized

On Mother’s Day I was thinking about the women who have influenced my life over the years, of course my own Mom, and also other Mothers, Aunties, Granma’s, friends and mentors along my journey. There are a few who helped bring huge changes to my life, and I would like to share a few stories in honour of the Divine Feminine that touches every person.

My Mom was gracious and married late in life, my parents adopted a toddler and decided to take on another baby boy and went to a different orphanage in Scotland. I was 6 weeks old and had arrived the day before their visit, I’d been 4lbs 2oz at birth and was up to 7lbs by then, though I must have been tiny because my Mom to be thought I was a doll at first. She was horrified that such a “wee babe” was in the children’s home, and felt compelled to see me properly, that was the beginning of our relationship in this life. My parents immigrated to Canada when I was 4, my Dad got work but Mom didn’t even though she had a doctorate degree. She ended up assisting my father who was also a professor, transforming his research notes into papers for scientific journals, meticulously drawing all the strange microscopic creatures, I marvelled at her skill. Mom had been one of the first female Professors at Berkley University in the 1940’s, then returned to Scotland to be with her family and began doing research on animal pathogens at Edinburgh University before she married. My Mother had been financially independent before we immigrated, she never made a cent from the work she did to support my father, and it was something that wasn’t talked about.

I was around 7 when we were in a car accident that left her permanently injured, somehow I fell  into the floor space behind the front seats and the car crumpled around me, Mom wasn’t so lucky. Her life became filled with pain, Dr’s appointments, procedures, physio, endless meds etc. she changed from a social person to a shut in. I took on the house chores and began to resent that I was expected to, Mom and I always seemed to be bickering and arguing, there was more disapproval than support, we didn’t do activities together anymore, and I missed the Mother I had before the accident. As the years passed our conflicts grew more serious, by the time I was 12 the whole family unit was in crisis and falling apart. I left home at the first opportunity that presented itself and dissolved all ties; it took me until my mid 20’s to connect again.

My Mom and I sat down and had a very honest, difficult and painful conversation, we both cried and apologized for our hurtful words and behaviour towards each other in the past. I understood that she had also been hurting, scared and frustrated, and we were able to mend our relationship. My Mom passed when I was 27; we had a lengthy phone call the day before, sharing our life experiences, laughing and appreciating our connection. I love you.

When I was a girl women from our church would show up and whisk me away for an afternoon or weekend, they brought meals and baking for my family. I learned to knit bandages to hymns, a kind of magic in itself, we made old cards into baskets, I discovered the mystery of suspending fruit in gelatine, that washing machines were useful for cleaning baby dills before pickling and how baking soda and lemon juice cleaned just about everything. Daisy, Edna, Beda, Cathy, Granma Taylor thank you!

Kate and I sat outside the office of the women’s transition house one stormy night. Her first words were “Do I look as bad as you?” I replied “I hope it looks better that it feels!” we grinned and became allies. Our friendship grew, we talked about our dreams, how next time we would break the cycle, we knew we didn’t deserve abuse. That was so long ago, we have both learned the difference between love and cruelty, and discovered self love in the reflection of each other. Kate you are precious!

Sheila and I met at a women activists group, and we were tired of marching and holding signs in the sun, wind and rain! We mimicked the parody of politics and transformed it into street theatre; we were fabulous together and even got on the news. Your hug is as big as the Universe my beloved Auntie, Wise One, Mother all wrapped in one. When I am an old woman may I be as spry and have a sense of humor like you, you are the beautiful sound of laughter.

My birth mother Valerie, there was no mistaking I am your child; I saw my face reflected in yours for the first time and knew my beginnings. We walked together for a time, you told me of my ancestors, how they once served the Lady, the gifts of our blood. Your love touched me, thank you for carrying me into this life.

Today I am surrounded with beautiful, strong, creative women, I love my HPS and her family as if they were blood kin, and we are a family of choice. I have bonded with my inner circle and we are only one tree in a grove of many others, and we are all connected. The Goddess touches us through our mothers, grandmas, sisters, aunties, female friends and she is also found within every man and boy, her reflection is found within you and in eyes of others. Did you realize the Lady blesses the world through you? Just something to think about

Abundant Blessings

Dawne

 

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Self Centering

April 30, 2013 in Guests, Hearth and Home, Pagan Spirituality, Uncategorized

This past week has been a lesson in Self Centering for me. Sometimes the lines between being “of service” and being expected to do something can look similar on the outside, yet they are very different energies on an inner level.  When does helping turn into a disservice to others?

My big clues were that I was beginning to feel resentful and angry towards some people in my life circles, I’m usually a down to earth, level headed kind of gal, I have an easy going nature, and generally have a positive outlook on life.  When bitterness creeps in I know something is very unbalanced and I need to take a good look at where the roots of these feelings originate. It’s not a pleasant or easy process to dig through the stuff, fortunately I am blessed to have a counsellor who is not connected to my life in any other way, and she provides a non partisan view that helps me out a lot.

Exploring the layers of emotion I realised that a pattern had formed, and that there were two parties involved, my conflicted self and the persons related to the issues. For an event to recur all the participants need to agree on some level to keep it going, the scenery and the players may change yet the general theme becomes persistent, it may play out in a hundred versions until you notice what’s happening. For me, the production goes like this. Someone asks for my assistance, I like to be helpful so provide the help, the first time I don’t expect compensation because it’s time freely given. The person asks if I can lend a hand again and promises to pay when some money comes in, I oblige because I think everyone deserves a break. The same individual requests me to help out again, often has not compensated me for my time and effort and continues to promise to pay at a later date, I say okay. This continues on, the help becomes expected or the person feels entitled to it, I have conditioned myself to keep repeating and the other person to have expectations.

I acknowledge this awareness is part of my personal growth and it can be tricky to really see what is happening, blaming others doesn’t work, what am I doing that contributes to the cycle? I got to thinking how the Goddess is the Mother of all, and how her law is love; the only thing she asks is for me to embrace what is best for my life, and to work towards creating the life I desire. So what is best for me?

Allowing people to take advantage because I feel empathy is in no way respecting me, it actually devalues my worth. My first step was to look at the areas of my life that were generating these feelings. One continual annoyance is around transportation issues, I don’t mind offering a ride depending on the circumstances; however it has morphed into an exercise in frustration on some levels. There are people who are regular passengers, in some cases for over three years, they promise payment whenever some money comes in. In time I do receive some money and am thankful, however the amount paid and the true cost of providing rides has no relationship and I am the one who absorbs the expenses. I decided to take my power back and stop this cycle by changing my behaviour, so I informed my regulars no gas money, no ride.  As you can imagine, I sure got some waves of resistance, everything from guilt trips, I was being unfair, I was preventing participation in events, it’s my job as a priestess, you are punishing me, its not my fault I am broke, you are driving there anyhow…yada, yada.

I did feel guilty and unhappy at first, and wondered if  I was being unnecessarily cruel towards these folks; the incoming responses really enforced that. When I felt really vulnerable to caving in, I let myself feel the emotions and recited the Charge of the Goddess, especially the part about “keep strong your highest ideal and strive ever towards it, let naught stop you nor turn you aside” it gave me courage and strength. I was able to close my eyes and meditate and I found what I needed within.

I understand it is not my responsibility to keep bailing people out, in fact by continually helping all I am doing is providing a band-aid; my actions keep the cycle repeating, and the resulting feelings of resentment at the expectations do have powerful potential to damage some friendships. I also know each person needs to learn how to manage their own resources whether financial or not. It’s also clear it’s all about choices, with taking the action of buying a product or participating in an event I am agreeing to the consequences of that act, even if it means peanut butter sandwiches are my staple food for a while.  If I know something like full moon ritual occurs every month, and that I need gas money, and it’s important for me to attend, what is my priority? What do I prefer, those takeout coffees or going to ritual? We all need to choose what is important to us personally.

You probably have heard the saying “The Universe Provides”, yes it does! However, if the Universe continually provides through the generosity and at the expense of other people, the scales are not in balance for the giver or the receiver. The out breath and in breath are both important to the continual flow of life, one cannot exist without the other, and so it is with all things. It’s good to take a look at your life and see what is working and what isn’t, and by honouring yourself you also honour the Gods.

May you all have a Blessed Beltane!

Dawne

 

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Shake your worries out!

April 2, 2013 in Guests, Hearth and Home, Pagan Family, Pagan Spirituality

I had the privilege of writing and forming my circle’s Ostara ritual this year, I do have to say it wasn’t the standard plant the seeds you have already chosen at Imbolc theme. We see the Lady and Lord as the Bright Maiden of Spring and the Divine Youth of the Sun at this time of year, they celebrate the new life sprouting and budding all around us. I really think of the fun and innocence of childhood at this season, it’s a time of beginnings, of promises we make to ourselves and each other. The world is waking up after a long sleep; the secrets and mysteries we discovered in the shadows of winter can now be looked at and appreciated in daylight. The world is filled with hopefulness and optimism for the future, plans are set in motion, the foundations to root, nurture and grow the seeds, projects, changes we want to make are ready.

Spring is a wonderful time, all the drabness of winter transforms into fresh green, bird songs fill the air again, insects return, the creatures of the forest are busy finding or making dens, even the eagles where I live are rebuilding or creating new nests. Every creature is preparing for the growing season, the sun entices us to be outdoors, subtle scents travel on the wind, breezes scatter blossoms, a feeling of excitement and potential just saturates the air.  It was this feeling I wanted to capture in our ritual, it is a good thing to have goals and plans, yet sometimes the work involved to create the future harvest feels and sometimes literally is a daunting task. I decided to focus on mirth and stress relief for our ritual, so we played the laughing game, basically the leader starts laughing and the next person has to laugh better than the previous one all the way round the circle. The second round involves laughing about a problem you are experiencing, the leader starts again, it goes something like this… “Ha! Ha! Ha!  It’s going to be another financially challenging month! He He He!”  The next person goes and so on, all are encouraged to laugh with each other, and it’s a fun way to release stress. During the third round people lie on the floor with heads together and create a laughing wave, it’s almost like chanting with a new laugh picking up while another is fading out. We were all literally rolling on the floor laughing! If you want to learn more about these techniques check out laughter yoga.

For our activity and working we made Bleggs, and we shook our worries out. A Bliss Egg is a fun version of a worry stone, it’s used to shake your worries away, and it just happens to be made with those plastic eggs that surround us at this time of year and a few magical ingredients that fit inside. My eggs had jingle bells for mirth, seeds to grow beyond your worries, googly eyes to see things from a different perspective, various words, stickers, small paper flowers for spring and foam happy faces inside. Our bleggs were empowered with a song and we literally shook our eggs and ourselves to shake our worries out. The idea is to shake the bliss egg whenever life feels more like a challenge than an adventure and to think of the qualities it holds.

I know some “fundamental” Pagans would be horrified at this ritual though there was the usual structure to it. I see the 8 Sabbats as times to celebrate, moon rituals are the time I do “serious” work, and our holy days are family friendly, that means I need to accommodate everyone from our youngest 7yr old to our beautiful grandmother crone.  I’m always delighted when our young participants offer to pass out the cakes and drink after they are blessed, it makes it a double blessing in my eyes, though some say it’s because they want to see how much is left over for later. (chuckle) Could be, it doesn’t matter, I just think its way cool that they want to be involved! You know how they say witches are born, some of us discover our truth, and some don’t. I think there be young witches among us!

If you are having challenges, remember to laugh and just blegg it!

My Blegg!

My Blegg!

Abundant Blessings

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Spring Ahead

March 19, 2013 in From the Hearth, Guests, Uncategorized

Here it comes again! Spring ahead, the resting season is over! I hear grumbling, some admittedly from myself, the clock goes forward; we are deprived of time in the morning. I’ve been noticing my thoughts about the time change and my reactions to it and I have to admit I have already adapted. When I wake the sun is rising, when my day is mostly done, there is still light at supper time, it’s a time of expansion and putting ideas into action.

I know there are big changes coming to my life this year, there are things I will be doing that seemed improbable if not impossible just 5 years ago. Looking back I see that the Powers that be were waiting for me to choose a direction, and commit to a path and I have been supported, loved and guided to where I am today.  At times it seems there are so many possibilities, almost too many options and each scenario has its own appeal and learning opportunities. Some options aren’t as appealing when you dig below the surface, and it may seem like it was an illusion of some sort, a kind of glamour spell and you might even shake your head wondering just what was I thinking?  I like wearing rosy glasses, they keep me optimistic, but sometimes you need to take them off, close your eyes and feel things out with your gut instincts!  When you know something isn’t right for you there is no denying it, if you pursue the project or experience you may just find a lot of resistance, you might find yourself rolling under the wave and scraping the sand instead of surfing with it. How many times have you said yes when all your being said no? This is an issue I still work on, I am getting better at saying no and at delegating instead of being super woman and I have found it helpful to have a map of where it is I truly want to go.

Gather a journal or notebook, a favorite pen, candle, incense offering, any instrumental or percussion music that makes you feel good and a place where you can just be without interruption. You may wish to put the candle and incense on your altar, or just near you. If you wish to smudge the area and or yourself do so, when you are ready close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing, not controlling it, just let it flow. Imagine your energy travelling down your body out through your feet down into the earth, let all concerns go to be transformed in the earth. Bring the molten core of Mother Earth up through your feet and through your head, let it cascade down your body like a fountain, energizing and centering your being.  Light the incense and offer it to your Deity of choice, say something like “Blessed Goddess I offer this sweetness to honour your wisdom, I invite you to join me in this quest” Or use whatever words work for you.

Now light the candle and say “From shadow to light, from tales to truth, from doubt to trust, from fear to faith I see clearly and know my heart and will” Sit down and think of your values, what is important to you?  What do you need for your happiness and to feel complete? Write down your ideals in simple terms. Now take a few deep breaths and center again. Again say “From shadow to light, from tales to truth, from doubt to trust, from fear to faith I see clearly and know my heart and will” Think about the ways your values are reflected in your life, write these down too. When you are finished, breathe, center and repeat the chant “From…”  Look at your words; are you happy with the way your ethics and values are reflected in your life?  What would you change? What would you keep the same?

Ground and center again. Think about this exploration and pick one thing you wish to change. What could you begin to do to make this change happen in your life?  Start with something easy that doesn’t require huge amounts of energy and write down what your intention is.  For example if your value is helping others, what could you do to help someone else this week? Could you cook a meal, volunteer at a food bank, babysit, drive someone to an appointment etc.?  Remember to add the date; it helps you to keep track of what you are working on next time you do this exercise.

When you are actively working on creating change the Universe supports you to do so, I think sometimes our energies can be so scattered in so many directions that energy can dissipate, it makes more sense to focus or direct energy towards one thing at a time, kind of the sun through the magnifying glass effect. Those of you who have studied mindfulness already are familiar with this concept; basically it means being fully present in whatever activity you are doing in the moment.  When you wash dishes, think about washing dishes, experience the water, soap, the motion of cleaning, how the dishes feel etc.  I know everyone talks about multi-tasking these days, and we pride ourselves on how efficient we are at it-sometimes more is less!

If you need some motivation to work on the changes you wish to create review the writing, I also have a little chant I say when I’m dragging my heels, it might help you too! “Thought to word, word to action, action to practise brings satisfaction!”

The Equinox is very near, so Happy Ostara all!  Spring ahead with passion and blossom into the beautiful being you are and that the world welcomes!

Abundant Blessings!

Dawne

 

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Adjusting Our Tradition…

March 14, 2013 in Everyday Magick, Guests

We are just about a week out from Ostara. Granted, when I look out my kitchen window in the morning, I see nothing but a blanket of white yet… but Spring is on its way. It will be here, even though right now, it surly don’t feel like we are ever going to see it.

Either way, Ostara is in about a week. My daughter is three now. The last couple of years we really didn’t do much other than balance eggs on their end on the Equinox. That has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember. You go and dig the eggs out of the fridge and try to balance them on the pointy end. One is only supposed to be able to balance the eggs on the first day of spring. We have never tried it any other day of the year; I realize, it should be able to be done of the autumn equinox as well…. but this is a spring tradition.

Picture is from 2012 "egg-balancing" on the equinox.

Picture is from 2012 “egg-balancing” on the equinox.

Like I said, my daughter is three. I want to start incorporating traditions for her into our Ostara celebration. Let’s be honest, until this year… I was doing all the motions, but it was for me so I could take picture of her. This year is going to be so different, at least I hope!

Now, growing up… I was raised Roman Catholic. Obviously then, I celebrated Easter with my family, and we had the “Easter Bunny” come to our house. It wasn’t until I was much older and beginning as a newbie that I realized the significance of the “Easter Bunny” in relation to being a Pagan. I liked the symbolism of egg hunts in regards to Osiris and Isis and the story of their love. I enjoyed the symbolism of  the sun and moon with the eggs.  Then again, eggs and rabbits go hand in hand with the spirit of the season (fertility anyone?).

This has brought me to my current feelings, as it stands. My child is going to have an “Easter Bunny”, but we are reverting back to the original spelling of Eastre for our visiting bunny. (Partly, I am doing this because our house isn’t totally out of the “broom closet” with all aspects of our family. We just aren’t ready to deal with some of them yet.)  I want my daughter to associate the bunny for what it was meant to be and represent to us as Pagans.  Granted, I am not going to be explaining to a 3 year old the significance of a bunny in regards to all the aspects with fertility, but I firmly believe that I want her to associate the bunny with the holiday it was meant for. Besides that, even as a Christian raised child, I enjoyed the mystery of the bunny. Why wouldn’t I want that for her? I want her to experience the wonderment and joy of searching for colored eggs in and around our home and a basket of goodies. I will take her on an egg hunt this year as well, hopefully I can find a children’s book about the love story of Isis and Osiris to read to her as well, otherwise I will be doing my best rendition of the story as I can remember it. (this would be the time for me to say that if any of you know of one published, please contact me…)

So as we creep ever closer to Ostara, my daughter and I will start doing more and more art projects with the theme of eggs and spring. I will be doing my best to try and teach her what Ostara means to us. My only hope is that she has fun, the rest will come with time, and I know that. =)

To each and everyone of you… May you have a very blessed Ostara and a wonderful year of abundance ahead!

 

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Just be yourself, deer

March 5, 2013 in Guests, Hearth and Home

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMarch came in like a lamb where I live on Central Vancouver Island, I was puttering around the garden on the weekend and see that many herbs did indeed survive the winter and are beginning to bud, some even have leaves. I am so happy that the sage survived, the lavandula is growing and all the various mints, peppermint, chocolate mint, catmint aka catnip are growing again. I also see life in the rosemary plants, oregano, bee balm and my bay laurel tree is budding. Last year was a bit of an experiment for me, discovering what the deer eat, and what they stay away from; I don’t use fences because I live on the edge of a park, and grow herbs and plants organically.  I have tried almost every kind of hanging deterrent from bottles, to bells, to cloth strips, without much success. Then I got the idea of building cages around the plants using wild berry vines and other prickly plants, did it work? No! Somehow they were able to reach underneath and grab the whole plant, so then instead of nibbled tops, the whole stem, root, bud and flower were missing. Then again, it could have been the racoons, ferrets, wood chucks or some other creature I haven’t seen! I did try companion planting; it works for insects, not so much for other creatures.  I do accept the deer were there long before I moved in, and if anything I am the one encroaching on their habitat. I always grow a patch of herbs, flowers, etc. and dedicate it to the nature spirits, meaning I don’t personally harvest anything from it, though I do tend it. It’s my way of saying thank you for looking out for the growing things that benefit my life, and an offering for local wildlife to partake of freely.

I attempt to see things from the deer perspective, to get into their mind, some would call it shape shifting in a very broad sense of the meaning. I think of the deer and imagine myself being a deer and what life might look like from that perspective. There is lots of food in the forest, and I can picture coming up the deer trail into our yard, I know that sometimes these humans throw apples down to me, and like to watch me eat. I don’t understand why some food they give and other food they try to protect. I enjoyed my forest fare, then I discovered new plants with crunchy leaves and yummy flowers and berries growing on the ground instead of bushes. Those humans do strange things, they hang weird stuff around the food, some of them scared me at first, but when I discovered it was not alive it made no difference. Strange how they decorate their food like that! They even surrounded some plants with prickly sticks, those humans forget that I eat salmon berries off the vine in summer, my mother taught me how a long time ago!  Some of the plants they grow are crunchy and pleasing to me, they have different tastes than what I am used to, I don’t know why there are bitter plants beside the tasty ones, the foraging is so good either way!

Watching the deer reminds me that Spring Equinox is approaching, the bucks drop their antlers in spring, and the new ones begin to grow. The day of balance will soon arrive, with equal day and night periods, rebirth is everywhere. Flowers are blooming, grass needs mowing, seeds are ready to be planted or already growing in green houses, birds begin nesting, the insects return. I see Ostara as a time to examine the balance in my life, the seeds for projects, goals, intentions have already been chosen, now it’s time to plant and nurture those kernels in the warm fertile soil, literally and figuratively. Ostara is a time for me to look for the insights that I discovered in the darkness of winter. I like to look over my journal and see what was going on over the winter, what was I learning, studying? What were my intentions? How did the moon phase affect me and did the astrological influence play any part in my journey? Are there dreams I wanted to pursue, things that seemed like a good idea at the time that didn’t pan out for whatever reason. Were there projects I wanted to start and nurture to completion throughout the coming year? Have I begun, or decided to focus on something else? Are all the elements of my life in balance, or is there too much earth, air, fire or water happening?

I love spring for the variety of life it offers, in nature every created thing is just being itself. The daffodil doesn’t feel inferior to a hyacinth, or better than it, they are both flowers with unique properties and celebrate the sun’s warmth with their own beautiful colours. Like the flowers we as humans all have our own unique beauty and traits, we all live within the seasons on general and personal levels. In spring, all the life around us explodes with colours, the blossoms are cheerful, and I feel that energy in the air around me. I think of that saying “Bloom where you are planted” In other words, see the beauty, know you are connected to all that is, flow with the patterns of growth that make up universal laws. Smell the flowers, bring them into your house, put a fresh bouquet or new plant on your altar, celebrate the bunnies, eggs, baby creatures, come into flower as you and enjoy the flourishing energy of abundance and fertility.

As for the deer, I know soon they will be bringing their fawns around to check out the garden at a later date, and it’s okay, they were here first!

Abundant Blessings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Middle of the Mundane…

February 28, 2013 in Everyday Magick, Guests

The end of February. I can honestly say that I am happy it is here, but at the same time… Can it be over with? Can we please have spring and the warmer weather that comes with it?

I am one of those people that suffers from “cabin fever”. I live in North-Central Wisconsin. Right now, we have a good 18-20 inches of snow on the ground. I have 4-5 foot snow banks lining my yard. To go outside and do anything seems to require a ton of effort. Just to go out and get my mail in the afternoon requires boots, jacket, hat, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I love the winter and being able to go sledding and snowshoeing on warm days….but…

This brings me to to my magical life. I don’t have the energy, or maybe it is ambition? I don’t know what you want to call it, I just don’t have it right now. It is so bad, honestly, the thought of doing anything with regards to the Full Moon seemed like a lot of work. I know it all has to do with the “cabin fever”. If you look at the time of year… really, it is kind of a dead time. The earth is still sound slumber awaiting the arrival of warmer weather (at least by me it is) which won’t be here until closer to the equinox or later, which most likely will be later. I won’t get a chance to work in the gardens around my house until at least mid to end of April. That is a lot of time yet! It is no wonder that one can get so discouraged this time of year. At least in the summer months between Sabbats, one has other yard work that can be attended to.

As I sat and thought about this, I needed to reprogram my train of thought. Instead of focusing on what I couldn’t do and how much I wanted the warmer weather to be here. I decided that this was the perfect time to work on me. When I say “me”, I mean the inner me. My spiritual self needed time to rest as well, and with all of this negative thinking I had going on, I wasn’t doing myself any justice.

I started making a point to sit down and meditate. Now, that normally wouldn’t be a problem for anyone, but I was having an issue. I needed to force myself. I meditated on being at peace with myself. I wanted to feel comfortable in my skin that was itching for warmer weather and for all of this snow to be gone.

I found in the first couple of days, I felt much better about just myself in general. I started to see things in a more positive light. The biggest notice I saw in myself was that I was starting to see the subtle signs in nature that spring was really not that far away. The buds on the trees were starting to pop out a little bit more. The birds were singing, where I don’t remember hearing any birds making much of a noise at all in January. The sun was indeed poking out of the horizon in the morning a bit earlier, and just the same, lasting a bit longer in the sky in the afternoons.

I realized it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it was, I just needed to change my perspective and do a little bit of work on the inside, to notice positive things on the outside. )O(

 

 

 

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Musing with the Moon

February 19, 2013 in Guests, Hearth and Home, Pagan Spirituality, Uncategorized

This week I want to talk about the moon. If you follow moon rhythms you probably have noticed there are 13 moons in our calendar year, and that each cycle is 28 days, is it a coincidence that a woman’s ideal reproductive cycle is 28 days as well? I don’t think so, that is one of the reasons why many women relate so strongly to moon energies, our bodies change to her rhythm, and in many Pagan traditions the moon is seen in the maiden, mother, crone aspect. Today’s calendar has 11 months of 30-31 days, February is 28-29 days, and it’s always being worked on to fit the linear pattern! Not surprisingly, this means that some calendar months have 2 identical moon cycles, and so the need for identifying and naming these times arose…

Lets start with the basics, what is a Waxing Moon? This simply means the moon is in an expansion phase, it changes from the crescent we associate with the maiden aspect and rounds out into the circle of the full moon. The waxing phase is about growth, potential, planting seeds, ideas, thoughts, focusing intent to create something you desire, its associated with beginnings, and the Maiden Goddess, Diana is an example, in the men’s mysteries a divine youth fulfills the role.

The flip side is Waning, it means the moon has past its fullest point (full moon) and is now decreasing in size as it moves towards the crone crescent to dark moon. The moon looks like it is shrinking, and the energy is about letting go of what isn’t working, whether it be weight loss, unhealthy choices, debt, the gradual unwinding of complicated issues, or untangling yourself from relationships, it’s generally a slow kind of energy, think of Fall. The first 3-7 days of this waning cycle are considered to be very potent, known as the Disseminating Moon, use this time when there is no point in continuing on a path, something needs to stop now, period. Some examples would be to banish addiction, self defeating behaviours, or health issues.

The New Moon is sometimes called the Dark Moon, it occurs between the waning and waxing phases, you look into the night sky and the moon is hidden. The moon is shrouded in mystery and for that reason its associated with the crone who is the keeper of life mysteries, she holds the keys to life, death and rebirth. I see this phase as a kind of winter time, similar to when the land is sleeping, life is hidden. It’s an excellent time to just relax and pamper yourself, and to explore past lives, the mysteries, and do all forms of divination. For men’s mysteries, wise, mature, rulers of their realm, like old Merlin could work.

Have you heard the term Black Moon? It means there are two new/dark moons in a calendar month, the second new moon is called the black moon.

The Full Moon is when the moon’s energy peaks, she has reached her zenith and is the full abundant joyful bright orb that lights our path at night. The night air is full of magic, her power moves the tides in our outer worlds and swirls our blood within. Full moon is a time for ritual, to join up with our spiritual brothers and sisters, to invite the Goddess and God into circle, to draw down the moon, recite The Charge of the Goddess and God, to do workings, raise energy, and to ask for what we need. It’s also a great time to do group workings like sending healing energy to our planet, because all energy is amplified on this night. Full moon is like the harvest, the work we began during the first crescent of the waxing phase is complete, it’s time to honour the Gods, to feast, dance, share our gifts, give tribute to the Goddess who is in all things. All Mother Goddesses are appropriate, and for men a father like god, such as Dagda would relate.

When there are two full moons in a month, the second full moon is called a Blue Moon.

You also may have heard of the True Blue Moon, it’s actually more about seasons than calendar months, it happens when there are 4 full moons during a season, the “true blue” is the 3rd full moon. From what I’ve discovered it crops up at about 2 year intervals.

When you hear someone say the moon is Void of Course, it means she is in a resting phase between the end of one astrological cycle and the beginning of the next. The actual time frame can vary from a few minutes to as long as 48 hours, the moon rests and so do we. You might notice that computers, electronics, plans, communications, even  your thinking process is muddled, in a light mercury retrograde kind of fashion.

A Lunar Eclipse is when the sun, earth and moon are in alignment, with the earth in the middle, and the moon behind our planet, a kind of celestial sandwich! The only time this happens is on a full moon night and it can be seen from any point on the earth under the shadow of night, lunar eclipses last longer than solar ones, and you don’t need protective eye wear! It’s thought that the sun and moon energies are in perfect balance during an eclipse, a strong, potent, unusual energy that can be harnessed for bringing what seems impossible into manifestation.

I bet you have heard the word lunatic or moon madness. I personally believe it was originally a sacred state brought on through drumming, trance, dancing, herb mixes, etc. all ways that fall under the 8 paths of power. When new political and religious practises became the norm, witnessing the  celebrations of Pagan folk might indeed seem like madness to those unfamiliar with it. As for me, I’m a happy lunatic!

Until next time, Abundant Blessings

 

 

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The Krewe of Brid

January 30, 2013 in Guests

Brigid's Fern

A subtropical Brigid’s Cross, made from a fern by the author.

In New Orleans, celebrations of Imbolc (or Oimelc or Candlemas or Groundhog’s Day or whatever you prefer to call it) inevitably get tangled up in our Carnival season. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

Carnival starts here on Twelfth Night, which we reckon as January 6. Celebrations continue for weeks on end, building to a climactic finale on Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras. The date of Mardi Gras varies, but it’s easy to calculate. It’s 40 days, not counting Sundays, before the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Simple, right? Another method: Mardi Gras is always the day before Ash Wednesday. That means the earliest Mardi Gras can occur is February 3, but it can be as late as March 9.

Thus Imbolc always lands somewhere in the Carnival season. Our Carnival celebrations take many shapes, but the preeminent form is without question the parade. New Orleanians love to parade and will do so at the drop of a hat. Carnival parades come in all sizes, from teensy impromptu foot parades to second lines to full-on gigantic all-day-suckers with motorized floats and copious amounts of pomp and spectacle. The vibe ranges from downright raunchy to upper-crust snooty. A festive atmosphere pervades, and there truly is something for everyone.

Established parading clubs are called krewes, and some of them go back well over a century. Many of krewes embrace esoteric, magical, and mythological themes. Yet none resonate so well with the seasonal celebration of Imbolc as a relative newcomer, the Krewe of Brid.

Brid (or Bríd) is of course just one way to spell the name of the ancient Celtic triple goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft. Other spellings include Bride, Brigid, Brigit, Bridget or Brighid. Many readers will be aware of the ancient connection between Brid and Imbolc. Imbolc is known as Brigid’s Day; it’s also the feast day of Saint Brigit of Kildare.

Krewe of Brid

Krewe of Brid banner from inaugural parade, New Orleans, 2008. Note triple spiral motif. Photo by Nicole Michel; used by permission.

The Krewe of Brid, then, is an organization of women taking the ancient goddess as their patron. They recognize three aspects of the goddess, sisters with the same name: Brid of the Forge, Brid of the Hearth, and Brid of the Spirit. According to krewe lore, these represent the archetypes of Warrior, Mother and Muse. Each year, the krewe selects three women from the community to be the Three Brids, and these three are given a place of honor in their annual parade.

One of the co-founders of the krewe is Mary Hogan, a friend and a personal heroine of mine. I recently sat down with her to talk about the krewe and its origins. She told me that it began after New Orleans went under water in 2005.

“One of the original ideas, one of the sparks, was of course right after the flood, rebuilding a community of friends. Most of us, the original members, and certainly the first four or five women I brought together to talk about forming a club, we lost — well, we lost friends. Friends who had returned and changed their minds and left, or gutted and cleaned, or took care of an elderly parent or whatever, and left the city, friends who never came back. A couple of us actually lost a friend or two through death.”

That sense of loss continued well after the flood waters receded.

“And so here we were. December 2006. It’s like we were going through these little losses all over again, of losing our community, whether it was friends or the places where we’d run into each other. The grocery store wasn’t our neighborhood grocery store anymore. There was no neighborhood grocery store. There was hardly a neighborhood. So how could you go on Sunday morning to grab a gallon of milk and run into a buddy and have a conversation?

“The infrastructure of our human community was gone, so our human community was falling apart. And it was an excuse, it was a reason to get together and do things together and actively rebuild our community of women, our girlfriends.”

Mary also cited some “really unthinking comments” made by Warren Riley, who was chief of police at the time. This gets into Carnival politics and neighborhood politics, so bear with me.

There used to be lots of Carnival krewes that paraded in their own neighborhoods across the city. But over the years, most all the big krewes have moved to one part of town. They roll along what’s become known as the “Uptown parade route.” The exception is the biggest of all the superkrewes, Endymion, which still holds its massive parade in Mid-City. That’s the part of town where Mary and I both live.

After Katrina, Endymion was forced to move Uptown for a season. Our neighbors were not happy about this, and neither were the Uptowners, but we accepted it. We were all in a state of shock, as most of the city still lay in ruins. That Carnival was balm for the soul, a stirring assertion that we were still alive.

One year later, Mid-City was making progress, and we fully expected Endymion to return. To conserve resources, police tried to wrangle some Uptown krewes to the Mid-City route. This led to a kerfuffle and a power struggle, and some prominent people said uncharitable things. The mayor got involved. Ultimately it was decided that Endymion would go Uptown again. That’s when Warren Riley, Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, said it was a matter of public safety. “The Mid-City area, with all of the blight and with the abandoned houses, makes it a lot harder to control what’s going on,” Riley said. “We certainly wouldn’t want to see some kid getting pulled into some abandoned building.”

This was like salt in the wound for those of us who had returned to the devastated neighborhood and were doing our damnedest to rebuild. The message seemed to be: “You don’t wanna bring kids to Mid-City.” As Mary puts it, “We had not only brought our kids to Mid-City, we had actively and affirmatively decided to rebuild our houses and raise our children in Mid-City.”

The insult provided the extra impetus for forming the Krewe of Brid.

“So we said, OK, we’re going to have a marching club of all women. And we’re going to get together every month and have our little chatty things, and we’ll plan social and community service activities in between those monthly meetings. And we do. And we did. And it was good.”

Furthermore, Mary said, “We are about marching in a neighborhood. We will never march on the Uptown route. Or any other pre-established route. We purposely looked to the second lines and the other kinds of marching clubs for how do we go get a permit, who do we talk to. We looked for that model rather than trying to get into the Mardi Gras Task Force. We purposefully didn’t want to compete with [the big Carnival organizations], we didn’t want to deal with that, we wanted to have more fun than anxiety.”

It all makes intuitive sense to me: a krewe of women, honoring and celebrating women, in the name of an ancient goddess. It’s a perfect package deal. Nevertheless, I asked Mary: Why women?

P1120372.JPG

Brid of the Spirit 2008 Ashlye Keaton and Mary Hogan, High Priestess of Brid. Photo by Michael Homan; used by permission.

“I was at a stage in my life where I realized I had a really good cadre of female friends, which I only have had periodically in my life. So that was really in the forefront of my mind. I really was mourning losing some of those individuals. And as I started talking with girlfriends who were still in the city and having to make that particular effort to get together because we weren’t running into each other in the grocery store or whatever — all of that just kind of started simmering.

“Thinking about it from the perspective of men versus women, I think in part it was maybe a little selfish that we said OK, this is for women, and in part it was just a natural evolution. It was: We’re missing our girlfriends. We’re missing doing girl things. We’re missing talking about doing girl things.

The krewe is actually at the point now, seven years on, where men are being considered. One of the pieces of the current plan, assigned to one of the volunteer members, is to think through and decide how do to welcome men into the krewe.

“There are men who want to come and hang out and march and be members and etcetera,” Mary said. “Going forward, men are going to be an integral part of the club.”

That doesn’t mean the krewe will lose its focus on women. The krewe will change over time, but there are some key things future krewe leaders will remember when facing those changes.

“We are about women and family and things that are important to women. We’re all about women and their glorious variety and diversity. Men will be more formally recognized and involved in the krewe than they have been in the past. But still we’re about the community of women, the energy of women, what women do. The krewe is for women and the men who love them.”

Leslie & Jenny

Two members of Krewe of Brid in costume for the 2008 theme: Pothole Patrol. If you’ve driven on the streets of New Orleans, you understand. Photo by the author.

Since the krewe always marches around the time of Imbolc, I was curious to know if Brid was selected as patron specifically to capitalize on this correspondence. Turns out it was coincidence.

“No, that was just a serendipity,” Mary told me. She further explained that she was the one charged with finding the right goddess. “I had a list of instuctions, and the first instruction was flood. We’re looking for water themes, home themes, rebuilding themes. The next was women. Rebuilding, women, family, flood, women.” With those main themes, she first investigated Polynesian pantheons. “We knew we did not want Greek, Roman. Those are all taken, let’s not even bother to look it up. So I started actually looking Polynesian, Caribbean, and there were a couple of goddesses — well, Pele was one. But fire is such an element. Fire, volcanoes, etcetera. Nothing was resonating.”

She changed tack and started investigating the history of her neighborhood, which lies right at the border between Mid-City and Lakeview.

“What’s the history of Lakeview? And then I’ll look at the history of Mid-City, I’ll look at the history of City Park, somewhere in there will be a spark of inspiration. Well of course, it was a duh moment. I think I did literally hit my forehead.

“So the New Basin Canal was being built. Who’s digging the New Basin Canal? Indians, slaves and Irish. Irish! Duh! Major, major immigrant group for New Orleans. Go look at Irish mythology.”

The New Basin Canal was constructed in the 1830s and 1840s. Workers had a tough time in the swampy area. It was deemed too expensive to subject slaves to the risk of yellow fever. Therefore most of the work was done by Irish immigrants.

“We’re all mutts of one kind or another anyway, we’re all immigrants. Potato famine years, etcetera, women were following their men or leading their men or leaving their families and going off on their own, emigrating from what they knew, from everything they knew, all the community they knew, and going to a new place to build a new community. OK, so we’re here already, and we’re re-building. It was that instant, that was the aha duh moment.”

Mary started looking through the mythology of Ireland. She found Brid and said, “I like this. It’s every aspect of womanhood, and as I dug a little bit deeper I found the interpretation of the talents or skills. So that was it. Pretty much once I found Brid it all started falling into place.”

A footnote: The Krewe of Brid did not roll in 2012 and is not rolling in 2013, more’s the pity. “It’s not rolling this year, no,” Mary told me. “My excuse is that we’re an all-volunteer organization, and I’m the main culprit. But we have a plan in place to revitalize, and it’s a matter of executing the plan, which we’re working on.” I wholeheartedly hope that in 2014 I will get to see Brid again — all three of Her.

Furthermore:

  • Official website for Krewe of Brid (not quite up-to-date)
  • More on Brigid from The Ancient Art of Enchanting the Landscape (hat tip to Nicole Youngman)
  • A mix of songs for Imbolc. From Celtic folk to Italian metal, this is eclectic mix I scrounged together myself — hope you enjoy it.
  • If you have ever wondered about how ancient goddesses like Brigid became syncretized with Christian saints like St. Brigit, I highly recommend Pamela Berger’s book, The Goddess Obscured. It’s clear, concise for an academic tome, well-researched, authoritative and absolutely fascinating.

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Yuletide Blessings

December 20, 2012 in Everyday Magick, Guests

The Winter Solstice is nearly here and, all around me, the world is shimmering with an unearthly radiance.  The light is returning.  I can feel it warming my soul and bringing with it the promise of renewed life.  As if on cue, the weather here in the Northeast has turned from mild and foggy days to crisp clear days with a biting wind.  The Yule tree is in its stand draped with hundreds of twinkling white lights, like little stars hiding among the braches.  Fresh evergreens and holly fill vases in every room of the house, the scent of pine at every turn.  The Yule log is ready for lighting after sundown tonight, its bayberry tapers and festive greenery the focal point of our Winter Solstice altar.

 

And now I wait.  Weather permitting, tonight I will hold vigil through the cold darkness for the return of the Sun.  Last year’s Yule log will be set ablaze in the patio firepit while this year’s Yule log will be aglow bringing the Sun’s life-giving light and warmth to my home.  I will wait to see those first golden rays peak over the horizon, heralding the Sun’s rebirth.  Should it rain, I will hold my vigil by an East-facing window and still head outdoors as the sky begins to lighten, knowing that somewhere behind those clouds are the rays of new life, of hope, and of comforting warmth. 

 

As I await the Sun’s triumphant return, I will contemplate what wonderful things the coming turn of the wheel holds for me.  Winter is my personal time to retreat into my creative self.  The ever lengthening days of January will find me writing more, finishing that book I’ve been working on and starting the one that is sprouting in a stenographer’s notebook, planning gardens and researching more organic growing methods, concocting recipes that perhaps will become family favorites to be passed down in the family, and devouring every book in my path.  Being with my own thoughts is rest for me.  So, as the Sun returns this Yule, I will be looking forward to my “rest”.  The return of the light brings me hope and belief in the wonderful possibilities for this world and all in it.  I am hopeful that better days are ahead of us, filled with peace, prosperity, healing, equality, and fairness.

 

When the hustle and bustle of the holiday season wanes, I will be ready to settle in for a long Winter’s nap.  I wish you all bright Yuletide Blessings.  May the returning light shine upon you, illuminating your path and your life.  May the Sun energize you with the spark of creativity and bring your dreams to fruition.  May its warmth surround you in comfort.  May you be filled with the light and warmth of hope.  Blessed Be!

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