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On the Road

August 13, 2012 in Sage & Scourge

I never used to be bothered by flying. Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing a lot of it lately, but it’s becoming harder and harder for me to sit back, relax, and not think about the thousands of feet of nothingness between me and solid ground.

As I’ve mentioned before, the love of my life, my curmudgeonly Wiccan, is a musican. He travels for three or four months out of the year. This is hard on both our relationship and on our coven. We all sort of mope around all summer while he’s away. And while life and ritual march on, his abscence is constantly felt.

I’m lucky enough that my day job allows me to have vacation time to go and join him on his travels intermittantly throughout the whole trip. A month ago I went to New York to join him at Sirius Rising, and now I find myself in Kenosha, Wisconsin for the Bristol Renaissance Fair. From here we are traveling to Indianapolis (of all places) for Gen Con, America’s largest gaming convention. Neither of us are gamers, but the convention hires him to play music and gives him an opportunity to do workshops on Blythe Dolls, which he customizes. And best of all, one of the perks is a five star hotel room. Of course, it’s still in Indianapolis, but when I can lounge around a five star hotel room and have access to some of the best costumers in America at the same time, I’m sold. (No hard feelings, Indiana readers, but I’m originally from Ohio, so when I go on vacation, Indianapolis is not the first place on my list of places to go).

So anyway, I find myself flying a lot.

It’s also a possibility that as I’ve gotten older, my mortality has become more and more apparent to me. When I’m sitting in those itty bitty airline seats, clutching the arm rests and having extreme doubts about the pilot’s abilities, I’ve realized that flying is not the joy that is used to be for me.

I also realized that the curmudgeonly Wiccan has rubbed off on me a lot this trip. This last flight that I was on was neverendingly horrible. I had to fly from Charlotte NC to Chicago and there were many storms that the plane had to fly through. I finally started running through our very codified Wiccan ritual in my head. Once I had called the Quarters and had a circle in my mind, I felt infinitely better.

And then my mind started to wander…if you’re between the worlds when you’re in circle, are you doubly between the worlds when you’re in Circle and in an airplane? What do the elementals think of these things? Are there Elementals of airplanes? It was probably at that point that I had realized that I had lost my mind, but at least I felt better.

It made me start to think about what other Pagans do when they travel: Do you have rituals for flying or road trips? Do you take a traveling altar with you?

One of the best Yule vigils I ever held was during full moon  on an all night roadtrip with my Pirates. We had some of the best conversations that I’ve ever had  about what that vigil was for and what we had been thinking about in relation to that holiday. After it was over, we realized that the trip itself had made us keep vigil in a much more intimate manner than we had ever managed in the past.

Traveling always changes my perspective about many of my practices. When I start thinking about how to modify and substitute to continue with my daily practices while I’m on the road, all the things that I take for granted become much more apparent.

Safe travels to anyone who is in the same situation as I am this week!

But in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy a blissful week of arguing with my curmudgeonly Wiccan in person once again…

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Capturing the Elements

April 13, 2011 in Guests

Here in Las Vegas, even on a moonless night the sky is bright with street lights and casino lights; even the quieter subdivisions seem ever-lit by porch lamps carelessly allowed to burn throughout the always active, constantly busy, nights.

In the two years I have been here I cannot remember seeing a single star.

Our house sits on the corner of two streets lined with little houses deep in the middle of a fairly large subdivision.  Our backyard consists of a cement slab, surrounded by pink rocks, three high cement walls and three dry, barren looking “trees.”

I miss my home.

In some ways, moving to the desert has given me a new appreciation of what Earth is, and what Fire is.  It has also reminded me of the importance of family, of spirit, and of how lonely it can be when you feel relentlessly cut-off from or out-of-balance with the elements.

And yet, it was here in this barren treeless valley that I decided it was time to live a pagan life with my children.  It was here that I decided I could no longer hide who and what I really am, and so it is here that I struggle to find new ways to appreciate the unseen and the untouchable, for myself and for my children.

It is spring.

Yet the only environmental indicators of such are the rapidly rising temperatures by day, and the sudden infatuation the boys in the neighborhood have, once again, with baseball.  Today, despite my determination against it, I actually had to turn on the air conditioner, and I have to admit, that even my Jayson seems to have caught baseball fever.   I, however, feel we have skipped Spring entirely and are already well into another, hot, endless summer.

Which brings me to the point of this article –

“How do you teach your children to recognize and internalize the signs of the seasons if you cannot recognize or internalize them yourself?”

That is the question I have been asking myself a lot lately – and the other night, Grandmother Moon inspired in me, an answer.

“Find it,” she said, “find it and take a picture!”

So, that my friends’ is exactly what my children and I intend to do.  You’ve heard of, I’m sure, those photo-a-day challenges, or photo-every week- for a year challenges.  Well – we’re going to photograph the elements, every week, a few times a week, until we feel that we REALLY know them.   Whether it takes a few months, a few years, or a few decades – we are going to seek out and photograph the Elements, even, no- especially, when they seem no where to be found.

Yes – there will undoubtedly be the obvious: a photograph snapped of a flame for Fire, or a fountain for Water, maybe a bird caught mid-flight will represent Air and a rock for Earth; but as we explore and really seek out the Elementals, I’m hoping to see photographs of more discreet representations – Water represented by Old Age, or Air represented by Intellect or Inspiration; a photograph of a young child or the strength of muscular man to represent Earth and perhaps Fire will be represented by a simple snapshot of a newborn inhaling the breath of life for the very first time.

  • For myself, I take this challenge very… not seriously, but very deeply.  It is a challenge, to learn to see them where I have previously taken their presence for granted – to find them where they are not typically found.
  • For my oldest son, I wish to inspire him, to see the Elementals in their natural, obvious states, and to question them.  For every obvious photograph of Water, is there not also a representation of Fire?  Of Earth?  Of Air?  I seek to challenge him to see it, to feel them and to learn from them; to find balance in every manifestation.
  • For my younger children, including my oldest daughter – I wish simply to introduce them.  Just as we have walked 100 times before, physically touching and discovering the elements through nature walks and scavenger hunts – now through the eye of a camera, I wish them to discover the elements in things they cannot so easily touch or take with them; to find them in the bigger picture, and to find them within a smaller frame.

Now, instead, of a bag to bring home our treasures, we take with us our cameras and our field journals, and when we get home we can pull them up on the computer, discuss them, print them and create for ourselves our own private Book of Elements to grow with and to pass down through the generations.  And what a wonderful teaching tool it will be…

Blessings and Namaste,

Luhnna

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Pagan Pancakes

March 30, 2011 in Guests

Introducing children to the craeft can be tricky – especially when your children are very young.  The concepts of Goddess and God are particularly difficult to understand.  My parenting approach is very natural and intuitive, and I have found explaining traditional concepts of deity to my children to be frustrating and even counter-intuitive.  So, we have settled on a different approach.

My little ones are learning to honor and speak with deity by observing the seasons and communicating with the natural environment around them.  We turn to Grandmother Moon and Mother Earth, the Green Man and Father Sky.  When something goes missing, we call upon the Finder Fairies for help, and all of our children delight in leaving their shiniest white teeth as offerings for the Tooth Fairies.   Our children’s explorative and inquisitive natures have also made it easy to introduce the Elementals and the importance of balance and intention throughout our everyday routines; and one of our favorite ways to do this is by encouraging our children to help out at meal times.

Scott Cunningham wrote in his book Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen, that pancakes are linked with the two most important gifts of the earth – grain and milk; and are thus honored as highly magical foods.  It just so happens, that pancakes are also a favorite in our home and absolutely honored as highly magical foods.

The following recipe is a fun way to introduce and explore pagan concepts with your children.  It is written as we perform it – I hope you enjoy.

PAGAN PANCAKE BREAKFAST

The Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 c – whole wheat flour
  • 1 c – buttermilk
  • ¼ c – butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 tbsp – packed brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp – vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp – baking powder
  • ½ tsp – baking soda
  • ¼ tsp – salt

The How

  1. CLEANSE THE SPACE: We talk about the Elemental Water and the importance of clearing dirt, grime and negative energy from our space as we physically clean the area to be used for food preparation.
  2. GATHER AND COMBINE INGREDIENTS: As the kids help gather ingredients and read the recipe, we discuss the Elemental Air as related to intellect and creativity.  As they poor the ingredients into the mixing bowl and begin to mix them, we talk about what we are doing, what ingredients we are using and where they come from – the Elementals Earth and Water.
  3. *Beat egg in medium bowl with a hand beater until fluffy – then beat in remaining ingredients.
  4. VISUALIZE and FOCUS INTENTION: While mixing, we discuss the importance of infusing love and positive energy into our food as we prepare it.  We imagine a loving happy home, laughing and enjoying each other’s company, etc.  – this is truly their first real experience with spell work.
  5. HEAT GRIDDLE OR SKILLET and COOK: Our gas stove allows us to cook over an obvious flame, so it is easy to relate the cooking process to the Elemental Fire.  We also further discuss intentions as we inscribe the batter of each pancake with hearts, stars or other symbols to bless the food as it cooks.
  6. FLIP ‘EM and STACK ‘EM: Flipping the pancakes reveals hidden messages and pictures in the browned side of the pancake which is also a great way to introduce children to simple divination.  My kids LOVE taking turns interpreting the magical symbols.
  7. SERVE and EAT: When the pancakes are fully cooked and ready to serve, we again visit the subject of intention and visualization.  We take a moment with our hands over our plates above our food to direct and infuse the food we are about to consume with our own loving energies and to say thanks to Mother Earth and Father Sky for providing such a wonderful meal.  We butter and syrup our pancakes then dig in.

The End Result

One very happy family with children who are actively relating pagan concepts to their own actions, abilities and of course, delicious grounding sustenance.

Blessings,

Luhnna

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Imbolc: One Witch’s Way

February 3, 2011 in Guests

For as long as I can remember, I have approached life from a highly spiritual, earth-rooted perspective – even before I discovered the craeft, I was a green witch.

The truth is, who I am today as a proudly “outed” witch, is very much the same as who I have always been – the only real difference is that my perspective is clearer.  Thanks to the love and support of other pagans, I am no longer afraid to be who I am, and most importantly – I now have a framework of understanding and a vocabulary from which to communicate about it.  Since this year is really my first being 100% out of the broom closet, and the first for including my family in my magickal tradition, I am finding myself exercising this new vocabulary often.

What is Imbolc?

The question I have been asked most this past week is, “What is Imbolc?”  And I’ll be honest, this one has been a very hard one for me – harder perhaps, than it should be.  Even though I have celebrated Imbolc myself, every year for the past 7 years, I guess I just never really thought about how, as a green witch, I would define it.

As I may have mentioned in previous articles, either here or on Magick Mirror, I am not a very “deity-oriented” witch.  My path is a very “green” path – centered more about honoring Earth and communion with the Elementals than ritualistic practice or deity worship.  Yes – the Lord and Lady are very much a part of who I am as a witch and of my magickal workings, but the deity stories and specific rituals to which a particular God or Goddess is attributed, play very little a part in my actual craeft.  So, with traditional explanations of Imbolc being deity and worship heavy, I have had to dig deep within myself to decipher how those stories actually apply to our developing family tradition.  Here is what I have come up with:

An Elemental Approach:

Imbolc for us is a time of preparation and looking forward.  We look at Yule as a time for reflection, endings, and delighting in the promise of new beginnings – but Imbolc is our call to action.  We celebrate all the sabbats through observation and exploration of the seasons.  We honor the divine through active application at the Elemental level – with Imbolc there is no exception.  We take action through our understanding of the Elements – Earth, Air, Water and Fire.

EARTH

We recognize Mother Earth in her duality as both womb and tomb.  For Earth – winter is a time of stasis, of stillness and rest.  At Imbolc, she awakens, and we witness the stillness and decay of winter begin to shed as new life stirs within her womb – and just as that new life stirs within the earth as the cold winter begins to melt away and the promise of spring hangs in the air, new life within each of us stirs us toward the promise of new experiences to come, thresholds to be broken and new loves to be made.

We honor Earth in her duality by taking this time to purge ourselves and our home of all that is outgrown or unnecessary.  We slough off the decay and clutter of the years before and make room for the new ideas and experiences we feel stirring within to take hold.  We recognize Earth in ourselves as body and strength, and we use our Earth to take action, by:

  • Performing a deep, spring clean – physically cleaning, purging and purifying our home.
  • Physically cleaning, purging and purifying our bodies – be it as simple as having a reiki treatment or a day of pampering at a spa, or as complex as committing to a juice fast or other detox program to physically cleanse the system.
  • Getting outside – physically touching and working the earth, clearing away debris, turning the soil and making way for new life.  Participating in a community clean up or tree planting is always good practice for this time of year; and
  • Grounding meditation – for me this means taking time to actively reflect on my role as Earth to my family. I am Mother. Having brought forth my children from my womb – I am life giver, nurturer and strength for my children.  Meditation on my experiences with pregnancy and childbirth helps me to ground my emotions so I can understand and appreciate the role of the Earth elemental at Imbolc and the importance of Imbolc in the cycle of seasons.

AIR

We recognize Air as inspiration and intellect.  As cool crisp winds whip away the stagnation of winter on bright sunny days, we are awakened from our winter lethargy, and find ourselves motivated by the promise of what’s to come.  We honor Air with our positive intentions, and take action by:

  • Opening doors and windows – bringing fresh ideas in, and sending stale perceptions out.
  • Creating art and playing music – allowing inspiration to manifest in our hearts and home.
  • Working Air Magick – divining, casting spells and sending out intentions for peace and change in the world and in our individual lives; and by
  • Using our Intellect to create action plans that will aid us in meeting the goals and resolutions we have set for ourselves at Yule.

WATER

In the cold depths of winter, water is physically present mostly as ice and snow.  At Imbolc, as the ice begins to melt, movement is present and the quiet of winter stillness is lifted.  Melted snow and ice lead to rising waters and rushing rivers; and once foggy, iced over ponds provide crystal clear reflections of the world around them.

In our bodies, water is our emotion, our life blood and bodily fluids.  As such, Imbolc is often a time of increased emotion.  The icy, emotional numbness of winter is melting away and our emotions rise and rush just as the physical waters we observe on earth.  Imbolc is then, a time of rhythm and movement.  It is the time to look within, to feel deeply and to understand our inner voice.  We honor water as we utilize this time of increased emotion to fuel our intentions, wash away impurities and move us along our desired path; and we take action by:

  • Physically washing away impurities, both internally and externally as discussed before.
  • Incorporating physical movement and flow into our everyday actions, through yoga or dance.
  • Relinquishing emotional control – at least enough to allow our emotions to motivate us into positive action; and by
  • Taking time each day to reflect upon the rapidly changing emotions that come with the changing of seasons and releasing of fears; dream divining can also be an extremely insightful practice this time of year.

FIRE

At Imbolc we recognize Fire as Sun and seed.  The sun is returning, shining his light and brightening our dark winter.  Fire within us is seed – it is our life spark, just as fire is the seed and life that stirs within the earth.

Fire is our energy, our will and our passion for life; Fire is also love – particularly romantic love.  As the sun kisses the Earth to bring new life into being, so the spark in our personal relationships is also ignited – at Imbolc, we recognize a desire to honor or develop our relationships with loved ones, particularly our romantic relationships.

We honor Fire by recognizing its power and life giving energies; we take action by:

  • Bringing light and warmth into our homes – lighting candles, burning fires, opening blinds and so forth.
  • Expending energy in action – taking walks on sunny days, working out at the gym, or just generally approaching work and life with intensity of spirit.
  • Taking the first steps toward meeting our goals as outlined in our previously discussed action plans; and by
  • Honoring our loved ones – we celebrate Valentine’s Day and my husband and I re-commit ourselves to each other, taking time to rediscover ourselves as lovers rather than simply as the roles of being parents and workers, that we find so easy to get wrapped up in.

Imbolc for us is about taking action – it’s about waking up and moving forward; and it is one of my favorite times of year.  But this is just one witch’s way – I would love to hear about your Imbolc.  What stories or observances do you look to this time of year?  And how do you celebrate?  I’m looking forward to hearing from you –

Loves and Blessings – and Happy Imbolc,

Luhnna

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