Ok, well I just love the Michigan Renaissance Festival. Pretty much it is like one big Pagan Marketplace, every booth and store has something pagan. Anyways I got some great things. I went there with a set amount of money (very easy to whip out the credit cards there), and a shopping list. I am rebuilding my whole alter. Long story short, a few years ago I moved away and left all my stuff with my Mother, her boyfriends bible thumping sister burned it all in a effort to "cleans the house of the devil" when she found my stuff during a garage sale. Well she will or has already found out that karma is a B**ch!! So... back on subject, I got myself a broom, chalice and a ceramic jug for my waters I use for ritual, herbalism, and scrying. Tiffany, Meghan and I all got brooms. I choose all my tools on how they speak to me, though touch and feeling. When we went to the broom shop, I walked up to the brooms and I felt the need to go to the back, so as I walked in the back a broom caught my skirt and I turned and there it was! Its handle is a natural greenish color wood and all twisted. If you like my chalice and Jug (travel mug) you can see more of Paint Creek Pottery and purchase them here, also if your interested in these brooms by L&W Creations, you can contact the artist by email here. Here are some photos.
(Meghan, Me, Tiffany) (Me and my awesome twisted wood broom) (Meghan and her twisted wood broom, with the Goddess carved into it) (Tiffany and her Husband Ryan, and her twisted wood broom) (Tiffany and her Triple Moon Pentacle headpiece) (A close-up of the stoneware chalice and jug)
I always advise people to go to the Renaissance Fairs, you can find unique things for your alter, every day pagan needs, and just fun things in general. I will be going back in two weeks again with my Mother to get more things.
Ok well, most of the blogs I read have shown their gardens so far. Well my garden is a very sad thing. I planted last spring, and that was it! I have been so busy this summer plus with my injuries. In june I fractured my sacrum (bone holding spine, hips and pelvis), then once I was kinda healed and back to work I got a foot contusion (bone bruise). Ontop of those injuries, I had school with a crazy professor who thought this was grad school not undergrad entry level class. So, I am so very new to herbalism and learning my herbs, this is my first year of sorta gardening. So anyways here are some photos!
That is me, trying to clear the area for next years REAL garden
My Mom, see how tall those things are. I think they are vervain? Here is some more...
My Lavender, its really coming in nice!
The huge hibiscus! I will be drying those soon!
The roses, those also will be dried and also made into rose water!
The gigantic raspberry bush! Its working on its 3rd batch of berries! I love these, I want to plant a blackberry bush next to it in the spring in the hopes they might mate.
Last, but not least the mystery plant. I have no clue what it is. Anyone know?
So, I have learned to just keep my mouth shut. Now I am not making claims I can make things happen just by saying or suggesting it. But I have had 3 clear instances where this has happened.
First off. my best friend is named Tara, she is married to a man named Ryan (I wont write about my feelings on him) and has a 2 years old son named Gabriel. Ok, so back in August of 2005, I was moving out to Milwaukee, WI for a contract photographer position with my ex Bruce and his 3 children (Brett, Brandan and Hanna). So Tara was just acting off. I looked at her and pronounced that she was pregnant! She told me I was insane and my witchy ways have gone to my head. Low and behold 9 months later she was going though labor and poof Gabriel was here! So about a month ago, we are on our way to a concert (Mindless Self Indulgence) and I again say she is pregnant. I am not predicting anything I was just joking, like I was the first time. Well I get a call and she is 6 weeks preggers. Now I guess I am to blame. Its all my fault (she was on the depo shot this time)!! Both times I said she is pregnant and 4 weeks later she finds out she is 6 weeks pregnant. Now I guess I can tell if a woman is 2 weeks pregnant (wink wink)...
Wait there is more.... so I am at work. I have a dementia patient who is like 90 some years old and his son is there. Well this patient proceeds to try and get out of bed. I say no, he ends up fighting me and kicking me. His good for nothing son stands at the end of the bed wringing his hands and is like I hope he doesn't have another heart attack. Well I hear this and in my effort to keep the old man in his bed I say "stay in bed, you don't want to have another heart attack"... not a minute after I say this does my guy go blue and proceeds to have a heart attack! THANK the Goddess that we all acted fast and he came out of it. Since that incident he has come though my unit a few more times on his visits to the hospital and been just fine and combative like a good ol' dementia patient should be! I have yet to see his son with him since.
So anyways. I am just keeping my mouth shut! (I hope all of you got a laugh out of this!!)
So... it is 6:24am and I am sitting here after a slow night of work with a hour until I can punch out and go to bed. So what do I do? I look at petfinder.com.... Sigh, I must be a idiot. I love animals, and I am looking at the kittens. Geeze! I want them all. I have decided since there are so many people I know who have kittens throughout the year, that I will only take the black ones. Its sad that in the 21st century people still hurt black cats, saying they are the devil and witches familiars. Well this Witch will take them in! So I am on a mission to take in and rehome the black cats in me area that I can take. I know I can't save them all, but I can save some. I might just keep a few. I do have 3 cats already though, lol, I must be crazy.
A is Athame, the knife that we use. B is for Beltaine, when partners we choose. C is for Circle where we all are one. D is for Deosil, path of the Sun. E is for Esbat, when we gather round. F is for Fire and its crackling sound. G is for the Goddess in beauty and love. H is the Horned One, our Father above. I is for Imbolg, candles light the way, J is for June when it's Midsummer's Day. K is for Karma, the things that we do. L is for Lammas, harvest's almost through! M is for Moon, riding way up so high, N is for Nighttime, which darkens the sky. O is for Ostara, when we hunt for eggs, P is for Pan, with hairy goat legs. Q is the Quarters and there are just four, R for the Rites when we open the Door. S is for Samhain, end of the year, T is for Tarot cards, futures to hear U is Undines from the watery West, V is Vervain for protection and rest. W's Widdershins, the path of the moon. X is the sign that's the sign of the God. Y is for Yule and the sun's return, Z is the Zodiac, 12 signs to learn.
Ok, so some plans for the future. I want to be a mother, very very badly. I am a single woman without any real prospects of a husband. So I am a woman of the 21st century! I don't need a man to have a baby, just his DNA. LOL, as much as I keep telling myself this one I have yet to find my ideal "sperm donor". At the major sabbaths and solstices I ask the Goddess for her help. Anyways, in preparation for my future motherly ways, I am in the very very hard process of converting over to organics. Since I moved back in with my mother, 1 to save on rent, 2 because I am finishing my college degree, and 3 because she is lonely. We have converted to 100% organic milk, cheeses, yogurt, and eggs. We purchased half of a organic cow and pig. (I try not to think about it) that is filling up our standup freezer and kitchen freezer. I am trying as best as I can to grow my own herbs. That is not going so well. I grew organic raspberries, tomatoes and strawberries this year without problems though. YAY me!
Your probably wondering where I am going with this? Well in my quest to become a mommy, I am trying to eat correctly and flush out all the impurities that processed foods have placed in my body. Man, can I tell you that I feel a lot better eating the same things I do normally, just organically. A lot of people tell me that they would eat organically also if it wernt for the cost of the food. Well I am here to give you some tips in purchasing organic foods. Here in the Detroit, Michigan area we have Costco, I know there is costco in other states, and we have Sams Club also. But Costco has a lot of organic foods. And they cost the same if not less than the processed foods. I also shop at Meijers (michigan store comparable to WalMart). Now the cost is a bit more at Meijers for the organic vs the normal non-organic. But by far is the result more desirable. You eat less food, you lose weight (no growth hormones!), and you have less health problems.
I am in the never ending battle of trying to find the time to cook. I like the food better when I do cook, but I keep myself busy almost always and I have to tell myself to slow down and cook my meals. This seems to be the case when going into work. I work from 7pm to 730 am at least 3 nights a week. I NEVER cook before I go into work. So I buy frozen organic meals. Some are good, some are not so good. But they are out there and the price might be a little more or not. Shop around!
I feel that when eating organically and cooking the foods, you are closer to the Goddess. When eating organically you are taking in what She has given to you without soiling it with chemicals and growth hormones. Also I am eating for the purpose of sustaining my body. But don't get me wrong, I love to eat and to cook. I am crazy in the way I have close to 100 cookbooks and find myself going through them to find recipes that I want to try. I even get the magazine Taste of Home. All recipes can be converted to organic meals!
Ok, time for me to impart some advice. Look and look at as many things as you can. Read books, the good and the bad. Read blogs and talk to people. Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and the such are very open people. We may not come right out and say I AM A WITCH/PAGAN/DRUID, but if you come to us without any malicious intent we gladly will impart any knowledge we might have to those who seek it.
As, you can see I like to post witchy graphics on my page. I am sure you will see lots more of them to come, I just can't post a blog without some kind of eye-candy. Just right click over all the graphics and save them to your desktop, then go to www.photobucket.com or some other photo site and get a free account, then upload them. You can then share the graphics with your friends on your own blog or myspace. Speaking of Myspace, I have a myspace! Add me as your friend, just click the link myspace and add me to your friends. Sorry no facebook or whatever pages, takes to much time just to keep up my myspace page. Though I do have a paganspace page, but I don't go onto it at all.
Ok, now I want to introduce my blog helpers, I have three little helpers who are always with me when I blog for some reason. I shall go from oldest to youngest, though not in the order of how long they have been in my life. (sorry for the poor quality cell phone pictures)
My oldest is Orion, he was a rescue of mine. Been with me for 6 years. We call him our crazy old man, he is a peach colored medium hair. He takes off one side of his whiskers almost always. Sometime he takes off both sides. He is loving and crazy mean at the same time. I think he is bipolar. He only knows how to speak grumpy cat. He announces his arrival into any room with a string of meows and hisses.
My middle "child" is Maverick. Been with me for 7 years. A solid black medium hair. He was out of a barn cat at our old horse stable. He is my helper in the kitchen and when I go and work in the herb garden. He is the only one who is indoor/outdoor cat. I have tried keeping him inside, but he just hates it. If I am doing any ritual he seems to always be at my feet or in a perch close by.
Lastly, is Buffy (yes, named after Buffy the Vampire Slayer). She has been with me for little over a year, and she is a short hair tabby. She was a wild barn kitten who I domesticated from crazy wild (note the skull and cross bones collar) to now always in my shadow giving me love. I like to refer to her as my magick cat in training. She is always on the table when I am trying to prepare my herbs. (its and never ending battle) She will always try and get onto the alter to see whats going on. By far she is my most interested in the things I do. She is my shadow.
I love my kitties, they help me do just about everything. Even help me corral the three hell-beasts (dogs) in the back room (thats Orion's job). I always like to know they are with me, they "see" the things I don't or they know before I do. I guess I can call them a security system.
So, enough ramblings for one day... Until next time!
Ok, so a little more about myself. I am a kinda out of the broom closet witch. My family and friends know, some just pretend to not know also. At work, well maybe 1 or 2 people know. I got outed a few months ago for the most crazy reason by a psycho nurse. BTW, I work at a hospital at a Emergency Tech. So, your probably thinking, what crazy reason would this nurse out me? Well I was reading a Harry Potter book not a out in the open book on Witchcraft or the Occult, and she cheated on her husband, and he found out and kicked her out. Of course its nothing she had done, its all MY FAULT and I had put a CURSE/HEX on her! So she goes about telling everyone on our unit that I hexed her. She even went so far as to tell management!!! Which when the time came for them to talk to me, I stopped them quickly saying they are going into religion and if this went any farther I would have to go to HR.
I don't feel the need to flaunt my religion at work. I rather not talk about it really there at all. If someone asks me I will answer them, but NEVER do I start up the conversation about religion. I had a interesting night the other night (I work midnights, 12 hour shifts 7pm to 730am), I was tending to this little old woman who was dying. I can't beat around the bush, when your 90 years old and have cancer plus pneumonia really we are just there to make you comfortable. Anyways, she asked me "Are you a witch dear?", I was so taken aback that I said no. She then said, "too bad, if you were you could do a spell for me to get better". I felt aweful. I don't wear anything that would proclaim me a witch at work. I wear a raw quarts crystal point and the triple moon sign. Which when people ask I just say its the moon, as I love the moon. I don't want to give anyone anxiety. I deal with a lot of elderly, and a lot of them are to the bone christians. I have nothing against christians, I even wear a saints bracelet after the holidays (when a lot of elderly come to the hospital to die sadly) to make them feel at ease.
I guess this entry is really me just venting the last few days. I have not be able to get online to blog. I work 3 nights a week plus go to school full time. When I get free time I try and relax, meditate, read a romance book or study a little bit of herbalism.
Here are the remaining videos from the 7 day Supermarket Herbalism course from LearningHerbs.com... Again a note, I did not make these nor have anything to do with the production, I just found them extra interesting!
Learning about herbs is an incredibly rewarding, inspiring, creative and nourishing experience, not to mention healthful.
I remember how overwhelming it can be as well. All those plants, all those remedies, Which ones to use? How much? Is it safe? Do they really work?
I admit that it does take a little time and some experimenting to find what works for you. Some of you may want to know a lot and become teachers or practitioners. Others may simply want to know what works and what they need to do to keep their families healthy.
That’s where I come in. Even though herbal medicine is incredibly simple to learn and use, it doesn’t seem like that to the beginner.
There is a very important secret that the herb books forget to mention.
That secret is that the key to learning is taking it ONE EXPERIENCE at a time.
The more experiences we have, the more we learn. For example, if someone tells you that ginger tea is good for a cold, that will inspire you to make the tea. If it works, you might go and look up ginger in your reference book. You’ll find out HOW ginger works for a cold and you might find out a few more things out about ginger on the way, such as the fact that it helps with digestion issues. The next time you need a digestive aid, you might make ginger tea. Also, in looking up ginger, you might also read a bit about other herbs, remedies, and recipes. Before you know it, you’re off making a remedy with a different herb.
The more you use herbs, the more you will learn. Many herb books are meant to be for reference. You grab them off the shelf when you need them.
The more you experiment and use your books, the more you will learn about plants and what you can do with them to bring health into your life. Many buy several herb books, really wanting to learn, but are still confused and don’t know where to begin.
Why a Supermarket Herbal?
I chose to call this the "Supermarket Herbal" because I wanted to make sure anyone could run out to their local market and get the ingredients you need to do this course. No need to buy dried herbs or go out and pick something. That will come later if you choose.
Right now, let’s stick with some things you are already familiar with and use them in new ways. You probably didn’t know that there are wonderful herbal remedies located right down the street at your local co-op or even Safeway.
Once you make these remedies with items you probably already have in your kitchen, you will see just how simple it is.
I am hoping this free herb course allows you to access even more of the free remedies posted on LearningHerbs.com.
You are now officially on your way to becoming a home medicine maker!
Let’s get started with…
Day 1: Gathering your herbs
Well, there may come a day soon where you will go out and gather herbs from the field or shop for them at your local herb shop.
For now, let’s take a look in the fridge so you can get started.
Time to build our first herbal apothecary..
SO LET'S GO TO THE SUPERMARKET! Watch the video below...
Click on the the little play arrow on the lower left of the video to play it. This goes for all the lessons in this course.
This is a YouTube embedded video. If it does not work for some reason, search for "Supermarket Herbalism" within the YouTube.com web site.
Check to see if you have:
1) a bulb of garlic and an onion
2) a 3 inch or more piece of ginger root
3) a lemon (or 100% lemon juice)
4) a jar of honey
5) a potato (optional)
6) a small container of oats
7) peppermint tea (bags or loose)
8) chamomile tea (bags or loose)
9) A pint of whole milk (external use) (if you're vegan, just skip it rather than email me on the evils of milk)
10) A muslin bag or pack of cheesecloth (available at all supermarkets)
For the tea, often Celestial Seasonings brand has plain peppermint or chamomile. If not, look for tea names such as “Calm,” which might be chamomile or ‘Refresh,” which might be mint. If you can’t get straight chamomile or mint, then do the best you can with these other teas. For now, it’s ok that the teas are in tea bags.
Hey, I wanted to learn about herbs, most of these are just food from my supermarket!
Garlic, ginger, oats, potatoes, lemons…yes, common foods…that are plants. Herbs are plants. It’s all semantics. They are all considered important medicinal herbs...even honey.
Isn’t it great that you didn’t have to purchase any herbal supplements or pills?
A bonus lesson for today....
You saw I talk about using a potato for burns in the video. Here is a bit more on that..
The potato, a burn remedy?
I bet you never though of the potato or honey as a burn remedy.
Herbs are excellent for first aid. I take care of virtually every first aid situation that comes up in my family with the herbal potions and salves that I have made.
However, did you know that there is a first aid friend in the potato?
About burns
These treatments are for minor burns or sunburn. For burns that effect a large area or for more serious burns, seek medical attention.
If you have a minor burn, make sure you get cold running water on it immediately. If it is not clean, make sure you clean out the burn with cold running water.
THEN, peel and slice or peel and grate a potato.
Apply the potato onto the affected area. Keep replacing it as needed. At some point, you may need to hold it on with a bandage or gauze.
This mass of grated potato you are using is called a poultice. Now you know that a poultice is a mass of plant matter that you apply to an affected area in a first aid situation. You see this term a lot in herbal books.
Potato is excellent for drawing out the heat.
Other uses for potatoes:
-Itch relief, a poultice for sties
Perhaps the most ironic thing would be getting burned making french fries. Then you could treat the burn with your left over raw potatoes!
Another minor burn remedy: your honey!
Once you are finished using your potato, protect and heal the burn by simply applying honey to it. Wrap in a sterile bandage. Honey has soooo many uses that there are entire books written about it. We’ll use honey again tomorrow!
Myrl Evans of Harvey, Louisiana recently wrote me.
Myrl writes about honey:
I was bitten by a pitt bull last Summer. I went to the doctor, got a tetnus shot and a prescription for $150.00 threw it away.
I went home found my info on honey and washed the wound and used the honey as a dressing for a week.
Today youCan bearly see where I was bit. You can put tea tree oil in with the honey and it heals faster. I am a firm believer in
Using honey as a dressing, food, facial moisturizer. I also mix honey and cinnamon and put it on toast instead of using butter or margarine.
Another idea: you can also wrap a burn in bandages soaked in apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is yet another supermarket herbal remedy that has a myriad of uses. In fact, I own a book called “Honey, garlic, and vinegar.”
Ok. Go gather your ingredients at your local market...
Ok, well Tiffany and I went to another social group. It was fun. I can't stress enough that everyone should get out there and meet new people. Anyways, so it happened we went to the new pagan social group on the day when they had planned a small ritual for Lammas. We just watched though were given the option to join right in. I was happy to see that they were all happy and laughing during the ritual, not all serious and boring. The group, like the one we went to Tuesday night is a menagerie of solitaries and covens of different paths. It was nice.
Some things of interest. I have been very interested in herbalism lately. I am trying to suck up all the knowledge I can get on it. Though I am a complete novice when it comes to this, I am going to try my hand at making my own essential oil this year. I have a nice large healthy lavender bush this year that is almost ready to be harvested. I will post about it once I do. Also I am working on a neat little craft, candle making. I know a lot of people make candles, but I feel that candles made especially for rituals are very much needed. So I am going to start with candles that are in jars, made out of beeswax and colored correctly. I will post on here some photos of them once I make them. A lot of people have asked me if I plan to sell them...lol... well I guess its going to have to depend on how well they come out! Though I plan on using only local organic beeswax and herbs along with crystals that correspond with the ritual these candles are designed for. If any of you have any ideas or advice please let me know!
Well I went to a monthly meeting of Detroit area Pagans. My Witchy friend Tiffany from High School tagged along with me. I met some new people and a few remembered me from the June meeting before I fractured my sacrum. Anyways, it was a great evening. I highly recommend people to join pagan social groups in their area, THEY ARE OUT THERE! Its nice to meet people from many different paths, its just a hoot of a time! Also this week, I will be going with Tiffany to another group get together. I am looking forward to it. So much support and knowledge can be had by getting out there and meeting people of like minds.
On another note, Tiffany was one of my best friends in High School, we formed our first coven together. We fell out of touch after HS and after 6 years we found each other on myspace! So I was so thrilled to find her again, funny enough I found her again when I most needed her and was on my way back to the Goddess. It is funny how things work out! Since getting back in touch with her, I also found my other best friend and coven mate Meghan! All of us are older and wiser, though I am not planning on forming a Coven again with them, it is always great to have some witchy chicks around. We used to compare ourselves to the Triple Goddess, I know that is presumptuous of us, but at the time we were in the maiden form physically and spiritually, now I feel we have moved into a somewhat Mother form, though only spiritually at the moment.
I thought this would be a great post to add to my blog for people who are new to the path of the Goddess. I didn't do this myself, Asher of Gathering under Triple Moons did. Here's her link... www.gutm.org (**I also copied this from another blog found on http://www.wiccantogether.com/forum/topic/show?id=1070680%3ATopic%3A203384&page=2&commentId=1070680%3AComment%3A206039&x=11070680Comment206039 **)
The Wiccan Rede Explained
Bide the Witches' Law ye must, In perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Basically, this refers to Perfect Love and Trust in the Lord and Lady, not necessarily in a human person. Remember, all witches are human first, and they will have the same faults and shortcomings as everyone else. Honor them for their knowledge and experience, but don't expect them to be saints!
Live and let all else live, Fairly take and fairly give.
Pretty self-explanatory...
First tread the Circle thrice about To keep unwelcome spirits out.
This refers to casting the circle first with your athame, sword, staff, or whatever tool you use, then casting again around fully with salt & water, then a third casting is done with the Incense. (Not necessarily in that order - it goes by tradition)
To bind the spell well every time, Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
This refers to your "younger self" or subconcious mind, which hears and reacts more quickly and more fully to rhymes and chants. It also makes it fun for your inner child, and this will enhance your magickal workings.
Light of eye and soft of touch, Speak ye little, listen much.
"Light of eye" is an injuntion against staring forcefully at another, and comes from the Stregan "evil eye". And the second line has always been sage advice.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name, Let love and light be our guides again.
Similar to "Honor thy father and mother", but this means anyone elder, not just family. Somehow politeness is being lost in today's society.
Deosil go by the waxing moon, Sing and Dance the joyful rune.
"Deosil" means clock-wise, or sun-wise, and the waxing moon is from New Moon to just before the Full Moon, while the moon is "filling out". This is the time to ask for what you want to have joyful in your life. "Rune" is another name for spell, but specifically a rhymed, chanted, spell working. This is evolved from the use of a single rune (such as today are used for divination) to represent the person's desire.
Widdershins by the waning moon, Chanting out the baneful rune.
Now "widdershins" is counter clockwise, and the waning moon is after the full moon, when it is "dwindling". This is the time to get rid of unwanted habits, weight, bad feelings, or anything you wish to be rid of. "Baneful" comes from "banish" and that's what it means.
When the Lady's moon is new, Kiss the hand to Her times two.
It was the custom in days gone before to send kisses to the New Moon. It must have been a very wide spread custom as I have seen references to the Inquition warning people that those who did it would be closely watched for signs of heresy and witchcraft!
When the moon rides at Her peak Then your heart's desire seek.
This of course is the Full Moon, and the time when the magick of the Moon is at full power.
Heed the North winds' mighty gale, Lock the door and trim the sail.
These next four verses are "wind wisdom" and refer to the times when the wind comes from the four directions, and also refers to the four seasons. The North wind is well known for the winter storms it brings. Lock everything up tight!
When the Wind blows from the East, Expect the new and set the feast.
The second line refers to the tendency the East wind has to bring changes, and unexpected visitors.
When the wind comes from the South, Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
The warm southern wind brings Springtime, when young fancies turn to romance.
When the wind blows from the West, Departed souls will have no rest.
The West is the direction that the souls of those passing on to the Summerland will take. (I suppose they have to work harder when the wind is against them!)
Nine woods in the Cauldron go, Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Nine woods are placed in the Beltain fires and each one is significant.
Birch in the fire goes To represent what the Lady knows.
Oak in the forest towers with might In the fire it brings the God's insight.
Rowan is a tree of power Causing life and magick to flower.
Willows at the waterside stand Ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify And to draw faerie to your eye.
Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning- Adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree That brings us fruits of fertility.
Grapes grow upon the vine Giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen To represent immortality seen.
Elder is the Lady's tree Burn it not or cursed you'll be.
Count them, Elder is the 10th tree, and the Balefire only gets Nine. This is a warning to those who would burn the elder, and refers to the English elder, but I don't burn the American one either.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark In the light and in the dark.
I want to clear up a point: "Major" doesn't refer to the Sabbats' importance, all are equally important. Rather, it refers to us celebrating these Sabbats at the height of the Season, when the Sun reaches 15º in one of the four Cardinal Astrological signs that mark each season.
As the old year starts to wane The new begins, it's now Samhain.
Samhain, or Halloween as it is called in the United States, is the Witches' New Year, and marks the first Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year. It occurs at 15º Scorpio, or is traditionally dated October 31st.
When the time for Imbolg shows Watch for flowers through the snows.
Imbolg occurs at 15º Aquarius, or is traditionally dated February 2nd.
When the wheel begins to turn Soon the Beltaine fires will burn
Beltaine occurs at 15º Taurus, or is traditionally dated May 1st.
As the wheel turns to Lammas night Power is brought to magick rite.
Lammas or Lughnasadh occurs at 15º Leo, or is traditionally dated August 1st.
Four times the Minor Sabbats fall Use the Sun to mark them all.
Now these Sabbats are called "Minor" simply because they happen at the start of the season, when the sun is just entering the Fixed Astrological signs of the four seasons. All of the Sabbats are considered "solar", meaning that they are calculated by the sun. Esbats are the Lunar celebrations calculated by the phases of the Moon.
When the wheel has turned to Yule Light the log the Horned One rules.
Yule, or Winter Solstice occurs at 0º Capricorn, or is traditionally dated December 21st.
In the spring, when night equals day Time for Ostara to come our way.
Ostara, or Spring Equinox occurs at 0º Aries, or is traditionally dated March 21st.
When the Sun has reached it's height Time for Oak and Holly to fight.
Litha, or Summer Solstice occurs at 0º Cancer, or is traditionally dated June 21st.
Harvesting comes to one and all When the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Mabon, or Fall Equinox occurs at 0º Libra, or is traditionally dated September 21st.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree By the Lady blessed you'll be.
All life is Sacred to the Goddess, and proper respect should be shown for the sacrifice of Her Creatures and Plants so the we may eat and survive.
Where the rippling waters go Cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
This is referring to a water divination, where one tosses a pebble into the surface of still water to watch the ripples and divine the future.
When you have and hold a need, Harken not to others greed.
One should not do magick out of greed, but out of need. So if someone offers you money to do a spell for them, what is your motivation? And what is theirs? Do you want to attract dependent people to you who could possibly put so many demands on your energy that you have no time for yourself? This one is thought provoking, isn't it?
With a fool no season spend Nor be counted as his friend.
Or in other words, people know you by the company you keep....
Merry Meet and Merry Part Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Also self explanatory... we're all pretty happy to see one another, and open expressions of affection are encouraged.
Mind the Three-fold Law you should Three times bad and three times good.
The three-fold law refers to the belief that whatever you sent out, be it good or ill, will return to you three-fold. There is a common saying used these days - "What goes around, comes around." - which means much the same thing, except that we multiply that energy by three. Since "energy follows thought" it seems it would be wise to avoid thinking negatively, because that's what you'll attract to you.
When misfortune is enow Wear the star upon your brow.
In this form, it means to open your third eye and listen to your higher self/Spirit Guide/Guardian Angel whenerver you find yourself in difficulties. I was taught a slightly different variation: "Wear the blue star on your brow" which harkens back to the days of Welsh villages, and may be evolved from the blue crescent of woad worn on the foreheads of the Picts...
In love you must be ever true Unless your love is false to you.
A witch does not give her or his word lightly... and a vow of true love is also not spoken lightly. However, if your lover is untrue to you they have already broken vows with you.
Eight words the Rede fulfil "And it harm none, do what ye will".
This "Rede" is the law by which Witches live, with harm to none. Harming none, includes not harming yourself. The term "Harm" and what actually contitutes harm to another being, is a convoluted concept, and requires thought and meditation on the part of the Witch, to weigh possible consequences of actions to see if harm will result. Also bear in mind that you have no right to do magick or cast spells on another person WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION! This IS considered harm, as you are forcing your will on them, even if you are doing a healing spell. This concept can be the most difficult for a person new to the Craft to grasp, yet it is the most important, and the cornerstone of our religion and beliefs. It makes you totally responsible for your actions and their results. If you have a dilemma, it's best to get another informed opinion before acting, especially if your are strongly and emotionally attached to the result. The only person you can work all the magick you like for is yourself!
Ok, so sadly I had to work Aug. 1st. I work midnight shift at a near by hospital as a Emergency Tech. That means 7pm-730am shift. Well we are blessed (or cursed) to have a Starbucks coffee place in our hospital. Since I was not able to muster up a harvest feast for the evening meal, I was very excited to find a Berry Stella and I tried one of those Vivanno Orange Mango Banana smoothies. The Berry Stells was in a shape of a star (points for the shape!) and on top of the cake is a bunch of oat meal and other grains with blueberries and raspberries. YUMM!! So that was my harvest feast.
"I hope you’ve had a chance to try the new Starbucks Vivanno (TM) Nourishing Blends. In addition to this nutritious beverage we have also introduced this week a new food item, Berry Stella. The Berry Stella is 100% whole grain which delivers a hearty blend of fiber and a satiating boost of energy. In addition to being full of the goodness of real fruit, it also provides more than 200mg of Omega-3’s. Berry Stella: 280 calories, over 6g fiber, 6g protein "
Another minor burn remedy: your honey!
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