Monthly Archives: March 2010

March 30, 2010 · 12:00 am

Storm moon….

Tonight is the full moon of March ..this year called the Storm Moon.  I unfortunately can’t see the moon as we are under a very cloudy, dark, dismal sky all day today and continuing into the night.  Tomorrow its supposed to clear up and the sun is coming out and its warming up..so I’ll be doing my full moon spellwork tomorrow night, out on my porch.

I like to recharge my crystals and silver jewelry in the light of the full moon.  I also will be making up some Blessed Water.  I bought a beautiful bottle to put it in and can’t wait to use it.  The Storm Moon is perfect for performing cleansing, purification and healing spells too.  So putting your altar ritual tools out in the moonlight will cleanse and purify them until the next full moon.

The best news I have to tell you is that I finally received my beautiful Book of Shadows from Witches Moon.  It took 7 months which seemed like forever but it was well worth the wait!  My book is everything I dreamed it would be and more.  It looks aged, it smells great, the paper and leather are awesome and my triquetra on the binding looks amazing. I have started working on getting my pages I’ve worked on for months in the book, deciding what goes where etc.  It’s going to take a while but I believe my Book will be a a real heirloom to pass down to my grandchildren in time and something I’ll be proud of and cherish.  I’ve also now ordered a smaller version of it for a herb book..hope it doesn’t take 7 months for it to get here!  I ordered one for my daughter Willow also.  She is still waiting for her book of shadows to come..my other daughter Luna, sister Teagan have received their books now too.  Poor Willow, she ordered hers first and its still not here! 

Today I got my herbs planted in the little paper pots, made up cute little herb markers and got them in the window where the Sun comes shining in the mornings.  Can’t wait to see how they start sprouting.  I’ll plant them in large patio pots probably around Beltane (May 1).  I planted a few veggies too but mostly herbs.  How wonderful it’ll be to go out and pick my own fresh herbs for cooking and for spellwork.

Well, thats it for now..Have a blessed Full Moon..Autumn

Advertisement

1 Comment

Filed under Book of Shadows, Full Moons, Garden

Tagged as , , ,

March 24, 2010 · 9:39 am

Blessed Ostara….

Just a quick post to say that I had a blessed Ostara and hope that you did too.  I spent the day with my daughters and grandaughter.  We had a nice luncheon and spent time talking about planting our gardens, spring activities etc  We were going to color eggs but my little grandaughter is teething and was tired so she went down for a nap and we decided to wait so that she could be involved with the project.  We will probably dye them for Easter..yes, we do have an Easter brunch with our extended family, my parents and siblings, as my parents don’t know about our witchy path.  They are christain and older and would not be understanding.  My mom knows that we are into herbs and oils and crystals etc but not the full extent of two of her daughters and two of her grandaughters chosen path.  The day may come we can tell them but not yet.  Its hard to hide it but its a must for now.

I did my Ostara ritual on the night of the 22nd as that was the first chance I had to have time at my altar.  I love the calm feeling that comes over me at my altar, lighting candles and incense, worshipping the Lord and Lady, speaking the words that come from my heart.  It is such a wonderful sense of oneness with the earth and sky and it makes me feel whole and happy.  However you worship, do it fully and with love in your heart and really feel what comes back to you.

I have bought little biodegradable pots and soil to plant my herb seeds..can’t wait to see the seeds start to germinate and turn into the wonderful sweet smelling herbs that I’ll use for cooking and spellwork.  I have a sunny window with a window seat and its the perfect spot to start the seeds.  I’ll transplant them to large patio pots around May 1.  If you don’t garden or don’t live where you can, its very easy to get a pot and fill it with herbs…try it!

The next Sabbat is Beltane or May Day on May 1.  It is a true celebration of spring.  I hope to make up some May baskets, have a nice meal, plant some flowers and herbs etc.  I’ll talk more about this closer to the day.

In the meantime, I hope its spring where you live and the sun is shining on you again.

Blessed Be,  Autumn

2 Comments

Filed under Herbs, Ostara

March 18, 2010 · 9:26 pm

Snow on the mountains….

So I’ve been at our cabin in Tennessee for a few days.  The weather the first couple of days was not so great..very dreary, cold, misty.  We thought we’d see some redbuds and forsythia blooming like usual this time of year but that was not the case.  Apparantly, Tennessee, like the rest of us, had a very cold, snowy, long winter.  We love seeing the mountains anyway, no matter what the weather.  The Smoky Mountains hold a special place in my heart.  We’ve been coming here for years, several times a year, and I never get tired of seeing them.  They are so mystical and ancient that it just makes my soul soar!

We decided yesterday to drive up the mountain to Newfound Gap.. the 2nd highest peak overlook in the mountains.  We put on our celtic music on the ipod, got something to drink and took off.  My daughter, my sister and I.  To our surprise, part way up we started seeing clumps of snow on the sides of the road, then we saw piles of snow, then we saw snow covered hills and trees, then we saw melting snow rolling off the stone mountains forming huge icicles!  Then it got foggy and the temperature had steadily dropped (about 20 degrees).  We got to the top and I kid you not, it was a winter wonderland in the middle of March in Tennessee!!!  It was so awesome.  It looked like it does in the middle of a blizzard in January.  People were smiling and taking pics, throwing snowballs, even some sledding on the small hills was going on.  It was so magickal that we just kept grinning to each other!  For us it was like we had gone into another dimension!  I’ll never forget it as long as I live.  The Apalachian Trail runs thru there too so we got on it and took pictures.  We had been to this lookout many times before and the view is always breathtaking, but this snow covered moutaintop, on this day (St. Patricks Day) was truly beautiful and unforgettable.  AHHHHHH! 🙂  Mother Earths amazing accomplishments!

Tomorrow we head home but I’m looking forward to seeing my other daughter, grandaughter, my hubby and my cats..I’ve missed them!  Saturday is Ostara…The Spring Equinox.  I’ll be getting together with my daughters and grandaughter to color eggs, have a luncheon and hopefully be outside enjoying the day.  The day and night will be equal and seeing the sun shining longer into the evening is a wonderful thing.  I feel lighter and more energetic already!  I’m busy making plans for my gardening this year…choosing what flowers and herbs I want to plant.  I need to go visit a garden center and get some pots and seeds to start the herbs.  I’d also like to get a composter this year..if I can convince the husband to find a spot in our yard for it!  🙂  We’re also hoping to build a shed this year.  That will help greatly with storage.  I have to be honest and say that I haven’t been into gardening that much in the past years,  mostly just help my husband plant flowers and pots and stop there.  His ideas and mine are two different things on what we want to plant and where! LOL..this year, I’m taking over and planting it the way I want!  Plus I’m adding the herbs…I’m going to get 2-3 very large patio pots and plant them by the back door so I can just pluck what I need when I’m cooking or gather what I need to do my spellwork.  It will be wonderful to have fresh herbs at the ready.  I plan on drying them and keeping them too.  Can’t wait!

Along with gardening this year, I’ve decided to get serious about losing a few pounds and taking up walking..serious walking!  I’ll have to build up my stamina, but I hope to get my butt in gear and move it!!  I even bought a walking/hiking stick at the hiking store down in TN…saw it and had to have it.  I’ve had some health issues in the last couple of years that are better now and the walking will help me to get my strength back in my core muscles.  I got some crystals with holes so I can attach them to my walking stick..for protection, energy, and balance.  That should make my stick even more helpful to me as I walk! 

So here’s hoping that you all see snow on the mountain at least once in your life!

Bright Blessings, Autumn

Leave a comment

Filed under Garden, Smoky Mountains

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

March 13, 2010 · 10:37 am

A rainy morning…..

After a week of beautiful sunny weather and warm temperatures..even hit 64 one day….this morning though cooler, mid 40’s, and raining, it feels like Mother Earth is waking up and spring is on the way!  The rain has washed away that last piles of dirty snow and washed the muddy roads, parking lots and driveways.  There is a green glow this morning, tulips are pushing up, the crabapple trees are budding, the grass looks greener etc.  Our bird feeder is experiencing lower volumes meaning they are finding food elsewhere now.  Our goldfish in our pond are awake and swimming.  All good signs of Spring!  While I know we may still have some cold weather and another snow is always possible, all these signs along with Daylight Savings Time today gives my soul a lift that Winter is over.

March 20 is Ostara, the first official day of Spring.  The day and night are equal and then the sun gets stronger and the day gets longer.  I’ve loved the sun coming up early in the morning but will enjoy even more the evening staying lighter longer.  For Ostara, we will be coloring eggs.  The house is decorated as much as I usually do.  I have a kitchen altar, a wreath on the front door, and my Sacred altar are all decorated for Ostara with eggs, bunnies, lambs, and the appropriate crystals etc.  Isn’t it funny how the symbols for Ostara are the same for Easter?  You know of course that’s because the early Christians set it up that way to give the Pagans something from their celebration of Ostara.  Our family will celebrate Easter also..because of our extended family and their beliefs.  My little grandaughter will have her egg hunt probably on Ostara and Easter as all the family wants to participate in that!  It will be adorable!  Can’t wait.

Pagans believe that in Spring, The Goddess and the God become lovers and equals and the Goddess will become pregnant.  This brings forth the abundance of Spring, flowers, trees blooming, birth of baby animals, longer days and food from the earth.  It is a joyous time after the long Winter.  So long walks are in order, being outside and watching and listening to the earth coming alive.  Feel the warm breezes on your face, dance in the rain, plan or plant your garden and herbs, raise your arms in praise to the Goddess and God for the wheel of the year turning once more.  It is a Blessing!

Also a wonderful thing happened this week!  My unbelievably awesome Book of Shadows from Witches Moon finally got here!  I waited 7 months but it was well worth the wait!  I got the Practical Magic book..it has two sections and flips over to open the other side..one section has 300 pages of aged parchment, the other has 200.  The leather is red/brown and very aged and old looking, the inside cover lining  is maroon/black/brown marbled and it has 5 long copper ribbons.  It smells heavenly, like lavendar and rose.  It is the ultimate Book of Shadows and I can’t wait to get my pages I’ve been working on for months, in the book.  I’m thrilled with it!

Bright Blessings,

Autumn

Leave a comment

Filed under Book of Shadows, Garden, Ostara, Spring

Tagged as , , , , , ,

March 5, 2010 · 6:30 pm

My little nature girl….

The sun has been shining here in Ohio for two days straight..finally!  We even hit 40 degrees with 50 degrees coming for several days.  I’m soooo happy to see the Sun God in his shining golden glory!!  We have had weeks of gray and dreary days and for a few days at least it looks like we’re going to get a taste of Spring.  The huge black ugly snow mounds piled everywhere are starting to melt and we see grass in our yards again.  Today I saw robins, cardinals, squirrels, bluejays and even little Chipmunks out and about today..feeding from our bird feeders.  I have a little raccon that comes out during the day (which is not supposed to happen) to drink from our fish pond and wash his hands and face..so cute.  We have had deer in our yard a few times too recently.  I love watching the wildlife!  Makes me happy.  Spring is coming my friends..just 15 days til the 1st day of Spring or Ostara is here!

My favorite part of the day today has been when my daughter and her daughter, my little Lily, my beautiful grandaughter, came to visit today.  I could tell that she was enjoying being able to walk in instead of being carried and was taking her sweet time doing it.  Her mom who is so patient and gives Lily the freedom to explore had a smile on her face, enjoying Lily’s morning walk too.  When she finally made it in, she had two fistfuls of stones from her walk to our back door.  She made sure to bring them to me and show me what she had.  I of course, made a big deal out of them.  You see, as witches, my daughters and I love stones, crystals, gemstones etc and it’s very pleasing to see our little one following suit.  As she gets older, she will learn the magickal properties of the stones and how they can be used to aid in magick or healing.  How lucky for her to have her mom, Nana, Auntie and Great Aunt to teach her such things.  Sure wish I had that advantage when I was a kid.  I’m so anxious for Spring to come as this year Lily is a walking, talking toddler who will be so much fun to explore with and to watch nature from her eyes.  Can’t wait.

When I was a kid, I loved nature too.  I found myself enchanted with a starry sky and full moon, the smell of autumn and the crisp leaves crunching under my feet, the smell of fresh mown grass, the beauty of flowers, the sound of the ocean, the birds, the crickets and frogs.  I spent most of my waking time outside riding bikes, exploring the woods, playing yard games with the neighborhood kids, laying on a blanket reading a book, sitting on the front steps watching the sun go down.  I was a natural, nature loving witch and didn’t know it!  LOL…I still am but now I understand better why I feel that way.  Being Pagan, Wiccan, Witch, brings me close to the love of the God and Goddess in the form of nature and the beauty of it around us all the time.  God and Goddess have given us simple everyday things to enjoy everyday and to remind us that they are here with us…not above looking down on us..but right beside us! I love that feeling..it brings me great comfort.  All I have to do is sit under a tree and listen to the wind blowing thru the leaves, the birds nesting it, the flowers growing under it and the moon and stars shining on it to know that I’m loved and that I send love back to them.  My grandaughter who feels love everyday from her family, will also feel the love of the Goddess along with God and be my little nature girl!!

Bright Blessings,

Autumn

2 Comments

Filed under Granddaughter, Nature, Spring

Tagged as , , , , ,