Monthly Archives: June 2010

June 27, 2010 · 3:08 pm

A Full Moon, herbs and Lily…….

Merry Meet friends….I hope you are all staying cool in the hot muggy weather…feels like August instead of June!  We have had alot of rain and storms but it’s  a good thing as our grass remains green and lush, the gardens are well watered, the birds and critters have plenty of water…and it cools things down a bit after the rain.

I had a wonderful Full Moon on saturday..Strong Sun Moon…She was big, bright, and beautiful!  Yellowish orange until She rose higher in the sky.  Fate would have it that we didn’t have storms that night and I was able to attend to Her and see Her very well!  I always recharge my jewelry, crystals, ritual tools etc when I can see Her moonlight and it can fall on my witchy stuff! 🙂  I also made up a fresh batch of Blessed Water and did a personal ritual.  The best part though is just sitting and drawing in Her energy..to feel the power coming into me, grounding me, filling me with magick, calm, peace.  There is nothing like it.

I also spent some time today harvesting some of my herbs.  Some I will dry and some I have put in a jar of fresh water to use fresh, namely cilantro for salsa and chives for numerous reasons!  My cats will be very happy when the catnip is dried and ready and I will be very happy when my dill, basil, mint, marjoram, rosemary, and lemon balm is ready…both for cooking and for my witchy needs!

I am also busy working on an online class I signed up for thru Ellen Dugan called “The Harvest Sabbats.”  The harvest sabbats are Lammas or Lughnassad which is Aug 1, Mabon which is in September, and Samhain which of course is Oct. 31.  These are my favorite sabbats of the year because they are all about fall..which as you can tell by my name..is  my favorite time of year!  Ellen Dugan is amazing and this class is based on her book “The Autumn Equinox”…which I’ve already read and highly recommend.  Her books are so great!!

My grandaughter Lily loves to help me in my garden too…She is so adorable, loves to be outside..a real nature girl!! 

Now tell me that isn’t just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen!  LOL…I love being a Nana and I love my little nature girl!

I wish you all a lovely summer, with ladybugs and dragonflies, with flowers and their perfume, with warm starry nights and time with your loved ones to have fun in the sun!

Blessed Be, Autumn

Leave a comment

Filed under Full Moons, Garden, Granddaughter, Herbs

Tagged as , , , ,

June 17, 2010 · 8:03 pm

Summer Solstice…

We are very close to celebrating Summer Solstice on June 21.  Summer solstice is the  longest day of the year and when the Sun is at its strongest.  The Sun god is at his mightiest, and as of this moment, will begin to decline as the days grow shorter and the winter months come.  Pagans in ancient times (and now) celebrate on this day,  the power of the Sun and his love for the Goddess, who is now pregnant with his child.  The sun causes the Earth’s bounty to ripen and grow, as those of us who garden can attest, much as the child the Goddess carries grows. 

Midsummer or Litha, is a fire Sabbat.  It is most appropriate to have a  bonfire and spend time outside.  Also, the faerie realm is very active during this time.  Make an offering to the Fae  and thank them for the help they give to you in your garden.  A gift of a crystal point or a bit of bread and honey are much appreciated by them.  Your herbs should be growing tall and you can use them in your cooking and spellwork now.   Spend time outside, have a cook out, take a walk, sit under a tree and feel the Goddess’ presence, offer up thanks for the many blessings this season is giving you.

This is a good time to rededicate yourself to the God and Goddess in your chosen path.  Handfastings are of course perfect for Midsummer.  Spells for health and prosperity will be answered this time of year.  Decorate your altar with summer flowers, a faery statue, summer crystals such as tiger’s eyes and any green stone, birds feathers, fresh fruit slices, a pot of honey.  Use the summer colors such as green as grass, gold as sun, blue as sky, yellow as sunflower and red as rose!  Lighten up and brighten up for this sumertime Sabbat!

My altar is pretty much done..though I’ll be adding slices of fresh citrus fruits and strawberries and a bit of honey on that night.  Here is a picture of what I’ve done so far…..

The ring of stones is for the fae, Gaia and Greenman, my goddess and god, faeries, my elemental representations, my ritual tools,  all there.  As I said, my natural elements of honey and summer fruits will be put on when I’m ready to use it.

My family will be enjoying a bonfire and a feast. We will  make an offering to the Fae, and enjoy each others company.  That night I will spend time at my altar privately, doing my own ritual.  Summer Solstice is a joyous celebration and I hope that you all enjoy it too!  May the sun shine on you brightly, may the faeries bestow their blessings on you and may you live everyday in Joy, Love and Light!

Bright Summer Blessings, Autumn

1 Comment

Filed under Altars, Litha/Summer Solstice

Tagged as , ,

June 12, 2010 · 11:52 am

New Moon, antiques and granola……

Merry Meet again friends..today is the New Moon or dark of the moon.  Use this time to start a new project, change something about yourself, change the way you look at things,  and start anything new in your life.  It’s also a great time to re-consecrate your altar and tools.    Thats what I plan on doing tonight. 

My gardens and herbs are looking great, growing fast and smell wonderful!  Except for my purple salvias…:(  a baby groundhog has been visiting and has eaten the flowers off the tops of all of the plants.  The green leaves still are alive and growing but now flower heads…dang critter.  However, it is kind of cute so we’ll deal.  Hubby is going to put some fertilizer to it to help the flowers bloom and we haven’t seen the groundhog for several days now..hopefully it moved on. 

This past week, my sister, daughters, grandbaby and I went shopping for antiques at a local antique mall.  We found some amazing things of course and our witchy hearts were very pleased with some of our inexpensive finds.  I found a very large cast iron cauldron with three feet in perfect condition..several inexpensive jars with thick heavy metal lids for storing my herbs, and a beautiful old, leather bound book of poetry from Tennyson, who I love.  The Lady of Shallotte is one of my favorite poems.  Here’s a pic of my finds:

I love antiquing and I often think about where it came from, who used it before me, what was their story.  I find old things to have a soul…they carry the energy of the people who came before me and used them in their everyday lives. 

I made my homemade granola this week too.  I’d like to share the recipe with you 🙂

Ingredients

4 cups of quick oats

2 cups of rice krispies cereal

2 cups of nuts (I use 1 cup slivered almonds and one cup pecan pieces)

2 Tb cinnamon

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup of butter (the real thing)

1/2 cup honey

2 cups dried fruit (I use 1 cup raisins and 1 cup dried cherries)

Mix oatmeal, cereal, nuts and cinnamon in an extra large mixing bowl.  set aside.  In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and honey and stir in brown sugar.  Heat til butter melted and brown sugar smooth.  Pour over oatmeal mixture and mix well.

Put into a foil lined jelly roll pan and even it out.  Bake at 350* for 10 minutes…give it a stir…bake for 10 more minutes.  Take it out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour into a large covered storage bowl, stir in the dried fruit..let it completely cool before covering.  Enjoy!  Great as cereal and on yogurt and ice cream!!  This is not a healthy granola but really really good! 

Please continue to pray and send healing to our Mother Earth..until this oil gusher is stopped and the damage is repaired.  Hope you are all enjoying your Summer (or Winter) and making the most of each day.  Find joy in your life everyday and hug your family and friends close.  Being a witch is something I’m very proud of and I strive everyday to honor Mother Earth and God/Goddess.  May you all follow your chosen path everyday with pride and a full heart.

Blessed Be, Autumn

Leave a comment

Filed under New Moons, Recipe from my Kitchen

Tagged as , , , , ,

June 1, 2010 · 7:58 pm

Poor Mother Earth….

 

I am so sad and so upset about what is happening in the Gulf with the oil spill.  They call it a spill for one thing!  Seriously!!  Hasn’t it gone way way WAY past a “spill”!!!  I would call it a huge monsoon, typhoon, hurricane of a oil catastrophe!!  I can’t believe that BP has no idea how to fix this in a timely manner!  Did they ever think “what if?”  this happened???  What if that happened??  Oh my Goddess!! 

There are people out of work because they can’t fish, there are restaurants who can’t get fish to serve their customers, New Orleans is getting hit hard..again!  But the worse thing is the long term destruction to our ocean, its occupants, the wetlands, the beaches, and the other animals such as birds, turtles, snakes etc that survive and live in those areas.  The longer the oil is allowed to gush..the more years it will take to clean it up and the more time it has to destroy life and professions.  It is a major calamity of epic proportion and the extent of it hasn’t even began to come out yet!

I am a witch and honor our Earth Mother in my everyday life..in every way I can.  This hurts to the core.  But it shouldn’t matter what your religion, creed, race, class…it should be devastating to us all!  But because I’m a witch, I believe that I can add my voice the the prayers, spells, rituals, requests, that are going out all over the USA…

I have written a charm that I’m doing every day ..at least until the “spill” is stopped.  I’m sharing it here with you..

Light a blue candle, anoint it with peppermint oil for healing, protection and purification.  Light the candle…

Focus your intent into the candle..if you can do this spell by a body of water..even better!

Now say:

O Goddess of the stars, moon and sun

Let thy love and healing come

To Earth who is my mother

Please help Her to recover

Her oceans and land are in great need

Because of our own uncaring deeds

Bless her and heal her, make her whole again

Now let the healing power begin

By candle and scent, and prayers to thee

As I will it, so mote it be.

 Do this often and with great intent!  I know I am! 

I pray and implore that we learn a lesson in this terrible tragedy, Blessings to you all and Blessings to our Mother Earth…

Autumn

2 Comments

Filed under Mother Earth, Spells

Tagged as , , ,