Tag Archives: Goddess

January 9, 2011 · 6:42 pm

A Winter Sunrise Morn……..

Merry Meet friends!  I hope that you are all having a lovely Sun day.  Sun day is my favorite day of the week.  It is usually a stay at home day for me.  I spend it puttering in the house, cooking a yummy breakfast or dinner or both (like today!)  watching football or movies, reading, crocheting, hanging out by the fire.  Sometimes I will spend time working on my Book of Shadows or mixing oil blends or incense blends, or spending some time at my altar or studying something like runes or tarot.  Just laid back and wonderful!  Today I was actually busy..made breakfast, then took a drive to have some me time, then grocery, then made up two dishes of baked pasta!  By 4:30, I finally sat down to catch up on facebook and write in my blog and relax. 🙂 

My day though started off in a most beautiful way…which is what I’m really here to write about.  This morning there was a gorgeous Sunrise that I was most blessed to be up in time to see.  There was ice on all the tree branches and the beauty took my breath away!  I grabbed my camera and snapped these pictures…

I am really getting into photography and I got a little better camera from my hubby for Yule.  It is the first step towards getting the ultimate camera I want…but it’s a good one and I will enjoy it for awhile!  I was most pleased with these pics..almost as pleased as I was with the real thing! 🙂  I was so inspired too by my experience that I wrote a little poem….now I have very rarely written a poem.  I am pretty good at writing spells and charms etc but poetry has always escaped me.  So be kind and don’t think too harshly of my poetry writing…but it comes from the heart and expresses what I felt and saw this morning!

Winter Sunrise Morning

by

Autumn Earthsong 

 

I know before I’m completely awake that it is very cold

As I lay, I see a slight shimmer starting to show on the snow

I jump up with coffee in mind, when I see ice shining bright and bold

On the bare, dark trees, glittering from a beautiful sunrise glow

 

I grab slippers and camera, and head out  to catch this beautiful sight

 Out to the porch I go, when  cold air hits me, and my breath leaves me

I stop,  and my eyes  take in the Sun’s pink and orange light

Just coming up over the horizon,  in time for me to see

 

Through the camera lens a magickal world appears

Of white snow and dark trees and Sun and ice

My heart swells with the beauty that is so near

I snap a picture, once, twice, thrice…….

 

I shiver and watch the Sun rise higher a minute more

Then I give thanks  to the Goddess  with  a full heart

For the gift of this glorious winter sunrise morn

Then indoors I run, to coffee and warmth,  my day is off to an excellent start!

Now again, its ok if you don’t like my prose, but I’m pretty proud of myself for even attempting it…much less posting it here!  🙂  So my word of advice for today is…get out and see those sunrises and sunsets.  Taking the time to do that, yes even if you have to get up early, is sooo worth it.  It really does help me to connect with Mother Earth, Goddess, God every day.  Thats all it takes to connect with the Divine.  After all, the gift is there to take..so take it! Relish it!  Take pictures of it!  Dance and sing!  Whatever you feel inspired to do!   Just don’t let it pass you every single day..

Love and Light, Autumn

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November 26, 2010 · 6:27 pm

The Spirit of Christmas……

Merry Meet friends!  I hope that  all of you here in  the USA and those who celebrate it;  had a blessed Thanksgiving day.  I had those in the family who were in town or didn’t have to go to the In-laws this year, to my house.  My mom and I split the menu….the traditional meal as we have made for years..and that everyone expects! 🙂  The food was great..some drama from my momma as alway…then lots of time to relax, doze, read, crochet and read and of course eat some turkey sandwiches when the notion hits! 

Now my thoughts turn to Yule/Christmas.  Other than Samhain, probably my favorite Sabbat!  Before I go on any further, let me explain that I celebrate the Winter Solstice AND Christmas..but Christmas is a secular holiday to me that I grew up loving and celebrating with my christian parents. Therefore, because the book is about Christmas Day..I’ll be referring to that day. 

    I love Winter! ( yes I know some people will be groaning right now!)  I love all it entails.  Sitting by the fire, nesting, going outside and feeling the cold air whip across my face and take my breath away, wearing cozy sweaters, knitted scarves, hats & mittens, hot chocolate, warm spiced wine, feeding the winter birds and having time to read, crochet, relax, bake, cook hot meals…I just love it!  Today I watched “A Christmas Carol”…my all time favorite book and movie…all versions..ever!  Today happened to be the musical version..which I happen to think is excellent.  Has Kelsey Grammar as Scrooge and many other great stars.  My favorite version..for the record..is probably George C. Scott…he was a most excellent Scrooge!

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!”……..Scrooge…Charles Dickens

I am sure many of you will recognize this quote.  I am a huge lover of Charles Dickens and I think he writes beautifully and from the heart and his words are still ringing true all these years later.  He was indeed teaching a lesson in this Novella.  What is the lesson?  I would imagine most people would say the same thing…”goodwill towards men”.   I see it as more than that.  My understanding is that Dickens was appalled at the poverty he saw around him, and that the middle and upper class were doing nothing to help them at all.  His Scrooge talks about the work houses and the programs set up by the government to aid the impoverished…but it was nowhere near enough.  He wrote this book to open the eyes of those who were not “seeing” what needed to be done.  For people to open their hearts and their wallets to help the less fortunate and it would make them happier and more blessed in their own life. 

As a pagan witch, I believe that God/Goddess, the Universe, the Creator, whatever you believe in…  put us here to learn lessons..with the ultimate goal being LOVE.  Our goal in life should be to discover that..LOVE.  And to love means to care for our “fellow man”.  To me, “goodwill towards Men” means just that.  We should love our family and friends as I’m sure we do.  But we should also love those we don’t know, help those who need it, love and care for Mother Earth and the creatures who inhabit Her…  No judgement, no greed, no setting standards for others in our own minds, equality for all, acceptance of all religions, courtesy, kindness….Love.  To me, Dickens hit the nail on the head so to speak…he saw a vision of how the world should be.  More of us could learn from Scrooge’s Christmas Eve night.

  Scrooge was not an evil man..he was afraid.  His father did time in debtors prison..causing him to have to slave in a work house at 11 years old.  He never wanted to do that again..but he lost track of his self, his soul..so focused was he on never being poor.  Until he learned what dying a lonely old man would truly be like..did he become a truly rich man.  Hoarding his money, working long hours, never enjoying the money he had;  even for himself.  He didn’t have a relationship with anyone except his business partner, Marley.  He lived a very “poor” life in every way…because of his fear.

There are many positive wonderful characters in this book.  Old Fizziwig, who gave a huge party,  sparing no expense,  to show his gratitude to his employees.  There is the clerk, Bob Cratchit, so lowly in Scrooge’s eyes, but greatly loved by his large poverty stricken family, especially Tiny Tim.  Then there is Fred,  Scrooge’s endearing nephew.  He was the epitome of a good man who’s life was abundant in family, friends, love , joy, and blessings.  He showed love at every turn.  All he wanted from Uncle Scrooge was for him to come to Christmas Day dinner.  He came every year and requested it every year.  He never gave up on him.  and when Scrooge had his life altered…he welcomed him with open arms..holding no grudge for all the years of rejection.  Though he was not a rich man…he was rich in every other way. 

I don’t know about you..but I want to be like Fred….I want to be rich in friends.  I want to be rich in experiences.  I want to be rich in appreciation for the blessings that come to my life.  This is the lesson that Scrooge learned..luckily while he could have some time to truly appreciate it. Look into your own Past, Present, and even into your Future.  Have you done well by others?  Can you do better?  A Christmas Carol will always mean a lot to me…and I will try to keep Christmas in my heart all year long.  and as Tiny Tim says……God Bless Us Every One!!

Blessed Be, Autumn

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October 23, 2010 · 9:28 pm

Blood Moon……..

Merry Meet my friends and a Blessed Blood Moon to you.  Yes, this is a day late..but I believe the energy of the Full Moon lasts for 3 days before and 3 days after.  The Moon still looks full and bright tonight in my neck of the woods!  Last night I only sat and communed with the Moon Goddess.  I prayed, absorbed Her energy and reflected on the blessings She has given me.

The October Full Moon is called the Blood Moon, the Hunters Moon, the Harvest Moon, the Cold Moon, the Shedding Moon or the Falling Leaf Moon. Coming right before Samhain,  it comes in the Autumn, when nights are colder and darkness arrives earlier each night.  The harvest is over and the Earth is turning brown, animals are gathering food and making their winter homes ready, birds are gathering to fly south, and families are starting to think about the holidays and the winter months. 

Moon lore talks about the Blood Moon or Hunters Moon being named so because  hunters  tracked and killed their prey by autumn moonlight, stockpiling food for the winter ahead. You can picture them: silent figures padding through the forest, the moon overhead, pale as a corpse, its cold light betraying the creatures of the wood.  It was the final harvest…the sacrifice of livestock. 

At this time of year, the God is dying and returning to the Underworld, awaiting to be reborn at Yule.  The Goddess is a Crone, wise in her years, mourning the loss of her love,  leaving the world in darkness during her time of despair.  On this Full Moon, reflect on your sacrifices, your losses.  How have they affected your life in the last year..was it positive or negative?   What would you change if you could?  How does the coming dark time of the year affect your mood, your life?  

I know many people who have SAD..Seasonal Affective Disorder.  It’s a form of depression that happens in the dark months of late Fall and Winter.  They feel sad, moody, lazy, grumpy and un-motivated.  I am the total opposite.  I love Fall and Winter.  I think of it more as a time to rest, nest, catch up on projects and organizing INSIDE…catching up on reading, hanging by the fireplace, cooking up great comforting meals, taking walks on a snowy night..wearing sweaters and scarves and hats and big warm coats.  Knitting blankets, working on my Book of Shadows, making herbal concoctions from the herbs I grew, harvested and dried.  Yule happens in the Winter..whats not to love about this time of year.  If you have SAD, try to be more active, use light therapy, peruse garden books dreaming of spring, start a new hobby….these can help you to get thru the months that you don’t feel well.

So go out tonight and enjoy the bright Blood Moon and think about the coming cold dark winter.  How are you going to live your life during this time?  Ask for guidance, clarity, energy….listen quietly for an answer.  Listen to your inner voice.  You can lament the loss of warmth and light or you can find joy in darkness.  Your choice my friend!

Blessed Be, Autumn

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October 7, 2010 · 9:25 pm

Samhain……

Merry Meet friends!  Yes, I am writing a bit more this month than I normally do…I feel so inspired this time of year!  Thought I would post some info for those who may be new to paganism, wicca or witchcraft…and some of you who have been around awhile..might like the info too!

     Samhain is one of the Greater Wiccan Sabbats and is generally celebrated on Oct. 31st.  This Sabbat is the  third harvest festival. It marks the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter.  The God has died, returning to the Underworld to await his rebirth at Yule; the Goddess is the Crone, mourning her lost love, leaving the world for a time in darkness.    “Samhain” means “End of Summer” and its historical origin is The Feast of the Dead in Celtic lands.   It is believed that on this night, the veil Between the Worlds is at its thinnest point, making this an excellent time to communicate with the Other Side. It is a time  when the Dead are honored.  Pagans, Witches and Wiccans  honor their loved ones who have passed on to the Summerland.  Customs of this Sabbat are ancient and include the “Dumb Supper,” setting a place for the silent souls of departed loved ones at your table and lighting their way to your hearth with carved pumpkins and candlelight.

   Samhain is the Witches New Year and a very powerful time for magick.   Rituals for this night include Divination, Past-Life recall, spirit contact, meditation, and astral projection.  Samhain is a good time to do  spellwork for protection  and  is considered to be a good time to boost your confidence and security.  The correspondences below will help you to make the most of your spellwork on Samhain night!

 Samhain Correspondences

*Element/Gender- Water/Male

*Threshold- Midnight

*Symbolism- Death and transformation, Wiccan New Year, wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, Honoring our ancestors, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects, Magick, knowledge.

 *Symbols/Tools/Decorations- Jack-O-Lanterns, Balefires, Masks, Besom, Cauldron, the  Waning Moon, black altar cloth, oak leaves, acorns, straw, black cat,   Crescent Moon, grain, bare branches, pictures of ancestors, candles.

 *Herbs- Allspice, broom, comfrey, dandelion, deadly nightshade, mugwort, catnip, ferns,  flax ,mandrake, dragon’s blood, sage, straw, thistles, oak, wormwood

 *Incense/Oils- Frankincense, basil, yarrow, lilac, camphor, clove, wood rose, wormwood,  myrrh, patchouli, apples, mint, nutmeg, sage, ylang ylang

*Colors- Black, orange, indigo,

 *Stones/Crystals- Black stones, jet, obsidian, onyx, carnelian

 *Customs/Activities- Carving jack o’lanterns, spirit plate, ancestor altar, costumes, divination, the  Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, drying winter herbs, masks,  bonfires, apples, tricks, bats, cats, ghosts

  *Foods- Apple, pumpkin pie, pomegranate, pumpkin, squash, hazelnuts, corn, cranberry muffins,   bread, ale, apple cider and herbal tea.

*Gods- Horned Hunter, Cernunnos, Osiris, Hades, Loki, Arawn, Anubis, Gwynn ap Nudd

 *Goddesses- The Crone, Hecate, Cerridwen, Arianrhod, Caillech, Baba Yaga, Bast, Hel

 *Spellworking/Ritual- Honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, foreseeing the future, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall.

 Contemplate the coming winter, and use this time out of time to let die old ways of thinking, outworn beliefs, and negative patterns.  Meditate, rest, and incorporate relaxation techniques over the next weeks to deepen your psychic awareness and to restore your soul.  And await your own rebirth at Yule, as the Wheel comes round full circle once again.

Samhain is many witches favorite time of year..and I’m no exception.  Not only is Mother Earth resplendant in her glorious color, but there is Beggars Night for the children, there is trips to apple farms and pumpkin barns, bonfires, harvest parties, spooky hayrides, barn dances…there is baking with apples, caramel apples, popcorn balls, mulled cider, hot soups in crock pots…there is carving pumpkins and picking out costumes…it is a joyous time indeed!!  Make the most of every minute with your loved ones!   And don’t forget…..Witches Fly on Samhain Night!!!  I’ll be flying with my sisters across the Moon…come and meet up with us!!

Samhain Blessings to all of you, Autumn

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September 15, 2010 · 11:46 pm

Mabon…an Autumn Festival

Merry Meet my friends…I hope that you are all well and happy!  I am VERY happy as my favorite time of year is here…Autumn!  You may be able to tell by my name that Autumn is my favorite time of year! 🙂  We have had a glimpse of the cooler weather here in Ohio…a few days in the low 70’s and very cool nights.  The windows are open, the critters have started gathering, the Starlings are flocking…the sun is setting earlier and rising later…ahhh…I just love it!  We have been very dry so the grass is pretty brown and the gardens need lots of water and it may affect the Fall color…leaves might not be their most brilliant this year.  I’m seeing pumpkins and mums at the garden centers and the stores are filled with colorful displays of Autumn  and All Hallow’s Eve decorations….it is magick in the making!

      Mabon is the Autumn Equinox and the 2nd of the Harvest festivals on the Wheel of the Year.  It divides the day and night equally.   The Druids call this celebration, Mea’n Fo’mhair, and honor the Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees.  Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs, and fertilizer are appropriate at this time.  Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.  At this time we celebrate with bonfires, feasts, harvesting the last of our gardens and herbs,  make and drink wine, make offerings to the God/Goddess and reflect on the coming dark period of the year.  It’s about rest, relaxation, and reflection.  This year, Mabon coincides  with the Harvest moon!  Spells and rituals for Mabon should be about balance, protection, prosperity, introspection and harmony.  These spells should have extra energy for you if performed on the Full Harvest Moon.  I love this Sabbat so much!!

My altar is decorated with a leaf patterned altar cloth, candles of Red, brown, green, rust.  Gaia and the Green Man grace my altar.  I have a vase of autumn flowers, wheat grass and cat tails from my own pond.  I have acorns, apples, small gourds, cluster of grapes, a glass of wine.  I have crystals of citrine, lapis, carnelian and amethyst.  I’m using  patchouli incense and have sage on my altar as well.  I will be doing a spell for Balance this Mabon with my sisters in spirit.  I’ll also smudge my house and I’m working on my “Autumn” cleaning..preparing the house for being closed up for the Winter.  I will make an offering to Mother Earth as always.  If you haven’t already worked on your altar, this may give you some ideas! 🙂  I also make a Mabon Oil blend and anoint my altar and myself with it…I’ll share the recipe with you!

Mabon Oil…….    4 drops Rosemary

                                4 drops Frankincense

                                2 drops Apple

                                1 drop Chamomile

                                1/8 cup  Almond Oil for Base

Blend in a small capped bottle or spray bottle.  Can of course double the recipe..it smells great!

For dinner we’ll be having roast with potatoes, carrots and squash.  Homemade bread and apple crisp.  A glass of wine or two of course..I will be spending time with the Goddess, enjoying her in Her Full glorious Moon by a fire with my loved ones.  If you don’t do anything else, do this.  The energy you get from just sitting under the Full Moon, relaxing, listening to what She may have to tell you….the feeling is awe inspiring and amazing.  I’m am constantly amazed when I draw Her down. 

                                                                                                                                 

Had to post this picture  ..I just loved it!

I hope that each of you have a very Blessed Mabon.  May these days of crisp air, colorful crunching leaves, blue skies, blustery winds and need- a- sweater weather…bring you joy and Blessings.  Reflect on all that is good in your life, and also what you can do to be happier, to be more loving, to make a difference in the world and to be the best witch you can be!  LOL..even if you’re not a witch, you can do these things….:) 

Blessed Be, Autumn

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August 23, 2010 · 8:53 pm

The Full Moon and the Smoky Mountains……

Merry Meet my witchy friends!  Hope this finds all of you well and happy.  My hubby and I celebrated 31 years of marriage this week and decided to take a quick trip to our cabin in the Smoky Mountains for a few days.  It has been a whirlwind trip but fun and we’ve enjoyed our “alone” time together very much..especially in the mountains which sing to me, calm me and make me feel very small in this big world.  The weather has been hot but not too humid and the evenings cool down nicely. 

It is also the Full Moon and seeing the Full, bright Moon hanging over the dark mystical mountains at night is something I treasure..I can feel Her pull, Her energy, Her connection with the mountains and with me.  My body feels tingly and light just looking at Her.  I am blessed to get to see this….By the way, this moon picture was taken by me last night..thru the trees over the cabin!  Breathtaking!

// //

FULL MOON

by Darkwing

In the darkening sky, if you cast your eyes,

You will see the silver lady rise,

Bathing the world in a steely blue

Edged with a haunting, silver hue.

Higher and higher she rises with grace,

Shrouding the trees in a cloak of lace,

Sending her rays to the waters below,

Casting reflections in ripple and flow.

Oh, such a majesty gracing the sky,

Passing a twinkle to stars riding high,

Oh, what a magickal sight we purvey

From dusk, till the night gives in to day.

And so, she sinks in horizons west,

Content in the knowledge that we saw her best,

She’ll return once again when the sky turns black,

And if you should whisper, she might whisper back.

Love this poem and had to share it.  We are leaving to go home tomorrow and I look forward to seeing my daughters, cats, home and yes, I’ve missed my facebook friends! LOL…I knew I was addicted..and yes, I most definitely am. 🙂

Before I left home I made up a batch of Lavender Toner….thought I ‘d share the very easy recipe here for you all to enjoy..

1 cup witch hazel

1 TB dried lavender buds

6 drops lavender essential oil

Mix together in a lidded glass jar and shake well.  Store in a dark place and shake everyday for 2 weeks.  Then, pour thru a cheesecloth to strain buds…pour into a mister bottle or lidded bottle that you can use with a cotton ball…Enjoy!

*I doubled this recipe by the way.

It smells divine and feels so refreshing.

I hope that you all will spend some time with the Full Moon..and bless the Goddess for her gifts she has given to you.  May you all have a beautiful Esbat..

Blessed Be..

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July 25, 2010 · 1:14 pm

Blessing Full Moon…….

Merry Meet friends…tonight is a witch’s favorite night…a Full Moon!  This moon is the Blessing Moon..This is a time for divination, dreams, focusing on goals, and expanding spiritual consciousness.  For me, the weather, though hot and humid (UGH)..it should be clear and beautiful to commune with Her tonight.  Last night she was also amazing  as I sat and watched Her, surrounded by clouds but shining between them brightly, low and close.  Her energy is incredible and I know tonight will be even more electric!

My full moon rituals always include re-charging in the moonlight my magickal jewelry, crystals, and athame and wand…I also make new Blessed water about every other full moon.  Tonight I chose to do a Witches Bottle…a protection spell for my home and everyone in it.  I got this spell from Ellen Dugan’s book “Book of Witchery”  which I have and will again recommend ..it’s really a great book!  I’m going to post her spell her..I hope she doesn’t mind….don’t think she will as it’s published! 🙂

Witch’s Protection Bottle

You will be burying this bottle in the ground at your front door.

Gather items needed:                                                   

-A Sturdy, clean, wide-mouthed bottle or jar with a tight lid.
-Soil or sand from the area surrounding your home.
-Something sparkly or shining like small tumbled crystals, beads, sea glass

-A rusty bent nail.
-A piece of broken glass
-Dried herbs

*Mint, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme
-A new penny or other coin
-Some loose hair from any pets in your home
-A piece of hair from all living in the home

-A magickal spell candle
   

Find the appropriate spot in your yard to bury the bottle. Work on the night of a
 Full Moon at the height of the Full Moon,  or on the Full Moon right before Summer Solstice. Have all your items with you and a shovel. Use salt to purify the space.

         Create and open sacred space. Light your working candle while you do your work. Dig the hole in the earth, try to keep the top sod in good shape to replace over the hole. Sprinkle with salt. Ground and Center.   When ready, say these words:

With the Goddess and God working for and through me
according to free will and for the good of all.
I now fill this bottle.
Earth anchors this magick in the ground.
This rusty nail, bent, now repels anything and anyone negative or life-denying.
The sparkling, shiny small pieces of crystals hold the light for me and my deities.
A broken piece of glass to deflect harm to anyone it is intended for.
These herbs infuse the bottle with their living properties;
 

 

Mint for money and protection
Parsley for protection
Sage for wisdom and protection
Rosemary for love, healing, and health
Thyme for health, love, and courage.
This new penny manifests abundance in my home.
 Hair from my beloved pets to protect them.
Hair from my loved ones who dwell here, to protect and draw away negativity.
This home is divinely protected and effectively safe.
Nothing and no one can enter without my permission
Only those people and beings through whom the Goddess and God work
Can stay here, can visit, can touch this place.
Only Positive Magick lives in this place
In safety, protection, abundance, love, and joy
According to free will and for the good of all!

Start to bury the bottle, and replace the sod you dug up before hand and then say:

I now bury this bottle
It is invisible to all but me
And its magick continues
And so mote it be!

     By the time you have finished this spell, the bottle should be buried. Cover with leaves or something appropriate to make it truly invisible. Under the ground, it will continue to work until you choose to remove it. If you leave that area, it is best to dig up the bottle. Then perform this again at your next residence.

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust!

 I also spent a bit of time this morning harvesting more herbs..which are doing fabulous!!  I have found I had much better luck planting them in pots this year than in the ground..

Lughnasadh or Lammas is coming up next week..August 1.  I’m gearing up for it now.  It’s one of my favorite Sabbats as it is the first Harvest festival…and I absolutely love Autumn!  (as you may be able to tell from my name!) 🙂  I will post more info on that later this week.  

My family had a rough week this week when my daughter had a miscarriage at 6 weeks of pregnancy.  However, she is doing very well considering.  She is an optimistic, strong girl and is looking to the future, as his her husband and those of us who love them.  They of course, have their darling Lily, who turned 20 months yesterday, to help them thru as well! 

May the Goddess shine her moonlight on each of you and bring you joy, peace, comfort and healing.

Blessed Be, Autumn

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July 10, 2010 · 9:54 pm

Making Jam and Bread and blankets of love……

Blessed New Moon weekend my friends….This was a busy week of firsts for me and my girls.  I have always wanted to try my hand at canning.  A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a canning kit and on tuesday my daughters and I put it to good use.  We made the most delicious, prettiest red strawberry jam ever!  We met up at my daughter Kate’s house, had pizza for lunch then when my grandaughter Lily went down for a nap, we got busy.  I had bought 4 packages of huge, red, juicy organic strawberries.  We go the water bath boiling to sterilize the jars, cut the tops off the strawberries and cut them in half.  Popped them in a food processer and processed them to little bits.  Into a pot on the stove with pectin, boil for a bit.  Ad 7 cups! of sugar, and bring to a boil some more.  That was it!  Easy peasy.  We filled the jars, place the lids on, and back into the water bath they went to boil for 10 minutes.  All done!   The jam set up quickly as soon as it cooled. 

Of course I then had to make a loaf of homemade bread to go with it!  Yummy!  We had so much fun doing this we are going to make it a habit.  Apple Butter, tomatoes, bread and butter pickles, peach jam, apple pie filling..are all on the list of things we want to can!  If you haven’t tried canning, go ahead and try.  I thought it seemed overwhelming a bit..mostly worrying about the jars breaking or something..but it was easy…really!

This week I also attended my first meeting with a volunteer group of ladies who knit/crochet blankets for a program called ‘Blankets of Love”.  These blankets are donated to every single patient who come into our local Hospice.  This is a very special program.  Many times, this blanket is the last gift these patients ever receive.  The women, a group of maybe 25, most over the age of 60 have made over 5000 blankets just since 2008.  They pretty much use their own money or sometimes some donated money and yarn, to make these blankets.  Each one is made with love and with thought for the person who will be laying under it one day.  This has become a charity very close to my heart.  My sister was the first to go, about a month ago, and she has already made 5-6 blankets too.  I am not a fast crocheter or knitter, but I’m going to do what I can to help.  I have friends already donating their unused yarn which is wonderful!  Check in your area and see if there is such a charity or a need, or start it yourself.  It will be very awarding!

The New Moon is tonight or tomorrow night depending on where you live.  Remember that this is a great time to start a new project, to improve something in your life, for new direction or change, and to consecrate your tools.  The Goddess is waiting to help you with your new endeavor! 

Bright New Moon Blessings, Autumn

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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

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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

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